| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08727405B2 |
Merchandising grapple and method
A merchandising grapple is disclosed for removing retail items such as beverage cans, bottles, boxes, and the like from shipping containers in groups and placing them in groups on display shelves within a retail establishment. The grapple has spaced features that receive and hold the items in groups of several items and may have a handle for gripping the grapple and a slip joint for adjusting a width of the grapple. A method includes stocking display shelves by removing items in groups from shipping containers and placing them in groups on display shelves. |
| US08727401B2 |
Inside door handle device
An inside door handle device includes: a handle base (10) fixed to an inner panel that composes a door interior of an automobile; an opening portion (11) formed of a through hole formed on one side of the handle base (10); an operation recessed portion (12) that has a recessed shape and is arranged adjacent to the opening portion (11) on the other side of the handle base (10); fixation portions (17) formed in the operation recessed portion (12) and fixed to the inner panel; a handle body (20) in which a grip portion (22) located on a tip end side is urged and held onto the operation recessed portion (12) while a base end side is being swingably supported on the opening portion (11) with handle support portions (14a) interposed therebetween; and a support beam (13) protruded on the opening portion (11) and formed into a fixed-fixed beam shape bent into an L-shape. |
| US08727400B1 |
Concealed security bar for a sliding door
A concealed security bar comprising a concealing and deploying means for the security bar for a sliding patio door comprises a security bar, a lifting mechanism, and a releasing means. The security bar sits along a ground surface between a wall portion and a sliding door in order to prevent opening of the door. The lifting mechanism comprises a mechanism which pivots the bar into an upright position along the wall surface in order to allow the door to function as normal. The releasing means is located along the wall surface at a height easily accessible by a user. Upon depressing the releasing means, the lifting mechanism is activated in order to lift the bar without need for reaching down to the ground to grab the bar. |
| US08727399B2 |
Device for prevention of door opening during roll-over
A door assembly for a vehicle comprises a vehicle door having an outside door panel, and a handle that is moveably mounted to the vehicle door. A latch actuator is operatively connected to the handle. Movement of the handle moves the latch actuator to an open position to allow opening of the door. An internal door part is connected to the outside door panel. The internal door part includes a contact area internally offset from the outside door panel. A counterbalancing member is cooperatively associated with the handle. During a crash condition causing deformation of the door and intrusion of the handle, the counterbalancing member engages the contact area of the internal door part to prevent the handle from moving the latch actuator to the open position. |
| US08727393B2 |
Window lock
The invention relates to a window lock having a trigger and a bolt, the trigger being rotatable about an axis of rotation and the bolt being movable from a locked position to an unlocked position. The bolt also includes a first clip and a second clip and the trigger includes a stop and a ramp. The trigger rotates about the axis for engaging and disengaging the ramp and the stop with the first and second clips for moving the bolt between the locked and unlocked positions. The invention further relates to a window lock that automatically locks without user intervention. |
| US08727391B2 |
Safety lock for a door of a household appliance, preferably of a washing machine
A safety lock for a door of a household appliance, preferably of a washing machine, includes a housing on one end of which there is a mechanical assembly of the door lock, on the other end there is an assembly of the electric switch used to reach closed or interrupted electric circuit, into which also a part of a programme selection switch is included, whereby the assembly of the door lock and the assembly of the electric switch are mutually linked by a slider, which is designed in a way that its lug engages with the hook of the appliance door, when the hook is in the guide, so that upon manual closing of the appliance door the hook pushes the slider towards the assembly when entering the guide. |
| US08727388B2 |
Coupling arrangement comprising a coupling body and a metal pipe, as well as method for assembly of the coupling body
A coupling arrangement has a coupling body and a helically shaped undulated metal pipe which has an end face extending along a screw thread of its undulation. A metal holding ring is mounted on the connecting part resting against the latter, where the outer diameter of the holding ring corresponds approximately to the outer diameter of the pipe, where the end face of the holding ring facing the pipe extends along a screw thread corresponding to the screw thread of the pipe, and where the holding ring is connected in the mounted position, fixedly to the connecting part by resting fixedly and tightly against the end face of the pipe. |
| US08727387B2 |
Pipe coupling assembly
A coupler assembly (10) and method of manufacture (10) for use with pipe comprising a unitary annular body (20) forming first and second cylindrical openings for surrounding a pipe or piping sections to facilitate forming a fluid-tight seal therein. The unitary annular body (20) comprises a medial portion (64) formed from a first material having a first durometer and first and second lateral portions (56, 58) integrally connected to opposite ends of the medial portion (64). The first and second lateral portions (56, 58) are made from a second material having a second durometer relatively higher than the first durometer of the first material. The coupler assembly (10) further comprises at least one clamping assembly (26) surrounding the unitary annular body member (20) adapted for compressing the coupler assembly (10) into a fluid-tight seal. |
| US08727385B2 |
Gas distribution unit
A gas distribution unit includes a block body (11) made of synthetic resin and to be fixed in a case (20) of an exhaust gas measuring apparatus. An intake passage (15) for device to be connected to an intake pipe (54) and an intake connecting portion (42), an exhaust passage (16) for device to be connected to an exhaust pipe (28) and an exhaust connecting portion (43), and air passages (14) for measuring device to be connected to pipes (53) for measuring device and intake connecting portions (61) are provided in the block body (11). |
| US08727383B2 |
Telescopic vacuum cleaner suction tube with an interlocking element in the form of a bow spring
A telescopic vacuum cleaner suction tube (1) having an outer tube (2) and an inner tube (3) with snap-in depressions (7). The inner tube is telescopically arranged in the outer tube. The suction tube also includes an antitwisting mechanism (4d; 16) and an interlocking device with a snap-in element (15) that is disengaged from a snap-in depression (7) by an actuating element (5) situated about diametrically opposite thereof. The interlocking device includes a spring (6) that positively encompasses at least the inner tube (3) and engages the snap-in element (15) into the nearest snap-in depression (7) of the inner tube (3). The interlocking device and telescoping tubes ensure that the tubes are always securely interlocked and able to withstand shock-like compressive forces, namely while simultaneously providing for an ergonomic handling. |
| US08727382B2 |
Coupling device, crankcase ventilation device and fresh air system
A coupling device for connecting a first fluid line to a second fluid line may include a first connecting piece having a first outer latching contour on its outside and may be connected to at least one of the first fluid line and the first outer latching contour. The coupling device may also include a second connecting piece having a second outer latching contour on its outside and being connected to at least one of the second fluid line and the second outer latching contour. A sleeve may also be provided in which both connecting pieces may be inserted on opposite ends thereof. The sleeve may have inner latching contours on its inner side, the inner latching contours being complementary to the outer latching contours and latching with the outer latching contours when the connecting pieces are inserted. The sleeve may be enclosed by a protective cover. |
| US08727379B2 |
Mobile work machine comprising a bracing device
A mobile work machine includes a chassis that has a traveling gear and a bracing device that is arranged on the chassis and can be braced on a support such as to raise the chassis. The traveling gear includes at least one traveling gear part, the relative position and/or inclination of which with respect to the chassis can be varied during the bracing process. At least one position or inclination sensor is arranged on the traveling gear part, the output signal of the sensor being an actual measure of the position or the inclination of the traveling gear part relative to a reference system that is stationary on the chassis or stationary on the ground. In addition, an evaluation unit is provided, which responds to the output signal of the at least one position or inclination sensor. |
| US08727374B1 |
Vehicle seatback with side airbag deployment
A vehicle seatback assembly includes a seatback side support that has a frame member that extends. A suspension component extends forward from the side support to define a peripheral gap. An airbag module is operably coupled to the frame member. A first trim piece conceals a rear area of the frame member and extends forward over the airbag module. A second trim piece is coupled to a forward portion of the frame member and is detachably coupled with the first trim piece along a seam. The airbag module is deployable forward through the seam to move the second trim piece into the peripheral gap. |
| US08727372B2 |
Fastening device for an airbag module
A device for fastening an airbag module in a vehicle comprises a first part, in particular a steering wheel insert (28), with a latching hook (30), and a second part, in particular a baseplate (10) of the airbag module, with a passage opening (14) for the latching hook (30) and with a holder (16) for a spring element (18). The device furthermore comprises a spring element (18) with a bearing section (22) and an elastically deflectable retaining section (24). The spring element (18) is held in the holder (16) in such a manner that the retaining section (24) is transferable from a starting position into a deflecting position, which permits the latching hook (30) to be guided through the passage opening (14), and into a retaining position, in which the retaining section (24) presses against a retaining surface (40) of the latching hook (30). By contrast, the bearing section (22) is held substantially immovably in the holder (16). |
| US08727369B2 |
Sliding hitch assembly
Sliding hitch assemblies including a rail assembly, a support assembly disposed upon and configured to translate between at least two positions along the rail assembly, a hitch head assembly mounted on the support assembly, and a translation lock mechanism including a locking assembly coupled to the support assembly and configured to selectively lock the support assembly in one or more of the at least two positions on the rail assembly, and an actuating assembly configured to actuate the locking assembly, where the actuating assembly is operably coupled to the locking body by an anti-binding assembly. The support assembly may be disposed upon the rail assembly via a glide block that includes a composite material. |
| US08727367B2 |
Bicycle with integrated cable routing
A bicycle including a frame that has an elongated hollow frame member, a fork rotationally coupled to the frame, a wheel rotationally coupled to the fork, and a handlebar coupled to the fork for steering the wheel. The frame has an interior surface that defines a longitudinal groove with a groove width. The bicycle also includes a cable that is positioned in the longitudinal groove and that has a cable width less than the groove width. |
| US08727366B2 |
Bicycle fork having lock-out, blow-off, and adjustable blow-off threshold
A bicycle fork includes a pair of fork leg assemblies, each of the leg assemblies having an upper leg telescopingly engaged with a lower leg. A damping assembly is provided in at least one of the legs. The damping assembly includes lock-out and blow-off compression circuits. These compression circuits are externally adjustable without tools. Furthermore, these two compression circuits may be adjusted independently of each other. |
| US08727363B1 |
Suspension system having parallel air spring and rubber force reaction
A suspension assembly for a vehicle including an elongated central torsion axle shaft of a rubber torsion axle assembly, a torsion axle shaft pivot point about which the torsion axle shaft pivots, a spring and an elongated spindle swing arm. The spring has a first end and a second end and the first end of the spring is connected to a fixed point relative to a vehicle frame. The spindle swing arm has a second end with the first end connected to the torsion axle shaft with the second end of the spindle swing arm connected to the second end of the spring. The spring can set the torsion axle shaft to a predetermined position, such as at or near a no-load position, when only static forces are present. This provides for a torsion axle with a greater range of movement and significantly improves its lifespan. |
| US08727358B2 |
Torsion key saddle
A torsion key saddle enables a user to readily change the suspension performance characteristic and the suspension lift in a vehicle with independent torsion suspension without the need to replace the torsion keys. Use of torsion key saddles enables each wheel to be adjusted fully between the extremes available using the six possible positions for a torsion key with a hex torsion bar socket. |
| US08727355B2 |
Semiconductor fabrication device welded bellows
A semiconductor fabrication device welded bellows of an accordion structure is characterized in that a plurality of annular bellows plates having faces curving in a radial direction are connected alternatingly at the outside diameter side and inside diameter side, wherein the annular bellows plates are provided with a treatment-side bellows plate and a non-treatment-side bellows plate, a gas layer disposed between the two bellows plates, the treatment-side bellows plate being of lesser thickness, and the non-treatment-side bellows plate being of greater thickness. The bellows are highly resistant to damage caused by foreign matter; or, in the unlikely case that the treatment-side bellows plate becomes damaged, the damage can be compensated for by the non-treatment side bellows plate. |
| US08727345B2 |
Sheet discharging device, sheet processing apparatus, image forming system, and sheet discharging method
A sheet discharging device includes: sheet discharging rollers that receive each of sheets conveyed thereto and discharge the sheets one by one; a shift tray on which the sheets discharged by the sheet discharging rollers are to be stacked; an air blower; and a CPU. The air blower forms an air layer between the shift tray and a sheet when the sheet is discharged onto the shift tray by the sheet discharging rollers, or between a sheet and the sheet that is already placed on the shift tray when the sheet is discharged. The CPU controls an air velocity of air to be delivered by the air blower based on sheet information, thereby causing the air layer to extend to the entire surface of the sheet. |
| US08727340B2 |
Media separating and feeding device and media processing device
A mechanism enables efficiently reducing the size of a check feeding device for separating and feeding checks one at a time. In one embodiment, a check separating and feeding mechanism uses a single drive motor to drive a feed roller, pressure member, and separation roller. When the drive motor turns in a second direction, torque is transferred through a second one-way clutch mechanism to both rollers. When the drive motor turns in this direction, the first one-way clutch mechanism disengages the drive motor from the drive power transfer path to the pressure member, and a tension spring pulls the pressure member in the direction pressing the checks to the feed roller. When the drive motor turns in an opposite first direction, the torque of the drive motor returns the pressure member to the standby position, drive power is not transferred to the rollers, and the rollers do not turn. |
| US08727334B2 |
Recording device with standby time in control unit
A recording device includes a judgment unit and a control unit. The judgment unit judges whether or not a designated standby time has elapsed still without a next recording job after the current recording job performed by the recording unit has ended in a state with the first media housing unit arranged in the feed position. The control unit controls the drive unit to hold the first media housing unit in the feed position when the judgment unit judges that it is before the standby time has elapsed, and on the other hand, to move the first media housing unit from the feed position to the removal position when the judgment unit judges that it is after the standby time has elapsed. |
| US08727333B2 |
Printing apparatus and program
There is provided a printing apparatus including a sheet accommodation device including at least one sheet accommodation section which accommodates a sheet before printing, a printing unit which prints an image on a sheet based on print data stored in a storage area, a discharged sheet accommodation device including at least one discharged sheet accommodation section which accommodates the printed sheet, a control device which selects a combination of a sheet accommodation section and a discharged sheet accommodation section such that a storage device completes storing print data into the storage area by a conveyance starting time of a sheet to be printed based on the print data, and which control a conveyance device to feed the sheet to be printed based on the print data from the sheet accommodation section to discharge the sheet to the discharged sheet accommodation section of the selected combination. |
| US08727321B2 |
Outrigger
An outrigger, for carrying an electric wire at a distance outward from a support, comprises a first elongate arm (512). A first support device (513B) at a distal end of the arm is adapted for suspending a portion of the wire (517B). The outrigger is suspended from a support, e.g. from a support wire (516) carried on a post (515), by a second support device (520) at a proximal end of the arm. When the outrigger is suspended by the second support device and the wire is suspended from the first support device, the outrigger is movable, from a rest position in which the arm extends outwardly from the support, to move the first support device and the wire toward the support when the first support device or the wire is impacted in a direction toward the support, and afterwards to move the outrigger back to the rest position. |
| US08727315B2 |
Ball valve
A ball valve includes a first ball clamping assembly that defines a first seat surface in contact with an exterior of the ball. A second ball clamping assembly defines a second, sealing seat surface in contact with and adapted to seal with the exterior of the ball. The second ball clamping assembly is coupled to the first ball clamping assembly to clamp the ball between the first and second seat surfaces. The second ball clamping assembly includes a seat ring holder and a seat ring carried by the seat ring holder. The seat ring of the second ball clamping assembly has a sealing seat surface. A springing member is provided between the seat ring and the seat ring holder and springingly biases the seat ring toward the ball. The seat ring holder has a shoulder that supports the seat ring against fully compressing the springing member. |
| US08727314B2 |
Ball valve
The disclosed embodiments include ball valves having integrated seats. The integrated seats are included in a ball body assembly of a valve body. The ball body assembly may rotate with respect to the valve body to open or close the valve. The integrated seats may contact walls of a bore to sealingly close the valve. |
| US08727310B2 |
Packing followers for use with valves
Packing followers for use with valves are described. An example packing follower for use with a valve includes a body having an elongated portion and a bore therethrough to receive a shaft. A portion of the bore is tapered to exert a force on a retainer that at least partially surrounds and is positioned within a groove of the shaft when the shaft moves toward an opening defined by the body. Additionally, the force has a first component in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the bore and a second component smaller than the first component in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bore. |
| US08727307B2 |
Valve with outlet duct
A valve has a first duct and a second duct at right angles to the first duct. The first duct opens into a connecting portion of the second duct, defining an intersection that forms a seat for a valve disk that slides in the connecting portion in a direction at right angles to the seat between a closed position and an open position. The connecting portion has two flat walls facing one another and connected by an end wall. The first duct opens onto one of the flat walls. The end wall partially surrounds the valve disk parallel to the a direction of sliding at a distance from an edge of the valve disk that is such that, for the open position, the end wall defines with the edge of the valve disk and the seat a passage. |
| US08727305B2 |
Diaphragm valve
A diaphragm valve is used to perform opening/closing operations to switch between a state where two flow paths 14a and 15a communicate with each other and a state where the flow paths 14a and 14b are blocked from communicating with each other. A diaphragm unit 31 which is disposed in a valve housing 13 has a hollow valve body 32 capable of being reciprocated in the axial direction, the diaphragm unit 31 is formed with a communication flow path 32a through which two flow paths 14a and 14b are communicated with each other. A first diaphragm 34 is provided to one end portion of a hollow valve body 32, and a second diaphragm 36 is provided to the other end of the hollow valve body 32, when the hollow valve body 32 is moved in its axial direction and abuts on a valve seat portion 42, the communication flow path 32a is closed. |
| US08727304B2 |
Pinch bar
A pinch bar for a pinch valve is comprised of a coil spring coupled to one end of an actuating rod. An opposite end of the rod is formed with, or is coupled to a device or surface, which applies a pinch force. The actuating rod slides through a fixed-in-place rod actuator. The rod actuator, spring and actuating rod thus provide a mechanism that applies a closing force inwardly, into or directed toward a cabinet attached to which is a valve body for the pinch bar and against which the pinch bar could exert a tube-closing force. |
| US08727299B2 |
Assembly for an aircraft, the assembly including at least one vibration damper
The assembly for an aircraft comprises: at least one device; a part such as a support; and at least one damper via which the device bears against the part, the damper comprising carbon nanotubes covered at at least one of their ends by a layer having a diamond type crystal structure. |
| US08727295B2 |
Stand for tablet personal computer
The invention relates to a stand for tablet PC, comprising a base with a top surface and a bottom surface; a groove located on the top surface of the base for holding a tablet PC, the groove having an inclined back side wall, wherein the tablet PC tilts backward when placed in the groove. As the base has a groove which has a inclined, and the bottom of the tablet PC can be inserted into the groove, so that the tablet PC can maintain at a relative tilted position with respect to the horizontal plane, then the user may comfortably watch the screen of the tablet PC. In short, the stand has the advantages of a simple structure, small size, low cost, convenient carrying. |
| US08727287B2 |
Fitting assembly having a retaining clip
A fitting assembly adapted for securing an elongate member to a bracket having an open-ended slot into which the fitting assembly is received. The fitting assembly includes a first fitting member adapted for attachment to the elongate member and having an axis and a second fitting member adapted for receipt into the open end of the slot and fixed engagement with the bracket through relative movement between the second fitting member and the bracket solely in a direction substantially lateral to the axis. The first and second fitting members are connected together and have first and second positions relative to each other in a direction substantially lateral to the axis and are constrained against relative movement substantially along the axis. The first and second fitting members are substantially immovable relative to each other in a direction substantially lateral to the axis in the second position. |
| US08727286B2 |
Systems and methods for controlling flows with pulsed discharges
Systems and methods for controlling air vehicle boundary layer airflow are disclosed. Representative methods can include applying electrical energy bursts and/or other energy bursts in nanosecond pulses in the boundary layer along a surface of an air vehicle. In a particular embodiment, electrical energy is discharged into the boundary layer to reduce the tendency for the boundary layer to separate and/or to reduce the tendency for the boundary layer to transition from laminar flow to turbulent flow. Representative actuators discharging the energy can be arranged in a two-dimensional array of individually addressable actuators. |
| US08727285B2 |
Wing tip shape for a wing, in particular of aircraft
A wing for of aircraft has a wing tip shape that has a profile that extends in the direction of the span of the wing, and across the direction of the span of the wing extends from the wing leading edge to the wing trailing edge. The profile is delimited by a first skin and a second skin, with a winglet, arranged on the wing end. The winglet is substantially planar, and has a transition region arranged between the wing and the winglet, that extends from a connection on the wing to a connection on the winglet. The curvature of the local dihedral can increase in the transition region from a low level or a level of zero at or near the wing intersection in the outboard direction. |
| US08727282B2 |
Safety system for reducing the explosion risk of a fuel tank
A safety system for reducing the explosion risk of a fuel tank comprises at least one fluid source and at least one fluid container with an inlet and an outlet for a fluid, wherein the fluid container has a structure that is flexible at least in some regions and is designed in such a manner that it can be positioned in a hollow space of the fuel tank, which hollow space is situated above the fuel, with said fluid container when fluid flows into the hollow space essentially occupying the space up to the top of the fuel tank. In this way it is possible to avoid the presence of a free air volume in the fuel tank, which counteracts any formation of a potentially explosive mixture and in this way reduces the explosion risk. |
| US08727279B2 |
Method and system for controlling swaying of an object
A method of configuring a mount or of controlling sway in an object to be mounted includes configuring isolators of the mount to put a center of elasticity of the flexible mount at a desired height relative to a base of the mount. This desired distance may be at a location of expected minimum clearance between the object to be mounted and the structure expected to surround the object to be mounted and is the center of rotation of the flexible mount. The location of the center of elasticity also may be farther from the base than a center of mass or gravity of the object to be mounted. An equation relating the location of the center of elasticity as a function of isolator material properties and of angle between the isolators and the base may be used to analytically predict the location of the center of elasticity and the center of rotation. |
| US08727278B2 |
Article retention device
An article retention device may be provided for a stowage bin. The stowage bin may include a bin interior and may include a door panel that is movable between open and closed positions. The door panel may have a door inner side. The article retention device may comprise a spring member having a protruding portion protruding from the door inner side toward the bin interior when the door panel is in the closed position. The protruding portion may be deflectable in response to contact with an article contained within the bin interior such that the spring member applies pressure to the article to prevent relative moment of the article within the stowage bin. |
| US08727277B2 |
Hold layout device for an aircraft for crew-member rest and aircraft comprising same
The invention relates to a device for developing an aircraft hold located under the floor of the passenger cabin and the cockpit and including a so-called commercial area in which freight can be transported and a technical area including technical equipment and located at the front of the commercial area an at least partially under the cockpit, wherein said device includes: at least one compartment sealed relative to the hold located at the front of said commercial area and at the back of a portion at least of the technical area; a staircase connecting each compartment to a portion of the intermediate floor between the passenger cabin and the cockpit; and a sealed corridor extending from said staircase to each of said sealed compartments. |
| US08727276B2 |
Anchoring harpoon intended in particular for an aircraft and anchoring system including one such harpoon
An anchoring harpoon intended in particular for an aircraft, capable of cooperating with an anchoring grate of a platform, includes jack elements including a cylinder element containing mobile piston elements provided with a rod that extends beyond the cylinder element, the free end of which includes a harpoon head (7) that is hooked in the grate and includes retaining fingers (8, 13, 14) that can be moved between a retracted position and an active position by control elements (9). The control element (9) for controlling the movements of the fingers include a control piston (18) which can slide inside the rod of the jack and which is associated with a bistable actuator (19) of the fingers, capable of moving between a retracted position and an active position in which the fingers are deployed with the application of successive pressure pulses in the jack elements. |
| US08727275B2 |
Nacelle
A nacelle is configured to be coupled to an underside of a wing and forms a clearance space between the nacelle and a leading edge slat of the wing. A portion of an outlet cowling moves longitudinally aft when a reverse thrust configuration is activated and the leading edge slat is deployed toward the nacelle. The outlet cowling also includes another portion located adjacent to the leading edge slat that does not move when the reverse thrust configuration is activated and thus maintains its clearance space from the leading edge slat. |
| US08727272B2 |
Apparatus for adjusting a surface of an aircraft model, surface unit, aircraft model, and use of an aircraft model
An apparatus for adjusting a surface of an aircraft model includes, but is not limited to a first linear adjustment unit with a first retaining body that is movable along a first axis, a second linear adjustment unit with a second retaining body that is movable along a second axis, and an angle adjustment unit. The second linear adjustment unit is arranged on the first retaining body, and the angle adjustment unit is arranged on the second retaining body and is configured to adjust and lock an angle between an attachment surface and a retaining surface. Consequently, precise positioning of surfaces of a wind-tunnel aircraft model does not require specially manufactured and individually adapted fittings for each setting position to be moved to. |
| US08727270B2 |
Aircraft, propulsion system, and system for taxiing an aircraft
One embodiment of the present invention is a unique aircraft. Another embodiment is a unique aircraft propulsion system. Still another embodiment is a unique system for taxiing an aircraft without starting one or more main aircraft propulsion engines. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for aircraft taxiing and propulsion systems. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith. |
| US08727268B2 |
Attachment device for aircraft engine and aircraft comprising at least one such device
An attachment device for an aircraft engine including a rigid structure and an attachment mechanism of the engine onto the rigid structure. The attachment mechanism includes two thrust take-up connecting rods mechanically connected to a spreader, a connection fitting fixed to the rigid structure to which the spreader is mechanically connected by a junction fitting by a connection pin, and an additional fitting to which the connecting rods, the spreader, and the connection fitting are mechanically connected. A clearance is provided at the mechanical link between the connecting rods and the additional fitting, the link between the additional fitting and the connection fitting being made using the connection pin being inserted laterally, orthogonal to the median plane of the attachment device. |
| US08727264B1 |
Dynamic tow maneuver orbital launch technique
An orbital launch system and its method of operation use a maneuver to improve the launch condition of a booster rocket and payload. A towed launch aircraft, to which the booster rocket is mounted, is towed to a predetermined elevation and airspeed. The towed launch aircraft begins the maneuver by increasing its lift, thereby increasing the flight path angle, which increases the tension on the towline connecting the towed launch aircraft to a towing aircraft. The increased tension accelerates the towed launch aircraft and booster rocket, while decreasing the speed (and thus the kinetic energy) of the towing aircraft, while increasing kinetic energy of the towed launch aircraft and booster rocket by transferring energy from the towing aircraft. The potential energy of the towed launch aircraft and booster rocket is also increased, due to the increased lift. The booster rocket is released and ignited, completing the launch. |
| US08727263B2 |
Method and device for aiding the localization of an aircraft wreck submerged in a sea
A device for aiding the localization of an aircraft wreck submerged in a sea is arranged inside the aircraft. The device includes at least one beacon that is able to emit remotely detectable signals. Upon immersion of the aircraft in water, an ejection device automatically ejects the beacon out of the aircraft. The ejection device includes a piston system that generates an opening in the aircraft and expels the beacon accordingly. Also after immersion of the aircraft in water, a trigger device automatically triggers the emission of signals from the beacon. |
| US08727259B2 |
Self-compensating filament tension control device with friction band braking
A self-compensating tension control device for regulating the withdrawal of filamentary material from a spool includes a fixed support that maintains an inverted cam surface and a spindle assembly rotatably carrying the spool. A tension force applied to the filamentary material, in opposition to a biasing force, moves the spindle assembly linearly in relation to the fixed support. A braking mechanism includes a brake drum rotatable with the spindle assembly, a friction band adapted to engage the brake drum and a rocker arm that engages the cam surface. When the tension force applied to the filamentary material is reduced and unable to overcome the biasing force, the cam roller engages the cam surface and causes the friction band to generate a braking force on the brake drum. Withdrawal of the filamentary material at a regular rate occurs when the biasing force is balanced with the tension force. |
| US08727257B2 |
Seat belt retractor for the safety belt of a motor vehicle
A seat belt retractor for a safety belt of a motor vehicle having a belt shaft (1) rotatably mounted in a frame, a profile head (2) lockable in relation to the frame, a load limiting device (20) located between the profile head (2) and the belt shaft (1) for enabling the belt shaft (1) to undergo a load limited rotation in the belt webbing extraction direction (A) with the profile head (2) being locked and a load limiting level predetermined by the load limiting device (20) being exceeded. |
| US08727247B2 |
Method for extracting copper from cinders
A method for extracting copper, including: 1) inputting a copper cinder into a ball grinder to grind, screening, transferring resulting coarse grains to a first magnetic separator to yield a copper concentrate I and magnetic minerals, and returning the magnetic minerals to the ball grinder; 2) transferring resulting fine grains from the screening to a classifier to yield a deposited sand and an overflowing slurry, returning the deposited sand to the ball grinder, transferring the overflowing slurry to a flotation unit to yield a copper concentrate II and a gangue; 3) transferring the gangue to a second magnetic separator to separate a non-magnetic mineral from a magnetic mineral, transferring the non-magnetic mineral to a gravity concentrator to get a semi-qualified product, and transferring the semi-qualified product to a table concentrator to yield a copper concentration III; 4) discharging the gangue and the magnetic mineral. |
| US08727245B2 |
Pressure washer wand edger
The present invention relates to an attachment for a pressure washer wand comprising: a plate having a front end, a rear end, top end, and a bottom end; a first wheel connected to the front end of the plate; a second wheel connected to the rear end of the plate; an angle bracket connected to the plate; a clamp connected to the angle bracket; and optionally a spray wand connected to the clamp. The design of the spray wand attachment of the present invention allows for cleaning a narrow area (only a few inches wide) from the edge of the hard surface. The edger of the present invention is not designed to clean the entire areas of the hard surface because the plate needs to be in contact with the edges of the hard surface, which prevents the device from moving away from the edges. |
| US08727244B2 |
Fluid container and support bracket therefor
A fluid container is disclosed for retaining and dispensing a fluid into the mouth of an individual. The fluid container comprises a deformable body and defining an exterior surface and an interior chamber. An output end has an output orifice for positioning the fluid exterior to the interior chamber. A valve engages the output orifice for controlling the fluid flowing through the output orifice. |
| US08727243B2 |
Electromagnetic fuel injection valve
In an electromagnetic fuel injection valve, a valve body guide hole (15) which is connected to a valve seat (8) of a valve seat member (3) and slidably guides a valve body (14), and a large-diameter hole (17) which is connected to a rear end of the valve body guide hole (15) via a tapered hole (16) and has a diameter larger than that of the valve body guide hole (15), are provided in the valve seat member (3) of a valve housing (2), whereas a first longitudinal hole (19) which communicates with a fuel intake cylinder (26) is provided in a fixed core (5); a second longitudinal hole (20) which communicates with the first longitudinal hole (19) is provided from a movable core (12) to a valve shaft (13); a traverse hole (21) which opens the second longitudinal hole (20) to the large-diameter hole (17) is provided in the valve shaft (13); and a relationship between the diameter (D1) of the large-diameter hole (17) and the diameter (D2) of the valve body guide hole (15) satisfies D2/D1<0.6. Thus, it is possible to provide an electromagnetic fuel injection valve which atomizes the injected fuel in a good condition and is compact in size. |
| US08727239B2 |
Plumbing outlet fitting
A plumbing outlet fitting (2) with a liquid guide (3), which opens into a fitting outlet (4) in an area in which a plumbing functional unit (5) in the form of an insertion cartridge is provided. The outlet fitting is provided such that the clear open cross-section of the liquid guide (3) is adapted to the insertion cartridge (5) at least in the opening area of the fitting outlet (4), and the insertion cartridge (5) can be inserted into the fitting outlet (4) from the opening side and is removably held therein, The outlet fitting (2) can be used with a jet regulator or with another plumbing functional unit (5) without any significant limitations of the structural clearance. |
| US08727237B2 |
Water conserving adjustable sprinkler system
An adjustable sprinkler system distributes water from a garden hose through a feed housing to a pair of pivotally attached arms. There is a sprinkler unit attached near the end of each arm. Each sprinkler unit has an interchangeable spray head attached that is specific to the desired watering pattern. By pivoting the arms away from one another, the sprinkler system is placed on either side of the base of the shrub or tree to be watered. This adjustable sprinkler system accommodates newly planted and existing small to large and short to tall trees and shrubs, provides a multitude of spray patterns at varying water volumes, and minimizes water waste. |
| US08727233B2 |
Pressure spray washer and control
A method and apparatus is provided for starting and stopping a high pressure spray washer having a combustion engine driving a pump to provide high pressure fluid to a spray gun activated by a trigger. Pulling the trigger causes water to flow through the nozzle and pump and a sensor by the pump sends a flow start signal to a control module that activates an electric starter when an engine switch is turned on, thus starting the engine when it wasn't running. When the trigger is released flow to the pump stops and the sensor sends a flow stop signal to the control module. If a predetermined time passes before the sensor detects fluid flow to the pump as occurs when the trigger is pulled, then the engine is shut off. The time can be varied to adjust the time between releasing the trigger and shutting off the engine. |
| US08727228B2 |
Structure for railroad ties having data acquisition, processing and transmission means
An encapsulated railroad tie structure and its method of manufacture. A core of laminated wood slats is inserted into an extruded sleeve of scrap tire rubber and polyurethane. A urethane adhesive laminates the wood slats together and serves as a lubricant and bonding agent for placement and secured engagement of the sleeve about the core. End caps are securely engaged to both the core and sleeve. The core may be provided with bores and grooves to receive sensors and conductors interconnected with a processor and transponder maintained in an end cap. The end cap also maintains a photovoltaic device and power source for the active elements of the railroad tie structure. The core may also be manufactured of a wood or other natural fiber giving the core a desired flex modulus to provide for better control and serviceability of associated rails and railway cars. |
| US08727225B2 |
System and method for calibration and mapping of real-time location data
A method of mapping the location of at least one object in three dimensional space, relative to an initial point in three dimensional space by an EIR terminal which contains a microprocessor, memory, a scanning device, a motion sensing device, and a communication interface. The method includes scanning a signal of decodable indicia located at a pre-defined area of a physical object, locating the decodable indicia within this signal, decoding the decodable indicia into a decoded message. The decoded message is an identifier for said physical object, which is then displayed. After receiving an interface command, the EIR terminal is placed in mechanical contact with the pre-defined area of the physical object and a first spatial position is stored as a point of origin in the EIR terminal. |
| US08727224B2 |
Embedded electronic device and method for manufacturing an embedded electronic device
An embedded electronic device and a method for manufacturing the same wherein the embedded electronic device is composed of a printed circuit board, having a top surface and a bottom surface, a plurality of circuit components attached to the top surface of the printed circuit board having a plurality of standoffs on the bottom surface of the printed circuit board, a bottom overlay attached to the bottom surface of the printed circuit board, a top overlay positioned above the top surface of the printed circuit board and a core layer positioned between the top surface of the printed circuit board and the top overlay. |
| US08727223B2 |
Indicia reading apparatus having image sensor array
There is provided in one embodiment an indicia reading apparatus having an image sensor array. The indicia reading apparatus can have a first operator selectable configuration and a second operator selectable configuration. |
| US08727222B1 |
Method and device for authenticating geometrical codes
The method for authenticating a code with geometric areas whose shapes and/or colors vary according to a message includes: a step (115) in which the code with variable geometric areas is generated, according to a message, to provide geometric areas; a step (120 to 130) in which a digital authentication code is generated to provide numeric values and a step (135) in which an image of the geometric code areas is formed, including a part of the digital authentication code in at least some of its geometric areas and/or in at least one space between geometric areas. |
| US08727220B2 |
Machine readable information interface for a container
The present application is directed to systems and methods for delivering information for a container. A base label may be adhered to the container, and at least a first, a second, and a third indicia displayed on the base label. A top label may cover at least a portion of the base label. The top label may be rotatable about the base label. The top label may have a transparent window allowing at least one of the first, second, or third indicia to be visible through the transparent window. |
| US08727219B1 |
Magnetic stripe track signal having multiple communications channels
An electronic card (e.g., an electronic payment card) or another device (e.g., a wireless telephonic device) is provided that may communicate dynamic magnetic stripe data to a magnetic stripe reader. Information may be embedded into a magnetic track of data representative of additional information such as, for example, a unique identification number or an additional track of magnetic stripe data. |
| US08727216B2 |
Portable memory module with wireless emitter to facilitate the provision of location-dependent services
