US08641931B2
Self-reducing metal inks and systems and methods for producing and using the same are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, a method may comprise selecting a metal-organic (MO) precursor, selecting a reducing agent, and dissolving the MO precursor and the reducing agent in an organic solvent to produce a metal ink that remains in a liquid phase at room temperature. Metal inks, including self-reducing and fire-through metal inks, are also disclosed, as are various applications of the metal inks.
US08641927B2
A conductive paste including a combination of: a conductive powder, a metallic glass, and a dispersing agent represented by the following Chemical Formula 1 R1-L1-(OR2)n—(OR3)m—O-L2-COOH. Chemical Formula 1 In Chemical Formula 1, R1 is a substituted or unsubstituted C5 to C30 branched alkyl group, R2 and R3 are each independently a substituted or unsubstituted C2 to C5 alkylene group, L1 is a substituted or unsubstituted C6 to C30 arylene group, L2 is a single bond or a C1 to C4 alkylene group, n and m are each independently integers ranging from 0 to about 30, and 3≦n+m≦30.
US08641924B2
An object is to provide a liquid crystal polyester resin composition capable of producing a molding in which the generation amount of particles is sufficiently reduced.The present invention provides a liquid crystal polyester resin composition including (1) a liquid crystal polyester, and (2) a fiber-shaped filler having a fiber diameter of 5 to 15 μm and a number average fiber length of 30 to 200 μm, wherein the content of a fiber having a fiber length of more than 200 μm is 10% by mass or less based on 100% by mass of the amount of the fiber-shaped filler.
US08641921B2
The invention relates to active materials for the manufacture of Li-based batteries. A crystalline nanometric powdered material with formula Lix(M, M′)PO4, in particular LixFePO4 (O≦x≦1), is disclosed, exhibiting single phase Li insertion/extraction mechanism at room temperature when used as positive electrode material in Li-based batteries. Compared to current LiFePO4, the novel material results in smooth, sloping charge/discharge voltage curve greatly simplifying the monitoring of the state of charge of the batteries. The coexistence of mixed valence states for Fe (i.e. FeIIIVFeII) is believed to increase the electronic conductivity in the room temperature single phase LixFePO4 material, compared to state of the art two-phase materials. This, together with the nanometric size of the particles and their sharp monomodal size distribution, contributes to the exceptional high-rate capability demonstrated in batteries.
US08641919B2
Piezoelectric compositions are provided wherein mechanical and piezoelectric properties can be separately modulated. Preferred compositions include resin blends that comprise: (a) a piezoelectrically active polymer and (b) a matrix polymer, methods of making, and use of such resin blends. Advantages of preferred resin blends of the invention can include high piezoelectricity, mechanical strength and flexibility, convenient fabrication process, and high sensitivity at high temperatures.
US08641916B2
A plasma etching method for forming a hole in an etching target film by a plasma processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes an RF power supply for applying RF power for plasma generation to at least one of upper and lower electrodes, and a DC power supply for applying minus DC voltage to the upper electrode. A first condition that plasma is generated by turning on the RF power supply and minus DC voltage is applied to the upper electrode and a second condition that the plasma is extinguished by turning off the RF power supply and minus DC voltage is applied to the upper electrode are alternately repeated. Etching is performed by positive ions in the plasma under the first condition and negative ions are supplied into the hole by the DC voltage to neutralize positive ions in the hole under the second condition.
US08641910B2
Systems and processes for converting bulky lignocellulosic biomass to high density biomass products, including biofuels, are described. The systems and processes relate to treating freshly harvested plant materials, generally at or in close proximity to sites where the plant materials are harvested, to effect saccharification, alcoholic fermentation, or simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, thereby providing a liquefied biomass. The liquefied biomass is extracted to provide liquid extracts comprising biomass-derived water and water soluble biomass saccharification and fermentation products, including fermentable sugars and alcohols. The liquid biomass extracts can be transported via pipeline to other locations for fermentation, further saccharification, and/or purification to provide biofuel. Alternatively, the liquefied biomass can be used to prepare a biomass slurry that can be transported via pipeline.
US08641905B2
A process for treatment of water. Hardness and non-hydroxide alkalinity are removed from feedwaters to an extent sufficient to avoid scaling when concentrated. Sparingly ionizable components in the feedwater are urged toward increased ionization by increasing the pH of the feedwater. In this manner, species such as silica become highly ionized, and (a) their rejection by membranes used in the process is significantly increased, and (b) their solubility in the reject stream from the membrane process is significantly increased. Sparingly ionized species such as boron, silica, and TOC are highly rejected. Recovery ratios of ninety percent (90%) or higher are achievable with many feedwaters, while simultaneously achieving a substantial reduction in cleaning frequency of membranes used in the process.
US08641904B2
A backwashing method incorporating a membrane filtration apparatus in which a ceramic filtration membrane including a substrate layer 11b having an extremely large number of filtration pores and a separating layer 11a having filtration pores smaller than those of the substrate layer is accommodated in a casing. Air controlled to a pressure p1 is supplied to the secondary side of the filtration membrane so as to drain the filtrated water in the membrane filtration apparatus gradually toward the primary side. After that, air pressure is increased to p3 so as to push the water in the filtration membrane toward the primary side together with the air, thereby peeling off any fouling substances. Unlike in conventional cases, a large amount of backwashing drain water is at no time drained at any one time, and thus, without reducing the effectiveness of backwashing, a backwashing drain pipe can be designed to have a small diameter. As a result, equipment can be reduced in size and the flexibility of equipment can be enhanced.
US08641900B2
A method and a device for continuously preparing microspheres, and a collection unit thereof are provided. The collection unit for collecting microspheres in the solution comprises a tank and a first plate. The first plate is removably disposed in the tank. The first plate, when lay across the tank, has its two ends came in contact with the sidewall of the tank so as to divide the tank into a first chamber and a second chamber. The tank has an outlet located in the second chamber. After the solution with microspheres are input to the first chamber of the tank, the microspheres are deposited around the first plate, and the solution is caused to pass through or over the first plate to the second chamber and output from the outlet.
US08641894B1
A Water and Wastewater Treatment Aerated Mini-Dosing air-lift pump System and filter housing, that replaces the conventional dosing pump, controls and additional Tank. It is adaptable to all access ports and uniquely smaller than a 3″ inspection port and is integrally positioned in an existing or new raw water pretreatment or pump tank. It aerates the source pool thereby mitigating: H2SO4 gases, odors and source pool BOD5. The system communicates with an above ground aerator and optional controls and in it's plurality supplies dissolved and free oxygen to the pump, housing, effluent and the source pool, with surge protection and scum mitigation. Mini-metering and, low pressure, extended cycle durations increase the average microbial production balance and microbial Ratio to nutrients BOD. The raw sewage tank no longer requires gas removal prior to inspection due to oxic and anoxic microbial processes that mitigates H2SO4 gases.
US08641891B1
A multi-chambered container, which reduces backflow and which can include a filter to remove contaminants from a beverage, a first chamber having a first opening disposed adjacent to a top of the container through which fluid enters the first chamber and a second opening disposed adjacent to a bottom of the container through which fluid flows out of the first chamber, a second chamber having a third opening disposed adjacent to the top through which fluid enters the second chamber and a fourth opening disposed adjacent to the top through which fluid is dispensed from the second chamber, and a fluid conduit connecting the second opening of the first chamber to the third opening of the second chamber.
US08641883B2
Polymer-based high surface area multi-layered three-dimensional structures and method of making same
A method of forming three-dimensional structures includes forming a conductive layer on a substrate and patterning a resist layer over the conductive layer, the resist layer having contained therein a plurality of vias. An electrically conductive polymer is then electro-deposited in the vias. The electro-deposition operation is then stopped to form one or more of posts, posts having bulbous termini (i.e., mushrooms), or a layer atop the resist layer. The resist may be removed to yield the structure which may be further processed. For example, the structure may be pyrolyzed. In addition, biomolecules may also be adhered or otherwise affixed to the structure.
US08641876B2
The present invention provides a novel device for biosensing and energy storage. The present invented device comprises an electrode having a nanopore structured and bio-communicationally active cyclodextrin attached thereto. The device has demonstrated robust analytical performances for direct single subtype breast cancer measurements without mediators, or native enzyme, and without antibodies labeling; the device is capable to store energy by direct bio-communication with the living cancer cells at real time is demonstrated. It is beneficial in the health care diagnostic applications.
US08641861B2
In one embodiment, a method of assembling optical elements is provided. At least a portion of each optical element is disposed against at least a portion of a high precision surface. A structural frame is disposed adjacent the optical elements. At least two portions of the structural frame are aligned relative to each other and to the high precision surface with high precision. Adhesive is applied to adhere the structural frame to the optical elements. The adhesive is cured. In other embodiments, optical element assemblies are provided.
US08641858B2
A manufacturing method provides an airtight container having a first plate structure, a second plate structure having a wiring formed on a surface facing the first plate structure, a frame arranged between the first plate structure and the second plate structure, a first bonding material arranged between the first plate structure and the frame, and a second bonding material arranged between the second plate structure and the frame. The method includes the steps of bonding the first plate structure and the frame by irradiating a first energy beam to the first bonding material by transmitting the first energy beam through the first plate structure, and bonding the second plate structure and the frame by irradiating a second energy beam to the second bonding material by transmitting the second energy beam through the first plate structure and the frame. The first energy beam and the second energy beam are scanned in close proximity to each other and at the same speed.
US08641857B2
Process for manufacturing a plastic fuel tank provided with at least one accessory (14) connected to the internal space of the tank via at least one orifice (12) in the wall (10) of the tank, the accessory including a projecting element (24) extending to the outside of the tank, the processing comprising the steps consisting in providing a film (22) that includes a peripheral region (28) and a border region (30) around an opening in the film, in placing the film on the wall of the tank and on the outer surface of the accessory in such a way that the projecting element passes through the film via the opening, in welding the film over its entire peripheral region to the wall of the tank, and in welding the film, over its entire border region, to the outer surface of the accessory.
US08641851B2
An apparatus and method for manufacturing a flexible display device by a roll-to-roll method, are discussed. According to an embodiment, the apparatus includes a substrate transferring part for transferring a lower substrate attached onto a carrier substrate; a substrate separating part for separating the carrier substrate from the lower substrate transferred by the substrate transferring part; an upper bonding part for bonding an upper substrate to an upper surface of the lower substrate from which the carrier substrate is separated; and a lower bonding part for bonding a rear substrate to a lower surface of the lower substrate from which the carrier substrate is separated.
US08641849B2
The invention relates to a laminated decorative plate comprising a core made of a fiber or particle material, a resinous intermediate layer on at least one side of the core, a decorative layer not impregnated with resin and having a graphic image of the surface of the imitated material, and a transparent core layer, into which the relief-like reproduction of the surface structure of the imitated material is stamped. The intermediate layer is made of liquid glue, curable by pressure and/or heat, that is applied to the core.
US08641845B2
A method of determining bonding agent coverage in a joint between a first substrate (10) and a second substrate (12), including: dispersing a marker material (18) throughout a bonding agent (16); melting the bonding agent (16) but not the marker material; solidifying the melted bonding agent (16) to form an actual bond (24) in a joint between the first substrate (10) and the second substrate (12); detecting the marker material (18) in the joint through at least one of the substrates to ascertain an actual bond (24); and comparing the actual bond (24) to an expected bond (28) for the joint to determine the bonding agent coverage.
US08641841B2
A continuous heat treatment furnace is provided in which an atmosphere-control gas is introduced to a heating chamber having a heating zone, metal tubes are continuously charged along an axial direction from a furnace entrance, and the metal tube subjected to a heat treatment is taken out from a furnace. The continuous heat treatment furnace includes a front chamber which has a preheating zone on an entrance side of the heating chamber and seal curtains which are located on an entrance side and an exit side of the front chamber.
US08641840B2
The present disclosure is directed and formulations and methods to provide non-stainless steel alloys having relative high strength and ductility. The alloys may be provided in sheet or pressed form and characterized by their particular alloy chemistries and identifiable crystalline grain size morphology. The alloys are such that they include boride pinning phases. In what is termed a Class 1 Steel the alloys indicate tensile strengths of 630 MPa to 1100 MPa and elongations of 10-40%. Class 2 Steel indicates tensile strengths of 875 MPa to 1590 MPa and elongations of 5-30%. Class 3 Steel indicates tensile strengths of 1000 MPa to 1750 MPa and elongations of 0.5-15%.
US08641834B2
A method for manufacturing an electric contact material in which a surface layer portion of an alloy containing 1 to 15 mass % of Cu, 0.01 to 0.7 mass % of Ni, and the remainder of Ag and unavoidable impurities is supplied with an amount of oxygen exceeding the amount of oxygen required for internal oxidation of Cu to form an oxygen concentrated layer.
US08641821B2
Provided is a manufacturing device of an aluminum nitride single crystal including a crucible. An aluminum nitride raw material and a seed crystal are stored in an inner portion of the crucible. The seed crystal is placed so as to face the aluminum nitride raw material. The crucible includes an inner crucible and an outer crucible. The inner crucible stores the aluminum nitride raw material and the seed crystal inside the inner crucible. The inner crucible is also corrosion resistant to a sublimation gas of the aluminum nitride raw material. The inner crucible includes either, a single body of a metal having an ion radius larger than an ion radius of an aluminum, or includes a nitride of the metal. The outer crucible includes a boron nitride. The outer crucible covers the inner crucible.
US08641819B2
A cement composition, and a process for producing a cement composition, wherein the cement composition has the Sr content of 0.065 mass % to 1.0 mass % and the MgO content of greater than 1.0 mass % to 3.0 mass %. The process for producing a cement composition comprises a step (A) of adjusting the basic raw material units of raw materials selected from the group consisting of limestone, silica stone, coal ash, clay, blast furnace slag, soil generated by construction work, sewage sludge, hydrocake and iron sources so that the cement composition has the Sr content of 0.065 mass % to 1.0 mass % and the MgO content of greater than 1.0 mass % to 3.0 mass %, blending the adjusted raw materials and burning to produce cement clinker, and a step (B) of mixing the cement clinker with gypsum and an admixture of limestone and blast furnace slag followed by grinding.
US08641793B2
Separation systems can utilize a combination of forces to separate constituent components of a working fluid from each other. Some separation systems utilize one or more of centrifugal and gravitational forces in the purification of hydrogen gas. Some separation systems can utilize one or more of electromotive and magnetic forces in the purification of hydrogen gas.
US08641783B2
The present invention relates to the reaction product of (A) a polymeric backbone with (B) A chromophore; and with (C) at least one sulfide containing compound. Very good dyeing results are obtained with this new technology.
US08641781B1
A socket is described for use with a partial prosthesis of the hand. The socket includes a base layer molded to encapsulate and conform to the contours of a natural hand. The base layer has a dorsal portion and a palmar portion. The palmar portion has a distal edge positioned, in use, proximal to the transverse metacarpal arch of a natural hand, and the dorsal portion having a distal edge positioned, in use, along a transverse span along a mid-portion of the dorsum of the natural hand in an area proximal to the area of the second through fifth metacarpals of a natural hand. The palmar portion of the base layer defines a first open area around the hypo-thenar eminence and a second open area surrounding on the palmar portion the thenar eminence and extending to the radial side of the second metacarpal on the dorsal portion.
US08641771B2
A orthopaedic implant comprises an acetabular cup and a wireless communication device. The wireless communication device is coupled to a rim surface of the acetabular cup. In one embodiment, a recess is defined in the rim surface and the wireless communication device is positioned therein. In another embodiment, the wireless communication device is positioned in an annular ring formed of a biocompatible material. The annular ring is coupled to the rim surface of the acetabular cup. The wireless communication device may be, for example, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or device.
US08641770B2
A basal joint of the thumb prosthesis includes a socket element to be secured to the trapezoid and capitate, and a metacarpal component to be secured to the first metacarpal. A ball on the metacarpal component is received and substantially enclosed by the socket element.
US08641767B2
An expandable interbody fusion device includes superior and inferior plates that are configured to receive a sequentially inserted stack of expansion members or wafers. The superior and inferior plates include features that at least initially interlock the two plates until the superior plate is dislodged by pressure from the growing wafer stack. The wafers include features on their top and bottom surfaces that interlock the wafers in multiple degrees of freedom so that the wafer stack is not disrupted when the fusion device is fully expanded. Each wafer also includes features that interlock with the inferior plate until the wafer is dislodged by sequential introduction of another wafer.
US08641766B2
Arcuate fixation members with varying configurations and/or features are provided, along with additional components for use therewith in provided intervertebral implants. The arcuate fixation members may be of different lengths, cross sectional geometries, and/or cross sectional areas. Applications of intervertebral implants utilizing arcuate fixation members are particularly suitable when a linear line-of-approach for delivering fixation members is undesirable.
US08641758B1
The apparatus includes a funnel member, a coupling member and retractors. The funnel member is flexible and is frusto-conical in shape. The funnel member proximal end opening is larger than the distal end opening. The funnel member couples to a distal or coupling member that is located at the funnel member distal end portion. The distal or coupling member is rigid and has catches for removably coupling to the retractors. In use, the retractors anchor the apparatus to the patient while allowing the funnel member to be manipulated to force the prosthesis into a surgical cavity of a patient.
US08641749B2
The present invention relates to a delivery system for a self-expanding stent with a hollow cylindrical body and a proximal and a distal end. At least the proximal end thereof has projecting loops pointing alternately in the proximal and distal direction, the loops having a shoulder and straight sections. In addition, there is an outer tube which passes through the stent and an inner tube which passes through the outer tube, the inner tube and the outer tube being designed to move axially with respect to one another. In addition, it is fitted with a locking system for the projecting loops at the proximal end of the stent for introduction of the stent into the body vessel, the locking system having a cap element with pin elements fixed to it which point axially in the proximal direction of the delivery system and a first engagement unit for the pin elements which is positioned proximal with respect to the cap element in the delivery system.
US08641745B2
A device for extracting thermal energy from the core body of an individual via the palm thereof during or after physical exertion activity by that individual, wherein the device includes (a) an enclosure containing a cold-maintaining substance, wherein the enclosure is not larger than the palm; and (b) securing means attached to the enclosure for securing the enclosure against the palm.
US08641740B2
The invention relates to a bone anchoring device for the operative repair of fractures, comprising a fracture fixation plate which has at least one opening and at least one anchoring element for the fastening of the fracture fixation plate on the bone, wherein the anchoring element has a shaft and a head, and wherein at least one part of the shaft can be guided through the opening while the head can be fixed in the opening, and wherein the shaft is produced in at least two parts with a first part on which the head is arranged and with a second part provided for the anchoring in the bone, wherein the first part and the second part of the shaft are guided such that they move toward each other along an axis when the bone anchoring device is in the state of being fixed to the bone.
US08641730B2
A ligation device is disclosed that is capable of containing a fluid, e.g., a biomechanical medium or an antimicrobial solution. The ligation device comprises an upper clip and a lower clip, each having a locking feature that enables the upper clip and the lower clip to be movably attached to each other.
US08641722B2
Methods and devices are shown for forming polymer fasteners into bone by expelling the polymer from a cannula. Devices and methods shown allow a user to form multiple fasteners of various sizes without re-loading a device. Devices and methods shown further provide temperature profiles during fastener formation that reduce or eliminate thermal necrosis. Devices and methods shown further provide fasteners with increased strength.
US08641719B2
A multi-stage minimally invasive surgical procedure and associated instruments are disclosed. First, the surgical site is prepared. After preparation, the bone screws or anchors are attached to the bone. Subsequent to insertion of the screws, a rod or connecting member is positioned within the yoke portion of the bone screw. Caps are then placed in a pre-lock position within the yokes. The bone screws may be compressed together or distracted along the rod or connecting member, thereby setting the final spacing of the bones or bone segments. Finally the caps are moved to a final lock position to fix the screws to the rod or connecting member to maintain the bones in position relative to each other.
US08641714B2
A clamping pin is provided for mounting in an opening of a medical device. The clamping pin comprises an axially extending screw, a first clamping element having a surface inclined to a longitudinal screw axis and provides a first part of a clamping section. A second clamping element has a surface inclined to the longitudinal axis and provides a second part of the clamping section which is complementary to the opening in the medical device. The inclined surfaces of the first and second clamping elements contact. A screw extends at least partly through both the first and second clamping elements. The screw engages one of the clamping elements such that the axial distance between the two clamping elements and the diameter of the clamping section that can come in contact with a surface of the opening in the medical device will be changed upon actuation of the screw.
US08641711B2
Devices and methods for ablating tissue in the wall of various organs of the gastrointestinal tract of a patient in order to cure or ameliorate metabolic pathophysiological conditions such as obesity, insulin resistance, or type 2 diabetes mellitus are provided. Ablational treatment of target areas may be fractional or partial, rendering a post-treatment portion of target tissue ablated and another portion that is substantially intact. Fractional ablation is achieved by controlling the delivery of ablational energy across the surface area being treated, and controlling the depth of energy penetration into tissue. Surface area control of energy delivery may controlled by the spatial pattern of distributed ablation elements or by the selective activation of a subset of a dense pattern of ablation elements. Embodiments of the device include an ablational electrode array that spans 360 degrees and an array that spans an arc of less than 360 degrees.
US08641706B2
A system for measuring real-time tissue reflection spectral characteristics during ablation includes a catheter for collecting light reflected from tissue undergoing ablation, a detection component for separating constituent wavelengths of the collected light, a quantification apparatus for generating measured light intensity data of the collected light, and a processor for analyzing the data in relation to time. A method for monitoring formation of steam pop during ablation includes delivering light to tissue, delivering ablative energy to the tissue, measuring the reflectance spectral intensity of the tissue, and observing whether the measured reflectance spectral intensity (MRSI) initially increases in a specified time period followed by a decrease at a specified rate. If the MRSI does not decrease, delivery of ablation energy continues. If the MRSI decreases within the specified time at the specified rate, formation of a steam pocket is inferred and delivery of ablative energy is decreased or discontinued.
US08641702B2
An apparatus and corresponding method for treatment of skin conditions which includes a brushhead member which comprises a first portion which includes a plurality of rings of bristle tufts, the first portion oscillating in operation through a selected angle at a selected frequency and a second portion which also includes a plurality of rings of bristle tufts concentric with the first portion, the second portion remaining stationary in operation. At least one monochromatic light source is included, providing light directed from the brushhead in a direction substantially the same as the bristle tufts, such that the light impinges on the area of skin of the user acted on by the oscillating brushhead.
US08641686B2
An anti-biofilm catheter comprising a tubing configured to be disposed within a luminal system, wherein the tubing comes in contacting engagement with a blood flow within the luminal system in vivo. The catheter comprises a surface disposed over at least a portion of the tubing, wherein the surface comprises a surface profile having a skewness value of from about −0.01 to about −0.6 such that few or no components of the blood flow is capable of attaching themselves to the surface to encourage biofilm formation. The surface profile further comprises a kurtosis value of from about 2.7 to 3.3.
US08641684B2
A closure for a tubular access port in a medical fluid flow line or other container comprises a removable cap for enclosing and sealing the tubular access port. The cap has a closed end wall. The end wall carries an extending poker to facilitate the pushing of an antiseptic-carrying material into a lumen of the access port. The poker has an outer diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the access port. A method of using the poker is also described.
US08641679B2
A one piece molded vacuum tube holder is fitted with a one piece molded needle hub assembly. One portion of a locking mechanism is provided at the neck of the one piece vacuum tube holder and a second portion of the locking mechanism is provided at the needle hub of the needle hub assembly. The needle hub assembly is press fit to the vacuum tube holder. The one piece vacuum tube holder is configured to have an elongate needle cover integrally extending from its neck. A tamper evident notched joint is provided at the junction where the needle cover is connected to the neck. The opening of the vacuum tube holder through which a conventional vacuum tube is inserted may be sealed for sterilization and transport of the device. A wingnut finger grasp mechanism may be coupled to the needle cover.
US08641675B2
Systems and methods to provide an intravenous device having flashback capabilities and features to permit a flashback notch of an introducer needle to bypass a septum of the device without incurring an undesirable contact between the flashback notch of the introducer needle and a related contact surface of the septum.
US08641674B2
An insertion device and insertion set. The insertion device for inserting at least a portion of at least one piercing member of an insertion set through the skin of a patient includes a device housing, a carrier body and a driver. The carrier body is slidably received within the device housing for movement between an advanced position and a retracted position. The carrier body also includes a receiving structure to support the insertion set in a position with the at least one piercing member oriented for insertion through the skin of the patient at a predetermined or variable angle relative to the skin of the patient upon movement of the carrier body from the retracted position to the advanced position. The driver is operatively coupled between the device housing and the carrier body to urge the carrier body from the retracted position toward the advanced position to place at least a portion of the at least one piercing member of the insertion set thorough the skin of the patient to install the insertion set to the patient. The receiving structure of the carrier body is removable from the insertion set while maintaining the installation of the insertion set to the patient.
US08641665B2
A drainage catheter including a body, a drainage lumen extending between the body proximal end and the body distal end, the drainage lumen including a distal fluid inflow port and a proximal fluid drain coupling, and an inflation lumen extending between the body proximal end and the body distal end, conveying inflating fluid from a proximal fluid supply element to a distal fluid acceptor balloon, the proximal fluid supply element adjacent the proximal fluid drain coupling. A sleeve may be secured about the proximal fluid supply element and the proximal fluid drain coupling to provide a fluid impervious coating.
US08641664B2
An apparatus for maintaining a robotic catheter system in a responsive state includes a catheter, a plurality of linear translatable control elements, and a controller. In an embodiment, the catheter includes a proximal portion, a distal portion, and at least two steering wires. The steering wires may be configured at one end to control the movement of at least a portion of the distal portion of the catheter and at the other end for connection to a control member. In an embodiment, each control element may be configured to engage or interface with a respective control member, and the controller may be configured to measure a force exerted on at least one control member by a respective control element and further configured to linearly translate the control element to substantially maintain a force within a predetermined range.
US08641663B2
An input device for a robotic medical system includes a handle configured to be rotatable about a center axis, and to be longitudinally displaceable along the center axis. The input device also includes a deflection control element disposed on the handle and configured to selectively control deflection of the distal end of a flexible medical instrument electrically coupled to the input device. Longitudinal displacement of the handle may cause or result in a corresponding longitudinal motion or deflection of the flexible medical instrument. Rotation of the handle may cause or result in a corresponding rotation of the deflection plane. Longitudinal displacement and rotation of the handle may be detected or sensed electronically.
US08641660B2
A microenvironment of a biological body is controlled, and more particularly, is measured, changed, and monitored with respect to temperature, pH level, moisture and other tissue parameters of a region of the body while, optionally, administering a therapeutic agent to that region.
US08641649B2
A pump for an oral irrigator includes a pump chassis, an eccentric end plate movably connected to the pump chassis, a first alignment shaft connected to the pump chassis, a second alignment shaft connected to the eccentric end plate, a first gear rotating around a longitudinal axis of the first alignment shaft, and a second gear engaging the first gear and rotating around a longitudinal axis of the second alignment shaft. By selectively moving the eccentric end plate relative to the pump chassis selectively moves the second gear relative to the first gear.
US08641645B2
A method and system for determining a pose of a subject. The subject is placed onto a surface of a platform having a first radio-frequency transceiver and a second radio-frequency transceiver. A first radio-frequency transponder is placed onto an upper extremity of the subject. A second radio-frequency transponder is placed onto a lower extremity of the subject. A first signal is transmitted from the first transceiver to the first transponder, resulting in the first transponder sending a second signal. A third signal is transmitted from the second transceiver to the second transponder, resulting in the second transponder sending a fourth signal. The second signal is received by the first transceiver. The fourth signal is received by the second transceiver. A pose of the subject is determined based on receiving the second signal and the fourth signal.
US08641640B2
The invention is directed to tissue cutting members and biopsy devices with such tissue cutting member for separating a tissue specimen from a patient's body at a target site. The tissue cutting member is slidably disposed within an inner lumen of an elongated probe member of the biopsy device to cut a tissue specimen drawn into the interior of an outer cannula of the biopsy device through a tissue receiving aperture in the probe. The tissue cutting member has a tubular distal portion with a distal tip having an outer tissue cutting edge, an inner tissue receiving aperture, and a longitudinally oriented opening with a closed proximal end and open distal end which opens to the inner tissue receiving aperture to facilitate flaring of the distal tubular portion. The cutting member has at least one opening in a wall of the tubular portion to maintain a vacuum during use.
US08641638B2
Methods for determining structural integrity of a bone within the spine of a patient, the bone having a first aspect and a second aspect, wherein the second aspect separated from the first aspect by a width and located adjacent to a spinal nerve. The methods involve (a) applying an electrical stimulus to the first aspect of the bone; (b) electrically monitoring a muscle myotome associated with the spinal nerve to detect if an onset neuro-muscular response occurs in response to the application of the electrical stimulus to the first aspect of the bone; (c) automatically increasing the magnitude of the electrical stimulus to until the onset neuro-muscular response is detected; and (d) communicating to a user via at least one of visual and audible means information representing the magnitude of the electrical stimulus which caused the onset neuro-muscular response.
US08641631B2
A method and apparatus for estimating a respiratory rate of a patient. The method comprises the steps of recording respiratory sounds of the patient, deriving a plurality of respiratory rates from the recorded sounds using a plurality of respiratory rate estimating methods and applying a heuristic to the plurality of derived respiratory rates, the heuristic selecting one of the derived respiratory rates. The selected respiratory rate is the estimated respiratory rate. The apparatus comprises at least one sensor recording respiratory sounds of the patient, a plurality of respiratory rate processors, each of the processors comprising a respiratory rate calculating method, a heuristic means for selecting one of the calculated respiratory rates and a display means for displaying the selected respiratory as the estimated respiratory rate.
US08641628B2
An ultrasound imaging system may use a capacitive membrane or electrostrictive ultrasound transducer to realize isotropic volumetric imaging with bias-line element selection and a variety of aperture synthesis techniques. Two dimensional beam formation may be performed by using a beamformer to focus along one dimension, and then perform a second round of “off-line” or “retrospective” beam formation along the other direction.
US08641625B2
An object of the invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can scan a region of interest at high speed and other regions at low speed.In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the invention, a two-dimensional array probe 1 formed by arranging a plurality of ultrasonic elements two-dimensionally transmits an ultrasonic beam to a three-dimensional region and receives a reflected signal. The ultrasonic beam scans a region on a pyramid, and the scan region is divided into a main scan region Am of a region of interest and a subscan region. The subscan region is divided into small regions As1, As2, As3, and As4. The number of main scanning times of the main scan region is larger than the number of subscanning times of the subscan region.
US08641607B2
When light enters a first small diameter fiber at an incident angle of 0°, exit light from the first small diameter fiber has a substantially convex light amount distribution in a diameter direction. When light enters a second small diameter fiber at an incident angle of 12°, exit light from the second small diameter fiber has a substantially concave light amount distribution in a diameter direction. The exit light from the first and second small diameter fibers enters a large diameter fiber and is combined therein, making the light amount distribution uniform in the large diameter fiber. The large diameter fiber has a tapered core and a tapered clad in a light exit section. The light in the large diameter fiber is output from a light exit surface thereof and also leaked from the tapered clad.
