| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08074835B2 |
Dispensing small quantities of particles
An apparatus for dispensing small quantities of particles, the apparatus comprising a hopper (20) provided with a sieve at a bottom portion thereof, the hopper defining a powder-containing zone above the sieve which in use contains powder to be dispensed therefrom through the sieve, a support (25) for the hopper, the support holding a portion of the hopper so that the hopper can in use be held above a container into which the dispensed powder is to be received, at least one actuator (30) for delivering impact energy to the hopper for causing powder to be dispensed through the sieve when the hopper receives the impact energy, and an element which is adapted to permit controlled vertical movement of the hopper relative to the support. |
| US08074825B1 |
Dispensing closure for selectively dispensing material from a multi-chambered container
A container assembly with a closure and the structure of the closure. The container has multiple compartments for holding different materials. The container has a closure with a fitment that attaches to the container. The fitment has separate bottom receptacle areas on one side and a top receptacle on the other. The separate receptacle areas are each exposed to different compartments within the container. The top receptacle area is connected to each of the separate receptacle areas by conduits. A selection head is provided having a pour spout and a plurality of baffle chambers. The pour spout has an open central conduit, wherein only some of the baffle chambers are open to that central conduit. The baffle chambers are received within the top receptacle area of the fitment. Different combinations of the baffle chambers selectively align with different conduits as the selection head rotates within the fitment. |
| US08074822B1 |
Liner film and packaging system with liner film
A packaging system is provided including a container having a plurality of walls and a flexible liner film placed in a product receiving chamber defined by the walls. The liner film comprises a base film having a first surface, a second surface and at least one side margin. A cold seal cohesive material layer is applied to the second surface of the base film so that at least a portion of at least one side margin of the base film is substantially free of cold seal cohesive material. A release film is laminated to the cold seal cohesive material layer and at least partially overlaps a portion of side margin substantially free of cold seal cohesive material. |
| US08074821B2 |
Child-resistant container and container cap
A container assembly including a container and a cap disposed on the container. The cap is moveable between a closed condition and an open condition. The cap has two opposing side wall regions and an end region disposed between the two opposing side wall regions. At least one of the side wall regions has a container-engaging portion moveable between a closed position where the container-engaging portion engages the container to resist opening of the cap, and a second position where the container-engaging portion is disengaged from the container to allow opening of the cap. The end region of the cap is in a snap-fit relationship with the container. Also included is a cap having these features. |
| US08074818B2 |
Air transportable ISO container
A transport device such as an ISO container that is adapted to be transported by air or surface transportation. The transport device includes a base, a plurality of movable ISO corner blocks movably coupled to the base, and a plurality of adjustment mechanisms. Each adjustment mechanism is adapted to couple a respective corner block to the base and to selectively move the corner block with respect to the base between an air transport position, wherein the bottom surface of the corner block does not extend beyond the bottom surface of the base, and a surface transport position wherein the bottom surface of the corner block is located below the bottom surface of the base. The base includes a plurality of roller plates that form the bottom surface of the base and that are adapted to engage rollers of an aircraft cargo handling system. The transport device also includes detent rails that are removably attached to the base. The detent rails includes tabs and detents that are adapted to cooperate with an aircraft cargo handling system to releasably secure the transport device in place within an aircraft. |
| US08074815B2 |
Multi-level rack system with ultraviolet light for supporting surgical tools
A rack for use in an operating room during surgery to hold surgical instruments. The rack includes a vertical support (including an adjustable height portion); rack support braces; rack support arms; a base interface member; casters; a base; and lighted trays. The lighted trays radiate ultraviolet and/or visible light to provide visible light in low light conditions and/or to inhibit bacterial growth. The trays are detachably attachable from the rack support arms which helps the trays to be maintained in a sterile condition, even if the rest of the rack is not maintained in a sterile condition. |
| US08074809B2 |
Apparatus and method for the treatment of liquid/solid mixtures
An apparatus and method are disclosed for the continuous treatment of the flow of a mixture containing liquids and solids. A pump provides the mixture to tube that includes a woven material. The liquid is filtered from the mixture, leaving a solids-enriched mixture in the tube. The tube may be flexed during the process, freeing solids trapped in the tube to flow through the center of the tube. A valve may be provided to the tube to generate a back-pressure in the system. |
| US08074807B2 |
Screening system for objects in transit
The present invention relates to the screening of objects in-transit and materials, for security purposes (i.e. explosives detection).The invention provides an adjustable computerized system suitable for use at airports, seaports, land terminals, distribution centers, railway terminals, border crossings or other transit terminals, in order to achieve maximal efficiency and detection reliability, by adjustment of the screening process of any specific object to its risk factor in conjunction with the characteristics of the available in-line detection equipment.The invention provides an automated security inspection and conveying system for in-transit objects, comprising means for identifying the sender of each package and to profile and import the security status data relevant to the object into the system, and a plurality of various security screening machines in combination with conveying and sorting components. The system tracks each package from a reception point through the conveyors and screening machines to reach a sorting junction, via a user-adjustable screening process, the conveying and sorting components being interfaced with the security status data for assigning a risk assessment factor to the object and the sender. Each package is routed via an appropriate number of screening devices, the output of the screening devices being processed and the risk assessment factor being adjusted accordingly, the new risk assessment factor being sent to a control system of the conveying and sorting components. |
| US08074802B2 |
Apparatus for protection of microarrays from oxidative degradation
A slide cover for enclosing a region comprising an active region on a slide is provided. A slide cover and a slide are also provided. A slide cover for enclosing a region comprising an active region on a slide, where the slide is placed in a clamshell slide holder is also provided. |
| US08074800B2 |
Linear lamp cell pack
A tray for supporting linear lamps in large cartons may be made to nest in one orientation and on rotation by 180 degrees may stack to form a latched array of lamp cradles. The cradle walls are formed along their lengths with alternating lengths and gaps. The alternating wall sections of the cradle walls are asymmetric right to left along the cradle axis. The walls forming the rows of cradles are arranged to be paired with a non-nesting wall on rotation by 180 degrees. In this way, at least one point along the length of each wall is supported in the non-nesting orientation. By forming latching features at the support points, the trays can be locked together as a rigid array of lamp cradles. |
| US08074799B2 |
Holding tray
For easy washing and sterilizing of a holding tray for drill bits used in a dental implant operation, a holding tray X includes a tray main body 1 made of a hard material capable of autoclave sterilizing and holding members 2 made of an elastic material capable of autoclave sterilizing, the tray main body 1 includes holding plates 1b and holding member supporting plates 1c on a back surface of a substrate part 1a having rows of linearly aligned through holes 1aa for drill bits, the holding plates 1b include half circular cylindrical recessed parts 1ba at portions corresponding to the through holes 1aa, the supporting plates 1c have a fixed interval to a plane 1bb along the recessed part 1ba, and the holding members 2 are detachably held between the holding plates 1b and the supporting plates 1c to hold the drill bits together with the recessed parts 1ba. |
| US08074794B2 |
Chemicals mixing container with offset communicating holes
A chemicals mixing container (1), which allows two kinds of chemicals, a liquid material (2) and a powder material (4), to be stored therein in isolation from each other and which allows the liquid material (2) and the powder material (4) to be mixed together. The mixing container includes: a first cylinder (6); a first piston (7) which is fitted in the first cylinder (6) to define a first internal space (3); a second cylinder (8) which is connected to the first cylinder (6) or the first piston (7) so as to be rotationally slidable thereon; and a second piston (9) which is fitted in the second cylinder to define a second internal space (5). The second cylinder (8) and the first cylinder (6) or the first piston (7) to which the second cylinder (8) is connected have communicating holes (13, 14) formed in their mutual sliding surfaces at positions, respectively, eccentric relative to a rotation axis X. The first internal space (3) and the second internal space (5) are communicated with or isolated from each other depending on a rotational sliding angle between the second cylinder (8) and the first cylinder (6) or the first piston (7) to which the second cylinder (8) is connected. |
| US08074793B2 |
Boltless conveyor assembly
A conveyor system and method of assembling same in which parts are fastened without the use of welding, clamps, or threaded fasteners such as bolts and screws is provided. A bracket and slot mechanism is used to attach one conveyor component to another. The bracket and slot mechanism allows components to be easily attached/detached by merely applying force to slide the bracket into the slot. Moreover, when engaged, the bracket is held securely in the slot so that the components do not become detached during normal operation of the conveyor assembly. |
| US08074791B1 |
Hook assembly for a conveyor belt
A hook assembly for a modular conveyor belt having a conveying surface is provided. The hook assembly has a link interleaved with a plastic link from the modular conveyor belt. A hinge pin secures the link and plastic link together. The link has a recess in the conveying surface, an aperture disposed in the recess and a slot adjacent the aperture opening into the recess. The slot has a reinforced segment. A hook having a shall is provided which is slidable in the slot and includes a sharpened end of the hook disposed on a conveying side of the link and a translational member carried by the shaft and engagable with a track on a conveyor assembly such that the interaction between the track and the translational member results in movement of the hook between a lowered position in which the hook is positioned within the recess and a raised position in which the hook is disposed above the conveying surface. A modular conveyor belt is also provided. |
| US08074790B2 |
Manufacturing method for absorptive article
A manufacturing method for an absorptive article having a waistband member, includes: transporting a continuum (for example, second to seventh continuum) including waistband regions 1A and 1B corresponding to the waistband member. In the transporting, the continuum is asymmetric with respect to a center line CL of the continuum in a moving direction of the continuum, and is transported while being held on at least a first belt conveyor 110 and a second belt conveyor 120. |
| US08074786B2 |
Mounting arrangement
A method of mounting a floor slat (14) of a reciprocating floor to an associated drive beam (18.1) of the floor slat includes mounting an elongate clamp member (200) to the drive beam (18.1). The clamp member (200) has opposed side walls defining a longitudinally extending clamping slot between them. The floor slat (14) is located on the clamp member (200). The floor slat (14) has a downwardly depending longitudinally extending mounting member (208) which is received in the clamping slot. The mounting member (208) is clamped in the clamping slot thereby to attach the floor slat (14) to the clamp member (200) and thus to the drive beam (18.1). |
| US08074777B2 |
Ball screw resettable mechanical disconnect
A disengagement/disconnect assembly for disengaging a generator from a gear box includes an inner ball screw having an angled threading on an outer surface thereof and surrounding and operatively engaged to a rotating generator drive shaft to cause rotation of the inner ball screw, the inner ball screw having axial dog teeth engaged to corresponding teeth of the gear box drive shaft, an outer ball screw surrounding and normally rotating with the inner ball screw and having a spherical ball and an angled ball track between the inner and outer ball screws, a lock, and a brake for slowing or stopping rotation of the outer ball screw so that the inner ball screw rotates relative to the outer ball screw along the ball track and slides axially toward the lock thereby disengaging the generator from the gear box drive shaft. |
| US08074776B2 |
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain straddle type vehicle includes, inside a wheel, a disc rotor that rotates as the wheel rotates, a caliper for clamping the disc rotor to brake the rotation of the wheel, and a scraper for scraping out dirt, mud, sand, snow and other debris deposited on a rim of the wheel. An edge of a scraping surface of the scraper extends obliquely from upstream toward downstream of a rotation direction of the wheel with respect to a rotation plane of the wheel. |
| US08074775B2 |
Wheel immobilizer apparatus and associated method
Embodiments of the present invention provide a wheel immobilizer apparatus and method for immobilizing a wheel of a vehicle. For example, a wheel immobilizer apparatus may include a plurality of chocks and an adjustment member secured to each of the chocks and configured to adjust a relative distance between a pair of the plurality of chocks. The apparatus may also include a flexible member comprising a pair of free ends each secured to a respective one of the pair of chocks and configured to secure the chocks to a wheel. |
| US08074774B2 |
Master cylinder lever with variable dead band and variable reach adjustment independent of the dead band adjustment
A master cylinder for a bicycle hydraulic disc brake comprises a housing defining a cylinder, the cylinder having a first and a second end along its axis. A hydraulic fluid reservoir has a port between the hydraulic fluid reservoir and the cylinder, the port having an opening between the first and second cylinder ends. A piston having a seal resides in the cylinder with the seal between the piston and the cylinder. The seal has a leading seal edge with the leading seal edge being movable solely between the first cylinder and the port opening to vary the dead band distance between the leading seal edge and the port opening with the piston in a starting position. A lever is pivotably associated with the housing and operatively associated with the piston for moving the piston within the cylinder between the starting and a pressurized position as the lever is actuated between a rest position and an actuated position. A reach adjustment is operatively associated with the lever for varying the rest position of the lever relative to the master cylinder housing independent of movement of the leading seal edge relative to the port as the reach adjustment varies the rest position of the lever. |
| US08074769B2 |
Ladder accessory
A device is provided for aiding a user in transporting a load up and down a ladder assembly. The ladder assembly includes a fly ladder having slidably connected to a base ladder. Each ladder includes first and second spaced rails interconnected by a plurality of spaced rungs. The device has a frame assembly including a first subframe positionable adjacent the first rail of the base ladder and a second subframe positionable adjacent the second rail of the base ladder. First and second base ladder guides are operatively connected to each subframe and define tracks for receiving the rails of the base ladder therebetween. First and second fly ladder guides are operatively connected to the subframes and defines tracks for receiving the rails of the fly ladder therebetween. |
| US08074764B2 |
Straddle type vehicle with electric power steering apparatus
A straddle type vehicle is provided with a body frame of a vehicle, a bar handle provided in a front portion of the vehicle body frame, a steering shaft transmitting a turning operation of the bar handle to a pair of right and left front wheels, and an electric power steering apparatus mounted in an intermediate portion of the steering shaft for assisting a steering motion of the bar handle. The electric power steering apparatus includes, in a state of the vehicle capable of being traveled, an electric power steering main body including an electric motor, a gear unit, an input shaft and an output shaft, an upper steering shaft in which the bar handle is attached to an upper end portion and an upper end of the input shaft is connected to a lower end portion, and a support member supporting the upper steering shaft. |
| US08074758B2 |
Inertial centrifugal drive system
A inertial-centrifugal drive system retrofitted onto the drive train of existing equipment or incorporated with the power unit/drive train of new vehicles includes a flywheel mounted to the vehicle's drive shaft with the flywheel comprising an outer rim section, a hub and an inner web section connecting the hub to the rim with a free-wheeling cam and clutch bearing encased within the hub and circumjacently mounted on and selectively engagable to the drive shaft adjacent the area of interconnection of the input shaft to the output shaft with the free-wheeling cam and clutch bearing controlled by the flywheel for improving and enhancing the efficiency of any powered rotating force such as the main drive shaft and transmission unit of the vehicle. |
| US08074748B1 |
Thermally-stable polycrystalline diamond element and compact, and applications therefor such as drill bits
Embodiments of the invention relate to thermally-stable polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) elements, polycrystalline diamond compacts (“PDCs”), and methods of fabricating such PCD elements and PDCs. In an embodiment, a PCD element includes a PCD body comprising bonded diamond grains defining a plurality of interstitial regions. The PCD body includes a first volume having a first portion of the interstitial regions and a second volume having a second portion of the interstitial regions. The PCD body further includes an infiltrant that is disposed in the first portion of the interstitial regions and the second portion of the interstitial regions is substantially free of the infiltrant. The infiltrant comprises a glass, a glass-ceramic, silicone, a thermal decomposition reaction product of silicone, a ceramic having a negative coefficient of thermal expansion, or combinations thereof. |
| US08074738B2 |
Offshore thermal treatment of drill cuttings fed from a bulk transfer system
A system for offshore treatment of drill cuttings that includes a first pressurized vessel configured to receive contaminated drill cuttings and adapted to allow a compressed gas be introduced therein as the sole means for inducing movement of said contaminated drill cuttings in the first pressurized vessel, whereby at least a portion of the contaminated drill cuttings is discharged from the first pressurized vessel; and a reactor unit in fluid connection with the first pressurized vessel for separating the contaminated drill cuttings into drill cuttings and contaminants, wherein the reactor unit includes a processing chamber having at least one inlet and outlet; and a rotor mounted in the processing chamber, the rotor including a shaft; and a plurality of fixed rotor arms extending radially from the shaft is disclosed. |
| US08074734B2 |
Powered hammer with a vibration dampening mechanism
A powered hammer is described comprising a housing, a tool holder mounted on the housing, a percussion mechanism arranged within the housing which mechanism includes a ram reciprocating in a longitudinal direction and being adapted to apply impacts on a tool bit supported in the tool holder, a dampening mass which is slidably mounted in the longitudinal direction within the housing, wherein the dampening mass is biased towards a neutral position by a biasing element and wherein the dampening mass may be deflected from the neutral position against the biasing force of the biasing element. The dampening mass is formed of a ferromagnetic or paramagnetic material or comprises a permanent magnet and a solenoid is arranged within housing adjacent to the dampening mass such that the solenoid applies a force in the longitudinal direction on the dampening mass when being in the neutral position if a current is flowing through the solenoid. |
| US08074730B2 |
Vertical tillage system
A vertical tilling implement to be pulled behind and agricultural vehicle having a number of gangs of fluted-concave disc blades, rolling baskets, and wheels connected to a main frame. As the vertical tilling implement is pulled, the fluted-concave disc blades move the soil in a direction lateral to the side of the blades as well as up. Meanwhile, the rolling bars aid in leveling the seedbed and crushing the remaining large pieces of soil. The vertical tilling implement reduces the amount of subsoil compaction and cuts through heavy residue making it ideal for use in the fall or in the spring. |
| US08074728B2 |
Shallow disc blade vertical tillage system
A tilling implement has a front row of shallow concave disc blades having a front right portion and a front left portion symmetrically disposed about a centerline of the implement. A rear row of shallow concave disc blades has a rear right portion and a rear left portion symmetrically disposed about the centerline of the implement. The rear right portion following behind the front right portion in a right path and the rear left portion following the front left portion in a left path when the implement is displaced through a field. The implement includes no ground engaging tool in the right path between the front right portion and the rear right portion, and no ground engaging tool in the left path between the front left portion and the rear left portion. The shallow concave disc blades have a concavity of between approximately 1.25 and 1.69 inches over an outer diameter of approximately 20 inches. The front left portion and the front right portion, and/or the rear left portion and the rear right portion, are positioned at an angle of about 18 degrees with respect to a line perpendicular to the centerline. |
| US08074727B2 |
Symmetrical path vertical tillage system and method
A tilling implement has a front row of concave disc blades having a front right portion and a front left portion symmetrically disposed about a centerline of the implement. A rear row of concave disc blades has a rear right portion and a rear left portion symmetrically disposed about the centerline of the implement. The rear right portion follows behind the front right portion in a right path and the rear left portion follows the front left portion in a left path when the implement is displaced through a field. The implement includes no ground engaging tool in the right path between the front right portion and the rear right portion, and no ground engaging tool in the left path between the front left portion and the rear left portion. A ground engaging tool is disposed generally along the centerline of the implement between the right and left paths. |
| US08074726B1 |
Vibratory ripper
In an aspect, the invention is directed to a ripping mechanism for a vehicle. The ripping mechanism includes a support frame, a ripping member and an impact mechanism which is configured to reciprocate the ripping member forwardly and rearwardly. The impact mechanism is preferably a vibrator mechanism. In a particular embodiment, the ripping mechanism has a longitudinal axis, is mountable to the vehicle and is movable between a raised position and a lowered position. The ripping member has an engagement head that is configured for plowing a groove in the ground and that is pivotally supported on the support frame about a ripping member pivot axis that is positioned such that pivoting of the ripping member displaces the engagement head longitudinally. The impact mechanism is preferably a vibrator mechanism. The vibrator mechanism is connected to the ripping member wherein activation of the vibrator mechanism causes reciprocating pivoting movement of the ripping member. |
| US08074722B2 |
Method for securing a damaged wellhead
A technique for securing a subsea well that has had some of its components damaged as a result of a storm or other catastrophic event. The techniques utilizes a casing head assembly that may secured to the casing of the damaged well by tightening a plurality of set screws to drive slips into the casing. The casing head assembly may also comprise a tubing hanger. Tubing head set screws may then be tightened to activate the tubing hanger to secure the production tubing to the casing head. The casing head assembly may also comprise a latch-lock connector that may be secured to the casing head by stabbing the latch-lock connector into the casing head and rotating the connector approximately one-quarter turn. A corrosion cap may then be secured to the latch-lock connector to cover the end of the production tubing. |
| US08074718B2 |
Ball seat sub
A downhole tool for providing a pressure differential between sub-assemblies, the downhole tool including an elongated body, a tubular assembly disposed within the elongated body, the tubular assembly including a central flowbore with an inner diameter and a central longitudinal axis, a camming device, an actuator member located below the tubular assembly, having a dual-bore configuration, the actuator member including a first bore, a second bore, and a concave seating surface formed within the second bore for receiving a obstructing device, wherein the first bore and the second bore are oriented 90 degrees to one another so that fluid may flow through the actuator while it is in either a first or a second position, and a stationary sleeve concentrically disposed between the actuator member and the elongated body is disclosed. |
| US08074714B2 |
System, method and apparatus for downhole orientation probe sensor
A submersible pump assembly may be radially oriented for pumping well fluid in a deviated or horizontal well. The submersible pump assembly has an instrument housing having a longitudinal axis and incorporated onto the pump assembly. An electrical contact is mounted within the housing and an electrical contact probe, moveable relative to the housing and biased upwards toward an upper side of the housing when the pump assembly is inclined, is provided. The housing and the electrical contact are rotatable about the longitudinal axis relative to the electrical contact probe, such that an electrical circuit is completed when the electrical contact is rotated into engagement with the electrical contact probe, generating a signal from the completed electrical circuit. The electrical contact is at a known circumferential position relative to the fixed reference point, which may be the intake port of the pump. |
| US08074713B2 |
Casing collar locator and method for locating casing collars
A system and method to log a wellbore, comprising a logging tool adapted to be deployed in a wellbore environment, the logging tool including at least one sensor for taking a measurement of the wellbore environment. The sensor is a fiber optic sensor and the system includes a fiber optic line in optical communication with the sensor. The data measured by the sensor is transmitted through the fiber optic line on a real time basis to the surface, where the data is processed into a real time display. In one embodiment, the fiber optic sensor is a passive sensor not requiring electrical or battery power. In another embodiment, a continuous tube with one end at the earth's surface and the other end in the wellbore is attached to the logging tool and includes the fiber optic line disposed therein. |
| US08074708B2 |
Heat exchanger
A heat exchanger includes tubes and a tank. The tubes extend in a first direction, and are stacked in a second direction. The tank has a tube insertion plate part, and is arranged at an end portion of the tubes. The tube insertion plate part has tube holes in which the tubes are inserted, and ribs extending in a third direction that is approximately perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. The tube hole has end portions in the third direction. The rib are arranged to overlap with the end portion of the tube hole in the second direction, and to provide a deformable part to be deformable in the first direction. The deformable part is located in the tube insertion plate part outside of the ribs in the third direction. |
| US08074706B2 |
Heat spreader with composite micro-structure
A heat spreader comprising a casing, a micro-structure layer, a support device, and a working fluid is provided. The casing has an inner surface and is defined by a sealed chamber where the working fluid circulates therein. The micro-structure layer is formed on the inner surface of the casing, wherein the micro-structure layer comprises a first structure layer which is formed by the first metallic mesh. Specifically, the first metallic mesh forms the first structure layer on the inner surface through diffusion bonding so that the working fluid can circulate within the micro-structure layer by capillary action. In addition, the support device is disposed in the sealed chamber for supporting the casing. Thus, a heat spreader with a composite micro-structure can not only enhance the capillarity but also reduce the flowing resistance during operation. |
| US08074692B2 |
Process and tooling for lining molds of curved pieces
The invention relates to a process and tooling for the lining of molds for curved pieces, the process comprising the application of a lining (15) of width A2 on the mold (3) in several successive passes, exerting pressure thereon so that it adapts to the curvature of the piece, and the number of passes being the minimum required so that the width A2 of the tape (15) allows achieving such adaptation, and the tooling comprising a drum (25) for applying the lining (15), a means of attaching its end to the mold (3) at the beginning of each pass, a conical roller (25), to exert pressure on the lining (15) uniformly along its entire width, and means (26, 29) for its movement through side guides (27, 28) arranged on the mold (3) parallel to the curved lines (5, 7) demarcating the piece. |
| US08074690B2 |
Decoupling groove for pneumatic tire tread
A pneumatic radial ply truck tire for use on medium truck trailers includes a tread, a casing with two sidewalls, one or more radial plies extending from, and wrapped about, two annular beads, and a belt reinforcement structure located radially between the tread and the one or more radial plies. The tread includes a plurality of circumferentially extending tread grooves, a pair of circumferentially extending shoulder ribs, a pair of radially recessed ribs being radially recessed and non-road contacting under static load disposed at a lateral edge of the shoulder ribs, and a pair of circumferentially extending decoupling grooves. Each decoupling groove defines a transition between a corresponding shoulder rib and a corresponding recessed rib. A lateral edge of one of the shoulder ribs has a first radius of curvature forming a transition from a radially outer surface of the shoulder rib to a first side surface of the corresponding decoupling groove. A base surface of the decoupling groove has a second radius of curvature forming a transition from the first side surface to a second side surface of the decoupling groove. A radially outer surface of the corresponding recessed rib has a third radius of curvature forming a continuous transition from the second side surface to a third outer side surface of the shoulder portion of the tread. |
| US08074689B2 |
Method for making an artificial rattan web
A method for making an artificial rattan web, includes: (a) providing a guiding body having a curved surface, and a threading block that is disposed downstream of the guiding body and that is formed with a rattan hole and a thread hole; (b) passing an artificial rattan strip and a thread through the guiding body, and respectively through the rattan hole and the thread hole in the threading block; (c) weaving the artificial rattan strip and the thread; and (d) fusing together the artificial rattan strip and the thread at intersections thereof. |
| US08074688B2 |
Machine tool with an exhaust hood
A machine tool, in particular a wood-working machine, with a tool for chip removal rotating in direction of rotation D and a suction hood covering the tool with a partially opened circumferential wall that has a radial spacing A from the tool and that has a suction nozzle for suctioning off chips. In the machine tool rotating air vortices directed in the opposite direction based on the direction of rotation D of the tool can be generated in the suction hood in the area of the suction nozzle during the chip removal. |
| US08074684B2 |
Seat height control system
The present invention relates to a leveling valve including a first port, a second port, a third port, a valve, and a clutch. The clutch is provided with an engaged position and a disengaged position. At least a portion of the clutch may move relative to the valve when the clutch is in the disengaged position. The clutch moves the valve when the clutch is in the engaged position. The valve is movable between a first position, a second position, and a third position. When the valve is in the first position, the valve blocks a first pathway, which extends from the first port, from connecting with a second pathway, which extends from the second port. When the valve is in the second position, the valve allows the first pathway to connect with the second pathway. When the valve is in the third position, the valve allows the second pathway to connect with a third pathway, which extends from the third port. |
| US08074682B2 |
Mixer tap for a thermal wave massage device
The invention relates to a mixer tap for a thermal wave massage device which is designed in the form of a single lever mixer and makes it possible to control main parameters of the thermal wave massage procedure, i.e., an average temperature, contrast, the direction and speed of a thermal wave, with the aid of a single handle due to a special design that allows operating the mixer tap with two or three degrees of freedom. Moreover, the inventive mixer tap can be used as a diverter and substantially improves the operational safety of the thermal wave massage device. The use of the invention makes it possible to improve the ergonomic characteristics of the thermal wave massage devices, to make them more consumer attractive and to contribute to the wide distribution of the device as an effective conditioning and relaxation means. |
| US08074681B2 |
Swivel and rotator mechanism for fluid controlled machines
A swivel for use in a rotator is disclosed. The swivel includes an inner member having a cylindrical portion and an annular outer member arranged around the inner member and rotatably connected thereto via a bearing. At least one of the inner member and the outer member is provided with an annular fluid channel, one of the members having a fastening flange with an upper and a lower flange surface. The flange includes attachment structure configured to fix the flange to a support structure. A first fluid path extends through the flange from a first opening in a circumferential face of the fastening flange, to the fluid channel. A second fluid path at least partially extends through the inner member in a substantially axial direction from the fluid channel to a second opening. |
| US08074668B2 |
Pressure washer with diagnostic indicators
An electrical pressure washer includes a diagnostic circuit for detecting operation conditions that may affect the normal operation of the pressure washer, and a plurality of indicators indicating the detected operation conditions, such as ground fault, low pressure, overheating, etc. A voltage drop across the power cord of the pressure washer is monitored and used to identify several of the operating conditions. A way of connecting and controlling light-emitting diodes used as indicator lights is provided to allow energy-efficient operation of the indicator lights. |
| US08074664B2 |
Hair device and method for forming and holding hair
A hair device comprising a cone shaped form with a defined narrow neck near the top that curves in where an elastic band can be wrapped around to secure the hair in place. The hair conceals the device from all angles of the head and gives the impression of the hair standing on end without styling products. There are various decorative attachments that can be attached at the opening in the top or stuck into the holes on the body of the device to pin up loose hair and/or add styling flair. |
| US08074663B2 |
Flame-retardant and fireproof cigarette
A flame-retardant and fireproof cigarette which aims to contain the combustion process to the cigarette. The flame-retardant and fireproof cigarette has a filter that is aligned with a tobacco body. A flame-retardant and fireproof covering is positioned over at least a portion of the tobacco body and isolates the open fire associated with the consumption of the tobacco during the course of smoking or burning the cigarettes. Such a cigarette reduces the risk of undesired, inadvertent, and latent ignition of adjacent materials. |
| US08074662B2 |
Surgical communication and power system
A system operable to assist in a surgical procedure. The system can include a surgical navigation system that can be used to assist in determining a position of the surgical instrument, an information of an anatomical body, information regarding an anatomical structure, or combinations thereof. The system can further display the positional information or the anatomical or physiological information on a display. |
| US08074657B2 |
Surgical drape system
A surgical drape with a functional interface for engaging surgical instruments, including a flexible, tube-like sleeve for creating a sterile barrier around a non-sterile holding arm. The drape is open at a proximal end, and has a hub at a distal end for connection to a distal end of the holding arm. The hub has sterile external surfaces that allow surgical instruments to be easily removably attached in a variety of directions and orientations, providing sufficient mechanical strength to transmit forces from the instruments to the holding arm. The hub includes an externally accessible, sterile actuator for actuating an electronic circuit local to the holding arm on the non-sterile side of the barrier. |
| US08074655B2 |
Methods and devices for treating sleep apnea and snoring
Methods and devices to prevent and/or treat breathing disorders (e.g., upper airways disorders) in mammals related to impaired airflow are described. Methods and devices apply force to soft tissue that avoids obstruction of airflow in the mammel's airway. Breathing disorders that are avoided by the methods and/or devices include apnea. |
| US08074654B2 |
Implantable devices, systems, and methods for maintaining desired orientations in targeted tissue regions
At least one elongated body is sized and configured for implantation in a desired orientation in a tissue region in an airway. An array of projections extends from the elongated body and is resiliently coupled to the elongated body. The array or projections is in a normally biased outward extending condition sized and configured to engage tissue and resist a reorientation of the elongated body within the tissue region out of the desired orientation after implantation of the elongated body in the tissue region. The array of projections is sized and configured to resiliently yield by flexing inward against the elongated body during implantation of the elongated body in the tissue region. |
| US08074653B2 |
Combination condom and personal lubricant container
The present invention comprises articles of manufacture including a disposable condom and personal container 10 comprising a condom compartment 20 enclosing one or more condoms immersed in either a personal lubricant or sexually stimulating lubricant removably adjoined to at least one lubricant compartment 30. The compartments are constructed of a packaging material comprising properties that conduct heat and hermetically sealed. The condom compartment 20 comprises a seal 25, 28, 29 positioned on the top wall 21 that is removed or opened for the purpose of gaining access to the contents. The seal 28, 29 may be reattached or closed. The personal lubricant compartment 30 comprises a discharge element 43 through which the contents of the compartment are discharged by activating a removable dispenser that fits within the element 43. Prior to discharging the contents, a protective seal 45 enclosed within the element 43 is ruptured. The contents of the compartments 20, 30 may be heated by a device in which the compartments are seated. The temperature of the contents may be monitored with the aid of a temperature sensing aid 14. The container 10 comprises perforations 12 used to detach the compartments. The primary object of the invention is to encourage the use of condoms in sexual activities thereby reducing the spread of disease, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which may result in AIDS, and reducing the risk of pregnancy. |
| US08074649B2 |
Endotracheal tube with feature for delivering aerosolized medication
Current methods of drug administration to the lungs are inefficient. ‘Endotracheal Tube with Aerosol Delivery Apparatus III’ is specifically designed for uniform intrapulmonary delivery of aerosolized medication in patients on mechanical ventilation. As opposed to the current methods of drug delivery where aerosol particles are generated at the proximal end of the ETT, with majority of the particles adhering to the endotracheal tube during delivery, this invention bypasses the endotracheal tube by generating aerosol particles at its distal end. The invention consists of two coaxial hollow tubes fused to each other. The inner coaxial tube and/or one or more secondary cannulation(s) in the wall of the outer coaxial tube terminate at proximal and as MDI adapters and at the distal tip as a single or multiple micrometric orifices. The device generates one or more aerosol plumes with different geometries, velocities and orientations made possible by variations in the ID, shape, trajectory and orientation of secondary cannulation(s) and the distal orifice(s) to ensure effective aerosol delivery to respiratory system. |
| US08074644B2 |
Method of forming an aerosol for inhalation delivery
The present invention relates to the inhalation delivery of aerosols containing small particles. Specifically, it relates to a method of forming an aerosol for use in inhalation therapy. In a method aspect of the present invention, a method of forming an aerosol for use in inhalation therapy is provided. The method involves the following steps: (a) heating a substrate coated with a composition comprising a drug at a rate greater than 1000° C./s, thereby forming an vapor; and, (b) allowing the vapor to cool, thereby forming an aerosol, which is used in inhalation therapy. In another method aspect of the present invention, a method of forming an aerosol for use in inhalation therapy is provided. The method involves the following steps: (a) heating a substrate coated with a composition comprising a drug to form a vapor, wherein the coated composition is in the form of a film less than 10μ thick; and, (b) allowing the vapor to cool, thereby forming an aerosol, which is used in inhalation therapy. In another method aspect of the present invention, a method of forming an aerosol for use in inhalation therapy is provided. The method involves the following steps: (a) heating a substrate coated with a composition comprising a drug to form a vapor in less than 100 milliseconds, wherein the vapor has a mass greater than 0.1 mg; and, (b) allowing the vapor to cool, thereby forming an aerosol, which is used in inhalation therapy. |
| US08074643B2 |
Dispensing device
A medicament dispensing device for dispensing metered dosages of a medicament includes an actuator housing having a longitudinally extending cavity and a container disposed in the cavity and having a cylinder with a first outer diameter. The cylinder is adapted to hold the medicament. The container is reciprocally movable relative to the actuator housing along a longitudinal axis. An indicating device includes an indicator housing having a tubular portion connected to said container, with the indicating device being reciprocally movable with the container relative to the actuator housing. The tubular portion has a second outer diameter that is of substantially the same diameter as the first outer diameter. A longitudinally extending side wall has a viewing window formed therein. An indicator is rotatably mounted in the indicator housing, with a surface thereof having indicia visible through the viewing window. |
| US08074642B2 |
Visual indicator for an aerosol medication delivery apparatus and system
A flow indicating system that includes a conduit that contains a substance, wherein the conduit defines a path along which the substance primarily flows and a viewing port attached to the conduit and the viewing port prevents substantially non-ambient atmosphere gases and substances from escaping therefrom and allows visualization of an internal space defined by the viewing port. A flow indicator that is positioned within the conduit so as to be viewed via the viewing port and is positioned so as to not to substantially interfere with a flow of the substance along the path. |
| US08074641B2 |
Aerosol medication inhalation system
An apparatus for use in conjunction with a metered dose inhaler which includes a novel valve system to aid in the delivery of aerosolized medicament to a subject. The apparatus also includes a novel rotational flow generator to aid in the useable delivery of said medication and avoid its loss either in the apparatus or by non-useful delivery to said subject. |
| US08074633B2 |
Ball projecting machine
A ball projecting machine having a C-shaped arm that provides the ability to adjust the length or elevation of pitched balls. The C-shaped arm connects a ball projecting head to a stand, with the ball projecting head affixed to one end of the C-shaped arm, and the C-shaped arm is slidably engaged through a frame atop the stand to allow rotation of the ball projecting head about a horizontal axis. A center of gravity of the ball projecting head in combination with the C-shaped arm facilitates stability of the ball projecting machine when the C-shaped arm is slid up or down. A locking device, when loosened, allows the C-shaped arm to slide up or down through the frame. |
| US08074626B2 |
Charge control unit and charge control system for fuel injection valve
A charge control unit controls electricity charged to a piezo element, which is for actuating a backpressure control valve so as to control backpressure applied to a valve element for a fuel injection valve. The backpressure control valve is configured to start to decrease the backpressure to actuate the valve element to open an injection port of the fuel injection valve when voltage of the electricity exceeds a threshold. A charge unit increases the voltage by repeating increasing and decreasing a drive current, which is supplied to the piezo element, for multiple times for charging the piezo element. A switching unit alternates the increasing and the decreasing such that the voltage exceeds the threshold in an intermediate period in a middle of a specific increasing period among multiple increasing periods, in each of which the drive current increases. |
| US08074625B2 |
Fuel injector actuator assemblies and associated methods of use and manufacture
