US08573775B2
The present invention provides improved ophthalmic lenses and methods for their design and use. Monofocal and multifocal diffractive ophthalmic lenses having reduced light scatter, improved light energy distribution properties, and/or other improvements in optical performance are provided. These properties are provided, at least in part, by the diffractive profiles of the invention, often having subtlety shaped echelettes with appropriately curving profiles. Smooth diffractive profiles may be used reduce light scatter. Diffractive profiles may be configured to limit the light energy in certain selected orders, thereby improving viewing quality and mitigating unwanted effects such as dysphotopsia. Diffractive profiles of may additionally or alternatively vary the light energy distributed between individual echelettes, providing additional advantages in various viewing situations.
US08573766B2
A light source for a photo-reactive curing apparatus is provided, which includes a plurality of light source elements or modules, such as, UV or visible LEDs or LED arrays, arranged to provide a beam profile comprising irradiation zones separated by a dark zone. Photo-polymerization occurs during periods of irradiation and dark polymerization occurs during dark intervals between irradiation. The relative positioning or spacing of light source elements or modules is set to provide an exposure profile with a dark interval which matches the required dark reaction interval for optimal curing efficiency. In modular or adjustable light sources, the spacing is adjustable dependent on process parameters. For processes such as inkjet printing, the beam profile may be better matched to the ink chemistry, so as to control the polymerization reaction to meet a required process speed for single pass or multiple pass applications.
US08573763B2
A method of printing an image onto a substrate in a plurality of passes is presented. The method comprises the steps of separating the image into image portions, and printing each image portion in at least two layers. At least one printing pass prints the different layers to different image portions.
US08573760B2
An outgoing path port and a returning path port of a circulation path are at a position that is lower than a printing head. The outgoing path port and a discharge port of a discharge path are at a position that is lower than the returning path port. When ink droplets are ejected from the printing head, ink is pumped from a main tank to a sub tank using a supply pump, and ink is pumped from the outgoing path port to the printing head using a circulation pump with an opening and closing valve open and an opening and closing valve closed. In a case where discharge of ink in the sub tank and a circulation path is instructed before replacing of an ink unit, ink is pumped from the outgoing path port to a junction side using the circulation pump with both of the valves open.
US08573748B2
A recording head includes a recording element substrate having a plurality of discharge ports discharging a liquid and energy generating elements generating energy used to discharge the liquid from the discharge ports; an electrical wiring substrate having an opening portion in which the recording element substrate is provided and for applying a driving signal to the recording element substrate; an electrical connection portion in which an electrode portion of the recording element substrate and an electrode portion of the electrical wiring substrate are electrically connected to each other by a wire; and a sealing material covering and sealing the electrical connection portion. The electrical connection portion is provided with a reference member as a reference of at least one of an upper limit position and a lower limit position of the height of the surface of the sealing material with respect to the thickness direction of the recording element substrate.
US08573747B2
An electrostatic liquid-ejection actuation mechanism includes a membrane, a frame, and one or more deformable beams. The frame has two sides and a number of cross members that are non-parallel to the two sides. The two sides and the cross members define one or more areas individually corresponding to one or more liquid chambers. The deformable beams are disposed between the membrane and the frame. The deformable beams individually correspond to the liquid chambers, and define a number of slits. Each slit is adjacent to one of the two sides of the frame. The deformable beams have a width that is less than a width of the liquid chambers, due at least to the slits.
US08573737B2
An ink or coating composition is rheologically tested at three or more temperatures which substantially cover the anticipated range of printing operation temperatures expected to be encountered during printing to determine the value of the rheological parameters viscous modulus, phase angle and phase-angle slope, and to identify values of these parameters encountered during printing around which the structural behavior of the ink or coating changes. An ink composition that has a phase angle of at least 55°, a viscous modulus of at least 150 Pa, and a phase-angle slope of at least −0.5°/° C. exhibits low misting when employed in high speed printing apparatus.
US08573732B2
A treatment-liquid application device includes a treatment-liquid container, a liquid supply unit, a liquid chamber unit, a treatment-liquid carrier, a transport unit, a treatment-liquid applicator, and a partition. The partition is disposed in an area of the chamber unit defined by an imaginary entry plane, an imaginary exit plane, a carrying surface of the carrier, and a bottom face of the chamber unit. The entry plane includes an entry line at which the carrying surface enters treatment liquid in the chamber unit, and vertically extends from the entry line. The exit plane includes an exit line at which the carrying surface exits from the liquid in the chamber unit, and vertically extends from the exit line. The partition extends in a longitudinal direction of the carrier and has an edge portion adjacent to the carrying surface.
US08573728B2
One of the two flow passages branches from one of two ink cartridges to one of the two discharging portions and one of the two individual discharging portions. The other flow passage branches from the other ink cartridge to the other discharging portion and the other individual discharging portion. A ratio of frequency of use of each of the discharging portions, Ra, and frequency of use of each of the individual discharging portions, Rb, satisfies Ra:Rb=1:½.
US08573725B2
An improved method of measuring relative positions of adjacent printheads in a printhead array has been developed. A pair of ink dashes is made with different colors of ink from adjacent printheads and an offset distance between the dashes is determined from color density measurements of the two dashes. The offset distance may then be used to adjust the stitch alignment of the two printheads.
US08573721B2
In a method of operating a printer, a release agent application system is operated to conserve release agent. The method of operation rotates the image receiving member that receives the release agent at a slower speed to reduce the amount of release agent applied to the image receiving member at select times. Thus, the release agent supply in the release agent application system lasts longer. For every page that is preceded by this method of image receiving member preparation, image gloss is increased and simplex and duplex image transfer efficiency is improved.
US08573712B2
An electronically controllable brake system includes an electronic controller installed within the motor vehicle for actuating electrohydraulic components of the brake system and for operating the electrohydraulic components during the process of filled with hydraulic fluid and for removing air from hydraulic components of the brake system. A filling sequence is performed according to a predetermined filling profile that utilizes on-board sensors that detect brake system pressure and identify a defined pressure in conformity with a desired filling profile.
US08573711B2
A vehicle braking apparatus that can exert high braking performance during vehicle braking is implemented by a control mode that can be realized in a braking apparatus (10) of usual hardware. In controlling the braking apparatus (10) of a vehicle, a climb rate of a wheel cylinder braking oil pressure (Pw) is decreased smaller than a climb rate corresponding to a climb rate of a master cylinder oil pressure (Pm) from a time point at which the wheel cylinder braking oil pressure (Pw) reaches a predetermined threshold value. The time point at which the wheel cylinder braking oil pressure (Pw) reaches the predetermined threshold value (P3) is estimated based on the climb process of the master cylinder oil pressure (Pm) or directly detected.
US08573699B2
A rear seat of a vehicle which allows controlled reclining of the seat as well as folding the seatback to a stowed position.
US08573698B2
A seat adjustment apparatus comprises a first rail (24) and a second rail (26) each having a plurality of openings that extend along a longitudinal axis, the openings being defined by spaced-apart locking surfaces. A locking mechanism having first (56) and second (58) locking portions is configured to engage the first and second rails. The first (56) and second (58) locking portions are selectively rotatable between a released position and a locked position. In the locked position, the first and second locking portions are configured for relative axial movement along the longitudinal axis such that the interaction of the first and second locking portions of the locking mechanism with the spaced-apart locking surfaces of the openings of the first and second rails attenuates longitudinal freeplay therebetween.
US08573692B2
A furniture slipcover including a slipcover body and at least one band, such as a textile band, is provided. The slipcover body covers at least some surfaces of a piece of furniture, and a first end of the band is fixedly attached to the slipcover body, and the band extends in a horizontal direction when holding the bunched portion of the slipcover body. A fastening member, such as a clip, is disposed at a second end of each band. Also, each band may be provided as an elastic material that exerts a contracting force when the fastening member is secured to the bunched portion of the slipcover body. The band may be located on a portion of the slipcover that covers or is near to lateral edges of armrests and the backrest.
US08573682B2
A vehicle cowl component configured to extend between a hood's rear edge and a vehicle front windshield comprises a cowl and a seal, the seal including a U-shaped cross section attached to the under-hood edge and having upwardly extending front and rear curved walls, each of the curved walls having an unconnected free end. In one embodiment, the seal is two-shot molded onto the cowl, which eliminates secondary attachment operations. A method includes steps of first-shot molding a cowl, and then second-shot molding a U-shaped seal onto the cowl along an under-hood front edge. A modified cowl includes a seal with a downwardly extending wiper for sealing engagement with a body support structure under the cowl and seal.
US08573680B2
Trailers, such as semi-trailers, having configurations that improve the aerodynamic efficiency thereof are provided. In some examples, aerodynamically configured trailers are provided that maintain standard cargo capacity. To improve the aerodynamic efficiency, the rearward end of the trailer in some embodiments include a downward cant or slope. In use, the rearward cant or slope reduces the low-pressure region that trails the end of the trailer, thereby reducing pressure drag. In accordance with another aspect, to accommodate loading and unloading of the downwardly canting or sloping trailer, examples of the trailers may also be equipped with “sliding trailer axle” and/or extended travel landing gear so as to allow the trailer to interface with standard loading dock heights as well as rampless ground loading/unloading.
US08573672B2
An end wall arrangement for an engine compartment of a motor vehicle is provided that includes an end wall, at least one component mounted on the end wall, and a planar covering element having sound-absorbing properties. The covering element is provided with at least one flap having heat-insulating properties and being configured optionally to cover the at least one component or to render the component accessible.
US08573669B2
A storage container having a pivotable door pivotable between an open and closed position is provided. The storage container includes a housing configured to hold the pivotable door and a biasing member operable to bias the pivotable door between the open and closed position. A mount is disposed on the pivotable door. The mount includes a loading member. The biasing member is operatively connected to the mount. The biasing member is configured to engage the loading member so as to retain the biasing member in a fixed position with respect to the pivotable door prior to assembling the pivotable door to the housing. A method for installing or assembling a storage container having a pivotable door is also provided.
US08573664B2
A cover for use with a pet barrier having a frame with first and second ends includes a body portion sized and shaped to cover at least a portion of the frame and first and second attachment members defined on the body portion. The first attachment member is sized and configured to be releasably secured to one of the first and second ends of the frame, and the second attachment member is sized and configured to be releasably secured to the other of the first and second ends of the frame. The cover further includes a closure assembly configured to selectively secure the second attachment member to the frame.
US08573661B1
A vehicle side protector provides a compact easily transported and deployed padded rod couplable to a vehicle providing a physical barrier to prevent damage to the side of the vehicle. The protector includes a collapsible rod assembly having a plurality of sections. A plurality of pads is coupled to the rod assembly. A front attachment line coupled to and extends from the rod assembly and a back attachment line is coupled to and extends from the rod assembly. A front attachment hook is coupled to the front attachment line and a back attachment hook coupled to the back attachment line.
US08573659B2
Provided is a child lock mechanism which provides satisfactory operability at the time of operation of opening/closing a door while maintaining satisfactory operability at the time of setting/unsetting operation. The child lock mechanism includes: a base member; a first lever; a second lever; and an intermediate member assembled to the first lever and not assembled to the second lever. In a state in which the intermediate member is retained at an unset position, the intermediate member is rotatable relative to the base member, and a rotation center of the first lever relative to the base member and a rotation center of the intermediate member relative to the base member are arranged coaxially with each other.
US08573656B1
A multi-actuator robotic device for performing knot-tying is provided herein. The device performs an automatic knot-tying to mimic human hand making a clove hitch knot using a sequence of coordinated string delivery and capturing actions and is particularly useful in the field of hop twining. In one example, the device uses four pneumatic actuators to perform nine coordinated knot-tying actions.
US08573654B2
An annular sealing material seals a pipe joint between a socket and a spigot. The sealing material includes a bulb part which is composed of a first bulb, a second bulb located closer to the inner side of the socket than the first bulb, and a narrow part present between the first and second bulbs. The first bulb is pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the socket. The second bulb is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the spigot. The second bulb is inclined towards the pipe center from the first bulb in a natural state before it is provided between the socket and the spigot. The inner diameter of the second bulb is smaller than the outer diameter of the spigot in the natural state. The second bulb is extensible in the pipe diameter direction due to elastic deformation of the narrow part.
US08573653B2
A fitting component for receiving a tube is provided. The tube has a tube end inserted through a ferrule, the portion of the tube end extending beyond the ferrule being called a pilot. The fitting component comprises a body including a cavity for receiving the tube end and the ferrule. The cavity is defined by an inner lateral wall and opens on an extremity of the body. The cavity includes a pilot receiving section and a channel connecting the cavity to another portion of the body. A radial annular flange is located at the interface of the pilot receiving section with the channel. The flange has an annular sealing lip protruding towards the cavity. The sealing lip is for forming a seal with a radial surface of the pilot, advantageously reducing dead volumes within the fitting component when in use.
US08573651B2
The invention provides a thread and counterfeit preventive paper satisfying the conditions that, when the micro-character of the thread is viewed from one side and opposite side of the paper or printed material, the image of micro-character can be recognized in the same direction from any side, not in opposite direction to each other, and that, when viewed from the opposite side, the image of the corresponding micro-character is not visible. The counterfeit preventive paper and counterfeit preventive printed material have a structure in which a thread having metal deposition layers formed in a pattern of micro-character and colored printed layers formed thereon provided on both sides of a strip-like and light permeable substrate is inserted between paper layers.
US08573647B2
The invention relates to a vehicle having, at least in part, an electric drive which includes a traction battery (1), which vehicle has at least one predefined deformation zone (I, II) which in the event of a crash (A, B) acts to absorb energy, and at least one predefined zone (III), which has a substantial structural rigidity and which in the event of a crash (A, B) remains substantially without deformation. According to the invention, the traction battery (1) has a deformation region (18) which in the event of a crash can be deformed via a deformation path (a) and which is arranged in the deformation zone (I, II) of the vehicle.
US08573646B2
A mounting structure is provided for an NOx reduction system for a hydraulic excavator. The NOx reduction system includes a PM collection filter to be arranged in an exhaust passage of an engine to collect suspended particulate matter in exhaust gas from the engine, a urea SCR catalyst for reducing and purifying nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gas from the engine, a urea water spay device for spraying a urea water into the exhaust passage of the engine, a urea water feeder for feeding the urea water to the urea water spray device, and a urea water storage tank for storing therein the urea water to be guided to the urea water feeder. In the mounting structure, the counterweight is provided with a recessed section formed therein, the urea SCR catalyst is arranged in the recessed section, and the PM collection filter is arranged in the engine compartment. The urea SCR catalyst and PM collection filter are arranged to form an “L” pattern.
US08573631B2
A device for receiving a foot or a boot on a gliding apparatus, the receiving device including a base plate that extends along a longitudinal direction, from a rear end to a front end, as well as a rear support element, the rear support element being articulated with respect to the base plate, in the area of the rear end, in order to be capable of being folded, selectively, towards the base plate or deployed rearwardly. The receiving device includes an abutment that limits the deployment of the rear support element with respect to the base plate. The abutment is fixed to the base plate, the abutment has a self-supporting structure, and the abutment limits the deployment of the rear support element by acting along the longitudinal direction (L). The abutment is transversely flexible in order to assume the shape of the rear support element when the latter is deployed rearward.
US08573628B2
The present invention is a configurable trailer hitch that provides an extended towing position for transferring a tractor force to a load, and a retracted storage position for safely stowing the hitch under a towing vehicle. The trailer hitch has a spring loaded retaining pin which engages a hitch receiver when the trailer hitch is placed in the towing position, and a storage latch adapted to hold the hitch receiver when the trailer hitch is placed in the storage position.
US08573625B2
An architecture is presented that provides a riding platform device attachable to the back of a personal assistive mobility device, and more particularly to a removable and adjustable platform device for attachment to an electric or gas powered scooter that allows a companion to be transported along with the scooter and its driver, and thereby keep pace with an individual with limited mobility.
US08573622B2
A wheelchair comprises a frame and first and second rear wheels that are each independently mounted to the frame via a respective mounting hub. Each rear wheel is detachably mounted to its respective mounting hub at two or more distinct hub mounting points. Either or both of the hub mounting points can be movable with respect to a remainder of the hub, for example via a pivoting arrangement. A disk can be positioned at the rear wheel and a stop element located at the mounting hub can be selectively operated to interfere with the disk to prevent rotation of that rear wheel. The frame can comprise first and second spaced apart and unitary tubes which each extending in an unbroken manner from a wheelchair seat to a wheelchair forward region.
US08573617B2
A wheel suspension for motor vehicles includes at least one upper control arm, in particular an upper transverse control arm, and at least one lower control arm, in particular a lower transverse control arm, which are hinged on the body of the motor vehicle suspension on the one hand, and on the other hand are connected to a wheel carrier, thus forming a preferred, substantially vertical steering axle. At least one suspension spring and at least one shock absorber are provided. The at least one suspension spring and/or the at least one shock absorber are designed to be rotatable.
US08573604B2
A wheel suspension for a motor vehicle includes an electric vibration damper which is affixed to the vehicle body and which has a generator that can be driven by translational wheel movements of the vehicle wheel in order to generate an induced voltage. The stator and the rotor of the generator are interconnected via at least one gear stage, wherein a gear element of the gear stage is a drive gear wheel of a rack-and-pinion drive that is drivingly connected to a wheel carrier of the wheel suspension, with the wheel carrier following the wheel movements.
US08573603B2
A split ring seal assembly includes a metal seal ring having two ends defining a circumferential gap therebetween. At least a first spring element is mounted to the two ends to bias the two ends circumferentially towards each other to reduce the diameter of a circumferential inner sealing surface of the metal seal ring.
US08573600B2
The invention relates to an improved O-ring seal for use as a high vacuum seal. A limitation of standard O-ring seals is the permeation of water through the O-ring. Especially for instruments in which parts are kept at a cryogenic temperature, such as a cryogenic electron microscope, the presence of water in the vacuum is a problem, as this results in ice growth on the cryogenic parts. As a solution often a double O-ring seal is used, or a metal seal. Both of these solutions have severe draw-backs.The invention proposes to place the O-ring in a channel in which dry gas, such as dry nitrogen, is blown. In this way no water can permeate through the O-ring, resulting in a reduced base pressure and highly reduced ice growth.
US08573594B2
A game machine includes a game board provided with a playfield on which a playing ball cascades downward, a ball receiving hole detection part configured to detect whether or not the playing ball enters a ball receiving hole provided in the playfield, a win determination part configured to determine, when the ball receiving hole detection part detects the playing ball, whether or not a special win is acquired, a game value to be provided for the special win not being determined at a time of provision of the game value, a decision part configured to decide, when the win determination part determines that the special win is acquired, a predetermined game value provided by the special win, and a game value providing part configured to provide the predetermined game value decided by the decision part.
US08573591B2
An optical reader is provided. A transport section is capable of transporting a medium which is a reading target in forward and backward directions along a transport path. An optical reading section is installed in the transporting path. The optical reading section optically reads the medium which is transported by the transport section. A control section sets a transport direction of the medium at the time of reading of the medium on the basis of a position of the medium before or when the reading of the medium is started and a reading position of the optical reading section such that a transport distance of the medium until the reading of the medium is completed is shortened, and controls the transport section and the optical reading section.
US08573587B2
A sheet material feeding device includes a send-out means that is pressed to contact with the uppermost surface of the sheet material stacked on the sheet material stacking member to move the contact surface in a predetermined direction for sending out the sheet material, a lift up/down means that moves the sheet material stacking member between a feeding position and a separate position, a member to be detected that can move in the up and down direction when the sheet material stacking member moves, a detecting member that can output a detection signal when the member to be detected moves to a predetermined position, and a cassette that supports the sheet material stacking member and can be attached and detached from an apparatus main body. The cassette has an engaging portion for moving the member to be detected to the predetermined position when being attached to the apparatus main body.
US08573584B2
An image forming apparatus including a sheet container, a sheet stacking member to closably open the sheet container; a restriction unit to restrict a swinging movement of the sheet stacking member, and a stopper mechanism to restrict insertion of the sheet container into the image forming apparatus in a state in which the sheet stacking member swings open from the sheet container. The stopper mechanism includes a stopped member provided to the sheet container and being movable vertically along the swinging movement of the sheet stacking member, and a stopper member provided to the image forming apparatus and being contactable with the stopped member. The stopped member includes a stopped surface contacted by the stopper member in a state in which the stopped member is lifted; and a switching surface adjacent to the stopped surface and vertically moving the stopped member by contact against the stopper member.
US08573578B1
A device for holding a workpiece, the device comprising a base, a first jaw member, a movable jaw member, and features which allow the movable jaw member to be moved in large increments relative to the first jaw member in addition to features which allow the movable jaw member to be moved in smaller increments. The device can include a drive member operably engaged with the base and the movable jaw member such that the operation of the drive member can move the movable jaw member in small increments. The movable jaw member can include a connection member which can operatively engage the movable jaw member with the drive member. The connection member can be moved between first and second positions to disengage the movable jaw member from the drive member such that the movable jaw member can be slid relative to the first jaw member in large increments.
US08573572B2
A user-selectable force conversion apparatus includes a first and a second connecting member that are pivotally connected to each other between a sliding member and a fixed member. The apparatus also includes a leaf spring holder for removably retaining one or more leaf springs and loading the second connecting member with a substantially linear force response of the leaf springs. A user may change the combination of leaf springs and/or vary a length ratio for the first and second connecting members and thereby change the force response of the apparatus. Movement of the sliding member by the mechanical input may convert the substantially linear force response of the leaf springs to a user-selected force response for the mechanical input. A corresponding method is also disclosed.
US08573568B2
A leaf spring attachment for connecting a leaf spring to an axle or frame of a motor vehicle includes a clamp to maintain the leaf spring under tension between elastomer bodies. At least one of the elastomer bodies is connected to the leaf spring by a material joint. The clamp is split to define an upper clamp member and a lower clamp member in opposition to the upper clamp member. The upper clamp member has a U-shaped configuration to embrace a topside and opposite length sides of the leaf spring. The lower clamp member includes a plurality of retention plates in spaced-apart relationship for connection with the axle by material joint. Screw fasteners are provided to secure legs of the upper clamp member to the lower clamp member.
US08573566B2
A freestanding fence supported on x-shaped posts or x-posts that sit on top of the ground. Two tubes are welded together at approximately a 55 degree angle to form each x-post. The legs of the x-posts are provided with adjustable length feet and with receivers for holding electrical or non-electrical fence wires. Universal joints secure horizontal members between adjacent x-posts. The universal joints secure to a pair of ears proved on each leg of the x-posts. An adjustable height footed vertical support member can be installed on each horizontal member approximately midway between the adjacent x-posts. The fence is constructed of easily transported and assembled pieces that can be disassembled, moved, and then reassembled as often as needed. Once assembled, the fence is strong and stable and can be used to mount various types of equipment such as lighting, security, camera, motion detection, solar panels, radio frequency identification devices, etc.
US08573548B2
Merchandising support system of the type having a holding member adapted for engagement of a cantilevered accessory arm thereto. The holder is adapted for mounting on a surface of a display panel or the like and comprises a mounting platform with a throat extending therethrough. The accessory arm is supported in the throat in cantilevered fashion and includes a first magnetic material that engages a second magnetic material with the latter disposed in the throat proximate to a rear surface thereof.
US08573540B2
A system for trimming a kite having first and second lines, first ends of which are secured to a first side to the kite. The system comprises a bar having a hollow interior and at least one spool secured at a first end of the bar such that second ends of the first and second lines are each secured to one of the spools. A winder is provided such that actuation of the winder rotates each spool. The first line extends from the kite to the first end of the bar and the second line extends from the kite to a second end of the bar and through the hollow interior of the bar to the first end of the bar.
US08573533B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed in which an aircraft landing system is at least partly primarily powered by power provided by a ram air turbine (RAT).
US08573518B2
The invention relates to a method for breaking down biological material, especially for obtaining biomolecules by ultrasound, the biological material being arranged, in a container together with a liquid.
US08573517B2
An injector having an injector body, in which a housing opening and a communication hale are provided, includes a supporting member fixed to an actuator, which includes a lead-wire supporting portion that supports ends of lead wires and a plate portion formed integrally with the lead-wire supporting portion. A thickness of the plate portion is smaller than that of the lead-wire supporting portion, and multiple trench portions are provided on a surface of the plate portion so that the plate portion can be easily bent. While the supporting member passes through the housing opening, the lead wires straight move. After an end portion of the supporting member contacts the communication hole, external force is applied to the end portion to bend the plate portion, and thereby the lead wires are bent while moving in the communication hole.
US08573515B2
An aerating nozzle tip comprises a housing having a central axis, an inlet, an outlet, a plurality of passages disposed around the central axis between the inlet and the outlet, and a circumferential aspirator disposed between the inlet and the outlet.
US08573499B1
A business card having a QRC image, and method and system for transferring business card information from a QRC to a mobile communication device is disclosed herein. A SMS message comprising contact data for a business is sent from a QRC server to the mobile communication device, which results in pop-up display on the mobile communication device. The pop-up display includes a V-card for the business.
US08573493B2
Methods and systems are provided to allow personal computer users to virtualize a local smart card so that they can remotely connect to a server and interact with the server as if the local smart card was physically connected to the server. They connect a remote smart card target hardware device to the target system through a physical connection, such as a USB connection, and the device interacts with the local user's computer and smart card reader over a network. The target system is unaware that the smart card reader is not connected directly to the system through a physical connection, and the target system does not need special software to implement the remote smart card reader. The smart card target device connected to the target computer may be physically connected and disconnected.
US08573489B2
A decoding system has a decoding engine running on a mobile device. The decoding engine decodes signals produced from a read of a first party's financial transaction card. The decoding engine accepts and initializes incoming signals from a read of the first party's financial transaction card. A transaction engine runs on the mobile device and is coupled to the decoding engine. The transaction engine receives as its input decoded first party's financial transaction card information from the decoding engine. A user interaction engine is configured to utilize a touch screen of the mobile device. A first party or second party can input at least one of numbers, characters, and signatures by touching the touch screen.
US08573484B1
An automated banking machine operates to cause financial transfers responsive to data read from data bearing records in the form of user cards. The machine includes a printer for printing paper records of transactions conducted at the machine. The printer receives paper from a shared paper path. The shared paper path can be supplied by a first paper supply and a second paper supply. A controller is operative to switch between the paper supplies in providing paper to the printer. Based on signals received from paper sensors in the machine, the controller can determine whether the first paper supply has reached a predetermined low level. In response to a low level determination, the controller acts to cause a paper drive to begin moving paper from the second paper supply to the shared paper path and then to the printer.
US08573474B2
Exemplary technical support systems and methods are disclosed herein. An exemplary method includes a media content access device obtaining technical support request information from a user, encoding data representative of the technical support request information into a barcode, and providing the barcode for display on a display screen associated with the media content access device. The exemplary method may additionally or alternatively include a mobile device capturing an image of the displayed barcode and transmitting data representative of the image to a technical support subsystem. The exemplary method may additionally or alternatively include a technical support subsystem receiving data representative of the image of the barcode, decoding the barcode code to obtain the technical support request information, and performing one or more technical support operations in response to the technical support request information. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.
US08573468B1
An ultrasonic bonding machine is provided. The ultrasonic bonding machine includes a support structure configured to support a workpiece during a bonding operation. The ultrasonic bonding machine further includes an upper bonding tool positioned above the support structure and configured for bonding an upper bonding material to an upper side of the workpiece, and a lower bonding tool positioned below the support structure and configured for bonding a lower bonding material to a lower side of the workpiece. The ultrasonic bonding machine may also be an ultrasonic ribbon bonding machine configured to bond an upper and lower conductive ribbon to a solar substrate.
US08573453B2
The present disclosure pertains to a pleat making device used to create pleats of fabric while the pleat making device is mounted to clothing. The pleat making device can have a frame for supporting the fabric, a fabric securing member for securing the fabric to the frame, and a segment frame hinge that allows for the rotation of a plurality of segment frames around an axis.
US08573442B2
A method and device are provided for controlling and reconciling a liquid inventory, such as a volume of liquid dispensed from a container. The device secures a pour spout for dispensing a predetermined amount of liquid to a container opening, such that the spout may not be removed without detection. The device includes a counting mechanism to count and indicate the total number of pours from the container for use in sales and inventory reconciliation.
US08573421B2
A container including a body defining an outflow opening and at least one chamber adapted for storing a product, such as a fat containing liquid product, and a container closure including a primary seal for hermetically sealing the product within the chamber during storage. The container closure includes a sealing member forming a substantially fluid-tight seal between the container closure and the body, and a dispensing member in fluid communication with the chamber. The container closure and body move relative to each other between a first position where the primary seal is seated about the outflow port to hermetically seal the product in the chamber during storage, and a second position where the primary seal is displaced from the outflow port to allow product to pass from the chamber through the outflow port and into dispensing member to dispense the product.
US08573418B2
The rack assembly contains a number of vertical rail members and each rail member contains two or more column elements, a number of connection elements, and a number of fastening elements. Each column element has a number of connection grooves and sliding grooves. The connection elements are positioned between and connected to two adjacent column elements. Two vertically adjacent connection elements are locked together by a fastening element. The rack assembly allows a number of stretching members movably configured. Each stretching member contains a number of wheel elements and at least an elastic hook element. The wheel elements are embedded into the sliding grooves of a column element and the stretching members as such could slide along the column element to various positions and, by connecting the elastic hook elements to a curtain's various spots, the curtain is stretched from multiple directions.
US08573414B2
The present invention provides a lockable eyewear display system. Embodiments of the system include a frame holder on which the eyewear is placed, a locking mechanism that secures the eyewear to the holder, and a key that enables a user to holder unlock and to remove the eyewear from the holder. In one embodiment, frame holder includes an articulating joint allowing at least a portion of the holder and eyewear to be swiveled. The frame holder is removably attachable to a display rod of the system configured to hold a plurality of frame holders. The display rod includes a lock in one embodiment to prevent removal of the frame holders from the rod without use of a specially configured access key. The display rod is mountable to a surface of a fixture or display object such as a rack or furniture.
US08573411B2
A retail assembly includes a product assembly for retail sale and a hanger. The product assembly defines rear surface and a footprint. The hanger includes an elongated plate, a hinge, and an extension member. The elongated plate defines a first elongated edge and a front surface coupled to the rear surface of the product assembly. The hinge extends from the first elongated edge. The extension member extends from the hinge in an opposite direction as the elongated plate and defines a support surface for interacting with a retail display. The hanger rotates about the hinge between an unfolded position and a folded position. When the hanger is in one of the folded position and the unfolded position, the extension member is maintained within the footprint of the product assembly. When the hanger is in the other position, the extension member extends outside the footprint of the product assembly.