A portable memory module, which comprises an interface allowing the module to be connected to and disconnected from an electronic device by a user of the module such that the electronic device is in close physical proximity to the module when connected thereto; memory storing an identifier of the module; an emitter; and a processing entity configured to encode the identifier of the module into a signal that is transmitted via the emitter as a wireless beacon. The memory contains information that allows the module to be identified by an entity connected to the electronic device. The wireless beacon is configured to enable a location of the module to be determined by a detection sub-system. When the module is connected to the electronic device and the identity of the module is transmitted to a network entity via the electronic device, the location of the module can be used by the network entity to establish the location of the electronic device. |
| US08727213B2 |
Varnish printing document securing system and method
A paper and document securing system that includes an indicator is used to for validating the paper. The indicator may be printed on a surface of the paper by a printer with clear ink, which may provide a texture. The clear ink may include a substantially clear varnish. Data is includable in the indicator, which may be coded. Validating the paper may include detecting and examining the validity an indicator to accept or reject the paper. The indicator may be partially undetectable without alteration. Graphics are additionally printable on the paper using pigmented ink. The paper may include one or more plies, and the indicator may be printed between plies. Cards may be included on the paper. |
| US08727210B2 |
Transaction card with audio file pitch transformation
A transaction card includes an audio circuit, a housing, a switch, and an account identifier. The audio circuit is configured to capture an audio file and to transform a pitch of the audio file. The audio circuit includes a speaker configured to play the captured audio file as transformed by the audio circuit with a different pitch than the pitch originally captured for the audio file. The housing substantially encloses the audio circuit. The switch is movable by a bearer of the transaction card external to the housing. When the bearer interacts with the switch, the audio circuit is activated to transform the pitch of the audio file to the different pitch. The account identifier is fixedly coupled to the housing, and the account identifier links the transaction card to an account or record, wherein the account identifier is machine readable. |
| US08727208B2 |
Method for identifying pills via an optical device
A pill identification device having a mechanical device that is adapted to roll a pill along various axes of the pill, an optical device to record or transmit images of the pill and an algorithm to compare an identifier of the pill to a database having known identifiers of known pills is disclosed. A method of identifying a pill using the pill identification device of the embodiment of this invention is disclosed herein. Also, a method of manufacturing the pill identification device of the embodiments of this invention is disclosed herein. |
| US08727205B2 |
Reclosable pack
A reclosable pack according to the invention has a container with a covering film or foil as a closure part which covers a removal opening, which closure part is at least partially connected to the container, by a permanent adhesive, via an edge region adjoining the removal opening, and is made from a flexible material. Advantageously it is therefore possible to detach the closure part in order to release the removal opening by pulling in the pulling direction of the container and to place it back on the container in the opposite direction in order to reclose the removal opening. The container is surrounded by an outer pack which can be displaced in relation to the container in the pulling direction and in the opposite direction, and the closure part is fastened to the outer pack such that the release and reclosing of the removal opening can be controlled by displacing the outer pack in the pulling direction or in the opposite direction. |
| US08727203B2 |
Methods for manufacturing porous orthopaedic implants
A method of manufacturing an orthopaedic implant device having a porous outer surface is described. In one embodiment, the implant device includes a porous layer, an intermediate layer, and a solid substrate. The porous layer is preferably bonded to the intermediate layer by cold isostatic pressing. The intermediate layer is preferably bonded by vacuum welding to the solid substrate such that the porous layer forms at least a portion of the outer surface of the orthopaedic implant device. Preferably, a diffusion bond is created between the bonded intermediate layer and the solid substrate by hot isostatic pressing. In another embodiment, a porous layer is created on an outer surface of a solid layer by selective melting. Preferably, the solid layer is bonded to the solid substrate such that the porous layer forms at least a portion of the outer surface of the orthopaedic implant device. |
| US08727202B2 |
Die bonder and bonding method
With a die bonder or a bonding method, the die is adsorbed by the collet, the dicing tape to which the die is adsorbed is thrust up, the die adsorbed by the collet, and thrust up is peeled from the dicing tape, and the peeled die is bonded to the substrate. When the decrease in the air leak flow rate through the gap between the collet and the die upon the thrust up is smaller than the decrease in the normal peel by a predetermined amount, it is judged that a deflection occurs in the die. |
| US08727197B2 |
Staple cartridge cavity configuration with cooperative surgical staple
Surgical staples including features which can cooperate with staple cavities in a staple cartridge in order to reduce, or even prevent, the surgical staples from rocking, rotating or tilting, within the staple cavities while the staples are deployed by a staple driver, especially when the staples are oriented at different directions. In various embodiments, the surgical staples can include crowns having arcuate and/or cylindrical features which can cooperate with arcuate and/or cylindrical features of the staple cavities in order to reduce unwanted relative movement, or rotation, between the staples and the staple cavities. |
| US08727195B2 |
Blade snap-off holder
Disclosed is a blade snap-off holder which enables a safe, easy and smooth operation for snapping off a blade tip of a cutter knife. The holder has an insertion opening on its wall. A tip of a knife blade inserted through the opening is received in a groove of a rotary member located inside the holder. The rotation axis of the rotary member extends substantially parallel to the score of the knife blade. When the rotary member is rotated and a bending force is applied to the tip of the knife blade, the blade tip received in the groove of the rotary member can be snapped off. A user only grasps this holder in one hand and rotates the operation lever with a finger, and then a blade tip can be snapped off cleanly and easily without any subtle control of a force. |
| US08727192B2 |
Handset holder
A handset holder includes a holder, a strap means and a positioning member. The holder has a coupling portion at a rear end with external threads formed thereon. The coupling portion has an indented chamber to hold a chuck. The strap means includes a seat and a strap fastened to the seat. The seat has a ball head at a front end held in the chuck and a retaining slot threaded through by the strap. The positioning member mates the coupling portion and is fastenable therewith by screwing. The handset holder can be fastened to any type of vehicle tubular members through the strap. The holder is adjustable to a desired angle via the ball head and formed a firm positioning by tightly clamping the chuck via the positioning member. It is simpler to install and remove and provides wider applicability and improved practicality. |
| US08727190B2 |
Backpack hunting blind
The present invention relates to a backpack hunting blind that may be used, for example, as a hunter blind and backpack frame or the like. In general, the device comprises a partially collapsible mainframe, a seat, a back angle support, and a camouflage cover. The device comprises a partially collapsible mainframe having a first pair of vertical supporting tubes, preferably constructed of aluminum tubing. The first pair of vertical supporting tubes may further contain a second pair of vertical tubes inside which can be pulled out for supporting the camouflage cover. The seat is rotatable and can be rotated from the originally vertical position to a horizontally operational position. Shoulder straps are provided for the hunter to carry the device. The device is lightweight, compact, easy to carry, assemble and disassemble. |
| US08727189B2 |
Pin holder wearable at the wrist
The pin holder wearable at the wrist includes a main body and a band supporting the main body and being wearable at the user's wrist. The main body includes permanent magnets and a casing. The casing accommodates the permanent magnets and has attraction surfaces at the top portion. The attraction surfaces serve to attract and hold needlecraft pins by the magnet force of the permanent magnet. The band is in the shape of a strip as a whole, and can change into the first form that the band is stretched straight or the second form that the band curves in the longitudinal direction to form a ring. The main body is relatively movable with relation to the band with a predetermined friction resistance. |
| US08727188B2 |
Dispenser
A dispenser for dispensing liquid or paste-like substances includes a dispenser head with a mouth opening. At least a part of the dispenser head with the mouth opening is extendable and retractable with respect to a surrounding housing wall. A surface that comes in contact with the mouth opening or with an end face region of a protruding wall formed so as to surround the mouth opening encloses an acute angle with a vertical in a cross-section in which the surface appears as a line, and, in the retracted state, this region is in contact with an identically-formed support surface on the housing wall which faces the mouth opening or the end face region. |
| US08727187B2 |
Vented spout
A fluid container including a container having an opening and a spout assembly connected to the opening. The spout assembly is connectable to the opening. The spout assembly includes a cap, first and second tubular portions, and at least one corrugated portion. The cap is securable so as to substantially cover the opening. The first tubular portion is connected to the cap. The at least one corrugated portion is fluidically coupled between the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion. The second tubular portion being insertable into the first tubular portion. |
| US08727184B2 |
Container and associated dispenser for liquid materials
A container and associated dispenser for liquid is configured to dispense residual liquid from the container after the bulk of liquid has been dispensed from the container. This is accomplished by having a conical projection on the bottom of the container which causes residual liquid to flow into a gutter defined by the wall of the container and the surface of the conical projection. A dip-tube is connected to the dispenser and is rotatable in order to revolve the open free end of the dip-tube to access any circumferential location in the gutter in order to pick up residual liquid. |
| US08727180B2 |
Smart cap system
A medicine container cap for use with a bottle containing a plurality of pills includes a casing having a pill dispensing opening. A pill dispensing track assembly is removably coupled to the casing and includes a pill ramp for delivering pills to the pill dispensing opening and an insert that includes a pill dispenser slot that receives pills from the pill ramp and is open to the pill dispensing opening. The insert is detachably from the pill ramp and is insertable through an opening in the casing for being attached to the pill ramp. The pill ramp includes an adjustable member that modifies a characteristic of the pill ramp based on at least one characteristic of the insert that is selected, inserted through the opening in the casing and coupled to the pill ramp. |
| US08727175B2 |
Wide-neck drum of thermoplastic material
A wide-neck drum of thermoplastic material has a removable cover and a clamping ring closure. The drum is provided with an arrangement of a bung socket of a filling and discharge bung of the cover which is outwardly offset relative to the center point of the bung cover. The bung is provided at a flat or slightly curved bottom which has an upwardly protruding cover rim for fastening the bung cover on the drum opening rim. |
| US08727166B2 |
Disposal container with locking closure
A lid for covering an interior of a medical waste receptacle base. The lid includes a cover having a generally circular opening. The opening including an upper rim surrounding an upper central axis and a lower rim surrounding a lower central axis that is non-co-linear with the upper central axis. The lid includes a generally circular closure sized for blocking the opening. The lid includes a guide extending along the cover. In the open position, the closure is at least partially out of alignment with the opening. In the closed position, a center axis of the closure is aligned with the upper central axis to block the opening. The closure is moveable from the closed position to a locked position in which the center axis of the closure is coincident with the lower central axis. |
| US08727164B1 |
Gas release resealable tab mechanism for a beverage container
A resealable tab mechanism for a beverage container having a tab handle with divergent arms with a bar extending therebetween having a gas release pin valve fixedly attached to the tab handle bar. The tab handle is pivoted from a closed position in arc-like fashion that will bend the tab plate downward then the tab handle is rotated in circular fashion providing full access to the beverage container's contents. To close the process is reversed by rotating the tab handle over the beverage container's aperture then pivoted back to its seated position compressing a pair of gaskets that hermetically seals the beverage container's contents. |
| US08727163B2 |
Splash resistant lids, container assemblies including such lids and related methods
In some embodiments, a lid may include a valve chamber comprising a hollow chamber, a valve flap and a hinge. The hollow chamber may be defined by one or more sidewalls and have a first opening at a first longitudinal end and a second opening at an opposing, second longitudinal end. The valve flap may be positioned at least proximate to the second longitudinal end and have a shape and size substantially the same as a shape and size of the second opening. The hinge may couple the valve flap to a sidewall of the one or more sidewalls and may be sized and configured to enable the rotation of the valve flap from an open position to a substantially closed position. Container assemblies and methods of forming lids are also disclosed. |
| US08727161B2 |
Rim space seal system for use with internal floating roof
A rim seal system between the outer periphery of an internal floating roof and the bulk liquid tank wall including a laterally deployed first resilient or flexible seal member and a second laterally deployed rigid seal member interposed between the distal end of the first seal member and the tank wall where the rigid seal member provides protection from abrasion of the resilient or flexible seal member by frictional contact with the tank wall. An outwardly expanding hanger assembly mounted above the seal system maintains the rigid seal member in contact with the tank wall. |
| US08727160B2 |
Container for pressurized beverage
A fitting used with a container holding a pressurized beverage and adapted for connection to a filling or dispensing device has an annular and outwardly projecting collar formed unitarily with the fitting and forming a passage opening into the container and a flexible burst membrane in the fitting and blocking the passage. |
| US08727157B2 |
Versatile partitioned container related applications
A versatile, small-mouthed container is readily disassemblable and reassemblable to provide direct access to its internal cavity. Portions are mutually sealingly connectable by an annular coupling ring with two sets of threads, one each respectively to mate with threads on an upper and a lower cylindrical container portion. More than two cylindrical portions and more than one coupling ring can allow assemblage of larger containers and of containers of reconfigurable capacity. Some coupling rings provide for fluid communication between adjacent body portions and others provide a degree of blockage. Inserting or removing a partitioning disk into the ring can change a ring's degree of blockage. Various partitioning disks are provided with different degrees and types of blockage, when not deployed, the disks can be retained at the base of the container. Recessed latches prevent inadvertent opening at specific coupling interfaces. |
| US08727153B2 |
Bottle, retaining device and associated elements for carrying containers and other items
An improved bottle, retaining device and associated elements for carrying items is disclosed. The retaining device is adapted for holding a container (or containers) or other items; the retaining device being adapted to affix the container by way of the retaining device to a person or a personal item so ready access is provided for the held container/item. |
| US08727147B2 |
Bottle assembly having bottom vent
A bottle assembly including a bottle, a top closure member adapted for releasable engagement with a top portion of the bottle, and a bottom closure member adapted for releasable engagement with a base portion of the bottle. The bottom closure member has a base panel with at least one aperture therein. A diaphragm is positionable between the bottom closure member and the base portion. The diaphragm has at least one sealing element for sealingly engaging the base panel of the bottom closure member and an air passage extending through the at least one sealing element. The diaphragm is moveable between a sealed position and an unsealed position. The air passage is configured to inhibit liquid contained within a liquid chamber of the bottle from entering the air passage when the diaphragm is in its sealed position by trapping air within the air passage. |
| US08727145B2 |
Large mobile crane
The object of the invention is to reduce the amount of investment required for the usage-optimized configuration and installation of large cranes. This object is achieved by a large mobile crane having an undercarriage, a drive unit (16), a revolving superstructure (18), one or more control stations (17), at least two jibs (3), at least one counter-jib (4), at least two lifting arrangements (22) and counterweights arranged separately or on the basic structure, characterized in that the load-bearing parts of the crane (3, 4, 20) and the mobility-specific parts (5, 6, 7) are of modular design and can be supplemented by exchangeable and/or supplementary parts, wherein the structural units (modules) used essentially correspond, or are similar, to existing standard-crane components, and an increase in load-bearing capacity can be achieved by arranging a number of these in the large crane. |
| US08727141B2 |
Magnetic toothbrush and holder
A toothbrush and holder assembly includes a toothbrush having a handle, a head connected to the handle, cleaning elements extending outwardly from the head and a first magnetic element secured to a portion of the handle. A holder has a bottom surface, at least one recess formed in the bottom surface, and at least one second magnetic element seated in the at least one recess. Each recess is configured to receive the portion of the handle having the first magnetic element secured thereto. |
| US08727139B1 |
Kitchen utensil and method for temporarily holding lid of cooking vessel
An aftermarket kitchen utensil and a method of using the utensil to support a cover of a cooking vessel such that the cover does not obstruct the service of food from the cooking vessel while drippings from the inner surface of the supported cover are guided into the cooking vessel. The utensil includes a body, a first support assembly operable and effective for supporting the body in a vertically upright position during use, and a second support assembly operable and effective for supporting the cover of a cooking vessel in a desired orientation relative to the cooking vessel. |
| US08727133B2 |
Method for the preparation of at least one compound from blood, and extraction device for use in the execution of said method
Method for the preparation of at least one compound with biological properties from blood, where said method is performed in sealed tubes at a pressure below atmospheric pressure, thereby reducing or preventing the bacterial contamination of the compound through handling. The method comprises the repetition, for as many times as is required, of the following steps: connecting a second container that is vacuum-sealed to an extraction device connected in turn to a first container that contains blood separated into fractions, waiting for a period of time until the required fraction(s) is/are transferred, and removing said second container, with it thus being possible to obtain several second containers with different compounds for different medical applications including biological therapies. The steps may be performed in a closed system, without removing the caps of the containers, or alternatively the first container may be opened prior to the introduction of the extraction device. |
| US08727132B2 |
Sample processing system and methods
The invention relates to a system, comprising: a) a sample processing unit, comprising an input port and an output port coupled to a rotating container having at least one sample chamber, the sample processing unit configured provide a first processing step to a sample or to rotate the container so as to apply a centrifugal force to a sample deposited in the chamber and separate at least a first component and a second component of the deposited sample; and b) a sample separation unit coupled to the output port of the sample processing unit, the cell separation unit comprising separation column holder (42), a pump (64) and a plurality of valves (1-11) configured to at least partially control fluid flow through a fluid circuitry and a separation column (40) positioned in the holder, the separation column configured to separate labeled and unlabeled components of sample flowed through the column. |
| US08727128B2 |
Method and apparatus for separating excavated material
A method and apparatus for separating material, particularly excavated material is presented. The method and apparatus utilize a releasable and interchangeable screen assembly which is positioned on top of a frame having a slanted grate. The screen assembly includes bar members which traverse the top of the screen and inverted hook members attached to a top surface of the bar members to enable an equipment bucket to engage the inverted hook members in order to lift and move the screen assembly. |
| US08727125B2 |
Substrate container with fluid-sealing flow passageway
A substrate container includes an enclosure and an access structure formed in the enclosure and providing fluid access through the enclosure to an interior of the substrate container. The access structure includes an opening and an inner surface. A grommet is situated against the inner surface of the access structure. |
| US08727122B2 |
Package for a fragrance containing tablet
The tablet package comprises a container (10) and a sealed primary package or pouch (42) which holds the tablets (40) within the container. The container will have one or more relatively small apertures (18, 28, 30, 32) on a wall of the container. The lid (14) is a wall of the container. The bag or pouch will be of a material and a material thickness so that some of the fragrance within the tablet can pass through the primary package or pouch and into the container. Such fragrance then can pass from the container through an aperture by the potential purchaser prior to a purchase. |
| US08727121B2 |
Tray for a food product
A tray for a food product is thin-walled, unitary, and plastic. The tray comprises a central portion. The central portion comprises a plurality of downwardly extending recesses for receiving at least one of the food products, and a plurality of upwardly extending posts interspersed amongst the recesses. A first set of the posts is positioned on a first side of a horizontal axis of the tray, and a second set of the posts is positioned on a second side of the horizontal axis. The first set of posts and the second set of posts are positioned asymmetrically on either side of the horizontal axis. Each post comprises a plurality of reinforcing ribs extending lengthwise therealong. The reinforcing ribs are integral to the posts. The tray further comprises an outer wall portion extending about the central portion. A plurality of webs extend between the outer wall portion and the central portion. |
| US08727119B2 |
Stackable liquid crystal glass panel packaging box
The present invention provides a liquid crystal glass panel packaging box, which includes upper and lower cover members. The upper cover member has a top plate and upper side plates connected to the top plate. The lower cover member has a bottom plate and lower side plates connected to the bottom plate to collectively define a receiving chamber having an opening for receiving a liquid crystal glass panel. The bottom plate of the lower cover member having an outside surface that forms a raised portion corresponding to a circumference of the opening of the receiving chamber. The raised portion of the lower cover member of one liquid crystal panel packaging box is receivable in the opening of the receiving chamber of the lower cover member of another liquid crystal panel packaging box to effect stacking of lower cover members of different liquid crystal panel packaging boxes. |
| US08727118B1 |
Rotary tool box
A rotary tool box contains a base including a plurality of receiving portions for receiving plural tools and at least one accommodation room for holding at least one driving tool, at least one end of which extends out of the at least one accommodation room; a covering member covered on the base and including at least one orifice defined on a top surface thereof so as to take or place the at least one driving tool, the covering member also including at least one slot formed on an outer surface thereof so that the at least one end of the at least one driving tool extends out of the accommodation room and is engaged. |
| US08727116B2 |
Protection cover for portable terminal
A protection cover for a portable terminal preferably includes a rear cover, on and from a surface of which the portable terminal is mountable and removable, and a front cover pivotally coupled to the rear cover to open or close access to the portable terminal mounted on the rear cover. Friction members may be provided on at least one of the rear cover and the front cover, respectively, in which the front cover is disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to the rear cover while facing another surface of the rear cover to support the friction members on a planar surface, thereby opening the portable terminal and cradling the portable terminal inclinedly with respect to the planar surface. The protection cover provides both a cradle and a cover in one device. |
| US08727114B2 |
Golf bags with retention system and methods to manufacture golf bags
Embodiments of golf bags with an extensible bag stand having a retention system and methods to manufacture golf bags are generally described herein. Other embodiments of golf bags with an extensible bag stand having a retention system may be described and claimed. |
| US08727110B2 |
Jewelry organizing storage system
A jewelry storage organizer system is disclosed that provides for a more effective way to store and travel with a large variety of jewelry. The jewelry storage organizer system comprises a jewelry-organizing device, an earring-organizing device, and a necklace-organizing device. The jewelry storage organizer device comprises a singular sheet that comprises a plurality of tab closures, multiple ring bars, and at least one jewelry pocket for retaining jewelry. The jewelry storage organizer device can be hung on a door and rolled into a cylindrical configuration for storage or transportation. The earring storage organizer device comprises a singular sheet and a plurality of perforated tabs for retaining post earrings. The earring storage organizer device can be rolled up into a cylindrical configuration and can stand upright on its end. The necklace storage organizer device comprises a sheet and tab closures secured onto the front surface for retaining a necklace. |
| US08727108B2 |
Belt conveyor for oilseeds
A belt conveyor apparatus includes a tube sloping from a hopper at the lower intake. A belt passes along a floor of the hopper then up through the tube. The hopper floor has edge portions curving upward such that as the belt moves along the floor, side portions of the belt curve upward. Hopper sidewalls extend upward and outward from bottom inner edges thereof located above right and left sides of the middle portion of the belt, and outer edges of the belt are thus located under the sidewalls. Seal strips are to the sidewalls with lower edges sealing to right and left sides of the middle portion of the belt such that pockets are formed under the sidewalls between the curved side portions of the belt and the seal strips. A trap opening in the tube also allows oilseeds to drop out of the tube from under the belt. |
| US08727104B2 |
Slip conveyor
A slip conveyor (10) having a plurality of trays (11, 12, 13). Each of the trays (11, 12, 13) has an end portion (19) with an edge (29) inclined to the longitudinal direction of movement (14) of the tray (11, 12, 13). |
| US08727101B2 |
Device for cleaning fluid substances from a conveyor belt including paint, varnish and like products
A device for cleaning a conveyor belt soiled with fluid substances, and in particular for machines used for spraying paint or other products, is disclosed. The conveyor belt has an upper section and a lower return section comprising a (a) reverse roller in contact with the return section of the belt to collect the fluid substances on the belt; (b) doctor blade for scraping the fluid substances collected from the reverse roller; (c) at least one secondary belt conveyor mounted on a pair of supporting rollers and disposed beneath the doctor blade for collecting the fluid substances from the doctor blade and for conveying the fluid substances toward one end of said secondary belt conveyor; and (d) means at the end of the secondary belt conveyor for scraping the fluid substances from the secondary belt conveyor and for conveying the substances to a final collection and/or recycling means. |
| US08727097B2 |
Releasable shoe and method for shoe sorter
A sorter conveyor system includes a conveyor forming an upwardly facing support surface for conveying objects. The support surface includes slots oriented transversely to the conveying direction and a plurality of shoe assemblies mounted for sliding movement along respective slots for transversely discharging objects from the conveying surface. Each shoe assembly includes a carrier disposed below the conveying surface, and a shoe disposed above the support surface. The shoe and the carrier together form a releasable connection therebetween. The releasable connection is configured to enable the shoe, in response to an undesirable force applied thereto, to detach completely from the carrier without breakage or failure of any part of the shoe assembly, and to be manually reattached without the use of tools or special skills. Various related methods are additionally disclosed. |
| US08727092B2 |
Segment-type friction material
A segment-type friction material is composed of segment pieces. An outer circumference of the segment piece is away from an outer circumference of a core plate. A setback amount is about 2 mm. Then, a gap between the outer circumference of the segment piece and an inner peripheral part of an automatic transmission case becomes large. Thus, there is generated a part at which a gap between the segment pieces and a separator plate becomes large in a disengaged state. |
| US08727091B2 |
Torque limiter
A torque limiter device comprises a rotatable input 10 having an input flange 20 associated therewith, a rotatable output 12 having an output flange 22 associated therewith, the input flange 20 and the output flange 22 having opposing transmission pockets 26a, 26b formed therein, a torque transmission element 28 locatable within the opposing transmission pockets 26a, 26b of the input and output flanges 20, 22 to transmit torque therebetween, at least one disengagement pocket 32 arranged to receive the torque transmission element 28 when the torque transmission element 28 is in a disengaged position in which torque is not transmitted between the input flange 20 and the output flange 22, and resilient biasing means 34 biasing the torque transmission element 28 towards a transmission position in which it is located within the opposing transmission pockets 26a, 26b. |
| US08727089B2 |
Centrifugal force cutting off sliding damping type torque actuated clutch
The present invention relates to a centrifugal force cutting off sliding damping type torque-actuated clutch capable of controlling a clutch device to perform operations of coupling or disengaging with the driving torque, characterized in that a relay transmission structure assembly (104) is installed between a rotary prime motive end (101) and an output-end clutch structure (1052) installed at an output end (102), the relay transmission structure assembly (104) is installed with a relay coupling structure (204) having an active side of relay coupling structure and a passive side of relay coupling structure, and a centrifugal force cutting type centrifugal clutch (2006) is installed between the relay transmission structure assembly (104) and the static housing (107). |
| US08727087B2 |
Torque transmission arrangement, particularly hydrodynamic torque converter
A torque transmission includes a housing arrangement drivable around an axis of rotation and filled with fluid and a clutch arrangement between the housing arrangement and a driven member. The clutch arrangement has a first friction surface formation rotatable with the housing arrangement and a second friction surface formation rotatable with the driven member. A clutch piston is movable axially for producing and canceling frictional engagement of the first and the second friction surface formation. A piston carrying element is connected to the clutch piston on the radially inner side for axial movement of the clutch piston. The piston carrying element has in its radially inner end region a first axial supporting area for axially supporting the driven member at the piston carrying element and a second axial supporting area for supporting the piston carrying element at the housing arrangement. |
| US08727083B2 |
Fiberglass frame
A fiberglass frame, serving as trunk frame, and including round rods, connection pieces, lateral rods, a handle rack and fastening pieces. The connection piece is provided with three connection ends, and each connection end is provided with an insertion slot. The round rod is inserted into the insertion slot in the connection piece to form a frame with the connection piece. The handle rack is located on a side of the frame and is provided with an upper fixing stand and a lower fixing stand, such that the upper fixing stand is connected to two the connection pieces on two sides through an upper lateral rod. The lower lateral rod runs through the lower fixing stand and is connected to two the connection pieces on two sides. |
| US08727082B2 |
Friction damper, particularly for drum washing machines
The invention relates to a friction damper (1) and method related to the preparation of a friction damper, particularly for drum washing machines having a spin gear, with a housing and with a moveable tappet (4) which is arranged in the housing (2), parallel to the housing longitudinal axis (2a), and is led out of the housing (2) and which is provided at its end located in the housing with a moveably guided friction lining (8). The invention is distinguished in that the friction lining (8) or a body carrying the friction lining (8) is provided with a receptacle (22) for receiving an expandable body (23). |
| US08727078B2 |
Selectively incrementally actuated linear eddy current braking system
The invention is an incrementally actuated eddy current braking system. The system comprises first and second primary members, which further comprise arrays of permanent magnets arranged in alternating polarity. The respective magnets of the arrays face one another. A means for incremental displacement is drivingly connected to at least one of the primary members enabling the movement of said members relative to one another. |
| US08727074B1 |
Platform assembly
A platform assembly includes a ladder that comprises a plurality of steps coupled to and extending between a pair of legs. A platform is provided that may be coupled to a selected one of the steps. |
| US08727068B2 |
Sound-damping housing for a pump and for a drive motor for said pump
Sound-damping housing for a pump and for a drive motor for said pump, comprising a block-like casing assembled from sound-damping panels and provided with a support construction and a first door opening for successively placing into and removing from the casing the pump and its drive motor on the support construction, and with at least one guide extending over the support construction transversely of the door opening for the purpose of guiding a pump and its drive motor to be placed in the casing. |
| US08727066B2 |
Steering apparatus of vehicle and system of controlling the same
A steering apparatus of a vehicle including a motor, a motor shaft, a power delivery section selectively engaged to the motor shaft, a variable steering section connected to the steering column and selectively engaged to the motor shaft to control an angle and a length of the steering column, a connecting section selectively engaged to the motor shaft and delivering the torque of the motor to the variable steering section, and a first converting section delivering the torque of the motor to one of the power delivery section and the connecting section, wherein the first converting section includes a motor clutch coupling a power delivery shaft of the power delivery section to or decoupling the power delivery shaft from the motor shaft, and a delivery member engaged to the motor shaft when the motor shaft is decoupled from the power delivery shaft by the motor clutch. |
| US08727056B2 |
Systems and methods for generating and using moving violation alerts
Systems and methods for generating and using moving violation alerts are disclosed. A navigation device located in a vehicle determines the vehicle's present location and present speed, and generates a moving violation alert. The moving violation alert comprises at least one of time information, location information, road segment information, and sensor information. A tracking device coupled to the navigation device provides the moving violation alert on a network. The network connection is configured to transmit the moving violation alert from the navigation device to a recipient outside the vehicle. Moving violation alerts may be stored and analyzed by the recipient. |
| US08727048B2 |
Wheelchair
A conveyance such as a wheelchair that includes a seat assembly and a chassis. The chassis comprises a central frame member disposed substantially along the centerline of the wheelchair. The central frame member includes portions for connecting to or supporting one or more front casters, a seat assembly, one or more drive wheel assemblies, an energy source (e.g., one or more batteries), rear anti-tip wheels, and/or at least one footplate. The central frame member is disposed substantially along the centerline of the wheelchair and structurally distributes of the weight of the seat assembly (and optionally the weight of the energy source) to the supporting drive wheels and casters. In this manner, a clean-looking, simple, and lightweight chassis structure is provided for a conveyance. |
| US08727044B2 |
Polycrystalline diamond compact including a carbonate-catalyzed polycrystalline diamond body and applications therefor
In an embodiment, a polycrystalline diamond compact (“PDC”) includes a substrate and a pre-sintered polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) table bonded to the substrate. The pre-sintered PCD table includes an upper surface, a back surface bonded to the substrate, and at least one lateral surface extending between the upper surface and the back surface. The pre-sintered PCD table includes a region including at least a residual amount of at least one interstitial constituent disposed in at least a portion of the interstitial regions thereof, and a bonding region. The at least one interstitial constituent includes at least one metal carbonate and/or at least one metal oxide. The region extends inwardly from the upper surface and the at least one lateral surface. |
| US08727043B2 |
Cutter assemblies, downhole tools incorporating such cutter assemblies and methods of making such downhole tools
Cutter assemblies comprising an outer support element and a cutting element disposed therein. The cutting element is immovably attached to the outer support element. Also provided are downhole tools incorporating such cutter assemblies and methods of making such downhole tools. |
| US08727039B1 |
Torque measuring top drive
A torque measuring device for top drives, which includes plates mounted to a top drive. A torque measuring pin and a hinge pin can be engaged with the plates and a torque slide assembly. Bosses can be connected to the top drive, and can have the torque measuring pin engaged therethrough to restrain vertical and axial movement between the plates. A boss can be connected to the top drive and engaged with the torque measuring pin to bend the torque measuring pin when torque is applied to the top drive. One or more bosses can be connected to the top drive, and can have the hinge pin engaged therethrough to hinge the plates to the top drive. A strain gauge sensor can be engaged with the torque measuring pin. A controller can be in communication with the strain gauge sensor to receive signals therefrom. |
| US08727037B1 |
Well control operational and training aid
A method and system to aid and/or train well control personnel by measuring the actual hydraulic delay and pressure attenuation of operator choke changes during well control operations or simulations. This provides the choke operator with an anticipated drillpipe pressure as soon as the choke is adjusted, accounting for hydraulic delay, pressure attenuation and prior choke adjustments that are currently travelling through the wellbore as well as reflections of the transient pressure waves against the pumps and choke. The technique that is described utilizes only three inputs, and works without knowledge of or inputting data such as well depth, pipe and hole geometry, mud properties, temperature, water depth, land, offshore platform or floating (subsea BOP's) drilling rigs. Further, the system can detect and warn the operator of potential problems based on the results of the real time analysis. |
| US08727036B2 |
System and method for drilling
This disclosure relates in general to a method and system for controlling a drilling system for drilling a borehole in an earth formation. More specifically, but not by way of limitation, embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for controlling dynamic interactions between the drilling system for drilling the borehole and an inner surface of the borehole being drilled to steer the drilling system to directionally drill the borehole. In another embodiment of the present invention, data regarding the functioning of the drilling system as it drills the borehole may be sensed and interactions between the drilling system for drilling the borehole and an inner surface of the borehole may be controlled in response to the sensed data to control the drilling system as the borehole is being drilled. |
| US08727033B2 |
Apparatus for providing support of a cantilevered component mounted to a rigid frame
An apparatus for reducing the stresses placed on a cantilevered component mounted to a rigid frame includes cushioned bushings coupling the cantilevered component to a rigid frame. As the cantilevered component is loaded due to bending moments, the cushioned bushings flex and cushion the cantilevered component. The cantilevered component is retained within the bushing using hardware that allows the cantilevered component to float as needed to further reduce stresses and strains thereon. |
| US08727025B2 |
Downhole tool seal arrangement and method of sealing a downhole tubular
A downhole tool includes, a body having a recess, a first seal bore, a second seal bore, and a tool disposed at the body that is responsive to differential pressure across a piston. The downhole tool is configured to allow a differential pressure to form across the piston in response to a first plug sealing to and located at the first seal bore by the recess and preventive of forming a pressure differential across the piston in response to a second plug sealing to and located at the second seal bore by the recess. |
| US08727024B2 |
Sampling system and method
An apparatus and method for supporting a tubing bundle during installation or removal. The apparatus includes a clamp for securing the tubing bundle to an external wireline. The method includes deploying the tubing bundle and wireline together, The tubing bundle is periodically secured to the wireline using a clamp. |
| US08727021B2 |
Top drive system
In one embodiment, a top drive system includes a quill; a motor operable to rotate the quill; a gripper operable to engage a joint of casing; a connector bi-directionally rotationally coupled to the quill and the gripper and longitudinally coupled to the gripper; and a compensator longitudinally coupled to the quill and the connector. The compensator is operable to allow relative longitudinal movement between the connector and the quill. |
| US08727016B2 |
Apparatus and methods for enhanced well control in slim completions
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus and methods for enhanced well control in slim completions. An embodiment can include an electrical submersible pump (“ESP”) positioned within a casing and having at least a portion thereof extending outwardly from a production tubing positioned within the casing. The production tubing terminates adjacent a distal end portion of a pump discharge to thereby provide greater interstitial space between outer surfaces of the portion of the pump disposed to extend outwardly from the production tubing and inner walls of the casing. This increased interstitial space, for example, can assist in cost savings by reducing the rate of erosion damage to the ESP. Embodiments of the present invention can further include a valve connected to inner walls of the casing and positioned distal from the ESP to control the flow of hydrocarbons. |
