US08425401B2
An inflatable gastric band incorporates a fluid channel within an outer surface of the band and an inflatable bladder on a stomach-facing side of the band. The gastric band attaches to a double lumen catheter, which communicates with a dual infusion port. One lumen communicates with the fluid channel and one port, while the other lumen communicates with the inflatable bladder and a second port. Injection of fluid into one chamber of the infusion port expands inflatable bladder, allowing adjustment to the diameter of the stoma. Injection of drugs or therapeutic agents into the second chamber allows the infusion of drugs or agents directly into the abdominal cavity of a gastric band recipient. The inflatable bladder can be continuous or segmented. A segmented bladder reduces pinching and/or folding of the inner surface of the gastric band during expansion/contraction, thereby lessening stomach pinching and/or irritation.
US08425399B2
A focusing board assembly for a medical imaging equipment gives a comfortable feeling mentally or physically by visually getting rid of an oppressive feeling arisen when a patient is in a tunnel-like enclosed space such as MRI or CT for his/her medical examination.
US08425394B2
The invention relates to a centrifugal separator having a bearing device and a lubricating device comprising a rotatable pump device. The pump device comprises a lubricant inlet to receive lubricant from a lubricant reservoir, and a duct to convey lubricant to an outlet device for delivering at least part of said lubricant in the form of lubricant mist through at least one lubricant outlet. The pump device further comprises a gas inlet and the outlet device comprises a gas outlet, whereby during rotation of the pump device a gas flow is maintained from the gas inlet to the gas outlet bringing along lubricant present in the duct towards the outlet device. The centrifugal separator further comprises a housing which surrounds the bearing device and the lubricating device and which allows lubricant mist to pass from the lubricating device to the bearing device in order to lubricate the latter.
US08425391B2
A foldable package made from one sheet of material where the top portion folds into 3 or more layers. Cutouts in each of the layers line up in a way to make a J-shaped hook. The 3 or more layers fold longitudinally to form a flat tab with a J-shaped hook. The J-shaped hook is then used as a supportive apparatus which allows easy removal of items from a peg.
US08425378B2
An automatic transmission includes a control system for controlling a clutch of the transmission. The control system includes a first variable flow solenoid and a second variable flow solenoid, each in selective fluid communication with the clutch. The first variable force solenoid provides hydraulic fluid within a first pressure range of 0 and 1,000 kPa. The second variable force solenoid provides hydraulic fluid within a second pressure range of 0 and 2,000 kPa. A transmission controller sends an electrical signal having a current between the range of 0 and 1 amp to one of the first and second variable flow solenoids. The pressure output of each of the first and second variable force solenoids is a function of, within their respective first and second pressure ranges, the amplitude of the current of the electrical signal to provide two distinct power gains to the single clutch.
US08425375B2
A driving device for a hybrid vehicle including: an engine; an electric motor; a power combination/distribution mechanism which is disposed between both the engine and the electric motor and one pair of front wheels and rear wheels so as to combine and distribute power generated from the engine and the electric motor; and a transmission mechanism which is disposed between the engine and the other pair of the front wheels and the rear wheels, wherein the power combination/distribution mechanism is a planetary gear mechanism having a sun gear, a carrier, and a ring gear; an output shaft of the electric motor is connected to the carrier; and wherein rotational driving ranges in the electric motor are set to each of a normal rotation direction and a reverse rotation direction.
US08425371B2
A transmission is provided having an input member, an output member, three planetary gear sets, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. Each of the planetary gear sets includes first, second and third members. The torque transmitting devices include clutches and brakes.
US08425369B2
A transmission has an input member, an output member, four planetary gear sets, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. Each of the planetary gear sets includes first, second and third members. The torque transmitting devices include clutches and brakes. The torque transmitting devices are each selectively engageable in combinations of at least two to establish at least ten forward speed ratios and at least one reverse speed ratio.
US08425368B2
A transmission of the present invention has an input member, an output member, two planetary gear sets, a planetary gear set assembly, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. Each of the planetary gear sets includes first, second and third members. The planetary gear set assembly includes first, second, third and fourth members The torque transmitting devices may include clutches and brakes. The torque transmitting devices are selectively engageable in combinations of at least three to establish at least ten forward speed ratios and at least one reverse speed ratio.
US08425351B2
A golf ball comprising a core comprising an inner core center and an outer core layer disposed over the inner core center. The inner core center has a deflection of greater than 0.210 inch under a load of 100 kilograms and the core has a deflection ranging from 0.120 inch to 0.095 inch under a load of 100 kilograms. A mantle layer is disposed over the core and a cover is disposed over them mantle.
US08425340B2
The presented invention relates to a method for determining the effectiveness of a golfer's swing without the requirement of the club head making contact with a golf ball. More specifically, the present invention relates to a measurement and analysis system comprising a first module that attaches to the club head and captures measurement receiver signal strength data during the entire swing time line and may capture motional data on same time line, further first module wirelessly communicates bi-directionally with a second module that is further connected to a user interface device and computational engine where feedback results are derived and conveyed to the golfer. The system provides comprehensive feedback for a swing characterization time line referenced to the spatial domain using receiver signal strength measurements that may be in combination with motional and dynamics orientation measurements.
US08425329B2
The present invention aims at facilitating reconstruction of a party after game over to avoid wastefulness in time required for party construction. Moreover, the present invention aims at hastening user to reconstruct a party thus to improve real thrill of an on-line game. The present invention essentially relates to an on-line game system in which user of the game performs display on a display part so that resurrection points of other characters included within the party can be selected. In the present invention, since resurrection points of other characters included within the party can be also selected and restored, wastefulness in time required for gathering with each other around one location for the purpose of reconstructing a party can be avoided. Thus, it is possible to hasten reconstruction of the party.
US08425317B2
To improve, in a game in which a moving object moves in a direction based on a position designated by a game player or a direction based on a direction designated by a game player, operability for a game player in carrying out an operation of designating a position or a direction so that the moving object moves to a predetermined area. A game screen image display control unit (76) shows a view field area in a game space in a game screen image. A game situation update unit (72) moves the ball object in a direction based on a position designated by a game player. A guide image display control unit (74) shows a guide image in a game screen image, the guide image for indicating an area between at least a part of a first line, extending from the position of the ball object to one of the goal posts, and at least a part of a second line extending from the position of the ball object to the other goal post, or an area between at least a part of an extended line of the first line and at least a part of an extended line of the second line.
US08425316B2
Methods and Systems for improving play of a bonus game on a gaming machine and improving security within a gaming establishment are described. The systems include a gaming machine, which includes an input device that receives an input from a user. The gaming machine further includes a first display device that displays a primary game upon receiving the input, and a second display device including a multilayer display that displays a secondary game. The multilayer display includes a foreground screen and a background screen, with at least a portion of the foreground screen or the background screen being curved and the foreground screen or the background screen displays an image of a wheel. The gaming machine further includes a controller configured to execute the primary and secondary games. The secondary game is played after playing the primary game.
US08425315B2
A gaming machine comprising a external storage device provided with a first game region in which a first game file containing a program and data to realize a first game is stored and a second game region in which a second game file containing a program and data to realize a second game is stored, in which the first game and the second game are selectively played, and an extended device connected to the gaming machine as a physically separate device from the external storage device, wherein the extended device is provided with a determination device that determines whether a predetermined condition is met and a switching device that switches a game played in the gaming machine between the first game and the second game when the predetermined condition is met based on a determination result of the determination device.
US08425314B2
Systems and methods for verifying the eligibility of players attempting to participate in gaming events are disclosed. Communication objects having RFID tags and closed electrical circuits are individually assigned to and worn by players within a gaming player verification system, which can be administered by a casino desk, hotel concierge, or other operating entity. These RFID tags are adapted to communicate with associated player tracking units attached to gaming machines and other devices via radio frequency waves, and each communication object is adapted to alter its communication pattern in response to any break of its closed electrical circuit. Bracelets, wristwatches or collars can be used as communication objects, such that the removal of such an object from a player cannot be accomplished without breaking the closed electrical circuit contained therein, thereby disabling or de-authenticating the device. A computer server having a player verification program and database may also be used.
US08425313B2
Gaming establishment patrons may be categorized and responsive services and features presented whether or not the patrons (or their companions) are known. Gaming and non-gaming activities of a patron may be identified and tracked. Information from various private and/or public databases accessible by a gaming establishment, may be used for patron ranking and to determine offers, goods and services that may be targeted to a patron.
US08425299B2
Certain non-limiting exemplary embodiments are taught which include a game comprising, a digital processor, digital storage coupled to the digital processor for storing instructions, a display coupled to the digital processor displaying a first plurality of indicia arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns such that there are a plurality of paylines through a contiguous plurality of indicia, a user interface coupled to the digital processor to select a subset of the first plurality of indicia taken along at least one column and to initiate a display of a second plurality of indicia which includes the selected subset of the first plurality of indicia on the display, and an award dispenser providing an award which is at least as large as the largest award associated with the plurality of paylines.
US08425291B2
As described herein, mobile device games may be constructed via a website from customizable atomic rule-based units, and also supports the reuse and remixing of game components by a game creator, members of an online community, or by any other user. Once composed, the game can be played via player mobile devices, which send content to a server or a peer device that hosts the game rule statements, and can trigger distribution of new content, rules, or other information.
US08425288B1
A foundation vent assembly for a masonry foundation wall includes a metal frame mounted in an opening registering with a crawl space area. The frame orients and supports a series of spaced vertical grill blocks matching the foundation masonry and integrated with the surrounding mortar joints, thereby providing a continuous appealing exterior appearance. The spaces between the grill blocks register with ventilation slots in the rear of the frame. The ventilations slots are covered by a screen mesh to prevent pest infiltration, and optionally covered with a pivoting damper for selective opening and closing, having a rear wall covering the opening with spaced screen vents. The grill blocks are aligned by tabs on upper and lower flange walls between the vents and provide for extension of the foundation mortar joints thereby providing a consistent overall façade.
US08425285B2
A duct installation structure in which an air conditioning duct for sending warm air or cold air into a vehicle interior of an automobile is attached to a vehicle interior structure member and an outlet grill is attached to an outlet opening end portion of the air conditioning duct. A grill fixing portion to which the outlet grill is to be fixed is integrally molded with a duct main body portion at the outlet opening end portion of the air conditioning duct. The outlet grill is directly fixed to the grill fixing portion. The outlet opening end portion of the air conditioning duct including, at one point near its center in a width direction, a fastening fixing portion that is fastened and fixed to the vehicle interior structure member and including, at its opposite ends in the width direction, a pair of contact portions for coming in contact with the vehicle interior structure member.
US08425281B2
An electric abrasive sharpener for sharpening edges having pairs of interlocking abrasive wheels formed with opposite abrasive helical threads. Each end of the threads respectively has lead-in section and lead-out section having chamfer edge portion to eliminate kickback. The abrasive wheels of the sharpener is driven by a single phase AC motor connected to a motor drive that steps down the rotational speed of the output shaft of the motor to rotate the abrasive wheels with increased torque.
US08425271B2
A method of forming an LED lamp with a desired distribution of phosphor is disclosed. The method includes the steps of mixing a plurality of phosphor particles in an uncured polymer resin for which the viscosity can be controlled in response to temperature to form a substantially uniform suspension of the phosphor particles in the resin. The uncured resin is then placed into a defined position adjacent an LED chip and the temperature of the resin is increased to correspondingly decrease its viscosity but to less than the temperature at which the resin would cure unreasonably quickly. The phosphor particles are encouraged to settle in the lowered-viscosity resin to a desired position with respect to the LED chip, and the temperature of the resin is thereafter increased to the point at which it will cured and solidify.
US08425267B2
The disclosure concerns a self-propelled ship comprising a shipboard electric network, a main electrical supply bus, propulsion means, a motor for driving the propulsion means, and means for supplying electricity to them. According to the disclosure, the supply means comprise a set of electric capacitors having a capacitance sized to provide, at their nominal electrical charge, at least temporarily, both of the nominal supply of the shipboard network and of the electric motor through the bus, and electrical connection means arranged on board the ship for connecting the set of electric capacitors to another electric network located at an arrival and/or departure point of the ship, for the purpose of recharging the capacitors to their nominal charge and to supply the first network during a stop at the arrival and/or departure point.
US08425263B2
An electrical connector for electrically connecting a chip module to a circuit board includes: an insulating body, provided with a plurality of receiving holes; at least one raised portion, raised on an upper surface of the insulating body, for supporting the chip module at positions without contact pads in the chip module; a metal layer, plated on inner walls of the receiving holes and the upper surface of the insulating body; an insulating layer, disposed to cover the metal layer; and a plurality of terminals, respectively correspondingly received in the receiving holes, each terminal having a contact portion exposed above the receiving hole for conducting to the chip module. When the chip module presses the contact portions downwards, the raised portion urges against the chip module, so as to prevent the chip module from damaging the insulating layer and conducting to the metal layer to cause short circuit.
US08425262B1
Attachment structure for attachment of component to article and electric junction box having thereof
The attachment structure for attachment of a component to an article in two postures includes a case as the article and the component. The case includes a pair of guide portions, first locking arms and a second locking arm. The component includes a slide portion between the guide portions, a stopper arranged in an end of the slide portion and formed in a size which is not able to insert stopper between the guide portions. The first locking arm is engaged where the slide portion is inserted in a space between the guide portions from one end and slides toward an other end. The second locking arm is engaged where the slide portion is inserted in the space between the guide portions from the other end in a posture opposite to that in which the slide portion is inserted between the pair of the guide portions from the one end.
US08425250B2
A connector guide member is provided for guiding a connector attached on a circuit board to a mating connector attached on another circuit board when the connector is connected to the mating connector. The connector guide member includes a positioning member that sets a position of the connector relative to the mating connector; an engaging member that locks to the connector while the positioning member positions the connector, and a guiding member that guides a guided portion provided on the mating connector.
US08425247B2
A cassette assembly which holds at least two electrical plugs which typically are connected to digital signal carrying cables. In one example, six of these plugs are positioned within a cassette, and are arranged in two rows of three plugs each for ease in connecting the plugs simultaneously to similarly arranged switch port jacks. A lever pivotally connected to the housing, when rotated, causes the release latch of the plugs held within the cassette to move from a locked to an unlocked position to simultaneously remove all of the plugs from the jacks to which they are connected.
US08425246B1
Various circuit board sockets and methods of manufacturing and using the same are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of manufacturing is provided that includes forming a socket operable to receive a first circuit board. The socket includes a housing and a cover slidedly coupled to the housing. The cover has an opening sized to enable the first circuit board to seat on the housing.
US08425242B2
An audio-visual (“A/V”) system includes a plurality of A/V components, each one of which can be attached to a wall using a bracket or support bar and each one of which wirelessly communicates control signals (including media data) with the other A/V components. Each support bar enables the transfer of power signals to each of the A/V components. Instead of wires, each A/V component includes one or more contact or conductive surfaces that abut corresponding surfaces on the support bar in order to receive power signals.
US08425238B2
The present invention is to provide an electric junction box having an enhanced watertight performance by easily winding a fixing member from a guide portion to a plurality of electric wires. The electric junction box includes a box main body and a tubular guide portion projecting from the box main body and guiding the electric wires to an outside of the box main body. A fixing member is continuously wound from the guide portion to the electric wires after the electric wires are passed through the inside of the guide portion. The guide portion includes a rib projected outward from the guide portion for preventing displacement of the fixing member. The rib is separated from the end portion of the guide portion away from the box main body.
US08425237B2
A socket receptive to insertion of an integrated circuit (IC) printed circuit board (PCB) includes a housing, conductors, and vents. The housing has first and second sides corresponding to a length of the IC PCB. The conductors are mounted within the housing to mate with corresponding conductors of the IC PCB upon insertion of the IC PCB into the housing, and have leads adapted to being soldered to corresponding conductors of a host PCB. The vents are within the housing and are adapted to dissipate heat resulting from soldering the leads to the host PCB to minimize warping of the housing during soldering. The vents are further adapted to compensate for a mismatch between a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the housing and a CTE of the host PCB during soldering, regardless of the CTE of the host PCB.
US08425235B2
A method and system are disclosed for computerized training, monitoring, certification or re-certification of human raters in clinical trials. The invention provides an interactive computerized interview that can be compared scores obtained by human raters to monitor and train clinical raters on a continuing basis in order to reduce rater drift and variance during clinical trials. Remediation can be automatically flagged or provided to improve a deviating rater's performance. Computerized assessment of symptom severity is provided without the need for human clinical raters. The system and method enable screening of prospective patients for inclusion or exclusion from a clinical trial by automatically obtaining computerized ratings of symptom severity.
US08425233B2
A tooth to be used in a jaw tooth model which allows students under dental training to experience oral works and therapeutic practices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a tooth to be used for experiencing morphological studies in the formation of an anchor tooth, the formation of a cavity and so on, particularly a tooth to be used in a jaw tooth model provided with standards for evaluating tooth formation, a method of producing the same, and an apparatus for confirming tooth formation to be used in a jaw tooth model which is provided with standards for evaluating tooth formation.
US08425228B2
A dental wedge for use in the inter-proximal space between adjacent teeth is described. The wedge comprises a taper section ending at a tip, and a body section extending to the tapering section at one end. The body section has an inverted V-shaped cross-section, flexing of the sides of the V-shape allows the wedge to adapt to various contours of the inter-proximal space. The mid-portion of the body section is narrower than at least a portion of the wedge either end of the mid-portion.
US08425219B2
A clamping mechanism having: a drive; a shaft connected to the drive; an eccentric hub that is driven to rotate by the shaft; a fixed support structure that supports the eccentric hub such that the eccentric hub can rotate; and a moving support structure that is connected to the eccentric hub such that the moving support structure is driven substantially linearly based on rotational motion of the eccentric hub and serves to clamp an object between the moving support structure and a fixed structure adjacent to the moving support structure. A clamping system is provided having, a single drive; a shaft connected to the drive; and a plurality of clamping mechanisms.
US08425206B2
A pump insert of a vane-type pump having no dedicated housing, the insert being inserted in a gear housing.
US08425205B2
A centrifugal pump has a pump unit and a drive unit. The pump unit includes a volute and an impeller disposed in the volute. The drive unit has a stator and a rotor having a shaft. The volute includes an inlet, an outlet and a chamber in communication with the inlet and outlet. The inlet is coaxial with the chamber. The shaft of the rotor extends into the chamber of the volute and the impeller is attached to and driven by the shaft. The volute further includes a baffle installed in the inlet. The baffle includes a guide plate angled to the axis of the inlet.
US08425202B2
A universal controller (16) for an electric motorized pump (18) having a mechanical switch (19) for turning on and off electrical power to the pump, and method of operation of same. The controller controls output pressure of the pump based on controlling the speed of the pump (for example by applying voltage over a greater portion of a duty cycle), so as to provide an optimal operating pressure derived from an automatically determined value for the pressure at which the mechanical switch opens and disrupts electrical power to the pump. It is manufactured as a standalone assembly, not attached to a pump. It can be operated so as to automatically seek and determine a switch-opening pressure for the switch (19), at which the pump pressure switch opens and so interrupts electrical power to the motor, and to then choose an operating pressure below the switch-opening pressure.
US08425199B2
A paddlewheel apparatus including a paddlewheel axle, spaced apart annular wheel hubs locked in rotation with the axle, and a plurality of elongated paddles supported by the wheel hubs and spaced apart therefrom, the paddles being arranged in a zigzagging pattern around the circumference of the wheel hubs. A method for creating current in a bio-pond raceway using a paddlewheel.
US08425195B2
Apparatus and methods related to wind turbine blades and manufacturing of the blades.
US08425191B2
A propfan assembly includes a plurality of blades that each include an internal cavity containing a noise attenuation structure. Acoustic energy is communicated to the internal cavity through a plurality of openings in the blade surfaces. The cavities include features for attenuating noise energy to reduce generation of noise emitted from the propfan assembly.
US08425190B2
A pressure relief device includes a main body and at least two air control units. The main body has at least one passage therein and two outlets formed at upper and lower ends of the passage. A lid is pivotally connected to each of the outlets. The two air control units are each disposed in the passage close to the lid. An air control device drives the air control units to open/close the lid which is adapted to open/close the passage.
US08425188B2
A diffuser pipe (38) of a compressor diffuser assembly (28) for gas turbine engines defines a depressed local area (58) in the pipe wall of an upstream section of the diffuser pipe (38). The depressed local area (58) is bent into the diffuser pipe (38) to reduce the accumulation of fluid boundary layer and improve stall margin of the diffuser pipe (38).
US08425184B2
A turbine shroud ring sector for a turbomachine supported at the upstream end by a downstream support of a turbine casing with circular sliding including a first stop able to collaborate with a second stop borne by an element of the turbomachine adjacent to the shroud ring in order to immobilize the shroud ring circularly is disclosed. The sector includes, on an end facing the element, a recess able to allow the second stop to pass to come into contact with the first stop. The recess is cut substantially in the form of a rectangle having, at the bottom of the recess, corners that are rounded in a circular arc of radius r. The bottom of the recess has a convex shape tangential to the circular arcs of the rounded corners and with a curvature that evolves between a radius of curvature r where it meets the rounded corners and a radius of R, greater than the radius r, at a point situated between the two rounded corners.
US08425179B2
A power turbine employs a plurality of turbine blades which allows the turbine to regulate pressure and ventilate for a greater ability to generate power without back pressure of the power source. It also relieves much of the stress on the uni-body construction. The vent ports (30) work at various times to transfer pressure naturally from one compartment to another, greatly increasing the balance of pressure throughout the process within the turbine.
US08425174B2
This invention concerns an aircraft cargo loader for lifting cargo and freight onto and off an aircraft or plane by the loader comprises a longitudinal deck platform; a supporting assembly extending under the platform for supporting and moving the deck platform between a raised position and a lowered position; and an adjusting mechanism installed in connection with a front transverse shaft of the supporting assembly for transversally tilting the platform between a first tilt angular position where one of the longitudinal side of the platform is tilted with respect to the other longitudinal side; a neutral angular position; and a second tilt position where the other longitudinal side of the platform is tilted with respect to said one longitudinal side. The loader also comprises an actuator to actuate the rotational movement of the front transverse shaft.
US08425173B2
An autonomous transport vehicle for transferring case units to and from predefined storage areas in an automated case unit storage system, the automated case unit storage system including an array of multilevel storage racks with picking aisles passing therebetween and at least one multilevel vertical conveyor having movable shelves, the autonomous transport vehicle including a frame configured to traverse the picking aisles and a transfer deck connecting the picking aisles to the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor for transferring case units between the predefined storage areas and the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor, and a controller connected to the frame, the controller being configured to effect movement of the autonomous transport vehicle through the picking aisles for accessing each storage area within a respective level of the array of multilevel storage racks and each shelf of the at least one multilevel vertical conveyor.
US08425165B2
A pallet apparatus includes a pallet base including a caster unit and a mounting plate for mounting a product having a first fastening unit; a fixing member disposed between the product and the mounting plate of the pallet base; and a second fastening unit fixing the fixing member onto the mounting plate. The product can be fixed to or released from the fixing member by fastening or unfastening the first fastening unit. The fixing member includes a slit at a position corresponding to the first fastening unit, the slit allowing the fixing member to be inserted between or detached from the product and the mounting plate without contacting the first fastening unit.
US08425160B2
A drill cuttings storage and conveying system is disclosed herein. The system includes a pressure vessel for containing drill cuttings and comprising a plurality of drill cuttings outlets. The system also includes a drill cuttings conveyor in communication with the outlets for carrying drill cuttings from the vessel. In an inventive method for practicing the invention, drill cuttings are passed into the pressure vessel having the plurality of outlets. The vessel is pressurized. A selected outlet is opened such that a volume of drill cuttings passes from the vessel to the conveyor. The drill cuttings with the conveyor from the outlet.
US08425159B2
A process for transporting a powder material, in which a device is fitted between a supply zone and a zone to be supplied, the device including at least one substantially horizontal conveyor which includes a lower duct and an upper duct being separated by a porous wall, the upper duct provided with a balancing column. The upper duct is filled with powder material and the lower duct is supplied with gas at a pressure that allows the potential fluidization of the powder material in the upper duct. The minimal bubbling speed, which corresponds to the maximum void fraction, is determined and the fluidization pressure is set to a value such that the fluidization speed of the gas is between 0.8 and 1.5 times the minimal bubbling speed, preferably between 0.9 and 1.3 times the minimal bubbling speed.
US08425158B2
A cellular confinement system for soil, sand or other filler material comprises a number of sub-assemblies each made up of a plurality of interconnected open cells of fabric material. The sub-assemblies are stackable one on top of the other to provide a structure having at least one generally vertical side or end wall. The system further comprises sealing means such as one or more skirt portion(s) which are arranged between vertically juxtaposed sub-assemblies in use. The skirt portions substantially prevent or minimize the escape of finer aggregate material from between the stacked sub-assemblies.
US08425154B1
A method of repairing a subsea pipeline has the steps of positioning a pile onto a subsea floor in a location adjacent to the subsea pipeline, cutting a section of pipeline from the subsea pipeline so that the subsea pipeline has a first cut end and a second cut end, moving a length of pipeline to the pile so as to hingedly connect the length of pipeline with the receptacle on the pile, pivoting the length of pipeline about the hinged connection so as to move the length of pipeline from a generally vertical orientation to a generally horizontal orientation, connecting the first end of the length of pipeline to the first cut end, and connecting the second end of the length of pipeline to the second cut end.
US08425132B2
A modular printer having a media take-up assembly, a support block assembly, a printhead assembly, a stepper motor assembly and a display assembly is provided. A support housing having a plurality of recesses formed on an internal wall of the modular printer is also provided. Each of the recesses is configured to receive and align one of the modular printer assemblies with the other modular printer assemblies. Each of the assemblies is configured as a module which can be easily accessed and quickly secured to or detached from the support housing. The support housing is adapted to receive assembly modules for both thermal ink printers and ribbon ink printers such that the modular printer can be easily converted from one to the other.
US08425126B2
A multi-core optical fiber which has a plurality of core portions arranged separately from one another in a cross-section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction, and a cladding portion located around the core portions, the multi-core optical fiber comprises a cylindrical portion of which diameter is even, and a reverse-tapered portion gradually expanding toward at least one edge in the longitudinal direction, wherein a gap between each adjacent ones of the core portions in the reverse-tapered portion is greater than that in the cylindrical portion.
US08425124B2
In a vehicle bearing device hub spindle, annular first to third grinding undercut portions, each being a recess in sectional view, are formed in the same shape, through turning, at a large-rib-surface-side end portion of an inner raceway surface, a large-diameter-portion-side end portion of the inner raceway surface, and a large-diameter-portion-side end portion of an outer peripheral surface of an intermediate-diameter portion.
US08425123B2
A radial needle bearing unit for supporting a shaft, which has an outer sleeve with at least one radially inwardly directed rim, and a cage guiding hearing needles. For sealing purposes, a sealing element is disposed in an annular space delimited by the rim and the cage. The sealing element is an outwardly expanding sealing ring made of a polymer material resting radially outwardly against the inner lateral surface of the outer sleeve and radially inwardly against the lateral surface of the shaft, so that a radial/radial seal is formed. The outer sleeve has, at least in one peripheral location, a holding lug which is formed by stamping or cutting and protrudes the lateral surface of the outer sleeve in a spring-loaded manner.
US08425121B2
This ball (2) rolling bearing (1) comprises an outer ring (7) and an inner ring (8) between which the balls (2) roll around an axis of rolling (X1), spherical separators (3) for the balls (2), and a raceway (14) of revolution about the axis of rolling (X1) and along which the said spherical separators (3) roll. The raceway is a channel section (14) formed in an element (13; 23) secured to or forming part of one of the said rings (7; 8) and having a substantially semi-cyclic cross section of a diameter suited to that of the said spherical separators (3) so as to accommodate the said separators resting in positions in which they are retained laterally and free of contact with the other of the said rings (8; 7). A rolling bearing such as this is particularly well suited to use without lubrication, particularly in the space industry.
US08425119B2
A rotary gas bearing is described that comprises a first part rotatable relative to a second part. The first part comprises a support member and a first portion and a second portion attached to the support member. The first portion comprises a first bearing surface and the second portion comprising a second bearing surface. Both the first portion and the second portion are attached to the support member by screw thread connections. The second part may comprise complimentary bearing surfaces. Epoxy may be used to fix the first and/or second portions to the support member. A method of determining the bearing working gap by measuring gas flow through the bearing is also described.
US08425113B2
An apparatus and method are disclosed for temperature measurement that includes performing a first ΔVbe measurement of a first temperature of a diode circuit comprising a transistor and, subsequently, performing a first Vbe measurement of a second temperature of the diode circuit. A temperature difference is calculated between the second temperature and the first temperature. If the temperature difference is not greater than a predetermined amount, a second Vbe measurement of a third temperature of the diode circuit is subsequently performed. If the temperature difference is greater than the predetermined amount, a second ΔVbe measurement of the second temperature of the diode circuit is performed.
US08425111B2
A bridge intelligent cable system with a built-in fiber grating sensor is provided, which is applied in a cable bearing structure such as a cable-stayed bridge, a suspension bridge, and an arch bridge. The system includes an anchor cup, a wire dividing plate, a connecting cylinder, a fiber grating sensor, and a cable body, in which the fiber grating sensor includes a fiber grating strain sensor and a fiber grating temperature sensor, tail fibers of the fiber grating strain sensor and the fiber grating temperature sensor are led out, the packaged fiber grating strain sensor is fixedly connected to an outer-layer steel wire of the connecting cylinder, the packaged fiber grating temperature sensor is suspended on the steel wire of the connecting cylinder, holes are punched in the wire dividing plate, and a preserved steel pipe is buried in advance in the connecting cylinder and the anchor cup.
US08425103B2
A backlight module having a light guide plate with prismatic structures and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The backlight module includes a light guide plate, a brightness enhancement film, and a light source module. The light guide plate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The first surface has prismatic structures disposed side by side thereon. Each of the prismatic structures includes a first slope and a second slope being adjacent to each other and having an included angle with respect to the first surface, respectively. The included angles are equivalent. The brightness enhancement film includes a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to each other. The third surface faces the second surface. The fourth surface has prisms disposed side by side thereon along the extending direction of the prismatic structure. The brightness enhancement film has an optimum incident angle associated with an angle of the prism and corresponding to the included angles. The light source module is disposed beside the light guide plate along the extending direction of the prismatic structure.
US08425102B2
An ultra thin lighting element including at least one light source. A lightguide element includes one lightguide layer comprising a plurality of discrete fine optic surface relief structures on at least one portion of at least one surface. Each surface relief structure includes basic structural features on the order of about 10 microns or less in height, and on the order of about 10 microns or less in each lateral dimension. The number, arrangement and size of each surface relief structure and height and lateral dimensions of the structural features of the surface relief structures being varied to provide a desired degree of outcoupling modulation of light incoupled into the light guide element.
US08425084B2
An ornamental fixture having a support structure and a plurality of ornaments mounted to the support structure in a substantially completely spherical arrangement of ornaments. The ornaments may be glass crystal ornaments, for example, octagonal glass crystals, and a light may be mounted within the fixture. The support structure may include an upper support ring and at least one lower support ring vertically spaced from the upper support ring and a plurality of arcuate sector assemblies removably mounted to the upper support ring and the at least one lower support ring. The sector assemblies retain the ornaments to provide a substantially continuous 360-degree array of ornaments. The sector assemblies can also be disassembled from the support structure for maintenance, servicing, relamping, and cleaning of the fixture. For example, the disassembled components of the fixture may be washed in a dishwasher without damaging the ornaments or the support structure.
US08425074B2
A tool capable of turning on/off a light automatically comprises a body including a fitting area in response to a fitted tool and a receiving groove disposed therein to communicate with a font end thereof; a light module installed in the receiving groove and including at least one bulb and a cell set, a first electrode of the cell set connecting with a first connecting leg of the bulb, and a second electrode of the cell set connecting contacting with the fitting area of the body, and when the fitting area of the body is fitted to a fitted tool, a second connecting leg of the bulb conducting to the second electrode of the cell set.