US08641605B2
An endoscope of the invention includes: an LED for supplying illumination light to illuminate a subject; an image pickup device for picking up an image of a region to be inspected of the subject; a video display device provided with a monitor portion on which an endoscope image of the region to be inspected picked up by the image pickup device is displayed and an exterior member for holding the monitor portion; a power supply control circuit for supplying electric power to drive the LED and cause the LED to emit illumination light; and a heat radiation portion for radiating heat generated by the power supply control circuit formed on a rear surface opposing to a disposition surface of the exterior member on which the monitor portion of the video display device is provided.
US08641598B2
Organ manipulation devices for atraumatically grasping the surface of an organ and repositioning the organ to allow access to a location on the organ that would otherwise be substantially inaccessible. Methods of accessing a beating heart, retracting the heart using an organ manipulation apparatus, and stabilizing a surgical target area with a stabilizer. Both the organ manipulator and stabilizer are fixed to a stationary object which may be a sternal retractor. A system for performing beating heart coronary artery bypass grafting includes a sternal retractor, organ manipulator and stabilizer.
US08641597B2
A new, quick, simple, efficient, safe, and reproducible surgical technique for the treatment of female urinary incontinence, in which the posterior urethra is suspended using a tape passed through the obturator orifices from inside (underneath the urethra) to outside (thigh folds). A variety of specifically designed surgical instruments are utilized to perform this operative procedure.
US08641596B2
A multimodal auditory prosthesis. The prosthesis comprises a sound processing unit configured to process sound and to generate electrical signals representing different frequency components of the processed sound and a stimulation module communicably coupled to the sound processing unit, configured to stimulate the recipient to evoke a hearing percept of a range of the frequency components. The prosthesis also comprises an external stimulation module, configured to be positioned within an externally accessible portion of the recipient's first ear, comprising: a receiver unit to wirelessly receive the electrical signals representing the different frequency components, and a transducer that delivers acoustic or mechanical energy to the recipient's ear to evoke a hearing percept of a range of the frequency components.
US08641594B2
One aspect of an intravascular ventricular assist device is an implantable blood pump where the pump includes a housing defining a bore having an axis, one or more rotors disposed within the bore, each rotor including a plurality of magnetic poles, and one or more stators surrounding the bore for providing a magnetic field within the bore to induce rotation of each of the one or more rotors. Another aspect of the invention includes methods of providing cardiac assistance to a mammalian subject as, for example, a human. Further aspects of the invention include rotor bodies having helical channels formed longitudinally along the length of the body of the rotor where each helical channel is formed between peripheral support surface areas facing radially outwardly and extending generally in circumferential directions around the rotational axis of the rotor.
US08641593B2
Disclosed herein is a system for transferring brachytherapy elements to a needle, such as seeds, connectors, spacers, and strands. The system comprises a transfer device and, optionally, a stylet and a rack configured to hold one or more transfer devices.
US08641588B2
A resistance chair includes an elevated stationary seat with a front edge and a back edge. An arm is rotatably engaged with the back edge of the seat and is rotatable to a position below horizontal with respect to the elevated stationary seat. A back support is secured to the arm and supports the back of a user sitting on the elevated stationary seat. At least one resistance element is connected to the elevated stationary seat and urges the first arm to an upright start position and assists a user performing an abdominal crunch to return to an upright abdominal crunch position from a fully extended abdominal crunch position with the arm below horizontal with respect to the elevated stationary seat. The resistance element also resists against rotation of the arm away from the upright start position and resists against the user moving from the upright abdominal crunch position to the fully extended abdominal crunch position.
US08641573B2
A power transmission unit including: a first prime mover; speed change gear pairs; output members; a differential mechanism, which has a first rotary element connected with the first prime mover, a second rotary element, and a third rotary element selectively outputting the power to the output member, and adapted to perform a differential action among those three rotary elements; and a second prime mover connected with the second rotary element. The speed change gear pair includes at least one pair of first speed change gear pair, arranged between the first rotary element and the output member and allowed to transmit the torque selectively, and at least one pair of second speed change gear pair arranged between the third rotary element and the output member and allowed to transmit the torque selectively. A locking mechanism locks the second prime mover selectively to halt a rotation of the second prime mover.
US08641564B2
A tensioner (1) for a belt drive, comprises a base (2) defining an axis (A), a mobile eccentric element (3) hinged about axis (A) and loaded by a spring (5), a pulley (4) idly connected to the mobile element (3). Specifically, the pulley (4) defines a single body with the external ring of a rolling bearing (6) mounted on the mobile element (3) and the spring (5) is helical and presents a square or rectangular cross section.
US08641551B2
A highly versatile damper-weight system enables the installation of adjustable swing-weight in a vibration-damped manner inside a golf club shaft. A plug assembly of selectable weight is inserted through a circular opening in the golf grip cap with a special tool, moved to any desired location within the shaft and securely fastened in place in a vibration-damped manner by radial expandable of a cylindrical resilient expandable element. A weight rod, made available in different materials, lengths and weights, is spaced from the shaft by one or more resilient damper sleeves to minimize shaft vibration. The expandable element is secured by a machine screw threaded into the upper end of the weight rod, and is dimensioned (unexpanded) to enable easy insertion and location adjustment of said plug assembly. The tool provides dual functions: as a screw head driver to expand/contract the expandable element radially by axial pressure/release as required, and as a removable coupler capable of pulling the plug assembly (with the expandable element unexpanded) upwardly, as well as pressing it downwardly within the shaft for adjustment to any desired location.
US08641550B2
A plurality of golf club heads wherein the difference in spin is minimized is disclosed herein. More specifically, the present invention discloses a plurality of fairway wood type golf club head with a volume of between about 110 cubic centimeters (cc) and about 250 cc, wherein the change in backspin between any two clubs within the plurality of metal wood type golf club heads is less than about 600 revolutions per minute (rpm). A plurality of golf clubs in accordance with the present invention may generally have all of its clubs maintain a center of gravity (CG) location that is less than about 8.0 mm away from a neutral axis of the golf club head regardless of the difference in loft of the specific golf club head within the plurality of golf club heads.
US08641542B2
A stationary track wheel ride is disclosed where a chain of rider carriages (gondolas) are driven around the stationary track. The rider carriages are rotationally mounted on axles on a support frame that allow the rider carriages to rotate around the axles so that the floor of the rider carriage remains approximately level with the ground while the rider carriage travels around the stationary track. A drive mechanism for the ride that simultaneously mounts the rider carriages to the track and provides the drive force is also include: a drive cable mechanism, motors attached to the track to drive the rider carriage train using drive wheels contacting some portion of the rider carriage. Motors attached to the rider carriage with drive wheels contacting the track. An emergency access assembly for fixed track rides and for Ferris wheel type rides is also disclosed.
US08641538B2
A double offset constant velocity joint is provided. The constant velocity joint includes an outer element, an inner element, an annular element, and a plurality of torque transferring elements. The annular element has a first spherical outer surface, a second spherical outer surface, a spherical inner surface, and a plurality of perforations formed therethrough. The first spherical outer surface and the spherical inner surface have a center common with a spherical outer surface of the inner element. The second spherical outer surface has a center different from a joint pivot point and the first spherical outer surface. The second spherical outer surface has a diameter complementary to a diameter of the inner surface of the outer element. The annular element is disposed between the inner element and the outer element.
US08641536B2
A tool holder for use with a power tool includes an input shaft with a rear portion couplable to a power tool, and an output shaft with a front portion couplable to a tool bit. A clutch assembly releasably non-rotationally couples a front portion of the input shaft to a rear portion of the output shaft, and includes a recess in the front portion of the input shaft or the rear portion of the output shaft, an aperture in the other of the front portion of the input shaft or the rear portion of the output shaft, a roller received in the aperture, and a spring that biases the roller radially inwardly toward the recess. The spring enables release of the roller radially outwardly from the recess when a predetermined torque threshold is exceeded, such that torque is not transmitted from the input shaft to the output shaft.
US08641524B2
A game apparatus includes an LCD, and a touch panel is placed on a top surface of the LCD. A player instructs an enemy character displayed on the LCD by use of a stick to attack the enemy character. For example, in a case that the enemy character exists at a depth of a game screen, little damage is applied to the enemy character, and a weak vibration is applied to the game apparatus. Conversely, in a case that the enemy character exists at a front of the game screen, much damage is applied to the character, and a strong vibration is applied to the game apparatus. In either case, the vibrations are transmitted to the fingers or hands of the payer via the stick.
US08641521B2
Some implementations of the invention are directed to the use of legacy gaming software (or other non-native gaming software) in gaming machines that have a different architecture from that of the gaming machine for which the gaming software was written. Other implementations of the invention allow games of chance to be emulated, at least in part, on a device other than a gaming machine. The device may be, for example, a host device such as a workstation, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, etc. The device may be a wired or a wireless device and may be used in a gaming establishment or at a remote location. Some aspects of the invention provide novel methods for dispute resolution and troubleshooting via such devices.
US08641515B2
A gaming system and method that enables players to sequentially wager in a casino-style table tournament on gaming machines. The gaming system provides real-time wagering information and bankroll information of each player to the other players of the tournament so that players may determine their wagers based on what other players wager. The gaming system enables players to make one or more secret wagers during the tournament that are not immediately indicated or displayed to other players to try to gain an advantage in the tournament. All normal wagers are displayed to the players in real-time but the secret wagers are not displayed to players until after the close of wagering creating excitement in the tournament.
US08641505B2
In one embodiment, a gaming system which may randomly generate a plurality of directional symbols. Each directional symbol may have an input direction and an output direction. The gaming system may analyze the generated directional symbols to determine whether any formed sets, chains or sequences of compatible directional symbols are associated with any awards. More specifically, the gaming system may determine whether to form any sets of compatible directional symbols based on if one or more input directions of one or more of the generated directional symbols are compatible with one or more output directions of one or more of the generated directional symbols. The gaming system then may determine and may provide a player an award based on one or more of any formed sets of compatible directional symbols.
US08641493B2
An inventive cooling device for the air conditioning of an examination area of a medical examination device includes a temperature detection device for detecting a temperature in the examination area, an air conditioning device for producing air-conditioned air, an air discharge device arranged within the examination area, an opening directed toward the examination area to let out air-conditioned air and an air duct to transport air-conditioned air to the opening in the air discharge device and a control unit connected to the temperature detection device and the air-conditioning device to control the air-conditioning device based on data detected by the temperature detection device. The cooling device automatically determines and regulates a temperature in the examination area with fresh, air-conditioned air which has a positive influence on the well-being of the patient in the examination area.
US08641490B2
An air recirculation control system is basically provided with a thermal sensing arrangement, a blower speed sensing arrangement, a recirculation door actuator and a control device. The thermal sensing arrangement detects a prescribed temperature condition. The blower speed sensing arrangement provides a prescribed blower signal indicative of a prescribed blower speed condition. The recirculation door actuator operates a recirculation door. The control device selectively activates the recirculation door actuator to switch between a normal air intake mode and a recirculation override mode based on the prescribed temperature condition detected by the thermal sensing arrangement and the prescribed blower signal received from the blower speed sensing arrangement.
US08641488B1
A smoke capture adapter comprising: a first adapter part having a first generally ring-shaped portion with a first cylindrical inner surface for securely engaging a laser apparatus having a beam propagation axis, the first generally ring-shaped portion being oriented such that the beam propagation axis passes through a region bound the first generally ring-shaped portion and a tubular outlet extending from said first generally ring-shaped portion for communicating with a vacuum tube; a second adapter part rotatably connected to the first adapter part and arranged to rotate generally about the beam propagation axis having a second generally ring-shaped portion adjacent the first generally ring-shaped portion, the first and second generally ring-shaped portions defining a generally toroidal cavity and an inlet in fluid communication with the cavity; the tubular outlet and inlet in fluid communication through the cavity; whereby the position of the inlet relative to the first adapter part may be adjusted by rotating the second adapter part relative to the first adapter part.
US08641486B1
A venting blade assembly for poultry processing. The venting blade assembly includes a projecting cylindrical barrel having an open first end. An attachment mechanism attaches an opposed second end of the cylindrical barrel to an axial advancement and rotation mechanism. A flat circular abutment shoulder at the first end is substantially perpendicular to the cylindrical barrel in order to engage the poultry. The first end of the cylindrical barrel also includes a beveled circular edge. A plurality of helical recesses in the first end of the cylindrical barrel forms a plurality of cutting tips.
US08641484B1
A variable speed linking device wherein the rotational speed of the chains is reduced approximately when the outer edge of the pinchers first engage a casing.
US08641482B2
A gear grinding tool, which includes a helical tooth with grinding faces on surfaces thereof, grinds tooth faces of a gear as a workpiece with the grinding faces. The grinding face includes a rough grinding face for performing a rough grinding process. The grinding face includes a rough grinding face for performing a rough grinding process, and the rough grinding face includes a forming line for performing a finishing process.
US08641480B2
A polishing apparatus can effectively prevent abrasive particles from falling off a polishing tape during polishing. The polishing apparatus includes: a polishing head for polishing a peripheral portion of a substrate by pressing a surface of a polishing tape, having abrasive particles fixed on the surface, against the peripheral portion of the substrate while allowing the polishing tape to travel in one direction; and a conditioning apparatus, disposed upstream of the polishing head in the traveling direction of the polishing tape, for conditioning the surface of the polishing tape in advance in order to prevent the abrasive particles from falling off the surface of the polishing tape during polishing.
US08641478B2
A method of marring a fiber optic substrate by supporting a length of the substrate on a tapered surface of an elongate support and causing relative movement between at least one roller and the support lengthwise of the support with the roller pressing the substrate against the tapered surface and the roller rolling along the substrate. At least one of the roller and the support include an abrasive surface for marring the substrate during such relative movement therebetween.
US08641474B2
A toy play set comprising a master toy member and two or more accessory toy members. The master toy member comprises a power source, an audio driving circuit and an audio transducer. Each of said accessory toy member is configured to receive power from said master toy member by contact and to provide visual response and/or an audio sound through a speaker located at said master toy member.
US08641470B2
In some embodiments, a signal of light may be emitted from an illumination source of a first transceiver. A second transceiver may detect a signal of light from the first transceiver that exceeds a threshold luminosity; and activate, in response to the detecting of the signal of light that exceeds the threshold luminosity, an illumination source of the second transceiver to illuminate. An intensity of the illumination source of the first transceiver may then be reduced in response to the activating of the illumination source of the second transceiver to illuminate.
US08641464B2
A first flipper has a base, a deformable fin connected to the base, and a first spreader that imposes a first force on the fin that causes the fin to spread in response to relative movement between the first spreader and the fin caused by a first longitudinal deflection of the fin relative to the base. A second flipper has a fin and a foot coupling portion connectable to a foot holding portion of a boot to couple a foot in the foot holding portion to the flipper. A first system includes the flipper and the boot. Methods of using the flippers, the boot, and the system are also disclosed.
US08641463B2
Lubricant oil (45) serving as second lubricant oil is supplied into an outer intermediate shaft (11c) by a lubricant oil supply unit (50) and accumulated therein, and thereby the lubricant oil (45) is supplied to a contra-rotating front seal unit (37). Thus, by bringing the front side of the contra-rotating front seal unit (37) (seal ring (37b)) into a wet state by the lubricant oil (45), it is possible to reduce heat generation and it is possible to extend the life of the contra-rotating front seal unit (37).
US08641456B2
A connector comprises an insulative housing having a main body with an inserting cavity and a plurality of contacts received in the insulative housing. The contacts have two grounding contacts and two power contacts, each grounding contact is formed with a plurality of first contacting portion, and each power contact is formed with a plurality of second contacting portion. The first contacting portions of the first and the second grounding contacts are alternately disposed within the inserting cavity and located in a first row, the second contacting portions of the first and the second power contacts are alternately disposed within the inserting cavity and located in a second row, the first row is closer to a front opening of the inserting cavity than the second row.
US08641451B2
A HDMI connector includes a metallic housing having two plates respectively extending downward from two opposite sides thereof, an insulated body mounted in the metallic housing, and a plurality of electrically conducting pins installed with the insulated body. The metallic housing has two legs each located in front of a respective one of the plates, each leg being integrally formed by cutting a portion of the metallic housing and bending the portion downward. Each leg has a base portion and a solder portion extending from the base portion to be electrically connected to a printed circuit board, wherein the base portion is formed substantially at a right angle with respect to the solder portion and has a dimension greater than the solder portion. The HDMI connector can save material in manufacturing and increase space availability.
US08641450B2
A connecting device includes a protecting member, a base, a USB connector, and a covering member. The USB connector is mounted in the base. The covering member is secured to the base and covers the base. The covering member and the base are received and mounted in the protecting member. The USB connector comprises a body for securing a USB cable and a shelter surrounding the body; the shelter comprises a plurality of blocking pieces, and each of the plurality of blocking pieces abuts the protecting member, to prevent EMI from the body.
US08641443B1
An improved electrical connector is disclosed for facilitating disconnection an electrical plug. A handle is pivotably mounted to the electrical plug. A distal end of the plug handle extends transversely and outwardly defining opposed arcuate finger receiving regions for accommodating adjacent fingers of the operator for enabling the operator grasp the plug handle to facilitating disconnection an electrical plug. The present invention is equally suitable for use with an electrical receptacle.
US08641433B2
A lever (60) is formed with a resiliently deformable lock arm (71) projecting substantially along a rotating direction of the lever (60). A housing (20) is formed with a base piece (27) standing in a direction crossing a connecting direction to a mating connector (90). An engaging portion (35) for holding the housing (20) and the mating connector (90) in the properly connected state by being resiliently engaged with a leading end part of the lock arm (71) is formed on a leading end part of the base piece (27). A recess (33) into which a finger (50) is insertable to disengage the engaging portion (35) and the lock arm (71) is formed in a base end part of the base piece (27).
US08641430B2
A bus bar edge structure of an electric junction box having a junction block main body, a bus bar-receiving gap arranged on the junction block main body, and a space communicating with the bus bar-receiving gap and arranged in a thickness direction of the bus bar includes a projection piece projecting from an edge of the bus bar at an opening side of the space in the thickness direction of the bus bar. An electric wire led from the junction block main body is guided to the projection piece so as to prevent interference with the edge of the bus bar. The projection piece functions as a press-operating portion configured to insert the bus bar into the bus bar-receiving gap. The projection piece is positioned in an opening of a longitudinal groove arranged in the space so as to prevent the electric wire from entering into the opening.
US08641427B2
A slip ring includes a spindle and a plurality of insulating rings and conductive rings alternately fitted to the spindle. Each conductive ring is connected with a wire, and the wire extends out of the slip ring through a wire hole of the spindle. The insulating rings engage the spindle so that the insulating rings are unable to rotate relative to the spindle. The conductive rings engage the spindle or the neighboring insulating ring so that conductive rings are unable to rotate relative to the insulating ring. The number and size of the insulating rings and conductive rings are selectable to be fitted to the spindle.
US08641426B2
A coach board has a mounting board, a transparent film, an attractive board and a box. The transparent film is connected to the mounting board so as to form an interlayer space between the transparent film and the mounting board. The attractive board is removably inserted into the interlayer space between the transparent film and the mounting board and has a court layer. The court layer is attached to the attractive board, is visible via the transparent film and is protected by the transparent film. The box is mounted on the mounting board and receives multiple magnets inside. Therefore, a coach can instruct tactics to players easily by putting the magnets on the transparent film corresponding to the court layer of the attractive board.
US08641421B2
To help young children and other individuals learn a language while playing and having fun a novel card or device is presented that includes, on one side, a word in a first (e.g., non-English) language on its surface along with a pronunciation guide associated with the word and an image of the word, and on an opposite side a translation (e.g., into English) of the word along with a pronunciation guide associated with the word. The device may also include means to secure it to a physical object similar to that shown in the image.
US08641417B2
A system for enhanced sealing against intrusion of moisture and other contaminants for medical/dental handpieces having rotating or other moving elements driven by a motor within the handpiece. The enhanced sealing includes tandem seals on stepped diameters to provide additional flow pathway impediments. The tandem seals preferably include spring seals that are positioned in opposite directions to provide enhanced sealing against pressures in two different directions that occur during the pressurization and vacuum cycles of an autoclaving process. Additional enhancements include the use of annular sealing rings with x-shaped cross sections.
US08641416B2
A syringe (1) for dosed dispensing of material, in particular of free-flowing and/or pasty dental material, includes a sleeve (10) for accommodating material and a piston (15) which can be inserted into the sleeve (10) and which has a piston member (15′), a frictional engagement element (25) which abuts an inner wall (35) of the sleeve (10), and an elastic element (30) coupling the frictional engagement element (25) and the piston 10 member (15′), wherein the sleeve (10) and the piston (15) inserted into the sleeve define an inner sleeve chamber (70) for accommodating the material, wherein the elastic element (30) can be tensioned, on insertion of the piston (15) and/or of the piston member (15′) into the sleeve (10), by means of a relative lag of the frictional engagement element (25) in relation to the piston member (15′), 15 wherein by relaxing the elastic element (30) it is possible for the piston member (15′) to be expelled at least partially from the sleeve (10) while the frictional engagement element (25) remains motionless, in order to increase the volume of the inner sleeve chamber (70). A corresponding method dispenses a material using a piston (15) and a frictionally engaging elastic element (20).
US08641412B2
A high efficiency laminar flow burner system for proving a stream of heat energy including a supply input module for providing fuel and laminar streams of air to a combustion manifold. The laminar air delivery system includes a damper, a blower, and an air delivery controller. The air delivery controller receives an efficiency signal to control the flow of a laminar air intake stream by adjusting the damper. The combustion manifold includes an air-fuel mixing system, a stoichiometric unit, and a refractory unit each coupled to one another. The laminar air intake stream traveling from the supply input module passes through a stoichiometric unit body to meet with a first combustion stream from an air-fuel mixing chamber within the stoichiometric unit body to define a second combustion stream. The second combustion stream then travels across the refractory passageway to define a third combustion stream.
US08641404B2
An optofluidic lithography system including a membrane, a microfluidic channel, and a pneumatic chamber is provided. The membrane may be positioned between a pneumatic chamber and a microfluidic channel. The microfluidic channel may have a height corresponding to a displacement of the membrane and have a fluid flowing therein, the fluid being cured by light irradiated from the bottom to form a microstructure. The pneumatic chamber may induce the displacement of the membrane depending on an internal atmospheric pressure thereof.
US08641402B2
An injection mold for molding a first insert element and a second insert element includes a male mold, a female mold matched with the male mold, and at least one fastening assembly. The first insert element includes a first material belt with at least one fastening hole formed therein, and a plurality of first conductive terminals. The second insert element includes a plurality of second conductive terminals. The male mold defines a male cavity for receiving the second conductive terminals therein. The female mold defines a female cavity for receiving the first conductive terminals therein. The fastening assembly includes a fastening element and a magnetic element with a center hole formed therein. The magnetic element is held in the female mold. A top of the fastening element passes through the fastening hole to be inserted in the center hole and attracted by the magnetic element.
US08641397B2
A spiral distributor for a die head of a foil extrusion line has spiral channels provided with shortening sections in their backward area. As compared to a geometrical rule for a discontinuation of the spiral channels which is valid in a prior section of the spiral channels, this arrangement leads to a faster discontinuation of the spiral channels. The design of the backward area of the spiral channels does not affect the good overlaying effect of the front part of the spiral channels. As compared to the customary embodiment, the channels are thus equipped with a less profiled backward end which leads to a more cost-effective manufacture and to a lesser flow resistance.
US08641390B2
An apparatus and method for pumping fluids, such as water and/or hydrocarbons, from a subterranean formation or reservoir, include a linear rod pump having a mechanical rack and pinion drive arrangement, adapted for attachment to a pumping mechanism, such as the polished rod at the top of a rod string in a hydrocarbon well. The rack gear, of the rack and pinion drive arrangement, is adapted for connection to, and movement with, the polished rod. The pinion gear does not translate with the rack gear, and is driven by a reversible motor for affecting up and down reciprocating motion of the rack gear and pumping mechanism. Some forms of the invention include a compressible gas counter-balance arrangement. Some forms of the invention include an electronic drive configured for dealing with electric power generated by the motor during a portion of the pumping cycle.
US08641388B2
The invention relates to an electric household appliance comprising a pump having a pumping chamber (11) including a movable wall formed by a diaphragm (12) made of an electrically conductive material comprising an inner surface covered with at least one layer (21) made of an electrically insulating material, and an outer surface, in contact with a piezoelectric actuator (13), characterized in that power is supplied to said piezoelectric actuator (13) by the voltage of a domestic power grid without inserting an insulation transformer therebetween, and in that said inner surface of the metal diaphragm (12) is covered by at least one first electrically insulating layer (21), having flame retardant properties, and by two additional electrically insulating layers (22, 23) of a lower thickness.
US08641384B2
The present invention provides a sump pump control system. The system includes a mounting fixture fabricated from a corrosion resistant material, and an electrical control comprising solid state electrical components supported by the mounting fixture. The sump pump control system also includes a diving bell cover. The diving bell cover has an open bottom, and is dimensioned to cover the electrical components. The diving bell cover is releasably secured to a support surface of the mounting fixture. The electrical control controls the operation of a sump pump. Should water rise to a level of the electrical components due to failure of the sump pump or due to quickly rising water, the diving bell cover will prevent water from contacting the electrical components. A method of removing water from a subterranean vault is also provided herein.
US08641381B2
A turbine bucket includes an airfoil and a shroud. The shroud includes first and second bearing surfaces, and the first and second bearing surfaces each comprise a single grain structure. A method for forming a turbine bucket includes orienting a mold vertically, wherein the mold includes a first portion that defines a shank, a second portion connected to the first portion that defines an airfoil, and a third portion connected to the second portion that defines a shroud, wherein the third portion includes first and second sides, and wherein the first portion is higher than the second portion and the second portion is higher than the third portion. The method further includes flowing a molten metal into the mold and selectively growing large single grains in at least one of the first or second sides.
US08641377B1
A turbine rotor blade for an industrial gas turbine engine with a platform cooling circuit that flows from the suction side of the platform and around both the leading edge and trailing edge of the platform, and then along the pressure side platform to cover the entire platform surface. The cooling air flows along smaller diameter cooling holes that cover substantially the entire pressure side platform surface and is then discharged out through openings onto the pressure side mate-face.
US08641376B2
A wind turbine is provided with a rotor including a plurality of blades and a deicing unit. The deicing unit performs a deicing operation only on one(s) of the plurality of blades, which has an azimuth angle within a predetermined range. The predetermined range is within a range from 90 to 270 degrees, and includes 180 degrees. Therefore, ice scattering is suppressed in deicing the wind turbine blades.
US08641373B2
A diffuser for a mixed flow or centrifugal compressor of a gas turbine. The diffuser includes at least one vane presenting a pressure side, a suction side, and a first flank. The vane includes a plurality of orifices opening out into the suction side and/or the pressure side and communicating with at least one cavity formed in the vane, the cavity extending transversely relative to the vane and opening out into its first flank. The cross section of the cavity varies in the transverse direction of the vane, the cross section increasing towards the first flank.
US08641372B2
The invention relates to a charging device (1), more preferably an exhaust gas turbocharger for a motor vehicle, which turbine geometry comprises guide blades (5) rotatably mounted in a blade bearing ring (4), wherein the blade bearing ring (4) with a side is directly exposed to a hot gas flow (12) while the side of the blade bearing ring (4) facing away from this is only indirectly exposed to the hot gas flow (12). It is substantial to the invention that the blade bearing ring (4) on its side directly exposed to the hot gas flow (12) is produced of a different material than on its side only indirectly exposed to the hot gas flow (12) wherein the two materials with regard to their heat expansion coefficients are selected in such a manner that the blade bearing ring (4) at preferentially all occurring operating temperatures expands evenly without warping.
US08641362B1
A turbine exhaust cylinder for an industrial gas turbine engine with an external blower that delivers cooling air to an inner space of the exhaust cylinder that provides cooling for the struts that support the exhaust cylinder. The cooling air passes over the bearing housing and then up through a space formed between a fairing and the strut. The cooling air is then discharged through a cover plate.
US08641357B2
A track hoe bucket attachment for purposes of loading and unloading pipe comprising two tines connected at one end by a pipe. The pipe has an opening that is capable of receiving the teeth of the track hoe bucket. The two tines are further connected by a support bar which has eyelets at its two ends. The eyelets of the support bar receive a chain that is connected to the track hoe to further secure the attachment to the track hoe.
US08641349B2
In the area of manufacturing covers with tear-open foils, the cover blanks, or covers are always secured against an undesired take-off from the transport means during the transport and the processing. This allows a very high manufacturing cadence equally for light covers and particularly for aluminium covers.
US08641346B2
A cleat is provided. The cleat includes, but is not limited to, a head, a shank, and a vertical slot formed through the head and a portion of the shank. The shank is connected to the head and has a pair of opposing planar faces and a pair of opposing short edges, a wide portion and a point. The edges are provided with at least one serration fixed relative to said wide portion.
US08641340B1
The present invention is a single piece cargo net having a semi-rigid center section for centering, and includes a pair of opposed short side sections having a plurality of spaced vertical straps extending from the center section. The invention further includes a pair of opposed long side sections having a plurality of spaced vertical straps extending from said center section. The invention further includes an integral storage bag that easily opens and separates for deploying the single piece net.
US08641336B1
A tool holder. Implementations include a base unit which receives a shank of a cutting tool. A dowel movably coupled to the base unit engages an indentation in the shank under spring bias force to removably couple the cutting tool with the base unit. A sleeve slidably couples over the base unit, the sliding of which causes the dowel to ride in a first slot in the base unit and simultaneously in a second slot in the sleeve, causing the dowel to engage the indentation when the sleeve is slid in one direction and disengage the indentation when the sleeve is slid the opposite direction.
US08641328B2
A drive tool for connecting a member to the drive tool of a drive tool assembly includes a flange connectable to the drive tool assembly. A wall has a first portion extending axially outwardly from the flange and defining a socket for receiving a first member. The wall has a second portion extending axially from the first portion of the wall and having a circumferential extent less than that of the first portion to facilitate receiving the first member by providing a laterally and axially open alignment opening. The first member can have a second portion extending axially further than a first portion and having a circumferential extent less than the first portion to facilitate connecting a second member to the first member by providing a laterally and axially open alignment opening.
US08641323B2
A method of positioning on the sea floor, from a floating vessel, an unlaid end portion of a pipe that is being laid from its other end on the sea floor is disclosed. The method includes lowering the unlaid end portion of the pipe to a lowered position above the sea floor. Transfer of the load of the unlaid end portion of the pipe occurs from the lowering device to a line for suspending the unlaid end portion of the pipe. Lowering the line for suspending and the unlaid end portion of the pipe occurs. There is disclosed a corresponding method of recovery as well as associated apparatus. A method for effecting a subsea connection between one line and an object suspended below the surface of the sea by another line and associated apparatus are disclosed.
US08641316B2
This invention relates to an arrangement comprising a tubular housing, preferably a rack housing (1) that accommodates a rack (10), and at least one retention and/or support ring (2, 2′) which is disposed at least in part inside the rack housing (1) and is pressed into the housing (1) such that the retention and/or support ring (2, 2′) expands. The arrangement is characterized in that a toothed section (4, 4′) is provided on an external circumferential surface of the retention and/or support ring (2, 2′) adjoining the housing (1). The invention further relates to an associated method for mounting at least one retention and/or support ring (2, 2′) inside a tubular housing (1).
