US08545036B2
The present invention provides a back frame of flat panel display device and a backlight system thereof, which include at least two primary assembling pieces, and the at least two primary assembling pieces are joined to form a main frame structure of the back frame. The back frame further includes a cable protection structure and the cable protection structure receives a flexible circuit board or a cable. The back frame mold of the back frame and the backlight system thereof of the present invention have a back frame mold that is of a simple structure, reduce the expenditure of the back frame mold, save the material for the back frame, lower down the cost of flat panel display device, and offers an advantage of protecting flexible circuit board or cable.
US08545032B2
A light source module and a wavelength conversion module are provided. The light source module includes a first light emitting device, a reflection unit, a wavelength conversion unit, a second light emitting device and a light combination unit. The first light emitting device emits an exciting beam. The reflection unit is disposed on a transmission path of the exciting beam. The wavelength conversion unit is disposed on the reflection unit and located on the transmission path of the exciting beam. The exciting beam is obliquely incident into the wavelength conversion unit along an optical axis of the first light emitting device, and the wavelength conversion unit converts the exciting beam into a first color beam. The second light emitting device emits a second color beam. The light combination unit is disposed on transmission paths of the first color beam and the second color beam.
US08545022B2
An ophthalmoscope includes a therapy beam source configured to apply therapy beam pulses onto an eye and a drive unit configured to store information about the therapy beam pulses applied onto the eye.
US08545020B2
An ophthalmoscope comprising includes a display, a therapy beam source, and a drive unit. The display is configured to display a live image of a patient's eye. The therapy beam source is configured to apply therapy beam pulses onto the eye. The drive unit is configured to superimpose onto the live image of the eye target positions intended for the application of therapy beam pulses.
US08545019B2
A fundus camera that obtains focus evaluation values by scanning, in which a focusing lens moves a predetermined distance according to a photographing mode before the focusing lens starts scanning for obtaining focus evaluation values.
US08545007B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a conveyance drum which has a round cylindrical shape including an outer circumferential surface having a medium holding section, and rotates in a prescribed direction while holding a medium in tight contact on the medium holding section so as to convey the medium in a circumferential direction; a pressing device which presses the medium against the medium holding section so as to establish tight contact between the medium and the medium holding section, when causing the medium to make tight contact with the medium holding section; a holding force generating device which generates a holding force that holds the medium on the medium holding section; and a liquid ejection head which ejects a liquid onto the medium held on the medium holding section, wherein: the conveyance drum has a level difference section which is provided on at least one side, in an axial direction of the conveyance drum, with respect to a central portion in the axial direction of the conveyance drum, the level difference section having a larger diameter than the central portion so as to project beyond an outer circumferential surface of the central portion; and the level difference section has a length, in the circumferential direction, smaller than a length of the medium holding section in the circumferential direction.
US08545004B2
A method of leveling ink that is printed on a substrate includes establishing a thermal gradient across a thickness of the substrate, the thermal gradient characterized in that it is less than a viscosity threshold temperature of the ink across most of the substrate.
US08545001B2
The invention provides an inkjet ink composition including a pigment and colloidal silica, the pigment being covered with a water-insoluble resin including a constituent unit having an acidic group, with which rub resistance of images formed and ink discharge reliability are excellent and deterioration of liquid repellency of an inkjet head member is suppressed.
US08544996B2
The possibility that narrow, high aspect ratio particles will pass through a rock screen of a print head is reduced by minimizing the number of times the particles interact with the rock screen. Each interaction is an opportunity for the particle to be positioned in an orientation such that it may pass through the rock screen. The reduction in particles passing through the rock screen is achieved by positioning a particle trap adjacent to the rock screen perimeter to collect debris that sloughs off the rock screen.
US08544992B2
A fluid cartridge for a printing device includes a housing including a floor, a chamber defined in the housing and configured to store an ink therein, a capillary medium disposed in the housing and in operative communication with the chamber, and a wick disposed at least partially in an opening of the floor, the wick including a portion extending a predetermined distance into the housing such that the wick portion contacts the capillary medium. The fluid cartridge further includes an enriched pigment-confining member established inside the housing such that the confining member physically contacts the floor and surrounds at least a portion of a periphery of the wick. The confining member is configured to i) block enriched ink from the wick, and/or ii) dilute the enriched ink prior to flowing through the wick.
US08544986B2
An image forming apparatus including: a carriage movable in a main scanning direction and including a recording head having a nozzle surface in which nozzles to eject liquid droplets in a horizontal direction are formed, the nozzle surface being disposed in a vertical direction; a guide shaft to guide the carriage in the main scanning direction; and a bearing provided to the carriage and having two sloped sides slidably contacting an outer circumferential surface of the guide shaft. In a plane perpendicular to an axis of the guide shaft, the two sloped sides are disposed such that a line passing through both the axis of the guide shaft and an intersection of two tangent lines from contact portions in which the two sloped sides contact the outer circumferential surface of the guide shaft diagonally intersects a line extending along a plane of the nozzle surface.
US08544985B2
An image-forming apparatus includes a print head unit including a plurality of head chips disposed in a widthwise direction of a supplied printing medium to eject ink to form an image, a wiping unit including a plurality of wiper members disposed in the widthwise direction of the printing medium, and a support member supporting the plurality of wiper members and located below the print head unit to move upwardly and downwardly. The image-forming apparatus also includes an ink discharging unit which accommodates and discharges ink spitted from the print head unit, an elevating driving unit which moves the wiping unit upwardly and downwardly between at least two positions of a first forward position which is a wiping standby position, a second forward position which is a scrapping position, and a retracted position, and a widthwise direction driving unit which reciprocates the wiping unit positioned in the first or second forward positions by the elevating driving unit.
US08544982B2
A liquid jet head has a nozzle plate with nozzle holes for ejecting a liquid. A wall portion surrounding the nozzle plate has an opening opposed to the nozzle holes. An opening and closing mechanism is configured in an open state to open the opening of the wall portion to expose the nozzle holes to an exterior of the head, and in a closed state to close the opening of the wall portion to form a closed space between the wall portion and the nozzle plate. A suction flow path has on one end side a suction port opening below the nozzle holes, and another end side is connected to a suction portion that evacuates the closed space to convert the closed space to a negative pressure chamber, thereby supplying the liquid to the nozzle holes. An atmosphere release portion switches between the open and closed states of the mechanism.
US08544981B2
A sealing tape for an ink jet recording head, detachably adhered to the surface of a chip which is provided on an ink jet recording head and on which a discharge port for discharging ink is formed, includes: a base layer; and an adhesive layer on the base layer, the adhesive layer consisting of: (1) 70 to 100 wt % of (A)-(B)-(A) block copolymers which have no unsaturated carbon bond and consist of (a) vinyl aromatic compound units and (b) olefinic hydrocarbon units where (A) is a polymer block consisting of the (a) units and (B) is a polymer block consisting of the (b) units; and (2) 0 to 30 wt % of polyolefin, wherein the content of the (a) vinyl aromatic compound units in the (1) (A)-(B)-(A) block copolymers is 10 to 30 wt %.
US08544979B2
An ejection inspecting device is operable to inspect an ejection state of a fluid ejection device operable to eject a fluid. The ejection inspecting device includes: at least one pair of electrodes, disposed so that the fluid can pass; an oscillation executing unit, connected to the electrodes, and operable to electrically oscillates; an oscillation detecting unit, operable to detect an oscillation state oscillated by the oscillation executing unit by counting the number of oscillations during a predetermined period; and a control unit, operable to detect whether the fluid has been ejected from the fluid ejection device based on the number of oscillations detected during the predetermined period during which the fluid has not been ejected, and based on the number of oscillations detected during the predetermined period during which the fluid ejected therefrom has passed near the electrodes.
US08544975B2
An inkjet image forming apparatus and a method to control the same to correct characteristics of a plurality of print heads of the apparatus to have uniform characteristics includes a plurality of test patterns printed according to the timing of printing of dots through a row of odd nozzles and a row of even nozzles of each of the plurality of print heads and information of the drive timing corresponding to a brightest test pattern of the printed test patterns is stored. When a normal print operation is performed, a different drive timing is applied to each of the plurality of print heads based on the stored information, thereby compensating for the difference between the one or more characteristics of the print heads.
US08544970B2
In a guide rail attaching structure for a sliding door and a refrigerator using the same, the structure includes a support member coupled to an inner plate of a door of a refrigerator main body and having support coupling portions, and a pair of guide rails each having a guide rail coupling portion coupled to the corresponding support coupling portion, and slidable with respect to the refrigerator main body, wherein the support coupling portion and the corresponding guide rail coupling portion are coupled to each other by a hinge, whereby a force applied to the guide rail can be minimized to prevent warping of the guide rail even if the sliding door is open in any direction.
US08544969B2
A chassis includes a base board and a number of footpads mounted on a bottom of the base board. The base board defines a number of depressed portions corresponding to the footpads. Each footpad includes a fixing member mounted on an inner side of the base board and aligning with a corresponding depressed portion, a receiving member received in and rotatably mounted on a corresponding depressed portion of the base board, and a movable member received in and rotatably mounted on the receiving member. The movable member is rotatable in a first direction relative to the receiving member to extend out from the receiving member, and in a second direction opposite to the first direction relative to the receiving member to withdraw back into the receiving member.
US08544964B2
A brake control system is provided for a utility vehicle having manned and unmanned operational modes. The brake control system includes a hydraulically operated brake. A manually operated brake circuit and an electro-hydraulic (E-H) brake circuit are connected to the brake. The E-H brake circuit includes a pump, a solenoid operated inlet valve, an accumulator, and first and second solenoid operated brake valve connected between the brake and the inlet valve. A first CPU is operatively connected to the inlet valve and to the first brake valve. A second CPU is operatively connected to the inlet valve and to the second brake valve. An accumulator pressure sensor senses the accumulator pressure. A brake pressure sensor senses brake pressure. The first and second CPUs control the inlet valve and the brake valves as a function of the sensed accumulator pressure and brake pressure.
US08544963B2
In a braking control apparatus, a plurality of pumps are driven by a common first motor. A brake supplies operating fluid to pipelines by operating the first motor, and controls opening/closing of a fluid pressure regulating valve so as to make the wheel cylinder pressure in the right front wheel approach the right front wheel target pressure, and controls opening closing of a fluid pressure regulating valve so as to make the wheel cylinder pressure in the left rear wheel approach the left rear wheel target pressure. In the case where the right front wheel target pressure is zero when the fluid pressure regulating valve is to be opened so as to make the wheel cylinder pressure in the left rear wheel approach the left rear wheel target pressure, the brake turns off the first motor.
US08544961B2
A fabricated vehicle axle is provided with a main body defined by the combination of a channel having an inverted U-shaped configuration and a bottom plate. The ends of the main body are curved upwardly to define a pair of gooseneck portions. Axle head sections are formed at the ends of the axle and are closed off by end extensions extending from the front and rear walls of the channel and a cover flap extension extending from the top wall of the channel. A head plate is inserted within the space between the cover flap and the top edges of the end extensions. King pin bolt holes are machined at each axle head section into the cover flaps, head plates and each end of the bottom plate to permit a king pin to be installed therein.
US08544952B2
A novel infant child restraint system that includes a base having a height adjustment to allow the base to assume one of a plurality of positions and inclinations when mounted to the vehicle seat. Additionally, in certain embodiments the base is formed to have a recessed knee-receiving area, into which the user can place their knee when tightening the vehicle's restraint system around the base. The base and car seat are removably attached in interlocking relation using a novel connection mechanism that is not susceptible to premature or improper release due to forces, regardless of the direction of such forces. This mechanism is independent of the car seat handle. Furthermore, this connection mechanism includes a simple manual disconnect or release system, to allow quick removal of the seat from the base.
US08544930B2
A tailgate damping system for controlling movement of a tailgate assembly of a vehicle includes a speed sensor that provides rotational speed information of the tailgate assembly. A controller receives the rotational speed information from the speed sensor. A damping control assembly receives a tailgate shaft of the tailgate assembly. The damping control assembly includes a housing comprising a rotor chamber including a rotor member located therein. The rotor member is connected to a rotor shaft that is coupled to the tailgate shaft. A valve chamber includes a control valve located therein. The controller closes the control valve to inhibit exit of a damping fluid from the rotor chamber based on the speed information received from the speed sensor.
US08544929B2
A vehicle package tray having a horizontal member extending across a back portion of a vehicle. A tray cover is operably coupled with and slidable relative to the horizontal member. The tray cover includes a rear substrate that extends over the horizontal member. A front substrate is slidably engaged with the rear substrate and adapted for abutment with a seat back. A spring-biased member is disposed between the horizontal member and the front substrate.
US08544928B2
A storage compartment such as a map pocket is provided over a recess in the door panel of a transportation vehicle. A frame includes a U-shaped member and a flexible spring piece coupled between the ends of the U-shaped member. The flexible spring piece has a length greater than the distance between the ends so that it tends to assume either a closed position proximate the recess or an open position away from the recess. A pocket cover has a front portion concealing the frame and has a folding side portion disposed between side and bottom edges of the frame and the door panel along corresponding edges of the recess. A tether is coupled to the frame for urging the frame toward the door panel while permitting the frame to be moved away from the door panel.
US08544925B2
A sling element and a combination for coupling sling gear, to a goods item to be transported, wherein the sling element has a fastening section, into which an oblong-shaped opening is formed which leads from the upper side of the fastening section to a contact area formed on the underside of the fastening section. The combination enables the sling element to be fastened in a durably secure way even with adverse loads. This is achieved by a wedge area aligned in the longitudinal direction of the opening of the fastening section being formed on the fastening section, which wedge area runs in a plane which intersects the longitudinal axis of the opening at an acute angle and is designed as a support for a fastening member which is provided to brace the sling element on the goods item to be transported.
US08544917B2
A cat litter scoop has one or more adjustable screens that adjust the effective opening in a scoop portion of the cat litter scoop. In some embodiments, the cat litter scoop may include two screens, one lying atop the other, wherein at least one of the two screens is adjustable relative to the other. In some embodiments, both screens of the cat litter scoop may be adjustable. In this embodiment, one screen may be adjustable backward and forward and the other screen may be adjustable from side to side, allowing the holes of the screen to become smaller in order to capture the clumps of urine such that they would be removed from the litter material.
US08544916B2
A cable placement and retrieval device includes a main shaft forming a hook opening defined by a generally inverted U-shaped bend terminating at a spherical bead, a rigid push rod radiating up and away from the main shaft in the opposite direction of the hook opening and terminating in a second spherical bead and a hollow proximal portion meant to receive extension arms and other complementary attachments.
US08544914B2
A pipe gripping assembly for handling a pipe includes at least two gripping members, wherein each gripping member comprises a pipe engaging portion engageable with the outer circumference of a pipe, wherein at least one gripping member is rotatable about a pivot axis, and wherein the pipe gripping assembly further comprises actuation means to rotate the at least one rotatable gripping member such that the pipe gripping assembly is movable between an open position for receiving a pipe and a closed position in which the pipe engaging portions engage with a pipe, wherein each rotatable gripping member further comprises a locking body engaging portion and the pipe gripping assembly further comprises a movable locking body and associated displacement means to move the locking body such that the pipe gripping assembly is lockable in the closed position by moving the locking body to a locking position.
US08544913B2
Grill tongs including two rods, which are movably connected and which can be pivoted relative to each other and which each have a gripping surface for an item to be grilled at the end of the rods near the grill and which are equipped with a handle at the end of the rods far from the grill. The handle is used as a contact surface for the fingers of a user. A heat shield is arranged on the rod in the area of the handle. The heat shield is fastened to the side of the rod inside the tongs and from there curves around the side of the handle facing outward and is at a distance to the handle.
US08544912B1
A lifting sling assembly comprises a centering collar element forming a concentric sleeve around a central concavity, a centering housing element, a wire rope, and a lifting support. The centering housing element is defined by a concentric flange member forming a concentric sleeve around the centering housing element. The wire rope is inserted into the central concavity, and the centering collar element is swaged onto the wire rope. The centering collar element, the centering housing element, and the concentric flange member are integrated into a contiguous non-welded assembly such that the wire rope remains rigid within the centering collar member. The lifting support is a mechanical support lifting apparatus.
US08544904B2
A flush mounted, vehicle door handle includes a housing having an outer wall defining an interior recess and a handle pivotally coupled to the housing. A first portion of the handle is configured for pressing on a first side of a fulcrum and a second portion of the handle is configured for pulling on a second side of the fulcrum. The handle is disposed within the interior recess of the housing when positioned in a first, resting position. The first portion of the door handle has a back surface provided for actuating a door latch mechanism of an existing vehicle door when the housing is mounted to a door panel of a vehicle. Thus, when the handle is pivoted about the fulcrum to a second position, the door latch mechanism is actuated causing the door latch mechanism to release the automobile door allowing the door to open.
US08544901B2
A latch system for a door of a vehicle including a latch assembly having a catch and a pawl, an actuatable inside handle, and an actuator engaged with the pawl and being configured to be activated by actuation of the inside handle. The catch is configured to be moved to an open position by activating the actuator to thereby move the pawl to stop the pawl from maintaining the catch in the closed position. The catch is also configured to be moved to the open position after actuation of the inside handle by having the inside handle mechanically move the toggle lever to stop the pawl from maintaining the catch in the closed position to when the vehicle does not have power.
US08544892B2
A cable port identification system is disclosed that provides identification facilities for communication, data, other cabling and/or wires and the connectors to which they are coupled found in a multi-port station. In some implementations the identification facilities can include label retention and protection and may also include label magnification.
US08544879B1
An active bolster for an automotive vehicle has an inner wall and an outer wall joined around a substantially closed perimeter to form an inflatable bladder. An inflator couples an inflation gas into the inflatable bladder in response to a crash event of the vehicle. The inner wall has an inner vessel region with a substantially-planar portion and an outer pleated region with a plurality of circumferential pleats, wherein each pleat has an inward edge and an outward edge. Adjacent pleats are continuous so that the inward edge of an outer pleat is shared as the outward edge of an inner pleat. The pleat edges have a stepped spacing from the outer wall that progressively decreases from an innermost edge to an outermost outward edge, whereby adjacent pleats unfold during inflation such that an inner pleat is unfolding with a substantially uniform pressure when an outer pleat begins to unfold.
US08544877B2
Airbag cushions are provided that mitigate the potential for injury to an occupant's neck via a sloped face, a particular cushion height, and/or a relatively flat top portion. These airbag cushions can be used with seat belt systems that moderates the seat belt loads acting on the occupant to allow an improved synchronization of the occupant torso and head rebound timing, which in turn limits head and torso differential loading (frontal whiplash) and therefore occupant neck loads and neck, based on the position of the occupant, loads on the seatbelt, or a predetermined time in the crash event.
US08544872B2
A travel cooler includes a wheeled platform and an insulated container configured to be selectively coupled to and uncoupled from the wheeled platform. The wheeled platform comprises a base, a plurality of wheels mounted to the base and a first coupling component. The insulated container includes a second coupling component. The first and second coupling components are disengaged from one another when the insulated container is uncoupled from the wheeled platform. The first and second coupling components are disposed in interlocking engagement when the insulated container is coupled to the wheeled platform, whereby the insulated container is securely coupled to the wheeled platform in fixed disposition relative thereto for safe transportation on the wheeled platform. The base defines a container receiving recess within which a bottom portion of the insulated container is received when the insulated container is coupled to the wheeled platform.
US08544870B2
A snowboard binding includes a base plate and a heel support attached directly or indirectly to this base plate so that it can pivot. Intermediate elements mount the heel support and can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the snowboard binding. Thus, the effective length of the snowboard binding can be adapted to the respective boot. Also, through different positioning of the intermediate elements, the heel support can be arranged diagonally relative to the longitudinal axis of the snowboard binding.
US08544868B2
This disclosure generally relates to a universal pull cart attachment device and method to enhance golf play. In some cases, a universal pull cart attachment device having a displaceable member is coupled to a motorized golf cart to allow users to displace the member to interchangeably receive a handle of a conventional golf bag pull cart. A method of playing golf using such a universal pull cart attachment device is also provided.
US08544866B2
Exemplary embodiments are provided of wheelchairs. In an exemplary embodiment, a wheelchair generally includes a seat and a carriage coupled to the seat. The carriage and seat are laterally moveable together in a transverse direction relative to a forward direction of the wheelchair. In use, lateral movement of the carriage and seat outside of a wheelbase of the wheelchair enables lateral transfer of a patient to and/or from the wheelchair.
US08544858B2
A stack comprising a number of identical shopping carts pushed one inside the other, which stack can be transported with the aid of transportation means such as trucks, containers, and the like and is kept ready for removal and for use of the individual shopping carts after being transported to a collection point, which is constructed by self-service shops, wherein the shopping carts are pushed one inside the other by means of the chassis and the baskets thereof both during transport and at the collection point in such a way that a stack distance is formed between each shopping cart, wherein a stack distance is greater than a stack distance and the length of the stack having the stack distances is greater than the length of the same stack having the stack distances, and wherein the stack having the length is intended for transport and the stack having the length is intended to be provided at a collection point.
US08544848B2
A card feed system for feeding cards into a card handling system. The card feed system includes a card input compartment with a playing card support surface, a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls. The playing card support surface slopes toward the front wall at an angle between 12 degrees and 22 degrees. A slot is provided in the front wall to allow single cards to pass into the card handling system. The card feed system also includes a card moving system to advance cards through the slot.
US08544847B2
The following members are included: a storage unit 2 which stores a card 50; a guide path 10 which guides the card 50 drawn out from the storage unit 2 to a card discharging edge 18 while keeping one surface of the card 50 to contact the guide path 10; an opening 13 which is formed in the guide path 10; an inspection light applicator 31 which applies inspection light to the drawn card via the opening 13; a photo acceptance portion 32 which receives the inspection light reflected from the drawn card 50; a control unit 151 which identifies card information based on the inspection light received by the photo acceptance portion 32; and a filter 34 which is provided between the opening 13 and the photo acceptance portion 32 to block the disturbance light.
US08544831B2
A clamp is provided, having a slide rail, a fixed arm fastened to the slide rail and on which a first abutment surface for a workpiece is arranged, a sliding arm displaceable on the slide rail, and a housing arrangement, on which are held a first bearing device and a second bearing device, by means of which the housing arrangement is guided on the slide rail. The sliding arm is positioned between the first and second bearing devices. A second abutment surface for a workpiece is arranged on the housing arrangement and faces the first abutment surface. A force application device is held on the sliding arm and acts on a pressure piece held on the housing arrangement. The housing arrangement has a first housing part with a housing interior having an opening. The sliding arm is brought into the housing interior through the opening during production of the clamp.
US08544830B2
A magnetic clamp has a housing, the housing defining a base for resting on a work surface. An adjustable friction reducing arrangement is associated with the base of the housing. The friction reducing arrangement is movable relative to the base between a first position in which the friction reducing arrangement reduces an area of contact between the base of the housing and the work surface and a second position in which the area of contact between the base of the housing and the work surface is increased.
US08544827B1
A mixer designed to generate high mixing turbulence within the bottom zone of a liquid holding vessel while simultaneously entraining and transferring liquid from the upper surface down to the vessel bottom. Mixing action is accomplished through the incorporation of two jet nozzles, nested one inside the other, strategically located and powered by pressurized liquid drawn from the vessel being mixed. Mixer component dimensions are adaptable to multiple vessel types and configurations. Surface liquids are entrained using a weir section that is either a fixed or floating component of the mixer assembly. Liquid used for developing outlet velocity in primary jet is drawn from multiple locations including the vessel center zone, the vessel bottom and mixer annulus. Mixing in the vessel center zone can vary from gentle upward flow in tall tanks to complete turbulent mixing in shallow vessels.
US08544819B2
The invention relates to a distribution valve with integrated flow metering unit, in particular for warm water heating systems, for use in a pipe, wherein a closable valve seat in the distribution valve and an axially movable sealing part thereto are provided, wherein one section of the sealing part is held and guided in an attachment element which is arranged externally against an opening in the pipe and said section of the sealing part has a handle wherein a stroke limiter limiting the axial displacement of the sealing part is allocated to the sealing part and slash all to the controlling attachment element.
US08544818B2
An electronic adapter and a method for controlling a bistable valve for liquid or gaseous media is provided. The valve has a first and a second stable switching state, wherein in the first switching state applying a switch voltage with a first polarity for at least a switch time period to electric terminals of the valve causes the valve to change to the second switching state and wherein in the second switching state applying a switch voltage with an opposite second polarity for at least the switch time period causes the valve to change from the second to the first switching state, wherein the adapter has at least one input connectable to a control unit and an output connectable to the terminals, wherein the adapter is arranged for outputting the switch voltage with the first polarity for at least the switch time period upon detection of a first signal event at the input and wherein the adapter is arranged for outputting the switch voltage with the second polarity for at least the switch time period upon detection of a second signal event at the input.
US08544816B2
The invention relates to a valve having a movably arranged valve body for selectively opening and closing a valve passage, with a sealing element, for example a lip seal, being arranged on the valve body in such a way that the sealing element comes to bear against a valve seat if the valve body is moved in a closing direction, and with at least one outer peripheral section of the sealing element being resiliently movable or elastically and/or flexibly deformable substantially in the movement direction of the valve body, and with a protective collar being arranged radially outside the outer peripheral section of the sealing element, which protective collar is fixed to the valve body in order to protect the sealing element from damage and/or from excessive deformation.
US08544815B2
A flow controller controls flow through a deformable conduit by compressing the conduit. The conduit may be compressed along a section of its length. The controller may include a cam driven by an actuator, the cam driving a clamp to compress the conduit. The actuator may be a dial. The cam may be shaped such that the flow rate varies linearly with rotation of the dial. The controller may include a clicker to allow the controller to be set in a number of different positions, allowing ease of adjustment and preventing drift or accidental adjustment of the flow rate.
US08544804B2
A system and method for stabilizing vertically stacked sheet material is disclosed. The sheet material may be construction wallboard. The system includes a bracket and an elongate flexible link element. The method includes attaching the bracket to the sheet material, attaching the flexible link element to a support structure such as vertical stud framing member, and attaching the flexible link element to the bracket to stabilize the vertically stacked sheet material.
US08544802B2
A device for securing cable to a structural support, such as a rafter or joist. The device is characterized as having two U-shaped members, each U-shaped member having a base portion and two arm portions. Each arm portion has a proximal end and a distal end, each proximal end extending from said base portion. The distal ends are spaced from one another a distance to capture the structural support and to frictionally secure the device thereto.
US08544800B2
Methods and systems for efficiently increasing the wing area of an aircraft are disclosed herein. An integrated wingtip extension configured in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes a tapered wing section and a winglet. The tapered wing section includes an inboard end portion having a first chord length and an outboard end portion having a second chord length that is less than the first chord length. The winglet is fixedly attached to the outboard end portion. The inboard end portion is configured to be fixedly attached to a tip portion of an aircraft wing. In one embodiment, the tapered wing section and the winglet can be integrally formed from composite materials.
US08544790B2
The aircraft includes a fuselage, horizontal front and tail empennages and take-off and landing wings, which wings are jointed to the fuselage by means of attachment joints, the axes of which are situated above the fuselage central line along the longitudinal axis of symmetry thereof so that the take-off and landing wings are arranged below the attachment joints along the longitudinal axis of symmetry of the fuselage. The outer surface of the wings is the extension of the outer surface of the fuselage and in a stow position the take-off and landing wings cover at least 30% of the fuselage surface area between the horizontal front and tail empennages.
US08544788B1
An aerostat assembly, specifically an aerostat assembly including one or more cameras for aerial photography and surveillance. The aerostat assembly includes a frame assembly having a pivot assembly joined to a balloon tether line. Thrusters on the frame allow an operator to maneuver the assembly to desired positions as well as rotate the frame assembly about the pivot assembly.
US08544784B2
A line tightening device with a detachable handle, a hook and a coupler for securing the handle and the hook together while the tightener is being used. After the line tightener is used to achieve the desired tension in the line tightened, the handle and coupler can be quickly and easily disengaged and removed from the hook, thereby leaving only the hook attached to the tightened line. The hook is adapted for tightening the line by forming and fixing convolutions about its shank. A tether secures the hook to adjacent portions of the line to prevent accidental separation of the hook from the tensioned line.
US08544774B1
A method of protecting a roller crusher, having two rollers separated by a gap, from uncrushable objects is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: detecting an uncrushable object in an in-feed stream of material, opening a gap between the rollers to a by-pass width, which is significantly larger than an operational width, such that the uncrushable object is permitted to pass through the gap, restricting an in-feed to the gap, such that material is fed to the gap at a restricted in-feed rate, determining that the uncrushable object has passed through the gap, reducing the gap to the operational width, and opening the in-feed to the gap, such that material is fed to the gap at an operational in-feed rate. A roller crusher having a protective system for protecting the roller crusher from uncrushable objects is also disclosed.
US08544771B2
A control device (52) of a fuel injection valve has a mushroom-shaped intermediate valve member (56) which is guided with a sliding fit (58′) in a first intermediate plate (12). An injection valve member (28), which has a control piston (28′), for opening and closing injection openings in order to realize intermittent injection processes defines a control space (54) together with a guide sleeve (36) and the lower face (12a) of the first intermediate plate (12). A second intermediate plate (14) is situated between the first intermediate plate (12) and a housing body (10), and has a valve space (70) which is hydraulically connected to the end side of a shank (58) of the mushroom-shaped intermediate valve member (56).
US08544769B2
A spray apparatus includes a body having an outer surface and an interior portion, and a first nozzle arranged in the interior portion of the body. The first nozzle includes a first material inlet, a first convergent region, a first throat region, a first divergent region, and a first outlet. The first throat region and first outlet establish a first expansion ratio. A second nozzle is arranged in the interior portion of the body adjacent the first nozzle. The second nozzle includes a second material inlet, a second convergent region, a second throat region, a second divergent region, and a second outlet. The second throat region and the second outlet establish a second expansion ratio that is distinct from the first expansion ratio.
US08544763B2
A precast plinth for supporting an associated object, such as a rail of a railway track, includes an elongated body made of a material including concrete. The plinth includes an upper face, a lower face, a first side face, a second side face and first and second end faces. The first and second side faces taper away from each other from the upper face to the lower face. A leveling hole can extend from the upper face to the lower face with a threaded leveling insert located in the leveling hole. A grout hole can extend from the upper face to a lower face in a spaced manner from the leveling hole.
US08544760B2
A mixing valve (10) includes a valve body (12) having a hot fluid inlet (14), a cold fluid inlet (16), a mixed fluid outlet (18), and a cavity (20) in the valve body (12) between the inlets (14, 16) and the outlet (18). Mixing valve (10) includes a liner (30, 130, 230, 430, 530, 630, 730, 830) positioned in valve body (12) and a valve member (40, 140, 240, 340, 440, 540, 640, 740, 840) movable therein between a first position restricting the flow of hot fluid and a second position. Liner (30, 130, 230, 430, 530, 630, 730, 830) includes a downstream valve seat (74, 174, 274, 474, 574, 674, 774) that, when engaged by valve member (40, 140, 240, 340, 440, 540, 640, 740, 840), restricts flow of hot fluid past valve member (40, 140, 240, 340, 440, 540, 640, 740, 840).
US08544759B2
A wireless IC module that can function as a component of an RFID system even when mounted on a metal article includes a loop-shaped electrode that is constructed such that a plane of a loop of the loop-shaped electrode is substantially perpendicular to the mounting surface of a wireless IC module. The loop-shaped electrode functions as a magnetic field antenna and is electromagnetically coupled with a metal article so that the surface of the metal article functions as a radiator antenna.