US08425070B2
A light unit includes a bottom cover, a light source unit, an optical sheet unit on the bottom cover, and a reflective support member. The reflective support member includes a reflection plate for reflecting light and a guide pin for supporting the optical sheet unit in the bottom cover.
US08425037B2
Systems, methods and apparatuses for intraocular imaging system are disclosed comprising an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system. The OCT system has an imaging range that may enable substantial portions of an eye to be imaged. The OCT system may be coupled to an operation microscope, such that, for example, a surgeon can visualize ocular structures like the human crystalline lens and other ocular structures such as the cornea and/or vitreous while surgical instruments are in the field of view.
US08425030B2
An image forming method includes: applying an ink composition including a pigment having a volume average particle diameter of 70 nm to 130 nm, a polymerizable compound, and water, onto a recording medium using an inkjet under a condition that a maximum application amount of the ink composition is 15 ml/m2 or less; applying, onto the recording medium, a treatment liquid including an aggregating agent that is capable of aggregating components in the ink composition; removing at least a part of the water contained in the ink composition that has been applied onto the recording medium, under a drying condition such that 60% by mass to 80% by mass of the water contained in the ink composition applied at the maximum application amount is removed, thereby performing drying; and irradiating, with an active energy ray, the ink composition from which water has been removed, thereby performing polymerization.
US08425026B2
A method for manufacturing an electromechanical transducer film including a lower electrode and plural layers of a sol-gel solution film formed on the lower electrode by an inkjet method, the method including the steps of a) modifying a surface of the lower electrode, b) forming a first sol-gel solution film on the surface of the lower electrode by ejecting droplets of a sol-gel solution to the surface of the lower electrode, and c) forming a second sol-gel solution film on the first sol-gel solution film by ejecting droplets of the sol-gel solution to a surface of the first sol-gel solution film. Adjacent dots formed on the surface of the lower electrode by the droplets ejected in step b) overlap each other. Adjacent dots formed on the surface of the first sol-gel solution film by the droplets ejected in step c) do not overlap each other.
US08425023B2
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head, a driving signal generating section, a drive control section, and a sealing section. The liquid ejecting head includes a continuous liquid path and a pressure generating section. The liquid path contains a pressure space and a nozzle opening. The driving signal generating section generates a driving signal containing a driving pulse that drives the pressure generating section. The driving pulse includes a first pulse for causing discharge of droplets and a second pulse that is generated to the pressure generating section at a generation interval T set in a range represented by the following expression: (n−1/4)Tc
US08425022B2
An ink container for containing ink to be supplied to an ink jet head to which the ink container is detachably mountable, includes an ink supply port for supplying the ink to the ink jet head; a air vent for fluid communication with ambience; a claw-like projection provided on a first side of the ink container; a latching lever provided on a second side opposite from the ink container, the latching lever being resiliently supported on the ink container and having a latching claw.
US08425009B2
A liquid ejecting head unit includes a head body which discharges liquid droplets; a wiring substrate which stands in a predetermined direction different from the discharging direction of the liquid from the head body in order to supply a driving signal, which drives the head body, to the head body; and a liquid flow channel unit which is disposed at a position overlapping with the wiring substrate in the predetermined direction, is integrally combined with the head body so that the flow channel is in direct communication with the head body, and includes a pressure chamber having a damper function of which at least a portion of wall surface is formed of a film member.
US08424999B2
A recording apparatus includes: a recording head which conducts recording onto a printing medium; a supporter which supports the recording head at a recording position; and a vibration damper interposed between the recording head and the supporter. The recording head includes a recording surface facing a printing medium and a gradient inclined relative to the recording surface. The gradient is provided at an end of the recording surface. The vibration damper abuts: at least one of the recording surface and a surface parallel to the recording surface of the recording head; and the gradient.
US08424990B2
An inkjet printer includes an inkjet head configured to perform printing on a printing sheet by use of ink. The inkjet printer includes: a heater configured to heat the ink; a thermometer configured to measure the temperature of the ink; and a controller configured to control the amount of electric power to be supplied to the heater and to control the inkjet head. In a case where the measured value of the ink temperature measured by the thermometer is in a range of a first reference temperature inclusive to a second reference temperature exclusive, the controller calculates a coverage rate of a page to be printed, and accordingly changes the amount of electric power to be supplied to the heater depending on the coverage rate thus calculated.
US08424986B2
An ink delivery system for a printer. In one embodiment, the system includes an ink supply that contains ink to be delivered to a printhead of the printer and an ink buffer having a capacity that is smaller than a capacity of the ink supply, the ink buffer being configured to be repeatedly filled with ink from the ink supply and to deliver that ink to the printhead.
US08424981B1
The additional traction accessory for use with a continuous track includes a U-shaped member in which one side is more elevated than the opposing side. The U-shaped member has an overall length greater than the overall width of the continuous track that the accessory is installed upon. The accessory acts as a larger cleat when compared to a cleat of a stuck continuous track. A first embodiment employs a pair of hooks and a ratcheting means that are designed to attach the accessory onto the continuous track between two cleats on a temporary basis in order to improve the traction of a continuous track by the addition of a larger cleat onto a continuous track that is stuck in a muddy area or area having loose soil. A second embodiment employs a slideable hook that locks at different lengths via bolting means to accommodate different continuous track widths.
US08424980B2
A track shoe for a track-type vehicle. The track shoe includes a base plate and a grouser projecting away from the base plate. A capping surface structure of substantially horseshoe shaped cross-section is disposed across a distal portion of the grouser. The capping surface structure covers portions of a distal edge surface and adjacent lateral surfaces. The capping surface structure is formed from an material characterized by enhanced wear resistance relative to portions of the grouser underlying the capping surface structure.
US08424970B2
A vehicle seat reclining device comprises an internal gear formed on a gear plate secured to a lower arm, an external gear formed on an upper arm to be meshed with the internal gear and being fewer by at least one tooth than the internal gear, wedge members frictionally engageable with, and disengageable therefrom, the gear plate or the upper arm, a spring arranged between the wedge members and urging the wedge members in a direction for friction engagement with either the gear plate or the upper arm, a drive shaft for pushing and rotating either one of the wedge members in a direction to release the friction engagement, and a ring member arranged between either one of the gear plate and the upper arm and the wedge members for rotating together with the wedge members relative to the other of the gear plate and the upper arm during rotation of the drive shaft.
US08424965B2
A clutch mechanism in which a pressure receiving member is attached to two side frames of a seat back of a vehicle seat so as to be rotatable about rotation axes extending in a widthwise direction and in which when the pressure receiving member is rotated by a pressing load of an passenger sitting on the vehicle seat, the pressing load is selectively transmitted to an operation bracket pivotally connected to the rotation axes such that the operation bracket is rotated in the same direction as the pressure receiving member. When the pressure receiving member receives a quick pressing load, the operation bracket rotates while being mechanically integrated with the pressure receiving member, so that the pressing load can be transmitted to the operation bracket. When the pressure receiving member receives a slow pressing load, the operation bracket does not rotate, and only the pressure receiving member rotates, so that the transmission of the pressing load can be blocked.
US08424964B2
A child safety seat includes a base, a seat body, a dampening member, and a non-planar impactor. The seat body is slidably secured to the base and is movable between a pre-collision position and a post-collision position. The dampening member is positioned between the base and the seat body. The non-planar impactor is secured to the seat body and is positioned to engage the dampening member. The non-planar impactor and the dampening member together provide a progressive dampening force against movement of the seat body from the pre-collision position to the post-collision position.
US08424963B2
An angle adjusting device for a bicycle saddle is disclosed. The device includes a frame coupling block, which is coupled at a lower end thereof to an upper portion of a height adjustment unit. A saddle coupling post is coupled at a lower end thereof to an upper end of the frame coupling block and is coupled at an upper end thereof to the saddle, with a through hole formed in the upper portion of the saddle coupling post. An angle fixing unit includes a pair of fan-shaped plates attached to left and right sides of the frame coupling block, and a pair of rectangular plates coupling front and rear edges of the fan-shaped plates to each other. An angle adjusting unit is coupled to the saddle coupling post, and is detachable from holes in the angle fixing unit to control the rotation of the saddle coupling post.
US08424956B2
A wheel cover or panel assembly for use on a long haul truck is provided. These wheel covers can provide enhanced aerodynamic effects to a truck or other vehicle thereby reducing wind drag and enhancing fuel efficiency. Still further, the wheel covers can articulate or turn along with the steering by design.
US08424955B2
A sliding door for a vehicle comprises a guide rail and a sliding carriage which is longitudinally movably mounted on the guide rail and which is connected with the vehicle body by a multiple joint. The sliding door furthermore comprises a centering element at its end facing away from the multiple joint. To improve such sliding door, the centering element includes a centering surface which rests against the counter surface integral with the body, when the sliding door is closed.
US08424946B2
An automotive vehicle including a removable table and chair set is described. The set is constructed from a removable front passenger seat configured to releasably engage a seat mounting member secured to the vehicle and includes at least two legs configured to support the front passenger seat when positioned on a surface outside of the vehicle. A removable structural component of the vehicle is configured to releasably engage the vehicle and includes at least two extendable leg elements configured to support the structural component as a table when positioned on a surface outside of the vehicle. A removable rear passenger seat is configured to releasably engage a seat mounting member secured to the vehicle and includes at least two legs configured to support the rear passenger seat when positioned on a surface outside of the vehicle.
US08424945B2
The connecting structure of a center filler and a quarter member of a vehicle may include a lateral junction portion formed at a front end of the quarter member, the lateral junction portion coupling with one side surface of the center filler in a direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The connection structure may further include a longitudinal coupling portion formed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle coupled with an outer quarter member of the quarter member, a trim coupling portion substantially the same length as the longitudinal coupling portion coupled with trim, and a connection portion connecting the longitudinal coupling portion and the trim coupling portion to each other, wherein the lateral junction portion extends at a front end of the longitudinal coupling portion, and the lateral junction portion is bent substantially perpendicular to contact to the center filler.
US08424943B2
A magnetic retrieval device includes a magnet and a helical thread fixed relative to the magnet. The helical thread is screwed onto a proximal end of a grip of a golf club. The golf club can be used by a golfer to retrieve a laying golf club already on a playing surface without the need for the golfer to bend over or bend down. The helical thread may include a pointed distal end and a cutting slot or a drill distal end. A body may surround the magnet, where the body includes a base and a top. The top may include an elastomeric material such as rubber. A metallic ball marker may be magnetically attached to the body.
US08424934B2
An electromechanically actuated safety lock mechanism particularly suited for elevator hall doors, dumb waiters, and similar lift mechanisms and other applications. A door lock and switch comprises a fixed contact member that is attached to a movable door and a movable locking mechanism attached to a door jamb or second moving door. The locking mechanism may include an involute gear and star wheel, a pawl constrained by a torsion spring and an electromechanical device for actuating the pawl.
US08424929B2
A sliding panic bar is provided with a case which includes a configuration for electrical installation and rails for the frames of the self-locking latch, the release of which is produced by acting on a locking lever that centralizes different actuation situations. The activation by pressure of the movable half-bar causes the tilting of operating lever rocker arms which displace the shuttles, synchronous shaft and retaining springs. The system includes a mechanism for adjusting the width of the door, adjustment for use by physically handicapped people, as well as for vertical spagnolette systems, with both vertical and horizontal latch. The locks of the system are adjustable for absorbing possible expansions.
US08424928B2
A door handle assembly includes a lock casing having an inner cam and an outer cam and a latch bolt, an indoor handle device attached to an inner portion of the lock casing with an actuating device and having a handgrip for being depressed to actuate an actuating bolt and the inner cam to operate the latch bolt, and an outdoor handle device attached to an outer portion of the lock casing with another actuating device and having another handgrip for being pulled to actuate another actuating bolt and the outer cam to operate the latch bolt, the outdoor handle device and indoor handle device are replaceable with each other when the actuating devices are disposed up-side-down.
US08424927B2
A coupling structure couples first and second casing parts together. The first casing part is formed with a detachment hole. The coupling structure includes one resilient engaging hook projecting from the first casing part and a coupling member disposed between the first and second casing parts and formed with first and second engaging grooves. The resilient engaging hook hooks the first engaging groove in a right direction. The coupling member has a pushing element tending toward the detachment hole. One rigid engaging hook projects from the second casing part and engaging the second engaging groove in a left direction. Manually leftwise movement of the pushing element in the left direction results in simultaneous bending of the resilient engaging hook in the left direction so as to disengage the rigid engaging hook from the second engaging groove, thereby permitting removal of the second casing part from the first casing part.
US08424924B2
A thermoplastic pipe distribution system is assembled by electromagnetic bond welding of a thermoplastic pipe to a thermoplastic fusion pipe joint assembly comprising a threaded fusion pipe ring, a threaded fusion pipe socket, and a susceptor layer between the fusion pipe ring and the fusion pipe socket. The fusion pipe ring is screwed into the fusion pipe socket, and the pipe is inserted into the fusion pipe ring. An induction coil is placed around the fusion pipe socket. Radiated electromagnetic energy heats the susceptor layer to melt at least a portion of the susceptor layer, at least a portion of the fusion pipe ring, at least a portion of the fusion pipe socket, and at least a portion of the pipe. The fusion pipe ring is further screwed in to compress the molten material. The joint is then cooled to solidify the molten material.
US08424919B2
A marine riser assembly having a first tubular member having an external surface with a plurality of first axially spaced formations, a second tubular member having an external surface with a plurality of second axially spaced formations thereon, a segmented ring in surrounding relationship to the first and second tubular members, the segmented ring having an inner surface with a plurality of formations engageable with the formations on the first and second tubular members, the engageable formations serving to urge the first and second tubular members toward each other when the segmented ring is subjected to radially inwardly directed compressive forces, a sleeve in surrounding relationship to force the engageable formations together and a seal assembly for sealing against external and internal pressure.
US08424916B2
Methods for creating customized children's storybooks with fingerprint art using fingerprint-ready image templates stored in association with a software application running on a standard home computer system. The systems and methods include the use of preconfigured templates and prompted discussions that elicit responses from the child to create the text for the storybook. Initially, the appropriate size of the child's fingerprint is determined and the storybook scenes are scaled to fit that size. Fingerprint-ready image templates are used to facilitate the creation of fingerprint art. An image template is formed by including within it at least one fingerprint-sized area. A completed image is formed by inserting a fingerprint into the fingerprint-sized area, and if desired, coloring the image or drawing a scene around the image. In one technique, an entire scene is produced including one or more fingerprint-ready image template(s). When the storybook scenes are completed the software application compiles the book pages and prints the same. The child then personalizes the scene images with their fingerprint and the storybook is bound for repeated reading.
US08424906B2
Disclosed is a passenger protection device provided with a side curtain airbag which expands in the form of a curtain, along the inner surface of a side portion of a vehicle. A side curtain airbag (31) is comprised of a gas introduction chamber (40) which introduces gas; and lower expansion portions (51, 52) which are expanded in the lower portion of the gas introduction chamber by the gas introduced from the gas introduction chamber. The gas introduction chamber has a plurality of large upper expansion portions (42, 43, 44) which are arranged in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle, so as to be respectively positioned in a plurality of pillars (15, 16, 17). The large upper expansion portions expand more widely than small expansion portions (45, 46), i.e., other portions of the gas introduction chamber, in the width direction of a vehicle.
US08424905B2
The interior trim assembly for a motor vehicle is of the type comprising a framework and a panel for concealing an airbag comprising a flap a peripheral region surrounding the flap and attached to the framework, a hinge-forming strip having a flap portion attached to the flap, a framework portion attached to the framework, and a hinge portion extending between the flap portion and the framework portion. The region of the hinge portion adjacent to the framework portion may be covered by a protecting element and the region of the hinge portion adjacent to the flap region is exposed.
US08424900B2
Stroller trays and methods of mounting the same on strollers are disclosed. An example stroller tray mates with a tray mount mounted to the stroller frame proximate a seat. The example tray includes a tray portion and an arm. The tray portion is cantilevered on the arm to extend in front of or over a portion of the seat. When mounted to the stroller, the stroller tray does not extend completely from one side of the stroller frame to the other to facilitate egress to the stroller seat.
US08424895B1
A portable auxiliary jackstand for a two-wheeled vehicle which provides the vehicle with additional stability when parked is disclosed. The stand comprises a ratchet or detent mechanism which provides a means for adjusting and locking its length. An upper end accommodates various interchangeable adapters intended to engage the frame, foot peg or other structural member of the vehicle. A lower end accommodates various interchangeable feet designed to provide the necessary friction against the prevailing texture of the ground surface. The stand can be applied to either side of the vehicle and is designed to allow the user to select the configuration which is best suited to the conditions of the parking space ground.
US08424893B2
A shock absorption system for a bicycle that is simple, flexible and compatible with the many sections of a bicycle where adequate shock absorption is sought. The shock absorption properties are provided through a C-shaped compliant structure. C-shaped compliant structure may be removable such that it may be installed and removed as per the desire of the end user of the bicycle for post market modification and personalization purposes.
US08424888B2
Systems and methods for weight transfer in a vehicle are provided. One system includes a plurality of springs and a plurality of movable spring seats configured to adjust a length of the plurality of springs. Additionally, an electromechanical actuator is provide that is connected to the plurality of movable springs and configured to move the movable spring seats to adjust the length of the plurality of springs. Further, a controller is provided that is coupled to the electromechanical actuator to control the electromechanical actuator to adjust the length of the plurality of springs.
US08424887B1
A height-adjustable industrial caster wheel includes a mounting plate, a swivel assembly that swivels relative to the mounting plate, and a spring housing that is movable relative to the swivel assembly. The mounting plate or the spring housing is secured to the swivel assembly, such that the relative position of the swivel assembly and either the mounting plate or the spring housing can be controllably altered to change the overall height of the height-adjustable industrial caster wheel. If needed, a locking mechanism can be used to maintain the relative position between the swivel assembly and the mounting plate or the spring housing. The height-adjustable industrial caster wheel can be adjusted by accessing the height-adjustable industrial caster wheel from above, eliminating the need to raise the pallet truck away from the floor to be able to access and adjust the height-adjustable industrial caster wheel.
US08424884B1
A device for transporting, lifting and positioning a panel upon a wall comprises a main frame and a movable carriage which slides up and down the main frame. The carriage is pulled along the main frame by a cable which runs from the bottom of the movable carriage through a pulley at the top of the main frame and to a winch mounted to the main frame. A construction panel is placed on a frontal lip of the movable carriage at a floor level. The construction panel is then moved to a desired location by tilting the main frame onto wheels supported on an axle framework at the bottom of the main frame. The main frame may then be tilted toward a vertical surface lifting the wheels free of the ground and the device rested on rollers supported on spindles affixed to the lower cross members of the mainframe. The panel may then be moved laterally along the vertical surface and/or lifted into an elevated position while the device remains biased against the vertical surface as the center of gravity of the device shifts forward of the rollers when leaned against the vertical surface.
US08424882B2
A truck according to the present invention includes a hanger dimensioned for insertion of axles upon which wheels are attached. The truck may be configured for attachment to a skateboard. The hanger includes a cutout portion including a key cavity into which a key is positioned. Bushings and a kingpin are also installed onto the hanger. The key when positioned within the key cavity of the hanger confines the pivot of the hanger on a centerline which bisects the hanger. The key may include extending cylindrical tabs which may allow for the hanger to freely swivel about the kingpin passing therethrough without the use of bearing surfaces. The bushings are positioned on the kingpin and on opposite sides of the key and key cavity of the hanger so as to urge the hanger to its center position.
US08424873B2
An improved rotator/translator apparatus includes a set of drive rolls driven by a pair of rotator discs. Idler rolls are positioned above each drive roll and spring loaded to provide the required normal force to drive sheets in any direction required. A pair of magnetic couplings couple the drive rolls with the idler rolls. The magnetic couplings are spaced with about a 5 mm gap to allow sheets to pass therethrough. The couplings allow the idlers and the drive rolls to stay aligned. Thus, driving media, registering media and rotating media in a transport is obtained, but with no relative motion or slip between the drive rolls/idler rolls and the media and a larger nip surface area, thereby eliminating marking of certain media.
US08424871B2
A medium mounting device includes a medium mounting portion for placing a medium in a stacked state in a first direction, and a medium regulating portion arranged to be rotatable relative to the medium mounting portion. The medium regulating portion is arranged to regulate an edge portion of the medium when the medium regulating portion is in a rising state relative to the medium mounting portion. The medium regulating portion in the rising state is arranged to abut against the medium to rotate and retreat when the medium is taken out in a second direction different from the first direction.
US08424864B2
A method and apparatus are provided for processing sets of sheets. The apparatus includes a frame, a hopper for moving a stack of sheets, a pre-singulator for separating a portion of a sheet from the stack, a sheet peeler for peeling part of a pre-singulated sheet from the stack, a sheet picker for gathering peeled sheets into a set, and a sheet discharger for clearing the set of sheets. The sheet peeler may include at least one rotating drum. The sheet picker may include one or more augers.
US08424859B2
A creasing apparatus forming a crease on sheets one by one includes: a first member having a linear convex blade formed in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction; a second member having a concave blade being paired with the convex blade; and a drive unit that moves the first and second members so as to cause the convex blade and the concave blade to form a crease on a sheet stopped at a predetermined position. The first member forms the convex blade with first comb and second comb and the second member forms the concave blade with third comb and fourth comb that advance and retract relative to each other. The drive unit selects advanced and retracted positions of the first comb and second comb and advanced and retracted positions of the third comb and fourth comb so as to perform a creasing process or a perforating process.
US08424858B2
A flexible fixture system for a CNC machine is coupled to a base fixture. The flexible fixture includes quick connects that connect with the base fixture in order to allow hydraulic fluid, air, and water to be communicated from the base fixture to the flexible fixture system. The flexible fixture system includes features operable to hold a workpiece within the CNC machine. The flexible fixture system is modular and may be swapped out for a different flexible fixture in order to allow other operations to be performed on the workpiece.
US08424840B2
The invention relates to a valve cartridge for a solenoid valve having a capsule, a magnetic armature that is movably guided within the capsule, a valve insert inserted into the capsule at a first end, and a valve body, which is pressed into a second end of the valve insert, and having a main valve seat. The magnetic armature, moved by a generated magnetic force, moves a tappet that is guided within the valve insert. The tappet has a locking element which includes a sealing element which plunges into the main valve seat of the valve body in a sealing manner for carrying out a sealing function, and an associated solenoid valve. According to the invention, the valve insert is configured as a slotted bushing, having a collar integrated onto the second end of the valve insert in order to increase an outer diameter and a shape stability of the valve insert.
US08424838B2
The present invention utilizes operation of a valve actuator to generate electrical power. A portion of the mechanical energy generated by operation of a valve actuator is converted to electrical energy. The mechanical energy may be converted to electrical energy at the same time as the valve actuator is operating or the mechanical energy may be stored for later conversion. A valve actuator may be operated manually, electrically, pneumatically, or hydraulically. Generated electrical energy may also be stored.
US08424837B2
Shut-off valve of a fluid having a valve body (20), an obturator (5) housed in the valve body and rotatable around a rotation axis (X), and a command organ (2) connected to the obturator (5) by means of a command stem (12) which extends in an aperture made in a cylindrical projection (21) of the valve body (20).
US08424816B1
A bag rack and packing system for a plastic grocery bag having a pair of handles has a base to which is connected (1) a wire-arm rack having a reservoir bag holder for plastic bags and two wire-arms and (2) a three-sided support having two side supports connected to an intermediate back support, with each of the side supports having a forward upper tab close to the wire-arm rack, an intermediate top and then a rearward edge. The wire-arm rack and three-sided support have open faces that face each other so that the three-sided support temporarily creates a defined physical frame for a first plastic grocery bag when its handles are secured over the forward upper tabs of the two side supports. The forward upper tabs help separate an individual bag from a reservoir of bags and the individual bag may remain attached to, or be detached from, the reservoir of bags as it is being filled. A rearward edge of the sides of the three-sided support is beveled to make removal of a filled bag quick and efficient.
US08424815B2
A bag support is provided for supporting a pliable bag. The bag support includes a first bar extending along a first axis and a second bar extending along a second axis generally parallel to the first axis. A first support has a first end operatively connected to the first bar and a second end operatively connected to the second bar. A first bag retainer extends from the first bar. The first bag retainer has first and second ends. A second bag retainer extends from the second bar. The second bag retainer has first and second ends.
US08424810B1
Concepts and technologies described herein provide for a low noise aircraft wing slat system. According to one aspect of the disclosure provided herein, a cove-filled wing slat is used in conjunction with a moveable panel rotatably attached to the wing slat to provide a high lift system. The moveable panel rotates upward against the rear surface of the slat during deployment of the slat, and rotates downward to bridge a gap width between the stowed slat and the lower wing surface, completing the continuous outer mold line shape of the wing, when the cove-filled slat is retracted to the stowed position.
US08424807B2
An aircraft wing assembly comprising: a spar; a fuel tank; a track container which is attached to the spar and extends into the fuel tank; a track which extends through the spar and into the track container; and a high-lift device, such as a slat or flap, carried by the track. The track container comprises a stiffening element encased in an elastomeric sheath. The track container is manufactured by placing a stiffening element and elastomeric material together in a mould; and compressing and heating them to cure and shape the elastomeric material.
US08424803B2
The present invention provides an aircraft floor of an aircraft consisting of a number of base plates and a number of longitudinal supports and provides an aircraft with a floor of this type. The aircraft floor has transverse joints for partitioning the floor into a plurality of segments transversely to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, the respective segment consisting of a number of longitudinal support elements, partitioned by the transverse joints, of the longitudinal supports and of a number of base plate elements partitioned by the transverse joints, of the base plates and the segments being coupled together such that they have exclusively a translatory degree of freedom with respect to one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.
US08424801B2
A support assembly for deployment and retraction of an aero surface from an aircraft is disclosed. The assembly comprises a guide track, a primary support arm having one end coupled to a carriage mounted on the track such that the primary support arm is rotatable relative to the carriage about multiple axes, and a control arm having one end coupled to the primary support arm and a second end pivotably attachable to a fixed support forming part of the structure of the aircraft. The assembly being configured such that, when the carriage is driven along the guide track, the control arm causes the primary support arm to pivot about said multiple axes to deploy and/or retract an aero surface pivotally attached to an opposite end of the primary support member along an arcuate path.
US08424791B2
A reel assembly comprises a spool member configured to rotate about a spooling axis to wind or unwind a linear material. The spool member is also configured to rotate about a reciprocation axis that is substantially perpendicular to the spooling axis. A housing substantially encloses the spool member and comprises first and second housing portions that are rotatable with respect to one another about the reciprocation axis. The first housing portion defines an aperture configured to receive the linear material therethrough. A rotating member is configured to rotate when the spool member rotates about the spooling axis. The rotating member is mechanically linked with respect to the first housing portion via one or more intervening components, such that each revolution of the rotating member produces one cycle of relative reciprocating rotation between the spool member and the first housing portion about the reciprocation axis.
US08424784B1
Methods for creating a proppant of a specific size from a slurry extracted from a fractured hydrocarbon well is provided, including the steps of separating water from the slurry, resulting in a solid stream and a liquid stream; mixing the slurry stream with particulate, resulting in a feed material; fusing proppant material in the feed material; quenching the fused proppant material; breaking the fused proppant material; sizing the broken material for the specific size; and mixing broken material that is not of the specific size with the feed material. A system for performing the method is also described.
US08424783B2
The present invention provides a wall mounted shower head including a casing body set, a water conduit set and a water outlet plate. The water conduit set is disposed inside the casing body set, wherein upper section of the water conduit set is joined to a first joining base of the water outlet plate and bottom section of the water conduit set is joined to a second joining base of the casing body set. With a two-stage press control button disposed on the water outlet plate, users can control shower water by controlling actuation of an upper control shaft, a lower control shaft and a spring of the water conduit set. The structure provides a convenient water control operation for users in shower.
US08424782B1
An aerosol transport system. The aerosol transport system comprising a tube and having a plurality of windings that permit the flow of aerosols, including particles, there-through so as to compensate for gravity and/or centrifugal forces and reduce the settling of particles within said tube.
US08424780B2
A spray gun is disclosed, including components and kits of components thereof, comprising a body comprising an attachment point for a compatible liquid reservoir and an adapter. The adapter comprises, at a first end, a non-threaded connection for attachment to a connector of a compatible liquid reservoir, the adapter being attached at a second end to the attachment point on the body such that the adapter remains attached to the body upon removal of a compatible liquid reservoir from the non-threaded connection.
US08424775B2
A two-dimensional code having a rectangular region is provided. In the rectangular region, there are code blocks composed of a plurality of cells, a first specific pattern specifying the positions of the cells, and a second specific pattern separating the code blocks from a background of the code. The first specific pattern is located at a specified corner of the rectangular region. The second specific pattern is located along one or more of first borders along which the first specific pattern is located, the first borders being part of the borders of the rectangular region. The code blocks include error-correction code blocks, which are located along second borders which are different from a border of the borders along which the second specific pattern is located. The second borders are part of the borders. Compressed data code blocks are also arranged in the same way as the error-correction code blocks.
US08424765B2
This invention relates to a novel wireless barcode MEMS canary which can be embedded in electronic systems and periodically monitored to measure degradation over a period of time. The material used to print the bars of the barcode is selected such that it is capable of changing one or more of its properties in response to a change in ambient conditions. Means are provided for reading out said change in properties such that when an interrogator is brought into proximity to the sensor, the change in properties can be detected. By establishing the relationship between the healthy state of the barcode and its degradation to that of the electronic system and the components, the residual life of the system can be established and preventive measures taken before failure.
US08424763B2
A method of forming and using an auto-calibration circuit or label on a test sensor includes providing a label or circuit. The label or circuit includes a first layer, a second layer and a lamination portion. The second layer is located between the first layer and the lamination portion. The first layer includes polymeric material. The second layer includes conductive material. The label or circuit is applied to the test sensor via the lamination portion. After applying the label or circuit to the test sensor, portions of the second layer are ablated using a laser to form an auto-calibration pattern on the label or circuit.
US08424757B2
A contactless transaction adaptor for use with a mobile communicator, including a thin SIM card signal interceptor portion arranged for insertion intermediate an existing SIM card, having SIM card-based contacts, and communicator based SIM card contacts located in a SIM card recess formed in the communicator, the interceptor portion having contacts for communication with the communicator-based SIM card contacts and contacts for communication with the SIM card-based contacts, a contactless communication circuit bearing portion arranged for insertion in the communicator, a contactless antenna and a contactless communication circuit both mounted onto the circuit bearing portion, a flexible connector portion interconnecting the interceptor portion and the circuit bearing portion, an electrical path extending along the connector portion between the contacts of the interceptor portion and the contactless communication circuit, and an electrical path extending along the circuit bearing portion between the antenna and the contactless communication circuit.
US08424755B1
An automated banking machine operates to cause financial transfers responsive to data read from data bearing records in the form of user cards. The machine includes a printer for printing paper records of transactions conducted at the machine. The printer receives paper from a shared paper path. The shared paper path can be supplied by a first paper supply and a second paper supply. A controller is operative to switch between the paper supplies in providing paper to the printer. Based on signals received from paper sensors in the machine, the controller can determine whether the first paper supply has reached a predetermined low level. In response to a low level determination, the controller acts to cause a paper drive to begin moving paper from the second paper supply to the shared paper path and then to the printer.
US08424747B2
A method for joining two ceramic parts, or a ceramic part and a metal part, and the joint formed thereby. The method provides two or more parts, a braze consisting of a mixture of copper oxide and silver, a diffusion barrier, and then heats the braze for a time and at a temperature sufficient to form the braze into a bond holding the two or more parts together. The diffusion barrier is an oxidizable metal that forms either a homogeneous component of the braze, a heterogeneous component of the braze, a separate layer bordering the braze, or combinations thereof. The oxidizable metal is selected from the group Al, Mg, Cr, Si, Ni, Co, Mn, Ti, Zr, Hf, Pt, Pd, Au, lanthanides, and combinations thereof.
