US08008000B2
The present invention relates generally to viral variants exhibiting reduced sensitivity to particular agents and/or reduced interactivity with immunological reagents. More particularly, the present invention is directed to hepatitis B virus (HBV) variants exhibiting complete or partial resistance to nucleoside or nucleotide analogs and/or reduced interactivity with antibodies to viral surface components including reduced sensitivity to these antibodies. The present invention further contemplates assays for detecting such viral variants, which assays are useful in monitoring anti-viral therapeutic regimens and in developing new or modified vaccines directed against viral agents and in particular HBV variants. The present invention also contemplates the use of the viral variants to screen for and/or develop or design agents capable of inhibiting infection, replication and/or release of the virus.
US08007998B2
Polymerized conjugates of at least two proteins that have increased sensitivity for detecting proteins in biological assays such as gels and blots, and methods of preparing the conjugates, and a protein assay detection kit using the conjugates. In one embodiment, proteins are polymerized by reacting a carbohydrate group on the protein that has been oxidized with an amine group.
US08007996B2
In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method to identify a protein arginine deiminase 4 inhibitor is disclosed. The method includes performing a competitive assay in which a potential inhibitor compound competes with rhodamine-conjugated fluoroamidine to bind to protein arginine deiminase 4. Fluorescence is measured to determine an estimate of the amount of fluorescent protein arginine deiminase 4 that is present in the assay.
US08007993B2
A storage solution to maintain and perfuse organs awaiting transplantation comprising (a) an isotonic balanced solution comprising a physiologically acceptable amount of potassium, mono acidic phosphate, biacidic phosphate, chloride, sodium and bicarbonate ions; (b) 50-250 mM glucose; (c) 0.2-20 mM of an alkanoyl L-carnitine or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof; (d) 1-100 mM of L-carnitine or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof; (e) water is described. The storage solution can also include other components such as anti-oxidants and/or chelating agents.
US08007991B2
Three-dimensional physiological matrices, methods, apparatus and kits for the expedited design, testing and evaluation of oncological remedies are provided. Key aspects of the inventions include matrices, and especially gel matrices, comprising one or more physiological fibers, which are adapted and arranged to provide conditions which permit behaviors, such as the movement of cells away from the margins of samples of target tissue through the matrix, to be evaluated in a manner that produces data useful for evaluating the oncological status and characteristics of the cells. In a further key aspect, the invention permits the in vitro testing and analysis of one or more conventional, experimental or theoretical therapies with respect to specific target tissues or cells. Among such therapies are therapeutic compounds and combinations thereof, radiation therapies, combinations of therapeutic compounds and radiation and numerous other possible therapies.
US08007985B2
Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacturing thereof are disclosed. A plurality of features is formed on a workpiece, the plurality of features being located in a first region and a second region of the workpiece. Features in the first region have a first lateral dimension, and features in the second region have a second lateral dimension, wherein the second lateral dimension is greater than the first lateral dimension. The first region is masked, and the second lateral dimension of features in the second region is reduced.
US08007965B2
The invention provides an optical mux/demux for an optical printed circuit board. The mux/demux comprises: a first waveguide formed on a support layer for carrying a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal; a separator/combiner for separating the wavelength division multiplexed signal into component signals of corresponding wavelengths or for combining component signals into the said wavelength division multiplexed signal; and plural second waveguides, each for receiving or providing one or more of the said component signals, wherein the separator/combiner is at a predetermined location relative to the waveguides.
US08007962B2
A photomask includes a base, a plurality of chip pattern regions over which a light shielding pattern of a metal material is defined, the plurality of chip pattern regions being defined on the base, scribe regions defined between the chip pattern regions, the scribe regions being defined by using the light shielding pattern, and slits in which the light shielding pattern is not defined, the slits being defined so as to surround the chip pattern regions.
US08007956B2
A separator having a separator member coupled body having a metal plate as a base body, and formed by integrally coupling a plurality of separator members each having through holes for feeding fuel to an electrolyte of the fuel cell, said through holes arranged so as to correspond to the unit cell and to be perpendicular to a surface of said base body, and frame coupled bodies each made of an insulating material, each having openings for fuel feeding or oxygen feeding corresponding to the respective separator members, and each formed by integrally coupling a plurality of frame portions that give insulation between the unit cells, wherein said frame coupled bodies, making a pair, sandwich said separator member coupled body from its both sides, and each frame portion of one of said frame coupled bodies is capable of fitting a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of the fuel cell into the opening.
US08007952B2
A DMFC is provided in which the structure is simplified and the thickness is reduced without impairing diffusibility of fuel, air and generated products. An anode catalyst layer and a cathode catalyst layer sandwich an electrolyte membrane. Liquid fuel stored in a fuel chamber is directly supplied to the anode catalyst layer. Current collectors are respectively provided adjacent to the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer. Each of the current collectors is formed of a flat conductive sheet in which a plurality of fine pores are provided to extend through the current collector in a direction substantially perpendicular to the planar direction.
US08007947B2
The invention relates to fuel cell non-humidification operation, specifically to—a method on dry operation condition selection, wherein under condition of inputting dry gas, applying predetermined temperature, pressure and the input flow of the dry gas and detecting the temporary current-voltage curve of the cell. The selection method of this invention can realize steady operation of the cell under non-humidification condition and avoid the dehydration problem of the membrane under the dry gas as well as the “flood” phenomena. The present invention can be applied to not only normal temperature work condition, but also the start and run of the fuel cell under zero degree temperature condition especially. It can simplify the system of the fuel cell and therefore improve the development of the fuel cell.
US08007945B2
A fuel-cell system 1 includes: a fuel cell 13 configured to generate electricity through reaction between hydrogen gas and air; a compressor 12 configured to supply air as a scavenging gas to a reactant gas path 13a of the fuel cell 13; a control part 18 configured to control an amount of air supplied from the compressor 12 to the fuel cell 13 to perform scavenging of the fuel cell 13; and pressure sensors P1 and P2 configured to monitor a pressure drop in the reactant gas path 13a of the fuel cell 13. The control part 18 controls an amount of supplied air so as to keep the pressure drop in the reactant gas path 13a substantially constant when the fuel cell 13 is scavenged. With this configuration, residual water can be suitably purged from the fuel cell while energy consumption is suppressed.
US08007942B2
Disclosed herein are an ion-dissociative functional compound, a method for production thereof, an ionic conductor, and an electrochemical device, the ion-dissociative functional compound being thermally and chemically stable under the condition required of fuel cells and being suitable for use as a material such as protonic conductor in fuel cells.The proton-dissociative functional compound shown in FIG. 1A is composed of a fullerene C60 molecule and about 10 sulfonic acid groups —SO3H as proton-dissociative groups each attached to the fullerene through a difluoromethane group —CF2—. The proton-dissociative functional compound shown in FIG. 1B is composed of fullerene molecules three-dimensionally connected to each other through a linking group —CF2SO2NHSO2CF2—. It contains, as the proton-dissociative group, sulfoneimide groups —SO2NHSO2— and sulfoneamide groups —SO2H2 in addition to sulfonic acid groups. These compounds are prepared by introduction of difluoro(fluorosulfonyl)methyl groups into fullerene molecules, and ensuing imidization and hydrolysis.
US08007936B2
An electric storage device 10 has a first electric storage component 29 and a second electric storage component 30. The first component 29 and the second component 30 are connected in parallel. A positive-electrode mixture layer 22 contains a lithium cobaltate to increase a capacity. A positive-electrode mixture layer 27 contains an activated carbon to increase an output. A current collector 16 having through holes 16a is provided between the layers 22 and 27. A positive electrode terminal 25 is connected to a positive-electrode current collector 21 of the first component 29 through an electricity supply path 24 provided with a resistor 23. By this configuration, the electric current flowing through the first electric storage component 29 can be restricted when the device is charged or discharged with high current.
US08007928B2
An article is coated with a coating having a black color. In a preferred embodiment, the coating comprises a nickel or polymer basecoat layer, and a first color layer comprised of oxygen-rich refractory metal oxycarbides, a second color layer comprising oxygen-rich refractory metal oxycarbides and a top layer of refractory metal oxides.
US08007922B2
An article includes a working portion including cemented carbide, and a heat sink portion in thermal communication with the working portion. The heat sink portion includes a heat sink material having a thermal conductivity greater than a thermal conductivity of the cemented carbide. Also disclosed are methods of making an article including a working portion comprising cemented carbide, and a heat sink portion in thermal communication with the working portion and including a heat sink material having a thermal conductivity that is greater than a thermal conductivity of the cemented carbide. The heat sink portion conducts heat from the working portion.
US08007911B2
To provide a coating material for a room temperature curable solvent-borne overcoating material having chipping resistance and not allowing occurrence of cracks, and a room temperature curable solvent-borne overcoating material using the same, the room temperature curable solvent-borne overcoating material being excellent in abrasion resistance and in performance such as weather resistance, contamination resistance and adhesion.A coating material is formed of a lipophilic polyrotaxane including a cyclic molecule, a linear molecule piercing through the cyclic molecule to include it, and blocking groups disposed at both end terminals of the linear molecule to prevent departure of the cyclic molecule. In the lipophilic polyrotaxane, at least one of the linear molecule and the cyclic molecule has a hydrophobic modification group. A room temperature curable solvent-borne overcoating material is formed to contain the coating material preferably within a range of from 60 to 100% by mass relative to a film-forming component.
US08007908B2
A single walled carbon nanohorn adsorptive material which comprises a single walled carbon nanohorn and a lanthanide metal deposited thereon and has methane absorptivity is produced, whereby a single walled carbon nanohorn adsorptive material which can adsorb much methane and is effective as a methane adsorbing material is provided.
US08007907B2
A glass-containing molding composition is prepared by incorporating glass powder into a thermoplastic resin at a glass load ratio of 40 to 70 percent by weight, in which the glass powder is composed of solid spherical glass particles which have an average particle size of 10 to 40 μm and whose surfaces are totally covered with a silane compound and which exhibits reduction ratios of melt flow rate on a parabolic curve with the increase of glass load ratios and has a reduction ratio of melt flow rate of 3/4 to 1/4 within a glass load ratio in a range of 40 to 64 percent by weight.
US08007902B2
A multilayer structure includes a clear polyolefin layer, a colored polyolefin layer, and a random polyolefin backing layer. The colored and backing layers are coextruded and are permanently bonded at a layer interface, which is exclusive of an adhesive. The structure has a DOI of 70 or greater and passes a gravelometer impact test per the GM9508P standard, with a 10 pint load, at a −30° C. temperature, and at an impact angle of 30 degrees. Among other uses, the structures are appropriate for use as body panels in the motor vehicle industry. The structures display a “class A” finish and meet a variety of requirements for durability and weatherability. An ABA structured backing layer and a method of making it are also described herein.
US08007887B2
An optical information recording medium that can simultaneously achieve both a high transmittance and high signal quality of an information layer, improve the reliability of long-term conservation, and reduce the manufacturing cost, and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. In an optical information recording medium including at least one information layer on a substrate, at least one of the information layers has a recording layer and a dielectric layer, the recording layer contains Te, O, and M (M is one or a plurality of elements selected from Au, Pd, and Pt) as major components, the dielectric layer has a thermal conductivity of 0.01 W/K·cm or more, and the dielectric layer has an extinction coefficient of 0 through 1.0 inclusive.
US08007880B2
The invention relates to an insert that is to be added to a gas-pressurized liquid in a container. Said insert comprises a pressure-activated body with at least one cavity, said body being connected to a positioning device. According to the invention, (a) the pressure-activated body (4) comprises at least one opening (10) with a reduced diameter, which connects the cavity to the environment of the insert and is situated in a location that lies above the level of liquid when the insert is floating on said liquid and (b) the positioning device comprises a floating body (1, 2; 1, 2, 6) with a small opening (3), which is submerged in the liquid when the insert is placed on the latter, a ventilation opening (5), which communicates directly with the external environment (14) of the insert and a minimum volume (11), which when filled with liquid enables the insert to sink into the liquid. The inventive insert can be added to liquids that are sealed under pressure. It floats to the surface of said liquid, but sinks after a period of time. Its pressure-activated body is charged with the internal pressure of the sealed container and when the container of liquid is opened, said pressure is used in a known manner to achieve effects such as an improved foaming of beer or to mix a substance, which up to the point of opening has been stored separately in the container, with the liquid.
US08007878B2
An antireflection film comprising a support and a low refractive index layer prepared by coating a coating composition containing the following components: (A) a fluorine-containing polymer, a principal chain of which is made of only carbon atoms and which contains at least one fluorine-containing vinyl monomer polymerization unit and at least one hydroxyl group-containing vinyl monomer polymerization unit, wherein a content of the hydroxyl group-containing vinyl monomer polymerization unit exceeds 20% by mole, provided that the polymer does not have a polysiloxane structure in the principal chain; (B) a crosslinking agent capable of reacting with a hydroxyl group; and (C) a compound containing two or more (meth)acryloyl groups in one molecule thereof.
US08007875B2
In a method of forming carbon nano-tubes, a catalytic film is formed on a substrate. The catalytic film is then transformed into preliminary catalytic particles. Thereafter, the preliminary catalytic particles are transformed into catalytic particles. Carbon nano-tubes then grow from the catalytic particles. The carbon nano-tubes have relatively high conductivity and high number density.
US08007870B2
Plasma-sprayed layers of aluminium oxide on a substrate are produced by using a pyrogenically produced aluminium oxide, for example selected from the group consisting of borosilicate and steel, as starting powder.
US08007869B2
A method of preparing a reinforced silicone resin film, the method comprising the steps of impregnating a fiber reinforcement in a condensation-curable silicone composition comprising a silicone resin, and curing the silicone resin in the condensation-curable silicone composition of the impregnated fiber reinforcement; wherein the reinforced silicone resin film comprises from 10 to 99% (w/w) of the cured silicone resin and the film has a thickness of from 15 to 500 μm; and a reinforced silicone resin film prepared according to the method.
US08007865B2
One inventive aspect is related to an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method comprising: a) providing a semiconductor substrate in a reactor, b) providing a pulse of a first precursor gas into the reactor at a first temperature, c) providing a first pulse of a second precursor gas into the reactor at a second temperature, and d) providing a second pulse of the second precursor gas at a third temperature lower than the second temperature. Another inventive aspect relates to a reactor suitable to apply the method.
US08007861B2
An ink jet applicator includes an ink jet head having nozzle via which liquid droplets are jetted, a seal mechanism sealing the nozzle using a pressure vessel; a solution supply mechanism supplying a solution to the nozzle at a predetermined pressure.
US08007860B2
Method for manufacturing magnetic recording medium, and magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus
There is provided a method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium which can easily produce a magnetic recording medium, the magnetic recording medium having a plurality of magnetically separated recording layers suitable as the recording layers in a discrete track medium or patterned medium, and also having excellent surface flatness, in which spaces between the adjacent recording layers are filled in with a non-magnetic material.Such a method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium is a method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium (10) including: a step for forming a magnetic layer on top of a non-magnetic substrate (1), and then forming a resist pattern constituted of a non-magnetic material on top of the magnetic layer; a step for forming a concave section (4a), which is to become a separation layer (5), and a plurality of recording layers (4) that are magnetically separated in plan view by the concave section (4a) by removing the magnetic layer that is exposed from the resist pattern; and a step for forming the separation layer (5) by melting the resist pattern to prepare a melted resist and filling in the concave section (4a) with the melted resist, followed by curing of the melted resist.
US08007854B2
A ceramic coating with gradient density/porosity and/or incorporated biologically active agents can be fabricated on the surface of substrates, including the surface of implantable medical devices.
US08007853B2
Compositions containing the fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in combination with at least one vitamin and mineral are provided to supplement nutrition in a mammalian diet. DHA is present in the composition in concentrated amounts, advantageously in a carrier such as marinol oil, to allow for quantities of DHA sufficient to supply expectant and new mothers and their children as recommended on a daily basis. This DHA may also be used to treat a variety of disorders in children and adults. The compositions advantageously include vitamins, minerals, and optionally other nutrients to provide a nutritional supplement which may be convenient to swallow and taken once a day.
US08007851B2
A beverage composition includes water, milk solids, a tea material, and a pH buffer that itself includes a lactate salt and a carbonate salt. The pH buffer reduces or eliminates precipitation of milk protein when dissolved milk solids are mixed with acidic tea components. Methods of preparing the composition, and packaged beverages are also described.
US08007850B2
The invention relates to a method for making a powder containing crystalline particles of glucopyranosyl-alditols, including the continuous mixing of a glucopyranosyl-alditol syrup with a dry matter content of at least 80% by weight and a glucopyranosyl-alditol content of at least 95% by weight, preferably of at least 98% by weight based on dry matter, the mixing being carried out by simultaneously dispersing the glucopyranosyl-alditol syrup and germs containing glucopyranosyl-alditols in an open rotary container containing (glucopyranosyl-alditol)-based granules, whereby the glucopyranosyl-alditol syrup and the germs containing glucopyranosyl-alditols are mixed at the surface of the (glucopyranosyl-alditol)-based granules contained in the container, recovering the (glucopyranosyl-alditol)-based granules from the container and crystallizing the glucopyranosyl-alditols contained in the granules, the (glucopyranosyl-alditol)-based granules in the container being kept in motion by rotating the container.
US08007837B2
Disclosed is a novel herbal composition for maintaining/caring the skin around the eye, the composition comprising extracts of Saxifraga ligulata syn. Bergenia ligulata, Cipadessa baccifera and Emblica officinalis and cosmeceutical excipients thereof. Also disclosed is a method of extraction, delivery system comprising the same and use thereof.
US08007835B2
This invention provides a composition for inhibiting cancer cell growth comprising Hibiscus anthocyanins extracted from Hibiscus sabdariffa. This invention also provides a method for treating cancer comprising administering a patient with an effective amount of Hibiscus anthocyanins.
US08007827B2
The present invention relates generally to pharmaceutical dosage forms comprising: an absorption window active agent; a controlled release component comprising enteric-coated controlled release beads, wherein the enteric-coated release beads comprise at least two pH-sensitive polymer layers. The controlled-release dosage forms provide good bioavailability of absorption window active agents.
US08007819B2
This invention relates to articles of manufacture containing liquid compositions of hypohalous acid or hypohalous acid salt for deactivating allergens and preventing diseases on hard surfaces, soft surfaces and in the air. The articles of manufacture contain usage instructions with health claims. This invention also includes methods of instructing the public and promoting the use of these compositions.
US08007818B2
The present invention relates to the field of vaccines, and in particular vaccines comprising antigens of low isoelectric point at pH 7.0, in particular the capsular polysaccharide or oligosaccharide of H. influenzae B (PRP). Immunogenic compositions and methods of making such compositions are presented in which the PRP is surprisingly protected from immune interference by adding a polyanionic polymer (such as PLG-poly-L-glutamic acid) to the composition.
US08007815B1
Combination vaccines for treating or preventing Neisseria meningitidis infection are described. The vaccines include Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B proteoliposomic vesicles and Neissera meningitidis serogroup C conjugated oligosaccharides.
US08007808B2
The present invention is a composition and method for facilitating the internalization of a therapeutic agent into a cell. Specifically, the invention relates to the use of the extracellular domain of basigin-2, cyclophilin, or anti-basigin-2 antibody or antibody fragment as a delivery moiety for internalization of a therape.
US08007805B2
Disclosed herein are compositions and methods for eliciting immune responses against antigens. In particular, the compounds and methods elicit immune responses against foreign antigens that are otherwise recognized by the host as “self” antigens, thus breaking host tolerance to those antigens. Presenting the host immune system with a chimeric antigen comprising an immune response domain and a target binding domain, wherein the target binding domain comprises an antibody fragment, enhances the immune response against the foreign or tolerated antigen. Antigen presenting cells take up, process, and present the chimeric antigen, eliciting both a humoral and cellular immune response against the desired antigen.
US08007798B2
The present invention concerns a recently discovered macrophage specific receptor, CRIg, and its use in the prevention and treatment of complement-associated disorders, including complement-associated eye conditions, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and choroidal neovascularization (CNV).
US08007795B2
The invention includes antibodies that provide superior anti-coagulant activity by binding native human TF with high affinity and specificity. Antibodies of the invention can effectively inhibit blood coagulation in vivo. Antibodies of the invention can bind native human TF, either alone or present in a TF:FVIIa complex, effectively preventing factor X or FIX binding to TF or that complex, and thereby reducing blood coagulation. Preferred antibodies of the invention specifically bind a conformational epitope predominant to native human TF, which epitope provides an unexpectedly strong antibody binding site. Also provided are humanized antibodies and fragments thereof that bind to the TF.
US08007792B2
New conformational antibodies are directed against HCV and more particularly to monoclonal antibodies. Described compositions of particles are liable to be recognized by the antibodies, as are pharmaceutical compositions containing them. Also described are HCV enveloped subviral particles or purified HCV enveloped complete viral particles, and the processes for preparing them.
US08007791B2
The invention concerns the prevention and treatment of complement-associated eye conditions, such as choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), by administration of Factor D antagonists.
US08007790B2
The present invention is directed to methods of treating or ameliorating an effect of a polycystic disease. More particularly, the methods include administering to a patient in need thereof an amount of a modulator of a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) pathway, which is sufficient to treat or ameliorate an effect of a polycystic disease. Methods of treating or ameliorating an effect of a polycystic kidney disease (PKD) are also provided. Methods are also provided for identifying a candidate compound that may be effective to treat or ameliorate an effect of a polycystic disease or to increase polycystin-2 (PC2) function or decrease Rab11-Family of Interacting Protein2 (FIP2) function. Further provided are methods for identifying a patient having, or who is at risk for developing, a polycystic disease or who would benefit from treatment with a TNF-alpha inhibitor.
US08007789B2
The invention relates to antibiotic substances of microbial origin, arbitrarily denominated antibiotic GE 811112 factor A, factor B1 and factor B, which are produced by fermentation of Streptomyces sp. DSMZ 14386, the pharmaceutically acceptable salts and composition thereof, and their use as an antibacterial agent having activity versus susceptible microbes.
US08007787B2
Human cystathionine β-synthase variants are disclosed, as well as a method to produce recombinant human cystathionine β-synthase and variants thereof. More particularly, the role of both the N-terminal and C-terminal regions of human CBS has been studied, and a variety of truncation mutants and modified CBS homologues are described. In addition, a method to express and purify recombinant human cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) and variants thereof which have only one or two additional amino acid residues at the N-terminus are described.
US08007785B2
The present invention discloses an immunotherapeutic method for treating patients suffering from colon cancer, by administering expanded tumour-reactive CD4+ helper and/or CD8+ T-lymphocytes obtainable from one or more sentinel or metinel lymph nodes draining a tumour in the colon or a metastasis arising from a tumour in the colon. The present invention provides a new effective method for treating colon cancer and metastatic colon cancer, without adverse side effects associated with the known treatments. The method comprises identification of in a patient one or more sentinel and/or metinel lymph nodes draining a tumour in the colon or a metastasis from a tumour in the colon, resection of the one or more nodes and, optionally all or part of the tumour or metastasis, isolation of tumour-reactive T-lymphocytes from said lymph nodes, in vitro expansion of said tumour-reactive T-lymphocytes, and administration of the thus obtained tumour-reactive T-lymphocytes to the patient, wherein the T-lymphocytes are CD4+ helper and/or CD8+ T-lymphocytes.
US08007781B2
This invention provides compositions and methods for inducing and enhancing immune responses, such as antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses, using chimeric molecules comprising endoplasmic reticulum chaperone polypeptides and antigenic peptides. In particular, the invention provides compositions and methods for enhancing immune responses induced by polypeptides made in vivo by administered nucleic acid, such as naked DNA or expression vectors, encoding the chimeric molecules. The invention provides a method of inhibiting the growth of a tumor in an individual. The invention also provides novel self-replicating RNA virus constructs for enhancing immune responses induced by chimeric polypeptides made in vivo.
US08007767B2
Amino methyl imidazoles of Formula I are provided: wherein R, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, and R6 are defined herein. Such compounds are ligands of C5a receptors. Preferred compounds of Formula I bind to C5a receptors with high affinity and exhibit neutral antagonist or inverse agonist activity at C5a receptors. This invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds. It further relates to the use of such compounds in treating a variety of inflammatory, cardiovascular, and immune system disorders. Additionally, this invention provides labeled amino methyl imidazoles compounds, which are useful as probes for the localization of C5a receptors.
US08007759B2
A static ion-exchange process for the preparation of a polynuclear Al species comprising the treatment of an aqueous aluminum chloride solution with a hydroxide-form ion-exchange resin at a temperature of from 5° C. to 60° C. for a period of at least 30 minutes.
US08007756B2
The object of the invention is a process for the synthesis of nanotubes of transition metal dichalcogenides, of fullerene-like nanostructures of transition metal dichalcogenides, of nanotubes of transition metal dichalcogenides, filled with fullerene-like nanostructures of transition metal dichalcogenides, of quasi one-dimensional structures (nanowires, microwires and ribbons) of transition metal oxides and of quasi one-dimensional structures of transition metal dichalcogenides, consisting of fine crystallites of transition metal dichalcogenides. The process is characterized in that the synthesis occurs by the chemical transformation of quasi one-dimensional compounds with a sub-micron diameter, described by the formula M6CyHz, 8.2
US08007741B1
A pipetting head apparatus includes a pipetting system, and a gripper system, and which includes a floating gripper carriage, which is configured to move independently from said pipetting system. The pipetting system and said gripper system are configured to utilize a common motor. In alternative embodiment, a pipetting head apparatus includes a pipetting system, and a stripper assembly. The pipetting system and the stripper assembly are configured to utilize a common motor. In another alternative embodiment, a pipetting head apparatus includes a pipetting system, which includes a stripper assembly, a main carriage assembly, and a gripper assembly, where the stripper assembly and gripper assembly are both configured to move independently from the main carriage assembly. Also a method is disclosed for distributing material samples for laboratory processing.
US08007720B2
An automated in situ heat induced antigen recovery and staining method and apparatus for treating a plurality of microscope slides. The process of heat induced antigen recovery and the process of staining the biological sample on the microscope slide are conducted in the same apparatus, wherein the microscope slides do not need to be physically removed from one apparatus to another. Each treatment step occurs within the same reaction compartment. The reaction conditions of each reaction compartment for treating a slide can preferably be controlled independently, including the individualized application of reagents to each slide and the individualized treatment of each slide. The reagents are preferably held in a reagent dispensing strip similar to a “blister pack”.
US08007717B2
A method and apparatus for decontaminating a region with a gaseous or vaporous decontaminant (e.g., vaporized hydrogen peroxide) without dehumidification (e.g., without the use of a dryer). The saturation concentration of the decontaminant inside the region is monitored, and the concentration of the decontaminant inside the region is regulated to prevent condensation of the decontaminant. The bioburden reduction is continuously monitored during a decontamination phase to ascertain successful completion of a decontamination process in accordance with a target bioburden reduction.
US08007714B2
The present invention relates to compositions and methods for forming a bit body for an earth-boring bit. The bit body may comprise hard particles, wherein the hard particles comprise at least one of carbide, nitride, boride, oxide, and solid solutions thereof, and a binder binding together the hard particles. The binder may comprise at least one metal selected from cobalt, nickel, and iron and, optionally, at least one melting point reducing constituent selected from a transition metal carbide in the range of 30 to 60 weight percent, boron up to 10 weight percent, silicon up to 20 weight percent, chromium up to 20 weight percent, and manganese up to 25 weight percent, wherein the weight percentages are based on the total weight of the binder. In addition, the hard particles may comprise at least one of (i) cast carbide (WC+W2C) particles, (ii) transition metal carbide particles selected from the carbides of titanium, chromium, vanadium, zirconium, hafnium, tantalum, molybdenum, niobium, and tungsten, and (iii) sintered cemented carbide particles.
US08007713B2
Disclosed are a sintered composite machine part as a cylinder block for piston pumps or piston motors, and a manufacturing method thereof. The machine part has an air-tight main body of sintered porous iron alloy and having an iron oxide layer on the surface; and a sliding part of sintered porous copper alloy being bonded direct to the main body. The sliding part is to be slid in tight contact with a fluid supply/return device. The manufacturing is made by preparing a main body of sintered porous iron alloy and a green compact for sliding part from a raw material metal powder having a composition corresponding to the copper alloy; sintering the green compact for sliding part in contact with the main body to bond the sliding part to the main body by diffused junction; and subjecting the main body to steam treatment to provide an iron oxide layer.
US08007711B2
In a method for operating a converter (1), in which the converter (1) is mounted in a carrying ring (3) by means of carrying journals (2), a gear mechanism (4) is mounted in a floating manner on the carrying journals (2), the converter (1) is configured, as a result, such that it can tilt about its horizontal axis and the gear mechanism (4) is connected rigidly to a pedestal (6) by a torque support (5), the torque support (5) connects the gear mechanism (4) to the pedestal (6) during the tilting operation of the converter (1), and the torque support (5) is released from the pedestal (6) or from the gear mechanism (4) or from both during operation of the converter (1).
US08007706B2
The invention relates to a method for the production of a molded part which comprises a base part consisting of a plurality of layers and a thermoplastic or duroplastic synthetic material bonded therewith, the bond of the base part with the thermoplastic or duroplastic synthetic material being formed such that the thermoplastic or duroplastic synthetic material is deformed under a pressure to become flowable, or that it is introduced already liquefied under pressure and forms a bond with the base part. According to the invention, the production of the base part and the production of the bond of the thermoplastic or duroplastic synthetic material with the base part is carried out in the same die.
US08007702B2
A method includes forming an elongated member having a tubular shape. The elongated member includes a sidewall that defines a lumen. A spiral-shaped opening is formed in the sidewall such that the elongated member is configured to move between a retracted configuration and an expanded configuration along a longitudinal axis of the lumen. In some embodiments, the method further includes forming a distal retention structure. The distal retention structure can be disposed at a distal end of the elongated member and can define a lumen in fluid communication with the lumen defined by the sidewall of the elongated member.
US08007698B2
The present invention relates to a method for preparing a wood composite, and the related wood composite itself formed by steam injection pressing using a phenol-formaldehyde resin binder composition capable of rapidly curing in a saturated or superheated steam atmosphere.
US08007694B2
A fabrication method for a p-type metal oxide semiconductor material is disclosed, including providing a lithium salt and a zinc salt to be mixed in a solution, wherein to the solution is added a chelating agent to form a metal complex compound comprising lithium and zinc. A heating process for the metal complex compound to form a p-type metal oxide semiconductor material powder is performed, having a formula LixZnx-1 O.
US08007689B2
A liquid composition comprising a high-capacity aqueous carrier in which (i) a metalloid compound selected from the group consisting of antimony and germanium compounds and (ii) morpholine or derivative thereof are dissolved in the presence of (iii) unsaturated alcohol and (iv) water-soluble organic acid having reducing capacity, wherein the total concentration of said four components is preferably not less than 5% relative to the total weight of the composition. The composition is useful as a corrosion inhibitor. Also provided is a process for preparing the composition.
US08007681B2
A method of preparing an oxidant stream comprising: burning a combustion mixture comprising (a) one or more fuel composition and (b) oxidant comprising a first oxygen content of about 10 mole % or more and a first carbon dioxide (CO2) gas content of about 68 mole % or more on a dry basis, the burning producing a flue gas comprising CO2 gas, water vapor, and unreacted oxygen; separating from the flue gas a recycle stream; mixing at least a portion of the recycle stream having a first pressure with a sufficient amount of an oxygen stream having a second pressure which is sufficiently higher than the first pressure to entrain at least a portion of the recycle stream in the oxidant stream and to produce the oxidant stream having a second oxygen content of 10 mole % or more and a second CO2 gas content of about 68 mole % or more on a dry basis.
US08007675B1
A system and method is disclosed that terminates an etch process of a semiconductor crystal material at a precisely located depth. The semiconductor crystal is made of a first material and has a buried layer of a second material that is stoichiometrically different than the first material. The buried layer is located at a depth in the first material at which it is desired to terminate the etch process. During the etch process an optical emission spectrum of the first material is monitored. The intensity of the spectrum decreases when the etch process reaches the second material of the buried layer. The etch process is terminated when the decrease in spectrum intensity is detected.
