US08500589B2
A hybrid electric vehicle powertrain is disclosed. A gearing assembly mechanically couples an engine, an electric motor and an electric generator. During all-electric drive using the motor as a power source with the engine off, a clutch in the gearing assembly isolates elements of the gearing assembly from a power delivery path to vehicle traction wheels. A clutch may be used also to provide smooth engine starting torque when the generator acts as an engine starter motor.
US08500583B2
A starter generator has an electric rotating machine having a rotating shaft and designed to carry two reverse operations—motor and generator. A first clutch is connected between the rotating machine and the first rotating shaft for transmitting rotations of the rotating machine to the first rotating shaft. A second clutch is connected between the rotating machine and the second rotating shaft for transmitting rotations of the second rotating shaft to the rotating machine. A continuously variable transmission is provided for changing the number of rotations transmitted from the second rotating shaft to the rotating machine. The rotating machine is supplied with electric power to rotate the rotating shaft, or the number of rotations of the rotating shaft is kept constant by controlling a transmission ratio of the continuously variable transmission.
US08500582B2
A plate-link chain for a motor vehicle drive system including conical pulleys. The chain includes a number of link plates hingedly connected with each other by rocker members. The rocker members extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the chain and within openings in the link plates. The rocker members and link plates bear against each other along curved contact surfaces to transmit power. Rocker member pairs roll against each other on facing curved rolling surfaces at a contact point that moves from an upper area above the center of mass of the rocker member cross section to a lower area below it. The ratio of the distance from the end of the upper area to the center of mass and the distance from the end of the lower area to the center of mass lies in a range of from about 1.1 to about 2.
US08500580B2
A torque sensor for a belt-driven conical-pulley transmission. A first ramp surface is rigidly connected to a shaft of a conical disk pair, and a second ramp surface is rigidly connected to a sensing piston surrounding the shaft and axially and rotatably movable relative to the shaft. Balls are positioned between and in contact with the ramp surfaces and with a guide surface rigidly connected with an axially movable disk. The guide surface is so configured that the contact points of a particular ball with the ramp surfaces, the contact point of that ball with the guide surface, and the center point of that ball lie in a radially oriented plane.
US08500557B2
A game gaming system (10) comprises a gaming device (12) for at least part of a game at a first location (14) and an image capturing device (16) coupled to be in communication with a communications network (18) for capturing images of the gaming device. At least one output device (22) coupled to be in communication with the communications network is provided at one or more second locations (24) remote from the first location and a communication device (21) is provided at each of the first and one or more second locations. The at least one output device (22) displays the images of the gaming device enabling participants of the game at the one or more second locations to view the gaming device at the first location and at least one randomly selected participant participates in the game via the communication devices (21).
US08500555B2
An input device is provided which can be caused to function as an output device as well. A game guitar controller (10) comprises: a set of fret buttons (37R-37P) each of which is operated in a state held by a player during a play; a triaxial acceleration sensor (40) that is provided on one of the two sides of the set of fret buttons (37R-37P) and that can detect accelerations; and a vibration motor (41) that is provided on the other of the two sides of the set of fret buttons (37R-37P) and that can generate vibrations.
US08500549B2
A slot machine executes rescue pay when a value Ta of a unit game counter reaches Ta max.
US08500546B2
In accordance with the present invention, a gaming device such as a slot machine calculates a speed of game play, and in turn determines a pay schedule based on the speed of game play. The pay schedule for higher speeds of game play typically provides a higher payout percentage, which attracts players and provides an incentive to play faster and for longer periods of time. The greater speed of play and time period of playing may actually increase revenues derived from the gaming device even though the payout percentage is higher. Speed of game play may be calculated by measuring the number of games played in a predetermined time period, or the time elapsed between games. The gaming device may select a payout table from a plurality of payout tables based on this speed. Alternatively, the gaming device may determine a multiplier based on the speed of game play, and adjust a base payout table in accordance with the multiplier.
US08500536B2
A slot machine has a player selection bonus game where a player selects concealed gamepieces from a group to reveal the value of the gamepiece. The preferred game has a burger building theme in which the game rules are related to building one or more hamburgers, and the hidden gamepieces represent burger ingredients. A particular selection allows the player to win larger prizes for future selections. Other designated selections may modify future selections still further (2× and 3× multipliers for double-decker and triple-decker bun selections). Certain gamepieces may change their function based on the context or state of the bonus game.
US08500532B2
A method performed by a gaming apparatus is provided for handling hand tiles of a virtual player during a tile game. The tile game is played using plural virtual playing tiles from which the hand tiles are drawn. The gaming apparatus stores a preference parameter set associated with the virtual player and including tile points of the respective virtual playing tiles and combination points of various permissible combinations of the virtual playing tiles. During a turn of the virtual player, the gaming apparatus computes priority points of the respective hand tiles according to the preference parameter set, and then, makes the virtual player discard one of the hand tiles that is selected according to the priority points.
US08500526B2
A system for maintaining a desired cabin pressure in an aircraft includes a cabin-pressure control sub-system; a pressure relief valve for operation in event of failure or malfunction of the subsystem; a pressure relief valve actuator for operating the pressure relief valve; and a pressure relief valve control (PRVC) for producing commands for operation of the pressure relief valve actuator responsively to a first set of signal indicative of aircraft altitude and to presence of cabin-to-ambient pressure differential (ΔP) that varies from a desired ΔP by a predetermined amount.
US08500511B2
Provided are a method and computer system that provide a virtual world. A server of the computer system includes a storage subsystem that stores two or more items of different personalized information about multiple different users, including different user identifications and passwords associated with the user identifications respectively representing the users. The server computer system is programmed to accept login credentials including a user identification and password and validate the login credentials. The server computer system is also programmed to control formation of a first user account and storage of the first user identification and first password. The storage subsystem stores information about registration codes that have not yet been entered. Further, the server computer system is programmed to accept entry of one or more of the registration codes that have not yet been entered and, based on entry of the registration codes, to associate stored information indicative of the one registration code with the first user identification.
US08500486B2
The invention relates to an electrical plug connector, in particular to an electrical pin or socket connector, for a data transmission interface in the automotive field, having: a plug connector member (100) and a keyed mounting member (200) which can be mounted on the plug connector member (100) and which ensures correctly oriented insertion of an electrical counter plug connector on the electrical plug connector (1), the plug connector member (100) having a mounting projection (120) such that a wall (2) can be clamped between the mounting projection (120) and the keyed mounting member (200).
US08500474B2
A wiring analyzer system with a zero-insertion-force (ZIF) connector/receiver interface. An electrical connection is made by inserting a male connector into a female receiver slot. During insertion into the female receiver slot, the male connector experiences minimal, if any, resistive force. The female receiver comprises a set of opposing spring contacts designed to pinch both sides of the wafer, making contact with the male connector. A pair of elongated plates has several sections cut out to correspond with each female slot such that when the male connector is inserted between the spring contacts the wafer passes through both plates. In order to create the necessary pinching action, a force is exerted on the plates, causing them to move a distance in opposite directions. This motion brings the plates into contact with the spring contacts, squeezing them together against the wafer and creating a firm contact.
US08500470B2
A connector assembly includes a receptacle (200) having a latching tab (2) defining a latching hole (21) and a plug connector (100). The plug connector includes a housing (1) having a latching nose (111) for latching with the latching hole and a releasing mechanism. The releasing mechanism includes two resisting beams (53) disposed on the housing and having two protrusions (531), a puller (71), and an operator (72) having two guiding portions (722) projecting toward and in front of the protrusions. The guiding portions slide beneath the protrusions, in response to a rearward movement of the puller, to tilt the resisting beams upwardly and lift the latching tab from a latched position to a released position for releasing the latching nose from the latching hole.
US08500469B2
In a card accommodation portion, an upper section (14U) provided with contact terminals (16ai) electrically connected to an SD card (SDC) detachably attached and a lower section (14D) provided with contact terminals (18ai) electrically connected to an HG-Duo card (22) or a Duo card (23) detachably attached are formed in a stacked manner.
US08500468B2
A connector, comprises a connector assembly; a main housing having an internal chamber for receiving therein the connector assembly; and a housing cover which mates with the main housing to cover the internal chamber. The main housing includes an opening at one end of the main housing with a removable and retractable cover permitting access to the internal chamber. A mating connector is connected to the connector assembly, the mating connector including a fastening tab; and the fastening tab including a main tab that is interlocked with the removable cover to prevent the mating connector from unintentionally disconnecting from the connector assembly. A protective housing assembly is also disclosed.
US08500467B2
A swivel-type portable flash device includes a C-shaped swivel cover that rotates (swivels) relative to a housing between an open position in which a plug connector is exposed for insertion in a host system, and a closed position in which the plug connector is covered and protected by the swivel cover. The swivel cover is permanently rotatably connected to the housing by ring-shaped protrusions that are movably engaged inside corresponding recessed ring-shaped grooves formed in upper/lower walls of the housing, whereby the swivel cover is manually rotatable relative to the housing between the opened and closed positions. The swivel cover includes locking structures (e.g., locking notches) disposed on the ring-shaped protrusions, and the housing includes second locking structures disposed in the recessed ring-shaped grooves, where the first and second locking structures prevent rotation of the swivel cover when the plug connector is closed.
US08500459B2
An electrical connector is provided with a plug portion having an upper surface on which electronic components can be disposed, and a receptacle portion for mounting on a circuit board. In the plug portion, a central recess is formed, which extends downwardly within the body of the receptacle portion so that the electronic components are disposed at least partially within the central recess. The plug portion has, on its lower surface side, plug side contacts that serve as electrical contacts with a terminal of the receptacle portion, and has a protruding portion for engaging the connector receptacle portion. The plug side contacts and the protruding portion are positioned outside of the central recess higher than a bottom plate portion which forms a bottom of the central recess.
US08500455B2
A magnetic connector includes an insulative housing having a chamber, a first contact retained in the chamber, a magnetic element having a receiving hole recessed rearwards from a front face thereof for accommodating the housing therein, and a grounding member exposed outside of the magnetic element to surrounding the magnetic element. The grounding member covers the front face of the magnetic element for mating with a counterpart contact. The grounding member exposed outside of the magnetic element and covers the front face for facilitating reliable interconnection with a counterpart contact.
US08500454B2
An electronic apparatus includes: a first connector; a second connector; a first electronic unit connectable to the first connector; a second electronic unit connectable to the second connector; and a printed circuit board that includes the first connector and the second connector between a first extended center line toward a unit board of the first electronic unit and a second extended center line toward a unit board of the second electronic unit on a first side of the printed circuit board when the first and second electronic units are connected to the first and second connectors, respectively.
US08500453B2
An apparatus and method for impact activity learning includes a touch sensing element and display operating in accordance with a controller and display driver together with a sound circuit and image projector. The entire system housed in an impact receiving object such as a punching bag or floor mat. The user is prompted by a set of displayed image segments in response to which the user punches or otherwise impacts the apparatus to elicit an audible and visual response from the apparatus.
US08500452B2
A patient simulator system for teaching patient care is provided. The system includes a patient simulator. The patient simulator includes a patient body comprising one or more simulated body portions. The one or more simulated body portions include at least one simulated finger that is configured to interface with a pulse oximeter to simulate an oxygen saturation of the patient simulator. In some instances, the simulated finger is further configured to interface with the pulse oximeter to simulate a pulse rate of the patient simulator. In some embodiments, the simulated finger may be calibrated to accurately interface with a particular pulse oximeter. Methods of utilizing the patient simulator systems, including the simulated finger for interfacing with a pulse oximeter, are also provided.
US08500444B2
A rotary kiln includes a cylindrical shell that rotates about its own axis and that has a heat treatment chamber provided radially inward of the shell. In the rotary kiln, a heat treatment is performed on a process material in the heat treatment chamber to manufacture a battery material. The shell is made of a carbon material. Since the shell is made of a carbon material, the rotary kiln can suppress contamination of metal scale, which adversely affects the battery material, into the battery material.
US08500443B2
A fluidized bed gasification furnace has a fluidized bed formed and a freeboard section F above a bed material so as to produce a produced gas by a reaction of raw material with a gasifying agent and take out the produced gas through the freeboard section. Upon shutdown of the furnace, inert gas is fed from below to the furnace for purging of gas in the fluidized bed with inert gas while steam is supplied to a freeboard section above the fluidized bed to purge a gas in the freeboard section with steam.
US08500442B2
A chemical analysis method for determining the concentration of carbon monoxide, gaseous water and gaseous hydrocarbon in a combustion gas. The method includes the following steps: (a) directing wavelength modulated light from a single tunable diode laser at a wavelength in the range of from 2 to 2.5 micrometers through the combustion gas to a light detector to produce an absorption profile of the combustion gas (b) digitizing the adsorption profile of the combustion gas; (c) storing the digitized adsorption profile in a digital computer; (d) processing the digitized adsorption profile in the digital computer to produce an output from the computer indicative of the concentration of carbon monoxide, gaseous water and gaseous hydrocarbon in the combustion gas.
US08500431B2
The present invention includes embodiments that generally relate to methods and devices for control of electrospinning processes. Some embodiments include constant current electrospinning jets. Other embodiments include pressure control using a system of valves in fluid communication with the electrospinning fluid. Still other embodiments include control of one or more physical parameters.
US08500429B2
An apparatus and method is provided for lining the wall of a manhole. The apparatus may include a liner assembly, which includes an expansion device, an auxiliary bladder, a primary bladder, and a liner. The auxiliary bladder is first inflated near the top of the manhole. Next the primary bladder may be expanded to press the liner against the wall of the manhole. The liner, being impregnated with a resinous material, is pressed against the wall until the resinous material cures and hardens. The expansion device, auxiliary bladder, and primary bladder are then removed from the manhole. The result is a repaired manhole wall.
US08500418B2
A compressed gas powered machine is provided. The machine includes: an outlet and a hollow member fluidly connected to the outlet and configured to receive gas expended from the machine through the outlet the hollow member defining holes oriented to allow the gas contained in the hollow member to blow on various parts of the machine.
US08500408B2
Wind turbine systems and methods are disclosed herein. A representative system includes a wind turbine blade having an inner region that has an internal load-bearing truss structure, and an outer region that has an internal, non-truss, load-bearing structure. In particular embodiments, the truss structure can include a triangular arrangement of spars, and/or can include truss attachment members that connect components of the truss without the use of holes in the spars. Spars can be produced from a plurality of pultruded composite members laminated together in longitudinally extending portions. The longitudinally extending portions can be connected at joints that interleave projections and recesses of each of the spar portions. The blades can include fan-shaped transitions at a hub attachment portion, formed by laminated layers and/or a combination of laminated layers and transition plates.
US08500405B1
A turbine stator vane for an industrial engine, the vane having two impingement cooling inserts that produce a series of impingement cooling from the pressure side to the suction side of the vane walls. Each insert includes a spar with a row of alternating impingement cooling channels and return air channels extending in a radial direction. Impingement cooling plates cover the two sides of the insert and having rows of impingement cooling holes aligned with the impingement cooling channels and return air openings aligned with the return air channel.
US08500394B2
An inner diameter shroud for receiving an inner diameter base portion of a rotatable vane in a gas turbine engine has a single piece channel and a core. The channel has a leading edge wall, an inner diameter wall, a trailing edge wall, a radial outer surface, and at least two axial projections. The axial projections prevent radial movement of the core. The core has an outer radial surface that generally aligns with the radial outer surface of the channel. The core is movable in the channel in a circumferential direction and is configured to rotatably retain the inner diameter base portion of the rotatable vane.
US08500384B2
This invention concerns an aircraft cargo loader comprising a deck platform; a front and a rear wheel assembly units; and a scissor assembly extending under the platform for supporting it and move it between an open and close position. The scissor comprises a first and a second elongated arm pivotally connected by a swivel joint. Each of the first and second elongated members have an upper end pivotally attached to the deck platform and a lower end pivotally connected to the rear and front wheel assembly unit respectively. One of the first and second elongated members is articulated and comprising an upper segment pivotally connected to a lower segment. The loader comprises a first controllable actuator to move the scissor assembly between the open and close positions and a second controllable actuator to actuate the upper segment relative to the lower segment so as to tilt the deck platform longitudinally.
US08500377B2
A container data center includes a container, and two spaced cabinets arranged in the container. A supporting apparatus is connected between the cabinets. The supporting apparatus includes two connecting members and an operation member. The first ends of the connecting members are fixed to the corresponding cabinets. The second ends of the connecting members are connected to opposite ends of the operating member. The operating member can be lengthened or shortened by rotation.
US08500374B2
A cutting insert includes opposing first and second major surfaces and two side surfaces extending therebetween, two side abutment surfaces, each located on a respective side surface and a clamping recess which opens out to the second major surface and/or to the insert front surface. The side abutment surfaces converge towards the first major surface and the side surfaces converge in a direction away from an insert front surface which extends between the major surfaces and the side surfaces. The clamping recess does not extend beyond a mid plane, which is located midway between the first and second surfaces.
US08500368B1
An underpinning pile assembly for supporting a structure upon the earth has at least one steel pipe with an interior passageway, a concrete pile segment positioned above the steel pipe, and a cable extending through an interior passageway of the steel pipe and through the interior passageway of the concrete pile segment. A locking assembly is connected to the cable and affixed within the steel pipe. This locking assembly includes a collar having an outer surface affixed to an interior wall of the lowermost pipe. The cable is affixed within an interior of the collar. A pair of wedges secure the cable within the interior of the collar.
US08500353B2
A draw-out solid marker includes a cylindrical shell, a rotary member thread-fastened to the rear end of the shell; a movable member thread-fastened to the rotary member in the shell to move forward/backward from the shell by rotating the rotary member; a cylindrical solid core connected to the front of the movable member to move forward/backward with the movable member and having an elliptical, rectangular, or triangular cross-sectional shape; and a cap coupled to the front end of the shell in order to apply various patterns in accordance with the position of the front end.
US08500340B2
An optical ferrule assembly is disclosed. The optical ferrule assembly comprises a ferrule body, a notch part, a retainer and an annular member. The ferrule body includes an optical fiber loading hole extending therethough in a longitudinal direction. The notch part is formed in the ferrule body and has a flat surface which receives the optical fiber loading hole. The retainer is arranged in the notch part and has a lower abutting surface opposing to the flat surface and an inclined abutting surface formed on one end side of the lower abutting surface. The annular member fits on an outer periphery of the ferrule body. When the annular member is brought into contact with a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the retainer on one end side thereof, the inclined abutting surface is opposed to the flat surface, and the lower abutting surface is inclined to the flat surface and separated from the flat surface. When the annular member is brought into contact with the whole of the outer peripheral surface of the retainer, the inclined abutting surface is inclined to the flat surface and separated from the flat surface, and the lower abutting surface is opposed to the flat surface.
US08500339B2
A locking device is provided that is configured to be attached to the MPO connector module and placed in a locking state that prevents the MPO connector module from being decoupled from the receptacle. The locking device may be a locking clip that is configured to be inserted into a keying slot formed in an MPO connector module. When the locking clip is inserted into the keying slot and placed in a locking state, the locking clip prevents the MPO connector module from being decoupled from the receptacle. If the locking clip is placed in an unlocking state, a tool or fingers can be used to extract the locking clip from the keying slot, thereby making it possible to decouple the MPO connector module from the receptacle.
US08500338B2
A steering knuckle, which is provided for receiving an outer ring of a wheel bearing, and a wheel bearing arrangement with such a steering knuckle. The sealing arrangements of the wheel bearing has a pre-seal, which is designed as a labyrinth seal to provide sealing for an appropriate gap geometry. To this end, the steering knuckle has a collecting channel, which captures liquids and dirt particles and discharges them at the periphery. The hearing seal can be changed by this measure, so that savings are possible with a minimum of sealing action of the conventional sealing arrangement and with greatly reduced friction torque. Overall, the sealing action, which is now achieved by the bearing seal and the pre-seal together, is increased or remains at least at the same level while manufacturing costs are reduced.
US08500334B2
A slide bearing has at least one bearing shell for accommodating a component to be supported. The at least one bearing shell has a device for monitoring a bearing gap between the bearing shell and the component to be supported. The bearing shell is provided with a slide surface that has an elevation along each of its curved edge regions.
US08500330B2
A packaging bag is provided with a bag body and thermoplastic resin-made reinforcing members provided at the outer edge of the bag body. A window is provided in each reinforcing member. In forming the packaging bag, the bag body is placed between a pair of molds respectively having recesses to clamp these two molds so that a corresponding pair of the recesses are opposed to each other. Thereafter, in order to form the reinforcing members at the outer edge of the bag body, melted or softened thermoplastic resin is injected to fill cavities formed by the recesses of the thus clamped molds. Each of the cavities of the molds is formed so as to coincide with an outer shape of the corresponding reinforcing member. A projection extends from the bottom face of each recess at a part of the cavity corresponding to a part of each reinforcing member on which the window is provided. The outer edge of the bag body placed between the two molds is placed inside the cavities in a state of being held between the two projections.
US08500329B2
A medical examination or treatment device including a C-arm operable to be moved along a trajectory on a holder is provided. First magnet elements or magnetic field generation elements are provided on the C-arm, and second magnetic field generation elements are provided on the holder. The first magnet elements or magnetic field generation elements and the second magnetic field generation elements interact with one another to establish a magnetic field guiding the C-arm in a non-contact manner. The magnetic field moves the C-arm along the trajectory.
US08500319B2
A light source module includes a housing receiving a light source. The housing includes a transparent light emitting plate with a micro structure positioned on an outer surface thereof. The micro structure includes a number of first and second light guide projectors. The first light guide projectors are positioned at a middle part of the outer surface, the second light guide projectors are positioned at two end parts of the outer surface. The first and second light guide projectors extend along the outer surface and are perpendicular to each other, cross-sectional surfaces of the first light guide projectors perpendicular to the extending direction of the first light guide projectors are semi-circular-shaped, and cross-sectional surfaces of the second light guide projectors perpendicular to the extending direction of the second light guide projectors are triangular-shaped. An illuminating device including the light source module is also provided.
US08500318B2
The present invention provides a light guide plate and a manufacturing method thereof. The manufacturing method firstly forms a plurality of spherical recesses arranged at intervals on a light-emitting surface of a light guide plate body when the light guide plate body is formed by pressing, and then applies a diffuser particle with corresponding shape on a surface of each of the spherical recesses, so as to complete the manufacture of the light guide plate. When being mounted in a backlight module, the light guide plate benefits the backlight module of reducing the use of diffuser films, so as to reduce the thickness and weight of the backlight module.
US08500310B2
Disclosed herein is an indication plate including: a plate member including a light-transmitting material; and an indication part provided at a surface on one side with respect to the thickness direction of the plate member, wherein the indication part includes a light-shielding part including a light-shielding material and covering the surface on one side, and a convex portion including the light-transmitting material, the convex portion projecting from the surface on one side and being exposed from the light-shielding part; the convex portion has a circumferential surface projecting from the light-shielding part, and an end face connecting tip portions of the circumferential surface to each other, and a metallic foil having a light-transmitting property is attached to the end face.
US08500306B2
A backlight unit of the invention is reduced in thickness, weight and manufacturing costs but improved in heat releasing efficiency. In the backlight unit, a flexible printed circuit board has at least one through hole perforated therein. An LED package is disposed on a top portion of the flexible printed circuit board corresponding to the through hole. The backlight unit of the invention employs the flexible printed circuit board in place of a metal printed circuit board as a means to conduct current to the LED package. This produces a slimmer and lighter backlight unit and also saves manufacturing costs. In addition, the LED package is directly bonded onto a bottom plate by a heat conducting adhesive, thereby ensuring heat generated from the LED package to be released more quickly.
US08500304B2
An LED bulb includes a connector for electrically connecting with a power supply, a heat sink disposed on the connector, an LED module mounted the heat sink, and an envelope secured to the heat sink and covering the LED module. The heat sink includes a tubular body, a plurality of first fins extending outwardly from an outer circumference of the tubular body, and a plurality of second fins extending inwardly from an inner circumference of the tubular body.
US08500292B2
A panel display module and a manufacture method thereof are disclosed. The panel display includes a backlight module, a display panel, a clear cover, and reinforced glue. The backlight module has a light source module and a frame that positions the light source module and other elements to provide structural protection. The display panel is disposed on the light exiting side of the light source module. The clear cover is disposed on one side of the display panel opposite to the light source module. The reinforced glue is distributed encircling the frame and adheres respectively to the frame and to the portion of the clear cover protruding over the display panel. The reinforced glue has a first side adhering onto the frame and a second side adhering onto the clear cover.
US08500285B2
A projection type display apparatus includes: an illumination optical system which has a first array lens and a second array lens each of which has a plurality of lens elements having a plurality of rectangular shape openings and arranged in a matrix form; an illumination light source device which has one or more light sources having a polarization degree not smaller than 50% and one or more polarizers for transmitting one type polarized light and reflecting other type polarized light. At least one set of the light sources are arranged so that the polarization directions of light fluxes having high polarization degrees may be perpendicular to each other, the light fluxes are combined by the polarizer, condensed to a single region by a light-flux condensing element, and then directed toward another illumination optical system located in a subsequent stage.
US08500270B2
Structure and method for face form retention in eyeglasses and eyeglass frames for substantially preventing creep from altering the face form. The method comprises providing an eyeglass frame front having a space in the bridge region for receiving a metallic strip, providing the metallic strip having a width approximately matching the width of the space in the eyeglass frame front and a thickness that is less than its width, and fastening the metallic strip in the space in the bridge region so that the width of the metallic strip rigidifies the eyeglass frame front to retain its face form. Various specific methods and structures are disclosed.
US08500266B2
The present disclosure provides a aqueous colorant dispersion comprising a colorant and a polymeric dispersant, wherein the polymeric dispersant is a block copolymer comprising an A block and a B block, wherein the A block is a segment having a block size of about 5 to about 18 units, is substantially free of hydroxyethylmethacrylate, and comprises at least 50% by weight of a monomer, having the following structure: CH2═CRC(O)O(CHR1CH2O)nR2, wherein R and R1 are H, or methyl; R2 is alkyl of 1-4 carbon atoms or phenyl; and n is about 1 to about 20; and the B block is a segment comprising an ionic monomer and at least one hydrophobic monomer; and wherein the dispersant is neutralized. The disclosure further pertains to an aqueous ink jet ink comprising this aqueous colorant dispersion. Still further, the disclosure pertains to a method of printing that provides images with the requisite optical density and chroma needed for emerging ink jet applications.
US08500263B2
An inkjet printing method and an inkjet printing apparatus are provided which can realize equal smoothness in both a printed area and in a non-printed area and produce a printed material having a uniform glossiness over the entire printed image. To this end, the clear ink is applied in two phases—a first phase that makes the print medium impenetrable by applying highly penetrative clear ink to the print medium stepwise or intermittently in a small volume at a time and a second phase that applies in a short period of time a greater volume of clear ink than that applied in the first phase of clear ink application. With this process, a clear ink layer of a uniform thickness is formed in both the printed area and the non-printed area on the surface of the print medium made impenetrable by the first phase.
US08500262B2
An inkjet recording device, wherein air can be retained in an ink supply pipe by using a simple structure without applying substantial changes to the inkjet recording device, a variation in an ink supply pressure is mitigated by the retained air, and ink can be ejected with high stability. An inkjet recording device is provided with an inkjet head for ejecting ink, an ink flow path for supplying the ink, which is supplied from an ink supply source, to a pressure chamber of the inkjet head and having at least a portion thereof constructed from an ink supply pipe, and an air retaining member inserted in the ink supply pipe, with the ink allowed to pass through the air retaining member, and retaining air in at least a portion of a space formed between the air retaining member and the inner surface of the ink supply pipe.
US08500255B2
A manufacturing method produces a liquid ejecting head including first and second flow path members having liquid flow paths that communicate with each other. An integrally-molded member is surrounds the second flow path member on the second flow path member side of the first flow path member to join the first and second flow path members together. A holding process defines a space portion for forming the integrally-molded member in a frame section. The frame section is brought into contact with a contact surface of a recessed portion in the face of the second flow path member opposite the first flow path member, with the first and second flow path members contacting each other such that the liquid flow paths communicate with each other. A molding process fills the space portion with resin, thereby molding the integrally-molded member, and joins the first and second flow path members together.
US08500247B2
A nozzle assembly for an inkjet printhead. The nozzle assembly includes: a nozzle chamber including a roof having a nozzle opening and a moving portion movable relative to a stationary portion of the roof. An actuator is configured to displace the moving portion relative to the stationary portion and cause ejection of ink through the nozzle opening. A polymeric coating covers the moving portion and the stationary portion. The polymeric coating is absent from a gap between the moving portion and the stationary portion.
US08500241B2
There is provided an image recording apparatus including: a casing; a carriage unit which is movable in the casing in a scanning direction intersecting with a transporting direction of a medium; a liquid jetting head mounted on the carriage unit; and a controller which controls the carriage unit and the liquid jetting head so that the carriage unit reciprocates within a predetermined range in the scanning direction under a condition that the liquid jetting head jets the liquid to the medium, and that the carriage unit moves to a cartridge exchange position under a condition that the mounted liquid cartridge is to be changed, the cartridge exchange position being adjacent to the exchange port and being located outside the predetermined range in the scanning direction.
US08500240B2
An image forming apparatus includes a recording head configured to have a nozzle face on which nozzles that discharge liquid droplets are formed; a cap configured to cap the nozzle face of the recording head; a discharge path configured to be connected to the cap; a suction pump configured to be provided in the discharge path and be made of a tube pump; and an atmosphere opening part configured to open an airtight space, created when the nozzle face is capped by the cap, to the atmosphere. The atmosphere opening part is configured to communicate with the inside of the cap at a position higher than a surface of liquid discharged into the cap, and a check valve configured to prevent a flow of the liquid toward the cap from the suction pump is provided in the discharge path.
US08500237B2
A liquid ejecting apparatus, including a head and a capping mechanism which includes: a surrounding member including a lip that surrounds the head and a diaphragm which closes a space between the lip and the head and which outwardly biases the lip; a guide fixed to the head; a holder which surrounds the head and to which the lip is fixed; a moving mechanism configured to move the guide and the holder relative to each other such that the capping mechanism is placed in one of a hermetically sealed state and a non-hermetically sealed state; and a restraining member which is provided on one of the holder and the guide and which is configured to restrain outward deformation of the lip by contacting the other of the holder and the guide, when the capping mechanism is placed in the hermetically sealed state.
US08500232B2
A head chip for an ink jet type image forming apparatus with an improved cooling structure is disclosed. The head chip includes a plurality of nozzles to eject ink, a plurality of heaters for ink ejection to apply heat to ink so that the ink is ejected through the plurality of nozzles, and a cooling channel to circulate a refrigerant around the plurality of heaters for ink ejection.
US08500226B2
A system for sensing a predetermined pressure change at a port of a liquid container for supplying liquid to a printer, the system having a liquid delivery apparatus connected to a liquid container via a fluid line and a sensing arrangement connected to the fluid line, wherein the liquid container has an internal fluid pressure changing member configured so that contact with liquid being delivered by the liquid delivery apparatus causes the predetermined pressure change in the fluid line, and the sensing arrangement is configured to sense the predetermined pressure change in the fluid line.
US08500225B2
The reinforcing component for a refrigerator, which is formed by mixing a base material as a synthetic resin material and a supplement component formed by arranging reinforcing fibers according to a pultrusion method, and combined with one or more portions of on one portion of an inner side of an outer case of the refrigerator to contact with foam, a corner of the bottom of the refrigerator or in a mechanic chamber of the refrigerator, an outer plate or an inner plate of a door of the refrigerator, and the interior of a side wall forming an inner space of the refrigerator can reduce the weight of the refrigerator while maintaining the strength.