US08573408B2
A crystalline polymer microporous membrane, which contains: a microporous film formed of a crystalline polymer, which has a plurality of pores; and a hydrophilic polymer containing a hydroxyl group, which covers exposed surfaces of the microporous film, wherein the plurality of pores have a larger average pore diameter at a first surface of the film than the average pore diameter at a second surface of the film, and the average pore diameter of the pores continuously changes from the first surface to the second surface.
US08573405B2
A media depository comprises: an input for receiving deposited media items, a discriminator arranged to receive individual deposited media items from the input, and to ascertain whether each individual deposited media item is a banknote or a check; and a combined media container. The combined media container comprises: first and second media entrances, located opposite each other; first and second moveable supports, also located opposite each other; and an urging mechanism coupled to the first and second moveable supports and arranged to urge the first moveable support towards the first media entrance and the second moveable support towards the second media entrance, so that the first and second moveable supports are initially located at the first and second entrances respectively, and move closer to each other as media items are deposited.
US08573395B1
An electronic device protection assembly includes a case including a back wall and a perimeter wall that is attached to and extends forward of the back wall. The perimeter wall includes a front edge that is distal to the back wall. An inwardly extending flange is attached to and coextensive with the front edge. The flange has an inner edge defining a phone aperture configured to allow access to a front side of an electronic device. A mirror is attached to the back wall. The case has the electronic device positioned between the back wall and the flange to enclose and protect the electronic device.
US08573389B2
A link module suitable for use in a conveyor chain intended for travel along an intended direction on a given path. The module includes a first eye and a second eye adjacent the first eye. The eyes define a space therebetween. A roller assembly extends into the space and is detachably mounted between the first and second eyes.
US08573387B2
An aggregate processing apparatus comprising a conveyor having its base coupled to the apparatus, the coupling allowing the conveyor to pivot about a first axis that is substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the conveyor, and to pivot substantially at the base towards and away from said apparatus. The conveyor is actuatable between a deployed state in which it projects from said apparatus, and a folded state in which it is disposed substantially against said apparatus.
US08573378B2
A parking lock device for a motor vehicle transmission which comprises a transmission housing, a locking pawl mounted by a bolt to swivel on the housing and loaded by a restoring spring, a guide plate supported on the housing, and a locking element by which, in the engaged condition, the locking pawl can be locked by being supported against the guide plate. The locking pawl is arranged on the bolt with some play and, on a narrow side thereof facing toward the guide plate, has a pawl hook with a first detent element, while the guide plate has, in a swiveling area of the pawl hook, an opening with a second detent element which interlocks with the first detent element when the parking lock is disengaged.
US08573375B2
The invention discloses an electromagnetic friction clutch for driving a fan impeller in the engine compartment of a vehicle. The clutch includes a disk rotor consisting of a plane flat part, a further clutch element which is supported so that it is freely rotatable and which can be driven by the rotor through controllable friction contact, and elements for transmitting a rotational movement according to a principle of an eddy current drive with an eddy current ring fitted to the outer edge area of the disk rotor of the clutch.
US08573371B2
A cast iron brake caliper with improved fatigue life, and a process and process equipment for pre-stressing a cast iron brake caliper to provide improved fatigue life, is provided. In the process, a load is applied to a cast iron caliper, where the load is high enough to locally yield and plastically deform the cast iron material, but not high enough to cause material failure, such as cracking. Upon load removal, residual compressive stresses in the cast iron caliper lower the mid-point of the stress range the plastically-deformed region of the caliper sees during in-service use, and thereby lowers the peak stress seen in this region, increasing fatigue life. The process permits a cast iron brake caliper to be designed to use less material and thus fit within constrained wheel rim envelopes, without the need to resort to high cost materials or other alternative design strategies.
US08573341B2
The present invention provides a suspension for a conveyance that is capable of traversing obstacles and rough terrain. The suspension includes a frame, a pivot arm, a front caster, a drive assembly and a rear caster. The pivot arm and the drive assembly are coupled and decoupled based on movement of the drive assembly.
US08573327B2
A drill bit made according to one embodiment may include a bit body having a longitudinal axis, a plurality of gamma sensors placed in the bit body, at least two gamma ray sensors in the plurality of sensors are spaced-apart from each other along the longitudinal axis of the bit body, wherein each such sensor in the plurality of sensors is configured to detect gamma rays from the formation during drilling of the wellbore and to provide signals representative of the detected gamma rays, and a circuit configured to process at least partially the signals from each of the at least two gamma ray sensors for estimating an inclination of the bit body relative to the longitudinal axis.
US08573317B2
The method is for continuously producing compressed-air foam, notably for fire fighting or for decontamining, by supplying both compressed air and a mixture of water and at least a foaming agent to a foaming chamber (5) outputting foam to a nozzle (9) via a pipe (8). The mixture of foam agent and water and the compressed air are each continuously supplied to the foaming chamber (5) at a constant pressure and at a constant volume flow rate, e.g. by means of pressure regulators (1, 2) and of flow rate regulators (3, 4). The foam pressure is regulated at the outlet of the foaming chamber (5) for maintaining the foam mixing pressure in the foaming chamber constant, preferably by a self-operating valve (6). The foaming chamber can advantageously be of a static type comprising sieves.
US08573316B2
A horizontal sidewall fire protection sprinkler has a deflector having a vertical face, transverse to the fluid flow from the output orifice, and a horizontal shelf positioned above and perpendicular to the vertical face. A portion of the horizontal shelf extends in the fluid flow direction by a first length, with respect to the vertical face, and this first length is less than about half of the total length of the horizontal shelf in the fluid flow direction. The sprinkler may be installed in a support cup having a raised mounting platform configured to receive the sprinkler body and a cylindrical outer surface. A horizontal or pendent fire protection sprinkler has a body having an output orifice and a flange and a seal cap to seal a flow of fluid from the output orifice and a thermally-responsive element positioned to releasably retain the seal cap. Housing members extend through and from the flange of the sprinkler body, and contain rods, each of which extends through the flange. A deflector is connected to ends of the rods.
US08573311B2
A method of variably restricting flow in a subterranean well can include resisting the flow through a sidewall of a tubular string, and then selectively opening a device in response to a predetermined pressure signal being transmitted. The opening of the device can substantially reduce a resistance to the flow through the tubular string sidewall. A flow restrictor system for use with a subterranean well can include a flow restrictor which resists flow through system, a pressure sensor, and an initially closed device which opens and thereby permits the flow to bypass the flow restrictor, in response to a predetermined pressure signal being detected by the sensor.
US08573308B2
In an offshore drilling facility, apparatus is disclosed comprising: a drilling floor centralizer for receiving the upper end of a string of drilling riser sections; a moon pool centralizer for receiving another portion of the drilling riser; and at least one roto-track, removably and rotationally carried by at least one of the pin end of one drilling riser section and the box end of the adjacent drilling riser section, for extending the outer diameter of each of the adjacent ends to the outer diameter of the adjacent drilling risers sections intermediate the ends of the drilling riser sections.
US08573305B2
An automatic release system for a riser includes a guide funnel assembly that receives a shaft coupled to the riser. A pull-head is located inside at least a portion of the shaft and coupled to the shaft. The pull-head is coupled to a pulling mechanism. One or more spring-loaded dogs are mounted on the outside of the shaft. The dogs radially move in and out through one or more openings in the shaft aligned with the dogs and engage a groove on the pull-head when radially moved in through the openings. One or more stopper mechanisms are mounted on the outside of the shaft and aligned with the dogs. In a first position, the stopper mechanisms inhibit the dogs from disengaging from the groove in the pull-head. In a second position, the stopper mechanisms allow the dogs to disengage from the groove in the pull-head.
US08573304B2
A safety valve for use in a subterranean well can include a housing assembly having a flow passage extending longitudinally through the housing assembly. An outer diameter of the housing assembly is eccentric relative to the flow passage. A well tool can include a magnetic coupling between magnet devices. One magnet device includes a series of magnets which are unequally spaced circumferentially about the other magnet device. Another safety valve can include a longitudinally extending flow passage, a closure device which selectively permits and prevents flow through the flow passage, and an outer diameter which is eccentric relative to the flow passage.
US08573299B2
A method for enhancing oil recovery is disclosed. The method includes providing a subsurface reservoir containing hydrocarbons therewithin and a wellbore in fluid communication with the subsurface reservoir. A solution for injection into the reservoir is formed by mixing a composition with at least one non-ionic chemical, at least one polymer, and at least one alkali. The non-ionic chemical can be alcohol alkoxylates such as alkylaryl alkoxy alcohols or alkyl alkoxy alcohols. The solution is solution is clear and aqueous stable when mixed. The solution is injected through the wellbore into the subsurface reservoir.
US08573297B2
Method, devices and systems are provided for measuring deformation in subterranean formations. Such methods include introduction of spaced-apart depth magnetic markers along the longitudinal length of a well bore and measuring the position of each depth marker over time so as to determine deformation of the subterranean formation. In certain embodiments, depth markers comprise rare earth magnets. In further embodiments, orientation of each magnetic bullet is determined over time to determine the change in orientation of each magnetic bullet. Advantages of the methods and devices herein include, but are not limited to, improved accuracy and reliability of deformation measurements and reduced environmental impact due to the avoidance of radioactive markers used by the present invention.
US08573295B2
A method of unplugging a seat, including dissolving at least a surface of a plug seated against the seat, and unseating the plug from the seat.
US08573290B2
A spiral heat exchanger includes a spiral body formed by at least one spiral sheet wound to form the spiral body forming at least a first spiral-shaped flow channel for a first medium and a second spiral-shaped flow channel for a second medium, wherein the spiral body is enclosed by a substantially cylindrical shell being provided with connecting elements communicating with the first flow channel and the second flow channel, where the at least one spiral sheet comprises a corrugated heat transfer surface with corrugations for increasing the heat transfer and supports for spacing the wounds of the at least one spiral sheet in the spiral body.
US08573276B2
The invention relates to a label, and method and apparatus for forming and dispensing the same. The label is provided as part of a roll of labels. The labels are attached to each other and/or extraneous label or substrate material via a discontinuous line with bridge portions. The labels have a layer of adhesive and a release layer applied thereto and ink printed thereon. In one embodiment the adhesive is applied over the release layer of material prior to forming the roll and when the labels are taken from the roll the adhesive layer leaves the release layer and contacts with the face of the label which overlies the same in the roll.
US08573274B2
A welding apparatus includes first and second die members opposing one another. The first and second die members include opposing respective first and second perimeter-welding electrodes and opposing respective first and second tube-welding electrodes. The first perimeter-welding electrode and first tube-welding electrode define a first welding surface. The second perimeter-welding electrode and second tube-welding electrode define a second welding surface. A single source of high frequency energy is electrically connected to the perimeter-welding electrodes and to the tube-welding electrodes. Dielectric material is selectively disposed on the first welding surface such that the material is disposed on some but not all the first welding surface for reducing a strength of a high frequency electric field between the first and second perimeter-welding electrodes as compared to a strength of the high frequency electric field between at least a portion of the first and second tube-welding electrodes.
US08573272B2
A pneumatic tire includes a carcass, a tread, a belt reinforcing structure located radially outward of the carcass and radially inward of the tread, and an insert located in each sidewall. Each insert comprises a plurality of separate rib members. The carcass includes a reinforcing ply structure extending between a pair of bead portions and a pair of sidewalls. Each sidewall is located radially outward of one of the pair of bead portions.
US08573259B2
A modular microfluidic system comprising a base substrate, a plurality of microfluidic assembly blocks, and an adhesive component is provided. Each individual microfluidic assembly block defines a channel and has a sidewall defining an aperture into the channel. When the plurality of microfluidic assembly blocks are arranged on the base substrate, the aperture into the channel of one microfluidic assembly block aligns with the aperture of another microfluidic assembly block with the channels thereof connected along a plane parallel to the base substrate thereby forming a channel network defined by the plurality of microfluidic assembly blocks. The subject invention also provides a method of assembling a microfluidic device. The method comprising the steps of providing the base substrate, providing the plurality of microfluidic assembly blocks, and arranging the plurality of microfluidic assembly blocks on the base substrate.
US08573257B2
An outlet of a spigot has a bottom seat, a neck, a head and a flow passage. The bottom seat has a bottom face. The neck is formed on and protrudes upward from the bottom seat. The head is formed on and protrudes forward from the neck and has a bottom side. The flow passage is formed in the outlet between the bottom seat, the neck and the head and has at least one inlet hole and an outlet hole. The inlet hole is formed through the bottom face of the bottom seat and communicates with the flow passage. The outlet hole is U-shaped, is formed in the head opposite to the neck and communicates with the flow passage.
US08573255B2
A valve assembly is disclosed for controlling fluid flow between two reservoirs. The valve assembly includes a relief valve arranged inside the housing and configured to open a first fluid flow path when the first reservoir is above a first predetermined pressure value.
US08573244B2
A relief valve assembly to relieve overpressure of a pressurized fluid. In accordance with some embodiments, the assembly comprises a housing with an inlet and an outlet to form a conduit for a pressurized fluid. A normally closed valve member is axially displaceable within the housing to engage a valve seat to prevent a flow of the pressurized fluid along the conduit. A biasing member applies a bias force to the valve member to retain the valve member against the valve seat. A piston within the valve member contactingly engages the pressurized fluid. A mechanically collapsible member resists axial movement of the piston responsive to said contacting engagement of the pressurized fluid. The piston and collapsible member decouple the bias force supplied by the biasing spring member upon the valve member from a force upon the valve member applied by the pressurized fluid, thereby maintaining a bubble-tight seal.
US08573237B2
A tool for cleaning heat exchangers may include a fluid flow control valve, a hollow elongated stem attached to the valve and a hollow fan head attached to the hollow stem. The fan head may have a fan-head axis oriented at an oblique angle relative to a stem axis of the stem.
US08573232B2
The present invention describes a hair treatment application system, comprising at least one or more hair treatment compositions (15) having a viscosity of from 3,000 cPs to 150,000 cPs and a hair treatment application device (1) comprising a first plate (10) and a second plate (20) positionable in a juxtaposed relationship when said hair treatment application device (1) is in a closed state. The hair treatment application device (1) is characterized by having a first zone comprising at least one absorbent substrate (40) on the internal surface (101) of said at least said first plates (10) and a second zone (50) on said internal surface (101) which is free of said absorbent substrate (40). Said at least one absorbent substrate (40) has a median pore radius of from 300 microns to 3,000 micron. The present invention describes also methods of treating the hair with said hair treatment application system (10) and kit comprising said hair treatment application system.
US08573224B2
A method for forming a custom-molded oral appliance for positioning a user's jaw proximate to centric occlusion is disclosed. The method includes heating a thin sheet of material comprising a polycaprolactone polymer. The thin sheet of material is positioned within the user's mouth. The user's jaw is positioned proximate to centric occlusion. The thin sheet of material is molded around at least respective portions of the user's upper and lower dental arches such that each of the respective portions of the user's upper and lower dental arches form respective impressions on opposite sides of the thin sheet of material. The thin sheet of material is transitioned to a substantially non-deformable state.
US08573206B2
The ventilation module (8) regulates the inspiratory pressure (P) according to an inspiratory pressure order (AI). A control module (9) compares the breathed volume at each cycle (VTI) with a minimum volume order (VRImini) and varies the pressure order (AI) in the direction tending to maintain the breathed volume (VTI) just over the minimum (VTImini), but keeping the pressure order (AI) within the interval comprised between the two extreme values (AImini, AImaxi). Utilization to combine the advantages of the pressure mode ventilation with those of the volumetric ventilation.
US08573200B2
A magnetic coupling assembly for use in coupling portions of a gas deliver system. The magnetic coupling assembly includes a first member and a second member to be coupled together. The attractive forces between the first plurality of magnetic elements on the first member and a second plurality of magnetic elements on the second member join these member. The poles of magnetic elements in the first and second plurality of magnetic elements is opposite that of an adjacent magnetic element. The first and second members are easily detached from one another simply by rotating the first member relative to the second member such that the magnetic poles of the magnetic elements in each plurality of magnetic elements become unaligned, causing an weakening of the attractive forces.
US08573199B2
A respiratory mask includes a mask body with a perimeter. The mask has a use position wherein the mask body covers at least the mouth and nose and the perimeter is in contact with the face surrounding at least the mouth and nose. At least one ultrasonic sensor is supported on the mask body in detecting proximity to the perimeter. The ultrasonic sensor is operable to detect ultrasound. The ultrasonic sensor allows leakage around the perimeter of the mask body to be detected.
US08573193B2
A bow stabilizing and shock dampening assembly that, in various embodiments, comprises: (1) one or more dampener supports; (2) a support structure for supporting the one or more dampener supports; and (3) an attachment mechanism that is adapted for selectively attaching the bow stabilizing and shock dampening assembly to a bow. In particular embodiments, the support structure extends between the dampener support and the attachment mechanism, and each dampener support is adapted to maintain a respective dampener in a plane that is at least substantially parallel to a central axis of the bow stabilizing and shock dampening assembly.
US08573188B2
The invention relates to a cylinder head (1) of an internal combustion engine, comprising at least one hollow camshaft (2) which forms an exhaust for blow-by gases containing oil mist from the crank housing and is also embodied as an oil mist pre fractionator for the preliminary separation of the oil part from these gases. Furthermore, an oil mist post-fractionator (5) is axially arranged on the end of the camshaft (2), in order to carry out an especially effective separation of oil dissolved in the blow-by gases.
US08573186B2
The invention relates to an injector for injecting fuel into combustion chambers of internal combustion engines. According to the invention, a valve seat of a control valve is designed as a flat seat that has a planar valve seat surface. A circumferential edge located on the face of a sleeve of the control valve rests on the planar valve seat surface when the control valve is closed.
US08573176B2
A crank chamber communication structure for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a plurality of partition walls that are formed by a cylinder block and a crankcase, that are formed to support a crankshaft and to define a plurality of crank chambers that correspond to the plurality of cylinders, the structure including: a plurality of respective first communicating holes formed in the plurality of partition walls for communication between respective pairs of adjoining crank chambers separated by an interposed partition wall; and a second communicating hole that is formed at least either of the cylinder block or the crankcase, and that is interposed between a pair of non-adjoining crank chambers between which at least two partition walls among the plurality of partition walls are interposed for direct communication between the pair of non-adjoining crank chambers.
US08573167B2
A control valve for a device to variably adjust control times of gas-exchange valves of an internal combustion engine. The control device has a valve housing and a control piston. The valve housing has an axial cavity with a dividing element arranged in the cavity that separates the cavity into two partial spaces and hydraulically seals the spaces from one another. The dividing element is produced separately from the valve housing and is positionally fixedly fastened in the cavity of the valve housing. The first partial space holds the control piston, and a supply connection is formed in the region of the first partial space. The second partial space has at least one first opening via which pressure medium can be supplied to the second partial space by a pressure medium pump, and at least one second opening by which the second partial space communicates with the supply connection.
US08573161B2
Disclosed is a hot water supplying apparatus which has a dual pipe capable of transferring heat energy of hot water, which is heated by heat of combustion of a burner and flows in pipe of a heat exchanger, to an inner pipe in which cold water is introduced, thereby inhibiting the condensation of moisture so as to prevent the corrosion of parts in the hot water supplying apparatus. The hot water supplying apparatus, comprises: a burner for supplying heat; a water inlet pipe for supplying cold water; a heat exchanging pipe formed with a dual pipe including an outer pipe for directly receiving combustion heat of the burner, and an inner pipe formed in the outer pipe, for allowing the cold water, which is introduced through the water inlet pipe, to be heated while passing through the inner pipe; and a water outlet pipe for discharging the heated water from the heat exchanging pipe.
US08573154B2
The present invention relates to a plasma film forming apparatus. In the plasma film forming apparatus, a flow control jig is disposed between a plasma nozzle and a film formation region of a substrate. The flow control jig has a plasma supply path, a raw material supply path, a film formation joined path formed by combining the plasma supply path and the raw material supply path, an exhaust path for discharging a plasma discharge gas and an unreacted raw material transported from the film formation region, and a recovery path for returning the unreacted raw material in the exhaust path to the plasma supply path.
US08573151B2
A conventional microwave plasma processing apparatus, even when krypton (Kr) is used as a plasma-generation gas, can only obtain an oxide film or a nitride film having the same level of characteristics as those obtained when a rare gas such as argon (Ar) is used as a plasma-generation gas. Accordingly, instead of forming a dielectric window of a microwave plasma processing apparatus with only a ceramic member, a planarization film capable of obtaining a stoichiometric SiO2 composition by thermal treatment is coated on one of a plurality of surfaces of the ceramic member, the surface facing a process space, and then thermally-treated, thereby forming a planarization insulation film having a very flat and dense surface. A corrosion-resistant film is formed on the planarization insulation film.
US08573148B2
A systems and method for reducing coating defects on a stent may involve a support apparatus comprising wire cage for carrying a stent. The support apparatus may have no structure that extends inside the stent. A support apparatus may include a plurality of wires that pass through the stent but do not pass through the midplane of the stent. A support apparatus may contact only the proximal ends of the stent. The method may involve keeping the stent in motion during a spray coating process to prevent the stent from having a point remain in continuous contact with a support apparatus.
US08573147B1
A pipe direction and size indicator which may be attached to a pipe inspection camera for use in determining the flow direction and size of a pipe. The pipe direction and size indicator generally includes an adapter member, extension member and indicator member. The adapter member is adapted to be removably attached to a camera. The extension member is removably secured to the adapter member by a threaded connection. The outer end of the extension member includes an indicator member which is attached thereto and allows the indicator member to freely rotate, swivel and move about the extension member. By observing the positioning of the indicator member, which will be freely affected by gravity, an operator of the present invention may determine the directional flow of a pipe being inspected. Further, by accounting for the size of the indicator member, the size of the pipe may also be determined.
US08573146B2
Various embodiments are disclosed herein that relate to recreational self-propelled watercraft. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a self-propelled watercraft including a hull, a deck comprising a first seat receiver configured to support a seat at a higher position and a second seat receiver configured to support the seat at a lower position, and a seat securing mechanism configured to be operable by a user to selectively secure the seat to the deck.
US08573145B2
A feed mechanism that advances fabric comprises at least one dog that mechanically advances the fabric toward a sewing head and at least one actuator that is coupled to and actuates the at least one dog in a servo controlled motion so that the sewing head sews the fabric at a desirable position.
US08573129B1
A self sealing projectile having an adjustable sealing band about the projectile. The adjustable sealing band having the ability to deform and provide a seal between inside surfaces of the firearm and the projectile. The projectile includes a front receiving groove between the adjustable sealing band and the front end of the projectile, where the front receiving groove is in proximity to the adjustable sealing band to receive a portion of the adjustable sealing band during deformation of the adjustable sealing band. The projectile includes a rear receiving groove between the adjustable sealing band and the rear end of the projectile, where the rear receiving groove is in proximity to the adjustable sealing band to receive a portion of the adjustable sealing band during deformation of the adjustable sealing band.
US08573123B1
A method of forming a conductive ink bridge wire EED on either a flat or curved substrate, wherein a finely detailed bridge wire EED is printed on the substrate using a nano-particle conductive material applied with a commercially available piezoelectric drop-on-demand ink jet printer—which bridge wire is subsequently coated with a first primary explosive layer, an optional second transition explosive layer, and a third secondary explosive layer—such that upon creating a current through the bridge wire EED, the bridge wire is heated and the explosive layers detonate in turn, and in turn initiate the detonation of the device to which the detonator is attached.
US08573120B1
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for thermally developing a photosensitive element. The thermal development method includes heating the photosensitive element to a temperature sufficient to cause a portion of a composition layer in the element to liquefy, soften, or melt; supporting a development medium with a non-rotating surface to provide contact of the development medium with the heated photosensitive element; and providing relative movement between the development medium and the non-rotating surface.
US08573108B2
The present invention relates to a new method for providing a destruction or detonation chamber (1, 9 and 27) intended for the destruction of ammunition products and other explosive products with an easily replaceable internal detonation and fragmentation protection (23-25). A particular characteristic of the detonation and fragmentation protection (23-25) according to the invention is that it comprises a large number of identical segments, which can take the form of a small number of interacting and mutually complementary variants, and which are all characterized in that they are relatively easy to handle and can be delivered to the interior of the destruction chamber (1, 9 and 27), where they are fitted in place through the closeable aperture (29), which in operation of the destruction chamber is used to charge the explosive material that is to be destroyed therein.
US08573106B2
The portable sawmill is constructed on a frame having a series of mechanisms for loading and manipulating a log thereon and removing boards cut from the log. Powered tines load a log onto a vertically adjustable log deck, the deck including powered mechanisms for turning and securing the log in the desired orientation for cutting. Cuts are made by a horizontally traveling band saw. The saw has no vertical adjustment. Board thickness is determined by the height of the vertically adjustable log deck. Cut boards are removed by a board sweep that pushes the board laterally from the top of the log onto a tray. The saw travels along the tray to push the board longitudinally onto a suitable platform for transport. All of the above mechanisms are controlled hydraulically from a single operator station on the mill, thus freeing the operator from many manual tasks and increasing production.
US08573105B2
A paper punch includes a base part which has a positioning surface on the bottom side thereof for positioning the same on a table top. At least two punching tools are displaceably supported with respect to the base part to punch holes into documents. A hand-held applies pressure on the punching tools and is supported about a pivot axis in a limited pivoting manner by way of a front region of the base part. The base part has a grip cutout which is open toward the rear side of the base part and which is delimited toward the top by a ceiling wall extending at a distance from the positioning surface and toward the front by a transverse wall.
US08573101B2
The invention describes a method of guiding a saw blade using a device, in particular a saw blade that is driven in an oscillating way, having a base body through which a guide slot extends for guiding a saw blade, which guide slot opens into a first guide surface configured as contact surface for the workpiece, having a stop which is supported on the base body and which comprises a second guide surface configured for being brought into contact with the workpiece and arranged at an angle relative to the first guide surface, and having a handle as means for holding the base body.
US08573099B2
A pipe cutter comprises a disc knife set and a roller set disposed inside a main body, a driving assembly piercing through the main body and connected to the roller set with a rotating operation component disposed on the exterior of the main body, and a conversion module connecting the main body, driving assembly, and roller set which converts the rotation of the rotating operation component into the linear movement of the roller set to adjust the relative distance between the roller set and the disc knife of the disc knife set and thereby to adapt the pipe cutter to the cutting of metal pipes with different diameters.
US08573095B2
An open end wrench includes first and second jaws. The first jaw includes an arcuate sliding groove having two support walls and an arcuate sliding wall between the support walls. A slide is slideably received in the sliding groove and includes an arcuate sliding face slideable along the sliding wall. Two wings respectively extend from top and bottom faces of the slide. Top and bottom extension faces extend from a wrenching face of the slide and are located on inner faces of the wings. When the open end wrench drives a workpiece to rotate, an outer face of each wing is partially in contact with the second jaw. Force imparted from the workpiece to the wings is transmitted to the second jaw.
US08573091B2
A compliant mechanism includes a first unit, a second unit, at least one elastic member and a driver for driving the elastic member to rotate through a predetermined angle. The first and second units collectively define a passage about which the second unit is rotatable relative to the first unit. The elastic member has a plate and first and second shafts which are coaxially connected to two opposite ends of the plate respectively and rotatably connected with the first and second units respectively. The elastic member is rotatable about a co-axis of the first and second shafts and elastically deformable when the second unit rotates relative to the first unit. The elastic member can change its resistance to the rotation of the second unit by rotating; therefore the compliant mechanism has a great safety upon receiving load and is widely applicable in many fields.
US08573087B2
A gear pair set comprising low shaft angle and offset bevel gears and a method for their manufacture including determination of the appropriate gear and pinion blanks and the basic machine settings for their manufacture. The pair of bevel gears comprises a first member and a second member wherein the members of the pair have a shaft angle in the range of greater than 0° to 30°, preferably greater than 0° to 20°, and have an offset in the range of greater than zero to the sum of half the mean pitch diameters of the two members of the bevel gear pair.
US08573084B2
A transmission is connectable to an input member and includes an output member, first and second shafts, first and second countershafts, a plurality of co-planar gear sets, and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. The torque transmitting devices include a plurality of synchronizer assemblies and a dual clutch assembly. The transmission is operable to provide at least one reverse speed ratio and a plurality of forward speed ratios between the input member and the output member.
US08573083B2
A fan biasing transmission mechanism includes a housing having first, second and third mounting chambers, a control rod mounted in the first mounting chamber, a driving gear wheel and a driven gear mounted on the control rod, a worm coupled to a motor and meshed with the driving gear wheel, a follower gear wheel pivotally mounted in the second mounting chamber, a link coupled with the follower gear wheel, a cap covering the housing, and two speed-changing transmission gears pivotally mounted in the third mounting chamber in a stepped manner and respectively meshed with the driven gear and the follower gear wheel.
US08573078B2
A system for positioning a sensor through an inner barrier and an outer barrier includes a first collar configured for engagement with the inner or outer barriers, a collapsible coupling, and a sensor support connected to the collapsible coupling. The collapsible coupling or the sensor support is in sealing engagement with the first collar, and the first collar, collapsible coupling, and sensor support define a passage therethrough. A method for positioning a sensor includes engaging a first collar to at least one of the inner barrier or the outer barrier and inserting a sensor support connected to a collapsible coupling through the outer barrier. The method further includes connecting the sensor support or the collapsible coupling to the first collar and inserting the sensor through the sensor support.
US08573074B1
The vehicle mounted soil sampler includes a vertical mast tube connected to a receiver hitch mounted on a vehicle. A support plate is clamped to the mast. A drive shaft and gear, driven by a motor, is journaled in a gear housing mounted on the support plate. An elongated gear rack is parallel to the vertical mast and moved vertically by the drive shaft and gear in the gear housing. A tubular soil probe with an open bottom end and an open slot is attached to the gear rack. A spoon bar is pivotally attached to the mast tube. A spoon bar lower end is urged into the open slot and removes soil from the tubular soil probe during upward movement of the gear rack. A soil sample container catches soil discharged from the soil probe. A plastic guide bearing guides the gear rack.
US08573071B2
An apparatus for processing a liquid sample in a sample tube. The apparatus includes a base, a receptacle for receiving a sample tube, and a heating portion coupled to the base to selectively apply heat to the receptacle. A shaking portion is coupled to the base and supports the receptacle. The shaking portion agitates the receptacle with respect to the base. A magnetizing portion is coupled to the base and movable to selectively change a magnetic field with respect to the receptacle.
