US08152135B2
An automatic flush actuation apparatus, which is incorporated with a flushing system having a water inlet, a water outlet, and a water chamber communicating therebetween, that includes a valve member being moved by a flush lever for releasing the water pressure within the water chamber to allow the water passing from the water inlet to the water outlet, and a sensor-operated powering assembly including a relief valve provided at the valve member for controlling the water flowing to the water outlet and an actuator arranged in such a manner that while sensing a presence of a user of the flushing system, the actuator is driven to move the relief valve to an opened position for releasing the water pressure within the water chamber to allow the water passing to said water outlet.
US08152131B2
In a pilot-type valve, a valve box enclosing a main valve is arranged in a state wherein same is sandwiched between pipe flanges tightened to one another with bolts. In the pilot-type valve, a pilot valve is used to control a driving force required to operate the main valve to open and close same. In addition, the valve box is flangeless at its connection end portions for connection with the pipe flanges and has an inlet and outlet for a pressurized fluid. A cover flange neck extended upward from the valve box is constricted only at sites on its walls corresponding to adjacent bolts extended between the pipe flanges, so that the cover flange neck can be passed through the interval between these bolts.
US08152128B2
A pump mount base for a filter/pump assembly in a pool or spa fluid handling system allows a user to adjust the height of the filter/pump assembly and thus its fluid inlets and fluid outlets. This adjustability allows the user to choose from a variety of replacement assemblies rather than being forced to select the same filter/pump assembly previously or originally used in the system. The height of the filter/pump assembly may be further altered by the engagement of shims, which may be positioned by pins in the bottom surface of the shim that engage corresponding apertures formed in an upper support surface of the pump mount base. The shims may be formed integrally with the pump mount base in the molding process by which the base is formed, and/or the shims may be provided separately.
US08152126B2
The invention relates to a constant bearer for moving loads, especially pipelines and similar, comprising a fastening part, a load-bearing part, and a spring system located between the fastening part and the load-bearing part for generating a constant bearing force, where the spring system displays a main spring assembly absorbing the load and a compensating device to compensate for changing spring forces of the main spring assembly.With the objective of more easily transmitting the forces of the spring assembly and enabling improved compensation for the changing forces of the main spring assembly, two basic embodiments are proposed as a solution, where, in the first embodiment, an auxiliary spring assembly, as part of the compensating device, and the main spring assembly are located roughly perpendicularly to the bearing force, at least one cam part facing the main spring assembly is provided on the load-bearing part guided in sliding fashion over a travel path in the bearing force direction, and a load side of the main spring assembly is supported on the cam part of the load-bearing part. In the second embodiment, the auxiliary spring assembly is dispensed with and compensation for changing spring forces over a spring excursion is achieved via a cam part 13 with cam lever.
US08152125B2
A device mounting apparatus includes a mounting base portion having a plurality of opposing pairs of rails. The mounting base portion is adapted for mounting on a support structure. The apparatus further includes a mounting tab affixed to a device for snap in mounting between a pair of rails, whereby the device is captively retained on the mounting base portion, and can be disengaged therefrom by snapping the mounting tabs out of the associated pairs of rails.
US08152123B2
A tank retaining bracket having a rotating head for selectively receiving and securing a tank to the bracket having a mounting cup preferably of nylon which adapted to abut and hold a cylindrical tank in an inverted position in a positively engaging manner. The mounting cup includes an arcuate retaining surface and can easily replaced during normal maintenance. The mounting cup is attachable to the rotating head of the bracket frame of a positively engaging tank holder usable with cylindrical tanks such as self-contained breathing apparatus primarily for facilitating adjustability of positioning of retaining of the tank with respect to the mounting bracket. The body member is adjustably movable to a multiple of lateral directions such that it is firmly secured in place by a plurality of fasteners and engagement is further enhanced by a ridge on the rotating frame head and a mated engaging block on the mounting cup.
US08152122B2
A fixing mechanism for fixing a display device is disclosed. The fixing mechanism includes a housing whereon a first hole and a protrusion are formed, and a bracket installed on a side of the housing. The bracket includes a connecting part for connecting the housing. A second hole and an opening are formed on the connecting part, and the protrusion passes through the opening. The bracket further includes a bending part connected to the connecting part for shielding the second hole. The fixing mechanism further includes a fastening component passing through the first hole on the housing and the second hole on the connecting part for fastening the bracket on the housing.
US08152120B2
A multipurpose support for attachments mountable to the tow hitch of a vehicle. The support comprises a main body adapted to receive an attachment and a coupling means for a quick release coupling of the main body to the tow hitch of a vehicle.
US08152112B2
The present invention is a modular system for mounting lighting and signage. Mount components are attached to gutters by engaging the securing protuberance of the mount component with the gutter which creates tension between the gutter and the mount component. Rail components are assembled to the desired length using connector components and lights or signage are attached to a rail component using hooks. An insertion member is placed at each end of the assembled rail and the rail is guided through an opening in the mount component securing the lights or signage to the building.
US08152111B1
A railroad switch point indicator comprising a mounting plate mountable to a railroad switch point, a tubular housing mounted to the mounting plate, a piston slidably disposed in the housing and extendable to variably engage an associated railroad rail, a bias spring operatively connected to the piston for biasing the piston in an axial direction with respect to the housing and the railroad switch point, and a signal mechanism operatively connected to the piston for indicating the positional status of the switch point via an attitude of a signal flag. When the switch point is engaged with a rail, the flag is in a first attitude. When the switch point is disengaged from the rail, the flag is in a second attitude. When the switch point is positioned incorrectly, i.e., damaged, the flag may be in a third attitude intermediate between the first and second attitudes, indicating alarm.
US08152104B2
In a reception coupling and drogue assembly (2), light sources (32) are arranged around the wall (26) of the probe passage adjacent the opening (24). The light sources (32) each serve to illuminate the opposing part of the drogue, giving good visibility to the pilot of the following aircraft.
US08152100B2
An amphibious aircraft trailer includes a frame supported on a wheel/suspension bearing axle for movements over a roadway surface. Incorporated into the trailer is a cradle configured to engage a hull of the amphibious aircraft when it is loaded and unloaded in water conditions. A lift mechanism interposed between and coupled to the frame and the cradle is operable to displace the cradle vertically with respect to the frame such that landing gear associated with the amphibious aircraft can be extended or retracted while on the trailer. The trailer may also include a plurality of wheel tracks aligned with the landing gear to facilitate the aircraft's loading and unloading in its ground based mode of operation.
US08152096B2
An aircraft may have a fuselage having a longitudinal axis, a left wing extending from the fuselage, a right wing extending from the fuselage, a tail section extending from a rear portion of the fuselage, a first ducted fan rotatably mounted to the left wing, a second ducted fan rotatably mounted to the right wing, and an engine disposed in the fuselage which is connected to the first and second ducted fans.
US08152094B2
An engine mounting apparatus that includes thrust struts, a balance yoke, and primary and secondary mount blocks. The thrust struts are connected to the balance yoke and the primary mount block has at least one thrust load connection connectable to the balance yoke for transferring thrust loads from an engine during normal operation of the engine mounting apparatus. The engine mounting apparatus is characterized in that the secondary mount block is connected to the balance yoke via at least one thrust load catcher connection, the at least one thrust load catcher connection being arranged to be unloaded during normal operation of the engine mounting arrangement and to transfer the thrust loads from the engine in the event of a failure condition of the primary mount block.
US08152093B2
Various laminate structures and methods of making laminate structures are provided. In one embodiment, a laminate structure includes a base layer, a metallized layer comprising an electronic/embedded device which is adhered to the base layer. A coating layer which is adhered to the conductive layer, and a non-metallic dichroic layer adhered to the coating layer. In another embodiment, the non-metallic dichroic layer directly contacts the electronic/embedded devices of the conductive layer. The laminate structures herein can be used in the hull of the air vehicles to communicate with satellites and ground based receiving stations, for example. The electronic/embedded devices of the laminate structures provide a low weight solution to transmitting and receiving data within an air vehicle.
US08152088B2
Systems and methods of rolling and unrolling secondary flooring surfaces, such as tall pile polyethylene turf, are provided. The system includes a drive system that allows for the conversion of a primary surface into a secondary flooring surface in a relatively short period of time. The drive system includes core adjustable speed drive units for controlling the speed and torque of the motors that drive the core, as well as roller adjustable speed drive units for controlling the speed of the front roller. The core adjustable speed drive units control the torque of the core motors during roll up and control the speed of the core motors during roll out.
US08152081B2
A comminuting machine including a frame, an infeed conveyor connected to the frame, a hammer mill connected to the frame, the hammer mill including a hammer mill housing substantially surrounding the hammer mill, a containment system substantially surrounding a comminuting portion of the comminuting machine, the containment system includes at least one cage, the at least one cage including a cage frame extending to substantially block projectile travel paths through openings of the comminuting machine, the cage frame being connected to the frame, and a drive unit movably coupled to the frame for effecting movement of the at least one cage relative to the comminuting portion of the comminuting machine without disconnecting the cage frame from the frame.
US08152073B2
A system is provided for counterfeiting countermeasures, the system comprising: a first authenticity indicator disposed in a print substrate coating; a second authenticity indicator disposed in a print generating matrix; a print pattern comprising the print generating matrix disposed upon the print substrate coating; a detector configured to detect the first and the second authenticity indicators in a portion of the print pattern within the field of the detector.
US08152071B2
A portable computer having multiple modes of connectivity is disclosed. The portable computer may be configured to communicate using several wireless transmission protocols, including WWAN, WiFi, and Bluetooth. The portable computer may also receive input from multiple devices, including a bar code scanner, camera, RFID reader, fingerprint reader, digitizer, and an audio subsystem. The portable computer may also contain an accelerometer, and may be configurable to automatically park its hard drive disk when acceleration of a predetermined magnitude is detected.
US08152064B2
A method for adjusting a direction of fire includes moving a view of at least one sensor between a target area and an impact area, where a sensor performs target location. Sensor data is received from the sensor. The sensor data includes target area sensor data generated in response to sensing the target area and impact area sensor data generated in response to sensing the impact area. Image processing is performed on the sensor data to determine at least one angle between a first line from the sensor to the target area and a second line from the sensor to the impact area. Further, a set of refinements to coordinates corresponding to the target area is determined according to the at least one angle and an impact distance between the at least one sensor and the impact area. The set of refinements is communicated in order to facilitate firing upon the target area.
US08152059B2
A secure financial transactions system. The system generally includes a card that can be used a credit card, ATM card or debit card having a personal identification number (PIN) that can include a panic digit or panic PIN. The panic digit or panic PIN can be used to begin an emergency notification sequence including sending emergency signals and video transmissions from the commercial transactions machine. The card can include several biometric devices as well as financial transaction records. The card can include data to interact with data gathered from biometric devices on the ATM or POP devices. The card can then be interfaced with a personal computer. The card could also be made into other formats such as a ring, key chain, or other jewelry.
US08152057B2
A transaction between a computer, a remote server and a communications system can be authorized securely. A portable card reader is connected to a computer. Then, the portable card reader reads card data. The portable card reader reads an identification code from a separate RFID tag. Sensitive card identification data and the identification code is sent to a management server. The sensitive identification data is searched for a unique code set in an electronic memory of a management server. If the search does not produce a positive result, an instruction denying the transaction is generated.
US08152056B2
The present invention generally relates to credit cards and debit cards. More particularly, the present invention relates to security methods and techniques that can be used with credit and debit cards and the like in order to provide protection against unauthorized use.
US08152048B2
A multiple substrate system, a method, and structure for adapting solder volume to a warped module. An illustrative embodiment comprises a method for joining a first substrate to a second substrate. A deviation from a nominal gap between the first substrate and the second substrate at a first region of the first substrate is ascertained. A volume of solder paste necessary to compensate for the deviation from a nominal gap is determined. The volume of solder paste necessary to compensate for the deviation at the first region of the first substrate is applied. Further, the second substrate is bonded to the first substrate using, at least in part, the solder paste applied at the first region of the first substrate.
US08152043B2
An ultrasonic horn used in, for instance, a wire bonding apparatus and formed with mounting flanges, including a slit and a cross-sectional shape varying portion; the slit being on the central axis in the horn's longitudinal direction and extending fore and aft relative to the center of the mounting flanges, the length of the slit(s) being equal to or greater than the width direction of a flange region that is between the opposing flanges, and at least a part of the cross-sectional shape varying portion being on the outer surface of the horn at a slit region in which the slit is formed. The stress center point in the cross-section of the ultrasonic horn at the flange region is positioned more to the inside than a straight line joining the stress center points in the cross-sections of the ultrasonic horn at the front and rear end portions of the slit.
US08152031B2
A kettle includes a kettle body, a lid and a handle. The lid includes an inner seat having a connecting hole, an outer seat mounted on the inner seat, a sealing unit movable relative to the inner seat to open or close the connecting hole, a push rod secured to the sealing unit to move the sealing unit, and a drive shaft having a drive plate to move the push rod toward the sealing unit. The handle is connected with the drive shaft to drive and rotate the drive shaft relative to the push rod. Thus, the lid is closed at a normal state to interrupt a connection between the lid and the kettle body, so that the liquid in the kettle body will not flow outwardly from the lid even when the kettle body is inclined or upset.
US08152026B2
Provided is a nozzle retractable dispenser which includes a container (20); a cylinder (22); a piston (24); a pressing member (28); an elastic unit (30); a pumping button (36), in which a button portion (32) is formed at the upper portion of the pressing member (28), and a nozzle (34) communicating with the communication hole (26) is protruded in a lateral direction of the pressing member (28); and a cover member (40). Here, the pumping button (36) goes slidingly forward and backward with respect to the pressing member (28) at the state where the pumping button (36) has been elastically supported by the elastic unit (30), so as to be withdrawn and retracted in the lateral direction of the container (20). Accordingly, the nozzle can be withdrawn in a sufficient length in the lateral direction of a container during use, by a simple operation of slidingly manipulating the pumping button. As a result, it is convenient for a user to use the dispenser and to receive contents of the container through an exit of the tip of the nozzle. In addition, when not in use, the pumping button goes slidingly backward so as to be retracted into the inside of the container, to thus make the dispenser easily kept in custody. Further, there is no need to use a particular over-cap to thus obtain a more compact structure of the dispenser.
US08152022B2
A packaging for a stack of articles of absorbing materials such as cotton wool tampons or similar hygiene articles, and where the packaging protects the mentioned articles against soiling and spray from above, as well as the sides, and also preventing contamination from below. The packaging can stand steady on the supporting surface and a the same time easily permit the articles withdrawal, one by one, from the packaging. The packaging is constructed with supporting devices so that the withdrawal aperture faces downwards and is elevated above the supporting surface.
US08152018B2
A container is disclosed, generally having an open top defined by an annular rim, a base, and a sidewall extending between the top and the base. The sidewall has two arcuately formed longitudinal recesses, an annular rib, an annular shoulder located between the longitudinal recesses and the base, and a lower portion extending between the annular shoulder and the base. The annular shoulder is characterized by two arched portions aligned with the longitudinal recesses, and the lower portion has two beveled portions aligned with the longitudinal recesses. This container is more ergonomic, and has greater sidewall strength and rigidity, than existing containers.
US08152014B2
A first container is provided including a first base, a first wall, a second wall, a third wall, and a fourth wall. The first, second, third, and fourth walls, can each be placed in an erect state, substantially perpendicular to the first base or in a collapsed state substantially parallel to the first base. The first and second walls, which oppose each other, can also be placed in ramp states to allow a vehicle or cargo to be rolled over the first or second walls and onto the first base. Inverted J-shaped slots allow the first wall or the second wall to pivot about multiple pivot points with respect to the base.
US08152007B2
In an automatic coupler for a model railroad car, a coupler body includes a knuckle coupler member formed of a coupler trunk having a knuckle portion and an engagement portion, and a receiving coupler member formed of a coupler trunk having a receiving portion and an engagement portion. A holder includes a lower holder member having a holder plate, a holder shaft projecting from the holder plate and adapted to engage with the engagement portions, and a spring portion adapted to surround the engagement portions. The holder plate, holder shaft, and the spring portion are integrally formed, and an upper holder member is adapted to be fixed to the lower holder member with the coupler body interposed between. The coupler body and the holder have a guide mechanism that allows the coupler body to follow a curve when the car travels on the curve.
US08151990B2
A blister package arrangement comprises a blister package (1) and a conductor carrier strip (10) attached thereto, wherein openings (4) of the carrier strip (10) are oriented toward pockets (3) of the blister package (1). When a tablet (2) is removed from a pocket (3), the sealing film (13) of the blister package (1) closing the pocket (3) is separated in such a way that the tablet (2) is removable through the opening (4) associated therewith. The openings (4) are formed by stamped cutting lines (41) which are disposed in the conductor carrier strip (10) and surround the pockets (3) of the associated areas in a ring shape. These stamped lines are interrupted by at least two spars or “bridge parts” (43) by means of which a cover (30), covering the pocket (3) and separated from the conductor carrier strip (10), is connected with the carrier strip.
US08151987B2
A peelable pouch comprises a substantially flat enclosure formed by first and second opposing flexible plies. A seat extends along at least a portion of a perimeter of the opposing plies. A flat, flexible transdermal patch is disposed in the enclosure and includes a bioactive agent dissolved in a layer of adhesive. A release liner is removably attached over the layer of adhesive, with the patch and the release liner together being sufficiently resilient so as to generate a spring force when displaced out of the flat configuration. The first and the second plies each being separable along the seal and displaceable out of the flat configuration. The spring force generated by the patch and the release liner being sufficient to overcome an adhesive force created by the adhesive between the patch and one of the plies.
US08151984B2
A dispensing device (1) for separately storing two substances, adapted to dispense and apply proportional amounts of said substances, said device (1) comprising a longitudinal axis (3) about which two receptacles (4, 4′), composed of a flexible material, are disposed, each receptacle (4, 4′), containing one of said two substances and comprising an outlet (5) through winch said substance can be squeezed, said dispensing device (1) being adapted to be folded about the longitudinal axis (3).
US08151981B2
The present invention is related to an apparatus to facilitate the retrieval of a personal device from a compartment or pocket. The apparatus has a back surface with a support attached to the back surface in a manner that allows the support to move and a tab or loop on one end of the support. An elastic tape is attached to the back surface and to the support. Also attached to the support is a ribbon which is secured to the elastic tape at a connection point. The support can be extended to retrieve the personal device from the compartment or pocket which stretches the elastic tape and the ribbon until the ribbon is fully extended preventing the further extension of the support. The elastic tape may then facilitate the retraction of the apparatus into the compartment or pocket.
US08151968B2
An extendable support apparatus for supporting an endless conveyor belt has an extendable frame, and a rest for supporting the conveyor belt relative to the frame. The extendable support apparatus is able to be extended and retracted by respectively extending and retracting the extendable frame while the conveyor belt circulates relative to the extendable support apparatus and while the conveyor belt is supported by the rest.
US08151967B2
A banknote storage apparatus for easily removing banknotes stored therein includes a push bar, placed in an input port into which a banknote is inputted in a perpendicular direction, for providing stroke-operating toward a target storage part into which the banknote is determined to be stored; a driving motor for driving the stroke operation of the push bar; a pair of push plates for applying a pressure toward the input port in order to hold the banknotes perpendicularly stored according to the stroke operation of the push bar; and a detecting part for detecting an opening status of the door so that the driving motor is controlled to make the push bar move into a removing position for either one of the storage parts when detecting the opening status of the door.
US08151961B2
A double clutch for a double-clutch transmission includes a first clutch, a second clutch, a first electric actuator, and a second electric actuator. The first electric actuator acts on a cam that activates both clutches and controls a clutch shift operation between the first and the second clutch. The first electric actuator additionally acts on a cam activating one of the two clutches.
US08151953B2
The invention relates to a suspension and damping device (1) for load bearing and sprung wheel support and for damping suspension movements in a motor vehicle, having at least one spring cylinder (2) having a piston (6) which is guided in a cylinder (4) so as to be movable relative to the cylinder and which acts counter to an elastically compressible spring medium (FM) in order to generate a load bearing supporting spring force (F). A separate circuit of a hydraulic damping medium (DM) which is independent of the spring medium (FM) is provided for damping. The piston (6) separates two working chambers (10, 12) from one another within the cylinder (4). One working chamber (10) is assigned to the spring medium (FM) and the other working chamber (12) is assigned to the damping medium (DM).
US08151952B2
The invention relates to a proportional control valve for the variable hydraulic adjustment of the damping force of a shock absorber, for which purpose the proportional control valve has a throttle function which can be set by varying the strength I of the electric current. The invention provides that on the basis of an instantaneous level of the electrical current Iist the proportional control valve is first closed by increasing the current to a maximum current strength Imax for a short time period toverdrive in order to change the damping force F, and the proportional control valve is then opened again by reducing the current strength I to a defined average current strength I in which the proportional valve assumes an intermediate position which results in a volume flow Q which corresponds to the desired change in the damping force F.
US08151951B2
A disc brake caliper comprising a suspension side portion, facing an associable suspension to support said caliper, a wheel side portion facing a wheel being rotatably integrally associable to a brake disc, said wheel side and suspension side portion comprising cylinders suitable to house pistons facing pads for breaking the brake disc, and being connected by at least one connecting bridge extending astride the brake disc. The caliper comprises at least one casing being associable to a side surface of said caliper opposite a housing recess of the brake disc, such as to define a duct extending between said suspension side and wheel side portion to convey a cooling air steam, near thrust portion of the pads being affected by the relative pistons.
US08151949B2
A drum brake apparatus is provided with a backing plate, a brake shoe, a shoe guide portion formed integrally with a backing plate by cutting and press molding, a guide surface on a rear surface of the shoe guide portion, an engagement projection that is formed on the brake shoe and slidably engages with the guide surface, and end portions that is formed on the shoe guide portion at both ends of the shoe guide portion in a circumferential direction of the drum brake apparatus and is continuous to the backing plate. Uplift of the brake shoe from the backing plate is prevented by engagement between the guide surface and the engagement projection.
US08151927B2
There is provided a wheel motor device including a hydraulic motor unit. The hydraulic motor unit includes a hydraulic motor main body, a motor shaft, a motor case and a port block. The port block includes a motor surface to which the motor case is connected, a pump surface to which a pump case surrounding a hydraulic pump main body is detachably connected so as to form a pump space for accommodating the hydraulic pump main body, and a pair of operational fluid passages fluidly connecting between the hydraulic motor main body accommodated in the motor space in a state of being contacted with the motor surface in a sliding manner around its axis line and the hydraulic pump main body accommodated in the pump space in a state of being contacted with the pump surface in a sliding manner around its axis line.
US08151920B2
The invention relates to a heat exchanger assembly, in particular a radiator assembly for the front section of a motor vehicle, including a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is configured in several parts in the form of heat exchanger elements, i.e. at least one primary heat exchanger and at least one secondary heat exchanger, and at least two of the heat exchanger elements can be displaced in relation to one another in the event of a crash.
US08151916B2
An energy management system includes a first energy source having a first well-to-wheels greenhouse gas emissions content, a second energy source having a second well-to-wheels greenhouse gas emissions content and a drive mechanism powered by the first energy source and the second energy source. The drive mechanism is powered by the first energy source when the first well-to-wheels greenhouse gas emissions content is less than the second well-to-wheels greenhouse gas emissions content and the drive mechanism is powered by the second energy source when the second well-to-wheels greenhouse gas emissions content is less than the first well-to-wheels greenhouse gas emissions content.
US08151914B2
In a vehicle drive system including a motor and a secondary battery, the motor and secondary battery are integrated to provide a drive system having good mountability. In a gap between a cylindrical outer housing (116) and a rotor (112), a layered cylindrical secondary battery is provided within the outer housing. A cylindrical cooling member (180) is further arranged between the rotor and secondary battery.
US08151913B2
An axle assembly for a vehicle comprising a stationary spindle and a rotatable axle shaft. An intermediate hub is supported on the spindle. Adjacent inner and outer wheel hubs are supported on the intermediate hub. A differential mechanism interconnects the inner and outer wheel hubs for driving both of the wheel hubs and for permitting relative rotation between the wheel hubs. At least one differential bushing is disposed between the differential mechanism and the intermediate hub. A gear reduction system interconnects the intermediate hub and the axle shaft for providing torque multiplication. A wet disc brake device is coupled between the spindle and the intermediate hub.
US08151903B2
A pipe positioner having an arm including a lower jaw and an upper jaw mounted thereon is provided. The pipe positioner includes at least one of the lower jaw and the upper jaw with at least one shear pin disposed in location to provide protection of the pipe positioner from mechanical overload. A method for retrofit of a pipe positioner and a blasthole drilling rig are disclosed.
US08151900B2
A percussion apparatus driven by a pressurized incompressible fluid includes a body with two coaxial bores for slidably mounting of a tool, and separately slidably mounting a striking piston having a stepped configuration. A control device varies a stroke of the striking piston between a long and a short stroke, and is connected to the directional flow valve and to a bottom chamber of the piston cylinder. The control device includes a cylinder in which a spool is mounted. A first face of the spool is situated in a first chamber permanently subjected to a determined pressure, and a second face of the spool is situated in a second chamber connected to the braking chamber for controlling the varying of the stroke of the striking piston.
US08151892B2
Methods and systems relating to subsea wellhead orientation are disclosed. A system may include a wellhead with an orientation key on an outer surface and an opening on an inner surface and a Christmas tree attached to a guide tube having an orientation profile which engages the orientation key and guides the Christmas tree into a desired orientation relative to the wellhead. The system may also include a lockdown sleeve with a mating profile on an inner surface, and a protuberance on an outer surface which engages the opening on the inner surface of the wellhead when the lockdown sleeve is in a desired orientation relative to the wellhead. In addition, the system may include a tubing hanger with a mating profile on an outer surface which engages the mating profile of the lockdown sleeve and guides the tubing hanger into a desired orientation relative to the lockdown sleeve.
US08151889B2
A technique enables control over flow in a wellbore with a flow control system. In some cases, the flow control system may comprise a flapper device, an isolation assembly, and an actuation assembly. The flapper device may be configured to rotate within an approximate angular range from 15° to 75° when shifting between an open and closed state. In some situations, the engaging member may contain a profiled end configured to increase the moment applied to the flapper device during opening and control the rate of closure of the flapper device. The limitation to the angular range of the flapper device may reduce the loading forces that would otherwise act against the flow control system upon closure of the flapper device.
US08151876B2
Disclosed are processes for improving recovery of product from a subterranean carbonaceous deposit wherein there has been a reduction in product recovery from a production well, the processes comprising treating the deposit with a liquid that contains at least one of an oxoacid ester of phosphorous or an oxoacid acid ester of sulfur.
US08151874B2
Systems and methods for thermal recovery of shallow bitumen using increased permeability inclusions. A method of producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation includes the steps of: propagating at least one generally planar inclusion outward from a wellbore into the formation; injecting a fluid into the inclusion, thereby heating the hydrocarbons; and during the injecting step, producing the hydrocarbons from the wellbore. A well system includes at least one generally planar inclusion extending outward from a wellbore into a formation; a fluid injected into the inclusion, hydrocarbons being heated as a result of the injected fluid; and a tubular string through which the hydrocarbons are produced, the tubular string extending to a location in the wellbore below the inclusion, and the hydrocarbons being received into the tubular string at that location.
US08151872B2
Apparatus to control a temperature of a device that includes: a thermal head adapted to be thermally contacted to the device; a combined path to the thermal head; a first path maintained at a first temperature and connected to the combined path; a second path maintained at a second temperature different from the first temperature and connected to the combined path; a third path connected to the combined path; a pump assembly operable to circulate thermal transfer fluid: from the thermal head, through each of the first, second and third paths, from each of the first, second and third paths, through the combined path, and from the combined path, to and through the thermal head; and a valve assembly operable to control amounts of thermal transfer fluid that flow into the first and second paths, thereby controlling the temperature.
US08151870B2
A tube shield assembly for protecting tubes includes a guard, a securing member and a holding tooth, wherein welding is not required to secure the guard to the tube. The guard is axially elongated and can have a semi-cylindrical cross-section to define a main body portion. The securing member includes at least one pair of fastening clips to secure the guard to the tube. The fastening clips permit radial expansion and contraction of the tube and the tube shield assembly in response to, for example, temperature fluctuations. The holding tooth is a tooth-like protrusion between the tube shield assembly and the tube to which it is secured to prevent axial slippage of the tube shield assembly up or down the length of the tube.
US08151869B2
The invention relates to a scraped surface heat exchanger (100) comprising a heat exchanging wall (20) having an cylindrical inner surface (21) with a radius (R+δ), a shaft (10) being rotatable mounted inside of and concentrically to the inner surface (21) of the heat exchanging wall (20) and having at least one gap portion (10A) with an outer surface (11) and a radius (R), and at least one scraping member (40) supported by the shaft (10) and extending to the inner surface (21) of the heat exchanger wall (20), characterized in that the at least one or che gap portions (10A) with an outer surface (11) and a radius (R) extend over at least 60% of the circumference of the shaft (10).
US08151867B2
A continuous casting device, including a mould, an electromagnetic device arranged outside the mould and arranged to provide an electromagnetic field acting on a melt in the mould, the electromagnetic device being supplied with electric current includes a base frequency and harmonics, and thereby providing a first electromagnetic field based on the base frequency and a second electromagnetic field based on the harmonics, and an inductive sensor, arranged at the mould for the purpose of sensing the position of a meniscus of the melt, and operating at frequencies corresponding to the harmonics. The continuous casting device includes at least one screen between the electromagnetic device and the sensor, and the screen is arranged so as to prevent the second electromagnetic field from disturbing the operation of the sensor but to permit the first electromagnetic field to act on the melt in the region of the meniscus.
US08151859B2
A roller blind mounting system including at least one roller, at least one telescopic end plug and at least two brackets. The telescopic end plug is engageable within an end-opening of one of said rollers. The end plug includes a hollow body and a telescopically movable member or plunger co-axially positionable with respect to the hollow body such that a first axial extending length portion of the plunger projects from the hollow body and a second axial extending length portion is held within the hollow body. The plunger is telescopically movable between a first end position in which the first portion of the plunger projects from the cylindrical body and a second end position in which at least part of the first portion is inserted into the cylindrical body.
US08151855B2
A device for manufacturing a seamless hat includes an assembling cutting device and a layer connecting device. The assembling cutting device includes an ultrasonic metal wheel, an ultrasonic metal platform, a feeding rubber wheel, and a feeding metal wheel. The ultrasonic metal wheel and the feeding rubber wheel are concentric and close to each other. The metal wheel is disposed at the bottom of the feeding rubber wheel. The ultrasonic metal platform is disposed at the bottom of the ultrasonic metal wheel. A top end of a tapered peripheral surface of the ultrasonic metal wheel has a sharp edge and a platform portion, which is disposed at a side away from the rubber wheel. Accordingly, the seam allowance cut pieces of the hat may not be initially connected to the edge of the hat. The assembling cutting device simultaneously proceeds the ultrasonic connection of the seam allowance cut pieces and the residue of the cloth is cut in order that the connection is uniform and to get more efficient.
US08151848B2
A tire includes at least one outer structural element, wherein the at least one outer structural element is at least partially coated by at least one colored coating layer including a colored composition including (a) 5% by weight to 50% by weight with respect to the total weight of the dry colored composition, of at least one crosslinked polymeric compound obtained by reacting (a1) at least one thermoplastic polyurethane with (a2) at least one polyisocyanate; (b) 10% by weight to 80% by weight with respect to the total weight of the dry colored composition, of at least one thermoplastic polymeric compound having a glass transition temperature higher than or equal to 20° C., and (c) 3% by weight to 50% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the dry colored composition, of at least one coloring agent. Preferably, the at least one structural element is at least one of the tire sidewalls.