The present disclosure is directed to integrated injector/igniters providing efficient injection, ignition, and complete combustion of various types of fuels. One example of such an injectors/igniter can include a body having a base portion opposite a nozzle portion. The base portion receives the fuel into the body and the nozzle portion can be positioned adjacent to the combustion chamber. The injector further includes a valve carried by the nozzle portion that is movable between a closed position and an open position to inject the fuel into the combustion chamber. An actuator is coupled the valve and extends longitudinally through the body towards the base portion, and a driver is carried by the body and is movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position the driver does not move the actuator and in the second position the driver moves the actuator to move the valve to the open position. |
| US08074621B2 |
In-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine
The invention provides an in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine that is capable of controlling gas flow velocity in the vicinity of an ignition part of a spark plug and maintaining an air-fuel mixture suitable for ignition for a long time. The engine includes deflecting parts 28 that have a passage 25 located on a wall face of a combustion chamber between an injection part 11 and an ignition part 17, and deflect a portion of the fuel injected from the injection part 11 to indirectly direct the fuel to the vicinity of the ignition part. Due to the above construction, there is a difference in reaching timing between direct and indirect routes, and moreover a flow velocity of gas that reaches the ignition part is reduced by fuel deflection. An air-fuel mixture suitable for ignition therefore remains in the vicinity of the ignition part for a long time. |
| US08074618B2 |
Gas-engine-mounted working machine
In a gas-engine-mounted working machine, a gas engine is mounted on a machine body and supplied with fuel gas from a cassette gas canister, a handle column extends rearwardly and upwardly from the machine body, and the cassette gas canister is detachably attached to the handle column. Operating handle is collapsably attached to the handle column. Collapsing-movement-preventing member is provided on the operating handle for preventing collapsing movement of the operating handle, utilizing presence of the cassette gas canister attached to the handle column, so that the collapsing movement of the operating handle is prevented as long as the cassette gas canister is attached to the handle column. |
| US08074617B2 |
Piston for an internal combustion engine and method for its production
A piston for an internal combustion engine, has a lower piston part and an upper piston part disposed on the lower piston part. The upper piston part has a top land that runs around its circumference, and a ring belt that runs around its circumference. At least the upper piston part consists of a sintered material. |
| US08074616B2 |
Engine air intake manifold having a shell
Apparatus includes a motor-vehicle, internal-combustion-engine air intake manifold having an intake-manifold first shell attachable or monolithically joined to an intake-manifold second shell to surround an internal manifold volume. The first shell has a wall with at least a portion having undulating concave and convex regions as defined exterior to the internal manifold volume of the attached or monolithically-joined first shell and second shell. |
| US08074608B1 |
Cat climbing apparatus
The cat climbing apparatus provides for cats to scratch, stretch, climb, and position themselves at an elevated height. The sturdiness of the apparatus mounting brackets insures cat use, as cats hesitate or simply refuse to use scratching and climbing posts that are not sturdily anchored, one reason why cats often choose furniture over poorly designed cat implements. The apparatus provides for a user to arrange tubes, angles, and at least one platform as desired, thereby best fitting spaces available as well as providing aesthetic appeal and cat intrigue. The rope wrap of the tubes is durable and inviting to a cat. |
| US08074606B1 |
Plastic pet door assembly
A door section for fitting in a sliding door frame is preferably made of plastic, e.g., PVC. The door section contains a built in pet door. The door section is formed by tubular sides and cross members, and has plastic brackets or fittings that press fit within the tubular members and preferably also may be screwed in place, or otherwise fixed in place, e.g., using epoxy, or both screws and epoxy. Alternatively, the corners of the door section may be welded or otherwise fixed together. The door section has brackets on its side edges for hanging or connecting to the inside of the sliding door frame, and the door section may also have a bracket or catch on the other side edge from which the door section connects to the frame. This bracket or catch is for the existing sliding door's lock. Preferably, insulation strips are provided and preferably an H-shaped vertical section may fit on top of the door section and inside the frame for a fit with less play, and for a smoother or cleaner look. Rubber or rubbery elements may be placed over the sliding door's bottom track, for the door section to sit more securely. The door section preferably also has a glass or other clear material in it above the pet door. |
| US08074603B2 |
Animal waste disposal system
A waste disposal system includes a basin having a bottom and at least one side. A retainer is disposed in the basin. A plurality of flexible nets are disposed in the basin. A securing rim is in abutting contact over the at least one side edge of the basin. The plurality of nets have at least one edge disposed between the securing rim and the basin. |
| US08074597B2 |
Methods and apparatus for purging a substrate carrier
In a first aspect, a substrate carrier is provided that includes an enclosure adapted to be sealable and to house at least one substrate. The substrate carrier includes a first port leading into the enclosure and adapted to allow a flow of gas into the enclosure while the substrate carrier is closed. Numerous other aspects are provided. |
| US08074595B2 |
Machine for making an anti-static tire tread
A method of providing an extruded tire tread (T) with anti-static properties. In this method, a pin (10) is coated with an electrically conductive material (M). The coated pin (10) pierces the tire tread (T) to form an opening (12) of the desired depth and then is withdrawn. During withdrawal of the pin (10), the material (M) remains in the pierced opening (12) so that a conductive body (14) is formed in the tire tread (T). The pin (10) can then be re-coated with the material (M) and the cycle repeated to produce a plurality of conductive bodies (14) in the tire tread (T). |
| US08074594B2 |
Dose indicating device
An indicating device suitable for indicating a number of metered dosages of a substance that have been dispensed from or remain in a container. The indicating device includes at least one primary indicator member having primary dosage indicia, configured as numeric indicia, and a second indicator member having secondaiy dosage indicia, configured with at least two different colors. The primary and secondary indicator members are coaxially mounted. In one embodiment, a device for dispensing dosages of the substance also includes a dispenser housing and a container. |
| US08074592B2 |
Submarine with a propulsion drive with an electric motor ring
In one aspect, a submarine with a boat hull and a propulsion drive for the submarine the propulsion drive is arranged outside the boat hull and comprises a housing and a first electric motor, with the housing embodying a channel for a flow of water through the channel in a main direction of flow from an inlet to an outlet of the channel, and with the first electric motor featuring a rotor which is arranged in the channel and is supported rotatably around an axis of rotation in the housing, with the rotor being embodied in the shape of a ring with a ring inner side and a ring outer side, and with blades for propelling the submarine being arranged on the ring inner side of the rotor. |
| US08074591B2 |
Embroidery using soluble thread
A manufacturing process and resultant medical devices and components thereof wherein one or more individual laces (12) is placed within an embroidered structure (10) using an automated process allowing for the manufacture of embroidered surgical implants containing laces to be mass produced repeatably and cost effectively. |
| US08074590B2 |
Method and system for freehand and realtime quilting with a computer-controlled quilting machine
A computer-controlled quilting machine uses a hand held stylus to create the patterns which are sewn into a quilt. The machine can quilt in real time, following the movement of the stylus as a user traces any desired object or design. The machine allows a user to easily sew a desired pattern into a quilt, and also provides greater access to quilting to those persons who are unable to operate other types of quilting machines, while retaining much of the appeal of hand quilting. |
| US08074589B2 |
Thread winder and sewing machine provided therewith
A thread winder includes a thread winding shaft into which a bobbin shaft is inserted so that a bobbin is detachably attached to the thread winding shaft, a rotating mechanism rotating the thread winding shaft to wind a thread on the bobbin, a thread winding shaft switching mechanism switching the thread winding shaft between a preparatory position and a winding position, a guiding member guiding the thread from a thread spool to the bobbin, a guiding member position switching mechanism switching the guiding member between a guide position and a retreat position, and a link mechanism links both switching mechanisms so that the guiding member is located at the guide position when the thread winding shaft assumes the preparatory position and so that the guide member is located at the retreat position when the thread winding shaft assumes the winding position. |
| US08074584B2 |
Water heater stand and assembly thereof
A stand suitable for elevated support of water heaters and similar objects is disclosed. The stand includes a planar, rectangular tabletop formed and stamped from sheet-like material, and being further formed with downwardly bent marginal side flanges. The tabletop is supported by two pairs of oppositely disposed leg members, which are also stamped from sheet-like material. Each leg member is formed with a longitudinally extending flat central portion and oppositely positioned coextensive angularly bent flange portions. The surface of each leg flange mates with an adjacent facing surface of a respective surface of a respective one of the downwardly depending tabletop flanges. The stand further includes a cruciform arrangement of overlapping crossbars. |
| US08074583B2 |
Shelf attached to post by connector with rotatable latch and method of assembly
A shelving system includes one or more shelving units. Each shelving unit has posts each post having one or more indents, connectors with slots for mounting the post and one or more shelves. Each shelf has protrusions on a periphery to insert into one of the connector slots. Each shelving unit and shelving system can be assembled, disassembled, and adjusted without the use of tools or other components. The shelving units can be assembled together to create a multiple shelving unit system without the use of tools or other components. |
| US08074582B2 |
Table with a table top including a plurality of integrally formed depressions
A pivotable folding utility table includes a table top having a pair of support pedestals pivotally attached thereto. A first pivotal support brace, which includes a proximal end and a distal end, is attached at its proximal end to the first support pedestal. A second pivotal support brace, which includes a proximal end and a distal end, is attached at its proximal end to the second support pedestal. The distal ends of the first and second pivotal support braces are adapted to be pivotally attached to a retaining assembly, mounted in relation to the table top. The distal ends of each pivotal support brace are disposed contiguously in relation to each other when engaging the retaining assembly. Specifically, the retaining assembly includes a cross-brace member operably disposed through openings formed in the distal ends of the first and second pivotal support braces, thus providing a pivotal engagement in relation to the table top. |
| US08074577B2 |
Structure of bifurvation and crossover site of guideway in guided vehicle transportation system
Structure of a bifurcation site and crossover site of a guideway in a guided vehicle transportation system; in which the guideway consists of left and right roadbeds, a depression between the roadbeds, and a guard rail having a U-shaped groove laid down on the depression; and a fail-safe mechanism is constituted by the guard rail and guard wheels attached to the vehicle; is proposed. The vehicle is equipped with automatic steering mechanisms for steering front and rear wheels and guard wheels supported laterally rotatably by front and rear supporting arms which are supported laterally rotatably underside the vehicle. The guard wheels are received in the groove of the guard rail. A movable guard plate and driving means thereof are provided to switch connection of the groove of the guard rail at a bifurcation thereof, and a movable plate and driving means thereof are provided to be able to plug or cover each of openings of grooves of guard rails in a region where the guard rail crosses a roadbed so that the movable plate is moved to plug or cover the groove thereby preparing a flat surface level with the roadbed. |
| US08074576B2 |
Commuter train ferry system for commuters and their vehicles
A commuter train ferry system includes a train engine. A plurality of boxcars is joinable to each other and to the train engine to form the commuter train ferry. Each of the boxcars includes a plurality of decks for transporting a plurality of vehicles and their occupants during a commuter trip. At least one ramp includes a plurality of driving surfaces for accessing the plurality of decks for loading and unloading the vehicles and their occupants from the boxcars where the occupants of the vehicles load and unload the vehicles from the boxcars and remain within the vehicles for at least a part of the commuter trip. |
| US08074575B2 |
Machine for positioning and aligning of railroad ties
The invention relates to a machine for positioning and squaring crossties of railway tracks, formed by at least one wagon (1), provided with its own means for traveling over the rails (2) of the railway track under construction in which the crossties (3) have not yet been aligned, which laterally has respective metal profiles (4) arranged longitudinally at the level of the crossties (3) of the track, supported to the main structure of the wagon by means of angled arms (5), which on their inner face have a series of equidistant positioning wedges (7), which are in charge of coming into contact and positioning the crossties previously distributed in the layout, such that the wedges are located between them, pushing them laterally and longitudinally until leaving the crossties in the correct position: centered and perpendicular to he center line, aligned and separated from one another by a uniform distance. |
| US08074572B1 |
Conical dart sub-munitions for cargo round
A cargo round (e.g., 155 mm high explosive projectile) is provided for dispensing submunitions. The round includes a nose tip, a casing attached thereto forming a chamber, a tail and a payload in the chamber between the tip and tail. The payload includes a plurality of axi-symmetric darts mounted on a plurality of front and rear tandem plates. Each dart has fore and aft ends along a polar axis. Each dart is shaped as a cone at its fore end and includes a cavity at its aft end. Each plate has a plurality of orifices arranged in a regular pattern. Each orifice receives a corresponding dart to protrude from both obverse and reverse sides of the plate. Each fore end of its dart in the rear plate inserts into the cavity of a counterpart dart in the front plate, and each plate shears apart on release of the payload to disperse the darts. The plates preferably have a plurality of notches arranged in rows on the reverse side, together with a lip at an outer rim and bounded recess region within the lip on the obverse side, with the orifices are disposed in the region. |
| US08074569B2 |
Roller pad printer and method for printing
A roller pad printer for printing on an associated object includes a frame, a flat cliché operably mounted to the frame for receiving and a resilient roller pad operably mount to the frame for rolling contact, at a first location and in a first direction along the cliché, to receive ink transferred from the cliché. The roller pad is adapted for rolling contact with the object, at a second location and in a second direction, to transfer the ink from the roller pad to the object. |
| US08074566B1 |
Cell assembly for use in a high-pressure cubic press
In an embodiment, a cell assembly for use in a high-pressure cubic press comprises a substantially tubular heating element including a proximal end region having a proximal mouth, a distal end region having a distal mouth spaced from the proximal mouth, and a passageway extending between the proximal mouth and the distal mouth configured to receive at least partially receive at least one can assembly therein. The at least one can assembly may hold a plurality of diamond particles positioned adjacent to a substrate. A pressure transmitting medium extends about at least the substantially tubular heating element. A proximal electrical contact electrically contacts the substantially tubular heating element at the proximal end region thereof and does not extend over the proximal mouth thereof. A distal electrical contact electrically contacts the substantially tubular heating element at the distal end region thereof and does not extend over the distal mouth thereof. A gasket medium defines a receiving space that receives at least the substantially tubular heating element and the pressure transmitting medium. |
| US08074564B2 |
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. |
| US08074560B2 |
Machine for producing espresso-type coffee
An extraction device for production of infusion drinks, includes an infusion chamber made up of a fixed part (1) and a moving part (2) which opens and closes the infusion chamber, a lever (20), mounted to rotate relative to an axle (A) and drive the moving part (2) in rotation relative to an axle (B), via a sliding pivot joint between the lever (20) and the moving part (2), characterized in that the axle (B) of rotation of the moving part (2) is arranged on an element mounted such as to move relative to the fixed part (1) to bring the moving part (2) closer to or further away from the fixed part (1). |
| US08074559B2 |
Dynamic support apparatus and system
A dynamic support apparatus having a frame, a dynamic interface, a temperature control mechanism, and a control system. The dynamic interface is capable of changing its geometry and is disposed on the top surface of the frame. The control system is operably connected to the dynamic interface and controls the changing geometry of the dynamic interface. There is also a temperature control mechanism disposed on the top surface of the frame for maintaining a comfortable temperature and moisture environment between the apparatus and the user's body. |
| US08074558B2 |
Axial piston device having rotary displacement control
An axial piston device for use with a hydraulic system is disclosed. The axial piston device may have a body defining at least one bore and having a central axis, a pump piston disposed within the at least one bore to at least partially define a pumping chamber, and a tiltable plate biased into engagement with the pump piston. The axial piston device may also have an actuator configured to selective tilt the plate relative to the central axis of the body to thereby vary a displacement of the pump piston within the at least one bore. The actuator may have a control piston operatively connected to move the tiltable plate, a rotary motor, and a valve driven by the rotary motor to control fluid communication between the control piston and a source of pressurized fluid to move the control piston. |
| US08074555B1 |
Methodology for bore sight alignment and correcting ballistic aiming points using an optical (strobe) tracer
A method and system for improving precision and accuracy of weaponry according to which angular position information of the fire control device and optical location information of the optical signals emitted during the flight of a projectile are processed in a computer using software to calculate and provide a precise aim point for firing one or more subsequent projectiles. |
| US08074552B1 |
Flyer plate armor systems and methods
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a protective armor system may include a first armor layer. The protective armor system may also include a plate that is detachably coupled to the first armor layer. The protective armor system may also have a second armor layer that is separated from the plate by a gap. When the plate is struck by a projectile, it may be operable to increase the surface area of the tip of the projectile as the projectile accelerates the plate through the gap. |
| US08074550B2 |
Cutting mechanism with rotatable blade
A cutting mechanism includes a first main body and a second main body. The first main body includes a first base, a plurality of first cutter holders, and a plurality of first cutters. The first cutters are mounted on the respective first cutter holders. The first cutter holders are movably engaged with the first base in a manner that the first cutters mounted thereon are adjustably movable toward and away from the first base. The first cutters are rotatable relative to the respective first cutter holders about parallel first axes, and each of the first cutters has a first blade substantially parallel to the respective first axis. The second main body has a similar configuration as the first main body. |
| US08074547B2 |
Automatic slicing apparatus
An automatic slicing apparatus reduces the likelihood of failure to make a sliced piece specimen even if continuously operated. The apparatus, on the basis of an exchange command signal, detaches a sample block attached to a cutting base and attaches a new sample block to the cutting base. The apparatus cuts a sliced piece of a predetermined thickness by moving a knife with respect to the sample block having been attached to the cutting base. The apparatus also observes the sliced piece having been cut and judges the sliced piece by comparing an observation data obtained by the observation means and a sample block cut face data. When the apparatus judges that the sliced piece is good, the apparatus transmits an exchange command signal. |
| US08074538B2 |
Apparatus for use in and method of setting the tension in a drive belt of a motorcycle
A specially configured wrench is fitted to the fork structure of the rear wheel of a motorcycle to transmit rotational torque to the axle and move the rear wheel axle and sprocket to adjust and accurately set the tension in the drive belt of the motorcycle to a desired level. Further, a method is disclosed for reducing slack, changing, and/or setting a desired tension in the flexible power transmission mechanism of a motorcycle, the mechanism exemplified by a chain or drive belt having upper and lower reaches wrapped about respective of a rotatable forward motor drive sprocket and a rotatable rear wheel drive sprocket and used in cooperation with a fork structure for mounting the rear wheel and a cam-operated structure for repositioning the rear sprocket and associated axle. |
| US08074535B2 |
Device for treating blades to improve their cutting properties
A treatment device for improving the cutting properties of the blade of a non-electric shaving razor. The device has a treatment surface for interacting with the cutting edge of the razor blade, as the blade is put into sliding contact with the treatment surface. The treatment surface has a plurality of resilient honing projections that are compressed as the blade is moved in sliding contact with the surface. |
| US08074528B2 |
In-line valve sampling system
An in-line valve sampling system connected to a pipe conduit extracts a sample of process media in a receiving container or receptacle for testing. The valve sampling system provides a resilient sealing mechanism for corrosive process media at elevated and fluctuating temperature ranges by providing a packing cartridge having a thin film of PTFE material biased by at least one O-ring to provide a seal between a valve spindle and a raised portion of the packing cartridge. |
| US08074527B2 |
Monitoring system for a hybrid drive
The invention relates to a method for the continuous torque monitoring of a hybrid drive composed of an internal combustion engine with an engine control unit and an inherently safe electric drive with a control unit, wherein a permissible total torque is compared with the sum of an actual torque of the electric drive and an actual torque of the internal combustion engine. If the permissible total torque is reduced by the actual torque of the electric motor and is formed by a permissible torque of the internal combustion engine, it is largely possible by means of this method for existing software to be utilized further, and said software need not be amended. In the engine controller, it is largely possible for calculations to be carried out with torques which are normalized to the maximum torque of the internal combustion engine. In the comparison stage in particular, the value range of the torques in the case of a hybrid drive in relation to that in the case of a pure internal combustion engine is maintained. Storage-space-saving and calculation-duration-saving programming is therefore possible. |
| US08074523B2 |
Air pressure sensor with means for hook fastening
An air pressure sensor for sensing a side impact includes fastening means for fastening the air pressure sensor on a vehicle wall, the fastening means having a single aperture for accommodating a single fastening element, the fastening element being used for fastening the air pressure sensor on the vehicle wall. Furthermore, the fastening means have a structure on the pressure inlet channel which passes through an aperture in the vehicle door. The at least one structure is shaped in such a way that the at least one structure makes it possible for the air pressure sensor to be hooked on the vehicle wall. |
| US08074521B2 |
Enhanced static-dynamic pressure transducer suitable for use in gas turbines and other compressor applications
A filter assembly for use with a static-dynamic piezoresistive pressure transducer that measures low amplitude, dynamic pressure perturbations superimposed on top of a high static pressure through the implementation of a low-pass mechanical filter assembly is disclosed. The filter assembly may comprise a dual lumen reference tube and a removable filter subassembly further comprising a porous metal filter and narrow diameter tube. The transducer, which may be capable of operating at ultra-high temperatures and in harsh environments, may comprise of a static piezoresistive pressure sensor, which measures the large pressures on the order of 200 psi and greater, and an ultrasensitive, dynamic piezoresistive pressure sensor which may capture small, high frequency pressure oscillations on the order of a few psi or less. The filter assembly may transmit static pressure to the back of the dynamic pressure sensor to cancel out the static pressure present at the front of the sensor while keeping dynamic pressure from reaching the back of the sensor. In this manner, the filter assembly enables the transducer to accurately read dynamic pressure in the presence of high static pressure without rupturing the thin diaphragm of the dynamic pressure sensor. |
| US08074520B2 |
Ultrasonic inspection method utilizing resonant phenomena
A transmission probe and a reception probe for transmitting and receiving a wideband ultrasonic wave are provided. Each time when the locations of the probes and are moved, a received wave Gj(t) is obtained. Based on a spectrum Fj(f) corresponding to the received wave Gj(t), a narrowband spectrum FAj(f) is extracted. A component wave GAj(t) corresponding to the narrowband spectrum FAj(f) is found by inverse Fourier transformation. A longitudinal wave primary resonance frequency f1 having a relationship with a thickness W (mm) of an inspection target and a primary resonance frequency fS1 of a transverse wave generated by mode conversion are calculated. A comparative display of the component waves GAj(t) is presented using f1, fS1 and sizing coefficients ns1, ns2, ns3 and ns4 for high precision inspection. Based on the measurement point which shows a wave generation in the comparative screen of the component waves GAj(t), it is determined that there is a flaw Z at a certain position inside the inspection target immediately below a line segment connecting the transmission probe and the reception probe. |
| US08074519B2 |
Method and apparatus for monitoring a system
A method for monitoring a system, in which a plurality of acoustic images are recorded and compared at defined intervals of time over a period of time extending several weeks. A large system can be monitored reliably and with little complexity if the acoustic images each contain a plurality of acoustic image areas which are arranged in a spatially different manner, and, between respective recordings of the image areas of an acoustic image, an acoustic sensor is aligned with an image area, which is to be recorded, of a next image area by being moved. |
| US08074512B2 |
Partial stroke testing system coupled with fuel control valve
A system for on-line testing of an emergency shut-off valve includes a first emergency shut-off valve and a control for initiating a test on the first emergency shut-off valve. The system also includes a fluid actuator for opening and closing the first emergency shut-off valve. A subsystem is also provided for testing the first emergency shut-off valve without fully closing the shut-off valve in response to a signal from the control. In this system, a second solenoid valve bleeds off pressurized fluid to move the emergency shut-off valve from a fully opened to a partially closed position functions as a second emergency shut-off valve. A second emergency shut-off valve is also provided in series with the first emergency shut-off valve and a bypass around the second emergency shut-off valve allows the second emergency shut-off valve to be tested by being fully closed without shutting down the process. The use of the two emergency shut-off valves in series wherein either valve can shut down the process raises the safety integrity level to level 3. |
| US08074508B2 |
Device for mechanically fastening a tyre sensor to a rim
The invention relates to a device (D) for fastening an electronic detection unit (100) for tires to a rim (J), this unit being of the type which is fastened to the valve (200), which valve comprises a part (210) outside the rim and a part (220) inside the rim, said device consisting of a connection module (300) connected on the one hand to the inner part (220) of the valve (200) and on the other hand to a preformed receptacle (400) for accommodating said electronic unit (100), distinguished in that said receptacle (400, 400a, 400b) forms an accommodation volume which is open on the tire tread side. Applications: detection unit fastened to the vehicle wheels. |
| US08074507B2 |
Tire module with piezoelectric transducer
Tire module for the detection of tire state quantities which includes a printed circuit board and a piezoelectric transducer with a housing and at least one transducer element, wherein the transducer element is coupled to piezoelectric material or consists of piezoelectric material, and wherein the piezoelectric transducer is executed as a surface-mounted device (SMD) and as such is mounted on the printed circuit board by terminal areas and is electrically connected to the printed circuit board. |
| US08074503B2 |
Fuel property sensing device
A control unit executes sensing of a fuel property of fuel based on a physical value, which is related to a combustion state of the fuel in an internal combustion engine, when it is determined that a predetermined prerequisite operational condition for the sensing of the fuel property is satisfied upon occurrence of at least one of consumption of a predetermined amount of fuel, traveling of a vehicle through a predetermined travel distance, and execution of a predetermined number of operation cycle(s). The predetermined prerequisite operational condition may be satisfied when an operational state of the internal combustion engine is a deceleration fuel cut-off state or an idle state. |
| US08074499B2 |
Method and system for detecting a crack on a turbomachine blade
Embodiments of the present invention may provide real-time monitoring of a compressor section to determine the possibility of a crack forming on a rotating blade. The present invention does not require the shutdown of the machine. The present invention may be configured to automatically raise an alarm if the acoustic signature of the compressor changes in way that may be consistent with the cracking of a blade. |
| US08074498B2 |
System and method of assessing thermal energy levels of a gas turbine engine component
An example method of assessing a component of a gas turbine engine includes monitoring debris in at least a portion of an engine and establishing an estimated thermal energy level for a component of the engine based on the monitoring. The method may use gas path parameters to establish the estimated thermal energy level. An example gas turbine engine component assessment system includes a debris monitoring system configured to monitor debris moving through a portion of an engine and a controller programmed to execute an engine deterioration model that assesses a thermal energy level of at least one component of the engine based on information from the debris monitoring system. |
| US08074497B2 |
Indentation testing instrument and indentation testing method
An indentation testing instrument including: a loading lever supported pivotally; an indenter provided on the loading lever; a displacement sensor movable section; a loading lever driving section; a reference lever supported pivotally having a same shaft center as the loading lever; a contactor provided on the reference lever as a positional reference of a tip portion of the indenter; a displacement sensor fixing section; a reference lever driving section; a stopper to stop the reference lever; a specimen surface reference measurement member to turn the loading lever from a state that the contactor touches the specimen surface, and to measure a first indentation depth amount; and a machine frame reference measurement member to turn the loading lever from a state that the reference lever touches the stopper and the contactor is spaced apart from the specimen surface, and to measure a second indentation depth amount. |
| US08074496B2 |
Apparatus for hardness measurement by impact
The apparatus comprises an actuator (23) that can be pushed from an extended position to a depressed position. When doing so, the actuator (23) first releases an impact body (32) to impinge against the sample (2), and then a catcher (40, 42) to be moved to the released impact body (32) for bringing it back. The passage of the impact body (32) is detected by a reed switch (28), which wakes up the processing circuitry and switches the same between two modes of operation. In the first mode, the circuitry displays a device status, and in the second mode a measuring result. |
| US08074490B2 |
Clandestine grave detector
An apparatus and a method for detecting a burial site of human remains are disclosed. An air stream is drawn through an air intake conduit from locations near potential burial sites of human remains. The air stream is monitored by one or more chemical sensors to determine whether the air stream includes one or more indicator compounds selected from halogenated compounds, hydrocarbons, nitrogen-containing compounds, sulfur-containing compounds, acid/ester compounds, oxygen-containing compounds, and naphthalene-containing compounds. When it is determined that an indicator compound is present in the air stream, this indicates that a burial site of human remains is below or nearby. Each sensor may be in electrical communication with an indicator that signals when the sensor has detected the presence of the indicator compound in the air stream. In one form, the indicator compound is a halogenated compound and/or a hydrocarbon, and the presence of the halogenated compound and/or the hydrocarbon in the air stream indicates that a burial site of human remains is below or nearby. |
| US08074488B2 |
Device for measuring coefficient of friction
A device for measuring the coefficient of friction between a test surface and a test material, comprising a frame, a skid pad comprising the test material and attached to an underside of the frame to contact the test surface, a longitudinal force measuring device attached to the frame and having an axis, and a longitudinal pulling assembly exerting a longitudinal pulling force on the drag sled and the longitudinal force measuring device. The longitudinal force measuring device is capable of outputting data indicative of the longitudinal force applied to the device. The longitudinal pulling force is vertically aligned with the axis of the longitudinal force measuring device. |
| US08074481B2 |
Radio frequency identification (RFID) system for manufacturing, distribution and retailing of keys
A key assembly having an identification member secured to the key. In one embodiment, the identification member includes a programmable device that contains information indicative of one or more characteristics of the key that can be used to identify at least one of a) the type of key, b) the type of key blank, c) an origination address, d) a destination address, e) a manufacturer, f) a manufacturing date, and g) a lot number. Another embodiment may include a key, and an identification member secured to the key, wherein the identification member includes a programmable device that contains information indicative of a) the key type, b) the type of key blank, and c) cutting instructions for a key cutter to determine cut characteristics. Additional embodiments may include an automobile key and an identification member secured to the automobile key, where in the identification member includes memory for use as mobile data storage. |
| US08074478B1 |
Horizontal locking case lock
A horizontal locking case lock includes a coupler fastened to a case and a lock with a housing surface latchable horizontally by the coupler for locking. The coupler includes at least a first wedge portion and at least one latch trough. The lock contains a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism drives and controls movement of a first retainer to further drive a second retainer to force a steel ball into or out of the latch trough, thereby control locking or unlocking of the coupler and the lock. Such a structure can safely lock the case at a public location to avert hitting and pilferage. |
| US08074470B2 |
Sorption cooling element with regulator organ and additional heat source
A cooling element with a sorption agent, that under vacuum can sorb a vapor-like working agent that evaporates from a liquid working agent in an evaporator and with a regulator organ in a working agent vapor channel between the sorption agent and the evaporator, wherein the entire cooling element is hermetically enclosed by a gas-tight multi-layer film, the multi-layer film has a flexible construction and is under vacuum so encloses the regulator organ, the working agent vapor channel and the evaporator, that the evaporator and the working agent vapor channel remain flexible and the working agent vapor can flow to the sorption agent only through the regulator organ. |
| US08074467B2 |
Apparatus and method for dispensing discrete amounts of viscous material
Apparatus and methods for dispensing small amounts of a viscous material onto a workpiece. The narrow-profile dispensing apparatus includes a fluid chamber, a nozzle, and a valve seat disk representing individual components that are removable from a main body of the dispensing apparatus for cleaning and/or replacement. The nozzle is coupled with the fluid chamber by a heat transfer body that may be cooled by, for example, a cooling fluid routed through an air pathway defined in the heat transfer body. The main body of the dispensing apparatus may be cooled by air exhausted from an air cavity of a pneumatic actuator regulating the movement of a needle to control the flow of viscous material in the dispensing apparatus. |
| US08074463B2 |
Outside air prevention for a refrigerator evaporator
The present invention relates to a blocking element which prevent outside air from introducing into an evaporator while operating a refrigerator, wherein defrost water is prevented from freezing at a connection between a drain pan and a drain hose, as outside air is introduced into the evaporator. |
| US08074457B2 |
Folded cryocooler design
A compact cryocooler includes a gas compression piston (304) supported for reciprocal linear translation along a first longitudinal axis (308) and a gas displacing piston (362) supported for reciprocal linear translation along a second longitudinal axis (366). The first longitudinal axis (308) and second longitudinal axis (366) are substantially orthogonal. A rotary motor (302) rotates a rotor (324) and associated motor shaft (320) about a motor rotation axis (328) disposed substantially parallel with the second longitudinal axis (366). Motor shaft (320) first and second mounting features (336, 340) traverse first and second eccentric paths around the motor rotation axis. A first drive coupling couples the first mounting feature (336) with the gas compression piston (304) and delivers a reciprocal linear translation along the first longitudinal axis (308) thereto. A second drive coupling couples the second mounting feature (340) with the gas displacing piston (362) and delivers a reciprocal linear translation along the second longitudinal axis (366) thereto. |
| US08074455B2 |
Gas turbine engine with a means of driving the accessory gear box, and method of fitting said engine
A twin-spool gas turbine engine including a high-pressure rotor and a low-pressure rotor, which rotors are mounted in bearings supported by an intermediate casing, at least one accessory gear box, and a drive device which drives radial and coaxial shafts for transmitting movement to the accessory gear box is disclosed. The drive device includes a high-pressure drive gear driving one of the radial shafts and connected to the high-pressure rotor and a low-pressure drive gear connected to the low-pressure rotor upstream of the high-pressure drive gear and driving the other of the radial shafts. The low-pressure drive gear is supported in the intermediate casing by an axial-positioning bearing. |
| US08074454B2 |
Combination power plant and method for the cooling thereof
The invention relates to a combination power plant which is embodied as a single shaft, power plant, essentially consisting of a gas turbine, a steam turbine and a generator which is connected therebetween. A coupling is arranged between the generator and the steam turbine, and at least one drive device, which is used to drive the single-shaft power plant, is also provided. The coupling is uncoupled during a turning operation and a control unit, which is used to control the rotational speed of the steam turbine, is provided. |
| US08074450B2 |
Wind energy system with fluid-working machine with non-symmetric actuation
The invention relates to a wind energy system with hydraulic energy transmission with non-symmetric actuation. The non-symmetric actuation is caused by valve control and mechanical means for controlling the actuation of the pistons. A cylinder unit is provided comprising a drive unit and an output unit associated with two hydraulic connections. The drive and the output unit comprise a minimum of two cylinders, in which pistons are reciprocating. Some of the cylinders can be switched off during low wind speeds. The cylinders communicate with a low pressure manifold and a high pressure manifold. These manifolds are part of the hydraulic connections. Use of the fluid-working machine as transmission in wind energy systems increases the overall economical efficiency. |
| US08074449B2 |
Hydrodynamic clutch
Impeller and turbine wheels form a toroidal working chamber of a hydrodynamic clutch filled with working medium. A throttle plate extends circumferentially near a central diameter of the working chamber The throttle plate moves axially, from an inactive position with little or no throttling effect on a circular flow of the working medium, to an active position with a greater throttling effect on the circular flow. The working chamber is without a center wall, such that the throttle plate is directly enclosed by the flow zone of the working chamber in both the active and inactive position of the throttle plate. The inactive position is located in the area of a separation gap between the impeller and the turbine wheel. |
| US08074442B2 |
Method of determining abnormality in particulate filter
An object of the invention is to realize a method of determining an abnormality in a particulate filter (5) capable of trapping and oxidizing particulate matter contained in exhaust gas in which even a minor abnormality in which small quantity of particulate matter can pass through the particulate filter (5) can be determined with a high degree of accuracy. To achieve this object, the abnormality determination method according to the invention, the transition of the inflowing exhaust gas temperature in and the outflowing exhaust gas temperature out of the particulate filter (5) during deceleration operating, and the degree of decrease in the outflowing exhaust gas temperature relative to the inflowing exhaust gas temperature is computed based on the transition. If the degree of decrease exceeds a threshold value, it is determined that the particulate filter (5) is abnormal. |
| US08074434B2 |
Continuous longitudinal flow root crop harvesting
A harvester for root crops such as beets is provided which preferably provides continuous flow of root crops from a header, along a transfer assembly, through a processing run, and to an elevator assembly. The harvester can be configured to include or accommodate interchangeable header assemblies having different numbers of rows and/or row spacings. The transfer assembly can be of a floating type and helps to provide an even distribution of beets to the grabrollers. The processing run includes full-length cleaning grabrollers disposed parallel to the direction of travel. Modular elevator assemblies can be provided to further enhance harvester versatility. Such an approach includes interchangeable ferris wheel and scrubber chain elevator assemblies. An improved scrubber chain elevator assembly can be used which has a wraparound scrubber chain design. A pivoting tank conveyor for evenly filling a holding tank can be included. Large diameter carrier wheels on a single axle positioned for improved balance, flotation, and maneuverability typically are important basic characteristics of the harvesters. |
| US08074430B2 |
Twin layer packaging machine
A twin layer packaging machine is disclosed for packing cartons with articles such as beverage cans in two layers, a top layer overlying a bottom layer. The packaging machine has a selector flight defining selector bays, a can flight defining can bays, and a carton flight transporting cartons to be packed, all synchronously movable with each other. A single infeed assembly at the upstream end of the machine directs first groups of cans into selector bays on the selector flight, sweeps them into adjacent can bays, and directs second groups of cans into the same selector bays, all on the same level. The selector flight and the second groups of cans in its selector bays then ramps up to an elevated level, from where the second groups of cans are swept from the selector bays into the adjacent can bays atop the already loaded first groups of cans. The thus staged twin layer cans are then pushed into open cartons on the carton flight, whereupon the cartons are closed and sealed. |
| US08074429B2 |
Apparatus and method for packing smoking articles
A packaging apparatus comprises one or more packing machines (MC1, MC2, MC3) which are operable to join together at least two assembled packs (P1, P2). A strap applicator (MC4) applies a strap system (S) to one face of all but one of the assembled packs (P1, P2). Conveying means (TC) guide the assembled packs (P5 P1, P2) such that the face of each assembled pack (P1, P2) having the strap attached thereto abuts a face of another of the assembled packs such that the strap (S) is sandwiched between the abutting faces. Fixing means, which fix the strap (S) about adjacent packs such that the packs (P1, P2) are joined together and are movable relative to each other by rotation about one or more edges. |
| US08074428B2 |
Method of, and apparatus for, producing bag packs
For the production and filling of (sheet-material) bags (10) with one tobacco portion (18) each, a plurality of bags (10) are preferably made available in the region of a filling station (20). The latter is located in the vicinity of a pressing station (19), which is supplied with the tobacco portions (18). In the region of the pressing station (19) or in a pressing chamber (35), each tobacco portion (18) is compressed in the vertical direction on a horizontal rest, namely on a platform (39), and in addition preferably compressed by a pressing crosspiece (42) in the horizontal direction. The tobacco portion (18) thus formed is introduced into the bag (10). |