US08641303B2
An image recording apparatus including: a first convey path; a support member which supports a first recording medium, a second recording medium, and a tray; a second convey path connected to the first convey path; a first guide member partly defining the second convey path; and a posture change mechanism which changes the support member and the first guide member between (a) a first posture in which the first convey path has a height allowing the first recording medium to pass therethrough, and the second convey path has a height allowing the first recording medium to pass therethrough and (b) a second posture in which the first convey path has a height larger than the first height and allowing the second recording medium or the tray to pass therethrough, and the second convey path has a height smaller than the second height.
US08641293B2
An optical fiber connector according to the present disclosure includes a housing, a tab, a vertical portion, a horizontal portion and a handle member. According to the optical fiber connector of the present disclosure, wherein a pull at the handle member may pull out the optical fiber connector from the optical fiber adapter without need to press a tab on the optical fiber connector directly.
US08641290B2
A tapered roller bearing according to the present invention, in which the rolling surface of a tapered roller and raceway surfaces of internal and outer rings undergoes crowning. The total crowning amount of that crowning and the crowning amount of each raceway surface and rolling surface are set to preferred values. This allows reduction of the rolling friction of the internal and outer rings and the tapered roller, and the rotation torque of the tapered roller bearing according to the present invention.
US08641281B1
A method and structures are provided for implementing a low profile sliding drawer used in information technology equipment (ITE). A low-profile slide mechanism having a substantially horizontal cross section telescopes outwardly a predefined length and includes a plurality of rail sections that are interconnected with shouldered T pins, with sliding of the rail sections occurring on the T pin shoulders spacing apart the rail sections from an associated base pan and drawer. Each of the rail sections is movable a set amount of an overall length of the slide mechanism. The low-profile slide mechanism is friction based and includes different predefined selected materials forming the shouldered T pins and the rail sections to prevent galling and having predefined rigidity and strength.
US08641273B2
Faulty battery detecting and locating devices and methods are able to detect and locate a faulty battery cell. The device applies an energy to a sensing member, such as a polymeric tube containing at least two polymer-coated and twisted electric wires. Heat that is generated by a faulty battery triggers an electric communication between the two electric wires by melting at least a portion of the polymer. The resulting change in resistance between the two electric wires is used to detect and locate a faulty battery.
US08641268B2
Platform escapement assembly (1) comprising a balance (3) with a roller (4), a balance spring (5), and escape wheel (6) controlled by a pallet lever (7) cooperating with said roller (4).An escapement bridge (10) comprises, on both sides of a bottom surface (11), first (20) and second (21) spacers respectively comprising first (22) and second (23) bearing surfaces for receiving first (24) and second (25) complementary surfaces of a balance cock (30) on both sides of a top surface (11A), and said top surface (11A) is more flexible in bending than said bottom surface (11), so as to allow mobility, as a result of a perpendicular force applied to said top surface (11A), of said first complementary surface (24) relative to said first bearing surface (22) when said second complementary surface (25) is locked in position on said second bearing (23) surface.
US08641267B2
A fluidic device, the fluidic device comprising a planar fluidic conduit for conducting a fluid, wherein the fluidic conduit has a plurality of fluidic disturbance features located along at least a section of the fluidic conduit for disturbing a laminar flow of the fluid along the section.
US08641265B2
The invention relates to a cylindrical tank for the thermal treatment of a food product, of the type including heating and/or cooling means of the food product, in addition to a mixer housed so as to be revolving in its interior. The tank has a cylindrical mantle, closed by a rear bottom and a front cover, there also being means (for feeding the product inside the tank. At least one temperature sensor of the food product is also situated in correspondence with this cover, with a sensitive part which, when the cover is closed, is in contact with the product contained in the tank.
US08641260B2
A complex circuit board including a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) and a flexible printed circuit (FPC) for providing driving signals for light sources is disclosed. The PCBA includes a supporting portion and a connecting portion. The light sources are disposed above the supporting portion. The connection portion contacts electrically with a contacting portion of the FPC. The contacting portion of the FPC has a fixing hole. The connecting portion of the PCBA has a fixing portion. Moreover, the FPC has two or more than two first bend portions on the contacting portion. The fixing portion of the PCBA is inserted into the fixing hole of the FPC to complete the complex circuit board without extra attachment units. Therefore, the assembly procedure is simplified to increase throughput and the cost is reduced.
US08641257B2
A light guide with optics guides light exiting the guide. The device achieves accurate control of the reflected light by extracting light from a limited area of the light guide. The configuration of the reflectors used for the selective extraction determines the nature of the output light. The reflectors may be located on a side of the light guide opposite to an output side of the light guide.
US08641255B2
There is provided a backlight unit. The backlight unit includes a light guiding plate, a light source module including a substrate provided with a circuit wiring and a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) blocks each including one or more LED mounted on the substrate to be positioned vertically with respect to the substrate, the one or more LED being disposed to face a side surface of the light guiding plate, a bottom chassis including a base and a sidewall upwardly extending from a circumference of the base, and accommodating the light source module and the light guiding plate in such a manner that the one or more LED is disposed to be adjacent to the sidewall, and a driving unit controlling a current signal applied to each of the plurality of LED blocks to thereby control brightness for each LED block.
US08641235B2
A patient module for use in a medical setting is provided. The patient module includes a patient seating assembly and at least one of a medical instrument for use in providing treatment to a patient. At least one member having an articulated joint is provided. The member has a first end configured for engagement with a structure and a second end configured for engagement with a light for illuminating a treatment area of the patient. A display screen is carried by the light for displaying images for viewing by the patient. The display screen may be integrally formed with the light within a housing.
US08641230B1
Zoom lens systems for LED-based spotlights include a base lens and a disk lens. The base lens can be a TIR lens with convex microlenses on a front surface. The disk lens can be generally planar. A rear surface of the disk lens can have concave microlenses complementary to the microlenses on the front surface of the base lens. A front surface of the disk lens can have convex microlenses with a different geometry from the microlenses on the front surface of the base lens. The disk lens can be movable relative to the base lens from a narrow-angle position in which a rear surface of the disk lens is in contact with a front surface of the base lens to a wide-angle position in which the rear surface of the disk lens is separated from the front surface of the base lens.
US08641229B2
The present invention relates to lighting strips and more particularly to flexible lighting systems and devices, which are waterproof. The lighting strips are modular and are capable of being physically and electrically connected with one another to provide lighting systems that are waterproof and adaptable to many situations. Included in embodiments of the invention are modular lighting strips comprising: a non-conductive substrate strip comprising an electrical circuit; a plurality of high brightness LEDs operably connected to the electrical circuit; a colloid layer comprising polyurethane resin providing a waterproof coating over the substrate, the circuit, and the LEDs; and a plug at one end and a socket at an opposing end of the substrate which is integrally formed with the strip to provide for waterproof electrical interconnection of two or more circuits or to a power supply. The lighting strips of the invention can be used in particular for back lighting, accent lighting, aisle or path lighting, contour lighting, elegant interior decoration, holiday decorations, or landscape lighting.
US08641225B2
A flashlight zooming structure includes a main body and a zooming assembly screwed on one end of a neck of the main body and configured as follows. A transparent lamp cup is received in a cup seat. The cup seat has outwardly extending lugs respectively received in channels formed on the inner periphery of the cap. A ring has oblique notches respectively connected with the lugs of the cup seat. A middle annular element has projections respectively fitted in recesses of the ring and has hooks respectively engaged with engaging grooves of the cap. To illuminate a distant or nearby target, the zooming assembly is rotated in the desired direction so that the light emitted by a lighting unit at one end of the neck of the main body is projected outward through the transparent lamp cup as a convergent or divergent light beam.
US08641218B2
The present invention provides a backlight module and a lamp socket structure thereof. The lamp socket uses a conductive sleeve to receive and electrically connect to a lead wire of a backlight lamp, and the conductive sleeve is extended downward to form two elastic plug plates for connecting to two elastic receptacle plates of a conductive receptacle. Then, the conductive receptacle is further connected to an insulation base. The design of the present invention can efficiently avoid the lamp breakage problem due to vibrations of lead wires, so as to surely increase the stability of mounting lamps and the reliability of electrically connecting to the lamps.
US08641214B1
A laminar liquid motion display includes a pair of outer films and a flow separator film. The flow separator film is perforated with a number of flow holes and is sandwiched between the outer films. The films may be sealed along their periphery thereby forming a generally laminar chamber which may contain two interconnected compartments. A fluid is disposed within the chamber and may circulate between the two compartments via the flow holes in the flow separator film. The fluid may include any number of generally immiscible components which may be colored in order to make the motion of the fluid easily visible. A lamp or candle may be disposed in the proximity of the chamber in order to illuminate the fluid and power its motion by convection. The chamber may be curved concentrically around the lamp or candle and may provide the functionality of a lampshade.
US08641209B2
Described herein are devices that provide projection-type video output in a portable and flexible design. The design includes a projection chamber, a base, and an interface that permits relative positioning between the projection chamber and base. The base maintains the position of the display device. The projection chamber includes components responsible for the production of images based on received video data and components responsible for the projection of those images. Relative pointing between the projection chamber and base allows the projection chamber to be pointed—and an output projected image to be positioned—with minimal effort.
US08641204B2
A projector including: a light source; a light modulation device modulating a light emitted from the light source in accordance with an image signal for each of colored lights for color display; a projection optical system projecting each of the colored lights modulated by the light modulation device; an operation accepting section; a registration adjustment section performing correction of the image signal corresponding to each of the colored lights based on an operation accepted by the operation accepting section so that a displacement occurring in at least one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction in a projection screen between the colored lights is reduced, and supply the light modulation device with the image signal corrected if the displacement occurs; and a correction direction display control section displaying a correction direction, in which the correction of the image signal is performed, as an icon indicating a direction.
US08641202B2
A projection display device includes: a light modulator for modulating light from a light source; a polarizer disposed at a position facing the light modulator; a cooling section for allowing an air to flow in a space between the light modulator and the polarizer; and an air deflector for deflecting the air flowing in the space between the light modulator and the polarizer toward the polarizer.
US08641200B2
A projection type display device includes a lamp, polarization means (21) for converting light emitted from the lamp to polarized light, a liquid crystal panel for modulating the polarized light to form an image light, a projection lens (7) for projecting the image light, fans (11R, 12G, 23B) for taking outside air in and for supplying the outside air to the polarization means and the liquid crystal panel, a filter for collecting dust contained in the outside air, a first detection means for detecting temperature T1 of the outside air, a first control means for controlling the number of revolutions of the fan in response to temperature T1, a second detection means for detecting temperature T2 of the polarization means, a storage means for storing reference temperature T3, and a second control means. The second control means issues a warning or stops the projection type display device when temperature T2 is higher than reference temperature T3.
US08641190B2
A pair of the 3D glasses having safety device comprises a glasses frame and a pair of temples pivotally mounted on the glasses frame. Each of the pair of temples comprises a joint extreme having a pivot seat with an axle bore and an aperture connecting to the axle bore. The pair of temples is capable of being dislocated from the glasses frame.
US08641189B2
Eyewear comprising a lens frame, at least one earpiece, and at least one extension element is disclosed. The extension element is moveable between a retracted position, wherein the element is partially or completely hidden behind the eyepiece, and an extended position, wherein the element is positioned below the earpiece. The earpiece may include a recess for receiving the extension element in a nested relationship when the extension element is in the retracted position.
US08641184B2
Provided is a recording medium conveying mechanism including an endless center conveying belt and endless side conveying belts, the endless center conveying belt and the endless side conveying belts being looped over a driving roller to be driven by a motor, a driven roller and a tension roller. The center conveying belt is positioned in a center in a width direction of a recording medium to be conveyed, and the side conveying belts are positioned on opposite sides in a width direction of the center conveying belt, respectively. The center conveying belt includes a material with a high elastic modulus while the side conveying belts include a material with a low elastic modulus, and a biasing member for providing a tension to the center conveying belt and the side conveying belts is provided on a shaft of the tension roller.
US08641174B2
A liquid ejection head including a piezoelectric element having a piezoelectric layer and electrodes The piezoelectric layer is 3 μm or less in thickness. The piezoelectric layer is made of a piezoelectric material including bismuth manganate ferrate and barium titanate. The piezoelectric layer is preferentially oriented with the (110) plane.
US08641167B2
A maintenance apparatus for a printhead, the apparatus having a rotatable shaft; a porous material about the shaft; and a mechanism for rotating the shaft so that the porous material rotates against the printhead, the porous material being configured to absorb fluid from the printhead during the rotation.
US08641166B2
The present invention generally relates to a printing apparatus including one or more print heads for depositing printing fluid onto a substrate, wherein the apparatus comprises a maintenance unit for the one or more print heads. The present invention further relates to a method for cleaning one or more print heads from adhering printing fluid. The present invention also relates to the use of the apparatus in the automated manufacture of a contact lens, in particular a silicone hydrogel contact lens.
US08641163B2
An imaging device includes a substantially continuous web of media, and a web transport system configured to transport the continuous web along a web path. A print station is positioned along the web path and is configured to apply ink to the continuous web. A temperature leveling ink spreader is disposed along the web path downstream from the print station. The temperature leveling ink spreader includes a leveler roller including a heater configured to generate thermal energy to heat the leveler roller to a spreading temperature. The leveler roller is positioned to be partially wrapped by the continuous web to generate a predetermined dwell time between the continuous web and the leveler roller as the continuous web is being transported to equalize the temperatures of the web and ink on the web to within a predetermined range about the spreading temperature. The temperature leveling ink spreader includes a pressure roller positioned adjacent the leveler roller to form a spreading nip therebetween through which the continuous web is fed after the predetermined dwell time. The spreading nip is configured to apply a predetermined pressure to the continuous web and the ink thereon.
US08641159B2
Provided is a liquid ejecting apparatus including: a first nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting a liquid is lined up in a predetermined direction; a second nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting a liquid is lined up in the predetermined direction; and a controller which determines whether or not correction is performed based on a ruled-line direction and the number of dots in a ruled-line width direction, when a ruled line is printed by forming dots by the first nozzle array and then forming dots by the second nozzle array.
US08641152B2
Methods and systems are provided to reduce a hard brake pedal feel. A brake control variable is adjusted in anticipation of a hard pedal condition to increase hydraulic brake line pressure and maintain a normal pedal feel. A pedal force is inferred from brake line pressure relative to brake booster vacuum.
US08641142B2
A device configured to be installed in a vehicle seat for estimating an occupant weight. The device includes a bladder and a pressure sensor. The bladder is configured to define a cavity characterized as having a center of gravity. The bladder is effective to retain a fluid and pressurize the fluid in response to an occupant weight upon the bladder. The bladder is also configured to define an opening to the cavity. The pressure sensor is coupled directly to the opening in a manner effective to seal the opening and locate the pressure sensor proximate to the center of gravity. The pressure sensor provides a pressure signal indicative of the occupant weight.
US08641136B2
A vehicle panel with a folded-over or wrapped edge is disclosed. The vehicle panel comprises a main body portion. The main body portion includes a first layer and a second layer. The first layer is formed of a substantially rigid material and has a first surface, a second surface and an edge. The second layer is coupled to the second surface of the first layer and formed of a substantially flexible material. The vehicle panel also comprises a flap integrally formed with the main body portion at the edge and comprises at least the second layer. The vehicle panel further comprises a hinge separating the flap from the main body portion, the hinge is defined by at least a portion of the first layer having a reduced thickness. The flap is folded back about the hinge towards the first surface of the first layer to substantially conceal the edge.
US08641132B2
A hydraulically damping mount includes a support bearing and a seat which are supported on each other by a hollow conical spring element made of an elastomeric material. The support bearing is shaped essentially as a double-T and includes two annular radial flanges that are connected to each other via a centrally positioned connecting tube so as to be adjacent to each other at an axial distance from each other and so as to delimit the mount on a front on both sides. A working chamber and a compensation chamber are filled with damping fluid and are separated from each other, on respective axially facing sides, via a partition having a damping channel which connects the chambers to each other so as to convey the fluid. The partition is joined to the seat and has an annular shape that surrounds and seals the connection tube.
US08641131B2
In a frame structure for a vehicle having a reinforcement body provided inside a frame body, the frame body comprises a first face portion and a second face portion extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to a rotational-axis direction of a bending moment occurring when a torsional load acts on a vehicle body, and third face portions positioned between the first and second face portions, and the reinforcement body comprises third-face connection portions connected to the third face portions, a first-face connection portion connected to the first face portion at a corner portion, a first-face non-contact portion provided away from the first face portion, a second-face connection portion connected to the second face portion at a corner portion, and a second-face non-contact portion provided away from the second face portion.
US08641130B2
A vehicle cowl cover includes a main body and a first yielding portion. The main body includes a first lateral end portion defining a first end edge and a second lateral end portion defining a second end edge. The first yielding portion is attached along a majority of the first end edge such that the first yielding portion at least partially forms a first end surface of the first lateral end portion. The first yielding portion has a first elasticity greater than a second elasticity of the main body.
US08641124B1
A hinge for a foldable tonneau cover is provided and has two pivotal members, a base member and two detachable screwing assemblies. Each of the pivotal members is connected to at least one frame member of a frame section and has at least one first through hole. The base member has at least two second through holes, each of which is corresponding to the first through hole of each of the pivotal members. Each of the detachable screwing assemblies has a bolt member and a nut member. The bolt member has a thread rod, the nut member has a thread hole provided with a tight fitting member inserted therein, and the thread rod of the bolt member is screw-connected to the thread hole of the nut member and tightly fitted with the tight fitting member in the thread hole.
US08641122B2
A decklid assembly for a vehicle includes a first panel and a second panel spaced apart from the first panel to define a void therebetween. The decklid assembly also includes a deployable handle assembly at least partially disposed within the void and including a mounting element and a handle. The mounting element defines a cavity therein and is configured for attaching to at least one of the first panel and the second panel, wherein the mounting element extends into the void and abuts the first panel and the second panel. The handle is pivotably attached to the mounting element and is configured for transitioning between a stowed position wherein the handle covers the cavity, and a deployed position wherein the handle does not cover the cavity. A vehicle including the decklid assembly is also disclosed.
US08641115B2
The present invention relates to an under-actuated robotic finger with joint locking mechanisms, including: a base body; a first finger part coupled rotatably to the base body; a second finger part coupled rotatably to the first finger part; a first hinge part adapted to rotatably connect the base body and the first finger part; a second hinge part adapted to rotatably connect the first finger part and the second finger part; a first locking mechanism adapted to restrict the rotation of the first finger part; and a second locking mechanism adapted to restrict the rotation of the second finger part.
US08641112B1
A handheld device for collecting, retaining, and discarding small metallic debris located on a desk surface. The body of the device includes two main components: A reservoir for collecting metallic debris and a hollow magnet housing that contains a permanent magnet and a raising mechanism. The magnet is placed inside the magnet housing and is capable of being raised and lowered. When the magnet is in its low position, its magnetic field extends beyond the reservoir thus attracting metallic debris to the top surface of the reservoir. To discard the collected metallic debris, the magnet is raised via the raising mechanism to a position in which the metallic debris is no longer within the magnetic field. Several mechanical raising mechanisms are disclosed.
US08641107B2
A latch apparatus is disclosed comprising a latch supporting member and a latch member pivotally connected to the latch supporting member. The latch member comprises an extendable handle arm member. The latch apparatus further comprises a tray member connected to the latch supporting member and a cage member connected to the tray member. According to an exemplary embodiment, the latch member further comprises an engagement arm member comprising a first engaging member. Alternatively, the latch member further comprises a resilient member comprising a first engaging member. Moreover, the extendable handle arm member comprises a second engaging member. Furthermore, the latch supporting member comprises a third engaging member and a fourth engaging member. When the extendable handle arm member is in a latched position, the first engaging member is engaged with the cage member and the third engaging member, and the second engaging member is engaged with the fourth engaging member.
US08641098B2
A belt retractor frame, which is suitable for fixing in a vehicle. The belt retractor frame has: at least one hook for hooking the belt refractor frame into a vehicle panel and at least one bent tab, which produces a preload with the vehicle panel after the at least one hook has been hooked in.
US08641084B2
The invention relates to a mounting (4) for an inflatable airbag (6) module intended to be fitted on a lower face (3) of a motor vehicle dashboard (2). This mounting forms a firing channel in which the airbag is guided in order to be deployed towards the passenger compartment through the dashboard (2). It comprises an upper wall (9) intended to be fixed to the lower face (3) of the dashboard (2) and an upper face (18) to which the module (6) is intended to be fixed. This mounting (4) has a top portion (7) and a bottom portion (8) which are secured rigidly to one another and are produced from two different materials, with the material of the top portion (7) being more flexible than the material of the bottom portion (8). The invention applies to motor vehicle safety.
US08641078B2
A foldable wheelchair comprises a body, a first support rod, a second support rod, a backrest rack and a connecting unit. The backrest rack is provided with a first support tube swingably disposed on the first support rod and a second support tube swingably disposed on the second support rod. The first and second support tubes can be separated from each other and swing outwardly by the connecting unit, which facilitates the folding operation of the wheelchair, such a wheelchair is small and is convenient to carry.
US08641068B1
A side bar made according to this invention includes a rail that forms a channel which receives a clip. The clip is moveable along the channel to any vehicle or step mounting point desired. Once in its desired location, the clip helps to secure the rail to the bracket. When the rail is secured to a vehicle frame, the rail hides the vehicle mounting brackets from view and, when fully assembled with a step, hides the step mounting bracket from view. Because the mounting brackets are not visible, and because the step is complementary in shape to the rail, the rail gives the appearance of supporting the step.
US08641057B2
A wagon includes a wagon pan including a wagon pan sidewall and a footwell including a footwell sidewall and a bottom. The wagon pan and footwell are adapted to be shipped in a nesting configuration and fastened together with the wagon pan on top of the footwell to form a body of the wagon. A handle and a number of are wheels adapted to be connected to the body of the wagon. The handle and wheels may also be shipped in a nested configuration with respect to the footwell.
US08641054B2
A wearable device configured to selectively provide roller transportation, the wearable device including a shoe, a plurality of wheel assemblies, each wheel assembly being configured to selectively roll relative to a ground surface about an associated axis of rotation, and a frame connected between the wheel assemblies, the frame comprising a trunk and a plurality of branches extending from the trunk, each of the branches being configured for connection to at least one of the plurality of wheel assemblies, wherein at least a portion of the shoe is located vertically higher than at least a portion of the frame when at least one of the wheel assemblies is in contact with the ground surface and the at least one of the wheel assemblies is positioned to selectively roll relative to the ground surface.
US08641049B2
Several preferred embodiments are disclosed for a tool-less blade clamping apparatus for a reciprocating tool of the type which has a reciprocating plunger which has a tool attachment receiving slot for receiving a tool attachment of the type that has a shank portion. The clamping apparatus has an unclamped position and a clamped position. In the unclamped position, a tool attachment can be easily inserted and when it is in its clamped position, the tool attachment is securely retained. The preferred embodiments have at least one spring biasing the apparatus toward the clamped position, a releasable retaining mechanism for holding the apparatus in its unclamped position after being placed in that position. When the blade shank portion is inserted into the slot a predetermined distance, the shoulders of the shank portion release the retaining mechanism to move it to its clamped position. When a blade is to be removed, the clamping apparatus needs only to be moved to its unclamped position by manually rotating the outer sleeve or collar, and the blade is normally ejected from the mechanism by contact with the blade shoulders as it reaches its unclamped position.
US08641036B2
A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet accommodating unit which is detachably attached to an apparatus main body and configured to accommodate sheets, a sheet stacking unit which is provided in the sheet accommodating unit and can move while supporting the sheet, a sheet feeding unit configured to feed the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking unit, and a lift unit configured to move the sheet stacking unit toward the sheet feeding unit, wherein, before feeding of the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking unit by the sheet feeding unit, the lift unit increases and then reduces press contact force between the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking unit and the sheet feeding unit.
US08641031B2
A sheet feeder stackable in multiple levels and attachable to an image forming apparatus. The sheet feeder includes a drive source, a drive transmission unit, a first drive coupling unit, a second drive coupling unit, a sheet feed roller, and a grip roller. During operation of multiple sheet feeders stacked in the multiple levels, the drive transmission unit and the first drive coupling unit, both provided to a given sheet feeder of the multiple sheet feeders, are coupled to each other, and the first drive coupling unit of the given sheet feeder is coupled to the grip roller of an adjacent sheet feeder disposed immediately below the given sheet feeder to drive the grip roller of each of the multiple sheet feeders substantially in synchrony.
US08641027B2
A turntable for a wrapping machine for rotating an article to be wrapped up, the turntable including a rotatable round cover plate comprising two grooves in parallel with each other and arranged at a distance from each other that corresponds to the distance between the forks of the lifting fork of a pallet truck, wherein the grooves extend from the edge of the cover plate on both sides of the diameter of the cover plate and in parallel to the diameter, and wherein the grooves are adapted to receive the forks of the lifting fork so that the article to be wrapped up can be conveyed by the pallet truck onto the cover plate to be supported by it, and respectively off the cover plate.
US08641023B2
The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a spring for a timepiece, including the following steps: (a) forming a body using first and second metallic materials secured to each other; (b) decreasing the section of the body; and winding the body to form the spring. The invention also relates to the spring obtained via the method. The invention concerns the field of regulating members for timepieces.
US08641018B2
The invention relates to a method and an associated device for intermittently enriching and dispersing drinking water with gases, particularly CO2 and/or O2, wherein the water is supplied to a mixing device (5) by means of a miniature pump (3), particularly an electromagnetic oscillating piston pump with a low supply volume and the greater throughput volume required for the tap process is realized by the gas flowing into the mixing device (5).
US08641017B2
Device for absorption of at least one component chosen among gas and vapor in a liquid based on an ejector principle, comprising a mixing zone in the form of a substantially straight tube (5) immediately downstream of the ejector (1). The device comprises an ejector (1) with central liquid passage (2) and a substantially annular, sectioned aperture (4) for gas/vapor. The gas aperture (4) generally surrounds the central liquid passage (2) and the annular, sectioned aperture (4) for gas/vapor is designed in a manner to cause the gas/vapor to enter the mixing zone with a velocity component that is inclined to the periphery surface of the tube to thereby provide a helical flow (6) downstream of the ejector (1).
US08641010B2
The invention provides a valve comprising a tube for guiding movement of a plunger, a solenoid which can be arranged about the tube, and a yoke which can be positioned in an operational position relative to the tube and relative to the solenoid so that it provides a magnetic path between the solenoid and portions of the tube. The yoke engages the tube and thereby prevents removal of the solenoid from tube. The invention thereby provides a very simple valve design with a low amount of components. The invention further provides a method of making a valve including fixing a solenoid to a tube by use of a yoke which engages the tube.
US08641007B2
An exhibiting rack for loading a billboard or bulletin board is disclosed. The rack includes a fixed frame and a movable frame. The movable frame is mounted by a board to be exhibited and linearly slidable against the fixed frame. The movable frame is disposed on the fixed frame and an extension stem is disposed therebetween. A fixed end and action end of the extension stem are connected to the fixed frame and movable frame, respectively. The extension stem exerts a force on the movable frame to support the movable frame with a board to a desired height.
US08640995B2
A vortex generator system comprises one or more plasma streamwise vortex generators (PSVGs) or plasma wedge vortex generators (PWVGs). The PSVGs and PWVGs each comprises a first electrode and a second electrode separated by a dielectric layer. The first electrode extends in a longitudinal direction. The PSVGs and PWVGs can be installed on a surface arranged to receive airflow in a certain flow direction. The PSVGs have a rectangular first electrode is exposed and extends at least somewhat parallel to the expected flow direction, whereas the first electrode of the PWVGs is more triangular in shape. When an AC voltage is applied to the first and second electrodes, a plasma forms along edges of the first electrode. The plasma imposes a body force in a cross-flow direction, which induces a cross-flow velocity that, in combination with the mean flow, produces streamwise-oriented counter-rotating vortices.
US08640992B2
A drill-elastic and flexurally rigid rod element (10) for supporting and guiding a movable flap (24) relatively to a wing (26) of an aircraft, wherein the rod element encompasses a cross-shaped profile cross section and first and second fastening sections (20, 22) and is made of a fiber composite material and the rod element can be fastened to the wing in a fixed manner via the first fastening sections (20) and to the flap (24) via the second fastening sections (22). The rod element and the fastening sections are laminated from a plurality of unidirectional, preimpregnated fibrous layers—prepreg layers—which are bonded to one another in the area of the fastening sections as well as in the cross-shaped cross section core area (28) and which are separated from one another in each case by a separating film inserted between the prepreg layers outside of the areas.
US08640988B2
An aircraft landing gear comprising: an arm mounted to a pivot and carrying one or more wheel assemblies; and a composite leaf spring which is coupled to the arm and arranged to provide a resilient biasing force which opposes rotation of the arm about the pivot. The arm can be made relatively stiff in comparison with the leaf spring, so that load is transferred directly into the pivot without a large amount of bending of the leg. The leaf spring shock absorber typically has a reduced part count compared with a conventional oleo-pneumatic shock absorber. By forming the leaf spring from a composite material, its weight is significantly reduced in comparison with a conventional metal spring, making it suitable for use on a relatively large aircraft.
US08640984B2
A ducted fan for a helicopter includes a transverse duct and a counter-torque device supported within the duct. The counter-torque device includes a rotor rotatably mounted within the duct and a stator fixedly mounted within the duct downstream from the rotor. The rotor includes a rotor hub having a rotor axis, and rotor blades extending from the hub. The Rotor blades have a modulated angular distribution about the rotor axis. The stator includes a stator hub, and a plurality of stator vanes distributed around the stator hub. The stator vanes are angularly modulated around the stator hub.
US08640962B2
The radio-frequency identification device includes embedded in an envelope a substrate on one face of which an antenna is produced and a chip connected to the antenna is positioned, a potting locally covering the substrate face level with the chip, an intermediate layer made of a magnetic superconductor material placed against the substrate on the antenna side, the intermediate layer having dimensions greater than those of the antenna so as to be able to cover the antenna and having a cavity arranged so that the potting and the chip can be approximately completely housed therein.
US08640956B2
A system for accessing content corresponding to a matrix barcode, such as a video and/or audio content. The system may include a mobile computing device in communication with a content receiver. The mobile computing device may be configured to capture the matrix barcode, for example, via using an optical component and/or barcode scanner to record and/or scan the matrix barcode. The mobile computing device may also include a network interface component configured to transmit the matrix barcode to the content receiver. The content receiver may then receive the matrix barcode from the mobile computing device. The content receiver may include a processor to determine and/or access the content corresponding to the matrix barcode. The content receiver may then transmit the content to a display device.
US08640953B2
A decoding system runs on a mobile device and is coupled to a payment system. The decoding engine decodes signals produced from a read of a 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 payment system, in communication with the transaction engine, includes at least one of, a user database, a product database, and transaction database.
US08640943B2
Productivity is to be improved in assembling a semiconductor integrated circuit device. A matrix substrate is provided and semiconductor chips are disposed on a first heating stage, then the matrix substrate is disposed above the semiconductor chips on the first heating stage, subsequently the semiconductor chips and the matrix substrate are bonded to each other temporarily by thermocompression bonding while heating the chips directly by the first heating stage, thereafter the temporarily bonded matrix substrate is disposed on a second heating stage adjacent to the first heating stage, and then on the second heating stage the semiconductor chips are thermocompression-bonded to the matrix substrate while being heated directly by the second heating stage.
