| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08221065B2 |
Turbomachine blade with variable chord length
A blade of a turbomachine, especially of a steam turbine, is characterized in that the chord length (sm) in the middle region of the blade airfoil is shorter than the chord lengths (s0, S1) in the tip-side region or root-side region of the blade airfoil. As a result of this, a distribution of a Zweifel parameter over the longitudinal extent of the blade airfoil is achieved which minimizes the losses of a blade cascade of the blades. |
| US08221063B2 |
Steam turbine with two steam chambers
A steam turbine with at least two steam chambers, which are enclosed by a basically tubular casing and which are separated from each other by means of at least one partition which is arranged in the casing, is characterized according to the invention in that the partition is formed from at least two flat partial surfaces which are formed in an inclined manner relative to each other. |
| US08221060B2 |
Sealing means
A sealing arrangement for sealing between segments of a component assembly. The sealing arrangement includes a sealing member having a mating surface for mating with the surface of the segment. The sealing arrangement further includes a location member removably attached to the sealing member along a transition region therebetween, and also a free end distal to the sealing member. The location member is configured to engage a location feature of the segment so as to locate the mating surface of the sealing member in a fixed position on the surface of the segment relative to the location feature. The location member is configured to be detached from the sealing member along the transition region and be removed from the segment after the sealing member has been bonded to the segment. |
| US08221057B2 |
Method, system and controller for establishing a wheel space temperature alarm in a turbomachine
A method of establishing a wheel space temperature alarm in a turbomachine includes calculating an expected wheel space temperature based on operating conditions, measuring an actual wheel space temperature, and signaling an over temperature condition if the actual wheel space temperature exceeds the expected wheel space temperature. |
| US08221054B2 |
Corrugated hood for low pressure steam turbine
An arrangement and method adapted for providing a reinforced lower exhaust hood for a steam turbine. Double-wall sidewalls and endwalls for a lower exhaust hood include an outer corrugated wall joined to an inner plate wall. The enhanced strength provided by the corrugation provides reduced deformation of the lower exhaust hood and allows reduction of structural complexity and improved aero-performance within the lower exhaust hood. |
| US08221050B2 |
Robotic assembly providing leveling and joint stress reduction
A robotic is provided which comprises a hub (203); (b) a first lower arm (209) comprising first (213) and second (215) lower arm segments and having a first set of upper arms (229, 231) attached thereto; and (c) a first adjusting means (241) for adjusting the height of the first lower arm segment with respect to the second lower arm segment. |
| US08221043B2 |
Releasable fastener systems and methods
In some embodiments, a fastening system includes two opposing plates, and a retainer material that is activated to increase the flexibility of the retainer material. The retainer material surrounds at least a portion of two opposing plates, the plates and the retainer material mounted to allow the plates to move apart and back together when the retainer material is flexible. A pin is insertable through an opening between the plates. The pin includes a first tapered portion configured to separate the plates as the pin is inserted in the opening via a pushing force. The retainer material becomes rigid when deactivated to lock the pin between the plates. |
| US08221039B2 |
Boat latch
Latching device (50) for latching thereto a boat coupling part (24) of a boat (10) on a body of water (28) by moving the boat up a ramp. Latching device (50) has a latching element (54) mounted for pivotal movement such that it is engaged by said boat coupling part (24) when the boat is moved up the incline, to pivot the latching element (54) to a position at which the boat coupling part (24) can pass a catch part (85) of the latching element (54). After passage of the boat coupling part (24) past the catch part (85), the latching element (54) reversely pivots to allow capture of said boat coupling part (24) by said catch part (85), under reverse movement of the boat (10). |
| US08221037B2 |
Cutting tool
A cutting tool for cutting a workpiece. The cutting tool can include a tool body having a first end and a second end and defining an axis extending through the first and second ends, a rim extending circumferentially around the first end of the tool body, and a blade having a base supported on the tool body for movement relative to the rim. |
| US08221035B2 |
Dosing device
In order to increase the fitness for use of a closing device (1) for continuously and gravimetrically dosing pourable material, particularly rough fuels, a flow of material is conveyed from a charging opening (5) to an emptying opening (7) in a housing (4) with a rotor (3), which is driven about a vertical rotation axis, while determining the instantaneous load over a measuring section, and with a force measuring device (10), which detects the instantaneous load of the flow of material guided via the rotor (3) and which is connected to the housing (4) mounted on a pivot axis (8). According to the invention, a vibrating funnel (50) with a vibration generator (52) is provided above the charging opening (5) of the rotor (3). |
| US08221034B2 |
Methods of providing a support column
A primary earth penetrating mandrel formed of a hollow shell steel plate octagonal in cross-section has an upper end and a blunt lower end joined by an upwardly and outwardly tapered wall. The mandrel is driven down in the earth to simultaneously form a vertical tapered cavity while compacting the sidewall of the cavity to provide structural integrity. The mandrel is then moved upwardly from the bottom of the cavity and aggregate is deposited in the bottom of the cavity then the mandrel is lowered so that its blunt lower end densifies the aggregate by vertical vibratory action and static force and repeating these until the pier top is near the surface of the earth at which time the upper aggregate portions are densified by the primary mandrel or a secondary mandrel having a substantially larger lower end surface than the lower end surface of the primary mandrel. |
| US08221028B2 |
Boat lift operated by boat's propulsive force
A boat lift includes a lift frame rotatably mounted to a boat dock. A lower trolley with a buoyant body slides on the frame. An upper trolley slides on the frame and is engaged by the boat as it propels itself forward onto the frame when the latter is in a boat receiving position. A linkage connected between the trolleys causes the lower trolley and the buoyant body to slide rearwardly underneath the boat to rotate the lift frame into a final docking position in which the boat is out of the water. The upper trolley is locked into position, thus holding the lower trolley in position through the linkage. The boat is launched by releasing the upper trolley lock, which permits the upper trolley to slide rearwardly, with concomitant forward sliding movement of the lower trolley that permits the frame to rotate and launch the boat from the frame. |
| US08221027B2 |
Roller screed with dual-drive power unit
A powered roller screed (366) is disclosed, that uses a dual-drive power unit (370) and a screed roller (368). A power source (372) of the dual-drive power unit (370) includes a first drive output (374) and a second drive output (376), which rotate in the same direction and at the same rate. Each of the first drive output (374) and the second drive output (376) may be used to rotate the screed roller (368). For instance, the first drive output (374) could be attached to a first end of the screed roller (368), or the second drive output (376) could be attached to the second end of the screed roller (368), all to rotate the screed roller (368) in the same direction as the screed roller (368) is being pulled over wet concrete (364). |
| US08221026B2 |
Paving screed
In a paving screed E for a road paver F, the paving screed E comprises a base screed G and extension screeds A at the front side of the base screed, the extension screeds A being extendable and retractable and pivotable relative to the base screed G, a base guiding structure 18 pivotable relative to the base screed G, a guiding sub-structure 17 slidably guided in the base guiding structure 16, an extension guiding structure 16 slidably guided in the guiding sub-structure 17, and a sole plate frame structure 14 mounted to the extension guiding structure 16 and carrying an extension screed sole plate 11, substantially vertical guidances 20 and elevation adjustment assemblies 21 between the sole plate frame structure 14 and the extension guiding structure 16, the vertical guidances 20 and the elevation adjustment assemblies 21 facilitating to adjust the elevation of the sole plate frame structure 14 and the extension screed sole plate 11 parallel to itself and relative to the extension guiding structure 16. |
| US08221024B2 |
Embedded module for linear synchronous motor
A method of constructing a roadway having an embedded linear synchronous motor (LSM) utilizes prefabricated modules. Structurally, each module comprises a top plate, a multiple-phase winding tied to the top plate, and a concrete mold encapsulating the winding. With the modules prefabricated, the roadway is constructed by first excavating a trench to position a foundation at the trench bottom. Then a mud matt is positioned on the foundation. Next, the modules are laid end-to-end on the mud matt. Thereafter, the windings in adjacent modules are electrically interconnected through joints. Further, the joints are covered by junction boxes, and the trench around the roadway is filled in with aggregate. |
| US08221017B2 |
Fluid applicator
A fluid applicator includes a tubular container having a top open end and a bottom open end, a floating stopper mounted in the tubular container for sealing the bottom open end of the tubular container, a fluid filled in between the top open end and bottom open end of the tubular container, and a plug for closing the top open end of the tubular container. When the plug is opened from the top open end of the tubular container for allow the atmospheric pressure to enter the tubular container, the floating stopper is forced to adhere to the peripheral wall of the tubular container for allowing the fluid to flow out of the fluid container. When the plug seals the top open end of the tubular container, the atmospheric pressure is prohibited from entering the tubular container, and the floating stopper stops the bottom open end of the tubular container again. |
| US08221013B2 |
Makeup device including a wiper
The makeup device in particular for making up the eyelashes and/or the eyebrows, comprises a reservoir an applicator and a wiper comprising bellows and scrapers projecting from the bellows for the purpose of scraping the applicator. |
| US08221005B2 |
Stepped connector
A connector is provided. The connector includes a body extending a length along a central longitudinal axis. The body includes first and second elements that each include opposite first and second end portions. A third element is positioned between at least a portion of the first and second elements. A portion of the third element and a portion of the first element extend within the second element. A portion of the first element extends within the third element. The first end portions of the first and second elements are exposed with respect to the third element. The second end portions of the first and second elements are exposed with respect to the third element. The exposed first end portions of the first and second elements are spaced apart with respect to each other along the length of the body. The exposed second end portions of the first and second elements are spaced apart with respect to each other along the length of the body. The length of the body extends no greater than approximately 152 millimeters (approximately 6 inches). |
| US08221004B2 |
Method of making wheel support bearing
A support bearing assembly includes a plural rows of rolling elements between opposed raceway surfaces of outer and inner members, respectively. The inner member is formed from a hub unit and an inner ring mounted on an outer periphery of an inboard end portion thereof. An annular stepped area is provided in an inner periphery of the inboard side of the inner ring. A crimped portion engageable with the stepped area is provided on an inboard end of the hub unit and has a cylindrical shape prior to a crimping process. By setting the amount of change in an inner diameter of the inboard end of the crimped portion within a preset range when a crimping punch is driven in, the amount of radially outward augmentation of the crimped portion is regulated. |
| US08221002B2 |
Bearing apparatus
A bearing apparatus includes an outer ring (11), an inner ring (12), rolling elements (13) disposed between the two rings, and a seal (15) attached to one of the outer ring and the inner ring and extending toward the other ring. A temperature sensor is fitted to the seal, and hence a temperature of the seal contacting with a rotary wheel can be directly measured. Accordingly, if the temperature measured by the temperature sensor rapidly rises, this implies that some inconvenience might occur, and necessary countermeasures such as immediately stopping an apparatus using the bearing apparatus can be taken before the explicit inconvenience occurs. |
| US08220999B2 |
Hydrodynamic bearing assemblies, and hydrodynamic bearing apparatuses and motor assemblies using same
Hydrodynamic bearing assemblies and apparatuses are disclosed. Such hydrodynamic bearing assemblies may be employed in bearing apparatuses for use in downhole motors of a subterranean drilling system or other mechanical systems. In one embodiment of the present invention, a hydrodynamic bearing assembly includes a plurality of bearing elements distributed circumferentially about an axis. Each bearing segment includes a superhard bearing surface. The plurality of bearing elements defines a plurality of seams. Each seam is formed between circumferentially-adjacent bearing elements of the plurality of bearing elements. Further embodiments of the present invention include hydrodynamic bearing apparatuses and downhole motors that may utilize any of the disclosed hydrodynamic bearing assemblies. |
| US08220998B2 |
Fluid dynamic bearing
The invention relates to a fluid dynamic bearing system having a stationary bearing component and a moving bearing component, that are separated from one another by a bearing gap filled with a bearing fluid. There are two radial bearing regions separated from one another and marked by radial bearing grooves. A separator region having a larger bearing gap width is disposed between the radial bearing regions. The radial bearing grooves of the two radial bearing regions have inner ends facing each other and outer ends facing away from each other. At least the outer ends of the radial bearing grooves are connected to each other by connecting grooves. According to the invention, wear zones provided especially for this purpose are disposed adjoining the connecting grooves, so as to prevent material wear at other regions of the bearing. |
| US08220997B2 |
Circulating system for a linear guideway
A circulating system for a linear guideway comprises a slide block, a slide rail, two cover plates, two end caps and plural rolling elements. The slide block is disposed on the slide rail. The two cover plates and the two end caps are disposed at two opposite ends of the slide block, respectively. Between the two cover plates and the two end caps are disposed inner return and outer return blocks, respectively, and the inner return and the outer return blocks each are defined with half rolling paths to form complete rolling paths. Both ends of a complete rolling path and both ends of a complete loaded path are connected to both ends of two complete return paths to complete circulation paths. The inner and outer return blocks are made by common plastic injection molding, and the formed rolling paths are made of plastic material. |
| US08220994B2 |
Method for calibrating the position of a laser fan beam relative to the projection geometry of an X-ray device and X-ray device
For detecting the relative location of a laser or laser fan beam relative to the x-ray geometry of an x-ray device, a method for calibrating the position of the laser fan beam generated by a laser in relation to the projection geometry of the x-ray device is proposed. The x-ray device comprises an x-ray imaging system featuring an x-ray source and an x-ray detector. The x-ray source, the x-ray detector, the laser, and an imaging facility are arranged on a support. An optical x-ray calibration phantom is used for the calibration. The position of the imaging facility relative to the projection geometry is determined. The position of the laser fan beam relative to the imaging facility is determined. The position of the laser fan beam relative to the projection geometry is reconstructed. |
| US08220993B2 |
Radiographic apparatus
Fan beams of radiation are output from a multiplicity of radiation sources. Radiation is output simultaneously only from a part of the radiation sources having irradiation ranges that neither overlap with each other nor are adjacent to each other. Image correction data corresponding to each group of radiation sources is obtained by sequentially outputting radiation to the radiographic image detector while the groups of radiation sources are sequentially switched without setting a subject. An effective area that has a value higher than a predetermined threshold value is determined for each image correction data. Radiation is sequentially output to the radiographic image detector in a state in which a subject is set while groups of radiation sources are switched. Radiation image data obtained based on the effective area, and which corresponds to each of the groups of radiation sources, is corrected based on the image correction data. |
| US08220988B2 |
Sensor device
A sensor device is provided for detecting thawing on surfaces with interdigital electrodes formed in a resistance layer which is formed on a substrate. In order to develop the sensor device further so that the measuring speed of the sensor device is further increased, the disclosure proposes that the interdigital electrodes and recesses between the interdigital electrodes have a moisture-sensitive hydrophilic surface through condensation cores applied to it. |
| US08220987B2 |
Rotation switch and electronic timepiece
A rotation switch includes an operating member that is operable to rotate, a magnet member that rotates integrally with the operating member, a magnetic sensor that is placed opposite to the magnet member, and a frame-shaped magnetic shield plate that surrounds the periphery of the magnetic sensor. |
| US08220986B2 |
High efficiency mixer-impeller
A mixer impeller having high efficiency blades. The impeller may include a central hub and a plurality of blades attached to and extending radially outwardly from the hub such that leading edges thereof are inclined upwardly from trailing edges thereof. Each of the blades may include a root attached to the hub, a tip, a first crease extending along substantially an entire length of the blade dividing the blade into a leading portion and a trailing portion, the leading and trailing portions meeting at the first crease such that the leading portion is angled downwardly from the trailing portion, and a second crease extending from a portion of the leading edge of the leading portion between the root and the tip diagonally along the leading portion to the tip, the second crease intersecting the tip at a point spaced from a point where the first crease intersects the tip, the second crease forming a tip portion of the leading portion that needs a remainder of the leading portion such that the tip portion is angled downwardly from the leading portion. |
| US08220984B2 |
Apparatus for producing a mixture composed of various bulk material components
An apparatus for producing a mixture of various bulk materials, comprising a weighing device that is carried by the framework of the apparatus. A weighing container is suspended or supported by the weighing device, and is adapted to receive a desired mixture of bulk material components from supply containers via an upper inlet. A mixing device extends from above into the weighing container and is driven by motor-transmission means that is mounted on the framework and is gravimetrically separate from the weighing container. The mixing device is permanently suspended on the motor-transmission means free of the weighing container. |
| US08220982B2 |
Energy efficient asphalt plant
An HMA plant which uses incidental heating of metal surfaces in combination with hot exhaust gases to pre-heat and pre-dry virgin aggregate material contained in an enclosed container which permits hot dry air to pass through interstices in the virgin aggregate material stored in the container. |
| US08220979B2 |
Light guide plate and backlight module
A light guide plate includes a plate-shaped transparent body and a plurality of stripe-shaped planar structures. The plate-shaped transparent body is bent to form a top portion, a bottom portion, and a curved portion connected between the top portion and the bottom portion, and the top portion and the bottom portion are substantially parallel to each other and define a gap therebetween. The stripe-shaped planar structures are connected with each other on an outer surface of the curved portion. |
| US08220977B2 |
Solid state light unit and heat sink, and method for thermal management of a solid state light unit
A lamp assembly manages thermal energy output from solid state lighting elements. An aspect of the present disclosure provides a lamp assembly that achieves enhanced cooling of light elements within the assembly. Enhanced cooling is achieved, in this aspect, by providing a lamp assembly including a heat sink having a plurality of thermo bosses protruding therefrom on a first side, and a plurality of heat sink fins on a second side. A printed circuit board is secured to the first side of the heat sink, and has a plurality of through holes that correspond to the size and locations of the thermo bosses, such that when the printed circuit board is secured to the heat sink, the thermo bosses extend into the through holes. |
| US08220976B2 |
LED lamp
An LED lamp includes a heat sink, an LED module, a driving circuit module, a top cover, and a bottom cover. The LED module is mounted on a top side of the heat sink. The driving circuit module is mounted on a bottom side of the heat sink. The top cover is slidably engaged with the heat sink and covers the LED module. The bottom cover is sliably engaged with the heat sink and covers the driving circuit module. |
| US08220966B2 |
Image display apparatus
An image display apparatus includes an image forming device having pixels; a collimating optical system collimating light from the image forming device; and an optical device receiving, guiding, and outputting the collimated light as directional rays in different directions. The optical device includes a light-guiding plate; a first optical member reflecting or diffracting the light so as to totally reflect the light inside the light-guiding plate; and a second optical member causing the propagated light to emerge from the light-guiding plate. When a light ray emitted from a pixel located farthest from the center of the image forming device and a light ray emitted from a pixel located at the center of the image forming device pass through a front nodal point of the collimating optical system and are respectively incident on the collimating optical system and the light-guiding plate at angles θ1 and θ2, θ2>θ1 is satisfied. |
| US08220964B1 |
Jack-o-lantern kit
A jack-o-lantern kit includes a housing that has a bottom wall, a top wall and a perimeter wall that is attached to and extends between the top and bottom walls. The housing has a hollow interior space. The perimeter wall has an opening therein defining a mouth of a jack-o-lantern. The housing has a shape and size resembling a pumpkin. Each of a plurality of decorating attachments is removably coupled to the housing at a selected position to alter an appearance of the housing. A plurality of light emitters is mounted within the housing and a power source is electrically coupled to each of said light emitters. |
| US08220963B2 |
Light module with a distinguishable characteristic and a detachable feature
A light module with a distinguishable characteristic and a detachable feature is adapted to an LED lamp. The light module includes an installing seat disposed on a seat body of the LED lamp, and an embedding seat designed in accordance with the installing seat. At least one mark area with a plurality of slots defined on the installing seat is able to combine with at least one buckling area with protrudent members on the embedding seat. By means of the cooperation of the mark area and the buckling area, users are able to judge the wattage of the light module, thereby preventing incompatibility between the LED member and light module due to different powers. Accordingly, a quick check on the polarity of the LED member before installation is brought about for increasing the using convenience. |
| US08220961B2 |
LED light fixture
An LED light fixture and methods are provided in which the light from central portions of the LED light sources are reflected to illuminate areas on the periphery of an associated area, while less intense light from the sides of the LED light sources illuminate interior portions of the associated area to produce a uniform illumination, both horizontally and vertically, while minimizing direct glare from the light sources. The LED light fixture includes a heat sink having cooling fins on the periphery of the housing. |
| US08220959B2 |
Highly efficient luminaire having optical transformer providing precalculated angular intensity distribution and method therefore
A highly efficient luminaire is provided. The luminaire includes a light source that emits light. The emitted light is redirected by a light transformer having a curved circular reflective interior surface, the reflective interior surface reflecting the light in a predetermined pattern. A substantial amount of light being may be reflected close to an axis coincident with a radial line defining a radius of the circular reflective interior surface. Additionally, a substantial amount of light may be reflected in a pattern with low divergency or parallel with an axis of the light transformer. The light is transmitted to the exterior of the luminaire by an optical window. |
| US08220956B2 |
LED lamp
An LED lamp includes an envelope, two covers, a mounting board and a plurality of LEDs. The covers engages with opposite ends of the envelope. Each of the covers has an electrically conductive part. The mounting board is received in the envelope. Two ends of the mounting board electrically connect with the electrically conductive parts of the two covers, respectively. The LEDs are disposed on the mounting board and received in the envelope. |
| US08220952B2 |
LED lamp
An LED lamp includes a lamp post, an illumination unit fixed on the lamp post, and a generator disposed in the lamp post and coupled to the illumination unit electrically. The lamp post defines an airflow passage along a longitudinal direction thereof. The airflow passage communicates with an outer environment. The generator is adapted for converting wind energy to electric energy, and includes a rotary turbine arranged in the airflow passage. The rotary turbine includes a hub and a plurality of blades around the hub. Each of the blades includes a top face and an opposite bottom face. The top face and the bottom face are symmetric to a plane which extends through opposite connecting edges of the top and bottom faces and is perpendicular to a rotary axis of the turbine. |
| US08220948B2 |
Optically efficient notification device for use in life safety ceiling strobe applications
A ceiling notification device has a housing; a reflector unit mounted to the housing; a lens positioned over the reflector unit; and a lamp in the center of the reflector unit along the central axis. The reflector unit has a base, a plurality of reflective fins, and a surface portion. The base has a curved surface that is symmetrical about a central axis. The plurality of reflective fins each has a first fin portion extending from the base and a second fin portion extending from the base and the first fin portion, the second fin portion having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface is exposed to the central axis. The surface portion extends from the base and positioned between the first fin portion and an edge of the base and is angled toward an inner surface of the second fin portion. |
| US08220947B2 |
Differential driver circuit
A first current source supplies a tail current It to a plurality of differential pairs. A pre-driver outputs gate signals to the gates of transistors of the corresponding differential pair. A pre-driver is configured to switch the state between the enable state and the disable state. In the enable state, the pre-driver outputs the gate signals that correspond to the differential signals. In the disable state, the pre-driver outputs the gate signals having levels which instruct the transistors of the corresponding differential pair to switch off. |
| US08220945B2 |
Electronic book
An electronic book includes a shell and an illumination device. The shell defines a receiving groove. The illumination device includes a support arm fastened to the shell and an illumination member fixed on the support arm. The illumination device is received in the receiving groove when not in use. The electronic book can be read when the ambient light is too low or in darkness. |
| US08220943B2 |
Illumination device and display apparatus
An illumination device includes: a substrate; a first transparent electrode covering approximately an entire surface of a display region of the substrate; a second transparent electrode which overlaps with the first transparent electrode when seen in plan view and covers approximately the entire surface of the display region; and a plurality of island shaped light emitting elements disposed between the first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode. The first and second transparent electrodes are formed as single continuous films. |
| US08220933B1 |
Method and apparatus for data transfer using an optical link in a projector system
A projection system for projecting an output image. The projection system comprises 1) a plurality of laser diodes, each laser diode generating a light beam; 2) combiner optics for combining light beams from the laser diodes to generate an output light beam; and a MEMS mirror module for receiving the output light beam and generating a scanning light beam operable to form the output image on a projection surface. A controller operates the projection system in a first mode in which the projection system projects an output image and operates the projection system in a second mode in which the projection system transmits data to an external device using a light beam from one of the plurality of laser diodes. |
| US08220931B2 |
Etendue reduced stereo projection using segmented disk
A stereoscopic digital image projecting system has a light source system energizable to provide polarized illumination having a first polarization state and a beam splitting system alternately generating first and second light beams having different polarization states from the polarized illumination. A combining system has a polarization beam combiner that combines the first and second light beams into a combined light beam. A spatial light modulator is used to modulate the combined light beam in a manner consistent with stereoscopic image data to form a first modulated image from illumination in the combined light beam having the first polarization state and to form a second modulated image from illumination in the combined light beam having the second polarization state. Projection optics are configured to project the first and second modulated images onto a display surface. |
| US08220930B2 |
Integrated opto-electronic device and portable reflective projection system
An integrated opto-electronic device, a portable reflective projection system and a method for in situ monitoring and adjusting light illumination are provided. The device includes a reflective polarizing composite film (150) configured to receive a source light (210) at a desired non-normal incident angle (221), polarizes and reflects a first portion (211) of said source light (210) as polarized illumination light (16) at a reciprocal angle (222) to said desired non-normal incident angle (221); and a photovoltaic cell (180), adhered to an opposite side of said reflective polarizing composite film (150) to said source light (210), configured to receive a second portion (212) of said source light (210) that passes through said reflective polarizing composite film (150) and transform said second portion (212) to photogenerated charge. Unused illumination can be collected in order to re-store and reuse recovered energy. |
| US08220929B2 |
Three-dimensional image display apparatus
A three-dimensional image display apparatus includes a light source and an optical system including a light modulation unit having pixels for generating a two-dimensional image by modulating light from the light source by the respective pixels and emitting a spatial frequency in the generated two-dimensional image along a diffraction angle corresponding to diffraction orders generated from the respective pixels, a Fourier transform image formation unit for performing Fourier transform on the spatial frequency in the two-dimensional image to generate Fourier transform images corresponding to the diffraction orders, a Fourier transform image selection unit for selecting a Fourier transform image corresponding to a desired diffraction order among the Fourier transform images, and a conjugate image formation unit for forming a conjugate image of the selected Fourier transform image, and further includes a semi-transmissive mirror for changing a light ray travelling direction emitted from the optical system. |
| US08220926B2 |
Visual display with illuminators for gaze tracking
A visual display characterized by hidden reference illuminators is adapted to emit invisible light for generating corneo-scleral reflections on an eye watching a screen surface of the display. The tracking of such reflections and the pupil center provides input for gaze tracking. A method for equipping and an LCD with a reference illuminator are also provided. A system and method for determining a gaze point of an eye watching a visual display comprising reference illuminators are further provided. The determination of the gaze point may be based on an ellipsoidal cornea model. |
| US08220922B2 |
Method and a device for determining the orientation of a correcting ophthalmic lens, and a method of optically designing the correcting lens
A device and method for determining under wearing conditions at least one component of the orientation of a correcting ophthalmic lens of eyeglasses relative to the head of a future wearer. Provision is made for mounting a position-identification system (20) on the frame (10) and/or on a presentation lens fitted to the frame, which system includes at least one identification element (60, 70, 80) having at least one known geometrical characteristic, for capturing the image of the identification element in two dimensions in a vertical facial plane, for processing the captured image to measure the captured geometrical characteristic of the image of the identification element that depends on the known geometrical characteristic of the identification element, and for calculating at least one component of the orientation of the lens by comparing the captured geometrical characteristic with the known geometrical characteristic. A method of optically designing the correcting lens is disclosed. |
| US08220918B2 |
Spreader module for duplex continuous feed imaging devices
A spreader module for use in an imaging device includes a housing configured for insertion and removal from a docking position of an imaging device frame, a spreader drum operably supported by the housing, and a pressure roller operably supported by the housing adjacent the spreader drum to define a spreading nip through which a web of media is fed. The spreader module includes a release agent application system supported by the housing for applying a first release agent to the spreader drum. A docking slot is positioned adjacent the pressure roll that is configured to releasably secure a release agent sub-module to the housing, the release agent sub-module for applying a second release agent to the surface of the pressure roller. |
| US08220916B2 |
Light emitting device, method of manufacturing light emitting device, and ink jet recording apparatus
A light emitting device includes a substrate, a light emitting body, a thermally conductive member, and a heat radiation member. The substrate has a first face and a second face which is a face opposite to the first face. The light emitting body is held on a side of the first face of the substrate and emits light. The thermally conductive member is provided so as to be in contact with the second face of the substrate and contains a high thermal conductive material. The heat radiation member is provided so as to be in contact with the thermally conductive member and radiates heat conducted from the substrate through the thermally conductive member. |
| US08220914B2 |
Label detection method and label printer
Labels can be detected on various types of label paper. Two photodetectors are disposed side by side in the transportation direction of label paper either above or below the transportation path of the printer, and a light-emitting device is disposed at a position opposite the photodetectors with the transportation path therebetween. Alternatively, the light-emitting device is disposed at a position between the photodetectors. Each time the label paper is advanced a unit amount, the light that passes through or the light that is reflected by the parts of the label paper at the detection positions on the transportation path is detected, and whether the amplified difference of these two detector outputs is greater than or equal to a specific threshold value set according to the difference in the transmittance of the liner and the label is determined. Passage of an edge part of a label or black mark between the detection positions is detected based on the result of this decision. |
| US08220902B2 |
Printhead with improved ink tank mounting reliability
An inkjet printhead that receives one or more detachably mountable ink tanks, the inkjet printhead includes an ink tank holding receptacle that receives the one or more detachably mountable ink tanks between a first and second wall; a spring disposed on the first wall of the printhead to provide a biasing force in a direction that pushes the detachably mountable ink tank away from the first wall of the printhead and which biasing force must be manually overcome in order to properly install the one or more detachably mountable ink tanks in the ink tank holding receptacle of the printhead. |
| US08220901B2 |
Liquid discharge head and manufacturing method thereof
A liquid discharge head includes, a substrate, a flow path wall member provided with a wall of a liquid flow path connected to a discharge port for discharging liquid, the flow path being formed by the flow path wall member and one surface of the substrate which are in contact with each other, and a coated resin member made of a cured material of a resin composition provided to cover end surfaces of the substrate, wherein a liquid repellent member having a contact angle of the resin composition larger than that of both the flow path wall member and the one surface is provided to cover at least a part of an intersection line between an outer lateral surface of the flow path wall member and the one surface. |
| US08220899B2 |
Pretreatment liquids, ink cartridge assemblies, pretreated recording media, and methods of recording
A pretreatment liquid for ink-jet recording by applying the pretreatment liquid to a recording medium, the pretreatment liquid including fine particles and a solvent. Specifically, a contact angle between the pretreatment liquid and a surface of the recording medium is greater than or equal to about 75 degrees. |
| US08220898B2 |
Method for inspecting droplet discharge head, device for inspecting droplet discharge head, and droplet discharge device
A method for inspecting a droplet discharge head includes generating illuminating light based on a color tone of a dot pattern of a droplet discharged from the droplet discharge head by selecting at least one of a plurality of illuminating light sources of different color tones and by modulating light illuminated from the at least one of the illuminating light sources based on the color tone of the dot pattern, capturing an image of the dot pattern while a photographed region including the dot pattern is being illuminated by the illuminating light, and inspecting the image of the dot pattern using image processing. |
| US08220896B2 |
Printhead de-prime system and method for solid ink systems
A system and method to provide pressure to de-prime a printhead. An image forming device comprises an ink reservoir that contains ink and provides the ink to a printhead. When a fault condition is detected that indicates a likelihood of a solidifying of the ink, the printhead is de-primed by applying pressure to the printhead to purge the ink from the printhead. The fault condition comprises any of a loss of power, a power-down process, or a printhead temperature being less than or equal to a threshold temperature. |
| US08220892B2 |
Printhead and printing apparatus using the printhead
First and second selection signals for selecting one of print data and n pulse signals stored in a shift register are latched. The first or second selection signal is selected in accordance with an input selection information switching signal, and one of the n input pulse signals is selected based on the selected signal. A heat pulse selection circuit outputs the selected pulse signal as a heat pulse signal. The level of the selection information switching signal switches midway to switch the selected pulse signal. Parts of two pulse signals before and after switching are combined to generate a heat pulse signal. |
| US08220890B2 |
Inkjet printer and method for connecting ink cartridges
In an inkjet printer, ink cartridges are set individually in predetermined positions of a cartridge holder portion. Information on the ink cartridges is read by read portions and it is determined whether or not the ink cartridges are adaptive. If all the ink cartridges set in the predetermined positions of the cartridge holder portion are determined to be adaptive, a drive unit is driven to perform a connecting operation. |
| US08220884B2 |
Device for adjustable mounting of the runner of pull-out guides on drawers
Device for adjustable mounting of the rear end of runners (18) of pull-out guides on the inner end region, facing away from the front panel, of drawers (10) or other furniture components withdrawably mounted in the carcass of a piece of furniture, with a mounting element (22) which is disposed so as to be adjustable in height on the rear end of the runner (18) and which can be brought into sliding engagement with a receiving arrangement provided on the rear of the drawer (18) by relative displacement of the drawer on the runner in the longitudinal direction of the runner.The mounting element (22) is disposed on a lever arm which is mounted on the runner so as to be pivotable in a vertical plane about an axis (A) extending horizontally at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the runner (18), and a height adjusting mechanism is provided which acts on the one hand on the lever arm and on the other hand on the runner. |
| US08220877B2 |
Electric parking brake system
An electric parking brake system is equipped with a parking brake driven by an electric actuator for braking wheels of a vehicle, a vehicle condition sensing section for detecting vehicle conditions, a target braking force setting section for setting a target braking force on the basis of vehicle condition detected, compared and weighted by the vehicle condition sensing section so as to overcome a trouble of a part of sensing section, a parking condition detecting section for sensing a change of the vehicle condition from a stopping condition to a parking condition, and a control section for increasing a braking force according to the change in the vehicle condition so as to avoid a creep movement of the vehicle. Thereby, the electric parking brake system with a highly improved reliability can be provided. |
| US08220876B2 |
Electronic compressed air system
An electronic compressed air system for vehicles includes a compressed air supply part having a compressor, a compressed air consumer part having load circuits forming an air-suspension circuit, and service-brake circuits having reservoirs. The load circuits are supplied with compressed air via solenoid valves. The pressure in the load circuits is monitored by pressure sensors whose signals are evaluated by an ECU that controls the solenoid valves. The solenoid valve of the air-suspension circuit does not include reservoirs and is closed in the de-energized normal state. The solenoid valves of other load circuits, especially of the service-brake circuits are open in the de-energized normal state. With a pressure demand of the air-suspension circuit, the associated solenoid valve is switched by the ECU to open position to establish communication with the compressed air supply part and/or with the service-brake circuits or with the reservoirs thereof, to refill the air-suspension circuit. |
| US08220874B2 |
Dump device for side dump trailer
The tub is mounted to a frame for alternative movement from a position wherein the tub is centrally located with respect to the longitudinal axis of the frame. The tub may be tilted from a position centrally located to a side dump position which is offset with respect to the longitudinal axis of the frame. The apparatus for moving the tub from its centrally located position to its side dump position is a barrel pivotally mounted to the tub and an extension rod which is pivotally mounted to the frame. |
| US08220869B2 |
Temperature-and-humidity-controlled head restraint
A temperature-controlled head-restraint system is provided. A head restraint includes various layers of material, such as a core, cushion, and trim cover. Moreover, the head restraint includes a temperature-controlling layer that provides heat, coolness, ventilation, or a combination thereof to a front portion of the head restraint. The temperature-controlling layer might include one or more of a heater mat or reticulate material that disperses treated air. |
| US08220868B2 |
Retractable panel assemblies and motor vehicles incorporating the same