US08544754B2
A wireless IC device includes a wireless IC chip, a feed circuit board having the wireless IC chip mounted thereon and including a feed circuit including inductance elements, and a radiation plate electromagnetically coupled to the inductance elements in the feed circuit. A high-permeability magnetic body made of a high-permeability magnetic material is provided in the feed circuit board and a portion of the inductance elements is provided in the high-permeability magnetic body.
US08544741B2
A barcode includes a plurality of blocks arranged to define a coordinate system across the barcode. A method determines sizes of at least first and second blocks into which arbitrary information is to be encoded such that the blocks have a pair-wise anharmonic relationship with each other. A first portion of the arbitrary information to be encoded in the first block and a second portion of the arbitrary information to be encoded in the second block are then selected. The method encodes the first portion and the second portion, and provides a decode verification mechanism in each of the first and second blocks. A plurality of the encoded first blocks and a plurality of the encoded second blocks are arranged to form a barcode and to define a coordinate system therein, whereupon the barcode may be stored to a memory device.
US08544740B2
A system having a UHF RFID transceiver is adapted to communicate exclusively with a single electro-magnetically coupled transponder located in a predetermined confined transponder operating region. The system includes a near field coupling device comprising a plurality of lines connected in parallel with an unmatched load. The near field coupling device may be formed, for example on a printed circuit board with a plurality of electrically interconnected traces and a ground plane. The system establishes, at predetermined transceiver power levels, a mutual electro-magnetic coupling which is selective exclusively for a single transponder located in a defined transponder operating region. Also included are methods for selective communication with the transponder in an apparatus such as a printer-encoder.
US08544739B2
A method of marking an egg is disclosed and comprises applying radiant energy to the shell of an egg so as to cause discoloration of the eggshell, thereby forming a marking comprising at least a traceability code and a freshness date. Apparatus is also disclosed for applying markings on eggs being processed by an egg-handling machine that is designed and configured to transport a plurality of eggs therethrough, wherein the apparatus comprises a radiant energy source located in proximity to the egg-handling machine, the radiant energy source being configured to apply radiant energy to the eggs as the eggs are transported past the radiant energy source to selectively discolor the shell of the eggs and form markings on the shell, including a freshness date and a traceability code.
US08544737B2
A terminal includes a housing, a touch screen, and an imaging assembly. The imaging assembly in one embodiment is disposed in the housing so that an imaging axis extends externally from the housing. The imaging assembly can be utilized for capture of images disposed externally to the housing. In one embodiment a frame of image data captured utilizing an imaging assembly can be processed for attempting to decode a decodable indicia. In one embodiment a frame of image data captured utilizing an imaging assembly can be stored.
US08544726B1
In accordance with one embodiment, one or more R&D project/activity survey tools are generated and used to obtain employee R&D activity data. Payroll data is automatically obtained and the employee R&D activity data and employee payroll data is used to determine a R&D cost data indicating a total cost to a business of all employee time devoted to qualified R&D. R&D tax credit qualification data for the business is also automatically obtained and the R&D cost data and R&D tax credit qualification data for the business is used to automatically calculate the R&D tax credit for the business. Any evidentiary data supporting the calculated R&D tax credit data is then automatically correlated and stored.
US08544722B2
A method includes, but is not limited to: obtaining first information regarding one or more positions of one or more portions of one or more regions of a bendable electronic interface and sending one or more application related information portions to the bendable electronic interface based upon the obtaining of the first information. In addition to the foregoing, other related method/system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
US08544720B2
The present teachings relate to techniques and equipment to prepare articles of manufacture that can be used in a document processing system, such as a wrapping document processing system, that individually wraps each form in a manner that produces a mailpiece. The manufactured mailpiece is an integrated bidirectional mailpiece having outgoing and return envelope functionality. In the outgoing format, the integrated mailpiece may optionally contain advertisements, coupons, inserted documents, statements or payment coupons.
US08544719B2
A resealable envelope is composed of a front panel and a rear panel attached to the front panel forming an interior pouch between the front panel and rear panel. A flap extends from the rear panel, the flap having an opening having an elongated width with two circular protrusions emanating from the top and bottom of the elongated width; the opening having a width greater than its height. A first adhesive has an adhesive layer on one side and a releasable surface layer an opposite side. The first adhesive is located at the top portion of the front panel such that the opening is in contact with the first adhesive when the flap is closed. A second adhesive strip is located on the outside of the flap over the opening such that the envelope is sealed when the flap is pressed against the resealable surface layer of the first adhesive.
US08544713B2
An apparatus coats flux on a projection of a part mounted on a printed circuit board. The projection passes through the printed circuit board and projects from the printed circuit board. The apparatus contains a printed-circuit-board-holding member that holds the printed circuit board, a nozzle having an opening through which the projection comes in the nozzle and comes off the nozzle, a nozzle-moving member that moves the nozzle to a predetermined position, and a flux-supplying member that supplies the flux to the nozzle. The flux is coated on at least the projection by dipping the projection in the flux contained in the nozzle through the opening.
US08544712B2
Surgical stapling apparatus including an anvil and cartridge each having cooperating mating surfaces
Surgical stapling apparatus are disclosed including an anvil having a working surface with a shaped topography; and a staple cartridge, in juxtaposition with the anvil. The staple cartridge includes a working surface with shaped topography which is complementary to the shaped topography of the working surface of the shaped anvil. When the anvil and the staple cartridge are approximated with or toward one another, at least a portion of the working surface of the anvil cooperates with at least a portion of the working surface of the staple cartridge to enhance alignment of the staple cartridge and the anvil in at least one of a transverse and longitudinal direction.
US08544703B2
The injection chamber (CI) includes a tubular body formed by a supply portion, having a radial supply window to receive a charge of molten metal (MF) and in which is incorporated an injection portion provided with an outlet end opened to the interior of a molding cavity. A piston is provided to be displaced in the interior of the tubular body to inject the molten metal (MF) in the molding cavity. The supply portion has its inner region, which receives the pouring impact of the charge of molten metal (MF), lined by an insert formed in a high melting point material and presenting an inner contour in the form of a circle arc coinciding with that of the supply and injection portions.
US08544701B1
A system for storing and monitoring a pressurized fluid includes a pressurized fluid source and a plurality of fluid lines in communication with the supply line of a beverage dispensing system. The fluid lines are configured to selectively permit the passage of the pressurized fluid when the pressure of the source (e.g., a tank) reaches a predetermined threshold value. Specifically, the tank includes a high pressure line, an intermediate pressure line, and a low pressure or reserve line.
US08544700B2
An epoxy injection controller including a housing having a housing body and a handle, the housing body having a front wall, opposing side walls, a bottom wall, and a rear wall, and the handle having a front wall. A cartridge holder configured to receive a cartridge of material is disposed within the housing. A trigger having a first end and a second end is rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position. A rotatable link member having a first end and a second end is disposed within the housing, and is in engagement with the trigger. An actuator for dispensing material from the cartridge is selectively engaged with the link member. The actuator dispenses material from the cartridge when the trigger is unlocked, and the actuator is retracted from the cartridge and prevented from dispensing material from the cartridge when the trigger is locked.
US08544696B2
Aerosol container for use in a dispenser machine. The aerosol container comprises a container body comprising an exhaust opening provided with a valve. The aerosol container further comprises a spout having a spout housing. The spout housing is fixed to the container body. The spout housing circumferences the valve. The spout comprises an inner actuating mechanism for actuating the valve to an open position. The mechanism comprises a drive member to be driven by a drive component of the dispenser machine and an actuator member to act the valve to said open position. The aerosol container has a simple and compact configuration. The provided aerosol container and dispenser machine provide a system in particular suitable for public and working environments, like factories.
US08544694B2
A closing cap for a discharge head of a medium container, having a bottom part having locking edges and a latch boss, the bottom part fastened to a container neck and detachably latched to a top part having a rim portion which overlaps the bottom part and has locking edges which can be brought into engagement with the locking edges of the top part, as well as a locking arm, having a locking edge, which can be latched behind a latch boss.
US08544693B2
The present invention is directed to a bottle (20) with a tamper-proof cap (21) with an outlet in the cap for dispensing the liquid from the bottle. The bottle is designed, in particular, for use in an inverted configuration, namely with the outlet lowermost in normal use, in a device for dispensing liquid soap or the like.
US08544689B2
A hand held dispenser system with associated dispensed material supply assembly as in separate source chemical foam precursor feeding into, for example, streamlined chemical passageways preferably each comprised of, in series, a castellated swivel hose filter, a valve assembly housing, a wing extensions of a manifold, which manifold supports a high efficiency drive system and is supported by a handle that provides for a compact assembly and receives a rugged trigger assembly. The manifold design provides for elongated filter and, temperature controlled cartridge heater insertion. There is further provided in a preferred embodiment a readily releasable electric source feed line plug connection at the butt end of the dispenser. The dispenser is well suited for the dispensing of methane foam as in a product packaging setting.
US08544678B1
An insulating beverage container holder is disclosed that is adapted to receive either longneck beverage bottles or aluminum cans. The insulating beverage holder consists of a substantially cylindrical body having 3 axially aligned apertures therein. One aperture is sized for an interference fit with the cylindrical diameter of an aluminum can beverage container. A second aperture is sized for an interference fit with the neck portion of a longneck beverage container. A third aperture, situated between the first and second apertures, is sized for an interference fit with the larger diameter of a longneck beverage container. Retaining mechanisms are also disclosed that secure longneck beverage containers within the holder to prevent inadvertent removal of the beverage container from within the insulated beverage container holder.
US08544677B2
A drink-through plastic lid is injection molded in one piece to define a rim structure which snaps onto the rim of a cup and an asymmetric crown having a drink-through opening formed at the high point of an outer deck. An integral hinged flap with a C-shaped seal lip on the inside surface can lock by means of said lip into the drink-through opening when in one condition. The flexible outer edges of the flap latch into a lock-back recess which interrupts an intermediate inner deck formed between the outer crown deck and the floor of a well in the interior area of the lid.
US08544676B2
One aspect of the invention provides a system including a container defining a chamber for holding a beverage, a lid for engaging the container, a drinking straw located on the lid, and a fluid router detachable from the lid to facilitate the withdrawal of the beverage from the container. The fluid router includes a base adapted for placement in the proximity to an opening of the container, and a conduit having a first and a second ends disposed on the base. The fluid router can further include a connector disposed on the base and adapted to engage a thermal energy storage member located in the chamber. The first conduit end is adapted to engage the drinking straw. The system can further include a second straw engaged with the second conduit end and positioned in the chamber.
US08544665B2
A capping system and method of use for sealing injectable drugs within vials is disclosed. The system includes a closure assembly and a locking cap. The closure assembly includes a retainer member and a resilient stopper located within the retainer member. The retainer member is arranged to be disposed on the vial whereupon a gap results between the stopper and the vial. The retainer member is movable to close that gap. The locking cap is used to permanently seal the vial.
US08544660B2
A rack for surgical sponge counter bags that facilitates sponge counting, comprising a spindle and a plurality of rotatable support members mounted for rotation about the spindle, each support member carrying one or more mechanical devices that are constructed and adapted to grasp a sponge counter bag.
US08544659B2
A greeting card display includes an upper tier and a lower tier positioned below the upper tier. The upper and lower tiers include multiple rows of pockets for displaying greeting cards. Some of the pockets of the upper tier and/or the bottom tier, typically the pockets of the bottom rows, can present greeting cards in a full-facing manner to display all or substantially all of the full face of each greeting card. The upper tier can include a card highlighter, positioned along one of the rows, configured with pockets to present and highlight cards placed therein.
US08544653B2
A storage frame for tool rack assemblies has a box and multiple rack holders. The rack holders are held between two holding bars in the box. Each rack holder has a board and two clamping devices for holding multiple tool rack assemblies on the board. Each clamping device has a front clamping element and a rear clamping element mounted respectively on two surfaces of the board and connected to each other. The front clamping element has a clamping bar and multiple clamping protrusions formed on and protrude from the clamping bar at a side facing the other clamping bar and are parallel with each other. Accordingly, multiple tool rack assemblies can be held and displayed in the box at a stand condition regularly.
US08544649B2
Stackable containers that, in various embodiments, are adapted to be vertically and/or horizontally interlocked with other, like, containers to, for example, increase the stability of stacks of the containers. In one embodiment, a stackable container comprises: (A) a top surface comprising a shoulder portion that extends upwardly from the top surface and that is substantially disposed within a perimeter defined by the top surface; (B) a bottom surface defining a stacking recess; (C) a plurality of substantially vertical side surfaces that extend between the top surface and the bottom surface. In various embodiments, a recessed portion of the bottom surface adjacent the stacking recess is adapted to substantially mate with at least a portion of a shoulder portion of a like container.
US08544643B2
A waterproof camera case includes first and second case members and a lock mechanism for locking the first and second case members together. The lock mechanism includes a side flip hingedly connected to a side of the rear case member and moveable between a flip open position and a flip closed position where an inner surface of the side flip abuts against a side of the front case member. A press member is pivotable about a first shaft mounted on the inner surface of the side flip and moveable between a non-pressing position and a pressing position. A free distal side of the press member is configured to press against a ledge projected from the side of the front case member on a surface oppositely facing the rear case member. A lock member is slidable along a second shaft mounted on the inner surface of the side flip and moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position. The lock member has a latch portion adapted to insert into a slot defined by a catch portion formed on the side of the front case member. A torsion spring is used to bias the press member in the non-pressing position, and a compression spring is used to bias the lock member in the locked position.
US08544642B1
Provided is a multipurpose golf club container that can be used as a golf club travel container, a carrying container, pull along cart, or can be easily mounted onto a powered golf cart. The multipurpose golf club container is comprised of multiple compartments that can be closed to provide a rain proof enclosure. The multipurpose golf club container in some embodiments has a rain cover that can be easily deployed to keep the golf club grips dry during play in foul weather. In addition, in some embodiments the multipurpose golf club container is designed to retain the golf clubs in the head down position, and club restraints allow for quick and easy removal and replacement of the golf clubs from the container in a lateral motion.
US08544639B2
A foldable holder includes a foldable cover, a supporting assembly attached to the cover. When the holder is unfolded, the supporting assembly is maintained in a substantially planar form. When the holder is folded, the supporting assembly form a three-dimensional structure that will not collapse under a weight.
US08544634B2
A conveyor and a method for metering articles on a conveyor belt advancing in a direction of belt travel. Article-supporting rollers in the belt are actuated by a stationary bearing surface defining an upstream acceleration zone to accelerate articles forward along the conveyor belt. An activation belt advancing in the direction of belt travel at a speed faster than the conveyor belt provides a mobile bearing surface that actuates the belt rollers to rotate opposite to the direction of belt travel in a downstream deceleration zone. The conveyor belt also has regularly spaced retractable flights, which are retracted by contact with the stationary bearing surface in the acceleration zone and extended into a blocking position by contact with the mobile bearing surface in the deceleration zone. Articles in the deceleration zone are pushed rearward atop the rollers into metered positions against the leading faces of the flights.
US08544630B2
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for checking documents of value which have a security element with several magnetic areas, including at least one high-coercive magnetic area, at least one low-coercive magnetic area and at least one combined magnetic area which contains both the high-coercive and the low-coercive magnetic material. After the magnetization of all magnetic areas in a first direction, first magnetic signals of the security element are detected with a first magnetic detector. After a subsequent second magnetizing, which is effected antiparallel to the first magnetizing and magnetically reverses only the low-coercive magnetic material, second magnetic signals of the security element are detected. For identifying the magnetic areas, the second magnetic signals or a signal derived therefrom are compared with two thresholds.
US08544626B2
A high efficiency bicycle hub for near frictionless free wheeling comprising a hub having a toothed engagement ring, a driver having a retractable engagement member that can engage and disengage from the hub, and a retraction device to facilitate a disengaged configuration. The retraction device comprises a retaining ring having retraction members and the retractable engagement member comprises reciprocal retraction members to “catch” the retraction member to maintain a disengaged configuration. In use, forward rotation of the driver engages the retractable engagement member with the toothed engagement ring of the hub to drive the hub. Reverse rotation of the driver rotates the reciprocal retraction members underneath or behind the retraction member thereby disengaging the driver from the hub.
US08544624B2
A hydraulic circuit for controlling a hybrid clutch and an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle. The circuit includes an electrically-powered hydraulic pump to supply the hybrid clutch and the automatic transmission with a hydraulic medium. A pressure booster is connected downstream of the hydraulic pump and includes a pressure booster slave cylinder and a pressure booster master cylinder. A hydraulic line segment extends between the pressure booster and the hybrid clutch, with the pressure booster master cylinder connected with a hybrid clutch slave cylinder to actuate the hybrid clutch. An oil feed device is connected with the pressure booster slave cylinder and fed by it with the hydraulic medium for refilling the hydrostatic line segment with the hydraulic medium.
US08544613B2
A disc braking system (10) for a vehicle comprises a service caliper (12) suitable to be arranged astride a disc (14) rotating about an axis (16), said service caliper comprising at least one couple of service pads (18, 20). The system further comprises a floating parking caliper (30) suitable to be arranged astride the disc (14) and comprising a least one couple of parking pads (32, 34) housed in a floating structure (36) of the parking caliper. The floating structure comprises a side portion (38) and a bracket portion (40) extending from the side portion (38) in the axial direction to the disc (14). An individual mount structure (22) is provided which is suitable to be mounted on a fixed portion of the vehicle, and suitable to receive the couple of service pads (18, 20) and the floating parking caliper (30), which is slidably mounted thereon. Each parking pad (32, 34) is slidably inserted within a respective housing (48) of the mount structure (22) that is circumferentially defined by containment walls (50) being formed in the mount structure (22) and suitable to contain circumferentially opposed sides (52) of the parking pads (32, 34).
US08544600B2
An exhaust muffler for improving the timbre of an exhaust sound in a low engine speed region and for increasing an engine output in a high engine speed region. In an exhaust device for an internal combustion engine for discharging an exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine through a multistage expansion type muffler having a plurality of expansion chambers for silencing the sound of the exhaust gas during the passage thereof, the multistage expansion type muffler includes a first tail pipe for communicating between a most downstream one of the expansion chambers and the outside of the muffler and a second tail pipe for communicating between an upstream one of the expansion chambers on the upstream side of the most downstream expansion chamber and the outside of the muffler.
US08544598B2
A one-piece soundproofing panel which is attached within an circumferential air blower casing of a turbomachine, with an axis, in which circulates an airflow from upstream to downstream, is disclosed. The panel includes a circumferential rigid seat with a longitudinal cylindrical part, arranged to axially extend with respect to the axis A of the turbomachine, having an outside surface, intended to come to extend facing with an internal surface of the air blower casing, and an internal surface to which is applied a soundproofing coating; and an annular fastening flange, formed at the upstream end of the longitudinal cylindrical part, radially outwardly extending, the fastening flange being arranged to cooperate with a fastening flange of the air blower casing.
US08544597B1
A method of making a damper member includes forming a lattice network of a first material using an additive powder forming technique. The lattice network includes interconnected pores. A matrix of a second, different material is then deposited within the interconnected pores to form a damper member having an acoustic attenuation that is tuned to dampen a target vibrational mode.
US08544595B2
A carbonaceous acoustic diaphragm whose density is reduced while retaining the required stiffness is provided. Carbon nanofibers and spherical particles of PMMA are mixed into a carbon-containing resin such as a polyvinyl chloride resin, and the mixture is carbonized to vaporize the spherical particles of PMMA, thereby forming a porous structure having pores with the carbon nanofibers in a powdered form uniformly dispersed through amorphous carbon. By forming a multilayer structure by combining the porous layer with a layer that does not use PMMA, the density can be further reduced while retaining the stiffness.
US08544589B1
A deflector is attached to a frame on a vehicle in front of a front wheel which cooperates with the front wheel to glance a vehicle past a laterally offset impacting object. The deflector acts as a first boundary against the impacting object and the deflector turns the front wheel inboard to an inwardly turned position to act as a second deflecting boundary against the impacting object. The deflector and inwardly turned front wheel cooperate to deflect the vehicle past the object, such that the object passes outboard of a rocker member on the vehicle.
US08544587B2
A three wheeled vehicle is disclosed having a vehicle frame with a frame sidewall providing a substantially flat surface, with recesses in the flat surface. Alignment arms have inner ends and outer ends, where the inner ends are mounted to the frame sidewall, and the outer ends mount a wheel hub. The inner ends have couplings with pivotal portions and fixed portions, the pivotal portions being at least partially positioned within the recesses, and the fixed portions being attached to the substantially flat surface.
US08544572B2
A car having a rotatable wheel, the car being able to run by rotating the wheel, the car having a leg used by the car for walking, and an attitude stabilization section for stabilizing an attitude of the car.
US08544570B2
A riding lawnmower includes left and right wheels, at least one caster wheel, a lawnmower blade or reel, and a control section. The left and right wheels are independently driven by electric rotary machines to travel. The lawnmower blade or reel is driven for mowing. The control section, in response to turn instruction input by a turn operator, controls the left and right wheels according to preset standard setting conditions, or according to deceleration setting conditions which differ from the standard setting conditions, under which at least one of a vehicle movement speed and vehicle turning speed is decelerated more than under standard setting conditions. The riding lawnmower includes a section designating either standard setting conditions or deceleration setting conditions. In a riding lawnmower, left and right wheels are caused to turn around a turn center position corresponding to a turn instruction according to designated setting conditions.
US08544569B2
An offset rock bit (12) has a steering face (28) and a shoe (30) provided by a recess formed into the steering face (28). A slot (66) formed into the shoe (30) for receiving a pull back adapter (50) in a centrally located position in the forward end of the offset rock bit (12). The pull back 5 adapter (50) has a pull back eye (52) with a central axis (62) which is aligned with a centrally disposed longitudinal axis (20) of the offset rock bit (12) and the tool string (10). This aligns the pull back eye (52) of the pull back adapter (50) with a borehole formed using the offset rock bit (12). The pull back adapter (50) also includes side edges (54, 56) which are configured for centering the pull back adapter (50) and pull back conduit within the borehole.
US08544565B2
Compositions including relatively low reactivity acids and having a pH of from about 2 to about 5, mixed with viscoelastic surfactants (VESs) and internal breakers may serve as fluids, in a non-limiting embodiment as drilling fluids, to open underground hydrocarbon reservoirs with carbonate contents of 10 wt % or above. The fluids initially have low viscosities. After the fluid flows out of the drill bit, the acids react with carbonates in the formation thereby increasing the pH of the fluids causing the VES to gel the fluid at the bottom of the hole and within the formation rock. Even when the subterranean formation contains naturally-occurring fractures, the viscosified fluid will reduce fluid loss into the formation. After drilling through the targeted formation, internal breakers in the viscosified fluids will break down the fluids to permit their removal, and production of the well with very little or no near well bore damage.
US08544562B2
A fluid-powered tool actuator usable with a vehicle having an arm and a rotation link for rotation of the tool actuator in a first plane and being laterally tiltable in a second transverse plane. In some embodiments pressurized fluid is communicated using distribution channels and passageways internal to the actuator to limit use of external hydraulic lines. In some embodiments the tool actuator has certain components in a compressive pre-loaded state to reduce their fatigure failure during operation of the tool actuator under load.
US08544548B2
An apparatus for controlling flow of a fluid into a wellbore tubular may include a flow control device controlling the flow of the fluid; and a disintegrating element associated with the flow control device. The flow control device may be actuated when the disintegrating element disintegrates when exposed to the flowing fluid. The disintegrating element may disintegrate upon exposure to water in the fluid. A method for producing fluid from a subterranean formation includes: configuring an element to disintegrate when exposed to a selected fluid; positioning the element in a wellbore; and actuating a flow control device using the element. The element may disintegrate when exposed to water. Actuating the flow control device may restrict a flow of fluid into a wellbore tubular.
US08544537B1
A drilling rig with top drive assembly consisting of a traveling block housing, sheaves, with axles connected to a pair of links supporting a top drive, and a compressible extendable airbag as a thread compensator for running tubulars into a wellbore, making up tubulars, or breaking tubulars out of a wellbore.
US08544536B2
A coiled tubing injector comprises a drive system for independently driving a plurality of chains independently but otherwise retarding relative motion between the driven chains when a chain begins to slip uncontrollably.
US08544535B2
An integrated wellhead assembly is provided to enable free flow production and artificial lift production from a well without requiring removal and/or reconfiguration of the wellhead assembly. The wellhead assembly includes an upper portion and a lower portion forming an integrated assembly. The upper portion includes a flow tee and at least one set of rams. The lower portion includes a shoulder to receive a hanger. The upper portion may seal the bore of the wellhead assembly and provide full bore access to the bore of the wellhead assembly.
US08544528B2
In a vehicular air conditioning apparatus, a first blower unit is connected by a connection duct to a side portion of a casing having respective air passages defined therein, and a second blower unit separate from the first blower unit is connected to a lower portion of the casing. In addition, air is supplied to the interior of the casing from the first blower unit and is cooled by a first cooling section of an evaporator, whereas air that is supplied from the second blower unit is cooled by passing through a second cooling section in the evaporator, which is separated from the first cooling section by a pair of first and second partitioning members.
US08544525B2
A pull cord mechanism for a window shade includes a frame (1), a shade (2), a shade driving mechanism (3), and a bead chain or pull cord (4) for driving the shade driving mechanism (3). A sliding block (7) is slideably received in a barrel (5) receiving the pull cord (4). A handle (8) is mounted outside of the barrel (5) and connected to the sliding block (7). A pivotal plate (12a) is pivotably supported in a passageway (11) of the sliding block (7). A recess is defined in one of a rear side (12a1) of the pivotal plate (12a) and a wall (11a) of the passageway (11) facing the rear side (12a1). A positioning block (12c) is located between the rear side (12a1) of the pivotal plate (12a) and the wall (11a) of the passageway (11). A gear (12b) is located between the section (4a) of the pull cord (4) and a front side (12a2) of the pivotal plate (12a) opposite to the rear side (12a1).
US08544521B2
A mobile tarping system has a framework with a base section and a height adjustable main section connected to a cradle support. A rolled up tarp within the cradle support, can be unrolled and retracted by a spring-loaded roll-out and retraction assembly or a manual crank for covering the open container. The system is separate and independent from the container. Wheels extending from the base section permit the mobile tarping system to be transported between various containers, when a given container is filled with loose debris and must be covered.
US08544519B2
The present invention is to provide a tack labeler capable of automatically adhering tack labels without using release papers to articles to be adhered. The present invention is provided with a roll holder 10 for rotatably holding a base material pair roll MPR, a reeling-out unit 20 for reeling out a label formation base material pair LMP from the base material pair roll MPR set in the roll holder 10, a base material pair accumulation unit 30 for accumulating the reeled label formation base material pair LMP, a delivering unit 40 for bringing out and delivering the label formation base material pair LMP from the base material pair accumulation unit 30, a separating-delivering unit 50 for separating the delivered label formation base material pair LMP into label formation base materials LM and delivering the label formation base materials LM, cut units 60 for cutting the separated and delivered label formation base materials LM by predetermined length so as to form individual tack labels, and adhering units 70 for adhering the tack labels cut off from the label formation base materials LM to containers C conveyed to adhering positions.
US08544518B2
A supply group of a packing band from reels, with an automatic change of the reel for an object-packing machine, includes a supply conveyor along which the packing band runs, a device for transversally cutting the band located at a start of the supply conveyor, a device for supporting one reel of the band of slim packing material and a device for supporting a second reel of band of slim packing material. The group includes a first entry conveyor of the first band from the first reel to the supply conveyor, a second entrance conveyor of the second band from the second reel to the supply conveyor, a device for advancing for introducing or extracting the front end of the first band to or from the supply conveyor, and a device for advancing for introducing or extracting a front end of the second band into or from the supply conveyor.
US08544514B2
A spoked wheel rim for a wheeled vehicle, a mounted assembly incorporating this rim for such a vehicle and a method for assembling this mounted assembly is provided. This rim has two rim edges and a rim bottom covered by an annular ribbon that is flexible and sealed against the inflation gas that is intended to receive a tire and that is fitted with an inflation valve for inflating this tire. The ribbon includes a central portion conforming to the shape of this rim bottom and two lateral portions protruding axially from these rim edges. The lateral portions are capable of having a portion of their axial width cut off by the detachment of two respective peripheral sections of these lateral portions, so that this ribbon extends from one of the said edges to the other following this detachment.
US08544512B2
A sipe formed in a block of a tread surface is provided with a first sipe portion having a first wide portion, a second sipe portion having a second wide portion in a different side from the first wide portion in a sipe width direction and positioned close to a sipe bottom portion side of the first sipe portion so as to become wider than the first sipe portion, and a third sipe portion having a third wide portion in the same side as the first wide portion in the sipe width direction and positioned close to a sipe bottom portion side of the second sipe portion so as to become wider than the second sipe portion.
US08544511B2
A tire is provided having a plurality of shoulder blocks separated by axial grooves and located along at least one side of the tire. Apertures extend through the shoulder blocks to connect with a circumferential groove. The apertures are located within a certain radial position relative to the axial grooves. Each aperture has a bottom positioned at a radial depth HB relative to the shoulder block and extends completely through the shoulder block along the axial direction. Each aperture has a radial overlap HL with the axial grooves. The ratio HL/Ho is about 0.15 or less and the ratio of HB/H is in the range of about 1.0 to about 1.1.
US08544510B2
Provided is a pneumatic tire with noise reducer, which can reduce the cost for manufacturing a noise reducer and which can keep the effect to suppress cavity resonance. The pneumatic tire with noise reducer 1 comprises a pneumatic tire 3 and a noise reducer 7 attached to a tire cavity surface 6 of the tire. The noise reducer 7 is formed into a ring shape by butting both end faces 12e of elongated sponge material 12 disposed along the tire circumferential direction. In the noise reducer 7, moreover, a butt-joint face 8 formed by butting both of the end faces 12e of the sponge material 12 is a substantive plane.
US08544499B2
A simplified variable orifice for a conduit furnishing a stream of particulate coal to a burner for a turbine in an electrical utility plant. Two plates are installed across the conduit, one of them being fixed and the other being variable in angular position relative to the first. A lockable mechanism is provided externally of the conduit to manually adjust the degree of blocking and to indicate the position of the movable plate.
US08544497B2
Fluid transfer apparatus including a body having a bore formed through at least a portion of its interior. Contained within the bore is a movable plunger that moves without changing the axial dimensions of the body. A first end of the body contains a face designed to be attached to an upstream component. A second end of the body is connected to a downstream component such as a filter, pipeline, etc. A first end of the plunger, when it is in the closed position, is in alignment with the face of the body, which combined form a steamable surface and a sterile barrier against the environment to the remainder of the interior of the body, the plunger and downstream components. An outer annular collar is rotatable relative to the body and causes the plunger to move axially within the bore from an open to a closed position.
US08544487B1
The accessorized cane device provides advantages such as the focus on handle comfort. The lower rounded edges of the t-handle add to comfort, as does the t-handle itself. High density memory foam further adds to handle comfort, as does the finger slot. The sprung sliding action of the two sleeves contributes to comfort and function. The release mechanism may provide sprung use and un-sprung use. The spring loaded button is disposed conveniently within the bottom of the t-handle. The clock even provides an alarm and therefore offers further advantage. The light is especially useful, as placing a cane during walking in low light conditions can be extremely hazardous to a user. The stand provides for more secure standing for a user, and also for allowing the cane device to stand by itself.
