US08530141B2
Lithographic printing plate precursors can have an imageable layer that includes a polymeric binder having an acid number of at least 30 mg KOH/g of polymer to and including 150 mg KOH/g of polymer, at least 3 weight % of recurring units derived from one or more N-alkoxymethyl (alkyl)acrylamides or alkoxymethyl (alkyl)acrylates, at least 2 weight % of recurring units having pendant 1H-tetrazole groups, and at least 10 weight % of recurring units having pendant cyano groups. The use of such polymeric binders provides good bakeability and chemical solvent resistance, especially for positive-working precursors.
US08530139B2
Disclosed is a solvent for printing which comprises a first solvent selected from the group consisting of acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, methanol and mixtures thereof, and a second solvent selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (PGMEA), propylene glycol monomethyl ether (PGME), isopropanol, butyl acetate, ethyl-3-ethoxypropionate and mixtures thereof. Further disclosed are a pattern composition for printing comprising the solvent for printing, and a patterning method using the composition. The use of the solvent for printing enables formation of an accurate pattern.
US08530133B2
Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide for norbornane-type ballast materials, norbornane-type photoactive compounds derived from such ballast materials and alkali-soluble positive-tone polymer compositions that encompass such norbornane-type photoactive compounds and one of a PBO or PNB resin.
US08530132B2
A method for preparing a toner including toner particles is provided. The toner preparation method includes preparing a toner component liquid including at least a binder resin, a colorant and an organic solvent; mixing a resin A having a solubility of less than 2.0 g/100 g in water having a pH of 3.0 at 25° C. while having a solubility of not less than 2.0 g/100 g, a basic material, and water to prepare an aqueous phase liquid, in which the resin A is dissolved; forming droplets of the toner component liquid in the aqueous phase liquid; and removing the organic solvent from the droplets of the toner component liquid to prepare the toner particles.
US08530126B2
Toners are provided. In one aspect a toner comprises, particles of at least one toner resin having particle diameters greater than about 20 microns, a first particulate addenda on the toner particles having a BET surface area of less than 60 m2/g of the toner particle; and a second particulate addenda on the toner particles having a BET surface of more than 120 m2/g.
US08530102B2
A hydrogen generator has a reaction chamber that contains a complex hydride capable of reacting with an aqueous acid solution to generate hydrogen. A storage chamber contains an aqueous acid solution that is supplied through a supply pipe to the reaction chamber to react with the complex hydride to generate hydrogen. The total weight of water contained in the aqueous acid solution is 0.2 times or more, but 3 times or less, than the weight of the complex hydride. A control device controls the supplying of the aqueous acid solution through the supply pipe to the reaction chamber based on a reference pressure such that the aqueous acid solution is repeatedly supplied to the reaction chamber when the reference pressure is greater than the internal pressure within the reaction chamber and not supplied to the reaction chamber when the reference pressure is less than the reaction chamber internal pressure.
US08530098B2
Disclosed is an electrolyte for a rechargeable lithium battery including: a first additive having an oxidation potential of 4.1 to 4.6V; a second additive having an oxidation potential of 4.4 to 5.0V; a non-aqueous organic solvent; and a lithium salt.
US08530086B2
The present invention provides a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including: a positive electrode including a first active material capable of occluding and releasing a lithium ion and a second active material capable of occluding and releasing an anion; a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material capable of occluding and releasing a lithium ion; and an electrolyte containing a salt of a lithium ion and the anion. The second active material is a polymer having a tetrachalcogenofulvalene skeleton in a repeating unit. According to the present invention, provided is a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery with improved output characteristics, in particular, a pulse discharge characteristic, without a significant decrease in energy density.
US08530080B2
A nonaqueous electrolytic solution that provides a lithium secondary battery with excellent electrical capacity, cycling properties, storage properties and other battery characteristics and that maintains the battery characteristics for a long time; and a lithium secondary battery comprising it. A nonaqueous electrolytic solution comprising an electrolytic salt dissolved in a nonaqueous solvent, containing 0.1 to 10% by weight of an ethylene carbonate derivative represented by the general formula (I), and 0.01 to 10% by weight of (A) a triple bond-containing compound and/or (B) a pentafluorophenyloxy compound represented by the general formula (X), wherein formula (I) is: wherein R1 to R3 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group or an aryl group, provided that ethylene carbonate is excluded from the definition of the ethylene carbonate derivative; and wherein formula (X) is: wherein R15 represents an alkylcarbonyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, an aryloxycarbonyl group or an alkanesulfonyl group.
US08530071B2
A secondary battery with improved flexibility. The secondary battery includes: a substrate; a first electrode collector integrally formed with the substrate as one body; a first electrode material mixture layer; an electrolyte layer; a second electrode material mixture layer; and a second electrode collector having a metallic mesh structure integrally formed with the second electrode material mixture layer as one body, wherein the first electrode material mixture layer, the electrolyte layer, and the second electrode material mixture layer are sequentially formed on the first electrode collector in this order.
US08530070B2
According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus comprises a casing that includes a battery unit, which features a plurality of battery cells and a case, and a mechanical component. Housing the cells, the case includes a first part to contain at least one cell, a second part to contain at least one cell, and a third part to connect the first part and the second part, the third part including an escape section. The mechanical component is at least partially located in a space formed by the escape section.
US08530056B2
An antimicrobial substrate (glass, ceramic or metallic) coated on at least one of its surface with at least one mixed layer deposited by a sputtering under vacuum magnetically enhanced process is described. The layer comprising at least one antimicrobial agent mixed to binder material chosen amongst the metal oxides, oxynitrides, oxycarbides or nitrides. This substrate present antimicrobial properties, in particular bactericidal activity even when no thermal treatment has been applied. If a tempered and antimicrobial glass is required, the same co-sputtering process can be used, optionally an underlayer can be added. Antimicrobial properties are maintained even after a tempering process.
US08530055B2
The ceramic green sheet is formed by molding and drying “a ceramic slurry containing a ceramic powder, an unreacted portion of an isocyanate, an unreacted portion of a polyol, a urethane resin that is produced by mixing isocyanate and polyol and serves as an organic binder, and a solvent”, the ceramic slurry being prepared by mixing the ceramic powder, the isocyanate, the polyol, and the solvent. A thin sheet-like molded body is formed by printing a molded body of a paste, which is prepared by mixing a ceramic powder, an organic binder that is a resin not containing a hydroxyl group, and a solvent, on the ceramic green sheet, and by drying the resultant. A dry shrinkage percentage of the ceramic green sheet upon forming the thin sheet-like molded body thereon can significantly be reduced.
US08530047B2
The oligonucleotide polymerization method of the present invention is advantageous in that an oligonucleotide with a small molecular weight can be easily polymerized into high-molecular weight oligonucleotides. Further, the high-molecular oligonucleotide prepared by the method of the present invention can bind to hydrophilic high-molecular materials or inorganic materials, and then can be stably delivered to a living body. Therefore, the high-molecular oligonucleotide prepared by the method of the present invention can be widely used for treating various diseases.
US08530040B2
A man-made, molded article is provided. The article includes a profile including a planar wall, and an adjacent integral molded depression having a contoured wall extending downwardly from the planar wall. The contoured wall includes a bead portion, a cove portion, and a ledge between the bead and cove portions. The articles are stackable, one above another for transport, in a nestable relationship in which multiple contact zones are present between the contoured walls of an adjacently stacked pair of the molded articles. The contact zones include an arcuately extending contact interface zone between the bead exterior and interior surfaces. The depression has a substantially uniform thickness varying by no more than about +1 percent to about −11 percent in relation to a thickness of the planar wall. Related methods and assemblies are also provided.
US08530038B2
A panel made of a wooden material with a surface coating has an undercoat which is applied to the wooden material and at least one lacquer coating and a functional component. There is produced a panel made of a wooden material with a low-cost surface coating which can be applied easily and is optically appealing.
US08530036B2
A sports board has a hard top shell formed with a top concave shell cavity. The hard top shell has an inside surface. The hard top shell is pervious to light. A top layer of adhesive adheres to the hard top shell. A rigid foam core is formed with a top profile and a bottom profile. The top profile matches and receives the top hard shell. The top layer of adhesive adheres to a top surface of the foam core. A bottom layer of adhesive adheres to a bottom surface of the rigid foam core; and a hard bottom shell is formed with a bottom concave shell cavity. The bottom concave shell cavity is formed to fit to the bottom profile. The hard bottom shell is pervious to light.
US08530033B2
The present invention relates to an external wall panel which is excellent in ornamental design and weather resistance and a coating method for the external wall panel. An external wall panel of the invention comprises a base panel having a three-dimensional ornamental design surface, a lower coating layer formed on the surface of the base panel, a mid-coating layer formed on the lower coating layer, a first clear layer containing beads formed on the mid-coating layer, and a second clear layer made of a transparent layer or semi-transparent layer formed on the first clear layer wherein the second clear layer has a thick film layer portion in the vicinity of a corner edge of a convex portion of the three-dimensional ornamental design surface.
US08530027B2
A composite article may comprise a plurality of fibers. Each one of the fibers may have upper, lower and side surfaces. The fibers may be embedded within a matrix. At least one of the upper and lower surfaces of at least one of the fibers may include a notch region and a pair of side regions on opposite sides of the notch region. The plurality of fibers may be arranged in layers. At least one of the fibers of one of the layers may be received within the notch region of at least one of the fibers of another one of the layers.
US08530023B2
Disclosed is a read-only optical information recording medium which comprises a reflective film having a reflectance suitable for use as a reflective film for an optical information recording medium (e.g., BD-ROM) and having excellent reproduction stability, and which utilizes a blue laser beam. Specifically disclosed is a read-only optical information recording medium comprising a reflective film, wherein the reflective film comprises an Al-based alloy containing at least one element selected from Si and Ge in an amount of 5 to 40 at. %.
US08530015B2
A structural reinforcement comprising a hollow profile and a ribbed structure, the ribbed structure including a laminar structure of two facing sheets with a first layer of adhesive material that is foamable and located in between the two facing sheets, the ribbed structure having ribs with one or more ends and a second adhesive material that is provided over at least part of the ribs at the one or more ends to bond the ribs at the one or more ends to an interior surface of the hollow profile.
US08530013B2
A fuel hose (10) includes a laminated layer structure including: an intermediate layer (12) containing polyvinyl alcohol and/or an ethylene-vinylalcohol copolymer; an inner layer (11) disposed on an inner periphery of the intermediate layer; and an outer layer (13) disposed on an outer periphery of the intermediate layer and containing a rubber. The inner layer (11) includes: a first component containing nitrile rubber; and cross-linked chains formed of carbon-carbon single bond, and is directly laminated to the intermediate layer (12).
US08530007B2
A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer. The first substrate includes a first insulating substrate, in which a pixel area is defined, a gate line formed on the first insulating substrate, a data line crossing the gate line, and a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line. The second substrate is opposite to the first substrate. The liquid crystal layer is interposed between the first and second substrates and includes a liquid crystal composition with a nematic-isotropic phase transition temperature (Tni) of 79° C. or above.
US08530004B2
Disclosed is a polymeric electret film as well as the method of manufacturing the same. The polymeric electret film comprises a polytetrafluoroethylene film and an electrode layer. The polytetrafluoroethylene film includes a porous layer, which has a porous structure. The porous structure has a pore diameter ranging between 0.01 μm and 5.0 μm and has a porosity ranging between 20% and 95%. The polytetrafluoroethylene film has a thickness ranging between 1 μm and 50 μm, and is preferably made of expanded porous polytetrafluoroethylene. The polymeric electret film has a surface potential ranging between 0.1 V and 1000 V.
US08530003B2
A polybenzoxazole precursor is represented by the following formula (1): wherein R1a to R4a, R1b to R4b, X1, Y1 and m are defined in the specification.
US08529990B2
A thin film environmental barrier encapsulation process includes providing an electronic device on a substrate, a first reactant gaseous material, a second reactant gaseous material, an inert gaseous material; and a delivery head through which the reactant gaseous materials and the inert gaseous material are simultaneously directed toward the electronic device and the substrate. One or more of the reactant gaseous materials and the inert gaseous material flows through the delivery head. The flow of the one or more of the reactant gaseous materials and the inert gaseous material generates a pressure to create a gas fluid bearing that maintains a substantially uniform distance between the delivery head and the substrate. Relative motion between the delivery head and the substrate causes the second reactant gaseous material to react with at least a portion of the electronic device and the substrate that has been treated with the first reactant gaseous material.
US08529981B2
Protein concentrates and protein isolates, in addition to processes for the production of protein concentrates and protein isolates, are disclosed. In particular, the disclosure relates to a process for removing fiber from an oilseed meal, comprising: i) mixing an oilseed meal with a blending solvent, optionally water, saline solution, polysaccharide solution or protein containing solution, to form a mixture; ii) optionally adjusting the pH of the protein slurry to a pH of about 2 to about 10; and iii) separating the mixture to form a protein slurry comprising soluble and insoluble proteins and an insoluble fiber fraction.
US08529971B2
Packaging of a stack of confectionery pellets (12) comprises a tubular pack (30) formed from a flexible wrapper (32) and a re-closable cap member (34) mounted to one end of pack. The cap member has a base affixed to a side wall of the pack (30) and a scoop (40) attached to the base for movement between closed and open positions. The scoop (40) is shaped to act as a receptacle for holding a pellet (12) dispensed from the pack when in the open position. The wrapper (32) has a line of weakness (61) extending around all or part of the end wall region and during manufacture an inside surface of the scoop (40) is bonded to the end wall region. When the scoop (40) is first opened, the wrapper (32) tears along the line of weakness to create an opening in the pack (30) through which pellets (12) can be dispensed. A method of manufacturing the packaging is also disclosed.
US08529969B2
A method for producing pure guar flour and the use of hydroxy propyl trimethyl ammonium chloride-guar flour obtained according to the method in clear aqueous cosmetic formulations which are intended to be applied on hair and/or skin and which can be washed out or rinsed off as conditioning agents or depositing agents to dilute cosmetic formulations.
US08529968B2
The invention concerns a decontaminating composition having simultaneously bactericidal, fungicidal and virocidal properties, comprising as active components eugenol, eugenol acetate, vanillin and carvacrol, characterized in that said active constituents are present in the following percentages by weight: at least about 12% eugenol, at least about 3% eugenol acetate, at least about 0.1% vanillin and at least about 0.5% carvacrol. Said decontaminating composition can be used as liquid or solid soaps. It can also impregnate in liquid form fabrics and nonwoven fabrics such as garments for medical use, bed sheets, slip covers, surgery drape, dressings and gauze such as those applied to the skin of serious burn victims.
US08529966B2
The invention is directed to a method for treating topical burns with compositions comprising a silicone containing compound, a Vitamin E compound and a local anesthetic.
US08529957B2
The present invention relates to new plasma or new platelet-rich plasma preparations, new cell dissociation methods, new cell associations or compositions, a method of preparation thereof, a use thereof, devices for the preparation thereof and preparations containing such a platelet-rich plasma preparation and cell associations or compositions. Specifically, the invention provides compositions comprising plasma or platelet-rich plasma alone or in combination with cell preparations for use in tissue regeneration and bone regeneration and pain reduction.
US08529956B2
Blood-derived plastic articles prepared from compositions including blood and, in some embodiments, at least one crosslinking agent and/or at least one biological response modifier, that can be useful for biological applications such as wound repair and tissue grafts; methods of making and using the same; methods for assessing the concentration of a biological response modifier in an article; and systems for preparing blood-derived plastic articles are provided.
US08529954B2
The present invention relates to a granule of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid or of one of its pharmaceutically acceptable salts, characterized in that it comprises a solid core on which the gamma-hydroxybutyric acid or one of its salts is supported.
US08529952B2
Pharmaceutical compositions comprising micronized fenofibrate, a surfactant and a binding cellulose derivative as a solubilization adjuvant, wherein said compositions contain an amount of fenofibrate greater than or equal to 60% by weight and methods of producing fenofibrate compositions.
US08529946B2
The invention relates to a rapidly disintegrating oral antihistamine dosage formulation and method of preparing the rapidly disintegrating formulation wherein the formulation is designed to dissolve in the buccal cavity of the patient.
US08529943B2
Provided are angiopoietin-derived peptides or homologs or derivatives thereof, pharmaceutical composition including them, a use thereof for therapy and for the manufacture of a medicament, a method of treating a wide range of conditions, disorders and diseases therewith, nucleotide sequences encoding them, antibodies directed to epitopes thereof and fusion proteins including them.
US08529942B2
A wound care dressing comprising one or more nonwoven blankets, where each nonwoven blanket comprises a plurality of fibers, where each of the plurality of fibers are formed from one or more saccharides in optional combination with one or more medicaments.
US08529941B2
Methods and apparatus for a free-standing biodegradable patch suitable for medical applications, especially intravascular, minimally-invasive and intraoperative surgical applications are provided, wherein the patch comprises a free-standing film or device having a mixture of a solid fibrinogen component and a solid thrombin component that, when exposed to an aqueous environment, undergoes polymerization to form fibrin. In alternative embodiments the patch may comprise a solid fibrinogen component, with or without an inorganic calcium salt component. The patch may take a non-adherent form during delivery to a target location within a vessel or tissue, and thereafter may be activated to adhere to vessel wall or tissue, and may include a number of additives, including materials to improve the mechanical properties of the patch, or one or more therapeutic or contrast agents.
US08529938B2
An improved viscoelastic composition useful in the performance of ophthalmic surgical procedures and especially cataract procedures is disclosed. The embodiments of the composition comprise combinations of sodium hyaluronate and chondroitin sulfate and exhibit an improved rheological profile.
US08529930B2
It is provided a polymer blend that contains a polymer formed of fluorinated monomers and hydrocarbon monomers and another biocompatible polymer.
US08529925B2
A comprehensive, single agent cosmetic cream or lotion containing a high number of ingredients that target anti-aging in a defined manner. The cream or lotion contains a high number and variety of active substances that demonstrate excellent safety and efficacy in all of the various defined categories of skin aging, including but not limited to wrinkles, abnormal pigment or brown spots due to aging of the skin and an unexpectedly high efficacy in the reduction of redness and acne and rosacea blemishes.
US08529919B2
Disclosed is a package for a personal care composition, the package comprising a container containing a personal care composition, the container having a base comprising a base face for standing the package on a planar surface, and a cap removably connected to and covering a dispensing end of the container opposite to the base. The cap has an end face which is inclined to the base face, and the container and cap are shaped to permit the package, independent of the amount of the personal care composition contained within the container, selectively to be stood on the base face in an upright orientation on the planar surface or on the end face in an inverted orientation on the planar surface.
US08529917B2
The invention provides active agents, such as paclitaxel, rapamycin, or 17-DMAG, encapsulated by safe poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(lactic acid) (“PEG-b-PLA”) micelles. The compositions provide effective solubilization of drug combinations, such as paclitaxel, rapamycin, and 17-DMAG, as well as others described herein. A significant advantage of PEG-b-PLA as a carrier is that it is less toxic than Cremophor® EL or DMSO, which are used in currently known compositions. Additionally, PEG-b-PLA micelles are easier to handle than DMSO and they do not possess a foul odor, which is a problem with formulations currently in clinical trials. Accordingly, the invention provides stable and biocompatible drug formulations that improve bioavailability without causing toxicity. It was also found that larger doses of individual drugs in micelle formulations can be administered compared to non-micelle formulations.
US08529913B2
The invention includes a GAS antigen, GAS 40, which is particularly suitable for use either alone or in combinations with additional GAS antigens, such as GAS 117, GAS 130, GAS 277, GAS 236, GAS 40, GAS 389, GAS 504, GAS 509, GAS 366, GAS 159, GAS 217, GAS 309, GAS 372, GAS 039, GAS 042, GAS 058, GAS 290, GAS 511, GAS 533, GAS 527, GAS 294, GAS 253, GAS 529, GAS 045, GAS 095, GAS 193, GAS 137, GAS 084, GAS 384, GAS 202, and GAS 057.
US08529910B2
The present invention discloses isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding a hyperimmune serum reactive antigen or a fragment thereof as well as hyperimmune serum reactive antigens or fragments thereof from E. faecalis, methods for isolating such antigens and specific uses thereof.
US08529907B2
Provided is a method for improving day photopic vision and/or cone-derived visual field and visual function in a subject suffering from a retinal disease or trauma including administering to the subject a pharmaceutically effective amount of crude Dunaliella powder. Also provided is a method for improving night vision and/or rod derived visual field in a subject suffering from a retinal disease including administering to the subject a pharmaceutically effective amount of crude Dunaliella powder. A pharmaceutical composition for improving day vision and/or visual field in a subject suffering from a retinal disease including crude Dunaliella powder is also provided.
US08529902B2
Isolated human monoclonal antibodies which bind to and inhibit human CD20, and related antibody-based compositions and molecules, are disclosed. The human antibodies can be produced by a transfectoma or in a non-human transgenic animal, e.g., a transgenic mouse, capable of producing multiple isotypes of human monoclonal antibodies by undergoing V-D-J recombination and isotype switching. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the human antibodies, non-human transgenic animals and hybridomas which produce the human antibodies, and therapeutic and diagnostic methods for using the human antibodies.
US08529900B2
The present invention relates to methods for the treatment, the prognosis and the diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer.
US08529896B2
BST2 antibodies were selected by using as an indicator the binding between BST2 antibodies and various splicing variants of human BST2 antigen. As a result, the present inventors successfully obtained BST2 antibodies that specifically recognize BST2D, which has been reported to be expressed at high levels in cancer cells. The antibodies of the present invention specifically bind to cells expressing BST2D. Non-specific antibody binding to non-target tissues, which results in the decrease of antibody concentration in blood, can be prevented by using the antibodies of the present invention therapeutically. Alternatively, the present invention provides diagnostic agents comprising an antibody of the present invention, which specifically detect tissues expressing BST2D.
US08529895B2
The present invention provides a novel therapeutic agent for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).A therapeutic agent for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which comprises an interleukin 6 (IL-6) receptor inhibitor as an active ingredient.
US08529891B2
The present invention describes inhibitors of extracellular Hsp90. The inhibition of extracellular Hsp90 leads to a reduction of the invasiveness of the tumor cells. Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of molecules inhibiting extracellular Hsp90 function for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment or prevention of invasion and/or metastatic potential of cancer cells.
US08529888B2
A method of treating ischemia in a subject in need thereof is disclosed. The method comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of adherent cells of a tissue selected from the group consisting of a placenta and an adipose tissue, thereby treating the ischemia in the subject. A method of treating a medical condition requiring connective tissue regeneration and/or repair is also disclosed.
US08529887B2
The present invention relates generally to the field of nutrition, more particularly to the use of probiotics in nutrition. In particular the present invention relates to the use of a probiotic or of a mixture of probiotics in the manufacture of a nutritional composition or a medicament to act the colon in a pre- or post surgical environment.
US08529878B2
Provided is method of strengthening keratinous fibers that includes contacting the fibers with a composition that includes a poly(vinylamine-vinylformamide) copolymer and a carrier, wherein the treated fibers exhibit an improvement in strength. Also provided are methods for improving strength of fibers that have been damaged, e.g., as a result of having been subjected to chemical and/or thermal treatment processes that diminish fiber strength, by contacting the fibers with the composition.
US08529873B2
The preparation of a 72Se/72As radioisotope generator involves forming an acidic aqueous solution of an irradiated alkali bromide target such as a NaBr target, oxidizing soluble bromide in the solution to elemental bromine, removing the elemental bromine, evaporating the resulting solution to a residue, removing hydrogen chloride from the residue, forming an acidic aqueous solution of the residue, adding a chelator that selectively forms a chelation complex with selenium, and extracting the chelation complex from the acidic aqueous solution into an organic phase. As the 72Se generates 72As in the organic phase, the 72As may be extracted repeatedly from the organic phase with an aqueous acid solution.
US08529865B2
Processes for making hydrogen and optionally carbon monoxide and their integrations in a Carbon-to-Liquids plant are disclosed. A first syngas produced by a first syngas generator is converted in a hydrocarbon synthesis process to hydrocarbon products, oxygenates and product water comprising dissolved oxygenates. The first syngas generator may use partial oxidation, reforming, gasifying, or pyrolysis of any solid, liquid or gaseous carbonaceous feedstock. The product water may be treated, for example by distillation and/or by stripping, to form an oxygenates-rich stream which comprises a reforming reactant and oxygenates originating from the product water. Oxygenates from the oxygenates-rich stream fed to a second syngas generator are converted under reforming conditions to form at least hydrogen. The hydrogen formed by reforming may be supplied to one or more units using hydrogen within a Carbon-to-Liquids plant.
US08529848B2
A system for preparing biological sample contains a body including a proximal side and a distal side, a plurality of mandrels, a plurality of resilient elements, a plurality of fluid dispensers, and one or more samples. The mandrels are moveably positioned within the body, where each resilient element engages a respective one of the mandrels. Each of the fluid dispensers is configured to engage a distal end of a corresponding one of the mandrels. Each sample comprises a solution containing one or more nucleic acid sequences contained within at least one of the fluid dispensers.
US08529836B2
The present invention concerns an apparatus for automatic processing at least one biological sample accommodated on a carrier member, such as a slide by applying a predetermined amount of reagents in a predetermined sequence according to a processing protocol, said apparatus comprising; a housing frame; at least one processing section for accommodating at least one slide, the at least one processing section is provided within the housing; a hood cover protecting the at least one processing section in said housing; wherein the hood cover completely encloses the processing section defining an interior space; and wherein the apparatus further comprises climate control device provided to control the environment within the interior space.
US08529824B2
A resin composition formed by mixing 99 to 70 weight % of specific whole aromatic polyesteramide liquid crystal resin (A) with 1 to 30 weight % of epoxy modified polyolefin-base resin (B) and by melting and kneading both of the resins, wherein the resin composition having a melt viscosity of 60 to 4000 Pa·s at a shear rate of 1000/second at a temperature which is 20° C. higher than the melting point and having a melt tension of 20 mN or more at a take-over speed of 14.8 m/minute, is melt within a temperature range of a melting point to the melting point +40° C., a parison (P) is formed by extruding it with an extrusion speed equal to or higher than 0.3 kg/minute and lower than 5 kg/minute, a pair of moldings placed so as to sandwich the parison (P) are closed at a predetermined mold closing pressure, and air is blown into the parison (P).
US08529820B1
Methods and apparatus adjustably control the repositioning of non-homogeneous fluid conditions across the stream of a laminar flowing fluid to a desirable circumferential position. The invention is particularly applicable to controlling non-homogeneous melt conditions at about the intersection of two flow channels in systems having hot or cold flow channels. Various mechanisms are provided that enable simple adjustments of a flow diverter within a fluid rotation device, making either static or dynamic adjustments, so that the degree of fluid flow repositioning in a runner system can be changed without the need for mold disassembly or retooling. Various forms of actuators effect adjustment and may be manually manipulated or manipulated through various powered devices.
US08529813B2
The present invention provides multiple layer interlayers having a soft inner polymer layer and relatively stiff outer layers that can be laminated without unacceptable optical distortion and used in various multiple layer glass panel type applications. Multiple layer interlayers of the present invention have surface topography that is formed by controlling the melt fracture that occurs at the exposed surface of the interlayer, or individual layers of the multiple layer interlayer, during formation of the interlayer. By precisely controlling the surface topography of the interlayer, lamination of the interlayer with a rigid substrate does not lead to unacceptable optical distortion caused by the transfer of the surface topography through outer, stiffer layers into softer, internal layers of the interlayer.
US08529810B2
The invention provides a method of making a pattern on a building on site, which comprises following steps: applying a base coat on a surface of said building; pressing and adhering a pattern mold onto said base coat before initial setting of said base coat so as to form a compound body of the base coat and the pattern mold; applying a cover coat on said compound body; releasing the mold so as to obtain said pattern. The decoration method of the invention makes the wall surface safe and solid, of a long service life, available of a variety of patterns and convenient to construct.
US08529807B2
The present invention relates to methods by which to produce sheet-like, wafer-like or film-like forms of drugs, confectionary, other food, cosmetics and the like for oral application or intake. The present invention is more particularly directed to the thermal treatment of carrier materials used in the production of such sheet-like, wafer-like or film-like forms. The thermal treatment removes contaminating or undesired substances from the carrier material.
US08529806B2
There is provided a process for producing a regenerated elastic roller which can be again used for the formation of high-quality electrophotographic images by sufficiently relaxing a compression set of the elastic roller having the compression set caused in an elastic layer in usage. The process for producing a regenerated elastic roller includes a step of heating an elastic roller having a conductive mandrel and an elastic layer and having a compression set caused in the elastic layer, in a cylindrical mold to thermally expand the elastic layer and to cause a surface of the elastic roller to contact an inner wall of the cylindrical mold.
US08529791B2
Disclosed herein are green-emitting, garnet-based phosphors having the formula (Lu1-a-b-cYaTbbAc)3(Al1-dBd)5(O1-eCe)12:Ce,Eu, where A is selected from the group consisting of Mg, Sr, Ca, and Ba; B is selected from the group consisting of Ga and In; C is selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, and Br; and 0≦a≦1; 0≦b≦1; 0
US08529784B2
Methods and apparatuses for generating electrically-conductive and/or semi-conductive films, and more specifically, methods and apparatuses for generating conductive and/or semi-conductive films having nanoscale features are provided. In one embodiment, an electrically-conductive or semi-conductive film (e.g., a gold layer of less than 50 nanometer thickness) is provided on a substrate (e.g., a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) stamp). The substrate may optionally include patterns or features having raised and recessed portions. A first portion of the film may be removed from the substrate, e.g., by methods such as physically contacting the first portion of the film with a surface to which the first portion preferentially adheres. This process can leave a second portion of the film remaining on the substrate. In some embodiments, the second portion includes at least one region having a dimension substantially parallel to a portion of the substrate i.e., of less than 50 nanometers. The second portion of the film may be used to establish electrical communication with an electrical contact. Advantageously, electrically-conductive and/or semi-conductive films having nanoscale features can be fabricated over large areas (e.g., areas greater than 1 cm2) in a single step.
US08529783B2
A method for preventing the formation of contaminating polymeric films on the backsides of semiconductor substrates includes providing an oxygen-impregnated focus ring and/or an oxygen-impregnated chuck that releases oxygen during etching operations. The method further provides delivering oxygen gas to the substrate by mixing oxygen in the cooling gas mixture, maintaining the focus ring at a temperature no greater than the substrate temperature during etching and cleaning the substrate using a two step plasma cleaning sequence that includes suspending the substrate above the chuck.
US08529782B1
A microstructure manufacturing method includes (a) generating first light including an interference fringe by crossing two laser beams, (b) forming a denatured region and a non-denatured region on an object having thermal non-linearity by applying the first light onto the object, so that the denatured region and the non-denatured region are disposed so as to correspond to a period of the interference fringe of the first light, and (c) etching the object so that the denatured region or the non-denatured region is selectively eliminated.
