| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08690431B2 |
Packaging with lines of weakness
The present invention provides a package (10) comprising an outer film layer (32) and at least one inner film layer (34,36), the inner and outer film layers being mutually laminated. The package also comprises a pair of mutually spaced lines of weakness (20) in at least the outer film layer, and means (22) for initiating tearing of the film layers. The lines of weakness and tear initiation means are disposed such that activation of the tear initiation means causes controlled tearing of all the film layers along the lines of weakness. The package is particularly suitable for block products such as chocolate bars. |
| US08690421B2 |
Apparatus and a method for measuring the body core temperature for elevated ambient temperatures
The invention relates to an apparatus (10) for measuring a temperature of the core of a body for elevated ambient temperatures, comprising a heat stream sensor (14) having a surface adapted to be positioned in contact with a surface S of the body for detecting a body's inwards heat stream, said sensor being thermally insulated on all its other surfaces from the surroundings, a cooling element (15) for cooling the heat stream sensor, a heat buffer (13) being thermally insulated from surroundings and being arranged in a heat conducting communication with the cooling element, a control unit (19) for switching on the cooling element for compensating the body's inwards heat stream and a temperature sensor (20) for measuring the temperature of the body surface. |
| US08690418B2 |
Method of mixing
A method of mixing including providing a flexible container which comprises at least two components, assembling the components from outside the flexible container to form a centrally disposed magnetic driven shaft with at least one impeller, whereby the integrity of the flexible container is maintained, filling the flexible container having the centrally disposed magnetic driven shaft with one or more ingredients of the contents to be mixed; engaging a magnetic element of the centrally disposed magnetic driven shaft with an external magnetic drive element; analyzing the contents of the flexible container using at least one sensor or a sampling line on the flexible container; and draining the contents of the flexible container through a drain port at the bottom of the flexible container. |
| US08690415B2 |
Optical display element composed of selectively illuminable concentric rings
An optical display element (10) made up of selectively illuminatable concentric rings (14) is provided, in which the rings (14) are obtained by the light exit surface (20) of a respective optical waveguide body (18). Each optical waveguide body (18) has a light entry surface (22) which couples light in from an associated light source (24) which is adapted to be selectively activated. The light entry surface (22), as related to the common axis (12), has a larger radial extent than the light exit surface (20). Further, the optical waveguide bodies (18) have directly radially adjacent light-blocking side surfaces (30). Owing to this configuration, it is solely the optical waveguide bodies (18) which determine the geometry of the concentric rings (14). Since the optical waveguide bodies (18) can be manufactured with high precision, the intended close tolerances are obtained. In this way, radial distances between the rings (14) of only approximately 0.2 mm or less can be achieved. |
| US08690414B2 |
Display device with light guide element overlapping peripherial display region of display panel
A plurality of display panels include a display region and a frame region. The plurality of display panels include first and second display panels adjoining each other; the frame region of the first display panel is overlapped by a side face of the second display panel so that an angle defined by viewer-side surfaces is more than 0° but less than 180°; first and second light guide elements are disposed on the viewer's side of peripheral display regions; the light guide elements have incident and outgoing faces and a plurality of light guiding portions; the distance between the incident and outgoing faces increases away from the peripheral display region toward the frame region; the volume of the first light guide element is larger than that of the second light guide element; and the outgoing faces of the first and second light guide elements are covered by a functional film. |
| US08690406B2 |
Lighting device and method of generating output illumination
The invention relates to a lighting device for generating output illumination having at least one directional characteristic. The lighting device includes at least one light-emitting device and at least one optical element disposed in an optical path of the light-emitting device. The lighting device also includes a screen-like member for changing at least one physical property of light passing therethrough and an optical device for generating an intermediate image on the screen-like member. The screen-like member and the optical device are located in the optical path between the light-emitting device and the optical element projecting the intermediate image. |
| US08690404B2 |
Headlamp LED lighting device and headlamp
Disclosed is a headlamp LED lighting device including: a box 10 for accommodating a circuit board on which a circuit for lighting LEDs 130 is mounted, the box being fitted into and mounted to a rear opening 110b of a headlamp case 110; a first connector 40 which is disposed on a side of the box 10 fitted into and mounted to the rear opening 110b, the side facing towards an inside of the headlamp case 110, for connecting to the circuit board, and which is connected to the LEDs 130, for supplying electric power to the LEDs; and a second connector 50 disposed on another side of the box 10 fitted into and mounted to the rear opening 110b, for connecting to the circuit board and for supplying electric power to the circuit board, the other side facing towards an outside of the headlamp case 110. |
| US08690398B2 |
Vertically adjustable cubicle lamp
A vertically adjustable cubicle lamp may be suspended on two vertical rods configured to grip the upper edge of a cubicle wall. The lamp may be vertically positioned and secured through a frictional fit, a mechanical interface, or a wirelessly controlled traction motor. Lamp intensity may be controlled through a microprocessor. |
| US08690390B1 |
Lamp and fan model
The present disclosure relates to a lamp and fan design to generate the comfort and freshness feeling in a room, wherein the lamp and fan is portable and has a lampshade which is not fixed to the lamp but rather remains mobile based on sustainability principles by favoring the arrangement of said lampshade at a variable height relative to the fan. |
| US08690389B2 |
Illumination module
A light emitting diode (LED) module is provided that includes a base and a cover. Circuitry is provided on the base. An LED array is provided on the base and is coupled to the circuitry, which in an embodiment may convert AC line voltage to DC voltage. The LED module can be configured to take up minimal space while providing desirable light output. |
| US08690388B2 |
Light emitting diode cup light
A light emitting diode (LED) cup light includes a base, a substrate, a LED light source and a fixing structure. The base includes a frame and a carrying member. The frame is surroundingly coupled to a periphery of the carrying member. The carrying member has a through hole. The substrate is disposed on the carrying member of the base. The LED light source is disposed on the substrate. The fixing structure presses on substrate and is engaged with a bottom surface of the carrying member of the base through the through hole. |
| US08690385B2 |
Light-emitting electronic textile with improved light diffusion
A light-emitting electronic textile (2) comprising a flexible component carrier (3) having a plurality of light-sources (4a-c) arranged thereon; a cover textile (5) arranged to allow passage through the cover textile (5) of light emitted by the light-sources (4a-c); and a light-diffusing member (6) arranged between the light-sources (4a-c) and the cover textile (5). The light-diffusing member (6) comprises a layered structure formed by a plurality of light-diffusing layers (12a-c; 16a-b; 19a-c), wherein adjacent light-diffusing layers in the layered structure are spaced apart at least in portions of the light-diffusing member (6) corresponding to positions of the light-sources (4a-c). |
| US08690382B2 |
Gradient optics for even light distribution of led light sources
Gradient optics for even light distribution of LED light sources. In an aspect, an apparatus is provided for uniform distribution of light emitted from a light source. The apparatus includes a panel coupled to receive the light emitted from the light source, and gradient optics disposed on the panel, the gradient optics providing a matching transparency gradient that is aligned with the light source to evenly distribute the emitted light. In another aspect, an apparatus includes means for receiving the light emitted from the light source, and means for providing a matching transparency gradient that is aligned with the light source to evenly distribute the emitted light. |
| US08690381B2 |
Luminaire system and method
A device, kit, and method for a luminaire having a first LED module with a first length and a plurality of LEDs, said LEDs disposed at predetermined pitch. A second LED module having a second length and a plurality of LEDs, said LEDs disposed at the same pitch as the first module. Wherein said first LED module and said second LED module have at least one LED disposed one half of the pitch from an edge of the LED module which when combined provide for uniform lighting across multiple LED modules. Certain embodiments may include one or more hubs for mounting the luminaire on predetermined centers. |
| US08690378B2 |
Flashlight bezel focus lock system
Embodiments provide a flashlight with a bezel configured to be moved relative to a body of the flashlight to adjust the focus of the light. A locking assembly may be disposed within the bezel and configured to switch between an unlocked position and a locked position if the bezel is rotated with respect to the body. The locking assembly may include a ring-shaped outer component having first and second curved walls separated by a gap. The locking assembly may further include an inner component coupled with the light assembly, the inner component including a nub configured to be disposed in the gap if the locking assembly is in the unlocked position, and to radially push an outer surface of the outer component against the inner surface of the bezel if the locking assembly is in the locked position. |
| US08690376B2 |
Light attachment for inspection tool
A light assembly for an inspection tool having a mirror, the assembly comprising a housing attached to the mirror; a light member movably attached to the housing; and a power source for the light member. |
| US08690366B2 |
Vehicle outside mirror device
A vehicle outside mirror device according to the present invention is provided with a base 2, a shaft 3, a spring 10, a mirror assembly 4, and a washer 6. An annular line contact portion 50 is provided on an abutment face 35 of the washer 6 that abuts against an abutment face 33 of a mount portion 12 of the mirror assembly 4. As a result, the vehicle outside mirror device according to the present invention can prevent generation of abnormal noise further reliably and a further long period of time by means of the annular line contact portion 50. In addition, an abutment plane 301 of a rotation stop portion is provided at a shaft 3. A linear edge 601 of the rotation stop portion is provided at the washer 6. As a result, according to the vehicle outside mirror device of the present invention, the linear edge 601 of the rotation stop portion of the washer 6 is abutted against the abutment plane 301 of the rotation stop portion of the shaft 3, whereby the washer 6 is fixed to the shaft 3 and then generation of abnormal noise can be prevented further reliably and over a further long period. |
| US08690361B2 |
Case structure and optical device having such case structure
A case structure includes a covering member and a lid member. The covering member includes a main boy, a first coupling part and a first positioning part. The lid member includes a lid plate, a second coupling part and a second positioning part. The second coupling part of the lid member and the first coupling part of the covering member are engaged with each other so that the lid plate is coupled with the main body and pivotal with respect to the main body. When the lid plate is rotated to a first position, the second positioning part is interference-fitted into the first positioning part so that the lid plate is positioned with respect to the main body. |
| US08690354B2 |
Mobile electronic device with an image projector
It is a task to provide a mobile electronic device with high operability and high safety. The mobile electronic device includes an image projector that projects an image, a cabinet, an input unit that is disposed on the cabinet and detects an operation input by an operator, and a control unit that controls the operation of the image projector and the state of the input unit. The task is solved in such a manner that when a predetermined operation is detected by the input unit, the control unit stops emission of light from the image projector or reduces an amount of light emitted from the image projector. |
| US08690353B2 |
Multi-resolution display system
A multi-resolution display system including a desktop display area, a foveal projection device, a sensor, a control unit, and a manually adjustable fixture is provided. The desktop display area displays a central image and a low-resolution image. The control unit determines six-dimensional (6D) orientation information of the foveal projection device relative to the desktop display area according to a projected image detected by the sensor, so as to control the foveal projection device to project the central image within a target area on the desktop display area. The manually adjustable fixture fixes the foveal projection device on top of the desktop display area, and the movement of the manually adjustable fixture has a freedom of up to six dimensions. |
| US08690352B2 |
Method and device for projecting at least one light beam
A method for projecting at least one light beam may include lengthening at least in part a holding duration for at least one pixel with respect to at least one further pixel. |
| US08690351B2 |
Light source device and projector
A projector includes a projection lens set, a digital micro-mirror device, a prism unit, a light merging unit, a light guide unit, and a light source device. The light source device includes a laser light source and a color wheel. The laser light source is positioned in a straight optical path and generates a first light. The color wheel is positioned in the straight optical path. The first light irradiates the color wheel to generate a second light and the third light. The light merging unit merges the first, second, and third lights to generate a mixed light. The light guide unit guides the mixed light to the prism unit. The mixed light is refracted to the DMD via the prism unit, and then the refracted mixed light is reflected to the projection lens set via the DMD. |
| US08690350B2 |
Image display apparatus and information processing apparatus having the same and method of controlling image display apparatus
An image display apparatus detects a projection angle of a projection unit that projects a screen image on a screen and is capable of vertically changing the projection angle, and corrects trapezoidal distortion of the screen image according to the projection angle. The image display apparatus changes the amount and direction of trapezoidal distortion correction based on the projection angle. The image display apparatus also determines whether a projection mode is projection upward to a wall or projection to a ceiling and changes the direction of trapezoidal distortion correction for projection upward to the wall and projection to the ceiling. Specifically, for projection upward to the wall, a correction factor is positive and an upper edge portion of the screen image is compressed for correction; and for projection to the ceiling, a correction factor is negative and a lower edge portion of the screen image is compressed for correction. |
| US08690349B2 |
Oblique projection optical system and projection type display apparatus using the same
A projection type display apparatus including an oblique projection optical system having a plurality of lenses is disclosed. A lens nearest to a projection screen has a vertical effective image area through which a light flux passes. The lens is arranged at a position not including an optical axis shared by the largest number of lenses among the plurality of lenses. A flat mirror for returning the optical path is arranged between the particular lens and the projection screen at a predetermined angle to the optical axis. An enlarged image obtained by the light flux returned by the flat mirror is formed toward a display screen. |
| US08690337B2 |
Device and method for displaying an image on a VUI screen and also a main projection screen
A projector producing an imaginary input plane with high operability is provided. A projector according to an embodiment projects a VUI screen picture onto a desk, and projects a main projection screen picture to a wall. The projector includes a light receiving element. The light receiving element is arranged in a position where light emitted toward the desk (VUI screen picture) and reflected (or scattered) by an object near the desk enters. The projector calculates a position of the object based on light sensing timing by the light receiving element and light scan positions at various points in time. The projector changes a projected screen picture when it determines that object is simultaneously in contact with a plurality of portions of the VUI screen picture and at least one of contact positions moves. |
| US08690334B2 |
Projector, projection system, and control method of projector
A projector includes an image projection unit that projects an image for left eye and an image for right eye, and a transmitting unit that transmits a synchronizing signal for synchronization with switching between the image for left eye and the image for right eye. The transmitting unit is arranged to adjust a transmission direction of the synchronizing signal. |
| US08690331B2 |
Corneal hydration sensing system
A corneal hydration sensing system includes an illumination system configured to provide an illumination beam of terahertz radiation, an optical system arranged in an optical path of the illumination system to relay and direct at least a portion of the illumination beam of terahertz radiation onto a cornea of a subject and to receive at least a portion of terahertz radiation reflected from the cornea to provide a return beam of terahertz radiation, and a detection system arranged in an optical path of the return beam of terahertz radiation. The detection system is configured to provide a detection signal from detecting at least a portion of the return beam of terahertz radiation. The corneal hydration sensing system also includes a signal processing system configured to communicate with the detection system to receive the detection signal. The signal processing system processes the detection signal to provide a measure of an amount of hydration sensed in the cornea of the subject. |
| US08690330B2 |
Device for swept-source optical coherence domain reflectometry
A device for swept-source optical coherence domain reflectometry (SS OCDR) on moveable samples, particularly human eyes, for obtaining A-scans, having a measuring range according to the sample length and having a laser light source which can be adjusted by a main wave number k0 and at least one receiver for the light dissipated from the sample, wherein the sample is illuminated on the sample surface by a measurement beam having a diameter D by way of a coupling device. The light source has a spectral line width of δk<168 m−1 and the adjustment of the light source is carried out in τ<44 s/(D*k0). |
| US08690329B2 |
Fundus capturing apparatus
A fundus capturing apparatus, comprising: an irradiation unit adapted to irradiate light through an illumination light path onto a fundus of an eye to be examined; a capturing unit adapted to capture a fundus of the eye to be examined with reflection light of the light irradiated by the irradiation unit; a focus confirming unit adapted to confirm a focus state of the fundus captured by the capturing unit, the focus confirming unit being arranged on the illumination light path; a moving unit adapted to move the focus confirming unit on the illumination light path along a guide axis that is parallel to the illumination light path, in accordance with the focus state; and an advancing/retracting unit adapted to insert the focus confirming unit into the illumination light path or retract the focus confirming unit from the illumination light path by rotating it with respect to the guide axis. |
| US08690324B2 |
Method for modifying spectacle frame shape data
A method for modifying spectacle frame shape data, comprising the steps of: generating spectacle frame data by measuring the shape of a rim of a spectacle frame with a spectacle frame shape measuring apparatus, determining the principal axes of inertia of the measured shape of the rim of the spectacle frame using the rim spectacle frame data, and calculating new spectacle rim frame data expressed in the principal axes of inertia of the measured shape of the rim of the spectacle frame. |
| US08690323B2 |
Method of selecting lens design standard
A method includes preparing design variations, which include a plurality of basic design distribution groups different from each other in area-division between a distance vision area and a near vision area, and a plurality of corridor lengths different from each other. Parameters originating from prescription information, life environmental information, frame shape information and the like are input. A basic design distribution group and a corridor length are selected based on the aforesaid information. A lens design standard is obtained based on the selected basic design distribution group and corridor length. As parameters, a distance between a vertex of a rear surface of a right progressive addition lens and a vertex of a cornea of a right eye and a distance between a vertex of a rear surface of a left progressive addition lens and a vertex of a cornea of a left eye are included in setting elements. |
| US08690322B2 |
Optical article comprising an antireflective coating with a low reflection both in the ultraviolet region and in the visible region
This invention relates to an ophthalmic lens with a low reflection both in the ultraviolet region and in the visible region, comprising a substrate provided on its rear main face with a multilayered antireflective coating (3-7 layers) comprising a stack of at least one layer with a high refractive index and at least one layer with a low refractive index, having a mean reflection factor on the rear face in the visible region Rm lower than or equal to 1.15%, a mean light reflection factor on the rear face in the visible region Rv lower than or equal to 1%, a mean reflection factor RUV on the rear face between 280 nm and 380 nm, weighted by the function W(λ) defined in the ISO 13666:1998 standard, lower than 5%, for angles of incidence of 30° and 45°, the antireflective coating outer layer being a silica-based layer. The lens according to the invention does especially prevent the reflection of the UV radiation produced by light sources located behind the wearer. |
| US08690314B2 |
Transport media by application of nominal tension and enhanced tension thereto
A media transport method includes applying a nominal tension to a media extending between and in contact with a media drive roller of a drive roller assembly and a media output roller of an output roller assembly by the media output roller. The media transport method also includes advancing the media toward and away from a media support member disposed between the media drive roller and the media output roller and in contact with the media by the media drive roller. The media transport method also includes determining whether the media drive roller is in a rotating state within a predetermined time period after being in a non-rotating state by a restart period determination module and a kinematic condition exists corresponding to a non-synchronized state between rotation of the media drive roller and the media output roller by a kinetic condition determination module. |
| US08690308B2 |
Inkjet ink comprising dynamic surface tension agent
An inkjet ink comprising water, colorant, and a dynamic surface active agent at an effective concentration such that the ink has a dynamic surface tension DST1 sec at 1 second universal surface age, a dynamic surface tension DST10 sec at 10 seconds universal surface age and a dynamic surface tension DST20 min at 20 minutes universal surface age, where DST20 min is less than each of DST1 sec and DST10 sec, and the difference between DST10 sec and DST20 min is greater than 9.2 mN/m at 21° C. or the difference between DST1 sec and DST20 min is greater than 15.5 mN/m at 21° C., and wherein the static surface tension of the ink is less than 50 mN/m. Maintaining a relatively large dynamic surface tension difference between the indicated time scales yields an optical density improvement in printed images. |
| US08690303B2 |
Image forming method
An image forming method includes ejecting an ink composition including a volatile organic solvent with a solubility parameter of 20 MPa1/2 to 25 MPa1/2, acid-functionalized polymer colloid particles with a glass transition temperature of 25° C. to 85° C., and a pigment with a surface at least a part of which is coated with a polymer, onto a non-porous substrate by an ink jet method to form an image, and the absolute value of the difference between the solubility parameter of the non-porous substrate and the solubility parameter of the volatile organic solvent of the ink composition falls within 15 MPa1/2. |
| US08690299B2 |
Liquid container
A liquid container includes an air-tight liquid-storage chamber or reservoir, a movable member for agitating liquid, and a protrusion portion for supporting the movable member. The movable member and the protrusion portion are disposed in the liquid-storage chamber. The movable member includes a first end that is linearly movable along the protrusion portion and a second end that is free. |
| US08690284B2 |
Liquid discharge apparatus
There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus including a liquid discharge head having a plurality of nozzles; a common chamber; a liquid chamber; a liquid supply port; and a communication channel; and a discharge control mechanism which controls the liquid discharge head to perform a discharge operation of discharging the liquid from the nozzles to the medium. The discharge control mechanism controls the liquid discharge head to perform a flushing operation, as the discharge operation, so that the liquid is discharged from a first nozzle group in a discharge mode, which is different from a discharge mode of a second nozzle group, to generate a flow of the liquid in the communication channel. |
| US08690276B2 |
Media flatness verification and preview mode
A printer and method of printing wherein a preview mode conveys media through the printer in a manner that avoids the possibility that the media can contact a print head. A hold-down system of the printer and/or media transport generates a hold-down pressure applied to the substrate media in the direction of the first media transport. A precurler unit applies a predetermined degree of curl to the substrate media. A media height sensor determines the height of the substrate media above the first media transport under the influence of the hold-down pressure. A print head array marks the substrate media with an image in the marking zone, and an actuator adjusts the relative spacing between the print head array and the first media transport. The gap between print head and the media is adjustable in view of the measurements. |
| US08690269B2 |
Device for fastening a functional unit in a furniture body
A device for fastening a functional unit in a furniture body includes a support and two retaining elements, wherein the functional unit is pre-installed on the support and the two retaining elements are installed on the furniture body, wherein the retaining elements retain the preferably elongated support at the ends, wherein one retaining element is designed as a hinge and wherein the support is pivotably connected to the retaining element installed on the furniture body. |
| US08690268B2 |
Laundry treating apparatus
A laundry treating apparatus is provided which can be manufactured easily. The laundry treating apparatus includes a cabinet, a drum rotatably disposed in the cabinet configured to hold laundry therein, a front cover including a door opening to load the laundry in the drum, and at least one panel opening configured to receive a control panel therein. |
| US08690263B2 |
Method for manufacturing a toothbrush and a bristle head thereof, toothbrush obtained by said method and mould for such method
A molding process and a mold for manufacturing a toothbrush of plastic material with a resistant inner core, is disclosed. It is provided to manufacture a resistant inner core, and to introduce it into a mold cavity having opposite footprints belonging to a lower half-mold and an upper half-mold and to subsequently inject molten plastic material into the mold cavity for manufacturing at least part of the toothbrush handle. A resistant metal core is placed into a respective footprint of the lower half-mold in contact with at least two support platforms, adapted to support the core in the proximity of a central line of the mold cavity, and before the injection of structural plastic material, to couple the lower half-mold with an upper half-mold having at least one ribbing to contact with the metal core at least in a position between the support platforms and in a position opposite thereto. |
| US08690262B2 |
Heading machine having cutting unit made of disc tools
In a heading machine (1, 24) with at least one cutting unit with a rotatably mounted tool holder (10, 39) with disc tools (11, 12, 40, 41), which tool holder is connected in a pivotable manner to the machine frame, the heading machine (1, 24) has a running gear, in particular a crawler track (2), the tool holder (10, 39) is mounted rotatably on an arm (6, 26), which can be pivoted in the vertical direction and the rotational axis (9) of the tool holder (10, 39) runs transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the arm (6, 26). |
| US08690260B1 |
Mining machine automation
An automated coal mining system outfits rotating cutterhead drums with bit blocks and replaceable bit picks according to a lacing pattern. A set of strain gauges are configured to measure the mechanical forces experienced by the bit picks during coal cutting. Measurements are taken that can be processed for indications that the replaceable bit picks have encountered a boundary layer of rock during coal cutting operations, or they are working harder than necessary to cleave coal, or that a better lacing pattern is possible. A resonant microwave patch antenna is mounted on a top surface shoulder of the bit blocks to take impedance measurements of the coal face. The impedance measurements are calibrated according to indications that the replaceable bit picks have encountered a boundary layer of rock. The rotating drum sensor data is wirelessly transmitted back to the machine for analysis and control purposes. |
| US08690258B2 |
Guide structure of vehicle seatbelt
A guide structure of a vehicle seatbelt includes a belt guide. The belt guide is provided at one of a left corner and a right corner defined by a left side frame, a right side frame, and an upper frame. The one corner faces a belt pulled out from a seatbelt device. The left side frame and the right side frame extend vertically. The upper frame connects an upper end of the left side frame to an upper end of the right side frame. The belt guide protrudes upwardly with respect to the upper frame and forwardly with respect to the left side frame and the right side frame so that when the belt is placed on an occupant who sits on the seat, a portion of the belt that is placed on a shoulder of the occupant is guided by the belt guide. |
| US08690253B2 |
Seat assembly having a moveable head restraint assembly
A seat assembly having a seat back, a support post disposed on the seat back, and a head restraint assembly disposed on the support post. The head restraint assembly includes a rear portion moveably disposed on the support post and a front portion pivotally disposed on the rear portion. The front portion pivots with respect to the rear portion independent of movement of the rear portion along the support post. |
| US08690250B2 |
Infant carrier apparatus having multiple configurations of use and its operating method
An infant carrier apparatus comprises a seat assembly, a backrest assembly including a first and second backrest frame, and a backrest holding mechanism. The first backrest frame includes first side and transverse segments, the second backrest frame includes second side and transverse segments, the first side segment being coupled with the seat assembly via a first pivot point. The backrest holding mechanism can be movably assembled between the first and second transverse segment, and include a latch element movable between a first and second position. The first position of the latch element causes the backrest holding mechanism to be in locking engagement with the first transverse segment to prevent rotation of the backrest assembly relative to the seat assembly, and the second position of the latch element removes the locking engagement of the backrest holding mechanism to permit rotation of the backrest assembly relative to the seat assembly. |
| US08690247B2 |
Reclinable seating apparatus and method
In various embodiments, self-adjusting reclinable seating is disclosed. When the user applies a force to the seating by shifting his or her center of gravity, the backrest and seat portions of the seating move in response to the force to recline the seating. The user can return the seating to an upright position by again shifting his or her center of gravity. Such a configuration eliminates the need for manual recline controls. The seating is further configured to continuously vary the angle of the seat and backrest portions relative to the ground as the user moves. In particular, vertical distance between the front of the seat and the ground increases as the backrest reclines. Continuously varying the angle of both the seat and the backrest portions of the seating relative to the ground may improve a user's seating comfort, for example, by decreasing or eliminating the user's need to shift position on the seat when reclined. |
| US08690246B2 |
Reclining seat
A reclining seat comprising a seat base (10) and a backrest (11), wherein the seat base is mounted on a support structure moveable along at least one guide path (16, 17) whereby the seat base is moveable between upright and reclined use or seating positions and a retracted state, control means being provided for controlling movement of the seat base along said at least one guide path, preferably with infinite adjustment, between said upright and reclined seating positions. |
| US08690245B2 |
Soothing apparatus and infant seat therewith
A soothing apparatus and an infant seat therewith are disclosed. The soothing apparatus includes an apparatus base, a seat base disposed on the apparatus, and a driving device including a driving part and a follower disposed on the apparatus base and the seat base oppositely. The driving part has an interfering surface with a specific profile. The follower keeps contacting the interfering surface such that the seat base is moved through the follower relative to the apparatus base in accordance with the specific profile when the interfering surface moves relative to the follower. Thereby, the soothing apparatus can provide an specific soothing motion and further provide another variant soothing motion by just creating another specific profile, so that the invention can provide a more flexible mechanism than that in the prior art. |
| US08690244B2 |
Child restraint for vehicle
A child restraint includes a base, a seat, and an anchor belt. The anchor belt holds the base in place on a passenger seat of a vehicle. The seat mounts on the base and supports a child or infant for travel in the vehicle above the base. |
| US08690239B2 |
Chair-type massage apparatus
The chair-type massage apparatus is characterized in that, when placed with its back facing a room wall, it can be located near the wall and, when its seat is made movable back-and-forth, the leg kneading device mounted at the front of the seat can be used without being obstructed by the back-and-forth movement.The chair-type massage apparatus 1 comprises the seat 2, the base frame 6, and the backrest 3 reclinably mounted at the rear of the seat. During reclining, the upper end of the backrest moves vertically along one vertical line. The leg kneading device is mounted at the front of the seat. The base frame has the seat moving mechanism 15 for moving the seat at least in the front-rear direction, and the seat has the position changing mechanism 16 for effecting positional change of the leg kneading device relative to the seat while maintaining the relative distance. |
| US08690236B2 |
Reconfigurable collapsible chair
An apparatus includes a frame having a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. A first membrane is coupled to the frame and includes a seat portion with first and second openings. A second membrane is couplable to the first membrane and/or the frame and is configured to be moved between a first position in which the second membrane covers the first and second openings, and a second position in which the first and second openings are not covered by the second membrane. The frame and the first membrane are configured to support a user in a seated position when the second membrane is in the first position and the frame is expanded, the first and second openings are each configured to receive a leg of a user when the second membrane is in the second position and the frame is expanded to support the user in a standing position. |
| US08690235B2 |
Device for operating sunroof in vehicle
An operating device for a sunroof of a vehicle may include a motor housing disposed at a rear side of a roof panel and a mounting space, an operating motor disposed at one side of the motor housing and a worm inserted into the mounting space, a gear unit rotatably disposed in the mounting space engaged with the worm and is rotated by the operating motor, a glass cable connected to the gear unit and to a moving glass disposed outside of the roof panel to move the moving glass, a sun shade cable connected to the gear unit at an upper side of the glass cable and is connected to the sun shade inside the roof panel to move the sun shade, and a locking unit disposed on the motor housing corresponding to the gear unit and selectively locks the gear unit such that the cable is separately operated. |
| US08690232B2 |
Front pillar for automobile
A front pillar for an automobile includes an outer panel, an inner panel, a hollow member sandwiched between the outer and inner panels, and a reinforcing member. The outer panel has a glass attachment flange section extending along an edge of the windshield. The hollow member has a first concave section provided on an upper wall section at a terminal end of the hollow member. The first concave section is downwardly separated from the glass attachment flange section of the outer panel. The reinforcing member has a second concave section welded to the first concave section and downwardly separated from the glass attachment flange section of the outer panel. |
| US08690229B2 |
Cowl top cover and method of manufacturing the same
The invention provides a method of manufacturing a cowl top cover, which can easily adjust a reaction force of a first seal portion, and ensure sealing performance in a lip part. A main body cavity is formed in a part of a cavity by moving a slid core forward in a guide hole and making it contact with a second die. A cover main body is molded by injecting a synthetic resin into the main body cavity. A slide core is moved backward by a predetermined distance in the guide hole so that the thickness of a lip part in a lip protrusion becomes smaller than that of the lip part in a second seal portion. The lip part is molded by injecting a synthetic resin softer than that forming the cover main body into a seal portion cavity. |
| US08690228B2 |
Load bearing panel assembly
A panel assembly includes at least one reinforcing assembly made of a high strength material having a low yield to tensile strength ratio for energy absorption and reduced weight and profile. The panel assembly may be light-weight with a low profile to minimize protrusion into an opening or compartment enclosed by the panel. The panel assembly may be a floor panel assembly for a vehicle floor. The reinforcing assembly may traverse the panel such that the reinforcing assembly extends laterally, e.g., cross-vehicle, relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle body. A method of making the panel assembly may include forming the reinforcing assembly by joining a plurality of metal channel members in a nested arrangement with a plurality of welds to provide a structural assembly with good bending resistance loads imposed on the panel assembly including knee loads. The channel members may be made of a dual phase steel. |
| US08690225B2 |
Actuation mechanism for a sliding door of a motor vehicle
A door actuation mechanism for a sliding door of a motor vehicle is disclosed as having a motor driven door actuator connected to first and second actuation cables used for opening and closing the door. Both of the actuation cables has a portion extending away from the door actuator in a direction in which the respective cable moves the door. |
| US08690208B2 |
Pressure-based crash detection system incorporated in side rail
A vehicular crash sensing system includes a bumper cap for contacting a bumper. A chamber fits into a side rail attached to the bumper, the chamber being sealed by the bumper cap. A stop element limits movement of the chamber into the side rail. A pressure sensor detects an increased chamber air pressure during crushing of the chamber resulting from movement of the bumper with respect to the stop element. |
| US08690201B2 |
Gate latch
A gate latch includes a bracket including a vertical backplate, a lower plate, and an upper plate. Each of the plates is attached to and extends in the same direction away from the backplate. Each of the plates includes first and second throughholes, in which the first throughhole of the lower plate is vertically aligned with the first throughhole of upper plate, and the second throughhole of lower plate is vertically aligned with the second throughhole of the upper plate. The latch includes a rigid bolt including first, second, and third elongate portions, with the first and third elongate portions being connected together, the second and third elongate portions being connected together, and the first and second elongate portions being parallel. The first elongate portion is movably positioned in the first throughholes, and the second elongate portion is movably positioned in the second throughholes. |
| US08690199B2 |
Quick connector for fluid lines
The disclosure relates to a quick connector for fluid lines, including: a connecting piece which is adapted to be plugged in a sealing fashion into a receiving opening of a counterpart and to be lockingly engaged, via a latch, with the counterpart, the quick connector having at least one support for supporting the connecting piece on the counterpart such that it is secured against tilting. In order to provide a certain mobility of the quick connector also in the condition of locking engagement, the support can be movable relative to the connecting piece. |
| US08690198B2 |
Locking device for connectors
A connector for high amperage, AC or DC connection includes a plug and a receptacle configured to securely mate and lock with each other. Connector receptacles include a locking mechanism having a sleeve unit having a plurality of openings configured to receive a plurality of alignment members, a control unit in communication with the alignment members, and at least one extension member coupling the sleeve unit to the control unit. The control unit is configured to bias the alignment members to engage a groove in a plug in a locked position. Upon rotation of the control unit, the control unit engages the sleeve unit and allows the alignment members to freely move, thus allowing a user to connect or disconnect the plug from the receptacle. |
| US08690197B2 |
Bearing apparatus and method for an irrigation pivot structure
A bearing structure for a pivoting irrigation system apparatus having a rotatable vertical section with a plurality of annular assemblies mounted thereon. The assemblies include a plurality of components that are rotatable and non-rotatable with the rotatable vertical section so as to facilitate movement with decreased friction therebetween. |
| US08690195B2 |
Flexible element with integral outer shield and/or inner liner
A flexible bellows used in a pipe coupling includes composite convolutions having integral extensions forming one or both of an outer shield or inner liner to enhance performance of the coupling. Embodiments incorporate dampers, hangers and convolution modifications. Various embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08690193B2 |
Transporter vehicle
Rear wheel tires of a vehicle body are spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction. A foreign object removing device is provided between an outer tire and an inner tire of the rear wheels on one side of the vehicle for removing foreign objects between the tires. The foreign object removing device includes a bar-shaped member inserted in a suspended state between the tires, and a shoe provided in a lower end side of the bar-shaped member to collide with foreign objects such as earth and sand, and stones getting in between the tires for flicking out the foreign objects from between the tires. The shoe is replaceably attached to the lower end side of the bar-shaped member by using a bolt. In a case where the shoe wears down, only the shoe is replaced. |
| US08690187B2 |
Vehicle safety device