US08544475B2
A packaging and applicator assembly may include: a container containing a composition for application, the composition including magnetic bodies; a magnetic device configured to enable a pattern to be made on at least one layer of composition applied on keratinous materials; and at least one item of information representative of a pattern that can be made on the composition with the magnetic device.
US08544463B2
A respiratory access assembly includes a distal plate having one port and cuff and an axially aligned proximal plate including a first port and first cuff and a second port and second cuff. The distal plate is configured to move relative to the proximal plate. The respiratory access assembly includes an actuator, which has a plurality of predetermined positions. The actuator includes a blocking portion that controls the movement of the plates. The blocking portion moves slidably within an O-ring that prevents loss of pressure from the artificial airway system. The O-ring may be molded in place using an injection molding process, thus ensuring good adhesion to the disk.
US08544461B2
A device and a process for the heating and humidification of gas, especially respiratory gas. Fluid from a fluid reservoir is supplied to a sprinkling type chamber where, for the purpose of humidification, it is moved through the gas. The point is that the fluid is heated by a temperature controlled heater to a preset temperature. In addition to the description of the device, a description of the process underlying the operation of the device is described.
US08544455B1
A band-powered speargun has a release mechanism incorporating a line-drop feature for releasing a coiled line attached to a spear. An approach to attaching the line to the spear involves a linking ring having a size selected so that the ring passes over a protective cone near the spear tip and is captured by an element protruding outward from the spear shaft. The protective cone also shields hinged barbs from impact damage.
US08544453B2
A supercharger cooling system provides a path for coolant from an air/coolant heat exchanger to a supercharger intercooler and loops around a hot outlet end of a screw type supercharger and back to the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger may be a dedicated air/coolant heat exchanger or be a vehicle radiator. The intercooler is sandwiched between the supercharger and intake manifold and cools the flow of hot compressed air from the supercharger into the intake manifold. The supercharger cooling loop circles the front rotor bearings thereby cooling the bearings and seals, the forward ends of the male and female rotors, and the male and female rotor gears. The cooling loop is preferably located in the outlet end wall between the supercharger rotors and the rotor drive gears to form a barrier to heat. A dedicated pump cycles the coolant flow and restrictions control the flow of coolant to the supercharger.
US08544451B2
According to the present teaching, a fuel vapor processing apparatus includes a fuel tank, a canister capable of adsorbing fuel vapor produced in the fuel tank, a fuel pump disposed within the fuel tank, a fuel recovery device configured to recover the fuel vapor from the canister into the fuel tank, and a control device configured to stop recovery of the fuel vapor by the fuel recovery device based on at least one of parameters representing the amount of the fuel vapor remaining within the canister.
US08544442B2
A method for the production of a multi-part piston for an internal combustion engine involves producing an upper piston part having a piston crown as well as an inner and an outer support element, and producing a lower piston part having a skirt and having pin boss supports and pin bosses connected with the pin boss supports, and an inner and an outer support element. A separate cooling oil collector having at least one cooling oil opening is inserted into the upper piston part or the lower piston part. The upper piston part and the lower piston part are connected in such a manner that the inner and outer support elements of the upper and lower piston parts, delimit an outer circumferential cooling channel and a cavity that is open toward the pin bosses and provided with the cooling oil collector.
US08544441B2
A piston for an internal combustion engine including a piston body (20). The piston body (20) defines a first cooling chamber (46) that is sealed closed and contains a first cooling medium (48) other than air. During operation of the piston, the first cooling medium (48) extracts heat from the surrounding regions of the piston body (20) to cool the piston body (20). The piston body (20) also defines a second cooling chamber (50) adjacent to the first cooling chamber (46). A cooling oil (51) is projected into the second cooling chamber (50) and against the portion of the piston body (20) separating the first and second cooling chambers (46, 50) to extract heat from the first cooling medium (48). The cooling oil (51) is redirected within the second cooling chamber (50) to extract additional heat from the first cooling medium (48) or directly from the piston body (20).
US08544440B2
A marine vessel propulsion device includes an engine, an intake pathway which has a gas flow hole in the inner surface thereof and is arranged to supply air to the engine, and an air restrictor disposed on the upstream side with respect to the gas flow hole of the intake pathway. The air restrictor has a vent hole, and is arranged to restrict the amount of air to flow into the engine via the intake pathway. The vent hole of the air restrictor is arranged at a position which is near the inner surface of the intake pathway and corresponds to the gas flow hole.
US08544435B2
A hydraulic valve lifter apparatus including a seal at the interface of a pushrod seat and a pushrod is provided herein. In one form, the hydraulic valve lifter apparatus includes a body, a piston slidably disposed within the body including a pushrod seat for contacting a pushrod, and a seal located between the pushrod seat and the pushrod.
US08544424B2
A system, a controller, and a method for transmitting and distributing a data stream from a host to a storage device having a non-volatile memory and a chip are provided. A specific mark is added into a data stream which is transmitted from the host to the storage device, such that the data stream can be dispatched to the chip by transmitting a write command. Then, a response message generated by the chip can be received inerrably by executing a plurality of read commands.
US08544421B2
An animal control pole has a first end adapted to be held by a user, and a second end adapted to ensnare and assist in the control of an animal. The pole has an axial bore extending therethrough and a cable that extends through the axial bore and extends from each end of the pole. A retaining element is located at the second end of the pole and retains the free end of the cable that extends from the second end, so as to form a closed animal engageable adjustable loop. The animal control pole includes dual release mechanisms. A first release mechanism releases the free end of the cable that extends through the second end of the pole. A second release mechanism forces an additional length of cable through the axial bore of the second end and thereby increases the size of the loop.
US08544412B1
A holder for frictionally holding a container of pre-packaged pet food has a bowl into which the container of pre-packaged pet food in placed and an anchor arm extending radially outwardly from the bowl. A plurality of ribs protrude inwardly from the inside walls of the bowl. The ribs terminate in edges having a compound curvature which frictionally engage the outside walls of the prepackaged container of pet food to the extent that it cannot easily be dislodged by the efforts of a pet to consume the food that is in the container. The pet food holder is provided with a slip resistant bottom surface and is manufactured from a material that has sufficient elastomeric properties that the cavity can accommodate pre-packaged containers of various sizes and shapes and sufficient frictional properties as to promote frictional interaction with the surface upon which the pet feeder is placed. The anchor arm can be engaged by the pet's paw or wedged under fixed objects to further prevent it from moving about as the pet consumes its contents.
US08544411B2
A plasma processing apparatus comprises a processing chamber in which a plurality of substrates are stacked and accommodated; a pair of electrodes extending in the stacking direction of the plurality of substrates, which are disposed at one side of the plurality of substrates in said processing chamber, and to which high frequency electricity is applied; and a gas supply member which supplies processing gas into a space between the pair of electrodes.
US08544408B2
A system for applying a metal particulate onto an object is disclosed herein. The system can include sources for a metal particulate and a hot pressurized air in communication with a spraying device having a nozzle assembly configured to: receive, mix, and expel the metal particulate and the hot pressurized air. The hot pressurized air can form a venturi effect within the nozzle assembly to draw in the metal particulate. The nozzle assembly can include a nozzle cap with a tapered nozzle having a helical channel, and an outer tip connected to the nozzle cap having a venturi effect chamber, a mixing conduit, and rifling. The helical channel can form a vortex flow of the metal particulate, and the mixing conduit can form a vortex flow of the air metal mixture. A nozzle orifice can expel the air metal mixture to onto the object to form a coating thereon.
US08544407B2
An attachment module for a safety cone permitting a variety of safety enhancing devices to be easily attached to the cone. The attachment module comprising a top ring and a bottom ring joined together to form an assembly. The top ring and bottom ring sized to conform to a predefined safety cone angle or range of angles, the assembly having an attachment arm for attaching a safety-enhancing device. Examples of safety enhancing devices include, but are not limited to a flag, a sign, a safety tape holder, a light, or other safety-enhancing device. The assembly may be placed over a safety cone and is held secure by gravity and the wedge of the cone angle. Safety enhancing devices may then be attached to the module and thus to the cone to improve the effectiveness of the cone.
US08544405B1
The density of “ready for take-off” aircraft on a flight deck of a ship is increased by orienting the aircraft at orientation angles between 20° and 180° from dead ahead. Preferred ships are modified from, or utilize a design derived from an existing ship, especially a large containership or other commercial ship. One or more payload staging decks can be advantageously located under the flight deck. All suitable types of aircraft are contemplated, including especially helicopters, tilt-rotors, and other rotorcraft. In preferred embodiments at least three, five, or ten aircraft are vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. Also in preferred embodiments, at least five of the first plurality of the aircraft are capable of carrying a payload greater than 20,000 pounds.
US08544402B2
An offshore structure having a vertically symmetric hull, an upper vertical wall, an upper inwardly-tapered wall disposed below the upper vertical wall, a lower outwardly-tapered wall disposed below the upper sloped wall, and a lower vertical wall disposed below the lower sloped wall. The upper and lower sloped walls produce significant heave damping in response to heavy wave action. A heavy slurry of hematite and water ballast is added to the lower and outermost portions of the hull to lower the center of gravity below the center of buoyancy. The offshore structure includes one or more movable hawser connections that allow a vessel to be moored directly to the offshore structure during offloading. The movable hawser connection includes an arcuate rail with a movable trolley that provides a hawser connection point that allows vessel weathervaning.
US08544401B2
A cleat attachable device for attachment to a cleat with horns. The device includes a frame having a base end, a distal end, a center post, and lateral posts. The lateral posts are disposed opposite one another and connected to the center post. The lateral posts each have a respective outer edge opposite one another. The outer edges are spaced apart at the base end at a distance. The distance is at least as great as a length of the horns. The center post has a mounting end projecting beyond the lateral sides at the base end. The mounting end is configured for mounting to the cleat.
US08544399B2
A method for producing a composite part is provided that includes the steps of obtaining a fibrous mat having an outer surface; stitching an ornamental feature over the outer surface of the fibrous mat; and encapsulating the fibrous mat with the ornamental feature stitched therein in a transparent matrix with the ornamental feature outwardly visible through the matrix.
US08544398B2
In one embodiment, an agricultural row unit for use with a towing frame hitched to a tractor includes an attachment frame adapted to be rigidly connected to the towing frame. A support member is pivotably coupled to the attachment frame to permit vertical pivoting movement of the support member relative to the attachment frame, and at least one furrow-closing device is mounted on the support member. A hydraulic cylinder is coupled to the support member for urging the row unit frame downwardly toward the soil. The hydraulic cylinder includes a movable ram extending into the cylinder, and a hydraulic-fluid cavity within the cylinder for receiving pressurized hydraulic fluid for urging the ram in a first direction that pivots the support member in a first vertical direction. An accumulator has a fluid chamber containing a pressurized gas for urging the ram in a second direction that pivots the support member in a second vertical direction.
US08544397B2
An agricultural row unit for use with a towing frame hitched to a tractor includes an attachment frame adapted to be rigidly connected to the towing frame, a linkage pivotably coupled to the attachment frame, and a row unit frame having a leading end pivotably coupled to the linkage to permit vertical pivoting movement of the row unit frame relative to the attachment frame. A hydraulic cylinder coupled to the attachment frame and the linkage, for urging the row unit frame downwardly toward the soil, includes a movable ram extending into the cylinder, and a hydraulic-fluid cavity within the cylinder for receiving pressurized hydraulic fluid for advancing the ram in a direction that pivots the linkage and the row unit frame downwardly toward the soil. An accumulator positioned adjacent to the hydraulic cylinder has a fluid chamber containing a diaphragm, with the portion of the chamber on one side of the diaphragm being connected to the hydraulic-fluid cavity in the hydraulic cylinder, and the portion of the chamber on the other side of the diaphragm containing a pressurized gas.
US08544389B2
A guide rail that is provided in a track and is brought into contact with a guide wheel of a vehicle to restrict a rolling direction of a running wheel of the vehicle, to thereby guide the vehicle along the track, includes: a rail that comprises a guide portion formed with a guide rail surface with which the guide wheel is brought into contact; and a vibration-isolating member that is provided so as to be in contact with a back surface of the guide rail surface of the guide portion.
US08544386B2
Embodiments herein comprise an apparatus that includes a printing engine and an interposer adapted to receive printed sheets from the printing engine. The interposer adds insert sheets between printed sheets. The interposer includes a decurler positioned within the interposer so as to decurl the printed sheets after the interposer adds the insert sheets. The printing engine adds a curl to the printed sheets and the decurler removes the curl from the printed sheets. The decurler can comprise a roller-based decurler, a heated decurler, a pressure based decurler, and/or a moisture-vacuum based decurler.
US08544367B2
A socket for a wrench comprises a fixed portion provided with a first fastener receiving aperture and a rotatable portion provided with a second fastener receiving aperture. The fixed and rotatable portions are disposed such that the first and second fastener receiving apertures are in overlying relationship to define a fastener receiving space and the rotatable portion is rotatable with respect to the fixed portion to adjust the fastener receiving space.
US08544366B2
A spark plug removal tool apparatus and method for a spark plug having components of an extended smooth spark arc producing terminal portion, an adjacent helical threaded portion, an adjacent hex drive, an adjacent insulator portion, and a terminal electrical interface extension. The tool apparatus includes a non rotating collet extension having a plurality of fingers to removably engage the electrical interface and an inner surrounding sidewall that threadably engages the collet, also an outer surrounding sidewall rotatably engaged to the inner surrounding sidewall not having one-way axial movement as between the inner and outer surrounding sidewalls, wherein the collet, inner, and outer surrounding sidewalls are all co-axial. Operationally, when the tool starts to unscrew the spark plug from an engine head, an axial non-rotating force is applied to the electrical interface extension that helps prevent separating damage between the spark plug components.
US08544362B2
A crankshaft flange protector comprising a cover having a top wall, a bottom wall and a sidewall, the top wall having a recessed portion formed of an interior sidewall and a recessed portion bottom wall sized to correspondingly receive and support the crankshaft flange therein.
US08544358B1
An actuating device for selecting gear steps in a gearshift transmission. The actuating device comprises a selector lever that can be moved between at least two drive-setting positions and a locking mechanism for restricting the movement range of the lever and locking certain positions or for locking the selector lever. The locking mechanism comprises a locking recess connected to the selector lever and a blocking cam that can be rotated by an actuator. The cam engages in the locking recess. Complex locking tasks are possible with the simplified actuating device. In addition, the range of movement of the selector lever can be freely positioned largely variably and its width can be changed. Furthermore, the selector lever of the actuating device is movable by the actuator or locked in a desired position.
US08544351B2
Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for characterizing the flowability of a dry powder, and particularly for use with toner particles. The methods and apparatuses use an optionally transparent or semi-transparent cylindrical container. When the container is partially filled with dry powder, the dry powder is aerated and torque measurements are then taken while rotating the container to determine the flowability of the dry powder.
US08544337B2
An impact sensor includes a piezoelectric transducer operatively connected to a chromic device. The chromic device includes a chromic material that changes from a first color state to a second color state in response to electric power generated by the piezoelectric transducer when exposed to a given level of impact force. The chromic material is bistable so that the chromic material remains in the second color state for a significant amount of time. An impact force to which the sensor has been subjected may be quantified by observing the chromic device. In one embodiment, the chromic material is an electrochromic material, such as a viologen, that changes through a color gradient of light transmission states from the first color state to the second color state. A printed color gradient may be used to aid in quantifying the impact force. In another embodiment, the chromic device includes a thermochromic material.
US08544324B2
A sensor device, method of fabricating the same, and a method of sensing a physical quantity. The sensor device comprises a substrate; a flexure member, one end of the flexure member being attached to the substrate, and a free end of the flexure member having an edge surface; a counter surface formed on the substrate such that the counter surface faces the edge surface of the flexure member and such that a separation distance between the counter surface and the edge surface remains substantially constant for movement of the edge surface as a result of flexure of the flexure member, each of the edge surface and the counter surface including one or more conductor layers disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to a flexure direction of the flexure member; and means for applying an electrical potential difference between the conductors of the edge surface and the conductors of the counter surface for detecting a quantum tunnelling current therebetween.
US08544323B2
A sensor device includes: a sensor component including a package, connection terminals including first connection terminals on a terminal forming surface of the package and a sensor element housed in the package; and mounting leads including a one-end part coupled to one first connection terminal so that a main surface thereof faces a main surface of the one first connection terminal face; an intermediate part extending toward a mounting surface of the sensor device from the one-end part; and another-end part. The sensor component is tilted or orthogonal relative to the mounting surface. The connection terminals are provided along one of the sides forming an outline of the terminal forming surface, the one side being tilted or orthogonal with respect to the mounting surface. The intermediate part includes an angled part.
US08544317B2
A method and apparatus provide for simultaneously moving multiple semiconductor wafers in opposite directions while simultaneously performing processing operations on each of the wafers. The semiconductor wafers are orientated in coplanar fashion and are disposed on stages that simultaneously translate in opposite directions to produce a net system momentum of zero. The die of the respective semiconductor wafers are processed in the same spatial sequence with respect to a global alignment feature of the semiconductor wafer. A balance mass is not needed to counteract the motion of a stage because the opposite motions of the respective stages cancel each other.
US08544308B2
The invention relates to a roll stand comprising at least one roll (1) having a rotation axis (a), said roll being supported in two installed parts (2, 3) disposed in the axial end regions of the roll (1) and each having a center plane (M), wherein the roll (1) can be positioned in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction (F) of the product to be rolled by means of at least one positioning element (4). In order to be able to introduce a bending moment acting counter to the roll bending moment into the roller in a simple manner and without additional elements, according to the invention, each installed part (2, 3) is connected to a bending lever (5, 6) and the positioning element (4) is disposed such that the positioning force thereof is introduced into the bending lever (5, 6) at a location (G) removed from the center plane (M) of the installed part (2, 3), and thereby into the installed part (2, 3).
US08544306B2
A plug includes a front edge portion having a convex curvature; a cylindrical portion having a truly or nearly cylindrical shape; a trunk portion having an outer diameter gradually increasing toward a rear edge thereof; a mandrel joint provided in a rear edge portion of the plug; a lubricant ejection hole running through the trunk portion from the mandrel joint that opens on the surface of the cylindrical portion; and a coating comprising oxides and Fe that is formed on the base metal surface of each of the front edge portion as well as the trunk portion by arc spraying using an iron wire. In this way, the plug can prevent inner surface flaws from occurring in a hollow blank that is deformed by piercing-rolling, and can extend its life without requiring a long time for making it.
US08544297B2
A process and apparatus is provided for enhancing the formation of a uniform population of hollow glass microspheres. A burner head is used which directs incoming glass particles away from the cooler perimeter of the flame cone of the gas burner and distributes the glass particles in a uniform manner throughout the more evenly heated portions of the flame zone. As a result, as the glass particles are softened and expand by a released nucleating gas so as to form a hollow glass microsphere, the resulting hollow glass microspheres have a more uniform size and property distribution as a result of experiencing a more homogenous heat treatment process.
US08544290B2
A single medium voltage starter box is mounted on a chiller unit with the other components of the chiller system. The starter box can be positioned on the chiller system unit to permit the starter box to be close coupled to the motor, and specifically to the main motor lead exit hub without the need for any power conduit connections between the starter box and the motor. In addition, the starter box also does not require any control interface and receives controls from a control panel. A short conduit connection between the control panel and the starter box is used to provide the necessary connections between the control panel and the starter box.
US08544288B2
The present invention provides a method for enhancing dehumidification of a conditioned space, while optimizing the effectiveness of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) devices that are present in the HVAC system. After the system compressor is shut off, the actual space humidity is compared to the desired humidity. If the actual humidity is very close to or lower than the desired level the indoor blower (air handler) is allowed to continue running. However, if the actual humidity is greater than the desired level by a specified amount, the blower is forced off for a period of time proportional to the difference between the actual and desired humidity. At the next compressor activation, the blower is allowed to run as normal.
US08544283B2
A condenser evaporator system includes: a condenser constructed for condensing a gaseous refrigerant from the source of compressed gaseous refrigerant; a controlled pressure receiver for holding liquid refrigerant; a first liquid refrigerant feed line for conveying liquid refrigerant from the condenser to the controlled pressure receiver; an evaporator for evaporating liquid refrigerant; and a second liquid refrigerant feed line for conveying liquid refrigerant from the controlled pressure receiver to the evaporator. The condenser evaporator system can be provided as multiple condenser evaporator systems operating from a source of compressed gaseous refrigerant.
US08544273B2
A solar thermal power plant is provided. The plant includes a steam-electric power plant associated with a steam generation system operationally connected thereto for providing heat to drive its operation, a solar collection system designed to heat thermal fluid and is in communication with the steam-electric power plant to provide heat thereto for driving its operation, and a non-solar power plant including a power generation unit and a waste heat recovery unit. The solar thermal power plant further includes a controller configured to selectively operationally connect the solar collection system and the waste heat recovery unit to the steam-electric power plant to provide heat thereto.
US08544272B2
A method for generating steam for a turbine electric power plant uses solar radiation. Solar radiation is directed onto a solar receiver. The solar receiver includes a first section, which receives feedwater input and is arranged to heat the feedwater input to generate steam using the directed solar radiation. Feedwater flows through a feedwater vessel to serve as feedwater input to an inlet of the first section of the receiver. Water is separated from the steam in steam separation vessel, which is in fluid communication with an outlet of the first section of the receiver. The feedwater input may be selectively preheated by a source of preheat other than solar energy in response to system operating conditions, predicted insolation schedule, or an electrical energy tariff schedule.
US08544265B2
A hydraulic pressure multiplier having a housing, a bore in the housing and an outer piston slidably positioned within the bore. The pressure multiplier also includes an inner piston having a bore therethrough, the inner piston being positioned within a bore within the outer piston. An opening is provided through an end wall of the outer piston, and a mechanism is provided to selectively control hydraulic fluid flow into the bore within the outer piston. Hydraulic fluid first flows through the opening in the outer piston and through the bore through the inner piston to actuate a slave cylinder or a hydraulic piston within a brake. After a threshold pressure is reached within the slave cylinder, the valve closes and the outer piston is caused to move axially, thereby providing an increased hydraulic pressure within the slave cylinder.
US08544259B2
An exhaust purification system of an internal combustion engine is provided with an exhaust treatment device which purifies exhaust, a fuel feed device which is arranged at an upstream side from the exhaust treatment device and which feeds fuel to the engine exhaust passage, an ignition device which causes fuel which is fed from the fuel feed device to ignite, and a flow regulating device which regulates the flow rate of exhaust gas which flows toward the ignition device. The fuel feed device is formed so as to feed liquid fuel. The system has an operating region in which due to the fuel which is fed to the engine exhaust passage burning, backflow of the exhaust gas occurs. Fuel is made to burn in the operating region. Further control is performed to make the flow rate of the exhaust gas increase during the period from when combustion of fuel should be started to when combustion of the fuel ends.
US08544257B2
The present invention provides an electrically stimulated catalytic converter for treating engine exhaust from a vehicle engine. The electrically stimulated catalytic converter includes an exhaust conduit having one end thereof adapted to be connected to an exhaust pipe, and the other end thereof opened to the atmosphere outside the vehicle or connected to a reduced-size catalytic converter; and a corona charger apparatus operatively connected to the exhaust conduit. The corona charger apparatus is housed with a housing unit disposed between the ends the exhaust conduit. The corona charger is intrusively or non-intrusively associated with a main flow path defined by the exhaust conduit. The corona charger includes at least one electrode which may be recessed away from the main flow path. A plurality of corona chargers may be used in various combinations. The electrically stimulated catalytic converter is adapted to reduce exhaust pollution.
US08544242B2
When sheets (1, 2) with different sizes are processed to a mail item, sheets (1, 2) with different sizes in conveying direction are supplied along first and second conveyor tracks, gathered into a stack and then folded. The folding of the stacked set (7) takes place with at least one predetermined folding length (a). In response to a difference between the folding length (a) and the size of the sheet (2) of the second size, which is within a predetermined range, the conveyor tracks (5, 6) are controlled by the control structure (9) for combining at least the sheets (1, 2) with leading edges (10, 11) at a mutual distance in the conveying direction (3) and with trailing edges (12, 13) at a mutual distance in the conveying direction (3) to form the set (7). From the combining until the folding, the sheets (1, 2) are mutually fixed and during folding, at least one fold (14) is provided in the sheets (1, 2).
US08544228B2
A spacer for an anchor includes a base having first and second sides. The first side is adapted for engagement with an anchor. At least two spikes extend from the second end of the base. An opening is provided within the base.
US08544220B2
A procedure for making swimming pools and artificial lakes in general includes the following steps: excavation of a tank; preparation of a subgrade by spreading the bottom of the excavation with a layer of sand; then spreading one or more sheets of nonwoven fabric on the inside surface of the excavation, over the layer of the subgrade; placement of a waterproofing layer over the sheet(s) of nonwoven fabric; installation of the equipment needed for proper functioning of the tank, swimming pool, etc; and application of a coating on the inside walls and/or on the bottom and/or around the edge of the tank, with holes or interstitial spaces such to enable water contained inside the tank to come into contact with the sheets, wherein the thrust of the water contained in the tank thus comes to bear on the sheets.
US08544219B1
A system adapted to remove radon gas and drainage liquid from a subterranean chamber or basement having a floor and an ambient environment. The system has a drainage channel forming a drainage portion and a venting portion. A valve is located between the drainage portion and the venting portion. Drainage liquid flows into the drainage portion and from the drainage portion through the valve into the venting portion. A pressure gradient is between the drainage portion and the venting portion. The valve substantially prevents the ambient environment from entering the venting portion while allowing drainage liquid to flow from the drainage portion into the venting portion.
US08544217B2
A building panel and a building formed therefrom, where the building includes a plurality of building panels arranged to form a cylindrical shape, where each panel comprises a single, or monolithic, glass piece, where each glass piece is substantially rectangular and includes two opposing long sides extending in a height direction and two opposing short sides extending substantially in a width direction, and where each glass piece forms an identical circular arc when viewed from either of the two opposing short sides.
US08544214B2
A wind turbine tower assembly includes a tubular section having a first longitudinal axis and a base section assembly including a plurality of legs. The base section assembly is configured to be assembled into a base section having the legs coupled together at an interface such that the base section has a second longitudinal axis and such that the legs are obliquely oriented relative to the second longitudinal axis at the interface, wherein the base section is configured to support the tubular section on the legs and in substantially coaxial alignment with the base section.
US08544205B2
An increase in the total grain and biomass yields and photosynthetic rates of plants grown at high densities achieved by novel methods of defoliating the primary-source leaf of a majority of such plants. In particular the methods provide for increased grain and biomass yields, including for example, increased average kernel mass for maize plants, and photosynthetic rates through the timely removal of the primary-source leaf of a majority of the plants grown at high densities. This invention also relates to seeds obtained by using the disclosed methods.
US08544203B2
A projectile cartridge device designed with internal sighting and aiming system, which incorporates and leverages electromagnetic radiation as the means for aiming the projectile.
US08544202B2
A shooting rest assembly is engageable with a stand for supporting a weapon in the stand. The shooting rest assembly includes a base having at least one clamp for coupling to the stand. A platform is rotatably coupled to the base and has a platform frame and a telescoping member telescopically coupled to the platform frame. The telescoping member is configured to move along a longitudinal axis relative to the platform frame between a retracted position and an extended position. A front rest and a rear rest are spaced along the longitudinal axis and are mounted to the telescoping member in fixed positions so that each of the front rest and the rear rest move with the telescoping member as the telescoping member moves along the longitudinal axis between the retracted and extended positions relative to the longitudinal axis.
US08544200B2
A weapon safety apparatus comprising a sleeve comprising a cavity portion open to receive a trigger portion of a weapon and free of any structures that impede movement of the trigger. The sleeve further comprises a body portion comprising at least one closed portion preventing access to a trigger of the weapon. The sleeve is shaped to provide access to all loading or unloading components of the weapon. The cavity portion of the sleeve may be further open to receive a handle of the weapon. A method for loading and unloading a weapon using the above weapon safety apparatuses is also provided.
US08544199B1
An apparatus for repetitively lifting and lowering objects to create visual patterns having a plurality of units each with a motor, a rotary member, a cord attached at its distal end to the circumferential edge of the rotary member, an attaching mechanism affixed to the proximal end of the cord, and an object removably connected to the attaching mechanism. A computer or microprocessor is provided and programmed to selectively rotate the rotary members to move the objects between selected pre-determined positions along a generally vertical path of travel to establish a geometric pattern of repetitive elements.
US08544198B2
The present device relates to a license plate holder, and more specifically to a license plate holder with illumination for attachment to remote locations on a vehicle. The license plate holder includes a backing plate sized for attachment of a license plate. A support member extends outwardly from the backing plate and is sized and shaped for insertion into a boat rod holder. A self-contained electrical system is included in the license plate holder for illumination of the license plate. The self-contained electrical system includes at least one LED, a switch, an electrical storage device and at least one solar panel. The illuminated license plate holder may be mounted on a watercraft while being hauled on a trailer so that the license plate is not subject to scraping, mutilation, or destruction; as typically occurs when a license plate is affix to a trailer.
US08544197B2
An article of footwear may have an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The upper includes an illuminable panel and a plurality of strands positioned to extend adjacent and parallel to the illuminable panel. The illuminable panel has a surface with a covered area and an exposed area. The covered area includes a substantially opaque covering, and the exposed area is at least partially visible from the exterior of the footwear. The strands are located to correspond with the exposed area of the illuminable panel. Light from the exposed area of the illuminable panel may enhance, highlight, or otherwise increase the visibility of the strands or areas of the upper that include the strands.
US08544189B2
A modular sole assembly system for footwear and components thereof.
US08544188B2
A dryer is provided. The dryer may include a main body having an inner space formed therein, a support body arranged in the main body so as to form a frame of the main body, a flexible drum rotatably installed on the support body so as to have a non-circular cross-section as it is rotated, and rotation guides arranged between the support body and the flexible drum so as to guide rotation of the flexible drum. A distance from a center of rotation of an inscribed circle contacting the inner circumferential surface of the flexible drum to one random point on the inner circumferential surface of the flexible drum is greater than a distance from the center of rotation of the inscribed circle to another point on the inscribed circle such that the drum maintains a non-circular cross section.
US08544180B2
An opacity changing peep sight device is disclosed wherein the peep sight comprises a photochromic substance sensitive to UV light. When there is plenty of available UV light, the peep sight becomes substantially opaque. When there is little available UV light, the peep sight becomes substantially translucent. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08544175B2
An improved method for manufacturing hand guards, utilizing this method multiple sheets can be stacked and then clamped to a XY cutting table to cut multiple patterns therein, subsequently a forming tool or die is used to form complex 3 dimensional shapes in any XY, XZ, YZ or XYZ planes in a single operation.
US08544172B2
A clamping apparatus, for a crimping machine (1), which comprises a crimping tool head (2) with an end wall (9), in a cable feed direction, a crimping tool base body (3) with an anvil (4) and a front knife (21), an insulation stripping apparatus (5); a contact element feed apparatus (6); and a coupling part (7) for coupling the crimping machine (1) to the crimping tool head (2). The clamping apparatus (10) clamping the electric cable (8) to be processed both during the insulation stripping and crimping processes. The clamping apparatus (10) is connected to the crimping tool head (2) via its end wall (9) and is movable vertically with the crimping tool head (2). At least one of the clamping apparatus (10) and the crimping tool head (2) is arranged centrally in a longitudinal direction of the cable path (8′) above the anvil (4) and the front knife (21).
