| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US07878237B2 |
Actuation system for an oilfield tubular handling system
An actuation system for a tubular handling mechanism of a tubular handling assembly has a mud flow path passing through rotating parts and non-rotating parts of the tubular handling assembly. A ball drop assembly has an opening to the mud flow path through which a ball is released. The ball drop assembly opening is positioned in a non-rotating part. A lateral passage joins the mud flow path downstream of where the ball is released. A valve is positioned in the mud flow path at the lateral passage for selectively directing a purge fluid from the mud flow path out the lateral passage. |
| US07878226B2 |
Machine for filling containers with at least one granular product
In an embodiment of a continuously-operating machine for filling containers with at least one granular product, each container is fed along a given path in time with a relative metering device, which withdraws the product from a tank, feeds the withdrawn product into the container, and has a metering cylinder defined at the bottom by a piston which moves, along the metering cylinder, to and from a feed position in which to feed the product in the metering cylinder to a drop chute for unloading the product into the relative container; the piston having a cam follower which is maintained contacting a cam by a pneumatic push assembly. |
| US07878224B2 |
Forming fabric having binding warp yarns
Forming fabric that includes a top layer including top weft yarns and a bottom layer including bottom weft yarns. Binding warp yarns weave with the top weft yarns and bind to the bottom layer. |
| US07878220B2 |
Pipe plug with a locating appliance
A pipe plug provides a water-tight seal and expedites locating of non-metallic pipes. The pipe plug includes a hollow body member adapted for being received by an associated piping member of a variety of inner dimensions, and for being engaged with it. The hollow body member includes a tapered portion with tapered threads on its exterior surface and a seal member made of a resilient material. The seal member envelopes the tapered portion of the body and is capable of moving along the exterior surface of the body in a direction generally orthogonal to the direction of the threads, providing thereupon a leak-safe seal. The body is provided with and engaged with a cap portion that includes a metal plate on its top surface, thus adapted for being located with a metal detector. |
| US07878218B2 |
High viscosity fluid transfer apparatus
An apparatus for transferring a viscous fluid including waxy solids includes a mobile platform, a support member having a first end coupled to the platform and a second end, a pump unit coupled to the second end of the support member, wherein the pump unit can be raised and lowered with respect to the second end, wherein the pump unit includes a recirculation system selectively operable to break down waxy solids prior to transfer of the fluid, and an outlet in fluid communication with a collection tank. |
| US07878216B2 |
Female connection part comprising a member for actuating valves and a connection comprising such a female part
A female coupling for receiving a male coupling element and including a female element and a body delimiting a receiving zone. The female element includes a passage having a reduced opening that is closed by a valve and a cylindrical bore for receiving a male connection element. The female element is connected to the body by a nut and a ring member that engage one another in a manner to permit radial displacement of the female element to the body in order to facilitate the alignment of an elongated axis of the male element with an elongated axis along the passage of the female element as the male element is inserted within the cylindrical bore of the female element. |
| US07878215B2 |
Impulse actuated valve
A valve for controlling flow of pressurized fluid from a confined area that is operable to relieve an overpressure condition as well as to allow flow of fluid in response to a pressure relief command. The valve including a valve body with a fluid passage therethrough, a reverse buckling rupture disc in the valve body in normally blocking relationship to the flow of fluid through the passage, and a selectively actuatable device carried by the valve body adjacent the convex surface. The actuatable device is operable to disrupt, without puncturing, the disc so as to initiate reversal and rupture of the disc and to permit flow of the pressurized fluid through the passage. |
| US07878211B2 |
Tobacco powder supported catalyst particles
Cut filler compositions, cigarettes, methods for making cut filler compositions and cigarettes, and methods for treating mainstream tobacco smoke of cigarettes are provided that use catalyst particles capable of converting carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide. The catalyst particles are supported on tobacco powder. The tobacco powder supported catalyst particles can be prepared by dry admixing the catalyst particles and tobacco powder or by combining a dispersion of catalyst particles with the tobacco powder. |
| US07878209B2 |
Thermally insulative smoking article filter components
A filter component includes a catalyst surrounded by a thermally insulative carbon fiber composite. The catalyst can catalyze the chemical reaction of selected gaseous constituents of a gas stream. During catalysis, the catalyst can reach high temperatures. The carbon fiber composite can contain heat generated during the catalysis within the filter component and thereby reduce heat transfer to the surroundings. The filter component can be used in smoking articles. Methods of making and using the filter-component and methods for treating mainstream tobacco smoke are also provided. |
| US07878207B2 |
Locating an implanted object based on external antenna loading
In general, the invention is directed to techniques for locating an implanted object using an external antenna. The implanted object may be, for example, an internal antenna that facilitates recharging of and/or communication with an implantable medical device. An external device coupled to the external antenna drives the antenna with a plurality of waveforms. Asymmetry in the loading profile of the external antenna when it is driven by the plurality of waveforms allows the external device or another device to determine the location of the implanted object relative to the external antenna. The external device or other device may provide information to a user based on the determined location of the implanted object relative to the external antenna, such as information to help a user position the external antenna with respect to an internal antenna in embodiments in which the implanted object is an internal antenna. |
| US07878206B2 |
System and method for treatment of uvula and soft palate to reduce tissue laxity
System and methods for minimally invasive treatment of snoring are described. According to one system and method, laser energy is applied to tissue of a soft palate and/or uvula to create a pattern of multiple treatment spots in the tissue. According to another system and method, electromagnetic energy from a filament light source is impinged of soft palate and/or uvula tissue to achieve volumetric heating of the tissue. The systems and methods increase rigidity and/or reduce laxity of the tissue, and/or volumetrically reduce the tissue, thereby diminishing snoring. |
| US07878202B2 |
Suction catheter assembly
A respiratory suction catheter assembly includes a manifold supporting a rotatable swivel member for engagement with an endotracheal tube, and a seal support body disposed on a boss of the manifold opposite the part supporting the swivel for supporting a catheter tube seal and a porous filter for filtering air flowing into and out of a flexible elongated sheath enclosing the catheter tube. The sheath includes opposed tapered ends secured to the seal support body and to a boss on a suction control valve housing. The valve housing supports a tapered plug closure member engageable with a resilient actuator and a slide-lock member. Certain components, including the sheath, the seal support body, the filter, the catheter tube seal and the catheter tube may be treated with an anti-microbial agent. |
| US07878196B2 |
Fluid product dispensing device
A fluid dispenser device including at least one individual reservoir (21) containing a single dose of fluid, such as powder, opening means (40) being provided for opening an individual reservoir (21) each time the device is actuated, the device including a dispenser chamber (70) for receiving the dose of fluid contained in a reservoir (21) after said reservoir has been opened, an inhalation endpiece (15), and an inhalation trigger system that comprises a deformable air-chamber (61) that co-operates with said dispenser chamber (70), said dispenser chamber being displaceable between a rest position and an inhalation position, such that during inhalation through said inhalation endpiece (15), said air chamber (61) is deformed, thereby displacing said dispenser chamber from said rest position to said inhalation position. |
| US07878195B2 |
Heat management system for industrial safety equipment
A heat management system for industrial safety equipment is described, including an industrial safety article (e.g., a full face respirator), a power source and a fan unit, wherein the fan unit is mounted on the industrial safety article such that the fan directs air within a confined or other interior space of the industrial safety article, and wherein the fan unit is powered by the power source. |
| US07878193B2 |
Capsule for taking an active substance which can be inhaled
The invention relates to a novel capsule for receiving an active substance to be administered by inhalation, which is preferably intended for use in a powder inhaler operating on the Bernoulli principle. |
| US07878190B2 |
Solar collection apparatus, solar collection arrays, and related methods
A solar collection apparatus includes a housing with a first opening, a second opening, and a partially-mirrored floor. The device includes fins with first and second end segments and curved bodies. Both sides of the fin bodies have the same curvature, and both sides are mirrored. The curved bodies of the fins all have the same curvature. The floor and the second end segments of the fins together define a light pipe. Light impinging on the first opening of the housing is directed into the light pipe by reflection between adjacent faces of adjacent fins. The second end segments of the fins prevent the light within the light pipe from exiting the light pipe in the first direction. Light within the light pipe exits the light pipe at the second opening, where it may be stored, or may be directed to a solar energy device such as a solar cell, turbine, or vehicle heater. |
| US07878189B2 |
Combustion fan installation structure of gas radiation oven range
A combustion fan installation structure of a gas radiation oven range is disclosed in which a combustion fan (200) is coupled at a space outside a space where a radiant burner (40) is positioned. Since the temperature of the sucked air for combustion is constantly maintained, an air with a sufficient air density can be supplied. Thus, it can have a stable combustion performance. In addition, an influence of the temperature change generated when the oven or the grill is operated can be excluded. Accordingly, a reliability of a combustion performance of the gas radiation oven range to be mainly used in kitchens or in hotels can be improved. |
| US07878188B2 |
Self-heating beverage container
A self-heating beverage container includes a housing defining an open interior area for holding a liquid and defining a cavity separated from the open interior area. The container includes a heater portion removably coupled to the housing within the cavity. First and second reactants may be positioned in the cartridge area where they may be selectively combined to produce heat when a seal between them is punctured, causing the liquid to be heated. The container includes a selection portion that is selectively separable from the housing. A plurality of flavoring agents is positioned in the selection portion, each flavoring agent being separated from each other flavoring agent. Each flavoring agent is selectively separated from said open interior area by at least one breakable barrier. Each breakable barrier may be selectively pierced so as to dispense an ingredient into the liquid where it may be selectively mixed and heated. |
| US07878187B2 |
Heat cells comprising exothermic compositions having absorbent gelling material
The present invention is directed to heat cells that are suitable for incorporation into disposable heating wraps. The heat cells comprise an exothermic composition comprising an absorbent gelling material, wherein the absorbent gelling material provides for improved heat application in the relief of temporary or chronic body aches and pains. |
| US07878185B2 |
Cooking apparatus with plasma cleaning
A cooking apparatus includes a case in which a cooking chamber for cooking food is provided, a heating source provided in the case, a fan configured to circulate air in the cooking chamber; and a plasma discharger provided in the case and configured to generate plasma in order to remove residue from a surface of the case. |
| US07878184B2 |
Hardball weapon
A hardball weapon for use in exercises or shooting games and designed as military gun is made with a weapon housing (3) containing two coaxial pistons (21, 26) which are mounted directly in the weapon housing (3) and driven by an electric motor (10) via a gear wheel mechanism (12, 18) and toothed racks (24, 25). The first outer piston (21) functions as a movable bolt for loading the cartridge chamber with cartridges (7) with solid balls (6), and the other piston (26) functions as a pressurised air piston for creating an overpressure for firing the balls (6). The weapon housing (3) can be opened by pivoting, thereby giving access to the parts in the firing mechanism for inspection, repair and adjustment. |
| US07878183B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method to provide air to a doser injector nozzle
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for providing air to an injector nozzle. An injector nozzle is in fluid communication with a dosing fluid input. An opening substantially circumscribes the injector nozzle. The injector nozzle is directed toward the opening, injecting a fluid from the dosing fluid input through the opening. An injector air output is in fluid communication with an air input port and with the opening. The injector air output is directed toward the opening, injecting air from the air input port through the opening. The injector air output creates a positive air pressure around the injector nozzle. |
| US07878174B2 |
Fuel-supplying structure for a V-type multi-cylinder engine, and engine incorporating same
In a V-type multi-cylinder engine, a first fuel supply conduit is connected to fuel-injection valves in a first throttle body group corresponding to the first bank, and a second fuel supply conduit is connected to fuel injection valves in a second throttle body group corresponding to the second bank. A pair of first and second side plates connect adjacent ends of the first and second throttle body groups together. A distance between respective throttle bodies located in two ends of the first throttle body group is set shorter than a comparable distance between the throttle bodies located in two ends of the second throttle body group. A joint part for connectively receiving the fuel hose is provided at an end of the first fuel supply conduit in a way that the joint part is arranged between the two side plates. |
| US07878172B2 |
Intake channels for internal combustion engines
Various embodiments of the invention relate to an intake channel of an internal combustion engine in which an adjustable position guide vane is configured to modify the velocity distribution inside the intake channel in order to vary the mean swirl number generated by the channel. The intake channel may comprise a combination of two or more ports, which can be helical or tangential, depending on their shape. By varying the velocity distribution inside the intake channel it is possible to vary the mean swirl number in an internal combustion engine. Contrary to existing systems to vary the swirl in internal combustion engines, the invention proposed does not require the separation of both ports inside the intake channel by a wall in order to achieve a variation in the swirl. |
| US07878169B2 |
Cam roller pin with transverse grooves
A roller pin for carrying a cam roller in a tappet assembly is provided. The roller pin providing reduced run in time and reduced peak and localized contact pressure between the cam roller and roller pin. The roller pin comprises a substantially cylindrical shaft having a length, a first end and a second end. The length extends from the first end to the second end. The shaft includes a plurality of grooves axially spaced apart and extending in a direction being transverse to the length. The plurality of grooves located proximate the first and second ends and extending only partially the circumference of the shaft. |
| US07878167B2 |
Engine with round lobe
An engine with intake and exhaust valves that may be controlled with a circular cam lobe is provided. The rotating axis of the circular cam lobe is offset from the physical center of the cam lobe. This permits the cam lobe to impart a reciprocal opening and closing of the valve. To maintain the valve in the closed position, the interconnection between the cam lobe and the valve 12 may have a spring which is compressed to allow the valve to remain closed for a set duration of time while the cam lobe continues to rotate. |
| US07878162B2 |
System to control exhaust gas temperature
A variable valve actuation system is disclosed for providing exhaust to at least one component downstream of an engine. The system includes a supply of low pressure fluid, an engine fluid sump, and an exhaust valve disposed in an engine cylinder. The system also includes a hydraulic actuation system operably connected to the exhaust valve of the engine cylinder and a braking control valve operably connected to the hydraulic actuation system. The system further includes a device for accumulating fluid and a device for fluidly coupling the hydraulic actuation system to the accumulating device. |
| US07878156B2 |
Method and plant for the conveyance of fine-grained solids
The present invention relates to a method for the conveyance of fine-grained solids in a fluidized bed reactor and also to a corresponding plant. It is proposed to introduce a first gas or gas mixture from below through a central tube (3) into a mixing chamber (7) of the reactor (1), the central tube (3) being at least partly surrounded by a stationary annular fluidized bed (10) which is fluidized by supplying fluidizing gas. The gas velocities of the first gas or gas mixture as well as of the fluidizing gas for the annular fluidized bed (10) are adjusted such that the particle Froude numbers in the central tube (3) are between 1 and 100, in the annular fluidizied bed (10) between 0.02 and 2 in the mixing chamber (7) between 0.3 and 30. |
| US07878152B2 |
Domestic animal telephone
A phone for pets and pet owners is taught which allows the owner to call the house and “talk” to the pet. The owner can then see a video image of the pet in front of the pet phone to verify presence and happiness. The device can also present the owner's scent to the pet and deliver treats on remote command. In some embodiments, the pet can initiate the phone call. |
| US07878150B2 |
Multiple function animal training system with extendable ramp
A multi-purpose furniture structure and system may be used for caring for an animal throughout the life of the animal. For small animals such as puppies, this furniture system may be used to train the animal to behave in a desired manner. Animal toys are stored in the animal living space as well. Animals may use a detachable ramp member to climb to the top of the furniture structure. The ramp is extendable allowing for the ability to vary the length of the ramp. This feature enables the owner to change the angle of inclination of the ramp to accommodate animals that may have difficulty climbing steeper ramp inclines. For larger or older animals, the extendable ramp may serve as a bed or as a means to help the animal get into the bed of the owner. The furniture piece may be positioned adjacent an owner's bed. |
| US07878142B2 |
Device to coat food products such as potato crisps
A device (10) to coat food products such as potato crisps or chips and biscuits. The device (10) includes a flavor dispenser 21 that delivers granular flavor material to the products (12) being coated. The device (10) further includes a conveyor (11) with conveyor surfaces (15 to 18) that are arranged in cascade so that the food products tumble from one surface to the next so that the granular flavor material is applied to the various surfaces of the food products. |
| US07878139B1 |
Universal automobile flag
A flagpole comprising a clip portion, where the clip portion is shaped such that it fits over the top of an automobile window and allows the flagpole to be held in place by the window and an associated window frame when the window is nearly in a rolled up position; a u-shaped portion extending generally downward from the clip portion, away from the clip portion, and then upward, such that the u-shaped portion extends around a vent visor or rain guard associated with the window, where the vent visor or rain guard need not be in use on the window when the flagpole is in use; a straight portion extending upward from the u-shaped portion; and a flag situated on the straight portion. The flagpole may also be adjustable such that it may be used on a trunk deck. |
| US07878138B2 |
Appliance for deployment and tracking of an unmanned underwater vehicle
An appliance for lowering and tracking an underwater vessel includes a carrier arranged on an end of a holding cable; a holding device on the carrier used to receive/release the underwater vessel with a controllable holding element; and a tracking device arranged on the carrier and used for acoustically determining the position of the underwater vessel lowered into the water. As a result, a light, compact lowering appliance is provided that is suitable for handling vessels on small platforms and ensures acoustically undisturbed operation of the tracking device, which is arranged on one end of the carrier, the carrier being mounted such that it can be pivoted on the holding cable in an articulated manner in a central longitudinal region thereof. Following release of the underwater vessel from the holding element, a pivoting device pivots the carrier including the tracking device out of a lowering position, into a tracking position. |
| US07878130B2 |
Overfiring air port, method for manufacturing air port, boiler, boiler facility, method for operating boiler facility and method for improving boiler facility
A overfiring air port of the present invention is to supply an incomplete combustion region with air making up for combustion-shortage, in a furnace in which the incomplete combustion region less than stoichiometric ratio is formed by a burner. Furthermore, the airport is characterized by comprising: a nozzle mechanism for injecting air including an axial velocity component of an air flow and a radial velocity component directed to a center line of the airport; and a control mechanism for controlling a ratio of these velocity components. |
| US07878129B2 |
Swing-out workbench extension apparatus
A swing-out workbench extension for a workbench includes a rectangular swinging platform and four swinging upright members having equal lengths and each pivotably connected at the lower ends thereof to the rectangular platform, two on each side thereof. The four swinging upright members are pivotably mounted on the underside of a bench top of a workbench so that the rectangular swinging platform is movable between a stored position hanging below the bench top and an upper extended position generally adjacent a bench top. The rectangular platform extends at all times in a generally horizontal plane whereby tools mounted on the rectangular swinging platform are retained thereon, and a latch is provided for releasably locking the rectangular swinging platform in the upper extended position. |
| US07878127B2 |
Pallet with optimized cargo layer and related methods
A pallet includes a cargo layer for supporting different size cargo cases. The cargo layer includes a pair of spaced apart end deck boards, with each end deck board having a first width. Spaced apart intermediate deck boards are positioned in a pattern between the pair of spaced apart end deck boards for providing deck coverage for the different size cargo cases. The pattern is defined by two pairs of first and second intermediate deck boards, with each intermediate deck board in each pair having a second width. Each pair of intermediate deck boards is adjacent one of the end deck boards. A pair of third intermediate deck boards is between the two pairs of intermediate deck boards, with each third intermediate deck board having a third width. A fourth intermediate deck board is between the pair of third intermediate deck boards, and has the second width. |
| US07878124B2 |
Semi-rigid railcar cover
A cover for open top railcars may be alternatively locked into place over the railcar top opening, or rotated on hinges to either side of the railcar to provide access to the entire top of the railcar. The cover may be compressed against either side of the railcar to allow the car to move between structural or other elements of loading or unloading facilities. |
| US07878121B2 |
Penetration assisting kit and method for use
The present invention relates to a penetration assistance kit fitted to a bomb, notably an anti-infrastructure bomb. The kit includes launch tubes mechanically secured to the bomb. In each of the launch tubes is positioned a detonating projectile and its propulsive charge. A detonating projectile can be ejected from its tube by initiation of its propulsive charge. A system is provided for controlling the initiation of each propulsive charge prior to impact of the bomb with a target. The invention applies notably to the penetration of very thick walls made of non-metallic material such as concrete, for example. The invention also relates to a penetrating projectile equipped with such a kit and to a method of getting such a projectile to penetrate a target. |
| US07878118B2 |
Circumferential register for a rotary press
A registration system for a rotary press including circumferential and sidelay registers designed to interface to the press unit using more direct motion translation. In particular, to go from rotational motion of a motor to linear motion of the adjustment with fewer transitions. Also discussed are measurement systems which measure the adjustments made to the plate cylinder more directly by measuring the linear movement of components acting on the cylinder as opposed to the movement of the motor or power source of the registration system. These systems can provide for more accurate movement to the various elements. |
| US07878113B2 |
Juice extractor including drive shaft seal and related methods
A juice extractor may include a drive housing and a drive shaft extending outwardly therefrom to a juice extraction area. The juice extractor may further include a shaft seal that, in turn, includes a seal housing and at least one positioning ring contained within the seal housing and surrounding a corresponding drive shaft. The seal may also include at least one sealing ring contained within the seal housing adjacent the at least one positioning ring and surrounding the corresponding drive shaft. The at least one positioning ring may be radially spaced from the corresponding drive shaft when the corresponding drive shaft is aligned along the seal axis, and the at least one sealing ring may sealingly engage the corresponding drive shaft and be radially spaced from adjacent portions of the seal housing when the corresponding drive shaft is aligned along the seal axis. |
| US07878111B2 |
Heating and venting arrangement for a rotisserie oven
An oven is used for cooking food and comprises an enclosure having a floor, a ceiling, a back wall, and a pair of side walls. A heating element is disposed on the back wall at a distance from the floor and the ceiling and a shield is disposed between the back wall and the heating element. The shield is configured to receive radiant heat from the heating element and to re-radiate lower frequency radiant heat towards the food. The enclosure may further comprise a door and the side walls may be double paneled. A radial fan is coupled to one of the side walls to pull hot air from inside the enclosure and cooler air from outside the enclosure. The hot and cool air are mixed within a space defined by the double paneled side wall and is directed out over the exterior of the door to cool the door. |
| US07878108B2 |
Disposable packaging for the distribution of a liquid preparation pumped by a venturi-effect device
The invention relates to a disposable packaging, for the distribution of at least one nutritional preparation, based on a nutritional liquid, comprising at least one closed chamber, containing the nutritional liquid, with means for housing a sub-assembly for aspiration and mixing of the venturi type and means for sealing the package. The invention is particularly characterized by a duct, passing through the base seal, said duct provided for a venturi nozzle which permits the extraction of the nutritional liquid inside the packaging by piercing or removal of the seal. The invention is particularly of application to the production of hot and/or emulsified drinks of the cappuccino type or similar. |
| US07878105B2 |
Mitigating recoil in a ballistic robot
Recoil mitigating devices and methods for use with projectile firing systems such as a disrupter mounted to a robotic arm. A pair of parallel spring provides dampening of axial recoil movement of the disrupter relative to the robotic arm. Forward ends of the springs are attachable to the barrel of the disrupter while rearward portions of the springs are attachable to the robotic arm by a robot mount block. The robot mount block at least partially encloses the barrel of the disrupter in connecting the parallel springs and permits axial movement of the disrupter along or through the mount during firing. |
| US07878103B2 |
Systems and methods for mitigating a blast wave
In accordance with a particular embodiment of the present disclosure, a method to mitigate a blast wave includes detecting an imminent explosion that produces a blast wave. In response to this detection, the energy of a portion of this blast wave may be reduced by deploying a fluid in the path of the blast wave. |
| US07878102B1 |
Revolver for firing high velocity ammunition
A revolver for firing high velocity ammunition includes a frame, a cylinder, a barrel, and a firing mechanism. The revolver may include one or more of the following, each of which is especially adapted for use in the context of firing high velocity ammunition: spacers for adjusting a barrel-cylinder gap, for eliminating broaching of the rearward surface(s) of the barrel; a forcing cone formed in the rearward opening of the barrel for accommodating deformed projectiles; a reflective surface (e.g., mirrored surface) provided on the cone and/or barrel rearward surfaces, for reducing erosion resulting from using high velocity ammunition; gain-twist rifling in the barrel for a smoother transition to full projectile velocity; a larger diameter, hardened firing pin bushing for minimizing brass flow in the rearward direction; and a front sight assembly that minimizes lateral shift or drift of the sight pin during firing. |
| US07878101B2 |
Weapon storage and loading system with rocket launcher and ammunition compartment for storing rocket containers
A weapon system, especially for a ship, having a rocket launcher and an ammunition compartment for storing rocket containers designed to each accommodate at least one rocket. Disposed in the ammunition compartment is a guide mechanism on which at least two ammunition carriages, designed to accommodate the rocket containers, are displaceably disposed, whereby they can be shifted out of a parked position into a loading position in which the rocket container is disposed essentially below a slide-in structure of the rocket launcher. Securing mechanisms are provided for securing the ammunition carriages in place on the guide mechanism. |
| US07878100B2 |
Method for removing toxic material from toxic weapon projectiles
An apparatus useful in the removal of toxic materials from toxic weapon projectiles has a base, a projectile retaining container and a ram. The projectile retaining container has a projectile retainer opening, a ram opening and a drain opening. The projectile retaining container is adapted to retain a toxic weapon projectile in the projectile retainer opening. The ram is adapted to extend into a toxic weapon projectile disposed within the projectile retaining container to crush the projectile's burster well and to thereby release toxic materials to the drain opening in the projectile retaining container. The ram alternatively includes high pressure water nozzles for breaking up any coagulant particles and for thoroughly rinsing the interior side walls of the toxic weapon projectile. |
| US07878093B1 |
Rotator socket suitable for the installation of a cup hook
A rotator socket for use with a handheld power drill suitable to install a cup hook, the cup hook characterized by a rounded hook portion having wideness and a semi-spherical flange, comprised of a shank; a body; a slot; a depression and a resilient member. |
| US07878091B2 |
Screwdriving tool with free wheel gear
A screwdriving tool includes a gear head and a drive arm. The gear head forms a gear housing, in which a free wheel or ratchet gear having an output rotational axis is arranged. A front side of the gear head includes an output coupling, in the shape of a polygon. The drive arm can be pivoted about a pivot axis, which is substantially transverse to the output rotational axis, from a quick-action screwdriver position, in which the drive arm is in the output rotational axis, into a power-action screwdriver position, in which the drive arm extends substantially transversely to the output rotational axis and can be fixed in both pivot positions by detents. The detents can be moved from a detent position into a release position by means of an actuating member associated with the drive arm. |
| US07878090B2 |
Handheld power tool, in particular a power drill or screwdriver
A handheld power tool, in particular a power drill or power screwdriver, has a tool holder, which is displaceably received in a housing and which can be driven via a drive unit; a microswitch that can switch the drive unit on and off is provided, which is switchable upon an axial displacement motion of the tool holder via an actuating element. The actuating element is joined axially solidly to the tool holder, so that the axial displacement motion of the tool holder at the same time acts as the displacement motion of the actuating element, which motion actuates the microswitch. |
| US07878088B2 |
Sealing device for joint section of robot and articulated robot having the same
A sealing device provided to a joint section of a robot. The sealing device includes overlapped seal portions having a multi-stage configuration, provided for a driving mechanism incorporated into the joint section. The overlapped seal portions include a first seal portion including a first contact seal element sealing a first inter-member gap defined adjacent to a lubricant retaining section provided in the driving mechanism; and a second seal portion arranged outside the first seal portion and including a second contact seal element sealing a second inter-member gap defined in a circumferential wall of the joint section, the circumferential wall defining an accommodation space for accommodating the driving mechanism. |
| US07878085B2 |
Configuration of lubricating system for a power unit of a vehicle
A power unit includes a shaft member rotatably supported by the crankcase and a torsional coil spring, disposed at one end of the shaft member, biasing a swing arm in one rotational direction. An oil strainer is fixed to the crankcase through a strainer support bracket extending vertically relative to a strainer element. The torsional coil spring includes a coil portion wound around the shaft member, one end portion retained on the side of the shaft member, and the other end portion retained by a retaining portion formed integrally with the strainer support bracket. |
| US07878081B2 |
Portable, refrigerant recovery unit
A portable, refrigerant recovery unit for transferring refrigerant from a refrigeration system to a storage tank. The recovery unit includes two, opposed piston heads rigidly attached to respective piston rods that extend along a common fixed axis. The piston rods are rigidly attached to the yoke member of a scotch yoke arrangement. In operation, incoming refrigerant from the system is simultaneously and continuously directed to the opposing piston heads wherein the forces of the pressurized refrigerant on them counterbalance or neutralize one another. The scotch yoke arrangement includes a two-piece slide mechanism mounted about a cylindrical crank pin and a single piston embodiment is additionally disclosed. |
| US07878074B1 |
Eccentric load sensing device used to sense differential pressures
A differential pressure sensor positioned adjacent a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber separated by a nozzle. Flow in a conduit is determined by detecting the pressure on either side of a nozzle. Changes in pressure are proportional to a change in flow. An integrated differential pressure sensor having different pressure detecting portions with strain gauges thereon detects differences in deflection of each pressure sensor portion resulting from change in fluid flow. A bridge circuit detects changes in the signals from the two different pressure sensor portions creating a differential which is proportional to a change in liquid flow. The present invention reduces the need for calibration of pressure sensors and improves the detection of fluid flow. The present invention has many applications and can detect small changes in fluid flow and is particularly applicable to the medical field where in many procedures, small fluid flows must be measured or determined accurately. |
| US07878073B2 |
Measuring system with a flow conditioner arranged at an inlet of a measuring table
The measuring system is inserted into the course of a process line and serves for registering at least one measured variable of a medium flowing in the process line. The measuring system includes for such purpose a measuring transducer having a measuring tube serving for conveying medium being measured and a sensor arrangement, which has at least one sensor element reacting primarily to the measured variable to be registered, and which delivers by means of at least one sensor element at least one measurement signal influenced by the measured variable. Further, the measuring system includes a measuring electronics communicating with the measuring transducer and using the at least one measurement signal for producing, at least at times, at least one measured value instantaneously representing the measured variable. The measuring tube has, in the case of the measuring system of the invention, a smaller flow cross section than a supply segment of the process line connected to the inlet end of the measuring system. To this end, the measuring system further includes a flow conditioner arranged at the inlet end of the measuring tube and mediating between the measuring tube and the supply segment of the process line. The flow conditioner has a lumen tapering in the direction of the measuring tube. During operation, medium flows through the lumen of the flow conditioner. The flow conditioner includes at least one impingement surface arranged upstream of its outlet end and protruding into the lumen of the flow conditioner. During operation, medium conveyed in the flow conditioner flows against the impingement surface. |
| US07878070B2 |
Chuck body for a chuck, chuck and method for determining a clamping force on such a chuck
A chuck body for a clamping chuck for clamping a workpiece has a substantially rotationally symmetrically formed basic body, provided on which is a receiving opening, which is formed as a portion of a cone and is formed for receiving a clamping head in such a way as to transmit force. Attached to the basic body is a deformation sensor, for example as a strain gauge, which is intended and designed for determining a deformation of the basic body in a circumferential direction. In this way, the condition and state of wear of the clamping chuck can be determined. |
| US07878065B2 |
Ultrasonic inspection apparatus
An ultrasonic inspection apparatus includes a container containing de-ionized water, at least one limiting member, a loading member, and a cover member. The at least one limiting member, the loading member, and the cover member are disposed in the de-ionized water and between the transmitting transducer and the receiving transducer. The limiting member is supported on the limiting member for loading the integrated circuits to be inspected. The cover member is detachably disposed on the loading member for holding the integrated circuits by a gravitational force of the cover member acting on the loading member. |
| US07878062B2 |
Advanced ultrasonic interferometer and method of non-linear classification and identification of matter using same
An ultrasonic interferometer for the characterization of the matter (solids, fluids & gases) in a medium is described, along with a method of using the same. The interferometer accurately determines the travel time of the multi-frequency ultrasonic signal in the matter that is being queried. By carefully selecting the design of the multi-frequency ultrasound signal, various properties of the material can be derived using a trainable classification system to classify or recognise the substance, or state of a process. The apparatus exploits the normally undesirable higher harmonics characteristics of the piezoceramic transducer to gain penetration through a spatial-frequency window that is not suitable for the higher frequency signals that are required to achieve the measurements. |
| US07878056B2 |
Micromachined thermal mass flow sensor with self-cleaning capability and methods of making the same
The current invention generally relates to Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) thermal mass flow sensors for measuring the flow rate of a flowing fluid (gas/liquid) and the methods of manufacturing on single crystal silicon wafers. The said mass flow sensors have self-cleaning capability that is achieved via the modulation of the cavity of which the sensing elements locate on the top of the cavity that is made of a silicon nitride film; alternatively the sensing elements are fabricated on top of a binary silicon nitride/conductive polycrystalline silicon film under which is a porous silicon layer selective formed in a silicon substrate. Using polycrystalline silicon or the sensing elements as electrodes, an acoustic wave can be generated across the porous silicon layer which is also used for the thermal isolation of the sensing elements. The vibration or acoustic energy is effective to remove foreign materials deposited on top surface of the sensing elements that ensure the accuracy and enhance repeatability of the thermal mass flow sensing. |
| US07878051B2 |
Liquid flow measurement apparatus and method utilizing a bubble in a passage
A liquid measurement apparatus is configured to measure an amount of liquid flowing from a measured object. The apparatus includes a passage member having a measurement passage being connected to the measured object at one end. The measurement passage is filled with liquid. The apparatus further includes a closed vessel, which is connected to an other end of the measurement passage and filled with saturated vapor of the liquid. The apparatus further includes an analyzer. The liquid filled in the measurement passage contains a bubble, which is movable in accordance with change in amount of the liquid in the measurement passage. The analyzer is configured to calculate a travel distance of the bubble and configured to measure the amount of the liquid flowing from the measured object based on the calculated travel distance. |
| US07878049B2 |
Method and system for indicating a fault associated with a non-combustion chamber of an engine
A method of indicating a fault associated with a non-combustion chamber of an engine includes monitoring a fluid intake pressure for the engine, monitoring a pressure for a non-combustion chamber of the engine, and indicating a fault associated with the non-combustion chamber based on a difference between a first non-combustion chamber pressure and a second non-combustion chamber pressure being below a chamber threshold value. |
| US07878048B2 |
Fuel system injection timing diagnostics by analyzing cylinder pressure signal
A method for diagnosing combustion within an engine includes monitoring pressure cylinder pressure and generating a measured combustion phasing value for the cylinder at a predetermined metric selected to index the combustion cycle. The measured combustion phasing value is calculated through a Fast Fourier Transform and compared to an expected combustion phasing value. |
| US07878047B2 |
Monitoring particles in a fluid stream
There is described an apparatus for monitoring particles in a fluid stream, comprising a body portion and a detector element that is acoustically decoupled from the body portion. The detector element comprises a target surface, a sample acoustic sensor and a corrosion sensor. The sample acoustic sensor is acoustically coupled to the target surface and is arranged to provide a first signal, which varies in dependence upon acoustic noise generated by impacts of particles and fluid on the target surface. The corrosion sensor is arranged to provide a second signal, which varies in dependence upon corrosion and/or erosion of the target surface. A corresponding method of monitoring particles in a fluid stream is also described. The method and apparatus are suitable for monitoring sand in oil and gas production flow streams. |
| US07878039B2 |
Channel letter machine and method thereof
A channel letter bending machine for bending a return of a channel letter from a stock includes a feeding unit disposed along a path of travel of the stock to be bent for feeding the stock, a flanging unit for forming a flange along one edge of the stock, a notching unit for notching the flange of the stock fed by the feeding mechanism along the path of travel, and a bending unit for bending the stock under the control of the computer control system into the desired configuration for the channel letter shape, wherein the notching unit and the flanging unit are disposed upstream of the bending unit and the flanging unit is disposed upstream of the notching unit. |
| US07878037B2 |
Device for the free forming and bending of longitudinal profiles, particularly pipes, and a combined device for free forming and bending as well as draw-bending longitudinal profiles, particularly pipes
A device for the free-form bending of longitudinal profiles, in particular pipes, in which an axial sleeve is arranged downstream of a feed unit in its direction of feed. Arranged downstream of the axial sleeve in the direction of feed, is a bending sleeve. The feed unit and the axial sleeve in each case have a drive pointing in the direction of feed, wherein the axial sleeve can be adjusted independently of the feed unit. The feed unit and the axial sleeve further have rotary drives for the simultaneous rotation in the same direction of the longitudinal profile held and guided by them. The bending sleeve can only be adjusted in a translatory manner by means of a drive in an axis running transverse to the axis of the longitudinal profile and the feed device. In addition to this, it can be pivoted by means of a drive about an axis lying transverse to the axis of the longitudinal profile and the feed device. The bending sleeve is additionally mounted so as to freely rotate in sympathy with the guide sleeve or is braked in relation to it. |
| US07878036B2 |
Rekeyable lock cylinder
A lock cylinder having a keyway includes a first plurality of guide channels. A plurality of cup-shaped pins is movably disposed within the first plurality of guide channels. Each cup-shaped pin of the plurality of cup-shaped pins extends across the keyway. Each cup-shaped pin of the plurality of cup-shaped pins has an engagement protrusion. The first plurality of guide channels conform to the shape of the plurality of cup-shaped pins to allow movement of the plurality of cup-shaped pins in a first direction while restraining movement transverse to the first direction. A plurality of biasing springs is positioned to bias the plurality of cup-shaped pins in a direction toward the keyway. A plurality of racks is movably disposed in a second plurality of guide channels. Each rack of the plurality of racks has at least one engagement groove to selectively receive the engagement protrusion of a respective cup-shaped pin. |
| US07878028B2 |