| US08074427B2 |
Production method for container packing filler and tubular net rolling apparatus
A method and an apparatus for producing a container packing filler are provided, which ensure that a net can be correctly and speedily rolled up into a bulk or ball shape. A stretchable tubular net (N) is fitted around a columnar support member (6). Then, a distal portion of the net is forcibly folded radially outward or inward by a plurality of roller belts (30) disposed circumferentially of the net (N), while the roller belts (30) are moved toward a net proximal side axially of the net (N), whereby the net (N) is rolled up radially outward or inward with the distal portion thereof being forcibly folded by circular rotation and axial movement of the roller belts (30) to form an annular roll portion (C). |
| US08074425B2 |
Food storage bag facilitation system
A system for filling reclosable food storage bags comprising a packaging container containing a plurality of reclosable food storage bags and a frame for supporting and holding open the food storage bags during a filling procedure. |
| US08074424B2 |
Cladding assembly and method of cladding posts
A cladding assembly comprises first and second cladding panels, each having top and bottom edge portions and a pair of lateral sides, and a corner connection element disposed to couple a pair of adjacent lateral sides of the first and second cladding panels together. The corner connection element includes top and bottom edge portions and a pair of lateral sides, wherein the corner connection element comprises a pair of female connectors disposed at its lateral sides and the pair of adjacent lateral sides of the first and second cladding panels comprises a pair of male connectors for mating with the female connectors, or wherein the corner connection element comprises a pair of male connectors disposed at its lateral sides and the pair of adjacent lateral sides of the first and second cladding panels comprises a pair of female connectors for mating with the male connectors of the corner connection element. |
| US08074422B2 |
Embedded pipe hanger
A support bracket is provided for fastening to a concrete molding form. The bracket has a first and second distal end connected by a middle portion. The distal ends are generally in a first plane and the middle portion extends from a side of each distal end at an obtuse angle relative to that plane. The distal ends are releasably fastened to the form during use of the bracket, with the middle portion extending to be embedded in the concrete. After removal of the form, one or both of the distal ends are bent away from the concrete during use, with pipes being inserted through the openings in the distal ends. The support bracket may incorporate an internally-threaded and generally tubular structure attached to the middle portion of the support bracket, with one end of the tubular structure embedded in the concrete during use and the other end exposed at the plane of the concrete surface for useful access to the internal threads. |
| US08074420B2 |
Method of forming joints of non-cylindrical tubing
Structures built from square metal tubing and methods for their construction, wherein curved sections of square tubing are welded to substantially straight sections of metal tubing according to the design requirements of the structures. The curved components are stronger and lighter than equivalent components made by bending. In addition, the curved components can be manufactured in a much wider range of configurations, sizes and dimensions than equivalent components made by bending. |
| US08074418B2 |
Apparatus for connecting panels
Disclosed herein are connectors for panels. In one embodiment a panel connector comprises, a connector comprising a rib-hinging geometry, wherein the rib-hinging geometry comprises living hinges, and wherein the rib-hinging geometry is capable of expanding in area. In another embodiment, a panel assembly is disclosed. The panel assembly comprises, a connector comprising a rib-hinging geometry, wherein the rib-hinging geometry comprises living hinges, a socket comprising an internal geometry, wherein the connector can be assembled to the internal geometry, and wherein the rib-hinging geometry is capable of expanding in area. |
| US08074416B2 |
Structural members with gripping features and joining arrangements therefor
A joining arrangement is provided for use in the construction of stud frame which includes a releasable attachment/detachment feature. The first member (plate) includes in at least one side wall a formation which, when members are joined, engages a corresponding formation in at least one wall of the second member (stud). The formation, such as a V-shaped protrusion, is/are disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the member and the formation on the second member is disposed generally parallel to its longitudinal axis such that upon engagement of the first and second members, the respective formations in the first and second members engage such that they are in alignment, thereby, securing the first member to the second. Additionally, a plurality of protrusions, which provide a gripping feature, may be formed on the upper surface of web for inhibiting the stud from sliding, slipping, moving and/or migrating within the plate. |
| US08074413B2 |
Foundation for metalog buildings
A foundation for a building superstructure has a number of hollow foundation tubes laid horizontally on the ground and susceptible to degradation over time by contact with the ground. Each tube is protected by one or both of the following: (1) a reinforcement housed within the tube, shaped conformably to the interior of the tube, and resistant to degradation by contact with the ground; and (2) a membrane surrounding the tube, shaped conformably to the exterior of the tube, and resistant to degradation by contact with the ground. The tubes are arranged to form the footprint of a small building. In completing the building superstructure, other tubes, which need not have the same protection, are stacked on the foundation tubes. Degradation of the foundation tubes over time because of their contact with the ground is rendered inconsequential by the reinforcement or prevented by the membrane. |
| US08074412B1 |
Fire and sound resistant insert for a wall
An element is inserted between the upper edge of a wallboard and a fluted ceiling. The element has a lower edge adapted to snugly accommodate the upper edge of the wallboard and an upper edge shaped and adapted to accommodate the fluted shape of the ceiling. The element is snugly fixed to the wallboard and includes mineral wool and calk fire putty sandwiched between two layers of sheet metal. |
| US08074411B1 |
Fabric wall panel and track
A fabric wall panel includes a number of frame members for attachment to a wall to form a frame. Each frame member has a stationary jaw for attachment to the wall and a movable jaw pivotally attached to the stationary jaw by a flexible and stretchable hinge for rotation between an open position and a close position. Each frame member has an opening lock that locks the movable jaw in the open position to facilitate the insertion of fabric between the movable jaw and the stationary jaw. Each frame member also has one or more closing locks that connect the movable jaw to the stationary jaw to thereby hold the movable jaw in the closed position. |
| US08074398B2 |
Growing system for enhanced yield
Disclosed herein is a growing system for enhanced yield. In an exemplary embodiment of the growing system, a plant stand is provided, and a plurality of plant pots can be further provided. The plant stand can include a first frame, a second frame, and a plurality of brackets securing the plant pots to the first frame and the second frame. The plant stand is configured such that the plant pots have a tiered formation. In some embodiments, the brackets each have a segment upon which a corresponding plant pot is seated and segments for securing opposing sides of the plant stand. In some embodiments, the plant stand has a substantially x-shaped elevation. |
| US08074397B2 |
Illuminator for plant growth
To provide an illuminator for plant growth that can illuminate a plant intermittently (pulse illumination) or continuously to cause an effect similar to sunbeam spot phenomenon, thereby accelerating photosynthetic reaction.Specifically, the illuminator for plant growth includes a light source composed of a semiconductor optical device, a control unit for outputting a turn-on timing signal for the light source, a rhythm signal detecting unit for A/D converting an input rhythm signal, a timing signal modulating unit for modulating the turn-on timing signal with the output signal from the rhythm signal detecting unit, and a pulse drive unit for pulse-modulating a power signal with the modulated turn-on timing signal outputted from the timing signal modulating unit and supplying the pulse-modulated power signal to the light source. |
| US08074396B2 |
Device for protecting different articles against birds, insects and dust
The invention relates to a device for protecting different articles against birds, insects and dust. The inventive device consists of a tubular element (11) comprising a flexible mesh or a non-woven fabric, which can be closed at the upper and lower openings thereof and which encloses the article to be protected (9a, 9b). The invention is also equipped with a series of hoops (17) or supports which keep the tube (11) at a certain distance from the article to be protected. |
| US08074393B2 |
Adjustable dual stage trigger mechanism for semi-automatic weapons
A dual stage trigger assembly for a firearm. The trigger assembly comprises a spring loaded lightweight hammer, a spring loaded trigger, a spring loaded disconnector, a spring follower for the disconnector spring and two adjustment screws that allow the user the ability to adjust the sear face of the trigger that is engaged with the hammer in the cocked position and adjust the force imparted to the disconnector by the disconnector spring. |
| US08074392B2 |
Toy rifle backlash vibration structure
A toy rifle (air soft rifle, BB-rifle) backlash vibration structure is disclosed formed of a receiver extension, a weight, a reaction spring and a buttcap spacer. The weight has a front extension inserted through the frame of the toy riffle and connected to the rear end of the piston spring at the rear side of the piston so that the component parts of the backlash vibration structure does not touch the piston during movement of the piston. The buttcap spacer is detachably fastened to the rear side of the receiver extension and mounted with an adjustment screw rod that is rotatable relative to the buttcap spacer to adjust the level of the backlash vibration from zero to the maximum. |
| US08074388B2 |
System and method for media display
The invention provides a media display system and method that allows a user to easily maneuver through crowded areas while providing advertisements that can be selected and altered even while the media display system is in use. According to the invention, the system operates on a regenerative breaking system that recharges the battery as the system is in brake-mode or as a result of the media display in the shape of an airfoil contributing to the regenerative breaking mechanism. |
| US08074384B2 |
Auxiliary tool for handcrafting
A handicraft assisting tool (1) includes a plate-like holding member (3) and a supporting member (2) on which the holding member is placed. The supporting member (2) includes a main plate having a shape corresponding to the holding member (3) and a side plate (22) standing from the periphery of the main plate in the thickness direction of the main plate. The main plate is formed with a plurality of elongated holes (23) arranged adjacent to the periphery of the main plate and spaced from each other along the periphery. The holding member (3) includes a periphery formed with a plurality of recesses (33). Each of the elongated holes (23) includes opposite ends configured to communicate with the recesses (33) when the holding member (3) is placed on the supporting member (2). |
| US08074379B2 |
Shoes with shank and heel wrap
The present invention concerns a shoe (10) including an upper (12), having lateral and medial sides, a midsole (14) joined to the upper (12), and an outsole (16) joined to the midsole (4). Shoe (10) is tightened around the wearer's foot using a lacing system (18) comprising a lace (20) and tightening mechanism (22). Lace (20) is threaded through shank (24) positioned under the arch and heel wrap (26) and attached at opposite ends to tightening mechanism (22). In an advantageous aspect of the present invention, lace (18) is tensioned to draw shank (24) upwards and towards the arch of the foot. In order to support the foot, shank (24) is comprised of a material having a strain rate lower than the upper (12). |
| US08074378B2 |
Shock absorbing device of an insole of a resilient shoe
A shock-absorbing method and device of an insole of a resilient shoe is provided. At least one transverse partition is set in a gas or liquid chamber of the insole. The gas or liquid chamber of the insole is partitioned into a fore cavity and a rear cavity by the partition. The fore cavity and the rear cavity are communicated reciprocally through the region external of the ends of the partition. Preferably, a fish-bone shaped partition is set longitudinally in the gas or liquid chamber. A column is set at the end of each of fish-bone branches of said fish-bone shaped partition and is positioned corresponding to a relevant acupoint of a human foot bottom. The gas or liquid chamber is filled with soft or resilient materials. The insole according to the invention could be shock absorbing and resilient. |
| US08074377B2 |
Shoe sole with reinforcement structure
A shoe sole of the present invention includes a first member 10 including a first deformable portion 11, and a second member 20 including a second deformable portion 21. In a non-worn state, a first lower surface 10d of the first deformable portion 11 and a second upper surface 20u of the second deformable portion 21 are substantially spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction. Under a first load, the first deformable portion 11 deflects downward, whereby the first lower surface 10d can approach the second upper surface 20u until the first lower surface 10d contacts the second upper surface 20u. Under a second load, the deformable portions 11 and 21 both deflect downward with the engagement elements 12 and 22 of the deformable portions 11 and 21 engaging with each other. |
| US08074376B1 |
Spinning shoe
A spinning shoe having an upper and sole member in which the sole member has a spinning assembly in the forefoot. The spinning assembly is placed within a recess in the forefoot region of the sole member. Thus, the user may walk about in the spinning shoe in a normal mode or spin about a vertical axis by placing the user's weight on the forefoot region and then spin about on the vertical axis. |
| US08074373B2 |
Electrically heatable insole
An electrically heatable in sole may include at least one sole base body and one covering layer, at least one heating electrode, at least one rechargeable battery that is electrically connected to the heating electrode, and a control circuit for controlling the heating process and the charging of the battery. Heating electrodes, rechargeable batteries and a control circuit are arranged in the base body of the sole and/or between the base body and the covering layer. The control circuit includes a remote control device for starting and stopping the heating process, and a protection circuit for disconnecting the rechargeable batteries in the event of an error. |
| US08074369B2 |
Pivot joint
A pivot joint has a first structure comprising a ball mounted in a receptacle, wherein the location of the ball is held with respect to the receptacle, and a second structure mounted on and movable with respect to the ball, wherein the second structure has at least one bearing surface which defines its position with respect to the ball. The ball may be held in location by contact with the receptacle at at least two positions. At least one of the positions of contact may be adjustable. |
| US08074367B2 |
Motion sensor for measurement in a dynamic environment of co-existing tilt and horizontal acceleration
A motion-sensing device for sensing tilt and acceleration when either tilt, horizontal acceleration, or tilt and horizontal acceleration acting concurrently, influence the device, including: a substrate having a vertical surface, a first accelerometer fixed to the vertical surface of the substrate; a pendulum flexibly coupled to the substrate proximate to the first accelerometer; and a second accelerometer fixed to the pendulum. The first and/or second accelerometers are preferably an accelerometer; a spring-mass system; and/or any tilt or accelerometer sensitive elements. The first accelerometer includes an accelerometer that measures tilt and linear acceleration in a first geometric plane, the pendulum is constrained to move in the first geometric plane, and the second accelerometer is operable to measure linear acceleration in the first geometric plane. The motion-sensing device or devices coupled to a machine, vehicle, and/or a control system. The pendulum is critically damped using a damping fluid. |
| US08074365B2 |
Lettuce harvesting for cup-shaped portions of heads
Lettuce can be commercially harvested by removing the bottom portion of a head of lettuce to obtain only the top portion of the head. After the top portion of the head is obtained, a center section of the top portion of the head is removed to leave a cup-shaped portion of the head. The bottom portion of the head is removed and the center section of the top portion is removed in the field in which the head is harvested. |
| US08074364B2 |
Holder for a surgical knife blade
A holder for a surgical knife blade has a holder body, a slide member supported slidably by the blade storage barrel, an attaching finger formed in part of the slide member to attach the surgical knife blade, a slide operating piece integrally formed with the slide member, a lock hook member that prevents the slide member from sliding, locking concave grooves disposed in a slide guide edge of the holder body which guides the slide member slidably and engaging in the lock hook member, and a lever device, coupled to the slide member, for supporting the lock hook member while biasing the lock hook member toward the locking concave groove. The locking concave grooves are formed in an attachment position where the surgical knife blade is attached to the attaching finger in the slide member. In a storage position, the surgical knife blade is stored in the storage barrel. |
| US08074363B2 |
Rotary knife blade for low friction rotary knife
A power operated knife comprises a blade supporting structure supporting an annular blade for rotation about a central axis. The blade and blade supporting structure are engagable along bearing contact locations that are spaced apart in a direction parallel to the axis so that the blade is stabilized both radially and axially as the knife operates. The blade supporting structure comprises a split blade housing member that is radially expandible and contractible to receive the blade. The split blade housing member and blade engage along relatively short lines of bearing contact that serve to minimize friction and blade heating when the knife operates. The bearing locations are spaced apart both circumferentially around the blade perimeter and in the direction of the axis so that the blade position is stabilized during operation of the knife. |
| US08074362B2 |
Multi-blade utility knife
A foldable hand tool having a blade holder mounted with a handle for movement from folded and unfolded positions. The blade holder has an opening adapted to receive blades of different sizes. The foldable hand tool further has a locking mechanism to lock the holder in an open position. A blade holder lock engages a resilient arm formed in the side wall of the handle. |
| US08074361B2 |
Rose pruning and stripping device
A rose pruning and stripping device includes first and second jaws pivotally connected between handle and cutting portions thereof. An inner edge of the cutting portion of the first jaw sharpened into a cutting edge, and the opposite inner edge of the cutting portion of the second jaw defines a dull edge. A multi-faceted notch is formed in each cutting portion of the first and second jaws between the pivotal connection and the sharpened edge. A leaf and thorn stripping aperture is formed as the handles of the first and second jaws, and particularly the cutting portions thereof, are brought towards one another. |
| US08074357B2 |
Method for manufacturing ink jet recording head
A manufacturing method for an ink jet recording head. The method includes the steps of preparing a recording element substrate, preparing an electric wiring member, preparing a sealing material discharging member, and applying a sealing material. The ink jet recording head is constructed to provide a first gap between a recording element substrate and an inner edge of a hole. The first gap is larger than a second gap between the recording element substrate and an opposite inner edge of the hole measured along the same line. The sealing material is applied while moving the sealing material discharging member, along the line, from a portion of an electric wiring member adjacent to the first gap, across the first gap, across the electrical connection portions, across the second gap, to a portion of the electric wiring member adjacent to the second gap. |
| US08074356B2 |
Method for manufacturing aluminum tube and fin heat exchanger using open flame brazing
According to the preferred embodiment, an improved method and apparatus for the manufacturing of an aluminum tube and aluminum fin heat exchanger that includes steps for pneumatic cleaning, thermal cleaning, and uncontrolled-atmosphere open-flame autobrazing of hairpins to return bend fittings. The method uses a tube lubrication system that is adjustable to control amount of lubrication applied to the tube prior to final expansion. The method uses a pneumatic coil cleaning station that is adjusted to reduce the residual oil particulate from the expansion process required to be thermally cleaned. |
| US08074352B2 |
Method of manufacturing printed circuit board
A method of manufacturing a printed circuit board is disclosed. The method may include: sequentially stacking an acid-resistant first cover layer and an alkali-resistant second cover layer over a copper foil, for a copper clad laminate that includes the copper foil stacked over one side of an insulation layer; forming an intaglio groove by removing portions of the second cover layer, the first cover layer, and the copper clad laminate; stacking a seed layer over the intaglio groove and the second cover layer; removing a portion of the seed layer stacked over the second cover layer, by stripping the second cover layer; forming a plating layer, by plating an inside of the intaglio groove; stripping the first cover layer; and removing the copper foil exposed by the stripping of the first cover layer. |
| US08074343B2 |
Method for production of supporting basket for an end winding
A method for the production of a supporting basket (1) for an end winding of a stator winding of an electrical machine includes preassembling the supporting basket (1), mounting electrically insulated round connectors (6) on the supporting basket (1), immersing the supporting basket (1) with the mounted round connectors (6) in an impregnation agent bath (12), evacuating the impregnation agent bath (12), and removing the supporting basket (1) with the mounted round connectors (6) from the impregnation agent bath (12), and drying, curing, or both, the impregnation. |
| US08074341B2 |
Boundary acoustic wave device manufacturing method
A method for manufacturing a boundary acoustic wave device includes the steps of preparing a laminated structure in which an IDT electrode is disposed at an interface between first and second solid media and reforming the first medium and/or the second medium by externally providing the laminated structure with energy capable of reaching the inside of the first medium and/or the second medium and thus adjusting a frequency of the boundary acoustic wave device. The above provides a boundary acoustic wave device manufacturing method that enables frequency adjustment to be readily performed with high accuracy. |
| US08074340B2 |
Increased and variable force and multi-speed clamps
A method of operating a clamp (100) that includes a first clamping jaw (102), a support element (104) to which the first clamping jaw is attached and a trigger handle (118) pivotably mounted to a clamp body (112). The method includes actuating the trigger handle causing the first clamping jaw to experience incremental motion and varying the incremental motion as a function of a load encountered by the support element by varying an effective lever arm of the trigger handle by moving a fulcrum point into contact or out of contact with the trigger handle based on the load. |
| US08074337B2 |
Metal plate member fixation device installation method
A metal plate member fixation device installation method includes the step of preparing a barrel, the step of bonding the barrel to one of two metal plate members to be affixed by a reflow soldering process, the step of providing a screw member and a cap and coupling the screw member and the cap tightly together, the step of preparing a spring member and sleeving the spring member onto the shank of the screw member and then inserting the screw member and the spring member into the barrel at the metal plate member, the step of axially slidably coupling the cap to the barrel to let the spring member be stopped between a step in the barrel and a part of the shoulder of the screw member, and the step of releasing the pressure from the cap to finish the installation. |
| US08074330B2 |
Method and system for enabling z fiber transfer in needled preform
A method for preparing a needled preform comprises transporting, cutting and needling a textile tape. The method further comprises cutting through a portion of the textile tape with a cutting device. The textile tape remains substantially contiguous after the cutting. The method further comprises needling the textile tape into a needled preform after cutting the textile tape, and the needling utilizes needles having working surfaces oriented in a direction to transfer fiber segments from a selected fiber orientation into a z-direction. In an embodiment, a system for enabling z-fiber transfer in a textile tape comprises a textile support configured to transport the textile tape, a cutting device configured to cut a portion of the textile tape, and a needling device configured to needle the textile tape into a needled preform after the cutting device cuts the textile tape. |
| US08074325B2 |
Clip-type label
This is a unique, yet simple clip that also serves as a label for identification. It can be attached to a bundle of papers or on a file folder. It can also have adhesives for such attachment either on a permanent or removable basis. It can be used either in an office environment or in a home and can have a writable surface as well as having several embossed alpha-numeric or Braille characters. |
| US08074324B2 |
Flexible, deployment rate damped hinge
A flexible hinge including a first set of plies and a second set of plies, and a hinge area where the first set of plies and the second set of plies bend. A damping material is disposed between plies of the first set and the second set at least at the hinge area thereof to control the deployment of the hinge. |
| US08074320B2 |
Autonomous blower for debris herding
An autonomous blower is described that utilizes GPS signals for blowing ground debris from a clearable area to a target area. A controller coordinates motors that propel and steer the autonomous blower. A database created in a teaching mode defines clearable, target, and no-trespassing areas with respect to GPS coordinates. An algorithm in the controller computes a serpentine trajectory for the autonomous blower so that it traverses the clearable area while transporting ground debris to the target area. |
| US08074315B2 |
Connecting portion for boarding bridge and boarding bridge
It is provided a connecting portion for a boarding bridge that eliminates the level difference between the doorway portion of the aircraft and the passage, reduces the anxiety of the passengers, and can be raised and lowered smoothly. A passage (27) is formed by a stationary passage (29) and an alignment passage (31) that is arranged at the distal end portion of the stationary passage (29) and adjusts the level difference between the stationary passage (29) and the doorway portion (23); the alignment passage (31) includes an elevating floor (35), on the stationary passage (29) side, having a pivot shafts (41) that is substantially perpendicular to the passenger traffic direction (T) and pivots centered on the pivot shafts (41), and an alignment floor (37), at the stationary passage (29) side, having a pivot shafts (53) that extends in a direction that is perpendicular to the passenger traffic direction (T) and that pivots centered on the pivot shafts (53); and wherein one of either the elevating floor (35) or the alignment floor (37) is installed at the stationary passage (29), the latter is installed in-plane to the former, and thereunder a sliding floor (39) that can be raised or lowered is installed in the passenger traffic direction (T). |
| US08074313B2 |
Methods for manufacturing a self-forming mattress cover
A self-forming mattress cover including a mattress gusset with a drawstring is provided. The gusset includes a sleeve attached to the gusset along a fold location. A drawstring is disposed within the sleeve. Ends of the drawstring are pulled into tension, thereby reducing the perimeter of the gusset at the fold location and drawing the gusset inward toward the center of the mattress. The gusset is formed to corner positions of the mattress by stretching and/or bunching of gusset material as tension is applied. The ends of the drawstring are secured to retain the tension state. A cushioned quilt top is attached to a free edge of the gusset. The self-forming mattress cover conforms to corner positions of a mattress without the need for mitering, ruffling, pleating, or sewing seams at the corner positions. The self-forming mattress cover also ensures proper alignment of the cushioned quilt with the mattress body. |
| US08074311B2 |
Prayer pillow with multifunctions
A multiple function pillow used for kneeling, sitting, sleeping and traveling which includes a cushion member and a protective cover. A mechanism is for removably inserting the cushion member into the protective cover, to allow a person to rest their head, back, sit and kneel thereon. A mechanism is for securing opposite ends of the protective cover together, wherein the cushion member can be folded into a closed position, so as to be wrapped and retained about a wrist of a person, a handle of a suitcase, a strap of a bag and a strap of a purse for easy transportation thereof. Two non-slip neoprene material pads are used. |
| US08074307B2 |
Air circulation and bed-cover suspension unit for a bed
An air circulation unit introduces air into a space under the bed cover from a foot-end of a bed. The air circulation unit includes an assembly for suspending the bed cover so that an occupant or occupants of the bed are partially relieved of the full weight of the bed cover. In use, the unit serves to introduce air which may be heated or cooled or at ambient temperature into the space under the bed cover and so circulate air over the occupant or occupants of the bed to keep the occupant or occupants as comfortable as possible during sleep despite surrounding conditions. |
| US08074303B2 |
Noise reducing valve for toilet systems
The components used in this invention has never been utilized in this special type of arrangement ever before. This new “Noise Reducing Valve for Toilet Systems” does not exist and cannot be found anywhere.Once available to the public it will be very useful and will help many light sleeper to have a better change of getting a good sleep at night, as they will not have to listen to loud toilet noises at night, on whenever they take a sleep. |
| US08074295B2 |
Stretchable fabric suitable for swimwear applications
The present invention relates to new fabric designed for improved utility in swimwear applications, as well as the method for producing such fabric as well as garments made from such fabrics. The fabric can be characterized in terms elongation, instantaneous fabric growth at 15% strain and dimensional stability. The fabric comprises an elastic crosslinked polyolefin elastic yarn and a second yarn selected from the group consisting of polyester, nylon, and polypropylene. |
| US08074294B2 |
Wearable spinal protective apparatus
A wearable spinal protective apparatus is presented which will protect all parts of the human spinal column from cervical to lumbosacral vertebrae during high velocity activities. The apparatus is worn by user to cover the entire backside from neck and shoulders down, to be secured around the hips. This apparatus has many sections each uniquely designed to work together to reduce all forms of spinal injury. Protection provided by this apparatus is most valuable during high velocity activities. Because of its unique sectional design this apparatus can be tailored to match any size individual and any level of protection desired. The design of this apparatus goes well beyond the prior art of simple hard shell and padding. |
| US08079091B2 |
Compliance processing of rights managed data
Performing compliance processing is disclosed. An indication is received that compliance processing is to be performed with respect to content that is subject to an access restriction that would prevent the compliance processing from being performed if the content were not able to be accessed without the restriction. It is ensured that the content can be accessed without the restriction to perform the compliance processing. |
| US08079090B2 |
License management system, control method thereof, image processing apparatus, and control method thereof
A license management system includes a license management server, an information processing apparatus, and an image forming apparatus. To simplify application activation on the image forming apparatus, the device comprises a first input unit that inputs first license information, a first transmission unit that transmits the first license information to the license management server, a second input unit that inputs information from the license management server regarding the possibility of issuing second license information, a second transmission unit that transmits unique information that is preset on the apparatus to the license management server when information that it is possible to issue the second license information is inputted, a third input unit adapted to inputting the second license information that is issued from the license management server, and a unit that activates the application program in accordance with the second license information. |
| US08079088B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program
Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus including: a unit information acquisition section; an identification information acquisition section; a secondary version information acquisition section; a comparison section; and an operation control section. |
| US08079087B1 |
Universal resource locator verification service with cross-branding detection
A URL verification service is provided that is used to evaluate the trustworthiness of universal resource locators (URLs). As a user browses the world wide web, the URL for a web page to which the user is browsing is evaluated. A brand and a second level domain portion may be extracted from the URL and used as search engine inputs in evaluating the trustworthiness of the URL. The content of the web page can also be analyzed. Page elements may be extracted from the web page and compared to page elements in a brand indicator table to identify page brands associated with the web page. The brand extracted from the URL is compared to the page brands to detect cross-branding. If cross-branding is detected, the URL verification service helps to prevent the user from submitting sensitive information over the internet. |
| US08079086B1 |
Malicious mobile code runtime monitoring system and methods
Protection systems and methods provide for protecting one or more personal computers (“PCs”) and/or other intermittently or persistently network accessible devices or processes from undesirable or otherwise malicious operations of Java TN applets, ActiveX™ controls, JavaScript™ scripts, Visual Basic scripts, add-ins, downloaded/uploaded programs or other “Downloadables” or “mobile code” in whole or part. A protection engine embodiment provides, within a server, firewall or other suitable “recommunicator,” for monitoring information received by the communicator, determining whether received information does or is likely to include executable code, and if so, causes mobile protection code (MPC) to be transferred to and rendered operable within a destination device of the received information, more suitably by forming a protection agent including the MPC, protection policies and a detected-Downloadable. An MPC embodiment further provides, within a Downloadable-destination, for initiating the Downloadable, enabling malicious Downloadable operation attempts to be received by the MPC, and causing (predetermined) corresponding operations to be executed in response to the attempts, more suitably in conjunction with protection policies. |
| US08079085B1 |
Reducing false positives during behavior monitoring
A program installed on a computer system registers and is placed on an installed program list or an uninstall software list. A check of the uninstall software list (USL) is added as a secondary verification mechanism to a behavior monitoring engine. A signature-based malware scan engine may be used. If the scan engine does not flag the file as malware, then the behavior monitoring engine monitors the activities performed by the underlying application. When the behavior monitoring engine flags an activity as potentially suspicious, the USL is checked to determine if the application running the process is on the USL. If so, then the process is treated as legitimate and there is no need to alert the user. Only if both the behavior is flagged as suspicious and the application performing the behavior is not on the USL will the user receive an alert as to the potential malware. |
| US08079083B1 |
Method and system for recording network traffic and predicting potential security events
Recording network traffic is disclosed. Data associated with a network flow are monitored. If it is determined that the data associated with the network flow satisfy a first criterion based at least in part on a prediction value that reflects a likelihood that the network flow will result in a security event, the data associated with the network flow are begun to be recorded even though a second criterion corresponding to the security event has not been satisfied. |
| US08079081B1 |
Systems and methods for automated log event normalization using three-staged regular expressions
Methods and systems for normalizing log messages. Some methods include obtaining a freeform log message from one of many disparate programs. The methods can include determining which program originated the message and, based on that, determining a signature which matches the message. Using the signature, a parsing expression may be determined with which to extract information from a portion of the message. The time from obtaining the message to extracting the information can be about the same for all messages and can be about 1/40,000th of a second. In some embodiments, a generic signature of the message may be output. A version of the message may be reconstructed based on the generic signature and information. When more than one message signatures matches the reconstructed message, one of the matching signatures can be adjusted. The parsing expression can be the first of an ordered list of expressions which successfully evaluates the log message. |
| US08079080B2 |
Method, system and computer program product for detecting security threats in a computer network
A method, system and computer program product detect attempts to send significant amounts of information out via HTTP tunnels to rogue Web servers from within an otherwise firewalled network. A related goal is to help detect spyware programs. Filters, based on the analysis of HTTP traffic over a training period, help detect anomalies in outbound HTTP traffic using metrics such as request regularity, bandwidth usage, inter-request delay time, and transaction size. |
| US08079079B2 |
Multimodal authentication
A multimodal system that employs a plurality of sensing modalities which can be processed concurrently to increase confidence in connection with authentication. The multimodal system and/or set of various devices can provide several points of information entry in connection with authentication. Authentication can be improved, for example, by combining face recognition, biometrics, speech recognition, handwriting recognition, gait recognition, retina scan, thumb/hand prints, or subsets thereof. Additionally, portable multimodal devices (e.g., a smartphone) can be used as credit cards, and authentication in connection with such use can mitigate unauthorized transactions. |
| US08079076B2 |
Detecting stolen authentication cookie attacks
In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises logic for detecting stolen authentication cookie attacks. A first transport connection is established between a client and a gateway server, where the first transport connection is authenticated by the gateway server. A first authentication cookie is associated with a client session, between the client and the gateway server, that includes the first transport connection. A second transport connection is established at the gateway server. A request is received over the second transport connection. The request includes the first authentication cookie to associate the second transport connection with the client session. A second authentication cookie is generated for the client session and is returned over the second transport connection. Thereafter, a determination is made whether the second authentication cookie is received over the first transport connection. An attack is detected when the second authentication cookie is not received over the first transport connection. |
| US08079073B2 |
Distributed firewall implementation and control
One or more devices on a network may be configured to provide firewall services for other devices on the network. Each of the firewall service suppliers may publish its capability with respect to firewall services and the service receivers may publish their requirements for firewall services. A manager function may broker the requests and offers to match services and requirements. A default firewall service may be provided to devices not publishing their requirements. Network topologies may be re-configured to first route traffic addressed to a device to its corresponding firewall service provider. |
| US08079069B2 |
Cardspace history validator
Before a relying party grants a client access to a resource, the last use of the security token by the client to access the resource of the relying party can be verified. Verification can be accomplished by comparing the last time the client sent the security token to the relying party with the last time the relying party received the security token from the client. If the last use of the security token is not verified, the possibility exists that the security token has been fraudulently used by a third party. |
| US08079067B2 |
Streaming content in guest mode
The present application relates to systems, apparatus and methods for transmitting image data from a content source to an image display in a dual mode system which includes a guest mode and an authorized user mode. One example embodiment comprises establishing a secure connection to a network requiring access credentials, detecting a content source, establishing a non-secure connection to receive image data from the content source, receiving the image data from the content source, and providing the image data to a display, wherein the content source is not provided access over the secure connection. |
| US08079066B1 |
Multi-domain login and messaging
A method, a computer readable medium and a system of multi-domain login and messaging are provided. The method for multi-domain login comprises inputting a local password by an agent, accessing a password vault with the local password, and retrieving at least one hidden password from the password vault, and logging the agent into at least one agent application using the at least one hidden password. The method for multi-domain messaging comprises retrieving information of an agent from a database, retrieving at least one skill group to which the agent belongs from the information, retrieving a message linked to the at least one skill group, and sending the message to the agent. |
| US08079065B2 |
Indexing encrypted files by impersonating users
Methods and computer-readable media for indexing an encrypted file by impersonating a user is provided. A set of keys may be associated with a particular encrypted file. Once these keys are identified, the users who own these keys may then be identified by consulting an association of keys to users, which may be updated immediately upon the addition of new keys. If one of the users is currently logged on, the logon information associated with that user may be used to access the content of the encrypted file. The encrypted file may then be indexed based on the accessed content. To allow more than one user to use the same index, security identifiers may be assigned to index records associated with encrypted files to protect content of encrypted files from unauthorized users. |
| US08079064B2 |
Service verifying system, authentication requesting terminal, service utilizing terminal, and service providing method
An object is to provide a service providing method capable of curbing rise of cost. A service providing method according to the present invention is one for providing services A and B, which authenticates a user of an authentication requesting terminal in order to make service A available to the user and which determines whether service B is available to the user, in a state in which the user is authenticated about service A. When service B is determined to be available, a permission message is stored and a permission response based on the permission message for utilization of service B is transmitted to the authentication requesting terminal. Then the permission message on which a utilization request message from a service utilizing terminal is based, is verified, and, if it is in an available status, the service utilizing terminal is permitted to utilize service B. The use of the authentication result on service A obviates a need for provision of a new authentication result for service B, so as to lead to reduction of cost. |
| US08079061B2 |
Authentication system managing method
Inputted information (such as biometric information) is compared to template information (including correlation or authentication) and the result is recorded as log information. According to log information for each of the types of the inputted information (such as information specifying the user who has inputted it and the template), analysis is executed for the inputted information for each of the types. This analysis includes the following aspects. That is, the following states are detected and an alarm is outputted for the accuracy of the corresponding type: when the ratio of negative comparison results (correlation failures) not smaller than a predetermined value is detected within a predetermined period of time; and when a negative result is detected within a predetermined time before an affirmative comparison result is obtained. |
| US08079060B1 |
Systems and methods for policy-based program configuration
Disclosed are systems, methods and computer program products for adaptive policy-based configuration of programs. An example method comprises collecting from computer system configuration and performance information and rating system performance based on the collected information. The method further includes selecting based on the performance rating an operational policy for a computer program. The policy specifies program settings and limits of system resource utilization by the program. The method further includes monitoring system resource utilization during program execution on the computer system to determine whether system resource utilization exceeds the limit specified in the operational policy. If the system resource utilization exceeds the specified limit, the method selects another policy specifying different program settings and a different limit of system resource utilization. |
| US08079056B2 |
Synchronizing a media center on a correct channel