US08529781B2
A method for producing a component, and a component, in particular a micromechanical and/or microfluidic and/or microelectronic component, is provided, the component including at least one patterned material region, and in a first step the patterned material region is produced in that microparticles of a first material are embedded in a matrix of a second material, and in a second step the patterned material region is rendered porous by etching using a dry etching method or a gas-phase etching method.
US08529772B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed for separating a multiphase fluid stream that includes a heavier fluid component and a lighter fluid component. The fluid flows along a first helical flowpath with a first pitch. The first helical flowpath is sufficiently long to establish a stabilized rotating fluid flow pattern for the stream. The uniform rotating fluid also flows along a second helical flowpath, the second helical flowpath having a second pitch greater than the first pitch. The lighter fluid is removed from a radially inner region of the second helical flowpath. The method and apparatus are particularly suitable for the separation of oil droplets from water, especially from water for reinjection into a subterranean formation as part of an oil and gas production operation. The method and apparatus are conveniently applied on a modular basis.
US08529768B2
A water treatment system is provided that includes first and second water treatment control valves. Each control valve includes orifices and a piston. Movement of the piston is operative to change the flow of water through the orifices. The inlet and outlet ports of the second control valve are reversed relative to locations of the inlet and outlet ports on the first control valve. Each control valve is in operative connection with a respective brine tank and a resin tank. A manifold is in operative connection with the inlet and outlet ports of the first and second control valves. The manifold includes an inlet and an outlet port and a three way valve. A controller is configured to selectively operate the three way valve to direct water from the inlet port of the manifold to one of the inlet ports of the first and second control valves.
US08529764B2
Disclosed is a system and method for treating a body of water, without the necessity of being connected to an electrical grid, that includes photovoltaic collectors and a battery bank that is charged by the photovoltaic collectors. The photovoltaic collectors and the battery bank operate a series of air pumps that are connected to an air pump manifold to create a uniform source of compressed air that is distributed to a plurality of floating diffuser manifolds. A plurality of air stones are suspended under the floating diffuser manifolds that create air bubbles that are absorbed by the body of water and circulate said body of water to disburse a microbial fluid. In addition, an incubator system is also connected to an air pump that incubates microbes to form a microbial fluid that can be automatically dispersed throughout the body of water.
US08529762B2
The disclosed product water tube is for use with a filter element having a filter membrane. The product water tube has a tube wall with a plurality of apertures formed therein to allow permeate from the filter membrane to pass through the tube wall and into a center portion of the tube. The tube wall has an outer surface having a pattern of ridges and channels that conduct the permeate across the outer surface of the tube to the apertures.
US08529749B2
An electrochemical cell includes a container at atmospheric pressure comprising a liquid electrolyte and a first electrode at least partially immersed in the electrolyte. A plasma source is spaced apart from a surface of the electrolyte by a predetermined spacing, and a plasma spans the predetermined spacing to contact the surface of the electrolyte. A method of operating the electrochemical cell entails providing a first electrode at least partially immersed in a liquid electrolyte and producing a plasma in contact with a surface of the electrolyte at atmospheric pressure. The plasma acts as a second electrode, and a current is generated through the electrolyte. Electrochemical reactions involving at least the second electrode are initiated in the electrolyte.
US08529748B2
A sulfuric acid electrolyte is produced efficiently as a functional solution and persulfuric acid produced by electrolysis is supplied efficiently to a use side while suppressing self-decomposition thereof.A functional solution supply system adapted to electrolyze a sulfuric acid solution to prepare a functional solution and supply the functional solution to a use side, comprises a storage tank 2 for storing the sulfuric acid solution, an electrolyzing apparatus (electrolytic cell 3) for electrolyzing the sulfuric acid solution, heating means (heater 5) for heating the sulfuric acid solution, cooling means (cooler 4) for cooling the sulfuric acid solution, a first circulation line 11 for returning the sulfuric acid solution discharged from the storage tank 2 to the storage tank 2 through the electrolyzing apparatus without passing through the heating means, a second circulation line 12 for returning the sulfuric acid solution introduced from the use side (cleaning machine 1) to the use side through the cooling means and the storage tank 2 in this order without passing through the heating means, and a third circulation line 13 for returning the sulfuric acid solution introduced from the use side to the use side through the heating means (heater 5) without passing through the cooling means and the storage tank 2.
US08529742B2
An electrochemical sensor includes a dielectric substrate and a conductive layer formed on a surface of the substrate. The conductive layer includes a working electrode, an electrode lead and a connecting arm connecting the working electrode to the electrode lead. A dielectric layer is positioned over the conductive layer. The dielectric layer has an aperture exposing the working electrode and a portion of the connecting arm. The working electrode, electrode lead and connecting arm may be formed by laser ablation technique to provide precise working electrode sensor parameters.
US08529740B2
Electrochemical apparatus includes a disposable rectangular cuvette modified with at least one hole through a side and/or the bottom. Apparatus may include more than one cuvette, which in practice is a disposable rectangular glass or plastic cuvette modified by drilling the hole(s) through. The apparatus include two plates and some means of fastening one plate to the other. The apparatus may be interfaced with a fiber optic or microscope objective, and a spectrometer for spectroscopic studies. The apparatus are suitable for a variety of electrochemical experiments, including surface electrochemistry, bulk electrolysis, and flow cell experiments.
US08529735B2
The present invention relates to a coating for workpieces with at least one layer, the at least one layer comprising metal components represented by AlxCr1−x wherein x is an atomic ratio meeting 0≦x≦0.84 and comprising non metallic components represented by O1−yZy where Z is at least one Element selected from the group N, B, C and 0≦y≦0.65, preferably y≦0.5 characterized in that the coating comprises at least partially a cubic non gamma Cr and oxide comprising phase in such a way that the x-ray diffraction pattern shows formation of cubic phase which is not the cubic phase of CrN.
US08529719B2
An efficient and cost-effective method of manufacturing a kink-resistant tube, wherein a coated wire is wound around a mandrel while simultaneously being heated to melt the coating, is provided.
US08529717B2
The invention relates to a structural mat for reinforcing a wind turbine blade structure. The structural mat comprises two or more groups of bonded fibers, the fibers being bonded by a matrix substantially preventing relative movement of said fibers and wherein said groups are connected to each other by connection means limiting the relative movement of said groups. The invention further relates to a wind turbine blade and a method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade.
US08529710B2
A Co-based alloy being useful as a spiral spring, common spring, wire, cable guide, steel belt, build-up material, guide wire, stent, catheter, etc. There is provided a Co-based alloy having a composition of Co—Al binary system containing 3-13% Al loaded with at least one workability enhancing element selected from among 001 to 50% Ni, 0.01 to 40% Fe and 0.01 to 30% Mn and having a lamellar structure wherein f.c.c. structure α-phase and β(B2)-phase are repeated in layers. The lamellar structure is so regulated that the occupancy ratio of the whole structure is 30 vol. % or above and the layer spacing is 100 μm or less. The Co-based alloy may contain at least one optional component selected from among Ga, Cr, V, Ti, Mo, Nb, Zr, W, Ta, Hf, Si, Rh, Pd, Ir, Pt, Au, B, C and P may be added in a total amount of 0.01 to 60%.
US08529698B2
Methods, devices, and compositions of matter related to high efficiency InGaN-based photovoltaic devices. The disclosed synthesis of semiconductor heterostructures may be exploited to produce higher efficiency, longer lasting, photovoltaic cells.
US08529695B2
Silicon wafer manufacturing method including cleaning polycrystalline silicon with dissolved ozone aqueous solution, cleaning the polycrystalline silicon with fluoric acid or mixed acid of fluoric acid and nitric acid, rinsing the polycrystalline silicon with ultra pure water, melting the rinsed polycrystalline silicon and pulling a single crystal silicon ingot from the molten silicon liquid at a solidification ratio of 0.9 or less, making the pulled single crystal silicon ingot into block-shaped or grain-shaped single crystal silicon, cleaning with dissolved ozone aqueous solution, cleaning with fluoric acid or mixed acid of fluoric acid and nitric acid, rinsing the single crystal silicon with ultra pure water, remelting and pulling a single crystal silicon ingot at a solidification of 0.9 or less, and forming a silicon wafer out of the single crystal silicon ingot.
US08529691B2
A joint filler composition may include 100 parts by mass of a base material, 1 to 20 parts by mass of inorganic hollow particles, and 3 to 20 parts by mass of a mineral having a chain structure or a layer structure.
US08529690B1
The present invention relates to a process of controlling crystal form of Alite in Portland cement clinker, wherein the said Portland cement clinker is thermally treated in order to change the crystal form of Alite in Portland cement clinker, so as to improve performance of resulting Portland cement clinker. The said process of present invention is easy and feasible.
US08529689B2
Provided are cementitious compositions and related systems and methods. The cementitious compositions, or admixtures, according to the present invention generally comprise gypsum, a first alkaline component and glass. The admixture may further comprise fly ash, which is preferably obtained as a waste by-product from a coal-burning power plant. A method according to the present invention comprises an initial step of analyzing or receiving an analysis of a fly ash sample. Based at least in part on the analysis of the fly ash sample, a mix rate may be selected and an initial admixture can be formulated, which, when added to the fly ash sample, creates an alternative or additive to Portland cement for use in concrete, for example.
US08529688B2
Provided is a recording material with a superior storage property for the background and image, particularly with a remarkable superiority in any of light resistance of the background, and light, moisture and heat resistance of the image. The recording material contains a phenolic compound represented by formula (I) [wherein R1-R3 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or C1-C4 alkyl group; R5 represents a hydrogen atom, C1-C4 alkyl group or C1-C4 alkoxy group, with the proviso that when R5 is a hydrogen atom, R4 is a C1-C4 alkyl group, when R5 is a C1-C4 alkyl group, R4 is a hydrogen atom, and when R5 is a C1-C4 alkoxy group, R4 is a C1-C4 alkoxy group].
US08529684B2
A method and composition for transforming a latent physiological biometric into a visible physiological biometric are provided, the method comprising: providing a latent biometric disposed on a surface of an article, wherein said biometric comprises at least one eccrine-derived compound; contacting said latent biometric with a developing solution, wherein said developing solution comprises at least one imaging reagent selected from ninhydrin and 1,8-diazafluoren-9-one and a carrier solvent comprising at least one C3-C4 hydrofluorocarbon; and reacting said imaging reagent with said eccrine-derived compound to produce a visible physiological biometric.
US08529678B2
A CO2 recovery system includes an absorption tower and a regeneration tower. CO2 rich solution is produced in the absorption tower by absorbing CO2 from CO2-containing gas. The CO2 rich solution is conveyed to the regeneration tower where lean solution is produced from the rich solution by removing CO2. A regeneration heater heats lean solution that accumulates near a bottom portion of the regeneration tower with saturated steam thereby producing steam condensate from the saturated steam. A steam-condensate heat exchanger heats the rich solution conveyed from the absorption tower to the regeneration tower with the steam condensate.
US08529675B2
An air filter system with an air filter element having an inflow and an outflow face and comprising alternating flat and pleated layers, which are configured to form channels. The channels are alternately sealed in inflow and outflow direction, such that the medium to be filtered must pass through one of the layers as it flows from the inflow face through the filter to the outflow face. An adsorber element made of an activated carbon coated honeycomb structure is disposed adjacent the air filter element.
US08529674B2
Pressure swing adsorption process for the separation of a feed gas mixture comprising (a) providing a pressure swing adsorption system comprising one or more composite beds, each composite bed comprising adsorbent material disposed in two or more vessels in parallel flow configuration, each vessel having a feed end and a product end; (b) performing cyclic sequential steps comprising adsorption/make product, withdrawing gas at decreasing pressure from the composite bed, purging the composite bed, and introducing gas into the composite bed at increasing pressure; and (c) for any of the sequential steps, setting a flow rate or flow rates of one or more gases selected from the group consisting of gas introduced into or withdrawn from the feed end or ends of any of the two or more vessels and gas introduced into or withdrawn from the product end or ends of any of the two or more vessels.
US08529672B2
Methods and systems for cooling gas chromatography ovens that comprise a housing having a fluid entry and a sleeve positioned within the housing to provide a fluid gap between the inner surface of the housing and the outer surface of the sleeve, where the sleeve is coupled to the fluid entry, and where a cooling fluid from the fluid entry traverses the inner layer of the sleeve and thereafter the outer layer of the sleeve via the fluid gap. In one embodiment, the housing includes at least one adjustable fluid exit, and the fluid gap is in fluid communications with the fluid exit(s). The fluid entry and the sleeve can be concentric, and the sleeve can include a heating element. A fan can be positioned to drive the cooling fluid from the fluid entry.
US08529671B2
Electret webs are presented which include a blend of a thermoplastic resin and a charge additive. The charge additives include ester-substituted and amide-substituted trianilino triazine materials. The webs prepared from the blends may be in the form of films or non-woven fibrous webs. Non-woven microfiber webs are useful as filtration media.
US08529668B2
A deaerator includes a case defining a vortex chamber and a fluid inlet for allowing a mixture of lubricating liquid and air to pass through the case into the vortex chamber. An air outlet allows air flow out of the deaerator, and a liquid outlet allows lubricating liquid flow out of the deaerator. A porous diffuser is positioned proximate the liquid outlet for slowing the flow of lubricating liquid.
US08529667B2
A process for the extraction of an unwanted material from a gas or liquid comprising the steps of introducing an extraction liquid into the fluid having an unwanted liquid therein to form a physical microdispersion comprising a plurality of extraction liquid droplets and the fluid, allowing the plurality of extraction liquid droplets to interact with the unwanted component in the fluid, to cause the extraction liquid droplets to be “wetted out” and captured on a porous medium, where the liquid is further contacted by the gas and simultaneously formed into a plurality of coalesceable droplets, coalescing the coalesceable droplets into larger droplets containing the unwanted liquid, and separating the larger droplets containing the unwanted liquid from the fluid.
US08529664B2
The separation of a target gas selected from a high pressure gas mixture containing said target gas as well as a product gas using a swing adsorption process unit. A turboexpander is used upstream of the swing adsorber to reduce the pressure of the high pressure gas mixture. A compressor is optionally used downstream of the swing adsorber to increase the pressure of the target gas-containing stream for injecting into a subterranean formation.
US08529656B2
A projection display device includes: a leg section that supports a main body of the projection display device with respect to an installation surface on which the main body is installed; and a filter section that is disposed on a bottom of the main body and exposes a first air intake surface to the outside. In this arrangement, the first air intake surface is inclined with respect to the bottom surface of the main body in a direction that departs from the installation surface, and air flows into the filter section through a clearance between the first air intake surface and the installation surface.
US08529653B2
In an indoor unit of an air conditioner including an air filter arranged on a suction side of an indoor fan, dust trapped on the air filter is reliably and efficiently removed by a simple structure. For that purpose, an indoor unit (13) is provided with a dust remover (50) for removing dust trapped on an air filter (40) arranged on a suction side of an indoor fan (39), and a filter presser (70) for pressing a frame (42) of the air filter (40) so as to press the air filter (40) against the dust remover (50). The air filter (40) is configured to move relative to the dust remover (50), and the filter presser (70).
US08529651B2
Process for the production of an aqueous dispersion of pyrogenically produced metal oxide and metalloid oxide powders with a BET surface area of between 5 and 600 m2/g, with a metal oxide or metalloid oxide content in the dispersion of between 5 and 25 wt. %, comprising the following steps: water, which is optionally adjusted to pH values of between 2 and 4 by adding acids, is circulated from a receiving vessel via a rotor/stator machine, and metal oxide or metalloid oxide powder is introduced, using a feed device, into the shear zone between the slots in the rotor teeth and the stator slots, continuously or discontinuously and with the rotor/stator machine running, in a quantity such that a predispersion with a solids content of between 20 and 40 wt. % results, and, after all the metal oxide powder or metalloid oxide powder has been added, the feed device closes and shearing continues in such a way that the shear rate is in the range of between 10000 and 40000 s−1, and then, by dilution, the predispersion is adjusted to the desired solids content of the dispersion while maintaining the dispersing conditions.
US08529641B2
At least any of a second cathode lead terminal and a second anode lead terminal has such a construction that a lead portion is shifted with respect to a connection portion orthogonally. A first cathode lead terminal is closer to one end of a cathode foil than the second cathode lead terminal and a first anode lead terminal is closer to one end of an anode foil than the second anode lead terminal. A core has first and second lengths along first and second straight lines passing through a core axis, respectively. The first length is smaller than the second length. The cathode and anode foils are wound together around the core from the one end of each of the cathode and anode foils. The second straight line lies between the first cathode and anode lead terminals and the first straight line lies between the second cathode and anode lead terminals.
US08529621B2
The present invention refers to an annular prosthesis for mitral valve. In one of its embodiments the annular prosthesis for mitral valve is made up of a posterior half-ring and an anterior half-ring coupled to each other on a first transverse plane which defines a maximum width section of the prosthesis, characterized in that the ratio between the distance between said anterior half-ring and said posterior half-ring, as measured along a second plane, perpendicular to said first plane and equidistant to said couplings, and said maximum width of the prosthesis is lower than ¾.
US08529619B2
An endoprosthesis cover may be attached to the distal end of a delivery device. The cover may be generally cylindrical in shape and may have a lumen through it. An endoprosthesis may then be covered as it is delivered to a treatment site.
US08529612B2
Materials and methods for producing localized hypothermia in a patient (e.g., for treatment of acute pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer).
US08529611B2
A system, including methods, apparatus and kits for connecting bones and/or bone portions using a multi-part bone connector with one or more rotating joints is disclosed. A flexible bone fusion apparatus is provided having an anchor and a compressor, each of which engages with a coupler to provide axial and/or linear rotation of the apparatus. Alternatively, a compressor and an anchor may directly join with each other at a shared interface. Tools for installing and compressing the apparatus are provided. Also provided is a method for fusing two bones or bone portions to create a non-linear post-fusion orientation. A further aspect of the disclosure is a method for maintaining thread synchronization of a bone fusion apparatus having a discontinuous thread.
US08529604B2
A bottom-loading multi-axial bone anchor apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a receiver member, a crown member, a bone anchor and a retaining member. The receiver member defines an upper opening and a lower opening, which may form part of the same opening, a channel, and a groove. The crown member and bone anchor are loaded into the lower opening of the receiver member, and the retaining member fits around the bone anchor and into the groove in the receiver member. The bone anchor is capable of multi-axial positioning with respect to the receiver member. An elongated member is placed in the channel of the receiver member, contacting the crown member, and a compression member is applied via the upper opening. The compression member presses down on the elongated member, which presses down on the crown member and locks the bone anchor between the crown member and the retaining member.
US08529602B2
A self-contouring spinal rod assembly. The assembly has a proximal end, a distal end, and a length extending between the proximal end and the distal end. A plurality of rod elements extend along the length, such that each of the plurality of rod elements is in contact with an adjacent rod element. The plurality of rod elements are fixed against movement relative to each other at the distal end. The plurality of rod elements are movable relative to each other along a length proximal the distal end. A method of assembling the spinal rod assembly is also provided.
US08529598B2
The present invention relates generally to methods and devices for closing and/or sealing an opening in a vessel wall and/or an adjacent tissue tract. In one illustrative embodiment, a device is provided for delivering and deploying an anchor, plug, filament, and locking element adjacent to the opening in the vessel wall and/or tissue tract.
US08529595B2
An intravascular filter provides filtering capacity while retaining desired blood flow. An illustrative filter can include a first filter leg and a second filter leg, each of which have a free end and an opposite joined end. The joined end of each filter leg is secured to a center hub. A first portion of each filter leg extends in a first direction while a second portion of each filter leg extends in a second direction. An apex is positioned between the first and second portions of each filter leg.
US08529591B2
An anastomotic instrument includes first and second units. The first unit is attached to a distal end portion of an insert section of an endoscope, and has a self-propellable apparatus and an anvil. The second unit is attached behind the first unit, and has a cartridge and a balloon. The insert section with the anastomotic instrument is inserted into the alimentary canal. In the alimentary canal, fluid is sucked out from space enclosed by the first and second unit through a suction port provided in the cartridge, to bring the space into negative pressure. While the alimentary canal is shrunk in the space, the second unit is shifted relative to the first unit. In a state where the shrunk alimentary canal is caught between the first and second units, a cutter resects living body tissue, and staples are struck to join edges of an incision of the alimentary canal.
US08529582B2
An instrument interface of a robotic manipulator and a surgical system including the instrument interface are provided. In one embodiment, the instrument interface includes a spring-loaded input for providing axial load and torque to a sterile adaptor capable of operably coupling an instrument. In another embodiment, a robotic surgical manipulator system includes a manipulator assembly, including a base link operably coupled to a distal end of a manipulator arm, and a carriage link movably coupled to the base link along a lengthwise axis, the carriage link including an integrated instrument interface. The system further includes an instrument operably coupled to the carriage link via the instrument interface, and a processor operably coupled to the manipulator assembly for sensing presence of the instrument.
US08529577B2
An instrument set for fixing a cord-like implant in a bone comprises a retaining element which can be inserted into the bone. The retaining element comprises a recess for receiving a transverse pin and is also used to fix the implant. In addition, the retaining element comprises a guide for receiving the implant, the guide being configured in such a way that the implant can be guided in a loop formation around the transverse pin distally from the retaining element.
US08529573B2
A device and a method for establishing a position and orientation for a preliminary saw cut in a distal end of a femur to prepare the femur for installation of a prosthetic knee joint. A guide block defining a cutting plane is carried on an adjustably positioned locating arm that is supported on an alignment body that can be mounted on a femur either with or without an intramedullary rod in place in the distal end of the femur. Adjustment screws and horizontal slots in the alignment body provide for varus/valgus angular adjustment of the position of the alignment body. An adjustment guide block may have a saw guiding face defining a differently oriented cutting plane.
US08529571B2
An apparatus for locating a curvilinear cut in a bone comprises a jig body and a first arm, a top end of which is rotatably coupleable to a first portion of the jig body in combination with a second arm, a top end of which is rotatably coupleable to a second portion of the jig body separated from the first portion and a saw guide rotatably coupleable to the first arm, the saw guide including a bottom surface extending along a curve corresponding to a desired path through which a bone is to be cut, the saw guide including a locking feature receiving a bone fixation element which, in an operative configuration, is mounted in the bone to align the saw guide relative to the arm so that an operator may precisely align a desired axis of the saw guide with a longitudinal axis of the first arm.
US08529565B2
An apparatus comprises an ultrasonic transducer, a probe portion, the proximal end being coupled to the ultrasonic transducer, ultrasonic waves output from the ultrasonic transducer being transmitted to the probe portion, a storage portion which stores the ultrasonic transducer, a cylindrical casing portion which has a distal end and a proximal end and which is installed outside the storage portion, an electric path provided to extend between an electric contact disposed at the distal end of the casing portion and an electric cable connecting portion provided at the proximal end of the casing portion, and an electric cable which has a distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end being connected to a power supply unit, the distal end being coupled to the electric cable connecting portion, the electric path being disposed between the storage portion and the casing.
US08529562B2
Methods, systems and devices for endometrial ablation. In accordance with a method, a working end of an RF ablation device is positioned in a patient uterus to contact endometrial tissue, the working end comprising a dielectric wall capable of non-expanded and expanded shapes. An indicator mechanism is operatively coupled to the wall and configured to indicate non-expanded and expanded shapes of the wall. An expandable member, such as a balloon, is provided that expands to close the cervical canal during ablation.
US08529561B2
An improved optical fiber comprising a waveguide with an input for coupling focused laser energy into the waveguide and communicating electromagnetic radiation in a propagation direction to an internally reflective tip of the waveguide, a tissue contacting surface wherein the light path from the reflecting surface to the transmitting surface in substantially homogenous in refractive index and cooled by fluid flow. In minimizing the variations in refractive index within the lateral light path, while providing active cooling directly below the tissue contact surface, the invention prevents internal reflections and beam distortion and greatly improves the efficiency and durability of the laterally directing probe. Free rotation of the tissue contact surface, about the lateral tip, may be provided and tissue vaporization efficiency may be improved by providing a morcellating tool on the tissue contact surface.
US08529555B1
A actuating instrument including an instrument tip assembly having a yoke attachment thread. The actuating instrument also includes an actuator having an actuating shaft. The actuating shaft is provided with a first thread within the actuating shaft and a second thread provided on the actuating shaft. Further, the first thread is connected to the yoke attachment thread. Additionally, a back hub is provided at a proximal end of the instrument tip assembly and includes a rib or ribs provided on one of an inner surface and an outer surface of the back hub. The rib or ribs projecting from the one of the inner surface and the outer surface of the back hub and engages the second thread of the shaft to from an attachment thread.
US08529532B2
Described generally herein are tissue therapy devices, which may comprise a sealant layer and a suction apparatus. The sealant layer functions so as to create a sealed enclosure between it and the surface of a patient by forming, preferably, an airtight seal around an area of tissue that requires negative pressure therapy. The tissue therapy device may comprise a suction apparatus. The suction apparatus is typically in fluid communication with the sealant layer and functions so as to reduce the amount of pressure present underneath the sealant layer. The reduced pressure is self-created by the suction apparatus. Together the sealant layer and the suction apparatus preferably create a closed reduced pressure therapy system. Preferably, the pressure under the sealant layer is reduced by expanding the volume of the enclosure space and thereby decreasing the density of the air molecules under the sealant layer.
US08529531B2
Disclosed is a medical tissue extraction instrument, which can allow an inspector to accurately locate a fine needle at a desired tissue extraction position without any need for assistance while assuring stable tissue extraction. The medical tissue extraction instrument includes a tissue extraction controller to control the pressure of a suction tube connected to a fine needle during extraction of tissue. The tissue extraction controller includes a suction pressure generator taking the form of a footboard and adapted to control a suction operation of the suction tube by being pushed downward.
US08529521B2
Low-dosage syringes for use in administering small dosages of medicine are disclosed. An illustrative low-dosage syringe can include an elongate syringe barrel having an interior chamber adapted to receive a supply of fluid, a plunger member slidably disposed within the interior chamber, and a tip member defining an inner lumen in fluid communication with the interior chamber. The configuration of the syringe barrel, including the wall thickness of the barrel relative to the outer diameter and to the length of the barrel, may permit small dosages of medicine to be accurately administered while also allowing the user to easily manipulate the syringe barrel with their fingers.
US08529517B2
A syringe includes a cartridge and a second chamber. The cartridge includes a first chamber, a first end having a conduit in liquid communication with the first chamber, a liquid disposed within the first chamber, a second end moveable within the first chamber, and a locking mechanism. The conduit is adapted and configured to rely on a property of the liquid to prevent movement of the liquid out of the first chamber. The locking mechanism is adapted to prevent movement of the second end within the first chamber while in the locked configuration. The cartridge is moveable within the second chamber.
US08529513B2
A device for administering an injectable substance, the device including a housing, a translation member moveable in a translation direction, a rotation member rotatably moveable about a rotation axis and coupled to the translation member to support the translation member counter to the translation direction, a rotary bearing including a bearing body bearing the rotation member rotatably about the rotation axis, the rotary bearing having support surfaces for supporting the rotation member axially on the bearing body, and a device for reducing play whereby at least two support surfaces are brought into contact with a pressing force, thereby reducing an axial play of the rotary bearing.
US08529511B2
A pump set for use in a liquid delivery pump of the type for delivering liquid to a patient, having an infrared radiation detector for detecting infrared radiation, and providing an indication that the pump set is properly loaded on the pump. The pump set comprises a conduit for the liquid and a safety interlock member which is carried by the conduit. The safety interlock member is formed of a material that transmits infrared radiation and blocks visible light.
US08529508B2
A fluid ejection device includes: a pressure chamber; an actuator having a displacement plane that varies the volume of the pressure chamber; a delivery channel pipe communicating with the pressure chamber; a first reflection surface of pressure wave formed as part of a paraboloid of revolution that reflects a plane pressure wave by displacement of the actuator, the plane pressure wave propagating through the pressure chamber; and a second reflection surface of pressure wave formed as part of a paraboloid of revolution or an ellipsoid of revolution which is disposed so as to face the first reflection surface of pressure wave, wherein the first reflection surface of pressure wave and the second reflection surface of pressure wave have a common first focus, and a pressure wave reflected from the second reflection surface of pressure wave propagates through the delivery channel pipe and ejects fluid.
US08529504B2
Methods and apparatuses for manipulating an elongated flexible shaft of a catheter provide ease and reliability of positioning electrodes against or near tissue. Dual-bend flexible distal tips may be used in combination with flat wires. In some embodiments, flat wires which are free to rotate upon initial bending of shaft segments are employed. In some embodiments, one or more transition segments are used to relocate the satellite lumen-to-main lumen transition of pull wires away from a change in shaft stiffness.
US08529500B2
A needle-less injector device for delivering a dose of fluid intradermally, subcutaneously or intramuscularly to an animal or human. The device includes an inner housing having opposed ends. A syringe is disposed in one end of the inner housing. The syringe includes a nozzle for delivering a dose of fluid held within the syringe. A plunger is movably disposed within the syringe. A spring powered hammer is movably disposed within the inner housing. The hammer cooperates with the plunger to drive the dose of medicament from the nozzle. An injection delivery spring for powering the hammer is positioned and compressed between the other end of the inner housing and the spring powered hammer. An outer housing slideably supports the inner housing. A skin tensioning spring is mounted between the inner housing and the outer housing, the skin tensioning spring biasing the nozzle of the syringe against the animal or human. A trigger mechanism is disposed in the outer housing, the trigger mechanism cooperating with the spring powered hammer to release the injection delivery spring, wherein the size of the injection delivery spring and the length of the hammer dictate the amount of dose delivered and whether the dose is delivered intradermally, subcutaneously or intramuscularly to an animal or human.
US08529494B2
An ocular implant for treating glaucoma is provided, which may include any number of features. More particularly, the present invention relates to implants that facilitate the transfer of fluid from within one area of the eye to another area of the eye. One feature of the implant is that it includes a proximal inlet portion and a distal inlet portion adapted to be inserted into the anterior chamber of the eye, and an intermediate portion adapted to be inserted into Schlemm's canal. Another feature of the implant is that it can be biased to assume a predetermined shape to aid in placement within the eye.
US08529483B2
A compression device to be wrapped around the distal extremity of a patient for use in moderate to severe swelling/lymphedema. The device includes a flexible planar compression material of preferably short-stretch compression material. Fasteners are attached to the first and second band portions. The compression material in preferred embodiment contains short-stretch compression material with 20%-60% stretch. The device is designed such that it may be used to augment compression to the hand when used in conjunction with compression to the fingers and arm. The device is designed to be applied easier with one hand.
US08529477B2
A sensory data integration system for integrating sensory data generated by a first sensory substitution device and sensory data generated by a second sensory substitution device. The system includes a processor configured to generate an orientation signal indicative of a difference between a subject's orientation and an acceptable orientation. The orientation signal is based on the sensory data generated by the first sensory substitution device and the sensory data generated by the second sensory substitution device.
US08529476B2
A medical probe, including a flexible insertion tube, having a distal end for insertion into a body cavity of a patient and which is configured to be brought into contact with tissue in the body cavity. The probe further includes a sensor tube of an elastic material, contained inside the distal end of the insertion tube and configured to deform in response to forces exerted by the tissue on the distal end. The probe also includes a plurality of strain gauges fixedly attached to a surface of the sensor tube at different, respective locations and configured to generate respective signals in response to deformations of the sensor tube.