Knitting machine tool, in particular for the finest division
A knitting needle designed specifically for achieving particularly fine divisions, or another knitting tool (2), has a narrower working section (4) and a wider support section (5), whereby the support section (5) is provided with a positioning means (11), for example, having the form of a slit (12) or having the form of a rib (32). The knitting tool (2) is associated with a fixing means (29) in the form of a projection (17) or a groove (33) on the side of the bar (1). Due to this measure, the support sections (5) of the knitting tools (2) may be arranged—in close proximity to each other, in contact with or at a minimal distance from each other—on the bar (1), so that a maximum cross-section is available for configuring the support section (5). This provides strong stability for the knitting tools (2)—even in cases of extremely fine divisions—and, at the same time, provides precise alignment and avoids division errors. |
| US07878025B2 |
Oval shaped diamond cut having hearts and arrows pattern
An oval shaped diamond, adapted to display a hearts and arrows pattern when exposed to light characteristic of the hearts and arrows pattern in a round diamond, comprising: an oval shape having two long sides symmetrical to each other, two short sides symmetrical to each other and four corner sides symmetrically located between the long sides and the short sides respectively, eight main crown facets of unequal size and eight main pavilion facets of unequal size, sixteen pavilion half facets; a girdle of non-uniform thickness separating the crown and pavilion facets and two subsidiary pavilion facets in alignment with each other on the long sides of the diamond adjacent a main pavilion facet. |
| US07878024B2 |
Earring
An earring includes an earring body, a locking bar provided at one end of the earring body and formed with a locking groove, and a locker provided at the other end of the earring body to be selectively locked with the locking bar. The locker is formed with an insert groove, the insert groove is provided at an inside thereof with a locking protrusion, and a locking release button is positioned adjacent to the locking protrusion while protruding out of the locker. The spring includes a compression spring and the locking protrusion is adapted to lock with the locking groove of the locking bar while performing a straight movement in a state in which the locking protrusion is elastically supported to the spring. The locking/unlocking operations of the coupling parts are easily performed and an aesthetic appearance of the earring is improved. |
| US07878023B2 |
Refrigeration circuit
Refrigeration circuit (1, 1′) for circulating a refrigerant in a predetermined flow direction through at least one functionally disconnectable component, the refrigeration circuit having in flow direction an expansion device (b, b′, 26, 26′, 33), an evaporator, a compressor (2, 2′, 29, 36) and a heat-rejecting heat exchanger (6, 20), wherein an upstream-side shut-off valve is provided upstream of the component and a downstream-side shut-off valve is provided downstream of the component, wherein at least one of these shut-off valves is a non-return valve (a, c, 25, 27, 32, 34). Preferably, the component has in flow direction the expansion device (b, b′, 26, 26′, 33) and the evaporator (12, 12′, E1, E1′, E2) or the compressor (2, 2′). Preferably the non-return valve (a, c, 25, 27, 32, 34) is lockable in it's open position. |
| US07878022B2 |
Refrigerator door having dispenser
A refrigerator door having a dispenser is disclosed. The refrigerator door includes an outer case forming a front appearance of the refrigerator door, an inner case forming a rear appearance of the refrigerator door, and an insulation layer disposed between the outer case and the inner case. First and second mounting frames are installed at both side ends of the refrigerator door and have first and second mounting slots longitudinally formed in the first and second mounting frames in opposition to each other. The dispenser is detachably coupled to a front surface of the outer case and includes a housing, which forms an external appearance of the dispenser and is formed with a recess section. An external plate section is coupled to the front surface of the outer case except for an area in which the dispenser is installed, forming an external appearance of the refrigerator door. |
| US07878021B2 |
Simplified ice-cream maker
An ice-cream maker including a blade (30a) arranged in a double-walled container (20a), and a housing (1) containing a driving mechanism (10) that can generate a blade-rotating movement (30a) in relation to the double-walled container (20a), the double-walled container (20a) being composed of an external wall (23) and an internal wall (24) defining a housing (25) containing a phase changing mixture having a fusion range extending at least partially below 0° C. The inner wall (24) forms a vat (26), and the blade (301a; 30b′) is used to scrape the inner wall (24; 24′). The blade (30a) forms a spoon. |
| US07878015B2 |
Radiating apparatus of built-in refrigerator
A radiating apparatus of a built-in refrigerator includes an airflow guide that separates a condenser from a blower fan in order to prevent a cool air and a hot air from mixing together, thereby increasing an efficiency of the built-in refrigerator. |
| US07878011B2 |
Method for determining the desired ventilation air temperature of an automatic air-conditioning system in a convertible
A method for determining the desired ventilation air temperature of an automatic heating and air-conditioning system of a vehicle having an opening top is described. The open or closed state of the top of the vehicle is detected, and the heating and air-conditioning system is controlled and/or regulated in a number of different ways as a function of the state of the top. In the open state of the top, the desired ventilation air temperature is determined as a function of the speed of the vehicle. Also, in the open state of the top the desired ventilation air temperature is determined in such a manner that the top-closed desired ventilation air temperature is increased by a speed-dependent offset value. |
| US07878008B1 |
Smart rack and intelligent wireless climate sensors
A smart rack having intelligent wireless climate sensors that detect and report one or more climate conditions is provided. The smart rack includes an enclosure that houses network elements and an array of intelligent wireless climate sensors that form a mesh network. The enclosure of the smart rack includes a console that displays climate measurements and notifications. The intelligent wireless climate sensors perform periodic climate measurements and detect climate conditions in the smart rack. When a climate condition is detected the console of the smart rack graphically displays the climate condition. |
| US07878002B2 |
Methods and systems to facilitate reducing combustor pressure drops
A method for assembling a gas turbine combustor includes providing a combustor case having a first end, a second end, and a centerline extending there between, coupling an end cover to the case first end, coupling a combustor liner within the case such that the liner is substantially coaxially aligned with respect to the case, and providing a streamline flow conditioner including a body that includes a radially outer surface and a radially inner surface, a deflection plate that extends from the body, and coupling the streamline flow conditioner to the case second end such that the streamline flow conditioner is coupled radially between the case and the combustor liner such that the deflection plate is adjacent the case second end. The deflection plate inner surface at least one of extends radially outward with respect to the centerline and defines a plurality of openings within the plate inner surface. |
| US07877999B2 |
Power generation and space conditioning using a thermodynamic engine driven through environmental heating and cooling
A thermodynamic engine is configured to convert heat provided in the form of a temperature difference to a nonheat form of energy. Heat is directed through a heating loop in thermal contact with a first side of the thermodynamic engine. A second side of the thermodynamic engine is coupled to an environmental cooling loop in thermal contact with an environmental cooling device. The thermodynamic engine is operated to dispense heat from the second side of the thermodynamic engine through the environmental cooling loop into the environmental cooling device. Operation of the thermodynamic engine thereby generates the nonheat form of energy from the temperature difference established between the first side and the second side of the thermodynamic engine. |
| US07877992B2 |
Hydraulic power generation system driven by compression air produced by fluid
A hydraulic power generation system driven by compression air produced by fluid is provided. The present invention is featured in that it employs more than one group of windmills which can be driven by wind power, or utilizes hydraulic power, such as a river flow, tides at estuaries or bays to drive more than one group of hydraulic turbines. The rotation power of the windmills or the hydraulic turbines then drives a transmission and subsequently drives an air compressor to produce compression air. The compression air is compressed with a specific pressure and collectively stored in an air compression tank. The compression air stored in the air compression tank is guided to a water filled hermetic tank. The hermetic tank is connected with a hermetic water tower having a certain height, in which the hermetic tanks and the hermetic water tower are connected with a communicating pipe by which a pressure can be conducted. According to the Pascal's principle, when suffering the pressure of the compression air, the water stored in the hermetic tank is transmitted to the hermetic water tower up to a certain height thus obtaining a potential energy. The water is collectively stored at the certain height to obtain a large amount. Such a large amount of water can be downwardly guided to drive a hydraulic turbine which is connected to a power generator for generating power. After releasing the potential energy, the water can be conducted back to the hermetic tank via another communicating pipe for recycle use. |
| US07877986B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating a reductant in an exhaust gas of a compression-ignition engine
A method and apparatus are provided for generating a reductant in an exhaust gas feedstream of a compression-ignition internal combustion engine upstream of a hydrocarbon-selective catalytic reduction catalyst. The method comprises injecting a quantity of fuel into the exhaust gas subsequent to a combustion event whereat a temperature of the exhaust gas is in a range of 670 K to 1100 K at a start of the injection. The generated reductant comprises an active species including an oxygenated fuel species. |
| US07877984B2 |
Engine-driven vehicle with exhaust emission control
A method and an arrangement are provided for maintaining the oxidation of NO to NO2 in an oxidation catalytic converter arranged in a vehicle, the vehicle including an internal combustion engine which in operation emits exhaust gases to an exhaust gas after treatment system including the oxidation catalytic converter. A predetermined quantity of hydrocarbon is delivered to the exhaust gas aftertreatment system or the engine over at least one predetermined time interval for the purpose of maintaining the working temperature or regenerating an exhaust gas aftertreatment unit. The quantity of hydrocarbon is delivered to the exhaust gas aftertreatment system or to the engine through an injection with at least one predetermined fragmentation frequency and an injection period in order to maintain an NO2 production in the exhaust gas aftertreatment system that prevailed immediately prior to said time interval for the hydrocarbon injection. |
| US07877983B2 |
Arrangement for supplying a medium into an exhaust gas conduit in an internal combustion engine
An arrangement for supplying a medium to an exhaust line of a combustion engine. The arrangement comprises a first exhaust passage defined by at least a first wall surface of an element, and a dosing device supplying the medium to the first exhaust passage. The arrangement is adapted to maintaining a degree of heating of the first wall surface so that the latter will be at a higher temperature than the medium's vaporization point when the liquid medium is supplied in the first exhaust passage. Therefore, even the medium which reaches the first wall surface will vaporize in the first exhaust passage. |
| US07877982B2 |
Device and method for aftertreating exhaust gases
A device and method for aftertreating exhaust gases in which a controllable valve is used to introduce a supplementary agent in fluid form into the exhaust system at high pressures. The high-pressure promotes an efficient mixture of the supplementary agent for the aftertreatment with the exhaust gas emerging from the internal combustion engine. |
| US07877981B2 |
Control strategy for turbocharged diesel engine
The description relates to a control strategy for assisting regeneration of a particulate filter for a turbocharged diesel V-engine. The engine has two cylinder banks, a first cylinder bank coupled to a first exhaust pipe and a second cylinder bank coupled to a second exhaust pipe. The two exhaust pipes are in communication with one another by a connecting pipe and have two exhaust gas turbochargers each connected in a respective one of the exhaust pipes. The first exhaust pipe being provided with an exhaust shut-off valve in order to operate the engine either with a single turbocharger when the valve is in its closed position or with the two turbochargers when the valve is in its open position. The first exhaust pipe is connected to a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and the second exhaust pipe is connected to a diesel oxidation catalyst and to the DPF. |
| US07877977B2 |
Master link for a track chain
A master link for a chain assembly is provided. The master link includes a body member with a first side, a second side positioned opposite the first side, a shoe surface configured to receive a track shoe, and a rail surface positioned opposite the shoe surface. The master link also includes first and second apertures extending through the body member from the first side to the second side and third and fourth apertures located between the first and second apertures. The master link also includes a strut member dividing the third and fourth apertures. The master link also includes a first gap located in the body member and extending from the first aperture to the third aperture and a second gap located in the body member and extending from the fourth aperture to the second aperture. The master link further includes a third gap located in the strut member and extending from the third aperture to the fourth aperture. |
| US07877973B2 |
Riding mower
A mid-mount riding rotary mower which has a two-piece frame. The frame includes a front section that is pivotally connected to a rear section. The mower deck is carried beneath the mower between the front and rear wheels and is attached to the front frame and follows the movement of the front wheels. The front frame includes swing arms that allow the front wheels to spread open and be clamped for different operating conditions. The mower deck can be removed from underneath the mower when the arms are fully spread. |
| US07877972B2 |
Automatic connection mechanism for mid-mounted implement
An automatic connection mechanism for a mid-mounted implement to a tractor. The automatic connection mechanism includes a rear lift linkage pivotably attached to the tractor, that automatically and releasably engage the rear of the implement. The forward lift linkage is pivotably attached to the front of the implement, and automatically and releasably engages the forward end of the tractor. A PTO coupling member also is attached to the rear lift linkage to engage an opposing PTO coupling member on the implement. |
| US07877971B1 |
Mower trimmer combination for facilitating simultaneous mowing and edge trimming in a single pass
A trimming system for a user-operated ground vehicle capable of performing mowing and trimming operations. The system includes a drive operatively coupled to a drive system of the vehicle having the trimming system mounted thereon, and a trimming unit operatively coupled to the drive for performing edge trimming operations. The drive may include at least one driven pulley operatively coupled to a drive pulley of the vehicle for driving the trimming unit. The drive pulley may be coupled to a mowing unit and the trimming unit to either selectively or simultaneously drive the mowing and trimming units. A guide wheel may be mounted on the vehicle adjacent the trimming unit for maintaining the trimming wires of the trimming unit at a predetermined distance from a stationary object during performance of edge trimming operations. |
| US07877964B2 |
Pocketed spring units
A method and apparatus for the production of a pocketed spring unit, the method comprising the steps of compressing and feeding a plurality of springs (42) into troughs (2A, 4A) or castellations in opposed conveyor belts (2, 4), moving said springs (42) from said troughs (2A, 4A) or castellations to a position between upper and lower layers of fabric or other material (16A, 18A), step-wise advancing said material (16A, 18A) and said springs (42) in the direction of the output of the apparatus and welding together said lengths of fabric or other material (16A, 18A) at each step-wise advancement by a plurality of sequentially controlled welding anvils (10) so as to form a plurality of discrete pockets (46) each containing a spring (42). Apparatus for carrying out the method is disclosed. |
| US07877956B2 |
Floor element with guiding means
Floor element (1), which is mainly in the form of a board with triangular, quadratic, rectangular, rhomboidal or polygonal shape as seen from above. The floor element (1) is provided with edges (2), a lower side (7) and a decorative upper layer (3). The floor elements (1), which are intended to be joined via tongue and groove are on at least two opposite edges (2), preferably on all edges (2) provided with holes (4). The holes (4) extends inwards from the edge (2) mainly parallel to the decorative upper layer (3). The holes (4) are arranged on a predetermined distance from the decorative upper layer (3) and on a predetermined distance from a closest corner between two adjacent edges (2), whereby the holes (4) are intended to receive each one part of a guiding means (6). |
| US07877953B2 |
Process for sticking edging material onto lightweight building boards and a lightweight building board produced by means of said process
The invention relates to a process for sticking edging material (10, 12) onto lightweight building boards (1) comprising two thin-walled outer layers (2, 4) and a core layer (6) of lightweight filler material disposed between the outer layers (2, 4), having the steps: provision of a lightweight building board (1), a decor edge (10) and a stabilizing edge (12), and sticking on of the decor edge (10) and/or the stabilizing edge (12) in the region of a narrow surface (1′) of the lightweight building board (1). The process according to the invention is characterized in that at least the stabilizing edge (12) comprises a synthetic fiber material, preferably a cellulose-based fiber material, particularly paperboard material. |
| US07877951B2 |
Caulk free window trim
There is provided a caulk free window trim for use with a replacement window in a wall having a window jam. The window jam has a jam liner. The window trim includes a vertical rigid first member for disposing against a portion of the replacement window. An angled flexible second member extends away from a predetermined intermediate position on the vertical rigid first member and above an uppermost portion of the vertical rigid first member in contact with a portion of the jam liner to prevent air from infiltrating into the wall between the jam liner and the replacement window. No caulking or painting is required because the angled flexible second member together with the vertical rigid first member seals any minor gaps and produces an attractive finished product. |
| US07877950B2 |
Portable light emitting stage
A portable light-emitting stage component including a deck supported by a support portion comprising at least one light-producing element, a first side, a second side substantially parallel the first side, a first end connected to the first side and the second side, and a second end substantially parallel the first end, the second end connected to the first side and the second side. The at least one light-producing element directs light through the deck. The first side includes a first rotatable latch member comprising a first hook. The first side and the axis of rotation of the first rotatable latch member are substantially coplanar or parallel. The second side includes a first receiving member comprising a first post. The support portion includes a protrusion protruding from a side or end selected from the group consisting of the first side, the second side, the first end, and the second end. |
| US07877948B2 |
Fastener system for fixing hardened plates
A fastener system for fixing hardened plates includes a fastener element having a frusto-conical head and a threaded shaft portion, wherein a smallest outer diameter of the frusto-conical head is adjacent the threaded shaft, and a largest outer width of the shaft is smaller than a smallest diameter of the head. |
| US07877947B2 |
System for building with glass blocks
A system for building using glass blocks is disclosed which employs spacing strips. The spacing strips comprising elongate, generally planar elements having a cross section generally corresponding in shape to the intended spacing between two adjacent blocks in the completed construction. The spacing strips are hollow and may be provided with interior supporting webs. The strips are provided with adhesive which may be included during manufacture. |
| US07877942B2 |
Device for controlling the atmosphere in a space
A device for controlling the atmosphere in a space (16) which is partly delimited by at least one glass component (12, 13; 61) and which is separated from the environment (17, 18), with at least one connection between the space and the environment, and with at least one electrically actuatable valve (32, 33; 47, 48) associated with the connection, which valve is connected to an electric control unit (24); the valve (32, 33; 47, 48) is arranged in a connecting passage (34) within a member (15A) delimiting the space (16), namely in the case of an insulating glass assembly (11), a connecting ledge (15) arranged between two glass panes (12, 13) or, in the case of a lamp (60), in a socket (64), and the control unit (24) provided for an automatic actuation of the valve is also arranged in said member (15A). |
| US07877941B2 |
Leadthrough for a conduit
A leadthrough (10) for passing conduits through a constructional component includes a tube (11), a base member (16) arranged at the first axial end (12) of the tube (11) and having a receiving space (18) for isolating means (19) and defining an opening (17), and first (14) and second (15) annular, diaphragm-shaped sealing elements provided, respectively, at the first (12) and second axial ends of the tube (11). |
| US07877939B2 |
Fastening device with improved fastening portion for securement of a glass pane or a plate in a frame
The invention relates to a fastening means for preferably fastening a glass pane (12) in a frame structure made of wood or plastic material. The fastening means according to the invention is characterized by the following elements: several angular clamping pieces (1) and a holding rail (9), wherein each of the angular clamping pieces comprises two legs extending perpendicularly to each other and the vertical leg comprises a plate-like fastening portion (4), which extends from the center part thereof outwardly at a predetermined distance to the horizontal leg and is shorter than the angular clamping piece itself, wherein the holding rail (9) extending along the glass pane is provided in its longitudinal direction with a groove (10), the with thereof matching to the thickness of the fastening portion, and wherein, in the mounted state, the glass pane contacts at its backside the stop provided in the frame (11), several angular clamping pieces are tightly pressed to the front side of the glass pane and fixed by fixing elements (7), and the holding rail (9) is pressed onto the fastening portion (4) by its longitudinal groove (10). |
| US07877936B2 |
Plastic utility shed roof system
The present invention provides a system which includes injection molded roof panels, header assemblies and ridge caps having integrated connectors which combine to form a family of variously sized roof assemblies for utility enclosures. The injection molding facilitates integrally formed connectors so that the roof panels, header assemblies and ridge caps interlock with one another without the need for separate connectors. |
| US07877932B2 |
Adjusting system for a motor vehicle door
An adjusting system for a motor vehicle door includes a window winder for adjusting a window, at least one guide area of the window winder for guiding the window along a direction of adjustment, a door lock and a lock support. The one guide area of the window winder and the lock support are fixedly connected to one another, such that the guide area and the lock support form a structural unit. The guide area which is combined with the lock support into a structural unit includes at least one overlap area for a lateral window edge of the window to be adjusted and a further guide area of the window winder is provided, which is extended in the direction of adjustment of the window, and is positively engaged with a carrier being forcibly guided along the direction of adjustment of the window to be adjusted. |
| US07877931B2 |
Superstructure for the lifting of panes in display units
The present superstructure involves, for each upright, a spacer section bar (3), a hinge-bearing section bar (6), a hinge (8), a piston (13) that helps to lift the pane (1), and is completed by a gripper (9) for supporting the pane (1), a closing section bar (11) and a gasket; the section bar (3) has a box section so that it can be adjusted to be joined together with the section bar (6); each hinge (8) is fixed to the section bar (6) and at its end to be fixed to the gripper (9), bears conical guides (8.1) suitable for fitting the conical arms (9.1) situated on the gripper (9) itself; a gasket (12) is fixed to the gripper (9); where spherical panes (1) are involved, hinges (15) are used containing a body (15.1) and a connecting piece (15.2) that can be rotated with respects to the body (15.1) so that the panes (1) can be fitted on at different lengths of the circular arc. |
| US07877930B2 |
Methods and systems of porous receptacles
Drainage systems for plant gardening in flowerpots, specifically a shaped porous rock or perhaps even an enclosed pouch having soil preservation capability and filling inside the enclosed pouch. Embodiments may include a pot hole locator which may place an enclosed pouch in a bottom of a pot prior to adding soil and planting a plant in a flowerpot. Other embodiments may include the addition of soil amendments, water retention elements, drying elements and the like. Filling may include plastic, various rocks, various stones, pebbles, synthetic materials and the like. |
| US07877928B2 |
Apparatus for use with a method for mass production of seedling of seed potato
A method of mass producing potato seedlings, involves collecting growing points of seed potatoes and culturing the growing points in a liquid or solid medium; introducing in vitro plantlets obtained from the culture of the growing points to solid culture; and removing the in vitro plantlets from the solid culture, and planting through stem cutting and acclimatizing the in vitro plantlets in deep flow culture, in which a nutrient solution is circulating. Upon planting in hydroponic facilities, such potato seedlings have high adaptability to the external environment and thus rapidly, uniformly generate roots in a short time. The rapid root anchoring prevents planted seedlings from withering, leading to death, growing poorly, and the like. The direct planting of in vitro plantlets through stem cutting without a separate acclimatization process shortens the overall production period of potato seedlings by omitting the acclimatization process. |
| US07877926B2 |
Automated seed sampler and methods of sampling, testing and bulking seeds
An automated seed sampler includes a sampling station; a sampler for removing material from a seed in the sampling station; a seed conveyer for conveying the seed from the sampling station to a compartment in a seed tray; and a conveyor for conveying the material removed from the seed to a corresponding compartment in a sample tray. The method of the present invention comprises feeding seeds individually to a sampling station, removing a sample from the seed in the sampling station; conveying the sample to a compartment in a sample tray, and conveying the seed to a corresponding compartment in a seed tray. The samples can be tested, and the seeds can be sorted according to the results of the testing of their corresponding samples. |
| US07877925B2 |
Method and system for cultivating fruit
A method of growing fruit such as papaya commercially, the method including the use of a structure having a covering adapted to permit sufficient light, nutrients and moisture, while substantially precluding access by potentially virus-carrying insects; together with seeds that are obtained, germinated, planted, and grown in a manner that permits plants to grow and bear seedless fruit suitable for harvest. |
| US07877922B1 |
Fishing rod and reel storage device and carrier
A weather-tight storage device and carrier for a single or multiple fishing rods and reels releasably mounted to a vehicular roof carrier rack. When not mounted on a vehicle, the storage device and carrier is manageable enough to be hand-carried and may also serve as a stand for the rods and reels. The storage device and carrier includes a carrier box housing the fishing reels and a portion of the associated fishing rods and an anchor portion for securing the distal ends of the associated fishing rods to the vehicular roof rack. |
| US07877918B2 |
Multi-shot firearm using separate chamber tubes
A firearm includes a magazine cavity in a handle defined by a frame. A stack of chamber tubes each holding a cartridge is loaded into the magazine cavity. A firing recess just to the rear of a bore defined in a firearm barrel receives the topmost chamber tube and cartridge and is urged against a partially circular contour defined within the recess by a feed spring which contour center is aligned with the bore. Each cartridge is fired while in its chamber tube by a firing mechanism and each chamber tube and fired cartridge are both ejected by gas pressure exerted on one side of the chamber tube through an ejection port defined by an opening in one side of the firing recess remote from the one side of the chamber tube. The ejection port allows a chamber tube positioned therein to be readily viewed or felt through the ejection port to make it possible to easily and reliably determine if the firearm is ready to be fired. |
| US07877914B2 |
Retractable banner stands with cooperating banners
A display comprising a retractable banner stand assembly has a base with a pair of banners extendable therefrom, each banner having a forward surface and a rearward surface. When extended, the banners are arranged in a spaced back face to front face visually overlapping relationship with each banner having graphics on the forward sides of the banner. A forward banner having a different shape than a rearward banner whereby significant portions of the rearward banner may be viewed from directly in front of the banner stand assembly. The precise portion of the rearward banner viewable being dependent upon the viewing angle in front of the display. The base including a housing with each banner being retractable into said housing. In a preferred embodiment the graphics will be aesthetically complementary from the forward banner to the rearward banner; for example, a portion of the graphics on one banner may continue on another banner. An object partially portrayed on one screen can be continued on another screen as a different “depth” or distance from the viewer and may be a different color, shading, or size. |
| US07877913B1 |
Multi-faceted, rotatable promotional display for vehicles
A multi-faceted, rotatable promotional display device for being retained relative to a vehicle for enabling the perception of multiple promotional messages from a single vantage point. A display casing with multiple display surfaces is rotatably retained relative to a base structure. Promotional messages are displayed relative to the display surfaces, and a drive arrangement rotates the display casing relative. The display casing can have a square, triangular, or other cross section. The base structure can have a cup portion with a raised peripheral ridge, and a shell can envelope the display casing. The display surfaces can be electronic display screens or light transmissive panels. A light source can be disposed within the display casing. A drive motor can be powered by a battery, a photovoltaic array, or a wind turbine. A clutch or a force sensor can prevent the application of excessive rotational force. |
| US07877911B2 |
Merchandise package with rotatable display element
A package configuration for holding merchandise includes a rotatable element that selectively displays different information to the user as the element is rotated. The rotatable element is restrained without a central hub or pivot pin. The restraining configuration limits lateral movement and minimizes pinching of the rotatable element. In one configuration, the merchandise storage package has a cover assembly having front and rear covers that define at least one window. Three pocket tabs restrain the lateral movement of the rotatable element. Each pocket tab is integrally folded from the blank used to form the storage package. One of the pocket tabs is double folded over itself to form a spacer having a thickness of three layers of blank material. Another pocket tab is folded over the spacer tab to form a fourth layer of material between the front and back covers. |
| US07877909B1 |
Pet tags
Implementations of pet tags and related protective and alignment features. A pet tag may comprise a raised edge of a concave design, a recessed design or a bordered design. Single or multiple piece implementations may be used to protect an image to be marked on one or both sides of a pet tag. Implementations may comprise multiple pet tags pre-assembled or assembled after marking to further protect one or more images marked on the tags. Other implementations may comprise removable brackets to adapt the pet tags to particular marking kiosks. Still other implementations may comprise crystals embedded in the marking substrate with an additional substrate coupled to a rear side of the marking substrate. |
| US07877903B2 |
Interchangeable shoe-forming assembly
The invention provides a shoe having conveniently interchangeable components, such as a vamp and an ankle strap constructed for releasable attachment to the periphery of a sole member with the same fasteners. The components are easily removed and exchanged to alter the appearance of the shoe, thus providing a wearer with a variety of styles and/or decorative appearances in a single pair of shoes. |
| US07877899B2 |
Shock absorbing device for shoe sole in rear foot part
The present invention provides a shock absorbing device for a shoe sole in a rear foot part which can restrain the inclination of the foot toward the medial side while absorbing the shock of landing on the lateral side of the foot. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole in a rear foot part according to the present invention, includes: a support element M; deformation elements 3 disposed below the support element, the deformation elements deforming to be compressed vertically at landing; and outer sole elements 2 contacting a ground at landing, each outer sole element being joined to a bottom surface of the respective deformation element. Both the deformation elements 3 and the outer sole elements 2 are substantially separated in a medial-lateral direction in the rear foot part to be arranged at least three regions of the rear foot part. A quotient obtained by dividing an area of a bottom surface of the support element M by an area of bottom surfaces of the outer sole elements 2 is set at about 1.3 or more in the rear foot part. A vertical compressive stiffness of the deformation element 3 disposed on the lateral side is smaller than that of the deformation element 3 disposed on the medial side. |
| US07877897B2 |
Shoe
A shoe having a toe region, a middle region, a heel region, and a multi-layer, multi-density midsole wherein an upper layer of the midsole has a bottom surface that has a longitudinal convexity and a longitudinal concavity, the longitudinal convexity typically occupying a substantial portion of the toe region or a substantial portion of the toe region and middle region, and the longitudinal concavity typically occupying a substantial portion of the heel region, the longitudinal convexity and the longitudinal concavity collectively contributing to simulating the effect, and imparting the fitness benefits, of walking on a sandy beach or on a giving or uneven surface regardless of the actual hardness of the surface. |
| US07877895B2 |
Substrate processing apparatus
A substrate processing method is arranged to perform a heat process on a substrate with a coating film formed thereon to bake and cure the coating film. At first, the substrate, with the coating film formed thereon, is held at a preparatory temperature lower than a lower limit of temperature for baking and curing the coating film, to adjust distribution of a predetermined component in the coating film. Then, the substrate, with distribution of the predetermined component thus adjusted, is subjected to a heat process at a temperature not lower than the lower limit of temperature. |
| US07877883B2 |
Method for locating a geometric detail for determining the spatial position of a wheel rim relative to a measuring instrument and method and device for determining the spatial position of a wheel rim with respect to a measuring instrument
A method for locating a geometric detail of at least one wheel rim for determining its spatial position relative to a measuring instrument, includes: aiming at least one measuring camera of a measuring instrument of a chassis measuring system at a wheel rim; recording an image of a wheel rim using the at least one measuring camera; ascertaining at least one geometric detail in the image of the wheel rim; and selecting a known geometric detail for determining the spatial position of the wheel rim relative to the measuring instrument. |
| US07877882B2 |
Thread gauge checker
A method is disclosed for measuring the threads of standard and metric female thread bolt and standard and metric male thread nut of must commonly used nuts and bolts and the screw diameters in sizes #0 to #14. A separate set of plug gauges and ring gauges match the thread sizes of both the said standard female and metric female thread bolt gauge sizes. Separate standard and metric thread nut thread sizes are present in separate plug and ring gauges to provide ready gauges to measure threads of bolts and nuts not conveniently measure by plug and ring gauges mounted on a display wall structure for protection of the said gauges for dirt and contaminants. The wall mounted display structure provides an immediately available device for checking thread sizes of nuts and bolts. |
| US07877880B2 |
Hand held personal care appliance
A hand-held personal care appliance includes a handle accommodating a rechargeable power supply and having electrical contacts, an operating head detachably mountable on the handle and having contacts for connection to the contacts of the handle, and a charging device for recharging the power supply and having contacts for connection to the contacts of the handle. The operating head must be detached from the handle for recharging the power supply. Different operating heads may be mountable on the handle to form a vibrating safety razor, a hair trimmer, etc. |
| US07877876B2 |
Method of attaching integrated circuits to a carrier
The invention provides for a method of attaching printhead integrated circuitry to a carrier. The method includes scanning a wafer having a number of circuitry dies formed thereon to demarcate respective dies, aligning a die picker with a dice on the wafer according to a wafer substrate mapping scheme, and removing the dice from the wafer with the die picker. The method further includes the steps of transporting the dice to a placement station operatively positioning the carrier, aligning the dice with the carrier; and heat bonding the dice to the carrier. |
| US07877875B2 |
Method for connecting a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) to a printhead assembly
A method for connecting a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) to a printhead assembly that includes a printhead carrier and an ink ejection printhead carried by the carrier. The method includes the steps of: adhering the PCB to a first surface of the printhead; receiving the printhead and PCB in a mechanical nest, and actuating the nest into a position below a heated platen assembly; heating the heated platen assembly and actuating the heated platen assembly rectilinearly towards the nest, the heated platen assembly thereby compressing the PCB and the printhead; actuating a forming bar assembly, provided adjacent the heated platen assembly, rectilinearly towards the nest, the forming bar assembly thereby bending a portion of the PCB extending beyond the printhead towards the printhead assembly; and heating a heater cartridge and actuating the heater cartridge rectilinearly towards the print head printhead in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the forming bar assembly is actuated, whereby the PCB is connected to the printhead and bonded to the printhead carrier. |
| US07877872B2 |
Method for manufacturing printed circuit board
A method for manufacturing a hollowed printed circuit board includes steps of: providing an electrically conductive layer; laminating a first dielectric layer having a first through opening defined therein on a first surface of the electrically conductive layer; forming a protecting layer on the first surface of the electrically conductive layer in the first opening; creating an electrically conductive pattern in the conductive layer; removing the protecting layer; and laminating a second dielectric layer having a second through opening defined therein on an opposite second surface of the electrically conductive layer in a manner that the first through opening is aligned with the second through opening, thereby a portion of the electrically conductive layer is exposed to exterior through the first through opening and the second through opening. |
| US07877860B2 |
Method of manufacturing a magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording
A method of manufacturing a magnetic head includes the steps of forming an underlying layer, forming a pole layer including a track width defining portion at least by plating, using the underlying layer as an electrode, such that the track width defining portion is disposed on the underlying layer, and removing the underlying layer except a portion below the pole layer by ion beam etching. The underlying layer is made of a conductive material whose etching rate of ion beam etching is higher than that of the magnetic alloy used to make the pole layer. |
| US07877859B2 |
Shield fabrication of magnetic write heads
Methods are provided for fabricating a write head with a self aligned wrap around shield and a self aligned flared region of a write pole. A flare point and a track width of a write pole may be fabricated using multiple processes. The multiple processes utilize several masking structures to define the track width and the flare point of the write pole. A mask structure is formed to cover a first portion of the write pole. An edge of the mask structure adjacent to an exposed second portion of the write pole defines a flare point of the write pole. Various structures of the write head, including shield gap layers, a wrap around shield and a flared region (e.g., the yoke) of the write pole may be fabricated from the flare point defined by the mask structure. |
| US07877855B2 |
Method of forming vertical coupling structure for non-adjacent resonators
A method for forming a vertical coupling structure for non-adjacent resonators is provided to have a first and a second resonators, a dielectric material layer, a first and a second high-frequency transmission lines and at least one via pole. The first and the second resonators respectively have a first and a second opposite metal surfaces. The dielectric material layer is disposed between the opposite second metal surfaces of the first and the second resonators. The first and the second transmission lines are respectively arranged at sides of the first metal surfaces of the first resonator and the second resonator. The first high-frequency transmission line is vertically connected to the second high-frequency transmission line by the via pole. |
| US07877850B2 |
Method for positioning and joining panels
A method is provided for precisely positioning and joining first and second sheet panels. A first hole is extruded in the first panel with an annular upstanding wall surrounding the first hole. The first hole has a diameter to fit closely over the locating pin of a support. A second hole is formed in the second panel and has a diameter to fit closely over the annular upstanding wall of the first panel. A bond is created between the first and second panels adjacent to the annular upstanding wall, so that the annular upstanding wall protects the locating pin from being fouled by the bonding material. The bond may be either an adhesive bond or an electric resistance weld or both an adhesive bond and an electric resistance weld and the annular upstanding wall acts as a dam to protect the locating pin from the adhesive or weld splatter. |
| US07877847B2 |
Cremation identification system and method for use of same
A synthetic biometric cremation identification system for use in cremation and burial processes of a deceased individual and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a plurality of synthetic biometric tokens include a cremation compatible material that is suitable for mechanical pulverization. A synthetic biometric identifier is integrated with each of the synthetic biometric tokens, which may be placed with the deceased individual at any stage during the cremation and burial process to provide, via instrumentation, continuous and integrated positive identification of the deceased individual, bone fragments, and/or granulated particles. |
| US07877844B2 |
Tag attachment apparatus
An apparatus for attaching a tag to an object. The apparatus may include a body. The apparatus may also include an attachment arm, the attachment arm having a locked position and an unlocked position, and the attachment arm lockably closing to form a first closed loop with the body when the attachment arm is in the locked position. The apparatus may also include a tag loop mechanically coupled to the body. The apparatus may also include a detent arm mechanically engaged with the attachment arm in the locked position of the attachment arm, the detent arm configured so that an application of a force to the detent arm simultaneously unlocks the attachment arm and opens the tag loop. |
| US07877839B2 |
Wet and/or dry vacuum with floor collector
A vacuum can include a housing having an inlet adapted to receive debris being vacuumed. A mounting bar can be fixedly coupled to the housing. A floor collector assembly can be rotatably disposed about a first axis defined by the mounting bar. The floor collector assembly can include a first debris-passing member coupled to the mounting bar, a second debris-passing member rotatably coupled to the first debris-passing member and a third debris-passing member removably coupled to the second debris-passing member. The first debris-passing member can define an opening. The floor collector assembly can be operable in a plurality of modes. In a first mode, the opening can be substantially perpendicular relative to a vacuumed surface. In a second mode, the second debris-passing member can be rotated relative to the first debris-passing member about a second axis such that the opening is at an acute angle relative to the vacuumed surface. |
| US07877831B2 |
Weather shield for underneath a dock leveler
Weather shields for underneath a dock leveler are described herein. An example weather shield described herein includes an environmental barrier disposed underneath a deck where the environmental barrier includes a first section and a second section. A tensioner is coupled to the environmental barrier and creates a vertical tension in the environmental barrier in an upward direction such that a) when the deck is in the raised position, both the first section and the second section are in vertical tension; b) when the deck is in the lowered position, both the first section and the second section are in less vertical tension than they are when the deck is in the raised position; and c) when the deck is in the intermediate position, the first section is in appreciably greater vertical tension than the second section such that there is a discrete incremental difference in vertical tension in the environmental barrier. |