US08573067B2
A flow meter (200) is provided that comprises a curved flow tube (203) and a balance member (250). The balance member (250) is positioned such that a centerline (341) of the balance member (250) lies on a plane of a centerline (340) of the curved flow tube (203). The flow meter (200) also includes a driver (104) including a first driver component (104a) and a second driver component (104b). The first driver component (104a) is coupled to the curved flow tube (203) while the second driver component (104b) is coupled to the balance member (250) proximate the first driver component (104a). The flow meter (200) also includes at least a first pick-off sensor (105). The first pick-off sensor (105) includes a first pick-off component (105a) and a second pick-off component (105b). The first pick-off component (105a) is coupled to the curved flow tube (203) while the second pick-off component (105b) is coupled to the balance member (250) proximate the first pick-off component (105a).
US08573065B2
The present invention relates to a fluid flow measuring device. The device includes a fluid flow having at least one of a volume flow rate and a mass flow rate. At least one spring element is included, which is exposed to the fluid flow, such that the spring element is elastically displaceable in at least one of a ferromagnetic and an electrically conductive mobile region depending on the dynamic pressure acting thereon with an eddy current sensor arranged stationarily. The eddy current sensor generates a measurement signal that is correlated with a distance between the eddy current sensor and the mobile region. The distance varies with the dynamic pressure-related displacement of the mobile region, and at least one temperature sensor is included, the temperature sensor measures an actual temperature of the fluid flow.
US08573063B2
A height adjustment structure of printed circuit board and the adjustment method thereof are disclosed. The height adjustment structure includes an electronic device main body, a circuit board body and an adjusting component. The electronic device main body includes at least one fixing part. The circuit board body is disposed on a surface of the electronic device main body at which the fixing part is located. The circuit board body includes at least one stuck part, wherein the stuck part is disposed along the edge of the circuit board body and corresponds to the fixing part; further, the stuck part recesses inwards into the circuit board body to form a U shape. One end of the adjusting component movably penetrates the fixing part and being screw locked thereon, and another end of the adjusting component is embedded to the stuck part.
US08573060B2
Examples of the present invention include apparatus and methods for particle focusing, for particles within a fluid sample. An example apparatus, which may be a microfluidic device, comprises a substrate, a channel receiving the fluid sample, and at least one surface acoustic wave (SAW) generator. The SAW generator may comprise electrodes supported by the substrate. In some examples, the channel has a particle focusing region located near a region of the substrate surface in which a SAW is generated. Particles are concentrated within one or more particle focus regions of the sample flow (the particle focus regions being appreciably narrower than the channel dimensions) by the effects of the SAW. As an example, a pair of SAW generators can be used to generate a standing surface acoustic wave (SSAW) that is used for particle focusing.
US08573057B2
Techniques are provided for reducing mount vibration in an inertial rate sensor (IRS). For example, if oscillation in an IRS's vibratory members, vibrating along a first axis, cause displacement in the IRS's mount along a second axis, the vibratory members can be aligned so that the vibratory members have some component of movement along the second axis during oscillation. This component of movement can help reduce the displacement of the IRS's mount along the second axis. It can further reduce sensitivity to changes in the boundary conditions of an IRS (e.g., vibrations and other movements at the mount from forces external to the IRS). Vibratory members further can have portions of increased mass at the vibratory members' tips, which can impact the alignment of the vibratory members. These examples, however, are not exhaustive.
US08573055B2
An angular velocity sensor includes a sensor unit, a detection unit and a connecting part electrically connecting the sensor unit and the detection unit. The detection unit drives the sensor unit and detects an angular velocity acting on the sensor unit. The detection unit supplies a carrier signal to a movable electrode of a capacitor of the sensor unit and supplies a driving signal to a fixed electrode of the capacitor via the connecting part for performing a servo control. A C/V converter circuit of the detection unit receives capacitance generated at the capacitor through a driving signal transmission line of the connecting part in a state where supply of the driving signal is stopped, and converts the capacitance into a voltage. A determination part of the detection unit determines whether the driving signal transmission line has disconnection or not based on the voltage outputted from the C/V converter circuit.
US08573054B2
A device and manufacturing method for a rotation sensor device includes a holding device, an oscillating mass, and a spring, via which the oscillating mass is connected to the holding device. The spring is designed so that the oscillating mass can be set into an oscillating movement around an oscillation axis with respect to the holding device with the aid of a drive. The steps include: producing a layer sequence having a first layer made of semiconductor material and/or metal and a second layer made of semiconductor material and/or a metal, a boundary surface of the first layer, at least partially being covered by an insulating layer; structuring the spring out of the first layer; and structuring at least one oscillating mass subunit of the oscillating mass, which can be set into the oscillating movement around the oscillation axis with the aid of the drive, out of the second layer.
US08573052B2
A capacitive humidity sensor, and more particularly, to a capacitive humidity sensor and a manufacturing method thereof capable of increasing reliability of the sensor by forming a dehumidification layer of a polymer material having a large surface area between a lower electrode layer and an upper electrode layer while miniaturizing the humidity sensor by forming a sensor unit on an ROIC substrate.
US08573051B2
A flow rate measurement device has a main flow pipe having a main flow passage through which a gas passes, an orifice for limiting a flow of the gas in the main flow passage, and an auxiliary flow passage block provided with an auxiliary flow passage having one end communicating with a pair of introduction ports opened in the main flow passage on the upstream side of the orifice and the other end communicating with a pair of discharge ports opened in the main flow passage on the downstream side of the orifice. The auxiliary flow passage includes a pair of introduction flow passages having upstream ends respectively communicating with the introduction ports, an upstream auxiliary flow passage having both ends respectively connected to downstream ends of the introduction flow passages, and a pair of discharge flow passages having downstream ends respectively communicating with the discharge ports.
US08573049B1
A rain gauge includes an orifice which is of a diameter generating water drops of uniform mass. A sensor below the orifice senses individual water drops. An adapter for an irrigation controller having a master valve output and a rain switch input and a system therefor includes a rain gauge input, a weather station input receiving Evapotranspiration data (ET) and an input from the master valve output receiving irrigation program cycles. A routine for updating the current water balance value by reducing the sum of the rainfall and the irrigation cycles by the value of ET is used with an output to the rain switch input responsive to the determination of the current water balance value. A maximum water balance value and a minimum water balance value are maintained to compare with the current water balance value to control the irrigation program.
US08573045B2
Embodiments relate to indirect tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMSs) and methods that utilize anti-lock braking system (ABS) signals. In embodiments, information from the ABS Hall signal is obtained before pulse forming. The information can be analyzed for resonance within the ABS sensor. In some embodiments, the digitized information can be modulated onto the conventional ABS wheel speed clock signal for transmission to and analysis by the indirect TPMS electronic control unit (ECU). According to embodiments, additional information about higher-order harmonics of the wheel rotation can be provided to the TPMS ECU, which can then calculate a more accurate estimation of tire pressure while reducing warning latency.
US08573043B2
A method is provided for monitoring an SCR catalytic converter (12), in which method the NH3 storage capacity of the SCR catalytic converter (12) is monitored. The SCR catalytic converter (12) is initially filled in an overdosing phase with a superstoichiometric reducing agent dosing up to the maximum NH3 storage capacity. The catalytic converter is subsequently acted on in an underdosing phase with a reducing agent dosing which is reduced in relation to a normal dosing or is absent. The NH3 storage capacity is indirectly determined during the underdosing phase by determining at least one characteristic value which is dependent on the NOx conversion rate. According to the invention, to detect NH3 slippage (25), which indicates the transition from the overdosing phase to the underdosing phase, a variable which is characteristic of the NOx conversion is continuously measured during the overdosing phase, and in the event of a fall in the NOx conversion, it is inferred that NH3 slippage (25) is present.
US08573041B2
An arrangement of a mass intake air flow measurement device suitable for integrating a humidity sensing device as well as a temperature sensing device and a pressure sensing device is provided. A second bypass passage 501 bypassing a bypass passage 205 is formed and a humidity sensing device 500 is mounted in the second bypass passage 501. A second bypass passage inlet 502 and a second bypass passage outlet 503 formed in a wall surface of the bypass passage 205 are opened parallel to the direction of flow of air flowing in the bypass passage 205.
US08573040B2
A sensor that is designed for determining ambient pressure for purposes of derating an internal combustion engine at high altitudes, is used to determine the condition of the air filter by taking pressure measurements in the intake manifold before and after the engine is started, with the difference then being an indication of the condition of the air filter.
US08573027B2
A novel enhanced flow metering device is adapted for disposing into a flow material reservoir a known volume of flow material whereby software used in conjunction with a pressure sensor may be calibrated. Additionally, by measuring the known amount of flow material returning to the flow material reservoir, checks are quickly made to ensure the pressure sensor is behaving as expected.
US08573012B1
The present invention provides apparatus, systems, and methods in which a sheet material roll forming system has n sets of rollers configured to simultaneously bend the sheet material in number of different directions and adjustment mechanisms operatively coupled with the sets of rollers and capable of disengaging rollers in a selected roller set from the sheet material, then rotating and/or translating the rollers in the selected roller set and reengaging the rollers with the sheet material passing through the rollers as a function of sensing a plurality of markings on the sheet material and the rollers.
US08573004B2
A ring (1) defines a seat (3) for being worn on a finger and has an adapter device (10) capable of automatically adjusting the diameter of the seat (3); the adapter device (10) is provided with at least one arm (11) coupled to a structure (2) of the ring (1) so as to move between a retracted position and a forward position with respect to the center of the seat (3); the arm (11) is pushed to the forward position by at least one elongated spring (22), which substantially extends in a circumferential direction and has a first end portion (23) fixed to either the structure (2) or the arm (11), and a second end portion (28), opposite to the first (23) and arranged resting against the other (2) of either the structure or the arm.
US08573001B2
Disclosed is an apparatus for operating dispenser in a refrigerator, comprising a base member having a switch by which a dispenser of a refrigerator is operated: a pushing member for transferring a pushing force to the switch; a plurality of connection units connecting the pushing member and the base member to each other so that the switch may be pushed even if any position of the pushing member is pushed. According to the dispenser operating apparatus for a refrigerator, since the pushing member for transferring the pushing force to the switch is respectively supported at right and left side ends of the upper portion and the lower portion thereof by the plurality of connection units, the pushing force can be transferred to the switch even if any position of the pushing member is pushed, which may be convenient to users.
US08572992B2
A refrigerant recovery unit that diverts blended refrigerant withdrawn out of a refrigerant system to an external tank outside the refrigerant recovery unit for reclamation includes a recovery circuit coupled on one end to the refrigerant system and coupled on another end to the external tank, a controller in communication with the recovery circuit for controlling a transfer of the refrigerant withdrawn from the refrigerant system to the external tank, and a valve operatively engaged with the controller and the recovery circuit and operable to transfer the refrigerant withdrawn from the refrigerant system to the external tank for recycling or reclamation.
US08572991B2
A fluid level sensor and drain fitting is provided that includes a fitting body having a first annular end, a second external-threaded end with an opening therein, and a passage extending from the opening to the first annular end. The drain fitting further includes a plurality of sensors forming an array on the second external-threaded end radially spaced around the opening such that at least one sensor is above the centerline of the opening regardless of the rotational position of the fitting. Each of the sensors are configured to provide an output that changes in response to contact with water. The plurality of sensors are configured to detect a water level relative to the opening in the fitting body based on the number of sensors in the array that provide an output indicative of contact with water.
US08572989B2
A Kimchi refrigerator is provided for storing and fermenting foods, such as Kimchi, soy, or bean paste at a low temperature. The Kimchi refrigerator displays a set special mode with a corresponding avatar, or displays various information of a special function of the set special mode, such as operation information and power information with corresponding avatars. As a result, a user can easily recognize each special mode.
US08572986B2
A hanger system includes a pin with a head section which defines a pin axis. A clip assembly captures the head section to permit movement of the pin within a hanger in a direction transverse to the pin axis. A fastener which retains the clip assembly to the hanger.
US08572984B2
A gas turbine engine comprising a nacelle and a breather duct. The breather duct provides communication between a component of the engine within the nacelle and the exterior of the nacelle and opens at an exhaust port on the external surface of the nacelle. There is a clean air outlet slot located downstream of the exhaust port and arranged to expel, in use, a sheet flow of clean air to form an aerodynamic barrier between the external surface of the nacelle and a flow of breather air expelled from the exhaust port.
US08572970B2
A rankine cycle system, which includes a turbine for driving a generator by way of a gearbox having an oil sump, is adapted to have the oil heated relatively quickly by causing a mixture of hot refrigerant gases from the evaporator and the oil from the low portion of the turbine to be mixed in an eductor and flow to the oil sump for heating the oil.
US08572967B1
A high efficiency OTEC system for the efficient and low-cost production of energy and potable water through ocean thermal energy conversion. The high efficiency OTEC system utilizes a working fluid such as ammonia with a standard Rankine cycle. One embodiment of the present invention comprises a heat exchanger which includes a fluid transfer assembly, a pump, a first heater, a turbine and a generator. The fluid transfer assembly utilizes a condenser conduit to condense working fluid by transferring the fluid to the cold depths of the ocean before returning to the warm surface through an insulated return conduit. The working fluid is vaporized through use of the first heater before entering a turbine connected to a generator to produce energy. In some embodiments, a second heater may be added to the system for production of potable water. In further embodiments, a third heater may be provided for additional heating capabilities.
US08572959B2
Systems, methods and devices for optimizing heat transfer within a device or system used to compress and/or expand a gas, such as air, are described herein. In some embodiments, a compressed air device and/or system can include an actuator such as a hydraulic actuator that can be used to compress a gas within a pressure vessel. An actuator can be actuated to move a liquid into a pressure vessel such that the liquid compresses gas within the pressure vessel. In such a compressor/expander device or system, during the compression and/or expansion process, heat can be transferred to the liquid used to compress the air. The compressor/expander device or system can include a liquid purge system that can be used to remove at least a portion of the liquid to which the heat energy has been transferred such that the liquid can be cooled and then recycled within the system.
US08572958B2
A hydraulic energy source for supplying a downstream hydraulic system with hydraulic energy. In particular, a hydraulic system for controlling and/or cooling a transmission preferably a dual clutch transmission. The hydraulic energy source enables a first partial volume flow which is produced at a comparatively high system pressure and which is used to supply an actuator of the hydraulic system and a second partial volume flow which is produced at a comparatively low cooling pressure and which is used to cool the hydraulic system, to be produced The hydraulic energy source has an electrically driveable first volume flow source which is used to produce the first partial volume flow and a second volume flow source which is used to produce the second partial volume flow. The second volume flow source is drivingly connected independently of an internal combustion engine.
US08572957B2
A hydraulic system for construction equipment is provided, which can increase the driving speed of a corresponding working device by making hydraulic fluid of a hydraulic pump, which is added to the hydraulic system having two hydraulic pumps in the construction equipment, join hydraulic fluid on the working device side, and can intercept the supply of hydraulic fluid from the working device side to a traveling apparatus side when the working device and the traveling apparatus are simultaneously manipulated.
US08572956B2
A hydraulic supply device of an automatic transmission, which supplies operating oil to the automatic transmission that is able to shift power from an engine and transmit the power to drive wheels of a vehicle by selectively engaging a plurality of frictional engagement devices using hydraulic pressure is disclosed. The hydraulic supply device includes: an accumulator that accumulates operating oil; a leaking flow compensation hydraulic pump that supplies the operating oil for compensating for a flow rate of the operating oil leaking in the automatic transmission to the automatic transmission by being driven by a power source different from the engine when the engine is automatically stopped; and a hydraulic supply control mechanism configured to supply the operating oil accumulated in the accumulator to a starting frictional engagement device that is one of the plurality of frictional engagement devices to be engaged at the time of starting the vehicle when the engine is restarted after the engine is automatically stopped.
US08572940B2
A mower for cutting grass comprises a traction frame that is self-propelled over the ground by a power source carried on the traction frame. The mower includes a thumb wheel throttle control that progressively increases and decreases the power output of the power source as the thumb wheel is rotated in one direction or an opposite direction. The thumb wheel has a plurality of tabs that define grooves on an arcuate rim on the thumb wheel for receiving a thumb or index finger of one of the operator's hands.
US08572937B2
A device for handling containers of a collapsible type, including one or more stations and a transport unit. The device is arranged to receive the containers oriented in a first direction and the transport unit is arranged to transport the containers to at least one of the stations by moving the containers in a second direction along a curved path, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction. The device has a holding device provided for at least one station and located in a stationary position adjacent to the station and a transfer device, which is provided for the at least one station and carried by the transport unit and which is cyclically movable along an endless path between a pick-up position and a delivery position located adjacent to the station. The transfer device is arranged to pick up at least one container in the pick-up position and transfer the at least one container, in the delivery position, to the holding device. The disclosure also concerns a method for handling containers of a collapsible type in a filling machine.
US08572920B2
A panel for a drop ceiling is made of a semi-rigid but resilient material such as spring steel and includes corner clips adapted to cooperate with the inverted T-shaped stringers of a drop ceiling support system so that the panel is self-centering between opposing stringers and is spring biased into a clamped relationship with horizontal flanges of the inverted T-shape stringers to prevent the panel from moving up and down. The corner clips are also designed to transfer any horizontal compressive shear force in the mounting system to vertical edges of the panel so as not to undesirably bow the flat base of the panel.
US08572916B2
Some embodiments of masonry blocks can be used to form a wall system that provides an improved resistance to moisture penetration that might otherwise advance to an interior surface of the wall. In particular embodiments, some or all of the masonry blocks in the wall system may be equipped with one or more moisture drainage elements formed in a surface of the respective masonry block.
US08572915B2
An apparatus is used to cover a wall corner where lengths of cove base meet. One part is a wall adapter. It is composed of a right angle of thin material with one-half of a mechanical mating structure at its outer apex. The other part is a corner cover composed of a right angle of a thicker material with a narrower extent, but taller than the wall adapter. The cove base corner cover provides a unified junction between the two adjacent cove base sides of a corner. The corner cover is initially held correctly in place by being mechanically mated to the wall adapter. Corners may be inside or outside corners. Matings include snap fit, friction fit and a hanging tab and slot. These two types of covers might operate with a common wall adapter, but, of course, are of somewhat complementary shapes. Their right angles face in opposite orientations.
US08572913B2
A system, device and method for plugging core holes. A core hole plug includes a top compression plate, a bottom compression plate and a rubber expansion ring that separates the top and bottom compression plates. A beveled screw hole can be created on the top compression plate. The beveled screw hole matches the angle of bottom surface of the head of a flat head bolt to ensure that the bolt remains flush with the top compression plate. The rubber expansion ring can be squeezed between the top and bottom compression plates as the flat head bolt is screwed into a threaded receiver nut formed on the bottom compression plate. An installation tool can be utilized to install the core hole plug so that the top compression plate remains flush with an existing floor surface.
US08572910B2
A wall-mounting block or frame is used to mount fixtures to exterior building walls having siding. The wall-mounting block includes two major parts, a first or base section and a second or holding section which are both configured as cap-like structures detachably connected to each other with integrated, adjustable connectors. The present design eliminates the need for special hardware to attach the holding section to the base section, and helps prevent awkward mounting situations.
US08572905B1
Method and apparatus for anchoring and supporting a member in an upright position in the ground. An upper portion disposed above the ground receives and supports the upright member along with a lower portion disposed beneath the surface of the ground in a manner so as to secure the member in an upright position. The upper portion is attached to the lower portion using an anchor plate secured to the lower portion using threaded studs which are mounted into the cement of the foundation. The anchor plate is attached to a lower box sunk into the cement foundation with the lower box being secured into the foundation using a plurality of generally upright standing rebars.
US08572903B2
A strip for use in sealing one or more roof penetrations comprising a strip including a plurality of panels positioned in a side-by-side manner, a plurality of flanges positioned in a side-by-side manner, a plurality of first hinges interconnecting the panels, and a plurality of second hinges interconnecting the panels with the flanges. The flanges being bendable relative to the panels. At least a portion of the strip configured to be disposed about the roof penetration to form a container for receiving sealant with the panels of said at least a portion of the strip extending generally perpendicular to the roof and the flanges of said at least a portion of the strip being bent relative to the panels to extend generally parallel to the roof. The remaining portion of the strip may be used to seal one or more other roof penetrations in a similar manner. A kit for sealing one or more roof penetrations including the strip, a container of adhesive and a container of sealant. A method for sealing one or more roof penetrations using the strip.
US08572900B1
A deck panel assembly that includes a deck panel having an upper surface and a bottom surface and includes a first section, a second section, and an intermediate section defined between the first section and the second section. Each section includes at least one longitudinal extending rib portion. A pair of spaced apart support members connects the first section, the intermediate section, and the second section to each other, wherein the intermediate section is adapted to be removed from between the first section and the second section of said deck panel and from between the spaced apart support members, thereby defining an access port therein.
US08572899B1
A gutter guard mesh for application to the gutter/roof interface of a roof includes a length of woven mesh or the like having an array of apertures dimensioned to maximize traversal by rain water and minimize traversal of accumulated debris from the roof wherein at least a first edge of the mesh is fitted on a first side with a double sided acrylic foam closed cell tape having acrylic adhesive on both sides and on a second opposing side with a double sided butyl tape wherein the free side of the foam tape is available for adherence to the gutter via the acrylic adhesive and the free side of the butyl tape is available for adherence of a protective laminate.
US08572895B2
A system for protecting an emitter/receiver device, including a cover and an active material actuator operable to selectively cause the cover to move between default protective and open positions, wherein the actuator includes at least one active material element, such as an SMA wire configured to cause the retraction of the cover and present a heating net when activated, and an activation signal source, and preferably further including at least one pulley and/or jack mechanism configured to redirect a displacement force vector, synchronization means, an antagonistic element for biasing the cover towards the protective or open position, and a controller presenting overheating protection through control logic.
US08572894B2
A linear motor arrangement for panels, in particular sliding door leaves, movable along a travel path, as well as to a device for mounting such an arrangement includes a linear drive system having at least one stator member of a linear motor and a connecting member as components. The connecting member comprises a circuitry. The components are consecutively disposed in a row. Furthermore, the connecting member has a housing, which, at one end, has at least one connection possibility for an external energy supply. In addition, the housing, respectively the connecting member is adapted, to receive circuitry, which has additional terminals. In order to be able to run connecting lines in the connecting member, a channel is configured in the housing such that they are led out of the housing at the end of the connection possibility.
US08572893B2
A direct-viewing type display device includes a display panel including a display region which has a plurality of pixel lines extending in a first direction and a frame region, the display region and the frame region having a border extending in the first direction therebetween; and a light-transmitting cover. The plurality of pixel lines include a first pixel line adjoining the border, a second pixel line, and a third pixel line. The first pixel line, the second pixel line and the third pixel line are of different colors from each other. The light-transmitting cover includes a lens portion located over the border, the lens portion refracting a part of light going toward the frame region. A light diffusion structure is provided between the lens portion and a part of the display panel including the first pixel line, the second pixel line and the third pixel line.
US08572889B1
A bait bucket with aerating and cooling functions is particularly adapted for use with live bait and includes an inner bucket, an outer bucket, and an insulated tube. A bottom exterior of the inner bucket includes a water cooling system which provides a cooling and an oxygenating function to the quantity of water contained within the inner bait bucket. The outer bucket includes a fan and a vent which provide circulation and additional cooling to water cooling system.
US08572888B2
A fish hook includes a wire strand resilient bait guard. The bait guard includes a pair of hook-shaped attachment portions that engage the eyelet of the fish hook. A collar with ends having interdigitating teeth securely clamps the attachment portion of the bait guard to the shank of the fish hook. The clamped attachment portion includes four parallel segments of wire. This manner of attachment facilitates manufacturing and resists dislodgement.
US08572882B2
One aspect of the invention is directed to shooting rests for supporting a firearm having a first portion and a second portion rearward of the first portion. In one embodiment, a shooting rest includes a frame, a front support for supporting the first portion of the firearm, a support member for carrying one or more weights, and a stop for inhibiting rearward movement of the firearm relative to the shooting rest. The front support is coupled to the frame, and the support member is positioned at least proximate to the frame. The stop includes a flexible portion and is also coupled to the frame.
US08572873B2
A frame and a system for mounting a plurality of frames in a grid. The frame has an axial first mounting member and a second mounting member, the first mounting member having a generally flat portion exposed to and generally flush with a perimeter surface of the frame. The alignment device has a cross-shaped body having a pair of horizontal members and a pair of vertical members intersecting at a common point, the horizontal and vertical members having interior surfaces defining four quadrants, the alignment device further comprising a level attached to the cross-shaped body and a magnet mounted in a recess in one of the horizontal members or vertical members. The alignment device used to position and mount the frame.
US08572865B2
An apparatus includes a mechanical refrigeration cycle arrangement having a working fluid and an evaporator, a condenser, a compressor, and an expansion device, cooperatively interconnected and containing the working fluid. The apparatus also includes a sensor located to sense at least one parameter, a controller coupled to said sensor and said compressor, a drum to receive clothes to be dried, wherein a rear portion of the drum is equipped with multiple perforations, and a perimeter portion of the drum is equipped with multiple perforations, and a duct and fan arrangement configured to pass air over said condenser and through said drum, wherein the duct and fan arrangement is configured to facilitate airflow through the perforations on the rear portion of the drum into the drum, and out of the drum through the perforations on the perimeter portion of the drum to enable an increased airflow without an increased power input.
US08572864B2
The invention relates to a method and a device for handling carcasses of slaughtered animals during suspended transport after evisceration and before weighing in an abattoir by means of an air stream, in which a horizontally directed stream of conditioned air is made to flow around the carcasses at speeds of 1.5 to 6 m/s with a suction effect. Suspension conveyors are set up in a separate room in a meandering arrangement along parallel tracks transversely to the horizontally aligned extraction openings and inlet openings for air, and the inlet openings and extraction openings are connected through an air-conditioning plant, arranged outside the room, for dehumidifying and cooling the air extracted from the room. When a room designed as a dripping zone in an abattoir is used for the purposes according to the invention, the room is prepared by installing or fitting inlet openings and extraction openings on two enclosing walls lying opposite one another and is connected to a separate air-conditioning plant for conditioning the air.
US08572838B2
Embodiments of a high temperature electromagnetic coil assembly are provided, as are embodiments of a method for fabricating such a high temperature electromagnetic coil assembly. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of applying a high thermal expansion ceramic coating over an anodized aluminum wire, coiling the coated anodized aluminum wire around a support structure, and curing the high thermal expansion ceramic coating after coiling to produce an electrically insulative, high thermal expansion ceramic body in which the coiled anodized aluminum wire is embedded.
US08572837B2
A method of making a rotor assembly for an electric motor by adding bars made out of a conducting material such as copper, to spaces between the teeth of a stack of discs, inserting bars referred to as “slugs”, also made out of a conducting material such as copper, in the spaces between the bars on either side of the stack of discs, radially compressing the bars and discs, one or both of which are plated or otherwise coated with a braising material, and then heating the rotor to allow the bars to be braised to the slugs.
US08572826B2
A method and a device for improving the outer surface quality by an in-line outer surface treatment of slabs, which are produced in a continuous process from strand casting to hot rolling, with a heating furnace arranged between a CSP-casting machine and a hot rolling train. A defined surface of the slab with a layer thickness per slab side of up to 4 mm is oxidized in a targeted manner by an oxidation device. An oxidation treatment of the slab surface is combined with the following processing in-line method steps: prior to the oxidation treatment the outer surface of the slab is freed of naturally occurring scale by a scale washer, after the oxidation treatment a created oxidation layer as well as the newly formed scale is cooled, mechanically broken up in a roll pair and removed from the surface of the slab by a scale washer.
US08572816B2
A slide fastener in which a fastener element has first and second leg portions continuously disposed at both ends of the coupling head is folded in half at its center, and the first leg portion is attached to a coupling element attaching portion of a fastener tape by a sewing thread. A vulnerable portion which is cut out into a V is formed on the bent end face of the coupling head.
US08572804B2
A vacuum cleaner comprises a user-controllable clutch assembly for selectively engaging an agitator assembly. The clutch assembly generally comprises an axially displaceable drive member that is selectively engageable by rotating ramps that engage stationary cam lobes. In one embodiment, the clutch module is mounted to the foot housing and is intermediately connected between the vacuum motor/fan shaft and the agitator. In a second embodiment, the clutch module is mounted axially on the agitator shaft. In a third embodiment, a linkage interconnects a handle detent pedal to the clutch module to automatically engage the clutch when a user depresses the detent pedal.
US08572796B2
A painter's tool comprising: a handle and a working arm attached to said handle by means of a polygon shaped mating connection to prevent movement of said working arm relative to handle when in use, said polygon shaped mating connection further having a mating connection comprising a male polygon protrusion inserted into a female polygon cavity such that the mating connection prevents said working arm from moving in relation to said handle when in use.
US08572793B1
A fishing lure cleaner for scouring the exterior surface of Kwikfish® and Flatfish® style of fishing lures, has a removable top section that traps the nose of the fishing lure in a slot or a wedge depending upon the size of the lure. A retractable hook extends from the top section and further secures the lure from one of its eyelets. The hook is plunged into the bottom section, which houses a cylindrical array of stiff bristles that scours the lure.
US08572779B2
The pillow includes upper and lower substantially identical fabric sections, each having a peripheral edge with a gusset extending therebetween. A zipper assembly includes a gusset zipper portion and a pillow zipper portion which extends around substantially the entire periphery of the pillow from the end of the gusset zipper portion to a terminating point just before the end of the gusset zipper portion.
US08572766B2
Disclosed herein are wearable socks, and related methods of manufacturing such socks, having selected areas of substantially greater stretchability as compared to the remaining portions of the sock that that resists removal by the wearer. In one exemplary embodiment, a sock constructed according to the disclosed principles may comprise first portions of the sock comprising a material having a first overall stretchability, and second portions of the sock comprising a material having a second overall stretchability. Additionally, in such exemplary embodiments, the second stretchability is substantially greater than the first stretchability such that one or more of the second portions are configured to continue to stretch in response to a removal force applied to the sock while adjacent one or more first portions reach their maximum stretchable length which thereby allows the removal force to overcome a compressive force of the one or more first portions.
US08572763B2
A reversible garment comprises first and second surfaces, each of which are capable of forming an outer surface of the garment when worn in reversible configurations. The first surface is generally ordinary in appearance while the second surface is highly visible. The reversible garment is preferably a bicycle jacket. The second surface may at least partially comprise a material that is reflective, bright in color, or luminescent. The second surface may be comprised of an elastic material to make the garment close-fitting in a high-visibility configuration.
