| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08333356B2 |
Wall mountable holder system
A substrate-mountable holder system comprising: a first portion, a cover, an anchor and at least one fastener, the first portion having a hook extending therefrom and at least one opening for receiving the fastener(s), a cover configured to engage the first portion and hide the fastener(s). The first portion may include a lobe proximate the top of the rear surface and a pad spaced from the lobe, the opening between the lobe and pad, for controlling deformation of the first portion. The first and second portions also may have a plurality of releasably engaging detents to lock the second portion in place, and the bottom of the second portion may angle rearward so as to bear against the substrate when the second portion is installed. Moreover, the first portion may include a barb on the lobe and/or one or more tangs extending from a recess in the rear surface of the first portion to embed in the substrate and inhibit rotation of the holder system. |
| US08333353B1 |
Compact, portable, temporary mount for portable devices
A compact, portable, temporary mount for portable devices capable of mounting such a device to any smooth, flat surface is described. The apparatus is compact, lightweight, and can be deployed and removed quickly and easily for user convenience. Certain embodiments of the present invention also provide means for multi-directional adjustment for obtaining optimal desired viewing angle for the portable device and can universally adapt to a wide variety of devices and device cases. Furthermore, multiple methods of attaching the present invention to a device or device case are described. |
| US08333351B2 |
Bag mouth holder and opener
A device for keeping lawn waste or other flexible refuse bags open while filling. The device is made of a resilient and flexible material so that it can be squeezed and easily inserted into the top opening of a refuse bag. The device has a generally-rectangular frame, a pair of spaced apart, substantially-parallel, upwardly-curved members each having a proximal end and a distal end; and a pair of spaced apart, substantially-parallel downwardly-curved members. One of the pair of downwardly-curved members connects to the proximal ends of the upwardly-curved members and another one of the pair of downwardly-curved members connects to the distal ends of the upwardly-curved members. |
| US08333345B2 |
Composite aircraft joint
A method and apparatus comprises a first number of layers of a composite material for a wing, a second number of layers of the composite material for the wing, and a metal layer located between the first number of layers and the second number of layers in the wing. The metal layer has a first thickness at a first area configured to receive a number of fasteners and a second thickness at a second area. |
| US08333343B2 |
Jet engine nacelle intended to equip an aircraft
The invention relates to a jet engine nacelle intended to equip an aircraft, comprising a forward air inlet section, a mid-section intended to surround a fan of the jet engine, and an aft section formed from at least first and second half-shells (9, 10) rotatably mounted about an axis (A) such that they can each be deployed between a working position in which the half-shells (9, 10) are drawn towards one another and a maintenance position in which the half-shells (9, 10) are spaced apart, the mid- and aft sections being connected to one another by a frame (12) which is fixed with respect to the jet engine, the first and second half-shells (9, 10) being equipped with positioning means (13) which in the working position cooperate with complementary positioning means (14) formed on the fixed frame (12). At least the first half-shell (10) is equipped with the locking means (20) which in the maintenance position cooperate with complementary locking means (16, 17) arranged on the fixed frame (12), so as to prevent the first half-shell (10) from moving translationally along its axis (A). |
| US08333342B2 |
Flapping-wing flying vehicle
The invention relates to a flapping-wing flying vehicle, the vehicle including a frame having two pivots mounted thereon to pivot about two parallel hinge axes (X), each pivot carrying a respective wing, the vehicle including a first oscillation generator for causing the pivots to oscillate in order to cause the wings to flap, said first oscillation generator comprising: two arms (6), each secured to a respective pivot (2); two cranks (9), each hinged to the end of a respective one of the arms about respective axes (X1) parallel to the hinge axes (X) of the pivots; a connecting rod (10) hinged to the ends of the two cranks about axes (X2) parallel to the hinge axes (X) of the pivots; synchronization means (4) for synchronizing the rotation of the two pivots such that the rotations of the pivots are equal and opposite; two electric motors (7), each placed to cause one of the cranks to rotate relative to the associated arm; and control means (50) for controlling and synchronizing the speeds of rotation of the motors and for controlling the phase difference between the motors. |
| US08333336B2 |
Cavitation erosion reduction strategy for valve member and fuel injector utilizing same
A mechanically actuated electronically controlled unit injector includes an electronically controlled spill valve to precisely control timing of fuel pressurization within a fuel pressurization chamber. Cavitation bubbles may be generated in the region of the valve seat when the spill valve member is closed to raise fuel pressure in the fuel injector. This cavitation can cause erosion on the spill valve member and the surrounding injector body. In order to preempt cavitation damage, the valve member may be modified to include a compound annulus that includes a small annulus that corresponds to an identified cavitation damage pattern. Although the generation of cavitation bubbles may continue after such a strategy, cavitation erosion, and the associated liberation of metallic particles into the fuel system can be reduced, and maybe eliminated, by the preemptive cavitation reduction strategy. |
| US08333335B2 |
Shower head
A shower head comprises an upper watering set including a tube having a channel formed therein, a first disc including a bottom wall, and a connection defined between the tube and the first disc and including an arcuate internal wall formed therein, between the internal wall and the bottom wall being defined plural radial passages; a lower watering set connected to the upper watering set and including a top surface disposed on a top end thereof and having a conical guiding peg inserted to the receiving chamber, the guiding peg including an arcuate periphery extending downward and outward to correspond to the internal wall; plural distances between the top surface and peripheral fences of the passages being equivalent to form a number of gaps so as to adjust flowing amounts in the passages individually; the top surface including a plurality of spouts relative to the passages to spray water flowers. |
| US08333328B2 |
Optical code recognition apparatus
An optical code recognition station comprises a fixed optical code scanning station and an optical code imager, the optical code imager being operable in both a hand held and a fixed configuration. In the fixed configuration the optical code imager is mounted on the fixed optical code scanning station. Communication between the fixed optical code scanning station and the optical code image is wireless and the optical code imager operates without a wired connection to the fixed optical code scanning station when in the hand held configuration. |
| US08333326B2 |
Stacked barcode reader and stacked barcode reading method
In a decoding section of a stacked barcode reader, the brightness values of multiple pixels configuring image data are used to calculate multiple line widths of the bars and the spaces of the stacked barcode. Based on the evaluation value of the frequency distribution of multiple line widths, a priority order of T-sequence is determined. According to this priority order, the T-sequence is measured and the code word corresponding to the T-sequence is obtained. With this, the priority order of the T-sequence is determined based on the evaluation value (such as the maximum value, variance, etc.) of the frequency distribution of the line widths of the bars and the spaces that configure the stacked barcode increasing reading performance of the barcode reader on a stacked barcode while reducing the number of errors in all the decoded code words, despite the level of the resolution of the image pickup optical system. |
| US08333325B2 |
Optical reader system for substrates having an optically readable code
An optical reader system including a source light assembly that has a code-reading beam and a fluorescence-excitation beam that are configured to illuminate encoded substrates. The substrates have optically readable codes that provide output signals when the code-reading beam is incident thereon. The output signals are indicative of the codes. The reader system also includes a fluorescence detector that is configured to detect fluorescent signals from the substrates and code pickup optics that are configured to project the output signals from the optically readable codes onto a Fourier plane. The reader system also includes a code detector that is positioned to detect the output signals in the Fourier plane. |
| US08333323B2 |
Mobile device using short cycle power source
A mobile device comprising: a data collection device; a trigger to activate the data collection device; a communication system for wireless communications; a display for displaying information; a processor for controlling software and firmware operation; a keypad for entering data for the processor; a power supply for providing power to the mobile device, the power supply comprising a fuel cell or an ultracapacitor; and a housing for supporting the data collection device, trigger, communication system, display, processor, keypad and power supply. |
| US08333322B2 |
Product identification system with component characteristics
A product identification system includes a product system having a component, identifying a characteristic of the component, and forming an identifier including the characteristic of the component. |
| US08333321B2 |
Online/offline event related access controlled systems with event specific closed venue wireless applications
Systems and methods for off line/online access controlled environments to implement temporal applications in wireless devices via near field communications in closed group venues; e.g., concert halls, race horse betting, and university scheduling, are disclosed. |
| US08333318B2 |
Method for payment when parking vehicles in which a credit card is used for post-payment
A payment method when parking vehicles in which a credit or debit card is used for post-payment, which system includes a number of parking machines provided with credit or debit card readers, which parking machines are connected to a supervisory computer system including a computer and a database, where a credit or debit card is read by the card reader at the commencement and termination of the parking period. The registration number of the vehicle is input into the parking machine by the person parking the vehicle, using elements associated with the parking machine, the number of the credit or debit card and the registration number are transferred to the computer and stored and associated with each other in the database, when the card is read at the commencement of a subsequent parking period and when the number of the credit card or debit card is received by the computer, the computer system retrieves at least the registration number with which the credit or debit card most recently associated in the database. |
| US08333308B2 |
Combination carrier unit and head support apparatus
A combination carrier unit and head support apparatus has a carrier unit body with fastening members for releasably fastening the combination carrier unit and head support apparatus to a person. The carrier unit body has a head support in the form of a cushion releasably mountable thereon for supporting a person's head. The cushion may be inflatable or constructed of foam material and is provided with an attachment element to mount the cushion onto the carrier unit body. |
| US08333307B2 |
Liquid dispensing module
A liquid dispensing module includes a dispenser body assembly, a flexible seal, a needle, and an actuator. The dispenser body assembly includes a liquid inlet, a discharge outlet, and a flow channel including a valve seat between the inlet and outlet. The flexible seal engages the dispenser body assembly and includes a downstream end. The needle includes an enlarged portion engaging and retaining the downstream end of the flexible seal to place the flexible seal in lengthwise compression between the enlarged portion and the dispenser body assembly. The needle also includes a valve element that moves between open and closed positions. The flexible seal prevents liquid from leaking out of the flow channel. |
| US08333304B1 |
Select-a-spray
A spray control device for aerosol cans is provided having three or more dispensing positions. The positions in the preferred embodiment include “automatic” for continuous spray, “manual” for normal push-button control, and “off” to prevent spraying. Adjustment between the various positions is achieved by rotation of a centrally located, floating spray button device that nests on top of an aerosol can. The central spray button device floats within a can coupling ring to accommodate any misalignment between the spray control device and spray can, and movement of the central spray button device is guided by a pin and track combination for predictable and repeatable control over paint or other fluid application. A guide ring is press-fit into the can coupling ring, and both act as a part of the guide track for the central spray button device. The guide ring may optionally be removable to permit complete disassembly and cleaning. |
| US08333301B2 |
Method and apparatus for preparing beverages from soluble products
A method for the preparation of a beverage by mixing water and at least one powdered product in a mixing chamber and dispensing the mixture to a final container. The method includes preparation and delivery of at least a first portion of beverage by mixing a first soluble product with water, either in the absence of mechanical stirring or with rotating a rotor at a rotor rotation speed of less than 500 rpm. The method also includes the preparation and delivery of at least a second portion of beverage by mixing a second soluble product with water in the presence of mechanical stirring and for the delivery of further portions of beverage to the final container. |
| US08333300B2 |
Applying a fluid
In an embodiment, a holder for an applicator for a fluid may include a magnet for holding the applicator over the container. The holder for the applicator may attach to the rim of the container or may be attached to a container holder. The container holder may include a handle and may be used with a container having bucket handles. In an embodiment, the container holder may include a band with notches for receiving a pivot where the handles connect to the container. In an embodiment, the container holder may include a clip for attaching to a ladder and/or may not necessarily include a applicator holder. |
| US08333299B2 |
Leak resistant drinking cup
A leak resistant drinking cup has a container with an open top and a lid assembly for removable attachment to the container for selectively closing the open top. The lid assembly includes a liquid discharge member for allowing liquid in the container to exit the cup. A closure member is adapted for placement adjacent the open top of the container when the lid assembly is attached to the container. A flexible diaphragm is moveable between a sealed position and an unsealed position. The diaphragm is moveable from the sealed position to the unsealed portion by a vacuum being applied to the diaphragm by a user sucking on the liquid discharge member. The vacuum causes the diaphragm to flex toward the container and at least in part away from the closure member and thereby move the diaphragm from the sealed position to the unsealed position. |
| US08333298B2 |
Storage container with a collapsible bellows unit
A storage container having a collapsible unit and a twist cap is described. The collapsible unit is a type of bellows which includes a base and a sidewall attached to the base. The sidewall has a spiral fold that traverses along a portion of the length of that the collapsible unit. The length can be compressed by folding the collapsible unit along the spiral fold. As the length of the collapsible unit is reduced, access to any remaining products, such as acne pad products, stored at the bottom of the collapsible unit can be more conveniently obtained. The cap of the storage container includes a ring collar; a sleeve attached to the ring collar; and a guide attached to the sleeve. When the cap is turned or twisted the guide and the spiral fold are configured to slidably engage each other which results in shortening the length of the collapsible unit. |
| US08333296B1 |
Thermally insulated foldable cup for hot or cold beverages
A thermally insulated foldable cup for hot or cold beverages including a flexible inner liner, an outer shell, and an insulating layer between the outer shell and inner liner. The foldable cup includes reinforcing rings at the bottom and top of the cup and two vertical reinforcing strips on opposing sides of the cup. The foldable cup can be folded from an expanded configuration, in which liquids can be poured into and held in the cup, to a folded configuration in which two sides of the cup can be folded about a vertical plane through the cup in order to reduce the size of the cup while it is not in use. The foldable cup further includes a base member and a cap member connected by a anchor strip. A locking strap extending from the base member can be used to maintain the folded cup in the folded configuration. |
| US08333290B2 |
Variable discharge cap for a bottle-like container body
A discharge cap for discharging a content liquid from a container body includes a cylinder assembly that can be tightly fitted to a mouth portion of the container body. The cylinder assembly includes a cap main body provided with a main discharge cylinder, a discharge cylinder body provided with an auxiliary discharge cylinder that is smaller in diameter than the main discharge cylinder, and a lid body for opening or closing the auxiliary discharge cylinder. Hinge-connections are provided between the cap main body and the discharge cylinder body, and between the discharge cylinder body and the lid body, for allowing a selective opening of the main discharge cylinder and the auxiliary discharge cylinder, thereby readily changing the discharge amount or discharge mode of the content liquid. |
| US08333283B2 |
Cyclone separator
The present invention discloses a cyclone separator (1) which comprises an inlet section (2), a first cone (3) and a steady flow section (7) that are connected in succession, wherein the inlet section (2) is provided with at least one tangent inlet (11) with which a inflow pipe (8) is connected; the first cone (3) is tapered downwards; the steady flow section (7) is an elongated cylindrical pipe with an outlet (12) at its tail; characterized in that it further comprises a second cone or tapered body (4) positioned above the inlet section (2) and connected with the same, wherein the second cone or tapered body (4) is tapered upwards and has a top opening (14). |
| US08333282B2 |
Device for dewatering of bulk or free-flowing input material by compression
A device for dewatering bulk or free-flowing input material by compacting it is provided. The device has a housing arranged along an axis of rotation, which has an input area and a feed and compaction area following axially within a jacket pipe. In the housing, a coaxial drive shaft with circumferentially extending coils rotates, compacting the input material during transport from the input area through the feed and compaction area. In this process the residual water present in the input material is conducted through radial openings in the jacket pipe from the device. According to the invention it is provided that at least in a partial region the jacket pipe is provided with passages and inside the jacket pipe an inner pipe is arranged, which lies at least partially with its external circumference against the inner circumference of the outer jacket pipe and which at least in the area of the passages has passage openings that are several fold smaller than the passages in the jacket pipe. |
| US08333281B2 |
Medication cassette system
A medication cassette uses a slidable core having a series of open top medication receiving cells extending in a length thereof. The core slides in an outer sleeve and includes a releasable locking arrangement for maintaining the core in a lock position with the sleeve closing the cells and movable to a release position allowing the core to slide relative to the sleeve. The release position allows the cells to be progressively exposed beyond the sleeve to allow medication to be removed. Both the slidable core and the sleeve are preferably made of a plastic material. The core is preferably a single component made by injection molding and the sleeve is preferably made as an extruded component. |
| US08333280B2 |
Child resistant package
A child-resistant package (100) is formed from a sleeve (14) comprising a top (16) and a base (18), at least one of which is an outer wall of the sleeve (14). A release mechanism (20) for facilitating access to the contents of the package (100) is disposed in the outer wall (16). A decoy cover (60) having at least one outermost panel (62) is disposed in relation to the outer wall (16) to obscure the release mechanism (20). The package (100) may include an insert (12) that is held within the sleeve (14) by a locking mechanism that is disengaged by the release mechanism (20). The decoy cover (60) is attached to the outer wall (16) in a manner that facilitates repeated successive removal and reattachment of the decoy cover (60). The decoy cover (60) may further include one or more additional panels (64) disposed in flat-face condition with the outermost panel (62). |
| US08333278B2 |
Collapsible storage container for fabrics and methods of using same
A collapsible storage apparatus for fabrics includes a container movable between a collapsed position and a use position, and a fabric receiving member dimensioned to receive fabric wrapped therearound such that the fabric receiving member and fabric wrapped therearound can be removably stored within the container when the container is in the use position. The container is formed from two opposed side walls, two opposed end walls, and a flexible bottom section attached to bottom edge portions of the side and end walls. The two side walls are configured to fold such that the container has a flat configuration with the folded side walls sandwiched between the end walls when in the collapsed position. |
| US08333272B2 |
Clutches
A dual clutch transmission has a driving plate defining concentric engagement surfaces, concentric friction plates, concentric pressure plates, and first and second clutch springs for operation of the pressure plates in clamping the friction plates against their respective engagement surface on the driving plate. The driving plate has a top hat type configuration, whereby the engagement surfaces are axially off set from one another. Cooling passages may be provided in the driving plate. The dct is preferably nested, wherein the outer pressure plate is in axial alignment with the radially inner portion of the driving plate, the inner pressure plate is in axial alignment with the radially outer portion of the driving plate, and the friction plates are arranged in axial alignment with one another. |
| US08333269B2 |
Insulator for a wheel suspension system
An insulator for a wheel suspension system of a vehicle is formed of an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material defines a channel that provides increased flexibility to the insulator and defines an increased density about the channel that increases the durability of the insulator. The suspension system includes a support structure adapted to be mounted to the vehicle, a piston rod disposed within the aperture and displaceable relative to the support structure along a line of travel, and a plate mounted to the piston rod. The insulator is compressibly disposed between the support structure and the plate. The exterior channel increases the flexibility of the insulator to distribute localized stress on the insulator by the support structure and the plate. The increased density about the channel increases the durability of the insulator about the channel when the support structure and the plate exert a compressive force on the insulator. |
| US08333268B2 |
Bicycle damping enhancement system
A bicycle shock absorber and methods for differentiating between rider-induced forces and terrain-induced forces includes a first fluid chamber having fluid contained therein, a piston for compressing the fluid within the fluid chamber, a second fluid chamber coupled to the first fluid chamber by a fluid communication hose, and an inertial valve disposed within the second fluid chamber. The inertial valve opens in response to terrain-induced forces and provides communication of fluid compressed by the piston from the first fluid chamber to the second fluid chamber. The inertial valve does not open in response to rider-induced forces. |
| US08333267B2 |
Vehicle disk brake
Disclosed is a disk brake for a vehicle having a manual release unit, capable of manually releasing the contact of a disk and a friction pad which are locked in a braking state. The disk brake includes a disk rotating together with a wheel of the vehicle, a friction pad which makes contact with a side surface of the disk to generate braking force, a wedge member to which the friction pad is attached, a drive motor which generates driving force to move the wedge member in a direction of the disk, a power transmission part which sifts rotational motion of the drive motor into a linear motion of the wedge member, a pad compensation part which maintains a uniform gap between the friction pad and the disk, and a manual release part installed in the pad compensation part such that contact between the friction pad and the disk is manually released when the friction pad and the disk are locked in a braking state due to friction between the friction pad and the disk. |
| US08333261B2 |
Compact subwoofer cabinet
A durable, high performance, compact subwoofer speaker cabinet having a first elongate speaker tube attached to at least a second elongate tube. The at least a second elongate tube is attached to the first elongate speaker tube using a flying bridge brace structure. The at least a second elongate tube being a sound port or another speaker. |
| US08333259B2 |
Motor and electric power steering apparatus using motor
A magnetic sensor disposed in an axial direction of a shaft of a motor detects the rotation angle of the rotor by detecting magnetism of the magnet that is disposed on one end of the shaft. A first and second conducting wires extend in parallel with an axis of the shaft, and are equidistantly positioned relative to the axis, on a virtual circle that has a center point on the axis of the shaft. The electric current flowing in the first conducting wire and the electric current flowing in the second conducting wire have the same magnitude and the same flow direction with each other at any time. When the first conducting wire and the second conducting wire are on opposite sides relative to the center point of the virtual circle, the magnetic fields around the conducting wires cancel with each other, thereby enabling accurate detection of the rotation angle. |
| US08333255B2 |
High productivity core drilling system
High productivity core drilling systems include a drill string, an inner core barrel assembly, an outer core barrel assembly, and a retrieval tool that connects the inner core barrel assembly to a wireline cable and hoist. The drill string comprises multiple variable geometry drill rods. The inner core barrel assembly comprises a non-dragging latching mechanism, such as a fluid-driven latching mechanism that contains a detent mechanism that retains the latches in either an engaged or a retracted position. The inner core barrel assembly also comprised high efficiency fluid porting. |
| US08333249B1 |
Portable field roller device
A roller device having an elongated tank and a tank frame for supporting the tank. A center axle traverses the tank. The first end of the center axle engages the third side portion of the tank frame and the second end of the center axle engages the fourth side portion of the tank frame. The tank can roll about the center axle. The device also features two retractable wheels, which are attached to the frame via wheel braces. The wheel braces are each operatively connected to hydraulic arms. The hydraulic arms function to retract and extend the wheels with respect to the frame, raising and lowering the tank away from and onto the ground surface. A first tow is disposed on the third side portion of the tank frame and a second tow is disposed on the first side portion of the tank frame. |
| US08333248B1 |
Automatic pitch hold of a electrohydraulically controlled ripper
A ripper pitch hold system and method for a ripper that includes pitch and lift cylinders. The system includes operator pitch and lift inputs, operator pitch hold input, cylinder position inputs, and a controller. The controller processes the inputs and generates pitch and lift cylinder commands that maintain the ripper pitch angle at a pitch hold setting. The controller can update the pitch hold setting with and maintain the pitch angle at the latest operator pitch input. Alternatively, the controller can cease to process operator pitch inputs, and maintain the pitch angle at the pitch hold setting. The pitch hold input can include an activation control, and pitch selector. The pitch angle and pitch hold setting can be set to the angle selected by the pitch selector. The pitch selector can include operator adjustable and fixed pitch settings. Operator adjustable executing operator pitch commands and fixed ignoring operator pitch commands. |
| US08333246B2 |
Hydro-pneumatic extinguisher
The present disclosure provides for an advantageous extinguisher or discharge assembly. In exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure provides for an improved hydro-pneumatic fire extinguisher or discharge assembly. More particularly, the present disclosure provides for an improved hydro-pneumatic fire extinguisher or discharge assembly that is configured and dimensioned to fire or release a fire fighting agent (e.g., a fluid and/or liquid based fire fighting agent) while the extinguisher/assembly is oriented in any position or angle relative to gravity. |
| US08333243B2 |
Tensioner anti-rotation device
A tensioner anti-rotation device and method that transfers rotational force from an offshore platform deck to a riser in response to waves and currents. The device includes a bracket mounted on the deck, and a rib that transfers force from the deck through the bracket, to the rib, and into the riser such that the tensioners on the riser are not subjected to torque. |
| US08333241B2 |
Methods and compositions for packing void spaces and stabilizing formations surrounding a wellbore
Methods comprising mixing particulates with a consolidating agent emulsion to form a slurry; creating a foamed slurry by adding a foaming agent and a gas to the slurry; placing the foamed slurry into a portion of a subterranean formation so as to create a particulate pack; and flushing the particulate pack with a postflush fluid. In some embodiments, the consolidating agent emulsion composition comprises a resin composition. |
| US08333239B2 |
Apparatus and method for downhole steam generation and enhanced oil recovery
A burner with a casing seal is used to create a combustion cavity at a temperature sufficient to reservoir sand. The burner creates and sustains hot combustion gases at a steady state for flowing into and permeating through a target zone. The casing seal isolates the combustion cavity from the cased wellbore and forms a sealed casing annulus between the cased wellbore and the burner. Water is injected into the target zone, above the combustion cavity, through the sealed casing annulus. The injected water permeates laterally and cools the reservoir adjacent the wellbore, and the wellbore from the heat of the hot combustion gases. The hot combustion gases and the water in the reservoir interact to form a drive front in a hydrocarbon reservoir. |
| US08333237B2 |
Wellhead isolation tool and wellhead assembly incorporating the same
A wellhead assembly is provided including a casing and a tubular member mounted over the casing. A flange extends from the tubular member. A generally elongated annular member is provided in the tubular member. The generally elongated annular member has a first end portion above the tubular member and second end portion below the first end portion. A hanger may be suspended within the tubular member. In such case, a seal may be formed between the elongate annular member and the hanger. |
| US08333236B2 |
Auxiliary conduit cutting apparatus
A cutting assembly for external conduits on a tubing string or main tubular conduit features at least one breakaway in the string that can be severed with a tensile force. Preferably each external conduit is run through a cutter housing that is integral with a passage having threaded end connections. While in some scenarios it is preferred that the main tubular conduit is severed below the cutting assembly thus allowing the cutting apparatus to be retrieved with the upper portions of the cut main tubular conduit and external longitudinal member(s), in other circumstances it may be desired that the main tubular conduit is severed above the cutting assembly allowing the cutting apparatus to be left “downhole” with the lower portion of the cut main tubular conduit and the BHA. The cutter knife assembly chambers or channels can be in banks that are axially spaced using bypass channels to access lower banks. The cutter knife assembly and associated channels can be mirror images so that the external conduits can be cut regardless of where the tubing string is severed and one or more conduits can be cut with a single cutter assembly. |
| US08333233B2 |
Airfoil with wrapped leading edge cooling passage
A turbine engine airfoil includes an airfoil structure having an exterior surface providing a leading edge. A radially extending first cooling passage is arranged near the leading edge and includes first and second portions. The first portion extends to the exterior surface and forms a radially extending trench in the leading edge. The second portion is in fluid communication with a second cooling passage. In one example, the second cooling passage extends radially, and the first cooling passage wraps around a portion of the second cooling passage from a pressure side to a suction side between the second cooling passage and the exterior surface. In the example, the first portion is arranged between the pressure and suction sides. In one example, the first cooling passage is formed by arranging a core in an airfoil mold. The trench is formed by the core in one example. |
| US08333232B2 |
Method of manufacturing optical component
A method of manufacturing an optical component that is provided with an optical element, and an optical element holding component that holds an outer circumferential portion of the optical element includes: placing the optical element on an interior side of a metal die that molds the optical element holding component, and in which an incident side protective component that protects an optical surface on an incident side of the optical element is placed against this optical surface on the incident side, and placing an emission side protective component that protects an optical surface on an emission side of the optical element against this optical surface on the emission side; and filling the interior of the metal die with a molten metal material so that the optical element holding component which is formed from an amorphous alloy is injection molded integrally with the optical element. |
| US08333231B2 |
Braze or solder reinforced moineu stator
A Moineau style stator includes a helical reinforcement component that provides an internal helical cavity. A resilient liner is deployed on an inner surface of the helical reinforcement component. The helical reinforcement component includes a solder or braze material and is typically metallurgically bonded to an inner wall of a stator tube. In exemplary embodiments, the helical reinforcement component includes a composite mixture of solder and aggregate. Exemplary embodiments of this invention address the heat build up and subsequent elastomer breakdown in the lobes of prior arts stators by providing a helical reinforcement component. Solder reinforced stators tend to be less expensive to fabricate than reinforced stators of the prior art. |
| US08333225B2 |
Device for the replacement of sterile containers containing concentrated products in apparatus for the production of beverages
Device for the replacement of sterile containers (1) containing concentrated products in apparatus for the production of beverages from these concentrated products, said sterile containers (1) being provided with a union (3) having a one-way valve for dispensing the product, said device comprising a body (5) with a seat (6) for engagement with said union (3), said seat (6) being in fluid connection with the chamber (4) into which the concentrated product and at least the liquid for reconstituting the beverage are supplied, as well as locking means (15, 16, 17) for keeping the said union (3) in position inside said seat (6). Sensor means (18) are provided between said body (5) with the seat (6) for engagement with the union (3) and said locking means, said sensors (18) detecting the relative position of the said locking means (15, 16, 17) with respect to the body (5) and emitting a corresponding signal. |
| US08333221B2 |
Variegated ripstop
Textiles, garments and methods comprising a fabric and a variegated structure woven in the fabric and adapted to control a parameter of the textile construction. The parameter may be strength, breathability, and/or other properties. A visual pattern may be used to indicate the variegated structure. The visual pattern may be made in one or more of color, material, patterns. The fabric may be a multilayered fabric. A garment may be made of pieces cut from the fabric to satisfy a desired garment profile. The garment profile may be based on a parameter of strength, breathability, and/or other properties. |
| US08333218B2 |
Proportional pressure controller
A proportional pressure controller includes a body having inlet, outlet, and exhaust ports. A fill valve communicates with pressurized fluid in the inlet port. A dump valve communicates with pressurized fluid from the fill valve. An inlet poppet valve opens by pressurized fluid through the fill valve. An exhaust poppet valve when closed isolates pressurized fluid from the exhaust port. An outlet flow passage communicates with pressurized fluid when the inlet poppet valve is open, and communicates with the outlet port and an exhaust/outlet common passage. A fill inlet communicates between the inlet passage and fill valve, and is isolated from the outlet flow passage, exhaust/outlet common passage, and outlet and exhaust ports in all operating conditions of the controller. |
| US08333217B2 |
Fault-tolerant bleed valve assembly
A bleed valve assembly includes a control assembly having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The control assembly defines a fluid passageway in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. An electromechanical valve is engaged with the control assembly. The electromechanical valve provides selective fluid communication between the passageway and the fluid outlet. A fluid sensor is in fluid communication with the passageway. The fluid sensor includes a sensing tip and is in electrical communication with the electromechanical valve. A valve is disposed in the passageway of the control assembly. The valve prevents fluid communication of non-gaseous fluid between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. |
| US08333215B1 |
Toilet fill valve with valve lock
Disclosed are various embodiments of a lockable toilet fill valve and methods according to the present invention. In one embodiment, a toilet fill valve includes a float/arm assembly. The toilet fill valve is closed when the float/arm assembly is disposed in a first position. The toilet fill valve being open when the float/arm assembly is disposed in a second position. A valve lock is associated with the float/arm assembly. The valve lock includes an unlock position and a lock position, wherein the valve lock fixes the float/arm assembly in the first position when the valve lock is in the lock position. |
| US08333213B1 |
Valve system
A valve system for attachment to a food cooking vat. The valve system includes a valve body and stem, with the stem including a valve head having a sealing member connected thereto. The valve body has an outlet configured to be in fluid communication with the food cooking vat, and the sealing member is in fluid communication with the outlet and the chamber and is selectively operable between a discharge position, for allowing the food to drain from the chamber, and a closed position, for allowing the food to remain in the chamber. The sealing member preferably includes polymer and has a first portion of generally frusto-conical shape and a second portion of generally frusto-conical shape generally co-axial with the first portion. |
| US08333212B2 |
Rupture disc with machined line of opening
A reverse acting rupture disc and methods of forming the same are provided. Generally, the rupture disc comprises a bulged portion and a circumscribing flange area surrounding the bulged portion. The bulged portion includes a mechanically formed line-of-opening recess comprising a singular channel. In certain embodiments, the mechanical process by which the recess is formed utilizes a high-speed mill which removes a portion of metal from the bulged portion of the disc without disrupting the substantially uniform metallic grain structure of the metal adjacent the channel. |
| US08333210B1 |
Leak isolation logic for closed-volume system
A method for isolating a leak in a closed-volume liquid system comprises circulating a fluid through a plurality of isolatable zones and a non-isolatable zone in a closed-volume liquid system, detecting a leak in the closed-volume liquid system, isolating all of the isolatable zones from the non-isolatable zone, sequentially detecting if the leak is present in the non-isolatable zone and each of isolatable zones, and taking corrective action after the leak is detected. |
| US08333208B2 |
Collapsible walking device
A collapsible walking device that can be disposed in an operative (open) configuration and a storage (closed) configuration. The open, operative configuration of the walking device provides a structure to aid a user in walking or standing. The closed, storage configuration allows for easy and convenient storage and transport of the walking device. The collapsible walking device can be transitioned from the operative configuration to the storage configuration in one motion. The walking device includes four support legs that extend to the ground from adjacent two handles. |
| US08333203B2 |
Custom fitted intra-oral appliances
Methods and apparatus for transmitting vibrations via an electronic and/or actuator assembly through a custom-fitted dental appliance are disclosed herein. The customized fitting is done by the user. The assembly may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded intra-orally on a tooth or oral tissue. The electronic and actuator assembly may receive incoming sounds either directly or through a receiver to process and amplify the signals and transmit the processed sounds via a vibrating actuator element coupled to a tooth or other bone structure, such as the maxillary, mandibular, or palatine bone structure. |
| US08333201B2 |
Method for permanent occlusion of fallopian tube
Disclosed is a method and apparatus of contraception. The apparatus can include an implant sized for insertion into a fallopian tube. The implant can comprise a plurality of loose, bulked fibers. The fibers can be formed from one or more bioabsorbable materials, for example, the method can include inserting the implant into a fallopian tube and occluding the fallopian tube with the implant. |
| US08333200B2 |
Nasal interface device
A nasal interface device delivers a high flow rate of a gas having a pressure that is adjustable to a patient. The device includes a nasal insert that is adapted to deliver pressurized gas to a nasal cavity of the patient, and receive and direct expired air. The nasal insert has a pressurized breathing gas delivery port and an expired gas port. An expiratory limb pressure regulator is in fluid communication with the expired gas port. |
| US08333196B2 |
Cooling module and method, and apparatus embodying such a cooling module
The cooling module (2) is provided in particular for the internal cooling of a medical device (20) and is constructed as an assembled unit, with a coolant conveyed in a primary-side coolant circuit, with an air-water heat exchanger (8), with a ventilator (6) for generating a secondary-side airstream for cooling using the air-water heat exchanger (8), and with a controller (18A, 18B) for controlling the operation of the cooling module (2), wherein at least a major part of the controller is integrated in the ventilator (6) as a partial control unit (18A). The partitioning of the controller achieves an efficient use of space within the cooling module (2) in such a way that an optimal use of space is obtained in a restricted assembly space for the cooling module (2), and the air-water heat exchanger (8) can be made comparatively large. The speed of the airflow through the air-water heat exchanger (8) can therefore be reduced while the cooling power remains constant, such that the risk of entrainment of condensate droplets is reduced. |
| US08333195B2 |
System and method for delivering a heated and humidified gas
An apparatus for providing breathing gas to a patient that includes a base unit to provide a first flow of gas and a second flow of gas and a humidification canister to be coupled to the base unit is described. The humidification canister includes a first gas flow path to receive and humidify the first flow of gas. A delivery tube assembly includes a first lumen configured for fluid communication with the first gas flow path to receive the humidified first flow of gas and a second lumen to receive the second flow of gas. A method of heating and humidifying the first flow of gas and insulating the first flow of gas with the second flow of gas is also described. |
| US08333190B2 |
Nebulizer having flow meter function
In accordance with non-limiting examples, a nebulizer includes a main body comprising an air channel section and further comprising a mixing chamber and a venturi positioned to be placed within the patient's oral cavity and configured to receive medicine and air and mix the medicine and air within the mixing chamber and receive the air flow through the venturi and cause the medicine entering the mixing chamber to be atomized by the action of air flowing through the venturi. An air flow sensor is associated with the main body and configured to measure the air flow created by the patient's one of at least inhaling and exhaling air. |
| US08333188B2 |
Medicine ejection apparatus and control method thereof
A medicine ejection apparatus which ejects a medicine for medicating a user has a medicine ejecting unit, which has an element that generates energy for ejecting the medicine, a drive control unit which controls a drive start and a drive stop of the element, and an ejection amount determining unit, which determines a total amount of a medicine that is ejected from the medicine ejecting unit after the element performs a drive stop. The drive control unit enables the element to perform driving to eject an amount of medicine calculated from a difference between a set ejection amount and the total amount of medicine that has actually been ejected, when the total amount ejected, as determined by the ejection amount determining unit, is less than the set ejection amount. |
| US08333187B2 |
Aerosol generating means for inhalation therapy devices
The invention describes an aerosol generator for inhalation therapy devices, in which an oscillatable assembly, consisting of at least a membrane and an oscillation generator, is mounted in an encapsulating means such that at least the membrane is exposed for the supply of liquid and the generation of an aerosol, whereas the remaining parts of the oscillatable assembly are protected. Mounting occurs by means of a flexible passage such that the oscillatory motions of the oscillatable assembly are not negatively affected. |
| US08333184B2 |
Cool touch fireplace
A fireplace including a body, a heating unit within the body, a duct within the body and in communication with the heating unit, an opening defined by a terminal end of the duct, an insert attached to the terminal end of the duct and arranged to dispel a heated air, and wherein the insert remains at a lower temperature than the duct during a heating operation. |
| US08333178B2 |
Control valve arrangement
A control valve, for use in controlling fuel pressure within a control chamber, comprises a control valve member, first flow restriction and second flow restriction. The control valve member is movable between a first position, and a second position. The first flow restriction is arranged to maintain a first pressure upstream of the first flow restriction when the control valve member is in transition between the first position and the second position. The second flow restriction is positioned downstream of the first flow restriction and is arranged to maintain a second pressure upstream of the second flow restriction. The second flow restriction is dimensioned and located relative to the first flow restriction such that in transition between the first and second positions the net force exerted on the control valve member by the first pressure balances the net force exerted on the control valve member by the second pressure. |
