US08480399B2
A game is disclosed which teaches a comprehensive understanding of fundamental aspects of personal (family) finances—including insurance, working with debt, investing and securing financial objectives, and which enables players to understand principles upon which significant wealth may be accumulated, and also teaches financial advisors how to organize finances of their clients. The game teaches skills concerning personal finances, including insurance, working with debt and investing, and securing financial objectives. The game also teaches the fundamental aspects of working with the cash flow one has, and it teaches players to understand principles upon which significant wealth may be accumulated.
US08480394B2
The invention relates to a flat-flame vault burner (10) suitable for being installed in a vault (21) which delimits the combustion chamber (20) of a steel heating furnace, the burner (10) comprising a main metallic hollow cylindrical body (12), a single duct (13) for the conveyance of fuel gas concentric to the main body (12), and a central internal nozzle (14) for the injection of a fuel gas. Said burner also comprises at least two nozzles (17) outside said main body (12) for the injection of fuel into the combustion chamber (20).
US08480392B2
A level adjustment device includes a main body, four shaft seats, two adjusting elements, two actuating gears, and a supporting plate. The main body has a side surface and an upper surface connected to the side surface. The main body defines two slots in the side surface. Each two shaft seats are positioned at two opposite sides of a corresponding one of the slots and extend outwards from the side surface. Each of the adjusting elements includes a toothed portion and a supporting portion, the toothed portion movably received in the slot and the supporting portion protruding out of the upper surface. Each of two actuating gears is rotatably sleeved between two corresponding shaft seats and meshes with the toothed portion. The supporting plate is supported on the two adjustment elements above the upper surface.
US08480388B2
Injection molding tool for the manufacture of a plastic element sheathed with a sheet-metal shell (8), where the gate (12) which is designed as an integral part of the lower mold half (9) for correct positioning and supply of the plastic melt projects beyond the inner surface of the mold half (9) into the sheet-metal shell having a positioning opening (14), such that the plastic melt is discharged inside the sheet-metal shell and does not flow past it. A sealing groove (18) adjoining the gate and integral with the mold half, said groove receiving a sealing ring (17) elastically deformable under the effect of the internal pressure on the sheet-metal shell, forming a rigid sealing edge (19) to the sheet-metal shell and at the same time performing the function of a labyrinth seal together with a gap (16) remaining between the positioning opening and the gate, also ensures that the plastic melt does not flow past the sheet-metal shell and that the sheet-metal shell is sealed to the outside such that the high internal pressure required to shape the sheet-metal shell can be generated by the continued flow of the plastic melt.
US08480383B2
A solenoid pump is equipped with a housing formed therein with a fluid passage through which a fluid flows from an inlet port to an outlet port, and a movable member, which is displaced based on an excitation state of a solenoid section, for thereby opening and closing the fluid passage. The fluid passage includes an inlet side passage that communicates with the inlet port, an outlet side passage that communicates with the outlet port, and a pump chamber made up of a space in communication with the inlet side passage and the outlet side passage, and surrounded by the housing and an end portion of the movable member. Accompanying displacement thereof, the movable member opens and closes communication between the pump chamber and the outlet side passage.
US08480382B2
An electromagnetic pump has a frequency converter circuit for driving the electromagnetic pump, wherein the frequency converter circuit comprises an oscillator circuit, a bistable circuit and a push-pull circuit. The oscillator circuit oscillates to transform DC into a single-phase oscillating signal. The bistable circuit splits the single-phase oscillating signal into a N-phase stimulus signal and a S-phase stimulus signal. The push-pull circuit amplifies and transports the N-phase stimulus signal and the S-phase stimulus signal to the electromagnetic pump to make the swing arms of the electromagnetic pump swinging effectively, wherein the swing speed, the swing frequency and the swing amplitude of the swing arms vary with the change of the oscillation frequency of the oscillator circuit. Thereby, the suction pressure and the discharge pressure of the electromagnetic pump could further be adjusted higher or lower, wherein said frequency converter circuit comprises a modulation circuit, which could change the swing speed of the swing arms swinging outwardly or inwardly to further increase or decrease the suction pressure or the discharge pressure.
US08480380B2
A washer pump apparatus having a washer fluid heating function, may include a housing having an inlet provided at a first end thereof to permit a washer fluid to flow thereinto, and an outlet provided at a second end thereof to permit the washer fluid to flow out therefrom, a heater unit disposed in the housing on a course extending from the inlet substantially to the outlet to heat the washer fluid passing through the heater unit, and having a hollow portion therein, a path member inserted into the hollow portion, and having on an inner circumference thereof a passage through which the washer fluid passes, an impeller unit provided in the housing and supplying the washer fluid from the inlet to the outlet, a check valve provided at a portion of the outlet, and being open when a discharge pressure of the washer fluid is a preset value or more, and a control unit selectively operating the impeller unit and the heater unit.
US08480371B2
A wind turbine rotor blade having an outer skin material made of fiber-reinforced plastic, a sheer web, and a trailing edge reinforcing material made of fiber-reinforced plastic which forms a trailing edge, wherein the trailing edge reinforcing material includes a first recess in which a trailing edge side end of the outer skin material is accommodated, and a second recess in which a trailing edge side of an overlay is accommodated, a third recess in which a leading edge side of the overlay is accommodated is formed in a trailing edge side tip end of the outer skin material, and the tip end of the outer skin material is fixed to the first recess through an adhesive.
US08480364B2
The computer programmable system and program product include first program instructions for actively driving a first imbalance mass concentration rotor and a second imbalance mass concentration rotor at a vibration canceling rotation frequency while controlling the rotational position of the first imbalance mass concentration and the second imbalance mass concentration to produce a rotating net force vector to inhibit periodic vibrations. The program product includes second program instructions to opposingly orient the first imbalance mass concentration relative to the second imbalance mass concentration during a starting stopping rotation speed less than the vibration canceling rotation frequency. The system includes a fault mode control protocol for controlling a rotation of the rotors during a sensed failure of the rotating assembly vibration control system.
US08480359B2
A blower comprising: a snail-shaped base, a snail-shaped cover, blades and a motor, wherein the snail-shaped base and the snail-shaped cover form a exhaust channel, the blades are horizontally provided in the exhaust channel, the snail-shaped cover above the blades is provided with an air intake channel formed by a motor mounting chamber and a motor cover, and the motor is vertically disposed in the air intake channel and connected to the blades therebelow. The blower is structurally scientific and concise. When the blower operates, air is taken in and provides effective heat dissipation for the motor, and there is a sufficient distance between the motor and the ground surface, and waterproof designs of the sealed capacitor junction box and both ends of the motor can perform an excellent waterproof function.
US08480354B2
A fan holder adapted for fixing a fan onto a heat sink includes a frame, a fastener pivotedly connected with the frame, and a first resilient member disposed between the frame and the fastener. When the fastener is located at a first position, the first resilient member exerts a resilient force on and keeps the fastener at the first position, and the fan is sandwiched between the fastener and the frame. When an external force is applied on the fastener, the fastener rotates from the first position to a second position in which the fan can no longer be sandwiched between the fastener and the frame, and when the external force is removed, the first resilient member drives the fastener from the second position back to the first position.
US08480349B2
A device for longitudinal adjustment of a spreader relative to the yoke beam with a sled for lateral adjustment of the spreader between the supports of a straddle carrier for picking up and transporting containers includes a base frame and mountings for support bolts firmly connected with it, a traverse with openings for support bolts and an attachment for a displacement cylinder, support bolts between the mountings and the traverse, and displacement cylinders between the base frame and the traverse.
US08480346B2
The goal of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of cooperation with at least one piece of wafer processing equipment. The apparatus is connected to a first equipment via a first opening, to a wafer transport case via a second opening and to a second piece of equipment via a third opening. The apparatus is capable of removing a basket of parallel stacked trays of wafers from a wafer transport case. The apparatus is capable of placing and supporting the wafers in order to move them to the first equipment through the second opening and to the second piece of equipment through the third opening.
US08480342B2
The invention concerns a screw, in particular a self-tapping screw, with a screw thread which reaches to the front end of the screw formed as a drilling tip. In the front area, starting with a distance from the front end of the screw, there is an opposite thread showing the same pitch as the screw thread, however, its thread height is lower than the thread height of the screw thread. This second, opposite single-thread, double-thread or triple-thread/multi-thread only reaches over the tapered drilling tip and leaves the shank of the screw free. It forms a cutting edge with its thread edge which is used to cut fibers in order to reduce wedge effect during screwing in the screw. The screw is particularly suitable for wood or wood-like materials in the edge areas of structural elements.
US08480336B2
The present invention relates to a process for pneumatically conveying a bulk material which does not flow readily in which an input device variably meters the bulk material into a lateral conveyor until it is partially filled, and then a mechanical conveyor, in combination with the simultaneous introduction of compressed gas into the lateral conveyor, empties the bulk material partially filling the lateral conveyor, rendering the bulk material conveyable.
US08480333B2
A frame rail assembly for a boat dock structure includes a frame rail member and a removable resilient rub-rail member. The frame rail member includes a first side configured for securing the frame rail member to a side of the boat dock structure; a second side opposing the first side; a first channel extending along a length of the frame rail member; and a second channel below the first channel, the second channel extending along the length of the frame rail member. An interlocking frame rail system for boat dock structures includes a first frame rail member, a second frame rail member, and an upper connector member extending along at least a portion of a length of the first frame rail member and at least a portion of the length of a second frame rail member.
US08480332B2
To construct an underground cable line in-situ, cut and immediately evacuate a void in the existing covering surface. Next, lay or apply cable(s) into the void. Then, flow a non-shrinking composition into a portion of the void around the cable to fill a portion of the void. Upon rigidification the cable is encased in the void by the non-shrinking composition. Last, apply a topping material to the exposed surface of the composition in such volume as to fill any remaining portion of the void.
US08480331B2
The invention relates to a road making machine with a running gear and at least one material deflector which is arranged in front of the running gear in the driving direction and which can be pivoted up and lowered. The road making machine includes a control system by means of which an operator can choose at least between a laying operating mode and a transport operating mode. The control system is adapted to automatically completely pivot the material deflector up in the transport operating mode, and to let the operator adjust the pivot position of the material deflector manually in the laying operating mode.
US08480320B2
A device and method for determining key registration settings in a stenographic device, includes a plurality of keys making up a standard stenographic keyboard, each key having a resting position, a depressed position, and a range of depression positions between the resting position and the depressed position, a memory, and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and to the plurality of keys. The processor is operable to store in the memory, for at least one of the keys, a depression indicator corresponding to a current depression position of the key selected from the resting position, the depressed position, and one of the depression positions within the range of depression positions.
US08480317B2
A fixing structure of a surveillance device includes a monitor and a secure board. The monitor has a plurality of clips and an alignment gap on a bottom surface of the monitor. The clips are engaged to a plurality of engagement openings of the secure board. The secure board has an alignment flake configured to be inserted into the alignment gap. The alignment gap is engaged with a block element to limit the movement of the alignment flake and to maintain a strong and inflexible connection between the monitor and the secure board.
US08480295B2
The invention relates to a method and a device for testing the fire hazard of a material. According to one embodiment of the method, a plane region of the surface of a specimen made of the material is brought in contact for at most a predetermined contact time with a glow wire, which has been heated to a predetermined temperature. Image data of the specimen are furthermore acquired by at least a first camera at least while the specimen is in contact with the glow wire. Image processing of the acquired image data of the specimen is furthermore carried out, preferably in realtime, ignition of the specimen by the glow wire being detected if applicable. A first duration is then determined, which corresponds to the length of time between the application of the tip of the glow wire on the specimen and the ignition of the specimen. Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the invention, a second duration may if applicable be determined by means of the image processing of the acquired image data of the specimen, the second duration corresponding to the length of time between the application of the tip of the glow wire on the specimen and the end of the ignition of the specimen. The method and the device are suitable in particular for carrying out tests to assess the fire hazard of materials according to the standards EN 60695-2-10, -12 and -13.
US08480293B2
This timepiece is furnished with a direct impulse escapement comprising a locking lever (2) for locking the escapement wheel furnished with two locking pallets (2a, 2b), with a fork (2c) and with a guard pin (2d). The guard pin is mounted so as to pivot on the fork about an axis parallel to the pivoting axis of the locking lever (2). It comprises displacement means (2d1, 2d2, 2d3), designed to engage with drive means secured to said frame, so as to amplify the angular displacement of the guard pin (2d), caused by the locking lever (2) passing from one to the other of its two positions. This invention also applies to the guard pin of a pallet assembly of an indirect impulse escapement.
US08480290B2
A high-pressure mixing apparatus for producing and discharging a composite material resulting from a reactive mixture of at least a first and a second chemical components and from a filler material. The apparatus includes a main body, provided with a discharge duct for the composite material, at least one high-pressure mixing chamber for the chemical components and a first cleaning member axially displaceable between a forward and a rearward position within the discharge duct. The apparatus also comprises a second cleaning member with a control device selectively actuable to sequentially move the first and the second cleaning member between the rearward position, in which the first cleaning member opens the discharge duct, and the forward position in which the facing annular surfaces of the discharge duct and the second cleaning member are mutually abutting to eject the residual reactive mixture and close the exit port of the mixing chamber.
US08480288B2
Lamp holder, mounting member, illumination device, display device, and television receiver apparatus
A lamp clip 18 includes a main body 27, a lamp gripping portion 28, a first mounting portion 30 and a second mounting portion 31. The main body 27 is mounted to a chassis 14 that houses a plurality of tubular cold cathode tubes 17. The lamp gripping portion 28 is provided on a surface of the main body 27 opposing the cold cathode tube 17 so as to grip the cold cathode tube 17. The first mounting portion 30 protrudes from the main body 27 so as to extend toward the chassis 14 and to be in a first mounting hole 32 formed in the chassis 14 so that a rim of the first mounting hole 32 is sandwiched between the first mounting portion 30 and the main body 27. The second mounting portion 31 protrudes from the main body 27 so as to extend toward the chassis 14 and to be inserted in a second mounting hole 33 formed in the chassis 14 so that a rim of the second mounting hole 33 is sandwiches between the second mounting portion 31 and the main body 27. The second mounting portion 31 has a width different from a width of the first mounting portion 30 in a mounting direction to the chassis 14.
US08480286B2
A light guide apparatus for a backlight module is disclosed, which includes a light guide plate, a circuit having a plurality of circuit contacts integrated with the light guide plate, and a light source disposed on the light guide plate and electrically contacted to the plurality of circuit contacts.
US08480285B2
A light guide plate includes a light source, a first light guide area and a second light guide area. The first light guide area and the second light guide area are formed by a single light guide plate. The first light guide area defines a notch, and the light source is positioned in the notch. A plurality of microdots are provided on one side of the second light guide area, and the microdots uniformly guiding light from the light source to the second light guide area.
US08480283B2
The present invention provides a planar light guide film for a backlight unit having at least one point light source, the light guide film comprising a light input surface for receiving light from the point light source, a light redirecting surface for redirecting light received from the light input surface and a light output surface for outputting at least the light redirected from the light redirecting surface. The light input surface further comprises a composite lens structure having a circular tip segment with a first contact angle, and a first and second elliptical base segments with a second contact angle, the second contact angle being less than the first contact angle and the second contact angle being equal to each other.
US08480279B2
A structured illumination surgical system is disclosed, one embodiment comprising: a light source for providing a light beam; an optical cable, comprising an optical fiber, optically coupled to the light source for receiving and transmitting the light beam; a handpiece, operably coupled to the optical cable; an optical element, a proximal end of the optical element optically coupled to a distal end of the optical fiber, for receiving the light beam and scattering the light beam to illuminate an area (e.g., a surgical site), wherein the surface area of the proximal end of the optical element is greater than the surface area of the distal end of the optical fiber; and a cannula, operably coupled to the handpiece, for housing and directing the optical fiber and the optical element.
US08480277B2
The invention discloses a LED illumination device comprising a LED light source and a light guide device. The LED light source provides a light. The light guide device comprises a light-receiving surface, a light-emitting surface, and a body. The light-receiving surface receives the light from the light source. The body has a light channel for guiding the light toward the light-emitting surface. In addition, the body comprises at least one light splitter, and a part of the light within the light channel penetrates the body through the light splitter. Specially, the light guide device with the light splitter can reduce the amount of light emitting devices. The illumination system can be conspicuous at night.
US08480269B2
A lamp comprises a housing, a heat sink, a fan and a light-emitting element. The housing includes an opening end and a compartment communicating with the opening end. The heat sink is disposed at the opening end and includes a lateral wall, a base, a plurality of first connection members, a plurality of first air channels and at least one second air channel. The base is surrounded by and spaced from the lateral wall. The base is connected to an inner circumferential wall of the lateral wall via the first connection members, wherein each of the first air channels is formed between adjacent two of the first connection members. The at least one second air channel is formed between an outer circumferential wall of the lateral wall and an inner face of the housing. The fan is disposed at one side of the heat sink in the compartment. The light-emitting element is disposed at another side of the heat sink.
US08480268B2
A retrofit luminaire assembly is provided for retrofitting a mounting frame such as a plaster frame or other recessed lighting assembly without the need to remove the existing plaster frame. The retrofit assembly includes a mounting ring that can support a replacement electrical junction box and the replacement luminaire. The electrical junction box is attached to an adjustable assembly so that the electrical box can be positioned in a number of locations on the mounting ring. The assembly allows adjustment of the electrical box in a vertical direction, horizontal direction and in a rotational direction with respect to the plane of the plaster frame. The mounting ring is inserted through the opening in the plaster frame and secured to the plaster frame by an attachment member that engages the top face of the plaster frame. The attachment member can include a plate coupled to the mounting ring to form two outwardly extending arms. The plate is axially adjustable with respect to the mounting ring to clamp the plaster frame between the plate and the bottom flange of the mounting ring. In another embodiment, the attachment member has a hook-like end that engages a bottom surface of the mounting frame.
US08480267B2
A light emitting diode (LED) lighting apparatus including an array of first optic elements overlying an array of LED chips, wherein each of the LED chips is configured to emit light of a first wavelength range through a light emitting surface of the overlying first optic element. The array of first optic elements are also underlying an array of second optic elements, wherein each of the second optic elements is configured to convert light of the first wavelength range to be emitted through the light emitting surface of the underlying first optic element to light of a second wavelength range different from the first wavelength range.
US08480266B2
A vehicle light unit can convert an LED light source to a linear light emitting state and can be incorporated into a vehicle light. The vehicle light unit can include a first to fourth lens part in front of an LED light source. The first to third lens parts can convert the point light source or the LED light source into a linear light emitting portion with improved light utilization efficiency by providing first to fourth total reflection surfaces utilizing internal reflection to the third lens part. The light rays through the linear light emitting portion can be incident on the fourth lens part. The fourth lens part can include a plate-shaped light guiding portion with a plurality of total reflection surfaces on one surface and corresponding lens cut portions on the other opposite surface.
US08480257B2
A light emitting apparatus having a light transmissive envelope and a light emitting diode light source illuminating the interior of the light transmissive envelope. A thin film dissects the light transmissive envelope. The thin film is both refractive and reflective.
US08480256B2
A wall-mounted Christmas tree device serving as a festive holiday decoration that takes up minimal space. This pine tree-shaped invention may be temporarily removably mounted to at least one wall and/or door or other suitable vertical surface thereby making it easy for occupants of virtually any size residence to display a beautiful, realistic festive decoration. The wall-mounted Christmas tree device disclosed herein preferably comprises the following components: at least two flat tree half outlines; a spine having a plurality of sockets; a base having electrical powering means; and a plurality of insertable branches. The Styrofoam or fiberglass flat tree half outlines may include double-sided tape or a plurality of suction cups to removably attach the wall-mounted Christmas tree device on a vertical surface. A kit for the present invention and method of use is also described herein.
US08480254B2
The present disclosure is directed to a molded reflective structure for a light source, which may be a light-emitting diode (“LED”). The structure includes a reflector which defines a cavity therein. The cavity is surrounded by at least one reflective side wall, and has a greatest dimension of less than about 50 mm. The at least one reflective side wall further has an initial reflectance at 460 nm of greater than about 85% and an initial whiteness index of greater than about 80. The reflector is made from a thermoplastic polymer composition that contains a material such that the at least one reflective side wall absorbs light in the ultraviolet and violet region of the electromagnetic spectrum and re-emits light in the blue region.
US08480253B1
A device for improving the visibility of an emergency vehicle from the side includes an elongated base having affixed thereto a plurality of lights. The base is affixable to a vehicle side so as to position the lights in a substantially horizontally directed orientation. The lights are powerable via the electrical system of the vehicle, and a switch for activating and de-activating the lights is preferably positioned in the vehicle interior.
US08480252B2
An illumination device may include a hollow body having at least one light emission opening, wherein the hollow body has at least partly a reflective surface at its inner side, and at least one semiconductor luminous element, wherein a predominant portion of the light emitted by the semiconductor luminous element is incident on the inner side of the hollow body and is reflected from there through the light emission opening. The device may furthermore include a covering for the light emission opening with a grid-type arrangement of light transmission openings, wherein the at least one semiconductor luminous element is fixed to the covering and is directed at the inner side of the hollow body, and wherein a side area of the covering that surrounds the light transmission openings is at least partly reflectively coated.
US08480249B2
A lighting source that can be deployed in a hazardous environment is disclosed. For example, the lighting source comprises at least one light emitting diode and a power supply for providing power to the at least one light emitting diode. The lighting source also comprises an enclosure for housing the at least one light emitting diode and the power supply, where said lighting source is for deployment in a hazardous environment.
US08480248B2
A control circuit for color changing LED devices with volatile active emissions and hidden input jacks is disclosed. The circuit allows the device to use variously sized power adapters, and a plurality of colored LEDs positioned so as to emit a colored light show. The circuit also includes a volatile active dispenser to control volatile active emission rates. A hidden input jack is also disposed to provide additional power as required. Thus, the circuit provides the combination of illumination and/or ambient light, colored light shows, volatile active emission control, and combinations thereof, within a single standalone device.
US08480242B2
The present invention provides a method for manufacturing optical sheet having an improved appearance, optical sheet, and an image display device having the optical sheet. The method for manufacturing optical sheet having a plurality of layers in which at least one layer is an optical functional sheet layer comprises: light-transmissive portions configured to be arranged in a row along the surface of a base material layer; and light-absorbing portions arranged between the light-transmissive portions, the method comprising the steps of: forming the light-transmissive portions on one side of the base material layer; and forming the light-absorbing portions repeatedly by filling a binder made of a resin in which light-absorbing particles are dispersed in the gaps between the light-transmissive portions and curing the binder, wherein at least the last step of the repeating step for forming the light-absorbing portions is carried out so that the density of the light-absorbing particles contained in the binder is lower than the density of the same at the first step for forming the light-absorbing portion. The optical sheet is produced by the method; and the image display device is provided with the optical sheet.
US08480233B2
An ophthalmic endoillumination system comprises a self-contained power source and a laser light source powered by the self-contained power source to produce light. The system further comprises an elongated member sized for insertion into an eye and for conducting the light produced by the laser light source.
US08480230B2
Models of anatomical parts and methods utilizing and fabricating such anatomical models are provided. The model can include an assembly of one or more optically transmissive media having a first portion and a second portion. The one or more optically transmissive media can be configured to provide similar optical properties as that between two regions of the anatomical part. For example, in an example eye model, the two regions can be a corneal surface and/or retina regions of an eye. A rendered retina can be formed in the second portion of the assembly and can be representative of the retina of the eye. The rendered retina can have one or more features associated with the retina of the eye.
US08480226B2
An eyeglass assembly is provided and includes a frame assembly and at least one subframe assembly. The frame assembly has at least one lens and a pair of temples. The frame assembly also has a bridge. A rear side of the frame assembly has at least one member extending outwardly therefrom and wherein the extending member has at least one securing surface. The securing surface has a magnetic member thereon. The subframe assembly has a front side and a rear side. The subframe assembly has at least one arm extending rearwardly therefrom. The arm has a first end secured to the subframe assembly and a second end opposite said first end. The second end has a magnetic member thereon. The subframe assembly is magnetically secured to the frame assembly at least in part by the magnetic members, one of the magnetic members being a magnet and a second of the magnetic members being a material that is attracted to a magnet.
US08480222B2
The droplet ejection head includes: a plurality of droplet ejection units which include ejection ports through which droplets of liquid are ejected, pressure chambers which are connected to the ejection ports through connection channels, drive elements which apply pressure to the liquid in the pressure chambers, supply channels through which the liquid is supplied to the pressure chambers, and return channels through which the liquid is returned from the connection channels; a common supply channel through which the liquid is supplied to the supply channels; and a common return channel through which the liquid is returned from the return channels, the common return channel including a stagnant flow region having a bubble collection section where bubbles are collected, wherein pressure variation occurring in each pressure chamber when ejecting a droplet of the liquid propagates more readily in the common return channel than in the common supply channel.
US08480219B2
Provided is an ink cartridge for containing a water-based ink for ink-jet recording including a pigment, water, and a nonionic surfactant, the ink cartridge including a remaining ink detecting portion detecting an amount of remaining ink on the basis of whether or not light is transmitted therethrough. The remaining ink detecting portion is formed of a hydrophobic resin containing a water-repellent material in the proportion of 0.14 wt % to 10 wt %.
US08480218B2
A set of ink cartridges is configured to mount in a cartridge mounting portion of a recording apparatus in an insertion direction. The set of cartridges includes a first and a second ink cartridge, and each cartridge includes a main body and a particular protrusion positioned adjacent to a bottom wall of the main body and extending from a portion of the main body in the insertion direction away from an ink chamber. The main body includes a first wall, the ink chamber, a communication portion disposed at the first wall; a second wall disposed opposite the first wall, and the bottom wall. The ink chamber is disposed between the first and second walls. A first length difference between a first length of a portion of the bottom wall extending from a rear end of the bottom wall of the first ink cartridge to an end of the particular protrusion of the first ink cartridge and a total length of the first ink cartridge is different from a second length difference between a second length extending from a rear end of the bottom wall of the second ink cartridge to an end of the particular protrusion of the second ink cartridge and a total length of the second ink cartridge.
US08480217B2
An ink jet cartridge comprising an ink container which comprises a bottom portion and an upper portion, said bottom portion being in communication with the printhead through an ink supply port, and said upper portion being in communication with a vent hole, wherein said bottom portion comprises a first ink absorbing member, and said upper portion comprises a second ink absorbing member, wherein said first ink absorbing member is a compressible porous material and said second ink absorbing member is an incompressible porous material, and wherein the capillarity of said first ink absorbing member is higher than the capillarity of said second ink absorbing member.
US08480214B2
In a liquid jetting head unit, a tank case in a head tank includes a first connection path connecting a downstream chamber of the tank case and a discharge path, and a second connection path connecting an upstream chamber of the tank case and the discharge path. The discharge path includes a filter member provided between a first part of the discharge path connected to the first connection path and a second part of the discharge path connected to the second connection path.
US08480213B2
A liquid containing tank for containing a liquid to be supplied to a liquid-jet head. The liquid containing tank includes a containing part containing the liquid supplied from the outside; and a supply channel separated from the containing part by a partition wall rising from the bottom surface of the containing part and supplying the liquid from the containing part to the liquid-jet head. The containing part includes a first region and a second region, the flow speed of the liquid in the first region of the containing part is lower than the flow speed of the liquid in the second region of the containing part, and the horizontal cross sectional area of the first region of the containing part is less than the horizontal cross sectional area of the second region of the containing part.
US08480203B2
An inkjet printing method includes, in order, the steps of a) providing to an inkjet printer at least two or more colorless liquids having a different composition and at least one color inkjet ink; b) mixing the color inkjet ink in a controlled amount with the two or more colorless liquids; and c) printing the ink-mixture of the color inkjet ink and the two or more colorless liquids with the inkjet printer onto an ink-receiver.
US08480194B2
A shelf for an item of furniture, especially for a refrigerator or the like, includes a panel for supporting articles and a frame capable of enclosing the panel by its actual surrounding part, the frame configured to allow the shelf to be fitted into the body of the furniture. The shelf further includes at least one retaining member for retaining the panel at its lower part, which retaining member can be inserted laterally into a hole made in a rib of the frame, which rib runs along the panel, being offset internally relative to the external peripheral edge of the frame, and extends beyond the panel, and then can be fastened onto or behind the border wall of the hole, the retaining member bearing, in the fastened position, against the panel.
US08480188B2
A computer desk assembly includes a desk and a display. The desk defines a receiving groove in a top thereof. The desk includes two sliding plates movably engaging in the receiving groove. The display is in the receiving groove of the desk and pivotably connected to the desk. When the computer desk assembly is in a first state, the sliding plates are disposed above the display. When the computer desk assembly is in a second state, the sliding plates slide laterally to expose the display, whereby the display is rotated up relative to the desk for use.
US08480187B2
A door opener includes a main bracket, a locking element, a compression spring, a rotation plate, and a torsion spring. The main bracket includes a lower plate and a first sidewall and a second sidewall oppositely positioned at edges of the lower plate. A guide rail and a resisting portion extend from the first sidewall opposite to the second sidewall. The first sidewall defines a through hole thereon. The locking element includes a sliding bar and a spacing block extending from a side of the sliding bar, the sliding bar supported on the guide rail, and the spacing block passing through the through hole. The compression spring is sleeved on the guide pole. The rotation plate is rotatably received in the main bracket, and a fixing block for latching with the spacing block extends from the rotation plate. The torsion spring resists the rotation plate and the lower plate.
US08480186B2
A shell assembling device for assembling a shell having a first cover and a second cover is provided, the shell assembling device comprising: a plurality of rigid fitting structures provided on the first cover and second cover, and a plurality of elastic interference fitting structures provided on the first cover and second cover.
US08480185B2
A brake control apparatus is configured to suppress sounds while a vehicle is stationary. The brake control apparatus basically has a brake operation detecting section, a vehicle state detecting section, a braking force generating section, a braking force adjusting section and a brake control section. The brake operation detecting section detects a brake operation value indicative of an operation of a brake element. The vehicle state detecting section detects whether a vehicle is in a stopped state. The braking force generating section generates a braking force. The braking force adjusting section adjusts the braking force generated in the braking force generating section based on the brake operation value. The brake control section then control the braking force to prohibit reduction in the braking force when the brake operation value decreases while the vehicle is in the stopped state.
US08480174B2
A seat frame reinforcement structure has a reinforcing member that is provided between both side frames that constitute a framework of a seatback of a vehicle seat, is connected to the side frames, and extends in the width direction of the vehicle seat. The reinforcing member includes a rod that is larger in diameter than each of operation pins that pass through center portions of reclining mechanisms, bushings that are connected to respective end portions of the rod, and a guide member that is connected integrally to the side frame so as to surround the outer periphery of a portion of the operation pin, which is exposed due to a clearance formed between an end portion of one of the bushings and the side frame. Due to the provision of the guide member, the diameter of the reinforcing member is maintained large even in a region where there is the clearance.