| US08727011B2 |
Wellhead test tool and method
A method of pressure testing a lower marine riser package includes forming an inflatable packer having exposed slats and an inflatable packer element. The packer is positioned within the lower marine riser package above the cap seal with the exposed slats above the packer element. The packer is inflated and fluid pressure is then applied to test the integrity of the cap seal. The packer may be inverted, then positioned below the BOP/riser connection, the packer inflated, and pressure increased above the inflated packer element to test the fluid integrity of the BOP/riser connection. |
| US08727008B2 |
Tool for removing debris from a wellbore
An assembly for removing debris and/or conducting a wellbore operation may include a mandrel, a sliding sleeve rotationally coupled to the mandrel, and a flushing sleeve coupled to the sliding sleeve. A releasable connection may temporarily prevent axial movement between the sliding sleeve and the mandrel. A downhole tool may be coupled to the mandrel to conduct the wellbore operation. The flushing sleeve may be hydraulically actuated to an extended position ahead of the downhole tool. A method of removing debris from a wellbore and conducting a wellbore operation may include lowering an assembly into the wellbore, supplying pressurized fluid into the wellbore using the assembly to remove debris from the wellbore, and moving a downhole tool to a position where at least a portion of the downhole tool is disposed outside of the assembly to conduct the wellbore operation. |
| US08727006B2 |
Detecting and remedying hydrogen starvation of catalytic hydrocarbon generation reactions in earthen formations
Methods and apparatus for promoting the production of oil and/or gas from organic carbon-rich sedimentary rocks in a subterranean formation. Aspects of the method comprise detecting hydrogen starvation in the formation and remedying the hydrogen starvation. |
| US08727003B2 |
Composition and method for producing an ultra-lightweight ceramic proppant
An ultra-lightweight, high strength ceramic proppant made from mixture of naturally occurring clays, preferably porcelain clay, kaolin and/or flint-clay, earthenware clay or other naturally occurring clays having an alumina content between about 5.5% and about 35%. The proppant has an apparent specific gravity from about 2.10 to about 2.55 g/cc, and a bulk density of from about 1.30 to about 1.50 g/cc. This ultra-lightweight proppant is useful in hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas wells, and has greater conductivity than sand at pressures up to 8,000 psi as measured by Stim-Lab after 50 hours and 275° F. on Ohio Sandstone, in the presence of deoxygenated aqueous 2% solution of KCI. |
| US08727002B2 |
Acidic treatment fluids containing non-polymeric silica scale control additives and methods related thereto
Treatment fluids may be used to retard the deposition of silica scale in subterranean formations. Methods for treating a subterranean formation can comprise providing a treatment fluid having a pH of 6 or less that comprises an acidic base fluid and a non-polymeric silica scale control additive, and introducing the treatment fluid into at least a portion of a subterranean formation. The non-polymeric silica scale control additive retards deposition of silica scale in the subterranean formation. |
| US08727001B2 |
Methods and compositions relating to minimizing particulate migration over long intervals
Methods are included that are useful in treating subterranean formations and, more particularly, to minimizing particulate migration over long intervals in subterranean well bores that may be horizontal, vertical, deviated, or otherwise nonlinear. In one embodiment, a method is presented comprising: providing a well bore comprising an open hole section of about 30 feet or more that comprises an open hole section with a filter cake neighboring at least a portion of a reservoir; allowing the integrity of at least a portion of the filter cake to become compromised; and treating at least a portion of the open hole section with a consolidating agent system in a single stage operation so as to at least partially reduce particulate migration in the open hole section. |
| US08726997B2 |
Method of cooling a downhole tool and a downhole tool
A method of cooling a downhole tool. A first step involves providing a cooling chamber in the downhole tool. The cooling chamber is positioned in proximity to components to be cooled. A second step involves ports through defining walls of the downhole tool. The ports must be adapted to allow liquids from a well bore, in which the downhole tool is positioned, to communicate with the cooling chamber. A third step involves providing means to circulate liquids from the well bore in through the ports into the cooling chamber and out through the ports back into the well bore, such that the liquids in the cooling chamber are continually being replaced. A heat exchange takes place between the liquids in the cooling chamber and the components to be cooled. The liquids are continually being replaced dissipating heat into the well bore. |
| US08726993B2 |
Method and apparatus for maintaining pressure in well cementing during curing
Method and apparatus are provided for cementing wells and preventing fluid entry into the wellbore before the cement cures and increasing radial stress in the cured cement. Impacts or vibrations are applied to the casing during the time that the cement is curing. The source or sources of the impacts or vibration are placed in the casing during displacement of the cement slurry or soon after placement and are mechanically coupled to the inside wall of the casing. The sources may later be withdrawn from the casing or expendable sources may be used. |
| US08726989B2 |
Method for removing contaminants from wastewater in hydraulic fracturing process
The method begins drilling a borehole from the surface to an underground shale matrix. A pipe is inserted into the borehole. Fractures are created in the shale matrix by pumping fracturing fluid including water, proppants and various chemicals into the shale matrix to widen the fractures. The interior surface of at least one section of pipe is coated with a contaminant-capturing substance. The fluid re-enters the pipe from the shale matrix and moves through the coated pipe section to the surface where contaminants are sequestered by the coating. Natural gas or oil from the fractured shale then enters the pipe and moves to the surface to be collected. The coated pipe section remains in the ground permanently such that the necessity of disposing of the captured contaminates is eliminated. |
| US08726980B2 |
Permanent cable for submersible pumps in oil well applications
A technique facilitates the employment of an electric submersible pumping system or other well system downhole into a wellbore. The electric motor system is coupled with a signal carrying cable for conveyance to a desired downhole location in the wellbore. The signal carrying cable is constructed with sufficient strength to solely support the electric motor system during deployment and use in the wellbore without addition of a separate supporting mechanism. |
| US08726978B2 |
Heat exchanger element and heat exchanger
A heat exchanger element includes partition members that include first gas passages that are passages for first gas and second gas passages that are passages for second gas and that are provided above the first gas passages, the partition members operative to partition the first gas passages and the second gas passages; spacing members that form the first gas passages and the second gas passages and that maintain a gap between the partition members; and an adhesive that adheres the partition member and the spacing member with each other. At least one of the partition member and the spacing member is made of a liquid absorbing material, and the adhesive is a water solvent adhesive in which water-soluble flame retardant is impregnated. |
| US08726977B2 |
Pressure vessel assembly for integrated pressurized fluid system
Pressure vessel assembly for a pressurized fluid system, comprises an enclosed outer casing, at least one internal tube extending within the casing, at least one fluid accumulator disposed within the at least one internal tube, and at least one cooling passage provided within the at least one internal tube and defined by a clearance between the at least one hydraulic fluid accumulator and the at least one internal tube. The pressure vessel assembly further includes a fluid storage compartment formed between the outer casing and the at least one internal tube. The fluid storage compartment is at least partially filled with a working fluid. The pressurized fluid system also includes a cooling fan allowing forced airflow through the cooling passage for forced cooling of the at least one hydraulic fluid accumulator and the working fluid in the storage compartment of the pressure vessel assembly. |
| US08726976B2 |
Laminated sheet manifold for microchannel heat exchanger
A heat exchanger can have a manifold which includes a plurality of laminated sheets that allow a customization of the heat exchanger. The design can allow for a more optimal flow of coolant to areas of high load, thereby making the temperature distribution across the heat exchanger more uniform, or intentionally non-uniform. Furthermore, the laminated sheets can allow multiple circuits to be employed in the heat exchanger such that different coolants can be utilized therein and maintained separate from one another. The tubes can be microchannel tubes. A single set of manifolds can be used with multiple heat exchanger cores to provide a more compact heat exchanger. Mounting features can be integral with a group of the sheets. |
| US08726967B2 |
Pivoting support assembly with locking device for an awning arm
A pivoting support assembly with a locking device for an awning arm—the support assembly includes a fixed support (10), a pivoting body (20) articulately supported on the fixed support (10) to pivot between a retracted position and a service position, an arm (30) articulately supported on the pivoting body (20) to rotate between a folded position and an extended position, and an adjustable stop (40) for limiting the movement of the pivoting body (20), thus determining the degree of inclination of the awning in the service position. The adjustable stop (40) has a circumferential groove (43) and a grip element (44). A locking member (50), which is moved by the arm (30) to a locking position, is inserted into the circumferential groove (43) such that the grip element (44) is accessible and the adjustable stop (40) can be rotated but cannot be axially moved with respect to the pivoting body (20). |
| US08726966B1 |
Adhesive substance removing tool
An adhesive substance removing tool is provided with a cracking tool and a scrapping assembly which are removably coupled to a base. The cracking tool is used to crack the adhesive substance by forming breaking lines on the surface of the adhesive substance, and then the scrapping assembly is used to scrape off the adhesive substance by starting from the breaking lines. The combination of the cracking tool and the scraping assembly allows the user to remove adhesive substance easily and completely. Besides, the cutting assembly of the cracking tool is able to move freely both in straight-line or circular fashion, and the cracking tool can be prevented from rotating or disengaging once it is positioned in place on the base. Hence, convenience and safety of use can both be assured. |
| US08726963B2 |
Anti-vibrating tape dispenser of carton sealing machine
An anti-vibrating tape dispenser of a carton sealing machine includes a stand erected on the carton sealing machine, a fixed shaft extended transversally from the stand, a sleeve provided for loading a tape and coaxially sheathed on the periphery of the fixed shaft, a slide mechanism installed on the stand and below the sleeve and including a slide rail slidably installed on a fixed rail, an abutting rod fixed onto the slide rail and extended in the same direction of the fixed shaft, an abutting roller sheathed on the abutting rod and abutted against the external periphery of the tape roller. As the external diameter of the tape roller varies, the abutting roller slides along the slide rail to abut against the external periphery of tape roller normally, and the abutting roller includes one-way bearings for limiting the abutting roller to rotate round the abutting rod in a direction only. |
| US08726958B2 |
Inertia-controlled tire isolation valve and methods of controlling tire inflation pressures
Embodiments of the invention include methods and apparatus for adjusting the inflation pressure of a pneumatic tire. Particular methods include the step of arranging a tire in fluid communication with an inflation pressure source on a vehicle. Further steps may include arranging a rotational fluid passage between the tire and a vehicle axle and arranging along the rotational fluid passage an inertia valve that is biased in a closed arrangement while the valve is stationary or rotating below a desired speed about a rotational axis. Such methods may further include the steps of opening the inertia valve when the valve is rotating about the rotational axis at or above the desired speed and adjusting automatically the inflation pressure of the tire through the rotational fluid passage while the valve is open. Other embodiments comprise a system for adjusting the inflation pressure of a pneumatic tire. |
| US08726957B2 |
Pneumatic tire having branched extension blocks
A pneumatic tire comprises a pair of bead portions, a sidewall portion extending from the bead portions outward in a radial direction of the tire, a tread portion connected to an outer side of the sidewall portion in the radial direction of the tire through a shoulder portion, and extension block groups in each of which a plurality of extension blocks to extending from at least the shoulder portion to the sidewall portion are arranged in a circumferential direction of the tire. The extension block group includes a first extension block whose cross section height from a tire equator point exceeds ½ of a tire cross section height, and a second extension block whose cross section height from the tire equator point is lower than the first extension block. |
| US08726954B2 |
Condensor coil wind guard and method of assembly
A covering for use with an outdoor located unit defining an opening which exhibits a plurality of cold temperature sensitive components such as heat dissipating coils or cooling tower coils. A plurality of fasteners are secured to a face of the unit at locations proximate to at least one surrounding side of the opening. The fasteners secure to perimeter extending locations associated with an impermeable layer of material arranged over the opening in order to prevent air movement, ice, and snow through said opening in contact with the coils. |
| US08726952B2 |
Wireless phone wallet
A wallet for a handheld device includes a base having a front and a back, an elastic pocket fixed to the front of the base, an adhesive on the back of the flexible base, and an adhesive backing over the adhesive. The elastic pocket is stretchable to accommodate multiple cards and folded bills. The elastic pocket is made of a different material than the base. |
| US08726950B2 |
Mis-fuel inhibitor
A mis-fuel inhibitor in an inlet neck assembly of a vehicle fuel system discriminates between nozzle diameters, allowing entrance of nozzle diameters at or greater than a predetermined minimum diameter while inhibiting entrance of nozzles having diameters less than the predetermined minimum diameter. An actuator responsive to nozzle diameters opens and closes shutters blocking nozzle entrance. |
| US08726947B2 |
Fuel fill adaptor
A fuel-fill adapter for use in conjunction with a manually-controlled liquid supply nozzle for filling a fuel reservoir is disclosed. The adaptor mates with liquid supply nozzle as well as the filling port of the fuel reservoir. The fuel fill adaptor includes two main fluid pathways: an incoming pathway for liquid to fill the reservoir and an outgoing pathway for vapor venting or excess liquid draining. The fuel-fill adaptor includes a low-pressure differential vacuum-breaking valve to prevent the siphon effect that would otherwise naturally occur if liquid were to enter the gas venting hose. The vacuum-breaking valve permits air to enter the adaptor, wherein the air is then drawn down the drain hose instead of any additional liquid. The vacuum breaking valve can be connected to either the incoming liquid or vent/drain pathways. |
| US08726946B2 |
Method for filling bottles or similar containers with an oxygen sensitive effervescent liquid beverage filling material under counterpressure and filling machine for the performance of this method
A method for filling bottles or similar containers with an oxygen sensitive effervescent liquid beverage filling material under counterpressure and a filling machine for the performance of this method are disclosed. |
| US08726944B2 |
Positioning of dispensing means in fraction collector
A method in a fraction collector for accurate positioning of a dispensing device with respect to wells of a micro plate in which prior to the dispensing a sensing device is moved over the micro plate the sensing device being able to detect the number of walls between the wells in the rows and columns of the micro plate. |
| US08726940B2 |
Fuel equalization system
A fuel equalization system includes a filter box for accepting an air stream and a fuel stream, the air stream and the fuel stream mixing to form a mixed air/fuel stream. A blower is provided that has an inlet for accepting the mixed air/fuel stream from the filter box. An air deflection member is positioned in the path of the mixed air/fuel stream, between the filter box and the inlet, so as to reduce the turbulence of the mixed air/fuel stream. |
| US08726939B2 |
Hand-held dispenser
A hand-held dispenser for precisely controlling the flow rate of water therethrough and for injecting a liquid chemical into the water passing through the dispenser. The dispenser includes a slide valve for changing the flow rate of the liquid chemical water therethrough. The slide valve may also be positioned so that only rinse water is discharged from the dispenser. |
| US08726937B2 |
Control device for an extracting unit in the work face of a mine
The invention relates to a control device for an extracting unit in the face of a mine, for actuating the hydraulic actuator in the sense of drawing, stepping, setting, and having a plurality of main valves for connecting the actuator of the extracting unit to a main pressure line and a main return line, and a similar plurality of pilot valves, each associated with a main valve for adjusting same and connected to the main pressure line via a pilot pressure line common to all pilot valves and connected to the main return line via a return line common to the main valves and the pilot valves. The pilot pressure line can be shut off and the return line can be blocked off from the main return line and connected to a measuring device for measuring escaping hydraulic fluid. |
| US08726936B2 |
Compact cartridge coupling
The present invention relates to a compact cartridge coupling of the type adapted to connect a pressurized fluid line between a vehicle or apparatus and a user, the coupling comprising a female semi-coupling adapted to receive a male semi-coupling and a decompression element adapted to moderate the pressure inside the female semi-coupling thus allowing a male under pressure to be coupled and allowing the male to be disconnected while leaving pressure in the user line, the cartridge coupling being further characterized by a 3:1 hydraulic unbalancing system between the pressure force acting on the female valve assembly and that acting on the male valve assembly. |
| US08726934B2 |
Multi-mode pressure relief valve
A multi-mode pressure relief valve includes a body having fluid inlet and outlet ports and a compressed gas inlet port. The fluid ports and gas port isolated from one another. A reciprocating piston is in communication with the gas port. A valve stem is movable between an open condition and a closed position to permit and stop flow communication between the fluid ports. A spring is disposed between the valve stem and the piston and urges the piston and valve stem away from one another. The valve is operable in at least three modes, an operating mode in which the valve is open, the stem is spaced from the piston, and the piston applies pressure on the stem, and in which the pressure is balanced by fluid pressure the inlet, a zero-state mode in which the valve is open, the stem is spaced from the piston, the spring is in a relaxed state, and the piston applies no pressure on the valve stem, and a relief mode in which the valve is open, the stem contacts or is in close proximity to the piston and the spring is in a compressed state due to the fluid pressure. |
| US08726932B2 |
Pipe connector
A pipe connector is provided with a valve cartridge. The pipe connector can be modified so as to meet requirements for a variety of uses without changing the basic design of the connector body by simply replacing the valve cartridge with another valve cartridge having valve functions meeting a desired use. The pipe connector includes a tubular connector body 10 through which a fluid flows, and a valve cartridge 30 capable of being fitted in the connector body and of controlling the flow of the fluid. |
| US08726931B2 |
Power injectable valve designs
Pressure activated valves for catheters with improved tolerance of high pressure and high flow conditions are described. Embodiments of the valve comprise a flexible membrane with one or more linear slits therethrough, and means for applying tension to the flexible membrane in-line with the linear slits. The application of tension may optionally be facilitated by structural features of both the flexible membrane and the valve housing. |
| US08726923B2 |
Safety valve
A safety valve coupled to a container to release liquid within the container. The container defines an opening surrounded by a container surface. The safety valve includes a housing defining an interior containing a fusible member for actuating a plug between a closed position and an open position to release the liquid upon melting the fusible member. A main body has a first end for coupling to the housing and a second end for coupling to the opening of the container. The main body second end includes a main body surface defining axial bores for receiving screws to fix the main body to the housing. Upon coupling the safety valve to the container, a small gap is formed between the container surface and the main body surface to limit loosening of the screws. |
| US08726921B2 |
Umbrella
An umbrella is disclosed. In one embodiment, the umbrella includes an extensible, collapsible handle adapted to interchangeably secure the umbrella to a surface to allow for hands-free operation while a user is beneath the umbrella in order to remain dry and shaded. In at least one embodiment, the umbrella includes a retractable, magnetic attachment device in the handle. The umbrella includes a multiplicity of angle, pivot, and rotation configurations for use. The umbrella is adapted to pivot and bend in various locations. The umbrella provides for hands-free use when mounted. It at least one embodiment, the umbrella includes one or more of a shaft light and a frame light to provide illumination. |
| US08726920B2 |
Telescopic tube structure for automatic umbrellas
A telescopic tube structure for automatic umbrellas includes a tube assembly comprised of an outer tube, a middle tube, and an inner tube, which are telescopically interconnected; wherein a plug is fixedly fitted into a top portion of the middle tube, a bullet-shaped element is provided in the tube assembly, a runner string is connected to the bullet-shaped element at a first end thereof, and is sequentially looped around a first runner-string pulley at a top portion of the tube assembly and a second runner-string pulley of a runner and then connected to a cap at a second end thereof, an outer-tube string is connected to the bullet-shaped element at a first end thereof, and is looped around an outer-tube string pulley of the plug and connected to a bottom portion of the outer tube at a second end thereof. The structure may allow umbrellas to be operated more conveniently. |
| US08726915B1 |
Toothbrush and flossing system
A toothbrush and flossing system comprising a toothbrush having bristles, a handle, and a removable floss cartridge/container. The handle may comprise a cavity for receiving the floss cartridge; the floss container may comprise all or a portion of the handle; or the floss container may slip externally over the toothbrush handle. The floss cartridge may comprise a housing having a closed end and an open end, with a cap adapted to seal the open end and to protrude from the housing and the cavity with a recessed cutter separated from a floss exit opening in the cap. The cap may have a decorative design, such as in the form of a human, animal, cartoon character, or the like. In another embodiment, an ornamental enclosure is provided that attaches to the handle. Toothbrush embodiments for receiving the floss cartridge and floss cartridge embodiments for use with such toothbrushes are also claimed. |
| US08726914B2 |
Compact system with magnetic slide out brush
A compact system for applying a product to a surface including a removable applicator slideably housed in a compact comprising an actuator and a slide-mechanism. In one example, the slide-mechanism is configured to magnetically couple with a magnet in the base of the applicator, and slides the applicator into and out of the compact. By virtue of having a removable applicator, the compact system is portable and convenient, while at the same time the applicator remains clean and intact until a time of use. |
| US08726909B2 |
Methods and apparatus for revision of obesity procedures
Methods and apparatus for the endoluminal revision of previously performed obesity procedures which have failed are described. One or more endoluminal instruments may be advanced per-orally into the previously formed failed pouch where a number of different procedures can be performed. One or more tissue folds can be formed and secured to reduce the size of the pouch, or the stoma connecting the pouch to the intestinal tract can be reduced in size using endoluminally deployed tissue anchors. These procedures can be performed entirely from within the pouch lumen or upon the exterior surface of the pouch via transgastric entry of the instruments into the peritoneal cavity of a patient. Alternatively, the interior tissue within the pouch can be injured or sclerosed to shrink the pouch lumen. In another alternative, a length of the Roux limb can be shortened endoluminally to create a malabsorptive region. |
| US08726908B2 |
Enhanced patient-orienting alternating pressure support apparatus
Described herein are systems and apparatuses for enhanced comfort through contact pressure reduction. In particular, the systems and apparatuses disclosed herein prevent or otherwise mitigate pressure by actively orienting a patient over an anatomy-specific pressure-mitigating contact surface on which the patient rests. A pressure-mitigating contact portion of the contact surface includes a plurality of independently pressurized chambers configured in a specific geometric pattern that is designed to mitigate contact pressure between a support surface (e.g., bed or chair) and a specific anatomic region of a patient's body when the specific anatomic region of the patient's body is oriented over an epicenter of the geometric pattern. In one embodiment, the geometric pattern includes a first independently pressurized relief chamber that intersects the epicenter of the geographic pattern, and second and third independently pressurized relief chambers that collectively encompass the first independently pressurized relief chamber. |
| US08726907B2 |
Surgical drape with separable elements
The present disclosure relates to a one piece customized disposable surgical drape to be used in any surgery, and more specifically to a one piece customized disposable surgical drape that includes one or more of the following: (1) a patient drape for use with a standalone non-draped image acquisition device (requiring circumferential access to the patient); (2) a patient drape for use with a standalone non-draped image acquisition device with image guidance navigation technology; (3) the means to provide temporary sterile coverage of an underlying sterile field; (4) the means to provide sterile separation of at least a portion, if not the entire temporary sterile coverage; and (5) the means to provide covering of the undersurface of the operating surface and enclosing any suspended medical devices, wires, cables, tubes, etc. |
| US08726902B2 |
System and method for smart delivery of backup breaths
A method for delivering ventilatory support to a patient is presented. The method includes controlling delivery of a first backup breath by delaying onset of the first backup breath, wherein delaying the onset of the first backup breath is configured to allow selection of an appropriate backup rate. Systems and computer-readable medium that afford functionality of the type defined by this method is also contemplated in conjunction with the present technique. |
| US08726900B1 |
Demand anesthetic gas delivery system with disposable breathing and scavenging circuit
A demand valve is fixedly and rigidly mounted on an anesthetic gas mixer stand in close proximity to the gas mixer. A single-patient-use disposable breathing and scavenging circuit is adapted to be removably connected to the demand valve output for permitting a patient to breath gas, or a mixture gases, supplied by the gas mixer through a remotely located disposable face mask included as a portion of the breathing circuit. The breathing circuit further includes a scavenger portion for collecting exhaled waste gas from the face mask. The scavenger portion of the circuit also is disposable. |
| US08726896B2 |
Barbecue grill having a split lid
A barbecue grill assembly comprises a firebox having a bottom and first and second ends, side walls extending from the first and second ends, and a pair of lids each hingeably connectable to an upper portion of one of the side walls and separately movable between open and closed positions. The pair of lids forms a cooking enclosure with the firebox when in their closed positions. |
| US08726894B2 |
Rapid fire air-powered toy gun and pliable projectiles for shooting therefrom
An air-powered toy gun is described. The toy gun includes a main housing with a barrel extending therefrom. The main housing is formed to accept a projectile cartridge and align a bullet chamber of the cartridge with the barrel. An air cylinder is attached with the main housing, with a two-way plunger positioned within the air cylinder. A forestock is slidably attached with the housing and attached with the two-way plunger to allow the two-way plunger to be forced fore and aft within the air cylinder. Conduits and valves are attached with the air cylinder to fluidly connect the air cylinder with the bullet chamber of the cartridge. Further, an indexing mechanism is attached with the main housing. The indexing mechanism is operably connected with the forsestock such that upon each fore and aft motion of the forestock, the indexing mechanism draws a cartridge through the main housing. |
| US08726891B2 |
Stored compressed air management and flow control for improve engine performance
A method for providing air to a combustion chamber of an engine, the engine including a compressor and a boost tank selectably coupled to an intake manifold. The method comprises admitting air from the compressor to the intake manifold via a main throttle valve, storing some air from the compressor in a boost tank, and discharging some of the air stored in the boost tank to the intake manifold via an auxiliary throttle valve distinct from the main throttle valve. |
| US08726886B2 |
Fuel supply system and anti-siphon jet pump
A fuel supply system includes a fuel supply pump and a jet pump utilizing flow from the supply pump to supply fuel to a fuel pump reservoir from a main fuel tank. The jet pump includes a body with a main inlet coupled to an outlet of the supply pump provided at its upper end. A nozzle is positioned on an interior of the body. A mixing tube is defined by the body downstream of the nozzle, and defines a channel extending along an axis. A suction inlet of the body is in fluid communication with the mixing tube channel. A jet pump outlet formed in the body is positioned at or above an upper portion of the reservoir such that fuel pours down into the reservoir. The body redirects fuel in a direction away from the axis for discharge through the jet pump outlet. |
| US08726878B2 |
Internal combustion engine
An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder head having a cylinder head base, a cylinder wall, and a piston which is movable along a cylinder axis and has a piston crown. A main combustion chamber is formed between the cylinder head base, the cylinder wall, and the piston crown. A precombustion chamber is inserted into a bore of the cylinder head and is fixed relative to the bore in the circumferential direction of the bore. The axis of the bore is at least substantially parallel to the cylinder axis, and a precombustion-type combustion chamber is formed in the precombustion chamber. At least one ring of transfer openings connects the precombustion-type combustion chamber to the main combustion chamber, and in each case, the angle which the transfer opening encloses with the cylinder axis differs for at least two transfer openings of the at least one ring. |
| US08726870B2 |
Rotational energy heat generation apparatus and methods
A hydrodynamic heater is provided having a rotational member and a stationary member. The rotational member is operable to rotate relative to the stationary member about an axis so as to induce fluid shear and therefore, thermal energy to the working fluid. The hydrodynamic heater may be a component of a heat generation system comprising an internal combustion engine having a drive shaft for rotating the rotational member of the hydrodynamic heater. The heat generated by the hydrodynamic heater, as well as the heat generated by the engine from the engine exhaust and engine cooling system, is combined to heat a working fluid. |
| US08726862B2 |
Switching rocker arm
A rocker arm for engaging a cam is disclosed. An outer arm and inner arm are configured to transfer motion to a valve of an internal combustion engine. A latching mechanism includes a latch, sleeve and orientation member. The sleeve engages the latch and a bore in the inner arm, and also provides an opening for an orientation member used in providing the correct orientation for the latch with respect to the sleeve and the inner arm. The sleeve, latch and inner arm have reference marks used to determine the optimal orientation for the latch. |
| US08726861B2 |
Variable valve lift apparatus
A variable valve lift apparatus may include a camshaft, a low lift cam which may be connected to the camshaft and rotates, a high lift cam which may be rotatably mounted to the camshaft and may be selectively connected to the camshaft to rotate with the camshaft, a high lift cam connecting portion which selectively connects the high lift cam to the camshaft, and a tappet including a low lift cam contact portion contacting the low lift cam and a high lift cam contact portion selectively activating the high lift cam. |
| US08726858B2 |
Variable compression ratio internal combustion engine
A variable compression ratio internal combustion engine basically has a main engine body and a variable compression ratio mechanism. A housing is attached to an outside wall of the main engine body to support an actuator. The variable compression ratio mechanism varies an engine compression ratio according to a rotational position of a first control shaft by the actuator. A second control shaft links the actuator to the first control shaft. A bearing includes a pair of split bearing bodies that rotatably holds and supports the second control shaft on the housing. The split bearing body that is farther from the main engine body has higher in rigidity than the housing. The bearing is fixed to the side wall of the main engine body by fixing bolts that pass through both of the split bearing bodies and thread into the side wall of the main engine body. |
| US08726857B2 |
System and method for electrically-coupled heat engine and thermal cycle
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a device for generating electrical energy using a thermal cycle of a working gas. The device comprises at least one piston movably mounted in a container to form a working chamber between the at least one piston and the container, the working chamber containing the working gas performing the thermal cycle. An electrical circuit is mounted stationary relative to the container, the electrical circuit being electromagnetically coupled to provide a motive force to the at least one piston. An electronic power converter is electrically connected to the electrical circuit and to an electrical bus, and an electrical storage device is electrically connected to the electrical bus. The at least one piston is movably mounted such that its motion electromagnetically induces current in the electrical circuit. An electronic controller is electronically connected to the electronic power converter to control motion of the at least one piston to perform, in the thermal cycle, at least one of: (i) expanding the working gas beyond the volume at which compression of the working gas is begun within the thermal cycle or (ii) exhausting the working gas to a remaining volume less than the smallest volume of compressed gas within the thermal cycle. The electronic controller further controls flow of electrical energy to and from the electrical bus to effect a net positive average power transfer from the working gas to the electrical bus over the course of the thermal cycle. |
| US08726855B2 |
Method for operating an internal combustion engine
The invention relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine with a crankcase, a crankcase vent and an intake system. According to the invention, the pressure in the crankcase can be reduced, depending on a differential pressure between the intake system and the crankcase, to maximally −500 mbar, in particular maximally −300 mbar, with respect to ambient pressure for reducing lubricant consumption of the internal combustion engine. |
| US08726853B2 |
Fuel supply system
In a fuel supply system with a fuel supply pipe for pumping fuel from a fuel tank via a fuel supply pipe to a fuel injection device of an internal combustion engine, wherein a fuel filter including a water separator is arranged in the fuel supply pipe for removing water collected in the water separator and injecting it into an exhaust gas system, a fuel/water discharge arrangement is provided which includes a main pipe connected to the fuel filter, a branch pipe connected to a water collection region of the fuel filter and a mixing device arranged in the main pipe for mixing water to a fuel flow in the main pipe for injection into the exhaust gas system. |
| US08726849B1 |
Bird collar
A bird collar removably worn on a bird for protection from feather picking or other self-mutilations restricts a bird's neck movement and area of reach. The bird collar includes a collar body which is wrapped around the neck of the bird and fastened with a fastener and a removable insert which provides rigidity to the collar body and allows the collar body to be cleaned when removed. An inner odor eliminating substance is provided in close proximity to the surface of the collar body which is in contact with the bird. |
| US08726848B2 |
Poultry cart handler and method
A cart-handler for mobile carts within narrow confines is provided. The cart-handler is constructed from an elongate frame having at least one upright support rail and opposite ends supported on wheels. A pair of stabilizers is connected to the frame with each stabilizer being movable into a retracted position on the frame and into a laterally-extended position in which the stabilizer directly engages an underlying floor surface to aid in supporting the cart-handler on the floor. When the stabilizers are placed in the laterally-extended position, each stabilizer extends outward from a common side of the elongate frame. A cart-lifter is mounted on the support rail of the frame and is movable vertically along the support rail so that the cart-lifter can engage, elevate, and support a separate mobile cart above the underlying floor surface. The cart-handler can be interconnected to a pair of elevated mobile work platforms. |
| US08726845B2 |
Radial-shape wireless dog fence system and method with temperature compensated crystal oscillator for reduced clock speed variation between base unit and collar
A radial-shaped wireless fence system is provided that contains one or more dogs in a user-defined area without the need for a physical fence or underground wire. The system includes a base unit and at least one collar, and is easy to set up and use. Each of the base unit and the one collar include a temperature compensated crystal oscillator for reducing clock speed variation between the base and collar units, preferably to +/−5 ppm, to effectively eliminate communication errors between the base and collar units. |
| US08726844B1 |
Remote animal restraining device and method
A remote animal restraining device includes a device collar having a panel storage compartment, at least one panel storage compartment door pivotally carried by the device collar and positional between open and closed positions relative to the panel storage compartment, a flexible restraining panel carried by the panel compartment door in the panel storage compartment, a door release mechanism carried by the device collar and adapted to normally retain the panel storage compartment door in the closed position and a remote control adapted to remotely activate the door release mechanism. |
| US08726843B2 |
Automated system for applying disinfectant to the teats of dairy livestock
A system for applying disinfectant to the teats of a dairy livestock includes a carriage mounted on a track, the carriage operable to translate laterally along the track. The system further includes a robotic arm including a first member pivotally attached to the carriage, a second member pivotally attached to the first member, and a spray tool member pivotally attached to the second member. The robotic arm further includes a spray tool attached to the spray tool member. The system further includes a controller operable to cause at least a portion of the robotic arm to extend between the hind legs of a dairy livestock such that the spray tool may discharge a disinfectant to the teats of the dairy livestock. |
| US08726841B2 |
Aquarium accessory
An aquarium accessory shaped and dimensioned for sitting upon the upper edge of an aquarium frame to elevate the water level in an aquarium for viewing fish contained within the aquarium outside of the aquarium. The aquarium accessory includes a transparent container shaped and dimensioned to sit upon a support shelf in an inverted configuration for the creation of a mechanism for holding water above a water surface of the aquarium. The support shelf is shaped and dimensioned for mounting along a frame of an aquarium and includes a base member having a central aperture. The support shelf includes arms supporting the base below the waterline of an aquarium. The lower ends of the arms are connected to the base and the upper ends of the arms are secured to a lateral flange member extending therefrom, the lateral flange member includes first and second downwardly extending flange members shaped and dimensioned to wrap about the adjacent walls of an aquarium. The accessory further includes a hood which cooperates with the support shelf. |
| US08726836B2 |
Liquid crystal coating apparatus and liquid crystal coating method
The present invention provides a liquid crystal (LC) coating apparatus and an LC coating method. The LC coating apparatus comprises a plurality of liquid crystal coating devices, at least one real-time detector and a controller. The LC coating method comprises the following steps: utilizing the LC coating devices to coat a LC on a substrate; utilizing the real-time detector to real-time detect the LC coated on the substrate and outputting a detection signal; and utilizing the controller to control the LC coating devices according to the detection signal. The present invention can real-time monitor the coating status of the LC for coating and forming a uniform LC film. |
| US08726834B2 |
Liquid applying apparatus and ink jet printing apparatus
An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid applying apparatus which can inhibit a variation in application amount associated with the individual variability of a component of the apparatus. According to the present invention, a liquid holding space in which a liquid is held is formed between the applying member and the liquid holding member. When the applying member moves, the liquid attached to the applying member is fed out of the liquid holding space together with the applying member. The liquid is applied to a medium. The application amount of liquid applied to the applying medium varies depending on the individual variability of a component such as a liquid applying member. The variation in liquid application amount is adjusted by adjusting section for adjusting, the rotation speed of the liquid holding member or the flow speed of the liquid flowing through the liquid holding space. |
| US08726825B2 |
Servo-assisted steering device for vehicles, in particular for boats or the like
A servo-assisted steering device for vehicles includes a manual control member that is connected to a pump or the like manually driving it when the control member is rotated. The pump is connected at its delivery and suction side to one of the two chambers of one or more steering actuators through hydraulic pipes, feeding a pressurized fluid alternately to one or the other of the two chambers depending on moving direction, in particular the rotation of the control member. Assist control means for the steering actuators include a hydraulic fluid tank and automatic pumping means, which are driven and connected to the hydraulic pipes when the steering wheel is operated and which, by increasing the amount of pumped fluid, increase the pressure exerted by the pump to reduce resistance when steering the control member. The number of revolutions of the motor driving the automatic pumping means may be adjusted. |
| US08726818B2 |
Burning method of woody pellet and burning apparatus thereof
To suppress the generation of clinker so as to prevent the generation of a burning trouble, ceramic particles 30 are covered over a porous plate 4 to form a fire bed 3. Woody pellets 31 are scattered on the fire bed and combustion air is ejected from the lower side of the porous plate so as to burn the pellets. At the time of discharging ash generated by the burning to a secondary combustion space on the downstream side together with an air current of the combustion air or combustion gas, the ceramic particle layers and the woody pellet layer are stirred by a stirring section 21, 22 to thereby break clinker of the combustion ash formed in the fire bed, whereby the growth of the clinker is suppressed and the generation of a burning trouble is prevented. |