| US07877829B2 |
System and method for maintaining air inflatable mattress configuration
A system and method for maintaining an air inflation mattress configuration sufficient for patient support and comfort. Infrared illumination levels are measured within individual or groups of inflated mattress chambers. A staggered approach to illumination monitoring of chambers or sections to eliminate crosstalk between the infrared sensors is carried out. Distributed microprocessor controllers established in a network configuration utilizing controller network protocols reduces the wiring and connections necessary for the assembled system. Various mattress cushion construction techniques, such as sewing and or RF welding methods, are used for the creation of individual chambers utilizing specific types of IR translucent, transparent or reflective materials. The construction of the cushions and bladders in the system includes the use of various types of fabrics with low to high air loss qualities as required. The overall mattress assembly, including the control systems and the methodologies associated with such control systems, provide a unique approach to the maintenance of a consistently comfortable patient support surface. The use of a handheld unit for both programming the system and downloading information about the operation of the system is also anticipated. The specific cushion construction designs associated with the head, body, and foot cushion components of the mattress are tailored to operate specifically with the control capabilities (sensors and air flow regulators) of the invention. |
| US07877823B2 |
Method and system for encompassing a construction site structure
A method and system for providing an aesthetically pleasing covering for construction site structures, such as portable toilets and/or construction waste bins, includes expanses of material designed to encompass and/or encircle such structures. Various embodiments are directed to retractable, weather-resistant fabrics that, when employed in accordance with the present invention, create a cabana-like structure to obscure the undesired aesthetics of underlying structures. Other embodiments relate to camouflaging such structures to avoid the unpleasant visual appearance of reconstruction/remodeling projects where such structures are utilized. |
| US07877817B1 |
Mask attachment assembly
A mask attachment assembly for use in attaching a mask in a sealed position on the user's face. The mask attachment assembly includes a panel member with a sleeve extending along the panel member, and one or more straps extending through and slidable within the sleeve. The strap includes a first attachment assembly on a first end of the strap for engaging a first engagement member on a first side of the mask, and a second attachment assembly on a second side of the strap for engaging a second engagement member on a second side of the mask. The strap is repositionable by releasing the attachment assemblies, sliding the strap through the sleeve of the panel and re-engaging the attachment assemblies. A patient interface device and a strap are also disclosed. |
| US07882566B2 |
Providing secure input to a system with a high-assurance execution environment
Methods for maintaining the security of a secured execution environment on a system comprising said secured execution environment and a second execution environment are disclosed. A maintained current state for the secured execution environment is selected from among a group of possible states including a standard input mode state and a nexus input mode state. A flow of user input is directed according to the current state through a secure kernel of both the second environment and the secured execution environment. |
| US07882563B2 |
Personal media player apparatus and method
A compact portable, self-contained digital media player is provided whose content is not recordable or removable by a user. The content is playable in a high fidelity format. The binding of the content to the media player results in a significant degree of copyright protection. The compactness of the player enables binding of the player with various products. The self-contained aspect of the player enables it to be instant playable. |
| US07882558B1 |
Tunnel designation system for virtual private networks
A system and method are provided to couple tunnel servers to tunnel clients executing host applications for use in a virtual private network (VPN) environment. A receiver receives requests from host applications executing on the tunnel clients. The requests are addressed to the tunnel coupling system to establish a VPN tunnel. A processor processes the requests and an indication of loads on the tunnel servers to establish the VPN tunnels by designating at least one of the tunnel servers to each requested tunnel. A tunnel traffic distributor distributes tunnel traffic to the tunnel servers based at least part on the designations. In additional aspects, an evaluation processor evaluates the tunnel traffic before the tunnel traffic distributor distributes the tunnel traffic to the tunnel servers. For example, the evaluation performed by the evaluation processor includes at least performing security functions on the tunnel traffic. In yet another aspect, the request processor establishes the VPN tunnel by, in part, associating each VPN tunnel with characteristics of tunnel traffic for that VPN tunnel, and the tunnel traffic distributor operates in part based on the associations, without involvement of the host applications. |
| US07882557B2 |
System and method to provide built-in and mobile VPN connectivity
A system and method for facilitating the establishment of a virtual private network between a network and a remote computer, the system having: a mobile device connectable to the remote computer and storing a user profile, virtual private network information, and password information; virtual private network software being located on one of the mobile device and the remote computer; an access point communicating with the network; and communication means for communications between the access point and one of the mobile device and the remote computer, wherein the user profile, virtual private network information, and password information is passed to the virtual private network software upon connection of the mobile device to the remote computer, the virtual private network software using the user profile, virtual private network information, and password information to establish a virtual private network through the communications means and the access point to the network. |
| US07882556B2 |
Method and apparatus for protecting legitimate traffic from DoS and DDoS attacks
An apparatus for protecting legitimate traffic from DoS and DDoS attacks has a high-priority (505) and a low-priority (506) queue. Besides, a queue information table (402) has STT (Source-based Traffic Trunk) service queue information of a specific packet. A queue coordinator (502) updates the queue information table (502) based on a load of a provided STT and a load of the high-priority queue (505). A packet classifier (504) receives a packet from the network access unit (508), investigates an STT service queue of the packet from the queue information table (502), selectively transfers the packet to the high-priority (505) or the low-priority (506) queue and provides information on the packet to the queue coordinator (503). A buffer (507) buffers outputs of the high-priority (505) and the low-priority (506) queue and provides outputs to the network (509) to be protected. |
| US07882551B2 |
Techniques for entry of less than perfect passwords
A technique of allowing entry of the password which is not 100% correct. This password would be used to verify identity and/or login information in low security techniques. The password is scored relative to the correct password. The scoring can take into effect least mean squares differences, and other information such as letter groups, thereby detecting missed characters or extra characters, as well as shift on the keyboard. |
| US07882549B2 |
Systems for authenticating a user's credentials against multiple sets of credentials
Provided are systems for authenticating the identity of a user for use in a distributed computer network including multiple sets of access credentials. A user request, including the user's input credentials, is received, and then compared simultaneously to multiple sets of access credentials in order to verify the user's input credentials. When the user's input credentials are verified, the appropriate level of access authority is then determined, and proper access is granted to the user. |
| US07882544B2 |
Inherited role-based access control system, method and program product
Under the present invention, role types are defined by association with certain permissible actions. Once defined in this manner, a role type can then be bound to “nodes” of a hierarchical tree that represent computer-based resources such as dynamic object spaces. Once bound to a node, instances of this role type are created that will be inherited by hierarchical descendants of that node unless a role type block (e.g., inheritance or propagation) has been established for the corresponding role type. The present invention also allows the computer-based resources to be defined as virtual or private. Virtual resources represent general protected concepts in the system instead of computer-based resources and are subject to be bound with roles, while private resources are not. That is, the private resources remain the “property” of the creating user or group. |
| US07882542B2 |
Detecting compromised computers by correlating reputation data with web access logs
Compromised host computers in an enterprise network environment comprising a plurality of security products called endpoints are detected in an automated manner by an arrangement in which a reputation service provides updates to identify resources including website URIs (Universal Resource Identifiers) and IP addresses (collectively “resources”) whose reputations have changed and represent potential threats or adversaries to the enterprise network. Responsively to the updates, a malware analyzer, which can be configured as a standalone endpoint, or incorporated into an endpoint having anti-virus/malware detection capability, or incorporated into the reputation service, will analyze logs maintained by another endpoint (typically a firewall, router, proxy server, or gateway) to identify, in a retroactive manner over some predetermined time window, those client computers in the environment that had any past communications with a resource that is newly categorized by the reputation service as malicious. Every client computer so identified is likely to be compromised. |
| US07882535B2 |
Virtual channel table for a broadcast protocol and method of broadcasting and receiving broadcast signals using the same
A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel. |
| US07882533B2 |
Digital television application protocol for interactive television
A common communication language that can address all the applications running in a multitude of set top boxes (STBs) or client devices and application servers. The present invention, DATP protocol encapsulates a Meta language that provides a generic portable communication application programmer interface that requires light processor utilization and is well suited for a typical STB possessing limited processing power. DATP requires relatively few processing cycles compared to typical Internet communication protocols. DATP reduces the overhead of the communication protocol handler at the STB and makes the communication protocol handler common for all STBs applications. The preferred DATP protocol is portable for all STBs since it is written in a native language that interfaces with the underlying operating system of the STB. A SGW (SGW) performs as a DATP server. The SGW translates between DATP messages and standard communication protocols. SGW enables SP clients at STBs utilizing DATP to communicate with service applications using a variety of communication protocols. A content converter is provided to convert standard Web content into content suitable for display on a client-viewing device, e.g., a TV. |
| US07882532B2 |
System and method for multiplexing media information over a network with reduced communications resources using prior knowledge/experience of a called or calling party
A system and method for managing communication in an integrated services network ensures that media information is displayed on at least one of two terminals during a call without using any transmission bandwidth. This is achieved by having at least one of the terminals pre-store the media information in a memory and then controlling the terminal to recall and display this information when certain events occur during the call. The media information may include animated information, images, and short-time video scripts. This information and broader band media such as streaming video may be displayed on the same terminal. The display of media information may also be controlled based on the past knowledge and experience callers have about one another and/or their communications equipment. |
| US07882527B2 |
Digital television signal, digital television receiver, and method of processing digital television signal
A digital television (DTV) signal for use in a DTV receiver includes an extended text table (ETT) which includes a header and a message body. The header includes a table identification extension field which serves to establish uniqueness of the ETT, and the message includes an extended text message (ETM). If the ETT is an event ETT, the table ID extension field includes an event identification which specifies an identification number of an event associated with the ETT. On the other hand, if the ETT is a channel ETT, the table identification extension field includes a source identification which specifies a programming source of a virtual channel associated with the ETT. A section-filtering unit included in the DTV receiver is able to use table identification extension fields of a plurality of ETTs for section-filtering a pertinent event or channel ETT from the ETTs. |
| US07882523B2 |
Video search assisting method, video search assisting device, and broadcast receiving apparatus
An image retrieval assisting apparatus and method for retrieving a desired image program from a number of image programs, such as broadcast contents in a broadcast-contents-recording/reproducing apparatus or a broadcast receiving set. A classification criterion information storage portion stores classification criterion for classifying broadcast contents into a plurality of categories. A program information acquisition portion acquires program information of the broadcast contents. A program information classification portion classifies the program information into the plurality of categories according to the stored classification criterion. An HDD stores the classified program information, and a display displays categories defined by the stored classification criterion horizontally on a monitor screen in a selectable manner and displays only the program information categorized in a selected category vertically on the monitor screen in a selectable manner. |
| US07882514B2 |
Display device on/off detection methods and apparatus
Display device ON/OFF detection methods and apparatus are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein to determine whether a presentation device is ON or OFF comprises determining a plurality of metrics based on monitoring at least one output of the presentation device, wherein each metric in the plurality of metrics comprises a decision indicating an operating state of the presentation device, and combining the plurality of metrics to determine whether the presentation device is one of ON or OFF, wherein combining the plurality of metrics comprises at least one of weighting the plurality of metrics or determining a majority vote of the plurality of metrics. |
| US07882512B2 |
Automatic balancing apparatus, rotating apparatus, disc drive apparatus, balancer, and housing
An automatic balancing apparatus is disclosed. The automatic balancing apparatus includes a housing, magnetic fluid, and a plurality of balancers. The housing is rotatable. The magnetic fluid is contained in the housing. Each of the plurality of balancers is movable in the housing and has a magnet and a yoke which is mounted thereto and which has a raised portion or a depressed portion formed on an inner circumferential side of a rotation of the housing. |
| US07882508B1 |
Tracing information flow using a signature
To perform information tracing, at least one signature to be traced is received. It is detected that a first process causes data to be provided to at least one of a second process and a file. It is determined whether the data contains the at least one signature. In response to determining that the data contains the at least one signature, a log is updated. The log contains information identifying at least one of processes and files that are part of a flow of the at least one signature. |
| US07882498B2 |
Method, system, and program of a compiler to parallelize source code
Provided are a method, system, and program for parallelizing source code with a compiler. Source code including source code statements is received. The source code statements are processed to determine a dependency of the statements. Multiple groups of statements are determined from the determined dependency of the statements, wherein statements in one group are dependent on one another. At least one directive is inserted in the source code, wherein each directive is associated with one group of statements. Resulting threaded code is generated including the inserted at least one directive. The group of statements to which the directive in the resulting threaded code applies are processed as a separate task. Each group of statements designated by the directive to be processed as a separate task may be processed concurrently with respect to other groups of statements. |
| US07882496B2 |
Method and system for metering execution of interpreted programs
Metering execution of interpreted programs on a data processing system is accomplished. An interpreted program requests a service to an interpreter running the interpreted program. The interpreter invokes a native external function for implementing the service. The invocation of the external function is intercepted. The interpreted program identified according to the external function by accessing a catalogue which associates native functions with interpreted programs. A license management operation is performed according to the identified interpreted program. |
| US07882494B2 |
Apparatus and method for manipulating variable states
The invention includes a computer readable storage medium with executable instructions to run a segment of code and identify associated variables. The segment of code is stopped at a predetermined breakpoint and state values that correspond to the associated variables are identified. A variable is selected from the associated variables via a Graphical User Interface, where the selected variable has a variable state. The variable state is saved to a data store via the Graphical User Interface. |
| US07882493B2 |
Software test management program software test management apparatus and software test management method
A software test management program, a software test management apparatus and a software test management method can integrally manage test-related information that are to be effectively exploited among test support functions. The software test management apparatus includes a design model registration section 31 that registers a design model, a source code registration section 34 that registers a source code, a test model registration section 32 that registers the test model prepared to correspond to the design model and also the corresponding relationship between the design model and the test model, an execution trace registration section 33 that registers the execution trace of each test case obtained by executing the source code according to the test cases in the test model, the corresponding relationship between the test model and the execution trace and also the corresponding relationship between the execution trace and the source code and a model relations management interface 12 that traces all the corresponding relationships. |
| US07882489B2 |
Integrated code generation for adapter-specific property template
A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer usable code are provided for integrated code generation. The aspects of the present invention load properties associated with a saved template. Properties associated with a saved template are processed by replacing the properties with integrated code from an integrated code content template. In response to all of the properties being processed, the integrated code is saved to an integrated code file. |
| US07882485B2 |
Method for modeling components of an information processing application using semantic graph transformations
A method for modeling a component of an information processing application, includes: defining an applicability condition of a component, wherein the applicability conditions includes variables representing objects that must be included in a pre-inclusion state and a graph pattern that semantically describes the objects that must be included in the pre-inclusion state, wherein the pre-inclusion state is a state against which the applicability of the component for inclusion in a processing graph is evaluated; and defining an inclusion effect of the component, wherein the inclusion effect includes variables representing objects that must be included in a post-inclusion state and a graph pattern that semantically describes the objects that must be in the post-inclusion state, wherein the post-inclusion state is a state resulting from inclusion of the component in the processing graph. |
| US07882484B1 |
Generating a design-specific input/output model document
A method of creating a design-specific I/O model document can include reading a plurality of I/O pin models corresponding to available I/O pin profiles on a target device (355) and identifying I/O pins of the target device that are used by a circuit design (325). An I/O pin profile for each I/O pin of the target device that is used by the circuit design can be determined (345). An I/O pin model can be selected from the plurality of I/O pin models for each I/O pin of the target device that is used by the circuit design according to the I/O pin profiles (355). The design-specific I/O model document for the circuit design can be generated by including each selected I/O pin model within the design-specific I/O model document (365). The design-specific I/O model document can be output (380). |
| US07882483B2 |
Method for checking constraints equivalence of an integrated circuit design
The equivalence of two or more constraint files of an integrated circuit (IC) design are checked. The comparison is performed between files at the same stage of design, files that correspond to different stages of the design flow, or between top-level and block-level constraint files. |
| US07882480B2 |
System and method for model-based sub-resolution assist feature generation
Methods are disclosed to create efficient model-based Sub-Resolution Assist Features (MB-SRAF). An SRAF guidance map is created, where each design target edge location votes for a given field point on whether a single-pixel SRAF placed on this field point would improve or degrade the aerial image over the process window. In one embodiment, the SRAF guidance map is used to determine SRAF placement rules and/or to fine tune already-placed SRAFs. In another embodiment the SRAF guidance map is used directly to place SRAFs in a mask layout. |
| US07882479B2 |
Method and apparatus for implementing redundant memory access using multiple controllers on the same bank of memory
A method and apparatus implement redundant memory access using multiple controllers on the same bank of memory, and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides is provided. A first memory controller uses the memory as its primary address space, for storage and fetches. A second redundant controller is also connected to the same memory. System control logic is used to notify the redundant controller of the need to take over the memory interface. The redundant controller initializes if required and takes control of the memory. The memory only needs to be initialized if the system has to be brought down and restarted in the redundant mode. This invention allows the system to continue to stay up and continue running during a memory controller or link failure. |
| US07882474B2 |
Testing phase error of multiple on-die clocks
The phase relationship between two clock signals in an integrated circuit (IC) is determined by transforming each of the clock signals into a data word, where bit transitions in the data word represent signal transitions in the clock signal, and comparing the two data words. For example, in an IC having a de-serializer as part of its input/output logic, the clocks are sequentially multiplexed into the de-serializer, which transforms the clocks into parallel-format data words. The resulting words corresponding to the first and second clock signals can then be compared to determine clock signal transition differences and thus the phase relationship between the corresponding clocks signals. |
| US07882473B2 |
Sequential equivalence checking for asynchronous verification
Mechanisms for performing sequential equivalence checking for asynchronous verification are provided. A first model of the integrated circuit design is provided that has additional logic in it to reflect the possible variance in behavior of the asynchronous crossings. A second model of the integrated circuit design is provided that does not have this asynchronous behavior logic but instead correlates to the simplest synchronous model that is usually used for non-asynchronous functional verification tasks. Sequential equivalence checking is performed to verify that the two models are input/output equivalent. In order to address non-uniform arrival times of bus strands, logic is provided for identifying bus strands that have transitioning bits, determining a representative delay for these strands, comparing the representative delays for all of the bus strands to determine the maximum delay for the entire bus, and applying this maximum delay to one of the models. |
| US07882472B2 |
Method, apparatus, and computer program product for automatically waiving non-compute indications for a timing analysis process
In the course of unit timing, there exists the possibility for a non-compute (N/C) on a particular net in an IC chip design, which could be caused by numerous things, including but not limited to a pin being tied to power, a floating output, or invalid timing test for a given phase at a test point. A process automatically verifies that all non-computes are understood and exist for valid reasons, in order to ensure all necessary paths are being timed. The process takes a conventional Comprehensive Report output of a unit timing run and generates macro specific N/C reports for designers to review and sign off on. |
| US07882471B1 |
Timing and signal integrity analysis of integrated circuits with semiconductor process variations
In one embodiment of the invention, a method of statically analyzing an integrated circuit with process and environment variations is provided. The method includes characterizing each circuit cell of a cell library for a sensitivity to process parameter variations within a predetermined range; creating a timing graph corresponding to a netlist representing an integrated circuit design; along nodes of the timing graph, computing delay values including sensitivities to process variations; for each selected output node of the netlist, propagating a full timing value function with the sensitivities to the selected output nodes; and generating a parameterized timing report including the sensitivities to the process variations. |
| US07882470B2 |
Method for heuristic preservation of critical inputs during sequential reparameterization
A method, system, and computer program product for preserving critical inputs. According to an embodiments of the present invention, an initial design including one or more primary inputs which cannot be eliminated, one or more primary inputs which can be eliminated, one or more targets, and one or more state elements are received. A cut of said initial design including one or more cut gates is identified, and a relation of one or more values producible to said one or more cut gates in terms of said one or more primary inputs which cannot be eliminated, said one or more primary inputs which can be eliminated and said one or more state elements is computed. Said relation is synthesized to form a gate set, and an abstracted design is formed from said gate set. Verification is performed on said abstracted design to generate verification results. |
| US07882465B2 |
FPGA and method and system for configuring and debugging a FPGA
The present invention provides a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a system for debugging a Field Programmable Gate Array, a method for debugging a Field Programmable Gate Array, a FPGA configuration data product and a method and system for configuring a FPGA. According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) having a logic unit under test and comprising: a probe signal selecting unit configured to select at least one probe point from a plurality of probe points in said logic unit under test, and obtain a probe signal at said probe point; and a high speed serial transceiver configured to convert said probe signal into a high speed serial signal and transmit it to outside. |
| US07882460B2 |
Method of circuit power tuning through post-process flattening
A method is provided for optimizing a hierarchical circuit design containing at least one reused cell. A first optimization is performed on the circuit design to meet a first objective. The first optimization is subject to a first constraint that all instances of the at least one reused cell are kept identical. The at least one reused cell is uniquified. A second optimization is performed to meet a second objective allowing uniquified instances of the at least one reused cell to be independently modified. The second optimization is subject to a second constraint that the first objective remains met. |
| US07882458B2 |
Power consumption analyzing method and computer-readable storage medium
A power consumption analyzing method, to be implemented by a computer, is for a circuit developing procedure that makes a logic design of the circuit in an RTL design stage and inserts a gated clock with respect to the circuit in a subsequent logic synthesis stage. The method comprises an extraction step, implemented by the computer, extracting a signal which is judged that it will be transformed into a gated clock in the logic synthesis stage, and storing the signal in a memory part, a measuring step, implemented by the computer, measuring an valid time of the signal stored in the memory part by a logic simulation, and storing the valid time in the memory part, and a post-simulation step, implemented by the computer, computing a power consumption analysis result of the circuit from the valid time stored in the memory part, a number of registers for each of modules that are function units forming the circuit, and a memory capacity coefficient indicating an extent to which a memory capacity within the circuit affects the power consumption of the circuit, and outputting the power consumption analysis result. |
| US07882455B2 |
Circuit and method using distributed phase change elements for across-chip temperature profiling
Disclosed is an across-chip temperature sensing circuit and an associated method that can be used to profile the across-chip temperature gradient. The embodiments incorporate a plurality of phase change elements distributed approximately evenly across the semiconductor chip. These phase change elements are programmed to have essentially the same amorphous resistance. Temperature-dependent behavior exhibited by each of the phase change elements individually is compared to a reference (e.g., generated by a discrete reference phase change element, generated by another one of the phase change elements, or generated by an external reference) in order to profile the temperature gradient across the semiconductor chip. Once profiled, this temperature gradient can be used to redesign and/or relocate functional cores, to set stress limits for qualification of functional cores and/or to adjust operating specifications of functional cores. |
| US07882451B2 |
Screen object placement optimized for blind selection
An improved handheld electronic device includes an input apparatus, an output apparatus, and a processor apparatus. The input apparatus includes a multi-axis input device such as a rollerball, trackball, joystick or touchpad, allowing the focus of a user interface program to be moved about a display from one screen object presented on that display to another. Up to four screen objects are presented on the display, each of those screen objects being positioned towards a corner of the display to enable a user to blindly operate the multi-axis input device, making use of a capture effect in which the focus of a user interface program is resisted from moving beyond an edge of the display, to guide movement of the focus to a given one of the up to four screen objects. |
| US07882449B2 |
Providing suitable menu position indicators that predict menu placement of menus having variable positions depending on an availability of display space
The present invention discloses a solution for using menu position indicators to accurately show where an intelligently placed menu will appear. Positioning of menus can automatically vary in the solution depending upon available screen space and an origin point for the menu. A menu position indicator can include a graphical image capable of indicating a direction of the menu appearance, such as an arrow or triangle. The menu position indicator for a menu can change depending upon a position of an origin point and depending upon available screen space for displaying the associated menu. When a position of a main menu changes, calculations can be performed to determine where a submenu of the main menu will be presented, and the menu position indicator can be adjusted accordingly. |
| US07882445B2 |
Configurable wires in a statechart
System and method for configuring wires in and/or debugging a statechart. The statechart may be created or displayed on a display and may include a plurality of state icons connected by wires. The state icons may represent states and the wires may represent transitions between the states. One or more of the wires may be configured, e.g., according to user input. A graphical program may be created which specifies a debugging operation for the statechart. The statechart may be executed and may provide data to the graphical program. The graphical program may receive first data produced by the statechart, e.g., during execution. The graphical program may perform the debugging operation based on the first data. |
| US07882438B2 |
Quality management and intelligent manufacturing with labels and smart tags in event-based product manufacturing
Providing quality management and intelligent manufacturing with labels and smart tags in event-based product manufacturing. Some of the disclosed embodiments include a system, method, and computer-readable media for storing, during a process, data associated with a material. Also disclosed are a method of collecting, storing, and reporting machine productivity, waste, and delay information on an event basis in a manufacturing system, a method of capturing and storing material history, a method of automating tracking of positions of components used in a process and correlating portions of a component with production problems, an improved inventory management system, and a method of tracking and recording actions of specific operators of a process performed by a machine. The embodiments are operable in an intelligent manufacturing system including a process for converting raw materials to a product, a process control system including one or more sensors capable of generating an alarm in response to an event that results in one of waste, machine delay, or decrease product quality, a data logger associated with the process control system for obtaining event parameters associated with the event, a database on a server for recording event parameters obtained by the data logger, and a reporting system cooperatively associated with the database for reporting productivity parameters regarding the process derived at least in part from the event parameters. |
| US07882434B2 |
User prompting when potentially mistaken actions occur during user interaction with content on a display screen
A method is provided for prompting a user who interacts with content on a display screen via a pointing device that a potential mistake may have been made during the interaction. The interaction includes a plurality of actions associated with the content of the display screen. The content is created by programming code. Programming code is analyzed to determine the next most likely action to occur during user interaction with the display screen contents at a plurality of different points in the programming code. After an action occurs by a user at a point in the programming code, it is detected whether the user performed the next most likely action. The user is prompted with an indication if the user did not perform the next most likely action and therefore may have made a potential mistake. |
| US07882431B2 |
Grid system selection supporting device, grid system selection supporting method, and storage medium
There is disclosed a grid system selection supporting device comprising: a storage unit that stores use histories for a plurality of grid systems; and an extraction unit that extracts at least one of the plurality of grid systems, based on the use histories. |
| US07882429B2 |
High-level virtual machine for fast XML parsing and validation
A computer-implemented method of processing an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document can include loading an execution plan into a virtual machine, wherein the execution plan represents an XML schema, and loading an XML document into the virtual machine. XML processing functions available within the virtual machine can be selectively invoked according to the execution plan, wherein the XML processing functions operate upon the XML document. An indication of whether the XML document is valid according to the XML processing functions can be output. |
| US07882426B1 |
Conditional cell execution in electronic spreadsheets
An improved electronic spreadsheet is provided for applications requiring conditional expression execution behavior. Each cell having an executable expression is cooperative with an implicit conditional execution wrapper. The execution of each cellular expression is implicitly conditioned on the state of an individually assigned logical switch expression. The improved electronic spreadsheet also includes a user interface by which a user can assign logical switch expressions to a cell, or to a range of cells. The improved electronic spreadsheet facilitates the use of spreadsheets for wider range of applications than was possible with conventional electronic spreadsheets. |
| US07882425B2 |
Data error control
Multiple corruptions and/or erasures in data storage or data communication systems are corrected. An encoder generates M of parity fields from N data channels. Each item of the generated parity fields is the result of simple exclusive-or operations on one item from one or more data fields and possibly one item from one or more of the other parity fields. A decoder can regenerate as many as M missing or corrupted fields of either data or parity using combinations of correct and/or previously corrected items as inputs using M independent parity equations to solve for and correct each missing or corrupted item in turn. |
| US07882423B2 |
Unidirectional error code transfer for both read and write data transmitted via bidirectional data link
A controller includes a link interface that is to couple to a first link to communicate bi-directional data and a second link to transmit unidirectional error-detection information. An encoder is to dynamically add first error-detection information to at least a portion of write data. A transmitter, coupled to the link interface, is to transmit the write data. A delay element is coupled to an output from the encoder. A receiver, coupled to the link interface, is to receive second error-detection information corresponding to at least the portion of the write data. Error-detection logic is coupled to an output from the delay element and an output from the receiver. The error-detection logic is to determine errors in at least the portion of the write data by comparing the first error-detection information and the second error-detection information, and, if an error is detected, is to assert an error condition. |
| US07882422B2 |
DTV transmitting system and receiving system and method of processing broadcast data
A digital television transmitting system includes a pre-processor, a packet generator, an RS encoder, and a trellis encoder. The pre-processor pre-processes enhanced data by coding the enhanced data for first forward error correction and expanding the FEC-coded enhanced data. The packet generator generates enhanced data packets including the pre-processed enhanced data and main data packets and multiplexes the enhanced and main data packets. Each enhanced data packet includes an adaptation field in which the pre-processed enhanced data are inserted. The RS encoder performs RS encoding on the multiplexed data packets for second forward error correction, and the trellis encoder performs trellis encoding on the RS-coded data packets. |
| US07882421B2 |
Method and apparatus for joint source-channel map decoding
A method for error correction that includes receiving a bitstream, the bitstream comprising one or more bits, determining if the bitstream has one or more corrupt bits, determining one or more hypotheses representing an error pattern, and assigning a probability to each of the hypotheses, wherein the probability is determined based on one or more reference data. |
| US07882420B2 |
Method and system for data replication
A method for writing data to a storage pool includes receiving a write operation to write a logical block of data to the storage pool, determining a number (n−1) of physical blocks required to store the logical block of data, generating a parity block using the logical block of data, allocating n physical blocks in the storage pool, writing the parity block in the first of n allocated physical block, and writing the logical block of data across the remaining n−1 allocated physical blocks, where n is less than a number of disks in the storage pool, and where each of the n allocated physical blocks is located on a different disk in the storage pool. |
| US07882418B2 |
LDPC encoder and decoder and LDPC encoding and decoding methods
Provided are an LDPC encoder and decoder, and LDPC encoding and decoding methods. The LDPC encoder includes: a code generating circuit that includes a memory storing a first parity check matrix and sums a first row which is at least one row of the first parity check matrix and a second row which is at least one of the remaining rows of the first parity check matrix to output a second parity check matrix; and an encoding circuit receiving the second parity check matrix and an information word to output an LDPC-encoded code word. Also the LDPC decoder includes: a code generating circuit including a memory which stores a first parity check matrix and summing a first row which is at least one row of the first parity check matrix and a second row which is at least one of the remaining rows of the first parity check matrix to output a second parity check matrix; and a decoding circuit receiving the second parity check matrix and a code word to output an LDPC-decoded information word. |
| US07882416B2 |
General and algebraic-constructed contention-free memory mapping for parallel turbo decoding with algebraic interleave ARP (almost regular permutation) of all possible sizes
General and algebraic-constructed contention-free memory mapping for parallel turbo decoding with algebraic interleave ARP (almost regular permutation) of all possible sizes. A novel means is presented in which contention-free memory mapping is truly achieved in the context of performing parallel decoding of a turbo coded signal. A novel means of performing the contention-free memory mapping is provided to ensure that any one turbo decoder (of a group of parallel arranged turbo decoders) accesses only memory (of a group of parallel arranged memories) at any given time. In doing so, access conflicts between the turbo decoders and the memories are avoided. |
| US07882415B2 |
3-Stripes gilbert low density parity-check codes
A method and apparatus are provided for a coding process of a communication signal. A 3-stripes parity-check matrix is generated from a parity-check matrix of a Gilbert low density parity-check code, where the parity-check matrix of the Gilbert low density parity-check code has a first stripe containing identity matrices and a second stripe containing cyclic permutation matrices. A third stripe is added to form a 3-stripes parity-check matrix, which may be applied to the coding process of information in a communication channel. |
| US07882414B2 |
Apparatus and method for transmitting/receiving signal supporting variable coding rate in a communication system
Provided are an apparatus and method for transmitting/receiving signal, supporting a variable coding rate, in a communication system. The method includes receiving an information vector, generating a child parity check matrix based on a parent parity check matrix according to a coding rate to be applied for generating a block Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codeword using the information vector, and encoding the information vector into the block LDPC codeword according to the child parity check matrix. |
| US07882411B2 |
Shift register, data line driving circuit, scanning line driving circuit, electro-optical device, and electronic apparatus
To reduce a circuit area of a data line driving circuit. The data line driving circuit includes a plurality of circuit blocks. A circuit block has shift register unit circuits, logical operation unit circuits and a control unit circuit. The control unit circuit specifies the operation period of the corresponding circuit block on the basis of the input and output signals of the shift register unit circuits and supplies a clock signal and an inverted clock signal to the shift register unit circuit. |
| US07882410B2 |
Launch-on-shift support for on-chip-clocking
A method to perform launch-on-shift scanning for integrated circuits having multiple clock domains is presented. An integrated circuit includes both capture clock domains and non-capture clock domains. The portions of the test vectors for non-capture clock domains are shifted into the scan chains of the non-capture clock domains and allowed to settle prior to the last shift launch cycle and the capture cycle of the capture clock domains. Thus, the ambiguity of the timing between the non-capture domains and the capture domains caused by asynchronous clock signals is eliminated. |
| US07882406B2 |
Built in test controller with a downloadable testing program
An apparatus comprising a processor and an internal memory. The processor may be configured to test an external memory using (i) a netlist and (ii) a testing program. The internal memory may be configured to store the testing program. The testing program may be downloadable to the internal memory independently from the storing of the netlist. |
| US07882404B2 |
Backplane emulation technique for automated testing
The present invention implements a method and apparatus for using components within a Serializer/DeSerializer (SerDes) to emulate the effects of a backplane in order to facilitate automated test equipment (ATE) testing of the SerDes. The SerDes includes a transmitter pre-emphasis circuit (TPXE) that pre-emphasizes a transmitted signal and a receiver equalization circuit (RXEQ) that equalizes a received signal. The TPXE includes coefficients that are dynamically programmable. |
| US07882403B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling an interleaver/deinterleaver memory in a mobile communication system
Provided is an apparatus and method for controlling an interleaver/deinterleaver memory in a mobile communication system are provided. In particular, an apparatus and method are provided which can reduce unnecessary time and power consumption by eliminating an unnecessary memory erasure. A write address generator generates write addresses. A memory stores values mapped to the write addresses. A memory controller controls the memory in which an input signal is accumulated to a value stored at a write address which is then recorded at the write address if the value stored at the write address is recorded for a previous packet when the input signal is generated. The memory controller controls the memory in which the input signal is recorded at the write address if the value stored at the current record address is a valid value for a current packet. |