| US08333176B2 |
Connector
A connector includes a body portion having an inner peripheral surface defining a cylindrical insertion hole for inserting therein a connection member and an O-ring. A recess portion is provided in the inner peripheral surface of the body portion, and is opened in the body portion in a radial direction of the body portion, at a position on an inlet side of the insertion hole than the arrangement position of the O-ring. Furthermore, the recess portion extends in an axial direction of the body portion and has an end portion on a side of an arrangement position of the O-ring, and the end portion of the recess portion becomes in an acute angle shape which is acute toward the arrangement position of the O-ring. Alternatively, an angle reducing portion may be provided in the recess portion on a side of the arrangement position of the O-ring. |
| US08333175B2 |
Fuel supply systems
On aspect according to the present invention includes a fuel supply system including a backflow preventing device provided in a fuel supply path communicating between a fuel pump and a fuel injecting valve device of an engine. The backflow preventing device can prevent backflow of the fuel from the fuel injecting valve device, so that a pressure of the fuel between the backflow preventing device and the fuel injecting valve device can maintained after stopping the fuel pump. |
| US08333174B2 |
Idle speed control for a handheld power tool
Method for controlling fuel metering in a carburetor or a low pressure injection system of an internal combustion engine when the engine is operating at idle speed, the method includes the steps of: a) monitoring the engine speed; b) determining a first variable (A) based on a first moving average algorithm using the monitored engine speed as input data; c) determining a second variable (B) based on a second moving average algorithm using the monitored engine speed as input data, where the first moving average algorithm is arranged to react faster to an engine speed change than the second moving average algorithm; d) comparing the second variable (B) to the first variable (A), where if 1) the second variable (B) is higher than the first variable (A): the fuel metering is set in a first leaner setting, and where if 2) the second variable (B) is lower than the first variable (A): the fuel metering is set in a second richer setting. |
| US08333172B2 |
Cooling system
In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method for controlling operation of an electric water pump configured to circulate a cooling fluid. The method may include detecting a startup of an electric power source associated with the electric water pump. In addition, the method may include monitoring a voltage available to the electric water pump in response to the detected startup of the power source. The method may also include providing an activation signal to the electric water pump if the monitored voltage is equal to or greater than a first threshold voltage. |
| US08333167B2 |
Animal feeder
An installation with animal enclosures includes a nipple assembly with a feeding nipple for dispensing liquid feed to animals in the installation, where a single feeding nipple is pivotable between at least two animal enclosures, the nipple assembly including the feeding nipple mounted on a pivot, which pivot is biased to maintain the feeding nipple in a neutral position between the extremes of a range of pivotability. |
| US08333157B2 |
System for automated vehicle operation and control
Disclosed is an automated system for controlling and operating a vehicle. The system has three primary components: a vehicle, a saddle assembly, and a railway. The saddle is firmly attached to the bottom of the vehicle. The saddle assembly engages and rides along the rail. Sensors ensure that the rail is centered within the saddle. In the event the vehicle loses traction the backbone will maintain vehicle control and stability. The vehicle can change from one roadway to another while always being secured to a railway. |
| US08333154B2 |
Inflator
An inflator (1) comprised of an inner case (19) and an outer case (28). The inflator (1) includes a combustion chamber located inside the inner case (19), a plurality of gas discharge ports (16) formed on the outer case (28), a gas outlet port (11) formed on an outer surface of the inner case (19) and a gas guide section that guides the inflation gas exited the gas outlet port (11) toward the gas discharge ports (16). The gas guide section includes between the outer case (28) and inner case (19) a guide wall (13a) provided with a guide plane that contacts with and redirects the inflation gas. The guide plane is formed into an arc face so as to swivel the inflation gas exited the gas outlet port (11) in a swirl or helical fashion, guide the inflation gas toward the gas discharge ports (16) and capture residuals. |
| US08333153B2 |
Launching devices enabling sub-caliber artillery projectiles
The invention relates to a launching device for a sub-caliber artillery projectile employing a base with sliding band, the base being linked to sabot sectors by means of hinges that can be detached during flight, the opening of the sabot being activated thanks to the dynamic air pressure on the flared shapes to the fore of the sectors, said hinge is flanged radially so as to prevent its becoming separated from the sabot sectors 5 outside of the flight phase. |
| US08333152B2 |
Projectile that includes an umbilical interface cover
Some embodiments pertain to an example projectile that includes an enclosure and an umbilical interface that is exposed on the enclosure. The projectile further includes an umbilical interface cover attached to the enclosure such that the umbilical interface cover protects the umbilical interface. The umbilical interface cover includes a casing and a sensing system inside the casing. The sensing system monitors conditions that the projectile is exposed to until the umbilical interface cover is removed to expose the umbilical interface. The sensing system allows the umbilical interface cover to record data related to the conditions that the projectile is exposed to until the umbilical interface on the projectile is mated to a launcher's umbilical interface. The recorded data may provide valuable information in diagnosing why there was a projectile mission failure. |
| US08333151B2 |
Apparatus and method for splitting and removing a shroud from an airborne vehicle
The present invention relates to an apparatus for splitting and removing a shroud from an airborne vehicle, that comprises a shroud that includes two components, linkable one to another along their lengths, and wherein upon being fastened one to the other, they form a shroud with a lengthwise axis and an inner space, and having a base sector around the circumference of the bottom part of said shroud, and wherein said base is connectable to said airborne body and a fastening assembly for fastening said two components of said shroud one to the other, and wherein said fastening assembly is given to be torn on stretching upon detonation of a pyrotechnic charge and a piston assembly that disassembled at the completion of the piston's stroke, and is operable by said pyrotechnic charge, and wherein said piston assembly serves for timed tearing of said fastening assembly. |
| US08333147B2 |
Roll-to-roll printing apparatuses
Roll-to-roll printing apparatuses are disclosed. The roll-to-roll printing apparatus includes a printing device with a squeegee moving along a first direction transferring a pattern of a stencil to a roll of working pieces. A sending roller and a receiving roller are disposed on both sides of the printing device. The roll of working pieces is rolled along a second direction to a printing stage of the printing device. An alignment device is disposed corresponding to a position of the stencil and the roll of working pieces. A drying device is disposed on one side of the printing device and may be on the same side with the receiving roller, wherein the drying device cures the patterns on the roll of working pieces. |
| US08333145B2 |
Sip and dip cookie apparatus
A sip and dip cookie apparatus. The sip and cookie dipper apparatus is made up of an upper elongated portion configured to hold a straw, a lower portion configured to hold a cookie, and a cookie cover. The upper elongated portion and lower portion are integrally connected. |
| US08333144B2 |
Beverage machine with drip collecting device
A beverage machine having a height-adjustment device that includes a movable support plate for adjusting the position of the recipient relative to at least one beverage outlet. The support plate is movable relative to the at least one beverage outlet. The machine also includes a displacement mechanism for displacing the support plate relative to the outlet. The displacement mechanism includes a motorized driver for driving the displacement mechanism, a controller for controlling the actuation of the driver and which is configured to set a predetermined distance between the outlet and the recipient. A drip-collecting device can also be selectively provided to collect liquid falling from the beverage outlet when the recipient is not present. |
| US08333142B1 |
Firearm slide cam surface for cartridge feed
A slide for a semi-automatic pistol is provided where the pistol has a frame, a slide mounted on the frame, a barrel mounted between the slide and the frame, and a magazine for feeding cartridges into the chamber of the barrel. The slide includes a front portion for receiving the barrel where the front portion has a breech face end, a block having an elongate passage for receiving a firing pin mechanism, and a cam surface extending from a lower surface of the block adjacent to the breech face end which functions as a feed ramp for feeding cartridges from the magazine to the chamber. The cam surface is a truncated hemispherical protuberance having a flat surface where the flat surface extends at an angle from the breech face. Positive contact between the breech face and the topmost cartridge is ensured during forward movement of the slide. |
| US08333140B2 |
Self diagnostic armor structure
A unit of modular armor. The module has a box-like, optically opaque outer shell of ballistic-protection material enclosed to exclude light from the module's interior. The shell contains transparent armor plates and the shell contains a self-diagnostic system for ascertaining whether the plates have been damaged. The self-diagnostic system includes a first PC board disposed along first edges of the plates, the board being divided into strips on which are mounted rows of lights. The self-diagnostic system further includes a second PC board at second, opposed edges of the plates divided into strips on which are mounted rows of light receptors. The PC boards incorporate circuitry for illuminating the rows of the lights in a row-by-row sequence, and for allowing activation only of the receptors directly opposed to illuminated lights. This circuitry has an analysis means for determining the health of the plates in response to signals from the receptors. The armor module has a transparent, elastomeric, adhesive matrix within the shell in which each of the plates and boards are suspended and encapsulated, wherein the matrix occupies all space not occupied by other elements within the shell. |
| US08333139B2 |
System for attaching or detaching firearm accessories using a cartridge case and rim channel
Systems and methods for using a cartridge case as a tool to install or remove firearm barrel attachments. The barrel attachment includes a channel for engaging a cartridge case rim. This rim channel provides mechanical leverage for rotating the barrel attachment around a bore axis of the firearm barrel. The rim channel may include a curved portion to increase the load-bearing contact area. The contact area between the rim of the cartridge case and the barrel attachment can be further increased by a half-moon insert. |
| US08333138B2 |
Composite reinforced missile rail
According to one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a frame portion made of metal and having a substantially elongated shape. The frame portion comprises one or more cavities situated in a longitudinal direction, and a composite material is disposed within the cavities to structurally reinforce the frame portion. The frame portion includes one or more missile guides situated in the longitudinal direction and configured to slidingly engage a weapon. |
| US08333137B2 |
Side handle firearm actuation system
In accordance with various exemplary embodiments, a firearm actuation system is provided. The firearm actuation system, comprising a housing, a guide, a contoured actuation handle, and a bolt. The system provides an actuation mechanism for an AR-15 which is engagable by a shooter where the AR-15 is in a shouldered firing position. The contoured actuation handle may be retained in the retaining slot to provide an action-open-position. The housing may also comprise a mounting rail with a plurality of grooves, where each groove may be configured with a unique indicator. |
| US08333136B2 |
Food product slicer with gauge plate based shutdown operation
A food product slicer includes a carriage assembly is mounted to the base for reciprocal movement back and forth past a cutting edge of a knife. An adjustable gauge plate provides variable slice thickness for food product carried by the carriage assembly. During automatic slicing, when the gauge plate is moved from the open position to the closed position, a slicer controller automatically shuts down the carriage drive in a controlled manner that causes the carriage to stop at its most forward position. |
| US08333128B2 |
Electronic selector lever module
An electronic selector lever module for generating gear shifting signals for an automatic transmission of a vehicle. The swivel motion of the gear selector lever, within a main shifting path, is transformed into rotational motion for an angle sensor. The sensor is positioned on a printed circuit board and is actuated by a rotor. To guide the rotor relative to the angle sensor, the rotor either surrounds a rounded part of the printed circuit board or surrounds a rotor guidance which is mounted on the printed circuit board. The mechanical linking point is a short sleeve at a slider, which both belong to the rotor, needed for the shifting path motion, and which also drive the tilting lever for the transverse motion. The slider can be moved, relative to the rotor, along rails, either radially and directly at the rotor, or tangentially to the pivot point of the rotor. |
| US08333121B2 |
Measuring system for media flowing in a pipeline
A measuring system comprises: a measuring transducer, through which medium flows and which produces oscillatory signals dependent on medium viscosity and/or a Reynolds number of the flowing medium; and transmitter electronics for driving the measuring transducer and for evaluating oscillatory signals. The measuring transducer includes: four, mutually spaced, flow openings; an outlet-side flow divider with four, mutually spaced, flow openings; four, mutually parallel, straight, measuring tubes for conveying flowing medium, connected to the flow dividers electromechanical exciter mechanism. The transmitter electronics feeds, by means of an electrical driver signal supplied to the exciter mechanism, electrical excitation power into the exciter mechanism, while the exciter mechanism converts electrical excitation power at least partially into torsional oscillations of the first measuring tube, opposite-equal torsional oscillations of the second measuring tube, as well as into torsional oscillations of the third measuring tube, opposite-equal torsional oscillations of the fourth measuring tube. |
| US08333118B2 |
Capacitive pressure sensor
An improved capacitive manometer includes a diaphragm including a common electrode and an electrode structure including a center electrode and ring electrode. The diaphragm is movable between (i) a zero position when the pressure on each side of the diaphragm is the same and (ii) a maximum differential position when the maximum measurable differential pressure is applied to the diaphragm. A support structure is arranged to support the diaphragm so that the diaphragm is constrained relative to the electrode structure. The common electrode is spaced from and axially aligned with the center and ring electrodes. The electrode structure is secured relative to the diaphragm at at least three clamping locations. The angle defined within each right plane containing a point of constraint of the diaphragm and the point of each clamping location relative to the plane of the diaphragm in the zero position is between 60° and 90°. |
| US08333109B2 |
Method and device for diagnosing an injection valve, connected to a fuel rail, of an internal combustion engine
In a method for diagnosing an injection valve (5), in an overrun fuel cut-off phase the fuel supply to the fuel rail (4) is closed, and after the fuel supply has been closed off a first fuel pressure in the fuel rail (4) is measured, and after the first measurement of the fuel pressure an injection valve (5) is actuated for a test injection. After the test injection a second fuel pressure in the fuel rail (4) is measured, a differential pressure value (ΔP) is formed from the first and second measured fuel pressures and a difference of an operating parameter from a reference parameter is determined from the differential pressure value (ΔP), and when a previously defined maximum difference is exceeded the injection valve (5) is detected as being defective. |
| US08333107B2 |
Method for use of microdialysis
Very accurate measurements of mass transfer can be made rapidly by permitting diffusion of an agent desired to be measured into or out of a small, very precisely known volume of a microdialysis probe, then rapidly pumping or flushing (“pulsing”) the probe with a known volume of fluid as a single pulse. The diffusion and pulsing may be repeated. The method, hereinafter called pulsatile microdialysis (PMD) to distinguish it from prior art continuous flow microdialysis, is useful for measurements in a number of processes, including protein binding, adsorption to binding agents such as activated charcoal, release from microemulsion drug delivery systems, determination of drug diffusion coefficients and concentrations, and for various other purposes.The method is based on mathematical manipulation of Fick's Laws. Resulting equations were verified against experimental data using methazolamide, warfarin and benzocaine as test drugs. |
| US08333106B2 |
System and method for measurement using a visual recorder
An oscillatory measurement system is disclosed that includes a visual recorder for detecting irregularities such as bubbles in a fluid to be measured. Techniques are provided for scanning the recorder across the oscillatory tube. |
| US08333105B2 |
Preconcentrators and methods of making and using the same
Apparatus, systems and methods are described for preconcentrators, chemical sensing systems and gas chromatographs. A preconcentrator is described that comprises a hollow enclosure containing a sorbent material. The enclosure may be a capillary tube that can be formed in to a desired shape and that may be heated. Heating may be accomplished by passing an electrical current through the capillary or other hollow enclosure form. The sorbent material can be a liquid, a solid, a porous ceramic material and/or a chemiselective polymer. The sorbent material can be coated to the inner wall of the enclosure. The hollow enclosure may be maintained in an insulated chamber. The preconcentrator acts to concentrate a vapor passed through the preconcentrator to a chemical sensing array that can detect chemicals present in the vapor. A gas passed through the hollow enclosure can provide a chemically concentrated input to a chromatographic column. |
| US08333104B2 |
Measuring instrument for the detection and evaluation of an impact
A measuring device for detecting and evaluating an impact, jolt or the like is formed with an impact face, against which the impact, jolt or pulse which is to be evaluated strikes. A sensor, for example a force sensor, detects values of the force which act on the impact face as a result. A sensor, for example an acceleration sensor, detects values of the acceleration which act on the impact face as a result. An evaluation unit processes the determined force and acceleration values. |
| US08333102B2 |
Extension for a pipe expander
An assembly for actuating a pipe expander, the assembly comprising a first actuator, arranged to engage a pipe expander head and actuate the same a second actuator, spaced apart from the first actuator and operatively engaged therewith such that operation of the second actuator effects operation of the first actuator to actuate the pipe expander head. |
| US08333100B2 |
Multi-process press machine and press-working method
A press machine able to press-work a strip-shaped material during which it can prevent the strip-shaped material from moving or warping or can prevent the strip-shaped material from partially cracking and a processing method using that press machine. A multi-process press machine provided with a drive source M, a camshaft 1 driven by the drive source M and having a plurality of independent first cams 1a, 1b, and 1c and second cams 1h, 1i, and 1j, a plurality of die sets each comprised of a pair of a punch 2 and a die 3 connected with the first cam, a material holding member 7 pressing the strip-shaped material W against the die 3 when connecting with and pressing the second cam, and a base 5 supporting the dies. |
| US08333099B2 |
Method for making a tube of a telescopic device
Disclosed is a method for making a tube for a telescopic device. The method includes the step of cutting a section from tubular raw material to provide a semi-product of the tube with a desired value of length, the step of pressing the wall of the semi-product of the tube for a first time to make cavities on an external side of the wall of the semi-product of the tube, and the step of pressing the wall of the semi-product of the tube for a second time to deepen the cavities so that the tube is made with a desired depth. |
| US08333097B1 |
Hydraulic bender for a skid-steer loader
An application for a device that bends a workpiece includes a rotary hydraulic actuator. The rotary hydraulic actuator is fluidly coupled to a controlled source of hydraulic fluid pressure and has an rotating flange that turns responsive to the hydraulic fluid pressure. A bending member is coupled to the rotating flange of the rotary hydraulic actuator and rotates responsive to the rotational motion of the rotating flange. A bending mandrel is mounted on a face of the bending member at a center of rotation of the bending member and a force mandrel mounted on the face of the bending member. An actuator controls the hydraulic fluid pressure and clips are provided for attaching the device for bending to a boom of, for example, a skid-steer loader. |
| US08333095B2 |
Roll former with three-dimensional sweep unit
An apparatus includes, in combination, a roll former with rolls configured to form a structural beam from sheet material, and a sweep unit for longitudinally sweeping a beam in any of vertical, horizontal, or combination directions. The sweep unit has a first pair of forming rolls positioned to engage first opposing sides of the structural beam and has a second pair of forming rolls positioned to engage second opposing sides of the structural beam. The sweep unit movably supports the first and second pairs of forming rolls so that any selected one of the forming rolls continuously engages an associated side of the structural beam while an associated one of the forming rolls opposing the selected one forming roll moves downstream and around the selected one forming roll. This provides a very stable beam-bending condition promoting dimensional stability during the sweeping process, and hence dimensional accuracy and repeatability. |
| US08333092B2 |
Piercer, plug and method of manufacturing seamless pipe or tube
A plug 2 used for a piercer according to the invention includes a tip end portion 23, a cylindrical portion 24, a barrel portion 25, a mandrel coupling portion 22, and an injection hole 21. The injection hole 21 penetrates from the surface of the cylindrical portion 24 to the surface of the mandrel coupling portion 22 and an externally supplied lubricant is injected from the hole. A clearance forms between the pierced material and the cylindrical portion 24. The injection hole 21 is formed at the cylindrical portion 24, and therefore the material in the process of piercing does not contact the injection hole 21. Therefore, an inner surface defect attributable to the contact between the material and the injection hole 21 can be prevented from being generated. |
| US08333089B2 |
Fluorophosphate glass and method of making thereof
New and improved compositions of doped fluorophosphate glasses for lasers have a high refractive index (nD) of approximately 1.6 to 1.7, high transmission in the near infrared part of the spectrum and a wide glass forming domain. These glass systems, Ba(PO3)2—Al(PO3)3—BaF2-Dopants, utilize dopants from the group of oxides or fluorides of the rare earth elements Sm, Eu, Nd, Er, Yb, Tm, Tb, Ho and Pr as well as MnO; and mixtures thereof. The composition of glass includes chemical durability, efficiency of laser use in the infrared spectrum and improved duration of luminescence. |
| US08333085B2 |
Condensation water overflow protector for an evaporator
An evaporator, in particular for a motor vehicle air conditioner, is provided that includes at least one block constructed largely of tube elements and rib elements, whereby it is possible for a refrigerant to flow through the tube elements, at least one section of the block being provided with a condensation water overflow protection means, which includes at least one restriction plate, the height of the restriction plate in at least one section being lower than a height in at least one second section adjacent to the first section. |
| US08333084B2 |
Refrigerator and lighting device therefor
Disclosed are a refrigerator and a lighting device therefor. Since an optical source, an LED is installed at a height to overlap a guide member, light emitted from the LED is widely dispersed through the guide member. This may allow a user to easily check a discharged degree of ice cubes or water, and to have sophisticated aesthetic feeling. Furthermore, since the optical source is fixed to an optical source accommodation portion by being encompassed thereby, a water leakage prevention function may be enhanced, and an additional coupling member for coupling the optical source may not be required. This may allow the number of components and assembly processes to be decreased, and the production costs to be reduced. |
| US08333083B2 |
System to support testing of electronic devices, temperature control unit for the system, and method for controlling internal temperature of chamber of the system
A system to support the testing of electronic devices and a temperature control unit for the system are disclosed. A temperature controlling method for a chamber of the system is also disclosed. Low or high temperature air is supplied to the inside of the chamber when the electronic devices are tested at low or high temperature. External air is supplied to the inside of the chamber when the electronic devices are tested at room temperature. |
| US08333080B2 |
Supersonic cooling system
A supersonic cooling system operates by pumping liquid. Because supersonic cooling system pumps liquid, the compression system does not require the use a condenser. Compression system utilizes a compression wave. The evaporator of compression system operates in the critical flow regime where the pressure in an evaporator tube will remain almost constant and then ‘jump’ or ‘shock up’ to the ambient pressure. |
| US08333076B2 |
Isentropic compression inlet for supersonic aircraft
A supersonic inlet employs relaxed isentropic compression to improve net propulsive force by shaping the compression surface of the inlet. Relaxed isentropic compression shaping of the inlet compression surface functions to reduce cowl lip surface angles, thereby improving inlet drag characteristics and interference drag characteristics. Supersonic inlets in accordance with the invention also demonstrate reductions in peak sonic boom overpressure while maintaining performance. |
| US08333075B2 |
Gas turbine premixer with internal cooling
A system that includes a turbine fuel nozzle comprising an air-fuel premixer. The air-fuel premixed includes a swirl vane configured to swirl fuel and air in a downstream direction, wherein the swirl vane comprises an internal coolant path from a downstream end portion in an upstream direction through a substantial length of the swirl vane. |
| US08333066B2 |
Catalyst temperature increasing apparatus for hybrid vehicle
An ECU executes a program including: detecting a catalyst temperature T upon start of an engine; outputting an instruction signal to drive a power module, which is disposed in contact with an outer surface of a catalyst and is high in heat resistance, with a low efficiency upon determination that the catalyst temperature need be increased; and outputting a valve opening instruction signal to a switch valve in a cooling system in such a manner as not to allow a coolant to flow in a coolant pipeline interposed between the power module and an electric part low in heat resistance. |
| US08333059B2 |
Baler direct feed pickup
A crop converging apparatus for a round baler having a pickup unit wider than the bale chamber. The converging apparatus comprises a pair of converging augers laterally situated along a common axis on opposing sides of the pickup unit feed table and forwardly adjacent to the bale chamber infeed opening. The converging augers and related shrouds are configured to shift the lateral converging zone of the augers rearward in relation to the auger structure to a position behind the plane of the infeed opening. |
| US08333053B2 |
Prescription order packaging system and method
A system for automatically packaging prescription orders composed of one or more prescription containers. The system includes a printer for generating literature associated with each order and a packer for packing the prescription containers and the associated literature into a package. The packer has a scale or other means for determining the weight of the prescription containers. A packer controller calculates package weight information based on the container weight information. The package weight information is transmitted to a mail manifest system, which generates shipping information comprising postage. A labeler applies the shipping information to the package. The packer also includes a loading mechanism for inserting the prescription containers and the literature into the package. |
| US08333050B2 |
Machine for making filter bags for infusion products and wrapping them in outer envelopes
A machine for making outer envelopes (101) in which a filter bag (103) for an infusion product is wrapped in an overwrapping (S) comprises: stations for making the filter bags (103), means (106) for moving the filter bag (103) towards a station (107) for wrapping a sheet (S) of overwrapping material around the filter bag (103); and a station (109) for closing longitudinal end edges (S1, S2) and a transversal end edge (S3) of the “U”-wrapped sheet (S) to form an outer envelope (101); the closing station (109) comprises a joining carrousel (110) equipped with a plurality of sealing elements (112) which are movable in rotation with the joining carrousel (110) and designed to receive respective single filter bags (103) with the folded overwrapping sheet (S) and to allow simultaneous closing of the longitudinal edges (S1, S2) and the transversal edge (S3) of the sheet (S). |
| US08333044B2 |
Floor panel and flooring drainage system
The present disclosure is directed generally towards floor panels and flooring drainage systems utilizing two or more interconnected improved floor panels. In some embodiments, the disclosure includes a floor panel having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first longitudinal surface, a second longitudinal surface, a first transverse surface, and a second transverse surface. One or more drainage assemblies are located on either the first transverse surface and/or the second transverse surface. Each of the drainage assemblies include one or more drainage slots and one or more drainage notches. Further aspects are directed towards flooring drainage systems comprising two or more interconnected floor panels according to embodiments of the disclosure. |
| US08333036B2 |
Emergency egress assembly embedded in a vehicle door
A vehicle emergency egress assembly, including a vehicle door with an opening cut out or otherwise provided, to serve as an egress portal in case of emergency when the vehicle door is difficult to open using the ordinary latching and unlatching mechanism provided for routine entrance and exit from the vehicle. The opening is cut (or otherwise provided) where a transparent armor window would ordinarily be provided, but additional portions of the door are cut out as needed to allow for egress through the opening by a vehicle occupant. A windowed plug is then provided, for releasably plugging the opening. Finally, an interiorly accessible release mechanism is provided, including one or more handles for releasing the plug from the opening. The plug includes a body portion in addition to a window portion. The body portion has a stepped periphery that is held against a stepped periphery of the opening by latches coupled to the one or more handles and extending across the perimeter of the body portion of the plug onto corresponding latch receivers disposed around the opening on the inside surface of the vehicle door. |
| US08333035B2 |
Door assembly including a sensor for controlling automated door movement
An assembly (20) for controlling movement of an automatically moveable door panel (22) includes sensors (30, 50) such as microswitches positioned on at least one of a door panel (22) or a door frame member (26). The sensors provide an indication of different levels of relative movement between the door panel and the door frame member at an interface (28) between them. Such relative movement includes an increase in a gap between them that corresponds to a situation when an object is at the interface (28) and may be caught. The sensors (30, 50) respectively provide an indication of when an object may become caught and when one has. Automated movement of a door is controlled responsive to an indication of the presence of an object in a location where the object may become caught during automatic movement of the door. |
| US08333028B1 |
Firearm mode selection mechanism
A mode selection mechanism for a firearm is provided including a lever having an exposed surface and an inner surface and a pivot pin and a detent pin depending from the inner surface, the pivot pin extending through a orifice in the frame, the detent pin extending generally parallel to the pivot pin. The lever is pivotable from a first position to a second position about the pivot pin, wherein the detent pin moves in an arc-shaped aperture in the frame. A flexible stop includes an open ring of spring metal and is disposed in a ring orifice in the frame. The detent pin is disposed against the flexible stop wherein, as the lever is moved from the first position to the second position, the flexible stop compresses and then uncompresses thereby creating a detent. |
| US08333027B1 |
Interchangeable address signage system
An interchangeable address signage system utilizes one or more address tiles retained on a backplate. The backplate has a top rail and a bottom rail, with tabs extending from the rails. The address tiles each notches on their top surfaces and their bottom surfaces which correspond to the tabs on the rails of the backplate. The address tiles are either retained between the tabs extending from the rails or by the positioning of the tabs within the notches of the address tiles, depending on the number of tiles being placed on the backplate. A separable support frame attached to the backplate maintains the backplate and tiles in position. A display member which extends from the support frame provides for interchangeable decorative displays to be attached to the system. |
| US08333026B2 |
System for hanging multiple pictures in a collage using a grid of supports
A system for hanging multiple pictures, photographs, picture frames, or other objects, collectively referred to herein as pictures, in a collage, using a regularly-spaced grid of pegs or other supports that are attached to a wall. Each picture includes one or more sockets, generally along the top of the picture, or one or more of its edges, although in some embodiments a picture can include sockets located elsewhere on the picture. A picture can be attached to the grid by placing it on the grid so that its sockets are supported by the pegs. In accordance with an embodiment, to add a picture to the wall, a user places the top edge of the picture over the grid until its sockets fit around the pegs, and then allows the picture to swing into the wall until it rests against the wall or other supports. To remove the picture, the user gently lifts the picture off the pegs and removes it from the wall. This process can be repeated with multiple pictures to create or change a wall-mounted collage. |
| US08333024B2 |
Article of footwear for dancing
An article of footwear with a pivot portion including a plurality of flex grooves is disclosed. The plurality of flex grooves provides increased flexibility in different portions of a sole of the article. In addition, a periphery of the sole includes sole pods to increase the traction on the periphery of the sole. |
| US08333021B2 |
Article of footwear with a collapsible structure
An article of footwear with a sole and a collapsible upper attached to sole. The collapsible upper includes a first portion and a second portion which is below the first portion and extends from the sole to the first portion. Further, the collapsible upper also includes a seam which is positioned above the sole and is not in contact the sole. The seam joins substantially the entire perimeter of the first portion with substantially the perimeter of the second portion. Additionally, when the upper is in a collapsed state, the seam becomes the widest points of the article of footwear and defines the perimeter of the article of footwear. |
| US08333015B2 |
Method for adjusting axle camber
A method for adjusting the camber of a vehicle's axle comprising attaching collars (30, 30′, 32, 32′, 44) to the axle (12) of the vehicle attaching links (38, 38′) to the collars, introducing a deflection in the axle in a concave downward direction and modifying the length. |
| US08333013B2 |
Continuous manufacturing process for metal-plastic hybrid heat exchanger
The invention is a method for producing a heat exchanger assembly including the steps of extruding a plastic and an adhesive from a co-extrusion die into a plurality of tubes spaced from each other with each tube having an adhesive disposed on its exterior surface. A plurality of corrugated air fins are serially fed into the co-extrusion die and spaced from each other by a predetermined space and ejected between adjacent tubes with the corrugations extending transversely between the tubes. The adhesive is then cured to secure the tubes to the air fins. The method proceeds by cutting the tubes at each predetermined space with a guillotine shear to produce a plurality of unified heat exchanger cores. The ends of the tubes of each core are inserted into tube slots in manifolds, and the tubes and manifolds are adhesively secured together to define a heat exchanger assembly. |
| US08333010B2 |
Electronic component mounting apparatus
In an electronic component mounting apparatus that is used in an electronic component mounting line for producing a mounted substrate by mounting electronic components on a substrate and that subjects the substrate to predetermined operation, a working unit attachment section 30 is provided within a range of movement of a working head, such as a loading head and a paste coating head, wherein a nozzle stocker 9 and a paste trial coating unit 10 can be removably attached as a working unit for performing specific additional operation appropriate for working function of the working head. The nozzle stoker 9 and the paste trial coating unit 10 are attached to the working unit attachment section 30 according to the type of working head. |
| US08333009B2 |
Aligning device and bonding apparatus
An aligning device for electronic components and a bonding device using the aligning device. The aligning device includes a chamber, a flexible bellows within the chamber, two block used to hold an electronic component, a driving unit configured to move either of the two blocks relative to each other and located in an airtight chamber and an image port having a window through which one of the electronic components can be observed. |
| US08333000B2 |
Methods for improving stent retention on a balloon catheter
A method of crimping a stent on a balloon of a catheter assembly is provided. A polymeric stent is disposed over a balloon in an inflated configuration. The stent is crimped over the inflated balloon to a reduced crimped configuration so that the stent is secured onto the balloon. The balloon wall membrane is wedged or pinched between the strut elements of the stent for increasing the retention of the stent on the balloon. |
| US08332995B2 |
Method of manufacturing a piezoelectric component
A piezoelectric component manufacturing method is provided. The method includes preparing an integrated piezoelectric substrate, and forming comb-shaped electrodes and wiring electrodes having element wiring connecting to the comb-shape electrodes on a primary surface of the piezoelectric substrate, forming an SiO2 layer, performing a characteristics inspection on the piezoelectric substrate and marking defective piezoelectric elements, coating said SiO2 layer surface with photosensitive resin, and then exposing and developing to form an insulating layer. The method includes vapor-depositing a metal layer, and removing said metal layer adhered to resist by an organic solvent when removing the resist, to form a rewiring layer, coating said rewiring layer with photosensitive resin, affixing a photosensitive resin film to a top end surface of said photosensitive resin layer, forming electrode posts in the holes by electroplating, and dicing said piezoelectric substrate along scribe lines to obtain individual piezoelectric components. |
| US08332994B2 |
Shoelace with shoelace fastener
A shoelace with a shoelace fastener includes a first retaining base at an end of a first lace and/or a second retaining base at another end of the first lace, and a ratchet and an elastic clipping element are disposed in the first retaining base and the second retaining base respectively, such that the ratchet can be pressed at an end of the elastic clipping element, and the ratchet is pressed by the elastic clipping element into a normal slantingly pressed down status. When use, a fabric shoelace or a serrated plastic groove is passed into the retaining base, and ends of the ratchets are provided for clamping a surface of the fabric shoelace or plastic shoelace to facilitate adjusting the tightness of the shoelace. |
| US08332988B2 |
Paint roller guide
A roller guide assembly is attached to a paint roller frame to maintain a consistent space between a surface adjacent to the surface being painted and a roller cover carried by the roller frame. The roller guide assembly includes a guide arm attached to a vertical portion of the roller frame and a mounting clamp that that fits on the roller frame. The mounting clamp uses an adjustable locking screw and tightening knob to secure the mounting clamp to the roller frame. The mounting clamp has a cavity configured to receive the guide arm such that the guide arm extends past the roller cover. The roller guide assembly also has a storage clip mounted on the roller frame for temporarily storing the guide arm while the roller cover is being reloaded with paint. The guide arm mounts to the roller frame between a first bend extending from a shank that extends from a cage section of the roller frame that receives the roller cover and before a second bend that bends back to meet a handle grip of the roller frame. |
| US08332986B2 |
Screw type mop holder
A mop holder which provides fast changing of mop cloth and ease of use is characterized in that a shaft (5) is disposed on a middle top of the frame (1); and a circular groove (6) is set on an inner bottom of the shaft (5). A tube (7) which fits into said shaft (5) is screw jointed onto an outer bottom of a handle (3); and a projection (9), corresponding to said groove (6) is disposed on a bottom of said tube (7). Said projection (9) comprises pluralities of slots (8), disposed on a surface thereof; and a tapered surface (10) for guiding said tube (7) into the shaft (5) is disposed on an outer bottom of said projection (9). By coupling the projection (9) and groove (6), said tube (7) is partially fitted into the shaft (5) firmly and allowed to rotate freely therein. |
| US08332977B2 |
Bedside medical examination device
A medical examination device is provided with a pair of foot support assemblies, a patient support mat, and a pair of legs. Wheel assemblies are attached to the legs facilitate the transportation of the device to and from a bed whereby the support assemblies, patient support mat, and legs are extended and adjusted to support a patient on the bed to facilitate a medical examination. The foot support assemblies, patient support mat, and legs are collapsible so that the device is transported and stored in a small, compact size. |
| US08332970B2 |
Flushing mechanism
A flushing mechanism (100) includes a housing (1), an upper cover (6) on the housing (1), a sleeve (3), a first piston (4), a first piston sealed module (4-3), a first piston loading spring (5), a second piston (8) and a second piston loading spring (9). Wherein a pressure-relief and/or ejection-proof part is provided in the housing (1), the second piston sealed module (8-3, 8-4) are respectively provided surround the periphery of the bottom end and the central hole of the second piston (8). The bottom end of the second piston (8), the second piston sealed module (8-3, 8-4) and the lower end of the housing (1) define an exterior lower cavity (8-5) and an interior lower cavity (8-6) used for cooperating with the second piston loading spring (9) in course of drainage, sequentially the second piston (8) is moved upward and the outlet is opened. A toilet bowl employing the flushing mechanism can reduce the flushing water consumption. |
| US08332967B2 |
Concealment apparel
Apparel for the concealment of articles. Presented is a shirt that allows fast and safe retrieval of a concealed weapon. The shirt can have multiple access points to allow the wearer to retrieve weapons holstered in a shoulder type rig, against the waistband (“AWB”) holster, or a “belly-band” type holster. The shirt comprises a shell substantially in the shape of a shirt and an inner panel substantially lining at least a portion of the interior portion of the shell. The shell defines at least one access port configured to be selectively opened or closed to enable selective access to an interior portion of the shell. |
| US08332962B1 |
Multi-layered polychloroprene taping material and method of manufacturing and applying such material
Multi-layered taping materials, methods of making such materials, methods of using such materials and articles including such materials are disclosed. |
| US08336111B2 |
Communication device and method for securing data
A communication device and method for securing data include connecting a processor and at least one storage device via active pins of a switch in the communication device, and setting a secure command for securing data stored in the at least one storage device. The communication device and method further include invoking the secure command to delete the data in the at least one storage device, if text data of a received message matches the secure command, and switching the active pins to the inactive pins so as to disconnect the processor and the at least one storage device, thereby disabling the at least one storage device. |
| US08336109B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing rights object
A method and apparatus for processing a Rights Object (RO) are provided. A method for upgrading the RO includes: acquiring, by a Digital Rights Management (DRM) Agent, RO related information of the RO that requires updating from a Secure Removable Media (SRM) Agent; providing, by the DRM Agent, the RO related information to a Rights Issuer (RI), and obtaining a new RO from the RI; and interacting, by the DRM Agent, with the SRM Agent to upgrade the RO that requires updating on the SRM by means of the new RO. According to the embodiments of the present invention, the DRM Agent acquires RO related information which is stored on the SRM and does not have Move rights, and interacts with the RI to move the RO out from the SRM, so as to move the RO without the Move rights out from the SRM, thus extending an application of the RO without the Move rights. |
| US08336108B2 |
Method and system for collaboration involving enterprise nodes
A method and system for a communication network containing both trusted peers and untrusted hosts within the network. Trusted peers can collaborate with each other to observe and monitor the activity of the untrusted hosts. In addition, a trusted peer instantiated with a virtual machine can have an operating system kernel collaborate with a hypervisor to determine whether threats are present. A trusted peer that needs particular functionality installed can collaborate with other trusted peers and with an administrative console to have that functionality installed. An untrusted host can have a driver directly inserted into it by an administration console, which will facilitate in the collaboration process. |