US08500221B2
A parallel two-wheeled vehicle including a braking mechanism to directly brake two wheels that includes: a body; a pair of drive units coaxially mounted to the body; a T-shaped handle to be gripped by a passenger; a longitudinal inclination detecting device of the body; and a brake lever. A brake detecting device detects operational information of the brake lever. The body includes: a vehicle speed detecting device to determine a vehicle speed based on a relative angular velocity between the body and the wheels, which is detected by the drive units and based on an angular velocity detected by the longitudinal inclination detecting device; a target speed setting device to set a target vehicle speed based on an output of each of the brake detecting device and the vehicle speed detecting device; and a stabilization control device to control the vehicle to stably follow the target angle/target angular velocity/target vehicle speed. Further, powder brakes are incorporated in the drive units, respectively.
US08500217B2
In a vehicle braking apparatus, a pressure control valve is controlled according to a brake operation amount of a brake pedal to thereby regulate hydraulic pressure and supply it to wheel cylinders. By controlling the pressure control valve by using hydraulic pressure output from a master cylinder as pilot pressure, the hydraulic pressure can be regulated and supplied to the wheel cylinders. A master cut valve capable of opening and closing a first hydraulic pipe that supplies the hydraulic pressure from the master cylinder to the wheel cylinders is provided. An external pressure supply pipe that supplies the pilot pressure to the pressure control valve is connected to the first hydraulic pipe on a side of the master cut valve closer to the wheel cylinders.
US08500204B2
A ready to assemble article of furniture includes a connecting assembly to enable shipment of the article in a partially assembled condition. By the use of the connecting assembly, the user can quickly assemble the article of furniture. The connecting assembly includes brackets which are attached to the disassembled components of the article of furniture. The brackets are mateable with each other during the assembly process to secure the components together.
US08500196B2
A child safety seat is provided. The safety seat includes a generally L-shaped shell having a seat bottom and a seat back, a harness assembly carried by the shell for restraining an occupant in the seat, a restraining member for receiving a latching assembly for securing the safety seat into a support position on a vehicle seat in a manner, and at least one area of predetermined reduced material thickness formed into the shell in the rearward portion of the seat bottom. The area of reduce material thickness defines a crush zone of reduced capacity to resist a downward movement-induced load on the seat bottom indicative of the sudden forward travel deceleration of the vehicle.
US08500194B2
An occupant detection system including a seat assembly comprising a seat cushion having a seating surface, a heating element adjacent the seating surface, said heating element formed of electrically conductive material, a heating circuit electrically coupled to the heating element, said heating circuit configured to supply an electrical current to the heating element effective to generate heat by the heating element, an occupant detection circuit electrically coupled to the heating element, said occupant detection circuit configured to detect an occupant presence near the heating element, and an isolation circuit interposed between the heating circuit and the heating element, said isolation circuit configured to prevent the heating circuit from influencing the occupant detection circuit, said isolation circuit comprising a common mode choke. The common mode choke is arranged so current or charge from an excitation signal for detecting an occupant that is received by the heating circuit is replaced so the excitation signal can used to accurately detect an occupant.
US08500192B2
The invention relates to a glass roof for a motor vehicle essentially forming an entire roof surface between the front and rear vehicle-roof cross members. The glass panel can be connected fixedly to the vehicle body and can have one or several cutout openings fitted with an openable glass pane.
US08500190B1
A roof bow for a trailer body for use with a commercial motor vehicle is provided, including a top wall, a floor, and a pair of side walls cooperating to define a cargo space, and a plurality of supports each extending substantially across the trailer body between the side walls. The top wall includes an interior surface and an exterior surface, and the supports are connected to the exterior surface of the top wall such that at least a substantial portion of the interior surface of the top wall is generally smooth. The roof bow has a uniform cross-sectional shape along its length and having a crown joining with side walls and a pair of attachment pads, the bow forming an interior cavity with the pads having inwardly extending leg extensions.
US08500181B2
A suction lifter comprises a suction cup to be placed against a fixing surface and having a deformable suction disc, the suction lifter being designed for forming a hollow space subject to a partial vacuum between the suction disc and the fixing surface, wherein the suction disc is arranged between the suction cup and the fixing surface, wherein the suction cup further has a circumferential cup rim surrounding the hollow space, and wherein a circumferential supporting area of an upper side of the suction disc facing the cup rim is supported against the cup rim under a vacuum condition. The suction cup rim and/or the suction disc rim are provided with projections which under a vacuum condition of the suction lifter and under a shearing force exerted on the suction disc impede a lateral displacement of the suction cup rim with respect to the suction disc rim.
US08500173B2
A medical-engineering coupling mechanism for connecting two medical instruments having a coupling plug and a coupling socket for inserting the coupling plug, so that the coupling socket and the coupling plug can be secured to one another by at least one spring-loaded notching connection. To produce a medical-engineering coupling mechanism that is easy to manipulate and ensures a secure notching connection of the components that are to be connected to one another, it is proposed with the invention that the notching connection consists of at least two notching hooks that are positioned on one of the components and are in active engagement with at least one spring element configured as a spring washer, and at least one notching recess positioned on the other component for insertion of the at least two notching hooks.
US08500171B2
A lateral for use in connection with a fluid distributor and collection device is provided. The lateral includes an elongated tubular conduit having a first end and a second end, a plurality of slots disposed along at least a portion of the conduit, and a connecting mechanism disposed proximate to the second end. Each of the slots is angled relative to the conduit to redirect a flow of fluid exiting the conduit.
US08500166B2
Provided are a strap retention device that can improve the ability to reliably cut a strap, and an airbag device. A strap retention device includes an anchor having a retaining portion for retaining a first end of a strap, and a flat portion in contact with a back surface of the strap; a strap restraint member joined to the anchor for restraining movement of the strap in a width direction; a cutter for cutting the strap on the flat portion; a squib for applying a driving force to the cutter to move the cutter in a direction of the flat portion; and a housing accommodating the cutter and the squib and joined to the anchor.
US08500162B2
Inflatable curtain airbags deploy smoothly with an integrated pillar guide that minimizes interference with a vehicle pillar. The integrated pillar is a thin piece of semi-flexible, semi-rigid material housed in a pocket that is coupled to a curtain airbag.
US08500159B2
An airbag for a vehicle occupant restraint system is provided. The airbag comprising a first and a second chamber, which can be inflated for the protection of a vehicle occupant; having an outflow element with an outflow duct via which the gas can flow out of the first chamber when the internal pressure in the first chamber exceeds the internal pressure in the second chamber and which can be compressed under the action of the internal pressure in the second chamber such that an outflow of gas out of the second chamber is counteracted, when the internal pressure in the first chamber is lower than the internal pressure in the second chamber, the outflow element has a two-layer material piece and the outflow duct is formed by folding in a portion of the material piece between the material layers of the material piece.
US08500154B2
A motor cycle trailer as shown in FIG. 1. wherein the axle item 1 can be easily removed by a locking pin arrangement without the use of tools, this enables collapsing of the trailer for storage purposes to be carried out within an acceptable time scale.
US08500153B2
A folding joint of a golf bag cart includes a main body fixed onto a cart frame and having a chamber formed inside the main body and a long slot formed on both sides of the chamber separately. A driving block is installed in the chamber of the main body. A spring installed at an upper end of the driving block, and a latch rod is disposed on both sides of the driving block separately. Two rotating members, each has an upper end coupled to the cart frame, a lower end coupled to the main body, and a slide slot with a latch slot formed on the slide slot. Thus, the folding joint can be folded or unfolded to secure the cart frame automatically, to provide a simple and convenient operation.
US08500142B1
The present invention is may be used for attaching wheels to a golf bag. A bottom plate may have a side member attached at a first edge to extend upwardly. A strap of rigid material may be attached to the top surface of the bottom plate generally parallel to the first edge. A flat bar with an upwardly extending attachment member may be slidably inserted between the strap and the bottom plate to extend outwardly from a second edge that is opposed the first edge. A band of flexible material may be routed through a first band slot in the attachment member and a second band slot in the side member. An axle bracket with a rotatable axle with a wheel rotatably attached at each end is attached to the side member.
US08500139B1
A scooter 1 is disclosed that may be linked to a child buggy or perambulator 100. A linking mechanism 200 is also disclosed for releasably linking the scooter 1 to the child buggy 100 thereby allowing the scooter 1 to be used as a scooter 1 or instead, to be linked to a buggy 100 and used in a linked configuration. The combination of a child buggy 100 and scooter 1 using the linking mechanism 200 is described along with a method of use of the mechanism 200.
US08500135B2
A wheeled sport item, such as a roller ski or a roller skate, is suited to be applied to the foot of a user in order to allow the foot to slide in relation to the ground according to a movement direction parallel to the foot. The sport item includes an elongated body associated with two wheels; a platform associated with the elongated body, defining a supporting surface for the foot; and a brake for braking the wheels. The item also includes a connector for connecting the platform to the elongated body, which defines a rotation axis orthogonal to the supporting surface, in order to allow a rotation of the foot, and a controller sensitive to the rotation of the foot for the operation of the brake.
US08500131B2
An exhaust manifold gasket having at least two layers and a series of tabs and recesses. The gasket has a first outer layer and a second outer layer each with an outer surface, an inner surface, two bolt hole flanges, and a central aperture. The surfaces are bounded by an outer perimeter portion, with locator tabs and recesses. A first inner layer having an outer surface, an inner surface, two bolt hole flanges, and a central aperture. The surfaces are bounded by an outer perimeter portion with two sets of foldable tabs. The first inner layer also has a bead circumferentially around the central aperture. A second inner layer may be provided having an outer surface, an inner surface, two bolt hole flanges, and a central aperture. The surfaces are bounded by an outer perimeter portion with foldable tabs and recesses, and a bead circumferentially around the central aperture.
US08500114B2
A sheet feeding apparatus and an image forming apparatus are provided. When sheets are adsorbed to an adsorption conveyance belt, a suction shutter is switched from a block position to block a negative pressure to an adsorption position to adsorb the sheets by the negative pressure. When the sheets conveyed in an overlapping manner reaches a predetermined number and the next sheet is adsorbed, the timing to switch the suction shutter to the adsorption position is delayed compared to the timing at which a preceding sheet adsorbed in advance and a subsequent sheet overlap.
US08500100B2
A line retrieval system comprises a retrieval device having a radially magnetized magnet adapted to be magnetically coupled to an object disposed on an opposite side of a structure for drawing the object in a desired direction relative to the structure.
US08500095B1
The electric floor jack device provides the advantages of a typical floor jack, and more still. The device includes a frame with wheels and casters, like a typical floor jack and also lift arms and lift lever, with pivot, also like a typical floor jack, including lift block and lift pad. The handle offers an advantage not enjoyed by floor jacks known. Further advantages provided by the device include screw shaft lift of the lift arms. The screw shaft lift of the lift arms enables the use of the electric motor. Further, as opposed to the pumped vertical lift, and difficult-to-control lowering typical of most floor jacks, the screw lift provides smooth, predictable operation, whether up or down. Further, the existing removable battery pack is like many used with other currently marketed tools, and provides recharging and interchangeability advantages enjoyed by many other tools.
US08500093B2
A plug assembly includes a plug stem having a plug stem base, a plug head, and a fastening mechanism for fastening the plug stem base to the plug head, the fastening mechanism comprising at least two retainer clamps that surround and provide an interference fit between the plug stem base and the plug head. A method of replacing or attaching a plug head to a plug stem includes providing a plug stem having a plug stem base, providing a plug head, providing a fastening mechanism comprising at least two retainer clamps, and coupling the fastening mechanism around the plug stem base and the plug head to provide an interference fit between the plug stem base and the plug head.
US08500092B2
A fluid regulating device includes a valve disc and a valve port adapted to provide a secondary seal during an obstructed closing operation, whereby the valve disc directly engages a housing component of the valve port to maximize the integrity of the secondary seal and advantageously reduce the size and complexity of existing valve ports. The valve port comprises a housing and a cartridge slidably disposed in the housing. The valve disc directly engages a primary seat carried by the cartridge during a normal closing operation. During an obstructed closing operation, however, the cartridge is pushed into the housing such that the valve disc directly engages a secondary seat carried by the housing at a location that is downstream of the cartridge.
US08500088B2
An anesthetic container includes a receptacle for holding the anesthetic and having a wall defining an interior space and a passage in fluid communication with the interior space. The container also includes a valve assembly that is attachable or is attached to the receptacle to control flow of anesthetic through the passage in the receptacle to a vaporizer. The valve assembly has a closed configuration when the flow of anesthetic from the receptacle is limited and an open configuration when the flow of anesthetic is enabled. The valve assembly is constructed so that at least the surface of any component of the assembly that will come into contact with the anesthetic on its storage or passage from the receptacle to the vaporizer is made of a metal or low-density polyethylene, and provides a fluid-tight seal to prevent the escape of the anesthetic without the use of a gasket in the closed configuration.
US08500077B2
A telescoping assembly for use with a CPU holder including a mounting track with mounting holes for securing the mounting track to the underside of a generally horizontal surface such as a desk; runners disposed in the mounting track; a telescoping track, adapted for insertion into the mounting track and to engage with the runners therein; a pivoting member, adapted for engagement with the telescoping track and to engage with a CPU holder, the pivoting member comprising a track engagement member and a CPU holder engagement member being joined for 360° rotation about a vertical axis therethrough; and wherein the telescoping track is adapted for translation along the mounting track from a retracted position to an extended position, and when the telescoping track is in the extended position a CPU retained in the CPU holder is positioned past the edge of the generally horizontal surface.
US08500070B2
The present invention relates to a spacecraft structure that comprises a flat-wide body center fuselage, right and left side arch-wings and rocket propulsion power plant compartments, wherein the arch-wing is anchored to the fuselage via a foldable hinge mechanism. The fuselage structure is constructed as a single solid structure body of the spacecraft. A top portion at the rear of fuselage comprises a jet propulsion power plant to provide thrust during take-off from the airport. Both the left and right side arch-wings are anchored to a front and a rear portion of the center fuselage structure. Both the front and rear wing portions enable spacecraft lift and superior maneuverability during flight. The spacecraft is air tight and water tight and includes floatation devices.
US08500063B2
A pump unit installed inside a wing, and a panel body constituting part of a wing structure portion forming a surface structure of the wing are provided. The pump unit includes a backup hydraulic pump that can supply pressure oil to an actuator when a loss or reduction occurs in the function of an aircraft central hydraulic power source and an electric motor that drives this pump. Except for at least the panel body, the wing structure portion is formed from fiber reinforced plastics. The panel body is formed of a metallic material.
US08500060B2
An aircraft comprising a fuselage, a vessel associated with the fuselage, a propulsion system associated with the fuselage, and a lift system. The vessel is capable of storing a pressurized gas compressed to a density that allows the aircraft to operate under water. The lift system is capable of providing the aircraft lift to fly in air.
US08500058B2
A paper roll fixing device of a printer includes a first supporting base, a second supporting base, a first fixing member and a second fixing member. The first fixing member comprises a rotatable first fixing slab. The second fixing member comprises a rotatable second fixing slab. When the first fixing slab and the first fixing slab are pushed by a paper roll, the first fixing slab and the first fixing slab are rotated to the position without stopping the paper roll from entering or leaving the space between the first supporting base and the second supporting base. As a consequently, the paper roll can be smoothly introduced into or removed from the paper roll fixing device. By the paper roll fixing device, the paper roll can be introduced into or removed from the paper roll fixing device with a single hand or in a single step.
US08500057B2
A method of adhesive-free threading of a fibrous material web for winding around a winding body includes the steps of diverting the fibrous material web in the circumferential direction of the winding body, guiding the fibrous material web with its unfolded leading edge ahead in the direction of a nip formed between the winding body and a drum and catching the leading edge of the fibrous material web by interaction with the fibrous material web and/or the winding body. An apparatus for adhesive-free threading of a fibrous material web for winding around a winding body has a diverting device for diverting the fibrous material web in the circumferential direction of the winding body and a mechanical guide for guiding the fibrous material web with its unfolded leading edge ahead in the direction of a nip formed between the winding body and a drum.
US08500054B2
A method and device for adjusting the unstored length of tubing directed to improving the use of infusion sets that deliver fluids to a user. The device includes a storage module and other features for adjusting, storing and securing the length of the tubing. The method of adjusting the length of the tubing to a desired length typically comprises removably attaching the tubing to the adjuster, adjusting the tubing by wrapping the tubing around a hub or post of the adjuster, and fixing the length of the unstored tubing by attaching the tubing to a securing device such as a friction structure or fastener.
US08500049B2
A shredder includes a housing having a throat for receiving at least one article to be shredded, and a shredder mechanism received in the housing and including an electrically powered motor and cutter elements. The shredder also includes a detector that is configured to detect a thickness of the at least one article being received by the throat, and a controller that is configured to operate the motor to drive the cutter elements to shred the at least one article and to set a flutter threshold higher than the predetermined maximum thickness threshold, if the detected thickness is less than a predetermined maximum thickness threshold. The controller is also configured to thereafter continuously detect the thickness of the at least one article being inserted into a throat of the shredder; and to perform a predetermined operation responsive to the thickness detector detecting that the thickness of the at least one article is greater than the flutter threshold.
US08500048B2
An apparatus for drying and powderizing organic material. The apparatus includes at least one chamber including: an intake adapted to receive warm air and the material into the at least one chamber, and an outlet adapted to transport warm air and powder out of the at least one chamber; at least one rotatable drive shaft in the at least one chamber adapted to rotated; and at least one blade assembly on the at least one drive shaft. The blade assembly includes a blade hub about the rotatable drive shaft and at least one blade coupled to the blade hub, wherein the at least one blade is adapted to powderize the material to expose a surface of the material to the warm air so that moisture in the material evaporates into the warm air.
US08500043B2
In a device for spraying on pigmented liquids by means of an air flow comprising a base body, a spray nozzle disposed at the front side of the base body, said spray nozzle having a needle acted upon by a spring disposed in the center thereof, a compressed air inlet and an adjacent compressed air duct, an inlet for a pigmented liquid, with a controllable compressed air flow supplied via the compressed air duct being guided past an inlet for the pigmented liquid where it is loaded with droplets of liquid, said droplets of liquid being discharged by the spray nozzle as long as the compressed air flow is maintained, it is provided that the nozzle (5) and the needle (12) are positioned in a nozzle carrier (10), with the nozzle carrier (10) being provided with the inlet (17) for the pigmented liquid, and with the nozzle carrier being removable or replaceable, respectively, as a whole.
US08500038B2
A fluid display includes a fluid source, a gas source, and a light source. The fluid source coherently emits fluid along a first trajectory. The gas source emits gas along a second trajectory that intersects the first trajectory. The light source is directed toward the intersection of the first trajectory and the second trajectory. The second trajectory may intersect the first trajectory at an oblique angle. The fluid source and/or the gas source may emit intermittently. The fluid source may emit a laminar jet or spherical fluid globules. The gas source may intermittently emit a gas vortex. The gas may be a flammable gas. The fluid may be water and the gas may be air. The fluid display may provide a “water sparkler” effect.
US08500034B2
An integrated solid-state temperature controller that is mountable to an object the temperature of which is controlled by the solid-state temperature controller, or is mountable in a space in which the temperature is controlled by the solid-state temperature controller. The solid-state temperature controller able to withstand and continue to operate in extremes of temperatures at which the object or space is controlled, and able to withstand and continue to operate in extremes of temperatures of the object or space when the temperature is not being controlled.
US08500027B2
In an optical code reader, at least a selected one of AGC processing and automatic focus control is performed in parallel with optical code decoding. Preferably, the selected process is initiated ahead of any signal which initiates decoding. Preferably, the selected process is performed periodically and independently of any signal which initiates decoding. In an embodiment, decoding and the selected processes are performed by different first and second processors, respectively, which operate in parallel, and the second processor performs the selected process without the first processor exercising any control over the performance of the selected process.
US08500023B2
A barcode scanner device for reading a target barcode having a plurality of feature sections in a first color and a plurality of background sections in a second color. The device comprises: a light source for providing incident illumination onto the target barcode during reading of the target barcode, the light source having a plurality of independently selectable color wavelengths; a photodetector for receiving at least a portion of the incident illumination when reflected off the target barcode as reflected illumination, the reflected illumination used by the photodetector to capture a first color image of the target barcode when a first color wavelength is selected as the incident illumination and to capture a second color image of the target barcode when a second color wavelength is selected as the incident illumination.
US08500014B2
A quality management system for products including a multiplicity of barcoded quality indicators each operative to provide a machine-readable indication of exceedance of at least one threshold by at least one product quality affecting parameter, a barcode indicator reader operative to read the barcoded quality indicators and to provide output indications, the barcoded quality indicators being readable by the barcode indicator reader at all times after first becoming readable, including times prior to, during and immediately following exceedance of the at least one threshold by the at least one product quality affecting parameter, and a product type responsive indication interpreter operative to receive the output indications and to provide human sensible, product quality status outputs.
US08500001B2
A barcode recognition method is provided for recognizing a barcode to derive effective barcode information thereof. The barcode includes a plurality of segments. In the method, every time the barcode is scanned and recognized, any segment, in which a barcode information fragment carried therein is able to be derived, is recorded as an effective segment. And then the effective segments are selected and combined to generate a plurality of segment combinations. The information carried by the segment combinations is respectively verified by the checksum thereof, so as to find out the segment combination, which is successfully verified by the checksum thereof, to be the effective combination. Every time the barcode is scanned and recognized, only part of the segments of the barcode has to be successfully recognized, and the effective segments derived are combined and verified, so as to quickly recognize the barcode.
US08499996B2
A method for quantitatively determining flux material residues remaining on a heat exchanger after a preceding soldering process is provided. To this end, a fluid is applied to the heat exchanger, wherein the remaining quantity of flux material on the heat exchanger after the preceding soldering process is derived from the concentration of soldering agent in the fluid.
US08499990B2
The present invention provides a stabilized belt mounted fish landing net holster for anglers. The holster includes a belt-mounted base to which a cylindrical sleeve, which holds the handle of a landing net, is mounted in a vertical plane when the holster is worn on the belt of an angler or mounted to other gear such as back packs. The holster keeps the landing net secure, out of the way while fishing or walking and is easily withdrawn for use.
US08499987B2
A strap has an extension element and a support element. The extension element joins with an article, such as a bag, backpack, or purse. The support element is secured to the extension element and has a plurality of sipes that enhance the flexibility of the strap. In another configuration, the support element has a central area formed from a foam that is more compressible than a foam forming end areas. In yet another configuration, the support element has a wedge-shaped cross-section.
US08499983B2
The tank comprises a variable volume chamber containing a liquid and defined by a wall; and a piston suitable for moving in the tank under thrust from powder gas at a temperature much higher than that of the liquid in order to decrease the volume of the chamber. The tank also comprises a deformable elastomer membrane pressed against a face of the piston outside the chamber, the membrane being suitable for thermally protecting the wall and for providing sealing between the piston and the wall.
US08499975B2
A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a door for providing access to within the refrigerator cabinet, and a beverage dispenser. The beverage dispenser may be positioned at the door. The beverage dispenser includes a water source for supplying water, a beverage flavor source containing a flavor medium and having a flavor source opening with and adjustable size, and a user interface. The user interface is connected to the beverage flavor source to control the amount of flavor medium dispensed by the beverage flavor source through the flavor source opening. The amount of flavor medium dispensed will determine the flavor strength of a flavored beverage after the flavor medium has mixed with water or another liquid.
US08499967B2
An apparatus for dispensing solid articles includes a housing and at least one vacuum source. The housing defines a hopper chamber to hold the articles and a dispensing channel fluidly connected to the hopper chamber. The dispensing channel has an inlet and an outlet defining a dispensing flow path therebetween. The vacuum source is adapted to provide a vacuum pressure and induce a gas flow in the housing. The apparatus is configured to generate a forward drive gas flow from the vacuum pressure and induced gas flow, and the forward drive gas flow conveys articles through the dispensing channel along the dispensing flow path in a direction from the inlet to the outlet to dispense the articles.
US08499963B2
The present disclosure relates to a culinary article including a metal substrate having a concave inner face intended to be placed on a side in which food can be introduced into the article and a convex outer face intended to be placed facing a heat source. The inner face being coated in succession, starting from the substrate, with a hard enamel base, which is rough and contains no lead or cadmium, and then with a non-stick coating covering the hard layer. The present disclosure also relates to a method of manufacturing such an article.
US08499961B1
An egg caddy system for holding eggs in an immobilized position featuring a base with a plurality of egg protrusions disposed in the top surface. The egg protrusions may be arranged in a linear fashion or in parallel sections or groups. A flange extends downwardly and perpendicularly from the bottom surface of the base and forms a T-shaped cross-section. The flange can be inserted between two surfaces such as countertops, sinks, and stoves.
US08499949B2
A locking device having at least one first segment, at least one second segment situated so as to be capable of being moved relative to the first segment, at least one first segment and at least one second segment being capable of assuming at least one first and at least one second position relative to one another, and at least one segment having at least one indicator area that can be substantially permanently modified in at least one physically perceivable property, wherein a movement that is required in order to open and/or close the locking device immediately moves the position of at least one first segment relative to at least one second segment at least temporarily from the first position into the second position, and effects the modification of the physically perceivable property.
US08499945B2
A mobile crane includes an undercarriage with a middle section and two parallel crawler carriages; a superstructure on which a boom is mounted, the superstructure being connected to the undercarriage by a rotary joint; two longitudinal outriggers connected to the undercarriage and extending in the longitudinal direction between the crawler carriages; and two transverse outriggers connected to the undercarriage and extending outside the crawler carriages. One of the longitudinal outriggers has an end with a transverse beam supported by spaced apart outrigger cylinders which provide an extended tipping edge to further stabilize the crane.
US08499943B1
A magnetic tool holding apparatus having: a) a plastic molding having a front tool holding side portion, a similarly dimensioned rear side portion and a peripheral edge extending between the front and rear side portions; b) a magnetic receptor opening, dimensioned to closely receive and tightly hold a magnet, extending from and the rear side portion of the plastic molding, but said opening not extending entirely through the molding to the front side portion; c) wall attachment means on the rear wall side of the molding for attachment to a wall; and, d) a magnet for insertion within the magnet receptor opening. A method of holding scissors on a wall adjacent to where one is standing and working comprising the following steps: a) obtaining an apparatus as described above; b) positioning and turning screws adjacent into a wall adjacent to where one is working; c) mounting the apparatus on the wall so that the heads of the screws are received in keyhole pockets on the apparatus; and, d) touching the scissors against front side portion of the apparatus. The scissors are then magnetically held thereby.
US08499930B2
An undergarment hanger suspending by a hanger or hook; thin and dual sided receiving pouches with side access openings for storing a wide range and sizes of undergarment clothing, accessories, and swimsuits. In addition, the shape of the undergarment hanger reduces creases and dimples formed on the stored article of clothing and the like. Fabric or other material may be provided adjacent the top, bottom and side access openings to rigidize the undergarment receiving pouches.
US08499924B2
A method and a system for stabilizing the sight line of a chip component being carried on two discs, for stabilizing delivery of the chip component between the two discs, and improving and stabilizing the inspection accuracy in the visual check of the chip component. This is achieved by employing a mechanism for carrying the chip component while supporting it on the horizontal plane of the first rotary disc and then carrying the chip component while suction-holding it on the vertical plane of the second rotary disc. When the chip component is carried on the first rotary disc, the upper surface and one side face of the chip component are imaged by first and second cameras. When the chip component is carried on the second rotary disc, the lower surface and the other side face of the chip component are imaged by third and fourth cameras.
US08499922B2
Scraping plates include: a first scraping plate 11 attached to chains 10, with an end surface 11c′ thereof facing a receiving plate 14 being deviated from an attachment point c′ where the first scraping plate 11 is attached to the chains 10, by a distance L1 to an opposite side of an advance direction a of the chains 10; and a second scraping plate 12 attached to the chains 10, with an end surface 12c′ thereof facing the receiving plate 14 being deviated from an attachment point d′ where the second scraping plate 12 is attached to the chains 10, by a distance L2 smaller than the distance L1 of the first scraping plate 11 to the opposite side of the advance direction a.
US08499919B2
A machine for the preparation of pharmaceutical products has a pocket conveyor, mobile along a loop-shaped path and provided with a plurality of pockets, each adapted to receive and withhold a respective container, and a transfer device for transferring the containers with a rectilinear motion between the respective pockets and at least one operating station for executing an operation on the containers themselves.
US08499914B2
An arrangement for coupling at least two freewheels independent of an associated shaft of a gear mechanism comprises at least one shifting device that comprises an actuation device and a shifting device. The shifting device can be axially displaced with the actuation device that is arranged at least partially in the shaft.
US08499913B2
An actuator assembly may comprise a housing, a shaft, a shape memory alloy (SMA) torque tube, and first and second unidirectional bearings. The SMA torque tube may rotate the shaft. The first unidirectional bearing may limit rotation of the shaft relative to the SMA torque tube to a first direction. The second unidirectional bearing may prevent rotation of the shaft relative to the housing along a second direction opposite the first direction.
US08499912B2
A torque converter for an automatic transmission includes a first fluid flow path for supplying a fluid to a pump cavity, a second fluid flow path for removing the fluid from the pump cavity, and a third fluid flow path for supplying a hydraulic signal to a lock-up clutch. The third fluid flow path is separate and distinct from the first fluid flow path and the second fluid flow path. A sleeve divides a stepped axial bore in the turbine output shaft into an inner stepped axial bore cavity, which is part of the third fluid flow path, and an outer stepped axial bore cavity, which is part of the first fluid flow path. The torque converter further includes an isolator assembly having a twenty degree rotational travel dampening distance.
US08499903B2
In a suspension device (S) comprising a motion transforming mechanism (T) for transforming a linear motion of a linear motion member (1) into a rotational motion of a rotating member (2) and a motor (M) connected to the rotating member (2) in the motion transforming mechanism (T), an air spring (AS) is provided, the air spring (AS) including a tubular air chamber (22) connected to the motor (M), an air piston (37) connected to the linear motion member (1) and being tubular and smaller in diameter than the air chamber (22), and a diaphragm (27) interposed between the air chamber (22) and the air piston (37), a stopper (38a) is provided on an outer periphery of the air piston (37), and a stopper seat (46) is provided on an inner periphery of the air chamber (22) so as to be put in abutment against the stopper (38a) upon maximum extension of the suspension device involving relative separation of the air chamber (22) and the air piston (37) with respect to each other.
US08499894B2
A lubrication structure for a multi-speed transmission has a lubrication structure in which a gear shaft is provided with cam guide grooves in an inner cavity thereof. A lubricating oil is introduced into the inner cavity by way of oil feed introducing holes which are bored in one end portion of the gear shaft so as to provide communication between the inside and the outside of the gear shaft. The lubricating oil is led in the axial direction along the inner peripheral surface of the inner cavity by axial oil feed grooves formed by cutting along the inner peripheral surface of the inner cavity in parallel to the cam guide grooves. The lubricating oil is led out to the engagement switch-over mechanism by radial oil feed holes bored in radial directions so as to communicate with the axial oil feed grooves at axial-direction positions where pin members are located.
US08499892B2
A system in some embodiments includes a machine block comprising features configured to support moving machine components within a lubricating fluid, wherein the machine block includes an integral valve block configured to route the lubricating fluid through a first filter without a second filter and configured to route the lubricating fluid through the second filter without the first filter. Further embodiments include a method that includes switching circulation of a lubricant between a first filter and a second filter in response to an angular position of a valve disposed in a valve block integral to a machine block having moving components lubricated by the lubricant.
US08499851B2
An electric toothbrush as a vibration generator is provided with a case, a motor, an eccentric rod, a stem, and an oral hygiene member. The eccentric rod has an eccentric weight portion and a rod portion connected to a drive shaft of the motor. The angle between the first central axis of the eccentric weight portion and an extension line, defined by extending the second central axis of the rod portion towards the eccentric weight portion, is greater than 0 degrees and equal to or less than approximately 10 degrees in a state in which one end of the eccentric rod is not inserted into a shaft receiving portion. In this way, a fixed structure of an eccentric rod and a vibration generator are obtained which reduce noise generated by vibration when run at high as well as at low rotation speeds.