A media center and an audio visual (AV) unit may be remotely synchronized on the same remodulation channel. A system may include a media center connected to an audio visual (AV) unit; and a remote control unit to activate the media center. The remote control unit may receive signals from the media center to indicate a transmission channel for the AV unit, and the remote control unit may send the received signals to the AV unit to independently cause the AV unit to switch to the indicated transmission channel. |
| US08079053B2 |
System and method of deferring multimedia content delivery
Systems and methods of deferred multimedia content delivery are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes receiving a request from a first customer premises equipment (CPE) device to receive multimedia content. The method also includes selectively recording the multimedia content at a server based on a comparison of a measured bandwidth associated with the first CPE device and a bandwidth threshold. The method may also include delivering the multimedia content to the first CPE device from a network when measured bandwidth is available. |
| US08079052B2 |
Methods, apparatuses, and systems for presenting advertisement content within trick files
Methods and apparatuses and systems for inserting advertisement segments into trick content. Advertisement segments present in the original video content are extracted from the video content and merged with other navigation segements to generate associated trick content. The advertisement segment may be inserted into the trick files may be displayed at their normal playback speed, a different apparent playback speed, or displayed in a different direction. Additionally, alternative content of the advertisement segment may be inserted into the advertisement segment to provide specialized versions of the advertisement content to be displayed in trick content mode, or the content may be completely different fro the original advertisement content, such as session specific advertisement content or even user specific advertisement content based on user preferences. |
| US08079048B2 |
System and method of scheduling an event related to an advertisement
A method of scheduling an event related to an advertisement includes transmitting media content to a set-top box. The media content includes an advertisement having a selectable reminder indicator related to the advertisement. The method further includes receiving an input selection related to the selectable reminder indicator and scheduling a reminder related to the advertisement for transmission to one or more selected devices based on the input selection. |
| US08079047B1 |
Program information searching system for interactive program guide
An apparatus and method for searching for television program information using a programmable television services client device that includes memory for storing data, display configuration information contained in the memory, and a processor. The display configuration information includes a guide arrangement configured in a search format for displaying a prompt for user input designating a television program search parameter. The processor is responsive to user input and is configured to cause a search result related to the television program search parameter to be displayed on a viewing device. |
| US08079046B2 |
Intelligent system and methods of recommending media content items based on user preferences
A system and method for making program recommendations to users of a network-based video recording system utilizes expressed preferences as inputs to collaborative filtering and Bayesian predictive algorithms to rate television programs using a graphical rating system. The predictive algorithms are adaptive, improving in accuracy as more programs are rated. |
| US08079040B2 |
Loading and unloading mechanism for data storage cartridge and data drive
The present invention provides loading and unloading mechanisms, and data drives for data storage cartridges. Embodiments of the cartridge loading and unloading mechanisms for a data storage cartridge may: operate in a manner such that the drive door of the data drive may be fully closed before the disk medium is exposed, e.g., before opening of the associated shutter of the cartridge; be powered by the same drive motor assembly that is used to move or transport the cartridge to the optical head assembly used for writing and/or reading of data from the disk medium of the cartridge; and may fit within a standard configuration for a data drive. Embodiments of the cartridge loading and unloading mechanisms, as well as the data drives, may provide reliable operation, ease of assembly, and of the parts and components necessary for the reliable operation, and positive data cartridge positioning, as well as minimizing backlash in the drive motor/gear assembly. |
| US08079037B2 |
Generic, multi-instance method and GUI detection system for tracking and monitoring computer applications
Presented is a system and method for monitoring events derived from a computer target application presentation layer including the steps of providing, independent of recompiling the target application's source code, a script running at a level within the target application. The script scans run-time instantiations of objects of the target application, and allocates structures in real-time to the object instantiations. These allocated structures are adapted to create a reflection of the target application structure, which is used along with detected object instantiations that match a predetermined object structure to capture a portion of an environmental spectrum of the detected object. Further, the system can process state machine events occurring on at least one of a server machine and a client/localized machine, correlate the state machine events with the environmental spectrum, and deduce a user experience based on the correlated state machine events. |
| US08079034B2 |
Optimizing processor-managed resources based on the behavior of a virtual machine monitor
In one embodiment, a predefined behavior of a virtual machine monitor (VMM) with respect to one or more virtual machines (VMs) is identified, and processor-managed resources associated with the one or more VMs are utilized based on the predefined behavior of the VMM. |
| US08079033B2 |
System and method for balancing information loads
A method and system is provided for routing data in a system. The method includes determining an initial fixed distribution pattern, determining a queue parameter based on at least a current amount of system use and a maximum potential system use, determining a time parameter based on the time that a message in the application has been waiting for its processing, determining a load parameter based on at least the time parameter and the queue parameter, and modifying the distribution pattern based on at least the load parameter. |
| US08079030B1 |
Detecting stealth network communications
A computer has a hypervisor that supervises a virtual machine. The virtual machine includes a guest security module that enforces a security policy on network traffic entering and exiting the virtual machine. Malicious software (malware) uses stealth network communications to avoid the guest security module and attempts to communicate with its home base. A security module within the hypervisor has access to all network communications entering and exiting the computer. The security module communicates with the guest security module to identify communications of which the guest security module is aware. The security module analyzes the network communications for the computer to identify a stealth network communication of which the guest security module is unaware. The security module alters the stealth network communication, thereby prevent the malware from communicating with its home base. |
| US08079029B2 |
Content acquisition method, content acquisition device, and content acquisition program
The present invention allows for the acquisition of content data. The present invention temporarily stores the first and second process progress information in the storage medium, and, when the requested content data and license data 301 are registered in the database after being downloaded and temporarily stored in the storage medium, removes the first and second process progress information, and, if there are the first and/or second process progress information are left when the stopped content acquisition process restarts, retries to acquire data after removing the content data and license data 301 corresponding to the second process progress information. This prevents, when the data acquisition is retried, the same content data and license data from being stored in the storage medium again. This allows efficient use of the storage space, and therefore the content data is acquired without fail. |
| US08079027B2 |
Programming language translation systems and methods
Included are embodiments of a description language program stored in a computing device for updating a first version of a computer program. In at least one embodiment, the first version of the computer program is written in a universal format and the program includes logic configured to receive an updated version of the computer program. Other embodiments include logic configured to retrieve the first version of the computer program and logic configured to translate the updated version of the computer program from a proprietary format to the universal format. Still other embodiments include logic configured to utilize at least one tag to compare the translated updated version of the computer program with the first version of the computer program. |
| US08079026B2 |
Job definition verification system, and method and program thereof
The job definition verification system includes an approval information storage unit for storing approval information to the effect that execution is allowed which is obtained by an approver as to difference information obtained by update of at least one of job definition information related to information about a job to be executed, job dependency information and schedule information which are stored in a data base, and a job execution unit for executing job information of the data base only when the job information is approved based on the approval information. |
| US08079025B2 |
Asynchronous load of source dependencies
Asynchronous loading of source dependencies is disclosed. An indication is received in the course of executing a script that a source file on which a current class or function depends is not available. Execution of remaining portions of the script, if any, that do not depend on the source file, continues, or other processing tasks are performed if no such portions remain, while the source file is loaded asynchronously. |
| US08079023B2 |
Typed intermediate language support for existing compilers
Described is a technology by which a compiler's intermediate representation is generated in a way that includes type checking to ensure safe execution. Typed representation of virtual method invocation uses an exact class name to represent objects of the class but not those of the subclasses, and a combined class type as an encoding of an existential type to represent objects of the class and subclasses of the class. Typed representation of interface method invocation is also provided, as is testing whether the object can be cast to a class, to an interface and/or to a class vector. Vector store checking is also able to be type checked. The medium-level intermediate representation is translated into a low-level intermediate representation, including choosing data representation for types, and converting medium-level intermediate representation operators into instructions in the low-level representation. Using a typed intermediate representation without scopes and determining the scopes of type variables when performing type checking is also described. |
| US08079019B2 |
Advancing and rewinding a replayed program execution
In an embodiment, a data processing system comprises a storage system coupled to a unit under test comprising a heap memory, a static memory and a stack; second logic operable to perform: detecting one or more changes in a first state of the heap memory and the static memory; storing, in the storage system, as a state point of the unit under test, the one or more changes in the first state of the heap memory and the static memory; third logic operable to perform: receiving a request to change the memory under test to a particular state point; in response to the request, loading the particular state point from the storage system and applying the state point to the heap memory and the static memory to result in changing the heap memory and the static memory to a second state that is substantially equivalent to the first state. |
| US08079018B2 |
Test impact feedback system for software developers
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for facilitating a feedback process regarding the impact that changes to source code will have on tests. Changes contained in at least one source code file are analyzed in combination with code coverage information contained in a data store for a plurality of tests to determine when any of the tests will be impacted by the changes. When at least one test is determined to be impacted by the changes made to the source code file, a warning notification is displayed to a user to notify the user of a possible impact of the changes on the at least one test. |
| US08079017B2 |
Automated QS interface testing framework
A method is provided for verifying an Element Management System-Network Management System (EMS-NMS) interface. A pattern file is used in a test tool that can emulate an NMS for testing the respective EMS side of the EMS-NMS interface. The pattern file includes specifications on valid data which may be sent to or received from the EMS, such as valid data ranges, allowed actions on specific devices, and valid data values for objects for various software releases. The pattern file can be created based on the design interface specifications for new EMS and NMS software releases, which provides a significant benefit because it allows interface verification to be decoupled from EMS and NMS verification, which can greatly shorten the verification cycle of new EMS/NMS software releases. |
| US08079016B2 |
Information processing apparatus and application management method
An information processing apparatus includes an application management framework for managing the operating state of an application; another framework different from the application management framework; and an application that operates using this other framework. The application management framework has a determination unit adapted to determine whether or not the application is capable of being halted; and a halt control unit adapted to halt the application if the determination unit determines that the application is capable of being halted, and cancel the halting of the application if the determination unit determines that the application is not capable of being halted. |
| US08079015B2 |
Layered architecture for mobile terminals
A software architecture for a mobile terminal for a wireless telecommunications system and for other applications. The software architecture includes a plurality of layers arranged in order from layers providing higher level services to layers providing lower level services, at least one software module in each layer, and interface means for permitting communication among software modules pursuant to a set of defined dependency rules. |
| US08079013B1 |
Hardware description interface for a high-level modeling system
A computer-implemented method of specifying a circuit design within a high-level modeling system (HLMS) can include, responsive to a scripted user input, instantiating a first and a second block objects within a hardware description interface (HDI) that is communicatively linked with the HLMS and, responsive to instantiating the first and second block objects, creating and displaying, within the HLMS, first and second modeling blocks representing the first and second xBlock objects respectively. Responsive to instantiating, within the HDI, a signal object bound to an output port of the first block object and an input port of the second block object, a modeling line can be created and displayed within the HLMS visually linking an output of the first modeling block with an input of the second modeling block. The first modeling block, second modeling block, and modeling line can be stored as a description of the circuit design. |
| US08079012B2 |
Method for acquiring basic characteristic of simultaneous switching noise in method for estimating simultaneous switching noise on semiconductor device
In an initial stage of device design, a circuit analysis control unit of an evaluation board stores SSO noise basic characteristic data actually measured by the evaluation board in an SSO noise basic characteristic data storage unit, and an SSO noise calculation unit calculates a rough amount of SSO noise on the basis of the SSO noise basic characteristic data. After a noise check is OR, the design proceeds, and a PCB parameter is determined, a circuit analysis control unit acquires the SSO noise basic characteristic data according to actual device PCB design information, and corrects the SSO noise basic characteristic data in the SSO noise basic characteristic data storage unit. Then, the SSO noise calculation unit performs a detailed analysis of an amount of SSO noise using the corrected SSO noise basic characteristic data. |
| US08079011B2 |
Printed circuit boards having pads for solder balls and methods for the implementation thereof
A printed circuit board includes a group of pads suitable to be soldered to a respective group of solder-balls of a device. Each pad of the group has a crack initiation point on its perimeter at a location where cracks in a solder-ball are anticipated to start after that solder-ball is soldered to that pad. For a pad of that group having a microvia located therein, a center of that microvia is located farther than a center of that pad from its crack initiation point. For a pad of that group having a trace merging along a portion of its perimeter, that portion does not include a vicinity of that crack initiation point. |
| US08079006B2 |
Simulation method and computer-readable storage medium storing program for causing computer to analyze circuit operation using cell characteristics affected by environment
A simulation method, to be implemented in a computer, carries out a simulation of a semiconductor integrated circuit. The simulation method carries out a layout analysis based on layout data of a circuit formed by cells and stores values of layout parameters obtained by the layout analysis. Basic cell characteristics of the cells are read from a net list representing the extracted basic cell characteristics by the layout parameters and the basic cell characteristics represented by the layout parameters are stored. The stored values of the layout parameters are read and substituted into the basic cell characteristics represented by the layout parameters to obtain cell characteristics, and the cell characteristics are stored. An operation of the circuit is analyzed using the cell characteristics that are obtained. |
| US08079000B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing formal verification using data-flow graphs
An equivalency testing system, for formally comparing an RTLM and HLM, is presented. RTLM and HLM are first converted into DFGs RTLMDFG and HLMDFG. RTLMDFG and HLMDFG are then put into timestep form and are called RTLMts and HLMts. A test bench CSts is selected that couples RTLMts and HLMts. The combination of RTLMts[t], HLMts[t] and CSts[t] can have parts designated as datapath. Parts designated as datapath can be subject to a form of equivalence checking that seeks to prove equivalence by a form of inductive theorem proving that propagates symbolic values indicative of whether a node carries the same data content as another node. The theorem proving starts from initial conditions for HLMts[t] determined by partial execution of the HLM. Propagation to a combinational function output can be determined from equivalence relationships between it and another combinational function. Propagation through a multiplexer can produce a conditional symbolic value. |
| US08078997B2 |
Method, system, and computer program product for implementing a direct measurement model for an electronic circuit design
Various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to a method, system, and computer program product for implementing direct measurement model with simulation and calibration of manufacturing process model in the manufacturing of precision devices such as electronic integrated circuits. The method and the system determine the measured measurement result and the direct measurement information and compare the direct measurement information against the other to determine whether to adjust the process models and the empirical parameters thereof. |
| US08078995B2 |
Efficient isotropic modeling approach to incorporate electromagnetic effects into lithographic process simulations
Modeling of lithographic processes for use in the design of photomasks for the manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuits, and particularly to the modeling of the complex effects due to interaction of the illuminating light with the mask topography, is provided. An isofield perturbation to a thin mask representation of the mask is provided by determining, for the components of the illumination, differences between the electric field on a feature edge having finite thickness and on the corresponding feature edge of a thin mask representation. An isofield perturbation is obtained from a weighted coherent combination of the differences for each illumination polarization. The electric field of a mask having topographic edges is represented by combining a thin mask representation with the isofield perturbation applied to each edge of the mask. |
| US08078993B2 |
Operating multiple views on a computing device in connection with a wireless communication session
Embodiments described herein include a computing device that is configured to generate a multi-view presentation. The computing device may include a wireless communication application that performs at least one of transmitting and receiving data wirelessly during a communication session. The computing device may generate a view for the communication session on a corresponding display area. In one embodiment, the view occupies only a portion of the display area. At the same time the view of the communication session is provided, an embodiment provides that one or more user-interface features are provided in a portion of the display area for use with a second application. In one embodiment, these user-interface features may be provided in a region of the display that does not include the area occupied by the view. |
| US08078992B2 |
Rendering a customized list of controls
Form controls can be reused so that the control can be bound to large volumes of data without adverse performance issues because of a large number of controls. A maximum number of rows of data N that can appear in a form are calculated. A container in memory is created for N+2 rows. The additional two rows are used to store the row after the last displayed row and the row previous to the first displayed row. In response to a user scroll or tab operation, rows within the container are reused. Child controls are hosted by the control and are also reused when the data is scrolled out of view. |
| US08078983B2 |
User interface improvements for medical devices
A method and system is disclosed for operating a medical device with or without a cassette in place. A method is disclosed for adding additional VTBI to an ongoing infusion without stopping the infusion and with maintaining the infusion parameters. A method and system is disclosed for changing the CCA without having to interrupt or completely stop an ongoing infusion. Quick titration buttons are provided to allow improved navigation between various delivery display screens. |
| US08078981B2 |
Graphics display system with graphics window control mechanism
A graphics integrated circuit chip is used in a set-top box for controlling a television display. The graphics chip processes analog video input, digital video input, a graphics input and an audio input simultaneously. The chip processes graphics images organized as windows. The chip obtains data that describes the windows, sorts the data according to the depth of the window on the display, transfers graphics images from memory, and blends the graphics images using alpha values associated with the graphics images. |
| US08078975B2 |
Method for adding metadata to scanned documents
A method for creating a metadata field in a template, which includes receiving a template selection, receiving a selection of a new metadata field, receiving properties of a metadata field to be added to the template, storing the properties of the metadata field, and downloading the metadata field to a scanning device in response to a signal from the scanning device. |
| US08078974B2 |
Relating web page change with revisitation patterns
Web page change may be related to revisitation patterns to support web interaction. In an example embodiment, a method involves analyzing change and revisitation data for a web page, determining a relationship between the data, inferring consumption intent by a user for the web page, and utilizing the inferred consumption intent. More specifically, change data is analyzed to produce a change characterization, with the change data reflecting differences between content of a web page at different times. Revisitation data is analyzed to produce a revisitation characterization, with the revisitation data including visit times to the web page by a user. A relationship is determined between the change and the revisitation data based on the change and the revisitation characterizations. Consumption intent of the user for the content of the web page is inferred responsive to the relationship. The inferred consumption intent is utilized to support interaction with the web page. |
| US08078972B2 |
Methods and interfaces for displaying performance data related to a current remote access session
A graphical user interface displays performance data related to a communication session between a first computing device and a second computing device. The graphical user interface comprises a first graphical element and a second graphical element. The first graphical element has a number of sections that represent respective physical portions of a connection between the first computing device and the second computing device. Each of the sections displays the performance data of a current session for that respective physical section. The second graphical element displays corresponding performance data for a predetermined number of previous sessions between the first computing device and the second computing device. |
| US08078968B2 |
Projector, non-transitory storage medium, computer program product and method
A projector including: a communication section; a storage section which stores initial projection target data, updated projection target data, layout data and others; an update request reception section which receives an update request from PC via the communication section, and sequentially writes update request data indicating details of the update request into the storage section; an update section which updates the updated projection target data based on the update request data; a web information generation section which causes the communication section to transmit web information to PC based on the updated projection target data and the layout data; an image generation section which generates an image based on the updated projection target data; and a projection section which projects the image. |
| US08078967B2 |
Method and apparatus for virtual editing of multimedia presentations
A method and apparatus for viewing desired portions of a multimedia presentation. Desired portions of a multimedia presentation are determined. In one embodiment, an editor may determine which portions of the presentation are desired. Alternatively, or additionally, specified criteria may be applied to the presentation to determine the desired portions. An annotation file is then created based upon the determine desired portions of the multimedia presentation. The annotation file contains pointers corresponding to the desired potions of the multimedia presentation. Annotation management software may use the annotation file to cause a display device to display only desired portions of the multimedia presentation. The annotation file may be applied to a broadcast presentation or a recorded program file. In one embodiment the annotation file may contain information related to the desired portions of the multimedia presentation and/or the remainder of the multimedia presentation. |
| US08078965B2 |
Automatic switching fonts on multilingual text runs
Automatic switching of fonts on multilingual text runs in one action is provided. After an indication that a new font scheme is to be applied to a multilingual text selection, a client application passes a language identification for each of the multilingual text runs, a major/minor font designation for each text run, a script identification for each text run, if available, and the selected new font scheme to a font scheme application programming interface (API). The font scheme API converts the received language identification to a script identification for each multilingual text run and maps the resulting script identifications to appropriate fonts associated with the selected font scheme for each of the multilingual text runs. Fonts retrieved for each language text run are returned to the client application for rendering the multilingual text runs according to the respective fonts applicable to the selected font scheme. |
| US08078964B1 |
Reconstitute tag-delimited tables in a graphics editing application
A system and method is described for reconstituting a tag-delimited table structure into a file editable by a graphics editing application, the tag-delimited table structure defining an assembly of visible content, the method comprising parsing the tag-delimited table structure into a plurality of cells, generating a slice region within the file of the graphics editing application corresponding to each of said plurality of cells, calculating a cell boundary for each of the plurality of cells, setting a slice boundary according to the calculated cell boundary, and assembling the visible content into the associated slice regions in the file. |
| US08078951B2 |
Depth indicator for a link in a document
A storage medium and computer that determine a tree representing links embedded in documents, create a depth indicator having a size proportional to the size of the tree, and display the depth indicator with a root link in a root document. The tree is determined by repeatedly probing the links to retrieve the documents. In various embodiments, the size of the tree may be the number of levels in the tree or the number of links in the tree. The depth indicator may include representations of the links and represents a possible future context of the root document. In various embodiments, a graphical representation of the tree may be displayed, hover help that includes the tree size may be displayed, and an indication of a condition reported by a document may be displayed. In various embodiments, the condition may include a message, updated content, new content, or an error. |
| US08078947B2 |
Data processing circuit and method
A data processing method is provided. Target page data are read from a memory cell array and addresses of multiple programmed-error bits are stored. A first syndrome polynomial and a second syndrome polynomial are obtained according to the target page data, and the target page data are saved as a first codeword and a second codeword. An errata locator polynomial is obtained according to the syndrome polynomials, and a first error count and a second error count are obtained according to the errata locator polynomial, the first codeword and the second codeword. A set of reference codes is obtained according to the errata locator polynomial. Read page data are outputted according to the addresses of the programmed-error bits, the first error count and the second error count. The read page data are corrected according to the set of reference codes to obtain corrected read page data. |
| US08078946B2 |
Distribution method, preferably applied in a streaming system
The invention relates to a data live streaming system comprising at least one data live streaming broadcaster LSB and at least two live streaming recipients LSR, said at least two live streaming recipients LSR forming at least a part of a peer-to-peer streaming network and said at least two live streaming recipients LSR each comprising means for generation of peer-to peer streaming to other live streaming recipients LSR of said peer-to peer streaming network and wherein said peer-to peer streaming to other streaming recipients LSR comprises loss resilient code representations of data from said at least one live streaming broadcaster LSB. |
| US08078944B2 |
Systems, methods and computer program products including features for coding and/or recovering data
Systems and methods are disclosed for processing data. In one exemplary implementation, there is provided a method of generating H output data streams from W data input streams produced from input data. Moreover, the method may include generating the H discrete output data streams via application of the W data inputs to one or more transforming components or processes having specified mathematic operations and/or a generator matrix functionality, wherein the W data inputs are recoverable via a recovery process capable of reproducing the W data inputs from a subset (any W members) of the H output data streams. Further exemplary implementations may comprise a transformation process that includes producing an H-sized intermediary for each of the W inputs, combining the H-sized intermediaries into an H-sized result, and processing the H-sized result into the H output data streams. |
| US08078943B1 |
Error correction code for correcting shift and additive errors
An error correction system is disclosed comprising an encoder operable to generate an encoded codeword of a polynomial code over a Galois field GF(q) comprising q elements, wherein the encoded codeword comprises an input data sequence, at least one check symbol, and redundancy symbols. A decoder decodes a received codeword into the encoded codeword by correcting at least one error in the received codeword to generate a corrected codeword, evaluating at least one symbol of the corrected codeword relative to the check symbol in order to detect a shift error, and when the shift error is detected, shift the corrected codeword to correct the shift error. |
| US08078938B2 |
Semiconductor memory, semiconductor memory system, and error correction method for semiconductor memory
Aspects of the embodiment include providing a semiconductor memory comprising; a plurality of memory blocks that includes a plurality of regular memory cells; a plurality of first parity blocks that are disposed in accordance with the plurality of memory blocks, wherein the plurality of first parity blocks include a first parity memory cell holding a first parity code; a second parity block that includes a second parity memory cell holding a second parity code having a parity bit corresponding to the first parity code; a parity error correction unit that corrects an error of the first parity code using the second parity code; and a data error correction unit that corrects an error of the data stored in a regular memory cell using the first parity code corrected by the parity error correction unit. |
| US08078936B2 |
Encoding method, encoding apparatus, and program
An encoding method encodes by using a quasi-cyclic code having a code length of n=m n0 and an information word length of k=m k0. The method includes the steps of: creating a systematic code with as many as (n0−k0) parity bits inserted therein in units of an information word k0; making all combinations of (n0−k0) parity bit positions that may occur in units of n0 bits; describing many of m×m cyclic matrices by rearranging the sequence of columns in a parity check matrix in the combinations; subjecting the parity check matrix to elementary transformation to create a unit matrix in which (n−k)×(n−k) matrices made up of the columns corresponding to the parity bit positions; regarding the transformed matrix as a first matrix and this matrix minus the unit matrix as a second matrix; and allocating (n−k) bit positions for the parity bits in such a manner that the number of non-zero elements included in the second matrix is minimized. |
| US08078931B2 |
Apparatus and method for transmitting/receiving broadcast data in a mobile communication system
A method and apparatus for transmitting a broadcast physical layer packet in a mobile communication system supporting multi-slot transmission and hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (H-ARQ) are provided. The method comprises initially transmitting the broadcast physical layer packet according to a fixed transmission format for at least one first slot interval and retransmitting the broadcast physical layer packet for at least one second slot interval using a variable transmission format different from the transmission format used in the first slot interval. |
| US08078926B2 |
Test pin gating for dynamic optimization
An improvement to an integrated circuit of a type having a test enable line for enabling an electrical test of the integrated circuit only when the test enable line is at a logical high value, and output lines that are only used during the electrical test of the integrated circuit, where the improvement is a switch circuit for disabling a state change in the output lines when the test enable line is at a logical low value. In this manner, the output lines do not switch during functional use of the integrated circuit, and cannot be aggressors on the data signals that are carried by the data lines that are used during the functional use of the integrated circuit. In addition, these non-switching output lines can act as guard traces that run between the data lines, further electrically isolating the data lines from one another. Further, because they do not switch during functional use of the integrated circuit, the overall power consumption of the integrated circuit is reduced. |
| US08078924B2 |
Method and system for generating a global test plan and identifying test requirements in a storage system environment
The present invention is directed to a system and method for a quality assurance tool generating test plans and identifying new test requirements for a new version of a product. Old versions of the product may be previously tested and test plan documents associated with previously tested versions of the product may be stored in a database. The database may store test plans, test configurations, test scopes, and the like for previously tested versions of the product. Product design requirements may be determined based on received customer desired features for the new version. The database may be updated by adding new tests for new features of the new version. A test plan document for the product may be generated based on the updated database. The generated test document may be verified through automatically generating a general test plan for the new version of the product by querying updated database with the product design requirements. |
| US08078919B2 |
Method, apparatus and program storage device for managing multiple step processes triggered by a signal
A method, apparatus and program storage device for managing multiple step processes triggered by a signal is disclosed. Status records are created for each process step. When an error occurs, error status record in recorded in the status record. A user may then use the status record to identify the error, take corrective action and restart the process at the appropriate point for reprocessing the signals. |
| US08078917B2 |
KVM switch, KVM system and computer readable medium
A KVM switch includes a storing portion that stores partial data of a freeze-up screen outputted when each server freezes up, and a controlling portion that receives digital data (that is, screen data) transmitted from each server, determines whether received screen data includes a part identical to the partial data of the freeze-up screen, and controls a power supply regulator to restart the freeze-up server when it is determined that the received screen data includes the part identical to the partial data of the freeze-up screen. |
| US08078915B2 |
System and method for verifying operation of a target system
A system, a computer readable article of manufacture, and a method for verifying operation of a target system to be inspected. The system includes an abstract binary tree generation unit and a matching unit. The abstract binary tree generation unit obtains information about a functional specification of the target system and generates one or more binary trees that associate one or more states that can occur in the target system with respective nodes and that associate state transitions of objects constituting the target system and interactions between the objects with connection relationships between the nodes. The matching unit receives an event sequence in an application model of the target system obtained in response to the operation of the target system and matches the event sequence against the binary trees generated by the abstract binary tree generation unit. The method includes steps for accomplishing the functionality of the system. |
| US08078914B2 |
Open error-handling system
The embodiments disclosed herein extend to methods, systems, and computer program products for error resolution in a computing system that includes a health module. The health module monitors components of the system for runtime errors and provides error resolution templates. The error resolution templates include metadata that specifies actions that may resolve the error and error handlers corresponding to the actions that may correct the error. The system may be extended by the addition and/or modification of the error resolution templates. The error resolution templates may also be used to facilitate the correction of runtime errors in the system. |
| US08078913B2 |
Automated identification of performance crisis
Methods for automatically identifying and classifying a crisis state occurring in a system having a plurality of computer resources. Signals are received from a device that collects the signals from each computer resource in the system. For each epoch, an epoch fingerprint is generated. Upon detecting a performance crisis within the system, a crisis fingerprint is generated consisting of at least one epoch fingerprint. The technology is able to identify that a performance crisis has previously occurred within the datacenter if a generated crisis fingerprint favorably matches any of the model crisis fingerprints stored in a database. The technology may also predict that a crisis is about to occur. |
| US08078911B2 |
Error recovery for application-level intermediaries
Error handling in the intermediation of one-way transacted messages. Rather than receiving an inbound message under a transaction, the intermediary performs a non-destructive exclusive read of the message from the source outside of a transaction. Routing logic is applied against the content of the message to determine a collection of message consumers to which a copy of the inbound message is to be sent. Then, under a transaction, the copy of the message is attempted to be sent to each destination. If a send of the copy fails, the transaction is rolled back, but the failure is recorded such that the same transmission mechanism is not, or is less likely to be, tried again in subsequent attempts. The principles may apply to a single message to be sent under the transaction, or to multiple messages to be sent under a single transaction. |
| US08078907B2 |
Failsoft system for multiple CPU system
A cpu-set type multiprocessor system allows a cpu of a cpu-set that has a hardware exception to disable itself and notify the system. The system assigns processes of the cpu-set that include the problem cpu to another cpu-set. The disabling of the problem cpu and transfer of the related processes to another cpu-set allows the system to failsoft so that other cpu-sets the multiprocessor system can continue to run and a recovery of the processes being run on the problem cpu-set occurs. |
| US08078904B2 |
Redundant configuration method of a storage system maintenance/management apparatus
Provided is a method of managing a computer system including a plurality of storage systems and a plurality of management appliances for managing the plurality of storage systems. A first management appliance and a second management appliance hold an identifier of a first storage system and management data obtained from the first storage system. The method includes the steps of: selecting a third management appliance from the plurality of management appliances when a failure occurs in the first management appliance; transmitting the identifier held in the second management appliance from the second management appliance to the selected third management appliance; and holding the identifier transmitted from the second management appliance in the selected third management appliance. Thus, it is possible to prevent, after failing-over due to an abnormality of a maintenance/management appliance, a single point of failure from occurring to reduce reliability of the maintenance/management appliance. |
| US08078901B1 |
Method for increasing a processor operating frequency when other subsystem demands are low
A host activity measure indicative of a frequency of disk access commands received by a disk drive is determined, and then compared against a host activity threshold. A subsystem activity measure indicative of an activity level of a disk drive subsystem is also determined, and then compared against a subsystem activity threshold. Based at least in part on a determination that 1) the host activity measure is indicative of a greater frequency of disk access commands than the host activity threshold, and 2) the subsystem activity measure is indicative of less activity than the subsystem activity threshold, an operating frequency of a disk drive processor is increased. |
| US08078900B2 |
Asynchronous absorption circuit with transfer performance optimizing function
A selector is provided so that any one of a plurality of asynchronous absorption paths can be selected when it is assumed that operating frequencies of preceding and succeeding clock domains vary depending on the application. By an operation of a selector control circuit based on, for example, information about a ratio of preceding and succeeding clock frequencies that is set in a frequency-ratio register, an asynchronous absorption path that is optimal to a frequency-dependent process required for asynchronous absorption, such as pulse expansion or the like, is selected. |
| US08078896B2 |
Adaptive power saving
A device may enter a first active state associated with a device, exit the first active state and entering a sleep state associated with the device when user input is not received within a inactivity period, receive a first user input at the device during the sleep state, measure an elapsed time between a start of the sleep state and the first user input, and increase the inactivity period of the device when the elapsed time is less than a particular threshold. |
| US08078891B2 |
Method, device, and system for guaranteed minimum processor power state dwell time
A method, device, and system are disclosed. In one embodiment the method includes causing a processor to enter into a first power state. Then an interrupt is received that signals the processor to leave the first power state. The method continues by causing the processor to remain in the first power state if the interrupt was received less than a minimum dwell time after the processor entered the first power state. |
| US08078889B2 |
Method and apparatus for negotiating power between power sourcing equipment and powerable devices
The present invention provides a power negotiation protocol that enables PDs and PSEs to negotiate the amount of inline power that a PD consumes and the corresponding PSE provides. This power negotiation allows the PDs provide fine-grained power consumption level to PSEs, and the PSEs are able to manage inline power efficiently using the negotiation protocol of the present invention. The PDs can ask the PSEs for more power when needed rather than having to constantly reserve the maximum amount of power they can consume at all times. Similarly, the PDs can release reservation of excess power when their respective power requirements decrease. The PSEs can limit the amount of power that can be consumed by the PD, thereby providing the ability for an administrator to control how much power a given PD can consume. |
| US08078886B2 |
Method for protecting computer programs and data from hostile code
A method that protects computer data from untrusted programs. Each computer's object and process is assigned with trust attributes, which define the way it can interact with other objects within the system. When an object is classified as untrusted, it can interact with other object within the system on a limited basis. A virtualized system is provided on the computer so that when the untrusted object attempts to perform an operation that is outside its scope of authorization, the virtualized system intercepts the operation but present the untrusted program with an indication that the requested operation has been performed. The method further includes processes to securely move a program from an untrusted group to a trusted group. |