US08424743B2
A solder return apparatus for a wave solder machine that collects solder exiting a nozzle and returns the solder to a solder reservoir while limiting solder from splashing onto electronic substrates (e.g., printed circuit boards), components of the wave solder machine, and/or the like. The apparatus includes a mounting section that may be placed over an upper surface of the nozzle and a collection section that collects the solder and returns the solder to the solder reservoir. The collection section includes a trough having an opening in a bottom wall of the trough and a flow control member that can adjust a quantity of solder exiting the trough as well as the velocity of the solder exiting the trough. One or more deflection plates can be mounted to extend from the trough into solder in the solder reservoir to further limit splashing solder from reaching unintended locations.
US08424739B2
A surgical stapling device is disclosed which includes a handle assembly, an endoscopic body portion and a tool assembly. The tool assembly is rotatably and pivotally supported on a distal end of the endoscopic body portion. A tool assembly rotation mechanism is provided which includes a rotation knob, a substantially rigid tube and a flexible member interconnecting the rigid tube to the tool assembly. The substantially rigid tube translates rotation of the rotation knob to rotation of the flexible member and provides a channel for passage of other components of the surgical stapling device.
US08424731B2
A child carrier for carrying a child in a standing position on the back of the wearer is disclosed. The child carrier may have a shoulder harness having a first loop of material adapted to encircle a left shoulder area of a child carrier wearer, and a second loop of material adapted to encircle a right shoulder area of the wearer. The first loop of material and the second loop of material may be connected in an upper back region of the wearer. First and second handholds may be provided at the shoulder area of the first and second loops of material. The child carrier may have positions to attach accessories such as a water bottle, small enclosure for storage, and the like. In a first embodiment, a rigid or semi-rigid elongated platform having a width adapted to permit a child to stand on the platform may be suspended from the back of the shoulder harness by flexible straps, where the platform may be compact folding to allow the entire child carrier to be stored in a small pouch. In a second embodiment, individual stirrups for the child's feet may be suspended from the back of the shoulder harness.
US08424730B2
A pack with an integrated seat, including a base member comprising oppositely disposed first and second edges, a fixed leg member connected to the first edge, a hinged leg member pivotally connected to the second edge, a rigid seat member pivotally connected to the fixed leg member and arranged to be supported by the fixed leg member and the hinged leg member when the pack is arranged in a seating position, a shell arranged to at least partially enclose a volume defined by the fixed leg member, the hinged leg member, and the base member.
US08424727B2
A material dispensing assembly (100) and method of operation is disclosed for converting a portable cartridge dispensing tool to a bag-type dispensing tool. The assembly comprises a single piece piston (110) for advancing material though a material housing (104), the single piece piston (110) includes a substantially square-shaped receptacle (140). The assembly further comprises a square shaped drive rack (112) for attaching to the piston (110) at the substantially square-shaped receptacle (140) at a connection end (128). The drive rack (112) further comprises a plurality of teeth (142) located thereon. The assembly (100) further has a support (127) with a substantially square profile for receiving and supporting the drive rack (112) during operation such that the construct of the drive rack and piston (110) are prevented from rotating during operation.
US08424720B2
A dispenser for dispensing a volume of viscous material on a substrate includes a frame, a gantry system coupled to the frame, and a dispenser unit coupled to the gantry system. The dispenser unit includes a housing having a chamber, and a piston disposed in the chamber. The piston has an elongate body and is configured to move between a pre-dispense position and a dispense position within the chamber. The dispenser unit further includes a motor to drive the movement of the piston within the chamber. The motor includes a rotating shaft, a wheel coupled to the rotating shaft, the wheel having at least one drive magnet, and a driven magnet disposed between wheel and the piston. The dispenser further includes a nozzle coupled to the housing. The nozzle has an orifice to dispense viscous material. Other embodiments of the dispenser and methods of dispensing are further disclosed.
US08424710B2
A crate includes a bottom, two end walls, and two side walls. At least one of the end and side walls comprises an inlet having a dimension allowing to introduce a predefined amount of cooling liquid into the interior of the crate.
US08424709B2
The invention relates to a bottom of a mould for producing thermoplastic containers, and to a container thus produced. The container (1) produced comprises: a base (4) having a concave peripheral wall (6) extending essentially coaxially to the X-X′ axis, this concavity defining a non null curvature all along the wall (6); an annular region (7) forming a tubular peripheral wall (8) extending essentially coaxially to the X-X′ axis, the transversal radial distance between the X-X′ axis and said wall (8) being longer than the transversal radial distance between the X-X′ axis and any point along the concave peripheral wall (6) of said base (4); and a shoulder (9) forming a connecting region between the base (4) and the annular region (7). The depth of said annular region is between 0.5 and 2%, preferably between 1 and 1.5%, especially 1.2% of the diameter of the annular region (7), and the height of the base (4) is between 5 and 15 mm.
US08424708B2
An expandable and collapsible cooler includes: a base defining a bottom portion of the cooler; an upper rim defining an upper portion of the cooler; and a cooler wall extending between said base and said upper rim and surrounding an interior storage space of the cooler. The cooler wall includes inner and outer collapsible walls that extend from the upper rim and a common bottom wall. Each collapsible wall includes a flexible elastomeric membrane having hinge lines at which the membrane is configured to bend such that the membrane is transitional between collapsed and expanded configurations. The membrane preferably is formed from silicone rubber.
US08424706B2
A closure (1) having a shell (10) and a polymer insert (20). The polymer material of the insert (20) is selected to be sufficiently soft to provide an adequate sealing surface (21) and yet sufficiently stiff to define legs (22), which clip behind the internal curl (11) of the closure shell (10).
US08424697B2
A pressure cap comprises a closing part associable with an opening of a container, engaging means associable with a neck of said container, said engaging means being provided with retaining means for engaging in a projection of said container, a line of intended opening in said engaging means interposed between a side body of said engaging means and said closing part, said line of intended opening being defined by fracturable means, said line of intended opening and said closing part being positioned in relation to one another so that said fracturable means breaks along said line of intended opening when said closing part is induced to detach itself from said side body.
US08424694B2
A lightweight cross-beam for a storage rack made of a single sheet of steel with a Z-style cross sectional configuration includes a generally vertical upper wall with upper and lower edges; a generally horizontal support wall extending inwardly from the lower edge of the upper wall; an angled intermediate wall extending downwardly and outwardly from the inner edge of the generally horizontal wall; and a generally vertical lower wall that extends downwardly from the outer edge of the angled wall. The angle between the generally horizontal support wall and the angled wall is about 60°. The upper and lower walls are generally in the same vertical plane. Upper and lower rivets extend outwardly from the upper and lower walls at each end of the cross-beam. The vertical distance between the upper and lower rivets is 3 inches. The length of the cross-beam is at least about 96 inches.
US08424690B2
Some embodiments disclose a corral configured to hold one or more shopping carts and display one or more advertisements. The corral can include: (a) an enclosure having an opening configured to receive the one or more shopping carts, the enclosure having a first side; and (b) at least one first panel located at the first side and configured to display at least a first advertisement of the one or more advertisements. The advertising panels can be configured to be coupled adjacent the opening of the corral to facilitate better visibility.
US08424689B2
A modular racking system for storing, displaying and dispensing optical contact lenses. The system includes a reconfigurable, vertically-stacked array of modules. Each module is assembled from standard panels and includes a number of tray positions. Removable trays are slidably mounted in the modules, are vertically repositionable within the modules, and are provided in differing product configurations for different types of products or packaging. A contact lens dispensing matrix is defined by various positional indicia within the racking system, to designate various contact lens characteristics.
US08424686B2
A method and apparatus for reinforcing a tubular-shaped sealing collar, extending from a filter cartridge are provided, by embedding, or substantially encapsulating, a reinforcement element within the tubular-shaped sealing collar, for resisting a change in circumference of at least a portion of the tubular-shaped collar. The collar may be formed from a resiliently compressible foam material, and the reinforcement element may be formed from a substantially non-compressible material.
US08424682B2
A container for transport and storage of liquids comprises a pallet and a metal cage of standard dimensions. The container comprises also an inner bag made of plastic material, an outer envelope disposed between the inner bag and the metal cage, and fastened to the metal cage. The inner bag is not fastened to the outer envelope and is configured to be filled to unfold from an empty condition, in which the inner bag is in a flattened and folded configuration to a filled condition, in which the inner bag is in a parallelepipedal and unfolded configuration, having a volume corresponding substantially to the volume of the housing of the cage and being surrounded by the outer envelope and the metal cage.
US08424676B2
A compound sprocket having at least one rotatable member including an outer sprocket element and an inner sprocket element symmetrically disposed relative to a central axis of rotation of the at least one rotatable member. The outer sprocket element includes a plurality of spaced, uniformly radially-oriented protrusions on an outer cylindrical surface thereof for engaging a conveyor belt, the outer sprocket element further includes a plurality of pockets formed on an inner cylindrical surface thereof. The inner sprocket element has a plurality of protrusions corresponding in number and position to the pockets formed on the inner cylindrical surface of the outer sprocket element and received therein. A resilient connecting element is disposed in each pocket biased between a wall of the pocket of the outer sprocket element and one of the protrusions of the inner sprocket element.
US08424674B2
Movable conveyor slats (12) have side parts (74, 76) which rest on top parts of bearings (92). The bearings (92) have a generally U-shaped cross section and they fit on wings (52, 54, 54′) which extend outwardly and slope upwardly from the sides of a fixed conveyor slat (10, 10′). Fixed conveyor slats (10, 10′) have base portions (18, 18′) and upper insert portions (20, 20′). The inserts (20, 20′) have downwardly extending ribs (62, 64) on their sides which extend into upwardly opening grooves (48, 50) in the base portions (18). The movable slats (12) have web (80, 82) and lower flange portions (84, 86) which with the side parts (74, 76) of the slats (12) form laterally outwardly opening channels. The wings (52, 54, 54′) and the bearings (92) are received within the channels (88, 90).
US08424657B2
A cylinder assembly includes a piston rod connected to a piston which is movably received in a cylinder and the interior of the cylinder is defined into a first room and a second room by the piston. A first groove and a second groove are respectively defined in the inside and the outside of the piston, and the two grooves are longitudinally aligned with each other. Two seal rings are respectively engaged with the first and second grooves. The first groove includes a first inner surface and the second groove includes a second inner surface. A distance is defined between two respective extension lines of the first and second grooves. Each of the two respective extension lines is defined by extending a line from the first/second inner surface of the first/second groove. The outer diameter of the piston is reduced for being used with a smaller cylinder.
US08424655B2
A brake cylinder for pneumatic vehicle brakes includes a spring brake section for parking brake actions and a service brake section for service brake actions combined in one housing. The housing is subdivided by a piston into two compartments, one compartment being used as the pressure compartment for the service brake, and the brake spring of the spring section being arranged in the other compartment on the opposite end of the piston. The brake spring acts upon an additional spring piston, which can be locked and released relative to the piston by a pneumatic locking mechanism. The spring piston is connected to a piston rod directly or via additional elements to actuate the brake. Once the locking mechanism is released, the brake spring displaces the pistons relative each other during a parking brake action. At least one pneumatic valve for controlling the brake cylinder are integrated into the brake cylinder.
US08424653B2
An elevator load bearing member (30) monitoring device includes a controller (42) that applies a selected electrical signal to tension members (32) of the load bearing member (30). In one example, connectors (40) are associated with ends of the load bearing member (30) to establish an electrical interface between the controller (42) and the tension members (32). The connectors (40) facilitate establishing electrical circuit loops along the tension members (32) such that only non-adjacent tension members are energized at a selected time. A variety of circuit configurations are disclosed. The applied electrical signal in one example has a potential that is negative compared to a ground potential of a hoistway in which the elevator belt is used. In another example, the electrical signal comprises a plurality of pulses and has a duty cycle that is on the order of about one percent.
US08424649B2
A bearing assembly for lift chain rollers in a multiple lift mast for high-lift fork trucks which mast has a fixed mast, a middle mast, and an inner telescoping mast, each of which has two parallel-distanced mast profiles, wherein at an upper end of each the mast profiles of the middle mast, a lift chain roller is mounted for each of at least one lift chain for lifting the inner mast, wherein the lift chain roller is disposed in front of the inner mast crosswise to a web of the middle mast profile, wherein a separate bearing component for the lift chain roller is placed onto the mast profile or onto a cross-beam joining the tops of the mast profiles from top, and welded thereto.
US08424628B1
A SEGWAY adapted with a mechanism to manually override the rider detection mechanical sensors to allow a golfer to choose to ride or not ride the SEGWAY while playing golf. A handle attachment extends outwardly enabling the golfer to manually steer and thus control the speed and direction of the SEGWAY while not riding the SEGWAY. The golfer can ride, walk, or run as desired in unison with the improved SEGWAY. A wireless controller and steering mechanism allow the golfer to remotely operate and control the speed and direction of the SEGWAY.
US08424615B2
The invention relates to a system for a hand-held machine tool, particularly a pistol-shaped hand-held machine tool, which includes at least one first auxiliary unit, and a coupling mechanism that is used for coupling the first auxiliary unit and the hand-held machine tool. An example of the invention includes a suction unit as the first auxiliary unit for collecting debris from a hand-held drilling tool. The system also provides for at least one additional auxiliary unit to be coupled to the held-held power tool by the coupling mechanism. An example of the invention includes an illuminating element as an additional auxiliary unit which can be coupled to the tool with the coupling mechanism so as to be interchangeable with the first auxiliary unit.
US08424608B1
A system for remediating hydrates has a heat storage box with an interior volume, a heater for heating fluid flowing into the hot fluid inlet of the heat storage box, a heat exchanger positioned in the interior volume of the heat storage box so as to be in heat exchange relationship with heated water from the interior volume of the heat storage box, and a line connected to a heated water outlet of the heat exchanger so as to be manipulated toward a location of the hydrates for the purpose of delivering the heated water toward the hydrates. The heat exchanger is piping extends in a serpentine pattern within an upper portion of the heat storage box. The line can be connected to a hot stab suitable for a manipulation by an ROV.
US08424602B2
A method for producing bitumen or heavy oil from a subterranean reservoir comprising a carbonate mineral solid matrix comprising injection or co-injection of a gas other than carbon dioxide, injection or co-injection of a carbon containing gas containing a relatively low amount of carbon dioxide, injection of steam providing bicarbonate/alkalinity, or increasing the subterranean reservoir pressure, such that the dissolution and re-precipitation of carbonates is suppressed thereby.
US08424596B2
A high efficiency fluid pumping apparatus and methods having of an electronic motor controller controlling at least one electric motor that is directly coupled to the input of a hollow helical mechanism. The output of the hollow helical mechanism is directly coupled to the shaft of a reciprocating piston pump. Each moving component of the apparatus is designed with a hollow central bore, so that the apparatus assembly will accept a continuous, stationary, hollow conduit containing electrical through wiring and or fiber optics for power and communication to devices physically positioned below the apparatus.
US08424590B2
A geothermal sleeve for a building structure keeps air at a moderate temperature by passing through a geothermal heat exchanger (e.g., pipes) located underground. The moderate air is drawn up from the underground pipes and pumped into existing spaces between the interior and exterior walls (or surfaces) of a dwelling. The moderate air fills in the spaces between the interior and exterior walls to create a geothermal sleeve to supplement climate control inside the building structure.
US08424588B2
The present invention provides a casting die that can achieve the improved fluidity of molten metal and the improved ease release of castings from die. The casting die 10 comprises area of dimples D where a plurality of first dimples are formed in semispherical shape on the surface of the cavity 11 with no particular indication of direction and in a dispersed manner and where the ratio of communication is 80% or more, which ratio of communication is defined by the ratio of the number of the first dimples 12 that constitute the bound dimples 12b, which each comprise one or more of the dimples, to the total number of the first dimples 12. So, in the area of dimples D a number of bound dimples 12b that work as short flow-channels that have no particular indication of direction are randomly formed, thus improving the fluidity of the molten metal.
US08424585B2
A method and apparatus for creating a pattern of an item of manufacture, the method and apparatus including the use of a mold frame, mold, mold core, injection frame and injection core to create patterns of items of manufacture for investment casting.
US08424581B2
An air conveyor is positioned on a tabbing machine and includes a housing having an air chamber and a web entry and web exit and air port communicating with the air chamber. An air nozzle assembly is positioned within the air chamber and includes upper and lower nozzle plates that extend across the air chamber and spaced from each other to form a web delivery channel that is aligned with the web entry and web exit. Each of the nozzle plates includes a plurality of air nozzles extending through the nozzle plate and configured to pass pressurized air from the air chamber into the web delivery channel such that a web of material entering the web entry is drawn, for example, by venturi pressure, from the web entry through the web delivery channel and out the web exit.
US08424580B2
In one embodiment, an apparatus is provided for preparing a cassette spool. The apparatus includes: a supply reel for supplying and unrolling tape material on original backing paper; at least one cutting member for cutting unrolled tape material while on original backing paper; a cutting surface defined in a plane; a pivoting path member adapted to move from a first position aligned in the plane to a second position aligned at least partially out of the plane; at least one removing member for removing uncut unrolled tape material from original backing paper; and a cassette spool for rolling up unrolled cut tape material on original backing paper. In further embodiments, methods are provided for preparing a cassette spool with cut tape material on original backing paper.
US08424579B2
A pneumatic tire has an annular bead core, a bead filler, a carcass ply rolled up in such a manner as to pinch the bead core and the bead filler, and a white rubber arranged in an outer side of the carcass ply of the side wall portion. The white rubber has an inner peripheral end positioned in an outer side of the bead filler. The bead filler has a main body rubber portion running into the bead core from a leading end, and a soft rubber portion constructing a part of an outer surface of the bead filler and positioned in an inner side of the inner peripheral end of the white rubber. The soft rubber portion is harder than the white rubber and softer than the main body rubber portion.
US08424568B2
The application relates to a control device comprising a control element that can be rotated on a first functional level, an electronic controller, an electric power supply, and a base for mounting the control device. Said control device is designed to control plumbing appliances comprising a water discharge point and an electronically controlled mixing valve that has a cold water connection and a hot water connection. The flow or the temperature of the water discharged from the water discharge point can be changed by rotating the control element. The control device according to the invention is characterized in that the control element can be moved onto a second functional level by performing a lifting movement, said second functional level extending parallel to and at a distance from the first functional level. Furthermore, the control device comprises a spring element which elastically retains the control element on the first functional level, the control element being movable onto the second functional level against the resistance of the spring element. The temperature or the flow of the water discharged from the water discharge point can be changed by rotating the control element on the second functional level.
US08424567B2
A valve operable to control flow between two adjacent pipe sections and having a system for relieving pressure from an enclosed cavity within the valve. The valve includes a first pressure port, a second pressure port, and a seal. When the valve is closed, the first pressure port is in fluid communication with one pipe section and the second pressure port in fluid communication with the enclosed cavity. The seal isolates the second pressure port from the first pressure port when fluid pressure within the enclosed cavity is less than a pre-selected valve and is displaceable to enable fluid communication between the second pressure port and the first pressure port when fluid pressure in the enclosed cavity is equal to or greater than the pre-selected value.
US08424565B2
A fuel module for a vehicle has a fuel tank opening cover pivotably coupled to a module housing that holds multiple components including a fuel pump, filter, etc. The housing can be advanced lengthwise through the opening of a shallow fuel tank then turned horizontally to rest on the bottom of the tank, with the cover remaining parallel to the opening such that when the housing is in place in the tank the cover blocks the opening.
US08424558B2
A faucet includes a faucet body, a connecting member mounted in the faucet body, a control valve mounted between the faucet body and the connecting member, a plurality of elastic plates each connected between the faucet body and the connecting member, a first connector selectively connected with the connecting member, and a second connector selectively connected with the connecting member. Thus, the connecting member is connected with a water supply line by the first connector or the second connector so that the faucet is available for water supply lines of different types and sizes.
US08424536B2
A volume of a patient can be mapped with a system operable to identify a plurality of locations and save a plurality of locations of a mapping instrument. The mapping instrument can include one or more electrodes that can sense a voltage that can be correlated to a three dimensional location of the electrode at the time of the sensing or measurement. Therefore, a map of a volume can be determined based upon the sensing of the plurality of points without the use of other imaging devices. An implantable medical device can then be navigated relative to the mapping data.
US08424532B2
A drape for use in cranial surgical procedures including a sterile sheet and a plurality of fluid-collection reservoirs surrounding a cranial region fenestration. The drape further can include a thoracic region fenestration for concurrent or directly subsequent thoracic surgical procedures. Advantageously, the drape allows for a superior aseptic surgical field and superior drainage facilitated by a multi-pouch configuration.
US08424524B2
A method and apparatus for providing an average signal characteristic profile derived from signals obtained from different cycles of a cyclically recurring physiological phenomenon. A signal produced from first and second cycles of the physiological phenomenon is sampled at a series of data points to obtain second physiological property values at the data points. The change in the second physiological property values for the first cycle signal between a pair of successive data points and the change in the second physiological property values for the second cycle signal between the same pair of successive data points are determined and averaged. The average change amount is applied to a value of the average signal characteristic profile at one of the pair of successive data points to produce a new second physiological property value for the average signal characteristic profile at the other of the data points of the pair.
US08424514B2
A flow generator for delivering breathable gas to a patient includes a processor coupled with operation sensors and a user interface. The processor is programmed to generate at least one of time-based or event-based messages relating to at least one of flow generator operation, flow generator service, flow generator use, patient health, peripheral devices and services, patient treatment, and reminders. Time-based messages are generated at predetermined time intervals based on either time of use or elapsed time. The event-based messages are generated based on signals from the operation sensors. The user interface is configured to deliver the messages to at least one of a display, a flow generator service provider, the patient and a physician. By this system, operation of the flow generator is facilitated and enhanced.
US08424508B2
A fuel pressure regulating system for an internal combustion engine has a pressure accumulator which is used to store fuel under pressure and to feed the combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine by fuel-supplying injectors, a high-pressure pump which supplies a fuel mass flux to the pressure accumulator, a first valve via which the fuel can be guided out of the pressure accumulator, and a second valve for restricting the fuel mass flux. The system is provided with a first control loop having the first valve as an actuator for regulating the pressure in the pressure accumulator, and a second control loop having the second valve as an actuator for regulating the pressure in the pressure accumulator, and the two control loops are embodied as cascade regulators, the first control loop being a master regulator and the second control loop being a follower regulator.
US08424503B1
An improved hemi engine rocker arm cover assembly having an enclosed, dry upper coil chamber and an open bottom, lower, wet rocker arm chamber that includes special seal and flange members to seal it to the engine head. The fully enclosed upper coil chamber includes a plurality of pairs of staggered coil mounting bosses, one pair per coil, and paired igniter boot apertures, one pair per coil. For performance engines, dual boot coils are mounted on the bosses with the boots extending into the wet chamber for sealingly engaging the igniters. For standard engines, single boot coils are used, and one of each pair of boot apertures is sealed with a special plug.
US08424502B2
The present invention provides an intake manifold that improves the intake performance and has a reduced weight. The intake manifold includes a surge tank and intake pipes. Each intake pipe has an inlet port that is connected to the surge tank. The inlet ports are arranged along a flow direction of air drawn into the surge tank from the opening of the surge tank, and project into the surge tank along direction that intersects the flow direction. Each adjacent pair of the inlet ports are separated only by a single common pipe wall.
US08424492B2
An aquarium including a tank; a stirrer having one end extending upwardly from within the tan and an opposite end rotatably mounted in a bearing at a bottom of the tank; a substrate in the tank; and a sediment drain hole formed in a sidewall or a bottom of the tank.
US08424490B2
An animal litter mixture comprising pine wood and silica gel is provided. The pinewood is preferably a sawdust form, although the pinewood may be in the form of fine shavings or compressed pellets. The silica gel may have one porosity or a mixture of porosity. In one embodiment of the animal litter mixture, the silica gel may be an indicator gel that changes colors when the silica is saturated with water.
US08424489B2
The device comprises a first food-receiving portion provided within an upper side of a main body The first portion comprises independent first food compartments disposed in axisymmetrical positions with reference to a central vertical axis A first cover having at least one access aperture is positioned over the first portion and is supported for free rotation upon actuation by the animal being fed Independent second food-receiving portions, each comprising two second food compartments separated from one another by a transversal wall, are provided adjacent to the first portion Each second portion has a corresponding second cover that is in sliding engagement therewith and freely movable upon actuation by the animal being fed The combination of rotating and sliding covers create stimulating challenges for the animal.
US08424488B2
A system for managing the supply of consumable matter to be consumed by milk producing animals includes a supply arrangement (24, 26, 28, 34, 36, 38) for supplying consumable matter to a feeding trough (14) from which the animal (12) can eat and/or drink, and a control unit (30) which controls the supply of the consumable matter to the feeding trough (14). The system also has an analysis device (40) adapted to analyse the milk from an individual milked animal (12) with regard to at least one property of the milk. The control unit (30) is arranged to receive information from the analysis device (40) and to automatically control the composition of the consumable matter supplied to the feeding trough (14) in dependence on the information received from the analysis device (40).
US08424485B2
The invention aims to provide substrate treatment equipment that can automatically collect a substrate in a normal condition without needing manual operation. The equipment includes a substrate holder 26 for holding substrates 12 in a multistage manner and a substrate transfer unit 34 for transferring the substrates 12 into the substrate holder 26, wherein a substrate holding condition of the substrate holder 26 is sensed by a sensing section 60. The sensing section 60 has photo-sensors 64a, 64b, and sensing waveforms sensed by the photo-sensors 64a, 64b are compared with a normal waveform. A control section 66 is provided, which controls a substrate transfer unit 34 such that substrates 12 other than at least a substrate 12 that was determined to be abnormal are transferred by the unit.
US08424479B1
A universal launch and recovery system that may be used to launch or recover/receive water vessels. The launch and recovery system includes a deployable ramp having adjustable soft end guides and adjustable tire arrangements for guiding and cushioning vessels of different geometries.
US08424476B2
A combination boat and travel trailer system having a main body portion and a bow portion. The bow portion movable between a raised position relative to the main body portion to facilitate towing of the boat and travel trailer and a lowered position to facilitate in-water use as a boat.
US08424475B2
An air ejecting unit is configured to eject air into water from an air ejecting outlet provided in a ship bottom of a ship body. An air recovery device is configured to recover the air into the ship body from first to third air recovery inlets provided in the ship bottom. The first air recovery inlet is provided to cross the center line. The second air recovery inlet is provided to project on a port side from the first air recovery inlet. The third air recovery inlet is provided to project on a starboard side from the first air recovery inlet. The second and third air recovery inlets are arranged on a bow side from the first air recovery inlet. Each of the first to third air recovery inlets includes a plurality of air recovery holes.
US08424471B2
A foldable table includes a tabletop made of U-PVC material with a solid structure, a table reinforcing frame, and two leg frames. The table reinforcing frame is encirclingly mounted at a peripheral edge of the tabletop for forming an edge protector of the tabletop and for evenly distributing and supporting a downward loading force on the tabletop. The two leg frames are foldably supported at the bottom side of the tabletop to fold between an unfolded position and a fold position. Each leg frame includes a folding leg pivotally coupled with the table reinforcing frame and a folding frame pivotally extended from the bottom side of the tabletop to the folding leg. At the unfolded position, the folding leg is pivotally and outwardly folded to downwardly extend from the tabletop. At the folded position, the folding leg is pivotally and inwardly folded to rest under the tabletop.
US08424469B2
A reinforced plastic pallet comprises a twin sheet deck structure and three twin sheet runner structures which are fused to the underside of the deck to create three parallel spaced-apart footprints, the spacing between them forming one set of forklift openings. The deck is fabricated from two thermoformed plastic sheets which are peripherally joined together. The lower sheet is formed with upwardly extending spacer knobs which are fused to the under surface of the top sheet to further join the two sheets together. A frame of reinforcing beams is encapsulated into the interior space of the upper deck. The runner structures are also of twin sheet construction and some of them contain reinforcing rods. The runner structures, although they have flat footprints, are generally “W” shaped to provide two additional forklift openings at 90° from the primary forklift openings between the runner structures.
US08424459B2
An embodiment of the present invention is a rotating structure. An outer ring is placed on a first surface of a trench in a foundation having a ground surface. An inner ring is positioned inside the outer ring on the first surface. A bar assembly is positioned between the outer ring and the inner ring. A plurality of rollers supports the bar assembly. A plurality of motors engages to the bar assembly to cause the bar assembly to rotate when activated.
US08424456B2
A training cartridge projectile for use in either a plastic cartridge case or a conventional metal cartridge case is disclosed that contains no explosive material. The projectile has an insert having a body portion and a front end, a container overmolded onto the body portion of the insert, a frangible ogive fastened to the front end of the tubular insert; and a payload module within the ogive in front of the container carrying a non-explosive signature material for providing a visual indication of projectile impact to an observer upon projectile impact with an object. The module includes a hollow frangible ampoule containing the signature material, and a generally disc shaped base member engaging the insert and closing the ampoule. The base member preferably has a set of axially extending vanes engaging the signature material during spin-up as the projectile is accelerated through the bore of the weapon firing the projectile.
US08424451B2
The invention is related to an apparatus and method for controlling a steam flaking operation. In an embodiment, the invention is a steam flaking system including at least one sensor to measure the flow of material in the steam flaking system, a steam chest, a peg feeder, disposed at the bottom of the steam chest, and an automatic control unit, wherein the automatic control unit receives data from the at least one sensor and controls the peg feeder. In an embodiment, the invention is a steam flaking system including a steam chest, at least one sensor to measure the flow of material in the steam chest, a peg feeder, and an automatic control unit, wherein the automatic control unit receives data from the at least one sensor and controls the peg feeder. In an embodiment, the invention is a method for automatically controlling the residence time of a product in a steam chest including the steps of calculating a residence time (Tr) of a product, calculating a desired peg feeder RPM based on a calibration curve relating RPM and residence time, and adjusting the RPM of the peg feeder to the desired amount.
US08424442B2
An armor component includes a plurality of tiles disposed on a rigid support. At least one spacer is disposed between the adjacent edges of the tiles to establish a minimum gap between the adjacent edges. The gap is filled with a gap filling material, which optionally includes a reinforcement additive. The spacers can be in the form of a spacer tray having a plurality of spacer segments and a plurality of tile cut-outs, with the tile cut-outs separated from adjacent tile cut-outs by a spacer segment, and tiles disposed one to each tile cut-out in the spacer tray. The armor component is in some embodiments placed between two fabric layers and fed into a pultruder, where it is impregnated with resin and heated to cure the resin to form a laminate armor.
US08424433B2
A cutting tool has a table for placing a workpiece thereon. A cutting unit is mounted to the table. A support leg device includes a support leg, an operation member and a motion conversion mechanism. The motion conversion mechanism is coupled between the support leg and the operation member, so that the movement of the operation member is converted into the movement of the support leg.
US08424431B1
A spring is utilized to exert variable tensional forces on a toweling support drum of a paper toweling dispenser. The spring is connected between a drum and a sliding spring mount which enables a long toweling tail to be presented externally of the dispenser.
US08424429B1
A saw includes a surface defining an opening therein, a plate structure configured to be attached to the saw below the surface, and an arm attached to the plate structure about a first shaft. A blade is configured to be engaged with the arm at a location spaced from the first shaft. The blade extends through the opening when the saw is in a normal operating position. The saw includes a firing mechanism including a barrel end portion having a bore defined therein and an extendable piston at least partially positioned within the bore. The barrel end portion is attached to the plate structure. The extendable piston engages the arm during its extension and causes the arm to pivot about the first shaft when the firing mechanism is activated by an activation signal. The pivoting of the arm causes the blade to be moved downwardly below the surface.