US08151847B2
A pneumatic tire including a tread part contacting a road surface, at least two belt layers each formed of a plurality of parallel cords covered with rubber, and a pair of bead toes. An angle at which the line segment BQ and the line segment SW cross is 50° or smaller when, in a cross section including the axis of rotation: the ends of a shortest belt layer, which is the shortest one, in length in a tire width direction, of the belt layers are set to be points B; points on a tire surface, between which the width of the tire is the widest, are set to be points Q; a line segment connecting each point B and the corresponding one of the points Q is set to be a line segment BQ; and a line segment connecting the pair of points Q is set to be a line segment SW.
US08151846B2
The present invention provides a vehicle wheel system having an inner wheel half, an outer wheel half, a centering element, and a sleeve which are concentrically aligned with each other, where the centering element has a first bead lock for securing a first bead of a tire and where the sleeve has a second bead lock for securing a second bead of the tire, to enable a vehicle to continue to operate with a flat or deflated tire. For a heavier, military vehicle wheel system, a varied centering element is used in conjunction with segmented inner tire system.
US08151837B2
A fuel filler closure device for an automotive vehicle includes a valve body adapted for mounting to a fuel filler pipe and having a filler passage. An access door mounted within the valve body has an open position allowing placement of a fuel nozzle within the filler passage and a closed position for blocking insertion of a filler nozzle. The locking mechanism selectively permits the access door to move from the closed position to the open position. The locking mechanism may include either a manual locking device, or an electronic or other type of remote lock which will be responsive to a vehicle condition.
US08151834B2
A hydrogen compressor system comprises a hydrogen generating apparatus for generating hydrogen gas to be supplied to a fuel cell vehicle and a multi-stage reciprocating compressor for pressurizing the hydrogen gas generated by the hydrogen generating apparatus. High pressure tanks having maximum use pressure of 20 MPa are connected to middle stages of the multi-stage reciprocating compressor by gas supplying lines via valves. By opening/closing the valves, hydrogen gas in the high pressure tanks can be selectively supplied to the middle stages of the multi-stage reciprocating compressor.
US08151833B2
An inspection machine for inspecting the volume of liquid contained by a bottle filed to its defined fill height. A head is lowered and has a sealing plate which seals the open finish of a bottle. A fill tube assembly is part of the head and continues to be lowered until a level sensor is located to sense liquid at a pre-fill level. High and low pressure water lines which are a part of the fill tube assembly are operated to fill the bottle to the pre-fill level. The sealing plate is released and then the process is repeated lowering the sensor to the post-fill level and operating only the low-pressure line to fill the bottle to the post-fill level. The total liquid filling the bottle is then computed.
US08151824B2
A valve assembly includes a solenoid can having an internal coil. A valve body connected to the solenoid can includes an inlet port and a first valve seat. An axially adjustable retainer threadably connected to the valve body includes an end portion defining a second valve seat. A homogenous valve member/armature slidably disposed in the valve body moves in the presence of a coil generated magnetic flux between valve closed and valve open positions. A valve member/armature first surface area is in fluid communication with a pressurized fluid through the inlet port. A valve member/armature second surface area is in fluid communication with the pressurized fluid in the valve closed position. The first surface area is equal to the second surface area and the pressurized fluid acts equally on the first and second surface areas defining a pressure balanced condition in the valve closed position.
US08151823B2
A fluid power valve arrangement with at least one solenoid valve whose solenoid is connected or able to be connected via only two control lines with an electrical control and/or communication device. The solenoid valve has integrated in it a non-volatile storage device containing identification data of the solenoid valve, and furthermore a modulator for modulation of data of the solenoid valve in the two supply lines. The control and/or communication device possesses a demodulator for demodulation of the modulated data.
US08151821B2
A system for mounting a faucet to the exterior portion of a dwelling is provided. A mounting sleeve is employed that is associated with a tube that is interconnected to the faucet that is generally positioned outside of a dwelling. The tube is rigidly interconnected to a mounting sleeve that is supported by at least one bracket that allows for selective adjustments. That is, the mounting sleeve may be selectively offset from the interior surface of the dwelling, thereby accommodating exterior building surfaces with irregular shapes such as stone, brick, mortar, stucco, etc. The mounting system provides additional rigidity to the faucet/dwelling interconnection.
US08151817B2
An apparatus for isolating elbow fittings includes a fluid containing elbow housing with cooperating components. The elbow housing has a first opening for a first branch of an elbow, a second opening for a second branch of an elbow and a tool insertion opening in axial alignment with the first opening. The cooperating components of the elbow housing are secured around an elbow. A seal seals the first opening, the second opening, and the cooperating components. An isolation valve controls the tool insertion opening.
US08151810B2
A basket assembly for holding items such as silverware and the like in a dishwashing appliance is provided. The dishwashing appliance has a rack member movable into and out of a tub portion, wherein the basket assembly is received and supported by the rack member. The basket assembly comprises a plurality of wall members cooperating to form a compartment defining a compartment opening. A lid member is coupled to the compartment about the compartment opening. The lid member defines a lid plane and is configured to be pivotable about a pivot axis, disposed medially across the lid member and extending along the lid plane, between a first position with the lid member extending across the compartment opening, and a second position with the lid member extending substantially perpendicularly to the compartment opening. An associated apparatus is also provided.
US08151805B2
A cigarette is provided with a tobacco section including a tobacco filler rod wrapped with an inner wrapper paper sheet containing less than 4% by weight of calcium carbonate and an outer wrapper paper containing calcium carbonate in an amount of 30 g/m2 and a burn adjusting agent in an amount of 3% by weight or more.
US08151793B2
A device for inhalation of at least one air stream carrying a dose of medicament powder is provided. The device includes a flow passage passing a powder-containing cavity. A part of said flow passage propagates along a generally flat surface region. The flat surface region includes a cavity opening into said powder-containing cavity. The passing of an air stream along said flat surface region and outside said cavity generates an eddy in the cavity and the generated eddy contributes to deaggregation of the powder in said cavity and emptying of the powder from said cavity. Furthermore, a shear driven cavity principle is used in conjunction with such a device and a method of releasing medicament powder.
US08151780B2
Various systems and methods are described for controlling a dual-fuel engine that has an evaporated gas providing device for providing an evaporated gas into the engine and is operable with hydrocarbon fuel or non-hydrocarbon fuel, alternatively. One example method comprises operating the engine with one of the fuels on the basis of a driver's request, and in response to a determination of a cold engine operation, operating the engine with the non-hydrocarbon fuel for a specified period irrespective of the driver's request. If it is determined that an evaporated fuel is to be provided to the engine while the engine is operating with non-hydrocarbon fuel due the cold engine operation, then switching to operation with hydrocarbon fuel and thereafter providing evaporated fuel into the engine.
US08151778B2
An intake manifold is disclosed. The intake manifold includes a first chamber in fluid communication with a PCV line and disposed generally upstream of a second chamber. The chambers are designed to provide a long flow path for the moisture laden PCV gas and to help reduce the introduction of moisture or fluids into the second chamber. This helps to prevent the ingestion of moisture or fluids by the combustion chambers of engine. An optional fluid blocker can also be used to trap fluids and help prevent those fluids from entering a cylinder port.
US08151777B2
An intake pipe structure of an engine comprises: a joint pipe unit constituted by a return pipe portion and an intake pipe portion for introducing air into the engine. The return pipe portion has one end connected with the intake pipe portion to return blow-by gas from the engine to the intake pipe portion. The return pipe portion has first and second surface sections respectively extending in the range of first and second lengths from the one end of the return pipe portion, the first surface section smoothly and continuously extending, and the second surface section being shorter than the first surface section. The return pipe portion has a curved surface portion enlarged and curved at its downstream side toward the one end of the return pipe portion, and an opening opened at the one end to the intake pipe portion in the form of non-circular shape.
US08151770B2
An engine fuel supply system is provided at a reduced cost by using a HC dosing pump that supplies fuel into an exhaust pipe also as a pump for a cylinder fuel supply device. When a signal is generated to command air removal from a cylinder fuel supply passage, the dual-purpose pump is activated, a first on-off valve assumes an open state, and a second on-off valve assumes a close state, so that the fuel is supplied from the dual-purpose pump to the cylinder fuel supply passage via an air-removal fuel supply passage. When a signal is generated to command fuel supply into the exhaust pipe, the dual-purpose pump is activated, the second on-off valve assumes the open state, and the first on-off valve assumes the close state, so that the fuel is supplied from the dual-purpose pump to the exhaust pipe via the exhaust-pipe fuel supply passage.
US08151764B2
In an electronic throttle control system, a target intake pipe pressure as well as a presumed value for the intake pipe pressure is calculated, so that a deviation between the target value and the presumed value for the intake pipe pressure is calculated. The deviation is compensated in an advancing side by an amount corresponding to a delay of response in the throttle control system. An intake air amount passing through a throttle valve is calculated based on the above compensated deviation and a presumed intake air amount. A target opening degree of a throttle valve is finally calculated based on the above-calculated intake air amount passing through a throttle valve. Accordingly, a response and stability of the throttle control can be improved.
US08151762B2
Disclosed is a direct-injection spark-ignition engine designed to promote catalyst activation during cold engine operation. A fuel injection timing for a fuel injection period in an compression stroke (second fuel injection period F2) is set to allow a first fuel spray Ga injected from a first spray hole 40a to enter a cavity 34 in a piston crown surface 30, and allow a second fuel spray Gb to impinge against a region of the piston crown surface 30 located closer to an injector than the cavity 34, so as to cause the second fuel spray Gb having a lowered penetration force due to the impingement to be pulled toward the cavity 34 by a negative pressure generated in the cavity 34 as a result of passing of the first fuel spray Ga therethrough. The direct-injection spark-ignition engine can maximally hold an injected fuel spray around a spark plug to reliably stabilize a combustion state in a combustion mode for promoting catalyst activation during cold engine operation, while enhancing combustion efficiency in a homogenous combustion mode during normal engine operation.
US08151759B2
The present disclosure includes an engine having a torodial piston chamber, at least one piston positioned in the torodial piston chamber, and at least one engine valve positioned to interact with the torodial piston chamber.
US08151756B2
A balance shaft housing is provided that includes a first housing portion, a second housing portion operatively connected to the first housing portion, with the first housing and the second housing configured to cooperatively define first and second balance shaft chambers. A cover member is secured to the second housing portion and cooperates with the first and second housing portions to define an air flow path outside of the chambers for circulating air to the balance shaft chambers. A method of assembling a balance shaft housing is also provided.
US08151753B2
In a warm-up system that pre-warms up of an engine (E) by transferring heat from a heat source to an engine cooling water circulation circuit (1) of a vehicle, a residential hot water circuit (2) that uses a household heat source is provided as the heat source, and a one-touch connector (3) is provided in the engine cooling water circulation circuit (1) and the residential hot water circuit (2). The one-touch connector (3) connects the two circuits (1, 2) prior to start-up of the engine (E) such that heat is transferred to the engine cooling water circulation circuit (1), and disconnects the two circuits (1, 2) following heat transfer in preparation for start-up of the engine (E).
US08151751B2
[Object]To keep an air-gap between an electromagnetic clutch and a magnet within a predetermined range even if a camshaft vibrates in a radial direction.[Achieving Means]A bearing 26 and a stopper 51 are attached to a stepped part 20c of an inner cylinder part 20, the bearing 26 is supported by a C ring 28 inserted in a groove 44c of a rotational drum 44, a bearing 52 is attached to a stepped part 51a formed on the side of the outer periphery of the stopper 51, an inner sidewall 122c of an electromagnetic clutch 42 is supported by the bearing 52, the bearing 52 is supported by a clip 128 attached to an annular groove 127 formed in the inner sidewall 122c, the rotational drum 44 is supported by the bearing 26 prevented from moving in an axial direction, the electromagnetic clutch 42 is supported by the bearing 52 prevented from moving in the axial direction, and an air-gap AG between the electromagnetic clutch 42 and the magnet 45 of the rotational drum 44 is easily managed.
US08151750B2
A valve operating device that opens and closes a valve of an internal combustion engine by driving a valve stem in an axial direction includes a rocker cam that rocks in accordance with a rotation of a drive shaft and has a driving cam portion and a lift restricting cam portion; a cam follower that lifts the valve by contacting the driving cam portion slidingly; and a restricting member that prevents the cam follower from separating from the driving cam portion in cooperation with the lift restricting cam portion. A gap is formed between the restricting member and the rocker cam in a state where the cam follower is in contact with the driving cam portion and disappears such that the restricting member and the rocker cam come into contact with each other only when the cam follower separates from the driving cam portion.
US08151743B2
In a method for casting a cylinder head of a piston engine in a region of cooling channels for valve seat rings, a separate core is provided for defining cooling channels, and the cooling channel core is mounted in a bottom plate of a casting mold at various points thereof. The cooling channels for the valve seat rings have a cooling channel region formed by two interconnected rings and at least one cooling fluid supply channel and at least one cooling fluid drain channel. The two rings are disposed at a distance from the valve seat rings, adjacent to them.
US08151730B2
The invention is related to a washing apparatus for cleaning milking related equipment comprising a washing apparatus connectable to an automatic milking station (2) by interconnecting pipelines in such a way as to enable the washing apparatus to circulate a washing fluid through the milking related equipment of the automatic milking station (2). The washing apparatus (6, 7) comprise a circulation tank 6 and a separate pre-filling tank (7), whereby filling in advance and holding of the washing fluid to be used in a subsequent washing step is enabled. The washing apparatus (6, 7) further comprises connecting means for connection of the pre-filling tank (7) to the circulation tank (6). By means of the invention the time needed to complete a cleaning procedure is shortened essentially, and a cleaning procedure rendered more effective. The invention further relates to such method.
US08151720B2
An open eye needle including an elongated portion, a tip portion and an open eye portion. The tip portion is attached to the elongated portion. The open eye portion is attached to the elongated portion. The open eye portion includes a tongue portion, an eye region and a channel. The eye region is defined by the tongue portion. The channel extends around the tongue portion and intersects the eye portion. The channel includes a first channel portion and a second channel portion that extends from the first channel portion. The first channel portion is oriented at an acute angle with respect to the second channel portion. The second channel portion is in communication with the eye region.
US08151707B1
A pyrotechnic ignitor. The ignitor includes a break charge and a voltage storage component in communication with the break charge, wherein the voltage stored in the voltage storage component is for firing the break charge when the voltage is communicated to the break charge. The ignitor further includes a processor in communication with the voltage storage component, wherein the processor is configured to delay transmission of the voltage stored in the voltage storage component for a predetermined time.
US08151704B2
There are provided a printing method in which at least approximately hemispherical portion of a spherical object to be printed can be printed by pressing a pad against the portion one time, and which can prevent an image printed on the spherical object to be printed from being elongated or distorted, and a printing pad used for this printing method. The method for printing on the spherical object to be printed comprises the steps of preparing a hollow printing pad having a transfer surface, the printing pad being configured so that when the transfer surface is pushed, the gas in the hollow part is released to the outside of the printing pad; transferring ink or paint in recesses formed on the surface of a printing plate to the transfer surface of the printing pad by applying the ink or paint onto the surface of the printing plate and by pressing the transfer surface of the printing pad against the surface of the printing plate; and transferring the ink or paint, which has been transferred to the transfer surface of the printing pad, to the object to be printed by pressing the transfer surface of the printing pad, to which the ink or paint has been transferred, against the object to be printed until at least the hemispherical portion of the object to be printed is wrapped by the transfer surface of the printing pad.
US08151698B2
A collection lip for a griddle is disclosed. The collection lip includes a longitudinally elongated body member having a first end, a second end, a lateral center line and a longitudinal side. The collection lip further includes a lip member extending from the longitudinal side away from the longitudinally elongated body member, the lip member including sides configured to direct cooking byproducts flowing across the lip member towards the lateral center line.
US08151695B2
An automated belt cooking machine (10) for pancakes and the like food products has upper and lower overlapping, thermally conductive belts (12, 14), counter-rotatably mounted to a frame (16) so that, in use, a bottom run (30) of the upper belt (12) and a top run (32) of the lower belt (14) co-operate to convey food (40) to be cooked. The lower belt (14) extends a predetermined distance to one side of the upper belt (12) so as to provide a dispensing platform portion (38) for dispensing thereon the food to be cooked (40), so that the food (40) is conveyed towards a mouth (52) formed between the upper belt and lower belts (12, 14) and thereafter is conveyed sandwiched between the bottom and top run (30, 32). Upper and lower heating platens (26,28) are mounted to the frame (16) and are in thermal contact with the bottom and top run (30, 32), wherein the food to be cooked (40) is initially exposed to heat from the lower platen (28) conducted through the dispensing platform portion (38).
US08151694B2
A beverage forming apparatus includes a storage tank, and a centrifugal pump having an inlet connected to the storage tank by a supply conduit. The centrifugal pump may include a priming vent located below a full level of the storage tank and permit air to vent as liquid primes the pump. A metering tank may have an inlet connected to the centrifugal pump by a pump conduit, and an outlet connected to a brew chamber that forms a beverage using liquid received from the metering tank. In one embodiment, a flow control valve, such as a check valve, may be provided in the pump conduit to allow flow from the pump to the metering tank, but resist flow in reverse. In another embodiment, a vent valve in the pump conduit may be arranged to vent at least a portion of the pump conduit, e.g., to ambient air pressure.
US08151693B2
Apparatus for preparing a beverage using a soluble preparation, comprising a container for a soluble preparation, a mixer provided with a mixing chamber, said chamber having a filling inlet for the soluble preparation, at least one opening for supplying a liquid for solubilizing the preparation and forming the beverage, a duct for evacuating any vapor and/or aerosol which forms during preparation of the beverage, said duct comprising a suction fan, as well as an opening for dispensing the prepared beverage, a centrifuging device housed inside said mixing chamber and rotationally operated by an associated electric motor positioned outside said chamber, means for conveying a predetermined quantity of soluble preparation from the said container to the filling inlet of said mixing chamber, as well as means for conveying the solubilizing liquid from the associated source to the respective opening of the mixing chamber.The apparatus includes means for closing and opening the said duct for evacuating any vapor and/or aerosol which forms during preparation of the beverage.
US08151691B2
A hydraulic variable compression ratio (VCR) piston for use in an internal combustion engine. The piston is a two-part piston, in which a gudgeon pin carrier slides within an outer sleeve. A variable volume upper chamber is formed between the top of the gudgeon pin carrier and the end of the outer sleeve. When the upper chamber fills with oil, its volume increases, and the overall piston geometry is longer. This reduces the piston clearance in the cylinder and increases cylinder pressure. At a given maximum cylinder pressure or at a given rate of increase of cylinder pressure, oil from the upper chamber is relieved by using a rate-sensitive pressure relief valve.
US08151686B2
An armor module for protecting a surface against an explosively formed projectile (EFP) threat is provided. The armor module is configured for mounting on the surface and comprises at least one armor assembly having a hard layer disposed facing the threat and being configured to fragment the EFP, thus forming residuals of the original EFP threat; a unidirectional fiber layer disposed behind the hard layer; and a catcher layer behind the unidirectional fiber layer, the catcher layer being made of a material exhibiting a level of ballistic protection such that a layer of the material being of the same thickness as the unidirectional fiber layer absorbs at least 20% more energy than is the unidirectional fiber layer for the same threat.
US08151685B2
An armor system for defeating a solid projectile having a first armor plate, an interior armor plate, and an inner armor plate displaced from one another to form a first dispersion space between the first armor plate and the interior armor plate. The first dispersion space is sufficiently thick to allow significant lateral dispersion of armor passing therethrough. The inner armor plate is disposed approximately parallel to the interior armor plate and displaced therefrom to form a second dispersion space between the interior armor plate and the inner armor plate. The second dispersion space is sufficiently thick to allow significant lateral dispersion of materials passing therethrough.
US08151684B2
An armament system for aircraft includes an ammunition system and a mount system for a machine gun. The ammunition system includes an ammunition canister and feed system, the canister having a pair of brackets releasably coupled to a pair of receivers supported by a vertical mounting surface.
US08151681B2
An endless rotation hoop knife for a splitting machine including a front end embodied as a cutting edge and at least two openings for accommodating retaining members. The invention also discloses a transport device for a rotation hoop knife, including a housing and at least two retaining members which are configured to engage in openings in the rotation hoop knife. The invention further relates to methods for safe mounting and dismantling of a rotation hoop knife, in particular of a sharp rotation hoop knife. Due to the rotation hoop knife being provided with openings for accommodating retaining members, it is now possible for the rotation hoop knife by to be held by retaining members which engage the openings. In this way, when the rotation hoop knife is released on the splitting machine, the rotation hoop knife is reliably held by the retaining members which engage the openings. The rotation hoop knife can thus be taken off the splitting machine without the rotation hoop knife itself, in particular the cutting edge, having to be touched.
US08151674B2
A layer cutting apparatus includes a tray having an interior defined by a bottom and sidewall. A sleeve is at least partially disposed in the interior of the tray, and a cutting line is attached to the sleeve. The cutting line is configured to be removed from the sleeve by pulling the line away from the tray at one point of the sidewall.
US08151663B2
A gear arrangement is provided with a built-up for a shaft or pinion to rotate in unison therewith. The gear includes a gear rim and two flanges arranged axially on both sides and fixed them against the gear rim in a positive-locking connection. A hub, over which the respective other parts of the gear are pushed, is formed on at least one of the parts of the gear. The parts of the gear are held together without the use of rivets or screws by a clamped connection including a clamping ring, which is caused to mesh with a groove extending circumferentially on the circumference of the hub or shaft. The clamped connection presses the respective flange outer surface in a spring-mounted manner. Mutually corresponding elevations and depressions on the axial outer surfaces of the gear rim as well as on the axially inner surfaces of the flanges mesh with one another.
US08151656B2
A test fixture is provided for automotive wiper systems. The wiper system includes a plurality of connection points and one or more wiper arm connectors. The test fixture measures forces caused by the wiper system's operation at the plurality of connection points while a resistive torque is applied to each of the wiper arm connectors. The test fixture allows for multiple attachment configurations to accommodate the many wiper system configurations that exist.
US08151654B2
A sensor pad for controlling the deployment of an automobile airbag. Weight sensing pad 10 is used in the seat 54 of an automobile, (not illustrated), to detect the presence of an occupant on the seat. Weight sensing pad 10 is used in conjunction with the vehicle's airbag control module in order to allow deployment of the airbag, in the event of a collision, only if the seat is occupied by a person of a preselected weight. Weight sensing pad 10 is defined by a bladder member 15 having an interior volume subdivided into a plurality of individual cells 42 in fluid communication with each other and that is filled with a non-compressible fluid 18, such as silicon or a silica gel of medium viscosity. A pressure tube 22 is in fluid communication with bladder 15 and is in further fluid communication with a pressure activated electronic transducer 26 which in turn is in electronic communication with the airbag controller 30.
US08151651B1
Tangential forces present at the mating area between a clamp-on transducer and a pipe can be made very small in order to provide a higher quality, more stable acoustic coupling. In some cases this is accomplished by providing a low friction bearing on a surface of a transducer housing. This bearing may be a slippery surface portion, or may involve a rotary bearing mounted on the housing. In other cases, where a steel pipe is used, pairs of permanent magnets coupled by a yoke can provide the desired clamping force directed solely along a radius of the pipe.
US08151649B2
A physical quantity sensor device (10) having a structure in which a stress-sensitive body (1) of which the electric characteristics vary depending upon the application of stress and an insulator (2) having electric insulation are formed being closely adhered together, wherein the stress-sensitive body (1) comprises a thin glass film containing an electrically conductive element that is solidly dissolved therein as atoms, a method of manufacturing the physical quantity sensor device, a piezo-resistive film comprising a thin glass film containing ruthenium that is solidly dissolved therein as atoms, and a method of manufacturing the piezo-resistive film.
US08151648B2
Ultra-miniature surface-mountable Fabry-Perot pressure sensor is constructed on an optical fiber which utilizes a 45° angled fiber tip covered with a reflective layer which steers the optical axis of the fiber by 90°. The Fabry-Perot cavity is formed on the sidewall of the fiber and a polymer-metal composite diaphragm is formed on the top of the Fabry-Perot cavity to operate as a pressure transducer. The sensor exhibits a sufficient linearity over the broad pressure range with a high sensitivity. The sensitivity of the sensor may be tuned by controlling the thickness of the diaphragm. The sensor may be used in a wide range of applications, including reliable in vivo low invasive pressure measurements of biological fluids, single sensor systems, as well as integral spatial-division-multiplexing sensor networks. Methods of batch production of uniform device-to-device Fabry-Perot pressure sensors of co-axial and cross-axial configurations are presented.
US08151644B2
A portable non-contact sensor system including a laser generator subsystem, a laser detector subsystem, a beam steering subsystem, an analysis subsystem, a power management subsystem, a user interface, and a communications interface. The laser generator subsystem is configured to project a plurality of laser pulses at a surface of an object that is to be characterized. The laser detector subsystem is configured to receive return laser pulses from the object. The analysis subsystem is configured to analyze the received return pulses and characterize the object.
US08151640B1
An on-chip navigation system, optionally combined with GPS (Global Positioning System) and/or an imaging array, which incorporates MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) components is possible by the use of careful material selection and novel bonding techniques used during fabrication. The use of MEMS components permits many of the components of a typical inertial navigation system to reside on a single chip. Because the components are in close proximity, the components can then be used to monitor the environmental changes of the chip, such as temperature and vibration, and correct for the resulting offsets of other components. This allows improved system performance even if the individual sensor components are not ideal.
US08151618B2
A crimp tool including first and second handles pivotally connected to first and second jaw members, respectively, first and second crimping inserts engaging the first and second jaw members, respectively, each of the first and second crimping inserts having a catch protruding from a non-crimping surface thereof, and first and second hooks slidably attached to the first and second jaw members, respectively, the first and second hooks releasably engaging the protruding catches to retain the crimping inserts on the jaw members.
US08151592B2
This invention relates to a device for controlling a condensate removal pump, including: a float (102) intended to be placed in a container (20), capable of moving according to the level of condensate in the container, an actuation element (130) driven by the movement of said float (102), wherein said actuation element is configured and mounted so as to act selectively on a first and a second microswitch (110, 120) respectively having a first and a second pushbutton (112, 122) mobile between two positions, so as to define three distinct states: a resting state, in which said pump is stopped, wherein said first pushbutton (112) is in a first position ensuring the stopping of said pump and said section pushbutton (122) is in a second position; an active state, in which said pump is activated, wherein said first pushbutton (112) is in a second position ensuring the implementation of said pump, and said second pushbutton (122) remains in its second position; an alarm state, in which a safety action is activated, wherein said first pushbutton (112) remains in its second position ensuring the implementation of said pump and said second pushbutton (122) is in a first position ensuring the activation of a safety action.
US08151581B2
Systems and methods to control an engine configured to drive a compressor of a vehicle air conditioning system having a desired temperature are provided. A time until a threshold is reached is determined based on an environment condition and a vehicle interior condition. A request for the engine to run is removed if the time is greater than a minimum time.
US08151561B2
A multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, wherein exhaust gas outlets of a first portion of the cylinders of the engine communicate with a first exhaust gas manifold section, and the exhaust gas outlets of the remaining cylinders communicate with a second exhaust gas manifold section. An oxidation catalytic converter is disposed in the first exhaust gas manifold section for converting nitric oxide into nitrogen dioxide. A hydrolysis catalytic converter is disposed in the second exhaust gas manifold section, wherein downstream of the catalytic converters the first and second exhaust gas manifold sections discharge into a common main exhaust gas manifold, in which is disposed a further catalytic converter. Upstream of the hydrolysis catalytic converter, a reduction agent can be introduced into the second exhaust gas manifold section; ammonia is adapted to be produced from the reduction agent via the hydrolysis catalytic converter.
US08151558B2
An exhaust system for use with an engine is disclosed. The exhaust system may have an exhaust passageway, a reduction catalyst located within the exhaust passageway, and a particulate filter located within the exhaust passageway upstream of the reduction catalyst. The exhaust system may also have an oxidation catalyst located within the exhaust passageway upstream of the reduction catalyst to provide a desired ratio of NO:NO2 to the reduction catalyst, and an exhaust gas recirculation loop. The exhaust gas recirculation loop may be situated to receive exhaust from the exhaust passageway at a location upstream of the oxidation catalyst and downstream of the particulate filter.
US08151555B2
Provided is a technology enabling a temperature of an exhaust gas purifying device to rise more surely by operating an electric heater for a catalyst attached with the electric heater more steadily without exerting an excessive load on a battery. Included are the battery and the electric heater operating upon being supplied with electric power from the battery and heating an occlusion-reduction type NOx catalyst, wherein it is predicted, from a point that a SOx occluded quantity into the occlusion-reduction type NOx catalyst is equal to or larger than S1, that a SOx poisoning recovery process will be executed in near future (S102), and a charging level of the battery is increased (S106) by raising a voltage of power generation of an alternator (S103).
US08151551B2
A nozzle for use in a gas turbine engine includes nozzle doors coupled with a fan nacelle wherein the nozzle doors move in unison between a plurality of positions to influence a bypass airflow through a fan bypass passage. A linkage connects the nozzle doors and an actuator. A louver section coupled with the linkage moves in unison with the nozzle doors between a plurality of louver positions to direct a portion of the bypass airflow in a selected direction.
US08151536B2
A finish panel for a vehicle may include a panel substrate, a skin layer disposed over the panel substrate, and a foam layer. The panel substrate may include a base portion, an upper sealing surface and a lower sealing surface. The upper sealing surface and the lower sealing surface may be oriented in a step configuration. The skin layer may include an upper skin and a lower skin joined together to form a seam. The seam may include an overlap seam and at least a portion of the overlap seam may be positioned on the lower sealing surface such that there are no obtrusions in an A-surface of the skin layer. The foam layer may be disposed between the skin layer and the panel substrate.
US08151525B2
A blast-resistant window assembly is provided. The assembly has a window, and first and second brackets. The window is fitted within an opening having at least one wall. The first bracket has a brace located adjacent the window, and a stop located adjacent the wall. The second bracket is located adjacent the wall and is configured to receive the stop. During an explosion, force created therefrom causes the window to engage the brace of the first bracket to cause the stop of the same to be received by the second bracket.
US08151522B2
A roof mounting system can include a roof substrate and flashing supportable on the substrate and including an outwardly extending projection having a concave interior side and an aperture extending through the projection between top and bottom surfaces of the flashing. A seal can extend through the aperture and contact at least a portion of the top surface and at least a portion of the bottom surface. The seal can be conformable with the concave interior side and can define a seal aperture substantially aligned with the flashing aperture. A mounting bracket can be supportable on the flashing and can define an aperture sized to receive at least a portion of each of the seal and the projection. A fastener can extend through the mounting bracket aperture, seal aperture, and flashing aperture to inhibit fluid flow through the flashing aperture.
US08151520B2
A center-channel protector for a vehicle sash door is arranged between a main sash and a center channel. A body of the protector has an H-shaped upper-end surface which is compatible to cover the upper end of the center channel. The body integrally includes a pair of branch covering portions corresponding to a pair of branch portions constituting the center channel and a middle covering portion disposed between the branch covering portions so as to connect the both branch covering portions therewith. An engaging portion is provided with the body and is mechanically engaged, in a direction intersecting a vertical direction, with an engaged portion which is provided with a center channel side. In collaboration with the engaged portion, the engaging portion constitutes a fastening mechanism by which the protector is fastened on the center channel.
US08151507B2
A firearm support apparatus operable to increase the accuracy of a weapon, comprising first and second vertical frame element 20 movably attached to swivel attachment 40 at one end, and movably attached to first and second horizontal frame element 25 by at least one tension spring 30. At the end opposite the at least one tension spring 30, first and second horizontal frame element 25 are optionally held together by a horizontal tension spring 35. It will be appreciated that the first and second vertical frame element 20 and first and second horizontal frame element 25 may be arranged such that they form two nearly triangular supports, allowing for a firearm to be suspended from the apex of one such triangle, and wherein the at least one tension springs are sized and selected to reduce the weight of the firearm suspended therefrom, allowing full range of movement by a shooter.