US08529471B2
A method and system for determining the residual volume within a patient having a naso-enteral feeding tube. A collection container is coupled to the naso-enteral feeding tube and a physical force is applied to the collection container to prevent stomach fluid from flowing into the collection container. The physical force is removed from the collection container and the stomach fluid is allowed to flow into the collection container. The volume of fluid within the collection container is determined, which represents the gastric residual volume of the patient. At least a portion of the collected volume of stomach fluid is returned to the patient from the collection container.
US08529470B2
A supply of lancets for a multi-use lancing device are carried by a tape and sequentially brought from a storage position to an activating position by advancing the tape around a bend. The lancets are non-circular in cross-section along their longitudinal lengths, and in their activating position they extend from the tape such that their sharp tips are available for lancing tissue. The carrying tape can be arranged in reel-to-reel format in a housing having a lancing opening. The lancets can be integral with the tape and activated to move the lancet through the lancing opening by moving the tape along its tape path or by translating a dedicated service loop of the tape. The lancets can also be independent from the tape and activated through the lancing opening by a separate lancing actuator. A test media can be included on the carrying tape and the housing can contain a sensor to yield an integrated lancing and testing device.
US08529467B2
A biopsy device includes a coring cannula, a retract stylet, and a localization needle. The coring cannula has a longitudinal axis and a shaft centered on the axis. The stylet has a tip containing at least one blade and a central passage. The localization needle has a channel and is slidably disposed within the central passage. A drive mechanism rotates the cannula and moves the cannula in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cannula. A guide element has a first end and a second end and is slidably disposed within the channel of the localization needle. The guide element is movable from a first position to a second position within the localization needle.
US08529465B2
A biopsy system includes a biopsy device operable for taking one or more biopsy samples from a patient and a marker delivery device. The biopsy device includes a body portion having an alignment feature and a hollow biopsy needle extending distally from the body portion. The marker delivery device includes a marker deployer tube and an alignment feature associated with the marker deployer tube. The alignment feature on the marker delivery device is configured to matingly engage with the alignment feature on the biopsy device. A marker delivery device includes a resilient marker guide ramp.
US08529456B2
An automated method of determining a measure of a subject's heart age comprising the steps of: prompting a user for a plurality of inputs, each relating to an attribute of the subject, each attribute defining one or more of a demographic status of the subject, a lifestyle status of the subject, a physical condition of the subject and a medical history of the subject; receiving, from the user, a plurality of said inputs; determining from said received inputs, a set of parameters for which input data has been received as input from the user; selecting a heart age calculation algorithm from a predetermined set of heart age calculation algorithms according to said set of parameters; and calculating a heart age for the subject according to the selected algorithm; and providing as output said calculated heart age.
US08529450B2
The invention relates to a device for performing a cutting-balloon intervention that includes a cutting-balloon catheter with an expandable balloon having axially arranged knives, with the cutting-balloon catheter having a pre-mounted stent.
US08529449B2
The present invention is a directed to method and system of TCT imaging whereupon data associated with unmeasured or inadmissible transducer locations is determined from data acquired at measured or admissible transducer locations. The invention analyzes measured TCT data associated with several transducer locations to provide an estimate of unmeasured data so as to complete a full data set for image reconstruction. In this regard, by measuring TCT data at many points on the surface of a hemispherical bowl or sphere in which an imaging object is placed, mathematical coefficients may be determined for the TCT data as a function of transducer location. From these coefficients, the unmeasured transducer locations may be evaluated such that data associated with the unmeasured transducer locations may be estimated and utilized for image reconstruction to improve image quality as well as improve the diagnostic sensitivities or capabilities of the TCT system.
US08529444B2
A surgical retractor including a slab-shaped member having a first edge and a second opposing edge, wherein a deformable elongate member is provided affixed to said first edge, said elongate member comprising an external wall defining an internal chamber, wherein the external wall is configured to be compressible and moldable to a surface, in particular, a human tissue surface within a surgical incision. A curved flexural handle may be provided attached to the second edge.
US08529443B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a nastogastric tube for deflecting an esophagus during an ablation procedure. According to one embodiment, the nasogastric tube includes a flexible tube comprising at least one lumen having proximal and distal ends, and an esophageal deflector positioned within the at least one lumen and configured to be mechanically actuated to assume a curved profile so as to deflect a portion of the tube between the proximal and distal ends. The esophageal deflector is configured to deflect the portion of the tube proximate to a retrocardiac portion of the esophagus such that the retrocardiac portion of the esophagus is deflected away from an ablation site.
US08529442B2
Video-based laryngoscopes having an external centrally located channel coursing from the handle to a curved blade configured to deliver an ETT to a trachea as visualized by a non-removable, or alternatively, a removable video camera and lighting unit located beneath the external channel. The channel laryngoscope may be made for single use in a patient and discarded, or be processed for re-use. Alternatively, the channel laryngoscope may have a removable video camera and lighting member located within an internal chamber that runs parallel with the external channel. In another embodiment a laryngoscope adapter may be detachably affixable to the channel laryngoscope equipped with the non-removable camera to provide a decontaminated or sterile surface to permit re-use of the channel laryngoscope without having to undergo washing or decontamination procedures.
US08529436B2
An endoscope, an endoscope system having an endoscope, and an endoscope control method are disclosed. The endoscope includes: a main body and a buoyancy control device. The main body may be configured in the form of a capsule and include an image capturing unit for capturing image information. The buoyancy control device may control buoyancy by changing the volume of the main body. Images of various types of internal organs can be precisely captured.
US08529432B1
A device configured for being implanted in a male patient's body for assisting the patient to achieve an erection. The device includes at least two rods and an interconnecting structure. The rods can be selectively deployed to the penis shaft when an erection is to be achieved and retracted away from the penis shaft when the patient does not need to achieve an erection. The interconnecting structure is joined to the rods and is configured to stabilize the rods while the rods are in the penis shaft.
US08529429B2
The invention relates to a device for sealing and draining an intestinal outlet, the device comprising an inflatable balloon of a generally toroidal structure, whose two ends extend one inside the other, creating a sealed-off volume inside the balloon, whereby the filling of the volume can be adjusted from outside and a draining lumen radially inside the inner layer of the balloon, the outer layer of the tube comprising a radially expanded intra-rectal device which is placed inside the rectum or the intestine of a patient during use, and comprising a trans-anal device which extends through the anus of the patient or his abdominal wall, and a stiffening sleeve element positioned inside the draining lumen of the device, keeping the lumen open and facilitating the uptake and passage of feces through the intra-rectal segment of the draining lumen.
US08529422B2
An apparatus for manufacturing and converting a container includes a platform for slidably accommodating a sheet of packaging material, an actuation mechanism for feeding the sheet through the platform, and a gluing device for applying glue to a portion of the sheet. The apparatus further includes a magnet applicator assembly housing a plurality of magnets, a slug applicator assembly housing a plurality of slugs and a folding mechanism to align the sheet in a final glued form. The magnet applicator assembly applies magnets to the sheet at a pre-determined time, and the slug applicator assembly applies slugs to the sheet at a pre-determined time. The magnet and the slug are attached to the sheet by the glue applied by the gluing device. The magnet aligns with the slug forming a reclosable connection.
US08529418B2
A balance board including a standing platform connected to a pivot ball. The standing platform provides an area for a subject to stand and can be moved by a set of deflector actuators. The deflector actuators can move the platform in both the lateral and vertical directions. A braking assembly is connected to the ball and the braking assembly increases or decreases rotation resistance to the ball. When resistance is increased to the ball, resistance to rotation for the platform is increased.
US08529412B2
This disclosure describes, generally, an omni-directional exercise device. The device includes a platform base and resistance bands coupled to the platform base. The device further includes one or more enclosures coupled to the plurality of resistance bands. The one or more enclosures are positioned on top of the platform base at a home position. The one or more enclosures are configured to slide on top of the platform base in a 360-degree range of motion such that the plurality of resistance bands provide resistance at any point on the platform base and are configured to return to the home position.
US08529406B2
A speed ratio shaft control for multiple ratio vehicle transmission has controlled release of an off-going transmission clutch and controlled engagement of an on-coming transmission clutch during a speed ratio upshift, at least one clutch being a friction torque establishing clutch. A controller, using shift-timing software strategy, actively manages in real time a clutch torque level for each clutch so that transient torque disturbances in a transmission torque output shaft are mitigated.
US08529404B2
A hydraulic control device is provided with a linear solenoid valve, a shift valve, and a controller. The linear solenoid valve has a gain switching chamber which produces a biasing force in a direction to close the linear solenoid valve to switch the gain characteristic of the linear solenoid valve when oil pressure is supplied to the gain switching chamber. The shift valve is configured to be switchable between a supply state in which the output oil pressure from the linear solenoid valve is supplied to the gain switching chamber and a blocked state in which the supply of the output oil pressure is blocked. The controller brings the shift valve into the supply state when a necessary oil pressure of an engagement element is high and into the blocked state when the necessary oil pressure of the engagement element is low.
US08529394B2
A multi step transmission comprising four planetary gear sets, shafts, and shift elements, the sun gear of gearset (P1) couples shaft (4) which couples housing (G) via brake (04), the carrier of gearset (P1) couples shaft (3) which couples housing (G) via brake (03), and drive shaft (1) via clutch (13), and shaft (6) via clutch (36). Shaft (6) couples the ring gear of gearset (P2) and is operatively connected to the sun gear of gearset (P4). Shaft (1) couples the sun gear of gearset (P2) and the carrier of gearset (P3). Shaft (5) couples the ring gear of gearset (P1), the carrier of gearset (P2), and the sun gear of gearset (P3). The ring gear of gearset (P4) couples housing (G). Output shaft (2) detachably couples shaft (7), which couples the ring gear of gearset (P3), via clutch (27), and operatively couples the carrier of gearset (P4).
US08529391B2
A gear train includes at least one planetary gear stage and one gear train stage. One end of a sun shaft of the planetary gear stage is concentrically surrounded by a hollow shaft of the second gear train stage. The sun shaft of the planetary gear stage is co-rotationally coupled to the hollow shaft by a denture clutch. A lubricant feed ring is arranged at a front face of the hollow shaft facing toward the sun gear of the planetary gear stage and has a cone-shaped passage opening, which has an internal diameter which decreases in the direction of the sun gear of the planetary gear stage, and concentrically surrounds the sun shaft of the planetary gear stage. At least one lubricant feed nozzle is aligned with a circumferential gap between the lubricant feed ring and the sun shaft of the planetary gear stage.
US08529389B2
An inverted tooth chain and sprocket drive system in which the initial contact distance ICD, the meshing impact angle Sigma (σ), the link plate entrance angle Beta (β), and other aspects of the meshing geometry are controlled and optimized to reduce noise and vibration by using a particular chain link plate form and, in preferred cases, by modifying the sprocket tooth pressure angle. The system can include first and second sprockets for which the pressure angle can be controlled to ensure that the desired values for the initial contact distance ICD, the meshing impact angle Sigma (σ), and the link plate entrance angle Beta (β) are equal for both sprockets even though the sprockets have different tooth counts. For a chain pitch P in the range of 6.35 mm to 7.7 mm, the initial contact distance ICD is controlled such that 0.49P≦ICD≦0.53P, the meshing impact angle Sigma (σ) is controlled such that σ≦34°, and the link plate entrance angle Beta (β) is controlled such that β≦9°. For certain chain and sprocket configurations, σ≦31° and β≦7°.
US08529388B2
A mechanical tensioner for a traction drive element is provided. It includes a housing with a bore having an open end and a closed bottom. A plunger having a first end is located in the bore. The first end of the plunger has a tapered slot or tapered opening defined therein forming a hollow wall portion of the plunger. The hollow wall portion is discontinuous in a circumferential direction. A wedge insert is located at least partially in the slot or opening. The wedge insert has an outer surface with a contact area that is complementary to the tapered slot or tapered opening. A spring is located between the wedge insert and closed bottom of the housing. The spring forces the wedge insert into the tapered slot or tapered opening with an increase in force as the plunger is depressed into the bore in the housing. This forces the hollow wall portion outwardly in order to provide a friction damping feature that increases with the distance that the plunger is depressed.
US08529387B2
A pulley assembly for use in an automobile accessory drive system includes a shaft engaging hub, a pulley member, a nut treaded onto the shaft engaging hub, and a brake member interposed between the pulley member and the nut. The shaft engaging hub is engaged with an accessory input shaft for rotation therewith. Frictional engagement between the pulley member, the brake member, and the nut transfers torque from the pulley member to the input shaft. The pulley member includes an inner coupling surface and a peripheral belt-engaging surface. The nut includes an outer coupling surface. The brake member includes a first coupling surface in frictional engagement the outer coupling surface of the nut and a second coupling surface in frictional engagement with the inner coupling surface of the pulley member. When torque is applied to the nut in a first direction the out coupling surface of the nut couples to the inner coupling surface of the brake member such that the hub and the nut rotate with the pulley member. The outer coupling surface of the nut and the inner coupling surface of the brake member decouple when torque applied to the nut is in a second direction opposite the first direction such that the hub rotates relative to the pulley member.
US08529380B1
A method for gold club recommendation. The method can include providing user data related to a user, the user data including a user's gender, and handicap, and a plurality of golf clubs associated with the user, providing golf club data related to each golf club of the plurality of golf clubs, the golf club data including average yardages and deviation limits, determining a starting location of a user on a golf course, determining a final location where the user intends to land a golf ball, accessing the golf club data for each golf club of the plurality of golf clubs, determining at least one recommended golf club for the user based on the golf club data, and displaying the recommended golf club to the user.
US08529374B2
A golf ball comprising a single layer core and a cover layer disposed about the single layer core, the single layer core being formed from a substantially homogenous formulation and comprising a geometric center and an outer surface, the single layer core further comprising an inner core region disposed about the geometric center, an outer core region adjacent the outer surface, and an intermediate core region disposed between the inner and outer core regions and extending radially from about 8 mm to about 18 mm from the geometric center. The single layer core has first, second and third hardnesses disposed within the inner core region, outer core region, intermediate core region, respectively, wherein the third hardness is greater than the first hardness and the second hardness, and a hardness of the outer surface is substantially the same as or lower than a hardness of the geometric center.
US08529365B1
An indoor golf swing practice implement is provided with a total length from 16 to 20 inches and including a shaft with a standard golf grip on one end and with a weight at the other end. The total weight and balance of the practice implement is such that the implement moment is substantially the same as that of a regular golf club to provide the same feel, heft and swinging weight for practice of golf strokes in confined spaces.
US08529363B1
The self-attaching golf putter aid includes an upper grip joined at a pivot point with a bottom bracket such that the upper grip can rotate about a vertical axis with the bottom bracket. The bottom bracket is designed to attach onto the handle of a putter via an adjustable strap. The aid is used by grabbing the upper grip with a first hand while grabbing the bottom bracket and handle of the putter with a second hand, and wherein the end user holds the upper grip stationary while swinging the putter to form a true and smooth pendulum golf putting stroke that is ideal when putting.
US08529362B1
An elevated hand held merry go round provides a hand hold elevated a distance above a playing surface to which a user may grab and rotate through an unobstructed zone between the hand hold and the playing surface. In the preferred embodiment the hand hold may be tilted at an angle relative to the playing surface so the user may pump themselves to maintain the round momentum in a manner somewhat similar to an individual pumping themselves on a swing to maintain themselves swinging. Alternative embodiments lack the tilt may be made in various dimensions to accommodate various numbers of users and may have more than one set of locations for hand holds.
US08529360B2
An outer joint member for a fixed type constant velocity universal joint contributes to the reduction of the number of man-hours through the reduction of the number of processes after a forging process, to an increase in yield, and to the reduction of manufacturing cost. The outer joint member is made of machine-structural carbon steel. The portions of the outer joint member that are finished by cold forging are track grooves, radially inner spherical-surface portions, a cup-inlet chamfer, track chamfers, track-inlet chamfers, a part except for a boot fixing portion on a radially outer surface of the cup section, and a center hole at an end surface of the shaft section.
US08529359B1
A shaft coupling system that does not require lubrication and that can accommodate shaft misalignment and end play. The shaft coupling system includes first and second plates that are connected to each other by a series of links. Each link is made from a substantially rigid material and extends angularly across portions of end surfaces of the first and second plate. Each link includes a curved segment that extends in a direction that is generally parallel to central axes of the first and second plates and that can bend and restore dynamically to accommodate the relative shaft movement while transferring torque between the first and second plates.
US08529357B2
An apparatus generally directed to a combination tablet computer and game controller. The tablet computer provides a plurality of sides, in which each of the sides are disposed between an electronic display screen and a back. The computer game controller provides side structures adjacent the tablet computer on at least two opposing sides. The computer game controller further preferably providing input module apertures and a camera. Preferably, each input module aperture selectively accepts either a game control module or a removable keyboard module. The input module apertures are preferably adjacent each of the at least two opposing sides of the tablet computer, and the camera communicates with each the electronic game controller and the tablet computer. The electronic game controller further provides an integrated transaction card input feature.
US08529354B1
The disclosure relates to systems and methods for facilitating data model substitution related to one or more pre-existing data objects in an expression of a game environment. A system may facilitate scalable addition of new game content by leveraging pre-existing data objects at a client computing platform. The system may include a game server that provides to the client computing platform data model substitutions for the existing data objects. The data model substitutions may be used to alter the behavior or function, look (e.g., visual appearance), description, and/or other characteristic of an expression of a pre-existing data object. Thus, by leveraging pre-existing data objects and providing such data model substitutions, new content or at least the appearance of new content from the user's perspective, may be provided without revising client code or requiring downloading new instructions that encode new data objects.
US08529350B2
A system and method for updating parameters of a video game is provided. As events occur in the real world that may influence a game attribute, a parameter is recorded on a server. A video game player may connect to the server and download the parameter. The parameter is stored by the video game and changes an attribute of the video game. Thus, for example, the new performance characteristics of the rising star may be recorded on the server as improved performance parameters. When these parameters are downloaded by the video game player, the video game incorporates the star-like qualities of the rising star.
US08529349B2
A system, method and apparatus for a gaming system is provided. The gaming system includes a rewards server and a separate gaming or slot accounting server. The system may further include a separate player tracking server. The system further includes one or more game machines. The game machines may include a base game, rewards tracking module, and a game management module. Further details will be apparent from the description, drawings and claims.
US08529343B2
As disclosed in this patent disclosure, I have invented a method for substantially disabling at least one cheat program, referred to as the anti-cheat software, used in conjunction with at least one online competitive game program involving at least two players, each player using at least one computer that are in online communication with each other. My invention allows the players' remote terminal to continue to function and operate independent of the host server, while at the same time having the host server, in conjunction with the anti-cheat software, substantially disable programs not required to operate the remote terminal and not required to play the online game—the programs that are substantially disabled may or may not be “cheat programs”, but essentially any program not required for the operation of the remote terminal and the online game.
US08529341B2
A gaming apparatus may include a controller operatively coupled to a display unit and a value input device. The controller may include a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor, and may be programmed to cause the display unit to generate a game display. The display unit may include an optically sensitive control panel operatively coupled to the controller, and the controller may be programmed to cause the optically sensitive control panel to read an image and to cause the optically sensitive control panel to generate a display of one or more game controls. An optically sensitive video display screen, and the controller may be programmed to cause the display unit to read an image via the optically sensitive video display screen and to cause the display unit to generate the game display on the optically sensitive video display screen.
US08529310B2
A riding toy includes a body with a spring assembly supporting the body on a base so that the body may be moved in first and second motions with respect to the base. The riding toy also includes a microcontroller and first and second motion sensors responsive to the first and second motions, respectively. The first and second motion sensors are positioned on the body and in electronic communication with the microcontroller. A sound synthesizing circuit is in electronic communication with the microcontroller and a speaker. The microcontroller is programmed to provide a first sound effect when the first motion sensor detects the first motion and a second sound effect when the second sensor detects the second motion. The first sound effect is varied based on a speed of the first motion and preempts the second sound effect if both the first and second motions are taking place simultaneously. The riding toy also includes a light sensor in electronic communication with the microprocessor. The microprocessor activates the sound synthesizing circuit to produce a third sound effect when the light sensor is triggered.
US08529302B2
A connector comprising a connector main body for insertion of an object to be connected; a plurality of contacts disposed at intervals from one another within the connector main body in the width direction; and a freely rotatable press member for pressing respective contacts against the inserted object to be connected. When the press member is rotated in one direction, respective contacts are pressed toward the object to be connected by the press member and, when the press member is rotated in the other direction, the press of the respective contacts by the press member is cancelled. A rotation fulcrum of the press member is provided between one and the other ends so that when one end of the press member is pressed, the press member rotates in one direction and, when the other end of the press member is pressed, the press member rotates in the other direction.
US08529296B2
A connector is provided, including a housing, a base, a circuit board, a receptacle, a plurality of first terminals, and a filtering element. The base is disposed in the housing and forms a recess. The circuit board is disposed at a rear side of the base. The circuit board is coupled to the recess of the base to form an accommodating space. The receptacle is formed on the housing to receive an external plug. A plurality of first terminals are disposed on the base to electrically connect to the external plug. The filtering element is disposed in the accommodating space and is electrically connected to the circuit board.
US08529291B2
A wall bushing plug connector which is to be led through and latched in a wall cutout in a housing wall, having an insulating material housing and having two sprung fastening latching arms which are arranged so as to spring outward on mutually opposite sides of the insulting material housing in opposite directions and have at least one latching edge for latching to the housing wall, and the wall bushing plug connector also having mutually opposite clamping contact sections. The sprung fastening latching arms are integrally formed on a support section opposite their free end so as to leave a clearance, with the clearance being intended to accommodate a retaining section of a mating plug connection which can be plugged onto the plug connector for connection to connection contacts.
US08529283B1
A lockable connector includes a receptacle having an opening located on an engagement surface and a spring clip slidably attached to the receptacle, the spring clip having a plug retention tang oriented substantially perpendicular to the opening on the engagement surface, the plug retention tang being positioned on the spring clip so that when the spring clip assumes a locking position the plug retention tang aligns with the opening located on the engagement surface of the receptacle.
US08529278B2
The invention is directed to a waterproof electrical connector that can prevent detachment of connector parts and enhance waterproofness. The connector includes a main housing, a cover housing, a contact, and a body. The main housing includes a mating protrusion, a fitting section, and a head portion. The contact includes a contacting portion that is received in the fitting section and an electric wire connection portion that connects to one end of an electric wire. The body covers at least a boundary portion between the main housing and the cover housing. The main housing further includes an outer circumferential wall positioned on an outer circumferential side of the boundary portion between the main housing and the cover housing.
US08529276B2
An electrical assembly combination comprises (a) a rigid assembly having a plurality of attachment element electrical contacts, (b) a flexible assembly having a plurality of flexible assembly electrical contacts, and (c) an intermediary device disposed between the rigid assembly and the flexible assembly. The intermediary device has connector electrical contacts including a first set exposed on a first base side and a second set exposed on a second base side. Each intermediary device electrical contact connects with an attachment element electrical contact or a flexible assembly electrical contact. Each attachment element electrical contacts is removably secured and electrically connected to the first set of intermediary device electrical contacts, and each of the flexible assembly electrical contacts is removably secured and electrically connected to the second set of intermediary device electrical contacts.
US08529275B2
An assembled component includes a plurality of electrical connectors to be disposed on a circuit board in a specific positional arrangement; and an electrical connector cap attached to the electrical connectors for joining the electrical connectors before the electrical connectors are disposed onto the circuit board. The electrical connector cap includes a main body extending in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on a plane parallel to the circuit board and a first fitting section including a first reference surface. Each of the electrical connector includes a second fitting section for engaging the first fitting section. The second fitting section includes a second reference surface for contacting with the first reference surface, so that the electrical connectors are arranged in the specific positional arrangement.
US08529274B2
A male connector is capable of magnetically attracting a female connector. The female connector includes a first end surface and a second end surface. The male connector includes a first telescoping pin and a second telescoping pin. The first telescoping pin and the second telescoping pin are capable of contacting the first end surface and the second end surface, to make an electrical connection between the male connector and the female connector.
US08529271B2
An educational tool is provided that allows for multi-sensory utilization to promote learning in a student. The educational tool consists of a learning board having a plurality of sides whereby at least one side comprising a textured characteristic thereon to allow for tactile and kinesthetic manipulation of the board. Additionally, the present invention also utilizes a learning board having at least a second side having a substantially smooth surface whereby the smooth surface would serve to visually stimulate and allow for promotion of responses to the textured side of the board by the student.
US08529261B2
A dental implant system includes a dental implant having a rotationally symmetrical coronal implant region and a supra-structure element that includes an apically extending sleeve portion, which is capable of being placed on the coronal implant region in a freely selectable rotational position. The edge line of the sleeve portion and the circumferential surface of the coronal implant region form together the physiologically relevant micro gap. After implantation and healing-in of the implant, the supra-structure element is placed on to the coronal implant region. An axial length of the sleeve portion and the rotational position of the supra-structure element relative to the implant are selected in such a manner, that the micro gap extending around the implant comes to lie above the natural bone surface by the biological width. Thus, the axial position and the course of the micro gap are adjustable after the healing-in of the implant.
US08529251B2
A rotary kiln includes: a cylindrical shell that includes a supply-side end portion and a discharge-side end portion at both ends in an axial direction of the shell, and a heat treatment chamber which is defined inside the shell and in which a heat treatment is performed on a process material; a supply-side holder that holds the supply-side end portion; a discharge-side holder that holds the discharge-side end portion; a supply-side rotary shaft that allows rotation of the supply-side holder; and a discharge-side rotary shaft that allows rotation of the discharge-side holder. The shell is rotated about its own axis by rotating at least one of the supply-side rotary shaft and the discharge-side rotary shaft.
US08529248B2
The invention relates to an apparatus comprising an injection device (1) for producing a flow of a high-speed combustible gas mixture, and a burner head (2) in which said flow is injected through a tabular extender (70) connecting said injection device (1) to said head (2). The extender has a maximal length higher than 600 mm and includes at the gravity center of the device assembly, means for suspension to a portion of the operator's body.
US08529247B2
A gas burner apparatus for discharging a mixture of fuel gas, air and flue gas into a furnace space of a furnace wherein the mixture is burned and flue gas having a low content of nitrous oxides and carbon monoxide is formed is provided. The burner tile includes at least one gas circulation port extending though the wall of the tile. The interior surface of the wall of the tile includes a Coanda surface. Fuel gas and/or flue gas conducted through the gas circulation port follows the path of the Coanda surface which allows more flue gas to be introduced into the stream. The exterior surface of the wall of the tile also includes a Coanda surface for facilitating the creation of a staged combustion zone. Also provided are improved burner tiles, improved gas tips and methods of burning a mixture of air, fuel gas and flue gas in a furnace space.
US08529245B1
An undercut mold insert apparatus is disclosed for forming an undercut on an inner surface of a molded part. The apparatus provides, in an exemplary embodiment, a disk substantially shaped to approximate the dimensions of the object that is to be subsequently positioned within the undercut, the disk itself comprising an inner portion and a substantially circumferentially integral perimeter portion. The perimeter portion is configured for forming the undercut. The inner portion is configured for at least partially radially collapsing when appropriate force is applied thereto. As such, during the molding process, in which the apparatus is appropriately positioned within and subsequently forms the undercut of the molded part, upon cooling of the molded part, the inner portion is able to at least partially radially collapse, allowing substantially the entire perimeter portion to be disengaged from within the undercut before the apparatus is removed therefrom.
US08529242B2
A forming machine for fabric slats provides a strip material to be formed with hot ironing and cold ironing according to temperature in a complete procedure of hot working, wherein an entire surface of the strip material is contacted and the strip material moves linearly. The forming machine stably forms a slat of a curved cross section and includes a hot ironing module and a cold ironing module which are assembled as a linear hot-working assembly. The fabric strip impregnated with an adhesive agent is fed in at an end of the hot-working assembly through a feed device. The strip material is first thermally fused and ironed with surface contact when passing through the hot-working assembly and then is executed with cold ironing and shaping, thereby stably forming the slat of the curved cross section, which is outputted from a take-up device at the other end of the hot-working assembly.
US08529236B2
In a vulcanizing system of the present invention, a temperature booster and a pressure booster are provided on a steam supply path connecting vulcanizers that belong to groups and a boiler allocated to the groups. The temperature booster and the pressure booster are sequentially arranged from an upstream side, a second branch supply path for supplying the steam to a mold between the temperature booster and the pressure booster is branched from the steam supply path. The second branch supply path is preferably in a form of allowing the steam temperature-boosted by the temperature booster to be supplied to the mold by bypassing the pressure booster.
US08529231B2
An apparatus includes a rotation body having one or more rotary shafts having projections, and a cleaning part disposed adjacent to the projections, having one or more rotation holes into which the one or more rotary shafts are inserted, respectively, and configured to flow a cleaning material into the one or more rotation holes.
US08529229B2
A tube pump reduced of the burden against pump driving caused by dragging of a tube by a pressurizing roller. Specifically, guide members are disposed in the respective introduction portions at between the guides. Namely, the guide members are arranged nearby the extensions of the circumference of the arcuate guides and radially with respect to the center of the circumference. Due to this, the pump tube, the roller is to drag, is sustained by the guide member, to prevent the tube from increasing its deformation due to dragging. Thus, the tube can be prevented from being dragged in a manner forming a resistance to the roller. As a result, the pump motor, etc. can be prevented from being burdened with an increasing load.
US08529222B2
A surface pump assembly having a thrust chamber with a telescoping shaft. In some embodiments, the surface pump assembly has a pump with a pump shaft, a thrust chamber with a telescoping shaft extending therein, the telescoping shaft extendable to engage the pump shaft and retractable to disengage the pump shaft, and a motor coupled to the telescoping shaft and operable to rotate the telescoping shaft. In some embodiments, the telescoping shaft has a rotatable shaft member, an adjusting nut threadably disposed thereabout, wherein the adjusting nut is moveable axially relative to the shaft member by rotation, and a first sleeve translatably disposed about the shaft member.
US08529210B2
A compressor rotor for an air cycle machine (ACM) includes a plurality of blades that each includes a root, a tip, a first surface and second surfaces. The first and second surfaces are defined as a set of X-coordinates, Y-coordinates and Z-coordinates set out in any of Table M-1 and M-2 or Table S1 and S-2 scaled by a desired factor. The X-coordinates being in the tangential direction, the Y-coordinates being in the axial direction and the Z-coordinates being in the radial direction.
US08529209B2
Spacers interposed between blades attached to the disk of a rotor having slots and bottoms of the slots are disclosed. Each spacer is made of an elastically deformable material and at least one longitudinal segment of the spacer presents a transverse profile of arcuate shape to define two lateral contact zones.