US08480171B2
A chair having a seat rotatably attached to a tilt spring portion of a tilt mechanism such that the tilt spring is activated by movement of the seat. A backrest and/or the seat can be rotatably connected to the tilt mechanism by parallel arm arrangements which permit the seat and backrest to tilt relative to each other. A tilt limiter can have a magnetic member which facilitates full movement of the tilt limiter between free and locked positions, and which creates an audible indication of full movement of the tilt limiter. The seat/backrest can be made from a flexible mesh material secured to a rigid overmolding which surrounds and is attached to an inner frame of the seat/backrest wherein an outer surface of the overmolding forms an outer surface of the seat/backrest frame and attachment of the overmolding causes the inner frame to stretch the mesh to a final condition.
US08480167B2
A rocker panel assembly for attachment to a vehicle, comprising a rocker panel body, a first end feature situated on a first end of the rocker panel body, and a second end feature situated on a second end of the rocker panel body. The rocked panel body has an outside surface generally presented in the form of a convex surface, and an inside surface generally presented in the form of a concave surface. The outside surface of the rocker panel body extends outwardly of the vehicle, to present an outboard section having a predetermined profile based on targeted aesthetic/performance characteristics. The inside surface of the rocker panel body has at least one transverse rib positioned therein, the transverse rib being arranged generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rocker panel body.
US08480165B2
A vehicle (1) includes first and second rear-floor cross members (4, 5) provided between right and left rear-floor side members (2, 2) in a vehicle body rear part and a pair of right and left rear-floor cross member braces (6, 6) provided therebetween. The second rear-floor cross member is formed by a three-member connected body consisting of right and left extension parts (52, 52) connected to the right and left rear-floor side members and a body part (51) arranged therebetween. The rear-floor cross member braces are connected to the body part (51) of the second rear-floor cross member. Shock energy of a shock load applied to the vehicle body rear part from the rear can be absorbed efficiently while the deformation of a rectangular region surrounded by the first and second rear-floor cross members and the right and left rear-floor cross member braces is restrained.
US08480151B2
A motor vehicle is provided having at least one storage compartment, a storage compartment having at least one accommodation unit, and an accommodation unit for a storage compartment of a motor vehicle, including a plurality of frame sections making up a frame, with which the frame may mounted so as to be movable in the storage compartment, wherein in a space defined by the frame at least one retaining element of variable shape and connected to at least two frame sections is arranged to extend between the frame sections in the defined space, forming at least one restraining area.
US08480149B2
A hitch attached extension for over sized cargo has a longitudinally extending frame member adapted to be removably attached to a trailer hitch of a motor vehicle. The longitudinally extending frame member including a draw bar located at a distal end adapted to be connected with the trailer hitch, a pivot member adjacent the draw bar forming a pivot axis adapted to allow the longitudinally extending frame member to be pivoted between a horizontal position and a vertical stowing position with respect to the trailer hitch.
US08480145B2
A vertical bore coil lifter for lifting coils of steel with reduced risk of the coil telescoping includes a pair of inside legs dimensioned to fit inside the bore of the coil with remote legs to support inner wraps of the bottom of the coil. Opposed outer legs traverse the outside of the coil and terminate in outer legs that oppose the inner legs. The outer legs supporting outer wraps of the coil and prevent telescoping of the coil while it is being lifted. The lifter may be selectively brought from an open configuration, in which the feet are drawn apart to release or receive a coil to a closed configuration in which the opposed feet are drawn together to cooperate in supporting the underside of the coil. In one embodiment an automatic latching and unlatching mechanism is provided to alternate between the release and closed configurations without need for operator intervention.
US08480119B2
An occupant protection airbag device for a vehicle includes a housing having an opening and a closed end, a strut secured to the housing adjacent the closed end and extending from the closed end toward the opening, and an inflator supported by the strut adjacent the opening and spaced from the closed end to form a storage chamber between the inflator and the closed end of the housing. The inflator is spaced from an inner wall of the housing to form a gap therebetween. An airbag is stored in a deflated condition between the inflator and the closed end of the housing, and a forward-most layer of the airbag passes through the gap and around a surface of the inflator immediately adjacent the opening.
US08480117B2
A mobile, collapsible table and storage assembly for outdoor recreational use. The assembly includes: a storage compartment having a receptacle and lid, wheels at a first end of the storage compartment, a stand connected to the first end, a handle connected to the storage compartment at a second end, and folding legs connecting the receptacle and lid of the storage compartment. Each leg has a lower limb and an upper limb connected by a pivot, such that the limbs are movable between a folded and unfolded position. An end of one of the limbs at which the pivot is located has an extension portion which engages an adjacent end of the other limb to allow the lower and upper limbs to assume the unfolded position when forming an angle greater than 180 degrees. This prevents the table collapsing by buckling of the folding legs.
US08480115B2
A stroller includes two side frames and a first seat disposed between the side frames. Each side frame includes an armrest, a first leg, a second leg, a handle, and a first link. The first leg and the second leg are pivoted to the armrest, respectively. The handle is pivoted to the armrest, and a bottom end of the handle is detachably engaged with the first leg. A front end of the first link is pivoted to the second leg, and another opposite end is pivoted to the handle. The first seat is movably disposed on the first link. Thus, when the handle rotates between an extended position and a folded position, the first link can bring the first seat and the second leg to rotate relative to the armrest.
US08480111B1
An improved enclosed motorcycle (310) is taught, having an electric motor (324) and an improved handlebar assembly (326) employing a torque arm (358) with spherical rod ends (360). The foot brake pedal (328) is improved by attached rigidly to the frame (320) and the bench seat (330) is now slideably attached and the back portion of the bench seat capable of tilting providing the requisite adjustment. The landing wheels (332) are now individually mounted on a support arm (372) hinged on the frame retained by a spring loaded take-up rod assembly (374) allowing stabilizing on uneven surfaces. The entrance doors upper half windows each have vent window (386) hinged independently on a front edge with the hinge including a locking head (392) secured to the window frame for ventilation. The leg doors (340) are hinged horizontally onto the entrance doors (338) and open at a predetermined speed before the motorcycle has stopped.
US08480104B2
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing of a flexible trailing arm for a wheel axle suspension of a vehicle such as a lorry or a trailer. In the method a steel blank is heated. Next, the blank is formed into the desired shape of the trailing arm by means of a suitable forming process. Following that the trailing arm is austempered by cooling it in a warm fluid medium.
US08480103B2
A suspension arrangement for interconnecting a frame and an axle in a vehicle includes a control arm having a first beam and a second beam in parallel, spaced relation, each beam having a first end with a single arm and a second end with an upper arm and a lower arm to define a Y-shape, the first end being pivotally connectable to a vehicle frame, and the second end being connectable to a vehicle axle disposed between the upper and lower arms, and a bushing arrangement mountable to the vehicle axle, the bushing arrangement having an upper portion connecting between the upper arms of the first beam and second beam and a lower portion connecting between the lower arms of the first beam and second beam.
US08480102B2
In a lower vehicle-body structure of a vehicle, there is provided a rear connecting member swingably supporting a rear portion of a lower arm at a sub frame and a front side frame, the rear connecting member comprising a support portion to support the lower arm, a fifth connection portion to connect the sub frame and the support portion, and a fourth connection portion to connect the front side frame and the support portion. Further, there is provided a separation mechanism to separate the fourth connection portion off the front side frame in the vehicle frontal collision. Accordingly, the sub frame and the lower arm are separated off the front side frame by the separation mechanism.
US08480087B1
A gaming device configured to randomly generate at least one pair of numbered balls in a craps game as a substitute for rolling dice, the gaming device including a blower assembly disposed in a housing that, upon selective activation of an on-off switch or a signal transmitter, circulates air through an airflow tube into a casing cavity to push a pair of the numbered balls contained within a cavity of a transparent casing disposed atop the housing into an upper chamber of a ball receiving tube centrally disposed in the casing.
US08480083B2
Degrees of wear of sheet-feed rollers corresponding to sheet-feed cassettes are managed by considering types of sheets set at feeding units. A control method for controlling a managing apparatus for managing a feeding device that feeds sheets, set in the feeding units, by driving the sheet-feed rollers corresponding to the feeding units includes storing sheet information in a storage unit, the sheet information indicating types of the sheets that are set in the respective feeding units; and managing degrees of wear of the sheet-feed rollers for the respective feeding units in accordance with the numbers of fed sheets and the sheet information stored in the storage unit, the degrees of wear resulting from the sheets fed from the feeding units.
US08480080B2
A sheet processing device includes a conveyance member, an elastic plate member, a first conveyance path, and a second conveyance path. The conveyance member conveys a sheet of recording media with the sheet attached thereon and has a circumferential portion to separate the sheet from the conveyance member by a curvature of the conveyance member. The first conveyance path is formed by the conveyance member. The second conveyance path is disposed downstream from the first conveyance path and includes a reversal conveyance path to reverse the sheet. A face continuous to a front edge of the elastic plate member, except for the front edge, is positioned in an attachment weakened area of the circumferential portion of the conveyance member in which an attachment force of the sheet on the circumferential portion is weakened by separation of the sheet from the conveyance member by the curvature.
US08480071B2
A recording device that includes a feed roller for feeding a first and a second sheets sequentially, a first and a second conveying devices that convey the sheets in synchronization, a recording device that records image on the sheets, and a controller, that, after image recording on the first sheet is complete, stops the first and second conveying devices when a trailing end of the first sheet reaches a particular position between the first and the second conveying devices. The controller further controls the feed roller to feed the second sheet, such that a leading end of the second sheet contacts a nip of the first conveying device. After the leading end of the second sheet contacts the nip, the controller rotates the first conveying device in a reverse direction.
US08480067B2
An improved adjustable work stop device for use in positioning work pieces which for machining purposes are clamped in a vice or other clamping means. The work stop comprises a laterally adjustable base, a flipper mount with flip arm movable in a vertical direction and lockable into desire position thereto, a flip arm with a positioner which is pivotably secured and rotates away from the work piece without scrubbing the work piece surface whereby clearance for machining, work or the like is accomplished on the butted side of the work piece.
US08480061B2
A fencing system comprises a T-post, an upper sleeve, a lower sleeve, and a bracket. Both the upper sleeve and the lower sleeve encircle respective portions of the T-post. The sleeves are designed such that passing bolts through the sleeves cooperates with the lugs on the T-post in a manner that restricts the motion of the sleeves along the longitudinal axis of the T-post. The bracket, in turn, defines an upper mounting arm and a lower mounting arm. Capturing the upper mounting arm between the T-post and the upper sleeve and capturing the lower mounting arm between the lower sleeve and the T-post acts as an effective means by which to fixate the bracket to the T-post.
US08480052B2
A vibration isolating device for isolating an object from at least one of vibration and shock from an external source. The vibration isolation device comprises such features as a mounting structure where the object is mounted to, at least a plurality of first springs coupled to the mounting structure to minimize coupling of the at least one vibration and shock to the object, and a shock stop. In addition, the device may include a plurality of stop pins that are separate from the mounting structure and arranged externally to the mounting structure. The stop pins can limit a displacement of the object when the at least one of vibration and shock exceeds a given level.
US08480051B2
A vehicle seat (1) is provided with a base (3), which is connected to a vehicle structure (7). The vehicle seat (1) is adjustable at least between a use position and an easy-entry position. The vehicle seat (1) is guided displaceably in at least one track (5) with at least one first, straight area (15a) and at least one additional, curved area (15c). At least three rollers (17, 23, 23″) or link blocks are provided each per track (5). The three rollers (17, 23, 23″) support the vehicle seat (1) in the use position in the same at the track (5) and only two of the rollers (17, 23) or link blocks are arranged within the same track (5) in the easy-entry position.
US08480045B2
A suction cup has a generally cylindrical neck integral with and extending outwardly from the cup portion outer surface. The neck is formed of a pair of legs separated by a slot opening to an exposed end of the neck. The neck also has a transverse bore passing through the legs along an axis that intersects the slot. Preferably the axis is normal to the slot. The suction cup may have a support or hook having a curved portion. The hook or support has a straight portion and a cross member attached to the straight portion. At least part of the straight portion is within the slot of the suction cup and at least part of the cross member is within the bore.
US08480042B2
An infant item holder for holding one or more infant items. The infant item holder may include a base with a passage. The infant item holder may also include an elongated member that is longer than the passage and includes first and second ends. The elongated member may be positioned in the passage with the first end extending from a first side of the passage and the second end extending from a second side of the passage. The elongated member may be movably positioned within the passage and adjustable between a first orientation with the first end in closer proximity to the base than the second end, and a second orientation with the second end in closer proximity to the base than the first end. Infant items may be positioned at the ends of the elongated member. A first infant item may be positioned in proximity to an infant in the first orientation, and a second infant item may be positioned in proximity to the infant in the second orientation.
US08480040B2
The invention refers to a mounting arrangement for the energizing cables of an electric motor of a refrigeration compressor, the electric motor being mounted in the interior of a casing of the compressor and the energizing cables presenting an end connected to the electric motor and an opposite end operatively connected to an electric current power source, external to the casing, through the latter. The arrangement includes at least one immobilizing means mounted internally to the casing, so as to retain the energizing cables, maintaining at least part of the extension thereof in a predetermined positioning in the interior of the casing.
US08480038B1
A railroad crossing gate height adjustment assembly and method for establishing or reestablishing a height of the crossing gate of a railroad crossing gate apparatus. The assembly includes an elongated smooth pipe having a smooth exterior surface and a sliding coupling slidably engageable at a lower end along a length of the smooth pipe. A larger, upper end of the sliding coupling is threadably engageable with a coupling previously secured at a lower end of a wiring conduit of the gate apparatus whereby the length of the wiring conduit is adjustably increased by an exposed length of the smooth pipe. A lower end of the smooth pipe has an external thread which is threadably engageable into a threaded hole formed into a top surface of a gate base of the gate apparatus for supportively receiving a lower end of the smooth pipe.
US08480032B2
An aircraft de-icing device and an engine nacelle of an aircraft gas turbine is provided with a de-icing device, with the engine nacelle 1 in the inflow area being provided with an annular air duct 2, into which heated air is introduced. At least one oil cooler 3 is arranged in the engine nacelle 1, to which engine oil is fed and which is supplied with ambient air, with the heated airflow leaving the oil cooler 3 being passed through the air duct 2.
US08480029B2
An ergonomically improved stowage system includes a supporting structure, a bin having a volume with an opening to receive a load, the bin being movable with respect to the supporting structure from a closed to an open position, and an attaching mechanism for attaching the bin to the structure. The attaching mechanism includes a bin pivot axis that is located in substantial alignment with a center of gravity of the bin in the closed position.
US08480019B1
A roll for use in processing crop materials in a crop processor apparatus is disclosed. The roll has a generally cylindrical cross-section and a plurality of alternating longitudinal ridges and longitudinal grooves on a surface of the roll. The longitudinal ridges having outer edges interrupted by gaps between the ends of the roll, forming tooth segments between the ends of the roll.
US08479999B2
A composite magnetic antenna for information communication utilizes a magnetic field component as well as a composite RF tag using the composite magnetic antenna, which can be embedded in metals while maintaining a sufficient communication sensitivity unlike conventional RF tags which are unusable in the metal embedding applications. The composite RF tag for transmitting and receiving information using an electromagnetic induction method includes a magnetic antenna on which an IC is mounted, and an insulating material and a metal material or a conductive material which are formed around the magnetic antenna. The magnetic antenna includes a central core formed of a magnetic material, and an electrode material formed into a coil around the central core. The insulating material is formed around the magnetic antenna except for one longitudinal end of the coil of the magnetic antenna. The metal material or the conductive material is formed on an outside of the insulating material.
US08479994B2
A method of operating a reader system includes: providing a reader for reading information data carriers; an operator loading a configuration overlay onto the configuration settings of the reader upon successful logging, wherein the configuration overlay is specific to the operator; and reading information data carriers utilizing the configuration overlay.
US08479989B2
Apparatus and methods for identifying and counting objects having identifiers entering and exiting a surgical field are provided. In one embodiment, the apparatus has an entry scanner, a hand held scanner and an exit scanner for generating a detection field and for receiving data which identifies said objects. In another embodiment, the apparatus has a plurality of lower antennas and an upper antenna for generating a detection field and for receiving data which identifies said objects. Various surgical devices with identifiers and methods for preventing electromagnetic coupling between and protecting objects and identifiers are also provided. The invention further provides apparatus and methods comprising a handheld scanner and a mat adapted to underlie a patient during a surgical procedure.
US08479978B1
An automated banking machine is part of a banking system that operates to cause financial transfers responsive to data read from data bearing records. The machine includes a card reader that operates to read data from user cards corresponding to financial accounts. A card account's status is listed in a data store as either blocked or unblocked for use in approving transactions on the account. A transaction on an account cannot be carried out unless the account has an unblocked status. Similarly, no transaction is carried out on an account having a blocked status. Read card data is sent from the machine to a remote card security computer which determines the card account status from the data store. If the account is unblocked, then the machine can continue with the transaction and seek transaction approval from a host computer associated with the automated banking machine.
US08479972B2
An expandable food carton expands to a non-trapezoidal shape when in an open and expanded state. The expanded state creates a wider top opening which provides a larger access to the interior of the package and thus to the food product. The expandable carton has a bottom end with upstanding side panels therefrom, where each side panel has at least one score line that extends between an upper end region and a lower end region. The carton has a top flap attached at an upper end of each side panel, each top flap also having a score line that extends longitudinally between an upper end region and a lower end region at a midpoint region. Upon shifting the carton into the expanded state, the side panels of the carton shift outward along their respective score lines and the top flaps of the carton fold down adjacent respective side panels and shift outward along their respective score lines.
US08479969B2
A surgical instrument for use with a robotic system that has a control unit and a shaft portion that includes an electrically conductive elongated member that is attached to a portion of the robotic system. The elongated member is configured to transmit control motions from the robotic system to an end effector.
US08479968B2
A surgical stapler instrument has surgical stapler jaws, at least one staple line reinforcement material, and a fastener including a hook and a loop. The hook can be disposed on one of the surgical stapler jaws and the loop can be disposed on the staple line reinforcement material. Alternatively, the hook can be disposed on the staple line reinforcement material and the look on one of the surgical stapler jaws.
US08479967B2
A surgical stapling apparatus comprises a handle assembly, an actuation shaft having a connector, and a retraction mechanism positioned within the handle assembly. The retraction mechanism includes a motor coupled to a transmission shaft, a first gear rotatably mounted on the transmission shaft, the first gear configured to engage a second gear, a clutch operatively attached to the second gear, a main shaft rotatably connected to the clutch, and a pulley coupled to the main shaft, the pulley being operatively attached to the connector. The connector and the pulley may be attached via a cable. The retraction mechanism may include a spring motor for maintaining the cable in tension. The spring motor may have a spring element wrapped around and interconnecting at least two arbors.
US08479962B2
An umbrella carrier secures a wet umbrella outside of a vehicle. A closed umbrella is strapped or otherwise secured to at least one umbrella carrier arm that is attached to a mounting pole coupled with a vehicle window support clip or some other temporary mounting means.
US08479961B2
A device holder for a transport apparatus having a user storage compartment which includes a main body detachably coupled to the transport apparatus and a device storage compartment disposed on the main body to store a device therein, wherein the main body is coupled to the transport apparatus to provide a line of sight to a user disposed in the user storage compartment.
US08479953B2
A beverage dispenser capable of supplying a supercooled beverage without being influenced by a type of raw water. In various embodiments, the beverage dispenser includes a raw water treatment device that deaerates or filters raw water, a primary cooling device that cools the raw water to an ice point or so, and a secondary cooling device that cools the raw water into a supercooled state. In certain embodiments, the beverage dispenser further includes an anti-freezing liquid tank, a refrigerant circuit that cools the anti-freezing liquid to a supercooling temperature, and a brine circuit that circulates the anti-freezing liquid. According to certain aspects of the embodiments, a supercooled beverage can be quickly and reliably phase-changed to a different state when discharged to the outside.
US08479952B2
A package includes a pour spout and a closure cap. The pour spout is adapted to fit into a neck finish associated with a container.
US08479947B1
An insulated picnic cooler having thermally isolated internal compartments separated by a dividing wall. A removable and adjustable shelf assembly can divide an internal compartment into thermally isolated storage pockets. The shelf assembly is spring loaded to remain in place and flush mounting “T”-shaped handles can retract the springs to enable the shelf to be removed or adjusted. Hot and cold food items as well as ice and beverages can be stored. A drain can be used to drain liquids from a storage compartment.
US08479943B2
A sheet-material piercer (1) for a container closure (2) of the push-pull type is of essentially rotationally symmetrical design and can be inserted into the container closure (2) in the direction of the axis of rotation of symmetry (R) such that it can be displaced axially independently of the push-pull part of the container closure (2). The sheet-material piercer (1) is in one piece and has at least one sealing formation (16, 17, 18) which is likewise of rotationally symmetrical design and is arranged between an actuating end (13) and a piercing end (14). The sealing formation (16, 17, 18) is designed for sealing and latching contact with the container closure (2). Also proposed is a container closure (2) for a container (3) with a so-called push-pull closure and such a sheet-material piercer (1).
US08479939B1
A transportable storage device having three compartments wherein a main compartment is configured to maintain a temperature dissimilar to that of its environment. The transportable storage device includes two opposedly mounted storage compartments that are hingedly attached so as to have a first position and a second position. The two opposedly mounted storage compartments are secured utilizing a pair of support arms. A first container is disposed within the main compartment and is superposed a plurality of support brackets. An access hatch is further included being mounted within the main compartment and operable to cover a second opening in the wall of the main compartment. A second container is included and is rotatably mounted within one of the two opposedly mounted storage compartments. A sliding transport member is further included and is configured to slidably traverse the storage device across a terrain.
US08479935B2
A child resistant closure for a container (1) comprises a collar (3) fixable to a container (1) and a rotatable cap (4). The cap (4) is provided with a first engaging member (10) and the collar (3) is provided with a corresponding second engaging member (21). Adjacent said engaging member the collar (3) is provided with a resiliently deformable integral push tab (24), characterised in that the first and second engaging members (10, 21) are adapted to engage by rotation of the cap (4). It is an advantage of one embodiment that the cap of the closure does not require an internal screw thread. The cap may therefore be simpler and less expensive to manufacture. In addition, the two components, e.g., the cap and the collar, can be assembled prior to application onto the container.
US08479931B1
Multi-purpose drapery rod system uses unique rod and bracket construction to provide superior platform for single and layered drapery. A single-drapery rod cooperates with bracket to attach to surfaces at nearly any angle to the rod. The single-drapery rod is easily converted to a Type 1 dual-drapery rod which layers accent drapery to the side and in front of primary drapery without a view-obstructing front rod, or to a Type 2 rod which layers fully-drawable primary drapery in front and to the sides of secondary drapery. Both types are easily converted to the other due to their modular construction, and both display drapery from the back, front, and along the sides by connecting the back and front with curved sections between them. System also includes a unique motorized assembly which easily mounts to a wall, connects to an existing traverse rod, and converts to a dual-drapery rod when desired.
US08479930B1
An organizing system for weights and accessories having a base with a support bar extending upwardly from the base, a container with a lid on a top end of the support bar which has an inner cavity adapted to hold items, a weight rack shaft extending outwardly from a side of the support bar which is adapted to hold a weight, a cup holder and a hanger on the support bar, a speaker in the support bar, and either a universal serial bus (USB) port or a RCA connection port in the support bar operatively connected to the speaker.
US08479926B1
A pot lid holding system having a housing with a bottom frame and side frames where each side frame extends upwardly from the bottom frame, and a front and back bar, wherein the front and back bars both connect the first side frame to the second side frame, wherein the bottom frame, the side frames and the bars together form an enclosure with an inner cavity, an indentation in the front bar dips downwardly toward the bottom frame, the indentation is adapted to hold a pot lid, an easel pivotally connected to the housing via a hinge pivot, and a drip tray removably disposed atop the bottom frame, the drip tray is adapted to collect liquids or foods dripping from the pot lid.
US08479917B1
A container for holding a vase having flowers positioned therein. The container includes a pair of side walls, a pair of bottom retainers, and a downwardly extending tongue to limit relative motion between the vase and container.
US08479916B2
A novel display package, packaged product, and method of packaging a product are hereby provided. In one illustrative embodiment, a package includes a base, a case, and a card that may be fitted together, for packaging a product positioned on the base and within the case. The base may include bottom and top engaging elements. The case may include a top end engaging element and a bottom end configured to engagingly fit with the top engaging element of the base. The card may include a lower section and an upper section, the lower section of the card configured to engagingly fit with the bottom engaging element of the base, and the upper section of the card configured to engagingly fit with the top end engaging element of the case. Display packages, packaged products, and methods are also disclosed in a variety of other embodiments.
US08479914B2
A method and system for liquid dispensing provides an additive to a base liquid in a container. The additive may be enclosed by an additive bladder that is contained in a container cap and supported by a retaining element having an additive dispensing hole. When the cap is screwed down, a concave element in the cap may press the additive bladder and dispense the additive.
US08479912B2
A matrix conveying system for intended use in sorting articles and related methods of conveying and sorting articles are disclosed. In one embodiment, the matrix system comprises a plurality of first conveyors extending in a first direction and a plurality of second conveyors extending in a second direction, each intersecting the plurality of first conveyors. A transfer conveyor, such as a transpositor conveyor, may be provided for transferring articles from one of the first conveyors to one of the second conveyors. The system may be used to sort articles delivered from one or more storage locations for distribution, or may instead be used to sort articles for delivery to one or more storage locations.
US08479911B2
A container for example for a seeder includes a filling conveyor mounted on one with a bottom hopper and an upper filling spout with the conveyor being movable in a direction inwardly and outwardly relative to the side of the container to different positions relative to the container for cooperation with a supply. This is achieved by mounting the conveyor on a swivel coupling at the outer end of an arm which can be raised and lowered by pivotal movement about an inner end at the container. The hopper is supported on two pairs of ground wheels, each pair being arranged on a respective side of the hopper for supporting the respective side and each pair comprising a respective one of a pair of castor wheels mounted at respective ends of a pivotal beam extending along the respective side of the hopper and pivotal about an axis transverse to the hopper.
US08479910B2
A removable media container for use in a media dispenser is described. The media container comprises: a diverter entrance for receiving diverted media items prior to stacking of the media items; a non-present stack entrance for receiving a stack of media items subsequent to stacking of the media items but prior to presentation of the stack of media items to a customer; and a present stack entrance for receiving a stack of media items subsequent to presentation of the stack of media items to a customer.
US08479909B2
A separate removable and replaceable coin validation unit for use in a coin-operated device has a housing and clip formations by means of which the housing is releasably held in a cavity in the coin-operated device. The coin validation unit is electrically operable and has electrical connectors which connect with complementary connectors in the cavity. The coin operated device is particularly a single bay parking meter.
US08479908B2
A gaming peripheral for a gaming machine is described. The gaming peripheral can be configured to emulate the functions of a lighting device, such as a candle. The gaming peripheral can be configured to provide enhanced gaming features such as 1) enhanced networking capabilities, 2) enhanced peripheral device monitoring and upgrade capabilities, 3) enhanced player monitoring and security capabilities 4) enhanced gaming function capabilities and 5) enhanced player reward capabilities. The enhanced gaming features can be provided in a non-intrusive manner such that regulated software executed on a gaming machine does not have to be altered.
US08479902B2
A hydrokinetic coupling device includes a lock-up clutch having at least one friction disc mounted such that it can slide axially with respect to a first rotary shaft, at least one first backing disc rotating as one with a secondary rotary shaft and a support ring to support the backing disc. The support ring has at least one axial groove circumferentially delineated by an upstream face and by a downstream face. A radial guide tooth of each backing disc is housed such that it can glide axially in the groove. Elastic preload elements are provided which are able to exert a preload torque to clamp the guide tooth of each braking disc circumferentially against one of either the upstream or downstream faces of the guide groove.
US08479897B2
A bolt for use with a hydraulic disc brake caliper. The bolt includes a head and a shaft extending outwardly from the head. The shaft includes a threaded portion having a diameter, at least one channel defined at least partially in the outer surface of the threaded portion, and a reduced diameter portion defined at least partially circumferentially around the shaft and located between the head and the threaded portion. When the bolt is threaded into an opening, the at least one channel and the reduced diameter portion are in fluid communication.
US08479884B2
A locking device and apparatus is disclosed. The locking device is particularly suitable for use in combination with a device such as a track mounted gangway and safety cage to reduce the ability to reposition the gangway and safety cage along a track surface while in the lowered access position. The locking device preferably includes a lever assembly and a pivot assembly having a friction pad connected to the lever assembly. When the lever assembly and/or gangway device is adjusted in a first direction, the friction pad applies pressure on the track surface and moveability between the gangway and the track surface is reduced.
US08479883B2
An improved rappelling system for raising or lowering a person or an object to or from a stationary or moving elevated point includes at least one cable for supporting a person or an object, a motor attached to the elevated point and coupled to the cable so that the motor propels the cable up or down and thereby raises or lower the person or object, respectively, a controller/processor for controlling the motion of the motor and at least one sensor attached to the elevated point and coupled to the controller/processor. The sensor measures the distance of the elevated point from a target area located at a lower point than the elevated point and continuously sends a feedback signal to the controller/processor. The feedback signal is used to calculate and adjust in real-time motor control parameters that determine speed and landing location of the person or object relative to the target area. The system also includes a display attached to the elevated point and displaying the measured distance and the motor control parameters in real-time.
US08479878B2
A tube for moving gas between an entry end into which gas is introduced and an exit end through which gas exits the tube, the tube comprising a plurality of adjoining adjacent□ guides, each guide comprising an outer half of a smoothly-curved, modified torus, and an outer rigid tube wall. Each guide forms an internal cavity with a cavity mouth opening into an inner portion of the tube, the cavities shaped such that a vortex forms within each of the cavities as gas passes through the tube, and the flow of fluid in the tube is unidirectional and axial from the entry end to the exit end.
US08479870B2
Disclosed is a power steering system comprising: a control valve disposed in the steering mechanism to selectably supply a working liquid supplied from a first pump or a second pump to a pair of pressure chambers of a power cylinder providing a steering force for at least one steered wheel in accordance with a rotational steering operation of a steering wheel; a first switching valve disposed between the first pump and the control valve to switch a communication and an interruption of the working liquid between the first pump and the control valve; and a second switching valve disposed between the second pump and the control valve to switch the communication and the interruption of the working liquid between the second pump and the control valve, a communication state and an interruption state being selectably formed in the second switching valve when the first switching valve is in the communication state.
US08479864B2
A system for disabling the operation of a vehicle when a driver of a vehicle is seated in a vehicle seat. The system includes an alcohol detection sensor configured to be contacted by the driver and to generate a detection signal based on contact between the driver and the detection sensor. The system also includes a sensing electrode located proximate to the occupant and a sensing circuit configured to provide a sensing signal to the sensing electrode. A controller is provided to detect a change in the detection signal resulting from contact between the driver and the detection sensor. The controller is configured to disable the vehicle when either the blood alcohol concentration of the driver of the vehicle exceeds a threshold or the controller does not detect a change in the detection signal resulting from contact of the driver with the detection sensor.