A retractable panel assembly includes a cover panel slidingly engaged with a rail assembly and having an open position and a closed position, where the cover panel translates along the rail assembly as the cover panel translates between open and closed positions. The retractable panel assembly further includes a shade located between the rail assembly and the cover panel, the shade having an engagement member, and a retention assembly having a retention member engaged with the engagement member of the shade, where, when the cover panel translates between open and closed positions, the retention member works in conjunction with the engagement member of the shade to prevent the shade from translating and the retention assembly retrains at least a second portion of the shade in a vertical direction. |
| US08220867B2 |
Vehicle body side structure
A rocker includes a lower wall portion, which is an inclined surface inclined downward toward the inside of a vehicle body, on the lower surface of the rocker, and a floor panel is bonded to the lower wall portion. Accordingly, when an in-plane tensile force is applied to the floor panel the in-plane tensile force is applied not in a direction where the bonding between the rocker and the floor panel is separated but in a direction where the bonding between the rocker and the floor panel is shorn. As a result, it may be possible to improve bonding strength. Further, a corner portion is formed at the end portion of the inclined surface facing the floor panel, and a frictional force is generated at the corner portion between the floor panel and the rocker. Therefore, a load, which is applied to the floor panel, can be distributed to the rocker. Due to these operations, reinforcing members and the like do not need to be provided, and it may be possible to improve the bonding strength between the rocker and the floor panel. |
| US08220866B1 |
Assembly for vehicles including adjustable mirrors
An assembly configured to be attachable to a front portion of a frame for a vehicle, wherein a longitudinal axis extends through the assembly. The assembly includes: a first cross member oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis positioned at a forward end of the assembly; a first side member attached to a first end of the first cross member at a first end thereof, the first side member extending rearward and upward therefrom; a second side member attached to a second end of the first cross member at a first end thereof, the second side member extending rearward and upward therefrom; a second cross member connected to a second end of the first side member at a first end thereof and to a second end of the second side member at a second end thereof wherein an open area is defined by the first cross member, the first side member, the second side member, and the second cross member; a first side mirror assembly movably attachable to the first side member, and, a second side mirror assembly movably attachable to the second side member. In this way, the first and second side mirror assemblies are adjustable to a desired position. |
| US08220862B2 |
Door device of small-sized vehicle
Provide a door device of a small-sized vehicle that can secure space for occupants. An openable door 70 is provided to a side of a vehicle body to cover an opening and a convex portion 75 that gets on a footboard 62 when the door 70 is closed is provided to an inside lower part of the door 70. |
| US08220860B2 |
Control device for opening and closing open top bodies in industrial vehicles
Control device for both opening and closing the sheets or tarpaulins used to cover the open top bodies in the industrial, agricultural and/or similar vehicles wherein driving pulleys (6a-6b) are set in motion by means of bevel gears (7a, 7b and 7c), wherein the gear (7a) with the first driving pulley (6a) and the gear (7c) with a second driving pulley (6b) are mounted coaxially one in front of the other on the opposite sides of the central bevel gear (7b) which is manually driven by means of the crank (81) and its driving shaft (8), and in that the lengths of the cable rings (3c and 3f) driven by the driving pulleys which extend between additional pulleys (5d-5′d and 5s-5′s) are disposed parallel one another so that the upper lateral lengths (3a) of the cable rings move in the same directions. |
| US08220857B2 |
Beam for a motor vehicle dashboard
A tubular dashboard beam (100) has a circular cross-section and extends transversely between vertical pillars of a motor vehicle. The beam is formed in one piece and has at least two different diameters (d1, d2, d3) between the two ends thereof, a larger diameter (d1) of the beam being in the region of an end (101, 102) of the beam which is intended to be located in the region of a driver's seat of the motor vehicle. At least the end at the driver's seat side which must be fixed to a vertical pillar of the motor vehicle is partially crushed so as to have a cross-section in the form of a circular arc whose chord (105) which closes the cross-section extends at one side and the other of the circular arc (106), providing a planar face whose lateral edges (109) surround the curved face of the circular arc. |
| US08220852B2 |
Tool with interchangeable work heads
A construction-grade hand tool has interchangeable tool heads that can withstand significant impact, pulling, and twisting forces. The tool heads may include a shovel, a rake, a hoe, a bow saw, a broom, a fork, pruning shears, and other construction and fire fighting tool heads. A tool head adapter securely connects these tool work heads to a handle which may be a telescoping handle. The tool head adapter is connected to the tool head in a manner that provides a strong, impact-resistant connection between the adapter and the tool head. The handle may include a shock absorber structure. The adapter is configured to be securely and tightly received by a clamping and/or quick-release receptacle on the end of the handle. |
| US08220851B1 |
Tire lifting apparatus and associated method
The tire lifting apparatus may comprise an elongated shaft having a handle formed at a proximal end thereof and further having a generally C-shaped prong formed at a distal end of the shaft. An arm preferably traverses the distal end of the shaft and is juxtaposed adjacent to said prong for balancing the wheel/tire along a diametrical face thereof. Both the shaft and the arm preferably have planar top and bottom faces for supporting the wheel/tire thereon. |
| US08220847B2 |
Closing seal and method for making the same
A closing seal and associated method include a closing body having a closing mechanism disposed therein, and receptacle retaining the closing body, and a first connecting member connected with one of the closing body and the receptacle. An insertion member is connected with the first connecting member and shaped for insertion into the closing member to retain the same in place. A second connecting member is connected with one of the closing body, the receptacle and the insertion member, and includes a through aperture through which the insertion member passes when the closing seal is closed. |
| US08220846B2 |
Latch for tiltable sash windows
A latch is provided for use principally on a pivotal sash window of a double-hung sash window assembly. The latch comprises a latch-bolt slidably mounted within and biased relative to a housing, where the housing is mounted to the top rail of the sash window. The latch bolt is connected to a button for manual actuation of the latch bolt. The latch bolt, while maintaining the convenience and utility of a standard short throw latch, is contoured and designed to maintain engagement with the jam after the window has been deformed under high sustained wind loading typically experienced during extreme weather phenomena such as hurricanes and tornados. The engagement is assured in spite of twisting of the latch bolt within the corresponding opening in the jam. |
| US08220845B2 |
Exhaust manifold clamp apparatus
Embodiments include a clamp apparatus for use in facilitating repair of an exhaust manifold. Some exemplary embodiments of the clamp may include a frame that includes an aperture that is adapted to be secured around a protrusion of an exhaust manifold. Additionally, the clamp may include a fastener secured to the frame that is adapted to join with an exhaust pipe flange having mating holes for receiving the fastener or each clamp. Two clamps are used in one exemplary embodiment. |
| US08220844B2 |
Threaded element of a component with opposed threading portions and corresponding tubular threaded connection
A threaded element of a component includes at least first and second threading portions each including threads each including a stabbing flank and a loading flank. The stabbing flanks and loading flanks of the threads of the first threading portion and the threads of the second threading portion are inclined in an opposed manner with respect to the radial direction. |
| US08220843B2 |
Sealing joint for connecting adjoining duct pieces in an engine exhaust system
An engine exhaust system comprises duct pieces and a thermally expandable sealing joint for interconnecting their adjoining ends. The sealing joint comprises a tubular body including a first axial end portion, a second axial end portion, and a bridge portion extending therebetween. The first end portion is at least partially positioned within a female recess of the first duct piece and the second end portion is at least partially positioned with a female recess of the second duct piece. The bridge portion can extend across a gap and/or it can be positioned partially within female recesses. Upon thermal activation, the sealing joint radially expands permanently to engage the inner radial surfaces of the duct pieces. |
| US08220842B2 |
Threaded tubular connection which is resistant to bending stresses
A threaded tubular connection is provided. The connection includes a male tubular element provided with a male threaded portion and a female tubular element provided with a female threaded portion. The male threaded portion and the female threaded portion each include self-locking threads having a crest, a load flank, a stabbing flank and a root, a load flank lead of the self-locking threads being larger than a stabbing flank lead of the self-locking threads such that in a tightened position of the threaded tubular connection, the load flanks and the stabbing flanks of the male self-locking threads are engaged in tight contact with the load flanks and the stabbing flanks of the female self-locking threads. A transfer zone is axially disposed between the threaded portions and a free end of at least one of the tubular elements, while being axially spaced from the threaded portions. |
| US08220839B2 |
Pipe insert
A pipe insert providing a connection between pipe ends allowing fluid flow access between the pipe ends. The pipe insert having a central section with an internal thread that extends along the length of the central section and outer sections having inner and outer threaded ends. The inner threads allow attaching of the outer section into the central section so that the pipe insert may vary the relative displacement between the free ends of the pipe insert to correspond to the spacing between the pipe ends. The outer threaded ends having a releasably attaching connection to the outer section to provide a connection between the spaced pipe ends. The pipe insert is particularly useful during replacement of an appliance located between the pipe ends. The pipe insert is adapted to receive flow control and/or sensing element for measurement of fluid flow between the pipe ends. |
| US08220838B2 |
Irrigation pipe connector
An irrigation pipe connector has a core that is adapted to connect to an irrigation element and a wing that is attachable to a wall of a pipe. The wing is provided with resiliency to allow the connector to deform in response to changing fluid pressures in the pipe. In addition, the wing may be provided with a thin segment in order to reduce potential damage during welding of the wing to the wall of the pipe. |
| US08220830B2 |
Knee protecting airbag device
In a knee protecting airbag device (M1), an airbag (26) folded and housed below a steering column (3) is expanded and inflated while rising from the lower side of the steering column (3) along a column cover lower surface (9a) during an inflation process. The shape of the airbag having completed the inflation is in a generally plate shape capable of covering at least the lower surface of the column cover. Even if the knee of the driver comes close to the column cover when the driver depressing a brake pedal, therefore, the airbag being expanded and inflated goes smoothly into the clearance between the knee of the driver and the column cover lower surface. The airbag having completed the expansion and inflation protects the knee of the driver properly so that the knee may not interfere with the column cover. |
| US08220829B2 |
Roof air bag mounting structure
A roof air bag mounting structure includes a frame having a plurality of vertically open spaces therein and bolt holes at opposite ends thereof and air bag cushions provided respectively inside the spaces of the frame. A door allowing the air bag cushion to deploy is provided at the bottom of the frame, and the top surface of the frame is closed to support a deploying force of the air bag cushion. The roof air bag mounting structure can be easily assembled and reduced in weight. |
| US08220819B2 |
Front tow extended saddle
A front tow extended saddle is disclosed. The saddle allows a first towing truck to mount a second truck, facing forward, behind the first truck, in order to tow the second truck to a distant location. The saddle allows the towed truck to face forward during transport, thus allowing for the normal loads and stresses of movement on the towed truck. This configuration is preferable to movement with the towed truck facing-rearward, in which the typical aerodynamic surfaces of a large truck act as a drag during transport, imposing high wind loads and unusual stresses. The front tow extended saddle is also designed to minimize the required vertical rise on the towed truck, which also avoids additional stresses during loading and unloading onto the towing truck. |
| US08220815B2 |
Airfoil shape for bicycle
The bicycle may have a frame and a seat post. A cross section of the seat post may have an airfoil shape wherein a leading surface is sharper (i.e. less round) compared to prior art airfoil shaped bicycle frames. Additionally, a maximum thickness of the airfoil shape may be located more rearward compared to prior art airfoil shaped bicycle frames and bicycle front forks. This configuration may provide for a reduction in drag. A battery pack may be mounted to a rear side of the seat post. |
| US08220814B1 |
Bicycle propelled by stepping motion
A bicycle propelled by stepping motion comprises a frame, forward and rear wheels, and a steering wheel. A pair of elongate pedals extend rearward from a pivot connection to the frame. An axle is mounted for rotation to the frame and has a crank arm at either end. A drive sprocket is fixed to the axle for rotation in a vertical plane, and an endless chain couples the drive sprocket to a rear wheel sprocket. Each pedal carries a connecting structure that receives an associated connecting element that extends horizontally from one of the crank arms. The connecting structure defines an arcuate path along which the associated connecting element is constrained to displace. The path is so shaped that the connecting structure engages the connecting element with a contacting surface oriented normal to the circle which the connecting element is constrained to follow by virtue of connection to the crank arm. Less force is misdirected and smoother operation is obtained. |
| US08220813B2 |
Pedal-driven scooter
A pedal-driven scooter includes a frame, a head tube, a driving mechanism and two pedals. The pedals can move alternatingly to power the driving mechanism and making the rear wheels to roll. Therefore, a user can standing on the pedals to operate the scooter without kicking the floor as the conventional scooter. |
| US08220810B2 |
Countersteering rear axle of a vehicle
A countersteering vehicle rear axle induces a rotational motion of a wheel carrier about a virtual spread axis in the toe-in direction under the influence of a lateral force on the outside cornering wheel mounted on the wheel carrier. A support member exhibits a section, which extends essentially parallel to the plane of the wheel carrier, and a section, which is connected, when viewed in the direction of travel, to former section behind the wheel center point and extends essentially in the transverse direction of the vehicle. In a lateral projection, the support member is inclined in relation to the vertical direction in essentially the same way as the virtual spread axis. This support member is supported at least on the free ends of a sheet metal support plate, which in a lateral projection is approximately U-shaped and which in turn is mounted on the axle body. |
| US08220807B2 |
Passive antiroll device for the suspension of a motor vehicle, and a suspension incorporating it
An antiroll device for the suspension of a motor vehicle comprises a torsion bar and two lateral links articulated to this bar and to two lateral shock absorbers. At least one of the links (9) is telescopic and includes a piston (13) mounted so it can slide in a piston tube (14) via a rod (15) connected to the hinge connecting the link to the adjacent shock absorber, the piston being mobile due to the movement of this connection and cooperating in compression with return means (17) housed inside the said tube. The return means include two compressible stop components (18 and 19) which are designed to impart to the link a progressive stiffness which increases with the amplitude of the movements of the axis of the adjacent wheel (2a), so that this wheel is substantially uncoupled from the torsion bar or coupled to it for small or large-amplitude movements respectively. |
| US08220805B2 |
Gripping method for turbocharger housing and work gripping device
[Problems]A gripping method for a turbocharger housing and a work gripping device that can accurately grip an inner diameter using a reference for shape during casting when processing.[Means for Solving Problems]In a gripping method of a turbocharger housing W, an end surface Y of a large diameter hole 22 facing a small diameter hole 25 is used for positioning in an axial direction. The inner diameter of the large diameter hole 22 is then gripped. A work gripping device 1 includes a cylindrical body 2, a plunger 3 that moves back and forth along an axial direction of the body 2, a jaw 4 that moves in a radial direction of the body 2 in tandem with the plunger 3, and a pusher 6 that presses the work W in a direction away from the body 2 in accompaniment with movement of the plunger 3. The jaw 4 includes a gripping surface 24 that grips the work W and a contact surface 5 that projects in an outward radial direction from an end edge of the gripping surface 24 away from the body 2. The pusher 6 presses the work W to the contact surface 5 and the work W is gripped. |
| US08220801B2 |
Front mechanical seal for pumps
A front mechanical seal for pumps with frictional rings and fluid lubrication includes a rotary seal mounted on a support collar, which is formed of a first collar, and a second collar prismatically coupled by means of one or more tongues which are formed on the second collar and contained in corresponding housings on the first collar. |
| US08220797B2 |
Image recording apparatus
An image recording apparatus, including: a recording head configured to record an image on a recording medium; a conveying mechanism disposed so as to face the recording head and configured to convey the recording medium in a medium conveyance direction that is substantially horizontal; a retaining portion disposed configured to hold and retain the recording medium on which the image has been recorded by the recording head, such that the recording medium is held and retained in a substantially horizontal posture; and a medium receiving portion to which the recording medium on which the image has been recorded by the recording head is discharged, wherein the recording head, the retaining portion, and the medium receiving portion are arranged in a vertical direction. |
| US08220796B2 |
Sheet output device and original sheet transporting device
A sheet output device includes a sheet receiver and a group of rollers. The group of rollers includes a plurality of output rollers arranged in the widthwise direction of the sheet and a plurality of pinch rollers arranged upward of the plurality of output rollers. The plurality of pinch rollers pinch the sheet with the plurality of output rollers and transport the sheet onto the sheet receiver. The sheet output device further includes at least one corrugation roller which is disposed between corresponding two of the plurality of output rollers and which has a diameter larger than the plurality of output rollers. The plurality of output rollers are rotatable relatively with respect to the at least one corrugation roller. The at least one corrugation roller rotates by being pushed by a leading end of the transported sheet. |
| US08220787B2 |
Part mounting device
A part mounting apparatus of the invention comprises: a pickup head having a pickup tool for picking up a part; a pickup head supporting unit for supporting the pickup head; a pickup head supporting arm having one end portion where the pickup head is disposed and an other end portion rotatably mounted to the pickup head supporting unit; a pickup head inverting unit for vertically inverting the pickup head with respect to the pickup head supporting unit; and a pickup tool rotating unit for rotating the pickup tool about a rotational axis of the pickup tool, wherein the pickup tool rotating unit includes driving force generating unit and driving force transmitting unit for transmitting a driving force of the driving force generating unit as a rotational force of the pickup tool, and the driving force generating unit is disposed on the pickup head supporting unit. |
| US08220784B2 |
Ventilation of drainage system for frame engine evaporative cooler
An evaporative cooler for cooling air includes a cooling housing having an air inlet and an air outlet and an evaporation media, located within the cooling housing intermediate the air inlet and the air outlet for air flow there through and for receiving water to permit evaporation of at least some water. The evaporative cooler includes a drain pan located within the cooling housing and below the evaporation media to catch water which has not evaporated and falling from the evaporation media and a sump located within the cooling housing and below the drain pan for collecting water for use in supplying water to the evaporation media. The evaporative cooler includes a pipe connecting the drain pan to the sump for water movement from the drain pan to the sump and an air vent located within the cooling housing and connected to the pipe, the air vent being open to air within the cooling housing and above the drain pan to permit release of air from within the pipe. |
| US08220782B2 |
Humidifier
This invention is a humidifier used to increase and maintain the humidity of a musical instrument, such as a guitar. The humidifier is a container made of a water vapor permeable material that contains a water absorbent material such as acrylate polymer. The container is held within the body of the instrument by being mounted onto the strings of the instrument. The container is filled with water by an opening that is sealed with a cap. The water absorbent material can hold water without dripping, but will allow the water to evaporate. |
| US08220781B2 |
Fence post connection
A fence-frame-to-post connector comprises two separate members joined by one or more fasteners separate from the members. One member is attached to the fence frame with additional fasteners separate from those used to join the two members and also separate from the connector. One of the fasteners that joins the two members of the connector can be a hinge that is preferably made by a key tab and key slot combination in which the key pivots in the keyhole. |
| US08220770B2 |
Domestic appliance with height adjustable foot
A domestic appliance, in particular a domestic dishwasher, having at least one height-adjustable foot. According to an embodiment the invention, the foot comprises sections with essentially different coefficients of static friction. |
| US08220765B2 |
Spring counterbalance for rotating load
A counterbalance mechanism counterbalances an eccentric mass on a rotating shaft supported by a frame. A first pulley is coupled to and concentric with the shaft. An arm is coupled to the shaft to rotatably support a second at a first distance from the first pulley. A third pulley is fixedly coupled to the frame at a second distance from the first pulley. A fourth pulley is rotatably coupled to and concentric with the third pulley. A spring is fixed at a first end to the frame and has a second end that is coupled to the fourth pulley such that the spring provides a restoring force as the fourth pulley is rotated. A first cable has a first end that is coupled to the fourth pulley and a second end that is coupled to the frame through the third pulley after passing over the first and second pulleys. |
| US08220760B2 |
Household appliance having a height-adjusting device for an appliance pedestal
A household appliance, particularly a dishwasher or washing machine, having a height-adjusting device for an appliance pedestal. The height-adjusting device may include at least one drive gear engaged with a transmission drive converting the rotary motion of the drive gear into a lift motion of the appliance pedestal. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the drive gear includes a torque-limiting element operable to enable a deflecting motion of the drive gear from an operating position when a limit torque is exceeded, and which releases the engagement between the drive gear and the transmission drive. |
| US08220759B2 |
Terminal apparatus having tilting mechanism
A terminal apparatus includes a portion (12) having an operation portion, a pedestal (20) which holds the main-body base portion (12) so as to be tiltable, a hook (31) which fixes the main-body base portion (12) in a tilting state at plural predetermined angles, a tooth row (224) which has teeth and engages with the hook (31) to fix the main-body base portion (12) in the tilting state at plural predetermined angles, a cam (33) which moves within the main-body base portion (12) in accordance with the tilt angle of the main-body base portion (12), and a cam control groove (226) which controls the movement of the cam (33), wherein when the hook (31) moves over the tooth at the uppermost step of the tooth row (224), the hook rides on the cam (33) thereby to release the engagement with the tooth row (224), then the hook moves downward in a state of riding on the cam (33), then the main-body base portion (12) releases the tilting and moves downward to restore to an initial position. |
| US08220754B2 |
Plasma enhanced riblet
An object moving through a fluid uses plasma to keep turbulent mixing vortices associated with turbulent air away from the majority of the surface of the object. The plasma may be used to enhance physical riblets, or the plasma may create a virtual riblet. |
| US08220750B2 |
Infrared communication power drive unit and method for activating same in an aircraft cargo loading system
An air cargo loading system also includes a controller, a main control panel and a plurality of PDUs (PDUs), at least the controller and the PDUs being connected by a wired network. Each PDU has a motor, at least one driver roller element coupled to said motor, a light source, a light detector, and a processor. The light detector of each PDU is configured to receive and process an incoming coded light signal from a wireless remote control handset. The PDU's processor determines whether the received coded light signal is a valid command signal and, if so, provides a command information signal to the controller via the wired network. The controller decodes the command information signal and, in view of its knowledge of container locations, various switch settings and other status information, the controller then sends the appropriate control signals to turn on the required PDUs in response thereto. Because wireless remote handsets are used to communicate with the controller, the air cargo system may either be wholly devoid of local control panels or, have only a very small number of local control panels. |
| US08220747B2 |
System and method for a fuel bladder assembly with internal netting
Systems and methods provide for a flexible fuel bladder assembly disposed to store fuel and supply the fuel to a vehicle. The flexible fuel bladder assembly may include: a fuel bladder including a fuel-resistant film disposed to store the fuel and supply the fuel therefrom at a manifold assembly connected thereto; and a netting disposed within the fuel bladder and disposed to prevent collapsing of any two or more sides of the fuel bladder upon each other and permit a substantial portion of the fuel to be supplied from the fuel bladder to the manifold assembly in an uninterrupted fashion until the substantial portion of fuel is removed from the fuel bladder. The flexible fuel bladder may be used in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which may be any one of: an organic air vehicle (OAV), a micro air vehicle (MAV), an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) or an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV). |
| US08220746B1 |
Broad speed range inflatable drogue canopy
A refueling system on an aircraft comprises a fuel hose coupled to the aircraft, a drogue coupled to the fuel hose, an air data computer, and a drogue canopy controller coupled to the drogue canopy. The drogue further comprises a coupling, a plurality of vanes, and a drogue canopy. The drogue canopy controller determines a selected surface area of the drogue canopy based on air speed. The drogue canopy controller is configured to modify a surface area of the drogue canopy to conform to the appropriate surface area. |
| US08220742B2 |
Assembly and method for stowing away and removing a survival kit in a passenger cabin of an aircraft
An assembly for stowing away and removing a survival kit in a passenger cabin of an aircraft, includes a first stowage compartment configured to be put in place in a floor of the passenger cabin. The first stowage compartment is equipped for completely accommodating the survival kit and for leading out a hook that is connected to the survival kit by way of a strap. The hook is used for hooking the survival kit to an attachment device of a rescue device with the first stowage compartment remaining closed. |
| US08220738B2 |
Nacelle and method of assembling the same
A method of assembling a nacelle for a gas turbine engine that includes an inlet end, an exhaust end, and an axis that extends through the engine from the inlet end through the exhaust end is provided. The method includes providing a cowl sized to cover at least a portion of the engine and coupling the cowl to the engine such that the cowl is slideable along the axis toward at least one of the inlet end and the exhaust end. |
| US08220736B2 |
Web separator with reverse rotation mechanism for tissue paper winding machine
A tissue paper winding machine includes a first winding roller and a web separator arranged below the first winding roller. A tissue paper is fed into the winding machine to bear against a lower circumferential surface of the first winding roller and moves along a predetermined feeding direction for winding around a core. The web separator includes a pivot shaft, at least one pinch arm having a connecting end connected to the pivot shaft and a pressing end radially outward extended from the pivot shaft, and a driving mechanism for driving the pinch arm to turn about the pivot shaft reverse to the feeding direction of the tissue paper. When the pressing end of the pinch arm is turned to a separation position, it cooperates with the first winding roller to clamp the tissue paper therebetween, and applies a reverse pulling force to split the tissue paper. |
| US08220731B2 |
Food waste disposer and threaded mount system
A food waste disposer and mount system has a threaded sink flange and a food waste disposer. The threaded sink flange has a tubular body portion and a flange portion extending radially outwardly from a top of the tubular body portion. The tubular body portion has a threaded portion. The food waste disposer has an upper food conveying section that includes a housing having an upper, annular portion having a threaded portion. The upper, annular portion of the housing of the upper food conveying section is threaded to the threaded portion of the tubular body portion of the threaded sink flange when the threaded sink flange is disposed in a draining opening of a sink to mount the food waste disposer to the sink. |
| US08220728B2 |
Method and apparatus for separating glass and plastic foils in laminated glass
In a facility and a method for separating glass residues from PVB-film, comminuted material is passed through several process steps, where treating with beaters (12) in a chamber (2) is effected in one of the first steps. At the discharge end (18) of the chamber there is arranged a separation, as heavy particular material can be discharged through a perforated bottom section (19) in the chamber (2). Through an air inlet (22) at the side (15) of the chamber, air is drawn in induced by a ventilator-like impeller rotor (28) drawing air in through a central opening (26) spaced apart from the bottom section (19). Thereby, light film-like materials are carried away from the heavy particles. |
| US08220726B2 |
Adjustable module spray head and adjusting method thereof
An adjustable module spray head and adjusting method thereof comprises a module core unit having a holder, a distributing set rotating relative to the holder, two plugs, and a rotatable positioning structure between the holder and the distributing set; the module core unit is used to assembled with various spray heads with different watering levels to meet different demands by selecting an installing position of a levering pin of the rotatable positioning structure and by removing at least one stator or a rotor of the adjustable levering assembly. |
| US08220725B2 |
Universal dispensing system for air assisted extrusion of liquid filaments
A system for dispensing liquid material with different configurations of air assisted fiberization or filament movement (e.g., meltblowing, controlled fiberization). In particular, front access for mounting a selected nozzle only requires adjustment of one lever and one fastener. Features of the lever and nozzle allow assisted ejection of the nozzle, even when the nozzle has become adhered to a die body through use. In addition, a nozzle mounting surface of the die body provides a universal interface to the various types of nozzles. An air cavity in the die body and air troughs in selected types of nozzles balance and adjust air flow. |
| US08220723B2 |
Gear driven sprinkler with top turbine
A sprinkler comprises a nozzle, a turbine and a gear train reduction. The gear train reduction has an output stage that is coupled to the nozzle. The turbine is located between the nozzle and the gear train reduction and is coupled to an input stage of the gear train reduction. |
| US08220722B1 |
Thermal sensor shower monitor
The present invention relates to a shower monitor to alert a person how long they have been in the shower by emitting a short audible sound at preset intervals and by emitting a continuous audible sound when a preset time limit has been reached. The shower monitor is provided with security features to prevent unauthorized users from by passing the device. The monitor may have a liquid crystal display providing a visual indication of the time remaining. The monitor has a thermal sensor for activation of a timing cycle. The monitor may employ a flow sensor in combination with or in lieu of the thermal sensor for activation of the timing cycle. |
| US08220721B2 |
Wireless interface circuits for wired thermostats and electrical service demand management
A wireless interface circuit can include an electrical relay circuit that is configured for coupling to a separate wired thermostat circuit that is separately housed apart from the wireless interface circuit, where an input to the electrical relay circuit is configured for coupling to an electrical conductor provided between the separate wired thermostat circuit and the electrical relay circuit. A processor circuit is electrically coupled to the electrical relay circuit and is configured to control a state of the electrical relay circuit based on messages received via a wireless interface from a local system located at a location of a customer of an electrical service provider. |
| US08220720B2 |
Thermostatic valve for cooling system of an internal combustion engine
A thermostatic valve for a cooling system in an internal combustion engine. The valve includes a common short-circuit element (21) having a short circuit valve gate (26) and a short circuit valve disc (25) and is arranged upstream in the extending direction of the thermostatic working element (16). A common valve seat is provided, wherein an overpressure valve (32) opening into the mixing chamber (15) is provided in the common valve seat. |
| US08220718B2 |
Method for post-manufacturing data transfer to and from a sealed device
The present invention is directed towards authentication tokens that are completely embedded in a non-conductive enclosure. The invention is based on the insight that it would be advantageous to separate the electronic data personalization of such tokens from the visual device personalization. The present application concerns an authentication token that allows communication with an external unit after the production of the nonconductive enclosure, in order to transmit or receive device identification data. As this communication need only take place during the manufacturing process, a low-power close-range transmission technique such as inductive coupling, capacitive coupling, or RFID communication suffices for this purpose. Accordingly, the present application discloses a method for manufacturing authentication tokens, and a token manufactured according to said method.teh |
| US08220715B2 |
Media storage apparatus and media processing apparatus
A first in-feed roller (49) and a pressure roller (80) are disposed to the first check storage unit (11) of a check processing apparatus (1). A first pressure member (85) that is urged toward the first in-feed roller (49) is pivotably attached to the pressure roller (80). When a check (4) is conveyed and the check (4) moves completely passed the nipping position (49A) of the first in-feed roller (49), the trailing end (4d) part of the check (4) is pressed by the first pressure member (85) to the first in-feed roller (49). The check (4) is thus dependably fed into the check storage unit, the trailing end (4d) of the check is pushed sideways by the first pressure member (85), and the trailing end (4d) will not interfere with the next check (4). |
| US08220713B2 |
Illumination driver circuit for using in imaging-based barcode reader
Illumination driver circuit for using in an imaging-based barcode reader is configured to provide the driving current for the illumination source with a Buck regulator when the driving current is above a threshold current value and to provide the driving current for the illumination source with a linear regulator when the driving current is not above the threshold current value. The threshold current value is substantially close to the smallest current the Buck regulator operative to provide when operating in a continuous mode. |
| US08220706B1 |
Banking system controlled responsive to data bearing records
An automated banking machine operates to cause financial transfers responsive to data read from data bearing records. The machine includes a card reader that reads card data from a card of a machine user. The card data may be linked in a data store to both a customer's financial account and a cell phone assigned to that customer. The automated banking machine user may provide inputs to the machine via one or more sensors that operate to determine where on a display of the machine at least one eye of the machine user is looking. |
| US08220704B2 |
Methods for low cost manufacturing of complex layered materials and device
A process for manufacturing a device includes performing a plurality of non-bonding processes during at least one web-based manufacturing stage and during at least one sheet-based manufacturing stage. The processes may be performed by a plurality of modules. The modules may be independently controlled and/or monitored. The modules may be interchangeable. One or more modules may receive and/or pass material to another module. The devices that are manufactured may be a layered device, a smart card, a sensor, an actuator, an in vitro diagnostic device, a microfluidic device, or a laminar product. An apparatus for manufacturing device includes at least one web-based manufacturing component and at least one sheet-based manufacturing component. The at least one web-based manufacturing component and the at least one sheet-based manufacturing component are configured to perform a plurality of non-bonding processes. |
| US08220703B2 |
Secure mailbox for parcels and method of construction thereof
A secure mailbox for parcels and method of construction thereof are presented. A mail shelf is affixed to an inner surface of a housing. An inner door is pivotably affixed to a bottom surface of the mail shelf and is rotatably movable on a top edge around a sphere of rotation defined by a bottom edge. A mail deposit having an outer door and inner door is constructed. The outer door is pivotably affixed to a front surface of the housing and is rotatably moveable on a bottom edge. The inner panel is affixed to the bottom edge of the outer door and includes a distal edge defining a sphere of rotation which is rotatably distinct from the sphere of rotation for the inner door. At least one connecting member is rotatably attached on one end to the inner door and on the other end to the mail deposit. |
| US08220702B2 |
Carton having novel opening features
Cartons have dispensing features that enable containers or other articles to be selectively dispensed from the cartons while preventing inadvertent escape of the articles from the cartons. |
| US08220701B2 |
Cartons, packages, blanks, and containers having dispensing and opening features
A carton, package, or container formed from a blank and that include a film or other moisture resistant lining applied thereto are described. The film is adhered to the inside panels of the carton, package, or container. The carton, package, or container are capable of receiving a lid and contents therein when formed. The cartons, packages, and containers include reclosable features and may be sealed against moisture and other environmental factors. |
| US08220698B2 |
Brazing method and corresponding device
The present invention relates to a method of brazing two materials (1, 2) together using a filler metal (3), which comprises the following steps: the filler metal is placed between the two contacting materials in a brazing zone where they are intended to be joined; on at least one of the two materials, which is mounted so as to move, a stress force is exerted along each of the directions of expansion provided for the two materials; the assembly in the brazing zone is brought to what is called a brazing temperature, which is both above the melting point of the filler metal and below the melting point of each of the two materials; during the temperature rise, the forces exerted on the materials to be assembled are gradually reduced as said materials expand, so that there is substantially no longer a force exerted on the materials when the brazing temperature is reached; and, once the filler metal has melted and wetted each material to be assembled, the assembly is cooled so as to solidify the filler metal, which therefore provides a bond between the two materials. The invention also relates to a device for implementing said method. |
| US08220697B2 |
Weldability of alloys with directionally-solidified grain structure
A method of welding alloys having directionally-solidified grain structure. The methods improve the weldability of these alloys by creating a localized region of fine grain structure, wherein the welding occurs in these localized regions. The localized regions are formed by applying strain energy using a variety of different methods, such as by hammer peening, laser peening or sand blasting. Then, a heat treatment step may be used to create recrystallized grains having the fine grain structure. The region of fine grain structure provides better weldability. |
| US08220689B2 |
Device and method for delivering shape-memory staples
An apparatus comprising a plurality of chambers for receiving an associated plurality of staples, each formed with a shape memory that allows the staple to adopt a straightened configuration, when placed in a stapler, and a deployed configuration for suturing when released from the stapler; and a sleeve moveable relative to the chambers between a first position, in which the staples are trapped by the sleeve within the chambers in the straightened configuration, and a second position, whereby the staples are freed to adopt the deployed configuration, wherein the sleeve is adapted to move between the first and second positions by rotating relative to the chambers. |
| US08220687B2 |
Nailing drive guide mechanism for nailing machine
A ratchet member 23, which is provide with a slope 24 for guiding a tip end of a nail inclined to a rear side of an ejection opening 7 into the ejection openings 7 and 16, and a guide surface 25 for guiding the tip end of a nail to the center of each of the ejection openings 7 and 16, is provided on a rear side of ejection openings 7 and 16 and urged so that a guide surface 25 of the ratchet member 23 enters the ejection openings 7 and 16. |
| US08220684B1 |
Apparatus for dispensing paper toweling
Apparatus for dispensing paper toweling from a roll of paper toweling includes structure including a fixed cutter blade and a toweling support tray at the toweling exit opening which makes it difficult to “milk” toweling from the dispenser. |
| US08220683B2 |
Drill holder tool belt
A tool belt including an inner tool receiving chamber positioned inside of an outer accessory pocket and configured to releasably contain a tool, such as a handheld drill, in an easily accessible position proximate to a user's hip. The tool belt may be configured such that the outer accessory pocket is capable of maintaining an opening of the outer accessory pocket open to permit easy access to items, such as nails, screws, and other connectors, contained in the pocket. The tool belt may also include an orifice in a bottom wall in the inner tool receiving chamber enabling a portion of a tool, such as a drill bit and a portion of a chuck drive assembly of a drill. |
| US08220682B2 |
Hunting call holder
The hunting call holder 100 comprises a pocket apron 110 comprising heavy cloth sewn together in layers 161, 163, and 165 with different levels 162, 164, and 166; with a sleeve 120 wherein a support rod 800 is placed in the sleeve 120 to prevent the collapse of the hunting call holder 100 when the hunting call holder 100 is loaded with calls and gear; and strap closers 140 are attached at opposing ends of the hunting call holder 100 for attaching the hunting call holder 100 with a structure 900 of a pop-up blind. |
| US08220677B2 |
Whistle attachment system