US08007670B2
A filtration cassette is described. The filtration cassette can include one or more filtrate channel spacers and one or more feed channel spacers. Each of the feed channel spacers and each of the filtrate channel spacers define an open interior volume bounded by an inner perimeter and include at least one feed port and at least one filtrate port. The filtrate channel spacers and the feed channel spacers are arranged such that the feed ports and the filtrate ports are positioned in respective alignment. The filtration cassette further includes one or more membranes disposed between the filtrate channel spacers and the feed channel spacers, and one or more retaining members at either end of the filtration cassette. A thin film of adhesive binds together the filtrate channel spacers, the feed channel spacers, and the membranes.
US08007667B2
A filtration device is provided that includes a filter component and an additive component. The filter component includes concentrically arranged filtering elements disposed in a filter-in-filter configuration. The additive component includes at least one additive material that is introduced into a working fluid to be filtered. The filter component and additive component provide an assembly for a filtration system that would filter a variety of working fluids. The filter component and additive component provides an assembly that can filter fluids more efficiently. As a result, fluids may enjoy, for example, extended drainage intervals and thereby reduce component wear.
US08007657B2
Described is the use, for preparing or treating bituminous compositions, of at least one compound selected among: esters of glycolic, lactic and gluconic acids, methylic, ethylic and isobutylic esters of glutaric, succinic and adipic acids, and ethers or esters of a product resulting from internal dehydration of a sugar, preferably a hydrogenated sugar. Also described is a method for preparing or treating such compositions and the resulting compositions.
US08007653B2
An automated self-propelled pool cleaner having a housing, a water pump for moving water through the housing, drive means for moving the pool cleaner over the surface of the salt water pool to be cleaned, and an integral electrochemical chlorine generator mounted in the housing, includes a processor/controller that is programmed to activate the chlorine generator, the pump and drive means in predetermined operational sequences that minimize wear and tear on the water pump and drive means, while at the same time distribute and maintain a safe level of sanitizing chlorine in the pool, to thereby obviate the need for an in-line chlorinator or other chemical additive treatments; an optional automated sensor device can be provided to activate a secondary maintenance program which enables the pool cleaner to operate over prolonged periods of time as the sole means for filtering and sanitizing the pool water. An electrochemical cell manual mounting system permits the cell to be secured in place for operation and manually removed for maintenance, repair or replacement by the user without special tools or training.
US08007651B2
A process for substantially improving the heat transmission and reflection properties of anodized metals is presented along with a method of improving such properties while allowing for such processed anodized metals to be used for food contact.
US08007650B2
Disclosed is a low-cost, high quality metal nanotube comprising Ni, Fe, Co or the like. A metal thin film having a thickness of 10 to 80 nm is formed as a cathode on one surface of a film having penetrated holes, and an electrolyte solution is filled between an anode and the cathode to which a voltage is applied. Metal ions in the electrolyte solution are electrochemically deposited on the walls of the penetrated holes, thereby forming metal nanotubes. A thermoplastic resin porous film such as a polycarbonate film, an alumina porous film or aluminum anodic oxide film may be used as the film, and the diameters of the penetrated holes are preferably 15 to 500 nm. The metal thin film can be formed by sputtering, and preferably comprises a platinum-palladium alloy. The electrochemical processing of nanostructured tailored materials is a unique technique.
US08007646B2
The mechanism of the UV light-induced reaction between the indole moiety of tryptophan and chloroform, and the structure of the modified tryptophan and polypeptides including such modified tryptophan residues. The excited indole moiety, which is formed upon UV light irradiation, emits a solvated electron which initiates a series of events that yield fluorescent derivatives that have CHO group covalently bound to the indole moiety. These derivatives are herein referred to as formyltryptophan, and are relatively stable. Similar reactions are observed when 5-hydroxytryptophan, 5-fluorotryptophan, or N-methylindolacetate are used in place of tryptophan, or when other haloalkanes, such as trichloracetic acid, trichlorethanol, trichlorethane, bromoform, and iodoactetate are used in place of chloroform. The derivatives can be used in a variety of applications in fluorescence spectroscopy, and for nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray crystallography, infra-red spectroscopy, circular dicroism and mass spectroscopy. Additionally, the UV light-induced reaction between the indole moiety of tryptophan and haloalkanes can be used to prepare derivatives of tryptophan for chemical cross-linking studies of proteins and peptides.
US08007644B2
An inclined carrier transferring apparatus for use inline sputtering equipment. The inclined carrier transferring apparatus includes rollers and a guiding portion. The rollers transfer and support the bottom of a carrier. The guiding portion is installed diagonally with respect to the rollers, to support the top of the carrier in a non-contact manner.
US08007643B2
The invention relates to an anode comprising a titanium alloy substrate coated with noble metals by thermal decomposition of precursors thereof. The alloy of the substrate includes elements which can be oxidised during the thermal decomposition step, allowing electrical energy savings and a prolonged duration in industrial electrolytic processes. The anode of the invention is suitable for chlor-alkali electrolysis, allowing to produce chlorine with a lower oxygen content and a lower energy consumption than the anodes of the prior art.
US08007639B2
A method for producing an article made of a web material, comprising at least one ply, wherein a superabsorbent material in powder form is associated with said ply.
US08007636B2
The present invention relates to methods of modifying cellulose fibers and of producing paper which methods include providing a pulp suspension of cellulose fibers and adding a cellulose derivative during the bleaching of the cellulose fibers in an acidic bleaching stage.
US08007630B1
An inflatable automotive protective cushion and method of formation. The protective cushion includes a multilayer film coating with an adhesive layer and an overlying barrier layer. The adhesive layer is adapted to bond to a textile substrate and the barrier layer is adapted to block air permeability.
US08007618B2
The present invention provides an image displaying medium with a metallic image, which comprises a metallic image formed on a transfer receiving material with a color image formed thereon, wherein the metallic image is formed by using a thermal transfer sheet in which at least a resinous peelable layer and a metal thin layer are provided on one surface of a substrate film in this order, the resinous peelable layer comprising a pigment and a thermoplastic resin having a glass transition temperature of 60° C. or higher and the metal thin layer comprising a composition containing an aluminum pigment prepared by forming an aluminum film by deposition on a carrier sheet with a releasing layer provided thereon, and peeling the aluminum film from the carrier sheet to finely divide it, and a binder of a thermoplastic resin having a glass transition temperature of 50 to 150° C., and the 60°, 45°, 20° specular reflection of the image surface on which the metallic image is formed is 100% or greater, and a brightness (L*value) is 20 or greater.
US08007615B2
A flexible cover is formed from a rectangular sheet of plastic film material and a continuous elastic or rubber band. The sheet has a predetermined amount of material cut from each corner. The sheet is placed onto a table between four posts that extend from the table. The sheet is positioned so that a post lines up with each corner of the sheet. A rubber band is stretched across the four posts into a similar shaped rectangle and rests just above side edges of the sheet. The side edges of the sheet are folded inward and over the stretched band and heat sealed directly to the sheet. The band is now sealed within a pocket formed along the sides of the sheet. Each corner of the stretched band is released from its post, allowing the band to relax and pull the formed pockets toward the center.
US08007614B2
An elastomeric laminate for use in an absorbent article can have a first plurality of elastomeric strands and a second plurality of elastomeric strands bonded to a first substrate. The first plurality of elastomeric strands can be bonded to the first substrate in a first orientation while the second plurality of elastomeric strands is joined to the first substrate in a second orientation. The first and second orientations can be different such that the elastomeric laminate can accommodate tension forces which act on the laminate from different axes. Optionally, a second substrate or a third plurality of elastomeric strands may be added to the elastomeric laminate.
US08007612B2
The invention relates to a method for the position- and angle-compensated welding of a component (6) to a base body (5), in particular to a blow molding, comprising the working steps of three-dimensionally recording the geometrical and positional data of the joining face (51) of the base body (5), positioning at least one heating element (221) on the basis of the recorded geometrical and positional data in such a way that a constant distance between the heating element (221) and the joining face (51) of the base body (5) is achieved over the entire joining face (51), plastifying the joining faces (51, 61) of the base element (5) and the component (6) and bringing the plastified joining faces (51, 61) of the component (6) and the base body (5) together. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out the method for the position- and angle-compensated welding of a component (6) to a base body (5), comprising at least one heating element (221) and means for positioning (2) the at least one heating element (221), means (3) for positioning the base body (5), means for positioning the component, means (23) for recording geometrical and positional data of a body (5) and also a control unit (4), wherein the means (2) for positioning the at least one heating element (221), the means (3) for positioning the base body (3) and the means (2) for positioning the component (6) act together under the control of the control unit (4) in such a way that a uniform distance between the at least one heating element (221) and the joining face (51) of the base body (5) can be achieved over the entire joining face (51) on the basis of the geometrical and positional data.
US08007600B2
The invention provides a soft magnetic thin strip which contains nanoscale fine grains and exhibits a high saturation magnetic flux density and excellent soft magnetic characteristics; a process for production of the same; magnetic parts; and an amorphous thin strip to be used in the production. In the invention, an amorphous thin strip is used, which is represented by the composition formula: Fe100-x-y-zAxMyXz-aPa (wherein A is at least one element selected from between Cu and Au; M is at least one element selected from among Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W and Mn; X is at least one element selected from between B and Si; and x, y, z and a (in terms of atomic percentage) satisfy the relationships: 0.5≦x≦1.5, 0≦y≦2.5, 10≦z≦23, and 0.35≦a≦10 respectively) and permits 180° bending. The amorphous thin strip can give through anneal a soft magnetic thin strip having a structure wherein grains of body-centered cubic structure having an average grain size of 60 nm or below are distributed in an amorphous phase with a grain volume fraction of 30% or above.
US08007588B2
A vapor phase epitaxial growth method using a vapor phase epitaxy apparatus having a chamber, a support structure holding thereon a substrate in the chamber, a first flow path supplying a reactant gas for film formation on the substrate and a second flow path for exhaust of the gas, said method includes rotating the substrate, supplying the reactant gas and a carrier gas to thereby perform vapor-phase epitaxial growth of a semiconductor film on the substrate, and during the vapor-phase epitaxial growth of the semiconductor film on the substrate, controlling process parameters to make said semiconductor film uniform in thickness, said process parameters including flow rates and concentrations of the reactant gas and the carrier gas, a degree of vacuum within said chamber, a temperature of the substrate, and a rotation speed of said substrate.
US08007585B2
A syrup composition of the present invention comprises a mixture of monomers (A), each having a molecular mass of 130 to 300 and one (meth)acryloyl group; a resin (C) which is soluble in the monomers (A) and has a glass transition temperature of 20 to 155° C.; a wax (D); and a tertiary amine (E), wherein the monomers (A) contain a heterocyclic ring-containing (meth)acrylate (a1), an oligoethylene glycol monoalkyl ether (meth)acrylate (a2), and a hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylate (a3) having a hydroxyalkyl group with 2 or 3 carbon atoms. The syrup composition does not substantially contain a polyvalent metal soap.
US08007583B2
A multilayer effect pigment includes a transparent substrate, a layer of high refractive index material on the substrate, and alternating layers of low refractive index and high refractive index materials on the first layer, the total number of layers being an odd number of at least three, all adjacent layers differing in refractive index by at least about 0.2 and at least one of the layers having an optical thickness which is different from all of the other layers. The resulting multilayer effect pigment is not a quarter-wave stack. The present effect pigments may be used in cosmetic and industrial applications.
US08007582B2
The present invention relates to solid, particulate free film-forming compositions, multi-layer composite coatings comprising such film-forming compositions and methods of applying such multi-component composite coatings to a substrate. The solvent free film-forming compositions include UV-curable powder coating compositions comprising an amorphous (meth)acrylate terminated poly(ester-urethane) and optionally a second (meth)acrylate terminated polyurethane.
US08007579B2
The invention relates to preparations based on polymerizable polyether materials and a fluidity improver and to the use thereof in producing dental materials, especially impression materials.
US08007578B2
An ink having infrared (IR) absorptivity includes an ink vehicle and an IR absorptive pigment having low visible color. According to one exemplary embodiment, the IR absorptive pigment includes an antimony-containing tin oxide.
US08007574B2
An air conditioner having an interior casing in which an air filter is provided along an inner face of an air suction inlet, includes a filter cleaning part, a cleaning time drive member for moving the air filter and the filter cleaning part with respect to each other, and an ultraviolet light irradiation unit which irradiates the air filter with ultraviolet rays. The air filter and the filter cleaning part are relatively moved by the cleaning time drive member to remove dust adhered to the air filter, and the ultraviolet light irradiation unit irradiates an uncleaned face of the air filter with the ultraviolet rays.
US08007564B2
A manufacture method of briquette for use as metal stock is provided which increases the efficiency of drying porous masses so as to shorten a drying time, and which provides a simplified constitution for reducing an installation area of a system and for reducing the running cost and initial cost of the system. The porous masses are formed by compression molding a recyclable material containing metallic powder. The compression molded porous masses are fed into a tubular member, into which hot air is blown for drying the porous masses.
US08007563B1
A method of impacting a flow of fluid, preferably water, onto a cable which comprises an outer jacket and a plurality of coverings on metal wires therewithin, to simultaneously remove a substantial majority of the outer jacket, and at least some of at least one of the coverings, on the metal wires.
US08007560B2
The present invention discloses a novel use of the FGD byproduct from thermal power plants and facilities and the specific method for alkali soil amelioration. In this method, after sampling, amount of Na2CO3, NaHCO3, Mg(HCO3)2,±)Na and ±)Mg can be calculated by analysis. According to the component in FGD byproduct from thermal power plants and facilities, the amount for FGD byproduct from thermal power plants and facilities needed in the alkali soil to be ameliorated can be determined. The FGD byproduct from thermal power plants and facilities are scattered on the surface according to the alkalization degree. After irrigating, the soil is operated just like common land. This invention allows the FGD byproduct from thermal power plants and facilities to be utilized effectively and economically, changing from it from waste to a useful substance. Moreover, it provides a method for alkali soil amelioration, which is fast, efficient, consumes less water, is cost effective, and promising.
US08007554B2
An air purifier (10) for an animal transport vehicle, such as a horse float (12), has a first air flow passageway (22) for receiving air and directing it in a first direction, and a second air flow passageway (40) continuous with the first air flow passageway and adapted to direct air received from the first air flow passageway in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction. There is a bend region (42) joining the first and second air flow passageways where the change in the direction of air occurs. An air egress passageway (34) has an opening (36) adjacent the bend region so as to divert some of the air therethrough. The passageway (34) is so configured as to create a venturi effect on the diverted air. A filter (43) is located downstream of the second air flow passageway (40) and is mounted across an opening of the transport vehicle so that air flowing through the second air flow passageway is filtered before entering the transport vehicle.
US08007548B2
A pretreatment fluid includes an effective amount of a fluorinated surfactant and a vehicle. The fluorinated surfactant is selected from at least one non-ionic fluorinated surfactant, at least one ionic fluorinated surfactant, and combinations thereof. The effective amount is selected based upon: a system in which the pretreatment fluid is used, an ink composition used in the system, system pretreatment time, pretreatment vehicle components, or combinations thereof.
US08007544B2
A low profile prosthetic foot comprises a foot member extending at an incline from an anterior portion to a posterior portion thereof and configured to flex during motion, and an adapter mounted solely at a posterior section thereof to the posterior portion of the foot member so that the adapter's anterior section can move relative to the foot member and “roll-up” onto the foot member during motion.
US08007537B2
Systems and method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention can includes an implant comprising a first wing, a spacer extending from the first wing, and a distraction guide. The distraction guide is arranged in a first configuration to pierce and/or distract tissue associated with adjacent spinous processes extending from vertebrae of a targeted motion segment. The implant can be positioned between the adjacent spinous processes and once positioned, the implant can be arranged in a second configuration. When arranged in a second configuration, the distraction guide can act as a second wing. The first wing and the second wing can limit or block movement of the implant along a longitudinal axis of the implant.
US08007530B2
A simplified and more easily employed tool for holding an implantable annuloplasty prosthesis during passage of sutures through the prosthesis and for conveniently and efficiently releasing the prosthesis from the tool. Separation of the implantable prosthesis and the tool may be conveniently accomplished without requiring the use of a sharp instrument. Attachment between the prosthesis and its surgical carrying tool can be accomplished in a suture-less fashion. The tool includes a suture management device in some embodiments for selectively receiving and maintaining sutures otherwise securing the prosthesis to tissue.
US08007527B2
A intraluminal stent comprises a reticulated tube having an un-deployed diameter and expandable to an enlarged diameter. The tube includes a structural beam extending between first and second ends. The structural beam changes from a first geometry to a second geometry when the tube changes from the un-deployed diameter to the enlarged diameter. The structural beam includes first and second longitudinal elements each extending at least partially between the first and second ends and with a spacing between the first and second elements. Each of said first and second elements changes from the first geometry to the second geometry when the tube changes from the un-deployed diameter to the enlarged diameter for the spacing to remain substantially unchanged as the tube changes from the un-deployed diameter to the enlarged diameter.
US08007526B2
The present invention relates to compounds of formula I, which are difunctionalized aromatic compounds, and polymers formed from the same. Polymers formed from the di-functionalized aromatics are expected to have controllable degradation profiles, enabling them to release an active component over a desired time range. The polymers are also expected to be useful in a variety of medical applications.
US08007522B2
A method of treating a spinal column shape deformation includes fixing at least two fixation screw assemblies to respective vertebrae, sliding a rod between the arm extensions on each of the fixation screw assemblies, swinging the channels of the screw assemblies relative to the fixation screws so that the channels become less inclined to the axes of the fixation screws, and so that the rod is located generally posteriorly of the spinal column, locking the channel against swinging relative to the screw, rotating the rod about its axis relative to at least one of the channels, and locking the rod against movement relative to the channel.
US08007518B2
A dynamic spinal stabilization component suitable for use in stabilizing of the spine. The component is selectably attachable to a bone anchor for implantation in a bone of the spine. The dynamic spinal stabilization component includes a deflectable post connectable by a joint to bone anchor. Deflection of the deflectable post is controlled by a compliant member. The force/deflection properties of the deflectable post may be adapted to the functional requirements and anatomy of the patient. The dynamic spinal stabilization component, when secured to a bone anchor, provide load sharing while preserving range of motion and reducing stress exerted upon the bone anchors and spinal anatomy.
US08007517B2
In various exemplary embodiments, the present invention provides a plurality of novel interspinous distraction devices and associated methods of insertion. The interspinous distraction devices of the present invention are designed and configured to effectively treat such conditions as lumbar spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease. Advantageously, the interspinous distraction devices of the present invention may be inserted through conventional open procedures, typically requiring a relatively large incision and a general anesthetic, or through novel minimally-invasive procedures, typically requiring only a local anesthetic. These novel minimally-invasive procedures and related enabling devices are also disclosed and described herein.
US08007516B2
A method for manipulating a vertebra includes connecting a first bone anchor to a first vertebra, connecting a second bone anchor to a second bone anchor, positioning a spinal rod in a receiving member of the first bone anchor and in a receiving member of the second bone anchor, connecting a first instrument to the receiving member of the first bone anchor, and manipulating the first instrument to rotate first bone anchor and the first vertebra relative to the second vertebra.
US08007484B2
A pants type disposable undergarment is provided which is equipped with an elasticized side panel. The side panel is elasticized with elastic film. The elastic film is attached to a nonwoven layer. The elasticized nonwoven layer is then split into two sections. A portion of the elasticized nonwoven layer is then ultrasonically cut to the desired configuration. The elastic film does not traverse the crotch region. Also provided are methods for producing such disposable undergarments.
US08007483B2
An ostomy bag with a filter assembly having a gas filter and a pre-filter for preventing or delaying solid/semisolid matter and liquid from reaching the gas filter. The pre-filter is at least substantially flat and comprises a number of constrictions, such as ribs extending along and between two inner surface parts of the channel. These constrictions/ribs form narrower and wider passages where the gas may more quickly pass a narrow passage and where the wider passages tend to receive and hold the liquid, solid matter and semisolid matter. At least a part of one of the surfaces may comprise an interactive agent adapted to interact with the fluid passing through the gas channel.
US08007481B2
A portable system for subatmospheric pressure therapy in connection with healing a surgical wound is provided. The system includes a wound dressing dimensioned for positioning relative to a wound bed of a subject, and a collection canister in fluid communication with the wound dressing. The canister includes a base defining a fluid receiving cavity and having a fluid inlet port and a vacuum port. The fluid inlet port is configured for fluid communication with a wound dressing. The system further includes a cover selectively engageable to the base, e.g., in a snap-fit manner. The cover is configured to receive a control unit and has a vent assembly for exhausting the control unit. A seal member is interposed relative to the base and the cover to establish and maintain a substantial sealed relationship between the two components when assembled.
US08007478B2
A portable type hygiene washer comprises bottle body, fixing cover, adjusting cap, dispense lever and valve device, wherein fixing cover being lockingly combined with bottle opening of bottle body is protrudingly made with a liquid dispense ring and a vent hole; the adjusting cap is centrally made with a liquid dispense hole thereon and is made with a positioning ring flange to be sleevedly combined with liquid dispense ring of the fixing cover; the dispense lever having several nozzle holes at front end thereof is lockingly engaged with the top section of adjusting cap; the valve device comprising a tube piece, a ball and a ball retainer with a ball being contained inside thereof is sleevedly affixed to bottom end of tube piece; as such to allow woman in menstruation to thoroughly cleanse vagina or to wash anal area after toilet use thereby achieving multiple useful results.
US08007472B2
A universal seal is shown with orbital movement of a center opening for use in endoscopic surgery. A two part seal housing encloses the universal seal in an annulus surrounding an insertion port. The outer periphery of the universal seal is clamped between the two parts at the outer edge of the annulus. An inner ring of the universal seal is free to move from side-to-side inside the annulus while maintaining rubbing contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the annuluses for vertical support. The seal housing and universal seal are mounted on a proximal end of a cannula which allows access therethrough for the endoscopic surgery. The center opening of the universal seal is in general alignment with the insertion port of the seal housing, but the center opening and inner ring may move from side to side when medical instruments are inserted through the insertion port, the center opening, and the cannula and moved from side to side.
US08007468B2
An apparatus for controlling fluid flow through medical devices, specifically for sealing devices which remain in place in the body to provide long term access to the vascular system. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention describe a wedge or other similarly shaped geometrical feature for fixing an elastic component and controlling an internal stress of the elastic component.
US08007466B2
A system and method for delivering fluid into a flexible biological barrier employs a microneedle structure wherein a final position of microneedles (12) inserted into the biological barrier (14) is generally sideways projecting from the delivery configuration instead of the conventional downwards projecting arrangement. The microneedles (12) project from a relief surface (16) which is distinct from a primary biological-barrier contact region (18, 26) of the delivery configuration, and is typically angled upwards away from the biological barrier. During insertion, the contact region (18, 26) is brought into contact with the biological barrier (14) and moved parallel to the surface of the flexible biological barrier so as to generate a boundary (20) between a stretched portion (22) and a non-stretched portion (24) of the barrier. Typically concurrently with this motion, the microneedles (12) penetrate into the flexible biological barrier such that, at the end of the motion, the microneedles extend into the flexible biological barrier from the boundary region (20) in a direction towards the non-stretched portion (24). Fluid is then injected through the bores of the hollow microneedles towards non-stretched portion.
US08007448B2
A method of performing an arthroplasty of a ball and socket joint with a surgical navigation system includes the step of digitizing landmarks to provide geometrical parameters of the joint and a limb depending there from, including digitizing aspects of a socket region of the ball and socket joint. A range of motion parameter is determined. A soft tissue tension parameter is determined. A functional goal is computed based on landmark data, the range of motion parameter, the soft tissue tension parameter, and a database of potential implants. An optimal socket position is solved for to minimize impingement of potential implants. An implant is chosen based on the optimal socket position and the functional goal. The joint is prepared to receive the chosen implant. The chosen implant is installed into the joint.
US08007446B2
A body fluid sampling system for use on a tissue site has a housing and a penetrating member driver at least partially within the housing. At least one cartridge is in the housing. The cartridge includes an analyte sensor in a sample chamber configured to receive body fluid from a wound in tissue created by a penetrating member. A penetrating member is associated with the sample chamber. Each penetrating member, and its associated sample chamber, has a combined occupied volume of no more than about 5.0 cm3. The penetrating member is at least partially co-located with the analyte sensor in the sample chamber. The sample chamber receives body fluid from a wound in tissue created by a penetrating member, and the analyte sensor determines analyte levels using a body fluid sample of less than about 1 microliter. A transport mechanism engages the cartridge. The penetrating member is operatively engaged with the penetrating member driver when moved into position by the transport mechanism. The driver provides the force to advance the penetrating member. A user interface on the housing displays information to a user.
US08007445B2
The present invention relates to an analytical aid comprising a base body, a lancet and a test element. The base body comprises two subsidiary bodies hingedly connected to one another, the first subsidiary body carrying the lancet with lancet tip, and the second subsidiary body carrying the test element with test field and a sample application site. In an unused position of the analytical aid, the subsidiary bodies are arranged substantially in a common plane and the lancet is protected by a seal connected to the first subsidiary body and is separated from the test field of the test element. The two subsidiary bodies are pivotable relative to one another out of the common plane and the seal is openable so that the lancet tip is released for use.
US08007442B2
An implantable device and method for monitoring S1 heart sounds with a remotely located accelerometer. The device includes a transducer that converts heart sounds into an electrical signal. A control circuit is coupled to the transducer. The control circuit is configured to receive the electrical signal, identify an S1 heart sound, and to convert the S1 heart sound into electrical information. The control circuit also generates morphological data from the electrical information. The morphological data relates to a hemodynamic metric, such as left ventricular contractility. A housing may enclose the control circuit. The housing defines a volume coextensive with an outer surface of the housing. The transducer is in or on the volume defined by the housing.
US08007439B2
A combination of an ultrasonic scanner and an omnidirectional receive transducer for producing a two-dimensional image from the echoes received by the single omnidirectional transducer is described. Two-dimensional images with different noise components can be constructed from the echoes received by additional transducers. These can be combined to produce images with better signal to noise ratios and lateral resolution. Also disclosed is a method based on information content to compensate for the different delays for different paths through intervening tissue is described. Specular reflections are attenuated by using even a single omnidirectional receiver displaced from the insonifying probe. The disclosed techniques have broad application in medical imaging but are ideally suited to multi-aperture cardiac imaging using two or more intercostal spaces. Since lateral resolution is determined primarily by the aperture defined by the end elements, it is not necessary to fill the entire aperture with equally spaced elements. In fact, gaps can be left to accommodate spanning a patient's ribs, or simply to reduce the cost of the large aperture array. Multiple slices using these methods can be combined to form three-dimensional images.
US08007437B2
A method of performing 4-dimensional virtual endoscopy includes acquiring a sequence of cardiac images of a patient's heart from an imaging device; acquiring an electrocardiographic signal exhibiting cardiac cycles of the heart; and utilizing the electrocardiographic signal to gate the images for deriving respective 3-dimensional views in succession at corresponding cardiac cycles, from respective cardiac images at a selected phase point common to each of the corresponding cardiac cycles.
US08007431B2
A male chastity system comprises a housing and a partial ring configured for placement behind the scrotum of the user. The partial ring contains a gap. A bridge bridges the gap by attaching to the partial ring at first and second attachment points. The bridge comprises a rear portion and a front portion, and the partial ring and the bridge collectively form a ring. Guide pins extend at least partially through the rear bridge portion, attachment points, front bridge portion, and housing. A locking pin extends through the bridge and housing, a spacer on the locking pin spacing the housing from the ring, and a lock is applied to the locking pin.
US08007429B2
An implantable vessel occlusive device and method for occluding a vessel are described, for example to occlude the urethra or bladder neck. The devices and methods described utilize an occlusive member connected to a control mechanism. The occlusive member is reversibly changed from a non-occlusive condition to an occlusive condition, for example by depressing an activation button contained within a resilient, elastomeric cover surrounding the control mechanism. In the occlusive position, an initial tension is applied to the occlusive member through a tensioning suture. The tension is translated into an occlusive pressure applied to the urethra or bladder neck that is sufficient to prevent urinary leakage. The non-occlusive position can be obtained by depressing the de-activation button. The occlusive member is constructed to allow elution of drugs, such as may be required to combat infection or tissue encapsulation from its surface.
US08007426B2
A developing roller that can form a toner image with high quality includes: a supporting shaft, and at least one resin layer formed on a peripheral face of the supporting shaft, the resin layer containing carbon black in which a number average Feret's diameter is in a range from 5 to 300 nm and primary particles account for 5% or more on a number basis, and the carbon black being dispersed in a base resin material thereof.
US08007423B2
An exercise chair of the type wherein a user can sit on a seating platform and extend and retract his legs while his feet are resting on a spring-resisted foot rod includes a structure which permits the chairs to be stacked in nested relationship or a structure using foldable support legs for a seating platform allowing the seating platform to be folded into close relationship with a base frame for storage purposes.
US08007410B2
A device for stationary swimming in an above-ground or self-supporting swimming pool includes an item of equipment intended to surround the body of a swimmer, a flexible tether fastened at one end to the item of equipment, and at least one attachment pole with at least one hitching point for fastening to the other end of the tether. The base of the attachment pole is removable manner and has at least one anchoring plate extending laterally with respect to the base of the pole. The plate has an elongate shape and a size such that a large portion of its length can be slipped beneath one of the ends of a water basin lying on the ground. The mass of water contained in the basin firmly blocks the pole, thereby immobilizing and stabilizing the attachment pole.
US08007409B2
An exercise treadmill having an endless exercise surface for walking or running while exercising, a resistance mechanism for providing a resistance for simulating the pushing of a load, wherein the resistance can be adjusted and set to a specific resistance setting. A movable pushing handle or handles is or are operatively attached to the resistance mechanism to transfer the load to the user. The resistance mechanism applies a constant and static force to the pushing handle(s) only in the same direction the endless movable surface moves and opposite a pushing direction such that operating the treadmill simulates the pushing of a load by a combination of gripping and pushing the pushing handle(s) forward while walking or running forward.
US08007408B1
A treadmill apparatus having a non-motorized tread, a sensor for sensing a parameter indicative of the tread speed, and a controller operatively connected to an angle adjustment mechanism to increase and decrease the angle of the tread. During operation of the treadmill, the controller compares the speed of the tread to a target speed, and based on the comparison, adjust the angle of the tread so that the operator's weight will adjust the speed of the tread.
US08007404B2
Discontinuous torque ratio shifts by a transmission can result in complex transient exhaust conditions that can adversely affect exhaust air-fuel ratio control, which can result in ineffective regeneration. In extreme cases, the result can be irreversible damage to exhaust system components. The inventors' concept is to alter either regeneration scheduling or shift scheduling to avoid shifting while regenerating.
US08007401B2
A hybrid vehicle drive control apparatus and method for a vehicle including an engine and a motor-generator are taught herein. When a drive mode requested by a driver is a power mode that attaches greater importance to an acceleration performance than to fuel consumption efficiency, a power mode engine torque that is larger than an optimum fuel consumption efficiency engine torque is used as a target engine torque of the engine.
US08007396B2
Planetary transmission having common carrier for generating six forward and two reverse drive ratios
An automatic transmission includes a first planetary gearset having a first planet pinion set rotatably supported on a common carrier and drivingly engaged with a first sun gear and a first composite gear that acts both as a first ring gear and a second sun gear. A second planetary gearset includes a second planetary pinion set rotatably supported on the common carrier and drivingly engaged with a third sun gear, the first composite gear and a second composite gear that acts both as a second ring gear and a third ring gear. A third planetary gearset has a third planet pinion set rotatably supported on the common carrier and drivingly engaged with a third sun gear and the second composite gear. A series of nested clutches and multiple bakes are employed to establish six forward speed ratios and one reverse ratio using a single carrier.