US08151506B2
The unloading tool of the present invention includes a tube having a breech end and a distal end. The unloading tool may have threads at the breech end of the tube for releasably engaging a breech of a firearm so as to facilitate the removal and reloading of powder with respect to the breech. The present invention further encompasses a method for unloading powder from the breech of firearm including the steps of securing a breech end of a tubular unloading tool to a breech of the firearm and tilting the firearm to remove powder from the breech and into the unloading tool.
US08151497B2
An identification device adapted for attachment to an insulated electrical conductor includes a pair of generally-rectangular marking plates having planar first longitudinal horizontal surfaces. A plurality of laterally-spaced resilient tension members connect together corresponding side portions of the marking plates, thereby to bias the marking plates toward a normally closed condition in which the marking plate first surfaces are in contiguous engagement. The marking plates are separable against the biasing force of the tension members toward an open condition for receiving longitudinally between the plates and the tension members the free end of a conductor. Upon release, the marking plates are displaced toward a clamping condition in parallel spaced longitudinally-arranged contiguous engagement with diametrically opposed circumferential surfaces of the conductor. The marking plates are pivoted to the open condition about a pivot axis defined by chamfered end surfaces of the plates.
US08151493B2
Non-highway vehicle plowing systems are described. The plowing system includes a mount assembly having a lower mount bracket, a plow mount bracket, an upper mount bracket, and an actuator bracket. The lower mount bracket is attached to the non-highway vehicle and the plow mount bracket is pivotably connected to the lower mounting bracket. The upper mount bracket is also secured to the non-highway vehicle and is constructed to engage the actuator bracket at a plurality of positions thereby allowing the plow mount assembly to be operable with a plurality of non-highway vehicles. The systems provide advantages in that the systems are not vehicle specific and are adaptable to different vehicle structures.
US08151490B2
An article of footwear configured for use as a dance shoe is provided. The article of footwear can include an upper and a two-piece sole connected to the upper. The article can also include a cage support that surrounds a portion of the upper and aids in flexibility of the shoe. The article can also include a single piece liner with an integrated toe box. In addition, the shoe can include an offset lacing system. In another arrangement, the shoe can include an elastic wrap, connected to the bottom of the shoe on the inside of the upper. The wrap can act as a tongue to minimize contact between the offset lacing system and the dancer's foot. In yet another arrangement, the shoe can include different types of outsole supports.
US08151489B2
An article of footwear including a sole and an upper with an exterior and interior surface, and one or more bladders which comprises at least one of the exterior or interior surfaces of the upper. The bladder comprising sheets of polyurethane or polyester film attached together to form an airtight seal. The article of footwear also includes a inflation mechanism for selectively introducing air in the one or more bladders. The inflation mechanism is located under the foot of the wearer to be activated by the normal action of the wearer to inflate the one or more bladders. The article of footwear may also include an assembly for connecting several tubes to one under foot inflation mechanism. The article of footwear may also include inflatable laces that are inflated by an underfoot inflation mechanism.
US08151481B2
A universal hair dryer holder includes a base including suction mechanism for releasably attaching the base to a generally flat surface and an adjustable arm extending from the base. The holder also includes a cradle for holding a hair dryer at an end of the arm opposite the base.
US08151474B2
The present invention relates to a surveying system, comprising a rotary laser irradiation device 1 installed at a known point and used for projecting two or more fan-shaped laser beams 3 with at least one of the fan-shaped laser beams tilted and for forming a laser reference plane, a photodetection device 4, which is mounted on a mobile support member 9, for receiving the laser beam and for calculating an elevation angle at a photodetecting position, and a monitor photodetection device 11 installed at a known position within the laser reference plane, wherein the monitor photodetection device has a monitor photodetection sensor for sensing and detecting the laser beam, a storage unit for storing a reference value of the laser reference plane, an arithmetic control unit for calculating positional changes over time of the laser reference plane based on the result of photodetection by the monitor photodetection sensor and on the reference value, and a transmitting unit for transmitting the positional changes over time to the photodetection device and/or to the rotary laser irradiation device as compensation information.
US08151472B2
A razor handle having a handle body including two arms, each having a bearing for pivotally connecting a shaving head about an axis of rotation, the arms extending substantially symmetrically on both sides of a medial axis, each bearing having a protrusion extending toward the axis of rotation so as to limit the angular range of rotation of the shaving head.
US08151466B2
A shaving apparatus includes a base part and a shaving head mounted on the base part. The shaving head is pivotably mounted with respect to the base part about a pivot axis that runs parallel to a longitudinal direction of rows of cutting. The pivot axis is offset towards the base part with respect to the rows of cutting teeth in a depth direction relative to the base part. A spring is provided which spring-loads the shaving head counter to the depth direction away from the base part and towards a rest position of the shaving head.
US08151463B1
A process for making a panel for supporting the sidewalls of an excavation includes a plate, longitudinal members and vertical members. Each longitudinal member includes a first leg extending along the length, substantially parallel to and spaced laterally from the plate. The first leg of each longitudinal member being located adjacent and secured to the first leg of another member. A second leg, integral with the first leg, extends along the length, away from the first leg and toward the plate, the second leg being secured to the plate. Axially spaced vertical members are welded to the plate and to the longitudinal members.
US08151450B2
A land grid array (LGA) socket uses a series of inclined engagement features to transfer a lateral load into a normal load to retain the LGA package in the socket. The number and position of the engagement features along the side of the socket permits a more uniform transfer of load to the solder ball array as compared to current mechanisms.
US08151442B2
Magnetoresistive (MR) elements having flux guides defined by the free layer. The MR element includes a free layer, a spacer/barrier layer, a pinned layer, and a pinning layer. A back edge of the free layer (opposite the sensing surface of the MR element) extends past a back edge of the spacer/barrier layer. The portion of the free layer extending past the back edge of the spacer/barrier layer defines a continuous flux guide. The flux guide is processed to reduce the conductive characteristics of the flux guide, thereby reducing current shunt loss in the flux guide.
US08151436B2
There is provided a method by which a member having an undercut in the inner peripheral portion thereof can be formed readily. To form a material (1) formed with a recess (2) and the undercut (3) by using a swaging device, while the material (1) is first gripped by a clamper (11), and a mandrel (12) is inserted into the recess (2) of the material (1). The mandrel (12) used has an outside diameter equal to the inside diameter of a blind hole of an aimed product (fuel injection nozzle). Then, the material (1) is pushed in by the mandrel (12) to a position at which the material (1) abuts on a stopper (13), and the outside surface of the material (1) is struck by swaging dies (8) to perform a swaging operation. This swaging operation reduces the inside diameter of the recess (2) to the outside diameter of the mandrel (12), with the undercut (3) left.
US08151431B2
Technology which enables a first member and a second member to be fastened together strongly is provided. A bar-shaped section is formed on the first member, a hole is formed in the second member, and the bar-shaped section of the first member is pressure fitted into the hole of the second member. Here, the diameter of the circumscribed circle which circumscribes the cross-section perpendicular to the axis of the bar-shaped section is made greater than the diameter of the inscribed circle which inscribes the cross-section perpendicular to the axle of the hole. The diameter of the inscribed circle which inscribes the cross-section perpendicular to the axis of the bar-shaped section is made smaller than the diameter of the circumscribed circle which circumscribes the cross-section perpendicular to the axle of the hole. A tapered section, in which the side face is inclined with respect to the axial direction, is formed in the side face of the harder of the bar-shaped section and the hole, in the end portion which is positioned to the forward side during pressure fitting.
US08151424B2
Apparatus and methods are provided for extracting surface components having an attachment and installed within a surface. In one embodiment, a tool includes a cross member located between a lifting device and a lift plate having an engagement for engaging the attachment. A lift member extends from the lift plate extending through the cross member so as to engage the lifting device so that the lift member is mounted for tilting displacement with respect to the cross member. In another embodiment, a tool for extracting a surface component includes a cross member engaged by supports extending to the surface, for supporting the ends of the cross member above the surface while supporting the cross member against rotation with respect to the surface. Methods are also disclosed for extracting surface components above a surface.
US08151416B2
A hinge for use in, e.g., folding tables, folding chairs, or folding shelves that can be locked in at least one position. According to an aspect of the invention, the hinge is locked in the position that would correspond to the open or deployed state of the piece of furniture of which it is a part.
US08151413B2
A drawing device increases durability of dampers. A slider 14 and a damper base 22 are provided slidable on a base 12 of a drawing device. The damper base 22 is provided with a damper lock 28 which engages with the base 12 to prevent the damper base 22 from sliding and also makes the damper base slidable in the longitudinal direction. When the slider 14 moves relative to the base 12 in the longitudinal direction by a biasing force of an elastic member 15, the damper base in engagement with the base 12 by the damper lock 28 first moves relative to the slider 14 and thereby, the first damper 24 generates a damping force. Then, the damper lock 28 and the base 12 are disengaged, the base 12 moves relative to the damper base 22 and the slider, and thereby, the second damper 25 generates a damping force.
US08151411B2
The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner of a type comprising an elongated support body (1) including a handle (3) in an upper end of the support body, a nozzle device attached to a lower end of the support body by means of a rotatable joint, and a vacuum unit, including an electric motor, a fan and a debris collecting compartment, being accommodated in the support body. An upper portion of the support body (1) is provided with a layer (7, 8) of a slip reducing material at least on a rear surface thereof.
US08151406B2
A wiper blade 13 comprises a rubber holder 17 attached to a tip of a wiper arm 14 and a blade rubber 16 supported by the rubber holder 17. The rubber holder 17 is formed into a U-shaped cross section, and an intermediate portion of the blade rubber 16 is covered with the rubber holder 17. Also, both sides of the rubber holder 17 are provided with covers 18 in a longitudinal direction in series. Each of the cover 18 becomes rotatable to the rubber holder 17 in a direction perpendicular to a front windshield glass 12, and exposed portions from the rubber holder 17 of the blade rubber 16 are covered with these covers 18 in an elastically deformable state.
US08151405B2
A tool for spreading viscous material comprising a sheet of resilient material having a inner face and an outer face, a handle attachment edge and a forward edge. The sheet being bent from the outer face toward the inner face along a bend line to form a V-shaped point to shape an offset corner blade and at least one substantially flat surface blade from the forward edge, and a handle for gripping the tool attached to the handle attachment edge of the sheet distal distally from the bend line.
US08151404B1
A modular trowel handle device comprises a handle section to provide a handle interface for a user of the trowel handle. A post extends from the handle section and a mounting surface is coupled to the post and extends generally parallel to the handle section. A trowel blade receiving plate includes engaging structure configured to engage a connector of a trowel blade. The trowel blade receiving plate is coupled to the mounting surface and is formed from a different material than the mounting surface.
US08151399B2
A cloth accessory and methods for the use thereof are disclosed and described. In one aspect, the cloth accessory may include a cover member forming an enclosure with a cavity therein, and a cloth attached to the cover member. The cloth may have a first configuration wherein the cloth is retracted substantially into the cover member, and a second configuration wherein the cloth is extended substantially out of the cover member without becoming detached therefrom.
US08151389B1
A baby changing mat adapted for fitting onto a stroller seat or car seat. The mat comprises an upper pad and a lower pad. The upper pad has a head end 112 and a foot end. The lower pad has a head end and a foot end. In some embodiments, the foot end of the upper pad pivotably connects with the head end of the lower pad. The upper pad has a generally a uniform thickness stretching from the head end to the foot end of the upper pad. In some embodiments, the head end of the lower pad has a thickness the same that of the foot end of the upper pad, and the thickness gradually increases towards the foot end of the lower pad to form a wedge.
US08151383B2
A juvenile bathing unit includes a baby bath seat and a seat mounting bracket coupled to the baby bath seat. The seat mounting bracket includes a rim clamp configured to be mounted on a rim of a bath rub to hold the baby bath seat in the bath tub.
US08151378B2
This invention is a toilet flushing system. It consists of a button controlled pressure flushing device, a sealed water tank, a flushing valve, major and minor flushing control valves, an air induce device and a one-way water valve. The characteristic of the system is that the button controlled pressure flushing device has a water-volume adjustable valve, a flushing valve with a sealed cavity which has a water injection pipe and a water release pipe. The inlet and the outlet of the water-volume adjustable valve are connected to the outlet of the one-way water valve and water injection pipe of the flushing valve respectively. The inlets of the major and minor flushing control valve are connected to the water release pipe of the flushing valve. The outlets of the major and minor control valves are linked to the main release outlet which has large diameter and high speed on-off action. Compare with the existing pressure-assistant flushing system, its structure is simple and at the same times, the amount of water used in the minor flushing can be controlled by adjusting the flow difference between water-volume adjustable valve and the minor control valve.
US08156563B2
One or more rights objects (RO) files may be used for storing RO's preferably in the protected area available only to authenticated users. A RO navigation file is stored preferably in an unprotected public area containing status bits, where each status bit identifies whether a location in a RO file contains a valid RO or not. Preferably, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the location for a RO in a RO file and a location in the RO navigation file for the status bit which identifies whether its corresponding location in the RO file contains a valid RO or not. Whether a particular location in a RO file contains a valid RO or not can be found by checking its corresponding status bit in the RO navigation file. By finding out whether a particular location in a RO file contains a valid RO or not in this manner, it is possible to delete ROs without having to go through an authentication process. The process of finding an empty slot in the RO file for storing a new RO is also simplified. This greatly increases the efficiency of RO management. A similar system may be used for management of content encryption/encryption keys for protecting content files.
US08156556B2
A method and apparatus for detecting an originator of traffic of interest is provided. One or more honeypots are established. Mobility is then provided to the one or more honeypots. In one embodiment, mobility is provided by communicating information associated with one or more dark prefixes. In another embodiment, mobility is provided by varying information related to the one or more dark prefixes.
US08156548B2
An identification system 1 used for authenticating a user at a user station 30 requesting access to secure information at a base station 20, wherein the system 1 includes one or more base stations 20, one or more user stations 30, and one or more identification devices 10 used for authenticating the user of the user station 30. The identification device 10 is coupled to a user station 30. The device 10 includes a plurality of device codes and identity data, to receive an identification request from the base station 20, generate an identification response including an identification code using the plurality of device codes and a plurality of algorithms, and, transfer the identification response back to the base station 20. The base station 20 authenticates the user's request for secure information by using the identification response.
US08156542B2
In one embodiment a method comprises enrolling a mobile device in a local area network by setting a variable to a mobile device identifier and authenticating the mobile device using a network gateway and the mobile device identifier. A request for data is received from the mobile device and the data is delivered from a service provider to the mobile device.
US08156540B2
A system to manage a key license includes an information handling system having non-volatile memory accessible to a processor. The non-volatile memory stores feature enablement information related to a feature that the information handling system is adapted to provide. The non-volatile memory stores instructions that are accessible to the processor and executable by the processor to send the feature enablement information related to the feature to an external system after the information handling system is deployed, and to request the feature enablement information, or other feature enablement information related to the feature, from the external system in response to receiving a request for the information handling system to provide the feature.
US08156537B2
The present description refers in particular to a method, a system, and a computer program product for access control using resource filters for a strict separation of application and security logic. The computer-implemented method for access control may include receiving at least one access request to at least one resource from an application; providing a resource hierarchy for the at least one resource, the resource having at least one resource class, wherein the resource hierarchy is defined in a single resource; providing a policy comprising at least one access control rule for accessing at least one element of the at least one resource class; verifying the at least one access request based on the policy through an authorization service; and processing the at least one access request through a service interface.
US08156535B2
An apparatus for and a method of transmitting analog return signals in a digital return path of a cable television system (CATV) is disclosed. In one embodiment, at a node of the CATV system, an analog CATV return signal is converted to a stream of digital samples at approximately 100 MHz. Signals outside of a desired frequency band are removed with a digital filter having predetermined filter coefficients. The resulting stream of digital samples is up-sampled to generate another stream of digital samples at a rate that is four times the center frequency of a predetermined frequency band. The resulting stream is then punctured to generate yet another stream with a data rate that is lower than 100 MHz. Zero samples are removed, and the remaining digital samples are serialized and converted to optical signals for transmission via an optical medium of the CATV return path. A reverse process at a hub or head end of the CATV return system restores the signals of the desired frequency band.
US08156532B2
A video program production system of efficiently and flexibly producing a video program. For viewing, a composition table providing apparatus provides each terminal with composition table data in which items required for the production of the video program are arranged and a variety of information is described in the items. Each terminal, namely, each terminal of each work group is permitted to view the composition table data. Each work group views the composition table data any time in time of need, and the work group can learn the content, described in the composition table data, such as instructions for work, and work results of other groups. Based on the content, the work group performs required jobs.
US08156531B2
A receiving device receives broadcast, information, etc. in response to a user selection by manipulation, in order to present the broadcast, information, etc. to the user. The device includes a channel set managing section (30) which collectively handles multiple channels corresponding to broadcast and content on the Internet or another network received by a receiving device (100) as channel groups which are preset handling units according to certain rules. The user can readily handle large numbers of channels when compared with cases where increasing channels are all handled equally without being grouped.
US08156528B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing an interactive television system for recording television programming. The interactive television system may include components for providing personal video recorder (PVR) functionality, such as an interactive television program guide (IPG), PVR extensions, PVR application programming interfaces (APIs), a PVR device, any suitable hardware or software, or a combination thereof. These components may be implemented in, for example, an arrangement having an integrated PVR-compliant device with a PVR device, or in an arrangement having a PVR-compliant device (e.g., a set-top box) coupled to PVR equipment (e.g., a remote PVR server or a PVR sidecar) with a PVR device. The PVR-compliant device may include software and hardware configured to implement the IPG. The PVR APIs may be a library of intelligent vendor-specific and vendor-independent APIs able to determine the type of PVR device being used. The PVR extensions and PVR APIs may be configured to provide a seamless integration of functionality associated with the PVR-compliant device and the PVR device. A full port of the IPG may be implemented in both the PVR-compliant device and the PVR device.
US08156518B2
A system and method for filtering audio content are provided. An audio data filtering system may include an input interface to receive audio data. The system may also include an analysis module to compare a textual representation of the audio data to data identifying prohibited audio content. The system may also include a packet filter to prevent transmission of portions of the audio data matching prohibited audio content to a remote user device. The system may further include an output interface to transmit portions of the audio data not identified as prohibited audio content to the remote user device.
US08156513B2
A motor includes a bearing mechanism, a stationary unit including a stator arranged radially outwards of the bearing mechanism, and a rotary unit supported by the bearing mechanism at the upper side of the stationary unit for rotation about a center axis with respect to the stationary unit. The rotary unit includes a substantially cylindrical closed-top rotor yoke having a cover portion arranged to cover the stator. The bearing mechanism includes a substantially cylindrical closed-bottom bush formed by a press work, a sleeve fixed inside the bush and provided with an upper portion protruding beyond the bush and a shaft inserted into the sleeve. An upper end of the bush is lower than or flush with an upper end of the stator in a direction parallel to the center axis.
US08156508B2
Runtime execution of one or more tasks defined in a workflow process language. The method may include obtaining a description of the task from a process ontology (PO). The PO may define a hierarchical taxonomy of executable tasks, where each task refers to at least one frame of a hierarchical frame taxonomy of the PO. The method may further include identifying at least one parameter as described in the frame description to which the task refers, resolving the value of the at least one parameter, and executing the most specific applicable version of the task contained in the task taxonomy of the process ontology.
US08156504B2
In one embodiment, a load balancing system may include a first physical device that provides a resource. The first physical device may have a first virtual device running actively thereon. The first virtual device may have the resource allocated to it on the physical device. The first physical device may also have a virtual server load balancer running actively thereon. The server load balancer may be adapted to balance a workload associated with the resource between the first virtual device and a second virtual device. The second virtual device may be running in active mode on a second physical device, and in standby mode on the first physical device. The first virtual device may be in standby mode on the second physical device.
US08156497B2
A mechanism for sharing tasks is provided in which individuals in a share group may signal their intent to complete individual shared tasks and communicate that intent to other individuals in the share group. A required time for completion of the shared tasks may be associated with an individual's signaling of the intent to complete the shared task. The completion of the shared task by the individual signaling intent to complete may be monitored and, if not completed within the associated required time, the performance of the shared task may again be shared with the individuals of the share group. In this way, another individual may signal that individual's intent to perform the shared task and the process may be repeated until the shared task is completed.
US08156495B2
A device, system, and method are directed towards managing threads and components in computer system with one or more processing units. A processor group has an associated hierarchical structure containing nodes that may correspond to processing units, hardware components, or abstractions. The processor group hierarchy may be used to assign one or more threads to one or more processing units, by traversing the hierarchy based on various factors. The factor may include load balancing, affinity, sharing of components, loads, capacities, or other characteristics of components or threads. A processor group hierarchy may be used in conjunction with a designated processor set.
US08156491B2
A virtual machine communicates with one or more additional virtual machines to establish membership for a virtual lockstep computing system, wherein each virtual machine is hosted by a node in a network. The virtual machine communicates with the one or more additional virtual machines to determine a membership configuration, wherein a first virtual machine in the membership configuration is an active machine, and all remaining virtual machines in the membership configuration are standby machines. A single step operation is executed by the virtual machine upon obtaining an operational token that includes contents of the single step operation, wherein the operational token is generated by the active machine. The operational token is passed to a next virtual machine in the membership configuration, wherein the operational token is passed between the virtual machine and the additional virtual machines according to the membership configuration.
US08156482B2
A system and method for generation of efficient calls from compiled byte code within a virtual machine (VM) or Java Virtual Machine (JVM) environment. Current techniques used to interface dynamically compiled byte code with native libraries using stubs are unsatisfactory due to non-optimal performance and the large amount of manual work needed to maintain the stub generation code. An embodiment of the present invention addresses this by providing a system and a method for automatic stub generation based on a small set of parameters stored in a ParamInfo structure. In accordance with an embodiment, the system comprises a computer with native libraries; a virtual machine for executing a software application; a memory space for the compiled byte code; and a compiler with a calling convention adaptor that integrates native calls into the high level analysis step of the compilation of byte codes, so that the overhead for the native call is reduced.
US08156480B2
Methods and an apparatus to form a resilient objective instruction construct are provided. An example method obtains a source instruction construct and forms a resilient objective instruction construct by compiling one or more resilient transactions.
US08156470B2
A system and method for the mass customization of software includes a software production line infrastructure, development environment, and actuator. The infrastructure organizes the software production line using a feature declarations component, a product definitions component, an automatons component, and a partition composition component. The development environment browses, displays, organizes, edits, and maintains the infrastructure. The actuator actuates the software production line to produce custom software products.
US08156468B2
An object-oriented, computer-based system for developing simulation models is provided. The system comprises one or more base objects and one or more graphical processes, wherein new objects are created from base objects by a user by assigning one or more graphical processes to the base object(s). New objects are created without the need for methods or computer programming. A model is built by creating objects that represent the physical components of the system being modeled into the model, and then running the model.
US08156466B2
An improved method for interconnect delay analysis for VLSI circuits reduces a parasitic graph for moment computation by eliminating one or more nodes in the graph. the elimination process is performed based upon the degree of the nodes. By eliminating nodes in this fashion, the computation complexity is significantly reduced. With this elimination process, resistor loops and crossed loops can also be solved. The order in which the nodes are eliminated is optimized using the depth-first-search method on the parasitic graphs, further reducing the computation complexity. The method provides a consistent functional interface, applicable to different circuit model structures. In addition, the method accounts for coupling capacitance between interconnects.
US08156458B2
Embodiments that create parent-child relationships for reuse of 1×N building blocks in a closed-loop 1×N system are disclosed. Some methods comprise generating a representation of an IC design, inserting a first 1×N building block into the representation, and creating an association between the first 1×N building block and a second 1×N building block. The association enables the first 1×N building block to inherit alterations of attributes of the second 1×N building block and enables unique alterations of attributes of the first 1×N building block which differ from the second 1×N building block. Further embodiments comprise an apparatus having an equivalency determiner to determine a logical equivalence between a two 1×N building blocks, an attribute creator that creates a set of attributes and enables one of the 1×N building blocks to inherit parent attributes and comprise child attributes.
US08156448B2
A concept for providing hierarchical navigation information relative to one or more databases within a distributed computer system is described. In one aspect, this includes a process for hierarchically organizing bodies of information that includes: receiving a query from a user, abstracting a list of descriptors from one or more sources of information selected based on the query, organizing the list according to an hierarchy of nodes referenced in the one or more sources of information and providing information configured to facilitate displaying a graphical user interface illustrating the hierarchy and having user programmable server control classes for accession of nodes in the hierarchy.
US08156447B2
Implementing a digital contact sheet generator includes receiving input parameters from a remotely located user to create a table. The table includes one or more table cells, each of which comprises a text cell and an image cell. The input parameters define an appearance of the contact sheet and the table. Each table cell is formatted by selecting an image from a set of source media and calculating a size of the image cell associated with the particular table cell. A location of the image cell within the particular table cell is then determined and the image is resized. The image cell is repositioned and the resized image is drawn in the image cell.
US08156440B2
A graphic user interface as well as related methods and logic for a DICOM transfer configuration are provided. For example, a first image object corresponding to an origin node is provided. A second image object corresponding to a destination node is provided. The second image object includes an indicator associated with a DICOM transfer. At least one link image object is between the first image object and the second image object. The link image object is indicative of a potential DICOM transfer. The first, second, and link image objects are displayed in a user interface. The potential DICOM transfer is operable to be configured via the user interface.
US08156437B2
A technique for enabling scenario files and image files for supply to a scenario generating device to be created easily is provided. The scenario creating device creates a scenario file supplied to a scenario reproducing device capable of reproducing only image files of a predetermined format. The scenario creating device comprises: an input section including a pointing device; a display section; and a scenario creating section for creating the scenario file. The scenario creating section provides a display of an execution icon on the display screen for causing the scenario creating section to execute a process. When a file icon for a source file of a predetermined format including pagewise scenario information and image information is dragged and dropped on the execution icon by means of operation of the pointing device, a scenario file is created on the basis of the scenario information, and an image file of the predetermined format is generated on the basis of the image information.
US08156434B2
An arrangement for determining those optimal times to permit an important pop-up message to be displayed by way of garnering a user's attention, while permitting less important messages to be displayed at times when a user's attention is unlikely to be garnered. In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment, an arrangement is provided to recognize whether a user is looking towards a computer monitor and, at such times, to determine whether a blink rate of the user's eyes corresponds to a degree of focus and concentration that would ensure a strong likelihood of the user seeing or “catching” a message that may then appear. If such likelihood is thus determined to be strong, then a critical message may preferably then be displayed.
US08156432B2
Provided are printers and other electronic devices, systems, methods, and computer program products that automatically detect and determine UTF-16 encoding schemes and endiannesss thereof in an incoming XML data steam for XML declarations without a UTF-16 byte-order mark (BOM) or encoding declaration. This allows for the automatic and unambiguous accurate detection of UTF-16 encoded XML data within a mixed encoding environment, such as from multiple sources using more than one encoding scheme, even when XML data does not start with a BOM or encoding declaration.
US08156425B2
Determining a total dimension of items in computer-based user interface control (e.g., non-uniform items displayed in grid-view), may be accomplished by determining an estimated dimension value (e.g., for all items in a series) and combining (e.g., multiplying) that value with a total number of items (e.g., items in the series). If a viewport offset value and viewport item value is known, and/or a previously realized dimension and previously realized item value is known, the estimated dimension value may be determined by combining one or more of these values with values for realized items. Otherwise, the estimated dimension value can be determined by dividing the realized items dimensions value by the number of realized items. A total dimension value may be used by a user interface element, for example, to calculate an appropriate size and location of a scroll bar display.
US08156424B2
Aspects of the present invention relate to systems, methods and devices for imaging device dynamic document creation and organization. Some aspects relate to imaging device dynamic document creation and organization, wherein a document format, a dynamic field structure and document static content are selected on an imaging device user interface and combined to form a dynamic document on the imaging device. Some aspects of the present invention relate to imaging device dynamic document creation and organization, wherein dynamic document menu options are sent to an imaging device from a remote computing device.
US08156417B2
A computer-readable recording medium recording multimedia contents data and a data structure that represents a chronological sequence of operations that are processed in a data processing device. The computer-readable recording medium includes a schedule portion including a predetermined reproduction time when the media data is to be reproduced in the reproducing unit and a predetermined input time when the input operation is to be received by the input unit. The data processing device performs steps of processing the multimedia contents data so that the predetermined media data is reproduced at the predetermined reproduction time on the basis of a schedule portion, receiving a predetermined input operation at the predetermined input time. The data processing device carries out a predetermined editing operation and resumes processing of the multimedia contents in accordance with the schedule portion.
US08156409B2
In accordance with one or more embodiments, a decoder may determine whether a lowest reliability value of a plurality of codeword bits that correspond to a particular output reliability value for a particular constraint node of a parity-check matrix is greater than a threshold value (e.g., an offset), and if so, selectively applies a modified min-sum approximation constraint node update with a reliability value modification (e.g., an offset or normalized min-sum approximation).
US08156403B2
A method for operating a memory device (24) includes encoding data using an Error Correction Code (ECC) and storing the encoded data as first analog values in respective analog memory cells (32) of the memory device. After storing the encoded data, second analog values are read from the respective memory cells of the memory device in which the encoded data were stored. At least some of the second analog values differ from the respective first analog values. A distortion that is present in the second analog values is estimated. Error correction metrics are computed with respect to the second analog values responsively to the estimated distortion. The second analog values are processed using the error correction metrics in an ECC decoding process, so as to reconstruct the data.
US08156402B2
A memory device comprises a memory array and error correction circuitry coupled to the memory array. The memory device is configured to perform at least a partial word write operation and a read operation, with the partial word write operation comprising a read phase and a write phase. The write phase of the partial word write operation occurs in the same clock cycle of the memory device as the read operation by, for example, time multiplexing bitlines of the memory array within the clock cycle between the write phase of the partial word write operation and the read operation. Thus, the partial word write operation appears to a higher-level system incorporating or otherwise utilizing the memory device as if that operation requires only a single clock cycle of the memory device.
US08156394B2
A TAP linking module (21, 51) permits plural TAPs (TAPs 1-4) to be controlled and accessed from a test bus (13) via a single TAP interface (20).
US08156384B2
In a method, a computer-readable medium encoded with programming instructions, and a system for the administration of error messages of electronic, medical technology peripheral apparatuses that are in communication via a CANopen interface, a device configuration file is extended by a message object. The message object can be configured in advance. At run time the message object is then imported and used in the processing or in the administration of a detected error message. The detected error message is parameterized (and thus specifically processed) using the detected message object.
US08156381B2
A storage management apparatus manages a plurality of storage apparatuses connected to each other over a network in a storage system that distributes data among the storage apparatuses and stores the data therein. The storage management apparatus has a patrol process executing unit configured to execute a patrol process to confirm whether a storage area of each storage apparatus operates normally and a patrol flow controlling unit configured to control a patrol flow indicating the speed of the patrol process executed by the patrol process executing unit.
US08156379B2
A method of assessing a computer program under actual working conditions according to one embodiment comprises executing the computer program multiple times under actual working conditions, in response to each unhandled exception encountered during execution of the computer program, creating a corresponding stack frame signature to characterize the state of the program, and comparing the stack frame signatures to determine which unhandled exceptions are likely to have resulted from similar features.
US08156378B1
An ontology is generated for a business application on an enterprise network that describes one or more nodes that communicate with each other during the execution of the business application. An alert condition of the business application is detected, and the ontology for the business application is processed to determine one or more components of the ontology that are in an alert state. Further, a root cause view that indicates the one or more alert state components is generated and displayed to a user.