The present invention provides whistle attachment systems having a fixed component, a free component, two attachment mechanisms connecting the free component to the fixed component. The fixed component includes a piping piece and a flange. The free component of the whistle attachment system includes a whistle and a receiving portion, having a longitudinal axis, connected to the whistle. The receiving portion includes a longitudinal cavity configured to receive the piping piece and a slot configured to receive the flange, which form the first attachment mechanism. The second attachment mechanism includes a flexible member connecting the free component to the fixed component. |
| US08220676B1 |
Retractable tether apparatus for use with cellular telephones and associated method
A retractable tethering apparatus preferably includes a portable housing, a spring-actuated spool positioned within the housing, a flexible cord retractably wound about the spring-actuated spool, and a coupling section secured to a distal end of the cord. Such a coupling section is removably connected to the cellular telephone. Also provided is a mechanism for automatically notifying the user when the coupling section is disengaged from the housing by emitting an alert signal when the cord is unwound from the spring-actuated spool. In this manner, the coupling section may be completely disengaged from the housing when the cord is extracted from the housing. |
| US08220674B2 |
Closet hanger
An improved closet hanger for use to hang clothes on a closet bar in a closet that is more attractive than prior art hangers. The closet hanger has an upper section, having a hook member configured to engage the closet bar and a neck, and a lower section, having a hanger body connected to the neck, that supports the clothes. At least the upper section is made from a transparent acrylic material and has a design element, comprising one or more design objects, incorporated therein that it is visible above the clothes hanging on the hanger body. The clothes hanger can include a design plate attached to or integral with the upper section. The design element can be in the design plate or the design plate can comprise a second design element having a theme corresponding or contrasting the theme of the design element in the hook member and/or neck. |
| US08220669B1 |
Fluid dispense pump with drip prevention mechanism and method for controlling same
A material dispensing pump includes a drip prevention system and method so as to avoid undesired dripping of the dispensed fluid. In one example, the fluid path is sealed. Positive pressure is applied to the fluid during a dispensing operation to present the fluid to the auger-style pump at a desired rate. Between dispensing operations, or when dispensing is completed, the fluid is placed in suspension, for example by applying a negative pressure, thereby preventing the fluid from being inadvertently released at the dispense tip. In addition, following a dispensing operation, the pump dispensing controller can be programmed to reverse the rotation of the feed screw, in order to draw the material in a reverse direction and to further suspend the fluid. |
| US08220663B2 |
Multiple inlet tube dispensing system
The present invention provides a system featuring a dispenser for providing fluid from multiple reservoirs to an appliance or other suitable device; and a multiple tubing arrangement coupled between the dispenser and the multiple reservoirs of fluid, the multiple tubing arrangement being responsive to a vacuum provided from the dispenser, for drawing the fluid from the multiple reservoirs so as to deplete the multiple reservoirs at relatively equal amounts based on the Venturi effect. The multiple tubing arrangement comprises a primary inlet tube for arranging in a primary reservoir, an auxiliary inlet tube for arranging in an auxiliary reservoir, and a feed connector tube arranged between the primary inlet tube and auxiliary inlet tube. The primary inlet tube is coupled to the auxiliary inlet tube so as to provide a proportional vacuum and siphoning effect. The multiple tubing arrangement siphons and depletes the fluid from the primary reservoir and the auxiliary reservoir based on the Venturi effect. |
| US08220659B2 |
Facial tissue product with a clip riser
A tissue product, which includes a carton and a stack of tissues, is provided with a flattened arched-shaped sheet that supports the stack of tissues. As the tissues are withdrawn from the carton and the weight of the tissue stack is reduced, the flattened arch-shaped sheet gradually assumes its normal arched shape, thereby raising the stack of tissues within the carton. Raising the stack substantially reduces or eliminates “fall-back”, which is a common dispensing problem, as the stack height is reduced. |
| US08220655B2 |
Hanging tray for single open beverage
A suspended tray apparatus for avoiding spillage while carrying a single open container of liquid such as a mug of coffee or a cup of tea. The apparatus of the present invention is comprised of a tray on which the beverage is placed and a rigid element extending from the side of the tray and curved such that the outer end is centered above the tray and container; a hole or other method of attaching a cord or chain to the upper end of the rigid element, allowing the tray to hang from a loop or handle, held by a person, at the upper end of the chord or chain. |
| US08220649B2 |
Venting liner and method
A venting liner is connectable in fluid communication between a closure and an interior of a device for venting gas from the interior into the ambient atmosphere. The venting liner has an outer foam layer defining an inner surface and an outer surface, a plurality of fluid-flow apertures spaced relative to each other, extending between the inner and outer surfaces, and forming substantially vertical fluid-flow paths through the outer layer, and a plurality of relatively raised portions extending outwardly relative to the outer surface adjacent to respective fluid-flow apertures. A plurality of the relatively raised portions are engageable with the closure, define a substantially horizontal, tortuous fluid-flow path between the outer surface and the closure, and are in fluid communication with a plurality of fluid-flow apertures for venting gas flowing substantially vertically through the fluid-flow aperture(s) and, in turn, substantially horizontally between the outer surface and the closure. An inner layer defines a plurality of pores in fluid communication with a plurality of the fluid-flow apertures of the outer layer that substantially prevent the flow of liquid through the inner layer and allow the flow of gas from the interior of the device through the pores, into a plurality of the fluid-flow apertures and, in turn, through the substantially horizontal fluid-flow path and into the ambient atmosphere. |
| US08220648B2 |
Folded slatwall inserts
A folded slatwall insert is provided. A slatwall cover is illustrated anchored to a typical slatwall and covering at least one slat of the slatwall. A folded slatwall insert as disclosed prevents surface damage to a typical slatwall, allows for rapid and cost effective customization of the aesthetics of the slatwall, and can be used to mount custom graphics to the slatwall. |
| US08220646B2 |
Low thermal mass semiconductor wafer plate
A support for a semiconductor wafer includes a plate having a support surface for supporting the wafer and a recessed surface spaced from the support surface and spaced from the wafer. A plurality of holes extends from the recessed surface, and the support surface is free of holes to inhibit contamination of the wafer. |
| US08220642B2 |
Polysulfone-based blood treatment membrane and method of producing the same
A polysulfone-based blood treatment membrane that exhibits excellent antioxidant properties, excellent long-term storage stability, and a practical strength, and ensures high productivity, a polysulfone-based blood treatment membrane that exhibits excellent antioxidant properties and long-term storage stability, rarely allows endotoxins to enter a treatment liquid, exhibits a practical strength, and ensures high productivity, and a method of producing the same. A polysulfone-based blood treatment membrane includes a polysulfone-based resin, a hydrophilic polymer, and a lipophilic antioxidant, the membrane containing the lipophilic antioxidant in an amount of 30 to 76 mg per gram of the membrane, and the total amount of the lipophilic antioxidant present on the surface of the membrane being 4 to 25 mg per gram of the membrane. Another polysulfone-based blood treatment membrane contains a lipophilic antioxidant in an amount of 30 to 76 mg per gram of the membrane, wherein the inner surface of the membrane has a TOF-SIMS normalized peak intensity of the lipophilic antioxidant of 1.8.times.10.sup.-4 or more, and the outer surface of the membrane has a TOF-SIMS normalized peak intensity of the lipophilic antioxidant of 2.4.times.10.sup.-4 or more. A method of producing a polysulfone-based blood treatment membrane that includes a polysulfone-based resin, a hydrophilic polymer, and a lipophilic antioxidant includes producing a membrane intermediate that contains the lipophilic antioxidant in an amount of 30 to 76 mg per gram of the membrane intermediate, and heating the membrane intermediate at 100 to 180.degree. C. for 0.1 to 360 minutes in a dry state. |
| US08220641B2 |
Filter module and process for manufacture of same
A filter module comprises a body of wound layers of a sheet material, said body having inner and outer peripheral surfaces, a winding axis and a passage along the winding axis and in fluid communication with the inner peripheral surface, the sheet material having openings forming two channel types from the inner to the outer peripheral surfaces, a first channel type open at the outer peripheral surface and closed adjacent to the inner peripheral surface, a second channel type open at the inner peripheral surface, in fluid communication with the passage and closed adjacent to the outer peripheral surface, the two channel types separated from each other by sheet material, one channel type being inlet channels communicating with an inlet, the other channel type being outlet channels communicating with an outlet, the edge of the inlet channel openings having a thickness less than the thickness remote from those openings. |
| US08220640B2 |
Stack-disk filter cartridge
One embodiment is a replaceable filter cartridge including a plurality of stacked disks of filter media extending between a first endplate and a second endplate. A plurality of frame members extend axially between and connect the first endplate to the second endplate. The cartridge includes a compression assembly supported by the first endplate. The compression assembly includes at least one compression member operable to impart a compression force on said plurality of stacked disks of filter media thereby biasing said plurality of stacked disks of filter media in an axial direction toward the second endplate. |
| US08220636B2 |
Child-resistant multi-blister card case
A child-resistant package includes a case and blister cards. The blister cards are mounted for movement between stored positions inside the case and exposed positions outside the case. |
| US08220635B2 |
Blister belt for receiving medical and/or pharmaceutical and/or food supplement products
A blister strip for receiving medical and/or pharmaceutical and/or food supplement products, includes a roll-up single-web product carrier that can be divided into individual blister sections. The single-web product carrier has individual nests, one behind the other in its direction of transport defining a division of the blister strip for receiving single products, as well as a film-like cover for closing the nests. Each product is arranged in sealed form within a nest. Each nest has a holding chamber formed with two steps and a depression independent of the product geometry and a depression dependent on the product geometry. The depth of the product-independent depression starting from the cover on the one hand being so great that the blister strip can be laterally guided mechanically along the product-independent depression, and on the other hand being less than the thickness of the smallest product to be received within the nest. |
| US08220634B2 |
Dispensing container
A dispensing system (300) includes a packaging structure (200) and a blank (100) that is constructed to enclose the packaging structure (200). The dispensing system (300) includes a top panel (110) and a bottom panel (112) that define a tubular structure (310) and includes side flaps (120a, 120b) that are configured to extend into the tubular structure (310). The side flaps (120a, 120b) close the open sides of the tubular structure (310). |
| US08220632B2 |
Packaged absorbent product having translucent area
A packaged absorbent product including at least one absorbent article having a body surface and a garment surface. The package includes a transparent film layer and a non-white color layer disposed on the transparent film layer. The package has an opacity of 5-55%, and a speculum gloss of 0.1-90. |
| US08220631B2 |
Container and liner thereof
A container having a top cover and a bottom cover is provided, which includes a canopy disposed on the bottom cover to form therewith a space to accommodate an article. A plurality of locators is disposed on a surface of the bottom cover so that when the bottom cover is tightly combined with the top cover, the locators are clipped between the bottom cover and the top cover to orient the canopy in a fixed position. |
| US08220628B2 |
Defibrillators storage and carrying device
A storage assembly houses a defibrillator and enables would-be users to quickly (1) identify the defibrillator location and (2) carry the housed defibrillator to a user site. The storage assembly comprises a cover structure, a mounting assembly, and a defibrillator-restraining assembly. The cover structure comprises an open back, a closed front, a cover wall extending from the front to the back, a heart-shaped transverse cross-section. The cover wall spaces the front from the back and has a transverse periphery thereby defining a space sufficient to receive and house the defibrillator. The mounting assembly removably mounts the cover structure to a support wall, and the defibrillator-restraining assembly removably restrains the defibrillator as received within the cover structure. The cover structure may be nested with at least one additional cover structure for reducing space necessary for storage and the like. An optional alarm may be outfitted with the assembly. |
| US08220622B1 |
Foldable holder for absorbent pad
A holder for an absorbent pad, the pad holder having two halves with a bottom wall section bounded by a hinged side and a plurality of wall-in sides, the hinged sides of the two halves cooperating to make the pad holder foldable for packaging, shipment and storage, at least one selectively releasable locking or latching mechanism to hold the pad holder in an unfolded position during use, and a plurality of spaced-apart, selectively releasable pad attachment devices, each preferably disposed in a corner wall section, to limit relative motion between the pad holder and an absorbent pad installed inside it without pressuring any portion of the absorbent pad against the bottom wall. |
| US08220619B2 |
Method and apparatus for transporting pellet-shaped articles
A conveyer apparatus for transporting and processing pellet-shaped articles includes a conveyer and a discharge device. The conveyer includes a plurality of carrier bars to convey a plurality of articles along a predetermined conveyer path. Each carrier bar has a pocket half that cooperates with a pocket half of an adjacent carrier bar to form an article receiving pocket to receive and transport an article along the predetermined conveyer path. The discharge device is positioned with respect to the carrier bars to dislodge articles from the carrier bars. |
| US08220616B2 |
Device and method for transporting elongate food products
The present invention relates to a device for transporting elongate food products, comprising: a plurality of elongate product carriers, coupling means for parallel coupling of the product carriers and drive means for displacing the coupled product carriers over a transport path. The invention also relates to a method for displacing elongate food products over a transport path using elongate transport carriers. |
| US08220613B2 |
Stackable carrier assembly, system, and method for storing carrier assemblies
A stackable carrier assembly, carrier stacking system, and method of storing carrier assemblies is disclosed. The carrier assembly includes a base member presenting a load surface and opposite facing transfer surface. A plurality of carrier trolleys extend transversely from the load surface to engage conveyor tracks. A plurality of track sections are coupled to the load surface for receiving the carrier trolleys of another carrier assembly. The track sections are vertically aligned with the carrier trolleys. In a power and free or friction drive conveyor system, a lift device and telescoping arm can lift and stack the carrier assemblies so that track sections of one carrier assembly receive the carrier trolleys of another carrier assembly. In an overhead conveyor system, one carrier assembly can hang from the track sections of another carrier assembly. |
| US08220610B2 |
Overload protection device
An overload protection device for protecting a motor from overload is disclosed. The overload protection device includes a shaft and a load carrying member driven by the driving portion of the shaft. The shaft includes a shaft body and a driving portion on an end of the shaft body. The load carrying member includes at least one magnetic member corresponding to the driving portion. Each of the at least one magnetic member includes a first magnetic member fixed on the load carrying member and a second magnetic member rotatably fixed on the load carrying member. The first magnetic member is located between the second magnetic member and the driving portion of the shaft and the same poles of the first and second magnetic member are opposite to each other. The driving portion is engaged with the first magnetic member and impels the first magnetic member to rotate the load carrying member under the rated load of the motor. |
| US08220607B2 |
Torque limiter-incorporating one-way clutch
A length of each pocket of a cage in a circumferential direction is smaller than the sum of an outer diameter of a roller and a free length of a coil spring. The cage can rotate relative to an inner ring having cam surfaces in accordance with revolution of the rollers in an overload-applied condition, and the cage can not rotate in a direction opposite to a direction of revolution of the rollers in the overload-applied condition. |
| US08220606B2 |
Dual clutch transmission and method for controlling it
The invention relates to a dual clutch transmission with two friction clutches and a method for controlling it, where the two friction clutches are actuated utilizing electromechanical disengaging units. To counteract lockup of the dual clutch transmission in the event of a failure of an electric motor, the functional capability of the electric motors is monitored. If the function of an electric motor is deficient, a signal is generated in the control device that brings about in the program sequence of the transmission control system a disengagement of all of the gears that are situated in a sub-drivetrain whose friction clutch is actuated by the affected electric motor. In this way it is possible to prevent lockup of the dual clutch transmission during a malfunction of an electric motor during a state in which torque is being transmitted to the sub-drivetrain. |
| US08220605B2 |
Power transmission mechanism
A power transmission mechanism including at least one hydrodynamic component and a device for at least partially bridging over the transmission of power through the hydrodynamic component by means of a control device, having an actuating mechanism that can be charged by way of a chamber that is chargeable with a pressurizing agent, and at least one spring unit is interposed between the actuating mechanism and the device for at least partially bridging over the hydrodynamic component. |
| US08220603B2 |
Rotary damper with one-way clutch
A rotary damper comprises a first component, a second component mounted rotatably on the first, a braking fluid interposed, between the first and the second component, and a third component mounted rotatably on the second component. The second and the third component form a lateral support surface and a lateral shaft surface which is rotatable within the lateral support surface, rolling elements being interposed between these surfaces. The arrangement is such that, in a first direction of rotation (A), the third component can rotate freely with respect to the second, and, in a second direction of rotation (B), the third component is rigidly coupled to the second. Recesses are formed on the lateral shaft surface, these recesses accommodating corresponding rolling elements and being shaped so as to create, in the second direction of rotation, a centrifugal displacement of the rolling elements such that the elements are locked between the recesses and the lateral support surface. |
| US08220600B2 |
Internally ventilated disc brake
An internally ventilated disc brake comprising a brake disc, having two friction rings that are spaced apart by ribs. Air cooling channels are formed between the ribs with at least one heat dissipating element provided between the friction rings. The two friction rings and the heat dissipating element form an essentially integral molding so that the heat dissipating element is cast into the molding at least in certain areas. The heat dissipating element projects into at least one cooling air channel at least in certain areas and is disposed substantially in a parting plane of the molding, the parting plane extending parallel to the friction rings. |
| US08220598B2 |
Friction device for controlling force, and a friction damper comprising such a device
Friction device includes at least two members, one of which is mobile, or potentially mobile, in terms of relative displacement with respect to the other under the action of an external stimulus. The relative displacement is liable to cause the relative displacement of two friction surfaces subjected to pressing forces, so as to convert the external stimulus into a friction force and to thus control the displacement of the mobile or potentially mobile member. The pressing forces are produced by pre-stressing mechanisms and the members are able to act on the effects of the pre-stressing mechanisms so as to use the resultant effect of the relative displacement of the mobile or potentially mobile member to reduce the pressing forces. |
| US08220595B2 |
Brake pad for a disc brake
A brake pad for a disc brake, in particular for a utility or commercial vehicle, including a pad retaining spring which is designed as an arc-shaped leaf spring, can deflect radially and is fastened by way of a hood to a lining carrier plate which supports a friction lining material. The hood is formed as a separate component and has a section which is U-shaped in cross-section. A web of the hood connects its limbs which limbs are guided in parallel and at both sides of the lining carrier plate. The web bears against the pad retaining spring. The pad retaining spring is designed such that an opening is formed through which a limb of the hood is guided. |
| US08220591B2 |
Group elevator scheduling with advance traffic information
A near-optimal scheduling method for a group of elevators uses advance traffic information. More particularly, advance traffic information is used to define a snapshot problem (24) in which the objective is to improve performance for customers. To solve the snapshot problem (24), the objective function is transformed into a form to facilitate the decomposition of the problem into individual car subproblems (26). The subproblems (26) are independently solved using a two-level formulation, with passenger to car assignment (28) at the higher level, and the dispatching of individual cars (30) at the lower level. Near-optimal passenger selection and individual car routing (38) are obtained. The individual cars are then coordinated through an iterative process (40, 42) to arrive at a group control solution that achieves a near-optimal result for passengers. |
| US08220582B2 |
Working vehicle
A working vehicle includes a HST, forward and reverse pedals, a brake pedal, an intermediate link mechanism (ILM) operating in linkage with operation of the forward or reverse (F or R) pedal, a single shift rod receiving the operation from the ILM and rotating a trunnion shaft of the HST to a forward drive side and to a reverse drive side, a neutral return mechanism (NRM) having a cam plate rotating integrally with the trunnion shaft and forming a curved surface portion, a roller moving in contact with the curved surface portion, a lower return arm configured integrally with a return arm that includes the roller, and a first spring acting in a direction of returning the trunnion shaft to a neutral position, a lower return arm onto which the first spring is latched, a F pedal onto which is latched a second spring acting in a direction of returning the trunnion shaft to the neutral position when depression operation of the F or R pedals is not being performed, an ILM including a damper applying a resistance to movements of the F or R pedals, and the NRM disposed between a rear wheel and a fender of the working vehicle in side view. |
| US08220581B2 |
Subframe locating device
The invention relates to a device for locating a subframe to a vehicle body having a control hole. The device comprises a pin attached to the subframe and extending toward the vehicle body when the subframe is positioned for mounting to the vehicle body. The pin is adapted to engage the control hole to precisely align the subframe and the vehicle body. The invention also relates to a method for locating a subframe to a vehicle body having a control hole. The method comprises providing a pin on the subframe that extends toward the vehicle body when the subframe is positioned for mounting to the vehicle body, and engaging the pin with the control hole to precisely align the subframe and the vehicle body. The present invention further relates to a method for manufacturing a subframe, comprising manufacturing a subframe having one or more bosses adapted to retain locating pins, and inserting locating pins into the one or more bosses so that the locating pins extend toward a vehicle body when the subframe is positioned for mounting to the vehicle body. |
| US08220578B2 |
Construction kit and method for converting a bicycle, and bicycle
A kit can convert a non-driven wheel of a bicycle into a wheel driven by drive. The wheel includes a hub for rotatably receiving an axle the axle being mountable between the fork blades of a fork. A bicycle has a wheel converted to be driven by a drive in this manner. A method includes steps for converting a bicycle in this manner using the kit. The kit includes two supports mountable at the outer face of a fork blade having elements for being coupled with a fork blade, respectively. The supports include bearings, respectively, for rotatably receiving at least one shaft. The at least one shaft is connectable in co-rotation with the wheel to be driven. Furthermore, an arrangement for coupling at least one shaft to the drive is provided. |
| US08220576B2 |
Front end structure for automobile
A front end structure for an automobile includes a resin-made shroud panel supporting a heat exchanger. The front end structure further includes: a panel support part supporting the shroud panel against car body members; and a rearward movement allowing part allowing the heat exchanger to move rearward of the automobile relative to the panel support part when an impact load works on the shroud panel from the front of the automobile. |
| US08220570B1 |
Electric vehicle with energy producing system and method of using the same
An energy-producing system comprising an axle configured to be driven by an electric vehicle's wheels when in motion. The axle supports a series of wind-catching cups contained within an aerodynamic housing configured to direct air to the cups while also increasing the air speed. During vehicle motion, the cups are acted upon by rushing air causing the rotation of the axle such that the rotation may be transferred into energy via a generator/alternator linked thereto. A series of similarly polarized magnets integrated on said cups and proximate thereto further maintain the axle in motion during short vehicle stops. The system extends the life of the batteries between charges as well the distance the vehicle can travel between charges. |
| US08220569B2 |
Green electric vehicle utilizing multiple sources of energy
The present disclosure includes an electric vehicle without an internal combustion engine. The vehicle comprises at least one electric motor connected to a drive axle, and a plurality of rechargeable batteries to provide stored electrical energy to the motor. The batteries are recharged by multiple sources of energy. Wind energy is collected through a system including funnel-shape ducts and turbines. Solar energy is collected through a plurality of solar panels. Thermal energy radiated from a driving surface is collected with thermal receptors. The vehicle may also include a generator connected to an axle. The vehicle is provided with a management control system to regulate and combine electrical power from the wind, solar, thermal, and generator sources, and selectively direct power to the motor for driving, and the batteries for recharge. |
| US08220564B2 |
Devices and methods for dynamic boring procedure reconfiguration
Various embodiments are directed to a method of switching horizontal directional drilling procedures during bore path turning. Such methods can include identifying a hierarchal arrangement of a plurality of different boring procedures utilizing different boring techniques, the hierarchy arrangement representing boring procedures of increasing ability to bore through harder soil while changing a trajectory of a boring tool. Such methods can further include boring a first leg of a curved bore path using a boring tool connected to a drill rig by a drill string, the first leg being bored using a first boring procedure of the plurality of different boring procedures. Such methods can further include monitoring a plurality of boring parameters during boring of the first leg, the plurality of boring parameters comprising: torsional pressure of the drill string, rotational travel of the drill string, hydraulic pressure, and axial displacement. Such methods can further include switching from boring the first leg of the curved bore path using the first boring procedure to boring a second leg using a second boring procedure of the plurality of boring procedures, the switch based on one or more of the boring parameters deviating past a threshold. |
| US08220561B2 |
Power tool with torque clutch
A clutch arrangement that includes a clutch member and a follower member. The clutch member is coupled to a member of the transmission assembly that is proximate the torsional input of the transmission assembly and which must be in a non-rotating position to permit the transmission assembly to perform a torque multiplication operation. The follower member is biased into engagement with the clutch member to inhibit relative rotation therebetween. As the clutch member and the transmission member are coupled to one another, the transmission assembly is able to perform a torque multiplication operation. When, however, the torsion that is exerted onto the clutch member is sufficient to overcome the frictional engagement between the follower and clutch members, the clutch member, and the transmission member, rotate, thereby inhibiting the capability of the transmission to continue to perform the torque multiplication operation. |
| US08220559B2 |
Plough assembly for deep soil cultivation
A plough assembly (10) to be fixed to a plough frame including a transverse beam (11). The assembly (10) includes a plough shank (13) with a leading surface (14) that is generally upwardly oriented. The lower end of the shank (13) is provided with a digging adapter (24) to which there is attached a digging blade (28). Located behind the adapter (24) is a fertilizer delivery tube (33), while behind the tube (33) is a seed delivery tube (42). A seed bed is formed by a tool (43) that is in front of the tube (42), while behind the tube (42) is a press wheel (39). |
| US08220557B2 |
Aeration device
A soil aeration device may include a plurality of arcuate blades mounted to an assembly adapted to rotate and translate the blades proximate a ground surface, thereby forming aeration pockets in the soil. In certain embodiments, the arcuate tines penetrate and fracture the soil while minimizing the amount of soil lifted from the pocket deposited on the top of the soil. In various embodiments, a planetary gear assembly imparts to the tine a translational and rotational movement which creates a fractured pocket in the soil while minimizing the amount of soil lifted from the pocket and deposited on the surface of the soil. In still other embodiments, the arcuate tine may have mounted thereon a coring tube that cuts and removes a plug from the pocket formed in the soil. |
| US08220556B2 |
Cover plate for concealed sprinkler
A cover plate for a concealed sprinkler includes a member having at least one passageway section enabling heated air to pass between the cover plate and the sprinkler housing and towards the sprinkler head to permit the timely activation of the sprinkler head. In one preferred form, the passageway section is defined by at least one lip projecting from the periphery of the cover plate, away from the sprinkler head. Alternatively, the cover plate may include a peripheral rim projecting away from the sprinkler head. In another preferred embodiment, the passageway section is defined by one or more undulations formed within the cover plate, each of which define a ridge at the periphery, enabling air to pass therethrough. The cover plate is substantially planar and includes a plurality of mounting tabs upon which a fusible material is applied to adhere the cover plate to the housing of the sprinkler head. The cover plate of the present invention increases the response time of the concealed sprinkler head while maintaining a low profile, discrete appearance so as not to detract from the sidewall or other structure upon which it is supported. |
| US08220555B1 |
Downhole tool shifting mechanism and method for shifting a downhole tool
A downhole shifting mechanism having an inner tubular member, an outer tubular member, a piston, a first set of teeth, a sliding block, a body lock ring, a first flow path, and a second flow path is described herein. A downhole assembly can include the downhole shifting mechanism with a downhole tool connected to a second end of the downhole shifting mechanism. Also described is a method for shifting a downhole tool disposed within a wellbore. |
| US08220553B2 |
Subsea grease system and method of operating said system
The present invention is a method and system for supplying grease to maintain a sealed well during deployment of line, in particular braided electrical wire. The subsea grease cartridge system includes a subsea assembly; first and second grease containers filled with grease; a pump; a switch; and a restoring device to replenish grease containers. The method of operating the grease cartridge system includes: attaching first and second grease containers to the subsea assembly; applying hydraulic pressure to the first grease container; pumping the grease of the first grease container to a grease head; switching hydraulic pressure from the first grease container to the second grease container instantaneously when the first grease container becomes unable to supply grease properly; and pumping the grease of the second grease container to the grease head. The method includes replenishing containers from cartridges and switching back and forth between the filled grease containers. |
| US08220552B2 |
Method of inhibiting hydrate formation
The present invention provides a method of inhibiting formation of solid hydrates in a conduit used to contain a flowing, water-containing hydrocarbon, which method comprises introducing into said hydrocarbon in said conduit a gas which raises the pressure threshold for hydrate formation for said water-containing hydrocarbon, said gas being introduced in a manner which causes it to travel along at least part of said conduit in the direction of hydrocarbon flow. |
| US08220551B2 |
Subsea toroidal water separator
A compact, low footprint water separation system for use in subsea well operations. A subsea production tree has a vertical passage and at least one laterally extending branch. A subsea gravity separation device having a hollow toroidal body detachably is mounted around and connected to the production tree. An inlet on a first side portion of the separation device is connected to the at least one laterally extending branch of the production tree and admits production fluid. The production fluid flows through the separation device where it passes through a separation unit. After passing through a separation unit, less dense fluid is discharged through an upper outlet and more dense fluid is discharged through a lower outlet. The upper and lower outlets are positioned opposite the first side portion of the separation device. |
| US08220550B2 |
Wellhead housing bootstrap device
A running tool for coaxially setting together subsea wellhead housings, such as a high pressure wellhead housing within a low pressure wellhead housing. The tool includes a conically shaped body that is insertable within the inner most housing, a frame with a base, an axial bore and latches. The base perpendicularly rests on top of an inner housing and the latches extend from the base to connect with an outer housing. The bore is formed to accommodate the tool freely therethrough. Wedge shaped members are provided between the base and inner housing top having their wide ends contactable by the tool. Urging the tool through the bore pushes the wedges radially outward that imparts a force between the base and inner housing top in one direction. The attached latches apply an oppositely directed force onto the outer housing. |
| US08220547B2 |
Method and apparatus for multilateral multistage stimulation of a well
A method enables stimulation of a well having a plurality of lateral wellbores. The method comprises deploying fracturing equipment downhole for isolated interaction with each lateral wellbore of the plurality of lateral wellbores. The method and the fracturing equipment are designed to enable fracturing of the plurality of lateral wellbores during a single mobilization. |
| US08220542B2 |
System and method for facilitating downhole operations
A technique is provided to facilitate use of a service tool at a downhole location. The service tool has different operational configurations that can be selected and used without moving the service string. |
| US08220538B2 |
Plug
A plug for installation in a well is described, which comprises a housing (1) that carries at least two discs (5, 6) made from a brittle material which can be crushed with mechanical stress. Between at least two of the discs (5, 6) is a gas-filled cavity (15) that is in connection with a drainage channel (14) and a closing device (16) which is set up to open to release the gas from the cavity (15). Arranged in the cavity is at least one break bar 7 or a break bushing (8-12) that is set up to crush at least one of the discs (5, 6). Also arranged is a shear pin (13) that holds the discs (5, 6) apart, but which is set up to be broken when the pressure difference across at least one of the discs (5, 6) exceeds a given value. |
| US08220521B2 |
Device for darkening a cabin window
A device for darkening a cabin window, with a drive shaft (11) for moving a first shading member (6), which is guided in two guide rails (3, 4), for to and fro movement, wherein the drive shaft (11) and the guide rails (3, 4) are combined in a common mounting unit. |
| US08220520B2 |
Spring biased slide arrangement for anti-bow roller tube
A support assembly is provided for a roller tube that holds sheet material. The support assembly has opposed first and second mounts adapted to support the roller tube when rotatably coupled to the mounts. The mounts can include slides having a slide member that slides within a slide bracket. A support cradle is disposed between the first and second mounts. The support cradle is configured to support the roller tube along a length thereof. Various spring elements can be arranged to apply a force to the roller tube in an upward direction when the roller tube is positioned to dispense material therefrom in a downward direction, thereby preventing the sheet material from telescoping and/or from dragging or binding against the support cradle as it winds and/or unwinds, while also keeping the material from being wound tighter at the ends than across the rest of the roller tube. |
| US08220510B2 |
Carrying bag systems and methods with reversible flap
A carrying bag assembly comprises a bag assembly, a flap, and a first connection system. The bag assembly comprises a front panel, a rear panel, a left side panel, a right side panel, a bottom panel, and a cover panel. The bag assembly defines a bag opening and a connection pocket. The flap defines first and second flap surfaces. The flap may be in one of a first attached configuration, a second attached configuration, and a detached configuration. When in either of the first and second attached configurations, the flap may be moved between a closed configuration and an open configuration. When in one of the attached configurations, either the first or second flap surface is visible when the flap is in the closed configuration. When the flap is in either of the first or the second attached configurations, the first connection system is substantially located within the connection pocket. |
| US08220507B2 |
Dispenser and method for storing and dispensing sterile product
A dispenser is provided for the delivery of controlled, metered amounts of any of numerous different substances to humans or animals, such as medicaments, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food products, or to deliver materials that may react upon exposure to air, such as glue. Means are provided in the dispenser to effect controlled delivery of a pre-determined amount of the substance contained in the dispenser. A one-way valve is provided to hermetically seal the portion of the dispenser containing the substance to be dispensed. |
| US08220503B2 |
Automated drug preparation apparatus including drug reconstitution
An automated medication preparation system for preparing a prescribed dosage of medication in a drug delivery device includes a plurality of stations for receiving, handling and processing the drug delivery device so that the prescribed dosage of medication is delivered to the drug delivery device and a transporting device that receives and holds more than one drug delivery device and moves the drug delivery devices in a controlled manner from one station to another station. The system is configured so that two or more separate drug delivery devices can be acted upon at the same time. |
| US08220501B2 |
Method for safe filling in valve-controlled filling systems
A method for the safe filling of a product in valve-controlled filling systems having, at individual filling stations, flow measuring devices for determining the amount of filling of the product being filled, a flow value D(ti) is determined for a number of time intervals at opened filling valve and checked for significant deviations brought about by air bubble formation in the product being filled. If significant deviations occur, then the pertinent filling valve is closed prematurely. |
| US08220495B2 |
Fluid control apparatus and method for assembling the same
There is provided a fluid control apparatus which can improve assembling operation efficiency. A screw insertion hole 29 extending in a front and rear direction have a stepped portion 29a which receives a head portion 18a of a male screw member 18, and the stepped portion 29a is positioned at a position closer to an inserted tip end side of a male screw member 28 in the front and rear direction than a position, in the front and rear direction, of male screw members 34 from above. By fastening the male screw member 18 in the front and rear direction at first and then fastening the male screw member 34 from above, it is possible to prevent the male screw member 18 in the front and rear direction and the male screw member 34 from above from interfering with each other. |
| US08220492B2 |
Faucet device
A faucet device includes a fixing unit having a water supply hole and a locking groove, a valve unit coupled separably to the fixing unit, a positioning unit, and a locking unit. The valve unit is movable between a first position to be connected to the fixing unit, and a second position to be separated from the fixing unit. The valve unit is rotatable relative to the fixing unit so as to be secured to the fixing unit by the positioning unit and to unblock the water supply hole, and is further rotatable reversely so as to be separable from the fixing unit and to block the water supply hole. The locking unit includes a locking component that is biased resiliently to engage the locking groove, and that is moved by the valve unit to be disengaged from the locking groove during movement of the valve unit from the second position to the first position. |
| US08220488B2 |
Flow control valve with internal isolation means
A combination valve assembly comprises an inner valve nested within an outer valve. The outer valve comprises a housing and a closure, permitting full closure of the valve assembly. The inner valve comprises a housing and a closure, permitting flow control by the inner valve within requiring movement of the outer valve. The housing of the inner valve is keyed to the outer valve closure, so that movement of the outer valve closure rotates the inner valve housing and closure simultaneously. |
| US08220485B2 |
Pneumatic pilot valve
A pneumatic pilot valve comprises a valve body having an inlet, an outlet, a flow passage, and first and second valves arranged to control flow through the valve. The second valve includes a tapered valve seat opening into a cylindrical bore, and a thrust pin includes a tapered second part and an annular recess having a seal. The thrust pin is movable between a first position, a second position, and an intermediate position. The tapered second part of the thrust pin is arranged to engage the tapered valve seat to close the second valve when the thrust pin moves to the second position, and the resilient seal is sized to engage the cylindrical bore when the thrust pin is in the intermediate position. |
| US08220481B2 |
Fuel shutoff valve
A fuel shutoff valve includes a valve chamber, a casing, a float, and a shock absorber. The casing includes a body, a cylinder, and a seal. The float is accommodated in the valve chamber. The shock absorber includes a seat attaching to and detaching from the seal of the casing. The shock absorber includes a first arm, a second arm, a contact, and a locker. The first arm protrudes outward from the seat of the shock absorber diametrically, and exhibits elasticity. The second arm exhibits elasticity. The contact is disposed at the leading end of the second arm, and comes in contact with the float. The locker is disposed at a diametrically-outer-side leading end of the first arm, and locks to the body of the casing when the shock absorber is positioned at the lowermost level in the valve chamber. |