US08424428B2
The invention concerns a tool head with a housing (11), in which at least one thrusting wedge (31, 32, 33) is provided, able to move back and forth in the longitudinal direction (L) in a first toothed guide, which is coordinated with a support (21, 22, 23) in the housing (11), able to move in a second toothed guide in a transverse direction (R1, R2, R3) transversely to the longitudinal direction (L), and the thrusting wedge (31, 32, 33) and the coordinated support (21, 22, 23) are in sliding contact with each other via a slanted contact surface (51, 52, 53) and a movement of the thrusting wedge (31, 32, 33) in the longitudinal direction (L) brings about a transverse movement of the coordinated support (21, 22, 23) via the slanted contact surface (51, 52, 53) and a cutting tool (161, 162, 163) can be fastened on the support (21, 22, 23) and the support (21, 22, 23) has a support arm (101, 102, 103) extending in the transverse direction (R1, R2, R3).
US08424425B2
A locking system for a multitool where multiple discrete lock members are attached to a handle and the lock members can be individually engaged to lock and unlock tool members from a retained to an extended position and vice versa within the handle of a multitool.
US08424417B1
A gripper having a pair of straps for safely opening a narrow cylindrical article, by wrapping a closure on a narrow cylindrical article with a first strap and wrapping the narrow cylindrical article with a second strap, grasping each and rotating each in opposing directions, releasing the friction holding the closure on the article. The gripper is made from a sterilizable elastomeric material for use in a medical setting such as a hospital or a laboratory. The pair of identical straps are connected by a band attached to a middle portion on each strap. The gripper opens a connector on a central venous catheter (CVC) lumen, a pair of clasps on CVC stabilization device, a connector on a urine collection bag to a Foley catheter, and a cap on a laboratory sample vial as non-limiting examples.
US08424416B2
An apparatus is provided and includes a rotatable shaft on which a first bevel gearbox is disposed, a layshaft on which a second bevel gearbox is disposed, the first and second bevel gearboxes being coupled to transmit shaft rotation to the layshaft, an accessory gearbox to which the layshaft and one or more accessories are coupled and a generator operably disposed on the layshaft between the second bevel gearbox and the accessory gearbox.
US08424415B2
A hybrid transmission includes a transmission housing and a motor/generator stator configured to be attached to the transmission housing. A clutch housing is configured to be attached to the motor/generator stator, such that the clutch housing is not directly attached to the transmission housing but is statically fixed. An axis of rotation defines a coordinate system having axial, radial, and clocking rotations. A first piloting feature may be formed on the clutch housing and a second piloting feature on the transmission housing. The first and second piloting features cooperate to axially and radially orient, but not attach, the clutch housing relative to the transmission housing. Third and fourth piloting features cooperate to orient the clocking rotation of the clutch housing. Stator bolts may permanently locate and attach the motor/generator stator to the transmission housing, and clutch bolts permanently locate and attach the clutch housing to the motor/generator stator.
US08424414B2
The integrated control device (1) for driving the control cable (20) of the derailleur and the brake cable (16) of a bicycle is provided. The device having a support body (4) connectable to the handlebar (2) and that can be gripped by the cyclist's hand, a cable-winding bush (19) about which the control cable (20) of the derailleur is wound/unwound and a first lever (9) rotatable with respect to the support body (4) about a first axis (X1) for actuating the brake cable (16) and rotatable about a second axis (X2) to drive the cable-winding bush (19) into rotation in a first direction of rotation (R2). An indexing mechanism (12) connected to the first lever (9) cooperates with the cable-winding bush (19) to define predetermined angular positions therefor. The support body (4) having a recess (25) for the passage of the control cable (20) of the derailleur.
US08424411B2
A parallel robot includes a base, a movable platform, an actuator, and four control arms. The actuator is positioned on the movable platform. The control arms are interconnected between the base and the movable platform. Each control arm includes a driving member connected to the base, an action pole driven by the driving member, and a four-rod linkage assembly interconnected between the action pole and the movable platform. One end of the four-rod linkage assembly is connected to the action pole via a first rotary joint, and the other end of the four-rod linkage assembly is connected to the movable platform via a second rotary joint. An axis of the first rotary joint is substantially parallel to an axis of the second rotary joint.
US08424408B2
The invention relates to the gearing of a gearwheel having a plurality of teeth. The gearwheel has a useful area and a base area of the particular tooth flank form. Viewed in normal section, the tooth base area extends from a base circle up to a useful circle. The tooth flanks of adjacent teeth in normal section are each implemented as symmetrical to one another, the axis of symmetry intersecting the base circle in the base point. According to the invention, the tooth flanks are implemented in the tooth base area as a tangent function from a relevant diameter. The tangent function merges at the relevant diameter in a constant tangent into the tooth flank form of the useful area. The tangent function merges in the tooth base area in a constant tangent into an orbit, which is tangentially applied in the base point to the base circle. Significant increases of the tooth base strength may thus be achieved.
US08424406B2
An actuator is described with a prestressed reduction gear, which acts via a drive organ, particularly in the form of a drive segment, of a linear drive or a drive spindle upon an actuator for regulating a gas or fluid flow, particularly in the fields of heating ventilation, air-conditioning and fire and smoke protection. Actuating movement is limited by end stops. At least one inner end stop on the housing side limits the rotational freedom of an end wheel, which is in a positive fit with the drive organ, up to more than a full rotation. In a prestressed reduction gear, a switching device g can comprise two spur gears which have identical diameter and can be driven in the opposite direction for changing the M direction of movement of the drive organ, each of which have a pinion which can be displaced in the axial direction. The pinions are in each axial position in a positive fit with the drive organ. One of the two pinions, respectively, can be locked in a torque fixed manner with one of the two pinions having the same diameter.
US08424405B2
A mainshaft assembly for a gearbox includes a mainshaft (44) and drive gears (31, 36) carried for rotation about the mainshaft. First and second hubs (50, 50′) are associated with respective drive gears, each hub being operable to selectively couple or uncouple with the drive gear causing it to rotate with the hub or with respect to the hub. A drive connection mechanism (42, 64, 66) associated with each hub selectively connects the hub to the mainshaft. Upon connection of the hubs to the drive gears, the drive connection operates to connect one or other of the hubs to the mainshaft when torque is applied to the mainshaft in a first direction or an opposite direction. This enables a gear ratio to be selected by reversing the torque being handled by the gearbox.
US08424382B2
A microelectromechanical sensor and operating method therefor. The sensor has at least one movable electrode. An electrode arrangement is spaced apart from the movable electrode with a plurality of electrodes that can be driven separately and to which corresponding electrode signals can be applied that can be used to electrostatically set/change the application of force, the spring constant and the read-out factor of the movable electrode. An electrode signal generation unit is connected to the electrode arrangement and can be supplied with a force application signal, a spring constant signal and a read-out factor signal, which define the settings/changes to be brought about with regard to the application of force, spring constant and read-out factor of the movable electrode. The electrode signal generation unit generates each electrode signal in a manner dependent on the force application signal, the spring constant signal and the read-out factor signal and matches the electrode signals to one another so that the application of force, the spring constant and the read-out factor of the movable electrode can be set/changed to specific desired values independently of one another.
US08424381B1
A device (15) for measuring the level of a fluid (24) in a container (17) comprising a frame assembly having a first arm (18) and a second arm (19), the first and second arms configured to move from a first folded position (20) to a second expanded position (21), a probe element (22) supported between the first arm and the second arm, the probe element having a sensing portion (34, 35) between the arms when the arms are in the second expanded position, the sensing portion configured to have a length (25) in contact with the fluid, an electrical circuit (26, 29) connected to the probe element, the probe element and the circuit forming a capacitor having a capacitance which is a function of the length of the probe that is in contact with the fluid, and the circuit configured to produce an output signal as a function of the capacitance.
US08424376B2
A container includes a chamber for containing fluid. At least one sensor is disposed within the chamber for sensing a property of fluid in the container. A unit that receives a signal from the sensor communicates with a device that displays the property of the fluid in the container. The container may include first and second chambers. A first sensor is disposed within the first chamber. The first sensor is in contact with fluid in the first chamber. The first sensor senses a volume of fluid in the first chamber. A second sensor is disposed within the second chamber. The second sensor is in contact with fluid in the second chamber. The second sensor senses a volume of fluid in the second chamber. A diverter may direct fluid from an inlet to a bottom portion of the chamber and prevents the fluid from contacting the sensor. A releasable device may prevent fluid from flowing from the first chamber to the second chamber. The releasable device permits fluid to flow from the first chamber into the second chamber upon release of the releasable device. An element of the sensor may have a first portion with an electrical resistance per unit length greater than an electrical resistance per unit length of a second portion of the element. A shunt resistor extending between lower portions of first and second elements of the sensor may have a resistance equal to approximately 0.08 times a resistance of the sensor when the chamber is empty.
US08424375B2
A method for operating a sensor on or in a vehicle tire, in particular an acceleration sensor and in particular for detecting a tire rotation period and/or a tire contact period is provided, the sensor being operated in a first time interval of a tire rotation using a first query rate and in a second time interval of the tire rotation using a second query rate.
US08424364B2
An active scanner bow compensator for use with a scanner is described. The scanner includes a moveable scanning platform supported within a frame. The active scanner bow compensator supports the scanner and includes a frame of reference, sensors, and an actuator. The sensors detect out-of-plane motion of the scanning platform relative to the frame of reference, and the actuators compensate for the out-of-plane motion by adjusting the orientation of the frame relative to the frame of reference. The active scanner bow compensator may be used in atomic force microscopy applications.
US08424356B2
A deep drawing apparatus is provided in which a sheet material is subjected to optimal heating and cooling, whereby the limiting draw ratio is increased and a product can be worked more deeply, and uniformity of the sheet thickness of the product can be controlled. This apparatus includes: a punch 2 for subjecting a sheet material 9 to deep drawing; a die 3, used along with the punch, for forming the sheet material and subject the same to deep drawing; an anti-wrinkling component 4 for preventing wrinkling around the periphery of the forming portion in the sheet material; an induction heating coil 5 for directly heating the sheet material at a portion supported by the anti-wrinkling component; a heating controller 6 for controlling the amount of heating of the sheet material by the induction heating coil; and cooling means 21 to 23 for cooling the sheet material at the portion formed by the punch.
US08424351B2
A system for monitoring clinched joints performed by an apparatus that moves a punch relative to a die. The system determines acceptability of a clinched joint by correlating the amount of punch advancement toward the die in the formation of the joint and the diameter of a button formed by the joint.
US08424349B2
A recodeable lock includes a housing, a cylinder plug, a plurality of wafer tumblers, and a sidebar coupled with the cylinder plug. The sidebar is assembled with a plurality of code blocks and a codebar releasably securing the code blocks to the sidebar. A liftbar is disposed in the housing radially outward of the cylinder plug and is configured to selectively engage a radially outward extending appendage of the codebar when the cylinder plug and sidebar are rotated to a recoding orientation, to release the code blocks from the sidebar. The housing includes a circumferential track axially positioned to receive the appendage of the codebar to permit greater than 180 degree rotation of the cylinder plug and sidebar with respect to the housing.
US08424348B2
An actuation device for a steering lock is operable to selectively lock a rotary steering member against rotation. A lockbolt is movable along a first axis between a steering member-locking position and a steering member-unlocking position. A shuttle is movable between a non-blocking position in which the shuttle does not obstruct movement of the lockbolt from the steering member-locking position to the steering member-unlocking position and a blocking position in which the shuttle obstructs movement of the lockbolt from the steering member-locking position to the steering member-unlocking position. An actuator is coupled to the shuttle and operable to move the shuttle from at least one of the non-blocking position and the blocking position to the other of the non-blocking position and the blocking position. The actuator has an output defining a second axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first axis.
US08424342B2
A method for melting inorganic materials, preferably glasses and glass-ceramics, in a melting unit with cooled walls is provided. The method includes selecting the temperature of at least one region of the melt is selected in such a way as to be in a range from Teff−20% to Teff+20%, where the temperature Teff is given by the temperature at which the energy consumption per unit weight of the material to be melted is at a minimum, with the throughput having been selected in such a way as to be suitably adapted to the required residence time.
US08424339B2
A motor coolant method and system is used to cool a compressor motor (36) in a refrigeration system having a multi-stage compressor (38). The compressor includes a first compressor stage (42) and a second compressor stage (44), the first compressor stage providing compressed refrigerant to an input of the second compressor stage. The motor coolant system has a first connection with the refrigerant loop to receive refrigerant into the motor cavity for cooling, the received refrigerant provided from a system component having a high pressure, and a second connection with the refrigerant loop to return refrigerant to an intermediate pressure greater than an evaporator operating pressure. The pressure inside the motor cavity may be approximately the pressure within the first stage discharge and second stage suction to minimized seal leakage between the motor cavity and the internal pressures of the first and second stage compressors.
US08424330B2
A method and apparatus for temporarily refrigerating perishable items contained in a refrigerated truck or trailer whose refrigeration unit is not functioning properly or at all. The apparatus comprises a portable, auxiliary refrigeration unit adapted to be transported to the refrigerated truck or trailer and includes a sealing element configured and adapted for placement in or adjacent a door opening of the refrigerated truck or trailer to provide at least a partial seal thereat. A chilled air duct is provided for delivering chilled air through/across the sealing element to the perishable items inside the refrigerated truck or trailer and the portable, auxiliary refrigeration unit is operable to deliver chilled air through the chilled air duct and into the interior of the refrigerated truck or trailer.
US08424329B2
The invention is an apparatus and method of creating and preserving an outdoor frozen surface by covering a defined outdoor ground surface with a layer of white base paper after clearing debris, litter, and other objects from the defined surface which may present a hazardous condition on an ice surface. The layer of white base paper is saturated with water at near freezing or under freezing conditions to allow the water to freeze and hold the white base paper to the defined outdoor ground surface. Thereafter, water is continuously dispensed under freezing conditions to build up a predefined thickness ice layer on the defined outdoor ground surface.
US08424328B2
A refrigerant system is provided with a suction pulse width modulation valve, and a pulse width modulation control for controlling this valve. System pressures, such as the pressure on the evaporator and the condenser are monitored. The measured system pressures are maintained within a band of acceptable lower and upper limits. As the pulse width modulation control cycles the valve, the refrigerant pressures in the evaporator and the condenser tend to fluctuate. The control ensures those fluctuations are within the limits by controlling the duty cycle of the valve.
US08424327B2
A compressor includes a casing accommodating a refrigerant passageway, a compression mechanism and a pipe. The compression mechanism is disposed in the interior of the casing to discharge compressed refrigerant into the refrigerant passageway. The pipe extends from inside of the casing to outside of the casing. The pipe includes two ends. One end is a closed end disposed in a predetermined position inside the refrigerant passageway. The other end of the pipe is an opened end disposed outside the casing. The pipe is preferably sized so that a measuring instrument can be inserted into the pipe through the opened end.
US08424325B2
Disclosed is an air conditioner includes a cabinet that is configured to mount on an indoor ceiling. The air conditioner also include a front panel that is coupled to the cabinet and having an air inlet and outlet. The air conditioner further include a suction panel that is coupled to the front panel and configured to move between an open positione in which air is able to circulate through the air conditioner and a closed position in which air is blocked from circulating through the air conditioner. The air conditioner further include a sensor unit that is mounted on the suction panel, that is configured to move together with the suction panel and that is configured to detect a position of a person in the indoor place. In addition, the air conditioner also include a controller adjusting a direction of air flow from the outlet based on the deteded position of the person.
US08424322B2
An air conditioner that can present information on a predicted value of stored energy usage per unit time, a predicted value of the electricity charge per unit time, and a predicted value of the amount of CO2 emission per unit time, at the start of operation. The air conditioner includes a predicted electricity efficiency speculating unit that speculates on electricity efficiency, which is stored energy usage per unit time predicted from a set parameter set by the user at the present time, based on a stored value of the recent stored energy usage storing unit, a calculated result of the actual usage electricity efficiency calculating unit, and a compared result of the setting comparing unit, a predicted electricity efficiency calculating unit that calculates an electricity charge per unit time or a predicted amount of CO2 emission efficiency calculating unit that calculates an amount of CO2 emission per unit time, and a displaying unit that displays the calculated information stored energy usage at the start of air conditioner operation.
US08424300B1
Sea Electrical Energy Production (SEEP”) unit (12) is disclosed for using the rise and fall of ocean waves to drive a hydraulic pump (18) which draws water through a turbine (14) to drive an electric generator (16). The crests and troughs of the ocean waves drive the hydraulic pump (18) which both draws suction on and pressurizes a reservoir (50) that receives water discharged from the turbine (14). A suction stroke of the hydraulic pump (18) draws water from the ocean through the turbine (14), through a first one-way valve (54) and into a pressure reservoir (50). A pressure stroke of the hydraulic pump (18) pushes water from the pressure reservoir (50), through the second one-way valve (56) and back into the sea. The turbine (14) is preferably directly connected to the electric generator (16) by gears to increases the rate of rotation of applied to the electric generator (16) when low pressure heads are applied across the turbine (12).
US08424294B2
Procedure for regenerating an exhaust gas after treatment system, especially a particle filter, of a combustion engine that is arranged in a motor vehicle, with regeneration cycles that are controlled by a control unit, whereby the control unit is provided with information data regarding the route and whereby the regeneration cycles are controlled with regard to the information data, is thereby characterized, in that the information data that regards the route contains driver specific information data.
US08424293B2
A method of regenerating a diesel particulate filter (DPF) may include operating a vehicle including a diesel engine at an idle condition and applying a load to the diesel engine during the idle condition to increase an exhaust temperature of the diesel engine relative to a nominal idle condition. The increased exhaust temperature may regenerate a diesel particulate filter of the diesel engine during the idle condition.
US08424291B2
The present invention relates to a flame glow plug having a combustion chamber which has an outlet opening for the flame, a fuel supply, in particular a blockable fuel supply, for the provision of a fuel flow to the combustion chamber, an air supply for the provision of an air flow to the combustion chamber and an ignition device, in particular an electrically operated heating element, which is arranged in the combustion chamber or which extends into the combustion chamber and which is made to ignite the air/fuel mixture arising from the provided fuel flow and the provided air flow. The air supply is made controllable in quantity to selectively operate the flame glow plug as a torch or as a secondary fuel injection apparatus. The invention furthermore relates to a regeneration apparatus for a particulate filter of an exhaust gas system, to an exhaust gas system for a combustion engine as well as to a method for the operation of a regeneration apparatus.
US08424284B2
Devices and methods for moving a working fluid through a controlled thermodynamic cycle in a positive displacement fluid-handling device (20, 20′, 20″) with minimal energy input include continuously varying the relative compression and expansion ratios of the working fluid in respective compressor and expander sections without diminishing volumetric efficiency. In one embodiment, a rotating valve plate arrangement (40, 42, 44, 46) is provided with moveable apertures or windows (48, 50, 56, 58) for conducting the passage of the working fluid in a manner which enables on-the-fly management of the thermodynamic efficiency of the device (20) under varying conditions in order to maximize the amount of mechanical work needed to move the target quantity of heat absorbed and released by the working fluid. When operated in refrigeration modes, the work required to move the heat is minimized. In power modes, the work extracted for the given input heat is maximized.
US08424276B2
A product multi-pack is provided with a plurality of elongate product containers. The containers each include a bottom, an open top that is closed by a cap and a wall extending there between. The wall includes a label having a front portion extending about a limited section of the wall circumference. A carton is provided that is sized to display the plurality of product containers. A locator web is provided that is formed of a thin sheet of plastic having a plurality of spaced apart apertures. The apertures are sized to be at least partially elastically deformed when installed over the caps of the product containers. Additionally, the locator web provides frictional resistance to rotation of the product containers, which enables the containers to be positioned and held in place relative to the carton open face so that the label front portions are visible.
US08424274B2
A packaging apparatus and method for depositing pills into a series of containers is provided. A cylindrical rotary slat is rotatable about a first axis and comprises radially inward and outward portions, the radially outward portion defining pill apertures for receiving pills therein at a first angular position. A negative pressure system is configured to apply a negative pressure to the pill apertures to retain the pills therein. An ejection device is in communication with the pill apertures at a second angular position of the rotary slat to eject the respective pills outwardly from the pill apertures. A collection mechanism is disposed adjacent to the radially outward portion about the second angular position, and is configured to collect the pills ejected from the pill apertures and to direct the pills toward the series of containers for deposition therein.
US08424270B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus for printing pattern or indicia onto a gelatin ribbon. It comprises a transfer station with a print roll and a motor-driven casting roll provided for forming a gelatin ribbon. The transfer station is positioned in relation to the casting roll in such a way that the gelatin ribbon is sandwiched between the casting roll and the transfer station; elastic tackiness of a passing gelatin ribbon causes the rotation of the print roll. The apparatus further comprises an adjustment means, wherein the adjustment means are adapted to provide finely-tuned positioning of the transfer station in relation to the casting drum, and balance pressure exerted by the transfer station on the passing gelatin ribbon thus facilitating on optimal printing result.
US08424266B2
A metal building stud having two supplemental flanges extending from at least one slot in the stud web yielding a stud with increased strength, both in compression (longitudinally) and in shear (transverse). The slotted stud also includes a plurality of indents that also enhance the stud strength both in compression and in shear. The slotted web further presents a reduced web area through which heat or sound may be conducted and slots in which insulation is received, both increasing resistance to heat and sound transfer. Slots and supplemental flanges may also be provided in the stud primary flanges. The primary flanges may include a fold back portion under a line of flexure presenting two layers through which an attaching screw must pass under that line of flexure that retains the screw in the primary flanges.
US08424257B2
A modular tile configured to interlock with multiple tiles to form a modular floor covering over a floor. The tile includes a top surface having a periphery defining side walls extending downward from the top surface, the side walls having a coupling portion configured to couple with other tiles adjacent thereto to form the modular floor covering. The tile also includes a bottom side, opposite the top surface, having a support grid including an array of downward extending polymeric post structures, at least some of the post structures including at least one resilient end portion with a radial end surface configured to be positioned against the floor to facilitate controlled deflection of the post structures. The post structures may comprise primary and secondary post structures, with the secondary post structures limiting the deflection of the primary post structures.
US08424256B2
A roof integrated photovoltaic roofing panel and flashing system that allows photovoltaic roof panels to be installed into standard asphalt roofing. Without re-engineering rafters for extra roof loads. Providing all structural strengths, fire prevention and weather proofing required by building codes. The panels are easily removed for maintaining PV system. The PV roof panel is a structural roof panel.
US08424252B2
A buckling restrained brace includes an axial member and a restraining unit. The axial member extends along an axial direction, and has two coupling sections for connecting respectively to two connecting plates of a framework of a building, and a middle section connected between the coupling sections. Each coupling section has a supplying plate portion coplanar with an elongated plate body of the middle section, and a contacting plate portion extending perpendicularly from the supporting plate portion. An outer end of the supplying plate portion of each coupling section has a groove formed therethrough along a transverse direction of the axial member, extending along the axial direction, and permitting a respective one of the connecting plates to engage fittingly therewith and contact the corresponding contacting plate portion.
US08424235B1
Methods and devices for recharging glow-in-the-dark fishing lures. Devices can include an internal cavity, an external opening into the cavity and a light source projecting into the cavity. Some cavities have an opaque, reflective wall and a light source projecting directly into the cavity. Other cavities have a translucent cavity wall and a light source shining in from outside of the cavity, through the cavity wall, and into the cavity. The light may be activated using a manual switch or an automatic switch which triggers upon detecting the passage of a lure into the cavity or the presence of a lure within the cavity. One such lure detector includes a weight sensitive electrical switch. Devices may resemble hand held mugs with handles or may be flange mounted into through-holes in boats decks.
US08424211B2
A pivoting hand tool is provided including handle structures which control the relative angular position of pivotable arms to allow disassembly and reassembly and to prevent accidental disassembly during use. Handle structures includes an elastic interference portion which provides a first interference between the first arm and second arm at the predetermined angle to prevent angular displacement of the arms from exceeding a first predetermined angle until a disassembly pivoting force is applied to the first arm and the second arm.
US08424210B2
A shaving apparatus and method of shaving incorporate a novel, segmented, shaving head comprising multiple razors. In addition, embodiments of the shaving apparatus include an applicator head which provides lubrication and/or hydration while shaving.
US08424189B2
A method for assembling rotors which is applicable to a large axial gap type permanent magnet rotating machine. A permanent magnet rotating machine comprising: a rotating shaft; at least two rotors comprising a table-like structure and permanent magnets attached thereto, the table-like structures being connected to the rotating shaft and being disposed in an axial direction of the rotating shaft; and a stator comprising a table-like structure and stator coils around which a copper wire is wound, said stator being disposed in a gap formed by the rotors so that the stator being separated from the rotating shaft, is manufactured by the following steps of assembling the two rotors such that a predetermined gap is formed therebetween; and mounting the magnets on the table-like structures by inserting the magnet from the radially outer side of the table-like structures towards the center of the rotation.
US08424188B2
Method of manufacturing an end ring over pre-formed conductor bars of a rotor for an electric device
A method of manufacturing a rotor assembly includes positioning a laminated stack of electric steel sheets with a plurality of conductor bars positioned within longitudinal grooves defined by the laminated stack in a mold, and casting an end ring in place over ends of the conductor bars. In order to cast the end ring in place, heated liquid aluminum is injected into a cavity defining the end ring, and circulated within the cavity and around the ends of the conductor bars to create relative movement between the liquid aluminum and the ends of the conductor bars to heat the conductor bars and flush oxides away from an outer surface of the conductor bars.
US08424176B2
The present invention relates to methods of making and using tunable capacitors and devices. Using the methods described, one or more secondary tunable capacitors can be connected to a primary capacitor by printing a connector conducting layer or feature to obtain a desired net capacitance. Digitally printing the connector conducting layer allows the number of secondary capacitors connected into the circuit to be determined during the integrated circuit fabrication process, without the need for individual masks connecting the appropriate number of secondary capacitors. This provides an in-process or post-process trimming method to obtain the desired precision and accuracy for capacitors. Various sizes and combinations of secondary capacitors can be connected to obtain high precision capacitors and/or improved matching of capacitance values.
US08424175B2
A process for fabricating a piezoactuated storage device having a tip array and a memory media, which includes but is not limited to: etching the regions on the surface of the silicon wafer to produce substantially pyramidal etch pits by anisotropic etching or chemical etching with potassium hydroxide (KOH); growing an oxide layer on a top surface of the silicon wafer and in the substantially pyramidal etch pits to produce oxidation sharpening of the substantially pyramidal etch pits; forming an array of conductive tips of a nanocarbon film of nanostructured carbon material by deposition, wherein the nanostructured carbon material is ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD), ta-C, or diamond-like carbon films; and forming an oxygen diffusion barrier layer by deposition of a TiAl, TaAl, or any other oxygen diffusion barrier layer material on the nanocarbon film.
US08424172B2
A touch fastener has a base and an array of discrete fastener elements each extending from the base and together forming with the base a contiguous mass of resin. Each discrete fastener element includes a stem rising from the base, and a head overhanging the base from a front side of the stem to a distal edge, the front side of the stem, an underside of the head, and an upper surface of the base together forming, in side profile, a generally curved retention space boundary surface such that the boundary surface forms, at its innermost extent, a retention cavity defined between curvature discontinuities spaced from both the base and the distal edge.
US08424170B2
A plastic hinged trim clip is described. The trim clip may secure two or more components together. The trim clip may include a body and a locking feature. The body may include a first end and a second end located on either side of a fold area. The locking feature may include a first hook located on the first end, and a second hook and first opening located on the second end. The first hook may engage with the second hook and the first opening. The locking feature may engage around one of the components. Each end may include an insertion portion to engage with another component. The locking feature may also include a third hook and a second opening that may engage with one another. The locking feature may increase the ratio of insertion to retention within the components to be greater than 1:2 or 1:3.
US08424169B2
A cord lock assembly is configured to selectively tighten and loosen a draw cord of an article. The cord lock assembly may include a shell, a piston and a spring member. The shell defines an interior chamber and includes aligned shell cord passages. The piston is slidably retained within the interior chamber. The piston includes a piston cord passage formed therethrough. The spring member exerts a force into the piston within the shell so that the piston cord passage is misaligned with respect to the shell cord passages in a locked position. A cord may be operatively secured to the piston and may be configured to be pulled to move the piston to align the piston cord passage with the shell cord passages in an unlocked position so that a draw cord may freely pass therethrough.
US08424164B2
A flexible molded grip for an implement handle having a pattern on the surface of portions raised above adjacent areas, with the surfaces of the raised portions textured. The raised textured portions may extend in the range of about 0.5 mm to 2 mm above the intermediate smooth portions. The area of each of the raised portions may be in the range of about 100-200 percent (%) of the area of the intermediate spaces. The pattern of raised portions may include patterns such as polygonal, circular, oval and elliptical patterns. The method includes forming raised portions in a mold and forming textured surfaces on the raised portions after removal from the mold.
US08424161B2
A furniture hinge includes a fitting part and a hinge cup that is pivotably connected thereto by way of at least one articulated lever. The articulated lever is connected to the hinge cup by way of an articulated axis (A). A cushioning apparatus can be actuated by an actuating element and is provided to cushion a relative movement between the fitting part and the hinge cup. The actuating element is mounted inside the hinge cup rotatably about a rotational axis (S) extending substantially parallel to the articulated axis (A) of the hinge cup, and the cushioning apparatus includes at least one linear cushioning member having at least one linearly displaceable plunger. A transmission mechanism converts a rotary movement of the actuating element into a linear movement of the plunger of the linear cushioning member.
US08424159B2
A door retaining device having a housing and a retaining rod which traverses it, the device including a brake housed in the housing having a brake body stressed by a corresponding compression spring towards the retaining rod. The housing is formed by several parts assembled to one another, including a guide body molded in plastic for guiding the rod, provided with a through hole which is traversed by the rod and with at least one side hole in communication with the through hole; and a receptacle, detachably plugged to the side hole of the guide body, which houses and guides the movement of the brake body towards the retaining rod through the side hole, and in which the compression spring is supported to exert its thrusting action on the brake body.
US08424157B2
A tool for a surface treating appliance includes a main body connected to a conduit. The main body includes a first suction channel and a second suction channel in fluid communication with the first suction channel and located between the first suction channel and an outlet from the main body. In use, a relatively low vacuum is generated in the first suction channel which draws a first dirt-bearing fluid flow into the main body, and a relatively high vacuum is generated in the second suction channel, which draws a second dirt-bearing fluid flow into the main body and receives the first dirt-bearing fluid flow from the first suction channel. To maintain the pressure differences between the suction channels, the main body includes flexible surface engaging members located about the suction channels, and between the first suction channel and the second suction channel.
US08424144B2
A toothbrush can include a handle and a head. At least one bristle can be attached to the head. The toothbrush can also have an illumination member, an illumination circuit and an activation device. The activation device can include two contact members fixed in a non-contact position on an outside of the handle. A method can include causing conduction between the contact members to activate the illumination circuit. The toothbrush can be an electric toothbrush. The electric toothbrush can have an illumination member positioned such that light from the illumination member can be seen by a user in a mirror facing the user.
US08424136B2
A mobile treatment table having a central support operably connected with a wheel assembly. A support member is pivotally connected with the central support and operable between a vertical position and a horizontal position. At least one support leg is disposed at a distal end of the support member and operable between a deployed position substantially orthogonal to the support member and a non-deployed position substantially parallel with the support member. A handle extends from a proximal end of the support member and forms a portion of the support member when the support member is in the horizontal position.
US08424135B2
An adjustable bed system includes first and second end boards. A first height adjustment mechanism is secured to the first end board via a first mounting member and a second height adjustment mechanism is secured to the second end board via a second mounting member. The second height adjustment mechanism is independent of the first height adjustment mechanism. An external housing member is engagable with one of the first and second mounting members. A transition box is operatively engagable with one of the first and second height adjustment mechanisms. The transition box is positioned within the external housing such that the transition box is substantially inhibited from rotation during height adjustment of the bed system. A drive shaft interconnects the transition box, at a first end thereof, and the other of the first and second height adjustment mechanisms, at a second end thereof.
US08424129B2
A bath spout cover is provided that includes a body structure having an upper portion, two opposing side portions, and a front portion; a receiving area defined between the upper portion, the two opposing side portions, and the front portion; a strap spanning the two opposing side portions, said strap being adjustable on at least one of the side portions of the body structure; and at least one aperture defined by one of the side portions of the body structure, said aperture for receiving an end of the strap. Further provided are methods for securing a bath spout cover to a bath spout.