| US08726805B2 |
Letterpress printing machine
The letterpress printing machine includes an impression cylinder (8), at least one inking device (11, 12, 13) with an inking train comprising inking rollers (25, 26, 28) and at least one letterpress form cylinder (14, 15, 16) inked by said at least one inking device (11, 12, 13). The at least one letterpress form cylinder (14, 15, 16) is driven by first drive means (30), whereas the at least one inking device (11, 12, 13) is driven by second drive means (31, 32, 33), the second drive means (31, 32, 33) being mechanically independent from the first drive means (30). A control unit is coupled to the second drive means (31, 32, 33) to adjust a circumferential speed of the inking rollers (25, 26, 28) with respect to a circumferential speed of the letterpress form cylinder (14, 15, 16) so as to adjust deposition of ink by the inking device (11, 12, 13) on the letterpress form cylinder (14, 15, 16). At least one of letterpress form (14, 15, 16) cylinder is preferably a numbering cylinder for numbering printed sheets or webs. |
| US08726800B2 |
Method and mechanical press system for the generation of densified cylindrical briquettes
A method for preparing a pressed article comprises providing a first and a second pressing ram in a compression chamber; supplying biomass particles in the chamber closing the chamber; extending the first pressing ram; displacing the biomass particles with the first pressing ram towards the second pressing ram; detecting abutment of the biomass particles on the second pressing ram; applying pressure to the biomass particles with the first pressing ram and with the second pressing ram detecting a pressure applied to match a predetermined pressure and continuing to extend the first and the second pressing ram until a predetermined time at the matched compression pressure has elapsed; stopping the extension of the second pressing ram when a predetermined extension length is reached; continuing to extend the first pressing ram until a predetermined additional time has elapsed after the stopping; ejecting a pressed article. |
| US08726799B2 |
Avocado pitting device
An avocado pitting device comprises a housing having an inner surface defining a recess. The recess is configured to receive a pit of an avocado. An engagement member projects inwardly from the housing inner surface. The engagement member is configured to engage the pit and retain the pit within the recess such that the pit is removable with the housing from the avocado. |
| US08726792B2 |
Charbroiler and method of charbroiling
A charbroiler having both heated grids and at least one radiant heater and a method of charbroiling a food product are disclosed. Each heat source of the charbroiler can be an independently regulated heat source. The independently regulated heat sources can be adjusted to each contribute to the overall cooking of a food product in a cooking cycle. Each of the independently regulated heat sources can be many types of heat sources capable of being regulated either manually or automatically by a cooking control system. |
| US08726786B2 |
Stack valve having bucket parallel movement function
A stack valve 1 includes an ascending dividing valve 14 which is provide on an ascending junction path 23 and controls the flow rate of a pressure fluid supplied to a head-side chamber 4a of a bucket cylinder 4, an ascending branched path 24 which is branched from the ascending junction path 23 and connected to an unloading path 21, and an ascending cancellation switching valve 19 which is provided on the ascending branched path 24 to close or open the ascending branched path 24. The ascending dividing valve 14 and the ascending cancellation switching valve 19 are provide in the same dividing section 83. |
| US08726784B2 |
Field gun aim
A howitzer suitable for deployment on a ground plane, the howitzer having an ordnance for firing a projectile. The ordnance can include a barrel defining a barrel axis and having a muzzle towards the front end of the howitzer and a breech assembly at the back end of the barrel; a cradle for holding the ordnance at a traverse and an elevation; two trunnion pins located on the cradle, which co-locate with receiving trunnion bearings on a saddle, wherein in a first position said breech is located forward of the trunnion, in a second position, at the end of the recoil stroke, the breech is retracted substantially behind the trunnion, wherein a recoil stroke is variable depending on the selection of the elevation. |
| US08726783B2 |
Turret assembly
A turret assembly without deck penetration for minimizing exposure of combatants to enemy forces when accessing above deck equipment comprises a base plate on top of which is mounted at least one finable and remotely operable combatant interfaceable implement, the base plate being rotatable about a substantially vertical axis and supported for rotation by bearing means mounted within a deck of a military facility; a hatch displaceably connected to the base plate, for normally covering a hatchway formed in said base plate and for exposing said hatchway when displaced; and a rotatable disc of a slip ring unit carried by the hatch, by which electricity for operating equipment mounted on top of the deck and for initiating control signals is transmitted to the equipment. |
| US08726771B2 |
Insert, holder, and cutting tool using said insert and holder
Provided is an insert that has good positioning precision and sufficient rigidity. Said insert is rod-shaped and has: a shank part; cutting blades formed on both sides of the shank part; and raised surfaces that are positioned between the cutting blades and the shank part and bulge such that parts farther away from the cutting blades are progressively closer to the outer surface of the shank part. In a side view, the rake face of the cutting blade on one side and the raised surface on the other side are disposed in the same direction with respect to the axis of rotation of the shank part. |
| US08726770B2 |
Machine tool
There is provided a work supplying apparatus for automatically and smoothly supplying workpieces having various shapes and sizes from a rear end of a hollow spindle in a machine tool or assembling machine. The work supplying apparatus has a work pushing means for pushing the workpiece held by a holding means into a chuck, and a pusher for pushing and holding the workpiece supplied to a work receiver in the direction of the holding means. |
| US08726768B2 |
Adjustable wrench
An adjustable wrench is provided which provides several advantageous aspects. One aspect of the wrench is to facilitate rapid adjustment of the jaws, which are typically spring biased toward one another. Another aspect is the ability to adjust the jaws according to Metric system measurements or English system measurements or the like. A further aspect is the quick and effective tightening of the jaws. |
| US08726765B2 |
Screwdriver tool with improved linear tracking
An automatic fastener driving tool, or an attachment, has an external depth of drive adjustment subassembly that is mounted external to the feed tube housing, yet has a simple adjustment that does not lose its setpoint easily. By placing the depth of drive mechanism outside of the interior areas of the feed tube, the slide body subassembly can be lengthened without increasing the overall length of the feed system. Certain surfaces of slide body subassembly exhibit a dovetail shape, which allows the slide body subassembly to be robustly mounted so that it is capable of operating with long fasteners while also having the nosepiece mounted in an extended position for use with those fasteners. |
| US08726764B2 |
Sommelier's corkscrew
A sommelier's corkscrew having an elongated first shaft (1) hingedly connected at one end with a second shaft (2) including a tool (2.1) for opening crown caps and an extension (2.2) having a formed step adapted to engage the top edge of a bottle mouth during the corkscrew lifting step, and a helically shaped third shaft (3) hingedly connected to the first shaft. The corkscrew further includes a mechanical element (10, 20) adapted to engage the third shaft and actuate it automatically to move the third shaft from the closed position of the corkscrew, where the third shaft is contained between the first and second shafts, to the open position where the third shaft is substantially perpendicular to the first and second shafts aligned in the open position. |
| US08726754B2 |
Method for reversing the direction of travel of a vehicle
During reversal of drive of a vehicle, particularly a work machine with a hydrodynamic torque converter and a bypass clutch, the bypass clutch is first disengaged, during the reversal process. Next, a previously engaged first driving direction clutch, driving the vehicle in the first driving direction, is disengaged and a second driving direction clutch, for driving the vehicle in the second driving direction, is engaged so that a speed of the vehicle, in the first driving direction, is reduced and a speed of the vehicle, in the second driving direction, is subsequently accelerated, whereby the drive motor is operated at a higher rotational speed during the reversal process. |
| US08726749B2 |
Transmission overdrive yoke position sensor for range trigger
Disclosed is an exemplary transmission clutch fork position sensor including an elongated bar and a clutch fork slidably engaging the elongated bar. A yoke bar includes a first end coupled to the clutch fork for concurrent movement therewith. A position sensor operably engages the yoke bar, and is operable for detecting a position of the yoke bar. |
| US08726745B2 |
Fluid handling device with ultrasound sensor and methods and systems using same
A device comprising a sampling probe configured to sample a fluid, and an ultrasound sensor coupled to the sampling probe and configured to transmit and receive ultrasound energy, the ultrasound sensor further configured to generate a first signal by receiving ultrasound energy reflected from a fluid surface of the fluid is provided. Fluid handling systems and methods of using the fluid handling devices and systems are also disclosed. |
| US08726741B2 |
Set of multiaxial force and torque sensor and assembling method
A multiaxial force/torque sensor assembly and method for assembling such a sensor assembly are disclosed. The sensor assembly includes a set of at least two sensors each being made of strain gauges, which are each arranged at a definite angle and distance relative to each other and which are each fixed to a transducer body, which is mechanical contact with a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board includes clearances for each strain gauge as well as associated electronic components and wiring located on the remaining area of the printed circuit board which will monitor compressive and tensile stresses in the measurement directions of the sensors. The method includes positioning the strain gauges on the plane measurement surface of a transducer body in a definite arrangement; fixing the strain gauges to the transducer body by means of adhesives, and connecting the strain gauges to respective conductors by means of electrically bonding. |
| US08726739B2 |
Torsional sensor including a high-pressure sealing mechanism and system for measurement of fluid parameters
A torsional sensor including a high-pressure sealing mechanism for sensing at least one parameter of a high-pressure fluid. The torsional sensor includes a torsional portion including a torsional rod sensor, a reference portion coupled to the torsional portion and including a transducer device and a high-pressure sealing mechanism coupled to the reference portion and the torsional portion and in sealing arrangement therewith. The high-pressure sealing mechanism is configured to provide for sealing therein the transducer device and allow for protrusion therethrough of a torsional rod sensor. At least a portion of the torsional sensor is mountable for immersion in the high-pressure fluid and operable to propagate a torsional wave that interacts with the high-pressure fluid along the at least portion of the torsional sensor so as to affect propagation of the torsional wave in a manner dependent on the at least one parameter of the high-pressure fluid. |
| US08726732B2 |
System, device and method for detecting seismic acceleration
A device for detecting seismic acceleration includes a proof mass; a base for providing a sensor acceleration, relative to the proof mass, based on the seismic acceleration; and an optical fiber portion operatively connected between the proof mass and the base for providing a fiber tension based on the sensor acceleration. A fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (FFPI) in the optical fiber portion provides an optical characteristic representative of the fiber tension. A compensator applies a compensating tension to the FFPI to compensate for a change of the optical characteristic due to a temperature change of the FFPI. |
| US08726730B1 |
Optically transduced MEMS gyro device
A bulk micromachined vibratory gyro in which a proof mass has a bulk substrate thickness for a large mass and high inertial sensitivity. In embodiments, optical displacement transduction is with multi-layer sub-wavelength gratings for high sensitivity and low cross-talk with non-optical drive elements. In embodiments, the vibratory gyro includes a plurality of multi-layer sub-wavelength gratings and a plurality of drive electrodes to measure motion of the proof mass induced by drive forces and/or moments and induced by the Coriolis Effect when the gyro experiences a rotation. In embodiments, phase is varied across the plurality gratings and a multi-layer grating having the best performance is selected from the plurality. |
| US08726729B2 |
Measuring device
A measuring device with at least one housing and at least one electronic unit, wherein the housing has at least one electronic access opening for the electronic unit, wherein a first longitudinal axis extends through the electronic access opening, wherein the housing has a sensor access opening for connecting to a sensor unit, wherein a second longitudinal axis extends through the sensor access, wherein the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis span an orientation plane, wherein the electronic unit has at least one printed circuit board which lies essentially in a printed circuit board plane that, to provide a measuring device, in which the effect of external mechanical stresses on electronic components can be reduced, is arranged in the housing such that the printed circuit board plane is at an angle relative to the orientation plane which differs from an integral multiple of 90°. |
| US08726728B2 |
Level gauge system with wettable propagation device
The present invention relates to a level gauge system for determining a filling level of a product contained in a tank, comprising a transceiver for generating, transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals; a signal propagating device connected to the transceiver and arranged to propagate a transmitted electromagnetic signal along a generally vertical path towards a surface of the product inside the tank, and to return a surface echo signal resulting from reflection of the transmitted electromagnetic signal at the surface of the product contained in the tank; and processing circuitry connected to the transceiver and configured to determine the filling level based on the surface echo signal. A surface of the signal propagating device comprises a surface portion that exhibits a wettability defined by a contact angle between the surface portion and water being less than 30°. |
| US08726722B2 |
Determining concentrations of components of a mixture
Systems and methods for determining concentrations of components of a multiphase fluid. A first flowmeter receives a fluid flow and generates measurements of the fluid flow. After at least partially separating the fluid flow into mixtures of its components, second and third flowmeters generate measurements of the mixtures. A data processing apparatus operatively coupled to the flowmeters receives the measurements and determines concentrations of the components of the fluid flow. In an embodiment, the measurements are mass flow and density readings. |
| US08726721B2 |
Apparatus and method for monitoring and sampling air quality in an interior space of a wall
An apparatus and method for monitoring and sampling air quality in an interior space of a wall are provided. The apparatus includes a housing configured to attach the apparatus to an electrical outlet in the wall, and a gasket configured to provide a seal between the housing and the electrical outlet. The apparatus further includes an air moving unit configured to draw air from the interior space of the wall into the apparatus, and a sensor configured to monitor and sample the air quality in the interior space of the wall. The gasket is configured to directly attach to an electrical plate cover of the electrical outlet or to the wall. |
| US08726716B2 |
Hydraulic brake caliper piston insertion force gauge tool
A piston insertion force gauge tool for measuring the insertion force of a piston into a bore of a brake caliper includes a housing assembly having an inner housing member at least partially disposed in an outer housing member, where the housing members are generally coaxial and selectively displaceable along the axis. First and second end members form the ends of the gauge tool. The inner housing member is received into the outer housing member at a second open end. A measuring device extends from the second end member through a first open end and to the first end member. The measuring device displaces the inner housing member with respect to the outer housing member to indicate the insertion force imparted on the piston. |
| US08726713B2 |
Crimping tool
A crimping tool is provided for coupling a pipe with a connector or fitting. The crimping tool includes a first jaw having an opening on one side. The opening has a first slot sized and shaped to receive a portion of a pipe connector. A second jaw is operably coupled to the first jaw, the second jaw having a semi-cylindrical surface on one side with a second slot disposed therein. The semi-cylindrical surface sized and shaped to receive a portion of the pipe connector. The first jaw and second jaw are moveable between a first position and a second position, the semi-cylindrical surface being arranged at least partially within the opening when in the closed position. |
| US08726712B2 |
Apparatus for processing sealing lip of metallic can, and metallic can processed by said apparatus
The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing a sealing lip of a metallic can, and a metallic can processed by the apparatus. The present invention provides an apparatus for processing a sealing lip of a metallic can comprising: a pressurization block which is lifted and lowered by a lifting means to elastically provide pressure downward; an interlocking means which moves downward step by step by the pressure of the pressurization block and has a coupling relation in which the means stops at stages in the level difference structure of a base so as to be held; and a lip processing member which presses the sealing lip to the inside and outside of a bottle neck of the metallic can while interlocking due to the movement of the interlocking means, and provides a metallic can wherein a notch groove is processed at a beading part by the apparatus for processing a sealing lip of a metallic can. |
| US08726706B2 |
Locking device
The invention relates to a locking device, in particular for a motor vehicle, having a key (10) and a lock cylinder (30), having a cylinder core (32), which is mounted in a rotatable manner in a cylinder housing (31) and has a key channel (33) into which the key (10) can be introduced, having spring-loaded tumbler elements (41, 42), which are mounted such that, when the key (10) is inserted into the key channel (33), they can be displaced radially in relation to the axis (34) of the lock cylinder (30), and having a plurality of outer surfaces (13, 14, 15), which are provided on the key (10), have control tracks (11, 12) and act on the tumbler elements (41, 42) when the key (10) is introduced. For this purpose, it is provided according to the invention that the outer surfaces (13, 14, 15) have two narrow sides (14, 15) and two broad sides (13), wherein each broad side (13) is configured with a first control track (11), the first narrow side (14) has a second control track (12), and the second narrow side (15), which is located opposite the first narrow side (14), is designed to be free of any control track. |
| US08726701B2 |
Method of making a knit apparel with a tie dyed appearance and an apparel made by the method
A knit apparel is made using a decorating pattern that is generated to give the apparel the appearance of tie dyed apparel. The decorating pattern includes a main element, a secondary element and intermediate zones have the same color but gradually lighter shades as the main element. |
| US08726692B2 |
Method of manufacturing vitreous silica crucible
The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible by heating and fusing a silica powder layer in a rotating mold by arc discharge generated by carbon electrodes comprising: a preparation process for determining optimal temperatures during heating and fusing the silica powder layer for one or more selected from the group consisting of the silica powder layer, fume generated during arc fusing, and arc flame generated in the arc discharge; a temperature measuring process for measuring actual temperatures during heating and fusing for one or more selected from the group where the optimal temperatures are determined; and a temperature controlling process for controlling the actual temperatures for one or more selected from the group where the actual temperatures are measured so that the actual temperatures match the optimal temperatures. |
| US08726690B2 |
Insulation panels applied to or as a feature module
A refrigerator includes a rear wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall that are permanently attached to define a cabinet. The cabinet includes an interior liner and an exterior wrapper. A door is pivotally connected with the cabinet and includes an interior liner and an exterior wrapper. A pocket is disposed in at least one of the rear wall, first side wall, second side wall, top wall, bottom wall, and door between the interior liner and the exterior wrapper. The pocket includes an access opening disposed at an edge of one of the rear wall, first side wall, second side wall, top wall, and bottom wall. A removable insulation panel is disposed in the pocket. |
| US08726684B2 |
Reversible system for recovering of heat energy by sampling and transfer of calories from one or more media into one or more other such media
A reversible system for recovery of heat energy by sampling and transfer of calories from one or more media into one or more other media of any type. The innovation is a new principle of refrigeration operation that makes it possible—with a nonreversible plate exchanger, a reversible plate exchanger, and a finned battery on an outside air circuit—to implement the following functions: total or partial restoration of calories on the nonreversible exchanger from the outside battery or from the reversible exchanger in evaporator mode, total or partial restoration of the calories on the reversible exchanger from the outside battery, refrigeration production on the reversible exchanger with total or partial evacuation of the calories on the nonreversible exchanger and/or on the outside battery. |
| US08726683B2 |
Device for deicing and cleaning of fans
The invention pertains to a method and apparatus for removing ice layers and/or snow layers and/or dirt layers from the rotor blades of axial fans in cooling installations for refrigerating and/or freezing products. At least one cleaning substance jet is directed toward the rotor blades of an axial fan within certain time intervals in such a way that ice layers and/or snow layers and/or dirt layers are at least separated from the surfaces of the rotor blades and transported away, wherein the rotor blades rotate with nominal speed while cleaning jets act upon their surfaces. |
| US08726682B1 |
Hybrid multi-mode heat pump system
A hybrid multi-source system that is used to heat or cool a building. The system utilizes a heat pump or similar HVAC unit. A solar/air heat exchanger is provided. At least one ground heat exchanger is utilized. A plumbing network interconnects the heat pump, the solar/air heat exchanger, and the ground heat exchanger. A heat transfer fluid circulates through the plumbing network. Temperature sensors are used to monitor temperatures of the heat transfer fluid at multiple points in the system. At least one pump circulates the heat transfer fluid through the plumbing network. Valves are disposed within the plumbing network that can selectively isolate the heat pump, the solar/air heat exchanger, and the ground heat exchanger. A systems controller is coupled to the temperature sensors, the valves, and pump. The system operates in multiple modes which allow for higher efficiency and long term underground thermal storage. |
| US08726675B2 |
Scalloped flexure ring
A scalloped flexure ring. An illustrative embodiment of the flexure ring includes a ring body having a first ring body edge and a generally scalloped second ring body edge and a plurality of spaced-apart ring fingers provided in the second ring body edge. |
| US08726673B2 |
Turbine engine bypass fan-bleed noise reduction
Apparatuses are provided for reducing noise generation from a dead ended conduit in a gas turbine engine. In particular A scooped bellmouth is provided that comprises a bellmouth within a surface having an outer perimeter an inner perimeter and a ramp diverging from the surface at a first end, the ramp extending radially through the outer perimeter of the bellmouth at a second end. The ramp diverts an airflow away from the bellmouth thereby preventing the development of a low pressure area at the bellmouth without affecting the efficiency of the gas turbine engine. |
| US08726672B2 |
Cooling system for a gas turbine and corresponding operation method
An operation method for a gas turbine is provided which includes compressing a working fluid by a compressor, feeding this compressed working fluid into at least one combustion chamber where it is overheated, expanding this overheated working fluid in at least one expansion turbine to produce energy, carrying out a first tapping of the compressed work fluid from the compressor to feed it into a first cavity of the turbine for cooling, carrying out a second tapping of the working fluid downstream from the first tapping to feed it into a second cavity of the turbine upstream from the first cavity, for cooling, and fluidly connecting the first tapping to the second tapping to selectively feed the first tapping by a part of the second tapping during partial load operation conditions to keep the temperature of the first cavity within the acceptable limits for the resistance of the materials. |
| US08726671B2 |
Operation of a combustor apparatus in a gas turbine engine
A method of transitioning from a first operating mode to a second operating in a gas turbine engine. An amount of fuel provided to a primary fuel injection system of the combustor apparatus is reduced. An amount of fuel provided to a secondary fuel/air injection system of the combustor apparatus is reduced, wherein the secondary fuel/air injection system provides fuel to a secondary combustion zone downstream from a main combustion zone. A total amount of air provided to the combustor apparatus is reduced, wherein portions of the air are provided to each of the injection systems. Upon reaching operating parameters corresponding to the second operating mode, the amount of fuel provided to the primary fuel injection system is increased, the amount of fuel provided to the secondary fuel/air injection system is reduced, and the total amount of air provided to the combustor apparatus is increased. |
| US08726668B2 |
Fuel atomization dual orifice fuel nozzle
A pilot fuel injector tip includes concentric primary and secondary pilot fuel nozzles having a circular primary exit axially aft and downstream of an annular secondary exit respectively. A fuel nozzle assembly includes a pilot swirler flowpath section having an annular inwardly tapering conical flowpath section surrounding primary and secondary exits. An inwardly tapering conical wall section radially inwardly bounding flowpath section defines a conical surface. Exits are located at or axially forward or upstream of the conical surface. An annular secondary fuel supply passage in secondary pilot fuel nozzle includes a secondary fuel swirler with an array of helical spin slots that may have rectangular cross sections. A chamfered leading edge of an annular wall section disposed between an outer pilot swirler and an inlet to an injector cooling flowpath surrounding the second pilot swirler includes a radially inwardly facing conical chamfered surface for deflecting dirt from cooling flowpath. |
| US08726667B2 |
Fuel injector bearing plate assembly and swirler assembly
A bearing plate assembly for a turbine engine fuel injector includes a bearing plate 30, with an opening 80 bordered by a race 82. A swivel ball 90 nests inside the race and is rotatable relative thereto. A lock, which may be a tip bushing 108 resists disengagement of the swivel ball from the race. A fuel injector nozzle 38 extends through an opening 98 in the swivel ball. During engine operation, the ball can swivel inside the race to accommodate rotational movement of the nozzle about lateral and radial axes. |
| US08726666B2 |
Inlet premixer for combustion apparatus
A premixer is provided for injecting premixed fuel-air mixture into the inlet of a combustion apparatus. In one embodiment, the premixer assembly comprises a plurality of concentric, aerodynamic injector rings, with radially-directed injection holes. The injection holes have a plurality of different diameters, facilitating good mixing over a broad power range. Due to configuration and hole sizes, the assembly is gas or liquid compatible. The radial, concentric injection formation allows for a short injection path. |
| US08726665B2 |
Internal mixing of a portion of fan exhaust flow and full core exhaust flow in aircraft turbofan engines
An airborne mobile platform that has at least one turbofan engine assembly having a fan driven by a core engine, a short nacelle around the fan and a forward portion of the core engine, and a fan exhaust duct through the nacelle. A mixer duct shell is disposed substantially coaxial with and extending forwardly into the fan exhaust duct to provide a mixer duct between the mixer duct shell and a core engine shroud of the core engine. At least a portion of the mixer duct shell has a honeycomb core structure having an inner surface and an outer surface, with an acoustic lining on one of the inner or outer surfaces. The acoustic lining attenuates sound emanating from the turbofan engine assembly. |
| US08726664B2 |
Engine lug-down suppressing device for hydraulic work machinery
To provide an engine lug-down suppressing device for hydraulic work machinery, capable of suppressing deterioration in operability of a hydraulic actuator when the hydraulic actuator is caused to operate quickly from a stopped state.Pilot pressure to a tilting control unit of a variable displacement hydraulic pump is controlled by a solenoid valve. A controller controls the solenoid valve in accordance with a target rotational speed signal from an input unit. This control differs according to whether or not a detector detects the pilot pressure created by an operating lever device. In an entire range of the target engine rotational speed, pump absorption torque at the time when the pilot pressure is not detected, falls within a range equal to or smaller than pump absorption torque at the time when the pilot pressure is detected, and is set to approach the pump absorption torque at the time when the pilot pressure is detected with an increase in the target engine rotational speed. |
| US08726663B2 |
Combined cycle system employing phase change material
In one embodiment, a component for a power generation system includes an interior volume for containing steam condensate or gas turbine exhaust gas. A phase change material is disposed around an external surface of the combined cycle power generation system component. |
| US08726651B2 |
Hydropower plant provided with a grating and method for operating a such
The invention relates to a hydropower plant including a water turbine submerged in a water current, A grating is located adjacent the water turbine. According to the invention the grating is arranged to guide the water flow in the water current such that the velocity of the water between the grating and the water turbine becomes non-uniform. The invention also relates to a use of the hydropower plant for generating electric energy for supply to an electric network. Further the invention relates to a method for operating a hydropower plant. |
| US08726643B2 |
Injector mounting configuration for an exhaust treatment system
The present disclosure relates to a device for mounting an injector to an exhaust pipe. The device includes an injector mounting structure having an exterior surface configured for mounting the injector. The injector mounting structure also includes an interior surface arrangement defining an interior volume and a port for allowing the injector to inject a reductant into the interior volume. The interior surface arrangement is configured to prevent swirling of exhaust within the interior volume. |
| US08726639B2 |
Reductant injection rate shaping method for regeneration of aftertreatment systems
The invention provides methods for regenerating pollutant storage and catalytic components of an internal combustion engine's exhaust gas aftertreatment system. These methods include introducing reductant in to catalytic components requiring regeneration in series of discreet portions during a Scheduled Regeneration Event. Typically the flow of exhaust gas to the catalytic component undergoing regeneration is at least partially reduced. |
| US08726637B2 |
Air-fuel ratio control system for internal combustion engine
An oscillation signal is generated to oscillate the air-fuel ratio with a set frequency which is different from a 0.5th-order frequency (half of the frequency corresponding to a rotational speed of the engine). Air-fuel ratio perturbation control is performed to oscillate the air-fuel ratio according to the oscillation signal. An intensity of the 0.5th-order frequency component and the set frequency component contained in the detected air-fuel ratio signal are calculated. A determination parameter applied to determining an imbalance degree of air-fuel ratios corresponding to the plurality of cylinders is calculated according to the two intensities and determines an imbalance failure that the imbalance degree of the air-fuel ratios exceeds an acceptable limit. A predicted imbalance value, indicative of a predicted value of the imbalance degree, is calculated, and an amplitude of the oscillation signal is set according to the predicted imbalance value. |
| US08726636B2 |
Vehicle relocatable exhaust system components
Modification of reductant (e.g., diesel exhaust fluid, DEF) tank location, for example during vehicle up-fitting may result in less than optimal operation of the DEF system due to inaccurate DEF system calibration. In one example approach, the above issue can be at least partially addressed by adjusting control system parameters for system control and diagnostics based on an input indicative of, or any modification to, the DEF tank location. In this way, DEF tank location flexibility is maintained, while also maintaining emission control and diagnostic accuracy. |
| US08726635B1 |
Gas turbine engine with dual compression rotor
The present invention provides a gas turbine engine having a combustion chamber section substantially forward of an axial compressor section. An example embodiment uses a centrifugal compressor section behind the axial compressor section to help route compressed air exiting the axial compressor section forward to the combustion chamber section. |
| US08726633B2 |
Gas turbine engine systems and related methods involving multiple gas turbine cores
Gas turbine engine systems and related methods involving multiple gas turbine cores are provided. In this regard, a representative gas turbine engine includes: an inlet; a blade assembly mounted to receive intake air via the inlet; and multiple gas turbine cores located downstream of the blade assembly, each of the multiple gas turbine cores being independently operative in a first state, in which rotational energy is provided to rotate the blade assembly, and a second state, in which rotational energy is not provided to rotate the blade assembly. |
| US08726626B2 |
Combustor for a gas turbine engine
A combustor in a gas turbine engine has a wall which forms a gap with an outer nozzle guide vane platform. A closure mechanism is operable to open or close the gap. Opening of the gap, for example during cruise conditions, reduces the mass flow rate of air through an open end of the combustor, so enriching the air fuel ratio and improving flame stability and combustion efficiency. Under high power conditions, the gap is closed, causing an increase in air flow rate through the open end to achieve a lean burn air fuel ratio when the fuel flow rate is increased. |
| US08726624B2 |
Method and device for yarn braking especially at renewal of spinning in a working position of an air jet spinning machine
The method and corresponding device of yarn braking are provided by means of an attending device provided with a vacuum tube into which the end of the yarn is sucked in before commencement of braking. At drawing off from the vacuum tube, the yarn is braked between the braking surfaces of a stationary brake friction member and a moving brake friction member, which are arranged on the attending device displaceably to the track of the yarn. For generating the braking force, the moving brake friction member moves towards the stationary brake friction member and fits against it at a contact abscissa or a contact surface. |
| US08726621B2 |
Agricultural harvesting head sensor arrangement
A sensor arrangement for an agricultural harvesting head comprises a sensor attached to a cutter bar in the place of a skid shoe. |
| US08726616B2 |
System and method for handling a container with a vacuum panel in the container body
Systems and methods for vacuum compensation in hot-filled and cooled containers. Each container reduces, via one or more vacuum panels, a first portion of a vacuum created in the container. Each container also has a repositionable portion to reduce a second portion of the vacuum. During hot-filling, no portion of the repositionable portion extends below a standing or bearing surface of the container. |
| US08726615B2 |
Method for conditioning a fluid product in a dispenser
A packaging method for packaging fluid (P) in a fluid dispenser comprising a fluid reservoir (1) defining an opening (13), and a fluid dispenser member (2), such as a pump or a valve, for mounting in leaktight manner on the opening (13) of the reservoir, an inert gas, such as nitrogen or argon, being present in the reservoir above the fluid (P) while the dispenser member (2) is being mounted in leaktight manner on the opening (13) of the reservoir, such that the fluid (P) is in contact with the inert gas in the reservoir (1); the method being characterized in that the step of mounting the dispenser member (2) in leaktight manner on the opening (13) of the reservoir (1) is performed under a vacuum, the inert gas is evacuated, at least in part, from the reservoir during this evacuation step, such that the reservoir is subjected to an inert-gas vacuum. |
| US08726612B2 |
Modular panel
A modular panel, the panel comprising a first member including a top surface and a bottom surface; an optional second member joined to the bottom surface of the first member; at least two reinforcing elements integrally disposed on the bottom of the first member; at least two elements integrally disposed on the bottom surface of the first member or on the second member for affixing and/or aligning the modular panel to at least two support members, each support member including a top surface; and a support flange integrally disposed about the periphery of the first member for engaging the top surface of the support member. The modular panel being constructed of a thermoplastic material or metal. |
| US08726611B2 |
Method of installing a roofing membrane
A roofing membrane includes first and second layers. The first layer includes a low surface energy polymer. A method of installing the roofing membrane includes, along an edge of a first membrane, mechanically removing a portion of the first membrane extending vertically to include the first layer and a portion of the second layer to leave a flap of the first membrane, placing an edge of a second membrane to overlap the first membrane, and bonding the first membrane to the second membrane. The underside of the edge of the second membrane overlies the flap of the first membrane. |
| US08726610B2 |
Crack-resistant member, a method of preventing crack propagation, and a method of assembling a tower
A crack-resistant member for preventing crack propagation, a method of preventing crack propagation, and method of assembly a tower are provided. The crack-resistant member includes at least one insert attached to at least one removed portion at a predetermined location along a girth weld and adjacent a heat affected zone of the tower. The at least one insert is positioned perpendicular to a weld direction and intersecting the girth weld. The at least one insert prevents crack propagation in the girth weld of the tower. |
| US08726608B2 |
Apparatus and method for using board insulation as blown insulation
Apparatus for processing board insulation into granules of loosefill insulation are provided. The apparatus includes an upper unit having inlet and outlet ends. The inlet end is configured to receive board insulation. The upper unit is configured to break the board insulation into small pieces. A lower unit is connected to the upper unit. The lower unit is configured to receive the small pieces of board insulation exiting the upper unit. The lower unit includes a plurality of conditioning mechanisms configured to condition the small pieces thereby resulting in granules of loosefill insulation. The lower unit further includes a distribution mechanism configured to distribute the granules of loosefill insulation into an airstream. A distribution hose is connected to the lower unit and configured to convey the granules from the apparatus to a building insulation cavity. The granules are configured for use as loosefill insulation within the building cavity. |
| US08726604B2 |
Floor panel with a plastic backing
A floor panel having a backing of a plastics material that is pliable and flexible at the temperature at which a floor is used. A decorative layer disposed above the backing. Complementary mechanical locking profiles are provided on at least two edges of the panel and interact in the locked state of two floor panels. The locking profiles counteract movement apart of the floor panels. At least one of the locking profiles is provided, at least in certain regions, with at least one adhesive. |
| US08726590B2 |
Foam filler and hollow structure
A foam filler is provided with a base for forming a foam and placed inside a hollow structure having a through hole. An opening having an area larger than the opening of the through hole is created in the base and surrounding the through hole. The foam filler is provided with an upper wall which follows the flow and the thermal expansion of the base at the time of heating. The upper wall closes at least part of the opening of the through hole when following the flow and the thermal expansion of the base, and thus prevents the base from entering into the through hole. The upper wall is provided in a peripheral portion of the opening and placed in a part of an area surrounding the through hole. |
| US08726587B2 |
Module rail for photovoltaic system
A module rail for a photovoltaic system includes a module-supporting surface, and upper portion, and opposing vertical sidewalls. A first set of openings are spaced apart from one another along the length of the rail. Each of the openings in the first set extend through the upper portion for receiving a first set of fasteners for use in securing at least one photovoltaic module to the module rail. A second set of openings are spaced apart from one another along the length of the rail. Each of the openings in the second set extending through at least one of the module-supporting surface and one of the sidewalls for receiving a second set of fasteners for use in securing at least one photovoltaic module to the module rail. |
| US08726586B1 |
Energy-efficient building structure having a dynamic thermal enclosure
A constructed enclosure, adjacent to an interior habitable space, uses a microprocessor-based control unit to operate enclosure openings to provide a multi-layer insulation barrier containing or creating heat, or providing a radiant barrier, isolating by open air, a thermal insulating layer from warm exterior surfaces, maximizing insulation values. The enclosed space, through the use of openings, which in one embodiment are windows, skylights and dampers connected to louvers, is heated by radiant exposure or cooled by natural air flow or exhaust fan. Return air is heated upstream from a forced air heating unit by traversing ductwork heated by the enclosure and by direct solar exposure from enclosure windows. Enclosure openings to the habitable interior spaces create air displacement drawing warm air out of the interior and fresh air in through exterior windows. The energy efficient system is tailored for immediate climate specific conditions. |
| US08726583B2 |
Modular dwellings
In one embodiment, a modular dwelling comprises a beam connector comprising a body and multiple arms that extend out from the body, structural beams comprising outer sides that define elongated channels that extend along a length of the beams, each beam being connected to an arm of the beam connector, a locking means that secure the structural beams to their associated beam connector arms, and a structural panel that comprises multiple edges, at least one edge of the panel being received by a channel of at least one structural beam. |
| US08726579B2 |
Modular container system
The invention relates to a modular container system for creating cuboid modular units for living or working purposes, which are arranged next to and on top of each other. In order to enable cost-effective warehousing, easy transportation, fast assembly, and a flexible and variable installation, it is proposed that a modular unit may comprise a variety of interconnecting floor, ceiling and wall elements. |
| US08726578B2 |
Partition system