US08578504B2
According to one embodiment, a method for securing information includes detecting an access to sensitive data and determining user information associated with the access to sensitive data. The method also includes determining a unique user identifier associated with the user information. In addition, the method includes comparing the access to sensitive data to a policy utilizing the unique user identifier. Further, the method includes determining that the access to sensitive data violates the policy in response to comparing the access to the policy. The method also includes recording an entry in response to determining that the access to sensitive data violates the policy.
US08578494B1
A method of detecting a potential security threat on a computing system is provided. The method comprises embedding time series data relating to the computing system within a reconstructed phase space and partitioning the reconstructed phase space into a plurality of regions. The method further comprises generating a first matrix having a plurality of cells. The first matrix comprises a row and a column for each of the plurality of regions. A value stored in each cell is based on a probability that the system will transition from a first region associated with the cell to a second region associated with the cell and a rate of separation of trajectories of the embedded data within at least one of the first region and the second region. The first matrix is generated using a first set of the time series data that is associated with a normal operating condition of the computing system in which the computing system is not under attack from a security threat. The method further comprises generating a second matrix based on a second set of the time series data and comparing the first matrix and the second matrix to detect whether a potential security threat is present on the computing system.
US08578491B2
An apparatus, system and method are described for use in detecting the presence of malware on subscribers computers. The apparatus, system and method are network based and may be deployed within an Internet Service Provider (ISP) network. The system may include a plurality of network sensors for receiving and analyzing network traffic to determine the presence of malware. An aggregating apparatus receives alerts of the presence of malware and translates a network identifier of the alert to a subscriber identifier. The aggregating apparatus aggregates alert information and forwards it to a reporting infrastructure that can generate notifications in order to notify a subscriber that malware has been detected on a computer associated with the subscriber.
US08578484B2
Systems and methods for identifying content in electronic messages are provided. An electronic message may include certain content. The content is detected and analyzed to identify any metadata. The metadata may include a numerical signature characterizing the content. A thumbprint is generated based on the numerical signature. The thumbprint may then be compared to thumbprints of previously received messages. The comparison allows for classification of the electronic message as spam or not spam.
US08578479B2
A system, method, and computer program product for identifying a worm are disclosed. The system, method, and computer product are configured to generate a signature for a computer worm by identifying a set of bits representing the signature, generate a first worm signature based on the signature, and generate a second worm signature based on the signature. The first worm signature is formatted for a first device and the second worm signature is formatted for a second, different device. The first worm signature and the second worm signature are different.
US08578474B2
Apparatus, methods and/or computer program products are provided that facilitate entering secure passwords into a user device. A user requested image is displayed via a display or monitor of a user device. The image is zoomable to one or more higher resolution levels beyond an initial display resolution, and the image is displayed at higher resolution levels in response to a user activating a zoom function via the user device. The coordinates of a user selected feature within a displayed higher resolution level image are obtained and translated into a password. The password is then entered into the requesting application.
US08578472B2
Method and devices for making access decisions in a secure access network are provided. The access decisions are made by a portable credential using data and algorithms stored on the credential. Since access decisions are made by the portable credential non-networked hosts or local hosts can be employed that do not necessarily need to be connected to a central access controller or database thereby reducing the cost of building and maintaining the secure access network.
US08578469B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products for computer system protection are provided. Embodiments protect against unauthorized access to information on stolen and/or illegally transported computer systems. Embodiments include locking of functionalities within a computer system when the computer system moves outside a designated area. Embodiments include limiting access to functionalities within the computer system based on the location of the computer system. Embodiments of the present invention include allowing variable levels of access protection depending on the location of the computer system.
US08578465B2
In one embodiment, a client device may send one or more sub-session requests to one or more corresponding session controllers through a computer network to obtain one or more corresponding sub-session tokens that indicate in which sub-sessions of an online collaborative computing session the client device is permitted to participate. The client device may then receive particular sub-session tokens (e.g., based on certain permissions), which may then be sent to a collaboration server to establish one or more permitted sub-sessions of the online collaborative computing session with the client device as indicated by the received sub-session tokens.
US08578462B2
A system and method for secure session management in a web farm using a session token. A session management web service updates the session token with each request received from a browser. If the request must be redirected to a new server where the requested resource is located, then the decrypted session token is transmitted to the new server and the session management web service generates a new session token to be used in place of the previous session token. The new session token is transmitted to the browser with the requested web resource.
US08578460B2
Technologies are generally described for automatically reconnecting a security principal to cloud services through correlation of security principal identifier attributes. A new security principal for a user may be detected and automatically reconnected to the user's cloud based services. An administrator for the security domains may specify a value of a unique security principal metadata attribute for the original security principal in a customizable security principal metadata attribute in the new security principal in the same or new security domain. A secondary verification metadata attribute may optionally be specified to ensure the correct security principal is reconnected to the user's cloud based resources. The correlation between the original security principal for the user and the new security principal may be used to reconnect the user's cloud resources.
US08578431B2
In embodiments of an adaptive timeshift service, a live content server distributes live television content to television client devices. The live television content from the live content server can be recorded into a buffer of a timeshift server as the live television content is being distributed. Both the live television content from the live content server and recorded television content can be simultaneously recorded into the buffer of the timeshift server.
US08578426B2
Methods and systems enable mobile TV providers to select programs for broadcast based on viewer preference indications or votes. Information regarding candidate programs or content may be broadcast and displayed on mobile devices. A voting user interface may receive viewer preferences or votes and transmit vote information to the mobile TV broadcast network using a unicast network. Received voting information may be tallied to select a program or content for broadcast. Interim vote tallies may be broadcast to mobile devices until a voting session is terminated. Results of the voting session may be broadcasted followed by broadcast of the selected program.
US08578425B2
Detailed herein is a technology which, among other things, allows recording and playback of multi-stream interactive television. In one approach to this technology, the service configuration for an interactive television feature is determined. Data describing this service configuration is then obtained, and a recording device is then configured to record a portion of the interactive television feature. A number of data streams associated with that portion of the interactive television feature are recorded. The recorded portion of the interactive television feature can then be displayed.
US08578422B2
The invention relates to a process for selecting services in a television system using graphical indications displayed on a screen.The invention comprises in particular the steps of: (a) determining a first list (30) of services, the first list being a subset of a second list; (b) displaying at least a part of the first list, ordered according to a predetermined criterion; (c) selecting a service present in the second list, but not in the first list; (d) displaying a visual indicator (39) marking the relative location, according to the predetermined criterion, of the selected service in the first list (30). The invention also relates to the terminal for the implementation of the process.
US08578417B2
An information processing device includes: a storage unit configured to store one or a plurality of content playlists; a virtual playlist generating unit configured to generate a virtual playlist of the content and stored in the storage unit in a manner correlated with the content; a reception unit configured to receive user instructions; an editing unit configured to, in the event of receiving editing instructions as to the content, subject the virtual playlist to editing processing following the editing instructions; and a title display control unit configured to, in the event of receiving a title display instruction for displaying the title of the content on a predetermined display unit, displaying the title of the content based on the virtual playlist which has been subjected to the editing processing by the editing unit.
US08578411B1
Controlling the admission of interactive television iTV applications to an iTV application distribution system is accomplished through the use of iTV application profiles that enumerate sets of allowed functions and behaviors for the iTV applications within the distribution system. In general, the profiles comprise filters that enable various functions within the distribution system, and may be applied to the iTV applications according to any of a number of bases. The distribution system includes an interface or console adapted to permit a system operator to create the application profiles and establish rules for attaching the profiles to the iTV applications, and an application profile engine configured to automatically validate the iTV applications against the profiles according to those rules.
US08578409B1
A custom ad selection and delivery system may include an ad selector to select candidate ads for one or more ad avail opportunities, a bandwidth resource manager to provide information about available bandwidth in a content delivery system, and a policy manager to weight ad avail opportunity versus bandwidth costs to delivery customized advertising to subscribers, and to cause allocation of bandwidth and insertion of customized ads into multiple program streams comprising the same program content but different ad content, and to cause different subscriber equipment to map different program frequencies to similar content streams having advertising content inserted therein that is customized to different subscriber demographics.
US08578400B2
A media processing device enables quick, easy, problem-free removal of processed media while maintaining high media quality. The media processing device, such as a disc publisher 1, has a tray 70 with a stacker unit 71 for storing media M, and a tray holding unit that supports the tray 70 movably between a removal position and a storage position. Overlapping channels and lands are formed on the top of the tray 70 and on the ceiling part of the tray holding unit facing the top of the tray 70.
US08578380B1
A condition variable for controlling access to a critical section of computer code by a plurality of concurrently running execution threads comprises a data structure with a head list linking threads in an arrival order and a tail list linking threads in a reverse arrival order. Together, the head and tail lists together indicate which threads are currently blocked on the condition variable. A wait counter indicates how many threads are currently linked in the data structure and a signal counter indicates how many times the condition variable has been signaled for waiting threads that are currently linked in the data structure. The head and tail pointers, as well as the wait and signal counters, may be implemented as fields of a single, atomically updatable data word.
US08578379B2
The invention relates to memory overload management for Java virtual machines (JVMs) in Web application sever systems. Disclosed is a method and system of memory overload management for a Web application sever system, wherein the Web application sever system comprises multiple JVMs, the method comprising: determining one or more replica shards for which replacement shall be performed; determining one or more target JVMs for storing a corresponding replica shard set including at least one replica shard from the one or more replica shards; and for each target JVM, performing the following: judging whether the free memory of the target JVM is adequate for storing the corresponding replica shard set; if the judging result is negative, performing the following: causing the target JVM to suspend the creation of session until the free memory of the target JVM becomes adequate for storing the corresponding replica shard set.
US08578367B2
A method for enhancing functionality of locked-down computers by allowing installation of software applications on the locked-down computers operated by users having limited administrator permissions. The method comprises detecting an attempt for installation of a software application on a locked-down computer; generating a virtual software application corresponding to the software application, wherein the virtual software application is generated in a virtual environment; and enabling the execution of the virtual software application in the virtual environment.
US08578361B2
Updating an electronic device using first update agent code resident in the non-volatile memory is disclosed. The electronic device comprises non-volatile memory containing at least one of: firmware and software. An example method includes determining whether the first update agent code is a current version. The method also includes replacing the first update agent code with an updated version of the first update agent code from a removable memory card operatively coupled to the electronic device. The method also includes updating at least one: firmware and software in the electronic device using the updated version of the first update agent code, and first update information associated with the at least one of: firmware and the software.
US08578346B2
Disclosed is a system and method for validating and repairing flow diagrams using a process modeling validation method in conjunction with a process modeling repair method. The process modeling validation method points out structural ambiguities in a flow diagram that can make its automatic interpretation difficult. It also proposes fix to resolve such ambiguities. The method discloses a process semantic annotation scheme that can interpret process semantics in a flow graph implicit in a flow diagram. Further, the validation process compares one or more components of one or more drawings to a set of rules determined by a business process modeling standards and provides a set of semantic errors describing faulty parts of the drawing that do not comply with the business process modeling standards. The process modeling repair method corrects the drawing to ease and enable its automatic interpretation of the flow diagram and make the faulty parts of the drawing comply with the business process modeling standards.
US08578336B1
A user interface for designing tests to be run against a piece of software. The user interface provides an environment in which test specifications including scenarios, business flow modules, flow lists, and steps and actions may be presented, created and modified. The user interface may be dynamically updated with data from a repository to update the presented information. Changes to code associated with the scenarios, business flow modules, flow lists, and steps and actions may be dynamically communicated back to a repository to update the code without a need to repackage an application associated with the code. The test specifications may be specified in a generic format, such as an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) format that meets a schema.
US08578324B2
Methods and systems are provided for adding variability support for a modeling language. Developers may utilize the added support to transform a model written in a preexisting domain-specific modeling language for product line development in which there is structural and configurational diversity. A variability layer is incorporated into the model, which permits product developers to better use the language to model product line variants.
US08578322B2
A method to create an integrated circuit that includes digital and analog components comprising: displaying on a computer system display, user input to the computer system that specifies parameter information to determine a binding between an analog circuit design component and a digital circuit design component; saving the user specified parameter information within a file that also specifies at least a portion of the analog circuit design; associating the analog circuit design component a first design block of an integrated circuit that also includes a second digital design block coupled to the first design block; using parameter information to determine a binding between the first analog circuit design component and the first digital circuit design component; saving the determined binding in computer readable storage media.
US08578314B1
Systems and methods receive a design of a circuit layout. The circuit layout has some available spaces. Such systems and methods automatically insert capacitor arrays in the specified spaces. Each of the capacitor arrays has capacitor cells, and each of the capacitor cells has capacitor structures and a buried implant. The process of inserting the capacitor arrays comprises a process of forming the capacitor arrays to either: grow the capacitor arrays to the size of the specified spaces; grow the capacitor arrays to a specified capacitance value within the restriction of the length dimension or the width dimension of the specified spaces; or grow the capacitor arrays to a specified capacitance value, irrespective of dimensional length dimension or width dimension limitations (where the only limitations are the dimensions of the specified space).
US08578310B2
Computing accurately and effectively the impact of clock skew on statistical slack in the presence of statistically variable timing quantities that accounts for both common path credit in the common portion of the clock tree, and RSS credit in the non-common of the clock tree. The clock skew is measured on a per launch and capture path-pair basis as a function of on the post-CPPR path-specific slack (including RSS credit), total mean value of latch-to-latch delay, RSS value of random latch-to-latch delay, test guard time and test adjust. The method includes: performing an initial block-based SSTA including CPPR analysis; selecting at least one launch and capture path-pair for skew analysis; for the at least one path pair, recording post CPPR slack, total mean value of latch-to-latch delay, RSS value of latch to latch delay, test guard time and test adjust; and quantifying the impact of clock skew on statistical slack thereof.
US08578309B2
A system and method is disclosed for functional verification and/or simulation of dies in a multi-die 3D ICs. The system and method include converting an I/O trace, embodied as a Value Change Dump, to one or more Universal Verification Methodology objects. This conversion aids in identify and fixing issues contained in die.
US08578306B2
A method for designing a system on a target device is disclosed. A system is synthesized by converting a high level description of the system into gates, registers, and reset circuitry. An analysis is performed to identify and remove redundant reset circuitry. The system is optimized after the redundant reset circuitry has been removed. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08578301B2
Systems and methods for the organization of hierarchical events are disclosed. A parent event in a first calendar application workspace classifies a hierarchy of events. A child event child event corresponds to a hierarchy of events. Identification of the parent event and a new child event results in the display of the new child event in a second calendar application workspace, the new child event being a scheduled event in the hierarchy of events that does not indicate a calendaring conflict with the parent event. A collaborative organization environment for discussion concerning the new child event may be provided.
US08578297B2
Disclosed is a method of browsing a set of media items on a display device. A sequence of thumbnail images corresponding to a portion of the set are initially displayed in a looping arrangement. A first thumbnail image of the sequence is displayed at a size larger than other thumbnail images of the sequence. The first thumbnail image corresponds to a focus position in the sequence. The arrangement responds to a user scrolling action to replace display of a second thumbnail image adjacent to an insertion point in the displayed sequence with a third thumbnail image corresponding to a media item of the set not displayed prior to the user action. The method then updates the focus position and insertion point and replaces a display of the first thumbnail image with display of a fourth thumbnail image corresponding to the updated focus position.
US08578296B2
A integrated content guide for multiple sources is provided with hyper-text type links to allow for the selection of various programs. The hyper-text links are provided for a transmitted and then stored digital bit stream. This allows for the embedding within the content guide what could be additional commercial information. The embedding may also be as to additional information for other related television or radio shows or the like. Information can be additional television shows, related information or activities on on-line services or automatic telephone ordering of products or services being displayed.
US08578294B2
A menu user interface providing device and a method thereof are disclosed. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the method of providing a menu user interface by a portable apparatus, including determining whether a main menu icon displayed on a touch screen is selected; determining whether a menu mode is an activation mode or an inactivation mode if the main menu icon is selected; and changing the menu mode into the activation mode if the menu mode is determined as the inactivation mode and forming an expanded menu by radically arranging a submenu of n hierarchies, n being a natural number, corresponding to the main menu icon and displaying the formed expanded menu through a touch screen. Accordingly, with the present invention, a user interface capable of inputting various data with easy manipulation and minimized multi-points can be provided.
US08578292B2
A user may control automatic zooming and scrolling functionality with respect to a selected point in the document. A user may provide a first input to select an anchor point in the document. A user may then provide a second input to indicate a zooming level. In response to the second input, the document may zoom in or out of the document (depending on the input) and simultaneously perform scrolling to adjust the displayed center of the document towards the anchor point. The scrolling and zooming functions are performed automatically in response to the second input. In some embodiments, a custom zoom cursor may be displayed during a zoom state and change to indicate the zooming function performed. In some embodiments, the input device may be a pointing device such as a mouse, or another type of input device such as a keyboard, touch screen or other device.
US08578287B2
A computer readable storage medium storing a set of instructions that are executable by a processor, the set of instructions being operable to store a virtual representation of a plurality of physical components, display the virtual representation, receive user interaction with at least one of the virtual representations and send a command to the physical component corresponding to the user interaction.
US08578281B2
A session invitation can be received from a first communicator for a first communication session. The session invitation can be for a temporary participant to join a sub-session of the first communication session for a sub-session duration specified by the first communicator. The sub-session duration can be less than a duration of the first communication session. The session information can be conveyed to the temporary participant within a session invitation so that the sub-session duration is able to be presented to the temporary participant. Thus, the temporary participant is able to accept or deny the session invitation with full knowledge of the sub-session duration.
US08578278B2
Upon receiving a request for a user interface view from a user interface, a user identity and a user authorization class for a user of the user interface can be checked against a user registry and an authorization class registry, respectively. A user interface view component can be retrieved according to the user identity and the user authorization class. The user interface view can be generated by aggregating the retrieved user interface view component with at least one other user interface view component consistent with the user identity and user authorization class, and the generated user interface view can be returned for display to the user via the user interface. Related systems, articles of manufacture, and computer-implemented methods are described.
US08578276B2
The system includes a user interface module to receive a request to access a dynamic adaptive custom user interface and to generate a dynamic adaptive custom user interface. The user interface module configures the user interface with one or more application modules, where each application module utilizes a data set provided by an application server. The user interface module uses a proxy module to obtain the data set from the application server. The user interface module populates the user interface with the data set from the application server and provides the dynamic adaptive custom user interface having the data set provided by the application server.
US08578274B2
Systems and methods for aggregating web feeds relevant to a geographical locale from multiple sources are disclosed. One embodiment includes, aggregating a web feed using identifier information included in source metadata, parsing the web feed according to mapping information in the source metadata to generate a normalized web feed from the web feed having a data structure specified by the mapping information, determining the geographical locale that is relevant to the web feed, performing filtering on the normalized web feed to determine whether the normalized web feed includes qualified content for publication, and/or publishing the qualified content to be accessible to the user on the user device through a user interface on which the qualified content is depicted as being relevant to the geographical locale.
US08578272B2
A user interface (UI) for controlling buffered content of a streaming presentation is disclosed. In one embodiment, the UI includes a time line which represents a length in time of a streaming content that has been buffered at a receiver, such as a client device which retrieves the streaming content by sending one or more URLs, in a playlist file, to a transmitter; an indicator on the time line shows a current playback position within the buffered content at the receiver.
US08578259B2
Tools and techniques for media portability and compatibility for different destination platforms are provided. These tools may receive commands to launch a media portability capability, and may receive source media as input for transformation. These tools may also receive indications of profile settings for specifying how to transform the source media for enhanced portability on destination systems for playback. The source media may be transformed in response to the profile setting, with the transformed media inserted into a document. The tools may then distribute the document to the destination system for playback.
US08578256B2
In one embodiment, a signal-processing receiver has an upstream processor and a low-density parity-check (LDPC) decoder for decoding LDPC-encoded codewords. The upstream processor generates a soft-output value for each bit of the received codewords. The LDPC decoder is implemented to process the soft-output values without having to wait until all of the soft-output values are generated for the current codeword. Further, the LDPC code used to encode the codewords is arranged to support such processing. By processing the soft-output values without having to wait until all of the soft-output values are generated for the current codeword, receivers of the present invention may have a lower latency and higher throughput than prior-art receivers that wait until all of the soft-output values are generated prior to performing LDPC decoding. In another embodiment, the LDPC decoder processes the soft-output values as soon as, and in the order that, they are generated.
US08578249B2
Techniques to support low density parity check (LDPC) encoding and decoding are described. An apparatus includes at least one processor and a memory coupled to the at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to encode or decode a packet based on a base parity check matrix and a set of lifting values. In a particular embodiment, the set of lifting values is limited to lifting values that are each a different power of two. The memory is configured to store parameters associated with the base parity check matrix.
US08578248B2
Adaptive systems include a memory device including a plurality of memory cells, a data quality monitoring block, and an adaptive data encoding block, the data quality monitoring block and the adaptive data encoding block both being operatively coupled to the memory device. The data quality monitoring block is configured to determine a quality value of a group of one or more memory cells included in the memory device, the determined quality value being indicative of a quality of the group of one or more memory cells. The adaptive data encoding block is configured to select a coding scheme from a plurality of coding schemes to encode data to be written to the group of one or more memory cells in the memory device, the selection of the coding scheme being based at least in part on the determined quality value of the group of one or more memory cells.
US08578244B2
Memory devices that, in a particular embodiment, receive and transmit analog data signals representative of bit patterns of two or more bits such as to facilitate increases in data transfer rates relative to devices communicating data signals indicative of individual bits. Programming error correction code (ECC) and metadata into such memory devices includes storing the ECC and metadata at different bit levels per cell based on an actual error rate of the cells. The ECC and metadata can be stored with the data block at a different bit level than the data block. If the area of memory in which the block of data is stored does not support the desired reliability for the ECC and metadata at a particular bit level, the ECC and metadata can be stored in other areas of the memory array at different bit levels.
US08578242B1
A data storage device is disclosed including a non-volatile memory comprising a plurality of memory segments. The LBAs of a read command are mapped to PBAs addressing the memory segments. At least two seed values corresponding to two of the LBAs are generated and stored in an array. The array is then indexed to access the seed value corresponding to each LBA, wherein the seed value is used to seed an error code generator.
US08578229B1
A high throughput and scalable MIMO detector can use a K-Best detection algorithm to find K combinations of transmit symbols that are likely to be the symbols that were actually transmitted. The K-best MIMO detector can include a plurality of stages, where each stage may correspond to a transmit antenna, and each stage can find K best symbol combinations based on information from a previous stage. To find the new K best symbol combinations, at each stage, a plurality of metrics for potential combinations are computed and sorted by magnitude. The MIMO detector preferably uses a high throughput, merge sorting algorithm to sort the metrics.
US08578227B2
A test device for a system-on-chip includes a sequential logic circuit and a test circuit. The sequential logic circuit generates a test input signal by converting a serial input signal into a parallel format in response to a serial clock signal and a serial enable signal and generates a serial output signal by converting a test output signal into a serial format in response to the serial clock signal and the serial enable signal. The test circuit includes at least one delay unit that is separated from a logic circuit performing original functions of the system-on-chip, performs a delay test on the at least one delay unit using the test input signal in response to a system clock signal and a test enable signal, and provides the test output signal to the sequential logic circuit, where the test output signal representing a result of the delay test.
US08578216B2
An execution history tracing method includes tracing an execution history of a CPU upon executing, in a semiconductor device including the CPU, a program by using the CPU, for one or a tracing target, from outside the semiconductor device via software. The execution history tracing method includes recording, in a buffer, target information as trace information about an execution of the one or the tracing target, for each instruction cycle in which the target information is produced as the execution history; and performing data sorting by using the software to group the trace information about the execution of the one or the tracing target, the trace information being recorded for the each instruction execution cycle, for each of the one or the tracing target.
US08578204B1
A system for managing distributed storage includes a collection of one or more compute sites that are connected and that perform a joint computation. A witness node is connected to the one or more compute sites. A membership service allows a change in collection membership, in response to a failure, to continue the joint computation without causing data inconsistency or corruption. If the membership service is unable to reach a decision on the change in collection membership in response to the failure, the witness node controls the decision on the change in collection membership to continue the joint computation. A distributed storage system provided by the system described herein may advantageously meet consistency guarantees and maximize data access even when individual compute sites and/or their interconnects fail.
US08578202B2
A system and method is provided for ensuring high availability for a distributed application. A management object manages multiple scenarios defined for protection units associated with a distributed application. The management object may coordinate various operations performed at the protection units based on management object configuration information.
US08578197B2
An image processing apparatus includes a managing part to perform a first process to store the log information in a storage unit and a second process necessary to turn OFF a main power, a generating part to generate the log information by performing a third process necessary to turn OFF the main power, and to send to the managing part a first request signal causing the managing part to perform the first process on the generated log information, and a request part to send to the managing part a second request signal causing the managing part to perform the second process and to send to the generating part a third request signal causing the generating part to perform the third process, when a detecting part detects an OFF state of a main power switch.
US08578196B2
A method and system for reducing power consumption when processing mathematical operations. Power may be reduced in processor hardware devices that receive one or more operands from an execution unit that executes instructions. A circuit detects when at least one operand of multiple operands is a zero operand, prior to the operand being forwarded to an execution component for completing a mathematical operation. When at least one operand is a zero operand or at least one operand is “unordered”, a flag is set that triggers a gating of a clock signal. The gating of the clock signal disables one or more processing stages and/or devices, which perform the mathematical operation. Disabling the stages and/or devices enables computing the correct result of the mathematical operation on a reduced data path. When a device(s) is disabled, the device may be powered off until the device is again required by subsequent operations.
US08578174B2
Some embodiments provide a system that facilitates use of a computing device. During operation, the system obtains an event description of an event on the computing device. Next, the system computes a message authentication code (MAC) for the event description using a secure component associated with the computing device. Finally, the system uses the MAC to maintain the integrity of an event log containing the event description.
US08578168B2
A method for preparing and verifying a document, comprising the steps of: presenting the document to a document-registering office in a machine-readable format; editing the document to add an identification code associated with a non-copiable object; signing the edited document using a private key of the document-registering office; printing the digitally signed document in a machine-readable form; presenting the document and the object to an inspecting authority; recovering the digitally signed document from the machine-readable form of the printed document; verifying the digital signature of the document-registering office; and verifying that the identification code in the document corresponds to that of the presented object.
US08578165B2
A key establishment protocol includes the generation of a value of cryptographic function, typically a hash, of a session key and public information. This value is transferred between correspondents together with the information necessary to generate the session key. Provided the session key has not been compromised, the value of the cryptographic function will be the same at each of the correspondents. The value of the cryptographic function cannot be compromised or modified without access to the session key.
US08578163B2
A communication method in which an operation, such as authentication, required when a new communication terminal participates in a mesh network is carried out in a more efficient manner. A second communication terminal that has already established an adjacent communication link with at least two first communication terminals, out of a plurality of communication terminals, distributes an adjacent terminal list including terminal identifiers of the first communication terminals along with a temporal key generated by the second communication terminal. One of the first communication terminals that received the adjacent terminal list and the temporal key distributes adjacent registration information, which is generated using a second temporal key. The other one of the first communication terminals that received both the adjacent terminal list and the adjacent registration information determines whether the terminal identifier of one of the first communication terminals is included in the adjacent terminal list, and whether the first temporal key distributed along with the adjacent terminal list matches with the second temporal key used for generating the adjacent registration information. If both determination results are affirmative, one of the first communication terminals is authenticated.
US08578162B2
A unique identifier which substantially prevents product counterfeiting, wherein the unique identifier can be produced in a very cost-effective manner. The unique identifier is suitable not only for use as a product identifier but also for authorization, for example for securing physical or electronic accesses, such as doors, computer programs or the like.
US08578161B2
A protocol provides authentication of peripheral devices by a computing device to which the peripheral device connects. Computing devices include a verifier with a public key that authenticates multiple associated private keys. Private keys are embedded on peripheral devices. When the verifier is able to authenticate a connected peripheral, particular functionality is enabled that may not be enabled for peripherals that do not authenticate.
US08578159B2
A method and apparatus for establishing security associations between nodes of an ad hoc wireless network includes two authentication steps: an initial first contact step (authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA)-based authentication), and a “light-weight” step that reuses key material generated during first contact. A mesh authenticator within the network provides two roles. The first role is to implement an 802.1X port access entity (PAE), derive transient keys used for encryption with a supplicant mesh point via a four-way handshake and take care of back end communications with a key distributor. The second role is as a key distributor that implements a AAA-client and derives keys used to authenticate a mesh point during first contact or fast security association. The key distributor and the on-line authentication server can communicate to one another without these messages being transported over mesh links.
US08578155B2
A broadcast receiving apparatus comprises a broadcast receiving unit (1, 4˜13) for receiving a digital broadcast; a communication unit (1˜3) for performing two-way communication through a network; an operation unit 15 for performing an acquisition operation of a key for decrypting an encrypted broadcast program received by the broadcast receiving unit; and an address generating unit 16 for generating an address of an acquisition location of the key which is accessible with the communication unit, by using program arrangement information corresponding to the broadcast program based on the acquisition operation of a key by the operation unit.
US08578154B2
A tag generation method for generating tags used in data packets in a broadcast encryption system is provided. The method includes detecting at least one revoked leaf node; setting a node identification (node ID) assigned to at least one node among nodes assigned node IDs at a layer 0 and to which the at least one revoked leaf node is subordinate, to a node path identification (NPID) of the at least one revoked leaf node at the layer 0; generating a tag list in the layer 0 by combining the NPID of each of the at least one revoked leaf nodes at the layer 0 in order of increment of node IDs of the corresponding at least one revoked leaf nodes; and generating a tag list in a lowest layer by repeatedly performing the setting and generation operation down to the lowest layer.
US08578148B2
A method and system to transmit code to a System on Chip (SOC) from a host processor using a host-side driver is provided herein. The SOC and host processor are coupled by a bus. The host driver receives an overlay from an application layer and stores the overlay. The host driver receives an IOCTL to be transmitted to the SOC. The host driver determines whether an input/output control (IOCTL) value of the IOCTL to be transmitted to the SOC corresponds to an IOCTL value in one of the stored overlays. The host driver transmits an overlay to the SOC if the IOCTL value of the IOCTL to be transmitted is equal to at least one IOCTL value in the overlay. The host driver then transmits the IOCTL to the SOC.
US08578142B2
Systems and methods for sharing data storage on an electronic device are disclosed. A system may include a memory and a processor, an operating system executing on the electronic device, a preboot application executing on the electronic device, and a virtual drive. The operating system may be configured to mount the virtual drive and the preboot application may also be configured to mount the virtual drive.