| US08336099B2 |
Methods, hardware products, and computer program products for implementing introspection data comparison utilizing hypervisor guest introspection data
Introspection data comparison is implemented utilizing hypervisor guest introspection data. A hypervisor shim on a hypervisor is used to construct one or more workload management components that are independent from a participating pool member of a pool comprising a guest having a guest memory and a guest operating system. The hypervisor collects a first set of data. The guest sends a second set of data comprising guest memory data from the guest memory. The first set of data is compared with the second set of data to detect at least one of a potential security intrusion or an anomalous deviation between the first set of data and the second set of data. A policy manager takes action based upon a result of the comparison of the first and second sets of data. |
| US08336098B2 |
Method and apparatus for classifying harmful packet
A network apparatus and method of classifying received packets in a security system, the method comprises parsing a received packet and extracting a payload from the parsed packet; scanning the payload to check whether or not a predetermined signature code is included in the payload; if it is determined from the result of the scanning that the predetermined signature code is included in the payload, generating a presumptive signature based on information included in the predetermined signature code; and determining whether or not the generated presumptive signature is identical with a signature corresponding to the predetermined signature code, and allocating an classification identifier (ID) to the received packet according to the result of the determination, thereby classifying the received packet according to the classification ID, wherein the predetermined signature code is formed by a part of the signature corresponding to the signature code. |
| US08336097B2 |
Apparatus and method for monitoring and protecting system resources from web browser
An apparatus and method for preventing an attempt to perform malicious activities using web browser weaknesses are provided. A file protection module monitors attempts to access at least one file resource when the web browser executes a program, and allows or denies access. A registry protection module monitors attempts to access at least one registry resource when the web browser executes a program, and allows or denies access. A process protection module monitors attempts to execute or terminate at least one process when the web browser executes a program, and allows or denies the execution or termination. |
| US08336096B2 |
Access control apparatus, image display apparatus, and program thereof
An access control apparatus including a memory section that stores information; an authentication information memory section that stores at least first stored user authentication information and second stored user authentication information corresponding to a user; an input section in which first inputted user authentication information and second inputted user authentication information are inputted; a judgment section that judges whether the first inputted user authentication information matches the first stored user authentication information; a registration section that stores a second inputted authentication information in the authentication information memory section, if the judgment sections judges that the first inputted authentication information matches the first stored user authentication information; and an approval section that approves access to the information stored in the memory section for a predetermined time period if the judgment section judges that: (1) the first inputted authentication information matches the first stored user authentication information, and (2) the second inputted authentication information matches the second stored authentication information. |
| US08336091B2 |
Multi-level authentication
Approaches for performing a multiple level authentication on an entity are provided. A primary authentication credential and a secondary authentication credential may be established for a user account. The primary authentication credential uniquely identifies a particular account of the software application. The secondary authentication credential uniquely identifies an entity, such as a user, application, or device, authorized to use the particular user account. Upon receiving a request to access the software application using the particular user account, a determination is made as to whether the request is accompanied by the primary authentication credentials and a secondary authentication credential associated with the particular user account. Upon determining that the request is accompanied by valid primary and secondary authentication credentials for the user account, limited access, based upon the secondary authentication credential, to the software application using the particular user account is granted. |
| US08336085B2 |
Tuning product policy using observed evidence of customer behavior
A computer adapted for pay-as-you go or other metered use has a policy for determined what measurements to take to detect fraud as well as steps to take when fraud is found. To optimize between good performance and sufficient tests to reduce the risk of fraud, a policy is developed based on observation of the users behavior, using data taken at the computer, data from a payment processor or both. After analysis, an updated policy is securely loaded at the computer to determine what, and how often to measure for suspected fraud. |
| US08336084B2 |
Communication using multiple apparatus identities
A system for broadcasting multiple public identities corresponding to the same apparatus. For example, each public identity may correspond to different operational environments, while none of the public identities disclose a private identity that uniquely and permanently identifies the apparatus. This allows apparatuses to keep their unique identity a secret while still being able to communicate with other apparatuses in various environments. |
| US08336080B2 |
Methods and apparatus for rating device security and automatically assessing security compliance
Automatic Security Compliance Assessment (ASCA) systems and methods are provided for automatically generating and determining a security rating for a plurality of Settings Objects (SOs), where each of the SOs define particular configurations of subsystems of a wireless computing device. Each SO collectively defines a collection of Values specified for Configurable Attributes that can be used to define a different configuration for a particular subsystem associated with a particular Setting Class that is used to guide the creation of that particular SO. The server can store a group of security rating templates, each of which includes the information needed to determine an expected security rating for any SOs created per a particular Settings Class. For any combination of device settings, the resultant SOs can be used to generate an expected security rating. In addition, a security interaction template (SIT) and security test scripts can be generated that correspond to each particular group of SOs, and can be used to produce an Overall Device Security Rating (ODSR) for that particular group of SOs or a sub-set thereof. |
| US08336075B2 |
Information distribution system, program-for-management-apparatus recording medium, and program-for-information-processor recording medium
A content distribution system includes a node to which content is distributed via a network and a distribution management server for managing a content distribution status.The node receives content, detects an information amount of received content, and, on the basis of the detected information amount, outputs a distribution completion notification indicative of a reception status of corresponding content.On the other hand, the distribution management server receives the distribution completion notification for each node, and stores the received distribution completion information for each node. |
| US08336074B2 |
System and method for facilitating fast-forwarding of first-run programs
A system and method are disclosed for facilitating fast-forwarding by viewers through a first-run program beyond the current broadcast point. In one embodiment, the first-run program is distributed before its scheduled publication time, and may be viewed at any time after the publication time. In a second embodiment, content is distributed on or after the publication time, but at a rate greater than the normal viewing rate. In a third embodiment, content is distributed on demand after the publication time by a media distribution server. In a fourth embodiment, a viewer participating in a multicast session of the content requests content beyond the current broadcast point. The viewer is switched to a unicast session, and the requested content is transmitted to the viewer. In alternative embodiments, a release code may be provided to control the time after which the viewer will be permitted to view program segments beyond the current broadcast point. |
| US08336064B2 |
Electronic apparatus for driving an optical disc and having a reduced size and/or thickness
Disclosed is an electronic apparatus including a main body portion, a tray main body, a tray auxiliary portion, a first top panel, and a second top panel. The tray main body is capable of being taken into and out of the main body portion and includes a mounted portion, a drive portion, an optical system, and a first store portion. The tray auxiliary portion includes a second store portion that is integrated with the first store portion of the tray main body to form a space capable of storing the optical disc mounted on the mounted portion. |
| US08336063B2 |
Efficient linking and loading for late binding and platform retargeting
A method of producing an executable image from an object file without shared library support from the operating system, wherein the executable image requires a shared library file in order to resolve at least one of the symbols called for in the object file. A method of optimizing the loading of a previously linked file into working memory in a computer for executing in a single address space of the working memory, the file containing an instruction to make an indirect jump to a location in a shared library through an import section of the file. A method for optimizing the loading of a previously linked file into working memory in a computer for executing in a single address space of the working memory, the file containing plural sections with number-filled padding between the end of each section and a succeeding page boundary. A method of optimizing the loading of a previously linked file into working memory in a computer for executing in a memory sharable with other executables. This method includes selecting a portion of code in the previously linked file, removing the portion of code from the previously linked file, and constructing a dynamically linked library file containing the portion of the code, the dynamically linked library file being available to plural files including the previously linked-file. A method of converting an image which has been previously linked for executing in an unshared memory into an image optimized for use with virtual memory. |
| US08336062B2 |
Administration device for image processing device uses plug-in application
When a plug-in application “HDD Backup Utility” is designated by the user from the start menu, an administration program is started. The administration program receives information as to which plug-in application was designated, and based on the received information, places a function button for the designated plug-in application (here, “backup” and “restore” buttons corresponding to HDD Backup Utility) in a “HOME” display area. The user can readily find and select the button in the HOME display area. In this manner, the function button for the designated plug-in application is displayed in the position easily accessible by the user. |
| US08336061B2 |
Driver configuration
A method and apparatus for performing driver configuration operations without a system reboot is disclosed. In one embodiment, a network server's adapter driver receives a request to change a configuration of a selected instance of a plurality of instances. In response, the adapter driver may then determine if there is data flow through the selected instance. If there is no data flow through the selected instance, the method includes blocking subsequent data flow and subsequent information requests issued to the adapter driver. The selected instance may then be reinitializing without rebooting the server. |
| US08336056B1 |
Multi-threaded system for data management
A multi-threaded system for data management and other computationally intensive applications. The invention takes advantage of multi-core processors to attain high performance. Multi-core processors provide high performance by executing programs in parallel. The amount of performance gained is strongly dependent on the software implementation. To take advantage of the multi-core architecture, applications should be multi-threaded. The invention provides a uniform, configurable, and a consistent multi-threaded software structure that increases performance by distribution of tasks and workload between threads and allocating threads to different processing units, so as to run programs in parallel. The uniform structure of the threads, the ease of configuring the software, and its modularity simplify execution of complex projects and expedite application development. |
| US08336055B2 |
Determining the status of virtual storage in the first memory within the first operating system and reserving resources for use by augmenting operating system
A method for determining status of system resources in a computer system includes loading a first operating system into a first memory, wherein the first operating system discovers system resources and reserves a number of the system resources for use of an augmenting operating system, loading the augmenting operating system into a second memory reserved for the augmenting operating system by the first operating system, accessing the first memory from the augmenting operating system and obtaining data, running a process on the augmenting operating system to perform a computation using the data obtained from the first memory, and outputting the results of the computation using the system resources reserved for the augmenting operating system. |
| US08336053B2 |
Transaction management
A method and transaction processing system for managing transaction processing tasks are provided. The transaction processing system comprises a transaction log, a log management policy, a log manager and a dispatcher. The method comprises maintaining a transaction log of recoverable changes made by transaction processing tasks and storing a log management policy including at least one log threshold. Usage of the log by transaction processing tasks is then monitored to determine when a log threshold is reached. When a log threshold is reached the active task having the oldest log entry of all active tasks is identified and its dispatching priority is increased. This increases the likelihood that the identified task will be dispatched, and should mean that the task will more quickly reach normal completion. |
| US08336052B2 |
Management, control, and monitoring of workload including unrelated processes of different containers
A first computer program runs in user memory space of a computing environment, and a second computer program runs in kernel memory space of the computing environment. The first computer program determines processes that constitute a workload. The second computer program creates a workload identifier corresponding to the workload, and associates the processes with the workload identifier. The first computer program requests metrics regarding the workload. In response, the second computer program collects such metrics by collecting metrics regarding the processes that constitute the workload and that are associated with the workload identifier The second computer program reports the metrics regarding the workload to the first computer program. |
| US08336051B2 |
Systems and methods for grouped request execution
A server architecture performs concurrent information processing in a server system on a multi-core processor environment. The architecture supports simultaneous processing requests comprising multiple classes of queries and/or executing transactions in an application server and/or database server. Requests, which are made in an asynchronous manner, are structured with hash values to enable similar requests to be grouped together. The similar requests are grouped into a group session. All of the requests in the group session are executed at the same time. Accordingly, similar database inserts can be grouped and executed as a single request. The architecture minimizes thread-switching overhead by exploiting inherent parallelism in the inflowing requests. The threads and requests are de-coupled and hence any lock request only makes the execution threads take up another request instead of waiting until the lock is acquired. As such, the threads never go into sleep/wait mode and system resources are utilized more efficiently. |
| US08336050B2 |
Shared memory inter-process communication of virtual machines using virtual synchrony
A mechanism for virtual synchrony total order messaging for virtual machines is disclosed. A method of embodiments of the invention includes receiving a request to reserve a block of memory in a shared memory segment, reserving the block of memory, and providing a start address of the reserved block of memory to a virtual machine (VM) that sent the request in order for the VM to copy a message from an application of the VM into the reserved block of memory, wherein the application communicates with other applications on other VMs using virtual synchrony. The method may further include sending a new message available request to all of the other VMs, wherein the new message available request includes the start address of the reserved block of memory and a length of the message, and tracking the VMs that access the reserved block of memory. |
| US08336046B2 |
Dynamic VM cloning on request from application based on mapping of virtual hardware configuration to the identified physical hardware resources
Methods and apparatuses enable creation of a virtual machine (VM) clone initiated through application or service logic. The application requests generation of a VM clone from within the runtime execution of the application. The request is serviced by a VM generator, which identifies a state of the VM to clone and identifies hardware resources on which to create the VM clone. Based on a determination of what resources on which to generate the VM clone, the VM generator creates the VM clone on the determined resources, having the identified state. In one embodiment, a use case of resource copy or reference copy is selected for each resource. In one embodiment, the VM generator considers a number of factors in determining where to instantiate the VM clone. The parameters may include hints or preference parameters sent by the application and/or resource loading or performance. |
| US08336044B2 |
Method and system for deploying a software image
A method and system for efficiently deploying (also sometimes referred to as distributing and/or installing) a computer device's software image using a single portable image using an alternate partition for loading the image on the storage (hard drive) along with selected patches chosen for the configuration of the computer. The single image is processed using delta image patching technology to allow the single image to be customized and operable (work on) the particular computer, where the single portable image is adapted to operate on a large number of diverse computer device platforms. |
| US08336042B2 |
System and method for managing data originating from and destined for a motor vehicle
A system for managing data originating from and destined for a motor vehicle, including: a first data communication unit permanently disposed on-board the vehicle; a second data communication unit disposed at a distance from the vehicle; and at least two devices for transmitting, receiving and storing data originating from and destined for the vehicle, the device communicating data with the first and second communication units, interfacing with a user of the vehicle and including a data storage. The second communication unit can be a computer terminal connected to a computer network, such as the Internet and/or an intranet, providing access to an interactive computer application, such as to transmit data originating from the vehicle and to receive the data destined for the data transmission, reception and storage devices and the vehicle. The storage devices can synchronize non-custom data that have become obsolete. |
| US08336039B2 |
Program, apparatus, and method of optimizing a Java object
An apparatus, method and article of manufacture tangibly embodying computer readable instructions for optimizing a Java object on a target computer program. The apparatus includes: a storage unit for storing a value of the object and management information on the object in association with each other; a code generation unit for generating, from the target computer program, optimized code and unoptimized code; a switching unit for switching from executing the target computer program using the optimized code to executing the target computer program using the unoptimized code in response to an event in which the value of the object is written while the target computer program is executed by using the optimized code; and a management unit for managing the object by accessing the management information by a non-detection write operation in which writing to the object is performed without being detected. |
| US08336037B1 |
JNI-minimizing data structures for XML parsing
Client Native method Interface (CNI) minimizing eXtensible Mark-up Language (XML) parsing is provided using array pair data structures. An empty array pair is passed to an engine from client code via a CNI call. The engine parses the XML document and fills the array pair with fixed width elements. The filled array pair is passed back to client code. The client code iterates through the elements in the array pair and invokes the appropriate handlers or builds appropriate tree objects for Document Object Model parsing. Thus, one CNI call passes the empty array pair from client code to the engine, and the filled array pair is returned from the engine to client code. Individual sets of CNI calls for each element are avoided, minimizing the number of CNI calls. Further, since elements in the array pair are of fixed width, they can be processed more efficiently by the client code. |
| US08336036B2 |
System and method for translating high programming level languages code into hardware description language code
The present invention is directed to a method and system for translating a high programming level language code such as C, C++, Fortran, Java or the like into a HDL code such as Verilog or VHDL. The system includes: a C-to-C source translator which reads user API from a translation-targeted high level language code marked with the user API, separates the translation-targeted high level language code into a hardware code part and a software code part, and stores the hardware code part and the software code part in separate files; a main compiler which compiles the stored software code part; a translator which translates the stored hardware code part into a HDL code including one or more block modules and one top module; a main core which executes the compiled software code part; and a dedicated hardware which executes the HDL code. |
| US08336033B2 |
Method and system for generating a hierarchical tree representing stack traces
A system and method are provided to generate a hierarchical tree representing stack traces. In one embodiment, stack trace elements in a plurality of stack traces relating to profiling of an application executing at a first virtual machine are identified, the stack trace elements relating to profiling events being detected during the profiling of the application. The identified stack trace elements are sorted as one of parent elements; parent/child elements, or child elements based on a number of times a stack trace element has appeared in the plurality of stack traces and its relationship with other elements in the plurality of stack traces. A tree having nodes to represent the stack trace elements is created such that that the child elements branch from the parent/child elements or the parent elements, and the parent/child elements branch from the parent elements. |
| US08336028B2 |
Evaluating software sustainability based on organizational information
Mechanisms for evaluating software sustainability are provided. The illustrative embodiments provide code scanning tools for identifying authors of portions of a software product and various attributes about the development, maintenance, and improvement of portions of the software product over time. This information may be correlated with organizational information to identify portions of the software product that may be lacking in sustainability by the persons currently associated with the software organization. Moreover, this information may be used to obtain information regarding the relative quality of the composition or conception of portions of the software product, portions of the software product that have required a relatively larger amount of resources to develop over time, a relative indication of which portions of the software product are “harder” or “easier” to sustain and who is associated with those portions of the software product, and the like. |
| US08336024B2 |
Extracting ontological information from software design data
A method, computer System and computer program product for generating ontological information from design data are disclosed. The design data has a plurality of classes, the classes having at least one association with another class. The design data is processed on the basis of rules to identify environmental artifacts. The design data is processed on the basis of rules to identify implementation artifacts. All classes that are implementation artifacts are eliminated from the design data. New associations for non-eliminated design data that have broken class associations as a result of the elimination are established. The design data remaining following the elimination is processed to preserve environmental artifact relationships between the retained classes to generate an ontology. |
| US08336022B2 |
Method and apparatus for creating a configurable browser-based forms application
A method and system are provided for implementing a configurable browser-based form application. A configurable application toolset is provided, having a plurality of reusable browser-based form application components, or shells, that are configured in response to a received set of configuration parameters. Based on the configuration parameters, the toolset can be used to create any number of browser-based form applications. The application includes a browser-based form, a database, and rules governing the collection and storage of gathered and stored data. All of the configuration parameters are stored as data, so that no recompiling or modification of compiled software code in the shells is required when changes are needed, or an entirely new browser-based form application is desired. This reduces cost and time in software development. |
| US08336016B2 |
Eliminating, coalescing, or bypassing ports in memory array representations
Mechanisms are provided in a design environment for eliminating, coalescing, or bypassing ports. The design environment comprises one mechanism to eliminate unnecessary ports in arrays using disabled and disconnected pin information. The design environment may comprise another mechanism to combine and reduce the number of array ports using address comparisons. The design environment may comprise another mechanism to combine and reduce the number of array ports using disjoint enable comparisons. The design environment may comprise one mechanism to combine and reduce the number of array ports using “don't care” computations. The design environment may comprise another mechanism to reduce the number of array ports through bypassing write-to-read paths around arrays. |
| US08336014B1 |
Computationally efficient modeling and simulation of large scale systems
A method of simulating operation of a VLSI interconnect structure having capacitive and inductive coupling between nodes thereof. A matrix X and a matrix Y containing different combinations of passive circuit element values for the interconnect structure are obtained where the element values for each matrix include inductance L and inverse capacitance P. An adjacency matrix A associated with the interconnect structure is obtained. Numerical integration is used to solve first and second equations, each including as a factor the product of the inverse matrix X−1 and at least one other matrix, with first equation including X−1Y, X−1A, and X−1P, and the second equation including X−1A and X−1P. |
| US08336004B2 |
Dimension assurance of mask using plurality of types of pattern ambient environment
According to a mask verifying method of the embodiment, a difference between an actual dimension of a mask pattern and a simulation dimension is calculated as a computational estimated value. Moreover, a difference between an actual dimension of the mask pattern that is actually measured and a dimension on pattern data is calculated as an actually-measured difference. Then, it is verified whether a mask pattern dimension passes or fails based on the calculated value. When calculating the computational estimated value, a model function, which is set based on each correspondence relationship between an actual dimension and a mask simulation dimension of a test pattern, which includes a plurality of types of pattern ambient environments, to the mask pattern. |
| US08336003B2 |
Method for designing optical lithography masks for directed self-assembly
A method and a computer system for designing an optical photomask for forming a prepattern opening in a photoresist layer on a substrate wherein the photoresist layer and the prepattern opening are coated with a self-assembly material that undergoes directed self-assembly to form a directed self-assembly pattern. The methods includes: generating a mask design shape from a target design shape; generating a sub-resolution assist feature design shape based on the mask design shape; using a computer to generate a prepattern shape based on the sub-resolution assist feature design shape; and using a computer to evaluate if a directed self-assembly pattern of the self-assembly material based on the prepattern shape is within specified ranges of dimensional and positional targets of the target design shape on the substrate. |
| US08336002B2 |
IC design flow enhancement with CMP simulation
An integrated circuit (IC) design method includes providing IC design layout data; simulating a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process to a material layer based on the IC design layout, to generate various geometrical parameters; extracting resistance and capacitance based on the various geometrical parameters from the simulating of the CMP process; and performing circuit timing analysis based on the extracted resistance and capacitance. |
| US08336001B2 |
Method for improving yield rate using redundant wire insertion
A method and apparatus for manufacturing an integrated circuit (IC), the method including, generating, by a graphical construction unit, a first graph corresponding to a first net of the IC, the first graph representing a pin of the first net as a vertex, and a connection between two pins of the first net as an edge, the first graph further corresponding to a first IC layout; identifying a first and a second pair of unconnected vertices in the first graph for inserting a first and a second redundant edge, respectively, the first redundant edge and the second redundant edge forming a first connected loop and a second connected loop, respectively, each loop further including at least two edges of the first graph; calculating a tolerance ratio for the first redundant edge and the second redundant edge; sorting the first and second redundant edge based on their tolerance ratio; calculating a yield rate change of the first IC layout associated with inserting one of the first or second redundant edge with a highest tolerance ratio, and updating the first IC layout to include the redundant edge with the highest tolerance ratio if the yield rate change is greater than zero; and calculating the yield rate change of the first IC layout associated with inserting the first or second redundant edge having a second highest tolerance ratio, and updating the first IC layout to include the redundant edge with the second highest tolerance ratio if the yield rate change is greater than zero. |
| US08335993B1 |
Enhanced touch sensitive interface and methods and software for making and using the same
Interfaces, circuits, architectures, devices, systems and methods for displaying, controlling, using and/or designing a virtual keyboard are disclosed. The interface generally includes a touch sensitive display having a virtual keyboard area and a viewing area. The virtual keyboard area includes a plurality of the virtual buttons. Prior to selection of a virtual button, each of the virtual buttons has a first appearance and includes a plurality of alphanumeric, graphical, and/or iconic characters. The interface further includes logic configured to receive an input from the touch sensitive display in response to a virtual button being selected, and send an output to instruct the touch sensitive display to display a second appearance of the selected virtual button. The circuits, architectures, devices, systems, and methods generally include those that embody and/or implement one or more of the inventive concepts disclosed herein. |
| US08335992B2 |
Visual indication of settings changes on a ventilator graphical user interface
This disclosure describes improved systems and methods for visualizing the application of changes to respiratory settings in a ventilatory system. Specifically, the present disclosure provides for a setup animation window that may be easily accessed from a setup icon, for example, and also provides for a settings animation window that may be easily accessed from any number of displayed ventilatory settings. In fact, the setup animation window may be directly accessed by touching, clicking, or otherwise selecting the setup icon and may expand from the setup icon to display any number of settings access elements. Alternatively, the settings animation window may be directly accessed by touching, clicking, or otherwise selecting any one of the displayed ventilatory settings and may expand from the displayed ventilatory settings to provide corresponding settings access elements. The corresponding settings access elements each corresponding to an individual ventilatory setting of the displayed ventilatory settings and useful for efficiently adjusting the displayed ventilatory settings. Ventilatory settings may be changed and accepted via either animation window. In one embodiment, upon accepting settings changes from the settings animation window, settings may appear to visually float or fade into the displayed ventilatory settings. In this embodiment, clinicians may view the settings changes as they are accepted and applied to the GUI. |
| US08335986B2 |
Previewing different types of documents
This is directed to a preview application for displaying several documents simultaneously in a single window, where the several documents are displayed as books. To view the pages of a document, the preview application can open the book and display the pages of the document (e.g., in a one or two-dimensional array). A user can also search for particular terms within the several documents. In response to a search, the preview application can filter the pages of the several documents and only display those pages that include the search terms. The displayed pages can be ordered in any suitable manner, including for example by search rank. |
| US08335985B2 |
Document use managing system, document processing apparatus, manipulation authority managing apparatus, document managing apparatus and computer readable medium
In response to an instruction to copy data from a first electronic document to a second electronic document, a protected document generating section of a document processing apparatus newly generates a third electronic document as a copying result. A combining requesting section requests combining of pieces of manipulation authority information (policies) to be applied to the first and second electronic documents, respectively. In response to the request, a policy combining section of a policy managing apparatus combines the two pieces of manipulation authority information together into third manipulation authority information. A protected document registering section registers the third electronic document and the third manipulation authority information in a document DB. |
| US08335978B2 |
Liquid container
In a semiconductor storage device 10 included in a liquid container 20, on reception of an encoding request for encoding readout data, a write-read controller 140 changes over the position of a switch 141 to output encoded readout data, which is obtained by an encoding operation in a data encoding circuit 150, to a data signal terminal SDAT. In the case of no reception of the encoding request for encoding the readout data, on the other hand, the write-read controller 140 changes over the position of the switch 141 to output raw data read out from a memory array 100 to the data signal terminal SDAT. |
| US08335973B2 |
Processing module, error correction decoding circuit, and processing method for error locator polynomial
A Euclid processing module for obtaining an error locator polynomial of a binary BCH code in an error correction decoding circuit, in which error corrections of words are performed, includes registers, a shifter, a zero insertion unit, selectors and a sequencer. Coefficients of polynomials Ri (z) and Bi (z) stored in the registers are subjected to Galois field calculations by the processing module. Results of the calculations and the data of the registers are shifted by the shifter. Some of the coefficients are erased by the zero insertion unit and stored in registers by controlling the selectors with the sequencer. A necessary polynomial σ (z) is calculated by repeated processing of the processing module. The Euclid processing module decreases a logic scale and simplifies controlling logic in a state of small latency and high operating frequency. |
| US08335969B2 |
Error resilience methods for multi-protocol encapsulation forward error correction implementations
Systems, devices, and methods for error detection and correction in digital communication are disclosed. One such method comprises: storing data received in TS packets into an MPE-FEC frame buffer of a receiver according to locations indicated by an MPE-FEC frame buffer write pointer; and storing reliability information regarding said data separately therefrom, said reliability information including addresses of one or more locations in said MPE-FEC frame buffer to be marked for erasure. One such device is a receiver comprising an MPE-FEC frame buffer and an FEC decoder. The FEC decoder is configured to store data received in TS packets into the MPE-FEC buffer according to locations indicated by an MPE-FEC frame buffer write pointer. The FEC decoder is further configured to store reliability information regarding the data separately therefrom, the reliability information including addresses of one or more locations in the MPE-FEC frame buffer to be marked for erasure. |
| US08335968B1 |
Method and apparatus for determining codeword interleaver parameters
Modem selection of codeword interleaver parameters given standard based, operator based and channel based communication channel performance constraints. A processor implements processes for characterizing the forward error correction codeword and interleaver solution space in terms of expressions from which targeted portions of the solution space may be identified prior to evaluation of the magnitude of the coefficients of the corresponding nodes thereof for compliance with the to communication channel performance constraints. |
| US08335965B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of controlling the same
A decoding section for decoding inputted first data; a first memory for being adapted to store second data obtained by decoding the first data; a second memory for being adapted to store error information on an error in decoding of the first data; and an output section for outputting the second data, wherein when the output section reads and outputs the second data from the first memory, the output section reads and outputs, as data corresponding to an error of the first data, second data stored in the second memory and serving as a decoding result of the other part of the first data based on the error information stored in the second memory. |
| US08335962B2 |
Interleaver apparatus and receiver for a signal generated by the interleaver apparatus
A convolution interleaver for processing a codeword derived from an input block of symbols using a redundancy-adding coding, and having more symbols than the input block, wherein the codeword has a sequence of interleaving units, wherein each interleaving unit has at least two symbols, includes an interleaver. The interleaver changes the sequence of interleaving units to obtain an interleaved codeword having a changed sequence of interleaving units. In particular, the order of the symbols within an interleaving unit is not changed by the interleaver. The order of the interleaving units in the codeword among each other or with respect to a previous or subsequent codeword is changed, however. |
| US08335957B2 |
Apparatus and method for allocating ACK/NACK channel in wireless communication system
An apparatus is capable of allocating an ACK/NACK channel in a wireless communication system. The apparatus performs a method for allocating the ACK/NACK channel at a base station that includes generating ACK/NACK channel allocation information of a packet transmitted to a terminal; inserting the ACK/NACK channel allocation information into the packet using a padding area indicative of a size difference of data carried by the packet and an Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) block; and transmitting the packet comprising the inserted ACK/NACK channel allocation information to a terminal to service. |
| US08335953B2 |
IR gating SC signals during TAP Clock-DR and Pause-DR states
The disclosure describes novel methods and apparatuses for controlling a device's TCA circuit when the device exists in a JTAG daisy-chain arrangement with other devices. The methods and apparatuses allow the TCA test pattern set used during device manufacturing to be reused when the device is placed in a JTAG daisy-chain arrangement with other devices, such as in a customers system using the device. Additional embodiments are also provided and described in the disclosure. |
| US08335952B2 |
Tap and scan test port with IR lock out output
Connection circuitry couples scan test port (STP) circuitry to test access port (TAP) circuitry. The connection circuitry has inputs connected to scan circuitry control output leads from the TAP circuitry, a select input lead, and a clock input lead. The connection circuitry has outputs connected to a scan enable (SE) input lead, a capture select (CS) input lead, and the scan clock (CK) input lead of the STP circuitry. The connection circuitry includes a multiplexer having a control input connected with a clock select lead from the TAP circuitry, an input connected with a functional clock lead, an input connected with the clock input lead, an input connected with a Clock-DR lead from the TAP circuitry, an OFF lead, and an output connected with the scan clock input lead. |
| US08335951B2 |
Methods and system for verifying memory device integrity
A method for verifying memory device integrity includes identifying at least one memory block corresponding to at least one memory location within a memory device. The memory block is associated with a prior checksum. It is determined whether the first memory block is designated read-only. A current checksum is calculated based at least in part on data within the memory block. When the first memory block is designated read-only, and the prior checksum represents expected data within the first memory block, it is determined whether the current checksum is equal to the prior checksum. When the current checksum is not equal to the prior checksum, a verification failure for the first memory block is indicated via a notification interface. A system for verifying memory device integrity is also disclosed. |
| US08335949B2 |
Tunable early-stopping for decoders
A method of decoding channel outputs using an iterative decoder to provide hard decisions on information bits includes activating each SISO decoder of the iterative decoder to provide soft-decisions associated with the information bits. The method also includes computing a fidelity estimate and stopping decoding based on the fidelity estimate. |
| US08335947B2 |
Availability analysis tool
According to one embodiment, an availability analysis tool includes executable code that is operable to calculate an availability value for a system having a number of operational units. The executable code may receive one or more reliability metrics for each operational unit and designate one or more reliability metrics for at least spare unit associated with the operational unit to be similar to the one or more reliability metrics. An availability value for the system may be calculated according to the reliability metrics of the operational unit and its associated at least one hot or cold spare unit. The executable code may then output this calculated availability value to the user interface. |
| US08335946B2 |
Method for centralization of process sequence checking
A method for centralization of process sequence checking includes defining a set of steps in a sequence for a process and defining an order of steps in said set of steps. The method includes determining whether one of said steps started independently of others of said steps and determining whether one of said steps completed independently of others of said steps. The method includes determining whether the sequence started, determining whether the sequence completed, and determining whether a sequence fault occurred. |
| US08335943B2 |
Systems and methods for stateful session failover between multi-core appliances
The present disclosure presents systems and methods for maintaining operation of stateful sessions by a secondary multi-core appliance upon failover of a first multi-core appliance. A stateful session failover module of primary appliance may receive session states from each of the cores of the primary appliance. The stateful session failover module may communicate the session states of the cores of the primary appliance to a stateful session failover module of the secondary appliance. The stateful session failover module of the secondary appliance may update each of the cores of the secondary appliance with the session states. Upon failover, cores of the secondary appliance may maintain operation and features of the sessions handled by the primary appliance prior to failover using the received state sessions for each session maintained. |
| US08335939B2 |
Notebook computer
A notebook computer includes a keyboard, a display, a light source arranged on the keyboard or the display, and a light source control circuit. The light source control circuit includes first to third electronic switches. A control terminal of the first electronic switch is connected to a working voltage terminal. A first terminal of the first electronic switch is connected to a first terminal of the light source and a first terminal of the third electronic switch. A second terminal of the light source is connected to a standby voltage terminal. A control terminal of the second electronic switch is connected to a sleep signal terminal. A first terminal of the second electronic switch is connected to the standby voltage terminal and a control terminal of the third electronic switch. Second terminals of the first to third electronic switches are grounded. |
| US08335936B2 |
Power node with network switch
A power node provides energy management and network expansion features in a networked data communications and control environment that may be utilized in an energy management system implementing a method of managing energy. Network expansion may be provided by integrating a networking bridge from a power line network to one or more wired network ports or a wireless network. The power outlet on the power node providing power to a device may be identified and associated with information about the device. |
| US08335935B2 |
Power management based on automatic workload detection
An electronic device includes a kernel, a power manager to control power to a hardware component, and a neural network to monitor the kernel to recognize performance of a function of the electronic device. The neural network sends a signal to the power manager to reduce or turn off power to the hardware component based on information generated during monitoring of the kernel. The information may provide an indication of hit symbols for hardware components which are to be powered and/or hardware components which do not require power based on one or more operations performed by the kernel. |
| US08335933B2 |
Two-party storage of encrypted sensitive information