US08156364B2
A method (which can be computer implemented) for processing a plurality of adjacent rows of data units, using a plurality of parallel processors, given (i) a predetermined processing order, and (ii) a specified inter-row dependency structure, includes the steps of determining starting times for each individual one of the processors, and maintaining synchronization across the processors, while ensuring that the dependency structure is not violated. Not all the starting times are the same, and a sum of absolute differences between (i) starting times of any given processor, and (ii) that one of the processors having an earliest starting time, is minimized.
US08156361B2
A computer system includes a system chip and a plurality of peripheral devices. The system chip includes a plurality of modules. Each module includes a controller. Each controller receives an independent power supply and is powered on or off according to a GPIO port signal. The peripheral devices via connectors or slots connect to corresponding controllers. When parts of controllers do not connect to peripheral devices, the controllers that are not connected are powered off to reduce the power consumption of the system chip.
US08156355B2
A method and system for reducing power consumption in a programmable logic device (PLD) is provided. The power consumption may be reduced by preferably continually considering power consumption as a factor in circuit design during the technology mapping, routing, and period following routing of the programmable logic device.
US08156349B2
An electronic device, comprising a USB connector through which another electronic device is connected to the electronic device; and a power supply circuit that supplies power from a power source to the other electronic device via a specified pin other than a power supply pin of the USB connector.
US08156348B2
A power controller (100) is for controlling power consumed in an information processor (1000) and includes a power context storing means (ZA105), a power context reference means (ZB101), and a power status changing means (ZA101). The power context storing means (ZA105) stores power control information for individual programs on a per program basis in storage regions distinguished with program identification information. The power context reference means (ZB101) references the power control information for the desired program in the power context storing means (ZA105). The power status changing means (ZA101) changes the status of the power consumed in the information processor (1000) based on the power control information referenced by the power context reference means (ZB101).
US08156346B2
A keyboard-input information-security apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus includes an interrupt-descriptor table for storing a list of addresses of functions for handling interrupts, and storing an address of a secure input interrupt-service routine at a specific location in an address area for an operating-system input interrupt-service routine supported by an operating system; a secure input-device driver for changing keyboard-interrupt-vector information to invoke the address of the secure input interrupt-service routine when a keyboard interrupt is generated by a keyboard, and receiving and encoding data input via the keyboard based on the address of the secure input interrupt-service routine; and a secure input unit for delivering the encoded data from the secure input-device driver to an application program, thereby providing higher-level security than a conventional keyboard-security scheme, and particularly, effectively blocking a port-polling attack or an action trying to change a setting in a debug register.
US08156344B2
A method of backing up domain information relating to the construction of a domain is provided. In the method, the domain information is encrypted and the encrypted domain information is stored in a predetermined storage device in the domain the encrypted domain information to the predetermined storage device, thereby securely backing up the domain information without the help of an external network. Accordingly, even when the existing domain server malfunctions, a new domain server is capable of obtaining the domain information.
US08156340B1
A system is provided for securely downloading content to a mobile telecommunications device. The system includes a mobile application to enable the mobile telecommunications device to send a request for content identified on a telecommunication provider system. The system includes a content application maintained by the content provider to retrieve content and promote delivery of the content to the mobile telecommunications device. The system also includes a challenge component and a response component, the response component communicates with the mobile application and encodes a challenge data. The challenge component communicates with the content application. The challenge component sends the challenge data to the mobile application and decodes the challenge data received from the mobile application to validate the response for delivery of the content to the mobile application.
US08156336B2
Authentication of two devices in communication with a third device is achieved where the first and second devices each possess a shared secret value. The authentication includes communication of authentication values from the first device to the second device using the third device. Similarly, there is communication of values from the second device to the first device using the third device. The third device retains the communicated values. The values are calculated to permit the third device to authenticate the first and second devices without the third device receiving the shared secret value. The authentication may be used to establish a communications channel between the first and the second devices.
US08156334B2
Methods for key exchange and mutual authentication are provided that allow for inherent authentication and secret key derivation of parties communicating through an unsecured medium. These methods allow for greater security than existing key exchange and authentication methods while requiring little or no additional energy or time compared with a basic Diffie-Hellman key exchange. These methods allow for secure communication with small, low-power devices and greater security for any devices communicating through an unsecured medium.
US08156333B2
An apparatus and a method for an authentication protocol. In one embodiment, a client requests for an authentication challenge from a server. The server generates the authentication challenge and sends it to the client. The authentication challenge includes the authentication context identifier, a random string, a timestamp, and a signature value. The client computes a salt value based on a username and the authentication context identifier from the authentication challenge. The signature value is computed based on the authentication context identifier, the random string, and the timestamp. The client computes a hashed password value based on the computed salt value, and a message authentication code based on the hashed password value and the random string. The client sends a response to the server. The response includes the username, the message authentication code, the random string, the timestamp, and the signature value.
US08156332B2
A salt transmitted by a second node is received at a first node. The received salt is used to decrypt encrypted data. Optionally, authorization to access a service provided by the second node is received by the first node. In some cases the service includes access to one or more files.
US08156322B2
A storage device contains a smart-card device and a memory device, which is connected to a controller. The storage device may be used in the same manner as a conventional smart-card device, or it may be used to store a relatively large amount of data. The memory device may also be used to store data or instructions for use by the smart-card device. The controller includes a security engine that uses critical security parameters stored in, and received from, the smart-card device. The critical security parameters may be sent to the controller in a manner that protects them from being discovered. The critical security parameters may be encryption and/or decryption keys that may encrypt data written to the memory device and/or decrypt data read from the memory device, respectively. Data and instructions used by the smart-card device may therefore stored in the memory device in encrypted form.
US08156307B2
A multi-processor system comprises at least one host processor, which may comprise a fixed instruction set, such as the well-known x86 instruction set. The system further comprises at least one co-processor, which comprises dynamically reconfigurable logic that enables the co-processor's instruction set to be dynamically reconfigured. In this manner, the at least one host processor and the at least one dynamically reconfigurable co-processor are heterogeneous processors having different instruction sets. Further, cache coherency is maintained between the heterogeneous host and co-processors. And, a single executable file may contain instructions that are processed by the multi-processor system, wherein a portion of the instructions are processed by the host processor and a portion of the instructions are processed by the co-processor.
US08156306B1
The invention provides a system to reclaim space identified as no longer in use and comprises a vLUN, a thinly provisioned mapped LUN, a mapping layer, and a data reduction engine. Chunks of data are stored at logical chunk addresses (LCAs) in the vLUN and are mapped to corresponding physical chunk addresses (PCAs) in the thinly provisioned mapped LUN. The data reduction engine performs a data reduction process on a first logical chunk of data stored at a first LCA in the vLUN, where the first logical chunk has a size that is a nonzero integer multiple of the size of the storage extent of the thinly provisioned mapped LUN. After the data reduction process, the PCA associated with the first logical chunk is no longer needed, and the thinly provisioned mapped LUN is instructed to deallocate the PCA associated with the first logical chunk that is no longer needed.
US08156288B2
Main memory is managed by receiving a command from an application to read data associated with a virtual address that is mapped to the main memory. A memory controller determines that the virtual address is mapped to one of the symmetric memory components of the main memory, and accesses memory use characteristics indicating how the data associated with the virtual address has been accessed, The memory controller determines that the data associated with the virtual address has access characteristics suited to an asymmetric memory component of the main memory and loads the data associated with the virtual address to the asymmetric memory component of the main memory. After the loading and using the memory management unit, a command is received from the application to read the data associated with the virtual address, and the data associated with the virtual address is retrieved from the asymmetric memory component.
US08156282B1
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system, and computer program product for optimizing I/O operations performed by a storage server operating on behalf of multiple clients to access data on a plurality of storage devices (disks). Embodiments of the present invention eliminate the need for selected read operations to write new data to physical data blocks by zeroing the physical data blocks to which new data will be written. Additionally, the need for reading old parity to compute new parity is eliminated. Instead, new parity is computed from the data to be written without the need of old parity or the storage server sends a command to a disk that stores parity. A module implemented at the disk that stores parity executes the command without reading, by the storage server, old parity. Eliminating the need for reading old data and for reading old parity eliminates some rotation latency and improves overall system's performance.
US08156281B1
A method and system for allocating storage in a data storage system using one or more storage profiles. A set of storage profiles are provided that each has a set of parameters with values defined for the data storage system and for particular client applications. The method includes receiving a selection of one of the storage profiles, such as from an administrative user interface generated by a storage manager running in conjunction with the data storage system. The selected storage profile is then applied to the data storage system to allocate a portion of the data storage system to a storage pool which is defined by the values of the set of parameters in the selected storage profile. The method includes creating a user-defined storage profile by copying parameters from one of the provided storage profiles and allowing a user to modify or accept the parameters.
US08156277B2
A storage controller manages address conversion information denoting the correspondence relationship between a logical address and a physical address of storage area (for example, a physical block) inside a flash memory. The storage controller uses the above-mentioned address conversion information to specify a physical address corresponding to a logical address specified by an I/O request from a higher-level device, and sends an I/O command including I/O-destination information based on the specified physical address to a memory controller inside a flash memory module. The memory controller carries out the I/O with respect to a storage area inside a flash memory specified from the I/O-destination information of the I/O command from the storage controller.
US08156276B2
A method and apparatus for data transfer includes receiving a first data packet across a first bi-directional bus and receiving a second data packet across a second bi-directional bus. Next, the first data packet is written to a first register operably coupled to the first bi-directional bus and the second bi-directional bus. The second data packet is written to a second register operably coupled to the first bi-directional bus and the second bi-directional bus. The second data packet is then transferred across the first bi-directional bus and the first data packet is transferred across the second bi-directional bus, thereby providing data transfer across a plurality of bi-directional buses and providing for data to be transferred across those buses to be stored at an intermediate register so that the data may be transferred in the next clock cycle, overcoming any latency requirements.
US08156273B2
A method and system for controlling transmission and execution of commands in an integrated circuit (IC) device provide transmission of commands and acknowledgements in an order of their priorities. Priority levels of the commands and acknowledgements are defined based on pre-assigned levels of precedence of the respective master and slave devices. In one application, the invention is used to increase performance of IC devices employing an Advanced eXtensible Interface (AXI).
US08156270B2
An embodiment of the present invention is disclosed to include a hard disk drive allowing for access by two hosts to a device. Further disclosed are embodiments for reducing the delay and complexity of the SATA disk drive.
US08156258B2
A recording and replaying device is provided in which a user can easily diagnose failure when a built-in storage device of the device fails. In a normal operation state, a microcomputer controls a signal path switching mechanism to connect a signal processing device and a hard disk drive (HDD). In an abnormal operation state, the microcomputer sets a USB interface device to effective state, and controls the signal path switching mechanism to connect the USB interface device and the hard disk drive (HDD), so that the hard disk drive is recognized by an external personal computer as a USB mass storage.
US08156252B2
In various embodiments, options for data striping to FLASH memory are provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes an SATA to ATA bridge, an ATA to USB bridge coupled to the SATA to ATA bridge, and a USB interface coupled to the ATA to USB bridge. The apparatus also includes a first FLASH memory controller coupled to the USB interface. The apparatus further includes a first FLASH memory module coupled to the first FLASH memory controller. The apparatus also includes a second FLASH memory controller coupled to the USB interface and a second FLASH memory module coupled to the second FLASH memory controller. A method for block striping data to or from a plurality of read or write channels.
US08156249B2
In aspects, a gateway that sits between a single network protocol client and a server receives a request from the client for a network address of the server. The gateway issues multiple name resolution requests and waits for a first response. Depending on various factors, the gateway determines whether or not to wait for additional responses before responding to the client. If needed, the gateway may obtain an address of a translating device to assist the client in communicating with the server.
US08156248B2
Methods, systems, and products for distributing images in a data processing system, including receiving a request for a dynamic server page having a multiplicity of associated images, each image having a storage location identified in the dynamic server page by an image resource locator; inserting in the dynamic server page an image group identifier for the images; and inserting in the dynamic server page client data names for the images. Typical embodiments also include receiving from the client a request for a group of images, wherein the request comprises the image group identifier; retrieving from storage the images identified by the image group identifier; and sending the retrieved images to the client.
US08156245B2
A system for verifying modem status for a telecommunications service provider in a broadband network serviced by a central office. The system comprising an interne interface for receiving a modem status request from the telecommunications service provider via a telecommunications network and an integrator capable of retrieving subscriber information and a server connected to the internet interface for receiving the modem status request and transmitting the modem status request to the integrator. The integrator interprets the modem status request and retrieves corresponding subscriber information and transmits the corresponding subscriber information to the server, the server thereby converting the corresponding subscriber information to a central office request and sending the central office request to the central office. The central office responding to the request and transmitting a status signal to the server and the server transmitting the signal to the interne interface which converts the status signal to a readable format for the telecommunications service provider.
US08156238B2
Apparatus and methods for wireless data transmission in a multimedia network are disclosed. Disclosed is a network having a source coupled to a sink using a virtual channel that includes a wireless communication channel. A source end of the system provides a packetizing data stream having a stream of payloads such that each payload is associated with its respective originating source stream. The system configured to encode the packetized data stream for wireless transport. A non-wireless source end of the system receives quality of service information from downstream. Thereby enabling adjustments to the source content and packetized data streams.
US08156237B2
A method of receiving and process a broadcast signal including a Non-Real Time (NRT) service and a broadcast receiver are disclosed herein. A method of processing a broadcast signal including a Non-Real Time (NRT) service, the method comprises receiving and processing a signaling information table including access information of the NRT service, receiving and storing data of the NRT service based on the signaling information table in non-real time, extracting access information of additional information relating to the NRT service from the signaling information table, and downloading the additional information relating to the NRT service based on the extracted access information.
US08156233B2
In one embodiment, a method includes determining a first template defining a data format for one or more first data records and a second template defining a data format for one or more second data records. The template may be needed to decode the information included in an associated data record. The first template is sent on a first stream of a multi-stream protocol in an ordered fashion, such as SCTP. The one or more first data records are also sent on the first stream in an ordered fashion and include first flow information for data sent through a network device. A second template is sent on a second stream using the multi-stream protocol in an ordered fashion. One or more second data records are sent on the second stream including second flow information for data sent through the network device.
US08156227B2
When a website has a number of equivalent domain names including a preferred domain name, the locator for a document in the website can be rewritten using the preferred domain name before indexing the document, according to certain embodiments. According to certain embodiments, a user interface is provided to allow a user to specify the preferred domain name for a website for which the user is a verified owner.
US08156225B2
Disclosed is a method of accepting a QoS request for utilizing resources of a network in a predetermined quality. The method receives from a terminal connected to the network a resource unnecessity notification indicating that resource allocated to the terminal has become unnecessary, and holds, as a free resource information, information on a free resource which is a resource notified by the resource unnecessity notification as unnecessary resource. Then, the method receives the QoS request from the terminal, and determines whether the free resource meets the received QoS request or not on the basis of the free resource information. The method allocates the free resource to the terminal when the free resource meets the received QoS request, and transmits information on the allocated free resource to the terminal.
US08156219B2
A method of monitoring a network is disclosed and includes receiving an enrollment message at a heartbeat manager from a heartbeat agent associated with a first application stored at a first network entity. The method also includes automatically associating a heartbeat interval with the first application based at least partially on the enrollment message. In another embodiment, a system of monitoring a network is disclosed and includes a network entity having processing logic and memory accessible to the processing logic. The memory stores an application including a heartbeat agent portion having instructions executable by the processing logic to enroll with a heartbeat management server communicating with the network entity and including a heartbeat monitor including instructions to subscribe to notifications indicating an operational status of an application residing at a second network entity.
US08156208B2
A service repository is used to store at least one service in association with service metadata describing service requirements of the service. The service repository also may store one or more platform-specific service executables. A service mapper is used to determine device metadata associated with each of a plurality of devices, where the device metadata provides device characteristics of the devices. The service mapper may thus map the service to a selected device of the plurality of devices for deployment thereon, based on a matching of corresponding elements of the service requirements and the device characteristics. The service mapper also may re-map the service between devices to maintain a quality and reliability of the service.
US08156207B2
A preferred embodiment apparatus for configuring network devices in a network includes a controller provided at a remote location on the network for receiving a configuration request from a user to configure a select user defined device. The controller translates the configuration request to another configuration request, and issues the translated configuration request to a select network device corresponding to the select user defined device for configuring the select network device. A translation enabling part allows the controller to translate the first configuration request received from the user to the second configuration request issued to the select network device.
US08156204B2
A system, method and device are disclosed for managing bandwidth in content delivery from a push content server to a wireless device. The system may include: a content server configurable to deliver content to the wireless device; a processor for controlling operation of the server; a communications subsystem coupled to the processor; a memory coupled to the processor; and a storage device coupled to the processor. The content server may include a module for managing bandwidth in content delivery from the content server to the wireless device, the module being configured to cause the content server to: record a policy for the delivery of content to the wireless device; initiate content delivery to the wireless device; evaluate the policy to determine whether new content for delivery is deliverable to the wireless device; deliver content when the policy is satisfied; and decline delivery of content when the policy is not satisfied.
US08156198B2
List processing functionality (LPF) is described for creating a play list that defines an order in which video media programs are to be presented. Different techniques are described for creating the play list, including various manual techniques and various automatic (or semi-automatic) techniques.
US08156195B2
Network data storage systems and methods allow computers reading and writing data at a plurality of data centers separated by, potentially, large distances to replicate data between sites such that the data is protected from failures, including complete Site failures, while not allowing network latency to significantly impede the performance of read or write operations. Continued access to all data is provided even after a single failure of any component of the system or after any complete failure of all equipment located at any single geographic region or any failure that isolates access to any single geographic region. Write data is replicated synchronously from Active Sites, e.g., sites where servers are writing data to storage resources, to Protection Sites located sufficiently close to Active Sites such that network latency will not significantly impact performance, but sufficiently far apart such that a regional disaster is unlikely to affect both sites. Write data is then asynchronously copied to other sites, potentially including one or more Active sites, located at greater distances.
US08156192B2
A multi-user e-mail messaging system is described that is interfaced through the Internet and includes a first user group sharing a first server, which first server is interfaced to the Internet. In this system, after an e-mail message has been originated by an originating user of the first user group, the e-mail message is directed onto an e-mail enhancement path, and additional content is added to the e-mail message using the e-mail enhancement path to produce an enhanced e-mail message. Thereafter, the enhanced e-mail message from the e-mail enhancement path to the intended recipient. In one feature, the path taken by an incoming e-mail message is different from an outgoing path taken by an e-mail message sent from the first user group. The outgoing path defined to the intended recipient includes the enhancement path.
US08156187B2
A set of email messages is received at a wireless communication device. Each of the email messages has at least one attachment. For each attachment, an indicator of whether any content of the attachment has been presented at the wireless communication device (e.g. displayed on a display or played on a speaker) is maintained. A subset of the set of email messages is identified and displayed on the basis of the indicators and a user-specified parameter, which may be specified via a graphical user interface. Alternatively, a subset of the set of email messages is identified, wherein each email message of the subset has at least one attachment whose content is presentable at the device.
US08156167B2
A Pseudo Random Bit Sequence (PRBS) generator is provided with components to enable operation at very high microwave frequencies with inexpensive components. The PRBS generator initially replaces the D flip-flops of a conventional PRBS generator with delay lines connected in a similar manner. Further, an exclusive OR (EXOR) gate used in a conventional device is replaced in one embodiment by a mixer and amplifier. In another embodiment, the EXOR gate is replaced by a Gilbert Cell. In some embodiments, complementary outputs of an EXOR gate are connected to separate delay lines to reduce components needed for the PRBS generator.
US08156162B2
A storage method and a search method for mark events on two-dimensional space are provided. First, an event and a corresponding coordinate thereof are retrieved. Next, calculation on the coordinate of the event is performed to generate an index representing a bucket position in a storage device. Next, whether or not there is any existing search tree stored in the bucket position is judged, and then the event is inserted into a linked list of a node of the search tree stored in the bucket position according to a judgment result. Besides, when a range on the two-dimensional space is designated, corresponding nodes in the search tree are rapidly accessed according to the index obtained by a hash function, and further by application of pointers pointing to the bucket position having the search tree stored therein and by real-time return of search result, the search speed is high.
US08156157B2
A geospatial modeling system may include a geospatial model data storage device, and a processor. The processor may cooperate with the geospatial model data storage device for windowing geospatial model spatial domain data to define a plurality of windowed geospatial model spatial domain data sets, and transforming the plurality of windowed geospatial model spatial domain data sets to define a plurality of corresponding geospatial model frequency domain data sets, each having at least one void therein. The processor may further cooperate with the geospatial model data storage device for inpainting data into the at least one void of each geospatial model frequency domain data set to define a plurality of inpainted geospatial model frequency domain data sets, and reconstructing the plurality of inpainted geospatial model frequency domain data sets into an overall geospatial model frequency domain data set.
US08156156B2
A method of structuring and compressing labeled trees of arbitrary degree and shape for optimal succinctness, the method including a transform for compressing and indexing tree shaped data, using path sorting and grouping to linearize labeled tree shaped data into two coordinated arrays, one capturing the structure of the tree and the other capturing the labels of the tree. Additional navigational operations and basic searching may be performed on the transformed data.
US08156152B2
This present invention describes an innovative solution in the area of indexing and searching binary files including various binary files such as multimedia files, including image files, mp3 files and other audio/video files from the public Internet. The invention introduces a way to index binary files such as multimedia files according to their content signatures, which uniquely identify themselves, and search for related files by walking through a graph database constructed during the index phase. The present invention can be used in a search engine and a download engine, as well as with text based index and search technologies. As a result, such extended usage will broaden a multimedia file's context and increase relevant accuracy of the keywords describing the context.
US08156147B1
An exemplary embodiment may provide a repository for containing representations that represent a model or a portion of the model. A user may store the representations in the repository, for example, as functions. The functions stored in the repository may be shared and used for processing another model that includes a pattern performing the same or similar function as the representations stored in the repository. A checksum may be compared to determine an equivalent function in the repository. In a different embodiment, the intermediate representation of the pattern may be compared to determine an equivalent function in the repository.
US08156140B2
A method and apparatus for discovering services in a service registry. When an enterprise service bus receives a service request, the enterprise service bus determines whether the service name in the request exists in a service registry. If not, the enterprise service bus parses the service name into constituent words, obtains synonyms for each constituent word, and constructs new service names using the synonyms in the same word order as the constituent words in the service name. The enterprise service bus determines whether the constructed service names exist in the registry. If so, the enterprise service bus obtains an address of a service provider application associated with the constructed service name in the registry and sends a request for the service matching the constructed service name to the service provider application.
US08156132B1
Surrogate heuristic identification is described, including a memory configured to store data associated with an image, and a processor configured to select a portion of an image, and the portion is standardized, to identify a characteristic associated with the image, to use the characteristic to generate a data representation, the data representation being used to provide heuristic data, and to process the heuristic data to generate a fingerprint configured to compare against one or more stored fingerprints associated with other images.
US08156125B2
A data handling method combines search capabilities with analytical functionality. The invention provides advantages when dealing with structured documents (such as electronic catalogs, XML documents, text documents, HTML documents, Internet documents, etc.) and other data stored in a computer system. Various embodiments include simplified ways to express search/analysis requests of a data set and also to express results to such requests.
US08156124B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for performing an authorization check for a user. In one implementation, a data processing system is provided that includes means for storing first data descriptive of at least one directed acyclic graph and for storing second data descriptive of an assignment of a user to a first node of the graph. The data processing system also includes means for receiving an access request of the user, the access request specifying a second node of the graph. Furthermore, the data processing system includes means for determining a least common ancestor of the first and second nodes of the graph and means for performing an authorization check adapted to grant authorization for the access request if the least common ancestor of the first and second nodes is the first node.
US08156118B2
A method and system for generating playlists for content items is provided. Generating a playlist involves monitoring user interaction with one or more content items as user-content interactions, determining a context associated with one or more user-content interactions, and generating a playlist of the content items based on the user-content interactions and the associated context.
US08156110B1
A method or apparatus for use with a database system that stores a join view associated with plural base relations includes receiving modification operations to modify at least two of the base relations of the join view, and re-ordering the received modification operations to avoid concurrent execution of modification operations of more than one of at least two base relations.
US08156109B2
A search system monitors the input of a search query by a user. Before the user finishes entering the search query, the search system identifies and sends a portion of the query as a partial query to the search engine. Based on the partial query, the search engine creates a set of predicted queries. This process may take into account prior queries submitted by a community of users, and may take into account a user profile. The predicted queries are be sent back to the user for possible selection. The search system may also cache search results corresponding to one or more of the predicted queries in anticipation of the user selecting one of the predicted queries. The search engine may also return at least a portion of the search results corresponding to one or more of the predicted queries.
US08156100B2
Methods and apparatus consistent with the invention provide improved organization of documents responsive to a search query. In one embodiment, a search query is received and a list of responsive documents is identified. The responsive documents are organized based in whole or in part on usage statistics.
US08156095B2
Components for a control and data processing infrastructure for multiple networked media peripherals are based on chained device connections using a transport-layer independent asymmetric control protocol such as PTP. These components provide a user interface which mirrors the chain of device connections, provides remote access to the media data distributed across said connected devices, can respond to events originating from members of the device chain and enables control and management of the underlying media processing capabilities of the connected devices.
US08156089B2
Methods and apparatuses provide real-time or near real-time streaming of content using transfer protocols such as an HTTP compliant protocol. In one embodiment, a method includes providing a request for a playlist file (e.g. an updated playlist) and specifying a compression protocol with or for the request; the request can come from a client device which is requesting the playlist from a web server. The web server can provide the playlist in a compressed format.
US08156083B2
Techniques for history enabling a table in a database system so that past versions of rows of the history-enabled table are available for temporal querying. The table is history enabled by adding a start time column to the table and creating a history table for the history-enabled table. The start time field's value in a row of the history-enabled table indicates when the contents of the row last changed. The rows of the history table are copies of rows of the history-enabled table that have been deleted or updated. The rows include end time fields whose values indicate when the row was updated or deleted. A history table's row thus indicates a period in which the history table's row was in the history-enabled table. Temporal queries are performed on a view which is the union of the history-enabled table and the history table.
US08156078B2
A collision detection and data synchronization mechanism operates to expand the speed and capability of distributed applications. The execution environment employs collision detection and data synchronization to distribute data objects to appropriate network nodes to support local processing. The collision detection and data synchronization mechanism defines the set of processes and algorithms used to track distributed data objects and to manage changes to the distributed objects throughout a network of intelligent computing devices. Data and code are distributed to local computing devices necessitating tracking and synchronizing updates. The system and method ensures that data updates received during the course of a local transaction do not unwillingly affect the results of other transactions by notifying the local computing devices of changes to the data that are subject of the transaction. These conflicts are then resolved in the applications, and notification of the resolution is sent to the remaining intelligent computing devices.
US08156076B2
Disclosed herewith is a terminal for receiving data distributed from a host computer. The terminal includes a database for storing data distributed from the host computer and a schedule manager for managing the schedule of the terminal. Upon receiving an update request for the data stored in the database, the terminal extracts a time band in which the usage frequency of the terminal is kept low as an updatable time through the schedule manager and sends an update request to the host computer in response to the received request. The terminal calculates a processing time required to update object data, as well as a value denoting the usefulness of the object data according to the update information received from the host computer and including the object data, then decides a processing order for the object data according to the processing time and the usefulness value calculated respectively for the object data, thereby updating the data stored in the database according to the decided processing order. Useful data is updated preferentially in the time band in which the usage frequency of the terminal is low.
US08156070B2
Insulin pump programming software is disclosed that generates thumbnail images of basal rate profile data contained in source files and displays the images to permit an operator to select the desired profile data without opening the source files. The software also permits the operator to verify changes to pump profiles before programming the pump by displaying thumbnail images of the current pump profile and the new pump profile.
US08156069B2
In accordance with a particular embodiment of the invention, a method for explaining a recommendation produced by a decision support tool is disclosed. The method comprises submitting a list of observation inputs to the decision support tool and producing a recommendation. The list of inputs is then reordered according to an observation metric. The method further comprises quantifying how each input impacts the probability of the recommendation produced. The inputs may then be ranked by comparing the associated changes in probability of the recommendation produced.
US08156058B1
Preferred embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for facilitating user thinking about an arbitrary problem with at least one of multidimensional analysis and related analysis, or both.
US08156057B2
Methods and systems for modifying at least one synapse of a physicallelectromechanical neural network. A physical/electromechanical neural network implemented as an adaptive neural network can be provided, which includes one or more neurons and one or more synapses thereof, wherein the neurons and synapses are formed from a plurality of nanoparticles disposed within a dielectric solution in association with one or more pre-synaptic electrodes and one or more post-synaptic electrodes and an applied electric field. At least one pulse can be generated from one or more of the neurons to one or more of the pre-synaptic electrodes of a succeeding neuron and one or more post-synaptic electrodes of one or more of the neurons of the physical/electromechanical neural network, thereby strengthening at least one nanoparticle of a plurality of nanoparticles disposed within the dielectric solution and at least one synapse thereof.
US08156053B2
An automated technique for tagging documents includes using a semantic tagger to generate an annotation that associates a standard tag with a first text fragment of the user-defined document, wherein the tagger is trained on a standard document annotated with a standard tag, associating the first user-defined tag with a second text fragment of the user-defined document in response to the second text fragment matching a value associated with the first user-defined tag, and establishing a mapping between the standard tag and the first user-defined tag in response to existence of a requisite correlation between the standard tag and the user-defined tag. The technique may further include selecting from the user-defined document a tagged text fragment that is associated with a second user-defined tag, and providing the tagged text fragment and a standard tag associated by the mapping with the second user-defined tag to the tagger as additional training input.
US08156047B1
A system and method for funding a collective account such as a charitable account includes issuing a plurality of financial instruments, linking the financial instruments to the collective account, aggregating individual financial instrument usage, calculating a bonus or other reward based on the aggregate financial instrument usage and funding or distributing the reward to the collective account. According to the invention, members of a civic, charitable, political or other entity may generate collective rewards or other benefits which may be attributed to the designated organization.
US08156046B2
Methods of rendering of unpaid media assets from an on-line merchandiser to a user are disclosed by the use of handheld media players. One embodiment uses the idle screen to display metadata of an unpaid asset when another paid asset is being played. Another embodiment employs the switching-on screen of the player. Recommended unpaid assets by the merchandiser are delivered and stored in the unused storage capacity of the player. The unpaid assets are invisible to the user except that when they are selected by the processor and are displayed on the mentioned screens. The unpaid assets are organized in a single structure as those media assets owned by the user. The capacity occupied by the unpaid media assets is adjusted dynamically based upon the required capacity by the user at a specific time. The media assets stored are managed based on their assigned priorities. The user can pay the on-line merchandiser after the recommended asset is selected through a method that the assigned credits to the user are deducted and the user pays for the on-line merchandiser when next time he or she is connected to the merchandiser through a general purpose computing device.
US08156042B2
To facilitate the sale of merchandise using a stored value card (SVC), a method and system are provided to automatically reload an SVC in accordance with automatic reload preferences associated with the SVC account. The preferences include the pre-authorized reload amount, payment method, and the circumstances under which to automatically reload the SVC with the pre-authorized reload amount. The preferences are previously specified by a party associated with the SVC when setting up the automatic reload option. The party is notified when the automatic reload occurs.
US08156037B2
A system and method for regulating order entry based on an acceptable slop range for a trading strategy are described. According to one example embodiment, a trader may define an acceptable slop range for a trading strategy as a percentage. The trader may also define a variable to associate with the trading strategy. Using a spread trading algorithm, a spread price axis is generated and the trader may place an order for the trading strategy at a desired price, comprising placing an order in one leg market dependent on the market conditions of another leg market. Using the acceptable slop range, the system keep the net cost to the trader within the acceptable slop range, by regulating orders in the leg markets. Defining an acceptable slop range as a percentage allows the trader to monitor and regulate their profits and loss, regardless of the type of spread trading algorithm used or the placement of an order on the spread price axis.