A partition system includes a first pilaster and a door coupled to the first pilaster and rotatable from a closed position to an open position. The door is configurable in a first configuration wherein the door is rotatable from the closed position to the open position in a first direction and prevented from rotating in a second direction from the closed position, the second direction opposite the first direction. The door is further configurable in a second configuration wherein the door is rotatable from the closed position to the open position in the second direction and prevented from rotating in the first direction from the closed position. The door is coupled to the first pilaster to define a seam and prevents a line of sight from being established through the seam. |
| US08726577B2 |
Integrated safety rail protection system
A unique safety rail system with integrated hand-grip projections, structures for affixing the system for the safe and easy egress and ingress through an opening, such as roof or floor access holes. The safety rail system is designed to reduce the risk of falls while ascending or descending a ladder through an access hole while providing additional protection and prevention of personnel accidentally falling through an open access. A self-closing gravity gate may be provided acting as additional hand-grip, support, and barrier. This system may employ methods of construction and assembly using a unique continuous tubular structure of converging vertical and angular upright post with horizontal upper safety rail, forward protruding hand-grip and opposing directionally horizontal lower attachment support means reducing lateral motion and allows efficient installation for new construction or retro fitting of existing openings. |
| US08726576B2 |
Glass run channel assembly
A glass run channel assembly of the invention includes a connecting glass run channel that is connected to first and second glass run channels, respectively. A base bottom portion of the connecting glass run channel is formed with an insertion hole to which an engaging member can be attached, and lateral inner walls that configure the periphery of the insertion hole are formed with locking portions that are locked to a trunk portion when the engaging member is inserted into the insertion hole. |
| US08726573B2 |
Window regulator device
A position detection unit includes a rotational member rotatable by a rotational drive force of an output shaft, an operation lever configured to avoid engaging with the rotational member when an a position of a window glass is situated out of an insensitive area, and engage with the rotational member when the position of the window glass is situated within the insensitive area, the operation lever being rotated by the rotational drive force of the output shaft transmitted via the rotational member when the operation lever engages with the rotational member, and an insensitive area detection switch for performing a switching operation based on a rotational operation of the operation lever. |
| US08726567B1 |
Hand-held electronic tree injection device and method for identifying the state of health of a tree
The invention provides a hand-held electronic device for injecting an agent into a tree with continuous pressure sensing technology for real-time measurements of the pressure within the tree. The pressure measurement information is conveyed to an onboard central processing unit for data collection, analysis and optimization of the speed of injecting the agent into the tree. By continually monitoring the pressure and injection power, the injection pressure can be modified to adapt to back pressure fluctuations. In one embodiment of the invention the agent is injected into the tree under a preprogrammed pressure profile. In another embodiment of the invention the agent is injected into the tree under a variable pressure profile until the fastest injection time is obtained. The invention also provides methods to identify a problem related to the health of the tree by comparing the measured pressure profile resulting from the injection of an agent into an individual tree with the typical pressure profile, stored in a database, for a tree injected under a comparable set of conditions. |
| US08726564B2 |
Disinfestation and disinfection of food, perishables and other commodities
A method and system for disinfecting and disinfesting a commodity, such as a perishable agricultural commodity, by treatment with an environment of low oxygen/high ballast gas with cycled pressure changes that overwhelm and damage the respiratory system of the insect without damaging the host commodity. The system and method may also include the introduction of disinfectants, antiseptics and other toxic chemicals or the exposure to radio frequencies with intense electric fields that may increase the metabolic activity of the pest or decrease the fitness of the pest within the low oxygen environment. Treatments according to the methods can also increase the shelf life of agricultural commodities by eradicating or delaying the growth of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and other microbial pests. |
| US08726561B1 |
Magazine spring compression tool and method
A tool, implement or apparatus and a method of use of the tool, implement or apparatus to aid in the disassembly and assembly of a firearm magazine for cleaning, maintenance or repair when that magazine has a sealed base plate and requires the removal of the spring and spring follower from the top of the magazine. The tool consists of two parts—a body and a pin. The method consists of using the tool body to apply a pushing force or compressing operation directly to the magazine follower and thereby compressing the follower and the magazine spring. The pin is inserted through the magazine box through witness holes to release spring tension from the follower allowing it to be removed. During reassembly, the tool body is used to apply a pushing force or compressing operation directly to the magazine spring compressing it into the magazine box and holding it in place to allow insertion of the pin through the magazine witness holes and to allow insertion of the follower. |
| US08726559B1 |
Universal barrel nut for firearm
A barrel nut for a firearm. A cylindrical shell is provided with internal threads extending from one end of the shell and opposite slots extending axially from the opposite end of the shell. A cylindrical core has external threads on one end, with the external threads being shaped to engage the internal threads of the shell. When the core is installed in the shell, it is secured at a desired axial location by at least one fastener secured in a bore of the shell and engaging one of a series of circumferential indentations in the core. |
| US08726558B1 |
AR-15 handguard system
An aftermarket handguard system is described for use with an assault rifle, such as an AR-15. The system includes an elongated arcuate upper handguard section substantially defining a longitudinal axis and a plurality of radial planes normal thereto. The handguard section has left and right generally outward directed rail flanges having non-parallel flange mating surfaces. Two lower arcuate handguard sections are provided also each having laterally extending rail flanges with non-parallel flange mating surfaces. Three “T” shaped accessory rails each having a dovetail shaped portion are provided for mating to the non-parallel flange mating surfaces. Accessories may be mounted on the accessory rails in the conventional manner. |
| US08726556B1 |
Firearm location tracking and location-based alerts
Various embodiments describe techniques for tracking a firearm and generating an alert when the firearm is outside a designated authorized location. In various embodiments, a location device, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver coupled to a transmitter, is affixed to and/or associated with a firearm. A location of the firearm is transmitted via the location device to a location service module. The location service module compares the location of the firearm to at least one designated authorized location and, responsive to determining that the location of the firearm is not within the designated authorized location, generates an alert. A firearm that includes a location device is also described. |
| US08726550B1 |
Apparatus for holding and displaying an aeronautical chart or other type of map
Apparatus for holding and displaying an aeronautical chart or other type of map includes an elongated base member having two elongated map support members extending from and rotatably attached to the elongated base member. The apparatus also includes a magnetic positioner and a scale/ruler releasably connected to the base member and used with a chart or map when removed therefrom. |
| US08726544B2 |
Boiler having a section for preheating water
A boiler having a shell enclosing a space and an inlet for letting water into the shell space. The shell space has two separate sections, wherein a first section is located such as to receive a supply of fresh water to the boiler and wherein a second section is located such as to receive water from the first section when overflow of the first section takes place under the influence of a continuous supply of fresh water. A steam generating process takes place in the second section. Due to the fact that the second section is only indirectly filled with water, it is possible to have an undisturbed process. In particular, the water may be heated in the first section before reaching the second section. The first section may for example include an inner space of a container which is arranged inside the shell, for example. |
| US08726538B2 |
Apparatus and method for the treatment of biosolids
Biosolids in the nature of sewage sludge is processed in a controlled environment to produce a dried sludge product of relatively high dry solid content with the elimination of or reduced levels of pathogens. The water containing sewage sludge is dried while cascading within a processing chamber using heated air at a temperature below the ignition or smoldering temperature of the sewage sludge to prevent the formation of embers. The sewage sludge before discharge is retained within the processing chamber for a sufficient time and temperature as mandated by the Environment Protection Agency rules and guidelines. |
| US08726537B2 |
Method and strand sintering equipment for continuous sintering of pelletized mineral material
In a method and equipment for continuous sintering of pelletized mineral material, a partition wall (7, 8) arranged between two adjacent cooling chambers (4, 5; 5, 6) is in the height direction placed at a distance from the pellet bed (2), so that in between the partition wall (7, 8) and pellet bed (2), there is left a gap (s) that allows gas to flow between two adjacent cooling chambers (4, 5; 5; 6) through the gap (s) in order to equalize the pressure between the cooling chambers. |
| US08726536B2 |
Fluidized bed drying apparatus
An apparatus for drying particles in a fluidized state includes a particle input segment into which wet particles are input, a drying segment having a multi-perforated plate dividing an inner space of the drying segment into an upper section and a lower section, a plurality of upper partition plates partitioning the upper section and positioned above the multi-perforated plate, a plurality of lower partition plates in the lower section respectively corresponding to the plurality of upper partition plates, a plurality of pairs of channel plates in the lower section that pass through the multi-perforated plate such that each pair of the plurality of pairs of channel plates are respectively arranged on opposite sides of respective ones of the plurality of upper partition plates and on opposite sides of respective ones of the plurality of lower partition plates; and a heated-air flow supply segment for supplying hot gas to the drying segment. |
| US08726534B2 |
Ventilated portable container for sports equipment
A ventilated portable container is a carrying case or sports equipment bag for storing, carrying and drying sports equipment. The portable container includes a ventilator for drawing fresh air into the container and for encouraging stale air out of the container through at least one filtered air outlet. The portable container includes an exterior pocket having at least one air inlet and at least one air vent. |
| US08726533B2 |
Over device of tunnel-type sterilization dryer
An baking case body of tunnel type sterilization dryer comprises a case body (1), an air intake cavity (24) which is disposed in the case body (1), a conveyor mesh belt (7), and an air return channel (22). The conveyor mesh belt (7) is located between the air return channel (22) and the air intake cavity (24). The air intake cavity (24) is divided into two or more than two independent air intake chambers (21) by one or more than one air intake partition boards (11). A heater (9) is disposed in each air intake chamber (21), and a hot air generator (2), a diffuser fan cover (3), a high temperature and high efficient filter (4) and a temperature probe (5) are disposed sequentially in each air intake chamber (21) from top to bottom. Air return partition boards (15) are arranged in the air return channel (22), corresponding to the air intake partition boards (11). The air return channel (22) is divided into two or more than two air return cavities (23) by the air return partition boards (15). The exit end of the air return cavity (23) is located at the bottom of the heater (9). The structure of the baking case body of tunnel type sterilization dryer is simple and compact, and the uniformity of the hot air is good. |
| US08726532B2 |
Methods and systems for drying materials and inducing controlled phase changes in substances
Methods and systems are disclosed for drying a material or, more generally, flash evaporating a target substance having a vapor pressure threshold. The methods and systems include a conveyor conduit that receives material. The material moves through the conveyor and is expelled into a pressure drop zone created by one or more venturi nozzles. As the material encounters the pressure drop zone, the targeted substance in the material experiences a rapid and extreme pressure drop and simultaneously a rapid temperature increase. This causes the target substance in the material to flash evaporate virtually immediately. The resulting vapor is separated from the remaining material and the now dry material is collected for further processing or use. The vapor can be collected, condensed, exhausted, or otherwise treated depending upon the goals of a particular installation or process. |
| US08726531B2 |
Chuck alignment apparatus
The invention pertains to the alignment of chucks used in the web handling industry. The device includes specialized mounting features to align a light beam with a given chuck. Two of these assemblies are positioned such that each light beam aligns with the other. In this orientation the two chucks are aligned. |
| US08726529B2 |
Rotary sensor assembly
A sensor assembly for measuring relative rotary movement about a pivot joint having an axis of rotation between a first member and a second member. |
| US08726526B2 |
Portable cutting machine
A portable cutting machine is provided with a cutting machine main body, a surface plate rotatably supported by the cutting machine main body, a saw blade supported by the cutting machine main body rotatably around a first axis, and a lower guard supported by the cutting machine main body rotatably around a second axis. The first axis is located on one side of the surface plate. A part of the saw blade passes through an opening portion formed to penetrate through the surface plate and is exposed to the other side of the surface plate. The part of the saw blade exposed to the other side is covered by the lower guard. The first axis is parallel to the second axis. The first axis is located closer to a side of the surface plate than the second axis. |
| US08726524B2 |
Power operated rotary knife
A power operated rotary knife (100) including: an annular rotary knife blade (300) including a knife blade bearing surface (319); a blade housing (400) defining a blade housing bearing surface (459); and a blade-blade housing bearing structure (500) disposed between the knife blade bearing surface (319) and the blade housing bearing surface (459). The blade-blade housing bearing structure (500) includes a rolling bearing strip (502) having a plurality of rolling bearings (506), such as ball bearings, disposed in spaced apart relation in a flexible separator cage (508). The rolling bearing strip (502) traverses through an annular passageway (504) defined between the knife blade bearing surface (319) and the blade housing bearing surface (459) to secure the knife blade (300) to the blade housing (400) and support the knife blade for rotation about a central axis (R) with respect to the blade housing (400). |
| US08726522B2 |
Pair of scissors with an open second handle
A pair of scissors with an open second handle includes a first blade and a second blade pivotally connected by a pivot member. A first grip portion of the first handle surrounds the basal portion of a user's thumb, the thumb extends out of an inserting hole of the first blade in a lateral direction and presses against a first extension section, so that the user can hold the first grip portion with the thumb without bending too much at the wrist, thus enhancing stability of holding the scissors. The user's middle, ring and little fingers press against the grip section of the second handle, and the index finger rests against the second extension section. Besides, since the second grip portion is an open structure, the fingers of the user are supported but not restricted by the second grip portion, which improves stability and flexibility when using the scissors. |
| US08726520B1 |
Apparatus and method for shaving and sculpting
A razor for shaving and sculpting an area of hair growth has a spaced plurality of blades mounted on a tapered frame that is supported by a handle. The plurality of blades have progressively shorter cutting edges. The cutting edges have ends lying along a converging pair of sides of a triangular region, whose third side is collinear with the longest one of the cutting edges. The shortest one of the cutting edges is closest to a distal vertex formed by the converging pair of sides. The spacing between the longest and the shortest one of the cutting edges exceeds the distance from the shortest one to the distal vertex. The razor is moved across the area of hair growth with the shortest one of the cutting edges in a leading position, while keeping the cutting edges substantially within a triangular facial section having a remote vertex, in order to remove hair from inside the triangular section. The shaver is stopped when the shortest one of the cutting edges (a) arrives close to the remote vertex without bringing the cutting edges substantially outside the triangular facial section, and (b) is spaced from the remote vertex by a distance that is less than the spacing between the longest one and the shortest one of the cutting edges. |
| US08726519B2 |
Razor cartridge
A wet shaving cartridge is provided having a housing having a guard located at a front end of the housing and a cap located at a rear end of the housing. The cartridge further has two or more elongate blades located between the guard and cap and extending in a direction substantially parallel to a length of the guard, wherein edges of the respective blades lie in a shaving plane extending between the guard and the cap. A shaving aid retention member is located in the cap. The retention member has a base arranged to receive a shaving aid and a front wall located at a side of the retention member adjacent the blades. The front wall extends from the base of the retention member towards the shaving plane. |
| US08726509B2 |
Method of manufacturing an ink jet recording head of laminate structure
A method of manufacturing an ink jet recording head made of a laminate structure, in which plural members are laminated, includes making an ink channel including a nozzle by laminating the plural members including a nozzle plate having the nozzle; and performing a channel film forming process for forming a channel film having an ink resistance, the channel film covering an entire inner wall of the ink channel formed in the plural members including the nozzle plate and the nozzle. |
| US08726505B2 |
Heat sinking methods for performance and scalability
A technique and apparatus for heat dissipation in electrical devices is described. A bulk body may be configured with a plurality of radiating devices so that the bulk body may be divided into smaller bulk bodies to be used in conjunction with other electrical type assemblies to quickly and efficiently provide for a heat dissipation sub-assembly. In one aspect, the bulk bodies may be configured with internal voids such as a duct or tunnel interconnecting at least one input port and at least one output port for aiding in heat dissipation of an electrical device employing bulk body technique. |
| US08726503B2 |
Method of positioning a bearing assembly and centering support structure therefor
A method of positioning a bearing of a turbomachine in a squeeze film annulus is disclosed. The method includes providing a bearing in which a rotor shaft is disposed and a bearing support mounted about and radially supporting the bearing, with the bearing support at least in part defining the squeeze film annulus. A further step typically includes providing a plurality of centering elements associated with the bearing and bearing support and acting to center the bearing within the squeeze film annulus, with the centering elements provided at radially spaced locations around the bearing. An additional step in the method may include individually machining or shimming the centering elements to adjust the positioning of the bearing in the squeeze film annulus or to impart pre-load to improve the resiliency of the centering elements. |
| US08726499B2 |
Method of fabricating implantable pulse generator using wire connections to feedthrough structures
In one embodiment, a method of fabricating an implantable pulse generator, comprises: providing a lead body including a plurality of conductors; providing a feedthrough component comprising a plurality of feedthrough pins; hermetically enclosing pulse generating circuitry and switching circuitry within a housing, the feedthrough component being welded to the housing; laser machining each of the plurality of feedthrough pins to comprise a slot along a surface of the respective feedthrough pin; placing a respective conductor from the lead body in the respective slot of each of the plurality of feedthrough pins; and performing welding operations to connect the plurality of conductors of the lead body with the plurality of feedthrough pins of the feedthrough component. |
| US08726496B2 |
Technique for remanufacturing a medical sensor
Present embodiments include a remanufactured bandage-type medical sensor having an optical assembly with an emitter adapted to transmit one or more wavelengths of light and a photodetector adapted to receive the one or more wavelengths of light transmitted by the emitter. The sensor also includes a laminate assembly having an electrically conductive adhesive transfer tape (ECATT) layer disposed over the photodetector, and the ECATT layer is adapted to shield the photodetector from electromagnetic interference (EMI). A nonconductive layer supports the emitter, the photodetector, and the ECATT layer within the sensor. At least a portion of the optical assembly is from a used bandage-type medical sensor, and at least a portion of the laminate assembly is new. |
| US08726491B2 |
Method of forming a spin-transfer torque random access memory (STT-RAM) device
A dual spin filter that minimizes spin-transfer magnetization switching current (Jc) while achieving a high dR/R in STT-RAM devices is disclosed. The bottom spin valve has a MgO tunnel barrier layer formed with a natural oxidation process to achieve low RA, a CoFe/Ru/CoFeB—CoFe pinned layer, and a CoFeB/FeSiO/CoFeB composite free layer with a middle nanocurrent channel (NCC) layer to minimize Jc0. The NCC layer may have be a composite wherein conductive M(Si) grains are magnetically coupled with adjacent ferromagnetic layers and are formed in an oxide, nitride, or oxynitride insulator matrix. The upper spin valve has a Cu spacer to lower the free layer damping constant. A high annealing temperature of 360° C. is used to increase the MR ratio above 100%. A Jc0 of less than 1×106 A/cm2 is expected based on quasistatic measurements of a MTJ with a similar MgO tunnel barrier and composite free layer. |
| US08726484B2 |
Waterproofing device for mobile apparatus and method of manufacturing the same
A waterproofing device is provided for a mobile apparatus, using a thin coaxial cable or an optical cable and capable of being applied to a portable telephone of a bi-directionally openable/closable type. The waterproofing device is adapted to connect housings to each other by a linear member. The waterproofing device is provided with seal members consisting of a rubber-like elastic material and sealing a gap between the housings, and also with a connecting member having opposite ends in the vicinities of which the seal members are integrated. The linear member is passed through the inside of the connecting member to electrically interconnect electronic parts of the housings. The connecting member has a circular tube-like shape consisting of a soft resin material. |
| US08726480B2 |
Method of separating a length of single-strand wire
A method of separating a length of single-strand wire at a notch location includes forming at least one notch in the length of single-strand wire at the notch location. The notch location is subjected to tensile strain until the notch location ruptures at the notch to separate the length of single-strand wire into a first single-strand wire and a second single-strand wire. After separation of the length of single-strand wire, the first and second single-strands each present a generally tapered end that corresponds to the notch location. |
| US08726471B1 |
Belt buckle with personal indica
The goal of this buckle and belt assembly is to honor those individuals who have served, or are serving, in the military of their respective country. Accordingly, this disclosure describes a belt buckle structured and used in such a way as to safely display a dog tag of the honored military individual in a clear and safe manner. |
| US08726470B2 |
Clothing fastening system
A fastening system for fastening garment elements, with the garment comprising a button closure comprised of a button and a buttonhole. The fastening system is comprised of two fastening members, each of which has a base element. A base element of a first member is integrated with hook elements of a hook and eye fastener and the base element of the second member is integrated with eye elements of the hook and eye fastener. A fastener button is fixedly attached to a side of a base element of one of the two members, on a side obverse to the integrated hooks or eyes thereon. The other of the two members comprises an engaging fastener aperture, which extends through the base element and the integrated hooks or eyes thereon. The engaging fastener aperture permit the garment button to pass therethrough, effecting a holding engagement between the member and a garment element. |
| US08726468B2 |
Bundle tie with head dampener
An apparatus according to the present invention provides a bundle tie having a strap and a tie head coupled to the strap. The tie head is adapted to engage a free end of the strap, thereby forming a loop, which may be formed or placed about one or a bundle of elongate articles such as conduit, wires, cables, ropes, and pipes, for example. The tie head is provided with a head dampener which serves to cushion what otherwise may be damaging force placed upon the one or more elongate articles by the tie head. The dampener may also serve to limit movement of the one or more elongate articles through the loop formed by the tie. |
| US08726467B1 |
Retractable strap system for roll up doors
A retractable strap system for a roll up door of a truck featuring a housing with a spindle and a spring-loaded reel and a strap wrapped around the spindle. The spring-loaded reel is biased to retract the strap into the housing. A catch lever allows and prevents the spring-loaded reel from retracting of the strap into the housing. When the truck door is open, the strap can be pulled to a desired length and held at that desired length. The strap automatically retracts into a housing when the roll up door of the truck is closed, preventing its exposure or unnecessary wear. |
| US08726466B2 |
Hood hinge apparatus for vehicle
A hood hinge apparatus for a vehicle, in which a cowl-side body connected with an A-pillar has an inclined structure or an angular structure having a larger inclination than a right angle to reduce a step between the A-pillar and the cowl-side body, and engagement bolts are engaged with a horizontal inclined surface and a vertical inclined surface in different directions for coupling between the cowl-side body and the fixed hinge bracket to prevent injury of a passenger due to excessive dipping caused by generation of body bending during a front offset collision, thereby actively responding to safety regulations in case of a collision. |
| US08726462B2 |
Furniture castor or the like with blocking means
A castor with combined blocking includes a casing 10, a wheel 12, 14 mounted to rotate relative to the casing about an axis 18, a swivel 20 of axis 22 mounted to pivot relative to the casing, the axis being perpendicular to the axis, blocking elements 100 for blocking the swivel, control elements 102 for actuating the blocking elements, blocking elements 200 for blocking the wheel, control elements 202 for actuating the blocking elements 200, and elements 300 for coupling the control elements 102, 202 in such a manner that when the blocking elements 100 are actuated alone by the control elements 102, the blocking elements 200 are not actuated, and when the blocking elements 200 are actuated by the second control elements, the first blocking elements 202 are also actuated by the first control elements 102. The castor is applicable for hospital use, such hospital beds or the like. |
| US08726459B2 |
Vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner is provided. The vacuum cleaner includes a cleaner body, in which a dust collector mount part is formed, a dust collector that is removably mounted on the dust collector mount part, at least one compressing member that reduces a volume of dust stored in a dust storage part of the dust collector, a power transfer device that transfers a driving force to the at least one compressing member from outside connected with the at least one compressing member, and a controller that decides an amount of dust stored in the dust storage part. |
| US08726457B2 |
Vacuum cleaner with display
A vacuum cleaner includes a foot, a handle pivotally attached to the foot, a suction source, and a display disposed on one of the handle and the foot. The foot includes a suction nozzle. The handle is pivotal relative to the foot about an axis of rotation. The suction source is in fluid communication with the suction nozzle. The display is for displaying content in a first orientation relative to the display and a second orientation relative to the display based on the position of the handle relative to the foot. The second orientation is different than the first orientation. |
| US08726455B2 |
Surface cleaning apparatus with hybrid aluminum heater
A surface cleaning apparatus comprises a fluid delivery system including a supply of cleaning fluid stored in a fluid supply chamber and a fluid recovery system for drawing dirty cleaning fluid using suction from the surface to be cleaned. The apparatus has an inline fluid heater having a metal body with an embedded heating element and a polymeric cover provided with a fluid inlet fitting and a fluid outlet fitting. The fluid inlet and fluid outlet fittings are preferably integrally molded with the polymeric cover. |
| US08726452B2 |
Wiper device having improved durability
A wiper device having improved durability includes: an arm head having one end fixed to a pivot shaft installed on a vehicle; and a retainer having one end coupled to the arm head to rotate relative to the arm head and the other end coupled to a blade for wiping a glass of the vehicle, wherein the retainer includes: a body formed of synthetic resins; and a reinforcement member that is coupled to a portion of the retainer, which is adjacent to the arm head, and is formed of a metal material. |
| US08726450B2 |
Scraper system and methods
A scraper system for removing caulk beads from at least one surface. The scraper system comprises a handle portion and a scraper portion. The scraper portion comprises a first scraper structure defining a first scraper edge and a second scraper structure defining a second scraper edge. The second scraper edge comprises a first scraper edge portion and a second scraper edge portion, and the first and second scraper edge portions extend at a first angle with respect to each other. The scraper system may be used in a first mode in which the first scraper edge is used to remove caulk beads from the at least one surface and a second mode in which the second scraper edge is used to remove caulk beads from a plurality of surfaces. |
| US08726443B2 |
Mitigation of deposits and secondary reactions in thermal conversion processes
Described herein are systems and methods for reducing cumulative deposition and unwanted secondary thermal reactions in pyrolysis and other thermal conversion processes. In an embodiment, a system comprises a device, referred to as a reamer, for removing product deposits between thermal conversion and condensation operations of a pyrolysis process. The reamer may comprise, but is not limited to, a mechanical reciprocating rod or ram, a mechanical auger, a drill bit, a high-temperature wiper, brush, or punch to remove deposits and prevent secondary reactions. Alternatively or in addition, the reamer may use a high-velocity curtain or jet (i.e., a hydraulic or pneumatic stream) of vapor, product gas, recycle gas, other gas jet or non-condensing liquid to remove deposits. Preferably, the reamer removes deposits during the pyrolysis process allowing for continuous operation of the pyrolysis process. |
| US08726440B2 |
Method and device for determining the optimal rotational speed of a drum of a laundry treatment device
A method for determining a target rotational speed below an application rotational speed of a washing drum of a laundry treatment device having a drive and a vibrating system, wherein a dependence of a mechanical effect on items to be washed located in the washing drum on the respective nominal speed of the washing drum is used to ascertain the target rotational speed at which the mechanical effect is at the greatest. The mechanical effect at a respective target rotational speed is ascertained by measuring vibrating system movements of the vibrating system which exhibit greater frequency than the respective target rotational speed. The rotational speed at which the maximum vibrating system movement was measured is selected for carrying out the washing care procedure. The advantage of such a method is that the washing mechanics can be increased, thus improving the cleaning efficiency. |
| US08726437B2 |
Apparatus for care of infant
Embodiments provide apparatus for care of an infant, the apparatus including a comfort support for returning legs of an infant to fully folded positions relative to the torso. |
| US08726436B2 |
Back sleeping only pillow
A sleeping pillow to promote only sleeping in the supine position by keeping the said user from sleeping on their side or belly. Constructed of three components; a contoured middle section where the head and neck rest upon and two identical opposing side mounds that flank the middle section. The side mounds prevent the said user from turning their head too much to either side when sleeping in the supine position. The three components of the pillow function as one unit and are covered in a form fitted fabric case with a zipper closure. |
| US08726431B2 |
Patient repositioning system and method of moving a patient body or limb
A patient repositioning system to move and fix a patient body and/or a limb of a patient body in any sequence of multiple operations with positive body or limb support at any angle of rotation or repositioning. |
| US08726427B1 |
Commode flushing handle
A commode flushing handle that is attachable to a toilet wherein a horizontal rod section is rotatably disposed upon said toilet and a handle section is disposed endwise upon the rod section, said handle section disposed proximal the toilet bowl, whereby lifting the handle section depresses the flush handle of the toilet to flush the toilet without the user having to turn around or stand up from the toilet. |
| US08726425B2 |
Wake stabilizer for helmet and helmet
To facilitate driving and prevent a fatigue in a neck by avoiding fluctuations of a helmet to left and right even in a wind (air flow) of a high relative speed thereby stabilizing the helmet. A wake stabilizer for the helmet has a right stabilizer (10R) and a left stabilizer (10L) provided symmetrically at the body wake flow portions (9) on the left and right sides of the helmet. Each of the left and right stabilizers (10R, 10L) has a side straightening face (15) extending from the side face position of the body wake flow portion (9) to the rear surface at such an angle as being fitted on the back of the helmet while being kept flat, and a wind separating portion (16) providing a longitudinal edge extending perpendicularly on a rear edge. |
| US08726421B2 |
Apparel with inflatable neck cushion
A neck supporting piece of apparel, such as a scarf, which includes an inflatable bladder in a neck portion and a tube coupled to the bladder and extending downward to a port easily accessible by the user while wearing the apparel in order to inflate and deflate the bladder, which serves as a neck cushion or pillow. While the neck portion may be configured to go behind the user's neck, the apparel also may include a connector to join the apparel together in front of the user, helping to keep the cushion formed around the user's neck. In addition, the scarf may include pockets at a position generally where the user's hands would lie when sitting or standing, such that tensioning the scarf with the user's arms may increase the cushioning effect of the pillow. |
| US08726415B2 |
Protective garments having elastomeric gaskets along margins to inhibit ingress of potentially harmful materials
In an ensemble for a firefighter or for an emergency rescue worker, protective trousers and a protective coat are provided with elastomeric gaskets, such as neoprene gaskets, one of which lines an inside surface of a distal margin of each leg of the protective trousers and is adapted to be snugly stretched around a protective boot, another of which lines an inside surface of a distal margin of each arm of the protective coat and is adapted to be snugly stretched around a protective glove, and another of which lines an inside surface of a lower margin of the protective coat and is adapted to be snugly stretched around the protective trousers. Such gaskets extend from and, preferably, are unitary with liners, such as neoprene liners, which provide moisture and/or chemical barriers. When stretched snugly, such gaskets inhibit ingress of potentially harmful materials, whether gaseous, liquid, or particulate. |
| US08726414B2 |
Article of apparel incorporating a zoned modifiable textile structure
An article of apparel is disclosed that includes zones with a textile having a structure that changes or is otherwise modified by a physical stimulus, such as the presence of water or a temperature change, to modify a property of the textile. The zones may be along a center back area and side areas of the apparel, and the textile may increase in air permeability when exposed to water. The zones may also be in an upper area of the torso and in a lower back area, and the textile may increase in texture when exposed to water. In some embodiments, slits are formed in the textile. |
| US08732857B2 |
Client-side access control of electronic content
Systems, methods and computer program products for controlling access to electronic content on a client device are provided. Whether access to electronic content is allowed or blocked is based on information and processes performed at the client device. Controlling access to electronic content on a client device can involve locally determining whether access to the electronic content will be allowed, blocked, or will depend upon further analysis performed by a remote device, such as a server. If a webpage is requested, for example, a client device may compare the URL address of the requested webpage, along with keywords and phrases found on the webpage, to locally-stored updateable lists of banned URL addresses and banned keywords and phrases to determining whether access to the electronic content will be allowed, blocked, or will depend upon further analysis. |
| US08732853B1 |
Web-based system providing sharable content item links with link sharer specified use restrictions
A system and method providing sharable content item links with link sharer specified use restrictions. The method includes: receiving, from a device used by a link sharer, a request to share a server-stored content item as a sharable link; causing a user interface to be presented at the device that allows the link sharer to specify one or more restrictions on how the sharable link is used to access to the content item; receiving, through the user interface presented at the device, a specification of at least one of the restrictions; receiving, from a device used by a link submitter, a request to access the content item at the sharable link; determining whether the at least one restriction prevents the link submitter from the requested access; and granting the requested access only after determining that the at least one restriction does not prevent the link submitter from the requested access. |
| US08732848B2 |
File-distribution apparatus and recording medium having file-distribution authorization program recorded therein
A file-distribution apparatus includes a file-distribution unit configured to distribute an image file received from an image-forming device to a terminal device, a source-reference-information storage unit configured to store source-reference authorization information, and a security-management unit configured to determine whether a source-apparatus identifier corresponding to the image file is included in the source-reference information, and thus permits distribution of the image file if the determination is affirmative, and denies distribution of the image file if the determination is negative. |
| US08732847B2 |
Access control model of function privileges for enterprise-wide applications
Techniques are provided for access control in a system. A request is received for checking whether a subject has a privilege for a resource. A security class that defines a plurality of privileges that include the requested privilege is determined. One or more access control lists have been configured for the security class. The one or more access control lists comprise one or more access control entries. Each of the one more access control entry defines whether one or more subjects has been granted or denied to zero, one or more of the plurality of privileges defined in the security class. Based on the access control lists configured for the security class, it is determined whether the subject should be granted the privilege for the requested resource. |
| US08732846B2 |
Platform for providing a social context to software applications
The present invention provides a system and method for providing a social context to software applications. According to one embodiment of the invention, a user of a social network authorizes access by an external software application to information available in the social network. At some time later, the user of the social network uses an application designed by a third-party software developer. The application contacts the social network provider for permission to access the information available in the social network. If access has been authorized, the application incorporates the information from the social network into its interaction with the user, providing a social context to the user's interaction with the application. |
| US08732841B2 |
Software license server with geographic location validation
A computer software license management system wrapper for use in a local computer is described. The software wrapper includes a wrapper interface that provides controlled access to a computer software application file. The software application file is encapsulated by security software code to protect it from unauthorized access. The software wrapper also includes a software license key identifying a license policy specifying a use limitation within a geographic boundary. In addition, the software wrapper includes a license validation mechanism that periodically determines compliance with the license policy. The license validation mechanism permits access by another process operating on the local computer through the wrapper interface in response to a valid license confirmation signal received from the license server. A license server that utilizes and an electronic storefront that sells software license wrappers having software use limitations within a geographic boundary also are described. |
| US08732838B2 |
Evaluating the effectiveness of a threat model
Evaluating a threat model for structural validity and descriptive completeness. A threat modeling application provides a progress factor or other overall score associated with the structural validity and descriptive completeness of the threat model being evaluated. The structural validity is evaluated based on a data flow diagram associated with the threat model. The descriptive completeness is evaluated by reviewing descriptions of threat types in the threat model. The progress factor encourages modelers to provide effective models to a model reviewer, thus saving time for the model reviewer. |
| US08732835B2 |
System, method, and computer program product for interfacing a plurality of related applications
A system, method and computer program product are provided for interlacing a plurality of applications. Initially, a signal is received at an interface indicating that a first application has responded to an event with a first response. The interface, in turn, prompts a second response to the event by a second application. |
| US08732834B2 |
Systems and methods for detecting illegitimate applications
A computer-implemented method for detecting illegitimate applications may include 1) identifying an installation of an application on a computing system, 2) determining, in response to identifying the installation of the application, that at least one system file with privileged access on the computing system has changed prior to the installation of the application, 3) determining that the application is illegitimate based at least in part on a time of the installation of the application relative to a time of a change to the system file, and 4) performing a remediation action on the application in response to determining that the application is illegitimate. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed. |
| US08732830B2 |
Scripting engine externalized function execution control