US08499850B2
The screwdriving power tool includes a hollow spindle (8) rotatably supported in the tool housing (4) and driven by a motor (26), a clutch (30) that rotatably connects and disconnects the hollow spindle (8) with and from the motor (26), respectively, in engagement and disengagement positions of the clutch (30), a screwing-in spindle (6) connected with a chuck (10) for a working tool (12) and connected with the hollow spindle (8) for a joint rotation therewith and for an axial displacement relative thereto, and a percussion mechanism (14) for applying a pulsed axial force to the screwing-in spindle (6), with the clutch (30) being brought into its engagement position by the screwing-in spindle (6) by being displaced against a biasing force of the clutch springs (40, 44), and being locked in its engagement position.
US08499847B2
A landing pad with an inbuilt fire suppressor that includes at least one first interlocking unit. The interlocking unit includes a landing surface, wherein the landing surface includes openings distributed thereon; and at least one interlocking mechanism located along its periphery. The interlocking mechanism is adapted to interconnect with a corresponding interlocking mechanism from another interlocking unit. A hollow chamber is located beneath the landing surface such that the hollow chamber is in fluid communication with the openings. A heat conductive layer is arranged to span across the hollow chamber thereby subdividing the hollow chamber into an upper section and a lower section. The upper section is in fluid communication with the openings. The heat conductive layer is adapted to dissipate heat from a localized point thereon to over the entire heat conductive layer.
US08499840B2
A downhole releasable tubular connection includes a joint between two tubing strings, wherein one of the two tubing strings is radially expanded and plastically deformed by an expansion device. When the expansion device is moved adjacent to the joint, a threaded connection mechanism in the joint reacts to the radially outward forces of the expansion device and releasably expands, thereby decoupling the tubing strings.
US08499835B2
A method of agglomerating coal particles in a subterranean formation having a coal seam, comprising the steps of providing (a) a fluid having an aqueous medium and a first collector and/or a frother; (b) pumping the fluid into the formation and (c) contacting coal particles in the formation thereby agglomerating the contacted coal particles.
US08499834B2
A milling tool which includes a nose cutting portion, a cutting section having a plurality of hardened cutters and a shaft portion. A wear pad is disposed on the cutting section and shaft portion. Upon the shaft portion, the wear pad extends radially outwardly to an engagement diameter that exceeds the maximum cutting diameter of the cutters.
US08499825B2
The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a heat transfer member which method allows peel-off and cracking possibly caused by thermal expansion to be inhibited. That is, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a heat transfer member 10, the method at least including a step of forming metal powder into a coating film 12 on a surface of a base material 11 by spraying the metal powder in a solid state onto the surface of the base material 11 together with compressed gas. In the film forming step, a spraying pressure at which the metal powder is sprayed onto the surface of the base material 11 is set so that the coating film 12 has a porous structure.
US08499824B2
A heat sink assembly comprises a base having one or more slots, and further comprises one or more fins, each having an end configured for insertion into a respective one of the slots. Each fin end has a first surface that is configured for conformally engaging a first slot sidewall for good thermal conduction from the base into the fin, and has a second surface configured for cold welding to a second slot sidewall for good mechanical fastening of the fin to the base. The combined thermal bonding and cold-welding engagement are produced by pressing the fin ends of the fins into the base slots at a controlled pressing rate. Further, leading and/or trailing edges of the fins may be beveled to improve airflow directed edgewise across the fins.
US08499814B2
The invention is a chain locking mount for mounting the roller chain portion of a roller blind to a support surface such as a wall or window frame. The mount is configured to prevent the chain from being operated when the mount loosens from the support surface. The mount includes a housing with an aperture formed therein which is dimensioned to permit the roller chain to pass through the aperture. The mount further includes a lock member mounted adjacent the aperture, the lock member being movable between a locked position wherein the chain is prevented from moving through the aperture and an open position wherein the chain is free to move through the aperture. The mount is secured to the surface by a screw, the screw being coupled to the lock mechanism to retain the lock member in its open position when the screw is tightened to the surface. The lock member is biased towards its locked position so that the lock member moves towards its locked position when the screw is loosened from the surface.
US08499804B2
A bag includes a body portion defining a pouch having an open end and a strengthening rib. A strap of the bag has a first end connected to the body portion adjacent a first side of the open end, and a locking mechanism is connected to the body portion adjacent a second side of the open end. The locking mechanism is arranged to releasably engage a second end of the strap such that the bag can be connected to immovable objects to prevent theft of the bag. Further, a closing mechanism is disposed on the body portion and arranged to close the open end. The closing mechanism has a moveable head that is arranged to engage the second end of the strap when the strap is engaged with the locking mechanism, such that unauthorized access to the contents of the open end is prevented when the bag is locked.
US08499802B2
A fuel pump nozzle for delivering fuel, with a manually operated switch lever which is movable between a closed position, in which there is no delivery of fuel, and an open position, in which fuel is delivered, wherein the switch lever is biased by a restoring spring in the direction of the closed position and automatically returns to the closed position when the manual force applied declines, wherein the pump nozzle is provided with a hold-open aid which reduces the force required to hold the switch lever in a particular open position compared to the forces required to hold the switch lever open in other open positions.
US08499784B2
An air-lock valve (1), especially for a band processing plant, provided for closing a gap-like opening (3), traversed by a flexible band substrate (4), between two different plant sections, featuring at least one moveable sealing body (7), cooperating with a sealing surface (5), when it closes said opening (3), and eventually said band substrate (4) is being firmly mounted between said body (7) and sealing surface (5) during the closing operation of said air-lock valve (1), is characterized, according to the invention, in that the sealing surface (5) surrounds opening (3) in frame-like fashion, and in order to close opening (3), said body (7) may be pressed in such a fashion upon sealing surface (5) and/or upon band substrate (4), traversing said opening (3), that it obstructs said opening (3) at least due to indirect juxtaposition at the edges of said sealing surface (5).
US08499783B2
A gate valve for mounting in a pipeline comprises a valve body and a gate mounted in the valve body so as to be movable between an open position, and a closed position where a valve opening formed in the valve body is closed by the gate. The gate comprises two opposed faces spaced from the transverse plane of the gate, at least one face being provided with at least two seals that each extend around the face one seal being located within the periphery of the other such that both seals, when the gate is in the closed position, seal against a seat of the valve body to seal against the pressure of fluid acting on the gate in use. In one embodiment, a gate has four seals in total, two on the upstream gate face and two on the downstream gate face.
US08499781B2
A flush control valve core assembly is provided including a valve core body, a back spring accommodated in the valve core body, a valve piece and a valve shaft. The valve piece includes a discharge hole. A portion of the back spring extends as a pin structure, which is able to slidably move in the discharge hole. The pin structure is formed by a free end of the back spring horizontally bending towards the center, and then bending downwards vertically. The back spring of the flush control valve core assembly has a smaller size, which is more reliable and more easily mounted.
US08499780B2
A cassette integrated system. The cassette integrated system includes a mixing cassette, a balancing cassette, a middle cassette fluidly connected to the mixing cassette and the balancing cassette and at least one pod. The mixing cassette is fluidly connected to the middle cassette by at least one fluid line and the middle cassette is fluidly connected to the balancing cassette by at least one fluid line. The at least one pod is connected to at least two of the cassettes wherein the pod is located in an area between the cassettes.
US08499768B1
A nail tool holder includes a container having a container base and a lid assembly that together form a storage chamber for nail tools. The container preferably includes a cleaning solution at the bottom of the chamber, means for supporting at least one nail tool from the lid assembly so that the nail tool can be supported at a handle thereof and with the lid assembly including an intermediate piece and a cover piece. A support bar extends outwardly from a container sidewall in a pivotal manner.
US08499763B2
Various embodiments of a connector assembly are provided to removably couple a proximal end of a tracheal tube to components associated with a ventilator or an anesthesiology machine. The disclosed embodiments include a compression fitting, which creates an airtight seal between walls of the tracheal tube and components of the compression fitting, thus allowing air to flow to and from a patient.
US08499758B2
The present invention relates to an inhalation-activatable device for administration of medicament in powder form to the respiratory system of a patient.
US08499757B2
A breath-powered, dry powder inhaler, a cartridge, and a pulmonary drug delivery system are provided. The dry powder inhaler can be provided with or without a unit dose cartridge for using with the inhaler. The inhaler and/or cartridge can be provided with a drug delivery formulation comprising, for example, a diketopiperazine and an active ingredient, including, peptides and proteins such as insulin and glucagon-like peptide 1 for the treatment of diabetes and/or obesity. The dry powder inhaler is compact; can be provided in various shapes and sizes, colors, and comprises a housing, a mouthpiece, a cartridge placement area, and a mechanism for opening and closing the medicament cartridge. The device is easy to manufacture, provides a pre-metered single unit dose, it is relatively easy to use, and can be reusable or disposable.
US08499742B2
A valve train of an internal combustion engine having a swing of a link mechanism that is stabilized to stabilize the operating characteristics of an engine valve. A camshaft is provided together with a valve operating cam pivotally supported by the camshaft so as to operatively open and close an engine valve. A link mechanism allows a drive cam rotated integrally with the camshaft to swing the valve operating cam, and a drive mechanism swings the link mechanism, wherein opening and closing of the engine valve are started in a buffer section of the valve operating cam, and opening/closing timing of the engine valve is controlled by the drive mechanism swinging the valve operating cam via the link mechanism, without the provision of a buffer transition section and a buffer constant-speed section encountered at the time of transiting from a base circle to a cam lobe of the drive cam.
US08499734B2
A control system for a hybrid vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine and an electric motor includes an engine speed control module, an air pressure control module, and an engine torque control module. The engine speed control module increases engine speed during a first calibration period based on a driver torque request and a predetermined torque threshold. The air pressure control module decreases intake manifold pressure (MAP) of the engine during a second calibration period based on the driver torque request and the predetermined torque threshold. The engine torque control module starts the engine during a period after the first and second calibration periods by activating N of M cylinders of the engine, wherein N is based on the driver torque request and the predetermined torque threshold.
US08499727B1
The disclosed invention includes a heat engine where combustion, expansion, and compression are independent, continuous, parallel cycles. Compression and expansion ratios are continuously controllable variables. The disclosed engine includes a crankcase situated between two axially-aligned, opposed cylinder blocks. Each opposed cylinder block contains four zero-clearance cylinders. An oscillating piston head separates each cylinder into external expansion and internal compression chambers. A single connecting rod rigidly connects the piston heads of opposed cylinder pairs, and articulates with a central, linear-throw, planetary crank mechanism. A single, rotary disk valve mates with each external expander face of the paired, opposed cylinder blocks and regulate all expansion and exhaust functions. Controllable intake and outlet valves, integrated within each internal compressor face of the paired, opposed cylinder blocks and regulates intake, compression, and regenerative engine braking functions. A separate combustion chamber with heat regeneration capabilities and at least one compressed-air storage reservoir are included.
US08499723B2
A drive combination for generation of electrical power and heat includes a piston engine coupled to a generator. A connecting rod of an engine body of the engine is directly linked to an overhung crank, and the crank is a component of a generator shaft of the generator, so that the generator shaft forms the crankshaft of the engine body.
US08499717B2
A portable apparatus (1) for milking of animals (11-16) which are permitted to go loose is described. The apparatus (1) comprises a plurality of stalls (2) with at least one local milk tank (4) in each stall. The apparatus (1) comprises at least two separate lines (19, 20) arranged to receive the milk from the local milk tanks (4) in dependence of the quality of the milk.
US08499707B2
A multi-purpose boat has a two angle V hull with a rounded fore-aft profile and slightly convex deck. The hull has steeply angled edge portions and shallowly angled center portions. The edge portions are sufficiently sloped away from vertical to allow the boat to be lifted and not pushed by waves. The rounded fore-aft profile allows the boat to slide over waves, especially during a beach entry. The boat includes a keel having a horizontal base and separating downward from the hull at the fore and aft of the boat to resist yawing. The dry weight of the boat is about 25 pounds with a foam core with a resin coating and the keel is preferably hollow and includes ports to allow water to enter the keel to add about 25 pounds after entering the water. Approximately four inches of freeboard is provided separating riders from cold water and predators.
US08499706B2
An approaching and retaining device, in particular for a boat door, includes a fixed assembly adapted to be associated with a frame and a mobile assembly adapted to be associated with a wing. The fixed assembly includes a nib which can slide freely in a first through hole of the mobile assembly; structure for automatically operating an actuator connected to the nib in a manner to determine an approaching movement of the wing towards the frame and a compression force against an elastic element positioned between the frame and the wing. The mobile assembly includes an external element rigidly secured to the wing; an internal strike adapted to be inserted into a second through hole of the main body, the internal strike including a transversal hole adapted to house the nib; and a threaded pin which allows the internal strike to move relative to the external element.
US08499701B2
A plastic large load carrier has a base that accommodates the loads, support feet arranged at least at the corner regions of the underside of the base, and a double-walled frame surrounding the base. The inner wall and the outer wall of the frame are interconnected by vertical webs and strip-shaped protective profiled elements each being provided between two respective support feet in the lower frame area, wherein the rear of the protective profiled element is supported against the inner wall of the frame. The protective profiled element is a plastic part, on the one longitudinal edge of which an insertion strip for inserting into the gap between the inner wall and the outer wall of the frame is formed, and forms a unit with the profiled element.
US08499693B2
A system for optically programming an in-flight projectile fired from a weapon comprises a fire control device and a controlled projectile. The fire control device comprises an optical transmitter and the projectile comprises a fuze, an optical collector and an optical sensor. The transmitter transmits optical signals to the in-flight projectile in order to program the circuit of the fuze disposed in the projectile.
US08499681B2
A fluid displacement device, particularly for use of the device to pressurize balloon catheters, or the like. The device includes a plunger which is displaceable through a housing, and an actuating mechanism which engages the plunger. The actuating mechanism includes a nut member that is biased into engagement with a threaded portion of the plunger. The device has a press-to-release feature wherein the plunger is instantly releaseable by simply depressing a control surface to overcome a restorative spring force. Subsequently, the plunger can be translated using macro movements (i.e., by pushing or pulling the plunger).
US08499669B2
An apparatus (10) for singulating micro-well tape includes a tape drive (12) and a cutting assembly (14). The micro-well tape is advanced into and passes between upper and lower tape retainers (44, 45), with the upper tape retainer (44) including a groove (441) into which a raised ridge (451) of a multiplicity of ridges (450) of the bottom tape retainer (45) extends, with the rows of wells moving between adjacent ridges (450) in a movement direction. When a bar code on the micro-well tape is detected by a sensor 24, a knife blade (30) mounted on a slide block (32) is moved vertically to cut the micro-well tape. The new leading edge of the micro-well tape pushes the cut micro-well tape which is deflected by the raised ridge (451).
US08499666B2
A dual-pawl ratchet wrench mechanism is disclosed having a stop mechanism for limiting over-travel of a reversing lever for selecting drive directions. In one form, the wrench mechanism includes a ball and spring assembly that cooperate with recesses to define proper positions for the reversing lever, and one or more ramps are provided between the recesses to promote tactile feel and to promote the reversing lever being rotated to a proper position. In some forms, the stop mechanism is formed on a stationary portion, such as a spacer or the wrench body, and a portion of the reversing lever. The design simplifies manufacturing, such as by simplifying assembly and minimizing the need for securements. Additionally, the reversing lever is assembled with the mechanism in a manner to improve sealing.
US08499665B2
A manually operable impact tool is provided that includes an elongated rigid handle and an impact head disposed at one longitudinal end portion of the handle structure. A cushioning grip is disposed over a second longitudinal end portion of the handle structure. The cushioning grip includes an inner layer of thermoplastic rubber having a Shore A durometer in the range of about 10 to about 40, and an outer layer of thermoplastic rubber disposed over the inner layer having a Shore A durometer in the range of about 55 to about 90.
US08499664B2
A cover plate for a drive assembly that includes a bearing housing having a bearing cavity, a thrust bearing axially disposed within the bearing cavity that includes a cup, cone and plurality of rollers disposed between cup and cone raceways, a thrust plate with an axle engaging surface disposed perpendicular to a central axis and coupled for rotation to the cone. The cover plate may be connected to a final drive housing of a final drive that includes a plurality of gears operatively connected to an axle shaft, the end of the axle shaft positioned to rotationally engage the thrust plate and cone.
US08499657B2
A multi-shaft transmission is mounted on a work vehicle for performing loader work, and includes a power transmission mechanism for transmitting power from an input shaft through a countershaft to an output shaft. A shifting part shifts a drivetrain from the input shaft to the output shaft. The power transmission mechanism includes a forward clutch and a reverse clutch for forward-reverse shifting, and a plurality of speed stage shifting clutches for changing speed stages, wherein at least one of the forward clutch and the reverse clutch has a plurality of speed region shifting clutches. The shifting part shifts only one clutch among the plurality of speed stage shifting clutches and the plurality of speed region shifting clutches to change speeds when a plurality of speed stages are used in be loader work.
US08499656B2
A transmission is connectable to an input member and includes an output transfer gear, first and second shaft members, first and second countershaft members, a plurality of co-planar gear sets, and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. The torque transmitting devices include a plurality of gears, synchronizer assemblies and a dual clutch assembly. The transmission is operable to provide at least one reverse speed ratio and a plurality of forward speed ratios between the input member and the output member.
US08499648B2
A gas meter comprising a housing (2) with a gas inlet connection (5) and an inflow chamber (16) which is arranged downstream of the latter and into which gas flows via an inflow opening (14), arranged downstream of which inflow chamber (16) is a measuring section (19) arranged upstream of a gas outlet connection (6) and having a measuring device (20), in which the gas flow is measured, wherein projecting into the inflow chamber (16) there is a tube (15) which merges into the measuring section (19) or forms the latter and runs substantially perpendicularly to the gas flow direction through the inflow opening (14) and overlaps the inflow opening (14), at least in a certain section.
US08499647B2
A noise eliminating circuit is provided between a sample hold portion and an A/D converting portion. In the noise eliminating circuit, a DC flow rate signal is sent from the sample hold portion through a buffer to one input terminal of an operational amplifier as a first input signal, and through a high-pass filter and a buffer to the other input terminal of the operational amplifier as a second input signal. The high-pass filter passes, as a noise component, a signal of higher than a specific frequency included in the DC flow rate signal. The operational amplifier calculates the difference between the first input signal (the flow rate signal component+the noise component) and the second input signal (the noise component), and outputs this difference (the flow rate signal component) to the A/D converting portion as the DC flow rate signal.
US08499644B2
A sensor configured to detect a stress wave propagating through a vehicle frame member caused by a vehicle collision is provided. The sensor includes a sensor body configured to be rigidly coupled to the vehicle frame member, a first strain sensing device and a second strain sensing device attached to the sensor body. The sensor body is configured to exhibit stress in response to transverse and torsional stress wave propagating along the vehicle frame member. The first strain sensing device generates a first signal indicative of stress in the sensor body and the second strain sensing device generates a second signal indicative of stress in the sensor body. A first end portion of the sensor body is characterized as trapezoidal prism shaped and a second end portion of the sensor body is characterized as trapezoidal prism shaped.
US08499632B1
A method for inspecting a laminate structure may include transmitting a lamb wave through a selected portion of the laminate structure from an actuator at a predetermined location on a surface of the laminate structure. The method may also include receiving the transmitted lamb wave at a sensor at another predetermined location on the surface of the laminate structure. The method may additionally include detecting and characterizing an anomaly in the laminate structure based on the received lamb wave.
US08499614B2
The invention relates to a field gas chromatograph with flame ionization for the analysis of a gaseous mixture of hydrocarbons, extracted, in particular, from oil drilling mud. Said mixture consists of a fraction of heavy hydrocarbons (beyond pentane) dissolved in mud in gaseous form. Said field gas chromatograph is made up of two independent analysis circuits, dephased by half a cycle and synchronized one with the other. Said analysis circuits are comprised of at least one sampling cell in a preferred design layout, at least one capillary separation chromatography column, at least one flame ionization detector, and at least one electrometer for the conversion of an electrical current, collected by the flame ionization detector, into a voltage signal describing a chromatogram.
US08499613B2
A cartridge-like chemical sensor is formed by a housing having a base and a cover fixed to the base and provided with an input opening, an output hole and a channel for a gas to be analyzed. The channel extends in the cover between the input opening and the output hole and faces a printed circuit board carrying an integrated circuit having a sensitive region open toward the channel and of a material capable to bind with target chemicals in the gas to be analyzed. A fan is arranged in the housing, downstream of the integrated device, for sucking the gas after being analyzed, and is part of a thermal control system for the integrated circuit.
US08499612B2
Devices and methods for fast, sensitive hydrogen gas detection using a single palladium nanowire. In one embodiment, a hydrogen sensor comprises a palladium nanowire extending between metal contacts. The palladium nanowire is not subject to fracturing when exposed to hydrogen. The nanowire is able to rapidly and reversibly detect hydrogen as a resistance increase down to 2 ppm with excellent reproducibility and baseline stability at room temperature.
US08499609B2
To process a plurality of sensor devices, such as humidity sensors or gas sensors, the sensor devices are run through a testing station and a turret handler. In order to increase throughput of the testing station, several test cycles are operated simultaneously in a phase-shifted manner. The sensor devices are e.g. sequentially fed onto trays of the test station, on which they are assembled in batches. Each batch is subjected to a test cycle. After the test cycle, the sensor devices of a batch are sequentially fed back to the turret handler.
US08499603B2
A modular rolling mill has a mill pass line along which products roll. The rolling mill comprises first gear units arranged along a first line parallel to the mill pass line. Each first gear unit is driven individually by a motor and has a pair of mechanically interconnected first shafts. Second gear units are arranged along a second line between and parallel to the first line and the mill pass line. Each second gear unit has a pair of mechanically interconnected second shafts. Rolling units are arranged along the mill pass line, which are driven by an input shaft and has a pair of roll shafts carrying work rolls. First couplings connect the first shafts of each first gear unit to second shafts of two successive gear units, and second couplings releasably connect the second shafts of the second gear units to the input shafts of two successive rolling units.
US08499598B2
An apparatus and method of uniformly heating, rheologically softening, and thermoplastically forming metallic glasses rapidly into a net shape using a rapid capacitor discharge forming (RCDF) tool in combination with an electromagnetic force generated by the interaction of the applied current with a transverse magnetic field. The RCDF method utilizes the discharge of electrical energy stored in a capacitor to uniformly and rapidly heat a sample or charge of metallic glass alloy to a predetermined “process temperature” between the glass transition temperature of the amorphous metal and the equilibrium melting point of the alloy in a time scale of several milliseconds or less, at which point the interaction between the electric field and the magnetic field generates a force capable of shaping the heated sample into a high quality amorphous bulk article via any number of techniques including, for example, injection molding, dynamic forging, stamp forging, and blow molding in a time scale of less than one second.
US08499592B2
The present invention relates to the items required to be close by while the washer/dryer (1) operates and which are stored in different places by the user can be stored on the washer/dryer (1) by saving space thereby providing easy access.
US08499583B2
A process for producing a glass substrate for magnetic disk through chemical strengthening operation, in which the distribution of compressive stress is uniformed at a surface layer portion of the glass substrate to thereby, while preventing failures such as head crash and thermal asperity, realize a low flying height of magnetic head, attaining high-density information recording. In particular, the provided glass substrate for magnetic disk is suitable for application to compact magnetic disks for portable information equipment. The chemical strengthening operation includes the first step of bringing the glass substrate into contact with a first treatment solution (chemical strengthening treatment solution) containing first ions with an ionic radius larger than those of ions within the glass substrate and either the second and subsequent steps of bringing the platy glass into contact with treatment solutions containing second and subsequent bivalent ions, or the second and subsequent steps of bringing the glass substrate into contact with second and subsequent chemical strengthening treatment solutions containing second and subsequent ions exhibiting an ion exchange rate with ions within the glass substrate greater than that of the first ions to thereby decelerate the ion exchange.
US08499580B2
A centrifugal fan mounted in an air conditioner has the following relationship: outer diameter of a side plate of the centrifugal fan>outer diameter of the blade rear-edge part on side-plate side>diameter of the blade rear-edge part on main plate side>outer diameter of the main plate. In the centrifugal fan, the blade rear-edge part is positioned inside from a straight line connecting the connection point between the blade rear-edge part and the main plate, to the connection point between the blade rear-edge part and the side plate, as viewed from the rotation axis. The blade rear-edge part has a shape such that the distance from the rotation axis becomes larger from the main plate toward the side plate.
US08499571B2
A drive unit for an automatic ice maker may include a drive part provided with a motor for driving an ice tray and an ice detecting member, a position detecting device for detecting positions of the ice tray and the ice detecting member, a control section for controlling drive of the motor on the basis of detection signals of the position detecting device, and a unit case in which the control section, the drive part, the position detecting device are accommodated. The automatic ice maker may be installed in an ice making compartment of a refrigerator.
US08499567B2
A self-regulating system for reducing concentration of hydrocarbon vapor in a container may be performed by introducing air into the container and extracting a mixture of air and vapor from the container. The extracted mixture may be compressed with a compressor to produce a flow of compressed mixture of air and vapor. The compressed mixture may be passed through an oxidation reactor that may be either catalytic or thermal to produce a flow air and CO2. A turbine may be driven with the flow of air and CO2. The compressor may be driven with the turbine. Extraction from the container may continue until vapor concentration is low enough so that flow of CO2 and air from the reactor is insufficient to drive the turbine.
US08499555B2
A valve for use with a turbocharger is disclosed. The valve may have a valve element movable to selectively direct a flow of fluid. They valve may also have a control portion connected to move the valve element, and a cooling portion configured to receive a pressurized cooling medium from the turbocharger.
US08499554B2
A stable power-output device driven by waves includes buoys and a scaffold with the buoys, guiding tracks and rotating shafts installed. The scaffold floats on the waves, and wheels are installed at two sides of the buoys. Each two of the roller wheels are sandwiched between the related guiding track and the related side of each buoy, so that the roller wheels and the guiding tracks can work together. Guiding devices are installed on top of the buoys, and rotating shafts are connected to the guiding devices and float horizontally on the waves. Ratchets are installed on the short shafts in contact with the guiding devices. A shaft connector is adapted to connect each two of the rotating shafts together and form a long shaft.
US08499544B2
A turbogenerator having a gas turbine engine powering generator and a cooling system and an annular heat exchanger powered by a fan disposed across an outer fan duct of the engine. Fan variable inlet and outlet guide vanes may be used to vary power between the fan and the generator which are drivenly connected to a low pressure turbine. Inner and outer portions separated by a rotating shroud of the fan are disposed in annular inner and outer fan ducts respectively. A directed energy weapon may be powered by the generator and cooled by the cooling system. A refrigeration apparatus may be operably disposed between the annular heat exchanger and the directed energy weapon for cooling the directed energy weapon and conditioning power electronics for the weapon. The refrigeration apparatus may include a vapor cycle cooling system and a cold storage containing a phase change material.
US08499542B2
A flow balancing valve for a multistage combustor includes a first pressure feedback line, a first burn line, and a first metering port fluidly connected to the first fuel injector. The flow balancing valve further includes a second pressure feedback line, a second burn line, and a second metering port fluidly connected to the second fuel injector. A metering land is located between and defines sizes of the first metering port and the second metering port. An increase in pressure differential between the first pressure feedback line and the second pressure feedback line causes a compensatory movement in the metering land to balance fuel flow for the first fuel injector and the second fuel injector.
US08499535B2
A device for packaging products in a foil package includes a feeder for continuously supplying a foil web from a supply roll to a corner forming unit. The corner forming unit includes a curved deforming edge for deforming the flat foil web to a curved foil web having a reduced width, a deformer for forming a profile in the curved foil web, a roller for flattening the foil web, with the reduced width of the foil web at least substantially being maintained and overlapping sections being formed at the location of the profile, and a sealer for sealing the overlapping sections. The deforming edge and the deformer form part of an exchangeable unit. The sealer is movable along at least one guide, with the corner forming unit comprising aligning elements associated with the sealer, which aligning elements cooperate with further aligning elements associated with the deformer for correctly positioning the sealer relative to the deformer.
US08499528B2
A metal baluster is provided which has first and second metal segments, where each of these metal segments comprises a first end and a second end. The first ends of the first metal segments include extension portions from mating engagement with one another and the second end of each metal segment is adapted for attachment to the underside of an elongated handrail or to a tread or floor. The second end of each of the metal segments further comprises an ornamental portion which is proximate the elongated handrail or the tread or the floor. Connection apparatuses provided for securing the engagement of the extension portions of the first metal segment and the second metal segment. In another embodiment, a metal baluster of the present invention may comprise three metal segments where the first two metal segments are adapted for attachment to the underside of an elongated rail or to tread or floor and has an ornamental portion proximate the first end. These first and second metal segments are joined together by a third metal segment which has two ends which are adapted from mating engagement with the second ends of the first and second segments. A balustrade is also provided which comprises a plurality of balusters as described above.
US08499521B2
Floor panels (1, 1′) are shown, which are provided with a mechanical locking system on long and short edges (5a, 5b, 4a, 4b) allowing installation with vertical snap folding that could be accomplished automatically without tools and where the short edge (4a, 4b) locking system comprises a tongue (10) made in one piece with the panel.
US08499505B2
The present invention is an improved method of making cornice assemblies and other trim members utilizing the process of pultrusion. The cornice assemblies and the other trim members made by the method of the present invention exhibit superior strength to weight ratios, low expansion and contraction due to changes in temperature and humidity, as well being less labor intensive to install.
US08499496B2
A door is secured in spaced relation to a wall panel by a support assembly which includes a tubular housing secured to the wall and an elongate guide bar secured to the door at its bottom. The door is retained, at its top, between extruded aluminum abutments which allow the door to slide with respect to the wall panel, but prevent the door from pivoting about the guide bar.
US08499494B2
Electro-mechanical and electronically controlled access devices are described for controlling access to a building, premises or area in a secure manner such that a subject who is deemed ineligible for access will be barred entry and may be optionally retained. The devices can contain multiple rotatable door panels, which can be positioned behind one another. The door panels can be controlled by mechanized arms or other control devices in order to control the passage through the device. The direction of flow through a device according to these embodiments is electronically controlled and may be changed at any point in time. At any instant in time, the flow through the device is unidirectional. Multiple devices can be stacked together to form clusters, which can be controlled according to traffic, time of day, or other factors.
US08499483B2
Butt with recoil pad for a shoulder-held firearm, with the butt comprising a recoil pad, characterized in that the recoil pad is mounted on the butt by means enabling the position of the recoil pad to be adjusted with respect to the butt so as to be able to personalize the position of the recoil pad for the shooter with respect to an average position in which the recoil pad is primarily located in the extension of the butt.
US08499481B2
A muzzle loading firearm has a barrel with a bore on a bore axis, and has a muzzle end and a breech end. A frame is connected to the barrel, and has a breech face. The frame moves between an open position in which the breech face is away from the breech end of the barrel, and a closed position in which the breech face abuts the breech end of the barrel. A breech plug is removably attached to the barrel, and is connected to the barrel by way of interrupted, or multistart threads, or locking lugs. The breech plug may have a rear face that abuts the breech face when the frame is closed, so that a primer contained in a primer pocket in the rear of the breech plug is fully supported on all sides.
US08499480B2
Apparatus and associated methods involve a system to electrostatically mount a display system with a number of visible indicators that define regions and magnetically mount a number of tokens that correspond to the defined regions. In an illustrative example, the display system may include a flexible vinyl carrier of between 0.004 and 0.010 inches which may be sufficient thickness to facilitate removal of air bubbles but sufficiently thin to support magnetic tokens on a wide variety of target surfaces. One surface of the carrier may provide a retention force generated by electrostatic forces between the first surface and a target surface. In an example implementation, the target surface may be the exterior of a residential appliance. An opposite surface of the carrier may include visible indicia, for example, of a map.