A vehicle safety device includes a vehicle seat, an inflator, a far-side airbag and a tension tether. The far-side airbag is configured to inflate and deploy forward and upward with respect to the vehicle seat from a seatback inner side portion by a gas being supplied into the far-side airbag. The far-side airbag protrudes higher than a headrest when the far-side airbag is in an inflated and deployed state. The tension tether extends upward from a predetermined portion of an upper end portion of a seatback frame and hooks around the headrest from behind the vehicle seat in the inflated and deployed state. The tension tether extends from an upper surface of the headrest toward an upper surface of the far-side airbag, and further extends toward the seatback frame on a vehicle inside with respect to the far-side airbag in the inflated and deployed state. |
| US08690185B2 |
Airbag device
An object is to prevent an airbag from bursting out toward an occupant and to inflate and deploy the airbag in a stable manner. An inner bag (30A) inflates with gas supplied from an inflator (3). An outer bag (20) inflates with the gas supplied through a flow port in the inner bag (30A). A restriction member (40A) restricts the movement of a front surface of the outer bag (20) in the occupant direction. An opening (41) in the restriction member (40A) is engaged with the outer circumference of the inflated inner bag (30A) and moves in the occupant direction along the outer circumference of the inner bag (30A) in accordance with the inflation of the outer bag (20). The restriction member (40A) moves the front surface of the outer bag (20) in accordance with the movement of the opening (41). |
| US08690182B2 |
Strut for snowmobile
A snowmobile ski comprises a body having a pair of rails laterally spaced from one another and interconnected at a tip. A spindle assembly connects the ski to suspension elements of the snowmobile. The spindle assembly has a pair of legs connected to respective rails to allow snow to pass between the legs. |
| US08690174B2 |
Geared motor for an active roll stabilizer
A slewing motor for an active roll stabilizer, which can be connected by its drive to one stabilizer half, and which can be connected on the stator side to another stabilizer half of a divided stabilizer. A torsion element, whose rotational rigidity is lower than the rotational rigidity of the stabilizer, is effectively arranged between the drive and the one stabilizer half. |
| US08690169B2 |
Detachable roller means and movable bag or case
The present invention relates to a detachable roller means and a movable bag or case having said detachable roller means, said roller means comprises a roller seat (1) and a roller assembly, which are detachably connected to each other. The roller seat has a penetration opening (1-1) and a guide in which a spring-pretensioned button plate (2-10) is guided. Said button plate has a button arm (2-3), by means of which the button plate is displaceable along the guide. The roller assembly has a roller holder and a roller (3). The roller holder is provided on its upper side with a lug boss (2-5) and a shaft (2-8) projecting from the lug boss. The shaft is provided with an upper stop (2-9). In a mounting status, the lug boss is abutted against the bottom of the roller seat tightly and, viewed in the insertion direction of the shaft, the button plate is engaged behind the upper stop in a spring-pretensioned manner. The button plate can be brought out of engagement with the upper stop in opposite to the spring pretension. The roller means according to the present invention is not only permanently firm, but also can be mounted and detached easily. |
| US08690159B2 |
Spiral wound bound seal
A brush seal is disclosed that may include a spring-loaded seal arrangement configured to conform to a wide range of sealing diameters along the length of a rotor of a turbomachine. In particular, the brush seal may be manufactured with free ends configured to overlap and provide a finite amount of radially expandable/contractible play and yet maintain an effective seal. Consequently, the same brush seal design may be used in a range of locations along a rotor length without the need to specifically manufacture separate brush seals for each variance in dimension. |
| US08690158B2 |
Axially angled annular seals
A seal member for effecting a seal preventing fluid flow in an axial direction through an annular space formed between a rotatable shaft and a stator structure. The seal member includes a plurality of flexible seal strips extending radially through the annular space and having a radially outer end supported to the stator structure and a radially inner end defining a tip portion extending widthwise in the axial direction for engaging in sliding contact with a peripheral surface of the rotatable shaft. The seal strips are mounted to the stator structure with the tip portions of the seal strips at an angle to the axial direction. Each of the tip portions are formed with a curvature in a radially extending plane between a leading edge and a trailing edge of each seal strip. |
| US08690155B2 |
Pathology game and method of playing same
A pathology board game includes a colored game board comprising (a) an illustration of the human circulatory system comprising organs and limbs; and (b) a colored circle or wheel comprising a plurality of diseases, each disease having its own number and color; a plurality of treatment/remedy cards, wherein each card comprises at least one treatment or remedy for a disease and is colored to match a corresponding disease on the colored circle; and a plurality of preventative cards, wherein each card comprises at least one preventative modality to prevent a disease and is colored to match a corresponding disease on the colored circle. |
| US08690154B2 |
Safe and novel, lightweight hand-grip systems for manually spinning gaming wheels
A hand grip system is provided for manually gripping and spinning gaming wheels or rotatable gaming apparatus. A rotatable gaming wheel with a plurality of annularly arrayed stop position means may be affixed near an outer board diameter of the wheel. At least one sector identification member may be used to randomly select a sector of a game board base of the wheel. An annular graspable member may be located above at least one of the annularly arrayed stop position means so as not to inhibit function of the sector identification member as the rotatable gaming wheel is spun. |
| US08690153B2 |
System for directing sheet articles in arrival from an input line towards two output lines
A system (1) for directing sheet articles (2) in arrival from an input line (L1) towards two output lines has first gripping and drawing devices for gripping and drawing the sheet articles (2) for release in a directing region (37). The sheet articles are then deviated along a first (D1) or a second (D2) orientating direction. Second gripping and drawing devices move the sheet articles (2) along the direction region. First and second counter-rotating pairs of rollers face one another and grip the sheet articles to move them towards the second (5) and third (6) gripping and drawing devices, all the devices and rollers being arranged and operating with respect to one another such that during transit through the directing region (37) the advancing sheet articles (2) are subjected to constant gripping by at least one device or one pair of rollers. |
| US08690145B2 |
Image forming system and image forming device
Disclosed is an image forming system including an image forming device which includes a paper feeding tray, a print section which performs printing to papers fed from the paper feeding tray and a control section which controls so as to feed the printed papers to a post-processing device as a booklet main body to be book-bound, and the post-processing device which carries out ring-binding processing to the fed papers and book-binds a booklet, and the control section controls so as to feed a front cover paper, a back cover paper, papers for binding of the booklet to a ring-binding process section of the post-processing device along with the booklet main body, and a paper feeding order is in an order of the back cover paper, the papers for binding, the front cover paper and the booklet main body. |
| US08690143B2 |
Turn-aside for post processing device when maximum capacity exceeded
A post-processing device includes a processing tray on which sheets are to be stacked, a transport portion for transporting, a sheet introduced through an introduction port, a turn-aside portion for turning aside the sheet to delay arrival of the sheet at the processing tray, and a delivery mechanism for delivering the sheets stacked on the processing tray to a delivery tray on a boundary between copies. When a remaining number of sheets of one copy unstacked on the processing tray exceeds a maximum number of stacked sheets that is an amount of sheets stackable on the processing tray, the delivery mechanism delivers a sheet stack of the one copy a plurality of times so as to avoid delivery of only one sheet on a last page of the one copy, and the turn-aside portion turns aside a sheet on a first page to be stacked after delivering the sheet bundle. |
| US08690137B2 |
Fixture for selectably holding dissimilar workpieces
A fixture for selectably supporting a number of dissimilar workpieces. The fixture includes a frame with one or more rotatable workpiece tooling assemblies. Each workpiece tooling assembly has multiple faces to which is mounted workpiece support tooling. The workpiece support tooling may be designed to support dissimilar workpieces, such that a single fixture may support any of a given number of workpieces by simply rotating the workpiece tooling assembly or assemblies until the corresponding support tooling is properly positioned. A locking assembly may be provided to releasably secure each workpiece tooling assembly in the various support orientations that coincide with each of its faces. |
| US08690135B2 |
Chuck and a method for supporting an object
There is provided a chuck that includes a supporting element that is connected to a closing element. An upper surface of the supporting element includes a chemically etched zone and an un-etched zone. The chemically etched zone includes multiple upper areas that are surrounded by trenches. At least one pressurized gas conduit is formed in the supporting element so as to enable pressurized gas provided to a lower surface of the supporting element to propagate through the trenches. The un-etched zone is shaped in response to a shape of an object to be placed on the supporting element. The un-etched zone reduces pressurized gas leakage from the un-etched zone and the closing element reduces pressurized gas leakage from a lower surface of the supporting element when the object is placed on the chuck in alignment with the un-etched zone and pressurized gas is provided to the chuck. |
| US08690130B2 |
Structured sheet cross-flow distribution media
A structured sheet cross flow media is formed with a first corrugated sheet having corrugations defining flutes angled in a first direction, a second corrugated sheet defining flutes angled in a second direction, and an interstitial planar sheet disposed between the first and second corrugated sheets. The interstitial planar sheet traps the flow of fluid or gas, such as air, entering one end of the media block within opposing flutes until the end of the interstitial sheet is reached, whereupon the fluid or gas can disperse between the intersecting flutes of the first and second sheets to provide a controlled dispersal of the fluid or gas. In one embodiment, the interstitial sheet terminates at an intermediate height in the media block to define the width of dispersion of air bubbles entering at a single source point. |
| US08690127B2 |
Vehicle lift system accessory
An accessory that assists in operating vehicle lift systems, particularly an accessory that assists in the operation of a crank wheel of a vehicle lift system. The accessory is portable and quickly and easily assembled to the vehicle lift system. The accessory is activated using a power source, for example a cordless power source such as a cordless power drill. The crank wheel is engaged by the accessory and operated to raise and lower the platform component of the vehicle lift system. |
| US08690121B2 |
Differential screw assembly for varying torque for valve
An assembly for actuating a valve that is in a differential screw assembly when the valve is in a portion of its stroke that experiences high resistance. The actuating assembly is selectively changeable into a direct drive configuration when the valve is in a lower resistance portion of its stroke. A sliding sleeve moves axially within the actuating assembly and has a profile that is strategically dimensioned to change the actuating assembly configuration. |
| US08690120B2 |
Fluid transfer device
A disposable device for the sterile transfer of fluids, such as liquids or gases, includes a body, a bore formed through at least a portion of the interior of the body, and a linearly moveable plunger contained within the bore. The body is formed from a rotating section and a stationary section. Partial rotation of the rotating section around a portion of the stationary section and the plunger drives the plunger linearly within the bore, opening and closing the device. The plunger includes at least a first and a second opening, and a fluid channel in the interior of the plunger connecting the first and second openings forming a fluid pathway to downstream components when the device is open. A termination component at one end of the plunger connects to a downstream component. A flange at one end of the body attaches to an upstream component. When the device is closed, the upstream end of the plunger is in alignment with the upstream flange of the body, forming a steamable sterilized in place face and a sterile barrier. |
| US08690118B2 |
Solenoid actuated device and methods
A solenoid actuated device such as a fuel injector includes an actuator body having a plurality of body pieces, and a single-pole solenoid actuator assembly positioned at least partially within the actuator body. The single-pole solenoid actuator assembly includes a one-piece compound armature housing having a load carrying component clamped between the first body piece and the second body piece, and a flux carrying component. The load carrying component includes a high structural strength and a low flux permeability, and the flux carrying component includes a low structural strength and a high flux permeability. A method of making a solenoid actuated device includes placing an armature at a sliding radial air gap with a flux carrying component of a one-piece compound armature housing, and establishing a structural load path by placing a load carrying component of the compound armature housing between a first actuator body piece and a second actuator body piece. A method of operating a single-pole solenoid actuator device includes supporting a flux carrying component of a one-piece compound armature housing with a load carrying component of the compound armature housing, channeling magnetic flux across a sliding air gap between a flux carrying component and the armature, and channeling a clamping load between a first actuator body piece and a second actuator body piece through the load carrying component of the compound armature housing. |
| US08690116B2 |
Base for a blender
A base for a blender housing a motor and including controls for operation of the blender. The base includes an air intake, an air exhaust, and a baffle, wherein the air exhaust and baffle are formed as a part of the bottom of the blender base and act to reduce the sound emitted by the blender. The bottom of the blender base includes an internal cavity defined partially by a support flange where heated air is exhausted. The air is then forced to change directions before exiting through exhaust ports. |
| US08690115B2 |
Leaf spring bracket
A system for mounting a catalytic converter of an exhaust system to an internal combustion engine includes a bracket adapted to fix the catalytic converter to the engine. A strap is adapted to circumferentially extend about a portion of the catalytic converter and clamp the catalytic converter to the bracket. The bracket includes a seat, a mounting pad and a compliant portion interconnecting the seat and the mounting pad. The seat supports a portion of the catalytic converter opposite the strap. The compliant portion includes a slot extending adjacent to the seat to reduce the stiffness of the bracket and allow the bracket to deflect during thermal expansion of the catalytic converter. |
| US08690114B2 |
Adjustable suspension system for off-road vehicle
A support assembly includes a first support frame having a first bearing surface, and a second support frame spaced a vertical distance from the first support frame. A biasing member is connected to the first support frame and includes a first end and a second end. The first end bears against the first bearing surface. An adjustment assembly is connected to the second support frame and is adjustable with respect to the second support frame. The second end of the biasing member bears against the adjustment assembly. |
| US08690113B1 |
Apparatus and method for installation of an affixation point
An adjustable affixation point apparatus comprising an anchor means for providing secure engagement with a wall; a fastener adapted to releasably engage the anchor means and to retain an extension arm between the head and the wall; the extension arm having a channel adapted to slidingly receive the fastener; at least one engagement means for enhancing the frictional contact among the members; a hanger attached to the distal end providing an affixation point which can be mounted into a wall near a desired location, then a sliding and rotational action of the extension arm relative to the allows a user to adjust the hangar to any point within a 360 degree radius and extending outwardly to any point along the length of the arm and to fix the hanger in a desired location. |
| US08690112B2 |
Video display device with screen angle adjustment mechanism
A video image display apparatus is configured such that a monitor case includes a first gear unit that rotates according to a screen angle of the monitor case, and a clutch mechanism includes: a first torsion coil spring; a second gear unit that is meshed with the first gear unit, wherein a cylindrical portion is fitted to one end of the first torsion coil spring so as to rotate; a cam unit that rotates with a cylindrical portion being fitted to the other end of the first torsion coil spring; and an engagement unit that restricts the rotation of the cam unit, wherein when the screen angle of the monitor case is changed in a near direction, the restriction for the rotation of the cam unit by the engagement unit is removed, and the second gear unit, the first torsion coil spring, and the cam unit are rotated as being interlocked with one another, and when the screen angle of the monitor case is changed in a push-in direction, the restriction for the rotation of the cam unit by the engagement unit is not removed, and only the second gear unit is rotated through the first torsion coil spring. |
| US08690108B2 |
Rail vehicle
A rail vehicle has at least one vehicle antenna of a train safety system directed toward the track. To increase resistance to interference, the rail vehicle is configured such that the body of the rail vehicle and an axle arranged in the region of an end of the rail vehicle are electrically connected by way of a capacitive connection and the at least one vehicle antenna is arranged at a greater distance from the end of the rail vehicle than the axle that is electrically connected to the body. |
| US08690106B1 |
Ejector driven flow control for reducing velocity deficit profile downstream of an aerodynamic body
A system and method for reducing a velocity deficit from an aerodynamic body is disclosed. An air jet is injected into an ejector mixing chamber in the aerodynamic body. The air jet creates a suction effect in the ejector mixing chamber, which suctions boundary layer air from a perforated surface in at least one side of the aerodynamic body into a plenum chamber and into the ejector mixing chamber. The air jet ejects the boundary layer air and the air jet from a trailing edge slot of the ejector mixing chamber. Suctioning the boundary layer air and ejecting the boundary layer air and the air jet from the trailing edge slot reduces a velocity deficit on a trailing edge of the aerodynamic body. The reduced velocity deficit and the suctioning of boundary layer air reduce noise, turbulence, blade stress, and blade deformation. |
| US08690105B2 |
Parachute
A parachute can be opened automatically without requiring manual operation. In addition, the parachute is capable of staying balanced during the course of landing. The parachute comprises: a spherical canopy, an air guide member and four assistant canopies. The air guide member is a rotation symmetrical structure with respect to the central axis, each of the cylindrical members is also a rotation symmetrical structure with respect to the assistant central axis, and the assistant canopies are also symmetrically arranged with respect to the central axis, so as to maintain the parachute in a stable and balanced state when the parachute is falling. |
| US08690103B2 |
Method and apparatus for converting aircraft from commercial to military freight service
A method and apparatus for converting aircraft from civilian cargo to CRAF use includes a pallet guide attached to the cargo deck of the aircraft. The pallet guide includes a pair of L-shaped structural channel members that are arranged back-to-back and staggered longitudinally along the length of the aircraft cargo deck. The L-shaped guide members are staggered back-to-back to enable military 463 L pallets to be guided along both the port and starboard sides of the pallet guide with one row of pallets loaded transverse to the centerline and one row of pallets loaded parallel to the centerline. The pallet guide includes a third guide member comprising a substantially T-shaped body displaced laterally with respect to the L-shaped guide members. For loading and unloading standard commercial pallets, the L-shaped guide members are rotated into a retracted position below the deck height of the cargo deck. The T-shaped guide member are then be moved from a retracted position below the deck height to a deployed position to engage the edges of the commercial pallets. |
| US08690099B2 |
Aircraft and propulsion system
One embodiment of the present invention is a unique aircraft. Another embodiment is a unique propulsion system for an aircraft. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for aircraft and aircraft propulsion systems. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith. |
| US08690098B2 |
Air ejector nozzle tube for an oil heat exchanger of an aircraft engine
An ejector nozzle tube, having along its length an essentially constant, essentially oval hollow cross-section, with a leading edge nozzle, having a rounded exterior cross-section, being arranged at a flow leading-edge area of the ejector nozzle tube. The leading edge nozzle includes a plurality of grooves issuing to the top and bottom sides of the ejector nozzle tube and connecting to an interior of the ejector nozzle tube formed by the hollow profile. An aircraft engine has an optimized oil heat exchanger with at least one oil cooler disposed in a trailing-edge area of an aerofoil-type structure, with at least one flow entrance area being provided to supply ambient air to the oil cooler disposed in a flow duct. The ejector nozzle tube can be arranged downstream of the oil cooler in the flow duct. |
| US08690097B1 |
Variable-geometry rotating spiral cone engine inlet compression system and method
The present disclosure is generally directed to a system, aircraft and a method of operation of an aircraft engine including an intake portion and an exhaust portion, an engine inlet, oriented in a forward direction to the intake portion, the engine inlet defined by a peripheral cowling that directs airflow to the intake portion of the aircraft engine, and a spiral cone positioned proximate the engine inlet, the spiral cone including a variable compression surface area that directs airflow immediately in front of the engine inlet. |
| US08690096B2 |
Aircraft with dual flight regimes
The aircraft is capable of two distinct fuel-efficient flight regimes: one is a vertical flight regime supported by two large two-bladed rotors with low disc loading located on right and left longitudinal booms. The booms extend between outboard regions of a front wing and inboard regions of a rear wing that has a larger span an area than the front wing. The other flight regime is high speed up to high subsonic Mach number with the aircraft supported by wing lift with high wing loading, and with the rotors stopped and faired with minimal local drag contiguous to the booms. The longitudinal location of the aircrafts center of gravity, aerodynamic center and the center of the rotors are in close proximity. The front wing is preferably swept back, and the rear wing is preferably of W planform. |
| US08690095B2 |
Bobbin fixing apparatus
Disclosed is a bobbin fixing apparatus. The bobbin fixing apparatus includes a rotating shaft installed to a mounting plate and provided with a fixing unit partially protruding from the rotating shaft so as to be inserted into the rotating shaft, and a bobbin on or from which an object is wound or unwound, the bobbin being placed on the rotating shaft such that the fixing unit is exposed in front of the bobbin. The bobbin includes a rotating body, a plurality of bobbin members on which an object is wound, and an end coupler configured to be operated upon receiving pressure when the bobbin is placed on the rotating shaft, the end coupling serving to keep an end of the object in a fixed position on the rotating shaft during winding or to release the end of the object from the fixed position during unwinding. |
| US08690094B2 |
Film packing device
A film packing device includes an axle rod and a grasp pipe. The axle rod includes at least one engaging block protruding from one side thereof. The pipe body is fitted on the axle rod. The pipe body includes a semi-circle brake block at one end thereof close to the engaging block. The brake block is coupled with a semi-circle elastic brake member. The elastic brake member has a slide block corresponding to the engaging block. When in use, the elastic brake member cooperates with the brake block to press the axle rod, such that the axle rod stops rotating. The slide block can be pushed to engage with the engaging block to stop rotation of the axle rod, so that the user can pack an article conveniently. |
| US08690091B2 |
Roller with driven grinding roller
A roller mill includes a rotatable grinding table, at least one grinding roller retained rotatably on a pivot lever and in rolling engagement with the grinding table, the pivot lever being pivotable about a pivot lever axis, and at least one drive train connected to the grinding roller and having a fixed motor and a fixed gearing mechanism. The drive train further has a gearing mechanism which pivots with the pivot lever and/or the grinding roller. |
| US08690081B2 |
Fluid dispenser head
A fluid dispenser head including an inlet well (14), an axial assembly housing (2) in which there extends a pin (3), and a nozzle (4) assembled along an axis X in the axial assembly housing (2). The head also includes two feed ducts (15), each connecting the inlet well (14) to the axial assembly housing (2). The pin forms two swirl channels (35) connected in tangential manner to a swirl chamber (36). The nozzle is in sealing contact with the pin (3) so as to define two connection sections, each connecting a feed duct (15) to a swirl channel (35). |
| US08690079B2 |
System for failsafe controlled dispensing of liquid material
A system and method are provided for selectively containing and dispensing a predetermined liquid material in and from a source container in failsafe manner, wherein a housing is disposed to receive a pressurized fluid stream, and a selectively operable valve assembly is disposed in a flow path defined in the housing. The housing includes an inlet, an outlet, and an intermediate portion extending therebetween, which is formed with an admission port for admitting the predetermined liquid material. The valve assembly is disposed between the housing's inlet and outlet, and may be selectively operated to alternatively open and close access of the predetermined liquid material into the housing. The valve assembly is operably actuated responsive at least in part to the pressurized fluid stream in the flow path, whereby admission of the predetermined liquid material into said housing is keyed by introduction of the pressurized fluid stream into the flow path. |
| US08690076B2 |
Rotary atomizer head, rotary atomizer painting device, rotary atomization painting method
An annular dam portion is formed along a circumference of an inner peripheral face of a rotary atomizer head and has a plurality of paint supply holes formed along the circumferential direction at the boundary between the annular dam portion and the inner peripheral face. The annular dam portion is disposed between the bottom of the inner peripheral face and the tip of the inner peripheral face. The dam portion is formed such that a substantially constant distance separates the inner peripheral face from the dam portion. |
| US08690071B2 |
Transponder
A transponder comprising an antenna, such as an antenna coil, is provided for inductively coupling the transponder to a reader, transferring energy from the reader to the transponder, the electromagnetic field alternating with a carrier frequency, a rectifier having an antenna side coupled to the antenna for receiving an alternating current from the antenna and a transponder side for supplying the transponder with a direct current, and optionally a subcarrier modulator for modulating a subcarrier wave with a data signal to obtain a transmit signal. The rectifier modulates the electromagnetic field with the transmit signal so that the transmit signal is transmitted to the reader. By using a rectifier both for converting alternating current to direct current and as an analog mixer, increased range of the transponder is achieved without the need of generation and synchronization of a carrier wave. |
| US08690070B2 |
Wireless IC device component and wireless IC device
A wireless IC device includes a wireless IC chip, a coupling electrode, and a radiation plate. The coupling electrode includes coupling portions arranged to be coupled to the wireless IC chip and a pair of opposing ends. The pair of opposing ends are capacitively coupled to each other and oppose the radiation plate to be coupled to the radiation plate. The wireless IC chip uses the radiation plate as an antenna to transmit and receive signals having certain frequencies to and from an RFID system. |
| US08690064B2 |
Transaction card assembly and methods of manufacture
A transaction card assembly may be constructed and arranged for use in a transaction by an issuee of the transaction card assembly. The transaction card assembly may include a first layer including a sheet of material, a second layer including a sheet of material, and an adhesive foam material between the first and second layers that expands to fill a space between the first and second layers and to define, at least in part, a finished thickness for the transaction card assembly and bonds the first and second layers together. Indicia, such as information representing an account number, biometric data representing a feature of the issuee, etc., may be included with the assembly for use in a transaction. |
| US08690063B2 |
Apparatus for and method of electro-optically reading direct part marking indicia by image capture
An apparatus and method electro-optically read indicia, such as a direct part marking (DPM) code, that is raised or sunken relative to a target surface on a target. A solid-state, distance imaging sensor captures a target image comprised of a first set of pixels having first distance values that correspond to a first distance of the code from the sensor, and a second set of pixels having second distance values that correspond to a second distance of the target surface from the sensor. A controller reads the indicia by distinguishing between the first set of pixels and the second set of pixels within the image, by determining abrupt changes in the distance values among neighboring pixels. |
| US08690060B2 |
Electronic payment terminal
A card reader payment terminal including an electronic circuit including at least one printed circuit board, to which are connected electronic components, including a microcontroller designed to control different peripherals, where the microcontroller is connected to an associated microprocessor, where the card reader payment terminal is configured to receive a smart card comprising the associated microprocessor, where the associated microprocessor comprises a connector compatible with the standardized connector of smart cards for connection with the microcontroller, where the microcontroller and the associated microprocessor operate in parallel for executing a task, and where the associated microprocessor is adapted to calculate a security operation. |
| US08690059B1 |
System and method for a baseband nearfield magnetic stripe data transmitter
The present invention describes a system and a method for a baseband near-field magnetic stripe data transmitter (MST) device that transmits payment card data from a smart-phone, or other electronic device, into a Point of Sale (POS) transaction terminal. The MST device includes a driver and an inductor. The MST receives magnetic stripe data comprising payment card data, processes the received magnetic stripe data and emits high energy magnetic pulses comprising the processed magnetic stripe data that are then received remotely by the magnetic stripe reader of the POS. |
| US08690058B2 |
Card reader
A card reader with magnetic heads, an anterior frame, a main body frame, a control board and a sealing member formed to be annular. The main body frame has a head arrangement in which the magnetic heads are positioned, a sac-like card cage in which the rear end of the inserted card is housed, and a seal arrangement which is formed between the head arrangement and the card cage and in which the sealing member is arranged. The anterior frame has a substantially cylindrical cylinder portion formed to connect to a front face portion. A rear end side portion of the cylinder portion (crushing portion) crushes the sealing member in the radial direction from the outer circumferential side of the sealing member. The control board is arranged outside the card cage, and the inner circumferential face of the seal crushing portion is formed in a tapered shape. |
| US08690047B2 |
Container with inclined walls, stacking tabs and reinforced corners
A one-piece container formed from a single unitary blank of corrugated paperboard has a bottom wall, opposed side walls and inwardly inclined opposed end walls. Stacking tabs project upwardly from the end walls and tab locks in the bottom wall receive the stacking tabs of a subjacent container when the containers are stacked on top of one another. A reinforcing corner post extends the full height of the container in each corner. The corner posts are formed by panels extending from opposite ends of the end walls, wherein the panels include a first panel foldably joined to an end of an associated end wall and adhered to an adjacent side wall, a second panel foldably joined to the first panel and extending diagonally across the corner, and a third panel foldably joined to the second panel and adhered to an adjacent side wall. |
| US08690046B2 |
Self-mating zipper on carton
The present disclosure relates to rigid or semi-rigid cartons with zipper-type reclosable elements, particularly self-mating zippers. The cartons can be formed from blanks which have a self-mating zipper on the inside of the carton. Additionally, the zipper can be attached to a flexible film which is, in turn, attached to the package. |
| US08690042B2 |
Envelope assembly
An assembly including a front panel is separated from a back panel by a panel fold line. Side flaps are disposed at opposing edges of the front panel and are each separated from the front panel by a flap fold line. The side flaps include a front flap surface with an adhesive material and a back flap surface opposite the front flap surface. The assembly is foldable about the panel fold line to dispose the back panel adjacent the front panel and foldable about the flap fold line to dispose the back flap surface adjacent a front surface of the back panel when the back panel is folded. In a folded position, the assembly forms a pocket between the front and back panels, and is adherable by the adhesive material to a separate surface. |
| US08690033B2 |
Tank assembly for attachment to a tire carrier
A tank assembly is configured for attachment to a mount of a tire carrier of a vehicle. The tank assembly includes a hub reservoir and a flange reservoir. The hub reservoir radially surrounds a central axis and is configured for connection to, and being supported by, the mount of the tire carrier. The flange reservoir extends radially from the hub reservoir about the central axis. The hub reservoir and the flange reservoir cooperate to define a cavity which is configured for holding a volume of fluid. |
| US08690031B1 |
Backpack system
A frame assembly includes a base frame member, an upper frame member and a canopy frame member. Each of the frame members is fabricated of a rigid metallic tube in an inverted U-shaped configuration with a closed end and essentially parallel legs terminating in lower free ends. Pins pivotally couple the frame members with respect to each other adjacent to their free ends. The base frame member has a forward face with shoulder straps and a waist strap secured to the base frame member and extending forwardly for releasably coupling the base frame member to a carrier's back. A canopy sheet spans the canopy frame member and the upper frame member. A first pull cord has a fixed end secured to the canopy frame member and a second end extending forwardly of the base frame member for being pulled by the carrier to deploy the canopy frame member and the canopy sheet to an extended orientation. |
| US08690029B2 |
Backpack and waist bag carrying system
The invention provides a backpack (10) and cooperating waist bag (100) carrying system. In one embodiment the backpack has a lower or lumbar region below the bag portion of the backpack that releasably contains the receiver of the waist bag when the belt of the waist bag is secured around the bearer's waist and the backpack is worn on the bearer's back. The receiver of the waist bag can be moved without having to take off the backpack so that the receiver of the waist bag is disposed to the bearer's front and the bearer can gain access to the contents of the receiver. The bearer can then move the receiver back to the lower region of the backpack and the combination of the backpack and the waist bag then will appear to be a normal backpack with a waist belt. While moving the receiver, the waist bag remains operatively connected to the backpack. |
| US08690023B2 |
Dispenser with liquid film blocking capability
A dispenser includes a hollow containment body (2) able to be inserted in a bottle and including an orifice (5) for the suction of liquid from the bottle, a ring nut (21), able to be screwed onto the neck of the bottle, including an annular shoulder (22) covering and associated to an annular lip (2d) of the containment body. The dispenser further includes a piston (10) able to slide within the containment body between a raised position and a lowered position, a hollow stem (7) axially able to slide within the containment body, associated inferiorly to the piston and superiorly to a dispensing spout (8) to command the actuation of the piston and dispense fluid contained in the bottle. Also provided is a retaining ring (11) integral with the containment body and inserted therein to guide the stem in its travel within the containment body. |
| US08690022B2 |
Button-sliding-type opening/closing device for a cosmetic container
The present invention relates to a button-sliding-type opening/closing device for a cosmetic container consisting of a vessel for storing cosmetics in a liquid or gel state, and a discharge pump coupled to a top inner portion of the vessel for discharging cosmetics by applying external pressure thereto, wherein the button-sliding-type opening/closing device comprises: a shoulder (20) coupled to the top portion of the vessel (10); a button body (30) inserted into the shoulder (20) and upwardly and downwardly movable; and a button (40) slidably coupled to a top surface of the button body (30), for opening and closing a cosmetic pumping hole (31) in the button body (30), as well as for preventing the button body (30) from being pressed and actuated. |
| US08690021B2 |
Container liner and a method of discharging a container liner
The present invention concerns a container liner with an aerate system which reduces the specific bulk density of the powder material inside the liner and thereby improves the flowability of the product. This significantly reduces the unloading time and increases the safety in relation to the discharge process due to a lower response angle and thereby that the required tilting angle of the cargo container is reduced. |
| US08690019B2 |
Head for dispensing a liquid as a drip
A head for dispensing liquid as a drip, includes a nozzle onto which a channel for ejecting the liquid leads. Air sucked in from the outside is returned through the channel in the opposite direction. In the nozzle, on the ejection channel, the drip dispensing head of the invention includes a valve functioning as a non-return valve for the circulation of the liquid being ejected. A mobile disc of the valve is produced so as to selectively enable air to pass through the valve when the disc is bearing against the seat thereof in a position for closing the liquid ejection channel. The disc is returned to the position by negative pressure applied upstream, which tends to suck in outside air. The disc is advantageously made of a microporous material, which provides antibacterial filtering of the return air. |
| US08690018B2 |
Wall mountable dispenser and method of dispensing material
A dispenser adapted for mounting to a surface is disclosed, and includes a bracket to which a container of material to be dispensed is connected. The bracket can have at least one arm to support the container and to which the container is releasably and rotatably connected. The container can be lifted by a user and squeezed to dispense material from the container. Alternatively, the container can be pressed by a user against the bracket to dispense the material. In some embodiments, the container is provided with a cover substantially covering a front surface of the container. The cover can be coupled to the bracket via the container. |
| US08690017B2 |
Powder dispensing assembly for a waste container
A powder dispenser for a waste disposal system includes a mounting portion that is adapted to be secured to a waste disposal unit, and a container defining an interior space in which a powder such as sodium bicarbonate may be stored. The container is releasably mounted to the underside of a hinged lid member of the waste disposal unit. A directional dispensing system is provided for dispensing powder from the container into a targeted portion of the waste disposal system. The directional dispensing system is constructed and arranged to concentrate initial dispersal of the powder to a single side of the container and includes a dispensing orifice. The dispensing orifice is preferably oriented to limit initial dispersal of the powder within a defined angular range with respect to the longitudinal axis of the lid member, and is spaced axially and laterally with respect to the waste disposal unit at distances that facilitate distribution of the powder to desired targeted portions of the waste disposal unit. The container and waste disposal unit also define a venting path so that the powder within the container can also absorb odors within the waste disposal unit. |
| US08690015B2 |
Dispenser for oil and vinegar
A dispenser for oil and vinegar, the dispenser comprising: (a) an outer container defining an internal space for receiving oil and having a top rim defining an opening; (b) an inner container defining an internal space for receiving vinegar, the inner container being at least partially located within the internal space of the outer container, the inner container having a shoulder projecting outwardly and being located above the top rim of the outer container; (c) a cap having a top wall and a peripheral wall for enclosing the top rim of the outer container and the shoulder of the inner container, the top wall and peripheral wall defining an internal space; (d) a first tube having a bottom end defining a bottom opening facing the internal space of the outer container and a top end defining a top opening opened to the atmosphere, wherein the first tube defines a first passage for allowing fluid communication between the internal space of the outer container and the atmosphere; and (e) a second tube having a bottom end defining a bottom opening facing the internal space of the inner container and a top end defining a top opening opened to the atmosphere, wherein the second tube defines a second passage for allowing fluid communication between the internal space of the inner container and the atmosphere. |
| US08690012B2 |
Dispensing assembly comprising a cartridge with bag
The dispensing assembly comprises a double cartridge having two storage containers with bags placed therein, a mixer that is connectable to the cartridge, and an opening means acting upon the bag. The opening means is arranged on the mixer housing and rotatable with respect to the cartridge and in one exemplary embodiment has a cutting member with two knife-edges that are arranged essentially parallelly to and spaced apart from the longitudinal axis and provided with cutting edges. Thanks to the rotatable knife-edges, such a cutting member allows a clean and predetermined opening of the bags and a dispensing operation with minimum pressure losses and lost volumes. |
| US08690010B2 |
Method and a device for regulating pressure in a vessel containing a liquid
The method of regulating pressure in a vessel comprises the steps of feeding the vessel with gas at a given feed rate and of modulating the exhaust rate by means of a valve member placing facing an exhaust orifice and associated with a control member. |
| US08690009B2 |
Automated vacuum assisted valve priming system and methods of use
An automated system (10) and methods (11) for priming a fluid chamber (12) of a fluid dispensing valve (14) with fluid (16) from fluid material source that includes a vacuum source (46), a valve priming station (32), a vacuum switch (54), and a controller (62). The valve priming station (32) has a boot (40), a vacuum chamber (36), and a vacuum channel (42) in the boot (40). The vacuum channel (42) connects with the vacuum source (46) via the vacuum chamber (36). The boot (40) sealingly engages a valve nozzle (28) of the fluid dispensing valve (14) so that the vacuum chamber (36) connects the vacuum source (46) with the fluid chamber (12). The vacuum switch (54) couples with the vacuum channel (42) via the vacuum chamber (36) and has an opened and closed position based upon a vacuum level in the vacuum chamber (36). The controller (62) is electrically connected with the vacuum source (46) and vacuum switch (54) and controls priming of the fluid dispensing valve (14) based upon whether the vacuum switch (54) is opened or closed. |