| US08078884B2 |
Method of and system for selecting and presenting content based on user identification
Methods of and systems for selecting and presenting content based on user identification are provided. A user-interface method of selecting and presenting content items in which the presentation is ordered at least in part based on inferring which user of a collection of users is using an input device includes providing a set of content items, providing a set of preference information for each user indicating content item preferences of a corresponding user, and providing a set of user keypress biometric models representing expected keypress activity for the corresponding user. User keypress activity to identify desired content items is monitored to biometrically characterize the user and analyzed to find the closest match to one of the keypress biometric models. Based on the closest match, which user of the collection of users entered the input is inferred and the corresponding preference information is used to select, order, and present content items. |
| US08078883B2 |
Personal authentication apparatus and personal authentication method
According to the present invention, first, the first biometric information “a” is divided equally and biometric information “a” and biometric information “a′” are generated, the second biometric information “b” is divided equally and biometric information “b′” and biometric information “b″” are similarly generated. Then the biometric information “a′” that is the first half of the first biometric information “a” and the biometric information “b′” that is the first half of the second biometric information “b” are combined to generate one piece of biometric information 1 for a person. The biometric information “a″” that is the second half of the first biometric information “a”, and the biometric information “b″” that is the second half of the second biometric information “b”, are similarly combined to generate the other piece of biometric information 2 for the person. The biometric information 1 and 2 are stored and used for matching later. |
| US08078874B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting data using authentication
A method and apparatus of transmitting data using authentication between a first device and a second device are provided. The method includes transmitting an encrypted certificate of the first device using a shared key shared by the first device and the second device, receiving authentication key generation information for generating an authentication key, which is received when it is determined that the certificate of the first device is valid and not revoked, generating a first random number and generating an authentication key based on the first random number and the authentication key generation information, and encrypting and transmitting data using the authentication key. |
| US08078873B2 |
Two-way authentication between two communication endpoints using a one-way out-of-band (OOB) channel
Techniques for two-way authentication between two communication endpoints (e.g., two devices) using a one-way out-of-band (OOB) channel are presented. Here, in embodiments, both communication endpoints may be securely authenticated as long as the one-way OOB channel is tamper-proof. Embodiments of the invention do not require the one-way OOB channel to be private to ensure that both endpoints are securely authenticated. Since providing a two-way or private OOB channel adds to the cost of a platform, embodiments of the invention provide for a simple and secure method for two-way authentication that uses only a non-private one-way OOB channel and thus helping to reduce platform cost. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. |
| US08078866B2 |
Trust information delivery scheme for certificate validation
A unique TIO based trust information delivery scheme is disclosed that allows clients to verify received certificates and to control Java and Javascript access efficiently. This scheme fits into the certificate verification process in SSL to provide a secure connection between a client and a Web server. In particular, the scheme is well suited for incorporation into consumer devices that have a limited footprint, such as set-top boxes, cell phones, and handheld computers. Furthermore, the TIO update scheme disclosed herein allows clients to update certificates securely and dynamically. |
| US08078864B2 |
Portable computer and method for preheating portable computer before booting
The invention provides a portable computer. When a power input terminal of the portable computer is connected to a power source, a sensor senses the temperature of electronic components of the portable computer to provide a sensed temperature value. When the sensed temperature value is lower than a preset temperature value, a microprocessor controls an indication device to operate and controls the heating unit to heat the electronic components. When the sensed temperature value is higher than the preset temperature value, the microprocessor controls the indication device not to operate and controls the heating unit stop heating the electronic components. |
| US08078861B1 |
Remote processor reprogramming
Disclosed are exemplary remote programming systems, software and methods for use in remotely programming field devices, such as engines, power generators, controllers, and data sensors, and the like. A (wired or wireless) communications link interconnects a processor and a remotely located server. The processor comprises a program memory and firmware that is loaded into the program memory. The processor is coupled to a nonvolatile memory device and apparatus for communicating over the communications link. The remotely located server contains a source code file comprising updated firmware for the processor. Software or a method is provided that initiates a process wherein the updated firmware is transferred from the server to the processor and the updated firmware is stored in the nonvolatile memory. Once transfer is complete, a checksum is calculated for the transferred file, and if it matches a known checksum value, the updated firmware is transferred from the nonvolatile memory device into program memory and the processor is rebooted. |
| US08078860B2 |
Encoding and decoding data system and method
A system and method for encoding and decoding data. A method includes selecting a subgroup of bits from one or more bytes of binary encrypted information, wherein the binary encrypted information is for tracking, locating, and disabling an electronic device; passing the subgroup of bits to an encoding function that performs binary mapping operations on the subgroup of bits to generate an encoded byte; and encoding the next one or more bytes of binary encrypted information if the end of the binary encrypted information has not been reached. |
| US08078857B2 |
Method and system for monitoring and adaptively pre-loading crucial dynamic link libraries
The invention provides a system and method for adaptively loading frequently loaded dynamic link libraries. The system comprises: a monitor for monitoring loading events of dynamic link libraries while an operating system is running, and logging a name and related loading information of the corresponding dynamic link library into a log file in response to the loading events; and an invoker for automatically loading at least one of the most frequently loaded dynamic link libraries logged in the log file upon a subsequent startup of the operating system. By using the system and method, startup performance of the most frequently used applications can be greatly improved. |
| US08078856B1 |
Power-on self-test data notification
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media provide for notification of power-on self-test (POST) data using an output device that is externally connected to a target computer system undergoing the POST via a data cable. Embodiments include a data transport module having an interface for receiving POST data from a debug module within the firmware of the target computer system and a notification application executed on the output device. The POST data transport module receives POST data and writes it to one or more hardware registers associated with an external port of the target computer system. The POST data is transferred to the data cable from the hardware registers and is received from the cable by the notification application of the output device. The notification application generates a notification corresponding to the received POST data and displays the notification on a display of the output device. |
| US08078854B2 |
Using register rename maps to facilitate precise exception semantics
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates precise exception semantics. The system includes a processor that uses register rename maps to support out-of-order execution, where the register rename maps track mappings between native architectural registers and physical registers for a program executing on the processor. These register rename maps include: 1) a working rename map that maps architectural registers associated with a decoded instruction to corresponding physical registers; 2) a retire rename map that tracks and preserves a set of physical registers that are associated with retired instructions; and 3) a checkpoint rename map that stores a mapping between a set of architectural registers and a set of physical registers for a preceding checkpoint in the program. When the program signals an exception, the processor uses the checkpoint rename map to roll back program execution to the preceding checkpoint. |
| US08078852B2 |
Predictors with adaptive prediction threshold
An adaptive prediction threshold scheme for dynamically adjusting prediction thresholds of entries in a Pattern History Table (PHT) by observing global tendencies of the branch or branches that index into the PHT entries. A count value of a prediction state counter representing a prediction state of a prediction state machine for a PHT entry is obtained. Count values in a set of counters allocated to the entry in the PHT are changed based on the count value of the entry's prediction state counter. The prediction threshold of the prediction state machine for the entry may then be adjusted based on the changed count values in the set of counters, wherein the prediction threshold is adjusted by changing a count value in a prediction threshold counter in the entry, and wherein adjusting the prediction threshold redefines predictions provided by the prediction state machine. |
| US08078846B2 |
Conditional move instruction formed into one decoded instruction to be graduated and another decoded instruction to be invalidated
A conditional move instruction implemented in a processor by forming and processing two decoded instructions, and applications thereof. In an embodiment, the conditional move instruction specifies a first source operand, a second source operand, and a third operand that is both a source and a destination. If the value of the second operand is not equal to a specified value, the first decoded instruction moves the third operand to a completion buffer register. If the value of the second operand is equal to the specified value, the second decoded instruction moves the value of the first operand to the completion buffer. When the decoded instruction that performed the move graduates, the contents of the completion buffer register is transferred to a register file register specified by the third operand. |
| US08078845B2 |
Device and method for processing instructions based on masked register group size information
A method and a device for processing instructions based on register group size information includes a pipelined processor, an instruction memory unit and a register file, whereas the pipelined processor includes a write-back unit and an execution unit. The device is characterized by including a controller that is adapted to receive a first register group size information and a first register identification information that define a first group of source registers associated with a first instruction; and to determine an execution related operation of the first instruction in response to the first register group size information, the first register identification information, a second register group size information and a second register identification information. The second register group size information and the second register identification information define a second group of target registers associated with a second instruction. The second instruction is provided to the pipelined processor before the first instruction. |
| US08078842B2 |
Removing local RAM size limitations when executing software code
An electronic device that comprises a processor including an individual instruction and a first group of instructions. The device further comprises a memory externally coupled to the processor, as well as a second group of instructions. When executed, the first group of instructions causes the processor to execute the second group of instructions in lieu of the individual instruction. |
| US08078841B2 |
Parsing-enhancement facility using a translate-and-test instruction
An instruction for parsing a buffer to be utilized within a data processing system including: an operation code field, the operation code field identifies the instruction; a control field, the control field controls operation of the instruction; and one or more general register, wherein a first general register stores an argument address, a second general register stores a function code, a third general register stores length of an argument-character buffer, and the fourth of which contains the address of the function-code data structure. |
| US08078840B2 |
Thread instruction fetch based on prioritized selection from plural round-robin outputs for different thread states
A fetch director in a multithreaded microprocessor that concurrently executes instructions of N threads is disclosed. The N threads request to fetch instructions from an instruction cache. In a given selection cycle, some of the threads may not be requesting to fetch instructions. The fetch director includes a circuit for selecting one of threads in a round-robin fashion to provide its fetch address to the instruction cache. The circuit 1-bit left rotatively increments a first addend by a second addend to generate a sum that is ANDed with the inverse of the first addend to generate a 1-hot vector indicating which of the threads is selected next. The first addend is an N-bit vector where each bit is false if the corresponding thread is requesting to fetch instructions from the instruction cache. The second addend is a 1-hot vector indicating the last selected thread. In one embodiment threads with an empty instruction buffer are selected at highest priority; a last dispatched but not fetched thread at middle priority; all other threads at lowest priority. The threads are selected round-robin within the highest and lowest priorities. |
| US08078838B2 |
Multiprocessor system having multiport semiconductor memory with processor wake-up function responsive to stored messages in an internal register
A multiport semiconductor memory device having a processor wake-up function and multiprocessor system, the multiprocessor system including a first processor configured to perform a first predetermined task; a second processor configured to perform a second predetermined task; and a multiport semiconductor memory device coupled to the first and second processors. The multiport semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array having at least one shared memory area; a first port coupled to the at least one shared memory area; a second port coupled to the at least one shared memory area; and a wake-up signal generator. The first processor is coupled to the at least one shared memory area via the first port, the second processor is coupled to the at least one shared memory area via the second port, and the wake-up signal generator is coupled to the first processor and the second processor. |
| US08078837B2 |
Hardware engine control apparatus having hierarchical structure
A hardware engine control apparatus includes: a plurality of hardware engines (HWEs) connected by a control bus, each of the hardware engines executing a series of different kinds of processing; a host control device that outputs control commands for controlling operation of the HWEs to a subordinate control device; and the subordinate control device that has a register, in which the control commands from the host control device is sequentially set, and outputs the control commands set in the register to the control bus at timing based on a clock signal. The HWEs operate according to the control commands output from the subordinate control device. |
| US08078836B2 |
Vector shuffle instructions operating on multiple lanes each having a plurality of data elements using a common set of per-lane control bits
In-lane vector shuffle operations are described. In one embodiment a shuffle instruction specifies a field of per-lane control bits, a source operand and a destination operand, these operands having corresponding lanes, each lane divided into corresponding portions of multiple data elements. Sets of data elements are selected from corresponding portions of every lane of the source operand according to per-lane control bits. Elements of these sets are copied to specified fields in corresponding portions of every lane of the destination operand. Another embodiment of the shuffle instruction also specifies a second source operand, all operands having corresponding lanes divided into multiple data elements. A set selected according to per-lane control bits contains data elements from every lane portion of a first source operand and data elements from every corresponding lane portion of the second source operand. Set elements are copied to specified fields in every lane of the destination operand. |
| US08078835B2 |
Reconfigurable array processor for floating-point operations
A processor for performing floating-point operations includes an array of processing elements arranged to enable a floating-point operation. Each processing element includes an arithmetic logic unit to receive two input values and perform integer arithmetic on the received input values. The processing elements in the array are connected together in groups of two or more processing elements to enable floating-point operation. |
| US08078834B2 |
Processor architectures for enhanced computational capability
A digital signal processor includes a control block configured to issue instructions based on a stored program, and a compute array including two or more compute engines configured such that each of the issued instructions executes in successive compute engines of at least a subset of the compute engines at successive times. The digital signal processor may be utilized with a control processor or as a stand-alone processor. The compute array may be configured such that each of the issued instructions flows through successive compute engines of at least a subset of the compute engines at successive times. |
| US08078833B2 |
Microprocessor with highly configurable pipeline and executional unit internal hierarchal structures, optimizable for different types of computational functions
The invention resides in a flexible data pipeline structure for accommodating software computational instructions for varying application programs and having a programmable embedded processor with internal pipeline stages the order and length of which varies as fast as every clock cycle based on the instruction sequence in an application program preloaded into the processor, and wherein the processor includes a data switch matrix selectively and flexibly interconnecting pluralities of mathematical execution units and memory units in response to said instructions, and wherein the execution units are configurable to perform operations at different precisions of multi-bit arithmetic and logic operations and in a multi-level hierarchical architecture structure. |
| US08078832B1 |
Virtual architectures in a parallel processing environment
An integrated circuit includes a plurality of processor core. Processing instructions in the integrated circuit includes: managing a plurality of sets of processor cores, each set including one or more processor cores assigned to a function associated with executing instructions; and reconfiguring the number of processor cores assigned to at least one of the sets during execution based on characteristics associated with executing the instructions. |
| US08078829B2 |
Scaleable array of micro-engines for waveform processing
A system for implementing waveform processing in a software defined radio (SDR) includes a scaleable array processor having a plurality of micro-engines (MEs) interconnected by a two dimensional topology. Each micro-engine includes multiple FIFOs for interconnecting to each other in the two dimensional topology. One micro-engine communicates with another adjacent micro-engine by way of the respective FIFOs. The micro-engines are dedicated to predetermined algorithms. The two dimensional topology includes an array of N×M micro-engines interconnected by the multiple FIFOs. The N×M are integer numbers of rows and columns, respectively, in the array of micro-engines. The micro-engines are dedicated to baseband processing of data for RF transmission or RF reception. |
| US08078822B2 |
Application independent storage array performance optimizer
A system comprising a performance module and an application. The performance module may be configured to (i) monitor a LUN for a predetermined amount of time, (ii) capture information relating to the LUN, and (iii) store the information. The application may be configured to (i) retrieve the information, (ii) analyze the information, (iii) generate a configuration based on the analysis of the information and (iv) send the configuration to the performance module. The performance module may reconfigure the LUN based on the configuration. |
| US08078819B2 |
Arrangements for managing metadata of an integrated logical unit including differing types of storage media
Network arrangements wherein a network interface receives write requests of files of a file system from a client computer, each file including respective data and respective metadata. A processor registers the metadata of a file to at least one first type storage medium and writes the data of the file to the at least one second type storage medium based on file value information. The storage system stores information of address ranges of an integrated logical unit, in which each address range corresponds to the at least one first type storage medium and the at least one second type storage medium included in the integrated logical unit, and provides the information of address ranges of the integrated logical unit to the client computer. |
| US08078818B2 |
Method and system for migrating memory segments
A system comprises a plurality of nodes coupled together via a switching device. Each node comprises a processor coupled to a memory. Migration logic in the switching device is configured to migrate segments of each memory to the switching device. |
| US08078812B2 |
Information terminals sharing contents in a network, information sharing method and P2P system and point system using the same
Information terminal and information sharing method are provided which consider survival time of contents at a transmission destination and propagate the contents widely so as to be suitable for contents sharing. In the information terminal and information sharing method, contents allotted with survival time is received, the survival time allotted to the contents is changed, contents allotted with the changed survival time is transmitted to a different information terminal, and the contents is deleted after the changed survival time has expired. |
| US08078811B2 |
Method for digital storage of data on a data memory with limited available storage space
The most important data in a first memory of a data processing system are stored in a limited second data memory given upon a transfer thereof. The demarcation between important (and still storable) data on the one hand and less important (and therefore no longer storable) data is made dependent on the available storage volume (SV) of the target data memory. This achieves that an optimal amount of the most important data can be stored on the target data memory. |
| US08078809B2 |
System for accessing an offline storage unit through an online storage unit
By the same method as that of making data access to a data storage area in an online state, it is performed to access a data storage area other than the data storage area. A plurality of logical volumes carried by a disk array apparatus includes an online volume that is in an online state to a host and an offline state that is in an offline state to the host. The host transmits an access command including target information designating a target volume to the disk array apparatus as an access command to a starting volume other than the target volume. The disk array apparatus receives the access command to the starting volume and offers the data access to the target volume on the basis of the target information carried by that access command to the host. |
| US08078807B2 |
Accelerating software lookups by using buffered or ephemeral stores
A method and apparatus for accelerating lookups in an address based table is herein described. When an address and value pair is added to an address based table, the value is privately stored in the address to allow for quick and efficient local access to the value. In response to the private store, a cache line holding the value is transitioned to a private state, to ensure the value is not made globally visible. Upon eviction of the privately held cache line, the information is not written-back to ensure locality of the value. In one embodiment, the address based table includes a transactional write buffer to hold addresses, which correspond to tentatively updated values during a transaction. Accesses to the tentative values during the transaction may be accelerated through use of annotation bits and private stores as discussed herein. Upon commit of the transaction, the values are copied to the location to make the updates globally visible. |
| US08078800B2 |
Dynamic operating point modification in an integrated circuit
In one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a processor, an internal memory, and a memory controller coupled to an external memory. The integrated circuit may support two or more modes of operation, with different operating points. To switch from one operating point to another, code executed by the processor may copy switch code from the external memory into the internal memory, and may jump to the switch code. Executing out of the internal memory, the switch code may communicate with the memory controller to cause the external memory to enter into self-refresh mode. The operating point may be altered, and the switch code may reinitialize the memory controller after the integrated circuit has stabilized at the new operating point. After the memory controller's physical interface circuit has relocked, the external memory may exit self-refresh mode. |
| US08078799B2 |
Method and system of an adaptive input/output scheduler for storage arrays
An adaptive input/output (I/O) scheduler for storage arrays is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) controller for deploying an optimal I/O scheduler type per a storage array configuration includes generating performance data by assessing respective performances of a plurality of I/O scheduler types on different RAID level test volumes with at least one I/O pattern generated internally within a storage subsystem which comprises the RAID controller. The method also includes storing the associativeness of the performance data with respect to a particular I/O scheduler most suited for a given I/O workload to a nonvolatile memory of the RAID controller. The method further includes deploying an optimal one of the plurality of I/O scheduler types and at least one performance parameter for at least one subsequent I/O operation associated with the storage subsystem based on the performance data. |
| US08078794B2 |
Hybrid SSD using a combination of SLC and MLC flash memory arrays
Hybrid solid state drives (SSD) using a combination of single-level cell (SLC) and multi-level cell (MLC) flash memory arrays are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, a hybrid SSD is built using a combination SLC and MLC flash memory arrays. The SSD also includes a micro-controller to control and coordinate data transfer from a host computing device to either the SLC flash memory array of the MLC flash memory array. A memory selection indicator is determined by triaging data file based on one or more criteria, which include, but is not limited to, storing system files and user directories in the SLC flash memory array and storing user files in the MLC flash memory array; or storing more frequent access files in the SLC flash memory array, while less frequent accessed files in the MLC flash memory array. |
| US08078792B2 |
Separate page table base address for minivisor
In one embodiment, a processor supports an alternate address space during execution of non-guest code (such as a minivisor or a virtual machine monitor (VMM)). The alternate address space may be the guest address space. An instruction in the minivisor/VMM may specify the alternate address space for a data access, permitting the minivisor/VMM to read guest memory state via the alternate address space. In another embodiment, a processor may implement a page table base address register dedicated for the minivisor's use. In still another embodiment, the minivisor may be implemented as a specified entry point in the VMM address space. |
| US08078789B2 |
Serially interfaced random access memory
A serially interfaced massively parallel Random Access Memory (RAM) includes a matrix of control logic sections on one integrated circuit die, augmented by a switching matrix with an external interface to multiple high speed serial signaling means. A matrix, of the same dimension, of dense memory element arrays is implemented on a different integrated circuit die. One control logic section die and one or more others containing memory sections are joined by appropriate means to form one integrated circuit stack, implementing a matrix of independent memory units. The switching matrix translates command and data content encoded on the external signaling means bidirectionally between internal data and control signals and connects these signals to the control logic sections. Each independent memory unit ably performs atomic read-alter-writes to enable software mutual exclusion operations (MUTEXes). Each and every matrix may guard against defects by having additional rows and/or columns. |
| US08078788B2 |
Media card command pass through methods
Methods for transmitting application specific or extended commands between a host and a memory card are disclosed. Commands for an extended card protocol are embedded in messages, along with a marker, in the data or command portion of a base card transmission protocol that is used to communicate between the host and the memory card. This allows for the transmission of application specific commands that lack a corresponding command in the base card protocol. The method can be implemented on the host side at the device driver level or the file level. In order to implement a read command in the extended card protocol, a write command in the base card protocol with an encapsulated read command in the extended protocol is first sent to a logical address, followed by a read command to the same logical address. Message set identifiers associate embedded commands and data received in separate transmissions. |
| US08078787B2 |
Communication between a host device and an accessory via an intermediate device
A host device and an accessory exchange information (e.g., commands and data) via an intermediate device. The host device and accessory can each connect to the intermediate device through a direct wired path and can exchange commands and data with the intermediate device. The host device and the accessory can also “tunnel” information to each other through the intermediate device, by packaging the tunneled information as a payload of a command recognizable by the intermediate device; the intermediate device can repackage and forward the payload. In some embodiments, the tunneled information relates to configuring a wireless link (e.g., a Bluetooth pairing) between the host device and the accessory. |
| US08078785B2 |
Host modules, electronic devices, electronic systems and data transmission method thereof
A host module is disclosed, in which an interface is used to couple to at least an electronic device through a serial bus and comprises at least first and second ports. A detection unit reports that one of the first and second ports is enabled and the other is not enabled to a serial bus host driver and enables the interface to perform data transmission with the electronic device connected to the first and second ports through two parallel transmission channels of the serial bus, when the first and second ports are both connected to the same electronic device through the serial bus. |
| US08078784B2 |
Method and apparatus for data movement in a system on a chip
There is provided a system for comprising a plurality of blocks, each block comprising any hardware element and a plurality of segments for providing interconnection of the plurality of blocks. A segment comprises a connector between multiple blocks and other segments and segments are connected via the ports of blocks or other segments. Communications between blocks is packet based, each packet including at least a destination block. The packet includes at least one of data, packet/message identification and padding. Blocks have an associated address. A block has one or more input ports and one or more output ports. Segments include means for routing packets to destinations. Each block and segment includes properties. Properties include one or more of clocks, bandwidth, bit widths, and latencies. The plurality of segments for multiple packets to be active on different segments. A single segment includes a plurality of ports for multiple packets to be active on different ports of the segment. |
| US08078781B2 |
Device having priority upgrade mechanism capabilities and a method for updating priorities
A device having priority update capabilities and a method for updating priorities, the method includes: receiving a request to update to a requested priority, priorities of transaction requests stored within a first sequence of pipeline stages that precede an arbiter; updating a priority level of a transaction request stored in the first sequence to the requested priority if the transaction request is priority upgradeable and if the requested priority is higher that a current priority of the transaction request; and arbitrating between transaction requests in response to priority attributes associated with the transaction requests. |
| US08078777B2 |
Systems and methods for managing a network
A method of managing a network. The method includes receiving an activation key transmitted from a device connected to the network, automatically transmitting a configuration to the device, automatically maintaining the configuration of the device, and receiving log information from the device. |
| US08078776B2 |
Electronic device having a dual key connector
A connector interface system for a communication device is disclosed. The interface includes a docking connector. The docking connector includes first make/last break contacts that minimize internal damage to the internal electronics. The docking connector also includes specific keying arrangement to prevent noncompliant connectors from being plugged in, and thereby minimizes potential damage to the multi-communication device. The connector interface system also includes a remote connector which provides for the ability to output audio, input audio, provides I/O serial protocol, and to provide an output video. Embodiments of the present invention allow for a standard headphone cable to be plugged in but also for special remote control cables, microphone cables, video cables could be utilized in such a system. The connector interface system also includes a serial protocol to control device features. These controls help a user sort and search for data more efficiently within the device. |
| US08078772B2 |
Digital phase relationship lock loop
In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a first clocked storage device operable in a first clock domain corresponding to a first clock signal. The first clocked storage device has an input coupled to receive one or more bits transmitted on the input from a second clock domain corresponding to a second clock signal. The apparatus further comprises control circuitry configured to ensure that a change in a value of the one or more bits transmitted on the input meets setup and hold time requirements of the first clocked storage device. The control circuitry is responsive to a sample history of one of the first clock signal or the second clock signal to detect a phase relationship between the first clock signal and the second clock signal on each clock cycle to ensure the change meets the setup and hold time requirements. |
| US08078766B2 |
Apparatus and method of displaying image
An apparatus of displaying an image connects an external device by using universal serial bus (USB) connection. The apparatus contains a display unit and a control unit that reads device information out of the connected external device and performs display control on the display unit based on the read device information. Under control of the control unit, the display unit displays a message that is used for changing a class of the external device to a class previously specified in the apparatus of displaying the image when the class of the external device is changeable and it is determined based on the device information that the set class of the external device is different from the class previously specified in the apparatus of displaying the image. |
| US08078759B2 |
Method for prefetching of structured data between a client device and a server device
The invention relates to a method of more efficient data transmission, in particular transmission of structured data, such as web pages, in a system comprising a server means and a client means which are interconnected via a plurality of proxy means, including a server proxy means and a client proxy means. |
| US08078758B1 |
Automatic configuration of source address filters within a network device
Techniques are described for automatically setting source address filters within a network device. For example, an apparatus, such as a router, comprises a network interface card to receive routing information from a network device. The routing information specifies at least one unselected network route to a network destination, and includes a tag associated with the unselected route to indicate that the network device does not forward outbound data along the unselected route. The apparatus further comprises a control unit to automatically set a filter to receive inbound data from the network destination specified by the non-selected route. The control unit may automatically set, for example, a source address filter. |
| US08078753B2 |
Enabling simultaneous use of home network and foreign network by a multihomed mobile node
The invention relates to a method performed by a home agent serving a mobile node in a home network of the mobile node upon attachment of a mobile node to the home network as well as to the home agent. Further, the invention also relates to a method for enabling simultaneous use of a plurality of interfaces by a mobile node being attached to a home network through one of the plurality of interfaces and to at least one foreign network through at least another interface of the plurality of interfaces. Moreover, the invention provides a mobile node and a proxy acting on behalf of the mobile node. To enable a mobile node to use a home network and at least one further foreign network for communications the invention suggests the registration of the mobile node's home address or of a network node within its home network as a care-of address in the home network. |
| US08078751B2 |
System and method for using a webpad to control a data stream
A system and method for using a webpad to select a target device which is to receive from a source device a stream of a digital representation of a media. The webpad is used to send a transmission to the source device to cause the source device to route the stream of the digital representation of the media to the target device where the target device decodes and converts the digital representation of the media into analog signals to thereby allow for a reproduction of the media. |
| US08078749B2 |
Synchronization of multidimensional data in a multimaster synchronization environment with prediction
Various embodiments are provided for synchronizing with multidimensional data in a knowledge based synchronization framework for a multi-master synchronization environment. Prediction can be employed to transmit the next versions of a sequence of subsets of multidimensional data to consuming clients in an intuitive manner for a given application. For example, applications that render 2-D images on the client of multidimensional objects (e.g., 3-D graphical objects) stored on a server are achieved through synchronizing versions of the 2-D images to the client including predictively pre-computing and/or providing versions of the 2-D images to the client as synchronization updates. |
| US08078748B2 |
Streaming delivery method and system, server system, terminal, and computer program
Video contents are delivered by a streaming method via a network to a client from a server with first and second storage areas. The method includes the steps of: delivering a first video content stored in the first storage area from the server to start playback thereof on the client; delivering a list of titles of the video contents stored in the second storage area from the server to be displayed on the client; changing the video content group stored in the second storage area; delivering data for updating the list from the server to be displayed the updated list on the client; receiving an input designating a second video content from the updated list at the client and notifying the server of the designation; and delivering the content B from the server in response to the notification designating the content B to be played back on the client. |
| US08078747B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for transferring data
The present invention provides several methods and apparatuses for transmitting multimedia data using streaming media protocols such as real-time transfer protocols (RTP) and real-time streaming protocols (RTSP) in a computer network environment. In one exemplary embodiment, a request for RTP data and its associated extension is sent from the caching proxy server to the server. The request may be for one specific type of data or multiple unrelated types of data. The server responds to the request indicating its support for the requested RTP extension data. The caching proxy server determines whether to proceed or terminate the data transmission process based on the response provided by the server. If it is determined to proceed with the data transmission process, the caching proxy informs the server to send the requested and supported RTP data. The server sends the requested data in a variable and extendible header format. |
| US08078746B2 |
Mobile terminal, contents delivery system, and contents reproduction program
Low bit rate contents data as pre-data corresponding to a series of stream data are preliminarily stored in a mobile phone. In order to reproduce certain contents, a transmission request of a high bit rate contents data block having the same contents as those of the low bit rate contents data block is transmitted to the delivery source indicated by the transfer source information added to the pre-data upon reproduction thereof. If the high bit rate contents data block is received from the delivery source, the high bit rate contents data block is reproduced. Meanwhile, if the high bit rate contents data block is unreceived from the delivery source, the low bit rate contents data block having the same contents as those of the high bit rate contents data block is detected from the pre-data so as to be reproduced in place thereof. |
| US08078741B2 |
Data management between multiple data sources
Presented herein are systems and methods that facilitate the portability and management of user data maintained at two or more services. In embodiments, a configurable profile management interface or interfaces are provided to a user, which enable the user to identify data elements that may be maintained across one or more services. In embodiments, a user has the ability to set precedence values by identifying which elements from which service or services should be considered as sources of truth. In embodiments, those sources of truth may be used to propagate changes to one or more services. In embodiments, the profile synchronization functionality may be incorporated within a human resources (HR) system. In embodiments, the user can also configure a schedule for transferring data, can import some or all of the data, and/or can export all or some of the data. |
| US08078739B1 |
Solution for handling URL-substitution for data access in a private network architecture
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for handling requests for data from a private network. In general terms, a client who wishes access to secure data, such as a secure web page, from a private network establishes a secure connection with a secure server, such as a secure socket layer (SSL) server, of the private network. The secure server then downloads a software program for handling data requests (made by the client for data located within the private network) to the client. This software program is downloaded automatically by the secure server to the client when the client initiates a secure connection with such secure server. The downloaded software program is generally configured to modify data requests (e.g., by performing a URL substitution) sent from the client to an internal server of the private network such that the data requests are redirected to the secure server. The secure server then processes the data request (e.g., by retrieving the data from the appropriate internal server). |
| US08078738B2 |
Systems and methods for calculating a distribution
Systems and methods are provided for calculating a distribution of a quantity over a number of receiver objects. In one implementation, a data processing system is provided that comprises a number of application programs, each of the application programs being adapted to generate a distribution request, storage means for storing a number of rules, each rule being adapted for distribution of at least a portion of the quantity over the receiver objects and for storing an assignment of a sub-set of the rules to each application program, each rule within one of the sub-sets of rules having an assigned priority of execution and each sub-set of rules having an assigned identifier. The data processing system may also comprise distribution calculation means for receiving the distribution request from one of the application programs, the distribution request comprising the identifier of the sub-set of rules assigned to the one of the application programs, the quantity to be distributed, and the identifiers of receiver objects over which the quantity is to be distributed, the distribution calculation means being adapted to access the storage means for execution of the sub-set of rules assigned to the one of the application programs in the order of the priorities assigned to the rules within the sub-set of rules. |
| US08078734B2 |
Information processing apparatus
The present invention is capable of preferably performing the establishment of a session using a predetermined protocol. In a mobile phone device applicable to an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the CPU of a main control unit executes NAI middleware, performs connection using a predetermined protocol via a system layer, acquires a connection request or a disconnection request from an individual application program, and controls, on the basis of the acquired connection request or disconnection request, the connection using the predetermined protocol performed by a connection unit. |
| US08078730B2 |
System, device, and method for maintaining communication sessions in a communication system
A communication session is maintained through a disruption by saving state information related to the communication session upon detecting the disruption and subsequently using the saved state information to re-establish the communication session. The communication session may be associated with an access point device in a wireless communication system, and the communication session may be re-established through the same or a different access point device in the wireless communication system. |
| US08078726B2 |
System and method for cacheing web files