| US08220475B2 |
Portable structure configured to drain rainwater
A portable structure defining an interior volume, and configured to facilitate draining rainwater. The portable structure includes a frame including a central support and a side support shorter than the central support. A roof fabric has a first edge coupled to the central support and an opposing second edge coupled to the side support. At least a portion of the roof fabric extends downward at the second edge with respect to a ground plane to define a concavity. An apron fabric is coupled to the roof fabric at a joint. The apron fabric is configured to extend toward the ground plane. A portion of the apron fabric defines a concave cavity that extends inward with respect to the volume of the portable structure. The concave cavity is in flow communication with the concavity to define a passage configured to drain rainwater from the roof fabric. |
| US08220474B2 |
Ventilator for venting covers with improved air flow
Disclosed is an improved ventilator apparatus for covers. The apparatus comprises a dome section that is associated with a first ventilator plate on the outside of a vehicle cover. The Dome section extends through the vehicle cover where it is associated with a second ventilator plate. A nut is used to releaseably associate the component pieces together so that a portion of the vehicle cover is clamped between the first ventilator plate and the second ventilator plate. Both the first ventilator plate and second ventilator plate are interchangeable so that either plate may be used on the inside or outside of the cover. |
| US08220467B2 |
Method and device for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring
The device relates to methods and devices for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. |
| US08220465B2 |
Walking assistance device
A walking assistance device having a seating member (1) on which a user (P) can sit astride, and support members (2L, 2R) which support the seating member (1). The seating member (1) has a backward movement prevention section (1b) for preventing the seating member (1) from being displaced backward relative to the user (P) sitting on the seating member (1). The backward movement prevention section (1b) is constructed so as to be in contact with an inguinal part (Q) of the user (P). The arrangement restrains backward dislocation of the seating member (1) relative to the user (P), thus permitting improved stability when the user is seated. |
| US08220462B2 |
Cuffed medical tubes
A cuffed silicone tracheostomy tube has two tapered recesses 17 and 18 on its outer surface in which opposite ends 7 and 8 of a resilient cuff 6 are bonded using an adhesive or solvent. Two shallow ribs 22 and 23 extend around the tube on the inner edge of each recess 17 and 18, projecting outwardly to prevent the adhesive or solvent spreading onto the inflatable portion 10 of the cuff 6. The cuff 6 has several shallow ribs 9 extending around the cuff and spaced along its inflatable portion 10 to promote even inflation. |
| US08220461B1 |
Oral airway
An oral airway for insertion into the mouth and pharynx of a patient is disclosed and adapted to connect to an anesthesia breathing connector, a suction tube, or a nasal cannula, interchangeably as needed, without necessitating the removal of the oral airway from the patient. A tubular member has a connector at a proximal end and includes a first portion that is adapted for fixing with the anesthesia breathing connector. A second portion of the connector is adapted for receiving the suction tube. At least one protuberance between the first and second portions receives and retains a portion of the nasal cannula, or alternately, at least one aperture is included in the second portion for receiving a portion of the nasal cannula. A mouth guard extends outwardly from the connector. Alternately, a suction tube guide within the tubular member may be slidably positionable between a retracted and extended position. |
| US08220456B2 |
Method and apparatus for treating cheyne-stokes respiration
A system and method for delivering a flow of breathing gas to an airway of a patient. The system monitors a characteristic that varies based on variations of the flow of the breathing gas and determines a Target Flow for the gas to be delivered to the patient based on the monitored characteristic. The Target Flow is set to a level sufficient to treat Cheyne-Stokes respiration or a sleep disordered breathing event. The system also alters the Target Flow based on a determination that the patient is experiencing a sleep disordered breathing event. The system further determines a pressure relief component and controls the flow of gas delivered to the patient based on the Target Flow and the pressure relief component. |
| US08220452B2 |
Removable fireplace cleanout
The removable fireplace cleanout facilitates the chore of cleaning ash and/or other residue from a fireplace. The cleanout device is a relatively wide, low pan or tray configured for placement within a fireplace hearth. Wheels and/or other rolling supports extend beneath the device to facilitate its installation in and removal from the fireplace hearth. One wall of the device includes a dump door, with the weighted door being held closed by gravity until the unit is tilted to dump ash and residue therein. Fillets may be provided to preclude trapping of ash in the corners of the device. An integral grate may be permanently installed atop the floor of the device, thereby precluding need for grate removal and soiling of the area where the grate is placed during conventional fireplace cleanout. |
| US08220446B2 |
Archery cam product—system that hooks cam-to-cam
A compound archery bow that includes a compound bow frame having a rigid handle section with rearwardly-projecting upper and lower flexible limbs, an upper cam assembly rotatably supported at the free end of the upper flexible limb, and a lower cam assembly rotatably supported at a free end of the lower flexible limb. The upper cam assembly includes an upper bowstring pulley having an upper bowstring let-out track, a first power cord take-up track, and a second power cord let-out track, while the lower cam assembly includes a lower bowstring pulley having a lower bowstring let-out track, a second power cord take-up track, and a first power cord let-out track. The upper and lower bowstring let-out tracks are aligned in a first bowstring plane, while the first power cord take-up and let-out tracks and the second power cord take-up and let-out tracks are aligned in a second power cords plane. |
| US08220435B2 |
Rotary piston engine and method for designing the same
A rotary piston engine includes a generally triangular rotor, a pair of side housings, a rotor housing which is assembled with the rotor and the pair of side housings to define three working chambers, an intake port formed in at least one of the side housings, and an exhaust port formed in at least one of the side housings. The length of one side of the triangular face of the rotor is at least 2.4 times the breadth of the rotor. |
| US08220433B2 |
Piston for internal combustion engine and piston surface treatment method
A piston for an internal combustion engine includes a piston base material and a film of lubrication coating composition. The coating composition has an inner coating layer formed on a surface of the piston base material and an outer coating layer formed on a surface of the inner coating layer. Each of the inner coating layer and the outer coating layer contains at least one of a polyamide-imide resin, a polyimide resin and an epoxy resin as a binder. The inner coating layer contains 0 to 50 wt % of at least one of graphite and molybdenum disulfide as a solid lubricant, whereas the outer coating layer contains 50 to 95 wt % of at least one of graphite and molybdenum disulfide as a solid lubricant. |
| US08220431B2 |
Engine with a balancer mechanism
An engine includes a crank mechanism and a balancer mechanism that inhibits vibrations caused by the crank mechanism. An instantaneous center of rotation of an engine is arranged in the neighborhood of a predetermined target position by adjusting an acceleration caused by a translational force generated by a primary inertial force of the crank mechanism and an inertial force of the balancer mechanism and an acceleration caused by a couple of forces generated by the primary inertial force of the crank mechanism and the inertial force of the balancer mechanism. |
| US08220423B2 |
Roller bearing, camshaft support structure, and internal combustion engine
A roller bearing includes an outer ring formed by connecting a plurality of arc-shaped outer ring members in a circumferential direction and a plurality of rollers arranged along an inner diameter surface of the outer ring. A slope surface (22i) is provided at one or each circumferential end on an inner diameter surface of the outer ring member (22a), and a contour line of the slope surface (22i) is along a direction perpendicular to a revolution direction of the roller. |
| US08220421B2 |
Cooling system for internal combustion engine
A cooling system for cooling an internal combustion engine includes a first portion, a second portion and a bypass valve. The first portion forms a first fluid chamber through which a cooling medium passes as it flows from the engine to a heater that utilizes heat generated by the internal combustion engine. The second portion forms a second fluid chamber through which the cooling medium passes as it flows from the heater to the engine. The second fluid chamber is arranged adjacent to the first fluid chamber. The bypass valve is arranged inside the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber to form a bypass flow passage connecting the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber. The bypass valve is configured and arranged to automatically close the bypass flow passage when a temperature of the cooling medium is equal to or higher than a first prescribed temperature. |
| US08220420B2 |
Device to improve effectiveness of pulse detonation cleaning
A system and associated method for removing accumulated debris from a surface of a vessel. The system includes an impulse cleaning device defining a combustion chamber in which combustible fuel and air are mixed and ignited to produce combustion that is directed at the surface to be cleaned within the vessel, and an eductor assembly surrounding a downstream end of the chamber for inducting surrounding atmosphere into the combustion to widen the area being cleaned. |
| US08220415B2 |
Modular animal imaging apparatus
An imaging system that allows for unhindered access to a sample to be imaged. A housing structure is configured with a drawer having a platform. The platform may be configured to hold a sample, such as an animal, and/or the platform may be configured to mate with a sample holding member, such as a removable carrying tray for holding the sample. The drawer presents the platform to an imaging device or system internal to the housing when in a closed, or imaging, state. When in an extended state, the drawer presents the platform external to the housing to allow unobstructed manipulation of a sample on the drawer platform (or on the sample holding member on the platform). When used, a sample holding member such as a removable carrying tray may be docked with the drawer platform, and various interconnects, such as gas ports and electrical connectors, on the sample holding member engage with corresponding elements on the platform when docked. The tray may be undocked and moved to a remote location having a compatible docking station to allow for preparation or processing of a sample elsewhere. The tray may be docked with a docking station located at a sample preparation station. In the case of a live animal sample, the preparation station may include a sterile hood or other laboratory location. |
| US08220409B2 |
Varnish coating device and method for coating a varnish
A first varnish 11 supplied from a first varnish tank 12 and a second varnish 13 supplied from a second varnish tank 14 are mixed by a mixer 15 to provide a varnish 2, and supplied to a varnish bath 18. Coating dies 19A-19F are connected to the varnish bath 18 via tubes 20A-20F. A wire 3 is installed into the coating dies 19A-19F through a hole 20a provided in each of the tubes 20A-20F. The varnish 2 supplied to the varnish bath 19 is dropped by its self weight through the tubes 20A-20F, and continuously supplied to the coating dies 19A-19F. The varnish 2 is applied to a surface of the wire 3 by the coating dies 19A-19F. |
| US08220408B2 |
Underwater vehicle with sonar array
An underwater vehicle including an axi-symmetric framing system rotatable about a centerline to define a shell of revolution having a uniformly-convex outer boundary. A narrow-beam sonar array is mounted on the axi-symmetric framing system, and includes a multitude of simultaneously-fireable and/or asynchronously-fireable transducers distributed substantially evenly over a 4π-steradian viewing angle. The present invention provides the necessary configuration for a vehicle wherein an internal algorithm can compare a “new” geometry to an “old” geometry collected earlier to construct a best fit of the new world map with the old world map and locate the vehicle within the context of the new world map. This then provides a completely independent mechanism for correction of the gradual drift in x and y that is not dependent on any form of external navigation aid. |
| US08220403B2 |
Method of fasten threads at buttons and means for making the same
The present invention relates to a method to, using self-vulcanizing material in the form of a narrow tape or thread (1), wind the tape or thread (1) around the sewing thread (7) of the sewed-on button (3) between the button (3) and a textile (2) in question a few turns, and after that, tear off the tape or thread (1). The remaining tape or thread (1) is pressed together using a pliers-like hand tool (4) into a soft neck (10), which within approx. two hours has been vulcanized together. Then, the sewing thread (7) does not unwind and the button (3) stably stays in place. The invention also relates to a means for carry out the method. |
| US08220402B2 |
Sewing machine and computer readable medium storing a fastening stitch processing program
A sewing machine capable of mode switching between a normal sewing mode and a free motion sewing mode including a feed dog switcher that switches a feed dog between an active state in which the feed dog is moved above and below a needle plate and an inactive state in which the feed dog is lowered below the needle plate, a first instruction issuer that instructs execution of fastening stitching at a beginning of pattern sewing sequence, a second instruction issuer that instructs execution of fastening stitching at an end of pattern sewing sequence, and a controller that, when in the free motion sewing mode, activates the feed dog by the feed dog switcher in response to an incoming instruction signal from the first or the second instruction issuer to execute fastening stitching through control of feed dog based on fastening stitching data to longitudinally feed a workpiece cloth. |
| US08220398B1 |
Modular furniture system
A modular furniture system having planar vertical components having slots and/or tabs, and planar horizontal components having slots and/or tabs, wherein the vertical components and the horizontal components releasably and interlockingly mate with each other to form a plurality of different pieces of furniture. |
| US08220395B1 |
Method of converting bomblet to gun-launched grenade
A Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munition (DPICM) bomblet may be converted into a gun-launched grenade. The bomblet may include a fuze, a shaped-charge liner, a casing, and explosive material disposed between the shaped-charge liner and the casing. An ogive may be attached to an open end of the bomblet. A generally cup-shaped pusher may be placed over the fuze and attached to the bomblet casing. A conventional cartridge case assembly may be fixed to a fuze end of the bomblet. When the gun-launched grenade impacts a target, the casing may shatter to form shrapnel and a shaped-charge jet may be formed. |
| US08220394B2 |
Oil well perforators
An oil and gas well shaped charge perforator capable of providing an exothermic reaction after detonation is provided, comprising a housing, a high explosive, and a reactive liner where the high explosive is positioned between the reactive liner and the housing. The reactive liner is produced from a composition which is capable of sustaining an exothermic reaction during the formation of the cutting jet. The composition may be selected from any known formulation which is suitable for use in an oil and gas well perforator, typically the composition will comprise at least one metal and at least one non-metal, wherein the non-metal is selected from a metal oxide, or any non-metal from Group III or Group IV or at least two metals such as to form an intermetallic reaction. Typically at least one of the metals in the invention may be selected from Al, Ce, Li, Mg, Mo, Ni, Nb, Pb, Pd, Ta, Ti, Zn or Zr. The liner composition may preferably be a pressed particulate composition, such that the material is consolidated under pressure to form the desired shape of the liner. To aid consolidation a binder may also be added. |
| US08220392B1 |
Launchable grenade system
A launchable grenade system is backwards compatible with conventional launch platforms and is capable of launching a variety of payloads at greater range and increased launch velocity, and with significantly improved targeting accuracy. The grenade is pre-packaged in a disposable launch canister that effectively confines launch ejection gases behind the projectile until it exits the canister. Additional enhancements in one or more embodiments, include collapsible aerodynamic stabilizers that are folded inside the launch canister prior to firing and deploy in flight to improve projectile stability and ballistic performance; electronic fuzing for improved repeatability and targeting precision, next-generation digital capabilities that include electronic device identification, failsafe and device monitoring; and momentum arresting forward expulsion of the payload to reduce blunt trauma hazard from projectile hardware and to provide for short distance targeting at significantly greater speed. |
| US08220389B2 |
Tray surface cleaning device
An apparatus and method are disclosed in which printing material is printed upon a tray surface and transferred to a sheet supported by the tray surface. A cleaning device removes residual printing material from the tray surface. |
| US08220387B2 |
Pivoting locking strip system and apparatus for silkscreen frame
A frame for tensioning fabric such as a silkscreen mesh is described. The frame includes a groove for securing the fabric using a locking strip. The groove includes a central cavity between a groove floor and a groove entrance, an insertion cavity coupled to the groove entrance and the floor, a side cavity opposite the central cavity from the insertion cavity and coupled to the groove entrance and the floor, and a pivot disposed on the groove floor. The side cavity includes a vertex. The insertion cavity may be adjacent the central cavity. A portion of the side cavity may be removed at an end of the frame for softening corners of the fabric or mesh. Locking strips may be stitched to edges of the fabric or mesh. |
| US08220386B2 |
Lawn logos
A combination for creating artwork such as a sports logo on a lawn includes a lawn stencil having one or more openings configured to facilitate creation of a portion of the artwork. The combination further includes a container of spray paint and elongate members each having an elongate shaft with proximal and distal portions. The distal portion of each elongate shaft is pointed and includes a shape for accommodating insertion of the distal portion into the lawn. A container holds the lawn stencil, the container of paint, and the plurality of elongate members. The lawn stencil further comprises a connecting member that extends across a said opening of the lawn stencil for maintaining structural integrity of the lawn stencil and for distributing tension in the lawn stencil when the lawn stencil is laid upon the ground with the plurality of elongate members extending through the lawn stencil into the lawn. |
| US08220384B2 |
Motor upgrade kit for a mechanical press
A press drive motor upgrade kit for adapting a mechanical press of the flywheel-driven type to a servo press including a drive motor and a drive train, and a mechanical press so modified. The kit includes at least one servo motor adapted for driving the mechanical press and a drive transmission apparatus or gear transmission or the like, connected to the servo motor and adapted for engagement with at least one gear or shaft of the drive train of said mechanical press. The kit may also include a baseplate or mounting structure on which the servo motor and transmission are arranged. |
| US08220380B2 |
Hydraulic unit
The invention relates to a hydraulic group comprising a reservoir (28) for oil, in which a multiple piston pump (60) is arranged. The individual pumps (61) are cyclically driven by an eccentric ring (29). In order to ensure a permanent immersion of the individual pumps in the reservoir (28), an auxiliary reservoir (47) providing oil for refilling the reservoir (28) is arranged above the reservoir. The auxiliary reservoir (47) is connected to an additional tank (45) by means of a connection line (48). |
| US08220379B2 |
Camouflage in the near ultraviolet spectrum
A UV camouflaging substance, in the form of a solid, powder, paste, film, or liquid, can be applied to objects such as fabrics to match the ultraviolet reflectivity of the objects with their immediate surroundings. Embodiments are transparent to visible and IR light, and can be applied without changing the visible appearance of the objects. Other embodiments visibly match the surrounding environment, such as a white substance used near snow. Different embodiments can be layered on top of each other to form UV camouflage textures and to adapt to changing environments. Some embodiments can be washed off, to avoid a build-up of camouflage layers. Embodiments include UV-interactive micro- or nano-particles suspended in a binding agent which transmit, reflect, absorb and/or scatter ultraviolet rays. Some particles are absorbent, while others are approximately one-quarter wavelength thick, and suppress UV light by inducing half-wavelength phase shifts between light reflected from opposing surfaces. |
| US08220378B2 |
Composite armor panel and method of manufacturing same
A composite armor panel and method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a plurality of ceramic spheres are positioned in contact with an armor substrate. A polyurea layer is interposed between the plurality of ceramic spheres such that the polyurea layer partially encapsulates the plurality of ceramic spheres and bonds the plurality of ceramic spheres to the armor substrate. The plurality of ceramic spheres are partially exposed and oriented in a direction of anticipated impact. |
| US08220374B2 |
Retaining device for wood sawing machine
A retaining device for a wood sawing machine contains an index table fixed on a cutting deck of the wood sawing machine to displace straightly and reciprocately along the cutting deck; a guiding plate fixed on the cutting deck, connected with the index table, and including a slot disposed thereon; a vertically moving set including at least one sliding block, at least one screw rod, a longitudinally displacing holder, at least one first adjusting nuts, and at least one first second adjusting nuts; wherein the sliding block is slidably connected with the slot of the guiding plate and displaces along the slot reciprocately, the screw rod is coupled on the sliding block respectively; a retaining and pressing assembly including a handle, two arms, two connecting posts, two stems, and a pressing panel. |
| US08220373B1 |
Machine with a tilting harp
The present invention has a harp with four arms forming a parallelogram. The four arms are pivotally connected at their respective ends. Wires are secured between the side arms of the harp with holders. The harp is securely received within a channel of the machine. As such, the harp lies in a plane that is parallel to the front of the product being sliced at all times. The harp is angularly adjustable, such that the top and bottom of the harp can selectably converge or diverge as the harp tilts. The wires remain parallel during the divergence and convergence of the top and bottom of the harp. An actuator is provided for effecting the tilting of the harp. Two vertical bars can be provided for supporting the wires and minimizing deflection of the wires along their respective lengths. |
| US08220372B2 |
Combination table-miter saw safety system
A combination table-miter saw including a base, an arm rotatably coupled to the base and moveable relative to the base between a first position and a second position, and a platform coupled to the arm and moveable relative to the arm between a first position and a second position. The combination table-miter saw also includes a safety device configured to allow the combination table-miter saw to function as a table saw when the arm is in the first position and to allow the combination table-miter saw to function as a miter saw when the platform is in the first position. |
| US08220369B2 |
Torque adjustable sleeve assembly
A torque adjustable sleeve assembly includes a first part with first teeth in the first end thereof and a second part has one end inserted into the first end of the first part. The second part includes second teeth which are engaged with the first teeth. A rod passes through the first and second parts and two springs are mounted to the rod and located in the two parts respectively. A movable member is threadedly connected to an end of the rod and adjusts the compression of the two springs to adjust an engaging force between the first and second teeth. The second part includes a driving hole to be connected with a tool bit or screw unit. The second part is made of plastic material so as to protect the tool bit or the screw unit to be tightened or loosened. |
| US08220366B1 |
Self-centering drive socket assembly and method
A self-centering drive socket device and associated installation method. The device includes a socket member, coupler and sliding lock body. The sliding lock body is preferably connected to a drive mechanism that provides rotational movement. The device and method allows for the installation of misaligned fasteners by disengaging the sliding lock body from a cavity in the coupler so that the socket member becomes freely angularly displaceable with respect to a central axis of the device. |
| US08220360B2 |
Handlebar grip having modularized construction and having a lower cost of fabrication
A handlebar grip for a bicycle includes a handlebar, two hard shells detachably combined with each other to form a clamping housing which presses an outer wall of the handlebar and is provided with at least one hollow portion, and a soft inner sleeve clamped between an inner wall of the clamping housing and the outer wall of the handlebar and having an outer wall provided with at least one soft protruding portion extending through the hollow portion of the clamping housing and protruding outwardly from an outer wall of the clamping housing to form a soft holding surface. Thus, the two shells of the clamping housing and the inner sleeve can be changed individually according to a user's requirement, thereby enhancing the versatility of the handlebar grip. |
| US08220358B2 |
Bicycle control cable fixing device
A control cable fixing device is coupled to a bicycle component such as a rear derailleur in order to secure an inner wire of a control cable to the bicycle component. The control cable fixing device includes a support member with a first engagement surface and a cable fixing member with a second engagement surface. The cable fixing member is rotatable relative to the support member. The cable fixing member and the support member secure the inner wire between the engagement surfaces in response to rotational movement of the cable fixing member to a cable fixing position. The cable fixing member preferably includes a cam portion and a lever portion that is manually operable to rotate the cable fixing member. |
| US08220353B2 |
Screw device manufacturing method and screw device
A screw device manufacturing method ensures high productivity and adequate nut strength. The disclosed screw shaft manufacturing method includes: a groove forming step of forming a loaded ball rolling groove in a flat plate; and a nut forming step of bending the flat plate into a ring to form a nut. As the groove forming step of forming of the loaded ball rolling in the flat plate is followed by the nut forming step of bending the flat plate into a ring, sufficient strength of the nut can be easily achieved. Besides, a high compression stress is left in the loaded ball rolling groove in the inner surface of the nut. |
| US08220351B2 |
Dual clutch multi-speed transmission having one countershaft and a reverse shaft
A transmission includes an input member, an output transfer gear, first and second shaft members, a countershaft, a reverse shaft, a plurality of co-planar gear sets, and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. The torque transmitting devices include a plurality of synchronizer assemblies and a dual clutch assembly. The transmission is operable to provide at least one reverse speed ratio and a plurality of forward speed ratios between the input member and the output member. |
| US08220349B2 |
Telescoping linear actuator
A telescoping actuator is described which provides a first and third segments operatively connected to a second segment. A locking system locks the first and third segment in rotation with respect to one another. Upon rotation of the second segment, the first and third segments are displaced relative to one another and the second segment. The first and third segments are operatively coupled to the second segment by corresponding sets of threads in some embodiments. The locking system may be interlocking tubes, or shafts displaced internal to the actuator. Rotational energy may be imparted to the second stage externally about its outer diameter or internally by a driveshaft operatively connected to a drive source. |
| US08220340B2 |
Permanent deformation measurement apparatus for elastic member
A permanent deformation measurement apparatus includes a worktable and a measuring device. The worktable includes a supporting surface for supporting an elastic member to be measured. The measuring device includes a base, contact member, an operating member, and a measuring member. The base is fixed on the supporting surface, and defines a guide hole substantially perpendicular to the supporting surface of the worktable. The contact member includes a push rod slidable along the guide hole to contact the elastic member. The operating member is configured for moving the push rod. The measuring member is configured for measuring a position of the push rod when the push rod is in contact with the elastic member. |
| US08220339B1 |
Mobile turf instrument apparatus having driven, periodically insertable, ground penetrating probe assembly
A mobile turf instrument apparatus has a wheeled frame that may be propelled over the ground by a motive device, such as by a separate vehicle or by its own engine and drive train. A driven arm is carried on the frame and revolves in circles to periodically insert the probe(s) of a probe assembly into the ground during motion of the frame. The drive to the arm is momentarily disengaged when the probe(s) of the probe assembly are inserted into the ground. The probe assembly comprises two parts that rock relative to one another. Two soil measurement devices are connected to the probe assembly. A soil moisture sensor is coupled to the probe assembly for measuring soil moisture when the probe(s) are inserted into the ground. A load cell is responsive to the amount of rocking of the two parts of the probe assembly to measure soil compaction. |
| US08220337B2 |
Micromechanical sensor element for capacitive pressure detection
A micromechanical capacitive pressure sensor has a layered structure, which includes at least one deflectable carrier element for at least one deflectable measuring electrode in a first layer plane and at least one stationary carrier structure for at least one counter electrode in a second layer plane parallel to the first layer plane. The carrier structure is suspended in a closed cavity of the layered structure between two diaphragms, which are oriented essentially perpendicularly to the layer planes and delimit the cavity on two opposite sides. At least one pressure connection aperture is provided, via which at least one of the two diaphragms may be subjected to a pressure being measured. The carrier element is connected to the two diaphragms in such a way that diaphragm deformations cause a parallel shift of the measuring electrode relative to the counter electrode. |
| US08220335B2 |
Accurate image acquisition for structured-light system for optical shape and positional measurements
A system and method for the analysis of composite materials. Improved techniques for the measurement of the shape and position of the composite article are provided, which include improved scanning rates using structured light. |
| US08220330B2 |
Vertically integrated MEMS sensor device with multi-stimulus sensing
A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor device (184) includes a sensor portion (180) and a sensor portion (182) that are coupled together to form a vertically integrated configuration having a hermetically sealed chamber (270). The sensor portions (180, 182) can be formed utilizing different micromachining techniques, and are subsequently coupled utilizing a wafer bonding technique to form the sensor device (184). The sensor portion (180) includes one or more sensors (186, 188), and the sensor portion (182) includes one or more sensors (236, 238). The sensors (186, 188) are located inside the chamber (270) facing the sensors (236, 238) also located inside the chamber (270). The sensors (186, 188, 236, 238) are configured to sense different physical stimuli, such as motion, pressure, and magnetic field. |
| US08220328B2 |
Accelerometer with offset compensation
A method for evaluating and/or compensating the acceleration offset in a combined accelerometer and gyroscope, wherein the evaluation or compensation is based on a quadrature signal delivered by the accelerometer. |
| US08220326B2 |
Flow sensor device having a gap formed between a sensor device and an engaging portion and a pooling portion formed in the gap
Although flow detection accuracy deterioration due to a subject fluid inflow into a gap between a sensor device and an engaging portion is prevented by an underflow inhibitor, the underflow inhibitor overflow to a sensor device surface results in the subject fluid turbulence, causing a flow element output fluctuation risk. One solution is a configuration comprising a sensor device made of a planar semiconductor material with a heating element and an intake air temperature detection element formed thereon, a support member containing an engaging portion the sensor device is engaged to, which is placed at a passage the subject fluid circulates and underflow inhibitor being filled into a void between the sensor device and the support member to prevent the subject fluid from flowing into the void, and a pooling portion being placed to prevent the under flow inhibitor from overflowing out of the void. |
| US08220324B2 |
Tire checking device, tire checking system and tire checking method
Identification information for identifying a tire, a tire inner pressure and a tire inner temperature are sent to a tire checking device from a first electronic device provided within a tire and measured results are shown on a display. Groove depth data from a depth meter are also received by the tire checking device and shown on the display. The tire checking device stores received management information such as a tire inner pressure, a tire inner temperature, a groove depth and so on in a memory with associating them with each tire. The stored management information is extracted by a control unit if required and shown on the display. Therefore, a tire inner pressure and a tire inner temperature are detected automatically and groove depth data are stored with being associated with each tire, and thereby the tire inner pressure, the tire inner temperature and the groove depth data can be displayed. |
| US08220322B2 |
Fuel pressure sensor performance diagnostic systems and methods based on hydrostatics in a fuel system
An engine control system comprises a model pressure determination module and a sensor diagnostic module. The model pressure determination module determines a modeled fuel rail pressure based on a fuel pump flow rate and an engine fuel flow rate. The sensor diagnostic module generates a status of a fuel rail pressure sensor based on a comparison of the modeled fuel rail pressure and a sensed fuel rail pressure sensed by the fuel rail pressure sensor. |
| US08220321B2 |
Method and apparatus for testing the piston of an injection pump
A method and an apparatus for testing the piston (2) of an injection pump of a pressure medium, the piston comprising a longitudinal groove (2b) that begins from its frontal face (2a) and extends on its side, and a screw-shaped guide edge (2c) that abuts on the envelope surface of the piston. According to the invention, the piston (2) is inserted, with its frontal face (2a) first, into a testing cylinder (1), wherein the clearance between the piston (2) and the testing cylinder (2) is tight and wherein a specific testing pressure is exerted on the envelope surface of the piston, in a limited area, from the vicinity of the said guide edge (2c) to a selected measurement point. The piston (2) is moved in the testing cylinder (1), so that the said measurement point moves, following the guide edge (2c). Changes in the testing pressure are monitored to observe any failures in the piston (2) and the said guide edge (2c). |
| US08220319B2 |
Communication system for turbine engine
A communication system is provided and includes a sensor to measure a condition at a point of measurement interest defined on a rotor of a turbine at a radial distance from a centerline about which the rotor is rotatable, wiring disposed on the rotor at a radial distance from the centerline, the wiring including a first wiring section coupled to the sensor, a second wiring section and a first connection by which the first and second wiring sections are connectable, a second connection by which the second wiring section transmits a signal reflective of the detected condition to a non-rotating recording element and a temperature compensation module disposed on the second wiring section to adjust the signal. |
| US08220318B2 |
Fast microscale actuators for probe microscopy
A system for measuring a property of a sample includes an actuation device disposed on a substrate and includes a flexible surface spaced apart from the substrate and configured so as to allow placement of the sample thereupon. The actuation device also includes a vertical actuator that is configured to cause the flexible surface to achieve a predetermined displacement from the substrate when a corresponding potential is applied thereto. A sensing probe is disposed so as to be configured to interact with the sample thereby sensing the property of the sample. |
| US08220317B2 |
Massively parallel lithography with two-dimensional pen arrays
Massive parallel printing of structures and nanostructures at high speed with high resolution and high quality using two dimensional arrays comprising cantilevers and tip-based transfer of material to a surface. The array is designed so only tips touch the surface. This can be accomplished by long tips and bent cantilevers and alignment. An article comprising: a two-dimensional array of a plurality of cantilevers, wherein the array comprises a plurality of base rows, each base row comprising a plurality of cantilevers, wherein each of the cantilevers comprise tips at the cantilever end away from the base, wherein the number of cantilevers is greater than 250, and wherein the tips have an apex height relative to the cantilever of at least four microns, and a support for the array. Combinatorial arrays and bioarrays can be prepared. The arrays can be manufactured by micromachining methods. |
| US08220316B2 |
Method for determining an alcohol concentration of fuel fed to combustion in a motor vehicle after filling with a fuel of predetermined alcohol concentration
In the method for determining the alcohol concentration of the tank fuel after filling up with E85 fuel or E0 fuel, two corridors of possible lambda values for filling with E0 fuel and E85 are established according to the volumes of the tank fuel before and after filling, and the lambda values are taken into account in the evaluation. |
| US08220315B2 |
Gas gauge, lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method
A gas gauge has a gas delivery tube arranged to determine a distance to an object. The gas delivery tube includes a gas conduit through which a suitable measurement gas is supplied. The measurement gas leaves the gas delivery tube under pressure via an outlet and impinges on the object in an interaction area, wherein a pressure of a recoiled gas is measured by a pressure detector. A gas having a low atomic number may be used. The pressure sensor may include a membrane positioned in the gas delivery tube at least partially enveloping the gas conduit at or near the gas outlet. The pressure sensor may include a membrane disk arranged about the gas conduit. The pressure sensor may include a suitable plurality of pressure elements arranged in a substantially common plane and which may be spaced apart yet enveloping the gas conduit. |
| US08220313B2 |
Apparatus for ascertaining and/or monitoring a process variable of a meduim
An apparatus for ascertaining and/or monitoring a process variable, especially density of a medium. The apparatus includes: an exciting/receiving unit, which excites a mechanically oscillatable unit to execute mechanical oscillations and which receives the mechanical oscillations; an electronics unit, which applies to the exciting/receiving unit an electrical, exciter signal, and which obtains from the exciting/receiving unit an electrical, received signal. The electronics unit produces the exciter signal in such a manner, that, between the received signal and the exciter signal, a phase difference equal to a desired value of phase difference results, at which effects of changes of viscosity on mechanical oscillations of the mechanically oscillatable unit are negligible, and that the desired value of phase difference is predetermined as a function of the ratio of impedance of the exciting/receiving unit to the input impedance of the electronics unit. |
| US08220312B2 |
Non-invasive method and system for screening the content of containers for the presence of threat substances
The invention is a method and system of screening the content of an enclosure, such as a cargo container, for the presence of one or more target substances, such as explosives or drugs, comprising drawing air from the enclosure and passing the drawn air across at least one sampling card having a coating configured to absorb/adsorb the one or more target substances and thereafter analyzing the sampling card to determine if the coating has absorbed/adsorbed one or more target substances. The system embodiment includes a vacuum source, a conduit coupled to the vacuum source and a sampling card holder disposed along the conduit. The sampling card holder removably holds at least one sampling card having a coating thereon configured to absorb/adsorb the one or more target substances, so that air drawn into the conduct from the enclosure passes across the at least one sampling card. |
| US08220305B2 |
Device for guiding a metal strip and method for operating it
A device and method for guiding a metal strip in the vicinity of a coiler. The device includes a support frame, which at its first end is rotatably supported about a second axis of rotation relative to a fixed structure and supports a guide table and at its second end, i.e., the end that lies opposite the first end, is rotatably connected with a swivel frame about a first axis of rotation. The swivel arm supports a first guide table at its end that lies opposite the first axis of rotation. Both the support frame and the swivel frame are controlled by their own associated actuators and are suitably positioned according to the desired operating position. |
| US08220301B2 |
Tool for and method of forming at tapped hole in a single pass
A tool adapted to form and method of forming a tapped hole within a workpiece in a single pass, includes a piercing section operable to punch a pilot hole in and produce a slug attached to the workpiece, and a tapping section operable to form a female thread along the periphery of the hole, and more preferably, an extruding section operable to push workpiece material away from the exterior surface defined thereby, an expanding section operable to expand the diameter of the hole, a sealing section operable to seal the hole during a hydroforming process, and a burnishing section operable to further expand and treat the periphery of the hole prior to tapping. |
| US08220300B2 |
Thin lock
A thin lock has a housing, a core assembly mounted in the housing, multiple pin assemblies arranged longitudinally in the core assembly, and a latch assembly mounted through the housing and selectively activates the core assembly and the pin assemblies. Thus, when the thin lock is mounted on a door panel, numbers of the pin assemblies does not relate to a thickness of the door panel. Therefore, the numbers of the pin assemblies are able to be added to increase the complexity and enhance the safety of the thin lock according to user's need. |
| US08220298B2 |
Self-latching locking assembly
A locking system for securely closing the lid on an enclosure, such as a grade level box, includes an L-bolt connected to a spring-biased slide member positioned on the underside of the lid. The L-bolt rotates in a slotted housing that securely retains the L-bolt under the lid. The slide member engages an abutment on the inside of the enclosure, when the lid is forced down over an opening in the enclosure, e.g., by foot pressure. Downward force on the lid progressively causes the latch to retract against the spring-bias from contact with the abutment and then snaps the latch into a spring-biased locking position under the abutment. The L-bolt is accessed from outside the lid, rotated by a proprietary socket wrench or similar tool, to retract the latch from its locking position sufficiently for removing the lid from the enclosure. |
| US08220294B2 |
Drum-type washing machine
A drum-type washing machine is disclosed, in which bearings are received in the bearing housing assembly. The bearing housing assembly may include a support portion coupled to a motor, and a coupling portion connected to a damper bracket. |
| US08220292B2 |
Determination of the water storage capacity of textiles in a washing machine, and corresponding washing machine