US08007390B2
In a planetary gear unit 12 of a power transmitting device 10, a sun gear S1 is connected to an electric motor 20, a carrier CA1 is non-rotatably fixed to a case 40, and a ring gear R1 is connected to an output gear 13 and an oil pump 30. As a result, a structure of carrier being fixed/output power being taken out via ring gear is obtained. Therefore, for example, a structure can be employed in which the ring gear and the output gear are integrated. Accordingly, as compared with a structure in which a ring gear is fixed/output power is taken out via carrier and the output gear has to be axially offset and connected to a carrier, an axial space can be omitted, to allow the power transmitting device to be downsized.
US08007388B2
A plate-link chain for a belt-driven conical-pulley transmission having a continuously variable transmission ratio and having a large number of link plates pivotally connected with each other via pairs of rocker members that each includes two rocker members. The rocker members extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the plate-link chain and are positioned in openings in the link plates. Curved contact surfaces are provided on the rocker members and on the link plate openings, along which curved surfaces of the rocker members and link plates bear against each other to transmit force. Curved rolling surfaces are provided on the rocker members, along which contacting rocker members of a rocker member pair roll against each other and/or slide on each other on pitch lines to transmit force. The link plate openings have at least three inwardly extending, convexly curved regions.
US08007385B2
In a sliding contact chain guide of the kind used in the timing transmission of an internal combustion engine, the back of the guide shoe, which engages a metal guide base, is formed with two, spaced longitudinal ribs, having between them a set of ribs formed in a lattice. The longitudinal ribs are wider than the ribs of the lattice.
US08007384B2
In a hydraulic tensioner having a coiled plunger-biasing spring, the volume of the high pressure oil chamber is reduced by incorporating a bar inside the spring. One of both ends of the spring are formed to block passage of the bar, so that the bar and spring can be installed as a pre-assembled unit, and dropping of the bar out of the spring can be avoided.
US08007379B1
This invention provides a racket that allows for the adjustability of balance within the structure of the racket. The racket's adjustment mechanism and its function are easy to use and optimize any player's game. The adjustment mechanism resides in the handle in a manner that does not substantially (or in any way) alter the aerodynamic profile of the racket or affect its usability by providing unwanted external structures. Rather a movable mass/weight is contained within a hollow space of the handle and can be moved upwardly and downwardly along the handle using a guide mechanism and fixing or locking structure that can be illustratively activated by rotating a knob at the lower end of the racket handle (or by another low-profile external trigger). This can comprise a shaft with a thread or key that engages a corresponding thread or key slot on the mass/weight. The knob can include an indexing mechanism that facilitates rotatable restraint and/or alignment of the knob when not in use.
US08007371B2
A hollow golf club head with a concave portion is disclosed and claimed. The club head includes a metallic portion and a light-weight portion, which may be formed of plastic, composite, or the like. The concave portion allows the club designer to make a club head having very thin portions while still maintaining the requisite structural integrity. Convex bulges may optionally be provided to house weight inserts to enhance the playing characteristics of the golf club. The metallic portion of the club head may take on the appearance of a frame, into which several light-weight inserts are positioned. These light-weight inserts may be positioned in the crown, skirt, and sole of the club head. The club head is thus contoured such that its surface area is substantially large. The club head may also be formed of a single, relatively light-weight material.
US08007366B2
A wheel bearing device includes a hub ring, a double-row bearing and a constant velocity universal joint which are unitized together. At least one of double-row inner raceways of the bearing and a wheel mounting flange are formed on a hub ring. The hub ring and a stem portion of a joint outer ring of the constant velocity universal joint are fitted through a torque transmission assembly, wherein a pilot member as a separate element having a wheel guide portion and a brake guide portion is fitted to a side-end portion of the wheel mounting flange of the hub ring, and the hub ring and the pilot member are fixed to the joint outer ring by swaging.
US08007364B2
An on-line game site involves a question engine coupled with a plurality of terminals controlled by respective players, for (i) sending predefined questions to the players, receiving answers to the questions from the players, and awarding prizes to the players over a given period of time as a function of the answers received, an activity measured by a traffic index representative of the number of players that have played the game over a given time interval, (ii) displaying, together with the questions sent to the players, paid-for advertising insertions, established on the base of a given rate, (iii) evaluating the receipts associated with the paid-for advertising insertions, (iv) establishing an endowment for the prizes to be awarded players over a given period of time, the endowment being a function of the level of the receipts, and (v) repeatedly increasing the endowment corresponding to an increase in the receipts resulting from an increase in the traffic index.
US08007355B2
An electronic roulette-type betting device and method is disclosed. The device comprises a display unit and an associated display control unit for the graphic reproduction of a roulette bowl device together with a rotating ball, at least one input unit for inputting symbols on which to bet, a time control unit for setting time limits for the betting process, said limits being reproducible on the display unit as ball rotating limits by means of the display control unit, an odds determining module that determines different winning odds for the individual symbols according to the pre-defined time limits supplied by the time control unit, a random generator for producing and transmitting random variables as winning symbols, and a comparison and evaluation unit for comparing the symbols bet on with winning symbols, and for determining and displaying wins in the event of a correlation of the symbols.
US08007345B2
A portable belt sander having a drive pulley capable of being produced at a limited period. The sander includes a main body accommodating therein a motor, a drive shaft rotationally driven by the motor, a drive pulley coupled to the drive shaft, a driven shaft, and an endless polishing belt mounted between the drive pulley and the driven pulley. The drive pulley includes a base section coupling the drive shaft and made from a rigid material, and an outer low hardness section made from an elastomer material and disposed over an outer peripheral surface of the base section and integrally therewith by injection molding. Mating surfaces between the base section and the outer section are irregularly formed.
US08007335B2
A manufacturing method for an electronic device, the method including forming a transparent conductive film, including conductive polymers, on a base material, and irradiating ultraviolet light onto a part of the transparent conductive film such that first regions of the transparent conductive film are not irradiated and second regions, adjacent to the first regions, are irradiated, thus forming irradiated portions and non-irradiated portions. The irradiated portions having an electrical resistance value higher than that of the non-irradiated portions. The ultraviolet light includes a wavelength that exhibits an absorbance in an absorption spectrum of the conductive polymers, of the transparent conductive film, two or more times higher than that of a background.
US08007332B2
A method is provided for fabricating a semiconductor nanoparticle embedded Si insulating film for electroluminescence (EL) applications. The method provides a bottom electrode, and deposits a semiconductor nanoparticle embedded Si insulating film, including an element selected from a group consisting of N and C, overlying the bottom electrode. After annealing, a semiconductor nanoparticle embedded Si insulating film is formed having an extinction coefficient (k) in a range of 0.01-1.0, as measured at about 632 nanometers (nm), and a current density (J) of greater than 1 Ampere per square centimeter (A/cm2) at an applied electric field lower than 3 MV/cm. In another aspect, the annealed semiconductor nanoparticle embedded Si insulating film has an index of refraction (n) in a range of 1.8-3.0, as measured at 632 nm, with a current density of greater than 1 A/cm2 at an applied electric field lower than 3 MV/cm.
US08007331B2
A float (1) comprising a hollow pneumatically pressurisable ovoid shell (5) is provided with a damping plate (12) extending laterally outwardly around the shell (5) for damping vertical upward and downward movement of the float in water during stormy conditions, thereby minimizing the effect of the buoyant upward propulsion force acting on the float when the float is submerged in stormy conditions. A keel (18) extends downwardly from the float (5) for minimizing rolling movement of the float (1). A pair of coupling plates (22) extending from front and rear ends (19,20) of the shell (5) facilitate coupling of the float (1) between a pair of spaced apart tethering ropes used in mussel growing. A plurality of the floats (1) may be secured between a pair of spaced apart tethering ropes at spaced apart intervals along the tethering ropes for supporting the tethering ropes so that crop ropes impregnated with mussel spawn may be suspended from the tethering ropes for growing mussels. A navigational buoy (60) is also disclosed, which comprises a lower float (61) and a pillar (62) extending upwardly therefrom for carrying navigational and other instrumentation.
US08007321B1
An earphone adapter for being fastened to a cable includes a plug part, a socket part connecting with the plug part and a shell enclosing inner ends of the plug part and the socket part. Several portions of an outer surface of the shell protrude outward to form two first fastening blocks spaced from each other, and a second fastening block located between the two first fastening blocks. A bottom of each first fastening block is concaved inward to form a first fastening groove passing through a side thereof adjacent to the second fastening block. A top of the second fastening block is concaved inward to form a second fastening groove. A substantial middle portion of the cable is placed in the second fastening groove with two ends thereof being clipped in the first fastening grooves along two ends of the second fastening groove, respectively.
US08007314B2
A compression connector for smooth walled, corrugated, and spiral corrugated coaxial cable includes an insulator disposed within the body, wherein the insulator contains a central opening therein which is dimensioned smaller than a collet portion which seizes a center conductor of the coaxial cable. The connector also includes a clamp disposed inside the body as well as a compression sleeve assembly. An intermediate connector element includes a transitional surface which interacts with the clamp. When an axial force is applied to the compression sleeve, the clamp is forced by the transitional surface into the body, causing the clamp to squeeze onto an outer conductor layer of the coaxial cable. At approximately the same time, the collet portion is forced through the central opening of the insulator, causing the collet portion to squeeze onto the center conductor.
US08007312B2
A modular test plug assembly is disclosed having a design which may be arranged in a plurality of different configurations. The test plug assembly includes a plurality of modules, having blades for insertion into a test switch assembly. The modules are positioned in a stacked arrangement and are secured together by end plates and a rod extending therebetween.
US08007309B2
An electronic connector includes a cover, a connector body, and an aligning body. The cover defines an opening therein. The connector body partially extends through the opening, and defines an interspace between the cover and the connector body so the connector body is capable of swaying in the opening. The aligning body includes a top portion secured to the connector body, and two supporting legs arranged at two opposite sides of the top portion to support the connector body. The aligning body is swayable to vary the distance of the two opposite sides of the top portion from the cover along the sway directions that are inclined towards the two opposite sides of the top portion.
US08007307B2
A connector is provided. The connector includes a connector body, a signal transmitting unit, a cover, a fastening plate, and an extension plate. The connector body has side walls to enclose an assembly hole. The signal transmitting unit is disposed in the assembly hole. The cover has a first end, a second end, and a first pivot and is disposed outside the assembly hole. The first end and the first pivot are disposed on two ends of a side case of the cover. The second end is opposite to the first end while the first pivot is axially connected to one side of the assembly hole. The fastening plate has a second pivot opposite and parallel to the first pivot. The second pivot axially connected to the side wall around the assembly hole. One end of the extension plate has a third pivot parallel to the first pivot and is rotatably connected to the fastening plate. The other end of the extension plate has a pressing portion to press the second end of the cover from outside to make the cover rotates toward the connector body and press the signal transmitting unit.
US08007303B2
A card edge connector for mating with an electronic card includes an elongated housing, a number of contacts and a retainer retained to the housing. The housing has a pair of side walls, a central slot between the side walls and a first tower upwardly extending at one end thereof. The first tower defines a first U-shaped cavity downwardly extending from a top end thereof and a mounting slot upwardly extending from a lower end thereof and located at outside of the first cavity. The first cavity communicates with the central slot along a length direction of the housing to receive the electronic card. The retainer has a non-flexible fastening portion retained in the mounting slot and a flexible locking barb obliquely protruding into the first cavity from a top end of the fastening portion to lock with the electronic card.
US08007302B2
The invention relates to a plug-type connector with a cable, which has at least one line, a contact carrier, which has at least one contact element, which is connected to the at least one line of the cable, and an encapsulation, which is injected around the cable and the contact carrier, wherein a sealing element for sealing the encapsulation off from the outer sheath of the cable is provided.
US08007298B2
There is provided an electrical connector in which the retaining force of retaining a front cover is improved. Electrical connectors 1, and 1′ each have a housing 10 having contact accommodating cavities 13; a front cover 20 that is attached to the front side of the housing 10 and that has mating connector inserting openings 24 at positions that correspond to the contact accommodating cavities 13; and a retainer 30 that is attached form the lower side of the housing 10 and that locks contacts accommodated in the contact accommodating cavities 13. Retaining means 27, 28, 32, and 33 is arranged at the front cover 20 and the retainer 30 to cause the retainer 30 to retain the front cover 20.
US08007292B2
A component having a mechanical contact for connecting the component to a carrier, particularly a printed-circuit board, a coating made of an adhesive material being formed on the contact; the adhesive material containing an encapsulated adhesive substance. A method for producing a component to be mounted on a carrier, particularly on a printed-circuit board; the component being provided with a mechanical contact for connecting the component to the carrier; a coating made of an adhesive material being applied to the contact; the adhesive material having an encapsulated adhesive substance.
US08007286B1
In some embodiments, an interconnectable circuit board may include one or more of the following features: (a) a first electrically conductive pad located on a top of the circuit board, (b) a plated through hole on the conductive pad which passes through the circuit board, (c) a second electrically conductive pad coupled to the plated through hole; the second conductive pad capable of being electrically connected to a third electrically conductive pad attached to a top of a second interconnectable circuit board, (d) cut marks indicating safe locations for separating the circuit board, and (e) a second cut mark adjacent to the first cut mark where the area between the first and second cut mark can be utilized to make a safe cut through the circuit board.
US08007272B2
A hot runner system including a shoot pot system for transferring melt from a single shooting pot to multiple nozzles. Melt is fed from a source of melt into the cavity through the multiple nozzles, and a valve isolates melt in the cavity from melt in the source. A plunger within the cavity is driven forward to inject melt in the cavity into a mold cavity at high pressure without significantly increasing the pressure of melt in the source. The plunger optionally functions as both the plunger and the valve by opening and closing communication between the cavity and the manifold as it is rotated.
US08007265B2
A positioning mechanism (24) for use in a mold structure (100) to position a film (30) within the mold structure is provided. The mold structure includes a core mold portion (10) and a cavity mold portion (20) mating with the core mold portion. The core mold portion includes a core plate (12) and a core insert (14) formed on the plate. The cavity mold portion includes a positioning mechanism having a moveable cavity insert (242) and an elastic member (244) for outwardly biasing the cavity insert.
US08007259B2
The invention relates to an eccentric screw pump and a method for its operation. Unlike the previously known prior art, where changes to the internal geometry of the pump stator caused by wear were always remedied with radially acting clamping measures, the invention is based on bringing this about by a change in the length of the lining.
US08007252B2
An apparatus is disclosed for an improved float type wave powered pump that uses the continuous rising and falling wave action in a body of water to pump a fluid. The pump includes piston and cylinder assemblies that are configured for relative reciprocal movement therebetween. One of the assemblies is anchored to the floor of the body of water and the other is vertically moveable in response to a drive float riding on a wave. The pump selectively includes a tide compensating device to reduce the ratio of vertical travel of the drive float to vertical travel of the moveable assembly. The pump also selectively includes a fluid inlet check valve incorporating a support plate of the piston assembly with openings therein and a cover for the same. The pump further selectively includes a directional pressure-activated seal at the point of sliding connection between the piston rod and the cylinder.
US08007250B2
The present invention relates to a compressor, which includes a main refrigerant supply channel for supplying refrigerant by passing through the inside of a driving shaft and an auxiliary refrigerant supply channel for supplying refrigerant by passing through a suction chamber of front and rear housings and a slot of the driving shaft after passing through cylinder blocks in order to supply the refrigerant inhaled into a swash plate chamber to cylinder bores, thereby enhancing performance and lubricating ability of a driving shaft seal area since the refrigerant of the swash plate chamber can be used effectively.
US08007246B2
A method of fabricating a component for a gas turbine engine is provided. The method includes applying a bond coat to at least a portion of the component, applying a dense vertically cracked (DVC) thermal barrier coating to at least a portion of the bond coat using a spray mechanism positioned a first distance from the component, and overlying at least a portion of the DVC thermal barrier coating with a soft coat thermal barrier coating using a spray mechanism that is positioned a second distance away from the component, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance to facilitate adherence of the soft coating thermal barrier coating to the DVC thermal barrier coating.
US08007241B2
A radial fan comprises a base with a plurality of straight primary blades radially oriented and substantially uniformly spaced around the circumference of the base. A like plurality of splitter vanes are interspersed between successive primary blades. The splitter vanes have a length that is about 50-70% of the length of the primary blades. The inner edges of the splitter vanes are angled to improve airflow through the inlet area between primary blades while reducing the occurrence of vortices and recirculation. The addition of splitter vanes increases the airflow capacity of the fan without any significant increase in operating noise.
US08007240B2
An impeller of a centrifugal fan includes an end plate, a plurality of blades and an end ring. The blades include blade bodies that are annularly disposed around a shaft and fixed to the end plate. The blades further include blade covers that are attached to the blade bodies. The blade covers and the blade bodies form a hollow space. The end ring is disposed such that it sandwiches the plural blades between itself and the end plate in a shaft direction. The blade covers form at least part of negative-pressure surfaces.
US08007238B2
A hanging fan with a ceiling mount structure includes a ceiling mount disc mounted to a ceiling, an external disc portion having a plurality of arc slots, a cover having a transversal extending portion, and a fixing portion disposed at the extending portion, such that the fixing portion of the cover is passed through the arc slot and fixed with the ceiling mount disc to form the hanging fan structure of the invention.
US08007236B2
In a preferred embodiment, a supporting system for suspended wind turbines placed in mountainous areas and cliff seashores. The system includes: substantially vertical support the turbine is attached to and a turbine coupled using a mechanism allowing a full-circle rotation of the turbine around the support. A carrying cable stretched over the ground carries downward vertical loads applied to the system, and a number of guy ropes, placed angularly to each other, carry applied wind loads. In the second and the third versions of the invention it is disclosed modifications of the main structural system for supporting vertical-axis wind turbines and the turbines placed in cliff seashore.
US08007234B2
First and second axial fans are coaxially connected to each other. Each axial fan includes an impeller rotatable about a center axis; a motor rotating the impeller about the center axis, a housing member surrounding the impeller and having a hollow body and approximately square flanges at axial ends of the body, and a group of wires electrically connected to the motor. The axial fans are joined together with their flanges coincident with each other as seen along the center axis. The housing member is provided with first and second receiving portions at least one flange on a center-axis side of an outer periphery of the flange. The groups of wires of the axial fans are pulled out therefrom and extend axially toward a side of the first axial fan opposite to the second axial fan, with passing through the first and second receiving portions, respectively.
US08007233B2
A fan frame includes a housing (10), a supporting base (20) and a plurality of ribs (30) connecting the housing with the supporting base. One of the ribs includes a bottom wall (33), and first and second lateral walls (31, 32) extending from two opposite sides of the bottom wall, respectively. A receiving groove (35) is defined between the bottom wall and the lateral walls. A securing tab (40) extends from an outer end of the first lateral wall towards the second lateral wall. A securing finger (42) extends aslant from a free end of the tab towards the second lateral wall. A slot (50) is defined between the finger and the second lateral wall with a width thereof gradually decreased inwardly. The tab, the finger, the bottom wall and the first lateral wall cooperatively define a gap (45) therebetween for extension of power wires (60) of the fan.
US08007230B2
A seal plate assembly for use with a rotor wheel assembly of a turbine engine. The seal plate assembly may include a seal plate positioned about a rim of a rotor wheel. The seal plate may include a number of seal plate segments and a number of locking pins extending through the seal plate segments and into the rim of the rotor wheel.
US08007204B2
A method for providing a sustainable offshore community that includes a floatable, low cost platform structure which covers a large amount of real estate and is supported above the surface of the ocean from columns which pass through the structure such that the extremities of the structure are supported with stays that run from the top of the columns to the extremities of the platform. This type of staying structure permits the formation of the large floatable platform for supporting self sustaining communities by providing sizeable living and recreational areas, thus to permit an offshore community to exist at sea for a number of years.
US08007202B2
A system to protect structures in a marine environment from the effects of an impact force. The system includes a plurality of floatable devices (panels) and a plurality of fibrous networks. The fibrous networks include high tenacity fibers which extend at least in a generally horizontal direction and are in communication with the plurality of floatable panels. The plurality of fibrous networks are disposed in a generally parallel arrangement with respect to each other and are vertically spaced apart by a distance not exceeding about 12 inches (30.5 cm). The system is designed to be spaced from the structure to be protected.
US08007198B1
Systems and methods for arresting vehicles or other moving objects are detailed. The systems may be bi-directional, so as to arrest vehicles on either side of a barrier. They additionally may be reset for reuse relatively rapidly following deployment and comprise mechanical controllers for facilitating suitable deformation of the barriers. Modular slotted beams also may be employed to accommodating differing widths and crowns of roadways.
US08007196B2
In various embodiments, the system includes a tubular female end portion of the first pole section and a male end portion of the second pole section that is insertable into the female end portion. Additionally, the system includes a locking nut including a body portion and a neck portion and is threadingly engaged with the male end portion. Furthermore, the system includes a biased locking sleeve assembly that includes a locking sleeve having an internal cavity such that the locking sleeve fits over the locking nut neck portion, and a biasing device located within the interior cavity of the locking sleeve for applying opposing forces to the locking nut and the locking sleeve.
US08007195B2
A writing implement that includes a body which extends longitudinally along a central axis Z; an ink reservoir, and a roller having a radial outer writing surface being located at one of the ends of the body, which is connected to the ink reservoir and is mounted so that it is able to rotate around the primary axis Y. The ink roller is also mounted so that it is able to pivot around a second axis X, which is perpendicular to the primary axis Y and the secondary axis X being secant to the primary axis Y.
US08007194B2
A car washing appliance has first and second cotton sheets which are joined together about their respective edges to cooperate to define a cavity therewithin. An opening in one of the sheets enables access to the cavity in which is deposited a quantity of detergent. Preferably, the detergent is a dishwashing detergent. The present invention further contemplates disposing a grid-like member or screen within the cavity onto which the detergent is deposited which, in turn, acts as a time release for the detergent. Preferably, the detergent is a dishwashing detergent or gel.
US08007193B2
A dispenser for dispensing a substance, such as a pharmaceutical, ophthalmic, dermatological, cosmeceutical, cosmetic or other product, has a body with a variable-volume storage chamber for storing the product. A dispensing portion of the dispenser is connected with the body and has a compression chamber in fluid communication with the storage chamber for receiving substance therefrom, and an outlet aperture coupled in fluid communication with the compression chamber. A one-way valve of the dispenser includes an axially-extending valve seat and an axially-extending flexible valve cover seated on the valve seat and defining a normally-closed, axially-extending seam therebetween forming a fluid-tight seal between the valve cover and valve seat. The flexible valve cover is movable relative to the valve seat and the seam is connectable in fluid communication with the outlet aperture to allow the passage of substance through the seam and out of the dispenser.
US08007192B2
A makeup applicator is provided. The applicator includes a main body, a holding portion, a cushion sleeve, a shaft, a covering ring, an applying element and a rotating rod. The main body includes a vibration motor assembly and a case, the holding portion covers the vibration motor assembly, and the cushion sleeve is sandwiched between the main body and the holding portion. Therefore, the applying element can be driven to vibrate and rotate steadily by the vibration motor assembly no matter where the user holds the holding portion, which facilitates the users makeup.
US08007189B2
A portable surveillance system for rapid deployment, comprising a hardware case containing a battery, a processor, a hard disk drive, and a means for communications; at least one surveillance camera; and a tripod. The tripod is used to support both the camera and the hardware case. The hardware case is weatherproof, having intake and exhaust fans and optional electric heating and/or cooling units. The present invention is capable of being transported and positioned quickly by a single operator in a desired location.
US08007188B2
A stabilized mount stably supports a motion-sensitive, image capture device, such as a cellular telephone or a personal digital assistant, on a support surface, such as a tripod or analogous camera equipment. The device is operative for capturing an image over a field of view along an optical axis perpendicular to an image plane. The mount includes a holder for holding the device during image capture, and a fixed base integral with the holder and lying in a base plane perpendicular to the image plane when the base is supported by the support surface in a supported orientation. The base is operative for steadily positioning the holder and the device on the support surface in the supported orientation during the image capture.
US08007176B2
A magnetic fluid is held by a magnetic field in a stationary state and by a centrifugal force during rotation, leaking and splashing of the magnetic fluid caused by the instability of the pumping of a dynamic pressure bearing are prevented without using a magnetic fluid with a high saturation magnetization value, and the service life of the dynamic pressure bearing is extended. For this purpose, a sleeve 3 having a protruding tubular section is fitted and fixed to the outer periphery of the shaft 1 having a thrust plate 2 formed in an axial vicinity so as to be rotatable relatively to the shaft, an annular cover 4 is formed outwardly from the thrust plate 2 in an axial direction, the radially inward end of the annular cover 4 serves as an opening, at least two clearance sections serve as a reservoir 10 for reserving the magnetic fluid, and a magnetomotive force member 15 is provided for concentrating the magnetic flux lines on the radially outer side of the end portion 13 of the magnetic fluid 12.
US08007168B2
In order to derive the temperature in the mesopause region from hydroxyl (OH*) airglow, in which intensities of three lines of OH* emission and a basic position are measured during the night using ground-based IR spectrometers, a noisy OH* spectrum is smoothed by filtering out white noise superimposed on the measured OH* intensities, by means of a spectral analysis method in the form of a harmonic analysis and by means of adaptation using the Voigt function which is carried out in the form of a combination of a Lorentz distribution and a Doppler distribution. A decision is made on the quality of the adaptation of the smoothed spectrum obtained to the original spectrum using statistical characteristic variables and by selecting one of the two methods, harmonic analysis function or Voigt function, and the temperature is thus accurately determined.
US08007167B2
A single chip wireless sensor (1) comprises a microcontroller (2) connected to a transmit/receive interface (3), which is coupled to a wireless antenna (4) by an L-C matching circuit. The sensor (1) senses gas or humidity and temperature. The device (1) is an integrated chip manufactured in a single process in which both the electronics and sensor components are manufactured using standard CMOS processing techniques, applied to achieve both electronic and sensing components in an integrated process. A Low-K material (57) with an organic polymer component is spun onto the wafer to form a top layer incorporating also sensing electrodes (60). This material is cured at 300° C., which is much lower than CVD temperatures. The polyimide when cured becomes thermoset, and the lower mass-to-volume ratio resulting in K, its dielectric constant, reducing to 2.9. The thermoset dielectric, while not regarded as porous in the conventional sense, has sufficient free space volume to admit enough gas or humidity for sensing.
US08007165B1
A releasable coupling assembly for securing a wristband to a watchcase. A pair of lug members extending from a top and a bottom sidewall of the watchcase provides respective alignment slots. The respective ends of a flexible wristband include a rigid connector member and guide pins registrable with the alignment slots. The sidewall has a notched surface adapted for engaging a complementary raised surface of the connector member to securely position the wristband with respect to the watchcase. A locking pin is selectively insertable through an aperture in one of said lug members and threadably connected to the other of said lug members to form an integral connection with the watchcase.
US08007161B2
A backlight module is provided. The backlight module includes a backplate, at least one supporter, and a plurality of light emitting devices. The supporter is disposed on the backplate, and includes a supporting portion and a buffering portion. The supporting portion is disposed between the buffering portion and the backplate. The elastic coefficient of the buffering portion is smaller than the elastic coefficient of the supporting portion. The light emitting devices are also disposed on the backplate. The supporter is disposed between the light emitting devices. The buffering portion of the supporter of the backlight module is adapted for buffering an external force applied upon the supporting porter or the element disposed thereupon.
US08007152B2
A lighting device for a vehicle is provided. The lighting device includes a projection lens disposed on an optical axis and having a focal line, a first light emitting device disposed on a rear side of the focal line, a reflector which reflects light toward the focal line; a shade which shields a part of the light; a second light emitting device disposed on a rear side of the first light emitting device; and a light guide. The light guide includes an incident portion into which light emitted from the second light emitting device is introduced, a light guiding portion which guides the light, a shielding portion which forms a part of the shade, and an emitting portion coupled to the shielding portion and disposed on the focal line or in a vicinity of the focal line. The emitting portion emits the light guided by the light guiding portion.
US08007146B2
A vehicle lamp is arranged to switch between a low beam and a high beam. The high beam illuminates a first illumination area, which lies ahead of and square to a center of a vehicle, and a second illumination area, which includes portions lying horizontally further leftwards and right wards and vertically further upwards than the first illumination area. When switching from the low beam to the high beam, the luminous intensity of the second illumination area is increased and thereafter the luminous intensity of the first illumination area is increased. When switching from the high beam to the low beam, the luminance intensity of the first illumination area is decreased and thereafter the luminance intensity of the second illumination area is decreased.
US08007144B2
A kit for the customization of an electronic candle, which kit includes an electronic candle assembly comprising an illumination element and means for illuminating the illumination element for providing a simulated illuminated wax candle effect, a first sleeve having a translucent portion and first customizing indicia, a second sleeve having a translucent portion and second customizing indicia, a second indicia being visually distinguishable from the first indicia, the assembly and each sleeve has cooperable constructions for selective assembly of each sleeve to the electronic candle assembly for customizing the alternative electronic candle.
US08007133B2
A light source device adapted to generate an illumination light beam for illuminating an illuminated surface includes a light source adapted to emit a light beam, a light path conversion member adapted to rotate around an axis perpendicular to a center axis of the light beam emitted from the light source to convert a light path of the light beam emitted from the light source, an overlapping illumination element adapted to overlap a light beam emitted from the light path conversion member on the illuminated surface, the overlapping illumination element having an entrance position of the light bream input to the overlapping illumination element varies with time, and a rotating section adapted to rotate the light path conversion member.
US08007122B2
A backlight device includes a light guide plate opposed to fluorescent tubes, a diffusion sheet stacked on the light guide plate, and lens sheets further stacked on the diffusion sheet. A tip end of a corner portion of the diffusion sheet has a shape defined by removing a portion of the sheet along a straight line spanning between two sides constituting the corner portion. In first of the lens sheets, a tip end portion of a corner portion formed by two sides has a shape defined by removing a portion of the sheet in a larger amount than in the diffusion sheet by a circular arc which projects outward. In a second of the lens sheets, a tip end of a corner portion formed by two sides has a shape defined by removing a larger amount than in the first of the lens sheets along a straight line.
US08007115B2
A lamp driving apparatus configured to drive a plurality of types of lamps, each of the plurality of lamps is attached with lamp identification information for uniquely identifying the lamp. The lamp driving apparatus includes: a lamp power supply configured to drive the lamp; a read circuit configured to read the lamp identification information from the lamp; and a control circuit configured to control the lamp power supply on the basis of a result of identification obtained by use of the read lamp identification information. The control circuit, if the lamp is found to be authorized, makes the lamp power supply drive the lamp.
US08007114B2
A projector includes a housing, a projection lens, a receiving member, an optical engine, a light source module, a heat sink, and a fan. The housing includes a bottom wall and four sidewalls, the bottom wall and the four sidewalls together define a receiving space. One of the sidewalls a number of first vents, the other three sidewalls define a number of second vents. The projection lens is located at an intersecting corner of the sidewalls. The receiving member includes a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion. The optical engine is received in the second receiving portion. The light source module is received in the first receiving portion. The heat sink is located at an intersecting corner of the sidewalls. The fan is located at an intersecting corner of the sidewalls.
US08007104B2
A fundus camera includes an observation photographing unit having a focusing lens to perform focusing of an imaging unit on a fundus of a subject's eye, a lens driving unit configured to drive the focusing lens in an optical axis direction, and a focusing control unit configured to calculate a focusing evaluation value based on image information of a predetermined area of a fundus image captured by the observation photographing unit, and drive the focusing lens based on the focusing evaluation value, thereby performing focusing, wherein the focusing control unit moves the focusing lens from a previous photographing position of the focusing lens by a predetermined moving amount, and then performs the focusing.