A system and method receives a request for a file containing an identifier of the requested file and a message digest, containing an expected hash result of the requested file. The system and method identifies whether it has already stored a file having that identifier and a hash result matching the message digest. If so, the file is provided, optionally after being checked for authenticity via rehashing and comparing again to the message digest. If the file is not stored in the cache, it may be retrieved from a location included in the identifier, hashed and compared to the message digest to authenticate it, and provided to the requesting program if the hash result matches the message digest. |
| US08078725B2 |
Method and system for secure distribution and utilization of data over a network
A method for distributing data over a network includes the steps of establishing a secure connection between a client and a server; issuing a certificate and a private key to the client for identifying the client in a transaction; storing the certificate and the private key in a portable token of the client and used by the client during a transaction, the portable token including a unique distinguishing number and being a physical device removeably coupleable to a client computer; and generating a message linking the data being distributed to the client with at least part of the distinguishing number for the token used by the client during a transaction. |
| US08078724B2 |
Method and system for tracking screen activities
Techniques to facilitate a system to capture, process, and archive a series of user interactive events and subsequently retrieve the stored user interactive events are disclosed. The captured information is indexed and stored for future access either on a terminal device or an accessible remote server device. |
| US08078720B2 |
Management of networked devices
The present invention improves the efficiency with which the resources of a device monitoring system are used.A management server stores a device type-dependent database and a monitored device database for devices that are to be monitored by a device monitoring module. The types of information that can be processed by the management server and so on are stored in the device type-dependent database per device type. When this database is updated, notification setting information specifying information that the device is to notify the management server of is created in accordance with the details of the update and sent to the management server. The device sends events and other data to the management server in accordance with the notification setting information. |
| US08078718B1 |
Method and apparatus for testing a storage system head in a clustered failover configuration
A first storage server head and a second storage server head are operated and are configured redundantly to provide a host with access to a plurality of mass storage devices. A diagnostic process is executed in the first storage server head to assess operational status of the second storage server head while the second storage server head is in a mode for providing the host with access to the plurality of mass storage devices. |
| US08078710B2 |
Method and apparatus for monitoring functions of distributed data
This invention discloses continuous functional monitoring of distributed network activity using algorithms based on frequency moment calculations given by Fp=Σimip. The frequency moment calculations are used to raise an alarm when a value exceeds a certain threshold. Frequency moments for p=0, 1, and 2 are described. |
| US08078706B1 |
Method and system for faster device learning
Method and system for faster device learning are provided. The invention provides a method of sending multiple object identifiers in a single Get Next Request, enabling the learning of the management information of more than one variable simultaneously, and reducing the time required for learning the management information of the network. Multiple OIDs are generated from an OID, and they are sent in a single request packet, to learn their management information. The invention also provides a network comprising a Network Management System (NMS), at least one device, and a set of variables residing in each device. The NMS is capable of sending at least one OID in a single request to the device. |
| US08078705B2 |
Key-configured topology with connection management
Systems, methodologies, media, and other embodiments associated with key-configured topology connection management are described. One exemplary system embodiment includes a logic for mapping a resource to a port through which it can be accessed and a logic for determining whether a requestor will be granted a connection to the machine on which the resource resides based, at least in part, on membership in a key-configured topology. Membership in the key-configured topology may be determined by a connection management logic analyzing a key provided by the requestor in a request related to accessing the resource. The key may be internally generated by a key maintenance logic. |
| US08078699B2 |
Setting a network address for communicating with a network device when installing a device control program
An information processing apparatus includes a search unit which searches for a network device having a function of communication by the first communication protocol and a network device having a function of communication by the second communication protocol, and a setting unit which, when a network device detected by the search unit is compliant with both the first and second communication protocols, sets a network address for communicating with the network device by selecting the network address from a network address in the format of the first communication protocol and a network address in the format of the second communication protocol in installing a device control program for the network device. |
| US08078694B2 |
Browser-based proxy server for customization and distribution of existing applications
A system, method and computer program product for executing at least one client computer software application by embedding a web browser in a proxy server, thereby forming a proxy browser. The proxy browser is used to execute the application inside the proxy server. In one embodiment of the invention, each client browser that connects to the proxy server is assigned an instance of the proxy browser and session information is maintained for the client browser. When the client browser makes a request to the proxy server, the request is linked to the instance of the proxy browser. |
| US08078693B2 |
Inserting a multimedia file through a web-based desktop productivity application
Technologies are described herein for inserting a multimedia file through a web-based desktop productivity application. A request for the multimedia file is received from a client computer over a network. A request for the multimedia file is transmitted to a server computer over the network. The request for the multimedia file is transmitted via a proxy web service. The multimedia file is received from the server computer over the network upon transmitting the request for the multimedia file. The multimedia file is inserted in a document edited by the web-based desktop productivity application. |
| US08078692B2 |
Method of loading files from a client to a target server and device for implementing the method
A method is provided for loading files from a client to at least one target server. The method involves transmitting, from the client to the target server, a set of data obtained from the files to be loaded, at least some of the data of the set being encoded; requesting, from the client, an authenticity check, by the target server, on the data of the set using at least some of the encoded data; and when the authenticity of the data of the set has been checked successfully by the target server, loading the files, according to a predetermined format, from the client to the target server. |
| US08078691B2 |
Web page load time prediction and simulation
Web page load time production and simulation includes determining an original page load time (PLT) of a webpage and timing information of each web object of the web page in a scenario. Each object is also annotated with client delay information based on a parental dependency graph (PDG) of the web page. The time information of each web object is further adjusted to reflect a second scenario that includes one or more modified parameters. The page loading of the web page is then simulated based on the adjusted timing information of each web object and the PDG of the web page to estimate a new PLT of the web page. |
| US08078689B2 |
Methods and apparatus for providing access to persistent application sessions
Methods and apparatus for providing remote access to two or more application sessions in which authentication information associated with a user is received, a plurality of application sessions already associated with the user are identified in response to the information, and a client computer operated by the user is connected to the plurality of application sessions. |
| US08078688B2 |
File sharing through multi-services gateway device at user premises
A system for providing and managing file sharing services of one or more endpoint devices comprise a first interface for enabling bi-directional communications with one or more of the endpoint devices associated with the gateway device, and a second interface for enabling bi-directional communications via a wide-area network, for the one or more endpoint devices associated with the gateway device. A processor is coupled to the interfaces and is configured to manage file sharing through presence and networking messaging communication between the one or more endpoint devices associated with the gateway device and at least another endpoint device (associated with the gateway device or not), to access a file to share received from the one or more end-point devices associated with the gateway device or from endpoint devices not associated with the gateway device. The processor selectively makes the accessed file available to the one or more endpoint devices. |
| US08078687B1 |
System and method for data management
A data management system for a data storage device includes a management module and a memory module. The management module manages a plurality of nodes of a linked list based on one of a plurality of parameter sets that indicates a location of a data field within each of the plurality of nodes. The memory module stores data indicative of the one of the plurality of parameter sets. |
| US08078685B2 |
Remotely configured media device
Improved techniques for controlling operation of a portable electronic device are disclosed. Portable electronic devices which interact with a host electronic device can have their operational settings (e.g., configurations or preferences) remotely controlled. As a result, a host electronic device can offer a more sophisticated user interface and portable electronic devices need less local user interface features because these operational settings can be remotely controlled. The remotely-controlled (i.e., host controlled) operational settings are transferred to the portable electronic devices, whereby the portable electronic devices can thereafter operate in accordance with such settings. |
| US08078684B2 |
Accessing web services
One Embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for accessing web services. In this regard, one embodiment of such a method, among others, can be broadly summarized by the following steps: receiving a request for a web service, the request being in an instant messaging format; converting the request into a native format utilized by the web service; and relaying the request in the native format to the web service. Other methods and devices are also provided. |
| US08078682B1 |
Method and system for managing contact information among relationships
A method for managing contact information among relationships. The method involves receiving a notification request comprising contact information for a registered user, identifying an associated entity with which the registered user has a relationship, retrieving a user update preference associated with the registered user and the associated entity, retrieving an entity update preference associated with the associated entity, determining that the user update preference permits sending an update message to the associated entity, and sending the update message to the associated entity, wherein the update message is created and sent based on the contact information, the entity update preference, and the determination that the user update preference permits sending the update message to the associated entity. |
| US08078680B2 |
System architecture for linking packet-switched and circuit-switched clients
A method and computer program product which allows both phone-based and IP-based clients to participate in a single audio conference. The method enables at least two multi-point control units (MCUs) (i.e., conferencing servers) to connect via a standard data linkage (i.e., full-duplex dial-up or IP link). The method and computer program product enables the phone-based MCU to handle the phone clients and the IP-based MCU to handle the IP-based clients, while connecting the two to allow each participating client to hear all other participating clients. |
| US08078676B2 |
System and method for managing remote computer training labs
An educational and training system allows organization and management of computers and course material used in teaching and administering classes of computer based information. Remote users access computers in laboratories or virtual classrooms as if they were actually using the computers within the laboratory or classroom. The system also allows management and tracking of the remote users and of other various course details. |
| US08078675B2 |
Server unit, client unit, server-based computing system, server control method, client control method, and recording medium
A display-operation setting database for defining key arrangements on the input unit (soft keyboard) of a client according to the type of an application which runs on a server is stored in the server beforehand. When the application running on the server is changed according to an input event from the client, definition information on the key arrangement corresponding to the operation application is read from the stored database and transmitted to the client. The key arrangement displayed on the input unit (soft keyboard) of the client is changed to a key arrangement corresponding to the operation application on the basis of the definition information received from the server. Then, a key signal corresponding to the user operation on the basis of the key arrangement is transmuted to the server, thereby specifying the processing of the operation application. |
| US08078673B2 |
Automated acquisition and maintenance of web-servable content via enhanced “404:not found” handler
A web server in a server network with a centralized administrative and/or content (CAC) server executes a modified “404: Not Found” Handler. When a requested file is present within the web server's temporary storage, the file is retrieved from the temporary directory and provided in response to the request from the requesting client (browser). Also, the web server automatically initiates retrieval of a more current copy of the file from the CAC server. However, when the requested file is not present within the server's temporary directory, the modified handler checks whether the requested file is available for download from the CAC server and retrieves the requested file from the CAC server, rather than issuing the standard 404: Not Found error response. The 404: Not Found error response is only issued when the requested file is not available at both the temporary directory and the CAC server. |
| US08078670B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing support for an electronic device
A support system enables a support agent to assist a client to resolve a problem with a client electronic device provided with an Internet capability enabling communication between the device and a support service web application. A two-way communications link is provided between the agent and the same web application. Communication between the client and support agent is provided by a telephone link. Accessible by the device is a diagnostic and/or data harvesting engine which can diagnose and/or harvest data for transfer to the web application and which has access to a LAN software stack which enables the engine itself to establish communication with the web application without requiring user intervention and without requiring communication via a web server provided in the client's device. Thus, as long as it is still possible for the device to communicate via the Internet, the diagnostic/data harvesting engine has the ability to carry out such communication to provide the required data to the web application. The support agent has access to the collected data stored in the application to be able to diagnose and resolve problems with the device. |
| US08078669B2 |
Media extension apparatus and methods for use in an information network
Methods and apparatus for extending the capabilities of a client device (e.g., consumer premises equipment in a cable network) using one or more on-demand applications. In one aspect, an improved media handling extension is provided within the device with which the various application(s) can interface to facilitate on-demand interaction between the CPE and the head end or other network entity. In one exemplary embodiment, the client device comprises a digital set-top box (DSTB) having Java-enabled middleware adapted to implement the OCAP/ACAP/MHP mandated Java Media Framework (JMF) APIs. A specially configured application is downloaded to the DSTB and run, the application configuring the paths within the device to provide, inter alia, media access to the on-demand application(s) according to one or more network specific protocols. Accordingly, the network MSO can also uniquely configure the CPE within its network for on-demand capability according to its own specific protocols from the head-end. Improved client device and head-end configurations, as well as methods of operating these systems, are also disclosed. |
| US08078663B2 |
Optical correlation apparatus and method
This invention relates to a pattern recognition correlator and method for correlating input data with one or more reference data sets. The input data, which may be for instance digital amplitude modulated optical data, is used to modulate an optical signal to form a phase modulated optical signal. This temporal phase modulated optical signal is then converted into a parallel optical phase signal, preferably through use of an optical delay, and modulated by an optical phase modulator. When there is a correlation between the input data and the reference data the emerging wavefront is plane and can be strongly coupled to a detector. In the absence of correlation the emergent wavefront is not plane and so is not coupled as strongly to the detector. The detector output can therefore be used as an indication of correlation. |
| US08078662B2 |
Multiplier product generation based on encoded data from addressable location
For one disclosed embodiment, an apparatus comprises first circuitry to output encoded data from an addressable location based at least in part on an address corresponding to a first number, wherein the encoded data is based at least in part on data that corresponds to the first number and that is encoded for partial product reduction, and second circuitry to generate a product based at least in part on the encoded data and on data corresponding to a second number. Other embodiments are also disclosed. |
| US08078661B2 |
Multiple-word multiplication-accumulation circuit and montgomery modular multiplication-accumulation circuit
A multiple-word multiplication-accumulation circuit suitable for use with a single-port memory. The circuit is composed of a multiplication-accumulation (MAC) operator and surrounding registers. The MAC operator has multiplicand and multiplier input ports with different bit widths to calculate a sum of products of multiple-word data read out of a memory. The registers serve as buffer storage of multiple-word data to be supplied to individual input ports of the MAC operator. The amount of data supplied to the MAC operator in each clock cycle is adjusted such that total amount of data consumed and produced by the MAC operator in one clock cycle will be equal to or smaller than the maximum amount of data that the memory can transfer in one clock cycle. This feature enables the use of a bandwidth-limited single-port memory, without causing adverse effect on the efficiency of MAC operator usage. |
| US08078658B2 |
ASCII to binary decimal integer conversion in a vector processor
A system, method, and apparatus for the constant time, branchless conversion of decimal integers of varying size in ASCII format to a decimal integer in binary decimal format in a vector processor utilizing simultaneous conversion of the string to a binary format, followed by simultaneous multiplications of the binary result by appropriate powers of ten and a fixed number of steps of vector addition, followed by a final step of a scalar multiplication of a sign value. |
| US08078651B2 |
Match rules to identify duplicate records in inbound data
Techniques for identifying duplicate records in data to be imported into a data hub. In one set of embodiments, a batch of records to be imported into a data hub is received and a match rule for the batch of records is selected. The match rule includes a set of match criteria for matching records in the inbound batch to records stored in the data hub. A matching process is then carried out, prior to importing the batch of records, to determine whether any of the records in the batch are duplicates of records stored in the data hub. By identifying potential duplicate records before (rather than after) importation, the problems associated with prior art duplicate identification techniques are minimized or avoided. In a particular embodiment, an import workbench application comprising a plurality of user interface screens is provided for aiding a user in managing the matching process. |
| US08078647B2 |
Ontology data import/export method and apparatus
The present invention provides a flexible ontology data import/export method and apparatus. The ontology data import apparatus comprises: an ontology data format analyzer for analyzing a format of input ontology data, and performing format determination by utilizing an ontology format database which stores formats of those successfully imported ontologies if it is a private unknown format; and an unknown format data importer for separating and importing the data into an ontology database which stores ontologies, in accordance with a result of the format determination by the ontology data format analyzer. Further, the ontology data export apparatus comprises a keyword-based and query-language-combined ontology exporter and an ontology data export format analyzer, and the keyword-based and query-language-combined ontology exporter outputs a query result returned from the ontology database in accordance with the export format returned from the ontology data export format analyzer. |
| US08078645B2 |
Operations on multi-level nested data structure
Multiple sets of data are obtained from different sources. Each data set is represented using a different format having a different syntax and organized in a multi-level nested data structure. Each data set is reformatted into a standardized table format using a depth-first recursive algorithm without relying on the syntax schema of the original format of the data set. Various operations are performed on the tables corresponding to the data sets, including but not limited to joining multiple tables, grouping selected rows of a table, ranking rows of a table, adding or deleting fields from selected rows of a table, etc. Optionally, inferred namespace and text normalization are utilized for selected table operations. One or more templates are provided for converting the data set of a table to a format that may be presented to a user. |
| US08078643B2 |
Schema modeler for generating an efficient database schema
A schema modeler for generating an efficient database schema. Provides intelligent choices for schema structure, generates efficient schemas while minimizing the amount of experience required by a database designer. Architectural elements of a schema design are proposed based on field inputs such as field type or relationship. Schema information is manually entered or imported. Configured for structural compatibility and semantic compatibility checking on fields and relationships for data integrity due to nested structure denormalization, inspection of lookup tables that can hold an unlimited number of records, inspection of taxonomy defined on a non-main table, and inspection of the schema for the existence of a main table. Provide suggested field types or schema structures that allow for a more efficient schema to be generated. Field types may include qualifier, multi-lingual, calculation and may include family or attribute table suggestions as well. Generation of validations and data profiling ensure efficient results. |
| US08078640B1 |
High efficiency binary encoding
A method and a system are provided for encoding and processing digital information. The digital information is encoded according to binary encoding formats corresponding to primitive data types. The primitive data types comprise scalar data types including Boolean, integer, float, decimal, time stamp, string, symbol, binary large object, and character large object data types. The primitive data types also comprise composite data types including structure, list, and S-expression data types. The binary-encoded digital information is stored in a message with a predetermined format for transmission. No metadata is included in the message. |
| US08078635B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and information processing program
An information processing apparatus includes a communication connection section that is communicably connected to an external apparatus; a first storage section that stores a predetermined program to be executed by the external apparatus, and for which read/write operation from the external apparatus is inhibited; a second storage section to which read/write operation from the external apparatus is inhibited; and a write section that reads out the predetermined program stored in the first storage section when the information processing apparatus is communicably connected to the external apparatus by the communication connection section and writes the read out program in the second storage section. |
| US08078634B2 |
Domain independent system and method of automating data aggregation
A computer automated method and system of presenting data. The method may include the steps of inputting a set of user-defined instructions into a remotely located computer database system via a local network connection, inputting a user query into the computer database system via the local network connection, mining the computer database system for data relevant to the user query, creating a data set comprising the data relevant to the user query, and aggregating data in the data set using domain metrics selected based on any of predefined and configurable rules and past user usage. The aggregation may further include tagging all data attributes in the data set based on database metadata and inputs from a user, wherein the data attributes comprise any of data identifications (IDs), data grouping attributes, and data measure attributes. |
| US08078633B2 |
Methods and systems for improving text segmentation
Methods and systems for improving text segmentation are disclosed. In one embodiment, at least a first segmented result and a second segmented result are determined from a string of characters, a first frequency of occurrence for the first segmented result and a second frequency of occurrence for the second segmented result are determined, and an operable segmented result is identified from the first segmented result and the second segmented result based at least in part on the first frequency of occurrence and the second frequency of occurrence. |
| US08078628B2 |
Streaming faceted search
Systems and methods for streaming faceted search are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, an exemplary method comprises receiving a search query; processing the search query to find matching search results and facet information corresponding to the search query, wherein the facet information is not part of the search query, but is used to group the search results into a plurality of sets, such that each set corresponds to a facet value range common to the search results included in said set, so that the search results are filtered based on certain criteria and sortable based on the facet value ranges associated with each set; designating at least a first output stream and a second output stream, wherein data related to the matching search results for the search query is written to the first output stream, and data related to at least a first facet information is written to the second output stream, so that the matching search results for the search query provided via the first output stream are processed and displayed without any delay associated with grouping the search results into the plurality of sets according to the facet information provided in at least the second output stream; providing the plurality of sets corresponding to the filtered or sortable search results generated according to the facet information for display, in response to finding matching search results that correspond to the facet value range for each set as respective search results become available that match a respective facet value or facet range; and asynchronously generating one or more sets associated with first facet information corresponding to the search results, wherein the sets associated with the first facet information are displayed as second facet information continues to be generated, wherein the search results for a first set corresponding to the first facet information are partially displayed in response to selecting a representation of the first set, and wherein remainder of the search results for the first set are displayed at later time, when additional search results for the first set becomes available. |
| US08078627B2 |
File management apparatus, method for controlling file management apparatus, computer program, and storage medium
In order to read data from an external storage medium and automatically sort the data into a plurality of folders to manage the data, a plurality of files sorted into a plurality of folders are read from a plurality of external storage media, file attribute information of the files is extracted, and the read files are sorted into a plurality of folders based on the extracted file attribute information and stored in a storage unit. |
| US08078621B2 |
Method, system, and computer program product for creating searchable documents on a computer network
A system, method, and computer program product for accessing web pages on a network are provided. In use, different users are provided access to a plurality of sections of a created document based on a community value for at least one community dimension assigned to each section of the created document. In particular, a user is conditionally provided access to a section of a created document, based on a comparison of a user value indicating a community with which the user is associated to the community value lor the m least one community dimension assigned to the section of the created document. |
| US08078614B2 |
Web page performance scoring
A browser-based tool is provided that loads a Webpage, accesses the document object model (DOM) of the page, collects information about the page structure and parses the page, determines through the use of heuristics such factors as how much text is found on the page and the like, produces statistical breakdown of the page, and calculates a score based on performance of the page. Key to the operation of the invention is the ability to observe operation of the Webpage as it actually loads in real time, scoring the page for several of various performance factors, and producing a combined score for the various factors. |
| US08078612B2 |
Providing data based on language choice
Data may be provided in a language chosen by a user. A data record may be stored in a database using symbols to represent data. These symbols may be converted into various languages. A resource file for a given language defines a correspondence between the symbols in the record and the words in that language. A user indicates a choice of language in which to receive data. The user's choice is stored in the database, and conversion information from the resource file for the user's chosen language is copied to the database. When a program connects to a database and requests data records, the user's language choice is retrieved from the data, and the conversion information stored in the database is used to convert the data records into the chosen language. The requested data is then provided to the application in the user's chosen language. |
| US08078606B2 |
Rank-based estimate of relevance values
A method includes submitting a query to multiple search engines. The method also includes receiving a ranked list of search results from each search engine based on the query. The method includes determining a search engine weighting value for each search engine, where each search engine weighting value indicates a degree of relevance of a category of specialization of a particular search engine to a category of the query. |
| US08078604B2 |
Identifying executable scenarios in response to search queries
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for identifying executable scenario solutions relevant to a user query and returning such executable scenario solutions as search results in response to the user query are provided. Upon receiving a user query, a plurality of results is returned, each result being representative of a series of steps which may be implemented to address a particular issue relevant to the received user query. Often, a series of steps or scenario includes a number of sub-scenarios, each of which is to be executed sequentially to achieve the desired result. Accordingly, upon selection of a particular search result, the user may be guided through a series of sub-scenario result options until an item having direct association to a series of steps is selected. Once selected, the executable scenario solution is presented to the user for execution. |
| US08078599B2 |
Method and system for evaluating environmental impact occurring during an activity cycle
A system for evaluating an environmental impact during a life cycle of an activity includes a controlling unit, which controls the system with a plurality of data storage elements connected to the controlling unit. The plurality of data storage elements includes a first data storage element, a second data storage element, a third data storage element, and a fourth data storage element. The first data storage element stores a first data type for each item to be used for the activity as life cycle inventory data. The second data storage element stores a second data type for each item, which includes grade information and recycle ratio information. The third data storage element stores a third data type for each item as modified life cycle inventory data. The third data type is obtained by modifying the first data type with the second data type. The fourth data storage element stores impact-coefficient data for each item. |
| US08078596B2 |
Method and system for a non-hierarchical trace system using a hierarchical control interface
A method for tracing components in computer applications includes setting, within a hierarchical control interface, a trace level for a component; storing, within a non-hierarchical trace system, the trace level; receiving, in the non-hierarchical trace system, a call with trace data from the component; checking, within the non-hierarchical trace system, the trace level of the component; and acting upon the trace data according to the trace level setting. |
| US08078594B1 |
Parcel data acquisition and processing
In some embodiments, scripts may be used to perform parcel data acquisition, conversion, and clean-up/repair in an automated manner and/or through graphical user interfaces. The scripts may be used, for example, to repair geometries of new parcel data, convert multi-part parcel geometries to single part parcel geometries (explode), eliminate duplicate parcel geometries, append columns, create feature classes, and append feature classes. These scripts may be executed in a predetermined manner to increase efficiency. In some embodiments, different combinations of attributes may be appended to stored parcel data. In some embodiments, a tracking application may be used to track information about sources of data. In some embodiments, a tracking application may be used to track which system users are assigned to specific tasks (e.g., in a data acquisition project). |
| US08078591B2 |
Methods, systems and computer applications for real time data processing
Methods, systems and software applications are provided for real time data processing. In one implementation, a method is provided for locking data objects in a computer system. The method may comprise determining whether a number of lock objects to be locked is less than or equal to a maximum number of lock objects; creating, when the number is less than or equal to the maximum, one or more lock objects comprising names and values for key fields; and creating, when the number is greater than the maximum, one or more lock objects by applying a heuristic process such that the lock objects include wild cards for key fields. |
| US08078582B2 |
Data change ordering in multi-log based replication
Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to data change ordering in multi-log based replication. In aspects, local seeds are maintained for subtransactions involved in a transaction, where each subtransaction may occur on a different node that hosts one or more database fragments involved in the transaction. When a subtransaction communicates with another subtransaction in a transaction, the subtransaction sends its local seed to the other subtransaction. The receiving subtransaction compares its local seed with the received seed and updates its local seed if the received seed is logically after its local seed. A subtransaction uses a local seed to generate sequence identifiers for changes made by the subtransaction. These identifiers allow data changes of a transaction that are made on multiple nodes to be partially ordered relative to other changes made during the transaction. |
| US08078578B2 |
Sharing of presence-based time-zone information
A system for sharing presence-based time-zone information includes a database, and a controller. The database includes a plurality of presence profiles, each presence profile maintaining, for an associated network user, one or more network device identifiers and, for each network device identifier, a current presence status, indicating network availability, and current time-zone information based on geographic location. The controller is able to receive presence information, determine a matching one of the presence profiles, update the current presence status and the current time-zone information in the matching one of the presence profiles, generate shifted time-zone information, generate a presence update, identify a subscriber address for receiving the presence update, and transmit the presence update to the subscriber address. |
| US08078577B2 |
Method of bi-directional synchronization of user data
A method for bi-directional synchronization of user data files between a client and at least one server. The method comprises determining if a match exists between a local session file and a reflection session file, wherein the local session file is maintained by the client and the reflection session is maintained by the at least one server; when the local session file and the reflection session file match, performing: synchronizing contents of a user data file maintained by the client with contents of a user data file maintained by the at least one server, when the user data file in the client includes more records than the user data file in the at least one server; and synchronizing contents of a user data file maintained by the at least one server with contents of a user data file maintained by the client, when the user data file in the client includes less records than the user data file in the at least one server. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention the user data file includes a session file, an index file and a data file. |
| US08078574B1 |
Network acceleration device cache supporting multiple historical versions of content
A network acceleration device simultaneously caches and intelligently serves different historical versions of stored network content. For example, the network acceleration device may receive one or more requests for original content; however, subsequent updates to the content may create varying versions of the content, e.g., a pre-update version and one or more post-update versions. Client devices that requested the content prior to the update receive the pre-update version from the network acceleration device. Client devices that requested content after the update receive the post-update version from the network device. Moreover, the network acceleration device facilitates the simultaneous delivery of the pre-update version and the post-update version without waiting for delivery of the pre-update version to be complete. Thus, the network acceleration device may facilitate decreased download times by seamlessly and transparently providing both versions of the content simultaneously. |
| US08078572B2 |
System and method for updating a geographic database using satellite imagery
A reporting program and system for updating a master copy of a geographic database is disclosed. According to the method and system, reports are obtained that relate to data contained in a geographic database. Satellite images of the geographic locations represented by the data in the reports are obtained. The satellite images are analyzed to confirm a need to make changes to the master copy of the geographic database based on the reports. After confirming the need to make the changes, the master copy of the geographic database is updated. |
| US08078571B2 |
Knowledge archival and recollection systems and methods
A knowledge archival and recollection system accessible by a user, comprising: a data acquisition module in communication with a database server, a file archive and a database connectivity module; a data presentation module in communication with a report module and a search module; a timing module in communication with the database server; an automatic billing module in communication with a report module and database server; a messenger monitor module in communication with the database server, and the file archive; a database connectivity module in communication with the data acquisition module, the file archive, the database server, the report module, the search module, the automatic billing module, the timing module and the messenger monitor module; the system gathers user activity data and files accessed by user through the data acquisition module and archives the data and files on the database server and file archive for retrieval by each user. |
| US08078564B2 |
Controlling forward chaining execution in a rules system
Detailed herein is a technology which, among other things, provides for forward chaining in a ruleset. In one approach to this technology, a first rule is examined, to identifying a data object associated with it. A second rule is identified, also associated with the data object. The relationship between the two rules is determined, where execution of the second rule will modify the data object, which, in turn, will alter the outcome of the first rule. |
| US08078561B2 |
Nonlinear behavior models and methods for use thereof in wireless radio systems
Disclosed is a behavioral model for wide-band radio frequency transmitters. Also disclosed are various implementation of the behavioral model for purpose of baseband predistortion of dynamic nonlinear systems, such as wideband wireless transmitters and power amplifiers. In one example embodiment, a LBG behavioral model comprises two non-linear cascading modules: a dynamic weak nonlinear (DWNL) module, which models dynamic week nonlinearities of the system, and a static strong nonlinear (SSNL) module, which models static strong nonlinearities of the system. In one example embodiment, a forward LBG model includes DWNL module followed by the SSNL module. In another example embodiment, a reverse LBG model includes SSNL module followed by DWNL module. |
| US08078557B1 |
Use of neural networks for keyword generation
A system for identifying keywords in search results includes a plurality of neurons connected as a neural network, the neurons being associated with words and documents. An activity regulator regulates a minimum and/or maximum number of neurons of the neural network that are excited at any given time. Means for displaying the neurons to a user and identifying the neurons that correspond to keywords can be provided. Means for changing positions of the neurons relative to each other based on input from the user can be provided. The change in position of one neuron changes the keywords. The input from the user can be dragging a neuron on a display device, or changing a relevance of two neurons relative to each other. The neural network can be excited by a query that comprises words selected by a user. The neural network can be a bidirectional network. The user can inhibit neurons of the neural network by indicating irrelevance of a document. The neural network can be excited by a query that identifies a document considered relevant by a user. The neural network can also include neurons that represent groups of words. The neural network can be excited by a query that identifies a plurality of documents considered relevant by a user, and can output keywords associated with the plurality of documents. |
| US08078556B2 |
Generating complex event processing rules utilizing machine learning from multiple events
A novel and useful mechanism enabling a standard learning algorithm to generate rules for complex event processing (CEP) systems. The method creates rules that infer previously defined output events by creating input event feature vectors for each targeted output event. In addition, a method for automatically generating CEP system rules to infer output events which are anomalies (i.e. statistical outliers) of input event sequences is disclosed. Input feature vectors consisting of multiple input events and parameters for each targeted output event are then input into a standard learning algorithm to generate CEP system rules. |
| US08078555B2 |
Decoupling static program data and execution data
Persisting execution state of a continuation based runtime program. The continuation based runtime program includes static program data defining activities executed by the program. One or more of the activities are parent activities including sequences of child activities. The continuation based runtime program is loaded. A child activity to be executed is identified based on scheduling defined in a parent of the child activity in the continuation based runtime program. The child activity is sent to a continuation based runtime separate from one or more other activities in the continuation based runtime program. The child activity is executed at the continuation based runtime, creating an activity instance. Continuation state information is stored separate from the static program data by storing information about the activity instance separate from one or more other activities defined in the continuation based runtime program. |
| US08078554B2 |
Knowledge-based interpretable predictive model for survival analysis
Knowledge-based interpretable predictive modeling is provided. Expert knowledge is used to seed training of a model by a machine. The expert knowledge may be incorporated as diagram information, which relates known causal relationships between predictive variables. A predictive model is trained. In one embodiment, the model operates even with a missing value for one or more variables by using the relationship between variables. For application, the model outputs a prediction, such as the likelihood of survival for two years of a lung cancer patient. A graphical representation of the model is also output. The graphical representation shows the variables and relationships between variables used to determine the prediction. The graphical representation is interpretable by a physician or other to assist in understanding. |
| US08078547B2 |
Method of calculating and displaying premium freight costs
Methods for calculating and displaying premium freight costs are provided. The methods comprise the steps of: A) selecting a time period of interest; B) selecting all shipments occurring within the selected time period and indexing the shipments into a list; C) for each shipment in the list, evaluating whether the shipment was delivered in the optimal mode, optimal source, and/or optimal carrier, and if a non-optimal mode, source or carrier was used, calculating premium freight cost; D) if the premium freight cost is not negative, adding the premium freight cost to a lane for the non-optimal mode; and E) displaying the premium freight cost by lane on a computer screen. Information for carrying out the methods of the present invention is contained in various databases containing shipment data and optimality tables. |