| US08690008B2 |
Sponge sheet dispenser
A device for dispensing a sheet from a stack of sheets is disclosed. The device includes a holder for receiving a refill container including the stack of sheets. The holder includes a holder base wall and opposed holder side walls extending up from the holder base wall. The refill container includes a container base wall and opposed first and second container side walls extending up from the container base wall. A first flap extends inward from an end of the first container side wall, and a second flap extends inward from an end of the second container side wall. The first flap and the second flap are dimensioned to define a longitudinal dispensing slot of the container. At least one of the first flap and the second flap of the container can flex upward when a sheet is dispensed from the device. In one form, the sheets comprise a thin sponge material. |
| US08690007B2 |
Blow molded universal lid
A lid for industrial or commercial large size solid waste containers has a ribbed single layer central portion and a peripheral edge having a hollow double wall boxed configuration. The lids have substantial symmetry so that the lids may be stacked and nested with alternate lids oriented in opposite front-to-back directions. |
| US08690006B1 |
Tilted grooved beverage drinking container
A beverage container having a tilted groove at or near the bottom of the bowl or reservoir of the container. The groove, of substantially uniform depth and shape, encircles the entire circumference of the reservoir, and is inclined at a preselected acute angle with respect to the bottom thereof for enhancing the drinker's grip. |
| US08690000B2 |
Cryogenic tank and space launcher including such a tank
A cryogenic tank for a space launcher, comprising a partition and delimiting top and bottom volumes communicating via at least one free central opening formed in the partition, so as, on the one hand, to allow for the flow of liquid by gravity from the top volume to the bottom volume via the central opening or openings and, on the other hand, to prevent the rising of the fluid from the bottom volume to the top volume via the central opening or openings under the action of acceleration forces, the tank also comprising at least one vent forming separate from the central opening or openings and providing fluid communication between the top and bottom volumes, the vent being configured to favor the migration of vapor from the bottom volume to the top volume and to prevent the rising of liquid from the bottom volume to the top volume. |
| US08689999B2 |
Hair styling device holster
A hair styling device holster includes a bottom section, a middle section, and a top section. The bottom section includes a flat bottom surface. The middle section is coupled to the bottom section and includes walls that define an interior compartment sized and configured to receive a heated end of a hair styling device. At least a portion of one of the plurality of walls including a mesh grating. The top section is coupled to the middle section and defines at least one opening in communication with the interior compartment defined by the middle section. An insulating material is disposed on an upper interior surface of the bottom section for insulating the bottom section from a hair styling device when the hair styling device is disposed within the first opening. |
| US08689997B2 |
Container with lid
A container with a removable lid for sealing a container, wherein the container is rotationally symmetrical to an axis and has a circular bottom, the outer periphery of which is connected to a surrounding outer wall, which comprises at the top a first rim element that co-operates with a second rim element along the outer periphery of the lid. The lid comprises a circumventing U-shaped track, extending a predetermined way into the container and connects to the second rim element of the lid to an upper circular surface of the lid, wherein the said U-shaped track has an outer wall. The container has a protecting device, comprising a circumventing skirt, arranged to be placed in the U-shaped track, wherein a radial stiffening of the upper rim of the container and the lid are achieved to protect against external influence directed towards the upper rim. |
| US08689995B2 |
Child resistant, tamper evident container
Two embodiments of a molded plastic container/closure combination are described. Each can be structured to provide a child resistant opening feature and, optionally, a tamper-evident feature. In both embodiments, the closure has radially extending bayonets arranged around an outer skirt, which bayonets can be rotated into a position underlying semi-annular ribs in a beam molded integrally with the sidewall of the container. Rotation of the closure in the unlocking direction is opposed by a structure which requires depression of a release tab downwardly. In one embodiment, depression of the release tab requires that a frangible element first be fractured and removed from the container sidewall. In the second embodiment, depressing the release tab is made possible by a living hinge formed on one side of the release tab. |
| US08689994B2 |
Safety device for a fluid storage tank, related systems and methods
A safety device for a fluid storage tank having a first port for filling the tank with fuel oil and a second port for allowing airflow therethrough is disclosed. The safety device includes a tubular body having a first open end and a second open end connectable to the second port, and a flow check valve contained within the tubular body and configured to remain open when air flows through the safety device and configured to close based on a predetermined fluid force of the fuel oil through the safety device. Related systems and methods are also disclosed. |
| US08689993B2 |
System and method for holding a hazardous substance
Systems and containers for holding and transporting potentially hazardous materials are disclosed. Assembled containers may have locking mechanisms reducing the possibility of the containers being opened by persons that are not opening the container in a safe environment. Moreover, containers with releasably securable members for carrying substances such as frozen carbon dioxide, used for maintaining cold temperatures of various items are disclosed. |
| US08689992B2 |
Wood and resin deck box
The present invention relates to a storage box or container which is formed from a combination of wood and resin or plastic components. The front, back, and sides of the storage box are preferably set into a channel on a base of the container. A circumferential member is secured to the top portions of the front, back, and sides of the storage box to retain these members in alignment. A top member is hingedly secured to the circumferential member, which enables ready access into the storage box. The storage box is formed from components which are capable of being packaged and shipped in a knocked-down state and constructed into a storage box on site, thereby saving shipping space and costs. |
| US08689990B2 |
Metal cap and bottle with cap
The present invention relates to a metal cap which seals the mouth of a bottle for drinking or the like, and a bottle with the cap which is furnished therewith. |
| US08689986B2 |
Telescopic crane with self-mounting bracing device and method of mounting a bracing device
The invention relates to a system for bracing a telescopic crane, in particular a mobile crane, with a bracing unit which can be mounted on the jib. The bracing unit comprises erectable bracing supports and a holding frame for securing the bracing unit to the jib. The holding frame has a cross-section which is open at the top and allows the jib to be inserted from above the bracing unit The invention also relates to a method of positioning and mounting such a bracing unit on the jib of a telescopic crane. |
| US08689985B2 |
Filtration media for liquid filtration
Filtration media including at least one layer of nanofibers having average diameters less than 1000 nanometers with optional scrim layer(s) are disclosed for filtering particulate matter in liquid. The media achieve flow rates of at least 0.055 L/min/cm2 at relatively high levels of solidity. The media have also advantageously been found to have non-diminishing flow rates as differential pressures increase between 2 psi (14 kPa) and 15 psi (100 kPa). |
| US08689984B2 |
Mixture separation device with detached free rolling bars
A device for separating components of a mixture, particularly industrial fluids but also gases including air, allows for targeted components of the mixture to be attached onto a separating bar and removed from the mixture. The separating bars traverse a track formed within the body of the separating device and through respective tank, cleaning, free roll, and compression regions in a controlled cleaning system. The separating bars are detached from one another and allowed to move through the separating device independently of one another. The device removes the use of chains to connect cleaning bars traversing through a cleaning system. |
| US08689982B2 |
Particle separating device
The invention relates to a device (2) for separating magnetic particles comprising several substantially aligned magnets (3). Some of the magnets (3) are inversely oriented. This array reduces any magnetic interference with the collection area of an adjacent magnet. |
| US08689981B2 |
Manipulation of particles in channels
Systems and methods for the manipulation of particles within channels such as microfluidic channels are provided. In one set of embodiments, magnets are positioned around a channel. As a fluid containing magnetic and non-magnetic particles flows through the channel, the magnetic field created by the magnets can be used to transport the magnetic and/or non-magnetic particles to desired locations within the channel, which may useful in some cases for causing some separation of the particles. For example, the magnetic field may be used to transport magnetic or non-magnetic particles from a core fluid to a surrounding sheath fluid. In some cases, the magnetic field is used to transport non-magnetic particles to a small volume within the channel (e.g., a single-file row within the channel). The systems and methods described herein may find application in a variety of fields including, for example, continuous sorting of cells, removal of targeted cells from a stream of blood, or the arrangement of non-magnetic particles in channels for analysis. |
| US08689979B2 |
Cutlery tray assembly
A cutlery tray assembly having a first tray and a cover. The first tray has a plurality of partitions defining a plurality of compartments for holding cutlery. The cover has a first cover section hingedly attached to one end of the first tray, and a second cover section attached to the first cover section by a living or piano hinge. At least one side tab is positioned on the first cover section and is adapted to releasably attach to a respective point on the tray to hold the first cover section in a closed position. At least one other tab is positioned on the second cover section and is adapted to releasably attach to a respective point on the tray to keep the second cover section in a closed position independent of the at least one side tab. Furthermore, a second tray may be hingedly attached to the bottom of the first tray for holding household items. |
| US08689978B2 |
Hinged container holder for medication cards
There is shown in three embodiments a pill blister pack container for holding a pill blister pack. The container having a first portion highedly attached to a second portion. The first portion being sized to fit within the second portion when the container is closed. Both the first and second portions have defined side walls and a front wall. In addition, the first portion includes flanges in the side walls that engage apertures in the second portion to lock the two portions. Furthermore, at least one support post extends between the two portions. |
| US08689973B2 |
Garment bag systems
The present invention includes methods and apparatus in which a reusable bag is provided for the collection and return of soiled garments, laundry and/or other clothing items. The bag may be provided in the form of a hamper that is open at the top, with one or more hooks that allow the bag to be hung from a clothing rod, and is provided with engagement devices that allow the bag to be folded up when not in use, and then unfolded to various levels for containment and protection of clean items that have been hung on standard hangers. In some embodiments, garment protection flaps are provided inside the bag. |
| US08689965B2 |
System for rotating a number of packages
A conveyor belt system is provided for enabling rotation of a number of packages, such that every second package is rotated clockwise, and every other package is rotated counter clockwise. A computer program product is also provided. |
| US08689963B2 |
Customer-operated ordering kiosk having modular hardware configuration including overlay and inlay plates
A system and method for integrating devices and equipment into self-service kiosk devices is disclosed. Hardware configuration kits are provided which allow for a less complicated implementation of specific and customized functionality for quick service restaurant (QSR) environments. In certain embodiments a kiosk door is coupled to the kiosk body to form a kiosk cabinet in which devices and equipment used to operate the kiosk are housed. Certain interior kiosk components and devices, such as coin dispensers, bill acceptors, and the like, may be configured to extend or protrude through the kiosk door so that they may be accessed by the customer. The kiosk door may have a hollowed out center or aperture which allows access to the interior cabinet. The aperture may be substantially covered by a removable door inlay which cooperatively includes cutouts corresponding to the components protruding through the door. A removable door overlay may also be provided which attaches to an outer surface of the kiosk door and may also include cutouts which correspond to the protruding components. |
| US08689960B2 |
Torque limiter
A torque limiter in which an area of a region where an area of a region where an inner face of a circumferentially extending chamber intersects an oil pressure expanding chamber in an extended plane extended toward the oil pressure expanding chamber is larger than a sectional area of an opening of the oil removing hole which is opened to the circumferentially extending chamber. |
| US08689959B2 |
Clutch assembly for hybrid transmission
A fully contained, drop-in clutch assembly, which includes a clutch cover which has slots, a moveable pressure plate with radially outwardly directed tabs that engages the slots of the clutch allowing axial movement, a fixed pressure plate which is fastened to the clutch cover by fastening elements, a clutch disc disposed between the movable pressure plate and the fixed pressure plate, and a diaphragm spring. By fastening the fixed pressure plate to the clutch cover, the clutch assembly is fully contained, allowing easy assembly to transmission housing and a flexplate. |
| US08689954B2 |
Vehicle suspension system
A vehicle suspension system that inhibits a pressure within a gas chamber from reducing below a threshold value. In one arrangement, the suspension system includes a shock absorber associated with a motorcycle. The shock absorber includes an upper gas chamber that is filled with air. An air pressure adjustment valve operates to supply air into the upper gas chamber from a supply of air outside of the shock absorber when the air pressure in the upper gas chamber becomes smaller than a lower threshold value. |
| US08689948B2 |
Machine tool having a brake system
A machine tool having an emergency braking system for abruptly braking a rotating shaft of the machine tool to protect a user of the machine tool, the emergency braking system having a brake drum that can be forced into engagement with the at least one brake shoe to brake the shaft. The brake drum and the at least one brake shoe are designed and configured in a way that allows the braking engagement therebetween to take place under the influence of a centrifugal force or centrifugal acceleration resulting from the rotation of a shaft. |
| US08689946B2 |
Device for blocking the output shaft of the engine of an automobile
A system for blocking an output shaft of the engine of an automobile, of a type that includes a toothed wheel coaxially mounted on the shaft, and a first finger mobile between a shaft releasing position and a shaft blocking position in which the first finger is engaged in a gap formed between two teeth of the wheel. The system includes an alignment mechanism capable of aligning a gap between two teeth of the wheel and the first mobile finger, and the first mobile finger is configured to be inserted into the gap without any substantial circumferential clearance. |
| US08689945B2 |
Device for preventing travel of an elevator with its doors open
An exemplary device for preventing travel of an elevator car when a car door is open includes a receiver that remains in a fixed position relative to a hoistway wall. A stop member moves responsive to the car door moving toward an open position such that the stop member engages the receiver to prevent movement of the elevator car when the door is open. |
| US08689941B2 |
Lubricating apparatus and methods for lubricating vehicle panel assemblies for vehicle installation
A lubricating apparatus for lubricating a panel assembly prior to vehicle installation includes a lubricating jig assembly. The lubricating jig assembly includes a front guard wall and a rear guard wall connected to the front guard wall defining a panel receiving volume therebetween. At least one nozzle opening is located in the receiving volume. A pump is fluidly connected to the at least one nozzle opening for delivering a lubricant fluid thereto. A lubricant reservoir is in fluid communication with the receiving volume. |
| US08689939B2 |
Step apparatus for heavy construction equipment and tree harvester having leveling system
A step apparatus for heavy construction equipment and tree harvester having a leveling system for controlling a horizontal level of a cab and an upper frame is provided, which includes a step protector including a main body fixedly installed on one side of an upper frame, a step guide hole opened from an inside of the main body to an outside, a guide rail formed along a length direction of an inner side wall of the main body, and an insert hole formed on one side of the guide rail and open toward a vertically upward direction of the guide rail; a side step including a plurality of foot steps arranged at specified intervals on a step frame to form stairs, a step drawer formed on an upper part of the step frame and seated in the step guide hole, and a guide pin positioned adjacent to the step drawer and projected toward the side wall of the main body, wherein when the guide pin is slid along the guide rail, the step frame is seated in the main body or is drawn out from the inside of the main body; and a folding actuator including a cylinder rod coupled to the step drawer to be extended and contracted, the folding actuator drawing the step drawer to the inside of the main body of the step protector. |
| US08689937B2 |
Cargo lifting device for a ladder
A cargo lifting apparatus for use with a ladder includes a lift track coupled to each ladder side rail. Each lift track includes first and second adjacent channels, the first channel defining a longitudinal slot. The apparatus includes a carrier assembly having a back portion, a pair of support members extending perpendicularly and forwardly from the back portion, opposed mounting members configured to be received in a respective first channel slot, and rollers attached to the back portion configured to bear against respective ladder side rails. A motor/brake combination is coupled to a lower rung of the ladder. A pulley assembly includes a lower sprocket operatively coupled to the motor, an upper sprocket, and a cord extending between the sprockets and coupled to the carrier assembly for selectively raising and lowering the carrier assembly when the motor is activated or deactivated. |
| US08689934B2 |
Sound absorbing structure
A sound absorbing structure includes multiple sound absorbers. The sound absorbers are assembled together into a sound absorbing member. The sound absorbing member absorbs sound emitted from a sound source. Each of the sound absorbers is shaped like a hollow tube. Each of the sound absorbers has a hole extending in its axis direction. |
| US08689933B2 |
Helmholtz resonator for a gas turbine combustion chamber
A resonator is provided, having an adaptable resonator frequency for absorbing sound generated by a gas stream of a gas turbine. The resonator includes a neck section, a chamber and a deformable element being deformable under influence of a change of a gas turbine temperature of the gas stream. The shape of the deformable element is predetermined with respect to a respective gas turbine temperature. The neck section and the chamber form a volume of the resonator. The neck section forms a passage coupling the volume with the gas turbine. The deformable element is thermally coupled to the gas turbine in such a way that the shape of the deformable element depends on the respective gas turbine temperature. The deformable element forms a spiral and is installed to the neck section in such a way that an effective diameter of the neck section depends on the gas turbine temperature. |
| US08689929B2 |
Excitation device and method for downhole seismic testing using the same
An excitation device for downhole seismic testing, includes an excitation hammer, a holding arm connected at one end thereof to the excitation hammer to allow the excitation hammer to rotate about the other end thereof, a support post having the other end of the holding arm rotatably coupled to an upper end thereof to support the excitation hammer and the holding arm at a certain height, and an excitation source configured to allow the support post to stand upright on the upper side thereof and which generates a seismic wave when struck by the rotated excitation hammer. The support post is formed at a lower end thereof with a securing section detachably inserted into a groove for the support post formed on the upper side of the excitation source such that the support post, the holding arm, the excitation hammer and the excitation source can be separated from each other. |
| US08689911B2 |
Cutter and cutting tool incorporating the same
A cutter for a downhole cutting tool is disclosed. The cutter includes a cutter body having a cutting face, a peripheral sidewall flank, and a base. The base has a recessed channel that extends inwardly from the peripheral sidewall flank and provides an inlet opening therein. A downhole cutting tool employing the cutter is also disclosed. The cutting tool includes a tool body having a cutter face. The tool also includes a cutter body having a cutting face, a peripheral sidewall flank, and a base, the base having a recessed channel that extends inwardly from the peripheral sidewall flank and provides an inlet opening therein. The tool also includes a braze joint between the base and the bonding surface. |
| US08689910B2 |
Impregnation bit with improved cutting structure and blade geometry
A rotary drag bit for drilling subterranean formations includes a bit body having a face extending from a centerline to a gage. A plurality of blades may be disposed on the face, and may generally extend radially outwardly toward the gage. The bit may further include a plurality of discrete impregnated cutting posts, each of which may extend outwardly from an associated blade. Each discrete impregnated cutting post angles generally toward a front edge of the associated blade and generally toward the intended direction of rotation of the bit. The rotary drag bit may further include a plurality of matrix pockets disposed on the blades. The discrete impregnated cutting posts may be housed within corresponding matrix pockets. |
| US08689908B2 |
Drill bit having enhanced stabilization features and method of use thereof
A drill bit for drilling a borehole in earthen formations comprising a bit body having a bit axis and a bit face. In addition, the drill bit comprises a primary blade extending radially along the bit face, the primary blade including a cutter-supporting surface that defines a blade profile in rotated profile view extending from the bit axis to an outer radius of the bit body. The blade profile is continuously contoured and includes a plurality of concave regions. Further, the drill bit comprises a plurality of cutter elements mounted to the cutter-supporting surface of the primary blade. Each cutter element on the primary blade has a forward-facing cutting face with a cutting edge adapted to penetrate and shear the earthen formation. |
| US08689902B2 |
Method and equipment for displaying drill holes and method for directing drill rod when holes are drilled into rock
A method and equipment for displaying holes to be drilled when drilling holes into rock with a rock-drilling rig having control equipment and a display belonging thereto and measuring means for defining the direction and position of a drill rod, by using a pre-designed drilling plan defined in a three-dimensional coordinate system, in which a starting point (19a to 21a) and end point (19b to 21b) is defined for each hole to be drilled. A base plane running through the end point (19b to 21b) of the hole and parallel to the projection plane is defined for each hole (19 to 21), and a projection of the intersection of a hole or its extension created when drilling in accordance with the current location of the drill rod and the defined base plane is displayed with a graphical location symbol on the projection plane. |
| US08689893B2 |
Check valve
The present invention provides a check valve comprising a valve housing (1,2), a substantially circular flapper (3), a valve seat (16) for the flapper (3), an expandable chamber (11) in fluid contact with a connecting port (8) for hydraulics fluid, and a piston (4) having a first and a second end, the flapper comprises a first (19) and a second (18) connection point and is pivotably connected at the first connection point (19), said flapper is capable of pivoting between a closed position in close contact with the valve seat (16) and an open position which allows fluid to flow through the valve, the piston (4) is in contact with the expandable chamber (11) and a pre-stressed compressible device (15), said piston (4) pivotably connected at the first end to the flapper (3) via the second connection point and that the second connection point (18) is situated closer to the center of the circular part of the flapper than the first connection point (19). |
| US08689891B2 |
Ball and dart launcher with parallel axis release
A universal dart launcher launches a dart by moving a dart from a first position to a second position. The universal dart launcher has a launcher body defining a central bore having an axis and lower and upper ends configured to attach to a string of pipe. A cartridge housed within the launcher body may move perpendicular to the axis from a first position to a second position. A drop member is positioned within the cartridge so that it will not be in axial alignment with the central bore while in the first position, and will be in axial alignment with the central bore while in the second position. An actuator assembly couples to the launcher body to move the cartridge from the first position to the second position when actuated. |
| US08689886B2 |
Gate valve seat and seat ring
A gate valve has a body, the body having a cavity and a flow passage intersecting the cavity. A seat is mounted to the body at the intersection of the flow passage and the cavity. A gate is installed at the cavity and has an engaging face that slidingly engages the seat while the gate is being moved between open and closed positions. The end faces between a seat pocket and the seat are hard-coated and smooth-finished to provide sealing when mated. The hardcoated pocket and seat sealing surfaces extend the life of the valve by eliminating the need for an elastomeric seal of limited life. |
| US08689884B2 |
Mud pulse telemetry system
A mud pulser tool to be positioned into a downhole environment is disclosed. The mud pulser tool includes a control valve that is selectively opened to allow fluid to flow through the mud pulser tool or selectively closed to restrict the fluid flow, wherein the control valve is selectively opened or closed to produce a mud pulse signal transmitted through the fluid. The mud pulser tool also includes a sensor system to measure a pressure drop across the control valve. In one example, the mud pulser tool includes a control system to selectively open or close the control valve to adjust the pressure drop to produce a selected pressure drop across the control valve. |
| US08689883B2 |
Adjustable venturi valve
A gas-handling valve for use in the application where adjustable maximum critical flow rate is required. The valve is a venturi valve and has an annular flow path formed between a housing and a plug. The plug and housing are movable relative to each other to form at least two different throat dimensions in the valve. In one aspect, the throat diversion of the valve is self adjusting. In another aspect, the valve is usable in a gas lift or steam injection well. |
| US08689882B2 |
Flexible hang-off arrangement for a catenary riser
Flexible hang-off arrangement is provided for a catenary riser suspended from an offshore or inshore platform, which includes floating or fixed platforms, vessels or/and buoys. The bending loads in the top segments of the said riser are reduced by incorporating a pivot at the riser hang-off. Pressure containing welded, bolted, rolled or swaged pipe spools transfer fluids, including hydrocarbons between the riser and the platform. Along significant spool lengths the tangents to the center lines of said spools are orthogonal to and offset from the tangent to the center line of the riser at the hang-off. The said pressure containing spools include arbitrary looped, spiral and helicoidal designs that are subject to torsion. |
| US08689880B2 |
Multipart sliding joint for floating rig
A system for interconnecting a floating rig and a riser assembly includes a rotating control device permitting pressurization of the riser assembly; and a sliding joint connected to the rotating control device, the sliding joint being longitudinally extendable and compressible while the riser assembly is pressurized. Another system includes a sliding joint including more than two telescoping sleeves, and the sliding joint being longitudinally extendable and compressible while the riser assembly is pressurized at the surface. An apparatus includes a sliding joint with multiple sets of telescoping sleeves, each set including at least two of the sleeves. Another apparatus includes a sliding joint with multiple radially overlapping seal assemblies. |
| US08689879B2 |
Fluid displacement methods and apparatus for hydrocarbons in subsea production tubing
The method for subsea well intervention includes creating a lubricator section within the production tubing of the well. The lubricator section can then be flushed of hydrocarbons facilitating further well intervention from the open water. An intervention device that facilitates flushing production tubing that has equipment, such as electric submersible pumps, is deployed in the wellhead, for example in the valve tree. |
| US08689877B2 |
Downhole tool
A cleaning tool (1) for use in cleaning ferrous material from a wellbore has a magnetic cleaning element (14) mounted to a tool body (2) within a slot (5) using a releasable concealed interference fit fastener assembly (15) comprising a fastener member having a head (16), and a shank (17) with a configured end (18) and a deformable fastener ring (20) adapted to fit closely over the shank, and a press-fit collar (21) adapted to deform the deformable fastener ring upon the configured end of the shank when assembled, and wherein the respective head and collar are each flanged to permit an interference fit with a corresponding contact surface of the tool body around said slot. |
| US08689870B2 |
Use of methylhydroxyethyl cellulose as cement additive
Methylhydroxyethyl cellulose may be used as an additive in cement slurries in the treatment of wells to prevent or reduce the occurrence of gas channeling. In addition to acting as a gas control additive, methylhydroxyethyl cellulose controls fluid loss, minimizes free fluid and stabilizes foam during cementing of the well. |
| US08689868B2 |
Tractor communication/control and select fire perforating switch simulations
Apparatus and methods for controlling and communicating with one or more tools in a downhole tool string including a tractor, an auxiliary tractor tool, a logging tool, a safety sub, a release mechanism, a unit containing sensors for monitoring downhole conditions, a setting tool, and a perforating gun. Control and communication are accomplished by sending signals from the surface to control switches in the control units on the tool, with redundant switches for safety, to state machines in the respective control units, each state machine returning a signal verifying switch status to the surface. The state machine need not return a signal including a unique identifier. |
| US08689867B2 |
Method and apparatus for pipe-conveyed well logging
A well logging instrument deployment device according to this aspect of the invention includes a housing configured to be coupled to a pipe string. A latch disposed in the housing and is configured to retain a well logging instrument in a first longitudinal position inside the pipe string. An actuator is configured to release the latch to enable longitudinal movement of the well logging instrument inside the pipe string. A signal detector is operatively coupled to the actuator and is the configured to detect a command signal for operating the actuator. |
| US08689866B2 |
Automated systems and methods for make-up and break-out of tubulars
An automated tubular handling system adapted to make-up or break-out tubulars that includes a rotary drive adapted to operatively grip a tubular to be connected to or disconnected from a tubular string, a controller adapted to receive and process data indicative of a rotation, torque, and minimum time value associated with a make-up or a break-out of the tubular string, and a user interface adapted to convey the received data, the predetermined values, or both, of the tubular make-up or break-out to an operator. The controller compares the rotation, torque, and minimum time values to acceptable predetermined values to determine when the make-up or the break-out is complete. Automated methods are also disclosed. |
| US08689864B2 |
Activation device
A device for activating a downhole tool is described. The device comprises a first elongate member defining a toothed surface portion, a second elongate member defining a toothed surface portion and at least one pinion arrangement The/each pinion arrangement engages the toothed surface portions of the first and second members such that movement of one member in a first direction results in movement of the other member in a second direction, opposite the first direction. |
| US08689860B2 |
Vehicular air conditioning apparatus
In a vehicular air conditioning apparatus, a first blower unit is connected by a connection duct to a side of a casing constituted by respective air passages. On a lower portion of the casing, a second blower unit different from the first blower unit is connected. A center plate is disposed centrally in a lateral direction of the casing. Air is supplied from the first blower unit to the interior of the casing, whereby cool air cooled by an evaporator and warm air heated by a heater core are mixed together and blown respectively and separately to a driver's seat side and a passenger seat side of the front seats. Also, Air supplied from the second blower unit to the interior of the casing, after being adjusted to a predetermined temperature in the evaporator and the heater core, is supplied to a rear seat side of the vehicle. |
| US08689854B2 |
Decomposition conduit fabrication method
A method of fabricating a decomposition conduit with an in-line static mixer, the method including molding a decomposition conduit housing around a sand core by inserting molding material into a cavity between a decomposition conduit housing mold and the sand core, where the sand core includes a static mixer and, where the act of molding the decomposition conduit housing is operative to mount the static mixer to the molded decomposition conduit housing. |
| US08689850B2 |
Pedestal mounted ultrasonic welding device
The sonotrode and anvil of co-pending application Ser. No. 12/925,652, for advanced ultrasonic welding of work pieces, are readily incorporated into new form-fill-seal machines, but existing machines with heat-seal stations pose difficult problems for swapping of the sealing packages. Kits enabling heat station replacement, with the further improved sonotrode and anvil disclosed herein, comprise: a housing; a linear rail fixed thereto; anvil and sonotrode support members; and a parallel gripper. Each of the anvil and sonotrode support members is slidably attached to the rail(s) and are also connected to a respective piston of the gripper, permitting actuation of each through cycling of the gripper pistons. The improved sonotrode/anvil combination each comprise a corresponding plurality of energy directors arranged into a three-dimensional grid pattern to produce a narrower weld region, but one exhibiting greater durability, thereby permitting use of less packaging material, and which may also weld a company logo into the workpieces. |
| US08689844B2 |
Tire with crown comprising a layer of very high modulus rubber mix
A tire includes two beads configured to come into contact with a mounting rim and two sidewalls extending the beads radially to the outside, the two sidewalls being joined together in a crown. A crown reinforcement extends axially between two axial ends and is surmounted by a tread. The crown includes, radially on the inside of the tread and radially on the outside of a carcass reinforcement, at least one first layer of rubber mix having a modulus of elasticity which is greater than or equal to 50 MPa, this first layer extending from the median plane of the tire axially to the outside, on both sides of the median plane, only as far as an axial distance from the median plane which is less than the axial distance of the axial end of the crown reinforcement from the median plane. |
| US08689843B2 |
Snow performance peaks
A tire is disclosed having a tread extending from a first tread edge to a second tread edge and having a plurality of blocks defining a plurality of lateral grooves. The lateral grooves have a groove bottom defining a radial groove depth. A first biting side extends outwardly from the groove bottom to a first biting edge, and a first non-biting side extending outwardly from the groove bottom to a first non-biting edge. At least one peak is disposed in at least one of the lateral grooves. The peak extends outwardly from the groove bottom and terminates radially at an outer end and axially at a distance from the equatorial plane less than or equal to one half of the tread width. The peak has a height between 25 percent and 75 percent of the depth of its lateral groove. Multiple peaks may be disposed within a groove. |
| US08689840B2 |
Fragmentation of agglomerated fine solids
Agglomerated fine solids, e.g., agglomerated pellets (2B), that are located within a restricted space or pinch point of a conveyance system (1), and that impede the free-flow of fine solids from one vessel (4) to another vessel (10), are detected and fragmented through the coordinated use of a flow detector (12), breaker plate (8) and press (6). The flow detector (12) senses an interruption or diminishment in the flow of the fine solids and signals and actuates the press (6) which in turn engages and fragments the agglomeration. The breaker plate (8) is sized and configured to trap major agglomerates. |
| US08689839B2 |
Apparatus for receiving insulation
A conduit for facilitating the installation of insulation is disclosed. In one embodiment, the conduit comprises a body having one or more ribs and a collar having a forward end taper. In another embodiment, two or more pieces of conduit are joined to form a conduit network, with at least one piece of conduit comprising a body having one or more ribs and a collar having a forward end taper. |
| US08689838B2 |
High temperature fire sleeve
A flexible hose for conveying fluids and suitable for high temperature environments, the hose comprising a core tube, a thermal insulating layer surrounding the core tube, a metal layer surrounding the thermal insulating layer, and a vented jacket surrounding the cover layer. The thermal insulating layer may be a fibrous material such as a silica fiber. The metal layer may also be a chemical resistant layer and be thermally stable up to at least about 550° F. The vented jacket may be a wire braid having interstices therein and formed from a corrosion resistant material. |
| US08689837B1 |
Low profile downspout extension and landscape drainage assembly
A downspout extension has a low-profile to direct rainwater away from a building. A transition adapter can be used to transition from a generally circular or square cross-section of a downspout to a low-profile cross-section of a corrugated duct of the extension. The extension can include internal supports to withstand being stepped on and can have a generally rectangular or trapezoidal cross-section with a longer width than height. The corrugated duct can also be comprised of integrated accordion corrugation sections and transverse non-collapsible ribs to give the corrugated duct extension greater flexibility. The extension can be connected to a downspout using a flexible elbow duct, a downspout connector, and a downspout adapter. The transition adapter of the extension can also be connected directly to a downspout. |
| US08689836B2 |
Marking system for a flexible hose
Apparatus and method for attaching an encapsulated marker to a flexible hose, such as a hose or cable. The method involves providing a flexible hose (100) having a rubber or plastic outer cover (202) positioned over an inner layer (203, 204). An annular segment of the outer cover is separated and removed to form an annular groove in the outer cover. A marker (101) is then positioned over the inner layer (203, 204) within the groove and a transparent encapsulating component (201) applied over the marker. A containment means (200) is then overlaid on the encapsulating component and overlaps onto a region of the outer cover either side of the groove. The cover assembly is then heated at elevated temperature. After cooling, the containment means (200) is removed. The encapsulated marker assembly is therefore provided which is chemically bonded or fused to the outer cover (202) of the flexible hose and is aligned flush with the external surface of the flexible hose. |
| US08689827B2 |
Fuel supply apparatus
A support shaft connects between a flange and a pump unit. An intermediate member, which connects between the support shaft and pump unit, enables a relative positional change between the support shaft and the pump unit in an axial direction of the support shaft. The intermediate member limits a relative positional change between the support shaft and the pump unit in a circumferential direction of the support shaft. A resilient member is received in the support shaft and exerts a restoring force in an axial direction of the support shaft to urge the pump unit, which is movable relative to the support shaft in the axial direction, toward a bottom portion of the fuel tank. |
| US08689826B2 |
Valve control hand wheel with position indicator and magnetic couple feature
A hermetically-sealed valve position indicator is provided with a valve control handwheel. Indicator includes a magnetic-coupling with a stationary mount for the valve control handwheel. During operation of valve control handwheel, its handwheel and shaft rotate along with a housing, housing cover, housing window, primary shaft, and drive gear about the actuator's central axis of rotation—clockwise or counterclockwise. Drive gear engages with drive train to rotate a needle across a dial face to indicate the position of a valve. Drive train includes two gears rotatably attached to a secondary shaft and an indicator gear attached to a back end of sleeve slid over a front portion of primary shaft. The needle is disposed on the front end of sleeve with the dial face positioned between the indicator gear and the needle. |
| US08689820B2 |
Pneumatic system for residential use
The present invention relates to a Pneumatic System that can be employed within the residential environment. The system includes both a section mode and a pressure mode. Both of these modes, in turn, have both a low and a high pressure range. A variety of applications are disclosed for use in conjunction with the various modes of the system. These various applications are described in greater detail hereinafter. |
| US08689817B2 |
Welded diaphragm valve
A diaphragm valve including a valve body, a diaphragm assembly and an actuator assembly having a housing body that isolates the actuator from the ambient atmosphere. The diaphragm assembly is welded to the valve body to reduce and/or eliminate fluid leakage around the diaphragm assembly. Additionally or alternatively, the housing body for the actuator assembly may be welded to the valve body to reduce fluid leakage. The welding may be performed using ultrasonic welding techniques. |
| US08689816B2 |
Fuel tank vent valve assembly and method of assembly
A vent valve assembly includes a first housing component, a second housing component, and a third housing component, as well as a first valve and a second valve. The first, second, and third housing components are configured to assemble together along one directional axis with the second housing component, the first valve and the second valve between the first and third housing components and with the second valve laterally-spaced from the first valve. The assembled first, second, and third housing components define a nonlinear vapor flow path that redirects vapor from the first valve to the second valve, thereby reducing an overall height of the vent valve assembly. |
| US08689812B2 |
Methods and loadport for purging a substrate carrier
In a first aspect, a substrate carrier is provided that includes an enclosure adapted to be sealable and to house at least one substrate. The substrate carrier includes a first port leading into the enclosure and adapted to allow a flow of gas into the enclosure while the substrate carrier is closed. Numerous other aspects are provided. |