US08007102B2
A method for determining an ophthalmic lens includes choosing an initial lens with a first face and a second face and defining an initial surface for the second face of the lens with a central zone of diameter Dini and a peripheral zone of inner diameter Drac greater than the diameter Dini of the central zone, each point of the central zone and the peripheral zone having an altitude defined with respect to an axis (Z) normal to the second face of the lens and having the centre of the central zone as its origin, the altitude of the peripheral zone being defined as the minimum of the points situated on the diameter Drac; the peripheral zone having a maximum radius of curvature comprised between the maximum radius of curvature of the first face and the maximum radius of curvature of the central zone.
US08007101B1
Eyeglasses with lighting devices have a front end of each temple including a mount on the inner side and an attachment on the outer side. Each mount is fitted with a battery cover having a first electrode plate. Each attachment has battery compartments for receiving batteries. A second electrode plate is provided in the battery compartments of each attachment and in contact with each battery contained therein. Each attachment has one end formed with a second receiving cavity for receiving a switch and a front end having a curved third receiving cavity for receiving a light-emitting body whose received end is spherical. Each attachment is coupled to the corresponding mount such that a curved concave portion at the front end of each mount and the third receiving cavity of the corresponding attachment jointly form a spherical socket that allows the corresponding light-emitting body to rotate and provide multidirectional lighting.
US08007100B2
There is provided a recording apparatus in which a pressure contact position of a pinch roller to a conveying roller and a distance between the pressure contact position of the pinch roller and a platen can be properly set corresponding to different recording conditions so that a high quality image can be recorded even under the different recording conditions. A movement of the pressure contact position in which the pressure contact position of the pinch roller 37 to the conveying roller is moved by moving a pinch roller holder and a movement of the platen in which a position of the platen which faces a recording head 7 is moved for the pressure contact position of the pinch roller are executed in an interlocking relational manner.
US08007094B2
The present invention provides an ink jet cartridge configured such that an absorber is housed in one space while ink is accommodated in the other space, the ink jet cartridge keeping the ink sealed during distribution. The ink jet cartridge has an ink tank portion that accommodates ink, a print head portion that ejects the accommodated ink, and an ink supply path connected between the ink tank portion and the print head portion. A seal member that seals the ink supply path is located on an ink tank portion side of the ink supply path.
US08007092B2
An ink cartridge that has a rigid housing. The housing has a docking face for abutting a printer such that, when installed, the docking face faces downwards. The cartridge also has an ink storage volume and an ink outlet valve for fluid communication with the printhead. The ink outlet valve and an air inlet are both being positioned in the docking face. A variable volume structure within the ink storage volume inflates with air as ink is drawn from the outlet. The variable volume structure has a section that displaces upwardly within the ink storage volume as it inflates with air. An air inlet spaced from the outlet valve is in fluid communication with the variable volume structure to lets air into the ink storage volume as ink is drawn out through the outlet valve. A conduit in the ink storage volume is connected to the ink outlet valve at one end, with the other end being open to ink within the ink storage volume. The other end is positioned remote from the docking face such that it does not get obstructed by the variable volume structure as the variable volume structure inflates.
US08007088B2
Ink maintained at a negative pressure state is supplied to an ink-jet recording head via an ink supply mechanism constructed as a differential pressure valve having a coil spring and a movable membrane normally contacted elastically with a valve seat by the coil spring.
US08007081B2
A device and method for delivering a fluid in the form of a high-speed micro-jet includes a container for accommodating a fluid which is to be delivered through an orifice of the container, and an actuator cooperating with the container. The actuator includes a thin-film transducer membrane, where the transducer membrane is divided into at least two transducer elements. The transducer elements form a transducer array in which each transducer element corresponds to a certain portion of the transducer membrane.
US08007077B2
An inkjet head includes a recording element substrate, on which sets of energy generating elements generating energy to discharge ink and a supply port supplying ink to discharge ports are arranged, and an orifice plate including the discharge ports. The sets include a set having a first supply port disposed at a first edge of the substrate and a set having a second supply port disposed at a second edge of the substrate opposite the first edge. The distance between the second edge and the second supply port is shorter than the distance between the first edge and the first supply port. A contact area between the substrate and second channel walls that form second ink channels communicating with the second supply port is larger than the contact area between the substrate and first channel walls that form first ink channels communicating with the first supply port.
US08007075B2
A printhead is provided having a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles defined therethrough and a plurality of adjacently arranged structures on which the nozzle plate is formed. The structures have a plurality of passages for distributing fluid to the nozzles and each structure has elongate apertures to the passages. The long dimension of the elongate apertures in the abutting sides of adjacent structures are angled relative to each other.
US08007072B2
A cleaning blade which wipes a liquid discharge area by being moved relatively with respect to the liquid discharge area of a liquid discharge head having the liquid discharge area in which liquid discharge nozzles are arranged to discharge a liquid is disclosed. The cleaning blade includes: a supporting plate which has an adhesive agent layer on its front surface; and a wipe part which is slid and contacted with the liquid discharge area, the wipe part formed in which an elastic part formed of a synthetic resin is formed in one piece on the adhesive agent layer, and a tip end thereof is cut in a predetermined shape.
US08007065B2
A refill unit for refilling an ink cartridge that forms part of an inkjet printer. The printer also having a printhead, control circuitry and an interface for releasably engaging the refill unit. The refill unit has a body containing a quantity of ink, an ink outlet, and a memory circuit for storing information relating to at least one characteristic of the ink. During use the memory circuit allows to the control circuit to interrogate it to verify that the ink in the refill unit is suitable for the printer.
US08007064B2
An image forming apparatus includes ink cartridges, image forming units, an ink-remaining-amount manager, a maintenance determiner, an information writer, an ink-amount estimator, and a maintenance-executability determiner. If an ink near-empty or empty state occurs in one of the ink cartridges due to image formation, the ink-amount estimator estimates an amount of ink required to execute the maintenance on the other ink cartridges based on the at least one of the need for and the type of maintenance determined by the maintenance determiner. If the maintenance-executability determiner determines that the maintenance is unexecutable on at least one of the other ink cartridges based on the required ink amount and a remaining ink amount, the maintenance-executability determiner determines that the unexecutable ink cartridge is at an ink near-empty or empty state and stops writing or updating information indicative of a spent state on the memory of the unexecutable ink cartridge.
US08007063B2
A printer is provided having a printhead having ejection nozzles and a plurality of controllers configured to process print data for printing and to output the processed data to the printhead. The plurality of controllers are connected to a common input of the printhead.
US08007061B2
Embodiments of the present invention may provide a storage panel guiding device, which is configured to dampen movement of a storage panel movement using magnetic attractive force to thereby reduce damper friction. The storage panel guiding device of the present invention comprises the following: a magnetic damper including a first magnetic body, a second magnetic body and a thin plate interposed therebetween; a storage panel to which the first magnetic body is attached; a guide panel to which the second magnetic body is attached; a slide rail having a slot in which the guide panel can move; and a storage case accommodating the magnetic damper, the storage panel and the guide panel.
US08007059B2
A contraband barrier on a mounting surface for use on an intensive use furniture component providing a sealing connection between the mounting surface and a floor or wall to prevent liquid from seeping under or behind the furniture component and discourage hiding contraband between the floor or wall and the mounting surface. The furniture component is formed by an outer shell having a side wall extending generally perpendicular to the mounting surface. A mounting flange is disposed adjacent the sidewall. A bolt hole is formed in the mounting flange. The sealing connection comprises a caulk channel formed as a channel in the mounting surface for receiving a bead of caulk to fill the seam between the mounting surface and the wall or floor to prevent fluid from seeping past the caulk channel to a space adjacent the interior mounting surface.
US08007056B2
A brake control apparatus has first and second wheel cylinders; a master cylinder unit; first and second systems; a separation valve; a pressure control mechanism that controls the working fluid pressure transferred to at least one of the first and second wheel cylinders independently of the brake operation, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU generates a differential pressure across the separation valve by operating the pressure control mechanism when there is no brake operation while a running drive source of a vehicle is stopped to determine whether the separation valve has a leakage abnormality.
US08007045B2
The invention relates to a headrest (10) for a vehicle seat, comprising a central part (11) containing a cushion support and a cushion that is held on top of a seat back by means of at least one support rod, the front region of said headrest having a head support region (17). The cushion support is optionally pivotally mounted about a horizontal pivoting axis (x). A respective lateral part (12) is pivotally mounted on each side of the head support region (17), about a displacement axis (y), which extends respectively in a lateral direction in relation to the central part (11) and which is located in the upper region of the central part (11). The displacement axis (y) extends obliquely at a first angle (a) to the pivoting axis (x) and to a horizontal projection plane that is common to the pivoting axis (x) and backwards (h) in relation to the head support region (17), the displacement axis (y) being situated on a horizontal plane that runs parallel to the pivoting axis (x).
US08007036B2
According to an inner panel for vehicles of the present invention, a bead forming surface is so provided as to extend continuously with an upper edge part of a wall rising from a bottom surface of the inner panel. Upper beads and lower beads are formed on the bead forming surface. The upper and lower beads extend in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle and are arranged alternately in a width direction of the vehicle. The bead forming surface is positioned above a middle position between an upper surface of the upper bead and a lower surface of the lower bead. Further, the bead forming surface is positioned lower than the upper surface of the upper bead by 3 mm or more. With this structure, a sufficient first acceleration wave can be secured by expanding a stress propagation range in a direction perpendicular to the length of the beads with respect to the first acceleration wave and, also, by reducing a local deformation to be caused by a deformation load from the above of the vehicle during a head impact. Further, with respect to a load from below of the vehicle when contacting built-in components, the inner panel is easily crushed, which can lower a second acceleration wave.
US08007031B2
A rear structure of a vehicle body, where a spare tire pan is supported by rear frames extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle body, includes a plurality of arc-shaped beads that is continued in a circular arc shape and formed on the spare tire pan. The plurality of arc-shaped beads is disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other, and formed in a concave shape at substantially the same pitch toward the rear side of the vehicle body.
US08007026B2
A hinge mechanism having a vehicle bracket that includes a pawl engagement member extending therefrom. A horizontally-rotating swing arm is rotatably coupled with the vehicle bracket. The hinge mechanism includes a pawl with an engagement portion and an abutment portion. The pawl is connected with the swing arm and operable between an engaged position and a disengaged position. A door bracket is rotatably coupled with the swing arm. A lever actuation member extends from the door bracket and is aligned to engage the abutment portion of the pawl.
US08007017B2
A striker plate having projections such that when the striker plate is inserted into a door surround structure the projections provide sufficient biasing to retain the striker plate in a desired lateral and vertical location whilst it is secured to the door surround structure. The projections are preferably integrally formed resilient elements adapted to engage with grooves in walls of a door surround structure. An adjustment mechanism may also be provided to adjust the spacing of the striker plate from a door surround structure.
US08007016B2
A riser kit for a grease interceptor having upwardly extending walls, an open top and a cover to close the open top. The riser kit comprises at least one collar extension having, a lower edge for engaging an upper edge of the upwardly extending walls of the grease interceptor, a middle portion forming an upward wall extension for the grease interceptor, and, a top edge sized and shaped to engage the cover to permit the cover to be secured to the extended grease interceptor. The riser kit also has a means to secure the collar extension to the grease interceptor. Also disclosed is a latch assembly for securing a cover onto a container, the latch assembly comprising a catch member secured to the container transverse to a container wall at an upper end thereof, a latch member pivotally mounted to the cover adjacent an edge thereof and positioned to register with the catch member. The latch member has a hook portion and a lever portion wherein pivoting the lever portion when the cover is positioned on the container causes the hook portion to engage and disengage with the catch member. A method of installing a wastewater grease interceptor is also disclosed.
US08007015B2
The present invention broadly comprises a hook including a hook body having first and second ends, the first end includes a bent portion having inner and outer surfaces and a nose, and the second end includes an opening, a release lever having a first locking means and spaced apart parallel side walls, the first locking means arranged proximate to the inner surface of the hook body and a gate having spaced apart parallel side walls, the side walls including a second locking means and, the gate arranged to engage the nose, the second locking means arranged to complimentarily engage the first locking means, wherein pivoting of the release lever about a first rotational axis disengages the first and second locking means and permits pivoting of the gate about a second rotational axis. The present invention also broadly comprises a hook including a hook body having first and second ends, the first end includes a bent portion having a nose, and the second end includes an opening, a release lever having spaced apart parallel side walls and a first locking means and a gate having spaced apart parallel side walls, each of the side walls includes a second locking means having an arcuate wall portion arranged to complimentarily engage the first locking means, the gate arranged to engage the nose, the arcuate wall portions arranged opposite and parallel each other, wherein pivoting of the release lever about a first rotational axis disengages the first and second locking means and permits pivoting of the gate about a second rotational axis.
US08007007B1
A multileaf back loading and back unloading binder for menus, photos, cards and the like which includes front and back covers and a series of transparent interconnected pockets between the front and back covers and a removable and replaceable binder backing for providing ready access from the rear to the pockets.
US08006987B2
A trailing arm assembly for a suspension includes at least first and second cast components. The first and second cast components are welded to each other to substantially surround an outer perimeter of an axle member. The first cast component is then welded to one side of the axle member at a first weld and the second cast component is welded to an opposite side of the axle member at a second weld. One of the first and second cast components includes an integrally formed air spring seat and the other of the first and second cast components includes an integrally formed bushing housing for connection to a frame.
US08006983B2
A method for assembling a seal assembly is provided. The method includes coupling a first ring within a vessel, coupling a second ring within the vessel, and coupling a first seal layer between the first ring and the second ring such that the first seal layer contacts at least the first ring.
US08006980B1
A beer pong table is provided herein which, includes an elongated, planar member having a top surface. A hole extends through the top surface and at least partially through the planar member so as to define a first recess in the planar member, with a cooling arrangement being disposed in the first recess. Advantageously, with the subject invention, a beer pong table may be provided with a recessed cooling arrangement. The recessed arrangement provides flexibility in cup arrangement during play and facilitates cleaning.
US08006968B2
An exemplary reconfigurable workpiece support fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base, and a plurality of spaced-apart plates are removably attachable to the base. Each plate defines a plurality of notches along an angular profile. A plurality of spaced-apart manifolds are receivable in the plurality of notches, and each manifold spans across the plurality of plates. A plurality of attachment devices are removably attachable to the plurality of manifolds.
US08006967B2
A cradle assembly for a pressure decay leak tester is provided. The assembly operatively receives a printhead integrated circuit carrier having a plurality of printing fluid paths defined therein, respective fluid inlets in fluid communication with respective fluid paths and a locating formation to facilitate correct location of the carrier on the tester. The assembly includes at least one complementary locating formation for engaging the locating formation of the carrier, and at least one fluid outlet for charging the carrier with fluid via a respective fluid inlet of the carrier. Also included is a clamping device for clamping the carrier to the fluid outlet, so that the integrity of the fluid paths is observable via pressure decay testing, and a control system operatively connected to the clamping device for controlling operation of the clamping device.
US08006963B2
A pneumatic spring and damper unit (1) has working chambers (2,3) which are filled with compressed air and are partially defined by rolled bellows or corrugated bellows. The working chambers are superimposed and connected through throttle valves, arranged inside a common pot-shaped cylindrical housing (4), and separated by a cylindrical piston (7), in such a way that one working chamber (2) is arranged on the front side of the piston and the other working chamber (3) is arranged on the rear side of the piston. The piston and the piston rod (5) are respectively sealed by roller bellows inside the cylindrical housing and guided therein, and the piston rod and the piston are interconnected by an articulation (6).
US08006957B2
The spool shaft comprises a shaft portion, two annular first annular portions arranged on opposite ends of the shaft portion, and an annular second larger diameter portion arranged on the end of the shaft portion positioned remote from a center of the spool. Each of the first annular portions and the second larger diameter portion have an outer diameter that is larger than the outer diameter of the shaft portion. The second larger diameter portion is arranged on an outward side of the first annular portion in the axial direction so as to create a space therein between the first annular portion and second larger diameter portion.
US08006950B2
An apparatus support (11) with a damping characteristic comprises a rigid reinforcing component, in particular a steel plate (19), encapsulated by a body (16) of compliant material, particularly a composite of particulate mineral material and synthetic binder. The plate (19) defines an opening (19a) at spacing from the upper side of the body (16) and a mounting ring (21) is embedded in the body so as to be disposed at least partly above the opening. The ring (21) has a peripheral flange (21a) which is spaced from the plate (19) and from the upper side of the body and overlaps the plate in vertical projection. Material of the body is thus disposed above the flange (21a) and also sandwiched between the flange and the plate so that a damping zone is present around the ring both above and below the flange.
US08006939B2
A method to manipulate a fluid flow over a surface is provided. This method may be used to reduce drag, improve the lift to drag (L/D) ratio, attach fluid flow, or reduce flow noise at the surface. This involves flowing a fluid over the surface wherein the fluid contains positively charged ions and electrons. An electric field accelerates ions and electrons in directions parallel to the electric field. A magnetic field at the surface redirects ions and electrons based on their velocity and charge. The magnetic field imparts little force on the relatively heavy and slow moving positive ions but has a significant impact on the relatively fast moving, light weight electrons. This results in a non-zero net change in the total momentum of the positive ions and electrons allowing thrust to be realized. This thrust may be sufficient for vehicle propulsion or manipulation of the fluid flow around the vehicle. Pulsed and traveling wave implementations of this body force enable exploitation of frequencies to which the flow is sensitive, improving effectiveness of this method.
US08006936B1
In one form of the invention, a deployment control for releasing a rocket recovery device such as a parachute includes an electrical heating element extensible along a heat-severable reach of an elongate retainer capable of being wrapped closely about the recovery device to retain the recovery device in a compact form until the reach is severed as the result of electricity being supplied to the heating element to thereby release and deploy the recovery device. In other forms, an apparatus for cutting a heat meltable retainer to release and deploy a rocket recovery device includes a heating element extending along at least a short reach of the retainer, and a control device for supplying electricity to the heating element for heat severing the retainer reach.
US08006929B2
An end plug for a roll of material to be inserted into a retention mechanism, includes a receiving portion to fit into a hollow core of the roll of material; and a bearing member to fit into the retention mechanism. The bearing member includes a bearing pin having a counter surface facing the receiving portion; and a locking surface for locking the end plug in an end position in the retention mechanism, the locking surface being arranged between the receiving portion and the bearing pin, the locking surface having at least one portion inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bearing pin by an angle to the longitudinal axis of the bearing pin in the range of 117° to 141°. A retention mechanism in a dispenser for retaining the end plug of an exchangeable roll of material is also disclosed.
US08006924B2
A refiner plate assembly and method includes an annular arrangement of adapter subplates that mount to a refiner disk of a disk refiner using a conventional mounting technique, such as bolted in a standard pattern associated with the particular disk refiner. The adapter subplate arrangement remains mounted to the disk and provides a universal mounting surface for an annular arrangement of individual removable refiner segments. A steam and/or accept evacuation channel is provided in this assembly via filter passages at a radially intermediate location in one or more refiner segments which communicate with a recess or channel in one or more associated adapter subplates that direct the steam and/or accepts through outlet ports in the outer rim of the adapter subplate(s). Refining efficiency is provided in a universal refiner plate assembly by eliminating steam volume and already refined pulp from outer portions of the refining zone. The filter section(s) can be placed at an optimal location of high volume fraction of pulp fibers where mounting hardware is typically located in conventional refiner segments.
US08006920B2
A high pressure rotary nozzle having a rotating shaft operating within a fixed housing wherein the of axial force which acts upon the shaft due to the liquid pressure at the shaft inlet is balanced by allowing passage of a small amount of the pressurized liquid to be bled to an area or chamber between the outside of the opposite end of the shaft and the inside of the housing where the liquid pressure can act axially in an opposing direction upon the shaft to balance the axial inlet force. The balance of axial forces is self-regulating by controlling escape of the liquid through a tapered or frusto-conical region between the shaft and housing. This further provides a liquid bearing between the two surfaces and allows use of interchangeable rotating jet heads having jet orifices which can be oriented in virtually any desirable configuration including axially forward of the nozzle.
US08006912B2
A substrate having a coding pattern disposed on a surface thereof. The coding pattern comprises a plurality of contiguous tags. Each tag comprises: a plurality of data symbols, including a plurality of first data symbols; a plurality of data elements; and one or more flags. The flags indicated either that: the first data symbols define first data contained in the tag; or the first data symbols define a fragment of second data. The second data is embedded in a block of said tags and is typically a public-key digital signature. The first data is typically a secret-key digital signature.
US08006901B2
A mobile terminal is provided. A scanner unit reads code information attached to a commodity. A RAM stores the code information read by the scanner unit as commodity-for-purchase information. The scanner unit, to confirm whether the commodity-for-purchase information stored in the RAM is correct, the scanner unit reads the code information of one part of the commodity-for-purchase. A CPU switches from reading for storage to reading for confirmation. It is determined whether information contained in the code information read by the scanner unit is stored in the RAM. A display displays a result of the determination.
US08006892B2
The invention relates to a method for forming a highly electroconductive surface on an aluminum piece. A highly conductive layer of silver is formed on the piece by means of a eutectic join. The temperature of the aluminum piece is raised gradually and the oxide layer formed on the surface of the piece is removed. After the first heating stage, the silver piece that is to be attached is transferred to the cleaned surface. The contact point is heated to a temperature where a eutectic bond is generated between the aluminum and silver. During the second heating stage a slight momentary loading is applied to the contact point.
US08006889B2
A full-thickness resection system comprises a flexible endoscope and a stapling mechanism, wherein the endoscope is slidably received through at least a portion of the stapling mechanism. The stapling mechanism comprises an anvil and a stapling head mounted to the anvil so that the anvil and the stapling head are moveable with respect to one another between a tissue receiving position and a stapling position and wherein a gap formed between the stapling head and the anvil is larger in the tissue receiving position than it is in the stapling position. A position adjusting mechanism is provided for moving the anvil and the stapling head between the tissue receiving and stapling positions and a staple firing mechanism sequentially fires a plurality of staples from the stapling head across the gap against the anvil and through any tissue received in the gap and a knife cuts a portion of tissue received within the gap. A control unit which remains outside the body is coupled to the stapling mechanism for controlling operation of the position adjusting mechanism and the staple firing mechanism.
US08006888B2
A multiple coil staple is provided which includes a backspan and a pair of spaced legs. The backspan includes one or more pockets configured to induce coiling of the legs of the staple. A multiple coil staple applier is also provided which includes a pusher having a distal face defining a staple engagement surface and one or more staple deforming pockets. Each staple deforming pocket is configured to induce coiling of the legs of a staple. The multiple coil staple and staple applier facilitate joining of tissues having wider ranges of thicknesses using a single size staple.
US08006882B2
A staple cartridge is detachably arranged in a body of a stapler. The staple cartridge includes a cartridge body for accommodating a staple belt in which a plurality of rod-shaped staples are connected to each other and rolled into a roller-shape and a guide member for guiding the staples at a time of forming leg portions of the staples or after forming the leg portions.
US08006881B2
A magazine in a fastener driving tool includes a magazine body, a pusher, a biasing device and a pusher holding device. The magazine body defines a fastener receiving space for storing a plurality of fasteners therein. The pusher is mounted to the magazine body and is movable in a fastener feeding direction toward a fastener driving channel defined in a tool body of the fastener driving tool. The biasing device biases the pusher in the fastener feeding direction. The pusher holding device can hold the pusher at a midway position within a movable range of the pusher in the fastener feeding direction. The pusher holding device may include no insertion hole or only one insertion hole formed in the magazine body.
US08006866B2
A beverage dispenser provides numerous inventive features in its refrigeration system (82), diluent delivery system (78), concentrate delivery system (74), mixing and dispensing system (76), and control system. The refrigeration system (82) employs a plate heat exchanger to provide on demand refrigeration of an intermittent water flow. The diluent delivery system includes a flowmeter/solenoid/check-valve assembly. The concentrate delivery system employs a positive displacement pump. The mixing and dispensing system includes a mixing nozzle (80) that has a locking feature such that an elevated blocking surface directly faces the inlet of pressurized diluent to create turbulence. The control system receives package-specific information from a scanner and diluent flow rate information from the flowmeter, and then determines the pump speed in order to set a desired mix ratio.
US08006865B2
A disc feeding apparatus comprises a supporting base, a pusher and an electric driving device. The pusher is driven by the electric driving device to back and forth, such that one edge of the disc is protruded out of the first protruding portion of the supporting base, and the other edge of the disc is limited by the avoiding groove of the second protruding portion and will be pushed by the pusher. Thereby, the disc will fall out of the disc feeding apparatus, thus finishing the feeding of the disc. The present invention can use the precise control electric driving device to cooperate with other structures. With the simplified structure design, the present invention can perform the disk feeding operation efficiently and precisely for a long tome.
US08006857B2
A cover assembly for a trash bin includes a cover, a support ring, a pivoting device coupling to the cover and the support ring and a buffer device connecting to the pivoting device. The pivoting device provides an upward force to the cover, and the buffer device cushions the upward force from the pivoting device. The buffer device and the pivoting device allow the cover assembly to be lifted slowly and prevent a loud noise while lifting the cover quickly and while the cover bumps the trash bin.
US08006852B1
A pharmaceutical storing and dispensing device having a closure and container. The container includes a container axis and a neck having a container stop device, a container opening edge defining a container opening, and a container engaging device positioned to engage the closure. The closure is a one piece convertible child resistant closure comprising an outer section, an inner section, and at least one armature integrally formed between the inner section and the outer section and attaching the inner section to the outer section. The inner section is axially moveable relative to the outer section between a child resistant position and a non child resistant position to convert the closure from a child resistant mode to a non child resistant mode.
US08006849B2
A manufacturing facility includes a storage facility and a production facility. Workpieces are located in the storage facility in temporary storage accommodations, and are moved between the storage facility and stations in the production facility by mobile carrier units. The temporary storage accommodations may be units having a generally circular lading envelope, and an hexagonal optimal packing density. The optimal packing density is such that supports for the accommodation units lies outside the lading envelope circle, but within the corner regions of the hexagons of the packing density pattern. The accommodation units have lifting fittings that are accessible from the corners of the hexagons, whether the same as those of the supports, or different ones. The mobile carrier units may be automated guided vehicles The guided vehicle may be electronically controlled to prick up and deliver workpieces from one location to another, and may include self-navigating software, and interactive communication with other guided vehicle to permit suitable routes to be chosen, or to permit obstacles to be avoided. The facility may include a vertical degree of freedom, or workpiece retrieval apparatus used for transferring workpieces between the storage accommodations and the automated guided vehicles, or to other locations. The workpiece retrieval apparatus may be mounted on a bridge, and may include a multi-element raising any lowering array that is biased to oppose torsional deflection of the lifting member.
US08006848B2
A filter includes a first case member and a second case member that are made of synthetic resin and are mutually joined to form a filter chamber, and a filter element including a filtering medium and a holding frame that is made of synthetic resin, which holds a peripheral portion of the filtering medium and is held between joining ends of the case members. Weld portions formed by laser light are provided at a contact area extending in a joining direction between the holding frame of the filter element and at least one joining end of the joining ends of the case members.
US08006845B2
A lockable pill container includes a holder defining at least one compartment having an access opening providing access to a pill holder interior volume. At least one lid is moveable between a covering position and an open position. The lid includes a first locking member that is sized to project into the holder when the respective lid is in the covering position. A second locking member is moveable between a locking position and a release position. The locking position includes a position in which the second locking member engages a first locking member of the at least one lid in the covering position. The release position includes a position in which the second locking member is disengaged from all of the first locking members. The second locking member includes opposite first and second ends. The second locking member is moveable from the locking position to the release position by application of a force against the second end. The second locking member is moveable from the release position to the locking position by application of a force against the first end. A visual indicator, such as color, can be used to help the user know when the container is locked or not locked. A tactile indicator can be used to help the user know when the container is locked or not locked.
US08006840B2
An adapter for inserting into a carton containing a non-reel coil of filamentary material or wire has a shaft-receiving sleeve supported by a box structure. The adapter's box structure has top and back walls joined at right angles and reinforced by side walls. Knobs extend outwardly from the side walls and have openings therethrough. Ribs on the underside of the top wall define a channel which is aligned with the openings in the knobs. The ribs, top wall and knobs define a sleeve which is oriented such that it may receive a shaft or rod of a wire pulling rack. Alternatively, said adapter having a box structure with walls only in two perpendicular planes. At least two of said walls forming a channel extending outwardly that may receive a shaft or rod.
US08006839B2
In one exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a container system having an outer shell defining a cavity that is configured to receive a first medical device component therein. A support tray is sized for receipt within the outer shell of the container system and is supported above the first medical device component. In one exemplary embodiment, the support tray defines a second cavity that may receive a second medical device component. In addition, a retention tray may be positioned within the cavity of the support tray and supported above the second medical device component. The retention tray facilitates the retention of the support tray within the outer shell and also facilitates the retention of the first and second medical device components in their desired positions within the container system. Additionally, positioned to extend across an opening in the outer shell is a cover.
US08006837B2
An improved long box package for prerecorded media includes an elongated substantially rectangular box enclosure having a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of first and second side walls. The box enclosure further includes an open top end, a bottom end adapted to be closed, and an interior shelf disposed between the top end and the bottom end for supporting the bottom end of a media case to be carried by the package. An opening is formed in the front wall that is contiguous with the open top end and which extends toward the shelf. In combination, the open top end and the contiguous front wall opening define an open channel for receiving the media case. The open channel facilitates rapid placement of the media case in the package by virtue of the media case not being restricted to insertion through the top end only.
US08006836B2
A packaged garment includes a garment and a sealed bag. The garment has a torso portion, a sleeve portion connected to the torso portion, and a leg portion connected to the torso portion. The garment has an outer surface and an inner surface opposite the outer surface. The sealed bag contains the garment with the sleeve portion folded onto the torso portion and the leg portion folded onto the torso portion. The garment is manipulated so that the inner surface of the torso portion faces outward and the torso portion forms an inner space containing the sleeve portion and the leg portion.
US08006833B2
A flexible package has a top surface, a bottom surface and at least one side wall together defining an interior volume of the package. An opening device is attached to the top surface and is at least in part detachable from the top surface to provide access to the interior volume. An article is secured to the opening device for conjoint movement with the opening device upon detachment of the opening device from the top surface of the package. In another embodiment, a portion of the side wall extends outward beyond the top surface to a free edge. A closure system is operable on the extended portion of the side wall to permit selective closing and opening of the package.
US08006825B2
A transfer arrangement (10) for gripping articles (at 60) comprises a central wheel body with a multiplicity of arms (20), which can be pivoted about a first axis (23) in each case, articulated along its periphery. The arms (20) have a gripper (60) for receiving in each case one or more articles (15). Each gripper (60) can be rotated about a second axis (33) for predetermined positioning of the articles, while the connecting body (30) can be rotated about the first axis (23). The rotary movement of the gripper (60), then, can be transferred to the gripper (60), rotating about the second axis (33), via a shaft (28) arranged along the first axis (23), with the aid of a transfer element (25, 26, 27). Finally, a third axis (43) is arranged on the connecting body (30), between the first and second axes (23, 33). This allows rotation of the connecting body (30) to be transferred in a controlled manner to the connecting body (30), at the location of the first axis (33), via a shaft (49) arranged along the third axis (43), with the aid of a transfer element (45, 46, 47). This means that articles (15) can be tracked.
US08006822B2
A method for placing a conveying installation in operation, the conveying installation including several components, wherein at least one conveying mechanism, an installation control and a drive are included. A control program suitable for different installation controls contains different control functions. The control program is executed in the installation control for operation of the conveying installation. The method including the steps of: activating the conveying installation; recognizing identification numbers of components of the conveying installation; checking whether the recognized identification numbers belong to permitted component combinations; recognizing the installation control type; activating the different control functions in the control program in dependence on the recognized installation control type; and releasing the conveying installation for operation.