US08544165B2
A method of aligning electronic components comprising providing a positioning member 110 having at least one formation 120 for receiving an electronic component; said at least one formation having lateral boundaries 35, 36 for constraining movement of an electronic component; placing a first electronic component 10a in said at least one formation; and providing a force for actively aligning said first electronic component with a lateral boundary of said at least one formation. The force may, for example, be provided by tilting the positioning member, by providing suction or by using an actuator. An apparatus for aligning electronic components and a 3D system of stacked electronic components is also disclosed.
US08544163B2
A robot is placed on a first surface of a panel. The robot includes a body and first and second feet connected to the body via joints. A flux conducting device is positioned on an opposing second surface of the panel, opposite the robot, so that each foot of the robot is magnetically coupled to the flux conducting device. The flux conducting device is moved along the exterior surface to pull the robot along the interior surface until an obstacle on the first surface is encountered. The robot decouples one of the feet from the flux conducting device, lifts the decoupled foot above the obstacle, and moves the decoupled foot past the obstacle.
US08544160B2
A stent crimping assembly is provided for crimping a stent from a first diameter to a reduced second diameter. The crimping assembly includes a plurality of movable wedges disposed about a rotational axis to form a wedge assembly. Each wedge includes a respective first side and a second side converging to form a tip portion. The tip portions are arranged to collectively form an iris about the rotational axis thereof. The iris defines a crimp aperture about which the movable wedges are disposed. A control unit is electronically programmed to control the mechanical components. A method of calibrating the control unit includes inserting a quill of known diameter into the iris and reducing the diameter of the iris onto the quill.
US08544157B2
A method for producing a liquid transport apparatus includes forming a recess, on a surface of a vibration plate on a side not facing the pressure chamber, in one of areas which are defined by dividing an area overlapping with a pressure chamber in a predetermined direction; forming a piezoelectric layer by depositing particles of a piezoelectric material on the surface of the vibration plate on which the recess is formed so that a thickness of a portion of the piezoelectric layer corresponding to the area formed with the recess is thinner than a thickness of a portion corresponding to an area not formed with the recess; and forming a first electrode, on a surface of the piezoelectric layer on a side not facing the vibration plate, in an area overlapping with the pressure chamber and corresponding to the area of the vibration plate not formed with the recess.
US08544148B2
A traverse rod system for manipulating one or more hanging objects is provided. The traverse rod system includes a hollow longitudinally extending tube having an opening that extends along an upper length of the tube as well as a number of rings that at least partially encircle the tube and that are directly or indirectly coupled with one or more hanging objects. A cord is suspended within the tube and secured by one or more cord carriers, each having a top portion that attaches to one of the rings and a bottom portion that is freely suspended through the opening and into the hollow tube such that other than the cord and the cord carriers, an interior of the hollow tube remains substantially free of structure relating to the traverse rod system. Movement of the cord causes the cord carriers to traverse an interior of the tube while the attached rings traverse an exterior of the tube. As a result, the hanging object(s) move in connection with the cord and the cord carriers in a desired direction or directions.
US08544145B2
A surface treating head in the form of a floor tool for a vacuum cleaner includes a main body, a suction cavity and an outlet. The suction cavity includes first and second suction channels, bounded on both sides by respective working edges. A fluid flow path extends from the first suction channel to the second suction channel and from there to the outlet. The plurality of suction channels permits effective pick-up of dirt. To enable the surface treating head to be used to treat both carpeted floor surfaces and hard floor surfaces, the surface treating head may be provided with a brush unit and a drive mechanism for moving the brush unit between a stowed position and a deployed position.
US08544140B2
A releasable squeegee assembly for coupling to a surface maintenance machine and including a compliant bushing and an over-center lever attached to a pull rod and compliant spring. The compliant bushing is compressed via said over-center lever with said compliant spring providing a spring force. A bushing sleeve is provided to limit the degree of compression of said compliant bushing by the over-center lever. A method of coupling a squeegee assembly to a surface maintenance machine is also provided.
US08544138B2
A windscreen wiper device, particularly for automobiles, includes an elongated wiper blade, which can be placed in abutment with a windscreen to be wiped. The windscreen wiper device includes a connecting device for an oscillating arm, wherein the oscillating arm is pivotally connected with its first end to the connecting device and with its second end to a mounting head on a drive shaft, and wherein the oscillating arm is provided with a longitudinally extending base and two spaced-apart sidewalls extending outwardly along opposite sides of the base to form a tube having an open face. The oscillating arm is produced integrally form a single sheet material, wherein outboard edges of the sidewalls are folded inwardly towards each other to partially close the open face of the tube.
US08544135B2
A towel for cleaning and drying a surface includes a first portion, a second portion, and a pocket formed in the first portion. The first portion includes an underlying layer of material and two outer layers of material. The second portion is formed primarily of a material different from the outer layer of the first portion. The pocket is formed in the first portion between the underlying layer and the outer layer for receiving a user's hand or foot.
US08544132B2
An oral care implement (100), comprising an oral care region (124,127) attached to a body (125), a portion (126) of the body being configured for gripping by a user; a memory configured to store a plurality of audio signals from an external signal source; at least one measurement component configured to measure a parameter of use of the oral care region (124,128); and a processor configured to change output of a first audio signal of the plurality of audio signals to a second audio signal of the plurality of audio signals based on the measured parameter from the at least one measurement component.
US08544131B2
An oral hygiene implement comprising having a handle, head, and a neck extending between the handle and the head is described. The head has a plurality of cleaning elements and/or massaging elements attached to the head. The oral hygiene implement also has a force sensor and an output source. The output source provides a plurality of output signals which correspond to a plurality of conditions to a user.
US08544130B2
Example dock levelers at a truck-loading platform include a stationary curved transition plate extending between a rear edge of the leveler's pivotal deck and a rear edge of a pit at which the leveler is installed. The transition plate has a curved portion that extends underneath the deck's rear edge. The plate provides a smooth transition for forklifts traveling between the platform and the deck, thus reducing and/or minimizing the jarring of the forklift and its driver. To prevent debris and obstructions from getting trapped within the deck's rear hinge, the rear edge of the deck rises up and over the transition plate as the deck pivots upward, thereby providing a self-cleaning effect. With the rear edge of an inclined deck being above the transition plate, water runoff from the deck drains onto the transition plate rather than through the hinge gap to a generally inaccessible area underneath the deck.
US08544118B2
A helmet padding consists of sets of tubes. An armature and tubes are connected and mounted within the shell. A fastener fastens a cage to the shell allowing sides of the cage to be mounted directly against the shell. The shell is molded with recessed portions receiving two branches of the chin bar on each side where they will be fastened to the shell to provide a smooth transition and reduce weight. An adjustment device includes a star wheel on each side of the helmet attached to an arcuate flexible strip extending rearwardly around the occipital area of the skull. A sliding mechanism attached to the strip allows the strip to be moved forward and backward to allow it to be tightened or loosened, respectively, with respect to the player's head. A ratcheting lateral adjustment device is also disclosed.
US08549656B2
Apps are secured or security-wrapped either before they are downloaded onto a device, such as a smartphone or tablet device, or after they are downloaded but before they are allowed to access the device operating system and cause any potential damage to the device. An app provider, such as an employer or a cellphone provider, can secure its apps before consumers download an app from their app store or marketplace. The app is secured before it is allowed to access the operating system of the device, thereby preventing the app from malicious behavior. Core object code of the app is obtained and the digital signature is removed. App object code is substituted with security program object code, thereby creating a security-wrapped app. The security-wrapped app is prepared for execution on the device and is re-signed with a new key.
US08549655B2
Unit for secure processing access controlled audio/video data capable of receiving control messages (ECM) comprising at least one first control word (CW1) and first right execution parameters (C1), at least one second control word (CW2) and second right execution parameters (C2), said processing unit being connected to a first access control device (CA1), said processing unit is characterized in that it comprises: —means for verifying and applying the first right execution parameters (C1) in relation to the contents of a memory (M1) of said first access control device (CA1) and means for obtaining the first control word CW1, —a second access control device (CA2) integrated into the processing unit UT including means for verifying and applying the second right execution parameters (C2) in relation to the contents of a memory (M2) associated to said second access control device (CA2) and means for obtaining the second control word (CW2), —a deciphering module (MD) capable of deciphering, sequentially with the first and the second control word (CW1) and (CW2), the access controlled audio/video data, said control words (CW1) and (CW2) being provided by the first and second access control devices (CA1, CA2) and stored in said deciphering module (MD). A method for secure processing digital access controlled audio/video data carried out by said unit is also an object of the present invention.
US08549644B2
A method for protecting an electronic device against malware includes consulting one or more security rules to determine a processor resource to protect, in a module below the level of all operating systems of the electronic device, intercepting an attempted access of the processor resource, accessing a processor resource control structure to determine a criteria by which the attempted access will be trapped, trapping the attempted access if the criteria is met, and consulting the one or more security rules to determine whether the attempted access is indicative of malware. The attempted access originates from the operational level of one of one or more operating systems of the electronic device.
US08549625B2
A method for identifying malware or unauthorized software communications implemented within a computer infrastructure, the method including detecting an encrypted communication and determining identification data for the encrypted communication. Additionally, the method includes comparing the detected encrypted communication to at least one of a list of applications authorized for encrypted communications using the identification data and a list of authorized destinations of encrypted communications using the identification data. Furthermore, the method includes identifying the detected encrypted communication as an unauthorized encrypted communication in response to a determination that at least one of the detected encrypted communication is from an unauthorized application, which is not on the list of applications authorized for encrypted communications, based on the comparing and the detected encrypted communication is to an unauthorized destination, which is not on the list of authorized destinations.
US08549620B2
An information processing device includes: a local memory unit for storing data including an encrypted content; a memory for storing data including key information used to reproduce the encrypted content; and a data processing unit performing a process of writing data to the local memory unit and the memory, and a process of reproducing the encrypted content, wherein the data processing unit performs a process of writing encrypted content downloaded from a server or encrypted content copied from a medium to the local memory unit, and performs a process of decoding the encrypted content or a validity authenticating process using the data stored in the local memory unit and the data stored in the memory when reproducing the encrypted content written to the local memory unit.
US08549619B2
A system and method is disclosed for authenticating a removable data storage device (RDSD) by implementing a removable trusted information module (TIM) comprising a non-volatile storage medium operable to securely store passwords, digital keys, digital certificates and other security credentials (“security credentials”). An RDSD enclosure comprising a disk storage drive, one or more interfaces, one or more connectors, and a TIM is implemented to be connected, disconnected and reconnected to a plurality of predetermined information handling systems. The RDSD is authenticated by the TIM initiating comparison and cryptographic operations between its contents and the contents of authentication files comprising the RDSD. Once the RDSD has been authenticated, the TIM performs similar operations to authorize access and usage of its contents by the information handling system. Other cryptographic operations are performed to determine whether the integrity of data files has been compromised. Removal of the TIM prevents an information handling system from accessing the contents of the RDSD.
US08549607B2
A system and method for sharing network resources; the system comprising at least one network switch, at least one computing device comprising at least one network connection and at least one storage device containing software capable of initializing and maintaining: (i) a management local area network (MLAN) comprising a virtual or physical firewall; and (ii) a plurality of client virtual local area networks (VLANs), wherein each client VLAN comprises a virtual firewall and a plurality of network resources.
US08549602B2
The invention consists of a method of handling permits, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a user with a user permit linked to a user authentication token, the user permit defining permissions granted to the user and the user token containing identity authentication information for the user; (b) presenting the user token to a gatekeeper to confirm the user's identity; (c) validating the user permit based on the permit issuer's digital signature; and, (d) granting the user access based on said permissions within the user permit.
US08549600B2
A system and method for initiating and maintaining a secure wireless communication between a wireless analyzer and a target network (e.g., a hospital network connected to a LIS and/or HIS). The present disclosure provides novel processes and systems for securely networking a wireless analyzer with a Wi-Fi network without the need for an operator or user to engage in manual initiation steps on, or through, the wireless analyzer.
US08549599B2
A fingerprint authentication server device is disclosed. The fingerprint authentication server device includes a database in which user IDs and the registered fingerprint data of plural users are stored; and a hash value table including user hash values of the user IDs and the registered fingerprint data of the users. The fingerprint authentication server device is configured to receive a hash value of a user ID of a user to be authenticated and a hash value of registered fingerprint data associated with the user ID from a client computer; perform a search in the hash value table to determine whether there are hash values corresponding to the received hash values in the hash value table; and transmit a determination result to the client computer, thereby to cause the client computer to perform a fingerprint authentication process for a user for which correspondence of the hash values has been confirmed.
US08549590B1
Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems and methods for identity authentication using an social network. According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for authenticating an identity of a target person. The method can include determining, from a first system graph, connections between one or more hypothetical identities and a plurality of related entities associated with the one or more hypothetical identities; determining, from a second system graph, one or more real entities associated with the target person; identifying matches comprising common real entities associated with the target person and related entities associated with the one or more hypothetical identities based at least in part on the determined connections; and providing an indication of identity authentication of the target person based at least in part on the identified matches.
US08549585B2
A secure, layered logout of a user session is implemented in a web-based management tool, such as a middleware appliance. A logout strategy is provided to include a set of security levels of varying sensitivity, with each security level having a set of permissions associated therewith and that are enforced upon a timeout. Preferably, each succeeding security level in the set of security levels is reached as time increases from an idle time associated with the user session. Upon expiration of a timeout associated with a security level, the set of permissions associated with the security level are then enforced against at least one managed object while the user session continues. As each next security level is reached, the set of permissions associated with the security level are then enforced (with respect to the managed object or against one or more other managed objects), once again while the user session continues. Each of the objects preferably is managed independently of at least one other object; thus, the layered logout may enforce different permissions with respect to different managed objects while at the time maintaining the user session. If the user takes no action, eventually a timeout associated with a final security level of the set of security levels will occur, at which point the user session is finally terminated.
US08549580B2
A method and apparatus for providing software security is provided. In the software security method, an installation file of software that includes at least one execution file and at least one data file which are stored in a user terminal is executed. Accordingly, at least one virtual execution file corresponding to the at least one execution file and at least one virtual data file corresponding to the at least one data file are installed in a user area of the user terminal, and the at least one execution file, the at least one data file, and a controller for controlling the at least one virtual execution file and the at least one execution file are installed in a security area of the user terminal.
US08549577B2
Example frequency agile band-pass filtering methods disclosed herein include monitoring reception quality of a media broadcast signal received at a headend including a frequency agile band-pass filter to receive the media broadcast signal, sending a first set of commands to cause the frequency agile band-pass filter to tune to and attenuate a first channel included in the media broadcast signal, the first set of commands being sent in response to determining that the first channel is experiencing a degradation of reception quality determined to be caused by a first type of channel interference, and sending subsequent second set of commands over the communication network to the frequency agile band-pass filter to override attenuation processing invoked by the first set of commands in response to determining that the degradation of reception quality is caused by fading in addition to the first type of channel interference.
US08549575B2
A method of synchronizing first and second streams of a multimedia content program is operable for determining a temporal difference indicative of a relative timing between first and second streams of the program, the first stream being provided to a first multimedia processing resource (MPR) and the second stream being provided to a second MPR. The method includes manipulating at least one of the streams to reduce the temporal difference until the temporal difference is less than a predetermined threshold and enabling a viewer of the first stream to interact with a viewer of the second stream regarding the program. Interactions are visually detectable on a first display screen corresponding to the first MPR.
US08549569B2
Presented herein is a method of presenting alternative audio content for an audio/visual content segment, such as a television program or a motion picture. In the method, the audio/visual content segment is received into a media content receiver. The audio/visual content segment includes primary visual content and primary audio content. A request to receive alternative audio content for the audio/visual content segment is transmitted. After transmitting the request, the alternative audio content is received into the media content receiver. The primary audio content is replaced with the alternative audio content to generate a revised audio/visual content segment. The revised audio/visual content is transferred for presentation to a user.
US08549563B2
An interactive television system is provided in which a user can use an interactive television application to establish time-based settings. The user may set television program reminders, advance-order pay-per-view programs, schedule programs for recording, and establish parental controls to prevent television viewing during certain times on certain channels. The interactive television application may be used to support video recorder functions such as personal video recorder functions implemented locally on the user's set-top box or other equipment and network-based video recorder functions implemented using servers at cable television headends and other network locations. The interactive television application may also be used to deliver video-on-demand content. When the user requests that video be delivered, conflicts may arise between the requested video delivery and the previously-established time-based settings. The interactive television application may provide the user with on-screen options that allow the user to select how to resolve these conflicts.
US08549551B2
A system and method for cleaning television viewing behavior data collected from set top boxes by detecting and correcting various problems that can occur in the viewing data. Three problems that may be detected and corrected by the system include: overflows of memory buffers; inclusion of non-human generated tuning events; and presence of clock offsets. After cleaning the television viewing behavior data, the cleaned data may be used to analyze audience viewing behavior in a manner that achieves a higher degree of accuracy than can be achieved by using uncleaned television viewing behavior data.
US08549542B1
Methods and apparatus provide for an event identity manager that defines a topology of resources. The topology of resources represents relationships amongst the resources in a data center and each of the resources comprises resource attributes described in a data model. The event manager acquires event data describing an event that occurred amongst the resources. In addition, the event data comprises a format that is incompatible with the data model. The event manager correlates the event data with the data model in order to determine a locus of the event data within the topology of resources, the locus of the event data being a resource where the event is most likely associated.
US08549537B2
This invention relates to a middleware bridge system, for bridging a kernel space module and a user space middleware having a user space interface, including: a kernel space bridge manager, for providing a kernel space interface to receive function call request from the kernel space module; an user space bridge manager, for bringing a function call relating to the function call request to the user space middleware through the user space interface, and receiving a return data from the user space middleware; wherein the architecture of the kernel space interface is the same with the architecture of the user space interface. The present invention further includes a middleware bridge method thereof.
US08549533B2
Among other things, embodiments described herein enable systems, e.g., Availability Management Forum (AMF) systems, having service units to operate with balanced loads both before and after the failure of one of the service units. A method for balancing standby workload assignments and active workload assignments for a group of service units in a system which employs an N+M redundancy model, wherein N service units are active service units and M service units are standby service units is described. An active workload that the N active service units need to handle is calculated and each of the N active service units in the group is provided with an active workload assignment based on the calculated active workload. Standby workload assignments are distributed among the M standby service units substantially equally.
US08549532B2
A method includes receiving a command for migration of a workload partition having multiple processes from a source machine to a target machine. The method includes executing, for each of the multiple processes at least partially in parallel, an operation to create checkpoint data. The operation to create the checkpoint data provides an estimation of a size of the checkpoint data that is needed for migration, wherein the operation to create the checkpoint data is independent of storing the checkpoint data in the file. The method includes allocating areas within the file for storage of the checkpoint data for each of the multiple processes. The method includes storing the checkpoint data, for each of the multiple processes at least partially in parallel, into the areas allocated within the file based on offsets in the file for each of the multiple processes.
US08549530B1
A distributed networked computer system is provided. The distributed networked computer system receives processing threads from a plurality of workstations and distributes the processing threads to selected processing nodes through a load balancer. The load balancer is configured to recognize certain enterprise users and transfer the processing threads from the certain enterprise users to dedicated processing nodes dedicated to processing threads of those certain users.
US08549529B1
Various embodiments herein provide one or more systems, methods, software, and data structures for executing multiple functions using more than one resource within a computing system. Examples of functions comprise data processing filters and effects. Resources include, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit (GPU). Based on an input graph received from a user, one or more execution graphs may be generated to indicate the resources to be used and data conversions to be performed.
US08549523B2
A computer program product for performing runtime analysis on and control of a multithreaded computer program. One embodiment of the present invention can include identifying threads of a computer program to be analyzed. Under control of a supervisor thread, a plurality of the identified threads can be folded together to be executed as a folded thread. The execution of the folded thread can be monitored to determine a status of the identified threads. An indicator corresponding to the determined status of the identified threads can be presented in a user interface that is presented on a display.
US08549521B2
An approach is provided to allow virtual devices that use a plurality of processors in a multiprocessor systems, such as the BE environment. Using this method, a synergistic processing unit (SPU) can either be dedicated to performing a particular function (i.e., audio, video, etc.) or a single SPU can be programmed to perform several functions on behalf of the other processors in the system. The application, preferably running in one of the primary (PU) processors, issues IOCTL commands through device drivers that correspond to SPUs. The kernel managing the primary processors responds by sending an appropriate message to the SPU that is performing the dedicated function. Using this method, an SPU can be virtualized for swapping multiple tasks or dedicated to performing a particular task.
US08549520B2
Various embodiments described herein provide systems, methods, software, and data structures that may be used in distributed task handling. Some embodiments include a generic architecture for loosely coupled associations of globally managed tasks and artifacts within user defined task descriptions. As a result, such embodiments provide a flexible and adaptable task model.
US08549509B2
A computer-based analysis of an enterprise computer system is utilized to identify pain points that cause the enterprise computer system to operate in a non-optimal or risky manner. Upon identifying the pain points, the enterprise computer system is simulated, and simulations of replacement components that the computer-based analysis has deemed appropriate for curing the pain points are installed in the simulated system. If the computer simulation with the replacement components cures the pain points and causes no new problems for the enterprise computer system, then corresponding actual replacement components are installed in the enterprise computer system.
US08549508B2
A mechanism for performing instruction scheduling based on register pressure sensitivity is disclosed. A method of embodiments of the invention includes performing a preliminary register pressure minimization on program points during a compilation process of a software program running on a virtual machine of a computer system. The method further includes calculating a register pressure at each of the program points, detecting an instruction to be scheduled, and performing instruction scheduling of the instruction based on a current register pressure at a current scheduling point and potential register pressures at subsequent scheduling points.
US08549504B2
An apparatus and method is described herein for conditionally committing and/or speculative checkpointing transactions, which potentially results in dynamic resizing of transactions. During dynamic optimization of binary code, transactions are inserted to provide memory ordering safeguards, which enables a dynamic optimizer to more aggressively optimize code. And the conditional commit enables efficient execution of the dynamic optimization code, while attempting to prevent transactions from running out of hardware resources. While the speculative checkpoints enable quick and efficient recovery upon abort of a transaction. Processor hardware is adapted to support dynamic resizing of the transactions, such as including decoders that recognize a conditional commit instruction, a speculative checkpoint instruction, or both. And processor hardware is further adapted to perform operations to support conditional commit or speculative checkpointing in response to decoding such instructions.
US08549498B2
Integrated trace selection and profiling in dynamic optimizers may include selecting a trace head based on profile of basic blocks that are executed. The basic blocks executed from the trace head may be recorded as a trace. The trace may be added to a trace nursery in non-compiled state. The trace may be interpreted and profiled until the trace matures. Under a profiling mode, path sensitive runtime information such as values, types, targets of call-sites, and exit frequencies can be collected. The trace may be moved out of the nursery to a compilation queue in response to determining that the trace has matured based on an execution count of the profiled trace.
US08549491B2
Provided is to an apparatus for application testing of an embedded system which can cross-develop an application program installed in the embedded system regardless of the type of a target system. A virtual environment for testing the application program adopted in the target system is constructed on the basis of information inputted through a user interface and the application program is tested by configuring a virtual target system in the constructed virtual environment. According to the present invention, the application program adopted in the target system can be developed and tested without constructing a cross-development environment for each target system in an environment in which various kinds of embedded systems are developed.
US08549480B2
Embodiments of a maintenance mode for automated testing are provided. In this regard, an embodiment of a system, among others, comprises a software application; a test script for testing the software application; an object repository comprising objects belonging to the software application; and a maintenance mode, wherein if a step in the test script fails, the maintenance mode prompts a tester to change at least one of the test script and the object repository.
US08549474B2
A method and system for implementing WS-Policy is described. In one embodiment, the system includes an API that may be used to call one or more methods for processing a WS policy file. These methods are associated with one or more classes.
US08549473B2
A system that includes: a configuration management system configured to receive resource updates submitted by developers of a product line; an update monitor configured, in manual monitoring, to mark each submitted resource update with respective variability data specified as relevant to the update submission, by the developer; and a tracer configured, in automatic monitoring, to trace portions of the updated resource into respective features or products of the product line, to determine variability data relevant to the update submission, wherein when an update request is initiated by the developer, the configuration management system is configured to associate the submitted resource updates with the update request based on common variability data, to provide resource updates on demand, based on variability data, wherein in automatic update, the configuration management system is configured to notify developers on resource updates, based on variability data common to the updated resource and the notified developers.
US08549472B1
A system for creating an application comprises a user interface receiving user interaction that specifies visual properties and actions of a web application, and a code unit generating application data that describes the specified visual properties and actions of the web application.
US08549466B2
A method of register allocation in complier using a computer instruction set having tiered instructions that accesses differing numbers of registers makes a first preliminary register allocation attempt using an initially specified register set for each instruction. If this fails, the method identifies instructions having an initially specified limited register having a variable not register allocatable. The method makes a second preliminary register allocation attempt except using a less restrictive register set for the identified instructions. This method employs a next less restrictive register set and re-attempts preliminary register allocations for instructions with more than two levels of register restriction.
US08549460B2
An integrated circuit structure includes a chip including a substrate and a power distribution network. The power distribution network includes a plurality of power through-silicon vias (TSVs) penetrating the substrate, wherein the plurality of power TSVs forms a grid; and a plurality of metal lines in a bottom metallization layer (M1), wherein the plurality of metal lines couples the plurality of power TSVs to integrated circuit devices on the substrate.
US08549459B1
In one embodiment of the invention, an object oriented autorouter is disclosed for routing nets in a circuit. The object oriented autorouter includes a routing data model (RDM); at least one routing engine, such as a single connection router (SCR), a topographical (TOPO) transformation engine, and a detail geometric (DETAIL) engine, and a command and control module (CCM) coupled together. The RDM reads and write data with a design database as well as reading one or more object oriented design constraints. Each of the routing engines have at least one action to operate on the design database to improve compliance of the circuit to a constraint. The CCM controls the overall routing process of the nets in the circuit and includes at least one director to invoke at least one of the routing engines to achieve compliance with one or more constraints.
US08549456B2
Circuit floorplanning is performed on a combination central processing unit and multiprocessor. A B*-tree data structure of a floorplan and circuit related constants reside in a central processing unit data storage. The B* tree structure of a floorplan along and said circuit related constants are copied to a multiprocessor data storage where multiple thread blocks, each consisting of a single thread, copy the tree to their own shared memories. The multiprocessor concurrently evaluates different moves in different thread blocks. The multiprocessor then evaluates objective function results and stores those results. The best result for floorplanning is selected from the multiple circuit evaluations.
US08549455B2
A semiconductor chip is defined to include a logic block area having a first chip level in which layout features are placed according to a first virtual grate, and a second chip level in which layout features are placed according to a second virtual grate. A rational spatial relationship exists between the first and second virtual grates. A number of cells are placed within the logic block area. Each of the number of cells is defined according to an appropriate one of a number of cell phases. The appropriate one of the number of cell phases causes layout features in the first and second chip levels of a given placed cell to be aligned with the first and second virtual grates as positioned within the given placed cell.
US08549453B2
A method for verifying that acceptable device feature gradients and device feature disparities are present in a semiconductor device layout, is provided. The method provides for dividing a device layout into a plurality of windows and measuring or otherwise determining the device feature density within each window. The device layout includes various device regions and the method provides for comparing an average device feature density within one region to surrounding areas or other regions and also for determining gradients of device feature densities. The gradients may be monitored from within a particular device region to surrounding regions. Instructions for carrying out the method may be stored on a computer readable storage medium and executed by a processor.
US08549450B1
Methods and software for determining one or more boundary conditions for nets in a signal path are disclosed. The method generally includes determining an expected characteristic for at least one net in the signal path and determining a boundary characteristic for that net. Determining a boundary characteristic for the net may include multiplying the expected characteristic by a scaling factor to produce a scaled characteristic for the net, performing timing analysis of the signal path in accordance with the scaled characteristic (e.g., by calculating timing while assuming that the net has the scaled characteristic), determining if the signal path violates a timing constraint when the net has the scaled characteristic, and repeating the determination with a new scaled characteristic if timing is violated. Advantageously, maximum and/or minimum values may be determined for characteristics of signal path nets that still satisfy timing constraints.
US08549448B2
Aspect of the technology are a method of designing a circuit layout and corresponding computer systems and nontransitory computer media. The circuit layout is for use in forming a lithographic mask set for use in fabricating an integrated circuit. In the method the computer system divides a synthesized circuit design into cell partitions along critical paths of the synthesized circuit design. The computer system associates pins of the plurality of cell partitions with normalized pin timing values. The normalized pin timing values store magnitude differences between a reference timing slack and timing slacks of the plurality of pins. After optimizing the synthesized circuit design, the computer system repeats the method, and then the computer system determines whether to further optimize the plurality of cell partitions by comparing: (i) the pre-optimization normalized pin timing values of the plurality of cell partitions with (ii) the post-optimization normalized pin timing values of the plurality of cell partitions.
US08549442B2
A method of moving objects in a graphical user interface, includes obtaining a video image of a user of the interface; displaying the video image on a display such that the video image is superposed with one or more objects displayed on the display; and moving one or more objects displayed on the display based on recognition of motions of the video image of the user. Recognition of motions of the video image may include recognition of motions of an image of the user's hand.
US08549441B2
Technologies are described herein for presenting and navigating content having varying properties. One or more local or networked providers are searched for content objects. Content objects include associated metadata and may be stored within a content container. Each content object is displayed separately from its associated content container. Displayed content objects may be grouped and filtered based upon the associated metadata. Displayed content objects may also be grouped and filtered based upon the provider from which they were retrieved. Selection of a content object causes the content container associated with the selected content object to be displayed. Alternately, selection of a content object may cause a preview of the selected content object and the metadata associated with the selected content object to be displayed.
US08549440B2
A method provides a virtual presentation of a product and includes registering at least one registration code for at least one product on a website; after successful registration, viewing a virtual replica of the at least one product on the website, accessing at a least a subset of features on the website that allow user interaction with the virtual replica of the at least one product, and purchasing one or more virtual furnishings for at least one virtual room on the website, in which room said virtual replica is viewable.
US08549437B2
For a first device, some embodiments provide an application for displaying several media content stored on a second device communicably connected to the first device. The application includes a graphical user interface (“GUI”). The GUI includes a media content display area for displaying the media content stored on the second device. The GUI includes a selectable item for activating a synchronization feature that automatically modifies a clock of the second device to match a clock of the first device.
US08549432B2
Some embodiments of the invention provide several novel techniques for manipulating radial menus in graphical user interfaces of an application. In some embodiments, radial menus include multiple selectable items arranged about an internal location (e.g., a center of the radial menu). The novel radial menu techniques of some embodiments include (i) non-uniform spacing of menu items, (ii) the use of shading or highlighting within a region associated with an item to indicate the present selectability of the item, and (iii) the use of radial gestures for opening sub-menus and the subsequent display of the sub-menu.
US08549421B2
A content management apparatus displays, on a display unit, a first display object representing a content item, at least one area for including the first display object, and a second display object used for setting a condition regarding movement of the first display object into the area or from the area. When the first display object is moved into the area, the first object is contained in the area and, when the second display object is moved into the area, a condition regarding movement of the first display object into the area or from the area displayed on the display unit is set.