| US07882402B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for automated error priority determination of call home records
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for data priority determination. A receiving module receives a data package. A parsing module parses out priority indicators from the data package. A comparison module compares the priority indicators to entries in a priority matrix, determining whether the data package is of a defined data package type. In response to a determination that the data package is of the defined data package type, a priority determination module determines a data package priority of the data package based on a data package priority of the defined data package type. In response to a determination that the data package is not of the defined data package type, a type definition module defines a new data package type having a data package priority based on the priority indicators. A priority update module updates the data package priority of the defined data package type. |
| US07882401B2 |
Chip for use with both high-speed bus and low-speed bus and operation method thereof
A chip for use with both a high-speed bus and a low-speed bus in a computer system includes a test control unit recorded therein a preset address data for determining a transmission path of an external signal in a test mode of the chip; an upstream control unit for transmitting the external signal to the high-speed bus in a normal operation mode of the chip, coupled to the test control unit for optionally receiving the external signal in the test mode; and a downstream control unit for transmitting the external signal to the low-speed bus in the normal operation mode of the chip, coupled to the test control unit for optionally receiving the external signal in the test mode. |
| US07882400B2 |
Information processing apparatus, storage medium supporting device, and identifier changing method
An information processing apparatus which makes it possible to accurately manage a plurality of storage media realized by cooperation with each other while maintaining a combination or combinations thereof, and manage data for each OS. A storage media supporting device removably supporting at least one storage medium is removably attached to the information processing apparatus. When the storage media supporting device is attached to the information processing apparatus, the storage media housed in the storage media supporting device is electrically connected to the information processing apparatus. The contents of data stored in the storage media are detected, and a visible identifier provided on the storage media supporting device is changed into a state corresponding to the detection result. |
| US07882395B2 |
Debug device for embedded systems and method thereof
A debug device of embedded systems is provided. The embedded system includes an embedded processor for reading a bootloader from a flash memory through a data flash interface. The debug device includes a memory transmission interface, a dada storage module, a data control module and a display module. The memory transmission interface is configured to couple the data flash interface for receiving data to the data storage module. The data control module determines whether the data stored in the data storage module is data from a data bus or from the data flash interface according to whether a data control signal of the data flash interface has been triggered. The display module displays the data of the data storage module. |
| US07882392B2 |
Electronic device and method of controlling electronic device
An electronic device includes a power supply unit that generates plural output voltages from an input voltage and outputs the various output voltages from respective plural power supply channels, a voltage detecting unit that monitors voltages of two power supply channels among plural power supply channels which are different in decreases of the output voltage in the case that the input voltage is cut off, outputs a first detecting signal upon detecting a decrease in voltage of a first power supply channel having a fast decrease to a first threshold and outputs a second detecting signal upon detecting a decrease in voltage of a second power supply channel having a slow decrease to a second threshold, and a control unit that saves data upon receiving the first detecting signal and stops an operation of the electronic device upon receiving the second detecting signal. |
| US07882389B2 |
Dynamic reassignment of devices attached to redundant controllers
A method for dynamically assigning a plurality of storage devices to a plurality of controllers within a storage unit, the method including: sensing each storage device from the plurality of storage devices; assigning each one of the storage devices to a respective controller from the plurality of controllers; monitoring at least one of each storage device, each controller, and a link between each storage device and the respective controller; upon a failure of at least one of the link, one of the storage devices and one of the controllers, generating a list of components; transmitting the list to another controller; and establishing a new assignment for each of the components on the list. A storage unit and a computer program product are provided. |
| US07882381B2 |
Managing wasted active power in processors based on loop iterations and number of instructions executed since last loop
Methods of managing wasted active power of processors in computer systems and other electronic devices are disclosed. In one aspect, a method may include counting a number of times that a processor has performed an instruction loop. Then, a determination may be made whether the number of times that the processor has performed the loop is greater than one or more thresholds or other given values. Next, a limit may be imposed on the power of the processor if the number of times that the processor has performed the loop is greater than at least one of the thresholds or given values. Logic to perform such methods is also disclosed, as are systems suitable for incorporating such logic. |
| US07882379B2 |
Power consumption reduction in a multiprocessor system
Methods and apparatus provide for reducing power consumption by decreasing operating frequencies of waiting processors in a multiprocessor system. Power consumption may be reduced by having a processor enter a low frequency mode when the processor is in a loop waiting for data that have been locked by another processor. The frequency of operation of the waiting processor may be reduced to a fraction (one half, one quarter, etc.) of the normal, initial clock frequency. The multiprocessor system may monitor a number of times (loop count) that a waiting processor takes the wait loop and compare the number to a threshold. When the loop count is greater than or equal to the threshold, the clock frequency of the waiting processor is reduced. When the waiting processor ceases to wait and does not take the wait loop branch (e.g., because the other processor has released the lock on the data), the loop count is reset to zero and the frequency of operation of waiting processor is increased to an increased frequency, such as the normal, initial level. |
| US07882378B2 |
Electronic device with serial ATA interface and power saving method for serial ATA buses
In an electronic device with a serial ATA interface, upon detection of the issue or reception of a preset command, a confirmation device, such as a CPU, confirms the completion of execution of the command. Upon confirming the completion of execution of the command, a controller, which may also be the CPU, controls shifting of the serial ATA interface to a power saving mode. |
| US07882377B2 |
Electronic device with flexible processing system
An electronic device comprising a host module and a wireless module each comprising a processing unit, wherein the electronic device is configurable to be operated in a low processing mode by performing processing functions for the electronic device using the processing unit of the wireless module. |
| US07882376B2 |
Power control for a core circuit area of a semiconductor integrated circuit device
The present invention provides an LSI which comprises first circuit areas (e.g., an I/O area and a VBAT area) in which power is always held ON, a second circuit area (e.g., a CORE area) capable of ON/OFF-switching of the power, a power control circuit which is provided within the corresponding first circuit area and outputs a control signal for performing power control on the second circuit area, and a reset signal detection circuit which is provided within the corresponding first circuit area and detects an internal standby reset signal or an external standby reset signal to control the operation of the power control circuit. |
| US07882372B2 |
Method and system for controlling and monitoring an array of point-of-load regulators
A power control system comprises a plurality of POL regulators, at least one serial data bus operatively connecting the plurality of POL regulators, and a system controller connected to the serial data bus and adapted to send and receive digital data to and from the plurality of POL regulators. The serial data bus further comprises a first data bus carrying programming and control information between the system controller and the plurality of POL regulators. The serial data bus may also include a second data bus carrying fault management information between the system controller and the plurality of POL regulators. The power control may also include a front-end regulator providing an intermediate voltage to the plurality of POL regulators on an intermediate voltage bus. |
| US07882371B2 |
Power supply unit and image forming apparatus
A first power supply of a constant-voltage output supplies a power to a load by using an external power. A signal generating unit generates a control signal for compensating a shortfall of a load current when exceeding an upper limit of an output current of the first power supply. A second power supply of a constant-current output supplies a power to the load based on the control signal by using a power from a capacitor. An output voltage of the first power supply is controlled so that a voltage of a power supply line that is closer to the load than a current detection position of a converting unit that converts the load current into a current signal is made constant. |
| US07882370B2 |
Static pulsed bus circuit and method having dynamic power supply rail selection
A static pulse bus circuit and method having dynamic power supply rail selection reduces static and dynamic power consumption over that of static pulse bus designs with fixed power supply rail voltages. Every other (even) bus repeater is operated with a selectable power supply rail voltage that is selected in conformity with a state of the input signal of the bus repeater. The odd bus repeaters are operated from the lower of the selectable power supply voltages supplied to the even repeaters. The odd bus repeaters may also be operated from a selectable power supply rail voltage opposite the selectable-voltage power supply rail provided to the even bus repeaters, in which case the opposing rail of the even bus repeaters is set to the higher of the voltages selectable in the odd bus repeaters. |
| US07882367B2 |
Information recording and reproducing apparatus and method
According to one embodiment of the invention, there is provided an information recording and reproducing apparatus which records information in a recording medium and reproduces information recorded in the recording medium, the information recording and reproducing apparatus includes a first recording section which records in the recording medium an encrypted encryption key aggregate where at least one encryption key for encrypting each of a plurality of pieces of information has been encrypted and registered and information encrypted using the encryption key, a second recording section which records encrypted first private key information used to encrypt or decrypt the encryption key into the recording medium and which, if the encrypted encryption key aggregate has not been recorded in the recording medium, records the first private key information into the recording medium only when the encrypted encryption key aggregate is recorded in the recording medium. |
| US07882362B2 |
Data management apparatus
In a data management apparatus (1) including a recording device (12) for recording contents data and a data processing section for processing the contents data, first management data for managing the contents data according to a first reference is recorded in the recording device (12), and the data processing section reproduces the contents data based on the first management data, and transfers the contents data to an external device (2) based on second management data which is used for management of the contents data by the external device according to a second reference different from the first reference. As a result, the protection of the contents data can be made while complying with related laws, and the contents data with optional functions added thereto can be backed up. |
| US07882360B2 |
Community messaging lists for authorization to deliver electronic messages
A third-party can subscribe to one or more electronic message group lists without joining the group lists by creating a trust relationship between the subscriber and a group list member. In particular, the subscriber can send a trust indicator to the group member, who can then determine whether to accept the trust indicator for all or specific groups that are associated with the group member, as appropriate. In at least one embodiment, the group member can send a trust indicator acceptance message to the subscriber that identifies the group member, and any or all group lists associated with the group member. The subscriber can then receive messages directed to the trusted group member or group lists, and can send group messages to the group lists subject to a receive setting associated with the group lists or group members of the group lists. |
| US07882359B2 |
Method and system for user attestation-signatures with attributes
The present invention discloses a method for generating and verifying a user attestation-signature value (DAA′) and issuing an attestation value (cert) for the generation of the user attestation-signature value (DAA′). Further, the invention is related to a system for using a user attestation-signature value (DAA′) that corresponds to at least one attribute (A, B, C, D), each with an attribute value (w, x, y, z), none, one or more of the attribute values (x, y) remaining anonymous for transactions, the system comprising: a user device (20) having a security module (22) that provides a module public key (PKTPM) and a security module attestation value (DAA), the user device (20) providing a user public key (PKUC) that inherently comprises none, one, or more user determined attribute value (x, y) and a proof value demonstrating that the user public key (PKUC) is validly derived from the module public key (PKTPM) of the security module (22); an attester computer (30) that provides none, one, or more attester determined attribute value (w, z) and an attestation value (cert) that bases on an attester secret key (SKAC), the user public key (PKUC), and an anonymous attribute value (w, z); and a verification computer (40) for verifying whether or not (i) the user attestation-signature value (DAA′) was validly derived from the security module attestation value (DAA) provided by the security module (22) and the attestation value (cert), and (ii) the attestation value (cert) is associated with a subset (B, D) of at least one attribute, each attribute in the subset (B, D) having a revealed attribute value (x, z). |
| US07882355B2 |
Encryption/decryption methods and devices utilizing the same
An encryption/decryption method and devices for protecting data in a memory device from unauthorized access is provided. First, obtaining a specific code from a memory device and then encrypting the specific code and original data for obtaining encrypted data during a write cycle. Finally, writing the encrypted data to the memory device according to an access address. The access address can be also encrypted to generate the encrypted data. The encryption level increases by this way so that the valuable information is under protection. |
| US07882348B2 |
System and method for administering digital certificate checking
Systems and methods for handling electronic messages. An electronic message that is associated with a digital certificate is to be processed. A decision whether to check the validity of the digital certificate is based upon digital certificate checking criterion. An IT administrator may provide to one or more devices configuration data that establishes the digital certificate checking criterion. |
| US07882346B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing authentication, authorization and accounting to roaming nodes
This invention proposes an integrated process for AAA (Authentication, Authorisation, and Accounting) with the order reversed whereby L2 follows L3. The L3 process treats the wireless link as any normal IP access link, and the L3 authorisation provides L3 processing, but also includes the L2 terminal authentication identifiers so that the L2 security parameters can also be returned. This means that the wireless link and the IP layer are not secured until after the L3 authorisation has completed and therefore the first IP messages that trigger authorisation are sent insecurely. This invention also provides methods to avoid these insecure messages presenting any opportunities to an attacker. Finally, the inventions include methods to enable L3 before L2 authorisation when a user is roaming in a foreign network. |
| US07882342B1 |
Systems and methods for imaging a computer system
A computer-implemented method of imaging a computer system may include taking an image of the computer system that includes those files needed to boot an operating system but excludes at least some of those files that are not needed to boot the operating system. The image may be loaded on a target computer system, which may or may not be the same as the imaged computer system, to enable the target computer system to boot the operating system. Those files that are not needed to boot the operating system may be streamed to the target computer system on an as-needed basis or in the background. Corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed. |
| US07882340B2 |
Fingerprint reader remotely resetting system and method
A fingerprint reader resetting method comprising enabling an electronic device to accept a reset command for a fingerprint reader in response to a physical presence state being set to unlocked during initialization of an electronic device to reset a state of the fingerprint reader. |
| US07882337B2 |
Method and system for efficient tentative tracing of software in multiprocessors
A method of tentative tracing execution events in a multiprocessor system. Each processor stores tentative events in a corresponding buffer. The processor sets pointers in an array to a head and tail of a thread. When a condition triggers a tentative thread to be committed, the processor marks the first event as committed and sets the pointers to a null value. When a condition triggers the thread to be discarded, the processor marks the first event as discarded and sets the pointers to a null value. The processor makes the buffer available to a consumer process, which extracts the first event. If the first event is marked as committed, the consumer process follows a link to a second event of the thread and marks the second event as committed. If the first event is marked as discarded, the second event is marked as discarded and the first event is skipped. |
| US07882332B1 |
Memory mapped register file
A register system for a data processing system includes an address encoder that generates an encoded address based on a processor mode identifier and a register identifier and memory comprising 2T−1 unbanked registers. The encoded address identifies one of the 2T−1 unbanked registers associated with one of the P processor modes. The encoded address comprises T bits. The register identifier identifies one of 2T−1 unbanked registers. The processor mode identifier identifies P processor modes, where T and P are integers greater than two. |
| US07882327B2 |
Communicating between partitions in a statically partitioned multiprocessing system
In one embodiment, a method comprises assigning a unique node number to each of a first plurality of nodes in a first partition of a system and a second plurality of nodes in a second partition of the system. A first memory address space spans first memory included in the first partition and a second memory address space spans second memory included in the second partition. The first memory address space and the second memory address space are generally logically distinct. The method further comprises programming a first address map in the first partition to map the first memory address space to node numbers, wherein the programming comprises mapping a first memory address range within the first memory address space to a first node number assigned to a first node of the second plurality of nodes in the second partition, whereby the first memory address range is mapped to the second partition. |
| US07882323B2 |
Scheduling of background scrub commands to reduce high workload memory request latency
A method and apparatus to scrub a memory during a scrub period, of a computer system. The computer system has a memory controller that receives read requests and write requests from a processor. The memory controller provides a different priority for scrub requests versus read requests during a period of relatively light memory workload versus a period of relatively heavy workload. The memory controller provides a relatively higher priority for scrub requests near an end of a scrub period if scrub progress is behind an expected scrub progress. |
| US07882320B2 |
Multi-processor flash memory storage device and management system
A data storage device has a host controller interface, a plurality of microprocessor units each having a portion of random access memory (RAM) dedicated thereto, a plurality of Flash device configurations each having dedicated bus connections to individual ones or multiples of the microprocessor units, and a dataflow controller accessible to the host controller interface for managing access to the Flash device configurations. |
| US07882317B2 |
Process isolation using protection domains
A first plurality of operating system processes is assigned to a first protection domain, and a second plurality of operating system processes is assigned to a second protection domain. One or more hardware protection mechanisms are used to prevent the first plurality of operating system processes from accessing the memory space of the second plurality of operating system processes, and also to prevent the second plurality of operating system processes from accessing the memory space of the first plurality of operating system processes. |
| US07882316B2 |
Shared data mirroring apparatus, method, and system
A network component useful in tracking write activity by writing logs containing write address information is described. The tracking component may be used in networked systems employing data mirrors to record data block addresses written to a primary storage volume during the time a data mirror is unavailable. The tracking component can be available to any network originating node, and may therefore track write activity on multiple volumes. At the time a data mirror is reconstructed, the log written may be used to construct a list of block addresses pointing to locations on a primary storage volume wherein data differs from a secondary storage volume member of the mirror. The locations may be copied from the primary to secondary storage volume to reconstruct the data mirror. The performance impact of the tracking component is minimal and a shared network resource is offered that increases fault tolerance in the event of backup device failures. |
| US07882310B2 |
Methods and apparatus for managing a shared memory in a multi-processor system
Methods and apparatus provide for associating memory allocation table (MAT) entries with nodes in a binary tree such that the nodes and the entries are grouped into hierarchical levels, each entry including status information; associating the nodes and the entries with segments of a shared memory of a multi-processor system such that higher level nodes and entries are associated with larger numbers of segments of the shared memory and lower level nodes and entries are associated with smaller numbers of segments of the shared memory; initializing the MAT such that the status information of at least a plurality of entries indicates that the associated segment or segments of the shared memory are available for reservation; and selecting one entry in a group of entries in the MAT at a level corresponding to a desired size of the shared memory to be reserved. |
| US07882307B1 |
Managing cache memory in a parallel processing environment
An apparatus comprises a plurality of processor cores, each comprising a computation unit and a memory. The apparatus further comprises an interconnection network to transmit data among the processor cores. At least some of the memories are configured as a cache for memory external to the processor cores, and at least some of the processor cores are configured to transmit a message over the interconnection network to access a cache of another processor core. |
| US07882304B2 |
System and method for efficient updates of sequential block storage
An improved system and method enhances performance of updates to sequential block storage of a storage system. A disk-based sort procedure is provided to establish locality among updates (write data) held in a disk-based log, thereby enabling the write data to be efficiently written to home locations on a home location array. As the write data is received, a log manager of the storage system temporarily stores the data efficiently on the disk-based log. As more write data arrives, the log manager sorts the data in the log in accordance with the sort procedure, thus increasing the locality of data when stored on the home location array. When the log approaches capacity, the log manager writes the sorted data to their home locations on the array with high locality and performance. |
| US07882301B2 |
Wear leveling in storage devices based on flash memories and related circuit, system, and method
A wear leveling solution is proposed for use in a storage device based on a flash memory. The flash memory includes a plurality of physical blocks, which are adapted to be erased individually. A corresponding method starts with the step for erasing one of the physical blocks. One of the physical blocks being allocated for storing data is selected; this operation is performed in response to the reaching of a threshold by an indication of a difference between a number of erasures of the erased physical block and a number of erasures of the selected physical block. At least the data of the selected physical block being valid is copied into the erased physical block. The selected physical block is then erased. |
| US07882294B2 |
On-chip bus
This disclosure involves an on-chip bus architecture involving an on-chip bus that includes a collector node and at least one device node. Each device node is in communication with an on-chip device. The collector node is capable of conducting multiple outstanding transactions with a plurality of on-chip devices over the on-chip bus wherein each on-chip device transmits all of its data signals across the on-chip bus in the form of packets. The on-chip bus includes at least one bus register, and each of the multiple on-chip devices includes at least one device register. The on-chip bus can provide top level register to register communications between the device register and the bus register. In one version, the on-chip bus is a distributed packet on-chip (DPO) bus. |
| US07882293B2 |
Interrupt masking control
A processor core 4 is provided with an interrupt controller 22 which serves to set an interrupt mask bit F and a hardware control when an interrupt fiq occurs. A masking control signal NMI serves to either allow or prevent the software clearing of the interrupt mask bit F. |
| US07882292B1 |
Urgency based arbiter
An arbiter decides to grant access from multiple clients to a shared resource (e.g. memory) using efficiency and/or urgency terms. Urgency for a client may be determined based on an “in-band” request identifier transmitted from the client to the resource along with the request, and an “out-of-band” request identifier that is buffered by the client. A difference between the out-of-band request identifier and the in-band request identifier indicates the location of the request in the client buffer. A small difference indicates that the request is near the end of the buffer (high urgency), and a large difference indicates that the request is far back in the buffer (low urgency). Efficiency terms include metrics on resource overhead, such as time needed to switch between reading/writing data from/to memory via a shared memory bus, or bank management overhead such as time for switching between DRAM banks. |
| US07882291B2 |
Apparatus and method for operating plural applications between portable storage device and digital device
An apparatus and method for operating many applications between a portable storage device and a digital device are provided. The method includes opening at least two logical channels from the digital device to the portable storage device through a physical channel, transmitting and receiving data between a plurality of applications of the digital device and a plurality of applications of the portable storage device through the opened logical channels, and closing the logical channels after finishing the transmitting and receiving of the data. |
| US07882282B2 |
Controlling passthrough of communications between multiple buses
A demodulator can include first data and clock pads to couple the demodulator to a host device via a first bus, and second data and clock pads to couple the demodulator to a radio frequency (RF) tuner via a second bus. The device may further include passthrough logic to couple host data and a host clock from the first bus to the second bus and to couple tuner data from the second bus to the first bus during a passthrough mode. During this mode, however, the two buses may remain electrically decoupled. When the passthrough mode is disabled, the RF tuner is thus shielded from noise present on the first bus. |
| US07882273B2 |
Data transfer system, data transfer method, host apparatus and image forming apparatus
A system capable of efficiently transferring a command set for controlling an image forming apparatus to the image forming apparatus from a host apparatus. A command separate/storage unit separates an image forming command set into a context command set and an object command set, and allocates both command sets in a main memory device. A command read instruction transmission unit transmits a command read instruction having a transfer size and a storage address of each of the allocated context command set and object command set, to the memory access controller. The memory access controller compares the storage address of the context command set included in the received command read instruction with a previous storage address, and reads the context command set from the main memory device only when both storage addresses differ from each other. |
| US07882272B2 |
Media processing device and control method for a media processing
A media processing device has a media drive for writing data on one side of recording media, a label printer for printing on the other side of the media M, media stackers for storing the media, and a transportation arm for transporting the media to any of the media drive, the label printer, and the media stackers according to control commands sent from a host computer. The control method for the media processing device has an execution step of starting executing a plurality of control commands based on a start process command; a decision step of determining if all of the control commands executed normally; and a transmission step of sending a normal termination report to the host computer as the response to the end process command that is sent as a set with the start process command if step determines that all control commands executed normally. |
| US07882268B1 |
UDP transport for web services
Systems, methods, and computer program products for routing of search requests and replies using UDP transport are provided. In some implementations, a method is provided. The method includes receiving a query at a client, converting the query into the form of a domain name in a DNS format, transmitting the query as a DNS request for a DNS record to a first server, where the DNS request is transmitted in the payload of a UDP packet, appending information identifying the client and the first server to the UDP packet, transmitting the UDP packet from the first server to one or more second servers to respond to the query, generating one or more DNS replies in response to the query, and transmitting the one or more DNS replies to the client in the payload of one or more UDP packets, the transmitted replies bypassing the first server. |
| US07882267B2 |
Methods, systems, and products for providing communications services
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for providing communications services. One method receives a request for communications service. The request for communications service originates from a client communications device associated with a user and requests communications service from a service provider. An availability of at least one of i) a communications network operated by the service provider and ii) another communications network operated by another service provider is dynamically assessed in real-time. A best-value scenario of segmentation, dispersion, assemblage, and routing of electronic data is assessed to fulfill the request. The best-value scenario maximizes profitability for the service provider. The communications service is provided to fulfill the request according to the best-value scenario. |
| US07882260B2 |
Method of data management for efficiently storing and retrieving data to respond to user access requests
A method of data management for efficiently storing and retrieving data in response to user access requests. The method includes receiving a request from at least one client for a title not resident in a storage server, where the title includes a play track having a plurality of chapters. The retrieval from a secondary storage device of play track portions proximate chapter delineation points is initiated, and bandwidth capacity and quality-of-service (QoS) parameters associated with the secondary storage device is determined. In the case of a client request to begin presentation of the title at one of the chapters, streaming of retrieved portions of the play track chapter to the client is initiated, masking latency associated with the secondary storage device is provided, and retrieval of at least unretrieved portions of the play track chapter and subsequent play track portions from the secondary storage device is initiated. |
| US07882259B2 |
Method and system for real-time accessing of digital data stored on a remote terminal
The present invention relates to a system and method of providing at least one digital content item substantially in real-time from at least one user's terminal to another user's terminal over a data network, said method comprises: (a) indexing at least one digital content item provided from at least one user's terminal over a data network, giving rise to an items index; (b) receiving a request to provide a digital content item to user's terminal over said data network; (c) conducting a search for the requested digital content item by means of said items index; and (d) if said requested digital content item is found within said items index, providing said requested digital content item from said at least one user's terminal to another user's terminal over said data network by streaming said digital content item substantially in real-time to said another user's terminal. |
| US07882258B1 |
System, method, and computer readable medium for creating a video clip
A system, method, and computer readable medium for creating a video clip comprises receiving still image files by a first module, creating a copy of a still image from the still image files with reduced dimensions by the first module, creating a new still image from a selected area of the still image, storing the new still image and the copy of the still image with a unified file name, ordering the stored images, creating an audio file by at least one of a second module and a third module, creating a timeline, by the first module, related to the ordered images and the created audio, and rendering the timeline into the video clip by a fourth module. |
| US07882257B2 |
Stream processing node
In a stream processing node, a producer of properly ordered portions of a data stream, hereinafter referred to as substreams, is coupled to a stream fabric that is further coupled to a series of potential consumers for the data stream, one of the potential consumers being a content processing element. The producer outputs the substreams to a stream queue that is associated with the data stream within the stream fabric. Subsequently, a portion of the data within the stream queue is copied and analyzed by the content processing element which determines what further actions are to be taken with respect to the data within the particular stream queue. These actions could include copying a further portion of the data within the stream queue to the content processing element for further analysis; redirecting the data within the stream queue to another consumer of the data stream, such as another processing element or an interface with a packet switched network; modifying a portion of the data within the stream queue; and/or transferring a portion of the data within the stream queue to another stream queue. |
| US07882255B2 |
Method and apparatus for maintaining local area network (“LAN”) and wireless LAN (“WLAN”) security associations
Cooperating entities share a signaling interface. Each entity establishes a security association between itself and an endpoint, and one of the entities transmits keepalive messages over a channel associated with the security association. Chipsets and systems to implement related methods are also described and claimed. |
| US07882251B2 |
Routing hints
An exemplary network gateway is capable of accepting a session-related message having a session identifier field; the network gateway is adapted to extract a host identifier from a value populating the session identifier field and to perform a routing operation for the session-related message using the host identifier. For an exemplary media implementation, processor-executable instructions direct a device to perform actions including: ascertaining a host identifier from a session identifier field of a session message; and routing the session message responsive to the ascertained host identifier. An exemplary apparatus includes: at least one processor; and one or more media including processor-executable instructions that are capable of being executed by the at least one processor to direct the apparatus to perform actions including: receiving a session message having a session identifier including a host identifier; and routing the session message responsive to the host identifier. |
| US07882247B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing secure connectivity in mobile and other intermittent computing environments
Method and apparatus including a mobility server enables secure connectivity using standards-based Virtual Private Network (VPN) IPSEC algorithms in a mobile and intermittently connected computing environment. Transitions between and among networks occur seamlessly—with a mobility server being effective to shield networked applications from interruptions in connectivity. The applications and/or users need not be aware of these transitions, although intervention is possible. |
| US07882245B2 |
Presence service access device, presence service system and method for publishing and acquiring presence information
A presence service access device is disclosed for a presentity to publish presence information and transmit said information to the presence server, the device comprising a presentity communication module and a service scheduling control module. Further disclosed is a presence service system using the presence service access device, comprising a presentity, a presence service access device, a presence server, and a watcher client. Also disclosed is a method of publishing and acquiring presence information comprising steps of: 1. a presentity which publishes presence information; 2. the presence service access device which receives the presence information published by the presentity and forwards the same to a presence server; and 3. the presence server which distributes the presence information to corresponding watcher client. According to the present invention, various presentities provide presence information to watcher clients by connecting presence servers through a presence service access device. |
| US07882239B2 |
Communications method and apparatus, database information retrieval method and apparatus
A method is provided of establishing a communications session between first and second devices associated with first and second parties respectively. A session request message indicates a request to establish the session and comprises session information. In response to the session request message, further information is retrieved and included in the session request message. A session is established based on information in the resulting session request message. The session may be established between the first and second devices using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). Summary information is included for determining complete information by the second device after the session has been established. The complete information is stored in a mail server and the summary information derived from the complete information is stored in a database. The summary information is retrieved from the database for inclusion in the further information so as to enable the second device subsequently to retrieve complete information from the mail server relating to that summary information. |
| US07882233B2 |
Unicast/multicast architecture
A system and method for providing content to users including a multicast sub-system providing content to multiple users and a unicast sub-system providing content to individual users. The multicast sub-system being operative to push to each of a plurality of user communities, content relating to the community and the unicast sub-system being operative to provide on demand to a user, content which has not been previously pushed to the user. |
| US07882229B2 |
Security checking program for communication between networks
A method for determining if a multiplicity of networks are authorized to communicate with each other and what IP protocol can be used for communication between each combination of two of the networks. For each network, a computer readable data base stores a record of (a) IP protocol(s) permitted to be used with said each network and (b) types of other networks permitted to communicate to said each network. For said each network, a computer readable data base stores a record of IP protocols and destination and source networks permitted by a respective firewall or router for said each network. For said each network, a computer readable data base stores a record of a type of said each network. Multiple combinations of the networks are automatically identified. Each of the combinations comprises a source network and a destination network. For each of the combinations, based on the records, it is automatically determined if each of the networks in the combination is permitted to communicate with the other network in the combination and what IP protocol(s) are common to both of the networks in the combination. |
| US07882218B2 |
Platform independent historian
Systems and methods that provide for historians communicating in a plurality of protocols/languages with various resources via employing an abstraction component that normalizes such communication. Accordingly, the historian can supply a common configuration for various data (e.g., events, command, event, alarm, scenarios, transactions, messages, and the like), and hence provide support for third party devices. The abstraction component can further facilitate: Filtering, Bridging, Routing, Propagation, Transformation and Monitoring of data exchange with third party devices. |
| US07882217B2 |
Network identity clustering
A computer-implemented method for communication analysis includes monitoring communication sessions, which are conducted by entities in a communication network. Identifiers that identify the entities are extracted from the monitored sessions. The identifiers extracted from the sessions are grouped in respective identity clusters, each identity cluster identifying a respective entity. A subset of the identity clusters, which includes identifiers that identify a target entity, is merged to form a merged identity cluster that identifies the target entity. An activity of the target entity in the communication network is tracked using the merged identity cluster. |
| US07882215B2 |
System and method for implementing polling agents in a client management tool
A method and system is provided for implementing a variety of polling agent functions in a client management tool. Users at a central manager are prompted to select either a central polling function or a resident polling function for the collection of client management data from a number of computer objects. Additionally, the polling agent functions of the present invention are capable of distinguishing between critical data and non-critical data and determining an appropriate transmission interval for the data. |
| US07882209B1 |
Tiered and modular approach to operational support systems
A computer system and techniques are disclosed that provide support for the operations of a modern telecommunication services provider. The computer system includes several software modules arranged in layers that are configured to provide services, such as a data access, workflow, and business-management functions. In some preferred embodiments, data cleansing and enterprise-view functionality are provided. An application program interface is also provided that allows a software program to execute software modules contained in the layers to perform specific tasks. |
| US07882207B1 |
Mobile communications network for performing data routing to a mobile terminal by a home agent
A method of transmitting one or more data streams to a mobile terminal having multiple network connections, the method comprising: sending the one or more data streams from a correspondent host to a home agent located in the home network of the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal sending a request for the data stream to be transmitted by the correspondent host and the mobile terminal communicating with the home agent to transmit the network location of the mobile terminal to the home agent, and then forwarding the one or more data streams via the foreign agent to the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal communicates network connectivity data to the home agent and the forwarding of the one or more data streams is dependent upon the network connectivity data received by the home agent. |
| US07882206B2 |
Storage device system and storage device system activating method
A storage device system has a plurality of storage devices for storing information; a storage device control section that controls storage of information in the storage devices; and a connection unit connected to the storage device control section. Furthermore, the storage device system has a first communication control section that includes a first processor which is connected to the storage device control section via the connection unit and also connected on a first network external to the storage device system, which converts information of a first form received over the first external network into information of a second form, and which issues a request for access to the storage devices; and a second processor which accesses the storage devices via the connection unit and the storage device control section in response to the access request issued from the first processor, and which controls activation of the first processor. |
| US07882205B2 |
Device setting apparatus, device setting method, information acquiring apparatus, information acquiring method, storage medium, and program