| US08078545B1 |
System, method and computer program product for collecting strategic patent data associated with an identifier
A system, method and computer program product are provided for organizing patents utilizing a computer-implemented system. An identifier is initially determined, after which a notes field is displayed for receiving manually entered notes, such that the manually entered notes are stored in association with the identifier. Further, the manually selection of a file is permitted. Such manually selected file is then stored in association with the identifier. Still yet, a plurality of patents are associated with the identifier. The manually entered notes, the file, and the patents are thus accessible by subsequent selection of the identifier. |
| US08078543B2 |
Method and system for managing and preparing documentation for real estate transactions
A method and system for preparing and managing real estate transfers and financing, including a system for preparation, production and storage of relevant documentation and the data contained therein; a system for coordinating, reconciling and transferring funds; and a system of analyzing and tracking the progress of numerous real estate transactions. The invention uses a database to minimize the redundancy involved in the preparation of all documentation needed for real estate closings. Information input into the database is used to generate the documentation necessary to complete real estate transfers, including all forms required by relevant financial institutions and government agencies. Such documentation includes handwritten signatures, which are digitally scanned and incorporated into the documents. Also, ancillary documentation can be scanned into the system and combined with other customer data and documentation. Thus a “closing package” can be compiled which contains electronic versions of virtually any document needed for closing a real estate transaction. Further included are scheduling features for coordinating one or many real estate transactions and management reporting for keeping track of a plurality of real estate transaction. |
| US08078539B2 |
Method and system for sorting checks according to a priority order associated with the account number
An improved check sorting system capable of ordering cancelled checks for a plurality of accounts in a predetermined manner other than by account number is provided. Checks are ordered according to a priority value associated with the account number, and optionally check number, identified by each check. A database is utilized to store information indexed by institution and/or account number and optionally check number. The information includes a priority value. The check sorting system scans each check and reads the MICR code from each check. The institution and/or account number, and possibly check number, from each check are used as pointers to obtain the priority value for that check. The check is then sorted based on the priority value obtained from the database. |
| US08078537B2 |
Comprehensive insurance product with loss coverage and assistance services
Aspects of the disclosure describe systems and methods for providing a combined insurance and assistance product to an insured. Insurance coverage can be provided to the insured for at least one insured loss event in conjunction with assistance services coverage based upon the at least one insured loss event. A base premium for the combined insurance and assistance product can be calculated based at least in part on a premium for the insurance coverage and a premium for the assistance services coverage. Assistance services can include preventive services directed to helping avoid the occurrence of at least one insured loss event and/or rehabilitative services directed to providing assistance after an occurrence of at least one insured loss event. |
| US08078534B1 |
Cash supply chain surveillance
The movement of physical cash and/or other monetary items along the cash supply chain requires security. Some security includes the continuous recordation of video or other images to provide a visual history of the activities that occurred at a particular location along the cash supply chain. By automatically identifying an item at various points along the cash supply chain and associating it with a particular timestamp, the relevant portions of the video surveillance may be quickly and efficiently identified when a suspicious event occurs. |
| US08078525B2 |
System and method for providing services to a client
A method is provided for a service provider to automate service tasks for a client where the client would otherwise need to perform the tasks. The method can be implemented using computers and the internet, where a web site is provided that the client can access for information and/or calculations. Where the client is a lender making a loan to a borrower, who wishes to purchase real or personal property from a seller, the client provides customer information to the service provider who in turn provides documents for execution by the borrower and the seller. After auditing the information received, the service provider advises the client whether to make the loan. If the loan is made, the client disburses proceeds to the seller and/or to a pre-existing lienholder and an amount to the service provider, who sends information to a governmental entity for recording a lien on the property. |
| US08078521B1 |
Systems and methods for credit default swap auction
Systems and methods for settling credit default swap contracts upon occurrence of a credit event are provided. In the first stage an inside market price and imbalance between net sell and buy positions are determined. When there is an imbalance between net sell and buy positions, a second stage is employed to determine a final price for settling the imbalance. |
| US08078517B1 |
Systems and methods for monitoring remittances for reporting requirements
Financial transactions may be monitored for reporting requirements and regulatory compliance. A system provides for receipt of remittances, recognition of payment documents, storage of transaction information, and compliance verification by matching one or more cash equivalent transactions (CETs) made by an individual to determine if the aggregate of the transactions should be reported to meet compliance regulations. Images of the documents may be reviewed by an analyst to determine an account number and/or routing number associated with imaged document. If the information associated with the document reviewed has not been previously reviewed, it may be placed on a list of documents associated with CET transactions such that the document may be determined to be a CET in subsequent encounters with the document without human intervention. |
| US08078516B1 |
Method and system for managing financial data
A method for managing financial data involves parsing a digital file to obtain metadata describing the digital file, where the digital file includes financial data. The method further involves importing the digital file to a financial management application, identifying a record in the financial management application that is associated with the digital file, based on metadata describing the digital file, and linking the digital file to the record in the financial management application. |
| US08078512B1 |
Document manifest and publication in association with dataset quality control
Quality control for determinations that documents are accurate and sufficient to support various transactions. In one aspect, a document manifest is provided in connection with quality control results and corresponding reports. The document manifest lists documents that are required for a particular transaction. The list may also be associated with document publication pursuant to the transaction. The document publication aspect allows dataset quality control procedures to be associated with documents published for a transaction. This aspect also allows confirmation that the appropriate version of the published set of documents is or was used for the transaction. |
| US08078510B2 |
Method, system and server for charging a prepaid account
The present invention relates to prepaid services in the communication field. A method for charging a prepaid account includes: delivering the available traffic to the NAS based on the available balance of an account shared by the user and other users in response to a successful authentication of a user's access request; and delivering the available traffic to the NAS based on the available balance of the account shared by the user and other users in response to a receipt of an Accounting-Request-Interim message from the NAS. The solution provided by the invention may deliver the available traffic to a user every accounting period so that an account can be used by multiple users concurrently, whereas overdraft does not occur. The present invention also provides a system and an AAA server for charging a prepaid account. |
| US08078509B2 |
Method and system for auditing and reconciling telecommunications data
A system and method for auditing and reconciliation of telecommunications billing data in real-time to prevent fraud. The system and method includes aggregation and maintenance of billing data records, from a service provider billing system database, its network elements and associated databases in one or more countries to a centralized directory system for the purpose of automatic auditing and reconciliation, and the mapping of billing data records between the billing system database and network elements database. |
| US08078508B1 |
Method and system for upgrading to an integrated financial product
A method for upgrading from a stand-alone product to an integrated financial product, that includes generating a plurality of product accounts associated with a user of the stand-alone product, modifying, while using the stand-alone product, the plurality of product accounts with financial transaction data associated with the user, activating the integrated financial product after modifying the plurality of product accounts, and accessing the financial transaction data using a financial module of the integrated financial product, wherein functionality provided by the stand-alone product is distinct from functionality provided by the financial module. |
| US08078506B1 |
Method for mobile electronic commerce
A method for having a mobile price transaction system including comparisons. The system obtains information about prices and transactions involving products and services in real time over a wireless link. The actions include making a price comparison inquiry to a central server for the product, service, or price information. The inquiry is formatted in the central server for transmission to sources of the information such as vendors or their web sites. After receiving a response from the sources, the response is suitably formatted and is displayed on the mobile unit. The information will often be available locally on the central server, but the present invention includes commanding remote sources to provide an action such as a response, including a response at a desired time or for desired conditions. |
| US08078503B1 |
Methods and system for providing real time offers to a user based on obsolescence of possessed items
In a remote communication environment, a method for real-time presentation of information to one or more users accessing one or more websites using an electronic communications device. Various aspects of the method comprise at least the following. Communication is established via the electronic communications device between the user and the website to conduct one or more primary transactions. One or more electronic identifiers associated with the user are obtained. One or more further or additional data elements related to the user are obtained from a third party using the at least one electronic identifier. Based at least on the electronic identifier and the further data element, the information is selected for presentation to the user in real time with the primary transaction. The information is presented to the user in real time with the primary transaction. |
| US08078502B2 |
Populating an E-commerce shopping cart and other E-commerce fields based upon content extracted from natural language input
Shopper free form input representing an unstructured shopping request can be received. The free form input can comprises at least two of a free form voice input, a text message, an email, a fax message, a browser input and an image. The free form input can include information related to one or more items, at least one of a shipping address, and payment details. Semantics can be extracted from the shopper free form input relating to at least one item available for sale. At least one item can be automatically added to an electronic shopping cart based upon the extracted semantics. An ability can be provided to a corresponding shopper to automatically purchase the items contained in the electronic shopping cart. |
| US08078500B2 |
Security enhancements using fixed unique system identifiers for executing a transaction
A method and system are disclosed for enhancing the security of transactions executed using a fixed unique system identifier. By the method of one such security enhancement the fixed unique system identifier is validated by a receiving server system according to a mathematical formula, most optimally a one way hash, from multiple input identifiers at least one of which is either secret or impossible to spoof. Other security enhancements include only delivering goods to an address matching user information already provided by the client system, only allowing trusted server systems to execute transactions, and only allowing trusted server systems to receive the fixed unique system identifiers. |
| US08078494B2 |
Methods and apparatus for ordering advertisements based on performance information and price information
An ordering of advertisements requested by an ad consumer is based on scores generated for the ads. In each case, a score may be a function of at least one performance parameter associated with the ad and/or a price parameter associated with the ad. The ad consumer may generate presentation information (e.g., a Web page) including advertisements and non-advertisement content (e.g., search results) by (i) accepting the non-advertisement content and advertisements, each of the advertisements including a score, and (ii) combining the non-advertisement content and the advertisements such that relative placements of the advertisements are based on their associated scores. |
| US08078488B2 |
System and method for determining trailing data adjustment factors
Timely projections of product sales for a reporting time period are obtained by combining actual sales data received from reporting stores and estimated sales data for non-reporting stores. The projections are adjusted to account for trailing data, which may be reported after the end of the subject time period. |
| US08078487B2 |
Workflow scheduler
An interactive workflow schedule optimizer arranged to enable a user to reconfigure an instantiated workflow for a task comprising a plurality of actions having a predetermined dependency relationship to each other. The optimizer comprises means to input one or more user-specified constraint conditions into the workflow schedule optimizer; means to regenerate a workflow dependent on user specified condition from the instantiated workflow, the regenerated workflow satisfying said one or more user-specified constraint conditions. The optimizer optimises the global utilisation of the resources required to fulfil the user request by processing in parallel the resource requirements of each of said plurality of actions required by the regenerated workflow. |
| US08078486B1 |
Systems and methods for providing workforce optimization to branch and back offices
Systems and methods for providing workforce optimization are provided. A representative method includes: planning a first campaign to implement business goals; scheduling and deploying a workforce in accordance with the campaign to produce a plurality of interactions, at least one of the interactions involving a customer and a first agent of a contact center, at least another of the interactions involving a customer and a second agent of a branch office or back office; measuring performance of the first agent and the second agent on at least a portion of the interactions to produce a set of quality metrics for the agents; combining at least a portion of quality metrics to produce performance indicators; and using the performance indicators in the planning step of a second campaign or another iteration of the first campaign. |
| US08078480B2 |
Method and system for prioritizing opportunities for clinical process improvement
Systems and methods are provided for analyzing opportunities for optimizing clinical processes within clinical facilities. An optimized practice process model may be defined for a particular clinical procedure, setting forth an optimal clinical process. In addition, critical levers may be identified within the optimal clinical process, representing the activities that have the greatest impact on outcomes. The optimized practice process model may also include metrics for quantifying return-on-investments for various opportunities. Clinical facilities may collect clinically-related data, such as current measures for the critical levers. Using the clinically-related data and the optimized practice process model, opportunities for process optimization may be analyzed, for example, by determining a return-on-investment for the various opportunities. |
| US08078478B2 |
Method, apparatus, and data processor program product capable of enabling management of athleticism development program data
Various aspects of one or more methods, apparatuses and data processor program products capable of enabling management of data associated with an athleticism development program are disclosed herein. These various aspects include maintaining a database including subscriber performance data for a plurality of athleticism development program subscribers and facilitating preparation of a subscriber performance report for a specified one of the plurality of athleticism development program subscribers. The subscriber performance data is capable of enabling an attained standardized athleticism level to be determined for each one of the athleticism development program subscribers. The implementation of standardized athleticism levels is advantageous as it supports a measurable plan of progress for motivating a subscriber and trainer to meet their individual and mutual goals. |
| US08078474B2 |
Systems, methods, and apparatus for highband time warping
In one embodiment, a method of signal processing including includes encoding a low-frequency portion of a speech signal into at least an encoded narrowband excitation signal and a plurality of narrowband filter parameters; and generating a highband excitation signal based on a narrowband excitation signal. The encoded narrowband excitation signal includes a time warping, and the method includes applying a time shift to a high-frequency portion of the speech signal based on the information related to the time warping. The method also includes encoding the time-shifted high-frequency portion of the speech signal into at least one (A) a plurality of highband filter parameters and (B) a plurality of high band gain factors. |
| US08078471B2 |
Apparatus for the processing of sales and for outputting information based on detected keywords
An apparatus for processing sales of articles, such as a store scale, has a microphone which listens to a conversation between a customer and a salesperson and converts words into an electrical speech signal, which signal is converted to a speech recognition result by a speech recognition device. A comparator compares the speech recognition result with keywords stored in a memory, with at least some of the stored keywords being product names which define a group of keywords. A control device, on the detection of a keyword belonging to the group and/or of a permitted combination of keywords which includes a keyword belonging to the group, outputs a piece of information associated with the detected keyword or combination of keywords and available via a data source, or outputs an offer for the output of the information, such as with a section menu, by an output device of the apparatus. |
| US08078468B2 |
Speech recognition for identifying advertisements and/or web pages
A device may identify terms in a speech signal using speech recognition. The device may further retain one or more of the identified terms by comparing them to a set of words and send the retained terms and information associated with the retained terms to a remote device. The device may also receive messages that are related to the retained terms and to the information associated with the retained terms from the remote device. |
| US08078467B2 |
Device and method for language model switching and adaptation
This invention provides a device and method for language model switching and adaptation, wherein the device comprises a notification manager which notifies a language model switching section of the current status information or the request for the language model of an destination application when the status of the destination application is changed; a language model switching section which selects one or more language models to be switched from a language model set according to the received current status information or the request; a LMB engine decodes a user input using the one or more selected language models; and a language model adaptation section which receives the decoded result and modifies the one or more selected language models based on the decoded result. Therefore, the user input is more accurate even if the language model switching section performs different switches among different language models and the performance of the language models are improved by the language model adaptation section. |
| US08078466B2 |
Coarticulation method for audio-visual text-to-speech synthesis
A method for generating animated sequences of talking heads in text-to-speech applications wherein a processor samples a plurality of frames comprising image samples. The processor reads first data comprising one or more parameters associated with noise-producing orifice images of sequences of at least three concatenated phonemes which correspond to an input stimulus. The processor reads, based on the first data, second data comprising images of a noise-producing entity. The processor generates an animated sequence of the noise-producing entity. |
| US08078464B2 |
Method and system for analyzing separated voice data of a telephonic communication to determine the gender of the communicant
A method and system for determining the gender of a communicant in a communication is provided. According to the method, at least one aural segment corresponding to at least one word spoken by a communicant is identified. The aural segment is then analyzed by applying a gender detection model to the aural segment, and gender detection data is generated based on the application of the gender detection model. |
| US08078459B2 |
Method and device for updating status of synthesis filters
A method and device for updating statuses of synthesis filters are provided. The method includes: exciting a synthesis filter corresponding to a first encoding rate by using an excitation signal of the first encoding rate, outputting reconstructed signal information, and updating status information of the synthesis filter and a synthesis filter corresponding to a second encoding rate. In the present disclosure, the status of the synthesis filter corresponding to the current rate and the statuses of the synthesis filters at other rates are updated. Thus, synchronization between the statuses of the synthesis filters corresponding to different rates at the encoding terminal may be realized, thereby facilitating the consistency of the reconstructed signals of the encoding and decoding terminals when the encoding rate is switched, and improving the quality of the reconstructed signal of the decoding terminal. |
| US08078458B2 |
Packet loss concealment for sub-band predictive coding based on extrapolation of sub-band audio waveforms
A technique is described for concealing the effect of a lost frame in a series of frames representing an encoded audio signal in a sub-band predictive coding system. In accordance with the technique, a first synthesized sub-band audio signal is synthesized, wherein synthesizing the first synthesized sub-band audio signal comprises performing waveform extrapolation based on a stored first sub-band decoded audio signal. A second synthesized sub-band audio signal is also synthesized, wherein synthesizing the second synthesized sub-band audio signal comprises performing waveform extrapolation based on the stored second sub-band decoded audio signal. The first synthesized sub-band audio signal and the second synthesized sub-band audio signal are combined to generate a synthesized full-band output audio signal corresponding to a lost frame. |
| US08078457B2 |
Method for adapting for an interoperability between short-term correlation models of digital signals
The invention relates to the code conversion of digital signals, particularly voice signals, and in particular coding according to a second format from information obtained by carrying out a coding according to a first format. These first and second formats use LPC (linear predictive coding) short-term prediction models on digital signal sample blocks while using filters represented by respective LPC coefficients. The LPC coefficients of the second format are determined from an interpolation on the representative values of the LPC coefficients of at least the first format, between at least one given block and a preceding block. According to the invention, the interpolation (43), is dynamically effected while selecting (42), for each current block, at least one interpolation factor (α) among a preselection of factors according to a predetermined criterion such as a stationarity criterion of the digital signal (41). |
| US08078455B2 |
Apparatus, method, and medium for distinguishing vocal sound from other sounds
An apparatus, method, and medium for distinguishing a vocal sound. The apparatus includes: a framing unit dividing an input signal into frames, each frame having a predetermined length; a pitch extracting unit determining whether each frame is a voiced frame or an unvoiced frame and extracting a pitch contour from the voiced and unvoiced frames; a zero-cross rate calculator respectively calculating a zero-cross rate for each frame; a parameter calculator calculating parameters including a time length ratio of the voiced frame and the unvoiced frame determined by the pitch extracting unit, statistical information of the pitch contour, and spectral characteristics; and a classifier inputting the zero-cross rates and the parameters output from the parameter calculator and determining whether the input signal is a vocal sound. |
| US08078450B2 |
Method and system for analyzing various languages and constructing language-independent semantic structures
A method and computer system for analyzing sentences of various languages and constructing a language-independent semantic structure are provided. On the basis of comprehensive knowledge about languages and semantics, exhaustive linguistic descriptions are created, and lexical, morphological, syntactic, and semantic analyses for one or more sentences of a natural or artificial language are performed. A computer system is also provided to implement, analyze and store various linguistic structures and to perform lexical, morphological, syntactic, and semantic analyses. As result, a generalized data structure, such as a semantic structure, is generated and used to describe the meaning of one or more sentences in language-independent form, applicable to automated abstracting, machine translation, control systems, Internet information retrieval, etc. |
| US08078449B2 |
Apparatus, method and computer program product for translating speech, and terminal that outputs translated speech
In a speech translation apparatus, a correspondence storage unit stores therein identifiers of terminals and usage languages used in the terminals associated with each other. A receiving unit receives a source speech from one of the terminals. A translating unit acquires usage languages from the correspondence storage unit, and generates a translated speech by using each of the acquired usage languages as a target language. When the translated speech is generated in any one of the target languages, a determining unit determines whether it has been generated in all the target languages. If the translated speech has been generated in all the target languages, an output unit outputs the translated speech. A sending unit sends the translated speech to each of the terminals. |
| US08078448B1 |
Systems and methods for automated testing
Systems and methods for automated testing are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving an input during testing of an application on a first emulated device. The method further includes automatically creating from the input a test module configured to be executed on a second emulated device for testing of the application, wherein the first emulated device is different from the second emulated device. In one embodiment, the system includes a receiver configured to receive an input during testing of an application on a first emulated device. The system further includes a creation module in communication with the receiver and configured to automatically create from the input a test module configured to be executed on a second emulated device for testing of the application, wherein the first emulated device is different from the second emulated device. |
| US08078442B2 |
Screw fastening part analysis model creation method, recording media, and apparatus
According to an aspect of an embodiment, a method comprises a screw fastening unit extracting step of extracting a screw fastening unit, in which at least two or more members are fastened by a screw, from a three-dimensional model, a shape changing step of changing each of circular arc surfaces of the screw, a screw through hole, and a screw hole disposed in the screw fastening unit to a polygonal polyhedron approximating the circular arc surface, a mesh creation step of creating an analysis model which is divided into a meshed analysis unit by allocation of polyhedral meshes along each of the edge surfaces of the screw, screw through hole, and screw hole which is changed to polyhedrons, and a contact definition step of setting the friction of a contact unit of the mesh-divided screw and screw hole to be infinite so as to achieve a fixed state. |
| US08078439B2 |
Method of imaging subsurface formations using a virtual source array
This invention relates generally to a method of simulating the signal of an electromagnetic source using one or more dipole sources. In the method a dipole source is located at an excitation location corresponding to a segment of the electromagnetic source to be simulated. The dipole source is activated, and an electromagnetic signal recorded at one or more receiver locations. This process is repeated for additional excitation locations corresponding to additional segments of the electromagnetic source. The data from the sequence of dipole source excitation locations is processed to determine the simulated signal of the electromagnetic source. |
| US08078437B2 |
Upscaling reservoir models by reusing flow solutions from geologic models
Method is provided for simulating a physical process such as fluid flow in porous media by performing a fine-grid calculation of the process in a medium and re-using the fine grid solution in subsequent coarse-grid calculations. For fluid flow in subsurface formations, the method may be applied to optimize upscaled calculation grids formed from geologic models. The method decreases the cost of optimizing a grid to simulate a physical process that is mathematically described by the diffusion equation. |
| US08078436B2 |
Aerial roof estimation systems and methods
Methods and systems for roof estimation are described. Example embodiments include a roof estimation system, which generates and provides roof estimate reports annotated with indications of the size, geometry, pitch and/or orientation of the roof sections of a building. Generating a roof estimate report may be based on one or more aerial images of a building. In some embodiments, generating a roof estimate report of a specified building roof may include generating a three-dimensional model of the roof, and generating a report that includes one or more views of the three-dimensional model, the views annotated with indications of the dimensions, area, and/or slope of sections of the roof. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. |
| US08078434B2 |
Systems and methods for offline and/or online batch monitoring using decomposition and signal approximation approaches
A method (300, 400, 500, 1200) for offline/online monitoring of batch processes. The method involves (312) decomposing a time domain of a batch process run (BPR) into several blocks and (334) building multivariate statistical models (MSMs) for each of them using archived data for a batch process (ABPD). ABPD comprises stored data obtained during BPRs. The method also involves (506, 1204) retrieving recently stored data (RSD) for a recent fully performed BPR run (FPRNEW) or current BPR run. The method further involves (520, 1210) building a feature vector matrix (FVM) using RSD. FVM contains feature vectors representing statistical measures of wavelet coefficients determined for variables (v0, . . . , vJ). A projection (1100, 1150, 1190) is formed by projecting feature vectors onto at least one MSM or a combined multivariate statistical model (CMSM). CMSM is a weighted average of at least two MSMs. Subsequently, at least one estimate is generated for FPRNEW or current BPR run using information provided by the projection (528, 1220). |
| US08078432B2 |
Binding evaluation method for macromolecular compound
A method for evaluating the binding of an evaluation target molecule with respect to a macromolecular compound based on numerical calculations and which detects the binding sites of the evaluation target molecule with respect to the macromolecular compound as a site where electronic states in a predetermined restricted region including the evaluation target molecule and the part of the macromolecular compound, which is adjacent to the evaluation target molecule, are unstable. |
| US08078428B2 |
Delay variation analysis apparatus and delay variation calculation method
A method for analyzing a delay time distribution of an N-stage circuit. The method includes a delay time calculation step of calculating maximum deviation delay time of a signal propagating through the circuit and basic delay time of the circuit, a delay variation calculation step of calculating a delay variation value of the N-stage circuit by using the mean square of differences between the maximum deviation delay time of the circuit and the basic delay time of the circuit taken over the N stages, and a step of generating the delay time distribution of the N-stage circuit as a normal distribution by using the calculated delay variation value. |
| US08078426B2 |
Metric display for exercise equipment
A display system for exercise equipment in accordance with the present invention includes a processor, a memory, a metric sensor and a metric display. The memory in communication with the processor. The metric sensor operably coupled to the processor. The metric sensor senses an extent of a metric of a user of the exercise equipment. The metric display is operably coupled to the metric sensor and displays the user metric in a generally oscillating manner. |
| US08078425B2 |
Device for detecting the angular position of a rotor of a polyphase rotary electrical machine and rotary electrical machine containing such a device
A device for detecting the angular position of a rotor of a polyphase rotary electrical machine contains a stator and a plurality of magnetic field sensors (200) delivering first signals (2001-2003) representing a magnetic field. The device includes means (201) for generating, from linear combinations of the first signals, first (2010) and second (2011) sinusoidal signals, phase-shifted by a determined value φ representing an angular position of the rotor, referred to as real. The device includes means for detecting a value for an angular position of the rotor referred to as estimated (221) by locking between the real and the estimated angular positions using a feedback loop known as a “tracking” loop (214-216, 215-207). The device may relate to a polyphase rotary electrical machine containing such a device. |
| US08078422B2 |
System and method for testing frequency range
A system is used to test whether a device works normally in a preset frequency range. The system presets a frequency range, and controls a frequency generator to send a test frequency signal to the device according to each of a predetermined number of frequencies of the frequency range, and tests whether the device and electronic parts of the device can work normally to obtain test results. |
| US08078420B2 |
Raman spectrometry authentication
A method and apparatus for authenticating items having a security mark containing a DNA fragment to prevent fraud uses a Raman spectrometer to generate a response spectrum from monochrome incident beam on the security mark on an item. Gross fluorescence is removed from the security mark response spectrum to produce a Raman security mark response spectrum. Peaks in the Raman security mark response spectrum are detected to generate Raman security mark peak data. The Raman security mark peak data is compared to a Raman peak library to determine if there is a match. The item is indicated as being authentic if a match of the Raman security mark peak data is found in the Raman peak library. |
| US08078419B2 |
Polishing monitoring method and polishing apparatus
A method monitors a change in film thickness during polishing using an eddy current sensor. This method includes acquiring an output signal of the eddy current sensor as a correction signal value during water-polishing of a substrate, during dressing of the polishing pad, or during replacement of the polishing pad, calculating a correcting amount from a difference between the correction signal value and a predetermined correction reference value, calculating an actual measurement signal value by subtracting the correction amount from the output signal of the eddy current sensor when polishing a substrate having a conductive film, and monitoring a change in thickness of the conductive film during polishing by monitoring a change in the actual measurement signal value. |
| US08078415B2 |
Method and apparatus to monitor state of health of electrical connections between battery and generator
A system and method for monitoring the state of health of the connection between a generator and a battery includes detecting an interruption in power between the generator and the battery, incrementing a counter each time an interruption is detected, generating a trend of a number of interruptions over time based on a number of increments in the counter, monitoring a rate of increase in the number of interruptions over time and determining if the rate of increase in the number of interruptions over time is greater than a predetermined threshold. |
| US08078414B2 |
Water level measuring apparatus and measuring method
A water level measuring apparatus and a water level measuring method, in which a water level L0 of a liquid is read from a water level indicator secured to a liquid tank, and a filter value FLT is calculated by applying a filter with a time constant greater than one second to the water level L0. Furthermore when the filter value FLT is less than a minimum value Min, the minimum value Min is sequentially updated with the filter value FLT. Then the minimum value Min is output as the final water level L. Accordingly, even if the surface sloshes and the water level L0 fluctuates up and down, by adopting the minimum value that utilizes the characteristic of the surface fluctuations, as the final water level L, there is little influence of the liquid sloshing, and the water level measurement accuracy can be improved. |
| US08078412B2 |
Method to determine connector leaks during testing
A method for evaluating the leak tightness of a connector, or multiple connectors. The method uses an administrative server having a library of pressure and temperature information on various connectors, as well as the ability to report pressure and temperature data to a network as uncorrected and corrected responses. The method uses a data logger for recording pressure and temperature readings and also reporting corrected and uncorrected responses using one or more equations to shorten the test time by at least 50 percent or to about 5 minutes or less. The method uses a test pump for applying pressure to a connector to generate a corrected pressure which indicates leaks when the corrected pressure changes. |
| US08078409B2 |
External quality control method, external quality control computer, preprocessing device, and nucleic acid detecting device
An external quality control method, using an external quality control system which comprises an external quality control computer and a plurality of preprocessing devices connected to the external quality control computer via a network, comprising: performing preprocessing operations on preprocessing quality control samples, the preprocessing devices being adapted to prepare samples for measurement of target nucleic acid; measuring preprocessed preprocessing quality control samples to obtain measurement data; providing the measurement data to the external quality control computer over the network; storing the measurement data; and implementing an external quality control process based on the measurement data, is disclosed. An external quality control method for detection of nucleic acid, an external quality control method for preparation of calibration curve, an external quality control computer, a preprocessing device, and a nucleic acid detecting device are also disclosed. |
| US08078400B2 |
Electronic map display system
A navigation system is provided that includes a storage unit, a processing unit, and an optical output unit. The storage unit includes a first storage portion for storing type definition data for a plurality of object types, the type definition data defining a graphical representation of an object type in terms of at least one basic geometrical shape. A second storage portion includes object data for a plurality of objects, the object data for an object comprising object type data specifying an object type of the object and object position data specifying an object position of the object. To display an object having a specific object type, the processing unit reads the type definition data of the corresponding object type from the first storage portion and generates graphical representations of the basic geometrical shapes that constitute the object type on the optical output unit. |
| US08078397B1 |
System, method, and computer program product for social networking utilizing a vehicular assembly
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for social networking utilizing a vehicular assembly. In operation, a vehicular assembly is utilized to communicate with a mobile device. Information about social contacts is received, utilizing the mobile device. Further, the information about social contacts is displayed, utilizing the vehicular assembly. |
| US08078396B2 |
Methods for and apparatus for generating a continuum of three dimensional image data
The present invention provides methods and apparatus for generating a continuum of image data sprayed over three-dimensional models. The three-dimensional models can be representative of features captured by the image data and based upon multiple image data sets capturing the features. The image data can be captured at multiple disparate points along another continuum. |
| US08078395B2 |
Control system for automatic circle flight
A flight control system for an aircraft is configured for receiving command signals representing commanded values of a location of a geospatial point and a radius about the geospatial point for defining a circular groundtrack. A sensor determines a geospatial location of the aircraft and provides a location signal representing the location of the aircraft. A controller for commanding flight control devices on the aircraft controls the flight of the aircraft and is configured to receive the command signals and the location signal. The controller uses the command signals and location signal to operate the flight control devices to control the flight of the aircraft for directing the aircraft generally toward a tangent point of the circular groundtrack and then maintaining a flight path along the circular groundtrack. |
| US08078394B2 |
Indexing large-scale GPS tracks
Described is a technology by which uploaded GPS data is indexed according to spatio-temporal relationships to facilitate efficient insertion and retrieval. The indexes may be converted to significantly smaller-sized data structures when new updates to that structure are not likely. GPS data is processed into a track of spatially-partitioned segments such that each segment has a cell. Each cell has an associated temporal index (a compressed start-end tree), into which data for that cell's segments are inserted. The temporal index may include an end time index that relates each segment's end time to a matching start time index. Given query input comprising a spatial predicate and a temporal predicate, tracks may be searched for by determining which spatial candidate cells may contain matching results. For each candidate cell, the search accesses the cell's associated temporal index to find any track or tracks that correspond to the temporal predicate. |
| US08078393B2 |
Navigation apparatus
A navigation apparatus includes a map information updating means (13) for updating map information on a basis of map update information, a mounting detecting means (14) for detecting whether a storage medium is mounted to a storage medium driving means, a map information ID comparison means (15) for comparing a map information ID attached to the map information with a map information ID attached to the map update information to judge whether they match each other, a map information selection control means (16) for, when the storage medium is mounted to the storage medium driving means and the map information IDs match each other, selecting all of the map information, and selecting a part of the map information otherwise, a navigation information calculating means (17) for creating navigation information on the basis of the selected map information, and a navigation information output means (18) for outputting the created navigation information. |
| US08078386B2 |
Approach for reducing overheating of direct injection fuel injectors
A method of controlling fuel supplied to an engine is provided. In one example, a cylinder includes port and direct fuel injection. The method includes supplying a second fuel type from a second tank to the direct injector and supplying a first fuel type from a first tank to the port injector; and responsive to mis-fueling, supplying the first fuel type from the first tank to the direct injector. In response to receiving an indication of a mis-fuel, the direct fuel injector may be supplied with the second type of fuel from the second fuel storage tank. By supplying at least some fuel to the direct injector from a different source, fuel may be supplied to the DI fuel injector at various conditions to cool the DI fuel injector. In this way, overheating of the DI fuel injector may be reduced. |
| US08078385B2 |
Supercharged internal combustion engine system
A supercharged internal combustion engine system wherein during periods of high power demand the weight of combustion chamber charge is increased by cooling a portion of intake air in a turboexpander using high-pressure air from a storage tank. In addition to increasing engine output power, cold air intake also reduces engine pre-ignition (knocking) thereby reducing emissions. Mechanical energy produced during expansion of high-pressure air may be used to operate a turbocompressor, which compresses intake air and further increases charge weight. Effective supercharging is achieved even at low engine speeds. One of the objects of the invention is to obtain more power from small displacement ICE and thus providing automotive vehicles with sufficient acceleration in addition to good fuel economy. Another object of the invention is to enhance turbocharged engines and reduce their response lag. Air storage tank may be recharged using energy recovered during vehicle deceleration. |
| US08078383B2 |
Speed control system for vehicles
In a vehicle speed control system, a preset offset distance is taken as a zero value of an inter-vehicle distance in a brake discriminant. When the current value of a corrected distance condition evaluation index is higher than the brake discriminant, a value on the brake discriminant is set as a target value of the corrected distance condition evaluation index. Deceleration control is started to decelerate the subject vehicle so that the deceleration of the subject vehicle becomes equal to the target deceleration of the subject vehicle computed based on the target relative speed corresponding to the set target value and the actual relative speed. |