A method for determining the water storage capacity of textiles, wherein the rinsing phase has at least one rinsing sequence which follows a drying sequence. The method is characterized in that a first water absorption is measured during the wetting phase and a second water absorption is measured during at least one of the rinsing sequences, in that the two water absorption measurements are compared with one another and the water storage capacity of the textiles is defined using the comparison. |
| US08220291B2 |
Method for monitoring by absorption spectroscopy during the forming of flat glass and monitoring device
The invention relates to a method for controlling flat glass forming by flowing a molten glass over a liquid tin layer contained in a forming vat wherein a forming characteristic quantity is measured above the glass surface during forming by means of beams generated by at least one absorption spectroscopy-based analyser, wherein the light beams generated by said analyser form a net above the glass surface. A device for carrying out the inventive method comprising an arm for supporting a vessel which comprises a retroreflecting means for receiving a light beam and transmitting it in an opposite direction parallel to an incident optical path is also disclosed. |
| US08220286B2 |
Temperature-controlled compartment
The invention concerns a storage unit that is adapted to be located in a refrigeration appliance. The storage unit includes a holding compartment for holding articles the temperature of which is to be controlled. The holding compartment is adapted to be placed in air flow communication with a source of cold air whereby the cold air may be delivered to the holding compartment. An air-flow passageway for recirculating air discharged from the holding compartment back to the holding compartment is provided along with a mixing area where the cold air and the recirculated air may be mixed in selected quantities. A user interface providing for the selection of a temperature-control procedure from a group of available temperature-control procedures for application to the interior of the holding compartment is included. The storage unit can include a controller for controlling the implementation of the temperature-control procedure selected by the user. |
| US08220280B2 |
Air conditioning apparatus and method for determining the amount of refrigerant of air-conditioning apparatus
In a refrigerant amount determining method of an air-conditioning apparatus, when a refrigerant amount determining mode is requested to be performed, whether or not the amount of refrigerant in the air-conditioning apparatus can be automatically determined. Thus, a user can easily check whether or not the refrigerant charged in the air-conditioning apparatus is excessive or insufficient. |
| US08220279B2 |
Home appliance
Disclosed is a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator wirelessly setting functions of the refrigerator by improving a configuration of the refrigerator. The refrigerator according to an embodiment includes a main body formed with a storage chamber, a door rotatably coupled to the main body, a first user interface rotatably coupled to the door, and a second user interface provide on the door, positioned on an rear side of the first user interface, and provided with a receiving unit receiving a wireless signal by an external remote controller. |
| US08220278B2 |
Air conditioner and temperature sensor
Disclosed is an air conditioner, in which, when a temperature sensor is rotated, the rotating speed of the temperature sensor is increased or the temperature sensing cycle is elongated in a rotating section where an object does not exist rather than in a rotating section where the object exists. Further, the rotating speed of the temperature sensor is increased or the temperature sensing cycle is elongated if the object is located at a short distance from the air conditioner rather than if the object is located at a normal distance from the air conditioner, and the rotating speed of the temperature sensor is decreased or the temperature sensing cycle is shortened if the object is located at a long distance from the air conditioner rather than if the object is located at a normal distance from the air conditioner. |
| US08220275B2 |
Inlet bleed heat system thermal lag mitigation using compressor interstage bleeds
A system to mitigate thermal lag of start-up operations of a gas turbine is provided and includes a housing which is disposed upstream from and which is fluidly coupled to a compressor of the gas turbine, a first system coupled to an aft portion of the compressor and to the housing which, when activated, receives a first air supply from the compressor and delivers the first air supply to the housing, and a second system, coupled to the first system, which removes a second air supply from an intermediate portion of the compressor and delivers the second air supply to the first system prior to the activation of the first system. |
| US08220266B2 |
Condenser for power plant
A condenser is provided and includes a body into and through which steam turbine discharge is able to flow, and first and second cooling members disposed in the body, wherein the first and second cooling members are each independently receptive of first and second coolant, respectively, the first cooling member, being receptive of the first coolant, is configured to cool the discharge during at least a first cooling operation, and the second cooling member, being receptive of the second coolant, is configured to cool the discharge during a second cooling operation. |
| US08220263B2 |
Control apparatus for internal combustion engine
A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which can generate exhaust pressure pulsation at an early period while suppressing the degradation of volumetric efficiency, when a request to enhance the exhaust pressure pulsation is made in the internal combustion engine which includes a variable valve mechanism that makes variable a valve overlap period, and a variable nozzle type turbocharger. |
| US08220262B2 |
Method for manually controlling a turbocharger
A method and a system for manually controlling a turbocharger is disclosed. The method includes steps for selecting a minimum boost pressure and a maximum boost pressure. The method also includes steps for selecting a pre-configured boost mode, including a predefined boost pressure minimum and a predefined boost pressure maximum. |
| US08220261B2 |
Master cylinder
A master cylinder having at least one piston that pressurizes a hydraulic fluid when a stepping force on a brake pedal is transmitted thereto and sends the pressurized hydraulic fluid to at least a wheel cylinder. The piston includes a large diameter passage and a small diameter passage having a diameter smaller than that of the large diameter passage, and a valve body is fastened to the large diameter passage to control fluid communication between the large diameter passage and the small diameter passage, the valve body including a plunger coupling hole and a channel through which the hydraulic fluid communicates between the large diameter passage and the small diameter passage, wherein a plunger slidably passes the valve body through the plunger coupling hole and closes the channel of the valve body when the stepping force on the brake pedal is transmitted to the piston. |
| US08220258B2 |
Linear roller bearing assembly and sub-assembly and reciprocating machinery incorporating the same
Linear roller bearing assemblies can include a hub, a collar around the hub and roller bearing sub-assemblies disposed in a radial pattern around the hub. The roller bearing sub-assemblies can guide linear movement of the hub relative to the collar along a selected direction. Each roller bearing sub-assembly can include a roller and straps wrapped partially around the roller. Each strap is connected to at least one of the hub and the collar. And at least one of the straps can be connected to the roller while at least one of the straps can be circumferentially free of the roller. The hub and collar are moveable relative to each other along the selected direction for a distance that is approximately half of a circumference of the roller. Methods of forming linear roller bearing assemblies are also disclosed, as are multi-cylinder Stirling engines and a thermal energy recovery system. |
| US08220256B2 |
Hydrostatic drive with braking energy recovery
A hydrostatic drive in an open circuit is provided. The hydrostatic drive has a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic motor. The hydraulic pump and the hydraulic motor are connected to one another via a feed line. In addition, the hydrostatic drive has a storage element for storing pressure energy. A first valve device, which is arranged downstream of the hydraulic motor, alternately connects the downstream connection of the hydraulic motor to a tank volume or to the storage element. |
| US08220249B2 |
Rocket nozzle and control method for combustion gas flow in rocket engine
A rocket nozzle includes a dual-bell nozzle and a gas introducing section configured to introduce gas into space surrounded by the dual-bell nozzle. Combustion gas flows in the space. The dual-bell nozzle includes a first stage nozzle bell-shaped and surrounding an upstream portion of the space, and a second stage nozzle bell-shaped and surrounding a downstream portion of the space. The dual-bell nozzle has an inflection point between the first stage nozzle and the second stage nozzle. The gas introducing section includes a gas inlet provided to an inner wall surface of the first stage nozzle. The gas is introduced into the space from the gas inlet. |
| US08220242B2 |
Characterization of fancy yarn
According to the method for characterizing fancy yarn, at least one characteristic of the fancy yarn is scanned along the longitudinal direction of the fancy yarn. Values of the scanning are evaluated and the results of the evaluation are outputted. The results of the evaluation are the fancy yarn parameters such as base yarn mass, base yarn diameter, stub distance, mass increase (ΔM) of a stub, slub diameter increase, stub diameter, slub length (LE) and/or slub total mass. At least one result of the evaluation is outputted in the form of a graphic representation, for example as a scatter diagram. Such a graphic representation provides a clear representation of the measurement results. The occurring data is reduced and may be divided up into different categories. |
| US08220241B2 |
Characterization of fancy yarn
According to the method for characterizing fancy yarn, at least one characteristic of the fancy yarn is scanned along the longitudinal direction of the fancy yarn. Values of the scanning are evaluated and the results of the evaluation are outputted. The results of the evaluation are the fancy yarn parameters such as base yarn mass, base yarn diameter, slub distance, mass increase (ΔM) of a slub, slub diameter increase, slub diameter, slub length (LE) and/or slub total mass. At least one result of the evaluation is outputted in the form of a graphic representation, for example as a scatter diagram. Such a graphic representation provides a clear representation of the measurement results. The occurring data is reduced and may be divided up into different categories. |
| US08220240B2 |
Device for landscape care with spring tine rake
A landscape care device has a first care tool embodied as a mowing device, a sweeping broom, or the like, and at least one second care tool in the form of a spring tine rake arranged in front of the first care tool and acting simultaneously or with time shift relative to the first care tool. A carriage with a front axle is provided, wherein only the spring tine rake is effective in front of the front axle of the carriage. The spring tine rake has spring tines and the spring line rake is designed such that the spring tines are effective by a substantially straight push movement exerted on the spring tine rake. |
| US08220236B1 |
Harvester for selectively cutting portions of crop materials
A harvester is provided for harvesting a plant similar to or like sorghum having a stalk and a grain head. The harvester includes a combine vehicle, a lower row crop cutter mechanism, and an upper grain cutter mechanism. The lower row crop cutter mechanism is mounted to a connecting portion of the combine vehicle for cutting plant stalks at a lower end of the plant. The upper grain cutter mechanism is coupled to a lower section of the combine vehicle and is vertically displaced from the lower row crop cutter mechanism for cutting the grain head at upper end of the plant simultaneously with the cutting of the plant stalk by the lower row crop cutter mechanism. |
| US08220235B2 |
Corn head stripper plate adjusting mechanism
A cornhead row unit is provided including first and second longitudinally extending stripper plates mounted on a frame and having opposed stripping edges which define a gap between them. The frame further includes a resilient device arranged and disposed to adjustably transversely urge the first stripper plate on the frame toward the second stripper plate to vary the width of the gap. An adjusting arrangement connecting the frame and the second stripper plate selectably and transversely moves the second stripper plate with respect to the first stripper plate to vary the width of the gap. |
| US08220229B1 |
Hybrid palletizer
The present invention relates to compact palletizers that include a stretch-wrap operation as the pallet is built. A four-sided compaction mechanism compresses the rough-built load to the final pallet size and then the entire layer is released to the pallet. Individual items or group of items are picked and placed onto a layer support device in a loose orientation. The loose orientation enables a much faster palletizing operation because the robotic arm that pick-and-places the item, the items, or the row of items, can travel much faster as it does not have to precisely locate the item, items, or row of items. During the time that a layer is being loosely constructed on the layer support device concurrent wrapping can occur. |
| US08220228B2 |
Cap removal apparatus and cap removal method for vacuum blood collection tubes
A cap removal apparatus for a vacuum blood collection tube is configured to remove a cap from the collection tube of which an opening is closed by the cap so that the tube is kept under vacuum inside. The cap removal apparatus comprises, a tube clamping mechanism which clamps the collection tube upright in a cap removal position, a chuck mechanism which is disposed in the cap removal position and chucks the cap of the collection tube, seal pressure reduction unit which is disposed in the a chuck mechanism and configured to seal a region around the opening including the cap and reduce the pressure of the sealed region to substantially the same level as the internal pressure of the collection tube when the cap is chucked, and a lift mechanism which raises the chuck mechanism from a cap chucking position, thereby removing the cap from the collection tube. |
| US08220225B1 |
Capping chuck assembly
A capping chuck assembly embodying the present invention comprises an outer chuck housing, and inner, central guide disc upon which a plurality of circumferentially spaced gripper segments are mounted. Each gripper segment includes an inner jaw portion for engagement with an associated closure, and an outer cam surface. The outer chuck housing defines a plurality of inwardly facing, cam drive surfaces positioned for respective engagement with the outer cam surfaces of the gripper segments, so that rotational drive of the outer chuck housing collectively drives the gripper segments and guide disc to urge the segments radially into engagement with an associated closure. |
| US08220222B2 |
Device for fixing a lightweight panel onto a support
These disclosed embodiments relates to a device for fixing a light-weight panel onto a support. Such device includes an insert including at least one flange, such insert being intended for receiving a fixing device of the bolt type.According to the disclosed embodiments, such flange has an outer surface including toothing elements and the device includes a part made of a ductile material including an opening for the passage of the fixing member. The toothing elements are intended for cooperating, upon fixing the panel onto the support, with the part made of a ductile material to allow such fixing without causing any deformation of the panel. |
| US08220217B2 |
Flooring system
A joint for connecting two adjacent flooring panels together in a substantially vertical manner includes a rotatable locking member made of plastic, metal or another resilient material. The rotatable locking member is located within a groove or opening of one flooring panel and the second flooring panel has a tongue shaped to mate with the rotatable locking member. Upon installation, the rotatable member rotates and locks around the back of the tongue via a groove above the tongue. The rotatable locking member includes a resilient arm which is bent away from its initial rest position upon installation, so that when the rotatable locking member locks onto the tongue, the resilient arm is bent providing a biasing force which holds the panel securely in position. |
| US08220206B2 |
Gutter filter
A rain gutter filter apparatus and method utilize a filter element of a reticulated foam material adapted for insertion into a gutter having an open top defining a top width of the gutter. The filter element has a flat top surface with a width substantially matching the top width of the gutter, a bottom surface having a width less than the top width of the filter element, and front and rear surfaces extending upward from the bottom surface of the filter element to thereby form a front and a rear open passage for water on front and rear sides of the bottom surface of the filter element when the filter element is installed into the gutter. The reticulated foam material of the filter element has a composition that is flame resistant, germicidal, mold resistant, and resistant to degradation by exposure to ultraviolet rays. |
| US08220205B2 |
Slider window for pick-up truck, and/or method of making the same
Certain example embodiments relate to a window assembly for a vehicle. A slidable window panel includes at least one top pin and at least one bottom pin attached thereto. A single fixed window panel includes a hole defined therein for receiving the slidable panel. An elongated upper rail includes first and second upper rail channels defined therein for slidingly receiving the at least one top pin attached to the slidable panel. An elongated lower rail includes first and second lower rail channels defined therein for slidingly receiving the at least one bottom pin attached to the slidable panel. The upper and lower rails are connected to the fixed panel. The first upper rail channel and the first lower rail channel are provided at a first depth and the second upper rail channel and the second lower rail channel are provided at a second depth. The slidable panel is substantially flush with the fixed panel when closed, but is slightly inwardly and laterally movable when being opened. Safety features may include, for example, teeth provided to the upper and/or lower elongated rails of the window assembly and/or a downwardly extending flange provided to the upper rail of the window assembly. Water management features may include, for example, one or more sealing bulbs provided to the window assembly and/or a draining recess or channel provided to the lower rail of the window assembly. |
| US08220202B2 |
Hinge pin mounted door switch
A method for detecting a position of a door includes providing a switch having a body with two electrical contacts and a through-channel. Two lever arms extend from the body. Each of the arms is attached to a respective one of the electrical contacts. The arms have a first position relative to each other wherein the contacts are electrically connected to each other, and a second position relative to each other wherein the contacts are electrically disconnected from each other. A hinge pin is inserted through the through-channel of the switch and is also inserted into a door hinge. The arms are biased against a doorjamb and the door, respectively. It is monitored whether the contacts are electrically connected to each other. |
| US08220199B2 |
Root feeder
A root feeder for watering feeding and enhancing the air flow to the roots of a plant when the root feeder is at least partially buried in soil adjacent to the root system, the feeder including body panels folded from flat stock and locked together to form a body having an interior volume and a plurality of apertures providing for circulation of air and/or water and nutrients through the body to the roots of the plant. |
| US08220195B2 |
Orthodontic bracket system
A novel orthodontic bracket system includes orthodontic appliances, such as brackets or buccal tubes, with a vertical instead of the conventional horizontal slot orientation. The occlusal-gingival slot orientation minimizes the risk of unintentional debonding of the bracket as a result of insertion and removal of the archwire. An archwire retention mechanism designed to guide, retain and/or seat the archwire. The archwire retention mechanism releases the archwire from the archwire slot whenever appropriate force is applied, or manipulation of physical properties of the material are altered by the operator. |
| US08220194B2 |
Sleeve and method for increasing rifle accuracy
The present invention provides for a sleeve that is mountable within a rifle stock. The sleeve includes a central aperture, one end of which is threaded and is adapted to receive a like-threaded male portion of an action. The action is of the type that includes a female threaded portion, this portion being configured to receive the threaded male portion of a rifle barrel. In this configuration, the sleeve is in direct contact with the stock, the action is in direct contact with the sleeve, and the barrel is in direct contact with the action. However, neither the barrel nor the action is in direct contact with the stock. As such, both the barrel and the action are ‘floated’ within the rifle assembly. In an alternative embodiment, the sleeve may be fabricated with the action such that the sleeve and action form a single integrated element. |
| US08220193B1 |
Method and apparatus for adjustable trigger assemblies for firearms
Applicant has disclosed an improved trigger assembly for firearms, and a related method, to avoid premature firing after an unintentional trigger rotation, especially where light trigger pulls have previously been set. In the preferred embodiment, Applicant's trigger assembly has two triggers: a slotted primary trigger and a secondary trigger which can pivot into the slot. During an intentional trigger pull, the shooter's finger initially pushes against the secondary trigger until it pivots and nestles within the primary trigger's slot. Continued pulling on both the secondary and primary triggers causes a hammer to rotate off a sear, thereby allowing the firearm to discharge. In an unintentional trigger rotation, where the secondary trigger is not pulled back enough to nestle within the primary trigger's slot: an upper portion of the secondary trigger (unseen within the housing) constrains a protrusion on a spring-biased mainspring guide. This blocks movement of the mainspring guide and prevents the hammer from rotating sufficiently for discharge. |
| US08220192B2 |
Firing assemblies for use with firearms
Firing assemblies for use with firearms are described. A firing assembly for use with a firearm includes a hammer pivotably coupled to a hammer shaft. The hammer includes a hammer stop notch that at least partially engages a portion of a lever of a trigger assembly when the hammer is in a cocked position and a control curve section that engages a surface of the lever to retain the lever in an unlocked position as the hammer moves between the cocked position and a firing position. Additionally, the firing assembly includes a control element pivotably coupled to the hammer shaft and adjacent the hammer, wherein the control element includes a first control curve portion that at least partially adjoins the control curve section and wherein the hammer interacts with the control element to change a control curve region as the hammer moves between cocked position and the firing position. |
| US08220191B2 |
Wristband assembly
A wristband assembly comprising a wristband strap having a first portion, a second portion, and a fold line between the first portion and the second portion. The wristband strap is in a folded position with the first portion folded in overlapping relation with the second portion. A release layer is positioned on the first portion, and an adhesive is positioned on the second portion in releasable engagement with the release layer. Preferably, substantially the entire release layer is secured to the strap by a permanent adhesive. In use, the wristband assembly is provided to the user in the folded position. The assembly is used by disengaging the adhesive from the release layer, unfolding the first portion relative to the second portion, forming the strap into a loop, and engaging the adhesive with a surface of the strap. Preferably, the length of the assembly is increased when unfolding the assembly. |
| US08220190B2 |
Holding device for a poster-shaped information support
Disclosed is a holding device (1) for a poster-shaped information carrier, comprising two board segments (2) for receiving the information carrier therebetween, at least one of the board segments (2) being transparent in order for the information support to be visible. A base (3) is used for inserting the two board segments (2). A means (4) is provided for leaving a gap between the two board segments (2) for receiving the information carrier. Said means (4) for leaving the gap (20) between the two board segments (2) is a web which is arranged within the base (3) and extends between the board segments (2), and/or a spacing element (4) that lies between the board segments (2). |
| US08220189B2 |
Sign holder device
A sign holder in the form of individual parts which, upon assembly, provides for the support and display of signage in a plurality of orientations. The sign holder includes a base configured to receive and support a first end to the stem, the stem having a first end and second end, the first end configured to be releasably retained by the base and the second end configured to retain a sign frame. The second end of the stem is provided with a C-shaped extremity sized to frictionally capture the sign frame such that the sign frame is releaseable from the stem by providing a lateral force to the frame. |
| US08220186B2 |
Sole structures and articles of footwear including such sole structures
Footwear sole structures include: (a) a chassis member including a lateral side, a rear heel portion, and a medial side, wherein the chassis member includes an opening defined between the medial side and the lateral side; (b) an impact-attenuating member engaged with the chassis member, wherein the impact-attenuating member includes a lateral side arm and a medial side arm that extend toward a forefoot portion of the sole structure, and wherein the impact-attenuating member further includes a rear heel portion joining the lateral and medial side arms; and (c) an outsole element extending beneath the impact-attenuating member, wherein the outsole element extends around the rear heel portion of the impact-attenuating member and engages the rear heel portion of the chassis member. |
| US08220185B2 |
Article of footwear with suspended stud assembly
An article of footwear with a suspended stud assembly attached to a sole is disclosed. The suspended stud assembly includes a base portion attached to the sole of a shoe. A set of suspension arms connect a plurality of studs to the base portion. This arrangement allows the studs to move independently of the sole and of each other to provide greater traction capabilities to the article of footwear. |
| US08220181B2 |
Full suspension footwear
A method and apparatus for enhancing the ability of a human to run and jump with comfort comparable to running barefoot on a trampoline and with control comparable to that of the unaided human form, yet with freedom from ankle-turning roll moments associated with substantial ground contact member (GCM) extension downwardly away from the sole of the foot including, a resiliently urged GCM constrained to two degrees of freedom: translation away from the sole of the user's foot and rotation about a longitudinal axis at ground level. The apparatus relates flexure of a GCM toe pressure member to comparable flexure of user's toes at the metatarsal joints. The apparatus also incorporates lower leg to ankle pivot bracing, and extends the GCM in downward direction parallel to the lower leg while mimicking user ankle articulation with parallelism-maintaining rotation about a downwardly resiliently urged transverse pivot axis similar to the user's own ankle joint for extended travel. |
| US08220176B2 |
Gauge for mounting a screw
This gauge for mounting a screw in a cage nut or in a nut (23), with the aim of assembling at least two parts (13, 15), comprises a shank (37) with a smooth section (39) having graduations (47) and with a threaded end (41), which are similar to those of said screw. A sleeve (49) is slidably mounted on said smooth section (39). The axial length of said sleeve (49) and the distribution of said graduations (47) are such that, when the shank (37) of said gauge is screwed as far as it will go into said cage nut or into said nut (23) and when said sleeve (49) is pressed against one (13) of said two parts (13, 15), the graduation indicated by said sleeve (49) on said smooth section (39) is representative of the distance separating the thread (43) of said cage nut or said nut (23) from the outer surface of the part (13) situated facing away from this cage nut or said nut (23). |
| US08220174B1 |
Adjustable template jig and related methods
Apparatus and methods to model the dimension and contour of a segment of piping to be installed between a pair of open ends of a piping circuit, are provided. A first backing plate of a first end of an exemplary apparatus is connected to a first flange of a piping circuit. A telescopic elongate linkage member is extended and a second backing plate of a second end of the apparatus is connected to a second flange of the piping circuit. Various measurements are taken, to include a rotational angular difference between the backing plate and a coaxial alignment disk coaxially located with the backing plate, an angular difference between a central axis of the backing plate and the main axis of a hinged yoke connected to the coaxial alignment disk, an angular difference between the main axis of the yoke and a longitudinal axis of the linkage member, and an amount of telescopic extension of the linkage member. |
| US08220171B2 |
Spirit level having horizontal bubble vial with improved bubble visibility
Spirit levels including a horizontal bubble vial with improved bubble visibility for assisting user readability for leveling purposes. The improved bubble visibility is achieved by coloring a bubble's uppermost surface as perceived by a user. |
| US08220170B1 |
First down indicator system
A first down indicator system adapted for removable attachment to a first down marker post of markers of the type used in football games for marking a distance of ten yards to determine first down measurement. |
| US08220169B2 |
Method and system for guiding a plurality of load bearing members of a forklift
A light-based guidance system mountable on a forklift and method for guiding a plurality of load bearing members of a forklift is disclosed. The light-based guidance system includes first and second light sources disposed within a housing. The first light source is configured to emit a first light beam that is substantially parallel with the load bearing members. The method includes emitting a first light beam substantially parallel with the load bearing members, emitting a second light beam, and guiding the plurality of load bearing members based upon a position of irradiated light from the first and second light beams. |
| US08220168B2 |
Spectacle lens frame shape measuring apparatus
A spectacle lens frame shape measuring apparatus includes a holding device including upper pins and lower pins respectively holding upper rims and lower rims of frames for a spectacle lens, the upper pins holding the frames at different positions in a right-left direction from the positions at which the lower pins hold the frames and being placed at a same height as the lower pins in a vertical direction, a probe brought into contact with lens fitting grooves of the frames held by the holding device, a swinging mechanism swinging the holding device around a predetermined virtual axis, and a calculation controller calculating an axial shift amount or angle of the frames held by the holding device on the basis of a carved angle of the frames and an inclination angle of any one of the upper and lower rims, and correcting a shape of the frames obtained by the probe in accordance with the calculated axial shift amount or angle. |
| US08220167B2 |
Method of preparing a panel for fitting to a structure
The method uses a cable measurement and cable positioning or laser projection device to measure a structure to produce a digitized design of the structure and to put the design on a panel by laser pointer projection or by cable positioning so that the panel can be marked and cut for fitting on the structure. |
| US08220165B2 |
Support foot locking arrangement for a reciprocating tool
A support arrangement for a reciprocating tool comprises a first locking surface adjacent to an adjustable foot guide. The foot guide includes a second locking surface designed to mesh with the first locking surface in a locking engagement. The support arrangement further comprises a lock actuator including a first cam profile. The lock actuator is provided adjacent to a cam plate which includes a second cam profile. The second cam profile is configured to interact with the first cam profile and force the first locking surface toward the second locking surface of the foot guide. The lock actuator is moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position, wherein a first raised surface of the first cam profile does not engage a second raised surface of the second cam profile in the unlocked position, while the first cam surface does engage the second raised surface in the locked position. |
| US08220162B2 |
Cutter device
A manually operable cutter device for cutting flexible sheet material, the cutter device comprising a cutter body and a cutting blade assembly operatively mounted to the cutter body and including a rotatable cutter blade having a peripheral edge portion and a fixed cutter blade adapted to cooperate together to provide a cutting zone in which sheet material can be cut. The rotatable cutting blade is mounted for rotation about an axis which extends generally laterally with respect to a normal feed direction of the sheet material to the cutting zone and the direction of rotation of the peripheral edge portion through the cutting zone is in the normal feed direction. The tangential peripheral speed of the rotating cutter blade in the cutting zone is not less than the speed of the feed of sheet material to the cutting zone.teh |
| US08220160B2 |
Box cutter with grip-actuated blade extension
A utility knife includes a handle body having sidewall portions defining a guide channel, a blade shuttle mounted for extension and retraction movement within the guide channel, and a hand-grip lever coupled to the handle body at a fulcrum for pivotal movement between an at-rest position in which the blade shuttle is in a non-use position, to an in-use position in which the blade shuttle is in an extended position. In the non-use position, a blade mounted on the blade shuttle is enclosed in the guide channel. In the extended position, a portion of the blade projects from the guide channel. The hand-grip lever is rotatably coupled to the blade shuttle through a transmission comprising a pin coupled to the lever such that a distance from the fulcrum to the pin stays substantially fixed as the lever pivots between the at-rest and in-use positions. |
| US08220158B2 |
Coaxial cable end preparation tool with saw guide and associated methods
A cable end preparation tool is for a coaxial cable and has a C-shaped body with an opening therein to receive the coaxial cable and a side defining a saw guide to receive a saw blade thereagainst. The C-shaped body includes a gripping rib to fit in a valley of a corrugated outer conductor when the coaxial cable is in the opening. At least one stabilizing rib is adjacent the gripping rib to receive a crest of the corrugated outer conductor thereagainst when the coaxial cable is in the opening. The C-shaped body also includes a rotation guide feature receives the inner conductor. A cutting blade extends outwardly from the C-shaped body for removing a portion of a dielectric between the inner conductor and the corrugated outer conductor as the C-shaped body is rotated about the rotation guide feature. |
| US08220157B2 |
Rotary electric shaver
The rotary electric shaver comprising; cutter circumferential rims (24), each of which is separately provided for each outer cutter (16) and which holds the outer cutter by surrounding the outer periphery of the outer cutter, and pivotal supporting sections (22) which pivotably and removably hold the cutter circumferential rim on a pivotal axis (C) passing the center (Q) of the outer cutter. The upper surface of the cutter circumferential rim is extended out over the pivotal supporting sections, thus increasing the width of the upper surface of the cutter circumferential rim. |
| US08220156B2 |
Liquid dispensing hair removal kit
A hair removal kit having a handle, a cover removably engagable to the handle, and a cartridge removably engagable to the handle. The cartridge has at least one blade. A removable dispensing unit is disposed within the handle. The dispensing unit has a pump, an applicator in liquid communication with the pump, and a reservoir having a first position and a second position. The reservoir is in liquid communication with the pump in the second position, but not in liquid communication with the pump in the first position. |
| US08220151B2 |
Heat pipe and method for manufacturing the same
A heat pipe includes an evaporation section, a condensation section and a connecting section connecting with the evaporation section and the condensation section. The evaporation section defines a plurality of dents at an outer wall thereof to increase rough degree of the outer wall of the evaporation section. The dents are provided to prevent solder from separation from the evaporation section during soldering process soldering the evaporation section to a heat sink. |
| US08220148B2 |
Method for producing a flexible conductor carrier and arrangement comprising the flexible conductor carrier
A method for producing a first flexible conductor carrier includes applying at least one conductor track to a base insulating film. A covering layer is applied to the conductor track and the base insulating film in such a way that, in at least one conduction region of the first flexible conductor carrier, the conductor track is completely enclosed by the covering layer and the base insulating film. The base insulating film is free of the conductor track and the covering layer in at least one insulating region. The conductor track is free of the covering layer in at least one contact region of the first flexible conductor carrier. |
| US08220141B2 |
Component supply apparatus and surface mounter
It is intended to allow for efficiently performing a feeder replacement operation. A feeder 50 is formed in a shape elongated in one direction to allow a replacement operation therefor to be performed in such a manner that it is inserted and pulled out relative to a feeder installation section 150, along a longitudinal direction thereof. A rear end 111 which is a trailing one of longitudinally opposite ends of each of a plurality of feeders 50A, 50B, - - - , in an insertion direction, is provided with a guide portion for guiding one 50C of the feeders to be installed in adjacent relation to ones of the remaining feeders. For example, the guide portion can be formed by rounding corners of the rear end 111 of the feeder 50. |
| US08220139B2 |
Slider tester and method for testing slider
A slider tester includes a disk, movable table, table drive mechanism, guide member, etc. A plurality of suspensions are mounted on the movable table. A slider is mounted on each suspension. A guide member can support respective lift tabs of the suspensions. The guide member includes a first guide surface, second guide surface, and opening arranged in a track width direction of the disk. When any of the lift tabs gets into the opening as the movable table moves in the track width direction of the disk, the slider is dropped toward a recording surface of the disk. |
| US08220132B2 |
Method of producing mechanism for converting rotational motion to linear motion and jig for executing the method
In this manufacturing method, when a plurality of planetary shaft main bodies are arranged at even intervals around a sun shaft main body, a state in which a sun threaded section is engaged with each of planetary threaded sections is referred to as a regular assembled state, and an assembly formed by a combination of the sun shaft main body and the planetary shaft main body in the regular assembled state is referred to as a first assembly. The first assembly is assembled in a state in which the relationship of the planetary shaft main body and the sun shaft main body is in correspondence with the relationship of the planetary shaft main body and the sun shaft main body in the regular assembled state. |
| US08220131B2 |
Assembly of aircraft components
A method is provided for preparing a first part for assembly to form an aircraft component, by applying a shim to a first surface of the first part, the method comprising the steps of placing the first surface of the part adjacent to a second surface of a second part, inserting a solid shim into a gap between the first and second surfaces and holding the shim in the inserted position, and subsequently introducing a liquid shim through the first part into a region between the first part and the solid shim. |
| US08220127B2 |
Replacement of steering rack boots
A replacement stretch type boot is applied to the tie rod shaft of a steering rack assembly using an application aid consisting of a sleeve of flexible sheet material which is applied over the tie rod end to provide a smooth surface for passage of the boot over the tie rod end. |
| US08220126B1 |
Barbed metal insert overmolding using crosslinked polymers
The invention described herein relates to method by which a leak-proof connection may be made to a refrigeration device using shape memory characteristics of crosslinking and overmolding to affect the leak-proof connection. |
| US08220123B2 |
Method and apparatus for converting coal classifier outlet to turret adapted for diffusion technology
The OEM Venturi and outlet structures of a conventional coal classifier are removed and replaced with a simple turret having four outlet openings which are connected to the combustion chamber feed conduits. The Venturi and kidney-shaped transition tubes of the OEM structure are scrapped. |
| US08220122B2 |
Door hinge mounting device
A door hinge mounting device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a jig frame; upper and lower door hinge arranging units disposed to a rearward side of the jig frame corresponding to positions of hinge mounting portions of a vehicle body for arranging upper and lower door hinges; upper and lower door hinge clamping units disposed to a forward side of the jig frame corresponding to positions of the upper and lower door hinge arranging units for clamping the door hinges; a support unit disposed near the lower door hinge clamping unit for closely adhering the jig frame to the vehicle body; and a fixing unit disposed to the forward side of the jig frame between the upper door hinge clamping unit and the support unit for fixing the jig frame to the vehicle body. |
| US08220113B2 |
Smart clamp device for connecting tubing
A hinged clamp provides quick connection and disconnection of sections of fluid tubing. Some embodiments include a spring-loaded catch mechanism that enables the clamp to be loosely latched, and a winding mechanism that can retract the catch to a securely latched condition. Other embodiments provide a hinged shaft that pivots about an end of the upper clamp ring. A middle section of the shaft can be inserted into a slotted opening in the lower clamp ring, and the winding mechanism can move an engagement surface against the lower clamp ring to securely latch the clamp. An adjustment mechanism is included in these embodiments which can adjust the amount of winding required to engage the clamp. In various embodiments, less than one turn or less than one-half turn is required to engage/disengage the clamp. The clamp can be openable only just enough for insertion of flanged ends of the tubing sections. |
| US08220111B2 |
Cufflink for buttoned shirts
A cufflink for a button shirt has an inner piece configured to be disposed on an inside of paired shirt sleeve cuffs, and an outer piece configured to be disposed on an outside of the paired shirt sleeve cuffs. At least one of the inner piece and the outer piece has a male portion preferably having a male engagement device thereon. An opposite one of the inner piece and the outer piece has a complementary female engagement device therein. The male engagement device and the female engagement device are configured to be releasably coupled to one another. Preferably, the male engagement device includes a pin configured to pass through the inner cuff button hole and then the outer cuff fabric before engaging the female engagement device. Preferably, the outer piece inner surface has a recess therein configured to encompass the shirt sleeve button. |
| US08220109B2 |
Handheld pet hair vacuum cleaner
A handheld vacuum cleaner according to the invention comprises a housing, a dirt cup, a latch coupled between the dirt cup and the housing for selectively joining the dirt cup to the housing, a filter positioned in the dirt cup between the inlet and the outlet, and a plurality of different nozzle assemblies, each having at least one nozzle opening and each having an outlet opening at a back end thereof that is removable coupled to the dirt cup front end. |
| US08220108B2 |
Cleaner apparatus
A vacuum apparatus having a suction nozzle, an air suction unit to which the suction nozzle is pivotally connected and which fluidly communicates with the suction nozzle through a connection channel, a dirt receptacle which has at least two collecting parts fluidly communicating with at least two outlets formed at the air suction unit, respectively. |
| US08220107B2 |
Cleaning apparatus
A cleaning apparatus is described and which includes a housing which is moveable across a supporting surface; a first electrically actuated fluid pump which is mounted in the housing, and which is operable to deliver a first stream of fluid at a pressure of at least about 150 PSI to less than about 1200 PSI; a second electrically actuated fluid pump which is mounted in the housing, and which is operable to deliver a second stream of fluid, at a pressure, of less than about 600 PSI; and an electrically actuated heater which is mounted in the housing, and which is operable to impart heat energy to the second fluid stream. |
| US08220104B1 |
Mop fabric snap-in connection structure