The present invention provides an easy and automatic setting process for an external device regardless of the type of external device connected. Device information is acquired by a device information acquiring unit 31 from an external device 20 that is communicably connected; setting information of the external device is analyzed based on the acquired device information by a device information analyzing unit 32; a setting technique corresponding to the external device is determined based on analysis results and performs the setting process for the external device by a setting performing unit 35 to automatically recognize the external device, thereby allowing a setting process to be automatically executed according to the recognized device. |
| US07882199B2 |
System and method for effectively implementing an electronic image manager device
A system and method for effectively implementing an electronic image manager device includes one or more input/output interfaces for bi-directionally communicating with various information sources to transfer content information that includes image data. The electronic image manager device also includes a memory device for archiving the content information, and an application program that manipulates the content information by performing various procedures such as downloading and uploading the content information, organizing and managing the content information, editing the content information, and displaying the content information. |
| US07882190B2 |
Systems and methods for optimizing smart mail
Methods and systems provide for creating and generating dynamic mailings which include providing for static and dynamic content to be included in a dynamically generated e-mail; establishing filters for determining dynamic content; establishing a generic e-mail including static and dynamic content; selecting dynamic content using the filters; generating a dynamic e-mail based upon the generic e-mail and the dynamic content selected; and transmitting the dynamically generated e-mail. |
| US07882187B2 |
Method and system for detecting undesired email containing image-based messages
A system and method of detecting undesired email containing image-based messages employs a statistical analysis process which identifies and assigns probability values to the presence of each of a pre-selected set of text-related characteristics of an email under consideration and to the presence of each of a pre-selected set of image-related characteristics of the email under consideration. The identified characteristics and their associated probability values are used to determine whether the email is undesired. In one embodiment, the identification and assignment of probability values is a Bayesian analysis and, preferably, a Statistical Token Analysis. The system and method can identify undesired emails which contain images having messages, generally in the form of text in the image. |
| US07882186B1 |
Selectable email signatures
A method for modifying email signatures in emails by enabling the sender to use a numeric code appended behind the top level domain name of the intended email address portion of a readdressed email address. This readdressed address is received by an email server that inserts a numeric code-selected signature and forwards the email to the intended email address. |
| US07882185B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing e-mail attachments
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for managing e-mail attachments. A determination is made as to whether a unique identifier is present in an e-mail message, wherein the unique is associated with an e-mail attachment in response to receiving the e-mail message from a client for delivery to a recipient. The e-mail attachment is attached to the e-mail message in response to the unique identifier being present. The e-mail message is sent with the e-mail attachment to the recipient. |
| US07882183B2 |
Managing a response to an email by a hidden email recipient
A method, system, and program are provided for managing a response to an email by a hidden email recipient. A hidden recipient manager detects a request to respond to an electronic communication by a hidden recipient of that electronic communication from among a plurality of recipients of the electronic communication. The hidden recipient detects whether the request to respond is addressed to at least one recipient other than a sender of the electronic communication. If the request to respond is addressed to at least one recipient other than a sender of the electronic communication, then the hidden recipient manager warns the hidden recipient that the request to respond is addressed to at least one recipient who is unaware of the recipient of the electronic communication by the hidden recipient. |
| US07882182B2 |
Correcting information in a received electronic mail
Correcting information in an electronic mail of a recipient and sending notification of the corrected information. Information is corrected in a received e-mail by a recipient of the received e-mail, and a correction note is generated that contains the correction. The correction note is used by a correcting user agent to correct information in the received e-mail for any other recipients and the sender of the received e-mail. The correction note is sent to the other recipients and the sender of the received e-mail. |
| US07882177B2 |
Employing pixel density to detect a spam image
A network device and method are directed towards detecting and blocking image spam within a message by performing statistical analysis on differences in edge pixel distribution patterns. An image spam detection component receives a message with an image attachment. Physical characteristics of the image are examined to determine whether the image is a candidate for further analysis. If so, then the image may be converted to a grayscale image, and then performing edge detection, followed by the elimination of non-maxima and thresholding of weak edges. Edge pixels and then employed to determine a normalized pixel density distribution (PDD). Various statistical analyses are applied to the resulting normalized PDD to determine a likelihood that the image is spam. A signature based exemption may be applied to images improperly identified as spam, based on trusted user feedback. |
| US07882176B2 |
Establishing a multiparty session by sending invitations in parallel
A method and system for establishing a multiparty session with a mesh configuration by sending out invitations to endpoints in parallel is provided. To initiate a session, an initiating endpoint sends invitations in parallel to the endpoints that are to be in the session. When the initiating endpoint receives an acceptance, it then sends to the accepting endpoint an indication of the other endpoints that are currently in the session. When an accepting endpoint receives the indication of the endpoints in the session, the accepting endpoint sends an invitation to establish a dialog to each of the indicated endpoints. When an endpoint that is in the session receives such an invitation, it can automatically accept the invitation because it is already participating in the session. |
| US07882175B1 |
Selecting an advertising message for presentation on a page of a publisher web site based upon both user history and page context
A facility for selecting an advertising message to present to a user via a selected device in connection with a selected instance of electronic content presented via the device is described. For the selected instance of electronic content, as well as any other instances of electronic content that were previously presented via the selected device during an immediately preceding period of time of preselected length, the facility distinguishes any subjects identified as corresponding to the instance of electronic content. Among a number of advertising messages, the facility distinguishes advertising messages identified as corresponding to any of the distinguished subjects. The facility weights each of the distinguished advertising messages based upon its expected level of performance, and randomly selects one of the distinguished advertising messages in accordance with their weights for presentation in connection with the selected instance of electronic content via the selected device. |
| US07882173B2 |
Interactive remote command execution over a stateless client/server network protocol
A mechanism for executing a remote command in a stateless client/server environment that provides progress information and allows user input that can influence command execution. A server receives a command request thread and processes the thread asynchronously by launching an asynchronous thread of execution and creating a conversation identifier for identifying the thread. In executing the command thread, if a conflict in execution of the thread exists, the server halts execution of the thread, creates a user input request to provide a resolution to the conflict and a user input request identifier, and sends the user input request, user input request identifier, and conversation identifier to the client. Responsive to receiving a response from the client, the server processes the user input and resumes execution of the command thread based on the user input. |
| US07882166B2 |
Inter-computer data transfer method and inter-computer network system
A data transfer method for a network system wherein a plurality of computers are connected to each other through a switched network is improved in terms of the TLB hit ratio. Each of the computers includes a main storage device, a processor for issuing a communication process command and a communication device for processing the communication command from the processor and communicating with another one of the computers through a switched network. The communication device includes a transmission section and a reception section each of which includes a TLB for retaining a plurality of TLB entries. When a communication command including information of that one of the computers which is a sending source is issued from the processor, the reception section determines that one of the TLB entries which is to be used in accordance with the computer of the sending source. |
| US07882162B2 |
Rapid access to data on a powered down personal computer
The disclosed embodiments provide rapid access to information stored on a personal computing device even though the personal computing device is powered off or otherwise in a low-power consumption state such as a sleep state or hibernation state. An software component gathers user data in a location such as a non-volatile memory associated with a host computer. A browser component accesses the stored data and makes it available to the user when the host computer is powered down or otherwise in a state of low power consumption. |
| US07882159B2 |
Associative references in a garbage collected programming environment
Associative references in a garbage collected programming environment is disclosed. An indication that an object is not reachable from any root object. The object is kept alive if it is determined by a garbage collection process, based at least in part on data other than data comprising the object or managed by an application with which the object is associated, that the object is associated with at least one other object that has been determined to be reachable. |
| US07882153B1 |
Method and system for electronic messaging of trade data
A method for electronic messaging of trade data involves receiving trade data having an unknown format in an electronic message, where trade data includes individual trade data elements, processing the electronic message to resolve the unknown format into a known format, parsing trade data using the known format to obtain individual trade data elements, and storing individual trade data elements in a trade data repository. |
| US07882148B2 |
Context modeler and method for modeling a context representation
A context modeler models a context representation and a method models a context representation. The context modeler models a context representation in an application. The context is represented in a current situation by at least one context entity that is included in at least one collection of references to a plurality of entities in a database in accordance with the situation. The context modeler includes an activation model for assigning an activation attribute to the at least one context entity indicating the importance of the at least one context entity in the current situation. The context modeler takes into account the activation attribute in modeling the context representation. |
| US07882147B2 |
File location naming hierarchy
Embodiments of methods, apparatuses, devices and/or systems for a file location naming hierarchy are disclosed. |
| US07882145B2 |
Method and system for orchestration of content processing in mobile delivery frameworks
A method and system for coordinating content processing in a mobile delivery framework, the method having the steps of embedding, within a metadata envelope associated with content, external references to external enablers; and inserting content processing coordination rules into the metadata envelope. |
| US07882139B2 |
Content oriented index and search method and system
This present invention describes an innovative solution in the area of indexing and searching binary files including various binary files such as multimedia files, including image files, mp3 files and other audio/video files from the public Internet. The invention introduces a way to index binary files such as multimedia files according to their content signatures, which uniquely identify themselves, and search for related files by walking through a graph database constructed during the index phase. The present invention can be used in a search engine and a download engine, as well as with text based index and search technologies. As a result, such extended usage will broaden a multimedia file's context and increase relevant accuracy of the keywords describing the context. |
| US07882136B2 |
Foresight data transfer type hierarchical storage system
A storage system includes a file server connected with a plurality of computers, and a second storage device connected with a first storage device, in which the second storage device has a second volume; the first storage device has a virtual volume virtualized with a first volume and the second volume as a self-device possessed volume; and the file server mounts the first volume as a first directory, mounts the virtual volume as a second directory, and copies predetermined files in the second directory into the first directory. |
| US07882133B2 |
Apparatus for processing integrated query from various sensor networks and method thereof
An apparatus for processing an integrated query from various sensor networks and a method thereof are provided. The apparatus includes an integrated query parser for parsing an integrated query and analyzing a syntax of the parsed integrated query; an integrated query execution plan generator for analyzing meaning of the parsed integrated query and generating an integrated query execution query for processing an integrated query; an integrated query optimizer for optimizing a process time for the generated execution plan based on query information stored in the query information storage and sensor network information stored in the sensor network information storage; and an integrated query executer for detailing the integrated query execution plan by controlling an execution order according to the optimized integrated query and transferring the detailed integrated query execution plan to an event data process executer, a temporal data process executer, and a continuous data process executer. |
| US07882127B2 |
Multi-category support for apply output
A system, method, and computer program product provides a multi-category apply operation in a data mining system that produces output with multiple class values, their associated measures including probabilities in case of supervised models, quality of fit and distance in case of clustering models, and the relative ranks of the predictions. A method for multi-category apply in a data mining system comprises the steps of receiving input data for scoring including a plurality of rows of data applied to a data mining model and generating multi-category apply output including a plurality of class values and their associated probabilities based on the received input data, the selected class values having probabilities meeting a selection criterion and their ranks. |
| US07882124B2 |
Expanding a query to include terms associated through visual content
A method for expanding a query to include additional terms associated through visual content is provided. A bipartite graph is constructed based on a database of visual content and associated textual content. One partition of the bipartite graph contains visual content and the other partition of the bipartite graph contains textual content. Weighted edges between nodes in the two partitions represent associations between the visual content and textual content in the database. Random walks on the bipartite graph are performed to derive probabilistic association scores between textual content that are indirectly associated with each other through visual content. The query is expanded to include additional terms whose equivalent textual content is highly associated with the query's equivalent textual content. |
| US07882120B2 |
Data description language for record based systems
Determining compatibility of data structures. A method may be practiced in a computing environment. The method includes accessing a first type defined in a mark-up object. The first type includes a first structure including a first plurality of fields. A second type defined in a mark-up object is accessed. The second type includes a second structure including a second plurality of fields. The first structure and the second structure are compared. Based on the comparison, a determination is made that the first type is compatible with the second type. |
| US07882119B2 |
Document alignment systems for legacy document conversions
A method for aligning documents which may be in different XML formats includes inputting source and target leaves of a source and documents in first and second tree structured formats and assigning a cost to each of a plurality of matches. Each match may include a source leaf and a target leaf or be an unmatched source or target leaf. Matches are identified for which a total cost is minimal, wherein each of the leaves is in at least one of the identified matches. From the identified matches, groups of two or more matches are identified which have a leaf in common. From the groups, probable matches are identified in which more that one target leaf is matched with at least one source leaf or more than one source leaf is matched with a target leaf. An alignment between leaves of the target document and leaves of the source document is output which includes the probable matches. |
| US07882118B2 |
Content acquisition method
The present invention can remarkably improve the efficiency of the acquisition process. It is determined if requested contents data are stored in a hard disk or not and, if they are not stored yet, they are acquired from a contents providing server 6 and subsequently a corresponding contents attributes file 47 is acquired from an attributes information providing server 7. If the requested contents data are already stored in the hard disk, the contents data are not requested and only the corresponding contents attributes file 47 is acquired from the attributes information providing server 7. In this way, it is possible to avoid acquiring contents data in duplicate and remarkably reduce the time necessary for the acquisition process to remarkably improve the efficiency of the acquisition process. |
| US07882115B2 |
Method and apparatus for improved information representation
A information search and navigation system indexes, categorizes and condenses data from text or other documents. In various embodiments, the invention further can utilize user information goals, document or website types and multi-page link path options that together provide a fast, multi-page Web navigation system. |
| US07882114B2 |
Data processing method and data processing program
Table-formatted data is divided into information blocks, each including a value list where item values are arranged in order of item value number corresponding to the item value of each item, and a pointer array where pointer values, each indicate an item value number, are arranged in order of unique record number. A part of records is selected as a subset, and in response to the selection, an ordered set array including the record numbers of the subset is created. Each record number in the ordered set array indicates the position of one of the pointer values in the pointer array, which are arranged in the item value number array correspondingly to positions where the record numbers are arrayed. With reference to values in the item value number array, a second pointer array wherein position elements are arranged, and a second value list wherein value elements are arranged, are generated. |
| US07882113B2 |
Method, apparatus, and system for formatting time data to improve processing in a sort utility
Control statements related to record input, output, filtering, and formatting in a data processing system are scanned by a parser to ascertain a set of specified formats referenced in the control statements. A time generation module receives a time metric provided by a system timer or the like and converts the time metric to a set of time sub-fields ranging from years to seconds. The sub-fields are concatenated to generate a time constant in each specified format. The generated time constants may be inserted into records or used in comparison operations with time-based fields within data records. The present invention increases the utility of a data processing system while minimizing the processing burden associated with formatting time constants. |
| US07882110B2 |
Method and system for migrating documents
A method for exporting native source documents (NSDs) from a document repository. The method includes identifying a first NSD to export, where the first NSD includes a first version of content and first metadata, and identifying a second NSD to export, where the second NSD comprises a second version of the content and second metadata. The method further includes generating a source content definition file (CDF) document that includes a global property, a first version-specific property for the first version of the content, a reference to the first version of the content, a second version specific-property for the second version of the content, and a reference to the second version of the content. The method further includes storing the source CDF document in a persistent storage device. |
| US07882108B2 |
Dynamically updating a websheet configuration
A system and computer program product for updating a configuration of a websheet. A client receives a web page including the websheet from a server. The websheet includes data values stored in a relational database table. The table includes a first set of data values displayed in cells of the websheet in response to the client receiving the web page. The table also includes a second set of data values associated with the websheet configuration. Second set data values are not displayed in the websheet in response to the client receiving the web page. A form displaying the second set is received by the client. Second set data values are updated on the form to provide an updated websheet configuration. With its updated configuration, the websheet is displayed at the client and allows data entry to modify or add first set data values. |
| US07882107B2 |
Method and system for processing a text search query in a collection of documents
A method, system and computer program product implementing the method are provided to process a text search query in a collection of documents. A full posting index is generated for the documents in the collection. The full posting index comprises one or more first index terms and a full posting list for each first index term, enumerating the occurrences of the first index term in the documents. In addition to the full posting index, at least one additional posting index is generated for the documents. The additional posting index is related to a defined document part and comprises one or more second index terms and a restricted posting list for each second index term, enumerating all occurrences of the second index term in the document part of the documents of the collection. The text search query is performed using the additional posting index. |
| US07882104B2 |
Monitoring performance of a data processing system
An apparatus and program product monitor performance of a computer system via a result size including a result set size of accesses to a database and a page size. Preferred embodiments are directed to a performance monitor that correlates data from existing tools that report data concerning access to the database and the use of system resources. Other embodiments are directed to a performance monitor that is included in an application server associated with the database. |
| US07882103B2 |
Using point-in-time views to provide varying levels of data freshness
A data-warehousing system allows various areas of an enterprise to view data at varying levels of data freshness. The system acquires data that represents an event in the life of a business enterprise, such as a transaction between the enterprise and one of its customers, and loads this data into a database table. The system then makes the data available for retrieval from the table and stores information indicating when the data was made available for retrieval. In some embodiments, the system also acquires data that is related to and more current than the data representing the event and stores the more current data in the database. The system then stores information indicating when the more current data was stored in the database. Such a data warehouse allows decision-makers in the business to see some information (e.g., customer transaction or account data) up-to-the-moment and other information as it stood at some specific point-in-time, such as at the end of the previous month. The data-warehousing system does this without requiring duplication of data, i.e., without requiring the replication of data in multiple databases or tables. The system allows the enterprise to maintain all of its data in a single database with refresh periods as short as the enterprise wishes. Departments that demand data that changes less frequently can view the data as it stood at some point prior to the last refresh. |
| US07882096B2 |
Information managing apparatus, information managing method, and computer product
A storing unit stores therein hierarchical-relation information indicating information on a user having a hierarchical relation. A determining unit determines, when information on an article is acquired from a user who created the information on the article, a user to which the information on the article is to be output, based on the hierarchical-relation information. An output unit outputs the information on the article to a user based on a result of determination by the determining unit. |
| US07882095B2 |
Resource locators for widely distributed systems
Methods and systems provide simple syndication, browsing, searching, and subscribing solutions to networks of friends. In at least some embodiments, the approaches utilize standard HTTP protocols for consumption, subscription, and interaction of data while using the local file system for publication. The inventive approach overlays a URL address space that can be handled and routed interchangeably between multiple clients and servers or “locations”. In this manner, generated requests for user published content can be satisfied by local caches, servers, or peers through, for example, a peer-to-peer network. Accordingly, the inventive solutions provide a platform to make this possible with a simple publishing model that is fully compatible with existing Internet enabled applications. |
| US07882094B2 |
Address matching system and method
An address matching system that maintains a central database of valid addresses has been designed. According to the invention, address matching requests are received by the system from a plurality of remote users located at respective machines (“clients”). Those requests are processed at the central system, and the results are returned to the client that made the request. In addition, novel techniques are implemented for improving the likelihood of obtaining one or more matches from a request. |
| US07882088B2 |
Method and system for transferring data from a data warehouse
A method for transferring data from a data warehouse. The method includes selecting data from a data warehouse, generating a data transfer worklist including the data, and transferring the data transfer worklist from the data warehouse to a price planning workbench. |
| US07882081B2 |
Optimized disk repository for the storage and retrieval of mostly sequential data
A system for the storage and retrieval of data files includes a data disk, a configuration disk and a controller. Each data file includes one or more data blocks, each data block comprising a data section. The data disk stores the data blocks and is divided into a plurality of block groups. The configuration disk stores a copy of at least a portion of the corresponding meta-data. The controller controls both the data disk and the configuration disk. |
| US07882076B2 |
Primary server architectural networking arrangement and methods therefor
An arrangement for performing at least one of collecting and analyzing data from a tool cluster configured to process a set of substrates is provided. The arrangement includes a plurality of tools from which at least one tool of the plurality of tools has a chamber for processing at least one of the set of substrates. The arrangement also includes a plurality of secondary servers configured to collect sensor data from the plurality of tools. The arrangement further includes a primary server communicably coupled with the plurality of secondary servers and configured to execute a database management system. The sensor data is indexed using a plurality of indexing applications on the plurality of secondary servers prior to being forwarded to the primary server for use by the database management system. Indexing includes associating a sensor data item with an identity of a server where the sensor data item is stored. |
| US07882068B2 |
Systems and methods for adaptive copy on write
In one embodiment, a user or client device communicates with a distributed file system comprised of one or more physical nodes. The data on each of the physical nodes store metadata about files and directories within the file system. Some of the embodiments permit a user to take a snapshot of data stored on the file system. The snapshot may include a single file, a single directory, a plurality of files within a directory, a plurality of directories, a path on the file system that includes nested files and subdirectories, or more than one path on the file system that each includes nested files and directories. In some embodiments, systems and methods intelligently choose whether to use copy-on-write or point-in-time copy when saving data in a snapshot version of a file whose current version is being overwritten. In some embodiments, systems and methods allow snapshot users to return from a snapshot directory to the immediate parent directory from which the user entered into the snapshot. |
| US07882065B2 |
Processing a request to update a file in a file system with update data
Provided are a method, system, and program for processing a request to update a file in a file system with update data. The update request to a target file that is directed to the file system is processed, wherein the target file is in a mirror copy relationship with a mirror file. A determination is made as to whether a copy operation from the target file to the mirror file is in progress and whether bytes to update in the target file have been copied to the mirror file in response to determining that the copy operation is in progress. The update data is copied to the bytes to update in the target file in response to determining that the bytes to update have not been copied to the mirror file, wherein the update data is subsequently copied to the mirror file during subsequent progress of the copy operation. |
| US07882064B2 |
File system replication
File system replication includes determining whether one of a plurality of files included in an original file system has been updated since a previous replication, the file having a plurality of data segments, and in the event that the file has been updated, locating among the plurality of data segments a previously stored data segment that is newly referenced by the file, and that does not require replication. |
| US07882063B2 |
System for synchronization of configuration values between a data base and its input utility
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for synchronizing configuration values between a database and a remote input utility by configuring the database for remote input and loading the configuration values to a control file at the server, and copying the configuration values to a control file at remote system including the input utility, executing the input utility at a remote system using configuration values from the control file at the remote system to prepare data for input to the database, and responsive to the configuration values at the control file of the server, updating the configuration values in the control file at the remote system before migrating the new data from the input utility to the database. |
| US07882060B2 |
Remote space efficient repository
A method for storing data includes establishing a space efficient storage system including a virtual repository, a staging repository and a remote repository. The virtual repository includes a first pointer to the staging repository, and the staging repository includes a second pointer to the remote repository. The method further includes receiving data at the virtual repository, storing the received data in the staging repository based on the first pointer, and transferring the stored data to the remote repository based on the second pointer. |
| US07882059B2 |
Information process apparatus and method, program record medium, and program
To smoothly reproduce data. A clip generation section 104 generates a clip information file that describes attribute information of each piece of essence data that are necessary to reproduce each piece of essence data generated by a data generation section 103 according to parameter information supplied from an information obtainment section 102. An index file update section 105 generates in an index file read from an optical disc 17 and stored in a RAM a clip element that describes attribute information of a clip necessary to reproduce the clip according to the parameter information supplied from the information obtainment section 102 and updates the index file. The present invention can be applied to a video program creation support system. |
| US07882057B1 |
Complex configuration processing using configuration sub-models
A configuration model dividing and configuration sub-model inference processing system and procedure addresses the issue of configuration model and query complexity by breaking a configuration problem down into a set of smaller problems, solving them individually and recombining the results into a single result that is equivalent to a conventional inference procedure. In one embodiment, a configuration model is divided into configuration sub-models that can respectively be processed using existing data processing resources. A sub-model inference procedure provides a way to scale queries to larger and more complicated configuration models. Thus, the configuration model dividing and configuration sub-model processing system and inference procedure allows processing by a data processing system of configuration models and queries whose collective complexity exceeds the complexity of otherwise unprocessable conventional, consolidated configuration models and queries. |
| US07882055B2 |
Knowledge discovery agent system and method
A system and method for processing information in unstructured or structured form, comprising a computer running in a distributed network with one or more data agents. Associations of natural language artifacts may be learned from natural language artifacts in unstructured data sources, and semantic and syntactic relationships may be learned in structured data sources, using grouping based on a criteria of shared features that are dynamically determined without the use of a priori classifications, by employing conditional probability constraints. |
| US07882053B2 |
Methods and apparatus for preparing high-dimensional combinatorial experiments
Computer-implemented methods, systems and apparatus, including computer program apparatus, provide techniques for designing a set of experiments to be performed with a set of resources. A plurality of experimental configurations are generated based on a set of parameters describing factors to be varied in the experiments and a set of constraints representing limitations on operations that can be performed with the set of resources. A set of experiments is defined based on a selected configuration. The constraints can be represented as patterns defining an application of a parameter to a set of one or more points of an experimental lattice. |
| US07882050B2 |
Data division apparatus, data division method and program
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided with a data division apparatus which divides multi-dimensional data, including: a data input unit which inputs multi-dimensional data; a division plane candidate creator which creates a plurality of division plane candidates for dividing the multi-dimensional data; a data provisional division unit which provisionally divides the multi-dimensional data by using the division plane candidate to generate clusters; a model generator which generates models from the clusters; an evaluation value calculator which calculates an evaluation value on the basis of the generated models and the multi-dimensional data; a division candidate selector which compares evaluation values respectively corresponding to the division plane candidates and selects a division plane candidate having a highest evaluation value; and a data division unit which divides the multi-dimensional data by using the selected division plane candidate. |
| US07882045B1 |
Providing ad information using machine learning selection paradigms
An ad system is described for providing ad selections in response to an ad presentation opportunity. The ad system can use multiple content providers to generate multiple sets of ad candidates. The content providers can apply different ad selection paradigms in generating their sets of ad candidates. The paradigms may act on different aspects of a context pertaining to the ad presentation opportunity. A chooser module and filtering module can cull the set of ad selections from among the plural sets of ad candidates. At least one content provider uses machine learning functionality in generating ad candidates, such as a Naïve Bayesian approach, an affiliate similarity approach, etc. Various content providers also find application in a stand-alone mode. |
| US07882044B2 |
Method of manufacturing an information handling system
A method of manufacturing an information handling system having at least one hardware component, e.g. motherboard, bearing a unique identifier (component ID) in software-readable form. The method includes generating a digital identifier (system trackcode) which defines the hardware and software configuration of the item and storing the system trackcode in association with the component ID in a manufacturing database such that the component ID can be used as a key to retrieve the associated system trackcode. During manufacture the component ID is read from the motherboard and used to retrieve the associated system trackcode from the database. |
| US07882039B2 |
System and method of adaptive personalization of search results for online dating services
A system and method are directed towards automatically modifying an online dating service's search results based on adaptive personalizations from a user's activities. A user provides input to questions that seek information regarding the user. The invention employs the input to identify a list of candidates for a potential long-term social relationship with the user. The invention may then develop a unified search score for each candidate that represents a weighted sum of normalized search subscores. The subscores represent various user activities, affinities with a candidate, frequencies of viewing a candidate profile, and feedback about a candidate from the user. The unified search score for each candidate is then used to rank order the results presented to the user. |
| US07882038B2 |
Verification method for operation of encryption apparatus and its application to electronic voting
A verification method for encrypter operation and an electronic voting verification system using the same, which can verify the operation of the encrypter without having to execute corresponding decryption. In the verification method, the encrypter creates a plurality of ciphertexts corresponding to the plain text and presenting the ciphertexts to a user. The user selects one of the ciphertexts, the encrypter dispenses a certificate where information used by the encrypter during encryption is recorded, in response to the ciphertexts which are not selected by the user; and the user creates a ciphertext in person and verifies whether or not the user-created ciphertext is identical with the user-selected ciphertext. Then, the user can verify the encryption results inside and outside a polling booth. |
| US07882028B1 |
Systems and methods for credit card fee calculation
In some embodiments, a calculation system may be used by a merchant to determine a merchant fee associated with a credit card transaction. The calculation system may consider various characteristics for the transaction to determine merchant fees associated with the transaction. For example, the calculation system may consider the relative security of the transaction, the length of time the transaction has been in an open batch, whether the credit card information is swiped or keyed in, whether address information for the transaction was verified, etc. The calculation system may analyze credit card transactions in real time and/or may analyze past merchant fee statements to determine the merchant fees associated with one or more past transactions. In some embodiments, the calculation system may be used by a card processor to analyze data from a merchant to determine a competitive rate/fee to offer the merchant. |
| US07882027B2 |
Consumer behaviors at lender level
The present invention generally relates to financial data processing, and in particular it relates to lender credit scoring, lender profiling, lender behavior analysis and modeling. More specifically, it relates to rating lenders based on data derived from their respective consumers. Also, the present invention relates to rating consumer lenders based on the predicted spend capacity of their consumers. |
| US07882026B1 |
Systems and methods for a flat interchange fee for high value credit card purchases
A maximum interchange fee is described herein. Calculating an interchange fee to be assessed may include receiving a purchase amount, determining if the purchase amount exceeds a set level, and if the purchase amount exceeds a set level, capping the interchange fee assessed at a maximum level. Calculating an interchange fee may include determining a maximum fee to be assessed, establishing a rate of reduction for the interchange fee so that the fee assessed does not exceed the maximum amount, receiving the purchase amount, and determining the interchange fee based upon the purchase amount and the rate of reduction. Providing for a capped interchange fee may include determining a maximum interchange fee, receiving a purchase amount, calculating an interchange fee, determining if the interchange fee calculated exceeds the maximum interchange fee, and notifying the merchant that the interchange fee exceeds the maximum amount. |
| US07882025B1 |
Systems and methods of a mortgage pricing service
Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for creating and using a common, generic, data/object model to represent information grids or lookup tables, such as a mortgage asset pricing information grid. The common model allows a common software representation for logically different attributes. |
| US07882024B2 |
System and method for efficiently processing multiple credit applications
A system and method for forwarding multiple credit applications to multiple potential lenders. A user computer or a credit management server sends queries to potential lenders inquiring about the respective information fields used in the potential lenders' respective credit applications. The queries also request information relating to the desired format and transmission method of the respective credit applications. With this information, a dynamic credit application is generated which includes all of information fields from all potential lenders. A credit applicant enters credit information into the dynamic credit application. The system then generates tailored credit applications for each lender and forwards these tailored applications to the respective potential lenders. The lenders process the tailored applications and provide results to the user. |
| US07882023B2 |
Method and system for managing collateral or property risk in a secured loan or lease portfolio
A method for managing collateral or property risk in a secured loan or lease portfolio includes monitoring the insurance status of each individual loan or lease. If insurance is not maintained as agreed by the borrower or lessee, a loan default or property protection fee is added to the loan or lease. The loan default or property protection fee is not allocated to an insurance premium but is used by the lender or lessor to offset expenses related to collateral or lease property damage. Optionally, the default provisions of the lending or lease agreement may be invoked if a maximum threshold level is reached while assessing the loan default or property protection fee. A system for implementing a method includes a loan or lease database and an insurance database. A data processor communicates with each database to determine whether the loan default or property protection fee is assessed. |
| US07882022B2 |
Computer support for mortgage lock option
A computer-aided method for carrying out an option on a loan, for example a residential mortgage loan, the method including the steps of: receiving information into a memory, the specifications defining the option on the loan, the specifications including a trigger for executing the option, the specifications such as an interest rate; evaluating the trigger with a computer accessing further data; and if the trigger is detected, signaling execution of the option. The option can be, for example, an interest rate floor, ceiling, or both. Computer cooperation can facilitates closing of the loan and downstream processing, if so desired. |
| US07882021B2 |
Financial settlement systems and methods
System and methods for facilitating the settlement of financial accounts across different entities utilize a host computer system that tracks financial transactions made at each merchant location or store and uses this information to reconcile accounts across different entities. In one embodiment, the host computer periodically performs a net settlement analysis of the transactional data received from each entity's stores. A request is prepared to transfer funds from each entity's bank account having a positive net settlement amount into a central entity bank account. A request is also prepared to transfer funds into each entity's bank account having a negative net settlement amount from the central entity bank account. |
| US07882020B1 |
Method and system for collection and analysis of shareholder information
A system and method is provided for the gathering of and manipulation of shareholder data, including information on individual shareholders and related custodians of shares, and comparing the shareholder/custodian data to a set of rules and/or a set of marketing analysis data to identify securities compliance issues and/or evaluate a securities marketing plan. |
| US07882013B2 |
Drag-and-drop graphical control interface for algorithmic trading engine
A graphical user interface is used along with an automated algorithm selection function to enable market participants to initiate automated, multi-algorithm trading strategies through a single drag and drop motion. A symbol representing a security can be dragged and dropped onto an icon representing a tactical or strategic algorithm. Other features of the graphical user interface show information such as the progress of the algorithms. |
| US07882007B2 |
Platform for market programs and trading programs
A platform supports multiple processes, including market processes having respective market methodologies, trading processes having trading methodologies, platform processes providing services to the market processes and trading processes, and representation processes for coupling the market processes to external markets. The trading processes interact with each other and with external markets through the market processes. |
| US07882006B2 |