| US08078382B2 |
Cruise and vehicle-following control system including double brakes
The vehicle is kept at a standstill even when an operation for ending adaptive cruise control is performed while the adaptive cruise control is on and the vehicle stop-maintenance control is on. When a vehicle comes to a stop while the adaptive cruise control is on, vehicle stop-maintenance control, preferably using electronic brake control, is carried out. When an operation for ending the adaptive cruise control is performed by the driver during this state, only the adaptive cruise control ends while the vehicle stop-maintenance control remains active. |
| US08078373B2 |
Vehicle dynamics prediction with lane/path information using a preview-correction-prediction approach
A method for predicting the dynamics of a vehicle using information about the path on which the vehicle is travelling that has particular application for enhancing active safety performance of the vehicle, to improve driver comfort and to improve vehicle dynamics control. The method includes generating a preview of a path to be followed by the vehicle where the preview of the path is generated based on actual values of a plurality of vehicle parameters. The method further includes obtaining a corrected value of at least one of the plurality of vehicle parameters corresponding to the actual values of each of the plurality of vehicle parameters, wherein the corrected value of the at least one of the vehicle parameters is obtained based on a target path to be followed by the vehicle on the road, and wherein the target path is obtained on the basis of a plurality of road parameters. |
| US08078359B2 |
User configurable vehicle user interface
A method for configuring and personalizing a vehicle user interface is provided, the user interface utilizing a touch screen display mounted within the vehicle. User configurable aspects of the user interface include the number of zones within the touch screen display, the size of each zone, the subsystem interface assigned to each zone, the style and information contained within each subsystem interface, display brightness levels for the overall display or per zone, and the assignment and location of persistent soft buttons. |
| US08078357B1 |
Application-independent and component-isolated system and system of systems framework
Embodiments of an application-independent and component-isolated system and system of systems framework are provided. In some embodiments, a Distributed Integration Operating Schema (“DIOS”) framework allows integration of disparate software and hardware components and permits addition, removal, modification, failure of, and information exchange among such components. In some embodiments, DIOS uses an information model that comprises a user-defined hierarchy of information objects to facilitate communication of information among agents of a control system. |
| US08078356B2 |
Driving assist method and driving assist apparatus
In a driving assist system for a vehicle, a camera driver controls an on-board rear camera to take an image of an area around a vehicle only when light-emitting diodes of the tail lights and brake lights are non-luminous, responsive to an image pickup timing signal output from a light control. An image processor executes panoramic view conversion of image data input from the camera driver, stores the converted data in an image memory, and displays a composite image by combining a plurality of sets of panoramic view data. |
| US08078351B2 |
Estimation of surface lateral coefficient of friction
A system and method for estimating surface coefficient of friction in a vehicle system. The method includes providing a kinematics relationship between vehicle yaw-rate, vehicle speed, vehicle steering angle and vehicle front and rear axle side-slip angles that is accurate for all surface coefficient of frictions on which the vehicle may be traveling. The method defines a nonlinear function for the front and rear axle side-slip angles relating to front and rear lateral forces and coefficient of friction, and uses the nonlinear function in the kinematics relationship. The method also provides a linear relationship of the front and rear axle side-slip angles and the front and rear lateral forces using the kinematics relationship. The method determines that the vehicle dynamics have become nonlinear using the linear relationship and then estimates the surface coefficient of friction when the vehicle dynamics are nonlinear. |
| US08078348B2 |
Electric vehicle and regeneration control method for electric vehicle
An electric vehicle includes a device which determines, on the basis of the gradient of a road surface, a target acceleration of the vehicle in the case where the operational states of an accelerator (gas) pedal and a brake pedal of the vehicle are an OFF state when the vehicle is traveling on a down-slope road, a device which determines the correction amount of a regenerative torque for bringing the actual acceleration of the vehicle close to the target acceleration, a device which determines a basic target torque of an electric motor, which becomes a regenerative torque when the operational state of the accelerator (gas) pedal is the OFF state, on the basis of the operational state of the accelerator (gas) pedal, and a device which determines a target torque by correcting the basic target torque on the basis of at least the aforesaid correction amount. The output torque of the electric motor is controlled to the determined target torque. Thus, when the electric vehicle travels on the down-slope road, the regenerative operation of the electric motor is accomplished such that an acceleration suited to the gradient of the road surface can be generated in the vehicle while minimizing the influences of disturbance factors. |
| US08078346B2 |
Convertible wireless display unit
An operator interface unit, includes a housing with a first electrical port having a first pair of terminals to be connect to a pair of network wires of the locomotive, and a second pair of terminals to be connected to a power source. A display and input device are on the housing. A transceiver assembly wirelessly communications with the ECP system. A controller assembly is connected to the first electrical port, the display, the input device and the transceiver assembly, and wherein the controller assembly is a node on the network via one of the first electrical port and the transceiver assembly. A portable assembly includes a battery source in a container which irremovably houses the operator interface unit. |
| US08078345B2 |
Method and device for automatically controlling an emergency descent of an aircraft
A method and device automatically engage an emergency descent function of an aircraft as a function of pressure variation measured in the cabin of the aircraft. |
| US08078344B2 |
System and method for displaying the protected airspace associated with a circle-to-land maneuver
A display system and method for an aircraft displays, in real-time, the protected airspace associated with a CTL maneuver. The system processes aircraft approach category data and determines the protected airspace based at least in part on the processed aircraft approach category. An image representative of the determined protected airspace is displayed on the aircraft flight deck display system. |
| US08078339B2 |
Circuit board with integrated connector
Removable circuits and related mounting hardware for removably connecting circuits to a vehicle's control system. Circuits and connectors form an addressable assembly which may be enclosed in a flowable material. |
| US08078338B2 |
System and method for behavior based control of an autonomous vehicle
System and method for behavior based control of an autonomous vehicle. Actuators (e.g., linkages) manipulate input devices (e.g., articulation controls and drive controls, such as a throttle lever, steering gear, tie rods, throttle, brake, accelerator, or transmission shifter) to direct the operation of the vehicle. Behaviors that characterize the operational mode of the vehicle are associated with the actuators. The behaviors include action sets ranked by priority, and the action sets include alternative actions that the vehicle can take to accomplish its task. The alternative actions are ranked by preference, and an arbiter selects the action to be performed and, optionally, modified. |
| US08078335B2 |
Storage system, storage system control method and storage system control apparatus
A storage system includes a housing, a cooling unit cooling the interior of the housing, and a plurality of control units adapted to control the cooling unit. The control units each include a mount state acquisition unit acquiring a mount state of the control unit in the housing, an operation state acquisition unit acquiring an operation state of the cooling unit, and a determining unit determining a provisional main control unit, from among the plurality of control units, that is operable to control the entire cooling unit based on information acquired from the mount state acquisition unit and the operation state acquisition unit. |
| US08078333B2 |
Dialysis fluid heating algorithms
A dialysis fluid heating system includes a dialysis fluid heater; a dialysis fluid carrying element in operable communication with the dialysis fluid heater to heat a dialysis fluid; and a logic implementer configured to control the heater using (i) a heater input determined from a dialysis fluid temperature delta and a dialysis fluid flowrate, and (ii) a potential adjustment of the temperature delta using a measured dialysis fluid outlet temperature. |
| US08078329B2 |
System for rejection of tablets produced in a rotary tablet press and a method of rejection of tablets
A system for rejection of tablets produced in a rotary tablet press comprises pan ejection nozzle for sorting out defective tablets. The ejection nozzle is supplied with compressed gas through a supply line having an inlet end for connection with a source of compressed gas and an outlet end communicating with the ejection nozzle. The supply line is provided with a control valve controlled by a control unit in order to open the supply line when a defective tablet has been detected by the control unit. Furthermore, the supply line is provided with a sensor arranged between the control valve and the inlet end of the supply line and adapted to detect a variable indicative of a gas flow through the control valve in order for the control unit to generate an error signal in the case of malfunction of the control valve. |
| US08078327B2 |
Control method of a hydraulic machine for saving energy or improving efficiency
An energy-saving or speed-increase control method for a hydraulic machine is disclosed in this invention, the characteristics of which includes a control plan to adjust pressure or flow amount of the machine for energy-saving or production efficiency increase; setting up working conditions as in input to said machine; inspection of working conditions and operational processes of the machine; updating demands in control plan based on the inspected working conditions and operational processes of a hydraulic machine; incorporating specific characteristics of individual elements in different working conditions and operational processes to coordinate with the control plan. |
| US08078324B2 |
Method for controlling fixed and removable vehicle HVAC devices
An idle control system for a vehicle is provided. |
| US08078319B2 |
Hierarchical contingency management system for mission planners
A system controls a team of vehicles. The system includes a plan dependency identifier, a contingency monitor, and an alert formulator. The plan dependency identifier analyzes a mission plan and identifies mission constraints of the mission plan. The contingency monitor continuously reviews execution of the mission plan for violations of the mission constraints. The alert formulator determines whether a part of the mission plan is threatened by a violation of one of the mission constraints. |
| US08078317B2 |
Dispensing of restricted goods
A dispenser for dispensing restricted goods such as pharmaceuticals by an pharmacist to a purchaser with a prescription includes a cabinet containing an inventory storage system, a purchaser transaction module, a reject system and a control system. The inventory storage system includes product storage in rows and columns. The purchaser transaction module including an audio communication link from the dispenser to the pharmacist, a payment transaction system in the dispenser to verify payment for the product and an issue tray in the dispenser that is locked until the pharmacist releases the product to the purchaser. The reject system securely removes product to a reject hopper at any time after the product is held by the product selection device but prior to the pharmacist releasing the product from the issue tray. The control system includes means to enable the pharmacist to view the prescription and the purchaser. The control unit includes a product identification system that identifies and stores the location of each product by its row and column and cooperates with a product selection device that verifies that the product selected is correct and holds and carries the product from its storage location to one or more of a printing location, viewing location and issue tray all located within the dispenser. The pharmacist is able to actuate the reject system or unlock the issue tray. |
| US08078316B2 |
Automated business system and method of vending and returning a consumer product
System and method of dispensing disc-based media and other consumer products. A user can interact with an automated business system to select disc-based media for rental and/or purchase. The automated business system can retrieve the selection from the interior of the automated business system and dispense the selection through a port to the user. The automated business system can retrieve the selection from the port in a return process. |
| US08078312B2 |
Methods for inserting a part into a storage section of a storage container and insertion tool arrangement
The invention refers to a Method (69) for automatically inserting at least one part (13) into a storage section (15) of a container (11), wherein the storage section (15) comprises a plurality of holder means (17a-d), wherein the part (13) is inserted (103) by means of an insertion tool (49), and wherein the method (69) comprises the step of detecting (93) the position of the holder means (17a-d) by means of at least one optical sensor (51a-d). In order to provide a method for automatically inserting a part into a storage section (15), wherein collisions are avoided it is suggested that the method (69) further comprises the steps of verifying (95) whether the holder means (17a-d) of a certain storage section (15) are available for insertion of the part (13); detecting (99) the orientation of the holder means (17a-d); determining (100) an insertion path (47) along which the part is inserted; and inserting (103) the part (13) into the available storage section (15) along the determined insertion path (47). |
| US08078310B2 |
Component crimping apparatus control method, component crimping apparatus, and measuring tool
A component crimping apparatus control method which enables a measuring tool to directly measure a temperature of a part pressed by a pressing head. The component crimping apparatus control method is applied to a component crimping apparatus which crimps a component onto a plate-shaped workpiece, and causes a measuring tool shaped identically as the workpiece to measure a temperature or a pressure of a pressed part in a pressing process of pressing a component onto the workpiece using a heated pressing head. The method includes acquiring information indicating whether or not the measuring tool is held in the component crimping apparatus, and, in the case where the information indicating that the measuring tool is held is acquired, positioning the measuring tool identically as the workpiece, and executing the pressing process on the component to be attached to the measuring tool after the positioning. |
| US08078308B2 |
Method for managing an active safety for an automatically operating machine
This invention relates to a method for managing active safety for an automatically operating machine comprising a work surface and a work tool displaced according to a pre-established work program. The method consists of dividing (100) the work surface into several zones and, during the work program cycle and in response to detection (200) of an operator's intrusion into a first zone when the tool is active in a second zone, also consists of carrying out at least one of the following actions: keeping (210) the tool's programmed displacement at the normal speed if the tool's displacement is programmed in a zone not adjacent to the first one, keeping (220) the tool's programmed displacement at reduced speed if the tool's displacement is programmed in a zone adjacent to the first one and modifying (230) the work program if the tool's displacement is programmed in the first zone so that the tool's work can be continued in a zone other than the first one. |
| US08078305B2 |
Numerical control arrangement
A numerical control arrangement, comprising a sheet metal data file defining a part blank having a plurality of position elements from a processed design file; a machine controller comprising tool-related operations and control data from said sheet metal data file defining a plurality of position elements, the operations and position elements being associated with machining tasks; and a machine controlled by said machine controller to form a sheet metal part and appropriate means and computer-readable instructions. |
| US08078303B2 |
Electronic supervisor
Electronic supervision may be provided. First, a stock number may be sent to a database server. The stock number may correspond to a product comprising, for example, an electrical cable. In response to sending the database server the stock number, specification information corresponding to the product may be received from a database stored on the database server. The specification information may comprise, for an electrical cable, a number of wires, a weight per thousand feet, and a diameter. Next, product production may be monitored to determine faults occurring during production. Monitoring the production may comprise displaying a data monitoring screen to production personnel. The data monitoring screen may provide data regarding the product and product comparison against a standard maintained within the database for the product. Fault data corresponding to the determined faults occurring during the production may be saved to the database. |
| US08078296B2 |
Dynamic procedure selection
A dynamic selection component for an industrial automation system is provided. The system includes one or more abstraction layers that are executed by a controller, the abstraction layers specify higher level requirements of a process. At least one execution layer is provided that is responsive to the abstraction layers, where the execution layer includes one or more process components that are dynamically selectable at runtime in view of the higher level requirements of the process. |
| US08078289B2 |
Model predictive control with variable trajectory sharing
One or more techniques are provided for the sharing of variable trajectories between multiple controllers in a control system. In general, the present technique is based upon the sharing of predicted desired variable trajectories between multiple controllers requiring a common input variable. In one embodiment, a common input variable is shared between two controllers, wherein one controller is tuned to have dominant control with regard to the shared variable. Each controller determines and communicates their own desired trajectory for the shared variable to the other controller and in doing so, the constraints associated with each controller are shared and honored by the other controller. Based on the communicated trajectories, the dominant controller may exercise control over the shared variable, thus improving overall process control. |
| US08078284B2 |
Retinal prosthesis with a new configuration
Polymer materials are useful as electrode array bodies for neural stimulation. They are particularly useful for retinal stimulation to create artificial vision, cochlear stimulation to create artificial hearing, and cortical stimulation, and many related purposes. The pressure applied against the retina, or other neural tissue, by an electrode array is critical. Too little pressure causes increased electrical resistance, along with electric field dispersion. Too much pressure may block blood flow. Common flexible circuit fabrication techniques generally require that a flexible circuit electrode array be made flat. Since neural tissue is almost never flat, a flat array will necessarily apply uneven pressure. Further, the edges of a flexible circuit polymer array may be sharp and cut the delicate neural tissue. By applying the right amount of heat to a completed array, a curve can be induced. With a thermoplastic polymer it may be further advantageous to repeatedly heat the flexible circuit in multiple molds, each with a decreasing radius. Further, it is advantageous to add material along the edges. It is further advantageous to provide a fold or twist in the flexible circuit array. Additional material may be added inside and outside the fold to promote a good seal with tissue. |
| US08078283B2 |
Systems and methods for implantable leadless bone stimulation
Systems and methods are disclosed to enhance bone growth by stimulating bone sites for bone regrowth, fusion, or grafts. The invention uses electrical stimulation of the bone site, where vibrational energy from a source is received by an implanted device and converted to electrical energy and the converted electrical energy is used by implanted electrodes to stimulate the bone site. The vibrational energy is generated by a controller-transmitter, which could be located either externally or implanted. The vibrational energy is received by a receiver-transmitter, which could be incorporated into an orthopedic device, such as pin, cage, plate or prosthetic joint used for bone healing. |
| US08078282B2 |
Implantable tissue growth stimulator
An implantable tissue growth stimulator is disclosed. The implantable tissue growth stimulator includes electronic circuitry to alter the voltage output by the stimulator. The implantable tissue growth stimulator may be controlled from an external device via wireless communication. The implantable tissue growth stimulator may be configured for use with an implant. In particular, the implantable tissue growth stimulator may be incorporated into an orthopaedic device such as a hip prosthesis. The implantable tissue growth stimulator may be used to stimulate bone growth. |
| US08078280B2 |
Implantable biomedical electrical connectors having integral side and inner walls
Low resistivity, implantable electrical connectors and biomedical leads having the connectors mechanically coupled to low resistivity wires in a non-welded attachment to extend implanted device battery life. One implantable electrical connector has an inner longitudinal aperture and two opposed flanges angled away from the longitudinal axis and coupled through a radially flexible inner circumferential wall to form a single piece, low resistance path. An elastic member can urge the flexible inner circumferential wall portion inward. In one connector, the electrically conductive, flexible inner wall portion can resiliently contact an inserted electrode. The connector body can include at least one hole adjacent a mechanically deformable sidewall for mechanically securing an electrical conductor inserted within the hole. The low resistivity, implantable, biocompatible electrical connectors and leads can be used in neurological and cardiac applications. |
| US08078279B2 |
Intravascular medical device
An implantable medical device is configured so that all of the major components including a housing and attached leads are disposed within the vasculature of a patient. A tether extends from the housing of the device to an implant location where the tether is secured to tissue outside of the vasculature. In this manner, an intravascular medical device may be implanted at a location remote from final placement, delivered via the vasculature and anchored at the initial entry point. |
| US08078276B2 |
Electrogram morphology-based CRT optimization
A method and system for determining an optimum atrioventricular delay (AVD) interval and/or ventriculo-ventricular delay (VVD) intervals for delivering ventricular resynchronization pacing in an atrial tracking or atrial sequential pacing mode. Evoked response electrograms recorded at different AVD and VVD intervals are used to determine the extent of paced and intrinsic activation. |
| US08078274B2 |
Device, system and method for measuring cross-sectional areas in luminal organs
The disclosure of the present application provides for a system for measuring cross-sectional areas and pressure gradients in luminal organs. The disclosure of the present application also provides a method and apparatus for measuring cross-sectional areas and pressure gradients in luminal organs, such as, for example, blood vessels, heart valves, and other visceral hollow organs. In at least one embodiment, a method for measuring a cross-sectional area of a targeted treatment site comprises the steps of introducing a device, injecting two solutions, measuring a first conductance, moving the device, injecting two solutions, measuring a second conductance, and calculating cross-sectional areas based upon the two conductance measurements. |
| US08078273B2 |
Detection and classification of neuromuscular late wave activity for the assessment of neuromuscular function
A method for the assessment of neuromuscular function by the detection and classification of late wave activity, comprising: (i) pre-processing an ensemble of traces so as to attenuate noise, PFI and baseline disturbances; (ii) identifying time segments of late wave activity in the ensemble of traces; (iii) classifying the time segments of late wave activity into F-wave, A-wave and Repeater segments by exploiting the variable morphology of F-waves across the traces and the fixed morphology of A-waves and Repeater waves across the traces; and (iv) searching the traces in the vicinity of the F-wave trace segments on a trace-by-trace basis so as to identify the F-wave onset latency. |
| US08078270B2 |
Heart failure monitor quicklook summary for patient management systems
Continuous remote monitoring of patients based on data obtained from an implantable hemodynamic monitor provides an interactive patient management system. Using network systems, patients are remotely monitored to continuously diagnose and treat heart-failure conditions. A screen displayable summary provides continuous feedback and information to physicians, patients and authorized third parties. The quick look summary includes various sites and presentation tailored to match the patients' and physicians' needs. The quick look summary further includes intelligent features that understand and retain the user's interests, preferences and use patterns. Patients, physicians and other caregivers are seamlessly connected to monitor and serve the chronic needs of heart-failure patients in a reliable and economic manner. |
| US08078268B2 |
System and method of chemical imaging using pulsed laser excitation and time-gated detection to determine tissue margins during surgery
System and method for differentiating tissue margins in a biological sample using pulsed laser excitation and time-gated detection. A region containing a biological tissue is irradiated with substantially monochromatic pulsed laser light to thereby produce Raman scattered photons. The Raman scattered photons are detected using time-gated detection to thereby obtain a Raman spectroscopic image from the irradiated region characteristic of either a neoplastic portion or a non-neoplastic portion of the region containing the biological tissue. A boundary between a neoplastic portion and a non-neoplastic portion is differentiated and the boundary location in the Raman spectroscopic image is displayed. |
| US08078266B2 |
Flow reduction hood systems
Flow reduction hood systems are described which facilitate the visualization of tissue regions through a clear fluid. Such a system may include an imaging hood having one or more layers covering the distal opening and defines one or more apertures which control the infusion and controlled retention of the clearing fluid into the hood. In this manner, the amount of clearing fluid may be limited and the clarity of the imaging of the underlying tissue through the fluid within the hood may be maintained for relatively longer periods of time by inhibiting, delaying, or preventing the infusion of surrounding blood into the viewing field. The aperture size may be controlled to decrease or increase through selective inflation of the membrane or other mechanisms. |
| US08078265B2 |
Systems and methods for generating fluorescent light images
An imaging system divides image pixels intensities by exposure time to generate image data in units of intensity per time. The imaging system divides a fluorescent light image in intensity per time units by an excitation light image in intensity per time units to provide a quantitative corrected fluorescent light image that is generally invariant to position of an imaging instrument relative to a biological tissue being imaged. |
| US08078260B2 |
Method for improving magnetic resonance imaging of the breast
The present invention provides a fat saturation device to be used in conjunction with a magnetice resonance imaging (MRI) breast coil, which provides padding for the comfort of the patient being imaged while eliminating the skin-air interface, thereby reducing the level of artefacts in the image. The device comprises a coil surface pad that contacts the surface of the coil, the pad having apertures therein through which the patients breasts extend when the patient is positioned on the coil for imaging. Aperture sleeves that are removable or retractable extend from the bottom surface of the coil surface into the apertures of the breast coil. The device comprises a fat saturation material. |
| US08078254B2 |
Virtual trial reduction system for hip arthroplasty and coordinate systems therefor
A patient-specific pelvic coordinate system is produced from a single near AP intra-operative image of the patient, obviating the need for use of a patient tracker. |
| US08078253B2 |
Computerized methods for evaluating response latency and accuracy in the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Provided are methods for diagnosing the presence, type, or severity of a dementia in a human subject. The methods involve using a computer-based system to assess impairment of certain cognitive and motor functions that are indicative of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. |
| US08078250B2 |
Method for spectrophotometric blood oxygenation monitoring
A method and apparatus for non-invasively determining the blood oxygenation within a subject's tissue is provided that utilizes a near infrared spectrophotometric (NIRS) sensor capable of transmitting a light signal into the tissue of a subject and sensing the light signal once it has passed through the tissue via transmittance or reflectance. |
| US08078249B2 |
Method and apparatus for monitoring blood condition and cardiopulmonary function
Sensors located on a sensor carrier are placed adjacent one or more of a surgical patient's major thoracic blood-containing structures such as the aorta or pulmonary artery, and characteristics of blood in the blood-containing structures are determined noninvasively by measuring transmission or reflection of light or other types of energy by the blood. Emitters and receptors included in the sensors are connected electrically with suitable electronic signal generating and processing components in a package remote from the sensor carrier. |
| US08078248B2 |
Digital logic module of oximeter sensor probe
A digital logic module of oximeter sensor probe includes a detection probe, an operation circuit, and an integrated circuit. This digital logic module of oximeter sensor probe is provided with the light source driving function and the light source capturing function for reducing loading of the microprocessor, so that a cheaper microprocessor can be used in the oximeter sensor for reducing the development cost of the oximeter. |
| US08078246B2 |
Pulse oximeter sensor with piece-wise function
A memory in a sensor is used to store multiple coefficients for a physiological parameter. In one embodiment, not only are the sensor's specific calibration coefficients stored in a memory in the sensor for the formula to determine oxygen saturation, but multiple sets of coefficients are stored. The multiple sets apply to different ranges of saturation values to provide a better fit to occur by breaking the R to SpO2 relationship up into different pieces, each described by a different function. The different functions can also be according to different formulas for determining oxygen saturation. |
| US08078243B2 |
Determination of a measure of a glycation end-product or disease state using tissue fluorescence
A method of determining a measure of a tissue state (e.g., glycation end-product or disease state) in an individual. A portion of the tissue of the individual is illuminated with excitation light, then light emitted by the tissue due to fluorescence of a chemical with the tissue responsive to the excitation light is detected. The detected light can be combined with a model relating fluorescence with a measure of tissue state to determine a tissue state. The invention can comprise single wavelength excitation light, scanning of excitation light (illuminating the tissue at a plurality of wavelengths), detection at a single wavelength, scanning of detection wavelengths (detecting emitted light at a plurality of wavelengths), and combinations thereof. The invention also can comprise correction techniques that reduce determination errors due to detection of light other than that from fluorescence of a chemical in the tissue. For example, the reflectance of the tissue can lead to errors if appropriate correction is not employed. The invention can also comprise a variety of models relating fluorescence to a measure of tissue state, including a variety of methods for generating such models. Other biologic information can be used in combination with the fluorescence properties to aid in the determination of a measure of tissue state. The invention also comprises apparatuses suitable for carrying out the method, including appropriate light sources, detectors, and models (for example, implemented on computers) used to relate detected fluorescence and a measure of tissue state. |
| US08078242B2 |
Internal impedance converting superconducting acyclic power converter
An electromechanical power converter that has a rotor assembly with a conductive shell, a first conductor made from superconducting material that is in series electrical contact with the conductive shell and a second conductor made from superconducting material and in series electrical contact with said conductive shell, thus providing an internal impedance converting electromechanical power converter. |
| US08078240B2 |
Sliding-type portable electronic devcie
A sliding-type portable electronic device for opening bottle covers of bottles is provided, including a housing member and a cover member. The housing member defines a first latching recess. The cover member is slidably attached to the housing member, and defines a second latching recess facing the first latching recess. The second latching and the first latching recess enclose an adjustable latching space configured for latching the bottle covers during opening of the bottle covers. |
| US08078235B2 |
Telephone signal generator and methods and devices using the same
A method or device includes a telephone with an audio or video effects generator to produce audio or video effects that are transmitted as part of a signal from the telephone. |
| US08078234B2 |
Apparatus and method for providing a massage function for a mobile phone
An apparatus for providing a massage function for a user of a mobile phone includes an in-call status module, a vibrating motor, and a processor. The status module is configured to sending a call making signal when the user is making a phone call via the mobile phone. The processor is coupled to the status module and the vibrating motor to receive the call making signal and to control vibration of the vibrating motor. The vibrating motor vibrates regularly to provide the massage function during a duration of the call. |
| US08078233B1 |
Weight based determination and sequencing of emergency alert system messages for delivery
An Emergency Alert System (EAS) alert message can be provided based on one or more weights that can correspond to a message type, one or more attributes, and/or one or more classifications of the alert message. For example, alert messages having one or more weights above a particular a threshold weight can be broadcasted to a mobile device. Additionally, the weights can be used to determine the sequence, priority, and/or order in which the alert message can be broadcast to the mobile device. |
| US08078232B2 |
Portable terminal device
A mobile phone of the present invention includes a first cabinet; a second cabinet that is slidable along an upper surface of the first cabinet; a first touch sensor that enables input by touching the upper surface; a projection that projects from the second cabinet toward the upper surface; a second touch sensor that detects a position of contact of the projection with the upper surface; and a CPU that controls input by the first touch sensor in accordance with output from the second touch sensor. The CPU enables input by the first touch sensor when the second cabinet is in a first position (OP position) where the second case exposes a detection area of the first touch sensor to the outside, and disables input by the first touch sensor when the second cabinet is out of the first position (OP position). |
| US08078229B2 |
Portable communication terminal, function menu display method and program to be used in portable communication terminal
The present invention provides a portable communication terminal that allows users to use only basic functions without having to peruse an instruction manual.The basic module (21) of a memory device (2) includes a simple-mode basic module (211) that shows a GUI mode customized to be user friendly, and a custom-mode basic module (212) that shows a GUI mode for letting the user select only desired functions at the time of initial activation. If the “simple-mode” is selected through the basic module (21), the menu display screen of an output device (3) displays only the function menu of the simple-mode basic module (211). If the “custom-mode” is selected through the basic module (21), the menu display screen of the output device (3) displays the function menu of the custom-mode basic module (212) and functions selected through the custom-mode basic module (212). |
| US08078225B2 |
Communication device, mobile device and method of communication
A communication device having a chip card configured to authorize a communication, the chip card having an interface connected to a communication controller via a modified standardized bus communication, a first and at least one second data source configured to connect to the communication controller. |
| US08078216B2 |
Wireless device content information theft protection system
A wireless device, such as a laptop computer or a cellular phone, may contain confidential information which may be secured by an internal security system. When the device is stolen, the user can provide a portion of a kill code to a wireless service provider. The wireless service provider provides its own portion of the kill code and combines it with the user's supplied code. Then, the service provider may transmit the combined kill code to the wireless device. Upon receipt, the wireless device may erase all confidential information on the device. In other embodiments, it may erase any unlocked block of memory. As still another alternative, the system may also, upon receipt of the combined kill code, disable the operating system. |
| US08078215B2 |
Waveguide-based wireless distribution system and method of operation
The design and use of a simplified, highly efficient, waveguide-based wireless distribution system are provided. A low-loss waveguide is used to transport wireless signals from a signal source or sources to one or more receiver locations. One or more adjustable signal coupling devices partially insert into the waveguide at predetermined locations along the length of the system to provide variable, controlled extraction of one or more wireless signals. Low-loss impedance matching circuitry is provided between the waveguide coupling devices and output connectors to maintain high system efficiency. The system offers the capability of supplying signals of high strength and high quality to a large number of receivers in a wide wireless coverage area via a plurality of signal radiators. Some embodiments of the system are readily adaptable for wireless distribution service in HVAC plenum spaces. A system that combines the functions of fire extinguishing and waveguide wireless distribution is also disclosed. |
| US08078214B2 |
Wireless communication system with wireless base station and leaky transmission lines
A wireless communication system which includes a wireless base station; a plurality of leaky transmission lines that function as antennas of the wireless base station; and a selector for selecting each of the leaky transmission lines and thereby connecting the leaky transmission lines to the wireless base station, wherein only one leaky transmission line is selected and connected at any given time. The selector may select all of the leaky transmission lines cyclically, one at any given time. Alternatively, the selector may select one of the leaky transmission lines according to a control signal from a selection controller. |
| US08078212B2 |
Method and apparatus for allocating power in a MU-MIMO communication system
Machine-readable media, methods, apparatus and system for allocating power in a MU-MIMO communicating system are described. In some embodiments, an apparatus of a base station in the MU-MIMO communication system may comprise: a power calculating logic to calculate a power for each user of a plurality of users communicating with the base station in the MU-MIMO system, based upon an average power and a power increment. The power calculating logic may further comprise an average power logic to calculate the average power among the plurality of users based upon a total power for the base station to communicate with the plurality of users, and a power increment logic to determine the power increment for the each user based upon at least one of a fairness algorithm and a throughput algorithm, and wherein different users of the plurality of users having different long-term signal to interference plus noise ratios (SINRs) are calculated with different powers. The apparatus may further comprise a power allocating logic to allocate the power to the each user. |
| US08078208B2 |
Multi-radio unification protocol
An invention is disclosed whereby a wireless network node, equipped with two or more radio transceivers statically tuned to non-interfering frequency channels, can make decisions regarding which channel to use when communicating with a neighboring wireless node. A multi-radio unification protocol implemented in a wireless node coordinates the use of multiple wireless network interface cards and provides a virtual layer that hides the multiple physical network interfaces from higher layers of a node's network protocol stack. The invention is applicable to wireless networks generally, including those in which some nodes do not have multiple radios or do not recognize the multi-radio unification protocol. The invention makes possible simultaneous transmissions using available channels, thereby reducing interference and delay while increasing the overall capacity of the network. |
| US08078202B1 |
Wireless handset configured to forward multiple messages
A wireless handset is configured to send and receive messages and comprises a handset memory, a first user interface, a second user interface and a processor. A method to send and receive messages is disclosed. The method comprises storing a plurality of messages on the wireless handset, and receiving instructions that select at least two of the plurality of messages that have been stored on the wireless handset. The method then proceeds to identify a phone number associated with a particular recipient, and sends each of the selected plurality of messages stored on the wireless handset to the identified phone number associated with the particular recipient. |
| US08078198B2 |
Method, and associated apparatus, of integrating extraction of extra partial identity bits with quick paging techniques where multiple pages share a message field
Apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating access terminal paging. A first non common portion of first and second identities are ordered. Once ordered, the non common portions are included in an access terminal paging message. The ordering of the non common portions are determinative of conveyance of a first additional identity bit. |
| US08078192B2 |
Supporting the use of a virtual reference station
For supporting the use of virtual reference stations, an apparatus may receive a request to provide virtual measurements on beacon signals that are valid for a virtual reference station, the request including an indication of a desired location of the virtual reference station. The apparatus may further determine an entity that is associated to an area including the desired location. The apparatus may further cause the request to be forwarded to the determined entity. |
| US08078189B2 |
System and method for providing location based services over a network
In a method for providing location-based information over a network, a plurality of GPS reference data sets, corresponding to a plurality of respective local areas, are acquired at intervals such that each GPS reference data set is updated on a continuous basis. A plurality of aiding data sets are generated at intervals based on the respective GPS data sets, whereby each aiding data set is updated on a continuous basis. The generated aiding data sets are stored at intervals on a data-storing network server, whereby updated aiding data sets are available on a continuous basis for access by a requesting entity via communication with the data-storing network server. |
| US08078188B2 |
User selectable audio mixing
This disclosure describes audio mixing techniques that allow a user to select between two different audio signals for output in a perceptual foreground of a combined output. As an example, the two different signals may comprise a music audio and a phone call audio. In this case, the music audio and phone call audio may be initially combined such that the phone call is delivered in the perceptual foreground and the music audio is delivered in a perceptual background. However, a user is able to switch the music to the foreground and the phone call to the background by actuating a user input device. In this way, after receiving a telephone call, if a user wants to move the phone call into a perceptual background in favor of music in the foreground, the user is able to achieve this result, e.g., at the press of a button. |
| US08078182B2 |
Method and system for communicating user interfaces between first and second users over a network
A system generates a first user interface that includes a first plurality of items respectively associated with a first plurality of selection functions. Next, the system presents the first user interface to a first user over a communications network. Next, the system receives a first plurality of selections from the first user of a second plurality of items. The second plurality of items have been selected from the first plurality of items by the first user using the first plurality of selection functions. Next, the system generates a second user interface that includes the second plurality of items. The second plurality of items are respectively associated with a second plurality of selection functions. Finally, the system presents the second user interface to the second user. |
| US08078172B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for reserving a cellular resource
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media provide for reserving a cellular resource. According to embodiments, a method for reserving a cellular resource is provided. According to the method, a change in location is determined for a preferred cellular device. Whether the preferred cellular device will be handed off from a first cell to a second cell is predicted based on the change in location for the preferred mobile cellular device. In response to predicting that the preferred cellular device will be handed off from the first cell to the second cell, a cellular resource in the second cell is reserved for the preferred cellular device. |