US08578141B2
A loop predictor and a method for instruction fetching using a loop predictor. A processor may include a loop predictor in addition to a primary branch predictor. A relatively common scenario in program execution is that a set of branches repeat over and over forming a loop. The loop may be detected based on a repeated pattern of access to a data structure used for branch prediction. Once a loop is detected and it may be determined whether the codes would stay in the loop for at least a duration sufficient to disable the branch prediction. On a determination that the detected loop is locked, a sequence of instruction addresses in one iteration of the detected loop may be captured in a buffer and the branch predictor may be turned off and a sequence of fetch instructions may be played from the buffer.
US08578139B2
A data processing apparatus and method of data processing are provided. The data processing apparatus comprises execution circuitry configured to execute a sequence of program instructions. Checkpoint circuitry is configured to identify an instance of a predetermined type of instruction in the sequence of program instructions and to store checkpoint information associated with that instance. The checkpoint information identifies a state of the data processing apparatus prior to execution of that instance of the predetermined type of instruction, wherein the predetermined type of instruction has an expected long completion latency. If the execution circuitry does not complete execution of that instance of the predetermined type of instruction due to occurrence of a predetermined event, the data processing apparatus is arranged to reinstate the state of the data processing apparatus with reference to the checkpoint information, such that the execution circuitry is then configured to recommence execution of the sequence of program instructions at that instance of the predetermined type of instruction.
US08578136B2
An apparatus and method are provided for performing register renaming, whereby architectural registers from a set of architectural registers are mapped to physical registers from a set of physical registers. Available register identifying circuitry is provided which is responsive to a current state of the apparatus to identify which physical registers form a pool of physical registers available to be mapped by register renaming circuitry to an architectural register specified by an instruction to be executed. Configuration storage stores configuration data whose value is modified during operation of the processing circuitry, such that when the configuration data has a first value, the configuration data identifies at least one architectural register of the architectural register set which does not require mapping to a physical register by the register renaming circuitry. The available register identifying circuitry is arranged to reference the configuration storage, such that when the configuration data has the first value, the number of physical registers in the pool is increased due to the reduction in the number of architectural registers which require mapping to physical registers. This enables the performance benefits from performing register renaming to be improved, without the need to increase the number of physical registers within the physical register set.
US08578130B2
Partitioning a node of a multi-node system into more than one partition is disclosed. First resources of the node are physically partitioned into more than one partition. The first resources physically partitioned to each partition are directly inaccessible by other partitions of the node. Second resources of the node are then internally logically partitioned into the more than one partition. Each second resource internally separates transactions of one partition from transactions of other partitions. Furthermore, the node can be dynamically repartitioned into other partitions, such as a single partition, without having to take the multi-node system down. Operating system (OS) instances of the partitions may have assumptions provided to allow for dynamic partitioning, such as quiescing the processors and/or the input/output components being reconfigured, purging remote cache entries across the entire OS, etc. Each partition may have associated therewith registers that are protected from access by other partitions.
US08578118B2
An implantable medical device and associated method store physiological data in response to detecting a physiological event. The medical device includes multiple first memory locations allocated to each of a number of physiological event types and a second single memory location allocated for storing entries of physiological signal data corresponding to each of the plurality of physiological event types.
US08578115B2
The present disclosure includes methods and devices for operating a solid state drive. One method embodiment includes mirroring programming operations such that data associated with a programming operation is programmed to two or more locations in memory of the solid state drive. The method also includes ceasing to mirror programming operations upon an occurrence of a particular event.
US08578107B2
A method for scheduling the migration of extents between extent pools of a storage system is disclosed herein. In certain embodiments, such a method includes periodically profiling an extent pool to generate a historical data access profile of the extent pool. Using this historical data access profile, the method determines an optimal migration window for migrating an extent to the extent pool. The method then identifies an actual extent for migration to the extent pool. Once the actual extent is identified, the method schedules the extent for migration to the extent pool during the optimal migration window. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also disclosed herein.
US08578087B2
A method for concurrently converting a standard volume to a thin-provisioned volume includes initially establishing metadata for a thin-provisioned volume. The method then updates the metadata for the thin-provisioned volume to point to extents residing in a standard volume. The method then suspends I/O to metadata for the standard volume. Upon suspending the I/O, the method migrates control of the extents in the standard volume from a standard-volume control algorithm to a thin-provisioned-volume control algorithm. The method then resumes the I/O to the metadata for the thin-provisioned volume. Using this technique, standard volumes may be rapidly converted to thin-provisioned volumes while minimally disrupting I/O to the volumes. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also disclosed and claimed herein.
US08578084B2
A data storage device may include a first memory board and a second memory board, where the first memory board and the second memory board each comprise multiple memory chips. The data storage device may include a controller board that is arranged and configured to operably connect to the first memory board and the second memory board, where the controller board includes a high speed interface and a controller that is arranged and configured to receive commands from a host using the high speed interface and to execute the commands, where the first memory board and the second memory board are each separately removable from the controller board.
US08578081B1
The present invention is directed to a housing unit, which allows an electronic device such as a portable digital audio player to be substantially hermetically sealed within an audio device. The electronic device is controllable by a user while housed with the housing unit. The audio device is able to be used in a vehicle such as a car, a camper, or a boat or in other common consumer products.
US08578080B2
Various embodiments of this disclosure may describe method, apparatus and system for reducing system latency caused by switching memory page permission views between programs while still protecting critical regions of the memory from attacks of malwares. Other embodiments may be disclosed and claimed.
US08578078B1
Multiple components on a programmable chip are interconnected using a shared bus fabric. Each component has an interface with multiple input lines including an input valid line, an input ready line, and an input data line and multiple output lines including an output valid line, an output ready line, and an output data line. Positive valid latency is provided on the input side while positive ready latency is provided on the output side. Adapters are inserted automatically between components to allow implementation of interfaces without buffers.
US08578059B2
A method and system are disclosed for deploying a configuration in a process control system wherein at least a portion of the configuration is deployed to a set of field devices. Initially the set of deployment packages are stored within a configuration storage. Thereafter, deployment is initiated on the set of deployment packages from the configuration storage. In response to the initiating deployment step, an automated cascaded deployment is commenced to the set of connected field devices. The automated cascaded deployment includes first deploying the sets of deployment packages to a set of control module assemblies. The method furthermore includes second deploying the received portions of the set of deployment packages to a set of I/O module assemblies. The set of I/O module assemblies maintain and pass the received sub-portions of the set of deployment packages to sets of field devices.
US08578054B2
In one embodiment, a reactive routing computer network may be partitioned into diverse logical topologies, and a source node may transmit route request (RREQ) messages toward a destination node on each logical topology. In response, the source node may receive route reply (RREP) messages indicating routes to the destination node in each logical topology. The source node may thus select a route for each logical topology to reach the destination node, accordingly. In another embodiment, if partitioned logical topologies do not produce two or more routes or as a standalone embodiment, the source node may transmit RREQ messages toward the destination node without any corresponding logical topology. The destination node receives RREQ messages, and two or more routes from the source node to the destination node may be determined (e.g., by the destination or source node) based on the received RREQ messages at the destination node and path selection criteria.
US08578051B2
Methods and systems for operation upon one or more data processors for efficiently processing communications based upon reputation of an entity associated with the communication.
US08578047B2
A method and apparatus for performing resource allocation in a communication system is provided. The method includes receiving a data frame including encapsulated data and a transmission opportunity, the data frame being divided into sub-frames which include primary resource blocks that are divided into secondary resource blocks storing the encapsulated data or the transmission opportunity, deconstructing the data frame to retrieve a portion of the encapsulated data or the transmission opportunity by determining a location of one of the sub-frames and one of the secondary resource block that included the portion of the encapsulated data or the transmission opportunity, wherein the location of the one secondary resource block is determined based on the inner boundaries.
US08578043B2
A wireless communication device for presenting alternative media during an out of signal condition is disclosed. The device comprising a receiver configured to receive a primary media stream. A memory coupled to the receiver to store a secondary media. A user interface to output one of the primary media stream and the secondary media stream. A detector module that detects when a first predetermined characteristic has been met, the characteristic preventing the output of the primary media stream received from the broadcast transmitter. A media selector module that selects between the primary media stream from the receiver and the secondary media from the memory in response to the detector module detecting that the first predetermined device characteristic has been met.
US08578039B2
A method and apparatus turns a typical home telephone system into a platform for delivery of web based content and services. The preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a broadband enabled telephone system for the home and a series of web servers that collect, package, and deliver personalized content and services to all of the telephone handsets throughout the home. With this end-to-end solution, any information or services available via the web can be delivered through a broadband enabled telephone system. Through the web, each member of a family can build a profile which defines what information and services they want available through the handset. In addition, each handset can be dynamically personalized for any family member. The color screens on the handsets become windows through which an individual can view and interact with a broad range of content and services. The audio channels thus become an extension of the voice based services, such as messaging and voice chat.
US08578036B1
A system and a computer-implemented method for processing a cookie description file are provided. A browser provides the cookie description file that includes meta-information associated with cookies that are associated with a domain. The meta-information includes cookie information specific to each cookie. The cookie description file is parsed and the meta-information associated with each cookie is extracted. The parsed meta-information is displayed in a user-readable format on a client device.
US08578033B2
A media stream is transmitted from a server device to a client device. The client device (10) transmits set-up request messages (43a), discovery messages (44b) and a play command message (45a). The server receives versions of the set-up request messages (43b), the discovery message (44b) and the play message (45b) with matching identifier in the payloads of the messages. The server device (12) receives the discovery messages (44b) on a predetermined port and stores information recording that the discovery messages (44b) have been received, at least when no corresponding set-up request message 43b has been received before. The server device (12) compares the identifiers from the received set up request message (43b) and the discovery message (44b) according to the information recording reception, at least when the discovery message (44b) has been received before the set-up request message (43b). The server device (12) selects transport parameters for transmission of the media stream responsive to detection that the first and second identifier have matching values, the selected transport parameters being based on data from said set-up request message (43b) and a port identification from a source field of the discovery message (44b). The media stream is transmitted in accordance with the selected transport parameters to the client device (10) addressed to the port determined from the source field of the discovery message (44b).
US08578032B2
A method and system for deploying content to client applications is provided. Inbound messages are accepted from a client application running on a client device via a proxy IP/port. The inbound messages are packaged into an internal message format with an HTTP redirector. The packaged message is forwarded to a back-end server via a message router. A response is received form from a web server. The response is packaged into the internal message format with the back-end server. The response is then forwarded to the HTTP redirector via a message router. The response can then be transferred to the client application running on the client device, via the proxy IP/port.
US08578022B2
In various embodiments, a method may be provided comprising: determining a number of established TCP connections to a server; comparing the number of established TCP connections to the server to a upper threshold value; and if the number of established TCP connections to the server is greater than or equal to the upper threshold value, determine an adaptive idle timeout value based on the relationship between the number of established TCP connections to a server and the upper threshold value.
US08578016B2
A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for identifying nodes in a network data processing system. Cache data is received from a set of routers in the data processing system. The cache data includes an identification of the nodes sending data packets onto the network data processing system. The nodes on the network data processing system are identified using the cache data from the set of routers.
US08578013B2
A device may include a donor to maintain a pool of addresses; a group of borrowers to obtain addresses from the donor; a daemon that has registered an interest in one or more borrowers in the group of borrowers; and a library to maintain first relationships between donors and borrowers that have obtained addresses from the donors, maintain second relationships between daemons and borrowers in which the daemons have registered an interest, receive a notification regarding an incident associated with the donor, identify, in response to the notification, the group of borrowers based on the first relationships, determine that the daemon has registered an interest in the one or more borrowers in the group of borrowers based on the second relationships, and output, to the daemon, a notification regarding the incident associated with the donor.
US08578003B2
Techniques are described for providing users with access to computer networks, such as to enable users to interact with a remote configurable network service in order to create and configure computer networks that are provided by the configurable network service for use by the users. Computer networks provided by the configurable network service may be configured to be private computer networks that are accessible only by the users who create them, and may each be created and configured by a client of the configurable network service to be an extension to an existing computer network of the client, such as a private computer network extension to an existing private computer network of the client. If so, secure private access between an existing computer network and new computer network extension that is being provided may be enabled using one or more VPN connections or other private access mechanisms.
US08577998B2
In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving address configuration information for each of a plurality of subscriber devices associated with the same customer account. The method also comprises identifying, using the address configuration information, any of the subscriber devices that are not colocated with the other subscriber devices associated with the same customer account.
US08577995B2
Wireless access protocol-capable wireless devices are able to synchronize displayed Web content. A first WAP device requests a synchronized session through the sync Proxy of the network. The sync Proxy, through a WAP Push Proxy, sets up the synchronized session. One or both wireless devices may then request content from a Web site. This content is transmitted from the Web site to the first device, and through a WAP proxy to the second device.
US08577993B2
Techniques are disclosed for caching provenance information. For example, in an information system comprising a first computing device requesting provenance data from at least a second computing device, a method for improving the delivery of provenance data to the first computing device, comprises the following steps. At least one cache is maintained for storing provenance data which the first computing device can access with less overhead than accessing the second computing device. Aggregated provenance data is produced from input provenance data. A decision whether or not to cache input provenance data is made based on a likelihood of the input provenance data being used to produce aggregated provenance data. By way of example, the first computing device may comprise a client and the second computing device may comprise a server.
US08577985B2
A pull-based parallel video server system and method of implementation useful in an on-demand video system includes a plurality of slave admission schedulers operating in parallel with a master admission scheduler to back up the master admission scheduler that controls access to an array of pull-based video servers according to a protocol that accounts for jitter and loss of packets, as well as network delays. A transport protocol is provided that improves video data throughput under such conditions. To determine the architecture and functional requirements of the redundant admission schedulers, an analytical tool in the form of a performance model has been developed that incorporates network delays, delay jitters and packet losses on the communication links between the clients, schedulers and servers.
US08577983B2
A system and method for notifying an instant message recipient of the arrival of the instant message is provided, and includes managing the presence of the recipient on a network, determining a notification priority level of the message, and notifying the recipient based on the notification priority level. In embodiments, the higher the notification priority level, the more sensorially obtrusive the notification can be.
US08577981B2
A system receives an identifier for a temporary destination in response to messaging software at a client requesting that a messaging server create the temporary destination. The messaging software uses the identifier to indicate the temporary destination as a destination for responses to messages from the messaging software. The identifier is logged. A disconnection from the messaging server is detected. A second request for a temporary destination is created. The identifier is indicated in the second request. The second request indicating the identifier is transmitted to the messaging server to preserve a messaging service in a highly available environment.
US08577979B2
One or more policies to be applied to a set of one or more messages in a message oriented middleware are defined. Metrics of the message oriented middleware are monitored. Application of a policy in response to a trigger condition being satisfied is initiated. Application of the policy applies actions across the set of one or more messages.
US08577978B2
In some examples, an instant message addressed to an intended instant messaging recipient may be forwarded to the recipient's mobile telephone when the recipient's mobile telephone number is known to the instant message sender. In one example, an instant message is forwarded to the intended recipient's mobile telephone number when the instant message sender's contact information for the intended recipient includes an instant message address (e.g., a screen name or other type of instant message identifier) and a mobile telephone number, without dependence upon the intended recipient's presence on the instant message (IM) system or through actual login or registration with an IM forwarding service. In another example, an instant message addressed to an intended instant messaging recipient is forwarded to the recipient's mobile telephone when the recipient is known to the instant message sender.
US08577974B2
A conference server, provided according to an aspect of the present invention, identifies a participant of a meeting in progress and requests scheduling option for a subsequent meeting from the identified participant. On receiving a scheduling option from the participant, the conference server determines the possible participants (“recipients”) of the subsequent meeting and informs the recipients of the received scheduling option. In one embodiment, the conference server requests the scheduling option when a conflict between the meeting in progress and the subsequent meeting is found and sends notifications to the recipients (determines by examining the calendars of users). In another embodiment, the conference server requests the scheduling option for a follow-up meeting for the meeting in progress, and updates the calendars of the recipients (determined as the participants of the meeting in progress and any users invited).
US08577972B1
Managing instant messages may include receiving instant messages created by or on behalf of one or more message sources for delivery to an intended recipient. From among the received instant messages, qualifying instant messages may be identified that satisfy a capture rule, and two or more of the qualifying instant messages may be captured. The intended recipient may be informed of the captured instant messages unobtrusively, and also may be enabled to manage the captured instant messages.
US08577971B2
In accordance with some embodiments, a computer-implemented method for fetching email from an email server to a portable electronic device is disclosed. The method includes fetching email from the email server upon occurrence of at least one of: expiration of a first period of time after activation of an email application running on the device; expiration of a second period of time after a prior email fetch while the email application is running in the foreground; expiration of a third period of time after the prior email fetch while the email application is running in background; or expiration of a fourth period of time after the portable device is unlocked.
US08577962B2
A server apparatus includes a first storage, a second storage, a communication unit, and a controller. The first storage is configured to store statistical information that is generated by performing a statistical process of a plurality of pieces of first meta and second meta information and that indicates a frequency of the first meta information. The second storage is configured to store a plurality of pieces of content information that indicates one of a commodity content and a service content to be recommended. The communication unit is configured to receive, from a client apparatus, the second meta information. The controller is configured to select content information relating to the first meta information having predetermined frequencies or more with respect to the received second meta information from the plurality of pieces of content information stored, and control the communication unit to transmit the content information to the client apparatus.
US08577959B2
Concepts and technologies are described herein for managing recurring appointments without losing historical data associated with the recurring appointments. In accordance with the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, a recurring appointment definition can be modified without deleting the recurring appointment definition and/or losing exceptions, notes, and/or other data associated with the recurring appointment definition. Additionally, the concepts and technologies disclosed herein allow the modification of an existing recurring appointment definition without creating a new recurring appointment definition. Thus, synchronization between rules-based calendaring applications and expansion-based calendaring applications can be accomplished without creating multiple instances of related recurring appointments created due to modifications of the recurring appointment definition.
US08577955B2
A method and system for distributing images for display by client systems. A distribution system includes an image server system that is connected to image client systems via a communications link, such as the Internet. The image server system is responsible for providing image packages to the image client systems and for collecting information from the image client systems. Each image client system periodically sends a heartbeat communication to the image server system. Upon receiving a heartbeat communication, the image server system determines the state of the image client system that sent the heartbeat communication and responds appropriately. The response may include instructions for the image client system to retrieve new images, to retrieve software updates, to send usage data, and so on.
US08577951B1
Circuitry can be provided in a fixed logic device, or can be configured into a programmable integrated circuit device such as a programmable logic device (PLD) to perform vector-based matrix operations for matrices of arbitrary size, up to a predetermined maximum size. The circuitry may be used where input row vectors of a matrix are to be combined—e.g., by multiplication—with the same initial vector, which may be one of the rows. Column memories may be provided to hold the input matrix data, so that each row may be read by simultaneously accessing the same index in each column memory. In accordance with the invention, the number of column memories may be less than the actual number of columns so that multiple physical “row access” operations are used to access each logical row. A “circular latch” may be provided to hold the initial vector.
US08577949B2
A system for a conjugate gradient iterative linear solver that calculates the solution to a matrix equation comprises a plurality of gamma processing elements, a plurality of direction vector processing elements, a plurality of x-vector processing elements, an alpha processing element, and a beta processing element. The gamma processing elements may receive an A-matrix and a direction vector, and may calculate a q-vector and a gamma scalar. The direction vector processing elements may receive a beta scalar and a residual vector, and may calculate the direction vector. The x-vector processing elements may receive an alpha scalar, the direction vector, and the q-vector, and may calculate an x-vector and the residual vector. The alpha processing element may receive the gamma scalar and a delta scalar, and may calculate the alpha scalar. The beta processing element may receive the residual vector, and may calculate the delta scalar and the beta scalar.
US08577925B2
Systems and methods consistent with the invention may include selecting a plurality of hosts to store data structures by defining a color incidence process used to model a host assignment process, determining, by the color incidence process, a color allocation, and assigning the data structures to one of the plurality of hosts based on the color allocation determined by the color incidence process.
US08577922B2
An information management apparatus includes: a data receiving section, a collected data storage section, an aggregating section, a feature extracting section, a determining section, and an evaluation data storage section. The data receiving section periodically receives action data showing an action of a user. The collected data storage section stores the action data received by the data receiving section every user. The aggregating section generates a data set every user by aggregating action data containing an approximate content, of the action data stored in the collected data storage section. The feature extracting section extracts an index and a reference showing privacy confidentiality of the data set as a feature to incorporate in the data set. The determining section determines whether or not the privacy confidentiality of the feature of the data set is equal to or higher than a predetermined level. The evaluation data storage section stores the data set which passed the determining section.
US08577916B1
Search-based contact initiation methods and apparatus are provided. In particular, a contact initiator enters search terms in the form of qualifications or characteristics desired of a contact recipient. The search term are used to search qualifications records that include qualifications entered or selected by candidate qualifications recipients. When a match or best match between search criteria and a record associated with a candidate communication recipient is found, the contact initiator is placed into communication with that communication recipient. Communications between the communications initiator and the communication recipient are established using a contact address associated with the qualifications of the communication recipient.
US08577911B1
Systems, software, and computer-implemented methods can be used to present search results and search refinement suggestions identified in response to a search query using a search refinement wheel. In response to receiving a search query, a set of suggested query refinements are obtained. A spoke graph structure processable to present a visual representation of the search query and at least a portion of the set of the at least one search query refinements is generated, where the search query is represented by a first node in the visual representation and each of the portion of the set of the search query refinements is represented by an individual spoke in the visual representation that can be activated to generate a corresponding new search query. The generated graph can be provided in response to the search query, e.g., to a client device from which the search query is received.
US08577909B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for generating visual media search results are provided. A first visual media search query in a first language is received. One or more bilingual refinements are identified for the first visual media search query. Each bilingual refinement associates an initial query in the first language and a subsequent query in a different second language. The initial query is equivalent to the first visual media search query. The subsequent query is a translation of the initial query in the second language. The subsequent query followed the initial query in a series of queries received from a user in a session. A first bilingual refinement is selected from the one or more bilingual refinements according to a first criterion. A set of visual media search results is generated based on the first search query and the selected first bilingual refinement's associated subsequent search query.
US08577900B2
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for enhancing webpage browsing. The method of the invention includes a predicting step which predicts, for a first block in the webpage, a subsequent second block, based on a browsing history of blocks of webpages by at least one user; and a link generating step of automatically generating a link pointing to the second block based on a result of the predicting step. The apparatus includes: predicting means configured to predict, for a first block in the webpage, a subsequent second block, based on a browsing history of blocks of web pages by at least one user; and link generating means configured to automatically generate a link pointing to the second block based on a result of the predicting means.
US08577899B2
Methods and systems supporting curation of items in a searchable knowledge base are provided. The methods and systems include mining one or more search queries of the searchable knowledge base, where each of the search queries includes a plurality of the items. The method further includes determining one or more pairs of items using a processor, where each of the pairs of items includes a correlation value exceeding a threshold. The correlation values for the pairs of items are based upon the frequency the items of the pairs of items co-occur within the search queries. The method further includes providing the pairs of items to a curator, where the curator reviews the pairs of items.
US08577897B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for triggering rich results in response to publication queries. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a publication query. One or more publication search results are obtained. A rich result is triggered based on a score of the first-ranked publication result if it meets a threshold relative to other publication search results. The rich result is populated with additional metadata about the publication obtained from web resources and product resources from multiple corpora. The rich result is provided with the publication search results.
US08577886B2
Methods and or systems relating to inferential networks. This invention is further directed to methods and systems for making and using inferential networks. Still further, this invention is generally directed to making one or more inferential networks by using data generated from directed searches of collections of linked databases.
US08577882B2
A method, system and computer program product for searching multilingual documents. The method includes the steps of: receiving a search request based on at least one language; searching a first relevant document using the search request where the first relevant document (1) is written in a first language and (2) has a first image; finding a second relevant document having a second image which is similar to the first image and is written in a second language; and searching a second relevant document using the search request.
US08577873B2
Implementations and techniques for determining a relative importance among ordered lists are generally discussed.
US08577870B2
Methods and systems are provided for querying a database. One exemplary method for obtaining data from an on-demand database supporting one or more tenants involves obtaining model database statistics based on expected utilization information for a tenant and providing the model database statistics to the on-demand database. The on-demand database utilizes the model database statistics to generate a query plan and executes the query plan to obtain data from the model database statistics.
US08577868B1
A system receives a search query from a user and searches a repository of documents based on the search query to obtain search results. The system provides the search results to the user and automatically bookmarks one or more of the search results without the user explicitly requesting that the one or more search results be bookmarked.
US08577860B2
A mobile station is arranged to determine its location, which is searched against street addresses from a database, and at least one matching street address is retrieved. The street address is searched on the mobile station and/or over the network. The search engine conducts a search in the mobile station file system and/or the Internet and/or a file system over the network with the at least one query term, —at least one search result is arranged to be displayed to user on the screen of the mobile station. This facilitates on-demand effortless Mobile Internet Search that allows the users to access opportunities that they did not know about, or would not have had time to find out about with minimum effort as the software of the mobile phone is scanning the Internet and information pages for these opportunities and displaying the results dynamically on the mobile phone screen.
US08577855B2
A lock is acquired on a data structure. Content in the data structure is read and verified while the lock is held. The lock is then released, and then the file system components that are referred to by the data structure are verified. In essence, a file system consistency check of the file system components is performed offline in the background while the data structure remains accessible.
US08577851B2
A content alignment system according to certain embodiments aligns a sliding window at the beginning of a data segment. The content alignment system performs a block alignment function on the data within the sliding window. A deduplication block is established if the output of the block alignment function meets a predetermined criteria. At least part of a gap is established if the output of the block alignment function does not meet the predetermined criteria. The predetermined criteria is changed if a threshold number of outputs fail to meet the predetermined criteria.
US08577847B2
A system and method for managing data repositories may include providing techniques for end users to access and manipulate reports stored in the repositories. Text-based, image-based, or other types of reports may be stored in online and offline repositories, and in response to a search request, reports stored in the online and offline repositories may be retrieved. End users may export report data from text-based and image-based formats by converting the data into a spreadsheet format using various customization techniques. Thus, end users may edit, modify, analyze, or otherwise manipulate information in online and offline reports, while maintaining integrity of the information in the repositories.
US08577843B1
A method for updating a digital project log comprises receiving via one of the plurality of receivers an observation, the observation comprising one of a plurality of observer identifiers, selecting a project log based on the combination of the observer identifier included with the observation and the receiver identifier associated with the receiver used to receive the observation, and storing information included in the observation in the selected project log.
US08577841B2
Changes to a hierarchical organizational structure may be stored in different versions of a data structure depicting the hierarchical organizational structure. Each of these versions may include a validity period field representing a time period that the hierarchical organizational structure depicted in the version accurately reflects the organizational structure of the organization. Each of the versions may also be designated as active or inactive. In some instances, each of the versions may be designated as inactive except for a version that reflects the organizational structure of the organization at a particular time, which may change over time. Historical copies of versions may be stored and subsequently recalled to identify an organizational structure that was in effect at a particular time in the past. The recalled version may then be used to limit the results of a query to a selected node of the historical organizational structure.
US08577830B2
A non transitory computer readable medium and a method of detecting excavation of an underground tunnel, the method includes: propagating a light pulse through an underground optic fiber; generating detection signals responsive to Brillion scattered light resulting from the propagating of the light pulse through the underground optic fiber; wherein the detection signals represent tension values at multiple locations along the underground optic fiber; and processing the detection signals to detect excavation of the underground tunnel.
US08577829B2
An “unstructured event parser” analyzes an event that is in unstructured form and generates an event that is in structured form. A mapping phase determines, for a given event token, possible fields of the structured event schema to which the token could be mapped and the probabilities that the token should be mapped to those fields. Particular tokens are then mapped to particular fields of the structured event schema. By using the Naïve Bayesian probability model, a “probabilistic mapper” determines, for a particular token and a particular field, the probability that that token maps to that field. The probabilistic mapper can also be used in a “regular expression creator” that generates a regex that matches an unstructured event and a “parameter file creator” that helps a user create a parameter file for use with a parameterized normalized event generator to generate a normalized event based on an unstructured event.
US08577828B2
An exemplary methodology, procedure, system, method and computer-accessible medium can be provided to assign a joint-probability distribution to a set of continuous variables, given a sample of independent joint observations. The exemplary embodiments can transform at least a portion of particular data into transformed data, repeat the transformation until a marginal distribution of at least the portion of the particular data has been transformed to be at least sufficiently near or to reach a predetermined distribution, and estimate at least one likelihood of at least one predetermined result associated with the particular data as a function of the transformed data, whereas the repeated transformation ascends a likelihood function and/or is performed by unitary transformations.
US08577815B2
A method and system for characterizing, detecting, and predicting or forecasting multiple target events from a past history of these events includes compressing temporal data streams into self-organizing map (SOM) clusters, and determining trajectories of the temporal streams via the clusters to predict the multiple target events. The system includes an evolutionary multi-objective optimization (EMO) module for processing the temporal data streams, which are obtained from a plurality of heterogeneous domains; a SOM module for characterizing the temporal data streams into self-organizing map clusters; and a target event prediction (TEP) module for generating prediction models of the map clusters. The SOM module employs a vector quantization method that places a set of vectors on a low-dimensional grid in an ordered fashion. The prediction models each include trajectories of the temporal data streams, and the system predicts the multiple target events using the trajectories.
US08577813B2
A device is configured to allow a user to select any of a plurality of accounts to employ in a financial transaction. The user device includes a biometric sensor configured to receive a biometric input, a user interface configured to receive a user input including secret information known to the user and identifying information concerning an account selected by the user from the plurality of accounts. The user device includes a communication link configured to communicate with a secure registry, and a processor coupled to the biometric sensor to receive information concerning the biometric input, the user interface, and the communication link. The processor is configured to generate a non-predictable value and encrypted authentication information from the non-predictable value, the identifying information, and at least one of the information concerning the biometric input and the secret information, and communicate the authentication information via the communication link to the secure registry.
US08577810B1
A method to authorize a mobile payment for a transaction. The method includes receiving a facial image of a consumer who requests the mobile payment for the transaction using account information stored in a mobile device of the consumer, wherein the facial image is provided by a point-of-sale (POS) device while initiating the transaction on behalf of the consumer, receiving a verified facial image of an account holder, comparing the facial image of the consumer and the verified facial image of the account holder based on a pre-determined criterion to verify the consumer as the account holder, generating, in response to verifying the consumer as the account holder, an authorization of the mobile payment based on the account information, and sending the authorization to the POS device to complete the transaction.