US08640938B2
The appliance comprises a piston mounted in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine and forming, with a cylinder head, a combustion chamber in which there is disposed a mixing, emptying and cooling fan associated with an electric drive motor (8) connected to an electronic management module and to a supply battery. It also comprises, close to the fan motor (8), a thermistor (12) sensitive to the temperature provided for transmitting the temperature information to the management module.
US08640936B2
An apparatus and system for securing an item to a vehicle is disclosed. The apparatus includes an elongated cable, a retraction member, a coupling member, and a locking mechanism. The elongated cable is retractably received within the retraction member. The coupling member is secured to the retraction member. The coupling member is engageable with a vehicle receiver to secure the coupling member to the vehicle receiver. The vehicle receiver shaped to receive a separate hitch mounted accessory. The engagement between the coupling member and the vehicle receiver, in certain embodiments, is designed such that the vehicle receiver is accessible for receiving the separate hitch mounted accessory with the coupling member engaged with the vehicle receiver.
US08640929B2
A fluid dispenser member (2), such as a pump, including a body (21) that is provided with an inlet sleeve (22) that defines an axis X, a dip tube (3) having an end (31) that is fitted in the inlet sleeve (22), and a decorative unit (7) including a decorative element (72) that extends in the proximity of the dip tube (3). The unit also includes a support member (71) that is fastened around the inlet sleeve (22), the support member (71) including a reception housing (711) for receiving the inlet sleeve (22) and localized connection means (712) that are situated beside the reception housing, the decorative element (72) being connected to the support member (71) at the connection means (712).
US08640921B2
The invention relates to a device for dispensing a fixed dose of fluid, the device comprising at least one barrel; at least one plunger at least partially enclosed within the barrel; a motion conversion mechanism for transferring actuated pressure force applied outside the barrel into movement of the at least one plunger in a dispensing direction, wherein the motion conversion mechanism comprises at least one rotating gear; and a releasing mechanism for disconnecting the plunger from the motion conversion mechanism, wherein at a released position the at least one plunger can move in a direction opposite to the dispensing direction, independent of a rotational movement of the at least one gear, and wherein the movement of the plunger in the opposite direction to the dispensing enables loading the fluid into the barrel.
US08640920B2
A method of forming and filling a pouch, comprises forming opposing walls of a film; sealing the opposing walls of film together to form at least one pouch; filling an interior section of the at least one pouch through an opening in an upper portion of the at least one pouch with a flowable material; forming a top sealed expressing-shaped region to close the opening in the at least one pouch; and cradling the pouch with a foldable flat that is more rigid than the pouch that can be folded or rolled to compress the pouch to express the flowable material through the expressing shaped region.
US08640918B2
A material transfer system for storing, transferring and dispensing viscous material, such as fluids and liquids, includes a material containment vessel with an upper region incorporating a motive force and a bottom region with a material ingress and egress opening. A diconical or other shaped force transfer device is located in the material containment area. The force transfer device is an energy transducer when the material containment is filled with highly viscous materials, such as adhesives, sealants, mastics or lubricating greases. The force transfer device serves as an integral part of a level indicator for both viscous fluids and lower viscosity liquids. The viscous material itself forms a seal between the interface region of the force transfer device and the inside wall of the fluid vessel. Vertical stabilizing elements may extend outward from the force transfer device.
US08640917B2
A multiple-use dispenser (1) for articles contained in blister-type packages (100), in particular for pharmaceutical products such as pills, tablets, capsules and like articles, comprising a housing (2) with at least one opening for dispensing an article from a blister-type package contained therein, The housing (2) comprises a front and a rear sheet (3,4) which are interconnected with each other along their longitudinal edges and have a closed end (5) and an open end (6) on opposite longitudinal ends thereof. The front and rear sheets (3, 4) each are provided with at least one opening (30,40) which are in permanent registry with one another. A shutter sheet (9) is provided within the housing (2) and adapted to be moved longitudinally from a first end position, in which the openings (30, 40) are closed by the shutter (9) to a second end position, in which an aperture (90) of the shutter sheet (9) is in registry with the openings (30, 40) in the front and rear sheets (3, 4). Between the shutter sheet (9) and the front sheet (3) of the housing (2) there is provided a compartment (11) for a blister-type package (100).
US08640908B2
A slow cooker is provided which comprises a cooking body having a hollow cavity, a liner container received in the hollow cavity, a lid selectively engageable with the liner container, and a locking assembly for locking the lid with the cooking body. The locking assembly is hinged at one side of the cooking body at one end and selectively engaged with an opposite side of the cooking body at the other end, with the locking assembly being disposed above the lid.
US08640904B2
A flow control valve is described and which includes a first portion, and a second portion, and wherein the first portion rotates relative to the second portion and wherein the invention further includes a rigid locking member which cooperates with a resilient sealing and biasing member which is carried to positions which, on the one hand, either seals the vessel to prevent the escape of fluid from the vessel, or which allows the convenient dispensing of fluid from the vessel.
US08640891B2
A storage carousel is disclosed which includes multiple vertically displaced carousel frames (1) independently rotatable on a common axis (6). Each of the carousel frames has ridges (5) for removable mounting a plurality of storage bins (9, 10, 11 and 12) in side-by-side relationship for access by a user.
US08640882B2
A compact fluid purification device includes a housing having an inlet for receiving unfiltered liquid and an open end and a first valve disposed within the inlet and being configured to only permit unfiltered liquid to flow into a hollow interior of the housing. The device has a plunger that is movable between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position. Movement of the plunger toward the fully extended position causes unfiltered liquid to be drawn into the interior of the housing and the device includes a second valve disposed within the outlet and being configured to only permit filtered liquid to be discharged from the plunger housing. The unfiltered liquid is filtered when the plunger is moved toward the fully retracted position causing the unfiltered liquid in the interior to flow into the inside of the filter elements and then across the filter elements and into the outlet.
US08640871B2
Rugged stackable merchandise tray containers are provided with right-angled mounting tabs at the inner corners of the top panel of two load supporting casing formed at the two ends of the tray container. The right-angled mounting tabs are engageable with rectangular mounting openings formed at the bottom of the bottom panel when two tray containers are stacked one on top of another. The mounting provide resistance to accidental external impact exerted to the stack. At least one trapezoidal shape pull-out tabs are also provided at the edge portion of the bottom panel, which are engageable with aligned mounting slots formed at the top panel of the load supporting casings to provide further securement of the stacked tray containers as well as enhanced resistance to external impact to the stack.
US08640865B2
A closure attachable over the opening of a container that selectively facilitates mixing of a component (e.g., supplement, vitamins, etc.) of any appropriate form (e.g., powders, flakes, liquids) with a liquid in the container to create a mixture. In one aspect, the closure includes a body, a storage compartment within the body, a nozzle movably received on the annular wall, a cap receivable over a portion of the body and the nozzle, an annular pull strip surrounding the body and spacing the first end of the cap from an outer collar of the body, and a plunger disposed within the storage compartment that is adapted to selectively break a seal to allow for mixing between the component and the liquid.
US08640862B2
An on-machine-seamable industrial belt and method of forming an on-machine-seamable industrial belt including the steps of providing a base structure having first and second edges, providing a seam connecting the first and second edges, and laminating a layer onto the base structure and the seam.
US08640846B2
A wet clutch includes a rotatable hub and a rotatable drum having an aperture extending therethrough. A plurality of outer clutch plates are fixed for rotation with the drum. A plurality of inner clutch plates are fixed for rotation with the hub and interleaved with the outer clutch plates. A piston is moveable to apply a force to the inner and outer clutch plates to transfer torque between the hub and the drum. A cover is moveable relative to the drum between first and second positions. The cover selectively restricts a flow of fluid through the aperture in the drum when in the first position.
US08640844B2
In a dry clutch, the space between dry-clutch plates and a bearing, which bearing is interposed between a first piston and a second piston, is blocked off. Also provided is a structure for supplying the bearing with lubricating oil, and thus it is possible to provide the dry clutch, without causing upsizing the bearing.
US08640839B2
A control device for a vehicular power transmitting system including a torque converter (6) having a pump impeller (6p), a turbine wheel (6t), a stator wheel (6s) rotatably disposed between the turbine wheel and the pump impeller, and a lock-up clutch (L/U) includes a capacity coefficient control unit (126) that controls a capacity coefficient of the torque converter by controlling rotation of the stator wheel, and the capacity coefficient control unit increases the capacity coefficient of the torque converter based on an amount of heat generated during slip control of the lock-up clutch.
US08640836B2
A device for supporting brake shoes of a drum brake of a vehicle, in particular of a utility vehicle or an agricultural machine, includes a brake carrier, a brake lining carrier and a bearing body, wherein the brake lining carrier is arranged on the brake carrier so as to be swivelable across the bearing body in such a way that the brake lining carrier can be pivoted along a plane of swiveling, the inclination of the plane of swiveling to the brake carrier being variable, and wherein the bearing body has a bearing surface which is rotation-symmetrical about its bearing axis and the front faces of the bearing body have fastening portions for arranging the bearing body on the brake carrier or on the brake lining carrier.
US08640827B2
An adjustable scaffold base for straddling ground level obstructions, such as church pews and other fixed, ground level structures, and supporting an upwardly-extending scaffold tower thereon. The scaffold base incorporates four legs and four elevated, height-adjustable cross beams that allow a scaffold tower to be erected above the height of many fixed, ground level structures. The erected base and tower thereby allow workers to access elevated areas within high-ceilinged buildings, such for performing ceiling repairs, painting, and changing light bulbs.
US08640826B1
A trailer rub rail portable ladder includes a ladder portion and two rub rail mounting members. One end of a hand rail may be attached to each rub rail mounting member. The ladder portion preferably includes two ladder side rails, a plurality of step members and two ladder hinge members. The plurality of step members are retained between the two ladder side rails. The ladder hinge member is attached to one end of the ladder side rail. Each rub rail mounting member includes a rail slot and a pivot hole. A pivot pin is inserted through each ladder hinge member and each rub rail mounting member to pivotally retain thereof relative to each other. The rub rail slots of the two rub rail mounting members are engaged with a rub rail of a truck trailer.
US08640817B2
A steering apparatus (10) responsive to rotation of a handwheel (40) for turning steerable wheels (14, 16) includes a first steering gear (22) actuatable to affect turning of a first set (14) of steerable wheels (14a, 14b) and a second steering gear (24) actuatable to affect turning of a second set (16) of steerable wheels (16a, 16b). A torque transmission device (70) includes an input member (72) connected to the handwheel (40). A first output member (82) is mechanically coupled to the input member (72) and connected to the first steering gear (22) for actuating the first steering gear (22). A second output member (92) is mechanically coupled to the input member (72) and connected to the second steering gear (24) for actuating the second steering gear (24). A sensor (58) senses at least one condition of the handwheel (40) and provides a steering signal to a controller (62) that receives the steering signal and controls rotation of the input member (72) of the torque transmission device (70) for controlling actuation of the first and second steering gears (22, 24).
US08640811B2
A frame-steered vehicle includes a powertrain configured to provide drive torque to a transverse axle in a front vehicle section and at least one transverse axle in a rear vehicle section. At least one longitudinal drive shaft is connected to the at least one transverse axle in the rear vehicle section. At least one controllable longitudinal clutch is variably adjustable between an engaged operational state and a disengaged operational state is arranged in the at least one longitudinal drive shaft.
US08640804B2
A vehicle for towing an airplane by receiving thereupon a nose landing gear of the airplane having an airplane longitudinal axis. The vehicle having a vehicle longitudinal axis and is configured to tow the airplane along a straight or curved path and comprises a controller for directing its operation, including maintaining the vehicle's in-phase position in which the vehicle longitudinal axis is parallel to the airplane longitudinal axis.
US08640796B2
A solar-powered vehicle with regenerative and mechanical braking includes a chassis or frame, a seat mounted to the frame, a rear axle rotatably supported on the frame, spaced apart left and right rear wheels mounted on the rear axle, and at least one front wheel mounted on the frame. The vehicle includes a selectively engageable regenerative braking system and a selectively engageable mechanical braking system. A lever for engaging the braking systems has three positions, wherein at a first position a reed switch on the lever engages a magnetic source, disabling the regenerative braking system. At a second position, the reed switch disengages the magnetic source, enabling the regenerative braking system. At a third position of the lever, the mechanical braking system is engaged.
US08640791B2
A system and method for monitoring underground drilling in which vibration is monitored by creating a model of the drill string using finite element techniques or finite difference techniques and (i) predicting vibration by inputting real time values of operating parameters into the model, and then adjusting the model to agree with measured vibration data, (ii) predicting the weight on bit and drill string and mud motor speeds at which resonance will occur, as well as when stick-slip will occur, so that the operator can avoid operating regimes that will result in high vibration, (iii) determining vibration and torque levels along the length of the drill string based on the measured vibration and torque at one or more locations, (iv) determining the remaining life of critical components of the drill string based on the history of the vibration to which the components have been subjected, and (v) determining the optimum drilling parameters that will avoid excessive vibration of the drill string.
US08640786B2
A percussive augmenter bit includes a connection shaft for mounting the bit onto a rotary drill. In a first modality, an actuator percussively drives the bit, and an electric slip-ring provides power to the actuator while being rotated by the drill. Hammering action from the actuator and rotation from the drill are applied directly to material being drilled. In a second modality, a percussive augmenter includes an actuator that operates as a hammering mechanism that drives a free mass into the bit creating stress pulses that fracture material that is in contact with the bit.
US08640785B2
An agricultural implement system is provided that includes a valve in fluid communication with first and second actuating cylinders and with first and second fluid conduits. The valve is configured to control fluid flow from the first and second fluid conduits to the first and second actuating cylinders. Furthermore, a controller is communicatively coupled to first and second pressure sensors and to the valve. The first pressure sensor is coupled to the first fluid conduit, and the second pressure sensor is coupled to the second fluid conduit. The controller is configured to determine whether the first fluid conduit or the second fluid conduit is supplying fluid to the valve based on signals from the first and second pressure sensors, and to automatically control fluid flow to the first and second actuating cylinders such that wheel assemblies are rotated to a desired angle relative to an implement frame.
US08640774B1
A method of treating a portion of a subterranean formation that includes: providing a water-in-oil emulsion, inverting the water-in-oil emulsion to form a friction reducing treatment solution, and introducing the treatment solution into the portion of the subterranean formation. The water-in-oil emulsion has an oil phase, an aqueous phase and surfactants. The oil phase (O) and an aqueous phase (A) are present at an O/A ratio of from about 1:8 to about 10:1. The oil phase is present as a continuous phase and contains an inert hydrophobic liquid. The aqueous phase is present as a dispersed phase of distinct particles in the oil phase and includes water and a water soluble polymer. The water soluble polymer makes up from 10 to 25 weight percent of the water-in-oil emulsion. The water-in-oil emulsion is inverted by adding it to water to form a friction reducing treatment solution.
US08640771B2
Well fluids in coalbed natural gas reservoirs and other carbonaceous reservoirs are analyzed to determine production factors such as gas content, critical desorption pressure, and/or other reservoir and operational variables. In particular, the partial pressure of methane or a predictor substance, or a methane concentration, are measured and/or determined for the wells and production factors are determined therefrom.
US08640764B2
A flow through fluid pressure vessel of the type containing filter bags formed by a tubular shell, a one-piece cast bottom closure with an integral outlet port fitting welded to one end of the shell, a one-piece cast combination bulkhead and flange ring welded to the opposite end of the shell, a cast inlet fitting inserted through an aperture in the shell and connected to an inlet opening through the bulkhead and welded to the shell aperture. A cast closure/lid forms an inlet plenum with the bulkhead and is releasably sealed over the flange ring.
US08640762B2
A blind slat controller with braking function for rotating and locating blind slats at a certain light obstruction angle. The blind slat controller includes and a base seat and a cord reel having a protruding push body. The push body serves to push a coiled spring to unbind or bind a hub section of the base seat, whereby the cord reel is permitted to rotate or is braked and prevented from rotating. When unbound, a slat control rod can be driven and rotated to control the rotational angle of the blind slats. After the blind slats are rotated to a predetermined light obstruction angle, the cord reel stops rotating. At this time, due to the coiled spring's own elasticity, the coiled spring is restored to again bind the hub section. Accordingly, the cord reel is prevented from rotating to locate the blind slats at the predetermined light obstruction angle.
US08640758B1
A tracer wire applicator preferably includes a base frame, a wire spindle, a tape spindle and a pipe roller. The base frame preferably includes a base frame member, a support frame member and an upper frame member. One end of the upper frame member is removably secured to one end of the base frame member. One end of the support frame member is removably attached to the base frame member and the other end is attached to the upper frame member. The pipe roller is rotatably retained on the other end of the base frame member. The tape spindle extends from the base frame member to rotatably receive a roll of tape. A wire spindle extends from the base frame member to rotatably receive a wire reel. A wire guide tube is preferably retained by the upper frame member.
US08640757B2
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for manufacturing multiple layer composite structures and structures containing components made of multiple layer composite structures, comprising dispensing layers of composite material, trimming each layer to its final shape as it is being dispensed, and positioning it properly with respect to prior layers in the part lay-up.
US08640756B2
Personal sanitary items are manufactured by a machine comprising a first feed system (2) directing a first continuous web (3) of material along a given feed path (P), a device (9) serving to make a succession of absorbent pads and apply the single pads to the first web (3) of material, and a second feed system (19) supplying a second continuous web (20) of material that is bonded ultimately to the first web (3), with the pads sandwiched between, to produce a continuous succession of sanitary items. The pad-making device (9) comprises at least one cutter (12) by which a continuous band (11) of absorbent material is divided up to produce the succession of pads, and the feed path (P) follows a convoluted trajectory substantially of “S” configuration.
US08640753B2
A tire includes at least one structural element which includes at least one reinforcing element, which includes at least one hybrid yarn, the at least one hybrid yarn including a plurality of filaments obtained from at least one first multifilament yarn having a first initial tangent modulus and at least one second multifilament yarn having a second initial tangent modulus, the first and the second initial tangent modulus being different from each other, each one of the first and the second multifilament yarns including a plurality of individual filaments, the individual filaments of each one of the first and the second multifilament yarns being at least partially intermixed with each other. Preferably, the tire is a high performance or ultra high performance tire, or a tire suitable for being employed in sporting contests, such as, track motor races, or a tire suitable for sports utility vehicles.
US08640738B2
An improved tubing device, preferably for use in the medical industry is provided. The tubing device provides a seamless transport path by using the tubing itself as the transport means without any other internally wetted parts, or connections, to provide a substantial reduction in the number of fluid contact components, and eliminate the need for cutting tubes into segments to be later bonded via tubing connectors. This can reduce the risk of contamination of the transported materials and can also reduce the use of chemicals such as adhesives and bonding agents.
US08640719B2
A bottle cleaning machine and to a method for cleaning bottles with a bottle transporting device for transporting the bottles to be cleaned and with spraying nozzles. The bottle transporting device is configured such that the bottles are transported past the spraying nozzles along a substantially spiral transportation path, and preferably about a horizontal axis.
US08640716B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a cosmetic applicator in which a surface of a wide, flat spatula projecting from a shaft includes an application portion formed from flock but the flock does not peel due to friction with a wiping part even after repeated use. In a cosmetic applicator in which electrostatic flocking is implemented on a surface of a spatula formed by forming an application portion in a flat plate shape, forming a root portion in a columnar shape attached to a shaft, and gradually deforming the columnar root portion and the flat application portion from the columnar shape into the plate shape, a projecting portion that projects outward beyond an outer diameter of the shaft is formed on the spatula between the root portion and the application portion, and a part not subjected to flocking is provided between the projecting portion and the root portion.
US08640713B2
A sheath for a smoking article, such as a filter cigarette, including an exterior sheath (5) that provides a ventilation structure which has a reduced possibility of occlusion, and which also prevents a reduction in filter efficacy when the strength of the draw on the smoking article by the consumer is increased, for example in order to overcome the effects of dilution of the smoke flow with ambient air. The sheath may be manufactured as an independent entity and then fitted to prefabricated smoking articles, or alternatively may be constructed as an integral part of the smoking article.
US08640696B2
A patient treatment system and method comprising a patient circuit, a pressurizing flow module disposed in the patient circuit, a humidifier disposed in the patient circuit, a monitor, sensors within the patient circuit, and a processor. The patient circuit delivers a flow of gas from a gas source to an airway of a patient. The pressurizing flow module elevates the pressure of the gas within the patient circuit. The humidifier elevates the humidity of the gas in the patient circuit to a circuit humidity level. The monitor monitors at least one parameter of the gas from the gas source. The sensors generate corresponding signals that can be processed to estimate a rate at which vapor is added to the gas in the patient circuit. The processor determines the humidity level of the gas in the patient circuit downstream from the humidifier based on the signals generated by the sensors and the at least one parameter of the gas in the gas source.
US08640686B2
A tile rebate cutting apparatus has a guide member, which may be formed by a spirit level, forming a linear guide for a rebate cutting tool, the rebate cutting tool incorporating at least one cutting device, the rebate cutting tool being adapted to engage with said guide member to move along a predetermined line determined by the position of the guide member to enable a cut for a rebate to be made in a ceiling tile.
US08640674B2
A surge tank 52 is placed above an engine main body 4. Plural intake runners 51 include curved portions 51C, respectively, which are placed on one side of the engine main body 4, and sloped portions 51D extending from the surge tank 52 to the curved portions 51C. An air cleaner 7 is placed above the sloped portions 51D. A liquid fuel injection unit 8 is placed in a space between the engine main body 4 and the intake runners 51. A gaseous fuel injection unit 11 is placed in a gap between the surge tank 52 and the air cleaner 7. Gaseous fuel injection valves 103 are held by a bracket on a gaseous fuel delivery pipe 10A in a way that they are placed under the air cleaner, each of them being placed in a space between the adjacent two of the sloped portions 51D.
US08640672B2
An engine brake system and a method for controlling the exhaust gas pressure of an exhaust system for a vehicle provided with an engine are provided. The system includes a main exhaust gas conduit connected to the turbine of a turbo arrangement and an Exhaust Pressure Governor (EPG) which is used to create a backpressure in the exhaust system so as to function as an engine brake. The turbo arrangement includes a Variable Geometry Turbine (VGT). The Exhaust Pressure Governor is located in a bypass conduit which is connected to the main exhaust conduit upstream the connection to the turbine of the turbo arrangement and the main exhaust conduit includes a valve arrangement downstream the bypass conduit connection for closing the main exhaust conduit. According to the method for controlling the system, the flow passage through the main conduit is open and the flow through the bypass conduit is closed in response to an output control indicating that no engine braking is desired. In case there is an output control indicating that engine braking is desired, the flow passage through the main conduit is closed and the flow through the bypass conduit is open whereby the EPG is controlled to provide a desired backpressure according to the control signals from the control system.
US08640667B2
A mounting device can mount an intake manifold to an engine and includes a bending moment applying device applying a bending moment to the intake manifold as the intake manifold is mounted to the engine.
US08640666B2
A spark plug includes a center electrode extending along an axial line, a ground electrode, and a noble metal tip. A center axis of the noble metal tip is displaced from a center axis of the ground electrode toward a base-end side in the axial line. The ground electrode includes an outer layer and an inner layer, and a distal end of the inner layer is closer to the axial line than a base end of the ground electrode. An overlap area between the inner layer and the noble metal tip occupies a ratio of 25% or more in a projective plane defined by projecting, along the center axis, a plane of the ground electrode viewed from a distal-end face on a cross section of the ground electrode in which a maximum cross-sectional area of the inner layer is achieved, among cross sections orthogonal to the center axis.
US08640664B2
An engine includes a hydraulic pressure lash adjuster (HLA) pivotally supporting an end of a swing arm and having a valve supporting the other end of the swing arm, wherein the hydraulic pressure lash adjuster includes a housing, a plunger of which one end portion thereof may be slidably inserted into the inside of the housing, the other end portion of which extends outwards and supports the end of the swing arm by selectively moving upwards or downwards in a length direction of the housing, a stopper pin slidably mounted in a chamber of the plunger so as to selectively lock the plunger to the housing such that the plunger cannot move in the housing, and a hydraulic pressure supply portion that selectively supplies one side of the stopper pin with a hydraulic pressure in the chamber of the plunger to move the stopper pin toward the housing.
US08640659B2
The invention relates to an engine (1) including: —a chamber (3) designed to accommodate a working fluid, —a first piston (4) defining the volume of said chamber (3), —a first passage (5) located in said first piston (4) to supply the chamber (3) with working fluid and/or to discharge from the chamber (3) the burned fluid resulting from the combustion of the working fluid, —a first valve (6) mounted on the first piston (4) to monitor the opening and closing of said first passage (5), —an output shaft (8) that engages with the first piston (4) to convert the motion of the first piston (4) into rotational motion of the output shaft (8), characterized in that the output shaft (8) and the first valve (6) engage to convert the motion of output shaft (8) into motion of the first valve (6).
US08640653B2
A motorized cat toy having a suspended teaser toy at the end of a detachable stretchable string connected to a flexible swing arm biased against a waveguide within a housing having a programmable electronic control, a gearbox with meshing gears including one spur gear on the rotor of the motor to provide control of the teaser toy movement to include a twitch and other erratic movements pleasing to a cat.
US08640646B2
The present invention relates to a robot (6) for moving a milking cup or milking cups (7) from a first resting position to a second operational position or vice versa, in which second position it connects to a cows' teat or teats for collecting milk, wherein it comprises a frame (9), which frame supports a movable arm (10) that has a free extremity (11) at which it is provided with a gripper or grippers (12) for the milking cup or cups (7).
US08640643B2
Systems and relative methods for regulating the loading capacity of a coating sleeve affixed to an outer surface of an implantable medical device to control an amount of antimicrobial agent delivered with the implantable medical device. A coating sleeve defines fibril void spaces into which therapeutic agents are loaded. A clamp is positioned on the coating sleeve to adjust the volume of the fibril void spaces so as to regulate the loading capacity of the coating sleeve.
US08640640B2
Inflatable hull configuration and connection for a multihull vessel. The inflatable hulls have a longitudinal structural member fastened to the top of the inflatable hulls, with a central body of the multihull vessel supported on the longitudinal structural members by forward and stern legs. The forward legs support the forward part of the central body through a ball joint that allows the forward legs to rotate as a unit relative to the central body, and have their lower ends attached to the forward part of the longitudinal members, each through a spring supported ball joint. The stern legs are each rigidly coupled to the central body, with their lower ends connected to the aft part of the longitudinal members to allow rotation about a vertical axis and a transverse axis, but not the longitudinal axis. A detailed embodiment is disclosed.
US08640638B2
A sewing machine having a rotatable head portion includes a sewing machine frame shaped in a box using supporting posts and supporting bars to hold the sewing machine; a sewing machine main body mounted on the sewing machine frame; a head portion disposed at the front end of the sewing machine main body and rotatably installed through head portion rotating means; a bed portion rotatably installed under the head portion through bed portion rotating means; X-axis transporting means moving the sewing machine main body mounted on the sewing machine frame in X direction; Y-axis transporting means moving the sewing machine main body mounted on the sewing machine frame in Y direction; and a sewing object fixing frame provided at the front part of the sewing machine frame where the sewing object is held. The head portion and the bed portion are rotated to sew the sewing object.
US08640634B2
An arrangement is disclosed for supplying an air jet form to the furnace of a recovery boiler, where the furnace has a front wall, a rear wall and side walls. Black liquor spraying devices are disposed on the furnace walls on one or several levels of the furnace. A plurality of air ports are located at several horizontal elevations for introducing air into the furnace from an air supply. In the arrangement for the secondary air flows, at least two horizontal air levels at different elevations are arranged above the lower primary levels and below the black liquor sprayer. Secondary air is supplied from two opposite walls. The secondary air ports on each of said first and second horizontal elevations comprise air ports for each horizontal elevation that project a pattern of large air jets into the furnace from said opposite walls and said secondary air ports further comprise a plurality of secondary air ports on at least one of the elevations that project smaller air jets into the furnace.
US08640629B2
Designs for a battery-powered, all-electric locomotive and related locomotive and train configurations are provided. In one particular exemplary embodiment, a locomotive may be driven by a plurality of traction motors powered exclusively by a battery assembly which preferably comprises rechargeable batteries or other energy storage means. The locomotive carries no internal combustion engine on board and receives no power during operation from any power source external to the locomotive. A battery management system monitors and equalizes the batteries to maintain a desired state of charge (SOC) and depth of discharge (DOD) for each battery. A brake system may be configured to prioritize a regenerative braking mechanism over an air braking mechanism so that substantial brake energy can be recovered to recharge the battery assembly. Many locomotive or train configurations involving battery-powered or battery-toting locomotive(s) may be implemented. In one embodiment, a battery-toting locomotive is directly coupled with and positioned between two diesel-electric locomotives, wherein the batteries recover energy from regenerative braking and/or supply power to drive traction motors.
US08640624B1
A kinetic energy penetrator with a longitudinal axis may include a forward segment having a lateral surface, a rear surface, and at least one air bleed channel extending from the lateral surface to the rear surface. A second segment may be disposed aft of and torsionally engaged with the forward segment. The second segment may include a front surface adjacent the rear surface of the forward segment. The forward and second segments may each be asymmetric about the longitudinal axis of the penetrator. When the penetrator is in flight, bleed air through the bleed channels may impinge on the front surface of the second segment. The second segment may separate from the front segment. Kinetic energies of each of the forward and second segments may be less than about 75 joules upon impact with a ground surface.
US08640622B2
A projectile assembly 10 includes an individual projectile 20 and a composite projectile 30. The individual projectile 20 has a communicating portion 22. The composite projectile 30 includes at least one flechette 32. Prior to the projection of the projectile assembly 10, the composite projectile 30 is located adjacent to the communicating portion 22 of the individual projectile 20. The individual projectile 20 and the composite projectile 30 are structured and disposed for separating from one another after the initial projection of the projectile assembly 10.
US08640592B1
A blast diffuser for a structure may include a diffuser assembly. The diffuser assembly may include a plurality of vanes arranged in spaced relation to one anther. The vanes may be configured to redirect airflow of an overpressure wave from a first direction toward the diffuser assembly to a second direction generally parallel to the structure. The vanes may be offset from the structure by an offset distance forming a gap for the airflow between the vanes and the structure.
US08640586B2
An apparatus for facilitating cutting of unit dose blisters from a blister card is provided. The apparatus may include a platform, a clamp, a blade and a sensor. The blister card may be positionable on the platform for cutting. The clamp may be positionable to hold a portion of the blister card in contact with the platform for cutting when the clamp is seated. The clamp may be operatively coupled to a guillotine head. The blade may also be operatively coupled to the guillotine head. The guillotine head may be configured to move the blade through a range of motion that intersects a plane of the platform. The sensor may be positioned to detect a seating status of the clamp to enable control of movement of the guillotine head based on the seating status.
US08640584B2
An apparatus is provided for decelerating sheets which are to be placed on a stack. The apparatus comprises rotatably driven clamping elements, which are provided with clamping zones that intermittently reach to the feeding plane of the sheet when revolving. The apparatus further includes a mating element which is rotationally disposed on the opposite side of the conveying plane of the sheets such that a sheet can be clamped between the clamping zones and the mating element. The clamping elements are connected to an asymmetrical rotary drive unit while being equipped with ring segment-shaped clamping zones on a section of the circumference thereof. A deflecting device is also provided which deflects the rear edges of the sheet from the feeding plane in a downward direction arranged at a distance from and upstream of the clamping elements in the direction of travel of the sheets.