US08479861B2
A travelling control apparatus 1 includes: rotational speed ratio detection units 2 configured to output signals S1, S2 of respective rotational speeds of front and rear wheels; a rotational speed ratio calculation measure 3 for calculating data Da of a rotational speed ratio of the wheels from the signals S1, S2; a rotational speed ratio sort measure 4 for sorting the data Da into data D1 within a range of a set range T1 and data D2 out of the range; a reference data generation measure 5 for averaging the data D1 and generating an average value thereof as reference data Ds; and a slip determination measure 6 for comparing data Da1 of the rotational speed ratio of the wheels with the reference data Ds, and in a case of the data Da1 being out of a set range T2, for determining that one of the wheels is slipping.
US08479858B2
In a vehicle which comprises an electric motor to drive front wheels and/or rear wheels of the vehicle, a battery to supply an electric power to the electric motor, a dash panel partitioning a vehicle-inside space from a vehicle-front side space located in front of the vehicle-inside space, a floor panel partitioning the vehicle-inside space from a vehicle outside located below the vehicle-inside space, and a tunnel portion provided at the floor panel so as to project upwardly toward an inside of the vehicle-inside space, the battery is arranged so that a front-side part thereof is positioned in front of the dash panel and a rear-side part thereof is positioned inside of the tunnel portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Accordingly, an appropriate weight balance of the vehicle between front wheels and rear wheels of the vehicle can be provided.
US08479856B2
An arrangement for attaching a first cooling group for cooling an internal combustion engine of an automobile, the group including a first device for cooling an engine coolant and a second device for cooling supercharging air. The first device is capable of interacting with the second device through shape cooperation so that the second cooling device assumes an intermediate retaining position on the first cooling device, and the first device can be automatically locked onto the second device by elastic fitting so that the second device assumes a final locked position on the first device.
US08479855B2
A cooling apparatus for a vehicle includes a cooling module connected to the cooling apparatus through a cooling line to cool a driving system. The cooling module includes, according to the amount of heat transfer and operation temperature, an aircon condenser disposed behind of a radiator grill. A radiator for an electromotive device is disposed in parallel under the aircon condenser behind of a bumper hole through which a large amount of outside air is introduced. A radiator for a stack is disposed behind of the aircon condenser, and a radiator for an electromotive device is disposed in parallel. A cooling fan is disposed behind of the radiator for a stack. The cooling apparatus includes an air guide unit mounted in front of the aircon condenser and the radiator for an electromotive device, the air guide unit preventing the bypassing of outside air introduced during operation of a vehicle while distributing and introducing the outside air. Accordingly, to improve the cooling performance of the cooling module, the aircon condenser and the radiator for an electromotive device are configured in parallel, and the radiator for a stack is disposed behind, according to the amount of heat transfer and operation temperature, so that outside air introduced from the outside of the vehicle is efficiently distributed and supplied and is then cooled, thus improving cooling efficiency and ensuring the cooling performance.
US08479850B2
A fluid pressure brake unit generates a friction braking force by supplying an operating fluid to a wheel cylinder provided to each wheel of a vehicle so as to press a brake pad against the wheel. A regenerative brake unit generates a regenerative braking force by electric power regeneration to a motor that drives the wheel. A battery collects electric power from the motor. A low-temperature determination unit determines that the temperature of the battery is low when the temperature of the battery is below a predetermined temperature range. A battery temperature increasing unit generates, when the temperature of the battery is determined to be low, a braking force to the vehicle by at least either a fluid pressure brake unit or a regenerative brake unit during acceleration of the vehicle by the motor or the engine.
US08479848B2
A disclosed hybrid-type construction machine includes a generator part configured to generate electric energy by the driving force of an engine; an inverter configured to control the generator part; an electric power accumulator configured to accumulate the electric energy generated by the generator part; a DC bus located between the generator part and the electric power accumulator; and a converter configured to control a voltage of the DC bus, wherein when the electric power accumulator having approximately zero electric energy is charged the inverter of the generator part is not controlled, and a reference value of a voltage command for the DC bus to charge the electric power accumulator is set to be smaller than an induced voltage of the generator part.
US08479845B1
Some embodiments relate to cutting element assemblies including a superabrasive cutting element that may be axially compressed to enhance the damage tolerance thereof, enclosed in an enclosure that exposes the superabrasive cutting element therethrough, enclosed in an enclosure that restricts rotation of the superabrasive cutting element, or combinations of the foregoing. Additionally, some embodiments relate to cutting element assemblies in which a superabrasive cutting element is mechanically fastened to a base, such as a substrate or directly to a bit body of a rotary drill bit. Some embodiments also relate to cutting element assemblies including one or more superabrasive cutting elements that are rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the cutting element assembly, that may be axially compressed to enhance the damage tolerance thereof, that may be enclosed in an enclosure that exposes the superabrasive cutting element therethrough, or combinations thereof.
US08479843B2
A system for drilling a wellbore into an earth formation comprises an expandable tubular element extending into the wellbore, wherein a lower end portion of the wall of the tubular element extends radially outward and in an axially reverse direction so as to define an expanded tubular section extending around a remaining tubular section of the tubular element. The expanded tubular section is extendable by downward movement of the remaining tubular section relative to the expanded tubular section whereby said lower end portion of the wall bends radially outward and in an axially reverse direction. A drill string extends through the remaining tubular section into the wellbore, such that a space is formed between the drill string and the remaining tubular section, and the system further comprises sealing means arranged to seal said space from an open-hole lower section of the wellbore.
US08479838B1
A dozing blade assembly includes a dozing blade, and a cutter mounted to the dozing blade. The cutter includes a compound digging face extending between a proximal edge and a distal edge. The compound digging face has a steeply oriented center segment, and shallowly oriented outer segments, for balancing downward penetration with forward pushability during moving the dozing blade assembly through material of a substrate.
US08479831B2
A system for variably resisting flow of a fluid composition can include a flow passage and a set of one or more branch passages which intersect the flow passage, whereby a proportion of the composition diverted from the passage to the set of branch passages varies based on at least one of a) viscosity of the fluid composition, and b) velocity of the fluid composition in the flow passage. Another variable flow resistance system can include a flow path selection device that selects which of multiple flow paths a majority of fluid flows through from the device, based on a ratio of desired fluid to undesired fluid in the composition. Yet another variable flow resistance system can include a flow chamber, with a majority of the composition entering the chamber in a direction which changes based on a ratio of desired fluid to undesired fluid in the composition.
US08479822B2
A downhole tool comprising a housing having at least one flow port disposed providing a communication path between the interior and exterior of the sleeve. A sleeve assembly has an expandable seat and an inner sleeve, and is moveable within the housing between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position the sleeve assembly is radially positioned between the flow ports and the flowpath to substantially prevent fluid communication. Shearable port inserts are positioned within the flow ports, with each port insert having a shearable portion extending into the interior of the housing and engaging the sleeve assembly when the inner sleeve is in said first position.
US08479814B2
An enhanced oil recovery method is provided. This method includes; introducing a first essentially pure oxygen stream into a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation traversed by at least one injection well and at least one production well, and initiating and sustaining in-situ combustion in the vicinity of the injection well. This method also includes introducing a second essentially pure oxygen stream and a hydrocarbon-containing fuel gas stream into the combustion device of a power generation system, wherein the combustion device produces an exhaust gas stream comprising water and carbon dioxide. This method also includes separating the exhaust gas stream into a stream of essentially pure water, and a stream of essentially pure carbon dioxide, and introducing at least a portion of the essentially pure carbon dioxide stream into the subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation prior to initiating the in-situ combustion.
US08479800B2
A curtain system is described which includes a curtain having a plurality of rod engaging members attached thereto, a plurality of rods each having a first end, and a curtain release mechanism attached to each rod at the first end thereof. The rod engaging members each include a stem having a first end and a second end, the first end of the stem configured for engagement with the curtain release mechanism, and a keyway formed in the stem and proximate the first end of the stem.
US08479792B2
A motorcycle tire comprises: a toroidal carcass comprising two carcass plies of cords arranged at an angle of from 20 to 80 degrees with respect to the tire circumferential direction; and a band comprising at least one ply of at least one helically wound cord disposed radially outside the carcass. The band cord is made of steel filaments of 0.08 to 0.20 mm diameter twisted together into a L×M×N structure. The band cord has a low tensile elastic modulus range and a high tensile elastic modulus range, wherein an inflection point between the low tensile elastic modulus range and the high tensile elastic modulus range lies between 2% elongation and 7% elongation of the cord, and a tensile force required to cause 2% elongation of the band cord is not more than 60 Newton.
US08479783B2
A balloon tying article is provided with a first wall, a second wall and a cavity therebetween whereby a balloon is tied using each of the walls to knot the balloon neck.
US08479781B2
A vacuum device for a material handling system includes a vacuum device body and a sealing element. The vacuum device body has a vacuum passageway in which a vacuum is generated in response to activation of a pressurized air supply that forces pressurized air through a venturi device. The sealing element moves to a sealing position to substantially seal the vacuum passageway when the air supply is activated, and is urged toward the sealing position via pressurized air that is diverted from an inlet of the vacuum device to the sealing element. The sealing element moves to substantially vent the vacuum passageway when the air supply is deactivated. The vacuum passageway may be in fluid communication with a vacuum cup, which seals against the object when the sealing element is at the sealing position and the vacuum generating device generates at least a partial vacuum in the vacuum passageway.
US08479774B2
A depth compensated subsea accumulator with a cylinder with a cylinder end, a first larger bore, a cylinder shoulder and a second smaller bore, a piston sealingly and slidably engaging the first large bore with a single direction seal and having a rod attached to a first side, the rod sealingly and slidably engaging the second smaller bore, the piston having a working fluid on the first side and a compressed gas on the second side, the working fluid on the first side of the piston having a higher pressure than the gas on the second side of the piston while the piston is moving between the cylinder end and the cylinder shoulder, when the piston sealingly engages the cylinder shoulder, a portion of the working fluid on the first side of the piston within a seal diameter having a lower pressure than the gas on the second side of the piston and a portion of the working fluid on the first side of the piston outside the seal diameter having a higher pressure than the gas on the second side of the piston, such that the single direction seal always encounters pressure from the same direction.
US08479763B2
A valve including a mechanical part, e.g. a float, for performing a ROV function (Roll Over Valve) and an electronic part, e.g. an electronically controlled solenoid valve, for performing a venting function.
US08479753B2
A liquid processing apparatus includes a substrate holding member configured to rotate along with a substrate held thereon in a horizontal state; an annular rotary cup configured to surround the substrate held on the substrate holding member and to rotate along with the substrate; a rotation mechanism configured to integrally rotate the rotary cup and the substrate holding member; and a liquid supply mechanism configured to supply a process liquid onto the substrate. The apparatus further includes an annular drain cup configured to receive the process liquid discharged from the rotary cup, and provided with a drain port; and a circular flow generation element configured to generate a circular flow within the drain cup when the rotary cup and the substrate holding member are rotated, such that the circular flow serves to lead the process liquid within the drain cup to the drain port.
US08479749B2
This invention is a cylindrical device placed on your finger or thumb and contains a 3 piece apparatus that can be detached coming out of the cylinder wither vertically at the apex, or on the sides. There is a pick sticking directly upwards from the finger and a mini comb and a brush between 90 to 180 degrees on each end of the pick (alternative manufacturing methods). The pick is pushed into the center of the braid and will break the braid apart. The comb or brush is used to straighten the hair as the pick breaks the braid apart.The entire process, while usually performed with two hands, can be accomplished with one hand thus making the device easier, less tiring and less expensive than alternative devices currently on the market.
US08479744B2
An earplug with a stem (22) and with fins (31-34) extending at rearward and radially-outward inclines from the stem, is constructed for comfort and for high noise blocking. The stem has a multiplicity of air pockets (60) lying in an imaginary band (62) that lies on the earplug axis (20). The band has opposite band sides (64, 66) spaced radially inward of the periphery (40) of the stem, the air pockets helping to block the passage of noise. A plurality of the fins are of constant thickness with parallel front and rear surfaces (50, 52), and with the fins being stubby with a fin thickness (T) at least 20% of the fin length (E), and with the front surface (50) of each fin being at least 20% longer than the fin length (E), all as seen in a sectional view taken along the earplug axis (20). Stem peripheral parts (80) that lie between adjacent fins, extend continuously at rearward and radially inward inclines of more than 15°.
US08479743B2
Support devices and pods for the head and neck region of patients undergoing radiation therapy are provided herein. The pod generally includes a support shell shaped to generally conform to the shape of the head and neck region of the patient, a foam insert that conforms to the head and neck region of the patient, and an immobilization facemask attached directly to the shell, thereby facilitating close placement of the radiation beam delivery device to the patient and reducing any attenuation and perturbation of radiation doses directed at the patient. The components of the pod are made from materials having properties that reduce any attenuation and perturbation of prescribed radiation doses.
US08479728B2
Methods and devices for inhalation therapy to deliver and embed (deposit) particles less than about 1 μm in diameter in the lung. High humidity treatment of the lungs causes condensational growth in particle size upon entering the lungs. Increased particle size is conducive to particle embedment (deposition) in deep lung tissue or at a specific targeted lung region.
US08479726B2
The breathing assistance apparatus has a patient interface with a body section adapted to cover the nose, or nose and mouth of the patient. The apparatus includes a sealing interface, including at least an outer sealing member. The outer sealing member has a periphery that is attached to the body section in a sealing manner. The periphery is substantially rigid compared to the remainder of the outer sealing member. The outer sealing member is adapted to substantially seal around the facial contours of the patient to provide a sealed fluid communication to the respiratory tract of the patient. The sealing interface may also include an inner sealing member.
US08479718B2
A hydrogen fueled powerplant including an internal combustion engine that drives a motor-generator, and has a two-stage turbocharger, for an aircraft. A control system controls the operation of the motor-generator to maintain the engine at a speed selected based on controlling the engine equivalence ratio. The control system controls an afterburner, an intercooler and an aftercooler to maximize powerplant efficiency. The afterburner also adds power to the turbochargers during high-altitude restarts. The turbochargers also include motor-generators that extract excess power from the exhaust.
US08479714B2
A valve for a combustion engine air intake circuit, where the valve includes a main pipe and a bypass duct with upstream and downstream ends opening into the main pipe. The valve also includes a heating member that is positioned in the bypass duct and a shut-off member mounted such that it can move between a first position in which airflow can pass through the main pipe and a second position in which airflow can pass through the bypass duct.
US08479713B2
The present application is directed to a method and an apparatus for avoiding and/or reducing pollutant percentages in the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine. Before fuel passes into the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine, it is exposed to electromagnetic signals. The electromagnetic signals including at least two signals at two preset frequencies, and are above 20 kHz. The electromagnetic signals are delivered by way of a transmission member that is disposed in a fuel treatment unit, which has a fuel feed line to a fuel tank and a fuel discharge line to the internal combustion engine.
US08479707B2
A rotation angle detection device may include a rotational member, at least one magneto-electric transducer having a magnetism detection portion capable of detecting a change in magnetism caused by rotation of the rotational member and generating a detection signal representative of the change in magnetism, and an operation voltage output portion capable of performing an operation based on the detection signal and generating an output signal. The rotation angle detection device may further include a fixed member having an receiving recess that receives the at least one magneto-electric transducer therein, and an elastic member attached to the receiving recess in which the at least one magneto-electric transducer is received.
US08479703B2
An internal combustion engine has a crankcase, a crankshaft and at least one crankshaft bearing that can be loaded with lubricant for the purpose of mounting the crankshaft in the crankcase. The at least one crankshaft bearing has at least two separate lubricant feed systems.
US08479700B2
A chromium-iron alloy comprises in weight %, 1 to 3% C, 1 to 3% Si, up to 3% Ni, 25 to 35% Cr, 1.5 to 3% Mo, up to 2% W, 2.0 to 4.0% Nb, up to 3.0% V, up to 3.0% Ta, up to 1.2% B, up to 1% Mn and 43 to 64% Fe. In a preferred embodiment, the chromium-iron alloy comprises in weight %, 1.5 to 2.3% C, 1.6 to 2.3% Si, 0.2 to 2.2% Ni, 27 to 34% Cr, 1.7 to 2.5% Mo, 0.04 to 2% W, 2.2 to 3.6% Nb, up to 1% V, up to 3.0% Ta, up to 0.7% B, 0.1 to 0.6% Mn and 43 to 64% Fe. The chromium-iron alloy is useful for valve seat inserts for internal combustion engines such as diesel or natural gas engines.
US08479694B2
The finger follower employs two independent lost motion arms and a rod which moves longitudinally to lock both arms. The rod is transversely mounted in the follower. In order to avoid premature locking, each arm has a chamfered surface on a top wall to force the rod out of engagement with the arm during upward movement of the arms, to protect premature movement of the rod from an unlocked position to a locked position.
US08479690B2
An internal combustion engine power cycle wherein a combustion chamber is fitted with an inlet valve, an outlet valve, and movable piston coupled to perform work, includes an generator to form a stream of greater than about 95% molecular oxygen from atmospheric air and a nitrogen waste gas stream; a source of fuel; and a source of liquid water. The power cycle includes admission of the molecular oxygen into the chamber, injection of the fuel into the chamber with combustion, and injection of atomized water into the chamber for generation of steam.
US08479682B2
An apparatus for applying adhesive to the surface of expanded resin panels by means of a gluing roller, comprising a conveyor for feeding a panel, which is arranged upstream of the gluing roller, and a conveyor for receiving the panel, which is arranged downstream of the gluing roller, the conveyors being mutually aligned on a supporting framework so as to have adjacent ends, and means for moving the conveyors between a lowered position and a raised position, the means being controlled by an element for detecting a panel conveyed by the feeding conveyor so as to lift or lower the conveyors to a level at which the surface of the gluing roller is substantially in tangent contact with the panel in order to apply thereon a layer of adhesive.
US08479679B1
A flagpole top support bracket assembly for a top end of a flagpole is disclosed, and includes a cap for mounting on the upper end of the flagpole. The cap defines a cavity for receiving an upper portion of the flagpole, and the cavity extends inwardly from an opening in a lower end of the cap. The cap has an outer surface and an annular groove formed in the outer surface. The bracket assembly further includes a support mounted on the cap, and the support is rotatable with respect to the cap. The support includes a mounting lip for resisting sliding of the support off of the cap, and the mounting lip extends inwardly toward the cap and is configured to be at least partially positioned in the annular groove of the cap.
US08479678B1
A bird repelling apparatus to repel birds from plants including a hanger, a round eyelet on a hanger second end, an initial ring loosely attached thereto, a thin diameter greater than 3 inches and 2 gauge thick first disc with a 0.2 inch diameter top aperture attached to the initial ring and a bottom aperture to which a round 0.75 inch diameter first memory wire ring is loosely engaged, and a 0.4 inch diameter jump ring loosely engaging the first memory wire ring. A second memory wire ring loosely engages the jump ring and a 0.2 inch diameter second disc upper aperture and has a 0.2 inch diameter lower aperture. The dimensions and the high gloss finish of the stainless steel discs are critical to the bird repelling function. Loose connectivity between the jump and memory wire rings and the discs provides liberal, relatively independent and unimpeded disc movement in a slight breeze.
US08479671B2
A seed meter for an agricultural seed planter, wherein the seed meter includes a rotatable disk assembly for a seed meter to dispense individual seeds at desired intervals. The rotatable disk comprises a seed disk including a plurality of circumferentially spaced seed apertures about the periphery operatively connected to a vacuum source, a substantially nonmagnetic backing disk member having a plurality of vacuum apertures and also in communication with the vacuum source, a resilient disk member adjacent and engageable with the nonmagnetic backing disk comprising a plurality of magnetic portions engageable with a magnetic source and adapted to occlude the seed aperture and disrupt communication with the vacuum source. The seed disk, substantially nonmagnetic backing disk member and resilient disk member are also rotatably mounted within a housing on a conduit. The vacuum source is operatively connected to the inside of the housing.
US08479667B2
The present invention provides a mobile folding table with attached seating having an improved lift-assist mechanism. In particular, the table includes a gas cylinder that provides a force tending to extend the cylinder to assist in folding the table into a storage position, the cylinder providing substantially no force to resist rapid extension thereof. Preferably, a mobile folding table according to the present invention also includes a stabilizing mechanism including center bench legs attached to a center leg structure that is maintained substantially upright whether the table is in an unfolded use configuration, in a mobile folded storage configuration, or in the process of being folded or unfolded. In this manner, the attached benches are prevented from freely tipping when the table is being folded or moved.
US08479664B2
An apparatus attachable to a barricading structure and method for providing an activity surface are provided. The barricading structure may be, for example, a railing. The apparatus comprises a mountable backsplash attached to the barricading structure, a foldable support platform attached to the mountable backsplash via multiple connectors, and a locking system for locking the mountable backsplash to the barricading structure. The foldable support platform comprises a first inlay fitted into a support structure for providing an activity surface to hold objects. The connectors are accommodated in slots provided on the mountable backsplash. The accommodated connectors are hinged to the mountable backsplash using a hinge pin to facilitate pivotal connection of the foldable support platform to the mountable backsplash. The apparatus may comprise leg supports for supporting weight of the foldable support platform. The apparatus is made of a weather resistant material and a heat resistant material.
US08479662B2
A rail vehicle with a vehicle door connected to an associated door frame via a seal is provided. The seal as well as other mechanical components have to be lubricated. Therefore, a door region is equipped with at least one device for automatically dispensing lubricants for lubricating the seal and/or the mechanical components.
US08479661B2
A rail road car such as a double tub coal gondola car has a center sill that is narrow in the middle between the two tubs, and wider at the draft arms. The center sill has a transition section that provides a smooth, gradual transition between the respective bottom flange portions of the two without sharp changes in direction in the stress fields in tension and compression, and with little or no out of plane eccentricities in load path, and with a tendency to minimize or avoid local stress concentrations. The center sill includes a set of access apertures and corresponding bridges or ties that maintain the lateral halves of the center sill flange main portion in appropriate relationship to each other with respect to resistance to buckling. The tubs fasten mechanically to the sides of the center sill.
US08479660B2
An automated trackside railed car discharge gate operating system is disclosed which can automatically unload a string of cars “on the fly” and without the need for a separate indexing system. The system includes a pair of carriage-mounted tool systems for opening/closing capstan-operated railcar gates disposed to travel along a carriage track and including visual devices that acquire and track capstans and coordinate tool orientation and operation.
US08479646B2
A drawer-type cooking device and a method for controlling opening and closing of a door thereof, in which an opening/closing direction and an absolute position of a door by a manual opening/closing operation by a user can be detected with a simple structure even when the door is in a door-open state in an intermediate position, is provided. A rotation sensor 26 is disposed in relation to an output shaft of a motor 25 for driving a door capable of opening and closing an opening of a cooking device body in an opening/closing direction. A microcomputer 20 controls drive of the motor 25 including a rotation direction by receiving an input of a detection signal of the rotation sensor 26,which is a sensor for generating two rotation pulses having different phases (for example, pulse train signals with a 120-degree difference) from the motor. A control device can determine the rotation direction of the motor 25 based on the two rotation pulses therefrom.
US08479631B2
An explosion-driven setting tool includes a setting mechanism (12) driven by a propellant (23), an ignition unit (18) for igniting the propellant (23), a receptacle (15) for receiving a propellant holder (20), a data communication interface (31) for receiving and transmitting data of the propellant holder (20), and a data processing unit (30) for receiving data transmitted by the data communication interface (31) and connected with a display (50) for displaying the propellant supply level (27) of the propellant (23) in the propellant holder having a housing (21) with an interior space (22) for receiving the propellant (23), and a data storage identification unit (40) in which the propellant supply level (27) is stored for being read-out.
US08479630B2
A saw guide for guiding the blade of a saw during cutting of a workpiece comprises a housing having a basal surface and a guide surface adapted to be positioned on a workpiece to be cut, such that with the basal surface engaging a surface of the workpiece, the guide surface extends across the surface to be cut at a forward position of the housing, such that a cutting member in face to face contact with the guide surface may be guided during cutting of the workpiece, and measuring means for measuring a position of the guide surface with respect to the workpiece such that, in use, the position of the guide surface may be monitored by reference to said measuring means, during a cutting operation of the workpiece. The saw guide enables a cut to be made with continual reference to the measuring means.
US08479628B2
A method for constructing a base for holding a moving sawhead along a linear path using a ladder with a carriage base attached thereto is disclosed. A vertical slide is attached to the carriage base and also attached to the powered sawhead so that the blade is capable of cutting in a generally horizontal plane.
US08479626B1
An apparatus to hold, store and cut extra wide rolled materials includes a long rectangular enclosure having a guided cutter and is capable of holding one (1) or more rolls of sheet materials for cutting to an exact length. During cutting, the rolled material is pulled out and placed over a cutting platform that runs along the length of the enclosure. A circular cutting blade being smoothly guided along a slot which extends along a length of the apparatus cuts the material. Additional storage compartments are provided which may be affixed to outer end portions of the apparatus to hold small associated items such as tape, thread, writing instruments, craft items, and the like.
US08479615B2
A wrench comprising an elongated handle having a proximal end and first and second pivots at a distal end, and a spring-loaded latch pivotally connected to the second pivot, the latch being movable about the second pivot from an unlocked position to a locked position. The wrench includes a first clamping jaw having a first end pivotally connected to the handle at the first pivot and having a second end that includes a third pivot. A second clamping jaw is pivotally connected to the first clamping jaw via the third pivot to constitute with the first clamping jaw an articulated clamping jaw. The second clamping jaw has a free end for displacing the spring-loaded latch from the unlocked position to the locked position. The latch locks the free end of the second clamping jaw when the free end of the second clamping jaw has pushed past the latch.
US08479612B2
A hammer device is provided for facilitating the driving, countersinking, and removal of relatively small fasteners, such as penny nails. A hammer includes a handle that can define an on-board tool storage area. A nail start accessory can include a tool portion and a nail holder portion. The tool portion can have a first end and a second end, with the nail holder portion being arranged at one of the first end and the second end. The on-board tool storage area of the hammer can be configured to removably store the nail start accessory substantially within the handle.
US08479604B2
A multiple-ratio transmission with countershaft gearing with dual power input clutches. Ratio changes are made from each of several ratios to a preselected ratio by alternately engaging and disengaging the power input clutches. A robust bearing arrangement provides high torque transmitting capacity. An optimum number of transmission ratios are available with a minimum number of gear meshes.
US08479599B2
A starter for an internal combustion engine includes a power transmission mechanism. The power transmission mechanism has an outer race plate fastened to a crankshaft, and a ring gear coupled to a rotational shaft of an electric motor for starting the engine. The power transmission mechanism further has a one-way clutch for permitting torque transmission only from the ring gear to the outer race plate, and two sealing members. Lubricant is supplied from the cylinder block to the interior of the power transmission mechanism for lubricating the power transmission mechanism. The outer race plate has a groove on its contact surface of a contact portion between the crankshaft and the outer race plate. The groove extends in the entire circumferential direction of the crankshaft. This maintains the coupling strength between the outer race plate and the crankshaft, while enhancing the sealing performance of the power transmission mechanism.
US08479594B2
An apparatus for measuring the slip resistance of a wrench includes a base, at least one first threaded fastener, and at least one second threaded fastener. Both the first threaded fastener and the second threaded fastener are threaded into the base, wherein the roundness of the first threaded fastener and the roundness of the second threaded fastener are different.
US08479592B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide field test devices and methods for testing the compressive gradient strength of installed vehicle arresting systems, such as those installed on airport runways. Current methods of testing such arresting systems are conducted on sample materials in-house, and these methods are not applicable or useful when tests need to be conducted on currently-installed systems in the field.
US08479591B2
Gripping claws and pairs of arched angular profiles are arranged along the perimeter of a cylindrical surface segment so as to grip the edges of a fuselage panel, closing the opening of a pressurizable chamber.
US08479589B2
A method of predicting sheet formability at a microscale level includes the steps of providing a grid pattern on a test sheet, bulging the test sheet to a hemispherical shape until a crack is initiated on the surface of the test sheet, detecting the initiation of the crack, acquiring two images of the surface adjacent to the crack and calculating surface strains on the test sheet.
US08479584B2
There are provided a temperature compensation method for a force sensor and the force sensor which can perform temperature compensation in not only the steady range where the output by the force sensor is stable but also the transient range where the output is unstable. The force sensor temperature compensation method of the present invention eliminates the effect of an environmental temperature from a sensor output value indicating the output value by the force sensor in the transient range where the output by the force sensor is unstable or in the steady range where the output is stable, and includes a preparation step of obtaining the varying pattern of a monitoring output value indicating the environmental temperature in the transient range before the force sensor is measuring an external force, and a correction step of estimating a varying pattern based on a change rate of the monitoring output value while the force sensor is measuring the external force, and of correcting a sensor output value using a correction value obtained based on the estimated varying pattern.
US08479581B2
A device for measuring fluid pressure, includes at least one flexible layer having a first surface adapted for fixing the layer to a structure, and having a second surface having at least one recess; at least one pressure sensor, provided in the at least one recess; and at least two wires connected to the at least one pressure sensor for connecting the at least one pressure sensor to a signal receiving unit. Further, a method for measuring fluid pressure is provided.
US08479579B2
A measuring probe is provided for measuring and taking samples in a metal melt. The probe has a measuring head arranged on a lance, wherein the measuring head carries at least a temperature sensor and a sampling chamber, and wherein the sampling chamber is surrounded, at least partially, by the measuring head and includes an intake duct that extends through the measuring head. The intake duct includes an inner section, which extends in the measuring head and has a length L and a minimum diameter D at least at one site in the inner section. The ratio L/D2 is less than 0.6 mm−1.
US08479578B2
The metallization system of complex semiconductor devices may be evaluated in terms of mechanical integrity on the basis of a measurement system and measurement procedures in which individual contact elements, such as metal pillars or solder bumps, are mechanically stimulated, while the response of the metallization system, for instance in the form of directly measured forces, is determined in order to quantitatively evaluate mechanical status of the metallization system. In this manner, the complex material systems and the mutual interactions thereof may be efficiently assessed.
US08479575B2
The invention relates to a microgyroscope for determining rotational movements about an x-axis and/or a y-axis and a z-axis. Oscillating masses are fastened to a substrate by springs. Drive elements vibrate individual masses in an oscillatory manner in the x-y plane in order to produce Coriolis forces when the substrate is rotated, and sensor elements detect deflections of the masses on account of the Coriolis forces produced. The Individual masses are arranged in two groups that are jointly induced by the drive elements to carry out an oscillating primary movement in the plane of the x-y axis. The masses of the first group allow movements starting from the x-y plane, and the masses of the second group allow movements perpendicular to the oscillating primary movement in the plane of the x-y axis.
US08479569B2
In a malfunction determination apparatus and a malfunction determination method for a cooling apparatus that cools an internal combustion engine by circulating a cooling medium that flows in a first passage that extends through an inside of the engine, using an electric pump, a first temperature of the cooling medium is detected at an inlet of the first passage, through which the cooling medium flows into the inside of the engine; a second temperature of the cooling medium is detected at an outlet of the first passage, through which the cooling medium flows out from the inside of the engine; and it is determined that the switching valve is able to normally select the second passage, if both of the first temperature and the second temperature reach a first threshold value when a temperature of the cooling medium increases due to start of the engine.