US08529208B2
A rotary assembly for a turbomachine fan includes a disk rotatable about an axis; a plurality of blades fastened by their roots to the disk and extending radially outwards from the disk; and a plurality of inter-blade platforms, each extending between two adjacent blades and defining the inner profile for the flow section of the fluid passing through the fan. On their facing side faces, these adjacent blades present slides between which the platform can slide, these slides limiting outward radial movement of the platform.
US08529201B2
A blade outer air seal for a gas turbine engine has a plurality of stacked panels extending for at least a part circumferential extent, and extending from a radially outer location to a radially inner location. The plurality of stacked panels are mounted together. A turbine section is also claimed.
US08529196B2
The present invention relates to a jet engine nacelle (1), of the type comprising an aft section forming an external structure (2) which, together with a concentric internal structure (4) comprising an internal panel (10) intended to surround a down-stream portion of the jet engine, defines an annular flow duct for a so-called secondary stream (3), characterized in that exhaust means (11) are formed in the internal panel such that any unwanted excess pressure is discharged into the annular duct.
US08529194B2
A turbine bucket is provided and includes a shank defining a cavity therein, which is connectable with a rotor such that wheelspace air having an initial pressure is permitted to flow into the cavity and a platform coupled to the shank and defining a cooling hole therein, the shank and the platform each further defining the cavity and the cooling hole, respectively, as being fluidly communicative with one another, such that the wheelspace air permitted to flow into the cavity is deliverable from the cavity and through the cooling hole at a second pressure greater than the initial pressure.
US08529189B2
A system and method are provided for controlling the temperature of engine bleed air from a turbofan gas turbine engine. The system includes a fan air valve and a fan air valve controller. The fan air valve is adapted to receive a flow of fan air from a turbofan gas turbine engine intake fan. The fan air valve is coupled to receive valve position commands and is configured, in response to the valve position commands, to move to a valve position to thereby control the engine bleed air temperature. The fan air valve controller is configured to implement a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) control. The fan air valve controller is adapted to receive a plurality of sensor signals, each sensor signal representative of one or more system parameters, and is configured, in response to the sensor signals, to supply the valve position commands to the fan air valve.
US08529187B1
A storage area is accessed by automated guided vehicles which receive and unload containerized loads. On the waterside, loads are exchanged between the vehicles and ships using quay cranes. On the ground transportation side, loads are exchanged between the vehicles and truck or rail carriers using semi automated or automated remote-controlled bridge cranes. Within the storage area, loads are exchanged between the vehicles and the storage facilities using automated stacking cranes. The vehicles are adapted to receive a cassette storage platform which in turn receives standard ISO containers.
US08529186B2
The invention relates to a collecting and conveying device for stacks of sheet layers, comprising a feed conveyor (1) for the sheet layers, —a collecting station (3) in which stacks (4) are formed by the layers of sheets, —a removal conveyor (7) for removing the completed stacks (4), and—a transfer unit for moving the stacks from the collecting station to the removal conveyor (7), wherein the collecting station comprises a series of support elements (6) and a series of delimiting and shaking elements (8), wherein the transfer unit comprises a series of sliding elements (10), wherein in each case a sliding element (10) together with a support element (6) and a delimiting and shaking element (8) can be adjusted transversely.
US08529176B2
A tie-down assembly for attachment to and detachment from a structure, such as a vehicle pick-up bed, includes a female fastener configured to collapse during insertion of the tie-down assembly into the structure. The female fastener is also configured to expand following the insertion for retention of the tie-down assembly on the structure. The tie-down assembly also includes a male fastener configured to threadably engage the female fastener. Additionally, the tie-down assembly includes a holder configured to retain and rotatably restrain the female fastener when the male fastener is being threaded into the female fastener and when the male fastener is being threaded out of the female fastener. The holder includes an aperture and the male fastener is configured to be inserted into the aperture. The holder is also configured to guide the female fastener to a fixed position for removal of the tie-down assembly from the structure.
US08529168B2
A cutting insert is provided. The cutting insert has a top surface, a side surface, and a bottom surface. An intersection between the top surface and the side surface defines a substantially circular cutting edge. The cutting edge includes at least one wiper edge and the side surface includes at least one wiper surface provided behind the wiper edge.
US08529164B2
A multilayer cutting insert includes a first layer made of a first material and a second layer made of a second material. The first material is harder than the second material. The cutting insert has opposing first and second major side surfaces and a peripheral side surface which extends therebetween. The first major side surface is formed in the first layer and includes a non-uniform relief surface. The peripheral side surface is formed in the two layers and includes a non-uniform rake surface. The rake surface and the relief surface intersect at an edge, at least portion of which is a curved major cutting edge. The rake surface is formed in at least the first layer, and the relief surface is formed only in the first layer.
US08529163B2
A temporary coupling mechanism facilitates replacement of a cutting tip in a pocket of a cutting tool, by preventing the cutting tip from falling out of the pocket when a clamping member, e.g., a screw member or wedge member, is loosened. The pocket is provided with a first coupling portion and the cutting tip is provided with a second coupling portion configured to engage the first coupling portion. In one embodiment, the second coupling portion is at least one concave groove or convex portion located in a predetermined position of the cutting tip. A convex portion or a concave groove is provided in at least one of the pocket's tip mounting seat and the clamping member to engage the concave groove and the convex portion of the cutting tip. The concave groove extends substantially in parallel with the seat face of the tip mounting seat and the convex portion is inserted and fitted into the concave groove so as to be engaged thereto when the cutting tip is inserted into the tip mounting seat and is taken out of the tip mounting seat, causing the cutting tip to be movable only in a predetermined direction relative to the tip mounting seat.
US08529155B2
The present invention relates to a method for making pure salt comprises recapturing post-drilling flowback water from hydro-fracturing; removing oil from the flowback water; filtering the flowback water using an ultra filter with a pore size of about 0.1 microns or less to remove solid particulates and large organic molecules, such as benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylene, from the water; concentrating the flowback water to produce a brine that contains from about 15 wt % to about 40 wt % of salt relative to the total weight of the flowback brine; performing one or more chemical precipitation process using an effective amount of reagents to precipitate out the desired high quality commercial products, such as, barium sulfate, strontium carbonate, calcium carbonate; and crystallizing the chemically treated and concentrated flowback brine to produce greater than 99.5% pure salt products, such as sodium and calcium chloride.
US08529148B2
A device for applying paint includes a paint applicator and a guiding means, the guiding means consists of two guiding rollers, the axis of rotation of each roller being fixed in use such that the two axes are disposed at an angle to one another in the range from 50° to 130° . The device is particularly suitable for applying paint in a linear strip of predetermined width along architectural objects such as window sills and sashes, lintels and beams.
US08529146B2
A printer including a lower frame on which roll paper is loaded, a cutter section mounted above the lower frame for cutting the roll paper on which printing is made, and a cover that allows a front of the lower frame to be opened and closed is provided. A slope portion for causing paper dust or a slip of paper, which falls from the cutter section, to slip down toward the front of the lower frame is provided at a portion of the lower frame below the cutter section. The cover is provided with a pocket portion for receiving the paper dust or the slip of paper slipping down on the slope, and the pocket portion is adjacent to the lowest portion of the slope portion when the cover is closed.
US08529140B2
A leadframe of a parallel optical communications module has tapered protrusions disposed on an upper surface thereof that are positioned and shaped to mate with respective tapered openings formed in a lower surface of an optics module of the parallel optical communications module. The tapered protrusions are used as fiducial marks during a mounting process during which an array of optoelectronic devices is positioned, oriented and secured to the upper surface of the leadframe. Subsequently, during a passive alignment process, the lower surface of the optics module is placed in contact with the upper surface of the leadframe such that the tapered protrusions of the leadframe mate with respective tapered openings formed in the optics module, which causes the optoelectronic devices to come into precise optical alignment with the respective lenses.
US08529134B2
An inner ring contact member is mounted on a rotation shaft to be disposed at a lower side of an inner ring in a vertical direction such that a larger-diameter end of a conical outer peripheral surface abuts against an axial end surface of the inner ring. The conical outer peripheral surface is formed such that the larger-diameter end of the conical outer peripheral surface is disposed radially inwardly of a radially outward edge of the end surface of the inner ring. A cage is disposed between the inner ring and an outer ring in such a manner that a first annular portion of the cage close to the conical outer peripheral surface is disposed so as to overlap with the end surface of the inner ring in the radial direction.
US08529132B2
Provided is a fluid dynamic bearing device in which an assembly of a bearing sleeve to a housing is facilitated and which has excellent moment rigidity. A fluid dynamic bearing device (1) includes radial bearing parts (R1 and R2) and thrust bearing parts (T1 and T2). Thrust bearing surfaces (C and D) are respectively provided to first and second step surfaces (2d and 2e) of a housing (2), and the thrust bearing parts (T1 and T2) are respectively formed between the thrust bearing surfaces (C and D) and end surfaces (6b and 7b) of seal members (6 and 7) provided while protruding to an outer diameter side of a shaft member (5).
US08529120B2
A container (11) for a blender includes a base surface (13) and a blade (20) which is rotatable on an axis above the base surface (13). An arcuate wall (14) and two generally straight walls (15, 16) extend upwardly from the base surface (13) and terminate at the upper end of container (11). The axis of rotation of the blade (20) is closer to the arcuate wall (14) than it is to the generally straight walls (15, 16). A skirt (25) extends downwardly from the base surface (13) and has an opening. Sound baffling fingers (32) extend from the skirt (25) and into the opening. A spout (40) is formed at the intersection of two of the walls (14, 15, 16), the spout (40) having an entry point located approximately twenty to thirty percent of the height of the walls (14, 15, 16) from the upper end of the container (11). A handle (34) is positioned opposite to the spout (40) and a cover (12) includes a plug (55) to close the spout (40).
US08529118B2
A beverage container assembly for use with a blender is provided comprising a beverage container having an open top portion and a closed bottom portion. A first removable cover is for selectively covering the top portion of the beverage container. The first cover is adapted to be removably mountable on and off a blender and comprises an adapter portion for mounting the beverage container on a blender. A second removable cover is for selectively covering the open top portion of the beverage container. The second cover includes a drinking hole. The first and second covers are interchangeable on the beverage container and the second cover is mountable on the closed bottom portion for storage.
US08529116B2
A light guide plate includes a first surface, a second surface, at least a light incident surface, and a plurality of groove sets. The second surface is opposite to the first surface. The light incident surface connects the first surface and the second surface. The groove sets are separately disposed on the second surface. Each of the groove sets includes a plurality of curved grooves. Each of the curved grooves has a curved inclined reflective surface and a curved light-back-surface. The curved inclined reflective surface is inclined with respect to the first surface. The curved grooves of each of the groove sets curve towards a same curving direction. The curved inclined reflective surface of one of two curved grooves is connected to the curved light-back-surface of the other one of the two curved grooves. A backlight module is also provided.
US08529115B2
A lighting module may be provided that includes a light guide plate including a predetermined pattern; a case covering both sides of the light guide plate; and a light source which is disposed in the case and is configured to emit light to the both sides of the light guide plate. The light guide plate emits the light from the light source through a top surface and a bottom surface.
US08529114B2
A sheet and a light emitting device are provided which also emit light having an incident angle larger than or equal to a critical angle to significantly increase light extraction efficiency, prevent ambient light reflection, and suppress the occurrence of a distribution of light intensity varying depending on the direction and an imbalance in color. The light emitting device has a surface structure (13) in a surface adjacent to a light emitting element of a transparent substrate (5). The surface of the transparent substrate (5) is virtually divided into minute regions without a gap, the diameter of a largest circle inscribed in the minute region being 0.2 μm or more and 1.5 μm or less. Each minute region has a convex or concave shape in the surface of the transparent substrate 5. The proportions of the convex shapes and the concave shapes are P and 1−P, respectively, where P is within the range of 0.4 to 0.98.
US08529109B2
A vehicle lighting unit which emits light parallel to an optical axis in a front direction can include a light source which emits light obliquely to an optical axis in the front direction and a light guiding body which guides the light emitted from the light source so as to emit the light. The light guiding body can include an incidence surface disposed to face the light source with a gap in between, the incidence surface through which the light emitted from the light source enters the light guiding body, a front surface having an exit surface and a first reflection surface, and a back surface having a second reflection surface.
US08529106B2
The invention relates to a foldable display device, consisting of several panels arranged in parallel to each other, which are movably connected with each other. In order to create a display device that may remain locally fixed, there is provided that the display device is not configured simply foldable but in addition is provided with a housing device, which may accommodate the display device in its folded condition.
US08529100B1
A modular heat sink includes one or more heat sink sections interconnected sequentially to each other to form a polar array. Each heat sink section includes a first connecting part and a second connecting part, where the first connecting part is configured to couple with the second connecting part of another heat sink section. Once assembled, the modular heat sink includes a channel formed substantially through the center of the modular heat sink. Each heat sink section is manufactured using an extrusion process. The assembled modular heat sink has one or more hollow portions within the overall shape that cannot be fabricated in a single extrusion process. One or more LEDs are coupled to the outer surface of the modular heat sink. The modular heat sink, with LEDs coupled thereto, is coupled to a wireway tube and mounted to a post-top light fixture to form an LED luminaire.
US08529094B2
A portable electronic device operable to indicate received media is disclosed. A first set of lighting units is used to indicate a received media based on an orientation of the portable electronic device. A second set of the lighting units may be activated based on a change in the orientation of the portable electronic device.
US08529089B2
A light emitting device includes a base, a sub-mount substrate, and a frame member. The light emitting device further includes a light emitting element and a wavelength converting member. The sub-mount substrate is disposed on the base, and has an upper surface made of a ceramic sintered body. The frame member has a light reflecting portion made of porous ceramics, is disposed on the base, and surrounds the sub-mount substrate. The light emitting element is mounted on the sub-mount substrate. The wavelength converting member covers the light emitting element and the light reflecting portion of the frame member.
US08529083B1
A multi-directional firearm light includes a firearm light housing, at least one light mount rail carried by the firearm light housing, a front light carried by the firearm light housing, at least one side light carried by the firearm light housing and disposed at an angle with respect to the front light, a power source connected to the front light and the at least one side light and at least one switch connected to the front light, the at least one side light and the power source.
US08529052B2
The present invention provides a paper seasoning apparatus, a paper seasoning method, and an inkjet recording apparatus, that may improve seasoning achieved by blowing air against a paper stack. A paper seasoning apparatus includes, an upwards protruding shaped mounting surface on which a paper stack is mounted, and first air blowing devices and second air blowing devices that blow air against a side face of the paper stack mounted on the mounting surface. The second air blowing devices are disposed in the vicinity of a maximum height position and at a height of a position where air outlets of the second air blowing devices include the mounting surface.
US08529049B2
An inkjet printing method including, in order, the steps of: a) providing at least two or more color inkjet inks of the same color and color density but having a different composition to an inkjet printer; b) mixing the two or more color inkjet inks in a controlled amount; and c) printing the mixture of the two or more color inkjet inks with the inkjet printer onto an ink-receiver. An inkjet printer and an inkjet ink set include two or more color inkjet inks of the same color and color density but having a different composition.
US08529046B2
An ink composition is disclosed which includes a pigment that is coated with a water-insoluble resin, particles of a water-insoluble polymer having a glass transition temperature of 100° C. or higher, a solid moistening agent, a water-soluble organic solvent, particles of a wax having a melting point of from 40° C. to lower than 100° C., and water.
US08529042B2
A clear ink composition includes at least a slightly water-soluble alkanediol, a water-soluble alcohol as a dissolution aid for the slightly water-soluble alkanediol, water, and polymer fine particles, but does not include a colorant. A 10-Hz dynamic surface tension of the ink composition is 26 mN/m or less.
US08529039B2
The inkjet recording apparatus includes: a supply manifold having an inlet port to which a first main flow channel is connected, the liquid supplied from a tank through the first main flow channel being stored in the supply manifold, the supply manifold being connected to supply ports of head modules; a collection manifold having an outlet port to which a second main flow channel is connected, the liquid to be collected to the tank through the second main flow channel being stored in the collection manifold, the collection manifold being connected to discharge ports of the head modules; and a first bypass flow channel which connects the supply manifold to the collection manifold, wherein an end of the first bypass flow channel is connected to an upper side of an end of the supply manifold on a side opposite to a side where the inlet port is arranged.
US08529032B2
A method of degassing ink in a printer having an ink storage tank containing a body of ink having an ink surface is described. The method comprises causing the body of ink to move in the storage tank, so as to increase the surface area of the ink surface in comparison with a flat ink surface that an equivalent stationary body of ink would have in the storage tank, and extracting gas from the ink body.
US08529031B2
A liquid discharge device including a discharge unit including: an elastic discharge part including a storage chamber at least partially formed of an elastic component, a supply hole which leads to the storage chamber and through which liquid is supplied to the storage chamber, and a discharge hole through which the liquid is discharged; and an actuating unit configured to vary a volumetric capacity of the storage chamber. The liquid discharge device further includes: a pressurizing unit configured to pressurize the liquid to be supplied to the storage chamber to a pressure within a stable range; a supply control unit configured to control whether the pressurized liquid is supplied to the storage chamber; and an actuation control unit configured to control operation of the actuating unit.
US08529021B2
A method of continuously ejecting liquid includes providing a liquid ejection system that includes a substrate and an orifice plate affixed to the substrate. Portions of the substrate define a liquid chamber. The orifice plate includes a MEMS transducing member that extends over at least a portion of the liquid chamber. A compliant membrane is positioned in contact with the MEMS transducing member. The compliant membrane includes an orifice. Liquid is provided under a pressure sufficient to eject a continuous jet of the liquid through the orifice located in the compliant membrane of the orifice plate by a liquid supply. A drop of liquid is caused to break off from the liquid jet by selectively actuating the MEMS transducing member which causes a portion of the compliant membrane to be displaced relative to the liquid chamber.
US08529017B2
An apparatus includes a web for wiping and receiving fluid ejected from a printhead. In one implementation, first and second supports support a portion of the web that receives fluid ejected from a printhead after the portion of the web has been supported in wiping engagement with the print head by the first support. In another implementation, a frame removably receives a cartridge which includes supports for the web, wherein one or more actuators linearly move the frame carrying the cartridge between a position opposite the web and a withdrawn position. In another implementation, a capper is pivotally supported by a frame which receives a cartridge, the capper pivoting to a capping position cantilevered from the frame.
US08529014B2
A color ink printing system includes a plurality of print head cartridges, each extending across and spaced apart along a direction of print media propagation; a print head chassis for supporting the plurality of print head cartridges, the print head chassis actuable between a printing position, a transition position, and a maintenance position; a maintenance chassis for supporting a plurality of maintenance cradles, the maintenance chassis actuable between a storage position and an operational position; and a plurality of supporting arms respectively extending upwards from each corner of the print head chassis. Each of the plurality of print head cartridges is held stationary with respect to a platen on which print media is propagated to effect printing on the print media. Each of the plurality of print head cartridges is a monochrome print head cartridge ejecting a fluid different to the remaining plurality of print head cartridges.
US08529010B2
A recording device includes a conveying part that conveys roll paper, a support part that supports the roll paper, a suction part that holds the roll paper to the support part by suction, a recording part that ejects liquid and records an image on the roll paper, a heating part that heats the support part to dry the liquid, a cleaning part that cleans the recording part, and a controller that causes the suction part to use a first suction force to hold the roll paper to the support part by suction when the recording part performs a recording action for recording the image, and causes the suction part to use a second suction force, which is weaker than the first suction force, to hold the roll paper to the support part by suction when the cleaning part performs a cleaning action for cleaning the recording part.
US08529009B2
A printing device includes a nozzle, a radiation unit and a control unit. The nozzle is configured to eject metallic ink including metal fragments onto a medium. The radiation unit is configured to irradiate the medium with light to temporarily cure the metallic ink. The control unit is configured to control irradiation of the light by the radiation unit so that a film thickness formed by the metallic ink is equal to or less than a length of a long side of the metal fragments when the metallic ink is temporarily cured on the medium.
US08528996B2
A table or similar structure is provided having an expandable surface area arrangement where the usable or working surface area is retractable into and out of a housing along a curvilinear path that includes both horizontal and vertical components and wherein weight compensating structure is provided to offset the impact of vertical movement of the surface area. The usable surface is formed from an array of adjacent panels connected by a backing web which allows them to lie flush together when the surface area is retracted for use and to separate as needed to follow the curvilinear path when retracted into the housing for storage. The extent of movement into and out of the housing is variable according to the amount of surface area required in a given instance. When implemented into a dining table, for example, vertical support legs for one end of the table can be attached to the end panel of the surface area which is first withdrawn from the housing. The panel are supported by telescopic guide rails which retract into and out of the housing coincident with the movement of the panels, but to which all of the panels are not fixed at all times. The housing can include an opening to allow debris to be removed from the panels even when retracted into the housing.
US08528992B2
A device for connecting two free ends of a rubber band track to one another or for connecting the ends of several band segments to one another. The device has two or more tubes and a pin rubber-mounted in the respective tube. The tubes are in each case inserted into the one end and into the other end of the rubber band track or of the band segments, and at least one connector, by way of which the pins are coupled together in a rotationally fixed manner. The rotational rigidity of the pins in relation to their respective tube, brought about by the rubber mounting, is adjusted in dependence on the flexural strength of the rubber band track or of the band segments in the region of the ends.
US08528991B2
A vehicle wheel, including a peripheral rim with a radially outboard spoke bed and an apex region radially inboard from the spoke bed portion; a central hub with a hub flange; a plurality of spokes extending between the rim and hub, with a first portion connected to the spoke bed and a second portion connected to the hub flange. The apex region includes a first apex portion and a second apex portion axially adjacent the first apex portion and a circumferential seam between the first apex portion and the second apex portion.
US08528986B2
A seatbelt mechanism (S) comprises a chip anchor (12) disposed to one of right and left sides of a seat bottom (3) of the vehicle seat (1) and coupled to a tip end of the seatbelt (10), and a tongue anchor (14) disposed to the other of the right and left sides of the seat bottom (3) and engaged with a tongue plate (13) disposed to an intermediate portion of the seatbelt (10). A pretensioner mechanism (21) moves both the chip anchor (12) and the tongue anchor (14) substantially at the same time to actively tenses the seatbelt (10) when the vehicle collision occurs. A moving distance of the chip anchor (12) is substantially equal to a moving distance of the tongue anchor (14).
US08528982B2
A seat has a configuration in which, in each side frame of a cushion frame, an inner frame and an outer frame which have flanges extending along peripheral edges thereof are faced to each other with a space therebetween at least partially, and the flanges are fixed by hemming process along the entire peripheral edges thereof. Since the entire peripheral edges are hemmed, the inner frame and the outer frame are securely fixed. Additionally, since the inner frame and the outer frame which are thin-plate-shaped are used, reduction in weight of each side frame can be achieved. Further, since the inner frame and the outer frame are faced to each other with a space therebetween at least partially, a compressive/tensile strength required as a side frame can be secured by inserting an expanded bead body into the space.
US08528980B1
A seat back unit connected to a seat of a chair comprises a main frame having vertical and horizontal sections. A first hinge portion is disposed on a top end of the vertical section, and a resting seat with an embedded concave portion is fixed to a middle segment of the vertical section. Connection projections are disposed on a junction between the vertical and horizontal sections. A supporting member has one end formed with a second hinge portion, and the other end formed with a crossing portion embedded into the embedded concave portion. A backrest member is composed of vertical and transversal curved sections. The vertical arch section has third and fourth hinge portions corresponding to the first and second hinge portions, respectively. A herringbone-shaped structure composed of the vertical arch section and the transversal curved sections conforms to the profile variation of the human body.
US08528974B2
A seat slide apparatus for a vehicle includes first and second lower rails, first and second upper rails, first and second lock levers, first and second biasing members, first and second support brackets fixed to the first and second upper rails and including first and second support portions, an operation handle including first and second power transmission portions pressing the first and second lock levers so as to release the restriction of the movement of the upper rails relative to the lower rails against a biasing force of the biasing members, and a release lever rotatably connected to the first upper rail and rotating in association with a forward folding of a seat back of the seat to release the restriction of the movement of the upper rails relative to the lower rails by directly pressing the first power transmission portion.
US08528971B2
A seating spacer configured to fit between two seating units in a seating system bench-type seating. In one embodiment, at least one seating spacer is placed between two seating units arranged in a side-by-side manner to form a row of seating in a seating system.
US08528969B2
A class chair includes a chair frame, seat, and a table. A rack is arranged below the chair frame, and the seat is arranged to a top of the chair frame. A table retaining plate is formed to a lower lateral side of the chair frame so as to fix a linking plate of a table frame of the table. The class chair provides a steady and durable assembly. Through the removable table frame and the rack, the assembly of the chair frame and the seat can be piled on top of each other so as to save the space and cost of transportation and storing.
US08528967B2
A rear floor structure for a motor vehicle includes, but is not limited to two longitudinal girders extending between rear wheel houses. A downwardly open pocket for receiving a shock absorber is formed in each of the longitudinal girders.
US08528966B2
A shock absorber mounting portion structure of a vehicle may include a quarter panel, a wheel housing inner panel coupled to the top of the quarter panel to form a wheel house, an inner support member coupled to an upper surface of the wheel housing inner panel and a portion of the quarter panel to form a closed space together with the wheel housing inner panel and the quarter panel, wherein the portion of the quarter panel may be disposed above the top of the quarter panel, an outer support member coupled to the quarter panel to form a closed space together with the quarter panel to correspond to the inner support member around the quarter panel, and a mounting bracket of which the top may be coupled to the wheel housing inner panel through a horizontal bonding surface so as to support the top of a shock absorber.
US08528963B1
A expandable camping and cargo trailer features at least one fold-out bunk mounted at a side wall of the trailer. The frame of the trailer is designed to support the weight of the bunk when folded out and carrying a load. In certain versions, the frame members of the side wall frame are doubled or tripled in order to provide sufficient strength and rigidity to the side wall. The trailer is sufficiently light to be pulled by most cars and light trucks, while also providing sufficient storage space for motorcycles, ATVs, and the like.
US08528961B2
The invention is directed to an electric swing plug door operator with a remotely powered auxiliary lock mechanism, door striker, catch and manual release system for use on light to medium duty shuttle or utility vehicles. The swing plug door system includes a door operator and base plate assembly, a shaft and arm assembly, a guide rod assembly, a lower shaft pivot, a door panel with a leading edge catch and lock striker assembly, an auxiliary lock and a manual release cable. The auxiliary lock assembly includes a lock bar engaging the lock striker mounted to the trailing edge of the door panel when the door reaches the fully closed position. The door operator includes a manual release lever and gear motor subassembly to drive the door system linkage and to manually disengage the door linkage and lock assembly to gain manual egress from the vehicle.
US08528951B1
A tool to grasp objects, and to expand and/or retract while holding the objects, wherein the tool can include a pair of handles disposed on a first end of an expandable assembly, such as a scissor like assembly. The pair of handles can be adapted to expand the expandable assembly when they are moved towards one another and retract the expandable assembly when they are moved away from one another. A gear assembly can be disposed on a second end of the expandable assembly. The tool can allow users to reach, grasp, move, and release remote objects.
US08528941B2
The present invention relates to a security element for security papers, value documents and the like, having a laser-markable transparent or translucent marking layer into which, through the action of laser radiation, visually perceptible identifiers are introduced in the form of patterns, letters, numbers and/or images. The identifiers each comprise a lamellar structure composed of a plurality of substantially parallel lamella that extend into the depth of the marking layer and include the parameters color, width, height, lateral orientation, tilt angle and/or spacing.
US08528932B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide an airbag system formed from non-traditional or asymmetric airbag shapes that deflect a vehicle occupant away from an interior vehicle structure.
US08528930B2
A convenience-type tool-less manual quick release binding system is provided for directly mounting accessories and equipment, such as a video kit, thermos, storage container, first aid kit, portable radio or audio device, or other accessory, onto a snowboard via the snowboard binding. When binded, the accessory is secure from unwanted release caused by rigorous use but detachable with ease when desired providing fast on and off action. In one embodiment, ladder straps are attached to the snowboard binding, and the accessories attached to the ladder straps.
US08528929B2
A trailer stabilizing device for stabilizing a parked freight trailer comprising a frame having mounted thereto at least a right side wheel and a left side wheel, the frame also including a hitch, a fifth wheel, and at least one of a repositionable wheel chock and a repositionable hook, the trailer stabilizing device further including a repositioning device in order to reposition at least one of the repositionable wheel chock and the repositionable hook. The present disclosure also includes a method of stabilizing a parked trailer at a loading dock, the method comprising: (a) positioning a wheeled trailer stabilizer underneath a parked freight trailer at a loading dock while landing gear of the parked freight trailer are deployed and a kingpin of the parked trailer is accessible; (b) securing the kingpin of the parked freight trailer to a fifth wheel of the wheeled trailer stabilizer; and, (c) deploying a repositionable hook operatively coupled to the frame of the wheeled trailer stabilizer so the repositionable hook couples to a cleat mounted to the ground, where deployment of the hook is operative to exert a pulling force on the kingpin.
US08528924B1
A rollover protection system unlocks and lowers from a raised position to a lowered position suitable for clearing a low hanging obstacle when an operator manually applies a force to an operator lever. The rollover protection system returns to the raised position when the operator ceases applying force to the operator lever.
US08528923B2
An axle suspension system for a vehicle. The axle suspension system may include an axle having an exterior surface and an axle wrap. The axle wrap may include a wrap portion, a cam bracket, and an actuator bracket. The wrap portion may engage the exterior surface. The cam bracket and actuator bracket may be spaced apart and may extend from the wrap portion.
US08528917B2
A wheel support assembly for use with a vehicle is disclosed that comprises a vehicle mount coupleable to the vehicle, a recess formed in the vehicle mount, a bearing seated at least partially within the recess, an axle engaged with the bearing and extending away from the bearing, and a wheel supported by the axle. To inhibit the transfer of heat from the bearing to the wheel the bearing is in thermal communication with the vehicle mount and the wheel is spaced apart from the bearing along a longitudinal axis of the axle. The vehicle mount is configured as a heat sink such that a larger portion of the heat generated by the bearing is transferred to the heat sink as compared to the portion transferred to the axle.
US08528909B2
A gaming table comprising a tabletop configured to receive gaming accessories, a base connected to and configured to support the tabletop, an antenna located in the tabletop and configured to operate by at least one of, detecting, reading, writing to, tracking, or any combination thereof, the gaming accessories, and a cup shield configured to keep the antenna from being read from outside the antenna system, shield and protect it from electromagnetic and RF interferences and prevent detuning, the cup shield being located under the tabletop and aligned with the antenna. The base can include a side wall connected to a back panel, a shelf connected to the side wall and the back panel, and a pipe configured to isolate, insulate or shield a plurality of wires, the back panel and the shelf having a plurality of openings configured to ventilate heat from inside the base to outside of the table.
US08528901B2
A printer has a paper feed mechanism that can reliably balance the paper feed force of the paper feed roller and paper pressure roller on the left and right sides of the recording paper width. Using the self-centering action of a pressure lever fulcrum and adjustment of the position where an extension spring applies force, the paper feed mechanism of a printer can press the paper pressure roller that is supported by a pressure lever to a paper feed roller so that the paper pressure roller applies equal pressure at all points along the width of the paper feed roller, can balance the paper feed force applied by the paper feed roller and the paper pressure roller to the recording paper left and right widthwise to the paper, and can prevent the recording paper from meandering, skewing, and jamming.