US08549420B1
A method and apparatus for displaying a graphical object in a grid located within in a graphical user interface (GUI) environment is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method for displaying a graphical object in a grid located in a GUI environment comprises positioning the graphical object in a cell of the grid, where a dimension of the graphical object is larger than a corresponding dimension of the cell, and repositioning the graphical object depending upon a position of a pointer of the GUI environment within the cell along the corresponding dimension.
US08549415B2
A personal display system with which a user may adjust the configuration of displayed media is provided. The personal display system may include an electronic device operative to provide media to a personal display device operative to display the received media. Using one or more optical and digital components, the personal display device may adjust displayed media to overlay features of a theater, thus giving the user of the personal display device the impression of being in the theater. In some embodiments, the personal display device may detect the user's movements using one or more sensors and may adjust the displayed image based on the user's movements. For example, the device may detect a user's head movement and cause the portion of media displayed to reflect the head movement.
US08549411B2
In one inventive aspect, a method of reactive targeted advertising provides for display of advertising, via the internet, to computers of users. In a particular example, a plurality of keywords are stored in a memory. The method comprises determining whether one or more of those keywords are used in a web page, and for any keywords determined to be used, an advertisement is selected using those keywords. The advertisement is for display on the computer of the user who is accessing the web page. A request is received for the selected advertisement, and the advertisement is provided, from an advertising server and over the internet, for display on the computer of the user.
US08549408B2
A multi-functional peripheral 21 according to this invention operates in accordance with a web browser software, and includes: a web browser section 5 configured to store cookie information received from a web server section 53 into a setting information database 6; and an apparatus control section 7 configured to manage the cookie information in accordance with a mode set by a verification mode setting section 13. In a case where the mode set by the verification mode setting section 13 is a user verification inactive mode, the apparatus control section 7 discards the cookie information from the setting information database 6 after operation of the web browser section is terminated.
US08549407B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to present a first plurality of visible images indicating a corresponding group of visible element navigation pathways associated with a first level of an online marketplace, receive a selection of one of the first plurality of visual images to provide a selected image, and navigate to a second level of the online marketplace along the visible element navigation pathways by presenting a second plurality of visible images representing one of a super-category including the selected image and a sub-category included in the selected image, wherein the first and second levels form part of at least three levels of visual navigation. Selections may be saved for future manipulation, review, and navigation as a collection of thumbtacked images. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US08549403B2
The present invention relates to a system and method for processing a video input signal providing for tracking a selected portion in a predefined audiovisual presentation and integrating selected user images into the selected portion of the predefined audiovisual presentation.
US08549402B2
A stand-alone desktop application (i.e., client) that resides on an end user's local computer and receives customized music playlists and content via the Internet from a network of distributed servers. The end user may install the application in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to, downloading it from the Internet or installing it from a CD that has been pre-loaded with the client. Songs downloaded through the application may be cached locally. The application forms a playlist based on user-entered preferences, an analysis of music already existing on the computer, and previous user interactions with the application. Similar or related songs, albums, bands, or artists can be displayed graphically in a “song cloud” around a graphical representation of the song being played.
US08549400B2
Techniques for encoding a media object are provided. First information is determined from an input media object. Second information is then determined from the input media object. A first visual representation is created based on the first information and a second visual representation is created based on the second information, wherein an output media object is constructed from the first and second visual representations.
US08549399B2
For a document with content that has been structured into a set primitive areas, a novel method for performing contiguous selection of document content across different primitive areas in the document is disclosed. The method defines a contiguous section in the ordered list by identifying the first and last primitive elements of the contiguous selection. The first primitive element is identified as the primitive element that is closest in reading flow to a start selection point on the page, while the last primitive element is identified as the primitive element that is closest in reading flow to an end selection point on the page.
US08549397B2
Video content in an original markup language is processed and distributed for presentation such that the presentation preserves static and dynamic aspects of the video content in the original markup language. The video content in the original markup language may be processed into a binary format using a client-specific routine that is specific to a predetermined client. The distributed video content may be presented in a way that preserves the static and dynamic aspects of the video content in the original markup language.
US08549395B2
A method and system for transforming an integrated webpage into native text and image representations. A webpage containing an embedded object is loaded into a browser. A portable text representation of an image of the embedded object is captured by invoking the embedded object to rasterize itself. The portable text representation is then streamed to a web server and converted to a native image representation. A URL is generated for the native image representation and the embedded object on the integrated webpage is replaced with its native image representation.
US08549393B2
A computerized system, method, computer program product, client processing system and/or server processing system for generating electronic forms are disclosed. In particular, the computerized system is configured to obtain selection data indicative of a selected form template including one or more component templates; present a form composition environment including a plurality of components available for composing a form, wherein the plurality of components available includes at least one templated component being a modification of a base component defined by one of the component templates; generate form composition data indicative of a user composing, within the form composition environment, a form composition using at least one of the templated components; and generate the electronic form based upon the form composition data.
US08549379B2
Methods and systems mitigate a soft error in an integrated circuit. A map is stored in a memory, and the map specifies a criticality class for each storage bit in the integrated circuit. A mitigative technique is associated with each criticality class. The soft error is detected in a corrupted one of the storage bits. The mitigative technique is performed that is associated with the criticality class specified in the map for the corrupted storage bit.
US08549365B2
An error correction encoding device is provided that combines redundancy data with source data, said device including: at least three encoding stages and at least two permutation stages. Each encoding stage implements at least one set of three basic encoding modules, in which a first encoding stage receives said source data and a last encoding stage provides said redundancy data. Each encoding module implements a basic code and includes c inputs and c outputs, c being an integer. The permutation stages are inserted between two consecutive encoding stages and each permutation stage implements a c-cyclic permutation.
US08549355B2
A method for diagnosing problems with protection of a data source and recovery of the same. The method includes diagnosing a copy of data located at the storage location and diagnosing a temporal version of the copy of data. Based on the diagnosis it is determined whether an error or a warning was detected. If either were detected a response is provided with a suggested solution.
US08549353B2
A method and apparatus for programming a computer to execute a batch data processing procedure using a computing device having at least a processor, a memory, a display device and an input device. The memory stores a plurality of functions arranged to process individual data messages or batches of data messages. A function is selected from the plurality of functions and retrieved from the memory. A data flow diagram is arranged on the display, in response to developer input, to specify a process. The data flow diagram includes a function icon corresponding to the selected function, at least one data icon corresponding to a data object, and at least one link connecting the function icon to the data icon. The function is arranged to perform one of disassociating a batch of data messages into individual data messages and associating data messages into a batch of data messages.
US08549343B2
A multimedia processing system for processing a program stream containing a program clock reference information. The system comprises a clock generator, a timer, a modifier, a processing unit, a parser and a compensator. The clock generator generates a clock signal. The timer receives the clock signal and generates a time information. The modifier incorporates a timing reference information into the program stream, wherein the timing reference information is provided according to the time information and the program clock reference information. The processing unit processes the program stream to generate a data stream incorporated with the timing reference information. The parser extracts the timing reference information from the data stream. And, the compensator generates a control signal according to the timing reference information. Wherein the clock generator receives the control signal and adjusts the clock signal.
US08549340B2
The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a PLC apparatus and a method for controlling the PLC apparatus. The method includes: acquiring a working state and a network state of the PLC apparatus; and switching the working state of the PLC apparatus in accordance with the working state and the network state of the PLC apparatus. The PLC apparatus includes: a working state acquiring unit adapted to acquire a working state of the PLC apparatus; a network state acquiring unit adapted to acquire a network state of the PLC apparatus; a switching unit adapted to switch the working state of the PLC apparatus in accordance with the network state of the PLC apparatus acquired by the network state acquiring unit and the working state of the PLC apparatus acquired by the working state acquiring unit. The embodiments of the disclosure are used in the design of controlling the PLC apparatus.
US08549329B2
According to some embodiments, power information associated with a computing system may be monitored. Based on the monitored power information, it may be determined whether a hardware memory throttling signal will be asserted and/or that a processor power control signal will be asserted.
US08549308B2
A data certification system and method for signing electronic data with a digital signature in which a central server comprises a signature server and an authentication server. The signature server securely stores the private cryptographic keys of a number of users. The user contacts the central server using a workstation through the secure tunnel which is set up for the purpose. The user supplies a password or other token based on information previously supplied to the user by the authentication server through a separate authentication channel. The authentication server provides the signature server with a derived version of the same information through a permanent secure tunnel between the servers, which is compared with the one supplied by the user. If they match, data received from the user is signed with the user's private key.
US08549303B2
A method for electronically signing an electronic transcript. The method includes obtaining an image of a court reporter's signature which may be incorporated into an electronic transcript. A hash operation performed on the electronic transcript to generate a representation of the contents of the electronic transcript. The representation of the contents of the electronic transcript is recorded/time stamped by a digital notary service, from which a notary record of the time stamping is obtained from the digital notary service. The notary record is digitally signed, and an electronically signed electronic transcript is formed by bundling the digitally signed notary record with the electronic transcript and with the data identifying the user. In this manner, an electronic transcript with an electronic signature is created. The electronic transcript may be viewed, with the image displayed in the viewer having an image of the court reporter's signature.
US08549301B2
At least one embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for ensuring authenticity of an electronic transaction performed during a transaction session. The method includes receiving, over a first network, a request from a user for the completion of an electronic transaction; receiving, over the first network, an authentication code from the user which has been provided to the user over a second network separated from the first network, thereby authenticating the user, completing the electronic transaction; and storing information associated with the electronic transaction and the transaction session. The method further includes generating a one-way hash value based on information comprised in the electronic transaction and information associated with the transaction session, and providing the one-way hash value to the user, wherein the one-way hash value is usable for ensuring the authenticity of the electronic transaction. The procedure enables authentication, integrity, non-repudiation, and time stamping in a cost efficient way. An enhanced security level can be achieved as the network used for providing the authentication code to the user is separate from the network where the user returns the authentication code. At least one embodiment of the present invention also relates to a corresponding computer system adapted for ensuring the authenticity of an electronic transaction.
US08549296B2
Methods and systems for using simple authenticated messages are disclosed for use with implementing (i) synchronization schemes, (ii) encoded control messaging schemes, and (iii) encrypted data communication schemes. Messages are authenticated by applying a secure hash function to one or more authentication tokens to produce hash results which are compared to stored trusted bit strings, wherein the stored trusted bit strings are replaced with the most-recently received authentication token whose corresponding hash result matched the stored bit string.
US08549290B2
A secure secret sharing system is implemented. Shares SH(α, h(α)) are generated by secret sharing of secret information separately for each subset SUB(α); each of share management apparatuses PA(α, h(α)) generates a shared secret value DSH(α, h(α)) by performing a common operation to a corresponding share SH(α, h(α)) and common information containing a common value σ(α) shared in each subset SUB(α); and an acquisition apparatus generates a reconstructed secret value SUBSK(α) by reconstruction processing for each subset SUB(α), using a plurality of shared secret values DSH(α, h(α)) corresponding to the same subset SUB(α), and generates generation information SK by using the reconstructed secret values SUBSK(α).
US08549281B2
The present invention relates to a system and methods for enabling a user control in third-party computing environments or cloud computing via a virtual private network created by a control module, which contains parameters defined by the user. The system and methods are used to create a fault tolerant virtual private network that allows user control over addressing, security encryption, routing, and the enablement of multicast protocols, regardless of the prohibition set by the third-party computing environment.
US08549278B2
Windows Rights Management Services (RMS) are leveraged to provide protection and sharing of encryption keys to file systems. An encrypting file system (EFS) delegates key sharing, management and recovery to the RMS system. User rights to file encryption keys (FEKs) are derived from files' security descriptor information or as explicitly specified by users. Whenever an encrypted file is created, its FEK is protected using RMS, as a byte stream stored in file encryption metadata information. When a user with access tries to access an encrypted file without having a private key to decrypt the FEK, the EFS transparently extracts the RMS protected byte stream from the file encryption metadata information and uses RMS to access the FEK stored in the bytes stream using the user security context. The FEK is protected with the user master key, encryption certificate or password and cached for the next user file access.
US08549271B1
A method and system are provided for updating an utilizing the contents of a non-essential region in a memory device in a computer system. A computer program is utilized to build an image file. The image file may include program code and data for operating a computer system. The image file includes an essential region for storing program code required to boot the computer system and a non-essential region for storing program code and data which is not required to boot the computer system. The non-essential program code may include graphics data, a language module, or diagnostic tools for the computer system. After building the image file, the image file is then copied to a memory device in the computer system. Finally, only the non-essential region in the memory device is updated. A method may also be utilized to execute program code contained in the non-essential region prior to executing program code contained in the essential region.
US08549270B2
This invention relates to an on-board information system, including a central processing unit; a first non-rewritable memory containing a boot program; a volatile memory; and a second non-rewritable memory containing an operating system as well as a set of executable files. The boot program is configured to load the operating system and at least a portion of the executable files into the volatile memory when the on-board information system is initialized.
US08549266B2
A method and system of instruction modification. A first machine language instruction, which may comprise a plurality of discrete instructions, is fetched. Responsive to a trigger pattern in the first machine language instruction, a segment of the first machine language instruction is modified. Information can be substituted into the segment based on specifics outlined in the trigger pattern. Alternatively, information can be combined with the segment via logical and/or arithmetic operations. Modification of the segment produces a second machine language instruction that is executed by units of the processor. In one embodiment, information may be taken from a queue and used to replace data from the segment. How information is taken from the queue and how the information so taken is used to replace fields of the segment are defined by the trigger pattern.
US08549265B2
Embodiments of a system and a method in which a processor may execute instructions that cause the processor to receive an input vector and a control vector are disclosed. The executed instructions may also cause the processor to perform a shift operation on another input vector dependent upon the input vector and the control vector.
US08549234B2
A memory controller that allows shared access to a memory device via a plurality of write ports and read ports.A write port includes a data buffer that allows data to be written to a first number of its storage locations at a pre-determined time. A write arbiter is able to read data from a second number of storage locations of a data buffer of a write port at a pre-determined time and write the read data to a memory device.A read port is configured to respond to requests to read data and includes a data buffer. A read arbiter is able to read, at a pre-determined time, data from the memory device on behalf of one of the read ports, and to write the read data into a second number of storage locations of the data buffer of the read port on whose behalf the data was read.
US08549233B2
Managing shared data objects to share data between computer processes, including a method for executing a plurality of independent processes on an application server, the processes including a first process and a second process. A shared memory utilized by the plurality of independent processes is provided. A single copy of the data and metadata are stored in the shared memory. The metadata includes an address of the data. The first process initiates the storing of the data in the shared memory. An address of the metadata is transferred from the first process to the second process to notify the second process about the data. The second process determines the address of the shared memory by reading the metadata. The data in the shared memory is accessed by the second process.
US08549227B2
According to one aspect of embodiments, a multiprocessor system includes a cache memory corresponding to each of the processors, a hierarchy setting register in which the hierarchical level of each cache memory is set, an access control unit that controls access between each cache memory. The hierarchical level of the cache memory for each processor is stored in a rewritable hierarchy setting register. Each processor handles a cache memory corresponding to another processor as the cache memory having a deeper hierarchy than the cache memory corresponding to the each processor. As the result, each processor can access all the cache memories, and therefore the efficiency of cache memory utilization can be improved and the hierarchical level can be set so that the latency becomes optimal for each application.
US08549226B2
Methods and systems for providing an alternative caching scheme at the storage area network level are disclosed. In one embodiment, it is determined that the number of accesses to a portion of data associated with a storage device exceeds a threshold that is greater than one access. A copy of the portion of data is associated with a caching resource that provides auxiliary caching for the storage device. The auxiliary caching resource is at the storage area network level. The copy of the portion of data is accessed instead of the portion of data for subsequent accesses.
US08549223B1
A computer-implemented method for reclaiming storage space on striped volumes may include: 1) identifying a volume striped across a set of storage devices, 2) identifying a reclamation request to reclaim storage space allocated to the striped volume and then, for at least one device in the set of storage devices, 3) identifying stripes of storage on the device that are covered by the reclamation request, 4) creating a consolidated reclamation request for the device that identifies each stripe of storage on the device that is covered by the reclamation request, and then 5) issuing the consolidated reclamation request to the device. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08549219B1
A method to prevent data loss includes monitoring a vibration from a computer rack and, when the vibration is harmful to a hard disk drive in the computer rack, moving data in transition to the hard disk drive to another hard disk drive, spinning down the hard disk drive, and sending an alarm. The method further includes, after the vibration is no longer harmful to the hard disk drive, spinning up the hard disk drive, moving the data from the other hard disk drive to the hard disk drive, and clearing the alarm and adding an event to an alarm history.
US08549217B2
A periodic command spacing mechanism is provided for spacing periodic commands (e.g., refresh commands, ZQ calibration, etc.) to a volatile memory (e.g., SDRAM, DRAM, EDRAM, etc.) for increased performance and decreased collision. In one embodiment, periodic command requests are monitored and if a collision is detected between two or more of the requests, the colliding requests are spaced with respect to one another by a timer offset applied on a chip select basis. The periodic command spacing mechanism may be used in conjunction with command arbitration to make sure the periodic commands are executed without significantly impacting performance (e.g., Reads and Writes are allowed to flow). Preferably, the periodic command requests are initialized by generating an initial sequence of individual requests, each successive request in the initial sequence being generated spaced apart with respect to the previous request by a timer offset applied on a chip select basis.
US08549216B2
Systems, devices and methods according to these exemplary embodiments provide for memory management techniques and systems for storing data. Data is segmented for storage in memory. According to one exemplary embodiment, each fragment is routed via a different memory bank and forwarded until they reach a destination memory bank wherein the fragments are reassembled for storage. According to another exemplary embodiment, data is segmented and stored serially in memory banks.
US08549211B2
A method for providing hardware support for memory protection and virtual memory address translation for a virtual machine. The method includes executing a host machine application within a host machine context and executing a virtual machine application within a virtual machine context. A plurality of TLB (translation look aside buffer) entries for the virtual machine context and the host machine context are stored within a TLB. Memory protection bits for the plurality of TLB entries are logically combined to enforce memory protection on the virtual machine application.
US08549207B2
Crossbar circuitry has an array of data input and output paths where the data output paths are transverse to the data input paths. At each intersection between a data input path and a data output path, a crossbar cell is provided which includes a configuration storage circuit programmable to store a routing value, a transmission circuit, and an arbitration circuit. In a transmission mode of operation, the transmission circuit is responsive to the routing value being a first value, indicating that the data input path should be coupled to the data output path, to detect the data input along the data input path, and to output an indication of that data on the data output path at the associated intersection. In an arbitration mode of operation, the arbitration circuitry is operable to selectively modify the voltage on said plurality of bit lines in order to apply an adaptive priority scheme.
US08549206B2
Method of establishing virtual USB interface for non-USB apparatus and the non-USB apparatus thereof
A method of establishing a virtual USB interface for a non-USB device, comprising the steps of establishing a non-USB interface to communicate with the non-USB device, generating a virtual USB physical device object to provide a USB transport layer driver, establishing the virtual USB interface to communicate with the USB transport layer driver, filtering a transmitting command of the USB transport layer driver based on the virtual USB interface, and filtering a returned information of the non-USB device based on the non-USB interface.
US08549205B1
In an embodiment, the present invention includes a protocol stack having a transaction layer and a link layer. In addition a first physical (PHY) unit is coupled to the protocol stack to provide communication between a processor and a device coupled to the processor via a physical link, where the first PHY unit is of a low power communication protocol and includes a first physical unit circuit. In turn, a second PHY unit is coupled to the protocol stack to provide communication between the processor and the device via a sideband channel coupled between the multicore processor and the device separate from the physical link, where the second PHY unit includes a second physical unit circuit. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08549202B2
A data processing system includes a processor core, a system memory, coupled to the processor core, that includes an interrupt data structure including a plurality of entries each associated with a respective one of a plurality of interrupts. An input/output (I/O) subsystem including at least one I/O host bridge and a plurality of partitionable endpoints (PEs) each having an associated PE number. The I/O host bridge, responsive to receiving a message signaled interrupt (MSI) including at least a message address, determines from the message address a system memory address of a particular entry among the plurality of entries in the interrupt data structure, accesses the particular entry, and, based upon contents of the particular entry, validates authorization of an interrupt source to issue the MSI and presents an interrupt associated with the particular entry for service.
US08549197B2
A system and method for communicating DisplayPort information is provided. The system includes: a local unit comprising a local controller operable to produce a request packet in response to a DisplayPort request received by the local unit from a DisplayPort source unit and to transmit the request packet to a remote unit of the system via a first simplex channel of a dual simplex communications link; and the remote unit comprising a remote controller operable to produce a reply packet in response to a DisplayPort reply received by the remote unit from a DisplayPort sink unit and to transmit the reply packet to the local unit via a second simplex channel of the communications link. The system allows distances between the source and sink greater than otherwise possible under the DisplayPort specification, and can communicate DisplayPort and non-DisplayPort signals via a variety of types of communications links.
US08549184B2
The present invention is directed to a universal serial bus (USB) transaction translator and an associated IN/OUT bulk transaction method. A device interface is coupled to a device via a device bus, and a host interface is coupled to a host via a host bus, wherein the host USB version is higher than the device USB version. At least two buffers configured to store data are disposed between the device interface and the host interface. A controller stores the data in the buffers alternately. In a bulk-IN transaction, before the host sends an IN packet, the controller pre-fetches data and stores the data in the buffers until all the buffers are full or a requested data length has been achieved; the pre-fetched data are then sent to the host after the host sends the IN packet. In a bulk-OUT transaction, the controller stores the data sent from the host in the buffers, and the data are then post-written to the device.
US08549181B2
A method of operating a semiconductor memory device includes receiving a timeout index signal corresponding to a master of the first master group based on a residual capacity of a data buffer of the first master, setting a first timeout value in response to the timeout index signal, and changing an execution order of commands stored in a queue of the semiconductor memory device based on a result of counting the first timeout value and counting a second timeout value corresponding to a master of the second master group.
US08549179B2
An apparatus for use in a communication network comprises a state machine capable of transitioning between a plurality of states. The plurality of states comprises at least two concurrent states. The state machine operates in the at least two concurrent states concurrently. Each of the concurrent states may be associated with a task. At least a portion of the task associated with one of the concurrent states may be performed concurrently with at least a portion of the task associated with another of the concurrent states when the state machine operates in the concurrent states.
US08549178B2
A system comprising a backbone core bridge (BCB) in a provider backbone bridged network (PBBN), and a backbone edge bridge (BEB) coupled to the BCB via a provider network port (PNP) and to a customer bridge in a customer bridged network via a C-tagged service interface, wherein the C-tagged service interface maps a service instance from the customer bridged network that is identified by a customer-virtual local area network identifier (C-VID) to a backbone service instance on the PBBN that is identified by a service instance identifier (I-SID).
US08549169B2
Techniques are disclosed for overloading, at one or more nodes, an output of data streams containing data tuples. A first plurality of tuples is received via a first data stream and a second plurality of tuples is received via a second data stream. A first value associated with the first data stream and a second value associated with the second data stream are established based on a specified metric. A third plurality of tuples is output based on the first value and the second value, wherein the third plurality of tuples is a subset of the first plurality of tuples and the second plurality of tuples.
US08549155B2
A method and arrangement for enabling access to a home device in a private network from a remote device located outside the private network. The private network includes a multimedia gateway connected to a multimedia service network. A session invite message is sent from the remote device to the multimedia gateway. In response, connection parameters of a residential gateway in the private network are sent to the remote device, which are associated with the selected home device if a home device identification was included in the received message, or with a proxy function in the multimedia gateway capable of providing home device information, if no such identification was included in the received message. In this way, home devices in the private network can be easily and safely accessed remotely.
US08549152B2
A network interface device may include an offload engine that receives control of state information while a particular connection is offloaded. Control of the state information for the particular connection may be split between the network interface device and a host. The at least one connection variables may be updated and provided to the host.
US08549143B2
A system offering an Application Programming Interface for multi-stream multimedia applications running on at least two registered end peers participating in a mobile telecommunication session and/or middleware being connected to a mobile network. The system providing guaranteed end-to-end quality and resource capabilities using the concept of concatenated E2ENP phases and providing a pre-negotiation of a multiplicity of alternative capabilities and QoS Contracts, management of leased pre-negotiated information, session establishment between said end peers with negotiation of a multiplicity of alternative capabilities and/or QoS Contracts, and a dynamic re-negotiation of the end-to-end quality and capabilities. The information to be negotiated is expressed in an interchangeable format allowing multi-stream multimedia applications to agree on a specific reference model of the negotiated information, which can then be used for dynamically configuring Finite State Machines to orchestrate local, peer, and network resources according to the preferences and profiles of the respective user.
US08549141B1
A computer memory attached to a user computer system that is used by a user is described. The memory contains an advertising characterization data structure that can be used to select advertising for the user. The data structure contains a identifier passed to the user computer system by a remote computer system. The identifier is mapped by a dictionary that is resident on the remote computer system to a set of actions performed by the user.
US08549134B1
A network event indicator system and corresponding method are described. The system includes an event rate classifier and an indicator drive state machine. The event rate classifier receives an event signal representing timing of a network event during a predetermined sample period and transmits an event rate signal. The indicator drive state machine receives the event rate signal and generates a drive indicator signal based on the received event rate signal.
US08549132B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a network element having a controller to obtain network information associated with establishing a network among a group of communication devices, and provide the network information to a plurality of network set-up devices removably connected to the network element, where each of the plurality of network set-up devices is connectable with a communication device of the group of communication devices to provide at least a portion of the network information to the communication device, and where the network is established based at least in part on the at least a portion of the network information. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08549128B2
A digital media device and a method for sharing data include a source device sending a search request to search digital media devices under a power-on status, and sending a control command to a middle device from the found digital media devices, to control the middle device to search at least one target device under a power-off status. The data sharing method further includes sending a power-on command to the middle device to power on the target device. The data sharing method further includes sharing data with the target device when the target device powering on successfully and supporting DLNA network.
US08549120B2
A method for location based address assignment for the distribution of traffic is provided that includes receiving a request for service from a host. A location of the host within a network environment is identified. A selected one of a plurality of gateway devices is assigned to service the host based on the location of the host within the network environment and the location of the selected one of the gateway devices within the network environment. A forwarding address associated with the selected one of the gateway devices is transmitted to the host for subsequent use by the host in forwarding network traffic.
US08549116B2
Various embodiments relate to a system and related method of handling a plurality of user messages originating from a user device in a communications network. Various embodiments relate to a Policy Charging and Rules Node (PCRN) receiving an initial message from a first device, while anticipating a complementary message from a second device. Upon receipt of the complementary message, the PCRN may pair the messages and generate a rule from the paired message. If the PCRN does not receive the complementary message, the PCRN may generate the rule from only the initially-received message or may ignore the message. The PCRN may treat each received message independent from each other so that lack of receipt of a complementary message does not affect the creation of rules from another paired message.
US08549112B2
An access control device causes an information processing device to execute access control between a client device and two or more server devices. The device receives an open request for causing the information processing device to open the port of a port number that is a port number to be transmitted to the client device according to completion of one process of a plurality of processes to be executed on a first server device which is one of the two or more server devices. The device generates information for data transfer for opening the port of the port number based on information for identifying the first server device which transmitted the open request, which is included in the received open request. The device transmits the generated information for data transfer to the information processing device.
US08549108B2
Access to compound data over a wide-area network is optimized by analyzing metadata within compound data to identify internal and external data streams to be prefetched. Upon receiving or intercepting a network packet including an access request for a data resource, metadata in this data resource is analyzed to identify associated data streams and their storage locations within and/or outside of the data resource. Data streams may be proactively or reactively prefetched. Proactive prefetching identifies and retrieves data streams or portions thereof likely to be accessed by a client based on attributes associated with the data resource. Reactive prefetching identifies portions of data streams associated with received access requests and retrieves additional portions of these data streams. Prefetched data streams or portions thereof are stored in a data storage on the same local network or near to the local network including the client.
US08549106B2
Techniques for enabling client computing devices to leverage remote server pools for increasing the effectiveness of applications stored on the client computing device are described herein. In some instances, the server pools comprise a “cloud”, “cluster” or “data center” that comprises hundreds or thousands of servers connected together by a network that has an extremely low latency and high bandwidth relative to the network through which the client computing device connects to the server pool. The client computing device may request that the server pool perform a certain task for an application whose canonical state resides on the client. After computation of a result of the task, a server of the server pool then provides the result to the client. By doing so, the techniques dramatically increase the amount of resources working on the request of the client and, hence, dramatically increase the speed and effectiveness of the client-side application.
US08549104B2
A server system includes a processor and a data structure having an entry for a resource, the entry including a first sequence number. The server has communication procedures for receiving a request from a client to access the resource, where the request includes a second sequence number obtained from a service, and a resource request handling program. Upon receiving the request, the resource request handling program determines whether the server has any record of having previously received a request to access the resource. If not, the server returns a provisional rejection to the client, requiring the client to verify that it holds a lock on the specified resource. A provisional bit in the entry is initially set to indicate that the resource has not been accessed since the system was last initialized. The provisional bit is reset when a request to access the resource is granted.
US08549103B2
The present invention provides techniques for use in audience-related measurements, including hybrid techniques which include use of panel-based audience-related measurement information and census-based audience-related measurement information. Techniques are provided in which panel-based audience-related measurement information is obtained from multiple providing entities, and census-based audience-related measurement information is obtained one or more providing entities. The obtained information is stored in a database. The stored information may be provided to the information-providing entities, and may be used in calibrating or improving the accuracy of audience-related measurements.
US08549097B2
A web page has a player for playing media objects, a sequencer which displays a play list that defines an order in which media objects are played by the player, and a media access area for containing a plurality of graphical icons. Each graphical icon representing a media object, and the graphical icons can be manipulated by a user to modify the play list. For example, the media icons may be dragged to the sequencer to add them to the sequencer.
US08549096B2
Exemplary embodiments may employ techniques for dynamically dispatching requests to resources operating in a distributed computing environment, such as a computing cloud, according to one or more policies. Embodiments may further dynamically adjust resources in the computing environment using predictive models that use current loads as an input. Embodiments may still further maintain a state for a processing environment independent of the type or configuration of a device used to access the environment on behalf of a user.
US08549089B2
A method is described for providing a user of a telephone device with a capability to receive an indication that a message has been sent to that user via an Internet-based application, irrespective whether the user is currently actively connected to that application or not. The method comprises the steps of receiving a message addressed to said user at a second server associated with the Internet-based application, forwarding the message towards a first server at which a virtual client entity was previously created to allow conducting a communication session that was held between the user and the Internet-based application, determining whether the user is currently connected to the Internet-based application, storing the message if the user is not currently connected to that Internet application and providing the user with an indication that at least one message addressed to him/her has been stored.
US08549078B2
A communications system may include a plurality of target servers and a plurality of source servers connected to the Internet via respective different portions thereof. The source servers may be for establishing connections to desired target servers via the Internet, and they may also be subject to connectivity disruptions. Further, the source servers may generate connectivity disruption information for respective target servers. The communications system may further include a dispatcher for collecting the connectivity disruption information from the source servers, and for distributing jobs to the source servers based upon a respective target server associated with each job and the connectivity disruption information for the respective target server.
US08549071B2
Systems and methods for the transfer of client device data on a network are described. One described method comprises causing non-time-sensitive client device data to be identified on a client device, causing the non-time-sensitive client device data to be prepared for output and stored by the client device, and causing the non-time-sensitive client device data to be output with a request signal upon satisfaction of a condition.