US08640562B2
A linear actuator is presented, having a drive shaft, a transmission connected to the drive shaft, and a spindle connected to the transmission. The drive shaft, the transmission and the spindle are connected in such a way that a rotational movement of the drive shaft is transmitted to the spindle via the transmission. The linear actuator also has a spindle nut arranged rotationally prevented onto the spindle, and an end stop detection unit for detecting that the spindle nut reaches an end position on the spindle. The end stop detection unit comprises an end stop detection shaft connected to the transmission in such a way that a rotational movement of the spindle is transmitted to the end stop detection shaft such that a rotational movement of the spindle is reflected by a rotational movement of the end stop detection shaft.
US08640551B2
A shear force detection device for detecting a shear force includes: a support body including an opening defined by a pair of straight parts perpendicular to a detection direction of the shear force and parallel to each other; a support film on the support body and closing the opening, the support film having flexibility; a piezoelectric part on the support film and extending astride an inside and outside of the opening and along at least one of the pair of straight parts of the opening when viewed in a plane in which the support body is seen in a substrate thickness direction, the piezoelectric part being bendable to output an electric signal; and an elastic layer covering the piezoelectric part and the support film.
US08640546B2
A pressure sensor device and its use for confirming achievement of a selected pressure in a high pressure process (HPP) for sanitizing food is disclosed. The device includes at least a base and a sheet, each of which is substantially impermeable to the working fluid of the HPP and is deformable at the selected pressure. Microcapsules interposed between flat overlapping portions of the base and sheet contain a color former and burst upon pressurization of the environment surrounding the device. Release of the color former is detected to confirm that the pressurization occurred. The device can be associated with one or more foodstuffs (e.g., a packaged food product or a group of such packages) and remain associated therewith to continuously indicate that the foodstuff(s) have been subjected to the selected pressure and are therefore sanitized.
US08640543B2
The present invention discloses a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device, comprising: a mass including a main body and two capacitor plates located at the two sides of the main body and connected with the main body, the two capacitor plates being at different elevation levels; an upper electrode located above one of the two capacitor plates, forming one capacitor therewith; and a lower electrode located below the other of the two capacitor plates, forming another capacitor therewith, wherein the upper and lower electrodes are misaligned with each other in a horizontal direction.
US08640540B2
A vibrating element includes: a first support portion and a second support portion; a first vibrating arm which extends along a first axis, one end of the first vibrating arm being connected to the first support portion; a second vibrating arm which extends along the first axis, one end of the second vibrating arm being connected to the second support portion; an oscillating member which is sandwiched between the other ends of the first vibrating arm and the second vibrating arm, and has openings; and detection arms which extend along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis from the inner walls of the openings of the oscillating member in plan view.
US08640539B2
The invention relates to a device (10) for treating specimens, comprising a plurality of reagent containers (12) which are arranged in predetermined positions. Further, the device (10) comprises a transport mechanism (22a, 22b) for transporting at least one transport container (16a, 16b) which accommodates at least one carrier (20). On the carrier at least one specimen is placed. Further, the device (10) has a sensor (34) for determining the fill level (44) of the reagent containers (12) with reagents (42), the sensor (34) being arranged on the transport mechanism (22a, 22b). Further, the invention relates to a method for determining the fill level (44) of reagent containers (12) with reagents (42).
US08640535B2
Apparatus and method for tire temperature measurement is disclosed. The apparatus includes a thermocouple having a measurement junction and a pair of first and second conductive leads. The measurement junction is mounted in a passage provided in the tire. The pair of first and second conductive leads extend through the passage in the tire and exit the tire at an interface. A patch is mounted to the tire at the interface. The pair of first and second conductive leads extend from the interface into a passage provided in the patch. The first and second conductive leads are surrounded by the patch at the interface where the first and second conductive leads exit the surface of the tire.
US08640526B2
A method for operating a particle sensor (10). The particle sensor (10) has at least two inter-digital electrodes (12, 13) which engage one in the other and to which a sensor voltage U(IDE) (21) is applied in order to determine loading of the particle sensor (10) with soot particles (16). A sensor current I(IDE) (31) across the electrodes (12, 13) is measured and evaluated. In order to remove the loading with soot, a heating element (14) heats the particle sensor (10) in a regeneration phase. The method characterized in that the sensor current I(IDE) (31) is determined, and a shunt diagnosis of the particle sensor (10) is carried out in accordance with the measured sensor current I(IDE) (31).
US08640524B2
A crash test apparatus for truck cabs includes a fixture frame mounting a cab, a cart mounting the fixture frame, a protruding barrier disposed in front of the cab, and a crash device moving the cart to make the cab crash against the protruding barrier. The crash test apparatus includes a frame deformation amount reproduction mechanism disposed between a front of the cart and the protruding barrier, and when the crash device operates, deforming by a deformation amount of a frame of a vehicle on which the cab is mounted, to make the cab crash against the protruding barrier.
US08640515B2
The bar has two arms (12, 13) which can each be inserted into a recess (6) of the housing (2) of one of the two cylinder halves (1). The arms (12, 13) each have several drilled holes to accommodate attachment pins. The bar has a middle part (9) as base element and at least one extension part (16). The middle part (9) and the extension part (16) can be interconnected and each has at least one drilled hole (15, 21) to accommodate a connecting pin (30).
US08640509B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a security assembly configured to properly secure articles in a retail environment. In some embodiments, the security assembly is configured to secure cylindrical objects, such as baby formula or coffee cans. Additionally, in some embodiments, the security assembly may be adjustable such that differently sized objects may be secured. In an example embodiment, a security device for securing an object with an object perimeter edge is provided. The security device comprises a housing defining an edge lock configured for positioning proximate the object perimeter edge and a locating gap. The security device also comprises at least one cable extending from the security device through the locating gap. The locating gap is configured to secure the at least one cable from substantial lateral movement in at least one direction.
US08640505B2
The present invention relates to an anchoring system of counterweights for washers and washer/dryer combos based on the presence of a plurality of tubular divaricable pins (40, 41,42) on the external walls of the plastic molded tubs (1) that, after being inserted into through holes (21a) obtained on the said counterweights, are designed to receive suitable divaricating inserts (40b, 41b, 42b) to prevent uncoupling from the holes.
US08640500B2
Corrosion of the inner surface of the crown of a glassmelting furnace is reduced or avoided by directing at low velocity along that surface a gaseous stream comprising water vapor, or comprising the combustion products of an oxy-fuel burner operated at a stoichiometric ratio of at least 1.0, or the combustion products of a burner operated at a stoichiometric ratio less than 1.0, or by injecting into the furnace interior a gaseous reactant which reacts with alkali species in said space.
US08640494B2
A method to recover NGL's at gas Pressure Reducing Stations. A first step involve providing at least one heat exchanger having a flow path for passage of high pressure natural gas with a counter current depressurized lean cold gas. A second step involves passing the high pressure natural gas stream in a counter current flow with the lean cold gas and cooling it before de-pressurization. A third step involves the expansion of the high pressure cooled gas in a gas expander. The expansion of the gas generates shaft work which is converted into electrical power by the power generator and the expanded low pressure and cold gas enters a separator where NGL's are recovered. This process results in the recovery NGL's, electricity and the displacement of a slipstream of natural that is presently used to pre-heat gas at Pressure Reduction Stations.
US08640487B2
A refreezable container for storage of perishable and/or temperature-sensitive items is described herein. A bottom surface, contiguous with one or more side surfaces is provided, each surface having an interior cavity at least partially filled with refreezable material, usable to retain contents within the container at a temperature less than ambient temperature. The bottom surface includes a lower groove therein. The side surfaces include a lip adapted for secure engagement for an upper object, which can include a top cover having a complementary groove, or the lower groove of an adjacent refreezable container, allowing multiple containers, with or without top covers, to be nested for storage or transport, and allowing multiple covered containers, or top covers independent of containers, to be stacked and nested.
US08640484B2
A refrigerator dispenser includes a dispenser assembly housing that is accommodated by a door surface hole having a sizing ratio that is defined by dividing a height with a width of the door surface hole. The dispenser assembly housing is configured to define a dispenser assembly cavity in at least a portion of the dispenser assembly housing. The dispenser assembly cavity has an opening at a front surface of the dispenser assembly housing and has a sizing ratio that is defined by dividing a height with a width of the dispenser assembly cavity along the opening. A control panel extends along at least one of a horizontal and vertical dimension of the front surface of the dispenser assembly housing proximate to the opening. The sizing ratio of the door surface hole is different than the sizing ratio of the dispenser assembly cavity.
US08640482B2
A refrigerator includes an ice maker disposed at one side of a storage chamber for storing food, a folding shelf disposed at the ice maker to be folded in a vertical direction or unfolded in a horizontal direction to efficiently use a space formed on the side of the ice maker, a shelf supporting member fixed to the ice maker to rotatably support the folding shelf, and a locking part disposed at the shelf supporting member to support the folding shelf when the folding shelf is unfolded to be arranged in a horizontal direction. When the folding shelf disposed in the storage chamber is folded in a vertical direction, there is formed a space capable of storing containers or food products having a great height. When the folding shelf is unfolded in a horizontal direction, containers or food products having a small height can be put on the folding shelf.
US08640468B2
Embodiments of a pressurized gas supply are provided. In one embodiment, the pressurized gas supply includes a pressurized gas reservoir and a pressure reducer fluidly coupled to the pressurized gas reservoir. The pressure reducer is configured to reduce the pressure of gas received from the pressurized gas reservoir to a predetermined output pressure (PO). A gas mixture is held within the pressurized gas reservoir at a starting pressure (PS) and at a starting temperature (TS). The gas mixture includes: (i) a warming gas having a positive Joule-Thomson (JT) coefficient at TS and over the pressure range PS-PO, and (ii) a cooling gas having a negative JT coefficient at TS and over the pressure range PS-PO. The cooling of the cooling gas at least partially offsets the warming of the warming gas when the gas mixture is expelled by the isothermal gas supply to achieve a desired gas output temperature.
US08640467B2
An acoustic power transmitting unit for thermoacoustic systems includes at least one stage provided with at least two thermoacoustic units each of which includes a regenerator or a stack and two heat exchangers, an acoustic resonator including a tube and containing a fluid and in which a magnetic field having high impedance and low-impedance areas is arranged, wherein certain thermoacoustic units are placed in high dimensionless impedance areas. Each high dimensionless impedance area also includes a thermoacoustic unit, wherein two successive thermoacoustic units are always separated by low dimensionless impedance. The resonator includes a reduced diameter section between each couple of successive thermoacoustic units and each cross-sectional narrowing is associated with at least one by-pass which includes a deviation cavity and makes it possible to deviate the major part of a volume flow rate.
US08640451B2
An engine control device includes an engine-driven variable displacement hydraulic pump, a hydraulic actuator driven by oil from the pump, a control valve which controls the oil discharged from the pump, and supplies the oil to and from the hydraulic actuator, pump displacement detecting means, command means for selecting and commanding variable command values, and setting means for setting a first target engine speed in accordance with a command value, and a second target engine speed lower than the first target engine speed based on the first target engine speed. When the pump displacement increases and exceeds a first predetermined pump displacement when the engine is controlled based on the second target engine speed, a target engine speed is changed from the second target engine speed to a third target engine speed higher than the second target engine speed and equal to or lower than the first target engine speed.
US08640445B2
This disclosure provides an exhaust flow detection and variable dosing system and method for treating exhaust flow from an engine. The system includes first and second exhaust flow legs, a cross passage connecting these legs upstream of SCRs and a sensor positioned along the cross passage to detect at least one of differential pressure between the exhaust flow legs, and exhaust flow in the cross passage. A dosing circuit connects a dosing treatment supply to each of the exhaust flow legs at or upstream of the SCRs, and at least one dosing device positioned along the dosing circuit to control the amount of the dosing agent delivered to each exhaust leg. An electronic control unit controls the amount of a dosing agent delivered to the exhaust flow legs independently based on exhaust flows determined for each leg using at least one of the differential pressure and cross passage exhaust flow.
US08640444B2
Inside an engine exhaust passage, in order from the upstream side, a hydrocarbon feed valve, oxidation catalyst, and exhaust purification catalyst are arranged. A first NOx purification method which lowers the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the exhaust purification catalyst by a predetermined period while maintaining it lean so as to remove NOx without causing NOx to be stored in the form of nitrates and a second NOx purification method which switches the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the exhaust purification catalyst from lean to rich by a period longer than the above period so as to remove NOx are selectively used in accordance with an operating state of the engine.
US08640441B2
A method of monitoring a differential pressure sensor of an exhaust gas aftertreatment system includes sensing a learned value (n−1, n, n+1, n+2, etc.) of the differential pressure sensor for each after-run occurrence of the vehicle, and calculating an absolute value of a rate of change between a current (n) learned value of the differential pressure sensor and a previous (n−1) learned value of the differential pressure sensor. The absolute value of the rate of change is compared to a threshold pressure value to determine if the absolute value of the rate of change is greater than the threshold pressure value or is less than the threshold pressure value. A fault in the differential pressure sensor is signaled when the absolute value of the rate of change of the learned values is greater than the threshold pressure value.
US08640439B2
A drive device for an aircraft comprises a gas turbine apparatus for generating a first drive energy and electric motor for generating a second drive energy. The gas turbine apparatus and the electric motor are set up in such a way that the drive unit may be provided with at least one of the first drive energy and the second drive energy. The drive unit is set up to generate propulsion using at least one of the first drive energy and the second drive energy.
US08640430B2
Method and assembly for evacuating a package (2), such as a vacuum package filled with a product such as nuts. The package is at least partially made of packaging film (6). The method employs a suction device (4) provided with a suction opening, for evacuating the package through an aperture (12) in the packaging film. The package is provided with a substantially plate-shaped, rigid element (8), one main surface of which substantially lying in contact “with the inner side of the packaging film, wherein the aperture in the packaging film is provided at the location of the substantially rigid element. The method further includes the sealing abutment of the suction opening against an outer side of the package, at a location where the substantially rigid element lies in contact with the inner side of the packaging film, in such a way that the aperture is in fluid connection with the suction opening.
US08640416B2
A sliding and locking energy-efficient wall assembly includes a plurality of: parallel spaced apart foam posts, foam panels, framing/spacing members, and finishing wall panels. The foam posts are vertically disposed on a foundation wall, and have ends dimensioned to contact and adhere to the surface of the wall, an inside end opposite the planar end, and two opposing side flanged ends. Grooves on the foam panels are dimensioned to receive the side flanged ends of the foam posts. The framing/spacing members have a web and flange portions, to engage the inside grooved ends of the foam posts to provide an interior attachment surface for the finishing wall panels. The finishing wall panels are secured to the web portions of the framing/spacing members, whereby an air space is created between the foam panels and the finishing wall panels. The framing/spacing members and foam posts are adjustable to permit plumb installation.
US08640406B2
A spacer profile for use as a spacer frame in an insulating window unit includes a profile body made of a synthetic material and having an inner wall, an outer wall and sidewalls, which define a chamber for hygroscopic material. A diffusion barrier layer is made of a first metal material and has a first tensile strength and a first thickness. The diffusion barrier layer is disposed at least on or in the outer wall and at least a portion of the sidewalls. A reinforcement layer is made of a second metallic material and has a second tensile strength and a second thickness. The reinforcement layer is formed in the inner wall or on the side of the inner wall, which is directed towards the chamber. The multiplication product of the second thickness and the second tensile strength is preferably greater than the multiplication product of the first thickness and the first tensile strength.
US08640405B2
A temporary railing system includes interior and exterior plates, temporary railing portions, and support arms designed to connect to the plates and support the temporary railing portions. The interior and exterior plates are designed in such a way that they are able to be installed on preexisting balusters by being placed snuggly against the balusters and bolted to each other with connecting bolts. The support arm is held into place by the two plates and is able to support the temporary railing portions. Multiple interior and exterior plate pairs can be used in a single installation to support multiple portions of temporary railing. The temporary railing portions are designed to fit seamlessly together, if desired, during installation.
US08640402B1
A building roof fascia and coping connector arrangement includes a cleat having a planar wall, a spacer extending inwardly from the planar wall for spacing the planar wall away from a building side when the cleat is secured thereto and having an opening permitting air flow therethrough and between the planar wall and the building, an upper securement assembly at an upper end of the planar wall, and a lower securement assembly at a lower end of the planar wall, with coping secured across an outer surface of the planar wall and connected with the upper and lower securement assemblies; and a vertical load bearing member seating on the building roof when the cleat is secured to the building side, while being connected with an upper end of the cleat to transfer a load from the cleat and the coping to the building roof.
US08640400B2
The specification and drawing figures describe and show a low profile mounting system that includes a at least one rail. A plurality of tracks is formed in the rail with opposing jaws. The opposing jaws define a slot. The opposing jaws are disposed in the rail asymmetrically to the longitudinal axis of the rail. At least one ledge monolithically extends from the rail for holding an object such as a solar panel. A coupler is provided for demountably connecting a solar panel to the rail. A cleat also is provided for attaching the system to a surface. A connector connects the rail to the cleat. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure, but this abstract is not to be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of any claim.
US08640399B2
This cement mortar panel with prestressed biaxial reinforcement is formed by a slab of cement mortar which, having a thickness ranging from 2 to 7 cms, includes a biaxial reinforcement. The slab has occluded in the cement mortar mass means for versatile operating on the panel assembly allowing for its handling and/or fixation to a building structure, which versatile operating means constitute of themselves, on one part, means for retaining them in the set mass of cement mortar and, on another part opposite to the former, anchoring means either for panel handling members or members for its fixation to the building structure.
US08640391B2
A modular architectural wall system for a patient room may support accessories and include panels. The architectural wall system may include gas outlets and electrical outlets mounted to a surface of the architectural wall system.
US08640388B2
A support structure for a rostrum includes a first A-frame; and at least a second A-frame, nestable and retractable into the first A-frame. The support structure may have an open central area and the second A-frame may be substantially the same as, but smaller than, the open central area of the first A-frame. At least one support means is connected to each A-frame for supporting a load, wherein the support is connected to an upper portion of one A-frame. The support extends from the upper portion of the one A-frame and is co-operable with an upper portion of another A-frame. The support structure may be telescopic and configured to be expandable and retractable between a retracted, stored position, and an extended, in use position.
US08640384B2
A sliding fenestration assembly including a panel assembly having at least a primary panel and a secondary panel, where the primary panel is slidable relative to the secondary panel. The assembly further includes an actuator assembly having an actuator. The actuator assembly is coupled with an element, and movement of the actuator causes movement of the element. One or more locking latches are disposed remotely from the actuator, and the two or more locking latches having a locked and unlocked position. The two or more locking latches are coupled with the element and mounted along the primary panel. The actuator assembly is adapted to unlock the two or more locking latches and slide the primary panel.
US08640382B2
A stable cable system and method are disclosed. The stable cable system comprises at least two stakes, at least one cable, wherein the at least one cable is coupled to the at least two stakes, wherein the at least one cable has at least one loop and at least one connector, wherein the at least one connector is inserted through the at least one loop and around an object.
US08640377B2
A combined fishing rod and beverage holder for insertion into and removal from an opening in a marine vessel is disclosed. The combined fishing rod and beverage holder includes a substantially tubular hollow cylindrical member which is formed with an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion has a diameter which is larger than the diameter of the lower portion. The diameter of the upper portion enables a beverage container with or without an insulating jacket to be placed within and retained within the upper portion of the combined rod and beverage holder. The upper portion includes an outwardly projecting flange which includes apertures through which fasteners can be placed to secure the combined rod and beverage holder to a surface, such as a gunwale of a marine vessel. Other types or secure devices can also be employed to secure the combined rod and beverage holder to any surface.
US08640370B2
A signpost system includes a signpost system includes a signpost having a lower-most base end and an opposite upper end opposite the base end, a bore clamp including at least a traffic-side clamp member and a shoulder-side clamp member wherein the traffic-side clamp member is adapted to substantially mount flush into the traffic-side of the bore in the barrier and wherein the shoulder-side clamp member is adapted to mount onto the shoulder-side of the bore, and an elongate selectively adjustable tensioner extending from and between the clamp members for mounting the clamp members in the traffic-side and in the shoulder-side of the bore respectively, and wherein the shoulder-side clamp member is adapted for mounting to the base end of the signpost.
US08640365B2
The invention relates to a clearing strip for the blade of a snowplow, the clearing strip having a steel fastening neck (1) and a rubber body (4) which is vulcanized onto the fastening neck (1) and is reinforced on its outer face by steel plates. The outer faces of the rubber body (4) are reinforced by means of large surface-area, rigid steel plates either on one side or on both sides. The steel plates fastened to the outer surface of the rubber body (4) are divided into separate steel segments (3) that are arranged adjacent each other and together form a uniform clearing edge close to the ground.
US08640349B2
A bow sight includes a mounting assembly, a sight component, and an adjustment system. The bow sight is mounted to an archery bow with the mounting assembly. The adjustment system couples the sight component to the mounting assembly. The mounting assembly includes at least one support rail and a mounting bracket. The mounting bracket connects to the archery bow and is infinitely adjustable along a length of the at least one support rail to adjust a position of the sight component toward and away from the archery bow.
US08640347B2
A hand-operated jigsaw is disclosed. The reciprocating drive mechanism has a reciprocating body which can be put into a reciprocating motion along an axis via an eccentric of an eccentric wheel that can be set in motion by the motor. The eccentric wheel is arranged on a pivot bearing axis. The reciprocating drive mechanism has an additional mass with a mass center of gravity to minimize vibrations. The additional mass is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner with the eccentric wheel on the pivot bearing axis. An eccentric axis of the eccentric lies on a first radial of the pivot bearing axis, which is offset from a second radial in the operating direction of rotation of the eccentric wheel at an angle of between 190° and 270°, which second radial lies between the mass center of gravity of the additional mass and the pivot bearing axis.
US08640344B2
Cutting members for razors are provided that have a blade portion and a base portion, the blade portion having a cutting edge region terminated at a free end thereof and an opposing non-cutting edge region, the blade portion being bent relative to the base portion in a bent portion spaced from the cutting edge region and adjacent to the non-cutting edge region, wherein the bent portion extends about 108 degrees to about 115 degrees from the base portion, the bent portion having a radius of about 0.30 mm to about 0.45 mm, at least part of the cutting member having a hardness of about hardness of about 540 HV to about 750 HV, and a thickness of the bent portion is less than the average thickness of the cutting member.
US08640330B2
An extracting apparatus is disclosed. The extracting apparatus includes a mounting member, a handle pivotably connected to the mounting member, a latch member fixed to the mounting member and comprising a latch portion locked to the handle, and a release member slidably mounted to the mounting member and comprising an engaging portion for engaging with the latch member to deform the latch portion of the latch member, thereby releasing the latch portion from the handle.
US08640329B2
A tool includes a base with first and second ends and sides. First, second, and third openings extend from the first end. A slot in the first side communicates with the first opening for receiving a cutting tool. Another slot communicates with the second opening for receiving a marking tool. The third opening forms a stop surface. A recess in the first side and in the second end defines a platform. A channel extends from the third opening thereacross to second end. Two pins project on opposite sides of the channel. The base includes a stationary portion on which the pins are located and a pivotal portion defining the second end. The stationary portion defines a supplemental end surface facing parallel to second end. A cutout aligned with the cable channel extends from the platform to the second side and from the supplemental end surface into the stationary portion.
US08640324B2
A method for fabricating a compliant membrane probe for communication with an integrated circuit includes installing an array of conductive structures within a flexible membrane, the conductors comprising a beam structure having a first end and a second end, with each one of the conductors further comprising a probe tip extending from the first end, the probe tip having a throat generally surrounded by material of the flexible membrane and a head at an end of the throat such that the head is disposed at an opposite side of the flexible membrane with respect to the beam structure; and configuring the second end of the beam structure so as to be supported by a first end of the beam structure of an adjacent conductor thereto.
US08640318B2
A method and apparatus for forming an elongate tubular from a composite material. The composite material includes fibers and epoxy resin that are disposed around an elongated mandrel. The fibers are wound around the outer circumference of the mandrel and the epoxy resin may be applied to the fibers, before, during, or after, being wound onto the mandrel. A trough is provided that supports the mandrel between ends of the mandrel. An example trough includes a flexible membrane supported on its lateral ends to resemble a catenary.
US08640317B2
Described is a unit for supporting ceramic products (1), in particular ceramic products (1) made by slip casting in porous molds; the unit (100) comprises a first element (2) for gripping and supporting the product (1); a second element (3) for supporting a first, base portion (Ia) of the product (1) and designed to at least partly support the weight of the product (1); and elements (4), positioned and acting on the second element (3), for elastically reacting along a vertical axis (Z).
US08640310B2
A disengageable clip is provided which has a first configuration to permit an item to be securely gripped and a second configuration that permits the item to be disengaged. Once disengaged, the clip may be removed from the item and/or may be repositioned and then reattached to the item. The clip may include a clip member having an engagement portion defining an open loop and a clip portion extending therefrom. The clip may also include a sleeve slidably positioned upon the clip portion and at least one stop having a width greater than the sleeve. The sleeve may be configured to translate along the clip portion between first and second positions. The first position is proximate the engagement portion and may cause the engagement portion to grip the item. Conversely, the second position is spaced from the engagement portion by the stop to permit disengagement from the item.
US08640305B2
A toggle type hinge (10) has a damper assembly mounted on the flange (12) of its hinge cup. The damper assembly provides a damping resistance to the closing movement of the hinge over its final stage. The damper assembly includes: a sleeve (21) which houses a linear damper. The sleeve (21) is mounted on a groove (26) on the hinge cup flange (12) and is held in position by a holder (15). A wing (22) on the sleeve (21) is arranged to come into engagement with an arm (11) of the hinge, causing the sleeve to rotate about its longitudinal axis (25). A cam arrangement (19, 23) between the hinge cup flange (12) and the sleeve (21) causes the sleeve to move along its axis (25) as it rotates. The axial movement of the sleeve (21) causes compression of the damper.
US08640303B2
A cyclone separator useable in a surface cleaning apparatus comprises a cyclone casing defining a cyclone chamber and a dirt collection chamber exterior to the cyclone chamber. The cyclone chamber and the dirt collection chamber are openable such that the entire cross sectional area of the cyclone chamber and the dirt collection chamber may be exposed.
US08640300B2
Disclosed herein are Apparatus for the collection of recyclable or waste material. The apparatus comprises a movable element for drawing ambient air into the apparatus through an inlet, in use, thereby creating a suction force that draws the recyclable or waste material into the apparatus through the inlet. The apparatus is arranged such that material drawn into the apparatus impacts the movable element, and the apparatus further comprises a compactor for reducing the volume occupied by the recyclable or waste material.
US08640296B2
A cleaning tool is provided and includes a cleaning head moveable between a plurality of configurations. The cleaning head may include a main panel, a handle coupled to the main panel via a universal joint, a first side panel pivotally coupled to a first edge of the main panel, and a second side panel pivotally coupled to a second edge of the main panel opposite the first edge. The cleaning tool may also include two biasing members for biasing the first and second panels toward a flat position and at least one ramp member engageable with a surface to pivot at least one of the first and second side panels upward out of its flat position toward an upward pivoted position. The cleaning tool may further include an actuator for pivoting one or more of the side panels between flat and upward pivoted positions, and a selectively deployable scrubber.
US08640294B2
The present disclosure relates to a lawn sweeper designed to collect debris, such as grass clippings and leaves, from a surface such as a lawn, and more particularly to a lawn sweeper with an adjustable brush assembly and characteristics associated with improved storage of such a device. A user may adjust the brush assembly with respect to the housing without needing to move the wheels. The hopper assembly may include a panel movable to be placed in at least two orientations, thereby allowing a user to change the volume within which the hopper assembly may collect debris. Methods are also disclosed for adjusting the brush assembly and for storing a lawn sweeper unit.
US08640293B2
A closure for pipeline pig sender or receiver includes a primary closure body and a secondary closure body. The primary closure body has an outer face, an inner face and a port extending therethrough from the outer face to the inner face. The primary closure body is secured to the pipeline pig sender or receiver sealing a closure end when the primary closure body is in the closed position. The secondary closure body closes the port on the primary closure body. The secondary closure body is movable between a closed position and an open position to enable an operator to insert a tool through the port into the diversionary passage to manipulate the pipeline pig and release trapped pressure prior to opening the closure. The secondary closure body is secured to the primary closure body sealing the port when the secondary closure body is in the closed position.
US08640282B2
A fitted bed sheet capable of fitting mattresses of multiple lengths is disclosed. The fitted bed sheet has a first section constructed primarily of non-stretch material and a second section sewn to the foot of the first section that is constructed primarily of non-elastic stretch material. The second section stretches to accommodate mattresses of longer lengths thereby eliminating the need to maintain multiple fitted bed sheets. The present invention increases user comfort, can be processed in commercial laundries, reduces the labor of making the bed, is easier to fold, and has a longer useful life than fitted sheets constructed with elastic stretch material. The fitted bed sheet can be washed, ironed, and folded automatically. The present invention may be used in institutional or private settings.
US08640281B2
A non-inflatable resting device used for heating and cooling is provided with a plurality of interconnected channels located close to an external surface of the resting device. Each channel substantially occupies the space between two support beams and the interior of said external surface. The comfort level of the resting devices is considerably increased while maintaining adequate structural integrity of the channels when the support beams are constructed with a cushion material having layers of different hardness levels. The top layer is a cushion material with high initial softness ratio. The arrangement of the channels and beams allows a non-pressurized conditioned fluid to flow underneath of the external surface providing a resting device with a heating and cooling system with unmatched energy efficiency. The high energy efficiency of the proposed resting device is due to the elimination of the compressor motor and the thick cushion layer used on the top surface as required by the competition. In addition, the ambient comfort level is improved by the elimination of a noisy compressor motor.
US08640270B1
A system for reducing splatter on and around a toilet when urinating. The system features a weighted base having a telescopic mounting tube. A posterior base end is placed on a ground surface dose to a toilet. The system features a segmented horizontal arm assembly attached to the mounting tube comprising a first arm segment, a second arm segment, and a third arm segment. The system features a disposable cone storage cone located in the first arm segment containing one or more disposable cones. The system features a brush storage cone located in the second arm segment containing a cleaning solution and a cleaning brush. The system features a urinating cone located in the third arm segment. A urinating aperture is located in a urinating cone posterior end. The system features the toilet having a toilet bowl.
US08640265B2
A protective hood is provided for protecting a wearer's head from environmental elements. The protective hood includes a hood body having a cap section positioned to fit over a top of the wearer's head, side sections positioned to hang adjacent sides of the wearer's head, and a back section positioned to hang adjacent a back of the wearer's head. The hood body defines an interior space for receiving the wearer's head. An outlet is provided for exhausting gas from the interior space of the hood body. The outlet includes a channel defined by first and second portions of the hood body. The channel is in fluid communication with the interior space and includes an open end portion in fluid communication with the environment for exhausting gas from the channel into the environment.
US08640263B2
A glove having a hand portion, including dorsal and palmer regions, with a finger portion and thumb portion extending outwardly from the hand portion. A thumb crotch is disposed intermediate the thumb and finger portions. The thumb crotch includes a protective pad shaped to form a top wall and a side wall. A first section of the top wall is curved. An exterior surface of the dorsal region is made from a first material and at least the curved section of the thumb crotch's top wall is made from a second material which is different to the first material. Specifically, the second material has a higher coefficient of friction than the first material. The shape of the top wall and use of the second material improves the cradling and gripping characteristics of the glove.