US08528898B2
To convey a following sheet toward a discharge tray together with a preceding sheet made to wait in a buffer path, while a switch member provided at a branch portion of the path is maintained at a lower position, the following sheet conveyed from an upstream side of the branch portion toward the discharge tray is guided by a second guide face of the switch member at the lower position, made to meet the waiting sheet on a downstream side of the switch member, and conveyed toward the discharge tray in a sheet bundle.
US08528887B2
A holder for fastening an interior component, intended for mounting in an aircraft, to a transporting apparatus, includes an interface element configured to be connected to the transporting apparatus for the purpose of fastening the holder to the transporting apparatus. A bearing element is connected to the interface element and has a fixed bearing for bearing a first interior component holder connected to the interior component and a movable bearing for bearing a second interior component holder connected to the interior component.
US08528880B2
A sealing assembly for use in a valve plate assembly includes a sealing ring and a retention spacer. The sealing ring has a radial ring section and an axial ring section, the axial ring section extends axially from the radial section and includes an outer diameter surface and a contact face, the contact face includes a contact surface and an annular slot, and the contact surface is located radially outward relative to the annular slot. The retention spacer is configured to be positioned adjacent the sealing ring.
US08528874B2
A hybrid contoured load-spreading washer is disclosed. An illustrative embodiment of the washer includes a washer body having a composite layer and a metal layer bonded to the composite layer and a fastener opening extending through the washer body. A floor beam seat track attachment assembly and a method of transmitting a load from a seat track to a floor beam web in a seat track attachment assembly are also disclosed.
US08528871B2
A slatwall mounting system includes a rail member and a mounting arrangement. The rail member includes longitudinally extending upper and lower edges, a longitudinally extending upper slot portion including a downward extending undercut a longitudinally extending lower slot portion including an upward extending undercut. The mounting arrangement includes a bracket member having a downward oriented hook portion and a mounting aperture, and a cam assembly having a mounting cam assembled with a user graspable cam driver, the cam and cam driver defining an annular groove for securing the cam assembly to the mounting aperture. The mounting cam is rotatable between a slatwall securing position for mounting engagement with the lower slot of the rail member, and a slatwall releasing position, in response to user manipulation of the cam driver.
US08528866B2
A maintaining equipment with variable length side transverse strap segments in with the one side fastening strap, includes two pairs of saddle straps connected via saddle straps, to either the back transverse strap, back straps crossing the container backrest, or extension of the side transverse straps. The latter extends into a side fastening strap. A loop at a location locatable from the waist to the leg straps is run through by the side fastening strap or the side transverse strap. Strap tightening can occur at hooking or thereafter, allowing adjustment of the side transverse strap and the side fastening strap to maintain the container on the solo skydiver's back or maintain the passenger to the tandem pilot during freefall. Unlocking and/or loosening after canopy deployment elongates the side transverse strap with shortening of the side fastening strap allowing backward movement of the lower back and progression of the leg straps.
US08528856B2
A electric taxi system (ETS) for an aircraft may comprise drive units mounted coaxially with wheels of the aircraft and dedicated motor control units for the drive units. The motor control units may be operable independently of one another so that a first one of the drive units can be operated at a speed different from an operating speed of a second one of the drive units. Independent operability of the drive units may provide enhanced maneuverability of the aircraft during taxiing.
US08528854B2
An aeronautical vehicle that rights itself from an inverted state to an upright state has a self-righting frame assembly has a protrusion extending upwardly from a central vertical axis. The protrusion provides an initial instability to begin a self-righting process when the aeronautical vehicle is inverted on a surface. A propulsion system, such as rotor driven by a motor can be mounted in a central void of the self-righting frame assembly and oriented to provide a lifting force. A power supply is mounted in the central void of the self-righting frame assembly and operationally connected to the at least one rotor for rotatably powering the rotor. An electronics assembly is also mounted in the central void of the self-righting frame for receiving remote control commands and is communicatively interconnected to the power supply for remotely controlling the aeronautical vehicle to take off, to fly, and to land on a surface.
US08528849B2
A ratchet buckle has a body and a trigger. One end of the body has two opposite pivotal holes, two opposite positioning notches, and a pivotal shaft penetrating the pivotal holes. Two ends of the pivotal shaft each have a ratchet wheel synchronously rotating with the pivotal shaft. One end of the trigger has two opposite shaft holes engaged to the pivotal shaft of the body and has a positioning rod transversally mounted on the trigger to engage the two positioning notches of the body. By operating the trigger to set the pivotal shaft free, the pivotal shaft is easily rotated to reel a strap.
US08528848B2
A webbing take-up device provided with a clutch disposed between a take-up shaft and a motor, the clutch coupling and releasing coupling of the take-up shaft to the motor. When a gear wheel of the clutch is rotated in a take-up direction by the motor, a friction spring mounted to a spring housing portion of the clutch housing moves a pawl with a first protrusion of the friction spring, causing the pawl to mesh with a ratchet wheel. Relative rotation of the gear wheel with respect to the ratchet wheel (spool) in the take-up direction is thereby restricted, and the spool rotates with the gear wheel in the take-up direction. Since the pawl is directly moved by the friction spring mounted on the clutch housing, the configuration for moving the pawl can be simplified.
US08528838B2
A push-button for a pressurised liquid distribution system, the push-button including a body onto which an end piece is mounted around an insert so as to form a distribution chamber between said end piece and the insert, the distribution chamber being in communication with a supply channel intended to be mounted on a feed tube for the pressurised liquid, the distribution chamber being successively connected to upstream channels, downstream channels and distribution channels, the distribution channels each converging towards an outlet opening while being designed to enable the impaction of the liquid jets dispensed by the openings, the upstream and downstream channels extending longitudinally while forming an upstream and downstream fluid flow section, respectively, in the distribution chamber, the downstream section having an average transverse surface which is less than the average transverse surface of the upstream section.
US08528824B2
The assembly (22) involved in the fabrication of electronic cards comprises a plate (14) exhibiting a plurality of apertures (16) in which are respectively housed a plurality of electronic modules (2). These electronic modules are assembled to the plate 14 by fixing means, in particular by fixing bridges leaving a slot (26) over the major part of the surround of the electronic module. For example the fixing means are formed by projecting parts (18) at the periphery of the apertures (16), these projecting parts exhibiting a smaller thickness than the thickness of the plate (14) and serving as supports for the electronic modules, in particular for a substrate (12) of these modules. Fixing is performed for example by welding or adhesive bonding. The invention also relates to an intermediate product formed by such an assembly and a filing material that fills at least the major part of the remaining space in the apertures (16). The invention also relates to a method of fabricating cards in which the assembly according to the invention is finally coated in a resin to form substantially plane cards.
US08528818B2
There is described a device having a two dimensional imager. The device having a two dimensional image sensor can be a hand held device. Imaging optics can be provided for focusing light reflected from a target onto the two dimensional imager. An image including imaging data can be obtained utilizing the hand held device. The image can include a representation of a signature.
US08528813B1
A selectable, multi-purpose card comprising a plurality of features stored in memory means operatively mounted on the card and selection means for allowing a user to select a feature in a few simple steps, preferably in a single step. In one embodiment the card includes a plurality of magnetic strips positioned on the card in a manner to allow swiping each magnetic strip separately using conventional reading devices. Each magnetic strip activates a different feature of the card. In another embodiment the card includes a programmable magnetic strip, a plurality of features stored in memory means mounted on the card, a plurality of buttons or contacts, and means for programming the magnetic strip with a different card feature. The card may also include a thin, flexible display.
US08528812B2
A wireless device is enabled to receive a financial account card that is inserted into a card slot of the wireless device. The wireless device reads card data from the financial account card when it is inserted into the slot and programs an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag or a memory included in the wireless device. The wireless device may then be used to provide payment by transmitting the card data via radio frequency to a nearby RFID reader using the RFID tag. The financial account card may also be ejected from the wireless device and swiped by a magnetic card reader.
US08528806B2
A carton comprising a front panel and a rear panel, the front panel and the rear panel connected one to the other by a top panel and a bottom panel, each of the front panel, the top panel and the bottom panel having appended side flaps, a product separator is located in the carton, the product separator secured in the carton by recesses on the appended side flaps. The product separator separates the carton into a first cavity and a second cavity, at least one product being disposed within each of the first cavity and the second cavity. The front panel is at least partially transparent. Each of the front panel flaps having an appended glue flap, the appended glue flaps having a plurality of glue tabs. The top panel and the rear panel having an appended hanger panel with an aperture and a structure to reclose the carton.
US08528803B2
A friction stir welding apparatus includes: a thermocouple and a temperature measurement device which are configured to detect a temperature of the temperature measurement point; a temperature monitor configured to calculate an estimated temperature of the welding tool from the detected temperature of the temperature measurement point, based on a predefined correlation between a temperature of the welding tool and a temperature of the backing member; and a controller configured to perform a predetermined procedure based on the estimated temperature of the welding tool so as to prevent overheating of the welding tool.
US08528801B2
Provided is a film storage box, more particularly, a wrap film storage box in which a grip member for lifting the edge portion of a film is lifted in advance, the lift is maintained for a long period, and the grip member is highly durable against damage. The film storage box (or the wrap film storage box) is characterized in that the grip member is formed over the entire width of the front plate of the film storage box and is lifted in a curved shape by using a repulsive force generated by adhering an edge fold strip provided at the upper end edge of the front plate to the rear surface of the front plate, and durability is imparted by employing portions of the fold lines of the both side faces of the front plate as the both side portions of the grip member.
US08528796B1
A sock donning appliance is provided for allowing a person to put on a sock with minimal physical exertion or bending. The appliance includes a pole having a top end and a bottom end. A plate is coupled to the bottom end of the pole. A support bracket is coupled to the pole and has opposed side portions whereby the support bracket is configured for holding a top end of a sock in an open position.
US08528794B2
The invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing an adhesive or sealant from a vessel, in particular from a pressurized vessel, via a valve. For this purpose, the dispenser is equipped with a lever with a grip region for actuating the valve. The dispenser also has an attachment, on which the lever is fitted in a pivotable manner, and an actuator with a supporting region for the lever. The actuator is configured such that it can be rotated relative to the attachment, and the supporting region is therefore variable, in order to change the effective lever path for the actuation of the valve, for activating or deactivating the dispenser or for varying the volume flow as product is dispensed.
US08528790B2
A dispensing system is presented for providing power generation from the actuation that occurs to provide product. The dispensing mechanism includes a plunger and magnet. The magnet is secured to the dispensing mechanism so that it moves with the plunger. Surrounding the dispensing mechanism is a housing that includes a coil. The coil is positioned such that as the pump is actuated, the magnet moves relative to the coil, generating power to the coil. The generated power that is produced can be applied to electronic devices that include, but are not limited to, light-emitting diodes and controllers.
US08528789B2
A container for a liquid, in particular, a high-value liquid in a small quantity such as a perfume is disclosed. The container comprises a reservoir (12) within which a liquid can be contained. A dispenser (24), typically a pump dispenser, is carried on a neck (20) of a filling opening of the reservoir (12) thereby sealing the reservoir. The dispenser can dispense a quantity of liquid from the reservoir (12) on operation of a trigger. A casing (32) is also carried on the reservoir (12). The casing (32) and the reservoir (12) can be mutually rotated between a closed condition and an open condition. In the closed condition, the casing prevents access to the trigger and the reservoir predominantly projects from the casing, and in the open condition, the trigger can be operated and the reservoir (12) is substantially received within the casing (32).
US08528788B2
The invention relates to a dispenser (1) for fluid to paste-like matters (M), having a pump chamber (20) comprising at least one outlet valve (28), a storage chamber (2), and a flow path (2) connecting the storage chamber (2) to the outlet valve (28), wherein a transport safeguard device is provided in order to avoid a discharge of the matter during transport. In order to advantageously configure a dispenser of the type in question with respect to the transport safeguard device, the invention provides that the flow path (W) to the transit safeguard device can be locked.
US08528785B2
A powered dispensing tool includes a housing, a motor, a rack operably coupled to the motor for powered translation along a longitudinal axis in at least one of a forward direction and a reverse direction, a transmission housing at least partially positioned within the housing through which the rack is extendable, first and second plungers, at least one of which is coupled to one end of the rack, and a first cartridge housing within which first and second material cartridges may be supported in a side-by-side relationship. The first and second plungers are associated with the first and second material cartridges, respectively. The tool also includes a second cartridge housing within which only a single material cartridge may be supported. The first and second cartridge housings are interchangeably coupled to the transmission housing to adapt the tool for use with dual material cartridges or single material cartridges.
US08528784B2
Refill assemblies are described herein that include: a bottle defining an internal reservoir and an opening which communicates with the reservoir; and a refill cartridge operatively coupled with the bottle, the refill cartridge including: a cartridge body defining a cartridge reservoir having a concentrated chemical agent stored therein, a refill pouch having a concentrated chemical agent stored therein or a combination thereof; and a release mechanism cooperatively engaged to the cartridge body that facilitates the flow of the chemical agent from the cartridge reservoir into the reservoir of the bottle. Refill assemblies are also disclosed that include: a spray bottle and/or containment vessel; a refill cartridge cooperatively engaged to the spray bottle and/or containment vessel and including a cartridge body defining a cartridge reservoir having a concentrated chemical agent stored therein; and a release mechanism cooperatively engaged to the cartridge body and selectively movable from a sealing position to a dispensing position relative thereto, the movement of the release mechanism from the sealing position to the dispensing position facilitating the flow of the chemical agent from the cartridge reservoir. Some refill assemblies also include: a bottle having an internal reservoir; and a refill cartridge operatively coupled to the bottle and at least partially residing within the reservoir thereof.
US08528782B2
A grease gun includes a housing, a motor positioned within the housing, a pump assembly coupled to and driven by the motor, and a chamber supported by the housing in fluid communication with the pump assembly. The chamber is configured to store a liquid. The grease gun also includes an outlet in fluid communication with the chamber and a measurement system operable to measure an amount of liquid being dispensed through the outlet. The measurement system monitors a change in current of the motor over a cycle of the pump assembly, compares the change in current to a predetermined value, and, if the change in current is greater than the predetermined value, increases a pump cycle counter to indicate that liquid was dispensed.
US08528769B1
A lift apparatus and method include, in a structure with a lid, a lift arm connected with the lid and with a lift pivot. A movement arm with a flexible connection with a first end and a second end is provided where the first end of the flexible connection is connected with the lift arm and where the second end of the flexible connection is connected with the movement arm. And an actuator is connected with the movement arm for selected movement of the arm and thus the lid.
US08528764B2
A drink bottle comprising a lower bottle portion and an upper bottle portion configured to removably connect to form a liquid-tight seal. The upper bottle portion includes a connection portion engageable with a connection portion of the lower bottle portion. The drink bottle further includes a sleeve configured to be arranged about one of the upper bottle portion and the lower bottle portion.
US08528754B2
The patent application relates to a saw horse having at least two stand elements, each stand element (1) having a base (4) and two vertical braces (2) which in each case leave an interspace (5) between one another for accommodating wood (21) to be sawed or the like, and which project upwardly from the base (4). One vertical brace (2) of one stand element (1) is connected to a vertical brace (2) of the other stand element (1) via a connecting element (6) in such a way that the interspaces (5) of the two stand elements (1) are aligned with one another in an operating position in which the connecting elements (6) extend parallel to one another. In order to achieve a refinement that is advantageous for use, it is proposed that the connecting elements (6) are pivotably secured to the vertical braces (2) so that the saw horse may be folded up in a parallelogram-like manner from its operating position, in which the connecting elements (6) are spaced at a maximum distance from one another, into a storage position in which the connecting elements (6) are spaced at a minimum distance from one another.
US08528753B2
A shower rod snap-fit assembly (200) includes a shower curtain rod (101) having at least one first aperture (202) at each end of the rod. A resilient spring (201) is used for insertion into each end of the shower curtain rod (101) such that portions of the resilient spring (201) extend through the at least one first aperture (202). A base member (105) is used for attachment to a wall and has plurality of second apertures (205). In use, the shower curtain rod (101) is inserted into the base member (205) such that the plurality of second apertures (205) receive portions of the resilient spring (201) extending from the at least one first aperture (202) for holding the shower curtain rod (101) into a fixed position.
US08528741B2
A paper sheet counting system includes: a first paper sheet counting apparatus whose operation mode can be switched between a cooperative mode and an independent mode, the first paper sheet counting apparatus including: a first receiving unit configured to take in deposited paper sheets one by one; at least two first stacking units configured to stack therein the paper sheets; a first recognition unit configured to recognize and count the paper sheets; and a first transport unit configured to transport the paper sheets between the first receiving unit and the first stacking units, based on a recognition result of the first recognition unit; a second paper sheet counting apparatus whose operation mode can be switched between a cooperative mode and an independent mode, the second paper sheet counting apparatus being capable of communicating with the first paper sheet counting apparatus, the second paper sheet counting apparatus including: a second receiving unit configured to take in deposited paper sheets one by one; at least one second stacking unit configured to stack therein the paper sheets; a second recognition unit configured to recognize and count the paper sheets; and a second transport unit configured to transport the paper sheets between the second receiving unit and the second stacking unit, based on a recognition result of the second recognition unit; and a tallying unit configured to acquire count results from the first recognition unit and the second recognition unit and to tally the count results, when the first paper sheet recognition unit and the second paper sheet recognition unit are in the cooperative modes.
US08528736B2
A frangible container having a body, a lid, and a cover together defining a cavity for storing dispensable contents so that the body and lid are openable by breaking a frangible connection which joins the lid and body about a hinge formed by the cover, thereby allowing the contents to be dispensed.
US08528734B1
A novelty mailing item fabricated from an article of fresh produce. An article of produce, such as a chili pepper, is provided with a hollow interior and then treated with preservatives, plaster of Paris, and resin coatings to increase structural integrity and to retard decomposition of the produce. The treated article of produce may feature an interior cavity in which a gift or message may be contained, or may feature an exterior writing surface upon which a message may be written. The novelty mailing item or container may be labeled for mailing or shipping to an addressee recipient.
US08528733B2
A packaging container is disclosed that includes a lid, a transparent material mounted on top of the lid that encloses an interior space, an article of artwork positioned inside the interior space and a transparent medium that fills substantially all or all of the remaining interior space, and a base below the lid with a storage cavity. In addition, a method for packaging a gift is disclosed that includes placing the gift in a storage cavity of a packaging container that includes a lid, a transparent material mounted on top of the lid that encloses an interior space configured to house at least one article of artwork and a base below the lid with a storage cavity, positioning at least one article of artwork inside the interior space and filling substantially all or all of the remaining interior space with a transparent medium.
US08528718B2
A tubular food product launching system and method for interacting with a product loading head is disclosed. The system includes a pick belt, positioned alongside product carrying intermediate belts. The pick belt supplies additional product to a product inspector or vision equipped robot cell to replace defective or missing product observed on the intermediate belt(s) with replacement product from the pick belt. The overall system speed, and pick belt speed, can be adjusted to accommodate varying product post-launcher fill-rates in accord with the nature of the product and the abilities and speed of the robot cell and/or product inspector, so as to reliably assure 100% final fill-rate as product is fed to the loading head.
US08528716B2
A device for connecting a chain, which is actively connected to a roller, to a step or a pallet of an escalator or a moving walkway, respectively. The chain has a roller side and a step or pallet side. The device includes a hollow stud disposed on the roller side and a cylindrical shoulder disposed on the step or pallet side. The hollow stud has a clearance to receive the cylindrical shoulder. A slide bearing is arranged at least radially between a circumferential surface of the hollow stud defining the clearance and an outer circumferential surface of the shoulder.
US08528703B2
An elevator system includes an elevator car and a counterweight fixed to a traction device. A drive pulley moves the traction device. A bottom tensioning apparatus is fixed to the counterweight and to the elevator car. A tensioning weight tensions the bottom tensioning apparatus. In an end position of the counterweight, the elevator car can continue to move when the traction device is moved further by the drive pulley. This moves the tensioning weight at half the speed of the elevator car, for example. A measuring device is provided for the tensioning weight for detecting such a motion of the tensioning weight. This allows a triggering of an emergency stop of the elevator car.
US08528694B2
A retractable horizontal lifeline assembly includes a lifeline, a drum, and a crank. The lifeline has an intermediate portion interconnecting a first end and a second end. The drum has a base and is rotatable. The first end of the lifeline is operatively connected to the drum and the intermediate portion of the lifeline is windable about and paid out from the base. The drum is operatively connected to a first anchorage structure. The second end is operatively connected to a second anchorage structure. The crank is configured and arranged to be releasably connectable to the drum and is rotatable to rotate the drum and tension the lifeline. The crank includes a tension indicator to provide indication when the tension in the lifeline has reached a predetermined level. The crank is capable of tensioning the lifeline to a level greater than the predetermined level.
US08528692B2
To simplify the attachment of a cover member, an air intake duct 10 includes a duct body 12 having an air flow passage 14 communicating from an inlet port 12a to an outlet port 12b and a vent hole 28 communicating from the air flow passage 14 to the outside, an air permeable cover member 32, and a holding member 34 secured to extend along an outer inner circumferential surface or an inner circumferential surface of the duct body 12 and to hold a portion of the cover member 32 covering the vent hole at a location different from the vent hole 28. The holding member 34 is detachably attached to the duct body 12.
US08528673B2
A retrofittable lifting apparatus for use on an articulated robotically controlled device is disclosed. The lifting apparatus includes a structure for mating the apparatus to the robotic device and a mechanism for the remotely controlled lifting of an ordnance or other object. Actuation of the lifting mechanism may be provided by existing sources of motion on the robotic device, or by additional sources of motion attached to the robotic device.
US08528665B2
A mobile drilling waste management system including a trailer having at least one centrifuge and a solids catch tank receiving solids separated from drilling fluid by one or more of the centrifuges. And a method of reclaiming drilling fluid including pumping drilling fluid contaminated with solids onto a trailer, separating the contaminant solids from the drilling fluid with at least one centrifuge located on the trailer, directing the contaminant solids to a solids catch tank located on the trailer, and pumping the drilling fluid off of the trailer.
US08528664B2
A tubular downhole tool string component having a sidewall with a fluid passageway formed therein between a first end and second end, and a valve mechanism disposed within the fluid passageway adapted to substantially cyclically build-up and release pressure within the fluid passageway such that a pressure build-up results in radial expansion of at least a portion of the sidewall and wherein a pressure release results in a radial contraction of the portion of the sidewall. The valve mechanism disposed within the fluid passageway comprises a spring. Radial expansion and contraction of the portion of the sidewall varies a weight loaded to a drill bit disposed at a drilling end of the drill string.
US08528657B1
A folding agricultural tool carrier for supporting tillage, seeding, fertilizer or other ground engaging tools. On each side of a carrier frame a boom support frame is hinged for pivoting about a fore-and-aft axis, and a wing frame or boom is pivotally connected to the boom support frame forwardly of the aft end of the carrier frame and adjacent wheel structure supporting the carrier. A rear fold cylinder pivots the boom forwardly from an extended position to a flat-fold position alongside the boom support frame, and a torque resisting and fatigue reducing diagonal brace flat-folds between boom and the support frame. Frame cylinders pivot the support frame and folded boom and brace into a narrow transport position over the carrier frame. A wheel accommodation space is defined between support frame hinges to facilitate tread adjustments.
US08528652B2
The fire extinguishing ball includes an outer ball cage, an inner ball cage freely rotatable within the outer ball cage about one axis, and an internal fire extinguishing assembly carried by the inner ball cage and freely rotatable therein about a different axis. The internal fire extinguishing assembly includes a hollow ball-shaped body containing compressed gas and fire extinguishing agents. A valve assembly attached to the top of the body permits refilling of the body and dispersion of the contents during operation. The internal fire extinguishing assembly is connected to the inner ball cage so that the valve assembly will be disposed on top when the fire extinguishing ball is at rest. The ball can be tossed or rolled towards fires in difficult to reach areas. Exposure to heat opens the valve in the valve assembly to thereby disperse the contents of the body and extinguish the flames.
US08528616B2
The invention relates to an adhesive tape application device for applying an adhesive tape section to an object, wherein the adhesive tape application device is designed for pulling an adhesive tape end from a supply of adhesive tape and applying said adhesive tape end to the object as an adhesive tape section by a relative motion of a movable portion and a stationary portion arranged on the object, comprising an application device, wherein the application device is designed and/or arranged for pressing the adhesive tape section against the object in an application position of the application device, wherein the application device is designed and/or arranged for performing a superimposed rotational-linear and/or swivelling-linear movement in the adhesive tape application device.
US08528598B2
A flow splitter (10) that is uniquely characterized by the use of two diaphragm valves in a single valve body that are arranged in opposition to one another. The diaphragm valves are coupled together for common movement by a coupler, such that the flow rate through respective outlets is a function of the position of either diaphragm valve. That is, the position of one valve is a function of the position of the other valve, and vice versa. With this construction a single actuator can control the ratio of total flow that will be delivered to each of two outlet ports. Moreover, such construction eliminates the need for thermal or pressure sensors and thus the drawbacks associated therewith.
US08528584B2
A drive device for a double seat valve having, between flow paths, a seat and first and second valve disks, where first, second and third pistons movable in a sealed manner by alternating pressure pulses for initiating an opening cycle and cleaning cycles of the valve disks each are provided in a drive device housing, where the pistons can be selectively connected with valve disk couple elements so as to transmit movements. Pressure transmission paths lead into the drive device housing to chambers defined by the pistons, the second piston being guided in a sealed manner separate from the first piston in the drive device housing, sealing areas of the first and second pistons define a first chamber in the drive device housing, and at least one pressure transmission path leads, for the cleaning cycle of the second valve disk, laterally and transversely to the common axis of the drive device housing and the valve chamber at least directly into the first chamber.
US08528580B2
This invention is related to the preparation of polyethylene pipe resins suitable for transporting water containing chlorine.
US08528578B2
A raintrough support clip includes a generally cylindrical main body made from an elastically resilient material, and having a circumferential gap to facilitate mounting around an awning reel having a flexible valance sheet extending downward from the outer edge of the awning reel. The raintrough support clip also has an outrigger member extending outwardly from a lower region of the main body, with an upturned portion forming a generally U-shaped space between the outrigger and the main body. When a suitable number of the raintrough support clips are mounted along the length of the awning reel, the valance sheet may be readily deformed to form a rainwater drainage trough for receiving runoff from the awning. The drainage trough thus formed will carry runoff to one or both ends of the awning reel, thereby preventing the runoff from falling over the awning reel and forming a runoff curtain therebelow.
US08528577B2
A trekking pole assembly includes a trekking pole and a handle assembly mounted to the trekking pole. The handle assembly includes a handle housing with an interior cavity and a shock absorbing member secured within the interior cavity. The handle housing has a top end and a bottom end, an opening defined in the bottom end, and at least one lateral opening. The shock absorbing member is positioned in the handle housing and interposed between the handle housing and the trekking pole. A portion of the shock absorbing member is displaceable through the at least one lateral opening.
US08528574B2
A dishwasher machine with a compact device for spraying items to be rinsed is provided whereby the rinsing liquid is regularly sprayed in the rinsing container and the spray jets created by the spray device can be varied. To this end, the rinsing device comprises at least one spray channel which guides a rinsing liquid and comprises, on a side thereof facing the inside of the rinsing container, openings for the rinsing liquid and two open ends via which rinsing liquid can be supplied in a pressurized manner. At least one distributor is provided for regulating the supply of rinsing liquid to the spray channel in lieu of conventional mobile components such as spray arms, and various spray patterns can be produced by means of the distributor, improving the cleaning action of the dishwasher machine.
US08528568B2
A non-combustible smoking article includes an aerosol-generating part including an aerosol-generating substance configured to generate aerosol by heating, and a heat source physically separated from the aerosol-generating part and disposed at an tip end of the aerosol-generating part, and configured to heat the aerosol-generating substance by combustion heat, in which the heat source includes at least one carbonaceous strip.
US08528567B2
A smoking article having a heat source at a first end of the smoking article and a catalyst adjacent to the heat source. The catalyst is capable of catalyzing carbon monoxide from the heat source to carbon dioxide and water. A filter segment is located at a second end of the smoking article opposite the first end with an aerosol generating segment disposed between the catalyst and the filter segment.
US08528565B2
A method of navigating a medical device through a body of a patient includes providing a topography of at least a portion of the body, accepting user input defining a navigation path, robotically navigating the medical device to a starting point on the path, and robotically navigating the medical device along the navigation path to an endpoint. Waypoints defining the navigation path may be input on a graphical representation of the topography using a user interface such as a pointing device or touchscreen. The navigation path may also be defined by tracing a substantially continuous path on the graphical representation. A therapy may be administered while robotically navigating the medical device along the navigation path, either forward or in reverse, or while navigating the medical device along a return path defined by a plurality of virtual breadcrumbs generated as the medical device traverses the navigation path.
US08528562B2
A vent assembly for use with a respiratory mask of the type used in CPAP treatment includes a porous disk portion that is attached to a biasing member such that the disk portion is maintained in a substantially sealed position against a main vent to minimize airflow through at least one side vent of the vent assembly. Debris build-up on the disk portion can cause the biasing member to deflect to provide an additional path for airflow through the at least one side vent. In another embodiment, the vent assembly can also include an anti-asphyxia feature to provide an airflow path from the environment to the user. An oxygen diverter valve may be disposed between the breathing apparatus flow generator and an oxygen injection port.
US08528560B2
A respirator 10 that has a harness 14 and a mask body 12 that is joined to the harness 14. The mask body 12 includes a filtering structure 16 that may contain a plurality of layers of nonwoven fibrous material 58, 60, 62. The layers of nonwoven fibrous material 58, 60, 62 have a thickness A and are welded together by at least two parallel weld lines 34′, 34″ that are spaced at 0.5 to 6 times A. A mask body that uses parallel weld lines may exhibit better resistance to collapse and may be manufactured at faster speeds than similar structures which use single weld lines of comparable width.
US08528555B2
A cockpit oxygen supply device includes at least one oxygen mask which is conductively connectable to an oxygen tank, wherein at least one throughput measurement device is arranged in the flow path of the device. A breathing activity of the pilot and/or an undesired outflow from the mask may be recognized with the help of an evaluation device.
US08528551B2
Systems, methods, and/or apparatuses for acclimatizing a user to positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy are provided. Generally, a sub-therapeutic treatment pressure is provided initially. It may be ramped up to a full treatment pressure over the course of one or more therapy sessions. The pressure level may be ramped up based on, for example, sleep state, sleep phase, patient compliance with types of treatment (e.g. bilevel vs. CPAP, etc.), clinician input (either at the site, remotely, via pre-programmed smartcards, etc.), etc. Such techniques may be used alone or in combination.