| US08689810B2 |
Dust extractor, in the context of the transfer of powdery products, installation, dust extraction method, transfer method, and sterilization method using said device
A device installation and methods for extracting dust during the transfer of pulverulent products from a first container to a second container, the combination of the first container and of the second container forming, with the dust extraction device, a closed containment volume with connection between the two containers. A hollow connector with a side wall between its two ends defines an external wall and an internal wall so that the connector is pierced with several inlet pipes connected to hoses fed with a stream of pressurized fluid and also pierced with at least one fluid discharge pipe. The pipes projecting from said external wall of the connectors and opening onto the internal wall via orifices allows fluid to be introduced, the orifices being oriented relative to one another in such a way as to cause the fluid to flow in a cyclone within the connector, carrying with it any pulverulent product that remains on the internal wall and/or upstream and/or downstream of said connector. |
| US08689804B2 |
Article including identification information for use in an electrically heated smoking system
A smoking article includes identification information encoded on the smoking article. The smoking article can be used with an electrically heated smoking system having a detector for detecting the smoking article and distinguishing the smoking article from other articles based on the identification information. A cleaning article includes identification information encoded on the cleaning article. The cleaning article cleans an electrically heated smoking system having a detector for detecting the cleaning article and distinguishing the cleaning article from other articles based on the identification information. An electrically heated smoking system for receiving an article configured for use with the smoking system includes: a cavity for receiving the article having identification information encoded thereon, a heating element, a power supply, electrical hardware, and a detector capable of detecting the presence of the article in the cavity and distinguishing the article from other articles based on the identification information. |
| US08689802B2 |
Combination smoking and drinking apparatus
The combination smoking and drinking apparatus includes a generally upright consumable liquid retaining container with an elongated conduit formed therebetween. An inlet is coupled to one end of the conduit and has a combustion compartment therein. Additionally, an outlet is coupled to an opposite end of the conduit such that applying a vacuum to the outlet pressurizes the conduit and draws smoke from the combustion compartment directly through the conduit to the outlet without mixing the smoke with the consumable liquid in the container. |
| US08689800B2 |
Magnetic navigation control apparatus
A magnetic navigation control apparatus includes a sensing unit, a control unit and a magnetic field generating unit. The sensing unit generates a sensing signal according to the position of a magnetic element. The control unit is electrically connected with the sensing unit and generates a first control signal and a second control signal according to the sensing signal. The magnetic field generating unit is electrically connected with the control unit and has a housing, a plurality of interpoles, and a plurality of short poles. The interpoles are disposed in the housing. The short poles are disposed between the interpoles evenly. The magnetic field generating unit generates a navigation signal according to the first control signal, thereby controlling the magnetic element to move in at least one direction within a target region. The magnetic navigation control apparatus has greater magnetic navigation effects, and can thus reduce the cost. |
| US08689798B2 |
Protective medical device cushion and method for use thereof
A protective cushion for preventing a medical device from damaging the skin of a patient and a method for using the cushion. The cushion includes a bottom portion made of soft material and configured for resting against the patient's body and separating the medical device from the patient's body; and a top portion configured for receiving the medical device. The soft material can be resistant to bacterial growth. The bottom portion can have a concave curvature to fit against the patient's body. The top portion can include an opening shaped for receiving the medical device. The opening can separate the top portion into first and second side portions. The top portion can include a fastening system for securing the medical device in the protective cushion. The fastening system can include a tab or the opening shape. The cushion can include a cover for covering the opening in the top portion. |
| US08689797B2 |
Mouthguard formed of propylene/alpha-olefin polymer elastomer
A self-customizable dental appliance adapted to lie within the mouth of a person including occlusal pads with a connecting arch or a u-shaped style base with upstanding labial and lingual walls. The appliance is formed of a semi-crystalline polyolefin polymer or crystallizable blend. In one embodiment, the appliance is formed of elastomeric propylene-ethylene polypropylene, optionally including high density polypropylene. An optional occlusal lifting pad can be used in the self-customizable dental appliance. |
| US08689794B2 |
Dental shield device
A dental shield for use during intubation to protect teeth, including a plurality of tooth segments, each segment having a male connector and a female connector located on opposite sides for the purpose of attaching each segment to an adjacent segment, and each segment formed from a rigid material defining a tooth-shaped channel containing a deformable material bound to the tooth surface such that a number of tooth segments are assemblable into the dental shield device. |
| US08689793B2 |
Method and apparatus for restraining a patient's leg during leg surgical and interventional procedures
An improved method and apparatus for restraining a patient's leg during knee surgery or similar procedure features and improved restraining member that is attachable to an operating room table. The restraining member has a lower concave portion that engages the upper portion and sides of the patient's leg. The restraining member has an upper convex portion that is reinforced with a plurality of ridges. The concave portion can be fitted with an inflatable bladder. The concave portion in other embodiments is fitted with a belt arrangement that enables different degrees of constriction to be imparted to the leg. |
| US08689782B2 |
Simmer plate attached to burner
A gas burner includes a burner body and a simmer plate assembly. The burner body includes a central cavity in which at least one flame is provided. The simmer plate assembly includes a plate portion and a base portion configured to support the plate portion. The assembly is configured to be at least partially and removably inserted into the central cavity. The plate portion is configured to act as a barrier between the at least one flame and a heated object placed above the gas burner. |
| US08689778B1 |
Masonry cutting device
The masonry cutting device generally includes a portable, lightweight frame having an integral upper cutting edge and a center space, a lifting device supported by the frame within the center space and below the upper cutting edge, wherein the lifting device moves a lower cutting edge towards the upper cutting edge for cutting a masonry item between thereof. The lower cutting edge is attached to a guide member which includes slotted ends for travelling along the frame to keep the lower cutting edge in alignment with the upper cutting edge. The lifting device is generally comprised of a shortened, hydraulic jack having a release member, manually-operable handle, and optional spacer. Also included are bias members for exerting a downward force upon the guide member and a catch tray generally comprised of a wired grid that is removable upon the frame and used to catch the cut masonry items. |
| US08689773B2 |
Toy projectile launcher
A toy projectile launching system that launches a toy projectile. The launcher has a handle. The handle is offset between two supports. A first arm element is coupled to the first support. A first elastic loop is anchored to the first arm element. The first elastic loop has a looped section that extends into an open area. A second arm element is coupled to the second support. A second elastic loop is anchored to the second arm element. The second elastic loop has a looped section that extends into the open area. The looped sections of the first elastic loop and the second elastic loop are spaced to receive and engage opposing hook elements on the toy projectile when the toy projectile is manually drawn through the open area. |
| US08689772B2 |
Fuel injector with telescoping armature overtravel feature
A common rail fuel injector includes a fuel inlet, a set of nozzle outlets, a drain outlet, a nozzle chamber and a needle control chamber. A needle control valve includes a ceramic control valve member movable between a closed position in contact with a flat valve seat to block the needle control chamber from the drain outlet, and an open position at which the needle control chamber is fluidly connected to the drain outlet. A solenoid actuator is mounted in the injector body and includes an armature movable between an overtravel position and an energized position, but the armature has a stable un-energized position between the overtravel position and the energized position. A needle valve member is positioned in the injector body and includes an opening hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in the nozzle chamber, and a closing hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in the needle control chamber. Armature overtravel is facilitated by a telescoping armature pin that includes a stem affixed to the armature and telescopically received in a pusher in contact with the ceramic control valve member. |
| US08689771B2 |
Shape memory alloy-based device for controlling or monitoring pressure in a system
A device is provided that may be adapted to control or monitor the pressure level of a fluid system. The device includes a member composed of a shape memory alloy in a superelastic state. The member is configured to undergo a phase change from a high modulus Austenitic phase to a low modulus Martensitic phase and stretch in response to an activation stress. In one embodiment, the member defines two ends such that one end of the member is operatively connected to a fixed point. Another end of the member is operatively connected to a movable element. As the member stretches in response to the activation stress, the movable element is translated relative to the fixed point. In another embodiment, the member includes two plates with respective holes that are selectively aligned when the first and second plates stretch or deform in response to the activation stress. |
| US08689769B2 |
Compression-braking system
A method is disclosed for controlling compression-braking performance of an engine having a piston in a combustion cylinder. The method may include providing a valve in fluid communication with the combustion cylinder and at least one valve actuator operable to control the valve to perform compression-braking by opening the valve, which may include opening the valve to a first peak-valve-opening during a compression stroke of the piston and opening the valve to a second peak-valve-opening before a second half of an expansion stroke of the piston. The method may also include determining a target value for a stress in the at least one valve actuator. Additionally, the method may include designing the magnitude and timing of the first peak-valve-opening as a function of the target for the stress in the at least one valve actuator. |
| US08689767B1 |
Method for operating homogeneous charge compression ignition engines using conventional gasoline
A method for the operation of homogeneous charge compression ignition engines (HCCI) using gasoline or similar single-stage ignition fuels. Partial fuel stratification (PFS), intake pressure boosting and controlled BDC-intake temperatures, typically in the range of 95° C. to about 125° C., are used to reduce combustion pressure rise rates (PRR), and therefore, the knocking propensity of homogeneous charge compression ignition engines operating on gasoline or similar fuels. |
| US08689766B2 |
Spherical two stroke engine system
A positive displacement internal combustion engine with the strongest mechanism for converting thermal energy of combustion gases to rotational motion, being composed of a body with spherical combustion chamber, and three spatial eccentrics being placed in said spherical chamber. The mechanism is particularly suitable for heavily loaded detonation and homogeneous charge compression ignition engines. |
| US08689764B2 |
Rotary engine with exhaust gas supplemental compounding
A rotary engine which provides a supplemental phase of compression between a first phase of compression and a second phase of compression. |
| US08689762B2 |
Cylinder head rocker arm stand repair and process
A process for remanufacturing a cylinder head that includes a worn or damaged rocker arm stand adapted to receive a rocker shaft to which at least one rocker arm is mounted, the steps including machining a channel in a surface of the worn or damaged rocker arm stand, securing an insert into the channel, and machining the insert to form a remanufactured inner facing surface. The remanufactured cylinder head includes at least one rocker arm stand that has a machined channel with a remanufactured insert secured therein, the rocker shaft being disposed adjacent the inner facing surface, not the rocker arm stand. |
| US08689756B2 |
Method for generating and applying a cleaning voltage pulse to a stop connection, and an associated digitally controlled magnetic ignition circuit
A method for generating and applying at least one voltage pulse, which provides a cleaning effect for a stop switch, to a stop connection assigned to the stop switch, which stop connection is provided on a digitally controlled magnetic ignition circuit of an electrical device, wherein the magnetic ignition circuit generates a voltage wave series from half waves, the amplitude of which decreases over time, and/or at least one voltage pulse in a medium voltage range, wherein if a voltage wave series is generated, at least one later half wave in the voltage wave series, which half wave follows the first half wave temporally and therefore has a lower amplitude, is applied as a voltage pulse to the stop connection, and/or in that if at least one voltage pulse in a medium voltage range of 12 V to 50 V is generated, the one or more voltage pulses are applied to the stop connection and thereby exert a cleaning effect on the stop switch. |
| US08689753B2 |
Locking mechanism for variable actuation using a shuttle pin and return spring
The roller finger follower employs two independent lost motion arms and a coupling device that locks both arms. A coupling element allows for changing from locked to unlocked mode. Components of the coupling element include a shuttle pin with a head, a shank and a cutout on which a rod is positioned, a coil spring which surrounds the outside diameter of the shuttle pin shank, and an end cap. By positioning the spring on the shuttle pin shank, a large spring diameter and short spring height can be used which allows for compact packaging. Also, a low spring rate is required. |
| US08689752B2 |
Vertical-type air-cooled OHV engine
A vertical-type air-cooled OHV engine includes a valve operating system and has a shroud guiding cooling air, which is generated by a cooling fan driven by a crankshaft such that the cooling air flows in an up-down direction with respect to a cylinder head. Intake and exhaust valves are arranged respectively on opposite sides of a vertical plane that is parallel to an axis of the crankshaft and that includes an axis of a cylinder bore. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a vertical-type air-cooled OHV engine capable of evenly cooling both of intake and exhaust valves without changing a route of cooling air. |
| US08689750B2 |
Camshaft phasing device
A camshaft phase adjustment device comprises a housing receiving a camshaft. A driving gear member has a first gear and a camshaft receiving portion. The driving gear member transfers motion from the driveshaft to the first gear, which is meshed with a second gear. A second and third gear are mounted on an axle parallel to the camshaft. The second gear and third gear rotate with the same angular velocity. The third gear transfers motion to a fourth gear. The fourth gear is coupled to the camshaft for transferring angular motion to the camshaft such that the camshaft rotates with the angular velocity of the fourth gear. An actuator rotates the housing about the axis of the camshaft. |
| US08689748B2 |
Valve timing control apparatus of internal combustion engine
In a valve timing control apparatus, phase-retard and phase-advance hydraulic chambers are defined among a plurality of shoes formed in a housing and a plurality of vanes formed integral with a rotor fixed to a camshaft. The rotor has a large-diameter portion formed between a first group of adjacent vanes and a small-diameter portion formed between a second group of adjacent vanes. The innermost end of a shoe of the shoes, opposed to the outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter portion, is configured to protrude radially inward rather than the innermost end of a shoe of the shoes, opposed to the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter portion. A lock pin is located in the large-diameter portion of the rotor, whereas a lock hole, with which the lock pin slides into and out of engagement, is located in the inner face of a sprocket. |
| US08689747B2 |
Valve timing control device
A valve timing control device comprises a drive-side rotational member synchronously rotatable with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine; a driven-side rotational member mounted coaxially with the drive-side rotational member and synchronously rotatable with a camshaft for opening and closing a valve of the internal combustion engine; a fluid pressure chamber defined by the drive-side rotational member and the driven-side rotational member; a partition provided in at least one of the drive-side rotational member and the driven-side rotational member for dividing the fluid pressure chamber into a retarded angle chamber and an advanced angle chamber; a fluid feeding/discharging mechanism for controlling feed/discharge of working fluid relative to the fluid pressure chamber; a locking mechanism for restricting a relative rotational phase of the driven-side rotational member relative to the drive-side rotational member to a predetermined phase between a most retarded angle phase and a most advanced angle phase; and an urging mechanism for constantly exerting an urging force to the drive-side rotational member and the driven-side rotational member to displace the relative rotational phase to the side of the most retarded angle phase. |
| US08689745B2 |
Split-cycle air-hybrid engine having a threshold minimum tank pressure
A split-cycle air-hybrid engine includes a rotatable crankshaft. A compression piston is slidably received within a compression cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft. An expansion piston is slidably received within an expansion cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft. A crossover passage interconnects the compression and expansion cylinders. The crossover passage includes a crossover compression (XovrC) valve and a crossover expansion (XovrE) valve defining a pressure chamber therebetween. An air reservoir is operatively connected to the crossover passage. An air reservoir valve selectively controls air flow into and out of the air reservoir. The engine is operable in an Air Expander and Firing (AEF) mode. In the AEF mode, the pressure in the air reservoir is greater than or equal to approximately 5 bar absolute, preferably greater than or equal to approximately 7 bar absolute, and more preferably greater than or equal to approximately 10 bar absolute. |
| US08689743B2 |
Piston for an internal combustion engine
A piston for an internal combustion engine has a piston head and a piston skirt. The piston head has a circumferential ring belt and a circumferential cooling channel. The piston skirt has a working surface assigned to its major thrust side and to its minor thrust side. A bore that proceeds from the cooling channel is provided, which ends in the working surface assigned to the major thrust side, and is disposed at an incline, in such a manner that the bore exit encloses an acute angle (α) with the center axis (M) of the piston. An opening is formed in the working surface, and a deflection surface inclined relative to the working surface is provided between the bore and the bore exit. The working surface assigned to the major thrust side has a depression which forms at least one oil capture region above the opening. |
| US08689742B2 |
Integrated coolant flow control and heat exchanger device
A coolant flow control system (100, 200) includes an integrated coolant flow control and heat exchange device (10, 50). The device includes a valve body part (20, 60) and a heat exchange part (30, 70). According to the system, all the coolant flow from the engine is delivered back to the engine after passing through the valve body part (20, 60) and then the heat exchange part (30, 70) in which it passes over the heat exchanger part (40, 80). The valve body part (20, 60) by positioning of the coolant flow wall (26, 66) allows multiple flow modes and coolant paths to branch out (or converge) from (or to) thereby controlling the flow in all coolant circuit branches. |
| US08689740B2 |
Pet wash tub
A pet wash tub includes a funnel-type hair-diverter arrangement established at all corners near the drain, to slope from the front and sides of the tub, angled downwardly towards the drain. The tub is located inside a pet wash station, which includes a wash room and an equipment room. Specifically, the tub is located in the wash room that includes a floor with a slope that acts to rinse water spilled onto the floor under an opening under a dividing wall between the wash room and the equipment room. A collection trough is located in the equipment room to collect the water as it drains from the wash room. Further, the equipment room includes a control panel and hose extensions for air and washing water/soap such that a user can activate the various systems depending on preference while washing a pet. |
| US08689739B2 |
Reptile vertical display
The present disclosure provides a system and method for displaying animals in temperature controlled enclosures. |
| US08689736B2 |
Automatic milk separation
An indicating system for use in a milking system including an automated milking machine with a method for detecting mastitis of a milking animal in an automated milking machine, includes a first device for automatically obtaining and determining a first indicator of mastitis; a second device for automatically obtaining and determining a second indicator of mastitis; a processor operatively connected to the first and second devices and configured for automatically i) evaluating the first and second indicators of mastitis, and ii) identifying, based on the result the evaluation of the first and second indicators of mastitis, the need for a third indicator of mastitis. |
| US08689730B2 |
Robotic painting system and method
A robotic painting system includes an applicator, a first paint metering device in fluid communication with the applicator, a second paint metering device in fluid communication with the paint applicator, and a paint supply in fluid communication with each the paint metering devices to fill at least one of the paint metering devices with a desired amount of paint, wherein each of the paint metering devices is electrostatically isolated from the paint supply, and wherein a color change time and a paint waste are minimized and a cleaning operation of the system is optimized. |
| US08689729B2 |
Apparatus for coating stents
An apparatus is provided for forming coatings on stents. The apparatus includes a temperature adjusting element that can increase or decrease the temperature of the stent. |
| US08689728B2 |
Apparatus for holding a medical device during coating
The present invention is directed towards the holding of medical devices during manufacture to enable the application of therapeutic and/or protective coatings. More specifically, the present invention provides medical device holders that securely retain stents and other medical devices during the application of a coating while minimizing compressive and tensile forces applied to the stents. The invention avoids disruptions to coating quality due to holder blockage during coating deposition. The invention discloses an improved device containing a mandrel and frame that may improve coating uniformity by eliminating shadowing from the frame of the medical device holder when applying coatings to stents and other medical devices. |
| US08689727B2 |
Anti-oxidation spray methods and spray equipment for steel billets
The examples described herein provide methods and equipment for an anti-oxidation spraying on a steel billet. In some examples, when the billet at the temperature of 400° C.-1000° C. enters the predetermined spraying region, a plurality of anti-oxidation spraying devices are used to perform an anti-oxidation spray on the billet in two or more directions, thereby forming directly an anti-oxidation coating on the steel billet at 400° C.-1000° C. By using the example method and equipment described herein, on-line spraying of anti-oxidation coating on the steel billet can be performed under high-temperature condition, thereby reducing an oxidation burning loss rate of the steel billet. |
| US08689721B2 |
Vertically installed spar and construction methods
A vertically installed Spar-type floater for offshore wind turbine and related construction method are provided. The floating system is a gravity stabilized deep-draft floater including a plurality of vertically extending columns, each column containing a ballast material; a ballast tank coupled to the lower end of each of the columns; a top deck having a plurality of through-bores approximate its periphery coupled to the upper end of each of the columns; a wind turbine assembly supported by the top deck at the center; a plurality of mooring lines linking the floating system to the sea floor. The floating system has a temporary vertically towing configuration which allows the entire floating wind turbine system to be assembled at a quayside and towed vertically to an offshore site, and self-installed into operating configuration. |
| US08689718B2 |
Rigid quick connect mooring device
A rigid mooring system that instantly secures pontoons, float planes, boats, and other forms of craft to a variety of dockage types and consists of two identical, yet separately positioned devices which together moor a craft safely away from the dockage. Barrel plate hinges permanently secure the two devices to the dockage allowing both the devices and the attached craft vertical motion but prohibit parallel or lateral movement. Each device has two reinforced arms coming together to form a right triangle shaped rigid body with one arm projecting further, bending into a curved attaching end. |
| US08689717B2 |
Emergency repair plug to slow down water inflow through an opening
An emergency repair plug for sealing an opening in a boat hull, comprises a conical body made of a solid foam, spongy cellular material that is compressible by hand and able to return to its original shape. The conical body is compressible by hand to a smaller dimension so that a portion of the conical body larger than an opening to be plugged can be inserted into the opening. The conical body is able to return to its larger size after compression, thereby to be wedged in the opening to slow down water inflow through the opening. |
| US08689715B2 |
Actuator
An actuator (10) for use in controlling movement of a component (22) of a seagoing vessel comprises a cylinder (12) for coupling to a vessel hull (14) and an actuator shaft (18). A distal end (20) of the shaft (18) is coupled to the component whose movement is to be controlled and, in use, a control force (Fc) is applied to the shaft (18) to control movement of the shaft (18) from a first position, retracted, position to a second, extended, position. The actuator (10) is compliant in response to an opposing force exceeding a selected force to prevent or mitigate damage to the component (22) and/or the actuator 10 which may otherwise result from the opposing force. |
| US08689710B2 |
Combustion system with precombustor
A precombustor having a chamber having a first end and a second end, and an inlet configured to deliver a substantially parallel flow of solid fuel surrounded by oxygen at the first end. The first end further includes a recirculation step and the second end fluidly communicates with a furnace. The inlet and the recirculation step are arranged to form a recirculation zone of at least a portion of the solid fuel and the oxygen. A combustion system and method for operating a combustion system are also disclosed. |
| US08689706B2 |
Leg socket
The leg socket has a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart ribs extending along an interior wall. Each rib has a concavely curved surface extending longitudinally and disposed on a common radius of the wall to provide contact with a cylindrical table leg over a surface. |
| US08689700B2 |
Device for handling banknotes with a virtual auxiliary cassette for exchanging partial funds cassette
The invention relates to a device for handling banknotes comprising an input and output unit, a control unit, at least one money cassette, a reject cassette and a transport unit to transport the banknotes. In addition, a stock counter is provided that indicates the current quantity of banknotes in the money cassette. When an incorrect withdrawal occurs after at least one banknote is removed from the money cassette, the banknotes from this incorrect withdrawal are transported to the reject cassette. A reject counter is assigned to the money cassette that indicates the total number of banknotes removed from said money cassette and taken to the reject cassette, wherein the value of said reject counter is increased by the value of the banknotes transported to the reject cassette when the incorrect withdrawal occurs. A virtual auxiliary cassette is set up in the software of the control unit. |
| US08689698B2 |
Methods and systems for multi-dimensional motion
An apparatus includes: a fixed primary anchoring element, a beam mount movably connected to the primary anchoring element, a beam connected to the beam mount, a vessel mount movably connected to the beam, a vessel connected to the vessel mount, the vessel being movable along at least a vertical axis, and a control unit within the vessel. The control unit is configured to accept control input from a passenger within the vessel and transmit at least one control signal to cause the beam to move relative to the primary anchoring element, the vessel mount to move relative to the beam, and the vessel to move relative to the vessel mount independently. |
| US08689697B2 |
Simulated firearm and cartridge for simulated firearm
Provided is a cartridge for an electrically-ignited simulated firearm and a simulated firearm using the cartridge remarkably similar to a real firearm and a cartridge used in a real firearm, wherein the simulated firearm emits a discharge sound similar to a real firearm, generates muzzle flash and smoke from a muzzle and is capable of loading and ejecting the cartridge, and the cartridge is safe and reusable. An inner member 120 that is slidable inside an outer case 110 of a cartridge 100 and loaded with powder is formed into a stepped cylindrical shape with a small diameter section capable of partially projecting from an opening 112 of the outer case 110, and has a front powder chamber 122 and a rear powder chamber 123 that communicate with each other via a fuse hole 124, a base member 130 is formed to fit in the outer case 110 via an insulating member 131, and an ignition member 140 is configured to be installed between the inner member 120 and the base member 130. |
| US08689694B2 |
Flying bomb
A flying bomb includes a standardized bomb casing formed of steel and having a nose opening and a tail opening. A thin penetrator is disposed in the bomb casing in order to achieve high effectiveness with little collateral damage when the flying bomb strikes a target. A distance between the tip of the penetrator and the nose opening is greater than 100 mm. |
| US08689689B2 |
System and method for marking sheet materials
An apparatus for applying a marking to an elongated sheet material is provided. The apparatus includes a processing machine through which an elongated length of the sheet material is passed. A marking system is arranged to apply a marking to the elongated length of sheet material passing through the processing machine. The marking system comprises at least one spray gun and a pump for supplying marking fluid to the spray gun. The pump is operable at selectively variable speeds. A controller controls the speed of the pump based upon a speed at which the sheet material is passed through the processing machine. |
| US08689684B2 |
Automatic strap loading assembly for strapping machine
A strap loading assembly for a strapping machine provides a feed path for the strap material. The loading assembly includes a first rail and a second rail movable between a deployed position and a stowed position. The second rail, when in the deployed position, confronts the first rail and defines a strap guide with the first rail. The second rail, when in the stowed position opens the strap guide. A link operably connects the first and second rails. Strap material in the strap guide, when in tension, exerts a force on the first rail to move the link which moves the second rail from the deployed position to the stowed position. A strapping machine with a strap loading assembly is also disclosed. |
| US08689683B2 |
Opening assembly for pressing chambers
A door opening assembly of a bale press including a first arm member having a first end and a second end hingedly coupled at the first end to a first door. The door opening assembly also includes a second arm member having a first end and a second end hingedly coupled at the first end to a second door. An actuator is coupled to the second end of the first arm member and the second end of the second arm member to cause the first arm member to displace the first door and the second arm member to hold the second door from being displaced. A further feature includes a door closing system involve a guide member and a guide receptacle for moving a latch gate to close the door. |
| US08689676B2 |
Piston-chamber combination
A piston-combination comprising an elongate chamber bounded by an inner chamber wall, and comprising a piston sealingly movable in the chamber relative to the chamber wall at least between a first and a second longitudinal position of the chamber, said chamber having cross-sections of different cross-sectional areas at the first and second longitudinal positions, and at least substantially continuously differing cross-sectional areas at intermediate longitudinal positions between the first and second longitudinal positions, the cross-sectional area at said second longitudinal position being smaller than the cross-sectional area at the first longitudinal position, said piston changing dimensions and having different cross-sectional areas thereby adapting to different cross-sectional areas of the chamber during the relative movements of the piston between the first and second longitudinal positions through said intermediate longitudinal positions of the chamber, said combination engaging a rigid surface and being movable relative to said surface. |
| US08689674B2 |
Axial piston machine with rotation restraint mechanism
A reciprocator restraint assembly for a Z-crank axial piston machine is described. The assembly includes two gimbal arms each linked together at gimbal link joint that intersect at a point T. Point T lying in a medial plane M being defined as the plane passing through the point of coincidence of the crank and crankshaft axes to which the line that bisects the crank angle is normal. Each of the gimbal arms is pivotally mounted at an identical distance L from point T. A cylinder gimbal is pivotally mounted from the cylinder cluster and a reciprocator gimbal is pivotally mounted from the reciprocator. The reciprocator gimbal pivot axis is equidistant from point X and T as is the cylinder gimbal pivot axis. The orientations of the pivot axes of the two gimbal arms being mutual reflections in the medial plane M resulting in the point T lying on the medial plane M as the crankshaft rotates with respect to the cylinder cluster, and thus ensuring homo-kinetic rotational restraint between the reciprocator and the cylinder cluster. |
| US08689671B2 |
Lightweight armor and methods of making
An article of armor includes a friction material operative to prevent penetration of a ballistic projectile. The armor is also operative to prevent penetration of a plurality of ballistic projectiles at a single point of impact. The armor may include a backing, or a facing, or may comprise an intermediate layer between a backing and facing in any combination. The armor of the invention applied directly to or attached to an article to be armored so as to cover all or any portion of the article. The backing and facing may include a friction material or a non-friction material. The friction material is a composite of a resin binder agent, a fibrous support structure, a friction modifier system, and a wear system. |
| US08689668B1 |
Automatic crimping tool
An automatic crimping tool may be used to seat and crimp a projectile in a cartridge case. The tool may include a center sleeve having a blind bore at one end, an outer surface, a spring stop disposed on the outer surface, and at least one opening extending through a wall of the blind bore. The tool may include an outer sleeve having a through bore. The center sleeve may be reciprocably disposed in the through bore of the outer sleeve. The through bore may include a counter bore at one end and an enlarged portion located distal from the counter bore. A spring may be disposed between a flat portion of the counter bore and the spring stop. A retainer may bear against the spring stop to limit axial motion of the center sleeve. An inner sleeve may be disposed in the blind bore. The inner sleeve may be selectively translatable with the center sleeve. A second spring may be disposed between a closed end of the blind bore and the inner sleeve. |
| US08689664B2 |
Backhoe loader
A backhoe loader includes a multi-axis transmission that includes: an input shaft to which power is inputted; a front output shaft coupled to a front wheel; a rear output shaft disposed in a position higher than that of the front output shaft and coupled to a rear wheel; an intermediate shaft disposed between the input shaft and the front output shaft; a first power transmission mechanism configured to transmit power from the input shaft to the intermediate shaft; and a second power transmission mechanism configured to transmit power from the intermediate shaft to the front output shaft and to transmit power from the front output shaft to the rear output shaft. |
| US08689660B2 |
Steering device
A steering device provides a driver operation feeling that lets the driver definitely feel that a movable tilt lock gear and a fixed tilt lock gear are securely engaged. Gear noise in tilt adjustment when the movable tilt lock gear and the fixed tilt lock gear are engaged halfway is prevented. As the control force of an operating lever is rapidly decreased when a fitting protrusion is fitted to a stepped part, a click and click stop feeling occur and a definite operation feeling that the clamping is securely performed is acquired. As the fitting protrusion is integrated with the operating lever and a sliding surface configured by a groove, an inclined face and the stepped part are also formed as an outside face of the fixed tilt lock gear, the number of parts and man-hours for assembly can be reduced. |
| US08689659B2 |
Steering column for a motor vehicle
A steering column for a motor vehicle includes a first and a second part, which in the event of a vehicle crash can be displaced relative to each other in a displacement direction. At least one absorption element acts between the two parts for absorbing energy during the mutual displacement of the two parts, and at least one shift unit, which includes a shift component that can be shifted between a passive and an active shift position. The amount of the energy absorbed during the mutual displacement of the two parts differs in the passive and the active shift position of the shift component. During a displacement of the two parts in the event of a crash, a mutual energy-absorbing displacement takes place between the shift component being in the active shift position thereof and at least one section of the absorption element in an engagement region of the absorption element in which the shift element engages in the active shift position thereof, or between the shift component being in the active shift position thereof and one of the two parts that are mutually displaced in the event of a crash in an engagement region of said part in which the shift component engages in the active shift position thereof. |
| US08689654B2 |
Hydraulic pressure supply apparatus for transmission
In an hydraulic pressure supply apparatus for a transmission, it is configured to have a first hydraulic control valve supplying signal pressure to a pressure regulation port of a regulator valve that regulates discharged pressure discharged from a hydraulic pump to line pressure; a second hydraulic control valve regulating the line pressure and supply it to a lockup clutch; a connecting section connecting a hydraulic passage connecting the first hydraulic control valve and the pressure regulation port with a hydraulic passage connected to an output port of the second hydraulic control valve; and a selecting mechanism installed at the connecting section to select higher pressure between output pressures of the first and second hydraulic control valves such that the selected one acts on the pressure regulation port. |
| US08689652B2 |
Method for determining the surface radius and/or particle density of a powder
This invention relates to a method for determining the average surface radius ro and/or the density r of the particles of a nanopowder in a sample levitating in an electropositive plasma with a volume V formed between a first electrode powered by a radiofrequency voltage and a second electrode with a fixed voltage, in particular a ground one, characterized in that: V is the amplitude at the measuring time t of the radiofrequency voltage RF powering the first electrode when the powder is present in the plasma, V is the amplitude of said radiofrequency voltage powering the first electrode in the absence of powder in the plasma, V is the self-polarization voltage of the first electrode at the time t when the powder is present in the plasma, V is the self-polarization voltage of the first electrode in the absence of powder in the plasma, ΔAB is the surface variation of the second electrode in the presence of powder at the time t relative to a situation in which powder is absent, and the values of n and K are determined by means of calibrating by tracing a curve in which ro is a function of ΔAB and of VRF from experimental data obtained from powders having a known particle diameter by measuring VRF, VRF(O), VDC, and VDC(0) and by applying a regression to said curve. n D = 1 4 π K 2 V Δ A B × ( 1 V RF - 1 V RF ( 0 ) ) 2 n r D = K Δ A B ( 1 V RF - 1 V RF ( 0 ) ) n Avec AA : K = ɛ 0 C q V D n , Δ A B = δ ( t ) δ ( 0 ) - 1 1 A M 0 + 1 A B 0 , δ ( t ) = π arccos ( V DC V RF ) - 1 et BB δ ( 0 ) = π arccos ( V DC ( 0 ) V RF ( 0 ) ) - 1 AA with BB and |
| US08689646B2 |
Sealed, slim-line constant force, generation unit
The present disclosure relates to a sealed constant force generation system utilizing a spring system comprising a spring system housing unit, spacers, interchangeable spring load rod and conical spring washers, a puller assembly comprising a puller, pivot assembly, seal system and o-ring, a lever arm system, an adjustment system, a load stopper and fulcrum housing unit. A method for applying the sealed constant force generation system on objects or loads experiencing a specific displacement is also disclosed. |
| US08689645B2 |
Bicycle crank arm
A bicycle crank arm is provided with a crank body, a reference member and a sensor. The crank body has a crank axle mounting portion and a pedal mounting portion. The reference member is attached to the crank body. The sensor is attached to at least one of the crank body and the reference member. The sensor is arranged to output a signal based on a distance between the crank body and the reference member. |
| US08689643B2 |
Shaft arrangement having a rolling bearing
A shaft arrangement, with a rotatable shaft supported in a rolling bearing, which has rolling elements and an outer race, a torsion sensor having a permanently magnetic ring and at least one magnetic field sensor fastened to a fixed sensor bracket attached to the outer race being provided. A torsion sensor can hereby be integrated in a rotating bearing in a simple design. |
| US08689642B2 |
Torque sensor
A torque sensor has an envelope tube, a middle cylinder mounted in the envelope tube, a inner cylinder mounted through the middle cylinder, a resilient element connected to the middle cylinder and the inner cylinder, a first disc and a second disc respectively attached to the inner cylinder and the middle cylinder, and a detection unit detecting a displacement angle of the second disc and the first disc to calculate a torque applied to the inner cylinder. The torque sensor has a simple structure, fast, sensitive and accurate torque sensing ability, and can be used on all kinds of mechanisms that rotate when a force is applied thereon to calculate and quantify amounts of energy and work of the exerciser according to the torque. |
| US08689637B2 |
Fracture analysis method, device, and program for spot welded portion, and computer-readable recording medium