US08479568B1
An apparatus for measuring variations in the flatness of an Almen strip holding surface includes a gaging block having opposing parallel surfaces defining an aperture extending between said parallel surfaces and substantially conforming to the size of the holding surface. A plunger is mounted in a cross member which extends across the aperture and is moved along opposite sides thereof. A dial indicator responds to displacement of the aperture to permit detection of any variation in flatness as the plunger is moved over the holding surface and along and between the side and end edges thereof. Placement of the Almen strip holding screws is verified to be in tolerance by the gaging block in that the gaging block cannot be mounted on the holding surface if the distance between the openings is out of tolerance.
US08479565B2
Provided are a fluid conveying tube and a fluid leakage detecting system which can convey a cryogenic fluid such as LNG and which can quickly and reliably detect leakage of the fluid within the tube and the position of the leakage. An optical fiber is continuously wound over the entire length of a flexible tube. Leakage information detected by an optical fiber temperature sensor is transmitted via a terminal to an externally provided temperature measurement device. Meanwhile, when similar leakage occurs in the vicinity of a coupling section, the gas pressure inside the heat insulating layer or the like increases due to the pressure of LNG within a corrugated tube or a pressure generated as a result of evaporation of LNG. When the pressure inside the heat insulating layer increases, information representing a change in the gas pressure is transmitted to a terminal via a hollow pipe. A tube or the like is externally connected to the terminal, and is connected to a pressure meter or like.
US08479561B2
First outer gas apertures 144a are arranged in a first corner 144b such that the outer opening plane of each first outer gas aperture 144a forms an angle of 45 degrees with a bottom face of a step element 145 and the outer opening plane forms an angle of 90 degrees with an inner circumferential face of the first outer gas aperture 144a. Second outer gas apertures are arranged in a second corner 146b such that the outer opening plane of each second outer gas aperture 146a forms an angle of 45 degrees with a bottom face of an edge section 146 and the outer opening plane forms an angle of 90 degrees with an inner circumferential face of the second outer gas aperture 146a. This structure prevents water from adhering to a sensor element 110 and thereby enhances the response of a gas sensor 110.
US08479558B2
A method and apparatus for sensing analyte. The method includes the steps of sensing one or more parameters in reaction to the presence of one or more analytes and outputting a current therefrom in accordance with level of the sensed parameter by each of a plurality of sensors, each of the plurality of sensors being provided in one or more sensor array columns, receiving an output current from one of the plurality of sensors from each of the plurality of sensor arrays by a Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) arranged in a VCO array. The method further includes the steps of generating an output oscillation frequency by each VCO in accordance with the level of the received output current, and counting a number of oscillations over a predetermined time received from each of the plurality of VCOs in the VCO array by a plurality of counters arranged in a counter array.
US08479556B2
I-beam wear assessment trolleys include a first sensor assembly including a first upper block, a first lower block, a first pressure sensor positioned between the first upper block and the first lower block, and at least one first biasing member positioned between the first pressure sensor and either the first upper block or the first lower block of the first sensor assembly, wherein the at least one first biasing member biases the first upper block and the first lower block of the first sensor assembly away from one another.
US08479539B2
A method of making a press-moldable glass, including melting starting materials, forming a melt, and annealing a formed glass, wherein the melt has a composition such that, (1) when rapidly cooled to room temperature, it becomes glass that has a scattering coefficient of less than 0.005 cm−1 at wavelengths of from 400 to 2,500 nm or comprises crystals with a volumetric ratio of less than 10−6, and (2) when maintained for three hours at a temperature 10° C. higher than the glass transition temperature, maintained for 10 min at a temperature yielding a viscosity of 104.5 to 103.5 dPa·s, and then rapidly cooled to room temperature, (3) the resulting glass has (a) a scattering coefficient of at least one wavelength from 400 to 2,500 nm of greater than 0.01 cm−1 or (b) crystals with a volumetric ratio of greater than 10−5. A temperature for annealing is lower than for glass transition.
US08479538B2
Various embodiments described herein comprise a gemstone or other piece of jewelry, which incorporates one or more diffractive optical elements to enhance the fire displayed by the gemstone. In certain embodiments, the diffractive optical element comprises a diffraction grating etched on one or more facets of the gemstone.
US08479530B2
A heat exchanger has at least one inlet and outlet to permit circulation of refrigerant therethrough. Each heat exchanger includes a plurality of thin sections of material arranged between a pair of thin flat outer plates. Each of the thin sections of material is comprised of parallel flow paths, allowing for the refrigerant to flow through the inlet, then from one section to the next, and finally out the outlet. The arrangement of the sections of parallel flow paths allows for the refrigerant to come into contact with the majority of the inside wall of the outer plates, allowing for maximum heat exchange. In use for cooling liquids, the heat exchangers are arranged within a frame and brought into contact with the liquid to be cooled. When the heat exchangers are used to cool liquid sufficiently to produce ice crystals, a rotating scraping device sweeps across the surface of the heat exchanger, removing any ice crystals that have formed.
US08479527B2
A refrigerator and a control method of the same are disclosed. A refrigerator includes a plurality of evaporators and a refrigerant path conversion device connected with the plurality of the evaporates, the refrigerant path conversion device controlling a path of refrigerant to perform defrosting operations for predetermined evaporators and cooling operations for the other evaporators.
US08479521B2
A combustor for a gas turbine engine having an annular combustion chamber includes a plurality of main fuel injection and air swirler assemblies and a plurality of pilot fuel injection and air swirler assemblies disposed in a circumferential ring extending about the circumferential expanse of a forward bulkhead. The plurality of pilot fuel injection and air swirler assemblies are interspersed amongst and disposed in the circumferential ring of main fuel injection and air swirler assemblies. Fuel being supplied to the combustor is selectively distributed between the plurality of main fuel injection and air swirler assemblies and the plurality of pilot fuel injection and air swirler assemblies in response to the level of power demand on the gas turbine engine.
US08479519B2
A method and apparatus for a diffusion tip for use with a fuel nozzle is described. The diffusion tip has a substantially circular body including an outer surface and an opposite inner surface. The diffusion tip body extends from a discharge end to an inlet end. The diffusion tip includes an inlet surface adjacent to the discharge end and defined within the body. A discharge surface is defined opposite the inlet surface. A plurality of diffusion apertures each extend between the discharge surface and the inlet surface, each aperture is oriented relative to the body to discharge a diffusion flow outward therefrom at an angle γ (gamma) measured in an X-Z plane between a centerline of the aperture and an X-axis extending tangentially to the outer surface, and at an angle θ (theta) measured in a Y-Z plane between the centerline of the aperture and a Y-axis extending radially outward from the centerline.
US08479517B2
A vapor power cycle apparatus that mixes part of high-temperature liquid-phase working fluid separated from a liquid-phase portion in a gas/liquid separator with high-temperature gas-phase working fluid extracted from a expander and allows the fluid to exchange heat with low-temperature liquid-phase working fluid from a condenser so as to efficiently recover the heat of working fluid and improve thermal efficiency of the entire cycle. The part of high-temperature liquid-phase working fluid separated from the liquid-phase portion in the gas/liquid separator is extracted, the resultant fluid is mixed in a second absorber with high-temperature gas-phase working fluid extracted from an interstage point in the expander to allow liquid-phase working fluid to absorb part of gas-phase working fluid and the high-temperature working fluid is used to heat low-temperature liquid-phase working fluid in a first heater without passing an extracted portion of high-temperature liquid-phase working fluid through a condenser.
US08479507B2
A Stirling engine has a fluid passage that connects a low temperature-side actuating fluid space and a crankcase inner space, and a passage opening/closing valve that is provided in the fluid passage and that opens and closes the fluid passage. The passage opening/closing valve enables communication through the fluid passage upon startup of the Stirling engine, and shuts off communication through the fluid passage when the rotational speed of the crankshaft of the Stirling engine is equal to or greater than a pre-established start-enabling rotational speed.
US08479506B2
A Stirling engine is provided with a fluid passage that connects a low temperature-side actuating fluid space and a crankcase inner space, and a passage opening/closing valve that is provided in the fluid passage and that opens and closes the fluid passage. Upon stopping of the Stirling engine, the passage opening/closing valve enables communication through the fluid passage, at a region at which the piston floats in the cylinder. This region is determined based on the pressure of an actuating fluid in the actuating fluid space and the rotational speed of a crankshaft of the Stirling engine.
US08479501B2
An exhaust aftertreatment system having a NOX absorber-catalyst and an ammonia-SCR reactor. During regenerations, the NOX absorber-catalyst generates ammonia. The ammonia-SCR reactor captures this ammonia and later uses it to reduce NOX. A Venturi is provided in an exhaust conduit connecting the NOX absorber-catalyst to the ammonia-SCR reactor. The Venturi draws sufficient air to keep the ammonia-SCR reactor under lean conditions throughout the NOX absorber-catalyst regenerations. Maintaining lean conditions for the ammonia-SCR reactor in this manner mitigates poisoning of the ammonia-SCR reactor by hydrocarbons slipping from the NOX absorber-catalyst during the regenerations. Mitigating this poisoning improves the performance of the exhaust aftertreatment system and reduce the loss of useful ammonia to oxidation.
US08479499B2
A system and method for initiation and control of passive regeneration (38) of a diesel particulate filter (34), and the integration of that regeneration strategy with an active regeneration strategy (36) and a strategy (40, 40A) for inhibiting passive regeneration. Passive regeneration can be initiated by driver actuation of an instrument panel device, such as a switch, while the vehicle is parked with the engine idling provided that certain conditions confirming that the vehicle is parked and the engine is at proper temperature are satisfied. Regeneration is inhibited by driver actuation of another switch for a maximum amount of time that may be shorter, or even prevented if DPF loading is too high.
US08479491B2
A method and system suitable facilitating the connection and disconnection of a thrust reverser assembly to a fan case of a nacelle of a gas turbine engine. The method and system entail operating a clamping system to simultaneously engage and disengage flanges associated with the fan case and flanges associated with the fixed structure of the thrust reverser assembly. The clamping system includes a plurality of over-center clamping mechanisms, each of which is movable to simultaneously clamp together complementary flanges of the thrust reverser assembly and the fan case.
US08479489B2
An exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system and a method for recirculating an exhaust gas stream from an outlet to an inlet of a turbomachine are provided. The EGR system includes a guide element to channel the exhaust gas stream from the inlet to the outlet and a Rankine cycle system through which a working fluid is circulated. The Rankine cycle system including serially a high temperature heat exchanger in heat exchange relationship with the guide element; an expansion device coupled to a generator; a low temperature heat exchanger in heat exchange relationship with a cooling medium; and a pump. The exhaust stream at the outlet has a first temperature and the exhaust stream downstream of the high temperature heat exchanger has a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature.
US08479480B2
A packaging assembly for lightweight containers that includes a secondary packaging for gathering and holding a plurality of individual primary lightweight containers. The secondary packaging includes two layers of thermoplastic shrinkable film enclosing the lightweight containers, with the layers being connected to one another at least partially in the circumference of the secondary packaging. Each of the primary lightweight containers has a container body and a container neck with a neck opening. The lightweight containers are disposed in the secondary packaging in rows forming one single, substantially plane layer, with all containers being oriented with their longitudinal axis (L) forming an angle (α) with the plane of the packaging assembly that is between 0 and 45°. Also, the neck of each container is oriented so as to be at least partially inserted between the bodies of the containers disposed in an adjacent row, such that the necks of the containers in the peripheral rows are turned towards the inside of the layer.
US08479470B2
This invention relates to an improved wall for resisting lateral forces imposed on a building that incorporates the wall. Specifically, this invention relates to a wall in a light-frame building having within it a sub-component specifically designed to resist lateral forces imposed on the building such as those caused by an earthquake or by wind loading. The wall is formed with a bottom plate that rests on the underlying structural component of the building. A plurality of vertically-disposed studs connect to the bottom plate, and a top plate is supported by and connects to the vertically-disposed studs. A shear-resisting assembly connects to the top plate and the underlying structural component. The shear-resisting assembly has top and bottom struts and first and second chords and a planar shear resisting element connected thereto.
US08479468B1
A system and a method for enhancement of structural integrity is provided where a reinforcement system in accordance with the present invention is coupled with a compression side of a structure. The reinforcement system includes a tension layer with a high tensile strength coupled with an exterior surface of a compression layer with high compression strength, with the tension layer directly coupled with the structure.
US08479467B2
A prefabricated roofing panel composite includes a prefabricated cover board having a high-density polymer or predominantly polymer material core layer having a density between 6 lbs/ft3 and 25 lbs/ft3 and an insulation board that has a low-density polymer or predominantly polymer material foam core layer having a density less than or equal to about 2 lbs/ft3. The cover board may have a waterproofing membrane forming the top major surface of the cover board. The low-density foam core layer of the insulation board may be formed with the high-density core layer of the cover board being currently or subsequently formed over and bonded to a top major surface of the low-density foam core layer in the same operation or preformed insulation boards may be fed into a production line with the high-density core layer of the cover board being formed over and bonded to top major surfaces of the low-density foam core layers of the insulation boards.
US08479460B1
A deck system includes plural deck units fastened together and carried directly by the framing system of a building directly or indirectly by frame elements that are themselves carried by the framing system. To relieve lateral forces on the deck system that exceed a pre-engineered level, these frame elements include a slidable support and slidable brackets both with slotted holes that permit controlled and limited movement of the deck system in two mutually orthogonal directions with respect to the framing system of the building. In addition, the individual deck units may move horizontally with respect to the each other and the framing system. Each decking unit may be connected to an adjacent decking unit using a slotted hole formed in one of its two side laps.
US08479453B1
This stage frame assembly includes a horizontal frame member configured to join and support adjacent, horizontal frame members. The performance stage frame member has a shaped cross-section wherein the frame member includes a top lip and a chamfer extending from the top lip. A plurality of frame members capture and support a stage deck wherein the stage deck is flush with the top lip.
US08479447B2
A drive system for driving and for guiding a wall element, in particular for a room partitioning wall system, with a carriage unit, which is guided to be longitudinally movable in a guiding rail. The carriage unit has a roller carriage disposed within the guiding rail, and a drive unit disposed below the guiding rail. A guiding device is provided in the transition area between the roller carriage and the drive unit that cooperates with the guiding rail for guiding the carriage unit.
US08479440B2
In certain embodiments, an apparatus for killing pests in an affected area includes a fuel source, a first air inlet configured to receive a first air flow from the affected area, and a second air inlet configured to receive a second air flow from an unaffected area. The system further includes a premix system operable to generate an air-fuel mixture by mixing a fuel flow received from the fuel source with the second air flow received from the second air inlet. The system further includes a burner operable to generate combustion air by combusting the air-fuel mixture. The combustion air is mixed with the first air flow subsequent to combustion to generate a heated air flow, and the heated air flow is discharged into the affected area. The fuel source, the premix system, and the burner are configured for positioning in the affected area.
US08479439B2
In certain embodiments, an apparatus for killing pests in an affected area includes a fuel source, a first air inlet configured to receive a first air flow from the affected area, and a second air inlet configured to receive a second air flow from an unaffected area. The system further includes a premix system operable to generate an air-fuel mixture by mixing a fuel flow received from the fuel source with the second air flow received from the second air inlet. The system further includes a burner operable to generate combustion air by combusting the air-fuel mixture. The combustion air is mixed with the first air flow subsequent to combustion to generate a heated air flow, and the heated air flow is discharged into the affected area. The fuel source, the premix system, and the burner are configured for positioning in the affected area.
US08479436B2
A waterfowl decoy motion system comprising a multiplicity of movable decoys and several idler pulley assemblies that contain a pulley disposed upon a vertical shaft, and a retaining assembly disposed over the pulley and connected to the vertical shaft. The retaining assembly has a minimum cross sectional dimension greater than the diameter of the pulley.
US08479434B2
An apparatus for mounting accessories on a weapon mount. One embodiment of the apparatus includes an accessory interface system having a forward module coupled to a mounting module. The mounting module of the accessory interface system mounts on a weapon mount. The forward module of the accessory interface system provides a plurality of surfaces for mounting weapon accessories.
US08479432B2
The present invention is a non-lethal weapon mount system with modular weapons components comprising at least two personal protection components capable of independent activation, and a means to increase or decrease the intensity level of at least one of the personal protection components.
US08479430B1
An ammunition carrier that is attached to a gun in apposition that does not interfere with the operation of the gun. The carrier is attached to the gun using a locking slider system. Once in place, it allows a shooter to carry up to 24 shells simply and easily. The carrier can be made in a straight-line design or a pistol grip type design. The carrier has Velcro patches that allow the shell holders to be attached. The shell holders have elastic bands that hold the shells. One or two shell holders can be attached to the carrier as desired. A user can keep several carriers available, each with a different type of shot or load so that the user simply has to select the desired ammunition for a particular purpose and attach it to the gun. It can also be used to carry ammo clips for rifles.
US08479426B2
A wearable band with an adjustable size or length. The band includes a first band element with a raised center or identification member. The band includes a second band element with a body having a loop or lasso at one end defined by an inner surface of a sidewall. The outer sidewall of the raised center member is detachably coupled to the inner surface of the loop-defining sidewall when the center member is received within and captured by the loop such as by a snap detent arrangement. To allow sizing, the second band element includes both an inner band sizing element including the loop-defining sidewall at one of its ends and an outer band sizing element that is detachably coupled to the inner band sizing element. The length of the second band element is defined by the combined length of the inner and outer band sizing elements.
US08479425B2
The present technology provides an illustrative display post that includes a first side, a second side, and a third side. The third side of the display post has a concave portion extending along a length of the third side such that the concave portion is configured to receive a convex surface. The third side also has a first flat portion along a side of the concave portion and extending along the length of the third side and a second flat portion along an opposite side of the concave portion as the first flat portion and extending along the length of the third side.
US08479417B2
An article of footwear with a sole that includes a plurality of vertical grooves is disclosed. The plurality of vertical grooves may be disposed on a sidewall and a lower portion of the sole. The vertical grooves can facilitate twisting of the sole.
US08479413B2
Disclosed is a footwear insole for alleviating arthritis pain of the foot, knee, and/or hip by providing a rigid shell layer for arch support, and a topcloth, an upper cushioning layer, and a lower cushioning layer for cushioning. Further, the rigid shell layer includes a shell aperture, and the lower cushioning layer includes a lower layer aperture, through which a portion of the upper cushioning layer extends for cushioning.
US08479410B2
A dryer control method includes: a first dry step of drying a dry item with strong hot wind while tumbling a drum in which the dry item is placed; and a second dry step of drying the dry item with mild hot wind while tumbling the drum. Because the dry process is repeatedly performed on the dry item according to a proposed dry algorithm, the dry item made of wool fiber can be prevented from being shrunken or creased in the dry process.
US08479402B2
A setting assembly to adjust components linked to it, in particular to adjust the reticle of a sighting telescope, comprising an adjustment cap system which is rotationally supported on a coupling and which drives said setting assembly, said coupling being designed to transmit adjustment cap system displacements to components that can be connected to the coupling in order to transmit their setting(s) and a first locking element mounted on the coupling being able to engage a second locking element in a way that the position of the adjustment cap system can be fixed in place relative to the coupling. The first locking element is an at least segment-wise externally toothed collar and the second locking element is an at least segment-wise internally toothed locking ring. A resiliently supported detent at the coupling may engage by detent recesses an associated detent ring at the adjustment cap system.
US08479397B2
In an electric shaver moving inner blades reciprocally and linearly, outer blades which are elongated in longitudinal direction are respectively held on outer blade frames and the outer blade frames are further held in floatable in floating direction on a frame holder. An outer blade mounting base has a pair of protrusions formed at positions near to both ends thereof in the longitudinal direction to protrude in the floating direction and the frame holder has a pair of end walls arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction and a pair of engaging rims formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction. The engaging rims enclose the protrusions so as to position the frame holder to the outer blade mounting base when the frame holder is attached to the outer blade mounting base.
US08479393B2
A green metal body includes metal particles and a binder in the shape of an orthodontic bracket and/or base plate. The green metal body is fabricated by being laser-cut with a laser to shape the green metal body into the shape of an orthodontic bracket and/or to carve recesses and/or undercuts into the bonding surface of the bracket. The green metal body is sintered to shrink its volume into a denser and less porous sintered metal body configured to be an orthodontic bracket. The resultant sintered orthodontic bracket includes recesses and/or undercuts in the bonding surface to provide a mechanical aspect when bonded to a tooth.
US08479391B2
A method of repairing an integrally bladed rotor includes the steps of placing a support collar around at least a leading and trailing edge portions of the blade stub, and performing linear friction welding to add a replacement airfoil to the blade stub. The linear friction welding is generally along a direction between the leading and trailing edges. In addition, the support collar leading and trailing edge portions are connected together.
US08479389B2
A method of manufacturing a flex-rigid wiring board including disposing a flexible board comprising a flexible substrate and a conductor pattern formed over the flexible substrate and a non-flexible substrate adjacent to each other, covering a boundary between the flexible board and the non-flexible substrate with an insulating layer comprising an inorganic material, providing a conductor pattern on the insulating layer, forming a via hole opening which passes through the insulating layer and reaches the conductor pattern of the flexible board, and plating the via hole opening to form a via connecting the conductor pattern of the flexible board and the conductor pattern on the insulating layer.
US08479388B2
A method of producing a land grid array (LGA) interposer structure, including an electrically insulating carrier plane, and at least one interposer mounted on a first surface of said carrier plane. The interposer possesses a hemi-toroidal configuration in transverse cross-section and is constituted of a dielectric elastomeric material. A plurality of electrically-conductive elements are arranged about the surface of the at least one hemi-toroidal interposer and extend radically inwardly and downwardly from an uppermost end thereof into electrical contact with at least one component located on an opposite side of the electrically insulating carrier plane.
US08479362B2
A method whereby a body is held securely in a dignified position within a non-horizontal burial container so as to not crumple downward when interred.
US08479355B2
A vacuum cleaner includes a filter, an optically sensitive filter replacement indicator associated with the filter, and a light source configured to provide light on the optically sensitive filter replacement indicator. The light source is variably energizable according to a selectable power level of the vacuum cleaner.
US08479344B2
Disclosed is a cleaning wick for a channel of a medical instrument, particularly an endoscope. Said cleaning wick supports at least one, preferably several wiping elements (9) on the elongate, flexible wick (1) that can be inserted into the instrument channel. The wiping elements (9) are designed as flock coating that adheres to the wick (1) in a section of the length thereof. Unflocked zones (11) that are left between the wiping elements (9) absorb substances which are to be discharged from the instrument channel during the cleaning process. An unflocked final region (13) located at the longitudinal ends (3, 5) of the wick (1) makes it easier to introduce the cleaning wick into the instrument channel.
US08479339B2
Detailed are swimming pool cleaners and components including discs and bumpers. Discs may include upwardly-extending hooks or similar features connecting directly with the bumpers. The direct connections additionally may be configured to allow substantial (i.e. non-trivial) upward movement of the discs from their normal locations while preventing substantial downward movement of the discs that might cause the discs undesirably to fold in use.
US08479337B1
A wheelchair bound person's riding lawnmower mounting apparatus being a rectangularly shaped platform support unit having heightwise adjustable support leg units held within laterally positioned leg compartment components welded to the support unit and atop of which there is to be found a rectangularly shaped mounting platform and connectable to which support unit there are arched support railings as well as a rectangularly shaped mounting ramp unit affixed to which is a downwardly extending ramp plate unit fittable into L-shaped lipping welded to the mounting platform together with the support unit and ramp unit also each having wheel assembly units affixed to the bottom portions of each so as to facilitate moving the support unit and ramp unit, when dissassembled and not in use, to a convenient storage site.
US08479335B1
An apparatus for supporting a user comprising a platform extending between first and second edges each having two corners, a frame having four substantially parallel uprights located proximate to each of the first and second edges of the platform, each of said uprights slidably locating said platform proximate to a corner of said platform and an elastic support member extending between each of the first and second edges of the platform and the frame so as suspend the platform from the frame. The platform is biased from a first position located proximate to a ground surface to a second position vertically spaced above the first position by the elastic support members, wherein said first and second positions are substantially parallel to each other.
US08479326B1
Disclosed is a physical therapy support, comprising a planar structure having a first and second end and an upper and lower surface that reduces friction between the lower body of a patient and a hospital bed. The device is positioned between a patient's hips and the underlying bed sheets, whereby the patient is elevated and separated from the sheets to allow freedom of movement and increased support when engaging in hip and lower body movements for recovery and physical therapy sessions. The shape of the device includes a first rounded end and a second flat end to form a triangular shape having tapering longitudinal sides. The cross section comprises a thin, rigid and uniform material having a low friction upper surface and a high friction lower surface. A slot penetration along the one of the tapering sides allows for handling of the device and for transporting between patients.
US08479324B2
The present invention discloses a urinal with a conductivity sensor, which includes the conductivity sensor arranged at the location where a reservoir of the urinal is curved and adapted to detect urine, a control unit (MCU), a power battery, and an electromagnetic valve adapted to control a discharge of water, wherein the conductivity sensor is adapted to detect a conductivity to determine whether urine is present. After the conductivity sensor detects presence of urine, the control unit opens the electromagnetic valve. The conductivity sensor includes electrodes dipped inside the location where the reservoir is curved to contact urine. The conductivity sensor further includes an anti-polarization-of-electrode circuit based upon the principle of an alternating power supply. Thus, the sensor can achieve more reliable sensing and a longer lifetime.
US08479322B2
Embodiments relate to body gear having designed performance characteristics, and in particular to methods and apparatuses that utilize an array of performance characteristic elements coupled to a base material to direct heat, absorb heat, emit heat, and/or wick moisture while also maintaining the desired transfer properties of the base material. In some embodiments, two, three, four, or more different types of performance characteristic elements may be included in a piece of body gear, for example in desired zones of the body gear.
US08479312B2
In some embodiments, the instant invention provides a ballistic garment that at least includes: a front portion; a rear portion; a first releasable shackle attached to a front portion at a waist area of a front portion, wherein the first releasable shackle is configured to releasably clasp a ring of a left-shoulder strap and a ring of a left-waist strap; a second releasable shackle attached to the front portion at the waist area of the front portion, wherein the second releasable shackle is configured to releasably clasp a ring of a right-shoulder strap and a ring of the right-waist strap; and a pull mechanism operatively connected to each of the first and second releasable shackles to essentially simultaneously release all four rings.
US08484760B2
A device including a first part and a second part, one of which is a cantilever, the first and second parts being connected to each other and movable relative to each other. The device includes a magnetic element arranged on the first part and configured to provide a magnetic field. The device further includes a magnetization device arranged on the second part and configured to provide an actuation magnetic field which interacts with the magnetic field of the magnetic element, thereby causing or suppressing relative movement of the first and second parts. A scanning system including such a device is also described.
US08484751B2
Apparatus, method, and computer-readable media for permitting use of content. An exemplary method comprises transmitting, while in a requester mode of operation, a transfer request message to at least one external computing devices, wherein the transfer request message indicates content to be transferred; receiving the content in accordance with a transfer right that indicates that the content is permitted to be transferred from at least one of the external computing devices, wherein the transfer right is updated based at least in part on the transfer of the content, and wherein the content is associated with a usage right, the usage right corresponding to a utilization of the content; and processing, while in a server mode of operation, a utilization request message for utilizing the content in accordance with the usage right associated with the content.
US08484747B2
A computer implemented method, computer program product and a data processing system for managing electronic messages is disclosed. The contents of an electronic messages are segmented based on the recipients receiving the message and access control authorizing access to the segmented contents is provided to the segmented contents and transmitted to a list of recipients.
US08484744B1
In one implementation, a method includes receiving a claim that identifies a first user profile page as allegedly impersonating a second user profile page on a social network, and retrieving first information associated with the first user profile page and second information associated with the second user profile page. The method can also include comparing the first information and the second information to identify indicators of impersonation. The method can further include, based upon the identified indicators of impersonation, determining that the first user profile page is likely impersonating the second user profile page on the social network, wherein first user profile page is determined to be likely impersonating the second user profile page when the first and second user profile pages are determined to be similar to each other; and returning a flag indicating that the first user profile page is likely impersonating the second user profile page.
US08484743B2
An image forming apparatus includes a first authentication portion performing a first authentication process on a user, a second authentication portion that performs a second authentication process on the user successfully authenticated by the first authentication portion, and thereby determines whether or not the user is permitted to log onto the apparatus, and a cooperative setting portion performing setting therethrough, on a user-by-user basis, whether or not the first authentication process and the second authentication process are performed in combination with each other. If the user for whom setting is performed such that the first authentication process and the second authentication process are performed in combination with each other is successfully authenticated by the first authentication portion, then the second authentication portion determines that the user is to be permitted to log onto the apparatus based on the associated information and ends the second authentication process.
US08484742B2
Techniques are described which may provide a rendered image of a website from a potentially malicious party. In an implementation, a rendered image is collected of a web page that is identified as potentially malicious from a frame buffer. A communication is then formed to be communicated over a network that includes the collected image.
US08484737B1
Techniques for processing backup data for identifying and handling content are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for analyzing data for backup comprising analyzing data to identify target data, identifying target data, and handling the identified target data according to one or more pre-determined conditions.
US08484734B1
In one embodiment, an antivirus uses a secure call path that includes an antivirus system call table containing a reference to an operating system kernel routine. The call path may also include an antivirus device driver that has access to the antivirus system call table. The antivirus may send a service request to the operating system kernel routine by way of the call path to perform file manipulations for virus scanning, for example. Advantageously, the call path gets around possible rootkit infestations.
US08484727B2
Disclosed are systems and methods for computer malware detection. The system is configured to emulate execution of a program code, monitor events of program execution, classify the monitored events as malicious or non-malicious, and collect information about unclassifiable events. The system further includes one or more analyst workstations configured to isolate a program analyst from external audiovisual stimuli. The workstation includes a video output device operable to display a list of unclassifiable events and event-related information to the program analyst and a user input device operable to receive analyst's physiological response indicative of whether the displayed list of unclassifiable events exhibits malicious behavior.
US08484720B2
A method and system of binding content is disclosed. A non-volatile storage device creates a secure communication channel with a service provider system via a host device, and obtains a content access authorization. The host device facilitates the establishment of the secure communication channel. A removable device in communication with the host is bypassed when establishing the secure communication channel. The authorization may be based on identification information transmitted by the non-volatile storage device to the service provider system over the secure communication channel. The identification information may identify the non-volatile storage device, the host device, or the subscriber to the service provider system. The service provider system, in turn, may use the identification information to determine the type of authorization (if any) to send to the non-volatile storage device. The non-volatile storage device processes requests received from the host device to access the content according to the received authorization.
US08484715B2
A network access method and system and a network connection device are provided. A network connection device connected between a first network and a second network obtains first network attribute information about a first network device according to an access request for accessing the second network from the first network device on the first network. The network connection device performs authentication on whether the first network device has a right to access the second network based on the first network attribute information. If the authentication is passed, the network connection device connects the first network device into the second network. If the authentication is not passed, the network connection device prohibits the first network device from accessing the second network.