US08640262B2
A towel with a hood fixed to the top edge and two wristbands mounted on the interior of the towel. A person's wrist may be inserted through each band to secure the towel on the person and selectively wrap the towel around their body. At least one pocket is attached to the interior of the towel. A neck strap encircles the neck to secure the towel and hood in place. Each end of the strap is secured to the exterior surface of the towel at the sides of the hood. As a safety feature, at least one end of the neck strap ends is releasably secured to the surface and can be detached therefrom when a predetermined force is exerted on the strap. The towel can be folded into the interior of the hood and the neck strap used as a handle to hold the towel.
US08646107B1
Methods and apparatus are provided for implementing a system such as a programmable chip system having hardware and software usage limitations and restrictions. Usage limitation circuitry is integrated onto a device. A usage limitation function is integrated into software, such as an operating system for the device. The usage limitation function can be configured to interact with the usage limitation circuitry. The usage limitation circuitry and the usage limitation function are operable to disable the device and the associated software.
US08646104B2
A broadcast stateless protocol by which a client broadcasts a request to a server group is described. In one embodiment, the client broadcasts the request to a server group. A tamper-evident challenge including the request is received from any one server of the server group. A response to the tamper-evident challenge is broadcast to any one server of the server group, the response including the request. A result to the request is received upon any one server of the server group verifying the response being valid and the request being unmodified.
US08646098B2
A method and system implementing software licensing management under machine virtualization are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a system comprises a virtual platform running on a physical machine; a binding agent running on a host operating system of the virtual platform; a license enforcement module running on a virtual machine instance of the virtual platform. The license enforcement module is in communication with the binding agent. The binding agent enforces a mutex lock to ensure that only a specified number of license enforcement modules are running on the physical machine.
US08646096B2
Various embodiments utilize hardware-enforced boundaries to provide various aspects of digital rights management or DRM in an open computing environment. Against the backdrop of these hardware-enforced boundaries, DRM provisioning techniques are employed to provision such things as keys and DRM software code in a secure and robust way. Further, at least some embodiments utilize secure time provisioning techniques to provision time to the computing environment, as well as techniques that provide for robustly secure storage.
US08646095B2
A request, from a requester, is received to view user information on a user's personal site associated with a user. A relationship is determined between the requester and the user. User information is provided to the requester based on the requester's relationship to the user.
US08646094B2
A communications device for ensuring secure data transfer provided having an interface device for controlling data transfer, an integrated circuit coupled to the interface device and having a processor, a non-volatile memory for storing at least program code for the processor, a volatile memory, an input pin and an output pin; and an electrical conductor which electrically connects the input pin and the output pin. The electrical conductor passes through an external portion of the enclosure, e.g., a slot, which allows a user to easily sever the electrical conductor. In operation, a portion of the program code detects when the electrical conductor is severed and causes the program code in the non-volatile memory to be erased, data transfer via the interface device to be disabled, and power to the integrated circuit cut off to ensure that all information in volatile memory is erased.
US08646092B2
The invention concerns a method for protecting the data of an application compiled in intermediate for execution executed on a digital apparatus equipped with a virtual machine managing the execution of the code via a execution stack defining at least one stack frame corresponding to a method called during the execution of the code. A secured execution mode of the code involves the determination of at least one global checksum associated with each stack frame and, each time that a datum of the code is manipulated, the calculation of a local checksum associated with that datum. The calculation is on one hand, on the global checksum associated with the stack frame corresponding to the manipulated datum and, on the other hand, on at least one part of the other data constituting the stack frame.
US08646089B2
A method is provided in one example embodiment that includes receiving a signal to enable a whitelist mode on a host in a network, terminating a process executing on the host if the process is not verified, and blocking execution of software objects on the host if the software objects are not represented on the whitelist. In more particular embodiments, the method also includes identifying the process on a process list that enumerates one or more processes executing on the host. Yet further embodiments include quarantining the host if a second process on the process list is a critical process and if the second process is not verified. More specific embodiments include identifying and restarting another process on the process list if process memory was modified.
US08646081B1
An ingress point receives a packet flow from a first communication device. The ingress point copies the packet flow, transmits the packet flow to an egress point over a network path, and processes the copy to determine if the packet flow represents a security event. If the packet flow represents a security event, the ingress point transmits a blocking instruction to the egress point over an alarm link and the egress point blocks the packet flow representing the security event. If the packet flow does not represent a security event, the egress point transmits the packet flow to a second communication device.
US08646077B1
A computer implemented method for detecting and preventing spam account generation is disclosed. Upon receiving an account creation request from a client, the server analyzes various types of data including past and current account creation information and data associated with the account creation request such as IP address, username, password, cookie, and response time. Based on the analysis result, the server assigns a spam score to the account creation request and compares the spam score with certain predefined thresholds. If the spam score is above a first threshold, the server may refuse the account creation request. If the spam score is within a certain range, the server may limit the access to the account associated with the account creation request. If the spam score is below a second threshold, the server may put no limit on access to (i.e., enable normal use of) the account.
US08646076B1
An apparatus for detecting malicious shell codes using a debugging event includes an alert setting unit configured to set a mother program to run a non-executable file to trigger the debugging event when a mother process created by the mother program tries to execute a code with no execution attribute; and an information storage unit configured to store information on an address range in which modules to be used by the mother process are loaded in a memory. Further, the apparatus includes a malicious code determination unit configured to determine whether the non-executable file is malicious using the information on the address range when there occurs the debugging event.
US08646074B1
The instant disclosure describe various exemplary methods for enabling otherwise unprotected computing devices to assess the reputations of wireless access points. In one example, a computer-implemented method for performing such a task may include (1) identifying, at a computing device that is otherwise unable to assess the reputations of wireless access points, at least one wireless access point that is available to the computing device, (2) obtaining, from a reputation service, reputation information for the wireless access point that identifies the reputation of the wireless access point, wherein the reputation information is based at least in part on prior interactions with the wireless access point by at least one additional computing device, and then (3) presenting the reputation information to a user of the computing device to help the user determine whether to connect to the wireless access point. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08646071B2
A method, and associated system and computer program product, of validating site data. The method includes the steps of, in a processing system 200, receiving 100 an indication of site data, performing a comparison 110 of the indication to site data criteria, and validating or invalidating 120 the indication based on a result of the comparison. The indication of site data could be at least part of a webpage, a link to a webpage, a Uniform Resource Locator, an IP address, at least part of an AJAX page, and/or at least part of a document.
US08646063B2
A mechanism is provided for providing temporary generated codes by a server. Responsive to triplet authentication of a device to service provider network, a server receives an initial code from the device to request a temporary generated code. The server verifies the triplet authentication of device. The server determines whether there is a user account match to the initial code. The server determines a corresponding application server based on the initial code and the user account match. The server generates a temporary generated code to access the application server. The temporary generated code is transmitted to both the application server and the communication device, is set to expire at a preset time, is generated to allow the user access to a single session on the application server, and is generated to expire after the temporary generated code is input to access the single session on application server.
US08646060B1
A method for facilitating login using adaptive authentication. The method uses different authentication methods and different data protection methods depending on the user location, availability of network, importance of the data.
US08646053B2
The present invention provides a security module for Web application, especially a portal application, using a rewriter proxy. The security module ensures that the rewritten URIs are appended by an authentication identifier for determining whether the rewritten URI has not been changed. Preferably, the authentication identifier can be generated by applying a secure hash algorithm and/or secret key to the original URIs of the remote resource or the entire rewritten URIs. When a client activates those URIs, a request is sent to the rewriter proxy. Before a connection to the access protected remote resource is established, the security module validates whether the URIs contained in the user client request have been changed by the user.
US08646047B2
An approach is presented for authenticating access by a service. The server receives a request, from a service, for the server, wherein the request includes, at least in part, a service-specific secret or a derivation of the service-specific secret. Further, the server determines to generate a server-computed secret. Then, the server determines to authenticate the request based, at least in part, on a comparison of the service-specific secret or the derivation of the service-specific secret against the server-computed secret or a derivation of the server-computed secret.The service receives credentials from a credential manager. The secret is part of the credentials. The credential manager and the server share some secret pre-configured data like key tables. The generation of the service specific secrets is based on the shared data.
US08646045B1
Authentication mechanisms are disclosed herein that authenticate user access to enterprises. For example, either an enterprise associated number or a social security number (SSN) can be provided to the enterprise to enter a first level. Then, any one of a ZIP code number, a device calling/contacting number, a date of birth, and a portion of the SSN can be provided to access applications in the first level. Lastly, a PIN can be provided to enter a second level of the enterprise. Additionally, these authentication mechanisms can be added and/or changed. In the former case, if a user used a SSN to enter the mentioned first level of the enterprise, then a date of birth can be used to update an authentication mechanism. Alternatively, if a user used an enterprise number to gain such access, then part of the SSN can be used for the update. If the user wants to change the authentication mechanism, the date of birth can be used for the update.
US08646040B2
A method, system and computer-usable medium for providing secure access to an application over an unsecure network. A transparent identification member can be physically placed by a user against a login interface, the transparent identification member possessing a filter for filtering and displaying a pattern unique to the login interface. Thereafter, the user can be automatically permitted to authenticate an unsecure network and securely access an application over the unsecure network, in response to placing the transparent identification member against the login interface and providing a user input at a physical location on the login interface corresponding to the pattern unique to the login interface, thereby providing a secure authentication for the user to perform secure transactions over the unsecure network and preventing phishing by others with respect to the user and the unsecure network.
US08646028B2
The methods and systems provide for allocating a universal serial bus (USB) device to one of a trusted virtual machine and a non-trusted virtual machine. A control program receives data indicating a USB port on the computing machine received a USB device and identifies at least one attribute of the USB device. The control program selects, based on application of a policy to the identified at least one device attribute, one of a trusted virtual machine and a non-trusted virtual machine executing. The control program grants, to the virtual machine selected by the control program, access to the USB device.
US08646027B2
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for workflow based authorization for content access. A workflow can be triggered when a protection policy does not fully express an intended recipient's rights in protected content. A workflow processes relevant inputs to more fully express the intended recipient's rights in protected content. Workflows can provide policy item updates and authorizations decisions with respect to protected content. Through the use of workflows to make an authorization decision, access to information can become more flexible, allowing it to follow the desired flow of information throughout its lifecycle. This flexibility allows organizations to protect their information without worrying about the protection stopping the natural flow of business.
US08646024B2
A method and system for dynamic channel management of a television based on media center set-top box tuner availability. The method includes determining a last channel a television was tuned to prior to being turned off. Then it is determined whether the last channel is a radio frequency remodulated (RF-remodulated) channel. If the last channel is a RF-remodulated channel, then sending a signal to indicate that the television is on line with the RF-remodulated channel. If a tuner is not available for the television, then receiving an indication of a cable channel that was last RF-remodulated to the RF-remodulated channel for the television. Finally, changing the television to the cable channel.
US08646019B2
Systems and methods for providing and promoting television programming, advertisements, and other content to selected viewers. A display is provided on a remote control device, prompts are provided on the display, and viewer responses to those prompts are monitored, stored in memory, and thereafter processed to reward viewers for responding properly to the prompts. Various methods for promoting such programs are also described.
US08646018B2
In general, in one aspect, the disclosure describes a resonance restricting material in communication with a bypass line of a cable television tap. The bypass line generates resonances at a defined frequency in response to RF parameters in the tap and the resonances increase insertion losses at the defined frequency and precludes bandwidth of the tap being increased above the defined frequency. The resonance restricting material may attenuate the resonances generated by the bypass line at the defined frequency (e.g., approximately 1.2 GHz) and reduce insertion losses at the defined frequency and enable the bandwidth of the tap to be increased (e.g., from 1.0 GHz to 1.5 GHz).
US08646015B2
An Internet gateway video server transmits selection information to a set top box connected to a television. The set top box displays the selection information on the television. A user views the selection information, and inputs user selection requests to the set top box. The Internet gateway video server receives user the requests for information and retrieves the information. The server then converts the network information from a network format to a television format. The conversion includes scanning the network information for selection elements, and adding selection elements for transmission in the television format. The converted network information is then transmitted to the set top box for display on the television. The user may then make further selections based on the displayed network information.
US08646002B2
A system for realistically reproducing multimedia content includes a realistic multimedia content producer for providing the multimedia content; a device metadata server for providing device metadata for realistically reproducing the multimedia content; and a realistic multimedia reproducing apparatus for downloading the device metadata for the multimedia content from the device metadata server, and applying device metadata selected by a user to thereby reproduce the multimedia content. Further, a method for realistically reproducing multimedia content includes downloading multimedia content to be reproduced realistically; checking if the multimedia content includes device metadata for realistic reproduction; downloading a plurality of device metadata for realistic reproduction of the multimedia content if the multimedia content does not include the device metadata; and reproducing realistically the multimedia content by controlling a reproducing device to which metadata selected by a user from the plurality of device metadata are applied.
US08646001B1
A unified system of programming communication. The system encompasses the prior art (television, radio, broadcast hardcopy, computer communications, etc.) and new user specific mass media. Within the unified system, parallel processing computer systems, each having an input (e.g., 77) controlling a plurality of computers (e.g., 205), generate and output user information at receiver stations. Under broadcast control, local computers (73, 205), combine user information selectively into prior art communications to exhibit personalized mass media programming at video monitors (202), speakers (263), printers (221), etc. At intermediate transmission stations (e.g., cable television stations), signals in network broadcasts and from local inputs (74, 77, 97, 98) cause control processors (71) and computers (73) to selectively automate connection and operation of receivers (53), recorder/players (76), computers (73), generators (82), strippers (81), etc. At receiver stations, signals in received transmissions and from local inputs (225, 218, 22) cause control processors (200) and computers (205) to automate connection and operation of converters (201), tuners (215), decryptors (224), recorder/players (217), computers (205), furnaces (206), etc. Processors (71, 200) meter and monitor availability and usage of programming.
US08645982B2
A spindle motor is disclosed, the spindle motor including a case including a lateral wall unit formed with a hollow hole, and a support unit extended to an inner side of a distal end of the lateral wall unit, a clamper arranged inside the lateral wall unit and supported by the support unit for clamping an upper surface of the optical disc, a cover plate covering the clamper, and an elastic member interposed between the clamper and the cover plate to apply a pressure to the clamper to a direction facing the upper surface of the optical disc.
US08645978B2
A method for data storage implemented in a data storage system is disclosed. Data storage nodes may be interconnected by means of a communications network. The method may include sending a request for a first data item to a plurality of storage nodes. The first data item may include a reference to a second data item stored in the storage system. The method may include receiving the first data item from at least one storage node, and sending a request for the second data item to the plurality of storage nodes based on the reference included in the first data item.
US08645977B2
An extensible virtualization system provides an object model and manages a virtual application lifecycle in a way that allows new virtualization subsystems to be added to extend a virtualization product without reworking the product itself. Virtualizing an application generally involves three steps: metadata extraction, metadata storage and reconstitution, and runtime management of requests. The extensible virtualization system receives notification of an application preparation session and allows virtualization subsystems to monitor the session to collect configuration information specific to each subsystem that the application uses to run on a client. Each subsystem provides collected information to the extensible virtualization system, which stores the collected information until the application to be virtualized is deployed. When the application is deployed, the system invokes the same virtualization subsystem and provides the subsystem with the stored information.
US08645970B1
A method for looking up routing information for a person or program assigned to respond to an incident messages is explained herein. The method includes recognizing a routing code that was appended to either the object name or description. The routing code is recognized by a program that looks up the responders contact information in a table that correlates routing codes with designated responder information.
US08645969B2
The various aspects include methods and apparatus that enable processors within a multi-processor computing device to automatically discover each other and to configure themselves to interoperate utilizing at least two agents in a scalable inter-processor communication protocol. A dynamic method of advertising capabilities of processors uses a scalable communication format that can be discover and linked to each processor to enable sharing of processing resources. To enable processor-discovery, each processor may be configured with a foreign agent, a local agent and a service daemon software program that facilitates processor auto-discovery and auto-configuration. Advertising and capabilities messages between processors in the same device may use the QMI protocol format. The advertised capabilities may include information regarding processor identification, transport type, port, technology, services and resources. The method may enable processors to automatically configuring themselves to work with or utilize the capabilities of the other discovered peer processors.
US08645962B2
An instruction generating apparatus includes a receiving section and a generating section. The receiving section receives job information including a plurality of jobs determined in a given order. Each job includes a process of a document by a processing device. The generating section generates instruction information based on the job information received by the receiving section. The instruction information includes, in the given order, a plurality of sets of (i) document corresponding to each job and (ii) detailed process of the document so as to instruct the processing device to perform each document process.
US08645959B2
A technique for performing barrier synchronization among a plurality of program threads. More particularly, at least one embodiment of the invention keeps track of completed tasks associated with a number of program threads using bits within a barrier register that can be updated and reassigned without incurring the amount of bus traffic as in the prior art.
US08645952B2
A method for providing location independent dynamic port mirroring on distributed virtual switches is disclosed. A controller is provided to configure one or more virtual switches within a group of physical machines to appear as a set of distributed virtual switches. In response to the receipt of a data packet at a port of a physical machine, a determination is made whether or not the port has a monitor port located on the physical machine. If the port has a monitor port located on the same physical machine, a copy of the data packet is sent to the monitor port of the physical machine. If the port has a monitor port located on a different physical machine, a copy of the data packet along with an identification (ID) of the port and an ID of the monitor port are encapsulated, and the encapsulated information are sent to a controller.
US08645941B2
A method for attributing revenue for embedded software. The method includes the first step of determining the presence of more than one type of embedded software on a given client site. Then, the process assigns priority based on the length of time each type has resided on the client system and the source of each type, followed by classifying each software type, based on the history of present and predecessor copies of the software. A distribution factor is applied to each software type, based on priority and classification, partner revenue is distributed based on the distribution factor applied to each software type.
US08645935B2
Binary rewriters that do not require relocation information and automatic parallelizers within binary rewriters are provided, as well as methods for performing binary rewriting and automatic parallelization. The method, in certain embodiments. includes disassembling a binary file and determining functions in the disassembled binary file. The method can further include rewriting the binary file without relying on relocation information or object files. Optionally, the method can further include performing automatic parallelization of the binary before rewriting the binary file.
US08645922B2
In one embodiment the present invention includes a computer-implemented method of measuring bottlenecks in a computer program implemented in a hardware client-server environment. The method includes defining an execution parameter to measure of the hardware client-server environment. The method further includes modifying code blocks to include instrumentation code. The instrumentation code relates to the execution parameter. The method further includes executing, in the hardware client-server environment, the code blocks having been modified. The method further includes generating instrumentation data, related to the execution parameter, that result from executing the code blocks. The method further includes outputting the instrumentation data having been generated. In this manner, the bottlenecks may be measured; the measured bottlenecks may be sorted; noteworthy bottlenecks may be identified; and the aspects of the hardware client-server environment may be adjusted to address the bottlenecks. Sorting is helpful because thousands of synchronization points may be detected and measured, but many of them do not represent a problem that requires correction.
US08645918B2
An adjustment device for adjusting at least one control device with at least one control device microcontroller and with at least one control device debug interface, where the adjustment device comprises at least one programmable unit, at least one data transmission interface for connecting the adjustment device to an operating unit, and at least one adjustment device debug interface for connecting the adjustment device to the control device debug interface of the control device. The adjustment device according to the invention accomplishes the objective of reducing the load on the control device due to control device application by at least one address list and at least one data list, which are provided in a memory of the adjustment device.
US08645917B2
A programming language support for debugging heap related errors includes one or more queries for determining one or more global properties associated with use of the area by the program. The one or more queries may be executed in parallel or concurrently and dynamically utilize available number of cores.
US08645906B2
A set of tools and other mechanisms automatically enforce software development change policies by providing a way to map physical source control system codelines to projects and by providing a way to maintain current project and codeline state information. The set of tools and other mechanisms also provide ways to define change management rules and policies, as well as, ways to evaluate and allow or deny each proposed change against the defined change policy.
US08645897B1
An integrated circuit (IC) design verification system includes a memory for storing an IC design and a processor in communication with the memory. The IC design includes multiple IP cores and the design verification apparatus includes multiple verification modules. The processor configures a first set of connections between the IP cores and the verification modules based on a first connection database and verifies each IP core independently using the first set of connections. Thereafter, the processor configures a second set of connections between the IP cores and the verification modules based on a second connection database generated based on the first connection database, and verifies the multiple IP cores together using the second set of connections.
US08645885B1
A method of configuring a programmable integrated circuit device with a user logic design includes accepting a first user input defining the user logic design, accepting a second user input defining multithreading characteristics of at least a portion the user logic design, determining a configuration of the programmable integrated circuit device having the user logic design, multithreading the at least a portion of the configuration based on the second user input, and retiming the multithreaded configuration.
US08645874B2
For a user interface, sorts are performed not just on the items currently visible, but across multiple pages or parts of pages some of which may not be currently visible. In one exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, all pages are virtually joined in the same data storage “bucket.” Sorts performed by the computer may thus be applied across multiple pages some of which are currently visible and some of which may not be. By sorting displayed information, the sort criteria can be applied across and maintained across multiple other pages. In this way, the user sees expected functionality on the page she is currently viewing, and the computer works behind the scenes to consistently sort other items currently hidden from view so that when the user selects those pages they will already have been similarly sorted in a coherent manner.
US08645868B2
There is provided a control device for making settings, comprising: a setting item selection unit configured to select setting items to which same setting should be set, from among a plurality of setting items regarding the control device, based on externally inputted instructions; a setting value accepting unit configured to accept setting to be set equally to the selected setting items selected by the setting item selection unit; and a setting unit configured to set the setting accepted through the setting value accepting unit to all of the selected setting items.
US08645865B2
An embodiment of a graphical user interface for specifying an item order includes a graphical order generator arranged in a geometric pattern. The graphical order generator may include an order input tool including a category section for displaying a plurality of inter-dependent dynamically filtered category indicators arranged in a sequential and user-modifiable hierarchy, and an option section for displaying a plurality of selectable option indicators associated with a category indicator. The category indicator may include a graphical representation of an active state or incomplete state before selection of an option indicator, and a graphical representation of a complete state after selection of the option indicator. The graphical order generator may also include a communication tool for displaying a plurality of selectable communication indicators associated with one or more past or current communication messages, and a contextual information tool for displaying one or more selectable information indicators.
US08645848B2
Systems and method for dynamically loaded menus and objects are provided that can provide cross-platform capability and accessibility features. Objects in a page that are dynamic or are not human-readable (e.g., executable or images) can be identified and enhanced for compatibility with screen readers. HTML corresponding to the object can be generated and loaded in storage for use within the web page. The loaded HTML can be copied into the HTML of the web page. A blank placeholder may be displayed in the area in which the corresponding HTML is to be displayed and the corresponding HTML is displayed over the placeholder to provide a replacement object such as to display a list of URL menu items.
US08645828B2
An application management system, including a learning robot/learning agent adapted to generate control data (eg automation script) by monitoring interactions (404,406) between a customer service application (CSA) and a user of the application and an execution robot for sending application data to the application on the basis of the control data, is described. A contact center management system whose components are configurable by a contact center administrator is also described. A relationship management system that manages a relationship between a business requiring a contact center and a customer service representative broker is also described.
US08645827B2
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods, software, devices and APIs for defining touch events for application level software. Furthermore, some embodiments are directed to simplifying the recognition of single and multiple touch events for applications running in multi-touch enabled devices. To simplify the recognition of single and multiple touch events, each view within a particular window can be configured as either a multi-touch view or a single touch view. Furthermore, each view can be configured as either an exclusive or a non-exclusive view. Depending on the configuration of a view, touch events in that and other views can be either ignored or recognized. Ignored touches need not be sent to the application. Selectively ignoring touches can allow for simpler software elements that do not take advantage of advanced multi touch features to be executed at the same device and time as more complex software elements.
US08645822B2
A method for presenting a presentation authored on a first platform utilizing first-platform-specific-renderable objects is provided. The method includes, at a presentation player executable on a second platform different from the first platform: receiving a presentation file, in response to execution of the presentation file by the presentation player, extracting frame data from the presentation file, the frame data including a frame document object model corresponding to each frame of the presentation, parsing the frame document object model of each frame of the presentation to identify the first-platform-specific-renderable objects, translating the first-platform-specific-renderable objects into corresponding second-platform-specific-renderable objects having second-platform-specific binaries, and rendering the second-platform-specific binaries of each second-platform-specific-renderable object utilizing second-platform-specific primitives retrieved from data storage in electronic communication with the second-platform, the second-platform-specific-renderable objects being rendered according to the frame document object model of each frame to display the presentation.
US08645817B1
The Enhanced Posted Listing Management (EPLM) system facilitates generating, distributing, managing and tracking posted listing that are based on a sponsor's underlying data entry. The underlying data entry may be configured as an advertisement or offer for any number of goods, services or opportunities. As an example, the data entry may be a posting on specialized search facilitation site, such as MONSTER® of www.Monster.com. The posted listings may be distributed to a posted listing aggregation web site, such as an online classified web site. Advantageously, the post EPLM system incorporates additional support resources into posted distributed listings. The additional support resources facilitate web user tracking and posted listing maintenance. Accordingly, the EPLM enable a posted listing sponsor to effectively and efficiently access posted listing performance and manage one or more posted listings.
US08645802B2
According to embodiments, an error correction decoder carrying out iterative decoding for coded data based on LDPC code. The decoder comprises a generation unit and an inversion, control unit. The generation unit is configured to generate an inversion node list listing variable nodes connected to check nodes not satisfying a parity check when a code word cannot be obtained after carrying out the iterative decoding a first number of iterations. The inversion control unit is configured to choose a variable node which is a target for inversion from among the variable nodes listed in the inversion node list, and to carry out inversion processing which includes updating an input likelihood of the variable node which is the target for inversion temporarily by inverting a sign of an a posteriori likelihood of the variable node which is the target for inversion.
US08645801B2
A delivery method for IPTV which combines forward error correction (FEC) with retransmission techniques for handling packet loss and/or corruption. Packet loss or corruption of popular channels is handled through the use of FEC while packet loss of less popular channels is handled by retransmission.
US08645796B2
Dynamic pipeline cache error correction includes receiving a request to perform an operation that requires a storage cache slot, the storage cache slot residing in a cache. The dynamic pipeline cache error correction also includes accessing the storage cache slot, determining a cache hit for the storage cache slot, identifying and correcting any correctable soft errors associated with the storage cache slot. The dynamic cache error correction further includes updating the cache with results of corrected data.
US08645793B2
A system includes a read module, a statistical data generating module, and a storing module. The read module reads charge levels of nonvolatile memory cells and generates read signals. The statistical data generating module generates statistical data based on the read signals. The storing module stores the statistical data. The read module generates the read signals based on the charge levels of the nonvolatile memory cells and the statistical data.
US08645792B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, systems, and apparatuses related to calculating an error correction code for a program page dependent on guard values that correspond to words of the program page. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08645774B2
Expedited memory drive self test, including: determining, by a drive self test module, a base block size for testing a memory drive; determining, by a drive self test module, a block group size for testing a memory drive; determining, by the drive self test module, a percentage of the memory drive to test; and for each block group size of memory in the memory drive: testing for media defects, by the drive self test module, a number of blocks in a block group that corresponds to the percentage of the memory drive to test.
US08645773B2
Representative locations of a non-volatile, solid-state memory of an apparatus store characterization data. An event during which elapsed time is not measured by the apparatus is determined. In response to the event, temporal degradation of the non-volatile, solid-state memory during the event is estimated based on electrical characteristics of the representative locations.
US08645772B2
In one or more embodiments, an intelligent communications device is disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus for managing a network connection of the intelligent communications device is disclosed. The apparatus includes a communication module for monitoring the network connection through a first port that is independent of a network port. The first port is associated with a computer-executable application that is operative to detect failure of the network connection. The apparatus further includes a detection module for detecting a failure of the network connection at the network port and, in response to the failure, causing the intelligent communications device to reconnect to the network. The apparatus also includes a power supply module for iteratively power-cycling operation of the intelligent communications device in response to a failed network connection.
US08645767B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to scalable input/output (I/O) function level error detection, isolation, and reporting. An error is detected in a communication initiated between a function and the system memory, the communication including an I/O request from an application. Future communication between the function and the system memory is prevented in response to the detecting. The application is notified that the error in communication occurred in response to the detecting.
US08645765B2
Method embodiments for triggering error injection into a function under test using a serialization resource are provided. A test process invokes the function under test immediately after relinquishing exclusive control of the serialization resource. An error-injection process injects the error into the running function after gaining exclusive control of the serialization resource from the test process. The error-injection process may add a delay to inject the error. If the processes are repeated, the error-injection process may vary the delay, perhaps randomly, over a specified time window to thoroughly exercise the function's error recovery routine.
US08645764B2
Described herein are systems and methods for providing diagnostic information between an application server (e.g., a WebLogic server), and a virtual machine (VM) (e.g., a JRockit VM). In accordance with an embodiment, the system includes a diagnostic monitoring component adapted to obtain diagnostic data indicative of all available data on an application server, including diagnostic information from one or more application server components running on the application server, obtain diagnostic data from the virtual machine, and persists the diagnostic data obtained from the application server and the virtual machine into a diagnostic data image file. The system further includes a console that provides access to the diagnostic data persisted into the diagnostic image file.
US08645754B1
A method and system of checkpointing single process application groups and multi-process application groups. In an exemplary embodiment, the method may include creating at least one full checkpoint for each application in an application group, and creating at least one incremental application checkpoint for each application in the application group. Further, each of the at least one incremental application checkpoint may be automatically merged against a corresponding full application checkpoint. Further, checkpointing may be synchronized across all applications in the application group. In the exemplary embodiment, each application may use both fork( ) and exec( ) in any combination.
US08645747B2
Method and apparatus for providing failover operation for a connection between a first PCIE bridge and a first input/output (IO) device are provided. A first set of bussed bits is exchanged between the first PCIE bridge and the first IO device over a first link using a first set of lanes of the first PCIE bridge. In response to detecting the failure in the first link, the first set of bussed bits is exchanged between the first PCIE bridge and the first IO device using an unused portion of a second link connecting a second PCIE bridge and a second IO device.
US08645745B2
Techniques are described for decentralizing a job scheduler in a distributed system environment. Embodiments of the invention may generally include receiving a job to be performed by a multi-nodal system which includes a cluster of nodes. Instead of a centralized job scheduler assigning the job to a node or nodes, each node has a job scheduler which scans a shared-file system to determine what job to execute on the node. In a job requiring multiple nodes, one of the nodes that joined the multi-nodal job becomes the primary node which then assigns and monitors the job's execution on the multiple nodes.
US08645744B2
An exemplary method includes a message broker subsystem 1) attempting to deliver one or more messages intended for a recipient software application to the recipient software application, 2) determining that the recipient software application is in a fault state after failing to deliver the one or more messages to the recipient software application, 3) automatically performing a fail-over process on one or more other messages intended for the recipient software application in response to the determination that the recipient software application is in the fault state, and 4) continuing to attempt to deliver a message selected from the one or more messages to the recipient software application while automatically performing the fail-over process on the one or more other messages. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.