Maximum allowable load values of a welded portion in respective fracture modes of a load fracture, a moment fracture, and a nugget interior fracture are found based on at least one of a sheet thickness t, a tensile strength TS, an elongation El, and a chemical composition of a nugget portion in each of spot-welded steel sheets, a nugget diameter d of a welded portion, an effective width B of the welded portion determined by a distance between adjacent welded portions, edges or ridge lines, and a sectional height H. Then, according to these fracture modes, an allowable load value at every moment after the maximum allowable load value of the welded portion is reached is found, and a displacement or a time at which the allowable load value becomes 0, that is, at which a complete fracture occurs is found, thereby finding a fracture limit. |
| US08689634B2 |
Systems and methods for mode shape identification
Embodiments of the present application can provide systems and methods for mode shape identification of turbine buckets. According to one embodiment, a system can be provided. The system can include a turbine bucket having numerous trigger patterns disposed at a distal end of the turbine bucket. A sensor is disposed adjacent to the distal end of the turbine bucket for detecting the trigger patterns. The trigger patterns are patterned to identify at least one mode shape of the turbine bucket. |
| US08689631B1 |
High sensitivity mechanical gyro with reduced quadrature error
A gyroscope comprising: a multi-layer substrate, comprising drive spring and sense spring layers; a rigid support structure formed from the substrate; a plurality of drive springs formed in each drive spring layer wherein each drive spring is operatively coupled to the support structure; a drive mass formed from at least one layer of the substrate, wherein the drive mass is coupled to the support structure via the drive springs; a drive mass driver operatively coupled to the drive mass and configured to cause movement of the drive mass with respect to the support structure; a plurality of sense springs formed in each sense spring layer, wherein each sense spring is operatively coupled to the drive mass; and a sense mass formed from at least one layer, wherein the sense mass is coupled to the drive mass via the sense springs. |
| US08689629B2 |
Sensing unit for bicycle speedometer
A sensing unit for a bicycle speedometer is disclosed. The bicycle speedometer has a meter body and the sensing unit for detecting pedaling and generating a signal related to bicycle pedaling. The sensing unit includes a sensor mounted on a bicycle frame and a fixture for carrying a sensed member. The fixture has a fixing end coupled with a bicycle crank and a coupling arm for carrying the sensed member. The fixture allows positional adjustment of the sensed member with respect to the bicycle crank, thereby facilitating aligning the sensed member with the sensor, so as to ensure proper sensing of the sensor to the sensed member. |
| US08689615B2 |
Bubble presence/absence determining method and dispensing apparatus
The present invention relates to a method for determining the presence or absence of bubbles inside pipes in a dispensing apparatus and a dispensing apparatus. |
| US08689614B2 |
Apparatus and method for determining the results of assays
The present invention provides a method for the real-time continuous monitoring of a change or density and/or viscosity within a test sample. Such methods can be used to determine the occurrence of a chemical reaction within a test sample where the same causes and increase or decrease in the density and/or viscosity of the sample due to, for example, a gelation, precipitation or coagulation occurring within the test sample. There is further provided a multi-resonator apparatus for use in measuring the density and/or viscosity of a test sample in which the multi-beam resonator is immersed. |
| US08689611B2 |
Leak detection system comprising a tracer gas mediating unit
A system for detection of a leak at a leakage testing point of a test object by a tracer gas. A positionable tracer gas mediating unit has a tip. A marker is attachable at the leakage testing point. A marker detector is associated with the positionable tracer gas mediating unit. The tip of the tracer gas mediating unit is arranged to be positioned within a predetermined distance interval from the marker during a leak detection test. The marker detector is arranged to detect the marker when the tip is positioned within the predetermined distance interval so as to certify a correct positioning of the tip. |
| US08689604B2 |
Offset error automatic calibration integrated circuit
An integrated circuit includes a transducer and transducer circuitry and additional elements useful in testing the transducer and transducer circuitry. A first power supply terminal and a second power supply terminal are for being directly connected to an external power supply terminal. A power bus is connected to the first power supply terminal. A logic function is for determining if the second power supply terminal is receiving power and if an automatic calibration test of the transducer and transducer circuitry has been run. An automatic calibration is for running an automatic calibration test on the transducer and transducer circuitry if the logic means determines that the second power supply terminal is receiving power and the automatic calibration test of the transducer and transducer circuitry has not been run. |
| US08689603B2 |
Control methods for setting a reference voltage in an air treatment system
A control system and associated methods for an air treatment system. In one aspect, the present invention provides a control system and method for controlling blower speed as a function of separately determined smoke and dust concentrations. In one embodiment, the control system and method provides a variable delayed between changes in motor speed to address undesirable rapid changes between speeds. In another aspect, the present invention provides a system and method for calibrating a sensor to provide more uniform operation over time. In yet another aspect, the present invention provide a system and method for calibrating motor speed to provide more consistent and uniform motor speed over time. The present invention also provides a system and method for tracking filter life by as a function of time, motor speed and/or a sensed variable, such as particulate concentration in the environment. |
| US08689602B2 |
Testing detectors
A hazard detector assembly for attachment to a surface within a protected zone comprises a detector unit and a test stimulus generator unit. |
| US08689601B2 |
Oil debris monitor verification dry rig
An assembly includes a debris monitor mount, a motor, and a particle belt. The particle belt carries one or more metallic particles. The particle belt is driven by the motor. The particle belt extends proximate the debris monitor mount when driven by the motor. |
| US08689600B2 |
Wedge drive with a force returning device
In a wedge drive (1) with a first part (20) which can be provided with a machining tool and a second part (30), wherein the two parts (20, 30) are arranged movably relative to each other, and there is provided at least one positive-action return device which engages or can engage both parts (20, 30), and a third part (10) which is connected to the first part (20), the at least one positive-action return device is return spring-free and has at least one device for causing and/or supporting the return of the one part (20) and/or for increasing the retraction force which can be applied in the return of the one part (20) in the upward stroke movement of the third part (10). |
| US08689598B2 |
Method of forming a tenon on one side of a metal plate member
A method of forming a tenon on one side of a metal plate member by means of punching the wall of one side of the metal plate member with a punch or punches to form a protrusion and then punching the protrusion with a punch rod to extend the height of the protrusion and to deform the protrusion into a tubular configuration. |
| US08689597B2 |
Ring rolling mill and ring rolling method
This ring rolling mill includes a main roll and a mandrel that are brought close to or separated from each other, and roll a peripheral portion of a ring-shaped body in a radial direction of the ring-shaped body while the ring-shaped body is rotated along its peripheral direction in a state where the peripheral portion of the ring-shaped body is pinched in the radial direction between an outer peripheral surface of the main roll, and an outer peripheral surface of the mandrel. This ring rolling mill further includes a mechanism which inclines and supports the mandrel with respect to the rotation axis of the main roll such that the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the mandrel and the outer peripheral surface of the main roll differs on one side and on the other side as seen in a direction along the rotation axis of the main roll. |
| US08689596B2 |
Key and lock
A thin key that is thin but includes serrations on each of two opposite sides of a blade (42, 72). The key is associated with a cylinder lock including a rotor (13) with tumblers (21-28) retained in the rotor. The blade, which is for insertion into the rotor of the cylinder lock, includes opposite first and second wide sides (F1, F3; F2, F4) and opposite first and second narrow sides (51, 74; 52, 75). A first notch (54, 76) is formed in the first wide side and a second notch (64, 86) is formed in the second wide side. The first and second notches each have a serrated wall (54a, 76a; 64a, 86a) engageable with the tumblers. The first notch and the second notch are spaced apart so that they do not overlap each other. The sum of the depths of the first and second notches (L1, D1; L2, D2) is greater than or equal to the thickness of the blade (L3, D3). |
| US08689595B2 |
Key and disc tumbler cylinder lock
The invention relates to a disc tumbler cylinder lock and a key for it. The key according to the invention comprises a groove that is transverse to the key shank. The groove comprises a bottom section and side sections that are transverse to the bottom section between the bottom section and the outer surface of the key shank. The bottom section of the groove is the key's main driving surface used to transfer turning force to the disc tumbler cylinder lock. This reduces wear on the O-surfaces of the key because the O-surfaces do not transfer the majority or any of the key turning force to the disc tumbler cylinder lock. |
| US08689592B2 |
Introducer device with locking adaptor
Introducer Device comprises (a) Housing including (1) Housing Lumen sized and shaped to slidably receive a visualization device therein and (2) Slot sized to receive therein a projection extending from visualization device received in Lumen radially away from Lumen; (b) Sheath extending distally from handle and being sized and shaped for insertion through a natural body opening into a hollow body organ, Sheath including a fluid delivery lumen delivering heated fluid to the organ and a fluid return lumen withdrawing the fluid after it has been circulated through the organ; (c) Connector including Connector Lumen aligned with Lumen and sized and shaped to slidably receive therein visualization device; (d) Locking arrangement movably coupled to Housing, movement relative to the housing opening and closing Slot; and (e) Adjustment mechanism moving Connector relative to Housing to adjust distance between a proximal end of Connector Lumen and a distal end of Sheath. |
| US08689591B2 |
Personal property safe
A safe is provided for securely storing property that may be accessed quickly. A biometric scanner is coupled to a latching mechanism which may be actuated upon input of a recognized pattern, such as a fingerprint. The safe door may be spring actuated to automatically open upon release of the locking mechanism. The latch positively locks the door so that it resists opening from sharp blows to the safe. |
| US08689586B2 |
Glass-melting device for producing glass fiber and method for producing glass fiber
A glass-melting device for producing glass fibers capable effectively reducing inclusion of bubbles into glass fibers to be spun, and a method for producing glass fibers using the same are provided.A glass-melting device 100 for producing glass fibers comprises: a first glass-melting tank 12; a conduit 14 extending downward from the first glass-melting tank 12; a sucking device 18 for exposing the first glass-melting tank 12 to a reduced-pressure atmosphere; a second glass-melting tank 20 provided on a lower portion of the conduit 14 and exposed to an atmospheric-pressure atmosphere; and a bushing 22 provided at a bottom portion of the second glass-melting tank 20 and equipped with a number of nozzles 22a. |
| US08689582B2 |
Refrigeration system
A refrigeration system includes a refrigerant circuit with a plurality of evaporator paths and a distributor for distributing refrigerant. The distributor includes a housing and a controllable valve for each evaporator path. The refrigeration system is operated by using a distributor including a magnet arrangement for controlling the valves. |
| US08689579B2 |
Indoor unit of air conditioner
An indoor unit of an air conditioner includes a heat exchanger accommodated inside a indoor unit body which is a housing whose lower face is opened, a drain pan which is disposed below the heat exchanger and receives drain water generated at the heat exchanger, a drain pump which is detachably disposed within the indoor unit body, sucks drain water accumulated in the drain pan and discharges the drain water to the outside, a drain port which is disposed at a bottom face wall section of the drain pan, the port being an opening portion through which the drain pump is insertable, and a drain cap which openably closes the drain pump insertion port. |
| US08689573B2 |
Refrigerated merchandiser
A refrigerated merchandiser including a case, a refrigeration system, a sensor, and a controller. The refrigeration system is operable in a defrost mode defrosting the evaporator, and a refrigeration mode discharging a refrigerated airflow into the product storage area to refrigerate the product and to maintain the product within a predetermined temperature range without freezing the product, and to receive the refrigerated airflow along a return passageway. The sensor senses one or more defrost conditions of the case. The controller controls the refrigeration system in the refrigeration mode and in the defrost mode, and includes an algorithm for calculating when to initiate the defrost mode and for calculating a duration of the defrost mode. The controller is programmed to vary the refrigeration system between the refrigeration mode and the defrost mode based on the signals indicative of the defrost conditions and the calculations by the algorithm. |
| US08689572B2 |
Climate control system including responsive controllers
A thermostat is provided that receives one or more inputs from at least one heating system of a climate control system, and initiates an appropriate action in response to the input. The thermostat can turn off a heat pump providing substandard heat and responsively turn on a fuel-fired auxiliary furnace. The thermostat may discontinue further operation of the auxiliary furnace upon receiving an operating error signal associated with the auxiliary furnace, and responsively turn on the heat pump to provide for continued heating. The thermostat may also discontinue operation of the fuel-fired furnace and turn on a circulating fan in response to an input signal indicating a furnace high-temperature or a carbon monoxide presence. |
| US08689570B2 |
Air conditioning apparatus and control method thereof
An air conditioning apparatus is provided that includes an indoor device including a heat exchanger, and a remote controller to input an operation condition of the indoor device. The remote controller includes a sensor that senses a moving state of the remote controller, a controller that determines the operation condition of the indoor device based on a result sensed by the sensor, and a signal transmitting and receiving device that transmits and receives a signal to and from the indoor device. The indoor device includes a blower, a wind direction controller that controls a discharge direction of air discharged from the blower, a signal transmitting and receiving device that transmits and receives a signal to and from the remote controller, and a controller that controls the driving of the blower and the wind direction controller in accordance with the operation condition received from the remote controller. |
| US08689568B2 |
Cooling hole with thermo-mechanical fatigue resistance
A gas turbine engine includes a wall having first and second wall surfaces and a cooling hole extending through the wall. The cooling hole includes an inlet located at the first wall surface, an outlet located at the second wall surface, a metering section extending downstream from the inlet and a diffusing section extending from the metering section to the outlet. The diffusing section includes a first lobe diverging longitudinally and laterally from the metering section, a second lobe diverging longitudinally and laterally from the metering section, an upstream end located at the outlet, a trailing edge located at the outlet opposite the upstream end and generally opposite first and second sidewalls. Each sidewall has an edge extending along the outlet between the upstream end and the trailing edge. Each edge diverges laterally from the upstream end and converges laterally before reaching the trailing edge. |
| US08689564B2 |
Fossil-fueled power station comprising a carbon dioxide separation device and method for operating a fossil-fueled power station
A fossil-fueled power station including a steam turbine is provided. A steam generator is mounted downstream of the steam turbine via a steam return line and a carbon dioxide separation device. The carbon dioxide separation device is connected to the steam return line via a process steam line and a backpressure steam turbine is mounted into the process steam line. |
| US08689558B2 |
Propfan engine
A propfan engine has a power-producing core, a plurality of nozzles for exhausting exhaust gas from the core, and a row of propeller blades rotatable about an axis. The blades are positioned downstream of the exhaust nozzles. The exhaust nozzles are rotatable about said axis. The nozzles can be aligned with the gaps between successive propeller blades in order to reduce noise during operation of the engine. |
| US08689557B2 |
Steam seal dump re-entry system
A steam seal dump re-entry system delivers steam dump flow to an LP steam turbine. The system includes a steam seal header receiving steam leaking from turbine end seal packings, and a desuperheater receiving and cooling the steam from the steam seal header. The desuperheater outputs cooled steam. A temperature sensor is disposed downstream of the desuperheater and detects a temperature of the cooled steam. A flow control circuit communicating with the temperature sensor selectively delivers the cooled steam to at least one of the condenser and to the LP steam turbine depending on the temperature of the cooled steam. |
| US08689552B2 |
Centrifugal compressor and turbocharger
A centrifugal compressor is provided with: a housing which houses a compressor wheel therein; a spiral scroll arranged in an outer periphery of the compressor wheel; and a diffuser portion provided as a path space communicating with the scroll from an outlet side of the compressor wheel and formed by a compressor housing and a center housing. The centrifugal compressor is also provided with a movable vane which is movable between a projecting position where the movable vane projects from the compressor housing and a housing position where the movable vane houses in a housing portion provided in compressor housing, and an actuator which drives the movable vane between the projecting position and the housing position. The actuator is provided in the center housing. |
| US08689551B1 |
Hydrostatic transaxle
A hydraulic drive unit having a center section for a hydraulic pump and hydraulic motor mounted in a casing. The center section includes a cylindrical protuberance for locating the center section in the casing, and at least one fastener opening formed in the center section for receiving a fastener engaged to the casing. The drive unit may also include a pair of flat surfaces formed on the center section and adapted to mount with features in the casing, and a bypass shaft extending into the casing and at least partially disposed in the center section. |
| US08689546B2 |
Exhaust purification system of internal combustion engine
An exhaust purification system of an internal combustion engine is provided with an exhaust purification catalyst which removes NOx and a post treatment device. The exhaust purification catalyst has the property of reducing NOx if making the concentration of hydrocarbons vibrate by within a predetermined range of amplitude and within a predetermined range of period and furthermore has the function of oxidizing hydrocarbons. The exhaust purification system feeds hydrocarbons to the exhaust purification catalyst and raises the temperature of the post treatment device as temperature elevation control. The exhaust purification catalyst has a high purification rate range where the NOx purification rate becomes higher than a predetermined rate. In the temperature elevation control, the total feed amount of hydrocarbons is set and the feed period of hydrocarbons is set in the high purification rate range in a region at the end at the short side of feed period of hydrocarbons. |
| US08689542B2 |
Emissions reductions through reagent release control
One embodiment is a method including determining whether an ammonia storage device has a stored quantity of ammonia, predicting an impending ammonia release from the ammonia storage device, determining a NOx increase amount in response to the impending ammonia release, and increasing an amount of NOx provided by an engine based on the NOx increase amount. In certain embodiments, determining the NOx increase amount in response to the impending ammonia release comprises determining a NOx increase schedule based on the stored quantity of ammonia. In certain embodiments, the NOx increase schedule comprises a specified NOx increase time period, and in certain further embodiments, the method further includes decrementing the specified NOx increase time period based on an estimated catalyst degradation value. |
| US08689541B2 |
Valvetrain control method and apparatus for conserving combustion heat
An engine control system includes a catalyst module and a cylinder module. The catalyst module determines a catalyst temperature. The cylinder module selectively switches operation of a first cylinder from a first engine cycle having four strokes to a second engine cycle having N times four strokes, based on the catalyst temperature, wherein N is an integer greater than one. A related method is also provided. |
| US08689539B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for model based control for counter-rotating open-rotor gas turbine engine
Simple, robust and systematic solutions are provided for controlling counter-rotating open-rotor (CROR) gas turbine engines. The solutions mathematically decouple the two counter rotating rotors of a CROR engine by model-based dynamic inversion, which allows application of single-input-single-output (SISO) control concepts. The current solutions allow fuel flow to be treated as a known disturbance and rejected from the rotor speeds control. Furthermore, the current control solutions allow a simple and well-coordinated speed phase synchronizing among the four rotors on a two-engine vehicle. |
| US08689536B2 |
Advanced laser ignition systems for gas turbines including aircraft engines
A laser ignition system for an internal combustion engine, and more specifically a gas turbine engine, is provided. The system comprises at least one laser light source configured to generate a laser beam and an optical beam guidance component. The optical beam guidance component is configured to transmit the laser beam to irradiate on an oxygenated fuel mixture supplied into the combustion chamber at a region of highest ignitability to generate a combustor flame in a flame region. The system further includes an integrated control diagnostic component configured to detect at least a portion of a light emission and operable to control one or more combustion parameters based in part on the detected light emission. The system further includes additional enhanced ignition control configurations. A method for igniting a fuel mixture in an internal combustion engine is also presented. |
| US08689531B2 |
Bag making and packaging machine
A bag making and packaging machine includes a conveying unit, a transverse sealing mechanism, and a gusset forming mechanism. The conveying unit is configured and arranged to continuously convey a tubular packaging material. The transverse sealing mechanism has a pair of sealing jaws configured and arranged to revolvingly move while following annular loci to seal the tubular packaging material in a transverse direction with respect to a conveyance direction of the tubular packaging material. The gusset forming mechanism has a pair of folding members configured and arranged to be pressed against side portions of the tubular packaging material to form gussets in the side portions of the tubular packaging material while the folding members move along the conveyance direction of the tubular packaging material before the transverse sealing mechanism seals the tubular packaging material. |
| US08689530B2 |
Method and device for inserting (tube) bags into cartons
In order to insert packages, particularly bags (10) having fragile packaging goods into containers or cartons (14), the carton (14) is held ready in a packing station (16) such that the bags (10) can be inserted into the carton (14) by means of a delivery device, particularly a pusher (56). In order to create different, ordered formations of the bags (10) within the carton (14), said carton can be moved during the filling or packing process such that the packing formation is created due to a corresponding relative positioning of the carton (14) at a predetermined feed plane. |
| US08689526B2 |
System and method for facilitating opening of plastic bags
A plastic bag for retaining a food product is formed of first and second plastic sheets sealed along the bottom and sides. The bag has an exterior increased friction surface section proximate the mouth. The bag is used in combination with a glove having an exterior increased friction surface portion. The exterior increased friction portion of the glove engages the increased friction section of the bag to facilitate opening of the mouth of the bag. Preferably, aligned increased friction sections are formed on the exterior surface of opposite sides of the bag and the glove has exterior increased friction portions on the tips of the finger stalls. When the bag is held between the thumb and index finger of the glove user, movement of the thumb and index finger of the glove in opposite directions facilitates opening of the bag. |
| US08689525B2 |
Machine for filling and capping vials
A machine (M) for filling and capping vials (F), comprising, arranged in a cascade fashion: a supply station (1) of empty vials (F); an Archimedes screw (2) having a rotation axis parallel to a longitudinal development of the machine (M), supplied with the vials (F) in arrival from the supply station (1); a device (D) for disengaging a predetermined number of vials (F) from the screw (2), activated in phase relation with the screw (2), and for transferring the vials (F) transversally; a comb conveyor (3), step-moved and designed to receive the predetermined number of vials (F) from the device (D); a filling station (6, 7), designed for introduction of a liquid solution contemporaneously into a plurality of vials (F); a capping station (10, 11) for contemporaneously sealing a plurality of vials (F); an outlet zone (U) for conveying the vials (F) out of the operating line of the machine. |
| US08689524B2 |
Medicine feeding device
There is provided a medicine feeding device which can apply uniform tension to wrapping paper wound in a roll state to wrap a medicine. The medicine feeding device comprises a tablet case which stores a medicine, and the wrapping paper wound in the roll state, wraps a medicine discharged from the tablet case in wrapping paper 72, and comprises a tension application mechanism 113 which applies predetermined tension to the continuously pulled-out wrapping paper. This tension application mechanism is constituted to freely move up-and-down, and to apply tension to the pulled-out wrapping paper by its own weight. |
| US08689523B1 |
Ice bagging assembly with accessible hopper
An ice bagging assembly and related method with a horizontal ice bag cassette, a pair of opposing ice bag ply graspers configured to move an empty ice bag from the horizontal ice bag cassette to a vertical position to receive cubed ice before it is sealed shut and dropped to an ice bag merchandiser. The opposing graspers may be configured as rotating wheels and may have a grasping sensor. The ice bag cassette may be slidably and tiltably supported for easy replacement of horizontal bags. A load sensor, optical or mechanical, may be associated with the ice hopper to sense how much ice has been put in each bag. A pair of angled guides may guide a hopper into a support frame for the system. |
| US08689515B2 |
Hinge assembly for a frame structure
A hinge assembly is provided for a frame structure. The hinge assembly includes a first generally flat plate having an inner face, an outer face and a bolt-receiving bore therethrough. The bolt-receiving bore extending between the inner face and the outer face along a bore axis at an acute angle to the outer face. A second generally flat plate has an inner face, an outer face and a bolt-receiving bore therethrough. The bolt-receiving bore in the second plate extending between the inner face and the outer face thereof along a bore axis at an acute angle to the outer face. A pin pivotably connects the first plate to the second plate. A first lip extends from the inner face of the first plate and a second lip extends from the inner face of the second plate. |
| US08689512B2 |
Mechanical locking of floor panels with vertical folding
Floor panels (1, 1′, 1″) are shown, which are provided with a mechanical locking system on long and short edges (5a, 5b, 4a, 4b) allowing installation with vertical folding and where the long edge (5a, 5b) locking system prevents separation of the short edges (4a, 4b) during the folding action. |
| US08689510B1 |
Roofing system and method
A roofing system and kit including a texture layer for application to an upper surface of the deck of the roof with an upper face of the texture layer being contoured to resemble a different roofing material, a transition texture strip for positioning across gaps between texture layer occurring at transitions in the upper surface of the roof deck and having a contoured upper surface, and an edge strip for application along the perimeter edges of the roof to create an outer perimeter for the roofing system. A finish layer is applied to the texture layer, transition texture strip and edge strip positioned on the roof deck in a liquid sprayable form as a coating onto the texture layer, transition texture strip and edge strip to solidify into a solid layer such that the finish layer forms a continuous membrane over the texture layer, transition texture strip and edge strip. |
| US08689504B2 |
Fire protection module
A fire protection module is provided for wall and ceiling openings. The fire protection module includes a sheath for insertion into the wall or ceiling opening and a flange to be placed at the wall or ceiling. The assembly of the fire protection module may be performed with few steps. For example, the sheath and the flange are embodied in one piece. |
| US08689500B2 |
Snow removal method and system for a metal roof
A method of removing accumulated frozen rain/ice/snow from a metal roof. The method comprising the steps of inducing vibration into the metal roof, via at least one vibration imparting member attached to the metal roof, to break up the frozen rain/ice/snow accumulated on the metal roof and separate the frozen rain/ice/snow from the metal roof; and allowing the frozen rain/ice/snow to slide off the metal roof under an effect of gravity. |
| US08689498B2 |
Bird spike with plastic base having upper and lower recesses
A deterrent device can include an elongated base having a plurality of spikes coupled to the base that are configured to extend from the base such that the spikes alternate on each side of the base between a lower-angled spike and an upper-angled spike. The base can further include first and second wings that each has a width that is at least twice a width of the base. |
| US08689495B2 |
Protective shelter
Protective shelters for enclosing one or more persons and/or animals are described. A capsule can be a spherical or substantially spherical, water-tight shell surrounding a frame and forming an interior portion which accommodates the one or more persons and/or animal; and at least one sealable entry door configured to seal at least one opening formed in the shell. |
| US08689493B2 |
Truss based display system
A display unit comprising a plurality of vertical truss members anchored to a floor surface; a plurality of horizontal rails attached to the vertical truss members thereby forming a frame; a horizontal track anchored to a floor surface in front of the vertical truss members; a plurality of cantilever supports attached across the top of the frame, the cantilever supports each having a front portion providing an upper frame and lower frame; a plurality of upper rectangular panels mounted in a first row adjacent one another in the upper frames; a plurality of lower rectangular panels mounted in the lower frames adjacent one another a second row below the first row; first and second side panels anchored to the floor track and to a plurality of the horizontal rails; a plurality of cabinets located adjacent one another between the first and second side panels and anchored to the floor track and at least one of said horizontal rails; and a plurality of display panels disposed between the top surfaces of the cabinets and the lower edges of the lower rectangular panels. |
| US08689492B2 |
Motorized rotating gutter
A roof-mounted actuator of a gutter dumping assembly is actuatable to rotate a gutter from an initial, upright position to a downwardly-facing dumped position in order to dump debris from the gutter. The actuator is coupled to the gutter support by a flexible structure so that, after the actuator positively engages a support for the gutter and forces it to an over-center position, the gutter falls to a dumped position under only the force of gravity. |
| US08689491B2 |
Device with inflatable membrane for raising flat roof low areas
A low cost method and device for diverting water away from a flat roof's low spots, thus preventing it from puddling there during a rainstorm. Such puddles, if allowed to stand, can damage a roof deck structurally. The device includes a flexible membrane, an air valve mounted thereon, and mechanical fasteners for attaching the membrane along its periphery, to both the roof deck and its existing covering. Ideally, the membrane can be heat welded, taped or glued to the roof covering and joined thereto to form an airtight seal, thus simplifying construction of inflatable barriers for the roof's low spots. For each such barrier, a membrane, sized and shaped to cover at least one low spot, substantially overlaps the latter's edges and defines, in combination with the roof covering, an air pocket which, when inflated via the air valve, causes the membrane to protrude upwardly, effectively elevating the covered spot. |
| US08689487B2 |
Panel for a motor vehicle
A panel, preferably made of plastic, for a vehicle, in particular for a motor vehicle comprises a U-shaped passage for the reception of a seal which has a first sealing lip which contacts a first limb of the U-shaped passage in an uninterrupted manner and comprises a second sealing lip which contacts the second limb of the U-shaped passage. To improve the sealing effect, the second sealing lip contacts the second limb of the U-shaped passage in an uninterrupted manner. |
| US08689485B2 |
Vertical planter and gardening wall
A vertical planter and gardening wall comprised of base planter blocks that are identical to each other and end blocks that are identical to each other. The blocks are stackable and interlock. The invention can be used by gardeners to cultivate and display their gardens indoors or outdoors in a restricted area. |
| US08689484B2 |
Weed control and root barrier
A polyolefin sheet material carries layered segments of a polymer which contains a herbicide such as a 2,6-dinitroaniline. The sheet material can be porous to permit free passage of water. It may be either a perforated sheet or a woven or non-woven material. A desired material is a non-woven fabric of non-biodegradable polyolefin material, such as a geotextile, for example. In order to obtain a root growth-repelling property, the herbicide is blended with a polymer which is attached or bonded to or embedded in the geotextile, or other polyolefin carrier sheet material, in the form of spaced apart layered segments. Diffusion of the herbicide directly into the soil is prevented by a barrier material positioned on, coated on, or otherwise bonded to the layered segments, to encompass surfaces of the segments which are otherwise exposed on the sheet material. Essentially all of the herbicide contained in the layered segments is directed into the soil virtually exclusively by means of its long term migration through the carrier sheet material. |
| US08689481B2 |
Integration of surface heating to an enclosure
Disclosed are designs and methods for integrating heating film onto surfaces and enclosures that are useful for preventing the infestation of pests. Specifically, designs to increase the effective heating area and location of said heating film within enclosures such as suitcases. Also, the use of heating films to create a thermal barrier to prevent pests from crawling across a surface. Heating films can be utilized that are inexpensive, low-profile, and lightweight. |
| US08689479B1 |
Method and apparatus for weedless fish lure
Method and apparatus for a hard body fishing lure having a cavity disposed therein which conceals a fish hook held internal the body by a magnet. An axle is provided near the front of the lure about which the hook rotates from the internal position to an external position when the lure is struck by a fish and back pressure is placed on the fishing line so that the hook is deployed from internal the body to external the body so as to hook a fish in the mouth. A tube for receiving the line is placed between two halves of the lure wherein weights are placed near the bottom edges of the halves in order to properly weight the lure body. An additional embodiment is shown wherein a bill or lip is placed on the front of the halves of the lure body in order to make the lure dive deeper into the water column. |
| US08689478B2 |
Quick take-down barrel system and method for modular rifle
In embodiments, a modular rifle includes a lower receiver assembly, an upper receiver assembly housing a barrel, and a coupling mechanism. Upper receiver assembly has two portions, an aft portion and fore portion, commonly comprising a hand guard. The barrel is releasably attached to the upper receiver first portion by a hand-tightenable barrel nut sleeve connector. Upper receiver second portion is both releasably attached to the barrel nut connector sleeve and to the upper receiver first portion to prevent the barrel nut connector sleeve from rotating during firing of the rifle and to keep the second portion from detaching during firing of the rifle. Attachment of upper receiver second portion to the barrel nut connector sleeve is accomplished by a removable take-down pin and common screw clamp, which secure the barrel nut connector sleeve. Upper receiver first and second portions are connected by an attachment tab and receptacle. |
| US08689474B2 |
Multi-part signage
A sign for displaying product information to a consumer. The sign includes first and second components for supporting primary and secondary product information. A first support member is provided for supporting the sign in an orientation to enable the product information to be visible to a consumer. A connecting interface is provided in the form of extenders emanating from the first and second components enabling the first and second components to releaseably attach to one another, the second component used for supporting supplemental product information in an orientation to enable supplemental product information to be made visible to a consumer. |
| US08689471B2 |
Method and system for controlling an excavator
A control for an excavator of the type having a plurality of hydraulic cylinders for moving excavator components such that digging is accomplished at a worksite with an excavator bucket or other excavator implement, includes a plurality of hydraulic control valves, each of which is associated with a respective one of the hydraulic cylinders for controlling the application of hydraulic fluid pressure to the respective one of the hydraulic cylinders, and a plurality of manually actuated joystick valves for supplying hydraulic fluid pressure to the respective hydraulic control valves to control the movement of the hydraulic cylinders. The control includes a sensor arrangement for sensing the position of one or more excavator components. |
| US08689470B2 |
Excavator
An excavator (1) includes an excavator main body (7), an apron (2) for the receipt of excavated material and a conveyor (3), the apron being located at or in proximity to the front of the main body, the conveyor extending from the apron to the rear of the main body. In use, the conveyor moves excavated material from the front to the rear of the main body, the excavator further includes an arm (11) having an attachment (5) for excavating material and moving the excavating material towards the apron (2). The excavator has a support associated with the front of the main body, the support being movable from a first position in which the support is in resilient contact with the ground to a second position in which there is substantially no contact between the support and the ground. The support includes one or both of the apron and conveyor. |
| US08689463B2 |
Clothes dryer apparatus with improved lint removal system
A method and apparatus for removing lint from air that is discharged from a clothes dryer uses a lint filtration housing mounted on the frame of the clothes dryer, the filtration housing having an interior that contains a filter for removing lint from the dryer exhaust air flow stream. The housing provides an influent fitting for transmitting heating exhaust air from the drying chamber to the housing interior. An ambient air supply enables ambient air to be added to the filtration housing interior. One or more vanes is provided that create an annular vortex within the filtration housing interior. The flow of the annular vortex within the filtration housing interior can be between about 500 and 3,000 cubic feet per second. A flow line transmits pre-heated air from the filtration housing interior to the dryer interior. |
| US08689462B2 |
Steam laundry dryer
The present invention relates to a steam laundry drier, and more specifically to a steam laundry dryer capable of removing or preventing crease or wrinkle occurring in cloth, etc. and capable of improving assembling efficiency by easily mounting a steam generator provided to remove the crease or the wrinkle and a water supply source supplying water to the steam generator in the inside of the steam laundry drier. |
| US08689457B2 |
Method and device for measuring the protrusion of bearing shells
The invention relates to a method for determining the protrusion of bearing shells, comprising the following steps: a) clamping a bearing shell at several bearing points; b) applying one or more test forces to at least one point of the bearing shell so that the bearing shell is elastically deformed; c) measuring the deformation of the bearing shell at one or more measuring points of the bearing shell; d) determining the protrusion from the measured deformation. The invention further relates to a device for determining the protrusion of bearing shells, comprising a clamping device, which is suitable for clamping a bearing shell at one or more bearing points, one or more deformation apparatuses, which are suitable for applying one or more test forces to at least one point of the bearing shell, one or more measuring devices, which can measure the deformation of the bearing shell at one or more points when one or more test forces are applied by the deformation apparatus to at least one point of the bearing shell in such a way that the bearing shell is elastically deformed, and an apparatus for determining the protrusion, which can determine the protrusion of the bearing shell from the measured deformation of the bearing shell. |
| US08689453B2 |
Cooking utensil
A cooking utensil 10 having a stem or handle 12 and a bowl or containment portion 13 which has a cavity 16 and protruding ridges which may be used to selectively engage, cut and grind an item such as food. |
| US08689447B2 |
Fire resistance for optically transparent thermoplastics
A fire retardant, transparent panel and method of making the panel, that is especially well suited for use on mobile platforms, and particularly on aircrafts. The panel is a composite of a transparent matrix and a plurality of fire-retardant nanoparticles. The nanoparticles have a diameter less than the visible spectrum of light, and in one form between about 0.1 nm to about 400 nm in diameter. The nanoparticles may be arranged randomly or in predetermined patterns within the matrix during manufacturing of the panel. The panel is lightweight, transparent and yet highly fire retardant. |
| US08689433B1 |
Automatic gravity vacuum screw feeding
An electric screwdriver is coupled to an automatic screw feeding adaptor defining a screw path having a proximal end, a middle region and a distal end. A first screw is received within the screw feeding adaptor and held at a driving position near the distal end of the screw path by applying a distal partial vacuum within the screw feeding adaptor. The first screw is driven, and a torque applied to the first screw is detected. The torque is compared to a minimum torque threshold, and a second screw is moved along the screw path based at least in part upon the comparison. |
| US08689429B2 |
Method of reworking head suspension
A method of reworking a head suspension removes a slider from the head suspension by pressing a blade from a first side toward a second side in a longitudinal direction of the slider to solder ball bonding, stopping the second side of the slider in the longitudinal direction with a holding mechanism, and forcing the blade to bite and cut the solder ball bonding to remove the slider from the flexure. The solder ball bonding is cut without applying extra force to components of the head suspension except the slider. The method improves product yield. |
| US08689426B2 |
Method of manufacturing a resonating structure