US08499479B2
A portable advertising system well suited for outdoor advertising at night includes a body adapted to be secured to a transportation vehicle and may include a universal attachment system for that purpose. An advertisement may be displayed on an advertising surface mounted on the body. An illumination source is directed towards the advertising surface and may be integrated into an electronic display unit or may be directed at an advertising sheet such as a vinyl sheet. When the advertising sheet is used, a sheet tension system typically maintains tension on the sheet, and an openable protective cover may protect the sheet when not in use. The illumination source may be controlled based on environmental light conditions, sheet tension and/or position of the protective cover. The body may be part of a cargo container such as an ISO container suited for securing to a railroad car or other vehicle.
US08499463B2
A saw box for preventing chain shot from a broken sawchain of a chainsaw, the saw box including a stationary shield that covers a rear section of the saw. The shield has an end surface that extends between an outer surface and an inner surface of the shield and has such hardness and is designed with a convex curvature of such a radius that one part of the broken sawchain that comes to an external location during operation of the saw can slide around the end surface in an essentially unhindered manner in a direction towards the inner surface.
US08499455B2
The present invention relates to a method for installing a land wind power generator by using lead rails, and the method includes the steps of: locating a lower support having an insertion protrusion, a horizontal stepped surface, and a ground anchor, under the ground; locating a pair of posts of a tower crane and a cage for each post at the horizontal stepped surface of the lower support, ascending a nacelle assembly and an overhead crane, and locating an intermediate support by means of an outside crane; and locating the lead rails along the ground and the front surface of the intermediate support and ascending an upper support along the lead rails by means of the overhead crane. Next, after a nacelle base, a support frame, the lead rails, and the tower crane are disassembled from the located positions, a plurality of propellers connected to rollers located inside a rotary part of the nacelle assembly are lifted by means of a winch and are inserted into a plurality of coupling grooves of the rotary part. The method of this invention has relatively low installation costs and provides more effective and rapid installation processes to advantageously reduce the construction period.
US08499439B2
A positioning apparatus has a pilot holder having a hold face, a positioning pin having a tapered tip and supported by the pilot holder so that the tapered tip protrudes from the hold face of the pilot holder, a pad having a pad face that opposes the hold face of the pilot holder, and a movable member having a stop face that opposes the positioning pin and a relief hole for avoiding the tapered tip of the positioning pin from hitting the stop face, the movable member resiliently supported on the pad. The pilot holder and the pad in which the thin plate material is set between the hold face and the pad face relatively move to insert the tapered tip of the positioning pin into the positioning hole of the thin plate material. The stop face is flush with or protruding from the pad face of the pad.
US08499435B2
A thin-film magnetic head is constructed such that a main magnetic pole layer, a lower shield layer, an upper shield layer and a thin-film coil are laminated on a substrate. A method of manufacturing the thin-film magnetic head has a lower shield layer forming step. This step comprises a step of forming a first lower shield part in a lower shield planned area, including a planned line along the medium-opposing surface, a step of forming a partial lower seed layer having a partial arrangement structure in which the partial lower seed layer is arranged on a lower formation zone except a lower exception zone including the planned line, a step of forming a second lower shield part on the partial lower seed layer.
US08499427B2
Objects of the present invention provide an attachment for power tools that places and sets expansion anchors. One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a new and improved attachment apparatus for a rotary-hammer type drill, the attachment including a first anchor setting end, a second attachment end, and a handle portion connecting the setting end to the attachment end. The attachment apparatus can be efficiently and easily mounted to the rotary-hammer type drill to simplify the installation of expansion anchors.
US08499426B2
An apparatus including a first electrode; a second electrode; a first and second ceramic material disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, the second ceramic material having a greater electrical conductivity than the first ceramic material. A method including forming a first ceramic material film and a different second ceramic material film on a first electrode; and forming a second electrode on the second ceramic material film to form a capacitor structure having the first ceramic material film and the second ceramic material film disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the first ceramic material has a conductivity selected to dampen undesired oscillations in electrical device operation to which the capacitor structure may be exposed. An apparatus including a first electrode; a second electrode; and a composite dielectric including a plurality of dielectric films including a different Curie temperature.
US08499425B2
An urn with one or more removable and replaceable panels which allow for placement of an image, such as by laser engraving, to be done on the removable panel. The panel may be custom engraved and added to a partially complete urn. An urn with an extended base.
US08499419B2
A releasable tie includes a locking head and a strap body. The locking head includes a base plate, a pair of first side walls, a second side wall, and an operating rod. The operating rod is disposed above a window of the base plate, has a first top surface, and is bilaterally connected to the first side walls via connecting members. At least one first engaging tooth is provided at a predetermined depth extending vertically downward from the first top surface. The first engaging tooth has a second top surface which defines a first tooth depth. The operating rod includes an arm extending toward the strap body. The strap body has a bottom surface formed with plural second engaging teeth engageable with the first engaging tooth. The second engaging teeth have a predetermined tooth pitch smaller than the predetermined depth and a second tooth depth smaller than the first tooth depth.
US08499406B2
The present invention relates to a microfiber sweep mopcloth cleaning device, is comprised of a receptacle member of a fabric strap loop along with a pair of Velcro® strips, permanently sewed into a square microfiber terry cloth and affixes and gives an adjustable custom fit to most any size, design, shape or angle of an ordinary nylon household broom, without the worry of shifting, twisting or falling off and ultimately keeps a broom a broom, only allocating the ability to sweep and wipe clean substances, wet, dry, gooey or otherwise on today's old and new surfaces, meticulously and with precision and accuracy like never before, eliminating multiple cleaning tools and supplies, saving time, money and the environment, ultimately bringing joy and making the task of housekeeping fun and addictive for everyone. “A gift for those who love to clean and one for those who have to.”
US08499402B1
An articulating toothbrush is disclosed that has a flexible bristle head the bristles of which may be changed between flat, concave and convex states for best brushing the fronts and backs of teeth. The change is quickly and easily made by a user of the brush by applying a force to the handle toward or way from the bristled head. The handle comprises an upper handle portion and a lower handle portion that are parallel to each other and slide with alongside each other when the user applies a linear force to the handle. Locking means are provided with the upper and lower handle portions to hold them in a position to which they are moved by applying a force to them.
US08499398B2
A surface cleaning apparatus with a removable compartment is provided that allows a dust cup in the removable compartment to be emptied while minimizing handling by the user. The removable compartment is removably secured within the surface cleaning apparatus. The removable compartment can be removed by activating a first trigger device. The dust cup can be emptied by activating a second trigger device.
US08499397B2
An oral care implement with an oral care region having cleaning elements for engaging oral tissue and a body for gripping the implement including a handle with a front and a removable faceplate is described. The removable faceplate may be transparent or translucent and may also include design features. The faceplate may provide protection to a user inscription surface on one of the surfaces of the handle which is may be configured to receive user indicia that may later be removed and further indicia provided.
US08499380B2
A portable and collapsible cot structure comprises a fabric web, a frame, and a plurality of folding legs pivotally attached to the frame. The cot structure is collapsible to a bundled condition to minimize the amount of space taken up by the structure during storage and transportation. The cot structure includes at least one locking assembly pivotally connected to a leg assembly for maintaining the cot in an open, set-up condition, wherein the locking assembly must be unlocked before the cot structure can be collapsed. The locking assembly includes a first pedal for locking the assembly and a second pedal for unlocking the assembly. Preferably, a downward force can be applied to operate either pedal, thereby facilitating quick and easy set-up and break down of the cot structure without compromising safety, consuming too much time, or requiring undue effort.
US08499377B2
Automatically adjustable bunk apparatus are described that can be used, for example, in applications in which space is limited, such as, for example, boats and recreational vehicles. The automatically adjustable bunk apparatus can be configured in an extended bunk configuration or a space saving retracted configuration. The automatically adjustable bunk apparatus have a substantially horizontal portion and an adjustable portion either of which can be configured to be movable between a retracted position and an extended position. When the automatically adjustable bunk apparatus is in its retracted configuration, the adjustable portion is positioned outside the plane of the horizontal portion, and when the automatically adjustable bunk apparatus is in its extended position, the horizontal portion and the adjustable portion form a substantially flat surface.
US08499376B2
A drain closure device for a vessel having an interior surface and a drain hole defined in the interior surface. The drain closure device includes a drain plug configured to be telescopically received in the central throughshaft defined in the insert sleeve. The drain plug is moveable between a first contacted ceiling position and a second expanded, drain position. The drain plug includes a seal member that is attached to the first end and a connection member located on a second end. The connection member is configured to releasably engage with at least one lateral shoulder or a suitable lateral projection member associated with the drain opening when the drain plug the use position.
US08499373B2
An apparatus and kit for installing an object in a swimming pool are provided. Included are a receptacle, one or more gaskets, and a top deck anchor. The receptacle holds a substance such as concrete, to which the top deck anchor is attached. The gasket is attached to the top of the receptacle. A method of installing an object into a swimming pool is also provided.
US08499371B1
A portable toilet for marine craft securely located on the deck of a boat and including an inflatable privacy cover. The toilet includes a seat assembly and a box-shaped housing for a portable toilet. The boat seat assembly includes a boat seat, a boat seat back, and a support brace, made up of first and second support members hinged together. The first member connects the boat seat back to the second support member. The inner surface of the second support member defines a seat receiving portion for the boat seat. An inflatable cover is coupled to the boat seat housing and defines a pressurizable interior. A fan forcing air from an exterior of the inflatable toilet shelter to the pressurizable interior operatively inflates the inflatable cover. The inflatable toilet shelter can also have a swivel attached to the bottom for allowing the toilet to be vertically pivoted.
US08499369B2
A water conservation device for use within a toilet is disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the device includes a connector having a base adapted for connectivity and placement adjacent to a traditional pole assembly and proximate to an opening valve within a tank of the toilet. In at least one embodiment, the device includes a flexible pressure arm integrally formed with the connector base and adapted to couple to the opening valve within the tank of the toilet and adapted to provide a pressure to the opening valve to lessen overall water utilized in each flush of the toilet and thereby conserve water. The water conservation device is adapted for either a total or partial flush of the toilet as selected by a user.
US08499367B2
A cooling garment comprises a phase change material and at least one of: at least one leg portion and at least one arm portion. The phase change material may have a transition temperature between solid and liquid phases of between about 60° F. to about 90° F. The at least one arm portion has the phase change material disposed therein, and the at least one leg portion has the phase change material disposed therein. The arm and leg portions may be attached to a torso portion and shorts portion, respectively, and may be removable therefrom. The cooling garment may include a sensor configured to indicate a cooling capacity of the phase change material. A portable container having a reactivation substance stored therein may be provided to reactivate the phase change material. In one embodiment, the portable container is part of a self-contained breathing apparatus. In another embodiment, the phase change material is submerged in the reactivation substance in the container.
US08505105B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a computer-implemented method, system, and computer-readable medium for managing a collaborative deal transaction process that provides for tracking and managing signature pages of a deal transaction using a taxonomy displayable by a computing device, including receiving a list of users that are authorized to access the deal transaction, the list including an identifier associated with each of the users, storing the list of authorized users, parsing the identifier associated with each user, grouping the users according to parties based on the identifier, creating a taxonomy including a listing of documents relevant to the deal and a listing of the parties of the deal, receiving at least one document, and storing relevant pages of the at least one document, wherein each page is associated with at least one relevant party in the taxonomy.
US08505099B2
A machine-implemented method for determining whether a to-be-analyzed software is a known malware or a variant of the known malware includes the steps of: (A) configuring a processor to execute the to-be-analyzed software, and obtain a to-be-analyzed system call sequence that corresponds to the to-be-analyzed software with reference to a plurality of system calls made in sequence as a result of executing the to-be-analyzed software; (B) configuring the processor to determine a degree of similarity between the to-be-analyzed system call sequence and a reference system call sequence that corresponds to the known malware; and (C) configuring the processor to determine that the to-be-analyzed software is neither the known malware nor a variant of the known malware when the degree of similarity determined in step (B) is not greater than a predefined similarity threshold value.
US08505098B2
A recording, recovering, and replaying method for real traffic is used for processing a plurality of network packets of a plurality of network connections. A recording procedure of the method includes the following steps. A recording parameter (N, M, P) is received. A header and a payload of each network packet of the network connections are completely recorded, and a payload accumulation value of each network connection is accumulated. When one of the payload accumulation values exceeds N, the header of each network packet and first M bytes of the payload are recorded for P consecutive network packets corresponding to the payload accumulation value. When one of the payload accumulation values exceeds N and after the P consecutive network packets of the network connection corresponding to the payload accumulation value are recorded, the header of each network packet is recorded for the network connection corresponding to the payload accumulation value.
US08505097B1
A processing device comprises a processor coupled to a memory and implements a refresh-and-rotation process to protect a system comprising information technology infrastructure from a persistent security threat. The processing device is configured to replace one or more identified resources of a resource pool of the information technology infrastructure with one or more corresponding refreshed resources so as to provide a refreshed resource pool, and to remap elements of a set of workloads running on the information technology infrastructure to elements of the refreshed resource pool in order to deter the persistent security threat. The processing device may maintain within the resource pool a set of reserve resource pool elements that have no workload elements mapped to them, and can add resource pool elements to and remove resource pool elements from the set of reserve resource pool elements in conjunction with the remapping of workload elements to resource pool elements.
US08505092B2
Methods and apparatus for optimizing security configurations of a set of computers are disclosed. A set of local servers, each functioning as a deep-security manager supporting a respective subset of the computers, maintains protection software containing filters and rules for deploying each filter. A local server receives updated protection software from a central server. Each local server interrogates each computer of its subset of computers to acquire computer-characterizing data and applies relevant rules to determine an optimal set of filters for each computer. Each rule adaptively determines required characterizing data elements from each computer for determining an optimal security configuration. A local server updates the security configuration of a computer to suit changes in the operational environment of the computer.
US08505087B2
In an SS7 network, each of a plurality of Signal Transfer Points is fronted by a front-end processor (STP-FEP) that has a network presence. The STP-FEP implements at least the MTP2 layer of the SS7 protocol stack and implements security rules at the MTP2 and MTP3 layers.
US08505085B2
A flexible authentication system is described herein that fluidly switches between a federated authentication model and a local short-lived token model that does not require sophisticated authentication infrastructure at the relying party site. Upon detecting an event that causes the identity provider to be unavailable for authentication, the relying party switches to a temporary token model. The system generates a bearer token or challenge associated with the user's identity and (optionally) associated with time data that limits the period during which the token is valid. The relying party communicates the short-lived token to the user using contact information associated with the user and already stored by the relying party. Upon receiving the short-lived token, the user provides the short-lived token to the relying party, and the relying party processes the token to validate the user's identity and then allows the user to access the relying party's online services.
US08505078B2
Methods, apparatus, and systems are described for providing an accessor device an access credential to interact with a device resource on an accessee device. An authorization entity having a trust relationship with the accessee device, or a linked subordinate authorization entity, generates the access credential. The access credential includes a modification detection indicator, at least one access privilege, and an accessor public key. The at least one access privilege corresponds to at least one device resource on the accessee device. The authorization entity forwards the access credential to the accessor device, which presents the access credential to the accessee device for authentication. Once authenticated, the accessee device grants access to one or more device resources, and controls requests to insure they are within the scope of the at least one access privilege.
US08505074B2
Devices, methods, and computer-readable media for tagging web page content according to a content access level for entry into a web page content database, and filtering in response to a dynamic web page construction request based on the access level of the requesting source.
US08505068B2
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for deriving express rights in protected content. Embodiments of the invention provide mechanisms to convert implicit rights to express rights for entities, including applications, inside and outside of an organizational (e.g., enterprise) boundary. The conversion can occur dynamically, based on the information protection policies defined by a policy administrator, granting entities express access to perform tasks on protected content.
US08505066B2
Methods, apparatuses and a system are provided for performing a security audit of, for example, a multi-function device.
US08505064B2
A method and system of supporting operation of customer equipment in systems having at least a portion of their signals being transported according to standards which are not supported by the customer equipment.
US08505057B2
A method (300) and system (200) for of conserving resources in a video-on-demand environment are provided. The method (300) includes storing a stub file (223) on an edge storage device while storing content (110) at a central storage device (222). When a video-on-demand request (440) is received, a resource management system (206) reads (305) the stub file (223) to determine a storage location at the central storage device (222). The resource management system (206) then retrieves the content (110) from the storage location determined from the stub file (223) and either stores it at an edge storage device (111) or delivers it the a subscriber device (109) to fulfill the video-on-demand request (440).
US08505054B1
The audio portion of an A/V signal is sent to one or more mobile devices and the video portion of the A/V signal is sent to one or more separate display devices in such a way that the signal provided to the display device(s) contains video information that is delayed by a predetermined amount greater than the expected amount of delay in a communication network over which the audio information is sent to the mobile device(s) so that the audio is received by the mobile device(s) at or before the time the video is displayed on the display device. The signal provided to the display device may include the audio information and/or other information. The amount by which the information provided to the display device (i.e., the video and optionally the corresponding audio and/or other information) is delayed may be fixed or variable/configurable. An application running in the mobile device provides for adding additional delay to the received audio information so that the audio can be synchronized to the corresponding video on the display device. The application may allow the user to manually add the delay to the audio, e.g., using various types of controls, and/or the application may automatically add delay to the audio pursuant to various synchronization protocols.
US08505052B2
A broadcasting system 1 provides a digital content to be broadcast with an attribute vector A thereof. A filter 12 is assigned with a selection vector S indicating user's taste. The filter 12 performs a standardized inner product operation between the selection vector S and the attribute vector A for selecting and recording broadcast programs. A = ( a 1 , a 2 , a 3 , … , a n ) S = ( s 1 , s 2 , s 3 , … , s n ) P = A · S A S
US08505050B2
A system and method for providing an electronic program guide for television or radio programs includes presenting listings of present or future programs on-screen, presenting listings of past programs on-screen and indicating whether the past program is available again at a future time. Also, a system and method for handling information controllable from an electronic program guide for television or radio programs comprises receiving information in a user's system, storing the received information in the user's system, displaying access to the stored information by means of a user interface and enabling the user to select one of a plurality of management options for controlling the operation of the stored information through the user interface.
US08505041B2
A disk cartridge includes a case body that can house a plurality of disk-shaped recording media and is joined or separated by making a first shell contact with/separate from a second shell in an axial direction, and a lock lever that is rotatably supported and locks the first shell and the second shell in a joining manner, in the inside of the case body. A disk inserting/ejecting slot is formed, a supporting shaft is provided to the case body, the lock lever includes a supported part, a lock part, and a lock-release part, the first shell is provided with an open/close panel that includes an insertion hole, an insertion protrusion part that is inserted into the insertion hole of the open/close panel is provided to an end part of the lock-release part, and an end face of the insertion protrusion part is formed as an inclined face.
US08505040B2
An optical disk drive including a case, a traverse, a guide rod, an optical pick-up head and at least a locking member is provided. The traverse is disposed in the case and includes at least a cantilever part and at least a locking hole. The cantilever part protrudes from a carrying surface of the traverse and is integrated with the traverse. The guide rod leans against a bearing end of the cantilever part. The optical pick-up head is slidably disposed on the guide rod. The locking member includes a leaning part and a locking part. The locking part is locked into the locking hole and the leaning part presses an upper side of an end of the guide rod for making the bearing end generate a bending displacement toward the carrying surface through the guide rod.
US08505037B2
A method of operating a self-service terminal is described, along with software for performing the method. The self-service terminal has a number of service providers installed on it. According to the method, a call from a self-service terminal application to open a session with a service provider is received by a manager module. The call includes details of a device related parameter, such as a logical service name or device class. Those service providers which can support the device related parameter are identified and then queried to determine if an associated device is present. Based on the results of the query, one of the service providers is selected and a session is opened between the self-service terminal application and the selected service provider module.
US08505035B2
A method is disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the method includes providing a system specification of the system; deriving a number N1 of base patterns dependent on the system specification, a base pattern representing at least one service and having a number N2 of parameterisable events and a parameterisable control section representing a control flow and/or a data flow between the events; selecting a number N3, wherein N3≦N1, of base patterns and providing a control structure representing a control flow and/or a data flow between the selected base patterns dependent on an event trace expected as a result of the system run; and providing the reference data having at least the selected base patterns and the provided control structure.
US08505022B2
Automatic programming, scheduling, and control of planned activities at “worker nodes” in a distributed environment are provided by a “real-time self tuner” (RTST). The RTST provides self-tuning of controlled interoperation among an interconnected set of distributed components (i.e., worker nodes) including, for example, home appliances, security systems, lighting, sensor networks, medical electronic devices, wearable computers, robotics, industrial controls, wireless communication systems, audio nets, distributed computers, toys, games, etc. The RTST acts as a centralized “planner” that is either one of the nodes or a dedicated computing device. A set of protocols allow applications to communicate with the nodes, and allow one or more nodes to communicate with each other. Self-tuning of the interoperation and scheduling of tasks to be performed at each node uses an on-line sampling driven statistical model and predefined node “behavior patterns” to predict and manage resource requirements needed by each node for completing assigned tasks.
US08505019B1
A system, and a corresponding method, implemented on a processor, is used for assigning and reassigning instant capacity (iCAP) resources and non-iCAP resources in a computer system. The system includes a workload management system (WLMS) that monitors and controls the iCAP and the non-iCAP resources; an iCAP system available to monitor and control the iCAP resources; and an iCAP-WLMS integration system that transfers iCAP monitoring and control functions from the iCAP system to the WLM system, where the transfer creates a workload management (WLM) special mode of operation of the computer system, and where the WLMS monitors and assigns iCAP resources when in the WLM special mode.
US08505013B2
Described embodiments provide address translation for data stored in at least one shared memory of a network processor. A processing module of the network processor generates tasks corresponding to each of a plurality of received packets. A packet classifier generates contexts for each task, each context associated with a thread of instructions to apply to the corresponding packet. A first subset of instructions is stored in a tree memory within the at least one shared memory. A second subset of instructions is stored in a cache within a multi-thread engine of the packet classifier. The multi-thread engine maintains status indicators corresponding to the first and second subsets of instructions within the cache and the tree memory and, based on the status indicators, accesses a lookup table while processing a thread to translate between an instruction number and a physical address of the instruction in the first and second subset of instructions.
US08505011B2
An information processing device includes an image forming device, an execution sub-job determining unit, a sub-job execution destination determining unit and an execution instructing unit. The image forming device is designated as a destination and executes at least a sub-job executed N-th as the last sub-job out of N sub-jobs in a case where a job is divided into N sub-jobs. The execution sub-job determining unit determines a sub-job other than the executed N-th sub-job within a range of the occupiable time of the image forming device in a case where there is an available capacity in the image forming device. The sub-job execution destination determining unit determines the execution destination of each sub job. The execution instructing unit instructs a calculation resource to execute the first to (i−1)-th sub-jobs and instructs the image forming device to execute the i-th to N-th sub-jobs.
US08505010B2
A computer system that includes a processor for operating a software application in the computer system. The software application provides for creation, storage, and retrieval of a file, the file having a corresponding profile that the software application uses for at least the purpose of preparing the software application to display the file upon its retrieval by the software application. Also included is a plurality of storage media that are communicatively coupled to the processor. A storage management module distributes stored files and their accompanying profiles among the plurality of storage media according to predetermined patterns. One of such predetermined patterns is separate storage of a file and the file's corresponding profile.
US08505005B1
Methods and systems are disclosed for automatically installing software applications on multiple target computers having different computing platforms from a central location. The methods and systems provide an infrastructure comprising a centralized repository and server and a plurality of remote target computers. The centralized repository stores platform-specific installation files for each software application and computing platform of interest, and one or more non-platform-specific deploy jobs for installing the software applications. The non-platform-specific deploy jobs allows a user to automatically install one or more software applications on any target computer regardless of computing platform, and to reuse any installation logic that may have been custom-developed for the software applications. A common command syntax is created that may be used to define and execute the deploy jobs across the multiple computing platforms.
US08505004B2
A cloud administration system for providing a software update to one or more remote print devices may include a processing module in communication with the submission module a plurality of print devices. The processing module may be located remotely from each print device. The cloud administration system may include a storage module in communication with the processing module. The storage module may be configured to receive a software update from an application computing device. The software update may include a software version. The processing module may be configured to receive the software update from the storage module, and transmit the software update to at least one of the plurality of print devices. The cloud administration system may operate as a shared resource for each print device and the application computing device.
US08505002B2
A data processing system is provided having a processor and analysing circuitry for identifying a SIMD instruction associated with a first SIMD instruction set and replacing it by a functionally-equivalent scalar representation and marking that functionally-equivalent scalar representation. The marked functionally-equivalent scalar representation is dynamically translated using translation circuitry upon execution of the program to generate one or more corresponding translated instructions corresponding to a instruction set architecture different from the first SIMD architecture corresponding to the identified SIMD instruction.
US08504991B2
An apparatus for cross-browser testing of a web application is disclosed, including: a first broker residing among a plurality of browsers for receiving information of a user action from a browser operated by a user among the plurality of browsers and for transmitting the information of the user action to other browsers so that the other browsers can execute the user action; a second broker residing between the plurality of browsers and the web application for receiving at least one web request generated by executing the user action from the plurality of browsers and for determining whether to be able to merge the at least one web request, so as to determine whether the plurality of browsers are compatible with the web application. An associated method is also provided.
US08504990B2
An improved middleware configuration process can include extracting parameters of a manually configured customized software instance to be implemented on a tenant that provides the customized software instance providing business process-specific support tailored to a specific organization. A configuration engine can perform the extracting and can receive a designation of a first part of the parameters as relating to tenant-independent content of the customized software instance and a second part of the parameters as relating to tenant-dependent content of the customized software instance. The tenant-independent content can relate to features of a core software platform, and the tenant-dependent content can relate to at least one organization-specific extension of the core software platform that provides the business process-specific support. The tenant-dependent content can have tenant-specific content formats and tenant-specific content data defined by and available to only the tenant. The tenant-independent content of the tenant can be modified according to the first part, and the tenant-specific content can be modified according to tenant-specific implementation input that implements the second part for the tenant in accordance with the customized software instance. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also described.
US08504988B2
Disclosed is a rules based editor configured to edit an equation related element where the rules based editor may use at least one rule related to a pre-built application module that is included in a viewer module. The viewer module may include rendering and equation evaluation instructions. The edited equation related element may be configured to be included in a component description file. The combination of the viewer module and the component description file may be configured to be used to display a version of the equation related element that is analytically related to an input value.
US08504985B2
Context sensitive script editing for form design is provided. In some embodiments, context sensitive script editing for form design includes receiving an indication to display a script editing interface, in which the indication includes a selected object within a sub-window of an editing application; obtaining a script associated with the selected object; and displaying a pop-up window that includes the script associated with the selected object, in which the pop-up window is displayed within the sub-window.
US08504980B1
Data changes during transaction processing by a computer system are constrained. An outbound processing sub-component of a first processing component is enabled to change a value of a status variable relating to processing performed on a data object instance by the first processing component. The data object instance includes values for variables and methods capable of being performed by the data object instance. The outbound processing sub-component is configured to trigger subsequent processing steps in a second processing component. The outbound processing sub-component is permitted to change only the status variable and is not permitted to change any other variable.
US08504976B2
In an example embodiment, the system obtains the mutual inductance (e.g., Mij) between a quiet I/O buffer and each switching I/O buffer on a PLD from an automatic SSN measurement system. The system calculates the corrected mutual inductance between the quiet I/O buffer and each switching I/O buffer by multiplying the mutual inductance by a correction factor (e.g., αj). The system multiplies each corrected mutual inductance by the rate of current flowing through the switching I/O buffer to obtain an induced voltage resulting from the switching I/O buffer. The system sums the induced voltages for all the switching I/O buffers on the PLD to obtain an estimate of total induced voltage caused in the quiet I/O buffer by all switching I/O buffers. The correction factor is based on bench measurements and depends on the amplitude of the simultaneous switching noise affecting each switching I/O buffer.
US08504964B2
A through-hole layout apparatus and method for reducing differences in layout density of through-holes. The through-hole layout apparatus includes an extractor, which extracts an existing through-hole from design data for a semiconductor integrated circuit, a calculator, which calculates a layout density of through-holes in a predetermined region for each through-hole extracted by the extractor, a selector, which selects a through-hole at the center of a predetermined region where the layout density is lower than a predetermined value as a target through-hole from among the through-holes extracted by the extractor and a through-hole adder, which determines a given position in a predetermined region centered on the target through-hole as a placement position at which a through-hole is to be added for each target through-hole selected by the selector.
US08504961B2
An integrated circuit includes processing circuitry that includes a plurality of critical path circuits. These critical path circuits include variable delay circuits which add an additional delay in to a path delay through each of the critical path circuits so as to adjust the path delay to match a target path delay. Variable delay circuit includes a tank capacitor which is charged or discharged to generate a control voltage. This control voltage serves to control a power supply voltage fed to an inverter chain. Variation in the power supply voltage of the inverter chain adjust the propagation speed of a processing signal through the inverter chain and accordingly adjusts the additional delay imposed by the variable delay circuit.
US08504950B2
Disclosed herein is an ASIC having a base array of function blocks. Each function block includes a plurality of primitive cells. Each primitive cell is defined by a component from a standard cell library. The base array is prefabricated for use later with a custom circuit design.
US08504948B2
In general, the invention relates to a method for designing a biological circuit. The method includes obtaining a target circuit objective for the biological circuit, determining an objective function corresponding to the target circuit objective, obtaining a number of nodes for the biological circuit, obtaining a set of possible circuit subgraphs using the number of nodes, obtaining a specific dissipation energy (SDE) for each one of the set of possible circuit subgraphs by optimizing the objective function, selecting at least one circuit subgraph from the set of possible circuit subgraphs with the lowest SDE, and designing the biological circuit using the at least one selected one circuit subgraph.
US08504946B2
A computer-implemented method for use in conjunction with a computing device with a touch screen display comprises displaying a portion of a web page in a web browser application without concurrently displaying a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) entry area for inputting URLs of web pages. A gesture is detected in a predefined area at the top of the touch screen display. In response to detecting the gesture in the predefined area at the top of the touch screen display, the URL entry area is displayed.
US08504944B2
An image processing apparatus includes: an image display control unit controlling an image display on a display screen; an image generating unit generating a question image including a question and option buttons configured by icons that can be arbitrarily selected for the question; a position detecting unit detecting a position of a pointer present on the display screen from imaging data acquired by imaging the display screen; a position information storing unit storing positions of the icons when the question image is displayed on the display screen; and a control unit specifying an icon out of the icons selected by the pointer based on the position of the pointer and calibrating the position of the pointer based on the position of the icon, which is stored in the position information storing unit, corresponding to the icon specified to have been selected.
US08504943B2
Information is displayed regarding an arrangement of nodes coupled by a communications network. The nodes are associated with corresponding characteristics. Plural groups of the nodes are defined based on the characteristics associated with the nodes. Group icons representing the respective groups of nodes are displayed.
US08504930B1
Methods and apparatus define a user interface for a computer program after execution of the computer program has begun. A user interface for the program is defined by: associating a map component and a fashion component on the fly at run time to generate the user interface; and executing the user interface with the associated function and appearance.
US08504929B2
A system that executes a user editable application includes a user interface that includes a plurality of components organized in a tree structure. The system indicates which of the plurality of components may be editable by a user of the application. The system receives editing input from the user for an editable component, and then updates the component based on the editing input.
US08504928B2
A communication terminal displays images on a display device. The communication terminal: receives a material image and corresponding first identification information transmitted from a communication terminal via a network; receives a captured image and corresponding second identification information transmitted from a second communication terminal via the network, the captured image being captured by a camera; compares the first identification information with the second identification information; and displays, when the result of the comparing indicates that the first identification information and the second identification information are the same, the material image and the captured image on a display device in such a manner that at least a part of the captured image overlaps with at least a part of the material image or in such a manner that an outer edge of the part of the captured image abuts an outer edge of the material image.