US08156033B2
A method of communicating with different print entities receives a print job and evaluates the print job as either a digital print job and/or an offset print job. The method can perform a live or off-line reverse auction for the digital print job and/or the offset print job by offering the digital print job and the offset print job to printing entities and receiving bids for the digital print job and the offset print job from the printing entities. The bids for the digital print job are based upon the number of images within the digital print job, and the bids for the offset print job are based upon the number of sheets within the offset print job. The bids are evaluated to rank the bids (or to rank the printing entities) into a ranking, which is output.
US08156029B2
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a process for verifiably communicating risk characteristics of an investment portfolio to an investor without disclosing the exact composition of the portfolio comprising: A procedure for the investment manager to describe acceptable characteristics of an investment portfolio within the portfolio's prospectus, An algorithm and procedure for the investment manager to cryptographically commit to portfolio contents without disclosing the exact composition, An algorithm and procedure to calculate the risk statistics concerning the limitations specified in the prospectus concerning the acceptable configurations of assets holdings without disclosing the exact composition, An algorithm and procedure employing cryptographic means to prove that each such statistic is within the numerical range specified in the prospectus, An algorithm and procedure to check the validity of proofs claiming that each statistic is within a particular range, and A set of procedures involving one or more third parties to provide assistence, including sending the commitments for portfolio contents to a court or to a regulatory body in case of dispute.
US08156022B2
Systems and methods for the provisioning of price protection contracts which provide price protection against adverse fluctuations in the retail price of a commodity to a consumer are disclosed. While these price protection contracts may pertain to almost any type of commodity, certain embodiments of the present invention may provide systems and method for allowing a consumer to obtain price protection on the purchase of fuel. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention may provide the ability for fleet managers to obtain a price protection contract for the purchase of fuel where the price protection contract specifies at least one lock price, quantity, locale and time period such that the price protection contract may guarantee the right to aggregately purchase the quantity of fuel in the locale at the lock price during the time period.
US08156020B2
A charge managing system including an image forming apparatus and a charge managing server is provided. The image forming apparatus includes plural applications each configured for executing a specific process on input data, a counter unit that counts a number of result items output as a result of executing at least one of the applications, a count value storage unit that stores a count value corresponding to the number of result items counted by the counter unit, and a storage area setting unit that secures a plurality of storage areas within the count value storage unit each of which storage areas is configured for storing a corresponding count value obtained for each of the applications. The charge managing server manages charging a fee for using the image forming apparatus based on the corresponding count value stored in each of the storage areas secured for each of the applications.
US08156018B1
An electronic filing system may receive electronic documents including a completed tax return. The electronic documents may be of a standard document presentation format such as Portable Document Format. The electronic filing system may parse the completed tax return and create transmittable data that includes the completed tax return. The transmittable data may be of a format that is accepted by a taxing authority and different than the original format. The transmittable data may be transmitted to the taxing authority for electronic filing of the completed tax return. The electronic filing system may check for tax return errors before transmitting the transmittable data. The electronic filing system may enable the user to correct errors before transmitting the transmittable data as well as receiving additional error notifications from the taxing authority. The electronic filing system may notify the user of such errors and enable the user to correct the errors.
US08156017B2
An accounting method and system is disclosed that provides for real time financial accounting of plant performance at a sub-plant level. A multiplicity of process variable transmitters is utilized to sense, in real time, the current state of the processes and process equipment used in a manufacturing plant. Sub-plant accounting modules utilize the sensed process data to calculate a plurality of sub-plant accounting measures, which are stored in one or more real time plant historian. The accounting measures are typically converted to a suitable format and subsequently stored in a production model accounting database where they are accessible to an accounting module.
US08156006B1
A facility for managing ownership of units of an item is described. The facility defines a commingling zone. For units of the item that are outside the commingling zone, the facility attributes ownership among a plurality of owners individually to each of the units. For units of the item that are inside the commingling zone, the facility attributes ownership among the plurality of owners to particular numbers of the units without attributing ownership individually to each of the units. The facility includes a method for reconciling ownership of units in the event of any discovered innacuracies.
US08156004B2
Serving targeted advertisements to a user within a virtual environment. The virtual environment is displayed to the user on a client and enables selection of components for use within the virtual environment. Component selections, associated with one or more attributes are obtained from a user, and a custom product, which is interactively navigable and has a set of interactivity characteristics, is constructed by combining the component selections. A condition within the virtual environment triggers a set of events, and an advertisement, concerning a product component, is served to the user in response and in accordance with a comparison of ad-serve parameters and information associated with the component selections. The custom product can be selectively modified in response to any user interaction with the served advertisement, and its interactivity characteristics accordingly modified. Performance ratings and comparisons thereof can be computed based on the customized product or alternatively customized product.
US08155997B2
Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide a performance tracking tool that receives an identification of a data item (208), associates the data item with one of a group of tracking modes (210) that includes at least two of a LOGICAL mode, a SUM mode, and an AVERAGE mode.
US08155992B2
The present invention relates to a method and system for generating client preference recommendations in a high performance computing regime. Accordingly, one embodiment of the present invention comprises: providing a sparse ratings matrix, forming a plurality of data structures representing the sparse ratings matrix, forming a runtime recommendation model from the plurality of data structures, determining a recommendation from the runtime recommendation model in response to a request from a user, and providing the recommendation to the user.
US08155987B2
Methods and apparatuses enable linking stateful transactions with multiple separate systems. The first and second stateful transactions are associated with a transaction identifier. Real time data from each of the multiple systems is concurrently presented within a single operation context to provide a transparent user experience. Context data may be passed from one system to another to provide a context in which operations in the separate systems can be linked.
US08155986B2
Method and system for grouping and displaying travel itineraries are disclosed. The method for grouping travel itineraries includes receiving a list of travel itineraries, grouping the list of travel itineraries to one or more clusters according to a set of grouping parameters, selecting a lead itinerary to represent each of the one or more clusters, determining additional itineraries in each cluster, and displaying the lead itinerary and a link referencing to further details about the additional itineraries in each cluster.
US08155984B2
A method, system and apparatus for obtaining a bond is disclosed. The Invention employs a computer system that has a work station in communication with a server to provide information on a contractor that is required by a surety over the computer system. The server is provided with owner/obligee information concerning a bond over the network A surety is selected to provide the bond and the identity of the surety is presented over said computer network. The type of bond sought is identified. Approval of the bond is requested over the computer network and a decision on the bond request is obtained over the network. The approval decision includes an authorization code that is presented at a bid letting along with the contractor's bid. The authorization code permits an owner/obligee to view an approved bond through the computer network.
US08155972B2
This invention involves time-scale modification of audio signals. The invention describes overlap and add time scale modification with variable input and output buffer sizes. Seamless speed change is achieved by keeping track of previously processed data to avoid discontinuities during playback speed transitions.
US08155969B2
An apparatus for retrieving a character string includes: storage for storing text data obtained by recognizing a voice in a presentation, second text data extracted from document data used in the presentation, and associated information of the first text data and the second text data. The apparatus also includes a retrieval unit for retrieving, by use of the associated information, the character string from text data composed from the first text data and the second text data.
US08155965B2
In one embodiment, the present invention comprises a vocoder having at least one input and at least one output, an encoder comprising a filter having at least one input operably connected to the input of the vocoder and at least one output, a decoder comprising a synthesizer having at least one input operably connected to the at least one output of the encoder, and at least one output operably connected to the at least one output of the vocoder, wherein the encoder comprises a memory and the encoder is adapted to execute instructions stored in the memory comprising classifying speech segments and encoding speech segments, and the decoder comprises a memory and the decoder is adapted to execute instructions stored in the memory comprising time-warping a residual speech signal to an expanded or compressed version of the residual speech signal.
US08155964B2
This invention includes: a voice quality feature database (101) holding voice quality features; a speaker attribute database (106) holding, for each voice quality feature, an identifier enabling a user to expect a voice quality of the voice quality feature; a weight setting unit (103) setting a weight for each acoustic feature of a voice quality; a scaling unit (105) calculating display coordinates of each voice quality feature based on the acoustic features in the voice quality feature and the weights set by the weight setting unit (103); a display unit (107) displaying the identifier of each voice quality feature on the calculated display coordinates; a position input unit (108) receiving designated coordinates; and a voice quality mix unit (110) (i) calculating a distance between (1) the received designated coordinates and (2) the display coordinates of each of a part or all of the voice quality features, and (ii) mixing the acoustic features of the part or all of the voice quality features together based on a ratio between the calculated distances in order to generate a new voice quality feature.
US08155955B2
A speech decoding method which generates an excitation signal and a synthesis filter from coded data and which obtains a speech signal based on the excitation signal and the synthesis filter. The method includes acquiring identification information used for determining whether the speech signal to be decoded is a narrowband signal or a wideband signal; and modifying the excitation signal based on the identification information by controlling strength or presence of emphasis of pitch periodicity with respect to the excitation signal generated from the coded data, so as to generate the speech signal by use of the modified excitation signal and the synthesis filter.
US08155950B1
A system and method for providing a personalized dictionary and vocabulary building tool whereby data representing an electronic media based version of a document is obtained and at least a portion of the electronic media based version of a document is displayed on a display screen associated with a computing system. A user selects any word in the portion of the document displayed on the display screen and electronic data representing the definition of the user selected word is then obtained from one or more of several electronic media sources. The definition of the user selected word is then displayed in an electronic media format on the same display screen displaying the portion of the electronic media based version of a document. In one example, the electronic data representing the definition of the user selected word, and any other data associated with the user selected word, such as the sentence employing the user selected word from the at least a portion of the electronic media based version of a document, is stored in a data storage device and associated with the user for further reference.
US08155943B2
A computer system for converting a computer aided design drawing file of an electrical power system into one or more component objects for power analytic analysis and simulation, is disclosed. The computer system can include a processor, a memory, a display device, and an input device. The memory device can be coupled to the processor and configured to maintain a component classification database, an import engine, computer aided design drawing parser, and a symbol classification engine. The display device can be coupled to the processor and configured for displaying the computer aided design drawing file of the electrical power system. The processor can be operative to execute instructions within the import engine to control the import of the computer aided design drawing file to the computer, execute instructions within the computer aided design drawing parser to control the parsing of the computer aided design drawing file into at least one component object containing a component symbol and execute instructions within the symbol classification engine to control the assigning of a component classification to the component symbol.
US08155931B2
The composition of a data-driven analytics model that includes at least an analytical modeling component that defines analytical relationships between the model parameters using multiple analytical relations. The analytical modeling component uses the analytical relations to identify which of the model parameters are known and which are unknown, and solves for the identified unknown model parameter(s). The analytics modeling component also includes an analytics taxonomy in which the analytical relations are categorized into related analytics categories. Navigation through the analytics taxonomy assists in the composition of an analytics model. The analytics taxonomy may, but need not, be domain specific.
US08155925B2
Disposable assay device, comprising a carrier having a first carrier part (3) with a respective sample-receiving area (w) for receiving a sample to be tested, and having at least a second carrier part (9), the assay device being configured for transmitting assay data or information to a remote receiving system (20), and the device comprising at least two first carrier parts, said first carrier parts (3, 5) being independently removable from the second carrier part (9).
US08155924B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for three dimensional calibration of an on-board diagnostics system. In one embodiment, the present invention is a method for calibrating an on-board diagnostic system for an automobile including the steps of generating a three dimensional surface corresponding to an engine operating under a first condition, generating a three dimensional surface corresponding to the engine operating under a second condition, and generating a three dimensional threshold surface using the three dimensional surface corresponding to the engine operating under the first condition and the three dimensional surface corresponding to the engine operating under the second condition.
US08155920B2
In one aspect, a method for the determination of a nacelle-inclination is provided. A first difference-signal is formed from the difference of a measured nacelle acceleration and an offset-value from a calibration. A second difference-signal is formed from a difference of the first difference-signal and a feedback signal. A first sum-signal is formed from adding an integrated second difference-signal with the product of the second difference signal and a factor. A second sum signal is formed from adding an integrated first sum-signal with the product of the first-sum-signal and the factor. A corrected signal is formed by a product of the second sum-signal and an equivalent tower height. A first nacelle-signal is formed by the arc-tangent of the corrected signal. A nacelle inclination is obtained from filtering the first nacelle-signal by a low-pass-filter. The feedback-signal is formed by multiplying the acceleration of gravity with the sine of the first nacelle-signal.
US08155914B2
Techniques and devices for measuring phase noise in radio frequency (RF), microwave, or millimeter signals based on photonic delay.
US08155913B2
In one aspect, this document provides an implementation of a system for characterizing an oscillator. This system includes an input port that receives an oscillation signal from an oscillator under test; an input port signal splitter that splits the received oscillation signal into a first oscillation signal and a second oscillation signal; a first photonic signal processing branch circuit that processes the first oscillation signal to produce a first branch output signal; a second photonic signal processing branch circuit that processes the second oscillation signal to produce a second branch output signal; a dual channel signal analyzer that receives the first and second branch output signals to measure noise in the received oscillation signal; and a computer controller that controls the first and second photonic signal processing branch circuits and the dual channel signal analyzer to control measurements of the noise in the received oscillation signal.
US08155904B2
A new measurement system, with two receiver channels per measurement port, has been developed that provides absolute magnitude and absolute phase relationship measurements over wide bandwidths. Gain ranging is used at RF to provide optimum noise performance and a swept YIG preselector filter is used to avoid spurious signals. A new absolute vector error correction method is used to calibrate the measurement system in order to allow for absolute vector measurements, and it also removes the time-varying responses caused by the swept YIG preselector filters. A quasi-reciprocal mixer with a characterized non-reciprocal ratio is used to provide the absolute calibration standard. The two receiver channels can be adapted to a wide variety of applications, including wide bandwidth vector signal analyzer measurements, mixer measurements, and harmonic measurements. The two-channels can also be used as an absolute calibrated transmitter/reflectometer.
US08155899B2
A portable instrument for displaying an efficiency metric for a photovoltaic power generation system based on an estimate of the source power available from the photovoltaic modules. The source power is a value scaled from the rated DC source power computed with data from irradiance and temperature sensors or from a photovoltaic sensor's deviation from a rated level of power generation. A ratio of output power divided by source power is one measure of efficiency and relates to the health of the physical photovoltaic power generation system.
US08155897B2
Provided is a semiconductor test apparatus that tests a device under test, comprising a test unit that tests a device under test; and a serial transmitting section that transmits transmission data back and forth between the test unit and a control section controlling the test unit. The serial transmitting section includes a data sending section that sends a plurality of pieces of the transmission data in a predetermined order; a resending control section that resends the transmission data; and an expected acknowledgement ID storage section that stores an expected acknowledgement ID indicating identification data that is expected to be attached to an acknowledgement signal received on a transmission side. The resending control section judges whether resending is necessary based on (i) whether resend count information indicates that a piece of transmission data is resent data and (ii) the expected acknowledgment ID in the expected acknowledgement ID storage section.
US08155885B2
A geographic information providing system in a personal webpage is disclosed. The geographic information providing system can include a GPS information storing unit, receiving GPS coordinate information related to a location of a user and additional information from a mobile communication terminal and storing the received GPS coordinate information and additional information; a map data loading unit, loading map data having a location corresponding to the GPS coordinate information if a request to access the stored GPS coordinate information and additional information is received; and a temporary layer generating controlling unit, generating a temporary layer to mark the location corresponding to the GPS coordinate information on a loaded map in a form capable of being identified by the user and providing control information for displaying the location corresponding to the GPS coordinate information. With the present invention, the location information related to a place visited by the user can be easily stored using a mobile communication terminal.
US08155877B2
A mapping application that returns results for a target location as a function of at least one nearby landmark. The one or more nearby landmarks can be selected based on an expected user familiarity with the landmark, a precision of the landmark and/or a spatial relationship of the landmark with respect to the target location. Although landmarks are an integral aspect of navigation, they have rarely been used within electronic navigation devices. Electronic navigation means for a mobile device or other devices can guide the user along a route using photographs of landmarks together with audio and text instructions that reference these landmarks. This can assist older users who often find their mobility hampered by declines in sensory, cognitive and motor abilities.
US08155873B2
Vehicle-position-recognition apparatuses, methods, and programs acquire current position information indicating a current position of a vehicle and acquire road information indicating at least one road based on a connection relationship between plural links. The apparatuses, methods, and programs determine a link where the vehicle travels based on the current position information and the road information and generate travel-history information indicating a route that the vehicle travels at a point where a link is branched based on the determined link. The apparatuses, methods, and programs acquire an image of an area surrounding the vehicle, recognize a recognition target in the acquired image, and store the generated travel-history information in the memory in association with information indicating the recognition of the recognition target. The apparatuses, methods, and programs generate learning-priority information indicating a priority of each link branched out at the branch point based on the stored travel-history information and the stored recognition information, the generated learning-priority information usable to determine on which of the links branched out at the branch point that the vehicle is traveling.
US08155863B2
In a process for controlling an internal combustion engine (10) having at least one cylinder (Z1 to Z4) in which a combustion chamber (13) is formed, fuel is injected in at least two modes of operation. The process has the following steps: relative to an operating point determined by at least one operating variable (100), an operating mode quality value is calculated for each of at least two operating modes, an operating mode (OPMOD_SEL) is selected from the at least two operating modes depending on the operating mode quality values, and correcting variables are determined and set depending on the at least one operating variable (100) and the selected operating mode (OPMOD_SEL).
US08155862B2
A system and method of controlling an internal combustion engine are provided. The method may include closing said intake valve at a timing in a first range, which is before a maximum charge closing timing with which an amount of air inducted into said cylinder from said air intake passage would be maximized at a given engine speed, during a cylinder cycle when a desired amount of air to be inducted into said cylinder is less than or equal to a predetermined air amount at the given engine speed. The method may further include closing said intake valve at a timing in a second range, which is after said maximum charge closing timing and separated from said first range during a cylinder cycle, when a desired amount of air to be inducted into said cylinder is greater than said predetermined air amount at the given engine speed.
US08155861B2
In a method for controlling a fuel supply system of an internal combustion engine with at least one combustion chamber, into which fuel can be injected via a fuel injector, the fuel injector being activated for the implementation of a normal start-up with specified injection parameters when the fuel supply system is filled, the specified injection parameters are modified for the acceleration of an initial start-up of the internal combustion engine when a filling of the fuel supply system with fuel has been implemented to evacuate the air from said fuel supply system.
US08155854B2
A vehicle automatic operation control device includes a target required torque calculating part (31) which determines the target required torque from the respective calculated values of a feed-forward calculated value and a feedback calculated value, and an automatic operation control part D which causes the vehicle to operate automatically on the basis of the determined target required torque, and which performs slip suppression control that suppresses slip of the wheels when any of the wheels of the vehicle slip. In cases where slip suppression control is performed by the automatic operation control part (D), the target required torque calculating part (31) holds the feedback calculated value based on the deviation between the target acceleration and actual acceleration, and determines the target required torque from the respective calculated values of the held feedback calculated value and feed-forward calculated value.
US08155850B2
A system for controlling a flow of hydraulic fluid between a hydraulic actuator and a torque transmitting device includes a position sensor in communication with the hydraulic actuator and operable to detect a position of the hydraulic actuator, a temperature sensor in communication with the hydraulic fluid and operable to detect a temperature of the hydraulic fluid, and a flow control device. The flow control devices includes a housing defining a first passage and a second passage, the first passage in communication with the hydraulic actuator and the second passage in communication with the torque transmitting device. An electronic actuator is located between the first passage and the second passage and is operable to selectively control a flow of the hydraulic fluid between the first passage and the second passage. A controller is in communication with the position sensor, the temperature sensor, and the electronic actuator of the flow control device.
US08155847B2
A system comprises a shifter module, an engine control module, and a transmission control module. The shifter module generates a position signal based on a position of a driver input. The engine control module controls an engine, selects one of a plurality of transmission gear ranges based on a mapping of the position signal to the plurality of transmission gear ranges, and generates a range request signal based on the selected transmission gear range. The transmission control module controls a transmission based on the range request signal.
US08155842B2
An occupant protection device includes: a controller; first and second bus lines; a first collision sensor arranged on a side of the vehicle, and transmitting a first signal to the controller via the first bus line; a second collision sensor arranged on a center of the vehicle, and transmitting a second signal to the controller via the second bus line; and a third collision sensor arranged on a front side from the first collision sensor, and transmitting a third signal to the controller via the second bus line. The controller determines the collision on the side of the vehicle based on the first and second signals. The controller determines the collision on a part of the vehicle based on the third signal, the part disposed on the front side from the first collision sensor. The controller activates an occupant protection element.
US08155841B2
A crash detection arrangement, to be installed in a motor vehicle, for detecting a crash and providing a control signal for controlling a safety device in the event that a crash is detected, the arrangement comprising an accelerometer and a control unit, the accelerometer being arranged to supply a signal to the control unit which is indicative of the acceleration of the vehicle, the control unit being adapted to: calculate a classification parameter based on the value of the signal from the accelerometer during a classification time period, which includes an interval of time before an initiation criterion was fulfilled; modify a crash evaluation algorithm in dependence upon the classification parameter; and perform the crash evaluation algorithm upon fulfillment of the initiation criterion to produce the control signal.
US08155835B2
A method and system for adjusting a relative leveled height of a sprung mass of a vehicle to an unsprung mass of the vehicle. The method also includes receiving an input from an operator for incrementally/decrementally changing the height of the sprung mass. A system for performing the method is also disclosed.
US08155829B2
A common control unit in an intra box performs common control that is independent from behavior control for controlled objects extracted from function domain controllers. A control condition management unit manages control conditions that are commonly used by the function domain controllers for performing the behavior control. An inspection unit inspects abnormality of the behavior control by the function domain controllers. A resource management unit manages distribution as well as residue amount, storage, and use restriction of commonly owned resource. A plug and play management unit manages system configuration of a vehicle control system. By using the above units, the vehicle control system reduces processing load of function domain controllers for performing the behavior control in respective function domains as well as adaptation operation of the function domain controllers to the system configuration.
US08155827B2
An on-vehicle control unit includes a memory storing a first data group having signal strength information of a plurality of request signals transmitted from a plurality of transmitting antennas before and after movement of a movable object when a portable device is placed along an inner surface of a vehicle and a second data group having signal strength information of the plurality of request signals transmitted from the plurality of transmitting antennas before and after the movement of the movable object when the portable device is placed along an outer surface of the vehicle. The on-vehicle control unit determines which of the first and second data groups request signal strength information received from the portable device closely resembles.
US08155823B2
A failure information system that transmits various kinds of failure information of a vehicle to an outside diagnosis service center is disclosed. The failure information system includes a signal receiving unit that receives a signal indicating a failure of a vehicle-mounted system, a vehicle-run judging unit that judges that the vehicle is running, a run-distance calculation unit that calculates a run-distance of the vehicle since the signal indicating a failure is received, a reliability judging unit that judges that the signal indicating a failure is reliable if the signal receiving unit continuously receives the signal indicating a failure until the run-distance exceeds a preset distance level, and an over-vehicle communication unit that transmits the failure information that includes the signal indicating a failure when the reliability judging means judges that the signal indicating a failure is reliable.
US08155814B2
A vehicle includes a powertrain system and a friction braking system, the powertrain system including a hybrid transmission operative in one of a fixed gear operating range state and a continuously variable operating range state to transmit torque between an input member and a torque machine and an output member coupled to a driveline. A method for operating the vehicle includes monitoring operator inputs to an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal, monitoring vehicle speed, maintaining the transmission in a present operating range state subsequent to the operator disengaging the accelerator pedal absent the operator engaging the brake pedal, transitioning the transmission device to a continuously variable operating range state subsequent to the operator disengaging the accelerator pedal and the operator engaging the brake pedal, executing regenerative braking by controlling the torque machine to react torque through the transmission to brake the vehicle through the driveline when the operator engages the brake pedal and the speed of the vehicle is greater than a first threshold, and disabling the regenerative braking when the operator disengages the brake pedal and subsequently reengages the brake pedal when the speed of vehicle is less than a first threshold and greater less than a second threshold.
US08155813B2
A ship powered by an internal combustion engine (1) and an electric motor (2) connected to a propeller (3) powered by surplus electric power obtained by a thermal discharge recovery system has a controller including a feedback control section for controlling a base amount of fuel injected to the internal combustion engine (1) based on the difference between the target number of rotation of the propeller given by the operator and the real number of rotation, and a feed-forward control section having a means (25) for calculating an overall power output and a means (26) for calculating a correction in the amount of fuel injected to the internal combustion engine based on the overall power output and the number of rotation of the propeller. The base amount of fuel is corrected by subtracting the correction obtained by the feed-forward section from the base amount of fuel calculated by the feedback control section whereby preventing a rapid change in the speed of the ship due to rapid change in ship loads.
US08155809B1
A system and method for data logging, collection, and analysis techniques. Logging, collection, and analysis of data relating to the condition of a structure, such as a railway rail. Monitoring the neutral temperature of a railway rail.
US08155804B2
The present invention provides a device for providing an aircraft flight status signal which indicates whether the aircraft is in the air or on the ground, which device calculates the flight status signal as a function of a number of differently provided flight speed signals, a number of differently provided engine status signals, a number of differently provided evacuation signals, a number of differently provided front undercarriage status signals and a number of differently provided main undercarriage status signals.
US08155801B2
A hybrid electronics cockpit control panel system architecture is provided that includes optimized interfacing and partitioning. The architecture includes a digital function block with a digital signal processor and digital communication capabilities. The architecture also includes integrated cockpit control panels that employ a printed circuit board to avoid wire/cable connections for cockpit control panel components beyond the face panel. The architecture provides digital control and communication along a central communication bus that can eliminate the need for dedicated wire connections between the control panel and the electrical components throughout the aircraft, reducing weight and volume. One example aircraft cockpit control panel system includes a control signal processor that receives electrical control signals from pilot operating devices on the control panel and transforms them into digital status signals for communication on a communication bus. In another example aircraft cockpit control panel system, the control signal processor transforms the electrical control signals into digital control signals that are communicated to aircraft components. In another example aircraft cockpit control panel system, signals from a first control signal processor are passed through at least a second control signal processor to provide a redundant circuit path.
US08155784B2
A system and method for regulating vendible media products is provided. A database stored information corresponding to a plurality of digital video discs within a vending apparatus at a vending location. A central server, having a memory, stores the database. An interface application interfaces with the central server and the database, and selects from the database a subset of the digital video discs. A vending processor within the vending apparatus receives a first signal from the central server, wherein the first signal comprises a list of digital video discs identifying the subset of digital video discs. The vending processor also generates a second signal to place the subset of digital video discs into a portable vending management module.
US08155779B2
A numerical controller including a storage device for storing tabular data configured to operate one arbitrary axis, in which a position of a spindle or an axis as a control object is caused to correspond to a reference value composed of time or the position of a reference spindle or axis. A reading device is provided for successively reading a reference value in the tabular data and a position of the spindle or the axis as control object corresponding to the reference value from the storage device, and controls the position of the spindle or the axis as control object based on the reference value read by the reading device. An assignment device is provided for assigning the axis to be operated in accordance with the tabular data, and a starting device for starting the tabular data stored in the storage device, thereby causing the axis assigned by the assigning device to operate.
US08155771B2
A disk processing apparatus having a plurality of processing units, a plurality of feed stackers, and a plurality of discharge stackers. The plurality of processing units subject label sides of disks to printing, or the like. A disk is fed from a first prior-to-being-printed stacker to the processing unit, and a processed disk is discharged to a first processed stacker. A disk is fed from a second prior-to-being-printed stacker to the other processing unit, and a processed disk is discharged to a second processed stacker. When the other processing unit is anomalous, the disk is fed from the second prior-to-being-printed stacker to the processing unit, and a processed disk is discharged to the second processed stacker, thereby performing substitute processing.
US08155763B2
Operation control method employable in a control apparatus controls a control object by calculating an operation amount to maximize or minimize an evaluation value obtained from a control deviation of the control object from a target value. The operation control method includes the steps of: establishing a model for simulating a property of the control object; calculating the operation amount to maximize or minimize an evaluation value based on a control deviation of the model as a target; calculating an evaluation value based on a control deviation in controlling the control object by the operation amount; and determining an operation amount change width defined by a difference between current step operation amount and next step operation amount, based on the deviation of the control object from the model in the evaluation value of the control deviation.
US08155761B2
Methods and systems for integrating external and/or enterprise data into a process control system are disclosed. A user interface may be provided to enable browsing and selection of a data item from an external and/or enterprise data source. The selected data item may be associated with a process control entity. At run time, independent of a configuration of the process control entity, an external data integration server or instance of an external data integration service at a process control computing device may periodically communicate with the data source to obtain an updated current value and updated current status for the selected data item for use by the process control entity. The external data integration server and/or external data integration service may consolidate access of external/enterprise data across process control entities, optimize communications with various data sources, and maintain a status of communication with each various data source.
US08155759B2
An improved pacemaker lead including a lead body supporting at least one flexible conductor element that provides an electrical signal path between a proximal connector element and a distal electrode. The lead body includes an insulating structure that protects the flexible conductor element(s) wherein the insulating structure is realized from a polymer blend of a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer and an isobutylene block copolymer. The mole fraction of the isobutylene block copolymer of the polymer blend is in the range of 2-15% (most preferably on the order of 10%). The polymer blend of the insulating structure has a maximum tensile strength in the range of 20-40 MPa (most preferably in a range of 25-35 MPa). In the preferred embodiment, the hardness of the polymer blend can be characterized by a Shore hardness in a range of 70-80 A. The flexible conductor element(s) preferably include a coiled wire conductor defining a central axis with an outer surface facing radially outward away from the central axis and an inner surface facing radially inward toward the central axis, and the insulating structure surrounds at least the outer surface of the coiled wire conductor (and more preferably encapsulates the coiled wire conductor). The polymer blend of the insulating structure has reduced oxygen permeability, and thus provides improved resistance to environmental stress cracking and metal ion induced oxidation while maintaining the flexibility and desired tensile strength of the lead body.
US08155754B2
A method for fabricating an implantable medical electrode includes roughening the electrode substrate, applying an adhesion layer, and depositing a valve metal oxide coating over the adhesion layer under conditions optimized to minimize electrode impedance and post-pulse polarization. The electrode substrate may be a variety of electrode metals or alloys including titanium, platinum, platinum-iridium, or niobium. The adhesion layer may be formed of titanium or zirconium. The valve metal oxide coating is a ruthenium oxide coating sputtered onto the adhesion layer under controlled target power, sputtering pressure, and sputter gas ratio setting optimized to minimize electrode impedance and post-pulse polarization.
US08155749B2
An implantable medical device delivers neurostimulation therapy to a patient according to a parameter set, which may consist of a number of programs that are delivered substantially simultaneously. When programming the implantable medical device for the patient, a clinician programmer may maintain a session log that includes a listing of programs delivered to the patient and rating information provided by a clinician and the patient for programs of the list. The listing may be ordered according to the rating information in order to facilitate the selection of programs for a parameter set. A program library that may include particularly effective programs may be stored in a memory. One or both of the implantable medical device and a patient programmer may store usage information that provides an objective and accurate record of therapy use by the patient, and allows a clinician to later improve the therapy based on the usage information.
US08155740B2
A constant current pacing apparatus and method for pacing uses, for example, H-bridge circuitry and a constant current source connected to the H-bridge circuitry.
US08155738B2
Device structure 100 for iontophoresis provides electrode 101 and electrically conductive layer 102. Electrically conductive layer 102 contains active ingredient D and basic water swelling methacrylate copolymer P1 and/or acidic water swelling methacrylate copolymer P2. Electrode 101 and electrically conductive layer 102 are placed into a hollow of backing 103 and electrode terminal 104 is connected to electrode 101 through backing 103. Adhesive layer 105 is set around backing 103, and liner 106 to be removed when using the device, is placed so as to cover the hollow of backing 103.