US08645733B2
Virtualized application power budgeting can manage power budgeting for multiple applications in data centers. This power budgeting may be done in intelligent and/or dynamic ways and may be useful for updating power budgets, resolving conflicts in requests for power, and may improve the efficiency of the distribution of power to multiple applications.Virtualized application power budgeting can distinguish between priority applications and non-priority applications at a granular, virtual machine level and reduce the power consumption to only non-priority applications when there are power consumption conflicts. Virtualized application power budgeting may be able to determine the most efficient manner of providing power to each application in a data center. Further, virtualized application power budgeting may be able to distribute power according to application priority and other predetermined requirements and improve the efficiency of the power consumption by the devices in the data center.
US08645729B2
An integrated circuit device controls power up of an external device used for sensing a process variable independently of whether the integrated circuit device is in a low power sleep mode. Once the external device becomes operational the integrated device, even when still in the low power sleep mode, samples the process variable status of the external device. Low power timing circuits operational during the low power sleep mode control the power up of the external device and sampling of the process variable status thereof. After the sample of the process variable status is taken, the integrated circuit device may be brought out of the low power sleep mode to an operational mode when appropriate as determined from the sampled process variable status.
US08645726B2
Method and system for load sharing in a multiple power supply system. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are power supply units including a switching circuit, a coarse adjustment circuit coupled to the switching circuit (the coarse adjustment circuit configured to send an internal command to the switching circuit to modify a pulse width modulated signal that controls output current of the power supply unit), and a communication port coupled to the switching circuit. The power supply unit configured to receive from an external device over the communication port an external command to modify the pulse width modulated signal of the switching circuit. The power supply unit is also configured to modify the output current, the amount of modification based on the external command, and the internal command from the coarse adjustment circuit.
US08645725B2
An optical disc reproducing apparatus includes an Internet connectable LAN module and a control unit for controlling the LAN module. In the optical disc reproducing apparatus, the operation of the LAN module is temporarily stopped for periods during which an optical disc is being reproduced and Internet connection is not necessary.
US08645720B2
A power adaptor detection system includes a power adaptor device configured to receive electrical power at a first voltage and to convert the electrical power to a second voltage. The second voltage has a lower value than the first voltage. An identification generating circuit is coupled to the power adaptor device. The identification generating circuit is configured to convert a portion of the electrical power to a substantially constant value electrical current. An identification detection circuit is configured to detect the second voltage. Detecting the second voltage causes the identification circuit to determine the value of a pulse of the electrical current, wherein the value of the electrical current is an identification attribute of the power adaptor device.
US08645718B2
In the computer apparatus which has a processing unit, a power consumption measuring unit, and a power counter, the power consumption of running programs on the processing unit is measured at arbitrary constant period, wherein the measuring value is integrated to the power counter. When the power counter overflows, the processing unit is interrupted for sampling information required for analysis. Then the processing unit which received the interruption executes a sampling of the power consumption base. So, power consumption based sampling and profiling becomes to be enabled.
US08645711B2
A disc stores therein a computer program and encrypted information. A BIOS is executed at the time of start-up and starts the computer program. A TPM is connected to the BIOS by a low-speed bus. The TPM includes a register for storing data. A blob stores therein true hash values of the computer program and the BIOS in advance. The BIOS includes a hash value calculating unit that calculates hash values of the computer program and the BIOS and stores those hash values in the register. The TPM compares the hash values stored in the register with the hash values stored in the blob and decrypts information in the blob if the hash values agree with each other.
US08645705B2
According to one embodiment, an information processing device includes a receiving section configured to receive a trigger signal from a device connected thereto, a verifying section configured to verify the trigger signal when the receiving section receives the trigger signal, and an activating section configured to activate the system when the verification of the trigger signal is successfully made by the verifying section.
US08645702B2
A content router comprising storage configured to cache, in a content oriented network (CON), a content object with a signature signed by a publisher based on a known identity to a subscriber; and a transmitter coupled to the storage and configured to forward the content object with the signature upon request to the subscriber, wherein the subscriber uses the signature to verify one of the content object's integrity and the content object's authenticity based on the known identity without verifying a trust of a publisher key for the publisher, and wherein the known identity is trusted by the publisher and does not require verifying trust from the publisher.
US08645699B2
A mobile communications device having a digital certificate authenticating the device itself is proposed. A server for authenticating the device and a method of authenticating the device are also disclosed. The device comprises a transmitter, a processor, a memory and a computer readable medium. The memory includes a certificate certifying the authenticity of the mobile communications device, the certificate comprising device-specific data and a digital signature signed by an authority having control of the authenticity of the mobile communications device. The computer readable medium has computer readable instructions stored thereon that when executed configure the processor to instruct the transmitter to transmit a copy of the certificate to a service provider in response to a request to authenticate the mobile communications device with the service provider.
US08645694B2
There is provided an authentication method for a system (10) comprising several devices (30). The method involves: a) providing each device (30) with an identity value (pi: i=1, . . . , n) and a polynomial (P) for generating a polynomial key; (b) including a verifier device (p1) and a prover device (P2)amongst said devices (30); (c) arranging for the prover device (p2) to notify its existence to the verifier device (P1); (d) arranging for the verifier device (pi) to challenge the prover device (p2) to encrypt a nonce using the prover (P2)device's polynomial (P) key and communicate the encrypted nonce as a response to the verifier device (p1); (e) arranging for the verifier device (p1) to receive the encrypted nonce as a further challenge from the prover device (pZ) and: (i ) encrypt the challenge using the polynomial keys generated from a set of stored device identities; or (ii) decrypt the challenge received using the set of polynomial keys; until said verifier device (p1) identifies an authentication match.
US08645680B2
A method and apparatus for sending protected media data from a data source node to a client node via an intermediate node. The data source node establishes a first hop-by-hop key to be shared with the intermediate node and an end-to-end key to be shared with the client node. A single security protocol instance is configured and used to trans-protocol form data from a media stream into transformed data using the keys. The transformed data is then sent to the intermediate node. The intermediate node uses the first hop-by-hop key to apply a security processing to the transformed data, and establishes a second hop-by-hop key with the client node. A second transformation is performed on the transformed data using the second hop-by-hop key to produce further transformed media data, which is then sent to the client node. At the client node a single security protocol instance is configured with the second hop-by-hop key and the end-to-end key, which are used to apply further security processing to the transformed media data.
US08645678B2
A chaotic cryptographic technique for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) based wireless/wired communication systems is implemented with an OFDM symbol structure based on symmetric key cryptography. At the receiver side, data detection becomes infeasible without knowledge of the secret key. Without the knowledge of the key, the signal will be a noise-like signal. The computational power required to implement the technique is very low, rendering the system an attractive option for high data rate communications based on OFDM technology. The system security is proportional to (L×N)! where N is the number of subcarriers in the OFDM system and L is the number of OFDM symbols involved in the encryption process. For OFDM applications where ≧256, L may be set to 1 and breaking the system would require N! exhaustive-search trials. In the case that N<256, L may be increased.
US08645672B2
A request from an installer of a software application to configure the computer system for installation of the software application is received at a configuration client. Upon receiving the request, a message is sent to a local agent of the computer system to request a configuration for the installation of the software application. The message includes an identifier of the software application used by a configuration management server to identify the configuration corresponding to the software application. A configuration element is received from the local agent in response to the message. The configuration element includes a variable for holding a value that represents a characteristic of the computer system. The value of the variable is configured as a function of the computer system. The configuration element, including the configured variable value, is provided to the installer of the software application and is used for the installation of the software application.
US08645644B2
A method is provided for fine-grained detection of data modification of original data by associating separate guard bits with granules of memory storing original data from which translated data has been obtained. The guard bits indicating whether the original data stored in the associated granule is protected for data coherency. The guard bits are set and cleared by special-purpose instructions. Responsive to attempting access to translated data obtained from the original data, the guard bit(s) associated with the original data is checked to determine whether the guard bit(s) fail to indicate coherency of the original data, and if so, discarding of the translated data is initiated to facilitate maintaining data coherency between the original data and the translated data.
US08645638B2
A memory is used by concurrent threads in a multithreaded processor. Any addressable storage location is accessible by any of the concurrent threads, but only one location at a time is accessible. The memory is coupled to parallel processing engines that generate a group of parallel memory access requests, each specifying a target address that might be the same or different for different requests. Serialization logic selects one of the target addresses and determines which of the requests specify the selected target address. All such requests are allowed to proceed in parallel, while other requests are deferred. Deferred requests may be regenerated and processed through the serialization logic so that a group of requests can be satisfied by accessing each different target address in the group exactly once.
US08645617B2
This disclosure provides a non-volatile memory device that concurrently processes multiple page reads, erases or writes involving the same memory space. The device relies upon a crossbar and a set of page buffers that may each be dynamically assigned to each read or write request. The device also separates memory array control from IO control, such that multiple cycle state change operations can be performed while the buffers are used to transfer data into and out of the buffers along an external data bus; using this structure, the memory device can accept multiple transactions where pages can be immediately loaded into buffers and then “pipelined” either for transfer to a write data register or to an external bus as appropriate. By significantly mitigating the substantial “busy time” associated with program and erase of non-volatile memory devices, especially flash devices, this disclosure greatly expands potential application of such devices.
US08645610B2
A system and method is illustrated wherein a protocol agent module receives a memory request encoded with a protocol, the memory request identifying an address location in a memory module managed by a buffer. Additionally, the system and method includes a memory controller to process the memory request to identify the buffer that manages the address location in the memory module. Further, the system and method includes an address mapping module to process the memory request to identify at least one super page associated with the memory module, the at least one super page associated with the address location.
US08645609B2
A two-port memory having a read port, a write port and a plurality of identical single-port RAM banks. The capacity of one of the single-port RAM banks is used to resolve collisions between simultaneous read and write accesses to the same single-port RAM bank. A read mapping memory stores instance information that maps logical banks and a spare bank to the single-port RAM banks for read accesses. Similarly, a write mapping memory stores write instance information that maps logical banks and a spare bank to the single-port RAM banks for write accesses. If simultaneous read and write accesses are not mapped to the same single-port RAM bank, read and write are performed simultaneously. However, if a collision exists, the write access is re-mapped to a spare bank identified by the write instance information, allowing simultaneous read and write. Both read and write mapping memories are updated to reflect any re-mapping.
US08645604B2
Systems and method are provided for selecting one or more docking functions based on a physical orientation of a user device coupled to a docking device. The docking device may include a surface upon which the user device may be placed. Docking functions such as charging, data transfer, data synchronization, diagnostic checking, or other functions may be selected, performed, or both, based on the physical orientation of the user device on the surface.
US08645601B2
Various methods, devices, systems, and machine readable mediums are provided which may be used in accordance with a protocol, such as a protocol used to support the transfer of data and commands between a host and a device. In one embodiment, a driver on a host device may be used to implement a protocol to provide support for various features of the universal serial bus (USB) attached storage (UAS) protocol when interfacing the host device with one or more connected devices that are compatible with either the USB 2.0 standard or the USB 3.0 standard. In this regard, a single driver on the host device may be used to support USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 devices. In another embodiment, such a protocol may be used to support USB 3.0 devices without requiring USB 3.0 streaming capabilities to be supported by host devices or connected devices.
US08645594B2
Techniques herein include systems and methods for driver-assisted BAR mapping that virtualize PCI functions, but without virtualizing the storage media itself. Such techniques make use of unused BARs (Base Address Registers) of a master (Operating system-facing) device to gain access to other PCIe logical instances, while still exposing only a single PCIe function (connection or channel) to system software. This technique provides a new concept of logical PCIe device instances through BAR mapping by making use of unused BARs to extend access to any number of PCIe instances or memory-mapped I/O devices behind a master device such that only a single PCIe function is exposed to system software. Embodiments can thus extend access to one or more additional storage devices through one level of BAR indirection. As a result, such techniques and embodiments enable the multiplication of storage capacity and performance through the aggregation of multiple, similar hardware components.
US08645587B2
A connection apparatus interposed between a storage device including at least one storage section and a plurality of controllers for controlling the storage device, the connection apparatus includes a notification section that transfers, when a notification indicating occurrence of a state variation relating to the storage section is received from the storage device, the notification to at least one of the controllers, a monitoring section that monitors access from the at least one of the controllers, to which the notification has been transferred, to the storage device through the connection apparatus, and a notification controlling section that changes over, when it is detected by the monitoring section that the access has been terminated, a transfer destination of the notification by the notification section to one or more of the controllers to which the notification has not been transferred.
US08645583B2
A method for controlling performance of an integrated circuit using a zero-pin serial interface is provided. The method comprises identifying a desired performance characteristic of the circuit, and transmitting a first change mode signal to the circuit on a first pin to cause the circuit to enter an instruction reception mode, with the first pin performing differently during a normal operation mode. The method also comprises transmitting a performance adjusting instruction to the circuit on a second pin when the circuit is in the instruction reception mode, with the second pin performing differently during the normal operation mode, and transmitting a second change mode signal to the circuit on the first pin to cause the circuit to enter the normal operation mode. An output performance of the circuit is compared to the desired performance characteristic, with the output performance being the performance of the circuit during the normal operation mode. The circuit is set to permanently provide the output performance when the output performance is within a desired tolerance of the desired performance characteristic.
US08645573B2
Selective compression of data, wherein it is determined which of a number of compression algorithms do not incur an overhead that exceeds available resources. Then, one of the determined algorithms is selected to maximize compression.
US08645569B2
A method and apparatus for use with a plurality of resources integrated within a space for performing a process and a program run by a processor for controlling the process, the method for associating the program with the resources and comprising the steps of identifying at least a first reference point within the space, identifying the relative juxtaposition of at least a first resource with respect to the first reference point and associating the first resource with the program as a function of the relative juxtaposition of the resource to the reference point.
US08645560B2
The present invention relates to a content providing system and method, a shared content providing apparatus and method, a content output apparatus and method, and a program for making it possible to provide content to a different user without infringing on copyright. Content items are provided from a content server 21 to a plurality of broadcast receiving apparatuses 14-1 to 14-3 via a broadcasting network 12. A video clip server 16 obtains, from the content server 21, shared content that is content shared by a plurality of users, among the provided content items. The video clip server 16 sends selecting information for selecting the obtained shared content to the plurality of broadcast receiving apparatuses 14-1 to 14-3 via the Internet 11. The shared content selected by the broadcast receiving apparatuses 14-1 to 14-3 on the basis of the selecting information is provided from the video clip server 16 to the broadcast receiving apparatuses 14-1 to 14-3.
US08645552B2
A system and method for efficiently accessing Internet resources is disclosed. One example directory system for permitting a user to access and retrieve information from a network of computers is disclosed. The example system comprises a key phrase field for accepting a search term, a data table and a search unit. The data table comprises a plurality of cells for storing unique identifiers wherein at least one of said plurality of cells may be activated by the user to perform an action related to the stored unique identifiers. The search unit conducts a search for unique identifiers from the network of computers related to the search term.
US08645544B2
Cross product/service management of subscriber products/services is provided. When multiple product/services orders or instructions are received for a shared service or resource (e.g., a unified voicemail box/system) from two or more order or instruction entry systems (e.g., wireline and wireless telephone systems), the multiple orders or instructions are passed to a shared product/services provisioning manager for management of the orders or instructions with respect to the shared service or resource. If the orders require a change to the shared service or resource, the orders or instructions are mediated for concurrent or otherwise conflicting requests to the shared service or resource. Mediated requests are formatted for receipt and use by the shared service or resource and are then passed to a network element responsible for the shared service or resource for implementation.
US08645543B2
A method and system for managing and reconciling naming conflicts in a configuration database. Attributes are collected about a detected resource in a network. Valid names for the detected resource are created based on the collected attributes and a set of naming rules. A valid name is created for each naming rule, and the naming rules have a priority order. A master-alias table is search to locate a match between existing names of known resources recorded in the master-alias table and any of the valid names. A partial match of resource attributes is determined to exist when all of the valid names in the set of valid names do not match an existing name in a matching entry. The detected resource is determined to be a new resource or an existing resource based on a priority of the naming rules used to create the valid names.
US08645542B2
A intelligent distributed virtual server for providing distributed services to a plurality of clients, including one or more servers units, each server units storing data and providing service for accessing by one or more clients; one or more switches and routers for connecting the clients to the server units and to provide a communication link; and a distribution control station connected to the clients and the server units via the switches and routers, wherein the distribution control station receives a request for a service from a client, and selectively establishes a data link between that client and an server unit, which stores the requested data and provides service, such that the server unit provides the data stream to the client via the communication link, independent of other server units. Therefore, it provides distributed computing cross intra-net or Internet and it provides scalability and all intelligent services such as fault handling, security and others.
US08645537B2
Securing an accessible computer system typically includes receiving a data packet that includes a payload portion and an attribute portion, where the data packet is communicated between at least one access requestor and at least one access provider. At least the payload portion of the received data packet typically is monitored, where monitoring includes scanning the payload portion for at least one predetermined pattern. When the payload portion is determined to include at least one predetermined pattern, access by the access requestor to the access provider may be controlled. Monitoring the data packet may include scanning the payload portion while handling the data packet with a switch. Controlling access may include denying access by the access requestor to the access provider.
US08645528B2
An object is to create a convergent mediation system (10) and method that provides a good degree of interoperability and ease of administration. According to an aspect of the invention, these objects are achieved by providing a convergent mediation system (10) that comprises a common platform (18) for both online processing (12) and off-line processing (14) of data. The common platform (18) is designed such that it includes a plurality of independent nodes (120, 125) adapted to form processing streams (200) for the online processing (12) of data and processing streams (200) for the off-line processing (14) of data such that each of the processing streams (200) comprises at least two nodes (120, 125) in sequence. Furthermore, the system (10) is provided with at least one online interface node (125) and configured such that the first node in each of the online processing streams (212) is such an online interface node (125). The online interface nodes (125) are adapted to receive data from the at least one of the communications network (30) or the service delivery platform (30) and send a response thereto. The content of the response is selectively formed in one of the online processing streams (212).
US08645516B2
A system is described for analyzing user activity in a collaborative environment. The system may include a memory, an interface, and a processor. The memory may store a plurality of data items. Each data item may be related to at least one other data item. The processor may receive a request to alert the user when an action is performed on a selected data item. The processor may also receive a relation threshold identifying at least one other data item related to the selected data item. The processor may detect the action being performed on the data item identified by the relation threshold. The processor may transform data describing the action into an alert. The alert may include the data describing the action, the data item, and a description of the relationship between the data items. The processor may provide the alert to the user via the device.
US08645511B2
A method may include receiving by a current computer a customization application, the customization application including a control panel to establish user preferences for a user account of the cloud-based service and/or system settings for the second computer; receiving by the current computer an input to the customization application to establish one or more user preferences for the user account and/or one or more system settings for the second computer; and transmitting from the current computer to a server associated with the cloud-based service the one or more user preferences and a username for the user account and/or the system settings for the second computer.
US08645510B2
Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and system for distributing policy and charging control (PCC) rules among a plurality of IP-Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) bearers. The method may include one or more of the following: receiving, at a PCRN, an UE request (CCR) message, processing the UE message to generate one or more PCC rules, determining one or more requested service data flows (SDFs) from the UE message, and for each requested SDF, generating a new PCC rule based on the UE message. The method may further include, providing each new PCC rule to a Policy and Charging Enforcement Node (PCEN), controlling distribution of the generated PCC rules among a plurality of IP-CAN bearers, and binding each requested service data flow to select ones of IP-CAN bearers of the plurality of IP-CAN bearers.
US08645508B1
Techniques are described for providing managed computer networks. In some situations, the techniques include managing communications for computing nodes of a managed computer network by using a pool of multiple alternative intermediate destinations to forward at least some communications to other final destinations. For example, a manager module associated with a source computing node may select a particular one of multiple alternative intermediate destinations to use for one or more particular communications from the source computing node to an indicated final destination, such as based on network addresses associated with the source computing node and/or the final destination. The multiple alternative intermediate destinations may have various forms, including multiple alternative edge devices at a first location at which various computing nodes are co-located that operate to manage communications between those co-located computing nodes at the first location and other external computer systems at one or more other locations.
US08645505B2
An anonymous location wireless network service for use in a wireless network. The service provides content providers with the location of network users without revealing their identities. The service includes a wireless network having a proxy server, a network communication link to a plurality of web sites, and a wireless communication link to a plurality of handheld devices. The proxy server blocks identity by reading the location and identity information of network devices, generating dummy identifications, relating the dummy identifications to the identity information, storing the relationships in a memory storage, and forwarding the location information and dummy identifications to the global computer network. Upon receiving messages from the global computer network, the proxy server reads the dummy identifications, looks up the related identification information in the memory storage, and forwards the data to the appropriate network devices.
US08645500B2
In order to enable downloading to a mobile printer data items from a server, a method comprising the steps of establishing communication connection end points (“sockets”), communicating with the server, where the communication includes sending a request for authentication to the server, receiving an authentication response, requesting print data portions from the server, receiving the requested print data portions, and notifying the server after each print data portion has been printed. The method also includes the step of terminating their communication connection when a printing session ends or if an error occurs. The method constitutes a printer-server protocol.
US08645491B2
Systems and methodologies are described that enable hybrid web and native applications. A communications device may be equipped to process one or more links where each link may be associated with a workflow directive. Further, the communications device may be equipped to process a workflow directive associated with a link to pre-render a template while a content request including the link is being transmitted. Still further, the communications device may be equipped to apply content received in response to the content request to the pre-rendered template.
US08645489B1
Certain embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods and systems for developing content and applications in both hosted and non-hosted environments, including developing interactive content and applications in such environments. Certain embodiments provide development application components that are used through a generic execution engine, for example, through a web browser and/or interactive media player technology that is available in both a hosted environment and a non-hosted environment. Elements of a user interface and other features of a traditional desktop application can thus be preserved from one environment to the other, which allows seamless migration of a development application. Certain embodiments use a service access component that is capable of talking to different development services, such as for example, using different remote procedure calls (“RPCs”) to access remote services or simply accessing local services, depending on the environment.
US08645481B2
A personal computing system and a mobile phone interoperate according to a wireless charging protocol while in a charging arrangement. The personal computing system can wirelessly charge a power source of the mobile phone. The personal computing system and the mobile phone are in a communication system. A server communicatively coupled to a first network and a wireless communication network can inhibit in the wireless communication network transmission of messages destined for reception by one of the personal computing system and the mobile phone, in response to determining that the personal computing system and the mobile phone are in a charging arrangement.
US08645477B2
A method for transmitting time-based media across a network. The method involves receiving at a server a message including time-based media intended for a recipient using a globally addressable email address associated with the recipient. Once the email address is defined, it is determined if the domain of the recipient is either outside or inside the one or more domains of the server. If outside, the method involves using a first DNS lookup result of the globally addressable email address to determine if the recipient receives a near real-time communication service and to ascertain a delivery route to deliver the time-based media of the message to the recipient using a near real-time communication protocol. If the first lookup result is positive, the time-based media of the message is progressively and simultaneously transmitted to the recipient as the time-based media is being created. If the first DNS lookup is negative, then a second DNS lookup result is used to determine if the email address receives an email service. If so, then the time-based media of the message is sent to the recipient in a file attached to an email. If the email address is within the one or more domains of the server, then the time-based media is transmitted to the recipient either progressively or as an attachment to an email depending on the services provided to the recipient.
US08645474B2
An exemplary data package for a network-based instant messaging system includes descriptive data about a user of the instant messaging system and data indicating a network location of a gadget to render the descriptive data, the location accessible by one or more other users of the instant messaging system. Various other exemplary methods, systems, device, etc., are also disclosed.
US08645467B2
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a system and method enhanced collaboration through teleportation. In one or more embodiments, there is provided a system for moderating an enhanced collaboration environment for at least a set of participants, comprising a server for facilitating a 2-D federated collaboration environment for the at least one set of participants; a server for facilitating a 3-D virtual collaboration environment for the at least one set of participants; and a gateway server for facilitating teleportation of at least two participants of the at least one set of participants from the 2-D federated collaboration environment to form a teleported collaboration group in the 3-D virtual collaboration environment.
US08645463B2
In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses display a list configured to represent a plurality of virtual rooms; identify a selected participant device associated with a selected virtual room from the plurality of virtual rooms wherein the selected participant device is a member of the selected virtual room; selectively display content associated with the selected virtual room to the selected participant device; and notify the selected participant device of a change to the content associated with the selected virtual room.
US08645461B2
A method and system for use in running a display-based computer application comprising a plurality of application segments, where computing is distributed between a server and a client computer. The method comprises the steps of providing a generic client engine (20) to the client computer, the client engine comprising an application manager (24), one or more display managers (22), and one or more load managers (26), providing a collection of individual application subset definition files (18), each relating to one of said application segments, wherein, on receipt of successive application subset definition files from the server, the client recursively transforms to provide the respective application segments. The invention has broad utility in a wide variety of display-based computer applications, particularly in wireless applications.
US08645453B2
Method and system of processing cross-domain cookies in order to allow a first website to access a cookie of a second website are provided. In one aspect, a method includes: providing a flash cookie of a first website in a user's local computer; reading an ordinary cookie of a second website that is stored in the user's local computer; and writing the ordinary cookie of the second website into the flash cookie of the first website. Based on this method, it is achievable to access and store cookies across domains in the user's local computer. Accordingly, the method enables e-commerce websites to have a more comprehensive collection of user information to provide more reliable references for the e-commerce websites to analyze user information.
US08645448B2
An apparatus having a carryless preformat unit, a Booth encoder, a compressor, a left shifter, and exclusive-OR logic. The carryless preformat unit receives a multiplier operand and partitions the multiplier operand into parts. The Booth encoder receives the parts and directs selection of first partial products of a multiplicand that do not reflect implicit carry operations. The compressor sums the first partial products via a configuration of carry save adders that generate sum bits and carry bits, where generation of the carry bits is disabled during execution of the carryless multiplication. The left shifter shifts bits of one or more outputs of the compressor. The exclusive-OR logic is coupled to the compressor and the left shifter, and is configured to execute an exclusive-OR function on the outputs to yield a carryless multiplication result.
US08645447B2
A method and structure for transposing a rectangular matrix A in a computer includes subdividing the rectangular matrix A into one or more square submatrices and executing an in-place transposition for each of the square submatrices Aij.
US08645444B2
An infinite impulse response (IIR) filter is provided for receiving an input signal and outputting a filtered signal. The filter comprises feedback circuitry for feeding back said filtered signal, the feedback circuitry comprising a first delay element for delaying said filtered signal; and a sub-unit, for receiving said delayed filtered signal, for outputting a summed signal which is the difference between said delayed filtered signal and a further-delayed filtered signal, and for outputting a multiplied signal which is an inverted further-delayed filtered signal multiplied by a first filter coefficient. At least said input signal, said delayed filtered signal, said multiplied signal, and said summed signal are employed to generate said filtered signal.
US08645441B2
A method and system for the design and implementation of filters is presented in which the filter's transfer function can be provided with a significant insensitivity to the filter's tap coefficient values. A desensitized digital filter includes a first halfband filter and a second filter coupled in cascade between an input of the digital filter and the output of the digital filter. In embodiments, the first filter has the transfer function F(z)=K(1+z−1)(1+z−1) wherein K≠0 is a scale factor. The digital filter may also interact with an up-sampler or a down-sampler. A desensitized Hilbert transformer includes an FIR filter having filter-tap coefficients whose absolute values equal the absolute values of the coefficients of an FIR filter F(z) for which the product (1+z−1)F(z) is a halfband filter coupled in cascade with a second filter.
US08645433B2
The disclosure relates to distributed network communications, and in particular, to a distributed network construction method and apparatus, a distributed data storage method and apparatus, and a distributed network system. When a node joins a distributed network, the ID of the node is determined according to the geographic location information about the node. Therefore, all the nodes in the same area belong to the same ID range, and the node IDs are allocated according to the area. Because the node IDs are determined according to the area, the local data may be stored in the node in the area according to the geographic information, inter-area data access is reduced. Therefore, the method, the apparatus, and the system provided herein reduce the data load on the backbone network, balance the data traffic and the bandwidth overhead of the entire network, and reduce the network instability.
US08645431B2
A method and apparatus of a supply module having a business object module to define at least one schema to describe the supply chain data, a XML-based language generator module to process the at least one schema and a SQL code generator module to provide a sequence of SQL instructions to perform a query of a user where the user expressed the query in the XML-based language.
US08645429B1
Resolving conflicting graph mutations in a distributed computing system. Graph data for at least a partition of a graph is stored in a worker system of a distributed computing system. The graph represents relationships among a set of tangible items that model a real-world condition having an associated problem. A plurality of conflicting mutation requests are received to mutate the graph. A conflict between the mutation requests is resolved with a conflict resolution function that lacks direct access to the graph data. The graph data is updated responsive to a result generated by resolving the conflict using the conflict resolution function.
US08645426B2
The invention includes a system, apparatus, and method for storing media content within a service provider network. The system includes multi-service servers associated with access points adapted to allow end-user devices to access the service provider network. Each multi-service server includes a common storage partition adapted for storing media content and a plurality of end-user storage partitions adapted for maintaining associations to media content. The system includes media servers that communicate with the multi-service servers for providing media content to the multi-service servers. In response to a request for media content received from one of a plurality of end-user devices, the requested media content stored in the common storage partition is associated with a selected one of the end-user storage partitions associated with the end-user. The request for media content is received in response to end-user directed advertisements received at any of the plurality of end-user devices.
US08645422B2
The described embodiments of invention comprises a method and an apparatus for regulating access to objects by authorized entities. Authorized entities are entities authorized for access by either an owner entity of the regulated object or an entity authorized to authorize access to the regulated object. Each user, which may be a physical person or another information system, is identified using standard user validation techniques. When an object is first created or introduced to the system, that information is associated with an owner, who is one user on the system. The present embodiment allows the owner to define relationships with other users, either generally or regarding a particular object. The owner may or may not have trusted relationships with other users. A second user that has a trusted relationship with the owner automatically has access to the object without additional intervention by the owner. In addition, the second user may have a trusted relationship with another user. In the above example, the records administrator may have an assistant. This third user will also have access to the records. This Web of Trust may link users infinitely, but such a case would create an undue risk of compromise of the information. Thus, the present embodiment includes a facility for the owner to designate a maximum number of trusted links from the owner and other users.
US08645417B2
An approach is described for performing a name search using a name search operation and a ranking operation. The name search operation may take text as input and apply a fuzzy matching operation and a lookup operation to generate a collection of candidate names with respective probability scores. In other cases, speech or handwriting recognition may generate the collection of candidate names and probability scores. The ranking operation may then rank these candidate names using a ranking function. The ranking function may rank the candidate names based on the probability scores associated with the names and at least one other factor. One such factor may reflect whether information provided by a user matches profile information associated with a candidate name under consideration. Another factor may reflect an extent of a nexus between the user and a person associated with the candidate name. Other types of factors can be used.
US08645416B2
A distributed search system includes a central server having an index of data, wherein the index of data is also available on a plurality of computing devices in a distributed computing network, the plurality of computing devices being distinct from the central server, each the computing device having a cache in which the computing device automatically stores data generated during the course of the computing device's access to another computing network distinct from the distributed computing network.
US08645414B2
A data management method to host applications and manage storage, finding and retrieval of typed items with support for tagging, connections, and situated queries is provided.
US08645407B2
A system and method for providing search query refinements are presented. A stored query and a stored document are associated as a logical pairing. A weight is assigned to the logical pairing. The search query is issued and a set of search documents is produced. At least one search document is matched to at least one stored document. The stored query and the assigned weight associated with the matching at least one stored document are retrieved. At least one cluster is formed based on the stored query and the assigned weight associated with the matching at least one stored document. The stored query associated with the matching at least one stored document are scored for the at least one cluster relative to at least one other cluster. At least one such scored search query is suggested as a set of query refinements.