A secure storage system secures information of a client by first encrypting the information with a first key to generate first-key encrypted data. The secure storage system then encrypts with a second key the first-key encrypted data and the first key to generate second-key encrypted data. The system provides the client with a first portion of the second-key encrypted data. The system stores a second portion of the second-key encrypted data and the second key. When the confidential information is needed, the client provides the first portion. The system retrieves the second portion. The system then decrypts with the second key the first portion and the second portion to generate the first-key encrypted data and the first key. The system then decrypts with the first key the first-key encrypted data to generate the unsecure confidential information. |
| US08335931B2 |
Interconnectable personal computer architectures that provide secure, portable, and persistent computing environments
Disclosed are interconnectable personal computer architectures comprising secure, portable and persistent computing environments that provide secure computing sessions with persistence. The computing environments are implemented using a secure non-computing client device, such as a USB device, that interfaces with a host computer and, optionally, a trusted server. The secure non-computing client device is used to instantiate a secure BIOS and a secure cold or warm boot of the host computer, from the client device, in a host protected area of the host computer, or from the trusted server. The client device comprises a security device, such a trusted platform module, that encrypts and decrypts data transferred between the client apparatus and the host computer to provide a sealed computing environment on the host computer. The client device may implement keyboard logger attack prevention. The client device may also implement a high assurance guard to protect applications. The client device may also comprise security wrapper software that encapsulates malware processed by the host computer. Computing methods and software are also disclosed. |
| US08335927B2 |
Authentication method and apparatus
An authentication method for use in an apparatus having a function, a function to execute a first program that executes a predetermined process after first user authentication with biometrics authentication is performed and does not have a network connection function, and a function to execute a second program that is invoked after the first program is executed, executed after second user authentication and has a network connection function comprises executing the first program in forgery detection mode regardless of a result of a user determination if biometrics authentication with forgery is detected at the time of the first user authentication, invoking the second program in the forgery detection mode after the first program is executed in the forgery detection mode, and notifying a device connected to an external network of forgery detection information by using the network connection function after the second program is invoked in the forgery detection mode. |
| US08335926B2 |
Computer system and biometric authentication apparatus for use in a computer system
A computer system for identifying an individual using a biometric characteristic of the individual includes a biometric sensor for generating a first code, and a controller including a memory for storing the first code and a dynamic binary code conversion algorithm. When the controller receives a sensor code from the biometric sensor, it compares the sensor code with the first code stored in the memory, and if the identity between the sensor code and the first code is verified, the controller generates a first binary code by means of the dynamic binary code conversion algorithm and outputs the first binary code from which the computer system generates a second binary code by means of the dynamic binary code conversion algorithm. The computer system then verifies the identity of the individual if the second binary code matches the first binary code. |
| US08335923B2 |
Method for compatibility checking of a measuring system comprising a measurement transmitter and a sensor
In a method for compatibility checking of a measuring system including a measurement transmitter and a sensor, a first signature is externally created for an identifying data set and is stored in the measurement transmitter. After transmission of the identifying data set from the measurement transmitter to the sensor, a second signature is calculated for the identifying data set in the sensor. If the signatures match, then the measurement transmitter and the sensor are compatible and the measurement transmitter can access data and/or functions of the sensor. |
| US08335922B2 |
Recording medium, digital information verification apparatus, and digital information verification method
Certification/verification of authenticity and integrity of a digital document can be achieved, using meta information and content information and third-party certification thereof is achieved.A digital information verification program stored in a recording medium according to the present invention allows a computer to determine presence/absence of any change made to the digital information and identify the changed part by the following steps: generating the feature amount information with respect to the digital information to be verified and registering it in association with the digital document; in the case where any operation is made to the digital information, acquiring the feature amount information (meta information related parameters and content information related parameters) of the meta information and content information concerning the operation, the feature amount information including the same items (meta information and content information) as those of the feature amount information related to the digital information before being operated; and comparing the feature amount information before and after the operation. |
| US08335916B2 |
Secure request handling using a kernel level cache
The present invention discloses a system, method, apparatus, and computer usable product code for handling requests. The invention can include a kernel level cache, a request handling service, and a transport layer security service. The kernel level cache can store request handling data. The request handling service can handle secure requests at a transport layer of a kernel when request handling data is present in the kernel level cache. The transport layer security service can handle encryption/decryption operations for the secure requests and request responses at the transport layer. |
| US08335915B2 |
Encryption based security system for network storage
The presently preferred embodiment of the invention provides an encryption based security system for network storage that separates the ability to access storage from the ability to access the stored data. This is achieved by keeping all the data encrypted on the storage devices. Logically, the invention comprises a device that has two network interfaces: one is a clear text network interface that connects to one or more clients, and the other is a secure network interface that is connected to one or more persistent storage servers. Functionally, each network interface supports multiple network nodes. That is, the clear text network interface supports multiple client machines, and the secure network interface supports one or more storage servers. |
| US08335913B2 |
Method and system for restoring system configuration after disorderly shutdown
Disclosed are techniques for recovering system configuration settings, such as remote management, of an information handling system following a disorderly shutdown. A restart controller detects a disorderly shutdown of an information handling system and, in response, sets a disorderly shutdown flag and restarts the information handling system. During the restart, the basic input/output system (BIOS) checks the disorderly shutdown flag as part of its power-on housekeeping. In response to determining the disorderly shutdown flag has been set, the BIOS reconfigures the system configuration settings, such as the power management scheme, of the information handling system so as to enable one or more remote wake mechanisms, such as wake-on-LAN or wake-on-ring. The BIOS then performs an orderly shutdown of the information handling system to place the information handling system in a low-power state, from which the information handling system can be awoken via the remote wake mechanism. |
| US08335912B2 |
Logical map table for detecting dependency conditions between instructions having varying width operand values
Techniques and structures are described which allow the detection of certain dependency conditions, including evil twin conditions, during the execution of computer instructions. Information used to detect dependencies may be stored in a logical map table, which may include a content-addressable memory. The logical map table may maintain a logical register to physical register mapping, including entries dedicated to physical registers available as rename registers. In one embodiment, each entry in the logical map table includes a first value usable to indicate whether only a portion of the physical register is valid and whether the physical register includes the most recent update to the logical register being renamed. Use of this first value may allow precise detection of dependency conditions, including evil twin conditions, upon an instruction reading from at least two portions of a logical register having an entry in the logical map table whose first value is set. |
| US08335911B2 |
Dynamic allocation of resources in a threaded, heterogeneous processor
Systems and methods for efficient dynamic utilization of shared resources in a processor. A processor comprises a front end pipeline, an execution pipeline, and a commit pipeline, wherein each pipeline comprises a shared resource with entries configured to be allocated for use in each clock cycle by each of a plurality of threads supported by the processor. To avoid starvation of any active thread, the processor further comprises circuitry configured to ensure each active thread is able to allocate at least a predetermined quota of entries of each shared resource. Each pipe stage of a total pipeline for the processor may include at least one dynamically allocated shared resource configured not to starve any active thread. Dynamic allocation of shared resources between a plurality of threads may yield higher performance over static allocation. In addition, dynamic allocation may require relatively little overhead for activation/deactivation of threads. |
| US08335908B2 |
Data processing apparatus for storing address translations
Memory address translation buffering circuitry is provided comprising a primary storage bank and a secondary storage bank. Storage bank accessing circuitry is provided to perform a parallel lookup of the primary storage bank and the secondary storage bank for virtual to physical address translation entries. Buffering management circuitry is configured to transfer an address translation entry between the primary storage bank and the secondary storage bank dependent upon an occupancy level of at least one of the primary storage bank and secondary storage bank. |
| US08335907B2 |
Micro-update architecture for address tables
Methods of maintaining an address table for mapping logical addresses to physical addresses include continuously consolidating main address maps and an update address map, and periodically compacting the update address map. Consolidating includes selecting a main address map, reading valid mapping entries from the main and update address maps, constructing a mapping set including the valid mapping entries, and writing the mapping set to a second main address map. The update address map is compacted if a criterion is met, and includes copying the valid mapping entries to an unwritten block or metablock and assigning the unwritten block or metablock as a new update address map. The length of consolidation may depend on the average length of compacted mapping entries following a compaction operation. Increased performance due to lower maintenance overhead may result by using these methods. |
| US08335902B1 |
Systems and methods for performing backup operations of virtual machine files
Backup systems and methods are disclosed for a virtual computing environment. Certain examples include a system having a backup management server that communicates with a host server having at least one virtual machine. The management server coordinates with the host server to perform backup copies of entire virtual machine disks from outside the guest operating system of the virtual machine. In certain examples, such backup systems further utilize a volume shadow copy service executing on the host server to quiesce virtual machine applications to put data in a consistent state to be backed up. The backup system then utilizes hypervisor snapshot capabilities of the host server to record intended changes to the virtual machine disk files while such files are being copied (e.g., backed up) by the host server. Such recorded changes can be later committed to the virtual machine disk files once the backup operation has completed. |
| US08335886B2 |
Wear leveling method for non-volatile memory device having single and multi level memory cell blocks
A method of executing a wear leveling operation within a non-volatile memory including a single-level memory cell block (SLC) and a multi-level memory cell block (MLC) is disclosed. The method includes calculating an average erase point in relation to a number of programming/erase (P/E) operations applied to a logical block address (LBA), a SLC mode usage point in relation to a number of the P/E operations applied to the SLC, a MLC mode usage point in relation to a number of the P/E operations applied to the MLC, and a wear value in relation to the average erase point, the SLC mode usage point, and the MLC mode usage point; and then if the wear value exceeds a defined threshold value, performing the wear leveling operation. |
| US08335880B2 |
System and method for provisioning a remote resource for an electronic device
The disclosure recites a device, system and method for provisioning resources from a server in a network to a mobile electronic device. The method comprises at the mobile electronic device: generating and sending a network registration request to the server to allow the server to determine whether the mobile electronic device is in a device registry linking resources managed by the server; waiting for a data transmission from the server, the data transmission containing text and a link to the resource that can receive the data transmission at the mobile electronic device; incorporating text and a link from the data transmission into a graphical user interface (GUI) generated on a display of the mobile electronic device to provide an interface to activate the link from the mobile electronic device; and generating an indicator on the GUI that the resource is new, if the resource is new to the mobile electronic device. |
| US08335878B2 |
Multiport memory architecture, devices and systems including the same, and methods of using the same
A multiport memory architecture, systems including the same and methods for using the same. The architecture generally includes (a) a memory array; (b) a plurality of ports configured to receive and/or transmit data; and (c) a plurality of port buffers, each of which is configured to transmit the data to and/or receive the data from one or more of the ports, and all of which are configured to (i) transmit the data to the memory array on a first common bus and (ii) receive the data from the memory array on a second common bus. The systems generally include those that embody one or more of the inventive concepts disclosed herein. The methods generally relate to writing blocks of data to, reading blocks of data from, and/or transferring blocks of data across a memory. The present invention advantageously reduces latency in data communications, particularly in network switches, by tightly coupling port buffers to the main memory and advantageously using point-to-point communications over long segments of the memory read and write paths, thereby reducing routing congestion and enabling the elimination of a FIFO. The invention advantageously shrinks chip size and provides increased data transmission rates and throughput, and in preferred embodiments, reduced resistance and/or capacitance in the memory read and write busses. |
| US08335876B2 |
User programmable computer peripheral using a peripheral action language
A peripheral input device for a computer utilizes the USB (or equivalent) connectivity standard to deliver complex inputs to the computer. The input device includes an onboard microcontroller that uses the peripheral action language of the invention to generate the complex inputs in response to simple user inputs. The microcontroller is connected o) to an action table and sequence table and a library of Local Device emulation functions that are accessed in response to any user input (a local event) to determine the programmed action(s) to be generated in response to the event. The invention may be embodied in a mouse, keyboard, or other peripheral device, or in a stand-alone module connected between conventional input devices and a digital machine. |
| US08335872B2 |
Systems and methods for fast seek and scan functions in a digital radio broadcast receiver
Methods and systems for advancing to another service from a plurality of services in a digital radio broadcast receiver are described. The methods and systems include the steps of receiving an instruction to advance to another service from a man-machine interface of the digital radio broadcast receiver, selecting an entry from a set of entries stored in a memory of the digital radio broadcast receiver responsive to the instruction, wherein each entry identifies a service, and wherein at least some of said services correspond to services identified as receivable, tuning to a first service identified by the selected entry, rendering content received on the first service at the digital radio broadcast receiver, and updating the set of entries stored in the memory of the digital radio broadcast receiver based on at least one criteria. |
| US08335866B2 |
Asymmetrical serial communications
In some embodiments a Universal Serial Bus cable includes a first differential pair to transmit bus signals, and a second differential pair to transmit bus signals in a same direction as the bus signals transmitted by the first differential pair. In this manner, a bandwidth of the Universal Serial Bus cable is doubled in that same direction. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08335865B2 |
USB device communication apparatus, systems, and methods
Some embodiments include methods and apparatus to decode a functional request embedded in a portion of a standard device request, and execute the functional request by a universal serial bus (USB) device. The standard device request can include a Get_Descriptor request. Other embodiments are described. |
| US08335864B2 |
TCP/IP stack-based operating system
Systems and corresponding methods include a system having an operating system based wholly around a protocol stack, such as a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) stack. The system may include a central processing unit (CPU) including the operating system embedded therein, and a network interface coupled with a network and the CPU. The network may be the Internet. The operating system is fundamentally a state machine. The kernel of the operating system is fundamentally just a protocol stack for communicating with one or more devices of the network via the network interface. The protocol stack may be a TCP/IP protocol stack, UDP/IP stack or combinations thereof. A chip may be provided that includes the TCP/IP stack state machine-based operating system embedded in a CPU. The resultant chip may be ultra low power, miniscule in size, and IP-centric. |
| US08335861B2 |
Method and system for processing correction field information
A method and system for processing correction field information are provided. The method includes: receiving a packet, and obtaining a first correction value carried by the packet; obtaining first time information and second time information; obtaining a second correction value according to the first correction value and the first time information; setting the second correction value in the packet; setting the second time information in the packet; obtaining third time information and fourth time information; obtaining a third correction value according to the second correction value, the second time information, the third time information, and the fourth time information; and setting the third correction value in the packet. The processing of the time information and the processing of the correction field information are performed with a set of processing mechanism, and the implementation is simpler. |
| US08335845B2 |
Web application management method and web system
Operability of a web application comprising dynamic contents is evaluated continuously with high precision. In a web application execution system 1000, a web server apparatus 121 responsive to a request from a client apparatus 101 and a log server apparatus 141 are connected via a network 161. The log server apparatus 141 stores an operation log obtained when the web application is operated on the web browser in accordance with a manual having a description of an operation method of the web application, as a first operation log, stores another operation log obtained when the web application is operated in the client apparatus 101, as a second operation log, and transmits difference information between the first and second operation logs to the web server apparatus 121, the client apparatus 101 or a different external apparatus 181 to cause the difference information to be at least displayed or recorded. |
| US08335842B2 |
Premises management networking
Some embodiments of a method for premises management networking include monitoring premises management devices connected to a gateway at a premises; controlling premises management devices connected to the gateway at the premises; receiving, at the premises, an uplink-initiation signal associated with a network operations center server; and in response to the uplink-initiation signal, initiating, from the gateway at the premises, communications between the gateway and the network operations center server; and communicating, during the communications between the gateway and the network operations center server, information associated with the premises management devices. |
| US08335839B2 |
Systems and methods for using network architecture planning tools
A method of planning a network architecture includes receiving at a host computer system a request from a user computer to initiate a network architecture planning process, in response to the request, transmitting an electronic file comprising a first display screen to the user computer, wherein the first display screen comprises a question relating to a parameter of the network architecture, receiving at the host computer system a first response to the question, transmitting at least a second electronic file comprising a second display screen to the user computer, wherein the second display screen comprises context-sensitive content based on at least one previous response, receiving at the host computer system at least a second response to the at least a second display screen, determining at least a first action based on the first response and the at least a second response, and transmitting information relating to the at least a first action for display at the user computer. |
| US08335838B2 |
Web page load time prediction and simulation
Web page load time prediction is achieved by simulating and adjusting the load times of web objects in a webpage to determined adjustments that optimize an overall page load time (PLT) of the webpage. The webpage load time prediction includes extracting a parental dependency graph (PDG) for the webpage. The PDG encapsulates one or more dependency relationships for each web object in the webpage. The prediction further includes determining an original PLT and original timing information of a webpage. The prediction also includes simulating a page loading of the webpage based on adjusted timing information of each web object and the PDG to estimate a new PLT of the webpage. The prediction additionally includes comparing the original PLT of the webpage to the new PLT of the webpage to determine whether the adjusted timing information increased or decreased the new PLT of the webpage. |
| US08335834B2 |
Authentication of electronic data
Systems and techniques for transmitting electronic data by receiving, at a communications system host, electronic data transmitted from a sender and addressed to an intended recipient; authenticating the electronic data based on attributes of the electronic data and appending information to the electronic data indicating that the electronic data has been authenticated. |
| US08335833B1 |
Systems and methods for timeshifting messages
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media that may be used to present messages posted on messaging networks to a user in a time-shifted manner are provided. One method includes transmitting a request to a server to provide messages posted by users of one or more messaging services. Each of the messages has a timestamp associated therewith that falls within a time range associated with the request. The method further includes receiving the messages from the server and correlating, for each of the messages, the time at which the message was originally posted with a time in the time range associated with the request. The method further includes transmitting, to one or more display devices, display data representing the messages. Display of each of the messages is shifted based on the correlation such that the messages are displayed in substantially the same manner as if the messages had been viewed live. |
| US08335832B2 |
Method for releasing buffered data of a serving gateway
A method for releasing buffered data of a Serving Gateway is disclosed□ the Serving Gateway (Serving GW) buffers downlink data sent to a user and sends a data notification message to a Mobility Management Entity (MME); after receiving the data notification message, the MME initiates a paging to the user and sets a paging timer, if the paging timer expires and no paging response of the user is received, the MME sends a notification message to the Serving GW to inform the Serving GW that there is no paging response from the user; and after receiving the notification message, the Serving GW releases the buffered downlink data. With this method, the Serving GW can release buffered data in time without causing wrong release of the buffered data, so the system efficiency can be improved. |
| US08335828B2 |
Access by data communication of an E-mail addressed to storage device
The present invention discloses a storage device connected through an internal network with an external network. The storage device includes a storage medium for storing files and an access unit for carrying out data communication of an e-mail with an attached file for accessing the storage medium with a terminal that is coupled with the external network. The access unit accepts access to the storage medium from the terminal by carrying out the data communication of the e-mail. |
| US08335825B2 |
Personal directory services with presence indication
Included are embodiments of a method for communicating data. One embodiment, among others includes receiving a request from a user to contact the at least one data provider associated with at least one listing stored in a user-defined directory and in response to receiving the request, facilitating activation of instant messaging logic, where the instant messaging logic is configured to refrain from displaying presence information associated with the user. |
| US08335823B2 |
System and method for processing encoded messages
Systems and methods for processing encoded messages within a wireless communication system. A server within the wireless communication system provides one or more indications to a mobile device as to certain conditions existing with respect to an encoded message. The mobile device performs a different message processing function based upon whether the indication is provided. The indications may include indicating whether a message exceeds a message size threshold and/or may indicate whether a partial message is being sent. |
| US08335822B2 |
Peer-to-peer trading platform with search caching
A computer-implemented method and system is disclosed in which a network-based interaction environment includes a plurality of peer-to-peer nodes being able to communicate directly with each other using a peer-to-peer protocol and a peer-to-peer client application, the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes including a first peer-to-peer client, a second peer-to-peer client, and a third peer-to-peer client, a first peer-to-peer client application running on the first peer-to-peer client to process persistent item information on the first peer-to-peer client, the persistent item information being related to an item being offered by a first user of the first peer-to-peer client application, a second peer-to-peer client application running on the second peer-to-peer client to cache the persistent item information on the second peer-to-peer client; and a third peer-to-peer client application running on the third peer-to-peer client to search a cache of the second peer-to-peer client for the persistent item information related to the item being offered by the first user. |
| US08335817B1 |
Message passing within a web based application framework
A container application is a native application that allows a web based application to access a computer's resources such as messaging, also known as interprocess communications. If a container application is associated with a window, then the web based application can alter or control many, or all, aspects of the container application's content area and meta user interfaces (UIs). Web based applications are downloaded from application servers and run inside container applications. A web based application can use messaging for drag and drop and other capabilities and thereby more tightly integrate with the user's desktop environment. |
| US08335813B2 |
Systems, methods, and protocols for process migration and group membership management
A system, method, and set of protocols for dynamic group communication are provided for enabling dynamic process migration and dynamic group membership management. A process in a group receives and distributes a migration signal. Group communication continues while the processes in the group asynchronously reach a global superstep and then a synchronization point. The processes then spawn a new process on a new device and update group membership information. The new process operates in continuous execution with the new group. |
| US08335812B2 |
Methods and apparatus for efficient complex long multiplication and covariance matrix implementation
Efficient computation of complex long multiplication results and an efficient calculation of a covariance matrix are described. A parallel array VLIW digital signal processor is employed along with specialized complex long multiplication instructions and communication operations between the processing elements which are overlapped with computation to provide very high performance operation. Successive iterations of a loop of tightly packed VLIWs may be used allowing the complex multiplication pipeline hardware to be efficiently used. |
| US08335808B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing multiple decomposed data for calculating key equation polynomials in decoding error correction code
The invention is a method of calculating a key equation polynomial. The key equation comprises an errata locator polynomial and an errata evaluator polynomial. The errata locator polynomial decomposes to a plurality of coefficients. Some or all of the plurality of coefficients are formed by adding up decomposed data. The method comprises a coefficient calculation procedure for the errata locator polynomial of updating at least two coefficients, or two decomposed data of the coefficient calculation procedure, or a combination of the above in a single clock cycle simultaneously to get the errata locator polynomial. |
| US08335806B2 |
Marking algorithm for garbage collection using a rescan map
A method for garbage collection, involving identifying a first object referenced by a second object, determining whether the address of the first object is lower than a pointer position, in response to determining that the address of the first object is lower than the pointer position, adding an identifier for the first object to a mark stack, determining whether a number of identifiers in the mark stack has reached a flush threshold, in response to determining that the number of identifiers in the mark stack has reached the flush threshold, setting a set of marks included in a mark bitmap to grey, setting a region field of a rescan map to indicate that a region of the mark bitmap includes any of the set of marks, and performing a rescan of the region based on the region field. |
| US08335805B2 |
Universal data management interface
A universal data management interface (UDMI) system includes a processing system generates a visual interface through which a user can access, manage, and manipulate data on plural different types of remote databases. The UDMI connects to multiple standard database management systems and to allow multiple users to access, manage, and manipulate data within each of the multiple standard database management systems. The UDMI also allows multiple virtual databases that reside in a single database to be available as a network service. |
| US08335802B2 |
Distributing repository information
A computer-implemented method of distributing information retrieved from one or more data repositories includes: invoking a producer method to generate a document using data retrieved from one or more data repositories; invoking a converter method to convert the generated document to an output format; and invoking a distributor method to distribute the converted document through a distribution channel. The methods may be implemented in a framework that allows flexible implementation of one or more additional methods. The methods may belong to respective producer, converter and distributor classes. |
| US08335801B2 |
System and method for matching content between sources
In a method and system for matching content between content sources, a first set of metadata describing a first content item is compared to a second set of metadata describing a second content item. Based on the comparing, an accuracy score is generated. The accuracy score indicates an amount of similarity between the first set of metadata and the second set of metadata. The accuracy score is compared to a predetermined accuracy threshold value. Based on the accuracy score being greater than or equal to the predetermined accuracy threshold value, a determination is made that the first content item and the second content item are a match. Based on the accuracy score being less than the predetermined accuracy threshold value, a determination is made that the first content item and the second content item are not a match. |
| US08335800B2 |
Querying markup language data sources using a relational query processor
An XML wrapper queries an XML document in an on-the-fly manner so that only parent nodes in the document that satisfy the query are extracted and then unnested. The parent nodes and associated descendent nodes are located using XPath expressions contained as options in data definition language (DDL) statements. The parent nodes satisfying the query and associated descendent nodes are extracted and stored outside of a database according to a relational schema. The wrapper facilitates applications that use convention SQL queries and views to operate on that information stored according to the relational schema. The wrapper also responds to query optimizer requests for costs associated with queries against external data sources associated with the wrapper. |
| US08335797B2 |
Document management server, document managing method, and program
An access control list, indicating contents of user operatable authorization, is set in an electronic file or folder stored in a document management server. The server receives from MFP a registering electronic file, location information of the electronic file and destination information including a notification destination user to which registration is notified. If no notification destination user is registered in ACL, the server transmits the notification of registration and the electronic file to PC of the notification destination user and receives a notification of electronic file reception from PC. The server sends the user in ACL a notification of notification destination user's reception of electronic file. In the case of multiple received electronic files and destination information, the server creates an acknowledgement mail describing link destination information specifying storage locations of electronic files, and transmits the mail to a transmission destination specified by destination information according to a designation signal. |
| US08335796B2 |
Recipe providing system and method thereof
A recipe providing system and a recipe providing method for presenting a suitable recipe that matches to a user request on specific foodstuff basis and/or specific cooking process basis. A recipe element storing unit stores a recipe element data related to recipes. The recipe elements are hierarchized according to cooking process of one recipe and each of the recipe element has link information to a finished-dish for which the recipe element is used. A recipe generating means retrieves/extracts recipe element data from the recipe element storing unit in accordance with user's recipe request, and generates a recipe. A recipe sending means sends the recipe generated by the recipe generating means to users. |
| US08335786B2 |
Multi-media content identification using multi-level content signature correlation and fast similarity search
A method is presented for large media data base query and media entry identification based on multi-level similarity search and reference-query entry correlation. Media content fingerprinting detects unique features and generates discriminative descriptors and signatures used to form preliminary reference data base. The preliminary reference data base is processed and a subset-set of it is selected to form a final reference data base. To identify a media query a fast similarity search is performed first on the reference database resulting in a preliminary set of likely matching videos. For each preliminary likely matching video a further multi-level correlation is performed which includes iterative refinement, sub-sequence merging, and final result classification. |
| US08335784B2 |
Visual search and three-dimensional results
Methods, systems, graphical user interfaces, and computer-readable media for visually searching and exploring a set of objects are provided. A computer system executes a method that generates three-dimensional representations or two-dimensional representations for a set of objects in response to a user interaction with an interface that displays the three-dimensional representations or the two-dimensional representations. The interface includes filter controls, sorting controls, and classification controls, which are dynamically altered based on the content of a user query or the attributes of the objects in the three-dimensional representations or two-dimensional representations. |
| US08335781B2 |
Optimization engine in a multi-tenant database system
More efficient querying of a multi-tenant database using dynamic tuning of database indices. A layer of meta-data associates data items with tenants, e.g., via tags, and the meta-data is used to optimize searches by channeling processing resources during a query to only those pieces of data bearing the relevant tenant's unique tag. |
| US08335779B2 |
Method and apparatus for gathering, categorizing and parameterizing data
An apparatus for and a method of gathering new data form a specific data source, categorizing this data into a hierarchical directory structure, and building parameters to further describe this data. A harvesting system is an application that can organize and locate external data; the harvesting system can be used to navigate, organize and locate this data. The harvesting system utilizes a defined data model, referred to as a core data structure, that describes the logical structure of the data. Within the core data structure are pointers, which refer back to the source data. The loading process can be manually done, or can be automatically accomplished using this harvesting process. |
| US08335777B2 |
Advanced directory services
Included are embodiments for providing advanced directory services. One embodiment of a method includes receiving categorical data related to a desired listing, wherein the categorical data is configured to describe at least one category associated with the listing, wherein the at least one listing includes at least one communications address. Other embodiments include receiving sub-categorical data related to the desired listing, wherein the sub-categorical data is configured to describe at least one sub-category associated with the at least one category. Still other embodiments include sending a search request for at least one listing, wherein the at least one listing is associated with the received categorical data and wherein the at least one listing is associated with the received sub-categorical data. |
| US08335774B2 |
Replacing a master media file
Methods, systems and program products for replacing a master media file. Data indicates characteristics of a first user's multiple media files. At least one of the multiple media files matches content in a master media file. The content in the matching media file is of a second quality that is higher than the first quality of the master media file. A server system stores the matching media file in place of the master media file. The server system receives a request from a second user for content matching the master media file, and accesses quality parameters that indicate the second user can access a version of the content at a third quality that is less than the second quality. A media file that contains the requested content at the third quality is generated and sent to the second user. |
| US08335768B1 |
Selecting data in backup data sets for grooming and transferring
A method for grooming a backup data set is disclosed. The method comprises receiving data associated with one or more restore points associated with the backup data set. The method further comprises automatically selecting one or more of said one or more restore points for retention, removal, or transfer. |
| US08335764B2 |
Multicast address search including multiple search modes
An information handling system (IHS) includes a network adapter having a hardware address store that stores multicast addresses and a device driver that stores multicast addresses in a software address store. When there is no more storage space available in the hardware address store for multicast addresses, the device driver stores multicast addresses in the software address store. When the IHS receives a multicast information packet, the network adapter searches the hardware address store for a multicast address corresponding to that multicast information packet. If the search of the hardware address store does not find that multicast address, then the device driver searches the software address store for that multicast address. The IHS may prioritize the multicast addresses in the hardware address store and the software address store on a most frequently used basis, a most recently used basis or a most popular basis. For example, the hardware address store may store addresses that are more frequently used than those in the software address store. |
| US08335760B1 |
Grid computing system to manage utility service content
A grid computing system for managing utility service content. A grid computing system comprises at least one node for storing utility service content and a repository for storing user profiles that define respective portions of the utility service content. The grid computing system further comprises a grid distributed resource manager coupled to the node storing the utility service content and the repository storing user profiles. The grid distributed resource manager is operable to access a requested portion of the utility service content from the node based on a received user profile. |
| US08335754B2 |
Representing a document using a semantic structure
A method, system and computer program product for generating a document representation are disclosed. The system includes a server and a client computer, and the method involves: receiving into memory a resource containing at least one sentence of text; producing a tree comprising tree elements indicating parts-of-speech and grammatical relations between the tree elements; producing semantic structures each having three tree elements to represent a simple clause (subject-predicate-object); and storing a semantic network of semantic structures and connections therebetween. The semantic network may be created from a user provided root concept. Output representations include concept maps, facts listings, text summaries, tag clouds, indices; and an annotated text. The system interactively modifies semantic networks in response to user feedback, and produces personal semantic networks and document use histories. |
| US08335750B1 |
Associative pattern memory with vertical sensors, amplitude sampling, adjacent hashes and fuzzy hashes
Pattern recognition based on associative pattern memory (APM) and properties of cycles generated by finite cellular automata. APM addresses (e.g., positions in a two dimensional array) represent states. Cycles are repeating sequences of addresses. Each state is mapped to a “randomly” selected region within the input pattern. Each feature extracted from this region determines one of many next states. All next states (one for each feature type) and all sampled regions are assigned to each state randomly upon APM initialization. The process progresses from state to state, sampling regions of the pattern until the state-transition sequence repeats (generates a cycle). Each feature pattern is represented by one cycle, however different cycles can be derived from one pattern depending on the initial state. Some embodiments use a refractory period assuring a minimum cycle length, making it likely that any given pattern yields only one cycle independent of the initial state. |
| US08335748B2 |
System and method for dimensional rating of a mailpiece
A mailing machine for the creation of mailpieces includes a print station and a transport system for passing a length of the label material through the print station to receive information on a face surface of the label material. A processor is adapted to store rating information based upon the weight and dimensions of the mailpiece and is operatively coupled to, and controls, the print station and transport system. In a first operating mode, the processor prints rating information on a length of label material, and in a second operating mode, the processor prints postage indicia on the face surface of the label material based upon the rating information for subsequent application to a mailpiece. In the second operating mode, the postage indicia may optionally be printed on the label material or directly on the face surface of the mailpiece envelope. |
| US08335741B2 |
System and method for interactively simulating a credit-worthiness score
A system and method is provided to allow a consumer to interactively explore his credit score by submitting hypothetical values based on his actual credit data. The system uses the consumer's real credit data and the submitted hypothetical values to calculate a simulated credit score based on a simulator scorecard. The consumer may then observe the changes in the resultant scores. The system and the scorecard may utilize fewer data elements than a complete credit-worthiness scorecard and may instead focus on the key elements affecting a consumer's credit score. The system may be implemented in part on a web server or as a stand-alone application. The system may also update the score dynamically as the consumer adjusts the hypothetical values or may require the consumer to affirmatively submit the new hypothetical data. |
| US08335736B2 |
Computer system and method for determining optimal asset allocation
A computer system is provided for selecting an asset allocation for an investment portfolio intended to produce a target payout starting at a target date. The computer system is programmed to receive inputs that may relate to the target payout, the target date and a nominal rate of contributions to the investment portfolio. The computer system calculates a plurality of simulated investment outcomes based on assumed investment return rates and assumed inflation rates. The assumed investment return rates and assumed inflation rates are randomly selected in multi-year clusters from historical data. The computer system selects the asset allocation based on relative performance of the assumed asset allocations in the simulated investment outcomes. |
| US08335729B2 |
Delivery and pricing information in exposure management
An exposure management system may include customizable pricing and delivery components interfacing with existing organizational systems and third party systems. The pricing component may enable an organization to enter variable pricing terms, such as customizable pricing formulas that depend on a published price averaged over time. Data used in the pricing formulas and terms may be obtained electronically from various sources. The delivery component may enable the exposure management system to measure risks associated with split or periodic deliveries. The delivery component may also interface with existing systems, such as ERP, CRM, and inventory management systems, to verify that deliveries actually occurred. Methods and devices are provided. |