US08528548B2
An inhaler (1) is proposed for inhaling a preparation (2) from a carrier (3) and/or through a delivery channel (16) as depicted in exemplary FIG. 1. The carrier or delivery channel is preferably flexible, flat, band-shaped, strip-shaped, thread-like, blister-like and/or film-like and can be set in vibration by a stream of air (5). The carrier or delivery channel is preferably set in vibration by a separate element (6), which for its part is set in motion or vibration by the stream of air. Alternatively, or in addition, the inhaler has a pump (10) with a telescopic pump chamber (20) for generating a stream of air for expelling and/or dispersing a preparation.
US08528540B2
An improved fire grate may provide fresh oxygen rich air to a secondary combustion zone, created by the improved fire grate, of a combustion chamber where a combustion gas stream is typically oxygen starved assisting in the burning process of incompletely burned particulates and reducing other harmful emissions. A baffle plate may be introduced in the secondary combustion zone to increase a combustion chamber temperature, encourage mixing of oxygen starved air with oxygen rich air and increase a residence time of the combustion gas within the combustion chamber. These aspects of the baffle plate promote more efficient burning of the biomass/fuel. Additionally, log lighter(s) may be disposed in the secondary combustion zone to increase a temperature of the combustion chamber for the purposes of reducing harmful emissions. The improved fire grate may be horizontally and vertically adjusted to fit within different sized fireplace combustion chambers.
US08528539B2
An integrated stove in which oil smoke is discharged downward comprises a cabinet body; a plurality of cylindrical sunken stove holes are installed on the panel of the body; a cooker is installed on the soleplate of the stove holes; major arc shaped air suction ports are installed at the upper part of the wall of the stove holes; a handle hole is installed in one side of the stove holes facing person; a soleplate parallel to the panel basically is installed; the soleplate has a structure in the shape of pan bottom; and the part of the soleplate close to the side wall of the body extends to the combined part of the panel and the soleplate. The panel is mounted at the top of the side wall. The stove holes are embedded in the double-layer structure formed by the panel and the soleplate. The side wall of the stove holes is both connected with the panel and the soleplate in sealing way, the panel, the soleplate and the side wall of the stove holes are enclosed to form a communicated sealed gas collecting chamber. The air port of a blower is installed at the open hole of the soleplate, and an exhaust pipe is connected with the blower.
US08528538B2
A drain pipe 54 includes an upper end portion 54a which is connected to a concave 38a of a leading end 38 of an exhaust tube 34, and a lower end portion 54b which is opened to the inside of a warm air furnace below the concave 38a. The lower end portion 54b is formed as a tubular portion where a membrane is formed at a plane orthogonal to an axis line 54d by a surface tension of a drain. A leading end 54e of the tubular portion is formed as an opening 54f with an area large enough such that the membrane is not generated by the surface tension of the drain.
US08528534B2
In some embodiments, an archery bow axle comprises a first portion and a second portion. The second portion is configured for fixed attachment to said first portion in one of a plurality of positions. The axle will have a different length in each of the positions. In some embodiments, an axle comprises a shaft and an end cap having a cavity, wherein a portion of the shaft is received in the cavity.
US08528531B2
A current of sufficient size to form plasma at ignition of a plasma jet ignition plug flows to a spark discharge gap while suppressing noise occurrence.There is provided an ignition apparatus of a plasma jet ignition plug, which includes a resistor R1, with one end connected to a diode D1 disposed between the plasma jet ignition plug 100 and a high-voltage generation circuit 210 and with the other end electrically connected to a center electrode 40 of the plasma jet ignition plug 100, and a capacitor C1, with one end connected to the center electrode 40 of the plasma jet ignition plug 100 and with the other end grounded.
US08528526B2
This invention relates generally to a vapor vent system for an internal combustion engine such as an outboard marine fuel injected engine. The vapor vent system includes a snap assembly decoupled float vapor vent in order to vent vapors from the vapor separator. The snap assembly design reduces costs, vibration and assembly requirements.
US08528517B2
A portable working machine includes a gaseous-fueled engine, a working unit driven by the engine, a control unit for controlling the engine and the working unit, and an acceleration sensor capable of detecting accelerations in two mutually perpendicular horizontal directions relative to a vertical line, which is induced in the portable working machine. The control unit is configured to determine a tip angle of the portable working machine based on the horizontal accelerations detected by the acceleration sensor and issue a stop instruction to the engine when it determines that the tip angle exceeds a preset reference angle.
US08528514B1
A modified piston for a reciprocating engine, the piston having a piston face that comprises a plurality of radially-oriented grooves. Each groove comprises a distal end proximate a periphery of the piston face and a proximal end proximate a center of the piston face. The width of the distal end of each groove is greater than the width of the proximal end of the groove. The depth of the distal end of each groove is greater than the depth of the proximal end of the groove. The proximal end of each groove terminates in a point.
US08528507B2
A water pump of an electromagnetic clutch type, which feeds a coolant with pressure to a water jacket in an engine may include a belt pulley mounted at one end of a bearing shaft for being rotated on the bearing shaft by power transmitted through a belt, an impeller that is fixed to the other end of the bearing shaft, an electromagnetic actuator selectively supplying magnetic force, a clutch operating member movable along the bearing shaft to selectively engage the belt pulley with the bearing shaft by using the magnetic force of the electromagnetic actuator, and an elastic member exerting a force on the clutch operating member to support elastically the clutch operating member toward the belt pulley.
US08528504B2
A device that injects hydrogen gas into an engine's air intake or intake manifold that is demand controlled by the vehicle's throttle linkage in an approximately linear manner. When the throttle is depressed, hydrogen generation can start or increase, and when the throttle is released, hydrogen generation can stop of decrease. The device of the present invention uses the vehicle's own vacuum to control the production of hydrogen by forcing a liquid to rise in a chamber and into contact with metal in response to increasing vacuum thus producing an increasing amount of hydrogen gas with increasing throttle depression.
US08528494B2
A modular dock unit and system for making large modular dock systems is disclosed. The dock unit includes a molded floatation shell, a molded decking piece and a molded dri-loc retainer ring. The floatation shell has column supports molded therein suitable for holding support members. In use, support member are placed in flanges molded into the support columns and the floatation shell rim. The dri lock retainer is placed on the side support members and the decking piece is opposed to the dri-loc retainer. Mounting aids such as tongue and groove members are molded in opposing pieces of floatation shell, retainer and deck and secured where necessary. The dock unit also includes a boat bumper system that mates with the dock units to surround the modular dock system. When assembled, the dock unit comprises a water-tight flotation cavity protecting the internal components and providing buoyancy to the dock unit.
US08528492B2
A method for controlling the size of a fabric of a garment includes providing an extensible garment fabric and attaching a relatively inextensible tape or cord proximate to an edge of the extensible garment fabric with the tape or cord made from a material which can be eliminated or made extensible during subsequent processing.
US08528482B2
A hybrid gas generator includes a high pressure gas cylinder and a gas release actuating device. The gas release actuating device includes a pyrotechnic gas cylinder, an igniting assembly, and a bursting disc. The pyrotechnic gas cylinder includes a guide ring securely disposed in the pyrotechnic gas cylinder to hermetically separate the space in the pyrotechnic gas cylinder into a gas releasing chamber and a firing chamber, a piercing plug fitted with the guide ring, where the gas releasing chamber is formed with at least a vent for releasing the gas stored in the high pressure gas cylinder, and the firing chamber may be provided with a gas producing medium to produce gas for driving the piercing plug when the igniting assembly is ignited.
US08528466B2
The liquid-overflow platform and container device includes a generally horizontal platform for catching overflow liquid from a small appliance, such as a coffee maker, and a container attached beneath the platform that receives the liquid flowing through apertures in the platform. The apertures are less than 10% of the platform area. The platform may be topographically structured to encourage liquid to drain into the apertures, and is larger than the footprint of the appliance. The container is sized to contain more than the liquid capacity of the small appliance. The device is removable from beneath the appliance for carrying to an appropriate place to empty the contents, preferably by tipping the device to drain the liquid through platform corner apertures. The device may be separate from, and not connected to, the appliance, or may be sold as a connected but removable portion of the appliance.
US08528465B2
A coffee machine, including a grinder, a stewing vessel, and a water supply mechanism, is disclosed. The stewing vessel is connected to the water supply mechanism and is positioned below a discharging outlet of the grinder. A filter mesh is provided in the stewing vessel, which is fixed on the casing body of the coffee machine. A bean chamber is provided in the grinder, and under the bean chamber is provided a grinding unit, the grinding unit including a bean grinding chamber in which a rotating grinding plate and a stationary grinding plate are provided. The shaft of the grinding motor is connected to the rotating grinding plate, and a removable shaft coupling is provided between the shaft of the grinding motor and the rotating grinding plate.
US08528461B2
Actuator arrangements are disclosed. An actuator arrangement can include a first fluidic-based actuator device designed to exert a first force on a first location of a body associated with the first actuator device. An actuator arrangement can also include a second fluidic-based actuator device designed to exert a second force on a second location of the body associated with the first actuator device. The distance between the first and second locations can be small. The maximum value of the second force can be less than the maximum value of the first force.
US08528456B2
A textile sleeve and method of construction thereof is provided. The textile sleeve has a water-based, impervious coating for protecting elongate members contained within the sleeve. The sleeve has a flexible, tubular wall of tightly braided yarns with a coating applied thereto to render the wall impervious to fluid. The coating is a water-based coating applied as two distinct, first and second layers. The first, underlying layer includes a dielectric enhancing additive and a thickening agent to enhance the impermeability of the wall. The second, outer layer contains a similar formulation as the underlying first layer, however, it is free of the thickening agent.
US08528455B2
A device for clamping a blade of shears for traverse cutting of strips includes a clamping bar for the clamping the blade, and a device for displacing the clamping bar in its release position, with the device having a first piston having a piston rod connected at its end remote from the piston with the clamping bar, and a second piston spaced from the first piston and having a piston rod section acting on the first piston, a first connection-bore connects the space in the front of the first piston with the space in the front of the second piston, and a second connection bores connects the space behind the second piston with the space behind the first piston, wherein the first and second connection bores are formed in the rod section of the second piston.
US08528452B2
A safety system prevents cutting machine operators from being accidentally carried through the infeed chute into the machine's cutting mechanism. An operator wears a safety device on his wrist and/or ankle and a sensor array mounts on opposing sides of the cutting machine's infeed chute. The sensor array elements are wound in opposite directions and connect in series opposing. The magnetic field of the safety device induces a current in the sensor array as it moves in the proximity of the sensor array. The safety system generates a signal which is proportional to the sum of the induced currents. When the signal exceeds a threshold, the safety system shuts off power to the feed mechanism and/or the cutting blades of the cutting machine, preventing injury to the operator.
US08528448B2
A kit for repairing and inflating inflatable articles, and having a compressor assembly for generating compressed air; releasable connecting means fixed with respect to the compressor assembly and for connecting the compressor assembly mechanically and fluidically to a sealing liquid container assembly; a first pipe connecting the compressor assembly to the container assembly; a second pipe parallel to the first pipe with respect to the compressor assembly; and a valve interposed between the compressor assembly and the first and second pipe. The valve defines a cavity bounded by a conical surface; a rotary distribution member cooperating in fluidtight manner with the conical surface; an inlet connected to the compressor assembly; a first outlet connected to the first pipe; and a second outlet connected to the second pipe.
US08528444B1
An adjustable armrest that attaches to zero-radius turning mowers includes a telescoping armrest and a clamping bracket. The armrest provides a horizontal support for an operator's arm and is covered with a layer of foam padding for comfort. The clamping bracket is attachable to a steering handle at a prescribed location. In this manner, after the operator attaches an adjustable armrest on each of the steering handles the forearms and wrists are supported and the armrests pivot with the steering handles in order to preserve the comfortable supportive functioning of the armrests.
US08528442B2
A bicycle component positioning device is basically provided with a stationary support member, a positioning element, a position maintaining member, a winding element, a release member and a winding element control member. The winding element moves between a winding position and a disengaging position. The release member moves the position maintaining member between a holding position and a position releasing position in response to pivotal movement of the release member between a neutral position and a position releasing position. The winding element control member moves between a rest position and a control position that holds the winding element in the disengaging position in response to pivotal movement of the release member between the neutral position and the position releasing position. The winding element control member is guided by the stationary support member during movement of the winding element control member between the rest position and the control position.
US08528441B2
A handle apparatus utilized for actuating mechanisms with a pair of parallel cables detects a cable out condition, and prevents further activation of the actuated mechanism. The apparatus has a yoke mechanism which is pivotally attached to an activation rod, which in turn is connected to an activation handle. The yoke mechanism has a first side and a second side, with one of the cables attached to the first side and the other cable attached to the second side. The yoke mechanism has a first stop member attached to the first side of the yoke mechanism and a second stop member attached to the second side of the yoke mechanism. The apparatus has stationary shoulders which are placed such that the stationary shoulders will engage the stop members if either cable fails.
US08528429B2
Systems and methods are provided for stabilizing an emissions instrument. The emissions instrument includes an emissions sensor. The emissions sensor may be coupled to a gyro stabilizer. The gyro stabilizer may stabilize the emissions sensor, thus resulting in a more accurate and reliable emissions instrument.
US08528417B2
An electromagnetic flowmeter having a measuring tube, at least one magnetic device and at least two electrodes. The measuring tube having an inlet section with an inlet section terminal cross section, an outlet section with an outlet section terminal cross section, a recess formed between the inlet section and the outlet section with a recess cross section that is wider than the inlet section terminal cross section and the outlet section terminal cross section, and an internal coating positioned in the recess. The layer thickness of the internal coating is chosen to be appropriately thick in order to guarantee electrical insulation and to arrange the internal coating in the recess such that it is protected from damage by flowing measurement fluid.
US08528414B2
Because of stress occurring due to a change in temperature, and presence of heat distribution on a semiconductor substrate, and a dopant dosage gradient, an offset output occurs to a Wheatstone bridge circuit intended for detection of strain, posing a problem. To solve the problem, diffusion resistors are disposed in the form of a matrix, and bridge resistors Rv1, Rv2 each are formed by selectively connecting diffusion resistors disposed in each odd column, in series with each other, while Rh1, Rh2 each are formed by selectively connecting diffusion resistors disposed in each even column, in series with each other.
US08528405B2
In one embodiment, an accelerometer includes a suspension frame, a proof mass, and a plurality of flexures suspending the proof mass from the suspension frame. The flexures allow the proof mass to deflect in response to an acceleration along a sensitive axis of the accelerometer. Each flexure exhibits an initial spring rate along the sensitive axis of substantially zero.
US08528401B2
An explosion-proof device with a pressure-proof capsule (2), an electronic mechanism (3) and a signal receiver (4), wherein the electronic mechanism (3) is designed intrinsically safe, the pressure-proof capsule (2) has a radiolucent process window (5) and the signal receiver (4) is arranged inside of the pressure-proof capsule (2). An explosion-proof device that can be flexibly used and is economical is implemented in that the electronic device (3) is arranged within the pressure-proof capsule (2) and the signal receiver (4) is designed to be intrinsically safe.
US08528397B2
A hermeticity sensor for a device includes a beam positioned within a substantially hermetically sealed cavity. The beam includes a stress that changes in response to being exposed to ambient from outside the cavity. A related method is also provided.
US08528392B2
A device (1) and a method are provided for determining the oscillatory behavior of a brake lining (3) for a motor vehicle. The device (1) has a mounting device (2) for mounting a brake lining (3) and a securing device (6) for securing a brake disk model (7) assigned to the brake lining (3) so that the brake lining (3) can be brought to bear with the brake disk model (7) against a contact face (8). A pretensioning device (9) is coupled to the mounting device (2) and/or to the securing device (6) so that the brake lining (3) can be pressed against the brake disk model (7) with a pressure force (10, 10′) predetermined in terms of absolute value and direction. An excitation device (13, 13′) is provided for exciting oscillations of the brake disk model (7) and/or the brake lining (3).
US08528387B2
A penetration head and related apparatuses are placed within a void to measure the in-place compressive strength of the surrounding material. An electronic load cell is attached to the penetration head and is forced against an opposite side of the void. A hydraulic ram or other device is connected between the penetration head and load cell. As the hydraulic ram pushes the penetration head and load cell in opposite directions and into the interior walls of the void, penetration depth is measured and mapped to load and material hardness is derived.
US08528385B2
A hose leakage detection system includes a ring configured to be disposed within a hose. The ring has a lateral slot formed in an outer surface, defining a first slot wall and a second slot wall. A sensor is disposed on one of the first slot wall and the second slot wall and a power source is electrically connected to the leakage detection system.
US08528383B2
A pressure sensor and method of sensing pressure is disclosed. An fluid port is coupled to a substrate. A first microchannel within the substrate is in fluid communication with the fluid port. The first microchannel includes a first compressible fluid, a first incompressible fluid and at least one first meniscus. A second microchannel within the substrate is in fluid communication with the fluid port. The second microchannel includes a second compressible fluid, a second incompressible fluid and at least one second meniscus. A pressure of the first meniscus and/or the second meniscus is determined.
US08528363B2
In a process for the production of nitrogen and of oxygen enriched liquid by separation of air by cryogenic distillation, a first stream of air is sent to an exchanger to form a first cooled air stream, the first cooled air stream is sent to a bottom reboiler of a column, condensed air is sent from the bottom reboiler to a top condenser of the column, vaporized air is sent from the top condenser to a first compressor, air is sent from the first compressor to the column, air is sent to a second compressor and from the second compressor to the exchanger to produce a cooled second air stream, the cooled second air stream is sent to a first turboexpander and from the turbo expander to the column, bottom liquid is removed from the column and gaseous nitrogen is removed from the top of the column.
US08528355B2
An atomization unit is described that employs a negative pressure actuator to reduce the fluid pressure acting on the atomizer in order to minimize or prevent fluid leakage from the atomizer. Methods of minimizing or preventing fluid leakage from an atomizer through use of a negative pressure actuator are also described. The atomization unit is particularly suitable for use in a refrigerator to cool and humidify at least a portion of the refrigerator.
US08528349B2
A refrigerator includes a cabinet defining an open storage space and including a door with an exterior side and an interior side adapted to receive a modular component. The modular component includes a base removably connected to the interior side and has a first edge and a second edge. A component door is hingedly-connected to the first edge of the base and is operable between an open position and a closed position. The base and component door define a sealed compartment when the component door is in the closed position. First fasteners are disposed on the component door, and second fasteners are disposed on the base. The second fasteners engage the first fasteners to create an airtight seal between the component door and the base. A vacuum device is in communication with the sealed compartment and a heat sealer is disposed on the base or the component door.
US08528347B2
A method for controlling the freezing capacity of a fixed-frequency freezing AC ice-water system, by using temperature buffer difference of individual requirement ends to control the number of operating compressors in a fixed-frequency chiller and make each of the operating compressors have a usage rate close to 100%. Further, various operating procedures are defined for the requirement ends and each of the operating procedures has an individually defined high-low temperature range such that the freezing capacity supply cycle or startup cycle of the fixed-frequency chiller can be adjusted by using the high-low temperature ranges of the operating procedures as temperature buffer strips, thereby allowing the compressors in the fixed-frequency chiller to operate collectively in order to save energy.
US08528346B2
A refrigerator comprises a vacuum source and a food storage compartment including a drawer unit having a storage space. The food storage compartment is operable between a substantially air-tight retracted position and an open extended position. A vacuum source is in communication with the storage space of the drawer unit and is operable to reduce air pressure inside the drawer unit during an evacuation event. A sealing unit includes a base connected to the drawer unit. A sealing bracket is hingedly-connected to the base and operable between a raised position and a lowered position, the sealing bracket adapted to abut the base when in the lowered position. A heat sealing bar is disposed on one of the base and the sealing bracket. A control system is operable to activate the vacuum source and initiate the evacuation event when the drawer unit is in the air-tight retracted position.
US08528345B2
Disclosed is a system and method for providing power generation and distribution with on-site energy storage and power input controlled by a utility or a third party manager. The system allows a utility manager to decide and direct how energy is delivered to a customer on both sides of the power meter, while the customer directs and controls when and how much energy is needed. In the disclosed embodiments, the utility controls the supply (either transmitted or stored) and makes power decisions on a system that acts as a virtual power plant, while the end-user retains control of the on-site aggregated power consumption assets. The disclosed systems act to broker the needs of the utility and end-user by creating, managing and controlling the interface between these two entities.
US08528344B2
A bleed structure for a bleed passage in a gas turbine engine includes a first wall portion defining a first side of an opening for the passage, and a second wall portion defining a second side, opposite the first side of the opening. The first and second wall portions end at different positions in an extension direction of the opening.
US08528335B2
A system is provided and includes first and second water supplies at first and second relatively high and low temperatures, respectively, a heat exchanger, coupled to the water supplies, through which fuel and relative amounts of the water supplies at the first and second temperatures flow for fuel heating and a controller, operably interposed between the water supplies and the heat exchanger, to select and/or modulate the relative amounts of the water supplies permitted to flow through the heat exchanger to heat the fuel to a temperature based on a heating requirement to meet a modified wobbe index (MWI) rating.
US08528327B2
In one exemplary embodiment of an exhaust system, the system includes an exhaust manifold in fluid communication with an internal combustion engine and a forced induction device in fluid communication with the exhaust manifold, the forced induction device including a housing. The system further includes a flow control device to control fluid communication between the forced induction device and a catalyst substrate and to control fluid communication between the exhaust manifold and the catalyst substrate.
US08528324B2
The invention relates to a metering device for fuel upstream of an oxidation catalytic converter in the exhaust gas system of an internal combustion engine. A closing valve and/or a metering valve and an injection valve are integrated downstream of a supply device for fuel into a line leading to a metering unit. A return having a first overflow valve branches off upstream of the metering unit. A further return having a second overflow valve influencing a mean pressure level of the metering unit is disposed between the closing valve and the metering valve.
US08528317B2
A method and a system for detecting the ingestion of an object by an aircraft turbine engine during a mission is disclosed. The method includes: acquiring during the mission digital images of the operating fan of the turbine engine, these images being acquired at an acquisition frequency proportional to the speed of rotation of the fan and to the number of blades of the fan; identifying the different phases of the mission of the aircraft for each phase of the mission; comparing the images of the fan with at least one reference image corresponding to sound operation of the fan; and, if necessary, identifying each abnormal image of the fan which differs from the corresponding reference image, the identification of an abnormal image of the fan corresponding to the crossing of an alert level for detecting the ingestion of an object by the turbine engine.
US08528312B1
The turbojet engine inlet and exhaust covers are permanently installed at the inlet and exhaust outlet or nozzle of an aircraft turbojet engine installation. The covers preclude the entrance of small animals, windblown debris, snow, and/or other contaminants into the engine inlet or exhaust while the airplane is inoperative. The covers have an iris-type shutter configuration, each cover having a plurality of leaves pivotally attached to a circumferential stationary housing that is attached to the engine or nacelle. A rotary ring is rotated through a small arc to pivot the shutter leaves inward and outward to close and open the engine opening. The rotary ring may be driven by an electric motor, or by hydraulic or pneumatic power. The system may be automated to close according to engine temperature after flight, and/or to open upon initiation of the engine start sequence for the aircraft.
US08528298B2
A reinforcement system made of steel members, (eg. steel reinforcing rods, threaded rods or functionally equivalent steel member), closely positioned with respect to, or positioned in contact with the exterior of straight tapered and/or pipe/stepped poles, such as wireless telecommunication poles. The method of use results in providing additional strength to the poles to enhance resistance against deflection caused by, for instance, wind forces and/or added weight resulting from mounting antennas thereto, thereby enabling the placement of, for instance, more antenna arrays and other communication antennas thereon is otherwise possible.
US08528291B2
The present invention includes a system for connecting tubes or rods, which are preferably uni-directional pultruded, filament wound, or roll-wrapped carbon-fiber tubes or rods, together to form trusses and other structures using a series of connector pieces preferably bonded together with adhesive.
US08528289B2
Floor panels with a flexible tongue in an insertion groove, the flexible tongue is designed to cooperate, in a connected state with a tongue groove of another panel, the panels are adapted to be locked together by vertical folding, the flexible tongue has a projection portion which, in a connected state projects outside the insertion groove and cooperates with the tongue groove, said projecting portion has a beveled and/or rounded sliding surface and the panels have a sliding surface adapted to cooperate therewith during vertical folding, the flexible tongue during the vertical folding is displaced twice in the horizontal direction, a first displacement is effected by the vertical folding of the fold panel whereby at least a part of the flexible tongue is bent, a second displacement of the flexible tongue towards its initial position is accomplished substantially by a spring effect caused by said bending of said flexible tongue.
US08528285B2
The invention relates to a joint cover assembly for covering a gap between two floor elements covering a subsurface, the assembly comprising a first molding element comprising an upper section having an exposed surface, the exposed surface comprising a décor, and a foot depending therefrom, wherein the foot has a gripping groove extending towards the exposed surface and being defined by two side walls; and a second molding element comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, to be joined to the first molding element, as well as an exposed surface comprising a décor, wherein the lower surface has a groove extending towards the upper surface and being defined by two side walls; characterized in that the joint cover assembly furthermore comprises a track having two upstanding sections, wherein the distance between the upstanding sections corresponds substantially to the width of the foot and also to the distance between a gripping groove's side wall and a proximal side wall of the second molding element's groove. Furthermore, the invention relates to a kit comprising such joint cover assembly. Finally, the invention relates to a method of covering a sub floor adjacent a floor element by using this joint cover assembly or this kit.
US08528281B2
A nosing and drip cap are mounted to each other by elements of the nosing and drip cap. A hook receptacle and/or a stud receptacle extend the length of the nosing. A cooperating hook and/or stud extend from the drip cap. The drip cap is secured to the nosing by engaging the hook in the hook receptacle and/or the stud in the stud receptacle, in a loose engagement combination. While nosing and drip cap are engaged, the assembly can be secured together by (i) installing fasteners spaced along the length of the assembly or, where hook and hook receptacle are used, (ii) bending the assembly into an arcuate configuration, with the inner flange of the nosing to the inside of the bend. While being bent, the hook and hook receptacle create a tightened locking-type engagement between themselves. Either way, the nosing and the drip cap are substantially permanently locked together.
US08528276B2
A water diverting system for diverting water from a building's foundation, where the foundation has a basement footing having an interior face oriented towards an interior of the foundation, a basement wall having an interior face oriented towards the interior of the foundation, and a basement floor slab. The system includes a channel for collecting water and configured to be installed adjacent the basement footing. The channel is overlaid with a corrugated track for directing water to the channel. A vertical water guide extends perpendicularly from the track and is positioned adjacent the interior face of the basement wall. The guide includes a plurality of spaced projections for directing water trickling down along the wall to the channel.
US08528268B1
A building assembly for forming a frame of a building including at least two elongated column structures and a truss structure supported on the column structures. The truss structure has opposite end portions resting on the column structures at horizontally spaced locations. A trilateral bracing structure may be attached to the truss structure and one of the column structures to tie the truss structure to the column structure. The trilateral bracing structure may be separable from the truss structure and the column structure.
US08528263B2
Rainwater diverter comprises a base member and a sleeve member. The base member includes a tubular conduit having an upper end and a lower end sized to closely fit within an upper end of a lower downspout section. Surrounding the tubular conduit is a fluid chamber having an open upper end and a closed bottom, and a discharge opening adjacent the bottom. The sleeve member has a lower end sized to have a close sliding fit inside the open upper end of the chamber, and an upper end sized to have a close sliding fit over a lower end of an upper downspout section. The sleeve member is shaped to provide a narrow gap between the sleeve member and the upper end of the tubular conduit leading into the chamber surrounding the tubular conduit.
US08528253B2
A protection system for motorized pedestrian access passageways, comprising a mechanism for the closing or opening of said passageways, suitable for activating at least one sliding and oscillating shutter (12), which emerges from and re-enters, respectively, the interior of at least one seat (25) of a shaped structure positioned to the side of the access passageway; the shutter (12) is fixed to a longitudinal covering strip (17) which is thus entrained along the seat (25), by means of side guides (9, 10), so as to inhibit access to the seat (25) when the shutter (12) is in a position which closes the passageway.
US08528245B2
A shotgun mountable shell holder is provided for holding a single shotgun shell therein. The shell holder includes a rigid body having an external mounting surface provided with a track slidably mounted and frictionally retained on a rail arrangement having at least one rail attached externally of a shotgun. The rigid body also includes an internal shell receiving and engaging structure sized and shaped to slidably receive and frictionally retain the single shotgun shell therein. The track and the rail have mating dovetail-shaped cross sections.
US08528243B1
Pistols and methods of manufacture are provided. A representative pistol includes a slide, at least part of the slide being made of plastic; wherein the pistol is a small caliber pistol or pistol for low-impulse ammunition or training pistol. A representative method for manufacturing a pistol includes: forming a slide of the pistol, with at least part of the slide being made of plastic; wherein the pistol is a small caliber pistol or pistol for low-impulse ammunition or training pistol.
US08528237B1
A snow plow for permanently attaching to a vehicle, selectively deploying a plow blade beyond a bumper and selectively retracting the blade underneath the vehicle by a hydraulic cylinder assembly. The snow plow has a pair of plow blades, namely a front plow blade and a rear plow blade that selectively deploy. The blades have side extensions that hydraulically extend laterally to remove the snow in front of the wheels and widen the path of snow removal. A hydraulic arm assembly pivots the blade to the right or to the left to attack the snow at an angle when plowing and removing snow. A pantographic frame assembly hydraulically lowers and raises the hydraulic cylinder assembly, lowering the plow blade closer to the ground or raising the blade higher for more ground clearance and decreasing the visibility of the blade and the hydraulic cylinder assembly underneath the vehicle.
US08528228B2
The invention relates to a method of determining the presence of a drying rack based on image data of the laundry located in a treating chamber of a laundry treating appliance.
US08528226B2
A vented dryer having a drum to dry damp laundry by warm process air; a first process air duct upstream of the drum; a heater to heat the process air in the first process air duct; a supply air duct leading into the first process air duct; an exhaust air duct; a second process air duct downstream of the drum and transitioning into the exhaust air duct; a blower; a first temperature sensor in the first process air duct; and a heat-buildup generator to generate a heat buildup at the first temperature sensor if a counter-flowing air current occurs.
US08528212B2
A method manufactures a frame assembly, which supports a fenestration article. The frame assembly includes a stile member having a stile tab. The frame assembly also includes a rail member coupled substantially transverse to the stile member. The rail member has a rail tab. The method comprises the step of inserting a portion of the stile member into an interior of the rail member such that the stile tab extends beyond the rail member. The method also comprises the step of inserting a portion the rail member into an interior of the stile member such that the rail tab extends beyond the stile member. The method further comprises the steps of bending the stile tab about the rail member to couple the stile member to the rail member and bending the rail tab about the stile member to couple the rail member to the stile member.
US08528192B2
A fixture for removing slip ring assemblies from rotating electrical machinery. The fixture attaches directly to the slip ring assembly through bolted connection points for ease of installation and removal. A jacking mechanism provides mechanical leverage to pry the slip ring from its heat-shrunk fit mounting location in a manner that is reliable and safe for the service worker and the slip ring assembly. The fixture is lightweight and portable, facilitating use with electrical generators in the field and especially with wind turbine generators located on a wind turbine tower.