Various embodiments include at least one of systems, methods, software, and data structures to evaluate function calls within a host, such as a scripting or application programming interface (API) host, prior to execution. Such embodiments may determine if a called function is authorized for execution. When the function is not authorized for execution, the function is not executed. Authorized and unauthorized functions may be set in a representation including one or both of authorized and unauthorized function functions. The representation may be stored external to the host so as to be modifiable. |
| US08732825B2 |
Intelligent hashes for centralized malware detection
A suspicious entity is identified. An intelligent hash for the suspicious entity is generated, wherein the intelligent hash includes a set of metadata that is specific to the suspicious entity and at least some of the metadata is invariant over changes to the suspicious entity. The intelligent hash is transmitted to a server for evaluation of whether the suspicious entity corresponds to the malware entity. The server is adapted to determine whether the suspicious entity corresponds to the malware entity based on the intelligent hash. A result is received from the server specifying whether the suspicious entity corresponds to the malware entity. |
| US08732820B2 |
Method for inputting usernames and passwords to access or use different assets
A method for imputing different usernames and passwords using an input device with a display to use different protected assets that requires the inputting of a preselected username into a username enter box and the inputting of a preselected password into a password entry box immediately prior to use. The method includes the steps of designating two or more username keys on said input device, each said username key being assigned with a unique letter or number located on said input device and to a unique username made of a plurality of alpha-number characters, designating two or more password keys on the input device each being assigned with a letter or number located on said input device and to a unique password made of a plurality of alpha-number characters. Next the protected asset is then accessed and the username key and keyword key assigned to the asset is imputed. |
| US08732819B2 |
Method and a device for generating a secret value
A device and a method for graphical passwords. A device displays an initial image comprising a plurality of graphical elements, each graphical element having at least two variants; receives user input to select a variant of a number of the graphical elements, thereby generating a modified image; and generates the secret value from at least the selected variants of the graphical elements. The graphical elements are advantageously seamlessly integrated in the images, thereby making the system resistant to shoulder surfing attacks. |
| US08732818B2 |
End-to-end authentication of session initiation protocol messages using certificates
End-to-end authentication capability based on public-key certificates is combined with the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to allow a SIP node that receives a SIP request message to authenticate the sender of request. The SIP request message is sent with a digital signature generated with a private key of the sender and may include a certificate of the sender. The SIP request message my also be encrypted with a public key of the recipient. After receiving the SIP request, the receiving SIP node obtains a certificate of the sender and authenticates the sender based on the digital signature. The digital signature may be included in an Authorization header of the SIP request, or in a multipart message body constructed according to the S/MIME standard. |
| US08732816B2 |
Method and apparatus for exchanging data between a user equipment and a core network via a security gateway
The present invention concern a methods and an apparatus for exchanging data between a user equipment and a core network via a security gateway. The invention concerns the establishment of an inactive pair of tunnel mode security associations between the UE and the security gateway, as well as the application of the pair of security associations when the UE detects attachment to or need to attach to an untrusted access network. |
| US08732813B2 |
Method and system for securing data from an external network to a non point of sale device
A data control system allows non-point of sale devices (135, 155) on the LAN to receive data from an external network (160) when established conditions are met. The data control system may allow the data to be sent to a non-point of sale device (135, 155) only if the data has not been received via a secure connection reserved for point of sale devices (125, 145). The secure connection is, for example, a virtual private network connection. The data control system may also allow the data to be sent to a non-point of sale device (135, 155) only if the data is associated with a communication session initiated by the non-point of sale device (135, 155). The data control system may also allow the data to be sent to the non-point of sale device (135, 155) only if it is not received from a restricted source. The restricted source may be, for example, a payment host (170), a secure host (180) or any unidentified source. |
| US08732808B2 |
Data plan activation and modification
A method, implemented by a router device, for guiding a user in establishing access privileges for a data exchanger includes causing the data exchanger to establish a remote link with a data service provider. Access content is obtained from the data service provider and presented to a client device. Access data provided in response to the presenting of the access content is received. The access content when presented by the client device enables a user to supply the access data. The access data is useable by the data service provider to set access privileges associated with the data exchanger that enable the data exchanger to be utilized to perform a desired function. The access data is returned to the data service provider via the remote link. The data exchanger is utilized to implement the desired function. |
| US08732807B2 |
Method and system using a cyber ID to provide secure transactions
A method and system for securing a user transaction involving a subscriber unit (“SU”) (having a processor, memory, and a display configured to accept user input), a credential information manager (“CIM”) (having a processor and memory), and a transaction service provider (“TSP”) (having a processor and memory). A cyber identifier (“CyberID”), a subscriber identifier (“SubscriberID”), and subscriber information, each associated with the user, is stored in the CIM. A transaction request is sent from the SU to the TSP, which creates a transaction identifier (“TID”), stores it in the TSP memory and transmits it to the SU. The SU transmits an authentication request, the TID, and SubscriberID to the CIM, which authenticates the SubscriberID and verifies the TID to the TSP. The TSP verifies the TID and reports it to the CIM, which transmits the CyberID and subscriber information to the TSP, and transmits a transaction authorization to the SU. |
| US08732798B2 |
Automatic disabling of enabled connection profile for wireless network
To reduce automatically a number of enabled connection profiles in a mobile station, for example, while the number of enabled connection profiles is at its maximum, a mobile station automatically selects one of the existing enabled connection profiles to disable and automatically disables the auto-selected connection profile. |
| US08732797B2 |
Host usability and security via an isolated environment
Architecture that addresses security concerns while still providing transparent user experience with ability to perform tasks. When a user machine is considered incompliant or compromised due to, for example, a suspected infection, the user machine can be blocked from further access to a network or other computing hosts until the incompliance is resolved. A notification is presented that indicates the nature of the problem, and a way to access an automatically configured isolated environment via which to continue working. The user can be automatically routed to use the alternative isolated environment for temporary access to network resources. Once the user finishes activities in the isolated environment, the system hosting the isolated environment is reverted back to a known good state. |
| US08732796B1 |
Addressing security in asymmetrical networks
Security in an asymmetrical network is addressed. At a security element, a handshake message is received on a path within the asymmetrical network. The handshake message is associated with an attempt to establish a session. A determination is made as to whether there is an entry for the handshake message in a local state table. When there is no entry in the local state table, then an entry is generated in the local state table, a notification of the handshake message is sent to a centralized computing platform that tracks handshake messages received by a plurality of security elements in the asymmetrical network, and the handshake message is allowed to pass along the path. A notification is received from the centralized computing platform that the session associated with the handshake message is allowed, based on associated handshake messages received at the centralized computing platform. |
| US08732794B2 |
Browser plug-in firewall
A browser plug-in firewall manages data exchanged between a browser and a plug-in according to a pre-defined list of rights. |
| US08732789B2 |
Portable security policy and environment
The present invention provides a portable security policy and environment, which can accompany a user conveniently, wherever the user goes. The portable security policy and environment involves authenticating the identity of a client end, checking the security environment of the client end, generating policy based on the security environment, and delivering policy to network devices. |
| US08732785B2 |
Transmission system and relay device
Provided is a system for supplying a power from a sink device to a source device. Not only the source device but also a cable or a repeater device to be connected thereto has compatibility in power supply. A physical address obtained from information of an EDID memory forms a base of CEC message exchange, but a physical address of the cable or repeater device is overlapped with the source device or unknown. The cable or a repeater device uses changes the type of a message while using the same physical address as the source device or use such a message having the physical address information of the source device is described in a parameter of the message using the unknown physical address. The message having a supply or reception current for each device described therein is exchanged with the sink device or the source device to adjust current reception. |
| US08732782B1 |
Systems and methods for providing communication services over telephone lines
A system and method is described for providing communication services, including voice communications, data communications, audio/video-on-demand, and broadcast audio/video, over twisted-pair telephone lines. The system and method are based on broadband transmission techniques, such as fiber-to-the-neighborhood (FTTN) and digital subscriber line (DSL) techniques. This approach can be applied to develop an access network comprising an array of remote terminals connected to one or more telephone central offices by fiber optic cables and connected to subscriber nodes by twisted-pair lines. Each remote terminal has the capacity to support multiple subscribers and to switch broadcast channels onto subscriber lines. Each subscriber is provided the capability to individually select via the DSL interface one or more a broadcast channels from a larger set of channels. |
| US08732778B1 |
On-demand mobile wireless broadcast video delivery mechanism
A mobile broadcast service center and a mobile wireless network to deliver broadcast video to mobile wireless devices. When the mobile broadcast service center receives a request to deliver a broadcast video channel to a target mobile wireless device, it designates as target an intermediate node in the network that serves the target mobile wireless device. The mobile broadcast service center first determines if an existing channel bundle is routed to the target intermediate node. If this first determination is negative, the mobile broadcast service center routes a new channel bundle to the target intermediate node, including the requested broadcast video channel. If the first determination is positive, the mobile broadcast service center then determines if the requested broadcast video channel is in the existing channel bundle. If this second determination is negative, then it adds the requested broadcast video channel to the existing channel bundle. |
| US08732776B2 |
End of show handling
A content delivery system that works in a broadcast and linear content environment causing real time display of received linear content. The system limits the display of the linear content by determining a time to automatically change the display of the linear content based upon program guide information and other factors, unless a signal is or has been received from a user indicating further interest in the content. |
| US08732771B2 |
System for providing DBS DSL video services to multiple display devices
Systems and methods for providing direct broadcast satellite (DBS) and digital subscriber line (DSL) video services to multiple display devices are disclosed. Generally the disclosed system receives a plurality of DBS channels and DSL content. The system receives a first user-initiated video selection and generates a first television signal based on the first user-initiated video selection. The first television signal combines video from at least one DBS channel and video from DSL content for simultaneously displaying at least a portion of the video from at least one DBS channel and at least a portion of the video from the DSL content on a display device. The first television signal is then transmitted to a first display device. Additionally, the system receives a second user-initiated video selection, generates a second television signal based on the second user-initiated video selection, and transmits the second television signal to a second display device. |
| US08732769B2 |
Wireless video transmitter
A technique is offered which is applied to a system for wirelessly sending and receiving control commands and which permits mutual communications owing to the control commands between a wireless video transmitter and wireless video receivers to be operated stably with low delay. The transmitter makes a decision as to whether commands received from the receivers are certain commands. If so, the transmitter assigns transmissible periods, in which the receivers can send commands, more preferentially to the wireless video receiver that has sent out the certain commands than the other wireless video receivers. |
| US08732768B2 |
System and method for providing virtual AV service
A system for providing virtual AV service includes a local device middleware (LDM) media server which stores AV contents and a resource cooperation server (RCS) which separates the AV contents from the LDM media server into video contents and audio contents. The video contents and the audio contents are reproduced by an LDM video renderer and an LDM audio renderer, respectively. An LDM control point (LDMCP) controls the LDM media server and the LDM media renderers using the LDM protocol and a virtual device ensembler (VDE) controls the RCS and the LDMCP. |
| US08732766B2 |
Video object tag creation and processing
Methods, and systems, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable storage mediums, including a method for presenting a video content item in a first display area; concurrently presenting, with the video content item in the first display area, objects that are displayed during the presentation of the video content item in a second display area, wherein the objects persist in the second display area after the object is no longer displayed during the presentation of the video content item in the first display area; receiving an indication identifying one of the objects presented in the first display area or the second display area; and processing a tag associated with the object, the tag comprising a reference to a media item, wherein the processing comprises: accessing the media item referenced by the tag; and presenting the media item at least partially in the first display area or the second display area. |
| US08732765B2 |
Electronic television program guide schedule system and method with remote product ordering
An electronic program schedule system with product ordering capability which includes a data processor for receiving program schedule information for a plurality of programs, and a user control apparatus, such as a remote controller, for generating user control commands and transmitting signals to the data processor in response thereto. The television program schedule information is displayed on a display apparatus such as a television receiver. A video display generator receives video control commands from the data processor and program schedule information and displays a portion of the program schedule information on the receiver. The program schedule information indicates the availability of a product or service for certain of the programs included in the program information, wherein the product or service is associated with the program, such as a program transcript or videocassette. The viewer utilizes the remote control apparatus to generate a first command for displaying information on the receiver describing the product or service, and a second command for placing an order for the product or service. The data processor receives the user control commands and in response to the first command causes the video display generator to display information describing the product or service and in response to the second command generates an order for the product or service. |
| US08732762B2 |
Information providing apparatus, information acquisition terminal, broadcast reception terminal, information providing system, information providing method and program
An ECG server, which provides program contents-related ECG information to a television terminal and a user terminal, comprises a storage unit that stores the program contents-related ECG information, a configuring unit that configures an ECG module in correspondence to the program contents, made up with a plurality of sets of ECG information including tuning information to be used to allow the television terminal to select the program contents, a setting unit that sets timing information, which will allow the ECG module to be provided to the user terminal by linking with consignment of the program contents and a providing unit that provides, in conformance to the timing information, the ECG module to an user terminal capable of providing the tuning information to the television terminal. By utilizing the ECG server, the ratings of the program contents can be improved and the program contents can be more easily selected. |
| US08732761B2 |
Content discovery and delivery with multiple servers
A system may include a client and a home media server in communication with the client. The home media server may be configured to receive a request for media content from the client; determine content restrictions associated with the client; discover at least one other home media server; receive content listings of media content from the at least one other home media server; aggregate the received content listings to create a unified content listing including instances of media content stored on multiple home media servers; filter the unified content listing according to the content restrictions; and send the filtered unified content listing to the client. |
| US08732759B2 |
Method of browsing recorded news program and browsing apparatus for performing the method
Provided are a method of browsing a recorded news program and a browsing apparatus for performing the method. The method includes grouping moving picture news reports included in a plurality of news programs according to news report, and selecting one moving picture news report from among each of a plurality of groups according to preference information input by a user, thereby reproducing only a user desired part from contents of a moving picture news report. Thus, the method can be used to rapidly and efficiently browse the plurality of news programs. |
| US08732758B2 |
Television system with aided user program searching
A system having an adaptive browse feature and an adaptive flip feature is provided. The adaptative browse and flip features may be selected to receive program viewing suggestions. The system may provide a suggestion by displaying an adaptive browse region or adaptative flip region including a program suggestion. The system identifies programs to suggest based on a user=s viewing activity. The system uses different algorithms that are user-selectable and user-adjustable to identify program suggestions. The system may query a program guide database to build a list of programs having attributes similar to the attributes of the current program or the last viewed program. The system may use an adaptive learning algorithm such as a neural network. The neural network may be trained by the program guide by monitoring user-viewing activity.Each algorithm may be personalized for multiple users. |
| US08732757B2 |
System and method for targeted advertisement display responsive to user characteristics
A system and method for utilizing data stored in an EPG database for modifying advertisement information. In this way, a service provider and/or an advertiser can transmit a single advertisement to all the television stations regardless of their geographic location and other user specific information, and need not re-transmit the advertisement even if there is a change in the show's program description. When the advertisement is displayed, the correct updated information is retrieved from the EPG database and inserted into the advertisement.In one aspect, the present invention describes a method for modifying an advertisement in an EPG comprising the steps of: storing television schedule information in a first database; storing advertisement information in a second database; incorporating a portion of the television schedule information into a portion of the advertisement information to form a modified advertisement; and displaying the modified advertisement on a screen. |
| US08732754B2 |
Expanded programming guide
Systems, methods and computer program products utilize a content receiver to generate a dynamically modifiable expanded programming guide with a grid containing a plurality of regions. Each region is associated with a plurality of channels over a timeframe. The content receiver transmits the expanded programming guide to a content display. The grid may be utilized to navigate through regions and therefore across a large amount of programming information associated with a wide range of channels and timeframes. The content receiver may transmit a magnified view of the expanded programming guide and may display content-related information associated with a subset of regions for the associated channels and timeframes. |
| US08732749B2 |
Virtual desktop services
Methods and apparatus are described for providing access to arbitrary applications via an interactive television service using a pool of remote virtual desktops. |
| US08732746B2 |
System for and method of targeting broadcast messages
A system for and method of targeting a broadcast message to a subset of potential electronic receivers in a broadcast network is presented. The system and method may comprise collecting identifying information associated with designated electronic receivers of a targeted broadcast message, generating, using a computer processor, a data set structure using the identifying information, associating the data set structure with the targeted broadcast message, and broadcasting the targeted broadcast message and the data set structure to a plurality of electronic receivers, wherein the data set structure provides information allowing at least one of the plurality of electronic receivers to determine whether the targeted broadcast message is targeted to the at least one electronic receiver. |
| US08732743B2 |
Passenger information control device and method for providing video data for passenger information control device
A passenger information control device having a video display controller that transmits video data sent from a ground transmission controller to display devices in a train includes: a storage unit that stores a program table and the video data, the program table storing a number of times an advertisement video has been presented, a validity period of the advertisement video, a time period from the last presentation time to the present, and a volume of the video data, being associated with each advertisement; a deletion determining unit that determines whether to designate the video data as a candidate for deletion based on a program table; and a deleting unit that deletes the video data stored in the storage unit based on determination by the deletion determining unit. |
| US08732740B2 |
Content control in a device environment
Devices and methods are disclosed for controlling content within a device environment through interaction among electronic devices of the environment. The device has a transmitter, receiver, memory storing interaction rules and content rules and a processor for implementing the interaction rules and content rules in association with the transmitter, receiver, and other devices of the environment. Methods involve obtaining content information of the media about to be played and comparing the content information to the content rules stored at a device. An instruction about playback of the media content is generated. Methods may also involve seeking rights information for media content and determining whether rights information exists for identified media content in response to the request. When rights information does exist for the identified media content, a message is sent that includes the rights information. |
| US08732735B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing presentation of media content
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set top box having a controller to monitor for a triggering event that is associated with viewing of media content, retrieve a screen saver from a remote server when the triggering event is detected, and apply the screen saver to a display device connected with the set top box. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08732733B2 |
Optical disc driving device having shaft upwardly protruding from chucking mechanism
There is provided an optical disc driving device including: a sleeve holder fixed to a base member; a sleeve fixed to the sleeve holder; a shaft rotating while being inserted into the sleeve; a rotor hub fixed to the shaft and rotating together with the shaft; a chucking mechanism fixed to the rotor hub and having a disc mounted thereon; and an upper case forming an internal space, together with the base member, wherein the shaft is protruded upwardly from the chucking mechanism. |
| US08732731B2 |
Streaming server administration protocol
Network server information has traditionally been obtained through the use of operating systems functions and calls. By adding URL protocol code to the network server, such data may be obtained by use of a URL. In the URL, path information for the container in the server where such data resides is included. Specific server data may be retrieved, or such data may be retrieved recursively among several levels of containers. System calls and other functions may also be added to the URL path name for searching for particular data, or similar types of data through successive levels of containers. The protocol allows server administrators to access server data, in real time, from any user device in a network in which the server resides. |
| US08732728B2 |
System and method to allow multiple plug-in applications real-time access to a camera application in a mobile device
A mobile device having a camera application is provided. The mobile device includes a camera and a controller coupled to the camera. The controller is configured to launch a first plug-in application within the camera application. The controller is also configured to launch a second plug-in application within the camera application. The first and second plug-in applications communicate with the camera application through an application programming interface. The controller is further configured to receive, from a user of the mobile device, a selection of one of the first and second plug-in applications. Based on the selection from the user of the mobile device, the controller is configured to update a user interface of the camera application to correspond to the selected plug-in application. |
| US08732727B2 |
Agnostic execution cluster for an agnostic execution environment
The disclosed subject matter facilitates an execution environment in which services can be made available for use by one or more devices independently of such devices' hardware, operating systems, or run-time environments. The services can be abstracted and accessed by way of a Service Programming Interface (SPI). Execution environment devices can be members of one or more execution clusters and can interoperate by way of a logical bus, for example by contemporaneously signaling among member devices on an electronic signaling logical bus (ESLB). Signaling can be by way of event messages, which can facilitate distributed computing and/or agnostic execution behavior. |
| US08732726B2 |
Managing internode data communications for an uninitialized process in a parallel computer
A parallel computer includes nodes, each having main memory and a messaging unit (MU). Each MU includes computer memory, which in turn includes, MU message buffers. Each MU message buffer is associated with an uninitialized process on the compute node. In the parallel computer, managing internode data communications for an uninitialized process includes: receiving, by an MU of a compute node, one or more data communications messages in an MU message buffer associated with an uninitialized process on the compute node; determining, by an application agent, that the MU message buffer associated with the uninitialized process is full prior to initialization of the uninitialized process; establishing, by the application agent, a temporary message buffer for the uninitialized process in main computer memory; and moving, by the application agent, data communications messages from the MU message buffer associated with the uninitialized process to the temporary message buffer in main computer memory. |
| US08732723B2 |
Execution apparatus and method
An execution apparatus that executes a computer program executes the computer program and loads a class that is requested while the computer program is being executed. The loaded class is the class in response to the computer program that is being executed. |
| US08732721B2 |
Method for reducing trap overhead when executing a guest in a virtual machine
A processor includes a VM trap logic and a buffering logic. The VM trap logic determines whether or not an instruction acquired from a VM (Virtual Machine) satisfies a predetermined VM trap condition. The buffering logic determines whether or not the instruction acquired from the VM satisfies a predetermined buffering condition. |
| US08732715B2 |
Resource management method, device and program thereof
There are resource managers provided for various kinds of resources including hardware and software, and a system resource manager that manages the entire system including the resource managers. Configuration management of the system resource manager grasps the system configuration by XML-based definition information and detects a control method of each of the resources. Accepting an operation instruction to a resource, the system resource manager specifies a target resource to be controlled under configuration management and sends an event to a resource manager that manages the target resource by event control. The resource manager that receives the event specifies the target resource to be controlled under configuration management and sends a control instruction to the target resource by event control to operate the target resource. |
| US08732707B2 |
Composing and executing service processes
A computer-implemented method for automatically and dynamically composing and executing workflow-based service processes may include receiving a request, the request including a user-selected service type, guided by one or more rules for questionnaire creation, dynamically generating a sequence of one or more electronic inquiries in accordance with the user-selected service type, receiving information based on the sequence of the one or more electronic inquiries, based on the information received, creating a goal for the request by constructing logical state representations of a current state constituting a pre-condition of the goal and of a target state constituting a post-condition of the goal and generating a service process by determining a sequence of services which together fulfill the goal, where the services are selected from a plurality of services such that pre-conditions and post-conditions associated with the selected services together match the pre-condition and the post-condition of the goal. |
| US08732700B2 |
Virtualization system with a remote proxy
A remote proxy provides remote control to a virtualization system. The virtualization system includes a computer having virtualization software executing on the computer, and one or more virtual machines executing on the computer by way of the virtualization software, each of the virtual machines having a guest operating system. The remote proxy receives over a network connection a plurality of logical channels of a multi-channel remote control protocol at a first domain of a plurality of domains of the virtualization system. Each of the logical channels convey information corresponding to one of the domains. For each logical channel, the remote proxy identifies the corresponding domain. Further, for each of the logical channels corresponding to a domain other than the first domain, the remote proxy forwards the logical channel to the corresponding domain. |
| US08732699B1 |
Migrating virtual machines between physical machines in a define group
In a system including plural physical machines containing virtual machines, a first group including a subset, of the plural physical machines is defined. A controller is provided in the first group for identifying a placement of virtual machines on the physical machines in the first group. Migration is performed of at least one of the virtual machines between or among the physical machines in the first group according to the identified placement. |
| US08732698B2 |
Apparatus and method for expedited virtual machine (VM) launch in VM cluster environment
Method and apparatus for expedited virtual machine (VM) launch in VM cluster environment. In one embodiment, at least one VM is launched within a host platform. Once initialized, a VM may issue a hypercall to a VM monitor (VMM) of a VM host platform. In response, the VMM may capture a runtime image of the VM. In one embodiment, the VMM loads the runtime image of the VM within a node of the host platform as a child VM. In an alternative embodiment, the VMM issues a VM clone command to a VMM of a next host platform including the runtime image of the VM. In response, the VMM of the next platform loads the runtime image of the first VM within a node of the second host platform as a cloned VM. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08732697B2 |
System, method and apparatus for managing applications on a device
The disclosure provides a system, a method and a computer program product that facilitate access to one or more applications by a computing device. The disclosure includes a step of determining one or more contexts associated with the computing device or a user of the computing device, such that the one or more contexts describe environment or activity of the user or the computing device. The disclosure also includes a step of generating at least one contextual tag corresponding to the one or more contexts, after which the one or more applications associated with the at least one contextual tag are identified and the computing device is enabled to access the one or more applications. |
| US08732695B2 |
Method of distributing software and supplemental display data to a client device
A method of distributing software and supplemental display data and a client device having the same. The method reduces the cost of providing software to a number of devices on a multi-cast network. The software allows the user to gain access to the multi-cast network, and the supplemental display data is transferred to the client device over the network. |
| US08732693B2 |
Managing continuous software deployment
Concepts and technologies are described herein for managing continuous software deployment. A deployment controller can manage deployment of code to a data center. The deployment controller can execute workflows for checking in, verifying, deploying the code, or other processes. The code can be deployed using a differencing disk that includes data indicating changes between software hosted by the data center and a version of software resulting from deployment of the code. The differencing disk can be linked to the disk or virtual resource hosting the software and executed collectively to provide an updated version of the software. Traffic to one or more virtual machines of the data center can be controlled by the deployment controller. If errors are detecting during deployment or after updating, the update can be rolled back. |
| US08732692B2 |
Deployment and management framework
A system and method for deploying and managing software components to a plurality of network devices of an extended data communications network. In one embodiment of the invention, a client type defining software components required for at least one network device of the plurality of network devices may be determined. At least one network device of the plurality of network devices corresponding to the client type may be determined. The software components may be provided to the at least one network device based in part on the client type. The software components may be installed on the at least one network device such that functional capabilities of the software components may be employed by the network device. In another embodiment, a record of the software components installed on the at least one network device on a hub server associated with the extended data communications network may be stored. |
| US08732686B2 |
Generating optimal instruction sequences for bitwise logical expressions
A sequence generator generates a table of optimal instruction sequences for all bitwise expression having a specific number of variables. An index generator generates a bit-string index that corresponds to a particular bitwise expression. The bit-string is generated from a truth table. A table lookup unit is coupled with the index generator. The table lookup unit finds an optimal instruction sequence for the bitwise expression from within the table of optimal instruction sequences based at least in part on the generated bit-string index. |
| US08732685B2 |
Methods and system for executing a program in multiple execution environments
A method and medium are disclosed for executing a technical computing program in parallel in multiple execution environments. A program is invoked for execution in a first execution environment and from the invocation the program is executed in the first execution environment and one or more additional execution environments to provide for parallel execution of the program. New constructs in a technical computing programming language are disclosed for parallel programming of a technical computing program for execution in multiple execution environments. It is also further disclosed a system and method for changing the mode of operation of an execution environment from a sequential mode to a parallel mode of operation and vice-versa. |
| US08732684B2 |
Program conversion apparatus and computer readable medium
According to one embodiment, a first program code including a plurality of variables is converted to a second program code to be executed by a multi-core processor including a plurality of cores. Specifically, an access pattern of each variable in the first program code is decided. All variables in the first program code are classified into a plurality of groups each of which variables belong to the same access pattern. A member structure of each group having variables belonging to the same access pattern is created. Each member structure includes variables of one group. A route-pointer indicating an address (in a memory) of variables of the member structure is created. The variables in the first program code are converted to the member structure and the route-pointer (in the second program code) that indicate the variables. The second program code is outputted to the multi-core processor. |
| US08732683B2 |
Compiler providing idiom to idiom accelerator
A wake-and-go mechanism may be a programming idiom accelerator. As a processor fetches instructions, the programming idiom accelerator may look ahead to determine whether a programming idiom is coming up in the instruction stream. If the programming idiom accelerator recognizes a programming idiom, the programming idiom accelerator may perform an action to accelerate execution of the programming idiom. A compiler may recognize programming idioms and expose the programming idioms to the programming idiom accelerator within the resulting machine language instructions. |
| US08732682B2 |
Systems and methods for detecting and tolerating atomicity violations between concurrent code blocks
The system and methods described herein may be used to detect and tolerate atomicity violations between concurrent code blocks and/or to generate code that is executable to detect and tolerate such violations. A compiler may transform program code in which the potential for atomicity violations exists into alternate code that tolerates these potential violations. For example, the compiler may inflate critical sections, transform non-critical sections into critical sections, or coalesce multiple critical sections into a single critical section. The techniques described herein may utilize an auxiliary lock state for locks on critical sections to enable detection of atomicity violations in program code by enabling the system to distinguish between program points at which lock acquisition and release operations appeared in the original program, and the points at which these operations actually occur when executing the transformed program code. Filtering and analysis techniques may reduce false positives induced by the transformations. |
| US08732679B2 |
Loop transformation for computer compiler optimization
A new computer-compiler architecture includes code analysis processes in which loops present in an intermediate instruction set are transformed into more efficient loops prior to fully executing the intermediate instruction set. The compiler architecture starts by generating the equivalent intermediate instructions for the original high level source code. For each loop in the intermediate instructions, a total cycle cost is calculated using a cycle cost table associated with the compiler. The compiler then generates intermediate code for replacement loops in which all conversion instructions are removed. The cycle costs for these new transformed loops are then compared against the total cycle cost for the original loops. If the total cycle costs exceed the new cycle costs, the compiler will replace the original loops in the intermediate instructions with the new transformed loops prior to generation of final code using the instruction set of the processor. |
| US08732678B2 |
Methods and apparatus for dynamic best fit compilation of mixed mode instructions
Methods and an apparatus for dynamic best fit compilation of mixed mode instructions are provided. In one embodiment, a provided method includes receiving a non-native software instruction at a device, generating a first native software instruction from a first instruction set based on the non-native software instruction, the generation of the first native software instruction occurring at the device, executing the first native software instruction at the device, generating a second native software instruction from a second instruction set based on the non-native software instruction, the generation of the second native software instruction occurring at the device, and executing the second native software instruction at the device. |
| US08732677B2 |
System and method for extending legacy application with undo/redo functionality
In a system and method for recalling a state in an application, a processor may store in a memory data representing a first set of previously executed commands, the first set representing a current application state, and, for recalling a previously extant application state different than the current application state, the processor may modify the data to represent a second set of commands and may execute in sequence the second set of commands. |
| US08732673B2 |
Automated debugging system and method
System and method for automatically identifying a source of a run-time error in a computer system comprises a static analysis system (SAS), an instrumentation system (IS) and a post-execution analysis system (PEAS). The is arranged to generate static analysis data on computer program code (CPC) for the computer system, including information on possible behaviors of the CPC when executed. The IS is arranged to instrument the CPC by inserting marker triggers into the CPC that, generate a marker associated with each of a number of predetermined points in the CPC that would be reached during execution of the CPC. Each marker is, uniquely identifiable. The predetermined points are determined in dependence on the static analysis data. The PEASpost execution analysis system is arranged to processes data on a run-time error produced by execution of the instrumented CPC, wherein the generated markers and the static analysis data to identify the source of the run-time error. |
| US08732672B2 |
Constraint derivation in context following for use with object code insertion
A method of creating constraints for use with object code insertion technology can include deriving an A-representation and a B-representation of values produced by execution of instructions of a portion of object code, wherein prior to object code insertion the A-representation and the B-representation of a value produced by same instruction(s) are equivalent. The method further can include identifying equalities between A-representations of values produced by different instructions and determining constraints from the identified equalities using B-representations, where the constraints are observed after object code insertion. |
| US08732670B1 |
Ensuring determinism during programmatic replay in a virtual machine