US08645393B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for ranking resources within clusters of resources, and for ranking the clusters. In one aspect, a method includes accessing clusters; receiving, for a resource in the cluster, a search score for the resource, the search score being indicative of a relevance of the resource to a search query that includes the name context of the cluster; receiving, for the resource in the cluster, a resource ranking score for the resource in the cluster, the resource ranking score indicative of a ranking of the resource in the cluster relative to other resources in the cluster; generating a cluster rank score for the cluster, the cluster rank score at least partly based on the search scores for the resources and the resource ranking scores for the resources; and ranking the clusters according to their cluster rank score.
US08645392B2
A privacy protection device includes an attribute update frequency management unit configured to calculate and record therein an update frequency of each attribute included in a life log of a user in response to storing of the life log; a static attribute extraction unit configured to calculate a threshold value of a change frequency on the basis of a static attribute, an attribute the update frequency of which is less than or equal to the calculated threshold value of the change frequency, the update frequency being recorded by the attribute update frequency management unit; and a notification request reception unit configured to extract the number of users satisfying the notification condition of the notification request, accept the registration of the notification request from the service provider when the extracted number of users exceeds the limit number of persons.
US08645389B2
Network system provides a real-time adaptive recommendation set of documents with a high statistical measure of relevancy to the requestor device. The recommendation set is optimized based on analyzing the text of documents of the interest set, categorizing these documents into clusters, extracting keywords representing the themes or concepts of documents in the clusters, and filtering a population of eligible documents accessible to the system utilizing site and or Internet-wide search engines. The system is either automatically or manually invoked and it develops and presents the recommendation set in real-time; for example, upon logging onto a web site or as the client views additional documents or pages of a website. The recommendation set may be presented as a greeting, notification, alert, HTML fragment, fax, voicemail, or automatic classification or routing of customer e-mail, personal e-mail, job postings, and offers for sale or exchange.
US08645385B2
A plurality of content items are retrieved from multiple network sites. Content from each content item is programmatically analyzed in order to associate that content item with one or more categories. The one or more categories may be part of a larger set of predefined categories. A network page is assigned to one or more corresponding categories in the set of predefined categories. At least some content is provided on the network page using one or more content items that were associated with the one or more categories assigned to that network page.
US08645380B2
Techniques for constructing an optimized kd-tree are described. In an implementation, an optimized kd-tree process receives input of a set of data points applicable for large-scale computer vision applications. The process divides the set of the data points into subsets of data points with nodes while generating hyperplanes (e.g., coordinate axes). The process identifies a partition axis for each node based on the coordinate axes combined in a binary way. The optimized kd-tree process creates an optimized kd-tree that organizes the data points based on the identified partition axis. The organization of the data points in the optimized kd-tree provides efficient indexing and searching for a nearest neighbor.
US08645376B2
Systems and methods for managing recent data items in a database. A method typically includes determining whether a data object managed by an on demand service is designated as able to be accessed by a user at a mobile device and storing locally at a mobile device a plurality of most recently used items viewed for a data object designated as able to be accessed by a user at a mobile device. The method also typically includes determining a single most recently used set from among the stored plurality of most recently used items viewed for at least one data object designated as able to be accessed by a user at a mobile device.
US08645372B2
Enhanced computer- and network-based methods, systems, techniques are provided for retrieving more accurate and responsive search results when searching content for a designated entity using an off-the-shelf keyword-based search engine. For example, the embodiments described herein may be used to improve search results by eliminating off-topic results when presenting queries to an existing keyword-based search engine invoked by means of an API from an intermediating application. Example embodiments provide a Keyword-Based Search Enhancement System (“KBSES”), which enables intermediating applications to obtain information more closely related to user queries by enhancing such queries, on behalf of the user, with disambiguating information when deemed necessary. Based upon a variety of rules and heuristics, which can be modified as well, the KBSES determines whether an entity name in a user's query should be enhanced with additional disambiguating information, and to what extent, to prevent the retrieval of off-topic results.
US08645370B2
A method and system for determining relevance of a document having text and images to a text string is provided. A scoring system identifies image text associated with an image of the document. The scoring system calculates an image score indicating relevance of the image text to the text string. The image score may be used in many applications, such as searching, summary generation, and document classification, image search, and image classification.
US08645369B2
Methods and apparatus are described for classifying documents using a document representation model based on implicit user feedback obtained from search engine queries. The model may be used to achieve better results in non-supervised tasks such as clustering and labeling through the incorporation of usage data obtained from the search engine queries.
US08645367B1
One or more hierarchies of string patterns are generated a plurality of URL strings according to a pattern extraction procedure. Repeated string patterns are selected from the generated hierarchies of string patterns. A URL class is defined for each of selected repeated string patterns. Each URL class is associated with a respective group of URL strings in the plurality of URL strings, where the respective group of URL strings contains a repeated string pattern that defines the URL class. Respective aggregated data is calculated for each URL class. The respective aggregated data is based on respective data of each respective document of each URL string in the group of URL strings associated with the URL class. Respective data for a respective document referenced by a lookup-URL is predicted based on respective aggregated data of one or more of the URL classes.
US08645366B1
Systems and methods for generating recommendations of points of interest to visit are provided. In some aspects, a method includes receiving a request to search for a point of interest recommendation, wherein the request comprises a query and a geographic region, and a social network group. The method also includes generating a set of points of interest associated with the query. The method further includes placing the points of interest within the set of points of interest in an order based on whether the expression of interest is by a member of the social network group.
US08645356B2
An adaptive query execution plan enhancement is provided by: selecting a sample of literal sets from an execution history of a query statement; determining a plurality of access paths by applying each literal set in the sample to the query statement; for each given access path of the plurality of access paths, determining a total execution cost by applying each literal set in the sample to the given access path; and selecting a preferred access path from the plurality of access paths based on the total execution costs for each given access path. A plurality of preferred access paths for a plurality of query statements in an application workload is collected and may be presented as a query execution plan enhancement recommendation to users.
US08645355B2
A server may identify a first address stored in a first search index; determine one or more first identifiers associated with the first address; identify a second address stored in a second search index; determine one or more second identifiers associated with the second address; map the first address to the second address based on a first identifier, of the one or more first identifiers, and a second identifier, of the one or more second identifiers; and transmit the mapping, of the first address to the second address, to a first server associated with the first search index or to a second server associated with the second search index.
US08645354B2
Video entity templates defining common features that relate to various metadata types shared among a group of video Web pages are generated for target Web sites. Metadata associated with videos contained within Web pages belonging to a particular target Web site can then be automatically and accurately extracted using a video entity template generated for the particular target Web site. This metadata can then be indexed for use by video search applications in providing video search results.
US08645351B2
This invention relates to an advertisement machine which provides advertisements to a user searching for desired information within a data network. The machine receives, from a user, a search request including a search argument corresponding to the desired information and searches, based upon the received search argument, a first database having data network related information to generate search results. It also correlates the received search argument to a particular advertisement in a second database having advertisement related information. The search results together with the particular advertisement are provided by the machine to the user.
US08645344B2
The present invention discloses a system of processing document data for document interoperation, comprising an application, embedded in a machine readable medium, which initiates an operation on a document by issuing instruction(s) describing the operation to a platform software; the said platform software, embedded in a machine readable medium, which performs the operation on the unstructured data according to the instruction(s); wherein the instruction conforms to an interface standard independent of the format of the unstructured data.
US08645342B2
Methods and systems provide a tool for prioritizing the ordering of outstanding indexing work in order to bring a particular portion of an indexing source up to date quickly and to reduce the likelihood of inconsistencies between an index-backed view and a direct view of a source. In accordance with the described embodiments, indexing of items can be prioritized based upon a user's view or metadata contained within a query. Further, in at least some embodiments, the tool can decide the order to index items based upon multiple prioritization requests.
US08645334B2
An embodiment for minimizing damage caused by corruption of de-duplicated data is disclosed. One embodiment counts the number of references to a data segment indexed by a de-duplication index. When a reference count for the data segment reaches a first threshold a duplicate of the data segment is generated. In addition, the duplicate of the data segment is also stored to minimize damage of the de-duplicated data caused by a corruption of the data segment.
US08645328B2
Embodiments provide systems and methods for archive verification of media in a library. A method of archive verification may comprise loading a specified media into a drive at intervals, sending one or more commands to the drive, wherein the drive attempts to read the specified media or data on the specified media in accordance with the one or more commands, collecting data associated with the specified media from the drive and determining the readability of the specified media or data on the specified media.
US08645324B2
Data accessible to a first process is replicated for use by a second process. Modifications to the data during the replication process may cause algorithms requiring the values of data both before and after replication to pause. Sending the values of the datum, before and after modification, to a process that will access the replicated data enables algorithms that use both values to initiate execution without waiting for the replication process to be completed.
US08645321B1
A first database comprises a data entity and a first data model that models the data entity. An agent comprises a data rule concerning the data entity. A plurality of second databases comprises the data entity. A messaging module comprises the agent and is configured to send a message to at least one of the second databases according to the data rule and the general data model.
US08645314B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for communicating interactive forms and reports in messaging applications. The apparatus for communicating interactive forms and reports in messaging applications is provided with a plurality of modules configured to functionally execute the necessary steps of selecting a markup language instruction, copying the markup language instruction and post the markup language instruction into a clipboard as a markup language object, pasting the markup language object into a data entry field associated with a messaging application, and injecting the markup language object into a message transmission to a second messaging application. These modules in the described embodiments include a selection module, a copy module, a paste module, and an injection module.
US08645312B2
A computer-implemented expertise discovery method and system generates recommendations of people in accordance with inferences of levels of expertise from behavioral information. The generation of the recommendations may be in accordance with comparisons of two or more expertise vectors and associated correlations between the vectors. The inferences of expertise may be with respect to specified topical neighborhoods. Explanations as to why recommendations were made are delivered to the recommendation recipients, and may include references to the inferred levels of expertise, the behavioral bases for the inferences, and/or the confidence in the inferences.
US08645311B2
Systems and methods for determining critical thresholds on a number of events (k) and a window length (t) for properly defining a burst of events in a data stream. A new coverage metric Ck,t is defined and used in the determination, where the coverage metric Ck,t is defined for a particular pair (k,t) as a fraction, with the numerator defined a number of events that occur within some (k,t)-bursty window and the denominator defined as the total number of events (n) that occurred along the entire time span being analyzed. Coverage metric Ck,t is monotonic non-increasing in k and monotonic non-decreasing in t, allowing for a divide-and-conquer search strategy to be used to find the critical threshold pairs (k*, t*).
US08645302B2
A constraint solver for solving a constraint satisfaction problem model which includes at least one part-whole hierarchy assigns variables to each part of the part-whole hierarchy. The variables include at least one of selected, quantity, and relative quantity, wherein each part has a parent. The solver automatically applies at least one part-whole hierarchy constraint to the part and solves the model and generates a solution.
US08645290B2
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium includes instructions to maintain an original training set of labeled documents, where the labeled documents correspond to a variety of topics. A new labeled document corresponding to a new topic is received. The original training set of labeled documents is modulated such that the new labeled document is over-represented with respect to the original training set. This results in a modulated training set. A classifier is trained with the modulated training set to form a trained classifier.
US08645279B2
A method for detecting against unauthorized transmission of digital works comprises the steps of maintaining a registry of information permitting identification of digital copyrighted works, monitoring a network for transmission of at least one packet-based digital signal, extracting at least one feature from the at least one digital signal, comparing the extracted at least one feature with registry information and applying business rules based on the comparison result.
US08645274B2
The invention concerns a method of making a payment transaction between a customer and a merchant using a payment card (200) of the customer including steps of: transmitting details of the payment transaction from a mobile device (202) to a remote server; capturing at least one image of the payment card using the mobile device of the merchant; transmitting the at least one image of the payment card to the remote server; identifying, by the remote server, the merchant and the payment card captured in the at least one image; and implementing the payment transaction between bank accounts (208, 210) of the customer and the merchant.
US08645253B2
The present invention relates to a system, method and apparatus for evaluating a variety of financial information, determining a valuation metric, and distributing the valuation metric to system users. The valuation metric distribution may be configured by an administrator for automatic distribution of the valuation metric to system users. Alternately, a system user may log onto a central server to access the valuation metric, based on administrator defined or user-customized system data. The valuation characteristic provides a system user with a metric that may be used to assist in allocating the user's financial resources. The metric is determined by analyzing three main types of financial indicators, specifically an earnings-yield factor, an interest factor and a growth indicator.
US08645252B1
The present invention relates to a method and system for offering mandatorily convertible securities (e.g., DECS) with associated forward purchase contracts and call options. Each mandatorily convertible security combines a forward purchase contract, a mandatory portable remarketable security, and a call option to form a single investment unit. The call option provides additional capital to the issuer of the investment unit and profits to the remarketing agent handling the mandatory portable remarketable security.
US08645246B2
A system and method of evaluating the health of one or more work processes is provided. The system and method may include determining a plurality of categories of criteria and determining a plurality of criteria for evaluation. A score for each determined criteria may be determined for a first process and the scores of each criterion may be combined to determine an overall score for the first process. If additional processes are available for evaluation, a score for each identified criterion will be determined for an additional process or processes. An overall score for the additional process(es) may be determined and compared to the overall score of the first process.
US08645236B2
A system and method for determining earned values (EVs) of progress of a project. At least one EV calculation rule is defined for calculating EVs in terms of components to be combined into the EVs, locations in which the components are located, and formulae required to combine the components. The defined at least one EV calculation rule is used to calculate the Evs. The at least one EV calculation rule, which includes the components, the locations, and the formulae, is stored. Defining the at least one EV calculation rule includes: identifying the components used to calculate the Evs; identifying the locations in which the components are located; and identifying the formulae specifying how the components are combined to create the EVs.
US08645235B2
Directory service results responsive to a request for a desired good or service provider may be provided based on one or more user-selected locations. The user may seek a desired good or service provider that is proximate to a location from which the user may begin traveling to the point of interest, referred to as a source location, and satisfies a beneficial objective held by the user. The beneficial objective may relate to, for example, a directional travel preference, avoiding rush hour traffic or proximity to a specific location or another type of good or service provider that differs from the user's desired good or service provider that is the subject of the user's request. A sequence of geometrical representations, such as, for example, Delauney Triangles, may be generated to provide directory service results that satisfy the user's request.
US08645233B2
An interface control module includes a link generation module that generates a first link between a provider module and a consumer module. An interface contract module generates an interface contract. The interface contract corresponds to an interface of a product that includes the first link. The interface contract defines the interface based on a bill of materials (BOM). An interface assembly module assembles modules including the provider module and the consumer module to generate the product. An interface viewing module displays logical and physical views of the product on a display at least one of before and after assembly of the product.
US08645225B1
Enabling a supplier is disclosed. An indication of a transaction associated with a business process between a buyer and a supplier is received. A supplier enablement action is initiated in response to receiving the indication. The supplier enablement action is associated with enabling the supplier to join a supplier network.
US08645224B2
A system and/or a method of collaborative filtering based on attribute profiling is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a product profile of a content-based product through applying any number of value data assigned by a user to a set of attributes embodying possible reasons as to why the user reacts to the content-based product, generating a user profile of a user through applying a group of value data assigned by the user to a content-based product sharing the set of attributes and recommending a different content-based product to the user when a different product profile of the different content-based product matches with the user profile beyond a threshold value. The method may include recommending the different content-based product to a different user when a different user profile of the different user matches with the user profile of the user who has subscribed to the different content-based product.
US08645216B2
An apparatus for enrolling a package is disclosed including: a receiving surface for receiving the package; at least one weight sensor in communication with the receiving surface which generates a weight signal indicative of the weight of the package; at least one video camera which generates a video signal indicative of an image of the package on the receiving surface; and a processor in communication with the at least one weight sensor and the at least one video camera. The processor includes: a weight module which produces, in response to the weight signal, weight data indicative of the weight of the package; and a dimension capture module which produces, in response to the video signal, dimension data indicative of the size of the package. In some embodiments, the processor further includes a recognition module which produces, in response to the video signal, character data indicative of one or more characters present on the package.
US08645210B2
According to one aspect of the disclosure, provided are methods of providing user requested printed material, including one or more targeted communications to the user. According to one exemplary embodiment, the targeted communications are associated with an auction, whereby an optimal reserve price is determined to maximize profits.
US08645198B1
A facility for evaluating an advertising strategy with respect to a subject website is described. The facility receives a specification of the advertising strategy. The specification indicates how to apply the advertising strategy to select one of a plurality of advertising campaigns in response to each page request against the subject website. The facility applies the advertising strategy in accordance with the received advertising strategy specification to a sequence of page requests earlier received against the subject website. The facility then assesses the results of applying the advertising strategy in accordance with the received advertising strategy specification to the earlier-received page requests.
US08645190B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for providing guidance to price content items in publications. Features of a particular content item to be published in a particular publication are received from a requestor and compared with features of content items previously published in publications. Based on the comparing, a predicted price to publish the particular content item in the particular publication is determined based on actual prices of content items previously published in corresponding publications. Then, the predicted price is provided to the requestor.
US08645184B2
A technology projection supporting apparatus includes a describing section extracting unit and steps for extracting a problem describing section and an effect describing section from each technical document, a technical phrase extraction unit and steps to extract a technical phrase, which indicates a matter to be achieved by a technology, from each of the problem describing section and the effect describing section, an impact determination unit and steps for determining a business impact to be made by the matter indicated by the extracted technical phrase, a naming unit and steps for naming the extracted technical phrase; and a technology map generation unit for generating a technology map. The generated technology map has axes indicating time length to be required to implement technology and business impact.
US08645182B2
A computer implemented method for integrating a calendar and task scheduler to enable automatic scheduling of meetings and assignment of tasks based on priority. With the illustrative embodiments, a task in a user's calendaring system may be split into multiple time blocks, and each time block for the task may then be scheduled around meetings in a user's calendar. Tasks that are scheduled in the user's calendar may also be automatically rescheduled when meetings within the user's calendar change. Tasks may be scheduled over lower priority meetings in the user's calendar as needed in order to meet the due dates assigned to the tasks. The illustrative embodiments also allow for automatically adjusting meeting or task priorities based on policies, and identifying classes of activities that may be performed concurrently.
US08645176B2
A method and system for utilizing historical data in an asset management environment are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method generates an asset information report from a database, wherein the asset information report comprises at least a portion of real-time information about the asset when the real-time information about the asset is available. In addition, the asset information report is augmented by extrapolating at least a portion of historical asset information stored at the database when at least a portion of the real-time information is not available.
US08645167B2
A tangible computer-readable storage device storing computer-executable program instructions that generate a user interface for displaying workflow information associated with a tissue specimen in a pathology laboratory. The program instructions may be configured to perform a method including displaying a virtual laboratory component representing a physical pathology laboratory having one or more laboratory stations for processing the tissue specimen, wherein the tissue specimen is processed by the one or more laboratory stations according to a workflow, and displaying a specimen indicator that indicates a current specimen state based on a current relationship of the tissue specimen to the workflow. The method may further include enabling a first active component associated with the virtual laboratory component, wherein the first active component is configured to receive a user selection of a laboratory station and generating a supplemental view component of the selected laboratory station in response to the user selection, wherein the supplemental view provides supplemental information on processing by the selected laboratory station of the tissue specimen.
US08645157B2
Methods and system to identify similar exams are described. An example computer-implemented method to identify similar exams includes selecting a category. Additionally, the example method includes comparing the selected category to records associated with exams to identify any of the exams that include information related to the category. Further, the example method includes displaying the exams identified as related to the category to a healthcare practitioner. Further still, the example method includes visually differentiating at least one of the displayed exams based on a significance level associated with the at least one of the displayed exams.
US08645146B2
An audio decoder provides a combination of decoding components including components implementing base band decoding, spectral peak decoding, frequency extension decoding and channel extension decoding techniques. The audio decoder decodes a compressed bitstream structured by a bitstream syntax scheme to permit the various decoding components to extract the appropriate parameters for their respective decoding technique.
US08645140B2
A method of associating a voice font with a contact for text-to-speech conversion at an electronic device includes obtaining, at the electronic device, the voice font for the contact, and storing the voice font in association with a contact data record stored in a contacts database at the electronic device. The contact data record includes contact data for the contact.
US08645133B2
Encoding audio signals with selecting an encoding mode for encoding the signal categorizing the signal into active segments having voice activity and non-active segments having substantially no voice activity by using categorization parameters depending on the selected encoding mode and encoding at least the active segments using the selected encoding mode.
US08645127B2
Traditional audio encoders may conserve coding bit-rate by encoding fewer than all spectral coefficients, which can produce a blurry low-pass sound in the reconstruction. An audio encoder using wide-sense perceptual similarity improves the quality by encoding a perceptually similar version of the omitted spectral coefficients, represented as a scaled version of already coded spectrum. The omitted spectral coefficients are divided into a number of sub-bands. The sub-bands are encoded as two parameters: a scale factor, which may represent the energy in the band; and a shape parameter, which may represent a shape of the band. The shape parameter may be in the form of a motion vector pointing to a portion of the already coded spectrum, an index to a spectral shape in a fixed code-book, or a random noise vector. The encoding thus efficiently represents a scaled version of a similarly shaped portion of spectrum to be copied at decoding.
US08645126B2
A method of encoding an audio signal, where signals including two or more channel signals are downmixed to a mono signal, the mono signal is divided into a low-frequency signal and a high-frequency signal, the low-frequency signal is encoded through algebraic code excited linear prediction (ACELP) or transform coded excitation (TCX), and the high-frequency signal is encoded using the low-frequency signal. A method of decoding of an audio signal, a low-frequency signal encoded through ACELP or TCX is decoded, a high-frequency signal is decoded using the low-frequency signal, the low-frequency signal and the high-frequency signal are combined to generate a mono signal, and the mono signal is upmixed by decoding spatial parameters regarding signals including two or more channel signals.
US08645124B2
Automatic context sensitive language generation, correction and enhancement using an internet corpus
A computer-assisted language generation system including sentence retrieval functionality, operative on the basis of an input text containing words, to retrieve from an internet corpus a plurality of sentences containing words which correspond to the words in the input text and sentence generation functionality operative using a plurality of sentences retrieved by the sentence retrieval functionality from the internet corpus to generate at least one correct sentence giving expression to the input text.
US08645122B1
A voice-enabled help desk service is disclosed. The service comprises an automatic speech recognition module for recognizing speech from a user, a spoken language understanding module for understanding the output from the automatic speech recognition module, a dialog management module for generating a response to speech from the user, a natural voices text-to-speech synthesis module for synthesizing speech to generate the response to the user, and a frequently asked questions module. The frequently asked questions module handles frequently asked questions from the user by changing voices and providing predetermined prompts to answer frequently asked questions.
US08645119B2
Systems, methods, and apparatuses including computer program products for machine learning. A method is provided that includes determining model parameters for a plurality of feature functions for a linear machine learning model, ranking the plurality of feature functions according to a quality criterion, and selecting, using the ranking, a group of feature functions from the plurality of feature functions to update with the determined model parameters.
US08645114B1
A system and method for generating fluid flow parameter data for use in aerodynamic heating analysis. Computational fluid dynamics data is generated for a number of points in an area on a surface to be analyzed. Sub-areas corresponding to areas of the surface for which an aerodynamic heating analysis is to be performed are identified. A computer system automatically determines a sub-set of the number of points corresponding to each of the number of sub-areas and determines a value for each of the number of sub-areas using the data for the sub-set of points corresponding to each of the number of sub-areas. The value is determined as an average of the data for the sub-set of points corresponding to each of the number of sub-areas. The resulting parameter values then may be used to perform an aerodynamic heating analysis.
US08645105B1
A development application can be configured to facilitate editing multiple fragments already associated with an interface design simultaneously using a graphic design application, with the fragments arranged in a logical form supported by the graphic design application. The logical form of the artwork fragments as provided to the graphic design application can correspond to the relationship between different elements of the interface design using the respective fragments. Fragments may correspond to different components, parts of components, and part states, for instance. A method can comprise accessing data defining an interface component and comprising a plurality of logically arranged elements of the component. The method can comprise extracting the artwork and arranging the artwork into a form compatible with a graphic design application. The artwork can be edited in a graphic design application and then re-integrated into the data defining the design elements of the interface after editing is complete.
US08645103B2
Apparatus for capturing, aggregating, and transferring data to detect windshield wiper motion in a motor vehicle so as to alert the driver of the need to turn on headlights. The apparatus includes motion-sensing hardware having a microprocessor programmed to detect rhythmic movement of shadows at regular intervals or to receive digitized signals from inertial sensors and to sense rhythmic patterns of vibration or motion in the car and characterize and filter the patterns to accurately distinguish wiper motions from other motions. The software then instructs the microprocessor to output a perceivable alert to the driver indicating that vehicle lights must be turned on.
US08645099B2
Depth sensor, depth estimation method using the same, and depth estimation device including the same
A depth estimation apparatus and method are provided. The depth estimation method includes grouping a plurality of frame signals generated by a depth pixel into a plurality of frame signal groups which are used to estimate a depth to an object without a depth estimation error caused by an omission of a frame signal, the grouping of the a plurality of frame signals based on whether an omitted frame signal exists in the plurality of frame signals and based on a continuous pattern of the plurality of frame signals; and estimating the depth to the object using each of the plurality of frame signal groups.
US08645094B2
The claimed subject matter provides systems and/or methods that facilitate combining analog and digital gain for utilization with CMOS sensor imagers. The analog gain can provide coarse gain steps and the digital gain can provide finer gain steps between adjacent coarse analog gain values. Further, since analog gain can suffer from low precision, dispersion, etc., on-chip calibration can be implemented to calibrate the analog and digital gain. For example, a digital amplifier can be calibrated to compensate for differences between actual and nominal analog gains associated with one or more analog amplifiers.
US08645088B2
Systems and methods to determine a state of charge (SOC) of a battery using confidence values. SOC estimations are determined using a voltage-based estimation strategy and a current-based estimation strategy. Confidence values are also generated for the voltage-based SOC estimation and the current-based SOC estimation to quantify the amount of uncertainty associated with the SOC estimations. An overall SOC estimation is determined by comparing the confidence values and selecting the SOC estimation having the least amount of uncertainty.
US08645087B2
Method and apparatus for measuring an earth fault current in an output circuit of an inverter (INU) operating on the PWM principle and forming alternating-current voltage from direct-current voltage, the output currents (iU, iV and iW) of which inverter are measured, and which inverter comprises at least two phase switches implemented with power semiconductor components (V1-V6, D1-D6), which switches, controlled by a control unit, connect their own output phases to a positive (+) pole and to a negative (−) pole of a direct-current voltage source such that the phase switches are repeatedly both in different positions and also in the same positions, wherein the results of current measurement during two opposite switch position combinations are recorded in memory, and the earth fault current is calculated by forming a difference of the measurement results of said combinations.
US08645086B1
A method of predicting distortion in a workpiece may include measuring residual stress induced in a coupon surface of a plate coupon by a selected manufacturing operation. The induced residual stress measurements may be fitted to a curve shape function. A moment coefficient may be calculated based upon the fitted induced residual stress measurements. The moment coefficient may be used to calibrate a stress function and corresponding stress magnitude. The calibrated stress function may be applied to a model of the workpiece such that the distortion of the workpiece may be predicted.
US08645079B2
The method for measuring the properties of petroleum fuels by distillation relates to a measuring method for predicting the property values of complex hydrocarbon fuels, such as the property values of gasoline, by distillation. Compensation of boiling point distribution measurements used for the prediction of physical properties of hydrocarbons is further performed.
US08645074B2
Techniques for reconstructing evolutionary data of a set of genomic data are provided. The techniques include obtaining a set of genomic data, determining a chronological order of one or more mutations within the set of genomic data, determining a chronological order of one or more recombinations within the set of genomic data, determining a position of each recombination within the set of genomic data, and combining the chronological order of the one or more mutations, the chronological order of the one or more recombinations and the position of each recombination to reconstruct evolutionary data of the set of genomic data.
US08645068B2
A downhole tool and method for determining a parameter of a formation as a function of radial distance from the borehole into the formation. The tool comprising a nuclear source for irradiating the formation and a plurality of sensors each independently measuring a density of the formation at a different radial depth into the formation. A processor combines the density measurements for determining the parameter of the formation as a function of radial distance.
US08645064B2
Apparatus and methods for recommending a navigation destination based upon recent updates are provided. The apparatus and methods include, in one or more aspects, receiving a request from a user communication device for a desired item, and associating a user location of the user communication device with a destination location of a provider of the desired item. Further, the one or more aspects include identifying a destination communication device at the destination location, and querying the destination communication device for a human-originating response to obtain a current accessibility status of the desired item. Additionally, the one or more aspects include reporting the destination location of the provider and the current accessibility status to the user communication device.
US08645062B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a step detection. An accelerometer measurement in the form of a multi-dimensional acceleration vector is obtained. The magnitude of the accelerometer measurement is filtered using a low pass filter. A threshold for a down-crossing is provided as is a threshold for an up-crossing. A step detection is triggered if the magnitude of the accelerometer measurement is greater than or equal to the threshold for an up-crossing.
US08645055B2
A method and apparatus for processing at least one information feed are disclosed. For example, the method receives at least one content via at least one automated feed. The method associates the at least one content to one or more geographical locations on a map, wherein the one or more geographical locations are determined from the at least one content. The method then presents an access to the at least one content to a user via the map.
US08645045B2
A fuel monitoring system for automatically monitoring a fuel transfer in an aircraft fuel system, the fuel system including a plurality of fuel tanks, the fuel monitoring system comprises a fuel quantity sensor arranged to measure the quantity of fuel in a first fuel tank and a data processor arranged to receive a fuel quantity measurement from the sensor, wherein in response to receiving a command to transfer fuel from the first fuel tank to one or more further fuel tanks the data processor is arranged to determine the rate of change of fuel quantity in the first tank from the received fuel quantity measurement and if the rate of change of fuel quantity is less than a threshold value and the received fuel quantity measurement is greater than an expected value then the data processor is further arranged to provide an output indicating that the commanded fuel transfer has failed.
US08645039B2
A multi-circuit electrohydraulic motor vehicle brake system includes a plurality of calipers having hydraulically actuated actuators which are hydraulically connected to an electronically controlled unit. The unit includes an electronic unit ECU and a hydraulic unit HCU. At least some of the calipers, additionally or separately include electromechanical actuators for actuating or releasing a parking brake effect. In order to cut down on electrical interfaces and electronic units in a motor vehicle, the electronic unit is connected to the electromechanical actuators via respective two separate electrical supply lines, and the electronic unit has at least one electrical switch for supplying the electromechanically actuated actuators with power.
US08645038B2
A method for determining a maximum coefficient of friction μmax between a tire and an underlying surface entails empirically determining a reference curve μref(S) of a coefficient of friction μref as a function of a slip S between the tire and an underlying reference surface, determining a first momentary slip S1 for the tire and a first momentary coefficient of friction μ1 between the tire and the underlying surface at a first instant t1, determining a second momentary slip S2 for the tire and a second momentary coefficient of friction μ2 between the tire and the underlying surface at a second instant t2, computing a slope of the curve μ(S) of the coefficient of friction μ as a function of slip S, and computing the maximum coefficient of friction μmax between the tire and the underlying surface by transforming the reference curve μref(S) on the basis of the slope of the curve μ(S).