US08504923B2
A method and media engine for rendering a graphical interface on a device is disclosed. A skinning theme document describing rendering characteristics of the graphical interface is parsed. The document comprising at least one data element representing data generated by an application and at least one custom event representing events generated by the application. The parsed information is stored in a template including at least one named data element and at least one custom event describing the graphical interface using a markup language. Updated data element or custom event information is received from an application through an interaction interface. The template is updated with the received updated data element or custom event information. The template is rendered as the graphical interface wherein the graphical user interface presents one or more data elements from each application is rendered.
US08504918B2
Video content, such as broadcast television, may be divided into segments, and each segment may be assigned a distinguishing Uniform Resource Locator (URL). The URL assigned to a segment allows a user to access the segment via the Internet. For example, a television news program may be broken into segments (e.g., each interview on the program might constitute a segment). For each segment, a code may be assigned, and may be appended to the broadcaster's domain name to create a distinct URL for the segment. While the segment is being broadcast, the URL may be displayed with the segment, thereby allowing a viewer to identify the segment and to locate an Internet version of the segment. Entering the URL into a browser may access an Internet version of the broadcast segment to which the URL pertains.
US08504911B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for facilitating access to data in network page generation code supplied by customers of a hosting provider. A request for a network page is obtained from a client. The network page is associated with a network site hosted by a hosting provider on behalf of a customer. Page generation code supplied by the customer is obtained, and this code includes a dynamic data variable. One or more service calls are executed based at least in part on the dynamic data variable to obtain one or more data objects. The page generation code is executed to generate the network page in response to the request, where the page generation code is executed with the data objects in place of the dynamic data variable.
US08504904B2
Objects stored in a storage system (such as a file server system) are protected by multiple levels of validation. Each chunk of an object is associated with a chunk validator, and an object validator is computed for the object based on the chunk validators. The object validator is stored in the storage system and may be used at various times to validate the object, for example, upon a startup of the storage system, upon taking a checkpoint or “snapshot” of the status of the storage system, or at other appropriate times.
US08504900B2
A communication system (e.g., a hard drive) having a random-access memory (RAM) for storing trapping-set (TS) information that the communication system generates on-line during a special operating mode, in which low-density parity-check (LDPC)-encoded test codewords are written to a storage medium and then read and decoded to discover trapping sets that appear in candidate codewords produced by an LDPC decoder during decoding iterations. The discovered trapping sets are filtered to select a subset of trapping sets that satisfy specified criteria. The discovery and filtering of trapping sets is performed based on error vectors that are calculated using the a priori knowledge of original test codewords. The TS information corresponding to the selected subset is stored in the RAM and accessed as may be necessary to break the trapping sets that appear in candidate codewords produced by the LDPC decoder during normal operation of the communication system.
US08504899B2
A data transfer method transfers data encoded with a loss correction code by using a protocol having no error correction function. The method includes acquiring a data size of transfer target data; acquiring a relationship between a code length of the loss correction code and a transfer time for the acquired data size of the transfer target data; determining an optimum code length of the loss correction code for encoding the transfer target data based on the acquired relationship between the code length and the transfer time for the acquired data size; and encoding the target data with the loss correction code having the optimum code length.
US08504895B2
To decode a representation, imported from a channel, of a codeword that encodes K information bits as N>K codeword bits, estimates of the codeword bits are updated by exchanging messages between N bit nodes and N−K check nodes of a graph in a plurality of iterations. In each of one or more of the iterations, some or all values associated with the bit nodes, and/or some or all values associated with check nodes, and/or some or all messages are modified in a manner that depends explicitly on the ordinality of the iteration and is independent of any other iteration. Alternatively, the modifications are according to respective locally heteromorphic rules.
US08504889B2
A wireless device includes a functional unit, a wireless transceiver, an antenna and a clock. The wireless transceiver and antenna are coupled to the functional unit. The clock is coupled to the functional unit and the wireless transceiver. The clock is generates a clock signal. The wireless device is coupled wirelessly to a wireless slave device. The functional unit is configured to determine an amount of time since a last keep alive transmission with the slave device has occurred based on the clock. The functional unit determines a number of keep alive transmissions to transmit to the slave device, and appropriate transmission times for the keep alive transmissions relative to a next scheduled keep alive transmission time, based on the determined amount of time since the last keep alive transmission. The functional unit begins successive transmission of the keep alive transmissions to the slave device per the transmission times.
US08504888B2
Methods and devices are provided where when an online parameter change is requested a data transfer unit is stopped, a parameter change is communicated and the data transfer unit is started with changed parameters to generate new data transfer units.
US08504887B1
This disclosure relates generally to low power data decoding, and more particularly to low power data decoders for use under defects, erasures, and puncturing, with a low density parity check (LDPC) encoder. Systems and methods are disclosed for decoding a vector with punctured, detected defect and/or erased bits. Systems and methods are also disclosed for decoding a vector with undetected defects and/or unknown error patterns. Low power decoding may be performed in an LDPC decoder during the process of decoding an LDPC code in the case of defects, erasures, and puncturing. The low power techniques described herein may reduce power consumption without a substantial decrease in performance of the applications that make use of LDPC codes, or the devices that make use of low power LDPC decoders.
US08504885B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for approximating a probability density function or distribution for a received value in communication or storage systems. A target distribution is approximated for a received value in one or more of a communication system and a memory device, by substantially minimizing a squared error between the target distribution of the received values and a second distribution obtained by mapping a predefined distribution, such as a Gaussian distribution, through a mapping function, wherein the second distribution has an associated set of parameters. The mapping function can be, for example, a piecewise linear function. The second distribution has a plurality of segments and each of the segments has an associated set of parameters. The associated set of parameters can be used to compute probability values, soft data values or log likelihood ratios.
US08504864B2
A method is provided for synchronizing time in an unsynchronized vehicle controller area network system. A master control unit receives a global time from a time synchronization source. The master control unit estimates a respective time delay in transmitting messages by electronic control units on each controller area network bus. The time delay is a difference between a time when a message is generated by a respective electronic control unit for transmission on a respective controller area network bus and a time when the message is transmitted on the respective controller area network bus. The global time is adjusted for each respective controller area network bus based on the estimated time delays associated with each respective controller area network bus. Global time messages from the master control unit are transmitted to each electronic control unit that include the adjusted global times for an associated controller area network bus.
US08504859B2
Apparatus and techniques relating to data interface power consumption control are disclosed. Components of a data transfer module may be selectively moved between their normal operating states and reduced power states at times when the data transfer module is not to be used for transferring data. Decisions as to particular components that are to be moved to their reduced power states may be based on respective timing characteristics of the components and/or respective power consumption characteristics of the components, for example. In some embodiments, an action may be performed to reduce a powering up time of the data transfer module when normal operation of the data transfer module is to resume. In the case of a multiple-connection interface having respective data transfer modules for each connection, the interface may be partially shut down by moving a subset of the data transfer modules into reduced power states.
US08504858B2
An input device with a power saving system is provided for reducing the power consumption of the input device when the input device is at rest. The input device may include a sensor, a rest mode switch, control logic and a current controller. The sensor may be configured to obtain an image data in response to a light incident on the sensor. The rest mode switch may be configured to set the input device to various levels of rest modes when it is inactive. The control logic may be coupled to the rest mode switch and the sensor. The control logic may be configured to set the input device to process a portion of the image data on the sensor array during a wake up detection operation when the input device is at rest. The current controller may be coupled to the control logic and the sensor and configured to control the current supply limited to a section of the sensor array containing the portion of image data that is being processed by the input device during the wake up detection operation.
US08504855B2
The aspects enable a computing device or microprocessor to determine a low-power mode that maximizes system power savings by placing selected resources in a low power mode while continuing to function reliably, depending upon the resources not in use, acceptable system latencies, dynamic operating conditions (e.g., temperature), expected idle time, and the unique electrical characteristics of the particular device. The various aspects provide mechanisms and methods for compiling a plurality of low power resource modes to generate one or more synthetic low power resources from which can be selected an optimal low-power mode configuration made up of a set of selected synthetic low power resources.
US08504854B2
A system and method for managing multiple discrete operating points to create a stable virtual operating point. One or more functional blocks within a processor produces data corresponding to an activity level associated with the respective functional block. A power manager determines a power consumption value based on the data once every given sample interval. In addition, the power manager determines a signed accumulated difference over time between a thermal design power (TDP) and the power consumption value. The power manager selects a next power-performance state (P-state) based on comparisons of the signed accumulated difference and given thresholds. Transitioning between P-states in this manner while the workload does not significantly change causes the processor to operate at a virtual operating point between supported discrete operating points.
US08504851B2
An electronic device includes a central processing unit (CPU), a number of power supply units (PSUs), a north bridge, a south bridge, and a baseboard management controller (BMC). The number of power supply units (PSUs) supplies power to the CPU. Each PSU has a rated power. The north bridge is connected to the CPU. The south bridge is connected to the north bridge. The BMC is connected to the CPU by the north and south bridges. The BMC detects power supply states of each PSU and controls the north bridge to adjust a power consumption of the CPU according to the power supply states of the PSUs.
US08504849B2
Many storage devices are not aware of file systems while many computer host devices read and write data in the form of files. The host device provides a key reference or ID, while the memory system generates a key value in response which is associated with the key ID, which is used as the handle through which the memory retains complete and exclusive control over the generation and use of the key value for cryptographic processes, while the host retains control of files.
US08504848B2
A device for encrypted communication with external entities is configured to frustrate side channel attacks attempting to determine an encryption key. The device has a first memory, an encryption key stored in the first memory and a one-way function for application to the encryption key. During use, the encryption key is retrieved from the first memory prior to application to the one-way function and the device is configured to limit the number of times the encryption key is allowed to be retrieved from the non-volatile memory to a pre-determined threshold.
US08504846B2
A system for securely storing data is provided. The system includes a transformation component operable to scramble or encrypt the data, a dissection component operable to divide the data into a plurality of segments, and a storage component operable to store the plurality of segments in a plurality of memory locations. These components can operate various schemes identified by encoded identifiers and new schemes can be added to the system at any time. A user device can use a combination of a transformation scheme, a dissection scheme, and a storage scheme to protect stored private data at any point in time. The combination can be changed quickly by the user device autonomously or upon receiving an instruction to do so.
US08504841B1
Apparatus and method for managing password information associated with a service account are disclosed. In some embodiments, a service account management system is configured to include a security account utility and a password information data store. In some embodiments, a security account utility is used when registering, tracking, and adjusting password change information. In some embodiments, notification of a password change date is transmitted to a service account owner and a security auditor for enforcement. Use of a security account management system with a middleware application is also disclosed.
US08504839B2
The method and accompanying apparatus and device protects against programming attacks and/or data corruption by computer viruses, malicious code, or other types of corruption. In one example, signature verification policy information that identifies a plurality of policies associated with a plurality of target memory segments is programmed during a secure boot process. The programmed signature verification policy information associated with each of the plurality of target memory segments is then evaluated during run-time. Signature verification is then repeatedly performed, during run-time, on each of the plurality of target memory segments based on the programmed signature verification policy information associated with each target memory segment.
US08504831B2
Responsive to receiving an authentication request from a device, an authentication server determines a confidence level for the authentication request, generates a confidence-weighted challenge to the authentication request. The confidence-weighted challenge being weighted based upon a confidence level. The authentication server, responsive to receiving a challenge response to the confidence-weighted challenge from the device, determines whether to authenticate the user based upon the challenge response. If the authentication server determines that the challenge response satisfies an expected response known to the authentication server, the authentication server permits authentication of the user to access the device. If the authentication server determines the challenge response does not satisfy the expected response known to the authentication server, the authentication server denies authentication of the user to access the device.
US08504829B2
A certification system connected to a radio communication system which includes a device configured to perform a first certification based on first information received via the radio communication system from a radio terminal. A first access server is connected to a first network and to the radio network and the first access server is configured to acquire the first information and to perform a second certification based on second information received via the radio network from the radio terminal. The first access server also selectively provides information requested by the radio terminal to the radio terminal based on the second information.
US08504828B2
A method for providing an indication of authenticity of an electronic image of a document comprises generating a signal corresponding to a profile of at least one of a number of surfaces of the document, converting the signal into a profile signature, and correlating the profile signature with the electronic image of the document. A method for authenticating an electronic image of a document comprises receiving the electronic image of the document and a profile tracing signature of a surface of the document that is associated with the electronic image, and comparing the profile tracing signature with an exemplar profile tracing signature associated with the document. A document processing system comprises a pickup, a signal processing circuit, and a scanning module and is used for producing a profile tracing signature and electronic image of a document and for correlating the profile tracing signature with the electronic image.
US08504823B2
A host device comprises a configurable connector. The host device connector can be connected to a configurable connector of an accessory device. The host device can select connector functions to be enabled for connecting to the accessory device connector. The selection of connector functions can be based on accessory device information such as accessory device power consumption, power configuration and application information. The accessory device can exclude connector functions supported by the accessory device from the list of accessory device functions sent to the host device. The accessory device can exclude connector functions based on information about the host and connector devices. Single or mutual authentication can be performed before connection functions are enabled at either device. Host and accessory devices can require that a host device be licensed to use an accessory device connector function or to gain access to accessory device resources. Tiered licensing policies can be supported.
US08504819B2
A wireless LAN relay device connecting an outer device to a network includes a communication section for controlling wired communication and wireless communication performed between the wireless LAN relay device and the outer device using a packet. The communication section performs, in an initial state, wireless communication without encrypting the packet, and encrypts, upon reception of a setting instruction from the outer device, the packet by using a predetermined encryption key and a predetermined encryption method which are preliminarily defined in the wireless LAN relay device.
US08504818B2
The embodiments described herein generally relate to methods and systems for tunneling arbitrary binary data between an HTTP endpoint and an arbitrary destination. Such tunneling of data is valuable in an environment, for example, in which a browser-based client communicates in the HTTP protocol and desires to exchange data with a remote endpoint understanding non-HTTP communications. A relay server is used as a “middle man” to connect the client to the destination, and components supporting the necessary protocols for data exchange are plugged into the relay server. To achieve reliable and ordered transmission of data, the relay server groups sessions through the assignment of session identifiers and tracks the exchange of messages through the assignment of sequence and acknowledgment numbers. Further, the relay server provides for authenticating the HTTP endpoint with the destination and for handling other operations not available in the constrained environment of the Web-based client.
US08504804B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for determining if an instruction of a first thread dispatched from a first queue associated with the first thread is stalled in a pipestage of a pipeline, and if so, dispatching an instruction of a second thread from a second queue associated with the second thread to the pipeline if the second thread is not stalled. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08504801B2
A semiconductor device correctly switches endian modes regardless of the current endian mode of an interface. The semiconductor device includes a switching circuit and a first register. The switching circuit switches an interface tote used in big endian or little endian mode. The first register holds control data of the switching circuit. The switching circuit sets the interface in little endian mode when first predetermined control information is supplied to the first register, and sets the interface in big endian mode when second predetermined control information is supplied to the first register. The control information can be correctly inputted without being influenced by the endian setting status.
US08504787B1
Described are techniques for determining storage requirements for data protection. An initial size of a data protection area is determined. The data protection area provides storage for data obtained as a result of performing a data protection process for a first data area. The initial size is determined as a mathematical product of a first size of the first data area for which data protection is performed, a retention time, and a rate of change. Monitoring for an occurrence of one of a plurality of trigger events is performed. In response to an occurrence of one of the plurality of trigger events, it is determined whether an adjustment to a current size of the data protection area is needed.
US08504783B2
A storage subsystem receives writes from a computer via a standard storage subsystem interface. The storage subsystem reduces a number of the writes. A single drive of the storage subsystem has primary and redundant storage devices with storage device interfaces. A disk controller of the single drive implements a data redundancy scheme by storing data associated with the reduced number of writes in the primary storage devices and by storing computed redundancy information in the redundant storage devices. The disk controller is operable without a loss of data in the presence of at least a single failure of any of the storage devices. Optionally the storage devices are flash memory devices. Optionally the disk controller is operable without a loss of data in the presence of at least two failures of any of the storage devices when a number of the redundant storage devices is at least two.
US08504768B2
A storage apparatus has a plurality of storage media including each storage area in which a stripe is set extending over the storage area of the plurality of storage media. An access unit that writes a format data into the storage area, wherein when the plurality of storage media are formatted, the access unit writes an unformatted-state identifier indicating incompletion of formatting into at least a portion of storage area to be included in the stripe, or when the storage area to be included in the stripe is accessed for writing new data, the access unit reads out existing data stored in the storage area included in the stripe to be accessed. And when the unformatted-state identifier is detected from the existing data that has been read out, the access unit writes the new data or the format data to be written by formatting into the storage area.
US08504755B2
A bridge device for connecting a USB 3 host device with a plurality of downstream, non-USB 3 mass storage devices, such as SATA or PATA devices. The bridge device comprises an embedded hub having a plurality of internal USB 3 devices. The internal USB 3 devices do not have a physical USB 3 interface. The bridge device also has at least one downstream physical non-USB 3 device, to which a mass storage device may be attached. The internal USB 3 devices enable the host device to be presented with a plurality of USB 3 devices. This, in turn, allows transfer to the plurality of downstream physical non-USB 3 devices, via the internal USB 3 devices at an increased rate. The bridge may also include a downstream physical USB 3 interface. This can allow multiple bridge devices to be connected together in a cascade.
US08504739B2
In embodiments of extensions for USB driver interface functions, a set of USB driver interfaces are exposed by a USB core driver stack, and the USB driver interfaces include USB driver interface functions to interface with USB client function drivers that correspond to client USB devices. A composite device driver registers itself and requests a function handle for each function of a client USB device. The USB client function drivers are enumerated and the function handles generated for each function of the client USB device. A check first protocol is enforced that directs a USB client function driver to check for availability of a USB driver interface function before interfacing with the USB core driver stack via the USB driver interfaces. A contract version identifier is received that indicates a set of operation rules by which a USB client function driver interfaces with the USB core driver stack.
US08504733B1
A subtree within a global tree of nodes is created by determining a predicate condition. The predicate condition is disseminated to the nodes in the global tree. For each node in the global tree, a determination of whether the node belongs to the subtree is performed, and an indication of whether the node belongs to the subtree is stored. After the subtree is created, a query corresponding to the subtree is put to the subtree for resolution.
US08504731B2
In a parallel computer system including a plurality of processors, processors are classified into a plurality of groups including a prescribed number of processors, and processors are connected to each other in a complete connecting manner in the groups. Those groups are connected to each other as the respective processors are connected in linear to each other.
US08504728B1
A network interface system includes a memory system for managing data obtained via a system bus that supports split transactions. The memory system comprises a first memory for storing outgoing assembled data frames and associated control information prior to transfer of the outgoing data to the network, and an assembly memory that stores unassembled outgoing data from the bus. A memory control system stores the control information associated with pending bus read requests and also transfers outgoing data from the assembly memory to the first memory when all the outgoing data for a corresponding read request has been assembled.
US08504724B1
Ways of allocating an identifier to a mobile device are disclosed. One method includes receiving a request that requests an address be assigned to the mobile device, considering factors in connection with determining a mobile IP (MIP) address to be assigned to the mobile device, determining the MIP address based on the factors, and conveying the MIP address to the mobile device.
US08504716B2
The present disclosure is directed towards systems and methods for allocating a bandwidth credit or an annuity of bandwidth credit to a sender by an intermediary deployed between the sender and a receiver. The sender may be allocated a bandwidth credit or an annuity of bandwidth credit which may identify an amount of data the sender may transmit over a predetermined time period to the receiver, via the intermediary. The intermediary may determine an allocation of a one-time bandwidth credit based on the determination that a difference between the rate of transmission of the sender and the bandwidth usage of the sender falls below a predetermined threshold of the bandwidth credit. The intermediary may determine an annuity of bandwidth credit based on a determination that a difference between the bandwidth usage of the sender over the annuity period and the annuity of bandwidth credit exceeds a predetermined threshold.
US08504710B2
Systems and methods for providing accelerated data storage and retrieval utilizing lossless data compression and decompression. A data storage accelerator includes one or a plurality of high speed data compression encoders that are configured to simultaneously or sequentially losslessly compress data at a rate equivalent to or faster than the transmission rate of an input data stream. The compressed data is subsequently stored in a target memory or other storage device whose input data storage bandwidth is lower than the original input data stream bandwidth. Similarly, a data retrieval accelerator includes one or a plurality of high speed data decompression decoders that are configured to simultaneously or sequentially losslessly decompress data at a rate equivalent to or faster than the input data stream from the target memory or storage device. The decompressed data is then output at rate data that is greater than the output rate from the target memory or data storage device. The data storage and retrieval accelerator method and system may employed: in a disk storage adapter to reduce the time required to store and retrieve data from computer to disk; in conjunction with random access memory to reduce the time required to store and retrieve data from random access memory; in a display controller to reduce the time required to send display data to the display controller or processor; and/or in an input/output controller to reduce the time required to store, retrieve, or transmit data.
US08504709B2
A system receives streaming media data and stores the received data in a buffer to fill the buffer. The system selectively extracts the received data from the buffer to begin playback of the streaming media data. The system further analyzes remaining media data in the buffer, to identify a location in the buffer that stores an inactive period in the media data, when the buffer is emptied to a certain percentage of its capacity. The system also halts playback and re-fills the buffer with received streaming media data when the buffer reaches the location in the buffer and selectively extracts the received data from the buffer to resume playback of the streaming media data.
US08504705B2
Methods relate to providing limited temporary access to a web site to visitors who desire to experience all the features provided by this site before becoming a member. The temporary access privileges may be limited by duration, which is counted from the initial access request, or by number of accesses. At the end of the temporary access period, the visitor may be given additional access privileges before being permanently denied access. The user may be identified either by the IP address assigned to the user device or by the user's e-mail address.
US08504703B2
The present invention is a system for and method of providing instruction sequence compounding by (1) the virtual machine monitor's (VMM) looking ahead when an initial trap (exception) event occurs and recognizing traps within successive nearby instructions, combining and virtually executing the effects of multiple instructions while remaining inside the VMM's trap handler, and thereby minimizing the number of individual traps that would otherwise occur at each instruction and/or (2) the VMM's looking ahead when an initial context switch event occurs and recognizing context switches within successive nearby instructions, virtually combining the effects of multiple instructions and handing off this combined instruction to the host operating system, and thereby minimizing the number of individual context switches that would otherwise occur at each instruction. As a result, the number of processor cycles is reduced for exception handling and context switching in a virtual machine environment.
US08504697B2
A system and method connect a first network device and a second network device by initiating a secure communication link. The system includes one or more servers configured to: receive, from the first network device, a request to look up a network address of the second network device based on an identifier associated with the second network device; determine, in response to the request, whether the second network device is available for a secure communications service; and initiate a secure communication link between the first network device and the second network device based on a determination that the second network device is available for the secure communications service; wherein the secure communications service uses the secure communication link to communicate at least one of video data and audio data between the first network device and the second network device.
US08504694B2
In various embodiments, methods and systems are disclosed for the implementation of multiple transport channels between the client and server. Each of the channels may be adapted to efficiently communicate data for a particular data type and thus be particularly well suited for its data-element characteristics and the detected link characteristics between the client and server.
US08504683B2
A system configured to manage IT assets associated with an entity (e.g., a company, an institution, etc.), in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention. The IT assets may include hardware assets, software assets, telecommunications assets, and/or other IT assets. The system enables substantially all of the information relevant to the individual IT assets to be organized within a single repository throughout the life cycle of the IT assets (e.g., from order to disposal). By organizing the relevant information within a single repository, automation and dynamic system interaction may be leveraged during the life cycle of a given IT asset to track and/or monitor the given IT asset with an enhanced efficiency. In some embodiments, the system may include a common database, and an asset implementation manager, an asset ownership manager, an asset process manager, a service manager in operative communication with the common database.
US08504681B1
Embodiments disclosed herein provide a system, method, and computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions for implementing a Socialware architecture encompassing a suite of applications for continuously and adaptively monitoring and filtering traffic to and from social networking sites, particularly useful in an enterprise computing environment. In some embodiments, an appliance may be coupled to a proxy server for providing a plurality of Socialware services, including analyzing, logging, and reporting on traffic to and from social networking sites. Some embodiments may allow a user to report, identify, and prevent malicious and potentially malicious content and/or activity by another user. Some embodiments may encrypt outgoing traffic to and decrypt incoming traffic from social networking sites. Some embodiments may provide an enterprise user to define and restrict certain social networking activities outside of the enterprise computing environment.
US08504675B2
An email system comprises a plurality of email servers connected by a data communications network. The email system avoids single points of failure by employing multiple email servers which self configure, without requiring dedicated servers, through self addressing and discovery and announcement protocols. An email server can act as a primary email server by executing an administration tool allowing an administrator to modify the configuration data set which the email servers utilize, and the primary email server will then announce the resulting change in the version level of the configuration data set to other email servers. Each email server will then determine and request any needed updates to its respective configuration data set from the primary email server or another email server.
US08504671B1
A computer-implemented method for rating a current instance of data is described. An activity occurring on a computing system is monitored. The activity includes the current instance of data. A rating is assigned to the current instance of data. A determination is made as to whether the activity includes at least one additional instance of data. When the activity includes at least one additional instance of data, the rating assigned to the current instance of data is updated. The updated rating is based on the content of the at least one additional instance of data.
US08504649B2
A method for a computer system includes determining a first social distance for a first user with respect to a second user, determining a second social distance for a third user with respect to the second user, determining a first qualitative rating associated with the first user, determining a second qualitative rating associated with the second user, determining a first trust-metric for the first user in response to the first social distance and the first qualitative rating, determining a second trust-metric for the third user in response to the second social distance and the second qualitative rating, and prioritizing a first listing from the first user over a second listing from the third user for the second user, in response to the first trust-metric and the second trust-metric.
US08504646B2
A method for transferring existing data from a source motor to a target motor includes retrieving the existing data from the source motor, optionally converting the existing data into a new format, and at least one of storing, erasing, writing, overwriting, or replacing software and/or data on the target motor such that the existing data is stored on the target motor in a format compatible with the target motor.
US08504643B2
The present invention enables enable uniform distributed destination, which greatly simplifies the management and development of distributed destination applications and permits the configuration of a clustered resource to be adjusted dynamically to meet the changing configuration of the cluster. In a uniform distributed destination, member destinations will be allocated uniformly, each having a consistent configuration of all distributed destination parameters. 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.
US08504642B2
Some embodiments provide different frameworks for seamlessly issuing and executing commands across servers of different federation participants. Each framework facilitates issuance and execution of a command that originates from a first federation participant and that is intended for execution at servers of a second federation participant. In some embodiments, a framework implements a method for enabling command interoperability between distributed platforms that each operate a set of servers on behalf of content providers. The method involves receiving a command targeting a particular configuration that a first distributed platform deploys to a server that is operated by a second distributed platform. The method identifies the server of the second distributed platform that is deployed with the particular configuration. The method communicably couples to a command invocation system of the second distributed platform and issues the command to the command invocation system for issuance of the command to the identified server.
US08504641B2
A method of assigning a server to a client system includes determining an ingress point of the client system and identifying possible egress points for the client system. The method further includes selecting the server from a plurality of servers to reduce network cost and delivery time.
US08504638B2
Disclosed is a method, circuit, device and system for conveying media device control signaling over a radio frequency link. A first control signal generated by a first media device may be conveyed to a second media device over a radio frequency data link, where the data link is formed through a first transceiver connected to the first media device and a second transceiver connected to the second media device. According to further embodiments of the present invention, the first transceiver, or circuits functionally associated with the transceiver, may emulate a receipt of media control signal acknowledgement of the second media device and may provide the acknowledgement to the first media device. According to yet further embodiments of the present invention, the second transceiver, or circuits functionally associated with the transceiver, may receive, reconstruct and forward the first control signal to the second media device. Upon the second transceiver receiving an acknowledgment of receipt of the first control from the second media device, the second transceiver may drop the acknowledgement.
US08504635B2
A system comprising a first network element, a second network element and a communication device. The first network element is communicatively coupled to the second network element and the communication device. The communication device sends multimedia session information to the first network element. The first network element analyzes the multimedia session information for urgent emergency circumstances. The first network element forwards the multimedia session information to a destination on the second network element if urgent emergency circumstances are found in the multimedia session information.
US08504632B2
An electronic apparatus includes a plurality of communication units including a first communication unit which communicates via a first communication network and a second communication unit which communicates via a second communication network. The electronic apparatus acquires presence information indicating a communication state of a communication apparatus from a presence server managing a communication state of a communication apparatus on a communication network, via at least one communication network. The electronic apparatus acquires presence information of an alternative communication apparatus being as a communication apparatus which communicates via the second communication network in place of the second communication unit included in itself. The electronic apparatus determines as to whether the alternate communication apparatus is in an online state, based on the acquired presence information. The electronic apparatus suppresses electric power to be consumed by the second communication unit, when the alternate communication apparatus is in an online state.
US08504631B2
The present invention comprises a method, apparatus and business system for allowing on-line communications with members of a group of recipients for whom the invention has been implemented. A group may, for example, comprise members of a particular business or profession. For example, a group may consist of doctors admitted to practice medicine in the United States. Individual members of the group may or may not have existing internet presences. The invention allows online users to communicate with each member of a given group regardless of whether or not the member has an existing internet presence. In one or more embodiments, the invention does so by setting up a database of contact information for members of the group, creating an internet presence for each member of such group, creating an on-line user interface allowing a user to access the member's created internet presence, and providing means of communications between the created internet presence and the member recipient.
US08504630B2
According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for providing Diameter application loop prevention. The method includes steps occurring at a first Diameter node. The method further includes receiving a first Diameter message that is to be sent to a destination. The method also includes determining whether the first Diameter message requires processing by a Diameter application. The method includes, in response to determining that the first Diameter message requires processing by the Diameter application, determining whether the first Diameter message has been processed by the Diameter application. The method further includes, in response to determining that the first Diameter message has been processed by the Diameter application, preventing the first Diameter message from being sent to the Diameter application for processing.
US08504628B2
Third party verification of the content and delivery of an electronic message such as an e-snail, is provided using a server that receives an e-mail sent or forwarded to a specified addressee, and “tags” the message to indicate that it is “registered” with the service provider. The server establishes a direct connection with the addressee's Mail User Agent (MUA), and transmits the tagged email to the addressee's MUA, as well as to the MUA's of any other addressees. After receiving responses from the receiving MUA's that the message was successfully received, the server creates and forwards an electronic receipt to the message originator. The system operators can provide independent third party verification that the receipt is a genuine product of their system and that the information pertaining to content and delivery of the message is accurate, without the need to archive either the original message or the receipt.
US08504622B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for reacting based on a frequency in which a compromised source communicates unsolicited electronic messages. In use, a source of at least two unsolicited electronic messages is identified as compromised. Additionally, a frequency in which the source communicated the unsolicited electronic messages is calculated. Furthermore, a reaction is performed based on the calculated frequency.
US08504615B2
The system provides a method and apparatus for navigation and use of a computer network. The system allows multiple users to simultaneously explore a network in groups of two or more. This capability allows one of the users to be a leader of the exploration and the leader can change during the exploration as desired. A user can also save an exploration session and share it with others, so that others can recreate the experience of the first user automatically. The system also allows for the easy creation of circles of network friends where content and information can be easily shared.
US08504605B2
A method for adjusting sound data that is transmitted between a first client and a second client is disclosed. The sound data may adjusted or an adjustment indicator that indicates how to adjust the sound data may accompany the sound data. The method comprises determining a proximity between the clients; adjusting the sound data based on the determined proximity; and transmitting the adjusted sound data. The determined proximity may be the physical proximity between the clients or a virtual proximity between virtual representations of the clients. Rules for adjusting sound data based on proximity indicate how to adjust sound characteristics, such as, but not limited to volume and frequency. The rules may also take into account environmental factors such as atmospheric and aquatic environmental factors.