A mop fabric snap-in connection structure comprises: a disc having a groove formed around the bottom of the disc, and a plurality of first snap-in connection structures arranged in the groove; a plurality of mop fabrics, disposed across a surface of the groove; and a pressing member, installed at the bottom of the disc, and a main body of the pressing member having a plurality of second snap-in connection structures corresponding to and latched each other with the first snap-in connection structures of the groove respectively. The present invention engages two modules including the disc and the pressing member with the mop fabrics 80 into an M-shape by the mutual and alternate engagement, and the method of latching and fixing the two modules achieves a convenient assembling and a secured clamping, and prevents the fabrics from falling out easily without requiring any locking components. |
| US08220102B2 |
Toothbrush
A toothbrush head comprising a flexible bristle carrier such as an elastomer or gel pad or flexibly linked segments, on which bristles are mounted, with a support which supports the carrier at its base near the handle and at the opposite tip part, leaving the carrier unsupported thereby in a region longitudinally between these parts, the carrier being flexible such that it can deform under the forces of toothbrushing so that both its longitudinal and widthways sections become distorted. Preferably the support is also flexible. |
| US08220098B2 |
Portable scrubber with liquid dispenser cartridge
A portable cleaning apparatus includes a handle (11) and a wheel (13) rotatably mounted to the handle and the wheel having a plurality of scrubbing elements (74). Pressurized fluid enters the apparatus and a fluid flow director (16) delivers the fluid to the scrubbing elements to rotate the wheel. The scrubbing elements can be secured to the wheel to limit pivoting movement of the scrubbing elements in a direction of rotation of the wheel while permitting greater pivoting movement of the scrubbing elements in direction opposite the direction of rotation of the wheel. Different types of treatment material dispensing systems (100) are operable position a flow director to spin a dispenser of treatment material, or to position a dispenser in the rotational path of the scrubbing elements, to apply treatment material to the scrubbing elements. |
| US08220091B2 |
Sleep system
An apparatus for facilitating sleep is disclosed. Embodiments of the sleep system receive a person's lower arm in an arm cavity of a person laying in a sleep-on-side position. An exemplary sleep system has a trunk rest and head rest. Two separated cantilevered supports extending outwardly from the base portion of the head rest are in contact with and supported by a top edge of the trunk rest, thereby defining an arm aperture that receives the person's lower arm when laying in a sleep-on-side position. An arm cavity is defined by lower surfaces of the two cantilevered supports and a trunk rest cantilevered arm cavity surface that extends generally downward and inward. |
| US08220090B2 |
Multi-chamber air distribution support surface product and method
An air distribution support surface product includes a vapor permeable material such as a sheet of breathable material, a fluid resistant material, such as a sheet of waterproof material and an intermediate fluid passing material interposed between the vapor permeable material and the fluid resistant material to form a plurality of chambers. One of the chambers serves as a type of fluid retention chamber and another chamber serves as a type of fluid loss chamber. A fluid intake opening may be provided to allow fluid, such as air, to inflate the chambers. In one example, both of the chambers share the intermediate fluid passing material. As such, the fluid retention chamber is formed by the fluid resistant material and the intermediate fluid passing material. The fluid loss chamber is formed by the vapor permeable material and the intermediate fluid passing material. |
| US08220084B2 |
Shower head securing device
A shower head securing device has a shower head, a casing and a securing device. The securing device has a base, a ball tube, a securing screw, a shaft, the plurality of elastic pieces, the plurality of engaging pieces, a securing member and an adjusting screw. |
| US08220082B2 |
Far-infrared hydrotherapy device
A far-infrared hydrotherapy device has a bath unit, an oxygen supplier, a booster pump, a pressure modulator and an acupressure jet. The bath unit has a tub, an outlet pipe and a heat pump. The tub is for accommodating a liquid. The outlet pipe is connected to the tub to allow the liquid to flowing through. The heat pump is connected to the tub and has a temperature controller. The oxygen supplier is connected to the outlet pipe and provides oxygen to the liquid. The booster pump is connected to the outlet pipe to elevate pressure of the liquid. The pressure modulator is connected to an outlet of the booster pump and has a pressure-equalizing device, a water pressure modulating valve, a pressure-stabilizer and a hose sequentially connected. The acupressure jet is connected to the hose and has an outlet. The far-infrared hydrotherapy device is useful for hydrotherapy. |
| US08220080B2 |
Toilet bowl cleaning and/or deodorizing device
A device for spraying an inner surface of a toilet bowl with a cleaning and/or deodorizing chemical is disclosed. The device includes a container for the chemical, a spray nozzle through which the chemical can be sprayed laterally around a perimeter of the nozzle, a conduit in fluid communication with the container and the spray nozzle, fluid delivery means for delivering chemical from the container through the conduit and to the spray nozzle, and means for attaching the spray nozzle near a rim of the toilet bowl. The spray nozzle of the automatic or manual toilet bowl cleaning device can operate such that the chemical is applied to the entire circumference of the inner surface of the toilet bowl whereby the entire toilet bowl is cleaned around the inner circumference of the toilet bowl. |
| US08220077B1 |
Safety stocking
A safety stocking (10) in the form of a sock (11) includes an elastic, stretchable fabric portion (12) and a patterned anti-skid tread (13). The foot section (14) has a top surface (19) and a bottom surface (20). Both the top surface and the bottom surface are joined to the anti-skid tread. The anti-skid tread pattern extends continuously and symmetrically from a first point (23) adjacent the toes of a wearer to a second point (24) adjacent the heal of a wearer. |
| US08225418B2 |
Method for processing output of scanning type probe microscope, and scanning type probe microscope
Incident light 19 emitted from a laser light source 18 is reflected on an upper surface of a cantilever 13, so that reflected light 19a enters light detection means 20. Since the incident light 19 and the reflected light 19a are in a plane not including a long axis of the cantilever 13, movements of the reflected light 19a due to change in a deflection amount θ of the cantilever 13 and due to change in a fine vertical movement amount z thereof are different in direction on the light detection means 20. This enables the change in the deflection amount θ of the cantilever 13 and the change in the fine vertical movement amount z thereof to be separated from output of the light detection means 20. |
| US08225413B1 |
Detecting impersonation on a social network
In one implementation, a method includes receiving a claim that identifies a first user profile page as allegedly impersonating a second user profile page on a social network, and retrieving first information associated with the first user profile page and second information associated with the second user profile page. The method can also include comparing the first information and the second information to identify indicators of impersonation. The method can further include, based upon the identified indicators of impersonation, determining that the first user profile page is likely impersonating the second user profile page on the social network, wherein first user profile page is determined to be likely impersonating the second user profile page when the first and second user profile pages are determined to be similar to each other; and returning a flag indicating that the first user profile page is likely impersonating the second user profile page. |
| US08225409B2 |
Security control verification and monitoring subsystem for use in a computer information database system
A security control verification and monitoring subsystem of a managed computer system performs security control verification operations regularly and for each security control verification operation determines the applicable security benchmark level for use by a given computer. The subsystem assigns security risk categories to groups of computers based, for example, on overall system or group administrator supplied potential impact settings and/or system type and business or information type selections. The subsystem further associates the security risk categories with security benchmark levels based on mapping information supplied by the overall system or group administrator. The subsystem then directs the computer to benchmark definition files based on the assigned security risk category, the associated security benchmark level and attributes of the computer. The subsystem performs the security control verification operations whenever the computer performs computer profile data update operations, and thus, monitors essentially continuously the security control compliance of the computer. The subsystem stores the results of the security verification operations and includes the results in reports for the system, group or computer. |
| US08225406B1 |
Systems and methods for using reputation data to detect shared-object-based security threats
Computer-implemented methods and systems for using reputation data to detect shared-object-based security threats are disclosed. In one example, an exemplary method for performing such a task may comprise: 1) identifying a process, 2) identifying an executable file associated with the process, 3) identifying at least one shared object loaded by the process, 4) obtaining reputation data for both the executable file and the shared object from a reputation service, 5) determining that the shared object represents a potential security risk by comparing the reputation data for the executable file with the reputation data for the shared object and determining that the reputation data for the shared object is significantly different from the reputation data for the executable file, and then 6) performing a security operation on the shared object. Corresponding server-side methods and systems for identifying malicious shared objects based on reputation data are also disclosed. |
| US08225404B2 |
Trusted secure desktop
Systems and methods for simultaneously protecting software components (150) installed on a computer system (102) against malware. The methods involve executing a first end user application (3181, 3182, . . . , 318p) to the computer system (102) which execute in user mode on a trusted secure desktop (904). The trusted secure desktop is configured to run simultaneously with an unsecure desktop (902). The methods also involve performing a security service operation to protect the first end user application against malware. The security service operations include a keylogger prevention service operation, a code injection prevention service operation, a screen scraper protection service operation, a process termination prevention service operation, or a Domain Name System service operation. |
| US08225403B2 |
Displaying a security element to help detect spoofing
A security element is displayed that provides information to a user to help ensure that they are not confused or misled into believing that content originates from a trusted source when in fact it does not. The security element shows the user the source of the content and is displayed in such a manner that the source of the content is easily viewable. For example, according to one embodiment, the security element is shown within the title bar of a window. The security element may also be temporarily shown. Providing the user with more information about the site being accessed helps them to make an intelligent decision about their browsing experience. The security element includes at least part of a domain name that identifies the source of the content. The security element may also include the entire domain name. For example, the security element may overlay the screen. |
| US08225401B2 |
Methods and systems for detecting man-in-the-browser attacks
A computer-implemented method for detecting man-in-the-browser attacks may include identifying a transaction fingerprint associated with a web site. The method may also include tracking a user's input to the web site. The user's input may be received through a web browser. The method may further include intercepting an outgoing submission to the web site. The method may additionally include determining whether, in light of the transaction fingerprint, the user's input generated the outgoing submission. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed. |
| US08225400B2 |
Security overlay network
A device receives an indication of detected attack traffic associated with a network, identifies a victim of the attack traffic, and selects a security platform for processing the attack traffic. The device also advertises a tunnel and routing tag information in the network for the selected security platform, receives the attack traffic via the advertised tunnel, and forwards the attack traffic to the selected security platform for processing. The device further receives processed traffic from the selected security platform, and forwards, via the network, the processed traffic to the victim. |
| US08225397B1 |
Detection of observers and countermeasures against observers
A system for detecting an observing program on a computer system is disclosed as including accessing instructions that access observer data that includes data descriptive of the observer program. The system also includes reading instructions that read memory of the computer system to obtain memory data. Further, the system includes comparing instructions that compare the observer data with memory data read in from memory to determine whether the observer program is present on the computer system. The system may also include generating instructions that generate results from the reading and comparing. The results generated indicate whether the observer program is present on the computer system. In addition, the system includes outputting instructions that obtain the results and provide the results for a user. |
| US08225396B1 |
Systems and methods for detecting and warning users about hidden sensitive information contained in webpages
Computer-implemented methods, systems, and computer-readable media for detecting and warning users about hidden sensitive information contained in webpages are disclosed. In one example, an exemplary method for performing such a task may comprise: 1) identifying a webpage accessed by a web browser on a computing device, 2) detecting, within the webpage, hidden sensitive information that is not visually displayed by the web browser, and then 3) warning a user of the computing device that the webpage contains the hidden sensitive information. |
| US08225391B2 |
System and method for improving restrictiveness on accessing software applications
Systems and methods for improving the restrictiveness on accessing software applications on mobile devices, such as cell phones, are disclosed. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a computer-implemented system and method for improving the restrictiveness on accessing software applications comprises using a device having a memory, wherein the software application is stored in the memory and requesting, from the user, an original PIN, wherein the original PIN is not stored in the memory and any information about the original PIN is not stored in the memory. The invention further comprises using the original PIN as a seed number to create a true encryption key, using the true encryption key to encrypt an application secret data into a ciphertext and storing, in the memory, the ciphertext. The invention further comprises requesting a PIN from an accessing person that is accessing the targeted software application, wherein the requested PIN is not validated by the software application, using the requested PIN, without any validation, as the seed number to create an encryption key, and using the encryption key to decrypt the ciphertext. |
| US08225390B2 |
Licensing protected content to application sets
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for licensing protected content to application sets. Embodiments of the invention permit a local machine to increase its participation in authorizing access to protected content. For example, an operating system within an appropriate computing environment is permitted to determine if an application is authorized to access protected content. Thus, the application is relieved from having to store a publishing license. Further, authorization decisions are partially distributed, easing the resource burden on a protection server. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention can facilitate more robust and efficient authorization decisions when access to protected content is requested. |
| US08225388B2 |
Method and apparatus for authorizing the transfer of information
The present invention overcomes deficiencies in the prior art by providing a PIN-based system for managing delivery of privileged information, which utilizes “third-party” authorization. In one embodiment this system includes the use of three separate parties, a First Party, a Second Party, and a Third Party. The First Party initially “registers” with the Second Party by providing self-authenticating core registration information. This registration provides the First Party with a first set of privileges. The First Party may then ask for a PIN number in order to obtain a second set of privileges to observe information provided by the Second Party which is related to a Third Party. In requesting the PIN, the First Party must provide additional registration information (beyond the core information) to the Second Party relating to the Third Party, which the Second Party can authenticate due to an existing relationship which can be checked. The Second Party then forwards the PIN request to the Third Party along with the First Party's basic registration information. A PIN administrator at the Third Party's location can be designated by the First or the Third party. The Third Party then can decide whether to forward the PIN to the First Party. If the PIN is so forwarded, the First Party then may use the PIN to gain the requested additional access privileges. The second set of privileges can be dynamically modified by the Third Party. Although at least three parties can be involved, two of these parties could be the same. |
| US08225383B1 |
Method and system for user-initiated account activation
Some embodiments provide a system that activates an online account. During operation, the system obtains, through a registration interface, authentication information for the online account from a user without obtaining contact information for the user through the registration interface. Next, the system generates an activation credential for the online account using the authentication information and displays the activation credential to the user through the registration interface. Finally, the system activates the online account upon receiving the activation credential from the user through user-initiated communications outside of the registration interface. |
| US08225382B2 |
Attested identities
Attested identities are provided. An applicant requests an attested identity. Attesting resources provide assertions that include roles, rights, and privileges for the attested identity. The collection of assertions from each of the attesting resources represents the attested identity. |
| US08225381B2 |
Security technique for controlling access to a network by a wireless device
The present invention relates to a method for protecting the security of a computer network which is accessed through the use of wireless devices, among other means. Specifically, the present invention pertains to a method of using user-specific biometric data to identify users of wireless devices such as PDAs and yet prevent use by unauthorized persons and prevent changing of the biometric data by unauthorized persons. The method also prevents unauthorized access, and facilitates authorized access, to computer networks. Control of access to the biometric data and control of access to the network can be maintained in the network administrator or other responsible body and thereby also offers security against theft. |
| US08225378B2 |
Auditing authorization decisions
The auditing of authorization decisions is facilitated by integrating or coupling an audit policy to access control decisions. In an example implementation, an audit policy of an auditing scheme is coupled to a semantic framework of an access control scheme such that the audit policy is specified using at least a portion of the semantic framework. In another example implementation, audit policy rules include audit content rules that specify what audit information from any of the inputs, the outputs, or the internal data of authorization decisions is to be included in an audit record. In yet another example implementation, a semantic of an audit trigger rule comports with a semantic framework of an access request and of a logical evaluation for an authorization decision. |
| US08225375B2 |
Information processing system, information processing apparatus and method and program therefor
The invention is to alleviate cumbersome operations of manager such as registration and deletion of authentication information. A card ID read from an IC card is transmitted to an IC card authentication server to obtain a first authentication result, and when the first authentication result indicates a successful authentication, the use of a composite apparatus is permitted. When the first authentication result indicates a failed authentication, an input user name is transmitted to a directory service server to obtain a second authentication result, and, when the second authentication result indicate a successful authentication, the card ID failing the authentication and the user name succeeding in the authentication are transmitted for requesting a registration to an IC card authentication server, which, receiving the request, registers the card ID and the user name in the registration request in combination in an authentication table. |
| US08225373B2 |
Protection of computer resources
In one embodiment, local software code present in a computer system enables real-time detection of whether the computer system is properly protected against malicious attacks from harmful software. For example, software code such as one or more agents executing in the computer system support real-time protection validation based upon detection of the behavior of the computer system (as opposed to mere detection of the presence of resources or applications in the computer system). In response to detecting that the computer system or an application accesses or provides a particular type of resource and should be protected via one or more appropriate protection policies, if the computer system is not already protected, an agent of the computer system can provide immediate remediation (e.g., a security measure) to temporarily protect the computer system until the appropriate protection policy can be activated to protect the computer system against malicious software threats. |
| US08225366B2 |
Wireless control channel and back-channel for receiver
A method and apparatus for integrating a bi-directional control channel into an entertainment display device to deliver content and exchange control information. The system collects request and response information from the entertainment display device. The system also provides format translation of received and collected content to and from a plurality of formats such as N-PCS technology formats and video display formats in such a manner that the integrated system is independent of broadcasters, satellite, IPTV and cable operators. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract. |
| US08225364B2 |
Method of searching internet and video receiving apparatus to use the same
A method of searching the Internet and a video receiving apparatus, such as an Internet TV, to use the same to enable currently-displayed video to be transmitted to an external apparatus, such as a remote controller, and the video received from the external apparatus to be controlled, thereby increasing user convenience. Specifically, the video captured from the video receiving apparatus is transmitted to the external apparatus which receives coordinate data and performs an operation indicated by a menu of the currently-displayed video corresponding to the coordinate data received from the external apparatus so that websites having menus requiring user control can be used without requiring redesign even if the websites are not designed for use with the video receiving apparatus. |
| US08225362B2 |
Distributed diagnostics for internet video link
In one embodiment consistent with the invention, an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) information collector device has an Internet interface for communication with an aggregator via the Internet and for communication with IPTV service providers. A processor functions to carry out a process of: conducting a query of an IPTV service and at least one IPTV channel supplied thereby; gathering quality of service (QOS) information from the at least one IPTV channel of the IPTV service as a result of the query; and reporting the QOS service to an aggregator device. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract. |
| US08225358B2 |
Content recommendation apparatus and method
A content recommendation apparatus that can recommend contents suitable to user's taste immediately even after introduction of the system even if a TV set is used by unspecified users. Among previously-determined recommendation ranks of contents, the content recommendation apparatus of the present invention lowers the recommendation rank of a VOD content that is similar to TV programs broadcast in other media at a prescribed time. As the prescribed time, can be employed a time designated by a user, a time on a prescribed cycle, or a time when a TV program on the air in another media is changed, for example. |
| US08225350B2 |
Remote commander injecting new user interface (UI) into legacy controlled device to permit legacy controlled device to work with new remote commander
A controlled device such as a TV is vended with a legacy remote commander (RC) and legacy user interfaces (UI), but is programmed with authentication information to accept downloaded UI updates from an authenticated after market RC with more capabilities than the legacy RC. |
| US08225349B2 |
Apparatus for receiving digital multimedia broadcasting channels
Disclosed is a digital broadcast receiver including a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) module for receiving digital broadcastings of multiple channels; an output unit for outputting voice and image signals of the digital broadcastings; and a controller for controlling the DMB module to receive the digital broadcastings while successively and automatically switching the channels at a predetermined time interval, and controlling the digital broadcasting data received in the DMB module to be transmitted to the output unit. |
| US08225345B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling an apparatus having a parental control function
A method for controlling an apparatus such as a television signal receiver having a parental control function allows users to change a setting associated with the parental control function without first entering a password, while also preventing children from circumventing and defeating the parental control function. The method is also useful for informing parents if a child attempts to change a setting in an effort to circumvent and defeat the parental control function. According to an exemplary embodiment, the method includes steps of enabling a user to change a predetermined setting associated with the parental control function without entering a password, and disabling at least one of an audio output and a video output of the apparatus responsive to the change. |
| US08225343B2 |
Gesture cataloging and recognition
Methods and apparatus for cataloging and recognizing gestures are disclosed. A gesture may be detected using sample motion data. An energy value and a baseline value may be computed. The baseline value may be updated if the energy value is below a calm energy threshold. The sample motion data may be adjusted based on the updated baseline value. A local variance may be calculated over a predetermined number of samples. Sample motion data values may be recorded if the local variance exceeds a threshold. Sample motion data recording may stop if a local variance scalar value falls below a drop threshold. Input Gestures may be recognized by computing a total variance for sample values in an Input Gesture; calculating a figure of merit using sample values from the Input Gesture and one or more Catalog Gestures; and determining whether the Input Gesture matches a Catalog Gesture from the figure of merit. |
| US08225341B2 |
Data storage means
Apparatus in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention includes a data storage cartridge and/or a receiver configured to receive the cartridge in facilitation of data transfer to and/or from the cartridge. The cartridge and the receiver each include respective connector portions configured to connect when the cartridge is inserted into the receiver. The cartridge and/or the receiver also include guide features configured to facilitate alignment of the connector portions for connection as the cartridge is inserted into the receiver. |
| US08225337B2 |
Application programming interface enhancement
Some embodiments of application programming interface (API) enhancement in a networked system have been presented. In one embodiment, a servlet is initialized on a centralized server in the networked system. The capabilities of an application programming interface (API) accessible by the client are expanded to allow the client to have data converted to a predetermined format when executing an automation script in order to perform an administrative task on multiple computing machines in the networked system without user intervention. |
| US08225334B2 |
On-the-fly replacement of physical hardware with emulation
Various aspects are disclosed herein for replacing the hardware backing the memory locations associated with a virtual machine with a backing mechanism. The backing mechanism may have the memory locations appear to contain data convenient to the driver in the virtual machine, typically containing what the hardware would have returned if the hardware had been read from. The data image being returned from the memory locations may travel with the virtual machine even if the virtual machine moves to a different physical machine that does not contain hardware equivalent to the hardware that was recently removed from the virtual machine. |
| US08225333B2 |
POS hardware abstraction
A framework for point of sale system is discussed. The framework includes an application program stored on a tangible computer medium. When executed by a computing device, the application is capable of communicating using a first protocol. The framework further includes a first point of sale hardware device externally located from the computing device and configured to communicate with the computing device using a second protocol and a device abstraction layer capable of communicating with the application program using the first protocol and the first point of sale hardware device using the second protocol to pass information between the application program and the first point of sale hardware device. |
| US08225332B2 |
Method and system for protocol offload in paravirtualized systems
Certain aspects of a method and system for protocol offload in paravirtualized systems may be disclosed. Exemplary aspects of the method may include preposting of application buffers to a front-end driver rather than to a NIC in a paravirtualized system. The NIC may be enabled to place the received offloaded data packets into a received data buffer corresponding to a particular GOS. A back-end driver may be enabled to acknowledge the placed offloaded data packets. The back-end driver may be enabled to forward the received data buffer corresponding to the particular GOS to the front-end driver. The front-end driver may be enabled to copy offloaded data packets from a received data buffer corresponding to a particular guest operating system (GOS) to the preposted application buffers. |
| US08225330B2 |
RDMA (remote direct memory access) data transfer in a virtual environment
In an embodiment, a method is provided. In an embodiment, the method provides determining that a message has been placed in a send buffer; and transferring the message to an application on a second virtual machine by bypassing use of an operating system to process the message by directly placing the message in an application memory space from which the application can retrieve the message. |
| US08225327B2 |
Synchronizing access to a shared resource utilizing selective locking
A method and system for providing access to a shared resource utilizing selective locking are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method is provided comprising receiving a request to perform a resource access operation on a shared resource, invoking a first routine to perform the resource access operation, detecting a data processing system exception generated in response to invoking the first routine, and invoking a second routine to perform the resource access operation in response to such detecting. In the described embodiment, the first routine comprises a dereference instruction to dereference a pointer to memory associated with the shared resource, the second routine comprises a lock acquisition instruction to acquire a global lock associated with the shared resource prior to a performance of the resource access operation and a lock release instruction to release the global lock once resource access operation has been performed. |
| US08225324B2 |
Resource management on a computer system utilizing hardware and environmental factors
A method for resource management on a computer system utilizing hardware and environmental information. A caller interacts with an application program interface to handle information requests with a persistent data storage device to combine information involving hardware resource information, environmental data and other system information, all both historical, present and predicted values. Application execution decisions may then made regarding hardware for the calling entity. The method may be implemented as a computer process. |
| US08225323B2 |
Control device and control method for reduced power consumption in network device
This invention provides a data transfer control device for carrying out data transfer using a plurality of transfer resources. The data transfer control device comprises a transfer resource management portion that set the plurality of transfer resources to either one of a transfer-enabled state whereby data transfer is enabled and a plurality of standby states on the basis of a load on the data transfer control device and that manages the plurality of transfer resources so as to assume the set operating status; and a load distribution portion that distributes the data to transfer resources that have been set to the transfer-enabled state. The plurality of standby states are states which data transfer is disabled and which mutually differ at a minimum in terms of at least one of power consumption level and transition time to the transfer-enabled state. |
| US08225321B2 |
Efficient enforced resource consumption rate limits
A method for enforcing a consumption rate limit for a resource in a data processing system includes receiving a first request for consumption of the resource; calculating an accumulated resource availability using the consumption rate limit; in response to a determination that the accumulated resource availability is sufficient to satisfy the first request, satisfying the first request; calculating a residual resource availability; receiving a second request for consumption of the resource; calculating an additional accumulated resource availability using the consumption rate limit unless the residual resource availability is sufficient to satisfy the second request. |
| US08225313B2 |
Object-based virtual infrastructure management
In certain embodiments, a method for virtual infrastructure management includes discovering a plurality of heterogeneous virtual environments, each virtual environment comprising one or more components and being associated with one or more vendor-specific management operations. The method further comprises generating, for each of the plurality of heterogeneous virtual environments, one or more virtual environment objects that model that virtual environment and are operable to abstract the one or more vendor-specific management operations of that virtual environment to a normalized set of management operations. The method further comprises facilitating management of the plurality of heterogeneous virtual environments using the virtual environment objects that model the plurality of heterogeneous virtual environments. |
| US08225310B1 |
Automatic detection and redistribution of content management code
Automatic detection and redistribution of content management code is disclosed. A new or updated software object class is received at a repository. A change record at the repository is updated to reflect that the new or updated software object class is available from the repository. |
| US08225294B2 |
Method and apparatus for expressing and checking relationships between types
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for generating executable code. During operation, the system receives source code, wherein the source code can include declarations for types and operations, wherein the type declarations may be parameterized, and wherein the source code may specify subtyping relationships between declared types. Next, the system compiles or interprets the source code to produce executable code, wherein the type parameters may be instantiated by different types during execution, and wherein the result of executing operations may depend upon the instantiations of the type parameters. While compiling or interpreting the source code, the system checks the types and operations in the source code to ensure that the executable code generated is type-safe, and hence will not generate type errors during execution. |
| US08225291B2 |
Automated detection of application performance bottlenecks
Detecting performance bottlenecks in a target application is provided. In response to receiving hotspot selections from a user interface, bottleneck rules are extracted from a database. A hotspot is a region of source code that exceeds a time threshold to execute in the target application. Metrics needed to evaluate the bottleneck rules extracted from the database are identified. The identified metrics are computed. It is determined whether each bottleneck rule extracted from the database is evaluated to true using the computed metrics for hotspots in the target application. In response to determining that a bottleneck rule is evaluated to true using an appropriate computed metric corresponding to the bottleneck rule, a bottleneck description is created for the bottleneck rule. Then, the bottleneck description is sent to the user interface. |
| US08225285B2 |
Generating a test suite to test support for routines
Provided are techniques for generating a test suite. A statement grouping is generated based on operating parameters in a first operating parameters package. A data model is generated from the statement grouping based on operating parameters in a second operating parameters package. Then, one or more routine definitions are generated from the data model based on operating parameters in a third operating parameters package. |
| US08225284B2 |
Methods and systems for testing software development
Methods and systems are provided for generating a test bed from an input data set that has multiple data elements. A development program, which includes multiple decision points, is executed using each of the data elements as input to the development program in a sequence. For each decision point, execution of the decision point by at least one of the data elements is identified. Those identified data elements are assigned for identification in the test bed. |
| US08225280B2 |
Incorporating state machine controls into existing non-state machine environments
A computer program product for incorporating state machine controls into existing non-state machine environments includes a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method. The method includes determining a state machine representation for an existing environment, assigning state indicators to each state of the state machine, transcoding existing software flags of the environment into modifier values associated with the state indicators, assigning state values based on the modifier values and the state indicators, assigning event identifiers for transitions from the state values, and creating a tabular representation of the determined state machine, the tabular representation providing next state information based on the event identifiers and the state values. |
| US08225278B2 |
Method of visualizing modifications of a hierarchical state diagram
Hierarchical state diagrams are reflected in a tree structure with the initial state of the diagram represented as the parent node, intermediate states represented as intermediate levels of the hierarchy, and final states represented as the lowest level in the hierarchy. Information on the modification(s) on a child or subsequent level is transferred to the parent node. Such information includes quantifying and displaying of the modification(s). Accordingly, content and extent of any modifications to the diagram can be viewed at the parent node without requiring review of different levels in the hierarchy to view modifications to the state and/or transition in such levels. |
| US08225274B2 |
Code highlight and intelligent location descriptor for programming shells
There are disclosed systems and methods for aiding programmers in identifying a location in a program while coding. In an embodiment, the method comprises defining a plurality of sections of code within the program, associating at least one section of code with a background color, and displaying the at least one section of code against the associated background color. Sections of code corresponding to the same module may be associated with the same background color. A user-selectable control may be provided for viewing only those sections of code corresponding to a user-selected module, and upon selection of the module by the user, only those sections of code corresponding to the module may be displayed against the associated background color. A text description may also be associated with each section of code, and the text description may be displayed when a cursor is placed in the section of code. |
| US08225267B2 |
Method and apparatus for analyzing structure of complex material layer, and storage medium storing program for causing a computer to execute thereof method
A structure analysis apparatus (1) for analyzing structure of a complex material layer containing a plurality of members (2a, 2b) for modeling layout data on a complex material layer, includes: an area setting portion (21) for setting an area to be modeled in the complex material layer; an area dividing portion (22) for dividing the area into a plurality of elements; an area computing portion (23) for calculating, based on an occupancy of each of the plurality of members (2a, 2b) in the area, the number of elements corresponding respectively to the plurality of members (2a, 2b); and an element placing portion (24) for generating a model of the complex material layer by placing the plurality of members (2a, 2b) respectively in the plurality of elements based on the number of the elements corresponding respectively to the plurality of members (2a, 2b). |
| US08225259B1 |
Apparatus and methods for time-multiplex field-programmable gate arrays with multiple clocks
A multiple-clock time-multiplexed field programmable gate array (TM-FPGA) includes programmable logic circuitry. A plurality of clock signals within the TM-FPGA couple to the programmable logic circuitry. A user's circuit can be mapped to the programmable logic circuitry without the user's intervention in mapping the circuit to the programmable logic circuitry. |
| US08225254B2 |
Delay period analyzing apparatus, delay period analyzing method, and delay period analyzing program
A apparatus for analyzing a delay in path between flip-flops, including: a calculator that performs delay calculation and generates a delay calculation result on wiring and layout of logic circuits; a analyzer that performs delay analysis for each delay calculation results, and generates delay analysis results for paths by adding delay of logic elements and flip-flops, and by multiplying the sum calculated by a scattering coefficient; a sorter that stores delay analysis results for paths, thereby generating a maximum delay sorting result; a probability calculator that generates probability density functions for paths on a condition by performing processing in which a path is selected from paths in order of maximum delay on the maximum delay sorting result, and a probability density function is generated for the path selected between the flip-flops; and a value calculator that performs maximum value calculation for the probability density functions for all the paths. |
| US08225249B1 |
Static formal verification of a circuit design using properties defined with local variables
A static formal verification tool is used to test properties for a circuit design, where the properties are written in a verification language, such as SystemVerilog, that allows local variables. The use of local variables presents implementation challenges for static formal verification tools because it requires multiple instances of the local variables to be tracked during the verification process. To deal with local variables, the static formal verification tool translates a property containing local variables into an optimized, statically allocated data structure that does not need multiple representation of different instances of the local variables. The formal verification is then performed using the data structure. This reduces the verification complexity and makes the size of the problem representation predictable. |
| US08225248B2 |
Timing, noise, and power analysis of integrated circuits