| US08335727B2 |
Group content on demand access control
Digital content on demand (CoD) is provided under a group purchase option that permits separately located users to receive access on demand to a desired content with group-related benefits including discounted price discount or synchronized viewing. |
| US08335725B2 |
Methods for determining customer motivations in purchasing decisions
Systems, methods, and apparatus for determining motivator counts associated with purchase selections are presented herein. A data store can be configured to store purchase selections of respective products. A server can be configured to determine an incremental purchase time between a first purchase selection of the purchase selections and a second purchase selection of the purchase selections. Further, the server can be configured to determine a standard deviation of incremental purchase times between respective purchase selections of the purchase selections. Furthermore, the server can be configured to increment a prime motivator count associated with the second purchase selection based on the incremental purchase time and the standard deviation. |
| US08335722B2 |
Local shopping and inventory
Estimating product inventory comprises determining a rate of sales events for a product and an amount of time that has elapsed since a previous product availability estimate fro the product. Then, a new product availability estimate for the product is determined based on the rate sales events for the product. The rate of sales events for the product can be determined based on product data feeds from the merchant or other sales data. |
| US08335718B2 |
Content item slot scheduling
Content item presentation slots (e.g., advertisement slots) can be grouped into a slot group so that more than one presenter (e.g., advertiser) can share a corresponding number of slots on the publisher's property over a defined time period. The presenters can be scheduled to the slots within the slot group to maximize a performance measurement (e.g., number of clicks) that each presenter realizes according to budget constraints that are defined by the presenters. |
| US08335716B2 |
Multimedia advertisement exchange
An advertisement exchange obtains characteristics associated with multimedia advertisements such as commercial slots in a commercial pod, banners in a video, announcements in an audio program, etc. Characteristics may include demographic information, advertisement type, survey information, etc. Advertisement slots are offered with information on advertisement slot characteristics and may be selected, purchased, exchanged, and analyzed by advertisers, individuals, corporations, and firms. Advertisement slot characteristics may be changed in real-time as placement of advertisements in surrounding slots changes the characteristics of a particular slot. Advertisements may be automatically matched with advertisement slots based on advertisement slot characteristics and advertisement characteristics. |
| US08335714B2 |
Identification of users for advertising using data with missing values
A method and system for identifying users for advertising. Users, attributes, and first web sites provided by ISPs accessed by the users are identified. First data including content of the first web sites and user time spent thereon are received from ISPs and analyzed to determine first attribute values indicative of user interest. Second data received from ISPs include content of second web sites and user time spent thereon. Second attribute values, derived from questionnaires completed by the users, indicate interest in each attribute by each user. Third attribute values are determined by combining the first and second attribute values. The third attribute values are processed to identify users to which a product or service may be advertised. The identified users are communicated to a service provider or product provider. The first, second, or third attribute values may have missing values, which are determined by correlation and linear regression. |
| US08335713B2 |
Providing reciprocal links in webpage development system
A method of assisting a website designer in establishing an arrangement between a first website being designed by the website designer and a second website in order to market the first website at the second website upon the activation of the first website on the internet is provided. The method includes, during design of the first website, receiving information at a user interface indicating a type of an element for marketing that is to be displayed at the second website, and information specifying the second website at which the element is to be displayed; saving the information at a first database that is coupled to the user interface; obtaining the element for marketing of the type indicated; and causing the display of the element for marketing at the second website when the first website is activated with respect to the internet. The element for marketing includes at least one of a banner ad concerning the first website and a link to the first website. Further provided is a method of assisting a website designer in establishing an e-commerce feature on a first website being designed by the website designer for access by third parties upon the activation of the first website on the internet, wherein the e-commerce feature is at least one of a shopping cart and an auction. |
| US08335711B2 |
Method of assessing a parking fee based upon vehicle make and model
A method for assessing fees for parking is disclosed. The method includes providing a vehicle registration card containing a vehicle make and model and a parking fee collection device. The parking fee collection device has an associated database containing a parking fee charged for each vehicle make and model. The vehicle make and model is entered into the parking fee collection device for a selected vehicle and a parking fee is assessed based upon the vehicle make and model. |
| US08335710B2 |
Unidirectionally protected, fully automated asset allocation and asset monitoring apparatuses, and a corresponding method
A computer-aided asset allocation and asset monitoring apparatus comprising a unidirectional, data-protected control signal apparatus, in which data from locally arranged, protected databases can be transferred via a network to the asset allocation and asset monitoring apparatus and can be evaluated and in which electronic control signals and/or control data can be transmitted to at least one authorized receiver station. |
| US08335704B2 |
Methods and apparatus for work management and routing
Methods and apparatus for service-level based and/or skills-based assignment of a work item to one (or more) of a plurality of resources based on fitness, for example, of skills required by the former to those provided by the latter. Assignment takes into account the level of stress on the work item and/or resources, such that the number of resources fit for assignment varies as the level of stress varies. Systems according to the invention can be used, by way of example, to route a call or other request made by a customer to a service center. The requirements for processing the call (determined, for example, by an incoming call operator) are matched against the skill sets of available customer service agents, taking call and/or resource stress levels into account. For example, some implementations may match an incoming call having a low stress factor (e.g., a newly received call from a standard customer) to a smaller pool of agents with both required and desired skills, while assigning a call with a higher stress factor to a larger pool of agents with at least required skills. Other embodiments may match an incoming call having a low stress factor to the larger pool of agents having at least the required skills, while assigning a call with a higher stress factor (e.g., a call from a priority customer) to an agent from the smaller pool of agents who have both required and desired skills. |
| US08335701B1 |
System and method for determining opportunities and peer information for insurance policies
Systems and methods for providing insurance companies with historical data indicating their placement results versus peer insurance companies with a broker and proactively identify upcoming policy opportunities from a broker. The systems and methods configured to store placement information for insurance policies, receive policy criteria selection information from a user, wherein at least a portion of the policy criteria selection information is unique to an insurance company associated with the user, determine opportunity information based on the policy criteria selection information, the opportunity information including data for insurance policies that are one of scheduled to expire and scheduled for submission to insurance companies within a predetermined time frame, determine historical information based on the policy criteria selection information, the historical information including performance metrics for the insurance company and average performance metrics for peer insurance companies and provide the opportunity information and historical information to the user. |
| US08335696B2 |
Indexed competition health care network method
There is provided a method for producing a price competitive health care system. A website, which is hosted on a computer server, is created for establishing a health care network. Providers are solicited to join the health care network and a plurality of providers apply by sending applications, including credentials, to the website from the providers' computers via the internet. The credentials of the providers are examined. Those with appropriate credentials are approved. The approved providers send to the website a number equal to the percentage of a known index which the approved providers are willing to charge for their goods and/or services. The website is accessed by patients who may be interested in purchasing the services or the goods of one or more of the approved providers, which access is accomplished from the patients' computers via the internet. |
| US08335691B2 |
Attaching audio generated scripts to graphical representations of applications
A computer implemented method, a computer program product, and a data processing system attach audio generated scripts to graphical representations of applications. A mobile device records an audio instruction. The mobile device then converts the audio instruction into a command script and associates the command script with a document identifier. The mobile device then forwards the document identifier and the associated command script to a target location. The command script can then be utilized at the target location to make changes to a document identified by the document identifier. |
| US08335688B2 |
Document transcription system training
A system is provided for training an acoustic model for use in speech recognition. In particular, such a system may be used to perform training based on a spoken audio stream and a non-literal transcript of the spoken audio stream. Such a system may identify text in the non-literal transcript which represents concepts having multiple spoken forms. The system may attempt to identify the actual spoken form in the audio stream which produced the corresponding text in the non-literal transcript, and thereby produce a revised transcript which more accurately represents the spoken audio stream. The revised, and more accurate, transcript may be used to train the acoustic model, thereby producing a better acoustic model than that which would be produced using conventional techniques, which perform training based directly on the original non-literal transcript. |
| US08335684B2 |
Interchangeable noise feedback coding and code excited linear prediction encoders
A system and method for encoding and decoding speech signals that includes a specially-designed Code Excited Linear Prediction (CELP) encoder and a vector quantization (VQ) based Noise Feedback Coding (NFC) decoder or that includes a specially-designed VQ-based NFC encoder and a CELP decoder. The VQ based NFC decoder may be a VQ based two-stage NFC (TSNFC) decoder. The specially-designed VQ-based NFC encoder may be a specially-designed VQ based TSNFC encoder. In each system, the encoder receives an input speech signal and encodes it to generate an encoded bit stream. The decoder receives the encoded bit stream and decodes it to generate an output speech signal. A system and method is also described in which a single decoder receives and decodes both CELP-encoded audio signals as well as VQ-based NFC-encoded audio signals. |
| US08335683B2 |
System for using statistical classifiers for spoken language understanding
The present invention involves using one or more statistical classifiers in order to perform task classification on natural language inputs. In another embodiment, the statistical classifiers can be used in conjunction with a rule-based classifier to perform task classification. |
| US08335676B2 |
Method for calculating force acting on interface between immiscible fluids in fluid simulation
A method for calculating a force acting on an interface between immiscible fluids in an SPH (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics) based fluid simulation includes: calculating a force caused by viscosities of the fluids; calculating a force caused by pressures of the fluids; calculating an external force applied to the fluids from outside; and calculating an interactive force caused by interaction between the fluids. The force acting on the interface between the immiscible fluids are obtained by using sum of the force caused by the viscosities, the force caused by the pressures, the external force and the interactive force. The interactive force is a surface tensional force calculated based on a pressure acting on the interface between the fluids. |
| US08335673B2 |
Modeling complex hiearchical systems across space and time
A system model of a real-world system includes a multi-level hierarchy of Capabilities, where each Capability includes a Verb specifying an action and an Object acted on by the Verb. The system model also contains one or more multi-level Performer hierarchies, where each Performer hierarchy includes a plurality of Performers each having an associated lifecycle and at least one associated Capability provided or required by the Performer. In addition, a multi-level Location hierarchy associates one of a plurality of Locations with each Performer. A plurality of Capability Instances define requirement and provision of Capabilities by Performers in the one or more multi-level Performer hierarchies. In response to a query specifying a Location and a time, a view of the system model for the specified Location and time is output. |
| US08335670B2 |
Probabilistic uncertainty estimator
A system for determining the calibration factor uncertainty of a radiation sensor. A computing device accepts a mathematical model of the sensor, sample, and other items affecting the calibration factor, wherein each known mathematical model parameter is assigned its normal dimensions or values and each not-well-known parameter is assigned a variable with an upper and lower limit, and a shape parameter that describes the parameter may vary within or about the limits. Random values consistent with the upper and lower limits and shape parameters for each of the variable parameters in the model are then selected, to create a mathematical model of one possible variation of source-detector measurement configuration. The selection and calibration factor computation are then repeated a large number of times and statistical parameters describing the calibration factor and uncertainty are then computed. Another embodiment performs the steps at different energies for spectroscopic detectors. |
| US08335666B2 |
Three-dimensional model data generating method, and three dimensional model data generating apparatus
An apparatus 1 for generating three-dimensional model data is provided with: two CCD cameras 13 and 14 for imaging an attached object attached to a machine tool to generate two-dimensional image data; a first model-data storing section 19 for storing model data of the attached object, a second model-data storing section 21 for storing the model data related to at least a part of the machine tool; an edge detecting section 17 for detecting edges; a shape-feature recognizing section 18 for recognizing a shape feature; an object recognizing section 20 for recognizing the model data of the attached object imparted with the recognized shape feature; and a model-data generating section 22 for generating three-dimensional model data including the attached object and a part of the machine tool. |
| US08335664B2 |
Method and system for artifact reduction
A method is presented for obtaining characteristics of a target physical entity by providing an excitation signal to the target physical entity and simultaneously measuring the response of the target physical entity. Analog signal processing is performed on the measured response to eliminate artifacts arising from a signal path outside the target physical entity and determining the characteristics from the signal processed measured response. The excitation signal and the analog signal processing are selected such that after analog signal processing of the measured signal, the analog measured signal contains artifacts which are localized in time. |
| US08335655B2 |
Intelligent saturation control for compound specific optimization of MRM
Mass spectrometer parameters used to tune a mass spectrometer for multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) are determined from a single injection of a sample. Two or more precursor ion scans and a plurality of product ion scans for each precursor ion scan are performed from the injection. Each precursor ion scan is produced with different mass spectrometer parameters that create a different level of ion current. The mass spectra of the precursor ion scans are analyzed to determine if saturation has occurred in any of the precursor ion scans. A precursor ion scan that produces the highest ion current with the least amount of saturation is selected. The mass spectrometer parameters used to tune the mass spectrometer for MRM are determined from (1) the mass spectrometer parameters of the selected precursor ion scan and (2) the mass spectrometer parameters of product ion scans from fragments of the selected precursor ion scan. |
| US08335653B2 |
System and method of evaluating crop management
A method of and system for evaluating performance of a plant population in an area of interest is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving input data from a user, the input data representative of at least one management parameter in the group consisting of: a total plant population in a selected sampling sub-area, a spacing of an individual plant relative to a nearest adjacent plant in the sampling sub-area, and a maturity of the individual plant relative to the nearest adjacent plant in the sampling sub-area. The system analyzes the input data in accordance with a mathematical model having an objective function for predicting a performance of a plant stand represented by a net effective plant population reduced from a benchmark plant population by deduction factors related to at least one of the management parameters. |
| US08335652B2 |
Self-improving identification method
A self-improving identification method classifies specimens based on class identifiers. The system stores specimen profiles in a database that is updated with additional specimen profiles and with follow-up data that corrects classification of specimens that were initially incorrectly classified. Algorithms use the updated database to discover new class identifiers, modify thresholds of known class identifiers, and drop unnecessary class identifiers to improve classification of specimens. |
| US08335651B2 |
Estimation of propagation angles of seismic waves in geology with application to determination of propagation velocity and angle-domain imaging
The invention relates to methods and computer-readable medium to implement computing the propagation velocity of seismic waves in the earth. The invention computes the propagation velocity of seismic waves in the earth, which is a condition of obtaining an accurate image of subsurface geology that can be used to prospect for oil and gas deposits. In an embodiment, the method in a host of determining the propagation angles of reflected seismic waves, including inputting data representing reflected seismic waves, inputting a propagation velocity field, computing propagation direction vectors of a source wave field and a receiver wave field using a downward continuation Fourier domain shot record migration using the data representing the reflected seismic waves and the propagation velocity field, and transforming the propagation direction vectors into propagation angles of reflected seismic waves. |
| US08335647B2 |
Navigation based on popular user-defined paths
A device receives, from one or more user devices, one or more user-defined paths associated with a starting point and a destination point, and receives, from the one or more user devices, information associated with the one or more user-defined paths. The device also aggregates the one or more user-defined paths and the associated information, and determines one or more popular paths based on the aggregation of the one or more user-defined paths and the associated information, where the one or more popular paths are capable of being utilized by the one or more user devices for selection of a path for navigation. |
| US08335643B2 |
Point of interest search, identification, and navigation
A computer-implemented navigation method for identifying one or more points of interest (POI) in a geographic location includes calculating a navigation route and receiving a reference point input. The reference point input may be unrelated to the navigation route and usable for identifying one or more POIs. The method further includes receiving one or more search parameters for searching for one or more POIs with respect to the reference point and identifying the one or more POIs based on the search parameters and reference point. The method also includes presenting the one or more POIs on a vehicle computer display. |
| US08335641B2 |
Route guidance systems, methods, and programs
Systems, methods, and programs search for a route to a destination and set a recommended travel lane, based on the searched for route. The systems, methods, and programs provide lane guidance to lead the vehicle into the recommended lane. The systems, methods, and programs receive a current position of the vehicle and determine a movement direction of the vehicle, based on the received current position and the recommended lane. The systems, methods, and programs determine whether to provide lane guidance based on the movement direction of the vehicle. |
| US08335639B2 |
Method and device for controlling the drive of a motor vehicle
A method and a device for controlling the drive of a motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine (ICE) have a control device to which operating parameters of the drive and parameters influencing the driving operation of the motor vehicle are supplied. On the basis of these parameters the control device enables or terminates the implementation of fuel consumption reduction measures (STST) if specific parameter constellations are present. During the operation of the vehicle the number and/or the duration the possible fuel consumption reduction measures and fuel consumption reduction measures actually carried out are/is determined and the number and/or the duration of the possible fuel consumption reduction measures and the number and/or the duration of the fuel consumption reduction measures actually carried out are/is correlated. From this, a variable (R) is determined which represents a measure for the implementation of the possible fuel consumption reduction measures. |
| US08335638B2 |
Systems and methods for displaying off screen traffic
A system according to aspects of the present invention includes a processor, a user interface (including a display) in communication with the processor, and a memory in communication with the processor. The processor executes instructions stored in the memory to present a first symbol on the display of the user interface that indicates the bearing to an off-scale vehicle, and to present a second symbol on the display that indicates the path of travel of the off-scale vehicle. The present invention provides a more accurate representation of the bearing and track of off-scale traffic compared to conventional traffic display systems. |
| US08335636B2 |
System and method for remotely modifying vehicle operations
A method and control system for controlling an engine in a vehicle includes broadcasting a control signal including instructions for modification of a vehicle parameter to the vehicle during operation of the engine. |
| US08335634B2 |
Transient combustion noise control in a hybrid powertrain including an HCCI engine
A method for controlling a direct injection internal combustion engine and a torque machine configured to transfer torque to a driveline responsive to an operator torque request includes operating the direct injection internal combustion engine to transfer torque to the driveline, monitoring the operator torque request, determining a time constant associated with the operator torque request, detecting a fast transient condition associated with the operator torque request, providing a restricted engine torque command as a function of the operator torque request and the time constant, and during fast transient conditions controlling engine operation to achieve the restricted engine torque command, and operating the torque machine responsive to a motor torque command, the motor torque command corresponding to a difference between the operator torque request and the restricted engine torque command. |
| US08335632B2 |
Engine boost control for multi-fuel engine
A fuel delivery system for an internal combustion engine and a method of operating the fuel delivery system is described. As one example, the method includes delivering a first fuel blend from a first fuel tank to the engine; delivering a second fuel blend from a second fuel tank to the engine, the proportion of said second fuel blend delivered to the engine to said first fuel blend delivered to the engine being related to the desired engine output; transferring said first fuel blend from said first fuel tank to said second fuel tank to prevent an amount of said first fuel blend and said second fuel blend in said second fuel tank from falling below a predetermined level; and boosting air delivered to the engine, the amount of boosting being related to latent heat of vaporization of said second fuel blend delivered to the engine. |
| US08335629B2 |
Method for controlling a fuel valve and/or an air valve for an internal combustion engine
A method for controlling a valve of a crank case scavenged internal combustion engine includes determining a valve control sequence, wherein the valve is controlled in consecutive periods of revolutions each having a period length of at least ten revolutions, and controlling the valve according to the valve control sequence to adjust the ratio of fuel to air in a combustible mixture delivered to an engine combustion chamber. Determining the valve control sequence for each period includes providing a number of valve shut-off positions, wherein the number of valve shut-off positions corresponds to an amount of fuel or air to be supplied to the engine during the corresponding period, and determining which revolutions of the period that the valve is to be closed. |
| US08335623B2 |
Method and apparatus for remediation of and recovery from a clutch slip event in a hybrid powertrain system
A method for operating a powertrain, including an electro-mechanical transmission mechanically-operatively coupled to an internal combustion engine and an electric machine, includes monitoring slip across a selectively applied clutch within the transmission to indicate a clutch slip event, and if the monitoring indicates the clutch slip event decreasing a load across the selectively applied clutch by reducing torque of at least one of the engine and the electric machine, in order to reduce the slip, thereby ending the clutch slip event. |
| US08335617B2 |
Sensor detection controller and occupant detection apparatus having the same
A sensor detection controller is used in combination with a capacitive sensor that is mounted on a seat of a vehicle in such a manner that a capacitance of the capacitive sensor changes according to whether the seat is occupied. The sensor detection controller has a fault detection mode and a normal detection mode. The sensor detection controller includes a signal source for applying an amplitude signal to the capacitive sensor, a switch for switching a signal path, through which the amplitude signal is applied, between the fault detection mode and the normal detection mode, a signal detector for detecting a change in a voltage or a current of the amplitude signal when the amplitude signal is applied, and an impedance member connected to the signal path. |
| US08335616B2 |
Individualizable post-crash assist system
A method for predicting potential injury assessment for at least one occupant of a vehicle involved in a crash event and for broadcasting assessment of the occupant to a medical response unit. An occupant seated in each seat of a vehicle is detected. Occupant data is obtained relating to physical characteristics of each occupant seated in the vehicle. A crash event involving the vehicle is detected. Vehicle dynamic data and safety restraint data during the crash event is recorded. The potential injury assessment of each occupant is predicted by an injury assessment processing module based on the vehicle dynamic data and safety restraint data obtained during the crash event and the occupant data of each occupant in the vehicle. The corresponding injury assessment of each occupant of the vehicle is broadcast to a medical response unit. |
| US08335614B2 |
Method for controlling a belt pretensioner and safety arrangement comprising a belt pretensioner
The present invention relates to a method for controlling a reversible seat belt pretensioner in a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of detecting the speed and the steering angle of the vehicle, calculating an expected turning rate of the vehicle about its vertical axis from the speed and the steering angle and calculating an upper and a lower turning rate limiting value using the expected turning rate, detecting the actual turning rate of the vehicle about its vertical axis and activating the seat belt pretensioner of the vehicle if the actual turning rate of the vehicle is greater than the upper turning rate limiting value or is less than the lower turning rate limiting value. The present invention also relates to a safety arrangement for implementing the method according to the invention. |
| US08335609B2 |
Method and system for exposing and recording embedded avionics data
A method of exposing and recording embedded avionics data using dynamically assigned labels assigns a first plurality of data labels to aircraft controller parameters designated for at least one aircraft sub-controller. A second plurality of data labels are dynamically assigned to desired embedded parameters of an aircraft main controller. At least one data word storing one of the desired embedded parameters is created. The at least one data word has one of the second plurality of data labels. The at least one data word is exposed by transmitting the at least one data word to a selective recording device. The selective recording device records the at least one data word. |
| US08335607B2 |
Method and apparatus for linking electric drive vehicles
In one embodiment a control system for linking a plurality of electrically driven road vehicles together is disclosed, the control system having: a coupling input and a coupling output disposed on each of the plurality of vehicles, each coupling input of each vehicle being configured to releasably engage each coupling output of another vehicle to provide a mechanical and electrical coupling of the plurality of vehicles together; and a control system located on each of the plurality of vehicles, the control system communicating with the coupling input and the coupling output to detect when the coupling input or the coupling output is engaged with another vehicle via a respective coupling input or coupling output, the control system being further configured to operate in a lead vehicle mode or a trailing vehicle mode when the control system detects that the coupling input or the coupling output is engaged with another vehicle, wherein the lead vehicle mode causes the control system of the lead vehicle to control another vehicle coupled to the lead vehicle and the trailing vehicle mode causes the control system to be controlled by the lead vehicle coupled to the vehicle. |
| US08335603B2 |
Vehicle, control method of vehicle, and driving apparatus
Upon the occurrence of the abnormality that the inverter for driving the motor is in the one-phase short circuited state, this inverter is stopped in the three-phase short circuited state and sets the execution torque by subtracting the counter electromotive force application torque that is applied the driveshaft due to the counter electromotive force generated by rotation of the motor and the steering angle application torque corresponding to the steering angle from the torque demand according to the step-on amount of the accelerator pedal. The engine and the inverter for driving the motor is controlled so that the vehicle is driven with the set execution torque. This enables the driving force output to the driveshaft from the engine and the motor to be in accordance with the torque demand. |
| US08335602B2 |
System and method for controlling a hybrid power propulsion unit for a permanent four wheel drive mode operation
A system for controlling a power propulsion unit of a hybrid type for a four-wheel-drive automotive vehicle that includes at least one electric motor part and at least one thermal engine part capable of driving the independent front and rear driving axles of the vehicle. The system includes a mechanism determining total torque set point from a request of the driver, a mechanism distributing the total torque set point, and a system optimizing the duty point, to dynamically determine the torques to be applied to each of the two driving axles and to optimize fuel consumption of the power propulsion group according to the drivability requested by the driver and driving conditions. |
| US08335601B2 |
System and method of automated fault analysis and diagnostic testing of an aircraft
A system for automated fault analysis and execution of post-flight or pre-flight tests for an aircraft is provided. The system includes a maintenance test client system onboard the aircraft, and a ground-based maintenance test server system that is remote from the aircraft. The maintenance test client system is configured to collect fault data for the aircraft, and to wirelessly transmit the fault data to the ground-based maintenance test server system after the aircraft has landed. The ground-based maintenance test server system is configured to receive the fault data, to generate a test checklist that is influenced by the fault data, and to transmit the test checklist to the maintenance test client system. The maintenance test client system wirelessly receives the test checklist, and initiates execution of at least one test specified in the test checklist. |
| US08335598B2 |
System and method for detecting radio frequency signals and controlling vehicle operations in response thereto
A system for determining the location of a portable wireless device with respect to a vehicle is provided. The system comprises a plurality of antennas and a controller. The antennas are positioned about the vehicle for receiving a wireless signal from the portable wireless device. The portable wireless device for being carried by a user and the wireless signal corresponding to at least one of a command and status related to a predetermined vehicle operation. The controller for being operably coupled to each antenna. The controller being configured to generate a location signal indicative of the location of the portable wireless device based on an arrival time of the wireless signal at one or more antennas of the plurality of antennas. The controller being configured to perform the predetermined vehicle operation based on the location signal. |
| US08335597B2 |
Remote-controlled mobile machine using flexible shafts
A remote-controlled mobile machine has a pair of flexible shafts (10) formed by inserting torque transmission driving wires (11) into tubes (12). One ends of the flexible shafts (10) are respectively connected to power sources (2), and the other ends thereof are respectively connected to a pair of left and right crawler mechanisms (102). The crawler mechanisms (102) are driven/controlled by remote control via the flexible shafts (10) to make the mobile machine travel. |
| US08335594B2 |
Wind farm capable of staggered disconnection
The invention relates to a method of operating a wind farm intended for connection to an electric power network, which wind farm includes at least three wind turbine generator systems. At least one actual value for a wind speed or a parameter associated with wind speed is determined for each wind turbine generator system which are divided at least temporarily into predetermined groups. A first disconnect value is assigned to one group of wind turbine generator systems and a second different disconnect value is assigned to a second group of wind turbine generator systems. Actual values are assigned to disconnect values, and compared thereto. When the actual value exceeds the disconnect value the associated group of wind turbine generator systems is automatically disconnected. |
| US08335591B2 |
Robot apparatus and method of controlling the same
A robot apparatus has a multi-link structure including a plurality of links and joints serving as link movable sections, and in which at least some of the links are driven by combination of position control and force control. The apparatus includes: position controller performing position control on the links, which are driven by position control and force control; position controller with force constraint placing the force control before the position control so as not to cause a magnitude of an external force to exceed a set value; force controller performing the force control on the links; and integrated force/position controller controlling driving of the joints by switching the position controller, the position controller with force constraint, and the force controller, and unifying the position control and the force control. |
| US08335590B2 |
System and method for adjusting an image capturing device attribute using an unused degree-of-freedom of a master control device
An image capturing device is robotically positioned and oriented in response to operator manipulation of a master control device. An unused degree-of-freedom of the master control device is used to adjust an attribute such as focusing of the image capturing device relative to a continually updated set-point. A deadband is provided to avoid inadvertent adjusting of the image capturing device attribute and haptic feedback is provided back to the master control device so that the operator is notified when adjusting of the attribute is initiated. |
| US08335588B2 |
Multi-lidded dispensing cartridge system
A cartridge for use in a dispensing system is disclosed. The cartridge includes a body having an exterior and a plurality of bins. A plurality of lids are movably attached to the body and are configured to cover a bin. A release mechanism is movable along an axis. A plurality of latches are movably attached to the body. Each latch is configured to secure the respective lid when in a first position and to release the respective lid when in a second position. The release mechanism will not cause a latch to move to the second position when the release mechanism is moving along the axis in a first direction. The release mechanism will cause a single latch to move to the second position while leaving the remaining latches in the first position when the release mechanism is moving along the axis in a second direction. |
| US08335586B2 |
Automatic vending machine
There is provided an automatic vending machine having a vending machine main unit, a gas supply unit furnished with a discharge mechanism section for discharging a gas, and a control means for controlling operation of the vending machine main unit and gas supply unit. The vending machine main unit and the gas supply unit are interconnected via the control means. The gas supply unit includes a cup-shaped breathing member to discharge gas toward the customer. |
| US08335583B2 |
Embroidery data generating device and computer-readable medium storing embroidery data generating program
An embroidery data generating apparatus that generates embroidery data for an embroidery pattern includes a boundary line acquisition device that acquires boundary line data that is data that specifies a boundary line that surrounds a closed region, a unit area arrangement device that contiguously arranges first unit areas over the entire closed region, each of the first unit areas being a rectangular area that includes a unit line segment, a coverage rate computation device that computes a coverage rate that is a ratio of the closed region in each of the first unit areas, a determination device that determines whether a stitch will be formed on the unit line segment in each of the first unit areas, based on the coverage rate, and an embroidery data generating device that generates the embroidery data for the embroidery pattern that is formed by the cross-stitches. |
| US08335577B2 |
Method of generating advanced audio distribution profile (A2DP) source code and chipset using the same
A chipset for an audio player supporting Bluetooth advanced audio distribution profile (A2DP). The chipset comprises first and second processors. The first processor reads audio source data from a storage device and performs a first part of advanced audio distribution profile (A2DP) source encoding. The second processor is coupled to the first processor and performs a second part of the advanced audio distribution profile (A2DP) source encoding. The first and second processors collectively act as a Bluetooth host. |
| US08335576B1 |
Methods and apparatus for bridging an audio controller
The present invention enables the transparent bridging of an audio controller over a network between a host PC and a remote user interface system by providing a host module that presents the interface of an audio controller to a system bus of a host computer and a remote module that presents an audio link interface to codecs in a remote system. By bridging the controller at these interfaces, the effects of network delays and data loss can be controlled inside the user's human perception limits without introducing signal timing problems at the two specified interfaces. |
| US08335574B2 |
Power controlling device and methods of use
A device for controlling power comprising a power source input, at least one power contact or outlet, a power control relay, a digital signal input port and a digital signal detector. The device controls power from the power source input to the at least one power contact or outlet by operation of the power control relay. The power control relay opens or closes based on the presence of a digital signal or lack thereof. The detection of the presence of the digital signal or the lack thereof is accomplished by the digital signal detector electrically coupled to the digital signal input port. Detection of a digital signal may be accomplished by using one or more Ethernet signal detectors capable of detecting data transmission or the presence of PoE. Additionally, a method is taught to control power to power consuming devices by using the aforementioned device. |
| US08335573B2 |
Safety-oriented control system
For the purpose of controlling safety functions as part of a system controller which is not oriented to safety functions in an automation system, the invention provides safety modules having a sound functionality and provides a safety protocol which transmits data in the form of safety messages, wherein input and output parameters from each safety module are encapsulated by the safety protocol, and the individual safety modules are logically combined with one another in terms of data and flow by means of a data transmission link in line with the system's safety functions which are to be controlled, the data interchange taking place between the safety modules on the basis of the safety protocol. |
| US08335570B2 |
Electrical stimulation leads having RF compatibility and methods of use and manufacture
An implantable lead has an inner core, a plurality of coiled conductor guides, and a plurality of conductors. The inner core defines a plurality of lumens. Each coiled conductor guide defines a plurality of helical lumens. Each coiled conductor guide is disposed in a coiled arrangement over a portion of the inner core. Each of the conductors electrically couples at least one electrode to at least one terminal. At least one of the conductors includes a plurality of units. Each unit includes a first conductor segment extending along the inner core from a beginning point to a first position, a coiled conductor segment disposed at least partially in one of the lumens of the coiled conductor guides and extending from the first position to the second position, and a second conductor segment extending along the inner core from the second position to an endpoint. |
| US08335569B2 |
External device for communicating with an implantable medical device having data telemetry and charging integrated in a single housing
An improved embodiment of an external device for an implantable medical device system is described herein, where the external device has both circuitry for charging the implantable medical device and circuitry for telemetering data to and from the medical implant contained within a single housing. The external device in one embodiment includes orthogonal radiators in which both the radiators are used for data transfer, and in which at least one of the radiators is used for power transfer. Having charging and data telemetry circuitry fully integrated within a single external device conveniences both patient and clinician. |
| US08335568B2 |
Controlling therapy based on sleep quality
A medical device, such as an implantable medical device (IMD), determines values for one or more metrics that indicate the quality of a patient's sleep, and controls delivery of a therapy based on the sleep quality metric values. For example, the medical device may compare a sleep quality metric value with one or more threshold values, and adjust the therapy based on the comparison. In some embodiments, the medical device adjusts the intensity of therapy based on the comparison, e.g., increases the therapy intensity when the comparison indicates that the patient's sleep quality is poor. In some embodiments, the medical device automatically selects one of a plurality of therapy parameter set available for use in delivering therapy based on a comparison sleep quality metric values associated with respective therapy parameter sets within the plurality of available therapy parameter sets. |
| US08335561B1 |
Quantitative method for assessment of excessive daytime sleepiness
The present invention relates to a method of analyzing a subject for excessive daytime sleepiness, and more particularly to a quick (short duration), quantitative method of sleep disorder analysis. The present invention additionally relates to a method that can be used to quantitatively measure the treatment endpoints for the subject, i.e., appropriate levels of stimulants. Additionally, the present invention relates to a device for sleep disorder analysis. |
| US08335555B2 |
Radial reflection diffraction tomography
A wave-based tomographic imaging method and apparatus based upon one or more rotating radially outward oriented transmitting and receiving elements have been developed for non-destructive evaluation. At successive angular locations at a fixed radius, a predetermined transmitting element can launch a primary field and one or more predetermined receiving elements can collect the backscattered field in a “pitch/catch” operation. A Hilbert space inverse wave (HSIW) algorithm can construct images of the received scattered energy waves using operating modes chosen for a particular application. Applications include, improved intravascular imaging, bore hole tomography, and non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of parts having existing access holes. |
| US08335552B2 |
Method and apparatus for instrument placement
When delivering a therapy to a patient, such as a drug to a brain of a patient, an optimized delivery point can be selected. The optimized point can be based on physics, physiology, and pharmacology. The optimized point can be used for planning a surgical navigation procedure. |
| US08335551B2 |
Method and means for connecting a large number of electrodes to a measuring device
A picafina device that is an electrode for measurement of neuron electrical activity where the number of measurement points is very large, and methods of selecting a subset of available measuring electrodes on the surface of the device. The device can keep the selection for a predetermined length of time, or for an indefinite length of time, both under control of the researcher or the neurosurgeon. Selecting a different measuring pad, or a combination of pads, is equivalent to making measurement at a different location or on a nearby neuron. Several parallel measurements can be made, in which case correlations can be made between the firing of different neurons. |
| US08335550B2 |
Optical sensor device and image processing unit for measuring chemical concentrations, chemical saturations and biophysical parameters