US08424128B2
A drawer is disclosed which is installed in a cabinet structure containing plumbing comprising water lines and a waste line. The drawer comprises a sink which is disposed in the drawer proximate the top of the drawer near one side of the drawer and the sink comprises a fold-down faucet, valves and a drain. The drawer also comprises a plumbing mount plate for connection to the water and a waste line in the cabinet structure. Flexible tubing connects the valves and drain of the sink to the plumbing mount plate.
US08424125B2
A urinal attachment for a toilet bowl has a flow diverter with a receptacle bowl at a top end of the flow diverter. The receptacle bowl leads to a receptacle neck which leads to a receptacle elbow which leads to a first vertical tube in telescopic connection with a second vertical tube. The second vertical tube leads to an outlet. A bowl connector portion includes a front shield bracket connecting the flow diverter to a rim of the toilet bowl. The bracket includes a rim connector having a vertical rim member, a horizontal rim member and a rim scoop. The rim scoop has a select convex shape and a front shield with a bottom rim. The front shield has a convex shape.
US08424119B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to body gear having designed performance characteristics, and in particular to methods and apparatuses that utilize an array of heat managing elements coupled to a base material to direct body heat while also maintaining the desired transfer properties of the base material. In some embodiments, the heat managing material elements include heat management elements that reflect heat or conduct heat, and may be directed towards the body of a user or away from the body of the user.
US08424115B2
A bending yielding feature for use along an edge of any flexible wristband design provides a cushioning effect to a wearer's wrist or ankle as the wristband is worn, thereby helping to prevent injury to the wearer's wrist or ankle as he flexes his wrist or ankle against the wristband. The bending yielding feature can include many edge designs such as a scalloped edge, a curved edge, an edge with a series of extending flaps, and other such shapes.
US08424112B2
This invention concerns improved protective rib and lower back pads (2) for protecting an individual wearing the protective rib and lower back pads (2) against impact to the ribs and/or lower back region of the human body. The improvement comprises protective rib and lower back pads (2) with release mechanism (1) that allows the protective rib and lower back pads (2) to be safely and easily detached from its corresponding pair of protective shoulder pads (4) while the individual wearing the protective rib and lower back pads (2) is maintained in the supine position, thus decreasing the risk of a secondary injury to the individual wearing the protective rib and lower back pads (2) as the protective rib and lower back pads (2) and associated protective shoulder pads (4) are removed.
US08429761B2
A method of obtaining PINEM images includes providing femtosecond optical pulse, generating electron pulses, and directing the electron pulses towards a sample. The method also includes overlapping the femtosecond optical pulses and the electron pulses spatially and temporally at the sample and transferring energy from the femtosecond optical pulses to the electron pulses. The method further includes detecting electron pulses having an energy greater than a zero loss value, providing imaging in space and time.
US08429753B2
Examples are related to systems and methods for controlling access to document files on a document server. One example system includes document files stored on a document server, at least one of the document files referencing a file lock, and a document access processing module. The example document access processing module includes a file sharing processing module that determines a coauthoring status of a software application of a client computer requesting access to the document file, and a file lock processing module that stores one or more file locks and that controls the setting and resetting of file locks. The example document access processing module uses the coauthoring status of the software application and the file lock status of a document file to determine whether a software application is permitted to have write access to the document file.
US08429748B2
Network traffic analysis is performed by deploying, across a network having a plurality of network nodes, at least one data collection agent, on at least two of the plurality of network nodes. Each data collection agent may monitor at each network node, a plurality of network connections instantiated during a monitoring time period. Data resulting from the monitoring is acquired from the data collection agents and an ontological description of the network is automatically created from the acquired data. The ontological description is dynamically updated and network traffic analysis is performed using the dynamically updating ontological description.
US08429742B2
An apparatus and method to detect a denial of service attack on an internet server by a hacker or malevolent software while effectively distinguishing an attack from a spike in demand by legitimate users of the server. In preferred embodiments, the kernel's TCP implementation is modified to hold back sending a reset (RST) to terminate the connection and to make an entry into a dead connection list when a connection attempt is dropped off of an overflowing accept queue. The entries are removed from the dead connection list when they become stale or an ACK is received corresponding to the entry. Additional TCP kernel parameters include a monitor enable to turn on or off the DoS monitor, a monitor threshold to determine when to send an alarm, and a stale time that is a timeout value to determine when to remove entries from the dead connection list.
US08429738B1
A system and method for performing asynchronous cryptographic operations. A cryptographic toolkit receives requests for cryptographic operations, and initiates the cryptographic operations within a thread of execution. The toolkit detects when the cryptographic operations are complete, retrieves the results, and returns the results to a calling program. The cryptographic operations are performed in an asynchronous manner, without blocking a calling program. The calling program can specify whether the requested operations are to be performed without blocking.
US08429735B2
A method for a computer or microchip with one or more inner hardware-based access barriers or firewalls that establish one or more private units disconnected from a public unit or units having connection to the public Internet and one or more of the private units have a connection to one or more non-Internet-connected private networks for private network control of the configuration of the computer or microchip using active hardware configuration, including field programmable gate arrays (FPGA). The hardware-based access barriers include a single out-only bus and/or another in-only bus with a single on/off switch.
US08429730B2
A method and system enables a user and/or an on-line site to be authenticated by comparing a received password with an expected password, transmitting a new password if the received and expected passwords match, and authenticating a communication if the new password matches what is expected by the on-line site. The initially received password may be distorted, such as with CAPTCHA.
US08429716B2
System and method for enabling user access of cloud assets are described. In one embodiment, a method comprises authenticating a user to a system comprising a cloud computing environment in which a plurality of cloud assets are hosted; assembling a deployment associated with the authenticated user in accordance with a policy, the deployment comprising designated ones of the cloud assets; and providing a secure mechanism by which the designated ones of the cloud assets comprising the deployment are accessible by the authenticated user.
US08429710B1
A client communicates with private websites and/or public websites via a network. The client includes a security engine that prevents a user from unknowingly exposing private information. The security engine monitors web browsing for user submittal of information to a website. The security engine determines a category for the website and analyzes the information submitted to the website. The security engine determines if there is a risk of exposing information from the submittal and performs enforcement if it is determined that there is a risk.
US08429709B2
Method and system of providing an association between a system's meta-tagged data objects and a list of terms, the association indicating which objects are and are not covered by a given policy, in one aspect, may comprise obtaining a list of terms and a policy that includes one or more of the terms; identifying a plurality of meta-tags used in a system; developing one or more mappings between the terms and the meta-tags; identifying system data objects in the system having one or more meta-tags; creating for each meta-tag of each system data object identified, an association between the system data object and the one or more terms to which the meta-tag is mapped, the association indicating whether the system data object is or is not covered by the policy.
US08429708B1
A method and system is provided for assessing the cumulative set of access entitlements to which an entity, of an information system, may be implicitly or explicitly authorized, by virtue of the universe of authorization intent specifications that exist across that information system, or a specified subset thereof, that specify access for that entity or for any entity collectives with which that entity may be directly or transitively affiliated. The effective system-level access granted to the user based upon operating system rules or according to access check methodologies is determined and mapped to administrative tasks to arrive at the cumulative set of access entitlements authorized for the user.
US08429702B2
Methods and an apparatus for selecting and pushing customized electronic media content are disclosed. An example method selects a piece of electronic media content based on user characteristic data associated with a user; identifies a storage capacity of a user device associated with the user; and pushes at least a first portion of the selected piece of electronic media content to a user device associated with the user prior to the user demanding the selected piece of electronic media content, the first portion being selected based on the storage capacity of the user device.
US08429698B2
A digital broadcast transmission device generates channel combination information associating a plurality of physical channels. The digital broadcast transmission device divides a bit stream into a plurality of bit streams, the bit stream including program-related information having added thereto channel combination information, and transmits the divided bit streams on the plurality of physical channels, respectively. A digital broadcast reception device selects the plurality of physical channels using a plurality of front ends based on the channel combination information, and demodulates broadcast waves received on the plurality of physical channels, respectively. The digital broadcast reception device combines bit streams obtained from the demodulation, and outputs the combined bit stream. The digital broadcast reception device also simultaneously transmits a light bit stream on a different single physical channel, the light bit stream being a bit stream smaller in amount of information than the combined bit stream.
US08429696B2
With at least one implementation described herein, one or more viewers are able to watch the same source multimedia content at multiple locations within an environment (e.g., a household). With at least one implementation described herein, a viewer is able to resume watching such content at a new location (or “locus”) from the point that she bookmarked the content at an original location. This abstract itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. The scope of the present invention is pointed out in the appending claims.
US08429686B2
Systems and methods for a video scan are provided. The scan may be dynamically interactive and a function of characteristics of the programs in the scan (e.g., commercial breaks or the end of a program approaching) The scan may simultaneously display multiple scan windows for a plurality of programs, for example in a scan wizard. The scan wizard allows the user to simultaneously view a scan window and an information panel, select criteria for the scan from a criteria panel, and control the scan using a scan control panel. The scan may allow the user to record a program displayed in the scan without interrupting the scan (e.g., by using an additional tuner). The scan may display, within the scan interface, trick-play functions for appropriate scanned programs (e.g., recorded, cached and on-demand programs). The user may select and perform trick-play functions for a scanned program without exiting the scan mode.
US08429685B2
Methods and systems to provide targeted advertising in a subscription television setting, wherein the households that receive the targeted advertisement may retain anonymity. This may be achieved by marrying an anonymization protocol and infrastructure with a mechanism for STB selection and reporting. This anonymizes the set of households that are selected to play an ad, by ensuring that when an STB meets defined criteria and sends a ‘criteria met’ message (during the selection process) or ‘ad shown’ message (during a validation or counting process) to a head end, an STB or household identifier is not revealed, thus anonymizing the household information from the head end. In addition, this allows the head end to control the ad campaign process by advertising only to those households that meet specified criteria, and to count the number of actual instances in which an ad was displayed. The head end is able to count the number of times an ad was displayed, without knowing which particular household(s) viewed the ad.
US08429682B2
A disc has an outer section on which digital media can be recorded and a core in its center in which a flash memory is embedded with the core having a central hole and electrical contacts to the flash memory. A disc drive has a drive spindle that is to extend into the disc core central hole with one of the spindle or spindle hub having electrical contacts to engage with the core electrical contacts so that data can be written into and/or read from the core flash memory by electronic components of the drive.
US08429669B2
Provided is a virtual machine including a first virtualization module operating on a physical CPU, for providing a first CPU, and a second virtualization module operating on the first CPU, for providing second CPU. The second virtualization module includes first processor control information holding a state of the first CPU obtained at a time of execution of the user program. The first virtualization module includes second processor control information containing a state of the physical CPU obtained at the time of the execution of the second virtualization module, third processor control information containing a state of the physical CPU obtained at the time of the execution of the user program, and prefetch entry information in which information to be prefetched from the third processor control information is set, and, upon detection of a event, the information set in the prefetch entry information is reflected to the first processor control information.
US08429664B2
When allocating an unallocated queued job, by using a CDA having a mesh structure to which active jobs are allocated, a job scheduling apparatus scans an event list that includes information about allocation events and release events for jobs, determines the coordinates and the time at which submeshes corresponding to the queued jobs are reserved, and arranges the submeshes by overlapping them on the CDA.
US08429662B2
A computer program product for passing initiative in a multitasking multiprocessor environment includes a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method. The method includes writing a request to process a resource of the environment to an associated resource control block, setting a resource flag in a central bit vector, the resource flag indicating that a request for processing has been received for the resource, and setting a target processor initiative flag in the environment, the target processor initiative flag indicating a pass of initiative to a target processor responsible for the resource.
US08429660B2
Systems and methods are provided to allocate application tasks to a pool of processing machines. According to some embodiments, a requestor generates a scope request including an indication of a number of compute units to be reserved. The requestor also provides an application request associated with the scope. A subset of available processing machines may then be allocated to the scope, and the application request is divided into a number of different tasks. Each task may then be assigned to a processing machine that has been allocated to the application request. According to some embodiments, each task is associated with a deadline. Moreover, according to some embodiments an overall cost is determined and then allocated to the requestor based on the number of compute units that were reserved for the scope.
US08429655B2
System and methods for asynchronous processing within a web page lifecycle, enabling web page developers to integrate asynchronous work within the web page implementation that can store state inside the page and is applied to requests to the particular page. Handlers initiate event-based or task-based asynchronous operations without keeping a dedicated thread while waiting for a response. The thread is returned to a pool of available threads upon initiation of the process. Results are received on other threads and provided to the page before rendering. Timeout errors are also provided, if a particular result is not received within specified period. The events are delivered in a serial manner so that the page developer uses request instance data without explicit synchronization. This makes a high-scale, asynchronous processing model less complex and more accessible to developers accustomed to web scripting, which is traditionally synchronous.
US08429652B2
The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for spillover threshold management in a multi-core system. A pool manager divides the spillover threshold limit of connections for vServers into an exclusive quota pool and a shared quota pool. Each vServer operating on a core is allocated an exclusive number of connections from the exclusive quota pool. If a vServer wishes to create connections beyond its exclusive number, the vServer can borrow from the shared quota pool. When the vServers are using at least a first predetermined threshold of their exclusive number of connections and the number of available connections in the shared quota pool has reached a second predetermined threshold, the multi-core system establishes a backup vServer.
US08429649B1
Systems and methods are disclosed for performing operations on a host system with one or more virtual machines without persistently storing an agent or daemon thereon. In certain examples, a management server is configured to inject dependencies, such as binary data, over a network to the host system for performing a requested operation. For instance, systems and methods can establish a secure shell (SSH) port forwarding connection through which dependencies stored on the management server are injected into a service console of the host system. The injected dependencies can then be executed and/or used to perform the requested operation, such as a backup or compression operation on virtual machine data. Once the requested operation has completed, the injected binaries are preferably removed from the host system so as to conserve system resources.
US08429641B2
A system, method, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for automatically migrating entitled digital assets from a source system to the target system. A first personalization agent is installed on a target system. A first set of digital assets entitlement data is provided along with an associated first set of digital assets data, which is then installed on the target system by the first personalization agent. A second set of digital assets entitlement data associated with a second set of digital assets data installed on a source system is determined by a second personalization agent. The second set of digital assets entitlement data is disassociated from the second set of system identifier data and then associated with the first set of system identifier data. The second set of digital assets is then installed the target system by the first personalization agent.
US08429640B2
A system and method for updating software in an information handling system are disclosed. One or more relationships between a firmware package and a set of components associated with the information handling system are generated. A first storage partition identifier is generated based, at least in part, on the relationships. A second storage partition identifier generate is based, at least in part, on one or more parameters of the set of components, where the second storage partition identifier is associated with the first storage partition identifier. A first storage partition having the first storage partition identifier is generated. A second storage partition having the second storage partition identifier is generated. A copy of the firmware information is stored so that the firmware information is associated with the second storage partition. Firmware for at least one of the set of components is modified based, at least in part, on firmware information.
US08429638B2
A method, computer program product, and data processing system for substituting a candidate instruction in application code being loaded during load time. Responsive to identifying the candidate instruction, a determination is made whether a hardware facility of the data processing system is present to execute the candidate instruction. If the hardware facility is absent from the data processing system, the candidate instruction is substituted with a second set of instructions.
US08429635B2
In an embodiment, a conditional branch is detected that selects between execution of a first alternative block and a second alternative block. A first count and a second count are saved, where the first count is a number of times the first alternative block was executed, and the second count is a number of times the second alternative block was executed. If the first count is greater than a threshold and the second count equals zero, the first alternative block is compiled into first alternative block object code and the second alternative block is not compiled. If the first count is not greater than the threshold, the first alternative block is compiled into the first alternative block object code and the second alternative block is compiled into second alternative block object code.
US08429622B2
A system for enabling a developer to concurrently debug parallel activities in a business process or workflow, or other software process. A production server includes a business process, which includes a parallel activity. The production server is operable to receive a request to debug the business process, present a graphical representation of the business process, receive input which indicates where a breakpoint is to be added to the business process, and insert the breakpoint. When a request to debug the business process is received, the production server instantiates the business process and executes the instance, and pauses execution of the instance when a breakpoint is reached and enters debug mode. It can then receive an instruction to perform a parallel-step operation on the parallel activity, execute a plurality of current activities in the parallel activity concurrently, and pause execution before executing a next activity and waits for further input.
US08429617B2
A runtime system implemented in accordance with the present invention provides an application platform for parallel-processing computer systems. Such a runtime system enables users to leverage the computational power of parallel-processing computer systems to accelerate/optimize numeric and array-intensive computations in their application programs. This enables greatly increased performance of high-performance computing (HPC) applications.
US08429616B2
Various embodiments include at least one of systems, methods, and software to receive input configuring tests within a computing environment to expose users to standard application or website experiences or test experiences. In some embodiments, multiple tests may be configured to run orthogonally within user experiences without affecting the results of one another. Some such embodiments preserve the ability to execute certain tests in a non-orthogonal manner while other tests are allowed to execute orthogonally.
US08429615B2
An object of the present invention is to solve a problem that, if the state of a macro that is a debug target changes by a factor other than a debugger while the debugger debugs the macro as a target, the debugger becomes unable to continue debugging and the debugging terminates abnormally. In order to solve the aforementioned problem, disclosed is a semiconductor integrated circuit including a first register that stores a value indicating that the macro is in a reset state in response to a reset signal received during debugging of the macro, and a second register that stores a value indicating whether or not the macro has been in the reset state in the past by receiving a reset signal.
US08429605B2
A system for developing an application program having functionality that corresponds to a finite state machine (FSM) model includes a visual interface that generates a graphical environment on a display for displaying an FSM model representing functionality of the program, a dynamic state machine processor that uses XML descriptions associated with the FSM model to generate the program executed at run-time, and an extensible graphic user interface that provides the end-user interface features to the end-user as generated during run-time by the processor based on the FSM model.
US08429592B2
A process of operating a computer system to create a subcircuit model of an N/P configurable extended drain MOS transistor in which the subcircuit model includes an npn bipolar transistor and a pnp bipolar transistor which correspond to current paths through n-channel drift lanes and p-channel drift lanes during dual mode operation. A process of operating a computer system to simulate the behavior of an electronic circuit including a N/P configurable extended drain MOS transistor in which a subcircuit model of the N/P configurable extended drain MOS transistor includes an npn bipolar transistor and a pnp bipolar transistor which correspond to current paths through n-channel drift lanes and p-channel drift lanes during dual mode operation. A computer readable medium storing an electronic circuit simulation program that generates a simulation output of the behavior of an electronic circuit including a N/P configurable extended drain MOS transistor.
US08429590B2
In one embodiment, a method for reducing power supply noise within an electronic system that includes an integrated circuit (IC), a package, and a printed circuit board (PCB) connected by a plurality of power delivery networks (PDN) is disclosed. Power supply noise within the system is reduced by defining a voltage compression limit for each PDN of the electronic system; determining a voltage compression for each PDN of the electronic system during a plurality of switching events; comparing the voltage compression of each PDN of the electronic system to the voltage compression limit for each switching event; and in response to the voltage compression of each PDN of the electronic system exceeding the limit, modifying the electronic system to reduce the voltage compression below the limit.
US08429589B2
A method of generating net routing constraints for nets of an IC design includes generating a file with hashes organized by nets. Each hash has attributes of a net, e.g. net name, length, fanout, total actual route (AR) resistance, a corresponding virtual route (VR) resistance, and a number of vias. A wire only AR resistance for each net can be calculated. Wire scaling factors can be calculated using the wire only AR resistances and their corresponding VR resistances. Wire scaling factors can be binned by one or more net characteristics. An average wire scaling factor can be calculated for each bin. Code used by a place and route tool can then be generated, wherein the code applies the average wire scaling factors to nets of the design to improve pre-route and post-route correlation.
US08429587B2
A method for decomposing a designed pattern layout and a method for fabricating an exposure mask using the same. After the designed pattern layout is automatically decomposed to obtain a plurality of mask layouts, a problematic region is determined through simulation of the mask layout, and fed back to correct the designed pattern layout. As a result, problems can be detected in each process and corrected to reduce the process time.
US08429586B2
A basic cell circuit architecture having plurality of cells with fixed transistors configurable for the formation of logic devices and single and dual port memory devices within a structured ASIC is provided. Different configurations of ensuing integrated circuits are achieved by forming variable interconnect layers above the fixed structures. The circuit architecture can achieve interconnection of transistors within a single cell or across multiple cells. The interconnection can be configured to form basic logic gates as well as more complex digital and analog subsystems. In addition, each cell contains a layout of transistors that can be variably coupled to achieve a memory device, such as a SRAM device. By having the capability of forming a logic circuit element, a memory device, or both, the circuit architecture is both memory-centric and logic-centric, and more fully adaptable to modern-day SoCs.
US08429582B1
Various embodiments are directed at methods and systems for implementing automatic fixing of a layout, implementing fuzzy pattern replacement, and implementing pattern capturing in a layout of an electronic circuit design. Various processes or modules comprise the act or module of identifying a first pattern from within an electronic circuit layout. The processes or modules also comprise identifying a fixing process or a replacement pattern for the first pattern and the act of performing pattern replacement or pattern fixing on the first pattern. The processes or modules may further comprise the act or module of searching the layout for patterns that match the first pattern, and the act or module of performing pattern replacement of pattern fixing on the patterns that match the first pattern. Some embodiments are also directed at articles of manufacture embodying a sequence of instructions for implementing the processes described here.
US08429580B2
A method for preparing an IC design that has been modified to be formally verified with a reference IC design. Because some formal verification tools cannot handle the complexity often associated with sequential equivalence checking at the top level of a circuit, the modified IC design may be instantiated into a number of different design versions, each having different levels of modification complexity. In addition, the reference IC design and the modified versions may be decomposed into a datapath and control path. The reference IC design and each of the modified IC design versions may also use wrappers to encapsulate various levels of hierarchy of the logic. Lastly, rather than having to verify each of the modified versions back to the reference IC design, the equivalence checking may be performed between each modified IC design version and a next modified IC design version having a greater modification computational complexity.
US08429577B2
A computer program product estimates performance of an interconnect structure of a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC). The program product includes code executing on a computer to calculate at least one electrical characteristic of the interconnect structure based on input data accounting for multiple layers of the interconnect structure. The electrical characteristics can be capacitance, resistance, and/or inductance. The capacitance may be based upon multiple components, including a fringe capacitance component, a terminal capacitance component, and a coupling capacitance component.
US08429576B2
Impact on parametric performance of physical design choices for transistors is scored for on-current and off-current of the transistors. The impact of the design parameters are incorporated into parameters that measure predicted shift in mean on-current and mean off-current and parameters that measure predicted increase in deviations in the distribution of on-current and the off-current. Statistics may be taken at a cell level, a block level, or a chip level to optimize a chip design in a design phase, or to predict changes in parametric yield during manufacturing or after a depressed parametric yield is observed. Further, parametric yield and current level may be predicted region by region and compared with observed thermal emission to pinpoint any anomaly region in a chip to facilitate detection and correction in any mistakes in chip design.
US08429573B2
A method includes: generating electron beam exposure data, used for electron beam exposure, from design data of a semiconductor device; extracting differential information indicating a difference in shape between an electron beam exposure pattern formed on a substrate through electron beam exposure on the basis of the electron beam exposure data and a photoexposure pattern formed on the substrate through photoexposure on the basis of the design data of the semiconductor device; determining whether the size of the difference in shape between the electron beam exposure pattern and the photoexposure pattern falls within a predetermined reference value; acquiring shape changed exposure data by changing the shape of the pattern of the electron beam exposure data in accordance with the differential information and updating the electron beam exposure data; and repeating the differential extraction, the determination and the updating when the size of the difference falls outside the predetermined reference value.
US08429566B2
A programmable HVAC controller that include a controller and a touch screen user interface is configured to control one or more pieces of HVAC equipment in accordance with a programmable schedule. In some instances, the controller of the programmable HVAC controller is programmed to define a number of columns on the touch screen display, such that a selected day of the programmable schedule may be visually represented across two or more adjacent columns of the touch screen display, with the selected day of the programmable schedule beginning in a first column and extending across and into a second adjacent column of the touch screen display. The controller may be programmed to monitor the touch screen display and allow a user to set a start time and/or an end time of a time period of the selected day of the programmable schedule by touching the first column and/or the second column of the touch screen display.
US08429560B2
Methods and systems are described for displaying input items on a display. In one embodiment, a first activation of a button representing a displayable input item is detected. Responsive to the first activation of the button, the displayable input item is displayed on a display at an initial display size without accepting selection of the displayable input item. The displayable input item is incrementally enlarged on the display over time until detecting a second activation of the button. Selection of the displayable input item is accepted responsive to the second activation of the button. The initial display size is set for the displayable input item based on a display size of the displayable input item when the second activation of the button is detected.
US08429558B2
A resource manager can vary content for various display aspect ratios used to display information in a computing environment. This allows providing content that is more suitable and/or especially designed for display on a particular aspect ratio. It will be appreciated that resource manager can facilitate execution of the same computer program code for various aspect ratio as content displayed can be effectively adjusted by the resource manager. In order to support multiple aspect ratios, the resource manager can use an Aspect Ratio Adaptable Data Set (ARADS) that effectively supports displaying graphical content for various aspect ratios. The (ARADS) can include “base data” and “aspect-ratio-specific data” that can complement and/or replace the base data. The base data can be used as an initial basis for displaying graphics on any one of a plurality of different aspect ratios while the aspect-ratio-specific data can be specifically designed for and/or accommodate a particular aspect ratio.
US08429556B2
Methods, program products, and systems of chunking data records are described. In general, in one aspect, a mobile device can provide for display on a display screen a scrollable window. The scrollable window can display first display content (e.g., a first segment of formatted data) stored in a first display buffer. The mobile device can determine that the scrollable window will cross a boundary of the first display buffer. Upon the determining, the mobile device can create second display content (e.g., a second segment of formatted data) in a second display buffer. The second display content can include display content that borders the first display content at the boundary. The mobile device can provide for display the second display content when the scrollable window crosses the boundary.
US08429551B2
Various embodiments provide application- or browser-based, copy and paste operations. In one or more embodiments, a web browser supports copy and paste functionality thus enabling the user to easily move data from one location to another. The browser-based solution can thus relieve websites from having to include code that implements the copy and paste functionality.
US08429544B2
A first portion of a content page can be loaded in a first user interface, where the first portion includes content received from a publisher server. A second user interface can then be displayed. A second portion of the content page can be loaded in the second user interface, where the second portion includes one or more content items received from one or more content servers. In addition, one or more attributes associated with the one or more content items can be displayed in the second user interface.
US08429524B2
A method executed by a computer of generating a repurposed document includes: providing a representation of a first document with no explicitly defined structure, extracting structural information for the first document using a set of predefined rules, determining a first content item formatted using a first style of the first document using the structural information, applying a second style to the first content item in order to generate a second content item, and generating the repurposed document using the second content item, wherein a visual significance hierarchical score is maintained between the first and second content items.
US08429523B2
A comic creation apparatus includes a frame candidate setting unit configured to set, as frame candidates, candidates of a frame to be arranged adjacent to a frame arranged on a page of a comic, a frame candidate display unit configured to display the set frame candidates in a desired location on the page, and a frame determination unit configured to arrange a frame candidate selected from among the frame candidates displayed on the page in the desired location on the page as a frame.
US08429522B2
Determining correspondence, association, and/or correlation between nodes of electronic forms based on schemas of those forms is described. Importing, merging, and/or annotating data from one electronic form into another electronic form based on correspondence, association, and/or correlation between nodes is also described.
US08429517B1
Examples directed to methods and systems for generating and rendering a template for a pre-defined layout. For example, an underlying graph structure of a pre-defined layout comprising at least one pre-placed object is determined. Information from the underlying graph structure is placed into a plurality of matrices. One or more pre-placed object parameters of the pre-defined layout are also determined. The plurality of matrices are utilized in conjunction with the one or more pre-placed object parameters to determine location coordinates and size information for the one or more pre-placed objects. In so doing, a template based on the location coordinates and size information for the one or more pre-placed objects is rendered.
US08429511B2
Equipment protection of a switch matrix (SM) in a network node, which contains a number of matrix modules (M1.1-M4.4, E1.5-E4.6) is achieved by slicing an input signal into k parallel signal slices (x(0)-x(3)) with k>2; coding the k signal slices into a number of n coded signal slices (x(0)-x(5)) with n>k+1 using an error correcting code to add redundancy to said input signal; switching said n coded signal slices through the switching matrix (SM) via n distinct matrix modules; and decoding the n coded signal slices into k decoded signal slices to correct errors introduced while passing through said switch matrix. Preferably, the switch matrix (SM) contains a first number of matrix boards (MB1-MB4, EB5, EB6), each carrying a second number of matrix modules (M1.1-M4.4, E1.5-E4.6). The n coded signal slices are switched via matrix modules on n distinct matrix boards.
US08429502B2
A single frame format is employed by a millimeter wave communication system for single-carrier and OFDM signaling. A Golay-coded sequence in the start frame delimiter (SFD) field identifies the data transmission as single carrier or OFDM. Complementary Golay codes are employed in a channel estimation field to allow a perfect estimate of the multipath channel to be made. Marker codes generated from Golay codes are inserted periodically between slots for tracking and/or for reacquiring timing, frequency, and multipath channel estimates. The length of the marker codes may be adapted relative to the multipath delay spread.
US08429497B2
A method of dynamic data storage for error correction in a memory device is disclosed. Data for storage is received, and the received data is then encoded and associated error correction code (ECC) is generated. The encoded data is stored in a portion of a data partition of the memory device, wherein percentage of the stored data in the data partition is determined according to an amount of corrected errors associated with the data partition or is predetermined.
US08429496B2
A decoding unit is arranged between a reading unit that reads data with an error correction code added from memory cells on a specific one of the first data lines and an output unit that selectively outputs certain data of the read out data. The decoding unit corrects any errors in the data read out by the reading unit in accordance with the error correction code. The data in which the errors are corrected by the decoding unit is written back in the memory cells on the specific first data line.
US08429495B2
Error detection and correction codes for channels and memories with incomplete error characteristics
A channel has a first and a second end. The first end of the channel is coupled to a transmitter. The channel is capable of transmitting symbols selected from a symbol set from the first end to the second end. The channel exhibits incomplete error introduction properties. A code comprises a set of code words. The elements of the set of code words are one or more code symbols long. The code symbols are members of the symbol set. The minimum modified Hamming separation between the elements of the set of code words in light of the error introduction properties of the channel is greater than the minimum Hamming distance between the elements of the set of code words. A memory device, a method of using the channel, and a method of generating the code are also described.
US08429473B2
An improved compression technique can increase PRPG-based compression by modifying test generation so that justification of certain decision nodes, called xheadlines, is delayed and merged with PRPG seed computation. Xheadlines are defined by gate modification restrictions, dynamic value considerations, and fanout allowance. Before mapping, the xheadlines can be preprocessed. This preprocessing can include transforming XOR xheadlines having shared inputs, augmenting AND/OR xheadlines, and reducing AND/OR xheadlines with common inputs. Mapping can include determining which xheadlines are satisfied by a current seed, which xheadlines can be satisfied by a future seed, and which xheadlines can opportunistically be satisfied by the current seed.
US08429456B2
A method and apparatus for providing intelligent error messaging is disclosed wherein a user of a mobile communications device is provided with descriptive error messaging information to assist the user in overcoming errors associated with the processing of electronic messages and data.
US08429454B2
Systems and methods are described for coordinating error reporting among a plurality of managed runtimes that are concurrently executing in the same process. In accordance with various embodiments, an error reporting manager that executes concurrently in the same process as the managed runtimes coordinates error reporting among the managed runtimes in a manner that does not require the managed runtimes to be aware of each other or to communicate directly with each other.