Aspects of the subject disclosure include, for example, obtaining a mechanical resonating structure comprising a compensating structure, where the compensating structure comprises one or more materials having an adaptive stiffness that reduces a variance in a resonating frequency of the mechanical resonating structure (f0), and adjusting at least one of a value of f0 of the obtained mechanical resonating structure or a value of a temperature for which temperature coefficient of frequency of the obtained mechanical resonating structure is approximately zero (T0) by altering a thickness of at least one targetable material of the mechanical resonating structure. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08689422B2 |
Securing plugs for attaching computer components
A keyboard assembly for a small form factor computer includes a number of keys and associated electrical contacts positioned between the top case portion of the computer and the feature plate. The attachment of the keyboard assembly during the manufacturing process can be accelerated by welding securing fasteners through small holes in the feature plate directly to the top case portion of the computer. |
| US08689421B2 |
Method of making disc brake pads
The subject invention provides a method of designing disc brake pads. The method includes the step of developing a finite element model of a precursor brake pad design using dimensional and material property information of its backing plate and friction pad to perform a normal mode analysis of the precursor brake pad design. The method proceeds with the step of performing the normal mode analysis using the finite element model to determine whether there is an area on the friction surface having an excitation amplitude that is greater than a threshold value of amplitude. If an area having an excitation amplitude greater than the threshold value is determined, the precursor brake pad design is modified to provide a brake pad design having a relieved portion in the area. |
| US08689417B2 |
Precision laser adjustable thin film capacitors
Disclosed are apparatus and methodology for providing a precision laser adjustable (e.g., trimmable) thin film capacitor array. A plurality of individual capacitors are formed on a common substrate and connected together in parallel by way of fusible links. The individual capacitors are provided as laddered capacitance value capacitors such that a plurality of lower valued capacitors corresponding to the lower steps of the ladder, and lesser numbers of capacitors, including a single capacitor, for successive steps of the ladder, are provided. Precision capacitance values can be achieved by either of fusing or ablating selected of the fusible links so as to remove the selected subcomponents from the parallel connection. In-situ live-trimming of selected fusible links may be performed after placement of the capacitor array on a hosting printed circuit board. |
| US08689416B2 |
Method for manufacturing surface acoustic wave element
A method for manufacturing a surface acoustic wave element that prevents curvature of a piezoelectric substrate when forming an electrode pattern includes a first step of bonding to a first principal surface of a piezoelectric substrate a support member having a linear expansion coefficient lower than a linear expansion coefficient of the piezoelectric substrate to form a composite substrate, a second step of forming a plurality of grooves in the support member of the composite substrate from a surface that is opposite to a bonding interface between the support member and the piezoelectric substrate, a third step of forming electrode patterns including at least one IDT electrode on a second principal surface of the piezoelectric substrate of the composite substrate, and a fourth step of dividing the composite substrate on which the electrode patterns are formed to form individual surface acoustic wave elements. |
| US08689414B1 |
Protective fabric with weave architecture
Crimp-imbalanced protective fabric is accomplished by varying the levels of yarn crimp within and across a layer or layers of a multi-layer fabric armor system. The method includes developing a crimp in the yarn (utilized for producing a fiber layer) by pulling the yarn through a solution that substantially coats the yarn. The removable coating has a thickness that ensures a proper amount of crimp in the yarn. The tension in the yarn is controlled; the yarn is weaved; and a crimp is applied in the yarn. Once the crimp is applied, families of the crimped yarn are utilized as a layer or layered to produce a soft armor form. |
| US08689412B2 |
Memorial carrier
An apparatus including a mounting platform, wherein the mounting platform includes a substantially planar mounting surface; a clamping mechanism on the mounting surface; a memorial item retained by the clamping mechanism; and an arrangement of handles on a side of the mounting platform, wherein the side is substantially normal to the plane of the mounting surface. |
| US08689411B2 |
Casket and display base
A combination casket and casket display comprises a reduced height casket shell adapted to receive the remains of a deceased and having a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls, and a bottom wall, the side walls and end walls having lower edges, the bottom wall extending below the lower edges of the side walls and end walls, a casket lid closable on the reduced height casket shell, and a casket display base having a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls, the side walls and end walls having upper edges. The reduced height casket shell is supported by the casket display base such that the lower edges of the side walls and end walls of the reduced height casket shell are at about the same height as the upper edges of the side walls and end walls of the casket display base, and the bottom wall of the reduced height casket shell extends below the upper edges of the side walls and end walls of the casket display base so as to nest within the casket display base. A combined height of the reduced height casket shell and display base is about equal to a height of a conventional height casket shell. |
| US08689410B2 |
Tongue
A tongue (200, 400) for an inflatable belt restraint system, the tongue comprising: a narrow cylindrical hollow tube (204a, 204b) comprising a first formed member and a second formed member joined together along respective mating edges of the first and second formed members and two mating portions (202a and 202b) forming the looped portion of the tongue. |
| US08689409B2 |
Panel mounting clip with adhesives
A fastener for mounting a panel to a supporting structure includes a fastener part having a base with an upper and lower side. A connector is adapted to engage with another fastener part projecting from the upper side of the base. The lower side of the base is adapted to be adhesively connected to a substrate and incorporating a surface configuration that promotes a mechanical connection with an adhesive. The lower side surface configuration includes a protrusion extending from the base to a crown. The protrusion includes an undercut portion configured to form a mechanical connection with the adhesive. In use adhesive fills between the protrusions and forms a mechanical connection with the undercut portions when hardened. |
| US08689408B2 |
Continuous-coil type waterproof slide fastener and the structure impervious to fluid thereof
A continuous-coil type waterproof slide fastener includes two support tapes each having opposing first face and second face, two rows of coupling elements respectively formed of a continuous length of monofilament and respectively secured to along the inner longitudinal edge of the second face of each of the two support tapes, a high polymer elastic member bonded to the vertical wall of the inner longitudinal edge of each support tape and transversely extending from the vertical wall of the inner longitudinal edge to a predetermined distance, each high polymer elastic member further having a covering portion on the inner longitudinal edge of the second face of the associating support tape and a filling portion penetrates into inner chinks in the associating row of coupling elements, and a fluid impervious film covered at least on the first face of each support tape and the associating high polymer elastic member. |
| US08689407B2 |
Hose clamp
A hose clamp includes: a clamp body having a plurality of screw holes passing therethrough; a coupling housing disposed at one side of the clamp body and into which an opposite side of the clamp body is inserted; and a coupling screw rotatably disposed in the coupling housing and engaged with the screw holes of the clamp body inserted within the coupling housing, wherein the clamp body includes a compensating means including at least one compensation bead formed at one side of the clamp body for resiliently fastening a hose by a degree by which a diameter of the hose is decreased so as to firmly tighten the hose. The hose clamp can prevent the compensation means from being deformed over the resilient area, so that the compensation means is not deformed over the resilient area. |
| US08689404B2 |
Rotary shaft structure
A rotary shaft structure is provided with rotational and locating functions based on a compact request condition. The rotary shaft structure includes a combination of a shaft body and a braking device, in which the braking device includes a first end provided with a limiting portion and a second end provided with an assembling portion, thereby preventing an axial displacement of a rotary shaft. The shaft body corresponding to the first end of the braking device and the limiting portion thereof includes a base portion and at least one braking portion formed on the base portion, in which a locating function is formed when an interference state of the limiting portion of the braking device and the braking portion of the shaft body is formed, thereby improving the conditions of assembly and fitting difficulties, complication and time-consuming process in conventional skills. |
| US08689403B2 |
Door hinge for motor vehicles
A motor vehicle door hinge, having a pillar fitting able to be mounted on a vehicle body, and a door fitting able to be mounted on a motor vehicle door, which are connected to each other in an articulated manner by a hinge pin connected to either the pillar fitting or the door fitting in a rotation-resistant manner and to the remaining one of the pillar fitting or the door fitting in an articulated manner, and an arresting unit having a detent body carrier connected to the hinge pin in a rotation-resistant manner and radially extending to the latter and having a detent body, and a detent element adjustable on the other one of the pillar fitting or the door fitting with respect to the detent body carrier, coaxially arranged with respect to the hinge pin axis and in engagement with the detent body and including at least one detent notch, and arranged within a housing surrounding the hinge pin and the detent body carrier. |
| US08689402B2 |
Furniture hinge
A furniture hinge includes at least one control cam and at least one spring. The control cam moves along on the spring in order to produce a closing force and/or opening force. A sliding element is attached to the spring and/or to the control cam. The control cam or the spring moves along on the sliding element. |
| US08689401B2 |
Vacuum cleaner dirt cup
A vacuum cleaner including a dirt cup assembly including a first stage cyclonic separator operable to at least partially separate debris from an airflow, a second stage cyclonic separator downstream from the first stage cyclonic separator and operable to at least partially separate the debris from the airflow, a container having a sidewall that at least partially defines the first stage cyclonic separator, and a shroud having a lower perforated portion located within the container, and an upper portion that surrounds and receives the second stage cyclonic separator. The upper portion is located outside of the first container such that the upper portion forms an outside wall of the dirt cup above the sidewall of the container. The shroud further includes an intermediate portion between the lower portion and the upper portion, and the intermediate portion is coupled to the sidewall of the first container. |
| US08689384B2 |
Pig receiver assembly
A pig receiver and method retrieve pigs in pipeline pigging operations. In one embodiment, a pig receiver includes a pig receiver unit. The pig receiver also includes a pig gate valve assembly disposed on the pig receiving unit. The pig gate valve assembly includes a gate valve. The pig gate valve assembly also includes a first actuator and a second actuator. The pig gate valve assembly further includes a cylinder guide. In addition, the pig gate valve assembly includes a tie bar. Actuation of the tie bar actuates the gate valve. An end of the tie bar is attached to the first actuator, and an opposing end of the tie bar is attached to the second actuator. |
| US08689382B2 |
Method of manufacturing an article of footwear including a composite upper
A method of manufacturing an upper made of a composite material for an article of footwear is disclosed. The method includes associating a layer of carbon fiber material and a flexible substrate to form the composite material. A thin outer coating of TPU is applied to an outer surface of the carbon fiber material of the composite material. The method forms an article of footwear having an upper that is generally flexible and lightweight. |
| US08689380B2 |
Multi-stranded coil spring
A spring assembly including a helical coil formed from a multi-strand cord. |
| US08689378B2 |
Cushion structure and construction
A cushion assembly includes an aesthetic cover having a perimeter panel providing a perimeter height. Spaced apart cover panels extend between the perimeter panels. The perimeter and cover panels together provide a cushion cavity. A cushion includes randomly oriented fibers bonded to one another to provide a core of a batt that has opposing surfaces. The batt includes manufactured, tufted and desired design heights. A tuft extends through the cushion to the opposing surfaces to maintain the cushion in the tufted height, which is less than the manufactured height. The cushion is provided at the desired design height with the tufted cushion arranged within the cushion cavity. The tufted height is generally less than the desired design height. |
| US08689370B2 |
Nozzle with independent flow and pulse control
A jet for a spa or bathing system that has a water flow modifier, where the water flow modifier is controlled independently from the flow rate of water through the jet. |
| US08689364B2 |
Belt adjustment system
Disclosed are belt adjustment systems, particularly for wearing around a user's waist, that permit a continuum of belt loop sizes or a larger selection of belt loop sizes. The belt adjustment system includes an elongate belt member having a first end, a second end and a series of teeth positioned on an inner surface near the second end and a fixation member having first and second adjustment elements. |
| US08695108B2 |
In-liquid potential measurement device and atomic force microscope
To measure surface potentials in a liquid, the in-liquid potential measurement device according to the present invention includes: a cantilever having a probe at its free end; a displacement measurement unit that measures a voltage corresponding to a displacement of a tip of the cantilever; an AC source that applies an AC voltage between the probe and the sample; and a signal detection unit. A frequency of the AC voltage is 10 kHz or higher. The signal detection unit detects, from the voltage measured by the displacement measurement unit, an amplitude of a frequency component having the same frequency as that of the AC voltage, an amplitude of a frequency component having double frequency of that of the AC voltage, and a frequency component having the same phase as that of the frequency of the AC voltage. |
| US08695104B2 |
System and method for creating conditional immutable objects in a storage device
A data storage system includes a storage device and a data handler that receives an object, creates metadata for the object that includes a key and an authorization, stores the object on the storage device, receives a request for the object, determines if the request includes the key, and, if the request has authorization information, permits access to the object. The data handler receives another request for the object, determines if the request includes the key, and, if the request does not have the authorization information, denies access to the object. |
| US08695102B2 |
Controlling execution of executables between partitions in a multi-partitioned data processing system
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for assuring data integrity is shown. A partition receives a request to execute an executable file from a source external to the partition. A memory region is created within the partition. The partition or service interface makes an authentication determination. The partition executes an executable file in the memory region based on the request, provided there is a positive authentication determination. |
| US08695096B1 |
Automatic signature generation for malicious PDF files
In some embodiments, automatic signature generation for malicious PDF files includes: parsing a PDF file to extract script stream data embedded in the PDF file; determining whether the extracted script stream data within the PDF file is malicious; and automatically generating a signature for the PDF file. |
| US08695095B2 |
Mobile malicious software mitigation
Mitigation of malicious software in wireless networks and/or on mobile devices is provided. A mobile malicious software mitigation component is provided that obtains an internet protocol address that is exhibiting malicious software behavior, a profile of the malicious software behavior, and a time of the malicious software behavior. The malicious software mitigation component can determine an identity of a mobile device that was assigned the internet protocol address during the time it was exhibiting malicious software behavior, and transmit the profile to the mobile device. In addition, the malicious software mitigation component determine if the duration of the assignment of the internet protocol address to the mobile device is sufficient for positive identification. |
| US08695094B2 |
Detecting secondary infections in virus scanning
A method, computer program product or computer system for scanning files in a computer system to detect additional infected files of a computer virus when a first infected file of the computer virus is identified, includes maintaining a friends tree for each file in the computer system, maintaining a search tree using the friends trees for scanning the files, searching the files listed in the search tree for the additional infected files, and quarantining the additional infected files detected in the searching. |
| US08695089B2 |
Method and system for resilient packet traceback in wireless mesh and sensor networks
A system and method for packet traceback in a network includes maintaining an identity number (ID) for each node in a network and generating a signature (e.g., a message authentication code (MAC)) using a secret key shared between each node on a forwarding path and a sink. Each forwarding node leaves a mark by appending its ID and a signature in the packet, either in a deterministic manner or with a probability. Upon receiving a packet at the sink, correctness of the signatures included in each packet is verified in the reverse order by which these signatures were appended. A last valid MAC is determined in the forwarding path to determine the locations of compromised nodes that collude in false data injection attacks. |
| US08695087B2 |
Access control for a memory device
Access control for a memory device is provided. In one embodiment, a portable memory device is provided comprising a storage medium comprising a private area and circuitry operative to (a) receive, from a host device, a password to unlock the host device, (b) compare the password with a password stored in the portable memory device, and (c) if the passwords match, allow the host device to access the private area. In another embodiment, a portable memory device is provided comprising a storage medium comprising a private area and a public area. The public area stores computer-readable program code to facilitate interaction with the access control features of the portable memory device. Methods for use with such memory devices are also provided. Other embodiments are disclosed, and each of the embodiments can be used alone or together in combination. |
| US08695076B2 |
Remote registration for enterprise applications
A partner registration module can provide for an automatic registration of partners to a central server. An entire partner registration process can be automated from end to end, providing a unified process for registering partners. The partner registration module can be fully compatible with current registration agents and next generation registration agents. |
| US08695075B2 |
System and method for discovery enrichment in an intelligent workload management system
The system and method described herein for discovery enrichment in an intelligent workload management system may include a computing environment having a model-driven, service-oriented architecture for creating collaborative threads to manage workloads. In particular, the management threads may converge information for managing identities and access credentials, which may provide information that can enrich discovery of physical and virtual infrastructure resources. For example, a discovery engine may reference federated identity information stored in an identity vault and enrich a discovered infrastructure model with the federated identity information. Thus, the model may generally include information describing physical and virtualized resources in the infrastructure, applications and services running in the infrastructure, and information derived from the federated identity information that describes dependencies between the physical resources, the virtualized resources, the applications, and the services. |
| US08695073B2 |
Automated device provisioning and activation
A computer-readable medium, a service controller, and a method for obtaining one or more credentials from a device communicatively coupled to the service controller over a network, the credentials identifying an aspect of the device; determining, using the credentials, that a user of the device has not selected a service plan for the device; identifying one or more candidate service plans, at least one of the plans identified based on the one or more credentials; establishing a secure link between the service controller and a service processor of the device over an ambient services connection enabling the user to select one of the candidate service plans for the device; sending, to the service processor over the secure link, information about the candidate service plans; and obtaining, from the service processor over the secure link, a response identifying a service plan selected by the user. |
| US08695071B2 |
Authentication method
A system and method whereby the identity of a person, entity, device or the like attempting to gain access to a secured resource may be securely authenticated includes a means for receiving from a service client (such as a retail store, service station, on-line service provider or merchandiser, healthcare provider, medical insurer, information consumer or the like) a request for access to a secured resource, where the request for access was previously submitted to the service client by a requester purporting to be an authorized user of said secured resource; means for generating and communicating to the purported authorized user a challenge string adapted to provide a basis for authenticating the identity of the requester; a means for receiving from the service client a response string corresponding to the challenge string; and a means for evaluating the response string to authenticate the identity of the requester. |
| US08695068B1 |
Device authentication using display device irregularity
A device authentication server authenticates a remotely located device using data representing pixel irregularities of a display of the device. Since each display will deteriorate in a unique and randomized way, a unique mapping of pixel irregularities of a display of a device will be unique. By combining unique map of pixel irregularities of a display of the remotely located device, the device can be distinguished from similar devices when other attributes alone are insufficient to uniquely identify the device. |
| US08695066B1 |
System and method for secure communication between domains
A method for secure communications between first and second domains where a first logical unit calculates timestamps and hashes and transmits web forms to a node of a first domain responsive to a request. The first unit further receives data input to the web form by the user and enhances and translates that data and transmits the translated data across the public network. A second logical unit de-enhances the translated data, filters the translated data authorizes the filtered data and adds security services without modifying the application. |
| US08695065B2 |
Data communication apparatus, data communication method, data communication program, and storage medium storing the program
A data communication apparatus which is capable of preventing reception of undesired data by a destination without increasing the load on a network, etc. Data and a destination thereof are input. A sender ID related to a sender who sends the input data is input. The input data is sent to the input destination. A sender ID for data transmission to the input destination is permitted is stored as a permission ID. The input sender ID is collated with the stored permission ID. Whether to permit data transmission is determined according to the collation result. |
| US08695064B2 |
Method and system for machine identification
A method and system for identifying a machine used for an online session with an online provider includes executing a lightweight fingerprint code from a provider interface during an online session to collect and transmit machine and session information; generating and storing a machine signature or identity including a machine effective speed calibration (MESC) which may be used to identify the machine when the machine is used in a subsequent online session by a method of matching the machine signature and MESC to a database of machine identities, analyzing a history of the machine's online sessions to identify one or more response indicators, such as fraud indicators, and executing one or more responses to the response indicators, such as disabling a password or denying an online transaction, where the response and response indicator may be provider-designated. |
| US08695061B2 |
Document process system, image formation device, document process method and recording medium storing program
A document process system, which includes: an authentication section that authenticates an operator of an operation target document; an extraction section that extracts specific information for setting operation restriction information of the document; a setting section that sets the operation restriction information of the document based on authentication information of the operator authenticated by the authentication section and the specific information extracted by the extraction section; and a generation section that generates a protected document to which the operation restriction information is set by the setting section based on the operation target document. |
| US08695058B2 |
Selective management of mobile device data in an enterprise environment
In various embodiments, a method is described that includes registering a mobile device with an enterprise by storing registration data for the mobile device in a device management database; designating one or more group designations for the mobile device; storing the one or more group designations in the device management database; determining one or more policies for the mobile device based at least in part on the one or more group designations; and selectively taking action on selected data from the mobile device in the device management database based on the one or more policies. |
| US08695057B2 |
Communications apparatus and control method therefor
When exchanging communication parameter setting information on a wireless network, a communications apparatus selects between a first operation mode in which communications parameter information is exchanged with a specific communications apparatus and a second operation mode in which communications parameter information is exchanged with an unspecified number of communications apparatus. Depending on the selected operation mode, the communications apparatus control security upon holding the communications parameter information exchanged with the specific communications apparatus and the communications parameter information exchanged with the unspecified number of communications apparatus. |
| US08695056B2 |
Method for information tracking in multiple interdependent dimensions
A method for information flow tracking is provided using, for example, a functional programming language based on lambda calculus, λI. The method provides a unified information-tracking framework that supports multiple, interdependent dimensions of information. An expressive policy-specification system is separated from the underlying information-flow tracking mechanism. Arbitrary domain-specific policies are supported that can be developed and enforced independent of information flow tracking. Information-flow metadata is treated as a first-class entity, and information flow is correctly tracked on the metadata itself. Classes of information flow polices are defined using multiple dimensions that are application to both information flow data and to the information flows themselves. These classes of polices accurately model more realistic security policies, based on partial trust relations. Therefore, multiple interdependent dimensions of information are simultaneously tracked and enforced within the framework of the information flow tracking system. |
| US08695055B2 |
Splitter/combiner for CATV networks
A splitter circuit means for use with a CATV network comprising: a first signal input for receiving a CATV signal; a first splitter for splitting the CATV signal into a first split signal and a second split signal; a second signal input for receiving a MoCA signal; a second splitter for splitting the MoCA signal into a third split signal and a fourth split signal; a first diplex filter arranged to lowpass filter the first split signal and highpass filter the third split signal and to combine said filtered signals into a first combined signal to be supplied in a first output; and a second diplex filter arranged to lowpass filter the second split signal and highpass filter the fourth split signal and to combine said filtered signals into a second combined signal to be supplied in a second output. |
| US08695054B2 |
Ingesting heterogeneous video content to provide a unified video provisioning service
A system may receive a video asset from a content provider. The system may process the video asset to allow a video provisioning system to distribute the video asset to a set top box and another device that is a different type of device than the set top box. Processing the video asset may include verifying that the video asset conforms to one or more predetermined formats, decrypting the video asset, verifying that the video asset complies with a particular standard of quality, or transcoding the video asset in a manner that is supported by the set top box and the other device. The system may store the transcoded video asset. |
| US08695049B2 |
Content switching apparatus and content switching method
The content switching apparatus includes at least a position identifying unit (800) and a play control unit (700). In switching from a first content (broadcast program) to a second content (VOD content), the position identifying unit identifies the position of the image in the second content, the image being the same as the first image of the first content. The play control unit determines a play starting position in the second content based on the position identified by the position identifying unit. By determining the play starting position of the second content in this way, the image can be properly switched even in the case where the time length or the content configuration is different. |
| US08695045B2 |
Advanced event triggering
An event trigger data string is formulated and added to digital content for distribution to an audience via broadcast, satellite, cable or any other technology. The event trigger data string includes identification of an event source, identification of an operation to be performed, and a payload. A controller reads the data string and outputs a command to an appropriate event source for alteration of a digital content stream based upon the identified operation. The payload may, for example, identify an advertisement or notice to be spliced into or out of the digital content stream. Such event trigger data strings may be added to many different digital content streams, and a router or switching component may distribute the streams to systems that disseminate them to the audience. The technique enables interaction with different event sources, and allows command of multiple different operations by these event sources. |
| US08695043B2 |
Method for transmitting information over an integrated telecommunications and broadcast system and integrated telecommunications and broadcast system
The present invention relates to methods and systems for transmitting information over different information networks and in particular to a method for transmitting information in an integrated telecommunications and broadcast system. The method for transmitting information across the integrated telecommunications and broadcast system incorporating a cellular network and a broadcast network with a plurality of broadcast content providers connectable to transmitter/receiver equipment installed at least one base station of the cellular network, consists of broadcast content generation by broadcast content providers, connecting the broadcast content providers to an internal IP network for broadcast program distribution, transfer of the broadcast content from the broadcast content providers by means of the internal IP network via communication links and line transmission equipment of the cellular network, transmission of cellular network information over the communication links and line transmission equipment of the cellular network, generation of a combined information stream of the broadcast content information and information of the cellular network for its transmission to at least one base station of the cellular network, separation of independent streams—the cellular network information stream and the broadcast network information stream from said combined stream, and transmission of the separated independent information streams to the above-mentioned transmitter/receiver equipment for their further transmission over appropriate independent channels to subscribers of the integrated telecommunications and broadcast system, located within the coverage area of the integrated system. |
| US08695038B2 |
Customizable flip and browse overlays with content-based information types in an interactive television system
Systems and methods are provided for customizing the display of interactive television overlays. A condition related to the display of an overlay on top of video for a television channel may be defined for each of a plurality of television channels. A default set of information types for an interactive television overlay (e.g., a FLIP overlay, a BROWSE overlay, etc.) may be defined for the plurality of television channels. When the overlay is displayed on top of video for a given television channel of the plurality of television channels, the overlay may include information of the default set of information types. One or more television channels of the plurality of television channels may be identified as channels for which the default set of information types does not apply (e.g., channels for which the overlay is not displayed or for which a custom set of information types is defined). |
| US08695037B2 |
Content navigator graphical user interface system and method
In a system and method for enabling a user to simultaneously display a set of selectable categories, a set of channels related to a selected category, and individual content associated with a selected channel, of potential interest to the user. The system includes a graphical user interface which includes a set of selectable categories, sets of channels, each set of which includes channels which are relevant to each selectable category, and individual content, each of which is associated with a selectable channel and a selectable category. The graphical user interface uses hypertext markup language as the content description language, for enabling generation of guide information with links to related information and search functionality. The graphical user interface is further adapted to enable the selection of a category, a related channel, and associated individual content by the user. The internet websites and the internet content may be displayed in the same context as the video content. |
| US08695036B2 |
Program guide apparatus
A method acquires program guide information in an image signal receiver, and program guide method and apparatus using the same. In the program guide apparatus, information immediately required by a user is obtained first, and information of less preferential channels is obtained next, thus presenting a smooth interface to the user. The method of acquiring program guide information for channels includes acquiring the program guide information for each channel by scanning accessible channels while a received program is not displayed. The program guide apparatus includes a tuner tuning a channel, a program guide information detector, a memory, a key input, a microprocessor, and a character signal generator. |
| US08695034B2 |
Delivering on screen display data to existing display devices
A method and apparatus for delivering screen display data to existing display devices. Some embodiments of an apparatus include an interface to receive an input stream for a display device. The apparatus further includes a module to generate on screen display data for the display device. The apparatus includes a multiplexer, the multiplexer to multiplex the on screen display data into the input stream. |
| US08695032B2 |
Targeted television advertisements based on online behavior
In a method for delivering targeted television advertisements based on online behavior, IP addresses indicating online access devices and IP addresses indicating television set-top boxes are electronically associated for a multitude of users. Using user profile information derived from online activity from one of the online access IP addresses, a television advertisement is selected, such as by using behavioral targeting or demographic information, and automatically directed to the set-top box indicated by the set-top IP address associated with that online access IP address. Preferably neither the user profile information nor the electronic association of online access and set-top box IP addresses includes personally identifiable information. |
| US08695028B2 |
Parental controls in a media network
Access to media content is restricted. A message may be sent to a remote computer requesting access to the media content, wherein the message is based at least in part on user input. A response to the message may be received from the remote computer. It may be determined whether to provide access to the media content based on the response. |
| US08695017B2 |
Method and system for interworking a plurality of applications
An application interoperation method includes: maintaining a handler table including data type information, function information and calling information associated with each application installed in a portable device; receiving input information on a menu key of the portable device, from a user, while a first application is active; extracting, in response to the receipt of the input information, at least one function information associated with data type information, which is being processed or requested by the first application, from the handler table; dynamically generating a menu including the extracted function information to provide the user with the generated menu; receiving selection information on particular function information among the provided menu, from the user; and identifying calling information associated with the selected particular function information by referring to the handler table and executing a second application on the basis of the identified calling information. |
| US08695009B2 |
Allocating tasks to machines in computing clusters
Allocating tasks to machines in computing clusters is described. In an embodiment a set of tasks associated with a job are received at a scheduler. In an embodiment an index can be computed for each combination of tasks and processors and stored in a lookup table. In an example the index may be include an indication of the preference for the task to be processed on a particular processor, an indication of a waiting time for the task to be processed and an indication of how other tasks being processed in the computing cluster may be penalized by assigning a task to a particular processor. In an embodiment tasks are assigned to a processor by accessing the lookup table, selecting a task for processing using the index and scheduling the selected task for allocation to a processor. |
| US08695007B2 |
Computer system and method of scheduling a virtual processor to run on physical processors based on the number of possessing cycles of each virtual computer
A hypervisor calculates the total number of processor cycles (the number of processor cycles of one or more physical processors) in a first length of time based on the sum of the operating frequencies of the respective physical processors and the first length of time for each first length of time (for example, a scheduling initialization cycle T1, which will be explained further below). The hypervisor calculates for each virtual computer the number of possessing cycles, which is a value obtained by the total number of processor cycles being distributed in proportion to the service ratios of multiple virtual computers. In virtual processor scheduling, the hypervisor runs a virtual processor inside a virtual computer on any physical processor based on the number of hold cycles of each virtual computer. |
| US08695005B2 |
Model for hosting and invoking applications on virtual machines in a distributed computing environment
The described method/system/apparatus uses intelligence to better allocate tasks/work items among the processors and computers in the cloud. A priority score may be calculated for each task/work unit for each specific processor. The priority score may indicate how well suited a task/work item is for a processor. The result is that tasks/work items may be more efficiently executed by being assigned to processors in the cloud that are better prepared to execute the tasks/work items. |
| US08695004B2 |
Method for distributing computing time in a computer system
The invention relates to a method for distributing computing time in a computer system on which run a number of partial processes or threads to which an assignment process or scheduler assigns computing time as required, priorities being associated with individual threads and the assignment of computing time being carried out according to the respective priorities. According to said method, the individual threads are respectively associated with a number of time priority levels. A first time priority level contains threads to which computing time is assigned as required at any time. A first scheduler respectively allocates a time slice to the individual time priority levels, and respectively activates one of the time priority levels for the duration of the time slice thereof. A second scheduler monitors the threads of the first time priority level and the threads of the respectively activated time priority level, and assigns computing time to said threads according to the priorities thereof. |
| US08695000B1 |
Data transfer protection in a multi-tasking modeling environment having a protection mechanism selected by user via user interface
A system for providing model level protection for resources holding data accessed by multiple tasks in a model is discussed. The protection occurs at the model level so that the protection mechanism does not interfere with model dynamics. Resources concurrently accessed by multiple tasks are identified so that a unified protection mechanism can be applied to the resource. A user interface may be provided which enables the selection of a particular type of protection mechanism for the data in the resource. User supplied protection mechanisms may also be implemented. |
| US08694993B1 |
Virtualization platform for secured communications between a user device and an application server
A modular virtualization platform is provided for secured communications between a user device and an application server. A client-side computing device performs secured communications during a virtual session with an application server across a network. The client-side computing device loads a virtual machine client; and selects a remote module to serve as a virtualization server for the virtual session based on one or more performance factors. The virtual session is established with the selected module, and secured communications can occur between the client-side computing device and the application server via the virtual session of the selected module. The performance factors can be collected from a plurality of modules using a peer-to-peer gossip-based state notification process. A route list preferably stores the performance factors for a plurality of modules. The route list can contain pointers to a plurality of remote modules in a plurality of virtualization platforms, to increase reliability. |
| US08694989B1 |
Virtual installation environment
A virtual installation process and supporting environment. The virtual installation process may be considered a two-stage installation process. In the first stage a pseudo-installation may occur in which a user is provided an installation experience by a virtual installation environment that stores changes to be made as a result of the installation process. In the second stage of the installation process, the changes that were previously stored may be made to the host system. These changes may include changes to the registry, filesystem and/or any other host system components. The second stage may be initiated by a user attempting to launch the application for the first time. Other triggers may also be supported. |
| US08694986B2 |
Providing update notifications on distributed application objects