US08484712B2
The invention relates to a personal token including a microprocessor and a memory, said personal token storing and running a software entity which constitutes an end-point for communication over the internet. The software entity constitutes an end-point according to a signaling protocol over the internet and the signaling protocol is of the type intended when the session for real-time conferencing is initiated between end-points.
US08484708B2
A method for delegating authentication using a challenge/response protocol is provided. The method may initiate with a challenge/response sequence between a client application and a server application to authenticate the client application. Then the server application authenticates to a second server application using the credentials associated with the client application by acting as a conduit between the client application and the second server application.
US08484707B1
A method for granting secure network access comprising requesting, by a mobile device, access to a network via an access point; receiving a passcode from the access point; sending a message including the passcode and an indicia back to the access point; and generating, by the access point, a secure key based on the indicia, the secure key providing network access to the mobile device.
US08484701B2
A method for providing internet security via multiple user authorization in virtual software. Each of two users are provided with a non-transitory tangible storage medium. The first user inputs the storage medium into a local computer. If the first user is granted authorization by a second user, the first user can download at least one additional non-browser based application module into virtual memory of his local computer.
US08484698B2
A multichannel security system is disclosed, which system is for granting and denying access to a host computer in response to a demand from an access-seeking individual and computer. The access-seeker has a peripheral device operative within an authentication channel to communicate with the security system. The access-seeker initially presents identification and password data over an access channel which is intercepted and transmitted to the security computer. The security computer then communicates with the access-seeker. A biometric analyzer—a voice or fingerprint recognition device—operates upon instructions from the authentication program to analyze the monitored parameter of the individual. In the security computer, a comparator matches the biometric sample with stored data, and, upon obtaining a match, provides authentication. The security computer instructs the host computer to grant access and communicates the same to the access-seeker, whereupon access is initiated over the access channel.
US08484697B2
A content distribution system. A distribution management and unauthorized operation management device generates a one-time URL by using URL of content information specified by a user terminal and transmits the one-time URL and bandwidth information concerning the content information to the user terminal. A session control server extracts the one-time URL from a session control message transmitted from the user terminal, transmits it to the distribution management and unauthorized operation management device, and establishes a session between the content distribution server and the user terminal according to an authentication result performed by using the one-time URL transmitted from the distribution management and unauthorized operation management device and a correlation result obtained by correlating the bandwidth information contained in the session control message transmitted from the user terminal with the bandwidth information transmitted together with the authentication result from the distribution management and unauthorized operation management device.
US08484690B2
Methods, computer program products and apparatus for providing broadband television service (BTS) are provided. The method includes receiving a channel selection at a receiver located at a service location. The channel selection is correlated to an Internet address. Data is requested from the Internet address. The request is made to a digital subscriber line (DSL) network via a modem. Video data packets containing live streaming video content are received from the Internet address in response to the requesting. The video data packets are received from the DSL network via the modem. The video data packets are assembled into video signals for display on a television and the video signals are transmitted to the television.
US08484687B2
A system and method enabling a user to view on a computing device, a catalog of Video On Demand (VOD) content available on a remote (guest) VOD system, to purchase an available piece of VOD content on the user's account in his Home VOD System, and to play the purchased piece of VOD content through a Guest Set Top Box (STB). A pairing process associates the computing device with the Guest STB, and a VOD Back Office stores this pairing. The VOD Back Office then builds a custom catalog of VOD content available to the user through the Guest STB and sends the catalog to the computing device. When the VOD Back Office receives a request from the computing device to view selected VOD content, the VOD Back Office sends an instruction to a Guest Headend Hub to set up a session with the Guest STB. The Hub force tunes the Guest STB and streams the selected VOD content to the Guest STB for display on a Guest television.
US08484684B2
Disclosed herein is a display control apparatus including: a selecting block configured to select from programs to be broadcast on each channel, a program of which program information contains a registered keyword; and a display controlling block configured to display predetermined information in the vicinity of an icon indicative of a channel on which a program selected by said selecting block is broadcast among icons to be displayed in line as information indicative of a selectable channel and, when a predetermined operation is executed in a status in which a channel with said predetermined information displayed in the vicinity of an icon is selected, displaying said keyword contained in program information of a program to be broadcast on a selected channel.
US08484681B2
A display method of an image display apparatus that includes receiving a broadcast signal, displaying a first number of thumbnail images when the image display apparatus is in a first position (the thumbnail images being based on the received broadcast signal), rotating the image display apparatus from the first position to a second position, and displaying a second number of thumbnail images when the image display apparatus is rotated to the second position, and the second number is different than the first number.
US08484675B2
A multimedia distribution system or interactive digital television broadcast system (iDTV) comprising several content providers (CP: CP1, CP2) broadcasting channels of video signals to a user (TV, STB) via a content selector (CS). The broadcast system comprises a user behavior analyzer (UBA) with quantitative behavior classifier (E(w)) able to analyze and to classify the quantitative consumption behavior of the user, and with a qualitative behavior classifier (F(x)) having as output classified user behaviors and prediction on future behaviors of the user. The classifiers are coupled to an opportunities selector (G(y)) that also receives information from additional content providers (ACP: ACP1, ACP2, ACP3). Under control of the opportunities selector G(y), additional content, e.g. advertisements, meta-information, iTV applications, trailers, . . . is send to a multimedia data combiner (H(z)) whereby the additional content is published, e.g. by mixing or by an overlay operation on/ over the selected channel. As a result, the end-user gets his broadcast channel adapted with the content that was selected based on his consumption behavior. The role of the qualitative behavior classifier classifying and predicting the user consumption behaviors is different from the role of the opportunities selector defining, predicting and classifying windows of opportunities to publish/add content from additional content providers; and the interface (I2) between them has an important role as business-to-business (B2B) interface.
US08484670B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a memory coupled to a processor. The processor can be operable to receive a request for promotional information responsive to a media processor detecting a promotional tag in a media program stream and transmit to the media processor promotional information associated with a promotion responsive to a determination that a promotional offer is available. The processor can also be operable to receive from the media processor a request for redeemable material associated with the promotion and store the redeemable material in a portion of a database associated with a user of the media processor. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08484668B2
A drive device for an optical disc apparatus, comprising: a traverse chassis; a vertically moving lever arm for covering part of the lower surface of the traverse chassis and supporting the traverse chassis; a first circuit board disposed on the upper surface of the traverse chassis; a second circuit board disposed on the lower surface of the traverse chassis; and a flexible cable that passes between the traverse chassis and the lever arm, is connected by one end thereof to the first circuit board, and is connected by the other end thereof to the second circuit board; wherein an opening that has a greater width than the width of the flexible cable is provided to a section of the lever arm in contact with the flexible cable.
US08484667B2
A recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes a recording medium accommodation table including recording medium accommodation portions each capable of accommodating a recording medium, a recording medium drive unit on which the recording medium is removably mounted and which is capable of performing recording and/or reproduction of an information signal onto and/or from it, a mechanical chassis that supports the recording medium accommodation table to freely rotate and also support the recording medium drive unit to be movable, a drive-moving unit that moves the recording medium drive unit closer to and away from the recording medium accommodation table, and a recording medium transport unit that transports the recording medium between a recording medium mounting and removing position of a recording medium-mounting portion and a recording medium accommodation position of the recording medium accommodation portions.
US08484662B2
The example embodiments disclosed herein relate to application integration techniques built around the publish-and-subscribe model (or one of its variants). In certain example embodiments, application integration techniques for managing and/or monitoring a business process comprising a plurality of activities, events, and/or objects located in at least one resource external to the application integration system and a process engine thereof are provided. During design time, by introspecting the business object types involved in the activities, events, and/or objects of the at least one resource, potential state changes may be identified, and an integrative linkage may be established, with the integrative linkage being managed and maintained by a process monitoring agent (PMA). During runtime, the PMA may “listen” to the business object state changes in the at least one external resource and notify the local process engine accordingly.
US08484654B2
Determining suitable network interface for partition deployment/re-deployment in a cloud environment
Migrating a logical partition (LPAR) from a first physical port to a first target physical port, includes determining a configuration of an LPAR having allocated resources residing on a computer and assigned to the first physical port of the computer. The configuration includes a label that specifies a network topology that is provided by the first physical port and the first target physical port has a port label that matches the label included in the configuration of the LPAR. The first target physical port with available capacity to service the LPAR is identified and the LPAR is migrated from the first physical port to the target physical port by reassigning the LPAR to the first target physical port.
US08484645B2
An apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating bulk transfer of large volumes of data-center, ECM repository-stored content. Multiple, simultaneous threads or tasks are concurrently run both to import and to export content, as desired. A controller controls the running of the tasks and is connected to a thread container that runs the tasks by way of a TCP/IP socket or other suitable communication connection.
US08484634B2
An application is signaled to a host device using descriptors incorporated into an application information table. Only applications intended for a certain host device are downloaded to that host device. The descriptors allow the host to identify applications that are addressed to the host based on attributes of the host. When addressing is performed at the level of an application, the application signaling is accomplished using a single application information table and the evaluation of logical parameters against selected host attributes to identify all of the applications addressed to the host. When addressing is performed at the level of a table, multiple tables are evaluated using logical parameters applied to selected host attributes to determine which table is addressed to the host. Addressing conflicts are resolved using priority measures assigned to selected host attributes.
US08484620B2
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for implementing performance impact reduction of watched variables. Source code is parsed and a variable in the source code to be watched is identified. The identified variable is allocated to a predefined page of storage. The predefined page of storage is separated from frequently accessed variables, such as, a page containing least frequently modified variables, a last page associated with a static storage, and a separate page added for receiving the identified variables to be watched.
US08484619B2
Debugging an executing process. A method includes accessing a unique key that is common to two or more different representations of a same function in the process. A runtime for the executing process is annotated with the unique key. The method further includes detecting that the function is executing. The unique key is used to provide an indication in one or more of the two or more different representations that the function is executing.
US08484618B2
Electronic test system including hardware and software components and method of use which provide obsolescence mitigation. A test program set (TPS) including a test program test is created to enable units to be tested. When a new component is introduced, the change is detected and a new TPS is created with at least part of the test program test. If the new TPS complies with defined, governing rules for the system, testing using the new TPS is possible. If not, a determination is made as to whether any component of the TPS is obsolete and if not, the units can be tested using the new TPS without redefining the rules. When a component of the TPS is obsolete, the rules are reviewed to ascertain the effect of removal of the component and optionally redefined to enable the new component to be used in combination with the remaining components.
US08484606B2
Method includes specifying a first relationship between power supply voltage in a semiconductor device and the maximum operable frequency of internal circuit upon fluctuation of the power supply voltage being detected by changing the power supply voltage in the semiconductor device and the operating frequency of the internal circuit, specifying second relationship between the maximum operable frequency of the internal circuit and the mounting manner of the decoupling capacitor upon the fluctuation of the power supply voltage being detected by changing the mounting manner of the decoupling capacitor and the operating frequency of the internal circuit, and calculating the fluctuation amount of the power supply voltage corresponding to the decoupling capacitor mounting manner based on the first relationship and the second relationship.
US08484603B2
A method co-optimizes a design and a library in such a way to choose the best set of cells to implement the design. The method takes into account the idea of limiting the number of new cells while reducing target costs and respecting design constraints. The method chooses a minimum nearly optimum set of cells to optimize a design. This involves the simultaneous optimization of a cell-based design and a cell library used to implement it. The invention can produce only an optimized library for a specific application, when the circuit is disregarded. The method takes into account a set of new cells described as finalized cells or as virtual cells, possibly having different transistor topologies, different sizes, different logic functions, and/or different cell template than the original library.
US08484600B2
A computer-readable medium storing a design program causing a computer to execute a process is provided. The process includes virtually routing, when routing of a wire to be connected between a first component and a second component at least one of which includes a swapping pin is being designed, the wire to be connected between a first pin of the first component and a first counterpart pin of the second component such that implementation of an actual routed wire connected therebetween is secured regardless of a net allocated to the swapping pin, and swapping one of the virtually routed first pin and the virtually routed first counterpart pin with the swapping pin such that the net allocated to the swapping pin is identical to a net allocated to the other one of the virtually routed first pin and the virtually routed first counterpart pin.
US08484592B1
The timing verification method for stochastic networks and circuits is a computerized method that includes a Valued-Sum-of-Products (VSOP) tool as an extension to Zero-suppressed Binary Decision Diagrams (ZBDD) to compute and store paths with their corresponding lengths or statistical parameters. This method starts from source vertices and inductively builds a path database in the topological order of gates. At each node the method builds a set of partial paths that terminated that node using VSOP expressions. Path queries are performed on all paths using VSOP operations, thereby querying the top K-most critical paths in integrated circuit networks.
US08484585B2
A method for controlling uniformity of patterns formed in a semiconductor device includes obtaining simulation contours with respect to respective cases while controlling a size of an outermost pattern and determining a size of the outermost pattern in which uniform distribution values (3σ) value of patterns included in the simulation contours satisfying specific conditions as a size of target outermost pattern.
US08484559B2
A user terminal has two screens. One screen displays content in a state intended by the creator of the content. The displayed content is composed of a plurality of bocks, and each block can be enlarged. Content corresponding to a block for which enlargement is directed is displayed on the other screen. The content displayed in the other screen has an enlarged form. Regarding the enlargement, rules are set. For example, an image or the like that is the subject of processing to be enlarged is processed without changing vertical and horizontal ratios.
US08484557B1
A method includes defining preflight parameters for preflight rules using relationship information. A preflight rule may be associated with an attribute table which may include information about associated preflight parameters. The preflight parameters may be defined via an interface that enables a user to specify data type and parameter relationship information.
US08484556B2
Embodiments of the invention provide data file interoperability between two drawing programs using a single composite drawing file. A method of generating a drawing file shared by a source application and a target application includes storing a copy of a computer aided design (CAD) drawing in a composite drawing file, where the CAD drawing is stored according to a drawing format used by the source application. The method also includes generating a visual representation of the CAD drawing, where the visual representation is formatted according to a drawing format used by the target application. The method also includes storing the visual representation in the composite drawing file, where a display of the visual representation generated by the target application is substantially similar to a display of the CAD drawing generated by the source application.
US08484554B2
Methods and devices are provided for a computer implemented method of producing a chart, such as, for example, a Gantt chart. The method can include providing a template containing a definition of at least one column of the chart and inserting the template into a basic layout to form a document. An instruction to add a row to the chart is received. The instruction can include at least one type of information pertaining to the first task to be included on the chart contained in the document. The method further includes adding the row pertaining to the first task contained in the document. In one example, the template is an XML template, the basic layout is an XML basic layout and the document is an XML document.
US08484546B2
A transmitting-side device is connected with a receiving-side device via a parallel bus that carries transmit data and an error-correcting code based on this transmit data in parallel. The transmitting-side device includes a signal inversion unit for inverting a signal to be sent to the parallel bus. The receiving-side device includes a signal inversion unit for inverting a received signal from the parallel bus, and an error detection unit for performing error detection and error correction based on a signal output from the signal inversion unit. The signal inversion unit inverts a signal to be sent to all bus lines of the parallel bus and the signal inversion unit inverts the signal received from the all bus lines, which enables the error detection unit to perform error check on the parallel bus.
US08484545B2
Systems and methods for selecting a puncturing pattern for a low density parity check (LDPC) code are disclosed. One such method comprises: selecting a puncture pattern distribution for the LDPC code; calculating a security threshold and a reliability threshold for the LDPC, the LDPC having the selected puncture pattern distribution and also described by a degree distribution; storing the selected puncture pattern distribution responsive to a security gap for the LDPC being a lowest value encountered in any prior iterations; selecting another puncture pattern distribution for the LDPC code; and repeating the calculating, the storing, and the selecting another puncture pattern distribution steps.
US08484540B2
A data transmitting device determines a coding rate used to perform error correction coding processing for data transmitted to a data receiving device based on information relating to the function of concealing an error occurring in data transmitted from the data transmitting device, the function being provided in the data receiving device. Then, the data transmitting device performs the error correction coding processing for data transmitted to the data receiving device based on the determined coding rate, and transmits the data subjected to the error correction coding processing to the data receiving device.
US08484530B2
A wireless communication infrastructure entity including a transceiver coupled to a controller configured to generate parity bits based on an information word. The controller is also configured to encode the parity bits based on a communication configuration, e.g., symbol information, wherein the encoded parity bits are combined with the information word for transmission by the transceiver. A user terminal in receipt of the information word includes a controller configured to determine the communication configuration based on a set of configuration indicator bits used to encode the parity bits.
US08484526B2
A decoder that includes a receiving unit that receives a packet containing a new part corresponding to an information bit not yet received and a retransmission part corresponding to an information bit received in past; a combining unit that combines a part of a previously received packet corresponding to the retransmission part with the packet received by the receiving unit; and a new-part decoding unit that decodes the combined packet combined and obtained by the combining unit, and obtains a decoded result of the new part.
US08484522B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for bad block remapping. A bad block identifier module identifies one or more data blocks on a solid-state storage element as bad blocks. A log update module writes at least a location of each bad block identified by the bad block identifier module into each of two or more redundant bad block logs. A bad block mapping module accesses at least one bad block log during a start-up operation to create in memory a bad block map. The bad block map includes a mapping between the bad block locations in the bad block log and a corresponding location of a replacement block for each bad block location. Data is stored in each replacement block instead of the corresponding bad block. The bad block mapping module creates the bad block map using one of a replacement block location and a bad block mapping algorithm.
US08484520B2
A processor has an ALU, a load/store unit, a timer, an ECC calculator, and a plurality of ECC registers. When the load/store unit writes data in a main memory, the load/store unit writes written data and a count value of a timer in the main memory, and sets ECC status flag which indicates that an ECC about the written data is not correct in the main memory, and causes the ECC calculator to calculate the ECC about the written data after setting the ECC status flag, and writes the calculated ECC in the main memory and resets the ECC status flag after the ECC is calculated.
US08484519B2
The subject disclosure describes a method for reducing a sector error rate in a flash memory device, the method comprising, identifying a first program verify level having a first value, selecting an adjustment value for the first program verify level and programming the adjustment value to the first program verify level to replace the first value and to shift a first programming distribution associated with the first program verify level, wherein the shift in the first programming distribution is associated with a decrease in a sector error rate, wherein the shift in the first programming distribution is associated with an increase in a bit error rate. A flash storage device and computer-readable media are also provided.
US08484518B2
In a data transmission network, such as a passive optical network, the consecutive identical digit (CID) handling requirements may be reduced by providing a CID monitoring module at the transmitter end that monitors the number of CIDs in a transmission stream. Where the CID number exceeds a threshold, an error generation module induces an error in the transmission stream to reduce the CID below the threshold. The modified transmission stream may then be transmitted to a receiver, allowing clock recovery be performed with improved stability at the receiver. Once clock recovery is achieved, the receiver can then process the transmission stream to correct the errors induced at the transmitter end.
US08484510B2
An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method and system for making intelligent failover decisions within a server cluster. The method includes receiving temperature information and location information using RFID technology and detecting an error condition. The method further includes responsive to the error condition, selecting a failover target based on said temperature information and location information and transferring operations from a portion of a storage cluster to the failover target based on the selecting.
US08484505B1
A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for restoring data. In some embodiments, this includes receiving a request from a requestor to recover an object, determining segments of the object, identifying any segments of the object residing in the requestor, and processing the recovery request based on the identified segments residing in the requestor. In some embodiments, segments of the object includes hash values of the object. In some embodiments, processing the recovery request based on the determined segments includes using the identified segments residing in the requestor to reconstitute the object.
US08484500B2
A system and method is provided to accomplish distributed power sequencing function of a large electronics system with minimum number of signals in the sequencing network without compromising the flexibility and expandability. In one embodiment of the invention, the power sequencing function is accomplished with two signals of the sequencing network: power_on/power_off signal and SEQ_LINK signal. The power_on/power_off signal controls whether the sequencing is in power_on mode for turning on power to multiple devices in a predetermined sequence or power_off mode for for turning off power to multiple devices in a reverse sequence. The SEQ_LINK signal controls when the sequence counters, located in each participating device, are allowed to count to the subsequent state. Each sequencing logic circuit of these participating devices responds to a predetermined sequence position to enable the power on or power off of the power supply it controls.
US08484496B2
A method and system for reducing thermal load by monitoring temperatures within a portable computing device and, based on those temperatures, controlling a battery charge function are disclosed. The method includes monitoring a power management integrated circuit (“PMIC”) to determine if it is generating excess thermal energy that is contributory to an elevated temperature in a physically proximate application specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”). If so, and if the excess thermal energy is attributable to an ongoing battery recharge operation executed by the PMIC, a thermal policy manager module may execute a thermal mitigation technique algorithm to override the PMIC battery recharge function. One exemplary thermal mitigation technique may include a reduction of current sent to the battery, thus slowing the charge cycle and reducing the generation of excess thermal energy.
US08484491B2
A main power supply and a backup power supply have the same set voltage. To prevent electrical power from being supplied from the backup power supply to a load circuit, during a normal operation, a power supply control unit gives a standby instruction to the backup power supply so that the backup power supply is on standby at a voltage lower than that of the main power supply. When an AC power supply is stopped, the backup power supply is operated at the set voltage and the main power supply is stopped.
US08484490B2
A power source apparatus for a display is provided, which comprises a voltage generating section capable of controlling outputting or output termination of one or more predetermined output voltages, and a switching section provided between an output terminal of the predetermined output voltage and a predetermined reference potential terminal. The switch section is turned from OFF to ON when the voltage generating section performs the output termination control.
US08484487B2
A method and a system for supplying power to a microcontroller with a single cell. One embodiment of the present invention discloses incorporation of a power supply pump circuit with the microcontroller and their dynamic interaction. The microcontroller sends its power requirements to the power supply pump circuit and in response, the power supply pump circuit controls the operating voltage with optimal efficiency. The dynamic update of power supply pump circuit results in an efficient use of the power supply pump circuit and thus results in a reduction of the number of dry cell batteries to only a single cell. Incorporation of the microcontroller and power supply pump circuit onto a single chip reduces the pin number requirements as well as the space required on the printed circuit board.
US08484485B2
An encryption apparatus prevents plaintext data from leaking even if accumulated data is analyzed, while preventing the size of encrypted data from increasing. The encryption apparatus encrypts a data piece that is smaller than a unit length and stores management information indicating a used area within an encryption area defined based on the unit length. The used area is an area already used for encryption. When encrypting a new data piece that is smaller than the unit length, the encryption apparatus generates encrypted data by adding the new data piece to an unused area within the encryption area with reference to the management information. The unused area is an area not yet used for encryption. The encryption apparatus updates the management information to include an area for the new data piece into the used area, after generating the encrypted data.
US08484484B2
One embodiment of the present invention discloses a process for sending an executable code to a security module locally connected to a receiving device. This security module comprises a microcontroller and a memory, the memory including at least one executable area provided to contain instructions suitable to be executed by the microcontroller, and at least one non-executable area, wherein the microcontroller cannot execute the instructions. The process includes dividing the executable code into blocks; adding at least one block management code to the blocks in order to create an extended block; introducing the content of an extended block into a message to be processed in the receiving device, in such a way that the whole executable code is contained in a plurality of messages; and sending a message to the receiving device, this message containing one of the extended blocks different from the first extended block.
US08484478B2
Systems for instant messaging private tags preferably comprise a parser for parsing an instant message for sensitive data and an encryption engine for encrypting the sensitive data. A modified uuencoder is also preferably included for converting the encrypted sensitive data into a data stream that complies with an XML format. Other systems and methods are also provided.
US08484465B1
Methods and systems for sharing a security model with heterogeneous virtual machines (VMs) are provided. A method for sharing a security model with heterogeneous VMs may include making a direct function call to an object model from each of two or more heterogeneous VMs using a direct binding generated for the respective VM based on the respective VM and a security policy. The direct bindings of the two or more heterogeneous VMs share the security policy. The method may also include ensuring only one of the two or more heterogeneous VMs interacts with the object model at a time. A system for sharing a security model with heterogeneous VMs may include a heterogeneous VM manager and a heterogeneous VM scheduler. The system may further include a principal tracker and a proxy component.
US08484464B2
A method and devices for providing secure data backup from a mobile communication device to an external computing device is described. In accordance with one example embodiment, there is provided a method of backing up data from a mobile communication device to an external computing device, the mobile communication device being connected to the external computing device for exchanging data with each other, the method comprising: receiving a request to backup one or more data items in a plurality of data items stored on the mobile communication device; encrypting a data item using an encryption key stored in memory of the mobile communication device; transferring the encrypted data item to the external computing device; and storing a backup file comprising the encrypted data item in the memory of the external computing device. A method of restoring backup data to a mobile communication device from an external computing device is also provided, as are mobile communication devices and computing devices configured for implementing the backup and restore operations.
US08484463B1
A system and method for receiving first information from a primary individual and establishing the primary individual as a first trusted user using the first information. Second information is then received from an interested subscriber, the second information including information relating the interested subscriber to the primary individual and establishing the interested subscriber as a second trusted user using the second information. A triggering event is received from the primary individual, where the triggering event includes third information verifying the primary individual as the first trusted user. An indication is provided to the interested subscriber based on the triggering event.
US08484462B2
This invention relates to a system and method for providing secure reliable expansion of a mobile network. The system includes one or more portable communications devices (PCDs) which incorporate routing, authentication and encryption capabilities and are adapted to provide a connection between a peripheral device and a base-station either directly or indirectly via other similarly configured PCDs. The PCDs also incorporate tamper-proofing features to provide added security.
US08484457B2
A wireless access point and method of using a wireless access point to allow a user to use a pre-determined security key provided with the access point or a personal security key that is provided by the user. The access point is purchased with a pre-determined security key. A user of the access point may press a pairing button on the access point to automatically pair other devices with the access point using the pre-determined security key. A label with a passphrase that corresponds to the pre-determined security key is provided with the access point, allowing the user to manually enter the passphrase into devices that cannot automatically pair with the access point. The wireless access point also has a “security on/off” button. When the user presses the security on/off button, the access point may cease use of the pre-determined security key in favor of a personal security key.
US08484452B2
In a multi-OS booting apparatus, when loading the second OS, contents of the second OS is prevented from being referred to by other programs. The first OS 151 loads the second boot loader 171 and the second OS image 211 into the first memory space 150 by using the first boot loader 154 (phase 2). The loaded second boot loader 171 configures the third memory space 170 including the first memory space 150 and the second memory space 160, removes the second boot loader 171 itself and the second OS image 211 from the management object of the first OS 151 by letting the second boot loader 171 to operate in the third memory space 170 (phase 3), configures the second memory space 160 in order to load the second OS 161 into it, and boots the second OS 161 in the second memory space 160.
US08484448B2
Information processing system including a first and a second operation mode with operating current lower than the first, a register holding an address of an instruction executed by a processing unit first when a boot address register returns from second to first operation mode, wherein the address is output to the processing unit when second to first operation mode shifting, wherein the boot address register is rewritable, an information holding circuit holding a value of a peripheral circuit module register, wherein the information holding circuit holds, in the second operation mode, information about the peripheral circuit module register, and, transfers information held in the information holding circuit to the peripheral circuit module register regarding a second-to-first operation mode shift, and wherein when an interrupt request is posted from outside the system in the second operation mode, the information processing system performs interrupt processing corresponding to the interrupt request.
US08484443B2
The described embodiments include RunningMAC1P and RunningMAC2P instructions. In the described embodiments, a processor receives a first input vector, a second input vector, a third input vector, and a control vector. Upon executing a RunningMAC1P or a RunningMAC2P instruction, the processor sets a base value equal to a value from an element at a key element position in the first input vector. Next, the processor generates the result vector by, for each element of the result vector to the right of the key element position, setting the element in the result vector equal to a sum of the base value and a result of multiplying a value in each relevant element of the second input vector by a value in a corresponding element of the third input vector, from an element at the key element position to and including a predetermined element in the second input vector.
US08484430B2
A memory system includes a nonvolatile memory, and a memory controller for performing control to extend the maximum value of a logical address by erasing data of the nonvolatile memory which has become unnecessary in accordance with a command from the outside, and reassigning the data which has become unnecessary to a memory area assigned to a part of the logical address.
US08484426B2
Improvement of read/write access performance with respect to a disk is proposed. A controller manages a first volume format LDEV, in which each distributed user data area and each distributed information area among a plurality of the distributed user data areas for storing a data part and a plurality of the distributed control information area for storing a control information part, are targets that capacity is changed. The controller also manages a second format LDEV, which include a plurality of groups each of which is formed from one distributed user data area and one distributed control information area, and in which each group is a unit that capacity is expanded in a real storage area. The controller converts a data address of the data part belonging to the first volume format LDEV into a data address of a data part of the second volume format LDEV in order to execute input/output processing with respect to the data part, when received an request for access to the data part belonging to the first volume format LDEV.
US08484425B2
The present invention is able to improve the processing performance of a storage system by respectively virtualizing the external volumes and enabling the shared use of such external volumes by a plurality of available virtualization storage devices. By virtualizing and incorporating the external volume of an external storage device, a first virtualization storage device is able to provide the volume to a host as though it is an internal volume. When the load of the first virtualization storage device increases, a second virtualization storage device 2 is newly introduced, and connected to the storage system. When a transfer direction is issued from a management terminal, the external volume relating to the selected logical volume is transferred from the first virtualization storage device to the second virtualization storage device.
US08484421B1
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system on a chip (SOC) comprising a processing core, and a cache including a cache instruction port, a cache data port, and a port utilization circuitry configured to selectively fetch instructions through the cache instruction port and selectively pre-fetch instructions through the cache data port. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US08484418B2
Embodiments of an apparatus to reduce memory power consumption are presented. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a cache memory, a memory, and a control unit. In one embodiment, the memory includes a plurality of memory ranks. The control unit is operable to select one or more memory ranks among the plurality of memory ranks to be idle-prioritized memory ranks such that access frequency to the idle-prioritized memory ranks is reduced.
US08484415B2
The present invention relates to semiconductor storage systems (SSDs). Specifically, the present invention relates to a switch-based hybrid storage system. In a typical embodiment, a set of double data rate semiconductor storage device (DDR SSD) RAID controllers is coupled to a system control board, and a set of DDR SSD modules to the set of DDR SSD RAID controllers. The set of DDR SSD modules typically comprises a set of DDR SSD units. In addition, a set of HDD/Flash SSD RAID controllers is also coupled to the system control board, and a set of hard disk drive (HDD) modules are coupled to the set of HDD/Flash SSD RAID controllers. The set of HDD modules typically comprises a set of HDD/Flash SDD units.
US08484414B2
The storage system comprises a plurality of flash packages configuring one or more RAID groups, and a controller coupled to the plurality of flash packages. Each flash package comprises a plurality of flash chips configured from a plurality of physical blocks. The controller identifies a target area related to an unnecessary area, unmaps a physical block allocated to a logical block belonging to this target area from this logical block, and manages the unmapped physical block as a free block.