US08155730B2
The present invention provides a method of optical electrophysiological probing, including: providing a fluorescing chemical probe; contacting a thick portion of tissue with the fluorescing chemical probe to create a thick portion of treated tissue; applying a first range of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation to the treated portion of tissue; and detecting a plurality of depth-specific emission wavelengths emitted from the thick portion of treated tissue.
US08155724B1
Herein disclosed are an electrode and a method for making an electrode having an enhanced electrically effective surface providing an increased signal to noise ratio. The electrode having a metal surface selected from gold, tungsten, stainless steel, platinum, platinum-tungsten, platinum-iridium, and combinations thereof; and an electrically conductive coating on said metal surface, said coating consisting essentially of polymerized pyrrole.
US08155718B2
Disclosed herein is a sliding/hinge apparatus for sliding/rotating type mobile terminals, which can be slid and rotated from a body housing of the sliding/rotating type mobile terminal. The sliding/rotating type mobile terminal includes a body housing and a slide housing slidably mounted on the body housing. The apparatus comprises first and second hinge frames mounted in the body housing by means of screws, first and second plates, one or more slide bars, and a coupling unit inserted through the center parts of the first and second hinge frames so that the first and second hinge frames are rotatably coupled with each other while being opposite to each other.
US08155715B2
An electronic device (100) using a cover mechanism (30) to cover its hole (14) of its housing (10) is described. The cover mechanism includes a cover (20) and a locking structure (11). The cover has a latching portion (23) and a locking portion (21), both of which include a resilient part. The locking structure is configured for associating with the locking portion and the latching portion. Thus, the cover is latched to the housing to cover the hole by deforming the resilient parts. After the cover is unlatched from the housing by a sudden pulling force, the locking portion still physically connects to the locking structure. After the cover is unlatched from the housing by a normal pulling force, the locking portion has no physically relationship with the locking structure.
US08155711B2
Aspects describe modifying a service search pattern based on whether a device battery is being charged or is not being charged (e.g., is connected to a battery charger or not connected to a battery charger). A power conservative search pattern can be utilized if the battery is not being charges. If the battery is being charged, the search pattern can be an aggressive search pattern. Further, the search pattern can change if there is a change in whether the battery is being charged. The rate of charging the battery, a current battery level, amount of power consumed during the search, and/or the power being input by the battery chargers can be utilized to select and/or modify a network search pattern. Further, a user can select or change a search pattern through interaction with a user interface.
US08155710B2
A system and method for enhancing the provisioning and functionality of wireless or portable devices, and more particularly a charging device configured to bi-directionally communicate to a database through the Internet or a private network to configure, update, and provision a wireless portable device while charging the portable or wireless device. Additionally, a system and method for alerting a user that the portable or wireless device requires a programmable action.
US08155707B2
A voice input-output device includes a voice input section and a voice output section. The voice input section includes a microphone unit, the microphone unit including a housing that has an inner space, a partition member that is provided in the housing and divides the inner space into a first space and a second space, the partition member being at least partially formed of a diaphragm, and an electrical signal output circuit that outputs an electrical signal that is the first voice signal based on vibrations of the diaphragm, a first through-hole through which the first space communicates with an outer space of the housing and a second through-hole through which the second space communicates with the outer space being formed in the housing. The voice output section includes: an ambient noise detection section that detects ambient noise during a call based on the first voice signal; and a volume control section that controls volume of the speaker based on a degree of the detected ambient noise.
US08155704B2
A display device includes a printed circuit board disposed at a rear of a display panel. The printed circuit board includes a main board portion, an auxiliary board portion and a connection board portion continuously disposed with each other.
US08155696B2
Devices, systems and methods are provided to communicate using mobile or wireless devices having a plurality of interactive applications, wherein each application is useable interactively with other applications. Thus, a user is enabled to utilize multiple applications interactively on a single mobile device, with each application providing intelligent feedback to an application server as to the use habits of the user with regard to that application. Further, the applications server provides a level of intelligence back to each mobile device creating an ongoing intelligent feedback loop.
US08155692B1
A mobile communication device is provided that includes at least two keyboards incorporated into a keyboard tray that both slides and rotates relative to the main body of the mobile communications device. When the keyboard tray is extended, the different keyboards may be accessed by rotating the keyboard. Both the main body of the mobile communications device and the keyboard tray may have a circular shape.
US08155690B2
A T-SIR generation unit (106a) generates, on the basis of an actual reception quality (205) in a mobile communication terminal, a target value T-SIR to be used to control transmission power of a base station from the mobile communication terminal. When the mobile communication terminal exists in the service area of a predetermined specific communication carrier, a T-SIR correction unit (106b) adds a correction value K to the T-SIR generated by the T-SIR generation unit (106a). Even when a reception SIR abruptly deteriorates in a communication carrier with a strong reception field and a low BLER, it does not drop below the SIR limit value of the mobile communication terminal. Hence, the terminal can receive the signal from the base station and continue a service such as speech communication. When a long-term BLER measurement result is used instead of a BER, stable transmission power control can be done normally.
US08155687B2
A radio network system employing a method with dynamic adjustment of the power offset that provides a “per-UE”-NACK to ACK power offset calculation method instead of using a fixed offset for all users in the cell is disclosed. Also for each UE, the power offset can adjusted dynamically. The adjustment is based on the error event of NACK to ACK. When an error event of NACK to ACK happens, the offset is increased, otherwise the offset is decreased. Hence, the offset can be controlled for each User Equipment for the duration of a call starting from some standard configured value is calculated and used rather than a fixed offset.
US08155670B2
A system and method for enabling an access point to determine that a mobile device has crossed a wireless coverage area boundary associated with the access point and select, for transmission to the mobile device, an audible notification indicating the mobile device has crossed the wireless coverage boundary associated with the access point, wherein the audible notification is stored at the access point in compressed form, prior to determining the mobile device has crossed the wireless coverage area boundary.
US08155662B2
Wireless adapters are installed on one or more general purpose computing devices and are connected via a network in an enterprise environment. The adapters are densely deployed at known locations throughout the environment and are configured as air monitors. The air monitors monitor signals transmitted by one or more transceiver devices and records information about these signals. One or more analysis or inference engines may be deployed to obtain the recorded signal information and the air monitor locations to determine a location of the one or more wireless transceivers devices deployed in the environment.
US08155660B2
A method for communicating between a network and a dual receiver UE includes receiving first signaling from a first network node at a first frequency, and receiving second signaling via a PtM control channel from a second network node at a second frequency. The method further includes receiving a request from the second network node at the second frequency, such that the request is carried on the PtM control channel, and transmitting to the first network node a response to the request from the second network node. An alternative method includes receiving communications from a first network node, and identifying that the first network node lacks uplink capabilities. This method may further include identifying that the first network node provides a MBMS service, and receiving the MBMS service from the first network node despite the identification of the lack of uplink capabilities.
US08155656B2
Provided is a sequence allocation method capable of reducing inter-cell interference of a reference signal when a ZC sequence is used as the reference signal in a mobile communication system. In the sequence allocation method divides R×M sequences specified by a ZC sequence number r (r=1 to R) and a cyclic shift sequence number m (m=1 to M) into a plurality of sequence groups X (X=1 to R) in accordance with the transmission band width of the reference signal, so that the ZC sequence is allocated to each cell in each sequence group unit. When it is assumed that R=9 and M=6, the number of sequence is 54. Each of the sequence groups is formed by two sequences. Accordingly, the number of sequence groups is 27. The 27 types of sequence groups are allocated to each cell.
US08155655B1
Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for adjusting an access channel dormancy timer. In a particular embodiment, a method comprises wirelessly receiving a call request from a wireless communication device. In response to the call request, starting an access channel timer and transferring call set-up signaling to extend the call. If the access channel timer expires before a negative response is received to the call set-up signaling, then allocating a wireless access channel to the wireless device for the call. If the negative response is received before the timer expires, then denying the wireless access channel to the wireless device for the call. If the negative response is received after the timer expires, then releasing the wireless access channel from the wireless device. If a positive response is received before the timer expires, then allocating the wireless access channel to the wireless device for the call.
US08155649B2
Methods and systems for dynamic spectrum access (DSA) in a wireless network are provided. A DSA-enabled device may sense spectrum use in a region and, based on the detected spectrum use, select one or more communication channels for use. The devices also may detect one or more other DSA-enabled devices with which they can form DSA networks. A DSA network may monitor spectrum use by cooperative and non-cooperative devices, to dynamically select one or more channels to use for communication while avoiding or reducing interference with other devices.
US08155646B2
In an imaging device having a wireless module, an increase in undesired power consumption is inhibited, and a time required before establishment of a communications channel with a wireless terminal is shortened. In response to depression of a playback button performed by user by way of an operation section, a control section performs a pre-scan by way of a wireless module before a main scan responding to a request for wireless connection. When having received a request for wireless connection, the control section accepts designation of a wireless terminal serving as a destination of transmission from the user by utilization of a result of the pre-scan prior to a result of the main scan responding to the request for wireless connection.
US08155645B2
A bypass server is placed in an outgoing link between a mobile device server and a relay used to distribute data from the mobile device server to remote mobile devices to which the data is addressed. Where a direct connection is established between a suitably configured network node (such as a personal computer) and a given mobile device, the bypass server may form a local connection with the network node and divert along the local connection those packets that are addressed to the given mobile device. As such, a lower cost/higher bandwidth local communication path between the given mobile device and the mobile device server may be established, when compared to the conventional remote communication path. The local communication path may be especially useful for bulk data transfers.
US08155633B2
A system and method to detect and provide information related to slamdown calls placed to a subscriber's mobile device. In one embodiment, a who-called server is implemented as part of a GSM network that uses a CAMEL protocol. The who-called server receives a CAMEL-based trigger when an incoming call placed to the subscriber's mobile device is deflected to a forwarded entity. In some instances, the who-called server ensures that the incoming call was deflected because the subscriber's mobile device was unreachable. The who-called server then determines whether the calling party abandons the incoming call before incoming call is answered by the forwarded entity. If the calling party does abandon the incoming call, the who-called server captures the calling party's identification information. The who-called server, in some instances, transmits the identification information to the subscriber after the subscriber's mobile device switches from the unreachable state to a reachable state.
US08155627B2
A device receives, from a user device, a request to use a visual voicemail (VVM) application, directs the user device to a self provisioning server based on the request, and receives, from the self provisioning server, a selected VVM subscription plan and information associated with a user of the user device. The device also provides, to a billing system, a feature code associated with the selected VVM subscription plan, receives, from one or more voicemail servers, pre-existing voicemail messages associated with the user, and provides, to the user device, the pre-existing voicemail messages.
US08155616B2
The present invention uses metallization termination techniques to reduce the electro-magnetic field scattering at the edges of metallized areas. The metallization termination techniques provide a gradual transition from high conductivity areas to high impedance areas. The mobile phone antenna illuminates the PCB allowing currents to flow on the PCB. When the currents reach edges of the PCB they flow through a region of increasingly high impedance without reflecting back or scattering.
US08155610B2
In one embodiment, the present invention provide a method for detecting signal quality metrics of a constant modulo (CM) signal received in two different signal paths, and combining the signal from the two signal paths based at least in part on the detected first and second signal quality metrics. Such method may be implemented in a radio receiver such as an automobile receiver.
US08155606B2
A RF power amplifying device is constituted by a system of a balanced amplifier including first phase shifters, a first RF power amplifier, a second RF power amplifier, second phase shifters, and a power combiner. Transmitting power Pout is detected by a first power level detector connected to an output of the first RF power amplifier, a second power level detector connected to an output of the second RF power amplifier, and an adder. A level control signal from a level control circuit controls transmitting power in response to a transmitting signal with wanted power level and a detected signal of the adder.
US08155604B2
Aspects of a method and system for power supply adjustment for polar modulation of an RF signal are provided. In an RF transmitter, a signal representative of an amplitude of a pair of phase-quadrature baseband signals may be generated, and a voltage and/or current supplied to one or more components of said RF transmitter may be controlled based on said generated signal. Additionally, aspects of the invention may enable dividing each signal of said pair of baseband signals by said generated signal, up-converting the divided signals, and combining the up-converted signals to generate a phase modulated RF signal. The one or more components may comprise, for example, one or more amplifiers, and/or one or more mixers. The generated signal may result from squaring each signal of the pair of baseband signals and calculating a square root of a sum of the squared signals.
US08155600B2
Systems and methods for digital communication using an inexpensive reference crystal are described herein. Some illustrative embodiments include a method that includes setting a center frequency of a local oscillator used by a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, sequentially applying each of a plurality of predetermined offsets to the center frequency of the local oscillator, determining a plurality of metrics indicative of the quality of a received signal (each of the plurality of metrics corresponding to a different predetermined offset of the plurality of predetermined offsets), and selecting a predetermined offset of the plurality of predetermined offsets that results in a metric indicating a received signal that is higher in quality than the received signal that results when applying each of the remaining predetermined offsets of the plurality of offsets.
US08155597B2
A network device including a first feedback module and a first calibration module. The first feedback module generates a first transmission schedule, which include (i) a first subcarrier schedule to determine an order of transmitting subcarriers and (ii) a first matrix map, and which is transmitted to a link partner. The first calibration module transmits a first set of training signals to the link partner, receives a first set of channel state information (CSI) (i) generated by the link partner based on the training signals and (ii) transmitted by the link partner according to the first transmission schedule, and generates a first CSI matrix based on the first set of CSI and the first matrix map. The first calibration module is configured to (i) generate the same first set of training signals for each of the subcarriers and (ii) receive the first set of CSI for each of the subcarriers.
US08155594B2
A system and methods for asymmetrical multicarrier interference avoidance in a communication from a network to a subscriber device. The asymmetrical multicarrier interference avoidance technique comprises measuring signal-to-noise ratio interference values and sorting the measured values into two tables for selecting an anchor and a non-anchor frequency carrier pairs. The system is self-tuning based on changes in the network, the subscriber and the surrounding environment.
US08155550B2
To provide an image forming apparatus and a control method for the same, with which an adjustment for satisfying an image quality is performed without fail while an execution frequency of the adjustment can be changed, for example, an unnecessary adjustment can be skipped. The image forming apparatus includes: a controller for issuing a plurality of commands; an engine for executing image formation according to the command; a control portion for holding a condition status indicating an internal condition of the engine and a factor status indicating a factor of the condition status, or the factor status and notifying, in response to the command, the condition status and the factor status, or the factor status; and a judgement unit for judging whether to adjust an image formation condition of the engine or not according to the condition status and the factor status, or the factor status.
US08155544B2
A technique that can stably realize highly accurate image adjustment processing regardless of deterioration in an image forming characteristic and the like is provided. An image forming apparatus that forms, on an image formation medium, a gradation pattern formed as an image of density changing according to a gradation step, and performs predetermined image adjustment processing on the basis of a print state of the gradation pattern formed on the image formation medium, the image forming apparatus comprising a fluctuation-information acquiring unit configured to acquire information on a degree of fluctuation in a predetermined characteristic affecting an image quality of an output image; and a control unit configured to form, on the image formation medium, a gradation pattern in which a density changing amount is changed according to the gradation step on the basis of the information acquired by the fluctuation-information acquiring unit.
US08155534B2
According to one embodiment of the invention, a 16-QAM optical modulator has a Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) coupled to a drive circuit that drives the MZM based on two electrical binary signals. The output of the MZM corresponds to an intermediary constellation consisting of four constellation points arranged on a straight line in the corresponding in-phase/quadrature-phase (I-Q) plane. Two of these constellation points correspond to a zero phase, and the remaining two constellation points correspond to a phase of π radian. The 16-QAM optical modulator further has a phase shifter that modulates the output of the MZM based on two additional electrical binary signals. The resulting optical output signal corresponds to a star 16-QAM constellation, which is produced by incremental rotation of the intermediary constellation.
US08155529B2
Disclosed are a forward discrete/inverse-discrete Fourier transform device and method for optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication and a transmitting and receiving apparatus. The forward inverse-discrete Fourier transform device includes N 1:N splitters for splitting subcarrier signals received from N inputs corresponding to the number of optical frequencies of subcarriers, a phase shift delay array module for shifting phases of the split signals from the 1:N splitters, N N:1 power couplers for coupling signals output from the phase shift delay array module, a time delay array module for performing time delay on optical OFDM symbols from the N:1 power couplers, and an N:1 power coupler for coupling signals output from the time delay array module.
US08155528B2
Methods for authenticating an optical transceiver module to a host are disclosed. The transceiver comprises a receive signal line for transferring data from the transceiver to the host and a transmit signal line for transferring data from the host to the transceiver in preparation for transmission to a communications network. The transceiver includes a controller having a processor in communication with the host, and a first memory register assignable by the processor. A consolidated laser driver/post amplifier is also included and features a pattern generator and a data switch. The pattern generator produces a string of bit values that serve as an authenticating data portion. The data switch selectively inputs the authenticating data portion to the receive signal line of the transceiver according to the state of the first memory register, enabling the authenticating data portion to be received by the host, thereby authenticating the transceiver.
US08155525B2
Power distribution devices, systems and methods for a Radio-over-Fiber (RoF) distributed communication system are disclosed. In one embodiment, an interconnect unit is coupled between a head-end unit and one or more remote units. The interconnect unit includes a plurality of optical communication links each configured to carry RoF signals to and from a head-end unit to remote units. The RF electrical signals from the head-end unit are converted to RF optical signals and communicated over the optical communication links in the interconnect unit to the remote units. The remote units convert the optical signals to electrical signals and communicate the electrical signals to client devices. To provide power to the remote units, the interconnect unit electrically couples power from at least one power supply to a plurality of power branches. Each power branch is configured to supply power to a remote unit connected to the interconnect unit.
US08155522B2
A method for designing a communication network is provided. Network demand data is gathered and network architecture data is gathered. Based in part on the network demand data and the network architecture data, a network plan is automatically generated.
US08155513B2
A video camera, having a body which supports a Depth of Field adapter and contains an image recording device comprises imaging optics having a disk shaped ground glass for rendering visible a real image; a rotatable post having a first end coupled to the ground glass at its center and a second end coupled to the body of the Depth of Field adapter; and a motor coupled to rotate the rotatable post to urge the ground glass to rotate, and where the Depth of Field adapter comprises first and second tubes which, when aligned, form a front tube of the Depth of Field adapter; a coupling ring coupled to align and join the first tube with the second tube; and a support member coupled to the first and second tubes to position the first and second tubes to be at the front of the optical path of the camera.
US08155507B2
A video device having a priority-based recording function and a control method for the same are disclosed in which timer recording is performed based on user preferences. First, recording priority of a specific program for timer or immediate recording is set. When the time to perform the timer or immediate recording is reached, it is determined whether or not at least one program preset for timer recording, which has a higher recording priority than the specific program and which have not yet been recorded, is present. If the at least one program is present, the sum of a memory capacity required for the specific program and a memory capacity required for the at least one program is compared with an available memory capacity of the video device. The specific program is recorded if the sum of the memory capacities is less than or equal to the available memory capacity.
US08155505B2
Methods, systems, and computer-readable medium for playing media files of a playlist on a mobile device. The media files of the playlist include one or more audio files and one or more video files. Playing a first video file of the playlist on the mobile device includes playing an audio component and a video component of the first video file.
US08155503B2
A method (400) of displaying video data using a video recording system (100). The method (400) records a first stream of video data captured by a first camera (e.g., 103) and a first event associated with the first camera (103). The method records a second stream of video data captured by a second camera (e.g., 104) and a second event associated with the second camera (104). A playback speed is determined based at least on a difference between a current play time position and a time position of a nearest one of the first event and the second event. The first stream and the second stream of video data are displayed in a synchronized manner. The first stream of video data and the second stream of video data are displayed at the playback speed.
US08155499B2
A screen saving method of an image apparatus is provided. The screen saving method includes playing back an audio signal, and displaying a screen saving image that includes audio playback data, according to the played back audio signal. The image apparatus includes a media playback unit, a display unit, and a control unit. The media playback unit plays back the audio signal. The display unit displays the audio playback data. The control unit controls the displaying of the screen saving image, and varies the position of the screen saving image over time.
US08155491B2
In order to improve a cable, comprising an inner cable body, in which at least one conductor strand of an optical and/or electrical conductor runs in the longitudinal direction of the cable, a cable sheath, enclosing the inner cable body and lying between an outer surface of the cable and the inner cable body, and at least one information carrier unit, disposed within the outer surface of the cable, in such a way that statements can be made about the cable, it is proposed that the at least one information carrier unit can be read by electromagnetic field coupling, that the at least one information carrier unit picks up at least one measured value of a sensor associated with it and that the measured value can be read out by a read device.
US08155488B2
A transmissive active channel element is provided in each signal channel of a monolithic multi-channel TxPIC where each channel also includes a modulated source. The active channel element functions both as a power control element for both monitoring and regulating the output channel signal level of each signal channel and as a modulator for channel wavelength tagging or labeling to provide for wavelength locking the modulated sources. The power regulating function is also employed to control the channel signal power outputs of each channel to be uniform across the channel signal array. All of these functions are carried out by a feedback loop utilizing digital signal processing.
US08155486B2
A fiber optic sensor employs at least two flexural discs that are spaced apart from one another along a central axis. A fiber optic coil is affixed to at least one of the flexural discs. A proof mass is disposed between the flexural discs. A first stop member is disposed between the proof mass and one flexural disc. A second stop member is disposed between the proof mass and the other flexural disc. The first and second stop members are sized to provide space between the proof mass and the corresponding flexural disc to allow for normal motion of the flexural discs, while interfering with movement of the flexural discs to prohibit unwanted extreme motion. The fiber optic sensor can be used for OTDR measurements of acceleration for real-time oilfield monitoring applications as well as other fiber-based interferometric measurement applications. A coupling structure preferably couples the outer edges of the flexible disks, the mass being attached to the coupling structure.
US08155480B2
An image processing apparatus includes a combining unit configured to combine a visible light image obtained by capturing visible light from an object and a radiation image obtained by capturing a radiation ray that has passed through the object, and an image processing unit configured to change a proportion between the visible light image and the radiation image to be combined by the combining unit such that the proportion differs between combinations in a peripheral region and a central region.
US08155469B2
A filter circuit includes: an adder/subtractor that performs at least addition; and a shifter that performs multiplication/division by a power of two through a shift operation. The adder/subtractors and the shifter are configured to obtain a first calculation result representing a pixel value of a target pixel included in image data multiplied by a first filter coefficient. At least the adder/subtractors and the shifter is configured to obtain a second calculation result representing pixel values of a plurality of peripheral pixels adjacent to the target pixel, with each of the pixel values being multiplied by a second filter coefficient. The adder/subtractor is configured obtain a third calculation result by adding the first and second calculation results. The shifter configured to divide the third calculation result by a power of two which is equivalent to a sum of the first and second filter coefficients, so as to output the division result. According to this aspect of the present invention, adders and subtractors, which have a lower cost and lower energy consumption than multipliers and dividers, are used along with shifters. It is therefore possible to realize the smoothing of images at low cost and low energy consumption.
US08155466B2
A method for enhancing images of an object includes registering a fixed image with cine images of the same object. Next, the fixed image and the cine images are transformed into frequency space representations thereof. A central portion of the frequency space cine images are merged with a peripheral portion of frequency space fixed image using a defined normalized response curve or a predefined normalized response curve (or both) to form a merged image. Finally, the method includes inversely transforming the merged image into enhanced cine images of the object.
US08155459B2
The present invention relates to a video processing device for processing data corresponding to a sequence of pictures according to a predictive block-based encoding technique. Said device comprises a processing unit (20) including a reconstruction circuit (16) for reconstructing pictures from decoded data and an external memory (1) for storing reference pictures delivered by the reconstruction circuit. The processing unit further comprises a memory controller (11) for controlling data exchange between the processing unit and the external memory, a cache memory (17) for temporarily storing data corresponding to a prediction area, said data being read out from the external memory via the memory controller, and a motion compensation circuit (14) for delivering motion compensated data to the reconstruction circuit on the basis of the prediction area read out from the cache memory.
US08155448B2
An image processing apparatus sets respective pixel values of a template block which includes a pixel to be determined for each pixel to be determined set in sequence in an image, arranges a plurality of reference blocks so as to surround the template block, obtains respective block matching errors between the respective pixel values of the plurality of reference blocks and the respective pixel values of the template block, and determines that the pixel to be determined is in an edge area when a smallest value from among the block matching errors is a deviated value from all the block matching errors.
US08155443B2
An image extracting method includes: acquiring a scan image; generating a binary image of the acquired scan image and detects connected pixels in the generated binary image; setting up a circumscribed rectangle for the detected connected pixels; performing, in each side of a circumscribed rectangle, scan in a direction perpendicular to the side so as to detect edge pixels, wherein the scan starts at a plurality of points on a line, and the line extends to one vertex of the side, from a contacting point at which the connected pixels and the side contact; determining whether the detected edge pixels are located in a contour part of the object reproduced in the scan image; setting up a rectangular region based on the edge pixels determined as being located in the contour part of the object; and extracting an image from the set-up rectangular region.
US08155441B2
This invention more effectively suppresses color fringing in a color image by image processing. An image processing method includes estimating the degree of color fringing in a color image based on the color image that is generated by photo-electrically converting an object image and formed from a plurality of color planes. The method also includes removing from the color image the estimated degree of color fringing.
US08155440B2
The gradients of a reference image signal and suppression target image signals are respectively detected. Suppression coefficients are computed according to functions defined based on the magnitude relationship among the gradient value of the reference image signal and those of the suppression target image signals. The reference image signal is weighted according to the suppression coefficients, the weighted signals are combined with the corresponding suppression target image signals, and the combined signals are output as color component signals after color fringing suppression. Then, color fringing can be effectively corrected while suppressing correction errors.
US08155423B2
A system and method are provided for tracing bank notes or, specifically, counterfeit money. In one example of the tracing system, an automatic teller machine (ATM) electronically connected to one or more devices is provided. The one or more devices comprise a deposit device configured to receive an initial bank note; an image extraction device configured to extract one or more initial images from the initial bank note; a transaction log device configured to attach a transaction log to the one or more initial images, wherein the deposit device is further configured to receive a subsequent bank note, wherein the image extraction device is further configured to extract one or more subsequent images from the subsequent bank note; and a comparison device configured to compare the one or initial images to the one or more subsequent images in order to obtain a comparison result.
US08155405B2
A method for lesion segmentation in 3-dimensional (3D) digital images, includes selecting a 2D region of interest (ROI) from a 3D image, the ROI containing a suspected lesion, extending borders of the ROI to 3D forming a volume of interest (VOI), where voxels on the borders of the VOI are initialized as background voxels and voxels in an interior of the VOI are initialized as foreground voxels, propagating a foreground and background voxel competition where for each voxel in the VOI, having each neighbor voxel in a neighborhood of the voxel attack the voxel, and, if the attack is successful, updating a label and strength of the voxel with that of the successful attacking voxel, and evolving a surface between the foreground and background voxels in 3D until an energy functional associated with the surface converges in value, where the surface segments the suspected lesion from the image.
US08155393B2
Biographic data associated with a user is received. Biometric data associated with the user is also received. External data associated with the biographic data and the biometric data is received and a determination is made as to a level of access to grant the user based on the external data. One or more settings associated with a smartcard are configured based on the level of access.
US08155383B2
There are provided a method and a system for illuminating one or more target in a scene. An image of the scene is acquired using a sensing device that may use an infrared sensor for example. From the image, an illumination controller determines an illumination figure, such that the illumination figure adaptively matches at least a position of the target in the image. The target is the selectively illuminated using an illumination device, according to the illumination figure.
US08155376B2
The image processor includes: an acquisition unit acquiring a read-out image read out by an image reading apparatus; a detection unit detecting, from the read-out image, an embedded image including a first specified image having a first shape and a second specified image having a second shape; an adding unit adding attribute information to a specified region in the embedded image, in accordance with an appearance ratio of the first specified image in the specified region, and adding attribute information to other region surrounding the specified region, in accordance with an appearance ratio of the first specified image in the other region; and a determination unit determining whether or not the specified region is to be subjected to a predetermined processing using the first specified image based on whether or not the attribute information added to the specified region corresponds to the attribute information added to the other region.
US08155365B2
In a gooseneck microphone in which a support pipe is capable of extending and contracting, and accordingly a microphone cord extension/contraction part is provided in an output module section, the microphone cord soldered part on a circuit board is prevented from being rubbed by the microphone cord extension/contraction part. The gooseneck microphone includes the support pipe that includes a telescopic pipe and supports a condenser microphone unit on the upper end side thereof, the output module section 30 that is connected to the lower end of the support pipe via a connector 23 at the upper end of a shield case incorporating the circuit board 32, and a microphone cord 40 one end of which is connected to the condenser microphone unit and the other end 40b of which is pulled out into the output module section 30 through the support pipe and a connector 23 and is soldered to the circuit board 32, and a cord extension/contraction part 41 that extends and contracts along with the extension and contraction of the support pipe is provided on the other end 40b side of the microphone cord in the output module section 30. In the gooseneck microphone, the circuit board 32 is provided with a covering member 50 for covering at least a soldered part S of the microphone cord 40.
US08155353B2
Distortion caused in the voltage of an audio signal due to a back electromotive force generated due to loads in a speaker is detected, the detected distorted voltage is eliminated from the voltage of the audio signal, and the audio signal without the distorted voltage is amplified and given to the speaker.
US08155349B2
When controlling the audio signal to the mute mode from an unmute mode, first, the muting circuit switches from the non-attenuating state to the attenuating state to cause the muting circuit to attenuate the audio signal by the predetermined amount of attenuation, and then, the amount of attenuation by the volume control section is set to the maximum amount of attenuation to cause the volume control section to attenuate the audio signal by the maximum amount of attenuation.
US08155347B2
An pop noise eliminating circuit includes a power source, a grounding terminal, a speaker, an audio amplifier that has two opposite ends respectively connected with the power source and the first end of the speaker, a delay unit that has one end electrically connected with the power source, a first power control switch that has a control end electrically connected with the delay unit, a first conduction end electrically connected with the other end of the speaker, and a second power control switch that has a control end electrically connected with the delay unit, a first conduction end electrically connected with the grounding terminal, and a second conduction end electrically connected with a second conduction end of the first power control switch.
US08155345B2
A wearable terminal is constantly worn by a user and continually picks up images and sounds from the surroundings. Even when using a directional microphone to sensitively pick up targeted audio, the wearable terminal can reduce noise occurring due to motion of the device, for example when the user is walking, and reduce the influence of a shift of the sound pickup direction. For this purpose, the wearable terminal includes a sensor for detecting motion, and performs microphone directivity control to use the directional microphone when the amount of motion is small, and to use an omnidirectional microphone that is not likely to be influenced by noise when the amount of motion is large.
US08155337B2
A compatible circuit and method for 4- and 5-pole earphones and a portable device are disclosed. The compatible circuit and method alter the path of audio signals, using switches, according to control signals, so that the 4-pole earphone can be used in a portable device designed primarily for a 5-pole earphone. The apparatus and method include determining the type of earphone, altering the audio signal path according to the type of earphone, and transmitting the audio signal to the earphone.
US08155328B2
An sound reproducing apparatus is configured such that a correction amount is calculated on the basis of a masking model, determiner for determining a correction parameter correcting input signal so as to be natural for human ears to hear on the basis of the calculated correction amount is provided, and a characteristic of correction filter is changed on the basis of a result of determiner when inputting vehicle speed information.