US08006819B2
An overrunning accessory decoupler with a locking mechanism provides the desired overrunning accessory decoupler functionality and also permits torque to be transferred from the accessory to which the decoupler is installed to the drive of the engine when desired. In one embodiment, the decoupler includes a locking mechanism that is controlled by centrifugal forces developed in the decoupler to lock the decoupler to permit the accessory to transfer torque to the drive to start or boost the engine. In another embodiment, the decoupler locking mechanism includes an electromagnet that can be energized to lock and/or unlock the decoupler.
US08006816B2
The invention relates to a combination cylinder including a service brake cylinder as an active service brake with at least one pressure-medium-actuated service brake piston which actuates a brake mechanism via a service brake piston rod, and a spring store brake cylinder as a passive parking brake with a spring store brake piston which is actuated by pressure medium counter to the action of at least one store spring, with the spring store brake piston transmitting the force of the at least one store spring to the service brake piston rod by a force-transmitting gearing in the parking braking situation. The invention provides for the gearing to be designed such that the movements of the spring store brake piston and of the service brake piston rod are coaxial and the force transmission ratio becomes greater with progressive stroke of the spring store brake piston.
US08006809B2
A caliper brake of bicycle includes a yoke at one end of a second arm, the yoke comprising two yoke arms having a hole, and a spring depressible detent at one end; and a mechanism comprising a manipulation member disposed between the yoke arms and comprising a C-shaped element including outer teeth and an inner protrusion, and a handle; a brake cable retaining member; a cylinder secured to the brake cable retaining member and comprising outer recesses and an eccentric tunnel. The protrusion is engaged with one recess. The cylindrical member is fitted in the tunnel. The detent is urged against one tooth. A brake cable is held tight. In response to counterclockwise rotating the handle the tunnel moves upward and both the detent moves to another tooth and the protrusion moves to another recess so as to loosen the brake cable.
US08006807B2
An elevator group control apparatus includes a parameter calculating unit for determining a weighting factor for an item to be evaluated, which is calculated from a running distance estimated by an estimation arithmetic operation unit by taking into consideration a relation between a running distance of an elevator and a passenger average waiting time, and an evaluation arithmetic operation unit for calculating a total evaluated value from an item to be evaluated of a passenger waiting time, an item to be evaluated of the running distance, and the weighting factor determined by the parameter calculating unit. The elevator group control apparatus selects an elevator whose total evaluated value is the best from among the plurality of elevators, and assigns a hall call to the selected elevator.
US08006803B2
The invention relates to a ladder comprising a single post (1) provided with a fixing means (4) on the upper end (1S) thereof, said ladder comprising an anchoring means (9, 10) which is especially adapted to said fixing means (4) and is attached to the wall (7), and foldable supporting arms (3) which are connected to either side of the single post (1) in an articulated manner.
US08006800B2
A box-shaped enclosure of a storage box includes a deadening wall or walls defining a storage space between first and second planes. The storage space is open at the first and second planes. A deadening wall member extends along the first plane. An auxiliary box-shaped enclosure is connected to the box-shaped enclosure so as to close the first plane of the box-shaped enclosure. The auxiliary box-shaped enclosure defines an auxiliary space isolated from the storage space with a deadening wall member. The storage space is connected to the fresh air through the ventilation opening and the auxiliary space. The deadening wall or walls of the box-shaped enclosure and the deadening wall member serve to prevent the leakage of the operating sound.
US08006799B2
A configuration is provided which includes a differential gear-type transfer ratio varying mechanism interposed between an input shaft which rotates as a steering wheel is operated and an output shaft which rotates in conjunction with operation of a steering mechanism for permitting a differential operation between both the shafts, the configuration including a transfer ratio control motor for applying a rotational force to the output shaft, a reaction force control motor for applying a rotational force to the input shaft, and a steering control unit for controlling and driving the transfer ratio control motor to obtain a rotation transfer ratio that is predetermined according to operation of the steering wheel and controlling and driving the reaction force control motor to apply a predetermined reaction force to the steering wheel.
US08006796B1
A personal vehicle has a fore section and an aft section. The fore and aft sections each have a frame, a transaxle mounted to the frame, and a wheels attached to the transaxle. The wheels of the aft section are vertically articulated relative to the frame of the aft section. A seat is disposed on the frame of the fore section. A joystick and interface are mounted to the fore section. A motor is mounted to the frame of the aft section. A hydraulic system is operatively connected to the motor. A shaft is operatively connected to the motor. A fender assembly is mounted to the fore and aft sections. A rollover structure is mounted to the fore and aft sections. The hydraulic systems controls the directional movement of the personal vehicle and includes a hydraulic pump, rotovalves, a null valve, a drive cylinder, and a steering cylinder.
US08006790B2
In response to a driver's braking request operation, for example, the driver's depression of a brake pedal 85, a hybrid vehicle 20 sets a fraction of a regenerative braking torque by a motor MG2 and a fraction of a braking torque by a brake unit 90 relative to a preset braking torque demand Tr* according to the setting of a speed change ratio in a transmission 60 (steps S280, S290, S310, S320, S390, and S400). The hybrid vehicle 20 controls the motor MG2 to output the regenerative braking torque based on the preset braking torque demand Tr* and the set fraction of the regenerative braking torque, while controlling the brake unit 90 to enable the braking torque based on the preset braking force demand Tr* and the regenerative braking torque by the motor MG2 to be applied in a distributive manner at a preset front-rear braking torque distribution ratio ‘d’ to front wheels 39a and 39b and to rear wheels 39c and 39d.
US08006787B2
In a hybrid vehicle having at least one electric motor which is usable as a generator and charges a vehicle battery during a recuperation phase, there is provided an additional actuating element independent of a brake system which is used to transfer the electric motor into its recuperation state without activating the brake system. Alternatively, the additional actuating element may operate in conjunction with the brake system, such that the brake pedal may also be used to transfer the electric motor into its recuperation state.
US08006769B2
A shearing tool for shearing, trimming, or reducing objects being pulled through a drill string and methods for retrieving retrievable tools with fins from the drill string, where the retrievable tools must pass through restrictions in the drill string having interior diameters less than the outer diameters of the fins. The fins, affixed to the retrievable tools, provide stability to the tools, while within the drill string, and can be made of rubber, plastic, other shearable materials, or combinations thereof. The apparatuses and methods include inserting a shearing tool with a flange into a box end of a section of drill string, where the flange keeps the shearing tool in place. The shearing tool further comprising a cutting surface for cutting materials pulled through the shearing tool.
US08006766B2
A method and apparatus for controlling a speed of a pump operating in a well. A first step involves monitoring a production flow rate of fluids produced from the well. A second step involves controlling the speed of the pump with reference to the production flow rate by increasing the speed of the pump when the production flow rate is rising and decreasing the speed of the pump when the production flow rate is declining.
US08006760B2
Provided are methods that include a method comprising: placing a clean fluid comprising proppant particulates into a portion of a fracture in a subterranean formation, and depositing one or more of the proppant particulates into the fracture to form a partial monolayer. In another aspect, the invention provides methods that include placing a degradable fluid loss additive comprising collagen into a subterranean formation.
US08006759B1
An ultra strong, hollow sintered, impervious, metallic shell for use in structural applications including proppants for hydraulic fracturing. The shell is made of a maraging steel, low alloy steel, or stainless steel with a crush strength of about 3,000 psi or greater and a density of about 0.6 g/cm3 to about 2.5 g/cm3.
US08006757B2
A technique is provided for processing well fluid downhole. The technique utilizes equipment for separating a well fluid downhole into a water component and an oil component. The separation of water and oil can be controlled by selecting an appropriately sized flow restrictor for use in limiting the flow of one or both of the water and the oil. Additionally, a sensor system is used to monitor a well characteristic that enables adjustment of the downhole fluid processing based on well characteristic data from the sensor system.
US08006745B2
A molding material mixture for foundry purposes, comprising a mold sand, a sodium hydroxide solution, an alkali-silicate binding agent, and an additive suspension. The molding material mixture contains 0.1 to 10% by weight of sodium hydroxide solution with reference to the weight of the sand, 0.1 to 5% of binding agent with a solid matter percentage of 20 to 70%, and 0.1 to 3% by weight of the additive suspension. The additive suspension comprises 30 to 70% by volume of an amorphous, spherical SiO2 particles, which have a first grain size in the range of 1 to 5 micrometers, and a second grain size in the range of 0.01 to 0.05 micrometers.
US08006742B2
A casting roll having an outer periphery capable of being efficiently cooled is disclosed. The casting roll has a roll body on which side weirs abut, short tube-shaped supports each coaxially with and protruding from the roll body, a stub axle fitted into the support, a sleeve fitted over the support and a flange contiguous with the stub axle and abutting on the sleeve on a side away from the roll body. The roll body is formed with longitudinal cooling passages passing through the roll from one end to the other end of the roll as well as radial cooling passages each adjacent to a corresponding end of the roll and extending from an inner periphery of the roll to a corresponding longitudinal cooling passage. A plug is fitted into each end of the longitudinal cooling passages and abuts on the sleeve. With a distance between the longitudinal cooling passages and the outer periphery of the roll body being reduced as much as possible, cooling water is passed through a portion of the roll body.
US08006736B2
A device for correcting skew in roll-up retractable coverings for architectural openings includes a friction device positioned within the head rail for movement between releasably fixed positions and disposed for engagement with the fabric of the covering to regulate the rate at which the fabric is wrapped about a roller in the covering at selected locations along the length of the roller to correct for any inherent skew in the covering.
US08006723B2
A loop-forming tool for forming a loop in a conductor has a grip with a first end section having a central post and an off-axis post mounted therein. The two posts are spaced to allow a conductor to pass therebetween and to grip the conductor when the tool is rotated, bending the conductor around the central post to form a U-shape. Rotating the tool in the opposite direction changes the U-shaped hook to a “?”-shaped hook for attaching to a tie-down bolt. Index marks can be provided on a terminal surface of the first end section to facilitate making consistent loops. The relative sizes of the posts can be configured to allow the tool to also serve to wrap the loop around the tie-down bolt, and to provide a screwdriver for subsequently tightening the tie-down bolt to secure the looped conductor thereto.
US08006722B2
A pipeline for conducting air for air conditioning in aircrafts includes a body portion formed with foamed plastics material or with a dense plastics material. The body portion defines a longitudinal axis and includes an outer surface carrying a wrapping for reinforcing the pipeline. The wrapping includes a plurality of adjacent contacting layers formed by at least one linear reinforcing element wound into a plurality of windings, with adjacent layers having windings angled in opposite directions to form a net-like structure of the wrapping. At least one of the spacing between the windings along the longitudinal axis or the angle of slope between the windings and the longitudinal axis varies in certain sections to change the winding density as a function of local mechanical load requirements on the pipeline.
US08006721B2
An anti-kink device for hoses with an external corrugated structure, in particular for vacuum cleaner hoses, such hoses comprising at least one external groove-like channel which runs in a helical manner. The anti-kink device is formed by a wire coil made from spring steel which is screwed into the groove-like channel from one hose end and is fixed to the hose end. This anti-kink device is applied over the entire hose length or only partially at points of the hose which are at risk of kinking.
US08006714B1
An automatic flow shut-off unit for shutting off water to an appliance (e.g. commode) when a leak or overflow occurs. The unit includes an outer housing having a ball valve mounted thereon wherein the valve is connected between the water supply and the appliance. A tripper unit is mounted in the outer housing and has a plunger therein. The valve is connected to the plunger by a length of actuation material (e.g. flexible cable). A compression spring is positioned in the tripper unit to normally bias the plunger downwards. A cartridge having a water reactive material (e.g. commercially-available toilet paper) thereon is removably mounted in the outer housing wherein the water reactive material when dry supports the plunger in a cocked position but which will quickly weaken and disintegrate upon contact with water.
US08006712B2
A faucet control system comprises a valve apparatus, sensors or a motion detector to be activated by a user, and a controller that controls the valve apparatus. A first sensor may start fluid flow and a second sensor may alter the proportion of fluids delivered from two fluid sources. The sensors may be activated without being touched and may include infrared and/or photodiode sensing elements. In a sink embodiment, when a user approaches the sink to wash hands, water flow is activated. Optionally, the initial water flow may be cold water, to prevent energy wastage. A second sensor may be placed elsewhere on the sink, such as on the left hand side of the faucet spout. Consequently, when the right hand, for example, is placed below the faucet spout, the water flow is activated with the first sensor. The left hand may be placed above a second sensor and, by waiving the left hand, the hand sensor will cause the hot valve to allow hot water to mix with cold water from the cold valve, should the user wish a warm temperature water flow. If the user wishes hot water, the user will then waive his or her hands over the second sensor, which will close the cold valve and open only the hot valve, thus allowing only hot water to flow from the spout.
US08006708B1
A multi-colored dental floss includes a unitary and flexible core member with an elongated shape provided with opposed first and second ends. The second end is covered by a multi-colored outer coating surrounding an entire circumference thereof, and the first end is an exposed outer surface spaced from the multi-colored outer coating such that the beginning segment remains uncolored. An housing is provided with a bottom cavity, a planar top surface spanning across an entire top side of the cavity, a cutting implement directly attached to the top surface and nested within a first one of the apertures, and a lid pivotally attached to the top surface. The multi-colored dental floss further includes a spool statically seated within the housing, and the core member is concentrically wound about the spool and channeled upwardly therefrom.
US08006684B2
A superheated stream grill includes a heating tray to serve as a heat source for heating and cooking the food materials. In addition, it also provides a function of heating food materials by using a superheated stream. The grill has a heating system for generating the superheated stream. The heating system atomizes the water molecules to form mist by means of the supersonic vibration, and then the mist is heated and converted into the superheated stream. The superheated stream is injected and sprayed onto the food materials. In this way, the mouth feeling of the food materials after cooking is much better and the time for cooking is also reduced.
US08006681B2
A firing structure of a paintball marker includes a marker body and a firing cylinder. The marker body includes a barrel with mutually communicating first and second gas chambers. A stop edge is formed in the barrel at a junction between the first and second gas chambers. An O-ring is embedded in an inner wall of the barrel at a position inside the second gas chamber. The firing cylinder and a rear guide rod are put sequentially into the gas chambers. The firing cylinder has an outer periphery formed with a stop portion in the first gas chamber. The stop portion has a front edge mounted with a buffer washer corresponding in position to the stop edge of the barrel and having a planar surface. Thus, the process yield of the marker body can be increased, and the firing cylinder remains stable in high-speed action regardless of its position.
US08006677B2
A fuel control system and method for providing fuel to an internal combustion engine are provided. The fuel control system generally includes at least one valve device structured to deliver a fuel supply to the engine, a first fuel source structured to provide a primary fuel to the valve device, a second fuel source structured to provide an alternate fuel to the valve device, and an electronic controller structured to control the valve device. The electronic controller controls the valve device as a function of various data to selectively deliver the primary fuel and the alternate fuel to generate a fuel supply, e.g. as a mixture of the two fuels. The data used to control the fuel supply may include GPS data, engine data, environmental data, and/or other operational data.
US08006675B2
A method is described for cooling fuel for a diesel engine system with a common rail fuel injection system having a coolant pump and a fan. The method comprises passing a returning fuel from the engine through a fuel to coolant heat exchange system to cool the fuel, and adjusting the cooling of the fuel by controlling the coolant pump and/or the engine cooling fan.
US08006671B2
A start control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which takes an amount of a fuel vaporized from a heated fuel into consideration to prevent deterioration of startability due to an overrich or overlean condition caused by an excessive or insufficient amount of the vaporized fuel and to realize improvement of cold startability. The start control apparatus includes: a heater (14) for heating a fuel to be supplied to the internal combustion engine; fuel heating control unit (22) for energizing the heater when a cooling water temperature is less than an internal combustion engine start possible water temperature value to heat the fuel; and start time fuel setting unit (26) for setting a start time fuel injection amount of the internal combustion engine according to a fuel temperature after the fuel is heated by the fuel heating control unit (22), an alcohol concentration, and the cooling water temperature.
US08006670B2
A system or method for controlling a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine operable in a reduced displacement mode with at least one valve or cylinder selectively deactivated include controlling the engine in response to detecting opening of an exhaust valve after deactivation based measured or inferred exhaust pressure changes after deactivation. In one embodiment, controlling the engine includes reactivating one or more deactivated cylinders/valves, inhibiting subsequent deactivation, and/or storing a diagnostic code in a computer readable storage medium in response to detecting valve opening after deactivation.
US08006669B2
A sealing arrangement of a piezoactuator (12) for a fuel injection valve of an internal combustion engine, has connecting pins (14) projecting out of the piezoactuator (12) and a head arrangement (16, 18) placed on to the piezoactuator (12), which is provided with openings (20) for the penetration of the connecting pins (14), wherein a liquid-tight sealing element (30) abuts against the outer surfaces of the connecting pins (14) on one side and also against the head arrangement (16, 18) on the other. In order to ensure a reliable seal with this arrangement, in particular also over extended periods of time, the sealing element (30) abuts against the outer surfaces of the connecting pins (14) located inside the openings (20), and sealing element sections (32) located inside the openings (20) are radially compressed in the openings.
US08006662B2
An inner lever (1) for a switchable finger lever (2) of a valve train of an internal combustion engine is provided, having a box-like main part (5) with two lateral walls (6), which are connected at a first end (7) by a transverse bar (8), which intrinsically includes a driver surface (9) for a coupling slide that can be guided longitudinally by the outer lever (3), and opposite from the first end (7), the lateral walls (6) have two strongly crimped together, thin-walled arms (10), which each extend in the direction toward the second end (11) of the inner lever (1) to form a longitudinal bar (12). The arms contact each other with their inner sides (15), and between the lateral walls (6), a cam contact surface (16) can be provided. The inner lever (1) made from thin-walled steel sheet metal at least to a large extent using punch-bending techniques.
US08006656B2
An engine has a crankshaft, rotating about a crankshaft axis of the engine. An expansion piston is slidably received within an expansion cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft such that the expansion piston reciprocates through an expansion stroke and an exhaust stroke of a four stroke cycle during a single rotation of the crankshaft. A compression piston is slidably received within a compression cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft such that the compression piston reciprocates through an intake stroke and a compression stroke of the same four stroke cycle during the same rotation of the crankshaft. A ratio of cylinder volumes from BDC to TDC for either one of the expansion cylinder and compression cylinder is fixed at substantially 26 to 1 or greater.
US08006650B2
A tethering system is used with a bicycle and a pet. The system has: a flexible tube having a proximal end and a distal end; the proximal end of the flexible tube having a plate connector having a bike attachment system and a removable connection with the flexible tube, the connector configured to attach to a position on a two-wheel bicycle within 15 cm of a rear axle on the two-wheel bicycle; and the distal end of the flexible tube having a connection system for a leash.
US08006636B2
A substrate treatment apparatus of the present invention includes: a holding means for rotatably holding a substrate to be treated; a coating solution supply nozzle for supplying a coating solution onto the front surface of the substrate to be treated held on the holding means; a treatment container with an upper surface open for housing them; an exhaust means for exhausting an atmosphere in the treatment container from the bottom; a multiblade centrifugal fan provided on the inner periphery of the treatment container for flowing airflow on a front surface side of the substrate to the exhaust means; and a controller for controlling the number of rotations of the multiblade centrifugal fan corresponding to the number of rotations of the substrate, wherein the number of rotations of the multiblade centrifugal fan is controlled so that turbulent airflow flowing in a circumferential direction on the front surface of the substrate generated due to the rotation of the substrate is corrected to laminar airflow flowing in a radial direction.
US08006632B2
A device for temporary hemming/cuffing children's pants legs is disclosed. One embodiment of the present invention is a device having an outer body portion and an inner tongue portion connected by a hinge. The hinge creates an offset distance between the outer body and the inner tongue, and is biased to angle the inner tongue through the outer body. The inner tongue may be deflected from its neutral position to form a recess to accommodate material, such as a cuff made by turning the bottom edge of a pants leg over the pants leg. Another embodiment of the present invention is a clip having a pair of arms extending from a tongue portion. The arms are adapted to engage the bottom of a turned up edge of the pants leg thereby preventing the clip from sliding down the cuff.
US08006621B1
The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for explosive breaching.
US08006616B2
A printing roller has an outer surface and is rotatable in a rotational sense about a roller axis. A liquid applicator has an upstream blade having an edge engageable with the roller surface and a downstream blade having an edge engageable with the roller surface downstream in the sense from the upstream-blade edge. The blades form a compartment fillable with a liquid to be applied to the roller outer surface. The upstream blade is shifted on rotation of the roller between an engaged position with the respective edge engaging the surface and a disengaged position with the respective edge spaced radially from the surface.
US08006611B2
A water feeding device of a hot drink maker, particularly of a coffeemaker, is provided wherein a water feeding operation and a water heating time are controlled by a water temperature sensor, a computer circuit board, and a motor, all of which are installed in the hot drink maker. The motor is driven according to a sensing result obtained by sensing water temperature at a predetermined position, so as to push heated water smoothly and completely into an inlet of a brewing chamber. Thus, ground coffee in the brewing chamber is infused by the liquid-state heated water of a predetermined temperature to make a hot drink with a desirable taste.
US08006608B2
A method of providing a defense against a shaped charge. An outer and an inner armor layer are provided with a medial space between these outer and inner armor layers. One or more defensive shaped charges are positioned in the medial space. If the outer armor layer is attacked by ordnance having an offensive shaped charge, one or more of the defensive shaped charges positioned in the medial space is detonated so as to degrade the effectiveness of the offensive shaped charge and prevent penetration of the inner armor layer.
US08006603B2
The feeder/delinker of a Gatling gun is provided with an access system which includes a unitary access door and a plunger mounted in the access door. When the access door is partially opened, the plunger is deployed and contacts and secures a cartridge in the feeder/delinker so that a user can remove his hand from the feeder/delinker prior to completely closing the access door. When the access door is closed, the plunger retracts into and is stored in the access door.
US08006599B2
A scribing line forming mechanism according to the present invention includes: a scribing line forming means (207) being structured so as to form a scribing line on a substrate by contacting the substrate; and a supporting means for supporting the scribing line forming means such that the scribing line forming means is turnable about a first turning axis (204), the supporting means being structured so as to be turnable about a second turning axis (202), the second turning axis being different from the first turning axis, wherein the axial center of the first turning axis and the axial center of the second turning axis are approximately in parallel, and the axial center of the second turning axis is distant by a predetermined interval from a portion where the substrate and the scribing line forming means contact each other.
US08006594B2
Systems and methods for cutting, or trimming, a catheter at a specified location along the length of the catheter. The catheter preferably includes a stop feature comprising a difference in a physical characteristic between a first portion of the catheter and a second portion of the catheter which interacts with an elongate member of the cutting system to determine the catheter is in a proper position to be cut.
US08006590B2
An open-faced rod-spinning device configured for making and/or breaking joints between threaded drill rods. The rod-spinning device may include a drive gear with an open face. The drive gear may also be coupled to a plurality of drive pins. The rod-spinning device may include a carriage assembly including an open face for receiving and rotating about a drill rod. The carriage assembly may include a plurality of gripping lobes configured to be engaged and rotated by the drive pins about pivot pins. The drive gear may be configured to rotate relative to the carriage assembly to cause the drive pins to engage and rotate the gripping lobes.
US08006588B2
Systems and apparatus are provided for a parking brake assembly for actuating a parking brake in a vehicle. The parking brake assembly comprises a mounting bracket fixedly attached to a mounting location of the vehicle, a first linkage element having a first end coupled to the mounting bracket at a first pivot, and a second linkage element having a first end pivotally attached to the mounting bracket. A brake cam is coupled to the first end of the first linkage element at the first pivot. A handle mechanism is pivotally attached to a second end of the first linkage element and to the second end of the second linkage element. The handle mechanism is configured such that movement of the handle mechanism actuates the brake cam.
US08006586B2
An articulated robot includes a wrist carrying a flange for attachment of an apparatus to be carried by the robot. The wrist comprises a first support mounted on a robot component that is rotatable about a first axis, a second support rotatably mounted on the first support about a second axis inclined with respect to the first axis, and a third support rotatably mounted on the second support about a third axis, inclined with respect to the second axis. A first motor carried by the first support drives the rotation of the second support, and a second motor carried by the second support drives the rotation of the third support, which ends with the flange for attachment of the apparatus to be carried by the robot.
US08006585B2
A vehicle transmission having a housing (5) with a region in which a connection plate (7) can be firmly attached. The connection plate includes areas for receiving at least parts of the actuating elements, which actuate the torque-transmitting components, and/or parts of the actuating elements, which actuate a transmission shifting device. At least one required actuating cylinder (3) is formed by a first cylinder part, that is located within the connection plate, and a second cylinder part, that is located within the transmission housing. A stop ring (10), provided in the cylinder (3), is configured in such a way that the sealing contact surfaces of a piston (2), in the transmission housing and/or the connection plate, are formed by a bushing-shaped expansion (10′, 10″) of the stop ring (10).
US08006573B1
An apparatus for use in providing a load on a bearing mounted to a shaft includes a setting gage configured to be received on a shaft and configured to engage a nut on the shaft. The gage includes an inner portion and an outer portion rotatable relative to each other. The inner portion includes an outer perimeter contacting an inner perimeter of the outer portion. The inner portion has an inner opening having an inner circumference mirroring a shape of the shaft and shaped to inhibit movement between the inner portion and the shaft when the shaft is received in the inner opening. The outer portion has an outer circumference comprising at least one radially projecting member configured to engage the nut to inhibit movement between the outer portion and the nut when the gage engages the nut. The inner portion includes a start position indicator on the outer perimeter and a stop position indicator on the outer perimeter. The start position indicator includes a start position for a marker of the outer portion. The stop position includes a stop position for the marker when the outer portion is rotated from the start position toward the stop position such that the marker is aligned with the stop position to achieve a desired amount of endplay of a bearing mounted to the shaft.
US08006572B2
A differential-pressure flow meter is capable of easily eliminating adhesion to an orifice of an extraneous material. The differential-pressure flow meter includes: a pair of pressure sensors provided on a straight pipe part of a main fluid channel; an orifice unit interposed between the pair of pressure sensors; a columnar orifice body provided on the main fluid channel to be detachable in a direction orthogonal to a flow direction of a fluid in the main fluid channel; and an orifice hole penetrating the orifice body in the flow direction of the fluid, wherein the orifice body is rotatable at a prescribed installation position to reverse an upstream side and a downstream side with respect to the orifice hole, and flow rate measurement is performed by converting into a flow rate a difference in pressure that is obtained from two pressure values sensed respectively by the pair of pressure sensors.
US08006569B2
A magnetic flow meter includes a first spud end, a second spud end, and a sensing area positioned between the first spud end and the second spud end. The sensing area has a wall thickness that is thinner than a thickness of the first spud end and the second spud end. The flow meter can be manufactured via molding while a plug is positioned in at least two holes of the magnetic flow meter. The flow meter can also be manufactured to have a near hermetic seal formed by inserting a flexible printed circuit board in a slit of a gasket and then either compressing a register cup surrounding the tube gasket or driving a pin into a center pin around which the tube gasket is positioned.
US08006568B2
A test fixture for use with a Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA) restrains a hollow cylindrical tube for purposes of performing either a tensile or transverse/bending load test. The fixture includes a clamp that is configured to restrain the tube without imparting a preload or changing a mechanical property of the tube.
US08006561B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a technique that can realize improvement of sensitivity of a vibrator. A platform 50 to which a substance adheres or sticks is provided to be mechanically coupled to a vibrator 20 of a sensor via bridges 51. Sensitivity of the sensor is improved by causing the mass of a substance adhering or sticking onto the platform 50 as if the substance concentratedly adheres or sticks to places where the platform 50 is connected to the vibrator 20. It is preferable to connect, via the bridges 51, the platform 50 to places where the platform 50 vibrates integrally with the vibrator 20. For this purpose, it is preferable to mechanically couple, via the bridges 51, the platform 50 to regions where vibration occurs only in one of an r direction or a θ direction in the vibrator 20.
US08006556B2
A method for measuring positional changes of an object, including rotation about any or all of three axes, using linear accelerometers. There is disclosed a method of using a linear accelerometer to integrate two other 3D linear accelerometers in order to measure and supply for further use six-dimensional information, that is, translation in three dimensions and rotation about three axes. Two linear accelerometer sensors are used to determine all but one of the variables in the six degrees of freedom. Output from a third accelerometer generates the data need to determine a sixth, rotational, degree of freedom. The need for a gyroscope for detecting changes in heading (i.e., yaw or azimuth) may therefore be avoided.
US08006551B2
Environmentally friendly solvents used to dissolve or remove residues and/or substances from substrates wherein the residue and/or substance is contacted with a Generally Recognized As Safe solvent to dissolve the residue and/or substance in the solvent followed by the extraction of the residue and/or substance from the solvent such as by contact with carbon dioxide.
US08006549B2
A device which comprises a sensor and/or actuator and a connector for electrically and mechanically coupling the sensor and/or actuator. The connector comprises an individual electrical conductor having a core made from a first material and having a jacket made from a second material. The first material can have a lower thermal conductivity than the second material.
US08006547B2
A sensor for a transmission-shift control of a motor vehicle is described. The sensor is connectable to a supply voltage (Vs) and to ground (GND). The sensor generates a signal voltage (Vout). The signal voltage (Vout) may assume two signals (high, low), both signals (high, low) being different from the supply voltage (Vs) and from ground (GND).
US08006545B2
A method of real-time analysis of an engine, comprising sensing a temperature within a chamber of the engine with a thermocouple sensor disposed on a spark plug operating within the chamber, the thermocouple sensor generating a first signal based upon the temperature within the chamber; detecting current on a wire coupled to the sparkplug with a sensor, the sensor generating a second signal based upon current detected on the wire; converting the first and second signal into a first and second optical signal respectively utilizing one or more signal conditioners; generating a first and second digital signal based upon the first and second optical signal respectively with a receiver; and transmitting the first and second digital signal to an analysis device to generate a display of the temperature as it relates to engine speed at a first time in response to the receipt of the first and second digital signal.
US08006534B1
A wire bender or a rod bender and more particularly a wire bender or a rod bender, adaptable to bend a variety of sizes of rod or wire to at least one desirable angle, provides a bent wire or a bent rod may be formed to use with a model, especially a model of vehicle.
US08006511B2
A fluid vapor distillation apparatus. The apparatus includes a source fluid input, and an evaporator condenser apparatus. The evaporator condenser apparatus includes a substantially cylindrical housing and a plurality of tubes in the housing. The source fluid input is fluidly connected to the evaporator condenser and the evaporator condenser transforms source fluid into steam and transforms compressed steam into product fluid. Also included in the fluid vapor distillation apparatus is a heat exchanger fluidly connected to the source fluid input and a product fluid output. The heat exchanger includes an outer tube and at least one inner tube. Also included in the fluid vapor distillation apparatus is a regenerative blower fluidly connected to the evaporator condenser. The regenerative blower compresses steam, and the compressed steam flows to the evaporative condenser where compressed steam is transformed into product fluid.
US08006508B2
An air conditioner for vehicles in which the probability of executing pre-air conditioning is increased so that it may be prevented that the inside of the vehicle cannot be often in a comfortable state before the driver gets into the vehicle. The air conditioner performs air conditioning of a vehicle having a traveling motor and an engine as drive sources and comprises a pre-air conditioning main switch. The crew permits operation of pre-air conditioning by turning the switch on. When the pre-air conditioning main switch is set on, an engine control section performs charge preference control where battery charge takes precedence of engine fuel consumption and performs normal control where engine fuel consumption takes precedence when the pre-air conditioning main switch is set off.
US08006507B2
A system and method is provided for controlling the operation of secondary coolant pump(s) in a refrigeration system having a secondary coolant system that circulates the coolant to applicable cooling loads, and a primary refrigeration system that chills the coolant in the secondary coolant system. The system and method for controlling the pumps measures the pressure of the plurality of secondary coolant fluid loops, sorts the measurements to identify a secondary coolant fluid loop with a pressure farthest from a setpoint, and adjusts pump speed to compensate for the critical loop (i.e., the secondary coolant fluid loop with a pressure furthest from the setpoint).