US08484413B2
A number-of-slices collector collects number-of-slices information indicating the number of free slices, which are not assigned to a storage areas of a logical disk, from each of a plural disk nodes, divides the storage area of the corresponding storage device in units of slice, and stores an assignment relation of the slices with respect to the storage areas of the logical disk. A disk node selector selects a source disk node from among the disk nodes having the free slices, and requests a slice identifier to identify the free slice for the selected source disk node. The source disk node serves as a source providing the slice to be assigned. A slice assigner receives the slice identifier from the source disk node, and determines an assignment relation of the free slice, which is denoted by the received slice identifier, with respect to the storage areas of the logical disk.
US08484403B2
A KVM switch apparatus with bridging function includes a processor with a keyboard connection interface and a mouse connection interface; a keyboard/mouse switching circuit; a USB bridge unit and at least one computer interface unit electrically connected to at least one computer. The keyboard/mouse switching circuit and the USB bridge unit are selectively connected, whereby a switching of bridging channels is provided between at least two computers.
US08484398B2
A data processing assembly includes one or more hosts connected to one or more I/O Expansion Drawers. Assignment state information is stored on the Expansion Drawer to convey the assignment state of Expansion Drawer(s) resources to the hosts. The host retrieves the assignment state and, from it, determines, for each Expansion Buss cable connected to the host, the number of Expansion Cards in the Expansion Drawer to configure. A change in the number of Expansion Cards in the expansion apparatus may necessitate a change in the assignment state, which can be electronically accommodated (as opposed to a manual reconfiguration). Similarly, a failure of an Expansion Buss cable is addressed by electronically reassigning resources to another host or to the same host over a different Expansion Buss cable without the need for further manual intervention. The assembly is capable of verifying correct cable connection between a host and the Expansion Drawer.
US08484396B2
A method for issuing interrupts includes a receiving communication adapter receiving a first remote directed memory access (RDMA) write with immediate, identifying a completion queue descriptor corresponding to the first RDMA write with immediate and to a receiving entity, incrementing an interrupt counter in response to the first RDMA write with immediate. The method includes storing, by the receiving communication adapter, in response to determining that the interrupt counter value is less than the interrupt threshold value, data in the first RDMA write with immediate on the receiving device without triggering an interrupt to the receiving entity. The receiving communication adapter receives a second RDMA write with immediate, and increments the interrupt counter value corresponding to the completion queue descriptor in response to the second RDMA write with immediate. The method includes triggering the interrupt to the receiving entity in response to the interrupt counter value exceeding the interrupt threshold.
US08484395B2
Disclosed herein is a configurable system of wireless-enabled components (WECs) and applications thereof. The system includes a plurality of WECs and a controller. Each WEC comprises a functional resource and is adapted to wirelessly communicate with other WECs. The controller is adapted to dynamically configure the functional resource of each WEC and wireless communications among the plurality of WECs to form a field-programmable communications array. The controller may be one of the plurality of WECs. The plurality of WECs may be located on a single chip, on multiple chips of a single device, or on multiple chips of multiple devices.
US08484394B2
In the case of a universal serial bus (USB) connection, a host detects a connection of a peripheral to the host via a USB interface of the host. The host then generates an informative command, which includes information on capabilities of the host. This informative command is provided for transmission via the USB interface to the peripheral. The peripheral receives the informative command and may for instance evaluate the included information for selecting a suitable USB mode that is to be entered or for deciding on becoming a host itself. Alternatively or in addition, the host may generate a request command for retrieving information on all classes offered in all USB modes of a peripheral.
US08484393B2
A patient monitoring system includes a patient monitor and a plurality of docking stations. Each docking station is associated with a set of patient monitor configurations. Interfacing the patient monitor with a particular docking station allows a user to select one or more of the set of patient monitor configurations associated with the particular docking station for use in the patient monitor.
US08484382B2
Methods and apparatus for merging peer-to-peer overlay networks. A method includes receiving an advertisement from a second overlay network, determining a size of the second overlay network, performing a self search on the second overlay network based on a persistent node identifier, if the size of the second overlay network is greater than the size of a first overlay network, and joining the second overlay network if the persistent node identifier is not part of the second overlay network. An apparatus includes a transceiver to receive an advertisement from a second overlay network, and a processor coupled to the transceiver to determine a size of the second overlay network, perform a self search on the second overlay network based on a persistent node identifier, and join the second overlay network if the persistent node identifier is not part of the second overlay network.
US08484379B2
A method and system for application-to-application data exchange which provides data conversion from the format of a source application to the format of a target application upon receipt of data by the target application. To achieve compatibility among applications exchanging data, the preferred system uses a standard set of terms and process names for building metadata packets that inform both applications as to their respective data representation. A metadata packet includes a standard name and application specific data format, as well as an optional associated process name. Source metadata provided in connection with source application-specific data enables the conversion of the source format to the format compatible with the target. This method eliminates data conversion at the source application.
US08484376B2
A message directed to a first version of a service is received at a content based router in a distributed computing system. The message is transmitted to a second version of the service instead of the first version of the service if the message is compatible with the second version of the service. The message is transmitted to the first version of the service if the message is not compatible with the second version of the service.
US08484372B1
A firewall coordinates with devices in a network to create a distributed filtering system. The firewall detects an attack in the network, such as a distributed denial of service attack, and creates attack information defining characteristics of malicious packets used in the attack. The attack information is forwarded to the devices in the network. The devices use the attack information to configure themselves to detect packets having the characteristics of the malicious packets. After configuration, the devices detect and discard malicious packets.
US08484371B2
The present invention relates to a system and method for network bandwidth sizing at a branch level by considering both sizing for throughput and sizing for response times. The invention provides a system and method for bandwidth allocation by performing network capacity planning by applying a model based on Approximate Mean Value Analysis (AMVA). The invention also relates to system and method for bandwidth allocation by performing network capacity planning especially for large enterprises having heavy workloads and diverse applications by applying a model based on Approximate Mean Value Analysis (AMVA).
US08484364B2
A method for securing delivery of flash content over a network includes rewriting flash content action code capable of making a network request for flash content to redirect network communication associated with the flash content to a network device.
US08484361B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus are directed towards managing a network communication. A Secured Socket Layer (SSL) session identifier (ID) is received within an SSL handshake protocol message for establishing an SSL connection. The SSL session ID is combined with a pre-determined ID associated with a network device to generate another ID. The other ID may comprise a plurality of information associated with an operation for caching the SSL session ID and/or for caching other information usable in re-establishing an SSL session over the SSL connection. The plurality of information may comprise an expiration time, a cache line, a cache ID, and a unique ID. Based on at least a portion of the other ID, a failure statistic associated with re-establishing the SSL session for the SSL connection is determined. A session cache and/or the operation for caching are tuned based on the failure statistic.
US08484360B2
A method and system for separating hypertext transfer protocol session. The method includes: detecting at the client a condition that a server is to be requested to instantiate same application during same hypertext transfer protocol session; obtaining from the server another hypertext transfer protocol session identifier corresponding to a service instance to be instantiated and setting the hypertext transfer protocol session identifier in the current session as a hypertext transfer protocol session identifier corresponding to a service instance that is to communicate with the server. The system includes: a session manager configured to detect a condition that a server will be requested to instantiate an application during a current HTTP session and a session agent configured to: (i) obtain from the server a second HTTP session identifier and (ii) set the second HTTP session identifier in the current session as a HTTP session identifier.
US08484352B2
A method for providing user data to an emergency service provider includes enrolling a user in an emergency information system, including configuring a communication device associated with the user to deliver an access identifier to an emergency service provider when the user contacts the emergency service provider using the communication device. The method also includes maintaining, in a data storage module of the emergency information system, a database including user data associated with the user. The user data is associated with the access identifier. The method further includes receiving, via a communication network linked to the emergency information system, an access request from the emergency service provider, the access request including the access identifier; and providing, via the communication network, at least some of the user data associated with the requested access identifier to the emergency service provider.
US08484350B2
A messaging service is described which provides application agnostic and cross-platform messaging. Senders compile message content components and specify message preferences. The messaging service calculates a utility and cost of sending the message over different types of communication channel. A communication channel is selected using the cost and utility information and the message service formats the message content components for the particular communication channel. The message is then sent for example, as email, SMS, MMS or other suitable type depending on the selected channel. The utility is calculated using the sender message preferences, communication channel attributes, sending and recipient device attributes and preferably also, but not essentially, preferences of the recipient.
US08484348B2
Method and apparatus for facilitating fulfillment of web-service requests on a communication network
Fulfillment of web-service requests may be facilitated by intelligently load balancing the web-service requests between servers or server clusters configured to perform the requested web-service. Load balancing may be based on the type of request, target class of server, whether the request is likely to spawn any subsequent requests, relevant historical information, other requests, current and anticipated work load on the servers, the current ability of the servers to handle additional requests, the numbers type and schedule of requests in a queue waiting to be allocated to one or more of the servers, and numerous other factors that may affect the servers' ability to process the request. Requests may be classified to enable historical correlation between how servers have handled previous requests and the present request. Additionally, requests may be scheduled for future execution and monitored during execution.
US08484345B2
A communication control system includes a terminal apparatus and a maintenance terminal apparatus. The terminal apparatus includes a determining unit that selects an address of the terminal apparatus from addresses other than an address of a communication destination to determine the address used for the transmission and reception of data, the communication destination defining network positional information of the maintenance terminal apparatus; a discarding unit that discards an address resolution request; and a communication unit that transmits data only to the address of the communication destination and receives only the data from the address of the communication destination. The maintenance terminal apparatus includes a communication unit that provides maintenance data through the communication with the terminal apparatus; and a setting unit that stops an address resolution process for the address of the terminal apparatus during the communication with the terminal apparatus.
US08484344B2
An unsuccessful communication attempt to a mobile receiving device is detected. A contact list associated with the mobile receiving device is accessed. One or more proximate devices to the mobile recipient device are determined. Each of the one or more proximate devices are communication devices of a contact of the contact list. A digitally encoded message is conveyed to at least one of the one or more proximate devices. The digitally encoded message indicates that a communication attempt with the mobile receiving device was unsuccessful and requests a recipient of the digitally encoded message inform a holder of the mobile receiving device of the unsuccessful communication attempt.
US08484342B2
Multiple flows each include a common transaction-specific identifier. The transaction-specific identifier corresponds to a transaction and is generated in response to receiving a request over a computer network. In turn, data is logged pertaining to each of the detected plurality of flows in a storage area. Upon identifying a completion of the transaction, a total cost of the transaction is calculated using the logged data pertaining to each of the plurality of flows.
US08484339B2
A method is provided for determining user availability on the basis of the manner in which a person uses (1) a communication terminal or (2) a computing device that is associated with the communication terminal or (3) any combination of (1) and (2). User availability is determined based on: (1) a characteristic of the use of a software application that is running on a computing device, or (2) a characteristic of the use of a feature of software that is running on a communication terminal, or (3) a characteristic of the use of a resource of a computing device, or (4) a characteristic of the use of a resource of a terminal, or (5) a sensor input, or (6) a characteristic of the incoming invitation, or (7) any combination of (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), and (6).
US08484335B2
Methods, systems, and computer products for download notification including identifying content for download, requesting a download of the content to a device and requesting a notification related to the status of the download.
US08484333B2
A single universal authentication system for Internet services provides a trusted server that is activated when a user clicks on the login or helper button on a third party's site, which submits a request to the trusted server. The client properly identifies itself to the trusted server through pre-authorization techniques such as cookies, logging on, or going through the AOL service wherein the service knows the user's identity. The trusted server sends a user/site specific authentication token to the third party, initiating the authentication process with the third party which checks to see that the authentication token is valid and sends its own authentication token back to the trusted server. The trusted server verifies from its partner database that the third party's authentication token is valid. If it is valid, then the trusted server fills in the third party's form using the information from the user database and filtering the information through a filter that contains the user preferences concerning his personal information and then returns the form to the third party. The trusted server can fill in fields of a form from an unknown third party that the user feels are not threats to his security. The user is then queried as to whether the information can be released. The filter tells the system which information that the user feels is a low security threat.
US08484317B2
A cluster computer system including multiple network accessible computers that are each coupled to a network. The network accessible computers implement host computer programs which permits the network accessible computers to operate as host computers for client computers also connected to the network, such that input devices of the client computers can be used to generate inputs to the host computers, and such that image information generated by the host computers can be viewed by the client computers. The system also includes a cluster administration computer coupled to the multiple network accessible computers to monitor the operation of the network accessible computers. A method for providing access to host computers by client computers over a computer network includes receiving a request for a host computer coupled to a computer network from a client computer coupled to the computer network, wherein the relationship of the host computer to the client computer is to be such that after the client computer becomes associated with a host computer, an input device of the client computer can be used to generate inputs to the host computer, and such that image information generated by the host computer can be viewed by the client computer. Next, a suitable host computer for the client computer is determined, and the client computer is informed of the network address of the suitable host computer. Nodes of the network can be non-terrestrial.
US08484313B2
A video stream including closed captions is received. A set of information is determined from the closed captions. A request including the set of information is sent to a server remotely located from the client for additional processing. A set of instructions is received from the server. The set of instructions is determined based on the additional processing of the set of information. One or more applications are executed in accordance with the set of instructions in response to receiving the set of instructions.
US08484308B2
A system for delivering content, such as video content, via a network. In an illustrative embodiment, the system includes a server system that is connected to the network and has access to the content. A client system is adapted to forward a request for the content to the server system via the network. One or more content-delivery routines in communication with the server system are adapted to initiate sending of the content to the client system via multiple streams over the network in response to the request.
US08484301B2
A system and method are disclosed for classifying a message. The method includes receiving the message, identifying in the message a distinguishing property; generating a signature using the distinguishing property; and comparing the signature to a database of signatures generated by previously classified messages.
US08484297B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for allowing a first user to view a collaboratively annotated electronic document. During operation, the system identifies a set of users based on the similarities of online behavior between the identified users and the first user. The system further ranks the identified users based on degrees of similarities between these users and the first user. The system then retrieves an electronic document selected for viewing by the first user and determines whether at least one of the identified users has annotated the electronic document. Based on the determination, the system augments the electronic document with annotations from the identified user and displays the annotated electronic document to the first user.
US08484293B2
A first portion of electronic meeting content is transmitted to a first client computing device. The first portion of the electronic meeting content configured to provide a first content resolution that is less than a full content resolution. A second portion of the electronic meeting content is transmitted to the first client computing device. The second portion of the electronic meeting content configured to provide a second content resolution that is greater than the first content resolution. The second portion of the electronic meeting content combined with the first portion of the electronic meeting content provides progressive refinement of electronic meeting content transmitted to the first client computing device.
US08484290B2
A method for providing, by a remote machine, access to a desk band associated with a resource on a local machine includes receiving, by a first agent on the remote machine, an identification of a desk band associated with a resource on a local machine. The first agent, in communication with a shell on the remote machine, maintains a taskbar window in a remote desktop environment. The taskbar window includes at least one window associated with a resource provided by the remote machine and a window region representing the desk band by using graphical data stored on the remote machine. The first agent transmits, to a second agent on the local machine, window attribute data and output data associated with the taskbar window in the remote desktop environment. The second agent displays at least a portion of the received output data in a local window on a local desktop environment.
US08484281B2
Embodiments of the present invention enable related parties to setup asynchronous messaging exchanges between Web services based on Web service addressing. All the callback address lookup, population and setup can be performed automatically by the service provider at the infrastructure level transparent to the user and only the service/contract itself need to be defined. This description is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention. Other features, aspects, and objects of the invention can be obtained from a review of the specification, the figures, and the claims.
US08484279B1
A method of distributed computing is provided. The method comprises establishing a network of processors, wherein the processors are associated with a plurality of classes and wherein at least some of the processors are embedded in portable electronic devices, and partitioning a problem to be solved by the network of processors into a plurality of problem segments, wherein the problem segments are associated with the plurality of classes associated with the processors. The method further comprises transmitting the problem segments to the processors based on the class of each processor, receiving partial solutions from the processors, and analyzing the partial solutions. An aspect of the method may comprise defining the classes based on at least one of a processor class, a data communication quality of service, and a responsibility level of the processor.
US08484270B2
A system and method for filtering a signal comprising: receiving a signal of interest; receiving a signal indicating that a stimulus has been applied; receiving the synchronized stimulus signal and signal of interest; recursively selecting a portion of the signal of interest associated with a stimulus being applied and assign the selected portion of the signal of interest to one of the plurality of buffers; combining all responses in each of said plurality of buffers; transforming the combination of all responses in each buffer to a transform space; comparing the transform components of the buffers to determine a scaling factor; applying the scaling factor to the spectral components of the buffers; performing an inverse transform on the result of combining the buffers to return to the time domain to produce a filtered signal, and outputting the filtered signal received from the processor.
US08484263B2
A method secures data in a network. The data includes a data message that has a first bit length. A random number is generated and transformed to create a first pseudo random number. The first pseudo random number is mixed with the data message to create an encrypted message. The encrypted message is transformed into a second pseudo random number. The second pseudo random number is mixed with the random number to produce a key. The encrypted message is placed side-by-side with the key to produce an output message. The output message is dispersed into a plurality of fragments. The plurality of fragments is stored in a plurality of data storage devices.
US08484261B2
In a system, in order to allow transfer of information relating to image data and the like to a desired directory in a directory structure in a host information processing apparatus, without performing an operation at the host information processing apparatus, in a first apparatus, a directory-information management unit acquires and manages directory information of a storage unit managed by a filing system of a second apparatus, and a display unit displays the directory information managed by the directory-information management unit. The user assigns a directory to which the image data and the like are to be transferred in the storage unit of the second apparatus, using an assignment unit.
US08484258B2
A method for avoiding directory conflicts across a file system having multiple nodes with one node representing a token manager. For each directory, at least one metanode responsible for directory updates. The method involving obtaining a name-based lock on a filename. Querying the token manager for a lock token. If a new token is obtained, sending a Remote Procedure Call (RPC) to the metanode to obtain matching directory entries, and caching the result of the RPC so that subsequent operations on that filename can be satisfied without additional messages sent to the metanode. Updating a cached directory block in memory by creating a new directory entry in the block or deleting an existing directory entry from the block. Information regarding the updating is sent to the metanode on one of: periodic schedule, a subsequent synchronization event, or when the name-based lock token is revoked.
US08484257B2
A system and method for generating extensible file system metadata. In one embodiment, the system may include a storage device configured to store data and a file system configured to manage access to the storage device and to store file system content. The file system may be further configured to detect a file system content access event, and in response to detecting the file system content access event, to generate a metadata record, where the metadata record is stored in an extensible, self-describing data format.
US08484256B2
Various embodiments for operating a transformation system, capable of transforming a logical data object (LO) to a transformed logical data object (TLO), are provided. In one such embodiment, an open LO request to a certain LO and addressed by the at least one client to the at least one storage device, is intercepted. An identifier (ID) in a header of a TLO corresponding to the requested LO and stored in the at least one storage device, is obtained. The obtained ID is used to characterize the TLO and the LO. A determination is made whether the transformation system handles at least one open LO characterized by an ID with a same value as the obtained ID. The requested LO is opened if at least one open LO is not found. An instance corresponding to the intercepted open LO request is generated. The instance is associated to the obtained ID.
US08484251B2
A computer readable storage medium for performing a transform of a multidimensional matrix in a distributed memory network by: storing a multidimensional matrix of side N in a distributed memory network with a plurality of nodes and distributing work associated with a calculation of a transform of the matrix among N2 of the plurality of nodes. The medium further receives results of the calculation of the transform of the matrix by the nodes.
US08484250B2
An organizational model of a hierarchical system can be distributed across various elements of an enterprise. Such elements include representations of the system that are maintained on higher-level business servers and other representations that serve control elements of the system such as programmable logic controllers and/or other industrial control components. In one aspect, an industrial automation system is provided. The system includes at least one controller to instantiate a portion of an organizational hierarchy. A communications component in the controller interacts with at least one other portion of the organizational hierarchy to facilitate data exchange and control between various components of an enterprise.
US08484246B2
A technique provides policy management within a policy-managed environment. A policy management agent retrieves a policy enforcement point (PEP) description from a PEP registry. The policy management agent utilizes the PEP description of the PEP to search a policy library to locate and determine matching (candidate) policies, and the matching policies match the policy description of the PEP. The managed environment, which incorporates policy evaluation, uses the equivalent policy matching criteria as the policy management agent.
US08484242B1
Roughly described, a database accelerator is installed transparently in a network between database client and server systems. It maintains a pool of connections to the database server(s) for re-use as needed. Connection requests from client systems are received and completed by the accelerator, and queries received on such client-side connections are forwarded through pool connections toward the database servers. If no appropriate connections are available when needed for a particular query, the accelerator forms one by emulating a client system requesting a connection to the desired database server. If the maximum number of connections has already been reached, then the query is queued until a connection becomes available in the pool. By installing the accelerator transparently in the network, no modifications are required to the software in either the client systems or the database servers to add connection pooling functionality to an existing client/server database environment.
US08484234B2
In embodiments, the present invention provides a method and system for distribution of advertising of sponsored content within an application of a mobile communication facility, wherein selection of the sponsored content is based at least on one or more predefined hardware or software characteristics of the mobile communication facility.
US08484233B2
Described is a technology for composing queries by user interaction with objects and facets. A facet-based user interface allows users to select facets for use as filtering criteria, and a logic-based user interface allows users to logically combine object data. Query logic that processes the filtering criteria and/or logically combines the object data into a query. The facet-based user interface and logic-based user interface may be accessed via a unified user interface. The unified user interface may also provide a text editor for composing a text-based query.
US08484232B2
The invention relates to a method for checking for the presence of control statements in a data value, comprising providing at least one first data value (8) from a trustworthy source (3), receiving at least one second data value (9) from an untrustworthy source (4) and marking the second data value (9) as untrustworthy, performing a computation on the first and second data value (8, 9) resulting in a third data value (10) and marking all parts (11) of the third data value (10), which are derived from the second data value (9), as untrustworthy, and checking the parts (11) of the third data value (10) marked as untrustworthy for the presence of control statements.The invention further relates to a computer arrangement, a computer program, and a computer program product adapted to perform a method in accordance with the invention.
US08484231B2
A process includes mapping a data format in an object in a source schema to a data format in an object in a destination schema. The process includes defining an attribute mapping, defining a relation between the data format in the object in the source and the data format in the object in the destination, mapping the data format in the object in the source to the data format in the object in the destination, and converting the data format in the object in the source to another data format within the source. When the object in the source has no analog in destination, a foreign object is introduced into the destination, and when the object in the destination refers to one or more dependent objects, one or more instances of referred objects are generated according to a predefined policy in the mapping.
US08484229B2
A system and method for searching for and identifying traditional Arabic poems in unstructured text. The system includes a CPU, a computer readable memory and a computer readable storage media. The system further includes first program instructions to identify lines of text within the document that have equivalent length. The system further includes second program instructions to group the identified lines of text as candidate verses. The system further includes third program instructions to select the candidate verses to generate a candidate poem. The first, second, and third program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.
US08484216B2
Previously conducted conversations in real-time collaboration messages are persistently stored, either by client or a server, and then are associated with conversational items presented to a user (e.g. contact names, topics, etc.). An icon is provided near each listed item, which when selected, displays to the user summaries or titles of all transcripts to which the selected item pertains or relates. The user may select one or more summaries or titles for which the conversation is to be resumed, causing the system to retrieve the stored transcript and resume appending new conversational entries to it, so that the user recovers conversational context effortlessly and accurately. Enhanced versions of the invention include sharing of transcripts so that all participants receive the context of the conversation, and server-side or client-side implementations.
US08484210B2
Systems, methods, computer program product embodiments for representing markup language document data in a searchable format in a database system are provided. An embodiment includes parsing a markup language document into a data stream, the data stream including a plurality of fields in a predefined format having a symbol table for at least one field of the data stream, and optimized field size based on a maximum value of data within each field, and storing the data stream in data storage.
US08484209B2
The present invention relates to a method for recommending other users who have similar preference with a user. The method includes the steps of: acquiring information on objects selected by a user and other users; acquiring information on topics; determining to which topic the user and the other users respectively correspond; evaluating a degree of user similarity by each other user, the degree of user similarity being relevant to sum of probabilities of the specific object appearing in the state of a topic while k-th other user and the user have the topic as a probability of the k-th other user and the user having selected the specific object, by referring to correspondence relationships; and recommending specific other users who have a high degree of user similarity, wherein the degree of user similarity is evaluated by multiplying the sum by a probability of the specific object appearing independently.
US08484208B1
Techniques are disclosed for presenting semi-structured sets of search results comprising two or more differently-structured subsets of search results. The search results are divided into two or more groups of similarly-structured results. The search results are displayed in their respective groups rather than as a single set. Each group is displayed using a different display structure, in an order determined by a group ranking mechanism. The search results within a group ordered by a result ranking mechanism. Techniques are also disclosed for enhancing a display of similarly structured data by emphasizing highly relevant result fields. The highly relevant result fields may be identified based on metadata ranking mechanisms, uniqueness of their constituent values, historical feedback, keyword location, and/or other mechanisms. The fields are emphasized using, without limitation, highlighting, reordering, and filtering of unemphasized fields from the display.
US08484207B2
A system and method are provided for enabling a user to search for documents that the user has previously viewed on its local machine. The system includes three main components: the desktop integration module, the index module, and the graphical user interface module. The desktop integration module is an application which monitors documents with which the user interacts for predetermined events, and obtains content data and metadata from the monitored documents. The index module indexes the content data and metadata received from the desktop integration module. The graphical user interface module then permits a user to utilize the desktop integration module and index module by allowing a user to search for a document.
US08484204B2
A computing device having a dynamic metadata model includes an interface module, an algorithm module and a registration module. The interface module includes an interface that defines one or more API functions for obtaining metadata using an algorithm. At least one of the API functions is used with a plurality of algorithms. Each of the plurality of algorithms is associated with a business system. The algorithm module includes one or more algorithms that implement the API functions defined in the interface. The one or more algorithms provide metadata without accessing a metadata database. Each of the one or more algorithms is associated with a business system. The metadata is associated with API functions of the business system. The registration module registers the one or more algorithms on the computing device.
US08484203B1
Recommendations for a media item associated with a primary entity are based on co-interaction information gathered from other media content items of several different media types that are also associated with the primary entity. Co-interaction information can include, for example, co-click data for websites, co-watch data for videos, or co-purchase data for purchases. The co-interaction data is processed to determine a co-interaction score between primary media items and secondary media items. From the co-interaction scores, secondary entities associated with the secondary media items are determined. A relatedness score is determined for these secondary entities based on the aggregation of the co-interaction scores of the secondary media items they are associated with. The relatedness score indicates a determination of how related one entity is to another. The secondary entities are ranked according to relatedness score in order to determine secondary entities most relevant to the primary entity.
US08484200B2
A system and method for managing the ordering, maintenance, and delivery of documents (e.g., technical publications, journals, etc.) in a copyright-compliant manner. A company having a plurality of users having a significant need to order a large number of documents, may utilize the system and method to centrally manage the company's document ordering needs. The system and method provides for the end-to-end management of the entire document delivery supply chain from the publisher to the user. Use of the system and method enables a company to efficiently control the automated distribution of content in compliance with copyright restrictions set forth by document publishers.
US08484198B1
Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for mapping keywords to geographic features. One example method includes identifying location keywords for each of a multitude of granular locations, determining a feature size for grouping granular locations over an area of interest, determining geo data for one or more features, locating all granular locations which are associated with a given feature using the geo data and forming a set of granular locations per feature, aggregating the location keywords for each granular location in a set forming a keyword mapping for the given feature, receiving an indication of a geographic location that is proximate to a user or is of interest to the user, determining a geographic feature associated with the geographic location, and targeting content for delivery to the user based at least in part on the keyword mapping.
US08484196B2
A content management system (CMS) provides a way to include data from an external source as an object in the repository managed by the CMS. The CMS includes an external data mechanism that processes a document with a query to a data source external to the repository. The external data mechanism executes the query, and creates one or more objects in the repository according to the type of data returned. Each object containing data returned from the query is linked to that query via a formal relationship in the CMS. When an object that has a formal relationship with a query is checked out of the repository, the query corresponding to the object may be executed, and the data returned from the query may be stored in the object. Alternatively, the data may be used directly if a corresponding lifecycle policy indicates the corresponding query should not be executed.
US08484195B2
An anonymous referendum system provides a means for an end user to enter an answer to a referendum without being forced to navigate to a secondary interface. The anonymous referendum system has a server that includes a database for storing available referendums and their corresponding status, operating parameters and answers, an answer checker for tallying or discarding an answer and at least one client that includes an interface. In the case a cookie is stored at the interface, the message is transmitted back to the server with a hashed cookie as a field in the header portion of the message. In the case a cookie is not used, a hashed MAC address is inserted as a field in the header portion. A mechanism for causing sharing of information between referendum pools is further disclosed.
US08484185B2
Providing a context-based service to a terminal, including: a) receiving a query from a service application, the query indicating that a context server should perform an action when a query condition is fulfilled, the query condition referring to one or more attributes of derived context information indicative of a context of the terminal; b) generating a query evaluation trigger indicating that the query condition should be evaluated; c) identifying raw context information to derive the derived context information; d) generating a calculation trigger indicating that the derived context information should be calculated when the raw context information is updated; e) receiving an update of the raw context information and, according to the calculation trigger, calculating a new value of the derived context information; and f) according to the query evaluation trigger, evaluating the query condition by using the new value and, if the query condition is fulfilled, performing the action.
US08484183B1
A regulatory information retrieval system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises building ingredient data for manufacturing businesses. Then, those ingredients are compared with regulatory requirements. Relevant requirements are identified regarding permitted usage are extracted and converted to a guideline document. The guideline document can be viewed in a variety of ways, such as a detailed view, or an overview of repositories searched. The guidelines may then be converted to a file format that can be imported by other business applications.
US08484180B2
One or more search seeds for Web crawling operations are selected. In a directed graph with Web pages represented by vertices and links represented by edges, characteristics of vertices connected to potential seed vertices are considered in making a seed selection.
US08484178B1
A first device having a corresponding method and computer program comprises a storage device to store a first media file of data; a memory to store a playlist comprising a first pointer to the first media file of the first data, and at least one second pointer to at least one second media file of second data stored on one or more second devices; and an output circuit to transmit the playlist and portions of the first media file of the first data.
US08484169B2
When receiving a change of property information that is a key for performing property information integration, a FCMDB refers to the information stored in a property management information DB. Then, when property information that is a key after change is identical with the property information before change in the same configuration item, the FCMDB maintains the property information of the property information DB with respect to the configuration item. On the other hand, when the two property information data are not identical to each other, the FCMDB integrates property information for each configuration item on the basis of the key after change and registers the result in a property information storage unit.
US08484168B2
Statistical record linkage calibration for multi token fields without the need for human interaction
Disclosed is a system for, and method of, calculating parameters used to determine whether records and entity representations should be linked. The system and method utilize blended field weights to account for certain types of partial matches. The system and method apply iterative techniques such that parameters from each linking iteration are used in the next linking iteration. The system and method need no human interaction in order to calibrate and utilize record matching formulas used for the linking decisions.
US08484152B2
An embodiment of the invention provides a method for and an apparatus for classifying a data object by use of a fuzzy hash. The method and apparatus can perform steps including: aligning a window in a target data object; reading content within the window; hashing the content within the window in order to calculate a hash value; splicing a spliced portion from the hashed value; and storing the spliced portion as part of a fuzzy hash.