System, method, and computer program product for scoring items based on user sentiment and for determining the proficiency of predictors
The present invention provides systems, methods, computer program products, and combinations and subcombinations thereof for scoring items based on user sentiment and for determining the proficiency of a predictor and for aiding an investment decision on an item by an individual. The invention includes one or more user devices and a prediction system server having a sentiment rating module, a user proficiency ranking module, a content creation module, and a database. Devices access the prediction system server directly via a communications medium or indirectly through links provided on a third party server. |
| US07882005B2 |
Stock purchase indices
A method and system for determining investor participation driven stock purchase indices. Raw customer trading data is received from an accounting system. The raw customer trading data is then aggregated to generate daily transaction total counts for all stocks (that is, total shares bought and sold, total market value, etc.) as well as daily transaction total counts for each individual stock. Aggregation of the raw customer data also addresses customer privacy concerns. The aggregated data is processed to produce moving averages, stock purchase indices, and stock rankings. The stock purchase indices are based on a diffusion index technique of segregating buyers from sellers, and with these relative counts, measures the breadth of investor purchasing participation. The stock purchase indices are then displayed to a graphical user interface. The display includes stock buy and sell ranking lists. |
| US07882004B2 |
Construction payment management system and method with hierarchical invoicing and direct payment features
A system and method for managing a construction payment process. One method embodying the invention can include creating an electronically-executed first request for payment on behalf of a first participant in a construction project, transmitting the first request for payment to a second participant in the construction project, creating an electronically-executed second request for payment based on the first request for payment, transmitting the second request for payment to a payment source in the construction project, directing transmitting a payment to the second participant from the payment source, and directly transmitting a payment to the first participant from the payment source. |
| US07882003B2 |
System and method for remote deposit capture
A system includes one or more remote check deposit locations, and one or more treasury receipt servers to receive check information captured from the one or more remote check deposit locations, and to receive transaction data from an originating depository financial institution (ODFI), the transaction data including an amount of funds available from clearing the captured check information. |
| US07882001B2 |
Graphical system for determining the relative attractiveness of investments
A system for scoring and evaluating financial investments including a server accessible by at least one client, a database including a plurality of financial indicators for a plurality of investments, software executing on the server for generating a score for each of at least a portion of the financial indicators for a target investment relative to a reference set of the investments, software for determining a comparison set including at least one of the plurality investments, software for generating a score for the portion of the financial indicators for the comparison set relative to the reference set, software for generating a display of the scores for the target investment, wherein the display includes a chart including an axis extending radially from a point for each of the portion of the financial indicators, wherein each of the scores is plotted along one of the axes. |
| US07881995B2 |
Systems and methods for objective financing of assets
Systems, methods, and computer program products consistent with the principles of the present invention provide an infrastructure for asset owners to obtain financing arrangements from a multitude of liability providers in near real time and objectively. |
| US07881993B2 |
System, method and computer product for optimal pricing of a financial product
System, method and computer program product for optimal pricing of financial products. Data related to the financial product is extracted from at least one data source. A structured data file is generated from the data. The structured data file comprises a plurality of attributes and a plurality of price parameters related to the financial product. The plurality of price parameters comprise a price conversion probability measure and a business measure parameter associated with the financial product. Then, the optimal price associated with the financial product is estimated based on the plurality of attributes, the plurality of parameters, the price conversion probability measure and the business measure parameter. |
| US07881992B1 |
Methods and systems for processing and managing corporate action information
In a financial institution, a method is provided for managing corporate action information of at least one entity. The method includes receiving data associated with at least one corporate action of at least one of the entities; matching at least a portion of the corporate action data to at least one client of the financial institution; generating at least one notification including at least a portion of the corporate action data; and, performing at least one workflow management activity in connection with generating the notification including the corporate action data. System and computer-readable media embodiments are also provided in association with various embodiments of the present methods. |
| US07881991B2 |
Receipt presentment systems and methods
A method of presenting an image of a receipt to a consumer includes electronically capturing a receipt and storing the receipt at a host computer system. The method further includes receiving a request at the host computer system from a computer of the consumer to display the image of the receipt and transmitting an electronic file comprising the image of the receipt for display at the customer computer. |
| US07881990B2 |
Automatic time tracking based on user interface events
In various embodiments, an application may automatically track the amount of time a user spends performing activities on one or more computer applications. The tracked time may be used, for example, to bill a client for the activities performed. To automatically track time for a user, a time tracking application may monitor a user's activities and store time tracking entries with the types of activities performed and the time spent performing the activities. These activity types may be correlated against billing codes. |
| US07881988B2 |
Product display rack system and purchasing behavior analysis program
A system with an intelligent shelf (100) has product display shelves (110 to 130) displaying products having RFID tags R. The system includes antennas (112a to 112c) each having unique antenna numbers and detecting a tag serial number from an RFID tag on a product, human body sensors S disposed on each end of the product display shelf 120, a tag-product ID registration table storing the tag serial numbers of the RFID tags and the product IDs of the products and a control computer (200) detecting that a particular product is picked up from and/or returned to a particular product display shelf by combining the input tag serial number and the antenna number of the antenna detecting the tag serial number and analyzing which direction the detected human body has moved based on the difference of the detection times of the human body sensors. |
| US07881987B1 |
System and method for purchase order management
A purchasing user interface system may include a user interface configured to display various types of inventory, order and purchasing information. The user interface may display item, inventory, order, sales and/or vendor information regarding particular items, or all items, in a current inventory. The user interface may allow user to customize the manner in which the information is displayed. The system may also aid the user in making purchase orders, such as by allowing the user to select items to order as well as the quantities to order and the vendors from which to order the selected items. The system may also allow the user to generate purchase order based on the selected items, amounts and vendors. The purchasing user interface system may allow a user to display, sort, filter, update and otherwise manipulate various inventory, sales, order and vendor information to aid in making meaningful inventory ordering decisions. |
| US07881984B2 |
Service for providing item recommendations
A service is disclosed for enabling web sites and other entities to provide item recommendations and other behavior-based content to end users. The service can be implemented as a web service that is remotely accessible over the Internet. Web sites use the web service's interface to report events descriptive of item-related actions performed by end users (e.g., item views, item purchases, searches for items, etc.). The web service analyzes the reported event data on an aggregated basis to detect various types of associations between particular items, and stores resulting datasets that map items to associated items. The web service's interface also provides various API calls for enabling the web sites to request item recommendations and other behavior-based content, including but not limited to personalized recommendations that are based on the event history of the target user. Advantageously, the web sites need not host the infrastructure for providing such content. |
| US07881983B2 |
Method and apparatus for creating contextualized auction feeds
A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for generating contextualized live auction feeds. The method of generating contextualized live auction feeds comprises receiving context data from a user. The method further comprises utilizing the context data received from the user to search auctions. The method, in one embodiment, includes generating contextualized live auction feeds for an auction based on the context data. |
| US07881980B2 |
Systems and methods for the selection and purchase of digital assets
The present invention provides systems and methods for enabling a customer to sample content and select content for purchasing while the customer is in a retail store. Advantageously, the customer may be given one or more options for the delivery of the content. |
| US07881978B2 |
Method, medium, and system for providing quotes
Methods, computer executable program instructions, and systems including program instructions are provided for use with quotes. A method embodiment includes providing a website that receives a request for quotes (RFQ) from a buyer-business. The method also includes providing control to a seller-business via the website to authorize the buyer-business to receive quotes on behalf of the seller-business. The method further includes charging a fee to the seller-businesses for quotes delivered to the buyer-business on behalf of the seller-businesses. |
| US07881977B2 |
Construction bidding system and method
A construction bidding system and method includes manager, general contractor and subcontractor workstations that communicate with a server hosting a website over a network such as the Internet. The server also communicates with a number of databases. A manager enters project information into a project database and selects general contractors from a general contractor database. The manager sends each selected general contractor an invitation to bid. A general contractor receives the invitation to bid, reviews the project information and selects subcontractors from a subcontractor database. The general contractor sends each selected subcontractor an invitation to bid. A subcontractor receives the invitation to bid and responds with bid information that is entered in to a bid database. The general contractor uses the bid information from the subcontractors to prepare and submit a bid to the manager. |
| US07881974B1 |
Managing textual descriptions based on quality rating
A system and method for managing reconciled textual descriptions based on merchant quality rating are provided. Merchants providing items to an electronic marketplace submit merchant values corresponding to textual descriptions of attributes of the item. A merchant value analyzer component processes multiple merchant descriptions to select a set of textual descriptions based on a comparison of the textual descriptions and merchant quality ratings. Additionally, a merchant quality analyzer component calculates updated merchant quality ratings based on the submitted merchant values. |
| US07881972B2 |
Electronic commerce system and method for detecting fraud
An electronic commerce system and method for managing sale and distribution of products over the Internet or other type of network is disclosed. In order to prevent attempts by users to fraudulently obtain the products, the system analyzes during an electronic commerce transaction the user-entered information entered by the users into the end user machine in connection with an electronic purchase order for a product to determine a fraud ranking. This fraud ranking indicates a likelihood that the order is attempted fraud based upon a quantitative analysis of a daily bad uses counter by determining a number of times that a piece of received user-entered information from the electronic purchase order appeared on another order that was declined that day. Based upon the determination, the system accepts or declines the order. The system also saves the user-entered information for use in determining whether to accept to decline future orders. |
| US07881971B1 |
Automated gifting
Systems and methods provide a facility for automated gifting. The facility receives from a gifter an identification of a gift recipient, an indication of an occasion, and selection criteria. The facility automatically selects a proposed gift for the indicated occasion based on at least the received selection criteria and, in the absence of further direction from the gifter, sends the gift to the recipient. |
| US07881968B2 |
Interactive image activation and distribution system and associated methods
A method for distributing a digital image of a customer includes receiving a request from a customer for an image to be taken of the customer at a site. The request can be received, for example, via a remote signal from a customer's communication device. Payment data are obtained from the customer, and a location of the site is determined. The request is relayed to a remote imaging device that is positioned to image the customer at the site. An image is automatically captured of the customer at the site, and the image is relayed as a proof image to the customer's communication device. Finally, if the image is desired by the customer, an approval is received from the customer to purchase the image. |
| US07881967B1 |
Method of product configuration validation
A method of product configuration validation prior to ordering is described. The present method is comprised of receiving a product configuration transmitted from a procuring computer system. The product configuration is received by a computer system. The computer system is configured to cause the distribution of a product utilized in said product configuration to said procuring computer system. The product configuration is compared with parameters relative to functionality of said product when in said product configuration. The functionality parameters are stored on the computer system. The comparing is for validating the product configuration. |
| US07881965B2 |
Secondary market and vending system for devices
A recycling kiosk for recycling and financial remuneration for submission of a mobile telephone is disclosed herein. The recycling kiosk includes an inspection area with at least one camera and a plurality of electrical connectors in order to perform a visual analysis and an electrical analysis of the mobile telephone for determination of a value of the mobile telephone. The recycling kiosk also includes a processor, a display and a user interface. |
| US07881960B2 |
Value analysis and value added concoction of a beverage in a network environment of the beverage
A method and/or a system for value analysis and value added concoction of a beverage in a network environment of the beverage is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring a set of opinion data corresponding to a set of attributes defining a beverage through users of a network having a propensity to identify themselves with the beverage using an incentive promoting the beverage to the users. The method also includes applying an algorithm to transform the set of opinion data to factors which affect a market value of the beverage, and determining the market value of the beverage as a function of one or more of the factors. In another embodiment, a method includes generating a formula data to enable a registered user to concoct a variation of a particular type of beverage accentuating one or more intrinsic qualities of the particular type of beverage. |
| US07881957B1 |
Identifying tasks for task performers based on task subscriptions
Techniques are described for facilitating interactions between task requesters who have tasks that are available to be performed and task performers who are available to perform tasks, such as by an intermediary electronic marketplace or other task fulfillment facilitator system. In some situations, task performer users and/or other users may create task subscriptions for use in automatically identifying tasks of interest to the users about which the users desire to receive notification. The users may be notified of the identified tasks in various ways, such as by sending electronic messages of various types to the users that include indications of the tasks identified for those users based on their subscriptions. Tasks of interest may be identified in various ways, such as based on task attributes of interest specified for a subscription that are later matched against tasks that are available at the time of the matching. |
| US07881956B2 |
Method, computer system and computer program for determining a risk/reward model
Determining a risk/reward model for a service provided by a service provider to a serviced entity where a value function for the service is dependent on at least one value parameter, and comprises provision of a serviced entity base case being characteristic for at least one serviced entity value parameter without provision of a service and provision of a set of projects and their interdependencies being eligible for providing the service, each project having and impact on a subset of one or both of the at least one serviced entity value parameter and at least one service provider value service. The risk/reward model is determined by way of performing a selection of the sets of projects resulting in a selection set, further the model provides a risk/reward line, the risk/reward line is characteristic for whether a reward or penalty is accredited to the service provider depending on achieved results. |
| US07881955B2 |
Method and system for reservation and management of recreational activities
A reservation and management system for recreational activities offered by a plurality of activity operators, comprises a database for storing information regarding a plurality of recreational activities, including inventory information and a financial record containing financial information, for reservation transactions carried out for said activity and profile information for a plurality of subscribers, including activity operators and resellers. The system includes a reservation information compiler for providing information for an activity, a transaction module for updating inventory information and financial record following a reservation transaction request. A plurality of purchase modules are also provided, allowing clients and resellers to access information and make reservation for activities. An operator inventory management module allows to receive and update activity information. |
| US07881950B2 |
Computerized system and methods for adjudicating and automatically reimbursing care providers
A method for adjudicating and reimbursing a care provider for services provided for a clinical event is provided. The method includes the step of receiving a transaction having a number of clinical data elements. The method also includes the steps of accessing a data store including payer information and determining whether the transaction is eligible for reimbursement by at least one payer. The method also includes the steps of accessing a first knowledge base comprising evidence-based standards for providing medically appropriate care and selectively performing analysis of the clinical data elements of the transaction against at least one standard to determine if the care provided is medically appropriate. The method further includes the steps of accessing a second knowledge base containing at least one criterion for assessing quality of care and selectively performing analysis of the clinical data elements of the transaction against the at least one criterion to determine if the care provided is medically appropriate. Also, the method includes determining a level of reimbursement based on the medical appropriateness and quality of the care provided and authorizing reimbursement of the care provider from at least one payer. |
| US07881949B2 |
Method for automated recording of patient actions
A method is for automated recording of patient actions, for example in the course of telemedical care, in the course of clinical studies for the merit of a form of therapy or for trialing the effectiveness of drugs. The medical equipment or devices used in this context are provided with recording devices for identifying the patient so that the data obtained during use of the equipment or accessories can automatically be attributed to the patient in question. |
| US07881945B2 |
System and method for managing data concerning service dispatches involving geographic features
A method and system are disclosed that enable a seller of equipment to dispatch service personnel and parts to a remote location while taking into account geographic-specific conditions. The geographic-specific conditions can include, for example, inclement weather, planned activities and unplanned events that affect traffic to/from the remote location. The system includes, among other things, telecommunication facilities that link sellers, purchasers and third party service vendors. The system may also include data repository facilities to persist data that is received from external sources, generated from within, or sent outside the system. Persistent and/or transient data can be correlated with geographic-related externalities in order to modify the dispatch activities in order to meet ongoing commitments. |
| US07881944B2 |
Automatic feedback and player denial
Automatically maintaining behavioral standards of an electronic community in response to feedback from members of the electronic community. Feedback is submitted regarding behavior of a specified member. If the feedback exceeds a threshold representing a behavioral standard of the electronic community for a category, an action is automatically implemented directed to the specified member. Each threshold may be adjusted as a function of the number of members or of other criteria. The feedback may also be used to rate a specific member and to enable other members to choose whether to interact with the specific member. Sanctions or rewards may be implemented, including limiting communication, suspending or terminating access, granting additional privileges, assigning the specified member to a subgroup of the electronic community, and other actions. Community standards can thus be automatically maintained and enforced for gaming, communication, commerce, collaborative work, or other electronic activities. |
| US07881941B2 |
Robust voice browser system and voice activated device controller
The present invention relates to a system for acquiring information from sources on a network, such as the Internet. A voice browsing system maintains a database containing a list of information sources, such as web sites, connected to a network. Each of the information sources is assigned a rank number which is listed in the database along with the record for the information source. In response to a speech command received from a user, a network interface system accesses the information source with the highest rank number in order to retrieve information requested by the user. |
| US07881940B2 |
Control system
A system has a speech control interface operable to provide a speech sequence to which a user response is required before system functionality is operational. A user response can be provided via a spoken command. The system is operable, in response to interruption of the speech sequence to permit a non-verbal user response using an alternative interface. |
| US07881939B2 |
Monitoring system with speech recognition
A system for monitoring conditions associated with an individual in a region includes at least one speech input transducer and speech processing software coupled thereto. Results of the speech processing can initiate communications with a displaced communications device such as a telephone or a computer to provide a source of feedback. |
| US07881938B2 |
Speech bookmarks in a voice user interface using a speech recognition engine and acoustically generated baseforms
A system and method for navigating a dialog hierarchy from a voice user interface (VUI) using speech bookmarks. The method can detect a user spoken command for bookmarking a location within a dialog hierarchy of a voice response system. A user spoken bookmark can be received, which is added to a personalized bookmark grammar that is associated with a user who spoke the bookmark name. A database record can be used to associate the new bookmark name with a location within the dialog hierarchy. During a subsequent interaction between the user and the voice response system, the user can speak the bookmark name, which results in a match being detected between the spoken phrase and the personalized bookmark grammar. The voice response system can then navigate to the location within bookmark hierarchy that is associated with the speech bookmark. |
| US07881931B2 |
Automatic identification of sound recordings
Copies of original sound recordings are identified by extracting features from the copy, creating a vector of those features, and comparing that vector against a database of vectors. Identification can be performed for copies of sound recordings that have been subjected to compression and other manipulation such that they are not exact replicas of the original. Computational efficiency permits many hundreds of queries to be serviced at the same time. The vectors may be less than 100 bytes, so that many millions of vectors can be stored on a portable device. |
| US07881930B2 |
ASR-aided transcription with segmented feedback training
An ASR-aided transcription system with segmented feedback training is provided, the system including a transcription process manager configured to extract a first segment and a second segment from an audio input of speech uttered by a speaker, and an ASR engine configured to operate in a first speech recognition mode to convert the first speech segment into a first text transcript using a speaker-independent acoustic model and a speaker-independent language model, operate in a first training mode to create a speaker-specific acoustic model and a speaker-specific language model by adapting the speaker-independent acoustic model and the speaker-independent language model using either of the first segment and a corrected version of the first text transcript, and operate in a second speech recognition mode to convert the second speech segment into a second text transcript using the speaker-specific acoustic model and the speaker-specific language model. |
| US07881925B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing packet loss or frame erasure concealment
The invention concerns a method and apparatus for performing packet loss or Frame Erasure Concealment (FEC) for a speech coder that does not have a built-in or standard FEC process. A receiver with a decoder receives encoded frames of compressed speech information transmitted from an encoder. A lost frame detector at the receiver determines if an encoded frame has been lost or corrupted in transmission, or erased. If the encoded frame is not erased, the encoded frame is decoded by a decoder and a temporary memory is updated with the decoder's output. A predetermined delay period is applied and the audio frame is then output. If the lost frame detector determines that the encoded frame is erased, a FEC module applies a frame concealment process to the signal. The FEC processing produces natural sounding synthetic speech for the erased frames. |
| US07881923B2 |
Handheld electronic device including toggle of a selected data source, and associated method
A method for enabling input into a handheld electronic device having at least three selectable languages available thereon includes detecting a predetermined input a number of times and switching a selected language between one of the three selectable languages and another of the three selectable languages wherein the another language is an immediately preceding selected language. |
| US07881921B1 |
Caching information to map simulation addresses to host addresses in computer system simulations
In computer system simulations, previous translations of simulation virtual addresses to physical host addresses can be remembered in a cache. During execution of a simulation program, the simulated computer system generates a simulation virtual address. The simulation virtual address may be translated to a host address. Information associated with the translation can be cached, and subsequent accesses to the simulation virtual address can use the cached information to compute the host address. |
| US07881919B2 |
USB device simulator
Techniques for simulating universal serial bus (USB) video devices are described. In one example, a document containing a USB video device descriptor set is loaded by a device simulator application. The document is parsed and the descriptor set is extracted. The descriptor set is then used to define a simulated USB video device. A device simulation framework simulates a USB device attachment to a computing device and video data is streamed from the simulated USB video device to the computing device. A video driver associated with the computing device processes the video data as if the data originated from USB video device hardware. Multiple different USB video devices may be simulated and different collections and configurations of video data can be utilized. |
| US07881917B2 |
Apparatus simulating operations between a robot and workpiece models
A robot simulation apparatus (10) capable of creating and executing a robot program includes a virtual space creating unit (31) for creating a virtual space (60), a workpiece model layout unit (32) for automatically arranging at least one workpiece model (40) in an appropriate posture at an appropriate position in a workpiece accommodation unit model (24) defined in the virtual space, a virtual camera unit (33) for acquiring a virtual image (52) of workpiece models existing in the range of a designated visual field as viewed from a designated place in the virtual space, a correcting unit (34) for correcting the teaching points in the robot program based on the virtual image, and a simulation unit (35) for simulating the operation of the robot handling the workpieces, and as a result, interference between the robot and the workpieces can be predicted while at the same time accurately determining the required workpiece handling time. |
| US07881914B2 |
System and method for collecting and transporting simulation data
A system and method for receiving and displaying simulated movement data on a graphical display in real-time is provided. Simulated movement data from a simulation is received. The type and location of each object to be displayed on a graphical display for a time step is extracted from the simulated movement data. The extracted data is transferred to an application for determining an appropriate three-dimensional representation to associate with each type of object in the first point in time. Each three-dimensional representation is displayed according the location of each object for the first point in time of the simulation. |
| US07881913B2 |
Exemplar/PDE-based technique to fill null regions and corresponding accuracy assessment
A geospatial modeling system may include a geospatial data storage device, and a processor cooperating with the geospatial data storage device for selectively inpainting data into at least one void in geospatial model data using a partial differential equation (PDE) algorithm and an exemplar algorithm. |
| US07881912B2 |
Orthogonal basis bubble function element numerical analysis method, orthogonal basis bubble function element numerical analysis program, and orthogonal basis bubble function element numerical analyzing apparatus
A known analytical physical quantity of an analysis subject and an element level consistent mass matrix of each element are obtained by acquiring units. A bubble function is integrated for each element, and the element level diagonal mass matrix of each element is computed by substituting the value that is integrated for the element level consistent mass matrix of each element. The diagonal mass matrix for the entire analysis region is computed by the summation (superposition) of the element level diagonal mass matrices of each element and inverse matrix thereof is computed. A motion of the analysis subject is analyzed based on the known analytical physical quantity, the diagonal mass matrix for the entire analysis region, and the inverse matrix thereof. |
| US07881911B2 |
4-D inversion of geophysical data and 4-D imaging method of geological structure using it
The method for 4-D inversion of geophysical data for calculating distribution of subsurface material properties from geophysical data includes (a) defining measured data into space-time coordinates, and defining a reference space-time model vector (U) composed of many reference space model vectors (U) for a plurality of pre-selected reference times to simulate a space-time model vector (P) that is a geologic structure continuously changing in time; (b) approximating a numerical modeling for a geologic structure space model at an arbitrary time using Taylor series of numerical modeling for the reference space models, defining an objective inversion function to constrain each inversion in space and time domains, and obtaining a reference space-time model vector (U) from the measured data defined in space-time coordinates using the objective inversion function; and (c) obtaining a space-time model vector (P) from the reference space-time model vector (U) to calculate distribution of subsurface material properties changing in time. |
| US07881909B2 |
Computerized tool and method for the automated creation of a cutter ramp curve
An automated and computerized technique as disclosed herein can be utilized to generate a modeled cutter ramp curve for a flange component. The technique can be utilized in conjunction with any suitable CAD system to render a cutter ramp curve on the modeled flange component. The system obtains a selected amount of user inputs, verifies that the user inputs are consistent with the geometry of the flange component, and generates the cutter ramp curve in response to the user inputs and the flange geometry. |
| US07881905B2 |
Method for ambiguity resolution in location determination
A method using various heuristics techniques for resolving ambiguity in location determination in environments with or without noise. A final location determination solution may be determined from a set of ambiguous location determination solutions by using clock temporal bias value, by using consistency information of ranging signal order such as the time of arrival and/or the received power level of the ranging signals, by using the distances to the sources, and/or by using other discriminator functions to select the final location determination solution from a plurality of ambiguous location determination solutions. The main advantage of the heuristic approaches is that redundant measurements are not required for location determination solution disambiguation. |
| US07881901B2 |
Method and apparatus for holographic user interface communication
A system and corresponding method for providing a 3 dimensional (3-D) user interface display images in a 3-D coordinate system. Sensors are configured to sense user interaction within the 3-D coordinate system, so that a processor may receive user interaction information from the sensors. The sensors are able to provide information to the processor that enables the processor to correlate user interaction with images in the 3-D coordinate system. The system may be used for interconnecting or communicating between two or more components connected to an interconnection medium (e.g., a bus) within a single computer or digital data processing system. |
| US07881897B2 |
Apparatus for monitoring a system with time in space and method therefor
Apparatus and method for monitoring a system in which a fluid flows and which is characterized by a change in the system with time in space. A preselected place in the system is monitored to collect data at two or more time points correlated to a system event. The data is indicative of a system parameter that varies with time as a function of at least two variables related to system wash-in and wash-out behavior. A calibration map is made on a calculated basis with each pixel or voxel representative of a color hue indicative of wash-out behavior and a color intensity indicative of wash-in behavior. The calibration map serves as a criteria for selecting the time points. Software and a data processing system are provided to develop a color coded output map. The calibration map, the color coded output map and image of the preselected place are also novel implementations. |
| US07881896B2 |
Portable coordinate measurement machine with integrated line laser scanner
A portable coordinate measurement machine for measuring the position of an object in a selected volume comprises includes an a positionable articulated arm having a plurality of jointed arm segments. The arm includes a measurement probe having an integrated line laser scanner mounted thereon. The laser may be a fiber coupled laser. Wireless data transfer and communication capability for the CMM is also possible. |
| US07881893B2 |
Method for correcting biparametric spectra
A method for processing a two-parameter spectrum including selecting a profile parameter for the spectrum and an initial correction function, for any profile selected according to this parameter, carrying out at least a correction operation by multiplying this selected profile by a correction function, equal to the sum of at least a portion of the already corrected profiles. |
| US07881891B2 |
Automated dynamic metrology sampling system and method for process control
A system and method for optimizing and implementing a metrology sampling plan. A system is provided that includes a system for collecting historical metrology data from a metrology tool; and a reduction analysis system that compares an initial capability calculated from the historical metrology data with a recalculated capability for a reduced data set, wherein the reduced data set is obtained by removing a subset of data from the historical metrology data. |
| US07881887B2 |
Wireless wireharness testing system
A system and method for wireharness testing includes at least one probe attachable to a connector of a wireharness, the at least one probe in wireless communication with a controller to identify a potential lack of continuity in the wireharness therebetween. |
| US07881885B2 |
Method and device for determining the instantaneous mass flow of pulsating flows
The invention relates to a method for determining the instantaneous rate of the mass flow of a flow of a fluid pulsating periodically at a frequency f, said method comprising the following steps: a) a pressure gradient in the flow over a certain period (P) is determined, b) the harmonic amplitude of the pressure gradient is calculated by means of Fourier transformation, c) the frequency f and the time t are converted into dimensionless numbers F, t and d) the rate of the mass flow is determined using a table from which at least one corresponding value describing the mass flow rate and/or a phase difference can be deduced for each dimensionless number F of the frequency f. |
| US07881884B2 |
Flowmeter array processing algorithm with wide dynamic range
Methods and apparatus enable sensing flow of a fluid inside a conduit with an array of pressure or strain sensors. Inputs for a curve fit routine include power correlation values at one of multiple trial velocities or speeds of sound and several steps on either side utilizing data obtained from the sensors. The velocity at which a curve fit routine returns a max curvature result corresponds to an estimate value that facilitates identification of a speed of sound in the fluid and/or a velocity of the flow. Furthermore, a directional quality compensation factor may apply to outputs from the curve fit routine to additionally aid in determining the velocity of the flow. |
| US07881882B2 |
Apparatus and method for detecting tampering in flexible structures
A system for monitoring or detecting tampering in a flexible structure includes taking electrical measurements on a sensing cable coupled to the structure, performing spectral analysis on the measured data, and comparing the spectral characteristics of the event to those of known benign and/or known suspicious events. A threshold or trigger value may used to identify an event of interest and initiate data collection. Alternatively, the system may be triggered at preset intervals, triggered manually, or triggered by a signal from another sensing device such as a motion detector. The system may be used to monitor electrical cables and conduits, hoses and flexible ducts, fences and other perimeter control devices, structural cables, flexible fabrics, and other flexible structures. |
| US07881880B2 |
Actuator performance monitoring system
A method for monitoring performance of an actuator is provided that includes the steps of: 1) determining an actuator response time constant in a control system, which actuator response time constant is representative of a task time taken by the actuator to complete a selected percentage of a task; 2) determining a rate of change of the actuator response time constant over a predetermined number of events; 3) determining a fault value indicative of when the actuator response time constant will equal or exceed an error time constant using the determined rate of change of the actuator response time constant; and 4) outputting a signal from the control system representative of the determined fault value. |
| US07881875B2 |
Methods for selecting a collection of single nucleotide polymorphisms
The invention relates to the selection of a collection of relevant single nucleotide polymorphisms across a genome to design a nucleic acid probe array. As such, the invention relates to diverse fields impacted by the nature of genetics, including biology, medicine, and medical diagnostics. |
| US07881874B2 |
Method and system for comparative genomics
A method and system for representing a similarity between at least two genomes that includes detecting gene clusters which are common to the at least two genomes and representing the common gene clusters in a PQ tree. The PQ tree includes a first internal node (P node), that allows permutation of the children thereof, and a second internal node (Q node), that maintains unidirectional order of the children thereof. |
| US07881869B2 |
Method and apparatus for evaluating data associated with an offshore energy platform
A method for transferring data from an unmanned offshore energy platform to a manned offshore energy platform. The method includes obtaining the data on the unmanned offshore energy platform from a monitoring device, wherein the monitoring device is configured to monitor at least one environmental condition surrounding the unmanned offshore energy platform. The method further includes formatting the data for transmission. In addition, the method includes wirelessly transmitting the data from the unmanned offshore energy platform to the manned offshore energy platform. |
| US07881865B2 |
Collision determination system for vehicle
A collision determination system for a vehicle is disclosed. The system includes a vehicle behavior recognition unit that recognizes specific vehicle behavior indicative of a probable vehicle collision. The system also includes a collision detection sensor that detects a predetermined state change resulting from a vehicle collision. Furthermore, the system includes a collision determination unit that determines whether the vehicle collision necessitates activation of a vehicle passenger protection device based on the specific vehicle behavior recognized by the vehicle behavior recognition unit and the detected predetermined state change. |
| US07881864B2 |
Method and apparatus for utilizing geographic location information
Embodiments of the present invention provide navigation devices (10) and methods for receiving and/or forming geoblogs. The provided navigation devices (10) are generally operable to retrieve a geoblog utilizing the current geographic location of the device (10) and a user input, form a geoblog utilizing the current geographic location of the device (10) and selected pre-defined comment, and/or automatically title a geoblog utilizing a current geographic location of the device (10). Such configurations and variations thereof enable users to easily share information related to a geographic location. |
| US07881863B2 |
Route calculation method for a vehicle navigation system
Traffic information, including flow information and incident information, obtained through a traffic management system for providing and facilitating the exchange of traffic information between a remote location and a vehicle may be used in route calculation by a navigation device. The navigation device may recalculate a route based on anticipated user error. Alternatively, the navigation device may recalculate a route using received traffic information triggered by the receipt of a traffic information update, or triggered by the passage of an amount of time. The broadcast rate of traffic information updates may vary temporally (providing more frequent updates during peak commute times) or geographically (providing more frequent updates to metropolitan areas with increased traffic information needs). If route calculation is triggered by an elapsed amount of time, the amount of time may vary to be shorter during peak commute times. Additional route calculation techniques allow the incorporation of historical traffic information or the use of the most recent traffic information if incomplete traffic information is available. Still further route calculation techniques may calculate a best route by avoiding zigzagging or evaluating an assigned cost of a potential route. |
| US07881861B2 |
Networked navigation system
A method of providing alternate route possibilities to a first vehicle operator using a first networked navigation device includes determining a first route between a starting position and a travel destination. An alternate route request is transmitted to a second networked navigation device for a portion of the route between the starting position and the travel destination. The alternate route is received from the second navigation device. The determined first route and the received alternate route are presented to the first vehicle operator, including usage data for the alternate route. |
| US07881858B2 |
Method and device for monitoring an exhaust gas recirculation system
A method for the diagnosis of an exhaust gas recirculation system in an internal combustion engine, including providing a pressure difference reading, which gives a pressure difference in an air supply section of the internal combustion engine or a pressure difference over the exhaust gas recirculation system; determining a pressure difference reference value as a function of one or more operating variables of the internal combustion engine; and detecting a fault in the exhaust gas recirculation system as a function of the pressure difference reading and of the pressure difference reference value. |
| US07881853B2 |
Method for working out a temperature instruction cartography at entry into a particle filter
A method for working out instruction cartography for a temperature at entry into a filter. The method determines for each combination, which includes a soot mass in a particle filter, a temperature at the filter output, an air flowrate through the filter and a soot combustion rate in the filter and is associated with a time t, a value assignable to the instruction, wherein the value is selected such that the filter output temperature remains less than a maximum permissible temperature after a pedal release at a time L. |
| US07881852B2 |
Method and device for detecting a leak in an exhaust-gas section of a combustion engine