US08429451B2
A method of handling a message in a messaging system is provided. The messaging system comprises a message source, a message receiver and a message service. The message service is intermediate of the message source and message receiver, wherein a compensation component is established at the message source. The method comprises the steps of, transmitting a one way message, as part of a business transaction, from the message source, the transaction comprising a plurality of one way messages, receiving the message at the message service, transmitting the message from the messaging service, receiving the message at the message receiver, processing the message at the message receiver, transmitting a communication from the message receiver, the communication indicating success or failure of the processing of the message, receiving the communication at the messaging service, and responsive to receiving an indication of a failure of part of the transaction when the communication indicated that processing of the one way message succeeded, causing compensation logic defined by the compensation component to execute.
US08429440B2
Methods and systems are described for enabling display system data transmission during use. An integrated circuit package includes input interface circuitry configured to receive an audio-video data stream having a video signal and timing information and timing extraction circuitry that can identify blanking patterns for the video signal. The package includes input processing circuitry for receiving audio-video signal and converting the audio-video data stream input into a low voltage differential signal (LVDS). The package includes a timing controller having timing extraction circuitry, a set of symbol buffers, a scheduler, and timing control circuitry. All configured to implement LVDS data transfer and in some implementation enable point to point data transfer from data buffers to associated column drivers.
US08429439B2
A skew adjustor that can reduce inter-pair skew between differential signals received via a cable is disclosed. In one embodiment, a skew adjustor includes: a skew detector that receives signals from a cable, and provides a detected skew amount when skew is detected between two of the signals; an offset controller for receiving the detected skew amount, and for providing a delay control signal in response thereto; and a skew delay circuit that receives the signals and the delay control signal, and enables one or more delay stages in a path of a first arriving of the two skewed signals based on the delay control signal, such that an adjusted skew between the two skewed signals at an output of the skew delay circuit is less than the detected skew amount by an amount corresponding to the enabled one or more delay stages.
US08429433B2
A mechanism is provided for dynamically power capping one or more units. A power capping mechanism sets a counter value corresponding to an initial energy budget assigned to a unit for a given interval. Responsive to the unit receiving an operation to perform during the given interval, the power capping mechanism decrements the counter value by a decrement value. Responsive to the given interval expiring, the power capping mechanism sends the counter value to a power control loop in the data processing system, receives a new energy budget from the power control loop, and resets the counter value to a value corresponding to the new energy budget assigned to the unit for a next interval.
US08429430B2
An information processor includes a set information storage unit storing evacuation residual quantity information representing an evacuation residual quantity as a residual quantity of the battery that corresponds to electric power necessary for executing a data evacuation process for storing data, stored in a memory of the information processor, onto a nonvolatile recording medium, a battery residual quantity detecting unit detecting the battery residual quantity of the battery, a load information collecting unit acquiring load information representing an electric load of the information processor, an evacuation residual quantity setting unit setting the evacuation residual quantity based on the load information collected by the load information collecting unit, and controls the set information storage unit to store the evacuation residual quantity information representing the set evacuation residual quantity, and an evacuation control unit controlling execution of the data evacuation process.
US08429422B1
A method and apparatus to enable a user to send an action message including secure credential. The system comprises a receiving logic to receive the action message from a user, a repository including encrypted user-specific data, and an agent to access a resource through a network, the agent directed as specified by a connector object invoked by the action message. The agent further comprises logic to utilize the encrypted user-specific data from the repository to log into the resource through the network, and in one embodiment action logic to perform one or more actions as instructed by the connector invoked by the action message. The agent further comprises, in one embodiment, extraction logic for extracting information resulting from of the agent's access to the data resource specified by the connector, and communication logic to communicate a result to the user or to another agent for further use.
US08429421B2
Server-side encrypted pattern matching may minimize the risk of data theft due to server breach and/or unauthorized data access. In various implementations, a server for performing the server-side encrypted pattern matching may include an interface component to receive an encrypted query token. The server may further include a query component to find a match for the encrypted query token in the encrypted data string. The query component may find such a match without decrypting the encrypted data string and the encrypted query token by using an encrypted dictionary that includes information on the edges of the encrypted suffix tree.
US08429414B2
A method of generating prevention and control data to verify validity of data to be transmitted, and an apparatus to perform the method, the method including generating the prevention and control data according to composing information of the data to be transmitted, and transmitting the prevention and control data along with the data to be transmitted to verify the validity of the data to be transmitted.
US08429408B2
To mitigate the effects of a weak random number generator (RNG) in a public key cryptosystem, a public key obtained from the RNG is encrypted using a deterministic cryptographic scheme before being made publicly available. A trusted party receiving the encrypted public key can recover the public key and combine it with other information so it is not subject to direct scrutiny. In one embodiment, the trusted party incorporates the public key in a certificate, such as an implicit certificate, for use by the correspondents in other communications.
US08429407B2
This is directed to a digital handshake for establishing a secure communications path between two electronic devices. Each device can capture an image of the other device using a camera (e.g., a front facing camera or a back facing camera) and extract, from the captured image, a key or seed associated with the other device. For example, each device can display a seed to be identified from an image taken by the other device. Using the extracted keys or seeds, each device can generate, using a same process, an identical digital handshake key. The digital handshake key can then be used to define a secure communications path between the two devices and share information securely. In some embodiments, a digital handshake key can be shared among several devices to create a multi-device secure communications path. Once a communications path has been established, the devices in the path can be identified and authenticated from the digital handshake key to receive access to secured goods, services or information.
US08429403B2
A method performed by a network device may include generating and storing a first public key and a first private key in a first device, transmitting a serial number and the first public key from the first device to a second device, generating, by the second device, a second public key and a second private key, transmitting the second public key from the second device to the first device and transmitting the serial number, the first public key, the second public key and the second private key to a third device, establishing and authenticating a connection between the first device and the third device using the first public key and the second public key and transmitting encrypted configuration information with the two key pairs from the third device to the first device.
US08429398B2
An approach is provided for providing a personalized virtual environment for a visitor of a service community. A comparison is made of identification information of the visitor with contact entries of a plurality of registered users of a service community. Additionally, an identification is made of content of one or more of the plurality of registered users having a contact entry that matches the identification information of the visitor to provide a personalized virtual environment of the visitor in the service community.
US08429396B1
A system discovers peer nodes in a failover system, establishes a secure channel between at least two of the peer nodes, and exchanges state information over the secure channel.
US08429385B2
A cell element field for data processing having function cells for execution of algebraic and/or logic functions and memory cells for receiving, storing and/or outputting information is described. A control connection may lead from the function cells to the memory cells.
US08429382B2
A symmetric multi-processing (SMP) processor includes a primary interconnect trunk for communication of information between multiple compute elements situated along the primary interconnect trunk. The processor also includes a secondary interconnected trunk that may be oriented perpendicular with respect to the primary interconnect trunk. The processor distributes data on-ramps and data off-ramps across the data lanes of a data trunk of the primary interconnect trunk to enable communication with compute elements and other structures both on-chip and off-chip.
US08429370B2
Various embodiments of a semiconductor system, a semiconductor memory, and a method of controlling the same are disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the semiconductor memory may include a first circuit area configured to perform an operation corresponding to a general operation command and a second circuit area configured to provide the general operation command to the first circuit area. The second circuit area may be configured to determine whether the semiconductor memory is selected to perform the operation based on unique identification information and target identification information allocated to the semiconductor memory.
US08429365B2
A memory device and method for embedding host-identification information into content are disclosed. In one embodiment, a memory device is provided comprising a memory operative to store content and a controller in communication with the memory. The controller is operative to receive a credential comprising host-identification information from a host in communication with the memory device, authenticate the host using the credential, receive a request from the host to play content stored in the memory, embed the host-identification information into the content, and send the content with the embedded host-identification information to the host.
US08429363B2
Provided are techniques for, in response to establishing each incremental virtual copy from a source to a target, creating a target change recording structure for the target. While performing destage to a source data block at the source, it is determined that there is at least one incremental virtual copy target for this source data block. For each incremental virtual copy relationship where the source data block is newer than the incremental virtual copy relationship and an indicator is set in a target inheritance structure on the target for a corresponding target data block, the source data block is copied to each corresponding target data block, and an indicator is set in each target change recording structure on each target for the target data block corresponding to the source data block being destaged.
US08429355B2
In an information processor system including a memory device (MEM0), a memory control device (SL0) capable of controlling an operation of the memory device, and a plurality of bus masters (MS0 to MS3) capable of giving access to the memory device through the memory control device, the memory control device includes a control circuit (SDCON) capable of giving a notice of information about a time that a data transfer from the memory device can be started to the bus master related to an access request. The bus master can cause the time information thus given to be a judgment factor as to whether an access request is given to the memory device or not. Consequently, each of the bus masters can avoid the generation of a useless access request and a data transfer to the masters to be accessed can be carried out smoothly.
US08429344B2
Each time any one of HDDs is accessed, a corresponding relationship between the disk address of the accessed HDD and the time information indicating a time at which the HDD is accessed is added to a first operating-state management table. When a corresponding relationship with the same disk address already exists in the first operating-state management table, the time information is updated. When the first operating-state management table has no space available for new entry, corresponding relationships are deleted from the one having the oldest time information. Only HDDs of which disk address is recorded in the first operating-state management table is turned on.
US08429342B2
An apparatus includes a controller and a plurality of disk drives. The controller has a communication control unit for accepting a data input/output request, a disk controller unit for controlling a disk drive, and a cache memory for temporarily storing data transferred between the communication control unit and the disk controller unit. The plurality of disk drives has different communication interfaces and connected to the disk controller unit to communicate with the disk controller unit.
US08429331B2
Storage optimizations by directory compaction in a file allocation table (FAT) file system. The method comprises determining if a cluster comprises a deleted content, indicating that the deleted content is deleted, and updating an entry of a FAT associated with the cluster to indicate that the cluster is free. The method may also comprise indicating that the deleted content is deleted and modifying a metadata of at least one of a file of the cluster and a directory of the cluster according to a specified protocol.
US08429330B2
A method in which data is randomized before being stored in a non-volatile memory to minimize data pattern-related read failures. Predetermined randomized non-user data is stored in a block or other location of a memory array, and accessed as needed by a memory device controller to randomize user data before it is stored in other blocks of the array. Each portion of the user data which is stored in a block is randomized using a portion of the non-user data which is stored in the same relative location in another block.
US08429325B1
A peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) switch includes non-transparent endpoints, each of which is associated with a bus hierarchy domain. A source non-transparent endpoint in a source bus hierarchy domain receives a packet including a destination address and identifies a destination bus hierarchy domain including a destination non-transparent endpoint based on the destination address. Further, the source non-transparent endpoint translates a requester identifier in the packet to a translated requester identifier and generates a translated request packet including the translated requester identifier. The PCIe switch routes the translated request packet to the destination non-transparent endpoint through a non-transparent interconnect in the PCIe switch. In this way, the PCIe switch interconnects multiple bus hierarchy domains and is non-transparent in the multiple bus hierarchy domains. In further embodiments, the PCIe switch routes multicast packets to multiple destination non-transparent endpoints in multiple destination bus hierarchy domains.
US08429323B2
In an embodiment, a north chip receives a secondary bus identifier that identifies a bus that is immediately downstream from a bridge in a south chip, a subordinate bus identifier that identifies a highest bus identifier of all of buses reachable downstream of the bridge, and an MMIO bus address range that comprises a memory base and a memory limit. The north chip writes a translation of a bridge identifier and a south chip identifier to the secondary bus identifier, the subordinate bus identifier, and the MMIO bus address range. The north chip sends the secondary bus identifier, the subordinate bus identifier, the memory base, and the memory limit to the bridge. The bridge stores the secondary bus identifier, the subordinate bus identifier, the memory base, and the memory limit in the bridge.
US08429316B1
Some of the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method comprising categorizing each data packet of a plurality of data packets into one of at least two priority groups of data packets; and controlling transmission of data packets of a first priority group of data packets during a first off-time period such that during the first off-time period, data packets of the first priority group of data packets are prevented from being transmitted to a switching module from one or more server blades. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US08429313B2
A memory unit has a busy control system that includes a busy control register that may be written by a controller. The contents of the busy control register determine whether a signal is sent from the memory unit to the controller and, if so, which of a plurality of signals is sent. A signal may automatically be sent from a selected memory unit and masked from an unselected unit.
US08429311B2
A process is provided for transferring a first sequence control and/or first data into a first control device and a second sequence control and/or second data into a second control device in a motor vehicle. The transfer is carried out by way of a first data bus while using a first transmission protocol which has a data frame with a predetermined frame format or message format, and the transfer as a whole takes place by the transmission of a plurality of data frames. In a first step, by way of a first data frame, a portion of the first sequence control and/or of the first data is transmitted to the first control device. In a second step, by way of the second data frame, a portion of the second sequence control and/or of the second data is transmitted to the second control device.
US08429304B2
Logical partitions in an information processing apparatus share an IP address and are assigned different MAC addresses. A representative logical partition communicates with an external entity on behalf of the other logical partitions. A driver is provided with a virtual interface and a physical interface. Internal communication between the logical partitions is done via the virtual interface and communication with an external entity is done via the physical interface. If a packet received from an external destination is destined to one of the other logical partitions, the protocol stack of the representative logical partition replaces the destination MAC address by the MAC address of the destination logical partition. The protocol stack provides the packet in which the destination MAC address has been replaced to the virtual interface. The virtual interface transfers the packet provided by the protocol stack to the destination logical partition.
US08429294B2
The invention relates to a method performed by a home agent serving a mobile node in a home network upon attachment of a mobile node to the home network as well as to the home agent. The invention also relates to a method for enabling simultaneous use of a plurality of interfaces by a mobile node being attached to a home network through one of the plurality of interfaces and to at least one foreign network through at least another interface of the plurality of interfaces. Moreover, the invention provides a mobile node and a proxy acting on behalf of the mobile node. To enable a mobile node to use a home network and at least one foreign network for communications the invention suggests the registration of the mobile node's home address or of a network node's address within its home network as a care-of address in the home network.
US08429285B2
A method of transmitting data from a first node to a second node in a communication network includes receiving a signal; dividing the signal into data elements arranged in a first data stream comprising active and inactive data elements; analysing at least one characteristic of the signal to determine if the signal is stable; dropping at least one active data element from a plurality of data elements of the first data stream if it is determined that the portion of the signal included in the plurality of data elements is stable; inputting the data elements that are not dropped from the first data stream into a core stream; and transmitting the core stream from the first node to the second node.
US08429276B1
In general, techniques are described for dynamic resource allocation in virtual environments. A network device comprising physical resources, a first virtual machine (VM), a second VM and a hypervisor may implement these techniques. The first VM executes within a first partition of the physical resources to process a first portion of received network traffic, while the second MV executes within a second partition of the physical resources to process a second portion of the received network traffic. The first VM determines whether physical resources in addition to those allocated by way of the first partition are required to process the incoming network traffic and issues a request requesting additional physical resources based on the determination. Either the second VM or the hypervisor, in response to the request, dynamically reallocates at least a portion of the physical resources allocated to the second partition to the first partition.
US08429263B2
The present invention discloses file content distribution method, device and system, wherein, the method includes: a content preparing means selecting one or more content location and distribution global controlling means, and sending a file content distributing requests to the selected content location and distribution global controlling means; after receiving the file content distributing request, the content location and distribution global controlling means selecting one or more content delivery and storage controlling means according to a predetermined distributing strategy, and transmitting the file content distributing requests to the selected content delivery and storage controlling means; after receiving the file content distributing request, the content delivery and storage controlling means selecting one or more content delivering and storing means according to the predetermined distributing strategy, and transmitting the file content distributing request to the selected content delivering and storing means; and after receiving the file content distributing request, the content delivering and storing means establishing a link to the content preparing means and distributing file content.
US08429259B2
A network management system includes a plurality of terminal devices, and a network to which the plurality of terminal devices are connected. At least one of the plurality of terminal devices includes a management setting information changing system configured to change management setting information for managing network use by the plurality of terminal devices, and a management setting information restoring system configured to perform a restoring operation for restoring the management setting information changed by the management setting information changing system, in response to a predetermined restoring condition being satisfied. The present arrangement enables use of at least one peripheral device by the plurality of terminal devices according to different management settings.
US08429257B2
A network device receives a connection request from a user device. The network device determines whether an Internet Protocol (IP) address is assigned to the user device. The network device identifies the IP address when the IP address is assigned to the user device. Otherwise, the network device assigns the IP address to the user device. The network device also assigns a virtual local area network (VLAN) identifier (ID) associated with the IP address to use to satisfy the connection request.
US08429256B2
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating cached representations of host package inventories in remote package repositories. A physical or virtual client machine can host a set of installed software packages, including operating system, application, and/or other software. A package manager installed on the client reports an inventory of the installed packages to one or more package servers. The package server(s) can receive the inventory from machines populating the managed network, and generate an encoded identification for each constituent package, such as a hash-based output based on package attributes. The encoded identification and other data can be stored to an aggregate package cache in the one or more package servers, for more efficient management of the host machines in the managed network. In embodiments, the package update files for each identifier can also be stored in the cache for even more efficient inventorying and package update operations.
US08429255B1
Techniques are described for determining reorder commands for updating policy rules in a managed network device based on a longest common subsequence between two lists of policy rules. For example, as described herein, a network management device determines a longest common subsequence of a source list comprising a plurality of policy rules in a first ordering that corresponds to a current policy configuration of a managed network device and of a destination list comprising the plurality of policy rules in a second ordering that corresponds to an updated ordering for the policy configuration. The network management device then iterates through the destination list to generate commands that, when executed by the managed network device, move policy rules in the destination list that are not members of the longest common subsequence to positions in the policy configuration relative to policy rules that are members of the longest common subsequence.
US08429254B2
A networkable device-to-networkable device communication method in Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). Embodiments include auto-configuration of IPv6 address and automatic commencement of communication among Fire Panels and other types of wired or wireless networkable devices. Each networkable device obtains its IPv6 address in a number of ways including from the first or any particular networkable device in a network. A designated networkable device instills IPv6 address to its neighboring networkable device, and subsequently the neighboring networkable device instills IPv6 address to its neighboring networkable device dynamically. Embedded Gateways are created dynamically in the network. Each networkable device uses its and its neighboring networkable devices' Embedded Gateways in order to transmit and receive IPv6 multicast, anycast or unicast packets. Embodiments obviate the need to use conventional Ethernet network backbone, networking and routing devices like switch or router, or manual configuration.
US08429253B1
A system and method for managing and performing migration of individual settings and files from a user's computer to a second computer which provides complete migration by establishing a base set and at the appropriate times stores a scan of the current status of the settings and files. In one embodiment the current status is determined upon demand of the user, while in another embodiment the current status is performed automatically as any changes in settings or files are detected.
US08429252B2
A method may include transmitting, during a point-to-point over Ethernet (PPPoE) discovery stage, a PPPoE active discovery (PAD) packet from a customer premises equipment (CPE) device to an access concentrator. The PAD packet may include a tag that is associated with a device type of the CPE device. The method may include receiving a PPPoE active discovery session (PADS) confirmation packet from the access concentrator. The PADS confirmation packet may be associated with conclusion of the PPPoE discovery stage and establishment of an Ethernet communication session between the CPE device and the access concentrator.
US08429238B2
A computer implemented method for providing feedback to a publisher, comprising: responsive to receiving a published message from the publisher comprising an option requesting feedback, comparing the message with subscriber data; and responsive to the publish operation and responsive to determining a matching subscriber associated with the published message, selecting a notification for transmission to the publisher.
US08429235B2
E-mail addresses are converted by a hashing function into hash codes. An e-mail mass mailer that can have millions of addresses hash codes all addresses to which a message might be sent to form a first list. An entity that wishes to exclude delivery of a message to various e-mail addresses, hash codes such addresses to form a second list. Hash codes in the first list that are also in the second list are purged from the first list to yield a third list of hash codes, each of which represents an e-mail address to which a message may be sent.
US08429232B1
Systems and methods are provided for using digital signatures to help distinguish legitimate email from known or trusted organizations from unsolicited email or forged email. Digital signatures may be used in an email body, mail header, or embedded links. The signatures may be verified by a recipient or internet service provider and may be used in conjunction with spam filtering applications.
US08429228B1
The present invention provides a system for creating, manipulating, g and distributing information message of organized data structure. The system is comprised of: an application installed on a terminal, said application includes: an information module for receiving and transmitting update information messages and an organizing data module enabling organizing information data into structured table format, the organizing include searching, sorting, filtering manipulating and editing the information data, a message distribution module for defining a query which represents the organized information in the structure format based on a user operations and associating the query with and information message having predefined format and transmit the information messages according to user distribution list, a web server application including: a table data management module enabling online creating, manipulating filtering, sorting and searching of information data tables and a data exchange module for managing distribution information messages between information sources and target mobile users.
US08429226B2
A method includes communicating network connection information from a control server to each of a first subset of devices for enabling an open network connection between each of the devices of the first subset; spawning, by each of a plurality of devices, a plurality of virtual machines for network connections that virtualize network capabilities of the device; establishing, by each of the devices, a respective open network connection with each of the other devices using a respective spawned virtual machine and network connection information received from a control server; receiving, by each device, data from a hosting server and data from one or more of the open network connections that are established with that device; processing, by each device, the received data; and providing a user experience, by each device, based on the processed data.
US08429222B2
Geophysical data processing is remotely controlled and monitored over a wide-area network such as the Internet. A customer using a client computer builds geophysical data processing flows (concatenations of geophysical data processing modules or filters) and enters parameter values required for flow execution. The flow descriptions and associated parameter values are then transferred from the client to a geophysical data processing server, for example a parallel supercomputer. The flows (jobs) are executed on the server, typically over periods ranging from hours to weeks. Intermediate or partial results are made available to the customer for visualization before the processing of a flow is complete. The customer can then modify the flow before its complete execution. Data-entry windows are automatically generated for geophysical processing modules by parsing the source code of the modules. The automatic generation of data-entry windows allows relatively simple integration of new seismic interpretation packages with a given graphical user interface.
US08429220B2
Systems and methods for joining results in loosely collaborative data exchanges which include a plurality of nodes in communication with each other wherein a node is constrained from sharing payload data regarding a first subject, is allowed to share matching data regarding the first subject, and is further constrained to be separate from the other nodes. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a set of virtual results from the constrained node including the matching data and excluding the payload data. The method also includes receiving results from the other nodes and determining whether any of the results correspond to the same subject. The method also includes, when any of the results correspond to the same subject, joining the corresponding portions in a hub separate from the constrained node. The joined results can be output.
US08429219B2
A method, system and computer program product for controlling a processing unit connected to a network. The method includes providing information to the network by the processing unit via plural communication channels; sending a reset signal from a controller to a reset unit of the processing unit after a specified amount of time, the reset unit being connected only to a communication channel of the controller and being isolated from the plural communication channels; and rebooting the processor unit when the reset signal is received by the reset unit.
US08429202B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for propagating functional dependencies with conditions. Propagation covers are computed using an SPC view of a dataset, wherein the SPC view comprises selection, projection and Cartesian product operations. Selection operations are processed to extract equivalence classes. Cartesian product operations are processed to obtain a renamed set of the plurality of conditional functional dependencies, that have attributes appearing in the SPC view. Domain constraints from the equivalence classes are applied to the renamed set to remove attributes not in the SPC view. Projection operations are processed using a reduction by resolution procedure to identify inferences that can be propagated to the SPC view from the conditional functional dependencies having attributes that do not appear in the SPC view. Domain constraints of the equivalence classes are converted to conditional functional dependencies; and a minimal cover of the SPC view is determined.
US08429198B1
A data management system or “DMS” provides data services to data sources associated with a set of application host servers. The DMS typically comprises one or more regions, with each region having one or more clusters. A given cluster has one or more nodes that share storage. When providing continuous data protection and data distribution, the DMS nodes create distributed active object storage to provide the necessary real-time data management services. The distributed object store can be built above raw storage devices, a traditional file system, a special purpose file system, a clustered file system, and a database. The DMS active object store provides an indexing service to the active objects. In an illustrative embodiment, any object property that has a given attribute is indexed and, as a result, the attribute becomes searchable. The DMS provides hierarchical distributed indexing using index trees to facilitate searching.
US08429196B2
Techniques are provided for efficiently extracting scalar values from binary-encoded XML data. Node information is stored in association with binary-encoded XML data to indicate whether one or more nodes of an XML document are simple or complex. A node is simple if the node has no child elements and no attributes. The node information of a particular node is used to determine whether a particular node, identified in a query, is simple or complex. If the particular node is simple, then the scalar value of the particular node is identified without performing any operations other than possibly converting the scalar value to a non-binary-encoded format or converting the scalar value to a value of a different data type.
US08429182B2
A computer implemented method, system, and/or computer program product defines a paradigmatic member of a first task directed community. Non-linear attributes of each member of the first task directed community having a first agenda are identified. Each of the non-linear attributes is individually unrelated to the first agenda. Common non-linear attributes shared by multiple members of the first task directed community are identified for use in defining the paradigmatic member of the first task directed community. A second task directed community, which has an agenda that substantially matches the first agenda of the first task directed community, is then presented with candidate members that match the paradigmatic member of the first task directed community.
US08429181B2
A system, method, and computer program product for providing music is disclosed. A method in accordance with one particular embodiment may include storing a plurality of cues in a memory, each of the plurality of cues having a plurality of tags associated therewith. The plurality of tags may include both musical and non-musical tags. The method may further include receiving an input at a computing device, the input corresponding to at least one of the plurality of tags. The method may also include searching the memory of the computing device to locate at least one of the plurality of cues having at least one tag that corresponds to the input. The method may further include providing a cue having the at least one tag that corresponds to the input to a client device. Numerous other embodiments are also within the scope of the present disclosure.
US08429175B2
A method of estimating a default rating of a rated dataset is provided, where the dataset comprises at least one series of ratings associated with at least one user and each series comprise ratings associated with at least two items. For a reference user and an item for which a rated value is missing the item's average rating, ir, the reference users average rating, Ru, and the datasets average rating, dr, is collected. A Poisson distribution of the reference users rating is then generated on the basis of the reference users average rating. A random Poisson rating, ur, is calculated on the basis of the Poisson distribution, and a default rating, r, is estimated by weighting the random Poisson rating on the basis of the items average rating, the users average rating and the datasets average rating.
US08429173B1
Methods, systems and apparatus for identifying result images for a query image. One or more labels that are associated with the query image are obtained. Candidate images matching the query labels are identified. Visual similarity scores are generated for the candidate images. Each visual similarity score represents the visual similarity of a respective candidate image to the query image. Relevance scores are generated for each of the candidate images based on the visual similarity scores. Each relevance score represents a measure of relevance of the respective candidate images to the query image. The candidate images are ranked based on the relevance scores, a highest ranking subset of the candidate images being identified as result images and referenced by image search results. The result images can be candidate images that satisfy a similarity condition relative to the query image and other result images.
US08429171B2
An information retrieval system for search a corpus is configured to, for each of a plurality of searches of at least a subset of the corpus, generate a confidence score for each of a plurality of putative occurrences of a search query in the at least a subset of the corpus. The system is further configured to adjust a threshold to maintain a consistent user experience across the plurality of searches according to a consistency criterion. The system is further configured to display putative occurrences of the search query having a confidence score greater than the threshold.
US08429161B2
Apparatus, systems and methods for search filtering are disclosed. A search instance associated with a user device is identified, and a determination is made as to whether the search instance includes a filtering term. If the search instance is determined to include a filtering term, then filtered content items in the search instance are identified, and the filtered content items and access to a verification service that provides access approval or access denial for unfiltered content items in the search instance are provided to the user device. Conversely, if the search instance is determine not to include a filtering term, then the unfiltered content items are provided to the user device.
US08429156B2
A request may be received that includes an indicator associated with a geographic location and scope. A database search may be initiated, based on the geographic location and scope. A list of one or more tags may be received, the tags associated with the geographic location, ordered based on relevance within the geographic scope, based on tag locale rankings associated with each of the tags included in the list of tags, the tag locale rankings based on comparisons of relative frequencies of occurrence of the tags, based on first bounded geographic areas, compared with second relative frequencies of occurrence of the tags based on second bounded geographic areas that are respectively larger than the first bounded geographic areas, the request geographic scope indicating one of a plurality of hierarchical geographic analysis levels associated with a plurality of geographic locations.
US08429154B2
A search device is provided that extracts and stores field data from document data and displays a search result in a two-dimensional coordinate system whose axes are freely chosen by a user. The search device has a data input unit for inputting input data to the search device, a field extraction unit for extracting field data from the input data, a data storage unit for storing the field data and the input data associated with the field data, a search word input unit for inputting a search word, a search processing unit for searching the field data in the data storage unit based on the inputted search word and for retrieving the input data associated with the found field data, and a display unit for displaying an icon, representing the input data found by the search processing unit, at a position in a coordinate system.
US08429145B2
A method and apparatus for altering a page presenting search results is provided. The query dispatcher receives one or more query terms. Based on the query terms, the search engine generates a set of search results and advertisements. A parallel search dispatched by entertainment rating and selection engine generates a set of content items based on the one or more query terms and an additional one or more constraint terms. The entertainment item rating and selection engine selects a content item from the set of content items. The selection may be random, based on past user responses, or responses of users belonging to particular clusters. The entertainment item injector then replaces one of the search results or advertisements with the content item. The content item is presented to the user on a search results page. The content item contains a feedback mechanism to collect user responses. The entertainment item rating and selection engine then derives the quality of the entertainment item from the collected user responses.
US08429138B2
An encoding module generates metadata descriptions for unique combinations of subset of fields of data structures that define for the receiver how to decode data in the corresponding subset of fields of that data structure included in messages; generates a unique metadata description identification for each different metadata description; includes metadata descriptions in the messages as well as the corresponding metadata description identifications when the receiver has not previously received those metadata descriptions. A decoding module stores metadata descriptions in a metadata description data structure as they are received, where each metadata description is associated with a metadata description identification, whereby the metadata description data structure is progressively populated with metadata for data structures as messages are received that include metadata descriptions; and decodes those messages received that do not include metadata descriptions based on the stored metadata descriptions that correspond with the metadata description identifications included in these messages.
US08429133B2
A partial reverse key index is described, which allows distributed contention as resources vie to insert data into an index as well as allows range scans to be performed on the index. To do so, before an index entry for a key value is inserted into an index, the key value is transformed using a transformation operation that affects a subset of the order of the key value. The index entry is then inserted based on the transformed key value. Because the transformation operation affects the order of the key value, the transformed values associated with two consecutive key values will not necessarily be consecutive. Therefore, the index entries associated with the consecutive key values may be inserted into unrelated portions of the index.
US08429129B2
A database restructuring apparatus which is capable of migrating a database without depending on a method of managing the database and without interrupting practical online services. Copying section copies data from a current database to a switching destination database. When data update access to the current database by current database access section occurs during copy processing by the copying section, data updating section determines whether or not data to be accessed has been copied. If the data has not been copied yet, the data updating section performs data update processing on the current database, whereas if the data has already been copied, the data updating section performs data update processing on both the current database and the switching destination database. After completion of the copy processing, switching section switches the distribution destination of an online electronic message to switching destination database access section.
US08429122B2
A method and apparatus for remote searching of data stored on a communication device is provided. The communication device is generally in communication with a server for tracking data associated with the communication device and data associated with a synchronizable computing device, synchronizable with the communication device. An index of data stored at the communication device is maintained at the server, the index for distinguishing the data stored at the communication device from data stored at the synchronizable computing device. A searchable copy of data stored on the communication device cross-referenced to the index is maintained, the searchable copy searchable using search parameter data received from the communication device to produce search results transmittable back to the communication device.
US08429119B2
A method includes classifying a relationship between a first party and each of one or more additional parties based on at least one of a number of communications between the first party and each of the one or more additional parties over a time period and a frequency of the communications between the first party and each of the one or more additional parties over the time period. The method includes generating first social network data based on the relationship between the first party and each of the one or more additional parties.
US08429118B2
Third party data embedding may be provided. Data associated with a third party provider may be saved in a native application save file. If a save file opened by the application is determined to comprise third party data, the application may determine whether an appropriate data provider is available. The application may connect to the data provider and provide on-demand, asynchronous access to the third party data upon request from a user.