US08504602B2
A modular multiplication processing apparatus is provided that can process modular multiplication of data exceeding a bit length which a coprocessor can readily process, by using the coprocessor based upon Montgomery multiplication In the modular multiplication processing apparatus, data to be subjected to modular multiplication is decomposed, and the decomposed data elements are transformed into a form suitable for Montgomery multiplication, respectively. Further, after respective data elements are transformed to have sizes that can be inputted into a coprocessor, Montgomery multiplication is repeatedly performed in the coprocessor. A remainder of Montgomery multiplication of an original bit length is restored from the obtained remainder.
US08504594B2
When a program execution unit of a computer executes a creation instruction of objects utilized by an execution target program in process of executing the execution target program, the program execution unit disposes a created object in an internal heap when a life period of the created object is not contained within life period of objects for root class and gets average value of life time corresponding to set of objects to which the created object belongs with reference to memory allocation information table to dispose the created object as a long-life object in an external heap when the gotten average value of life time is equal to or larger than a predetermined value. Accordingly, life time of objects is measured and long-life objects are not managed by GC, so that program utilizing objects can be executed at high speed.
US08504593B2
The embodiments generally relate to systems and methods for determining changes in a directory schema. In embodiments, directory changes are recorded in a change log. The change log may have one or more entries. A determination is made as to which change log entries should be retrieved. Once retrieved, the directory schema changes are determined. In embodiments, the directory changes are then interpreted for presentation to a user.
US08504590B2
In a method of encapsulating information in records from two or more disparate databases into an encapsulated database, one or more of the disparate databases having dissimilar field structures, each record is partitioned into a plurality of object class entries within the encapsulated database, an object class pointer is generated for each of a first subset of the plurality of object class entries, each generated pointer pointing to a different one of the plurality of object class entries. The plurality of object class entries are stored in non-adjacent storage locations within the database, with each of a second subset of the plurality of object class entries stored in association with one of the generated pointers, the second subset being different from the first subset. No data mapping or translator application is employed to account for the dissimilar field structures.
US08504586B2
Collecting and distributing information related to recent content publication activity of an instant messaging (IM) user provides other users in a network with timely, relevant information about people known to the user or within the same social network. A user participating in a social network can quickly and efficiently perceive new information related to other users (referred to as co-users) in a social network by reviewing the co-users' recent content publication activity. A user may be made able to do so without requiring the co-user to send a communication directly to the user regarding the new facts or new content, and also without requiring the user to actively browse or request information about the co-user.
US08504574B2
A system (50) and method (10) providing a user with a qualitative indication of a freshness of location information with minimal user disruption can include the steps of obtaining (12) presentation data, associating (14) a location indication representative of a location when the presentation data was obtained, and altering (16) a data characteristic of the presentation data over time to provide an indication of a freshness of the location indication. The method can further include the step of presenting (19) the presentation data to a user. Note, presentation data for example can be data for a digital photograph or an audio sample. The step of altering the data characteristic can optionally involve altering (18) at least one among a contrast, brightness, sharpness, pixel resolution, vertical positioning, horizontal positioning, color setting, white balance, compression ratio, language setting, volume, pitch, and equalization setting.
US08504569B2
A method for providing an answer to an input query respective of a user using a user device comprises collecting data respective of the user by using a plurality of sensors on the user device, wherein the plurality of sensors sense the user activity on the user device; generating a plurality of uniquifiers from the data, wherein each uniquifier of the plurality of uniquifier characterizes the user; evaluating periodically the plurality of uniquifiers; storing at least the evaluated plurality of uniquifiers in a memory of the user device; and responsive to the input query, providing an answer based on at least one evaluated uniquifier of the evaluated plurality of uniquifiers stored in the memory
US08504559B1
Methods and systems for leveraging one's social network in the context of an opportunities marketplace are described. One aspect of the invention involves integrating social networking features into an online marketplace, or exchange. Accordingly, one aspect of the invention involves facilitating an opportunity search in a manner that provides social networking information with the results of the search.
US08504554B2
An apparatus for, computers software for, and method of providing personalized search capabilities of hypertext transmission protocol pages comprising: providing an index server maintaining a dynamic index to hypertext transmission protocol pages and employing a tree-structured hierarchical plurality of topic categories; permitting a user to specify any subset of the plurality of topic categories; and adding to an electronic medium controlled by the user link information permitting execution of searches of the index server in any category of the subset but only of categories in the subset.
US08504551B2
Advertisers are permitted to put targeted ads on page on the web (or some other document of any media type). The present invention may do so by (i) obtaining content that includes available spots for ads, (ii) determining ads relevant to content, and/or (iii) combining content with ads determined to be relevant to the content.
US08504545B2
Methods and apparatus include features for managing social media universes. In one embodiment, media content and community members that have been associated with a new concept for creating a new universe are searched on a plurality of media content servers. For each found new concept, an association is retained between the new universe for the new concept and any found media content and community members. When a requesting user requests to view the new universe, a representation of the media content and the community members that are associated with the new universe is displayed for the requesting user.
US08504540B2
A reader-writer lock is provided that scales to accommodate multiple readers without contention. The lock comprises a hierarchical C-SNZI (Conditioned Scalable Non-Zero Indicator) structure that scales with the number readers seeking simultaneous acquisition of the lock. All readers that have joined the C-SNZI structure share concurrent acquisition, and additional readers may continue to join until the structure is disabled. The lock may be disabled by a writer, at which time subsequent readers will wait (e.g., in a wait queue) until the lock is again available. The C-SNZI structure may be implemented in a lockword or in reader entries within a wait queue. If implemented in reader entries of a wait queue, the lockword may be omitted, and new readers arriving at the queue may be able join an existing reader entry even if the reader entry is not at the tail of the queue.
US08504539B2
Disclosed are an XML document management method for cancelling a specific past operation, and a system using the same. The method comprises identifying an original operation to be cancelled, identifying an XML resource to be cancelled, identifying a previous value of the XML resource to be cancelled, identifying a next value of the XML resource to be cancelled, configuring a cancel operation, and applying the cancel operation to the XML resource to be cancelled.
US08504534B1
The present invention is directed to a data model for effecting transformations of entities from a first form of expression to a second different form of expression.
US08504530B2
A global information management system (GIMS) includes a collection of standards and methods that allow information management on a global scale. A GIMS computer network includes a central registration database (CRD) and one or more GIMS computer systems connected over a network. Each GIMS computer system includes a relational database having a set of standardized tables. The CRD may provide a GIMS network-unique system ID to each GIMS computer system. Each GIMS computer system uses the GIMS network-unique system ID as part of a primary key for each record generated by and stored in the set of standardized tables of the GIMS database. The GIMS enables global database normalization through the globally unique identification of database records.
US08504528B2
The various embodiments herein include operate to identify, consolidate, and reduce redundant backup data storage. One embodiment includes storing data blocks and first signatures of data chunks of each stored data block, the first signature of each data chunk including a reference to a storage location of the data chunk within a stored data block, the stored data blocks including data blocks of previous and recent backup sessions. Some embodiments further include storing second signatures in a second signature repository, where the second signatures are calculated based on determined boundaries of the first signatures from previous backup sessions. At least one of the second signatures is calculated based on at least two first signatures, and in the range of 32 to 64 first signatures in some embodiments. Some embodiments may identify data chunks of the recent backup session present in the stored data blocks prior to the recent backup session.
US08504521B2
A distributed data management system has multiple virtual machine nodes operating on multiple computers that are in communication with each other over a computer network. Each virtual machine node includes at least one data store or “bucket” for receiving data. A digital hash map data structure is stored in a computer readable medium of at least one of the multiple computers to configure the multiple virtual machine nodes and buckets to provide concurrent, non-blocking access to data in the buckets, the digital hash map data structure including a mapping between the virtual machine nodes and the buckets. The distributed data management system employing dynamic scalability in which one or more buckets from a virtual machine node reaching a memory capacity threshold are transferred to another virtual machine node that is below its memory capacity threshold.
US08504504B2
Systems and methods for discovery and classification of denial of service attacks in a distributed computing system may employ local agents on nodes thereof to detect resource-related events. An information later agent may determine if events indicate attacks, perform clustering analysis to determine if they represent known or unknown attack patterns, classify the attacks, and initiate appropriate responses to prevent and/or mitigate the attack, including sending warnings and/or modifying resource pool(s). The information layer agent may consult a knowledge base comprising information associated with known attack patterns, including state-action mappings. An attack tree model and an overlay network (over which detection and/or response messages may be sent) may be constructed for the distributed system. They may be dynamically modified in response to changes in system configuration, state, and/or workload. Reinforcement learning may be applied to the tuning of attack detection and classification techniques and to the identification of appropriate responses.
US08504503B1
A pulse modulated neural integrator circuit is comprised of discrete analog electronic components and has a plurality of discrete stable states. In some embodiments, the pulse modulated neural integrator circuit is fabricated in whole or in part on an integrated circuit substrate using analog VLSI techniques. A phase locked loop circuit can use the pulse modulated neural integrator circuit in place of some conventional phase locked loop circuits.
US08504502B2
Associative plasticity rules are described to control the strength of inputs to an artificial neuron. Inputs to a neuron consist of both synaptic inputs and non-synaptic, voltage-regulated inputs. The neuron's output is voltage. Hebbian and anti-Hebbian-type plasticity rules are implemented to select amongst a spectrum of voltage-regulated inputs, differing in their voltage-dependence and kinetic properties. An anti-Hebbian-type rule selects inputs that predict and counteract deviations in membrane voltage, thereby generating an output that corresponds to a prediction error. A Hebbian-type rule selects inputs that predict and amplify deviations in membrane voltage, thereby contributing to pattern generation. In further embodiments, Hebbian and anti-Hebbian-type plasticity rules are also applied to synaptic inputs. In other embodiments, reward information is incorporated into Hebbian-type plasticity rules. It is envisioned that by following these plasticity rules, single neurons as well as networks may predict and maximize future reward.
US08504497B2
A method for quantum computing using a quantum system comprising a plurality of qubits is provided. The system can be in any one of at least two configurations at any given time including one characterized by an initialization Hamiltonian HO and one characterized by a problem Hamiltonian HP. The problem Hamiltonian HP has a final state. Each respective first qubit in the qubits is arranged with respect to a respective second qubit in the qubits such that they define a predetermined coupling strength. The predetermined coupling strengths between the qubits in the plurality of qubits collectively define a computational problem to be solved. In the method, the system is initialized to HO and is then adiabatically changed until the system is described by the final state of the problem Hamiltonian HP. Then the state of the system is read out by probing an observable of the σX Pauli matrix operator.
US08504492B2
A body of text comprises a plurality of unknown attributes and a plurality of unknown values. A first classification sub-component labels a first portion of the plurality of unknown values as a first set of values, whereas a second classification sub-component labels a portion of the plurality of unknown attributes as a set of attributes and a second portion of the plurality of unknown values as a second set of values. Learning models implemented by the first and second classification subcomponents are updated based on the set of attributes and the first and second set of values. The first classification sub-component implements at least one supervised classification technique, whereas the second classification sub-component implements an unsupervised and/or semi-supervised classification technique. Active learning may be employed to provide at least one of a corrected attribute and/or corrected value that may be used to update the learning models.
US08504491B2
Described are variational Expectation Maximization (EM) embodiments for learning a mixture model using component-dependent data partitions, where the E-step is sub-linear in sample size while the algorithm still maintains provable convergence guarantees. Component-dependent data partitions into blocks of data items are constructed according to a hierarchical data structure comprised of nodes, where each node corresponds to one of the blocks and stores statistics computed from the data items in the corresponding block. A modified variational EM algorithm computes the mixture model from initial component-dependent data partitions and a variational R-step updates the partitions. This process is repeated until convergence. Component membership probabilities computed in the E-step are constrained such that all data items belonging to a particular block in a particular component-dependent partition behave in the same way. The E-step can therefore consider the blocks or chunks of data items via their representative statistics, rather than considering individual data items.
US08504478B2
Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for enabling access to mass transit systems using a financial transaction instrument including reading an identifier including financial payment information from the financial transaction instrument and determining whether the identifier is stored in a database. Access to a holder of the financial transaction instrument is provided based on the determining.
US08504474B2
The present invention provides a system and method for providing and/or facilitating complete on-line payment services while protecting the privacy of the transaction participants. The comprehensive payment service is based upon a consolidated account used to store value acquired through on-line transactions. The invention provides private payment numbers for protecting the identities of the participants and includes processes for authenticating participants, authorizing transactions, and settling payments. Thus, the present invention enables merchants to effectively accept non-standard forms of payment without changing their current payment infrastructures and enables the provision of value for purchases at any network merchant using any source of value.
US08504473B2
A system for transferring funds from a sender to a recipient with a recorded message is disclosed. In one step the method includes receiving a request for a fund transfer from the sender. The sender may make the request for a fund transfer at a transaction processing device. In another step a payment is received from the sender for the fund transfer and a payment confirmation is transmitted to the host computer system. An identifier may then be assigned to the fund transfer. A recorded message from the sender may be received and at least a copy of the recorded message may be transmitted to a host computer system. The recorded message may then be associated with the fund transfer. A request, including the identifier, may be received from the recipient to receive the recorded messaged. In another step the recorded message may be sent to the recipient.
US08504463B2
An auction service is provided that stimulates competition between energy suppliers (i.e., electric power or natural gas). A bidding moderator receives offers from competing suppliers specifying the economic terms each is willing to offer to end users or resellers for estimated quantities of electric power or gas supply (separate auctions). Suppliers receive feedback from the moderator based on competitors' offers and have the opportunity to adjust their own offers down or up, depending on whether they want to encourage or discourage additional energy delivery commitments in a particular geographic area or to a particular customer group. Each supplier's offers can also be changed to reflect each supplier's capacity utilization. The moderator selects one or more suppliers to provide electric power or natural gas to each end user or reseller, with each supplier providing at least a portion of the electric power or natural gas needed by each end user or reseller during a specific future time interval.
US08504457B1
A software based process which includes marketing and additional documents created dynamically from templates specific to the audience reviewing and approving the policy package for further distribution, and in one non-limiting example eventually reaching the insured. In non-limiting examples, a typical distribution chain could include (1) an Insurance Provider (Carrier) to Wholesale Brokerage Agency or Broker to an Agent or Retail Agency to an Insured; (2) Insurance Provider (Carrier) to an Insured; or (3) Insurance Provider (Carrier) to a Direct Marketer to an Insured or any combination of the above.
US08504453B1
The present invention relates to a method and system for offering mandatorily convertible securities (e.g., DECS) with associated forward purchase contracts and call options. Each mandatorily convertible security combines a forward purchase contract, a mandatory portable remarketable security, and a call option to form a single investment unit. The call option provides additional capital to the issuer of the investment unit and profits to the remarketing agent handling the mandatory portable remarketable security.
US08504447B2
A method for triggering a cost entry in the context of a job is disclosed, which is issued by a management information system, and executed on an execution system, wherein the execution system transmits job related status reports in Job Definition Format to the management information system, and wherein incoming status reports are stored on the management information system.In order to allow cost entries after the completion of particular processes in the context of a job, it is being suggested that status reports arriving at the management information system are stored, categorized through a parser, and that a cost entry is triggered, when a status report is stored as cost relevant.
US08504445B2
A central accounting and billing system for enterprises providing service and supply operations for business machines located in a plurality of customer locations employing a fleet of vehicles each carrying a trunk inventory of frequently required repair parts and supplies. An ERP system at a central location generates machine-readable identification tags which are applied to parts and services carried in each of the trunk inventories and are applied to the machines to be serviced. Smart handheld devices such as cell phones contain programs which allow the identification tags to be read and communications to be established to the central ERP system relating to transfer of goods and supplies into and out of the trunk inventory and to the businesses and also the time involved in servicing particular machines at particular businesses in order to generate bills from the central enterprise to such businesses.
US08504438B2
A method and system for comparing a plurality of financing options to facilitate the purchase and finance of products offered for sale. The method or system may include a credit application that, once completed, is analyzed. The method or system may also communicate whether the credit application has been approved.
US08504436B2
Computer-implemented methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for generating a tier rollup record perform the steps of: receiving a request for one of a product record and a plurality of product records having a determined attribute value; querying a first data set for product records corresponding to the request; receiving one or more unique record identifiers corresponding to the request; querying a second data set for a product record and associated product attribute values corresponding to each unique identifier; receiving the product record and associated product attribute values corresponding to each unique identifier; identifying a most representative product record from the product records and associated product attribute values corresponding to each unique identifier; rolling up the most representative product record; and transmitting the rolled up most representative product record.
US08504432B1
The disposition of funds in a certificate of deposit (CD) may be specified at or near the time the CD is applied for. The depositor may specify disposition of funds such as transferring the funds to an account, paying a bill, donating the funds to charity, rolling over the funds into a new CD. The depositor may specify that a particular portion of the funds are to be rolled over, and that the remainder of funds are to be disposed of in a specified manner. If the depositor elects to roll over some or all of the funds in the CD, the depositor may specify how many times the CD is to be rolled over. Instructions for disposition of funds may be received through a web site, through e-mail, on paper, etc.
US08504426B2
Systems and methods to connect people for real time communications via distribution of video clips are described.
US08504425B2
An advertisement is dynamically generated using e.g. one or more computing devices. The generation of the advertisement includes generating a box configured to store information about a product to be included in the advertisement. The product is associated with a product identifier. A global unique identifier for the box is generated. A combination of the global unique identifier of the box with the product identifier of the product about which the box is configured to store information is stored as integration data. An ad elements data store is queried to retrieve a set of elements for the product. Each element in the set of elements was previously included in one or more different advertisements. The box is populated with an element of the set of elements for the product about which the box is configured to store information. The advertisement including the box is automatically generated.
US08504417B2
A social networking system leverages information obtained regarding user interactions with applications hosted through the social networking system as well as information obtained regarding purchases of application-related digital items and digital currencies to provide insight into user behavior. The social networking system can use these insights to enhance the user's experience of the applications, purchases, and the social networking system generally. For example, the social networking system can customize transaction flows, provide credit referrals, and provide users with aggregated yet personally tailored sales information.
US08504416B2
The invention provides a method of providing and selling online advertising in which a single advertiser is guaranteed major advertising locations on each qualifying page viewed by a web site visitor during the viewer's entire web session. Advertisements from a single advertiser follow web site visitors through the web pages they select for viewing, allowing a consistent message to be displayed to a particular user over a period of time. Advantages include the ability to engage in linear storytelling and to obtain reach, duration, and impact of the advertising message on a par with or exceeding that obtainable from conventional advertising media such as television and print.
US08504411B1
A computer-implemented method is provided for managing online user profiles. The method includes receiving information about online activity of a user, the information including at least a unique user ID and a URL requested by the user; fetching textual content associated with the URL requested by the user; generating one or more keywords based on the textual content; and generating or updating a user profile of the user to include the one or more keywords. A system for managing online user profiles is also provided.
US08504409B2
The present disclosure describes novel systems and methods that can be utilized to evaluate and/or direct an interaction with a consumer database and/or evaluate a consumer database, where the consumer database contains information about consumers and particular products and/or services held or used by the consumers. The interactions may be, for example, determining a strategy for sales, marketing, cross-selling, and/or retaining one or more of the consumers. The evaluations may include, for example, hierarchically ranking the consumers and/or determining a clustering of the consumers.
US08504406B2
A computer implemented method of product ordering and inventory repositioning for a promotion in a supply chain management system utilizing a network is provided. The method comprises obtaining via the network from a plurality of stores in a first region, each store associated with a respective distribution center within the first region, point of sale data for a short period of time relative to a length of time allotted for a current product sales promotion. A computer calculation is caused of a product demand level for stores associated with at least one distribution center for the current product sales promotion based on an outlook model and the point of sale data. A computer calculation is caused of a product amount for the at least one distribution center based at least in part on the product demand level for stores associated with the at least one distribution center. An electronic action is taken based on the product amount for the at least one distribution center.
US08504402B1
A schedule for a network of transportation resources is produced by iteratively generating sets of variables for each market pair using an objective function and based on at least an identified range of permissible departure or arrival times for each market pair and spacing parameters. Each variable represents a different set of possible departure or arrival times for a particular market pair. The proposed schedule is built based on the generated sets of variables for each market pair and a set of constraints.
US08504398B2
A system for implementing a reusable new product planning model includes a processor executing a new product forecast application. The new product forecast application implements a method. The method includes gathering historical demand data for products in a product set and determining a launch period for the products, the historical demand data broken down by time periods. For each of the time periods, the method includes determining a transition percentage for each of the products, grouping the percentages by respective launch-based time periods, and averaging the percentages, resulting in an averaged transition range. The method further includes calculating fast and slow transition ranges for each of the launch-based time periods and developing a production plan for a new product by applying one of the transition ranges to the new product before product launch, and allocating a remaining demand percentage to existing products in the product set using the selected transition range.
US08504396B2
A method and apparatus directed to receiving maintenance demands and historical maintenance data associated with maintenance items are presented. A plurality of models that each define locations, maintenance items, resources, cycles, and average performance is generated, wherein each model represents a hypothetical scenario adjustable by a user so that a model representing one scenario may be compared alongside another model to view the differences in result for various hypothetical scenarios. One or more plans are generated for each model and take into account the received maintenance demands and historical maintenance data. A work package is generated in view of the received maintenance demands and historical maintenance data and the plan.
US08504394B2
This invention relates generally to a computer system and method for integrating insurance policy underwriting. In one aspect it integrates the older legacy insurance policy generating systems to on line systems where users access the system through browsers. The computer system to perform the process of underwriting, rating, quoting, binding, and booking an insurance policy includes browsers, data bases, processors and a dispatcher that parses the information to select an insurance process. Suitable software programs review messages received from users to determine if certain messages are less than a prescribed limit. If a message is greater than the limit, then the message is parsed into a header information and one or more data fields whereby the header information is provided to a legacy processor and to policy generation software for further creation of policy related information and documentation.
US08504393B2
A method for rating insurance products using a programmed computer system comprising receiving a coordinate pair including a longitude and a latitude of a location; determining a target coordinate grid block bounded by latitude and longitude lines, wherein the target coordinate grid block encompasses the coordinate pair, querying a database for a target set of existing data associated with the target coordinate grid block, wherein the existing data was associated with the target coordinate grid block prior to receiving the coordinate pair, and calculating a pure premium based at least in part on analyzing the data in the target set.
US08504378B2
Disclosed is a stereo acoustic signal encoding apparatus in which the signal quality does not deteriorate if there are a plurality of sound sources. A peak tracing unit (401) splits frames of a right channel signal and a left channel signal into a plurality of sub frames; detects the peaks of wave shapes of the split sub frames; and estimates a frame delay time D for each frame of the right channel signal and the left channel signal by comparing the positions of the detected peaks. A time adjusting unit (402) adjusts the time of the right channel signal on the basis of the frame time delay D. A down-mix operation is carried out using the right channel signal which has been subjected to the time adjustment and the left channel signal to generate a mono signal and a sub signal. A mono signal encoding unit (403) encodes the mono signal. A sub signal encoding unit (404) encodes the sub signal. The time delay encoding unit (405) encodes the frame time delay D.
US08504371B1
Systems 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 method may include conducting the voice interaction between the agent and a client, wherein the agent follows the script via a plurality of panels. From there, the voice interaction is evaluated via the plurality of panels employing panel-by-panel playback with an automatic speech recognition component adapted to analyze the voice interaction. As such, it may be determined, via generating a score using confidence level thresholds of an automatic speech recognition component such that confidence level thresholds are assigned to each of the plurality of panels and evaluating the score against at least one of a static standard and a varying standard, whether the agent has adequately followed the script.
US08504369B1
A device, for use by a transcriptionist in a transcription editing system for editing transcriptions dictated by speakers, includes, in combination, a monitor configured to display visual text of transcribed dictations, an audio mechanism configured to cause playback of portions of an audio file associated with a dictation, and a cursor-control module coupled to the audio mechanism and to the monitor and configured to cause the monitor to display multiple cursors in the text.
US08504366B2
Method, system, and computer program product are provided for Joint Factor Analysis (JFA) scoring in speech processing systems. The method includes: carrying out an enrollment session offline to enroll a speaker model in a speech processing system using JFA, including: extracting speaker factors from the enrollment session; estimating first components of channel factors from the enrollment session. The method further includes: carrying out a test session including: calculating second components of channel factors strongly dependent on the test session; and generating a score based on speaker factors, channel factors, and test session Gaussian mixture model sufficient statistics to provide a log-likelihood ratio for a test session.
US08504361B2
A method and system for labeling a selected word of a sentence using a deep neural network includes, in one exemplary embodiment, determining an index term corresponding to each feature of the word, transforming the index term or terms of the word into a vector, and predicting a label for the word using the vector. The method and system, in another exemplary embodiment, includes determining, for each word in the sentence, an index term corresponding to each feature of the word, transforming the index term or terms of each word in the sentence into a vector, applying a convolution operation to the vector of the selected word and at least one of the vectors of the other words in the sentence, to transform the vectors into a matrix of vectors, each of the vectors in the matrix including a plurality of row values, constructing a single vector from the vectors in the matrix, and predicting a label for the selected word using the single vector.
US08504360B2
The invention relates to a method of automatic sound recognition. The object of the present invention is to provide an alternative scheme for automatically recognizing sounds, e.g. human speech. The problem is solved by providing a training database comprising a number of models, each model representing a sound element in the form of a binary mask comprising binary time frequency (TF) units which indicate the energetic areas in time and frequency of the sound element in question, or of characteristic features or statistics extracted from the binary mask; providing an input signal comprising an input sound element; estimating the input sound element based on the models of the training database to provide an output sound element. The method has the advantage of being relatively simple and adaptable to the application in question. The invention may e.g. be used in devices comprising automatic sound recognition, e.g. for sound, e.g. voice control of a device, or in listening devices, e.g. hearing aids, for improving speech perception.
US08504354B2
Machine translation algorithms for translating between a first language and a second language are often trained using parallel fragments, comprising a first language corpus and a second language corpus comprising an element-for-element translation of the first language corpus. Such training may involve large training sets that may be extracted from large bodies of similar sources, such as databases of news articles written in the first and second languages describing similar events; however, extracted fragments may be comparatively “noisy,” with extra elements inserted in each corpus. Extraction techniques may be devised that can differentiate between “bilingual” elements represented in both corpora and “monolingual” elements represented in only one corpus, and for extracting cleaner parallel fragments of bilingual elements. Such techniques may involve conditional probability determinations on one corpus with respect to the other corpus, or joint probability determinations that concurrently evaluate both corpora for bilingual elements.
US08504344B2
The present invention allows a verification environment to be used to control and coordinate interaction with a design running on an accelerator or emulator without significant speed penalty. For example, an interface capable of communicating with test software running on an embedded processor is used to control and monitor the flow of data into the external interface of the design. Thus, a connection is made between the verification environment and the design under test running on the accelerator/emulator via a connection formed directly between the verification environment and embedded software running on the emulator for simulation and monitoring purpose at a very low frequency so that high-speed acceleration may still be achieved.
US08504337B2
A method for analyzing a mechanical system is disclosed. The method includes, using a computer program product, importing from an engineering design software program data related to a mechanical assembly. The method further includes, using the computer program product, selecting two or more points and one or more connections associated with the mechanical assembly. The method additionally includes based on the selected two or more points, the selected one or more connections, and the imported data, determining one or more three-dimensional model solutions. The method also includes presenting the one or more three-dimensional model solutions to a user, and selecting one of the presented three-dimensional model solutions.
US08504332B2
A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium stores therein a program that causes a processor to execute inputting a driving capability value, a lumped-constant capacitance value, and an input capacitance value included in the lumped-constant capacitance value, respectively defined in a circuit model, and further inputting a first delay time of the circuit model, based on the driving capability value and the lumped-constant capacitance value; setting in the circuit model, the driving capability value, the lumped-constant capacitance value, and the input capacitance value; acquiring a second delay time of the circuit model, by providing to a simulator, the circuit model having values set therein; calculating a relative evaluation value for the first delay time and the second delay time; and storing to a storage apparatus and as a delay time correcting coefficient, the relative evaluation value correlated with the driving capability value, the lumped-constant capacitance value, and the input capacitance value.
US08504330B2
A system and method for bounded model checking of computer programs includes decomposing a program having at least one reachable property node for bounded model checking (BMC) into sub-problems by employing a tunneling and slicing-based (TSR) BMC reduction method. The sub-problems of the TSR method are partitioned in a distributed environment, where the distributed environment includes at least one master processing unit and at least one client unit. The sub-problems are solved by each client independently of other clients to reduce communication overhead and provide scalability.
US08504327B2
A detecting method employing a first sensor and a second sensor, includes: first processing for detecting, on the basis of an output value of the first sensor, a predetermined state defined in advance; second processing for starting the second sensor according to the detection of the predetermined state; and third processing for generating interpolation data from an output value of the first sensor in a predetermined time until the second sensor becomes capable of outputting a measurement value after being started.
US08504317B2
A person is detected by an observer device. A person detection history is recorded in a person detection history database. A position where the person is detected for the first time is estimated by a first-time detection position estimating unit, to be stored in a first-time detection position history database. The position of the door of the room in terms of local coordinates is estimated by a doorway position estimating unit. The calibration information as to the position of the observer device is calculated by a position calibration information calculating unit based on the door position in terms of local coordinates and that in terms of global coordinates.
US08504306B2
An emission management system is implemented via a host server that is accessible to a large number of clients (organizations) using a website. Based on data input by a client relating to actual usage of resources, the client's past CO2e emission over time is calculated by the host server and displayed to the client on the website in the form of a wedge chart, with emissions along the y-axis and time along the x-axis. The server software also extrapolates the past emissions to display baseline predicted future emissions, assuming no reduction strategies are implemented. The client also inputs an emission target level and proposes one or more strategies for reducing the baseline level to achieve the target level. The server converts each strategy to a CO2e emission reduction and layers the different reductions between the baseline level and the target so the client can graphically see the effect of each strategy on achieving the target.
US08504303B2
System for recommending an optimal treatment protocol for a specific individual are disclosed. The systems comprise generally a system model, a plurality of treatment protocols, a system model modifier, wherein said system model is modified by the system model modifier based on parameters specific to the individual; and a selector to select an optimal treatment protocol from said plurality of treatment protocols based on the modified system model. Systems embodying the above techniques but for a general patient are also disclosed. Systems for a general patient and an individual for various specific diseases are disclosed. Methods and computer program products embodying the above techniques are also disclosed.
US08504300B2
Surface wrapping is a semi-automatic approach for segmentation of a geobody bounding surface within volumetric data. The approach is metaphorically based upon the concept of collapsing an elastic surface onto a physical object. The desired output of the process is a polygonal mesh that may be stored as data, displayed to the end user, or used in further data processing techniques. This approach has advantages over fully automated segmentation algorithms in that it may be applied to data where the volume to be segmented is not fully imaged, or where a high level of noise is present. This approach is also significantly less time consuming for the human analyst than fully manual segmentation techniques, in that the user need only define an approximate initial bounding surface prior to application of the algorithm which determines a more detailed and accurate bounding surface.
US08504297B2
A map display device that displays a map image around a vehicle position includes a display unit; a first storage unit storing map data including road data of a road and road-related information related to the road; a second storage unit storing adjustment data based on a relationship between display positions of the road data and the road-related information; and a map display control unit for calculating the display position of the road-related information based on the adjustment data for the individual road, and displaying the road-related information on a screen of the display unit. A road width to be displayed o the screen may be determined in accordance with the number of lanes and a road type. The adjustment data may be a distance between the display positions of the road and the road-related information, and may be determined in accordance with the road type and the road width.