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for providing update notifications on distributed application objects. When a new version of an object is created that another object depends on, a notification can be added to the dependent object to alert a person that manages the dependent object of the creation of the updated object. Dependent objects can include template objects, such as virtual machine template objects that refer to virtual disk objects and service template objects that refer to one or more virtual machine template objects, as well as service instance objects that represent service instances that are instantiated from template objects. Versions of objects within a family can be identified by sharing a family name and having different releases. A timestamp is used to represent when an object is released to determine which version of an object is the newest version in a family. |
| US08694985B2 |
Managing digital content in hierarchies
Methods, apparatuses, and systems for managing digital content in hierarchies are described. A first version of a digital image is received from an external device which tracks changes to the first version. It is determined that a second version of the digital image, changes to which have been tracked, exists. Based on comparing the tracked changes of both versions, the versions are combined. The first version is created by splitting the second version, which is stored in a master hierarchy, and transmitting the split version to the external device. During splitting, a child hierarchy of information is split from the master hierarchy, the child hierarchy including portions of the master hierarchy to access the second version such that the second version can be accessed independent of the master hierarchy. Changes to the versions are tracked in change tables, for example, using values that are mashed into a single record. |
| US08694982B2 |
Dynamic software configuration
A method and apparatus are provided that allow the user to quickly load new versions of applications on a scan tool. The latest versions of the applications that a scan tool can operate are loaded onto a memory device. The scan tool verifies which versions of the applications are authorized and allows the scan tool to only access information related to the authorized versions. |
| US08694978B1 |
Function side-effect modeling by prototyping
Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatus for determining function side effects of a program function are disclosed. Source code of one or more prototype functions that is configured to simulate the function side-effect behaviors of a program function can be provided, and the compiler can determine the functional side effects of the program function in various specific program contexts based on the source code of the prototype functions rather than the source code of the program function. Optimization procedures can be performed based on the function side effects of the program function derived from the prototype functions and the program contexts. |
| US08694976B2 |
Sleep state mechanism for virtual multithreading
Method, apparatus and system embodiments provide support for multiple SoEMT software threads on multiple SMT logical thread contexts. A sleep state mechanism maintains a current value of an element of architecture state for each physical thread. The current value corresponds to an active virtual thread currently running on the physical thread. The sleep state mechanism also maintains sleep values of the architecture state element for each inactive thread. The active and inactive values may be maintained in a cross-bar configuration. Upon a read of the architecture state element, simplified mux logic selects among the current values to provide the current value for the appropriate active thread. Upon a thread switch, control logic associated with the sleep state mechanism swaps the active state value for the current thread with the inactive state value for the new thread. |
| US08694975B2 |
Programming system in multi-core environment, and method and program of the same
A first compiler generates one or more object codes from a program code for a first processor included in an arithmetic processing system to which a plurality of processors are mutually connected. A first linker links the generated one or more object codes to generate an execution file for the first processor. A parameter information generation unit generates, based on the information acquired from the first linker, parameter information used in a second processor included in the arithmetic processing system. A second compiler refers to a program code and the parameter information for the second processor to generate one or more object codes. A second linker links the generated one or more object codes to generate an execution file for the second processor. |
| US08694974B2 |
Load-checking atomic section
A compiled program has an advanced-load instruction and a load-checking atomic section. The load-checking atomic section follows the advanced-load instruction in the compiled program. The advanced-load instruction, when executed, loads a value from a shared memory address. The load-checking atomic section includes a check instruction for checking the validity of the shared memory address. |
| US08694971B2 |
Scalable property-sensitive points-to analysis for program code
A novel system, computer program product, and method are disclosed for transforming a program to facilitate points-to analysis. The method begins with accessing at least a portion of program code, such as JavaScript. In one example, a method with at least one dynamic property correlation is identified for extraction. When a method m is identified for extraction with the dynamic property correlation, a body of the loop l in the method m is extracted. A new method mp is created to include the body of the loop l with the variable i as a parameter. The loop l is substituted in the program code of the method m with the new method mp to create a transformed program code. |
| US08694965B2 |
Generating customized documentation for a software product
A system and method for creating customized documentation is disclosed. The method comprises storing one or more documents such that each of the one or more documents corresponds to one of a plurality of versions of a software product. The version of the software product which is installed in an installation environment is detected. The configuration of the installation environment is also detected. At least one document from the one or more documents that corresponds to the version of the software product installed in the installation environment is selected. A subset of the selected document that includes the version of the software product installed in the installation environment and the configuration of the installation environment is then determined. A customized document is composed, based on one ore more subsets of the selected document. |
| US08694960B2 |
Computer-implemented method, system and computer program product for displaying a user interface component
A computer-implemented method, a computer system and a computer program product are for displaying a user interface component according to an implementation language independent description of the user interface component are provided. The method may comprise selecting, based on a characteristic of the implementation language independent description, a description parser and receiving the implementation language independent description, and determining an implementation language for displaying the user interface component. Also, the method may comprise parsing, by the description parser, the implementation language independent description, identifying a presentation rule, and selecting a set of instructions for processing the parsed description. In addition, the method may comprise processing the parsed description according to the set of instructions in order to create an implementation language dependent specification of the user interface component. The user interface component may be displayed according to the implementation language dependent specification. |
| US08694958B1 |
Marking up objects in code generation
A system associates at least one review indicator with at least one of multiple elements of a model, where the at least one review indicator indicates whether a corresponding element of the model has or has not been reviewed by a reviewer. The system further displays a status of the at least one review indicator in a user interface. |
| US08694956B2 |
PowerShell cmdlets code generating tool for communicating to the web services
An objected oriented shell code generating tool receives data that identifies a Web service hosted by a server. The tool creates proxy code to generate a Web service client proxy to identify a plurality of methods for the Web service. For each method, the tool automatically creates object driven shell commands code that defines a class implementing parameters of the Web service method, wherein the object driven shell commands code is to be executed in an object driven shell platform to communicate with the Web service method via the client proxy. The tool generates invocation infrastructure code for communicating to the Web service method via the client proxy and deploys the proxy code, the invocation infrastructure code, and the object driven shell commands code in the object driven shell platform on the client to call a Web service method via the invocation infrastructure and the client proxy. |
| US08694955B2 |
Flow and methodology to find TDP power efficiency
A technique for determining thermal design point (TDP) power efficiency for an integrated circuit is disclosed. A simulation executes a set of input vectors on a model of an integrated circuit to generate a first estimated power consumption data during a first number of clock cycles. A simulation executes the set of input vectors on a model of an integrated circuit to generate a second estimated power consumption data during a second number of clock cycles. TDP power efficiency for the integrated circuit is calculated based on the first estimated power consumption data and the second estimated power consumption data. |
| US08694953B2 |
Tool and methodology for enterprise software applications
A system for creating and viewing simulation models that are used for managing requirements and design specifications for complex systems. Users simultaneously collaborate on the description of a complex system such as an enterprise software project throughout its life cycle. User interfaces, designed to assist in the visualization of a particular form of knowledge, allow users to describe the complex system with simple interactive elements. Information in all perspectives is presented so that it is legible and discernable to a non-technical audience. Multi-dimensional data structures record all the resulting information, creating a simulation model of the complex system, and the tasks required for construction and maintenance. Tasks are driven from the specifications not as a separate activity, but as part of the same activity to facilitate project management by allowing decisions to be tracked virtually throughout the simulation model. |
| US08694952B2 |
Designing wiring harnesses
A method of designing a wiring harness using a wiring harness design tool can include allowing a first user to access and edit a first wiring harness design component in a wiring harness design workspace, allowing a second user to access and edit a second wiring harness design component in the wiring harness design workspace at least during a portion of the time that the first user is allowed to access and edit the first wiring harness design component, and displaying the first and second wiring harness design components to the first and second users during at least a portion of the time that access is allowed to the first and second users. |
| US08694950B2 |
Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for implementing electronic circuit designs with electrical awareness
Disclosed are a method, system, and computer program product for implementing electronic circuit designs with electrical awareness. The method or the system updates the schematic level tool(s) and physical design tool(s) with electrical parasitic data or electrical characteristic data associated with electrical parasitics so both schematic and physical design tools are aware of the electrical parasitic or characteristic data in performing their functions such as extraction based simulations. The methods or systems are also aware of EM or IR-drop constraint(s) while implementing or creating a partial layout less than a complete layout. The method or the system also provides a user interface for a design tool to provide in situ, customizable, real-time information for implementing electronic circuit designs with electrical awareness. The methods or systems also support constraint verification for electronic circuit design implementation with electrical awareness. |
| US08694947B1 |
Resource sharing workflows within executable graphical models
A system and method optimizes hardware description generated from a graphical program or model automatically. The system may include a streaming optimizer, a resource sharing optimizer and a delay balancing engine. The streaming optimizer transforms one or more vector data paths in the source model to scalar data paths or to a smaller-sized vector data paths. The resource sharing optimizer may replace multiple blocks of the source model that are functionally equivalent with a single shared block. The streaming and resource sharing optimizers may also configure portions of the modified model to execute at a faster rate. The delay balancing engine may examine the modified model to determine whether any delays or latencies have been introduced. If so, the delay balancing engine may insert one or more blocks into the modified model to correct for any data path misalignment caused by the introduction of the delays or latencies. A validation model, a report, or hardware description code that utilizes fewer hardware resources may be generated from the modified model. |
| US08694945B2 |
Automatic place and route method for electromigration tolerant power distribution
The present disclosure relates to an electromigration tolerant power distribution network generated by an automatic place and route (APR) methodology. In some embodiments, an automatic place and route tool constructs a local power network having multi-level power rails. The multi-level power rails have interleaved segments of vertically adjacent metal layers, wherein each interleaved segment is shorter than a predetermined characteristic length corresponding to a Blech length. By limiting the length of the interleaved metallization segments, electromigration within the multi-level power rails is alleviated, allowing for the maximum current density requirement (Jmax) for mean time to failures (MTTF) to be increased. |
| US08694940B2 |
System and method for integrated circuit design and implementation using mixed cell libraries
A system and method for designing circuits, such as integrated circuits, that allow a designer to employ mixed cell libraries. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a cell placement EDA tool configured to transform a logical circuit representation into a physical circuit representation by placing cells from mixed cell libraries into clusters corresponding to the mixed cell libraries and (2) an interconnect routing EDA tool associated with the cell placement EDA tool and configured to route interconnects in buffer zones separating the clusters. |
| US08694938B2 |
Discrete device modeling
Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for modeling a discrete device as a macro device. That is, the discrete device can comprise one or more parasitic elements, such as parasitic resistances and/or capacitances. Because values of the parasitic elements are unknown during pre-simulation of the discrete device, the discrete device can be modeled as a macro device, which can be used during pre-simulation to take into account the parasitic elements. For example, specified parameters, such as channel length, can be used to obtain a set of RC values that specify predicted values for the one or more parasitic elements of the discrete device. The discrete device can be modeled as the macro device using the set of RC values. In this way, the macro device can be used during pre-simulation to take into account the parasitic effects of parasitic elements of the discrete device. |
| US08694926B2 |
Techniques for checking computer-aided design layers of a device to reduce the occurrence of missing deck rules
A technique for computer-aided design layer checking of an integrated circuit design includes generating a representation of a device (e.g., a parameterized cell). Computer-aided design (CAD) layers are sequentially removed from the parameterized cell and a determination is made as to whether expected errors are detected or missed by an associated deck. The associated deck is then modified to detect the expected errors that are missed. |
| US08694922B2 |
Method for displaying a setting menu and corresponding device
The invention relates to a method for displaying a settings menu. In order to optimize the graphical representation of setting carried out by a spectator, the method comprises steps for: displaying said settings menu comprising a three-dimensional graphical element of which one of the dimensions extends according to a depth direction (z), displaying, on said graphical element, of at least one setting representative of at least one item of depth information. |
| US08694921B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for controlling presentation and selection of objects that are digital images depicting subjects
The subject matter described herein is directed to controlling presentation and selection of objects that are digital images depicting subjects. According to one aspect, a plurality of objects arranged in a plurality of rows and columns is presented via a presentation device. Each object in one of a second row and a second column is associated with an object in one of a first row and a first column. A first object presented in the one of a first row and a first column is selected in response to a first selection event associated with the first object. A second object non-adjacent to the first object is determined based on a predefined relationship associating the first object with the second object. The second is presented via the presentation device adjacent to the first object in the one of the second row and the second column in response to the determination. |
| US08694917B2 |
Mobile information communication terminal program and recording medium containing the program
In menu structure, information is separately displayed on a menu item-by-menu item basis. Therefore, the adoption of menu structure involves inconvenience. (For example, pieces of information under different menu items cannot be viewed at the same time.) A portable information communication terminal eliminates this inconvenience. Information is configured in list structure wherein items (A1, . . . , A5, B1, . . . , B4, B5, B6, C1, . . . , C5, D1, . . . (A to D represent groups.)) are arranged in succession. List information (B5 to C5) which is within a predetermined range (the second precedent line through the fourth subsequent line) from a specific item C1 of a predetermined serial number (top number) in a selected group (group C) is displayed. Since the top item in group C is the specific item, items corresponding to group B are also displayed. Thus, items corresponding to different groups (group B and group C) can be displayed at the same time. |
| US08694914B2 |
Method and apparatus to control the display of windows in a processing system
A processing system may include a display device, a primary window manager, and an auxiliary window manager. The primary window manager may display a first remote-enabled window in the display device. The processing system may also include a program to generate a mouse-enabled window, and the primary window manager may prevent the mouse-enabled window from displaying in front of the first remote-enabled window. The auxiliary window manager may detect an attempt to display the mouse-enabled window, and, in response, may automatically display a second remote-enabled window in front of the first remote-enabled window. The second remote-enabled window may include an object that a user can select with a remote control to instruct the processing system to display the mouse-enabled window. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08694913B2 |
Apparatus and method for managing layout of a window
An apparatus and method for managing the layout of a window is provided. The apparatus includes a display unit that displays the window on a screen; the screen is divided into a plurality of display areas; a pointer-position-checking unit that checks the coordinate position of a pointer moved by a user and determines the one display area corresponding to the position of the checked pointer; and a window-size-adjusting unit that moves the window to the one display area where the pointer is positioned and adjusts the size of the window in proportion to the size of the one display area. |
| US08694911B2 |
Manipulating hidden data entries via representative markers
A tool for manipulating data entries that cannot be visualized in a user interface. A user interface displays a plurality of data entries that fit in the user interface, where the plurality of data entries are from a larger group of data entries. The tool generates and displays a marker (text line or icon) representative of at least a subset of the remainder of data entries from the larger group. A user directing an operation request to the marker causes the operation to be performed on the data entries represented by the marker. |
| US08694910B2 |
User interface to enable users to scroll through a large list of items
Techniques pertaining to efficient scrolling are disclosed. One of the features of the efficient scrolling is the enablement of a search right at an appropriate item in a large list of items, thus avoiding going through the long list and wandering back and forth around a desired item. According to one embodiment, an indexing display is used. The indexing display includes a list of indexes, each corresponding to a group of items that sharing one or more common characteristics (e.g., a character or a kind). The indexing display is allowed first to be scrolled for a desired index. Once the desired index is confirmed, searching for a desired item in the large list starts at an item indexed by the desired index. |
| US08694908B2 |
Color and symbol coded visual cues for relating screen items to each other
Described is a system and method for visually delineating a relationship between diverse, but related graphical objects in a graphical user interface. An icon that has specified color scheme is associated with the diverse, but related graphical objects. When one of the related graphical objects is displayed, the icon is displayed within the displayed graphical object. The persistence of the icon with the specified color scheme in the displayed graphical objects allows them to be recognized as related. |
| US08694907B2 |
Imaging study completion processing system
An automated system manages completion of a medical imaging study having one or more different reports associated with one or more different personnel. A user interface provides multiple display images. A configuration processor enables a user, using a display image, to assign a predetermined completion status to a report. The predetermined completion status is used to indicate a report is complete as required for an associated imaging study to be designated complete. A monitoring processor monitors stored indicators indicating current status of corresponding reports associated with the imaging study. A decision processor, in response to the monitoring of the stored indicators, automatically determines whether a current status of a report matches a corresponding predetermined completion status of a report for individual reports associated with the imaging study and in response to a match for the individual reports, initiates generation of a message indicating the imaging study is complete. |
| US08694906B2 |
Dynamic visualization of physical and geographical multitenant cloud computing
A cloud computing infrastructure administration system can track use of cloud computing resources by customer, hardware utilization, and geographical location in a unified manner, the cloud may be administered much more efficiently. A cloud computing visualization tool can use the tracked data to provide multiple visualization options to aid in cloud computing management. For instance, usage can be tracked and information displayed on a per-customer, per-machine, per-location, and/or other basis. Thus, administrators can, for example view a particular customer's use of resources regardless of location but also view a location's allocation of resources regardless of customer. The tool can be configured to restrict access by login, and thus customers or other parties other than administrators may view data. |
| US08694905B2 |
Model-driven display of metric annotations on a resource/relationship graph
A model-driven display for displaying metric annotations on a resource/relationship graph. Upon detecting selection of a set of computer resources in a system management graph, annotation options available to the selected set of computer resources are retrieved from an object model, wherein the object model defines computer resources in a data processing system and relationships among the computer resources, and wherein the annotation options represent resource metrics collected for the computer resources, A menu is created using the annotation options for the selected set of computer resources and displayed to a user in the graphical user interface. When selection of a set of annotation options in the menu is detected, the system management graph is updated to display annotations, corresponding to the selected set of annotation options, for the selected set or computer resources. The updated system management graph is then displayed to the user in the graphical user interface. |
| US08694900B2 |
Static definition of unknown visual layout positions
The subject disclosure relates to applying layout changes and/or animations in a computing system by statically defining unknown visual layout positions of elements within a user interface. Changes that are to be applied to the elements in a user interface are intercepted by mechanism as described herein that applies the changes as a function of a static reusable component. The static reusable component can be applied across various platforms. Animation is performed on a first element as described herein based at least in part on layout input properties of the first element or layout input properties of a second element that is associated with the first element. As additionally described herein, a dynamic graphical layout position can be described based on a definition of an initial layout position and calculation of a resultant layout position, wherein the positions are defined relative to an element or set of elements. |
| US08694899B2 |
Avatars reflecting user states
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for creating and using customized avatar instances to reflect current user states are disclosed. In various implementations, the user states can be defined using trigger events based on user-entered textual data, emoticons, or states of the device being used. For each user state, a customized avatar instance having a facial expression, body language, accessories, clothing items, and/or a presentation scheme reflective of the user state can be generated. When one or more trigger events indicating occurrence of a particular user state are detected on the device, the avatar presented on the device is updated with the customized avatar instance associated with the particular user state. |
| US08694895B2 |
Human interaction with application from email client
The embodiments described herein generally relate to systems and methods for providing human interaction with a business application from an email client. To complete a business process, individuals often must provide information to a business application. However, it may be difficult for the individual to interact with the application if the user is not familiar with the application's user interface (UI) or if it is necessary to navigate to the application's UI. Accordingly, it may be more efficient to interact with the application using a UI within an email client. User input for an automated business process can be submitted from a general-purpose email client. Benefits from such include providing input to a business application while working within the familiar email interface; not needing to switch contexts to complete work for the application; and completing work for the application while being offline or having limited corporate network connectivity. |
| US08694892B2 |
Method and system for caching of non-real time data
A method and system for generating and presenting a display page before all the desired computations are performed needed to fully populate the display page. The presentation system receives a request to present the display page that includes realtime information and non-realtime information. When generating a display page including both realtime and non-realtime information, the presentation system retrieves the realtime information and requests that the non-realtime information be generated. The presentation system then creates an initial display page that includes the realtime information along with an indication that the generation of the non-realtime information has been requested. When the presentation system next generates that display page, it checks whether the non-realtime information has been generated. If so, the presentation system adds the realtime information and non-realtime information to the display page. |
| US08694891B2 |
Log collector in a distributed computing system
In one aspect of the present description, in response to receiving a request from a system administrator or other user of a distributed computing system for a log report generated by the system, the system can remotely access various nodes of the system and obtain the log reports at those nodes in response to that user request. In the illustrated embodiment, such remote access and log retrieval may be undertaken whether or not the system administrator is logged into any of the reporting nodes or has direct access to the reporting nodes. As a result, obtaining pertinent log reports from various nodes of the distributed computing system may be facilitated. Other features and aspects may be realized, depending upon the particular application. |
| US08694890B2 |
Use of color in a site analysis report
In the context of a site analysis report showing paths between nodes, color is used to indicate a direction of traffic that follows a particular node-to-node path. Different colors are assigned to different nodes in a site analysis report. Paths are color-coded according to their destination nodes, so as to provide a distinctive visual identification of a traffic flow direction. Node connection direction can be reinforced by static or moving arrows. |
| US08694889B2 |
Object-aware transitions
Approaches are described in which objects within slides are identified, automatically or by a user, and each object is individually manipulable during slide transitions. The individual manipulation applied to each object during a transition may also be automatically determined or specified by a user. The persistence of an object between slides may be taken into account in the manipulation of the object during slide transition such that objects present on both a incoming and outgoing slide are handled differently than those objects present on only one of the slides. |
| US08694888B2 |
Method and apparatus for titling
Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for presenting computer-generated characters. The method defines several frames for a character and sequentially presents the frames. Each frame depicts a particular representation of the character. Also, at least two of the frames provide different representations of the character. Some embodiments provide a method for applying effects to computer-generated characters. This method applies an effect to the computer-generated characters by first generating an effect script. It then selects the generated effect script to apply to the computer-generated characters. |
| US08694886B2 |
Providing dynamic context assist for a command line interface
A method, system, and computer program product for providing dynamic context assistance to a user of a system, such as a storage system. One or more current command line interface (CLI) entries that are entered in a CLI of the system are received and a current state of the system is determined. Dynamic context assistance is then generated for one or more current CLI entries based on entered values of the one or more CLI entries. In this regard, the dynamic context assistance can be generated and displayed in a text or graphical form when one or more dynamic context assist keys are entered in the CLI in conjunction with the current CLI entry. |
| US08694885B2 |
Keyboard input method and assistant system thereof
A keyboard input method and an assistant system thereof are provided. In the present method, first, an assistant on-screen keyboard program is launched and an input signal is received. Then, if it is determined that the input signal represents an input character, whether the input character leads to an input error is determined according to an input method of an electronic device. If the input character leads to the input error, a keyboard position of the key corresponding to the input character is obtained, and a partial area of an assistant on-screen keyboard is displayed according to the position, wherein the partial area includes the key corresponding to the input character. |
| US08694880B2 |
Population update framework, systems and methods
Tools for updating business objects. The tools include an update utility that can allow a user to identify a selection tool to select a population to be updated. Further, the update utility can provide an interface to allow any of a number of available update tools to be used to update the selected data population. In some cases, the update utility adheres to a framework that employs metadata to identify available update tools, their capabilities, and/or their requirements. This framework can allow the utility to be configured to support new update tools without requiring extensive modification of the underlying framework or its implementing software. |
| US08694876B2 |
Method and apparatus for data transmission using multiple transmit antennas
A method and apparatus for increasing the data rate and providing antenna diversity using multiple transmit antennas utilize a set of bits of a digital signal to generate a codeword. Delay elements may be provided in antenna output channels, or, with suitable code construction, delay may be omitted. n signals represent n symbols of a codeword are transmitted with n different transmit antennas. At the receiver, the noisy received sequence is decoded. The parallel transmission and channel coding enables an increase the data rate over previous techniques, and recovery even under fading conditions. The channel coding may be concatenated with error correction codes under appropriate conditions. |
| US08694869B2 |
Methods for forward error correction coding above a radio link control layer and related apparatus
Transmission techniques are provided that improve service continuity and reduce interruptions in delivery of content that can be caused by transitions that occur when the User Equipment (UE) moves from one cell to the other, or when the delivery of content changes from a Point-to-Point (PTP) connection to a Point-to-Multipoint (PTM) connection in the same serving cell, and vice-versa. Such transmission techniques enable seamless delivery of content across cell borders and/or between different transmission schemes such as Point-to-Multipoint (PTM) and Point-to-Point (PTP). Mechanisms for adjusting different streams and for recovering content from each data block during such transitions are also provided so that data is not lost during a transition. In addition, mechanisms for realigning data during decoding at a receiving terminal are also provided. |
| US08694868B1 |
Systems and methods for performing multi-state bit flipping in an LDPC decoder
Systems and methods are provided for decoding data using hard decisions and soft information. In particular, the systems and methods described herein are directed to decoders having variable nodes and check nodes, each with multiple states. The systems and methods include receiving, at a decoder during a first iteration, values for each of a plurality of variable nodes, and determining, during a second iteration, one or more indications for each of a plurality of check nodes based on the one or more values of the variable nodes received during the first iteration. The methods further include updating, at the decoder during the second iteration, the values for each of the variable nodes based on the values of the respective variable node received during the first iteration, and the indications for each of the plurality connected check nodes during the first iteration. |
| US08694867B2 |
Multilevel encoding with error correction
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, systems, and apparatuses related to multilevel encoding with error correction. In some embodiments, a plurality of bits may be encoded into a plurality of memory cells by responding to bits of the plurality of bits by changing the logic levels of corresponding groups of memory cells of the plurality of memory cells. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. |
| US08694866B2 |
MDS array codes with optimal building
MDS (maximum distance separable) array codes are widely used in storage systems to protect data against erasures. The rebuilding ratio problem is addressed and efficient parity codes are proposed. A controller as disclosed is configured for receiving configuration data at the controller that indicates operating features of the array and determining a parity code for operation of the array according to a permutation, wherein the configuration data specifies the array as comprising nodes defined by A=(ai,j) with size rm×k for some integers k,m, and wherein for T={v0 , . . . , Vk-1} ⊂Zrm a subset of vectors of size k, where for each v=(v1, . . . , vm)∈T, gcd (v1, . . . , vm, r), where gcd is the greatest common divisor, such that for any l, 0≦l≦r−1, and v ∈T, the code values are determined by the permutation fvl:[0,rm−1]→[0,rm−1]by fvl(x)=x+lv. |
| US08694864B1 |
Parallel processing error detection and location circuitry for configuration random-access memory
Error detection and error location determination circuitry is provided for detecting and locating soft errors in random-access-memory arrays on programmable integrated circuits. The random-access-memory arrays contain rows and columns of random-access-memory cells. Some of the cells are loaded with configuration data and produce static output signals that are used to program associated regions of programmable logic. Cyclic redundancy check error correction check bits are computed for each column of an array. The cyclic redundancy check error correction check bits are stored in corresponding columns of cells in the array. During normal operation of an integrated circuit in a system, the cells are subject to soft errors caused by background radiation strikes. The error detection and error location determination circuitry uses parallel processing to continuously monitor the data to identify the row and column location of each error. |
| US08694860B2 |
System and method for data read of a synchronous serial interface NAND
A method and system is disclosed for operating a NAND memory device. The NAND memory device is operated by transmitting serial peripheral interface signals from a host to a NAND memory device, whereby the signals are communicated to a NAND memory in the NAND memory device without modifying the signals into a standard NAND memory format. Similarly, a method and system is disclosed for receiving signals from the NAND memory device without modifying the signals from a standard NAND format into a serial format. The system also incorporates error detection and correction techniques to detect and correct errors in data stored in the NAND memory device. |
| US08694859B2 |
Memory device with adaptive capacity
A method for data storage in a memory that includes a plurality of analog memory cells includes estimating respective achievable storage capacities of the analog memory cells. The memory cells are assigned respective storage configurations defining quantities of data to be stored in the memory cells based on the estimated achievable capacities. The data is stored in the memory cells in accordance with the respective assigned storage configurations. The achievable storage capacities of the analog memory cells are re-estimated after the memory has been installed in a host system and used for storing the data in the host system. The storage configurations are modified responsively to the re-estimated achievable capacities. |
| US08694853B1 |
Read commands for reading interfering memory cells
A method for data storage includes, in a memory system that stores data by programming analog memory cells to respective programming states selected from a predefined set, providing a first read command that retrieves the data stored in target memory cells, and a second read command that identifies at least one potentially-interfering memory cell that is programmed to a programming state in a predefined subset of programming states expected to cause interference. Given data is stored in a first group of the memory cells. After storing the given data, the given data is retrieved by reading the first group using the first read command, reading a second group of the memory cells using the second read command, and compensating for the interference caused to the first group by the memory cells in the second group that were identified by the second read command. |
| US08694850B1 |
Fast erasure decoding for product code columns
A method, computer-readable medium storing instructions, and apparatus for decoding column codewords of a two-dimensional product code having intersecting row and column codewords is presented that reduces the number of computations needed to decode a column codeword. The method includes computing an error location polynomial for all column codewords based on known failure locations in intersecting row codewords, computing a syndrome polynomial for each column codeword, and correcting errors in the column codeword according to error evaluation values generated based on the syndrome polynomial and the stored error location polynomial. |
| US08694845B2 |
Methods and systems for testing electronic circuits
A system for testing electronic circuits is configured to receive a test signal and an ideal response signal and output a test result signal. The system for testing electronic circuits includes a circuit portion to be tested, a comparator and a comparison result recorder. The circuit portion to be tested receives a test signal from a test instrument, and outputs a system response signal. The comparator receives the system response signal from the circuit portion to be tested and receives an ideal response signal from the test instrument. Then, the comparator outputs a comparison result according to the system response signal and the ideal response signal. The comparison result recorder receives and records the comparison result. The comparison result recorder may record comparison results within a period of test time. The test instrument can obtain a record of the comparison results from the comparison result recorder. |
| US08694843B2 |
Clock control of pipelined memory for improved delay fault testing
In an embodiment of the invention, a pipelined memory bank is tested by scanning test patterns into an integrated circuit. Test data is formed from the test patterns and shifted into a scan-in chain in the pipelined memory bank. The test data in the scan-in chain is launched into the inputs of the pipelined memory bank during a first clock cycle. Data from the outputs of the pipelined memory bank is captured in a scan-out chain during a second cycle where the time between the first and second clock cycles is equal to or greater than the read latency of the memory bank. |
| US08694842B2 |
Configurable Mux-D scan flip-flop design
A method, computer program storage device and apparatus are provided for flexible observability during a scan. In one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided. The method includes providing a selector load input to at least a portion of a scan chain, selecting an observe-only scan mode for the at least a portion of the scan chain based at least upon the selector load input, and providing a data input to a storage element in the scan chain based at least upon the observe-only scan mode. The apparatus includes a first scan chain multiplexor comprising a selector input, a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal. The apparatus also includes a first scan chain storage element comprising an input terminal and an output terminal, where the input terminal of the first scan chain storage element is communicatively coupled to the output terminal of the first scan chain multiplexor. The apparatus further recites that the output terminal of the first scan chain storage element is communicatively coupled to the first input terminal of the first scan chain multiplexor. The computer program storage device adapts a manufacturing facility to create the apparatus. |
| US08694841B1 |
Methods and devices for preventing potential media errors from growing thermal asperities
A method to enable defect margining of a disk drive may comprise executing a data access command on a target sector on the disk drive. Upon encountering a data access error at the target sector, an address of the target sector may be added to an error list. The address of the target sector in the error list may then be converted to a physical location on the disk drive. A thermal asperity scan may be performed at and around the physical location and, upon detecting a thermal asperity, and at least sectors around the detected thermal asperity may be margined, and the data stored within the margined sectors may be relocated. Instead of sectors, entire tracks may be margined and the data stored therein relocated to a spare or reserve location, one track at a time. |
| US08694840B2 |
Memory test isolation logic bank with separate test enable input