US08429116B2
A system and method for ensuring large and frequent updates to a data warehouse. The process leverages a set of temporary staging tables to track the updates. A set of intermediate steps are performed to accomplish bulk deletions of the outdated changed records, and perform modifications to the map tables for models such as snowflake. Finally, bulk load operations load the updates and insert them into the final dimension tables. The process ensures performance comparable to insertion-only schemes with at most only slight performance degradation. Furthermore, a modified process is applied on the newfact data warehouse dimension model. The process can be readily adapted to handle star schema and other hierarchical data warehouse models.
US08429109B2
Systems, methods and machine-readable media are disclosed for providing segmented graphical representations of elements, such as songs, videos, pictures, graphics, or address book contacts. In some embodiments, an electronic device may identify remote and/or local elements based on a seed element and may display a segmented graphical representation of the seed element (e.g., a tiled album cover). At least one of the segments may be associated with one or more of the identified elements. In response to receiving a user selection of a segment, the electronic device may perform any of a number of suitable actions based on the associated elements. For example, for remotely stored media elements, the electronic device can retrieve and play a preview of the media elements from a server.
US08429107B2
A system, method, and design structure for address-event-representation network simulation are provided. The system includes a hardware structure with a plurality of interconnected processing modules configured to simulate a plurality of interconnected nodes. To simulate each node, the hardware structure includes a source table configured to receive an input message and identify a weight associated with a source of the input message. The hardware structure also includes state management logic configured to update a node state as a function of the identified weight, and generate an output signal responsive to the updated node state. The hardware structure further includes a target table configured to generate an output message in response to the output signal, identify a target to receive the output message, and transmit the output message. The hardware structure may further include learning logic configured to combine information about input messages and generated output signals, and to update weights.
US08429101B2
A method selects features used in continuous-valued regression analysis. Training data input to the method includes features and corresponding target values, wherein the target values are continuous, and there is one target value for each feature. Each threshold value is thresholded and discretized with respect to a threshold value to produce a discretized target value. Then, categorical feature selection is applied to the features, using the discrete target values, to produces selected features. The selected values can be used in any regression analysis.
US08429097B1
Systems and methods for providing resource isolation in a shared computing environment using reinforcement learning (RL) techniques are disclosed. A resource isolation mechanism may be applied in a shared storage system, or database service, that limits the resource utilization of each namespace to its specified allocation. For example, the mechanism may be used to limit the I/O utilization of database applications in a shared computing system to a specified limit, and may apply RL techniques, along with domain-specific constraints, to the system to automatically control the rate of queries made by an application. RL techniques, such as those based on the State-Action-Reward-State-Action (SARSA) method, may be effective in controlling resource utilization for different workloads, and may be enhanced by their application in conjunction with domain-specific business rules. RL techniques may be applied globally by the service, or may be applied to particular subscribers, applications, shared resources, namespaces, or query types.
US08429094B2
A method of franking mailpieces including the following steps: an operator loads a mailpiece on a feed deck of the machine; the width of the mailpiece is determined automatically by a plurality of presence detectors mounted on the feed deck; the length of the mailpiece is estimated by a processor, on the basis of the width of the mailpiece; an initial franking amount to be applied to the mailpiece is computed by the processor; the mailpiece is extracted automatically from the feed deck, and a postal imprint is printed; the real length of the mailpiece is determined; the real length is compared with the previously estimated length; if these two lengths do not match, an audible or visible alarm is generated by a warning device; the processor computes a corrected franking amount; and a new postal imprint making it possible to correct the initial franking amount is printed.
US08429093B2
A system and method is provided for transmitting information (e.g., an advertisement, content data, etc.) over a wide area network, such as the Internet, in response to receiving at least a portion of mail data. In one embodiment of the present invention, information is stored in a memory. Mail data is then affixed to a mail object (e.g., on the object itself, on an envelope encasing the object, etc.). The mail object is then manually delivered to a recipient. The mail data is then provided to a reception device. The reception device then uses the mail data to retrieve the information from a mail device in communication with the memory. In a preferred embodiment, the mail data includes data corresponding to the recipient of the mail object, and the information corresponds to a content of the mail object.
US08429088B2
A method and system for providing on-location troubleshooting services to homeowners and businesses for low-voltage electronic equipment and other on-location services. It employs the use of an Internet-based system for recording customer requests for service and subsequently automatically dispatching technicians and managing provision of the requested services. It also provides functions to support customer and technician recruitment and sign up. Additionally, it provides functions for recording customer satisfaction, requesting repair services and links to low-voltage electronics equipment suppliers for purchasing desired low-voltage electronics equipment. Service areas, work cells are established for groups of customers which are closely located geographically. Technicians are recruited and assigned responsibility for work cells based on whether their residence is in or close to a particular work cell or group of work cells. Customers and technicians may also access certain functions of the Internet-based system through telephones and telephone interface to the Internet-based system.
US08429083B2
Electronic messages may be processed using a stamp authority by receiving an electronic message, identifying a stamp associated the message, determining if the stamp is valid, and, if the stamp is determined to be valid, distinguishing the message from messages with which a valid stamp is not identified.
US08429078B2
Devices and methods for signature authentication of a bearer of a payment processing device during financial transactions are provided. The payment processing device is provided with a signature input panel configured to receive user input signature information for the purpose of authenticating the signature. After the bearer of the payment processing device writes her signature into the signature input panel, the input signature information is compared to a pre-stored signature profile stored in the payment processing device for authentication.
US08429066B2
A trading system is described herein for hosting a collection of one or more electronic exchanges. The collection of electronic exchanges may be made up of separately designated exchanges under one or more authorizing and regulating bodies. The trading system receives from traders bids to purchase and offers to sell a tradeable object listed at one of the electronic exchanges. Then, the trading system directs the bids and offers to the appropriate exchange where the bids and offers may be automatically matched in the corresponding market. The trading system may also be used to take actions in one or more markets that are internal and external to the trading system on behalf of a trader using preprogrammed trading instructions.
US08429061B2
A bicycle suspension control apparatus is provided with a power supply sensor and a controller. The power supply sensor detects a power level of a power supply being supplied from the power supply to an electrically adjustable suspension. The controller selectively changes a setting state of the suspension between at least a lockout state and a non-lockout state. The controller is operatively coupled to the power supply sensor to receive a power level signal from the power supply sensor. The controller prohibits changing of the suspension from the non-lockout state to the lockout state upon the power supply sensor detecting the power level of the power supply being below a first prescribed power level. The controller permits changing of the suspension from the lockout state to the non-lockout suspension state while the power level of the power supply is below the first prescribed power level.
US08429051B1
An investment guidance system which enables individuals to rate and select assets based on personal investment preferences. The system comprises a method for receiving a request to rate a plurality of assets, providing two or more criteria associated with the assets for a user to evaluate, receiving a relative weight of importance for the two or more criteria, and determining a rating for each asset based on the relative weights assigned to the two or more criteria. The system then ranks the plurality of assets based on the rated value for each asset, provides a list of the ranked assets and receives requests to execute trades for the ranked assets. The assets can comprise mutual funds, stocks, bonds, and/or other investment vehicles.
US08429048B2
Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems and methods for processing payment transaction receipts. When an authorization request message for a transaction of a consumer is received, it is determined whether an account associated with the consumer's portable consumer device is enrolled in an electronic receipt program. If the account is enrolled, an electronic receipt for the transaction is sent to the consumer.
US08429045B1
Disclosed are systems and methods to provide an email account. The systems and methods provide techniques wherein an email account is provided by a provider to a member, the system having at least one subsystem to provide a financial account for the member, provide an email account to the member, and integrate the financial account and the email account on an Internet site, thereby allowing the member to have access to the email account and the financial account on the Internet site.
US08429039B1
Method and apparatus for tax refund allocation in tax programs. A tax program may include a tax refund allocation component and user interface that allows a taxable entity to allocate portions of a refund from one tax authority to pay taxes due to another tax authority. The component and user interface may also be used to allocate portions of tax refunds to other institutions than tax authorities. Once the tax refund allocation process is completed, a message or messages indicating the allocation instructions may be sent to a financial institution that acts as an intermediary between the taxable entity, the tax authority(s), and the other institutions. The financial institution may receive the tax refund from the tax authority and distribute the portions of the refund to the other tax authorities and/or institutions as directed by the received allocation instructions.
US08429038B1
Visually presenting spending behavior, spending patterns, and spending activity to a consumer across of their all receipt based purchase transactions. Receipt data is received at a first or host computer from respective transaction processing devices or host systems of respective merchants, or received from self-service action of the consumer, and identifies respective goods or services purchased by the consumer. A user interface is displayed to the consumer and comprises a thumbnail arrangement of discrete objects, each of which represents respective receipts generated by respective transaction or transaction processing devices. A discrete object may comprise data of one or multiple goods or services and includes category indicators that visually inform the consumer about the type of good or service. Embodiments may also involve requesting receipt data utilizing a mobile communication device, searching receipt data collected by the computer and responding to the request with requested receipt data.
US08429036B2
Aspects provide digital media content as a function of embedded environmental impact data. When a digital multimedia item is received, an embedded environmental impact value is decoded and the item is utilized as a function of the decoded embedded environmental impact value. Some aspects account for amounts and types of energy used in creating the item to calculate an environmental impact value for the item, and the calculated environmental impact value is embedded within digital data of the item.
US08429023B2
A computer system for a pricing and auction process allows private enterprise firms to establish an individual price for each consumer paying in to support delivery of the same units of a public good. The process solicits bids from individuals who value a public good, while reducing each individual's incentives to free ride, thereby increasing their incentives to bid or offer a payment that approaches their full value for each, successive unit of the good. Examples include farmers selling the services of land for wildlife habitat, farmers altering production processes to reduce pesticides and nutrients and increase local water quality, particularly during transition from technologically intensive farming to organic farming, or businesses established to help neighborhoods and communities become carbon neutral in a global economy. The process benefits profit or non-profit organizations supporting conservation such as wetland and salt marsh restoration or restoration of endangered species habitat.
US08429021B2
A method for appraising at a retail location an item having one of a precious stone, a semi-precious stone, a precious metal, or a semi-precious metal includes the step of providing a variety of food products at the retail location. Then, by a transaction point computer at the retail location, the item to be appraised is received, along with the consumer's selection of a food product. The item's composition is determined using an evaluating device, and an exchange value is associated with the item using data obtained by the evaluating device and market data obtained over a network. The exchange value of the item is relayed to the consumer after the food product selected by the consumer has been delivered.
US08429016B2
Techniques for generating an alert based on absence of a given person in a transaction are provided. The techniques include monitoring, via video, a transaction, wherein the transaction includes presence of a given person in the transaction, relating the video of the transaction to a corresponding portion of a transaction log (TLOG), using the video and corresponding portion of the TLOG to detect if the given person in the transaction is present, and generating an alert if the given person is not present at the transaction.
US08429009B2
An improved universal affinity system and method is uniquely configured to be implemented and operated with a reduced impact on existing merchant point of sale and affinity systems. The improved system and method also enables merchants to provide highly targeted incentives and advertising to users of the universal affinity system.
US08429004B2
Methods and systems for measuring retail store display compliance are provided. One or more images of one or more retail store conditions are captured and associated with related information. The one or more captured images and the related information are transmitted to a processing location for storage and processing. The one or more captured images and the related information are received at the processing location, stored in a repository and processed. The one or more retail store conditions in the one or more captured images are compared with a library to identify them and obtain identification information. The one or more identified captured images and identification information for the one or more retail store conditions are stored in the repository. The one or more retail store conditions in the one or more captured images and identification information are analyzed and one or more summary reports or one or more alerts are generated based upon the analysis.
US08428997B2
Systems and methods are provided for analyzing a business's profitability. A system for analyzing customer profitability includes an interface for receiving customer, revenue and cost data from external business operating systems. Customer, revenue, and cost data are stored on a database. A data transformation module operates on the customer data, allocating revenue and costs to individual customers. A customer profitability engine calculates the profitability of customers based on the allocated revenue and cost data. A report module generates reports illustrating the profitability results and other key performance indicators. Optionally, an average customer lifetime value may be calculated based on the customer profitability results. A method for analyzing customer profitability includes identifying sources of revenue, identifying sources of costs, and establishing rules for allocating revenue and costs to individual customers. The method further includes receiving actual customer, revenue and cost data and allocating revenue and costs to individual customers according to the allocation rules. Customer profitability and KPI values are calculated for individual customers and reports are generated illustrating the profitability results and various KPIs for individual customers or groups of customers sharing a common characteristic.
US08428992B2
In one aspect, a method to estimate training development hours includes receiving data on factors selected by a user using a user interface and using a computer processor to estimate training development hours based on the data on the factors. The method may further include determining the training development hours based on the data on the factors an assigned base development hours, estimated contact hours and an analysis percentage.
US08428991B1
A method and system for scheduling is disclosed. A computer generated generic matrix is provided allowing for creation of discrete pairs of discrete elements in combination, permutation, and the like. Applications of the method and system include, but are not limited to, sports scheduling, labor scheduling, manufacturing scheduling, laboratory experiments scheduling, sales performance scheduling.
US08428981B2
An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system maintains a plurality of business elements. Each of the business elements represents a business function that may or may not be needed depending on a customer's business requirement. A scoping process is a process which determines what business elements are required according to the customer's business requirement and the relationships exist among some of the business elements. The ERP system provides an automatic business configuration subsystem. The automatic business configuration subsystem maintains a set of rules. Each of the rules representing a relationship between two business elements maintained at the ERP system. The automatic business configuration subsystem automatically determines which business elements are required and need to be implemented based on the set of rules. The automatic business configuration subsystem may also automatically determine whether statuses of the business elements are consistent with each other in view of the rules.
US08428980B2
A central computer system for processing user travel requests including an outbound journey and an inbound journey, includes elements for calculating and returning information on travel products to user, including sale prices, the central computer system being accessible from at least one user terminal, and including: A travel solutions search engine that can access at least one travel segment database (FDB) and having elements for determining outbound segments and inbound segments that comply with input criteria; A fare search engine having elements to determine the fare associated with possible travel solutions; A travel products grouping engine that applies grouping criteria which include at least one fare equivalence criterion; Elements for extracting the outbound and inbound segments from each group of travel products; Elements for displaying information on at least one group of travel products on the user terminal, separating the outbound segments and inbound segments.
US08428973B1
A system implemented on one or more processors for automatically disabling mobile device usage while driving may comprise at least one subsystem configured for determining whether a mobile device is traveling at a speed greater than a predetermined threshold and at least one subsystem configured for disabling a functionality of the mobile device if it is determined that the mobile device is traveling at a speed greater than the predetermined threshold. The at least one subsystem configured for determining whether a mobile device is traveling at a speed greater than a predetermined threshold may comprise at least one subsystem configured for receiving output data from an accelerometer on the mobile device and at least one subsystem configured for using said data to determine a current speed of the mobile device.
US08428972B1
A system implemented on one or more computer processors for providing an umbrella insurance policy may comprise at least one subsystem configured for collecting information regarding a customer's household, at least one subsystem configured for automatically accessing existing underlying insurance policy records of the customer, and at least one subsystem configured for automatically deciding a disposition of the customer's umbrella policy application based on the information collected regarding the customer's household and information from the automatically accessing of the customer's existing underlying insurance policy records.
US08428969B2
The mammography management system can provide for quality control of devices associated with the system. A method is provided for monitoring the quality standards of a mammography facility. The method can comprise generating a report that analyzes information collected in preselected data fields on the performance of a resource after automatically executing a quality control test plan configured for the resource at a preselected time. The quality control test plan is configured based on resource type.A method can provide for monitoring the quality of exams performed on a plurality of patients. The method comprises generating a report automatically analyzing and organizing information collected on the accuracy of exams preformed on the plurality of the patients into statistics. These statistics can compare the information based on a radiologist or a facility with other radiologists other facilities or overall statistics for a plurality of radiologists or a plurality of facilities.
US08428966B2
A system and method for gathering quality data for a plurality of healthcare providers over an extended computer network is disclosed. The system and method comprise an enhanced services server in electronic data communication with a plurality of Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems via a network connection, the plurality of EHR systems being configured to capture patient data for a plurality of patients at the plurality of healthcare providers' sites during a plurality of encounters with each of the plurality of patients, and the enhanced services server being built on the same architecture as the plurality of EHR systems. Electronic quality of care forms are retrieved from one or more form managers via the network connection and a plurality of fields in each of the electronic quality of care forms are automatically populated using the patient data captured by the plurality of EHR systems. The completed electronic quality of care forms are then automatically transmitted to one or more form receivers via the network connection, the one or more form receivers being one or more organizations that process quality of care data to qualify healthcare providers for at least one of certifications, accreditations, and monetary incentives.
US08428962B1
A system includes a healthcare server for determining a return on investment (ROI) for a healthcare program of an organization that provides healthcare services to patients. The healthcare server includes an expense determination module, a benefit determination module and a ROI module. The expense determination module determines operating expenses for the healthcare program. The benefit determination module determines benefits of the healthcare program to beneficiaries of the healthcare program. The beneficiaries include the organization, the patients, employers of the patients and a community that is served by the healthcare program. The ROI module determines the ROI for the healthcare program based on the operating expenses and the benefits.
US08428957B2
A technique of spectral noise shaping in an audio coding system is disclosed. Frequency decomposition of an input audio signal is performed to obtain multiple frequency sub-bands that closely follow critical bands of human auditory system decomposition. The tonality of each sub-band is determined. If a sub-band is tonal, time domain linear prediction (TDLP) processing is applied to the sub-band, yielding a residual signal and linear predictive coding (LPC) coefficients of an all-pole model representing the sub-band signal. The residual signal is further processed using a frequency domain linear prediction (FDLP) method. The FDLP parameters and LPC coefficients are transferred to a decoder. At the decoder, an inverse-FDLP process is applied to the encoded residual signal followed by an inverse TDLP process, which shapes the quantization noise according to the power spectral density of the original sub-band signal. Non-tonal sub-band signals bypass the TDLP process.
US08428956B2
There is provided an audio encoding device capable of effectively encoding a stereo audio even when a correlation between channels of the stereo audio is small. In the device, a monaural signal generation unit (110) generates a monaural signal by using a first channel signal and a second channel signal contained in the stereo signal. An encoding channel selection unit (120) selects one of the first channel signal and the second channel signal. An encoding unit including a monaural signal encoding unit (112), a first channel encoding unit (122), a second channel encoding unit (124), and a switching unit (126) encodes the generated monaural signal to obtain core-layer encoded data and encodes the selected channel signal to obtain extended layer encoded data corresponding to the core-layer encoded data.
US08428952B2
A system and method to allow an author of an instant message to enable and control the production of audible speech to the recipient of the message. The voice of the author of the message is characterized into parameters compatible with a formative or articulative text-to-speech engine such that upon receipt, the receiving client device can generate audible speech signals from the message text according to the characterization of the author's voice. Alternatively, the author can store samples of his or her actual voice in a server so that, upon transmission of a message by the author to a recipient, the server extracts the samples needed only to synthesize the words in the text message, and delivers those to the receiving client device so that they are used by a client-side concatenative text-to-speech engine to generate audible speech signals having a close likeness to the actual voice of the author.
US08428949B2
Apparatus and method for classification and segmentation of audio content, based on the audio signal
An apparatus for classifying an input audio signal into audio contents of a first and second class, comprising an audio segmentation module adapted to segment said input audio signal into segments of a predetermined length; a feature computation module adapted to calculate for the segments features characterizing said audio input signal; a threshold comparison module adapted to generate a feature vector for each of said one or more segments based on a plurality of predetermined thresholds, the thresholds including for each of the audio contents of the first class and of the second class a substantially near certainty threshold, a substantially high certainty threshold, and a substantially low certainty threshold; and a classification module adapted to analyze the feature vector and classify each one of said one or more segments as audio contents of the first class, of the second class, or as non-decisive audio contents.
US08428947B2
In one or more embodiments, one or more methods and/or systems described can perform determining two or more words of a written language from first data, determining at least one of a noise level external to a mobile device and a location of the mobile device, determining a sound output level based on the at least one of the noise level external to the mobile device and the location of the mobile device, and generating sound data based on the two or more words of the written language and the sound output level. The first data can include, for example, portable document format data that can include first text and/or an image that can include second text. In one or more embodiments, the location can be determined by using at least one of a global positioning system receiver and a location of an access point communicating with the mobile device.
US08428929B2
A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for secure server system management. A payload containing system software and/or firmware updates is distributed in an on-demand, secure I/O operation. The I/O operation is performed via a secured communication channel inaccessible by the server operating system to an emulated USB drive. The secure communication channel can be established for the I/O operation only after authenticating the recipient of the payload, and the payload can be protected from access by a potentially-infected server operating system. Furthermore, the payload can be delivered on demand rather than relying on a BIOS update schedule, and the payload can be delivered at speeds of a write operation to a USB drive.
US08428927B2
A simulation method includes obtaining an execution log generated while a predetermined processing is executed by simulating a series of operations in a test model that is a modeled version of a test target device by causing a predetermined processing to be executed in the test model, extracting a processing unit log constituted by a predetermined processing unit from the execution log obtained in the obtaining, and simulating an operation in which processing corresponding to the processing unit log extracted in the extracting is executed in a test model in which a part of function of the test target device is modified, the operation being simulated on the basis of a setting condition set by a user.
US08428922B2
A finite difference level set projection algorithm on multi-staged quadrilateral grids for simulation of a split liquid film between two rollers. From one stage to the next, the number of meshes in the vertical direction changes by a select factor to provide a good balance between resolution and number of meshes. Having fewer meshes at the nip (the smallest gap between the rollers), the multi-staged quadrilateral grid allows a much bigger time step and requires much less CPU time to reach the steady state.
US08428916B2
Systems and methods for calculating L* in the magnetosphere with essentially the same accuracy as with a physics based model at many times the speed by developing a surrogate trained to be a surrogate for the physics-based model. The trained model can then beneficially process input data falling within the training range of the surrogate model. The surrogate model can be a feedforward neural network and the physics-based model can be the TSK03 model. Operatively, the surrogate model can use parameters on which the physics-based model was based, and/or spatial data for the location where L* is to be calculated. Surrogate models should be provided for each of a plurality of pitch angles. Accordingly, a surrogate model having a closed drift shell can be used from the plurality of models. The feedforward neural network can have a plurality of input-layer units, there being at least one input-layer unit for each physics-based model parameter, a plurality of hidden layer units and at least one output unit for the value of L*.
US08428906B2
A method for determining a mixup in the terminals of a position encoder having a position encoder motor, which is bidirectionally drivable via a plurality of terminals, so that a mixup of at least two of the terminals of the position encoder motor leads to a reversal in the actuation direction of the position encoder, having the following steps of setting an actuating element of the position encoder to a zero setting, from which a motion of the actuating element is possible in one or two directions; driving the position encoder motor according to a diagnostic variable, which is selected so that, based on the actuation using the diagnostic variable, in the case of a non-mixup of the terminals and in the case of a mixup of the terminals, different absolute values of the changes are to be expected in the changes of the actuation position of the actuating element; recording a current change in the actuation position of the actuating element that comes about by the driving of the position encoder motor; establishing a mixup of at least two of the terminals, if the absolute value of the current change of the actuation position of the actuating element deviates from the absolute value of the change in the actuation position that is to be expected.
US08428900B2
The present invention provides a method and a system for a universal software quality assurance automation framework. The three reusable components of this framework are composed of a test resource comprising of a test module-entity driver-entity communication. The test module provides an opportunity to create several case scenarios and test logics. The entity driver enables the test environment software entities to be accessible to the test module, without prior knowledge of where those entities are located. The entity communication enables the drivers to communicate with various entities inside the test environment. The combination of the three reusable components enable the framework to be product agnostic. Multiple tests may be performed in parallel. Test cases are presented in the integrated graphical user interface as a hierarchical managing structure. The framework is collaborative and multiple users may use it simultaneously.
US08428898B1
A method of filtering a signal sampled by a sampler, for example, in an equivalent time oscilloscope includes applying a correction to an actual frequency response of the sampler, with respect to a reference frequency response, to a first frequency range of the sampled signal, and transitioning across a second frequency range of the sampled signal from the correction applied to the first frequency range to no correction of the actual frequency response of the sampler, the second frequency range being higher than the first frequency range. The method further includes compensating in a third frequency range of the sampled signal for excess gain incurred while applying the correction and transitioning from the correction to no correction in the first and second frequency ranges, respectively, so that statistics of asynchronous components of the sampled signal are preserved, the third frequency range being higher than the second frequency range.
US08428895B2
A system and method of testing a power system component is disclosed. The system and method comprises coupling a test set to the power system component and stimulating the power system component with a frequency sweep signal. The method also comprises capturing a response of the power system component to the frequency sweep signal, wherein the response relates to frequency and mapping the response to an estimated response, wherein the estimated response relates to temperature. The method also comprises evaluating the power system component based on the estimated response.
US08428893B2
A device detects a sequence of sub-events as part of a touch event associated with a view, determines that the sequence does not correspond to one or more predefined sequences of sub-events for the view associated with the touch event, and, in accordance with a determination that the sequence does not correspond to the one or more predefined sequences, sends a touch cancel event to the view associated with the touch event. Also disclosed is a device configured to detect a sequence of sub-events as part of a touch event associated with a view, determine that the sequence does not correspond to one or more predefined sequences of sub-events for the view associated with the touch event, and, in accordance with a determination that the sequence does not correspond to the one or more predefined sequences, cancel the touch event.
US08428886B2
Determining a genetic sequence for a particular site on an individual's genome is disclosed, including: receiving a measurement associated with a particular sequence for the particular site on the individual's genome, receiving contextual information associated with a context of the individual within a larger collection of genetic information, and using the measurement associated with the particular sequence and the contextual information to compute an improved determination of the genetic sequence at the particular site on the individual's genome.
US08428880B2
A method of processing data obtained from seismic prospecting of an earth formation, comprises obtaining data representing a multicomponent seismic signal from a multicomponent seismic receiver at a receiver location in an earth formation, in response to transmitting seismic waves into the earth formation; performing a wave-equation migration of the multicomponent seismic signal to obtain a seismic image of the earth formation, wherein the polarization of the seismic wave at the receiver location is taken into account and wherein a seismic image value at a point in the earth formation is calculated from a sum of products of a source field component for a particular dimension and a complex conjugated back propagated wave field component for the same dimension, summed over a plurality of dimensions.
US08428879B2
A system and method for controlling a downhole portion of a drill string is provided. The method includes receiving signals from a first sensor package mounted at a first position to the downhole portion, the signals indicative of an orientation of the first sensor package. The method also includes receiving signals from a second sensor package mounted at a second position to the downhole portion, the signals indicative of an orientation of the second sensor package. The method further includes calculating a first amount of bend between the first and second sensor packages in response to the signals and transmitting control signals to an actuator which responds by adjusting the downhole portion to have a second amount of bend between the first and second sensor packages.
US08428875B2
A method applied to a mobile device having a GPS receiver having access to a network interface is disclosed. When transmitting via the network interface a first command to edit a user location information on the network interface based on a first geo-information from the GPS receiver to update location information displayed on a website, a destination list stored in the mobile device is updated with transmission destination network address and current GPS receiver location information. Stored location information is periodically compared to current GPS receiver locations and when determined that the GPS receiver has moved at least a predetermined distance from the location stored in the destination list, the method transmits via the network interface a second command to edit a user location information on the network interface based on a second geo-information from the GPS receiver to the website to update or invalidate displayed location information.
US08428866B1
Aspects of the invention provide systems and methods for providing turn by turn directions based on imprecise destination information. In one embodiment, a user may request turn by turn directions based on a first location, such as an address, and a destination area, defined by the name of a geographic area, such as a city or state. A plurality of access locations may be identified based on the geographic area. These access locations may be displayed to the user so that the user may select a particular destination. The selected location may then be used, along with the first location, to provide a set of turn by turn directions to the user.
US08428865B2
The present invention provides a navigation system and roadway search method capable of easily searching for a roadway even if a user does not accurately know the name of the roadway. The navigation system includes an icon display unit that displays roadway icons by road type on a screen, and a search key setting unit that specifies a road type corresponding to the icon selected from the icons displayed on the screen, and sets a roadway name corresponding to the icon selected from the icons displayed on the screen as a search key through a user operation. The navigation system displays icons on the screen that are constituted by marks that are similar to marks actually used for roadways in paper maps or road signs. Thus the user is able to search for a roadway without needing to know the complete name of the desired roadway.
US08428864B2
A Guided Soft Target (GST) system and method provides a versatile test system and methodology for the evaluation of various crash avoidance technologies. This system and method can be used to replicate the pre-crash motions of the CP in a wide variety of crash scenarios while minimizing physical risk, all while consistently providing radar and other sensor signatures substantially identical to that of the item being simulated. The GST system in various example embodiments may comprise a soft target vehicle or pedestrian form removably attached to a programmable, autonomously guided, self-propelled Dynamic Motion Element (DME), which may be operated in connection with a wireless computer network operating on a plurality of complimentary communication networks. Specific DME geometries are provided to minimize ride disturbance and observability by radar and other sensors. Computer controlled DME braking systems are disclosed as well as break-away and retractable antenna systems.
US08428856B2
Methods, systems, devices, and computer program products for implementing condition alert services are provided. A method includes receiving information elements from a source that identify a condition, aggregating the information elements from the source with information elements from other sources that identify the same condition, and creating a composite file that includes the aggregated information elements representing each of the sources. The method also includes generating a condition alert from the composite file and transmitting the condition alert to a recipient communications device.
US08428854B2
There is provided an internal EGR control system for an internal combustion engine, which is capable of ensuring an excellent combustion state by properly controlling an internal EGR amount. The internal EGR control system is comprised of a variable valve operating mechanism 60 for controlling an internal EGR amount of combustion gases caused to remain in cylinders 3a by changing valve-closing timing CAEXVC of exhaust valves 9, target internal EGR amount-setting means 2 for setting a target internal EGR amount of the internal EGR amount EGRINC according to detected operating conditions NE, PMCMD of the engine 3, valve-closing timing-calculating means 2 for calculating valve-closing timing of the exhaust valves 9 based on the set target internal EGR amount EGRINC, valve-closing timing-correcting means 2 for correcting the calculated valve-closing timing of the exhaust valves according to the acquired wall surface temperature parameter TW indicative of wall surface temperature of the cylinder 3a, and control means 2 for controlling the variable valve operating mechanism based on the corrected valve-closing timing of the exhaust valves 9.
US08428851B2
There are provided an accelerator grip, a biasing unit connected to the accelerator grip, the biasing unit biasing the accelerator grip to rotate in one circumferential direction, and a restricting unit restricting rotation of the accelerator grip against the biasing unit for placing the accelerator grip to a predetermined opening degree, wherein the restricting unit releases restriction of the accelerator grip when a predetermined operational force or more in one circumferential direction is applied to the accelerator grip so as to excessively rotate the accelerator grip in one circumferential direction beyond the predetermined opening degree.
US08428848B2
A combustion control system for a direct injection engine includes a mean effective pressure (MEP) determination module, a coefficient of variation (COV) determination module, a spark timing module, and a fuel control module. The MEP determination module determines a MEP for a first combustion event of a cylinder based on cylinder pressure measured by a cylinder pressure sensor during the first combustion event. The COV determination module determines a COV for the cylinder based on the MEP. The spark timing module selectively sets a spark timing for a second combustion event of the cylinder based on the COV. The second combustion event is after the first combustion event. The fuel control module that selectively provides fuel for the second combustion event based on the COV.
US08428825B2
In the case of a severe collision, the severity of the collision exceeds a first threshold value at which a pretensioner mechanism starts to activate, and then exceeds a second threshold value within a collision-discriminating time range T following the start of the activation; therefore, the force limiter mechanism unit is set at a high load. In the case of a gentle collision, the severity of the collision exceeds the first threshold value, at which the pretensioner mechanism starts to activate, but does not exceed the second threshold value within the collision-discriminating time range T following the start of the activation; therefore the force limiter mechanism unit is set at a low load. Therefore, without a determination delay, the switching of the force limiter mechanism can be appropriately selected.