A method for checking an exhaust-gas section of a combustion engine for a leak, including the following: introducing secondary air into the exhaust-gas section of the combustion engine via a secondary-air valve, determining a measured value that indicates the magnitude of the relative pressure changes due to the expelling of exhaust gas from the combustion engine upstream from the secondary-air valve, and detecting the leak in the exhaust-gas section as a function of the measured value. |
| US07881843B2 |
Object struck discrimination system and protection system
An object struck discrimination system for a vehicle is provided which is effective in increasing the discrimination accuracy for discriminating an object struck by the vehicle. In one form, an object struck discrimination system to be installed in a vehicle includes an impact receiving member for receiving an impact from an object struck which extends lengthwise along the width of the vehicle, a detection sensor for detecting the moving speed or the acceleration of the impact receiving member during a vehicle collision, and a control unit for discriminating the object struck based on the rate of change in the moving speed per unit time or the acceleration introduced from information detected by the detection sensor. |
| US07881839B2 |
Image acquisition and processing systems for vehicle equipment control
An apparatus is provided that includes at least one image sensor, and at least one processor. The processor is configured to receive at least a portion of at least one image from the at least one image sensor, wherein an aim of the at least one image sensor is a function of the at least one image. The processor is further configured to generate at least one vehicle equipment control signal as a function of at least one feature extracted from at least a portion of at least one image. |
| US07881838B2 |
Driver activity and vehicle operation logging and reporting
A method for logging and reporting driver activity and vehicle operation includes identifying a driver of a vehicle, recording operating data with an on-board recorder that is hard-wired to an engine control module, coupled to a mileage sensing system, and linked to a global navigation satellite system, and recording duty status of the driver. An hours of service log and a fuel tax log are created from the operating data. The method includes comparing the driver's hours of service log to an applicable requirement, indicating to the driver whether the driver is in-compliance or out-of-compliance with the applicable requirement, automatically uploading the logs to a receiver external to the vehicle using a wireless telecommunications network, and emitting a compliance signal representative of whether the driver is in-compliance or out-of-compliance with the applicable requirement to a second receiver external to the vehicle and under control of authorities. |
| US07881835B2 |
Method and system for controlling start-up of a motor vehicle by dialogue of the engine controlling computer with the piloted mechanical gearbox, during restart of the vehicle in stop and start mode
The invention concerns a method and a system for controlling start-up of a motor vehicle by dialogue of the engine controlling computer with the piloted mechanical gearbox, during a restart of the vehicle in stop and start mode. A “start-up authorization” is transmitted to the gearbox at a time t when the following three conditions are fulfilled: a) verifying the position of the accelerator pedal relative to a predetermined “threshold” position; b) the engine is in sequential injection phase; c) verifying a so-called “autonomous condition”, calculated on the basis of the engine speed and of an engine speed gradient compared to a predetermined threshold value. The invention is applicable to motor vehicles. |
| US07881826B2 |
Preemptive thermal control by processor throttling in a modular computing system
A modular computing housing includes a housing structure having a plurality of component slots that each can receive one of a plurality of components, where at least one of the components includes a processor having an operating frequency. A cooling system provides airflow through each of the component slots. A thermal control system can be communicably connected to each of the component slots and each of the received component processors. The thermal control system receives configuration data from each of the component slots, retrieves throttle data corresponding to the configuration data, and directs at least one received component processors to reduce its operating frequency in accordance with the throttle data. |
| US07881825B2 |
Production control utilizing real time optimization
Method of controlling production of a plant incorporating one or more chemical processes in which products are produced through consumption of raw materials. In accordance with the method, current production rates of the products are computed by semi-empirical process models that are corrected through error corrections of actual production rates to produce corrected models. The production is then optimized using the corrected models to maximize the variable margin gained upon the sale of the products. The optimization yields targets that either directly or at least influence consumption of the raw materials. The raw materials are then introduced into the process or processes in accordance with the targets. |
| US07881824B2 |
System and method of controlling a legged locomotion robot
The lumbar part of a robot as a controlled-object point where the mass amount becomes maximum is set as the origin of a local coordinate, an acceleration sensor is disposed at the controlled-object point to directly measure the attitude and acceleration at that position to control the robot to take a stable posture on the basis of a ZMP. Further, at each foot which touches the walking surface, there are provided a floor reaction force sensor and acceleration sensor to directly measure a ZMP and force, and a ZMP equation is formulated directly at the foot nearest to a ZMP position. Thus there can be implemented a stricter and quick control of the robot for a stable posture. |
| US07881823B2 |
Robotic positioning and orientation device and needle holder comprising one such device
The invention relates to a robotic device for the positioning and orientation of a platform that is connected thereto by means of articulated support structures forming parallel mechanical links, each in the form of a serial kinematic chain of articulations that are interconnected by support segments. The inventive device (1) is characterized in that it comprises three articulated parallel mechanical links comprising: (i) two opposing, symmetrical and co-planar support structures (4 and 5), and (ii) a third support structure (6) which is located in a plane that is perpendicular to the plane containing the support structures (4 and 5). According to the invention, the articulated links formed by the three supports structures (4, 5 and 6) enable the controlled movement of points belonging to the platform (2) on a surface corresponding to a spherical or ellipsoidal cap and, preferably, essentially to a half-sphere, thereby providing at least five degrees of freedom. |
| US07881822B2 |
System and method for dispensing consumer products
A system and method for selling and/or dispensing consumer products from a vending or transactional-based machine is disclosed. The vending or transactional-based machine comprises an aerial display device that displays an aerial image designed to attract the attention of potential consumers and sell advertising, special promotions or certain products. Once a consumer begins to interact with the vending machine, demographic data is collected or correlated with the product purchased or dispensed. The consumer can initiate and conclude a purchase by merely pointing at the desired product. A mechanism is provided that accepts payment by currency, credit card or electronically. |
| US07881819B2 |
Substrate transfer apparatus, method of transferring substrate, and method of manufacturing electro-optical device
A substrate transfer apparatus transfers substrates stored in a first substrate storage case, which has support grooves in its inner wall, along the support grooves to substrate storage surfaces included in a second substrate storage case. The substrate transfer apparatus includes a first-substrate-storage-case placement section in which the first substrate storage case is placed, a second-substrate-storage-case placement section in which the second substrate storage case is placed, a substrate transfer mechanism that holds the substrates stored in the first substrate storage case so as to draw out the substrates from the first substrate storage case, and transfers the substrates to a substrate placement section of a substrate placing mechanism, a substrate holding mechanism that holds the substrates placed in the substrate placement section at hold positions, and discharges the substrates at discharge positions so as to dispose the substrates on the substrate storage surfaces of the second substrate storage case, and a transport mechanism that transports the substrate holding mechanism from the hold positions to the discharge positions. |
| US07881818B2 |
Flexible packaging incorporating two-dimensional graphics
A method to aid designing flexible packaging for wrapping around a solid object and finalizing the packaging. The method includes accepting a description of the surface of a sheet of packaging material after wrapping around the solid object and finalizing, using a mapping of points in the 2D plane of the sheet of the packaging material to the corresponding points in the 3D surface of the wrapped and finalized packaging. The method further includes displaying the surface of the wrapped and finalized packaging or displaying graphic elements on the surface of wrapped and finalized packaging. A version includes pre-distorting graphics to correct for any distortions to graphics that occur during the wrapping and finalizing process, and generating press-ready graphics from the pre-distorted graphics for printing onto the surface of the sheet of packaging material. |
| US07881816B2 |
Method for controlling an industrial automation device
A method for controlling an industrial automation device or process including a control unit, at least one actuator, and at least one device arranged for wireless communication with the control unit. The method determines characteristics of the wireless transmissions used to communicate sensor and/or actuator data to the control unit. The method, a system and a graphic interface enable a user to select a control strategy dependent on a value or values of the characteristics of the wireless communications. |
| US07881809B2 |
Electrophysiology/ablation catheter and remote actuator therefor
A cardiac catheter for minimally invasive diagnostic and/or ablation procedures includes an elongated cylindrical, electrically non-conductive exterior tube with surface electrodes disposed on its distal portion and a handle on its proximal end. The distal portion can be curved into a curvature retained by a single action on a manual actuator. An electromechanical drive system may be incorporated into the handle. An electrical heating element may be incorporated within the distal electrode for ablation procedures. A removable, disposable blood contacting segment may be provided. The non-blood contacting actuator is thus reusable. The catheter includes two tension/compression members, which are wires with circular cross-sections that are integrally formed into ribbon-like configurations at their distal portions, for curvature formation. The handle includes a pivoted member movable in one direction by the thumb of the user's hand grasping the handle and in the opposite direction by the other fingers of the same hand. |
| US07881807B2 |
Balloon anchor wire
The present invention relates to an anchor device comprising an elongated tubular body having an expandable member disposed on its distal end portion. The invention also relates to a system adapted to position and anchor the distal end of an ablation device at a location where a pulmonary vein extends from the atrium. |
| US07881806B2 |
Medical lead delivery device
The medical lead delivery device combines features of a guidewire and a stylet in order to more easily and quickly deliver a lead to or through the coronary vein of a patient's heart. The medical lead delivery device includes an elongated body, a controller, a first and second spring, and a sleeve. The elongated body includes a proximal end and a distal end. The controller is disposed at the proximal end and provides enhanced control of the distal tip of the elongated body. |
| US07881804B2 |
Composite waveform based method and apparatus for animal tissue stimulation
A medical apparatus, for artificially stimulating internal tissue of an animal, applies a composite voltage pulse to a pair of electrodes implanted in the animal. The composite voltage pulse is formed by a first segment and a second segment contiguous with the first segment, both of which have generally rectangular shapes. The amplitude of the first segment is significantly greater than, e.g. at least three times, the amplitude of the second segment. However, the second segment has a significantly longer duration than the first segment, e.g. at least three times longer. Preferably the integrals of the first and second segments are substantially equal. |
| US07881800B2 |
Cochlear implant having a repositionable implantable housing
An implantable component (30) of a cochlear implant system comprising a housing for a stimulator unit (31) that is adapted to output one or more stimulation signals and an electrode assembly (30) adapted to apply electrical stimulation in accordance with the output of the stimulator unit (31). On implantation, the housing is positionable such that the electrode assembly (20) extends from the housing at least initially in a downward orientation toward the mastoid cavity before entering the cochlea. An external component (50, 60 or 70) of a cochlear implant system comprising a support for mounting to the ear of an recipient and an external signal transmitter coil (53) wherein the signal transmitter coil (53) is movably mounted to at least a portion of the support. |
| US07881786B2 |
Suppression of high rate pacing for reducing myocardial ischemic irritability
A medical device capable of delivering automatic rate-adjusting pacing therapies is provided having an adjustable upper rate limit responsive to an indication of myocardial irritability. The device, which may be embodied as a pacemaker, a pacemaker/cardioverter/defibrillator, or the like, responds to the detection of an arrhythmia as an indicator of myocardial irritability by adjusting an upper rate limit. The adjusted upper rate limit is applied as the maximum allowable pacing rate during delivery of any pacing therapies previously defined as “long-term” pacing therapies. |
| US07881785B2 |
Method and apparatus for defrosting a defibrillation electrode
A device and method for defrosting a defibrillation electrode are provided. This includes an automated external defibrillator that is capable of defrosting one or more frozen electrodes. The device is includes a portable housing containing a battery powered energy source and a controller as well as at least a pair of electrodes which are operably coupled to the housing. The electrodes are designed for attachment to the chest of a patient in need of resuscitation and contain a conductive interface medium that has temperature dependent properties. A controller is configured to selectively heat the conductive interface medium by applying limited electrical impulses and raise the electrode temperature to a desired temperature range. |
| US07881784B2 |
Hepatic electrical stimulation
A method of providing electrical stimulation to a liver of a subject includes providing one or more stimulatory electrodes to the liver of the subject and providing electrical stimulation to the liver of the subject. The method further relates to methods of reducing risk factors of metabolic syndrome, treating diabetes, treating a subject having eating disorders and reducing glucose levels of a subject. |
| US07881781B2 |
Thoracic impedance detection with blood resistivity compensation
This document discusses, among other things, a cardiac rhythm management device or other implantable medical device that uses thoracic impedance to determine how much fluid is present in the thorax, such as for detecting or predicting congestive heart failure, pulmonary edema, pleural effusion, hypotension, or the like. The thoracic fluid amount determined from the thoracic impedance is compensated for changes in blood resistivity, which may result from changes in hematocrit level or other factors. The blood-resistivity-compensated thoracic fluid amount can be stored in the device or transmitted to an external device for storage or display. The blood-resistivity-compensated thoracic fluid amount can also be used to adjust a cardiac pacing, cardiac resynchronization, or other cardiac rhythm management or other therapy to the patient. This document also discusses applications of the devices and methods for predicting or indicating anemia. |
| US07881778B2 |
Floating physiological data acquisition system with expandable ECG and EEG
A floating physiological data acquisition system with expandable ECG and EEG. The data acquisition system for obtaining electrophysiological signals from a patient comprises a patient monitor and separate patient side acquisition units connectable to the patient monitor. Each of the patient side acquisition units comprises an analog-to-digital converter, a serial interface communicative towards a serial bus connecting the patient side data acquisition unit with the patient monitor, and a serial interface controller processor. Each of the patient side acquisition units further forms a part of a floating patient applied part of the data acquisition system. |
| US07881777B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing intra-operative angiography
Method for assessing the patency of a patient's blood vessel, advantageously during or after treatment of that vessel by an invasive procedure, comprising administering a fluorescent dye to the patient; obtaining at least one angiographic image of the vessel portion; and evaluating the at least one angiographic image to assess the patency of the vessel portion. Other related methods are contemplated, including methods for assessing perfusion in selected body tissue, methods for evaluating the potential of vessels for use in creation of AV fistulas, methods for determining the diameter of a vessel, and methods for locating a vessel located below the surface of a tissue. |
| US07881774B2 |
Apparatus for obtaining ultrasonic image and method of obtaining ultrasonic image
A transmitting/receiving circuit drives an ultrasonic probe in accordance with a trigger signal based on an electrocardiographic waveform under the control of a control device so as to scan a plurality of regions, and obtains scan data for each region. During the scanning, the circuit causes the probe to scan the respective regions so that scan data in which time phases of the electrocardiographic waveform substantially coincide are obtained in the vicinities of the boundary between at least two adjacent regions among the regions. That is, in adjacent regions, the circuit causes the probe to scan the respective regions in the main or sub-scanning directions set to be reverse to each other. Further, an image processor generates ultrasonic image data of the range in which the regions are joined, on the basis of the scan data obtained by starting scanning at the same time phase. |
| US07881769B2 |
Method and system for mounting an MPS sensor on a catheter
Catheter for performing a medical operation on an organic lumen, the catheter including an elongated member, a medical operational element located at a distal end of the elongated member, an electromagnetic field detector located at the distal end, and a wiring for coupling the electromagnetic field detector with a medical positioning system, wherein the medical positioning system determines the position and orientation of the distal end. |
| US07881766B2 |
Apparatus and method for attaching biosignal measurement sensor to subject
An apparatus for attaching a biosignal measurement sensor to a subject including a housing having an open space at one side, an installation portion installed in the open space, on which the biosignal measurement sensor is installed, a plurality of detection electrodes installed at an open side of the housing to contact the subject, and arranged along a circumferential edge of the installation portion to form pairs of detection electrodes facing each other with respect to a center of arrangement, an actuator installed in the housing to rotate and linearly move the installation portion, and a circuit portion searching for the detection electrodes that provide optimal detection data based on a difference in signals between the pairs of detection electrodes, and driving the actuator to allow a pair of sensor electrodes provided at the biosignal measurement sensor to be arranged in the same direction as the searched detection electrodes. |
| US07881760B2 |
Measuring structure for magneto encephalographic equipment with a superconducting magnetic-shield
A magneto-encephalographic equipment superconducting magnetic-shield comprising a vacuum-tight body comprising an outer enclosure wall, a first inner enclosure wall inserted in the outer enclosure wall to define a upper closed space, and a second inner enclosure wall to define a lower open space. The first and second inner enclosure walls are arranged with the bottom of the first inner enclosure wall facing the ceiling of the second inner enclosure wall. A first enclosure of HTSC and a second enclosure of high-permeability material are concentrically arranged in the annular vacuum space defined between the first and second inner enclosure walls and the outer enclosure wall. A head-accommodating area is delimited by the hollow partition between, the bottom of the first inner enclosure wall and the ceiling of the second inner enclosure wall both facing each other, and a plurality of SQUID sensors are arranged in the upper closed space, encircling the head-accommodating area. |
| US07881754B2 |
Portable communication terminal
There is provided a portable communication terminal capable of switching between icon display and non-display. Processes executed by a control unit of a portable phone which is an aspect of the portable communication terminal comprises the steps of detecting, during the execution of an icon-bar displaying process, a press of an operation key, terminating outputting icon data if the operation key is associated with the icon-bar non-display function and if there is already no icon bar being displayed, detecting a press of the operation key, and executing the icon-bar displaying process if the operation key is associated with the icon-bar display function and if there is no icon bar being displayed. |
| US07881752B1 |
Hybrid architecture that combines a metropolitan-area network fiber system with a multi-link antenna array
A system and method for utilizing a multi link antenna array for wireless links in conjunction with fiber MAN's is disclosed. The fiber MAN's are coupled to one or more multi-link antenna arrays. Each multi-link antenna array forms a plurality of point-to-point wireless links. |
| US07881751B2 |
Radio base station apparatus, radio terminal apparatus, mobile communication system, and reception operation control program
In response to a connection request from a terminal, a base station provides a signal indicating a reception operation adapted to a transmission operation of the base station to the terminal. Based on the indicating signal, the terminal selects and performs the optimum reception operation. The terminal also provides its own reception operation information in advance to the base station. Based on the reception operation information, the base station transmits a reception operation indication to the terminal. These processes are realized with software by DSP (12, 14) and the like. |
| US07881745B1 |
Electronic device network employing provisioning techniques to update firmware and/or software in electronic devices
Disclosed herein is a network for managing one of a firmware update service option and a software update service option in electronic devices such as, for example, a mobile handset. The network is capable of determining whether a mobile handset is capable of facilitating firmware updates based upon, for example, firmware update service options (FUSO) and associated FUSO numbers. When a new mobile phone is used for the first time in the electronic device network, an OTAPA process may be employed not only to program number assignment module parameters but also for initiating one of a firmware or software update or for setting flags and parameters that facilitate subsequent firmware or software updates. A mobile handset, may periodically or as necessary, communicate ability to update firmware and/or software to the electronic device network. |
| US07881744B2 |
Media transfer and control system
A media transfer and control system that includes a handheld device and an audio/visual system. The media transfer and control system provides for: (i) the transfer of media files between the handheld device and the audio/visual system, (ii) the transmission of control commands from the handheld device to the audio/visual system for controlling the function and operation of the audio/visual system through a user interface provided on the handheld device, and (iii) the unsolicited transfer of media descriptive data between the handheld device and the audio/visual system to create a synchronized global view on the handheld electronic device and/or the audio/visual system of all of the media content currently stored on and/or available through both the handheld device and the audio/visual system. |
| US07881742B2 |
Method and apparatus for power control during DTX operation
Techniques for performing power control during discontinuous transmission (DTX) operation are described. A UE transmits on the uplink during a transmission burst and receives TPC commands generated by a Node B based on the uplink transmission. The UE may receive two TPC commands at the end of the transmission burst that are not applied during the transmission burst. The UE saves and applies these two TPC commands in the next transmission burst. In one design, the UE applies each saved TPC command in one slot of the next transmission burst. In another design, the UE combines the two saved TPC commands and applies the combined value in the first two slots of the next transmission burst. In yet another design, the UE selects one of the saved TPC commands and applies the selected TPC command in the first two slots of the next transmission burst. |
| US07881740B2 |
Radio channel control method and receiving apparatus
A radio channel control method for controlling, in a radio communication system having a transmitter and a receiver, a radio channel from the transmitter toward the receiver. The method includes receiving a signal transmitted from the transmitter by the receiver, measuring reception quality of the signal, generating information which indicates increment or decrement of the reception quality, and controlling a modulation or coding for the radio channel based on the information. |
| US07881739B2 |
Method and apparatus for adaptive power control in a wireless voice and data communication system
A method and apparatus for adaptively controlling the power level of transmissions from a remote station by determining the velocity of the remote station. A general classification of the velocity of the remote station can be used to selectively implement a closed loop power control scheme. Power level parameters are used to determine velocity. In accordance with a classification of stationary, low speed, or high speed, the closed loop power control is selectively operated. Velocity can be determined by either the base station or the remote station through various methods. One method is the use of power control bits and/or average power to determine level crossings and excursion times. |
| US07881737B2 |
Method and apparatus for acquiring and establishing a deployable communication system
A radio deployment pack (110) includes a plurality of radios and deployable infrastructure package within a single package. The package is created by placing an order including the selection of frequency band of operation and either stand-alone mode infrastructure, to be used when all existing infrastructure is inoperable, or expanded infrastructure mode, to be used to extend coverage across remote region having gaps in coverage. The selection of infrastructure is preferably used to assign a battery option, the battery option being either a disposable battery or rechargeable battery. The use of the RDP (110) provides a communication system without the use of local infrastructure and without prior knowledge of communication system operation. The package may further include RFIDs (404) for inventory and location tracking of the radios, portable infrastructure and or emergency equipment (410). Wired programming capability is optionally provided through the use of a smart rack 502. Wireless programming is optionally provided through the use of PAN enabled deployable elements. |
| US07881734B2 |
System and method for application location register routing in a telecommunication network
A system and method for application location register routing at a signal transfer point (26) are provided. The signal transfer point (26) includes processor clusters (64, 66, 68) and databases (236, 238) for processing queries including global title translation, local number portability, and application location register routing. A query message is received by the signal transfer point (26), a first database residing in the signal transfer point (26) is accessed to determine the location of a second database (238) also residing in the signal transfer point for processing the query message. The second database (238) is then accessed to obtain the network address of a home location register or short message service center, which is then used to deliver the query message to the network node specified by the network address. |
| US07881731B2 |
Method for providing triggered location information of a target terminal
A method for providing triggered location information of a target terminal is provided. The method includes transmitting by a previous H-SLP a report message informing that a target terminal is in a roaming state during the triggered location service to an H-SLP of the target terminal or the target terminal. The H-SLP of the target terminal selects a new V-SLP based on a location identifier (LID) received from the target terminal, and the H-SLP provides the V-SLP with an ID of the target terminal, a positioning method of the target terminal (SET CAPABLITY), and the LID as the information on the network in which the target terminal currently exists. The newly selected V-SLP determines the positioning method and protocol used for the positioning with the target terminal by using the SET CAPABILITY, the newly selected V-SLP transmits its own IP address and the newly determined positioning method and protocol (POSMETHOD) to the H-SLP. The H-SLP transmits the IP address of the newly selected H-SLP and the new POSMETHOD to the target terminal, the target terminal transmits a positioning inducing message to the new V-SLP and calculates a location value by using the determined POSMETHOD, in such a manner that the triggered location service is maintained even though the target terminal is in a roaming state during the service by performing the step of selecting the H-SLP for calculating the location value of the target terminal without interruption. |
| US07881729B2 |
GPS-microphone for communication system
A communication apparatus, such as a GPS-microphone, which is adapted for incorporating a communication system, includes a communication unit such as a speaker-microphone set, a communication transmitter such as a radio frequency transmitter communicatively networked with the communication system through radio frequency signals, and a positioning controller such as GPS controller electrically connected with the communication transmitter to encode positioning data into one or more RF positioning signals in form of audio signals wherein when the positioning controller is triggered, the communication transmitter is activated to transmit RF positioning signals to the communication system. |
| US07881727B2 |
Method of locating mobile communicating objects within a communications network, comprising the transmission of location identifiers by repeaters and server updates
The invention relates to a mobile communicating object (A) belonging to a communications network and comprising processing means (PM). According to the invention, when a communication has been established with another communicating object (S) belonging to the network, the aforementioned processing means generate a repeater (Fi) at each site (Hi) through which they pass. Moreover, when the repeater is generated, the processing means associate a timing counter (CTF) therewith and configure said repeater such that: (i) it can store an identifier that is representative of the location of the next repeater (F(i+1)) or site (H(i+1)) in the chain of repeaters to which it belongs; and (ii) at the end of a selected duration of time, it transmits the location identifier of the next repeater (F(i+1)) or site (S(i+1)) to at least one location server (SL) in the network, so that it stores said identifier together with the primary identifier of the mobile object (A). Preferably, once a repeater has addressed the location identifier, the relay activity thereof is terminated and, if the repeater does not belong to another chain, it is removed so that it no longer consumes resources. |
| US07881724B2 |
Allocating radio resources in mobile communications system
Transmitting information using a preamble of a Random Access Channel (RACH) in an Evolved Universal mobile Telecommunications System (E-UMTS) is provided. A preamble transmission is used to inform a base station of specific information when a terminal uses a RACH and the base station efficiently allocates radio resources for data transmission to the terminal according to the specific information. Delay time before the terminal transmits data is reduced and unnecessary consumption of radio resources is minimized. |
| US07881717B2 |
Method for registering with a communication service
A method determines whether a given mobile communication device is eligible to register for a particular service. A first database tracks the equipment capabilities of various mobile devices. A second database tracks which regions, of a plurality, of geographic regions are eligible to receive the service. These databases are checked when the system receives a request to register for the service. |
| US07881715B2 |
Media spooler system and methodology providing efficient transmission of media content from wireless devices
A media spooler system is described that provides a methodology for efficient transmission of media content from client devices, such transmission of digital images from wireless digital cameras. The media spooler or gateway addresses wireless transmission problems by acting as a protocol gateway between a thin-client device and a target host or server (supported by a server infrastructure). More particularly, the media spooler of the present invention acts as a protocol gateway between thin-client devices (e.g., “mobile visual communicator” in the form of a wireless digital camera) and server infrastructure (e.g., server-based computer systems or “Web servers” of a photographic service provider). This task entails accepting multiple, simultaneous connections from various client devices (e.g., wireless digital cameras), extracting information from those devices (e.g., digital photographs or other media content), and then uploading that information to the target server infrastructure. In basic operation, the media spooler queries each client device for the information (e.g., media, such as pictures) the client device thinks should uploaded, and then the media spooler queries the server infrastructure for the subset of pictures that have not been already uploaded. This improved coordination or synchronization of information between a device and target host allows for efficient recovery of dropped cellular data calls by essentially allowing the media spooler to “pick up where it left off.” |
| US07881712B1 |
Generating and signaling tones in a communications network
A technique for providing a flexible approach to generating and signaling tones, such as call progress tones, in a communications network is described. Parameters associated with tones generated and signaled in a communication network are dynamically configured. A tone to be generated and signaled onto the network is specified in a request that identifies the tone. Parameters associated with the specified tone are identified. The information representing the tone is then generated in accordance with the identified parameters and signaled onto the communications network. |
| US07881710B2 |
Managing features available on a portable communication device based on a travel speed detected by the portable communication device
A portable communication device detects a current speed of travel of the portable communication device independent of any vehicle temporarily transporting the portable communication device. A speed based setting controller of the portable communication device compares the current speed to at least one threshold value set at the portable communication device. Responsive to the current speed exceeding the threshold value, the speed based setting controller automatically assigns a separate speed based setting to a current setting for each feature assigned to the threshold value, wherein each current setting for each feature designates the operability of that feature within the portable communication device, such that the current setting for each feature adjusts with a speed of travel as detected by the portable communication device. |
| US07881709B2 |
Application providing system, portable terminal devices, server device, application providing method and computer programs
An application providing system is provided. The application providing system includes a portable terminal device having an IC chip configured to perform radio communications; and a server device; the application providing system connecting the portable terminal device and the server device through a communication network, wherein the portable terminal device includes a transmitted message receiver section, an application determination section, an application transmission request generation section, and an application storage section, wherein the server device includes a transmitted message generation section, a transmitted message sender section, an application transmission request receiver section, an application storage section, and an application sender section. |
| US07881705B2 |
Mobile communication terminal and information acquisition method for position specification information
There is provided a mobile communication terminal including an information storage unit having registered therein a plurality of registration names and position specification information data with which at least a position can be specified which are correlated respectively; an instruction input unit for acquiring instruction input from a user; an information extraction unit for extracting position specification information required for receiving a desired information service; an information communication unit for transmitting the position specification information extracted by the information extraction unit to an information service provider side; an information presentation unit for presenting information in a form which can be recognized by the user; and a received information presentation control unit for causing the information presentation unit to present the information returned from the information service provider side and received by the information reception unit. |
| US07881704B2 |
Methods, systems and computer program products for joint account registers
A first account profile is on a first mobile communications device and a second account profile is on a second mobile communications device. User input of transactional information is accepted on the first mobile communications device. The first account profile on the first mobile communications device is modified based on the transactional information. A message is transmitted including the transactional information to the second mobile communications device. |
| US07881700B2 |
Information communication apparatus and message displaying method
A cell phone 1 is characterized by having a problem determination storage 3 for storing problem finding information for determining whether there is a problem in received data received by a radio communicator 2, in correspondence to a fixed message, and for storing an arbitrary message available for arbitrary correspondence to the problem finding information; an arbitrary message determination processor 5 for determining whether an arbitrary message is stored in correspondence to the problem finding information in the problem determination storage 3, when it is determined that there is a problem in the received data; and an operation controller 6 for displaying the arbitrary message when the arbitrary message determination processor 5 determines that the arbitrary message is stored, and for displaying the fixed message stored in the problem determination storage 3, when it is determined that no arbitrary message is stored. |
| US07881693B2 |
Semiconductor device
In an RF tag, a mask ROM or a flash memory is used for storing data such as an ID number. Although the mask ROM can be realized at a low price, rewriting is not possible. In addition, in the flash memory, although electric rewriting is possible, production cost increases. Accordingly, it is difficult to provide an RF tag by which data rewriting is possible at a low price. An RF tag is provided with a power supply circuit having a function to generate a power supply voltage from a weak radio signal and a memory which can hold data stored in a data holding portion by the power supply voltage. With the above structure, a high-performance RF tag capable of rewriting data such as an ID number after production can be provided at a low price. |
| US07881692B2 |
Integrated low-IF terrestrial audio broadcast receiver and associated method
An integrated low-IF (low intermediate frequency) terrestrial broadcast receiver and associated method are disclosed that provide an advantageous and cost-efficient solution. The integrated receiver includes a mixer, local oscillator generation circuitry, low-IF conversion circuitry, and DSP circuitry. And the integrated receiver is particularly suited for small, portable devices and the reception of terrestrial audio broadcasts, such as FM and AM terrestrial audio broadcast, in such portable devices. |
| US07881690B2 |
System and method for zero intermediate frequency filtering of information communicated in wireless networks
A circuit for communicating information in a wireless network includes a filtering circuit in communication with a zero intermediate frequency (ZIF) transceiver circuit. The filtering circuit includes a first mixer in communication with an output of the ZIF transceiver circuit. The filtering circuit includes a first Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) filter circuit in communication with an output of the first mixer. The filtering circuit includes a second mixer in communication with an output of the first SAW filter circuit. The filtering circuit includes a third mixer, and a second SAW filter circuit in communication with an output of the third mixer. The filtering circuit includes a fourth mixer in communication with an output of the second SAW filter circuit and an input of the ZIF transceiver circuit. The filtering circuit also includes a local oscillator circuit in communication with the first, second, third and fourth mixers. |
| US07881687B2 |
Method and system for removing radio frequency direct current offset in signal
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a system for removing a Radio Frequency (RF) Direct Current (DC) offset in a signal. The method includes: subtracting a canceling DC from a signal carrying an RF DC offset and generating an RF DC offset residual; outputting the signal when the RF DC offset residual in the signal is zero; adjusting the canceling DC according to the RF DC offset residual in the signal if the RF DC offset residual is not zero. The system includes a receiver, an RF DC offset canceling unit, a determining unit, a canceling DC adjusting unit, and an output unit. With embodiments of the present invention, the RF DC offset in the signal may be effectively removed. |
| US07881683B2 |
Generation of modulated radio frequency signals
RF signal generators (1) are disclosed, having an amplitude-modulated amplifier (80) whose supply voltage (70) is a signal non-linearly filtered (33) dependent on a signal (30) being representative to an envelope signal of a desired output RF signal (81). The non-linear filtering (33) is performed preferably using an envelope-dependent boundary. An input RF signal (65) to the amplifier (80) is amplified using the supply voltage (70) to produce the desired output RF signal (81). The present invention also presents methods for driving such generators (1). |
| US07881681B2 |
Self-calibrating direct conversion transmitter with converting/steering device
A converting/steering device has a normal mode and a calibration mode. The converting/steering device includes a merged mixer/VGA and a mode controller. The merged mixer/VGA has a mixing stage and an amplifying stage. In the normal mode, the mode controller deactivates the mixing stage of the merged mixer/VGA, and the device operates as an RF VGA. In the calibration mode, the mode controller activates the mixing stage of the merged mixer/VGA and passes a local oscillator signal to the mixing stage, so that the device operates as a down-mixer. |
| US07881678B2 |
Wireless device for physical coupling to another object
One embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a radio frequency (RF) device for communicating on a wireless network. The device includes an antenna coupled to an RF circuit. The device further includes a body housing the RF circuit and the antenna. The device yet further includes a support member extending from the body. The support member is configured to be coupled to an object. The support member is prevented from moving laterally and vertically relative to the object when coupled to the object. The support member and body are configured to allow the body and the antenna to rotate about an axis when the support member is prevented from moving laterally and vertically relative to the object. |
| US07881675B1 |
Wireless connector and methods
Improved electrical connector apparatus including a wireless transceiver is disclosed. The wireless transceiver is configured to pass signals between the terminals of the connector and an external device. In one embodiment, the device comprises a complementary wireless transceiver with a PC or other computerized device. In another embodiment, the connector comprises an RJ45 modular jack, and the wireless transceiver comprises a Bluetooth transceiver. In yet another embodiment, an 802.11 transceiver is used. In yet a further embodiment, an ultrawideband (UWB) interface is used. |
| US07881670B1 |
Non-capture one-tuner smart antenna
In one-tuner smart antennas, a constant amplitude representation of the antenna element wideband signal is correlated with a representation of the smart antenna output signal to give a measure of the selected channel bandpass power and desired signal power. Since only signals in the selected channel bandpass of the wideband antenna signals can be correlated with signals in the selected channel, the correlator allows only the selected channel bandpass components of the wideband antenna input signal to contribute to the correlator output. This eliminates the influence of adjacent channels/bands signals and prevents capture by strong adjacent signals. As the smart antenna adapts and reduces the selected channel bandpass interference, the measure becomes that of the desired signal power. The present invention reduces the distortion and capture of the antenna branch amplitude limiter for the weight calculation, power detection of the input power and AGC of an antenna element. |
| US07881669B2 |
Time reference point information transmitting system and receiver
A transmitter sets a time length, determines a time point at which phases of frequency signals coincide within a range of the time length, defines a determined time point as a time reference point, aligns the phases of the frequency signals based on the time reference point, combines phase-aligned frequency, and transmits combined frequency signals to a receiver by the time length as the communication signals. The receiver receives the communication signals, extracts the phases of the frequency signals, obtains a time point at which the phases coincide, and determines an obtained time point as the time reference point. |
| US07881664B2 |