US08549069B1
Methods for validating device activity by way of logic sharing are presented. In an example of the method, a text file comprising a script defining programming logic to be executed is received at a first device. The text file is accessed at a second device. Input data for an application executing at the first device is received at the first device. The input data is transmitted from the first device to the second device. The script is executed at the first device from the application using the input data to produce a first result. The script is also executed at the second device from an application using the input data to produce a second result equal to the first result.
US08549064B2
A data processing system that includes a processor and a metadata repository storing data describing a plurality of systems and applications. The data processing system also includes integration rules describing a plurality of data distribution formats corresponding to the plurality of systems. The data processing system correlates data between the metadata repository and the integration rules to produce and store an impact analysis of the effect a change would have on the plurality of systems and applications. There is also a master data management system including a metadata repository and integration rules. The master data management system correlates data between the metadata repository and the integration rules to produce and store an impact analysis of the effect a change would have on the plurality of target systems and applications. The master data management system is configured to publish data to the plurality of target systems over a network.
US08549056B2
An arctangent calculation apparatus includes a phase angle memory unit in which a phase angle is stored in advance, the phase angle corresponding to a two-dimensional vector value corresponding to in a range of 0° to substantially 22.5°; a vector rotation unit that performs a vector rotation operation on a two-dimensional vector value corresponding to in a range of 0° to 360° and converts the two-dimensional vector value corresponding to in a range of 0° to 360° into a two-dimensional vector value corresponding to in a range of 0° to substantially 2.5°; an arctangent calculation unit that outputs, from the phase angle memory unit, a phase angle that corresponds to the two-dimensional vector value corresponding to in a range of 0° to substantially 22.5°; and a phase angle conversion unit that converts the phase angle into a phase angle in a range of 0° to 360°.
US08549055B2
Digital signal processing (“DSP”) circuit blocks are provided that can more easily work together to perform larger (e.g., more complex and/or more arithmetically precise) DSP operations if desired. These DSP blocks may also include redundancy circuitry that facilitates stitching together multiple such blocks despite an inability to use some block (e.g., because of a circuit defect). Systolic registers may be included at various points in the DSP blocks to facilitate use of the blocks to implement systolic form, finite-impulse-response (“FIR”), digital filters.
US08549054B2
In an arithmetic processing apparatus, a dividing unit divides a second bit string into a low-order bit part having a bit width equal to a first bit width and a high-order bit part which is higher than the low-order bit part, a first arithmetic unit performs arithmetic operations for a carry to and a borrow from the high-order bit part; and a second arithmetic unit performs addition of absolute values of the low-order bit part and the first bit string. Finally, a selecting unit selects an output of the first arithmetic unit from among an arithmetic operation result with a carry, an arithmetic operation result with a borrow, and the high-order bit part itself, according to information about the high-order bit part, sign information of the first bit string and the second bit string, and an intermediate result of the addition of the absolute values by the second arithmetic unit.
US08549052B2
Methods and computer-readable mediums are provided. For example, in one method a request is initiated for a security event update. Thereafter, a last received event identification (“LREI”) for at least one event type is retrieved from memory and inserted a security event update request. The request is transmitted as a polling signal towards a device (e.g., a server or remote client). In another method, a request signal containing is received. An LREI for an event type is extracted from the request. The LREI is compared to an event identification stored in memory. The results are inserted into a response. An indication, is inserted into the response, that at least one event identification is greater than said LREI and is not inserted in the response. The response is transmitted. In yet other embodiments, the computer-readable mediums and systems are also provided which perform similar features recited by the above methods.
US08549049B2
An application manager receives a descriptor for a MIDlet update from an MIDP server system. The application manager determines that the descriptor identifies an update to a MIDlet that is already installed on the MID. The application manager also identifies the MIDlet for which the update is intended, and determines that the update is valid with respect to the MIDlet. The application manager provides information from the descriptor to the user of the MID. If the user decides to download the update that corresponds to the descriptor, the application manager sends a request to the MIDP server system to transmit the MIDlet update to the MID. When the application manager receives the MIDlet update from the MIDP server system, an installer installs the file(s) of the MIDlet update in the existing MIDlet.
US08549045B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and computer program product for test data generation using unique common factor sequencing. In an embodiment of the invention, a computer program product for test data generation using unique common factor sequencing is provided. The computer program product includes loading a table for population with test data in a test data generation tool executing in memory of a computer. A column set of multiple columns in the table associated with a key to the table is selected for processing and different cardinality sequence values are assigned to the columns in the set such that the cardinality sequence values do not share a common factor except for unity as in the case of prime numbers.
US08549034B2
A method for enabling a user of a communication network to get information about entities is presented. The entities are classified in an entity database according to a plurality of characteristics, and the user is associated with a list of contacts, each contact being associated with a log of communication sessions the contact has been involved in through the communication network. For each communication session the log includes an indication of parties involved in the communication session.
US08549029B2
A method for generating data enabling searching for content complements intended for terminals of a telecommunication network is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes selecting content from a terminal, generating identification information of the selected content, sending a marker generation request to a content complement server, and, in response to receiving the request, generating and saving a marker at the content complement server. The request includes the user's identification data and the identification information of the selected content. The marker includes the user's identification data, the identification information of the selected content, and search characteristics data enabling an additional search for content related to the selected content. A system, a terminal, and a server associated with the method are also provided.
US08549024B2
A method and apparatus for performing a matching operation on data are disclosed. With an exemplary embodiment, a programmable logic device can be used to search for data of interest to an application, where the programmable logic device processes streaming data against a data key to generate a signal indicative of a similarity between the streaming data and the data key and compares the generated signal with a defined threshold to thereby determine whether the streaming data is deemed a match to the data key, wherein the threshold is adjustable to control whether the programmable logic device performs an approximate match operation or an exact match operation, and further to control, for an approximate match operation, a degree of approximate matches returned by the approximate match operation.
US08549016B2
A computer-implemented method for providing robust topic identification in social indexes is described. Electronically-stored articles and one or more indexes are maintained. Each index includes topics that each relate to one or more of the articles. A random sampling and a selective sampling of the articles are both selected. For each topic, characteristic words included in the articles in each of the random sampling and the selective sampling are identified. Frequencies of occurrence of the characteristic words in each of the random sampling and the selective sampling are determined. A ratio of the frequencies of occurrence for the characteristic words included in the random sampling and the selective sampling is identified. Finally, for each topic, a coarse-grained topic model is built, which includes the characteristic words included in the articles relating to the topic and scores assigned to those characteristic words.
US08549014B2
A system may determine a measure of how a content of a document changes over time, generate a score for the document based, at least in part, on the measure of how the content of the document changes over time, and rank the document with regard to at least one other document based, at least in part, on the score.
US08549010B2
An approach is provided for providing distributed key range management. A key management platform determines to rebalance a node for storing a key value range by splitting at least one other node from the node, wherein the at least one other node stores at least a portion of the key value range. The key management platform also causes, at least in part, a creation of one or more node lists for the node, the at least one other node, or a combination thereof. The key management platform further causes, at least in part, a storage of the one or more node lists at the node and the at least one other node, wherein any one of the one or more node lists can be used to initiate a routing of one or more requests between the node and the at least one other node to operate on the key value range.
US08549007B1
Instead of using a separate database to store meta-data for computer files, the file system itself is used to store the meta-data associated with computer files and meta-data index files that allow searches to performed quickly on meta-data values according to example systems and methods. The meta-data associated with a computer file may be stored in a meta-data file with a filename derived from the filename of the original computer file. The meta-data index files associated with a particular type of meta-data type and meta-data value of that meta-data type may be stored in a meta-data index file with a filename derived from the meta-data type and meta-data value of that meta-data type. In this manner, the meta-data associated with computer files may easily be searched using the meta-data index files.
US08549006B2
A method of searching a document having nested-structure document-specific markup (such as Extensible Markup Language (XML)) involves 112 receiving a query that designates at least (A) a phrase to be matched in a phrase matching process, and (B) a selective designation of at least a tag or annotation that is to be ignored during the phrase matching process. The method further involves 114 deriving query-specific indices based on query-independent indices that were created specific to each document, and 116 carrying out the phrase matching process using the query-specific indices on the document having the nested-structure document-specific markup.
US08549004B2
Estimation of unique values in a database can be performed where a data field having multiple information values is provided in the database. The data field can be partitioned into multiple intervals such that each interval includes a range of information values. An interval specific Bloom filter can be calculated for each of the multiple intervals. A binary Bloom filter value can be calculated for an information value within an interval specific Bloom filter. The binary Bloom filter value can represent whether the information value is unique. A number of unique values in the database can be determined based on calculated binary Bloom filter values.
US08548999B1
An expanded queries data structure is described. The data structure is produced on the basis of a set of seed queries, and consists of entries each specifying an expanded query submitted by a user that has been determined to have a high degree of relatedness to at least a plurality of the seed queries of the set. The expanded queries specified by the entries of the expanded queries data structure can be used to define a segment of users expected to have interests characterized by the seed queries.
US08548986B2
Architecture that provides for greater interoperability between column stores and row stores by leveraging the advantages both have to offer. The architecture operates automatically (e.g., dynamically) to move between row oriented processing mode and batch processing mode, and the combination thereof, when it is more beneficial to run in one mode relative to the other mode, or both modes. The auto-switching of data processing between batch and row oriented mode occurs during the execution of a single query. The architecture can automatically modify an operator in the query tree and/or remove an operator if desired at runtime for more efficient processing. This approach also accounts for memory constraints for either of row or column processing.
US08548972B1
A system generates a hash value for a fetched document and compares the hash value with a set of stored hash values to identify ones of the stored hash values with a sequence of bit positions, less than all of the bit positions, that match a corresponding sequence of bit positions of the hash value. The system also determines whether any of the identified hash values are substantially similar to the hash value and identify the fetched document as a near-duplicate of another document when one of the identified hash values is substantially similar to the hash value.
US08548970B2
A query may be answered when a compound result URL including a target page identifier and the query is received at a target computer system. The target page identifier may be used to identify a target page on the target computer system. A call script may then be automatically executed and cause receipt of a plurality of suggestions based on the query by the target computer system. The suggestions may include a text of the suggestion and a suggestion URL. A placement script may then be automatically executed that, for example, places the text of each suggestion on the target page. The text of each suggestion may have an associated suggestion URL. Selection of the text of the suggestion may cause redirection of the user computer based on the suggestion URL.
US08548968B2
A VIN decoder system includes a VIN decoder configured to search a database for a vehicle type associated with the received VIN, determine a VIN structure associated with the vehicle type, parse the received VIN according to the VIN structure to identify one or more VIN elements of the received VIN. The VIN decoder then determines VIN element descriptions associated with values of the one VIN elements and communicates the information that includes the VIN element descriptions to the user.
US08548966B2
A snapshot of an application executing on a processor is taken in response to detecting an assertion in a running application. The assertion is evaluated based on the snapshot asynchronously while allowing the application to continue executing. The results of the assertion evaluation are returned to the application.
US08548962B2
A data compressor has a delta value calculator which receives data items and determines if a related data item to a received data item is stored in a data store. If the related item is stored, the delta value calculator retrieves the related data item from the data store and calculates a delta value from the received data item and the related data item. If the related item is not stored, then the delta value is calculated from the received data item and a predetermined value. A data store controller accesses the data store in response to receipt of a data item and determines if a storage location is allocated to the data item. If there is an allocated storage location for the data item, the data item is stored in the allocated storage location; and if not then a storage location is allocated to the data item.
US08548957B2
A method of recovering information missing from a virtual file system is implemented at a computing device that is communicatively connected to one or more storage devices. Upon receipt of a request for a file associated with an instance of the virtual file system, the computing device retrieves a set of blocks associated with the file from one of the storage devices and identifies one or more of the set of blocks as missing blocks after failing to retrieve the missing blocks from the storage devices. For each missing block, the computing device retrieves one or more parity blocks from one of the storage devices and computes the missing block by applying a predefined recovery scheme to the retrieved parity blocks. Finally, the computing device reconstructs the requested file using the computed missing blocks and other blocks associated with the requested file.
US08548956B2
A system and method for automatically cloning or migrating a computing appliance while maintaining its operational state. A configuration bundle that includes configuration data, software revision level and a list of system updates is used to recover or duplicate a device's operation state. The system and method can also be utilized to migrate a computing appliance between different operating system while maintaining or replicating the previous operational state.
US08548955B1
The present invention relates to a system and method for determining whether databases in a mainframe computing system have updated image copies. A list of all databases in a mainframe computing system is received and backup data for each of the databases is received. From the backup data it is determined whether each of the databases has a current image copy. If each of the databases does not have a current image copy the databases without a current image copy are identified. The present invention also relates to a method for automatically creating control cards and job control language (JCL) for restoring a mainframe computing system.
US08548949B2
A method for dynamic consistency group formation, in one embodiment, includes creating a snapshot of first data stored on a source storage system with respect to data content and data structure, copying the snapshot to a target storage system, detecting one or more write operations affecting data on the source storage system while copying the first data, detecting one or more collisions affecting the first data on the source storage system, wherein a collision occurs whenever the write operations affect the first data prior to the first data being written, setting a consistency group interval which represents an interval duration between successive snapshot create-and-copy events, and altering the consistency group interval to minimize collisions affecting data on at least one of the storage systems. Other methods for dynamic consistency group formation are also described.
US08548946B2
Defining a content package having media files and table of contents (TOC) data. The content package includes physical representation data and logical representation data for the media files (e.g., stored in the TOC data). Computing devices store, download, and play back the media files based on the data in the content package. Presentations (e.g., collections of files) within the content package are available for extraction based on a configuration of a media player. The media files are provided for presentation to a user of the computing device, or for storage by the computing device.
US08548940B1
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for recalling execution of an approval process on a data object. These mechanisms and methods for recalling execution of an approval process on a data object can enable actions to be automatically performed in association with the recall of the execution of the approval process on the data object. Thus, manual initiation of actions associated with a recall may be avoided.
US08548929B1
A method and system for managing employment candidate data utilizes a pre-screen application to enable pre-screening of employment candidates who log on to a website and are prompted to enter additional information and schedule pre-employment tests via the website. The method and system for managing employment candidate data also uses a tracking and testing application to handle screening of candidates' paper-based applications, administration of interviews, hiring pool management, job offer support, and scheduling of training, and is integrated with an applicant tracking system. A resume tracking application of the method and system for managing employment candidate data automatically identifies and merges duplicate resume information to create a single unique resume in the tracking system.
US08548926B2
A prompt-response card issuing system providing temporary financial transaction cards includes a communications module, a personal account number (PAN) mapping module, and a security measure determination module. The communications module communicates with a plurality of financial card issuers, each having different profile standards for generating security measures, and also receives, from an issuer, an authorization for a new PAN associated with a financial account of a cardholder. The PAN module maps the new PAN to a temporary personal account number (TPAN) for the cardholder. The security measure determination module determines at least one security measure requirement according to a system profile standard of said prompt-response card issuing system rather than the system profile standard of the authorizing issuer. The TPAN, the security measure requirement, and personal information regarding the cardholder are communicated to a physical card producer so that a physical card bearing the TPAN, the security measure, and at least one item of personal information about the cardholder, can be produced and delivered to the cardholder.
US08548919B2
A system, method, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for automatically provisioning a virtual image on a target system. A service operating system comprising a virtual machine monitor and a personalization agent is installed on a target system. A set of digital assets entitlement data is provided along with an associated set of digital assets data contained in a virtual software image, which is then installed on the target system by the personalization agent.
US08548917B1
Methods and systems for framing detection are disclosed. A web page comprising a child frame is generated. The child frame comprises an instruction to load a component from a merchant. The child frame comprises a header option restricting a loading of the component from within a parent frame associated with a domain external to the merchant. The web page is sent from the merchant to a client browser. It is determined that the web page is loaded within the parent frame in the client browser if a request for the component is not received by the merchant. It is determined that the web page is not loaded within the parent frame in the client browser if a request for the component is received by the merchant.
US08548916B2
Disclosed embodiments include a computer system for receiving an encrypted password from an ID management system. The computer system sends the encrypted password to a decryption system, where the decryption system decrypts the encrypted password. The decrypted password is then transmitted to the computer system, and the computer system transfers the decrypted password to a configuration item disposed on a network. Based on the password, the configuration item sends data concerning the configuration item to the computer system.
US08548912B2
A system and method of pre-processing a transaction using a mobile device are presented. The system and method may include beginning a transaction at a mobile device. Beginning the transaction may include receiving transaction information at the mobile device. The transaction information may include a transaction identifier, type of transaction, method of payment, and the like. In some examples, the transaction information may be stored at the mobile device. A network associated with a merchant or ATM associated with a financial institution may be detected at the mobile device. The mobile device may connect to the detected network and the transaction may be completed.
US08548910B1
A notification about an address change request to a customer may be generated by processing account information. An address change request for an account is received, and account information is compared to threshold information. If balance information exceeds threshold limits, the account holder is notified at the address or telephone number of record. Different threshold limits may be applied to different types of accounts. When the new address for a change request matches on-line banking information or information from a national change of address (NCOA) database, the change request may be excluded from further processing so that a notification is not generated. Only one notification to the account holder may be generated when the account holder has more than one account with a financial institution. Processing parameters may be adjusted based on exclusions and inclusions by modifying threshold limits from previously determined notifications.
US08548904B1
Methods and systems are disclosed for automatically identifying and managing potentially fraudulent transactions without adversely impacting legitimate customers. In one implementation, the methods and systems provide a transaction risk analyzer for analyzing a risk associated with a financial transaction. The transaction risk analyzer quickly and automatically evaluates a number of factors in connection with each transaction to determine the risk associated with the transaction. The factors may include, for example, the relationship of the customer to the financial services company, the identity of the customer, and the behavior pattern of the customer. A set of business rules may then be applied to these factors to help distinguish between potentially fraudulent transactions and legitimate transactions. Based on the business rules, the transaction risk analyzer may recommend certain actions to mitigate loss potentially resulting from the transaction. Such an arrangement helps lower the risk of fraudulent activity without penalizing legitimate customers.
US08548895B2
One or more proxy bidders is associated with a rule which determines a time to place a bid. The proxy bidder places a bid at the determined time, instead of immediately after the bidder's prior bid is exceeded. Such rules may be selected for all proxy bidders to encourage a desired auction behavior. By controlling the placement of bids based on rules associated with the desired auction behavior, bids may be placed in a manner that seems natural and competitive to bidders in the auction when, in fact, they are placed in accordance with the selected rules. The desired auction behavior may be selected statically for an auction or dynamically during the auction. Historical auction data maybe analyzed to characterize the behavior of an auction, such as the average period of time between bids and the average increment between bids. Rules may be generated to correspond to a behavior so as to provide the same average time and increment between bids.
US08548894B2
The present invention relates to a computer system, computerized method and computer program product for calculating margin requirements in a more efficient way. In particular it relates to margin calculations for being used by clearing house in order to optimize calculation of margin requirements.
US08548890B2
A system and method efficiently solve the expected utility maximization problem in large-scale financial asset portfolio optimization. The system and method solve the expected utility maximization problem employing a factor representation of asset returns. Additionally, the system and method calibrate the optimization model to a benchmark to obtain unconditional mean returns and enable active management based on conditional expected return predictions. The system and method also enable options to be considered as part of the portfolio.
US08548886B1
A system that facilitates opening of a bank account by banking personnel for a customer. The account opening system includes an automatic rate determination feature that uses customer information, account information and other criteria to determine an account interest rate. The rate determination system may also mediate rate negotiation between a personal banker and the customer by limiting the increase in rate awarded by the personal banker. An auditing system assigns numbers to a series of profiles, each describing a request to open an account. Profiles to be audited are determined by generating random numbers that fall within the range of assigned profile numbers. Random number generation is repeated until a threshold percentage of profiles have been selected for auditing. The account opening system includes a system for tracking the progress of the account application and for organizing information recorded by the personal banker during interactions with the customer.
US08548885B2
An arrangement is provided for enabling online retail fixed income. A fixed income online retail enabling mechanism analyzes a request received from a user to determine the requested operation related to online retail fixed income. If the request is for visualizing information related to securities in one or more fixed income capital markets, visual representations are constructed using color codes and real value ratings converted from corresponding ratings issued from different sources and presented to the user. If the request is for managing account information, the fixed income online retail enabling mechanism facilitates the needs of managing accounts. If the request is related to conducting a transaction related to fixed income securities, the fixed income online retail enabling mechanism performs operations to trade securities in one or more fixed income capital markets.
US08548883B2
A system and method for providing to a taxpayer a loan in an amount based on the taxpayer's estimated tax refund amount due for a current year, the loan being provided to the taxpayer prior to year end of the current tax year and prior to completion and filing of the taxpayer's current year tax return forms with a taxing authority. The taxpayer's estimated tax refund may be based on historical tax refund data as well as current year income data. A loan granting entity may consider the level of tax refunds that the taxpayer has received in previous years as well as income data for the first three quarters of the year to determine a reasonable estimate of the tax refund amount that the taxpayer will likely receive for the current tax year.
US08548877B2
Systems and methods are described for electronic invoice presentment and payment processing. Requestors may place an order to purchase goods or services from one or more vendors. Invoice processing includes approval routing and dispute resolution.
US08548874B2
An on-item tag displays information about an item in a fixed retail location. The on-item tag is associated with an online collage tag for the same item on a web page of a web site associated with a retail location. The on-item tag has an ornamental appearance substantially the same as an online collage tag for the same item displayed on a web page of the web site. The on-item tag has a first part that includes a user review. An online item includes an online collage tag that includes the first part of the on-item tag along with additional information for the product that includes, but is not limited to, user reviews, product cost, product description, product status, and product availability. The on-item tag includes the first part along with a second part that provides additional product information.
US08548870B1
A transaction-based social network for a life science vertical industry is provided. A method for implementing the network includes qualifying a user to join the transaction-based social network based on a minimum set of qualifications. The method also includes creating, from input received by the user, an opportunity with respect to an offer, identifying members of a target user community in the network based on the input from the user, and posting the opportunity over the social network to the members of the target user community. The method further includes receiving at least one response from the target user community that is indicative of a bid to accept the opportunity. The method also includes providing a view of the bid for the user and, once accepted, executing a transaction based on a pre-negotiated fee. The executing includes validating regulatory compliance of content associated with the transaction.
US08548869B2
Products and processes are provided in which information is received about a post for an item to be sold. The information may include type data identifying the item for sale as being a specific type of item. Based on the received type data, a posting payment amount is determined.
US08548857B2
A method and system for detecting and preventing the fraudulent use of credit/debit cards. A number, referred to as a pre-stored Card Identity Key, is typically four or five digits in length, and the final two digits of this number are variable according to a formula which is applied at the time of the attempted transaction. The pre-stored CIK is created by the credit card owner or issued by the card-issuing financial institution, and is maintained in the card-issuing financial institution's computer database and used along with a software routine for validation. The software routine used for validation employs the formula, which is typically created and memorized by the card owner, to generate a dynamic Card Identity Key from the pre-stored Card Identity Key. The dynamic Card Identity Key must be entered by the card holder/user at a merchant terminal for validation of the transaction. Typically the internal time and/or date are displayed on the screen at the merchant terminal at the time the user's credit card is swiped, and at least a portion of the time and/or date shown is utilized in the formula to generate the dynamic Card Identity Key.
US08548849B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for enabling customers to generate promotions. A specification of a promotion is obtained from a user. The promotion provides an incentive for ordering one or more items from a merchant. An electronic commerce application of the merchant is configured to offer the promotion. An account associated with the user is maintained such that a promotion expense is debited from the account relative to a number of orders to which the incentive is applied.
US08548839B2
Computer-implemented methods and systems for connecting and facilitating communication among healthcare volunteers, organizations, patients and donors are disclosed. A matching system to match volunteers, donors, organizations and patients to coordinate and manage providing low cost or free health care services is disclosed. An donation inventory management system is also disclosed. Dynamic volunteer coordination methods for responding to public health events are also disclosed.
US08548835B2
A CO2e modeling system is implemented via a host server that is remotely accessible by a large number of clients (organizations) and suppliers of goods and services to the clients. The host server accesses a database containing CO2e emission-related data from a large number of suppliers. The client, when determining their indirect CO2e emissions resulting from their supply chain network, then identifies to the host server, via the web, the various suppliers used by the client and the client's amount of usage of the various suppliers. The host server uses its stored conversion factors and other data from the database to calculate the client's indirect CO2e emissions as a result of the client's usage of the particular suppliers. The server may calculate the total CO2e emissions generated by the entire chain of suppliers that are involved with providing a particular product to the client.
US08548827B2
The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for medical diagnosis support for patient data of a patient through a data processing system, wherein the data processing system comprises a graphical user interface and a database containing rules for calculating diagnosis risks.
US08548824B1
Embodiments of the invention may include systems and methods for notifying a prescriber or other entity of duplicate product prescriptions. According to one embodiment, a method for processing prescriptions is provided that may include the operations of: receiving a healthcare transaction that identifies a current prescribed product, a patient, and a current prescriber who prescribed the current prescribed product; retrieving patient history for the patient; determining the following based on the patient history: that the patient has previously received a previous equivalent product equivalent to the current prescribed product identified in the healthcare transaction and an identity of a previous prescriber of the previous equivalent product; and transmitting a notification to at least one of the previous prescriber or the current prescriber, wherein the notification identifies potential duplicate products.
US08548817B2
Methods are provided for designing an oral dog product that is safe and functionally effective for a class of dogs. A product is formulated and/or shaped based on biometric analysis of the capabilities of the class of dogs.
US08548816B1
An efficient approach for estimating scalefactors for use in the quantization of audio signal spectrum values is described. The scalefactor estimation approach can be implemented in multiple stages. A first stage estimates a distortion level for a selected scalefactor band spectrum value based on a received maximum tolerant distortion threshold and the spectrum values in the scalefactor band. A second stage determines an interim process value based on the previously estimated distortion level and generates a scalefactor for a selected scalefactor band spectrum value based on the generated interim process value and a statistically predetermined fraction. A third stage generates a scalefactor that applies to the whole scalefactor band based on the scalefactor generated for the selected scalefactor band spectrum value. The approach provides a performance gain of 40% over previous techniques, thereby reducing device power requirements and audio encoder bottlenecks.
US08548815B2
A more efficient encoder/decoder is provided in which an N-point MDCT transform is mapped into smaller sized N/2-point DCT-IV and/or DCT-II transforms with isolated pre-multiplications which can be moved to a prior or subsequent windowing stage. That is, the windowing operations may be merged with first/last stage multiplications in the core MDCT/IMDCT functions, respectively, thus reducing the total number of multiplications. Additionally, the MDCT may be systematically decimated by factor of 2 by utilizing a uniformly scaled 5-point DCT-II core function as opposed to the DCT-IV or FFT cores used in many existing MDCT designs in audio codecs. The modified windowing stage merges factors from a transform stage and windowing stage to obtain piece-wise symmetric windowing factors, which can be represented by a sub-set of the piece-wise symmetric windowing factors to save storage space. Such features offer appreciable reduction in complexity and less memory usage than the prior art.
US08548809B2
A voice guidance system for providing a guidance by voice concerning operations of an information processing apparatus, comprises a detector that detects that a predetermined function of the information processing apparatus is disabled, and a voice guidance unit that outputs a voice message reporting a reason why the predetermined function of the information processing apparatus is disabled, in response to the detection output of the detector.
US08548808B2
A speech understanding apparatus includes a speech recognition unit which performs speech recognition of an utterance using multiple language models, and outputs multiple speech recognition results obtained by the speech recognition, a language understanding unit which uses multiple language understanding models to perform language understanding for each of the multiple speech recognition results output from the speech recognition unit, and outputs multiple speech understanding results obtained from the language understanding, and an integrating unit which calculates, based on values representing features of the speech understanding results, utterance batch confidences that numerically express accuracy of the speech understanding results for each of the multiple speech understanding results output from the language understanding unit, and selects one of the speech understanding results with a highest utterance batch confidence among the calculated utterance batch confidences.
US08548803B2
A system and method may be configured to process an audio signal. The system and method may track pitch, chirp rate, and/or harmonic envelope across the audio signal, may reconstruct sound represented in the audio signal, and/or may segment or classify the audio signal. A transform may be performed on the audio signal to place the audio signal in a frequency chirp domain that enhances the sound parameter tracking, reconstruction, and/or classification.
US08548802B2
An acoustic data processor according to the present invention is used for processing acoustic data including signal sounds to reduce noises generated by a mechanical apparatus. The acoustic data processor includes a motion status obtaining section for obtaining motion status of the mechanical apparatus, an acoustic data obtaining section for obtaining acoustic data corresponding to the obtained motion status, and a database for storing various motion statuses of the mechanical apparatus in a unit time and corresponding acoustic data as templates. The acoustic data processor further includes a database searching section for searching the database to retrieve the template having the motion status closest to the obtained motion status; and a template subtraction section for subtracting the acoustic data of the template having the motion status closest to the obtained motion status from the obtained acoustic data to reduce noises generated by the mechanical apparatus.
US08548797B2
A content-providing entity receives a relatively short text from a user and attempts to determine, automatically, based on that short text (and on other available clues), a language that the user can read and understand. The content-providing entity may then provide, to the user, documents that are written in the determined language. The content-providing entity may determine a language of the input text based on several factors in combination: (a) the service provider's “market,” which is determined based on at least a portion of the URL of the Internet site to which the user directed his browser; (b) the user's “region,” which is determined based on the source Internet Protocol (IP) address of the IP packets that the user sends to the Internet site; (c) the “script” in which the short user-entered text is written; and (d) a statistical analysis of the frequency of the characters present in the short user-entered text.
US08548782B2
A method for modeling deformation in subsurface strata, including defining physical boundaries for a geomechanical system. The method also includes acquiring one or more mechanical properties of the subsurface strata within the physical boundaries, and acquiring one or more thermal properties of the subsurface strata within the physical boundaries. The method also includes creating a computer-implemented finite element analysis program representing the geomechanical system and defining a plurality of nodes representing points in space, with each node being populated with at least one of each of the mechanical properties and the thermal properties. The program solves for in situ stress at selected nodes within the mesh.
US08548769B2
Provided are a device and a method for detecting a stopped state of a vehicle which are capable of precisely detecting the stopped state of the vehicle in order to automate an operation which is externally provided to the stopped vehicle such as an alignment adjusting operation; and an alignment adjusting device to which the device and the method for detecting a stopped state of a vehicle are applied. An arithmetic unit detects, with respect to the left-front tire, for example, an evaluation point of the left-front tire on the basis of the gravity point of a triangle comprising, as vertexes, a point A, a point B, and a point C which are detected by a group of distance sensors; detects an evaluation point of the left-front fender on the basis of a point detected by the group of distance sensors; and detects the stopped state of the vehicle on the basis of the respective evaluation points of the respective tires and the respective evaluation points of the respective fenders.
US08548768B2
The invention relates to a system for monitoring a physiological parameter of players engaged in a sports activity and a method for evaluating and treating players when the parameter exceeds a predetermined level. The system measures, calculates and records the parameter and then alerts trained personnel to apply the method to evaluate and treat players. When the system is configured for use with football, hockey or lacrosse, the system generally includes reporting units, a sideline controller, a database, and a signaling device, such as a wireless personal digital assistant. The physiological parameter data measured and collected by the reporting units are processed by the sideline controller for meaningful analysis or use. When the physiological parameter(s) exceeds a predetermined threshold level the sideline controller generates an alert that is received by the signaling device, which is typically worn by sideline personnel, such as coaching staff or trainers. After an alert occurs, the method for evaluating and treating a player is initiated.