Aspects of an application program's execution which might be subject to non-determinism are performed in a deterministic manner while the application program's execution is being recorded in a virtual machine environment so that the application program's behavior, when played back in that virtual machine environment, will duplicate the behavior that the application program exhibited when originally executed and recorded. Techniques disclosed herein take advantage of the recognition that only minimal data needs to be recorded in relation to the execution of deterministic operations, which actually can be repeated “verbatim” during replay, and that more highly detailed data should be recorded only in relation to non-deterministic operations, so that those non-deterministic operations can be deterministically simulated (rather than attempting to re-execute those operations under circumstances where the outcome of the re-execution might differ) based on the detailed data during replay. |
| US08732669B2 |
Efficient model checking technique for finding software defects
A method for detecting defects in a computer program. The method steps include obtaining source code and a potential defect definition; identifying, based on the potential defect definition, a set of program objects associated with a potential defect in the source code; extracting an executable program slice having the potential defect from the source code; generating, by a processor, an abstracted model of the program slice by: modeling, using data abstraction, the set of program objects as data-abstracted variables, identifying, within the program slice, a set of control statements including predicates necessary for evaluating the set of control statements, modeling, using predicate abstraction, the predicates as predicate-abstracted Boolean variables, and creating, based on the data-abstracted variables and the predicate-abstracted Boolean variables, a finite state machine (FSM) model of the program slice; and identifying an error state of the FSM indicating an occurrence of the potential defect within the program slice. |
| US08732668B2 |
System and method of error handling in a platform as a service environment
A system and method of improving error handling in a development environment created by a platform provider in which a third party developer develops applications for use by customers The method includes storing business objects and error messages, where the error messages corresponds to potential errors during run time processing of the plurality of business objects. The method further includes receiving a first user input regarding an error situation, where the error situation includes a resolution of the error situation, and receiving a second user input that associates the error situation with a sub-subset of a subset of the error messages. In this manner, the usability of the platform is improved. |
| US08732665B2 |
Deploying environments for testing by providing instantaneous availability of prebuilt environments
Environments for testing are deployed. A library of different topology groupings is provided. An interface is presented to a user for receiving environment definitions. Elements from the library of different topology groupings are automatically provided to the user for creating a test environment according to the received environment definitions. The platform delivers fully configured instantaneous topology deployments of all flavors for product development and testing efforts. The topology deployment service platform is used to create reliable topologies of varying layers of complexity, varying machine providers, different roles, different product builds, integration with partners and varying product configurations. The ability to launch and create multiple test and development environments trivially in an automated reliable fashion allows complicated customer scenarios and configurations to be deployed. |
| US08732664B2 |
Document serialization and comparison via object model
Technologies are described herein for serializing in-memory objects of an application program for purposes of comparison. A request to serialize in-memory objects of an application program is received. A list of one or more objects, properties, or methods to be serialized is read from a serialization driver file and the one or more objects, properties, or methods in an object memory of the application program are accessed through an object model exposed by the application program. Values from the one or more objects, properties, or methods in the object memory are serialized and stored in a generic object container that facilitates comparison between the serialized values from the application program and corresponding values from other versions of the application program. |
| US08732658B2 |
Layered interface in an industrial environment
System(s) and method(s) are provided for implementing a set of interface components across a set of layers of an industrial environment, and for managing at least one interface component or at least one layer of the industrial environment. To implement an interface component in at least one layer in the set of layers, a specification that defines the interface component is acquired and, based at least on the specification, a service is generated. Execution of the service implements the interface component. The managing includes deploying or discovering the at least one interface component or the at least one layer of the industrial environment. The managing also includes indexing specific functional feature(s) of the at least one interface component and searching across the set of layers for one or more interface components that satisfy specific functional criteria. Moreover, the managing can include supplying metadata related to interface component(s) or layer(s). |
| US08732656B2 |
Development environment for managing database aware software projects
Embodiments of the invention introduce development tools that connect various artifacts in a database aware fashion. For example, embodiments of the invention integrate SQL query builders across multiple application development interfaces (e.g., a source code editor, XML editor, database scripting tools, etc.), significantly improving developer productivity, reducing development cost and time. Thus, the process of consuming heterogeneous artifacts in an application (or creating them for consumption) becomes a very productive experience, eliminating the need to manually cut/paste information in multiple project files in many cases. |
| US08732655B2 |
Systems and methods for metamodel transformation
Some aspects relate to systems to determine a first metamodel conforming to a first meta-metamodel supporting metamodel class inheritance at the first metamodel level, identify one or more segments of an aggregation-free tree of nodes of the first metamodel, identify a lowest-level node of one of the one or more segments, identify all higher-level nodes of the one of the one or more segments, and consolidate attributes of each of the identified nodes of the one of the one or more segments into a node of a second metamodel conforming to a second meta-metamodel. |
| US08732653B1 |
System and method of providing resource modification in a virtual community
A system and method of modifying a resource in a resource based virtual community is disclosed. The method of modifying a resource includes the steps of (a) accessing the resource, (b) selecting a sub element of the resource for modification, (c) making modifications to the sub element, and (d) submitting the modifications to a virtual community server. Alternatively, a method of displaying a modified sub element of a resource in a resource based virtual community includes the steps of (a) accessing a virtual community server, (b) receiving the modified sub element of the resource in the virtual community server, (c) applying the modified sub element to the resource, (d) and displaying the modified resource. |
| US08732652B2 |
System and method for creating multi-mode applications
Multi-mode wireless communication devices capable of wLAN and WAN wireless network communication modes can be configured to communicate for backend services (e.g. Web Services, database, events) via a network gateway to operate in response to available modes. For example, for some activities (e.g. notification messages), the devices may be configured to communication in any available mode (WAN or wLAN) while for other activities (e.g. high bandwidth communications), the devices may be restricted to one mode only (e.g. wLAN). Component applications for execution by the devices can specify message delivery properties to indicate the mode(s) that may used for a particular message. A programming tool and method are described for configuring such component applications to specify mode delivery properties and to be responsive to mode information generated by a runtime environment generating, executing and supporting the component applications. |
| US08732647B1 |
Method for creating physical connections in 3D integrated circuits
An electronic design automation method implemented in a computing system is provided for creating a physical connections netlist for a pre-floorplan partitioned design file of 3D integrated circuits. The inputs are a 3D stack defining the topology of multiple dies, and a given design partitioning. The design partitioning defines the logic implemented in each die. The method identifies through-silicon-vias (TSVs), bump pins (BPs) and net connections. |
| US08732646B2 |
PLD architecture for flexible placement of IP function blocks
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a hole is formed within an LE array of a PLD by interrupting the LE array base signal routing architecture such that a hole is left for IP function block to be incorporated. An interface region is provided for interfacing the remaining LE array base signal routing architecture to the IP function block. |
| US08732645B2 |
Placement and routing cells on integrated circuit chips
Methods and apparatuses to place and route cells on integrated circuit chips along paths. In one aspect of the invention, methods to layout an integrated circuit are based on placing and routing cells along paths. In one embodiment, a method to layout an integrated circuit including: routing a wire to connect a first cell of the integrated circuit and a second cell of the integrated circuit; and placing a third cell of the integrated circuit after the wire is routed to connect the first cell and the second cell. In one example, the first, second and third cells are on a first path; and, the third cell is connected to one of the first and second cells on the first path by only one net. The first path is selected from a set of paths; and the first and second cells are placed before the wire is routed to connect the first cell and the second cell. Timing is analyzed using a route of the wire connecting the first cell and the second cell to select a second path from the set of paths before a cell is placed on the second path. |
| US08732640B1 |
Methods, systems, and articles for multi-scenario physically-aware design methodology for layout-dependent effects
Disclosed are methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for implementing multi-scenario physically-aware design of electronic circuit design(s). In some embodiments, the method captures layout dependent effect(s) when a critical component instance, which corresponds to multiple candidate configurations, is being created in a physical design to enable a designer to create partial layout(s) from layout alternative(s) and to extract parameter(s) from the partial layout(s) in different layout contexts. The method may extract parasitics between components and analyzes impact(s) of layout dependent effect(s) on an electronic design by performing simulation(s) with layout dependent effect(s) in the schematic domain and may perform some partial routing based on some routing style(s) in each of the different layout contexts to generate just enough interconnects that may affect the electronic design. |
| US08732638B1 |
Verifying proper representation of semiconductor device fingers
A system for verifying that device fingers of a semiconductor circuit have been properly represented by a corresponding layout diagram. The system determines a plurality of sub-circuits, from within a netlist of a schematic diagram, to be verified. Each sub-circuit of the plurality of sub-circuits includes a multi-finger device. The system also determines a first number of fingers included in the plurality of sub-circuits as represented by the schematic diagram. The system also determines a second number of fingers included in the plurality of sub-circuits as represented by the corresponding layout diagram. The system compares the first number of fingers against the second number of fingers. The system reports an error if the first number of fingers does not correspond to the second number of fingers. |
| US08732637B2 |
Formal verification of bit-serial division and bit-serial square-root circuit designs
Methods and apparatuses are described for formally verifying a bit-serial division circuit design or a bit-serial square-root circuit design. Some embodiments formally verify a bit-serial division circuit design using a set of properties that can be efficiently proven using a bit-level solver. In some embodiments, the set of properties that are used for verifying a bit-serial division circuit design does not include any terms that multiply a w-bit partial quotient with the divisor. Some embodiments formally verify a bit-serial square-root circuit design using a set of properties that can be efficiently proven using a bit-level solver. In some embodiments, the set of properties that are used for verifying a bit-serial square-root circuit design does not include any terms that compute a square of a w-bit partial square-root. |
| US08732636B2 |
Method, system, and computer program product for implementing multi-power domain digital / mixed-signal verification and low power simulation
Disclosed are a method, system, and computer program product for implementing various embodiments of the methods for implementing multi-power domain digital or mixed-signal verification and low power simulation. The method or the system comprises automatically generating one or more net or terminal expression, set, or one or more overriding net or terminal expression by reading, importing, or interpreting the power data file for the electronic circuit design; identifying one or more schematics of the electronic circuit design; generating an annotated schematic of the electronic circuit design by automatically annotating at least one of the one or more schematics with some of the one or more net or terminal expression, set, or one or more overriding net or terminal expression; and performing verification of the electronic circuit design by using at least the annotated schematic. |
| US08732635B2 |
Apparatus and methods for power management in integrated circuits
A programmable logic device (PLD) includes a non-volatile memory, a configuration memory, and a control circuitry. The control circuitry couples to the non-volatile memory and to the configuration memory. A set of voltages are derived from the outputs of the control circuitry, and are applied to circuitry within the PLD. |
| US08732629B2 |
Method and system for lithography hotspot correction of a post-route layout
Disclosed herein are correcting methods and devices for lithography hotspots of the post-routing layout, used for correcting lithography hotspots detected in the post-routing layout. At least one two-dimensional pattern of changeable size or position of the number of hotspots in the local area is selected and adjusted, so that the simulation value of the aerial image intensity of various local areas is optimized. The simulation value of the aerial image intensity is derived through calculation with respect to a set of optical simulation model cells that can be determined by the numerical value of distribution of the aerial image intensity of a number of basic two-dimensional patterns. After adjustment, the aerial image intensity of the local area can be calculated with respect to a set of optical simulation model cells, and a number of cells in the simulation model cells are selected to synthesize the two-dimensional pattern after the change. |
| US08732628B1 |
Method and system for photomask assignment for double patterning technology
A method comprises: selecting a circuit pattern or network of circuit patterns in a layout of an integrated circuit (IC) to be fabricating using double patterning technology (DPT). Circuit patterns near the selected circuit pattern or network are grouped into one or more groups. For each group, a respective expected resistance-capacitance (RC) extraction error cost is calculated, which is associated with a mask alignment error, for two different sets of mask assignments. The circuit patterns in the one or more groups are assigned to be patterned by respective photomasks, so as to minimize a total of the expected RC extraction error costs. |
| US08732627B2 |
Method and apparatus for hierarchical wafer quality predictive modeling
A method for performing enhanced wafer quality prediction in a semiconductor manufacturing process includes the steps of: obtaining data including at least one of tensor format wafer processing conditions, historical wafer quality measurements and prior knowledge relating to at least one of the semiconductor manufacturing process and wafer quality; building a hierarchical prediction model including at least the tensor format wafer processing conditions; and predicting wafer quality for a newly fabricated wafer based at least on the hierarchical prediction model and corresponding tensor format wafer processing conditions. |
| US08732622B2 |
Input apparatus and display control apparatus
In an input apparatus, a display portion displays a plurality of function items on a screen to form a plurality of rows that are parallel in a predetermined row direction. The function items are provided with selection regions, respectively. One of the selection regions is selected, using a pointer according to a predetermined selection manipulation, and is determined according to a predetermined determination manipulation. When a first function item in a first row of the plurality of rows is selected, a selection region of the first row is enlarged in a direction directing at a row next to the first row. |
| US08732621B2 |
Method and apparatus for information visualized expression, and visualized human computer interactive expression interface thereof
A method, interface, and apparatus for expressing data objects is described. A method for expressing information can comprise the steps of: extracting attributes of a plurality of data objects, wherein the attributes reflect information associated with the data objects; hierarchically grouping the data objects based on the attributes of the data objects to form a hierarchical data object structure; establishing basic representation units, wherein each basic representation unit is described using multimedia attributes and each unit corresponds to at least one data object; establishing a multi-dimensional mapping relationship between distinct attributes of a subset of the data objects that correspond to each basic representation unit and the multimedia attributes used to describe that unit and displaying the basic representation units to reflect the hierarchical grouping of the data objects on a multimedia display device, wherein the mapping relationship is used to determine the multimedia attributes of the basic representation units. |
| US08732619B2 |
Methods and systems for interactive user interface objects
Methods and systems for interactive user interface objects are provided. The user interface allows for users to manipulate different objects represented by icons within a user interface, such as that of an iPhone or iPad or other touch screen devices. Users may bump objects together, flick one object towards another, bump an object against the edge of a screen, flick an object towards a certain area such as a dock, or otherwise manipulate the objects. The user's actions or manipulations of objects may result in an action by the objects or may have no effect. Depending on the compatibility of objects, the objects may be neutral towards one another, may attract each other, or may repel. The objects that attract may share content or communicate with each other via a one-time interaction, or may establish links or connections with each other that enable longer term communication or broadcasts that occur upon pre-determined triggers. |
| US08732615B2 |
Unified interface for display and modification of data arrays
In an embodiment, a method is provided for displaying data arrays in a graphical user interface. In this method, a first data array and a second data array are accessed. Here, the second data array is nested in the first data array. The first data array comprises first data elements and the second data array comprises second data elements. A hierarchical tree structure of the first and second data arrays is constructed where the first data array is ranked higher than the second data array in the hierarchical tree structure based on the nesting of the second data array in the first data array. An arrangement of the first and second data elements is displayed in the graphical user interface, where the arrangement is based on the hierarchical tree structure. |
| US08732614B2 |
Toolbar document content sharing
A system may provide a toolbar in a browser at a client, where the toolbar permits user selection from multiple different services for sharing document content. The system may receive a selection of a first one of the multiple different services from a user via the toolbar and may receive a selection of content of a first document browsed by the user. The system may post the selected content in a second document associated with the first one of the multiple different services. |
| US08732607B1 |
Seamless integration of non-native windows with dynamically scalable resolution into host operating system
A method for integration of dynamically scalable non-native windows into a host operating system (OS), including launching a Virtual Machine (VM) running a guest OS on a computer system with the host OS and a host desktop being displayed to a user; displaying a window of a non-native desktop on the host desktop; and scaling the window in response to user action, so that items displayed in the window are scaled with the same ratio, wherein the VM interfaces to a virtual adapter for its maintenance of the window, and wherein a resolution of the displayed window changes dynamically in response to the user action. |
| US08732606B2 |
Computer implemented methods and apparatus for dynamic windowing in user interfaces
Disclosed are implementations of methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable storage media for rendering information. In some implementations, user interface data including content capable of being displayed on a page is received. A dynamic window including one or more links linked with respective identifiable portions of the content on the page can be generated. The page of content and the dynamic window can be displayed in a user interface on a display of a computing device. The user interface can have a first state in which a first view of the page of content is displayed and a second state in which a second view of the page is displayed, where the second view is different from the first view. The dynamic window is capable of remaining displayed independent of a change of the user interface from the first state to the second state. |
| US08732602B2 |
System and method for altering a user interface of a power device
A system and method for altering a user interface of a power device is provided. The user interface includes an interface structure. The method includes acts of receiving user preference information, determining additional configuration information of the power device, adapting the interface structure based at least in part on the user preference information and the additional configuration information and providing at least a portion of the adapted interface structure to a user via the user interface. |
| US08732601B2 |
Clinical review and analysis work flow for lung nodule assessment
An image display system includes user configurable viewports for the review and analysis of image data. The user configurable viewports include a review viewport and an analysis viewport. The review viewport displays in a review mode, a plurality of image views of the image data. The analysis viewport displays in an analysis mode, a plurality of image views of the image data. The review viewport and the analysis viewport may be configured for simultaneous display of related image data. |
| US08732596B2 |
Transformation of hierarchical data formats using graphical rules
There is provided a method of creating computer instructions for transforming inbound instances, being instances of a hierarchical inbound data format, into outbound instances, being instances of at least one hierarchical outbound data format, wherein each inbound instance is transformed into zero, one or more outbound instances, the inbound and outbound data formats each having a number of segments arranged in a hierarchical manner, the method using a computing device having at least a processor, a memory, a display device and an input device, and the method including: retrieving from the memory and providing on the display device a number of operation icons each representing at least one operation to be performed on data; and enabling a user of the computing device to select and arrange at least some of the operation icons on the display device. |
| US08732593B2 |
Shared virtual area communication environment based apparatus and methods
Improved systems and methods for navigating and interacting in virtual communication environments are described. At least some of these systems and methods provide a framework that includes one or more virtual areas and supports realtime communications between the communicants. At least some of these systems and methods provide an interface that includes navigation controls that enable a user to navigate virtual areas and interaction controls that enable the user to interact with other communicants in the one or more virtual areas. |
| US08732586B2 |
Complex system function status diagnosis and presentation
Status of complex system functions is diagnosed and reported by analyzing traffic on a data network of the complex system. The network traffic may be placed on the data network by systems that perform functions for the complex system. A user may make a view selection via a remote user interface. The view selection identifies rules for determining a status of a selected subset of the functions or a status of selected ones of the functions for a selected state of operation, such as during initial power-up. The status of the functions may be determined from the network traffic using the rules and presented to the user via the user interface. The user may interact with the presentation to make different view selections. Multiple different view selections made via multiple different user interfaces may be supported simultaneously. |
| US08732582B2 |
Display control apparatus, display control method, display control program, and display system
A display control apparatus which realizes display capable of providing an overview of a group of thumbnail images and which includes an object controller (52a) for performing control to, when a viewer (52) allocates images to be displayed to a predetermined number of image-frame objects (52g), in the case where the number of the images to be allocated to the individual image-frame objects exceeds the number of the image-frame objects (52g), allocate a plurality of images to at least some of the image-frame objects (52g) and, when the plurality of images are allocated to each image-frame object (52g), display all the images to be displayed within a certain time by switching the images to be displayed at predetermined time intervals. |
| US08732580B2 |
Imaging apparatus and user interface
A screen ST1 of an LCD with which a digital camera is provided displays an icon of a folder F1 indicating that the folder F1 has been selected. Image files P11 and P12 are captured reproduced images. A display frame SC displays a currently captured picture of an object, files P11 and P12, and the icon of the folder F1. To switch the folder F1 to a folder F2, the user presses a down button of a cross key 27. When the user presses the down button on the screen ST1, the screen ST1 is switched to a screen ST3 through a screen ST2. On the screen ST2, the number denoted in the icon is changed. The screen ST2 displays a state of which the folders are being switched. An icon displayed on the screen ST3 indicates that the folder F1 was switched to the folder F2. |
| US08732578B2 |
System and method for using a cursor to convey information
Methods and systems are provided for the controlled cursor's behavior. According to one example method, any desired data may be linked to a cursor and a desired cursor behavior could be defined to convey the linked data using the cursor. When a change in the linked data is detected, the example method includes using the desired cursor behavior to convey the changed data independent of a location where the cursor is placed on a screen. |
| US08732577B2 |
Contextual, focus-based translation for broadcast automation software
Contextual, focus-based language translation within a broadcast radio automation software application allows the user interface to enable interaction with users having various written or graphical language requirements. The software does not require special training or learning to enable the translation of text within the application. When the user enters a translation mode and selects a text string in the original language, the program displays a corresponding text string in a second language based on the specific display area, e.g., child window. The translated text string can be displayed proximate to original first text string within the specific display area, and can further be displayed as an entry in a table of a translation window which also displays additional text strings in the second language corresponding to additional text string fields for the specific display area. |
| US08732574B2 |
System and method for parameterizing documents for automatic workflow generation
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method for generating a new workflow for an application. The method includes generating a parameter tree related to a current workflow, wherein the parameter tree includes a different node corresponding to each parameter included in one or more documents associated with the current workflow, modifying a value associated with a first node included in the parameter tree based on an input, wherein the first node corresponds to a first parameter included in a first document associated with the current workflow, evaluating a second document associated with the current workflow based on the modified value associated with the first node, and generating the new workflow based on the evaluated second document. |
| US08732573B2 |
Visual display of room information
An apparatus and method for the visual display of room information for multiple units. Information of interest is graphically displayed in a manner which conveys the information to in a form which aids in comprehension of the information. Specifically, the information is preferably conveyed on the unit level through the use of a matrix. A graphical cell is used to represent each room in the unit. Components of the cell indicate key considerations for every room. Additional information may also be displayed by clicking on a component of the cell. |
| US08732566B2 |
Methods and apparatus for digital content handling
In one aspect, the invention provides a content handling system that comprises a digital data store containing a plurality of instruction sets, each defining a content handling workflow. The system further includes a content handling engine in communications coupling with the store, wherein the content handling engine identifies an embedded code in an article of content. The engine executes on at least that article of content one or more of the instruction sets associated with the embedded code. The instruction set can specify, for example, one or more destinations for articles of content (e.g., e-mail addresses, local or network file system folders, and on-line data stores). |
| US08732564B2 |
Error floor reduction in iteratively decoded FEC codes
A method which makes use of the syndrome information at each iteration, combined with the bit reliability information available at a FEC decoder, to extract the minimum estimated bit error configuration, i.e. the block which is closest to the transmitted codeword during the decoding process, and to select such block if the result at the final decoding iteration has a higher number of estimated bit errors. |
| US08732558B1 |
MPE-FEC system capable of selecting an FEC mode, a forward error correcting method performed in the MPE-FEC system, and an FEC mode selecting method performed in the MPE-FEC system
A forward error correcting method in a multi protocol encapsulation-forward error correction (MPE-FEC) system, in which FEC modes are selected. The forward error correcting method includes comparing a number of received ERASUREs with a number of reference ERASUREs, selecting an ERASURE ONLY mode in which FEC is performed based on information about locations and sizes of errors, when the number of received ERASUREs is less than or equal to the number of reference ERASUREs, wherein the ERASURE ONLY mode is an FEC mode, selecting a NORMAL RS mode in which FEC is performed with respect to errors whose locations and sizes are not known, when the number of received ERASUREs is greater than the number of reference ERASURES, wherein the NORMAL RS mode is an FEC mode, and performing FEC in the selected FEC mode. |
| US08732557B2 |
Data protection across multiple memory blocks
Data protection across multiple memory blocks can include writing a first portion of a codeword in a first memory block and writing a second portion of the codeword in a second memory block. The first memory block and the second memory block can be different memory blocks. The first portion of the codeword can be written in a different location in the first memory block than the second portion of the codeword is written in the second memory block. |
| US08732553B2 |
Memory system and control method thereof
The embodiments include an error correction processing unit and an error correction history recording unit. The error correction processing unit performs an error correction process based on data read from a non-volatile semiconductor memory and a second-step error correction code corresponding to the data. The error correction history recording unit records error correction history indicating whether first error correction is successful through the first error correction process, in association with unit data. When error correction history of target unit data to be read indicates that correction is not successful, the second error correction process is executed without executing the first error correction process. |
| US08732549B2 |
Data recovery in a solid state storage system
Methods for data recovery and memory systems are provided. According to at least one such method, when defective data is read from a memory location, the data is recovered by an XOR operation on the remaining good data and associated RAID data to reconstruct the defective data. The defective data is excluded from the XOR operation. |
| US08732541B2 |
Error correction for a persistent resource allocation
Methods and apparatus for communicating and utilizing persistent allocation of resources are described herein. A base station may allocate persistent resources to a client station, and may associate the client station or persistent resource allocation with a particular shared NACK channel. The base station may monitor the NACK channel for a NACK indicating a map error. The base station may monitor the resource allocation to implicitly determine a map error. The base station may resend one or more persistent resource allocation information elements in response to the NACK or implicit error determination. A client station having a persistent resource allocation may monitor persistent resource allocation information elements in map messages and/or may indicate failure to receive a persistent resource allocation information element in a NACK message on a shared NACK channel. |
| US08732535B2 |
Method of detection of erroneous memory usage
A method of detection of erroneous memory usage is provided. The method includes starting a computer and executing a program and a monitoring tool to collect calls to a memory during execution of the program, detecting a call to the memory using the monitoring tool, extracting lines of code which request access to a memory address via the call to the memory, detecting a set of variables to which access is granted via the call to the memory, extracting, after execution of the predetermined program, the set of variables for each of the lines of code, detecting erroneous memory usage by matching the extracted lines of code with the set of variables, and determining the call as erroneous upon access being granted to the memory corresponding to the set of variables during execution of the predetermined program when access is not possible during the execution of the program. |
| US08732532B2 |
Memory controller and information processing system for failure inspection
An information processing system comprises a memory module having a plurality of unit memory regions, a memory controller, connected to the memory module via memory interface, configured to control access to the memory module, an error detector, which is in the memory controller, configured to perform an error detection on data read from the memory module, a failure inspection controller configured to switch a mode of the memory controller from a normal mode to a failure inspection mode, read data from an address, where data was written, to be inspected for each of the plurality of unit memory regions, cause the error detector to detect an error in the read data and perform a failure inspection and a determining unit configured to determine a memory failure or a transmission path failure on the basis of the state of the error detected from the unit memory regions. |
| US08732517B1 |
System and method for performing replica copying using a physical copy mechanism
A system that implements a data storage service may maintain tables in a data store on behalf of clients. The service may maintain table data in multiple replicas of partitions of the data that are stored on respective computing nodes in the system. In response to detecting a failure or fault condition, or receiving a service request from a client to move or copy a partition replica, the data store may copy a partition replica to another computing node using a physical copy mechanism. The physical copy mechanism may copy table data from physical storage locations in which it is stored to physical storage locations allocated to a destination replica on the other computing node. During copying, service requests to modify table data may be logged and applied to the replica being copied. A catch-up operation may be performed to apply modification requests received during copying to the destination replica. |
| US08732516B2 |
Method and system for providing customer controlled notifications in a managed network services system
An approach for supporting automated fault isolation and recovery is provided. A notification configuration option is transmitted to a browser interface utilized by a user associated with a customer network that is monitored by a service provider, wherein the user selects the notification configuration option to input notification information. The notification information is received, via the browser interface, from the customer. A notification message is received from a platform configured to create a workflow event in response to an alarm indicative of a fault within the customer network, wherein isolation and recovery of the fault is performed according to the workflow event, the notification message including information about the customer network during the fault isolation and recovery process. The notification message is transmitted in accordance with the stored notification information. |
| US08732514B2 |
Using pulses to control work ingress
Clock pulses of a variable speed clock are adjusted relative to system utilization. A load monitor periodically collects sensor measurements of resources and based on the sensor measurements, the load monitor adjusts the clock speed up or down. |
| US08732512B2 |
Semiconductor device having DLL circuit
A semiconductor device with a clock control circuit that outputs an internal clock signal configured by delaying external clock signals based on at least a feedback clock signal; a plurality of output buffers that output data in synchronization with the internal clock signal; an output replica that is a replica of the output buffers and that generates the feedback clock signal in synchronization with the internal clock signal and supplies the feedback clock signal to the clock control circuit; and a clock tree that receives the internal clock signal from the clock control circuit and transmits the internal clock signal to the plurality of output buffers and the output replica such that signal line are substantially equal to one another. |
| US08732511B2 |
Resistor ladder based phase interpolation
An apparatus comprising a reference circuit, a resistor ladder, and an output circuit. The reference circuit may be configured to generate a reference signal in response to (i) a clock signal, (ii) a first phase signal and (iii) a second phase signal. The resistor ladder circuit may be configured to generate a tap voltage in response to the reference signal. The tap voltage may be generated by enabling one or more of a plurality of tap resistors. The output circuit may be configured to generate an adjusted clock signal in response to (i) the tap voltage, (ii) the clock signal, (iii) the first phase signal, (iv) the second phase signal, and (v) a reset signal. The adjusted clock signal may have an adjusted phase with respect to the clock signal. |
| US08732505B2 |
Method for reducing the energy consumption of an electronic terminal by modifying timeout-before-standby duration, corresponding terminal and computer program
A method and apparatus are provided for reducing the energy consumption of an electronic terminal. The method implements a step of modifying the timeout-before-standby duration for said terminal after an action performed by and/or on said terminal at a current instant, depending on the membership of the current instant in a given temporal category, from among at least two predefined temporal categories. |
| US08732504B2 |
Conserving power by reducing voltage supplied to an instruction-processing portion of a processor
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates reducing static power consumption of a processor. During operation, the system receives a signal indicating that instruction execution within the processor is to be temporarily halted. In response to this signal, the system halts an instruction-processing portion of the processor, and reduces the voltage supplied to the instruction-processing portion of the processor. Full voltage is maintained to a remaining portion of the processor, so that the remaining portion of the processor can continue to operate while the instruction-processing portion of the processor is in reduced power mode. |
| US08732503B2 |
Information processing apparatus and controlling method thereof
An information obtaining unit provided inside a system controller obtains operation states of processing units and processing units respectively of cabinets, calculates an average utilization of CPUs of the processing units, and determines whether or not any processing unit can be disconnected. When a hardware resource can be disconnected as a result of the determination, an electric power control determining unit calculates possible combinations of hardware resources to be disconnected and performs a disconnection by a cabinet unit when there is a combination enabling a disconnection by a cabinet unit. |
| US08732498B2 |
System and method of modifying power use within an information handling system
A system and method of modifying power use within an information handling system is disclosed. In one form, a method of managing power within an information handling system is disclosed. The method can include establishing a threshold power level of a first information handling system, and detecting a first power demand of a first operating state in excess of the threshold power level. The method can also include detecting a request to invoke a first forced reduced power state of the first information handling system, and determining a first alternative power state different from the threshold power level and the first forced reduced power state. The method can further include initiating the first alternative power state. |
| US08732491B2 |
System and method for adjusting an energy efficient ethernet control policy using measured power savings
A system and method for adjusting an energy efficient Ethernet (EEE) control policy using measured power savings. An EEE-enabled device can be designed to report EEE event data. This reported EEE event data can be used to quantify the actual EEE benefits of the EEE-enabled device, debug the EEE-enabled device, and adjust the EEE control policy. |
| US08732483B2 |
Methods and apparatus for securing keystrokes from being intercepted between the keyboard and a browser
The invention described herein provides a method and system for foiling a keylogger by creating a custom keyboard driver and passing the keystrokes directly to the browser in an encrypted format. The browser (which is used to access the Internet) has a component that decrypts the keystroke before it is sent to the website. Thus the present invention enables the user to go to any website and enter sensitive information (passwords, credit card numbers, etc.) without the keystrokes being intercepted by Keyloggers. In general terms, the invention described herein provides a method and system for (1) modifying the keyboard driver, (2) encrypting the keystrokes between the keyboard driver and the browser, and (3) notifying the user if the invention has been compromised. |
| US08732482B1 |
Incremental encryption of stored information
A method and apparatus are utilized to incrementally encrypt stored information, and can be applied to an existing medium storing unencrypted information. Information can be conditionally encrypted and/or decrypted as necessary and a separate storage area can be used to record whether a given block of information is stored encrypted or unencrypted. An embodiment of the present invention can be used as a retrofit device in a mechanism to encrypt information without causing undue interruption of normal operations. A variety of mechanisms and policies can also be used to manage, set and eliminate encryption keys. |
| US08732474B1 |
Safe installation of browser extensions