US08577802B1
An aspect of the invention provides methods and computer media to support on-demand transportation shipments, supply order requests, change orders, and reports. A bank and business partners may coordinate so that a client can schedule pickups of deposits, delivery of change orders, transportation shipments, and reports. When at least one deposit is created at a banking center for one or more banking customers and an aggregate deposit amount exceeds a predetermined amount, an on-demand pickup of the deposits at the banking center is automatically requested. Also, an on-demand pickup of deposits may be automatically requested at a bank customer's location when the aggregate deposit amount exceeds a predetermined threshold. Moreover, an on-demand change, supply order, or report order may be automatically submitted when available cash is below a predetermined threshold. The available cash may be based on a total amount of cash or on a currency denomination amount.
US08577797B1
Various embodiments are disclosed for processing image cash letter files comprising transactions directed to a first image exchange system and transactions directed to a second image exchange systems. First and second cash letter output files may be generated, where the first and second cash letter output files may comprise cash letter file headers based on a header of an input cash letter file. Each transaction record included in the input cash letter file may be directed to either the first output cash letter file or the second output cash letter file. The headers of the respective output cash letter files may be updated based on the records written thereto.
US08577796B2
Aspects of the disclosure relate to assisting credit account holders during economic hardship. More specifically, aspects of the disclosure relate to systems and methods for providing a rebate of at least a portion of a finance charge applied to a credit account. Unlike certain prior art systems and methods, embodiments disclosed herein may benefit both the credit account holder as well as the financial institution that extends the credit account. In one embodiment, it may be determined that several credit accounts meet a threshold of probability of having a charge-off. In certain embodiments, the number of accounts that receive a rebate may be limited to a certain percentage of credit accounts with a non-zero balance.
US08577794B2
A system and method for collecting information to facilitate enrollment in an electronic funds transfer program includes a system operator that solicits prospective participants in the electronic funds transfer program and directs those prospective participants to an enrollment process that is accessible via the Internet. The prospective participants input profile information, which is preferably authenticated, and thereby enrolls in the electronic funds transfer program. Subsequent to enrollment automatic electronic funds transfers between an enrollee and another party are initiated on a periodic basis in accordance with the profile information. The system operator maintains a database that stores and operates on the profile information.
US08577793B1
Online multi-variable/multi-party auctions coordinate homeowners, mortgage holders, and investors to refinance homes with underwater mortgages, being initiated by homeowner/mortgage holder registration within the website. Registration triggers email invitations with access to personalized bidding platforms. Auctioning comprises bidding for a new total loan amount equaling/exceeding current fair market values, and/or matching interest rate bids by investors, who may risk share therein, with homeowner monthly payment bids. Auction completion requires homeowner, lien holder(s), and investor(s) acceptance, resulting in mutual rescission of original loan agreement(s). Electronic closings create Time-Out Mortgages, which are recorded, and Home Certificates—a hybrid security being a combination promissory note (with additional benefits) and agreement for sharing a “Deferred Recapture Amount,” being a difference between the new principal loan amount and prior total home lien amounts. Sharing is tailored at auction according to one of several schemes incentivizing agreement, which drive up housing prices while reducing risk of foreclosure.
US08577782B2
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for generating conditional offers for semi-anonymous trading participants is provided. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method comprises associating a trading entity with an identifier; acquiring trade history information including a history of trading transactions associated with said identifier; and receiving an offer from a Liquidity Provider based on said trade history information, said offer being only made to the trading entity associated with one of said identifiers.
US08577781B2
A method is provided for placing a trade order for a commodity on an electronic exchange to be executed at a future time, said method comprising the steps of displaying a trading screen for a commodity market, said trading screen including a future time schedule and an order entry region corresponding to each future time segment of the future time schedule, and scheduling an order corresponding to a future time segment by locating a pointer of a user device within an order entry region corresponding to the future time segment and sending an input signal via the pointer.
US08577780B2
Methods and Systems for routing an indication of interest message are provided in which one or more external trade messaging systems are monitored to discover and collect information related to a trading posture of a plurality of trading counterparties. The information related to the trading posture of the plurality of trading counterparties is stored in a database and accessed, upon receipt of an indication of interest message to intelligently route the indication of interest message to at least one of the plurality of trading counterparties based at least in part on the information regarding the trading posture of the plurality of trading counterparties stored in the database.
US08577774B2
A system and method for using asymmetrical offsets for products in a risk management analysis system are disclosed. Conventional systems assign symmetrical offsets for products, that is, if two products have an 80% correlation they each would be assigned an offset of 80% with respect to each other. However, it is desirable to allow for asymmetrical offsets. In the disclosed system and method, when two products have a correlation of 80%, one may be assigned an offset of 75% and the other may be assigned an offset of 80%. There are many reasons to vary the offset between the products. The varying offset may reflect an asymmetry in the risk in one of the products, such as being traded in an illiquid market or in a less desirable venue. The varying offset may correct for an imbalance in spread credits due to special charges from intra spreading.
US08577772B2
A system for generating liquidity includes a plurality of client user interfaces and a matching system. Each client user interface includes a trading desktop which stores unexecuted trading positions. The matching system is coupled with the plurality of client user interfaces and configured to receive information about the unexecuted trading positions. The system can identify as a match one or more first indications of interest which can fulfill one or more second indications of interest, based upon the information about the unexecuted trading positions. For the identified matches, the system can provide a notification of the match and an invitation to execute the match to corresponding client user interfaces. When an invitation is accepted, the system forwards an order to an order execution system for execution.
US08577767B2
A method and system for processing communications between travel service providers and travel insurers where travel service providers use different messaging formats. A travel service provider transmits itinerary data to a travel insurer in one messaging format. The travel insurer may then convert the itinerary data into a format compatible with the travel insurer's system and determine an optimal policy choice based on the itinerary data. The travel insurer may then transmit this choice to the travel service provider in the travel service provider's preferred messaging format, and the travel service provider offers the product to the consumer through the travel service provider's interface.
US08577765B2
A system and method for displaying a plurality of profit and risk related indicators are described. A graphical interface displays and dynamically updates a plurality of profit/loss (P/L) indicators including a realized, net, and open indicator. The net and open indicators are based on a trader's net position and a current market level, while the realized indicator is based on trader's buys and sells associated with a tradeable objects. In one embodiment, the plurality of indicators are displayed in relation to a plurality of money management regions defining a maximum order quantity and a maximum net position controlling the trader's trades, so that a trader can quickly determine his current as well as potential money management parameters. The graphical interface may also display a plurality of potential risk/gain indicators in relation to a realized profit indicator so that a trader, before entering an order having a predetermined order quantity, can view a potential risk/gain in entering into a predetermined net position in view of potential market movements.
US08577757B2
An inventory management system for forecasting demand in a print production environment may include a computing device and a computer-readable storage medium in communication with the computing device. The computer-readable storage medium may include programming instructions for updating a predictive model with intervention information comprising an anticipated demand value and a confidence value associated with the anticipated demand value. The predictive model may be associated with a demand distribution of a print-related service. The computer-readable storage medium may include programming instructions for generating a demand forecast associated with the print-related service by using the updated predictive model, using the generated demand forecast to compare a current inventory level associated with the print-related service to an anticipated inventory level associated with the demand forecast of the print-related service, and ordering additional inventory in response to the current inventory level being less than the anticipated inventory level.
US08577736B2
The sale of a vehicle may involve many cost and profit components. It is generally impossible for a potential buyer to know all of these components. For example, dealers may be paid by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) on their Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) and volume bonus. Embodiments disclosed herein may determine and present to a user an accurate estimate of dealer cost, taking into consideration an aggregate of dealer cost components. For each component, a predictive model may be built to determine an expected value at a particular level. An average of the expected value of the component is then calculated for the most recent month. From that, an average bonus payout per vehicle for the most recent month may be determined. A base dealer cost is adjusted to account for these payouts to produce an accurate estimate of actual dealer cost.
US08577732B1
A method and system of providing custom background-downloads, where content is selected for background downloading to a subscriber based on an analysis of the current time, the subscriber's current location, and online transaction history records regarding a plurality of subscribers over time, each record indicating content that was a subject of the transaction. A custom content server may determine the subscriber's current location and the current time, and the server may then select transaction history records reflecting transactions that occurred in the past at a similar location and time (possibly just records for transactions involving the subscriber currently at issue). The server may then select one or more pieces of available content based on their similarity to the content indicated by the selected transaction records. And the server may background-download the selected content to the subscriber. The invention can be used to provide custom-channel definitions or custom content-catalogs, for instance.
US08577727B1
A system includes a master device and a slave device. The slave device is configured to provide a customer waiting to be seated at a restaurant with menu information for the restaurant, receive at least one of a drink order or a food order from the customer while the customer is waiting to be seated at the restaurant, and transmit the at least one of a drink order or a food order. The master device is configured to receive the at least one of a drink order or a food order from the slave device, and cause the at least one of a drink order or a food order to be forwarded to a kitchen of the restaurant based on at least one of a position of the customer on a waiting list or an estimated amount of time until the customer will be seated.
US08577704B2
An output formula is automatically generated from an input formula using one of multiple methods determined by types of one or more parameters associated with the input formula and a dimensional operation associated with a dimension of at least a first parameter. The automatically generated output formula is stored, or a representation based on the automatically generated output formula is presented using a user interface.
US08577699B1
Methods and systems are disclosed for providing quotes on multiple types of insurance policies concurrently. The quotes are individually personalized rather than a class or group quote. The methods and systems significantly reduce the number of insurability questions required to obtain a quote. This reduced set of questions may be used to generate quotes on multiple policies concurrently for a given type of insurance. The methods and systems, however, are applicable to multiple types of insurance. Similarly, the quotes may be “directionally correct” quotes, or they may be provided as a range of possible premiums. Quotes for family members may also be obtained at the same time on similar insurance policies. Personal information may be automatically prefilled to the extent such information is available. Other aspects include the ability to apply for the quoted insurance policies directly from the quotes and to save the quotes for subsequent retrieval.
US08577693B2
Methods and systems are described for obtaining a parameter relating to a stent inventory shortage and for specializing one or more stents in response to obtaining the parameter relating to the stent inventory shortage.
US08577692B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed for operating a medical device with a screen having an improved graphical user interface, which selectively reallocates screen display for both single and multi-channel pumps. Channel indicators associate operation information with a specific delivery channel. Patient or drug order verification is facilitated with a rendering of the patient or the entire drug order/label on the screen. Decimal numbers are presented in vertically offset decimal format. A dual function button cancels the current operation and, after a delay, clears entered parameters. An area sensitive scrollbar cycles through information at various speeds. Screen brightness is adjusted based on an ambient light detector. A screen saver mode activates based on several operating conditions. The screen is incorporated in a removable user interface.
US08577690B2
Method and system are disclosed for facilitating patient access to pharmacies. The system and method of the present invention involves setting up a prescription registry service. The prescription registry service stores the prescriptions of patients who are members of the registry. Pharmacies, including national and international pharmacies, may then subscribe to the registry service. The pharmacies may be required to satisfy one or more qualification criteria in order to subscribe to the registry service. A patient may then select one of the subscribing pharmacies to fill his prescriptions with reduced risk and increased confidence. Only pharmacies that have been authorized by the patient may access and fill a registered prescription. All communication between the member and the pharmacy are conducted through the pharmacy's normal channels and not through the registry service.
US08577688B2
An alliance business relationship is managed by receiving a request for a relationship from a firm. An alliance taxonomy stored in a database is used to determine whether the request is an alliance. An opportunity in the request is identified and quantified. The alliance is formed, executed, and subsequently terminated. Thereafter, the alliance is again evaluated against the criteria in the taxonomy to determine whether another relationship type applies.
US08577673B2
In one embodiment, a method of receiving a decoded audio signal that has a transmitted pitch lag is disclosed. The method includes estimating pitch correlations of possible short pitch lags that are smaller than a minimum pitch limitation and have an approximated multiple relationship with the transmitted pitch lag, checking if one of the pitch correlations of the possible short pitch lags is large enough compared to a pitch correlation estimated with the transmitted pitch lag, and selecting a short pitch lag as a corrected pitch lag if a corresponding pitch correlation is large enough. The postprocessing is performed using the corrected pitch lag. In another embodiment, when the existence of irregular harmonics or wrong pitch lag is detected, a coded-excited linear prediction (CELP) postfilter is made more aggressive.
US08577666B2
A modular circuit emulation system includes a global clock generator that generates a plurality of clock signals. A plurality of emulation boards each include at least one programmable circuit and a clock buffer. The clock buffer generates at least one synchronized clock signal for clocking the programmable circuit or circuits, based on at least one of the plurality of global clock signals.
US08577652B2
A method, computer-readable storage medium, and computer system for modeling a dynamic system comprising a plurality of components are disclosed. A computing device is used to provide a spreadsheet environment and a plurality of shape objects within the spreadsheet environment. The shape objects represent the physical components of the dynamic system. At least one shape object has a behavioral characteristic that is associated with a physical component of the dynamic system. A connector in the spreadsheet environment is used to specify a connection between at least two of the shape objects. The connection represents a relationship between the physical components represented by the connected shape objects.
US08577621B2
A method for processing biopolymer arrays and apparatus and computer program products for executing the method. The method may include reading a different array identifier for each biopolymer array from a tag associated with that array. At least some of the biopolymer arrays are read and results from each read array saved in a memory linked with the read identifier for that array. Different communication addresses and a selection of an array identifier for each, are received. For at least some of the arrays, the saved results for each are matched with one of the different communication addresses using the identifier, and the saved results transmitted for those arrays to the matched different communication addresses. A method of processing data from the reading of biopolymer arrays is also provided.
US08577614B2
The present disclosure provides a method of normalizing characterization information comprising: defining a plurality of characteristics, for each characteristic defining a set of allowed values and defining a logging interval. The method further comprises: at a plurality of logging intervals, selecting a value from the set of allowed values for a characteristic of the plurality of characteristics, and storing the selected value for the characteristics at the plurality of logging intervals. The present disclosure also provides a system for correlating log information comprising: a core set log data module for storing core set log data information, an electrical log data module for storing electrical log data information, a correlation module for correlating the core set log data information with the electrical log data information, and an input/output module for inputting and displaying the core set log data information the electrical log data information.
US08577608B2
A method essentially comprising a step of storing each plot mesh. Each plot mesh receiving plots sent thereto by detector means and retaining in memory at least the altitude of the highest plot and the number of plots neighboring said highest plot in said mesh. The altitude and the number of plots neighboring are updated each time a new plot is sent to the plot mesh. A step of rejecting plot meshes is presenting a number of neighboring plots that is less than a predetermined rejection threshold value. The rejection threshold value is a function of the position of the mesh relative to the detector means. A step is preparing the local terrain elevation database from the plot meshes (M(i,j)) that are not rejected.
US08577606B2
Systems and methods for guiding a vehicle and vehicle sensor bias determination methods are disclosed. A method for guiding a vehicle includes a primary antenna of a primary survey-grade GNSS-receiver and a secondary antenna of a secondary GNSS-receiver mounted to the vehicle, which are at least temporarily receiving GNSS-signals of a global positioning system. A plurality of physical sensors mounted to the vehicle generate physical data indicative of respective measured physical parameters of at least part of the vehicle. The method includes de-biasing the physical data and applying a recursive statistical estimator, such as a Kalman filter, to the de-biased physical data and an output of the primary and secondary GNSS-receivers to determine a position and velocity of the vehicle.
US08577599B2
A system for a vehicle navigation accurately calculates travel times between locations and serves a vehicle driver request for the shortest time route. A navigation server compiles data of common road segments between two locations that are contained in route requests and subsequently calculates travel time between the two locations. When subsequent route requests contain further information pertaining to the same locations, the navigation server updates the travel time. Consequently, the navigation server can calculate the travel times of different routes from the same source vehicle location and destination location. When a vehicle driver requests directions from the vehicle's current location to a destination, the navigation server then provides directions for the shortest time route to the vehicle driver.
US08577598B2
A method for presenting a route includes receiving a starting point and a destination point and computing a route that includes a route segment between the two points. The method further includes determining, based on a user's travel history, whether the route segment is an unfamiliar segment, and identifying, based on the user's travel history, a road that is familiar to the user. The method includes providing, in a format that distinguishes the familiar road from the computed route, the computed route and the familiar road relative to the unfamiliar segment for presentation of the familiar road within a scaled range of the unfamiliar segment.
US08577595B2
A device, system, and method for generating location and path-map data for displaying a location and path-map is disclosed. The device includes a first set of sensors for generating a plurality of first data signals with respect to an attitude of an object; a second set of sensors for generating a plurality of second data signals with respect to the attitude of the object; an imaging device for generating a plurality of third data signals that include a most significant feature, which is disposed in at least two images of the imaging device; and at least one processing device that is adapted to calculate a heading direction (bearing) of the device using the plurality of first data signals and the plurality of second data signals; to calculate a distance traveled along the heading direction using the plurality of third data signals; and to translate the calculated heading direction and calculated distance traveled into a leg or portion of a leg of a path-map for visual display on a two- or three-dimensional system.
US08577593B2
A method for producing navigation instructions is disclosed. The method includes generating a navigation route. The generated navigation route is translated from textual instructions and/or audio prompts to sign language symbols, and the sign language symbols are provided to a vehicle.
US08577589B2
A method and apparatus for providing a location information-based scheduling service is disclosed. The method includes determining a meeting point or appointed place based on location information associated with a plurality of portable terminals. The method includes suggesting various routes and means to travel to the appointed place; and providing data content to a user of a first portable terminal until one or more users associated with the other portable terminals arrive at the appointed place. The appointed place can be determined based on a distance between all the portable terminals and/or their respective movement times. Users can share their expected arrival times and information regarding their current locations while traveling towards the appointed place. If a portable terminal user requests a content while waiting for other users to arrive, the surplus time can be calculated and available contents can be provided within the surplus time.
US08577579B2
A vehicle control system includes a forward vehicle sensor transmitting a forward vehicle message based on a range to a forward vehicle. An adaptive cruise controller receives the forward vehicle message from the forward vehicle sensor. The adaptive cruise controller transmits a cruise controller message based on the range to the forward vehicle. A braking system controller receives the cruise controller message and transmits an engine control message based on the cruise controller message. An engine controller receives the engine control message and controls a torque and/or speed of an engine as a function of the engine control message.
US08577576B2
An inverted pendulum type vehicle includes a travelling motion unit capable of moving on a floor surface, an actuator for driving the travelling motion unit, a base body mounted with the travelling motion unit and the actuator, a tilt detector configured to detect a tilt of the base body, and a controller configured to control the actuator. The controller controls an operation of an actuator so as to restrict a representative point velocity which is a travelling velocity of a predefined representative point located above a ground contact point of the vehicle and is determined according to a travelling velocity of the travelling motion unit and a tilt of the base body.
US08577569B2
A vehicle control apparatus includes a bad-road control-mode switch configured to be manipulated by a driver, and a bad-road control section configured to perform a bad-road control when a bad-road control mode is selected by the bad-road control-mode switch. The bad-road control section includes a braking-force applying section configured to apply a braking force to a drive-wheel, and a driving-force applying section configured to apply a driving force to the drive-wheel which is receiving the braking force from the braking-force applying section, as the bad-road control.
US08577567B2
A vehicle control device having a shift-by-wire system that switches a driving range of a vehicle transmission by inputting a range switching signal to a shift switching device, includes: an abnormality detecting means that detects an abnormality that the shift switching device cannot switch the driving range, of the shift-by-wire system; and a driving force suppressing means that suppresses a driving force of a vehicle when an abnormality is detected in the shift-by-wire system and when a vehicle stop is predicted, and the driving force suppressing means switching a gear stage of the vehicle transmission to a higher-speed gear stage.
US08577562B2
The construction vehicle is provided with an engine, a clutch, a travel device, a work equipment, a drive force setting dial, and a controller that includes: a theoretical value determination unit that determines a theoretical value, for the degree of engagement to make the upper limit value of the drive force equal to a set drive force; an operational state determination unit that determines whether the work equipment is outputting the drive force in a predetermined travel direction; a drive force determination unit that determines whether the drive force is greater than the set drive force; and a degree of engagement reduction unit that, if of operational state determination and of drive force determination are both affirmative, causes the degree of engagement to approach the theoretical value.
US08577559B2
A drive arrangement for the drive of an agricultural implement is provided that includes a drive engine that can be brought into a drive connection over a separable power take-off shaft clutch with a power take-off shaft output. A drive line of the operating implement is connected with the power take-off shaft output, with an overload clutch, and a control arrangement. The control arrangement is connected to a sensor arranged for the detection of the torque at the power take-off shaft output and, in normal operation, permits an actuator to disengage the power take-off shaft clutch as soon as the torque detected by the sensor reaches or exceeds a first threshold value, that corresponds to a torque that is smaller than the cut-off torque of the overload clutch. Immediately following, the control arrangement orders the actuator to engage the power take-off shaft clutch and when the power take-off shaft clutch is disengaged permits a torque at the power take-off shaft output that is greater than the cut-off torque of the overload clutch.
US08577558B2
A system and method for steering an implement comprises a steering detector for detecting a target steering angle associated with an implement steering system. An implement mode detector is capable of determining whether or not the implement is acting in a lowered mode of operation in which a ground-engaging component other than one or more wheels engage the ground. An implement steering controller is arranged to adjust the target steering angle by reducing or by limiting the target steering angle to a maximum steering angle if the implement is in the lowered mode.
US08577553B2
A lateral motion control apparatus for a vehicle includes a control stop determination unit that determines whether or not to stop the control for the control target by the control target control unit based on a steering operation amount inputted by a driver of the vehicle, and a degeneration control amount determination unit that determines a degeneration control amount for the control target such that the control amount for the control target degenerates after the time when the control stop determination unit has determined that the control for the control target is to be stopped. When the control stop determination unit has determined that the control for the control target is to be stopped, the control target control unit controls the control target based on the degeneration control amount determined by the degeneration control amount determination unit.
US08577547B2
A system and method for putting a fuel cell vehicle into a performance mode by preloading sub-systems in the fuel cell system so that high power is available from the fuel cell stack quicker than during normal fuel cell system operation. For example, if a driver activates a vehicle performance mode, the fuel cell system can respond by, for example, increasing the compressor speed, increasing anode recirculation, increasing air and cooling fluid flow through the radiator, increasing battery state-of-charge, etc. Thus, when the driver requests the high power after the system is in the performance mode, the system is able to deliver the desired power immediately or at least quicker and for a longer time period.
US08577538B2
A system for controlling more than one remote vehicle. The system comprises an operator control unit allowing an operator to receive information from the remote vehicles and send commands to the remote vehicles via a touch-screen interface, the remote vehicles being capable of performing autonomous behaviors using information received from at least one sensor on each remote vehicle. The operator control unit sends commands to the remote vehicles to perform autonomous behaviors in a cooperative effort, such that high-level mission commands entered by the operator cause the remote vehicles to perform more than one autonomous behavior sequentially or concurrently. The system may perform a method for generating obstacle detection information from image data received from one of a time-of-flight sensor and a stereo vision camera sensor.
US08577537B2
A vehicle guidance system includes a location determining component for determining locations of the vehicle; a weight sensor for sensing a weight associated with the vehicle; a steering actuator for steering at least one wheel of the vehicle; and a computing device in communication with the location determining component, the weight sensor, and the steering actuator. The computing device receives cartographic data representative of a desired path for the vehicle, receives location information from the location determining component, controls operation of the steering actuator in order to guide the vehicle along the desired path, and adjusts a steering parameter at least partially based on the weight sensed by the weight sensor.
US08577533B2
A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle that includes a battery includes a controller that controls a charge amount of the battery. The controller limits the charge amount of the battery at a time of low vehicle speed even when a state of charge of the battery has fallen. The controller relaxes a limitation on the charge amount when a power driving mode, in which higher priority is given to responsiveness of a driving force than at a time of a normal driving mode, is selected as a driving mode of the hybrid vehicle.
US08577518B2
An automated airborne video recording system for imaging pipeline or electric line rights-of-way, irrigation canals, or any other linear ground features. The system includes a gimbaled, stabilized camera system, a data recorder, and autonomous imager software that computes the shortest vector between the aircraft position and the pipeline based on the aircraft GPS and the Geographic Information Database. The system then commands the stabilized camera system to point directly at the pipeline regardless of the aircraft position and orientation, automatically collecting continuous NTSC or digital video of the entire right of way.
US08577513B2
There is provided a power system including a power transmitting apparatus and a power receiving apparatus. The power transmitting apparatus includes: a power generating unit generating power using renewable energy; a first power measuring unit measuring a power amount generated in a specified period; and a power transmitting unit transmitting the generated power in the specified period and information on the measured power amount to the power receiving apparatus. The power receiving apparatus includes: a power receiving unit receiving the power and the information on the power amount from the power transmitting apparatus; a second power measuring unit measuring a power amount received in the specified period; a determining unit comparing the received power amount and the measured power amount and determining whether such amounts match; and a power reception control unit operable when the amounts do not match, to stop reception of the power and the information.
US08577508B2
Embodiments according to the present invention provide methods and a system for a control approach that effectively maintains the DC link voltage at a constant set value under variable system conditions and keeps the converter operating within an optimal power factor range.
US08577506B2
A control valve conditioning method in an electrohydraulic pressure control unit comprising at least one electrically triggered solenoid valve that is controlled in an analog manner. The solenoid valve is operated at a specific operating current according to a functional correlation or characteristic diagram between the valve current and the differential pressure characteristic curve when the pressure is controlled, said functional correlation or characteristic diagram being stored in the pressure control unit. The method comprises the following steps: a) temporarily applying at least one anti-hysteresis pulse to the solenoid valve during which a current is set far below or far above the operating current in the valve; b) applying the anti-hysteresis pulse at the desired operating current before or during controlled operation, and c) applying the anti-hysteresis pulse wherein the duration is limited in such a way that the anti-hysteresis pulse has largely no influence on the brake pressure.
US08577504B1
Disclosed is a system for suppressing vibration and noise mitigation in structures such as blades in turbomachinery. The system includes flexible piezoelectric patches which are secured on or imbedded in turbomachinery blades which, in one embodiment, comprises eight (8) fan blades. The system further includes a capacitor plate coupler and a power transfer apparatus, which may both be arranged into one assembly, that respectively transfer data and power. Each of the capacitive plate coupler and power transfer apparatus is configured so that one part is attached to a fixed member while another part is attached to a rotatable member with an air gap therebetween. The system still further includes a processor that has 16 channels, eight of which serve as sensor channels, and the remaining eight, serving as actuation channels. The processor collects and analyzes the sensor signals and, in turn, outputs corrective signals for vibration/noise suppression of the turbine blades.
US08577501B2
A remote control unit configured to wirelessly control a mobile robot moving through an environment and having a robot camera. The remote control unit comprises a privacy button operable by a local user and configured to engage a privacy mode of the mobile robot, and a wireless transmitter configured to emit a wireless control signal to the mobile robot based on input from a keypad of the RC unit. The wireless control signal is configured to cause the robot camera to block the field of view of the robot camera such that the environment of the mobile robot is obscured when the privacy mode of the mobile robot is engaged.
US08577495B2
A method for calibrating a CNC machine comprises mounting a gauge to a table of the CNC machine and calibrating a probe to the gauge mounted on the CNC machine. A total deviation of the probe and an actual table center position from a nominal table center position for a coordinate system associated with the CNC machine are determined. A controller operatively connected to the CNC machine and the probe is programmed to compensate for the total deviation.
US08577494B2
Disclosed herein is technology for, among other things, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and a control system and a control method therefor, by which a target parameter that is measured from a wafer processed with a plurality of processing parameters that are processing conditions of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus to process a wafer, a multiple classification analysis is performed with the plurality of processing parameters and the target parameter to calculate a model formula expressing the target parameter in a selected parameter, a predicted value of the target parameter of the wafer being processed by use of the model formula is calculated, while the processing is being performed, the processing parameters of the processing is modified on the basis of the predicted value, and the processing is continuously performed.
US08577490B2
Transport scheduling and transport processes for low microbial (“LM”) bulk products are described. The transport scheduling and processes facilitate low microbial activity in a LM bulk product during the transport of the LM bulk product.
US08577488B2
The present invention relates to a method of optimizing self-supporting film production. The method includes the steps of: determining at least one scrap factor which relates to a total amount of scrap in processing a film product; correlating the at least one scrap factor to at least one processing parameter; and adjusting the at least one processing parameter to reduce the total amount of scrap in processing the film product. The present invention also relates to a system for optimizing film production.
US08577481B2
A system and method for predicting operation of a plant or process receive an input value from the plant or process. An integrity of a non-linear model corresponding to a local input space of the input value may be determined. The non-linear model may include an empirical representation of the plant or process. If the integrity is above a first threshold, non-linear model may be used to provide a first output value. However, if the integrity is below the first threshold, a linearized first principles model may be used to provide a second output value. The linearized first principles model may include an analytic representation of the plant or process. Additionally, the analytic representation of the plant or process may be independent of the empirical representation of the plant or process. The first output value and/or the second output value may be usable to manage the plant or process.
US08577479B2
There is provided a power transmitting apparatus including a power transmission side communication unit for communicating with a power receiving apparatus, a power transmission unit for transmitting power to the power receiving apparatus in a non-contact manner, a transmission power information deriving unit for increasing discretely a first transmission power to transmit from the power transmission unit to the power receiving apparatus, and deriving information related to power transmission for determining a second transmission power corresponding to power desired by the power receiving apparatus based on reception of received power information transmitted from the power receiving apparatus at the power transmission side communication unit, indicating that a received power level meet a predetermined level, and a transmission power determining unit for determining the second transmission power to transmit to the power receiving apparatus based on information related to power transmission derived by the transmission power information deriving unit.
US08577474B2
An improved implantable pulse generator (IPG) containing improved telemetry circuitry is disclosed. The IPG includes charging and telemetry coils within the IPG case, which increases their mutual inductance and potential to interfere with each other; particularly problematic is interference to the telemetry coil caused by the charging coil. To combat this, improved telemetry circuitry includes decoupling circuitry for decoupling the charging coil during periods of telemetry between the IPG and an external controller. Such decoupling circuitry can comprise use of pre-existing LSK circuitry during telemetry, or new discrete circuitry dedicated to decoupling. The decoupling circuitry is designed to prevent or at least reduce induced current flowing through the charging coil during data telemetry. The decoupling circuitry can be controlled by the microcontroller in the IPG, or can automatically decouple the charging coil at appropriate times to mitigate an induced current without instruction from the microcontroller.
US08577469B2
Apparatus (10) is provided for treating an intervertebral disc (20) of a subject. The apparatus (10) includes a first electrode (30), configured to be inserted into a nucleus pulposus (40) of the disc (20), and a second electrode (32), configured to be placed outside of the nucleus pulposus (40), in a vicinity of the nucleus pulposus (40). A control unit (34) is configured to drive a current between the first and second electrodes (30, 32), and to configure the current to electroosmotically drive fluid between inside and outside the nucleus pulposus (40). Other embodiments are also described.