US08504286B2
In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes receiving a parameterless search request, which was provided to a mobile computing device, for information that is relevant to a user of the mobile computing device. The method also includes, in response to the received parameterless search request, identifying with a digital computer system one or more results that are determined to be relevant to the user of the mobile computing device based upon a current context of the mobile computing device. The method further includes providing the results for display to a user of the mobile computing device.
US08504281B2
Flight substitution and reroute is accomplished based on frequently updated flow constrained areas and a flight substitution system to minimize the impact of severe weather on the NAS. Each flight is assigned a route, a FCA controlled time of arrival (FCA_CTA) slot, a controlled time of departure, and a destination controlled time of arrival, wherein the flights are sorted according to the FCA_CTA slot to pass sequentially through an FCA. When a flight is re-routed, the subsequent flight FCA_CTA is updated with the FCA_CTA slot made available by the preceding flight. If such an update is not feasible, then the subsequent flight FCA_CTA is updated according to a slot credit substitution give-away method. The benefits and costs for rerouting a flight out of an AFP are input to an optimization framework for providing the best flight time and flight reroute options.
US08504274B2
Adaptive cruise control method improves traveling performance and stoppage maintenance performance on an incline. During adaptive cruise control, a gradient of a road is estimated based on a vehicle acceleration and longitudinal acceleration to enable compensation of a resistance torque with respect to the gradient of the road, which prevents deterioration of a traveling speed of a vehicle on an incline. Also, compensating for a brake torque to prevent the vehicle from being pushed rearward when the vehicle stops or starts to go on an incline may prevent deterioration of performance on an incline.
US08504267B2
A control system includes a pressure control solenoid and a flow control solenoid having an input in fluid communication with the pressure control solenoid. A piston adjusts a position of a shift fork and includes a first area in fluid communication with the pressure control solenoid and a second area in fluid communication with the flow control solenoid. A fork sensor senses a position of a shift fork. A slip sensing module estimates slip acceleration between an input shaft and a gear. A flow determining module generates a flow command for the flow control solenoid. A sync control module determines a slip acceleration profile including an estimated slip acceleration, adjusts the estimated slip acceleration based on the measured slip acceleration, and generates a pressure command for the pressure control solenoid based on the adjusted slip acceleration.
US08504254B2
An object of the invention is to provide a traction control apparatus capable of suitably controlling an error, if it occurs, between an estimation of a vehicle speed and an actual vehicle speed. A traction control apparatus according to the invention includes a vehicle speed estimator and a driving-force controller. The traction control apparatus includes a vehicle state determiner that determines whether the vehicle speed of the construction vehicle estimated by the vehicle speed estimator and the driving-force control by the driving-force controller are balanced, and a driving-force control changer that changes a driving-force control by the driving-force controller when the vehicle state determiner determines the vehicle speed and the driving-force control to be unbalanced.
US08504249B2
A work vehicle includes a mechanical front wheel drive (MFWD) and a controller unit for automatically controlling the MFWD based at least on a MFWD request signal, a speed ratio request signal, and a brake-status signal. The MFWD request is overridden if the speed ratio request is for a predetermined speed ratio (such as fourth gear), and the overriding of the MFWD request is interrupted if the brake-status signal indicates that a brake of the work vehicle is applied.
US08504247B2
An assist control portion, upon detecting source power supply abnormality of a main electric power source, switches the characteristic of an assist map in which the steering torque and the target current are related to each other from an original assist characteristic to an abnormality-time assist characteristic. Therefore, the steering handle operation suddenly becomes heavy, thereby causing the driver to be aware of the abnormality. After that, the abnormality-time assist characteristic is altered so that the assist force relative to the steering torque further decline in accordance with declines in the actual amount of charge of the subsidiary electric power source declines. Therefore, the steering handle operation gradually becomes heavier, thereby causing the driver to anticipate that the abnormality is further progressing.
US08504224B2
The invention relates to a method and a device for monitoring risky atmospheric areas.The invention relates to an onboard device connected to meteorological measurement systems making it possible to calculate danger detection areas in front of the aircraft in order to detect potential areas of penetration of the aircraft into risky atmospheric areas.The areas of intersection between the detection areas and the risky meteorological areas are calculated according to the trajectory of the aircraft stored in the navigation system.The method makes it possible to generate alerts and force the display of the meteorological situation in front of the aircraft in case of danger.
US08504218B2
Methods and systems for controlling a vehicle are provided. The system includes a controller configured to generate output signals using input signals received from a plurality of different types of input devices wherein the controller is configured to operate at a predetermined logic level and a universal input module corresponding to each type of the plurality of different types of input devices. The universal input module is configured to receive an input signal from an associated input device of one of the different types, determine an operating range of the input device corresponding to one of the different types of input devices, and transmit an output to the controller at the predetermined logic level wherein the output corresponds to the received input scaled to the determined operating range.
US08504217B2
A power management system suitable for dynamically allocating power provided by a selected power source among one or more associated loads and methods for manufacturing and using same. In a normal operation mode, the power source provides power to one or more enabled loads. The selection of loads that are enabled, and therefore the provided power, can dynamically vary over time. If an undesired power condition arises, a power limiting mode is entered, wherein at least one of the enabled loads is disabled. The resultant power provided by the power source to the remaining enabled loads is measured, and the power limit mode is maintained until the undesired power condition is resolved. As needed, further corrective action, such as disabling additional enabled loads, can be applied to resolve the undesired power condition. The power management system thereby can comprise a hierarchical system for dynamically resolving undesired power conditions.
US08504207B2
A method controls motions of a mechanical arm using an electronic device. The mechanical arm includes an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis. The method sets a step angle of a motor installed in line with the z-axis, and predefines angles of rotation as reference points regarding orientation of the rotating arm when rotated. The method further calculates a rotation angle of the rotating arm in a polar coordinate system, calculates coordinate motions of the x-axis and the y-axis if a free end of the rotating arm orientates to one of the reference points, and calculates an offset correction value of a pole origin position of the polar coordinate system. After correcting each of the coordinate motions and the pole origin position, the method controls the mechanical arm to move, and drives the rotating arm to reach another reference point according to a multiple of the step angle.
US08504204B2
A method, system and apparatus to position an organic polarized object to a predetermined orientation and a predetermined location are provided. In an embodiment, an image of the organic polarized object is captured through an image capture device. The image of the organic polarized object is converted to an image data set. This image data set if further converted to a dimension data set. A first location and a first orientation of the organic polarized object are determined through a processor. A pressure is applied to secure organic polarized object. The organic polarized object is secured through a robotic end effector and may be moved to a predetermined location and a predetermined orientation. The organic polarized object is adjusted to the predetermined orientation. The organic polarized object is positioned at a predetermined location. The predetermined location and predetermined orientation may be selected by a user.
US08504201B2
Improved robotic surgical systems, devices, and methods include selectably associatable master/slave pairs, often having more manipulator arms than will be moved simultaneously by the two hands of a surgeon. Four manipulator arms can support an image capture device, a left hand tissue manipulation tool, a right hand tissue manipulation tool, and a fourth surgical instrument, particularly for stabilizing, retracting, tool change, or other functions benefiting from intermittent movement. The four or more arms may sequentially be controlled by left and right master input control devices. The fourth arm may be used to support another image capture device, and control of some or all of the arms may be transferred back-and-forth between the operator and an assistant. Two or more robotic systems each having master controls and slave manipulators may be coupled to enable cooperative surgery between two or more operators.
US08504194B2
A substrate processing apparatus includes: a plurality of substrate processing sections arranged alongside a transport passage; a standby mechanism which retains a substrate in standby, the standby mechanism being movable along the transport passage; a transport mechanism which transports the substrate between the standby mechanism and each of the substrate processing sections, the transport mechanism being movable along the transport passage; a first movement mechanism which moves the transport mechanism along the transport passage; and a second movement mechanism which moves the standby mechanism along the transport passage.
US08504185B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing predictive pre-recording of audio for voice input. In one aspect, a method includes obtaining sensor data from one or more sensors of a mobile device while the mobile device is operating in an inactive state, determining that a user of the mobile device is interacting with the mobile device based on the sensor data, invoking voice input functionality of the mobile device in response to determining that the user of the mobile device is interacting with the mobile device, detecting a voice input, and activating the mobile device in response to detecting the voice input.
US08504174B2
A multi-level automation control architecture, methods, and systems are disclosed, which provide enhanced scalability, functionality, and cost effectiveness for energy, access, and control. The systems include various combinations of automation controllers, remote controllers and peripheral devices that are used to provide monitoring and control functionality over the various systems in a structure, such as HVAC, water, lighting, etc. In various embodiments, the automation controller and various peripheral devices are implemented to provide an integrated energy management system for the structure. The system allows the user to manage energy based on the day, time, the presence of people, and the availability of natural lighting and heating, as well as prioritize and participate in demand-response program. The system can be implemented using a remote controller and expanded through the addition of automation controllers, remote controllers, and peripheral devices to enable the system to be tailored to specific user requirements.
US08504169B2
An implantable component of a medical device, comprising a polymeric surface. The component includes one or more macro-surface features at the polymeric surface having a configuration that, following application of a liquid drug to the surface retains a quantity of the liquid drug adjacent the surface.
US08504159B2
Electromagnetic signal delivery for tissue affected by neuronal dysfunction, degradation, damage, and/or necrosis, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. A method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes identifying an affected region, with the affected region including neuronal tissue that, at least during a pre-dysfunctional period, was in neural communication with neuronal tissue in a dysfunctional region. The affected tissue can be functionally adversely affected by neuronal dysfunction in the dysfunctional region. The method can further include applying electromagnetic signals to the neuronal tissue in the affected region. For example, the electromagnetic signals can be applied to a hypo-active neural region that is not physically damaged, and has been identified as likely to recover at least in part as a result of electromagnetic signals. Signals can be applied at sub-threshold levels to cortical and/or subcortical regions.
US08504144B2
Techniques for detecting tachyarrhythmia and also for preventing T-wave oversensing use signals filtered by a narrowband bradycardia filter in combination with signals filtered by a narrowband tachycardia filter. A separate wideband filter may also be used.
US08504140B2
Apparatus and method for fluorescence imaging and tomography using spatially structured illumination
An imaging system for imaging an object. More specifically, an imaging system enabling depth sectioned fluorescence imaging in a turbid medium, such as human or animal tissue, to substantially minimize the excitation radiation from reaching the detection beam path. The imaging system includes an arrangement of the excitation radiation source wherein the optical axis of the source is inclined relative to the optical axis of the camera, the optical plane of the source and the optical plane of the object are subject to a Scheimpflug condition, and the angle of inclination of the source is selected such that the excitation radiation incident upon the object is reflected to minimize excitation radiation from reaching the detection beam path.
US08504139B2
An instrument tracking device for cooperating with an instrument during a surgical procedure where the instrument has an elongated body extending along a first longitudinal axis and including a working member at a distal tip includes a body having a distal end and a proximal end. An opening can be formed through the body along a second longitudinal axis. The opening can define a passthrough in the body from the distal end to the proximal end. A first tracking coil can be disposed in the body and can define a first tracking coil axis that is substantially coaxial with the second longitudinal axis of the body. A connection mechanism cooperates between the elongated housing and the body that secures the body to the elongated housing of the instrument upon passing at least a portion of the elongated housing through the passthrough of the body in an assembled position.
US08504129B2
Systems, devices, and methods are described for providing a monitor/treatment device configured to, for example, detect hemozoin, as well as to monitor or treat a malarial infection.
US08504121B1
A method and apparatus for reducing power consumption of a portable electronic device, such as a smartphone, other mobile phones, or other portable devices when in sleep mode. A small software agent, or a low power mode core, operates so that, while the electronic device is in sleep mode, the low power mode core may be kept alive. When implemented in a smartphone, for example, the low power mode core may react to an incoming call so that at least part of the external memory of the smartphone may be powered down. When there is an incoming call, the low power mode core may acknowledge the call and provide a user interface (UI) for answering the call before the operating system is resumed, so as to keep the same or similar phone usage experience as when the operating system is processing the incoming call. At the same time, the low power mode core may wake up the operating system. The same approach is applicable in monitoring devices, where the entire device need not be running.
US08504113B2
A mobile terminal is disclosed, by which color reproducibility of a display and the expected life span of a display can be enhanced using quantum dots. The present invention may include a display panel, a plurality of light source units provided under the display panel by being spaced apart from each other, and a fluorescent unit provided to a light emission surface of the light source unit entirely or in part. Moreover, the fluorescent unit may include a quantum dot for transforming a light incident from the light source unit into R light entirely or in part.
US08504107B2
A portable memory device dimensioned and configured as any of a removable flash memory card, a USB flash drive, and a jump drive and a method of wireless communication, wherein the portable memory device comprises a single housing component; a data storage component within the single housing component; and a wireless receiver operatively connected to the data storage component and within the single housing component, wherein the wireless receiver is adapted to receive wireless signals comprising radio signals, satellite signals, TV signals, and Bluetooth™ specification signals, and wherein the wireless receiver is adapted to wirelessly communicate with a LAN. The portable memory device may further comprise an interface component adapted to connect to a host computing device. Preferably, the TV signals comprise mobile TV signals.
US08504104B2
The present invention provides a serial transmission interface of a portable electronic device. The portable electronic device includes a control module, a display module and an image sensing module. The serial transmission interface includes a first line group coupled to between the control module and the image sensing module, and includes a second line group coupled to between the control module, the display module and the image sensing module; wherein when the control module sets the image sensing module to a master mode through the first line group, the image sensing module directly transmits captured image data to the display module through the second line group. The present invention further provides a portable electronic device and a data transmission method of the serial transmission interface of a portable electronic device.
US08504103B2
The invention provides an improved security system comprised of video cameras and microphones to remotely monitor a home using a cellular telephone. An activation button is mounted as a doorbell button and interconnected with the security system to trigger the audio and video transmissions. The security system will automatically call the homeowner and allow two-way conversation and video using a streaming transmission. In response to a wireless distress signal sent to the security system using the homeowner's cellular telephone establishes a wireless connection with the security system and a security service or local authorities allowing the third-party to monitor and assess the situation. The homeowner is contemporaneously receiving the audio and video signals from the home using his cellular telephone and is capable of communicating directly with the security service. The distress signal is a secret code consisting of an array of numbers.
US08504091B2
Techniques for mitigating interference on control channels in a wireless communication network are described. In an aspect, high interference on radio resources used for a control channel may be mitigated by sending a request to reduce interference to one or more interfering stations. Each interfering station may reduce its transmit power on the radio resources, which may then allow the control channel to observe less interference. In one design, a user equipment (UE) may detect high interference on radio resources used for a control channel by a desired base station. The UE may send a request to reduce interference on the radio resources to an interfering base station, which may reduce its transmit power on the radio resources. The UE may receive the control channel on the radio resources from the desired base station and may observe less interference from the interfering base station.
US08504090B2
A communication system (100) provides collaboration between narrowband communication devices (102) and broadband communication devices (104) operating over different networks. The communication devices (102, 104) are linked to provide peer-to-peer communication that supports the dissemination of public safety information to a public safety personnel user utilizing the devices. Applications within the devices (102, 104) automatically control features amongst the plurality of devices for redundancy of critical information, removal of non-critical information and power management. Context information can also be examined and shared between amongst the devices.
US08504073B2
Methods and systems are disclosed for providing customized content to users based on their location. In one embodiment, for each of one or more content providers, a customized content delivery function receives information from the content provider defining a number of geographic shapes selecting corresponding geographic areas. Preferably, each of the geographic shapes overlaps at least one other of the geographic shapes and is assigned an importance level. For each geographic shape, the content provider defines one or more tags for the geographic shape and assigns a weight to each of the one or more tags. Thereafter, when a request is received from a requestor, one or more content items are selected for delivery to the requestor based on the geographic shapes, the tags and corresponding weights for the geographic shapes, and the location of the requestor.
US08504068B2
Various devices may include a short-range wireless transmitter and/or one or more short-range wireless readers. When a first device including the transmitter is placed near a second device including the one or more readers, a relative location of the first device may be determined. Information regarding the relative location of the first device, may be used to facilitate use of the first device with a processing device. In one embodiment, the processing device may automatically configure itself, such that the first device may be used with the processing device. In another embodiment, the processing device may provide feedback, such as, for example, step-by-step instructions to facilitate setup and use of the first device with the processing device. In some embodiments, an application program interface may provide information about the device to an application executing on the processing device.
US08504067B2
A central host performs an automated method of updating multiple remote devices. In one embodiment, the host recognizes a predetermined download time and, in advance of the download time, transmits a calendar update to multiple remote devices. The calendar update includes the download time, and the remote devices may utilize the download time to set calendar reminders for entering an active state. Within a short time after reaching the download time, the host pushes download data to the remote devices by broadcasting the download data. In one aspect, the host may receive message acknowledgements from remote devices in response to a first calendar update, and the host may automatically transmit additional calendar updates to any remote devices that did not receive the first calendar update. Additional embodiments involve related methods and the terminal devices that receive the updates.
US08504063B2
A method and system are provided in which a first device may directionally transmitting signals to a second device utilizing beamforming operations on multiple antennas. The first device may receive signals from the second device to establish an anonymous directional peer-to-peer wireless communication link with the second device. The transmitted signals may comprise a request-to-send (RTS) signal and the received signals may comprise a clear-to-send (CTS) signal. In some instances, the direction in which the transmitted signals are sent may be adjusted by changing the weights in the beamforming operation and/or by rotating the plurality of antennas. The transmitted signals may comprise an association identification (ID) corresponding to the first device, which may be embedded in a preamble or other portion of a frame structure. When the link is established, user information, such as profile information, for example, and/or messages may be sent from one device to the other.
US08504060B2
The instant amendment is provided as a complete replacement to the amendment filed on Jul. 10, 2012. The instant amendment is submitted to correct a typographical error found in the previously-filed amendment. Claims 1 and 13 in the previously-filed amendment incorrectly recite “when it is determined by the MSC that a change of area event for the UE has occurred, forwarding a Subscriber Location Report (SLR) from the MSC to the VGMLC when it is determined by the MSC that a change of area event for the UE has occurred,” whereas they should have recited “forwarding a Subscriber Location Report (SLR) from the MSC to the VGMLC when it is determined by the MSC that a change of area event for the UE has occurred,” instead.
US08504057B2
A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network is provided. The location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network includes transmitting a first frame including its own identifier and time information to the wireless network by a device associated with the wireless network in order to disclose its location information; and receiving a second frame including the location information of the device transmitted from the wireless network by the device, as a response to the first frame.
US08504054B2
A method and apparatus for determining multilevel scheduling of a reverse link communication. An embodiment includes estimating capacity on the reverse link based on the sector load. An embodiment includes estimating load contribution based on an estimated signal-to-noise ratio. An embodiment includes estimating capacity available to schedule based on a ratio of measured other-cell interference over thermal noise, and based on sector load. An embodiment includes a method of distributing sector capacity across a base station (BS) and a base station controller (BSC). An embodiment includes determining priority of a station based on the pilot energy over noise plus interference ratio, the soft handoff factor, the fairness value, and the fairness factor α.
US08504046B2
A radio connection is supported between the mobile station and a source base station associated with a source cell. The mobile station transmits information to the source base station over a shared uplink data communications channel used by multiple mobiles. A handover message is received from the source base station indicating that the source base station has initiated a handover of the radio connection over to a target base station for the target base station to support the radio connection. The handover fails. In response, a message is sent from the mobile station to the source base station requesting that the source base station continue to support the radio connection without requiring the mobile station to perform a radio channel procedure competing with other mobile stations requesting a new radio connection be supported by the source base station.
US08504044B2
Aspects of a method and system for dynamic adjustment of power, antenna direction and frequencies in a femtocell network are provided. In this regard, a communication system may comprise a plurality of femtocells, one or more base stations, and a femtocell management entity that coordinates operation of the plurality of femtocells. One or more parameters may be communicated from one of the plurality of femtocells and/or one or more base stations to the femtocell management entity. The femtocell management entity may be enabled to utilize the one or more parameters to determine configuration information for one of the plurality of femtocells and/or for one or more remaining ones of the plurality of femtocells. One of the plurality of femtocells may be enabled to receive the determined configuration information from the femtocell management entity. One of the plurality of femtocells may be configured utilizing the received determined configuration information.
US08504042B2
A method of transferring ownership of a service group (SG) for a communication system comprising a server is disclosed. The service group comprises a first plurality of network elements. The method comprises receiving an owner transfer request that is transmitted from a first network element of the service group, wherein the first network element possesses the ownership of the service group; and selecting a second network element from the first plurality of network elements of the service group according to a selection procedure, to transfer the ownership of the service group from the first network element to the second network element; wherein the first network element and the second network element are managed by a first network gateway and a second network gateway of the communication system, respectively.
US08504033B2
In a method for transmitting an emergency message by an electronic device, a start signal is generated at the time of a trigger operation by a detection unit, location information of the electronic device is periodically acquired and transmitted to a memory by a location acquisition unit; location at the time of the trigger operation or that at the most recent time point is acquired from the memory, an emergency message is generated based on the acquired location information and transmitted to one or more pre-determined target addresses by a transmission unit. An electronic device for transmitting the emergency message is also provided.
US08504030B2
Indications of desired radio communications downlink characteristics are transmitted via a radio communications uplink from a user equipment to a node of a cellular wireless network, the indications each relating to one or more components of a radio communications link from the node to the user equipment. The indications are transmitted successively at different cycles, and at each different cycle a first parameter is determined, indicating a more preferred number of components and a second parameter is determined, indicating a less preferred number of components. First additional parameters are calculated and transmitted relating to the desired radio communications link quality corresponding to the first parameter and second additional parameters are calculated and transmitted relating to the desired radio communications link quality on the basis of the second parameter. The first and second parameters are each parameters which are variable between different cycles.
US08504025B2
An apparatus and method for transmitting an UpLink (UL) pilot using a scanning interval in a mobile communication system are provided. The method includes receiving a scanning response message including information on a UL pilot channel allocation mode from a serving Base Station (BS), measuring each DownLink (DL) channel state using DL signals of one or more neighboring BSs and transmitting a UL pilot to each of the one or more neighboring BSs in the UL pilot channel allocation mode, during a scanning duration. Accordingly, both UL and DL Quality of Service (QoS) may be considered during a handover operation.
US08504020B2
An on-board base station, comprising an interface device on board an aircraft that interfaces with a separate wireless device of a user inside the aircraft and with a wireless bearer system, an RF detector that detects RF emissions of the separate wireless device, a controller coupled to the RF detector, that controls RF emissions of the separate wireless device, as a function of detected RF emissions, and an RF repeater communicatively coupled to the controller. The controller controls the RF repeater to receive and send signals between the antenna and the interface device to maintain the RF emissions below a predetermined level.
US08504013B2
Managing radio resources between a mobile device and a wireless network includes at least the following. An application processor in the mobile device classifies radio resources available into at least two distinct sets, a first set of active connections and a second set of potential connections. The application processor forms a measurement message that includes information about the measured radio resources and communicates the measurement message to a wireless network through a transceiver. Before receiving an acknowledgement of the measurement message from a radio network subsystem in the wireless network, the application processor determines at least one parameter included in the measurement message requires updating. The transceiver stops transmitting the measurement message in response to commands from the application processor.
US08504012B2
Disclosed are a system and method for providing broadcast services in a broadband wireless access system. According to an exemplary embodiment, by allowing a terminal to receive broadcast service data using carrier information that is used to provide a broadcast service received from a base station and performing other communication except for the broadcast service using other carriers except for the carrier used to provide the broadcast service, efficient use of carrier frequency resources without any loss is achieved.
US08504009B2
Methods for allocating dispatch service areas of a trunking system based on code division multiple access technology, including assigning groups of a fleet to dispatch service areas formed from non-overlapping dispatch location areas on the push-to-talk register of a trunking system. The assignment information is shared between the network, the mobile station, and the base station to control the trunking conversation of the mobile station.
US08504003B2
Provided is a mobile terminal including a plurality of user identification modules. The mobile terminal includes a first user identification module configured to be assigned with a first identification number and receive a service from a first service network, a second user identification module configured to be assigned with a second identification number and receive a service from a second service network, and a controller configured to request the second service network to perform a predetermined service using the second identification number when a user requests the predetermined service using the first identification number and when the first user identification module is in an inactive state and the second user identification module is in an active state.
US08504002B2
A method (200) and device (300) for saving energy in a wireless communication device configured to maintain a persistent communication session over a wireless network with an application server. The method (200) can include: opening (210) a persistent communication session with an application server via a cellular network; measuring (220) a round trip time (RTT) from sending a message to theapplication server to receiving an acknowledgement message from the application server; and automatically transitioning (230) the device from a first operating state to a second operating state after an amount of time in the absence of subsequent data traffic exceeding a predetermined threshold, wherein power consumption associated with the second operating state is less than power consumption associated with the first operating state, and the predetermined threshold is a function of the measured round trip time. Advantageously, the method (200) can measure the actual RTT and transition to a low power based on the measured RTT exceeding a predetermined threshold, before the expiration of a network configured inactivity timer and in the absence of subsequent data traffic, which helps to minimize unnecessary power drain in a wireless communication device and minimizes inefficiencies in connection with data exchanges between a network and a wireless communication device.
US08503997B2
A method, non-transistory computer readable medium and system for dynamically assigning a request for wireless communication service are disclosed. For example, the method receives the request for wireless communication service from a mobile device, and forwards the request to a plurality of wireless network service providers to solicit at least one bid for servicing the request. The method receives the at least one bid from the plurality of wireless network service providers to service the request, and determines by a coordinating device a winning bid from the at least one bid. The method then assigns a wireless network service provider from the plurality of wireless network service providers to service the request, wherein the assigned wireless network service provider is associated with the winning bid.
US08503992B2
The invention provides a method of enabling the service level networks (e.g. CSoLTE or IMS CN) to provide location-dependent services based on a circuit switched domain from a service level network to a mobile station communicating with a cell in a radio access network that utilises a packet switched domain. The method includes providing cell location information relating to the location of the cell; determining a Service Area Identifier based on the cell location information; and providing the Service Area Identifier to the service level network. The Service Area Identifier is then used for different location based services and applications in the service level network nodes.
US08503989B2
In one embodiment, a system receives a user calling attribute and determines current information of a telephone. The user calling attribute may be derived from a calling routine of a user such as dates and/or times that the user has previously called particular contacts. The system generates a dynamic contact list based on the user calling attribute and the current information.
US08503985B1
An improved technique transmits data acquired with a smartphone to a remote storage server while the smartphone acquires additional data. For example, a user wishing to record a live scene with a smartphone camera establishes a connection with a remote storage server with which the user has an account. Once the connection is established and the user begins recording the live scene, the smartphone generates video data from images of the recorded live scene and places some predetermined amount of acquired video data into a data packet. The smartphone then sends the data packet to the remote storage server over the connection. As the data packet is being sent, the smartphone places another predetermined amount of acquired data. Because the predetermined amount of data is very small, the net amount of data stored is limited by the available space on the remote storage server rather than the local hard drive of the smartphone.
US08503981B1
A method of providing network access notification is provided. The method can include receiving an identification for a wireless device at an access gateway and determining that the wireless device is not authorized to access a communication network based on the received identification. The method can further include sending a rejection notification to a messaging node indicating that the wireless device is not authorized to access the communication network and sending an access notification from the messaging node to an authorization device when the rejection notification is received at the messaging node. The access notification can include network access information to enable the wireless device to access the communication network. The authorization device is determined based on the identification. The method can also include receiving a response from the authorization device based on the network access information, and enabling access from the wireless device to the communication network.
US08503964B2
A symmetrical, balanced, down-conversion mixer is achieved by the coordinated layout of a balanced Local Oscillator (LO) divider circuit and a balanced Radio Frequency (RF) mixer circuit, such that the LO divider is in the center and the RF mixer is arrayed symmetrically around the LO divider. In particular, the LO divider is partitioned into four portions (e.g., Ip, In, Qp, Qn), which are placed in respective quadrants, defined by orthogonal reference axes through the LO divider center. The RF mixer is similarly partitioned into four corresponding portions, which are placed around the LO divider portions in each quadrant. By integrating the LO divider and RF mixer in the layout of the symmetric, balanced, down-conversion mixer, greater component matching and control of current paths are possible, improving operational quality parameters such as IRR, IP2, and LO feedthrough.
US08503960B2
An amplifier receives an input signal with an input node, provides an output signal in response, and includes a main branch and an auxiliary branch. The auxiliary branch is coupled between the input node and a splitting node for input matching of the input node. The main branch, also coupled to the splitting node, has an output node of current mode, and is arranged to output the output signal at the output node. An associated receiver is also disclosed.
US08503946B2
The current invention relates to a method of determining a quality of a received signal, wherein the method comprises receiving a signal comprising a first part and a second part and wherein at least the second part of the received signal comprises a scrambling sequence period; and determining a first noise-and-interference power of the first part of the received signal by removing a second noise-and-interference power of the second part of the signal, wherein the scrambling sequence period is utilized in the removal. The invention further relates to a corresponding device and system. Thereby, the invention is able to, among other things, reduce neighbor cell reference symbol interference in a dense network.
US08503935B2
A method, apparatus, and a non-transitory computer readable medium allows a terminal to concurrently receive control input from multiple secondary devices through a short distance communication mode. The terminal is connected with at least two secondary devices in the short distance communication mode. A key map is applied to the connected secondary devices. When a key signal is received from at least one of the connected secondary devices, the secondary device that transmitted the key signal is identified. And a function mapped to the key signal is executed according to the key map applied to the identified secondary device.
US08503933B2
A device capability attribute regarding a setting on communication parameters, and provision attribute information indicative of whether or not a communication terminal is in a state that it can provide communication parameters to another communication terminal are stored in advance. The communication terminal, where the device capability attribute has at least a provision capability of the communication parameters, is selected as a provision device. In a case where there are plural communication terminals where the device capability attribute has a communication parameter provision capability, a communication terminal where the device capability attribute has the communication parameter provision capability only is preferentially selected. In a case where the device capability attributes of respective communication terminals are equal, a communication terminal storing the provision attribute information indicative of the state that it can provide the communication parameters is selected as a provision device.
US08503932B2
A portable communication device is configured to communicate with an associated remote motion input device. The remote motion input device is configured to be attached to a portion of a user and configured to detect orientation and motion data. The portable communication device includes a remote motion input device controller that receives motion data from the remote motion input device via a local wireless link and converts the motion data into input commands such that the portable communication device carries out functions according to the input commands.
US08503930B2
Methods and apparatus for signal transmission via body conduction are disclosed herein. The assembly may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device which can enhance and/or optimize received data and/or audio signals for vibrational conduction to the user. Data and/or audio signals may be encoded and transmitted or received along or through the user's body to an oral appliance contained within or along the user's mouth. Alternatively, information may be transmitted between various other devices over the user's body aside from an oral appliance. The encoded signals may be decoded and the auditory signals may be transmitted via vibrational conductance to the user.
US08503924B2
The present invention discloses a method, system, and computer product for complete and comprehensive education competency and compliance management method and system for institutions and organizations. The embodiments of the present invention disclose a method whereby a sponsoring organization or institution need only provide secure access to the hosting organizations content delivery for ease of capture, organization of and reporting on the entire educational program. The sponsoring organization is able to direct employees to educational activities required to be completed based on the compliance requirements for their role in the organization. The hosting organization remains content independent to objectively provide the “best value” content for sponsoring organizations. Sponsoring organizations can purchase content from content partners or other third parties for loading the on-line and off-line education competency and compliance management servers, generate reports for internal use and accrediting bodies updates.
US08503921B2
A medium supply device includes a placing portion for placing a medium; a medium supply unit for picking up at least one medium urged against the medium supply unit from the placing portion; a cover member disposed to be movable; and a regulating member attached to the cover member for separating the placing portion from the medium supply unit when the cover member moves.