US08155327B2
A tone detection device for detecting whether an input signal having a tone. The device includes a volume gain calculation unit performing a volume gain treatment on frame data and outputting the volume-gain-treated frame data and energy in time domain thereof, a threshold calculation unit calculating a threshold value on the basis of the energy of the volume-gain-treated frame data, a filter transforming the volume-gain-treated frame data by an algorithm and outputting a characteristic value in a first period, and a comparator comparing the first characteristic value and the threshold value to generate a result and determining the frame data of the input signal has the tone on the basis of the result.
US08155314B2
The various methods and systems described herein are directed to supplying a secure channel for software executing on a host computer. The methods and systems address and provide solutions for an attack model in which rogue software executing on the host computer attempts to inappropriately obtain or otherwise manipulate data. Some embodiments can provide pixel data that can be kept confidential (in that untrusted software applications cannot read the data off of the display screen). In addition, other embodiments can preserve the integrity of the pixel data by detecting whether the pixel data has been inappropriately manipulated. Various embodiments are based on a decryption engine that is located on a video card very late in the video processing chain such that programmatic access to decrypted pixel data is denied.
US08155313B2
Systems and methods are provided that employ two or more cryptographically linked codes. The codes, when encrypted, become cipher texts that appear unrelated. The codes described herein are characterized by a series of bits including one or more switch bits. The cipher text of a code having a switch bit in one state will appear to be unrelated to the cipher text of another code differing only in that the switch bit is in the opposite state. The cryptographically linked codes can be used in various combinations, such as on a product and its packaging, on a product and a component of the product, on a certificate packaged with the product and on the packaging, or on outer and inner packagings of the product.
US08155307B2
A method for reliable computation of point additions and point multiplications in an elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) system. Two asymmetric operations are performed: one of the operations is of slightly higher complexity than a conventional ECC operation, and the other operation is of much lower complexity than the first operation. The complexity of the second operation is a function of the desired degree of reliability, or the desired probability of failure detection. The method validates a computation involving one or more points on a specified elliptic curve by selecting a second elliptic curve, deriving a third elliptic curve from the specified and selected curves, projecting points onto the derived curve, performing a computation on the derived curve involving the projected points, validating the computation on the selected curve, extracting from the computation on the derived curve a predicted result of the computation on the selected curve, and comparing the predicted result to the computation on the selected curve. A predicted result of the computation to be validated may then be extracted from the computation on the derived curve. The predicted result is compared to an actual result of a computation on the selected curve, and if the results match, the predicted result of the computation performed on the selected curve is validated.
US08155302B2
An acoustic echo cancellation device for canceling an echo in a microphone signal in response to first and second input signals includes a first combination unit for combining the first and second input signals into an aggregate input signal. The device further includes an adaptive filter unit for filtering the aggregate input signal so as to produce an aggregate echo cancellation signal. A second combination unit combines the aggregate echo cancellation signal with the microphone signal so as to produce a residual signal, and an additional filter unit filters either the first or second input signal so as to produce a first or a second partial echo cancellation signal. A post-processor unit suppresses remaining echo components in the residual signal. The post-processor unit uses at least one partial echo cancellation signal to suppress echo components corresponding with the first input signal to a greater extent than echo components corresponding with the second input signal.
US08155298B2
In one embodiment, the system includes a processor, referred to herein as a tandem access controller (TAC), coupled to the PSTN, where the TAC allows a subscriber to set-up and make changes to the configuration of his or her phone line or other communications device. Such changes include selective call forwarding. In one embodiment, the TAC is controlled by the subscriber using the web. The TAC is coupled internally to the PSTN in a local service area and is outside the central office of the subscriber. A calling party makes a first call to the subscriber using the subscriber's public telephone number. The TAC receives the first call prior to the call reaching the subscriber's terminating central office, which in some cases avoids a toll. The TAC then carries out the subscriber's instructions for the first call, such as making one or more second calls using telephone numbers different from the subscriber's public telephone number. When the second call is answered, the answering phone is connected by the TAC to the caller.
US08155294B2
Providing non-voice capabilities relating to a phone call at a computing device includes receiving a request to begin a telephone call from a first telephone to a second telephone, wherein the requesting is performed using messaging between computing devices connected via a computer network, and wherein the messaging is part of a signaling phase dialog. The signaling phase dialog may be used in providing information associated with the identity of parties of the telephone call. Commencing a call phase dialog between the computing devices may be performed after the telephone call is established over the public switched telephone network. The call phase dialog may allow messages relating to the telephone call to be passed between the computing devices, at least while the telephone call is in progress. The dialogs and messaging may be performed using session initiation protocol (SIP) or another computer communication protocol.
US08155288B2
A system and method for processing digital templates having one or both of a pre-filled image and text field. Optional image and/or text fields are provided for filling in by the customer using customer-selected data. As the customer adds text and images to the template, a data file is created having an indication of the template style selected as well as the optional data fields filled in by the customer including one or more of the location, orientation, size and font thereof. The data file is transmitted to a photofinisher which has access to a high resolution copy of the template, which is populated by the data in the data file to create the finished template print. Since only the data file is transmitted to the photofinisher, the file size is kept to a relative minimum and is thus relatively quick and easy to transmit to the photofinisher.
US08155285B2
A switchboard device and methods of operation of same are disclosed. Embodiments of the invention may provide a flexible means of interconnecting wideband and narrowband communications interfaces, where wideband communications interfaces may transfer wideband data sampled at a higher sampling rate, and narrowband communication interfaces may transfer narrowband data sampled at a lower sampling rate. Data streams sampled at different sampling rates can be combined and the sampling rate of the result adjusted as needed by the destination interface. Methods of operating embodiments of the present invention are included. An additional aspect of the present invention may include machine-readable storage having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the foregoing.
US08155284B2
A facsimile apparatus capable of transmitting and receiving voice data and non-voice data, and supporting a plurality of lines includes a main section including a plurality of modem units to individually control each of the plurality of modem units, and a line section including a plurality of line connecting units to connect a plurality of General Switched Telephone Networks (GSTNs) with the plurality of modem units, respectively. Accordingly, a plurality of lines can be used via one telephone circuit.
US08155283B2
An embodiment of a system, method, and apparatus for facilitating wideband audio communication and digital subscriber line data communication includes a filter configured to be coupled to a line conditioning coil. The line conditioning coil includes a frequency response having a first passband extending over a portion of a narrowband voice frequency range, a second passband extending over a portion of a digital subscriber line frequency range. The line conditioning coil further includes a frequency notch having a frequency range between the first passband and the second passband. The frequency notch attenuates signals over a portion of a wideband audio frequency range. The filter has a cut-off frequency below the frequency notch and a passband extending over at least a portion of the frequency notch. The filter is configured to amplify signals within the frequency range of the frequency notch to compensate for the attenuation caused by the frequency notch.
US08155275B1
Systems and methods for managing alarms from recorders are provided. An exemplary method comprises the steps of: receiving alarm alerts from one or more recorders by a central application module, the alarm alerts being operative to notify a user of a problem associated with the one or more recorders, storing the alarm alerts in an alarm database, and managing the alarm alerts by the central application module so that a user can view the alarm alerts.
US08155274B2
System for coordinating the use of a mapping system comparing the physical connection status of a cable link in a network with the administrative data about said cable link in the network administration. The coordinating system uses data from one or several existing databases. Based on an analysis of the data retrieved from the one or more databases the system generates a detailed work order for an engineer to perform measurements with a mapping system. A mapping system is a system that performs measurements on the connections within a telecommunication network and compares the results of these measurements with the data in one of the databases. Differences are analyzed by the coordinating system.
US08155270B2
An X-ray spectroscope collects an energy-dispersive spectrum from a sample under analysis, and generates a list of candidate elements that may be present in the sample. A wavelength dispersive spectral collector is then tuned to obtain X-ray intensity measurements at the energies/wavelengths of some or all of the candidate elements, thereby verifying whether or not these candidate elements are in fact present in the sample. Additionally, the alignment of the wavelength dispersive spectral collector versus the sample can be optimized by tuning the wavelength dispersive spectral collector to the energy/wavelength of a selected one of the candidate elements—preferably one whose presence in the sample has been verified, or one which has a high likelihood of being present in the sample—and then varying the alignment of the wavelength dispersive spectral collector versus the sample until the wavelength dispersive spectral collector returns the maximum intensity reading for the selected candidate element. Intensity readings for the other candidate elements can then be collected at this optimized alignment.
US08155261B2
The present invention relates to a shift register and a gate driver therefor. The shift register comprises: a first thin film transistor, of which a gate is connected to a first node, a source is connected to a clock signal terminal, and a drain is connected to an output terminal at current stage; a second thin film transistor, of which a gate is connected to a second node, a source is connected to the output terminal at current stage, and a drain is connected to a low level signal terminal; a third thin film transistor, of which a gate is connected to the first node, a source is connected to the low level signal terminal, and a drain is connected to the second node; a fourth thin film transistor, of which a gate is connected to the second node, a source is connected to the low level signal terminal, and a drain is connected to the first node; a first capacitor connected between the clock signal terminal and the second node; a discharging module connected between the clock signal terminal and the output terminal at current stage; a compensation module connected between the first node and the low level signal terminal. The present invention has the advantages of low cost, low power consumption and long life span etc, as well as the features of high stability, strong anti-interference capability and small delay etc.
US08155258B2
A neutron detector system for discriminating fissile material from non-fissile material wherein a digital data acquisition unit collects data at high rate, and in real-time processes large volumes of data directly into information that a first responder can use to discriminate materials. The system comprises counting neutrons from the unknown source and detecting excess grouped neutrons to identify fission in the unknown source.
US08155255B2
A displacement estimation method is disclosed which includes: a signal capturing step for capturing a signal; a displacement estimation step for calculating a displacement based on a state change of the signal; and an output step for outputting the displacement, in which the displacement estimation step includes one or more of the steps of (A) consistency check to determine whether the state change of the signal is consistent with the waveform of the signal; (B) period prediction and compensation to count in the present period according to a proportional length of a previous period; and (C) adaptive threshold update to adjust the definition of the state change corresponding to the amplitude of the signal.
US08155253B2
Disclosed is an apparatus and a method for automatically changing the broadcast channel for a mobile communication terminal adapted to receive digital multimedia broadcasts. The apparatus includes a memory unit for storing an adjacent area database and an area-wise broadcast channel database; a search unit for searching for broadcast channels and receiving broadcasts; and a control unit for determining the received field strength of at least one adjacent area frequency based on the adjacent area database during digital multimedia broadcast playback, and when a predetermined threshold is exceeded, determining that a movement into a corresponding adjacent area is occurring, the control unit controlling the search unit to search through broadcast channels of the adjacent area in the area-wise broadcast channel database to find a broadcast channel identical to a broadcast channel used for playback before the movement into the adjacent area.
US08155249B2
An apparatus for maximum likelihood signal detection comprises a reference data unit, a branch metric unit, an add-compare-select unit, a path metric unit and a path memory, and is used for detecting maximum likelihood signal. The reference information unit, the branch metric unit, the add-compare-select unit or the path metric unit can further comprise a multiplexer to removing unnecessary paths according to a control signal. The control signal is adjusted according to channel response, coding constraint or channel memory length.
US08155245B2
A modulation scheme estimation apparatus includes a receiving unit receiving a first signal, a generation unit generating a plurality of first phase amounts, an acquisition unit acquiring a plurality of multiplication signals by multiplying the first signal by each of the first phase amounts, an extraction unit extracting a plurality of second signals corresponding to respective direct-current components of third signals obtained by subjecting the multiplication signals to Fourier transform, a first computation unit computing a plurality of sums, each of which is a sum of each of the multiplication signals and a corresponding one of the second signals, a second computation unit computing a plurality of absolute values of the sums, and a first identifying unit identifying a modulation scheme corresponding to one of the absolute values which has a highest similarity with respect to reference values associated with modulation schemes.
US08155244B2
A receiver and a method to demodulate an unknown signal with an unknown linear modulation is described. The method of one of various embodiments comprises: sampling the unknown signal at a sampling rate to produce a sampled signal; applying carrier frequency offset estimation to the sampled signal to match the frequency of the sampled signal to that of the unknown signal and to change constellation rotation of the sampled signal; utilizing symbol period estimation to match the sampling rate of the sampled signal to a sampling rate of the unknown signal; applying blind equalization to the sampled signal to provide an equalized unknown signal; and demodulating the equalized unknown signal by utilizing a multistep windowed histogram clustering algorithm to generate constellation clusters; applying a rotation rate estimation algorithm to the clusters to estimate a phase rotation rate; and utilizing the phase rotation rate estimate to de-rotate the clusters.
US08155241B2
A method includes receiving data elements representative of constellation points of a modulated signal. Each data element includes a gain. The method also includes identifying a common gain value among the received data elements, and adjusting the data elements to include the common gain value.
US08155240B2
A receiver circuit, application of a first proportional element and a second proportional element of a digital PLL structure, and method for receiving a frequency-shift keyed signal are provided. A phase signal is calculated from an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal. A feedback signal is subtracted from the phase signal to form a difference signal. An output signal is determined from the difference signal by a nonlinear transfer function. The output signal is evaluated with an evaluation circuit. A first signal and a second signal are added to form a summation signal. The first signal is produced by multiplication of the output signal or the difference signal by a first proportionality factor. The second signal is produced by multiplication of the output signal or the first signal or the difference signal by a second proportionality factor, followed by integration, and the feedback signal is produced by integration of the summation signal.
US08155236B1
A data receiver circuit includes a transmission line to generate the appropriate timing for clock and data recovery. The transmission line receives a reference signal, and propagates the reference signal through at least two segments of predetermined lengths. The transmission line is configured with a first tab to extract, from the first predetermined length, a first delayed signal, and a second tab to extract, from the second predetermined length, a second delayed signal. A sampling circuit generates samples, at a first time period, from an input signal and the first delayed signal. The sampling circuit also generates samples, at a second time period, from the input signal and the second delayed signal. A capacitance control device to adjust the capacitance of the transmission line is disclosed. The data receiver circuit and the transmission line may be both fabricated on an integrated circuit, or the transmission line may be implemented external to the integrated circuit chip, such as on a package housing of the integrated circuit chip or on a printed circuit board for which the integrated circuit chip is mounted.
US08155234B2
A method for processing a data signal received via a communication channel is described, comprising determining a first matrix comprising components describing characteristics of the communication channel and inverting the first matrix by sub-dividing the first matrix into at least four sub matrices, inverting a first sub matrix of the four sub matrices generating a second matrix by multiplying a second sub matrix of the four sub matrices with the inverted first matrix and a third sub matrix of the four sub matrices, determining the difference matrix between the second matrix and a fourth sub matrix of the four sub matrices inverting the difference matrix and calculating the inverted matrix based on the inverted difference matrix. The data signal is processed using the inverted first matrix.
US08155232B2
A method from transmitting data via multiple antennas. The method contemplates modulating data to be transmitted into a plurality of modulated symbols, encoding each pair of modulated symbols from among said plurality of symbols in accordance with a transmission diversity scheme to result in a plurality of 2 by 2 matrices, with each 2 by 2 matrix corresponding to each pair of modulated symbols, orthogonally spreading the plurality of 2 by 2 matrices to generate an output matrix, and transmitting the symbols in the output matrix via a plurality of antennas by using either a space time transmission diversity scheme, a space frequency transmission diversity scheme, or a combination of a space time transmission diversity scheme and a space frequency transmission diversity scheme.
US08155221B2
A receiver employing an OFDM system which uses a frequency band that is constituted by a plurality of subchannels, and receiving a signal added a phase rotation which is made to respectively differ for each transmission antennas of transmitter and transmitted from the transmission antennas, having an informing portion which informs the transmitter of an information in subchannel units for deciding a phase rotation which is added to the signal.
US08155218B2
Systems and methods for a wireless communication system are provided. The method includes estimating a time-variation of a channel through which the wireless communication system transmits. This also includes decreasing the estimated time-variation of the channel from a signal transmitted by the wireless communications system.
US08155211B2
A run-level domain transcoder receives a stream of compressed frames carried in a bit stream. The run-level domain transcoder decodes the bit stream into run-level pairs and selectively processes the compressed frames so as to, among other things, reduce the number of bits necessary to represent the compressed frames.
US08155199B2
A method and apparatus for coding an image includes calculation of motion vectors of vertices of a patch in an image being encoded and transmitting information of horizontal and vertical components of the motion vectors of the vertices and information specifying that values of the horizontal and vertical components of a motion vector for each pixel in the patch are integral multiples of 1/d of a distance between adjacent pixels, where d is an integer not less than 2.
US08155194B2
A method for transcoding from an MPEG-2 format to an H.264 format is disclosed. The method generally comprises the steps of (A) decoding an input video stream in the MPEG-2 format to generate a plurality of macroblocks; (B) determining a plurality of indicators from a pair of the macroblocks, the pair of the macroblocks being vertically adjoining; and (C) coding the pair of the macroblocks into an output video stream in the H.264 format using one of (i) a field mode coding and (ii) a frame mode coding as determined from the indicators.
US08155191B2
There are provided video encoders and corresponding methods for performing fast mode decision of B-frames. A video encoder for encoding video data for a B slice that is divisible into macroblocks includes an encoder (OO) for performing mode selection when encoding a current macroblock in the B slice by counting a number of neighboring macroblocks in the B slice coded in a DIRECT mode, and only checking one of the DIRECT MODE or a 16×16 mode for the current macroblock when the number of neighboring macroblocks coded in the DIRECT mode exceeds a predetermined threshold.
US08155189B2
A method of making a coding mode decision for a current macroblock of a current video frame including determining an INTERSAD value, selecting at least one video characteristic associated with the current video frame, comparing the INTERSAD value with a corresponding range of each selected video characteristic, selecting interframe coding if the INTERSAD value is within the corresponding range of each selected video characteristic, performing intraframe prediction to provide an intraframe prediction macroblock and determining an INTRASAD value if the INTERSAD value is an outlier of any selected video characteristic, selecting intraframe coding if the INTERSAD value is greater than the INTRASAD value and otherwise selecting interframe coding. The video characteristics may be based on any combination of an average of interframe differential sums, a sum of absolute differences between each pixel value of the current macroblock and a mean pixel value of the current macroblock, and a quantization parameter.
US08155185B2
An image coding apparatus includes a coding unit configured to set, when coding processing is performed on input image data, a first coding picture that is to be generated by intra-picture prediction coding within the first coding picture, skip reference beyond the first coding picture being inhibited, and set, when coding processing is performed on the input image data, a second coding picture that is to be generated by inter-picture prediction coding, and skip reference beyond the second coding picture being inhibited. The coding unit performs coding processing on the input image data such that at least one second coding picture is set proximate to the first coding picture.
US08155183B2
A surveillance system configured for communicating with video cameras and other devices connected over a power-line communication network, such as within a residence, or alternatively a commercial building. The system may be manufactured and installed at low cost without the need to route individual cables to each surveillance video camera or device. Bandwidth within the power-line communication network is preferably dynamically allocated to device streams by a server in response to predetermined and event-driven priorities. By way of example, remote communication is supported for allowing remote access to surveillance data and control of the surveillance system. The system may be implemented as a standalone unit or integrated within existing forms of electronics equipment, such as consumer electronics equipment including a television set, a set-top box, or other forms of video-enabled equipment that is adapted for performing power-line network communication.
US08155180B2
A system includes a programmable transmitter device (e.g., a PLD) connected to a programmable receiver device (e.g., another PLD) via a transmission medium for transmitting a high-speed data signal from the transmitter to the receiver. During a test mode of operation a low-speed communication link between the transmitter and receiver allows those devices to work together to transmit test signals having known characteristics from the transmitter to the receiver via the transmission medium, to analyze the test signals as received by the receiver, and to adjust at least some aspect of the system (e.g., equalizer circuitry in the receiver) to at least partly compensate for losses in the test signals as received by the receiver.
US08155176B2
A filter is created by sampling noise during an inter-frame gap (110) of a received signal, sampling a data frame preamble (115) from within a data frame (105) of the received signal, and computing filter coefficients based on the noise sampled during the inter-frame gap (110) and the data frame preamble (115) sampled from within the data frame (105).
US08155173B2
A transmitting equipment is used in a mobile communication system in which a signal obtained by cyclically shifting a predetermined sequence is used for communication. An inverse fast Fourier transform device of the transmitting equipment converts a signal obtained by signal processing on a predetermined sequence in a frequency region into a time region by inverse fast Fourier transform. A cyclic shift device cyclically shifts by a predetermined amount of shift the sequence in the signal converted into the time region by the inverse fast Fourier transform device.
US08155169B2
A delta quantizer for MIMO pre-coders with finite rate channel state information feedback may comprise partly quantizing a change in channel state information in a MIMO pre-coding system onto at least a first and a second codebook, each of which comprises one or more unitary matrices, using a cost function; and generating the at least first and second codebook based on at least the channel state information. The channel state information may be a matrix V and the cost function may be defined by the following relationship: f ( A ) = ( 1 N ∑ j = 1 N a jj 2 ) where A is a matrix of size N by N and aij is element (i,j) of matrix A. One or more unitary matrices may be generated for the at least first codebook from at least a first set of matrices and a second set of matrices.
US08155168B2
A modulator for a communications system includes a spread spectrum coder and a pulse code modulator having a signal input port connectable to a signal output port of the spread spectrum coder. The modulator performs a robust and error free modulation and coding scheme by using a modified spread spectrum scheme combined with pulse code modulation. The communication system contains a low data rate, noise robust modulation and coding scheme using a very simple transmitter. This results in a very straightforward transmitter circuit, reducing size and costs of the transmitter.
US08155160B2
A device is provided for igniting a fuel-air mixture in a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine with the aid of electromagnetic radiation, in particular light. The device includes at least two laser radiation sources, each having an optical resonator. The resonators are spatially oriented with respect to one another in such a way that modes of the laser radiation sources are coupled to one another and are able to generate time-shifted pulses of the electromagnetic radiation.
US08155156B2
Apparatus and methods of recovering synchronization for multiple-link communications are disclosed. Streams of communication traffic on a plurality of communication links from which communication traffic is to be extracted and combined into a single communication traffic stream are monitored for receipt of synchronization information for each link. In the event that an error occurs in receipt of the synchronization information for any of the communication links, a stream received on each affected link is modified. For example, traffic may be removed from or inserted into a received stream where synchronization information for a link is received twice or received earlier than expected, respectively. If synchronization information for a link is missing, then it may be generated and inserted into the stream received on that link. In some embodiments, synchronization information includes sequence numbers, and inter-link synchronization is re-aligned to received sequence numbers when expected and received sequence numbers do not match.
US08155153B2
In one embodiment, the method includes receiving audio frame data having at least first and second channel data. The first and second channel data include a plurality of blocks, where the blocks are classified by a block type. The first and second channel data is provided jointly if the first and second channel data are paired with each other. The method further includes obtaining frame length information indicating a length of the audio frame data, and obtaining block information indicating the block type. The block information corresponds to the first and second channel data being common when the channel data are paired. The first and second channel data are lossless decoded based on the frame length information and the block information.
US08155151B2
Systems and methods for combining a plurality of transport streams into a single transport stream for transmission to, e.g., a single frequency network via a satellite. Embodiments provide receiving a plurality of original, e.g., MPEG-compliant, data streams, where each original data stream has its own timing information, combining the plurality of original data streams into a single combined data stream which is also, e.g., MPEG compliant, modulating the single combined data stream for uplink to a satellite, receiving a downlink transmission from the satellite, where the downlink transmission includes the single combined data stream, de-combining the single combined data stream into the plurality of original data streams, and passing respective original data steams to, e.g., one or more DVB-T modulators for broadcast into a single frequency network.
US08155150B1
A method may be performed by a device in a network, the device including multiple security process units (SPUs). The method includes receiving a packet over the network, the packet including a media access control (MAC) address, and assigning one SPU as the MAC address owner. The method also includes sending information about the MAC address to other SPUs within the device, storing the MAC address in a MAC table within each SPU, and initiating a MAC age query to confirm the MAC address has timed out among all SPUs. The MAC age query is passed via a logical ring of the SPUs beginning with the MAC address owner. If the MAC address is aged out at each SPU, the MAC address is deleted from each MAC table. If the MAC entry is still active, a different SPU is assigned as the MAC address owner.
US08155141B2
The present invention is a system (1200), base station (1100)/customer premise equipment (1150) apparatus, and method (400 450) for a two-stage quiet-period management mechanism that provides the required protection to incumbents (primary spectrum users) while supporting the desired QoS of secondary users participating in a cognitive radio network. In the first stage, a simple fast sensing (301) is done (e.g., energy detection) by all devices in the network. Depending on the result of the fast sensing, the second and possibly longer stage, herein termed fine sensing (302), is performed.
US08155140B1
Determining if a packetized wireless signal is present on a wireless communication medium. A first signal may be received from the wireless communication medium. A correlation of the first signal may be performed using a delayed version of the first signal to produce a correlation result. The delayed version may be delayed by a time period corresponding to a packet structure of a wireless communication protocol used by signals transmitted on the wireless communication medium. It may be determined if the correlation result indicates presence of a packetized wireless signal in the first signal. The packetized wireless signal may have the packet structure of the wireless communication protocol. If the correlation result does not indicate presence of the packetized wireless signal in the first signal, wireless communication may be performed over the wireless communication medium.
US08155136B2
The invention discloses a single network interface device with multi-ports, the network interface device supports two or more physical network transmission routes to transmit and receive data, and upload the received data into a host through a host interface or download the data waiting to be transmitted to network from the host through the host interface. Therefore, the present invention increases network communication speed and improves host interface bandwidth.
US08155125B1
A method, system, and apparatus to transmit replicated multicast packets over a plurality of physical network links that are combined into one logical channel or link so that the replicated multicast packets are distributed over more than one network link is disclosed. It is further disclosed that distribution over the network links is accomplished, in part, through analyzing the multicast packet for information other than ethernet addresses. Such information can include a tag header including destination interface information.
US08155123B2
A method of packet routing for an LMM network includes: by an LMA, determining that both a sending end node and a receiving end node are located in an LMM domain controlled by the LMA, and starting a route optimization; directly forwarding, by an access device attached to the sending end node, a packet to be sent to the receiving end node to an access device attached to the receiving end node without being forwarded by the LMA; and forwarding, by the access device attached to the receiving end node, to the receiving end node. A system of packet routing for an LMM network includes a sending end node, a receiving end node, an access device attached to the sending end node, an access device attached to the receiving end node, and an LMA.
US08155112B2
In a first embodiment, multi-speed concatenated packet strings are transmitted by a first node on a serial bus. To accommodate multi-speed packets, a speed signal is transmitted immediately prior to the packet. In a second embodiment, ACK-concatenation is used to allow a node to transmit a data packet immediately after transmitting an acknowledge signal on the bus. The data packet need not be related to the ACK packet. In a third embodiment, a node which receives a first data packet followed by a data end signal on a child port, concatenates a second data packet onto the first data packet during retransmission. The second data packet is also transmitted down the bus in the direction of the node which originally transmitted the first data packet.
US08155098B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for resource configuration in a cellular broadcasting and communication network, where a video stream can be transmitted from a base station to a mobile station as bursts of video and data frames in a particular sequential manner. Special scheduling signals announce video burst information to the subscribing mobile stations, allowing the mobile stations to turn on their transceiver circuitry only when video bursts arrive. In a video burst, the available data resources, in addition to video resources, transmit data application packets and/or special control information to the subscribing mobile stations. Methods and processes are also disclosed for a mobile station to use a single RF tuner within a system with multiple frequency bands.
US08155097B2
A system and method for predicting future interference power in packet-switched networks is disclosed, allowing improved performance in such networks via optimized link adaptation and power control. In an embodiment for use in a cellular network, Kalman filtering can be used to provide the interference estimation through identification of the number of active co-channel interferers in the cellular networks and correlation of the interference power with the number of active interferers. A two-dimensional Kalman filter can be used to exploit that correlation to enhance prediction accuracy. In an alternative embodiment, a one-dimensional Kalman filter can be used where the number of active interferers is not considered.
US08155092B2
The present invention is aimed to provide a mechanism whereby a roaming user can select a visited network allowed for roaming by the home network operator among a plurality of visited networks accessible through an access network. Therefore, the present invention provides a new method, a new roaming device likely embedded in another network entity and enhanced user equipment whereby the home network, upon a user equipment indication, may submit towards the user equipment a list of allowed or preferred visited networks as well as selection criteria for selecting one visited network from the list.
US08155084B2
A network handover method applicable to network handover in ringing/ring back tone (RBT) or call hold is provided. According to this method, in ringing/RBT, one party performs a session negotiation with an Other End Point (OEP) via a call continuity application server, and then sends an off-hook signal to the OEP via the call continuity application server after the negotiation succeeds. Further, a call continuity application server and a user equipment (UE) are provided. According to the present disclosure, in ringing/RBT or call hold, even if the network coverage is not good, the UE may also be handed over to another network through call continuity, so as to effectively prevent the UE from dropping a call in ringing/RBT or call hold and thus improve the conversation quality of the user.
US08155083B2
A technique of configuring link layer entities for a handover is described. In a method embodiment, the technique includes receiving from a recipient of protocol data units a supplemental status report for an existing ARQ connection in context with an imminent handover, determining service data units corresponding to buffered protocol data units taking into account information included in the supplemental report, and transferring the determined service data units to a link layer entity which is to establish a new ARQ connection to the recipient. The forced status synchronization that is based on the supplemental report prevents the transfer of service data units that have already been successfully received at the recipient.
US08155059B2
A wireless communications connection control method that enables flexible reconstruction of a wireless communications network system structure. The wireless communications connection control method comprising the steps of retaining in advance a node registration table in which the inter-node distance and node types are associated with each node; issuing a joining notification, together with the inter-node distance, in response to when a new node joins the wireless communications system; refreshing the node registration table according to the joining notification, determining whether it is necessary to change the node type based on the inter-node distance stored in the node registration table, and changing the node type stored in the node registration table when it is determined that the type needs to be refreshed.
US08155056B2
In a wireless communication system, a method and apparatus for controlling traffic congestion includes determining that the traffic congestion at a plurality of geographical locations in the wireless communication network is above a predetermined threshold value. At least one geographical location of the plurality of geographical location is identified, wherein the identification of the at least one geographical location is based on the determination of the traffic congestion in the plurality of geographical location. At least one network node of a plurality of network nodes located in proximity of the identified geographical location is selected and assigned a first level of priority during congestion control.
US08155050B2
A satellite communications interoperability module and method for frequency down-conversion. The module insertable in-line with an intra-facility link communicating a multiplexed signal between the outdoor unit (ODU) and the indoor unit (IDU). Electrical circuitry of the module transforming and forwarding the multiplexed signal over the intra-facility link, the multiplexed signal including at least direct current, a standard tone, and L-band data signals. Switching means of the module specifies operations performed by the electrical circuitry to transform the multiplexed signal frequencies, waveforms and voltages according to predetermined parameters compatible between the ODU and the IDU. An interoperability method for compatibility with a range of different indoor units applied by the interoperability module and or incorporated into an integral ODU is application of a second frequency shift upon the L-band signal output from the ODU primary down-conversion circuit.
US08155048B2
A method transmits a message of a source entropy from a source node, via a set of relay nodes, to a destination node, the set of relay nodes includes a node and a next node connected by a wireless link, wherein the next node is guaranteed to receive accumulated nats from one or more previous transmissions of the message, in which a transmission of the message from the node to the next node includes determining the accumulated nats guaranteed to be received by the next node; calculating minimal nats of the message to be transmitted from the node to the next node, such that a sum of the minimal nats and the accumulated nats is not less than the source entropy; and transmitting the message having the minimal nats from the node to the next node.
US08155037B2
There is provided a transmitter receiver apparatus in which a directional coupler and single pole double throw (SPDT) switches are includes on the reception side. In the directional coupler, a reception signal is inputted and split into two signals having phases different from each other by 90° and the two split signals are outputted to SPDTs. Each of the SPDTs outputs each of the split signals to an output terminal connected to an amplifier during a passage mode and to a terminal terminated with a predetermined impedance during a blocking mode.