Optical sensor devices, image processing devices, methods and computer readable code computer-readable storage media for detecting biophysical parameters, chemical concentrations, chemical saturations, vital signs and physiological information such as a malignant condition are provided. The optical sensor includes an array of photodetectors, where each photodetector is configured to detect a spectrum of light. Exemplary physiological parameters include but are not limited to a pulse rate, a biophysical or physiological property of skin, a cardiovascular property, a property related to an organ such as the liver or the kidneys, and a temperature fluctuation. Alternatively one or more parameters are detected from a food item such as food tissue, a consumable beverage such as an alcoholic beverage, a dairy product, wine, a baked good, a fruit and a vegetable. |
| US08335549B2 |
Method for power management of mobile communication terminal and mobile communication terminal using this method
A power management method of a mobile communication terminal may include sensing a characteristic of a battery coupled to the mobile communication terminal, providing a power-off suspend mode for the mobile communication terminal when the sensed battery characteristic falls below a predetermined value, and further sensing the characteristic of the battery while the mobile communication terminal is in the power-off suspend mode. This may include performing a reset of the mobile communication terminal when the further sensed characteristic rises above the predetermined value while the mobile communication terminal is in the power-off suspend mode, and performing a power-off of the mobile communication terminal when the further sensed characteristic remains below the predetermined value for a prescribed time while the mobile communication terminal is in the power-off suspend mode. |
| US08335547B2 |
System and method for providing discharge authorization to a battery-powered vehicle via a telematics system
The described method and system allows for the utilization of a telematics unit on a telematics-equipped vehicle to prevent the unauthorized discharge of a vehicle battery. A user may communicate an authorization request for allowing discharge of the vehicle battery through a telematics unit or telematics service provider (TSP) call center. If approved by the TSP call enter or telematics unit, an authorization, which may include an authorization code, is communicated to a charge controller which controls the discharge of the vehicle battery. Alternatively, the user may communicate an authorization code directly to the telematics unit which passes it on to the charge controller for approval. |
| US08335543B1 |
Content management in wireless devices with saving of content settings
A method of managing media content such as games, ring tones, screen savers and other media content stored in a wireless device, e.g. cellular phone, is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of storing media content in a memory in the wireless device in a content file, separately storing settings for the media content in the memory in a settings file, and deleting the content file while simultaneously preserving storage of the settings file. The content file may be deleted in response to user action or in response to a timer expiring. If the user attempts to access deleted content, they are prompted to repurchase the content. If the content is repurchased, the saved content settings may be re-applied automatically to the repurchased content. |
| US08335540B2 |
Method and GSM system for realizing flat mobile communication, and enhanced base station
The present invention discloses an enhanced base station, which includes a Um interface functional module (1), a base station functional module (2), a controller functional module (3), and an A interface functional module (4), wherein the Um interface functional module (1), the base station functional module (2) and the A interface functional module (4) carry out the function of a BTS, and the controller functional module (3) and the A interface functional module (4) carry out the function of a BSC. The present invention also provides a method and a GSM system for realizing a flat mobile communication, wherein the enhanced base station carries out the functions of a BTS and a BSC in a conventional GSM system. Application of the present invention can decrease the number of devices for constituting the GSM system and the number of forwarding devices between a calling MS and a called MS, therefore reduce the time for service data transmission and improve the reliability of the transmission. |
| US08335538B1 |
Communication device
The communication device comprising a voice communicating implementer, an auto time adjusting implementer, a camera video displaying implementer, a calculating implementer, an italic formatting implementer, a font formatting implementer, a start up software implementer, a stereo audio data output implementer, a device vibration implementer, a photo quality setting implementer, a multiple language implementer, a caller's information displaying implementer, and an OCR implementer. |
| US08335533B2 |
Trunking and push-to-talk mechanisms for WCDMA wireless communications
Methods and systems for implementing trunking techniques in WCDMA systems for handling group calls and push-to-talk services. |
| US08335532B2 |
Session-triggered pushing of group communication data
Exemplary techniques for sending data packages, such as media objects, during group communication sessions between wireless telecommunication devices, such as push-to-talk communication sessions, are disclosed. In one embodiment, the data packages, such as discrete data packages, are queued at the transmitting wireless communication device and then sent to other group members upon establishment of channels for group communications to the group members. The data packages can also be queued at the group communication server prior to being sent to a target device. |
| US08335527B2 |
Method for providing hypertext links in mobile terminal
There are provided a method for managing and searching information in a mobile terminal and methodology for constructing the method. The method comprises: when a text is provided, preprocessing the provided text; extracting anchor text candidates in the preprocessed text; calculating relatedness between terms; determining ranking based on the relatedness using context information; and constructing a hypertext system for providing hypertext links to the provided text based on the ranking. Accordingly, there is provided a method for providing hypertext links in a mobile terminal, which provides information management and search function using the hypertext links, so that information in the mobile terminal can be constructed by the hypertext links, thereby promoting user's convenience. |
| US08335526B2 |
Location and time specific mobile participation platform
A mobile participation platform enables a wireless network operator or third party to solicit response data related to a specific time and location specific event by signaling multiple mobile device users that meet predefined qualifications. The qualifications include presence at the specific location at the specific time, and may include other characteristics, such as prior consent to receive solicitations, and particular device type or data collection functionality. The platform locates mobile devices that may qualify for participation, and generates and transmits a solicitation. Mobile devices receiving the solicitation may activate a participation client to acknowledge the solicitation and to contribute by submitting the requested response data, which may include photos, text, sensor data, audio, video and the like. The qualifications are verified, the response data is validated, and anonymity and privacy are maintained by associating the mobile device and other pertinent non-identifying information with an encrypted identifier. |
| US08335524B2 |
Method and system for providing location targeted advertisements
A method of providing advertisements to mobile devices located in a geographic region is disclosed. Current weather condition information and data representing an advertisement are obtained. A size of an advertisement area for the advertisement based on the current weather information is determined. The size of the advertisement area is decreased during a poor weather condition. A position of a first mobile device is obtained and if the position of the first mobile device is located in the advertisement area, the advertisement is provided to the first mobile device. |
| US08335523B2 |
Electronic entity and microcircuit card for electronic entity
An electronic entity and a microcircuit card that obtains an orientation of the electronic entity, sends a request containing information on the orientation, receives information relating to a positional entity linked to both a geographical position of the electronic entity and the orientation, and provides a user with information relating to the positional entity. |
| US08335517B2 |
Measurement control method, user equipment and network-side device
A measurement control method, a UE, and a network-side device are provided to solve the problem in the prior art that no measurement control solution can ensure the UE to perform a measurement and obtain a measurement result in time, as well as reduce the impact of the measurement on the performance of the UE. The method includes the following steps. The UE receives measurement indication information provided by the network side; and the UE performs a measurement after determining that the UE needs to perform the measurement according to the measurement indication information, which ensures that the UE may not perform the measurement frequently but pertinently, and reduces the impact of the measurement on the performance of the UE to the utmost extent. |
| US08335515B2 |
Radio network assignment and access system
A communications system includes remote stations coupled to a central station by a network. The system includes the network, the central station establishes a list of information about available network resources and publishes the list for the remote station. The system includes the remote stations, which identify a set of said published resources needed to establish the connection, notify the central station about the identified resources, and seize the set of identified resources to thereby establish the connection. The central station updates the list of available resources to thereby reflect the seizing of the set, and communicates the updated list to the remote stations. |
| US08335509B2 |
Cell re-selection utilizing system information length
A method for performing cell re-selection in a cellular network includes a subscriber terminal measuring received powers of neighbour cells in accordance with system information received from a current cell, selecting one of the neighbour cells as a new cell, the subscriber terminal receiving a part of the system information sent by the new cell, calculating the time used for receiving the system information of the new cell by employing the length information in the system information part sent by the new cell, and deciding whether to continue the re-selection of said new cell on the basis of the calculated time. |
| US08335508B2 |
System and method for monitoring and reporting telematics unit communication network system acquisition and scanning performance
A system and method for monitoring and reporting telematics unit communication network system acquisition and scanning performance is disclosed herein. An example of the method includes monitoring a scan of all cellular networks that are available to a vehicle telematics unit, and during the monitoring, recognizing a predetermined trigger. In response to the predetermined trigger, a memory buffer in the telematics unit stores data associated with at least one of performance or outcome of the scan. At least some of the stored data is transmitted from the telematics unit to a server in selective communication with the telematics unit. |
| US08335505B2 |
Method and apparatus for neighbor discovery in IPv6-based mobile system
A mobile station and method for neighbor discovery are provided. The mobile station comprises a mapping table storing a connection identifier (CID) prefix and a neighbor identifier, a controller generating a CID with respect to a message that will be transmitted by referring to the mapping table, and a message transmitter transmitting, by using the CID, the message to a base station connected to the mobile station. |
| US08335500B2 |
Notification of access control request and explanation indicative of the access control request on a communication device
A communication device includes a display screen upon which information is displayed. A microprocessor configured to execute at least one notification program is provided that displays a notification descriptive of an access control request on the display screen. The at least one notification program is programmed to receive data indicative of an access control request and to receive data descriptive of the access control request. Additionally, the at least one notification program is further programmed to display a notification indicative of the access control request and comprising an explanation of the access control request based on the received descriptive data. |
| US08335498B2 |
Synchronization in unified messaging systems
In one embodiment, a server maintains a plurality of fax messages associated with a user. Each fax message of the plurality of fax messages has a state that indicates at least a status of read or unread for the fax message. A HTTP connection is established between the server and a phone that serves as a client through which the plurality of fax messages are viewable. States of one or more fax messages are identified at the server and at the phone that serves as the client. One or more synchronization actions are performed, using the HTTP connection, to synchronize the one or more fax messages at the server and the one or more corresponding fax messages at the phone that serves as the client. |
| US08335497B2 |
“I am driving/busy” automatic response system for mobile phones
A cell phone which has been modified by the addition of software which responds to the press of one or more Busy keys by automatically sending a pre-typed text message to the sender of the latest text message just received or automatically answering an incoming call immediately upon pressing the Busy key and playing a pre-recorded audio message. The outgoing text or audio message can inform the sender of the incoming text or the caller that the user is driving or otherwise engaged and cannot respond immediately. In some embodiments, one or more Busy keys can be added keys or one or more existing keys on the cell phone or on the keypad of the cell phone or on a touchscreen or a visual depiction of a keypad on a touchscreen of the cell phone. |
| US08335495B1 |
Displaying business directory information on a mobile handset
The graphical display capability and the digital data communication capability of wireless mobile handsets are used to present a customized directory of a called enterprise on the display screen of the mobile handset to allow the caller to identify their desired call destination by name. A directory database stores directory information for each call destination of the enterprise. An incoming call to an enterprise IVR unit causes a directory manager to generate a request for user data which is forwarded to the mobile handset via a gateway. The mobile handset opens a data connection and forwards the user data to the directory manager. The directory manager evaluates at least one access rule in response to the user data to select relevant directory information from the directory database, and the directory manager forwards the relevant directory information to the mobile handset for display. Then the user of the mobile handset selects a call destination based on the displayed directory information. |
| US08335494B2 |
Provisioning of callback reminders on a vehicle-based computing system
One or more embodiments include a computer-implemented method and system for providing reply reminders to a vehicle occupant in a vehicle. Information indicating one or more unanswered communications from a nomadic telephone device may be wirelessly received at a vehicle computer. Time and/or date information for the unanswered communication may also be received. By automatically monitoring a passage of time, a determination may be made if one or more unanswered communications have been answered within a predefined reply period. If the one or more unanswered communications have not been answered within the predefined reply period, a reply reminder may be generated and presented in a vehicle. |
| US08335491B1 |
Mobilux system utilizing camera-equipped cellular telephones for anti-counterfeit authentication
A system for verifying the authenticity of an item. At least one cellular telephone has an image recorder, a receiver and a transmitter. A cellular telephone network receives a recorded image transmitted by the cellular telephone and forwards the recorded image to at least one remote server. An image-recognition device is accessible to the remote server, the image recognition device being configured to decode a latent image embedded within the recorded image and to generate a dataset corresponding to the latent image. A processor accessible to the remote server generates a response corresponding to the dataset and indicating the authenticity status of the item, the response being forwarded from the remote server to the receiver of the cellular telephone by means of the cellular telephone network. |
| US08335488B2 |
Key control with real time communications to remote locations
A key control system includes at least one premise, a lockbox capable of securing a key to the premise and at least one mobile telephone associated with a user and having a stored access device program capable of communicating an access request to the lockbox. The premise is subject to authorized access by others, such as the user, based on preferences of an approval party established with the system. If specified by these preferences, the mobile telephone automatically initiates a communication to a selected destination to request approval of the access request. |
| US08335484B1 |
Systems and methods for dynamically controlling an analog-to-digital converter
Systems and methods for dynamically controlling an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) in order to conserve power are provided. In exemplary embodiments, a receiver device comprises a tuner configured to receive a signal, at least one programmable analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a digital signal processing hardware comprising a control logic. The exemplary control logic is configured to generate a control signal to configure components within the receiver device to conserve power at the ADC. |
| US08335482B2 |
Radio communications method, transmitter, and receiver
A communications system, including a transmitter and a receiver that performs radio communications with the transmitter in a plurality of types of communications services, the transmitter includes, a controller that controls guard intervals at a plurality of codes, which are unique to respective cells and correspond to any one of the plurality of types of communications services, so that lengths of guard intervals of the plurality of codes become same; and a transmitting unit that transmits first codes among the plurality of codes using a first band set in a transmission band, and also transmits second codes among the plurality of codes different from the first codes using a second band set in the transmission band that is different from the first band set, and the receiver includes, a receiving unit that receives the plurality of codes transmitted from the transmitter. |
| US08335480B2 |
Omni-directional and low-correlated pre-coding broadcast beamforming
Techniques are provided herein to compute beamforming weight vectors for pre-coding broadcast signals. First, system parameters for a device configured to wirelessly transmit one or more broadcast signals via a plurality of antennas are determined. Based on the system parameters a plurality of beamforming weight vectors are computed. The beamforming weight vectors are computed such that they have omni-directional like characteristics and such that correlation between beamforming weight vectors is relatively low. The plurality of beamforming weight vectors are applied to each of the one or more broadcast signals for transmission by the device to produce beamformed transmit signals for transmission via the plurality of antennas. |
| US08335478B2 |
Communication device
Provided are a first filter 63a and a second filter 63b each having a pass band in the range of a frequency band that is obtained by, for example, substantially bisecting a frequency band of f1 to f4. In that case, the regions of the first filter 63a and the second filter 63b partially overlap with each other with the center frequency f5 interposed therebetween. In practice, even if the division is not bisection, a configuration is adopted in which a frequency region of the wider band (the first frequency band 61a) closer to a second frequency band 61b side is covered by the second filter 63b. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the influence of load fluctuation in a multiband-compatible radio communication device. |
| US08335474B2 |
Correlation-based detection in a cognitive radio system
A user equipment senses a plurality of wireless signals it receives; estimates cyclic correlation of the received signals using a multi-variate sign function; determines from the estimated cyclic correlation which ones of the signals are detected based on cyclostationarity present at known cyclic frequencies; and a frequency resource is selected for opportunistic communications based on the frequencies over which were received the signals that were determined to be detected. In specific embodiments, the multi-variate sign function is bivariate; the detected signals are primary user signals and the selected frequency resource avoids frequencies on which they were received; and/or the detected signals are secondary user signals and the selected frequency resource can either avoid those frequencies on which they were received or use those frequencies for the UE's own opportunistic communications. |
| US08335471B2 |
Systems and methods for channel pairing a transmitter and a receiver
Systems and methods for channel pairing a transmitter and a receiver are provided. In this regard, a representative method, among others, includes selecting a channel in a radio frequency (RF) band; transmitting a carrier and alert tone on the selected channel in the RF band; responsive to detecting the transmitted carrier and alert tone, demodulating the carrier and alert tone on the selected channel in the RF band and producing the demodulated alert tone; and responsive to detecting the produced alert tone, using the selected channel to establish a wireless link between the transmitter and receiver. |
| US08335467B2 |
Relay method and relay station
A relay station that relays radio signals between a base transceiver station and a mobile station includes a downlink amplifier that amplifies a downlink signal from the base transceiver station to the mobile station, an uplink amplifier that amplifies an uplink signal from the mobile station to the base transceiver station, a paging response signal detection unit that detects a paging response signal with which the mobile station responds to a paging signal for paging the mobile station, and an amplification control unit that starts amplification control with respect to the downlink amplifier and the uplink amplifier when the paging response signal has been detected by the paging response signal detection unit. |
| US08335464B2 |
Cleaning brush for electrostatographic apparatus
A cleaning brush for use in an electrostatographic imaging apparatus, including a plurality of individual electrically conductive fibers secured to a brush core and having fiber tips relatively remote from the brush core, wherein the cleaning brush includes an electrically conductive plane at a surface of the brush core, or between a surface of the brush core and the electrically conductive fibers, effective for inducing an electrical potential to the conductive fibers when an electrical potential is applied to the electrically conductive plane, and at least one of a relatively non-conductive layer electrically insulating the conductive plane from the conductive fibers, or electrically insulating coatings on tips of the electrically conductive fibers remote from the brush core. The insulative, or non-conductive, layer between the fibers and the conductive plane of the brush prevent excessive current draw. |
| US08335462B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus including: an image bearing member configured to bear the toner image; a transfer element configured to transfer the toner image to the sheet; a first application element configured to apply a transfer voltage to the transfer element; a separator configured to separate the sheet from the image bearing member, the separator including a separation electrode configured to discharge an electrical current and the separation electrode including first and second separation electrodes aligned along the transfer element; and a partition configured to project between the transfer element and the separator so as to allow a current to flow from the transfer element to the first separation electrode while the partition suppresses a current flowing from the transfer element to the second separation electrode. |
| US08335456B2 |
Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and process cartridge
The present invention provides an image forming apparatus which is equipped with at least a latent electrostatic image forming unit, a developing unit, a transferring unit, and a fixing unit, wherein the transferring unit is configured to apply a positive electric potential to a visible image formed on the latent electrostatic image bearing member via a recording medium, the latent electrostatic image member has a surface layer which comprises a hardened material hardened by irradiating at least a trifunctional or more radical polymerizable compound having no charge transporting structure, a radical polymerizable compound having a charge transporting structure, and a reactive silicone compound having any one of an acryloyloxy group and a methacryloyloxy group, and the concentration of the reactive silicone compound is varied in between the surface part and the innerlayer part of the surface layer. |
| US08335452B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus having a door on a side surface of a body of the apparatus. Three pivot points for supporting the door to be capable of pivoting horizontally are disposed in the rear side of the apparatus body, in an upper section, in a middle section and in a lower section, respectively. The upper pivot point and the lower pivot point are adjustable with reference to the middle pivot point. |
| US08335450B1 |
Method for externally heating a photoreceptor
A thick film charging device is used to simultaneously heat a photoreceptor as it is being charged in order to mitigate image quality defects associated with the photoreceptor in high humidity conditions. |
| US08335443B2 |
Recording medium imaging device and image forming apparatus
There is provided a recording medium imaging device capable of properly selecting pixels used for determining the kind of the recording medium from the captured surface image to remove pixels from which the surface property of the recording medium cannot be properly determined because the pixels extremely high in light quantity are affected by some sort of dirt or scratches in determining the kind of a recording medium. This allows the determination of kind of the recording medium based on the normally captured surface image to reduce the decrease in accuracy in determining the kind of the recording medium. |
| US08335442B2 |
Hard imaging devices and hard imaging methods
Hard imaging devices and hard imaging methods are described. According to one embodiment, a hard imaging device includes an image engine configured to provide a marking agent upon media to form hard images, and a media sensing system configured to sense the media and to provide at least one signal comprising information indicative of a direction of grain of the media responsive to the sensing of the media, and processing circuitry configured to receive the at least one signal provided by the media sensing system and to control an operation of the hard imaging device using the information indicative of the direction of the grain of the media of the at least one signal. |
| US08335441B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image forming method
This invention is to provide a technique of always obtaining a stable output image in image formation using toner. A supplier (1217) supplies toner in a decided toner supply amount. A developing device (1206) agitates the supplied toner and supplies the agitated toner to an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive drum (1203), thereby developing a toner image on the photosensitive drum (1203). A correction amount calculation unit (1106) estimates the toner charge amount by calculating a function model that approximates the variation characteristic of the toner charge amount using the toner consumption necessary for printing a print target image, the toner supply amount necessary for printing the print target image, and the toner agitation time. At least one of an image processing condition and a process condition is controlled using the estimated toner charge amount. |
| US08335433B2 |
Wavelength division multiplexing serial video signals over optical interfaces using the XFP form factor
Certain pins of an XFP connector are re-purposed to enable the connector to receive, for example, four 11.88 Gb/s serial data streams (for a receiver), or output four 11.88 Gb/s serial data streams (for a transmitter). The four data streams are wavelength division multiplexed inside the XFP module for transmission over a single optical fiber, providing a total interface capacity of 47.52 Gb/s. An XFP receiver module is defined to convert the WDM signal back to four 11.88 Gb/s serial data streams. |
| US08335430B2 |
Optical data transmission apparatus
An optical data transmission apparatus is provided, in which a first communication unit 101 and a second communication unit 102 arranged to freely move relatively to each other each include an optical signal transmission unit having a laser diode 120 for emitting single-mode light, a multi-mode optical fiber 111 for guiding a single-mode optical signal output from the laser diode 120 , converting the single-mode optical signal into a multi-mode optical signal, and outputting the multi-mode optical signal, an optical lens 112 for forming the optical signal output from the multi-mode optical fiber 111 into parallel light, and a first polarization element for passing the optical signal polarized in a predetermined direction out of optical signals output from the optical lens 112. |
| US08335428B2 |
Method and system for protection switching
A method is provided for protection switching in an optical network. The method may include establishing a baseline power level for a channel. The method may further include receiving a signal associated with the channel via each of a first path of the optical network and a second path of the optical network. The method may also include monitoring a power intensity of the signal received via the first path. The method may additionally include protection switching from the signal received via the first path to the signal received via the second path in response to a determination that the baseline power level exceeds the power intensity of the signal received via the first path by a predetermined threshold. |
| US08335427B1 |
Camera viewfinder accessory mount
A camera viewfinder accessory mount in accordance with the invention includes a receiver mountable at least in part around a camera viewfinder frame. Thread units extend from the receiver. The thread units are defined by extensions having outside threads and inside geometric surfaces. A body portion of the accessory mount has a receiver end for matingly fitting the receiver, and a distal accessory end. The body portion further includes an indexing periphery having a peripheral shape for cooperating with the inside geometric surfaces of the thread units. The body portion also includes a stop radially extending from the periphery and spacedly disposed from the receiver end. A tightening wheel of the accessory mount has internal threads cooperable with the outside threads of the thread units to tighten the body portion receiver end to the camera viewfinder frame. |
| US08335425B2 |
Playback apparatus, playback method, and program for performing stereoscopic playback
In performing stereoscopic view, a shift information memory (21) stores, as a number of pixel lengths, an offset indicating how far in a right direction or a left direction to move coordinates of pixels to realize stereoscopic view. When realizing stereoscopic view, a plane shift engine (20) moves the coordinates of image data in a graphics plane in the right direction or the left direction by the number of pixel lengths indicated by the offset. When a scale of video data targeted for stereoscopic view is changed by a basic graphics plane (15), a shift distance of pixel coordinates by the plane shift engine (20) is based on a number of pixel lengths obtained by multiplying the offset by a changed scaling factor in the horizontal direction. |
| US08335420B2 |
Hybrid fiber-rod laser
Single, or near single transverse mode waveguide definition is produced using a single homogeneous medium to transport both the pump excitation light and generated laser light. By properly configuring the pump deposition and resulting thermal power generation in the waveguide device, a thermal focusing power is established that supports perturbation-stable guided wave propagation of an appropriately configured single or near single transverse mode laser beam and/or laser pulse. |
| US08335418B2 |
Cables with bend insensitive optical fibers
A fiber optic cable includes a plurality of optical fibers, strength material surrounding the plurality of optical fibers, and a polymer jacket surrounding the strength material. If present, any lay length of the optical fibers is greater than or equal to about 500 mm. If present, any lay length of the strength material is greater than or equal to about 500 mm. When wrapped one turn around a 10 mm diameter mandrel, each of the optical fibers is configured to exhibit a bend-induced optical attenuation of less than 0.5 dB at an 850 nm wavelength. |
| US08335417B2 |
Crush-resistant fiber optic cables employing bend-resistant multimode fibers
A crush-resistant fiber optic cable is disclosed, wherein the cable includes a plurality of bend-resistant multimode optical fibers. The fibers are generally arranged longitudinally about a central axis, with no strength member arranged along the central axis. A tensile-strength layer surrounds the plurality of bend-resistant optical fibers. A protective cover surrounds the tensile-strength layer and has an outside diameter DO in the range 3 mm≦DO≦5 mm. |
| US08335410B2 |
Opto-electric hybrid module and method of manufacturing the same
An opto-electric hybrid module capable of shortening the distance between a light-emitting section or a light-receiving section of a semiconductor chip and a reflecting surface formed in a core to reduce optical losses between an opto-electric conversion substrate section and an optical waveguide section, and a method of manufacturing the same. A recessed portion (3a) is formed in a surface of an over cladding layer (3) of the optical waveguide section (W1). At least part of the light-emitting section (7a) or the light-receiving section of the semiconductor chip (7) for opto-electric conversion and at least part of a loop portion (8a) of a bonding wire (8) in the opto-electric conversion substrate section (E1) are positioned within the recessed portion (3a). This brings the light-emitting section (7a) or the light-receiving section of the semiconductor chip (7) and the reflecting surface (2a) formed in the core (2) closer to each other. |
| US08335407B2 |
Method for manufacturing optical nonreciprocal element
A novel technique is provided, which can secure sufficient adhesion of an Si layer and a magneto-optical material layer while avoiding occurrence of cracks when fabricating an optical nonreciprocal element by bonding the Si layer on which a rib waveguide is formed, and the magneto-optical material layer. The method includes forming a waveguide on the Si layer of an SOI substrate which is a first substrate, forming a first thin-film buffer layer on the aforesaid waveguide, forming a second thin-film buffer layer on an magneto-optical material layer deposited on a second substrate by using a same material as that of the aforesaid first thin-film buffer layer, and bonding the aforesaid first thin-film buffer layer and the aforesaid second thin-film buffer layer in placement where a light propagating in the aforesaid waveguide can be caused to generate nonreciprocal phase change by the aforesaid magneto-optical material layer. |
| US08335402B1 |
Method and system for detecting and recognizing text in images
Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a method, system and computer program product for detecting and recognizing text in the images captured by cameras and scanners. First, a series of image-processing techniques is applied to detect text regions in the image. Subsequently, the detected text regions pass through different processing stages that reduce blurring and the negative effects of variable lighting. This results in the creation of multiple images that are versions of the same text region. Some of these multiple versions are sent to a character-recognition system. The resulting texts from each of the versions of the image sent to the character-recognition system are then combined to a single result, wherein the single result is detected text. |
| US08335397B2 |
Charged particle beam apparatus
In a method and apparatus for removing artifacts from an image generated a charged partial beam scanning device, a scanning method is determined, and the frequency of an artifact appearing on an image can then be determined, based on scanning method. A step 703, a frequency domain for removing an artifact can be determined from the vertical and horizontal widths determined by experimentation in advance with respect to the frequency position Photography is performed to obtain an image, which is Fourier transformed and the determined frequency domain is replaced, for example, by “0.” The resulting image is subjected to inverse Fourier transformation, and displayed and stored. The flow of such processing enables decreasing an artifact appearing on an image, depending on a scanning method. The frequency domain (vertical and horizontal widths) that is to be eliminated and a method for replacement by “0” are determined in advance, depending on the kind of inspected samples and a method can be selected depending on the kind of samples. |
| US08335395B2 |
Noise reduction apparatus having edge enhancement function and method thereof
Provided are a noise reduction apparatus having an edge enhancement function and a method thereof, in which edges in an input image can be prevented from being blurred when reducing noise in the input image and a clear output image can be obtained by reducing edge discontinuities. The noise reduction apparatus includes a window setting module which sets a portion of an input image as a window, an edge-information detection module which detects edge information regarding the window, an image processing module which performs an image processing operation on the window, and an output-image generation module which generates an output image by reflecting the edge information into one or more windows obtained by the image processing operation. |
| US08335393B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
The invention provides an image processing apparatus which corrects a captured image obtained by capturing an object, the apparatus comprising: an acquiring unit configured to acquire, for each pixel of the captured image, information on an object distance representing a distance to the object; a calculating unit configured to calculate, based on the information on the object distance, a difference in the object distance between a pixel of interest in the captured image and a surrounding pixel of the pixel of interest; a parameter setting unit configured to set a sharpening process parameter for the pixel of interest based on the calculated difference in the object distance; and a sharpening process unit configured to perform a sharpening process for the pixel of interest by using the set parameter. |
| US08335391B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method for target pixel noise reduction
There is provided an image processing apparatus and an image processing method capable of exerting a noise reduction effect corresponding to a pixel value of a target pixel. An image processing apparatus that reduces a noise included in a target pixel while reflecting a surrounding pixel located on a surrounding of the target pixel, comprises a selecting section that selects a pixel width tolerable with reference to a true value of the target pixel as a pixel value of the target pixel and correcting section that extracts either one or both pixel values, namely, a pixel value of the surrounding pixel and the pixel value of the target pixel, as a correction value for correcting the pixel value of the target pixel depending on the pixel width selected by the selecting portion. |
| US08335390B2 |
Blur function modeling for depth of field rendering
A method and apparatus of depth of field rendering which simulates larger apertures for images captured at a smaller aperture. The depth of field rendering provides selective simulation of out-of-focus effects which are attainable with cameras having a larger aperture when capturing images at a smaller aperture. A blur function model is created based on the relationship between the blur change and the aperture change. This model is used to determine the blur difference which would arise between two images taken at two different apertures. Then the out-of-focus effect is generated by blurring the image in a rendering process based on the blur difference. |
| US08335380B1 |
Method for fast, robust, multi-dimensional pattern recognition
Disclosed is a method for determining the absence or presence of one or more instances of a predetermined pattern in an image, and for determining the location of each found instance within a multidimensional space. A model represents the pattern to be found, the model including a plurality of probes. Each probe represents a relative position at which a test is performed in an image at a given pose, each such test contributing evidence that the pattern exists at the pose. The method further includes a comparison of the model with a run-time image at each of a plurality of poses. A match score is computed at each pose to provide a match score surface. Then, the match score is compared with an accept threshold, and used to provide the location any instances of the pattern in the image. |
| US08335379B2 |
System and method for cleanup of MRC images for improved compression and image quality
A method, system, and product for separating an image into a set of layers (background, foreground, and selector) and processing those layers to produce an output image of reduced size with improved compression and greater image quality. Each pixel of image data is processed based on signals produced from the set of layers and their attributes. The method includes determining values for signals being processed based on a look-up table or template, as well as changing values based on each pixel and its neighboring pixels. |
| US08335378B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
A Y histogram creation processing unit detects the signal level (luminance level) of the Y signal component of each pixel of a frame on the basis of YUV signals, and creates a histogram by totaling the number of pixels for each signal level. In this processing, a histogram is created by adding values weighted depending on whether a region in a predetermined range around each pixel includes a monotonous pattern. A histogram shape processing unit shapes the histogram. An input/output correction characteristic creation processing unit performs normalization by cumulative addition. A correction lookup table creation processing unit creates a lookup table on the basis of the input/output correction characteristic obtained by the input/output correction characteristic creation processing unit. A Y correction processing unit corrects a Y signal on the basis of the table. |
| US08335368B2 |
Bi-directional dual-speed document processor
A document processor and method of use are disclosed. In one aspect, a document processor includes a path of travel of a document, a magnetic ink character reader, and an image scanner. The magnetic ink character reader is located along the path of travel and positioned to read magnetic characters printed on a document passing along the path of travel. The image scanner is located along the path of travel and oriented to capture an image of a surface of a document passing along the path of travel. The document processor also includes at least one drive mechanism located along the path of travel and configured to guide a document along the path of travel in a first direction during operation of the magnetic ink character reader, and further configured to guide the document along the path of travel in a second direction opposite the first direction during operation of the image scanner. The drive mechanism is configured to guide the document along the path of travel in the first direction at a first speed, and guide the document along the path of travel in a second direction at a second speed. |
| US08335365B2 |
Diagnosis assisting apparatus, diagnosis assisting method, and storage medium having a diagnosis assisting program recorded therein
A cardiac cavity region is extracted from a three dimensional functional image that represents evaluation index data of cardiac functions, and a cardiac function bulls eye image that represents the functions of the cardiac cavity is generated. Coronary artery image data are extracted from three dimensional anatomical images that represents the structures of the heart and the coronary artery, and coronary article closed surfaces that include the extracted coronary artery image data are calculated. A coronary artery bulls eye image is generated form the extracted coronary artery image data, and distances from the boundary surface of the cardiac cavity region to the coronary artery closed surfaces are calculated. Display output is controlled such that the cardiac function bulls eye image, the coronary artery bulls eye image, and data representing the distances are displayed simultaneously on the screen of a display device. |
| US08335356B2 |
Mechanical resonator optimization using shear wave damping
Provided is a fingerprint sensor including one or more mechanical devices for capturing the fingerprint. The mechanical devices include a matrix of pillars and are configured to be mechanically damped based upon an applied load. A q factor of the pillars is optimized by adjusting a distance between pillars within the matrix in accordance with a quarter shear wavelength at an operating wavelength. |
| US08335349B2 |
Method and apparatus for three-dimensional tracking of infra-red beacons
A method for processing data includes identifying a time signature of an infra-red (IR) beacon. Image data associated with the IR beacon is identified using the time signature. |
| US08335348B2 |
Visual object tracking with scale and orientation adaptation
A method of tracking an object that appears in a plurality of image frames is provided. The method includes (a) dividing an identified object of one of the plurality of image frames into a plurality of object segments and (b) tracking a location of each of the plurality of object segments in the image frame. The method also includes (c) estimating at least one of scale and orientation of the object using the location of each of the plurality of object segments and (d) obtaining position of the object using the estimated scale and orientation. |
| US08335346B2 |
Identifying whether a candidate object is from an object class
In one aspect, a method to identify a candidate object includes receiving an image of the candidate object and projecting the received image onto an image subspace. The image subspace is formed from images of known objects of a class. The method also includes determining whether the candidate object is in the object class based on the received image and the image subspace using a likelihood ratio. The likelihood ratio includes a first probability density indicating a probability an object is in the object class and a second probability density indicating a probability an object is not in the class. The first probability density and the second probability are each a function of a distance of the received image to the image subspace. |
| US08335344B2 |
Method and system for document annotation
A method for producing an electronic annotated document including embedding annotation information into an electronic annotation object having image data including an annotation, and producing the electronic annotated document using pixel information from the electronic document and the electronic annotation object. The annotation embedded information may be used to select corresponding pixel information from one of the electronic annotated object and electronic document to be provided in the electronic annotated document. A system and tangible storage medium having machine-readable instructions for producing an electronic annotated document are also disclosed. |
| US08335341B2 |
Compensated virtual scan lines