US08006503B2
A gas compression system includes a flow of compressed gas, a separator positioned to receive the flow of compressed gas and discharge a second flow of compressed gas and a flow of condensate, and a flow of compressed refrigerant. A heat exchanger is positioned to receive the flow of condensate and the flow of compressed refrigerant. The heat exchanger is arranged such that the flow of condensate cools the flow of refrigerant.
US08006496B2
Apparatuses and methods related to an engine for converting heat into mechanical output using a working fluid in a closed circulating system are disclosed. In some embodiments, the engine includes a pump to pressurize the working fluid, a regenerative heat exchanger to transfer heat from a first portion of the working fluid to a second portion, a heating device to heat the working fluid, and first and second scroll expanders to expand the working fluid and generate the mechanical output. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08006492B2
A hydraulic steering system has a steering linkage and an actuator actuating the steering linkage. Pressurized hydraulic fluid can be fed to the actuator and removed from the actuator through a return pipe. A device installed into the return pipe counteracts volume flow pulsations by damming up the hydraulic fluid return flow. The device dams up the hydraulic fluid only in the event of an occurrence of a volume flow pulsation.
US08006491B2
On the basis of reference torque and torque correction amount output units (T1 and T2), a torque control command pressure is calculated so that the input torques of first and second pumps are increased. The calculated torque command instruction pressure is then supplied as external command pressure to the varying mechanism of a regulator used for the first and second pumps so as to prevent the input torques of the first and second pumps from being decreased more than necessary. As a result, even when three variable displacement hydraulic pumps are used with the discharge pressure of one of the hydraulic pumps reduced by a pressure reducing valve and further the input torques of the other two hydraulic pumps are decreased by that pressure, the engine output can be efficiently utilized, and the work rate does not decrease.
US08006472B1
A cotton harvester row unit includes belt drive and a variable transmission to reduce noise and optimize spindle and doffer speeds of rotation while permitting spindle drum structure rotational speed to change with changes in harvester speed. In one embodiment, a variable speed motor drives the ring gear of a planetary gear set to vary the ratio of spindle and doffer speed to drum speed. The planetary gear set may be enclosed to also help reduce noise and to decrease grease consumption. Nearly constant spindle and doffer speeds may be maintained over a wide range drum rotational speeds, and the upper speeds may be limited to avoid operation above critical speeds of components. The transmission may be configured to reduce or completely eliminates gear meshing off of the drum centerline to thereby reduce row unit manufacture precision, and a relatively low power motor may be used to adjust the ratio of spindle and doffer speed to drum speed.
US08006468B2
A container-filling machine for placing discrete articles within at least one container. The container filling machine comprises at least one vibration tray comprising a discrete article receiving end, a discrete article drop-off end and a plurality of channels extending from the discrete article receiving end to the discrete article drop-off end. Each channel includes two discrete article receiving paths at the discrete article receiving end. The two discrete article receiving paths combine into a single discrete article-depositing path in proximity to the discrete article drop-off end. The vibration tray is operative for moving discrete articles from the discrete article-receiving end to the discrete article drop-off end along the plurality of channels. The container filling machine further comprises a plurality of sloped paths for receiving the discrete articles from the discrete article drop-off end of the at least one vibration tray. The plurality of sloped paths leading the discrete articles towards the at least one container.
US08006458B1
Vertically joined flooring material comprising floor boards (1), which floor boards (1) are provided with edges (2) which are provided with a groove (2′), a lower side (5) and a decorative top surface (3). The floor boards (1) are intended to be joined by means of separate joining profiles (10). All edges (2) are provided with one groove (4) each, which grooves (4) are arranged parallel to its respective edge (2). The joining profiles (10) are provided with lips (11) arranged in pairs, which lips (11) each are intended to be received by the groove (4) of a floor board (1) guiding and fixing adjacent floor boards (1) horizontally. The joining profile (10) is provided with a central cheek section (13) which is comprised by a first and a second independently resilient cheek (13′ and 13″ respectively). The cheek (13′ and 13″ respectively) are provided with one tongue (14′ and 14″ respectively) each whereby the tongues (14′ and 14″ respectively) are intended to be received by one groove (2′) each so that adjacent floor boards (1) are guided in a vertical direction.
US08006449B2
A drain support plate for mounting and securing a drain assembly to a deck in a building structure.
US08006447B2
The invention relates to a fire resistant material based on an elastomeric foam. The invention further comprises a system for sealing off, at least during a fire taking place adjacent the wall, in an at least virtually entirely fire-tight manner, an open extending through that wall through which a transporting device comprising for instance a cable, duct or pipe has been fed, the system being provided with elements manufactured from a fire resistant material which expands under the influence of temperature increase. In addition, the invention extends to a wall in which such a system has been incorporated and a method for scaling off an opening extending through a wall through which at least one transporting device such as a cable, duct or pipe has been fed.
US08006446B2
CO2-sequestering formed building materials are provided. The building materials of the invention include a composition comprising a carbonate/bicarbonate component. Additional aspects of the invention include methods of making and using the CO2-sequestering formed building material.
US08006443B2
An interlocking, modular floor tile that comprises a planar member defined by a perimeter having four sides and a top surface, a plurality of downwardly projecting support legs of common length dispersed pattern-wise inside the perimeter of the planar member and coupled with the top surface, and at least one female interlocking connector element that extends outside the perimeter of the planar member for receiving a support leg of a like tile and thereby forming an interlock with the like tile.
US08006438B2
A filter assembly includes a filtering screen having a top surface and a bottom surface. A skeletal structure is attached to the filtering screen and has a top surface and a bottom surface. The bottom surface of the filtering screen contacts the top surface of the skeletal structure. The skeletal structure forms a plurality of downward extending channels.
US08006436B2
A pair of interlocking bi-parting sliding doors includes a first sliding door and a second sliding door, wherein the first sliding door has a first meeting stile that includes a first side portion for maintaining a door glass panel and a first mating side portion for engaging the second sliding door, wherein the first mating side portion includes a plurality of recessed zones, and wherein the second sliding door has a second meeting stile that includes a second side portion for maintaining a door glass panel and a second mating side portion for engaging the first mating side portion of the first sliding door, wherein the second mating side portion includes a plurality of extensions, wherein when the first sliding door and the second sliding door are in a closed position, the plurality of extensions interlock with the plurality of recessed zones.
US08006417B2
An advertising device, where one exemplary use is as a “stripper pole” having associated ad material. The ad material can be placed inside a portion of the pole and be visible through a protective cover, and be dynamic. Additionally, the stripper pole may be in a variety of sizes and shapes and may include lighting, rotating mechanisms, engraving and suspended objects. The advertising device includes a connecting element that attaches to at least one end, and optionally between two ends, with a gap between an inner element and an outer element where advertising material can be placed in the gap.
US08006410B2
The invention relates to a shoe, especially for sport or leisure, comprising an upper, a sole and a lacing device having at least one clamping strip passing through a space arranged at the level of the sole and a clamping element. The clamping element is attached, on the one hand, to a first end of the clamping strip and, on the other hand, to a holding zone placed at the rear of the shoe. The second end of the clamping strip, passing through the clamping element comprises an attachment device on the upper, allowing the fixing of the strip. Cooperation exists between the clamping strip, the clamping element and the holding zone causing tensing of the upper at the level of the instep and the articulation above the heel.
US08006403B2
An edge detect system, using a torch height control system based on the use of a free floating probe in contact with the workpiece, uses a drop in pressurized air supplied to the probe tip in contact with the workpiece when the probe moves off the plate edge to generate a signal that prevents the torch from following the free floating probe downwardly and thereby prevents the cutting tool from crashing into the workpiece.
US08006402B2
A moving vector calculation unit calculates a moving vector M representing a quantity and a direction of movement of a probe on basis of a stylus displacement vector, a stylus displacement vector D, and a direction change angle θ of the stylus displacement vector D that is caused by a frictional force between a stylus 32 and the measuring surface 5a during scanning of the measuring surface 5a by the stylus 32. The stylus displacement vector D is a vector including a quantity and a direction of position displacement of the stylus 32 relative to the probe 5. Movement of an XY-stage 7 is controlled so that the probe 6 moves in accordance with the moving vector M.
US08006397B2
Systems and methods are provided herein that provide for remote leveling and positioning. An embodiment includes a leveling device assembly. Another embodiment provides a system including a leveling device assembly and a plurality of audio devices. Further embodiments provide for systems having a plurality of leveling device assemblies.
US08006395B2
A bow sight that utilizes fiber optic wave guides as a basis for collecting ambient light and providing multiple sighting spots within the archer's field of view. The terminal ends of the fiber optic wave guides are positioned so as to have images thereof reflected on a moveable reflective plane (objective optic) within the bow sight. The multiple aiming spots thus reflected in the bow sight provide the archer with sighting spots for targets over a range of distances. A fixed angular reference indicator facilitates side to side (rotational) alignment. Each of the individual fiber optic wave guides collects ambient light and terminates in a terminal block that may be varied in its position so as to individually adjust the reflected image of the aiming spot. Various mechanisms within the fiber optic terminal block for adjusting the position of the ambient light wave guide are also described. The bow sight provides the advantages of multispot ambient light fiber optic systems with the advantages of reflective (reflex) sighting systems.
US08006380B2
A method of replacing a damaged blade (12A) of an integrally bladed rotor assembly (10) including a disc (14) and a plurality of blades (12) extending outwardly from the disc (14) includes the steps of; removing the damaged blade (12A) to leave a blade stub (16) projecting from the disc (14); depositing a collar (22) of metal around the blade stub (16) at a position physically separated from the disc (14); attaching a replacement blade (12B) to the stub (16) by linear friction welding; and removing the collar (22). A body (20) of a material may be deposited between the disc (14) and the collar (22) to protect the disc (14) from damage.
US08006375B2
An apparatus for equalizing voltage across an electrical lighting system, particularly in low voltage landscape lighting systems. The apparatus consists of a plastic cylinder having open ends and containing two or more connectors for connecting a homerun wire from a transformer to wire leads from the various light fixtures in the lighting system. The wire leads are of uniform length to ensure that each light fixture is ecu distant from the transformer.
US08006362B2
Apparatus for installing fasteners in a workpiece is mounted for computer controlled movement over the workpiece surface. The apparatus includes all of the tools, fasteners, drives and controls on-board that are needed to operate autonomously, without external connections. The apparatus may also include an on-board power supply for powering the tools, drives and controls. A supply of fasteners is held in an on-board replaceable cassette. An on-board fastener transferring device transfers individual fasteners from the cassette to the tools.
US08006360B2
By providing a unique product enhancing step which enables any desired section, portion, or element of a product being produced to be treated in a manner to provide desired enhanced physical, structural, and/or aesthetics characteristics, a new, fully integrated enhanced foam manufacturing system is attained which is capable of producing virtually any desired foam product, with each product incorporating any desired area or zone being formed with a particular physical, structural, and/or aesthetic property, characteristic, or enhancement. In addition, in accordance with the teaching of the present invention, any desired cross-sectional shape or configuration is capable of being manufactured in fully automated, high volume, rapid production conditions, with virtual ease and simplicity, with a specific physical, structural, or aesthetic property incorporated therein.
US08006347B2
A hinge includes a shaft, a bracket, two washers, a resilient member assembly mating with the pole, and a fastener. The shaft includes a pole. The bracket includes a knuckle portion. The washers are mounted on the pole. The fastener is engaging with the pole and exerting force against the washers, and the resilient member assembly.
US08006346B2
A hinge assembly includes a cam (13), a follower (14), a first spring (12), a control member (17) and a second spring (16). The cam has a first cam surface (135) and a second cam surface (136). The follower has a third cam surface (141) engaging with the first cam surface. The first spring provides an elastic force causing the cam surface of the cam and the third cam surface of the follower to resist each other. The control member has a fourth cam surface engaging with the second cam surface of the cam. The second spring is positioned between the control member and the follower. The control member is movable to push the cam to rotate to realize the first cam surface of the cam to rotate relative to the third cam surface of the follower.
US08006345B1
Rod segments can be adjoined with a simple hinge. Various embodiments of hinges include locking, non-locking, spring biased open or closed, and aligned rod segments or non-aligned rod segments.
US08006335B1
The post-retinal operation pillow is comprised of a cylindrical top and a slightly angled base of which a plurality of vents extend therefrom. The slightly angled base has an opening that aligns with the open inner circle of the cylindrical top. The post retinal operation pillow may be of single construction or a plurality of pieces. The post retinal operation pillow provides enhanced comfort to those individuals that are required to maintain a horizontal position of their head after an operation involving the retina or eye.
US08006331B1
A device is disclosed for facilitating rotation of a mattress in a horizontal plane carried by a box spring or a platform. In order to facilitate rotation, slick surfaces between the mattress and the box spring or platform are selectively placed in contact in order to reduce the normal friction therebetween. The slick surfaces may be provided by two (2) separate covers; one cover for the mattress and one cover for the box spring or platform. A first cover is provided with a slick and non-slick surface. In order to further facilitate rotation, a second cover includes a slick surface on one side and forms part of a levitation device. The other side of the second cover may be formed with a slick or a non-slick surface. A levitation device creates an air cushion between the mattress and the box spring under the influence of an air supply which lifts the mattress and allows the mattress to be rotated in a horizontal plane virtually effortlessly.
US08006321B2
A disposable, substantially non-absorbent undergarment has a crotch region in combination with, and onto which a sanitary napkin or panty liner member is attached. Upraised side ridges bounding the crotch region of the panty both eliminate leakage, without adding to bulk of the undergarment, and present a defined area where at least one panty liner unit of the panty liner member is attached.
US08006318B2
The neck warmer includes a collar fabricated from warm, soft material and having free ends provided with hook and loop fasteners to allow the collar to be fastened closely around a wearer's neck. The collar has a slight V-shape at its front. Ornamental pieces can be optionally attached to the front of the collar to create a desired fashionable effect.
US08011007B2
Access to content may be administered by storing content, the content comprising one or more selections, accessing a passive optical out-of-band token associated with the content, determining an access right for the content based on the passive optical out-of-band token, and enabling access to the content in accordance with the access right.
US08011002B1
A method, system, and medium are provided for forcing a mobile device to request online content using a proxy server. In one embodiment, the mobile device sends a request to the content provider directly. The content provider may respond to the requesting browser with an instruction to request the content through a proxy server. The requesting mobile device may then send a second request for the content to the proxy server. The proxy server then sends a request to the content provider on behalf of the requesting mobile device.
US08011000B2
A user-configurable firewall and method in which a user-changeable security setting for a client computer is maintained by an access server through which a user accesses the public network. The user-changeable security setting can be used to specify which outside computers or network devices may access the client computer and what type of access to the client computer is allowed. If an attempt to access the client computer is made, the user-configurable security setting is checked to determine if the attempted access is allowed by the current security setting. If the attempted access is allowed by the current security setting, access is allowed to the client computer; otherwise, access is not allowed. If the user changes the user-configurable security setting, the changes to the user-configurable security setting are provided to the access server.
US08010992B1
Systems, devices, and methods are disclosed for providing increased security when multiplexing one or more services at customer premises. Such systems and devices may include one or more virtual machines that support a service, a service operating system, protocol functions, and protocol security functions including system, devices, and methods for, analyzing protocol data and generating protocol security data. In addition, the system, devices, and methods provide an administration function for each virtual machine that allows monitoring the protocol security data and provides a protocol alerting mechanism that reports protocol security trigger events. Moreover, the system, devices, and methods have a common layer providing a common operating system and common security functions. The protocol security functions and common security function utilize conventional and fuzzy logic rules to generate protocol security data and common security data.
US08010991B2
An externalized entitlement management system comprises a policy administration point that is configured to receive one or more definitions or updates of entitlement policies specifying subjects, actions, and resources, and to update a first entitlement repository coupled to the policy administration point with the definitions or updates in response to receiving the definitions or updates; one or more policy decision points that are coupled to the policy administration point over a network; one or more policy enforcement points that are integrated into one or more respective first application programs, wherein each of the policy enforcement points is coupled to one of the policy decision points; and one or more action handlers in the policy administration point, wherein each of the action handlers is configured to intercept a particular action represented in an update to an entitlement policy, to transform the action into an entitlement update in a form compatible with a native entitlement mechanism of a second application program that does not have one of the policy enforcement points, to send the transformed entitlement update to the second application program, and to cause a rollback of the update of the first entitlement repository if the second application program fails to implement the entitlement update in the native entitlement mechanism.
US08010980B1
In one implementation, a method is described that may include applying at least one of a capitalization rule and a spacing rule to a word obtained from compressed electronic program guide (EPG) data. The compressed EPG data includes a plurality of word encoding values and a plurality of character encoding values. Each of the capitalization and spacing rules may be based on an arrangement, in the compressed EPG data, of one said word encoding value that references the obtained word with respect to one or more character encoding values. The capitalization and spacing rules may also be based on an arrangement, in the compressed EPG data, of one word encoding value that references the obtained word with respect to at least one other word encoding value. An output is made of the obtained word to which there has been applied at least one of the capitalization rule and the spacing rule.
US08010976B2
Card-based and independent server-based billing and authorization system in a media exchange network
Systems and methods of billing and authentication of a communication device in a communication network are provided. In one embodiment, the system may comprise, for example, at least one communication device, a communication network, information content, and a card. The communication device may be deployed at a location. The communication network may be communicatively coupled to that location. The information content may reside on the communication network and the location. The card may carry information related to one or more user-defined selections of the information content and may allow the communication device to access the user-defined selections.
US08010972B2
A system and method for responding to requests for processing made by an integration broker to an application having a single threaded application programmer interface, comprising receiving a request for processing; determining whether the received request is event-triggered or call-triggered; sending the request to a slave process assigned to event-triggered requests, when the request is event-triggered; and sending the request to a slave process assigned to call-triggered requests, when the request is call-triggered.
US08010970B2
The forms hosting system allows a developer to design custom Outlook form regions containing standard and custom managed controls using popular development tools. The forms hosting system provides a runtime wrapper that appears to Outlook as a normal ActiveX control. When Outlook invokes the runtime wrapper control, the runtime wrapper control loads the managed controls defined by the developer. The runtime wrapper control translates messages received from Outlook into messages understood by the managed controls.
US08010966B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving at a thread scheduler data that indicates a first thread is to execute next a particular instruction path in software to access a particular portion of a shared computational resource. The thread scheduler determines whether a different second thread is exclusively eligible to execute the particular instruction path on any processor of a set of one or more processors to access the particular portion of the shared computational resource. If so, then the thread scheduler prevents the first thread from executing any instruction from the particular instruction path on any processor of the set of one or more processors. This enables several threads of the same software to share a resource without obtaining locks on the resource or holding a lock on a resource while a thread is not running.
US08010965B2
A system, apparatus and method to receive, schedule, and perform a task automatically on a multi-processor device are described herein. In various embodiments, the multi-processor device is a member of a home network environment.
US08010962B2
A method and apparatus to build a migration package. According to one embodiment of the invention, a plurality of programming elements are developed and stored in a configuration repository. The configuration repository also includes metadata used to describe each of the programming elements. Selected programming elements are placed in a set of one or more migration scripts to be stored in the migration package. The set of migration scripts may include a master configuration file and a driver file.
US08010941B2
A method of dynamically generating stateless session beans (EJBs) during installation of a Service Component Architecture (SCA) composite to expose simple SCA POJO components to Java EE callers. During SCA composite installation, an installation utility receives an installation request for a SCA composite with a simple POJO service. If EJB service binding is defined, the installation utility collects data from a service interface to generate a corresponding bean interface and implementation classes. Generic EJB home, bean and interface class templates are pre-defined using EMF JET templates. Data collected from the service interface is fed into pre-defined EMF JET Templates to generate service-specific EJB classes. The installation utility also matches the java interface to the EJB interface to ensure compatibility. Generated bean method has code snippets to delegate calls to SCA components during runtime. Given a simple SCA POJO Service, the installation utility generates Stateless Session bean without Java EE tooling.
US08010935B2
An electronic design automation (EDA) tool for and method of optimizing a placement of process monitors (PMs) in an integrated circuit (IC). In one embodiment, the EDA tool includes: (1) a critical path/cell identifier configured to identify critical paths and critical cells in the IC, (2) a candidate PM position identifier coupled to the critical path/cell identifier and configured to identify a set of candidate positions for the PMs, (3) a cluster generator coupled to the critical path/cell identifier and configured to associate the critical cells to form clusters thereof and (4) a PM placement optimizer coupled to the candidate PM position identifier and the cluster generator and configured to place a PM within each of the clusters by selecting among the candidate positions.
US08010932B2
A design structure for tuning an integrated circuit design holds a reference clock signal constant across the integrated circuit design and, while the reference clock signal is held constant, optimizes transistors forming a register within the integrated circuit design and thereafter optimizes transistors forming one or more clock buffers coupled to the reference clock signal.
US08010930B2
A method, apparatus and program product are provided for extracting parameters for compact models for semiconductor devices. A first set of parameters associated with first and second semiconductor devices is defined and has the same value for all devices. A second set of parameters associated with the semiconductor devices is defined having values that differ among the devices. Data is measured from the semiconductor devices related to the first and second set of parameters. A mathematical relationship is established between the measured data, and the values of the second set of parameters are adjusted to fit the established mathematical relationship. The mathematical relationship may also be a correlation of the measured data from the first semiconductor device with the measured data from the second semiconductor device creating a data set for parameter extraction. Parameters may then be extracted from the data set related to the first and second semiconductor devices.
US08010927B2
Design structure for an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit for protecting an integrated circuit chip from an ESD event. The design structure for the ESD protection circuit includes a stack of BigFETs, a BigFET gate driver for driving the gates of the BigFETs, and a trigger for triggering the BigFET gate driver to drive the gates of the BigFETs in response to an ESD event. The BigFET gate driver includes gate pull-up circuitry for pulling up the gate of a lower one of the BigFETs. The gate pull-up circuitry is configured so as to obviate the need for a diffusion contact between the stacked BigFETs, resulting in a significant savings in terms of the chip area needed to implement the ESD protection circuit.
US08010925B2
The invention relates to a method and a system for placing electric circuits in integrated circuit chip design. Specifically, the invention encompasses performing a global placement step placing the cells into bins on the chip, as well as a detailed placement process which arranges the cells in the bins to obtain a legal arrangement while generating simply connected free space for routing channels.
US08010922B2
Buffers are placed on selected nets coupled to input and output pins of entities in an IC device. This includes loading selected input and output pins of entities prior to respectively buffering nets of the entities and buffering in successive iterations, which includes setting artificial loads on selected input pins. The buffering in a current iteration is limited to i) buffering nets on the current iteration entity for receivers on the current iteration entity and ii) buffering nets on the current iteration entity directly coupled to respective nets of an immediately adjacent entity that has been buffered already in a preceding one of iterations, but only if the already buffered net is coupled to a receiver on its own net or a receiver on some other already buffered net via nets that have all been buffered via one or more of the preceding iterations.
US08010908B2
A BD-ROM has recorded therein an AV Clip generated by multiplexing a video stream and a graphics stream. The graphics stream represents an interactive display to be overlayed with the video stream, and includes a sequence of three Button State groups. The interactive display includes a plurality of buttons, each of which changes from a normal state to a selected state, and from the selected state to an active state, according to a user operation. In the three Button State groups in the graphics stream, the first-order group (N-ODSs) is made of a plurality of pieces of graphics data, which represent normal states of the buttons, the second-order group (S-ODSs) is made of a plurality of pieces of graphics data, which represent selected states of the buttons, and the third-order group (A-ODSs) is made of a plurality of pieces of graphics data, which represent active states of the buttons.
US08010907B2
Disclosed are a system and method for generating three-dimensional objects to represent files in a three-dimensional environment. A primary classifier classifies stored files into groups based on a first set of properties and generates three-dimensional mesh objects to represent each file. The mesh objects are the same within each group and distinguish the files from group to group. A secondary classifier further classifies each group of files into sub-groups based on a second set of properties and deforms the mesh objects in each sub-group in a particular manner to distinguish files from sub-group to sub-group. Additional classifiers modify the deformed mesh objects to further distinguish files within each sub-group (e.g., by varying the shape, texture, animation, etc.). Each three-dimensional object can then be embedded into a three-dimensional graphical user interface as a selection tool that provides visual cues regarding the contents of a particular file.
US08010906B1
A property presentation and visualization method comprising measuring at least one room comprising a room length and a room width forming at least one measurement line, measuring at least one wall interruption comprising a wall interruption length and a wall interruption width, and measuring at least one outside space. The room measurement, wall interruption measurement, and outside space measurement are input to a processor. Textual information and at least one graphic image concerning the structure are input to the processor. A property overview image of the structure and the at least one outside space is formed using computer instructions, the room measurement, the wall interruption measurement, the measurement lines, the text information, and the graphic images. The property overview image is then output for viewing.
US08010900B2
Systems and methods are provided for storing and restoring digital data. A method includes receiving, a first user input requesting that a backup interface be displayed, displaying the backup interface, the backup interface including a display area for presenting at least a first visual representation of an earlier version of a current view and a visual representation of the current view, the earlier version including a first element, receiving, while the backup interface is displayed, a second user input requesting that the current view be modified according to the earlier version, at least with regard to the first element, animating the modification of the first element as moving from the visual representation of the earlier version to the visual representation of the current view, and modifying, in response to the second user input, the current view according to the earlier version, at least with regard to the first element.
US08010898B2
A method for specifying a folding option for a print job includes displaying a file from the print job, after selection by a user for printing, the file comprising a legend, opening the file in a preview window, displaying markers in corners of the preview window, reading out a user selected marker, after selection of a displayed marker by a user, reading out a number of user set preprogrammed fold variables from a list of preprogrammed fold variables, and folding based on the user selected marker and the number of user set preprogrammed fold variables.
US08010893B2
An electronic file such as an HTML web page accessible via a browser by a user. The electronic file may include one or more textual field descriptors for display within the browser; one or more editable data fields associated with the textual field descriptors, the editable data fields for receiving data for the user of the browser; and a module having a view mode and an edit mode, the view mode for displaying the textual field descriptors, the edit mode for permitting the user to enter data in the editable data fields. In one example, the view mode may be invoked when the electronic file is open in the browser. The edit mode may be invoked only if the browser contains a control for activating the edit mode. In this way, the user is able to edit the data in the document and retransmit the document to other users who can only view the data as read-only data.
US08010890B2
A system for creating, rendering and controlling a user interface is provided. A server generates a mark-up language document containing custom tags and conventional tags. The custom tags are associated with machine-executable instructions operating on a client device. When the client device receives the markup language document containing custom tags, the client device processes the custom tags and inserts the machine-executable code into the document at the location of the custom tags. A browser operating on the client device then executes the code and renders the document on a display device.
US08010882B2
Methods and systems for modifying DOCSIS-based transmission paths for communication in higher frequency and/or wireless environments, such as wireless terrestrial communication systems and satellite communication systems. An inner turbo-code is combined with a DOCSIS based Reed-Solomon (“RS”) forward error correction (“FEC”) coding scheme, to produce a concatenated turbo-RS code (other FEC codes can be utilized). In phase and quadrature phase (“I-Q”) processing is utilized to enable relatively low cost up-converter implementations. The I-Q processing is preferably performed at baseband, essentially pre-compensating for analog variations in the transmit path. Power amplifier on/off control capable of controlling on/off RF power control of remote transmitters is modulated on a transmit cable to reduce the need for a separate cable.
US08010881B2
Multi-code LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) decoder. Multiple LDPC coded signals can be decoded using hardware provisioned for a minimum requirement needed to decode each of the multiple LDPC coded signals. In embodiments where each LDPC matrix (e.g., employed to decode each LDPC coded signal) includes a common number of non-null sub-matrices, then a same number of memories are employed when decoding each LDPC coded signal. However, those particular memories employed can be different subsets for when decoding each LDPC coded signal. In embodiments where each LDPC code includes a different number of non-null sub-matrices within its respective LDPC matrix, then a different number of memories are employed when decoding each LDPC coded signal. Various degrees of parallelism in decoding can also be employed in which different numbers of bit engines and check engines can be employed when decoding different LDPC coded signals.
US08010862B2
An embodiment of the present invention includes a buffer, a selector, and an analyzer. The buffer stores at least a default stream coded by a multiple description (MD) coding and a restart stream coded by a predictive coding. The default and restart streams correspond to a media content. The selector selects a transmit frame from the default and restart streams according to a transmission status. The transmit frame is transmitted to a receiver. The analyzer provides the transmission status based on feedback information provided by the receiver.
US08010861B2
Fast recovery from losses is an important problem for reliable data communication protocols. The Internet standard TCP protocol (Transmission Control Protocol) implements two algorithms for that: an original one based on a special timer, and a later addition to TCP that is triggered when there are three packets received by the client after the missing one. Web communications are most frequently carrying rather small objects that are generally ineligible for anything other than timeout-based retransmission schemes. The present invention describes a system delivering performance improvements to TCP (and other reliable data communication protocols) that are compliant with present Internet standards. One improvement is to send duplicates of packets without waiting for a timeout to occur. Another is to split particular parts of a data stream into smaller packets. A third is to send packets out-of-order to force the remote host to acknowledge all packets that were successfully received.
US08010852B1
A memory system including a read module, a demultiplexer, an acquisition module, a tracking module and a control module. The read module is configured to (i) read pilot data and user data stored in a block of a first memory and (ii) generate read signals based on the pilot data and the user data. The demultiplexer is configured to, based on the read signals, generate pilot signals and user data signals. The acquisition module is configured to (i) receive the pilot signals and (ii) generate a first estimate of a signal-to-noise ratio of the block of the first memory based on a predetermined pilot pattern. The tracking module is configured to generate a second estimate of the signal-to-noise ratio of the block of the first memory based on the user data signals. The control module is configured to generate recovered data based on the first estimate and the second estimate.
US08010848B2
This invention provides a system and method for selecting and communicating a single disk (a “coredump disk”) for use in a coredump procedure by a failed file server (or filer). A selection method on the failed filer determines the “best candidate” coredump disk according to a predetermined set of criteria. For example, the available disks that can receive coredump data are located and ordered so as to prefer disks that best match the coredump data size requirement, are least likely to be needed for normal service by the server; and require the least preparation to receive coredump data. Appropriate attributes on the selected coredump disk are written to indicate that a coredump is in progress, and the location of the coredump data. Upon reboot of the failed filer (or takeover by a cluster partner), the coredump disk is identified and the coredump data recovered by reading back appropriate attributes.
US08010817B2
A multi-processor system and a performance adjustment method thereof are disclosed. The multi-processor system includes a first processing unit and a second processing unit, the performance adjustment method includes: first, detecting the load of each processing unit to obtain corresponding detected data; then, determining whether one of the processing units has the most load; finally, if the first processing unit has the most load, increasing the power supply to the first processing unit.
US08010809B1
Method and system for storing data in a storage device accessible through a storage area network is provided. The method includes receiving data from a host system; generating a first encryption key for encrypting data information that describes the received data; generating a second encryption key that encrypts the first encryption key and the encrypted data information; generating an encryption packet that includes the second encryption key, the first encryption key and the data information; storing the encryption packet at one or more memory locations; and periodically refreshing the encryption packet without periodically encrypting the received data for securely storing the received data.
US08010790B2
A block-level storage device is provided that implements a digital rights management (DRM) system. In response to receiving a public key from an associated host system, the storage device challenges the host system to prove it has the corresponding private key to establish trust. This trust is established by encrypting a secure session key using the public key. The host system uses its private key to recover the secure session key. The storage device may store content that has been encrypted according to a content key. In addition, the storage device may encrypt the content key using the secure session key.
US08010788B2
For each process a stack data structure that includes two stacks, which are joined at their bases, is created. The two stacks include a normal stack, which grows downward, and an inverse stack, which grows upward. Items on the stack data structure are segregated into protected and unprotected classes. Protected items include frame pointers and return addresses, which are stored on the normal stack. Unprotected items are function parameters and local variables. The unprotected items are stored on the inverse stack.