US08577446B2
Described herein are stress detection systems and methods of using such systems.
US08577430B1
A superconducting nanowire photon detector apparatus comprising detection, insulating, and substrate layers. The insulating layer provides electrical isolation of a plurality of individual detector elements from the interconnection network fabricated on the substrate layer except where electrical interconnection between the inputs and outputs of each detector element and the interconnection network is intended.
US08577426B2
Various embodiments are directed to systems and techniques for reducing power consumption in a mobile computing device. In one or more embodiments, a mobile computing device may be arranged to determine a user environment based on detected antenna impedance or detected current. After the user environment is determined, the mobile computing device may confirm that total radiation power (TRP) for the mobile computing device at an initial conducted power level exceeds the minimum TRP threshold required by the network carrier to receive acceptable quality of service (QoS). Based on the excess TRP for the particular user environment, the mobile computing device may determine a reduced conducted power level to be input to an antenna system. Accordingly, significant power savings may be achieved. To save additional power, the mobile computing device may automatically adjust and/or improve antenna impedance matching based on user environment allowing a further reduction in conducted power.
US08577425B2
A wireless headset has a body, an ear clip, and at least two devices for converting at least two different sources of energy into electrical power. The body includes an RF integrated circuit in electrical communication with an antenna and a baseband circuit, the baseband circuit being in electrical communication with a microphone and a speaker. The at least two devices for converting at least two different sources of energy into electrical power are in electrical communication with the RF integrated circuit and the baseband circuit. The ear clip is engaged to the body. The at least two sources of energy are selected from the group consisting of solar energy, thermoelectric energy, piezoelectric energy, and vibration energy.
US08577424B2
A vehicle-based computing apparatus includes a computer processor in communication with persistent and non-persistent memory. The apparatus also includes a local wireless transceiver in communication with the computer processor and configured to communicate wirelessly with a wireless device located at the vehicle. The processor is operable to receive, through the wireless transceiver, a connection request sent from a nomadic wireless device, the connection request including at least a name of an application seeking to communicate with the processor. The processor is further operable to receive at least one secondary communication from the nomadic device, once the connection request has been processed. The secondary communication is at least one of a speak alert command, a display text command, a create phrase command, and a prompt and listen command.
US08577416B2
A wireless transceiver includes an antenna array that transmits an outbound RF signal containing outbound data to remote transceivers and that receives an inbound RF signal containing inbound data from the remote RF transceivers, wherein the antenna array is configurable based on a control signal. An antenna configuration controller generates the control signal to configure the antenna array to hop among a plurality of radiation patterns based on a hopping sequence. An RF transceiver section generates the outbound RF signal based on the outbound data and that generates the inbound data based on the inbound RF signal. In one configuration, a switching section selectively couples a selected one of the antennas in the array to the RF transceiver section, based on the control signal. In another configuration, the RF transceiver section includes an RF section for each antenna in the array.
US08577415B2
A wireless communication system and a wireless network accessing device are disclosed. The wireless communication system comprises an intelligent terminal and a wireless network accessing device. The intelligent terminal comprises a first card holder and a first interface. The first card holder is configured to receive a first SIM card, and the first interface is electrically connected to the first card holder. The wireless network accessing device comprises a second card holder, a second interface, a baseband chip and a switch module. The second card holder is configured to receive a second SIM card, the second interface is removably electrically connected to the first interface, and the switch module is electrically connected to the second card holder, the second interface and the baseband chip so that the baseband chip is selectively electrically connected to the first card holder or the second card holder.
US08577406B2
There is provided a communication device including: a communication unit that receives a beacon for a second communication service making secondary usage of a spectrum assigned to a first communication service; and a control unit that controls a transmission power to be used for transmission of a radio signal of the second communication service from the communication unit based on location data included in the beacon and indicating a location of a transmission source node of the beacon and a location of an interfered node interfered by the second communication service.
US08577404B2
An embodiment is directed to switching between server-arbitrated group communication sessions at an access terminal (AT) within a wireless communications system. The AT participates in a first group communication session when it receives an announce message announcing a second group communication session, acquires priority levels for the first and/or second group communication sessions and determines whether to switch between sessions based on the priority level(s). In another embodiment, the AT participates in a given processing task (e.g., a gaming session, a voice call, a group session, etc.) when it receives an alert that relates to a group communication session. If the alert is specially configured to force the given access terminal to drop the given processing task, the AT drops the given processing task irrespective of whether the AT later joins the announced group communication session.
US08577398B2
Coincident with the evolution, maturation, etc. of wireless messaging ecosystems an infrastructure that provides for enhanced content delivery in new and creative ways. The delivery model leverages the features, capabilities, etc. that are offered by MMS to deliver various types of content (e.g., content that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to display on a wireless device using the wireless device's native facilities) to wireless devices by, possibly inter alia, processing the content (including, possibly among other steps, formatting the content, rendering the content as one or more images, etc.) and subsequently delivering the processed content to a wireless device via MMS. The infrastructure may optionally leverage the capabilities of a centrally-located Messaging Inter-Carrier Vendor.
US08577396B2
The present invention relates generally to a manner by which to page an access terminal of a radio communication system to alert the access terminal of a pending call, or other communication. More particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus, and an associated method, that provides for the generation, sending, and analysis of a quick page message upon a paging channel, such as a QPCH (quick paging channel) defined in an exemplary cellular communication system. The page message is formed in a manner that reduces the likelihood of occurrence of false wakeup of an access terminal. Excessive battery depletion, as a result of false wakeup of the access terminal, is avoided.
US08577382B2
A technique for a mobile communication system defining a dedicated channel (DCH) active set and an enhanced-dedicated channel (E-DCH) active set, includes performing a power measurement of a pilot signal from a cell that is not included in the E-DCH active set but included in the DCH active set, and performing a power measurement of a pilot signal from a cell that is included in the E-DCH active set.
US08577381B2
The disclosure includes a method of and associated system for placing nodes in a wireless local area network (WLAN). The method includes receiving user-specified parameters regarding the network. The parameters can include a layout of a building or other space, and requirements for the WLAN. An algorithm then employs these parameters to automatically create and optimized layout of multiple wireless access points for the WLAN. The method can display the layout and provide various types of information to the user.
US08577378B2
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are disclosed for facilitating a beacon-assisted handover from a macro network to a femto cell during an active call. A femto cell management system assigns a unique identifier to a femto cell, which the femto cell utilizes to broadcast a beacon at a frequency different than the operating frequency of the femto cell. A wireless terminal receives a control message from the macro network directing the wireless terminal to scan particular frequencies. The wireless terminal subsequently provides a report to the macro network identifying attributes ascertained from the scan, which includes attributes associated with the beacon. The macro network then performs a handover from the macro network to the femto cell as a function of the attributes.
US08577376B2
A system and method include determining location information identifying a location of a portable information handling device, sorting a list of network profiles based on the location information, and scanning the list of sorted network profiles to identify an access point for connecting the portable information handling device to a network.
US08577374B2
A method and apparatus for handover between base stations are disclosed. The method includes: a first base station sending handover request messages to neighboring base stations (401); the neighboring base stations judging whether to accept the handover according to information in the handover request messages, and sending judgment results to the first base station through request response messages (402); the first base station determining one destination base station from the neighboring base stations which are able to accept the handover, and sending a confirmation handover message to the destination base station (403); the destination base station allocating resources for a user equipment after receiving the confirmation handover message, and sending the allocated resources to the first base station through a confirmation handover response message (404); and the first base station indicating that the user equipment hands over to the destination base station after receiving the confirmation handover response message (405).
US08577368B2
The invention relates to a method for the transfer of policy control information during handover in a communication system. A session between a terminal and a remote node via a first network node has been established previously. The session comprising media components transmitted via the first gateway using first media component bearers. A handover condition is detected and a signaling connection is established between the terminal and the second gateway. Information on a second network node is obtained by the terminal, which determines if a proxy for the session has changed. If it has, information on media components is sent to a policy decision entity associated with the second network node. The policy decision entity authorizes second media component bearers with the information provided. Finally, the second media component bearers are established between the terminal and the second gateway.
US08577365B2
A mobile communication terminal includes a location registration request unit 120 that makes a location registration request for a location registration in each of the mobile communication networks 200 and 300 to a 3.9G network 300, a location registration response receiving unit 130 that receives a location registration response representing a result of the location registration in the both mobile communication networks 200 and 300 in response to the request for the location registration, a location registration determination unit 140 that determines whether or not the location registration only in the 3.9G network 300 between the both mobile communication networks 200 and 300 is completed, based on the location registration response, and a first mobile communication network switching control unit 150 that performs a switching control of the mobile communication network for causing the mobile communication terminal 100 to be resident in the 2G/3G network 200 in a case where the location registration determination unit 140 determines that the location registration only in the 3.9G network 300 is completed.
US08577362B2
A computer implemented method for determining geometric impact of anchor placement on localization accuracy and the subset of anchors which mitigates the impact of measurement-induced noise.
US08577357B2
A device and method for generating user notifications associated with tasks that are pending completion on a mobile device. When additional input is required from a user of the mobile device to complete performance of a task and is not being received from the user within a predefined time period, at least one form of user notification is generated. The particular form or forms of user notification are defined by a user profile associated with the user. User notifications may comprise visual, audible, and/or vibratory alerts, and different forms of these user notifications may be generated in a sequence. The volume of audible alerts or the period between periodic user notifications may vary over time.
US08577350B2
Systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums for managing communications on telecommunication devices utilizing communication categories are provided. A subset of contacts accessible by a telecommunication device are associated with one or more communication categories. Each communication category can be associated with a set of communication activities. Based on a selection of a specific contact, a telecommunication device can generate a display having display objects representative of communication categories associated with the selected contact. Additionally, based on a selection of a communication category, the telecommunication device can further generate a display including display objects representative of a set of communication activities corresponding to the selected communication category.
US08577348B2
There is provided a system for providing content through a Content Delivery/distribution Network (CDN) that includes a plurality of storage entities. A Content Requesting device (CR) generates and transmits requests for content. A Content Server (CS) receives the requests from the CR, provides notifications regarding a current location of the content, and at least one of stores the content and interfaces with the CDN to distribute the content to one of the plurality of storage entities. A Content Consuming device (CC) receives the notifications from the CS and retrieves the requested content from one of the CS and the one of the plurality of storage entities based on the current location of the content specified in the notifications.
US08577341B2
Methods and apparatus for providing voicemail services to callers of wireless devices may include providing customized outgoing messages to callers based upon the caller's identification. A subscriber to the voicemail service may select one or more contacts associated with the subscriber to receive a customized outgoing message while the remaining callers receive a general outgoing message. The methods and apparatus may further include distributing voicemail messages from a subscriber's voicemail accounts to one or more social networking sites. The subscriber to the voicemail services may share one or more received voicemail messages via one or more social networking accounts associated with the subscriber.
US08577338B2
Techniques involving messaging applications are disclosed. For example, an apparatus may include a communications interface module and a messaging module. The communications interface module may receive an incoming message of a conversation thread that is originated by a remote device. The incoming message includes a text portion and an attached media item. The messaging module automatically outputs the incoming message to a user interface in an output format. This output format includes both the text portion and content of the attached media item. The attached media item may be of various types. Examples of media items include video files, audio files, image files, resource locators, and application files. The embodiments, however are not limited to these examples.
US08577335B2
A system and method for verifying receipt of a postal mail item mailed by a sender of the postal mail item is presented. A method reads postal information from a postal mail item that identifies the postal mail item. The postal information is combined with identification information that identifies the recipient of the postal mail item. The postal information and the identification information are sent to the sender of the postal mail item.
US08577334B1
A method of providing privileged access to an electronic device is provided. The method comprises receiving a first request for an activation code, where the first request comprises an identifier of the electronic device. An activation expiration time is determined by a computer system. An activation code is determined based on the identifier of the electronic device, and the activation code is transmitted. A second request for a token to unlock privileged access to the electronic device is received, where the second request comprises the activation code and the identifier of the electronic device. When the activation code received in the second request correlates with the identifier of the electronic device provided in the second request and when the second request is received before the activation expiration time, the token to unlock privileged access to the electronic device is transmitted.
US08577332B1
A method and system for offering a femtocell to a subscriber. The method includes a computer system making a first determination that a level of wireless performance experienced by a mobile station of a subscriber at a given location is less than a threshold level. The method further includes the computer system making a second determination that the given location is location associated with a billing address of the subscriber. The method then includes, in response to the first and second determinations, the computer system initiating a process of offering a femtocell to the subscriber.
US08577331B2
A mobile communication network offers notification to an account holder upon occurrence of an infraction of a subscriber selected restriction by operation of one of the mobile stations under the subscriber's account. In the examples, the subscriber can select a directory number/station under the account, a desired one of a number of available restriction options and one or more parameters of the selected restriction. When the mobile communication network detects an infraction, caused by operation of the mobile station through the network, a system or processor obtains a destination address designated for an account holder, for the subscriber's account, such as the directory number for one of the subscriber's stations selected as that of the account holder. The system sends a notification of the infraction intended for the account holder, using the destination address, for example, as a text message sent through the network to the account holder's mobile station.
US08577329B2
System and methods for carrier-centric mobile device data communications cost monitoring and control
Systems and methods for providing carrier-centric data communications cost monitoring and controls are provided. In an embodiment, the method operates by receiving a registration request associated with a subscriber session, determining current data usage associated with the subscriber, and receiving data usage thresholds. The method further comprises receiving quotas associated with the subscriber session and collecting data usage information associated with the subscriber session. The method sends a notification to the subscriber when a pre-determined quota is exceeded during the subscriber session and controls data usage. The cost monitoring and control system comprises a usage policy server and a usage policy application. The usage policy application allows a carrier to offer alterations to terms of a subscription. The usage policy application displays current data usage information on a per-network and per-application basis using subscriber profile information, subscriber session information, and prior subscriber usage history provided by the usage policy server.
US08577326B2
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a method comprises determining a sleep cycle comprising a number of discontinuous reception (DRX) cycles at a user equipment (UE) based at least on one of a current available power level, a call setup delay interval, and a quality of a received paging indicator channel (PICH) signal; entering a power saving mode during the determined sleep cycle at the user equipment (UE) upon an occurrence of a triggering event; and waking up from the power saving mode and checking for an active call after an occurrence of a second triggering event.
US08577325B2
Disclosed herein is a low noise amplifier having both ultra-high linearity and a low noise characteristic and a radio receiver including the low noise amplifier. The low noise amplifier includes a first main transistor unit, a first auxiliary transistor unit, and an optimum noise and input impedance matching capacitor. The first main transistor unit includes a first NMOS transistor and a first PMOS transistor configured to form a complementary common source amplifier, a feedback-type resistor connected between drains of the first NMOS transistor and the first PMOS transistor and configured to generate biases to the two transistors, and bias resistors connected to bodies of the first PMOS transistor and the first NMOS transistor. The first auxiliary transistor unit includes transistors connected to the two transistors. The optimum noise and input impedance matching capacitor is connected to output terminals of the first main transistor unit and the first auxiliary transistor unit.
US08577318B2
Methods and apparatuses for optimized channel selection are disclosed. In one example, a channel quality is measured of each channel of an available number of channels on which a mobile communication device can transmit and receive. A subset of the available number of channels is allocated to a long range channel class responsive to the channel quality. An RSSI of the mobile communication device is monitored and correlated to a mobile communication device proximity to a base station. A channel is selected from the long range channel class if the mobile communication device proximity is greater than a predetermined proximity.
US08577313B2
Methods and systems for vector combining power amplification are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a plurality of signals are individually amplified, then summed to form a desired time-varying complex envelope signal. Phase and/or frequency characteristics of one or more of the signals are controlled to provide the desired phase, frequency, and/or amplitude characteristics of the desired time-varying complex envelope signal. In another embodiment, a time-varying complex envelope signal is decomposed into a plurality of constant envelope constituent signals. The constituent signals are amplified equally or substantially equally, and then summed to construct an amplified version of the original time-varying envelope signal. Embodiments also perform frequency up-conversion.
US08577308B2
Disclosed are a beamformer and a beamforming method. The beamformer includes a plurality of dividers, each of which divides an input signal along a plurality of paths, an input switch which selects one of the dividers such that the input signal is input to the selected divider, a phase shifter which shifts phases of respective output signals from the divider, and an output switch which transmits the output signals from the phase shifter to an antenna.
US08577307B1
At least two waveforms are operated on a single antenna. A scheduler module coordinates the at least two waveforms. A modem module processes the at least two waveforms. A transmitter propagates the at least two waveforms to the antenna.
US08577302B2
The disclosed systems and methods achieve improved communication by periodically sending sounding packets from a transmitter; feeding back, from a receiver, the change in beamforming estimation according to reception of the sounding packets; and utilizing the change in beamforming estimation to produce transmitter beamforming.
US08577273B2
A guide path branched downward from a conveyance path for guiding a sheet having a toner image fixed thereon to a sheet discharge tray, a switchback path, and an inversed discharge path guide the sheet once, and then guide the sheet to the sheet discharge tray with its front and back surfaces and its leading and trailing edges in a sheet conveyance direction reversed. A fan supplies air between a sheet discharged by a sheet discharge roller and a sheet already discharged onto the sheet discharge tray from a supply opening provided below the sheet discharge roller. A control portion for controlling a blowing operation of the fan selectively operates the fan when discharging the sheet after passing the sheet through the guide path, the switchback path, and the inversed discharge path.
US08577259B2
An image forming device includes photosensitive drums, developer cartridges, an endless belt, first collecting units, first conveying units, a second collecting unit, a second conveying unit and communication portions. The photosensitive drums form a drum array including a leading photosensitive drum. Each developer cartridge has a waste developer accommodating chamber. Each first collecting unit collects waste developer on the corresponding photosensitive drum. Each first conveying unit conveys the waste developer toward the waste developer accommodating chamber. The second collecting unit collects waste developer on the endless belt. The second conveying unit conveys the waste developer toward the waste developer accommodating chamber. Each communication portion allows fluid communication between the first conveying unit and the waste developer accommodating chamber. One of the communication portions associated with the leading photosensitive drum also allows fluid communication between the second conveying unit and the waste developer accommodating chamber.
US08577257B2
A process unit including a first housing detachably attachable to an image forming apparatus, an image carrier to carry an image on a surface of the image carrier, a charger to charge the surface of the image carrier, a developing device to form the image on the surface of the image carrier, a cleaning device to remove toner from the surface of the image carrier, a lubricant to be supplied to the surface of the image carrier, a lubricant container to contain the lubricant, and a waste toner container to store the toner removed from the surface of the image carrier. The first housing includes the image carrier and at least one of the charger, the developing device, and the cleaning device. The lubricant, the lubricant container, and the waste toner container together are detachably attachable to the first housing.
US08577252B2
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus includes an image-bearing member on which an electrostatic image is to be formed; a first frame; a bearing member, detachably mountable to the first frame, for rotatably supporting the image-bearing member; a first hole provided in the bearing member; a first wall, provided on the first frame, in which a second hole is provided; a second frame for rotatably supporting a developer carrying member on which a developer for developing the electrostatic image is to be carried; a second wall, provided on the second frame, in which a third hole is provided; and a connecting member including a shaft portion penetrating through the first hole, the second hole and the third hole and tightly engaging in the second hole, and including a flange portion, provided at an end portion of the shaft portion, for preventing the bearing member from being detached from the first frame.
US08577246B2
A developer containing device for containing a developer includes a partition arranged between an outer space and an inner space for containing the developer, a bearing arranged on the partition, a rotation shaft carried by the bearing and extending from the outer space to the inner space, a sealing member arranged on the inner space side, having one end side fixed to the partition and the other end side being in contact with a surface of the rotation shaft, and thereby isolating the bearing from the inner space, a communication groove arranged at the surface of the rotation shaft, and connecting the outer space to a closed space isolated from the inner space by the sealing member, and a communication passage arranged on the partition for connecting the outer space to the closed space.
US08577245B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member rotatably supported in a body of the image forming apparatus, and bearing a developer image; a developing device including a developing container, a developing member, and a transporting member, the developing container containing a developer, the developing member disposed so as to oppose the image bearing member, the developing member having thereon the developer in the developing container and rotating to develop a latent image, the transporting member transporting the developer in the developing container while stirring the developer, the developing device being unremovably supported with respect to the body of the image forming apparatus; and a damping member disposed with respect to an axial direction of a rotational axis of the developing member so as to be situated at an end portion of the developing container in the axial direction, and restraining vibration of the developing container.
US08577240B2
An image forming apparatus includes a sensor member having first and second ends opposite to each other in a longitudinal direction of the sensor member and supported by support structures consisting of the first and second ends, and first and second support portions supporting the first and second ends; a first support structure including a first protruding portion fitted on a first recess portion supporting the first protruding portion; and a second support structure including a second protruding portion fitted on a second recess portion supporting the second protruding portion. The second protruding portion has first and second cylinder portions extending in a longitudinal direction of the second protruding portion. The second recess portion has an insertion portion allowing the second protruding portion to be inserted, a pass portion allowing the first cylinder portion to pass therethrough, and a positioning portion fitted on the second cylinder portion.
US08577238B2
There is provided a fixing device including: a heating member that, while rotating, heats and fixes a developer image onto a recording medium; a pressing member that nips and presses the recording medium between itself and the heating member; an external heating member configured to make contact with an outer surface of the heating member and to move away from the outer surface of the heating member, the external heating member making contact with the outer surface of the heating member and heating the heating member; and a moving section that computes a contact position of a leading edge of the recording medium and the outer surface of the heating member, and moves the external heating member such that the external heating member contacts the outer surface of the heating member based on the computed position.
US08577232B2
A thermal fixing device includes a fixing member, a flexible endless belt, a flexible endless belt, a rotary pressure member, a heating unit, and a rotation detector. The flexible endless belt is disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member. The rotary pressure member is disposed parallel to and pressing against the fixing member via the endless belt. The heating unit heats the endless belt. The rotation detector detects a rotation speed of the endless belt. The heating unit is powered off when the rotation speed of the endless belt detected by the rotation detector is at or below a predetermined threshold value.
US08577223B2
An FSO transceiver (4) comprising a body (6), at least one lens (9) fixed to the body in a first position (C) and means for attaching a connector (11) for an optical fiber (3) at a second position (B) at a predefined distance (Zbc) to the lens, the lens being adapted to converge rays (8) of light sent to the FSO transceiver via free space into the optical fiber. The means for attaching the connector is a temperature compensation device (10) having an expansion coefficient being higher than an expansion coefficient of the body and that the temperature compensation device is fixed to the body in a third position (A) and has a free end which allows the temperature compensation device to expand or contract according to temperature changes, and that the second position is positioned between the third position and the first position.
US08577216B2
The disclosure relates to techniques for calibration of an auto-focus process in an image capture device. The techniques may involve calibration of a lens actuator used to move a lens within a search range during an auto-focus process. For example, an image capture device may adjust reference positions for the search range based on lens positions selected for different focus conditions. The different focus conditions may include a far focus condition and a near focus condition. The focus conditions may be determined based on a detected environment in which the device is used. Detection of an indoor environment may indicate a likelihood of near object focus, while detection of an outdoor environment may indicate a likelihood of far object focus. An image capture device may detect indoor and outdoor environments based on lighting, exposure, or other conditions.
US08577203B2
Provided is a method and apparatus for generating and consuming sensory effect media. The method for generating sensory effect media includes receiving sensory effect information about sensory effects that are applied to media, and generating sensory effect metadata including the received sensory effect information. The sensory effect metadata includes effect description information for describing the sensory effects and device control description information for controlling devices that perform the sensory effects.
US08577201B2
Systems and methods are provided for managing a time-shift buffer (TSB) that is used for buffering video presentations. One such method includes receiving user input identifying a storage capacity for the TSB and modifying a storage capacity of the TSB such that it is at least substantially equal to the storage capacity identified by the user input.
US08577192B2
Described are tunable multiport optical filters that filter systems with many optical channels in a convenient and cost-effective manner. The tunable multiport optical filters of the invention are simple in design and have few optical components. The basic elements are a dispersion element and a rotating mirror. With properly arranged arrays of input and output optical fibers, individual wavelength components from a selected input beam are spatially separated and steered by the rotating mirror to selected output locations. The optical properties from the selected components may be measured by one or more photodetectors. The filters are also useful for selecting and routing optical signals.
US08577185B2
An apparatus and method for efficiently interpolating and rendering transformed images on mobile devices are provided. The method includes obtaining a plurality of super pixels by virtually increasing a resolution of the original image, determining a sampling position of a target image pixel under transformation, selecting the nearest super pixel from the plurality of super pixels for the target image pixel, and determining a characteristic of the selected nearest super pixel for the target image pixel. The apparatus and method render a transformed image having image quality comparable to that achieved by bilinear interpolation method while significantly reducing the necessary calculation cost.
US08577183B2
A method samples a first spectral band to obtain an initial image frame, determines at least one region of interest of the scene from the initial image frame, each of the at least one region of interest associated with a mean signal level, illuminates the at least one region of interest with at least one illuminator when the mean signal level of the at least one region of interest is at or below a respective threshold of a first plurality of thresholds, the at least one region of interest being illuminated in accordance with a power threshold indicating a minimum illuminator power and agility necessary to illuminate the at least one region of interest, collects at least one image frame in at least one sub-band of a second spectral band, and generates at least one image to be displayed from at least the at least one image frame.
US08577175B2
A subject position determination method includes: generating a plurality of binarized images of a target image based upon color information or brightness information of the target image; calculating an evaluation value used to determine a subject position in the target image for each of the plurality of binarized images; and determining a subject position in the target image based upon the evaluation value.
US08577172B2
The invention provides a reconfigurable module allowing morphological operations to be carried out for image processing. The module includes an operational block having five inputs, three outputs, three adders/subtracters and four logic blocks. The logic blocks provide various routings between the three adders/subtracters to enable the outputs to deliver the result of basic operations carried out on the five inputs. The reconfigurable module has a reduced number of components while at the same time allowing various morphological operations to be performed whose parameters can be modified. Furthermore, the reconfigurable module is serially combined to carry out more complex morphological operations. The invention also provides a method for implementing the reconfigurable module allowing an integral image, an eroded image, an expanded image, a distance image or projections along the rows and columns of the original image to be determined starting from an original image.
US08577157B2
The invention relates to a method and a device for transmitting a current image of a sequence of digital images between a server device and a client device which are connected by a communication network. Each image of the sequence is encoded in a multi-resolution format, each resolution comprising a set of non independent elementary entities. The method of the invention comprises detecting motion, carried out on spatial entities defined with respect to said elementary entities, between the current image and a reference image, then determining a first set of elementary entities comprising the elementary entities relating to said at least one moving spatial entity and determining a second set of elementary entities which are necessary for reconstructing said moving spatial entities. Finally, at least part of each of the elementary entities of said first and second sets is sent to the client device.
US08577154B2
An automated human action recognition system may automatically recognize one or more actions of a human from 2D input image data representing a sequential series of input images of the human performing the one or more actions. Each input image may be from an unknown viewpoint. A computer memory system may contain 2D reference image data representing a plurality of reference actions which a human may perform. The 2D reference image data may include a plurality of linked sequences of key poses, including a linked sequence of key poses for each reference action. For each reference action, each key pose within the linked sequence of key poses for the reference action may consist essentially of 2D image data that is representative of a human figure performing the reference action at a selected point during the reference action. The timing of the selected points within the linked sequence of key poses for the reference action may be based on changes in the position of the human figure during the performance of the reference action. The linked sequence of key poses for the reference action may uniquely distinguish it from the linked sequence of key poses for all of the other reference actions. A computer processing system may be configured to determine which of the reference actions best matches the 2D input image data with no knowledge of the viewpoint of the 2D input image data.
US08577152B2
A method and apparatus that classify an image. The method extracts a feature vector from the image, wherein the feature vector includes a plurality of first features. The extracting of each of the first features includes: acquiring a difference between sums or mean values of pixels of the plurality of first areas in the corresponding combination to obtain a first difference vector in the direction of the first axis, and obtaining a second difference vector in the direction of the second axis. A first projection difference vector is acquired with a second projection difference vector. A sum of magnitudes of the first projection difference vector and the second projection difference vector as the first feature is obtained; and the image according to the extracted feature vector is classified.
US08577151B2
A region where a detecting target object exists is extracted by a comparison between an evaluated value indicating a probability that the detecting target object exists and a threshold, through the process of producing a differential image between different frames in plural frames constituting a continuous image, of setting an average value in an averaging region extended around each pixel of the differential image as a new value of each pixel, of obtaining the evaluated value by applying a filter that acts on a search region on an image to a search region extended around a search pixel that is extracted by comparing the new value and the threshold, on the differential image.
US08577147B2
An objective is to eliminate dotted lines in a character box in image data to increase the character recognition rate. There are some cases in which a dotted line candidate cannot be extracted due to many overlapping parts of dotted lines and characters or due to a blurry part in a dotted line. In such cases, the position of a dotted line candidate is estimated referring to features such as the interval, length, width, etc. of a dotted line candidate in the same character box (or in a character box for another relevant item), and image data of the estimated position and image data of a previously extracted dotted line (or a reference dotted line) are compared to determine whether or not they are an identical dotted line.
US08577145B2
In a method and apparatus for identifying an embossed character, light of one color is directed in one direction across the embossed character to illuminate certain character parts and light of another color is directed in another direction across the embossed character to illuminate other character parts. Image data for the two colors are captured and are subjected to separate image processing to detect edges highlighted by the directed light. The processed images are combined and supplemented with OCR analysis before being compared with predicted characters. Based on the comparison, a determination is made as to the probable identity of the character.
US08577143B2
Embodiments disclosed include methods and systems for reusing labels for connected component labeling including assigning one or more labels to one or more groups of raw data representing one or more regions by designating one or more data structures as containing information about the one or more regions; connecting the one or more labels determined to be related; choosing a root label for the connected one or more labels, the root label determined by locating an earliest data element from the one or more groups of raw data; altering a label list of the one or more labels, the label list altered by flagging the root label to include a region label index; and overwriting one or more region label indexes according to the root label.
US08577142B2
An image processing device calculates a frequency of a pixel value for each block, generates a first histogram formed by N bins, mixes the first histogram of a high luminance block and the first histogram of each block, and thereby generates a second histogram for each block. Based on the second histograms of a block including a target pixel and an adjacent block, a frequency of a pixel value that depends on a pixel position in the block of the target pixel is calculated, and a third histogram is generated for each pixel. A relationship between the pixel value and an output value of the pixel value is generated based on the third histogram such that a maximum cumulative frequency of the third histogram matches a maximum value of the output value of the pixel value, and the output value is calculated from the pixel value of the target pixel.