Disclosed are embodiments of methods, systems, and apparatus for providing virtual scan lines in an imaging system that compensate for the optical distortion associated with the system. In some embodiments, the virtual scan lines may be curved or angled according to their position in the Field of View (FOV) of the imaging system to compensate for the distortion. Some embodiments may provide for virtual scan lines that are preconfigured to compensate for a typical or pre-selected level and type of optical distortion. Other embodiments may be configured to measure or otherwise ascertain the actual distortion of the optical lens and/or other components of the system and generate a virtual scan line pattern that compensates for the measured distortion. |
| US08335340B2 |
Loudspeaker
A loudspeaker comprising a housing provided with a magnet unit that generates a magnetic field, and a membrane which is mounted in a frame and which is provided with an electrical conductor arranged in a pattern on the membrane, which membrane is positioned in the magnetic field in such a manner that a force is exerted when current is fed through the conductor pattern on the membrane, which force is capable of setting at least part of the membrane in motion so as to produce sound, wherein a part of the conductor pattern extends beyond the plane of the aforesaid movable part of the membrane near at least one end of the membrane. Preferably, the aforesaid part of the conductor pattern makes an angle of about 90 degrees with the aforesaid movable part of the membrane. |
| US08335338B2 |
Speaker and electronic apparatus and device using the same
The present invention relates to a loudspeaker in the acoustic field and the information communication field. The invention provides a loudspeaker that can realize a thinner size. To achieve this, the loudspeaker of the present invention is structured so that a part of a diaphragm is inserted to a dent or an opening formed at the center poles of a lower plate of a magnetic circuit. This structure allows the diaphragm to be stored within the height of the magnetic circuit, thus allowing the loudspeaker to have a thinner size. |
| US08335334B1 |
Headset convertible to monaural, binaural or stereo configuration
A convertible headset includes a headband having first and second ends, a first speaker affixed to the first end of the headband, and a termination member connected to the second end of the headband designed to be removably connectable to the second end of the headband. |
| US08335333B2 |
Speaker system
The speaker system according to the present invention is a speaker system in which a sound is emitted into a closed space from the back surface of a speaker unit, and has characteristic that gas in the closed space is physically adsorbed by a gas adsorber obtained by adding a binder to a porous material including a plurality of grains so as to perform molding. The speaker system according to the present invention is capable of reproducing, even when a small cabinet is used, low frequency sound while suppressing reduction in sound pressure level as compared to a conventional art. |
| US08335331B2 |
Multichannel sound rendering via virtualization in a stereo loudspeaker system
A speaker virtualization system provides virtual surround sound using a pair of physical loudspeakers. A multiple surround audio channels input is processed using a combination of head related transfer functions and shaped reverberation to provide widening and front/back auditory clues without requiring any kind of interaural path cancellation. The system uses a 360 degree power-response head related transfer function to provide perceptual separation of the reverberant and direct paths, along with discrete, different reverberation for left and right rendering channels to provide envelopment. By eliminating interaural path cancellation, the speaker virtualization system also produces a wider virtual surround sound effect, without dependency on head position and facing. |
| US08335330B2 |
Methods and devices for audio upmixing
At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a new spatial audio enhancing system including a novel Adaptive Sound Upmixing System (ASUS). In some specific embodiments the ASUS provided converts a two-channel recording into an audio signal including four channels that can be played over four different loudspeakers. In other specific embodiments the ASUS provided converts a two-channel recording into an audio signal including five channels that can be played over five different loudspeakersn even other specific embodiments the ASUS provided converts a five-channel recording (such as those for DVD's) into an audio signal including eight channels that can be played over eight different loudspeakers. More generally, in view of this disclosure those skilled in the art will be able to adapt the ASUS to process and provide an arbitrary number of audio channels both at the input and the output. |
| US08335328B2 |
Programmable integrated microphone interface circuit
An integrated circuit for providing programmable microphone interface includes an input terminal for receiving an input signal and an output terminal for providing an output audio signal. The integrated circuit includes a bias circuit, an amplifier circuit, and two feedback circuits. The bias circuit provides a microphone bias signal to the microphone and provides a sensed microphone signal. The amplifier circuit includes a first input, a second input, and an output. The first input is configured to receive the sensed microphone signal, a first feedback signal, and a second feedback signal. The second input is configured to receive a first reference signal. The feedback circuits are in communication with the output and the first input of the amplifier circuit. In a specific embodiment, the first feedback circuit includes an RC circuit and the second feedback circuit includes an integrator. |
| US08335326B2 |
Communication method for vacuum tube replacement devices
Methods are provided for solid-state implementation of a vacuum tube replacement device (VTRD) that includes a communication interface. The communication interface enables the VTRD to command or retrieve information regarding VTRD performance, function, and status. A VTRD may communicate with other VTRDs in a target amplifier retrofitted with compatible VTRDs and to an external user interface for programming or query/response. The methods presented for the vacuum tube replacement device system(s) are equally useful for non-vacuum tube systems such as audio amplifier circuits. |
| US08335325B2 |
Audio signal processing apparatus mixing plurality of input audio signals
An audio signal processing apparatus comprises input channels, a mix bus, a volume level controller, a path disconnector that connects or disconnects a path from each input channel to the mix bus, a signal selector that select either one of a post-signal and a pre-signal, a volume adjusting operator that groups at least a part of the plurality of input channels and collectively adjusts volume levels of the grouped input channels, a mute setting device that sets muting of the grouped input channels, a mute target selector that selects either one of a first mode in which only the post-signal is muted and a second mode in which both pre-signal and post-signal are muted, and a mute controller that controls, when the mute setting device has set muting of the grouped input channels, the volume level controller to execute the muting of the grouped input channels on the first mode, and controls the path disconnector to execute the muting of the grouped input channels on the second mode. |
| US08335323B2 |
Method of and a device for processing audio data, a program element and a computer-readable medium
A device (100) for processing audio data (101), wherein the device (100) comprises a mid-frequency filter unit (105) adapted to selectively filter a mid-frequency range component of the audio data (101) in such a manner that amplitudes of different frequency sub components of the mid-frequency range component of the audio data (101) are scaled so that the scaled amplitudes reflect relations between the original amplitudes of the different frequency sub-components. |
| US08335316B2 |
Method and apparatus for data privacy in passive optical networks
One embodiment provides a system for decrypting data frames in an Ethernet passive optical network (EPON). During operation, the system maintains a local cipher counter at a local node, and receives from a remote node a data frame which is encrypted based on a remote input block and a session key. The remote input block is constructed based on the remote cipher counter and a remote block counter. The system updates the local cipher counter based on a received field located in a preamble of the data frame, truncates the local cipher counter by discarding a number of least significant bits, and constructs for the received data frame a local input block based on the truncated local cipher counter, the received field, and a local block counter. The system then decrypts the data frame based on the local input block and the session key. |
| US08335315B2 |
Decryption method and apparatus using external device or service and revocation mechanism, and decryption support method and apparatus
A method of protecting digital contents includes: requesting an external device or service to perform a part of a process of decrypting encrypted contents which correspond to a leaf node among a plurality of leaf nodes in a tree used in a revocation mechanism according to whether the leaf node has been revoked; and decrypting the encrypted contents based on a response to the request. Therefore, even when the data storage capacity of a device is small or the data processing capability thereof is low, the contents encrypted according to a broadcast encryption scheme can be decrypted. |
| US08335309B2 |
Method and communication terminal for detecting the status of a telephone receiver
The invention relates to a method for detecting the status of a telephone receiver (H) for a communication terminal (EG), wherein the telephone receiver (H) is equipped with a microphone (M) and with a loudspeaker (LS). The loudspeaker (LS) of the telephone receiver (H) is used to output a defined tone signal, and this tone signal is simultaneously picked up again by means of the microphone (M) of the telephone receiver (H). The tone signal picked up is analysed, with at least one value for at least one parameter of the tone signal picked up being ascertained, and the at least one value is used to determine the status of the telephone receiver (H). |
| US08335307B2 |
System and method for improved directory assistance including re-dial feature
A directory assistance system includes a request handling module for receiving a plurality of incoming directory assistance requests from requesters and an agent platform for handling the directory assistance requests by providing at least one listing to the requester. A record database stores a record relating to the first request, and includes a first identifier, a time and a listing entry. An incoming request tracking module tracks second incoming directory assistance requests, by reviewing a second identifier associated with the directory assistance request, comparing the second identifier against the first identifiers in the records, and if a record has a matching first identifier to second identifier from request, then, prior to the second request being sent to the agent platform, offering to automatically provide the stored listing entry from the record to the requester. |
| US08335305B2 |
Monitoring and overriding features for telephone service system
A system and method are disclosed for a user to monitor and/or override a forwarded call. Typically, the forwarded call was initially an incoming call from a caller to the user and thereafter forwarded to a remote service system, such as a remote messaging system. The system and method determine a redirecting number from which the incoming call was forwarded. The system and method then initiates a second call to the user and a voice path is established connecting the forwarded call to the second call. Thereafter, the user is notified, for example, with a distinct ring at the user's telephone, of the option that the user may monitor and override the forwarded call. The system and method can also execute procedures to actuate the options elected by the user. |
| US08335302B2 |
System and method for verifying the user's alias
The present invention provides a method and system for verifying a user alias. The method comprises: a calling terminal inserting a set alias and a calling user's own number into calling information when calling a called terminal; after the called terminal receives the calling information, when the calling terminal registers calling number display restriction or when the calling terminal cancels the calling number display restriction and the calling number of the calling is inconsistent with a calling user number stored locally in the called terminal, determining whether the calling user's own number matches successfully with the calling user number stored locally in the called terminal to display in different modes when the matching is successful and unsuccessful, respectively. |
| US08335296B2 |
Multi-leaf collimators and operating method
Multi-leaf collimators have a guide frame (1) with a plurality of metal plates (3) arranged in a displaceable fashion, by which each individual metal plate can be displaced by an electric motor (M), with the electric motor (M) being a rotary electromechanical motor (M), which operates according to the form-fit principle, with electromechanical actuators. |
| US08335294B2 |
Medical imaging system with anti-diffusion grid
The invention relates to a process for acquisition of one or more radiological image(s) of an object of a region of interest on a patient, obtained by means of a radiological imaging system, in which the system includes: a radiation source, a detector arranged opposite the source and at least one anti-diffusion grid, which process includes steps consisting of: determining characteristics of the object to be imaged; controlling, according to the characteristics determined, a movement of the anti-diffusion grid in order to position it in or remove it from an operational position between the object and the detector, in which the operational position corresponds to a position of the grid centered on the source-detector axis and parallel to the plane including the detector; and acquiring images of the structure exposed to the radiation emitted by the source. |
| US08335290B2 |
Data receiving circuit determining logic of input signal based on digital value
A receiving circuit includes a clock generation circuit that generates a clock signal, an integration filter that stores a signal potential of an input signal and generates a first storage potential in a period in which the clock signal indicates one logic, a first analog-to-digital circuit that converts the first storage potential into a first digital value, and a data determination circuit that determines a logic of the input signal on a basis of the first digital value. |
| US08335286B2 |
Methods for determining decoding order in a MIMO system with successive interference cancellation
Certain aspects provide a method for determining decoding order and reconstruction weights for decoded streams to be cancelled in a MIMO system with successive interference cancellation, based on estimates of the channel characteristics, the received composite signal and parameters of the system. |
| US08335285B2 |
Communication apparatus
A communication apparatus includes a radio-frequency transmission-reception processing unit configured to perform radio-frequency processing to a transmitted signal and a received signal; a baseband processing unit configured to perform baseband processing; a signal detecting unit configured to detect a signal from which a signal transmitted from another communication system is detected; and an interference-to-another-communication-system avoiding unit configured to suppress an interfering signal to the other communication system in radio-frequency transmission processing by the radio-frequency transmission-reception processing unit if the signal detecting unit detects a signal. |
| US08335283B1 |
Weak signal detection in wireless communication systems
A mechanism for weak signal packet detection in a wireless receiver. Cross-correlation and self-correlation operations are performed on a plurality of short training field symbols associated with a plurality of RF signals received at a plurality of receiver chains of the wireless receiver. A plurality of self-correlation outputs generated in the plurality of receiver chains are summed and the sum of the self-correlation outputs is accumulated over a predetermined number of STF symbol periods. A moving sum operation is performed on the accumulation output when the accumulation output is greater than a first predetermined threshold. A signal indicating a data packet has been detected is generated when the moving sum output is greater than a second predetermined threshold. |
| US08335278B2 |
Method for transmitting common feedback channel and transceiver therefor
Disclosed is a method for generating feedback signal patterns of common feedback channels using cyclic shift in a multiple access system, and a transceiver therefore. A method for generating feedback signal patterns includes generating first transmission symbols by adding a cyclic prefix to transmission symbols of feedback signals, and generating second and subsequent transmission symbols by cyclically shifting the first transmission symbols and then adding the cyclic prefix. |
| US08335277B2 |
Method and apparatus for checking asynchronous transmission of control signals
In a method for asynchronously transmitting control signals from a transmitter end to at least one receiver via a plurality of control lines, control signals received via the individual control lines are logically combined with one another at the receiver end and the result of the logic combination is transmitted to the transmitter end. |
| US08335276B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving uplink channel sounding reference signals in a wireless communication system
Provided is a method for transmitting an uplink Channel Sounding (CS) Reference Signal (RS) channel in a wireless communication system. The method includes transmitting symbols of the CS RS channel through an entire system band in a previously selected at least one of Long Blocks (LBs) constituting one time slot of a subframe; and transmitting symbols of control channels through a predetermined band in LBs remaining after symbols of the CS RS channel are applied in the time slot, by applying an orthogonal sequence determined according to the number of LBs to which symbols of the CS RS channel are applied. |
| US08335275B2 |
Method, device and system for managing lines
A method, a device, and a system for managing lines are provided. The method includes: collecting showtime parameters of user lines (11); calculating crosstalk information of the user lines according to the collected showtime parameters (12); and grouping the user lines according to the calculated crosstalk information of the user lines (13). Thus, the dynamic spectrum management (DSM) algorithm is made to be more simple and faster, and the user lines are grouped more directly and exactly. |
| US08335274B2 |
Precoder for spatial multiplexing, multiple antenna transmitter
A transmitter (100) selects a transmission rank and chooses a predetermined precoder sequence for the selected transmission rank comprising one or more precoding filters derived from a single generator matrix. During transmission, a precoder (124) spatially codes data for transmission to a remote device using different ones of the precoding filters during different precoding intervals in a precoding period according to the selected precoder sequence. |
| US08335271B2 |
Systems and methods for implementing receiver transparent Q-mode
In a receiver transparent Q-mode, i.e., a Q-mode that is only implemented by a transmitter, the receiver is unaware of the Q-mode state of the transmitter. In this type of Q-mode configuration, the transmitter could enter and exit Q-mode as desired while the receiver, could, for example, continue to function as if operating normally, such as in “showtime.” Through this approach, it is not necessary for the receiver to detect the transmitter's entry and exit of Q-mode. |
| US08335267B2 |
Mobile station and a base station
A mobile station includes a control unit configured to change at least one parameter for a retransmission packet from that of a transmission packet, where the at least one parameter is selected from a data modulation scheme; a channel coding rate; a puncturing pattern; a spreading factor; a frequency bandwidth; a frequency allocation position; and transmission power. A base station includes a retransmission format determining unit configured to determine a pattern used for changing at least one parameter for a retransmission packet from that of a transmission packet to determine a format for the retransmission packet, where the at least one parameter is selected from a data modulation scheme; a channel coding rate; a puncturing pattern; a spreading factor; a frequency bandwidth; a frequency allocation position; and transmission power; and a control signal generating unit configured to generate a control signal based on the format for the retransmission packet determined by the retransmission format determining unit. |
| US08335261B2 |
Variable length coding techniques for coded block patterns
Variable length coding (VLC) techniques are described for coded block patterns (CBPs) used in block-based video coding. In VLC of CBPs, patterns of transform coefficients that are more likely to occur are coded with shorter codes, while patterns of coefficients that are less likely to occur are coded with longer codes. According to the techniques of this disclosure, several different VLC tables are stored in the coding devices. During the encoding and decoding processes, one of the VLC tables is selected and used to perform the coding of CBPs for a given video block. The table may be selected based on a number of neighboring video blocks to the current video block that include non-zero transform coefficients. The techniques may be particularly useful in the coding of video blocks of enhancement layers in scalable video coding (SVC). |
| US08335260B2 |
Method and device for vector quantization
A method for quantizing vector. The method includes: performing a quantization process on a vector to be quantized by use of N basic codebook vectors and the adjustment vectors of each of the basic codebook vectors, generating a basic codebook vector and an adjustment vector used for quantizing the vectors to be quantized, N being a positive integer larger than or equal to 1. According to the present invention, based on the method a device for quantizing vector is disclosed. According to embodiments of the present invention, the quantization of an input vector is done by introducing the modification vectors for the base codebook vectors, therefore the memory amount of the base codebook vectors is reduced effectively, and the calculation amount is merely the calculation amount required for going through N codebooks. Therefore, the complexity of the vector quantization could be decreased effectively. |
| US08335258B2 |
Frame interpolation device and frame interpolation method
A frame interpolation device includes: a unit dividing two temporally different reference frames of moving image signal into block units; a unit detecting motion vectors in block units in accordance with correlation between blocks of the reference frames; a unit obtaining at least first and second motion vectors from the statistical amount of the motion vectors; a unit estimating the first or second motion vector for each block in accordance with the obtained first and second motion vectors; a unit translating the first and second motion vectors through a generated pixel in an interpolated frame between the reference frames, setting local areas at four points of the start and end points of the first and second motion vectors as search areas, and identifying the first or second motion vector from the search areas; and a unit performing motion compensation on the pixel by using the first or second motion vector. |
| US08335253B2 |
Video frame encoding and decoding
A video frame arithmetical context adaptive encoding and decoding scheme is presented which is based on the finding, that, for sake of a better definition of neighborhood between blocks of picture samples, i.e. the neighboring block which the syntax element to be coded or decoded relates to and the current block based on the attribute of which the assignment of a context model is conducted, and when the neighboring block lies beyond the borders or circumference of the current macroblock containing the current block, it is important to make the determination of the macroblock containing the neighboring block dependent upon as to whether the current macroblock pair region containing the current block is of a first or a second distribution type, i.e., frame or field coded. |
| US08335250B2 |
Multi-level pulse width modulation power amplifier method and apparatus
A baseband signal is processed by amplifying a first pulse width modulation radio frequency signal having a first non-negligible peak-to-peak amplitude and a second non-negligible peak-to-peak amplitude larger than the first non-negligible peak-to-peak amplitude. A second pulse width modulation radio frequency signal is also amplified, the second pulse width modulation radio frequency signal having a third non-negligible peak-to-peak amplitude approximately equal to the second non-negligible peak-to-peak amplitude of the first pulse width modulation signal when the baseband signal power is at or above the second threshold level. The amplified signals are constructively combined to form a pulse width modulation radio frequency signal comprising a plurality of non-negligible peak-to-peak amplitude levels each corresponding to a different baseband signal power range. |
| US08335248B2 |
Fast square root algorithm for MIMO equalization
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate equalization of received signals in a wireless communication environment. Using multiple transmit and/or receive antennas and MIMO technology, multiple data streams can be transmitted within a single tone. During equalization, receivers can separate data received within a tone into individual data streams. The equalization process generally is computationally expensive. Equalizer functions include the inverse operation, which can be computed using the fast square root method; however, the fast square root method involves large numbers of computations for a set of matrices, where the size of a matrix in the set of matrices increases with the number of transmit or receive antennas. Utilizing a modification of the fast square root method, a subset of the elements of the matrices can be selected and updated to reduce the number and/or complexity of computations. |
| US08335244B2 |
Data transmission method, network device, and communication system
A data transmission method, a network device, and a communication system are provided. The method includes: acquiring a frequency hopping time period and frequency hopping information when reliable transmission is required; transmitting data according to the frequency hopping information in the frequency hopping time period. Thus, the reliability of data transmission is ensured, the original network is not changed significantly, and the system overhead and resources are saved. |
| US08335242B2 |
Nitride semiconductor laser device mounted on a stem
Provided is a semiconductor laser device that is free from or suffers less from deterioration resulting from a surge or that is less likely to suffer from deterioration resulting from a surge. The semiconductor laser device has a conductive stem 101, a submount 102 fixed to the stem 101, a nitride semiconductor laser chip 103 mounted on the submount 102, pins 104 and 105 fixed to the stem 101 but insulated therefrom, a wire connecting the pin 104 to a p-electrode of the nitride semiconductor laser chip 103, a wire connecting the pin 105 to an n-electrode of the nitride semiconductor laser chip 103, and a cap 106 enclosing the nitride semiconductor laser chip 103 and the submount 102 and fixed to the stem 101. |
| US08335233B2 |
Base station apparatus and communication control method using an uplink shared channel
A base station apparatus capable of communicating with a user equipment terminal using an uplink shared channel includes a calculation unit configured to calculate path loss between the user equipment terminal and the base station apparatus; an MCS selection unit configured to select an MCS level of the shared channel based on the path loss; a first offset calculation unit configured to calculate a transmission power offset for the shared channel based on both a decoding result of the uplink shared channel and a required uplink quality; a notification unit configured to notify the user equipment terminal of a difference between the transmission power offset for the shared channel and a transmission power offset retained by the user equipment terminal; and a reception unit configured to receive the shared channel from the user equipment terminal. |
| US08335232B2 |
Method and system of renegotiating end-to-end voice over internet protocol CODECs
Systems and methods of Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) communication are provided. A particular system includes a VoIP endpoint. The VoIP endpoint is adapted to monitor a packet loss measure between the VoIP endpoint and a second VoIP endpoint during a VoIP communication using a first CODEC. The VoIP endpoint is also adapted to negotiate with the second VoIP endpoint to select a substitute CODEC having a nominal data rate that is lower than an in-use nominal data rate of the first CODEC. |
| US08335231B2 |
Hardware based zoning in fibre channel networks
Provided are methods and apparatus that enforce zoning rules by separately employing source and destination information. In certain embodiments, information uniquely identifying network destinations is provided on a destination CAM. In these embodiments, each destination identified in the destination CAM has an associated zoning decision vector provided in a results memory. The vector provides specific zoning decisions (permit or deny transmission) for specific sources on the network. The specific zoning decision to be applied to a frame under consideration is selected from a zoning decision vector by using source information taken from the frame. |
| US08335222B2 |
Extended call handling functionality using multi-network simulcasting
A method and apparatus supporting the handling of calls using simulcasting of multimedia information are disclosed. Multimedia information exchanged by an associated access device and a gateway. The access device may request for the multimedia information to be recorded during a call, request retrieval of the multimedia information, and playback the multimedia information. The gateway may store the received multimedia information locally or may communicate the multimedia information to storage. The gateway may cause a user of the access device to be notified of the availability of multimedia information for a recorded call, and may communicate the multimedia information to the access device for playback. A user may be notified if storage and bandwidth for the recording of a call is not available. |
| US08335219B2 |
System and method for router data distribution
Employing an asymmetric protocol, multiple sources reliably broadcast dynamically changing routing tables incrementally across multiple consumers from a single distributor. Each of multiple sources send current tables to the distributor using a snapshot mechanism. Message are buffered, segmented, paced by timers, and broadcast to the consumers repetitively at the distributor. Negative acknowledgments from the consumer request missing messages from the distributor after receipt of a keepalive message from the distributor. The distributor marks the missing messages and retransmits replacements from a history buffer only after firing of a resend timer. A unique Session ID included in all messages originating from each particular source facilitates reliable table distribution from multiple sources to multiple consumers via a single distributor. |
| US08335217B2 |
Method and apparatus for filtering multicast port identifier in gigabit-capable passive optical network (GPON) system
Provided is an apparatus for filtering a multicast port identifier, the apparatus including: a processor to receive an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) message from a switching unit, to verify a traffic reception request received from a subscriber terminal based on the IGMP message, and to store a value in a filtering register based on the traffic reception request; and an Optical Network Unit (ONU) Media Access Control (MAC) manager to filter a packet to be forwarded to the subscriber terminal, using a port identifier for traffic forwarding and reception with the subscriber terminal, and using the value of the filtering register indicating an existence of traffic to be forwarded to the subscriber terminal. |
| US08335210B1 |
Socket-based internet protocol for wired networks
Systems and methods for assigning unique network identifiers in a packet-switched wired network and methods for communicating with a network device in a packet-switched wired network are provided. A request for a unique network identifier for a network device is received. A socket-based unique network identifier, including an IP address and one or more ports, is assigned to the network device. The unique network identifier is created by combining an IP address and one or more ports. This allows multiple unique network identifiers to be created from a single IP address, where each unique network identifier consists of the same IP address combined with a different group of one or more ports. |
| US08335207B2 |
Link mobility tracking and its application to mobile ad hoc networks
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for tracking link mobility between two mobile nodes. Each node estimates a link mobility state of a link between itself and each of its neighbor nodes, accumulates successively the link mobility states, estimates link mobility parameters using the successively estimated link mobility states, and predicts a link availability probability using the link mobility parameters. The link mobility tracking can be applied to various routing protocols so as to implement mobility aware routing which enhance the routing performance. |
| US08335202B2 |
Sending pilots on secondary channels for improved acquisition and handoff in cellular communication
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate enhancing acquisition and handoff in a wireless network deployment by leveraging primary pilots and secondary pilots. The deployment can support more than one frequency band for operation, yet a mobile device can receive signals on one frequency band at a given time. Thus, a base station can transmit primary pilot(s) over frequency band(s) associated with operating data channel(s) as well as secondary pilot(s) over frequency band(s) that lack data channel(s) for the base station. Moreover, the base station can convey information that indicates to a mobile device whether each pilot is primary or secondary. Further, the mobile device can employ knowledge of pilot type (e.g., primary or secondary) as well as signal strength to effectuate handoff decisions; thus, disruptions in communication can be mitigated. |
| US08335199B2 |
Wireless communication method and apparatus for performing home node-B identification and access restriction
A method and a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), including a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), for identifying a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell are disclosed. The WTRU receives a broadcast from a cell including a cell identifier (ID). If the cell ID is associated with a CSG cell, the WTRU determines whether the CSG ID is programmed in the USIM. The cell broadcast may include a single bit information element (IE) indicating that the cell is a CSG cell. If the cell ID is a CSG ID, the cell ID may further include a plurality of fields which indicate at least one of a country, a region, an operator, and a home evolved Node-B (HeNB) number. The cell broadcast may further include a bit indicating whether the CSG cell is public or private. The cell broadcast may further include a bit indicating that emergency calls are allowed from all users. |
| US08335187B2 |
Routing mobile voice calls
A call routing system for use with a wireless telephone systems is disclosed. The system, which monitors the subscriber's current physical location, determines the device to which a call should be terminated, and routes the call. The device can be any IP telephone, including a cable television system adapted to IP telephony. The system routes calls without direct subscriber actions, without a second telephone number, regardless of the time of day and day of week. Various options can also apply to a call, determined by subscriber-established preferences, when specified criteria are met, or calls can be limited to/from specified telephone numbers. The system and method uses signaling techniques that will allow routing of the call, along with any authorization or restrictions, to be done remotely from the actual switching for the call. Call events are transmitted to the call routing system while the communications path of the call is held at the switching system awaiting call routing information. The identity of the subscriber is established using existing means that are used to authenticate the user. The wireless phone user does not have to enter any additional codes or identification to obtain access to the call routing system. |
| US08335185B2 |
Method of allocating resource for mobile station to support real time service
A method of efficiently allocating a resource to a mobile station to support a real time service in a radio access system is provided. The method includes grouping one or more mobile stations and allocating a group resource area for transmitting bandwidth request information for transmitting real time service data of the grouped one or more mobile stations, and allocating respective individual resource areas of the one or more mobile stations included in the group resource area. Since the method of grouping the mobile service and efficiently allocating an uplink resource are provided, it is possible to reduce message overhead and efficiently use the resource. |
| US08335182B2 |
Digital broadcasting system and method for transmitting and receiving digital broadcast signal
A digital broadcasting system and a method for transmitting and receiving digital broadcast signal are disclosed. The method of transmitting digital broadcast signal includes convolutional encoding mobile data to build SCCC blocks, generating signaling data, forming a first data group and a second data group which includes mobile service data and the signaling data, interleaving data including the mobile service data in the first and second data groups and outputting a interleaved first data group and an interleaved second data group, wherein at least one of the SCCC blocks include an extension data block from the interleaved first data group and a data block from the interleaved second data group, transmitting the digital broadcasting signal including the first data group and the second data group. |
| US08335174B2 |
System and method for registering network information strings
A system and method for registering network information strings. An information string server device receives a request to register a network information string from a computing device. The network information string may be included in a message broadcast by a string broadcast station. The information string server device determines whether the network information string has been previously registered with the information string server device. The information string server device stores the network information string in a record of an information string datastore when the network information string has not been previously registered with the information string server device. A registration acceptance message may be sent by the information string server device to the computing device when the network information string has not been previously registered with the information string server device. |
| US08335173B2 |
Inserting time of departure information in frames to support multi-channel location techniques
A device whose location is to be determined (target device) generates a plurality of frames (messages) and time of departure (TOD) timestamp information indicating when the target device transmits the plurality of frames in a sequence or burst. The target device transmits the plurality of frames and the TOD information, wherein the plurality of frames are transmitted such that at least two of the frames are on different radio frequency (RF) channels. Within a sequence or burst (or across multiple sequences or bursts), multiple widely spaced transmissions on the same channel are included to allow for estimation of the crystal frequency offset of the transmitting device. The TOD information included in the transmitted packets allows devices that receive the packets not to change their channels of operation solely for the purpose of receiving packets from the device to be located. |
| US08335168B2 |
Mobile communication system, base station apparatus, user equipment, and method
A base station apparatus includes a measurement unit, a scheduling unit, and a transmission unit. The measurement unit measures received quality of a reference signal. The scheduling unit provides scheduling information indicating allocation of a radio resource in uplink. The transmission unit transmits a control signal including the scheduling information. After a first packet is transmitted using a first frequency band, a retransmission packet of the first packet is transmitted using a second frequency band other than the first frequency band. The control signal further includes information indicating a difference between received quality in the first frequency band and that in the second frequency band. The retransmission packet is transmitted at a transmission power level determined by adding a transmission power level of the first packet to that corresponding to the difference. |
| US08335166B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining a route metric
Machine-readable media, methods, apparatus and system for determining a route metric are described. In some embodiments, a characteristic of a packet to be sent from a node to another node is analyzed. The characteristic of the packet may indicate at least one of a group consisting whether the packet is transmission quality sensitive and whether the packet is transmission throughput sensitive. Then, a weight relationship between a packet loss rate and a data rate may be determined, in which the weight relationship may vary with the characteristic of the packet. A route metric for a route from the node to the another node may be determined based upon the packet loss rate, the data rate and the weight relationship. |
| US08335161B2 |
Systems and methods for network congestion management using radio access network congestion indicators
Systems and methods for managing communications network congestion are provided. In an embodiment, the system includes a radio access network (RAN) interface configured to receive RAN congestion indicators, a congestion correlator module configured to correlate RAN congestion indicators to service congestion indicators, a database comprising a set of congestion based policy rules, a policy controller module configured to apply the congestion-based policy rules to achieve a policy decision, and a policy enforcement control point interface configured to transmit network control instructions to enforce the policy decisions. In another embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for managing communications network congestion, that includes receiving one or more radio access network (RAN) congestion indicators, correlating the one or more RAN congestion indicators to one or more service congestion indicators, applying a congestion-based policy rule based on service congestion indicators to generate a policy decision, and implementing the policy decision. |
| US08335159B2 |
Method and system for introducing frequency selectivity into transmissions in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing network
A method of introducing frequency selectivity into transmissions in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing network is provided. The method includes generating a symbol. A plurality of delayed symbols are generated based on the symbol. The delayed symbols are transmitted from multiple transmit antennas. The symbol delay values may be different for different users depending upon the users' channel characteristics. |
| US08335156B2 |
Network connection control system
A network connection control system is provided with: a relay device that relays communication in a communication network; and a communication terminal that performs communication via the relay device. The relay device has a network information transmission section, which is information about the communication network. The communication terminal has: a lower communication section that performs communication via the relay device; a network information receiving section that receives the network information via the lower communication section; a higher communication section that performs inter-higher-section communication via the lower communication section, with another higher communication section in another communication terminal; a judgment result acquisition section that acquires a judgment result based on the received network information, about whether or not to permit the inter-higher-section communication; and a communication control section that inhibits the inter-higher-section communication until a judgment result that the inter-higher-section communication is to be permitted is acquired. |
| US08335151B2 |
Optical information recording medium, and substrate and manufacturing method for the optical information recording medium
In an optical disk including at least a rewritable phase change material and comprising a recording layer having a reflectivity of more than 15%, an address output value as an address pit signal component occupying in a reproduced signal in a non recording state is prescribed to be 0.18 though 0.27 or a numerical aperture of an address pit signal occupying in a reproduced signal in a non recording state is prescribed to be more than 0.3. |
| US08335146B2 |
Master disk exposing apparatus and the adjusting method therefor
A master disk exposing apparatus having: a turntable for rotating a master disk; moving means for horizontally moving the turntable in at least one direction; beam irradiating means for irradiating an electron beam toward the turntable, thereby forming a beam spot onto the turntable or the master disk; beam deflecting means for deflecting the beam; and control means for controlling the moving means, the beam irradiating means, and the beam deflecting means, wherein the control means includes initializing means for executing an initial operation to drive at least either the moving means or the beam deflecting means and make an origin of the beam spot coincide with a rotational center of the turntable at the time of activation. An apparatus and a method for easily adjusting a deviation between an origin of an irradiating position of the recording beam and the rotational center of the turntable are, thus, provided. |
| US08335144B2 |
Laser driving apparatus, laser driving method, optical apparatus, optical unit and pulse current generation circuit
Disclosed herein is a laser driving apparatus, including: a driving unit adapted to current drive a laser device with a current value in accordance with a level of a signal supplied thereto; and an emission light waveform correction unit adapted to receive supply of a pulsed reference signal and generate, based on a correction timing pulse interlocked with a rising edge and/or a falling edge of a pulse, a correction signal having a level different from that of the reference signal and then supply the correction signal to the driving unit so that the shape of the emission light waveform of the laser device becomes close to that of a rectangular wave. |
| US08335143B2 |
Method for inspecting optical information recording medium, inspection apparatus, optical information recording medium and recording method
A method for inspecting an optical information storage medium includes the steps of: irradiating the storage medium with a laser beam and rotating the medium by a constant linear velocity control technique by reference to the radial location at which the laser beam forms a spot on the medium; changing the rotational velocities according to the radial location on the medium between at least two linear velocities that include a first linear velocity Lv1 and a second linear velocity Lv2 higher than the first linear velocity Lv1; generating a focus error signal and/or a tracking error signal based on the light reflected from the medium; performing a focus control and/or a tracking control on the laser beam that irradiates the medium based on the focus and/or tracking error signal(s); and passing the branched outputs of control loops for the focus and/or tracking error signal(s) through predetermined types of frequency band-elimination filters for the focus and/or tracking error signal(s) to obtain residual errors of the focus and/or tracking error signal(s) and comparing the residual errors to predetermined reference values. |
| US08335142B2 |
Optical disc drive and method of controlling laser light power in optical disc drive
This invention provides an optical disc drive with more accurate and stable power control for a laser light source. An optical disc drive in an embodiment of this invention includes a monitor photodetector for receiving laser light emitted by a laser light source to monitor the laser light power. The monitor diode is a photodetector for generating an electric signal corresponding to the laser light power. A laser light controller controls drive current to the laser light source based on a result of measurement by the monitor diode. The optical disc drive measures output variations of the monitor diode and controls the gain of the monitor diode based on the result of the measurement. This gain control improves accuracy and stability in laser light control so that stability in recording/reading can be attained. |