US08484151B1
The parking availability for a geographic area is predicted using a parking availability model. The geographic population density for the geographic area is first predicted. The predicted geographic population density is then applied to the parking availability model to produce a prediction of the parking availability for the geographic area. The parking availability model comprises a function that relates predicted geographic population densities with parking availabilities for a geographic area. The predicted parking availability for the geographic area is stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The parking availability predictions may be displayed as a layer within a map, and may be produced for a specifically requested geographic area, or a general geographic area.
US08484145B2
A method and a system for standardizing data used for monitoring an aeroengine, and including: operating over time to collect time-series measurements from the aeroengine; calculating from the time-series measurements a set of indicators Y=(y1, . . . , yj, . . . , ym) specific to elements of the engine; identifying from the time-series measurements an exogenous data set X=(x1, . . . , xn) representative of external context acting on the set of indicators Y; defining a conditional multidimensional model simultaneously handling the indicators of the set of indicators Y while taking account of the exogenous data set X to form a set of estimators Ŷ=(ŷ1, . . . , ŷj, . . . , ŷm) corresponding to the set of indicators Y=(y1, . . . , yj, . . . , ym); and normalizing each estimator ŷj as a function of a reference value for the corresponding indicator yj and of a difference between each estimator ŷj and corresponding indicator yj so as to form a set of standardized values {tilde over (Y)}=({tilde over (y)}1, . . . , {tilde over (y)}j, . . . , {tilde over (y)}m).
US08484142B2
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computers, helps target responses returned to a user through the use of a computer facility by performing the steps of (1) providing a user preference learning API to a third-party website to determine preferences of a user as related to a market of a third-party, wherein the preference learning API is executing as an extension of the computer facility; (2) receiving third-party information related to the market of the third-party; (3) collecting the preferences of the user and storing them as a user preference profile; (4) receiving a query from the user at the third-party website; and (5) using in the user preference learning API the third-party information related to the market of the third-party and the preferences of the user as stored in the user preference profile to provide a response back to the user that relates to the query from the user.
US08484138B2
Disclosed are apparatus and related methodologies for increasing functionality of gas metrology devices used in a supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) network by combining the collection of meter data with cathodic protection (CP) monitoring data in a single system. Per present subject matter, CP monitoring data may be collected at individual metrology locations and combined with data otherwise bubbled up to SCADA data collectors for transmission to the network head end. CP data collection and transmission with the bubbled up metrology data provides a significant increase in the amount of CP data collected and offers the advantage of relatively earlier detection of CP installation related problems in addition to significant reduction in data collection costs.
US08484129B2
A method of making payment. A request is received to effect payment between a buyer and a seller for a transaction having established terms. The terms include a payment amount and a settlement date. Messages are exchanged between the buyer and the seller that include an offer and acceptance of new terms for payment at other than the established terms. The new terms include an adjusted amount of payment to be made at a particular time after an event associated with the transaction. An electronic notification that the event has occurred is received, and the after the notification, payment between the buyer and seller is effected under the new terms.
US08484126B2
An electronic trading system utilizes a Match Engine that receives orders, stores them internally, calculates tradable combinations and advertises the availability of real and implied orders in the form of market data. The tradable combinations may include spread orders where one leg of the spread has a different tick size than the other or where the tick of the spread contract is different from the tick size in one or both legs. A method and system for calculating on-tick leg prices in an equitable and predictable manner is provided.
US08484124B2
The present disclosure is directed to facilitating pricing, sales and delivery of a commodity. In one embodiment, a Fuel Offer Generator facilitates the purchase and management of fuel offerings. The Fuel Offer Generator allows Customers interested in securing fuel to obtain an offer for fuel at lock-in prices for various tenors. Fuel Customers may later exercise the fuel offers so their fuel costs are locked-in at desired levels. The Fuel Offer Generator may generate hedges to counteract fuel related risks stemming from fuel offer purchases. Ultimately, a customer that purchases a fuel offering can exercise their fuel offering order at a specified price and redeem any difference between the market price for their purchased fuel and the price specified in their fuel offering order. The Fuel Offer Generator employs a redemption condition based on a retail fuel pump price metric to establish the pricing of fuel offerings.
US08484120B2
A method and apparatus for promoting the creation and distribution of creative works. The invention provides a novel cooperative auction means collecting funds for payment for inducing a rightholder to donate rights in a piece of intellectual property to the public domain.
US08484113B2
System(s) and method(s) to incentivize adoption of time-dependent customized insurance benefit(s) are provided. A provider of insurance benefit(s) incentivizes adoption of the insurance benefit(s) in exchange for knowledge of operation characteristics of an insured entity. Knowledge is cumulative and collected from the insured entity and environment in which the entity operates. Incentivation is accomplished at least in part through generation of incentive offer(s) based on available knowledge, which is associated with an operator of the insured entity rather than with the entity itself. The operator can regulate the scope of exchanged knowledge, and received incentive offer(s) and related content. Incentive offer(s) can be directed to provision of insurance benefit coverage that is adequate to current or nearly current operation condition(s); discounted real-time or nearly real-time insurance benefits; or subsidized service(s). Offered incentives can be afforded at least in part through monetization of available knowledge via commercialization thereof or targeted advertisement.
US08484110B2
An automated and interactive system that facilitates efficient capitalization/liquidation and monitoring of private enterprises through a network-driven marketplace is disclosed. The system may be comprised of a dynamic process for enterprise characterization, a customizable computational engine that utilizes statistical reference information to quantify a multi-factor scoring value for each unique enterprise, a customizable system for investor-users to filter, rank, and screen enterprise prospects, a customizable system for monitoring the performance of enterprises, an integrated internal system for electronic communication between market participants, and an empirical feedback system that provides a dynamic knowledge base of statistical reference information for various computational components of the invention.
US08484104B1
Systems and methods for adding a payee to a user's list of payees in an online bill payment system provided by a financial institution. The online bill payment system accesses financial data of the user from a personal finance management application or a financial institution. The financial data is analyzed by a computer to identify payees of the user. The bill payment system determines if it has payment information for the identified payee, and adds the payee to the user's list of payees. Alternatively, the financial data may be accessed and aggregated by a personal finance management application and then analyzed by a computer to identify a payee. Then the identified payee is communicated to the online bill payment system, which adds the identified payee to the user's list of payees.
US08484089B1
A hosted web service is provided to enable the legitimate sharing and reselling digital music among subscribers to the web service by leveraging the teachings of the first sale doctrine of copyright law. By maintaining a single copy of properly purchased song within the system that can be only accessed by one subscriber at a time, the web service preserves the rights of the copyright holder of the digital music while encouraging a community sharing.
US08484087B2
The present invention provides systems and methods for enabling a customer to sample content and select content for purchasing while the customer is in a retail store. Advantageously, the customer may be given one or more options for the delivery of the content.
US08484085B2
A system for predicting healthcare financial risk including the process of accessing patient data associated with one or more patents, accessing geographic and healthcare system data, filtering the patient data, geographic data, and healthcare system data into clean data, and applying a predictive risk model to the clean data to generate patient profile data and to identify a portion of the patients associated with a level of predicted financial risk.
US08484080B2
A system for electronic commerce, comprising a portal server executing on a digital computer, coupled to a digital packet network and an analysis software executing on a server or another digital computer(s), adapted to receive information from a user via the digital packet network, said information including at least a plurality of data elements pertaining to products owned, used, or sought by the user, wherein the received information is made available to the analysis software, which computes a maturity score for the user based at least in part on the received information, and wherein the portal server uses at least a maturity score to order a selection of information be provided to the user, and wherein at least some of the received information is made available to a plurality of external systems based at least in part on privacy settings established by or for the particular user, is disclosed.
US08484077B2
A method for combining multiple probability of click models in an online advertising system into a combined predictive model, the method commencing by receiving a feature set slice (e.g. corresponding to demographics or taxonomies or clusters), and using the sliced data for training multiple slice-wise predictive models. The trained slice-wise predictive models are combined by overlaying a weighted distribution model over the trained slice-wise predictive models. The combined predictive model then is used in predicting the probability of a click given a query-advertisement pair in online advertising. The method can flexibly receive slice specifications, and can overlay any one or more of a variety of distribution models, such as a linear combination or a log-linear combination. Using an appropriate weighted distribution model, the combined predictive model reliably yields predictive estimates of occurrence of click events that are at least as good as the best predictive model in the slice-wise predictive model set.
US08484051B2
A method for determining one or more features of an annuity includes receiving data indicative of a prospective annuitant's personal expenses in at least a first expense category and a second expense category; storing the data in memory; accessing price index information for the first expense category; accessing price index information for the second expense category; accessing general price index information; and based on factors including the price index information for the first expense category, the price index information for the second expense category, and the general price index information, determining a benefit increase rate of an annuity for the prospective annuitant; and providing an output indicative of at least the determined benefit increase rate.
US08484045B1
Internet-based software and associated database provide group analysis overlay to monitor client-server web traffic and provide direct marketing to client group. Client car, patient, office or school sensor and interface provides overlay attribute for database comparison to classify usage pattern, location, timing, or family for targeted messaging for enhanced service from server source. Database group registry tracks client classification and provides adaptive context mapping according to set attribute relative to targeted on-line transaction.
US08484031B1
An interactive response system mixes HSR subsystems with ASR subsystems to facilitate overall capability of voice user interfaces. The system permits imperfect ASR subsystems to nonetheless relieve burden on HSR subsystems. An ASR proxy is used to implement an IVR system, and the proxy decides, based on a set of rules, to route an utterance solely to one ASR, to route it to an HSR in addition to at least one ASR, to route it solely to one or more HSR subsystem, to reroute an utterance originally sent to an ASR over to an HSR, to use HSRs to help tune and train one or more ASRs, and to use multiple ASRs to increase reliability of results.
US08484030B1
Apparatus and methods are provided for using automatic speech recognition to analyze a voice interaction and verify compliance of an agent reading a script to a client during the voice interaction. In one aspect of the invention, a communications system includes a user interface, a communications network, and a call center having an automatic speech recognition component. In other aspects of the invention, a script compliance method includes the steps of conducting a voice interaction between an agent and a client and evaluating the voice interaction with an automatic speech recognition component adapted to analyze the voice interaction and determine whether the agent has adequately followed the script.
US08484023B2
Techniques are disclosed for generating and using sparse representation features to improve speech recognition performance. In particular, principles of the invention provide sparse representation exemplar-based recognition techniques. For example, a method comprises the following steps. A test vector and a training data set associated with a speech recognition system are obtained. A subset of the training data set is selected. The test vector is mapped with the selected subset of the training data set as a linear combination that is weighted by a sparseness constraint such that a new test feature set is formed wherein the training data set is moved more closely to the test vector subject to the sparseness constraint. An acoustic model is trained on the new test feature set. The acoustic model trained on the new test feature set may be used to decode user speech input to the speech recognition system.
US08484015B1
An answer engine determines an entity related to a query from a user in a system designed for computation, search, or other activities involving the processing of queries. The system determines whether an entity page for the entity is stored in an answers database and, if so, retrieves and displays the stored entity page. If there is no stored entity page for the entity, the answer engine generates and displays an answer to the query and may optionally store the answer as an entity page. Additionally, the answer engine may pre-generate and store entity pages according to algorithmic variation of received queries and/or according to information received from external sources.
US08484012B2
An information service apparatus provides information described in a language suitable for a user. The information service apparatus has an operation panel on which operation information on the information service apparatus is displayed. It is judged whether or not information can be provided in a language designated by discrimination information contained in a request from a terminal. When it is determined that the information in the language designated by the discrimination information cannot be provided, an operation panel language used for displaying the operation information on the operation panel is set as the language used for providing the information.
US08484011B2
A multilingual dialogue system enabling a user to conduct dialogue in various languages, and a controlling method thereof. According to the multilingual dialogue system and the controlling method, reliability of the user's language can be evaluated, thereby coping with errors generated during dialogue.
US08484002B2
Systems and methods for, inter alia, geographically based analyses of traffic being carried over a wide scale traffic network. The systems integrate geographical information systems (GIS) with traffic simulation processes to allow a user to analyze traffic patterns and loads at specific geographic locations of regions. Additionally, these systems allow for traffic analysis over a wide scale traffic network that may encompass the traffic network that exists within a geographic region and can include, as examples, the traffic networks that span across a city, that interconnect cities, that interconnect states and that run across multiple states. To this end, the systems include traffic simulators that can adaptively or controllably select between multiple traffic simulation models for simulating traffic across different segments of the traffic network. The different models provide varying levels of granularity for measurements of geographical location of a vehicle traveling over the traffic network.
US08484000B2
Incoming data from, for example, an array of detectors, may be received. A dynamical system may be initialized corresponding to a modality of the incoming data so that a measurement probe based on the initialized dynamical system may be generated. Such a measurement probe may be injected into a quantum mechanical system so that it may be determined whether the injection of the measurement probe into the quantum mechanical system results in a collapse of the quantum mechanical system. Thereafter, it may be determined that a signal is present within the incoming data if the quantum mechanical system collapses. Related methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer-program products are also described.
US08483994B2
Methods and systems for high-confidence utilization of datasets are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes selecting a metric for determining substantially optimal combination of true positives and false positives in a data set, applying an optimization technique, and obtaining, from the results of the optimization technique, a value for at least one optimization parameter, the value for at least one optimization parameter resulting in substantially optimal combination of true positives and false positives. A number of true positives and a number of false positives are a function of the one or more optimization parameters.
US08483993B2
In one embodiment, a method implemented by a processor that receives plural sets of values corresponding to plural matched pairs of anomalies from a first inspection and second inspection following the first inspection, a first portion of each pair corresponding to the first inspection and a second portion of each pair corresponding to the second inspection, the plural sets of values corresponding to wall loss information for plural locations of a fluid carrying vessel; computes first and second statistical descriptions of a respective accuracy of the first and second inspections; and computes a revised estimate of the plural sets of values based on the first and second statistical descriptions.
US08483992B2
A method, including: determining a line of response for an imaging apparatus, the line of response being defined by respective locations of a pair of detector crystals of the imaging apparatus; defining an array of emission points corresponding to the determined line of response; determining, for each point in the array of emission points corresponding to the line of response, a solid angle subtended by surfaces of the pair of detector crystals that define the line of response; averaging the determined solid angles to generate an average solid angle; determining a depth of interaction factor dependent upon penetration of a gamma ray in the pair of detector crystals of the imaging apparatus; and calculating a geometric corrective factor for the determined line of response by multiplying a reciprocal of the average solid angle by the determined depth of interaction factor.
US08483989B2
In an apparatus for estimating a temperature of a heating element such as IGBT mounted on an electronic printed circuit board, a first temperature and a second temperature at positions away from the heating element are detected, and it is determined whether a cooling device is operative. The temperature of the heating element is estimated based on the first and second temperatures using a first equation when the cooling device is inoperative, whereas it is estimated using a second equation when the cooling device is operative, thereby enabling to accurately estimate the temperature of the heating element equipped with the cooling device.
US08483987B2
There is provided a circuit with control function including a circuit to be controlled so as to be operated only if a predetermined environment meets a specific condition and being arranged to detect, in any predetermined environment, whether or not the circuit with control function is normally operated, and a test method thereof. The circuit with control function includes a controller (microcomputer) for operating the circuit to be controlled (a heater) only if a predetermined environment (ambient temperature) detected by a sensor (a first temperature sensor) meets a specific condition (0° or below). The controller includes a self-diagnosis device for diagnosing whether or not the circuit with control function is normally operated (step S5) and an interruption detecting device (steps S1 to S4) for detecting whether or not energization from a commercial power supply is intermittently interrupted in a predetermined pattern and activating the self-diagnosis device when the interruption of the predetermined pattern is detected.
US08483986B2
Variations of the impedance of each output driver of a semiconductor device can be reduced, and high-speed calibration is achieved. A calibration circuit including a replica circuit having the same configuration as each pull-up circuit or pull-down circuit included in an output driver of a semiconductor device is provided within a chip. During a first calibration operation, the replica circuit is provided with voltage conditions that allow the maximum current to flow through the output driver so that an impedance of the replica circuit is equal to a value of an external resistor. During a second calibration operation, table parameters obtained in the first calibration operation are used to adjust the impedance of the output driver without use of the replica circuit.
US08483983B2
According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus is configured to be powered by a battery. The apparatus includes a charging circuit, a charging current measuring module, a charging time measuring module, and a calculation module. The charging circuit charges the battery by using power from an external power supply. The charging current measuring module measures a charging current supplied to the battery from the charging circuit. The charging time measuring module measures a time during which the battery is charged by the charging current. The calculation module calculates a charging capacity from the measured charging current and the measured charging time, and compares an accumulated charging capacity, which is obtained by cumulatively adding the calculated charging capacity to a previously calculated charging capacity, with a reference value, in order to detect degradation of the battery.
US08483979B2
Startup and operational techniques for a digital flowmeter are described. For example, during a startup operation of the flowmeter, the mode of operation might include a random sequence mode, in which filtered, random frequencies are applied as a drive signal to a flowtube associated with the digital flowmeter. Once the flowtube reaches a resonant mode of vibration, the digital flowmeter may transition to a positive feedback mode, in which a sensor signal representing a motion of the flowtube is fed back to the flowtube as a drive signal. In a digital synthesis mode of operation, the analyzed sensor signals are used to synthesize the drive signal. The digital flowmeter may revert to a previous mode to regain stable and desired oscillation of the flowtube, such as might be required during a recovery operation associated with a disturbance to an operation of the digital flowmeter.
US08483977B1
A method for locating defects in a target includes subjecting the target to an ultrasonic vibration. A first laser beam is then transmitted to the target and a reflection is received. A vibration signal is produced from the reflection that gives the target's response to the ultrasonic vibration. A digital image is produced of the target that includes the region of the first laser beam reflection. The digital images are overlaid with the vibration signal to provide overlaid data. The overlaid data is tested to determine a probability of the overlaid data being non-random. The probability is compared against a threshold to indicate a potential area of concern that may include defects.
US08483969B2
Disclosed herein are compositions and methods used for detecting different types of molecules associated with a site on a solid support.
US08483966B1
This invention describes a method and site for providing genetic testing using the Internet which enables individuals to access genetic testing as well as methods that ensure privacy in the selection of genetic tests, payment, performance of tests, delivery of results, interpretation of results, and genetic counseling. These methods will increase the utilization of genetic testing by individuals.
US08483952B2
Apparatus and methods for training a person in route management are based on a personal computer. The apparatus may be used for example to train a bus driver to follow a new or changed route. A data store stores data streams corresponding to different kinds of information of the route, including video of the route, audio data, sound data, GPS and time data, and vehicle engine management data. A VDU and loudspeaker are used as output devices to present the plurality of data streams to a user such that they are co-related to the route to be followed. Data streams corresponding to different route information are not combined in the data store, but comprise cross-referable data. The computer is programmed to present the first data stream and the further data stream in a co-related manner via the output devices and in dependence upon the cross-referable data.
US08483948B2
A navigation system and method of exchanging location information through a messenger. The navigation system exchanging location information through a messenger, the navigation system includes a messenger program-installed navigation device which includes a communication device, transmits/receives messenger information including the location information to/from another navigation device, and displays the location information received through the message program on a map for route guidance.
US08483946B2
An information processing apparatus includes a reception section that receives marking information from a different information processing apparatus and corresponding to a scene of a broadcast program. The marking information indicates a broadcast station and a broadcast time. The information processing apparatus also includes a processing unit that extracts a Universal Resource Identifier (URI) based on the broadcast station and the broadcast time, and produces navigation information associated with the scene of the broadcast program, based on the URI.
US08483944B2
A collision determination ECU includes: a possibility determination section for determining whether or not there is a possibility of a collision with a forward vehicle; a traveling direction determination section for determining whether or not changing of a traveling direction of at least one of an own-vehicle and the forward vehicle is in progress; and a condition changing section for changing a collision determination condition, which is a condition for a possibility estimation section to determine that there is a possibility of a collision, so as to be strict, when the traveling direction determination section determines that changing of a traveling direction is in progress. As a result, unnecessary operations of a passenger protection device and the like can be suppressed.
US08483943B2
A method and device are disclosed for navigation. In at least one embodiment, the method includes determining a route of travel, in a navigation device, based upon at least a received destination location; determining whether or not travel along the determined route will at least one of meet and exceed a first threshold; and prompting, upon determining that travel along the determined route will at least one of meet and exceed the first threshold, a user of the navigation device to enable output of a warning to break from driving a vehicle, in which the navigation device is located, during travel along the determined route. In at least one embodiment, the navigation device includes a processor to determine a route of travel based upon at least a received destination location and to determine whether or not travel along the determined route will at least one of meet and exceed a first threshold; and an output device to prompt, upon the processor determining that travel along the determined route will at least one of meet and exceed the first threshold, a user of the navigation device to enable output of a warning to break from driving a vehicle, in which the navigation device is located, during travel along the determined route.
US08483934B2
A method for improving purging of fuel vapors from a boosted engine is presented. In one embodiment, the method increases the efficiency of a venturi that supplies vacuum to purge fuel vapors from a vapor storage canister.
US08483933B2
A method is for operating a fuel injector, in particular of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, the fuel injector including a piezoelectric actuator for driving a valve needle, which is connected, preferably hydraulically, to the actuator, and the control voltage of the piezoelectric actuator being analyzed to infer an operating state of the fuel injector. According to this method, the second time derivative of the control voltage and/or a variable depending on the second time derivative of the control voltage is/are analyzed.
US08483929B2
An embodiment of the present invention has the technical effect of controlling an air preheating system integrated with a gas turbine. The present invention may offer the benefit of extending a turndown range by beating the air (hereinafter “inlet-air”) entering the compressor of the gas turbine. The present invention may also offer the benefit of increasing an efficiency of the powerplant.
US08483924B2
A vehicle control device capable of obtaining the sufficient effect of vehicle control is provided. A vehicle control device 1 outputs a control signal to a vehicle on the basis of the height of the center of gravity based on the behavior of the vehicle at the time of rolling or pitching or the correlation value correlated with the height of the center of gravity, and the control signal is calculated on the basis of acceleration of the vehicle in which a rolling angle or a pitch angle is reflected. The operation device calculates the height of the center of gravity or the vehicle weight on the basis of acceleration of the vehicle in which the rolling angle or the pitch angle is reflected and calculates a control signal on the basis of the height of the center of gravity or the vehicle weight. Thus, since the vehicle control device 1 can calculate the control signal on the basis of the acceleration of the vehicle in which the rolling angle or the pitch angle is reflected, it is possible to perform accurate vehicle control according to the rolling angle or the pitch angle at the time of rolling or pitching of the vehicle.
US08483920B2
A shift control device for an automatic transmission having a plurality of frictional engaging elements adapted to be selectively engaged to perform shift control. The shift control device includes a computing unit for computing the temperature of at least one of the frictional engaging elements to be engaged in shifting, a comparing unit for comparing the temperature computed by the computing unit with a reference temperature, and an upshift delaying unit for delaying the timing of upshift using the frictional engaging element to be engaged by a predetermined time period when the temperature computed by the computing unit is higher than the reference temperature.
US08483912B2
In a vehicle provided with an ARS actuator and an ARS driving apparatus as the rear-wheel steering apparatus, an ECU performs ARS electric power saving control. In the control, electric power supply to the ARS actuator is cut under the conditions that a rudder angle deviation Δδr is greater than a reference deviation Δδth and that a duration Tlst exceeds a reference value Tlstth in cases where a rear-wheel rudder angle δr is greater than a reference rudder angle δrth, wherein the rudder angle deviation Δδr is a difference value between a target rear-wheel rudder angle δrtg and the rear-wheel rudder angle δr and the duration Tlst is a time in which the state that the rudder angle deviation Δδr is greater than the reference deviation Δδrth continues.
US08483911B2
In a method and a device for controlling the stability of a vehicle, in particular a utility vehicle, an anti-tilt control process is carried out in which at least one lateral acceleration signal, one steering wheel angle signal and one vehicle speed signal are sensed and control signals for vehicle interventions are formed therefrom and output, and a yaw control process is carried out during which the steering wheel angle signal, the lateral acceleration signal and the vehicle speed signal are sensed, a yaw rate setpoint value signal and a yaw rate actual value signal are determined and compared with one another and a yaw control process is carried out during which control signals for vehicle interventions are formed and output.
US08483907B2
Aspects of the disclosed subject matter are directed to customizing the colors of instruments that are used to convey vehicle readings. In accordance with one embodiment, a method is provided that obtains input to perform a color change to one or more instruments presented on a graphical display. For each instrument affected by the color change, a determination is made regarding whether a threshold level of contrast exists between a symbol graphic of the instrument and one or more background colors. If a threshold level of contrast does not exist, the contrast ratio between the symbol graphic and one or more background colors is adjusted to at least the threshold level. Then the method causes the graphical display to render the one or more instruments in accordance with the received color selections.
US08483902B2
The present invention relates to a method for calculating the oil consumption and autonomy associated with the lubrication system of an airplane engine during flights, preferably a turbine engine, on the basis of the measurement of the oil level in the tank of said lubrication system, allowing to manage the refills and maintenance and to detect either abnormal consumption or insufficient autonomy, characterized by at least one of the following methods: comparing different engines of the airplane and possibly a reference value, the engines used for said comparison being in more or less identical condition, in order to detect abnormal oil consumption; taking into account one or more interference effects that affect said oil level in the tank, these being linked at least to the thermal expansion in the tank, to the “gulping” and to the attitude and acceleration, in order to deduce the modification to the oil level due to a decrease in the total quantity of oil available as a result of said interference effects; combining both above-mentioned methods.
US08483900B2
A hybrid vehicle includes: a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine and an electric motor, a power source control unit that controls the engine and the motor, an air-fuel ratio control unit that controls the air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas of the engine to obtain a target air-fuel ratio, a battery that stores electric power that is supplied to the motor, a state-of-charge detection unit that detects a state-of-charge of the battery, a detection unit that detects an air-fuel ratio imbalance abnormality of the internal combustion engine and identifies an abnormal cylinder that has caused the imbalance abnormality, and a correction unit that corrects, in a case where the air-fuel ratio imbalance abnormality has been detected, a fuel injection amount of the abnormal cylinder based on a battery state-of-charge decrease amount from when the abnormality is detected to the time when a predetermined time interval is elapsed after the detection.
US08483895B1
New and useful system, components and methods are provided for a transportation system in which one or more vehicles are moved between at least a pair of stations along a guideway that extends between the pair of stations. The vehicle is propelled along the guideway while one or more signals are transmitted that can be used for controlling the speed of the vehicle and the spacing between the vehicle and other vehicles on the guideway. A digital signal that decodes into a sync signal component and a spacing signal component is transmitted along the guideway, where the difference between the period of the sync and spacing signal components determines the predetermined speed of the vehicles moving along the guideway. Each vehicle has a virtual scan window, based on the actual speed of the vehicle, that is configured to follow the spacing signal component in a manner such that the relation of a predetermined point on the virtual scan window to the spacing signal component determines whether the vehicle is maintaining the predetermined speed or whether the speed of the vehicle needs to be adjusted to maintain the predetermined speed and spacing.
US08483894B2
The present method operates an electrically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brake system that includes a system controller and a plurality of ECP devices on a train, in a semi-active mode between an active mode and an in active mode. The method includes setting the system controller to the semi-active mode if the ECP brake command is release; and setting the released ECP devices to the inactive state by the system controller when entering the semi-active mode. The ECP devices are set to an active state and to apply the brake by the system controller in response to an ECP brake command of apply. The ECP devices are reset to release and then to the inactive state by the system controller in response to an ECP brake command of release.
US08483892B2
A method for limiting the angle between the longitudinal axes of car bodies of a multi-part rail vehicle connected to each other via a joint, wherein each car body is supported on only one bogie. The angle is actively influenced by an electrically controlled activation member connected to the joint, until the angle assumes a setpoint value. The setpoint value is determined from the pivot angles (relative angles) of the bogies relative to the associated car bodies.
US08483885B2
A self-contained control unit of a system stabilizing device installed on a microgrid is provided with a fluctuation detecting block 70A for determining a fluctuation component of the frequency of system voltage (Cωs) and a fluctuation component of voltage amplitude of the system voltage (C|Vs|). The fluctuation detecting block 70A determines the fluctuation component (Cωs) based on a deviation between the output signal of a low-pass filter 71 for noise removal and the output signal of a low-pass filter 72 for determining a fluctuation detection time. An interference action inhibiting unit 100 judges whether system stabilizing control and governor control of a generator interfere with each other, based on a frequency signal ωs and the fluctuation component Cωs. If there is interference, the time constant of the low-pass filter 72 is reduced to reduce the fluctuation component Cωs, thereby decreasing the amount of control by the system stabilizing device and preventing interference. By this measure, system stabilizing control is exercised, without interfering with the governor control or AVR control of the generator.
US08483884B1
A method and system is described for controlling an electrically driven fuel pump used in the filling of a hobbyist model craft's fuel tank, (airplane, car, boat etc). The system includes a microcontroller to control the direction and run time of a brushed electric motor-driven fuel pump. A calibration feature allows operating parameters for different sized pumps and tanks to be measured and recorded in memory, then later recalled and used in the filling of pre-selected models' tank to a predetermined level simply by pressing a button to initiate the operation.
US08483883B1
A variable-air-volume system for modulating the speed of a supply fan by measuring a plurality of inlet static pressures within the inlet of a corresponding plurality of terminal boxes within the system; calculating a plurality of setpoint errors equal to the difference between the plurality of inlet static pressures and a corresponding plurality of terminal box setpoint pressures; selecting minimum setpoint error out of all of the calculated setpoint errors; and modulating the fan speed as a function of the minimum setpoint error. The system can also utilize a power adjustment factor to modify the terminal box set point pressures.
US08483874B2
A path planning apparatus of a robot smoothes a motion path while satisfying a constraint. In a configuration space where a manipulator of a robot performs a task, a Rapidly-exploring Random Tree (RRT) path which extends from a start point and reaches a goal point may be smoothed while satisfying a constraint to generate a stable motion path. Accordingly, path planning performance is improved and an optimal path satisfying a kinematic constraint may be rapidly obtained.
US08483871B2
A self-service kiosk enables customers to conduct rental transactions for carpet cleaning machines without the need of assistance from store personnel. The kiosk comprises a housing having several stalls or bays that hold and display carpet cleaning machines and carpet cleaning accessories for rental. The kiosk controls whether such carpet cleaning machines and carpet cleaning accessories can be removed from or returned to the kiosk. The kiosk also optionally includes a control panel for conducting a rental transaction. The self-service kiosk may also include automatic dispensing of cleaning products purchased by the customer at the kiosk. Still further, the self-serve kiosk may include shelving for holding cleaning products that can be purchased separately at a checkout counter.