US08010782B2
Techniques are described for mediated secure computation. A unique identifier value may be assigned to each one of a plurality of nodes included in a network. An encrypted portion of a logical circuit may be received at a server from each of the nodes, the logical circuit including one or more gates, each gate associated with one or more logical input wires and one or more logical output wires, the logical circuit associated with a function, wherein each encrypted portion is encrypted based on a random number value that is common to the plurality of nodes and unknown at the server. A result may be obtained based on executing the logical circuit, based on combining the encrypted portions of the logical circuit received at the server.
US08010767B2
A synchronous flash memory includes an array of non-volatile memory cells. The memory array is arranged in rows and columns, and can be further arranged in addressable blocks. Data communication connections are used for bi-directional data communication with an external device(s), such as a processor or other memory controller. The memory can output data from storage registers on the data communication connections during a series of clock cycles to provide a burst of register data. The memory can also provide the register data in accordance to a defined clock latency value. The register data can include status data, operating setting data, manufacture identification, and memory device identification.
US08010759B1
Redirecting a data object such as a file block extent. The data object can be redirected from a first memory block to a second memory block, wherein the second memory block includes a copy of modified data of the first memory block. The redirection may occur in response to a request to modify data of the data object. Redirection preserves the prior version of the data object stored in the first memory block to enable restoration of the data object if needed. In one embodiment, a first data object is mapped to a first memory block. A copy of data contents of the first memory block is created. Thereafter, data contained within the copy is modified in accordance, for example, with a request to write data to the first data object. The modified copy is stored in a second memory block, and the first data object is mapped to the second memory block.
US08010752B2
A storage interfacing method and apparatus for a mobile terminal are disclosed. The storage interfacing method utilizes a plurality of storage devices. The method includes identifying the storage devices, detecting an occurrence of an access request event to one of the identified storage devices, determining whether the access-requested storage device is an access-selected storage device, and performing, if the access-requested storage device is an access-selected storage device, a data transfer operation associated with the access request event on the access-selected storage device without access initialization and access-selection. The apparatus includes a first storage device supporting a MultiMediaCard (MMC) interface, a second storage device compatible with the MMC interface, and a control unit for controlling the first and second storage devices, according to the MMC interface, through control and data buses shared by the first and second storage devices.
US08010745B1
An embodiment of the present invention includes a circuit for tracking memory operations with trace-based execution. Each trace includes a sequence of operations that includes zero or more of the memory operations. The memory operations being executed form a set of active memory operations that have a predefined program order among them and corresponding ordering constraints. At least some of the active memory operations access the memory in an execution order that is different from the program order. Checkpoint entries are associated with each trace. When a memory operation attempts to update a cache line that may not be updated, the circuit attempts to upgrade the cache line. If this fails, a rollback request is generated that indicates the trace involved. The checkpoint locations associated with the indicated trace are overwritten along with those locations associated with all younger traces.
US08010737B2
A method for reorganizing performance quantity data in a segment of a non-volatile memory. The method encompasses the tasks or operations of generating a cohesive data block at an address space of a working memory, of performance quantity data from a first segment of the non-volatile memory and/or from the working memory, and of copying the data block to a predefined address space of the first or a second segment of the non-volatile memory in a block write operation, the performance quantity data of the data block in essence being written to the predefined address space simultaneously in the block write process.
US08010733B1
One embodiment of the invention relates to the transfer of content between a host computer that issues OAS access requests and a block I/O storage system. Specifically, a host computer may issue an access request for a content unit that identifies the content unit is an object identifier. The request may be received by a second server, which may determine the block address(es) on the block I/O storage system at which the content unit is stored. A request may then be sent to the block I/O storage system to retrieve the content stored at the requested block address(es) and the block I/O storage system may return the content.
US08010732B2
For a storage system provided with a plurality of storage modules including a first storage module and a second storage module, the first storage module is provided with a first switch circuit including a plurality of ports and a first circuit connected to any of the plurality of ports included in the first switch circuit via an internal path, and the second storage module is provided with a second circuit. A direct path that is a path for connecting the first switch circuit and the second circuit is connected to any of the plurality of ports included in the first switch circuit. The first circuit issues a packet addressed to the second circuit. The first switch circuit receives the packet addressed from the first circuit to the second circuit, and outputs the packet from a port connected to the direct path to the second circuit.
US08010730B2
A bus converter is disclosed that converts a signal of a synchronous bus into a signal of an asynchronous bus. The bus converter includes a control signal generation unit that generates n control signals synchronized at different timings of a predetermined synchronization signal, where n is an integer of two or more; and an output unit that outputs the signal of the synchronous bus divided into n signal groups based on a control using the n control signals.
US08010729B2
A first interface receives image information and an output destination address from a first external device. A second interface transmits image information to a second external device at a lower communication speed than the first interface. A communication path connects the first interface and the second interface to exchange data, on which a first-in first-out memory is provided. Upon the first interface receiving the address, when the second interface is specified as a transmission destination based on the address, a transmitting unit transmits the image information to the second interface through the communication path and the first-in first-out memory.
US08010728B1
A multi-function docking assembly electrically coupleable with a portable digital media storage and playback device is provided. The assembly includes a body adapted to receive and retain the media device, an electrical coupling adapted to engage the media device when the same is received by the body, a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting media content to an external receiving device, an electrical circuit element to conduct power, and an authentication element. Any of various authentication methods are use to ensure and/or regulate interoperability between the media device and the docking assembly. Multiple discrete tiers of functionality of the audio player and/or portable digital media storage and playback device may be enabled or disabled based on an authentication operation.
US08010723B2
The present invention relates to a SPC comprising at least one data processing means for realizing a first data channel 1 and a second data channel 2, and comprising a data transmission means 3 which is connected to data channels 1,2 in a manner such that, using data transmission means 3, data may be transferred from at least one data channel 1, 2 to a higher-order device 5 that is connectable to the controller.The object of the present invention is to further increase the safety of safety controllers. This aim is achieved by providing an active data lock 4, using which it is possible to influence the data transmission—which may be realized using data transmission means 3—to higher-order device 5. As a result, only error-free data are sent via higher-order device 5 to external I/O assemblies.
US08010713B2
A storage system includes a host and a storage apparatus. The host having multiple paths connecting with the storage apparatus transfers path identification information received from the storage apparatus, to the storage apparatus via all paths other than a path through which the path identification information has been transmitted. The storage apparatus includes a table for storing the path identification information transmitted to the host and path tables for storing the path identification information received from the host. When the storage apparatus receives a request for replacing the firmware, it determines whether the path tables are matched by comparing the path tables with each other. If the path tables are matched, the storage apparatus sequentially replaces the firmware corresponding to the multiple paths in a hot swapping manner.
US08010709B2
A plurality of memory devices of mixed type (e.g., DRAMs, SRAMs, MRAMs and NAND-, NOR- and AND-type Flash memories) are serially interconnected. Each device has device type information on its device type. A specific device type (DT) and a device identifier (ID) contained in a serial input (SI) are fed to one device of the serial interconnection. The device determines whether the fed DT matches the DT of the device. In a case of match, a calculator included in the device performs calculation to generate an ID for another device and the fed ID is latched in a register of the device. The generated ID is transferred to another device of the serial interconnection. In a case of no match, the ID generation is skipped and no ID is generated for another device. Such a device type match determination and ID generation or skip are performed in all devices of the serial interconnection. In cases of different device types being separately provided to the interconnected devices, sequential IDs are generated in each of the different device types and also the total number of each device type are recognized. In a case of a “don't care” code is provided to the interconnected devices, sequential IDs are generated and also, the total number of the interconnected devices is recognized, regardless of the type differences.
US08010707B2
Systems and methods that network interface are provided. In one embodiment, a data center may be provided that may include, for example, a first tier, a second tier and a third tier. The first tier may include, for example, a first server. The second tier may include, for example, a second server. The third tier may include, for example, a third server. At least one of the first server, the second server and the third server may handle a plurality of different traffic types over a single fabric.
US08010706B1
The present invention provides a method of enabling a web application independent of Internet coverage. The application operates within a service utilized by a client device and a server. Enabling the web application may include providing a plug-in application within the service; queuing up requests from the web application within the plug-in application; submitting the requests to the server during Internet coverage; and receiving a web response from the server to be sent to the web application through the plug-in application. A system for enabling a web application independent of Internet coverage is also provided. The system comprises a server including a processor and a memory and a client device including a processor and a memory having a plug-in application stored therein. The processor is capable of queuing up requests from the web application within the plug-in application, submitting the requests to the server during Internet coverage and receiving a web response from the server to be sent to the web application through the plug-in application.
US08010704B2
A method for compressing measurement data that includes grouping common data elements in common data messages. Sequential data elements in the groups are subtracted from each other to provide difference values. The difference values are compressed using a suitable compression algorithm to provide compressed blocks of data. Time stamp periods associated with each common data message are also subtracted from each other to provide time stamp difference values. The time stamp difference values are also compressed to provide compressed time stamp blocks. The compressed blocks of data and time stamp blocks are then stored.
US08010702B2
A system and method for providing authored content to any of a plurality of requesting user network terminal devices, the method including specifying a feature-value set for the network terminal devices, the feature-value set having a set of selected device features, each feature with one or more discrete feature values. The method further includes annotating the authored content with markup information to provide a device-independent content, associating one or more of the device feature values with the requesting user network terminal device, and converting the device-independent content into a device-specific content adapted to the requesting user network terminal device. The system includes a network terminal device detector for receiving the network terminal device request, an origin server for providing device-independent content corresponding to the request, and a transformer for associating one or more device feature values with the requesting user network terminal device in the conversion of the device-independent content.
US08010700B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for workflow decision management. Embodiments include maintaining a device state history; identifying a device usage pattern in dependence upon the device state history; identifying a workflow scenario in dependence upon the device usage pattern; identifying a workflow in dependence upon the workflow scenario; executing the workflow; identifying a user reaction to the execution of the workflow; identifying an unsuccessful device-controlling action in dependence upon the user reaction; and modifying the workflow in dependence upon the identified unsuccessful device-controlling action. Typical embodiment also include recording, as a representation of a negative user reaction, a determined change between the device attribute value set by executing the workflow and the current value of the device attribute in a user reaction log.
US08010696B2
Safe and efficient passing of information from a forwarding-plane to a control-plane is provided. The information can be passed from a forwarding-plane process to a control-plane process without having to modify the control-plane process and without requiring the processes to pass information via shared memory. The information is encoded in the forwarding-plane process. The encoded information is passed to the operating system, wherein the operating system interprets the encoded information and reports the information to the control plane process. The present invention can be advantageously utilized in passing multicast events from a forwarding-plane process to a control-plane process. Multicast events can be passed from a forwarding-plane process to a control-plane process without having to modify the control-plane process and without requiring the processes to pass messages via shared memory.
US08010694B2
Network performability characteristics with improved accuracy are derived by taking into account, in the various analyzed network failure states, attributes of elements at the logical level other than just the capacities of edges, as well as by taking into account one or more “abstract components,” such as scheduled maintenance, and by using multiple traffic matrices.
US08010691B2
In one embodiment, a network device comprises a tag processor configured to process a media stream received at the network device. The media stream is sent through a network to a desired destination. The tag processor comprises at least one of a tag inserter module and a tag module. The tag inserter module inserts a tag into the media stream, the tag indicating content of the media stream and the network device providing the tag. The tag module identifies and reports a value of a tag received within the media stream, and forwards the media stream to a user and/or compares the identified value to an expected tag value, and forwards the media stream to a user in the event that the comparison indicates a match. The present invention embodiments further include a method and logic for content tagging of the media stream.
US08010683B2
A method for augmenting a hierarchy of layered applications and corresponding protocols can include applying a discrimination algorithm to a selection process in which a particular application/protocol layer in a listing of adjacent application/protocol layers is selected to receive traffic flowing through the hierarchy. A new application/protocol layer is inserted adjacent to the particular application/protocol layer in the hierarchy. Also, a new application/protocol layer is added to the listing, and the discrimination algorithm is replaced with another discrimination algorithm programmed to consider the new application/protocol layer during the selection process. Each of the steps of performing the inserting, adding and replacing steps are performed without decoupling or disabling other applications and protocols in the hierarchy.
US08010678B2
A device may include a service activation engine (SAE) including: a policy information base (PIB) file that defines a plurality of attachments that correspond to a plurality of network policies; and a server. The server may receive a request, using common open policy service for policy provisioning (COPS-PR), for a network service related to an interface handle associated with a subscriber device; determine which ones of the network policies correspond to the network service; and send, using COPS-PR, a provisioning instance (PRI) including a first of the attachments to implement the ones of the network policies to the interface handle based on the attachments.
US08010676B1
A virtual computing services deployment network provides a consistent user experience from a variety of locations via a connection fabric for accessing a virtual desktop. The connection fabric identifies a user profile defining the virtualized desktop resources required for a particular user. The connection fabric includes distributed data and processing in nodes distributed throughout a public access network accessible from a user access device. Each of the fabric nodes is operable to provide an identifier (such as an IP address) of a computing resource adapted to provide the user specific desktop. A user access device accesses a local fabric node in the connection fabric, and the fabric node determines a computing resource matching a user profile of expected computing resources. The fabric node associates the user access device with the computing resource and sends the user access device an identifier for directly accessing the computing resource. The determined computing resource may be determined by a centralized virtual computing approach, thus providing appropriate scaling without significantly impacting the existing fabric.
US08010673B2
A method, system and computer program product for transitioning network traffic between logical partitions in one or more data processing systems are disclosed. The method includes defining a plurality of logical partitions with respect to one or more processing units of one or more data processing systems and dynamically reallocating resources from a second partition to a first partition among the plurality of logical partitions. Packets awaiting processing are transferred from the second partition to the first partition and processed on the first partition.
US08010666B2
A system and method for tracking and identifying digital content distributors using file sharing networks. The system monitors distribution networks, logs pertinent network and distributor information, generates network statistics, gathers evidence of content distribution, and notifies interested parties of the availability of content on file sharing networks.
US08010665B2
An architecture, a system and a method monitors data structures over an IEEE 1394-1995 serial bus network. The data structures are portions of entries posted and stored to a descriptor mechanism. A resource request is submitted by a requesting control device to an AV/C resource schedule bulletin board subunit, where request data is stored and posted. The requesting control device submits a corresponding notify command data frame to the AV/C bulletin board subunit. When a competing control device performs a specified type of access activity on a specified data structure, the bulletin board subunit sends a notify response frame to the original requesting control device. The notify response frame provides an alert to the original requesting control device that the specified access activity has been performed on the specified data structure by a competing control device.
US08010660B2
The present invention is directed to a server system for supplying differing amounts of data into a database, wherein the system comprises the database and a data tracker device, wherein the data tracker receives data sent by a plurality of functional entities, preferably office machines and in particular devices with a printer, wherein the data tracker device is prepared to transmit data asynchronously to an intermediate buffer storage device with a queue structure, the intermediate buffer storage device storing the data sequentially and transmitting the data sequentially to the database to be stored.
US08010658B2
According to one embodiment, a computing system includes a computing node coupled to a number of sensors. The sensors are operable to generate records from received information and transmit these records to the computing node. The computing node is operable to bind the plurality of records in a plurality of classifications using a multiple level classifier such that each classification has a differing level of specificity.
US08010655B2
A method for monitoring a wireless channel or wireless network. Preferably, the method and system monitors a web-based network. Active data probing is used to estimate bandwidth availability when no a-priori knowledge of the current channel or network condition is available, and passive monitoring is used to track ongoing web traffic in estimating the current bandwidth available. Data probes are selected that are dynamically customized based on application requirements and the network variability observed in view of a balancing between accuracy of the bandwidth estimation and the potential overhead in terms of time consumed and additional traffic used. In this way, under specified limits of overhead, the active probing attempts to achieve best-effort network bandwidth estimation, and the passive monitoring tracks ongoing web traffic in estimating the current bandwidth available.
US08010652B2
A method for quality feedback in a streaming service is shown, wherein at least one media stream is streamed to a client for playback, the method comprising determining a quality feedback value according to at least one quality metric from a pre-defined set of quality metrics, wherein the pre-defined set of quality metrics contains a quality metric related to at least one of the playback of the at least one media stream and a corruption of one out of at least two types of frames contained in the at least one media stream, and reporting the quality feedback value to a server. A system, a client, a server, a computer program, a computer program product and a protocol for quality feedback are also shown.
US08010647B2
A relay server which is connected to a LAN and which can communicate with a relay server in a different LAN, includes: an account information registering unit that stores information on client terminals connected to the LAN; a relay group information registering unit that stores relay group information; a shared resource information registering unit that stores shared resource information; a check unit that checks whether the client terminals stored in the account information registering unit can be accessed; a relay group information notifying unit that updates the relay group information and transmits a change notification of the relay group information to the relevant relay server; and a shared resource information notifying unit that updates the relevant shared resource information and transmits a change notification of the shared resource information to the relevant client terminal which is stored in the account information registering unit.
US08010645B2
A method of providing feeds to connected devices includes sorting multiple feeds, receiving device information from a connected device, suggesting a feed from the sorted feeds in response to the device information, and delivering the suggested feed to the connected device.
US08010640B2
Systems and methods are provided for the automatic configuration of digital utility meters. One embodiment provides for pre-producing digital devices, the digital devices comprising integrated module components, configured for communication with a data management system via a wireless network and further configured for monitoring capability, producing a list file associated with the digital devices and including identities for each integrated module component, activating a digital devices using the wireless network, and distributing deployment information to the digital device from at least one configuration server via the wireless network, including customer data for configuring the digital device and for registering the digital device with a transaction management system.
US08010636B2
A device may receive a broadband card, dynamically load a non-generic plug-in to detect the broadband card, determine whether the loaded non-generic plug-in detects the broadband card, dynamically load a generic plug-in when the loaded non-generic plug-in does not detect the broadband card, and use the generic plug-in to certify the broadband card.
US08010632B2
The presently claimed invention relates generally to digital watermarking and steganographic data hiding for video and images. One claim recites a method of connecting a user computing device to one of a plurality of remote computers available for communication over a network. The method includes: a) obtaining streaming data representing a two dimensional color image or video, the two dimensional color image or video including an index steganographically hidden therein through alterations to the two dimensional color image or video; b) analyzing the streaming data to obtain the index; c) accessing a database with the index, the database comprising a plurality of records that associate an index to a pointer, the pointer identifying a remote computer on the network, in which the pointer is determined as a function of the index; and d) using the pointer to establish communication with the remote computer identified thereby. Of course, additional claims and combinations are provided as well.
US08010627B1
A method and system for publishing network content is provided. Using an administrator interface, changes to content are made in a staging area. The staging area allows access to the remainder of the network for verifying links. Content is then published to a plurality of production areas in response to a single command.
US08010626B2
A method for transporting/receiving notification messages via File Delivery over Unidirectional Transport (FLUTE) includes: At the transmitting end, a server carries a notification content in a transport object and carries notification related information and a transport object identifier (TOI) of the transport object carrying the notification content in a first file description table (FDT), and then sends the first FDT and the transport object carrying the notification content in a FLUTE session; the receiving end obtains the notification related information and the TOI of the transport object carrying the notification content from the first FDT, and receives the transport object carrying the notification content according to the obtained related information and the TOI. A server for transporting notification messages via FLUTE, a FLUTE server, a content server and a terminal are also disclosed. With the present invention, the notification transport procedure is simpler and the reliability of notification transport is better.
US08010618B1
A method and computer program product includes, at a sender, identifying a forward item including a transmit portion and a retain portion, generating a tag, associating the tag with the retain portion, sending the transmit portion, but not the tag, to a target; at the target, receiving the transmit portion, identifying a return portion corresponding to the transmit portion, independently generating the tag, associating the tag with the return portion, sending the return portion and the tag to the sender; and at the sender, receiving the return portion and the tag, identifying the retain portion using the tag, and associating the return portion with the retain portion to create a reverse item.
US08010611B2
A method for processing deferred messages includes a storing process, a notification process and a retrieving process of a deferred message. In the storing process, when a user presets and requires to store the deferred message, the system stores the deferred message to be sent to the user; in the notification process, when a user gets online, an IM server at the client side detects the system has stored the deferred message for the user and if the user has subscribed the deferred message notification, the system sends the deferred message notification to the client according to the setting of the system or of the user; in the retrieving process, when the client receives the deferred message notification and requests to acquire the deferred message, its IM server sends the deferred message content to the client. The present invention improves the method for processing deferred messages in the SIP/SIMPLE IM service system.
US08010610B2
A method of facilitating the entry of information for a contact to be stored by an address book application of a handheld electronic device, wherein the information is entered into a plurality of fields. The method includes receiving first information in a first one of the fields, and determining whether the first information can be used to determine second information for entry in one of the fields. If it is determined that the first information can be used to determine the second information, the method includes entering the second information in either the first one of the fields or another one of the fields. Also, a handheld electronic device having one or more routines that are adapted to implement the method described above.
US08010607B2
Contacts are managed within a contact centre by representing each contact as a software object which contains skillset and priority identifiers. Contact objects are queued relative to one another by means of references to and/or from the object(s) immediately ahead of and behind each contact. In this way a conventional queue can be dispensed with. Queries can be made to a plurality of contact centres across a network to identify objects matching certain criteria at the top of each local queue. In this way a set of local queues substitutes for a network queue providing increased resilience in the case of the failure of any individual component of the network or of the network itself.
US08010589B2
Embodiments herein select performance indicators from raw data and measure the indicators over at least one time period to extract a time series of data for each of the indicators. The method determines a time order among the correlated indicators and determines a causal direction among the correlated indicators based on which of the correlated indicators occurs first in time so as to identify relative leading indicators among the correlated indicators. The processes of determining the time order and determining the causal direction can comprise applying Dynamic Time Warping and/or Granger Causality techniques to the time series of data.
US08010588B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for implementing a discrete Fourier transformation (DFT) of a predetermined vector size, wherein at least one enhanced DFT module is provided by using at least one type of DFT module including multiplication by first and second types of twiddle factors in respective different multiplication stages separated by an intermediate integration stage, and generating the enhanced DFT module by combining the at least one type of DFT module with a recursive stage configured to multiply by a third type of twiddle factor and to selectively switch between a bypass function and a butterfly function in said recursive stage. Thereby, an implementation of non 2x-radix Fourier transformation can be achieved with moderate hardware complexity.
US08010568B2
An apparatus, system, and storage medium that, in an embodiment, receive a constraint command that specifies a parent table, a primary key in the parent table, a child table, and a foreign key in the child table, and enforce that all values for the primary key in the parent table are present in the foreign key in the child table. In an embodiment, the enforcing may include receiving an insert command that specifies a target key, a target value for the target key, and a target table; determining whether the target table matches the parent table and whether, within a transaction that includes the insert command, the child table includes at least one row with a foreign key value that equals the target value of the primary key; inserting the target value in the target table if the determining is true; and returning an error otherwise.
US08010564B2
A logical structure analyzing apparatus includes an extracting unit that extracts word candidates from a form, a first generating unit that classifies each of the word candidates into a group of heading candidates or a group of data candidates to generate, based on positions of the word candidates on the form, first candidates sets each including one heading candidate and one data candidate identifiable by the heading candidate, and a second generating unit that combines the first candidate sets to generate second candidate sets that each include plural heading candidates that differ and one data candidate. The apparatus also includes a removing unit that, based on positions of the heading candidates and the data word candidate in each second candidate set, removes from among the second candidates sets, a determined set including a data item and headings identifying the data item, and an output unit that outputs the determined set.
US08010545B2
A system and method for providing a topic-directed search is provided, which advantageously harnesses user-provided topical indexes and an ability to characterize indexes according to how articles fall under their topical organizations. A corpus of articles and an index that includes topics from the articles is maintained. For each topic, a coarse-grained topic model is built, which includes the characteristic words included in the articles relating to the topic and scores assigned to the characteristic words. A search query is executed against the index. The topics that match the search terms are chosen by their scores. The topics that match the coarse-grained topic models and the articles corresponding to the search query are presented. In contrast to conventional search engines, search results are organized according to topic and search results can be offered across multiple indexes, where part of returned results are selected from most-relevant indexes with their most-relevant topics.
US08010542B2
A method includes receiving, at a communication manager, information for a user from a plurality of computer systems. The user is capable of accessing each of the plurality of computer systems, and the communication manager is separate from the plurality of computer systems. The method also includes detecting the user accessing one of the plurality of computer systems. In addition, the method includes providing the information from the plurality of computer systems to the user after detecting the user accessing one of the plurality of computer systems.
US08010537B2
Systems, methods and computer program products are disclosed for assisting search request by presenting suggestion of one or more vertical segments to produce a more focused result. A vertical segment may be selected by the user, the selected vertical segment being associated with one or more query terms and a search is performed on an index associated with the vertical segment. A search engine generates a search result and returns a list of search result pages for presentation to a user.
US08010528B2
A computer program product for problem isolation through a weighted search of knowledge bases includes computer useable program code that generates an aggregate relevance index which ranks the search results. The aggregate relevance index is calculated using a measure of relevance of each of said pertinent documents across all keyword searches. A method for problem isolation through the weighted search of knowledge bases comprises searching knowledge bases using extracted keywords to identify pertinent documents contained within said knowledge databases; and generating a global rank associated with each of the pertinent documents, the global rank being calculated using a measure of the relevance of each of the pertinent documents across all keyword searches and a measure of the relevance of each of the keywords to the records as a whole.
US08010523B2
A system may receive one or more terms of a search query. The system may automatically identify prior search queries that include the one or more terms of the search query from a history of prior search queries. The system may automatically identify possible spelling corrected search queries based on the one or more terms of the search queries. The system may automatically receive remote server-based query completion suggestions including the one or more terms of the search query. The system may present query refinement options, the query refinement box being populated with the prior search queries as suggested queries for possible selection by a user, the identified possible spelling corrected search queries, and the received query completion suggestions.
US08010519B2
The invention provides a method and system for managing data access. The method includes receiving a request for accessing a file, determining a type of the received request that corresponds to an access pattern based on history of many files, marking the request based on the type of request to identify the request as a candidate to be part of a sequential scan for accessing files in a sequential order, and processing the request based on the marking to throttle access of the file in the case of a potential ongoing erroneously requested sequential scan.
US08010517B2
The present invention is intended to acquire a tabulation result corresponding to changes in questions based on the knowledge that question contents are changed as time advances from a point of generation of a cause of the question and to acquire a tabulation result corresponding to questions issued from customers with question contents changing as time advances from a point of purchase of equipments, etc. Solution information for questions from customers is provided by forming a question group consisting of questions based on purchase of equipments, etc., by using the question group to tabulate the questions for each elapsed time period from a point of a cause of the question to a point of generation of the question, and by ranking the questions from the tabulation result.
US08010516B2
A content sharing system and content importance level judging method are provided.The content sharing system provides an importance level of arbitrary content is individually judged with respect to users and a notice message valuable for a user is appropriately notified to a client or the outside tool. Further, an access user is able to set the disclosure level of access record of a user accessed the content.In the content sharing system, an importance level of content of multimedia data on a server shared with clients of a plurality of users is judged, in which the importance level of the content with respect to each user is individually calculated by interpreting existing data or a user environment, the client condition is judged, a notice rule setting is changed in accordance with the client condition or an instruction from the client, and a notice message is issued to an appropriate address based on the calculated importance level and a notice rule of the content.
US08010511B2
Responding to a use of controlled content is disclosed. Responding includes receiving an indication of the use of the controlled content including a context of the use of the controlled content, automatically determining using the context an engagement action for responding to the use, and automatically initiating the engagement action.
US08010510B1
A tokenized stream including n tokens, each token including two or more portions, is received and a first sort order based on a sort of a set of the first portions of the n tokens is determined. The first sort order is applied to reorder a set of the second portions of the n tokens. The above steps are repeated to determine a sort order based on a set of portions of the n tokens and to apply the sort order to another set of portions of the n tokens column until a cth set of portions been reordered by a (c−1)th sort order. The variable c is a desired number of sets to be sorted. The variables c and n are whole numbers and the n tokens are dispersed during reordering.
US08010508B2
A method for distinguishing information elements on a display is disclosed, the method comprising associating a characterization attribute to a group of information elements selected from a plurality of information, associating at least one visual distinctive feature with the characterization attribute, and displaying, on the display, at least one information element from the group of information elements associated with the characterization attribute on an information element vector along a specific sequence, the at least one information element being displayed with the associated at least one visual distinctive feature, the at least one visual distinctive feature influencing the visual appearance of the at least one information element.
US08010506B2
An information processing system includes a memory, an external storage having a user's area and a system area, and a logging unit collecting communication information in the system. The information processing system further has a unit that receives a network logging activation instruction, and determines whether memory dump information at the point system freezing occurred exists in the system area or not, a unit that copies the network logging file to the system area if the conditions are satisfied, and a unit that writes the communication information stored and maintained in the memory dump information to the copied network logging file.
US08010505B2
Information is retrieved by receiving a list of one or more files to be restored. It is determined whether to obtain: (1) a contiguous group of blocks that includes a first segment of one or more blocks associated with the one or more files to be restored, a gap of one or more blocks that are not associated with the one or more files to be restored that is adjacent to the first segment, and a second segment of one or more blocks associated with the one or more files to be restored that is adjacent to the gap or (2) a contiguous group of blocks that includes only the first segment based at least in part on a length and/or number of blocks comprising the gap. The determined contiguous group of blocks is obtained.
US08010503B1
A method for restoring a file which has been deleted from a data storage system is described. A set of twin pointers is created by copying from the latest pointers in the active file system at a time of restoration. A new set of pointers is created. A pointer from the twin pointers is compared with a pointer from a snapshot of the active file system made at a time earlier than the deletion of the file. In response to a pointer from the snapshot pointing to a different data block than the pointer from the twin pointers, writing the snapshot pointer into the new set of pointers. Writing the new set of pointers into the active file system at the time of restoration to restore the file to the active file system.
US08010492B2
A system for efficient snapshot querying include: providing a first version value for each data in a history table, where the first version value indicates a beginning of a period in which the data is valid; providing at least a second version value for each data in the history table, where the second version value indicates an end of the period in which the data is valid; receiving a request for a version of a database; and retrieving the data with the first version value less than or equal to the requested version and the second version value greater than or equal to the requested version. By maintaining a history table with redundant version information, the system is able to provide efficient snapshot querying while also avoiding the overhead burden of conventional approaches. No aggregates, joins, or sub-queries are required to retrieve a snapshot.
US08010490B2
A resource status value, which shows the resource status of a resource to be utilized in a remote copy that conforms to a copy mode configured for a copy unit created from a first data volume and a second data volume, is acquired either regularly or irregularly. A determination is made as to whether or not the acquired resource status value exceeds a prescribed threshold, and when it is determined that the acquired resource status value exceeds this prescribed threshold, either the resource to be used for a remote copy conforming to a configured copy mode is increased, or the configured copy mode is changed to a different copy mode.
US08010489B2
A content communication system is disclosed which includes a communication terminal apparatus and a server, the apparatus having category IDs, the server delivering contents corresponding to the category IDs. The communication terminal apparatus includes a category holding device that holds a category ID; a sender device that sends the category IDs; a receiver device that receives contents from the server; and a storage device that stores the received contents. The server includes a receiver device that receives category IDs from the communication terminal apparatus; a database device that stores the contents corresponding to the categories; a search device that searches for and retrieves the contents corresponding to the main category and the sub-categories represented by the received category IDs from the database device; and a sender device that sends the retrieved contents to the communication terminal apparatus.
US08010483B2
A system for facilitating plasma processing tool component management across plurality of tools is provided. The system includes means for receiving first component data for first plurality of components, including identification and usage history for a first plurality of components, at first database associated with first tool. The system also includes means for receiving second component data for second plurality of components at second database associated with second tool, which is different from first tool. The system further includes means for synchronizing first and second component data with third database. The synchronizing includes synchronizing between third database and at least one of first and second database rules that govern usage of at least one component of first and second plurality of components. The third database is coupled to exchange data with plurality of tools. The system yet also includes means for obtaining information, using rules and usage history data about given component prior to performing one of replacement, analysis, and maintenance.