US08548761B2
This invention is related to a method and an apparatus for choosing SOCi (State Of Charge based on current) or SOCv (State Of Charge based on voltage) as the SOC (State Of Charge) of a battery depending on a condition in a battery management system by using an equivalent circuit model. In this invention, a method for measuring SOC of a battery in a battery management system is characterized by comprising the steps of: obtaining voltage data and temperature by measuring the current, voltage and temperature of a battery; calculating SOCi by accumulating the current data; calculating open circuit voltage by using an equivalent circuit model which simply presents the current data, the voltage data and the battery through an electric circuit; calculating SOCv by using the temperature data and the open circuit voltage; and choosing at least one of the SOCi and the SOCv as SOC of the battery by using the SOCi and the SOCv based on the judgment on the current state of a vehicle for a certain time interval.
US08548751B2
The invention relates to a method for measuring deflection of a substantially elongated hollow component (B) of a wind energy system from a normal position, extended such that it can be used to determine the deflection of the hollow component (B) of a of a wind energy system from a normal position in a simple and accurate manner, and to reliably monitor the same. To this end, the invention proposes that at least one distance sensor (8.1) for measuring distance in a non-contacting, directed manner is disposed at a first position, taking distance measurements from a target point in the direction of a second position within the hollow component (B), and that a measurement target (9.1) is further disposed in the interior of the hollow component (B) at the second position, said target comprising a target surface extending in a direction (x) transverse to a reference plane (R) perpendicular to the measurement direction (10) of the distance sensor (8.1) in a measurement area, and that distance measurements to the target surface are taken continuously or at intervals by the distance sensor (8.1), wherein the results of the distance measurements are evaluated in a processing unit, and an associated deflection of the hollow component (B) from the normal position is determined from said measurements, each with regard to the directional component of the direction (x) in which the target surface extends transverse to the reference plane (R).
US08548748B2
A method for determining chemical composition from optical properties of a stack formed with a process, by preparing test samples of the stack using known and intentional variations to the process to affect a variation in the chemical composition, measuring the optical properties of the test samples, measuring the chemical composition of the test samples, performing a processor-based regression analysis to determine an optical state function including correlations between the optical properties of the test samples and the chemical composition of the test samples, fabricating production samples of the stack using the process, measuring the optical properties of the production samples, and estimating the chemical composition of the production samples using the optical state function.
US08548747B2
Provided is a method of genome-wide testing of gene copy number at the genetically most important loci to determine whether the gene and/or its selected larger surrounding chromosome region is rearranged to result in an unbalanced abnormality in one or more subjects. The method includes selecting multiple gene loci of the DNAs to be examined in the test, conducting the test, and comparing the number of copies at each locus tested by quantification of total gene target number to determine the relative number of each polymorphic sequence detected to assure that each important tested sequence is distinguished from the other alleles at the same locus. A method of detecting the highest number of abnormal patients possible based upon the number of test sites available in a protocol is also provided. Depending upon the state of the life cycle, both of the methods can be done together or in sequence.
US08548740B2
A motion classification system comprises an inertial measurement unit configured to sense motion of a user and to output one or more channels of inertial motion data corresponding to the sensed motion; and a processing unit configured to calculate a coefficient vector for each of the one or more channels based on a wavelet transformation of the respective inertial motion data, and to select one of a plurality of gaits as the user's gait based on the calculated coefficient vector of at least one of the one or more channels and on a plurality of templates, each template corresponding to one of the plurality of gaits.
US08548734B2
A path prediction method that uses a commuter's travel patterns to predict their route and destination, and transmit road advisories via a GPS-enabled device. Once the user's location data is transmitted via a GPS-enabled device it is then catalogued and stored in a GIS database. The user's current travel path is then compared to their path history and statistics and a destination is determined based on related spatial and time properties. A warning is then automatically delivered to the user if there is an accident along their predicted path, without requiring any request or input form the user.
US08548729B2
A positional information acquiring unit acquires positional information of a vehicle. An intersection predicting unit predicts an intersection, which the vehicle will enter, by associating the positional information with map information. An entrance predicting unit acquires the positional information of another vehicle included in a packet signal from a transmitting apparatus mounted on the other vehicle and associates the positional information of the other vehicle with the map information, thereby predicting whether the other vehicle enters the intersection predicted by the intersection predicting unit. When entrance of the other vehicle is predicted, an effect predicting unit predicts whether travel of the other vehicle has an effect on this vehicle based on traveling direction information of the other vehicle acquired from the packet signal. The notifying unit notifies presence of the other vehicle when presence of the effect is predicted.
US08548723B2
A car navigation system includes a distance sensor 2; an angular velocity sensor 1 for detecting angular velocity having a sensor detection axis in a vertical direction of a casing; an acceleration sensor 3 for detecting acceleration having a sensor detection axis in a back and forth direction of the casing on a horizontal plane; a body velocity and acceleration measuring unit 42 for measuring velocity and acceleration in the body direction of vehicle movement from the signal from the distance sensor; an angular velocity measuring unit 41 for measuring angular velocity from the signal from the angular velocity sensor; a body roll angle estimating unit 43 for estimating a body roll angle from the body direction of vehicle movement velocity and angular velocity; an acceleration sensor output estimating unit 45 for outputting, when the casing is set in the body with a rotation in a yaw direction, estimation values of the output signal of the acceleration sensor at every prescribed angle; and a yaw direction mounted angle detecting unit 46 for determining as a yaw direction mounted angle in the body an angle at a time when an estimated value is obtained which agrees most closely with a value remaining after subtracting from the signal from the acceleration sensor its offset component.
US08548721B2
A method to maneuver an aircraft in flight, in which the center of gravity of the aircraft is shifted by transferring fuel from at least one first fuel tank to at least one second fuel tank of the aircraft. A system implementing this method, the system including: at least one first fuel tank and at least one second fuel tank, a flight control unit capable of sending out a maneuver command upon being handled. A computer capable, as a function of this command, of determining a quantity of fuel to be transferred from the first tank to the second tank, at least one means of transfer connecting the first and second tanks and being controlled by the computer, to transfer the fuel from the first tank to the second tank.
US08548716B2
A method for controlling variable camshaft timing is provided. In one example, an engine method comprises adjusting a variable cam actuator responsive to cam position feedback from even and uneven readings of a cam sensor. In this way, increased cam position feedback may be provided to improve cam positioning control.
US08548707B2
In a braking system and a method for braking a vehicle having a hybrid drive, at least one wheel, preferably at least the wheels of one axle, is brakable by a regenerative brake and by a service brake. The braking system includes a vehicle stability control system, which ascertains state variables describing a driving dynamics of the vehicle, for which there exist threshold values and/or threshold value combinations. The vehicle stability control system is arranged such that when reaching, exceeding and/or undershooting one of the threshold values or one of the threshold value combinations a wheel-specific braking force control is effected. A predefined maximum regenerative braking force is determined on the basis of the state variables ascertained by the vehicle stability control system and the regenerative brake is controlled such that the regenerative braking force exerted on the at least one wheel does not exceed the determined predefined maximum regenerative braking force.
US08548698B2
Various embodiments of methods, apparatus and systems that calibrate main modulation of an electro-hydraulic control system for a vehicle transmission are presented. Some embodiments calibrate regulator control signals that cause a main regulator valve to develop a main line pressure based upon status of a control main valve that develops a control main pressure based upon the main line pressure.
US08548696B2
A method for operating a multi-stable shift-by wire selector control system of a motor vehicle transmission. The multi-stable shift-by wire selector control system includes a multi-stable selector which is operable by the driver of the vehicle to select a respective one of the operating modes of the transmission, an arrangement of illuminated labels indicating the selector mode and an indexing mechanism for maintaining the immobilization of the selector in its different positions.
US08548691B2
A blade control system includes a first open ratio setting part for setting a first open ratio of a proportional control valve based on a difference angle between a blade angle and a slope angle; a second open ratio setting part for setting a second open ratio of the proportional control valve based on a difference load between a blade load and a target blade load; and a lift controlling part for controlling the proportional control valve in accordance with the second open ratio when the blade load is out of a predetermined load range and for controlling the proportional control valve in accordance with the first open ratio when the blade load is within the predetermined load range.
US08548688B2
A method and a control device for triggering passenger protection devices for a vehicle are provided, a rollover event causing the triggering of the passenger protection devices. The rollover event is detected as a function of kinematic and rotation variables, an adhesion, and a static stability factor. A state of rotation is ascertained via a rotation rate and a rotation angle. A state of adhesion is ascertained from a vehicle transverse acceleration and a vehicle vertical acceleration. The rollover event is detected via the state of adhesion and the state of rotation, the adhesion being much greater than the static stability factor.
US08548683B2
A system for controlling a vehicle. The vehicle has a steerable front axle and at least one further steerable axle. The system determining the path of a reference lead point at the front of the vehicle and determining the path of a follow point at the rear of the vehicle. A controller for driving the at least one further steerable axle of the vehicle such that the deviation between the path of the lead point of the vehicle and the follow point is within a predetermined range while the vehicle is in motion.
US08548682B2
A lateral motion control apparatus includes a target value obtaining unit, a control amount calculation unit, a steering intent determination unit that determines whether a driver of the vehicle is steering with intent, and a control object control unit that controls the control object so as to control the control object based on the control amount when the driver is not steering with intent, and to stop the control of the control object when the driver is steering with intent. The steering intent determination unit includes a steering operation amount obtaining unit and a threshold value setting unit that sets a threshold value for the steering operation amount based on the target value, and determines whether or not the driver is steering with intent by comparing the magnitude of the steering operation amount with the threshold value.
US08548679B2
An overturn prevention control device for a two-wheel vehicle having a vehicle body, a front wheel, an actuator that steers the front wheel, a rear wheel, and a rear-wheel driving portion, includes an angular velocity sensor and a control unit arranged to output a steering angle command signal for controlling the actuator. The angular velocity sensor includes a detection axis, is mounted on the vehicle body such that the detection axis is downwardly inclined at a predetermined angle relative to a forward direction of the vehicle body, and detects an angular velocity about the detection axis. The angular velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor includes an angular velocity in a lateral direction of inclination and an angular velocity in an azimuthal direction. The zero-set error and offset noise are incorporated into the azimuth angle command. Thus, the two-wheel vehicle can be prevented from overturning.
US08548678B2
An apparatus has an active suspension including an electromagnetic actuator coupled to a plant in a vehicle. A force bias eliminator is coupled to the plant for causing the actuator to experience a zero-mean load, and a vibration isolation block generates a control signal based on the response of a nominal plant to measured disturbances of the actively suspended plant. A compensation system modifies the control signal in response to a difference between the response of the nominal plant to the control signal and a measured response of the actively-suspended plant to the control signal.
US08548661B2
A control unit of a hybrid working machine calculates an actual hydraulic pressure output from the output of an engine (30) and the output of a motor generator (34), and calculates an assumed hydraulic pressure output (Win) as an output of a hydraulic pump (21) using a predetermined algorithm. The control unit corrects a hydraulic pump characteristic parameter used in the predetermined algorithm based on an assumed hydraulic pressure output error being a difference between an assumed hydraulic pressure output and an actual hydraulic pressure output, calculates an assumed hydraulic pressure correction output, and controls the motor generator (34) based on the assumed hydraulic pressure correction output.
US08548653B2
A system for aiding piloting of an airplane during a final approach includes current roll angle sensors that measures a current roll angle of the airplane, and a maximum roll angle calculation device that calculates a limit roll angle corresponding to a maximum roll angle at which an end point of the airplane will not strike the ground. The system also includes a display for automatically presenting on a single screen a first characteristic sign illustrating the current roll angle and a second characteristic sign illustrating the limit roll angle. If a potential ground collision is presented by too high of a current roll angle, an alarm may be emitted or automatic control of the airplane may occur to correct the roll angle.
US08548650B1
The present invention relates to a missile or munition with a hierarchical, modular, closed-loop flow control system, more particularly to aircraft or munition with flow control system for enhanced aerodynamic control, maneuverability and stabilization. The present invention further relates to a method of operating the flow control system.Various embodiments of the flow control system involve elements including flow sensors, active flow control devices or activatable flow effectors, and logic devices with closed loop control architecture. The sensors are used to estimate or determine flow conditions on the surfaces of a missile or munition. The active flow control device or activatable flow effectors create on-demand flow disturbances, preferably micro-disturbances, at different points along the various aerodynamic surfaces of the missile or aircraft to achieve a desired stabilization or maneuverability effect. The logic devices are embedded with a hierarchical control structure allowing for rapid, real-time control at the flow surface.
US08548649B2
A GNSS system in combination with a hydraulically-actuated, airborne dispenser for a dry material crop dusting system to optimize the distribution of dry materials over a particular tract of land. A GNSS subsystem is included using at least one GNSS antenna and one GNSS receiver located on the aircraft. The aircraft is equipped with an electronic/hydraulic crop dusting subsystem connected to a GNSS CPU. The GNSS ranging signals received by the antennas are processed by a receiver and processor system for determining the vehicle's position and dynamic attitude in three dimensions (3D). A graphical user interface (GUI) placed in the vehicle will give the driver a real-time view of his or her current bearing as well as a calculated “optimal path” based on calculations and variable data, such as wind speed and direction, material moisture content, altitude, air speed and other conditions. The system is adapted for operation in a differential GNSS (DGNSS) mode utilizing a base station at a fixed location.
US08548641B2
According to the present invention, the operation of a diagnostic circuit within a load drive circuit, which has been built into an electronic control device, is checked without modifying the electronic control device or the like. The load drive circuit, which drives a load such as a solenoid using a DC power supply as a power supply, includes a drive circuit and a diagnostic circuit which is independently provided within the drive circuit. Upon input of a drive-stop signal from a control circuit that controls the drive circuit, the operation of at least the drive circuit stops, so that whether the diagnostic circuit, which diagnoses the condition of the load, is normally operating or not is checked in a condition in which the load drive circuit has been built into the electronic control device.
US08548636B2
Loads on an electric power system are configured with under-frequency relays in which the frequency setpoints and delay times for reclosure are uniformly distributed. If demand exceeds supply in the system, frequency will decrease. The decrease in frequency will actuate relays and reduce load to the point where demand will meet the available supply. After its engineered delay time, each relay will attempt to close contact and reestablish the load.
US08548622B2
A method of manufacturing a compression garment comprises obtaining a plurality of model measurements at various locations on a model body. Thereafter, a plurality of garment dimensions are calculated for various locations on the garment. Each calculation of a garment dimension is based at least in part on one of the plurality of model measurements and at least in part on a target elongation for the garment. In at least one embodiment, calculations for various garment dimensions are performed by inserting the plurality of model measurements into a pattern equation that includes a model measurement variable and a target elongation variable. After calculating garment dimensions, a plurality of fabric segments are prepared for the garment based on the calculated dimensions. Each of the plurality of fabric sections comprise elastane and are characterized by a modulus of elasticity.
US08548618B1
Systems and methods are provided for processing narration audio data. In some embodiments, a portion of transcript text comprising words to be narrated by a user may be displayed. Initial narration audio data comprising words of the displayed transcript text may be received. In some embodiments, an indication of a portion of the transcript text to be re-recorded may be received. Replacement narration audio data corresponding to the portion of the transcript text to be re-recorded may be received, and the replacement narration audio data may be incorporated into the initial narration audio data.
US08548614B2
This invention describes a method for adjusting the loudness and the spectral content of digital audio signals in a real-time using warped spectral filtering. A warped processing module modifies a spectral content of a digital audio signal with a set of gains for a plurality of non-linearly-scaled frequency bands determined by a warping factor λ of a warped delay line. Warped delay line signals, generated by the warped delay line, are processed by a warped filter block containing multiple warped finite impulse response filters, e.g., Mth band filters, using individual warped spectral filtering in said plurality of the non-linearly-scaled frequency bands, which is followed by a conventional processing by a dynamic range control/equalization block. The present invention describes another innovation, that is embedding the warped processing module in a two-channel quadrature mirror filter (QMF) bank for improving processing efficiency at high sample rates.
US08548612B2
Method of generating a footprint for a useful signal, wherein the useful signal represents the evolution of a spectrum comprising useful signal frequencies, for example audio frequencies, over time, which allows automatic detection of identical or similar useful signals in a cost-efficient way and where the footprint is robust against modifications of the useful signal not perceptible to human users, wherein at least one data set comprising a part of the useful signal is processed by an analyzer according to a predetermined analyzing instruction, where the analyzer outputs as a result of the processing a footprint data vector depending on and identifying the processed data set.
US08548611B2
The present invention is a data processing system for monitoring, recording and modifying information relating to fantasy sports teams and fantasy sports lineups, and making calculations, necessary for assisting fantasy owners in managing their teams, notifying them of injuries related to their teams, and in setting their lineups. In particular, the data processing system gathers data from external sources such as news, blogs, social networks sites, injury reports, and other user and system administrator configurable sources. This information is then analyzed and utilized by the system enabling it to help users more effectively manage their team. In certain embodiments the system can manage the team for the fantasy owner in their absence or under other circumstances such as lack of user activity.
US08548605B2
A system of an autonomous intracardiac capsule and its implantation accessory. The autonomous capsule (10) includes a tubular body (12) with an anchoring screw (14) for penetrating the wall of a cavity of the heart, and at least one coupling finger (20, 22) radially projecting outwards. The implantation accessory (26) includes a lead body (28) with a sheath (30, 32) of deformable material supporting on the distal side a helical guide (36, 52), for guiding and driving by rotation the capsule. This helical guide is integral with the lead body, and its inner diameter is homologous to the outer diameter of the cylindrical body of the capsule so the latter can be housed it in, the coupling fingers protruding between the coils of the guide. The helix direction of the helical guide (36) is opposite to that of the anchoring screw (14). The helical guide is resiliently compressible in axial direction, and its helix pitch (38) is increased in the free distal end portion (40).
US08548591B2
An implantable medical device includes a housing having a coating selectively provided on only a portion of the housing and a plurality of electronic components provided within an interior space defined by the housing. A first of the electronic components is a charging or telemetry coil and a second of the electronic components is a circuit board. The coating is provided on the housing in a first region near a component of the circuit board and is not provided on the housing in a second region near the charging or telemetry coil. The coating has a magnetic permeability suitable to and is provided in an amount effective to reduce MRI image distortion caused by the component of the circuit board.
US08548587B2
Provided herein are implantable systems, and methods for use therewith, for characterizing a tachycardia and/or selecting treatment for a tachycardia using results of a fractionation analysis. One or more electrogram (EGM) signal(s) indicative of cardiac electrical activity are obtained. At least one of the EGM signal(s) is analyzed to determine whether the EGM signal is fractionated, and the results of the analyzing are used to characterize a tachycardia and/or to select treatment for a tachycardia.
US08548584B2
In general, the invention is directed to techniques for using an external defibrillator to detect a presence of an implantable medical device (IMD) implanted within a patient, and providing therapy to the patient through communication between the external defibrillator and the IMD. An external defibrillator provides prompts to a user of the external defibrillator to determine the presence of an IMD implanted within the patient. For example, the external defibrillator may prompt the user to visually inspect the patient's chest for signs that an IMD was implanted, such as a scar or raised portion of skin near the patient's clavicles. As another example, the external defibrillator may prompt the user to place a detection device on the patient's chest. The detection device may be coupled to the external defibrillator, and may employ a magnet to initiate telemetry by the IMD to detect the presence of the IMD.
US08548580B2
Apparatus for performing impedance measurements on a subject. The apparatus includes a first processing system for determining an impedance measurement procedure and determining instructions corresponding to the measurement procedure. A second processing system is provided for receiving the instructions, using the instructions to generate control signals, with the control signals being used to apply one or more signals to the subject. The second processing system then receives first data indicative of the one or more signals applied to the subject, second data indicative of one or more signals measured across the subject and performs at least preliminary processing of the first and second data to thereby allow impedance values to be determined.
US08548575B2
A method and system for verifying the integrity of normal sinus rhythm (NSR) templates and updating the NSR template after selected time intervals. At selected time intervals after establishing a NSR template, cardiac complexes are sensed and values for one or more cardiac parameters are measured. The values of the cardiac parameters are compared to predetermined value ranges for NSR cardiac complexes. When the values of the cardiac parameters fall within the predetermined value ranges, values for the differences between the values of the cardiac parameters for the cardiac complexes and the values for the cardiac parameters of the NSR cardiac complexes are calculated. When the values of the differences are greater than one or more threshold values, the NSR template is updated as a function of the sensed cardiac complexes.
US08548562B2
An imaging and diagnostic system and method to differentiate between malignant and non-malignant tissue of a prostate and surrounding region. The system acquires imaging data from the prostate and surrounding proximal region, and processes the data to differentiate areas of tissue malignancy from non-malignant tissue. A sectioning device or ablative device is provided. The ablative device is operable by automation for receiving the imaging output coordinates and defining the trajectory and quantity of energy or power to be delivered into the malignant tissue. A control system determines calculated energy or power to be deposited into the malignant tissue during ablation, to minimize destruction of the non-malignant tissue within the prostate and surrounding tissue. The system operates on generated ablative device output data.
US08548561B2
An image-guide therapy system comprises a thermal treatment device (e.g., an ultrasound transducer) configured for transmitting a therapeutic energy beam, and The system further comprises an imaging device (e.g., a magnetic resonant imaging (MRI) device) configured for acquiring images of the target tissue mass and the thermal treatment device. The system further comprises a controller configured for controlling thermal dose properties of the thermal treatment device to focus the energy beam on a target tissue mass located in an internal body region of a patient, and a processor configured for tracking respective positions of the thermal treatment device and the target tissue mass in a common coordinate system based on the acquired images. The system may optionally comprise a display configured for displaying the acquired images.
US08548555B2
An active dry sensor module for measurement of bioelectricity is disclosed. The active dry sensor module of the present invention excludes the use of a conductive gel, thereby not supplying unpleasantness and discomfort to a reagent and preventing the interference of the signal due to a noise component. Further, the active dry sensor module of the present invention amplifies the biomedical signal to a desired level, thereby precisely and easily measuring the biomedical signal.
US08548554B2
An electro-encephalography electrode cap for contacting the scalp of a head with a number of pin-shaped electrodes for contacting the scalp, and an electrode holding device. The electrodes are mounted on the electrode-holding device through at least one elastic joint.
US08548546B2
A pulse oximetry includes: irradiating living tissue with a plurality of light beams of different wavelengths; receiving the light beams transmitted through or reflected from the living tissue and converting the received light beams to electric signals which correspond to the different wavelengths; time-segmenting time series data of the electric signals; calculating, with respect to each of the segmented time series data of the electric signals, a slope value of a regression line between each two of the electric signals; calculating SaO2 based on the slope value of each of the segmented time series data of the electric signals; constructing a histogram of SaO2 for each predetermined number of time segments; and obtaining a mode value from the histogram as SpO2 to be output of the pulse oximetry.
US08548544B2
A system and method for automatically adjusting parameters for predicting blood glucose levels and/or controlling the dispensing of insulin. In one embodiment, the system is a stand-alone system. In one embodiment, the system is part of a system for controlling the dispensing of insulin.
US08548524B2
It is possible to provide a radio communication terminal device, a radio communication base station device, and a radio communication method capable of rapidly completing a handover even during DRX/DTX. In the devices and the method, a terminal (100) transmits a quality measurement result to a base station (150) at an Active interval. Here, the terminal (100) sets the DRX/DTX interval to a short interval since performance of a handover is predicted. The base station (150) which has received the quality measurement result transmitted from the terminal (100) recognizes that the terminal has set the DRX/DTX interval to a short interval and transmits a handover instruction to the terminal (100) at the Active interval, considering the shortened DRX/DTX interval.
US08548522B2
A multimode communication integrated circuit comprising baseband processing circuitry with a shared radio interface. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise a processor module adapted to perform various processing (e.g., baseband processing) in support of multimode communications. A first radio module may be communicatively coupled to the processor module through a common communication interface. A second radio module may also be communicatively coupled to the processor module through the common communication interface. The common communication interface may, for example, be adapted to communicate information over a communication bus that is shared between the processor module and a plurality of radio modules (e.g., the first and second radio modules).
US08548521B2
Base stations with coordinated multiple air-interface operations are provided. In some embodiments, multi-mode base station (BTS) systems operate with different air-interfaces, functionality, or configurations in a coordinated manner. For example, typical applications of such systems can include Macrocell BTS, Picocell BTS, Femtocell BTS, or Access Point (AP), Set Top Box (STB), or Home Gateway, Hot Spot Devices, User Terminal with the capability to perform required base station operations. In some embodiments, various techniques are provided for system improvements and optimizations via radio resource management, including user and system throughput optimization, QoS improvement, interference management, and various other improvements and optimizations. In some embodiments, a system (e.g., a multi-mode device, such as a base station, a repeater, and/or a terminal) includes a multi-mode communication unit, in which the multi-mode communication unit allocates access for communication using at least two modes; and a processor configured to implement at least in part the multi-mode communications unit. In some embodiments, the at least two modes include one or more of the following: frequency band, protocol standard, duplexing format, broadcast mode (e.g., television broadcast and/or a radio broadcast), and one-way communication mode.
US08548517B2
A radio circuit comprises an interface unit for communicating data and commands over a communication link between a digital baseband circuit and the radio circuit. Furthermore, the radio circuit comprises an event-scheduling unit, a local time-reference unit, a synchronization unit, and an execution-control unit. The event-scheduling unit is arranged to receive event-request commands specifying an event to be executed in the radio circuit and a time instant at which the specified event is to be executed, from the digital baseband circuit. Furthermore, the event-scheduling unit is arranged to, in response to receiving an event request-command, schedule the specified event to be executed on the specified time instant. The execution-control unit is arranged to issue execution of each scheduled event at the scheduled time instant based on time information from the local time reference unit. The local time-reference unit is synchronized with a time-reference unit in the digital baseband circuit in response to a synchronization command, from the synchronization unit.
US08548515B2
Provided is an feedback mechanism to correct power control information in a broadcast signal that is determined to be incorrect by one or more devices that receive and rely on the broadcast information. A device that receives the incorrect broadcast information can determine a correction and to the information and provide a recommendation to tilt source of the broadcast information. The source can selectively determine whether to modify the broadcast information based on the recommendation from one or more devices. If the broadcast information is modified, subsequent devices that receive the broadcast information are provided with the modified information. If further changes are needed, the subsequent devices can provide further recommended changes.
US08548509B2
A method of automatically generating text messages in response to a telephone call is disclosed and may include receiving an incoming telephone call at a text message capable device from a calling device, determining whether a text message engine within the text message capable device is enabled, automatically generating a text message when the text message engine is enabled and transmitting the text message to the calling device.
US08548504B2
A communication method of a macro base station including reporting information about a broadcast channel section in order to identify a femtocell in the macrocell, is provided. The macro base station receives position information of a mobile terminal and a request for information about neighboring femto base stations from the mobile terminal, when the mobile terminal identifies an accessible femto base station in the broadcast channel section. The macro base station generates a list of the neighboring femto base stations and information about the neighboring femto base stations based on the position information of the mobile terminal, and transmits the list and the information about the neighboring femto base stations to the mobile terminal.
US08548500B2
Techniques for supporting location services with roaming are described. A method of supporting location services (LCS) for a mobile station roaming from a home network and communicating with a visited network includes receiving a domain name system (DNS) query at a DNS of the home network from a packet data serving node (PDSN) of the home network. The method also includes sending to the mobile station from the DNS of the home network an address of a serving position determining entity (S-PDE) in the visited network.
US08548497B2
A commercial frequency-modulated (FM) radio signal indoor localization system and method for finding a location of a mobile embedded device (such as a smartphone) within a building. Indoor localization is performed by receiving commercial FM radio signals on the device, analyzing the signals using signal quality metrics, and generating signal quality vectors for each signal and signal quality metric used for the signal. The signal quality metric can be any physical signal quality indicator. The signal quality vectors are added to obtain a current location fingerprint. The current location fingerprint is compared to fingerprints stored in a fingerprint database. The location associated with the stored fingerprint that is the closest match to the current fingerprint location is designated as the current location in the building of the mobile embedded device. Locally generated radio signals can be used in conjunction with the commercial FM radio signals to improve localization accuracy.
US08548493B2
One or more systems, devices, and/or methods for tracking a wireless device are disclosed. For example, a method includes receiving signal strength data for each of a plurality of access points. The signal strength data from the plurality of access points is compared to identify an anchor access point having a highest signal strength. Remaining signal strength data from the plurality of access points are compared to a threshold signal strength to identify at least one attractor access point. A memory is accessed for locations of the anchor access point and the at least one attractor access point. A pull point is calculated along a line from the anchor access point to the at least one attractor access point. A location of the wireless device is estimated as an average of the pull point and the location of the anchor access point.
US08548490B2
The present invention provides a multi-objects positioning system and power-control based multiple access control method. The multi-objects positioning system according to the present invention comprises a plurality of tag devices carried by multiple objects and one or more positioning devices for determining the positions of the objects, wherein each of the tag devices includes a positioning device list for recording status information of the positioning devices. According to the present invention, tag device broadcasts Channel Request Packet (CRP) intermittently; positioning device, which is idle and receives the CRP, broadcasts Channel Allocation Packet (CAP) in its coverage range to allocate a channel to the tag device that is the sender of the CRP and inform information of the positioning device to other tag devices; tag device, which receives the CAP, updates its positioning device list according to the contents of the CAP; and the tag device adjusts transmission power of the CRP by referring to the positioning device list. With the present invention, the EN and HN problems existing in the prior arts can be solved effectively, and it is helpful to solve signal collision and improve spatio-temporal reuse capacity of the system.
US08548488B2
In an overlay, network-based Wireless Location System, Location Measurement Units (LMUs) are used to collect radio signaling both in the forward and reverse channels for use in TDOA and/or AoA positioning methods. Information broadcast from the radio network and by global satellite navigation system constellations can be received by the LMUs and used to reduce the difficulty of initial system configuration and reconfiguration due to radio network changes.
US08548487B2
An approach provides signaling for administrative domain change during location tracking. Departure of a mobile node from a first administrative domain is detected during a position reporting session. It is determined whether a first, configured to determine position, within the first administrative domain is inaccessible. If inaccessible, signaling for a handoff is initiated for assignment of a second, configured to determine position, within a second administrative domain to continue the position reporting session.
US08548486B2
A radio communication system including: a base station; a terminal; and a relay station, wherein the base station and the terminal perform radio communication via the relay station, the base station includes: a change unit which changes at least any of a radio resource allocation method for the relay station and the terminal, the radio resource allocation method and a scheduling method, or the radio resource allocation method, the scheduling method and a relay method in the relay station; and a transmission unit which transmits a change notice for notifying the relay station of the change by the change unit, the relay station includes a reception unit which receives the change notice, and the base station, the relay station, and the terminal perform radio communication using at least the radio resources allocating or allocated by the radio resource allocation method after the change.
US08548474B2
The invention concerns a method and an apparatus implementing the method. In the method is received a neighbor cell relation list and a request to report new cells not included in the neighbor cell relation list to the mobile node to a mobile node. The mobile node detects at least one new cell not included in the neighbor cell relation list and stores information regarding the at least one new cell not included in the neighbor cell relation list in a memory. The mobile node determines whether a threshold number of new cells not included in the neighbor cell relation list have been stored in the memory of the mobile node. In response to reaching the threshold number, the mobile node preparing for transmitting the information regarding the at least one new cell not included in the neighbor cell relation list to a radio network node.