US08528190B2
A method of manufacturing a power module on a substrate. In one embodiment, the method includes providing power conversion circuitry including providing a magnetic device having a magnetic core and at least one switch on the substrate. The method also includes placing a shielding structure with a baffle over the magnetic core to create a chamber thereabout. The method also includes depositing an encapsulant about the power conversion circuitry. The shielding structure limits the encapsulant entering the chamber and the baffle directs the encapsulant away from the magnetic core thereby limiting an amount of the encapsulant that contacts the magnetic core within the chamber.
US08528189B1
A method of installing a vibratory conveyor into a confined space includes fabricating a modular vibratory apparatus as individual subassemblies, comprising at least first and second side wall subassemblies, first and second end wall subassemblies, at least one cross-member subassembly, a mounting bracket subassembly, a drive subassembly, and a liner subassembly. The method also includes transporting the individual subassemblies to an installation site as separate subassemblies, and attaching the individual subassemblies to each other to define an assembled modular vibratory apparatus using a bolting technique at the installation site.
US08528186B2
A method and apparatus for securing a conduit to relatively inaccessible structures, for example, oil tanks on submerged ships. The method involves providing a conduit with a neck, temporarily securing the conduit to the surface, for example by means of magnets, etc, drilling a hole through the structure and passing the neck of the conduit through the hole in the structure, and passing an expander device through the neck of the conduit through the hole in the structure to widen a portion of the internal passage of the conduit in the region of the neck.
US08528181B2
A method and device are provided to accurately align a machine component of generally circular cross-section within a surrounding machine casing that includes bottom and top halves of the casing. The bottom half and top half, in use, are bolted together at a split line occupying a horizontal plane. The component and the bottom half of the casing include complementary interdigitating members at three circumferentially spaced-apart locations, which include first and second locations at the split line on respective first and second horizontally opposed sides of the component, and a third location at bottom dead center. After lowering the component into the bottom half to engage the interdigitating members at the three locations, jacking apparatus is operated independently at each location to incrementally reposition the component within the bottom half. Shims are then inserted between the interdigitating members at the three locations to maintain the jacked position of the component.
US08528173B2
A quick-action closure for the end fitting of a safety belt, whereby the quick-action closure includes an insertion tongue which can be inserted into a closure housing and which can be locked therein by means of a locking element disposed in a mobile manner between a locking position and a release position, and whereby the locking element can be transferred from its locking position into its release position by means of an actuating element which can be inserted into the closure housing. A safety element (21) is disposed in the closure housing (11) mounted at its center of gravity (35) rotatable between a safety position and a rest position, the safety element in its safety position fixing the locking element (20) in its locking position and, in its rest position, releasing the locking element (20), whereby the safety element (21) is held in its safety position by the action of a spring (25).
US08528172B2
Traditional fixing of raising cords on pleated blinds occurs by sewing plastic flaps in place that hold knots on the raising cords. Adjustment of tension in the raising cords is difficult, because it may be required to loosen the knot and re-tie it in a better location. Loosening and re-tying is avoided in that a plastic clip has slits, in which the raising cords are pinched and locked after being wound 1½ turn around an interjacent tongue in the plane of the plastic clip.
US08528171B2
A storage device for electrical cords which provides an easy and secure method to contain the cords' length into a small bundle for economy of space and travel is described. By folding the length of cord over itself and inserting the cord into and through an open end of the flexible, semi-rigid hollow cylinder, it is grasped and held by a plurality of inwardly projecting flexible teeth, formed by multiple slits made perpendicular to the interior wall, at the opposite end of the device. In another embodiment, the storage device has the same characteristics but also has an interior wall of prehensile material that further secures the cord in place. Cords can be removed from the device as quickly as they were inserted. Various sizes of the same design are suitable for short and small diameter personal appliance cords, as well as for large industrial electrical cords.
US08528161B2
A cleaning appliance is capable of performing two or more cleaning functions. The cleaning appliance may include a vacuum cleaner and a steam cleaner such that a user can vacuum a floor prior to steam cleaning the floor. Various manual switching arrangements may be used as part of controlling the cleaning appliance.
US08528152B1
The present invention is a novel tool which enables a mason or concrete worker to form very beautiful decorative designs into the edge of poured concrete which is used for a driveway, walkway, border of a planter, or other concrete structure having at least a partially flat surface and at least one side edge where the decorative design is formed. Through use of the present invention, any one of a multiplicity of multi-arcuate designs are formed into at least one side edge or outside edge or inside edge of a poured concrete slab to thereby significant beautify a driveway, walkway, planter border, or any other poured concrete structure.
US08528147B2
An interdental brush comprises a brush member having bristle filaments attached to a spine which projects from a handle part. The handle part comprises a main body and a resilient transition portion. The handle part further comprises a hollow cavity, in the transition portion. The hollow cavity improves the cushioning effect of the transition portion, and increases the length of stroke of the interdental brush by allowing the transition portion to be deformed.
US08528140B1
An adjustable mount for attaching a sighting device to a firearm includes an elongated base member and an elongated mount member longitudinally slidably engageable with the base member. Either the base member or the mount member includes a plurality of nonparallel longitudinal engagement slots. The other of the base member or the mount member includes a longitudinal engagement tongue which is selectively longitudinally slidably engageable in each of the plurality of slots to selectively position the mount member at different angles relative to the base member. At least one transverse clamping member is configured to secure the base member and mount member against relative longitudinal movement.
US08528129B2
A fixing structure of a faucet fixed on a support plate with an opening and contains the faucet including a housing having a mouth and a through aperture; the faucet also including an inlet pipe unit; a locking member being operated to move between an engaging position and a disengaging position along the through aperture; a positioning device including a fitting seat having a bottom face, a channel defined therein to receive the inlet pipe unit of the faucet, at least one slot disposed along an outer surface thereof to slide the locking member located at the engaging position, the slot including at least one tooth and at least one retaining recess such that the locking member passes through the tooth to be retained in the retaining recess and is limited by the tooth to move so that the mouth is fixed to the fitting seat.
US08528122B2
A drain closure device that allows a user to selectively open or close the drain closure device to permit or restrict the flow of water therethrough. The drain closure is comprised of a strainer body which houses an insert. The insert has a plurality of openings. A cap is mounted to the insert that has a plurality of openings, which upon rotation of the cap relative to the insert selectively align with the openings on the insert to allow fluid flow from a tub or sink.
US08528115B2
A garment with a zipper arrangement includes a collar, a plurality of right zipper elements provided along a front right portion of the garment, and a plurality of left zipper elements provided along the front left portion of the garment. A slider includes a front side, a top side, and a back side. The slider is configured to slide up as far as the collar and bring the plurality of right zipper elements into engagement with the plurality of left zipper elements. The slider is further configured to slide down and disengage the plurality of right zipper elements from the plurality of left zipper elements. A flexible pull member is coupled to the slider. The flexible pull member is designed and dimensioned to extend over the top side of the slider and be releasably coupled to an inner portion of the garment when the slider is at the collar.
US08533861B2
Described are methods for magnetically actuating microcantilevers and magnetically actuated and self-heated microcantilevers. Also described are methods for determining viscoelastic properties and thermal transition temperatures of materials.
US08533857B2
According to one aspect, a first request is received at a services application programming interface (API) of a support center from a first user for a first product provided by a first client. A second request is received at the services API of the support center from a second user for a second product provided by a second client. A first knowledgebase (KB) associated with the first client and a second KB associated with the second client are identified. A third KB that contains information common to the first product and the second product is identified. The first KB and the third KB are enabled to be accessible by a first agent assigned to provide support services of the first product. The second KB and the third KB are enabled to be accessible by a second agent assigned to provide support services of the second product.
US08533845B2
A method of operating a computer includes receiving an operating system request to access configuration settings. The request is executed in accordance with authorization determined by at least one operating system access control parameter.
US08533826B2
A method for protection of a computer program source code comprising the following steps: translating said source code into a target code, generating an object code starting from said target code, applying an obfuscation program to protect said source code. The obfuscation step is executed after the source code has been translated into target code and before the generation of said object code.
US08533825B1
Embodiments disclosed herein provide a practical solution for click fraud detection. One embodiment of a method may comprise constructing representations of entities via a graph network framework. The representations, graphs or vector spaces, may capture information pertaining to clicks by botnets/click farms. To detect click fraud, each representation may be analyzed in the context of clustering, resulting in large data sets with respect to time, frequency, or gap between clicks. Highly accurate and highly scalable heuristics may be developed/applied to identify IP addresses that indicate potential collusion. One embodiment of a system having a computer program product implementing such a click fraud detection method may operate to receive a client file containing clicks gathered at the client side, construct representations of entities utilizing the graph framework described herein, perform clustering on the representations thus constructed, identify IP addresses of interest, and return a list containing same to the client.
US08533816B2
The invention relates to a method of securing a changing scene composed of at least one element and intended to be played back on a terminal. According to the invention, such a method comprises the following steps: creation (10) of at least one security rule, defining at least one authorization to modify said scene and/or at least one element of said scene and/or an authorization to execute at least one command in a context of playing back said scene on said terminal; allocation (10) of a security policy, comprising at least one of said security rules, to said scene and/or to at least one of said elements of said scene.
US08533815B1
Providing secondary non-biometric authentication to identify a user following a failure of a biometric authentication based on a biometric template. In one embodiment, a knowledge-based authentication scheme may be provided. In another embodiment, a one-time password authentication scheme may be provided. An identity of the user may be confirmed using the non-biometric based authentication scheme.
US08533809B1
Methods for evaluating data packets addressed to a wireless communication device are disclosed herein. When in a dormant state, a wireless communication device receives page messages indicating a source of data packets addressed to the wireless communication device and determines whether the data packets represent unwanted traffic. When in an active state, the wireless communication device examines data packets to determine if the received packets represent unwanted traffic, and in response to determining that the traffic is unwanted, the wireless communication device transitions into a dormant state or enters an idle state from which the wireless communication can transition into the dormant state.
US08533803B2
A trusted computing environment, such as a smartcard, UICC, Java card, global platform, or the like may be used as a local host trust center and a proxy for a single-sign on (SSO) provider. This may be referred to as a local SSO provider (OP). This may be done, for example, to keep authentication traffic local and to prevent over the air communications, which may burden an operator network. To establish the OP proxy in the trusted environment, the trusted environment may bind to the SSO provider in a number of ways. For example, the SSO provider may interoperate with UICC-based UE authentication or GBA. In this way, user equipment may leverage the trusted environment in order to provide increased security and reduce over the air communications and authentication burden on the OP or operator network.
US08533799B2
A service integration platform system includes an interface configured to receive a service request initiated by an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) and one or more processors configured to authenticate the service request and in the event that the service request is authenticated, route the service request to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) providing the service to be further processed. The service request is routed to a deployment environment provided by the ISP in the event that the service request is received on a deployment Universal Resource Identifier (URI) corresponding to the deployment environment; the service request is routed to a test environment provided by the ISP in the event that the service request is received on a test URI corresponding to the test environment.
US08533797B2
An system for authenticating users of an application program executing at a front-end computer using the security features built into the operating system of a logon computer is provided. Initially, an administrator establishes user accounts for each user with an operating system executing at the logon computer with access to application resources. When the application program starts executing at the front-end computer, the application program prompts the user for credentials. The application program attempts to access resources managed by the logon computer using the received credentials. When access to a resource is successful, the application program knows that the logon computer has authenticated the user and the user is authorized to access the resource. In this manner, the application program can take advantage of the security features built into the operating system executing at the logon computer to authenticate users of the application program and authorize access to application resources.
US08533792B2
E-mail based user authentication is described herein. A user can access resources of a service provider by submitting only an e-mail address to which the user has access. The service provider generates an authentication ticket corresponding to the user's login request, and transmits the authentication ticket to the e-mail service provider indicated by the submitted e-mail address. The e-mail service provider processes the authentication ticket, and enables either approval or denial of the authentication ticket, whether by explicit user action or by automated processing.
US08533787B2
A method for automatic folder ownership assignment, including ascertaining which first folders, among a first multiplicity of folders, have at least one of modify and write permissions to non-IT administration entities, adding the first folders to a list of candidates for ownership assignment, defining a second multiplicity of folders which is a subset of the first multiplicity of folders and not including the first folders and descendents and ancestors thereof, ascertaining which second folders among the second multiplicity of folders, have permissions to non-IT administration entities, adding the second folders to the candidates, defining a third multiplicity of folders, which is a subset of the second multiplicity of folders and not including the second folders and descendents and ancestors thereof, ascertaining which third folders among the third multiplicity of folders are topmost folders, adding the third folders to the candidates, and recommending possible assignment of ownership of the candidates.
US08533776B2
A method and system for binding a device to a planar is disclosed. According to the preferred embodiment of the method and system of the present invention, a programmable memory chip is provided on the planar and the device is detachably attached to the planar. The method and system further includes using the programmable memory chip to bind the device to the planar.Through the aspects of the present invention, the programmable memory chip transmits a message associated with the planar to the device, which is programmed to receive the message associated with the planar. If the message received by the device is not the message associated with the planar, the device is disabled.
US08533771B2
It is determined that a substantial portion of set-top terminals connected to a video content network require a software upgrade. In-band video bandwidth (e.g., video-on-demand or switched digital video) is allocated for the software upgrade. The software upgrade is broadcast to the set-top terminals from a carousel in a first remote node of the video content network, via the allocated in-band video bandwidth, until a predetermined number of the set-top terminals have received the software upgrade. Subsequent to the predetermined number of set-top terminals receiving the software upgrade, the in-band video bandwidth is de-allocated and the software upgrade is made available out-of-band to the remaining portion of the set-top terminals, via individual sessions with an application server in a second remote node of the video content network. An exemplary system, which can implement the method, includes a controller, a dynamic bandwidth allocation device, the carousel, and the application server.
US08533769B2
A digital broadcast receiver includes an affiliated station storage unit that stores affiliated station information in which broadcasting stations are associated with information identifying affiliated stations of the broadcasting stations and reception service areas to which the affiliated stations broadcast, and a switching history storage unit that stores switching history information in which each reception service area is associated with information identifying other reception service areas; when the signal of the program being viewed/listened to becomes currently unreceivable, a tuning control unit identifies, from the switching history information, another reception service area to which switching was performed from the reception service area to which the broadcasting station broadcasting the program being viewed/listened to is broadcasting, determines an affiliated station in the identified other reception service area that is an affiliated station of the broadcasting station broadcasting the program being viewed/listened to, and tunes to the identified affiliated station.
US08533766B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may operate according to, for example, a method involving recording audio feedback from a plurality of subscribers commenting on media content supplied by a media communication system on at least one of a plurality of media channels, detecting one or more trigger words in the recorded audio feedback having an association with a disruption of one or more media services supplied by the media communication system, selecting one or more network elements of the media communication system in at least one transmission path that supplies media services to one or more of the plurality of subscribers that supplied audio feedback matching the one or more trigger words, and directing the selected one or more network elements to record media content on one or more media channels selected from the plurality of media channels. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08533763B2
An in-flight entertainment system includes a server and a server/client interface. The server/client interface interfaces with the server and a display unit to retrieve a specified data block requested by the display unit, where the server/client interface sends a command to a storage device controller of the server to retrieve the specified data block from a storage device under the control of the server. The server/client interface operating based on its own control logic.
US08533762B2
A digital broadcast receiver and a control method thereof are disclosed. The control method of the digital broadcast receiver includes receiving a broadcast signal into which mobile service data and main service data are multiplexed, extracting TPC signaling information and FIC signaling information from a data group in the received mobile service data, acquiring a program table defining a mapping relation between each of all ensembles transmitted at a physical frequency and at least one virtual channel corresponding to the ensemble, using the extracted FIC signaling information, and detecting IP address information required for channel tuning to the at least one virtual channel corresponding to the ensemble, using the acquired program table.
US08533749B2
A mounting structure of a magnetic member at least includes: a magnetic member; a magnetic coupling member mounted with the magnetic member; and an adhesive member bonding the magnetic member to the magnetic coupling member, either one or both of the magnetic member and the magnetic coupling member provided with an adhesion securing portion configured to secure adhesive strength, either one or both of the magnetic member and the magnetic coupling member provided with an adhesive member reservoir portion configured to lead the adhesive member to the adhesion securing portion.
US08533748B2
An object-oriented middleware framework for use in a network having a plurality of hosts including a first host having an associated first memory and first processor; and a second host having an associated second memory and second processor. The object-oriented middleware framework includes an Originator Command Container instantiating a Command by executing computer programming code stored in the first memory using the first processor. The framework also includes an Invocator Command Container, remote from the Originator Command Container and its associated first host where the instantiated Command is invoked, locally by executing computer programming code stored in the second memory using the second processor.
US08533734B2
A method includes receiving a start request from a client at a launcher application programming interface (API), determining whether an existing time sharing option (TSO) address space associated with a user of the client is available, retrieving security environment data associated with the user from a security product responsive to determining that no existing TSO address space associated with a user of the client is available, saving the retrieved security environment data as a security object, generating a message queue, generating a terminal status block (TSB) and saving the terminal status block, creating a TSO address space in a processor, sending an instruction to an operating system to start the TSO address space, and sending a message queue identifier associated with the message queue and an address space token associated with the TSO address space to the client.
US08533732B2
A method and system for reorganizing a distributed computing landscape for dynamic load balancing is presented. A method includes the steps of collecting information about resource usage by a plurality of hosts in a distributed computing system, and generating a target distribution of the resource usage for the distributed computing system. The method further includes the step of generating an estimate of an improvement of the resource usage according to a reorganization plan.
US08533729B2
A distributed task system has a task transaction server and at least one task server. Instead of being merely passively called by the task transaction server for executing a task, the task server performs self-balancing according to task execution conditions and operation conditions of the task server. The task transaction server receives task requests from the task server, records the execution conditions, and provides feedback to the task server, and the task server executes the task according to the received feedback and the operation conditions of the task server. The task transaction server may determine if the task server can execute the task according to the execution conditions of the task, and feedback to the task server. A self-balancing unit of the task server may further determine whether the task server is busy, and if not busy, trigger a task execution unit of the task server to execute the task.
US08533725B2
Disclosed is an information processing system including plural information processing apparatuses that have respective hardware resources including hardware resources to be licensed, each information processing apparatus performing information processing using the licensed hardware resources in which use rights are allocated; and a management apparatus that is connected to the plural information processing apparatuses and manages the hardware resources of the plural information processing apparatuses. The management apparatus includes a use right information holding unit that holds use right information corresponding to the use rights of the hardware resources, and a use right allocation unit that allocates the use rights to the hardware resources on a hardware resource basis in accordance with the held use right information.
US08533722B2
An apparatus and method for making fractional assignments of processing elements to processing nodes for stream-based applications in a distributed computer system includes determining an amount of processing power to give to each processing element. Based on a list of acceptable processing nodes, a determination of fractions of which processing nodes will work on each processing element is made. To update allocations of the amount of processing power and the fractions, the process is repeated.
US08533721B2
A method and system to schedule out of order operations without the requirement to execute compare, ready and pick logic in a single cycle. A lazy out-of-order scheduler splits each scheduling loop into two consecutive cycles. The scheduling loop includes a compare stage, a ready stage and a pick stage. The compare stage and the ready stage are executed in a first of the two consecutive cycles and the pick stage is executed in a second of the two consecutive cycles. By splitting each scheduling loop into two consecutive cycles, selecting the oldest operation by default and checking the readiness of the oldest operation, it relieves the system of timing requirements and avoids the need for power hungry logic. Every execution of an operation does not appear as one extra cycle longer and the lazy out-of-order scheduler retains most of the performance of a full out-of-order scheduler.
US08533719B2
The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates scheduling threads in a multi-threaded processor with multiple processor cores. During operation, the system executes a first thread in a processor core that is associated with a shared cache. During this execution, the system measures one or more metrics to characterize the first thread. Then, the system uses the characterization of the first thread and a characterization for a second, second thread to predict a performance impact that would occur if the second thread were to simultaneously execute in a second processor core that is also associated with the cache. If the predicted performance impact indicates that executing the second thread on the second processor core will improve performance for the multi-threaded processor, the system executes the second thread on the second processor core.
US08533716B2
A method and apparatus for resource management in a multicore processor is disclosed. A system management controller (130) provides omnipresent scheduling, synchronization, load balancing, and power and memory management services to each processing resource (150) within in a multicore processor (10), via a plurality of system management clients (120) implemented in hardware or software. The controller (130) allocates the tasks executing in each processing resource (150) by means of interrupt control signals, which interact directly with the system management clients (120), enabling processing resources (150) to autonomously create, execute and distribute tasks around a parallel system architecture whilst monitoring and policing the use of shared system resources (140).
US08533714B2
Dynamic relocation of virtual machines among hypervisors in a domain is provided. A domain management module is executed on a computer processor and is configured to receive a request to add a new hypervisor to a domain. Each hypervisor and each domain comprises an architecture description (ARD). A new canonical ARD is generated for all hypervisors in the domain. A virtual machine executing on a first system is relocated to any other hypervisor in the domain. Virtual machines may also be moved to out-of-domain hypervisors through the use of override masks. In addition, under certain conditions, new hypervisors additions, as well as hypervisor and system updates may be performed without disrupting the virtual machines that are controlled by the hypervisors.
US08533712B2
A computer system and computer program product for categorizing a virtual machine stage. A data processing system starts a virtual machine. It sets factor-stage ranges, wherein for each combination factor and stage, a corresponding range is present, and wherein each range is as broad as a reset range. It sets a frequency for sampling virtual machine metrics and samples virtual machine metrics to form a plurality of virtual machine metrics for each factor. It applies a value to each range satisfied by each virtual machine metric, to form a plurality of stage-qualifying values corresponding to a range, and sums all stage-qualifying values for each stage, to form a stage likelihood. The data processing system further selects a stage corresponding a highest stage likelihood. The data processing system determines if the current range is different from a former range. The system expands each range corresponding to the current stage.
US08533707B2
Methods and systems for device driver compilation dispensation of consumable compositions are provided.A method for compiling device drivers may include, but is not limited to: (a) installing a host OS on a compiler server; (b) installing a plurality of target OS on the compile server; (c) installing a dynamic kernel module support package (DKMS) on the compile server for at least one of the plurality of target OS; (d) compiling a driver module on the compile server for a first target OS of the plurality of target OS; and (e) compiling a driver module on the compile server for a second target OS of the plurality of OS.
US08533705B2
A method for running a software application on a computer having an operating system that provides a local database containing consistent configuration data to be accessed by programs running on the computer. The method includes providing a file containing further configuration data required by the application, which further data are not stored in the local database. A request by the application to access the local database is intercepted, and an item of the further configuration data is returned from the file to the application, responsive to the request.
US08533697B2
A device initiates a technical computing environment (TCE), and receives, via the TCE, a program command that permits the TCE to access a graphical processing unit that is remote to the device, where the program command permits the TCE to seamlessly transfer data to the remote GPU. The device transforms, via the TCE, the program command into a program command that is executable by the remote GPU, and provides the transformed program command to the remote GPU for execution. The device also receives, from the remote GPU, one or more results associated with execution of the transformed program command by the remote GPU, and utilizes the one or more results via the TCE.
US08533687B1
Methods and systems for out-of-application bytecode instrumentation and performance monitoring of applications, such as globally-distributed applications, decouple (1) acquiring measurements through sensor execution at applications; (2) instrumenting application bytecode with sensor bytecode and buffering and sending measurements at collector nodes; and (3) controlling instrumentation and correlating measurements at a central monitoring node. Collector nodes and applications may employ secured, high bandwidth network connections (e.g., a typical LAN connection). Collector nodes and the central monitoring node may employ non-secured, lower-bandwidth network connections (e.g., a typical WAN connection) and may use encryption and/or compression without burdening the monitored application. Multiple parallel instrumentation engines in collector nodes eliminate the possible instrumentation bottleneck presented by one centralized instrumentation engine in a single server. Moreover, decentralized buffering of monitoring event data allows management of peak measurement loads on the monitoring node.
US08533684B2
A mechanism is provided to automate the mapping so that custom widgets that cause compliance errors in the Web page can be identified automatically. The mechanism dynamically creates and inserts debug directives into the HTML code generated from a custom widget in a Web page so that a compliance error found in the generated code can be traced back to the custom widget that caused the error.
US08533665B2
A computer-implemented method is disclosed for generating Dojo-conforming JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) objects for base objects of an object-oriented programming environment that have been annotated to denote which attribute declarations of the base object correspond to identified Dojo attributes. In a Java class, for example, annotations may be made to indicate which class attributes correspond to the identifier attribute of a Dojo JSON object and based on those annotations a Dojo-conforming JSON object may be generated.
US08533657B2
A printed circuit board includes a group of pads suitable to be soldered to a respective group of solder-balls of a device. Each pad of the group has a crack initiation point on its perimeter at a location where cracks in a solder-ball are anticipated to start after that solder-ball is soldered to that pad. For a pad of that group having a microvia located therein, a center of that microvia is located farther than a center of that pad from its crack initiation point. For a pad of that group having a trace merging along a portion of its perimeter, that portion does not include a vicinity of that crack initiation point.
US08533655B1
A method is provided for testing a circuit design in a programmable IC. The circuit design and a sampling circuit are implemented in the programmable IC. A first routing circuit is implemented in the programmable IC to route signals from the designated locations of a first subset of a set of test nodes of the circuit design to a set of input nodes of the sampling circuit. Signals are sampled from the first subset of test nodes using the sampling circuit. The programmable IC is partially reconfigured to implement a second routing circuit that replaces the first routing circuit. The second routing circuit is configured to route signals from a second subset of the set of test nodes to the set of input nodes of the sampling circuit. Signals from the second subset of test nodes are sampled using the sampling circuit.
US08533652B2
A method for designing a system to be implemented on a target device includes generating bounding boxes on the target device for nets in the system where a bounding box identifies routing resources available for routing its corresponding net. The nets in the system are assigned to a plurality of threads to be routed. The threads are executed so that a plurality of the nets are routed in parallel within their corresponding bounding box.
US08533649B2
A method for reducing leakage power of an IC during the design of the IC. A cell based IC design is received that includes a plurality of signal paths with positive slack. The positive slack is converted to negative slack by replacing cell instances in the IC design with footprint equivalent variants of the cell instances. The negative slack is converted back to positive slack via an iterative path-based analysis of the IC design. In each iteration, a path is selected that has negative slack and replacement values are computed for cell instances in the path. One or more cell instances in the path are then replaced with variants based on the replacement values.
US08533648B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for clock-gating a circuit. During operation, the system receives a description of a circuit that includes clocked memory elements, some of which are clock-gated. Next, the system identifies a sender memory element by identifying a sender path from an output of the sender memory element to a data input for a seed memory element. Then, the system identifies an enable-generating memory element by identifying an enable-signal path from an output of the enable-generating memory element to an enable signal which is used to gate a clock signal input for the seed memory element. Next, the system provides clock-gating for the sender memory element by generating an enable signal using a data input for the enable-generating memory element. Finally, the system gates a clock signal for the sender memory element using this generated enable signal.
US08533645B2
A method for reducing narrow gate width effects in an integrated circuit includes finding the smallest transistor channel widths that are larger than the minimum width for the technology for library cells that produce logic blocks that meet timing constraints while using the least amount of power and have the smallest possible area. The method may include characterizing a device library while varying process, voltage and temperature parameters, and synthesizing an HDL representation of a functional logic block including cells from the device library. The method may also include determining whether timing, area, and power values of the functional logic block are within a predetermined range. In response to the timing, area, and power values not being within the predetermined range, iteratively increasing the channel width of at least a portion of the transistors of at least one of the cells in the device library.
US08533640B2
Various embodiments of the present invention relate to particle beam writing to fabricate an integrated circuit on a wafer. In various embodiments, cell projection (CP) cell library information is stored in the form of a data structure. Subsequently, the CP cell library information is referenced by a writing system. The patterns are written on the wafer depending on the referenced CP cell library.
US08533629B2
System and method of adjusting selection areas of menu options in a menu utilize the frequency of selection of each of the menu options to adjust the size of various selection areas over time. The sizes of menu options or selection areas with relatively high frequency of use may increase, while the sizes of the selection areas of the remaining menu options may decrease. In addition, the size of the menu options may be further adjusted to return to the original arrangement, e.g., in which the size of each of the selection areas is equal or occupies some predetermined area. The user may hold an electronic pen over the menu or select an icon from the menu to resize the selection areas to return to the original arrangement.
US08533626B2
Graphical viewing of shapes and descriptive information in displayed graphical images. In one aspect, shape information is displayed in a graphical interface using a computer system and includes causing a display of an image and one or more shapes in the image, and causing a display of a cursor on the display device. Labels are displayed on the display device, each label associated with a different displayed shape. One or more of the labels are displayed within a zone of focus of eyes of a user of the graphical interface and one or more of the labels are displayed outside the zone of focus, where the labels displayed in the zone of focus are displayed differently than the labels displayed outside the zone of focus.
US08533625B1
A method and computer program product for displaying graphical objects in a display is presented. A first input from a user is received. In response to receiving the first input, a graphical object is displayed in the display. A second input is then received from the user. In response to receiving the second input, the graphical object is fixated in the display. An object that would have otherwise been occluded by the graphical object is then displayed in an area of the display outside the area occupied by the graphical object.
US08533623B2
Methods and a system for an electronic device to allow for riffling through pages of a document. A fore edge view of page edges is displayed in a user display of the device and enables pages to be turned to while skipping other pages via inputs received at the user display. The user display has a touch screen interface that senses touch on display. Motion is also detected and when the device is tilted or moved a motion sensed causes the fore edge view to be displayed. Inputs sensed by the touch screen interface cause the fore edge view to be displayed and also allow pages or section of the document to be held concurrently while pages are riffled to in the document. The held pages are easily returned to at will.
US08533615B1
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for order-independent rendering of graphical objects using operating system resources. In implementations, an application programming interface (API) can be provided in the operating system of a mobile or other device. The API can comprise a set of both compute and graphical processing resources, and can accept calls from applications or other requestors to render graphical objects to compose a scene. The set of compute resources can assign, access, and/or sort a set of tag information attached to each graphical element. That information can encode features such as distance from a viewpoint, transparency, and others. Applications requesting the rendering of a scene can access the compute resources via the API to sort the graphics objects according to their tag information, such as closest to farthest from a viewpoint. Applications are relieved of separately determining an order for rendering the objects of a scene.
US08533606B2
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer readable-media for contextual adaptive advertising. The method for personalized hold comprises collecting a set of data elements about a user, generating a user profile based on the set of data elements, selecting media content from one or more content repositories based on the user profile, and delivering selected media content to a device for playback to the user during noncommunicative gaps. One aspect provides further for recording a playback order of delivered media content in order to avoid playing the same media content back to back.