US08010481B2
A pattern matching technique for high throughput network processing includes a simple yet powerful special purpose architecture and a set of novel string matching algorithms that can work in unison. The novel set of algorithms allow for bit-level partitioning of rules such that may be more easily implemented in hardware or software. The result is a device that maintains tight worst case bounds on performance, can be updated with new rules without interrupting operation, compiles in seconds instead of hours, and is ten times more efficient than the existing best known solutions in this area.
US08010480B2
A method and system of selecting content from reviews for display are described. A review is identified and partitioned. A subset of the partitions is selected based on predefined criteria. A snippet is generated from the selected partitions. A response that includes the snippet is generated.
US08010477B2
A method for solving a problem is disclosed. The method may include receiving a problem description. The description of the problem may include a description of a host application module to be used for solving the problem. The method may further include training an embeddable logic library with baseline data and a known solution of the problem. The embeddable logic library may include a plurality of object components describing rules and procedures for processing data. The method may further include receiving input data associated with the problem, and processing the input data according to the problem description, using rules and procedures described by the object components in the embeddable logic library. The method may also include converting the processed data into a format required by the host application module, and providing the converted data to the host application module.
US08010474B1
Paralinguistic indicators are translated at a paralinguistic translation server by receiving from a source a first set of data related to a first paralinguistic indicator that is configured to enable non-verbal communications between a source and a destination. The source is one of an instant messaging system and a virtual world system and the destination is one of the textual instant messaging system and a virtual world system but differs from the source. The first set of data related to the first paralinguistic indicator is translated into a second set of data related to a second paralinguistic indicator, such that the second paralinguistic indicator that is at least partially synonymous to the non-verbal communications associated with the first paralinguistic indicator. The second set of data related to the second paralinguistic indicator is transmitted to the destination.
US08010470B2
A computer-implemented method of behavior prediction includes selecting behavior examples having corresponding antecedent candidates, identifying source text descriptions describing the behavior examples, automatically extracting predictors as common themes across all statements and all behavior examples with a language-independent theme extraction process, flagging each behavior example to indicate a presence or absence of the corresponding extracted antecedents in each of the source text descriptions and creating a data array consisting of antecedent columns and behavior example rows, submitting the data array to a pattern classifier to extract patterns among the antecedent candidates and outcomes by training and validating the pattern classifier and predicting a new occurrence of a target behavior by entering a current state of the antecedents to the trained pattern classifier.
US08010465B2
Embodiments are configured to provide one or more candidates based in part on an input identifier associated with an input interface. In an embodiment, a system includes an input method editor (IME) that can be configured to provide one or more candidates based in part on a prediction model and one or more input scope values associated with an input interface. The IME can also operate to store an entered string including one or more associated input scope values to a storage component. The stored information can be used when suggesting candidates.
US08010455B2
A waste processing system (10) evaluates the waste processing requirements of a waste producing entity (20, 30) and evaluates the waste processing capabilities of vendors (40, 60, 80), and manages the waste processing of waste components produced by a waste producing entity (20, 30) by selecting vendors (40, 60, 80) to service the waste producing entity (20, 30).
US08010440B2
An anonymous trading system allows parties to divide potential counterparties into tiers according to their perceived creditworthiness and the risk involved in trading with them. Price adjustments are applied to order prices for all tiers other than the first so that second and subsequent tier counterparties trade at less favorable prices. An offer is converted into a series of linked orders, one per tier, all at different prices. Tier identifiers attached to the orders are compared to ensure that the correct tier prices are displayed to counterparties.
US08010437B2
Market depth information pertaining to the hedging side is utilized to intelligently break a non-hedging order into multiple orders, such that the orders rest at cascading price levels. This way, the trader can benefit from sweeps in the book and still properly accound for the market depth on the hedging side. Further, there is a greater probability of receiving “partials” on the spread order. In addition, hedge orders may be sent at multiple price levels, or sent to the market in pieces over time. By applying a more intelligent process to hedge orders (as opposed to “fire and forget”) an alternative beyond limit orders that can be leged or market orders is provided.
US08010433B1
A system for and method of administering payouts under an individual annuity contract is provided. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a computer system is provided which includes a memory for storing individual annuity contract data relating to a individual annuity contract which provides the contract owner with the option to withdraw principal from the annuity during the payout phase, and a processor programmed to process and issue principal payouts as selected by the annuitant.
US08010431B1
A method for controlling a computer to price a vessel transaction utilizing a capital construction fund (CCF) and system thereof. The method includes retrieving input from a user regarding at least transaction information including financing, CCF account information, and purchaser information. The input is used to calculate amounts to be added to a CCF Capital Account to be used in combination with the income created on the CCF Capital Account to pay principal payments on a financed vessel. The method also includes calculations of tax liabilities that may be incurred through the use of the CCF.
US08010428B2
A payment device, method, and apparatus configured to determine the form factor of the payment device used in a financial transaction, without requiring a different primary account number for each payment device form factor.
US08010417B2
A system and process for establishing prices for products on line and for allowing acquisition of those products from retailers that honor such prices. The system and process involve a customer having a credit card account, a computer terminal configured to access a network, and a central authority coupled to the computer terminal via the network. The central authority maintains information about a product and a corresponding price. The price is established by the central authority and the central authority is configured to communicate the information about the product and the price to the customer via the network. Also involved is a credit card processor that is coupled to the central authority. The credit card processor is configured to query the information maintained by the central authority and to receive the price from the central authority. A retailer is involved and includes a point-of-sale system coupled to the central authority and to the credit card processor. The retailer is configured to deliver the product to the customer after the customer purchases the product from the retailer via his credit card account or other form of payment at the price established by the central authority and provided to the retailer and the point-of-sale system by the credit card processor.
US08010415B2
A distributed auction system allows remote bidders to interactively participate by computer in live auctions conducted on-site by an auctioneer. A client program that runs on the computers of the remote bidders displays real time auction status information extracted from status messages, and provides functionality of the remote bidders to submit live bids that are based on such status information. A network of nodes may be used to filter out invalid bids from the remote bidders so that such bids need not be processed by an auction server.
US08010410B2
Embodiments of a method and system for listing categorization are disclosed. A category structure may be accessed. The category structure may include a plurality of categories for items. A set of training data may be accessed from a plurality of listings from at least one of supply data and/or demand data. The supply data may be generated from seller activity of a plurality of users in a networked system. The demand data may be generated from buyer activity of the plurality of users in the networked system. Each listing may include a category from the category structure. The set of training data may be provided to a categorization application for training. The categorization application may be capable of building listing statistics by applying a classifier to the set of training data and recommending a category from the category structure for a new listing by utilizing the listing statistics.
US08010405B1
A system for facilitating reward selection and redemption for a loyalty program is disclosed. The system includes a point-of-sale (POS) device that is capable of monitoring and processing a reward redemption. The POS device informs a participant of the loyalty program as to what rewards are available for redemption. The participant is given an opportunity by the POS device to select the desired reward for redemption. Alternatively, the POS device allows the participant to defer redemption of the available rewards.
US08010398B2
A system for use in managing risk, including: a knowledge base, for maintaining generic risk records each including a plurality of different fields; a data store of profiles, for maintaining profile risk records associated with a particular profile, each profile risk record including the same plurality of fields as a generic risk record; and a risk processor, for updating generic risk records based on profile risk records in the data store of profiles. The knowledge base includes generic risk records with field values that can be refined over time so as to be useful in providing a more accurate risk assessment in any particular profile. Some of the risk record fields are measuring fields input by the user, and some are calculated fields calculated by the system, and the system allows different modes of analysis in which the fields that are the measuring fields differ.
US08010392B2
A system and method for retroactive, dynamic determination, and monitoring of collateralization levels of technical installations to aggregate and analyze measured data and to activate financial assets, including dynamically determining a configuration based on acquired data specific to a mode of operation, the configuration being stored with an assignment to the corresponding mode of operation via a lookup table, performing an aggregation and an analysis of operation-specific-measured-data via the network, the operation-specific-measured-data being assigned by the lookup table to at least one specific parameter to determine corresponding collateralization levels by the statistical analysis module on the basis of the operation-specific-measured-data, and dynamically adapting the corresponding collateralization levels on the basis of at least one of a request and a determinable time interval by the monitoring unit and activating the financial assets to increase the collateralization levels, in response to exceeding a definable deviation value relative to the operation-specific-measured-data.
US08010388B2
The present invention provides a life insurance product known as longevity insurance. Longevity insurance mitigates longevity risk, the risk that an individual will outlive his or her assets. More specifically, the purchase of longevity insurance guarantees an individual a predetermined, periodic income payment for the life of the purchaser. The guaranteed stream of monthly income commences at a later date, which may be utilized to supplement an existing income level or provide income in the event that the individual outlives his or her accumulated assets.
US08010386B2
A method and a system for provides bed availability information via a computer network. A healthcare facility may provide bed availability and/or service information to a database on a computer network. Users of the computer network may access the information within the database. The healthcare facility may create a transfer request form for discharge of a patient to an extended care facility. The transfer request form containing patient medical information and/or patient treatment information is reviewed by an agent. The agent decides whether to approve the transfer request. Notifications are sent to the parties involved with the discharge of the patient to the healthcare facility notifying the parties of the decision of the agent.
US08010383B2
A method and system for filtering medical information in emergency situations are provided. The method includes receiving information relating to an emergency in which a person needs medical help, the information including: details of the type of emergency; and details of a care providing person aiding the person needing help. The method includes obtaining medical information relating to the emergency which may include information relating to the medical condition and/or medical records of the person. The level of medical expertise of the care providing person is determined and the medical information is filtered to provide the medical information appropriate to the level of medical expertise of the care providing person.
US08010379B2
A patient care management system for assisting a physician in monitoring drug use by a patient. The system receives drug dispensation data for a drug, on the basis of which the system determines drug supply availability data. The drug supply availability data is indicative of periods of time during which the drug was available in non-duplicate supply, or in oversupply, or in insufficient supply. The periods of time are displayed with respect to a common time base. Each degree of supply availability is visually displayed via a graphical user interface using, e.g., a color coded scheme, so as to be distinguishable by a user. This allows a physician to rapidly assess over-consumption or compliance problems. Plural drugs may be monitored on a single display screen. The system may also be adapted to allow an prescribing physician to assess refill compliance, hospitalization periods and prescription drug costs.
US08010370B2
Techniques for generating a target digital media item based on a source digital media item are described. A digital media item may be a song, a video clip, an album, or any length of audio or video. When adjusting the bit count for a portion of the target digital media item, instead of using the same set of parameter values used in a perceptual model for each portion of the source media item, the set of parameter values may be modified to encode the portion of the source digital media item. In this way, how audio or video is perceived is taken into account when adjusting a proposed bit count for a given portion of the target digital media item. Thus, while maintaining the same statistical bitrate as before increased digital media quality is achieved.
US08010361B2
In an embodiment, a lattice of phone strings in an input communication of a user may be recognized, wherein the lattice may represent a distribution over the phone strings. Morphemes in the input communication of the user may be detected using the recognized lattice. Task-type classification decisions may be made based on the detected morphemes in the input communication of the user.
US08010350B2
A method and system for refining an estimated pitch period estimate based on a coarse pitch useful for performing frame loss concealment in an audio decoder as well as for other applications. A normalized correlation at the coarse pitch lag is computed and used as the current best candidate. The normalized correlation is then evaluated at the midpoint of the refinement pitch range on either side of the current best candidate. If the normalized correlation at either midpoint is greater than the current best lag, the midpoint with the maximum correlation is selected as the current best lag. After each iteration, the refinement range is decreased by a factor of two and centered on the current best lag. This bisectional search continues until the pitch has been refined to an acceptable tolerance or until the refinement range has been exhausted. During each step of the bisectional pitch refinement, the signal is decimated to reduce the complexity of computing the normalized correlation.
US08010347B2
The present invention provides a system and method for representing quasi-periodic (“qp”) waveforms comprising, representing a plurality of limited decompositions of the qp waveform, wherein each decomposition includes a first and second amplitude value and at least one time value. In some embodiments, each of the decompositions is phase adjusted such that the arithmetic sum of the plurality of limited decompositions reconstructs the qp waveform. These decompositions are stored into a data structure having a plurality of attributes. Optionally, these attributes are used to reconstruct the qp waveform, or patterns or features of the qp wave can be determined by using various pattern-recognition techniques. Some embodiments provide a system that uses software, embedded hardware or firmware to carry out the above-described method. Some embodiments use a computer-readable medium to store the data structure and/or instructions to execute the method.
US08010345B2
The present invention discloses a solution for providing a phonetic representation for a content item along with a content item delivered to a speech enabled computing device. The phonetic representation can be specified in a manner that enables it to be added to a speech recognition grammar of the speech enabled computing device. Thus, the device can recognize speech commands using the newly added phonetic representation that involve the content item. Current implementations of speech recognition systems of this type rely internal generation of speech recognition data that is added to the speech recognition grammar. Generation of speech recognition data can, however, be resource intensive, which can be particularly problematic when the speech enabled device is resource limited. The disclosed solution offloads the task of providing the speech recognition data to an external device, such as a relatively resource rich server or a desktop device.
US08010334B2
A test system or simulator includes an integrated circuit (IC) benchmark software program that executes workload program software on a semiconductor die IC design model. The benchmark software program includes trace, simulation point, basic block vector (BBV) generation, cycles per instruction (CPI) error, clustering and other programs. The test system also includes CPI stack program software that generates CPI stack data that includes microarchitecture dependent information for each instruction interval of workload program software. The CPI stack data may also include an overall analysis of CPI data for the entire workload program. IC designers may utilize the benchmark software and CPI stack program to develop a reduced representative workload program that includes CPI data as well as microarchitecture dependent information.
US08010331B2
The process of System Reconstruction is used to integrate sequence data, clinical data, experimental data, and literature into functional models of disease pathways. System Reconstruction models serve as informational “skeletons” for integrating various types of “high throughput” data. The present invention provides the first metabolic reconstruction study of a eukaryotic organism based solely on expressed sequence tag (EST) data.
US08010328B2
Provided is a method performed on a processor for simulating the milling of an object by moving a shape along a path intersecting the object. A composite adaptively sampled distance field (ADF) is generated to represent the object, where the composite ADF includes a set of cells. Each cell in the composite ADF includes a set of distance fields and a procedural reconstruction method for reconstructing the object within the cell. The shape is represented by a shape distance field. The path is represented by a parametric function. A swept volume distance field is defined in a continuous manner to represent a swept volume generated by moving the shape along the path according to a swept volume reconstruction method which reconstructs the swept volume distance field at a sample point. The composite ADF is edited to incorporate the swept volume distance field into the composite ADF to simulate the milling.
US08010325B2
A simulation may be performed to assess availability of a service in the event of various types of failures. A specification may describe a behavior to be induced on a machine, and a formula under which availability is to be measured. A controller processes the specification and dispatches a request to induce the behavior to a machine on which the behavior is to be induced. An agent on that machine may look up a routine in a simulation library and may use the routine to induce the behavior. Data, such as performance counter values, are collected before, during, and/or after occurrence of the behavior, and are transmitted back to the controller. A report generator applies the formula contained in the specification to the data received to calculate the availability metric, and produces a report containing that metric.
US08010316B2
A system and method is described for determining a distance to a desired target via correlating a pulse modulated signal with its corresponding reflected signal, while compensating for noise error in the reflected signal to allow for a more precise distance determination. The system and method determine a phase shift of an echoed signal in response to a transmitted signal incident onto an object to thereby determine a distance, wherein the system analyzes an overlap region between a second signal that is a reflection of a first signal incident on the object. The first signal is modulated by one or more pulses having a defined modulation frequency. Further details and features are described herein.
US08010313B2
A pointing device includes accelerometers and rotational sensors that are coupled to a processor. The processor samples the accelerometers and rotational sensors to detect gravity and pointing device motion and uses algebraic algorithms to calculate roll compensated cursor control signals. The processor transmits the cursor control signals to a receiver that is coupled to an electronic device that moves the cursor on the visual display.
US08010311B1
A graphical user interface for configuring parameters associated with a portable infrared imager is provided. The interface can be used to manually or automatically set range and span parameters. The interface can also be used to configure one or more alarms to notify a user that a detected temperature is outside a predetermined range. In some embodiments, a non-linear temperature scale can be displayed.
US08010306B2
A method for obtaining at least one calibration filter for a Mass Spectrometry (MS) instrument system. Measured isotope peak cluster data in a mass spectral range is obtained for a given calibration standard. Relative isotope abundances and actual mass locations of isotopes corresponding thereto are calculated for the given calibration standard. Mass spectral target peak shape functions centered within respective mass spectral ranges are specified. Convolution operations are performed between the calculated relative isotope abundances and the mass spectral target peak shape functions to form calculated isotope peak cluster data. A deconvolution operation is performed between the measured isotope peak cluster data and the calculated isotope peak cluster data after the convolution operations to obtain the at least one calibration filter. Provisions are made for normalizing peak widths, combining internal and external calibration, and using selected measured peaks as standards. Aspects of the methods are applied to other analytical instruments.
US08010302B2
First and second screens are set for a tool path display apparatus for displaying a path of the tip of a tool attached to a machine tool. The first screen displays the three-dimensional path of the tip of the tool obtained by synthesizing the position information of the drive axes of a 5-axis machine tool. The second screen displays the waveforms of the position deviations and current instructions of the drive axes in chronological order. When a part (line segment) of the three-dimensional path of the tip of the tool is selected on the first screen, the display attribute of the corresponding time area is changed on the second screen so that the time area can be identified.
US08010301B2
Systems and methods for monitoring a sample or a sample flow associated with a process or an environment. The systems and methods transmit terahertz signals at the sample, receive a resulting spectral response, perform a spectral analysis, and display a result or choose a course of action. The analysis compares the sample's absorption or reflection spectral response to known spectrums to determine composition; or to determine if the sample flow has deviated from “normal”. In one embodiment, the systems and methods use reflection terahertz on a contained sample; in another it uses transmission terahertz to look at a sample flow outside the vehicle. In this embodiment the analysis is used to determine sample composition. In other embodiments, the analysis is used to discern or warn of changes, or to choose a course of action.
US08010299B2
The present invention offers an alternative strategy for the correlation of interference information to chemical and/or physical properties of a sample. This strategy can be implemented in a method and a system, which offer substantial technical and commercial advantages over state of the art techniques based on interference spectroscopy. The method comprises the steps of: a. obtaining an interferogram and/or at least one interferogram element corresponding to a modulation of electromagnetic signal emitted from, transmitted onto or through, or having interacted with at least a part of the sample, b. performing i. at least one transformation of the interferogram and/or a segment of the interferogram and/or an interferogram element with at least one function, ii. optionally repeating i) for another segment of the interferogram and/or interferogram element, wherein the transformation does not comprise a Fourier Transformation if i) is conducted only once, thereby obtaining at least one score, c. correlating said at least one score to the at least one chemical or physical property.
US08010297B2
Techniques for analyzing one or more protein structures. In one aspect of the invention, the technique comprises the following steps. A normalized second-order hydrophobic moment is determined for a protein structure. The normalized second-order hydrophobic moment is then used for analysis of the protein structure. A scoring function in accordance with the normalized second-order hydrophobic moment for the protein structure may be determined. A score for the protein structure may then be generated using the scoring function. The scoring function may represent an integral of the normalized second-order hydrophobic moment. The scores may be generated for a plurality of protein structures. The scores generated for the plurality of protein structures may then be compared.
US08010295B1
A technique is disclosed for classifying a population of subjects into various sub-populations for a selected biological condition. Patients are categorized in accordance with numeric scores for a affected status for the selected biological condition and a risk status for the selected biological condition. The numeric scores for an overall population are determined in advance for the selected biological condition. Medical test results, including genetic tests, and risk factors are numerically scored and may further be weighted in accordance with their relevance in determining affected status and risk. Medical test results and medical histories for individual subjects within the population may then automatically be scored in accordance with the predefined characteristics. The numerical scores for affected status and risk status may be stored in a data structure, such as a database. The numeric scores are extracted from the data structure and used to classify individuals in the population into one of a group of selected sub-populations comprising at-risk affected (ARA) and at-risk unaffected (ARU). Additional sub-populations, such as unknown risk, unaffected (URU) may also be used.
US08010294B2
A process that assists with the identification of potential hydrocarbon deposits that includes performing a structural interpretation of a three-dimensional seismic volume, transforming the three-dimensional seismic volume into a stratal-slice volume, performing a stratigraphic interpretation of the stratal-slice volume which includes the extracting of bounding surfaces and faults and transforming the stratal-slice volume into the spatial domain. As illustrated in FIGS. 24a, b and c, an exemplary seismic volume before Domain Transformation is presented in FIG. 24a, interpreted horizons and faults used in the transformation are presented in FIG. 24b, and the Domain Transformed stratal-slice volume is presented in FIG. 24c. The input seismic volume in FIG. 24a has deformations associated with syn- and post-depositional faulting. The output Domain Transformed volume (FIG. 24c) is substantially free of deformations.
US08010289B1
A lightning detector designed for aircraft carried applications provides for improved lightning discrimination and display. The instrument employs a relatively wide band receiver so as to retain the received waveform or digital replicas thereof. This allows more precise discrimination between desired lightning signals and noise. Signals are processed to provide for effective display of the available information. The display modes that are enabled by the signals include flash and cell mode as well as a combined flash and cell mode. The cell mode provides for generating and displaying a cumulative weight of lightning activity, giving each strike a regional effect as opposed to illustrating it as a point. Color is used to improve the user's grasp of the displayed information; the color illustrating increased intensity from the blue-green to the yellow-red. Flash mode shows locations of the different flashes within the range scale; this mode too may use color for a similar effect. Finally there is a combined flash and cell mode display.
US08010287B1
The present invention is directed to accurate GPS (global positioning system)-free relative navigation between an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a tanker aircraft. The UAV transmits a signal which is received by an antenna array at the tanker aircraft. Horizontal relative position of the UAV is determined by calculating range and bearing based on time and phase differences in the received signal. Vertical relative position of the UAV is determined by comparing the altitude of the UAV with the altitude of the tanker aircraft. The tanker aircraft then transmits a navigation solution based on the relative position of the UAV which is received by the UAV. The UAV may utilize the navigation solution transmitted by the tanker aircraft as a backup to a GPS determined navigation solution, in a GPS denied scenario, or in combination with an INS (inertial navigation system) determined navigation solution.
US08010285B1
Techniques are described for monitoring whether a user is following directions to a destination during electronic navigation to the destination provided by an electronic navigation device. When the electronic navigation device determines that the user is not following directions to the destination (e.g., the user has missed several turns suggested by the electronic navigation device), the electronic navigation device determines that the user appears to be avoiding the route (or a primary component thereof) to the destination. In response to a determination that the user appears to be avoiding the route (or a primary component thereof) to the destination, the electronic navigation device may automatically, without human intervention, perform an operation directed to using an alternative route (or alternative primary component) to the destination despite the current route remaining preferred according to current routing settings.
US08010279B2
Tour guide contents stored in a tour guide apparatus carried by a user at a tour destination are provided with points of interest information and map data. This information includes latitude and longitude information for the site of each point of interest, and information on the providers of the information and the categories of information. The latitude and longitude information is provided for each site in relation to map data. By matching these pieces of latitude and longitude information to the map data, points of interest information can be laid out on the map and displayed. This makes it possible to select interesting site information to be displayed on the map based on the information provider, for example, points of interest information provided by provider A for restaurants and another set of information provided by provider B for hotels.
US08010274B2
In automatic following control in a travel control unit of a driving support apparatus, a prerequisite inter-vehicle distance to a front vehicle is set, a time to reaching this requisite inter-vehicle distance is set as a control target time, an estimated position of the front vehicle after the control target time elapses is computed, an acceleration from a present vehicle speed that will bring to a preset target inter-vehicle distance the inter-vehicle distance to the front vehicle at an own vehicle speed as of when the control target time elapses is computed as a target acceleration on the basis of the present inter-vehicle distance to the front vehicle and the estimated position of the front vehicle after the control target time elapses, and automatic braking control and automatic acceleration control are carried out to follow the front vehicle.
US08010273B2
A method for controlling braking in a motor vehicle equipped with a brake servo unit capable of being implemented in a braking system including: a hydraulic master cylinder associated with a vacuum brake booster and with hydraulic circuits supplying the wheel brakes equipping the vehicle wheels; an ABS hydraulic unit with wheel antiskid function, and an electronic mechanism implementing emergency braking assisted by the hydraulic unit. The method detects serial repetition in time for implementing emergency braking operations and adapts the conditions for implementing an emergency braking in case of serial repetition.
US08010270B2
An ECU releases brake hold control when an actual accelerator pedal position A exceeds a predetermined position A(0) while the brake hold control is being executed. Further, the ECU determines whether or not the actual accelerator pedal position A is larger than a position A(1), which is a value smaller than the predetermined position A(0), and if it is larger than the predetermined position A(1), executes a process for increasing a creep torque reflection ratio R to recover creep force that has been stopped.
US08010259B2
An irradiating direction control apparatus includes a storing portion for storing a design reference value of a vehicle and storing output voltages of vehicle height sensors when the vehicle is in a reference attitude as measured reference values, an operating portion for operating a reference vehicle height based on the measured reference value and the design reference value and operating a pitch angle of the vehicle based on detected outputs of the vehicle height sensors and the reference vehicle height and the design reference value, and a deflection control portion for controlling to deflect an irradiating direction of a lamp based on the operated pitch angle. Even when the design reference value of the vehicle is stored to the storing portion at a later step of steps of assembling the vehicle, the reference vehicle height can be operated by the output voltages and the design reference value and initialization based on the reference vehicle height can be realized. A degree of freedom of design of a factory layout is promoted and a production efficiency is promoted.
US08010258B2
A torque control device for a power system and facilitates the addition of a new torque control actuator. A target torque signal according to a target torque for the power system is distributed to each actuator in a predetermined distribution priority order. A signal processing filter is mounted on a signal input section of each actuator and allows only a portion of distributed signal that matches the operation characteristics of the actuator to pass through as a command signal for the actuator.
US08010248B2
A data recorder has: a controlled state detecting unit, operable to detect a controlled state of a vehicle by a driver; an operating state detecting unit, operable to detect an operating state of the vehicle; a state recording unit; and a recording condition determination unit, operable to determine whether or not the controlled state and the operating state are recorded in the state recording unit based on at least the controlled state of the controlled and operating states.
US08010245B2
A display system for an aircraft includes a processing unit configured to determine a touchdown point for the aircraft and to supply display commands associated with the touchdown point; and a display device coupled the processing unit and configured to receive the display commands and operable to render symbology representing the touchdown point.
US08010243B2
A device used in an aircraft with an electrical flight control system to reduce load applied to the wing during a lateral roll maneuver, by comparing a roll control with a threshold, and filtering a control. As a result of this action on the roll control, resulting load increases on the wing can be anticipated and reduced. Loads can thus remain below a maximum design value for the wing if the applied roll control is too high for planned use of the aircraft, therefore limiting overdesign of the wing.
US08010242B1
A system and method for flight planning determines an optimal route by first assuming that the gross payload of a plane is used for fuel, determining legal routes based on to-capacity fueling, determining available payload for possible flight segments by removing unneeded fuel, selecting an optimal route for a desired payload, and minimizing fueling for the selected route.
US08010236B2
A method for controlling dosage of a reagent in a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system includes the step of providing the system with a plurality of reagent injection nozzles, each nozzle being configured and adapted to be independently calibrated during an SCR reaction when the system is in operation. The method further includes determining an influence coefficient for each injection nozzle for a catalyst independently of the other injection nozzles, and optimizing the flow of reagent from each injection nozzle to minimize a sum of deviation across a surface of the catalyst. A system performs selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and a machine readable medium contains program instructions to controlling dosage of a reagent in a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system.
US08010223B2
There is provided a quality control system capable of displaying a display screen regarding quality control of an testing, including a display control part for performing a display control of the display screen regarding the quality control, wherein the display control part displays the display screen on a display in accordance with a category of a quality control sample used by a user.
US08010216B2
A method and system for optimizing cutting of various materials. In some embodiments, an algorithm optimizes cutting by grouping items to be cut, wherein a plurality of cutting-stock pieces are grouped together and aligned such that a single cut simultaneously cuts items from all of the pieces. Some embodiments optimize a combination of reduced labor cost, reduced materials cost (e.g., reducing scrap), and/or reduced time needed to obtain an inventory of pieces cut to specified lengths and shapes (checking the various permutations). Overall optimization of labor and material is achieved by a combination of fewer cuts and reduced waste. Some embodiments include a computer-readable medium having instructions executed by a computer that optimizes placement of cuts to obtain cut-part items, and optionally controls a saw, laser, water-jet cutter or the like. In some embodiments, a human operator making the cuts is instructed by the computer to achieve the optimization.
US08010215B2
In a design structure for allocating a plurality of parts of a computational system to a computational job, a set of requirements necessary to execute the job is determined. A set of parts of the plurality of parts is assembled so that the set of parts is capable of meeting the set of requirements and so that a part is added to the set of parts based on a determination that the addition of the part will minimize power consumption by the set of parts. The set of parts are caused to execute the job.
US08010210B2
The present invention provides an apparatus for insertion of a flexible implant into a body section of an implant recipient, the apparatus comprising an elongate guiding section having a longitudinal axis and an inner volume for removably receiving the implant, an elongate first receiving member connected at its first end to a first actuator arranged for moving the first receiving member within the guiding section in parallel to the axis of the guiding section, a first control device for controlling the actuation of the first actuator, wherein first receiving member at its second end opposite its first end carries a gripping unit for releasably gripping a proximal end of the implant, a second actuator for controlling the configuration of the implant, and a second control device for controlling the actuation of the second actuator.
US08010209B2
A delivery system for implanting a biostimulation device comprising a stylet extending along an axis from knob end to a threaded end configured to engage an internally threaded nut of the biostimulation device and a catheter tube configured to axially contain the stylet. The catheter tube comprises a feature that engages a corresponding feature on the biostimulation device whereby the stylet can be rotated relative to the catheter tube for disengagement of the stylet threaded end from the biostimulation device threaded end.
US08010208B2
An electrode device is disclosed. The electrode device comprises an electrically conductive core of micrometric size coated by at least one electrically isolating layer. The electrically conductive core comprises a substrate coated by at least one metallic layer having a nanometric pattern thereon and being at least partially exposed at a tip of the electrically conductive core.
US08010193B2
This invention provides a method to discriminate between ventricular arrhythmia and supraventricular tachycardia by detecting an earliest arriving electrical signal following antitachycardia pacing. Also disclosed is an implantable cardiac defibrillator that is capable of simultaneous atrioventricular anti-tachycardia pacing bursts and detecting an earliest arriving electrical signal. The discrimination capability reduces the incidence of inappropriate shocks from dual-chamber implantable cardiac defibrillators to near zero and provides a method to differentially diagnose supraventricular tachycardia from ventricular tachycardia.
US08010192B2
Various systems, methods and arrangements are implemented in connection with ventricular pacing. One such method relates to a method for use in connection with ventricular pacing of a left ventricle of a heart from a pacing lead located in the right ventricle. Ventricular function of the heart is sensed. The sensed ventricular function is used to determine whether a conduction abnormality exists. The ventricular pacing is provided in response to determining a conduction abnormality exists and the ventricular pacing is inhibited in response to determining a conduction abnormality does not exist.
US08010191B2
Various systems, methods, devices and arrangements are implemented for use in pacing of the heart. One implementation is directed to methods and systems for determining a pacing location in the right ventricle of a heart and near the His bundle. A pacing signal is delivered to the location in the right ventricle. The pacing signal produces a capture of a left ventricle. Properties of the capture are monitored. Results of the monitored capture are used to assess the effectiveness of the delivered pacing signal as a function of heart function. The heart function can be, for example, at least one of a QRS width, fractionation and a timing of electrical stimulation of a late activation site of a left ventricle relative to the QRS.