US08548473B2
A mobile telephone device includes: an instruction reception unit which, when a predetermined communication is transferred to a CDMA communication system, receives a handover instruction signal in the LTE communication system; a communication request unit which, when the signal is received, captures the CDMA communication system and requests a start of the communication; a communication processing unit which, when receiving an enabling signal for the request, performs communication in the CDMA communication system; and a storage unit which, when the enabling signal is not received, stores a combination of calling zones of both communication systems; wherein when a combination of a calling zone of the CDMA communication system newly captured in accordance with a new handover instruction and a calling zone in the LTE communication system matches with the stored combination, the communication request unit requests the start of the communication after performing a new location registration.
US08548469B1
An apparatus and method for attaching a wireless device to a wireless network. The apparatus comprises a processor arranged to, responsive to receipt of a reject message from a network control apparatus, cause the wireless device to: transmit a first attach request to the network control apparatus using a first communication layer and an existing connection between the wireless device and the network control apparatus; and responsive to a notification of a failure of the first attach request originating from a second communication layer which is lower than the first communication layer, transmit a second attach request to the network control apparatus using the first communication layer and a new connection between the wireless device and the network control apparatus, wherein transmission of the second attach request is effected independently of a timer started on receipt of the notification of a failure.
US08548456B1
The present disclosure provides a method for making mobility measurements in a cellular telephone network that includes assessing the quality of the downlink signal from an active cell during multiple discontinuous operation time periods. If the quality metric exceeds a threshold, the method calls for performing a mobility measurement on the downlink signal during a first time interval. If the quality metric is less than the threshold, the method calls for performing the mobility measurement on both the downlink signal from the identified cells and a downlink signal from a previously un-identified cell during a second time interval that is greater than the first time interval.
US08548450B2
A mobile wireless communications device may include a housing, and a wireless transceiver carried by the housing. The mobile wireless communications device may also include a display carried by the housing, and a controller carried by the housing and coupled to the display and the wireless transceiver. The controller may be configured to wirelessly download a first page from among a plurality of pages collectively including a sequential listing of a plurality of selectable files. The controller may also be configured to display the first page with a scrollable cursor thereon, and wirelessly download a second page based upon the scrollable cursor being positioned at a threshold number of selectable files in the first page.
US08548441B1
The described systems and methods allow for safer operation of a wireless communication device (WCD). The methods may be carried out at the WCD or at a wireless-communications network that interfaces to the WCD. A hands-free-audio (HFA) profile associated with the WCD may be set to enabled or disabled. A speed-condition of the WCD is determined and compared to a speed-threshold. If the speed-condition is greater than the speed-threshold and the HFA profile is enabled, then the WCD is operable to engage in wireless communications (e.g., voice calls or text messaging) via an HFA device associated with the WCD. If the speed-condition is greater than the speed-threshold and the HFA profile is set to disabled, then the WCD may prevent and/or postpone wireless communications from occurring. After the speed-condition is determined to be less than the speed-threshold, previously received communications (e.g., text messages) may be presented via the WCD.
US08548439B2
Disclosed herein, among other things, are apparatus and methods for interactive property communication. In various embodiments, an interactive property communication system includes two or more property communication nodes (PCNs) each adapted for coupling to an electrical service. PCNs include a radio transceiver for communications with a broker service adapted for controlling communications with one or more PCNs.
US08548421B2
A wireless communications device and method for establishing a voltage threshold at which to turn off electronics of a wireless communications device includes determining a power threshold level at which a device is to be shut off when a battery of the device reaches or drops below the power threshold level. The determined power threshold level may be offset. The amount of power remaining for the battery in the communications device may be measured. The communication device may be shut off based on the offset power threshold level so as to preserve enough power for an emergency message to be generated and sent in the case of an emergency.
US08548419B1
An indication of the location of multimedia information for an emergency alert is distributed via text based protocols such as a Cell Broadcast Service (CBS) and/or a Short Message Service (SMS). Multimedia information can include maps, graphics, video clips, audio clips, still pictures, and the like. A text based alert message along with an indication of the location of the associated multimedia is distributed to users. The indication can comprise a link to a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), or the like, from which the multimedia can be retrieved. The indication can comprise a pointer to a link. For example, the alert message can comprise an address in storage of a user device, and the address can contain the link to the URL. Further, the multimedia can be retrieved automatically or manually.
US08548418B1
Methods and systems for distributing ringtones are provided. A callee device, such as a cellular telephone, may receive an association request, via a communication network, that contains a reference to a ringtone and an identifier of a caller device. In response to receiving the association request, the callee device may form an association between the ringtone and the caller device. Then, upon receiving an indication that the caller device has initiated a call to the callee device, the callee device may play out the ringtone.
US08548415B2
An imaging system includes an RF source, a focal plane array and device for focusing the RF signal from the RF source. The focal plane array includes a plurality of carbon nanotube mixers for capturing RF signals and down-converting the signals to a selected bandwidth and output an output signal. The device focuses the RF signal output from said RF source onto the focal plane array.
US08548406B2
A method of transmitting an uplink reference signal in a multiple antenna system is provided. A user equipment transmits a first sounding reference signal for uplink channel measurement on a first antenna by using at least one power amplifier among a plurality of power amplifiers, and transmits a second sounding reference signal for uplink channel measurement on a second antenna by using the at least one power amplifier, wherein the first sounding reference signal and the second sounding reference signal are transmitted using different time regions when using one power amplifier, and the first sounding reference signal and the second sounding reference signal are transmitted using different time regions or different frequency regions when using the plurality of power amplifiers.
US08548402B2
An embodiment of the invention discloses a power amplification device and method and a method for acquiring a power adjusting coefficient. The power amplification device according to one embodiment of the invention includes: a power control module configured to perform power adjusting on an input signal; a power amplification module configured to perform power amplification on the signal subjected to the power adjusting by the power control module; and a pre-distortion module configured to compensate for nonlinear characteristic of the power amplification module; wherein, said power control module is coupled between said pre-distortion module and said power amplification module in series; alternatively, said pre-distortion module is coupled between said power control module and said power amplification module in series. With the embodiment of the invention, a transmitter can be provided with a spectrum including a low side lobe even upon startup.
US08548388B2
An electronic device includes a radio frequency module having a communication port, and an antenna module having a number of antennas electrically coupled to the communication port. A method of reducing specific absorption rate (SAR) for the electronic device includes: a) measuring the SAR for the electronic device to obtain a measurement result; b) increasing the number of antennas of the antenna module when the measurement result is not lower than a standard value; and c) repeating steps a) and b) until the measurement result is equal to or smaller than the standard value.
US08548387B2
A method and apparatus for providing uplink signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) estimation in a wireless communication system. A first signal is received over a first channel and a second signal is received over a second channel, where the second signal is received at a higher signal power level than said first signal. A signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the second signal is measured, and the SNR of the first signal is determined based at least in part upon the measured SNR of the second signal.
US08548385B2
Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of wireless communication via multiple antenna assemblies. For example, a device may include a wireless communication unit to transmit and receive signals via one or more quasi-omnidirectional antenna assemblies, wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit, via each quasi-omnidirectional antenna assembly, a plurality of first transmissions, to receive, in response to the first transmissions, a plurality of second transmissions from another device via one or more of the quasi-omnidirectional antenna assemblies, and, based on the second transmissions, to select at least one selected transmit antenna assembly for transmitting to the other device and a selected receive antenna assembly for receiving transmissions from the other device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08548384B2
A mobile station and a network control apparatus are provided. The network control apparatus may generate beamforming information, associated with an interference alignment of a plurality of mobile stations, and transmit the beamforming information to a plurality of base stations. The mobile station may receive a signal from the plurality of base stations based on the beamforming information.
US08548382B2
A method is provided that comprises detecting an incoming or outgoing call; and sending data to a paired device for displaying a plurality of elements associated with the call in a user interface on the paired device prior to connecting the call, the plurality of elements having been obtained from a plurality of sources accessible to the mobile device. Another method is provided, which comprises receiving data from the mobile device for displaying a plurality of elements associated with the call in a user interface on a paired device prior to connecting the call, the plurality of elements having been obtained from a plurality of sources accessible to the mobile device; and displaying the plurality of elements in a user interface on the paired device using the data received from the mobile device.
US08548381B2
A wireless media player and a related system and methodology are disclosed. One aspect of the wireless media player system pertains to a virtual connector system, apparatus, and method for the automatic establishment of wireless connectivity with other electronic devices. In one embodiment, the media player device employs the use of integrated Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to exchange communication settings, media capability, and other parameters with an external device that also has integrated RFID technology. The automatic exchange of settings and other information via a proximity-based RFID data exchange allows a media player to quickly establish a secure communication link with another device via a commonly supported wireless protocol such as Ultra Wideband (UWB) or Bluetooth. Another aspect of the media player system pertains to a method of using the captured media capability of the connecting device to customize certain menu options and software parameters in the media player.
US08548379B2
A calibration-less transmit beamforming apparatus and method are provided. In a wireless communication device that comprises a plurality of antennas, a gain block is provided in the front-end module associated with each antenna and the same gain block is used during transmit and receive operations. As a result, the transmit phase offset and receive phase offset for each antenna are made to be equal, thereby achieving conditions for transmit beamforming without the need for complex antenna calibration algorithms and hardware.
US08548370B2
Disclosed herein is an image forming apparatus and a control method thereof. According to the control method of the image forming apparatus, entry and exit of a recording medium can be sensed without a register sensor by sensing current change of a press roller used to apply a constant pressure to the recording medium and a transfer belt so as to allow the recording medium and transfer belt to come into close contact with each other. In the case of a model provided with a register sensor, the presence of malfunction of the register sensor can be recognized.
US08548358B2
A drive gear for a generally cylindrical imaging component. The drive gear includes a body for engaging the generally cylindrical imaging component; a cylindrical shaft attached to the body, the cylindrical shaft having an end surface; and three prongs extending longitudinally outward from the end surface.
US08548357B2
A drive transmission system includes a shaft member storing grease in a shaft outer circumferential small diameter section. A drive transmission gear is provided including a gear inner circumferential sliding section and a gear inner circumferential large diameter section. A gear moving device is provided to move the drive transmission gear reciprocally along the shaft member in a shaft direction. A restriction device is provided to restrict a movement range of the drive transmission gear along the shaft member in the shaft direction to enable the gear inner circumferential large diameter section to face the shaft outer circumferential small diameter section substantially continuously.
US08548354B2
A downsized electrophotographic image forming apparatus with which a drawer member mounting a photosensitive drum and a developing unit is mounted into a main assembly of the apparatus, and the developing roller and the photosensitive drum can be contacted and spaced relative to each other is provided. It includes a process cartridge, a main assembly of the apparatus, and a drawer member 13 movable between an inside position which is inside the main assembly of the apparatus and which the drawer member 13 supports the process cartridge and an outside position which is outside the main assembly of the apparatus. The drawer member 13 further includes a contacting and spacing member 42 capable of taking a contacting position for contacting the developing roller to the photosensitive drum and a spacing position for spacing the developing roller from the photosensitive drum.
US08548353B2
A developer cartridge is provided, which includes a toner cartridge, a developer stirring device located in the toner cartridge, a supply roller for supplying a developer to a developer roller, a developer roller for developing an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor, and a power receptor for driving only one of gear sets of the above means to receive a power. The power receptor is rotatably fixed at two or more predetermined positions. An initial position of the power receptor is a power receiving position. A power receptor moving device includes a press block, a baffle block, a spring, and a torsion spring. The power receptor moving device is controlled by the press block. When the press block of the power receptor moving device is pressed downwards, the power receptor is rotated to another power receiving position due to the action of the torsion spring. The present invention is applicable to various types of machines.
US08548338B2
The present application describes methods and systems for use in a communications network. More specifically, a method of deploying an optical demodulator arrangement having at least one interferometer in a network that transmits an optical signal is provided. The optical signal may include one or more on-off-keyed signals and one or more DMPSK signals. In some embodiments, the DMPSK signal is a DQPSK signal. The network may include one or more of fiber spans carrying the signals. The interferometer may have a first optical path and a second optical path and a time delay is formed between the first and second optical paths. The method may involve determining a cross-talk penalty that results from cross-phase modulation between the channels, and determining a time delay value for the interferometer. The time delay value may be determined based at least in part on determined the cross-talk penalty.
US08548337B2
In an optical data transmission system, one channel is removed from a group of wavelength division multiplexed optical channels and another channel carrying different information at the same wavelength is inserted in its place. The process occurs by adding an optical signal whose electric field is the difference between the electric field of the new and old channels. The difference calculation takes into account the phase of the incoming WDM channel and phase of the laser source of the difference signal. The method has applications in optical transmission networks as add-drop nodes and optical regenerators, for generation of high bandwidth optical signals, and for secret optical communications.
US08548321B2
In an optical transmission apparatus, a unit includes a first connection section, a second connection section, a branching section, a first detection section, and a second detection section. The first connection section connects to a first component. The second connection section connects to a second component. The branching section is disposed at a preceding stage of the second connection section and outputs signal light to the first component through the first connection section. The first detection section determines whether the first component receives the signal light output from the branching section. The second detection section is disposed at a subsequent stage of the second connection section and detects the signal light.
US08548317B2
A miniaturized optical component (36) for a camera pen has the shape of a plate and comprises at least two non-overlapping radiation-transmitting sections: an imaging section (36′) configured to transmit an image of an object plane, and an illuminating section (36″) configured to transmit illuminating radiation towards the object plane. Passive optical elements may be incorporated in the component to provide the imaging and illuminating sections, e.g. an image-generating surface structure, an illumination-controlling surface structure, a radiation filter, a stray light shield, and an aperture stop. These optical elements may be provided as well-defined surface structures and layers on a plate substrate. The optical component may be manufactured as a wafer structure comprising a plurality of these optical components. A camera housing (22) may be provided with a first mounting structure (56) for the optical component (36), a second mounting structure (64) for an image sensor (11) configured to detect the image, and a third mounting structure (66) for a radiation source (13) configured to generate the illuminating radiation. An elongate guide pipe (24) for receiving a stylus (8) may be received in and joined to an elongate recess (28) in an exterior wall portion of the camera housing (22).
US08548314B2
Embodiments include an assembly comprising: (a) a camera support structure comprising: a masthead disposed on the distal end of a mast wherein the masthead is configured to receive an imaging element; where a proximal end of the mast rotatably engaging an azimuth-elevation joint assembly wherein the azimuth-elevation joint assembly comprises a first angular actuator of a first rotational degree-of-freedom and a second angular actuator of a second rotational degree of freedom; and (b) a camera support structure housing comprising an aperture and a hatch wherein the hatch is resiliently biased to close the aperture; and wherein the camera support structure is configured to overcome the hatch resilient bias by at least one of: the release of a pin restraining a loaded spring and a rotational actuation of the mast via at least one of the first angular actuator and the second angular actuator.
US08548305B2
Method and apparatus of contiguously recording a sequence of ordered AfV information signals, and corresponding management information signals, on a disc-like recording medium of the write-once type. The method comprises allocating a reserved area within a linear addressing space of the disc, contiguously recording the A/V information signals in a video recording area located succeeding the reserved area, recording corresponding management data in a temporary overview space succeeding the video recording area, generating a mapping table (39) for mapping the recorded management data to address locations in the reserved area and recording the mapping table (39) in the temporary overview space. The mapping table (39) used when recording information according to VCPS comprises a structure (39a), preventing the overwriting of the management data by recorders not familiar with VCPS. The structure is preferably formed by a mapping-table header field (39a) containing dummy data.
US08548303B2
In one embodiment, a method includes initiating recording a program at a digital media device, identifying at the digital media device, a missing portion of the program, generating and transmitting a request for the missing portion, receiving a media file containing the missing portion of the program in response to the request, and merging the missing portion with a recorded portion of the program. An apparatus is also disclosed.
US08548300B2
The invention is related to a method and a device for recording of frames.Said method comprises buffering fractions of frames in a buffer and transferring from the buffer to memory devices data packets comprising at least one fraction, each, wherein after transferring to a first memory device a first fraction of a first frame, only fractions of said first frame are transferred to said first memory device until the amount of data belonging to said first frame and being transferred to said first memory device corresponds the storage capacity of at least one memory block comprised in said first memory device.
US08548299B2
A portable information terminal apparatus connected to a recording/reproducing apparatus, including a first generating element for generating a first signal for causing the recording/reproducing apparatus to acquire program information about a program, the generation of the first signal being based on an operation performed by a user, a first transmitting element for transmitting to the recording/reproducing apparatus the first signal generated by the first generating element, second generating element for generating a second signal for causing the recording/reproducing apparatus to display the acquired program information, the generation of the second signal being based on an operation performed by the user, second transmitting element for transmitting to the recording/reproducing apparatus the second signal generated by the second generating element, third generating element for generating a third signal for causing the recording/reproducing apparatus to preset the program for unattended recording, the generation of the third signal being based on an operation performed by the user, and third transmitting element for transmitting to the recording/reproducing apparatus the third signal generated by the third generating element.
US08548295B2
The present invention relates to method of replaying video images by placing a bookmark on the particular thumbnail image of the broadcast content using thumbnail method and replaying it from the position a user wants. The method of the present invention extracts a plurality of thumbnail images from a broadcast content, placing a bookmark on a thumbnail image being most recent one before the user's request for stopping replaying the broadcast content that is being replayed. Accordingly, the user is allowed to understand roughly the broadcast content watched by the user using the thumbnail image that a bookmark is placed on, and the broadcast content can be replayed.
US08548294B2
Amono-coated optical fiber that has a bending loss characteristic in which an optical loss increase at a bending radius 13 mm is 0.2 dB/10 turn or less, an optical fiber ribbon that includes two-dimensionally disposed resin portions for bonding the adjacent 2-fiber mono-coated optical fibers in plural places, the resin portions being disposed apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber ribbon and an optical fiber cable that includes a cable core portion that stores twisting of plural units where the mono-coated optical fibers constituting the optical fiber ribbon are collected.
US08548290B2
A near-eye display of a type having an image generator for generating a succession of angularly related beams and waveguide for propagating the angularly related beams to an eyebox within which a virtual image is visible includes a controllable output aperture for such purposes as reconstructing a better defined pupil within the eyebox while also preserving the possibility for viewing the ambient environment from the eyebox through the controllable output aperture.
US08548287B2
In an MCM, an optical signal is conveyed by an optical waveguide disposed on a surface of a first substrate to an optical coupler having a vertical facet. This optical coupler has an optical mode that is different than the optical mode of the optical waveguide. For example, the spatial extent of the optical mode associated with the optical coupler may be larger, thereby reducing optical losses and sensitivity to alignment errors. Then, the optical signal is directly coupled from the vertical facet to a facing vertical facet of an identical optical coupler on another substrate, and the optical signal is conveyed in another optical waveguide disposed on the other substrate.
US08548286B2
A method for imaging light from a plurality of laser diodes (504) onto a multi-channel light valve (6) includes applying light from the plurality of laser diodes to a fiber waveguide (508) wherein each of the plurality of laser diodes is coupled to the fiber waveguide; guiding the light from the fiber waveguide through a planar lightwave circuit (PLC) (408) wherein light from the plurality of laser diodes is combined in the PLC; splitting the combined light in the PLC; and directing the split light from the PLC onto the multi-channel light valve.
US08548284B2
A method of manufacturing an optical element module 1 in which an optical element 8 and a semiconductor circuit element 9 are mounted on one surface of a silicon substrate 2, a mirror surface 2a inclined at approximately 45 degrees is formed on the other surface, and an optical fiber 7 facing the mirror surface is disposed in a V groove formed along the other surface, the method of manufacturing includes the steps of forming the mirror surface 2a and V-shaped side surfaces of the V groove simultaneously by first crystal anisotropic etching on the other surface, and forming an attaching surface 2b substantially perpendicular to the one surface and the other surface, which is formed at an end side of the V groove, and for attaching an end of the optical fiber 7, by second crystal anisotropic etching in a crystal plane orientation different from that of the first crystal anisotropic etching. Thereby, it is possible to realize an optical element module including an optical element that receives light or emits light, a semiconductor circuit element, and an optical fiber optically connected to the optical element, the optical element module highly-functionally performs an optical connection between the optical element and the optical fiber, and realize a method of efficiently manufacturing the optical element module.
US08548281B2
Provided is an electro-optic modulating device. The electro-optic modulating device includes an optical waveguide with a vertical structure and sidewalls of the vertical structure are used to configure a junction.
US08548277B2
Provided are an image display apparatus and method which enables a user to quickly and easily obtain information related to an image currently being reproduced. The image display apparatus includes: a setting module setting a plurality of sub regions into which a predetermined image frame of an image being played back are divided according to color; and a mapping module mapping one or more thumbnail images of one or more relevant contents related to the image to one or more sub regions selected from the sub regions.
US08548272B2
An image processing apparatus and method for obtaining an image signal to be processed. A classification information obtaining section obtains classification information indicating the image signal as one of a plurality of image signal types. The plurality of image signal types include a first type comprising a plurality of frames extracted from a large still image, the frames being extracted by moving an extracting area in units of an integer pixel per frame over the large still image, extracting the frames corresponding to the extraction area, and outputting an image signal corresponding to the frames. An image signal processing section then performs processing on the image signal based on the classification information.
US08548271B2
Imaging system and method for detecting the presence of a substance that has a detectable signature in a known spectral band. The system comprises a thermal imaging sensor and optics, and two interchangeable band-pass uncooled filters located between the optics and the detector. A first filter transmits electromagnetic radiation in a first spectral band that includes the known spectral band and blocks electromagnetic radiation for other spectral bands. A second filter transmits only electromagnetic radiation in a second spectral band in which the substance has no detectable signature. The system also includes a processor for processing the images to obtain a reconstructed fused image involving using one or more transforms aimed at obtaining similarity between one or more images acquired with the first filter and one or more images acquired with the second filter before reconstructing the fused image.
US08548265B2
This invention relates to the design and implementation of a large family of fast, efficient, hardware-friendly fixed-point multiplierless inverse discrete cosine transforms (IDCT) and the corresponding forward transform counterparts. All of the proposed structures comprises of butterflies and dyadic-rational lifting steps that can be implemented using only shift-and-add operations. The approach also allows the computational scalability with different accuracy-versus-complexity trade-offs. Furthermore, the lifting construction allows a simple construction of the corresponding multiplierless forward DCT, providing bit-exact reconstruction if properly pairing with our proposed IDCT. With appropriately-chosen parameters, all of the disclosed structures can easily pass IEEE-1180 test. The high-accuracy algorithm of the present invention is over 100 times more accurate than IEEE-1180 specifications, leading to practically drifting-free reconstruction in popular MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 codecs even at the lowest quantization setting.
US08548263B2
In one or more embodiments, a framework is provided in which image decoding can be delayed based on heuristics, and later initiated based on a use type associated with the image or the likelihood that the image is going to be used. For example, a use history and priority system can enable images that are currently being rendered and/or are likely to get rendered to be decoded before images that have a history of being downloaded but never used. Accordingly, by decoupling image download from image decoding, CPU resources and memory can be more efficiently utilized.
US08548262B2
Embodiments of the invention are directed toward methods for steganalysis that improve the detection of steganography in texture images. The methods combine features extracted from the image spatial representation and from a block discrete cosine transform (BDCT) representation with multiple different block sizes (i.e., N×N) to improve detection of data hidden in texture images. Image data that is to undergo steganalysis can be provided to embodiments of the invention in at least one of spatial (pixel) and JPEG format. When JPEG format is provided, the image is first decompressed to spatial representation, from which the features are extracted when the block size is at least one 2×2, 4×4, and 16×16. When the block size is 8×8, the JPEG coefficients (JPEG quantized 8×8 BDCT coefficients) derived directly from the JPEG image are used to extract features. In addition, the method is also effective as a universal steganalyzer for both texture and smooth/non-texture images. Embodiments of the invention also (1) utilize moments of 1-D and 2-D characteristic functions; (2) Prediction-error; and (3) all wavelet subbands including the low-low subbands.
US08548257B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for evaluating image data. In one aspect, a method includes accessing an image that includes a candidate face, such as a face detected during a face detection operation. The method further includes generating a sharpness measure based on image data corresponding to the candidate face, evaluating the sharpness measure to determine a confidence score representing a likelihood that the candidate face corresponds to a human face, and accepting the candidate face when the confidence score compares in a predetermined manner to a confidence threshold. Additionally, the method can be implemented to include generating a skin tone measure based on image data corresponding to the candidate face and evaluating the sharpness measure in combination with the skin tone measure to determine the confidence score.
US08548233B2
An input image is divided into a plurality of predetermined sized image pieces, and code data indicating an arrangement pattern of color data included in each image piece and color data for the number of colors included in each image piece are output as first output data. When the first output data has a size greater than or equal to a predetermined data size, according to the number of image pieces by counted number of colors and priority of a pattern for color reduction, a pattern for color reduction relating the plurality of image pieces is determined. Among the divided image pieces, color-reduction processing is performed on an image piece corresponding to the determined pattern. Then, code data indicating an arrangement pattern of color data included in each image piece and code data for the number of colors included in each image piece are output as second output data.
US08548229B2
A method for detecting objects, wherein two images of a surrounding (1) are taken and a disparity image is determined by means of stereo image processing, wherein a depth map of the surrounding (1) is determined from the determined disparities, wherein a free space delimiting line (2) is identified, delimiting an unobstructed region of the surrounding (1), wherein outside and along the free space delimiting line (1) the depth card is segmented by segments (3) of a suitable width formed by pixels of the same or similar distance to an image plane, wherein a height of each segment (3) is estimated as part of an object (4.1 to 4.6) located outside of the unobstructed region in a way, such that each segment (3) is characterized by the two-dimensional position of the base (for example the distance and angle to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle) and the height thereof.
US08548222B2
Systems and methods are provided for evaluating and sorting seeds based on characteristics of the seeds. One method generally includes collecting image data from different parts of the seeds, and then analyzing the collected image data to determine if the seeds exhibit at least one or more characteristics. The seeds can then be sorted to desired seed repositories based on whether or not the seeds exhibit the at least one or more characteristics.
US08548208B2
A device may receive a request to authenticate a user, automatically establish a multimedia session with the user in response to receiving the request, and capture a group of biometric identifiers for the user from the multimedia session. The device may further perform a group of biometric authentication operations using the analyzed or captured biometric identifiers to obtain a group of authentication scores, determine whether the user is properly authenticated based on the group of authentication scores, and transmit a message representing the determination of whether the user is properly authenticated.
US08548202B2
An apparatus for detecting movement of an object captured by an imaging device, the apparatus includes a moving object detection unit, that is (1) operable to detect movement of an object based on a first moving object detecting process, and (2) operable to detect movement of the object based on a second moving object detecting process. The apparatus also includes an output unit operable to generate an output based on the detection by the moving object detection unit based on at least one of the first and second moving object detecting processes.
US08548172B2
Various embodiments of systems and methods to securely disseminate events in publish/subscribe network are described herein. One or more subscribers are authorized to receive events from a publisher through an authorize protocol carried out between the publisher, a trusted party and the one or more subscribers. A security token specific to a product associated with an event is provided, by the publisher, to the authorized one or more subscribers. Further, the event is encrypted using a public key of the trusted party, a security key of the publisher and a secret key of the publisher. The encrypted event is disseminated, by the publisher, in a publish/subscribe network. Furthermore, the encrypted event is received by the authorized one or more subscribers. The encrypted event is decrypted using the security token and an authorization key by the authorized one or more subscribers.
US08548170B2
A document accessible over a network can be registered. A registered document, and the content contained therein, cannot be transmitted undetected over and off of the network. In one embodiment, a plurality of stored signatures are maintained in a signature database, each signature being associated with one of a plurality of registered documents. In one embodiment, the signature database is maintained by de-registering documents by removing the signatures associated with de-registered documents. In one embodiment, the database is maintained by removing redundant and high detection rate signatures. In one embodiment, the signature database is maintained by removing signatures based on the source text used to generate the signature.
US08548166B2
A cable television system provides conditional access to services. The cable television system includes a headend from which service “instances,” or programs, are broadcast and a plurality of set top units for receiving the instances and selectively decrypting the instances for display to system subscribers. The service instances are partially-encrypted using public and/or private keys provided by service providers or central authorization agents. Keys used by the set tops for selective decryption may also be public or private in nature, and such keys may be reassigned at different times to provide a cable television system in which piracy concerns are minimized.
US08548164B2
Digital data blocks are encrypted, each data block that is to be encrypted being associated with a time reference. A value of an initialization vector Vi and an encryption key K are defined. Then, a counter C is obtained for each data block to be encoded, by combining the time reference and the value of the initialization vector. A series of binary encryption elements is obtained via an encryption function taking the encryption key K and counter C as input parameters. The data block is then encrypted by combining it with the series of binary encryption elements.
US08548158B2
After a communications device receives an incoming communication and an alert is activated to produce an initial incoming communications alert, the alert of the communications device may selectively be deactivated for subsequent alerts until the initiating party terminates the incoming communication or until the incoming communication is further processed.
US08548154B2
The present invention discloses a ringtone uploading service method and system used in color ring back tone (CRBT) service. The present invention is that when a ringtone system successfully uploads a ringtone to at least one but not all ringtone servers, it records ringtone uploading information, sends a message about the successful uploading of the ringtone to an uploading terminal, and re-uploads the ringtone to the ringtone servers to which the ringtone has not been successfully uploaded. The ringtone uploading solution proposed in the present invention will greatly improve the success rate of ringtone uploading.
US08548152B2
A system and method for processing toll free telephone calls by a telecommunications service provider may include receiving, by the telecommunications service provider, a telephone call request for a telephone call being placed to a toll free telephone number from a telephone within a service area of the telecommunications service provider. The telecommunications service provider may determine that the toll free telephone number is one operated by the telecommunications service provider. The telephone call may be routed via a network of the telecommunications service provider to a telephone associated with the toll free telephone number to connect the telephone call.
US08548148B1
A system and method for handling calls at one or more call centers. In an exemplary method of the invention, it may be determined whether a call should be transferred from the VSS to an agent of a call center based on, for example, agent availability or queue wait times. When it is determined to transfer the call to the agent, it may be determined whether a callback call should be offered to the caller. When it is determined to offer the callback call, the method may include providing one or more time blocks to which the caller can initiate the callback call to receive higher priority routing. Upon calling back into the system within one of the time blocks, the call may receive preferential routing treatment.
US08548145B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a call processing element in a communication system having a controller to detect an incoming call directed to a called party, retrieve presence information associated with a plurality of communication devices of the called party, retrieve presence information of a calling party initiating the incoming call, and determine from the presence information of the called party, the presence information of the calling party, and a call processing profile of the called party how to respond to the incoming call. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08548142B2
A subscriber to a universal point of contact service designates a preferred point of contact at which a communication initiator, such as a telephone caller, can contact the subscriber. Such an initiator desiring to contact the subscriber uses the subscriber's email address to establish a communication session with a device associated with the subscriber's preferred point of contact. The subscriber's email address is input to an initiating device, preferably a telephone or facsimile machine, using an entry device capable of entering an email address. A requestor unit, receiving the email address, locates a repository of the subscriber's point of contact information, and requests that information. The repository sends the point of contact information the subscriber has designated as preferred, and the requester unit uses that information to control a telephone switch to establish a communication session between the initiating device and the subscriber's preferred point of contact device.