| US08335140B2 |
Optical disc drive for recording or reproducing data on a multilayer optical disc with a layer identification region
The present invention provides a multilayer optical disc and an optical disc drive which can identify recording layers without performing tracking servo control or changing the structure of the disc. In a multilayer optical disc 100, the recording layer includes a layer identification region 101 having a recording pattern for layer identification, the layer identification region 101 including a layer specific region 102 having a specific pattern and a common region 103 having a common pattern different from the specific pattern, the layer specific region 102 being provided at a different radial position in each of the recording layers. The optical disc drive detects the layer specific region 102 having the specific pattern from the layer identification region 101 of the multilayer optical disc 100, and identifies the current layer based on the radial position of the layer specific region. |
| US08335135B2 |
Stepping motor control circuit and analogue electronic timepiece
When a stepping motor is driven to rotate by a main driving pulse, if an induced signal exceeding a reference threshold voltage is detected only in a third segment, a pulse down operation is performed, and the main driving pulse is not changed when the same is detected in at least a first and the third segments. When it is detected only in a second and the third segments, a rank-up is performed without performing the driving by a correction drive pulse and, when it is not detected in at least the third segment, the rank up operation is performed after the driving by the correction driving pulse. |
| US08335134B1 |
Clock device with daylight saving time adjustment
A clock device for switching between standard and daylight saving time. The device features a housing with standard alarm clock features. A recess is disposed in the front of the housing. A digital display piece having a front face with a first digital display and a back face with a second digital display snaps into the recess in the housing. The digital display piece can rotate such that either the first or the second digital display faces forwardly. The first digital display is adapted to display standard time and the second digital display is adapted to display daylight saving time. A time change button is disposed on housing, the time change button can pivot between a standard time position and a daylight saving time position. The time change button rotates the digital display piece such that either the first digital display faces forwardly or the second digital display faces forwardly. |
| US08335128B2 |
Single station wireless seismic data acquisition method and apparatus
A seismic data acquisition apparatus having a recorder co-located with a sensor unit in a seismic spread and a communication device for direct communication with a central recorder. A memory located in the recorder and/or in the central controller holds location parameters associated with the sensor unit, and the parameters can be updated. Methods of seismic data acquisition including sensing seismic energy and recording the sensed energy at the sensor location. Delivering the recorded information to a central recorder by manually retrieving removable memory from each recorder, by wireless transmission of the information, or by removing the information from each recorder by inductive or cable connectors and a transfer device. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. |
| US08335126B2 |
Method for compensating marine geophysical sensor measurements for effects of streamer elongation
A method for determining a longitudinal position of at least one geophysical sensor on a towed marine streamer includes measuring a parameter related to tension at least one position along the streamer. A change in length of the streamer is determined using the measured parameter. The longitudinal position of the at least one sensor is determined. A marine streamer includes at least one geophysical sensor and at least one tension sensor capable of measuring a parameter related to axial tension. |
| US08335120B2 |
Semiconductor memory circuit and control method for reading data
A semiconductor memory device includes a first memory circuits connecting to a first bit line, a second bit line and a word line, a first pre-charge control circuit connecting to a first pre-charge control line, the first bit line and the second bit line and that pre-charges the first bit line and the second bit line on the basis of the input from the first pre-charge control line, and a read control circuit having a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor and a fourth transistor, wherein the fourth transistor is brought into conduction on the basis of the input from a charged global-bit-line driver control line, the column having the first bit line and the second bit line is thus selected, and the information held in the memory circuit connecting to the driven word line among the memory circuits is output to the third bit line. |
| US08335119B1 |
Method of inspecting memory cell
A method of inspecting a memory cell is provided, including: providing a semiconductor substrate with a capacitor formed therein and a transistor formed thereon, wherein the transistor is electrically connected to the capacitor; inspecting a size of a top surface of the capacitor and a pitch between the capacitor and the transistor electrically connected thereto by an optical measuring system, thereby obtaining a first measurement data and a second measurement data; and comparing the first and second measurement data with designed specifications of the capacitor and transistor, thereby determining functionality of the memory cell comprising the capacitor and the transistor. |
| US08335115B2 |
Semiconductor memory module and semiconductor memory system having termination resistor units
A semiconductor memory module includes a memory module board having at least one semiconductor memory device, an advanced memory buffer (AMB) for receiving the data and the command/address signal from a host and providing the data and the command/address signal to the at least one semiconductor memory device, and a second termination resistor unit located on the memory module board and electrically connected to the AMB. The at least one semiconductor memory device includes a data input buffer for receiving data via a first input terminal and receiving a first reference voltage via a second input terminal, a command/address input buffer for receiving a command/address signal via a first input terminal and receiving a second reference voltage via a second input terminal, and a first termination resistor unit connected to the first input terminal of the data input buffer. |
| US08335114B2 |
Semiconductor memory device capable of shortening erase time
In a memory cell array, a plurality of memory cells connected to a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines are arranged in a matrix. A control circuit controls the potentials of said plurality of word lines and said plurality of bit lines. In an erase operation, the control circuit erases an n number of memory cells (n is a natural number equal to or larger than 2) of said plurality of memory cells at the same time using a first erase voltage, carries out a verify operation using a first verify level, finds the number of cells k (k≦n) exceeding the first verify level, determines a second erase voltage according to the number k, and carries out an erase operation again using the second erase voltage. |
| US08335113B2 |
Flash memory and data erasing method of the same
When data erasure of a flash memory is interrupted and restarted from the interrupted point, time required for the data erasure is shortened. A flash memory includes a memory cell(s), a verification circuit, and a power supply circuit. The verification circuit measures a threshold voltage of the memory cell(s) by verifying an erasure state of the memory cell(s). The power supply circuit applies, to the memory cell(s), one or more pulse voltages whose initial pulse voltage has a strength that corresponds to the measured threshold voltage. |
| US08335111B2 |
Non-volatile semiconductor storage device and method of manufacturing the same
A non-volatile semiconductor storage device includes: a memory string; a select transistor; and a carrier selection element. The select transistor has one end connected to one end of the memory string. The carrier selection element has one end connected to the other end of the select transistor, and selects a majority carrier flowing through respective bodies of the memory transistors and the select transistor. The carrier selection element includes: a third semiconductor layer; a metal layer; a second gate insulation layer; and a third conductive layer. The metal layer extends in the vertical direction. The metal layer extends in the vertical direction from the top of the third semiconductor layer. The second gate insulation layer surrounds the third semiconductor layer and the metal layer. The third conductive layer surrounds the third semiconductor layer and the metal layer via the second gate insulation layer and extends in a parallel direction. |
| US08335108B2 |
Bit line gate transistor structure for a multilevel, dual-sided nonvolatile memory cell NAND flash array
A nonvolatile memory structure with pairs of serially connected threshold voltage adjustable select transistors connected to the top and optionally to the bottom of NAND series strings of groups of the dual-sided charge-trapping nonvolatile memory cells for controlling connection of the NAND series string to an associated bit line. A first of the threshold voltage adjustable select transistors has its threshold voltage level adjusted to a first threshold voltage level and a second of the threshold voltage adjustable select transistors adjusted to a second threshold voltage level. The pair of serially connected threshold voltage adjustable select transistors is connected to a first of two associated bit lines. The NAND nonvolatile memory strings further is connected to a pair of serially connected threshold voltage adjustable bottom select transistors that is connected to the second associated bit line. |
| US08335107B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and method of operating the same
A semiconductor memory device comprises memory blocks having a plurality of memory cells coupled to a plurality of bit lines, a first latch group coupled to a sense node and configured to store data to be programmed into memory cells, where the memory cells are coupled to the bit lines and the sense node is coupled to at least one of the bit lines, a second latch group coupled to the sense node and configured to receive data of the first latch group, and a sense node voltage control circuit configured to control a voltage of the sense node according to data stored in the first latch group. |
| US08335099B2 |
Optical memory device and method therefor
A nonvolatile memory device and method using phase changes in a substrate to alter optical properties of the substrate for the purpose of data storage. The memory device includes a substrate containing a phase change material having phases comprising amorphous and crystalline phases. The phase change material has optical properties that change depending on whether the phase change material is in the amorphous phase or the crystalline phase. The memory device is further equipped with one or more devices that generate light and transmit the light into the substrate, and one or more devices that cause the phase change material to change between the amorphous and crystalline phases thereof. At least one optical sensing device detects light that passes into the phase change material to the optical sensing device and generates electrical signals based thereon, which are converted into bit values if they exceed a threshold. |
| US08335097B2 |
Semiconductor device that converts input direct current voltage to regulated output voltage by intermittently switching on and off the input direct current voltage
A semiconductor device providing a control circuit for controlling a switching power supply apparatus includes: an intermittent-oscillation control circuit which outputs an enable signal providing instructions to execute and suspend switching alternately; a turn-on control circuit which changes between an execution state and a suspension state of the switching according to the enable signal, and outputs, only in the execution state, a turn-on signal which turns on the switching element with a switching period; and an intermittent-oscillation frequency control circuit which causes the turn-on control circuit to delay the changing between the execution state and the suspension state so that an intermittence period including periods during which the turn-on control circuit is in the execution state and the turn-on control circuit is in the suspension state falls outside of a specific time range. Intermittent oscillation is thus operated out of a specific frequency band within an audible frequency range. |
| US08335087B2 |
Method and apparatus for improving radio performance of wireless data terminal device
A wireless data terminal device comprises a detachable USB connector and a main circuit board, where at least two redundancy grounding connections are provided between the detachable USB connector and the main circuit board, and the grounding points of the at least two redundancy grounding connections are not adjacent to each other. A method for improving the radio performance of the wireless data terminal device is further provided. With the wireless data terminal device or the method for improving the radio performance of the wireless data terminal device, the connection of the grounding plane of the wireless data terminal device with the grounding plane of a computer is effectively enhanced. Therefore, the radio performance of the wireless data terminal device is improved. |
| US08335083B2 |
Apparatus and method for thermal management using vapor chamber
An apparatus includes a plurality of islands each carrying multiple cantilevers. The apparatus also includes a fluidic network having a plurality of channels separating the islands. The channels are configured to provide fluid to the islands, and the fluid at least partially fills spaces between the cantilevers and the islands. Heat from the islands vaporizes the fluid filling the spaces between the cantilevers and the islands to transfer the heat away from the islands while driving the cantilevers into oscillation. The apparatus may also include a casing configured to surround the islands and the fluidic network to create a vapor chamber, where the vapor chamber is configured to retain the vaporized fluid. The islands and the fluidic network could be formed in a single substrate, or the islands could be separate and attached together by a binder located within the channels of the fluidic network. |
| US08335079B2 |
Handheld electronic device
A handheld electronic device including a first body, a second body, a stand and a gear set is provided. The first body has a first rack. The second body is slidably coupled with the first body. The stand having a second rack is slidably coupled with the first body and located between the first body and the second body. The gear set has a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion and is pivoted on the second body. The first and second engaging portions are engaged with the first and second racks respectively. When the first body is shifted a first distance with respect to the second body, the first body drives the gear set to rotate by the first rack, and the gear set drives the stand to be shifted a second distance greater than the first distance with respect to the second body by the second rack. |
| US08335072B1 |
Multilayer ceramic electronic component
There is provided a multilayer ceramic electronic component including: a lamination main body including a dielectric layer; and a plurality of inner electrode layers formed within the lamination main body and having ends exposed from one or more faces of the laminated main body, wherein when a distance between central portions of adjacent inner electrodes among the plurality of inner electrodes is T1 and a distance between non-exposed edges of the adjacent inner electrodes is T2, the ratio (T2/T1) of T2 to T1 is 0.80 to 0.95. |
| US08335069B2 |
Overvoltage protection element
An overvoltage protection element with a housing, with at least one overvoltage limiting component which is located in the housing, especially a varistor, with two terminal lugs which are each connected to a respective pole of the overvoltage limiting component in an electrically conductive manner, especially soldered or welded, and with two connecting elements for electrical connection of the overvoltage protection element to the current path or signal path to be protected. In the normal state of the overvoltage protection element, the connecting elements are each in electrically conductive contact with a respective terminal lug. The overvoltage protection element can be produced especially easily and economically by the first terminal lug and the first connecting element being integrally connected to one another and by the free end of the first connecting element which faces away from the overvoltage limiting component being made as a plug-in contact. |
| US08335063B2 |
Redundant systems, methods, and apparatus for use in arc flash prevention systems
A hub for use with a circuit protection system includes a first input port configured to communicatively couple to at least one sensor device, wherein the at least one sensor device includes a light source and at least one light sensor. The hub also includes a first output port configured to communicatively couple to at least one controller, and a processor communicatively coupled to the first input port and to the first output port. The processor is configured to receive a sensor status signal from the at least one light sensor via the first input port in response to a test pulse emitted by the light source, and transmit a hub status signal to the at least one controller via the first output port based at least in part on the sensor status signal. |
| US08335060B2 |
Hybrid fault current limiter
The present invention is related to a hybrid fault current limiter comprising a switching unit detaching a moving contact located on a cable and transmitting a trip signal if a fault current is flowed at an electric power system, a semiconductor switching unit connected in series with the switching unit and configured to be turned off to limit the flow of the fault current when the trip signal is transmitted, and a circuit breaking unit connected in parallel to the switching unit and the semiconductor switching unit and configured to limit the fault current detoured from the switching unit and the semiconductor switching unit. The present invention provides rapid treatment for the fault current problem by applying the algorithm sensing the occurrence of the fault current and the algorithm limiting the fault current simultaneously. |
| US08335054B2 |
Head suspension piezoelectric actuator with a nonconductive adhesive joining together the circumferential edge of an actuator base opening with a circumferential side face of the piezoelectric element
The piezoelectric actuator of a head suspension has an actuator base and at least a piezoelectric element, the actuator base connected to the base part of the load beam of the suspension and having at least an opening, the piezoelectric element attached to the opening and deforming in response to a voltage applied thereto to effect displacement of the front end of the load beam. A nonconductive filler is fitted into a circumferential channel defined between a circumferential edge of an opening in the actuator base and a circumferential side face of the piezoelectric element facing the circumferential edge of the opening to maintain a width of the circumferential channel. A nonconductive adhesive part is formed in the circumferential channel and joins the circumferential edge of the opening and the circumferential side face of the piezoelectric element together. |
| US08335053B2 |
Integrated touch-down pad and touch-down sensor
In one general embodiment, a magnetic head includes a touch-down pad, comprising at least one shielding element positioned between a leading edge of a main magnetic pole and a trailing edge of a lower return pole; an embedded contact sensor (ECS) in an electrically isolating layer, the ECS positioned near an ABS side of the magnetic head and between the leading edge of the main magnetic pole and the trailing edge of the lower return pole; and a first thermal fly-height control (TFC) element positioned away from the ABS side of the magnetic head. Additional systems and methods are also presented. |
| US08335052B2 |
Plasmon antenna for thermally assisted magnetic head
A plasmon antenna of the present invention is used in a thermally assisted magnetic head that includes: a medium-facing surface set, parallel to an XY plane; a magnetic pole for writing, extending toward the medium-facing surface, and a plasmon antenna comprising a pair of small metal bodies irradiated with excitation light for near-field light generation propagating in a Z-axis direction. Respective corners of the small metal bodies are spaced apart opposite each other along a TE mode direction of the excitation light. A distance between the corners gives the shortest distance between the small metal bodies, and a distance from each corner to the leading end of the magnetic pole gives a shortest distance from the small metal bodies to the leading end. |
| US08335040B2 |
Head-mounted display apparatus
A head-mounted display apparatus includes an image display device, a wearing device with which the image display device is worn on a head of an observer, and an attachment member with which the image display device is attached to the wearing device. The attachment member is capable of adjusting a position of the image display device relative to the wearing device independently in a first direction and in a second direction, the first direction being defined by a virtual line connecting centers of eyes of the observer, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction and extending vertically with respect to the observer. |
| US08335039B2 |
Method of measuring aerial image of EUV mask
An apparatus for measuring an image of a pattern to be formed on a semiconductor by scanning the pattern using a scanner, the apparatus including an EUV mask including the pattern, a zoneplate lens on a first side of the EUV mask and adapted to focus EUV light on a portion of the EUV mask at a same angle as an angle at which the scanner will be disposed with respect to a normal line of the EUV mask, and a detector arranged on another side of the EUV mask and adapted to sense energy of the EUV light from the EUV mask, wherein NAzoneplate=NAscanner/n and NAdetector=NAscanner/n*σ, where NAzoneplate denotes a NA of the zoneplate lens, NAdetector denotes a NA of the detector, and NAscanner denotes a NA of the scanner, σ denotes an off-axis degree of the scanner, and n denotes a reduction magnification of the scanner. |
| US08335037B2 |
Millimeter wave band nonreciprocal device
[Problem] When a nonreciprocal device operating at 100 GHz to 300 GHz is to be realized by using a conventional magnetic material of garnet-type ferrite or spinel-type ferrite, a huge permanent magnet is required and, therefore, it is very difficult to achieve a millimeter-wave band nonreciprocal device for practical use.[Solving means] To solve this problem, there is provided a millimeter-wave band nonreciprocal device composed of a magnetic material represented by a formula ε-MxFe2-xO3 (0 |
| US08335034B2 |
Optical device with a pair of diffractive optical elements
The present invention provides an optical device comprising a pair of specifically designed plate-like diffractive optical elements successively arranged in parallel to each other. Placing the two diffractive optical elements in succession and in parallel to each other in a certain distance, the combination optically corresponds to a single diffractive optical element, and it can perform similar tasks, acting as a lens, an axicon, a phase shifter, or a spiral phase plate. If one of the diffractive optical elements is rotated with respect to the other around a common central axis, the property of the optical device, like the focal length, the refractive power, helical index, or phase shift changes continuously. |
| US08335031B2 |
Optical module
An optical module 1A is an optical module, which is manufactured from an SOI substrate having a support substrate 10 and a semiconductor layer 14 disposed on a surface 10a of the support substrate 10 via an insulating layer 12, the optical module including a movable mirror 22 in which a mirror surface 22a is formed on a side face intersecting with a Y-direction, that is movable in the Y-direction, a photodiode 32 which is provided on the surface 10a of the support substrate 10, and is optically coupled to the mirror surface 22a of the movable mirror 22, a cap member 34 which is provided on the surface 10a of the support substrate 10, that airtight-seals the movable mirror 22 and the photodiode 32, and an element electrode part 36 which is provided through the support substrate 10 and the insulating layer 12, and is electrically connected to the photodiode 32. Thereby, it is possible to realize an optical module which is capable of enhancing the airtightness of an optical system including a movable mirror, and which also can be downsized. |
| US08335026B2 |
Image forming apparatus and color shift correction method thereof
In an image forming apparatus that reads an original and forms an image of the original that has been read, a skew amount of the original is calculated when the original has been read and a shift amount of each color of image data in image formation is obtained from a storage unit. A color shift correction amount for correcting color shift in an output image is calculated based on the calculated skew amount and the stored shift amount of each color, and the color shift is corrected based on that color shift correction amount. |
| US08335018B2 |
Image forming method and apparatus for reducing input image gradation
An image forming apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store a divisor matrix including at least two kinds of divisor values, and a changing unit configured to change M (M>N) gradation image data into N (N>3) gradation image data, wherein the changing unit is configured to divide a pixel value of a target pixel of the M gradation image data by a divisor value corresponding to a pixel position of the target pixel to change the M gradation image data into the N-gradation image data. |
| US08335017B1 |
Spot color rendering via feedback-based multi-objective optimization
What is disclosed is a feedback control based system and method for selecting spot color recipes for improved spot color rendition while simultaneously minimizing a function of image quality attributes formed with states defined as vectors such as L*, a*, b*, mottle, graininess, etc. Color is measured with an in-line spectrophotometer or with a full/partial width array. If the sensor is not available, then a model of the print device is used to optimize the function of image quality attributes. In one example embodiment, a spot color of interest is selected along with a set of image quality attributes to be improved for the spot colors of interest. Set points for process actuators and color recipes of the color marking device are adjusted such that a function of the image quality attributes is minimized when the spot color is rendered on the device. Various workflows are disclosed. |
| US08335014B2 |
Image forming apparatus, control method, and program for copy-forgery-inhibited dot pattern calibration
A test pattern containing plurality of patches recorded using small dot patterns and large dot patterns is printed. The dot sizes arranged in the patches are different between patches. Then the test patterns are read. The detection rate and average density of additional information embedded in each large dot pattern are obtained. A large dot pattern whose detection rate and average density fall within a reference range and are closest to ideal values is determined. The average density of each small dot pattern is obtained. A small dot pattern whose average density falls within a reference range and is closest to the average density of the determined large dot pattern is determined. A copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image is generated using these dot patterns and combined with a print target image. |
| US08335013B2 |
System and method for color printer calibration employing measurement success feedback
The subject application is directed to a system and method for color printer calibration employing measurement success feedback. Color input data is received corresponding to a color printout from an associated color measurement device, the color input data including M×N discrete color areas corresponding to M rows and N columns on the printout, with M and N representing integers greater than 2. A display including a color image comprised of each of the areas arranged in M rows and N columns is then generated on a display device. Color input data is tested to determine successful measurement of colors corresponding to the color areas and a row-based indicator is generated for a successful measurement of color areas within a row. Calibration data is received of a comparison of the color printout to the display and an associated color printer is calibrated based upon the calibration data. |
| US08335012B2 |
Image forming apparatus, method, and storage medium for selecting different mode to increase a degree of gloss of a print product
An image forming apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire image data, a generation unit configured to generate a histogram based on a signal value of each pixel in the image data acquired by the acquisition unit, a derivation unit configured to derive the number of pixels matching a first condition in the histogram generated by the generation unit, and a selection unit configured to select, according to the number of pixels derived by the derivation unit, one of a fixing processing adjustment mode for increasing a degree of gloss of a print product by adjusting fixing processing and a transparent toner mode for increasing a degree of gloss of a print product by using a transparent toner. |
| US08335005B2 |
Printer system and printing method for making paper craft
A printer system includes a server capable of communicating with a printer and a client. The server stores a plurality of theme templates for making three-dimensional paper crafts. Each theme template has a plurality of marks to provide indication to make the paper craft. The marks comprise a series of sequence numbers to fold the theme templates according to the sequence numbers, and an angle number to indicate a folding angle. The server accepts edited templates from the client and sends an instruction to the printer to print the edited templates. |
| US08335003B2 |
Printing apparatus and control method thereof and program
It is determined whether or not a change request for changing an array of a plurality of items of job information on a job list screen to a second array being different from a first array is inputted via a user interface. If it is determined that the change request is inputted, a job list screen is displayed in which the array of the plurality of items of job information is changed to the second array. Display contents of the user interface are changed in response to a user operation with respect to a print job displayed on the job list screen. If the change request is inputted prior to the user operation, the job list screen in the second array is redisplayed upon the conclusion of processing due to the user operation. If the change request is not inputted prior to the user operation, the job list screen in the first array is redisplayed. |
| US08335002B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and storage medium
An information processing apparatus determines whether a combination of print setting data and drawing data is a standard combination. The information processing apparatus converts the drawing data into drawing data of another format or converts the drawing data into image data if the combination of the print setting data and the drawing data is determined not to be the standard combination. |
| US08334997B2 |
Image forming apparatus, program and image forming system
An image forming apparatus comprising: a determining unit which determines a start time for forming an image on a recording medium; a judging unit having a first judging unit which judges whether to execute a quality improving process based on the start time; and a control unit which controls an execution of the quality improving process based on a judgment result of the first judging unit. |
| US08334994B2 |
Management apparatus, image forming apparatus management system for managing usage of the image forming apparatus
A management apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus for managing usage of the image forming apparatus is disclosed. The management apparatus includes a user data storage part for storing user identification data and use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data, and a use restriction data acquiring part for acquiring the use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data. |
| US08334985B2 |
Shape measuring apparatus and shape measuring method
A shape measuring apparatus that measures a three-dimensional shape of a measuring target has a lighting device that irradiates the measuring target placed on a stage with light, an imaging device that takes an image of the measuring target, a shape calculating device that calculates orientations of normals at a plurality of points on a surface of the measuring target from an image, the image being obtained by performing imaging with the imaging device while the lighting device irradiates the measuring target with the light, the shape calculating device calculating the three-dimensional shape of the surface of the measuring target from the calculation result of the orientations of the normals, a ranging device that measures a distance from a predetermined reference position with respect to at least one point on the surface of the measuring target, and a determination device that determines a spatial position of the three-dimensional shape of the surface of the measuring target, the three-dimensional shape being obtained by the shape calculating device using information on the distance obtained by the ranging device. |
| US08334983B2 |
Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method
A lithographic apparatus is provided with an optical encoder measurement system having an irradiation system to direct an irradiation beam to a first scale. The system has optics to direct a primary diffracted beam diffracted from the first scale upon irradiation by the irradiation beam to a second scale and a detector to detect a secondary diffracted beam after interference and a second diffraction of the primary diffracted irradiation beam on the second scale to measure the position of the first scale with respect to the second scale. |
| US08334982B2 |
Systems and methods for phase measurements
Preferred embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems for phase measurement which address the problem of phase noise using combinations of a number of strategies including, but not limited to, common-path interferometry, phase referencing, active stabilization and differential measurement. Embodiment are directed to optical devices for imaging small biological objects with light. These embodiments can be applied to the fields of, for example, cellular physiology and neuroscience. These preferred embodiments are based on principles of phase measurements and imaging technologies. The scientific motivation for using phase measurements and imaging technologies is derived from, for example, cellular biology at the sub-micron level which can include, without limitation, imaging origins of dysplasia, cellular communication, neuronal transmission and implementation of the genetic code. The structure and dynamics of sub-cellular constituents cannot be currently studied in their native state using the existing methods and technologies including, for example, x-ray and neutron scattering. In contrast, light based techniques with nanometer resolution enable the cellular machinery to be studied in its native state. Thus, preferred embodiments of the present invention include systems based on principles of interferometry and/or phase measurements and are used to study cellular physiology. These systems include principles of low coherence interferometry (LCI) using optical interferometers to measure phase, or light scattering spectroscopy (LSS) wherein interference within the cellular components themselves is used, or in the alternative the principles of LCI and LSS can be combined to result in systems of the present invention. |
| US08334981B2 |
Orthogonal-polarization mirau interferometry and beam-splitting module and interferometric system using the same
An orthogonal-polarization Mirau interferometric system is provided, wherein a narrow-band or broad-band incident light is split into a reference light and an inspection light with the polarizations thereof being orthogonal to each other by using a beam-splitting module, while projecting the inspection light on a measured object to form an object light, and then the object light and the reference light are combined to form a combined light, and thereafter, an analyzer is utilized to modulate the polarizations and the intensities of the two lights for making the two lights interfere with each other and thus create an interference pattern. The polarization of the object light and that of the reference light can be adjusted by using an analyzer to become orthogonal to each other, and the intensities of the object light and the reference light can be adjusted to about the same for producing an interference pattern with high contrast. |
| US08334979B2 |
Method for controlling the register between a printed pattern and a three-dimensional pattern on a packaging material
A method and/or an apparatus for controlling the register between print and three-dimensional structures, such as creases in the forming of a package, and a method and/or the apparatus for controlling a unit for repeated cutting-out or perforation of a material web from which the packages are formed. In the control, a focused, high intensive light beam, such as a laser line, is laid in a bisecting direction to relevant creases. The position of the crease or the creases is determined by sensing of a deflection of the projected laser line. Diffuse light from the laser line may be used in order to register the position of a register marking. If the difference between the register marking and crease differs more than a predetermined value, the creasing tool and/or printing press is automatically adjusted. |
| US08334978B2 |
Method and hand-held color measurement device for gauging a color measurement chart
In a method for gauging a color measurement chart which includes at least one row of color measurement fields, a hand-held color measurement device is moved over the color measurement fields and gauges the color measurement fields. The measurement device is guided over the color measurement fields in two measurement runs. In a first run, first color measurement data is measured using a first type of illumination light (typically, white), covering a sufficient portion of the spectrum to enable the fields to be identified by means of the first color measurement data, and the fields are identified on the basis of the first color measurement data. In a second run, second color measurement data is measured using a second type of illumination light (typically, UV), and is then assigned to the color measurement fields on the basis of the fields identified in the first run. |
| US08334973B2 |
Optical emission spectroscopy device
A spectral analysis apparatus includes a light transmissive envelope, first and second electrodes, a sleeve, and first and second electrical contacts. The light transmissive envelope contains a fluid operable to emit light when electrically energized. The first electrode is disposed upon an external surface of an end portion of the envelope external to the envelope. The second electrode is disposed upon an external surface of a second end portion external to the envelope. The sleeve defines a cavity configured to removably receive the envelope. The electrical contacts are in communication with the cavity and are configured to electrically connect to the corresponding electrode when the envelope is within the sleeve. The electrical contacts are connectable to an electrical power supply and electrically energize the fluid when connected to the electrical power supply. |
| US08334970B2 |
Detection of open cracks in eggs
A conveying device for conveying eggs comprises an endless conveyor provided with rollers extending transversely to the direction of conveyance. The rollers are arranged in pairs, and each pair of rollers forms an receiving space, in which an egg is accommodated in such a way that the egg rests on both rollers. The conveying device furthermore comprises a transfer device provided with a plurality of pick-up elements for picking up the eggs from a tray and placing the eggs on the conveyor. The pick-up elements on the transfer device can be moved from a first position in which they are positioned at a distance from each other corresponding to the distance between the individual eggs on the tray, viewed in the direction of conveyance, and a second position corresponding to the centre-to-centre distance between two receiving spaces. In use, the rollers are set in rotation, with the result that an egg resting on them is set in rotation, which is advantageous if the eggs on the conveyor have to be inspected for cracks. In this case by means of a plurality of lasers disposed in a stationary position one after the other a laser beam is directed at the egg during movement of the egg, and the light transmission of the egg surface is observed by optical observation means. Data processing means are equipped to decide on the basis of the observed light transmission whether or not an egg has a crack. |
| US08334967B2 |
Substrate support system having a plurality of contact lands
The present invention includes a substrate support system having a chuck body. The chuck body includes a body surface with a pin extending therefrom having a contact surface lying in a plane. The pin may be movably coupled to the chuck body to move with respect to the plane. The pin may also include a cross-member having multiple contact lands. |
| US08334966B2 |
Method of forming a bistable watermark
A watermark formed of a bistable material, and a method of forming the watermark, are described. |
| US08334963B2 |
Display comprising a plurality of spacer rows having first and second protruding portions and method of manufacturing the same
A display device includes a plurality of spacer rows that are provided outside a display region on one of a pair of substrates, and each of the spacer rows is defined by a plurality of spacers arranged in a row at predetermined intervals along an outer edge of the display region. Each spacer has a substantially elongated shape extending along the outer edge of the display region. A gap between adjacent spacers in each spacer row is defined by a slit portion having a shorter length than a longitudinal length of the spacer, and the plurality of spacer rows are entirely covered by the seal member between the pair of substrates. |
| US08334962B2 |
Gate-in-panel type liquid crystal display device with shortage-preventing pattern and method of fabricating the same
A liquid crystal display device comprises: a first substrate and a second substrate facing and spaced apart from each other, the first substrate and the second substrate including an active area, a signal input area and a pad area, the signal input area and the pad area being disposed at a periphery of the active area; a gate line and a data line on the first substrate in the active area, the gate line and the data line crossing each other; first connection lines and second connection lines in the signal input area, the first connection lines extending to the pad area and crossing the second connection lines; a gate connection pattern contacting the first connection lines and the second connection lines; a common electrode on the second substrate; a shortage-preventing pattern on the common electrode and corresponding to the gate connection pattern; a seal pattern surrounding the active area, the seal pattern including a conductive ball; and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates in the seal pattern. |
| US08334959B2 |
Electro-optical device and electronic apparatus including a sealed wiring portion connected to an electrostatic protection circuit
An electro-optical device having a display region in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix includes: switching elements each corresponding to one the plurality of pixels; a first sealed wiring portion that is formed on an element substrate so as to surround at least three sides of the display region; and a second sealed wiring portion that surrounds the first sealed wiring portion. |
| US08334958B2 |
Liquid crystal display and thin film transistor array panel therefor
A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate including a first electrode and a second electrode formed thereon, a second substrate including a third electrode formed thereon, wherein the second substrate is spaced apart from the first substrate by a gap, and at least one cutout formed in the third electrode, wherein the at least one cutout is aligned with a space between the first and second electrodes. |
| US08334957B2 |
Liquid crystal display device having rectangular-shaped pixel electrodes overlapping with comb-shaped counter electrodes in plan view
The present invention realizes a bright image display by enhancing a numerical aperture of pixels. At least a portion of a pixel electrode is overlapped to a thin film transistor by way of a first insulation film, the pixel electrode is connected to an output electrode of the thin film transistor via a contact hole which is formed in the first insulation film, the counter electrode is arranged above the pixel electrode by way of a second insulation film in a state that the counter electrode is overlapped to the pixel electrode, the counter electrode is formed at a position avoiding the contact hole formed in the first insulation film as viewed in a plan view, and at least a portion of the counter electrode is overlapped to the thin film transistor. |
| US08334954B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
Each pixel region includes first, second, third and fourth liquid crystal domains that come to have first, second, third and fourth predetermined tilt directions, respectively, in response to a voltage applied. The first, second, third and fourth directions are defined such that an angle formed between any two of the four directions is approximately equal to an integral multiple of 90 degrees. The first, second, third and fourth liquid crystal domains are arranged in two columns and two rows so as to define a matrix pattern and to be adjacent to each other. An extended portion of a storage capacitor line defines at least a part of a central opaque portion that selectively shields at least a part of a boundary area, where each of the first, second, third and fourth liquid crystal domains contacts with another one of the liquid crystal domains, from incoming light. A contact hole has been cut through an insulating layer, where there is a contact portion between a drain extension line and a first electrode, and is located in a part of the central opaque portion that is closer to the liquid crystal layer. |
| US08334947B2 |
Backlight assembly and display device having the same
Provided are a backlight assembly and a display device having the same. The backlight assembly comprises an elongated first high voltage lamp extending in a first direction and having respective first and second ends. A second similar lamp is provided so as to be separated at its ends from the corresponding first and second ends of the first lamp by a first gap distance (d1) and to extend substantially, but not fully parallel to the first lamp. An intermediated gap fixing part is provided for fixing at an intermediate position along the lengths of the first and second lamps a second separation gap distance (d2) that is smaller than the first gap distance. As a result of the positioning of the smaller second gap, if it happens at all; electrical interaction noise and/or corona discharge between the high voltage lamps is encouraged to occur at the position of this smaller second gap distance (d2) rather than at the terminal ends of the lamps whereat the lamps couple via power conductors to other parts of the display system. |
| US08334945B2 |
Liquid crystal display device
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device having a back light for irradiating a liquid crystal panel with light. An LED as a light emitting element is provided on a light guide panel provided in the back light, and a reflection member is provided on an optical sheet in the vicinity of an inclined plane of the light guide panel to reflect the light going out of the inclined plane toward the light guide panel. Furthermore, a convex portion of the light guide panel is formed between a plurality of light emitting elements, and an adhesive member is also provided between the convex portion and the optical sheet to ensure tight adhesion between the light guide panel and the optical sheet. |