US08533597B2
Strategies for effectively discovering, selecting, configuring, and controlling components used in media processing applications are described. According to one exemplary implementation, the strategies described configure the components based on profile information, configuration information, and a hierarchical ordering of configuration parameters. The hierarchical ordering may combine different coding paradigms, where one or more high level nodes in the ordering may define configuration parameters which are common to multiple coding paradigms. In this ordering, selection of a configuration parameter may cascade down to affect lower-ranking dependent parameters in the hierarchical ordering. According to one advantage, the hierarchical ordering provides a more uniform, extensible, and problem-free approach to configuring components than unstructured approaches to configuration. Moreover, applications can utilize the hierarchical ordering at different levels of granularity.
US08533592B2
The present invention provides a system and method for a configurable gaming system. Certain embodiments of the system include a local storage for storing a markup language file and token resolution information and a markup language viewer for processing the markup language file. The markup language viewer processes contents of the markup language file and resolves tokens in the markup language file using the token resolution information from the local storage to generate a resolved markup language file for display at a gaming system. The markup language file may include display content, markup language tags, and tokens. The markup language file may include read-only information and variable information to be resolved by the markup viewer for display. The markup language file may be a binary markup language file including tokens or other indicia for resolution.
US08533591B2
A mobile terminal is provided that includes: a display unit configured to display a webpage having a plurality of sections; a wireless communication unit configured to provide Internet access; a memory unit configured to store history information regarding usage of the webpage; and a control unit configured to control a display of a preferred section of the plurality of sections of the webpage upon an access of the webpage such that the preferred section is visually distinguishable from other sections of the plurality of sections, wherein display of the preferred section is based on the stored history information.
US08533580B1
A system and method of navigating linked web resources is disclosed. The method includes the steps of displaying a current page including links to linked resources, zooming to a selected link, displaying a portion of a content of the linked resource in the same space as the link when a first predetermined zoom threshold is reached, and displaying the content of the linked resource when a second predetermined zoom threshold is reached. The system includes a navigation tool, a means for detecting movement of the navigation tool relative to a link in a web resource, and a rendering utility coupled to the means for detecting movement for providing a content of the linked web resource.
US08533579B2
A method and apparatus for handling fuzziness in sensitive keywords from data loss prevention (DLP) policies. In one embodiment, the method includes identifying a keyword included in a DLP policy, generating multiple permutations of the keyword, and adding the multiple permutations to the DLP policy. The method further includes causing information content to be searched for the keyword permutations to detect a violation of the DLP policy in the information content.
US08533577B1
A data encoding system includes an interleaving module, a generating module, and an insertion module. The interleaving module is configured to receive a data stream. The data stream includes a plurality of data blocks. The interleaving module is configured to, for each data block of a selected subset of the plurality of data blocks, swap positions of a pair of adjacent bits of the data block. The generating module is configured to (i) receive the data stream and (ii) for each of the plurality of data blocks, generate at least one corresponding error checking bit. The insertion module is configured to (i) receive the plurality of data blocks as modified by the interleaving module and (ii) generate an output data stream by inserting the at least one corresponding error checking bit into each one of the plurality of data blocks received from the interleaving module.
US08533576B1
A signal error is determined by obtaining a known property of an expected signal. A signal is received and a signal error is determined based at least in part on the received signal and the known property of the expected signal.
US08533575B2
An encoding processing apparatus in which reception precision characteristics are improved by specially adapting puncture processing in respect of the code words for each encoding system. A puncture section switches between a puncture pattern for a first code word partial sequence obtained on the basis of the head and tail in a fixed information block, and a puncture pattern for a second code word partial sequence obtained on the basis of the middle portion, excluding the head and tail. Also, the puncture section receives the number of retransmissions of information from a retransmission control section and switches the puncture pattern for the second code word partial sequence in accordance with the number of retransmissions. In addition, the puncture section prioritizing systematic bits over parity bits when puncturing the first code word partial sequence.
US08533564B2
A controller coupled to a memory array includes an error correction coding (ECC) engine and an ECC enhancement compression module coupled to the ECC engine. The ECC enhancement compression module is configured to receive and compress control data to be provided to the ECC engine to be encoded. Compressed encoded control data generated at the ECC engine is stored as a codeword at the memory array.
US08533563B2
A memory system having a plurality of memory cells for storing payload data and redundancy data. The memory system having a read-out circuit configured to read-out a status of the plurality of memory cells, the read-out status having payload data, redundancy data and associated reliability information. Moreover, the memory system has a data processor configured to derive the payload data from the read-out status using the reliability information.
US08533560B2
According to an embodiment of a controller, a bit string manipulating unit manipulates a bit string of manipulation target data based on a predetermined rule. A special data setting unit generates a magic number based on a special data setting request from a host interface, obtains an error detecting code for the magic number, and sends the magic number and the error detecting code as manipulation target data to the bit string manipulating unit to obtain a manipulated manipulation target data. The special data setting unit also extracts logical block address information from the special data setting request, and instructs an access unit to write the magic number in the manipulated manipulation target data to a user data storage area and to write the error detecting code in the manipulated manipulation target data to a redundant area in a storage area located by the logical block address information.
US08533559B2
An error correction code of (N+M) words is configured by adding an ECC parity of M word (M is a natural number) to N words extracted at an interval of A words with respect to data of (A*N) words (A and N are natural numbers) inputted via an interface. A data distributor distributes (N+M) words to the respective (N+M) physical blocks to record by A words. In a case where a writing error has occurred, data recorded in a cell sharing page of the page and in a page of another physical block configuring the error correction code is read. A disappearing correction is carried out to the data of the cell sharing page by using the data, and thus the data of the cell sharing page is recovered and written. In this manner, in the multi-level nonvolatile memory, an error in writing of a certain page can be prevented from propagating to a written page sharing a cell.
US08533555B2
A sequence of symbol operations (a “schedule representation”) within a data storage device, wherein the operations are those used to process encoding or decoding operations of a forward error correction code (an “FEC code”) upon an arbitrary block of data of a given size (where size can be measured in numbers of symbols). The method is such that the schedule representation can be used to direct the processing of these operations upon a block of data in a way that is computationally efficient. Preferably, the same method can be applied to represent schedules derived from multiple different algorithms for the encoding or decoding of a code or for multiple different codes.
US08533539B2
Systems and methods for fault handling are presented. In one embodiment, a fault handling method includes: performing an error type detection process including determining if an error is a media error or a connectivity error; performing a detachment determination process to establish an appropriate detachment scenario, wherein the appropriate detachment scenario includes not detaching any mirrors if the connectivity error involves all mirrors; and returning an application write with a failure. In one embodiment, the detachment determination process detaches a mirror in accordance with results of a read-write-back process. In one exemplary implementation, the detachment determination process includes a connectivity status inquiry and mirrors are detached in accordance with results of the connectivity status inquiry. In one exemplary implementation, the connectivity status inquiry includes a SCSI connectivity inquiry. In one embodiment, consistency and synchronization is maintained between the mirrors by utilizing a read-write-back operation.
US08533537B2
Apparatus and methods for reducing infrastructure failure rates. The apparatus and methods may involve reduction of data complexity. The reduction may be based on the use of nonlinear analysis to derive representative variables, which may be multi-valued. Multi-valued variables may be consolidated. A model may be developed based on the values and relationships of the derived variables. The model may be applied to assess the risk involved in a prospective infrastructure change.
US08533535B2
A memory device and a method of controlling the memory device are provided, comprising: generating commands at a memory controller; counting a number of commands in response to a clock signal; storing the commands and the count numbers corresponding to the commands; transmitting to a memory device the commands, the count number of the commands, and data; receiving at the memory device the commands, the count number of the commands, and data sent from the memory controller; counting at the memory device the number of commands received in response to the clock signal; storing at the memory device the count number of commands received; and transmitting the count number of the commands received to the memory controller, wherein said transmitting the count number of the command to the memory controller is performed upon indication of an error condition.
US08533528B2
A system comprising a plurality of subsystems and a master power sequencer. Each of the plurality of subsystems is coupled to an associated power switch and an associated slave power sequencer. The master power sequencer is coupled to each of the slave power sequencers and each of the power switches. Upon a slave power sequencer identifying a fault with its associated subsystem, the master power sequencer determines whether to provide power to any other subsystem. Further, the master power sequencer is configured to send a signal to each of the power switches indicating whether to provide power to the subsystem associated with each of the power switches.
US08533526B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for receiving an indication of a loss of redundancy with respect to a pair of mirrored memory regions of a partially redundant memory system, determining new mirrored memory regions, and dynamically migrating information stored in the original mirrored memory regions to the new mirrored memory regions. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08533518B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for precise event time measurement using high-speed deserializer circuitry. The described embodiments utilize high speed deserializer circuitry to achieve a precision based upon a bit period associated with the operation of the high speed operation of the deserializer circuitry rather than upon slower speed clock periods associated with reference clock signals. In certain embodiments, the disclosed systems and methods receive an event occurrence signal and use deserializer circuitry to sample the event occurrence signal and to produce multi-bit parallel data representing the event occurrence signal. Precise timestamps can then be generated based upon the multi-bit parallel data. Advantageously, the precision of these time measurements is associated with the bit period of the high speed operation of the deserializer circuitry and are not limited to lower speeds at which other circuitry within the system may be operating, for example, based upon a slower reference clock signal.
US08533512B2
A method, system, and computer program product for dynamic power and performance calibration of a data processing system are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A synthesized program loaded in the data processing system is executed responsive to detecting an event in the data processing system. The synthesized program is configured to generate a set of data that is indicative of the data processing system's power-performance characteristics under varying conditions of operation. Using the set of data, a determination is made of a performance limit on an operation of the data processing system under present operating conditions of the data processing system. A parameter of the data processing system is calibrated to operate the data processing system within the performance limit.
US08533503B2
A method and computer-usable medium including instructions for performing a method of managing power consumption in a multicore processor comprising a plurality of processor elements with at least one power saving mode. The method includes listing, using at least one distribution queue, a portion of the executable transactions in order of eligibility for execution. A plurality of executable transaction schedulers are provided. The executable transaction schedulers are linked together to provide a multilevel scheduler. The most eligible executable transaction is output from the multilevel scheduler to the at least one distribution queue. One or more of the plurality of processor elements are placed into a first power saving mode when a number of executable transactions allocated to the plurality of processor elements is such that only a portion of available processor elements are used to execute executable transactions.
US08533499B2
A power usage method is provided for using power supplied from a first device at a second device. The power usage method includes causing the second device to perform an initialization process to obtain a value of a current used when consuming the power at a voltage that is a minimum prerequisite for the second device to perform a predetermined process; and causing the second device to execute the predetermined process while consuming the power in a manner that the current does not exceed the obtained value.
US08533498B2
A method controls power of a baseboard management controller (BMC). A power control signal of the BMC is generated for powering up or powering down the BMC. An enabling signal is generated according to the power control signal. A power supply device is directed to output one or more voltages to the BMC.
US08533492B2
An electronic device 100 executes a key-using process that uses a key. A physical quantity generation part 190 generates a physical quantity intrinsic to the electronic device and having a value which is different from one electronic device to another and different each time the physical quantity is generated. A key generation part 140 generates the same key for each key-using process, based on the physical quantity generated by the physical quantity generation part 190, each time the key-using process is to be executed, immediately before the key-using process is started. A key-using process execution part 1010 executes the key-using process such as generation of a keyed hash value, by using the key generated by the key generation part 140. A control program execution part 180 deletes the key generated by the key generation part 140, each time the key-using process is ended.
US08533490B2
Cryptographic products for mass applications, such as RFIDs or special ICs for the protection from plagiarism, always require that the price per unit costs are reduced as low as possible. This is achieved, for example, in that in such methods the required storage space is further reduced for system parameters to be permanently stored. Accordingly, in a method for coding and decoding the cryptographic system parameters of an elliptical curve, when storing the system parameters, storage cells are each completely occupied, and therefore no storage space is wasted.
US08533484B2
A method for password-protected physical transfer of password-protected devices including at a receiving location, generating at least one security file including an encrypted element generated using a one-way encryption function utilizing at least one secure code, transmitting the at least one security file to a shipping location at which the password-protected devices are located, at the shipping location, using at least one shipping location password, loading the at least one security file into at least one password-protected device, shipping the at least one password-protected device to the receiving location and at the receiving location, employing the at least one secure code to supply an input to the at least one password-protected device and employing the at least one security file to enable establishment of at least one receiving location password for the at least one password-protected device which replaces the at least one shipping location password.
US08533478B2
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a method of writing and reading redundant data is provided. Data is written by storing a copy of the data along with a timestamp and a signature at each of a set of storage devices. The data is read by retrieving the copy of the data, the timestamp and the signature from each of a plurality of the set of data storage devices. One of the copies of the data is selected to be provided to a requestor of the data. Each of the storage devices of the set is requested to certify the selected copy of the data. Provided that a proof of certification of the selected copy of the data is valid, the storage devices of the set are instructed to store the selected copy of the data along with a new timestamp.
US08533465B2
A method is provided for sending a data packet from a client through a network and to a server. The data packet is a data structure having an originating address portion and destination address portion. The network includes a first mix router and a second mix router. The client has a client address, whereas the first mix router has a first mix router address, the second mix router has a second mix router address and the server has a server address. The method includes encrypting the originating address portion of the data packet and encrypting the destination portion of the data packet, transmitting the encrypted data packet, decrypting the originating address portion of the encrypted data packet and the destination portion of the encrypted data packet, providing a first data packet and providing a second data packet. Specifically, the encrypting the originating address portion of the data packet is based on the client address and the encrypting the destination portion of the data packet is based on one of the first mix router address and the second mix router address. The encrypting generates an encrypted data packet. The encrypted data packet is transmitted to the one of the first mix router and the second mix router, wherein it is decrypted to generate a decrypted data packet. The first data packet is based on the decrypted data packet and is provided to the other of the first mix router and the second mix router. The second data packet is provided to the server.
US08533463B2
A method and apparatus for propagating certificate revocation information. A first query is received regarding a revocation status of a first digital certificate. One or more additional queries are received regarding revocation statuses of one or more additional digital certificates. A response to the first query and the one or more additional queries is generated, the response including the revocation status of the first digital certificate and the revocation statuses of the one or more additional digital certificates.
US08533462B2
An authentication agent may cryptographically identify a remote endpoint that sent a media initialization message even though intermediate devices may modify certain fields in the message after a signature is inserted. The originating endpoint's agent may create the signature over some fields of the message using an enterprise network's private key. The agent may insert the signature into the message and send the message to a recipient endpoint's authentication agent. The recipient agent may verify the signature, receive a certificate including a second public key, and challenge the identity of the originating endpoint in order to confirm that identity. This challenge may request a confirmation that the originating endpoint knows the private key corresponding to the second public key and may occur while running encrypted media at the endpoints. After the originating endpoint is authenticated, the endpoints may exchange encrypted and/or unencrypted media.
US08533458B2
A method of operating a headend system for a downloadable conditional access service, the method including: receiving, by an Authentication Proxy (AP) server, basic authentication information from a Downloadable Conditional Access System (DCAS) host, the basic authentication information being required to authenticate the DCAS host; transmitting, by the AP server, the basic authentication information to an external trusted authority device which authenticates the DCAS host; generating, by the AP server, a session key for encrypting/decrypting a secure micro client using a session key sharing factor; obtaining, by the AP server, download-related information of the secure micro client from a DCAS Provisioning Server (DPS); and commanding, by the AP server, an Integrated Personalization System (IPS) server to download the secure micro client to the DCAS host based on the download-related information, the secure micro client being encrypted by the session key.
US08533456B2
Systems and methods for accelerating stream cipher encryption operations are described. In one aspect, a computer-implemented method receives data. The method separates the data into multiple file chunks for compression. A respective compression-encryption instructions header is provided for each compressed file chunk. Each compressed file chunk then is encrypted according to corresponding encryption instructions in the file-chunk's compression-encryption instructions. In one implementation, the compressed file chunks are encrypted by respective worker nodes in a peer-to-peer computing environment. The compressed and encrypted file chunks are merged into a single encrypted-compressed-merged file.
US08533454B2
Disclosed is a method for efficient transport of packets between a mobile station and a secure gateway over a wireless local area network for accessing home services. In the method, a first encryption security association is established for transporting first-type packets from the secure gateway to the mobile station, and a second encryption security association is established for transporting first-type packets from the mobile station to the secure gateway. Next, a first null-encryption security association is established for transporting second-type packets from the secure gateway to the mobile station, and a second null-encryption security association is established for transporting second-type packets from the mobile station to the secure gateway. Second-type packets are selected for transport using the second null-encryption security association based on a traffic selector. Also, second-type packets may be selected for transport using the first null-encryption security association based on a traffic selector. The traffic selector may be preconfigured.
US08533452B2
Systems and methods for operation upon a data processing device for handling secure data stored on the device. The device is configurable to communicate over a data channel with an external security information source. User identification information is received from the external security information source which identifies a user of the device. The device, based upon the received user identification information, determines whether the secure data stored on the device is to be accessed by a user of the device.
US08533449B2
Resume of a computing device from hibernation may be performed in multiple phases. Each phase may partially restore a state of the computing device to an operational state and may establish an environment in which another phase of the resume is performed. The hibernation information may be partitioned to store separately data to be used at each resume phase. The information may be stored in a compressed form. In a first phase, a boot-level resume loader may restore a portion of the operating system based on a portion of the hibernation information. The restored portion may be used in a second phase to retrieve hibernation information from another portion through the operating system (OS). Multiple processors supported by the OS may read and decompress the hibernation information that is then moved back to operational memory. The operating system may support asynchronous disk input/output or other functions that accelerate the resume process.
US08533448B2
Systems and processes for booting a device can be implemented by detecting a reset signal associated with the device and retrieving a predetermined page of data from a nonvolatile memory location into a register associated with the nonvolatile memory. The nonvolatile memory may be designed and implemented such that each page of data is retrieved from the nonvolatile memory as a unit, and the page of data includes instructions for use in booting the device. A command to read data stored in the register is received, and the command can include an address identifying a location of one or more instructions within the register. In response, the one or more instructions are retrieved from the register for execution by a processor.
US08533443B2
A control method of a computer system, including setting whether to enable a connection with at least one peripheral device in an operating system of the computer system to transmit and receive data; and enabling or disabling the connection with the at least one peripheral device based on the setting when the computer system is booted.
US08533442B2
A boot program held in a BIOS memory device of a processing system is authenticated. At system start-up, a BIOS protection device temporarily prevents execution of the boot program by the central processor of the processing system by control of address and data paths. The BIOS protection device interrogates the contents of the BIOS memory device to establish authentication. If the contents of the BIOS memory device are not authentic, execution of the boot program is prevented.
US08533437B2
A microprocessor includes a cache memory, an instruction set having first and second prefetch instructions each configured to instruct the microprocessor to prefetch a cache line of data from a system memory into the cache memory, and a memory subsystem configured to execute the first and second prefetch instructions. For the first prefetch instruction the memory subsystem is configured to forego prefetching the cache line of data from the system memory into the cache memory in response to a predetermined set of conditions. For the second prefetch instruction the memory subsystem is configured to complete prefetching the cache line of data from the system memory into the cache memory in response to the predetermined set of conditions.
US08533436B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving an instruction for decoding in a processor core and dynamically handling the instruction with one of multiple behaviors based on whether contention is predicted. If no contention is predicted, the instruction is executed in the core, and if contention is predicted data associated with the instruction is marshaled and sent to a selected remote agent for execution. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08533431B2
The present invention concerns a new category of integrated circuitry and a new methodology for adaptive or reconfigurable computing. The preferred IC embodiment includes a plurality of heterogeneous computational elements coupled to an interconnection network. The plurality of heterogeneous computational elements include corresponding computational elements having fixed and differing architectures, such as fixed architectures for different functions such as memory, addition, multiplication, complex multiplication, subtraction, configuration, reconfiguration, control, input, output, and field programmability. In response to configuration information, the interconnection network is operative in real-time to configure and reconfigure the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements for a plurality of different functional modes, including linear algorithmic operations, non-linear algorithmic operations, finite state machine operations, memory operations, and bit-level manipulations. The various fixed architectures are selected to comparatively minimize power consumption and increase performance of the adaptive computing integrated circuit, particularly suitable for mobile, hand-held or other battery-powered computing applications.
US08533430B2
An apparatus and method in a computer system allows a software application to specify an intended stride access when writing data elements into a memory. A memory control in the computer system writes data in a manner that provides improved access performance when accesses to the data elements are performed using the intended stride. The memory system uses a hashing mechanism that uses the intended stride to store the data elements in such a way that accessing the data elements at the intended stride will ensure that consecutive accesses are not to the same group or bank of memory. Sequential accesses of the data elements also are ensured not to be directed to the same group or bank of memory. The memory can be divided into memory portions; different memory portions of the computer storage can have different intended strides.
US08533426B2
A command receiver receives, from an external access requesting entity, a command with which to access data, together with an address to be accessed and IOID to identify the access requesting entity. Based on the IOID, the access decision unit determines whether or not an access is one that is to be permitted for an access requesting entity to access a region of access destination. The access decision unit determines whether access of the access requesting entity is permitted or not, for each page that serves as the basic management unit of logical address in the processor space.
US08533421B2
A management computer monitors an allocated capacity of a source virtual volume and an allocated capacity of a virtual pool having a storage area allocated to a destination virtual volume in a storage, judges whether the allocated capacity of the source virtual volume can be covered in the virtual pool or not, and informs the user of a result that data migration fails when the allocated capacity of the source virtual volume cannot be covered. When the allocated capacity of the source virtual volume cannot be covered, the management computer uses another storage area to increase the capacity of the virtual pool. Accordingly, when data migration is performed between the virtual volumes, capacities of physical areas allocated to the source virtual volume and the destination virtual volume can be grasped so that the data migration can be performed accurately between the source virtual volume and the destination virtual volume.
US08533420B2
A storage monitoring system may reside between a file system and a storage system in a thin provisioned storage system. The storage monitoring system may create space holder files within a volume, where the space holder files contain an address space not backed up with physical storage. As requests for storage space are received from a file system, the storage monitoring system may allocate physical space to the volume by provisioning portions of the physical storage device to the volume and by removing one of the space holder files. The storage monitoring system may present alerts when physical storage space is low, as well as return an amount of physical space available to a volume size request.
US08533417B2
Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatus for controlling data volume creation at the storage system. In one embodiment, a storage system comprises a processor; a memory; and a plurality of chunks that are to be allocated to data volumes, each chunk having one or more data blocks. The plurality of chunks include zero or more used chunks which are allocated to one or more data volumes, and zero or more remaining chunks which are not used chunks. A new data volume creation operation to create a new data volume is prohibited or warned against before the new data volume is created, in accordance with a total number of the remaining chunks in the storage system. The remaining chunks may further include reserved chunks which are reserved for use in one or more data volumes but have not been allocated.
US08533416B2
A memory system and method uses stacked memory device dice coupled to each other and to a logic die. The logic die may include a timing correction system that is operable to control the timing at which the logic die receives signals, such as read data signals, from each of the memory device dice. The timing correction controls the timing of the read data or other signals by adjusting the timing of respective strobe signals, such as read strobe signals, that are applied to each of the memory device dice. The memory device dice may transmit read data to the memory device at a time determined by when it receives the respective strobe signals. The timing of each of the strobe signals is adjusted so that the read data or other signals from all of the memory device dice are received at the same time.
US08533412B2
A replication synchronization table (RST) is configured for the source instance. The RST is adapted for recording compacted information for at least one of a truncate and an erase operation applied on the source instance. The RST of the source instance is updated at a source component with the compacted information. The updated RST is transmitted from the source instance to the replicated instance. Based on the RST of the source instance and the RST of the replicated instance, data representative of a most recent position on the source component from which data should be transmitted to a replicated component to achieve a full synchronization is determined.
US08533408B1
Described are a system and method of migrating data stored in logical units of storage (LUNs) at a plurality of source storage arrays into one destination storage array transparently with respect to a host in communication with the source storage arrays through a switch. First and second source storage arrays and a destination storage array are each partitioned into a plurality of source virtual arrays. The destination virtual arrays include a first destination virtual array and a second destination virtual array. Data stored in a LUN of a first source virtual array of the first source storage array are copied to a corresponding LUN of the first destination virtual array of the destination storage array, and data stored in a LUN of a second source virtual array of the second source storage array are copied to a corresponding LUN of the second destination virtual array of the destination storage array.
US08533405B2
A nonvolatile memory having a non-power of two memory capacity is disclosed. The nonvolatile memory device includes at least one plane. The plane includes a plurality of blocks with each of the blocks divided into a number of pages and each of the blocks defined along a first dimension by a first number of memory cells for storing data, and along a second dimension of by a second number of memory cells for storing data. The nonvolatile memory has a non-power of two capacity proportionally related to a total number of memory cells in said plane. The nonvolatile memory also includes a plurality of row decoders. An at least substantially one-to-one relationship exists, in the memory device, for number of row decoders to number of pages. Each of the row decoders is configured to facilitate a read operation on an associated page of the memory device.
US08533403B1
Techniques are disclosed relating to maximizing utilization of memory systems within power constraints of the memory systems. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit may include multiple memory controllers and an arbitration unit. Each memory controller may be configured to generate requests to perform memory operations on one or more portions of memory. The arbitration unit may be configured to grant no more than a specified number of requests during a time window TW. In some embodiments, a voltage converter that supplies power to the memory system may be configured to supply power to perform no more than the specified number of requests during the time window TW. The arbitration unit may thus be used, in some embodiments, to ensure that the greatest possible number of the specified number of memory requests are granted during a given time window TW (without exceeding the specified number).
US08533400B2
A data processor is disclosed that definitively determines an effective address being calculated and decoded will be associated with an address range that includes a memory local to a data processor unit, and will disable a cache access based upon a comparison between a portion of a base address and a corresponding portion of an effective address input operand. Access to the local memory can be accomplished through a first port of the local memory when it is definitively determined that the effective address will be associated with an address range. Access to the local memory cannot be accomplished through the first port of the local memory when it is not definitively determined that the effective address will be associated with the address range.
US08533398B2
Combination based LRU caching employs a mapping mechanism in an LRU cache separate from a set of LRU caches for storing the values used in the combinations. The mapping mechanism is used to track the valid combinations of the values in the LRU caches storing the values resulting in any given value being stored at most once. Through the addition of a byte pointer significantly more combinations may be tracked in the same amount of cache memory with full LRU semantics on both the values and combinations.
US08533395B2
A processor includes a multi-level cache hierarchy where a lock property is associated with a cache line. The cache line retains the lock property and may move back and forth within the cache hierarchy. The cache line may be evicted from the cache hierarchy after the lock property is removed.
US08533390B2
Embodiments of systems, apparatuses, and methods for a circular buffer in a redundant virtualization environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a head indicator storage location, an outgoing tail indicator storage location, a buffer tail storage location, and fetch hardware. The head indicator, outgoing tail indicators, and buffer tail indicators are to indicate a head, outgoing tail, and buffer tail, respectively, of a circular buffer. The fetch hardware is to fetch from the head of the circular buffer and advance the head no further than the outgoing tail. The buffer tail is to be filled by software and advanced no further than the head.
US08533380B2
An apparatus for peer-to-peer communication over a Universal Serial Bus (USB) link, the apparatus comprising a USB 3.0 compliant switch to be coupled between a first peer unit and a second peer unit to form a first path, wherein each of the first peer unit and the second peer unit supports a USB type of communication a USB 2.0 compliant bridge to be coupled between the first peer unit and the second peer unit to form a second path a detector to detect the USB type of each of the first peer unit and the second peer unit and a controller to establish the USB type of communication between the first peer unit and the second peer unit over a USB link via the first path or the second path, wherein the controller is configure to selectively switch the USB link to the first path or the second path based on the USB types of the first peer unit and the second peer unit.
US08533379B2
Systems and methods according to the present invention provide serial communication devices which are pin-configurable at power on to operate as either a root (20) or endpoint (22) device. In conjunction with, for example, PCI Express specified I/O data buses (24), such devices provide for efficient transfer of serial data between systems and devices.
US08533378B2
Cross bar control circuits are connected to each other by two buses, which are a broadcast bus for transmitting a broadcast packet from a system board to all system boards other than the system board and a point-to-point bus for transmitting a unicast packet from a system board to another system board. When unicast packets passing through the point-to-point bus are too many, the unicast packets are output by using the broadcast bus in addition to the point-to-point bus if the broadcast bus is not used. In this way, the unicast packets can be output quickly and efficiently, so that use efficiency of the broadcast bus and the point-to-point bus can be increased as a whole.
US08533362B2
A system described herein can include a first node within an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network. The first node can be configured to be installed within a portion of a meter device. The system can also include an adapter configured to function as a second node within the AMI network. The adapter can be configured to translate a signal defined based on a platform of a premise network into a signal defined based on a platform of the AMI network. The adapter can be configured to be a meter-independent device.
US08533357B2
A mechanism for sending structured data using a corresponding byte stream. Upon accessing structured data such as a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) envelope, a byte stream is generated. The byte stream includes bytes that represent the structured data, as well as a collection of bytes that represents properties about the byte stream such as, for example, a mode of communication. The byte stream may then be passed to a communication module (e.g., a TCP or Named Pipes module) capable of receiving and transmitting the byte stream.
US08533353B2
The invention is related to methods and apparatus for tailoring an amount of Pre-Data that can be used in media clip streaming applications. A variable-bit-rate encoded media clip can be encoded at an average playback bit rate. When the actual transmission bit rate exceeds the average playback bit rate, a maximum bit deficit computation that uses the average playback bit rate overestimates the amount of Pre-Data that can be used to buffer the media clip. Embodiments of the invention tailor the amount of Pre-Data at least in part to the amount of data used to encode intervals of data and to actual transmission bit rates or to predictions of actual transmission bit rates, thereby decreasing the amount of Pre-Data that can be used and decreasing a latency time before play of the media clip begins.
US08533347B1
In order to provide a user with control of how persistent information is used in a Web browser to aid in the display of website content in a non-disruptive manner, a system and a method are provided that allow a user to access a non-modal graphical user interface control using a Web browser. The non-modal graphical user interface control allows the user to specify one or more pieces of persistent information that the Web browser associates with the website content. The Web browser then uses the persistent information to aid in displaying the Web content while allowing the user to continue to use the browser.
US08533345B2
The invention relates to a system and method for managing a profile list for connections to networks for a communication device. The method comprises: upon detection of a connection for the device to a network, determining whether the connection is known to the device; if the connection is not known to the device, creating a temporary profile for the connection; adding temporary profile is added into a profile list of accessible connections for the device; evaluating the values of set of profile activation conditions to determine the profile should remain active; and if the values indicate that the temporary profile is to be terminated, then removing the temporary profile from the profile list. As part of defining the profile, the profile contains a set of profile activation conditions and related values for the temporary profile.
US08533339B2
In one embodiment, an endpoint elicits a pattern of STUN responses to identify security devices located on a call path. The endpoint then uses address information from the identified security devices to establish an efficient media flow with a remote endpoint. The endpoint can optimize the number of network devices and network paths that process the endpoint's keepalive message. Additionally, the endpoint may request custom inactivity timeouts with each of the identified security devices for reducing bandwidth consumed by keepalive traffic.