US08503910B2
A drive device to rotatively drive N number of image carriers. The drive device includes a single drive motor to generate torque to be transmitted to the image carriers, N number of drive gears to transmit the torque to the image carriers, an input gear rotatively driven by the torque and engaging a first drive gear to transmit the torque to the first drive gear, and N−1 number of idler gears provided between each of the drive gears, respectively, to transmit the torque from the drive gears provided on an upstream side to the drive gears provided on a downstream side in a direction of transmission of torque. The torque generated by the drive motor is sequentially transmitted from the first drive gear to the Nth drive gear via the idler gears to rotatively drive the image carriers.
US08503900B2
There is provided a power supply unit, comprising: a converter transformer; a first low voltage generation unit to generate a first voltage on a secondary side of the converter transformer and output the first voltage; a first controller that controls an activation state of a primary side of the converter transformer based on the first voltage; an inactivation unit to inactivate operation of the first controller based on the first voltage to let the first low voltage generation unit to suspend output of the first voltage; a high voltage supply unit to output a high voltage higher than the first voltage by using the first voltage; a detection unit to detect an anomalous state concerning output of the high voltage of the high voltage supply unit. The high voltage supply unit inactivates the operation of the first controller through the inactivation unit when the anomalous state is detected.
US08503882B2
An optical receiver that can receive WDM signal light in which first and second wavelength bands are combined. Within optical reception units corresponding to each channel is respectively provided tunable dispersion compensator (TDC) modules in which one wavelength band is made a design standard. When known, based on signal light channel information (wavelength, frequency, channel number) notified from outside, that signal light of the second wavelength band is being input to the receiver, then in the TDC module that performed chromatic dispersion compensation of the signal light, control is performed to shift the center frequency of the dispersion compensation range by a predetermined amount corresponding to the wavelength of the signal light. When the signal light of the first wavelength band is input, shift control of the dispersion compensation range is not performed, and the dispersion compensation range at the time of designing is maintained. As a result, chromatic dispersion compensation of signal light of respective wavelength bands can be performed with high accuracy by one type of TDC.
US08503868B2
An original stream file and an after-recording data file are managed as different files. In the original stream file, data is made up of sets of partial data (CU) divided in accordance with a predetermined interval. Likewise, in the after-recording data file, data is made up of sets of partial data (CA) divided in accordance with a predetermined interval. These sets of data are recorded onto a disc such that the after-recorded data (CA) is recorded in a region adjacent to a relevant original stream (CU). This allows reproduction and real-time after-recording with the use of a general MPEG-2 PS/TS decoder. Moreover, this allows realization of data recording that causes less interruption of reproduction when non-destructive editing is carried out with respect to an after-recorded result.
US08503855B2
An image processing apparatus includes an input unit which receives, from an image capturing apparatus, moving image data in which the shadow of a foreign substance adhered to the surface of an optical member is captured, an obtaining unit which obtains, from the moving image data, foreign substance information including information of the position and size of the foreign substance captured in the moving image data, a playback unit which can play back the moving image data while correcting the shadow of the foreign substance in the moving image data by using the foreign substance information, a display unit which displays an image played back by the playback unit, and a setting unit which sets, in accordance with the playback status of the moving image data, whether to perform processing of correcting the shadow of the foreign substance in each frame of the moving image data.
US08503848B2
A waveguide array can comprise a base portion having a metalized inner surface, an outer surface, and a clean end surface. The inner surface can include a plurality of waveguide channels that are metalized. The clean end surface can be prepared by breaking the base portion along a groove positioned on the outer surface prior to breaking, where the groove is oriented to intersect the waveguide channels. A metalized cover portion is attached to the inner surface of the base portion to close the waveguide channels.
US08503845B2
An apparatus includes an optical fiber having a plurality of optical cores therein. Each optical core is located lateral in the optical fiber to the remaining one or more optical cores and is able to support a number of propagating optical modes at telecommunications wavelengths. Each number is less than seventy.
US08503842B2
An optical bus. Optical sub-assemblies are used to connect lengths of optical fiber to form a single optical fiber that is a bus. A master transceiver may be connected to one end of the fiber and nodes can be connected to the optical sub-assemblies. Each optical sub-assembly includes a center fiber with a mirror that enables each connector to reflect optical signals out of the fiber and that enables a node to launch optical signals on the optical bus. The optical bus can also be connected with a second transceiver that may be used to deliver optical power to the attached nodes. Some nodes include two optical subassemblies to enable bidirectional communication on the optical bus.
US08503840B2
Method and apparatus for forming an optical-fiber-array assembly, which include providing a plurality of optical fibers including a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber, providing a fiber-array plate that includes a first surface and a second surface, connecting the plurality of optical fibers to the first surface of the fiber-array plate, transmitting a plurality of optical signals through the optical fibers into the fiber-array plate at the first surface of the fiber-array plate, and emitting from the second surface of the fiber-array plate a composite output beam having light from the plurality of optical signals. Optionally, the first surface of the fiber-array plate includes indicia configured to assist in the alignment of the plurality of optical fibers on the first surface of the fiber-array plate. In some embodiments, the second surface of the fiber-array plate includes a plurality of beam-shaping optics configured to shape the composite output beam.
US08503826B2
There is provided an algorithm that allows one, using a sequence of object images provided at different angles, to generate a 360 degree view model of an object. To generate such a model, the inventive algorithm may involve the following tasks: 1) provide a set of images (the number and size are unlimited), 2) reduce their features to the same brightness and contrast, 3) separate an object from a complex (heterogeneous) background in the images, 4) stabilize the objects in every image with respect to each other, and 5) process the resulting sequence of images to generate a 360 degree view.
US08503821B2
Systems and methods provide scene-based non-uniformity correction for infrared images, in accordance with one or more embodiments. For example in one embodiment, a method of processing infrared images of a scene captured by an infrared image sensor comprising a plurality of sensor elements includes receiving a first frame comprising a first plurality of pixel data of a first infrared image; receiving a second frame comprising a second plurality of pixel data of a second infrared image; determining frame-to-frame motion between the first frame and the second frame, wherein the frame-to-frame motion identifies portions of the first and second pixel data corresponding to identical scene coordinates captured by different sensor elements for the first and second frames; determining irradiance differences between the first and second portions of pixel data; and determining pixel offset information for scene based non-uniformity correction terms based on the irradiance differences and the frame-to-frame motion.
US08503819B2
The invention discloses a method and circuit for correcting defect pixels in an image signal. First, the invention generates a luminance histogram for all pixels in the image signal and then selects N candidate defect pixels from all pixels according to the luminance histogram and a first threshold. Afterward, the invention sets a window for each candidate defect pixel and then calculates N averaged luminance corresponding to the N windows. Further, the invention judges whether an absolute difference between the luminance of each candidate defect pixel and the corresponding averaged luminance is larger than a second threshold. If it is YES, the candidate defect pixel is recorded as a real defect pixel. Finally, the invention utilizes at least one non-defect pixel around the real defect pixel to correct the real defect pixel. The invention not only compensates the defect pixels accurately and effectively but also reduces required time in correction.
US08503818B2
A method and apparatus for providing image processing. For one embodiment of the invention, a digital image is acquired. One or more relatively large candidate red eye defect regions are detected in at least a portion of the image. Face detection is applied to at least a portion of the image to eliminate non-face regions and one or more relatively small candidate red eye defect regions are identified in at least a portion of the image not including the eliminated non-face regions.
US08503817B2
An image processing apparatus electrically corrects distortion of an input image to generate an output image. The image processing apparatus includes a correction processing section operable to sequentially read data of the input image for each pixel in an order of scanning, and perform distortion correction for each pixel of the output image using the read data of the pixel. The correction processing section outputs data of a pixel which distortion correction is completed, in an order different from an order of scanning.
US08503815B2
The described methods and corresponding apparatus are for use in highlight recovery in a set of image data. The image data is inverted, treated by a digital lighting process, the subsequently inverted again. This allows the set of data image to be treated for dynamic range compression of detail in both the dark regions and the light regions by the same algorithm. In other words, the process applied to the dark regions can be performed by a correction algorithm and the process applied to the light regions performed by the same algorithm, but with the image data negated before and after the correction algorithm is applied.
US08503813B2
An image rectification method includes the steps of: detecting edges in an image by using a Canny filter; performing Hough transform on the edges to detect lines in the image; selecting a candidate quadrangle from quadrangles formed by the detected lines; obtaining a transform matrix for transforming the candidate quadrangle to a rectangle by homographic transform; rectifying the image by using the transform matrix; and enhancing the rectified image.
US08503810B2
An image processing system that can reduce the amount of operations for compression processing includes a characteristic region detecting section that detects a characteristic region from an image and a compressing section that compresses the image by compressing each prescribed partial region. The compressing section compresses an image of a partial region included in a characteristic region by using pixel values of pixels, the number of which is larger than the number of pixels used for compressing an image of a partial region included in a region other than the characteristic region.
US08503807B2
A method, system and computer program product are provided for progressively encoding a digitized color image using a data processing system, the digitized color image being provided by assigning each of the M distinct colors to at least one pixel in the set of pixels. This involves initializing and growing the tree structure by selecting a leaf node n to become a non-leaf node n linked to two new leaf nodes based on an associated achievable cost, wherein the associated achievable cost is based on 1) a determined associated change in distortion resulting from turning the leaf node into the non-leaf node linked to the two new leaf nodes; and 2) a determined associated increase in entropy rate resulting from turning the leaf node into the non-leaf node linked to the two new leaf nodes.
US08503806B2
A rate control unit performs data truncation on a code sequence having been sorted and bit shifted as shown in FIG. 10 so that a desired noise reduction effect is achieved. The data truncation occurs in sequence from the rightmost bit. For example, in FIG. 10, data is truncated from data of bit 0 in a subband VHL4 downwardly in sequence through data of bit 0 in a subband YHH5, and so on. If the desired noise reduction effect can be achieved by truncation of up to bit data in the subband YHH1, data in those subbands in a dotted area in FIG. 10 will be truncated. If the desired noise reduction effect cannot be achieved by truncation of up to bit data in the subband YHH1, data will then be truncated from data of bit 0 in a subband VLL4 downwardly in sequence.
US08503802B1
A method of processing an image includes the steps of receiving selection of the first region of interest (ROI) of an image, processing the first image data related to the first ROI, displaying the first image ROI based on the first image data, receiving selection of the second ROI of the image, which at least partially overlapping the first ROI, processing the second image data related to a portion of the second ROI that does not overlap the first ROI, combining the processed second image data with the processed first image data that overlaps the second ROI, and displaying the second image ROI based on the combined processed second image data and the processed first data.
US08503800B2
A face illumination normalization method includes acquiring a digital image including a face that appears to be illuminated unevenly. One or more uneven illumination classifier programs are applied to the face data to determine the presence of the face within the digital image and/or the uneven illumination condition of the face. The uneven illumination condition may be corrected to thereby generate a corrected face image appearing to have more uniform illumination, for example, to enhance face recognition.
US08503798B2
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for processing and metrically quantifying images of objects containing clusters of points/spots, such as biological specimens comprising cluster of cells, in particular of human or animal origin, or images thereof. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for processing images of irregularly shaped objects in the form of at least one cluster of punctiform or spot-shaped objects, comprising a stage of acquisition of a digital image of said objects, a stage of image elaboration (IMA-EL) for quantizing said digital image to 1 bit and a stage of metrical processing of said 1-bit quantized image, wherein said stage of metrical processing comprises a stage of object's metrical quantification (QUANT) that on its turn comprises: -a stage of triangularization (TRIANG) for transforming the said at least one cluster of punctiform or spot-shaped objects into a grid of triangles wherein the apexes of the triangles correspond to the center of said punctiform or spot-shaped objects; -a stage of parameter calculation (PAR-CLC) for calculating at least one of the following parameters: -external perimeter of the said grid of triangles; -area (AC) of the said grid of triangles; -area (ACINF) of the said punctiform or spot-shaped objects inside the said grid of triangles; -area (APINF) of the isolated punctiform or spot-shaped objects outside the said at least one cluster; -density (DC) of the said punctiform or spot-shaped objects inside the said at least one cluster.
US08503796B2
A technique for use in automatic validation of a media item involves accessing a template that comprises multiple one-class classifiers, each corresponding to one of multiple classes to which the media item might belong, and then applying each of the one-class classifiers to an image of the media item to generate a result set for each of the multiple classes. The result set for each media class is then analyzed to assess whether the media item belongs to that class.
US08503790B2
An image-processing method for processing a time lapse image includes acquiring a first image obtained by capturing an image of an object located within a field of view using an imaging device and a second image obtained by capturing an image of the object located within the field of view using the imaging device after a predetermined time period has elapsed, calculating a positional correction value for a positional shift between the first image and the second image, by using a correlation function weighted according to an image feature of each of the objects included in the first image and the second image, and performing, based on the calculated positional correction value, a positional correction between the first image and the second image. The time lapse image is generated using the first image and the second image on which the positional correction has been performed.
US08503784B2
An image recognition apparatus recognizes the correspondence between character strings and logical elements composing a logical structure in an image in which the character strings are described as the logical elements to recognize each logical element. The image recognition apparatus includes outputting means for outputting the recognized logical elements when the correspondence is recognized or re-recognized; first determining means for determining a certain logical element to be correct when input of a determination request to determine the logical element is received from a user; second determining means for determining the correctness of all the logical elements output before the logical element determined by the first determining means and is positioned according to confirmation by the user; and re-recognizing means for re-recognizing the correspondence between logical elements that have not been determined to be correct and the character strings on the basis of the determination content for each logical element.
US08503779B2
A method and apparatus is used in processing an image in a unit of a band area by dividing image data of a target image into a plurality of band areas, when processing image data by referring to reference data. The method includes and the apparatus performs the steps of setting a first transfer unit of the image data, obtaining a second transfer unit of the reference data to process the image data in the first transfer unit, determining a first transfer amount of the image data based on the obtained second transfer unit of the reference data so that both of the image data and the reference data can be buffered in a buffer used in image processing, and determining a height of a band area to be generated, based on the first transfer amount and the first transfer unit of the image data.
US08503777B2
An apparatus and method for processing pictures (images, graphics or video frames) for image representation and comparison on the basis of a geometric feature description built from histograms of pseudo-color saturation. The feature description can also include normalized centroid variance, as well as an intensity map. The descriptions allow various matching comparisons to be performed between an input image and a set of comparison images, such as to find matching (or mismatching, or other relationship) images. The comparison can be sped using staged comparisons, whereby an image failing one level of comparison need not be considered in subsequent phases. A set of efficient image feature descriptors are described for use in a fast image retrieval scheme, which is efficient for searching of images spanning different image types, rotations and scales.
US08503776B2
An apparatus for providing display information for color calibration of a display device includes an input unit for inputting user input information; and a preprocessing unit for preprocessing the user input information input by the input unit to generate a color patch for brightness adjustment and a color patch for contrast adjustment. Further, the apparatus for providing the display information for the color calibration of the display device includes a color patch display unit for displaying and outputting the color patch for brightness adjustment and the color patch for contrast adjustment that are generated by the preprocessing unit.
US08503771B2
A method and apparatus for estimating a light source in an image obtained by an image device are provided. The light source estimating apparatus includes: a brightness-color correlation calculator which calculates brightness-color correlation data from an image of an object generated from at least one image frame; a color balance calculator which calculates a color balance of an entire region of the image and a color balance of a neutral gray region of the image having an average color of gray; a characteristic data generating unit which generates characteristic data of the image based on the brightness-color correlation data, the color balance of the entire region and the color balance of the neutral gray region; and an identifier which determines a type of a light source in the image, based on the characteristic data of the image.
US08503763B2
A family of one-dimensional image signatures is obtained to represent each one of a sequence of images in a number of translational and rotational orientations. By calculating these image signatures as images are captured, a new current view can be quickly compared to historical views in a manner that is less dependent on the relative orientation of a target and search image. These and other techniques may be employed in a three-dimensional reconstruction process to generate a list of candidate images from among which full three-dimensional registration may be performed to test for an adequate three-dimensional match. In another aspect this approach may be supplemented with a Fourier-based approach that is selectively applied to a subset of the historical images. By alternating between spatial signatures for one set of historical views and spatial frequency signatures for another set of historical views, a pattern matching system may be implemented that more rapidly reattaches to a three-dimensional model in a variety of practical applications.
US08503761B2
A geospatial modeling system may include a geospatial model database configured to store a digital surface model (DSM) of a geographical area, and to store image data of the geographical area. The image data may have a spectral range indicative of a difference between buildings and vegetation. The geospatial modeling system may also include a processor cooperating with the geospatial model database to separate bare earth data from remaining building and vegetation data in the DSM to define a building and vegetation DSM. The processor may also register the image data with the building and vegetation DSM, and classify each point of the building and vegetation DSM as either building or vegetation based upon the spectral range of the image data.
US08503760B2
Provided are a system and method for real-time object recognition and pose estimation using in-situ monitoring. The method includes the steps of: a) receiving 2D and 3D image information, extracting evidences from the received 2D and 3D image information, recognizing an object by comparing the evidences with model, and expressing locations and poses by probabilistic particles; b) probabilistically fusing various locations and poses and finally determining a location and a pose by filtering inaccurate information; c) generating ROI by receiving 2D and 3D image information and the location and pose from the step b) and collecting and calculating environmental information; d) selecting an evidence or a set of evidences probabilistically by receiving the information from the step c) and proposing a cognitive action of a robot for collecting additional evidence; and e) repeating the steps a) and b) and the steps c) and d) in parallel until a result of object recognition and pose estimation is probabilistically satisfied.
US08503754B2
A parallelized sparse field method for segmenting a volume dataset is provided. Using a processor a level set field within a multi-dimensional dataset comprising a plurality of voxels is initialized in parallel operation. The multi-dimensional dataset is indicative of an object. An initial set of active voxels is then generated in parallel operation in dependence upon the initialized level set field. New active voxels are determined in parallel operation. Duplicate active voxels are then removed in parallel operation, followed by compacting the active voxels in parallel operation. The process is repeated until a quantitative stopping criterion is met and level set segmentation data indicative of a feature of the object are determined in dependence upon the level set field.
US08503751B2
In a magnetic resonance (MR) method and apparatus for implementing fat-water separation, MR data acquired representing one in-phase image and two out-of-phase images, phase differences between the two out-of-phase images are calculated, and the phases caused by the inhomogeneity of a magnetic field in the two out-of-phase images are calculated by using the phase differences; correcting linear phase differences in the in-phase image caused by eddy currents, by using the two corrected out-of-phase images. Calculations are then made on the basis of the three corrected images to obtain water and fat images. This method and apparatus effectively eliminate the adverse effects caused by the eddy currents in the currently available implementing process of the three points Dixon method.
US08503750B2
A method and apparatus include acquisition of a view dataset based on x-rays received by a detector corresponding to a energy level, reconstruction of an initial image using the view dataset, the initial image comprising a plurality of metal voxels at respective metal voxel locations, and generation of a metal mask corresponding to the plurality of metal voxels within the initial image. The method and apparatus also include forward projection of the metal mask onto the view dataset to identify metal dexels in the view dataset, performance of a weighted interpolation based on the identified metal dexels to generate a completed view dataset, reconstruction of a final image using the completed view dataset, the final image comprising a plurality of image voxels corresponding to the metal voxel locations, and replacement of a portion of the plurality of image voxels corresponding to the metal voxel locations with smoothed metal values.
US08503747B2
The present invention is an automated image analysis framework for cervical cancerous lesion detection. The present invention uses domain-specific diagnostic features in a probabilistic manner using conditional random fields. In addition, the present invention discloses a novel window-based performance assessment scheme for two-dimensional image analysis, which addresses the intrinsic problem of image misalignment. As a domain-specific anatomical feature, image regions corresponding to different tissue types are extracted from cervical images taken before and after the application of acetic acid during a clinical exam. The unique optical properties of each tissue type and the diagnostic relationships between neighboring regions are incorporated in the conditional random field model. The output provides information about both the tissue severity and the location of cancerous tissue in an image.
US08503741B2
A system and method provide an optimized workflow and a dedicated user interface for image visualizations that facilitate medical diagnosis. Image data may be acquired via an imaging procedure at a remote medical facility. A physician may review the images on a display and mark-up/modify the images via the interface to create user-defined data. The image and user-defined data may be transmitted to a service provider. At the service provider, a software technician may generate a medical simulation using the image and user-defined data. The medical simulation may simulate actual conditions within the patient. Subsequently, the simulation results may be transferred to, or otherwise remotely accessed via a network from, the remote medical facility. As a result, medical treatment provided by remote facilities, which may only have limited resources in terms of personnel and equipment, may be enhanced and inefficiencies associated with the generation of medical simulations may be alleviated.
US08503736B2
A registering device, a registering method, an authentication device and an authentication method that can perform authentication with high speed while reducing an increase in the storage capacity are proposed. From a living-body image for authentication, a feature area included in the living-body image is detected. Further, a part having the same shape and the same size as those of the feature area is cut out from each of a plurality of living-body information items that are stored in a storage means based on position information associated with the living-body information item. A candidate for verification against the living-body image for authentication is selected from the plurality of living-body information items based on the resemblance between each of these cut-out parts and the feature area of the living-body image for authentication, and it is determined whether or not a registered person based on the result of verification of a living body indicated by a selected living-body information item against a living body shown in the living-body image for authentication.
US08503734B2
One aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented in a method for detecting a detail level of an image including receiving an original image, transforming the original image to generate one or more blurred images, deriving image differences corresponding to ranges of detail frequency of the original image based, at least in part, on the one or more blurred images and the original image, determining, based on the image differences, a detail level value corresponding to the original image, and providing the detail level value to an image management application.
US08503730B2
A navigation system comprises an image sensor operable to obtain range data for a first scene, and a processing unit coupled to the image sensor. The processing unit is operable to identify one or more plane features, based on the range data, using each of a plurality of scales. The processing unit is further operable to combine each of the one or more plane features with a corresponding plane feature from each of the plurality of scales and to project the one or more combined plane features to a reference orientation.
US08503729B2
An image processing apparatus: detects an object position included within an overlapping region of a first image corresponding to a vehicles's traveling direction and a second image corresponding to a direction crossing the traveling direction; assigns the first image a first value when the object is in a first position, and a second value smaller than the first value when the object is in a second position more distant from a traveling direction axis of the vehicle than the first position, and assigns the second image a third value when the object is in the first position, and a fourth value larger than the third value when the object is in the second position; and determines a boundary so that the object is included within an image having a larger value than the other; and joins the first and second images.
US08503727B2
A monitoring camera terminal has an imaging portion for imaging a monitoring target area allocated to an own-terminal, an object extraction portion for processing a frame image imaged by the imaging portion to extract an imaged object, an ID addition portion for adding an ID to the object extracted by the object extraction portion, an object map creation portion for creating, for each object extracted by the object extraction portion, an object map associating the ID added to the object with a coordinate position in the frame image, and a tracing portion for tracing an object in the monitoring target area allocated to the own-terminal using the object maps created by the object map creation portion.
US08503726B2
An edge extracting unit of a contour image generator generates an edge image of an input image using an edge extraction filter, etc. A foreground processing unit extracts the foreground from the input image using a background image and expands the foreground to generate an expanded foreground image. The foreground processing unit further generates a foreground boundary image constructed of the boundary of the expanded foreground region. A mask unit masks the edge image using the expanded foreground image to eliminate edges in the background. A synthesis unit synthesizes the masked edge image and the foreground boundary image to generate a contour image.
US08503723B2
An apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store an attribute of each pixel existing inside a tracking target area set on an image and an attribute of a pixel existing adjacent to the pixel, an allocation unit configured to allocate an evaluation value to a pixel to be evaluated according to a result of comparison between an attribute of the pixel to be evaluated and an attribute of a pixel existing inside the tracking target area and a result of comparison between an attribute of a pixel existing adjacent to the pixel to be evaluated and an attribute of a pixel existing adjacent to the pixel existing inside the tracking target area, and a changing unit configured to change the tracking target area based on the allocated evaluation value.
US08503722B2
A mobile multimedia device may be operable to initiate capture of a series of image samples of a scene, where the scene may comprise one or more objects that may be identifiable by the mobile multimedia device. An image for the scene may be determined by the mobile multimedia device utilizing the captured image samples based on motion associated with the identifiable objects. As soon as the image for the scene has been determined, the capture of the series of image samples may be terminated. The image may be determined when the amount of motion associated with the identifiable objects is below a particular threshold value. The identifiable objects may comprise one or more faces. The motion may be due to a gesture such as a wink or a smile received from one or more of the faces. The image may be determined when the gesture is detected.
US08503719B2
The invention relates to an article-processing device comprising a conveyor (2) for moving articles (1) in series and on edge, a camera (3) for taking a digital image (4) of each article (1), a data processor unit for performing processing on the pixels of the digital image (4), and means for inspecting/monitoring the quality of the digital images (4), said article-processing device being characterized in that: said conveyor has a back wall (9) of a dark color; said camera (3) takes a digital image (4) within which the article (1) lies against a background (7) corresponding to said back wall (9); and said inspection/monitoring means scan rows of pixels in order to extract, for each scanned row, a pixel having a light intensity extremum, and detect contrast indicative of degradation of the quality of the digital images (4). The invention also relates to a sorting machine including such a device, and to an inspection/monitoring method.
US08503717B2
A method, system, and computer program product for analyzing image attachments to email messages and reliably determines whether the image includes spam, so that the message can be blocked. A method for processing email messages comprises processing an image included in or attached to an email message to determine whether the image includes features that indicate whether the image is spam and determining whether the image is spam based on the included features that indicate whether the image is spam.
US08503716B2
A multimedia device includes input ports dedicated to receiving a real-time media signal and a processor system dedicated to capturing the real-time media signal. The processor system defines an embedded environment. The input ports and the processor system are integrated into the multimedia capture device. The input ports include an audio input port and at least one of a visual-capture input port or a digital-image input port.
US08503714B2
Embodiments for correcting a dropout in a strain image in an ultrasound system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processing unit sets a first window on each of pre-compression ultrasound frame data and post-compression second ultrasound frame data, move the first window in a predetermined direction and compute a correlation between the pre-compression ultrasound frame data and the post-compression ultrasound frame data within the first window to obtain a displacement corresponding to a value of each pixel of target ultrasound frame data. The processing unit sets one of pixels of the target ultrasound frame data as a reference pixel, sets a second window to encompass predetermined numbers of pixels positioned around the reference pixel, checks whether a displacement computation error corresponding to a dropout occur based on the pixel values within the second window and resets, when the dropout occurs, the value of the reference pixel.
US08503712B2
A method (300) and apparatus (110) that determines blood oxygenation using a mobile communication device is disclosed. The method can include capturing (320) a plurality of images of skin using an array of pixels in a camera on a portable electronic device. The method can include comparing (330) image characteristics corresponding to the plurality of captured images at a first wavelength with image characteristics corresponding to the plurality of captured images at a second wavelength, the second wavelength being substantially distinct from the first wavelength. The method can include determining (340) blood oxygen level based on comparing the image characteristics.
US08503711B2
A hat mounted music system includes a semi-rigid hatband and a flexible crown and hat bill mounted to the hatband. A retaining pocket is mounted to the hatband and is sized and shaped to hold a portable music player. First and second headphone mounts are located to align with the ears of a user. The mounts have first and second hinges. First portions of the hinges are attached to the hatband and second portions of the hinges are attached to the mounts. The hinges permit movement of the mounts from a first, open position to a second, listening position. First and second headphone modules are adapted to fit the headphone mounts. Connection wires connect the player to the headphone modules. The headphone mounts are spring-loaded and are retained in the second position by a latching mechanism. A release device allows the headphone mounts to return to the first, open position.
US08503709B2
An apparatus includes a housing. A waveguide is located within the housing. The waveguide includes a first subsection that bends around a first axis and has a first cross-sectional area with an aspect ratio that is substantially different from unity. A second subsection bends around a second axis that is non-parallel to the first axis and includes a second cross-sectional area with an aspect ratio that is substantially different from unity. A third subsection acoustically couples the first subsection to the second subsection. The third subsection includes a third cross-sectional area with an aspect ratio that varies between the first aspect ratio and the second aspect ratio.
US08503706B2
The hearing device comprises a battery door (20); a connector (2) having N≧1 electrical contacts (6); and a user control (8). The user control (8) consists of a) an elastic actuation member (14); and operationally connected thereto b) a contact changing member (12), which can be different from or identical with the elastic actuation member (14); and operationally connected thereto c) at least one of the N electrical contacts (6). At least a portion of the elastic actuation member (14) forms at least a portion of the battery door (20). The connector (2) is a connector for providing a communication connection to the hearing device. The user control(8) can be a pushbutton switch. The elastic actuation member (14) comprises a body substantially made of elastomeric material and can hold the contact changing member (12). The contact changing member (12) is provided for changing the state of contacting of said at least one electrical contact (6), e.g., to establish or interrupt an electrical connection. Very small-size hearing devices can be realized.
US08503693B2
A system and method for sensing acoustic sounds is provided having at least one directional sensor, each directional sensor including at least two compliant membranes for moving in reaction to an excitation acoustic signal and at least one compliant bridge. Each bridge is coupled to at least a respective first and second membrane of the at least two membranes for moving in response to movement of the membranes it is coupled to for causing movement of the first membrane to be related to movement of the second membrane when either of the first and second membranes moves in response to excitation by the excitation signal. The directional sensor is controllably rotated to locate a source of the excitation signal, including determining a turning angle based on a linear relationship between the directionality information and sound source position described in experimentally calibrated data.
US08503682B2
A head-related transfer function (HRTF) convolution method arranged, when an audio signal is reproduced acoustically by an electro-acoustic conversion unit disposed in a nearby position of both ears of a listener, to convolute an HRTF into the audio signal, which allows the listener to listen to the audio signal such that a sound image is localized in a perceived virtual sound image localization position, the method including the steps of: measuring, when a sound source is disposed in the virtual sound image localization position, and a sound-collecting unit is disposed in the position of the electro-acoustic conversion unit, a direct-wave direction HRTF regarding the direction of a direct wave, and reflected-wave direction HRTFs regarding the directions of selected one or more reflected waves, from the sound source to the sound-collecting unit, separately beforehand; and convoluting the obtained direct-wave direction HRTF, and the reflected-wave direction HRTFs into the audio signal.
US08503677B2
A communication device receives secure communication frames on which a security transform has been performed to permit authentication. The communication device maintains an authentication history and a local time varying parameter. In multi-hop communication, the communication device provisionally verifies the freshness of a received secure communication frame by verifying that identifying information extracted from the frame is not already present in the authentication history and that a received time varying parameter extracted from the frame is not older than the local time varying parameter by more than a certain margin. If these freshness tests both pass, the frame is authenticated. If authentication succeeds, the frame is transmitted on the next hop without performance of a new security transform.
US08503676B2
To provide reliable and customized authentication, a parameter to be used in authentication is defined for the operator. A secret which may be stored e.g. in a subscriber identity module is calculated from the operator parameter and a subscriber key. An authentication response is calculated from the secret and the challenge to be used in authentication with a one-way function.
US08503671B2
Certain aspects for protecting image data in a video compression system may include encrypting image data utilizing counter-mode scrambling. The encrypted image data may be buffered in at least one frame buffer. The buffered encrypted image data may be decrypted by utilizing counter-mode descrambling.
US08503666B1
Methods, systems and apparatuses can be used to detect and prevent invalid or unwanted pulses. In various implementations, pulse information received from a telephony device can be used to identify a duration associated with the pulse. Based upon the duration, a determination can be made whether the pulse is invalid.
US08503663B2
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for automating the activation of agents in particular workgroups. A call queue server receives incoming communications. A scheduling server is coupled to the call center server over a network and analyzes historical communication data to calculate a forecasted load for a particular time period. The system uses the forecasted load to create agent schedules for the workgroups for the particular time period. The system programmatically activates and deactivates the agents into and out of the workgroups at scheduled points in time based on the calculated schedules. The call center server routes each of the queued communications to a particular agent that is activated on a particular one of the workgroup.