US08577132B2
An electronic document generation system includes a first layer generation unit that generates a character image layer that represents a character image in the scanned image by a predetermined number of bits, an edge image generation unit that generates an edge image of the character image, a second layer generation unit that generates an antialiasing layer that includes a binarized image generated based on the edge image and that is to be superimposed in a semi-transparent state on the character image layer, a file generation unit that generates the electronic document that includes the character image layer and the antialiasing layer, and a base color determination unit that determines a base color of the character image. The second layer generation unit sets the same color as the base color for the antialiasing layer.
US08577116B2
A computer-implemented method of imaging an assay sample having a set of individual samples using a camera is provided. A set of image frames is received. The set of image frames corresponds to an image stream of the assay obtained by the camera. A set of measurement results is identified. Individual measurement results in the set of measurement results are respectively associated with individual image frames in the set of image frames. A subset of measurement results is selected based, at least in part, on an exposure time. Individual measurement results in the subset of measurement results are combined to obtain an integrated measurement result.
US08577113B2
A reconstruction system reconstructs projection data generated by a detector array of an imaging system having at least one truncated row of detector modules. The reconstruction system includes a projection data generator that augments the projection data with projection data created for the at least one truncated row of detector modules. The reconstruction system further includes a convolver that convolves the augmented projection data. The reconstruction system further includes a back-projector back-projects the augmented projection data and generates volumetric image data indicative thereof.
US08577112B2
Featured is a method for automatically evaluating acquired MRI data, determining the quality of the acquired images and removing the image data when it is determined that an image is corrupted so the imaged data for the corrupted image is removed from the subsequent tensor fitting. In further embodiments, such determining includes judging the quality of the image data to determine if the image data satisfies a quality threshold criteria and if determined not to be satisfied adjudging the image to be corrupted. Such methods include performing said evaluating, determining and removing in real time and in the case where an image is determined to be corrupted, such methods further includes re-acquiring additional image data corresponding to each of the one or more images removed as being corrupted. Also featured are MRI systems embodying such methods.
US08577111B2
High resolution time sequences of 3D images that show the dynamics of a time varying changes are provided. The 3D time series of images representing an object that include time varying changes may be produced from lower dimensional image time sequences, such as 2D images. The 2D images may be generated using angiography and may include fluid flow information (e.g., arrival times). The fluid flow information may be provided, for example, by injecting a chemical into the fluid and analyzing its position in the object or body over time. A varying contrast model may be applied to determine the location of the chemical at different points in time which may assist in detecting an ailment.
US08577108B2
A method for estimating the location of an anatomical structure in an x-ray image of a patient obtains the x-ray data in digital format. The method estimates the location of at least a first benchmark feature within the x-ray image according to the obtained digital x-ray data and defines a region of interest within the image according to the estimated location of at least the first benchmark feature. A region of interest for the anatomical structure is searched using a template. The location of the anatomical structure on a display according to the template searching results is highlighted.
US08577107B2
A technique is disclosed for generating a new contour and/or a 3D surface such as a variational implicit surface from contour data. In one embodiment, a point reduction operation is performed on data sets corresponding to any combination of transverse, sagittal, or coronal contour data prior to processing those data sets to generate a 3D surface such as a variational implicit surface. A new contour can also be generated by the intersection of this surface with an appropriately placed and oriented plane. In this manner, the computation of the variational implicit surface becomes sufficiently efficient to make its use for new contour generation practical.
US08577096B2
An encoding apparatus encodes an image by tile in a smallest possible size while suppresses segmentation of a specific region in the image into tiles. Vertical lines at left and right ends of n-th face region are defined as boundary candidate vertical lines Lh(n) and Lm(n), and horizontal lines at upper and lower ends of the n-th region, as boundary candidate horizontal lines Lu(n) and Ls(n). A divider determines a horizontal line of another region existing within the range of the horizontal lines Lu(n) and Ls(n) of the n-th region as a line to be deleted. Further, the divider determines a vertical line of another region existing within the range of the vertical lines Lh(n) and Lm(n) as a line to be deleted. This processing is performed to the final region, then image data is divided using horizontal and vertical lines except the lines determined as lines to be deleted.
US08577094B2
A method of identifying images as matching comprises comparing two image templates using a master mask to select corresponding codes from the templates. The master mask excludes blocks from the matching process and/or weights blocks according to their known or expected reliability.
US08577075B2
A speaker includes a yoke defining a receiving cavity therein, a first magnet received in the receiving cavity of the yoke, a second magnet received in the receiving cavity of the yoke and opposite to the first magnet, a first coil surrounding the first magnet, a second coil surrounding the second magnet, and a diaphragm drove to vibrate by both of the first coil and the second coil. A shape of the first coil is approximately a horse's hoof and defines a first linear side, a flexuous side and a pair of first arc sides coupled with two ends of the first linear side and two ends of the flexuous side.
US08577074B2
A low frequency transducer arrangement includes at least one substantially annular magnet. A voice coil is disposed within and concentric with the magnet. A pole is disposed within and concentric with the voice coil. An air gap is defined between the magnet and the pole. The pole includes a bottom half having a downwardly facing axial recess. A plurality of first air passages extend laterally from the axial recess and fluidly interconnect the recess and the air gap. A top half has an upwardly facing axial recess. A plurality of second air passages extend laterally from the upwardly facing axial recess and fluidly interconnect the upwardly facing recess and the air gap. The first air passages and/or the second air passages are non-radially oriented.
US08577072B2
In an electronic device, a speaker attaching section 17 which is vertically open with respect to a circuit board 10 and into which a speaker 16 is press-fitted is integrally formed on a contact sheet 13 arranged on the circuit board 10 provided inside an upper case 8. Therefore, the speaker 16 can be easily attached in a manner that sound therefrom does not leak, simply by the speaker 16 being press-fitted into the speaker attaching section 17 of the contact sheet 13. Accordingly, in the present invention, the structure of the speaker section 6 is simple and the number of its components is small, whereby the thickness of the speaker section 6 can be reduced. In addition, sound generated by the speaker can be favorably and reliably emitted from the speaker attaching section 17 to the outside of the upper case 8, without chattering noise being generated.
US08577067B2
The invention provides systems and methods for providing hearing aid. An open ear canal hearing aid may be provided in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The hearing aid may include a part that contains electronic components, a passive amplifier, and a securing mechanism. The securing mechanism may include bristles or balloons. The securing mechanism may have various configurations and be adjustable.
US08577066B2
Methods and apparatus for transmitting vibrations via an electronic and/or transducer assembly through a dental patch are disclosed herein. The patch assembly may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded intra-orally on a tooth or oral tissue. The electronic and transducer assembly may receive incoming sounds either directly or through a receiver to process and amplify the signals and transmit the processed sounds via a vibrating transducer element coupled to a tooth or other bone structure, such as the maxillary, mandibular, or palatine bone structure.
US08577051B2
According to one embodiment, a sound signal compensation apparatus includes an input module, a compensation module, and an output module. The input module receives identification information identifying a first frequency with regard to a resonance of an ear closed by an earphone or headphone. The compensation module performs first compensation emphasizing a second frequency on a sound signal, the second frequency being determined based on the identification information or the first frequency. The output module outputs the compensated sound signal. The compensation module is configured to perform the first compensation emphasizing the second frequency, at which emphasis is greater than or equal to 2 dB and less than or equal to 12 dB.
US08577050B2
Embodiments provide improved bone conduction calibration. In one embodiment a bone conduction vibrator coupling member is provided with opposing surfaces configured to contact the housing of an earphone coupler about the opening of the housing and support the housing of a bone conduction vibrator above the opening of the earphone coupler housing. The coupling member has an inner wall defining an aperture extending through the coupling member that is configured to receive the vibrating member of the bone conduction vibrator and provide the vibrating member with access to the cavity of the earphone coupler. A calibration system includes a bone conduction vibrator coupling member positioned upon an earphone coupler. Methods for calibrating a bone conduction vibrator using such a calibration system are also provided.
US08577045B2
An encoding apparatus comprises a frame processor (105) which receives a multi channel audio signal comprising at least a first audio signal from a first microphone (101) and a second audio signal from a second microphone (103). An ITD processor 107 then determines an inter time difference between the first audio signal and the second audio signal and a set of delays (109, 111) generates a compensated multi channel audio signal from the multi channel audio signal by delaying at least one of the first and second audio signals in response to the inter time difference signal. A combiner (113) then generates a mono signal by combining channels of the compensated multi channel audio signal and a mono signal encoder (115) encodes the mono signal. The inter time difference may specifically be determined by an algorithm based on determining cross correlations between the first and second audio signals.
US08577041B2
An MTA certificate containing a public key is provided to a provisioning server, typically via an MIB. The provisioning server retrieves configuration information associated with the MTA. A symmetric session key is randomly generated and used to encrypt the configuration information. The public key is used to encrypt the symmetric key. The encrypted session key is combined with the encrypted configuration information into a composite file, and the composite file is distributed to the device that contains the MTA.The MTA device decrypts the session key using its private key that corresponds to the public key and the decrypted session key is used to decrypt the configuration information. The decrypted configuration information is used to complete initialization of the MTA device.
US08577035B2
The present invention relates to an electronic circuit for securing data interchanges between a computer station and a network, said circuit comprising a first network interface connected to said network, said circuit comprising at least a second network interface connected to a network interface of said computer station, a unit for processing data passing between the first network interface and the second network interface, an interface for connection to an internal bus of the computer station suitable for electrically connecting the power supply, said electronic circuit not comprising any means of transferring processed data with the bus of said station. The invention applies in particular to the protection of personal computers handling confidential data.
US08577033B2
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.
US08577032B2
A common key block encryption device includes a first hash unit applying locked key permutation to a variable-length s-bit plaintext, and outputting a fixed-length n-bit first block and a second (s-n)-bit block; a first encryption processing unit outputting a third block encrypted by element of n-bit block tweakable block cipher using tweak, inputting the first block; a second encryption processing unit generating a random number (s-n)-bit block with a result of group computation of the third block and the first block as input by using an arbitrary cipher having theoretical security at least against a known-plaintext attack; and a second hash unit applying the locked key permutation to the result of the group computation of the random number block and the second block, and to the third block to output a fifth n-bit block and a sixth (s-n)-bit block. The fifth and sixth blocks are concatenated into an s-bit encryption.
US08577022B2
To improve encryption technology for a data processing apparatus in order to reduce a possibility of having communication broken by a third party. The data processing apparatus encrypts subject data and renders it as encrypted data to record it on a predetermined recording medium, and decrypts the encrypted data recorded on the recording medium to change it back to the subject data. The encryption is performed in units of plain text cut data generated by cutting the subject data by a predetermined number of bits, where the number of bits of the plain text cut data is varied and dummy data of a size having the number of bits matching with a piece of the plain text cut data of the largest number of bits is mixed with pieces of the plain text cut data other than that of the largest number of bits out of the plain text cut data.
US08577016B1
An online and offline communication processing and tracking using data processing and data/voice networks is described. A phone address from a phone address number pool is automatically assigned to a first entity. A call quality rating is determined and recorded. A call from a caller directed to the phone address is received at a call bridging system coupled to at least one network, wherein the call is associated with call signaling information. Based at least in part on the call quality associated with the caller call, the caller call is assigned to a first location in a call queue. An outbound call is generated from the call bridging system and the inbound and the outbound calls are bridged. One or more parameters of the bridged call are compared to the call quality rating. An indication is recorded regarding the successful bridging of the calls in association with an entity identifier.
US08577007B2
A method for automatically scheduling phone calls, including dynamically assigning priorities to each of a plurality of a user's contacts, selecting one of the plurality of the user's contacts based on highest priority, wherein random selection is used in case more than one contact has the highest priority, placing a phone call to the selected contact, and updating the priority of the selected contact, if the placing a phone call successfully reaches the selected contact. A telephone and a computer-readable storage medium are also described and claimed.
US08577003B2
Disclosed are systems and methods which provide a centralized architecture for call processing. Embodiments utilize voice over Internet protocols (VoIP) to carry calls from a location at which calling services are provided to a centralized call processing platform providing call processing functionality, such as calling party identification, call validation, call routing, and connection to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Call processing gateways may be utilized to provide plain old telephone service (POTS) analog line interfaces for use with a plurality of telephone sets disposed for use at a location and at least one wide area network (WAN) interface for providing high speed data communication to a centralized call processing platform. PSTN interfacing by a call processing platform may be provided as a VoIP connection to the PSTN and/or as POTS trunking Call processing platforms may provide for data sharing, aggregation, and/or analysis across multiple facilities served.
US08576997B2
A system includes a processor and a memory accessible to the processor. The memory includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including, in response to an activation event, sending information to a biometric input device to activate the biometric input device. The operations further include receiving biometric data corresponding to a particular user from the biometric input device. The operations include determining whether an identification of the particular user matches the biometric data. In response to determining that the identification of the particular user matches the biometric data, a service is provided to a device associated with the particular user.
US08576993B2
A method for delivering messages in a telecommunications network includes delivery of a first text-form message of a session N to the user of the service, in such a way that the sender address is convened to correspond to the session number N and the session stage J, in stages 2-n of the session N. Thus, a text-form message is received, from the user of the message service, at the sender address defined in the message in the previous stage, and the session proceeds according to the contents of the message, in such a way that the sender address is converted to correspond to the session number N and the new session stage J, and the next text-form message of session N is sent to the user of the message service.
US08576985B2
The methods of the invention determine the unit cell parameters of a crystalline solid form using diffraction data and applying an algorithm. Using the algorithm, the unit cell parameters may be determined, which may allow one to distinguish between different crystalline solid forms of a substance.
US08576981B2
An image reconstruction method includes a reconstruction algorithm of pixel data, weighting coefficients by which first projection data and second projection data at which a corresponding X-ray beam passes through a pixel lying on a reconstruction plane and which are opposite in view angle direction to each other, are to be multiplied, are calculated by equations each using a term of a distance between an X-ray generator and detector system and the reconstruction plane plus an offset distance at the acquisition of the projection data.
US08576963B2
A non-coherent detection apparatus includes, inter alia, a correlation unit, a frequency offset estimator, and a signal detector. The correlation unit obtains a differential phase signal by multiplying a complex conjugate value of a delay signal obtained by delaying a received signal by (N+1) chips by the received signal, sums-up resultant values obtained by multiplying each component of the differential phase signal by each component of a correlation sequence and outputs a correlation signal. The frequency offset estimator estimates a frequency offset based on a value obtained by accumulatively summing-up the correlation signals corresponding to preamble portions of the received signal. The signal detector detects an original signal from the received signal based on a size of a real-number part of a resultant value obtained by multiplying the frequency offset estimated by the frequency offset estimator by the correlation signal corresponding to a PHY payload portion of the received signal.
US08576959B2
A receiver for discrete Fourier transform-spread-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-S-OFDM) based systems, including a prefilter for received signal codeword(s); and a log-likelihood ratio LLR module responsive to the prefilter; wherein the prefilter includes a pairing and whitening module that based on channel estimates and data rate enables the LLR module to perform either a Serial-In-Serial-Out (SISO) based log likelihood ratio processing of an output from the paring and whitening module or a two-symbol max-log soft output demodulator (MLSD) based log likelihood ratio processing of an output from the pairing and whitening module.
US08576952B2
A configurable all-digital coherent demodulator system for spread spectrum digital communications is disclosed herein. The demodulator system includes an extended and long code demodulator (ELCD) coupled to a traffic channel demodulator (TCD) and a parameter estimator (PE). The demodulator also includes a pilot assisted correction device (PACD) that is coupled to the PE and the TCD. The ELCD provides a code-demodulated signal to the TCD and the PE. In turn, the TCD provides a demodulated output data signal to the PE. The PACD corrects the phase error of the demodulated output data based on an error estimate that is fed forward from the PE. Accumulation operations in the ELCD, TCD, and PE are all programmable. Similarly, a phase delay in the PACD is also programmable to provide synchronization with the error estimate from the PE.
US08576949B2
A method for receiving and processing a digital radio broadcasting signal includes: receiving a digital radio broadcasting signal comprised of two or more multicast contents, playing a first one of the multicast contents, and concurrently storing a second one of the multicast contents. A receiver that implements the method is also provided.
US08576947B2
Signal conversion circuitry and method for converting a multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) packet data signal transmission to a plurality of complex data samples for processing by shared test equipment, e.g., a single vector signal analyzer (VSA).
US08576942B2
A transmitter includes: a decoder for transforming an IQ signal into a linear sum of two vectors which have non-negative coefficients, respectively, which form an angle of (π/4), and which are included in eight vectors representing directions indicated by eight angles of (−π/2), 0, (π/2), π, (−3π/4), (−π/4), (π/4), and (3π/4), respectively, and for outputting information upon magnitudes and angles of the two vectors; a phase generator for generating eight phase signals corresponding to phases of (−π/2), 0, (π/2), π, (−3π/4), (−π/4), (π/4), and (3π/4), respectively, and outputting the eight phase signals; and a selector for selecting two phase signals having phases equivalent to angles of the two vectors, from among the eight phase signals, and amplifying the two phase signals having been selected, based on the information upon the magnitudes and the angles, and outputting, as a plurality of amplification signals, the two phase signals having been amplified.
US08576938B2
A receiving station receives a waveform that includes at least a first symbol of a predetermined symbol length and comprising a first set of frequency components at predetermined carrier frequencies modulated with preamble information and a second set of frequency components at predetermined carrier frequencies modulated with information. The receiving station processes sampled values from the first symbol based on channel characteristics estimated from the first set of frequency components to decode information encoded on a first subset of the second set of frequency components. The receiving station processes sampled values from the first symbol based on channel characteristics estimated from the first set of frequency components and the first subset of the second set of frequency components to decode information encoded on a second subset of the second set of frequency components.
US08576919B2
Improved methods and apparatuses are provided for switching of streaming data bitstreams, such as streaming data bitstreams typically used in video streaming and other related applications. Some desired functionalities provided herein include random access, fast forward and fast backward, error-resilience and bandwidth adaptation. The improved methods and apparatuses can be configured to increase coding efficiency of and/or reduce the amount of data needed to encode a switching bitstream.
US08576911B2
An efficient method of motion estimation is provided. The method includes receiving a plurality of macroblocks in a reference frame, wherein the plurality of macroblocks are used for motion estimation related to a current frame, and performing the motion estimation for a plurality of macroblocks in the current frame by using the received plurality of macroblocks in the reference frame.
US08576910B2
Provided that a first segment is an earliest time segment included in a discrete time segment, and a second segment is a time segment subsequent to the first segment, a positive second-segment parameter that corresponds to a weakly monotonically increasing function value of an average amplitude of prediction residuals in a time segment including the second segment is used as a parameter for variable length coding of prediction residuals in the second segment. In addition, a value that corresponds to a weakly monotonically increasing function value of the sum of the second-segment parameter and a positive additional value that corresponds to an index representing the prediction effectiveness of time-series signals in the time segment including the second segment is used as a parameter for variable length coding of the prediction residual at a certain discrete time in the first segment.
US08576901B2
A modem is provided for a wireless device that is capable of providing service for at least two SIMs. The modem has at least a first set of modem components and a second set of modem components. The modem selectively reconfigures the arrangement of the plural sets of modem components. In a first configuration, the first set of modem components provides wireless connection service for a first SIM of the wireless device and the second set of modem components provides wireless connection service for a second SIM of the wireless device. This allows active wireless connections to be made on behalf of both SIMs simultaneously by the sets of modem components. In a second configuration, the first set of modem components and the second set of modem components provide wireless connection service for the first SIM.
US08576891B2
The sealed gas laser oscillator that includes the airtight vessel, the laser gas supply source that supplies a laser gas to the airtight vessel, and the vacuum pump that performs evacuation until a pressure of an inside of the airtight vessel reaches a target reached pressure every predetermined interval between laser gas exchanges and is connected to the airtight vessel, and that performs laser oscillation in a state where the airtight vessel is filled with the laser gas. The gas laser oscillator includes a unit that determines the target reached pressure on the basis of the interval between laser gas exchanges, a leakage rate of an impurity gas from the outside to the airtight vessel after evacuation, and an allowable impurity gas pressure at which the gas laser oscillator is capable of being operated.
US08576890B2
A VCSEL includes a grating layer configured with a non-periodic, sub-wavelength grating, in which the non-periodic, sub-wavelength grating includes at least one first section configured to have a relatively low reflection coefficient and at least one second section configured to have a relatively high reflection coefficient to cause light to be reflected in a predetermined, non-Gaussian, spatial mode across the sub-wavelength grating. The VCSEL also includes a reflective layer and a light emitting layer disposed between the grating layer and the reflector, in which the sub-wavelength grating and the reflector form a resonant cavity.
US08576884B2
A system and method for discarding or inserting audio frames in a jitter buffer is described. The system and method provides improved audio quality as compared to conventional jitter buffer management systems. In one embodiment, buffer control logic determines whether to discard audio frames to be stored in a jitter buffer or to insert audio frames among audio frames to be output from a jitter buffer based not only on the number of audio frames currently stored in the jitter buffer but also based on the power of the current audio frame to be stored in or output from the jitter buffer. The system and method is generally applicable to any wireless or wired communication system in which audio signals are transmitted between entities operating in different clock domains.
US08576865B1
A switch includes a first IC and a second IC. The first IC includes a first set of (N+1) serializer/deserializer (SERDES) modules communicating with a first set of (N+1) SERDES modules of a switch IC; a first set of N SERDES modules communicating with a first set of N ports; and a first set of N multiplexer modules communicating with (i) the first set of N SERDES modules and (ii) the first set of (N+1) SERDES modules of the first IC. The second IC includes a second set of (N+1) SERDES modules communicating with a second set of (N+1) SERDES modules of the switch IC; a second set of N SERDES modules communicating with a second set of N ports; and a second set of N multiplexer modules communicating with (i) the second set of N SERDES modules and (ii) the second set of (N+1) SERDES modules of the second IC.
US08576863B2
A system determines a scheduling value based on a current length of a downstream queue in a network device. The system sends the scheduling value from the downstream queue to an upstream queue and schedules dequeuing of one or more data units, destined for the downstream queue, from the upstream queue based on the scheduling value.
US08576856B2
The invention concerns a residential gateway device designed for a decentralized client equipment and comprising converting means for providing interoperability between to separate IP telephony services.
US08576855B2
A system and method for interface association between an ATM interface and a GigE/IP interface of a routing switch platform (RSP) to enable network management of a redundant pair of RSPs which serve as an interface between GigE/IP and ATM are provided.
US08576852B2
The system provides a low cost way of providing high speed point to point communications between two offices, as well as Internet access, which exploits the use of low cost access technologies, such as ADSL, in such a way that (a) no CO component is required to deploy the solution, (b) the two offices could have different types of communication technologies available, and (c) more than two offices can form an overlay network, whereby each pair of offices has a virtual single high throughput pipe available which is achieved through aggregation of Internet access services at each office. The proposed system allows intranet communication links or Internet connections to be aggregated, thereby enabling faster and more reliable communications.
US08576850B2
A band control apparatus including: a buffer memory configured to hold and output data units on a first-in first-out basis; a counter memory configured to hold a counter value; and a processor configured to add a value to the counter value on a basis of a rule, reduce, when a first one of the data units is output from the buffer memory, cause, when a first condition of a total size of the data units being smaller than a buffer threshold is satisfied, the first data unit to be output when a second condition that the counter value is larger than the size of the first data unit is satisfied and the counter value is larger than a counter threshold, and cause, when the first condition is not satisfied, the data units to be output in sequence with the first data unit first, until a third condition is satisfied.
US08576848B2
Example scalable multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) based networks, and methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to implement the same are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes determining at an area border router (ABR) an OSPF metric representing a cost associated with transporting data between a provider edge router (PER) and the ABR within a non-zero OSPF area, replacing at the ABR a first MPLS label included in a BGP message received from the PER with a second MPLS label associated with the PER and assigned by the ABR, replacing at the ABR a next-hop attribute included in the BGP message with a value representing a loopback address of the ABR, updating at the ABR a route cost attribute included in the BGP message to include the OSPF metric, and re-advertising from the ABR the modified BGP message into an OSPF area 0.
US08576847B2
Mechanisms are provided for determining a path maximum transmission unit of a path between a source node and a destination node of the path. These mechanisms transmit an echo request packet from the source node to the destination node along the path. The mechanisms further determine, by at least one intermediate node along the path, whether a size of the echo request packet is greater than a maximum transmission unit (MTU) of a next link of the path from the intermediate node to a next node along the path. Moreover, the mechanisms record, by the at least one intermediate node, the MTU of the next link in the echo request packet in response to the determination that the size of the echo request packet is greater than the MTU of the next link.
US08576846B2
For a peer-to-peer call in an ad hoc wireless network, a wireless device performs discovery of a target wireless device, performs authentication of the target wireless device and generates a session key (e.g., using a pre-shared key or a certificate provisioned on the wireless device), forms an ad hoc wireless network with the target wireless device, and communicates peer-to-peer with the target wireless device via the ad hoc wireless network. The wireless device may perform discovery with a list of identifiers for wireless devices designated to communicate with this wireless device. The wireless device may derive a service set identifier (SSID) used to identify the ad hoc wireless network based on its user-specific identifier (e.g., its phone number) and/or a user-specific identifier for the target wireless device. The wireless device may also performs IP address discovery using the user-specific identifier for the target wireless device.
US08576839B2
A scalable router-switch comprises a plurality of switch units each having consolidation means for data disassembling and reassembling. The switch units are arranged into switch modules and the switch units of each switch module are interconnected through a dual rotator to form a contention-free temporal mesh.
US08576838B2
The invention concerns a method of setting up a call-back to a caller in a packet-based telecommunications network, and a terminal and a media server to execute this method. The call-back is initiated by a user receiving a media stream. The user sets up a packet-based connection to a media server and receives the media stream from the media server. After choosing by the user to call back the caller, the media server generates a cookie with data defining a state of the media stream and sends the cookie to the user. The user initiates the call-back to the caller independently of the media server. After termination of the call-back, the data defining the state of the media stream are sent to the media server and are used to resume the transmission of the media stream to the user from a state following the state defined by the data.
US08576834B2
This invention relates to a communication system using an internet protocol (IP) address. Subscriber terminals have the same subscriber identification and different IP addresses. A server establishes a connection between the terminals via the network. A service system has a table including the subscriber identification information and the IP addresses of the subscriber terminals.When a connection request is made by a subscriber terminal to the group of subscriber terminals while a connection between one subscriber terminals of the group and another subscriber terminal is established, the service system detects an unused IP address associated with the common subscriber identification information of the group of subscriber terminals in the table and notifies the unused IP address to the sever, and the sever makes a call to a subscriber terminal in accordance with the unused IP address.
US08576824B2
A wireless communications network includes a base station to communicate with plural mobile stations over a wireless link. A broadcast message is sent to the plural mobile stations, with the broadcast message containing an indication for indicating to the plural mobile stations that the mobile stations are to change data rates for transmissions over a reverse wireless link.
US08576821B2
A wireless network uses an improved frame structure to increase timing acquisition capabilities as well as reduction of spectral lines. In one aspect, the frame packet can be used to communicate the different modes of operation under which the packet was created.
US08576815B2
A device receives roaming information associated with a user equipment (UE), a current eNodeB conducting a current Internet protocol (IP) session with the UE, and a plurality of eNodeBs that are neighboring the current eNodeB. The device also selects, based on the roaming information and from the plurality of eNodeBs, an optimal eNodeB to which to handover the UE, and establishes a preemptive IP session with the optimal eNodeB. The device further initiates a handover of the current IP session and the UE from the current eNodeB to the optimal eNodeB, where the current eNodeB acts as an anchoring point for a bearer path associated with the UE during the handover.
US08576807B2
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate employing a hybrid transmission structure in a wireless communication environment. Each transport block (e.g., MAC PDU) can be split into multiple code blocks. Moreover, each of the code blocks can be further divided into two or more code block segments. Further, code block segments from a given code block can be transmitted over a channel during disparate time slots of a subframe. Also, within a given subframe, code block segments corresponding to differing code blocks can be transmitted sequentially in time. Utilization of the foregoing can enable employment of a pipelined decoder structure at a receiver while allowing for optimization of time/frequency diversity.
US08576791B2
A method for reusing control channel resources in a wireless system includes selecting a subset of control channel resources from a specified set of control channel resources in a search space of the wireless system. The subset is smaller than the set. In addition, the method includes transmitting a first control channel using only the subset of control channel resources. Further, the method includes selecting at least one of the control channel resources not transmitted in the first control channel. Furthermore, the method includes transmitting a different control channel using at least one of the control channel resources specified for but not scheduled in the first control channel.
US08576788B2
A method and apparatus for performing carrier management in a broadband wireless communication system supporting multiple carriers are disclosed. The method for a mobile station to perform carrier management procedure with a base station supporting multiple carriers includes receiving a carrier management command message from the base station, the carrier management command message including an action code for carrier management and a polling bit in a MAC Control Extended Header (MCEH) indicating whether an acknowledgement message is required, transmitting the acknowledgement message in response to the carrier management command message to the base station when the carrier management command message is successfully received and the polling bit is set to 1, and transmitting a carrier management indication message corresponding to the action code included in the carrier management command message to the base station.
US08576786B2
A hierarchical downlink (DL) synchronization channel (SCH) is provided for wireless OFDM/OFDMA systems. The SCH includes a Primary SCH (P-SCH) for carrying PA-Preambles used for coarse timing and frequency synchronization, and a Secondary SCH (S-SCH) for carrying SA-Preambles used for cell ID detection. The total time length occupied by P-SCH and S-SCH is equal to one OFDM symbol time length of a data channel, and S-SCH is located in front of P-SCH in each DL frame. A perfect multi-period time-domain structure is created and maintained in P-SCH to increase preciseness of frame boundary estimation. With overlapping deployment of macrocells and femtocells, a predefined SCH configuration scheme is provided to separate frequency subbands used for macrocells and femtocells such that interferences in S-SCH can be mitigated. In addition, a self-organized SCH configuration scheme is provided to allow more flexibility for femtocells to avoid or introduce interference in S-SCH.
US08576783B2
An uplink scheduling apparatus and method in a communication system are provided. In the uplink scheduling method, a scheduling metric is calculated for each Mobile Station (MS). An MS with a high priority level is selected according to the calculated scheduling metric. The number of subchannels and a product of a modulation order and coding rate (MPR) are extracted according to input variables for the selected MS. The number of subchannels to be allocated to the selected MS is determined according to the MPR and the subchannels are allocated to the selected MS. The scheduling metric is updated for the each MS.