US08483870B2
Provided are a substrate processing apparatus and a method of displaying an abnormal state of the substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus including: a manipulation unit including a manipulation screen displaying a state of at least one of a substrate carrying mechanism and a substrate processing mechanism; and a control unit including a carrying system controller controlling the substrate carrying mechanism. The manipulation unit comprises a setting screen through which detection conditions of sensors configured to detect states of the substrate carrying mechanism and the substrate processing mechanism, and information about a torque limitation including the enabling or disabling of the torque control and a torque control value are set for the substrate carrying mechanism. The carrying system controller assigns a motion of the substrate carrying mechanism to a carrying control module based on an instruction from the manipulation unit, and the carrying control module controls the substrate carrying mechanism according to the instruction and the information.
US08483868B2
A method to audit portable cassettes removeably disposed in a data storage library comprising a plurality of storage slots, a plurality of portable cassettes removeably disposed in one or more of said plurality of storage slots, and a pass-through accessor comprising a moveable fixturing apparatus, wherein the pass-through accessor is moveably disposed in said data storage library. The method disposes the pass-through accessor adjacent a first one of said plurality of storage slots, removes a first portable cassette from the first storage slot, and attaches the first portable cassette to a first fixturing assembly disposed on the fixturing apparatus. The method then removes a second portable cassette from the first storage slot, and attaches the second portable cassette to a second fixturing assembly disposed on the fixturing apparatus.
US08483863B1
In order to effectuate proper construction of prosthetic devices during surgery, a device that will shape the prosthetic device from the patient's own tissue has been contemplated. Although ear surgery requires exacting measurements because of the size that is involved is discussed, many other types of artificial devices can be manufactured during a number of different types of procedures to include orthopedic and dental prosthesis. Many different types of tissues may be used and a computer with associated software will enable a milling machine to manufacture the required prosthetic device at the time of the procedure.
US08483861B2
A scheduler system obtains a basic model of a manufacturing process for the production of one or more products. The basic model is based on a first set of data collected at a point in time from a plurality of tools used to manufacture the one or more products. The system incorporates a second set of data, which is collected from the plurality of tools after the first set of data, into the basic model to generate a comprehensive model of the manufacturing process. The second set of data reflects a current state of a factory. The system evaluates a plurality of scheduling policies using the comprehensive model and selects an optimal scheduling policy from the plurality of scheduling policies based on the comprehensive process model evaluation to achieve a manufacturing objective.
US08483850B2
An HVAC controller, a method determining a location of a HVAC unit with respect to a site where the HVAC unit is installed and a HVAC system are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the HVAC controller includes: (1) an interface configured to receive location data indicating a position of said HVAC unit with respect to the earth, (2) a memory coupled to said interface and configured to store said location data and a processor configured to retrieve said location data from said memory, wherein said retrieved location data is employed to determine a location of said HVAC unit with respect to a site where said HVAC unit is installed.
US08483837B2
The present invention is a visual prosthesis including a visor with an embedded camera and changeable optical filters to limit light entering the lens of the camera. This invention will allow use of custom filters to limit light intensity or certain light frequencies sent to the camera of the visual prosthesis in a variety of brightness conditions which will remove glare. It will allow modification of the color of the light sent to camera of the visual prosthesis to respond to different environments. Users may choose the best filter to suit their needs in real time.
US08483835B2
Methods and devices for treating anaphylaxis, anaphylactic shock, bronchial constriction, and/or asthma include providing an electrical impulse to a selected region of the vagus nerve of a patient suffering from anaphylaxis to block and/or modulate nerve signals that would regulate the function of, for example, myocardial tissue, vasodilation/constriction and/or pulmonary tissue.
US08483834B2
A neural stimulation system controls the delivery of neural stimulation using a respiratory signal as a therapy feedback input. The respiratory signal is used to increase the effectiveness of the neural stimulation, such as vagal nerve stimulation, while decreasing potentially adverse side effects in respiratory functions. In one embodiment, the neural stimulation system detects apnea and, in response, adjusts the delivery of the neural stimulation pulses and/or delivers a respiratory therapy treating the detected apnea.
US08483833B2
A method includes controlling a cardiac pacing rate of an implantable medical device to control a heart rate of a patient and detecting inhalation and exhalation of the patient. The method further includes determining that the patient is in a resting state, and, in response to determining that the patient is in the resting state, incrementally increasing the pacing rate while exhalation of the patient is detected and incrementally decreasing the pacing rate while inhalation of the patient is detected.
US08483822B1
Aspects of the invention are directed to advanced monitoring and control of medium voltage therapy (MVT) in implantable and external devices. Apparatus and methods are disclosed that facilitate dynamic adjustment of MVT parameter values in response to new and changing circumstances such as the patient's condition before, during, and after administration of MVT. Administration of MVT is automatically and dynamically adjusted to achieve specific treatment or life-support objectives, such as prolongation of the body's ability to endure and respond to MVT, specifically addressing the type of arrhythmia or other pathologic state of the patient with targeted treatment, a tiered-intensity MVT treatment strategy, and supporting patients in non life-critical conditions where the heart may nevertheless benefit from a certain level of assistance.
US08483806B2
A non-contact biometric sensing device is described. The device includes a processing device, a user interface communicatively coupled to the processing device, a display communicatively coupled to the processing device, a laser doppler vibrometer sensor communicatively coupled to the processing device, and an infrared camera communicatively coupled to the processing device. The processing device is programmed to utilize mechanical motion data received from the laser doppler vibrometer sensor and thermal distributions data from the infrared camera to calculate biometric data, when signals originating from the laser doppler vibrometer sensor and the infrared camera are reflected back towards the device from a target.
US08483803B2
A method for use in a medical procedure includes obtaining a contrast-enhanced image of a portion of a patient, the portion of the patient having an object, obtaining a non-contrast-enhanced image of the portion, wherein the contrast-enhanced image and the non-contrast-enhanced image are created at different times, and determining a position of the object using the contrast-enhanced image and the non-contrast-enhanced image. A method for use in a medical procedure includes obtaining a contrast-enhanced image of a portion of a patient, the portion of the patient having an object, obtaining a non-contrast-enhanced image of the portion, and determining a position of the object using the contrast-enhanced image and the non-contrast-enhanced image, wherein the act of determining the position is performed is substantially real time.
US08483796B2
An arrangement quantitatively determines the blood flow within blood vessels through which blood flows in a volume of a tissue defining a surface. Three-dimensional first image data of a first volume portion of the volume is detected and optical second image data is detected continuously in time of a first surface portion of the surface. A calibrating unit of the arrangement calibrates the relative value of the flow speed and/or the volumetric flow of the blood flowing through the blood vessels disposed directly below the first surface portion based on the absolute values of the flow speed and/or of the volumetric flow of the blood. An output unit outputs the absolute values of the flow speed and/or the volumetric flow of the blood flowing through the blood vessels arranged directly below the first surface portion.
US08483782B2
A mobile phone includes an earphone and a main body. The earphone includes a first universal serial bus (USB) interface, a first USB audio module connected to the first USB interface, a battery module connected to the first USB interface, a speaker module connected to the first USB audio module, a first BLUETOOTH module connected to the speaker module and the battery module, a microphone module connected to the first BLUETOOTH module, and a first antenna module connected to the first BLUETOOTH module. The main body includes a second USB interface, a second USB audio module connected to the USB interface, a control module connected to the second USB audio module, a detecting module connected to the second USB interface and the control module, a second BLUETOOTH module connected to the control module, and a second antenna module connected to the second BLUETOOTH module.
US08483780B2
In one embodiment, a mobile station including a chassis having a display, a power reducer, a proximity sensor, and a microprocessor. The power reducer controls power consumption of the display. The proximity sensor is coupled to the chassis and causes the power consumption to be reduced when the display is within a predetermined range of an external object. The microprocessor is coupled to the proximity sensor and to the display and automatically activates the proximity sensor based on the mobile station receiving an incoming wireless telephone call.
US08483770B2
A mobile terminal including a controller configured to execute an operation mode relating to one or more functions of the mobile terminal; a sensor configured to detect a motion of a pen unit by sensing ultrasonic waves generated by the pen unit; a display configured to display information; and a wireless communication unit configured to wireless communicate with at least one other mobile terminal. Further, the controller is further configured to compare the motion of the pen unit with a preset specific pattern, and to execute an operation corresponding to the specific pattern based on a result of the comparison.
US08483768B2
A mobile terminal is presented. The mobile terminal includes a display including a touchscreen, and a controller for selecting information displayed on the touchscreen according to a state of an object in near-proximity to the displayed information.
US08483763B2
A feeding apparatus for a monopole antenna having a radiating unit and a grounding unit is for transmitting a multimedia signal to a multimedia player device coupled to the radiating unit. The feeding apparatus includes a first feeding unit coupled to an inner conductor of a coaxial cable for feeding the multimedia signal transmitted by the coaxial cable to the radiating unit, and a second feeding unit coupled to a conducting mesh of the coaxial cable for connecting to the grounding unit.
US08483752B2
System(s) and method(s) are provided to manage utilization of radio network technology and display thereof when multiple services and radio network technologies are available to a multi-technology mobile device. Management relies at least in part on a subscriber profile that comprises a network selection profile constructed through market policy, subscriber policy, and application policy for radio technology utilization. Network preference(s) profile is generated on per subscriber, or per subscriber type, basis and is conveyed to a subscriber station over the air. Initial subscriber profile can be delivered at a time of provisioning a multi-technology mobile device, and updated based at least upon subscriber demand, a schedule established by a network operator or service provider, or an event related to coverage area relocation or contracted services. Radio technology preferences and display of associated technologies available to a multi-technology mobile device can be dynamically controlled on a per-call and/or per-application basis.
US08483746B2
A system has a first base station for performing communication with a plurality of radio terminals, and a plurality of second base stations, the first base station estimating a moving direction of each of the radio terminals, determining one of the second base stations to which the each of the radio terminals is handed over on the basis of the estimated moving direction, obtaining priority information indicating a priority of the each of the radio terminals from the each of the radio terminals, and sending out identification information of the each of the radio terminals and the priority information of the each of the radio terminals to the determined second base station, the determined second base station performing handover of the radio terminals corresponding to the identification information received from the first base station on the basis of the received priority information and the received identification information.
US08483740B2
A method to determine a back-off adjustment and transmission power adjustment in a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the method including determining a problem in signal reception and adjusting a back-off and a transmission power based on a plurality of measurement results. The measurement results include common pilot channel received signal code power, received signal strength indicator and uplink interference.
US08483738B2
A parent telecommunications device may assign chores to an activity-based child device and unlock functionality on the child device when a one or more chores is completed. The child device creates a graphical menu showing a chore list including the chores received from the parent device. The child device recognizes chores as completed based on an indication received from the user of the child device, the user of the parent device, or both.
US08483734B2
Communication carried out over a frequency band divided into a plurality of subcarriers by messages transmitted between a first radio station and a second radio station in a plurality of hops between respectively adjacent radio stations arranged in hierarchical levels. A subset of the subcarriers is used for each hop. The subsets used are allocated by at least one higher level radio station and the composition of at least one of the subsets used varies over time.
US08483721B2
A base station apparatus includes a primary transceiver and a processing unit for controlling the primary transceiver to communicate with the related communication apparatuses during a full scan period. The full scan period includes at least one sub-scan period, during one sub-scan period, the processing unit performs a primary communication test between the primary transceiver and each of the related communication apparatuses, judges whether the primary communication test has failed, and determines the corresponding communication apparatus as a failed communication apparatus if the primary communication test has failed. The processing unit further performs a secondary communication test between the primary transceiver and each failed communication apparatus in the previous sub-scan period during a next sub-scan period.
US08483717B2
A system and method of locating a position of a wireless device in range of one or more base stations. Three signals are received that each contain a unique identifier for a base station. An estimate of the distance between the wireless device and each base station is performed. Previously determined locations for each base station are referenced. At least one of the three base stations is capable of communication to remote locations and unavailable to the wireless device for communication to remote locations.
US08483716B1
Method, system, and computer readable medium for detecting the correct phone number format to use based on the user current country and an original country associated with a number to be dialed. This information can be used to allow a user to keep phone numbers in his/her contact list in any common format on his/her country of origin and still allow numbers to be dialed correctly when the user is travelling anywhere in the world.
US08483701B2
Systems and methods for controlling congestion in a cellular communication system (20) are provided. A method includes measuring an inter-arrival time for a plurality of communication packets in at least one user equipment within the communication cell and calculating an average value for the measured inter-arrival times (102). The method further includes determining the average value over each of a plurality of time periods and identifying a congestion condition when the determined average value exceeds a predetermined value over the plurality of time periods (104, 106).
US08483689B2
A method for managing a mobile device handoff from a macro base station to a Femto Base Station includes receiving periodically a subscriber list from each of neighboring Femto Base Stations by the Macro Base Station. The method also includes storing Femto Base Station information and corresponding subscriber list and establishing connection with the mobile device. Further, the method includes identifying the mobile device to a corresponding Femto Base Station. The method includes transmitting a unicast message to the mobile device. Furthermore, the method includes receiving a scan request by Macro Base Station from the mobile device and sending scan response by the Macro Base Station to the mobile device. Further, the method includes receiving a handoff request from the mobile device and sending a handoff response to the mobile device. The system includes a macro base station for receiving periodically a subscriber list from neighboring Femto Base Stations.
US08483688B2
Methods and apparatus to process signal strengths of not allowed cells during cell reselection are disclosed. An example cell reselection method disclosed herein comprises obtaining cell information indicating whether signal strength of a first neighbor cell not allowed for cell reselection is to be considered during cell reselection, and reselecting to a second neighbor cell different from the first neighbor cell based on the cell information.
US08483686B2
A method, network server, and communication system for deleting an address of a network anchor point from a network server is disclosed. A MMM sends an instruction to the network server to instruct the network server to delete an address of a network anchor point that has been previously stored in the network from. The network server deletes the address of the network anchor point from the network server.
US08483676B2
A computer implemented method for transmitting dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tones is disclosed. The method includes sending an indication to a mobile device to start a cyclic ring tone including ring and pause periods. The delay incurred to send a DTMF tone to the mobile device is estimated. The server schedules the transmission of the DTMF tone to be received at the mobile device during a pause period of the cyclic ring tone and the DTMF tone is sent as scheduled.
US08483673B2
Aspects relate to initiating voice calls to mobile devices from an enterprise network. In one example, a server can initiate a voice channel to a mobile device, and if the mobile device cannot be reached, an access network may redirect the call from the server to a number identified as a voicemail number; however, such number is reconfigured to instead be directed to a number located within the enterprise network. The server can monitor or receive an indication that a call is incoming, and attributable to the mobile device. If such a call is incoming or received, then the server determines that the call has failed. If the mobile device answers the call, the server can determine that the voice channel has been established, without waiting for a confirmation indication, such as a DTMF tone.
US08483668B2
A content delivery system for a mobile device includes sending a program rating message to a first registered customer to query whether the first registered customer desires to rate content. The system delivers a program share message to the first registered customer to query whether the first registered customer desires to share the content. The system provides a list of friends to the first registered customer, whereupon the first registered customer selects a second registered customer from the list. The system delivers content to the second registered customer, providing an incentive to the first registered customer.
US08483665B2
Implementations for mobile device notifications are disclosed. In one implementation, a method for a mobile device is disclosed. The method includes outputting a first notification of an event at the mobile device responsive to occurrence of the event. The method further includes discontinuing the first notification after a period of time. The method further includes receiving an indication of motion of the mobile device via a motion sensor of the mobile device after discontinuing the first notification. The method further includes outputting a second notification of the event at the mobile device after discontinuing the first notification responsive to receiving the indication of motion of the mobile device.
US08483664B2
The invention relates to a method for service identification for convergent messaging systems, in which a convergent message is interchanged between a sender and at least one receiver (13) via a communication network (10). The invention provides for the message structure of the convergent message to have an information element added to it which contains information about the message type or relating to the handling of the message.
US08483661B2
The invention relates to a personal token (10) for being associated with a mobile telecommunication device (20) and for storing credentials for access to an operator's network, characterized that the personal token (10) is arranged for loading the credentials into a memory (23) of the mobile telecommunication device (20), so that the mobile telecommunication device (20) is taken away from the personal token (10) and operative for connecting to the operator's network with the credentials in its memory (23).
US08483660B2
A communication system including a femto base station and a method for controlling access of a User Equipment (UE) in the communication system are provided. The method includes receiving a service request message from the UE and transmitting the service request message to a core network entity within a core network, receiving, from the core network, UE information and Local BreakOut (LBO) service information regarding the UE which is used to provide an LBO service to the UE, and providing the LBO service to the UE using the received information. Thus, a core network controls access of the UE so that the UE can directly access an Internet network through the LBO.
US08483649B2
An energy efficient radio having a clocking system utilizing two clocks with very different precision and power characteristics. In another aspect, the time that a radio spends on listening/receiving is optimized so that energy is not wasted when there is no need to keep receiving. In another aspect, to further improve the energy efficiency, two receive portions with drastic difference in power consumption, instead of a single receive portion as is used in a typical wireless receiver, and are used to process different parts of a received packet.
US08483636B2
A receiver includes an antenna array that generates received signals from a first remote transmitter and a second remote transmitter, the antenna array having a beam pattern that is controllable based a control signal. A plurality of receiver sections process the received signals to generate down-converted signals. A receiver processing module, generates the control signal to control the beam pattern to a first pattern during a first time period for reception from the first remote transmitter, generates a first reception estimate based on the down-converted signals during the first time period, generates the control signal to control the beam pattern to a second pattern during a second time period for reception from the second remote transmitter, generates a second reception estimate based on the down-converted signals during the second time period, and generates inbound data based on the first reception estimate and the second reception estimate.
US08483630B2
System for generating a pulsed signal of the ultra wideband type, comprising a device for direct digital frequency synthesis (DDS) comprising a phase accumulator (ACCP) able to deliver at a first frequency (Fclk) phases coded on i bits and spaced apart by a phase increment (Δp) differing by a power of two and situated in the vicinity of 2i-1, processing means (MT) able to receive said phases and arranged so as to deliver an amplitude-modulated output signal (SG) whose envelope exhibits a succession of regions respectively delimited by zones of zero amplitude (ZA, ZB), each amplitude-modulated signal part situated in one of said regions forming a pulse of the ultra wideband type (IMP) whose central frequency is equal to said first frequency and whose width depends on the value of the phase increment, and control means (MC) able to regulate the operation of the digital synthesis device so as to selectively deliver one or more pulses of the ultra wideband type.
US08483628B2
A frequency translation filter includes a baseband filter circuit, a clock generator, and a switching circuit. The baseband filter circuit is operable to provide a baseband filter response. The clock generator is operable to generate multiple-phase clock signals at a desired frequency. The switching circuit is operable to frequency translate the baseband filter response of the baseband filter circuit to a high frequency filter response in accordance with the multiple-phase clock signals.
US08483624B2
Methods of combining semi-persistent resource allocation and dynamic resource allocation are provided. Packets, such as VoIP packets, are transmitted on the uplink and downlink using respective semi-persistent resources. For each mobile device, awake periods and sleep periods are defined. The semi-persistent resources are aligned with the awake periods so that most of the time the mobile device can turn off its wireless access radio during the sleep periods. In addition, signalling to request, and to allocate, resources for additional packets are transmitted during the awake periods, and the resources allocated for the additional packets are within the awake windows.
US08483618B1
Disclosed herein are methods and systems that may help a radio access network to more intelligently determine an initial transmit power to use for forward-link communications with a mobile station. An exemplary method involves a radio access network: (a) receiving a page response message, wherein the page response message indicates that a page to a mobile station operating in a radio access network has been received by the mobile station; (b) responsive to receiving the page response message, determining an attempt count for the mobile station, wherein the attempt count indicates how many attempts to page the mobile station have been made; (c) using the attempt count as a basis for determining an initial transmit power for forward-link communications with the mobile station; and (d) initiating forward-link communications with the mobile station at the determined initial transmit power.
US08483616B1
A system and method for reducing interference between wireless terminals communicating in a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET). Interference is reduced by dividing the MANET into a number of geographical areas having a specific size and shape. Each geographical area is assigned a time slot during which wireless terminals located in the respective geographical area may transmit to other wireless terminals. The time slots are assigned such that geographical areas having the same time slot are far enough away from each other that wireless terminals located in such same time slot geographical areas are outside the interference range of each other.
US08483615B2
A wireless communication method includes receiving from an other wireless communication device, by using a non-contact communication method, specification data that indicates a communication function of the other wireless communication device. The wireless communication method also includes converting, if the specification data does not correspond to a wireless communication whose communication speed is faster than a communication speed of the non-contact communication method, a data format of transmission data that is transmitted to the other wireless communication device to a data format that reduces a data volume of the transmission data. Additionally, the wireless communication method includes transmitting, by the non-contact communication method, to the other wireless communication device, the transmission data whose data format was converted to reduce the data volume of the transmission data.
US08483614B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for employing a specialized key on a peripheral device such as a bar code scanner that can enabled the direct manipulation of a soft keyboard function on a smart device such as a iPhone® or iPad® or iPod® touch without either a suspension or disconnection of the connection via Bluetooth® between the bar code scanner and the smart device, and without any data loss being incurred from latency periods in the smart device.
US08483603B2
A cylindrical heat generating belt in an image heating apparatus includes a heat generating layer, in which an electroconductive filler is dispersed in a resin material, for generating heat by being supplied with electric power; and a surface parting layer. The heat generating layer has a sheet resistance, with respect to a generatrix direction of the heat generating belt, which is larger than that with respect to a circumferential direction of the heat generating belt.
US08483599B2
A powder container includes an open/close lid that closes an opening partly formed in a container body corresponding to a powder opening of a container receiver; a first restricting portion that, upon attachment of the container body to the container receiver, contacts a contact surface formed upstream of the powder opening to restrict a position of the lid in an open/close operation direction thereof; a flexible sealing member that protrudes from an opening-side edge of an open position, and closes an opening-side portion of a gap between the contact surface and the first restricting portion; and a second restricting portion that, upon detachment of the container body, when a press member restricts movement of the lid, restricts a posture of the sealing member so as to be pressed against an edge portion of the powder opening at a position where the first restricting portion contacts the contact surface.
US08483589B2
A developing device is provided that includes a developing container, a developing roller, a developer supplying roller, a sheet member, a communication hole, and a filter member. The communication hole is provided so as to be connected to an enclosed space defined by an inner wall of the developing container defining a smaller one of spaces provided by dividing the developing container by a plane including a rotation axis of the developer supplying roller and a rotational axis of the developing roller, a phantom plane which is included in the plane and extends from a surface of the developer supplying roller to the inner wall of the developer container, the sheet member, a surface of the developing roller, and a surface of the developer supplying roller.
US08483586B2
An image forming apparatus includes a charging unit, an image carrier, an exposing unit, a developing unit, a transfer belt on which the transfer material is placed, a fixing unit that fixes the toner image transferred onto the transfer material, a cleaning unit that cleans up toner attached to the fixing unit, and a control unit that controls printing of the image on the transfer material. The control unit causes the exposing unit to expose a latent image of a first image having an image-area ratio equal to or larger than a predetermined ratio, causes the developing unit to form a toner image of the latent image and to transfer the toner image to the transfer material, and causes the fixing unit to fix the toner image transferred by the transfer belt to the transfer material.
US08483579B2
A high-accuracy phase detector circuit compatible with a 1/N rate architecture is provided. The phase detector circuit has as many as N track-and-hold circuits for tracking and holding N-phase clock signals CLK—1 to CLK_N in synchronization with a rising edge of input data signal DIN. Out of the N-phase clock signals CLK—1 to CLK_N outputted from as many track-and-hold circuits, only the one whose rising edge is most synchronized with a rising edge of the input data signal DIN is selected and outputted as a phase difference signal.
US08483564B2
An optical add-drop network and wavelength allocation for the same wherein the system bandwidth is separated into a dedicated channel band and re-used channel bands, separated by guard bands, to allocate terminal connections to achieve a minimum number of re-used channel bands for the desired terminal connectivities.
US08483558B2
An image pickup apparatus which is capable of suppressing by efficiently dissipating heat generated by an electronic device through transmission of the heat to a heat dissipating member without adding a new member to the image pickup apparatus. A CPU 2 generates heat during operation. An aluminum electrolytic capacitor 12 stores electric energy. A lens barrel 6, a battery compartment 25, and a tripod mounting screw 20 are thermally coupled to the aluminum electrolytic capacitor 12. A heat conductive member 1 is disposed between the CPU 2 and the aluminum electrolytic capacitor 12, for thermally coupling the CPU 2 and the aluminum electrolytic capacitor 12.
US08483552B2
A removable heater assembly 20 is provided for a vaporizer 10 by which to easily mechanically and electrically connect and disconnect the heater assembly 20 from a base 22 for removal and/or replacement thereof without requiring tools or specialized skills.
US08483545B2
A reproduction method is disclosed that creates an index file including start point and termination point information connected with user designated specified section of a motion picture file (MPF), and MPF storage location. According to index file selection and related reproduction request, the specified section of the corresponding MPF is reproduced with reference to above information stored in the index file, allowing convenient viewing of the specified section of the MPF.
US08483544B2
For a large capacity recording medium, a user interface having high flexibility and enriched representation is accomplished. A flag that represents whether a play item has a multiple angle structure of which the play item is reproduced with a plurality of angles is described. In addition, a flag that represents whether the beginning of each decode unit is an angle switchable point is described. In a seamless multiple angle structure, the current angle can be switched without need to increase the number of interleave units. In a nonseamless multiple angle structure, with the flag, in a predetermined region on the rear end side of each angle, the current angle is prohibited from being switched. Thus, when a play item exits from the multiple angle, discontinuity in the reproduction can be prevented. In addition, with a flag that represents whether a sub play item should be reproduced not in synchronization with a main path, the sub play item of only audio data can be used as a BGM.
US08483543B2
A recording and reproducing apparatus is configured so as to record moving image data in which AV data contents recorded on a disk-shaped recording medium are referred to one by one by first reference type data which can attain time synchronization between the contents, and further to record a play list in which one or the plurality of the first reference type data and one or the plurality of AV data contents are referred to by second reference type data which can attain time synchronization between the contents.
US08483542B2
An image processing device reads a video consisting of a plurality of image frames from a storage device. A stable region along a Y-axis direction in each image frame is determined according to pixel information of an edge row of each image frame. The device then aligns all the image frames according to the stable region along a Y-axis direction in each image frame, and trims all the image frames by cutting additional image regions excepting the stable region along the Y-axis direction in each image frame, to reduce a shaking degree of each image frame along the Y-axis direction. Furthermore, the device reduces a shaking degree of each image frame along an X-axis direction using similar method by reducing the shaking degree along the Y-axis direction. At last, the device displays stable playback of the video consisting of the aligned and trimmed image frames.
US08483537B2
A protecting device for protecting a cable having a plurality of fibers, includes a conduit which is sleeved on the cable, a distribution member, a first and second clamping members, a first and second fasteners, and a resilient sleeve. The conduit has a first threaded portion on one end of the conduit. The distribution member is being sleeved on the cable, the first clamping member has a plurality of clamping claws for clamping the distribution member; and the first fastener has a restricting portion; the distribution member and the first clamping member are being received in the conduit, the first fastener is engaged with the first threaded portion of the conduit. The plurality of clamping claws of the first clamping member are urged by the restricting portion to tightly clamp the distribution member and the cable.
US08483535B2
The present invention embraces an optical fiber that includes a central core having an alpha-index profile with respect to an outer cladding, a first depressed trench, an inner cladding, a second depressed trench, and an outer cladding (e.g., an outer optical cladding). The second depressed trench's volume is typically greater than the first depressed trench's volume. The optical fiber achieves reduced bending losses and a high bandwidth with a reduced cladding effect for high-data rate applications.
US08483532B2
A plastic-cladding optical fiber is provided. The plastic-cladding optical fiber is provided includes: a core layer made of quartz glass; and a cladding layer formed by hardening a curable resin composition over a periphery of the core layer. Adhesion between the core layer and the cladding layer ranges 1.5 g/mm to 4.0 g/mm.
US08483516B2
A super resolution (SR) method or system with database-free texture synthesis is disclosed. An input image is up-sampled to result in an up-sampled image. It is determined whether the input image possesses a smooth region. Edges of the up-sampled image are enhanced, and the enhancing edges step is bypassed if the smooth region has been detected. The enhanced or unenhanced up-sampled image is texture synthesized by taking the input image as texture example, thereby resulting in a synthesized image.
US08483511B1
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method that comprises receiving an image frame, determining an image frame identification (ID) for the image frame, collecting image frame statistics comprising at least one type of statistic from the image frame, and correlating the image frame statistics with the image frame ID.
US08483508B2
Image tone adjustment systems and methods are disclosed. The system of the present invention includes an input to accept an input image. A curve generator is also disclosed that is used to generate a tone reproduction curve including a contrast stretch of the input image, a white stretch of the input image and a black stretch of the input image. Backlit correction is also applied by the tone adjustment corrector to thereby generate a tone adjusted image.
US08483505B2
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for rendering a piece-wise smooth image are disclosed. The image is specified by image values along opposite sides of paths. The paths are converted to chains of straight line segments, and image values are set for each side of each segment. Coefficients are determined for each line segment. A first coefficient for each segment is based on a difference between specified image values on opposite sides of the segment. A second coefficient for each segment is obtained using an average of image values on opposite sides of the segment and a system of linear equations. Each image value is calculated as the addition of a sum over all segments of the product of first coefficient for a segment with a dipole field value for the segment and a sum over all segments of the product of second coefficient for a segment with a logarithmic field value for the segment.
US08483504B2
An apparatus and method for digital auto-focus are provided. The apparatus includes a local block generator generating a local block from an input image, a distance-estimation unit estimating distances of each image of the local block, a focal-distance-setting unit setting one of the estimated distances of the local block image as a focal distance of the input image, a reblurred-image generator generating a reblurred image from the local block image, a reconstructed image generator generating an in-focus image focused to the estimated distances from the local block image, a local-block-image-matching unit matching the reblurred image to the in-focus image with different weight values based on the set focal distance, and a final-image generator generating a final image by summing the matched local block images.
US08483494B2
An image encoding device includes: a first encoding unit for calculating a generated code amount by encoding image data for each GOP (Group of Picture); a code amount control unit for setting quantization information for realizing a target generated code amount based on the generated code amount; a quantization information distinguishing unit for calculating a DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform) coefficient, and distinguishing quantization information that minimizes the summation for each picture of remainders when performing division of the DCT coefficient, as quantization information used for performing the last encoding; a picture-type setting unit for setting a picture type to the image data for each GOP, and when this set picture type differs from the picture type of the distinguished quantization information, matching the picture types by controlling the settings of the subsequent picture types; and a second encoding unit for encoding the image data based on the set picture type.
US08483489B2
A method for image processing that includes determining edge pixels of a model image using an edge based technique, and an angular orientation for each of the edge pixels of the model image. The method determines a lower spatial resolution model image based upon the model image and determining respective angular orientations for the lower spatial resolution model image. The method determines edge pixels of an input image using an edge based technique, and an angular orientation for each of the edge pixels of the input image. The method determines a lower spatial resolution input image based upon the input image and determining respective angular orientations for the lower spatial resolution input image. The method matches the lower spatial resolution model image with the lower spatial resolution input image to determine candidate locations of an object within the input image and based upon the candidate locations matching the input image with the model image.