US08428824B2
The present invention relates to a technology related to angle control and automatic parking, and more particularly to an angle control method and apparatus for improving angle control quality so as to make the movement of a steering handle smooth, and an automatic parking system using the same.
US08428820B2
The present invention relates to a method of determining the path of a vehicle along a two-dimensional plane intended to control the movement of the vehicle by means of a driver-assisting system, where the path interconnects an initial state and a terminal state and each of the states Zi=[xi, yi, ψi, ci] along the path is characterized by four state coordinates with xi and yi being the Cartesian coordinates of a point Pi, ψi being the direction angle of the tangent line, and ci being the curvature of the path at point Pi, and where the path is made up of a number of elementary paths meeting at junction points JPi such that the four state coordinates of state Zi are characterized by a continuous transition at the junction points JPi.
US08428817B2
Vehicle cooling fan control system and method which prevent an occupant from hearing peculiar sounds from a cooling fan due to a decrease in rotation speed are provided. The vehicle cooling fan control system according to the present invention is configured not to stop the rotation of a fan motor for a predetermined time even upon satisfaction of an air conditioner stoppage condition as long as a vehicle interior is quiet.
US08428814B2
A method of verifying regulatory compliance of a vehicle having a vehicle diagnostic system includes providing a vehicle unit having an adapter that is configured to connect with a vehicle diagnostic port of the vehicle diagnostic system. The vehicle unit further includes a vehicle wireless transceiver and a memory. The adapter is connected with the vehicle diagnostic port and receives vehicle data including exhaust emission parameters. The vehicle data is stored in the memory. A communication network is provided for two-way wireless communication with the vehicle unit. The communication network is made up of a plurality of geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers. The vehicle wireless communication transceiver is activated with one of the geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers when the vehicle wireless communication transceiver is in a vicinity of that geographically dispersed wireless communication transceiver to communicate the stored vehicle data to that one of the geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers. A host computer system with access to the communication network receives vehicle data from the geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers. A database accessed by the host computer system collects environmental regulatory compliance data. Environmental authority is provided access to the database to verify regulatory compliance.
US08428809B2
A method of valve lift failure detection may include determining first and second intake air pressures in an engine having intake valve lifters that selectively operate intake valves in first and second lift modes. The first intake air pressure may correspond to an intake stroke of a first piston of the engine when the engine is commanded to operate in the first lift mode and the second intake air pressure may correspond to an intake stroke of a second piston of the engine when the engine is commanded to operate in the first lift mode. The method may further include determining a difference between the first and second intake air pressures and diagnosing an intake valve lifter failure when the difference exceeds a predetermined limit.
US08428806B2
A dual mode battery charging system and method of use are provided for use in an electric vehicle. The system utilizes at least two user selectable, charging operational modes. In a first operational mode, a state of charge circuit powers on the engine/generator system whenever the battery state of charge falls below a first level and until the battery state of charge reaches a second level, where the second level is higher than the first level. In a second operational mode, the state of charge circuit powers on the engine/generator system whenever the battery state of charge falls below a third level and until the battery state of charge reaches a fourth level, where the fourth level is higher than the third level, and where both the third and fourth levels are lower than both the first and second levels.
US08428802B2
There is disclosed a vehicle assistance system including an assistance vehicle provided with a power source; an assisted vehicle driven by power; and an electric cable which electrically connects the assistance vehicle to the assisted vehicle, wherein the power of the power source is supplied from the assistance vehicle to the assisted vehicle via the electric cable.
US08428799B2
A method and system for operating a marine vessel includes a cruise control module operating the marine vessel at a speed and a trim control module positioning an outdrive into a plurality of trim positions. A fuel economy determination module determines a plurality of fuel economies for each of the trim positions and determines an efficient trim position from the plurality of fuel economies for each of the trim positions. An operation control module operates the marine vessel at the efficient trim position. A trim tab position may also be taken into account for efficient operation.
US08428797B2
A method and a configuration for the operation of a railroad line include at least one signal box for providing line-block-section-specific light signal data and a line side system for an intermittent automatic or inductive train control system at line block section ends. In order to dispense with line side light signals and still be able to continue to use a signal box logic concept for light signals, the signal box transfers the line-block-section-specific light signal data over a radio system to a rail vehicle and the intermittent automatic or inductive train control system transfers line-block-section-specific data to the rail vehicle during passage by the rail vehicle. The rail vehicle determines the light signal data assigned to the line block section by comparison of line block section specifics.
US08428793B2
According to an example embodiment, a method includes receiving an emergency status signal indicating that an aircraft is in an emergency condition, formatting a downlink message in response to receiving the emergency status signal, the downlink message describing the emergency condition and an autopilot response to the emergency condition, and transmitting the downlink message to a controller of the aircraft.
US08428786B2
In one embodiment, a method determines an area for a load reduction of resources. Statistics regarding a past history of load reductions for a plurality of consumers in the area is then determined. Load reduction ratings for the plurality of consumers based on the statistics is then determined. The load reduction rating may be used to rank the consumers based on the result of past load reductions. A list of consumers and devices is then determined for the load reduction. For example, consumers and associated devices are selected based on their load reduction rating. The amount of savings is calculated to be equal to an amount of load reduction that is desired. A signal requesting a load reduction is then sent for the determined consumers and devices.
US08428781B2
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for controlling robotic apparatus having several movable elements or segments coupled by joints. At least one of the movable elements can include one or more mobile bases, while the others can form one or more manipulators. One of the movable elements can be treated as an end effector for which a certain motion is desired. The end effector may include a tool, for example, or represent a robotic hand (or a point thereon), or one or more of the one or more mobile bases. In accordance with the systems and methods disclosed herein, movement of the manipulator and the mobile base can be controlled and coordinated to effect a desired motion for the end effector. In many cases, the motion can include simultaneously moving the manipulator and the mobile base.
US08428770B2
Each load-carrier of a system is always controlled by one of a series of MCUs (monitoring and control units) that are assigned to contiguous regions along guideways. Each carrier is slowed down to maintain a safe distance behind a carrier ahead, or to avoid collision with another carrier when approaching a merge point of a convergent Y-junction or when otherwise desirable. Distance measurements take into account the lengths of carriers and of assigned regions and the counts of speed pulses sent to MCUs since entry of carriers into their respective regions. For merge control, arrival data are developed that include the times and speeds to and at arrival of two carriers at a merge point. Through repeated comparisons of arrival data developed from one carrier with arrival data previously developed and stored as to the other carrier, the one carrier is gradually slowed down as necessary to avoid a collision.
US08428768B2
Computer-enabled methods and devices allow for the ready set-up for machine instruction generation by addressing various combinations of machining patterns and tool axis orientations via the selection or designation of a machining pattern and the selection or designation of a tool axis orientation via exemplary separate menus of a user interface.
US08428761B2
A production system and a production method, which can change a period to delivery of products flexibly depending on a change of demand, in the case of producing a plurality of products having different specifications by mixing. A production system of plural kinds of products has a plurality of lower processes, which is capable of diverging, with respect to an upper process that can be applied common in a plurality of products. These upper process and lower process are organized by including one or a plurality of processes. A production line is constructed by a plurality of manufacturing facilities having different functions through the upper process and the lower process. Such a production system is provided with an order and delivery management system, a design management system, and a process management system.
US08428739B2
This system gives the experimenter great flexibility to present spatio-temporal stimulation patterns to a subject. A video configuration file (VCF) editor allows the experimenter to determine the electrical stimulation parameters for each electrode. A Pattern Stimulation software program allows direct stimulation of chosen patterns of electrodes, scaled by the subject's VCF, through a Graphical User Interface. The subject then responds by drawing the outline of the phosphene he or she perceives on a touchscreen. The Pattern Stimulation program saves all of the trial parameters and the parameters of an ellipse fit to their drawing, as well as a raw data file containing the input to the touchscreen is saved. After the experiment, offline image analysis can be performed to obtain a detailed quantitative description of the subject's percepts. Image descriptors can assigned to the touchscreen data; these image descriptors can be used to make formalized comparisons between various experimental conditions. Various types of image descriptors can be used, including simple ellipse fitting, projections of the 2-D drawings onto one-dimensional axes, calculations of Hu moments, PCA, and ICA.
US08428724B2
A low-insertion force electrical connector for implantable medical devices. The electrical contact includes a housing with a pair of opposing sidewalls each with center openings oriented generally concentrically around a center axis. The housing also includes a recess with a recess diameter. An inner coil is located in the recess with a coil axis generally co-linear with the center axis of the center openings. The inner coil includes an outer diameter less than the recess diameter, and an inner diameter greater than a center opening diameter. An outer coil is threaded onto the inner coil to form a generally toroidal-shape. The outer coil has an outer diameter less than the recess diameter, and an inner diameter less than the center opening diameter. The outer coil is radially expanded within the recess in response to engagement with contact rings on the implantable medical device, such that the outer diameter of the outer coil is at least equal to the recess diameter.
US08428722B2
A communications device facilitates communication between a medical device and a wireless communications network and comprises a telemetry circuit configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more medical devices, and a computer network communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate directly with a wireless computer network. The communications device also comprises a peripheral device communication interface configured to communicate with a wireless peripheral device and a processor being in operable communication with, and configured to control operations of, the telemetry circuit, the network communication interface, and the peripheral device communication interface.
US08428720B2
Methods and devices for analyzing posture-induced changes to physiological parameters of a patient (e.g., ejection time, heart rate, etc.) to provide an assessment of one or more conditions of the patient.
US08428718B2
A method and apparatus for detection of changes in impedance a patient that includes generating measured impedances, generating an adaptive baseline trend of the measured impedances corresponding to a first time period, generating a short term trend of the measured impedances corresponding to a second time period less than the first time period, determining changes in relative position of the short term trend and the baseline trend, the determined changes in relative position corresponding to determining intersecting of the baseline trend by the short term trend, determining differences between the baseline trend and calculated period average impedances, and accumulating, in response to determining no intersecting of the baseline trend by the short term trend, the determined differences between the baseline trend and the calculated period average impedances.
US08428717B2
A fluid status monitoring system for use in implantable cardiac stimulation or monitoring devices is provided for monitoring changes in thoracic fluid content. A fluid status monitor includes excitation pulse generating and control circuitry, and voltage and current measurement and control circuitry for performing a series of cardiac-gated, intra-thoracic impedance measurements. The cardiac-gated measurements are filtered or time-averaged to provide a fluid status impedance value, with respiratory noise removed. Based on comparative analysis of the fluid status impedance value, a clinically relevant trend in fluid status may be tentatively diagnosed and a fluid status response provided. Cross-check intra-thoracic impedance measurements performed using the same or a different excitation pathway and a different measurement pathway than the primary intra-thoracic impedance measurement configuration may be used to verify a tentative diagnosis.
US08428705B2
Atrial fibrillation is detected in an electrical signal representative of a beating heart by measuring atrial activity over a time window of three or more beats, measuring beat interval variation over the time window and combining the measures of atrial activity and beat interval variation to produce an indication of an atrial fibrillation condition in the electrical signal.
US08428703B2
A heart monitor is disclosed. The monitor computes ST segment deviations and stores the results in heart rate based histograms. Periodically, the monitor analyzes the histogram data to determine a normal range of ST deviation for a particular heart rate range. The monitor computes heart rate dependent ischemia detection thresholds based on the upper and lower boundaries of the normal range.
US08428701B2
A device for electrocardiogram measurement is provided, which is relatively not easily influenced by electrical activities of muscles, and which can perform electrocardiogram measurement during a measured person's daily life without removing clothes. The device includes a pair of lead electrode sections that are provided on a band section. Each of the pair of lead electrode sections includes a lead electrode that is disposed so that the lead electrode is positioned in the vicinity of a carotid artery of the measured person when the band section surrounds a neck portion of the measured person. The band section is configured to include a flexible band, and the band section detachably holds onto the neck portion of the measured person with nipping force arising from elastic deformation of the flexible band.
US08428693B2
A method for selecting modular neck components for hip implants based on independent variables associated with physical characteristics of the implant, including leg length, offset, and anteversion. During surgery, the surgeon may be confronted with a need to change a preoperatively-chosen modular neck. For example, the surgeon may desire a change in at least one of the variables, e.g., leg length, offset, and/or anteversion. The present method allows the surgeon to quickly and easily select a different modular neck based on an evaluation of one of the variables without requiring reevaluation of the other variables. The method may include preoperative planning in which a template including a grid coordinate system is used.
US08428690B2
A system and method to display a four-dimensional (4D) model of an imaged anatomy is provided. The system comprises a controller, and an imaging system including an imaging probe in communication with the controller. The imaging probe can acquire generally real-time, 3D image data relative to a direction of image acquisition along an imaging plane. The system also includes a tracking system in communication with the controller. The tracking system includes at least one tracking element integrated with the imaging probe. The system is operable to process the generally real-time, 3D image data acquired by the imaging probe relative to generally real-time tracking information acquired by the tracking system so as to display the 4D model of the imaged anatomy.
US08428678B2
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for calibrating a continuous analyte sensor, such as a continuous glucose sensor. One such system utilizes one or more electrodes to measure an additional analyte. Such measurements may provide a baseline or sensitivity measurement for use in calibrating the sensor. Furthermore, baseline and/or sensitivity measurements may be used to trigger events such as digital filtering of data or suspending display of data.
US08428672B2
A portable critical care medical ventilator with autonomous control of oxygenation is provided. The system and method provide for significantly reducing the O2 required to maintain an adequate O2 concentration and as a result delivery of O2 to the body's tissues and does not require the clinician to enter initial values.
US08428670B2
A reception device including a transmission part having transmission cables transmitting a signal and/or power of a main-body device, an antenna part provided along the transmission cables from main-body-device-side ends of the transmission cables to a point between the main-body-device-side ends and the other ends of the transmission cables so that a high-frequency-signal-transmission path is formed, a high-frequency-elimination circuit provided at the main-body-device-side ends, which eliminates entry of the high-frequency signal to the main-body device, and a tuner that connects one of ends of the antenna part, the end being provided on the main-body-device side, to an antenna-input terminal and that receives a broadcast wave falling within the first frequency band corresponding to the antenna part's length is provided. The other end of the antenna part is an open end.
US08428669B2
[Object]To provide a portable terminal device accepting an input operation in accordance with acceleration, which is less prone to cause incorrect input and allows a user to perform easily an input operation.[Constitution]A mobile phone includes an acceleration sensor 13 for detecting acceleration produced on a mobile phone main body; a cumulative value calculating section 100a for calculating a cumulative value of detected acceleration; a comparing section 100b for comparing the cumulative value with a threshold value; and a CPU 100 for controlling a security lock mode in accordance with a result of comparison by the comparing section 100b. When the cumulative value has exceeded the threshold value by a user shaking the mobile phone, the CPU 100 cancels the security lock mode.
US08428668B2
A sliding mechanism comprises a main plate, a sliding plate, a sliding enabling member and a biasing assembly. The sliding enabling member is coupled between the sliding plate and the main plate so the sliding plate slidably engages with the main plate. The biasing assembly is coupled between the sliding plate and the main plate. When the sliding plate is slid from a closed position to an intermediate position, the biasing assembly is distorted to exert a force on the sliding plate and the main plate, causing the sliding plate to automatically slide toward an open position once the sliding plate passes the intermediate position.
US08428662B2
The present disclosure provides methods and systems for a hand held mobile device that has a front surface, two side surfaces, and a bottom surface wherein the bottom surface partially includes a battery pack having an outer surface that forms an integral relationship with the bottom surface. The first perch and second perch at least partially extend away from the outer surface of the battery pack of the hand held mobile device. The first perch and the second perch are in a spaced-apart arrangement for allowing the finger of a user to be positioned between the first perch and the second perch during use of the hand held mobile device.
US08428660B2
A communication system has an audio receiver path, and a digital transceiver path, wherein both paths are integrated on a single integrated circuit. The audio receiver path has a concealment device, and the communication system also has at least one functional block connected to and shared by the both paths. The communication system has a digital controller connected to both paths, the at least one functional block, and the concealment device. The digital controller is operable to schedule the operation of the digital transceiver path, and to inform the concealment device of start and end points of the activity of the digital transceiver path. The concealment device is operable to mask interruptions in the audio stream from the audio receiver path caused during periods of activity of the digital transceiver path.
US08428638B2
A method of controlling a base station, a network controller, a base station, a telecommunications network and a computer program product are disclosed. A method of controlling a base station (140; 150; 160) in a mobile telecommunications network (220) comprises the steps of: (i) determining whether a base station within the mobile telecommunications network is not supporting user equipment (110; 120; 130) and, if so, then (ii) signalling the base station to reduce its transmission power. An assessment is made as to whether a base station is currently supporting user equipment. If a base station is currently supporting user equipment, then that base station is unlikely to be a candidate to have its power reduced since support to that user equipment needs to be maintained. However, if a base station is not supporting user equipment, then that base station would appear to be a likely candidate for transmission power reduction, thereby saving power in the network at those locations where it is possible to do so.
US08428634B2
A conference condition file is used to check whether at least one stored conference condition is met, which indicates a condition regarding a participant's setup of and/or participation in the telecommunication conference. If at least one condition is met then the conference is set up or the participant is added to the conference.
US08428626B2
A method is provided to process data in a wireless data exchange. The method includes exchanging data between two or more wireless devices in real time and opening a thread of communications between the wireless devices, where the thread includes one or more data exchanges between the wireless devices. When the real time messaging exchange has been established, the method identifies all or portions of the thread as potential data to store. As such data is identified, the method selectively caches the identified portions of the thread for future data retrieval.
US08428625B2
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for paging devices in a communication network. A network device providing mobility management through control messaging can be assigned a number of cell sites in a tracking area. The network device such as a mobility management entity (MME) can use a criteria or heuristic based implementation to provide a hierarchy for contacting a mobile device with a page. The criteria or heuristic based implementation can page a subset of the total number of cell sites in a tracking area and expand the subset after unsuccessful attempts to page the mobile device. The implementation can also be tailored to offer a range of options for page requests received by a network device, which can be based on such things as the application sending the page request.
US08428604B2
Exemplary system, method, software and apparatus embodiments provide for creating a content-based notification for a mobile device, as a simulated push operation, for devices which do not have push capability. The system comprises a database, a server, and may also include a second web server for user account configuration. The database is adapted to store user account configuration and preference information. The server is adapted to receive a first message having a first protocol, such as SMTP, and to determine whether the content-based notification for the first message should be provided. When the content-based notification is to be provided, the server is adapted to extract a subset of information from the first message, and using the subset of information, to create a second message having a second, different protocol, such as SMS. The second message is transferred to a wireless network for transmission to the mobile device, with the second message providing the content-based notification of the first message. The information extracted from the first message enables a user to determine whether they want to download the complete message, as a user-transparent pull operation, and typically includes the from, to, size, date, subject fields, and a portion of the body of the first message, up to the remaining capacity of the second message.
US08428596B2
A system capable of normally connecting a call without degrading the security level in a mobile terminal network, even in cases when a call addressed to a set of user equipment (UE) arrives via the Internet or a home network. In ST 101, a femto base station (110) receives a packet addressed to a set of UE (100) via the Internet or a home network and, in ST 102, starts a paging procedure. In ST 103, the set of UE (100) establishes an RRC connection to the femto base station (110). In ST 104, the UE (100) transmits, to the femto base station (110), a paging response addressed to the SGSN (150). In ST 105, the femto base station (110) performs NAS verification. If the femto base station (110) detects the paging response to a paging request made by itself, the femto base station (110), in ST 107, changes the service type of the service request received from the UE (100) from the paging response to signaling.
US08428595B2
The present invention relates to methods and arrangements that enable a User Equipment UE to limit the number of sub cell searches needed in a wireless communication system with Coordinated Multiple Point transmission/reception (CoMP) cells, while keeping an acceptable system performance at handovers. This is achieved by a solution where the UE does sub cell search in a candidate target CoMP cell only when the candidate target CoMP cell quality performance is within a reasonable range or when the serving CoMP cell quality performance is low.
US08428590B2
A method and an apparatus for identifying a UE in an SAE network, and an MME are provided herein. The method includes: receiving an SAE-TMSI which is allocated to a UE that accesses an SAE network and includes at least: a pool-ID, an MME-ID, and a UE temporary identifier; using the SAE-TMSI to temporarily identify the UE in the SAE network. The apparatus includes: a receiving unit and a temporary identifying unit. The MME includes a temporary identifier allocating unit. Moreover, a method for transmitting and allocating a temporary identifier, and a method for receiving and transmitting information according to the temporary identifier are disclosed herein.
US08428588B2
The invention therefore relates to a method, a first Mobility Control Node and a second Mobility Control Node for context handling when a user equipment, UE, moves from a previous Access Network, AN, to a present AN. The ANs are adapted to communicate with a Core Network, CN, and the UE is adapted to communicate wirelessly with the AN's. The method comprises the steps of: the UE detecting that it has entered a Mobility Area, MA, belonging to the present AN, said MA not being registered with the CN, the UE initiating a Mobility Area Update, MAU, procedure in response to the detection by sending a MAU Request message comprising an UE Temporary ID to a Radio Access Node, RAN, the RAN adding a Mobility Area Identity, MAI, to the Request message and forwarding the message to a first Mobility Control Node, MCN, responsible for the present AN, the first MCN deriving one second MCN from the UE Temporary ID and sending a context request message to said second MCN.
US08428584B2
A system and method for accelerating network selection by a wireless user equipment (UE) device without having to perform a full band scan (FBS). In one exemplary embodiment, the wireless UE device is operable to scan in a network environment for discovering at least one network. Depending upon geographic region information decoded from the discovered network's identity information, a logic structure in the wireless UE device is operable to determine a subset of appropriate frequency data for selective scanning by said wireless UE device. Using the subset of appropriate frequency data, a selective scanning is performed for locating a network by the wireless UE device.
US08428583B2
A method includes storing subscriber data at one or more locations, and storing, at least one of the one or more locations, one or more rules for managing the subscriber data at least one of the one or more locations. The subscriber data regarding at least one of the one or more locations is managed on the basis of the rules.
US08428580B1
Disclosed are a system and method for controlling transmit power of a mobile node in air-to-ground communications to a fixed node. Power is controlled by taking into consideration the position of the mobile node, the ground position of a plurality of fixed nodes, and the RF pattern of an antenna. Preferably, a power level is selected that will excite the fewest number of the plurality of fixed nodes while still maintaining a stable connection with at least one of the fixed nodes. The system may also utilize a repeater to receive communication signals from one or more mobile phones. This repeater then pre-amplifies the signal with a gain control signal received from one of the plurality of fixed nodes. The repeater would then pass the pre-amplified signal to the power amplifier for further amplification as controlled by the power controller.
US08428568B1
A portable device and a method for controlling the same are disclosed, in which additional data of caller ID are displayed. The method for controlling a portable device comprises the steps of receiving an incoming call, detecting a user's face on the portable device, displaying additional data on the incoming call if the user's face is detected, the additional data being some of a plurality of additional data collected from a plurality of data sources to correspond to caller ID of the incoming call, displaying other additional data included in the collected additional data per predetermined time interval if the user's face is continuously detected, and detecting a user input for answering or rejecting the incoming call.
US08428559B2
The present invention generally relates to a system and method for recording mobile phone calls for record keeping. The present invention utilizes a software call-recording application installed on the mobile phone to make a direct connection to a centralized recording server utilizing a conference or three-way calling feature on the mobile phone. The centralized recording server can answer the incoming call from the mobile phone. The incoming call can be tagged with an identification. The recording server can then capture the audio and any data and store the audio and data for future use. In one embodiment, a recording can be made at the mobile phone and forwarded to the recording server. The recording can be initiated remotely.
US08428558B2
A system and method for routing in a wireless mesh network providing a first device, which includes a first device transceiver, a first device memory unit that includes a first device first queue, a first device second queue and a first device table of neighboring devices, and a first device central processing unit. Such a system also includes a second device that includes a second device transceiver, a second device memory unit that includes a second device first queue, a second device second queue and a second device table of neighboring devices, and a second device central processing unit.
US08428546B2
A baseband processing technique is described that permits to process in an analog signal domain a complex-valued baseband signal to laterally remove interference components resulting, for example, from in-band blocking signals. In an exemplary device implementation, the baseband processing device is configured to receive a baseband signal having a designated signal bandwidth defined by two opposite band edges, wherein a first frequency shift in a first direction toward a first band edge is impressed on the baseband signal. The device comprises a first filter stage adapted to filter the baseband signal exhibiting the first frequency shift to remove interference components behind the first band edge, a frequency shifter stage adapted to shift the filtered baseband signal by a second frequency shift in a second direction opposite the first direction towards a second band edge, and a second filter stage adapted to filter the baseband signal exhibiting the second frequency shift to remove interference components behind the second band edge.
US08428545B1
Circuitry for use in a direct conversion transmitting or receiving chains includes mixing circuitry which converts baseband signal to radio frequency or vice versa. A local oscillator to provide a signal having a first component and a second component at a harmonic of the first to the mixing circuitry. The circuitry has a filter circuit which attenuates signals output at a first frequency by an amount which is low relative and which attenuates signals output at a second frequency by an amount which is high, both being relative to the attenuation of signals output at frequencies other than the second frequency. The filter circuit is tunable to vary the frequencies, and configured such that the second frequency is maintained at a predetermined integer multiple of the first frequency.
US08428538B2
A radio receiver comprises a processing unit configured to subject a received radio signal to signal switching. A control unit is configured to output a control signal indicative of information related to the signal switching. A channel estimator is coupled to an output of the processing unit and configured to provide channel parameters based on the control signal received from the control unit.
US08428534B1
Techniques are disclosed relating to radio frequency (RF) power detection. In one embodiment, a power detection unit is disclosed that includes a multiplier circuit configured to receive a first voltage of a voltage differential signal at gates of a first transistor pair and a second voltage of the voltage differential signal at gates of a second transistor pair. The first multiplier is configured to output a current that varies proportionally to a square of a voltage difference between the first and second voltages. In some embodiments, sources of the first transistor pair are coupled to sources of the second transistor pair, and the sources of the second transistor pair are coupled together. In some embodiments, the power detection unit is configured to compensate for mismatched transistors by applying offset voltages to bodies of transistors in the first and second transistor pairs.
US08428526B2
A system and method for tuning baseband filters in wireless transceivers. A method comprises coupling a radio frequency (RF) signal generated by the wireless transmitter at an input of a wireless receiver, the RF signal having a desired frequency, measuring a magnitude of the coupled RF signal at an output of an analog-to-digital converter at an output of an analog baseband filter, wherein the magnitude is measured at the desired frequency, and adjusting a corner frequency of the analog baseband filter in response to the determining that the measured magnitude differs from a specified value.
US08428522B2
Reliability detection of channel quality indicator (CQI) and application to outer loop power control
A method for performing outer loop power control in wireless communications is disclosed. A channel quality indicator (CQI) message is transmitted by a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU). The WTRU receives a power control command, the power control command being derived by: decoding the CQI message; computing a decision metric value for each symbol in the CQI message; determining whether the CQI message is erroneous; and counting a number of erroneous CQI messages, wherein the power control command is based on whether the number of erroneous CQI messages exceeds a threshold. An uplink transmission power of the WTRU is adjusted based on the power control command.
US08428520B2
Provided is a technique of calculating a proper margin according to the area or a radio propagation estimation method in the area design of wireless communication using a radio propagation simulator. From a storage part wherein information relating to positions where deterioration of a communication quality or a radio quality is confirmed and information relating to the radio conditions at the positions are associated with each other, a margin design system extracts positions where the radio conditions are equal, estimates the radio quality at the positions by the radio propagation simulator, and calculates the margin of a radio quality estimated value on the basis of the estimated radio quality.
US08428516B2
Providing network security includes detecting network traffic associated with an ad hoc network that includes a first station and a second station, and preventing data sent by the first station from reaching the second station.
US08428514B2
An asymmetric and asynchronous energy conservation protocol for vehicular networks is provided. In one aspect, an a-quorum may be defined for one or more members for the one or more members to establish asymmetric links to contact the cluster head. An s-quorum for the cluster head to establish symmetric link between the cluster heads and relays may be defined.
US08428509B2
Presented is a system for providing a rich media visitor log comprising a communications server accessible by members of a group, a local services network interactively connected to the communications server, a group management application resident on the communications server, and a visitor log host application. The group management application is configured to activate a group session, manage communications among group members and the local services network during the group session, and expire activation of the group session after a predetermined time interval. The visitor log host application is configured to collect communications from the communications managed by the group management application, identify exemplary communications for inclusion in the rich media visitor log, select rich media display assets corresponding to the identified exemplary communications, and produce the rich media visitor log comprising the identified exemplary communications and the selected corresponding rich media display assets.
US08428504B2
A medium clamping device includes: a first circularly-moving body having a circumferential surface harder than a recording medium, a longer length in a direction orthogonal to a circularly-moving direction than the recording medium in a first direction; a second circularly-moving body where the recording medium passes between the surfaces of the two circularly-moving bodies in a second direction crossing the first direction; a load applying section applying a load to at least one of the two circularly-moving bodies to clamp the recording medium; a belt member surrounding the surface of at least one of the two circularly-moving bodies, at a place outside an area touching the recording medium when the recording medium passes; and a belt-member-protecting member which is aligned with the belt member in a recording-medium-passing direction, includes a portion closer to a recording-medium-passing path than the belt member to protect the belt member from contacting the recording medium.
US08428495B2
Liquid electro-photographic (LEP) printers having a coating disposed thereon, LEP printers having a compound such as fluorosurfactant in the resin to make one or more parts of the LEP printer, and the like, are disclosed.
US08428487B2
An image forming apparatus includes first and second image bearing drums; first and second developing devices; an intermediary transfer member; a cleaning device for collecting toner remaining on the intermediary transfer member; a heater for heating a recording material; an executing portion capable of executing an operation in a first mode for forming an image on the intermediary transfer member from the first and second image bearing drums and an operation in a second mode for forming an image on the intermediary transfer member only from the second drum; a temperature detecting portion disposed in the apparatus; a fan for feeding air in the apparatus; a controller for controlling the fan based on an output of the temperature detecting portion; and a setting portion for setting a temperature, wherein the temperature at which an air feed amount is increased in the second mode is lower than in the first mode.
US08428486B2
A process unit and an image forming apparatus are provided. The process unit is slidably moutable on an apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus. The process unit includes plural photosensitive units which include photosensitive members, respectively, and are arranged at an interval, each of the photosensitive units including a unit contact, an electrode unit which electrically connects the photosensitive units to the apparatus main body. The electrode unit includes plural unit-side electrode members which come into contact with the unit contacts of the photosensitive units, respectively, a relay electrode member which comes into contact with the respective unit-side electrode members to electrically connect the respective unit-side electrode members, and a body-side electrode member which comes into contact with an apparatus main body contact provided in the apparatus main body.
US08428478B2
An image forming apparatus includes a selector for selecting a first mode in which a transparent toner image is partly formed on a surface of a recording material and a second mode in which the transparent toner image is formed so that whole surface of the recording material is coated with a transparent toner; and a controller for controlling execution so that execution of the first and second image forming modes are permitted when information indicates that the recording material has not been subjected to image formation before the recording material is placed to a placing portion and so that execution of the second mode is permitted but execution of the first mode is forbidden when the information indicates that the recording material has already been subjected to image formation before the recording material is placed to the placing portion.
US08428475B2
A waste toner container that collects waste toner that is not used to form an image in an image forming unit of an image forming apparatus, and includes a waste toner collection opening to receive the waste toner output from the image forming unit, a toner amount detector to detect toner amount in the waste toner container, and a waste toner conveyance member disposed inside the waste toner container to convey the waste toner in the waste toner container. The waste toner conveyance member defines a waste toner conveyance direction exchange point, which is a boundary between two different toner conveyance direction regions in which the waste toner is conveyed in opposite directions, and the waste toner conveyance direction exchange point is disposed closer to the toner amount detector than is the waste toner collection opening.