Methods and apparatus for installing browser extensions are disclosed. An example method includes receiving a browser extension installation package in a main browser process, validating a digital signature of the installation package and launching a sandboxed sub-process of the browser application. The example method includes, in the sandboxed sub-process: respectively transcoding or recoding at least one of the plurality of constituent files, where the transcoded and/or recoded files replace their corresponding original constituent files. The example method includes, after the transcoding and/or recoding, passing the constituent files from the sandboxed sub-process to the main browser process and installing the browser extension to the browser application using the transcoded and/or recoded files. |
| US08732473B2 |
Claim based content reputation service
In some embodiments, a system may comprise a database and one or more servers. The database may, for example, store a plurality of content claims for previously evaluated data items, with each of the plurality of content claims being associated in the database with a corresponding stored digital fingerprint of a previously evaluated data item. The server(s) may, for example, be configured to receive a determined digital fingerprint of a data item from a client device on another network node, to submit a query to the database using the determined digital fingerprint as a primary key, and to transmit one or more content claims returned by the query to the client device. In some embodiments, the server(s) may be further configured to receive the content claim(s) and the digital fingerprint associated therewith from one or more computers on another network node, and to cause the received content claim(s) and digital fingerprint associated therewith to be stored in the database. |
| US08732470B2 |
Storage system in which fictitious information is prevented
According to one embodiment, a storage system includes a host device, a secure storing medium, and a non-secure storing medium. The secure storing medium includes a memory provided with a protected first storing region which stores secret information sent from the host device, and a second storing region which stores encoded contents, and a controller which carries out authentication processing for accessing the first storing region. The host device and the secure storing medium produce a bus key which is shared only by the host device and the secure storing medium by authentication processing, and which is used for encoding processing when information of the first storing region is sent and received between the host device and the secure storing medium. The host device has the capability to request the secure storing medium to send a status. |
| US08732466B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
According to one embodiment, a device includes a first memory area to store a first key. A second memory area stores encrypted secret identification (ID) information generated from secret ID information with a family key. A third memory area stores a family key block including data generated from the family key with an ID key. An authentication module performs authentication. A second key is generated from a first number with the first key, a session key is generated from a random number with the second key, and authentication information is generated from the secret ID information with the session key. The encrypted secret ID information, family key block and the authentication information is output. |
| US08732454B2 |
Key setting method, node, and network system
A key setting method executed by a node transmitting and receiving a packet through multi-hop communication in an ad-hoc network among ad-hoc networks, includes receiving a packet encrypted using a key specific to a gateway and simultaneously reported from the gateway in the ad-hoc network; detecting a connection with a mobile terminal capable of communicating with a server retaining a key specific to a gateway in each ad-hoc network among the ad-hoc networks; transmitting to the server, via the mobile terminal and when a connection with the mobile terminal is detected, the encrypted packet received; receiving from the server and via the mobile terminal, a key specific to a gateway in the ad-hoc network and for decrypting the encrypted packet transmitted; and setting the received key specific to the gateway in the ad-hoc network as the key for encrypting the packet. |
| US08732451B2 |
Portable secure computing network
As provided herein, when using an untrusted network connection, a secure online environment can be created for a remote machine by connecting to a trusted computer with a trusted network connection. A proxy server is installed on a first computing device and shared encryption keys are generated for the first device and a portable storage device. A connection is initiated between a second computing device (e.g., remote device), connected to an untrusted network, and the first computing device, comprising initiating a proxy server protocol from the portable storage device (e.g., attached to the second device), using the second computing device. A secure connection between the first and second devices is created using the encryption keys. |
| US08732450B2 |
System and method for configuring option ROM
An information handling system includes a processor, a first memory, a device, and a management controller that includes a second memory. The management controller obtains configuration data for the device and stores the configuration data in the first memory while the processor is powered off, and configures the device based upon the configuration data from the first memory in response to booting the information handling system. |
| US08732449B2 |
Changing the personality of a device by intercepting requests for personality information
A method and system for a target to adopt the personality of a source without loading the personality information of the source onto the target is provided. The personality system extracts personality information from the source and stores the personality information on a removable storage medium. The storage medium is then connected to the target. The personality system intercepts requests of the target to retrieve personality information, which but for the interception would be serviced based on personality information of the target. When a request is intercepted, the personality system retrieves the personality information from the connected storage medium, rather than from the personality information of the target. The personality system then replies to the request with the retrieved personality information. |
| US08732446B2 |
Selectively compressing blocks of a bootable snapshot image during booting
Provided are a booting apparatus and method using a snapshot image. A snapshot image may be divided into a plurality of blocks. Each of the blocks may be stored in a nonvolatile memory in a compressed or non-compressed format. The snapshot image may be incrementally loaded in units of the blocks during booting. The loading and decompression of the blocks may be performed in parallel. |
| US08732437B2 |
Low-overhead misalignment and reformatting support for SIMD
Systems and methods for performing single instruction multiple data (SIMD) operations on a data set. The methods may include examining a structure of the data set to determine what reorganization may be necessary to facilitate SIMD processing. The method may include selecting a stored bit mask corresponding to the organization of the data set and loading the bit mask into an application specific register (ASR). Subsequently, the data may be reorganized inline according to the ASR as the data is loaded into the SIMD functional unit such that the SIMD functional unit may operate on the data set. The results of the SIMD operation may be written to a results register. |
| US08732431B2 |
Logical address translation
The present disclosure includes methods for logical address translation, methods for operating memory systems, and memory systems. One such method includes receiving a command associated with a LA, wherein the LA is in a particular range of LAs and translating the LA to a physical location in memory using an offset corresponding to a number of physical locations skipped when writing data associated with a range of LAs other than the particular range. |
| US08732429B2 |
Preserving a deleted data volume
An apparatus, system, and method for preserving a deleted storage volume. One embodiment of the apparatus includes a receiving module, a reference module, and a preservation module. The receiving module receives a deletion command to delete a data volume managed by a storage controller. The data volume is associated with one or more deletion parameters specifying that data of the data volume is to be preserved upon deletion of the data volume. The reference module references the deletion parameters. The preservation module preserves the data of the data volume prior to the storage controller deleting the data volume. The preservation module preserves the data of the data volume according to the deletion parameters. |
| US08732428B2 |
Computer system and its control method
Provided is a system in which, when connecting an external storage apparatus to a primary storage apparatus, the setting of an external volume to be mapped to the primary storage apparatus can be set to the external storage apparatus by a volume creation request to the primary storage apparatus without requiring direct setting processing on the external storage apparatus. When an administrator registers, in the primary storage apparatus, a command for setting a volume to the external storage apparatus and the administrator executes processing for setting a volume to the primary storage apparatus, if the primary storage apparatus determines that it is necessary to create a volume in the external storage apparatus, the primary storage apparatus sends the registered command to the external storage apparatus so that the administrator can set the volume to the external storage apparatus via the primary storage apparatus. |
| US08732427B2 |
Systems and methods for collapsing a derivative version of a primary storage volume
Disclosed is a method of collapsing a derivative version of a primary storage volume into the primary storage volume. The method comprises generating the derivative version of the primary storage volume that contains a plurality of data items stored in a secondary storage volume, wherein the derivation version comprises a plurality of blocks, identifying changed blocks of the plurality of blocks that changed as a result of modifying at least one of the data items, identifying which of the changed blocks of the plurality of blocks that changed remain allocated, and collapsing the derivative version of the primary storage volume into the primary storage volume by copying those blocks identified as changed and allocated to the primary storage volume. |
| US08732426B2 |
Scheduling of reactive I/O operations in a storage environment
A system and method for effectively scheduling read and write operations among a plurality of solid-state storage devices. A computer system comprises client computers and data storage arrays coupled to one another via a network. A data storage array utilizes solid-state drives and Flash memory cells for data storage. A storage controller within a data storage array comprises an I/O scheduler. The characteristics of corresponding storage devices are used to schedule I/O requests to the storage devices in order to maintain relatively consistent response times at predicted times. Should a device exhibit an unscheduled behavior which may be indicative of the device being in an unknown state, the scheduler may schedule one or more reactive operations on the device configured to cause the device to enter a known state. |
| US08732425B2 |
Electronic apparatus
An electronic apparatus is provided with an arrangement of discrete circuit elements designed to reduce power consumption. Such an arrangement comprises a memory; a memory controller to generate a control signal which controls the memory according to a predetermined operating clock; and a transmission line disposed between the memory controller and the memory to allow the control signal to be transmitted to the memory, wherein the timing of the control signal is controlled by a change of the operating clock. |
| US08732421B2 |
Storage system and method for reallocating data
The present invention comprises a virtual volume 50, which is a virtual storage area comprising multiple virtual page groups, a pool 60, which is a storage area comprising multiple pool page groups having different access performance, and a controller 13, which comprises a corresponding relationship between the virtual page and the pool page, and accesses the pool page corresponding to the virtual page based on accesses to the virtual page from other apparatuses, and the controller 13, based on an access load trend with respect to each virtual page in each time slot, executes processing for deciding an ideal pool page allocation destination for each virtual page in each time slot, and reallocating a virtual page to the ideal pool page at a time, which is prior to a start time, so that the ideal pool page can be allocated to each virtual page by the start time of each time slot. |
| US08732419B2 |
Maintaining multiple target copies
Provided are techniques for maintaining instant virtual copies. A request to perform an instant virtual copy operation to create an instant virtual copy from a first volume to a new volume is received. It is determined that the first volume has not been modified since a last instant virtual copy operation has been performed. It is determined whether an intermediate volume and an intermediate map have already been created. In response to determining that the intermediate volume and the intermediate map have not already been created, the intermediate volume and the intermediate map are created, the intermediate volume is made dependent on the first volume in a dependency chain based on the intermediate map, and the new volume is made dependent on the intermediate volume in the dependency chain. |
| US08732418B1 |
Shadow registry
This disclosure relates to a method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for backing up and restoring a registry. In some embodiments, this includes detecting one or more changes to a registry by a first thread of a backup application, wherein the backup application runs a plurality of threads, wherein a buffer is associated with each thread, generating a snapshot of the changes, storing the snapshot to the buffer associated with the first thread, synchronizing the first thread and one or more other threads in the plurality of the threads, and writing the snapshot from the buffer to a file. |
| US08732417B1 |
Techniques for creating snapshots of a target system
Techniques for creating snapshots of a target system are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as an apparatus for creating snapshots of a target system comprising a module for tracking modifications to a target system after a given time, a module for storing information from the target system in a read-only snapshot and a writable snapshot, and a module for modifying the writable snapshot after the given time. |
| US08732415B2 |
Write data mask method and system
In various embodiments, dedicated mask pins are eliminated by sending a data mask on address lines of the interface. A memory controller receives a request for a memory write operation from a memory client and determines the granularity of the write data from a write data mask sent by the client. Granularity, as used herein, indicates a quantity of write data to which each bit of the received write data mask applies. In an embodiment, the memory controller generates a particular write command and a particular write data mask based on the granularity of the write data. The write command generated is typically the most efficient of several write commands available, but embodiments are not so limited. The write command is transmitted on command lines of the interface, and the write data mask is transmitted on address lines of the interface. |
| US08732414B2 |
Control device, controller module, and control method
A control device including: a storage device that includes a first storage area including a plurality of blocks into which data can be written more than once and a second storage area into which data can be written only once, wherein the first storage area further stores a flag for each of the blocks, the flag indicating whether or not the block is allowed to be used; a flag management information creation unit configured to create, on the basis of the flag, a flag management information for managing whether or not data can be stored in each block of the storage device; and a management information controller configured to cause the flag management information to be stored in the second storage area. |
| US08732411B1 |
Data de-duplication for information storage systems
Technologies for eliminating duplicate data within a storage system can efficiently identify and eliminate duplication by remapping borrower regions to share physical storage space with lender regions. Block-level de-duplication can co-exist with storage architectures for thin provisioning and snapshot management. Lending maps can track redirected pointers from borrower regions to shared physical storage from lender regions. The lending maps can track the freed status of regions to support efficient write I/O operations without defaulting to unnecessary read-modify-write cycles to complete data writes. Redundancy of de-duplicated data can maintain one or more copies to support recovery from media errors. Candidate regions for de-duplication can be identified by monitoring the times and patterns of data access operations. A sampled mechanism for calculating and comparing signatures of data blocks can support the efficient identification of duplicated data within the storage system. |
| US08732406B1 |
Mechanism for determining read-ahead length in a storage system
A storage system tracks statistical behavior of client read requests directed to a storage device to form prediction about data that the client will require next. The storage system collects the size of read sequences for various streams into a data structure, which summarizes past behavior of read requests. This data structure reports the number of streams in each equivalence class of stream sizes that is tracked. The data structure is then used to determine expected size of a selected read stream. The data structure is also used to improve predictions about an expected size computed by a known technique. |
| US08732405B2 |
Method of reducing response time for delivery of vehicle telematics services
A method of operating a predictive data cache includes receiving a request for telematics service from a telematics service requester, determining the subject matter of the request, querying a predictive data cache to determine if the predictive data cache includes a service response to the subject matter of the request and, if the predictive data cache includes the service response, then providing the service response to the requester and updating the predictive data cache using the subject matter of the request. The subject matter can include one or more of: an event description, an event period, or an event location based on the request. |
| US08732401B2 |
Method and apparatus for cache replacement using a catalog
Methods and systems to intelligently cache content in a virtualization environment using virtualization software such as VMWare ESX or Citrix XenServer or Microsoft HyperV or Redhat KVM or their variants are disclosed. Storage IO operations (reads from and writes to disk) are analyzed (or characterized) for their overall value and pinned to cache if their value exceeds a certain defined threshold based on criteria specific to the New Technology File System (NTFS) file-system. Analysis/characterization of NTFS file systems for intelligent dynamic caching include analyzing storage block data associated with a Virtual Machine of interest in accordance with a pre-determined data model to determine the value of the block under analysis for long term or short term caching. Integer values assigned to different types of NTFS objects in a white list data structure called a catalog that can be used to analyze the storage block data. |
| US08732400B2 |
Data store maintenance requests in interconnects
Interconnect circuitry for a data processing apparatus is disclosed. The interconnect circuitry is configured to provide data routes via which at least one initiator device may access at least one recipient device. The interconnect circuitry comprises: at least one input for receiving transaction requests from the initiator device(s); at least one output for outputting transaction requests to the recipient device(s); a plurality of paths for transmitting said transaction requests between the at least one input and the at least one output; wherein at least one of said transaction requests comprises a data store maintenance request requesting a data store maintenance operation to be performed on data stores within the data processing apparatus; and control circuitry for routing the received transaction requests from the at least one input to the at least one output; wherein the control circuitry is configured to respond to receipt of the data store maintenance operation by transmitting the data store maintenance operation along at least one of the plurality of paths followed by a barrier transaction request, the control circuitry being configured to maintain an ordering of at least some transaction requests with respect to the barrier transaction request within a stream of transaction requests passing along the at least one of said plurality of paths, such that at least some transaction requests subsequent to the data store maintenance request in the stream of transaction requests are held behind the data store maintenance request by the barrier transaction request. |
| US08732399B2 |
Technique for preserving cached information during a low power mode
A technique to retain cached information during a low power mode, according to at least one embodiment. In one embodiment, information stored in a processor's local cache is saved to a shared cache before the processor is placed into a low power mode, such that other processors may access information from the shared cache instead of causing the low power mode processor to return from the low power mode to service an access to its local cache. |
| US08732393B2 |
Apparatus, method and program product for determining the data recall order
To provide a technique for optimizing the processing order of recall requests in which the average latency time of a host apparatus is minimized. A storage manager accepts a request of the host apparatus for the recalling data from a tape library, and stores the request in a queue table. In response to storage of the request, the storage manager calculates the latency time for each request in all the conceivable execution orders for all the requests stored in the queue table. The storage manager determines the execution order which minimizes the total calculated latency time for all the requests including the active request, and rearranges the requests in the queue table. |
| US08732392B2 |
Systems and methods for determining the status of memory locations in a non-volatile memory
Systems and methods are provided for storing data in a portion of a non-volatile memory (“NVM”) such that the status of the NVM portion can be determined with high probability on a subsequent read. An NVM interface, which may receive write commands to store user data in the NVM, can store a fixed predetermined sequence (“FPS”) with the user data. The FPS may ensure that a successful read operation on a NVM portion is not misinterpreted as a failed read operation or as an erased NVM portion. For example, if the NVM returns an all-zero vector when a read request fails, the FPS can include at least one “1” or one “0”, as appropriate, to differentiate between successful and unsuccessful read operations. In some embodiments, the FPS may also be used to differentiate between disturbed data, which passes an error correction check, and correct data. |
| US08732389B2 |
Memory wear control
The disclosure is related to systems and methods of controlling wear of a memory. In a particular embodiment, a system is disclosed that comprises a memory and a performance governor circuit coupled to the memory. The performance governor circuit is adapted to control a wear of the memory as a function of time. |
| US08732387B2 |
Flash memory apparatus with automatic interface mode switching
A flash memory controller with automatic interface mode switching is applied to a flash memory apparatus with a plurality of flash memories and the controller contains: a memory interface, a microprocessor, and an interface mode controller. The microprocessor recognizes the supported interface mode of every flash memory connected with the memory interface in an initial setting process, and individually sets the corresponding interface mode setting value into the interface mode controller. Thus, when the flash memory apparatus is operating in a normal operation state, the interface mode controller can output the corresponding interface mode setting value according to the present enabled flash memory, and the memory interface can adjust and switch the interface mode according to the interface mode setting value outputted by the interface mode controller. Thereby, the present invention can achieve the purpose whereby the flash memory apparatus can speed up accessing and increase efficiency. |
| US08732384B1 |
Method and apparatus for memory access
A device and methods are provided for accessing memory. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request for data stored in a device, checking a local memory for data based on the request to determine if one or more blocks of data associated with the request are stored in the local memory, and generating a memory access request for one or more blocks of data stored in a memory of the device based when one or more blocks of data are not stored in the local memory. In one embodiment, data stored in memory of the device may be arranged in a configuration to include a plurality of memory access units each having adjacent lines of pixel data to define a single line of memory within the memory access units. Memory access units may be configured based on memory type and may reduce the number of undesired pixels read. |
| US08732381B2 |
SAS expander for communication between drivers
A SAS expander that includes a virtual device manager and a communications manager. The virtual device manager is to generate a virtual device table comprising virtual device PHYs associated with virtual device drivers for host device drivers to allow communication between the host device drivers. The communications manager is to receive a request from a first host device driver of a first host to communicate with a second host device driver of a second host, and in response to receipt of the request, establish communication between the first host device driver and a virtual device PHY associated with a virtual device driver of the second host device driver. |
| US08732380B2 |
System and method for using a multipath
In a path determination unit of a SAS expander connected to a SAS initiator and connected via first and second paths to a SAS target, an SSP controller receives an SSP command frame received from the SAS initiator; a requested-data-length manager stores a requested data length of the SSP command frame in a requested-data-length storage unit; and a data-transfer-amount manager selects one of the first and second paths having a smaller one of the data transfer amounts stored in a data-transfer-amount storage unit, and adds the requested data length to the data transfer amount of the selected path. The SSP command frame is transmitted to the SAS target via the selected path. Upon receipt of an SSP response frame responding thereto, the requested data length is deleted from the requested-data-length storage unit, and the requested data length is subtracted from the data transfer amount of the selected path. |
| US08732379B2 |
Adapting legacy/third party IPs to advanced power management protocol
An apparatus adapts a pre-designed circuit module not supporting a power management protocol to a power management protocol. The apparatus disconnects a bus interface, disables interrupt and stops a clock to the pre-designed circuit module on a external idle request signal. |
| US08732376B2 |
Data forwarding circuit, data forwarding method, display device, host-side device, and electronic apparatus
The timing controller determines the number of data lanes (11, 12, 13), which are used to transfer data, based on information in relation to an amount of data to be transferred during a predetermined time period. Out of the plurality of data lanes (11, 12, 13), the determined number of data lane(s) (11, 12, 13) are used to transfer data. Further, a data lane(s) (11, 12, 13) which is not used in the data transfer is deactivated. |
| US08732374B2 |
Subscriber node of a communication system having a functionally separate transmission event memory
A subscriber node of a communication system, a communication system and a method for transmitting a message in the communication system. The message is transmitted from a first subscriber node of the communication system via a data bus of the communication system to a second subscriber node of the communication system. An application program of the first subscriber node files the message, that is to be sent, in a message memory, from where it is retrieved by a communication controller, upon a sending command of the application program, and is transmitted via the data bus. In particular in the case of a cancellation of the transmission job, in order to be able to improve the capacity utilization and the efficiency of a host CPU, it is provided that a transmission event for the message, that is to be sent or that has been sent, is stored in at least one transmission event memory, that is functionally separate from the message memory, and that the application program is able to access the data stored in the event memory at any time. |
| US08732370B2 |
Multilayer arbitration for access to multiple destinations
An arbiter is provided for arbitrating for access to a shared resource by a plurality of requesters and by a background requester in a processing system. A priority value is assigned to each of the plurality of requestors. A multilayer arbitration contest is performed to resolve each conflict in transaction requests to the shared resource, however, a requester of the plurality of requesters having a highest priority value does not always win an arbitration contest. An arbitration contest will be overridden whenever the background requester initiates a transaction request, such that the background requester always wins the overridden arbitration contest. The shared resource is accessed by the winner of each arbitration contest. |
| US08732367B2 |
Bus host controller and method thereof
A bus host controller and a method thereof are provided. If a terminal device coupled to the bus is a non-periodic device, the bus host controller places a higher priority on data packet transferring request than start-of-frame (SOF) packet transferring request. |
| US08732366B2 |
Method to configure serial communications and device thereof
In response to a reset condition, the state of a steady-state signal at an I/O pin of the serial communication port of an integrated circuit die is determined. The serial communication port is configured to support one of the plurality of serial communication protocols based upon the detected steady-state condition. |
| US08732363B2 |
Data processing apparatus and data processing method
A data processing apparatus may include a data conversion unit that arranges the input data in each transfer data in the conversion unit using one transfer data as one transfer unit and a predetermined number of transfer units as one conversion unit when converting a plurality of input data input sequentially into transfer data having a bit number identical to a predetermined bit number of a data bus and sequentially transferring the converted transfer data. The data conversion unit may include a data generation unit and a first data arrangement changing unit. The first data arrangement changing unit may include a bit change number calculating unit, a bit change number analysis unit, a first data sorting unit, and a data coupling unit. |
| US08732360B2 |
System and method for accessing memory
A storage system and method for storing information in memory nodes. The storage or memory nodes include a communication buffer. Flow of information to the storage nodes is controlled based upon constraints on the communication buffer. In one embodiment, communications between a master controller and a storage node have a determined maximum latency. |
| US08732359B2 |
Data sharing in high-fidelity simulation and real-time multi-core execution
When executing a graphical model of a dynamic system that includes two or more concurrently executing sets of operations, a processor is configured to create a first buffer and a second buffer within the executable graphical model. A first set of operations is configured to write data to the first buffer during a first execution instance of the first set of operations. The first set of operations is configured to write data to the second buffer during a second execution instance of the first thread. A second set of operations is configured to read the data from the first buffer during an instance of the second thread that executes contemporaneously with the second execution instance of the first set of operations. Determinations regarding access to the first buffer and second buffer by the first thread and second thread are self-contained within the first thread and second thread, respectively. |
| US08732358B2 |
Circuit systems and methods using prime number interleave optimization for byte lane to time slice conversion
Circuit systems and methods use prime number interleave optimization for byte lane to time slice conversion of incoming data streams. Generally, the systems and methods buffer data for at least a number of samples equal to the number of byte lanes. Then the samples are transferred to a bank of buffers whose width is the smallest prime number greater than or equal to the number of byte lanes, N. Thus, the systems and methods utilize P minus N phantom lanes. As data is transferred, the data is circularly interleaved (position*N modulo P) so that all data which will be needed at the same time wind up in different readable devices, i.e. the buffers. By appropriate addressing, the data in the different readable devices may then be read in the form of time slices. The process can be reversed for time slice to byte lane conversion. |
| US08732356B2 |
Storage system, and access path state update method
A storage system includes: an access path management unit managing a state of each access path for each logical disk; an I/O speed calculation unit storing, for each of the access paths, a data size and required time obtained when an I/O is executed, and calculates an I/O speed for every calculation cycle; a path candidate selection unit selecting an access path in the available state as an I/O use candidate; and a path candidate exclusion unit which excludes access paths of which speed is slow from the candidates, using a highest speed value among the speed values of the access paths selected as candidates, and the access path management unit sequentially changes the states of the access paths, out of the remaining candidates, to the I/O use states, in order of the I/O speed from the fastest until the number of access paths reaches the maximum number of paths. |
| US08732353B2 |
Transmitter device, receiver device, transmission method, reception method, and transmitter/receiver device
There is provided a transmitter device including an interface unit that is an interface for connection to a receiver device via a transmission path, a pre-emphasis unit configured to generate a pre-emphasis signal, the pre-emphasis signal being obtained by adding to an input signal another signal for compensating for a high-frequency component of the input signal, and a transmission control unit configured to acquire identification information indicating whether the receiver device is capable of performing a process of receiving the pre-emphasis signal, switch the receiver device to a state in which the receiver device is capable of performing the process of receiving the pre-emphasis signal in accordance with the identification information, and control the pre-emphasis unit to generate the pre-emphasis signal. |
| US08732347B2 |
Automatic attachment and detachment for hub and peripheral devices
A device comprises circuitry and a transceiver. In operation, the device is configured to cause the transceiver to: receive a first message from another device to support at least one aspect of attachment of the device and the another device, send, to the another device, a second message after the first message and prior to attachment, receive, from the another device, a third message that is sent after the second message and prior to attachment, send, to the another device, a fourth message after the third message and prior to attachment, receive, from the another device, a fifth message that is sent after the fourth message and prior to attachment, and send, directly to the another device, data utilizing at least one channel for data transfer utilizing a second one of the addresses for identification in association with the device on the shared wireless communication medium. |
| US08732340B2 |
Transport agnostic SCSI I/O referrals
The present invention is a method for providing multi-pathing via Small Computer System Interface Input/Output (SCSI I/O) referral between an initiator and a storage cluster which are communicatively coupled via a network. The method includes receiving an input/output (I/O) at a first target device from the initiator via the network. The I/O includes a data request. The method further includes transmitting a SCSI I/O referral list to the initiator when data included in the data request is not stored on the first target device, but is stored on a second target device. The referral list includes first and second port identifiers for identifying first and second ports of the second target device respectively. The first and second ports of the target device are identified as access ports for accessing the data requested in the data request. |
| US08732339B2 |
NPIV at storage devices
One embodiment is a storage device that has multiple physical ports receiving input/outputs (I/Os) from a host computer. Each of the ports presents plural virtual ports using N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) to prioritize the I/Os. |
| US08732335B2 |
Device communications over unnumbered interfaces
A method and a network device for enabling communication between unnumbered interfaces are provided. A device level address may be assigned to a network device. The network device may announce the assigned device level address to a neighboring network device over a link. A corresponding device level address associated with the neighboring network device may be received over the link. A route may be stored including the received device level address associated with the neighboring network device and the link. In some implementations, the announcement of the assigned device level address is performed during protocol configuration. |
| US08732334B2 |
Storage area network multi-pathing
Provided are a method, computer program product and system for network multi-pathing. Paths to a storage system are through a first network type and a second network type. The first network type has a higher Input/Output (I/O) per second performance characteristic than the second network type. A length is determined from a received I/O request. The I/O request is sent on one of the paths to the storage system through the first network type in response to determining that the length of the I/O request is below a threshold length. The I/O request is sent on one of the paths to the storage system through the second network type in response to determining that the length of the I/O request is above the threshold length. |
| US08732329B2 |
Media player with integrated parallel source download technology
A media player implements an integrated parallel source download technology to receive a media file from streamed and segmented media file sources. A first source streams delivery of streamed media packets of the media file in sequential packet number order to the media player, while a second source provides segmented delivery of segmented media packets of the media file in random order to the media player. The media player combines the streamed media packets and the segmented media packets to produce the media file. |
| US08732324B2 |
Keep-alive hiatus declaration
In an embodiment, a method is performed by one or more processors and comprises obtaining a hiatus declaration that indicates that a network device will be incommunicable; suspending communication with the network device until expiration of a hiatus time period during which the network device is expected to be incommunicable; resuming communication with the network device in response to any of: determining that the hiatus time period has expired; obtaining a keep-alive message from the network device; or obtaining other indication that the network device can communicate. |
| US08732319B2 |
Context awareness proximity-based establishment of wireless communication connection
A mechanism for context awareness proximity-based establishment of wireless communication connections can be implemented in Bluetooth-compatible devices for simplifying procedures for device discovery, connection, service discovery, and content exchange. In response to determining to execute a context task associated with an application associated with a first communication device, the first communication device can determine whether a second communication device is within a threshold detection distance from the first communication device. If the second communication device is within the threshold detection distance from the first communication device, the first communication device can establish a communication link with the second communication device based, at least in part, on one or more connection parameters associated with the second communication device. The first communication device can determine whether to execute the context task based, at least in part, on a service list associated with the second communication device and the context task. |
| US08732301B1 |
Video aware pages
Analytics describing video data published to one or more destination sites are calculated. Metrics describing performance of the video data, such as performance in different geographical areas, in different demographics and in different devices are calculated. An interface simplifies calculation of the video metrics to simplify analysis by allowing a user to identify different videos or sets of videos for analysis. Additionally, interaction with one or more web pages including the video data is also captured and combined with video data performance metrics. For example, a report describing interaction with one or more web pages within a website and video data included on the one or more web pages is generated. |
| US08732300B2 |
Application monitoring in a stream database environment
Methods and systems for monitoring a stream application are disclosed. The stream application is composed from a plurality of processing elements executing on one or more compute nodes. A graphical user interface display presents a user with at least a portion of an operator graph in a running stream application. The operator graph represents the plurality of processing elements, and links between processing elements, corresponding to a flow of data tuples through the stream application. A monitoring application then monitors user interactions with the presentation of the portion of the operator graph on the graphical user interface display and identifies at least a first modification to the stream application based on a processing state of the stream application and the monitored user interactions. |
| US08732297B2 |
Time-based graphic network reporting navigator
The presently disclosed embodiments are directed to representing network performance information using a network map by partitioning a graphical affordance representing a network element in the network map into segmented sections in accordance with a temporal encoding scheme to encode temporal information in the network map. The segmented sections are encoded using a performance encoding scheme to identify a level of performance associated with the segmented sections so that the network map depicts a performance of the network element over time. |
| US08732293B2 |
System and method for tracking individuals on a data network using communities of interest
The current invention relates to a system and method for tracking or locating a target entity on a data network, such as the public Internet, by analyzing network traffic and communication among interacting network nodes. The invention describes a system of creating an information set of data related to the traffic patterns associated with a specific entity over a time period, and comparing the information set to other information related to the traffic patterns associated with a group of entities over the same time period. By excluding information that is common to both the specific entity and the group of entities from the information set, the information set is left with only the information that helps identify the specific entity on the network. |
| US08732290B2 |
Virtual workplace software based on organization characteristics
Virtual workplace server software may be selected for and/or provided to an organization server based on various characteristics of the organization. One or more inputs may be received corresponding to organization characteristics, for example, organization type and size, along with other potential organization characteristics and additional relevant information. Based on the organization characteristics and/or other relevant information, virtual workplace software may be selected for an organization server. The selection of the virtual workplace software may be output and/or the corresponding software may be downloaded and installed to provide desktop virtualization at the organization server. After the virtual workplace software is installed at a desktop virtualization server, the software may be used to provide virtual desktops to authorized end users and management functionality to authorized administrators. |
| US08732285B2 |
Upgradeable persistent virtual storage
A method to provide at least one of a scalable, a replaceable, and an upgradeable device via remote access solution virtual media includes emulating a physical plug-and-play universal serial bus device to a managed host server system as a virtual media device using firmware in a service processor and a virtual media engine of a remote access solution comprising a remote access card disposed in the managed host server system, the physical plug-and-play universal serial bus device disposed in the remote access card, proxying data communications between the physical plug-and-play universal serial bus device and the managed host server system through the service processor, and allowing remote access to the physical plug-and-play universal serial bus device by a remote management client using the firmware in the service processor and the virtual media engine via an out-of-band dedicated remote access card network interface card disposed in the remote access card. |