An integrated circuit is described that has a substrate with a memory array with dedicated support hardware formed on the substrate. An access wrapper circuit is coupled to address and data lines of the memory array and to control lines of the dedicated support hardware. The wrapper circuit is configured to provide an access port to the memory array. A test controller is formed on the substrate and coupled in parallel with the access wrapper circuit to the address and data lines of the memory array and to the control lines of the dedicated support hardware, wherein the test controller is operable to perform a test of the memory array by manipulating control signals to the support hardware in addition to those required to write data patterns into the memory array and to read the contents of the memory array. |
| US08694839B2 |
Method and system for testing chips
A chip operating method is provided which includes enabling a transmission mechanism or a receiving mechanism of the chip while normally operating the chip. The method further includes enabling both of the transmission mechanism and the receiving mechanism of the chip while testing the chip. |
| US08694837B1 |
Non-intrusive eye monitor system
A system including a filter circuit, an error module, and a measurement module. The filter circuit receives, from a network device, an analog signal having jitter, generates an equalized signal based on digital feedback signals and the analog signal, and generates a recovered data signal based on the equalized signal. The recovered data signal includes data transmitted by the network device to the system. The error module generates an error signal based on the equalized signal and a threshold signal. The measurement module generates a multiple signals based on the recovered data signal, and the error signal. The multiple signals include the digital feedback signals and eye characteristic signals. The eye characteristic signals indicate characteristics of an eye diagram of the recovered data signal. The measurement module generates the digital feedback signals such that the eye diagram of the recovered data signal does not include the jitter. |
| US08694834B2 |
Preventing log wrap with debug scripts
A shell debug application avoids loss of debug log data for configured commands during the operation of an operating system. A shell debug application executes a command shell script, by a computer, to control an amount of code path debug data captured in memory buffers and saved. The shell debug application obtains, by the computer, a configuration file that includes at least one command. The shell debug application runs the command shell script in the configuration file in response to detection of at least one script associated with the at least one command in the configuration file. |
| US08694833B2 |
Methods, media, and systems for detecting an anomalous sequence of function calls
Methods, media, and systems for detecting an anomalous sequence of function calls are provided. The methods can include compressing a sequence of function calls made by the execution of a program using a compression model; and determining the presence of an anomalous sequence of function calls in the sequence of function calls based on the extent to which the sequence of function calls is compressed. The methods can further include executing at least one known program; observing at least one sequence of function calls made by the execution of the at least one known program; assigning each type of function call in the at least one sequence of function calls made by the at least one known program a unique identifier; and creating at least part of the compression model by recording at least one sequence of unique identifiers. |
| US08694831B2 |
Automatic bug reporting tool
An apparatus and a method for detecting and reporting malfunctions in computer programs is described. A malfunction detector detects at least one type of a software malfunction as defined in a configurable malfunction library. A data collector collects data of the software malfunction. A crash reporter reports the crash report in a manner specified in a configurable reporting library corresponding to the type of software malfunction to one or more remote computers. |
| US08694830B2 |
Debug registers for halting processor cores after reset or power off
A method and apparatus of stopping a functional block of an integrated circuit (IC) for debugging purposes is disclosed. In one embodiment, an IC includes a number of functional units accessible by an external debugger via a debug port (DP). During a debug operation, a power controller in the IC may power down a functional unit. When the functional unit is powered off, a first register may be programmed. Responsive to the programming of the first register, a first signal may be asserted and provided to the functional unit. When power is restored to the functional unit, operation of the functional unit may be halted prior to execution of instructions or other operations, responsive to the signal. |
| US08694829B2 |
Computer program product, failure diagnosis method, and communication apparatus
A first confirmation unit performs a first confirmation of confirming presence of a connection to a correspondent node in a first communication layer, presence of a connection to a correspondent node in a second communication layer, and presence of a connection to a correspondent node in a third communication layer. A locating unit locates a failure point in communication based on a result of the first confirmation. An output unit outputs a result of the location. |
| US08694828B2 |
Using virtual machine cloning to create a backup virtual machine in a fault tolerant system
Techniques for creating a fault tolerant system in a virtual machine environment utilize a primary VM and a backup VM. To initialize the fault tolerant system, the backup VM and primary VM start from the same state. To achieve this in one embodiment, the primary VM is suspended and the state of the primary VM is copied to the backup VM. Once the backup VM has received all the primary VM's state, the primary VM is resumed. Subsequent state changes of the primary VM are buffered until the backup VM resumes, connects to the primary VM, and starts consuming the buffered content. Thereafter, synchronization is maintained by the primary VM's writing relevant state changes to a log and the backup VM's reading such relevant state changes from the log. |
| US08694818B2 |
Control circuit and operating method thereof
A control circuit includes a plurality of clock synchronization units configured to shift an input signal in response to clock signals which are inputted thereto, a selection output block configured to select an output signal from output signals of the plurality of clock synchronization units, and output the selected output signal, and a clock supply block configured to sequentially supply the clock signals to the plurality of clock synchronization units. |
| US08694810B2 |
Server power management with automatically-expiring server power allocations
One embodiment provides a power management method for servers in a data center. A group of servers is selected, and the total power allocated to a group of servers is limited to within a group power budget. A separate server power allocation is individually requested for each of a plurality of the servers. Within the constraints of the group power budget, the requested server power allocations are selectively granted for a specified magnitude and duration. The granted server power allocations are also selectively renewed, either automatically or upon request of the servers. Each server that has not received a renewed server power allocation from a group power management entity upon the expiration of the specified duration automatically reduces its own power consumption, such as by the server powering itself off. |
| US08694808B2 |
Method and apparatus for power supply protocol management, and power supply system applying them
A power supply system includes a PWM power supply connected to and supplying power to a power-consuming unit and a power supply protocol management apparatus connected to the power-consuming unit through a transmission bus for acquiring a VID protocol of the power-consuming unit and acquiring a VID code conversion table matching the VID protocol. The power supply protocol management apparatus converts a VID code output by the power-consuming unit (on the basis of the VID protocol) into a required voltage of the power-consuming unit according to the VID code conversion table, compares the required voltage with a voltage at an output end of the PWM power supply to generate a feedback voltage value, and transmits the generated feedback voltage value to the PWM power supply which adjusts its output voltage according to the feedback voltage value. |
| US08694807B2 |
Load control device having a microprocessor for monitoring an internal power supply
A load control device includes a power supply that supplies power to a microprocessor and a load circuit (e.g., a light-emitting diode and/or a communication circuit). The power supply comprises an energy storage element, e.g., a capacitor, for producing a DC voltage for powering the microprocessor and the load circuit. The microprocessor is operable to monitor the power supply and to control the amount of power delivered to an electrical load connected to the load control device in response to the monitoring of the power supply. In addition, the microprocessor is operable to cause the load circuit to draw less current in response to determining that the energy storage capacitor does not have enough time to charge during each half-cycle of the AC voltage. |
| US08694802B2 |
System and method for creating tamper-resistant code
A system and method for creating tamper-resistant code are described herein. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a first object code block. The method also comprises translating the first object code block into a second code block, wherein the translating includes applying taper-resistance techniques to the first object code block or the second object code block. The method also comprises executing the second object code block. |
| US08694801B2 |
Method and computer program for securely storing data
A method of securely storing data comprising the steps of: dividing the data into a plurality of secure components; encrypting the secure components; moving each secure component to a different location which is substantially inaccessible to an unauthorized request; storing the secure components at the different locations for a period of time; repeating the moving and storing steps; moving all of the secure components to a single location in response to an authorized request; decrypting each of the secure components; and assembling the plurality of secure components to reconstruct the original data. |
| US08694796B2 |
Secure data deletion in a database
A data storage application encrypts one or more data pages using a first initialization vector and one or more encryption keys. In addition, the data storage application encrypts one or more converter pages using a second initialization vector and the encryption key(s). The first initialization vector uses the converter page(s) to encrypt the data page(s). The encrypted data page(s) and the converter page(s) are stored to physical storage. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described. |
| US08694787B2 |
Apparatus and method for securing digital data with a security token
A security token includes a wireless interface to communicate with a secured device. A cryptographic module generates cryptographic information, encrypts messages to the secured device, decrypts messages from the secured device and coordinates the encryption and decryption of data on the secured device. |
| US08694784B1 |
Secure client-side key storage for web applications
Implementations of the present disclosure include methods, systems, and computer-readable storage mediums for secure client-side key storage for authentication tracking. Implementations include actions of determining, at a browser executed on a client-side computing device, that an application is authentic, the application being executed on a server-side computing device, in response to determining that the application is authentic, receiving a session signing key (SSK) at a sub-domain of an application domain, the sub-domain including a static script that handles the SSK and that selectively provides request signatures, receiving, at the sub-domain, a message requesting a request signature, determining that the message originated from an authentic origin, and in response to determining that the message originated from an authentic origin, providing a request signature to a source of the message, the request signature being based on the SSK. |
| US08694782B2 |
Wireless authentication using beacon messages
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with wireless authentication using beacon messages are described. According to one embodiment, an access point controller includes a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit a beacon message. The beacon message is configured to announce to a remote device that a wireless access point is available to provide access to a network. The beacon message includes a security identifier that identifies a public key for the wireless access point. |
| US08694780B2 |
Service providing client, wireless terminal and method for implementing binding
The disclosure discloses a service providing client, a wireless terminal and a method for implementing binding. The service providing client comprises a transmission module, which is configured to transmit authentication information to the wireless terminal (701); a judgment module, which is configured to judge whether the wireless terminal is a legal binding object according to a response of the wireless terminal for the authentication information (702); and a processing module, which is configured to provide service to the wireless terminal (703) if the wireless terminal is a legal binding object, otherwise, restrict the service provided to the wireless terminal. |
| US08694779B2 |
Monitoring based on client perspective
According to one general aspect, a method may include receiving, via a first network tap point included by a first network segment, a first portion of network communication data between a client computing device and a server computing device. The method may include receiving, via a second network tap point included by a second network segment, a second portion of network communication data between the client computing device and the server computing device. The method may include attempting to correlate each sub-portion of the first portion of network communication data to corresponding sub-portion of the second portion of network communication data. The method may also include analyzing the correlated network communication sub-portions to generate at least one set of metrics regarding the performance of the network communication between the client computing device and server computing device. |
| US08694771B2 |
Method and system for a certificate-less authenticated encryption scheme using identity-based encryption
A method of verifying public parameters from a trusted center in an identity-based encryption system prior to encrypting a plaintext message by a sender having a sender identity string may include: identifying the trusted center by a TC identity string, the trusted center having an identity-based public encryption key of the trusted center based on the TC identity string; determining if the sender has a sender private key and the public parameters for the trusted center including the public encryption key of the trusted center and a bilinear map; and verifying the public parameters using the TC identity string prior to encrypting the plaintext message into a ciphertext by comparing values of the bilinear map calculated with variables from the trusted center. The ciphertext may include a component to authenticate the sender once the ciphertext is received and decrypted by the recipient using the private key of the recipient. |
| US08694770B1 |
Auditable cryptographic protected cloud computing communication system
An auditable cryptographic protected cloud computing communication system, wherein the system can include a plurality of industrial devices. Each industrial device can have an individualized messaging protocol enabling each industrial device to receive commands and transmit status and measurement data using the individualized messaging protocol for each industrial device. |
| US08694769B2 |
System and method for controlling data communications between a server and a client device
A system and method for controlling data communications between a server and a client device, such as a mobile device. Embodiments relate generally to a technique where stop data is provided to the client device. This stop data can be transmitted (e.g. by the client device) to the server. When processed by the server, the stop data indicates to the server that at least some of the encrypted data received by the client device from the server was not decrypted using the second key (e.g. as may be the case when the second key has been deleted). Upon receiving the stop data, the server may, for example, withhold the transmission of data encrypted with the first key to the client device until the second key is restored on the client device. In one embodiment, the stop data is provided to the client device in an encoded (e.g. encrypted) form. |
| US08694768B2 |
Determination and display of LUN encryption paths
A management station which manages the encryption devices in a SAN to set up encrypted LUNs. In setting up the encryption, the source and target ports are identified, along with the target LUN. LUN serial numbers used to identify unique LUNs. As paths to a given LUN are defined, the management station compares the path to existing paths and provides an indication if there is a mismatch in the encryption policies or keys being applied to the LUN over the various paths. This allows the administrator to readily identify when there is a problem with the paths to an encrypted LUN and then take steps to cure the problem. By determining the paths and then comparing them, the management station greatly simplifies setting up multipath I/O to an encrypted LUN or access by multiple hosts to an encrypted LUN. |
| US08694767B2 |
Method and system for NAND flash support in an autonomously loaded secure reprogrammable system
A system and method that enables secure system boot up with a restricted central processing unit (CPU). The system includes a memory, a segmenting device, and a security sub-system. The memory is a NAND flash memory with a block structure that comprises a guaranteed block and non-guaranteed blocks. The guaranteed block is guaranteed to be useable. A boot code is segmented into boot code segments and the boot code segments are stored separately in the guaranteed and non-guaranteed blocks. The security sub-system is configured to locate the boot code segments stored in the non-guaranteed blocks and validate them independently based on data in the guaranteed block. The security sub-system is further configured to assemble the boot code segments into the boot code and execute the boot code. |
| US08694766B2 |
Device bootup from a NAND-type non-volatile memory
Systems and methods are provided for using a NAND-type non-volatile memory (“NVM”), such as NAND flash memory, to store NV pre-boot information for a bootloader (e.g., a second state bootloader) or an operating system. The NV pre-boot information can include, for example, environment variables storing the configuration or state of an electronic device. In some embodiments, an electronic device including the NAND-type NVM may allocate a portion of the super blocks in the NAND-type NVM to storing the NV pre-boot information. The electronic device may store a redundant copy of the NV pre-boot information into the allocated portion of each IC die of the NAND-type NVM. |
| US08694764B2 |
Multi-phase resume from hibernate
Resume of a computing device from hibernation may be performed in multiple phases. Each phase may partially restore a state of the computing device to an operational state and may establish an environment in which another phase of the resume is performed. The hibernation information may be partitioned to store separately data to be used at each resume phase. The information may be stored in a compressed form. In a first phase, a boot-level resume loader may restore a portion of the operating system based on a portion of the hibernation information. The restored portion may be used in a second phase to retrieve hibernation information from another portion through the operating system (OS). Multiple processors supported by the OS may read and decompress the hibernation information that is then moved back to operational memory. The operating system may support asynchronous disk input/output or other functions that accelerate the resume process. |
| US08694762B2 |
Secure boot with trusted computing group platform registers
Disclosed is a method that includes providing at least two platform configuration registers, where a first platform configuration register is a measurement platform configuration register and where a second platform configuration register is a resettable binding configuration platform configuration register. The method further includes during an authorization of a device, such as a mobile device, including a value of the measurement platform configuration register as a precondition and extending the binding platform configuration register with a value enforced by the authorization. The method further includes monitoring a validation result of the binding platform configuration register. If the validation result indicates success then the measurement platform configuration register can be extended with a reference value, while if the validation result instead indicates a failure then the measurement platform configuration register can be extended with a predetermined error value. Apparatus and computer program instructions that implement the method are also disclosed. |
| US08694761B2 |
System and method to secure boot both UEFI and legacy option ROM's with common policy engine
In some embodiments, the invention involves using a policy engine during boot, in the driver execution environment (DXE) phases to authenticate that drivers and executable images to be loaded are authenticated. Images to be authenticated include the operating system (OS) loader. The policy engine utilizes a certificate database to hold valid certificates for third party images, according to platform policy. Images that are not authenticated are not loaded at boot time. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08694759B2 |
Generating predicted branch target address from two entries storing portions of target address based on static/dynamic indicator of branch instruction type
A method and apparatus to utilize a branch prediction scheme that limits the expenditure of power and the area consumed caused by branch prediction schemes is provided. The method includes accessing a first entry and a second entry of the data structure, wherein each entry stores a portion of a predicted target address, determining the predicted target address using the portion of the predicted target address stored in the first entry and a portion of a branch address of a fetched branch instruction for a fetched branch instruction of a first type, and determining the predicted target address using the portion of the predicted target address stored in the first entry and the portion of the predicted target address stored in the second entry for a fetched branch instruction of a second type. |
| US08694757B2 |
Tracing command execution in a parallel processing system
Tracing command execution in a data processing system having a host processor and a co-processor. The host processor maintains a record of a plurality of commands for the co-processor, storing each of the plurality of commands is stored in a command queue. Hardware trace logic is provided to store one or more events based, at least in part, on transfer of the plurality of commands to a small memory. Software is executed to store the one or more events to a main memory, wherein the one or more events are aggregated into a single memory trace within the main memory. |
| US08694753B2 |
Debugging a dynamic memory allocation using heuristics reliability scores
A computing system determines whether memory data pertaining to a block of dynamically allocated memory within an inferior process memory space satisfies one or more criteria in heuristics data. The computing system identifies a category to assign to the block of dynamically allocated memory based on the determination of whether the memory data satisfies the criteria and generates a reliability score for the block of dynamically allocated memory indicating a level of reliability of the identified category. The computing system categorizes the block of dynamically allocated memory based on a comparison of the reliability score and a previous reliability score of the block of the dynamically allocated memory. |
| US08694744B1 |
Mobile device snapshot backup
A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for backing up mobile device data is disclosed. In some embodiments, this includes using a processor to identify a mobile device, creating a snapshot of the mobile device, and storing the created snapshot in a server. In some embodiments, the snapshot includes all of the mobile device data. In some embodiments, the snapshot includes a portion of the mobile device data. |
| US08694743B2 |
Information processing apparatus and method of backing up memory in said apparatus
Disclosed is an information processing apparatus having a first memory and being capable of installing a second memory. The apparatus moves target data to be backed up stored in the first memory into the second memory, in a case that the second memory is installed in the information processing apparatus, and releases an memory area of the first memory in which the target data was stored, and sets the second memory to be backed up in a case that the second memory is installed in the information processing apparatus, and sets the first memory to be backed up in a case that the second memory is not installed in the information processing apparatus. |
| US08694740B2 |
Area efficient counters array system and method for updating counters
A counters array system comprises a memory device having a plurality of addressable memory locations for storing counter-values; a plurality of delta-counter devices. Each delta-counter device is operable to hold a maximum delta-value corresponding to a maximum number of occurrences of an event during a time duration between two counter scans controlled by a scan control unit. Each delta-counter device has an input connected to receive a signal from an event source corresponding to an occurrence of the event, and an output connected to provide a delta-value representing an accumulated number of occurrences of the event to a delta-count update circuit. The delta-count update circuit is connected to the memory device and the counter scan control unit, and being arranged to receive the delta-value and an address of a corresponding counter-value, read the counter-value from the memory device, and provide an updated counter-value incremented by the delta-value to the memory device. |
| US08694739B1 |
Multiple disparate wireless units sharing of antennas
Multiple disparate wireless units sharing of antennas are described herein. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes, but is not limited to, a first wireless communication unit of a first wireless communication standard, where the first standard includes selecting one of two antennas provided. The apparatus further includes a second wireless communication unit of a second wireless communication standard, where a first antenna and a second antenna are shared by the first and second communication units. Other methods and apparatuses are also described. |
| US08694734B2 |
Expiring virtual content from a cache in a virtual universe
An invention that expires cached virtual content in a virtual universe is provided. In one embodiment, there is an expiration tool, including an identification component configured to identify virtual content associated with an avatar in the virtual universe; an analysis component configured to analyze a behavior of the avatar in a region of the virtual universe; and an expiration component configured to expire cached virtual content associated with the avatar based on the behavior of the avatar in the region of the virtual universe. |
| US08694733B2 |
Slave consistency in a synchronous replication environment
Approaches for replicating data in a distributed transactional system. At a first node of a cluster, a per-transaction write set, comprising a plurality of write operations, is committed against a first MySQL database. One or more per-transaction write sets are replicated from the first node to a second node. Upon receiving a read query, the second node parses the read query to identify a read set, calculates a write set conflict window for the read query, and upon determining that the read set conflicts with one or more write sets in the write set conflict window, waits to process the read query until all conflicting write sets are committed. However, upon determining that the read set does not conflict any write sets in the write set conflict window, the read query is processed without first committing any write transactions in the write set conflict window for the read query. |
| US08694730B2 |
Binary tree based multilevel cache system for multicore processors
A binary tree based multi-level cache system for multi-core processors and its two possible implementations LogN and LogN+1 models maintaining a true pyramid is described. |
| US08694729B2 |
Methods for managing ownership of redundant data and systems thereof
A storage system, according to one embodiment, includes a processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor. The logic is configured to: search for an instance of a file or portion thereof on a second storage tier; at least one of: associate the instance of the file or portion thereof on the second storage tier with a first user when the instance of the file or portion thereof is not associated with any user, and replicate the instance of the file or portion thereof on the second storage tier and associate the replicated instance of the file or portion thereof on the second storage tier with the first user; and disassociate an instance of the file on a first storage tier from the first user. |
| US08694726B2 |
Memory module system
A memory module system, a method for operating a memory module system, and an adapter card is disclosed. One embodiment provides last one memory buffer device, and a first plug mechanism for connecting the adapter card to a memory module system, and a second plug mechanism for connecting the adapter card to a memory module. |
| US08694720B2 |
Nonvolatile memory devices with page flags, methods of operation and memory systems including same
A method programming multi-bit data to multi-level non-volatile memory cells (MLC) includes; programming a first page of data to the MLC, programming a first page flag to an initial first flag state in response in the programming of the first page, programming a second page of data to the MLC, in response to programming the second page, determining whether the first page has been programmed and if the first page has been programmed, programming the first page flag to a final first flag state different from the initial first flag state in response to programming of the second page, and if the first page has not been programmed, inhibiting programming of the first page flag during programming of the second page. |
| US08694717B2 |
Program update system and electronic device with program update function
A manufacturing cost of an integrated circuit chip used in a program update system or in an electronic device with program update function is reduced. A first integrated circuit chip has a USB interface circuit, a compression decoder, a CPU and a mask ROM. The first integrated circuit chip is a single chip consolidating a microcomputer with a USB host function and the compression decoder. A second integrated circuit chip has a CPU and an FROM, and serves as a system microcomputer to control the whole system of a car audio. A control program stored in the mask ROM is updated using the FROM incorporated in the second integrated circuit chip. |
| US08694712B2 |
Reduction of operational costs of virtual TLBs
Various operations are disclosed for improving the operational efficiency of a virtual translation look-aside buffer (TLB) in a virtual machine environment. For example, operations are disclosed that allow for determination of whether present entries in shadow page tables (SPTs) are stale by comparing shadowed guest page table (GPT) entries against snapshots taken when the entries were cached. Other operations are disclosed that allow a virtual machine monitor (VMM) to access shadow page table trees (SPTTs) by walking trees in software or in hardware. Still other operations are disclosed allowing the VMM to use a hash table to relate GVA ranges to SPTs that map them, thus significantly reducing the cost of having to walk each SPTT in order to invalidate desired GVA(s). And, finally, operations are disclosed allowing the VMM to determine global GVA ranges by checking a bitmap, when invalidating global GVAs. |
| US08694710B2 |
Conversion of a two-wire bus into a single-wire bus
A method of conversion by at least one interface circuit connected between a first bus including at least one data wire and one clock wire, and at least one second single-wire bus, of a transmission between a master circuit connected to the first bus and at least one slave circuit connected to the second bus, wherein a speculative read command is sent to the slave circuit before interpreting the state of a bit for controlling a reading or a writing, originating from the master circuit. |
| US08694705B2 |
Information processing device
To improve processing performance of an information processing device as a whole by controlling priority in units of processes. There are provided a bus for data transfer and a plurality of function modules each having a processing function performing processing in units of processes and capable of issuing a data transfer request for the bus. Further, there is provided a process identification information holding unit capable of holding process identification information set for each of the processes in association with the function module performing processing of the process. Furthermore, there is provided a bus arbiter determining a priority order of processing for each piece of the corresponding process identification information for each data transfer request from the function module and arbitrating contention of data transfer requests for the bus according to the priority order. Processing performance is improved by performing priority order control in units of processes. |
| US08694700B1 |
Using I/O track information for continuous push with splitter for storage device
Methods and apparatus for eliminating the need for a complete synchronization due to failure of a data protection appliance in a continuous data protection system having a replication splitter. In one embodiment, a continuous data protection system includes a source side having a source side storage array with a splitter and a data protection appliance, where processing includes initiating a source side splitter session, initializing a first I/O tracking mechanism for the splitter session, and activating the splitter to a source side processing active state to continuously push I/O data from the source side to the target side. |
| US08694699B2 |
Path selection for application commands
Systems and methods for path selection for application commands are described. To this end, information associated with at least one application command that were processed at least one port of a target device is received. For a subsequent application command, a set of ports of the target device is determined. In one implementation, the set of ports is determined based on information associated with the subsequent application command. Once the set of ports is determined, the subsequent application command is directed to a port selected from the set of ports. |
| US08694698B2 |
Storage system and method for prioritizing data transfer access
According to a prior art data transfer method of a storage subsystem, when competition of data transfer accesses occurs, a free access destination port is allocated uniformly without determining the access type or the access state of the access destination, so that the performance of the device is not enhanced. The present invention solves the problem by selecting a data transfer access for completing data transfer with priority based on the access type or the remaining transfer data quantity of competing data transfer accesses, or by changing the access destination of an access standby data transfer access, thereby performing data transfer efficiently. |
| US08694694B2 |
Portable memory drive with portable applications and cross-computer system management application
A system and method for transporting the look, feel, and function of one's personalized computer preferences across multiple host computers, including the appearance, settings, programs, and user data. This system and method uses a portable memory device and a data management system that maintains a consistent interface and data file structure on multiple host computers, including a common visual desktop interface. The portable memory solution also provides mobile access to the user's applications and personal data files. The memory device is capable of being connected to multiple host computers via a standard interface such as a USB port. |
| US08694693B2 |
Methods and systems for providing user selection of associations between information handling resources and information handling systems in an integrated chassis
In accordance embodiments of the present disclosure a method may include receiving a user indication of a desired association between at least one of a plurality of modular information handling systems and at least one or one or more information handling resources. The method may also include communicating one or more control signals to one or more switching elements housed in a chassis configured to house the plurality of modular information handling systems and the one or more information handling resources, such that a selected modular information handling system is communicatively coupled to a selected information handling resource in accordance with the user indication of the desired association. |
| US08694691B2 |
Systems and methods for creating bidirectional communication channels using block devices
A system includes an initiator device including an initiator interface. A target device includes a target interface that communicates with the initiator interface via a protocol. The protocol supports commands being sent from the initiator device to the target device. The protocol does not support commands being sent from the target device to the initiator device. The target interface is configured to send a command to the initiator device via the protocol. The initiator interface is configured to execute the command. |
| US08694685B2 |
Migrating virtual machines with adaptive compression
A method, data processing system, and computer program product for managing images. A processor unit divides an image for a virtual machine into blocks. The processor unit determines whether to compress the blocks prior to transmitting the blocks to a destination for the image. In response to a determination to compress the blocks, the processor unit compresses the blocks to form a compressed set of blocks. The processor unit sends the compressed set of blocks and any uncompressed blocks remaining in the blocks to the destination for the image. |
| US08694674B2 |
Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for supporting remote hosting without using network address translation
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for supporting remote hosting without using network address translation. A method may include supporting, at a hub, a plurality of redundant tunnel end points for each of a plurality of spokes using a technology based at least in part on multipoint generic routing encapsulation protocol. The method may further include using policy based routing to determine a destination spoke for outgoing data traffic. The method may additionally include using service level agreement tracking to select a tunnel end point from the plurality of redundant tunnel end points for the determined destination spoke. The method may also include causing the outgoing data traffic to be routed to the determined destination spoke via the selected tunnel end point. Corresponding systems, apparatuses and computer program products are also provided. |
| US08694673B2 |
Systems and methods for host identification
A system and process may include assigning a unique host identifier to a host that is a node of a network. The host is adapted to host at least one network interface. The system and process may further include creating a host/guest relationship for each hosted network interface by associating a network interface identifier of the hosted network interface with the unique host identifier. |
| US08694671B2 |
Isochronous transmission of audio data using mute data
In transmitting stream data to a recording unit through a network, there is a method to detect that a synchronous recording has been designated from an input unit to transmit mute data to a recording unit through the network for a first predetermined time period during which the streaming data is held in a data holding unit for the first predetermined time value. In the case where it is determined that the data that the data holding unit holds is held for a second predetermined time value, the inputted stream data is transmitted to the recording unit through the network. The recording unit is permitted to record, in the state where sound is not interrupted, and it is permitted to execute data recording, in which operating time of mechanical parts is required so that the operating state of the recording unit shifts to the recording state, and/or responses relating to the control of the recording unit are taken into consideration. |
| US08694669B2 |
Method and apparatus for improving the quality of multimedia streaming service
In an apparatus for providing a multimedia streaming service, a server transmits a Media Presentation Description (MPD) including information about media data to a client, receives a partial request message requesting a part of media data having a range according to a defined range in the MPD, and transmits to the client a segment having the range in response to the partial request message. The segment includes at least one fragment, segment index information indicating the position of the at least one fragment in the segment, and fragment index information indicating the position of each of a plurality of samples included in the at least one fragment. |
| US08694666B2 |
Personalized streaming digital content
A method for generating personalized streaming content, the method including the steps of analyzing a digital library of a user associated with a user account, generating recommended digital media based on analysis of the digital library, generating personalized streaming content that includes digital media from the digital library and recommended digital media. |
| US08694661B2 |
Method of communication to a detached terminal via a network
A communication apparatus, which allows a user to communicate via a network, carries out a switch off step (SOA) in response to a switch off command. In the switch off step (SOA), the communication apparatus allows the user to select (SM2, SM3) a detach message from a list of detach messages (DML). The communication apparatus conveys (SM6, SM7) a detach message identification (MID) to the network and, subsequently, switches off (SM8). The detach message identification (MID) represents the detach message that the user has selected. The network carries out a call handling step in which the network conveys the detach message to another communication apparatus from which a call emanates that is destined for the communication apparatus that is switched off. |
| US08694658B2 |
System and method for enabling communication sessions in a network environment
A method is provided in one example implementation and the method includes receiving a query for a policy (e.g., a multi-media session) that pertains to a selected one of first and second endpoints. Each endpoint interfaces with their respective session initiation protocol entity, which interacts with a session border controller (SBC). The method further includes negotiating credentials via a policy element and a selected SBC and determining, via a selected policy within the policy element, whether a requested communication session is prohibited or conducted between the endpoints. In more specific embodiments, each SBC makes a mapping between signaling entity information and pre-configured SBC virtual private network (VPN) information used for dynamic configuration of the communication session, and wherein a SIP [or other communication protocol] adjacency configuration is created, where adjacency characteristics are defined for each enterprise in which the endpoints reside. |
| US08694656B2 |
System and method for creating a viewing social network
A system and method for detecting a user operating a first client device at an intermediary server communicatively coupled to one or more client devices including the first client device and further communicatively coupled to one or more other intermediary servers each communicatively coupled with one or more other client devices, establishing communication with at least one social networking server maintaining information corresponding to the user comprising one or more of user preferences, a plurality of user connections, and user connection preferences corresponding to each of the plurality of user connections, querying the at least one social networking server for the information, receiving the information and generating a local viewing social network for the user comprising generating a user profile according to the information, detecting one or more local connections and establishing direct communication between the user and at least one of the one or more local connections. |
| US08694653B2 |
Targeted data transfer between operational domains
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for targeted data transfer data between operational domains. Embodiments of the invention facilitate moving data between operational domains inside and outside of a resource cloud. A proxy runs on the boundary of each operational domain, such as, for example, an on premise cluster and a resource cloud. The proxies are capable of resolving the location of the targeted entity and forwarding the data or request on to the next hop, which may either be another proxy or the worker module running on the target node. A proxy can run on the head node of an on premise cluster so that compute nodes on private networks can be targeted. A proxy can also run on a public endpoint within the resource cloud to make nodes within the resource cloud available. |