DFM systems are provided that incorporate manufacturing variations in the analysis of integrated circuits by calculating predicted manufacturing variations on the shapes of interconnects and devices of the drawn layout of a circuit design. The shape variation on interconnects is converted to variations in resistor-capacitor (RC) parasitics. The shape variation on devices is converted to variations in device parameters. The variation in device parameters and wire parasitics is converted to changes in timing performance, signal integrity, and power consumption by determining the impact of device parameter and wire parasitic variations on the behavior of each instance of a standard cell. The results from these analyses are integrated back into the design flow as incremental delay files (timing), noise failures and buffer insertion/driver resizing commands (noise), and leakage power hotspots and cell substitution commands (power consumption). |
| US08225245B2 |
Method of implementing physically realizable and power-efficient clock gating in microprocessor circuits
A method and system of merging gated-clock domains in a semiconductor design includes producing, for each subset of clock gating functions in an initial set of clock gating functions, a set of quantified functions produced by existentially quantifying each clock gating function in the subset over a set of variables that are not part of the support sets of the other clock gating functions of the subset. If the set of quantified functions are equal, selecting one as a super clock gating function and adding it to the set of super clock gating functions. The set of super clock gating functions are sorted according to a criterion and the best is selected and added to the set of final clock gating functions. The remaining super clock gating functions are modified to prevent flip-flops gated by the selected super clock gating function from being gated by remaining super clock gating functions. |
| US08225244B2 |
Large scale integration device and large scale integration design method including both a normal system and diagnostic system
The LSI design apparatus adds diagnostic circuitry for micro diagnosis to a behavior level description. Based on behavior level design data for a normal system of a LSI, high level synthesis generates RTL design data and register information. Based on the register information, a unique address used by a micro diagnosis program is allocated to each register. Circuit components within the normal system are grouped together. Based on the result of the address allocation and the result of the grouping, a behavior description for diagnostic circuits constituting a diagnosis system for the LSI is generated and added to the behavior level design data for the normal system, resulting in behavior level design data in which the normal and diagnosis systems are integrated together. |
| US08225239B2 |
Methods for defining and utilizing sub-resolution features in linear topology
Regular layout shapes are placed in accordance with a virtual grate. A determination is made as to whether an unoccupied layout space adjacent to a regular layout shape to be reinforced, and extending in a direction perpendicular to the regular layout shape, is large enough to support placement of a sub-resolution shape. Upon determining that the unoccupied layout space is large enough to support placement of the sub-resolution shape, the sub-resolution shape is placed so as to be substantially centered upon a virtual line of the virtual grate within the unoccupied layout space. Also, one or more sub-resolution shapes are placed between and parallel with neighboring regular layout shapes when windows of lithographic reinforcement associated with each of the neighboring regular layout shapes permit. The sub-resolution shapes may be placed according to a virtual grate, or may be placed based on proximity to edges of the neighboring regular layout shapes. |
| US08225237B2 |
Method to determine process window
A method to determine a process window is disclosed. First, a pattern data is provided. Second, a bias set is determined. Then, a resizing procedure is performed on the pattern data in accordance with the bias set to obtain a usable final resized pattern to be a target pattern of changed area. The final resized pattern is consistent with a minimum spacing rule, a contact to poly rule and a contact to metal rule. Accordingly, the target pattern is output. |
| US08225236B2 |
Displaying active cursor in mobile terminal
A mobile communication terminal and a method of multi-tasking in the terminal are provided. The mobile communication terminal displays a first task display associated with a first application task, receives a request to execute a second application task while the first application task is being performed, and displays a second task display associated with the second application task, wherein the second task display at least partially replaces the first task display, at least a portion of the second task display is identified by an active cursor configured to allow a user to select a function associated with the second application task, and at least one display feature of the active cursor indicates that the first application task is being concurrently performed. |
| US08225229B2 |
Adjusting display brightness and/or refresh rates based on eye tracking
A device may determine an area at which a user gazes on the display screen. The device may identify on the display screen a screen region which does not overlap the area, may darken the identified screen region, and/or may refresh the display screen by updating a screen region that overlaps the area and not updating the identified screen region. |
| US08225226B2 |
Virtual control panel
A system that enables a user to interact with a virtual control panel using a user controlled pointing object. The system includes a portable identification element, a tracking unit adapted to capture data representing the position of the pointing object and the position of the identification element, a storage unit, storing at least one pre-defined graphical interface representing a control panel of a device, a graphics unit, generating a graphical representation of the control panel, a registering unit, registering the graphical representation of the control panel in a fixed relation to the portable identification element to produce a virtual control panel and a display unit, showing the user a view including the real world and the virtual control panel. |
| US08225225B2 |
Graphical user interface having an attached toolbar for drag and drop editing in detail-in-context lens presentations
Detail-in-context techniques are described. In an implementation, an original image is distorted to produce a distorted region for a selected object at a first position in an original image displayed on a display screen. The distorted region magnifies at least a portion of the object. A signal is received to drag the object and the distorted region from the first position to a second position. A signal is received to drop the object at the second position. The distorted region is removed from the original image after the object is dropped at the second position. |
| US08225224B1 |
Computer desktop use via scaling of displayed objects with shifts to the periphery
The present invention relates to facilitating multi-tasking in a computing environment. A focus area component defines a focus area within a display space—the focus area occupying a subset area of the display space area. A sealing component scales display objects as a function of proximity to the focus area, and a behavior modification component modifies respective behavior of the display objects as a function of their location of the display space. The subject invention provides for interaction technique(s) and other interface(s) in connection with managing display objects on a display surface. One aspect defines a central focus area, such that the display objects are displayed and behave as usual. Also included as a periphery outside the focus area where the display objects are reduced in size based on their location, getting smaller as the display objects near an edge of the display surface with many more objects visible. |
| US08225212B2 |
Method for providing remote control device descriptions from a communication node
A method of providing a description of a remote control device to a communication device configured to interact with an electronic device over a communication network as a remote control device is presented. In the method, the communication device transfers an indication of the electronic device over the network to a communication node. Afterward, the communication device receives the description of the remote control device associated with the electronic device from the node over the network. The communication device transfers a command associated with the remote control device over the network to the electronic device, wherein the command is generated using the description of the remote control device. |
| US08225209B2 |
Capsule endoscope image display device
A capsule endoscope image display device displays, on a display screen, at least a search character input window, a thumbnail specification input button for specifying a thumbnail, and a report specification input button for specifying a report. When the thumbnail specification input button is operated, thumbnails to which a comment including characters input in the search character input window is added are searched for in a recording device, and their listing is displayed in a scrollable manner. When the report specification input button is operated, reports including the characters input in the search character input window are searched for, and their listing is displayed in a scrollable manner. In this way, data associated with an image of desired position, lesion portion, etc. can be easily grasped from among many pieces of image information. |
| US08225207B1 |
Compression threshold control
Systems and methods for audio editing are provided. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided. The method includes receiving digital audio data and displaying a representation of the received digital audio data as an audio waveform. The display also includes a representation of one or more controls for applying one or more effects to the digital audio data. A user input is received manipulating a first control relative to the audio waveform. The displayed representation of the audio waveform is modified according to the relative position of the first control and a corresponding effect is applied to the digital audio data. The modified digital audio data is then made available for further processing. |
| US08225204B2 |
System and method of document reuse
The present invention is a system and method for computer optimization of content and reusing documents. The invention provides integrated user interfaces to facilitate reuse of static or dynamic content. The system further includes on a display, a first window and a second window where the system includes programming instructions operable to control the processing unit to output to the first window the content of memory. The content output to the first window is simultaneous to output being displayed in the second window of the separate program. Each of these programs may reside in the same memory space or different memory space. The separate program can provide documents or content to be used in the first window. The system further includes programming instructions operable to transform selections retrieved from documents of the second window into content for the first window. |
| US08225196B2 |
Dynamic web page behavior
In some embodiments, code can be encapsulated in an external behavior component for affecting the behavior of an element inserted into an HTML document. A reference can be attached to the element in the document to associate the element with the external behavior component. A renderer can parse the element in the HTML document and access the external component to modify a behavior of a page image. For example, the properties or location of a displayed element associated with the external behavior component may be changed on an event, the external behavior component can control user data input, or the external behavior component can draw on the page image. Multiple documents can reuse external behavior components, and an element can be associated with multiple external behavior components. The associations between elements and external behavior components may be maintained in cascading style sheets, inline with the elements, and in various formats. |
| US08225195B1 |
Displaying links at varying levels of prominence to reveal emergent paths based on user interaction
Links in a system may be displayed at varying prominence based on user interaction with the links. Link paths chosen by users become apparent by virtue of display prominence of the links. A link may be displayed with greater or lesser prominence corresponding to the propensity of users to interact with the link. Prominence values that affect a prominence at which links are displayed may be modified based on user interaction information. Prominence values may further automatically decay, possibly over time or according to user interaction with the links. Using and modifying prominence values in this manner, links that emerge with greater prominence may form one or more “paths” that users can readily follow. Much as in the natural world where pheromones deposited by ants attract other ants to desirable paths, user interaction information can be advantageously used to automatically identify more desirable link paths to a resource. |
| US08225194B2 |
Bookmarks and watchpoints for selection and presentation of media streams
Selection and presentation of media streams, in which presentation is not limited by order imposed by the digital content representative of those media streams, in response to bookmarks and watchpoints settable and usable by a user. Bookmarks reference a location within the media stream, not necessarily pre-selected and possibly dynamically selected, in which a presentation can be started or restarted therefrom. Watchpoints reference a location within the media stream, or a presentation state for the media stream, in which an action can be triggered thereby. Bookmarks and watchpoints provide a general technique for presenting selections from media streams in response to metadata. |
| US08225193B1 |
Methods and systems for providing workspace navigation with a tag cloud
A computer-implemented method for providing workspace navigation with a tag cloud. The computer-implemented method may include identifying a set of launch items within a workspace. The computer-implemented method may also include displaying the tag cloud in a graphical user interface. Each tag in the tag cloud may be associated with one or more launch items from the set of launch items. The computer-implemented method may further include receiving, from the graphical user interface, a selection of a tag from the tag cloud. The computer-implemented method may include using the selected tag to identify a subset of launch items within the set of launch items. The computer-implemented method may also include identifying a request to launch at least one launch item in the subset of launch items and launching the at least one launch item. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed. |
| US08225192B2 |
Extensible cache-safe links to files in a web page
Linking content and functionality files in a cached client-side web page to a corresponding server-side web page is provided so that a client-side browsing application is notified of changes made to the server-side web page to allow the client-side browsing application to retrieve a server-side web page or server-side web page items only when changes are made to the server-side web page or corresponding server-side web page items. |
| US08225189B2 |
Data error detection
Systems, methods, and computer program products that can be used concurrently or alternatively to detect errors in data as well as to protect access to data are provided. Embodiments enable a coherent data set (CDS) which is a data set guaranteed to be genuine and error-free at run-time. Embodiments provide systems, methods, and computer program programs to create a CDS, identify a CDS, and verify the coherency of a data set purported to be a CDS. Embodiments further enable privileged functions which are functions that can only be accessed by a restricted set of other privileged functions. Embodiments provide systems, methods, and computer program products to create, identify, and protect access to privileged functions. |
| US08225187B1 |
Method and apparatus for implementing a cyclic redundancy check circuit
A cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bit-slice circuit including a plurality of AND gates coupled with configuration data is described. The configuration data may enable the plurality of AND gates to provide a set of CRC input data and feedback polynomial data meeting a plurality of CRC protocols. The CRC bit-slice circuit accepts a generator polynomial as an input design parameter to build a CRC module. The modularity of the design then allows a larger CRC design to be constructed from multiple CRC modules such that wider data width may be accommodated. Several CRC modules can be cascaded to accommodate various data widths and to meet a plurality of CRC protocols. |
| US08225185B1 |
RS codec architecture that combines a compact encoder and serial BMA
A Reed-Solomon (RS) coding system is provided that can employ an RS code of varying correction power, and which can maintain a small area requirement. The Reed-Solomon coding system can include an RS encoder and an RS decoder. Both of these components can be implemented using primarily constant multipliers rather than more area-consuming general multipliers. For example, the programmable encoder can be realized by implementing polynomials with constant coefficients rather than variable coefficients, and a Berlekamp-Massey algorithm performed by the decoder can be realized using a serial implementation. To further reduce the area of the coding system, hardware sharing can be utilized between the RS encoder and the RS decoder. |
| US08225183B2 |
Methods and apparatus for selective data retention decoding in a hard disk drive
Methods and apparatus are provided for improved physical re-read operations in a hard disk drive. The disclosed methods and apparatus selectively retain data in a hard disk drive. A signal is read in an iterative read channel by assigning a reliability metric to each of a plurality of segments in a read signal; repeating the assigning step for a plurality of read operations; and selectively retaining the segments based on the assigned reliability metric. The read signal can be obtained by positioning a transducer over a storage media. The reliability metric may be based on soft bit decisions; log likelihood ratios or a noise estimation of a given segment. |
| US08225181B2 |
Efficient re-read operations from memory devices
A method for data storage includes storing data, which is encoded with an Error Correction Code (ECC), in a group of analog memory cells by writing respective first storage values to the memory cells in the group. After storing the data, respective second storage values are read from the memory cells in the group, and the read second storage values are processed so as to decode the ECC. Responsively to a failure in decoding the ECC, one or more of the second storage values that potentially caused the failure are identified as suspect storage values. Respective third storage values are re-read from a subset of the memory cells that includes the memory cells holding the suspect storage values. The ECC is re-decoded using the third storage values so as to reconstruct the stored data. |
| US08225178B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor memory device includes a data storage area wherein a plurality of data cells, respectively storing one bit of data, is arranged in a lattice form, a redundant data storage area that stores one bit parity data, the one bit parity data corresponding respectively to a line of data read out of the data storage area as a data group, a first switch section that receives a data group read out from the data storage area and a parity data bit, and a composite unit that receives an output of the first switch section and that generates correction data for the read data group, as based upon defect position information of the data storage area. The first switch section is selectively controlled to provide the parity data bit associated with the read data group as an input into the composite unit based on the defect position information. |
| US08225170B2 |
MIMO wireless system with diversity processing
A MIMO wireless system with Diversity processing is provided having Turbo Codes Decoders for computing orthogonal multipath signals from multiple separate antennas. The invention decodes multipath signals that have arrived at the terminal via different routes after being reflected from buildings, trees or hills. The Turbo Codes Decoder with Diversity processing increases the signal to noise ratio (SNR) more than 6 dB which enables the Wireless system to deliver data rates from up to 600 Mbit/s. A Turbo Codes Decoder block is provided to compute baseband signals from multiple different receiver paths. Several pipelined max-Log-MAP decoders are used for iterative decoding of received data. A Sliding Window of Block N data is used for pipeline operations. |
| US08225167B2 |
Receiving/transmitting system and data processing method in the receiving/transmitting system
A receiving system and a data processing method are disclosed. The receiving system includes: a receiving unit receiving a broadcast signal including a first group comprising mobile service data, known data and signaling data; a signaling decoder decoding the signaling data from the received broadcast signal; a demodulator demodulating the received broadcast signal based upon the known data; an equalizer channel-equalizing the demodulated broadcast signal based upon the known data; a turbo decoder performing turbo decoding on the mobile service data of the channel-equalized broadcast signal by applying a Serial Concatenated Convolutional Coding (SCCC) mode based upon the signaling data; and an error correction unit performing error correction decoding on the turbo-decoded mobile service data based upon the signaling data. |
| US08225161B2 |
Retransmissions of data using increased data rate
A method and apparatus are provided for error correction of a communication signal. To allow for retransmission of information in response to error determination with respect to a transmission of the information, the operating sampling rate for a communication channel is increased over its normal sampling rate. At the increased operating rate, retransmissions may be made while at least maintaining the overall data rate of the communication channel with respect to its normal sampling rate. The retransmissions may be conducted using automatic repeat request (ARQ) techniques. In an embodiment, operating at increased sampling rate allows for a decrease in the required signal-to-noise ratio at a given bit error rate for the communication channel. |
| US08225160B2 |
Decoding apparatus, decoding method, and recording medium
A decoding apparatus includes a unit decoding and inversely quantizing coded data to obtain frequency domain audio signal data, a unit computing from the coded data one of the number of scale bits composed of the number of bits corresponding to the scale value of the coded data and the number of spectrum bits composed of the number of bits corresponding to the spectrum value of the coded data, a unit estimating a quantization error of the frequency domain audio signal data based on one of the number of scale bits and the number of spectrum bits of the coded data, a unit computing a correction amount based on the estimated quantization error and correct the frequency domain audio signal data obtained by the frequency domain data obtaining unit based on the computed correction amount, and a unit converting the corrected frequency domain audio signal data into the audio signal. |
| US08225158B2 |
Compare circuit having inputs from scan registers and flip-flops
The disclosure describes a novel method and apparatus for providing expected data, mask data, and control signals to scan test architectures within a device using the falling edge of a test/scan clock. The signals are provided on device leads that are also used to provide signals to scan test architectures using the rising edge of the test/scan clock. According to the disclosure, device test leads serve to input different test signals on the rising and falling edge of the test/scan clock which reduces the number of interconnects between a tester and the device under test. |
| US08225156B1 |
Methods and apparatuses for external voltage test methodology of input-output circuits
Various methods and apparatuses are described for a system that includes some on-chip components, e.g., I-Os, test processors, soft wrappers, etc., an external testing unit that provides Parametric Measurement Unit (PMU) capability, and various tests performed on the I-Os by the on-chip testing logic, the test vector patterns supplied by the external testing unit. |
| US08225152B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating electronic test and data structure
A hierarchical test executive system comprising and including Procedure, Test, Measurement and Datapoint levels. A Procedure is an ordered list of Tests; a Test is a group of Measurements in a Procedure that share the same test algorithm, and thus the same software code; a Measurement is a configuration or setup for a Test, and provides parameters to a Test; and a Datapoint is a subset of a Measurement containing additional parameters that select a result when one Measurement generates multiple results. When initiated, the test executive system presents a list of models and the user selects a model to be tested. The program then uploads the test software corresponding to the selected model and presents a list and descriptions of Procedures to the user. The user selects one of the Procedures, and the program retrieves the selected procedure from the test software and expands it into Tests, Measurements and Datapoints as determined by the Procedure. The test executive system then loops through the Tests, Measurements and Datapoints, generating the results and a corresponding data structure on the fly. |
| US08225148B2 |
Systems and methods for achieving higher coding rate using parity interleaving
The disclosed technology provides systems and methods for encoding data based on a run-length-limited code and an error correction code to provide codewords. The codewords include RLL-encoded data that are produced based on the RLL code, and parity information that are produced based on the error correction code. The parity information is interleaved among the RLL-encoded data. In one embodiment, the codeword is produced by separately producing the RLL-encoded data and the parity information, and interleaving the parity information among the RLL-encoded data. In one embodiment, the codeword is produced by producing the RLL-encoded data, and using erasure decoding to compute the parity information. |
| US08225140B2 |
Method and system for graphical user interface testing
A method and system are provided for testing a graphical user (GUI) (204). The method includes applying a test step (208, 222) to a GUI under test (204) and finding a control in the GUI under test (204) to which the test step is to be applied. A model (210) is built dynamically of representations of the contents of the GUI under test (204) as a new control is found. The method includes finding a collection of dependent controls and representing the collection of controls in the GUI model (210) as a generalised pattern of the controls. The method applies a test step to the model (210) simultaneously with the GUI under test (204) and compares the results of the test step from the GUI under test (204) and from the model (210). If a test step is applied to the model and it is determined that a representation of the control to which the test step is to be applied is not provided in the model (210), a building rule (212) is executed to add a representation of the control to the model (210). |
| US08225139B2 |
Facilitating transactional execution through feedback about misspeculation
One embodiment provides a system that facilitates the execution of a transaction for a program in a hardware-supported transactional memory system. During operation, the system records a misspeculation indicator of the transaction during execution of the transaction using hardware transactional memory mechanisms. Next, the system detects a transaction failure associated with the transaction. Finally, the system provides the recorded misspeculation indicator to the program to facilitate a response to the transaction failure by the program. |
| US08225133B1 |
System and method for on-the-fly migration of server from backup
A system, method and computer program product for migrating a server include creating an image of a storage device of a first server; during execution of a boot loader on a second server, starting an initialization application that at least partially restores, to a storage device of the second server, operating system data from the image; analyzing a hardware configuration of the second server; modifying at least one driver of an operating system based on the analyzed hardware to enable the operating system of the second server to interface to the storage device of the second server; rebooting the second server using the at least partially restored operating system data; and restoring unaltered portions of remaining data from the image. The second server identification and/or authentication data stored on the image is updated before the rebooting. Identification data of the second server is at least partially replaced with corresponding data stored on the image. The image is unchanged until completion of the restoring step. The restoration step uses an incremental image of the storage device. A boot loader is started in case of failure of the first server. |
| US08225129B2 |
Methods and apparatus for effective on-line backup selection for failure recovery in distributed stream processing systems
A failure recovery framework to be used in cooperative data stream processing is provided that can be used in a large-scale stream data analysis environment. Failure recovery supports a plurality of independent distributed sites, each having its own local administration and goals. The distributed sites cooperate in an inter-site back-up mechanism to provide for system recovery from a variety of failures within the system. Failure recovery is both automatic and timely through cooperation among sites. Back-up sites associated with a given primary site are identified. These sites are used to identify failures within the primary site including failures of applications running on the nodes of the primary site. The failed applications are reinstated on one or more nodes within the back-up sites using job management instances local to the back-up sites in combination with previously stored state information and data values for the failed applications. In additions to inter-site mechanisms, each one of the plurality of sites employs an intra-site back-up mechanism to handle failure recoveries within the site. |
| US08225126B2 |
Adaptor detecting sequence on TMS and coupling TAP to TCK
A method comprises a system comprising a host device coupled to a first remote device actively operating according to a state diagram that the host device and all remote devices follow during operation of the system. The method further comprises powering up a second remote device while the host device and first remote device are actively operating according to the state diagram. The second remote device waits for a synchronization point sequence. Upon detecting the synchronization point sequence, the second remote device implements a predetermined feature set and synchronizes itself to the state diagram at a common point as the host device and first remote device. |
| US08225125B2 |
Power supply selector and power supply selection method
In the field of electronic technologies, a power supply selector and a power supply selection method are provided. The power supply selector includes: a first selection module, configured to select a power supply from multiple candidate power supplies; a control module, coupled to the first selection module, and configured to use the power supply selected by the first selection module as a power supply, and compare voltages of the multiple candidate power supplies to generate a control signal of each candidate power supply; and a second selection module, coupled to the control module, and configured to select a power supply for output in the multiple candidate power supplies under the control of the control signal of each candidate power supply. The technical solution is used to select a power supply from multiple candidate power supplies. |
| US08225123B2 |
Method and system for integrated circuit power supply management
A method and system for power supply management in an integrated chip selectively manages the power supplied to the various circuits within the integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes a combinational logic block, a memory block, a power supply block, and a control block. The power supply block includes multiple power regulators for generating power supply potentials of various magnitudes. The control block receives a power down signal, a clock disable signal, and a temperature threshold signal, and generates control signals for controlling the magnitude of the potential of the power supplied to the combinational logic block and the memory block by the power supply block. |
| US08225116B2 |
Power supply system electronic card and method for supplying power to the electronic card
A communication device includes a power supply system, the power supply system includes: an MCH, a power module, and at least one AMC module. The AMC module is adapted to send a load power supply control command according to a received load power supply control request. The power module is adapted to receive input of external power supply, and provide management power supply and load power supply after converting the input of external power supply. The at least one Advanced Mezzanine Card (AMC) module is adapted to send the load power control request to the MCH, receive the load power supply control command sent by the MCH, and control provision of the load power supply of the power module according to the load power supply control command. |
| US08225113B2 |
Computer system with resistor-capacitor filter circuit
A computer system includes a north bridge chip, a power source, and a resistor-capacitor filter circuit coupled between the power source and the north bridge chip. The north bridge chip has a digital-to-analog converter analog power pin and a digital-to-analog converter analog ground pin. The power source is coupled to the digital-to-analog converter analog power pin of the north bridge chip. The resistor-capacitor filter includes a first resistor and a first capacitor. The first resistor is connected between the power source and the digital-to-analog converter analog power pin of the north bridge chip. One end of the first capacitor is connected to the digital-to-analog converter analog power pin of the north bridge chip, and another end of the first capacitor is connected to ground together with the digital-to-analog converter analog ground pin of the north bridge chip. |
| US08225111B2 |
Method and apparatus to authenticate a power supply
A power supply that can be authenticated is disclosed. An apparatus according to aspects of the present invention includes an external power supply of an electronic product that modulates an output of the power supply with information encoded to identify the power supply to the product. |
| US08225105B2 |
Method and apparatus for verifying integrity of computer system vital data components
Vital data components of a computer system are protected by a mechanism for detecting unauthorized alteration, preferably in the form of digital signatures to detect unauthorized alteration. A vital data validation mechanism is provided to verify that vital data modules have not been tampered with. The vital data validation mechanism verifies the current state of each vital data module, preferably by decrypting the digital signature. The validation mechanism also checks an alteration log to verify that no alterations have been made to the corresponding memory locations. The second verification is intended to detect whether a vital data module has been altered temporarily, and then restored to its initial state. |
| US08225104B1 |
Data access security
An execution environment of a computer computes an initial effective permissions set for managed code based on user identity evidence, code evidence and/or a security policy and executes the code with this permissions set. If the managed code requests a data access, the execution environment considers data evidence that indicates the trustworthiness of the requested data. The data evidence can be based on the source of the data, the location of the data, the content of the data itself, or other factors. The execution environment computes a new effective permissions set for the managed code based on the data evidence and the security policy. This new effective permissions set is applied to the managed code while the code accesses the data. The execution environment restores the initial permissions set once the managed code completes the data access. |
| US08225097B2 |
Anchor point-based digital content protection
Digital content protection can be effectively implemented through use of an anchor point and binding records in a user domain. An anchor point domain may include a secure anchor point, and data storage to store digital property instances and rights objects. The secure anchor point may be configured to receive a title pre-key from the rights object and use a binding key to decrypt the title pre-key to yield a title key. The binding key may include data uniquely associating the encrypted digital property instance with the secure anchor point. |
| US08225095B2 |
Password-authenticated asymmetric key exchange
Communicating keys between network devices on a network using asymmetric cryptographic techniques, for which asymmetric keys may be derived from a single (same) password. Knowledge or partial knowledge of the password may be the only information shared between parties prior to execution of a key exchange, and may be the only criteria by which one party will base trust in the other. A first network device may encrypt a key using a password-based key derived from a password, and authenticate a second device based on the second network device's ability to decrypt the encrypted key using a key derived from the same password. Knowledge of the password may be conveyed by the second device to the first device—a session key may be generated as a function of the decrypted key, and a function of this session key may be communicated from the second device to the first device. |
| US08225093B2 |
Providing secure inter-application communication for a mobile operating environment
Providing for secure and efficient communication for mobile applications executed in a mobile operating environment is described herein. As an example, a primary mobile application can initiate a handshake that includes a unique identifier of the primary application and a random number for signing and/or certifying responsive requests. A recipient application can reference the unique identifier with a list of certified primary applications to verify the primary application. If verified, the recipient responds with the random number and a second random number that can sign and/or certify data requests sent by the primary application. According to some embodiments, random numbers can be hashed and/or truncated to provide low power encryption for such numbers. Further, round-trip policies can be enforced to provide reliable transmission of data. Accordingly, reliable, secure and low power synchronous communication can be conducted in a mobile environment. |
| US08225091B1 |
Systems and methods for protecting sensitive files from unauthorized access
Systems and methods for protecting sensitive files from unauthorized access are disclosed. An exemplary method involves detecting a connection of the computing device to an electronic device. An authorized connection list is accessed. It is then determined whether the connection is identified in the authorized connection list. If the connection is not identified in the authorized connection list, the method involves accessing sensitive file information which identifies at least one sensitive file stored on the computing device, and preventing access to the at least one sensitive file identified by the sensitive file information. |
| US08225084B2 |
Content transmitting device, content receiving device and content transmitting method
Before content transmission, the content transmitting device and the content receiving device mutually authenticate each other to verify that the other device respects copyright and rightfully handles content, and then content is encrypted by shared key data and transmitted. It is arranged that in an authentication process, a time from transmission of an authentication request or a time from transmission of an authentication response until arrival of receipt acknowledgement data is measured and only when a measured time is less than a fixed upper-limit value, content is transmitted. |
| US08225083B2 |
Secured seeding of data in a distributed environment
Techniques for seeding data among client machines, also referred to as boxes herein, are disclosed. To prevent the data distributed among the boxes from being illegitimately accessed or possessed, according to one aspect of the present invention, each box is configured to perform what is referred to herein as a transcription process. In other words, when encrypted data is received, the data is decrypted and then re-encrypted with a key agreeable with a next box configured to receive the data. |
| US08225081B2 |
Updating programmable logic devices
Updating programmable logic devices (‘PLDs’) in a symmetric multiprocessing (‘SMP’) computer, each compute node of the SMP computer including a PLD coupled for data communications through a bus adapter, the bus adapter adapted for data communications through a set of one or more input/output (‘I/O’) memory addresses, including configuring the primary compute node with an update of the configuration instructions for the PLDs; assigning, by the PLDs at boot time in an SMP boot, a unique, separate set of one or more I/O addresses to each bus adapter on each compute node; and providing, by the primary compute node during the SMP boot, the update to all compute nodes, writing the update as a data transfer to each of the PLDs through each bus adapter at the unique, separate set of one or more I/O addresses for each bus adapter. |
| US08225076B1 |
Scoreboard having size indicators for tracking sequential destination register usage in a multi-threaded processor
A scoreboard memory for a processing unit has separate memory regions allocated to each of the multiple threads to be processed. For each thread, the scoreboard memory stores register identifiers of registers that have pending writes. When an instruction is added to an instruction buffer, the register identifiers of the registers specified in the instruction are compared with the register identifiers stored in the scoreboard memory for that instruction's thread, and a multi-bit value representing the comparison result is generated. The multi-bit value is stored with the instruction in the instruction buffer and may be updated as instructions belonging to the same thread complete their execution. Before the instruction is issued for execution, this multi-bit value is checked. If this multi-bit value indicates that none of the registers specified in the instruction have pending writes, the instruction is allowed to issue for execution. |
| US08225075B2 |
Method and apparatus for shuffling data
Method, apparatus, and program means for shuffling data. The method of one embodiment comprises receiving a first operand having a set of L data elements and a second operand having a set of L control elements. For each control element, data from a first operand data element designated by the individual control element is shuffled to an associated resultant data element position if its flush to zero field is not set and a zero is placed into the associated resultant data element position if its flush to zero field is not set. |
| US08225074B2 |
Methods and systems for managing computations on a hybrid computing platform including a parallel accelerator
In accordance with exemplary implementations, application computation operations and communications between operations on a host processing platform may be adapted to conform to the memory capacity of a parallel accelerator. Computation operations may be split and scheduled such that the computation operations fit within the memory capacity of the accelerator. Further, the operations may be automatically adapted without any modification to the code of an application. In addition, data transfers between a host processing platform and the parallel accelerator may be minimized in accordance with exemplary aspects of the present principles to improve processing performance. |
| US08225072B2 |
Pre-fetching data into a memory
Systems and methods for pre-fetching of data in a memory are provided. By pre-fetching stored data from a slower memory into a faster memory, the amount of time required for data retrieval and/or processing may be reduced. First, data is received and pre-scanned to generate a sample fingerprint. Fingerprints stored in a faster memory that are similar to the sample fingerprint are identified. Data stored in the slower memory associated with the identified stored fingerprints is copied into the faster memory. The copied data may be compared to the received data. Various embodiments may be included in a network memory architecture to allow for faster data matching and instruction generation in a central appliance. |
| US08225069B2 |
Control of on-die system fabric blocks
Methods and apparatus for control of On-Die System Fabric (OSF) blocks are described. In one embodiment, a shadow address corresponding to a physical address may be stored in response to a user-level request and a logic circuitry (e.g., present in an OSF) may determine the physical address from the shadow address. Other embodiments are also disclosed. |
| US08225068B2 |
Virtual real memory exportation for logical partitions
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and program product for extending virtual memory associated with logical partitions. A hosting partition receives a paging request from a logical partition on a logically partitioned data processing. The hosting partition identifies a location of the physical memory space on a remote computing device assigned to the logical partition and sends an extended virtual memory paging request to an extended virtual memory manager located on the remote computing device using a network connection. The extended virtual memory paging request comprises the instructions for the memory page-in or the memory page-out and the location of the physical memory space on the remote computing device that is being paged-in or paged-out. The extended virtual memory manager performs a page-in operation or a page-out operation in accordance with the instructions for the memory page-in or memory page-out. |
| US08225064B2 |
Storage region allocation system, storage region allocation method, and control apparatus