US08155035B2
A reception apparatus and method is disclosed wherein recovery of a lost packet can be performed simply and rapidly in response to the variation of the loss rate. A packet analysis section detects loss of a packet, and a retransmission processing section registers packet information including a sequence number for identification of a packet having been lost into a NACK list. When loss of a packet is detected by the packet analysis section, a NACK production section produces a NACK packet for requesting for retransmission of the non-arriving packet whose packet information is registered in the NACK list. A network inputting/outputting section transmits the NACK packet to a transmission apparatus. The invention can be applied to a reception apparatus which receives, for example, streaming data.
US08155034B2
A method (200) for a cellular system (100), with an RBS (120) which controls a cell (110) with User Equipments UE (130, 140). The RBS and the UEs exchange data which may comprise sequence numbers, and exchange reports on whether or not data has been received successfully, so that both the UE and the RBS can be the reporting party and the report receiving party. The reporting party sends a report (210) to the report receiving party on whether or not data has been received successfully, together with data to the report receiving party or to another party in the cell. The reporting party decides (220) the contents of the report using one of the following priority rules: Data with lower delay tolerance is given priority, Data detected as received in error is given priority, Data is given priority according to block sequence numbers.
US08155033B2
A combination of subscriber clustering and link interleaving provides a cognitive radio system (CR) 100 with opportunities to sense an incumbent system's spectrum on secondary basis. The CR system (100) uses clustering to identify out-of-band channels. The CR system (100) uses link interleaving during a second mode of operation to sense and detect any incumbent (120) on in-band channels. A list of out-band channels are sensed by clusters (0, 1, 2, 3) sequentially to generate a ranked list of potential channels for future use by the CR system. These out-of-band channels can be used opportunistically in case of in-band incumbent detection.
US08155029B2
The present invention relates to a method and an arrangement in communication systems utilizing network mobility (NEMO). In moving networks comprising a plurality of mobile routers, MRs, it needs to be assured that two or more MRs sharing the same prefix, belong to the same moving network. The method according to the invention utilizes a local connectivity test to determine if a MR should be allowed a certain prefix. Unique shared secrets are agreed between the MRs and the home agent, HA. The MRs derive, based on their respective shared secrets, MR specific information, which are distributed among MRs in the moving network. A MR requesting a prefix from the HA, forwards the MR specific information to the HA. By comparing data generated using its stored shared secrets with data from the MR specific information, the HA can determine whether the MR requesting a certain prefix belongs to the same moving network as MRs already using that prefix.
US08155026B2
A method and system of an embodiment may include receiving network information associated with one or more network links, one or more network nodes, and a network hub, identifying at least two network paths from at least one of the one or more network nodes to the network hub based on the network information. Identifying at least two network paths from at least one of the one or more network nodes to the network hub based on the network information may include determining a number of hops for each identified network path, determining a latency of each link for each identified network path, summing the latencies of each link for each identified network path to calculate a total network path latency, and determining a ranking of the network paths based at least in part on the number of hops and the total network path latency.
US08155018B2
A set of global location signals, an SBAS (Satellite Based Augmentation System), or an ACI (ambient country identifier) signal can be used to automatically provide location awareness for a WLAN device. If one of the set of global location signals, the SBAS signal, or the ACI signal is detected, then the WLAN device can configure itself to comply with channel and power settings for the country/region having the detected signal(s). After configuration, the WLAN device can be “locked” to the country/region having the signal(s), thereby ensuring legal operation of the WLAN device even after subsequent restarts. If one of the signals is not detected, then the WLAN device can be configured in a default mode, e.g. an “open mode” in which end users can configure the WLAN device by entering a country of operation or a “common mode” in which the channel and transmit power settings meet global spectrum usage requirements.
US08155013B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for synchronized multi-link transmission in an ARQ-enabled multi-hop wireless network. In one embodiment, the method comprises performing pre-transmission of a packet to hops to enable a base station and the plurality of hops in the network to transmit the packet synchronously to one or more mobile stations in the wireless communication system; and performing one or more re-transmissions of the packet at a set of one or more hops forming a path in the network if time remaining before a synchronized transmission time for the path as a whole is greater than a threshold.
US08155010B1
A quality processing system comprises an interface and a processing system. The interface is configured to receive a first quality message from a wireless end device in the first region wherein the first quality message indicates a first quality metric of the first region during the session, and receive a session quality message indicating a session quality metric for the session. The processing system is configured to process the first quality metric with the session quality metric to determine if the session problem occurred in the first region or the second region, generate an isolation message indicating in which of the first region or second region the problem occurred, and transfer the isolation message.
US08155005B2
A method and a GGSN support node for sending data packets to a mobile station in a mobile communications system from an external communication system. The GGSN receives data packets from the external communication system in a first plurality of data flows which it maps to a second plurality of data flows in the mobile communications system. It establishes at least one filter for controlling the mapping and associates the filter with the mobile station. It also maps at least one of the data flows on the basis of the filter and configures the filter on the basis of information which preferably originates from the mobile station.
US08155003B2
In one embodiment, a method comprises calculating a corresponding data packet arrival rate for each of a plurality of data sources supplying data packets destined for a prescribed destination, the prescribed destination within a machine and the prescribed destination having a bandwidth capacity; calculating a guaranteed shared bandwidth rate for each data source based on assigning a corresponding selected portion of the bandwidth capacity relative to the corresponding data packet arrival rate; selectively passing each data packet from the corresponding data source as a passed data packet, or dropping the corresponding data packet, according to a calculated probability that the corresponding data packet arrival rate does not exceed the corresponding guaranteed shared bandwidth rate; and selectively filtering the supply of aggregated passed data packets, aggregated only from among the passed data packets supplied by the data sources, to the prescribed destination according to the bandwidth capacity of the prescribed destination.
US08154998B2
A method and apparatus for resizing a trunk in a network are disclosed. For example, the method sets one or more target utilization levels for one or more trunks, and gathers trunk load data from one or more switches in the network in accordance with a pre-determined time period. The method evaluates the trunk load data in accordance with one or more trigger points for resizing the one or more trunks, wherein the one or more trigger points is based on the one or more target utilization levels. The method then resizes the one or more trunks if the one or more trigger points are reached or exceeded.
US08154997B2
A communication signal processing apparatus for a repeater includes an interface for receiving the communication signals of at least two different communication services, and a communication signal processor for combining a pair of different communication signals into a single digital signal, converting the single digital signal into a frame and serializing the frame.
US08154996B2
In one embodiment, a method, comprising receiving at a receive side of a physical link a request to suspend transmission of data from a queue within a transmit side of a first stage of queues and to suspend transmission via a path including the physical link, a portion of the first stage of queues, and a portion of a second stage of queues. The method includes sending, in response to the request, a flow control signal to a flow control module configured to schedule transmission of the data from the queue within the transmit side of the first stage of queues. The flow control signal is associated with a first control loop including the path and differing from a second control loop that excludes the first stage of queues.
US08154986B2
A method for fast converging an end-to-end service and a Provider Edge (PE) includes: setting routing information of at least two tunnels in a double-ascription PE of a remote Customer Edge (CE), wherein, the two tunnels are from the double-ascription PE of the remote CE to the PE connected with the remote CE; detecting tunnel states to obtain state information of the tunnels; the double-ascription PE obtaining available routing information and routing information of the at least two tunnels, and forwarding the service according to the available routing information. The double-ascription PE of the remote CE can directly forward the service according to the pre-configured routing information of other tunnels when the current tunnel is unavailable, such as a terminal node of the current tunnel is abnormal, thereby avoids the procedure of re-selecting the route, and increases the end-to-end service convergence speed and improves the service reliability.
US08154984B2
A method for generating mutually orthogonal signals having a controlled spectrum, includes the generation of a plurality of mutually orthogonal, controlled-power discrete spectra s(i) having dimension Q, i designating spectrum number. The aforementioned spectra represent time signals in the spectral range and have a modulus μ that is constant in a spectral line designation set G and zero everywhere else. The method includes determining at least part of a complex Hadamard matrix H of order dR=w in the case of spectra of real signals and dR=2.w in the case of spectra of complex signals; determining the extension P of matrix H from G and dimension Q; and obtaining controlled-power spectra s(i)=μ.P(H[.][i]), wherein H[.][i] designates the ith column of matrix H. In addition, a plurality of mutually orthogonal time signals s(i) is also generated from the discrete complex signals.
US08154983B2
A wireless communication network includes a plurality of base stations capable of wireless communication with a plurality of subscriber stations within a coverage area of the network. At least one of the plurality of base stations is capable of selecting up to four orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in a subframe of a physical uplink shared channel. The up to four OFDM symbols are selected starting from the bottom a resource grid of the of the physical uplink shared channel in a bottom-up manner. And one or more rank information (RI) coded bits are repeated in each of the selected up to four OFDM symbols.
US08154978B2
An optical pickup apparatus comprising: an objective lens configured to focus laser light having the Gaussian distribution properties emitted from a laser diode to a signal recording layer of an optical disc; and an adjustment coating formed on a surface of an incident face of the objective lens on which the laser light is to be made incident, the adjustment coating being configured to adjust transmittance of the laser light passing through the objective lens, the adjustment coating being formed on the surface of the incident face such that the transmittance is lowered as a numerical aperture of the objective lens is reduced.
US08154970B2
According to one embodiment, an optical recording medium is provided in which interlayer crosstalk is low and in which stable and high-quality recording characteristics can be obtained. To this end, an optical recording medium comprises a first recording part which includes a first recording layer and a first light reflecting layer and which is disposed on a side closer to a light receiving surface, and a second recording part which includes a second recording layer and a second light reflecting layer and which is disposed on a side farther from the light receiving surface, the first recording part and the second recording part being stacked, wherein the thickness of the second light reflecting layer is larger than the thickness of the first light reflecting layer.
US08154965B2
The present invention is related to a method and a reading device (1) for retrieving information from an optical record carrier (10) in which the read power level of a radiation beam (3) for scanning the optical record carrier is set in dependence on the read-out speed. The invention is also related to a record carrier for use with such a method and a reading device.
US08154962B2
An optical pickup equipped with a laser light source which emits light beams of at least three wavelengths for recording/reproducing a plurality of information recording media detects light quantities of the light beams of three wavelengths using one light intensity monitor element. More specifically, one light intensity monitor element is arranged between a first laser light source and a second laser light source, light beams of wavelength λ1 and wavelength λ2 emitted from the first laser light source are made to proceed substantially straightforward, the optical path of the light beam of wavelength λ3 emitted from the second laser light source is changed to a diagonal one so as to cause the light beam to be introduced diagonally to the light receiving surface of the one light intensity monitor element. Furthermore, the central axis line of the light receiving surface of the one light intensity monitor element is separated from the emitted light axis of the first laser light source and a reflecting member is provided above the emitting light axis of the second laser light source.
US08154960B2
The present invention sets forth a power saving method and a power saving system applied in an optical disk drive. The power saving system comprises a central processing unit, a spindle motor, an optical pick-up unit, an analog portion of control circuits and a digital portion of control circuits. Each of the analog or digital portions of control circuits can be divided into several sets of circuits. Each set of circuits is coupled to an associated operation mode of the optical disk drive. The power saving system further comprises a power controlling unit for differentiating the specific sets of circuits not being used in the specific operation mode and powering them down. The sets of circuits not being used will be powered up while the associated operation mode in which they are required to operate is nearly started. The present invention also provides a power saving method of powering down the sets of circuits not being used relative to a specific operation mode of the optical disk drive.
US08154953B1
A fish locating system combines the functionality of a remote controlled miniature electric boat with an underwater sonar system. The watercraft is provided with a sonar transponder attached to an exterior deck. The sonar transponder wirelessly transmits sonar readings including bottom depth and terrain, schools of fish, underwater obstructions, water temperature, and the like, to the watercraft's wireless remote controller's display screen. The remote controller comprises a display screen that visually depicts the sonar scan in real-time. In use, a person can be on shore or on an anchored boat while performing underwater reconnaissance.
US08154939B2
In a nonvolatile memory, the threshold is restored to a state before changing, without increasing number of writing undesirably. In a system including a nonvolatile memory, a random number generator, and a controller accessible to the nonvolatile memory, every time access to the nonvolatile memory is performed, the controller determines a refresh-targeted area, based on a random number generated by the random number generator. The controller is made to perform refresh control to re-write to the refresh-targeted area. By such refresh control, the threshold is restored to a state before changing, without increasing the number of writing undesirably.
US08154938B2
An integrated circuit containing a nonvolatile memory circuit which contains memory segments and sense amplifier banks individually powered by a power decoder circuit. A method of accessing a portion of a powered-down memory.
US08154933B2
A mode-register reading controller includes a switching signal generator, first and second transmitters, and a control signal generator. The switching signal generator generates a switching signal that is activated when the reset command is input during a mode-register reading operation. The first transmitter buffers and transfers the mode-register read signal in response to the switching signal. The second transmitter, in response to the switching signal, delays and transfers the enable signal at a predetermined delay time. The control signal generator receives a signal from one of the first and second transmitters and generates a first control signal and a second control signal for transferring the data into a data output buffer from the input/output line.
US08154930B2
A memory cell array is configured to have a plurality of memory cells arranged in a matrix, each of the memory cells being connected to a word line and a bit line and being capable of storing n values (n is a natural number equal to or larger than 3). A control circuit controls the potentials of the word line and bit line according to input data and writes data into a memory cell. The control circuit writes data into the memory cell to a k-valued threshold voltage (k<=n) in a write operation, precharges the bit line once, and then changes the potential of the word line an i number of times to verify whether the memory cell has reached an i-valued (i<=k) threshold voltage.
US08154928B2
Systems and methods are disclosed including features that compensate for variations in the magnitude of supply voltages used in memory arrays. According to some aspects, compensation circuits may provide a tunable current-limiting load for data columns, where the load can be tuned to dynamically compensate for variations in supply voltage. In certain aspects, a compensation circuit may employ an operational amplifier configured as a voltage follower. The voltage follower compensates for any variations in supply voltage, forcing a constant voltage drop across the load element(s), thus maintaining a constant load. Other circuits may also be included, such as precharge circuits, clamp circuits, buffer circuits, trimming circuit, and sense amplifier circuits with sensed body effect. System-On-Chip integrated system aspects may include a microcontroller, a mixed IP, and a flash memory system having functionality and blocks that interface and interoperate with each other for load compensation.
US08154916B2
Certain embodiments provide a nonvolatile memory circuit in which a first p-channel MOS transistor and a first n-channel spin MOS transistor are connected in series, a second p-channel MOS transistor and a second n-channel spin MOS transistor are connected in series, gates of the first p-channel MOS transistor and the first n-channel spin MOS transistor are connected, gates of the second p-channel MOS transistor and the second n-channel spin MOS transistor are connected, a first n-channel transistor includes a drain connected to a drain of the first p-channel transistor and the gate of the second p-channel transistor, a second n-channel transistor includes a drain connected to a drain of the second p-channel transistor and the gate of the first p-channel transistor, and gates of the first and second n-channel transistors are connected.
US08154896B2
A static compensator system for providing reactive and/or active power to a power network. The system includes a static compensator, which has a DC capacitor Ud and a voltage source converter. The static compensator is connected to an energy storage device. The system further includes a booster converter device connected in series with the energy storage device and in parallel with the DC capacitor Ud of the static compensator. The booster converter device and the energy storage device are further connected in parallel with the voltage source converter of the static compensator.
US08154891B1
Methods and apparatus for providing a DC/DC converter having a first configuration to output a first voltage level and a second configuration to output a second voltage level.
US08154885B2
A mounting system for use in mounting products such as audio/visual devices to a surface such as a wall. According to various embodiments, one or more surface mounting structures are configured to attach to a surface such as a wall, while one or more device mounting structures are configured to attach to a device such as a flat panel display. Mating “touch” or “burr” fasteners on at least one surface mounting structure and at least one device mounting structure serve to inhibit the movement or rotation of these components relative to each other when the mounting system is in an assembled position.
US08154884B2
An electronic device includes a circuit board and an electrostatic protection structure. The circuit board has a top surface and a bottom surface opposite to the top surface. The electrostatic protection structure is positioned on the top surface of the circuit board. The electrostatic protection includes an insulating layer and a conducting layer coating on the insulating layer. Four ground terminals are formed on the bottom surface of the circuit board. The insulating layer includes a main portion and four first connecting portions extending from the main portion. The conducting layer on the four first connecting portion are connected to the four first ground terminal.
US08154879B2
A motherboard includes a printed circuit board, a first chip and a second chip arranged on the printed circuit board in parallel. A plurality of securing holes are defined in the printed circuit board around the first chip. At least one isolating hole is defined in the printed circuit board between the second chip and a first line determined by two of the securing holes close to the second chip. Should the printed circuit board suffer an impact, damage to the chips may be effectively minimized or prevented.
US08154875B2
A power bank with a replaceable battery core includes a box and an electric power unit. The electric power unit includes one or more battery core and a power management module. A circuit protection module is disposed on a side of the battery core, and a first connecting unit is disposed between the power management module and the circuit protection module. The connecting unit is provided for connecting the power management module to the circuit protection module separately, such that the battery core can be separated from the power management module for a replacement easily when the battery core is damaged or failed.
US08154874B2
A power module includes a power switching device and a flexible circuit with first and second traces electrically connected to the switching device, the first and second traces serving as an input signal carrier and an output signal carrier for the switching device.
US08154867B2
A high density switching platform arranges multiple circuit cards interconnected by a single backplane. A single backplane has three sets of circuit cards on one side. A shared ventilation chamber on the other side of the backplane draws ambient air through each of the three sets of circuit cards independently. The air flow also allows cooling of power modules that supply power to the circuit cards. The platform allows interconnection of its circuit cards with circuit cards in adjacent platforms.
US08154865B2
A computer includes an enclosure, at least one disk drive, a panel and a fan. The at least one disk drive is located in the enclosure. The panel is mounted to a side of the enclosure. The panel has different material relative to the enclosure. The fan is mounted to the panel. The vibration generated from fan is indirectly transferred to the at least one disk drive.
US08154857B2
A modular system of an appliance host with multiple identical host service interfaces. The multiple identical host service interfaces provide a mechanical service and an electrical service for removable consumer electronic devices. Multiple distinct consumer electronic devices or adapters for consumer electronic devices may be coupled alternatively to the multiple host service interfaces.
US08154852B2
It is disclosed that an electric double layer capacitor includes a plurality of cells each including activated-carbon electrodes disposed on both sides of a separator; a plurality of packing members each disposed at an outer periphery of the cell, each of the plurality of cells and the plurality of packing members being stacked through a charge collector; and both end plates sandwiching the plurality of cells and the plurality of packing members through both collector electrodes, at least one of the end plates being formed with an inlet through which an electrolytic solution is injected. Moreover, the electric double layer capacitor is covered and sealed with an enclosing member. Moreover, the electric double layer capacitor includes an O-ring disposed in the inlet, or alternatively, an edge of the inlet is curved.
US08154849B2
A laminate is prepared in which adjacent internal electrodes are electrically insulated from each other at an end surface at which the internal electrodes are exposed, a space between the adjacent internal electrodes, which is measured in the thickness direction of insulating layers, is about 10 μm or less, and a withdrawn distance of the adjacent internal electrodes from the end surface is about 1 μm or less. In an electroplating step, electroplating deposits deposited on the ends of the adjacent internal electrodes are grown so as to be connected to each other.
US08154843B2
An ablative plasma gun having a dual power source pulse generator is configured to generate a high voltage low current pulse and a low voltage high current pulse. A pair of electrodes are disposed and configured to receive the high voltage low current pulse, and to receive the low voltage high current pulse in response to the high voltage low current pulse.
US08154842B2
A static-conducting sheet of conductive material is provided. The static-conducting sheet includes a longitudinal substrate, two fixed portions and at least one elastic arm. The fixed portion includes a perpendicular portion and a lateral portion. The perpendicular portion extends from two opposite ends of the longitudinal substrate. The perpendicular portion extends perpendicularly upward from the planar surface. The lateral portion is parallel to the planar surface. The elastic arm includes a fixed end and a distal end. The fixed end is fixed on the longitudinal substrate. The arm extends perpendicular from the planar surface. The arm includes a fixed end and a distal end. The fixed end is connected to the longitudinal substrate, and the distal end is hooked.
US08154841B2
Assemblies, systems, and methods which prolong relay life by dynamically compensating the make and break contact timing between the contact points of the relay and a zero crossing point of the power supply's waveform are provided according to the present disclosure. The life cycle of the relay components are dramatically increased through the use of these assemblies, systems, and methods due to a decrease in arcing and other physically damaging phenomena between the contacts of the relay. The present disclosure also provides for assemblies, systems, and methods whereby a processor analyzes the inductive kickback effect in the relay load voltage signal and dynamically adjust the relay open time such that the inductive kickback effect is minimized. In exemplary embodiments, the systems/methods provided herein advantageously adjust the relay open time such that the relay switching time corresponds with current zero cross and do so without requiring complicated current monitoring components.
US08154834B2
The present invention relates to a protection circuit and method of protecting a semiconductor circuit against a temporary excessive voltage on a supply line, wherein a first trigger signal is generated in response to a detection of an excessive voltage on the supply line and a clamp element (M1) is activated by applying a boosted second trigger signal at a voltage higher than the first trigger signal to a control terminal of the clamp element (M1) in response to said first trigger signal, to thereby generate a low resistive path between said supply line and a lower reference potential. Thereby, the clamp element (M1) is activated with a higher voltage and can thus be made smaller in width. Because the clamp element is smaller, a remote trigger circuit can be sized tighter and faster.
US08154828B2
An MR element in a CPP structure includes a spacer layer made of Cu, a magnetic pinned layer containing CoFe and a free layer containing CoFe that are laminated to sandwich the spacer layer. The free layer is located below the magnetic pinned layer. The free layer is oriented in a (001) crystal plane, the spacer layer is formed and oriented in a (001) crystal plane on the (001) crystal plane of the free layer. Therefore, in a low resistance area where an area resistivity (AR) of the MR element is, for example, lower than 0.3 Ω·μm2, an MR element that has a large variation of a resistance is obtained.
US08154823B2
An information recording and reproducing apparatus 1 having a high efficiency of information transfer includes one or more recording media forming a plurality of recording surfaces, a plurality of heads respectively disposed on the recording surfaces, a first actuator for supporting the heads and moving the heads uniformly, a plurality of second actuators provided one for an associated one of the heads, the second actuators moving the heads independently relative to the first actuator, recording processing circuits for simultaneously outputting recording signals, and reproducing processing circuits simultaneously supplied with reproduced signals read out by the heads to reproduce information from the reproduced signals.
US08154811B2
In a method of electronically measuring reader/writer offset in a tape drive head, a plurality of sequentially adjacent data tracks are written on a tape with a write head. Error rate information is measured while reading a data track of the plurality of sequentially adjacent data tracks with a read head of the tape drive. A bathtub shaped curve is built from a set of the error rate information which is accumulated by reading the data track at a plurality of offsets of the read head relative to the data track. Offset of the read head relative to the write head is measured by determining an offset of the read head which correlates to a magnetic center of the data track as represented by a center point between edges of the bathtub shaped curve.
US08154810B2
Embodiments of an apparatus comprising a base including a proximal end, a distal end, and a receptacle in the distal end that is adapted to interchangeably receive a lens adapter; a set of base optics positioned in the proximal end of the base; and adjustable-focus optics positioned in the base and optically coupled to the base optics and, when the lens adapter is present, to the lens adapter. Embodiments of a process including forming a base including a proximal end, a distal end, and a receptacle in the distal end that is adapted to interchangeably receive any one of a plurality of lens adapters; positioning a set of base optics in the proximal end of the base; and positioning adjustable-focus optics positioned in the base such that they are optically coupled to the base optics and, when the lens adapter is present, to the lens adapter. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
US08154806B2
Disclosed is a zoom lens system including a first lens unit having a positive optical power, a second lens unit having a negative optical power, and a rear unit including at least one lens unit, which are disposed in the stated order from an object side to an image side. At least two lens units move for zooming so that a distance between adjacent lens units is changed. In this zoom lens system, the first lens unit includes a composite optical element in which a first optical element having a positive optical power and a second optical element having a negative optical power are cemented to each other. Refractive indexes and Abbe numbers of materials of the first optical element and the second optical element are set appropriately so that high optical performance is realized.
US08154803B2
A diffractive optical element (10) includes a substrate (11), a protective film (13a, 13b), and a diffraction grating (12a, 12b) disposed between the substrate (11) and the protective film (13a, 13b), wherein the diffraction grating (12a, 12b) is formed of a composite material containing a resin and inorganic particles, a volume ratio of the inorganic particles with respect to the composite material is equal to or smaller than 50% by volume, and the diffraction grating (12a, 12b) has a thickness of equal to or smaller than 20 μm. Since the diffractive optical element (10) uses the composite material containing the resin and the inorganic particles as a material for the diffraction grating (12a, 12b), which is relatively difficult to process, the moldability improves compared with the conventional case of using glass, etc.
US08154798B2
The present disclosure reveals a reflective, front-projection screen designed to faithfully and accurately display the images from state-of-the-art (SOTA) and next-generation 2D and 3D motion-picture projectors, such as those found in large-capacity public movie theaters, home theaters, offices, and for use with portable projection systems for consumer and commercial applications. In particular it discloses cinema-size light shaping 3D projection screens with front-surface microstructures and horizontal viewing angles in the range of 90 to 120 degrees.
US08154792B1
A new nonlinear optical structure for frequency conversion is described. The new nonlinear optical structure is a multilayer wafer comprising alternating layers of gallium arsenide and aluminum gallium arsenide onto a gallium arsenide substrate. The new device is both more efficient and easier to make than prior art gallium arsenide crystal structures designed for nonlinear optical conversion.
US08154789B2
The electronic paper display device may include a first electrode; a dielectric layer that is disposed on the first electrode and has a plurality of cells defined by a barrier; a second electrode that faces the dielectric layer; and electronic balls that are disposed in the inside of the respective cells to display an image according to the electric fields applied to the first and second electrodes wherein a side of the barrier is formed in a recessed round shape.
US08154788B2
An energy efficient, thermochromic device that may be used to allow sunlight or solar radiation into a building or structure when sunlight is absent or at high sun angles and substantially blocks solar radiation when sunlight is directly on the window.
US08154786B2
A light control device includes: a single crystal substrate (10); an electro-optic thin film (20) which is provided on the single crystal substrate (10) and has an electro-optic effect; and a plurality of electrodes (30, 40) which are provided along a crystal axis of the electro-optic thin film and apply an electrical field along the crystal axis of the electro-optic thin film (20).
US08154784B2
A disclosed optical scanning device includes a light beam generating unit configured to generate a light beam; a light beam deflecting unit configured to receive the light beam and deflect/emit the light beam with a deflecting mirror; a light beam ON/OFF control unit configured to control the light beam generating unit so that the light beam deflected by the light beam deflecting unit is turned ON/OFF in a particular light beam scanning region while the light beam is being reciprocally scanned; and a light beam scanning time measuring unit configured to obtain a measurement value by measuring a time at which the light beam passes a reference point provided on an edge part of the entire light beam scanning region that is away from a center part of the entire light beam scanning region. Timings at which the light beam is turned ON/OFF are controlled in accordance with the measurement value.
US08154774B2
An optical unit including a lens unit including a lens and an optical element configured to receive a light beam focused by the lens, and a support member configured to support the lens unit. Cutouts are provided on joint surfaces of the lens unit and the support member, respectively, such that the cutouts on the joint surface of the lens unit match the cutouts on the joint surface of the support member. The cutouts are configured to accommodate a jig inserted thereinto and rotated to move the lens unit relative to the support member and adjust a position of the lens unit in a direction parallel to an optical axis of the lens.
US08154772B2
A facsimile apparatus includes a document size detecting unit, a first image data generating unit, a size acquiring unit, a size comparing unit, a second image data generating unit, an image data transmitting unit, and a first transmission result outputting unit. The document size detecting unit detects a first size of a first document. The first image data generating unit generates first image data based on a first image on the first document. The size acquiring unit acquires a second size of a second document that can be received by a reception-side apparatus. The size comparing unit compares the first size with the second size. The second image data generating unit generates second image data for forming a second image on the second document from the first image data based on a comparing result of the size comparing unit. The image data transmitting unit transmits the second image data to the reception-side apparatus. The first transmission result outputting unit outputs exclusively a transmission result indicating a result of transmission of the second image data to the reception-side apparatus.
US08154764B2
17-valued data of a pixel in a multi-valued image is divided into two divisions for a two-pass printing, obtaining the division data. Next, by using an index pattern where arrangements of the numerals of 1 to 16 are dispersed, each dot data of C, M and Y in the division data is arranged. First, six dot data of C are assigned to the respective minor pixels of the numerals of 1 to 6 in accordance with a value of C1=6. Next, four dot data of M are assigned to the respective minor pixels of the numerals of 7 to 10 in accordance with a value of M1=4. Further, one dot data of Y is assigned to the minor pixel of the numerals of 11 in accordance with a value of Y1=1.
US08154760B2
An operation display unit displays an operation screen for receiving input. A first storage unit stores therein a file that contains a definition of a screen described in a markup language, and a compound content that contains a still image and a moving image. A browser unit displays a markup content based on the definition on the operation screen by executing the file. A displaying unit displays the compound content on the operation screen. A control unit controls switch between display of the markup content and display of the compound content on the operation screen.
US08154727B2
Laser light is confined in a hollow waveguide between two highly reflective mirrors. This waveguide cavity is used to conduct Cavity Ringdown Absorption Spectroscopy of loss mechanisms in the cavity including absorption or scattering by gases, liquid, solids, and/or optical elements.
US08154716B2
A sensor for sensing a target chemical with high signal-to-noise ratio is disclosed. In some embodiments, the sensor comprises a sensing region that is optically coupled with an attenuation region. The sensing region receives optical stimulation that comprises light characterized by an excitation wavelength. In response to exposure to the target chemical, the sensing region fluoresces at a fluorescence wavelength. The attenuation region receives light from the fluorescing sensing region that includes light characterized by the fluorescence wavelength (i.e., signal) and light characterized by the excitation wavelength (i.e., noise). The attenuation region conveys the light to a detector that provides an electrical output signal based on the target chemical. While conveying the light, however, the attenuation region improves the signal-to-noise ratio by attenuating light characterized by the excitation wavelength more than light characterized by the fluorescence region.
US08154712B2
A multiple field of view reflective telescope is described herein which has a laser and associated components inserted therein. In addition, a method is described herein for using the multiple field of view reflective telescope to range an object (e.g., target) or to designate-highlight an object (e.g., target).
US08154706B2
A scanning optical device including a plurality of light source devices 1a-1d, a light beam converting system 3 for converting the light focus state of the plurality of light beams emitted from light emitting members of the light source devices, a deflecting member 5 for scanningly deflecting the light beam from the light beam converting system, and imaging optical members 6a-6d for imaging the light beam from the deflecting member upon scan surfaces 8a-8d corresponding to the light beams, respectively, wherein the light beam converting system is comprised of a plurality of optical elements 3a-3d formed integrally and each converting the light focus state of associated one of the light beams from the light source devices, and wherein the light source devices are fixed to a holding member 12 while the positions with respect to the associated optical elements are adjusted.
US08154699B2
One of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode includes, on a protective film formed so as to cover the thin film transistor, a planar metal electrode formed so as to cover a rough surface formed in the reflective pixel part; and a planar transparent electrode formed in the reflective pixel part and the transparent pixel part so as to cover the metal electrode. Another one of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode includes, on an insulating film formed so as to cover the one of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode, a plurality of linear electrodes provided in parallel with one another so as to overlap the one of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode. The transparent electrode included in the one of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode is formed of a transparent conductive film which is formed through application.