Personal wireless communication device connectivity arrangement within an RF restricted environment
The present invention comprises a docking system for connecting a portable communication device to a further signal transmission line. The docking system may be arranged within a workstation such as a desk or a tray. The system may also envelope a room in a building or be located in a vehicle, to control and restrict the radiative emission from the communication device and to direct such radiation to a further remote antenna and or signal distribution system connected to the transmission line. |
| US07881663B2 |
Beacon signal generating apparatus in satellite communication system and phase synchronizing apparatus using the same
Provided are a beacon signal generating apparatus and a phase synchronizing apparatus using the same for establishing a phase synchronization while tracking a phase variation of a Timing Source Oscillator (TSO) of a satellite using a simpler scheme at an earth station, in making a phase synchronization between a clock signal of an On board Switch (OBS) embedded in the satellite and that of the earth station in a Satellite Switched Time Division Multiple Access (SS-TDMA) satellite communication system. The inventive beacon signal generating apparatus embedded in a satellite comprises a frequency oscillator for creating a TSO frequency, a beacon signal generator for multiplying the TSO frequency to be matched with a beacon signal frequency to generate a beacon signal synchronized with the TSO frequency, and a transmitter for transmitting the beacon signal to each of earth stations to recovery a frequency synchronized with the TSO frequency. |
| US07881650B2 |
Fusing device and image forming apparatus having the same
A fusing device includes a rotatable pressing roller, a fusing belt to rotate by a rotational force transmitted from the rotatable pressing roller, a nip forming member to contact an inner surface of the fusing belt to form a nip on a contact area between the rotatable pressing roller and the fusing belt, a heating member formed in approximately an internal central portion of the fusing belt to heat the nip forming member and the fusing belt, an inner support member formed within the fusing belt to press a nip part of the nip forming member toward the rotatable pressing roller, and an outer support member formed outside the fusing belt, and both ends of the outer support member being engaged with the inner support member to thereby reinforce the strength of the inner support member and form a path for radiation heat to disperse. The support unit includes an inner support member placed within the belt unit, and an outer support member placed outside the belt unit, both ends of the outer support member being engaged with the inner support member to reinforce the strength of the inner support member and to form a path for a radiation heat to disperse. |
| US07881649B2 |
Liquid supply systems, fusers and methods of supplying liquids in printing apparatuses
Liquid supply systems, fusers and methods of supplying liquids in printing apparatuses are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment of a liquid supply system for supplying liquid to a fusing surface of a fuser member, comprises a metering roll having a first outer surface; a donor roll having a second outer surface disposed adjacent the first outer surface to define a first nip between the first and second outer surfaces; and a liquid reducing roll having a third outer surface adapted to be disposed adjacent the second outer surface to define a second nip between the second and third outer surfaces. The metering roll is adapted to convey the liquid from the first outer surface to the second outer surface. The donor roll is adapted to be disposed adjacent the fuser member such that the second outer surface and the fusing surface define a third nip, and to convey the liquid from the second outer surface to the fusing surface. The liquid reducing roll is adapted to remove a portion of the liquid from the second outer surface before the liquid is conveyed to the fusing surface. |
| US07881647B2 |
Xerographic imaging modules, xerographic apparatuses, and methods of making xerographic imaging modules
Xerographic imaging modules, xerographic apparatuses including the xerographic imaging modules and methods of making the xerographic imaging modules are disclosed. An embodiment of the xerographic imaging modules includes a photoreceptor roll having a photoconductive surface, a donor roll adjacent the photoreceptor roll for supplying toner to the photoconductive surface, and a toner loading roll adjacent the donor roll for supplying the toner to the donor roll. The toner loading roll includes a core comprised of a foam first material, and a non-porous surface region comprised of the first material. The surface region surrounds the core and forms an outer surface of the toner loading roll. |
| US07881645B2 |
Sealing member, toner accommodating container and image forming apparatus
A toner container detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, includes a container body for containing toner; and a sealing member. The sealing member includes a sealing portion and a coupling portion. The coupling portion includes a supporting portion provided on the sealing portion and an engaging portion provided at a free end of the supporting portion. The engaging portion includes a rotational force receiving portion and a locking portion. The rotational force receiving portion is capable of being abutted in a circumferential direction of a hollow cylindrical driving member of the image forming apparatus. The locking portion is capable of being abutted in an axial direction of the hollow cylindrical driving member to prevent the sealing member from moving in the axial direction of the container body when the container body moves away from the hollow cylindrical driving member. |
| US07881644B2 |
Developing device and image forming apparatus
A developing device includes: a developer carrier that carries toner thereon; a toner supply member that supplies toner to the developer carrier; a development chamber having the developer carrier and the toner supply member; a replaceable toner cartridge that supplies toner to the development chamber and collects toner from the development chamber; and a contact member that is in contact with the toner supply member to form a nip portion. At the time of replacement to the toner cartridge that contains new toner therein, the new toner is supplied from the toner cartridge into the development chamber and is made to pass through a nip portion between the toner supply member and the contact member within the development chamber, and then nip-passed toner is collected from the development chamber into the toner cartridge. |
| US07881643B2 |
Image forming apparatus and developer container therefor
An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of developing units respectively including developer inlets, the developing units are arranged side by side in a first direction, a plurality of developer containers to contain developers to be supplied to the plurality of developing units and respectively including developer outlets, the developer units are arranged side by side in the first direction to face the plurality of developing units, and a plurality of developer supplying paths respectively to connect the developer inlets to the developer outlets, wherein the plurality of developer containers include first and second developer containers, and a position of the developer outlet of the second developer container is different from position of the developer outlet of the first developer container. |
| US07881635B2 |
Image forming apparatus including a detachable convey-guiding member detachably attached to a fixed convey-guiding member fixed to a device main body
An intermediate transfer unit can be detached from a device main body through an opening that is covered by an openable and closable front cover. A sheet path is provided between the intermediate transfer unit and the front cover. A portion of a convey-guiding unit of the sheet path falls in the way when detaching the detachable intermediate transfer unit. The portion of the convey-guiding unit, which falls in the way when detaching the detachable intermediate transfer unit, is formed as a detachable convey-guiding member that is detachably attached to the device main body. |
| US07881634B2 |
Image forming apparatus in which transfer member is movable toward and apart from image bearing member
In a constitution for detecting a position of a transfer member on the basis of a detection result of a current passing between the transfer member and an image bearing member, the positional detection is performed after a contacting and separating operation of the transfer member is carried out. By the contacting and separating operation of the transfer member, the image bearing member located out of a normal position is pressed to the normal position by the transfer member. After the image bearing member is pressed to the normal position, a position of the transfer member is detected. |
| US07881620B2 |
Stabilized optical fiber continuum frequency combs using post-processed highly nonlinear fibers
An arrangement for generating beat notes with a relatively high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) utilizes a pulsed laser source coupled into a section of post-processed highly-nonlinear optical fiber (HNLF) to generate a frequency comb having one or more regions of enhanced spectral power. A second laser signal source is overlapped with the frequency comb to form one or more “beat notes” at difference frequencies(y) between the second source and the continuum comb. By virtue of the post-processing, areas of spectral enhancement are formed along the comb, and are positioned to interact with the second laser signal to generate optical beat notes. The second laser signal may be from an external source (forming beat notes from a signal “outside” of the comb), or may be a frequency-multiplied version of the generated supercontinuum (forming beat notes from a signal “within” the comb). |
| US07881617B2 |
Buffering schemes for optical packet processing
An optical packet processor includes one or more optical packet inputs that receive asynchronous optical packets. An optical packet interconnect directs the optical packets from the different optical packet inputs to different optical packet outputs. The optical packets are buffered either before or after being directed from the inputs to the different outputs. Problems associated with optical buffering are overcome by synchronizing the asynchronous optical packets with the optical packet buffers. The novel optical buffer architectures described also reduce or eliminate the use of certain high cost optical components. |
| US07881611B2 |
Optical fiber transmission system with noise loading
A system and method for loading unutilized channels of a WDM system with noise to improve system performance. A transmitter amplifier may impart noise to unutilized channels by reducing amplifier input or providing feedback of the amplifier output. Noise signals may also be looped back to the transmitter from received signals. |
| US07881609B2 |
Optical access system and ranging method for optical access system
A ranging signal R1 generated by a signal generator and reaches to a signal checker via a working system transmission line, a loop circuit, and an auxiliary system transmission line. The signal checker measures a delay time from the generation to the arrival of the signal R1. A ranging signal R2 generated by the signal generator and reaches to a signal checker via an auxiliary system transmission line, a loop circuit, and an auxiliary system transmission line. The signal checker measures a delay time from the generation to the arrival of the signal R12. A delay time of the working system transmission line is calculated from the delay times of the signals R1 and R2. Disruption of the services provided by the other ONUs can be prevented since the working system transmission line is not used for upstream communication of the ranging signals R1 and R2. |
| US07881608B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for measuring jitter in a transceiver module
Methods and apparatuses are provided for performing jitter measurements in a transceiver module. Accordingly, there is no need to use expensive test equipment that must be inserted into and removed from the network in order to obtain these measurements. In addition, because the measurements can be obtained at any time without any interruption in communications over the network, jitter performance can be monitored more closely and more frequently to facilitate better and earlier diagnosis of problems that can lead to failures in the network. |
| US07881606B2 |
Split mechanism for a coaxial photographing device
A split mechanism for a coaxial photographing device, especially a split mechanism between a photographing unit and a light projection unit of a photographing device used for a full-time surveillance to facilitate an image adjustment or maintenance, uses primarily the photographing unit as a base of support, with the removable light projection unit being assembled coaxially at an image taking end. After the light projection unit is disassembled and changes a position, it can be linked at a constant direction temporarily and can keep operating by using a linking device which is split linearly, such that a calibration light wave needed for adjusting the images can be provided, and the light projection unit can be easily aligned with an axis to be assembled at position upon assembling. |
| US07881605B2 |
Camera with built-in projector and projector device
A camera with a built-in projector includes: a camera unit equipped with photographing components including an optical system; and a projector module equipped with a projecting optical system, with an optical axis extending along a longer side of the projector module running substantially parallel to an optical axis of the camera unit extending along a longer side of the camera unit. |
| US07881602B2 |
Driving device, optical apparatus, and image pickup apparatus
A driving device which is capable of increasing a driving speed at which an object to be driven is driven, enhancing quietness in driving the object to be driven, and positioning the object to be driven with high accuracy. A hollow cylindrical magnet (1) extends along an optical axis, and a plurality of magnetized parts (1a to 1j) spirally extend along the outer peripheral surface of the magnet. A first yoke (2), a second yoke (3), a third yoke (7), and a fourth yoke (8) are formed of a soft magnetic material, and each of the yokes has five magnetic pole teeth (2a to 2e, 3a to 3e, 7a to 7e, or 8a to 8e) each disposed in opposed relation to a corresponding one of the magnetized parts of the magnet. A lens holder (12) holds the object to be driven and supports the magnet such that the magnet is movable along the optical axis. First and second coils (5, 10) for magnetizing the first and second yokes, respectively, are energized to move the magnet along the lens holder in the direction along the predetermined axis to thereby drive the object to be driven. |
| US07881597B2 |
Image blur correction device, lens barrel and imaging apparatus
There is provided an image blur correction device including: a correction lens; a first movable frame; a second movable frame; a fixed frame; a first main guide shaft and a first auxiliary guide shaft; a second main guide shaft and a second auxiliary guide shaft; a first driving part; and a second driving part. The first auxiliary guide shaft is shorter than the first main guide shaft and the second driving part is placed between the first auxiliary guide shaft and the correction lens. The second auxiliary guide shaft is shorter than the second main guide shaft and the first driving part is placed between the second auxiliary guide shaft and the correction lens. |
| US07881594B2 |
Heating system and method for microfluidic and micromechanical applications
An integrated semiconductor heating assembly includes a semiconductor substrate, a chamber formed therein, and an exit port in fluid communication with the chamber, allowing fluid to exit the chamber in response to heating the chamber. The integrated heating assembly includes a first heating element adjacent the chamber, which can generate heat above a selected threshold and bias fluid in the chamber toward the exit port. A second heating element is positioned adjacent the exit port to generate heat above a selected threshold, facilitating movement of the fluid through the exit port away from the chamber. Addition of the second heating element reduces the amount of heat emitted per heating element and minimizes thickness of a heat absorption material toward an open end of the exit port. Since such material is expensive, this reduces the manufacturing cost and retail price of the assembly while improving efficiency and longevity thereof. |
| US07881593B2 |
Gas cooking appliance with removable burners and useable work area
A gas cooking appliance for use with at least one removable burner, the cooking appliance including a structural housing supporting a cooktop surface having at least one convertible area for use with the at least one removable burner. When the at least one removable burner is operable with the cooking appliance, it resides above the convertible area and is supplied a fuel mixture from the cooking appliance by a gas-to-air type fuel supplier. According to various preferred embodiments there are provided a gas shutoff device for stopping the flow of gaseous fuel to the removable gas burner when the burner is relocated or not properly installed to the appliance proper; and an interlock so that during cooking, the removable burner does not move about in an unsafe way. |
| US07881592B2 |
Digital audio/video playback system capable of controlling audio and video playback speed
A digital audio/video playback system capable of controlling audio and video playback speed for decoding a digital audio/video signal and then outputting such signal. The system includes: a loader configured to receive the digital audio/video signals, a parser configured to resolve the digital audio/video signals into a video bitstream and an audio bitstream, a video decoder and an audio decoder respectively configured to receive and decode the video bitstream and the audio bitstream, and a playback speed controller configured to adjust the sound frequency of the decoded audio based on a set playback speed and output the decoded video/audio at the set playback speed. |
| US07881591B2 |
Information recording/reproducing apparatus
The information recording/reproducing apparatus of the present invention comprises: a reproduction period list reader for reading out a reproduction period list from a recording medium; a specific-time skipping device that skips a reading-out position of information from the recording medium over a prescribed time; and a reproduction period list modifier that deletes a skip period from a reproduction period in a reproduction period list using a skip start point and a skip end point in the reproduction period list that is read out by the reproduction period list reader when specific-time skip is carried out by the specific-time skipping device during reproduction of the information from the recording medium. |
| US07881587B2 |
Playback apparatus, playback method, and program for the same
The present invention relates to a playback apparatus, a playback method, and a program for the same that increase the level of convenience of a recording medium and thereby, for example, enable a user to perform playback control processing and the like more easily. An information acquisition unit 353 in a playback control unit 334 allows a holding unit 354 to hold an acquired an Linear Time Code (LTC) change point table 361. An input acceptance processing unit 352 supplies an accepted cue-up instruction to a cue-up processing unit 355. The cue-up processing unit 355 identifies the File Time Code (FTC) of a frame to be cued up, referring to the LTC change point table 361 held in the holding unit 354, and supplies this information to a control unit 351. Based on the information, the control unit 351 creates cue-up command information and supplies it through a command processing unit 356 to a disk recording/playback apparatus which displays a frame image of a frame to be cued up onto a monitor. The invention can be applied to an editing system. |
| US07881582B2 |
Slowing display of digital video
Methods, apparatus, and computer program products are disclosed for slowing display of digital video that include receiving in a video display device a digital video stream for display, identifying by the video display device a digital video clip of the digital video stream, the digital video clip comprising consecutive frames characterized by a same digital video text for display, pausing on the display at least one frame of the digital video clip for a pause period. |
| US07881580B2 |
Optical waveguide device and manufacturing method for optical waveguide device
To obtain an optical waveguide device capable of improving mounting accuracy and productivity for correcting misalignment of alignment marker caused by distortion due to a substrate stressed and distorted. An optical waveguide device includes an optical waveguide section, including a waveguide core formed on a substrate, and an optical device (LD) mounted on the substrate to correspond the optical waveguide section, both of which are coupled at a light end face and mounted by hybrid mounting. LD side alignment markers are provided in both sides of an active line in the optical device. Substrate side alignment markers are provided at positions where centers thereof and those of the optical device side markers are matched when the optical device is mounted on the corresponding substrate. Fiducial markers are provided and a relative positional relationship with the waveguide core on the substrate becomes stably. Thus, a misalignment amount is detected. |
| US07881578B2 |
Ultra-high density connector
Techniques for ultra-high density connection are disclosed. In one embodiment, an ultra-high density connector includes a bundle of substantially parallel elongate cylindrical elements, where each cylindrical element is substantially in contact with at least one adjacent cylindrical element. Ends of the elongate cylindrical elements are disposed differentially with respect to each other to define a three-dimensional interdigitating mating surface. At least one of the elongate cylindrical elements has an electrically conductive contact positioned to tangentially engage a corresponding electrical contact of a mating connector. |
| US07881564B2 |
Image scaling arrangement
Methods and system for transferring images between devices are disclosed. For example, differently scaled images by a host device may automatically and/or selectively be transferred to a media player for display. In turn, appropriately scaled images may be transferred automatically and/or selectively to another display device for example a TV, camera or printer. The selectivity may occur either at the host level or at the player level. |
| US07881560B2 |
Method for determining the position of a marker in an augmented reality system
The invention relates to a method for determining a position of a marker in an Augmented Reality System. After detection of the marking points of a marker in a captured image, marker vectors are determined using the marking points of the marker, and the distance of the marker from a capturing unit is calculated using the determined marker vectors. The determined distance and marker vectors are used in order to establish a rotation matrix reproducing an orientation of the marker in relation to the capturing unit, wherein the simplification that all marking points of the marker are located at the same distance from the capturing unit is valid and the signs of the rotation matrix are derived from substantially parallel marker vectors. |
| US07881554B2 |
Method for correcting a digital image
A luminance intensity of pixels of an input digital image is corrected for generating a corrected digital image. A luminance of each pixel is calculated as a function of the luminance of a corresponding pixel in an original image according to a parametric function. A mask of the input digital image to be corrected is generated according to a bilateral filtering technique. For each pixel of the input digital image, a respective value of at least one parameter of the parametric function is established based upon the luminance of a corresponding pixel of the mask. |
| US07881551B2 |
Method and apparatus for multifocus digital image restoration using image integration technology
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for digital image restoration. The method including the steps of receiving an external deteriorated image, and generating N restoration images by using a preset PSF and an image restoration filter without computing a PSF of the input deteriorated image, dividing the restoration images into window parts of a predetermined window size, computing absolute values of differences among peripheral pixels within the divided window parts, selecting only a high frequency part, and analyzing focus deterioration; determining weights of the N restoration images, selecting window parts having high weights, and integrating the selected window parts into one image and comparing a degree of restoration of the integrated image with a preset degree of restoration, and outputting the integrated image as a resultant image when the degree of restoration of the integrated image is higher than the preset degree of restoration. |
| US07881549B2 |
Visual processing device, display device, visual processing method, program, and integrated circuit
A visual processing device, display device, visual processing method, program, and integrated circuit that change a strength of visual processing of an image in real-time. A spatial processing portion (2) creates an unsharp signal US from an input signal IS. A target level setting portion (4) sets a predetermined target level value L for setting a range according to which the strength of the visual processing is adjusted. An effect adjustment portion (5) creates a synthesized signal MUS by synthesizing the predetermined target level value L and the unsharp signal US in accordance with an effect adjustment signal MOD that has been set externally. A visual processing portion (3) outputs an output signal OS in accordance with the input signal IS and the synthesized signal MUS, making it possible to change the strength of the visual processing. |
| US07881547B2 |
Video window detector
The invention provides for automatically identifying the location of a displayed video window based upon a characterization of selected portions of the image for realness based upon a distribution of luminance values for the selected portions. The image is then searched mathematically for a large rectangle of realness, and if found, a similar operation is performed in a smaller rectangle around each of the edges of the large rectangle, in turn, zooming in to a resolution of one pixel, thus identifying the position of the edge. This process can be repeated as often as necessary in order to maintain a fix on the edges of the video window. |
| US07881541B2 |
Coding apparatus, decoding apparatus, coding method and decoding method
A coding apparatus that can have a plurality of macro blocks processed concurrently macro blocks. The apparatus includes a plurality of macro block processing sections for coding moving picture data concurrently on a macro block by macro block basis, each macro block processing section being adapted to select a position or a region out of a plurality of regions produced by dividing a picture by a predetermined number of rows, detect a processable macro block by sequentially retrieving the macro blocks of the selected region according to a predetermined scanning sequence and code the detected processable macro block. |
| US07881540B2 |
Method and apparatus for detection using cluster-modified graph cuts
A method and an apparatus process images. The method according to one embodiment accesses digital image data representing an image including an object; clusters pixels of the image to obtain clusters; generates a graph with pixels of the image and cluster membership information of pixels in the clusters; and segments the graph using a max-flow segmentation to obtain pixels of the image associated with the object. |
| US07881536B2 |
Identifying a string formed from a number of hand-written characters
A method of identifying a string formed from a number of hand-written characters is disclosed. The method starts by determining character probabilities for each hand-written character in the string. Each character probability represents the likelihood of the respective hand-written character being a respective one of a number of predetermined characters. Next, template probabilities for the string are determined. Each template probability represents the likelihood of the string corresponding to a respective one of a number of templates. Each template represents a respective combination of character types. The step of determining the template probabilities for the string includes the sub-steps of determining the number of characters in the string, selecting templates having an identical number of characters, and obtaining a template probability for each selected template. |
| US07881534B2 |
Collecting and utilizing user correction feedback to improve handwriting recognition
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for using user corrections to help improve handwriting recognition operations. The system tracks user corrections to recognition results. The system receives handwritten input from the user and performs a recognition operation to determine a top recognized word. The prior corrections made by the user are analyzed to calculate a ratio of times the user has corrected the top recognized word to a particular other word as opposed to correcting the particular other word to the top recognized word. If the ratio meets or exceeds a required minimum, then at least one secondary source is optionally analyzed to determine if the particular other word is used a certain number of times more frequently than the top recognized word in the secondary source. The system performs a swap of the top recognized word with the particular other word when the required criteria are met. |
| US07881533B2 |
Microinjection apparatus and microinjection method
A microinjection apparatus of the present invention includes a needle-position polarity detecting unit that detects a position of the needle in the vertical direction at which a value of a differential aggregate distribution becomes the maximum in the situation in which a shape of the leading edge of the needle at a focal position narrows at the right. Moreover, a differential-average determining unit, based on a differential average of an image near the position detected by the needle-position polarity detecting unit, determines the lowest allowable position of the needle, which is a position at which a differential average exceeds a predetermined threshold. |
| US07881529B2 |
Data capture and identification system and process
An identification method and process for objects from digitally captured images thereof that uses data characteristics to identify an object from a plurality of objects in a database. The data is broken down into parameters such as a Shape Comparison, Grayscale Comparison, Wavelet Comparison, and Color Cube Comparison with object data in one or more databases to identify the actual object of a digital image. |
| US07881528B2 |
Face detecting method and photography apparatus using the method
Faces are detected efficiently, while preventing deterioration of face detection accuracy due to brightness during photography or the type of illumination which is employed during photography. When an image is obtained by an imaging means, an illumination judging means judges whether the illumination employed during photography is provided tungsten light source. In the case that the illumination is provided by a tungsten light source, face detection is performed based on a red signal image. In the case that the illumination is not provided by a tungsten light source, face detection is performed based on a green signal image. |
| US07881527B2 |
Display processing system and method
Pixel data is stored in a data field corresponding to a pixel of an image. The data field includes an opacity bit, a first set of bits, and a second set of bits. If the opacity bit is set to an opaque-indicating state, then a color level value of a first component color of the pixel is stored in the first set of bits and a color level value of a second component color of the pixel is stored in the second set of bits. However, if the opacity bit is set to a transparency-indicating state, then a transparency level value is stored in at least one bit of each set, of the first and second sets, of bits and the respective color level value is stored in other bits of each set, of the first and second sets, of bits. |
| US07881526B2 |
Image processing performing color conversion on an input image
An image processing apparatus performs color conversion processing on an input image. The image processing apparatus includes a block pallet conversion unit, a first color converting unit and a restoration unit. The block pallet conversion unit converts the input image in units of blocks into (i) pallet color information including pallet colors number of which is less than pixels included in one of the blocks and (ii) selection information used to select one of the pallet colors for each pixel. The first color converting unit performs color conversion on the pallet color information obtained by the block pallet conversion unit. The restoration unit selects for each pixel, based on the selection information, one of the pallet colors of the pallet color information, which is color-converted by the first color converting unit, to restores an image. |
| US07881517B2 |
Method of analysing cell samples, by creating and analysing a resultant image
A method is provided for comparing multiple samples of cell extract containing a plurality of components. The method comprises the steps of preparing at least two samples of cell extract from at least two groups of cells and of exposing each of said sample of said cell extract to a different one of a set of matched markers, e.g. luminescent markers, to bind the marker to the cell extract to label the cell extract, each marker within said set of markers being capable of binding to the cell extract and can be individually detected from all other markers within said set. The samples are then mixed to form a mixture and said mixture is electrophoresed to separate the components within the cell extract. At least two electronic images of the electrophoresed mixture are obtained (I) by detection of the individual markers, each image being represented by detection of a marker different from the others. One resultant electronic image (Ires) of the obtained at least two electronic images is created (II) and analyzed in order to identify spot analysis areas (III). The identified spot analysis areas are applied on the respective at least two electronic images for evaluating said areas in order to detect spots representing components of said cell extracts (IV). |
| US07881513B2 |
Method for the processing of radiology images for a detection of opacities
In a method for the processing of radiological images for the detection of opacities in a radiography image, an algorithm is proposed for detecting opacities according to their contrasts. To determine a contrast that is not over-estimated in each element, an algorithm is proposed for computing the background intensity by means of a sliding-window filtering. This type of sliding-window filtering computes the set of mean values of grey levels about an immediate environment of a region of elements whose size depends on the size of the opacity to be detected. The algorithm considers a background intensity of the region of elements to be the lowest mean value grey levels among the set of mean values of grey levels. |
| US07881510B2 |
Method and apparatus for forming an image with dynamic projective data
An apparatus for forming an image of a body of a patient. The apparatus comprises an energy source which emits energy that passes through the body or which causes the body to emit energy. The apparatus comprises at least one detector element which receives the energy which has pass through, or originated within the body. The apparatus comprises a computer with a memory in communication with the detector element which stores in the memory angular and timing information relative to the body regarding the energy. The apparatus comprises means for obtaining additional angular and timing information relative to the body regarding the information including the computer-generated steps from a computable readable medium of: acquiring time resolved projective data, either in a sparse manner or in a highly sampled manner, depending on which acquisition aspect of the patient is to be reduced; interpolating either along a circumferential direction or along a temporal direction sparsely sampled data, the interpolation direction being determined by a relative k-space sampling density; applying data filtering either along the circumferential direction or along the temporal direction for highly sampled data, the filtering direction being determined by the relative k-space sampling density; compiling a full radial sampling set from the filtered or interpolated data; and submitting the sampling set for reconstruction. A method for forming an image of a patient. |
| US07881507B2 |
Apparatus and method of input and finger print recognition on a handheld electronic device
An apparatus for input and fingerprint recognition comprises a touch surface, a processor coupled to the touch surface, and instructions stored on the apparatus. The touch surface comprises a first region and a second region. The first region has a first sensor resolution, and the second region has a second sensor resolution that is greater than the first sensor resolution. The instructions configure the processor to selectively operate the touch surface in one of a touch input mode and a fingerprint mode. In the touch input mode, the processor detects a touch input anywhere on the touch surface by sampling the first and second regions at the first sensor resolution. In the fingerprint mode, the processor reads a fingerprint on the second region by sampling the second region at the second sensor resolution. |
| US07881505B2 |
Video retrieval system for human face content
A method and apparatus for video retrieval and cueing that automatically detects human faces in the video and identifies face-specific video frames so as to allow retrieval and viewing of person-specific video segments. In one embodiment, the method locates human faces in the video, stores the time stamps associated with each face, displays a single image associated with each face, matches each face against a database, computes face locations with respect to a common 3D coordinate system, and provides a means of displaying: 1) information retrieved from the database associated with a selected person or people, 2) path of travel associated with a selected person or people 3) interaction graph of people in video, 4) video segments associated with each person and/or face. The method may also provide the ability to input and store text annotations associated with each person, face, and video segment, and the ability to enroll and remove people from database. The videos of non-human objects may be processed in a similar manner. Because of the rules governing abstracts, this abstract should not be used to construe the claims. |
| US07881495B2 |
Method of non-uniformity compensation (NUC) of an imager
The present invention provides for simple and streamlined boresight correlation of FLIR-to-missile video. Boresight correlation is performed with un-NUCed missile video, which allows boresight correlation and NUC to be performed simultaneously thereby reducing the time required to acquire a target and fire the missile. The current approach uses the motion of the missile seeker for NUCing to produce spatial gradient filtering in the missile image by differencing images as the seeker moves. This compensates DC non-uniformities in the image. A FLIR image is processed with a matching displace and subtract spatial filter constructed based on the tracked scene motion. The FLIR image is resampled to match the missile image resolution, and the two images are preprocessed and correlated using conventional methods. Improved NUC is provided by cross-referencing multiple measurements of each area of the scene as viewed by different pixels in the imager. This approach is based on the simple yet novel premise that every pixel in the array that looks at the same thing should see the same thing. As a result, the NUC terms adapt to non-uniformities in the imager and not the scene. |
| US07881493B1 |
Methods and apparatuses for use of eye interpretation information
Eyetracking techniques and analysis techniques are disclosed. At least one interpretation of eyetracking data is received from an eye interpretation engine. A characteristic of an application is dynamically modified based on the interpretation of the eyetracking data. A portion of the application being viewed by a user may be determined. The determined portion may be modified in response to the interpretation of the eyetracking data for the user. |
| US07881492B2 |
Electronic watermark embedding apparatus and method and electronic watermark examining apparatus and method
An electronic watermark embedding apparatus includes means for storing a pixel matrix G with n rows and n columns of an input image, means for acquiring eigenvalues s1 to sn and eigenvectors p1 to pn of the pixel matrix G, means for selecting at least one pair of eigenvalues (si,sj) having different values from the eigenvalues s1 to sn and correcting the eigenvalues s1 to sn such that the values of the selected pair can be equal, means for creating a Jordan-normal-form matrix Sw having the corrected eigenvalues as diagonal elements and 1 as one of the nondiagonal elements corresponding to the selected pair, means for outputting the eigenvectors p1 to pn as electronic watermark key information, means for performing the inverse transform of diagonalization computing on the created matrix Sw by using the eigenvectors p1 to pn to create a pixel matrix Gw with n rows and n columns thereby and outputting it as an electronic-watermark-embedded image of the input image. |
| US07881490B2 |
Speaker device
A speaker device includes a magnetic circuit, a vibration system, a frame and a terminal. The frame is formed into a frame shape, and an inner wall thereof holds the magnetic circuit. Particularly, the frame has an opening for ventilation, which makes a rear surface positioned on a side opposite to a sound output direction and a side surface curved to a direction of the sound output direction from a peripheral end of the rear surface communicate with each other, and the terminal covers the opening on the rear surface of the frame. Therefore, the opening is provided on the side surface of the frame, and ventilation performance of the speaker device is ensured. In addition, by such amount that no opening is provided on the rear surface of the frame, a setting space of the terminal can be enlarged on the rear surface of the frame. |
| US07881489B2 |
Ultrasonic transducer and ultrasonic speaker using the same
An ultrasonic transducer includes: a fixed electrode having corrugations on the surface; a vibrating film having an electrode layer and disposed on the surface of the fixed electrode; and a holding member which holds the fixed electrode and the vibrating film. The ultrasonic transducer is driven by applying an AC signal between the electrode layer of the vibrating film and the fixed electrode, and generates a sound pressure of at least 120 dB within a frequency range from 20 kHz to 120 kHz. |
| US07881484B2 |
Capacitor microphone
The present invention concerns a capacitor microphone comprising a microphone housing having a sound inlet opening, a diaphragm and a counterpart electrode which is associated with the diaphragm and which is arranged at a small spacing relative to the diaphragm. In order to be able to construct such a capacitor microphone with the smallest possible dimensions with at the same time a high signal-noise ratio and without worsening the electro-acoustic parameters, it is proposed in accordance with the invention that the microphone housing has two housing portions of which the second housing portion is of a larger diameter than the first housing portion and the second housing portion is arranged in the form of a cap or sleeve over the first housing portion and the edge of the diaphragm is folded over the edge of the first housing portion and fixed to the outside of the first housing portion. |
| US07881482B2 |
Audio enhancement system
An audio enhancement system is provided for compensating for distortions (e.g., linear distortions) of a sound signal reproduced by an audio system in a listening room. The audio enhancement system includes analysis filters that generate a plurality of analysis output signals from an audio signal to be enhanced. The system also includes synthesis filters that generate an enhanced audio signal from a number of synthesis input signals. The number of analysis output signals and the number of synthesis input signals preferably are equal. Signal processing elements between the analysis filters and the synthesis filters generate one of the synthesis input signals from a respective one of the analysis output signals to perform an inverse filtering for linearizing an unknown transfer function indicative of the audio system and the listening room in the respective frequency range. |
| US07881477B2 |
Method for key distribution in a hierarchical multicast traffic security system for an internetwork
Multicast networks are partitioned into hierarchical security domains. Each security domain may comprise one or more lower security domains. Each security domain includes a security broker that distributes a group key and translates multicast data destined to the security domain, if necessary. A primary security broker at the second level of the hierarchical multicast system distributes the top security key to all peer members, including all peer security domain brokers to establish trust relationships. For each security domain boundary with security domain border routers, a multicast virtual link in configured that connects the security domain border routers and the security broker for the security domain to reduce the latency in forwarding multicast data. It can also make the backbone of the security domain contiguous so that multicast data can travel unchanged across the backbone. The multicast data is forwarded to the security domain through the security broker with security translation. A group key is distributed at each hierarchy level by exchange of Group request and Group reply messages. The rekey process is accomplished by multicasting Rekey Announcement messages, either regionally by a security broker, or globally by the group controller through the primary top regional security broker. |
| US07881476B2 |
Delivering enhanced multimedia content on physical media
Enhanced multimedia content on physical media interacts with the user through a media player and the Internet. Enhanced multimedia utilizes IDs for pieces of content on the media and a media key block. On the enhanced media is a file with a list of URLs. As the enhanced media plays a section requiring a set of keys for decryption, the media player accesses the URL for that section and obtains the decryption key. The decryption key may be purchased or provided for free. Secure encryption and transmission of these keys is accomplished by broadcast encryption using a media key block. Each media has a unique set of keys that allow the media player to process the media key block; however, each media follows a unique path through the media key block. All legitimate media players obtain the media key; circumvention devices cannot decipher the media key block. |
| US07881474B2 |
System and method for secure wireless multi-hop network formation
The present invention provides methods and devices for a security architecture for use in wireless multi-hop networks. A method for implementing pair-wise encryption key establishment, network node authentication and determining tunnel encryption keys is provided in a following manner. In a multi-hop wireless network including a plurality of network nodes, pair-wise security is established between pairs of neighboring network nodes of the plurality of network nodes. For example, pair-wise security is established in the form of temporal pair-wise encryption keys. Following establishment of pair-wise security between pairs of neighboring network nodes, for a pair of network nodes that are not neighbors, tunnel security is established between the pair of network nodes using tunnel encryption keys derived by the pair of network nodes on an ad hoc basis. The tunnel encryption keys are used to form the connection between non-neighboring network nodes so as to avoid the hop-by-hop encryption/decryption used in conventional multi-hop wireless systems. |
| US07881471B2 |
Systems and methods for recording an encrypted interaction
Systems and methods for recording an encrypted contact center interaction. |