There are provided a memory space allocation method and a memory space allocation device that aim at higher-speed accesses when a memory is shared by a plurality of circuits. In this memory, one data is accessed by issuing addresses a plurality of times. Memory allocation is performed so that high-order addresses of memory spaces of an external memory 505 may be maximally shared by a plurality of circuits 501. When the high-order addresses are common, a memory control circuit does not transfer the high-order addresses, thereby reducing the number of transfers of the high-order addresses. Therefore, the higher-speed access is achieved. |
| US08225058B2 |
Memory system managing a size of logs
A memory system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a log overflow control unit configured, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, to prohibit a recording operation of a log and to cause a log recording unit only to perform an updating operation of a management table, and when a commit condition is satisfied after the predetermined condition has been satisfied, to prohibit a commit operation by a log reflecting unit and to cause a snapshot storing unit to perform a snapshot storing operation. |
| US08225054B2 |
Method and system to locate a storage device
A request is received from a client machine via a web interface for content presented on a web page. A globally unique identifier (GUID) that is associated with the user is accessed and a number is generated based on the GUID. The generated number is utilized as an index to locate the storage device from the number of storage devices. Here, the storage device stores a user profile associated with the user. The user profile is read from the located storage device and the web page is personalized based on this user profile. The personalized web page is then communicated to the client machine. Other techniques for locating a storage device are also described. |
| US08225053B1 |
Method and apparatus for mitigating performance impact of background processing on interactive application
A method and apparatus for mitigating the performance impact of background or idle time processing during interactive computing sessions. One embodiment of the present invention is a method for mitigating performance impact of background or idle time processing on interactive applications comprising identifying executable and data pages in physical memory that are associated with an interactive application that is temporarily unused and preventing any of the identified executable and data pages from paging out. |
| US08225052B2 |
Methods for controlling host memory access with memory devices and systems
The present disclosure includes methods for controlling host memory access with a memory device, systems, host controllers and memory devices. One embodiment for controlling host memory access with a memory device includes receiving at least one command from a host and controlling execution of the at least one command with the memory device. |
| US08225050B2 |
Memory storage device and a control method thereof
The present invention discloses a control method of a memory storage device which includes a high density memory. The high density memory is composed of a plurality of MSB pages and LSB pages. The major feature of the method is such that it determines the property of data by its data length, and then decides where the data is to be written according to its property. |
| US08225048B2 |
Systems and methods for resource access
Systems and methods are provided to manage access to computing resources. More specifically, certain embodiments are described in which a resource or resource consumer can engage access controls or request that access controls be engaged if the age of a request exceeds one or more thresholds. For example, a requester may, after the age of a request meets or exceeds a threshold, indicate to a destination that a control should be engaged. |
| US08225046B2 |
Method and apparatus for saving power by efficiently disabling ways for a set-associative cache
A method and apparatus for disabling ways of a cache memory in response to history based usage patterns is herein described. Way predicting logic is to track consecutive misses to ways of a cache, i.e. hits/reads to other ways of cache. Based on the usage of ways and the non-usage of other ways, the way predicting logic determines if a way is to be powered down. In response to determining a way is to be powered down, the way predicting logic generates a power signal to power down an associated. Furthermore, upon a subsequent hit to a powered down way, the way predicting logic toggles the power signal to power up the associated way to ensure performance. |
| US08225045B2 |
Lateral cache-to-cache cast-in
A data processing system includes a first processing unit and a second processing unit coupled by an interconnect fabric. The first processing unit has a first processor core and associated first upper and first lower level caches, and the second processing unit has a second processor core and associated second upper and lower level caches. In response to a data request, a victim cache line is selected for castout from the first lower level cache. The first processing unit issues on the interconnect fabric a lateral castout (LCO) command that identifies the victim cache line to be castout from the first lower level cache and indicates that a lower level cache is an intended destination. In response to a coherence response indicating success of the LCO command, the victim cache line is removed from the first lower level cache and held in the second lower level cache. |
| US08225042B1 |
Method and apparatus for preventing foreground erase operations in electrically writable memory devices
Methods and systems are provided that may include a nonvolatile memory to store information, where the nonvolatile memory has a memory cache to store data corresponding to a received sector write operation, and a main memory comprising at least the designated memory block and a second memory block. A controller may reclaim at least one sector of the designated memory block and performing a write operation to write information from the memory cache in response to the received sector write operation to at least one sector of the second memory block. |
| US08225040B1 |
Systems and methods for redundant data storage
A computer-implemented method for redundant data storage may include identifying a storage system. The computer-implemented method may also include identifying a unit of data to be redundantly stored. The computer-implemented method may further include identifying an integer that represents the unit of data. The computer-implemented method may additionally include identifying a set of pairwise coprimes. The computer-implemented method may further include generating a set of shares, with each share including a reduction of the integer modulo a corresponding pairwise coprime in the set of pairwise coprimes. The computer-implemented method may also include redundantly storing the unit of data by storing the set of shares on the storage system. Various other methods and systems are also disclosed. |
| US08225039B2 |
Storage controller and virtual volume control method
A storage system includes a virtual volume, a plurality of RAID groups, a pool unit for managing a plurality of first real storage areas and a controller. If a write command related to the virtual volume is issued from a higher-level device, the controller selects a prescribed second real storage area from among respective second real storage areas included in a prescribed first real storage area, and associates this prescribed second real storage area with a prescribed area inside the virtual volume corresponding to the write command, and which associates one virtual volume with one first real storage area. A migration destination determination unit selects a migration-targeted second real storage area from among the respective second real storage areas associated with the virtual volume, and selects a migration-destination first real storage area, which is to become the migration destination of data stored in the migration-targeted second real storage area. |
| US08225038B2 |
Storage array boot and configuration
A RAID storage array having a controller and plurality of disk drives is configured into a plurality of groups. The plurality of disk drives are in a plurality of drive trays. The controller includes a main memory. A set of configuration information is stored on a central nonvolatile memory device. The set of configuration information includes group configuration information corresponding to each group of the plurality of groups with which a corresponding disk drive is associated. The set of configuration information is stored on a plurality of remote nonvolatile memory devices that are each associated with at least one of the plurality of drive trays. A bootware control process is loaded into the main memory. The bootware control process is executed. A plurality of service layer processes are loaded into the main memory. The plurality of service layer processes are executed in parallel under the control of the bootware control process. The configuration information is read from the central nonvolatile memory device. |
| US08225037B2 |
Apparatus and method for incremental package deployment
A method and apparatus for incremental package deployment are described. In one embodiment, the method includes the redirection of disk input/output (I/O) requests to preserve contents of disk memory. Following redirection of the disk I/O request, a software distribution package is created according to disk I/O write requests redirected to unused blocks of disk memory. In one embodiment, the software distribution package is generated using a firmware agent, which uploads the software distribution package to a server, which provisions the software distribution packet to other computers within a uniform environment to ensure that each system within the uniform environment has an identical system and memory image. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08225035B2 |
Systems and methods for operating a disk drive
System and methods for storing data to a storage device are provided. In embodiments, the storage device may include a disk drive with a solid-state memory for storing certain frequently updated information. In some embodiments, the solid-state memory may be used to store journaling information. |
| US08225028B2 |
Memory devices and methods for programming flash memory utilizing spare blocks
An access method for use in a memory device is provided. The memory device comprises a data area having a plurality of data blocks and a spare area having a plurality of spare blocks. First, data from a host is received. A spare block is popped from the spare area and the received data is programmed into the popped spare block accordingly. A data block corresponding to the data is pushed to the spare area. The pushed data block is erased when the memory device is waiting for a specific instruction to be issued from the host. |
| US08225023B2 |
Indicator control apparatus
An indicator control apparatus includes a bus connector, a signal converting unit, an address configuring unit, and an indicating unit. The signal converting unit receives bus signals from the bus connector. The address configuring unit sets an address of the signal converting unit. The signal converting unit converts the bus signals to digital input/output (I/O) signals in response to the address of the signal converting unit matching with the bus signals. The indicating unit is driven by the I/O signals and correspondingly displays information. |
| US08225022B2 |
Methods for eliminating intermediate bussing and bridging requirements between a solid state memory device with PCI controller and a main system bus
A method is provided for enabling electronic representation of a removable or fixed data storage device having a non-volatile memory as an operating system-standard disk directly accessible to a main bus of a computing appliance having a peripheral component interface connector and a motherboard. The method includes the acts (a) providing a peripheral component interface ported to a memory controller on the device, the memory controller for controlling host access to the non-volatile memory, (b) providing disk control registers and or bus control registers including appropriate disk and or bus protocols and commands in the peripheral component interface on the device, and (c) connecting the device to the peripheral component interface connector of the computing appliance. |
| US08225016B2 |
Even and odd frame combination data path architecture
Methods and apparatus to odd and even frame combination data path architectures are described. In one embodiment, a logic may include a buffer and a parallel input, serial output (PISO) logic that may be utilized for transferring data between a source and a destination. The logic may be utilized for transferring the data whether or not the data is transmitted in accordance with single ended or differential signals. Other embodiments are also described. |
| US08225014B2 |
Continuous data provision by radio frequency identification (RFID) transponders
The present invention relates to the field of short-rage communication systems. In particular, the present invention relates to radio frequency identification transponders with fixed physical memory capacity having however a flexible virtual memory capacity allowing for providing amounts of data by the radio frequency identification transponders extending the fixed physical memory capacity. Accordingly, a method and a radio frequency identification transponder for continuos data provision by a radio frequency identification transponder is provided. A stream of data is received via a data interface for the transponder and the received data is stored in a transponder memory. Then the stored data is read out form the transponder memory and supplied to a radio frequency interface for being communicated therewith. Next, the memory, which is currently used for storing data, which has been read out previously, is provided afterwards for storing data being received subsequently via the data interface. |
| US08225013B2 |
Generation of a formatted unique device identifier from an AT attachment serial number
A Network Address Authority (“NAA”) identifier associated with a storage device is generated from an Advanced Technology Attachment (“ATA”) serial number, or other identifier, associated with the storage device. The ATA serial number is received from the storage device and used to generate a unique string having a predefined length. In one embodiment, a hash function is applied to the ATA serial number to produce a unique value from the ATA serial number and a portion of the unique value, such as the least significant three bytes, is used as the string having the predefined length. Additional identifying data is combined with the predefined length string and reformatted to generate the NAA identifier. For example, an eight-byte data packet including a four-bit type identifier, a three-byte OUI and the three-byte predefined length string is generated and subsequently used to identify the storage device to processes or devices. |
| US08225005B2 |
Use of peripheral component interconnect input/output virtualization devices to create high-speed, low-latency interconnect
A computer-implemented method for a high speed peripheral component interconnect input/output virtualization configuration creates a set of virtual function path authorization tables, receives a request including a virtual function, from a requester, to provide requested data, and identifies a source address in the source system and a target address in each target system of the target set of systems. A virtual function work queue entry for the source system is created containing the source and the target address and responsive to determining the virtual function is authorized, write the requested data from the source address of the source system through a firewall of an intermediate device into the target address of each target system, wherein the intermediate device is one of a multi-root peripheral component interconnect device and a single root peripheral component interconnect device, and issuing a notice of completion to the requester. |
| US08224999B2 |
World wide web content synchronization between wireless devices
Wireless access protocol-capable wireless devices are able to synchronize displayed Web content. A first WAP device requests a synchronized session through the sync Proxy of the network. The sync Proxy, through a WAP Push Proxy, sets up the synchronized session. One or both wireless devices may then request content from a Web site. This content is transmitted from the Web site to the first device, and through a WAP proxy to the second device. |
| US08224998B2 |
Micro-client for internet appliances
A method and system are described for providing features for internet access at an internet appliance which go beyond the resource limitations of the internet appliance. Such features may be implemented on the server, and coupled to the internet appliance for display, responsive to the ability of the internet appliance to provide those features. (1) The internet appliance and the server adapt to communication link limitations by dynamically adjusting picture quality or size for graphics to be displayed. (2) The internet appliance and the server adapt to memory and processor limitations by dynamically running applets at the server and intercepting display functions of applets for display at the internet appliance. (3) The internet appliance and the server adapt to memory and processor limitations by dynamically running editing programs or web pages at the server and by dynamically adjusting picture quality or size for graphics to be displayed. |
| US08224991B2 |
Duplicating switch for streaming data units to a terminal using different communication protocols
Streaming to a terminal by using a duplicating switch to receive a stream of data units, using the duplicating switch to store content from the stream, using the duplicating switch to generate a second stream that incorporates the content that was stored and address information corresponding to more than one terminal whose addressing information was not part of the first stream, and using the duplicating switch to make the second stream of data units available to two or more terminals. |
| US08224987B2 |
System and method for a hierarchical interconnect network
A system and method for a hierarchical interconnect network. Some illustrative embodiments comprise a network switch comprising a plurality of ports each adapted to couple to other devices external to the network switch as part of an interconnect network (the interconnect network comprises an inverted tree structure that originates with a root bus), a controller coupled to the plurality of ports (the controller defines an active path through the network switch, the active path follows the inverted tree structure), and a memory coupled to the controller (the memory comprising routing information). The controller uses the routing information to identify an alternate path through the network switch. At least part of the alternate path does not follow the inverted tree structure. |
| US08224986B1 |
Methods and apparatus for redirecting requests for content
The invention is directed to techniques in a computer, for processing a content request. In one arrangement a content engine receives a content request from a client, generates a result based on the content request, the result including one of a content-providing value and a redirection value in response to the content request, and selectively provides, to the client, one of (i) content when the result includes the content-providing value, and (ii) a redirection message when the result includes the redirection value, the redirection message including an extended domain name having a client identifier which identifies the client.The result can be used by a content router or content engine in deciding whether to provide content or a redirection. The decision to selectively provide can be based on client proximity to the content engines, past redirections, content size and type, content engine capacity, content availability and other factors. |
| US08224981B2 |
Accelerated multimedia file download and playback
A multimedia file transfer system including a redirector configured to identify a request to access a multimedia file via a network at a specified network address, and an accelerator configured to respond to the request by identifying at least one physical data storage device on which at least a portion of the multimedia file is stored, establish a plurality of data transfer links via the network with any of the devices, download a different portion of the multimedia file via each of the data transfer links, where any of the portions are downloaded at least partly concurrently, and provide, at least partly concurrently with downloading any of the portions, downloaded multimedia file data to a multimedia file player in the order in which the data appear in the multimedia file. |
| US08224968B1 |
Method and system for scalable content storage and delivery
A peer-to-peer communication system in which a peer communicating with a tracker node on a local torrent can locate and download files that are not currently available from other peers communicating on the local torrent. To enable this, the tracker node maintains collaboration information for a list of files. The collaboration information includes, for each file, a list of locations at which a full copy of the file may be located. The list of locations may include active peers, dormant peers and remote tracker nodes. The collaboration information may be obtained from each peer when it joins a local torrent. Upon joining the torrent, the peer may provide the local tracker node with a list of files that it is willing to serve. |
| US08224952B2 |
Methods, communication networks, and computer program products for monitoring, examining, and/or blocking traffic associated with a network element based on whether the network element can be trusted
A communication network is operated by determining whether a network element can be trusted and monitoring traffic associated with the network element based on whether the network element can be trusted. At least some of the monitored traffic may be selected for examination based on the degree of trust for the network element. At least some of the monitored and/or examined traffic is selected to be blocked based on the degree of trust for the network element. |
| US08224950B2 |
System and method for filtering data received by a computer system
The present invention provides a system and method for restricting access to data received by a computer over a network by filtering certain data from the data received. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a computer based method for filtering objectionable or target text data from World Wide Web pages which are received by a computer system connected to the Internet. According to the method, if the web page requested by the user contains only a minimum of objectionable or target data, the user may receive a portion of the filtered web page for downloading and viewing on his or her computer. If the web page requested contains a large amount of objectionable or target data, the invention will cause a “forbidden” page to be displayed on the user's computer monitor. |
| US08224946B2 |
Method and apparatus for accommodating duplicate MAC addresses
Each access node is associated with one or more IP subnets with a preferred default subnet. Each subnet is instantiated as a unique virtual Ethernet broadcast domain. As client nodes register on the communication network, they will dynamically try to obtain an IP address for use on the communication network. As part of this process, the MAC address of the client node will be checked to ensure that it is not a duplicate of another MAC address associated with another client node that has already been assigned an IP address from the default subnet. When duplicate MAC addresses are detected, the device with the duplicate MAC address will be assigned an IP address from a different subnet so that more than one client device with the same MAC address are not associated with the same subnet. In one embodiment, a DHCP server may implement the process of checking for duplicate MAC addresses. In an Ethernet context, different IP subnet prefixes may be mapped to different S-VID values so that the different subnets are implemented as different VLANs within the Ethernet network. |
| US08224945B2 |
Memory management system and method for open platform
The present invention relates to a memory management system and method for open platform. The memory management system and method of the present invention utilizes the main spirit of sharing service in open platform. When the used memory in local open platform exceeds an upper limit, the standard service bundle access interface is used for accessing the standard service bundle in remote open platform. Therefore, the standard service bundle in local open platform can be off-loaded to release the memory space so as to resolve the memory shortage problem. The stability of the whole system can be maintained. |
| US08224943B2 |
Network traffic routing
A service appliance is installed between production servers running service applications and service users. The production servers and their service applications provide services to the service users. In the event that a production server is unable to provide its service to users, the service appliance can transparently intervene to maintain service availability. To maintain transparency to service users and service applications, service users are located on a first network and production servers are located on a second network. The service appliance assumes the addresses of the service users on the second network and the addresses of the production servers on the first network. Thus, the service appliance obtains all network traffic sent between the production server and service users. While the service application is operating correctly, the service appliance forwards network traffic between the two networks using various network layers. |
| US08224941B2 |
Method, apparatus, and computer product for managing operation
A system resource manager of a site management server registers a server domain as a group of servers having a uniform physical wire connection, registers a server group as a group of servers that use uniform software in a registered server domain, and changes an application of a server by controlling a switch of software that is stored in a RAID device connected to a server belonging to a registered server group via a SAN for each application and that is used by the server. |
| US08224938B2 |
Data processing system and method for iteratively re-distributing objects across all or a minimum number of processing units
A data processing system has a program module for determining a re-distribution of objects, such as database tables, over processing units of a cluster of processing units, such as in a blade computing environment. An estimate of the required duration for applying the re-distribution is calculated in order to facilitate an administrator's decision when to initiate the re-distribution procedure. |
| US08224932B2 |
Deployment of remote portlets into a portal
A method and system for deploying remote portlet applications into a portal. The system includes a portal server in communication with a client, and including a portal which includes a portlet which receives a request from a user, via the client, to install a portlet application from a remote location, searches for a selected remote portlet application as selected by the user, and triggers an installation of the selected remote portlet application when selected for installation by the user, and a deployment application programming interface (API) which communicates with the portlet and deploys the selected remote portlet application to the portal when triggered by the portlet. |
| US08224926B1 |
System and method for outage avoidance
Disclosed are systems and methods for outage avoidance in connecting to a remote system. The systems and methods dynamically adjust the number of requests allowed to attempt to access the remote system, resulting in a more efficient use of resources and an improved user experience. |
| US08224922B1 |
Work flow engine for controlling delivery of media treatments to customer contacts
The present invention recognizes that there is a need to enable scripts or rules within workflow engines to be more dynamic, more easily created, more easily interpreted by other software entities and moreover to enable many different media types to be provided rather than only one such as voice. The present invention addresses this by making use of new types of web-based scripting applications such as VXML and SALT. One or more new commands are added to existing workflow engines to enable them to instruct media servers to access web-based instructions. Those web-based instructions are then executed at the media server to provide additional media treatment control. |
| US08224917B1 |
Electronic communication reminder technology
Techniques are described for providing reminders for electronic communications. For instance, response patterns of a user are determined by communication type based on monitoring past response behavior of the user and the response pattern data is stored for the user by communication type. After storing the response pattern data for the user by communication type, a particular communication that is for the user and that is initiated by a first sender is received. A type of the particular communication is determined and response pattern data associated with the determined type of the particular communication is accessed. A response reminder time for the particular communication is set based on the accessed response pattern data associated with the determined type of the particular communication. |
| US08224914B2 |
Systems and methods for optimizing smart mail
Methods and systems provide for creating and generating dynamic mailings which include providing for static and dynamic content to be included in a dynamically generated e-mail; establishing filters for determining dynamic content; establishing a generic e-mail including static and dynamic content; selecting dynamic content using the filters; generating a dynamic e-mail based upon the generic e-mail and the dynamic content selected; and transmitting the dynamically generated e-mail. |
| US08224912B2 |
Method and system for mapping organizational social networks utilizing dynamically prioritized E-mail flow indicators
A method to use dynamically prioritized email communications to establish and analyze organization social network maps includes selecting a dynamically prioritized email dataset based on network boundaries and contextual framework, establishing a one-way trusted relationship score between an email recipient and sender, establishing a one-way trusted relationship score between an email sender and recipient, establishing a two-way trusted relationship score between two communicating entities, establishing an atomic unit of entities based on a decreasing order of at least one of the one-way trusted relationship score and the two-way trusted relationship score, and establishing a social network based on arranging atomic units and entities based on one or more of an email prioritization score, a trusted relationship score, and an email productivity and collaboration metric, wherein the entities are email senders and email recipients. |
| US08224901B2 |
Method and apparatus for enhancing compound documents with questions and answers
A server system runs a bot service that registers an FAQ (frequently asked questions) for a document having an embedded object. The FAQ includes one or more question-and-answer (Q&A) pairs. The bot service receives, from each electronics device that renders a copy of the document, a request from the embedded object for the FAQ registered for the document, and transmits the FAQ to each electronic device from which a request is received. Each electronics device displays the FAQ, including the one or more Q&A pairs, within its rendered copy of the document. Any viewer of a copy of the document with the embedded object can submit a question to the bot service through the embedded object. The bot service uses a messaging service to obtain an answer to the question from an author. The FAQs displayed at the electronics devices are updated to include the new Q&A pair. |
| US08224898B2 |
Relevance-based expiration of data
Technologies are described herein for relevance-based expiration of data. An initial expiration time for the data is computed based upon an expiration duration associated with the data. The expiration time for the data is periodically re-computed in order to extend the expiration time. A relevance value for the meeting data is computed and the expiration time is set as a function of the computed relevance value. The relevance value may be computed as a product of a user-settable relevance value for the meeting data and a dynamic relevance point for the meeting data. When the computed expiration time for meeting data has been reached, the meeting data is expired, such as through the deletion of the meeting data. |
| US08224897B2 |
Automatically sharing a user's personal message
Described techniques enable a particular user to automatically share a piece of content with a group of users. To share the content, the particular user navigates to a Website or the like to identify the desired piece of content. The particular user then chooses to share the piece of content by actuating a button, an icon, or the like displayed within the content (e.g., Web content) or displayed within the browser's toolbar. In some embodiments, the users with whom the piece of content is then shared each include the particular user within a contact list. This document also describes techniques capable of enabling the particular user to allow a third party to select and share a piece of content. In some instances, the piece of content comprises an advertisement. This piece of content may be shared with a group of users that include the particular user as a contact. |
| US08224892B2 |
Rapid cooking oven with broadband communication capability to increase ease of use
An improved oven for use in a residence is described. The oven includes a cooking chamber, a programmable controller for executing program instructions, memory media for recording executable program instructions, and at least one controllable cooking system under control of the programmable controller, which provides a data-processing-controlled high speed cooking process which may be applied to food placed in the oven chamber. A plurality of cooking programs are recorded in the memory media of the oven. These define a plurality of high speed cooking routines available for use with the oven. A gateway server is communicatively coupled to the programmable controller. It manages the communication of digital content which is at least in-part related to operation and utilization of the improved oven. A broadband communication channel extends from a source of digital content, which is external to the residence, to the residence. The broadband communication channel delivers particular digital content related to the oven through the gateway server for distribution within the residence, including distribution to the programmable controller of the oven in order to facilitate cooking operations utilizing the oven. |
| US08224888B2 |
Public variable interface system
A system for interfacing information between subsystems of an embedded software system with subsystem independence. It is a public variable system that defines a simple, extensible framework for interfacing between product subsystems such as control engines, input/output subsystems, and communications protocols. Server subsystems within the embedded software system are given the ability to make public information available for use by client subsystems within the system, with isolation between client and server subsystems. |
| US08224885B1 |
Method and system for remote computing session management
A method and system for communicating a display image. The method comprises (a) compressing, by a first application on a first processor, initial updates; (b) determining, by the first application, availability of a second processor comprising compression hardware not in the first processor; (c) determining, by a second application on the first processor, a requirement to compress, by the second processor, future image updates; (d) compressing, by the second processor a first future image update; (e) initiating, by the first application on the first or a third processor, compressing by the second processor of a second future image update; (f) determining, by the first application, an unavailability of the second processor; (g) compressing, by the first application subsequent future image updates, including the second future image update, to generate compressed updates; and (h) transmitting the compressed initial updates, the compressed first update, and the compressed updates to a remote computer. |
| US08224884B2 |
Processor communication tokens
The invention provides a method of transmitting messages over an interconnect between processors, each message comprising a header token specifying a destination processor and at least one of a data token and a control token. The method comprises: executing a first instruction on a first one of the processors to generate a data token comprising a byte of data and at least one additional bit to identify that token as a data token, and outputting the data token from the first processor onto the interconnect as part of one of the messages. The method also comprises executing a second instruction on said first processor to generate a control token comprising a byte of control information and at least one additional bit to identify that token as a control token, and outputting the control token from the first processor onto the interconnect as part of one of the messages. |
| US08224883B2 |
Packed add-subtract operation in a microprocessor
A packed half-word addition and subtraction operation is performed by a microprocessor in parallel upon half-word operands obtained from designated top or bottom half-word locations of designated source registers of a register file and the sum and difference results of such operation are packed into respective top and bottom half-word locations of a designated destination register. The microprocessor includes an arithmetic-logic unit (ALU) with adder circuitry that can be selectively split into separate half-word adders that are independently selectable to perform either an addition operation or subtraction operation upon the selected half-word operands. The half-word adders of the ALU access the operands from source registers via a set of multiplexers that select among the top and bottom half-word locations. Operations with halving and saturation modifications to the sum and difference results may also be provided. |
| US08224880B2 |
File management apparatus and method, and storage system
The present invention provides a file management system and method, and a storage system that can prevent file-multiplexing in a storage apparatus, and efficiently use the storage capacity of the storage apparatus. The storage apparatus stores first management information for managing two or more kinds of classification list, each classification list including one or more keywords, and second management information for managing the kinds of classification list set for each of one or more users with regard to each of one or more tiers of their respective virtual file trees; and sends, in response to a request from a client apparatus to search the classification lists for a classification list set for a directory, the classification list set for the relevant user with regard to the tier matching the request to the client apparatus with reference to the first and second management information. |
| US08224872B2 |
Automated data model extension through data crawler approach
Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for accessing data stored in multiple data sources. Such methods employ an automated software agent to maintain a collection of data sources available for querying. The data sources may all reside within a single local network or may be distributed throughout multiple locations. Generally, the automated software agent searches a given domain for additional data sources according to a defined set of selection criteria. After discovering an additional data source, the automated software agent configures a query application to reflect the availability the additional data source. Further, the automated software agent may periodically evaluate the collection of data sources against the selection criteria and remove those that are either no longer available or no longer satisfy the selection criteria. |
| US08224871B2 |
Triangulated irregular network
Methods and other embodiments associated with performing an in-memory triangulation of a large data set are described. One example method for performing in-memory triangulation of a large data set includes partitioning a large geographical information data set into a set of stripes and generating, in-memory, a set of local triangulated irregular networks (TINs) corresponding to members of the set of stripes. Information associated with triangles associated with the set of local TINs are stored. |
| US08224868B2 |
Network coding with last modified dates for P2P web caching
A method may include obtaining a source file at a node in peer-to-peer network and dividing the source file into a plurality of pieces. The pieces of the source file may be encoded using network coding principles. A last-modified-date (LMD) value may be appended to each of the encoded pieces, the LMD value being the same for each of the encoded pieces of the source file. The encoded pieces with the LMD values may be sent to one or more other nodes in the peer-to-peer network. |
| US08224866B2 |
Idea tracking and management
Disclosure is related to idea tracking and management. The disclosure invokes a method and system for displaying and tracking ideas from a database. The invention accesses a data repository via a data connection, displays the data from the data repository, and allows the displayed data to be characterized as scheduling data, statistical data, action items, current status, and listing of individuals. |
| US08224864B1 |
Striping directories across a striped volume set by the filenames contained in the directories
A method and apparatus for striping a directory across storage server nodes. Each storage server node services one of a plurality of persistent mass storage facilities. The method comprises mapping each filename in the directory to one of the persistent mass storage facilities. According to the mapping of the filenames, the directory is distributed across the storage server nodes for storage on the persistent mass storage facilities. |
| US08224855B2 |
Database data dictionary
Systems and methods are provided for manipulating data sets. In accordance with one implementation, a computerized system is provided for storing, managing, indexing, interrelating, and/or retrieving data sets in a manner independent of the data model. The system includes an element module configured to store and uniquely identify elements and an element relation module configured to store relationships between the elements in the element module. The computerized system may also comprise a class module configured to store attributes of elements in a class and a type definition module configured to define the class and the attributes related to the class. The computerized system may further comprise a state machine module, the state machine module including a state machine transition module and a status module. |
| US08224853B2 |
Methods and apparatus for updating a plurality of data fields in an electronic form
The disclosed system empowers technical and non technical users to author logical business objects, author intelligent business forms, and create automated workflows. The logical business objects include data definitions and methods from existing and new data sources. An object broker interprets the business object definition and brokers data/information and method calls to the data sources. The intelligent business forms are created by an information worker in a rich web-based tooling environment. Each form is intelligent enough to recognize other forms that it might co-exist with on a single page, as well as how to react based on events that occur on these related forms. The automated workflow tools include process discovery features that assist users during the process identification phase. The tools assist both technical and non technical users to identify processes within the organization, including supporting solution artifacts such as forms, rules, actions, outcomes and business objects involved. Process modeling features include the ability to combine defined artifacts into a process model that can be published into a runtime environment where it can be executed and used by business users in the organization. |
| US08224850B2 |
Method and system for determining users that satisfy desired conditions
A method and system are disclosed allowing for determining those users of multiple users who satisfy desired condition(s), where characteristics of the users in at least some embodiments vary dynamically. In at least one embodiment, the method includes receiving at a server device a request for a determination regarding which of a plurality of users satisfies a plurality of conditions respectively relating to a plurality of user characteristics, and obtaining at the server device a conditions specification. Additionally, the method includes accessing at least one repository in which is stored information regarding the users to obtain at least some of the information, the information concerning the user characteristics. The method also includes making a determination regarding which of the users satisfies the plurality of conditions, obtaining at the first server device updated information from the at least one repository, re-evaluating the determination, and sending output information regarding the re-evaluated determination. |
| US08224846B2 |
Apparatus for music retrieval, method for music retrieval, and program for music retrieval
An apparatus for retrieving music that matches with a user preference across a plurality of music is provided. The apparatus comprises a feature vector generating device for generating feature vectors of each of the music, a clustering device for clustering the music into a plurality of clusters according to the feature vectors, a music extraction device for extracting a predetermined number of music from each of the clusters, a music selection accepting device for accepting a selection of music by the user from the music, and a music retrieval device for calculating similarities between a feature vector of the selected music and feature vectors of each of the music, and retrieving music that have higher similarities to the selected music among the music. |
| US08224839B2 |
Search query extension
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for search query extension are disclosed. A particular method retrieves a set of queries related to a search query from a query repository. The search query includes one or more search words and at least one search word is included in each query in the set of queries. A set of context words based on one or more computer-readable files accessible to a computer is generated and an intersection is calculated. The intersection is based on the set of queries and the set of context words. An extended search query is generated based on the calculated intersection and the search query. |