US07766820B2

An introducer sheath or catheter can be formed in two or more layers with an inner layer made of a higher durometer material and an outer layer made of a lower durometer material. The inner layer can have one or a combination of the following: one or more longitudinal slits, overlapping portions, monolithic hinges, or other formations to allow for radial expansion.
US07766814B2

The present invention provides a device and method of treating a vessel in a human or animal body.
US07766803B2

An apparatus, a device, and corresponding methods for exercise which involve a frame having a substantially right-angle configuration for facilitating its accommodation into a corner of a room and for optimizing its footprint in the room, a pulley system having an adjustable resistance device using a pulley ratio technique, a fixed high pull mechanism, a fixed low pull mechanism, a cross-over exercise mechanism, and a lifting bar, the lifting bar having linear bearings and handles, and the handles subtending an angle in a range of approximately 0 degrees to approximately 45 degrees.
US07766799B1

A boxing training device of the present invention includes a base, a support portion and a hit portion. The support portion is disposed on the base, and the hit portion is disposed on the support portion. The hit portion may he stored in a cavity defined by a bottom surface of the base while being removed from the support portion. Therefore, the storage space of the present invention is reduced.
US07766791B2

A powertrain for a machine is disclosed. The powertrain has a power source and a transmission that is operably connected to the power source. The powertrain also has a differential that is operably connected to the transmission. The powertrain further has a first and second shaft that are operably connected to the differential. The first and second shaft respectively actuate a plurality of traction devices. The powertrain also has a clutch associated with the differential and configured to selectively reduce a total traction available to the machine by releasing the differential as a function of a torque produced by the power source.
US07766790B2

A controllable selectable one-way clutch is provided for use within a hybrid transmission. The clutch comprises an outer and inner race, and a first and second selector plate. A transmission motor controller synchronizes the speeds of the races to facilitate application and release of the clutch, and a transmission controller communicates a signal to the clutch for re-positioning of the plates to apply and release the clutch. The clutch has three operational modes, including freewheeling and holding torque in one direction or both directions. A method is also provided for applying a selectable one-way clutch in a vehicle having a hybrid transmission with a motor controller and a transmission controller, including synchronizing the clutch speed using the motor controller, detecting the direction of the race speed difference, communicating the race speed difference to the transmission controller, and selecting between the clutch operational modes in response to the detected speed difference.
US07766771B2

Circonic Game, a simulated indoor or outdoor basketball game, is played on a circular court outlined by three concentric circles. The outer circle acts as the court boundary and is conjoined by four smaller circles placed tangentially in a location that conforms to the four cardinal points of the compass (i.e., north, south, west and east). Four similar smaller circles are placed in a location that conforms to four cardinal points of the compass (i.e., north, south, west and east) inside the two inner concentric circles of different radii forming a cluster of rings. A center pole in an upright position is mounted at the center of the court. Towards the top of the center pole are two primary ring baskets circumscribed by a larger circumferential ring basket supported by a transverse bar attached or welded to the rebounding center post centered in between these two primary ring baskets.
US07766770B2

The present invention includes devices, kits and methods for an automated ball feeding device for a ball throwing machine. The present invention provides an automatic ball feeding and throwing apparatus having a ball holding container with one or more sides and a bottom in communication with a propeller. The propeller is positioned to communicate with a rotatable support mast that has a ball channel and supports a ball ejection mechanism. The ball channel extends from the ball holding container to the ball ejection mechanism. The ball is fed by the propeller through the ball channel to the ball throwing apparatus regardless of the pivot angle or rotational angle of the ball ejection mechanism.
US07766756B2

A cushion for a billiard table is disclosed. The cushion includes an extruded member having a substantially triangular or L-shaped cross-section and a layer of tape on one surface thereof for affixing the cushion to a billiard table. Also disclosed is an improved cue for billiards wherein a substantial portion of the weight of the cue is disposed in a distal portion of the cue located near the tip of the cue, which is used to strike a ball. The cue is preferably modular to allow substitution of various portions of the cue to permit it to be customized to a specific player. Also disclosed is a device for metering the speed of the surface of a billiard table. Also disclosed is a quick-change tip for a cue which includes an elastomeric material that is sized to snugly fit over the distal end of a cue to releasably secure the quick-change tip to the cue.
US07766752B2

A torque fluctuation absorbing apparatus provided between a driving source and a transmission and transmitting torque from the driving source to the transmission, the apparatus absorbing fluctuations in the torque and limiting a maximum value of the torque, the apparatus includes a flywheel, a supporting member, a first plate having a sliding surface, a second plate having a sliding surface, a disc spring supported by the supporting member and biasing one of the first and second plates towards the other one thereof, a friction material sandwiched tightly between the sliding surface of the first plate and the sliding surface of the second plate, a damper mechanism connected to the friction material and transmitting the torque from the driving source to an input shaft of the transmission, and a cover member demarcating the sliding surfaces of the first and second plates from an exterior of the torque fluctuation absorbing apparatus.
US07766747B2

A gaming machine for conducting a wagering game includes selective application of surround sound. The selective application of surround sound allows certain key gaming events to be emphasized over other gaming events. The surround sound may be varied to produce certain effects, such as a tactile effect and a gradual building up of suspense and anticipation that increases player excitement and enjoyment. A surround sound decoder may be added in some embodiments to convert monophonic and stereo wagering games into surround sound. The surround sound may be implemented as true surround sound or as virtual surround sound.
US07766745B1

An accounting system for use with at least one gaming machine having one or more games stored thereon is provided. The accounting system includes a memory means operatively connected to the gaming machine, wherein the memory means comprises a set of active game meters for each active game on the gaming machine, and one set of removed game meters accumulating data corresponding to all games removed from the gaming machine. The accounting system also includes an accounting processor for accessing the game meters and using a theoretical win value to determine the overall gaming machine performance.
US07766741B2

Each bingo card representation matched with a game designation set in a given bingo game (a “matched bingo card representation”) represents a respective game play record providing a result in the bingo game. The result represented by a matched bingo card representation is displayed to a player in the bingo-type game through a result representation provided at a suitable player station. Each result representation is correlated to one or more game results in the bingo-type game so that each game result in the bingo-type game is associated with a result representation. According to the invention, each result representation includes a graphical representation unrelated to the bingo-type game. That is, although the game results are simply bingo game results defined by predetermined patterns of matches between the various card designations and the designation set produced or called for a particular bingo-type game, the game results are displayed to the players with a graphical display including a graphic that is not merely a graphical representation or reproduction of a bingo card. Displaying the result of the bingo-type game to the player thus involves displaying the result representation associated with the particular game result in lieu or at least in addition to the representation of the matched bingo-type game card.
US07766738B2

A gaming machine includes: a plurality of game terminals each including an operation section for accepting operation of a player, an acceptance unit for accepting game medium, and an image display unit for displaying a predetermined image; a plurality of cumulative storage units for storing a predetermined value of the game medium; a game control unit for controlling a game based on a base game or a bonus game; a first lottery unit for performing a lottery as to whether or not the bonus game is generated for each of the plurality of game terminals; a second lottery unit for performing a lottery as to whether or not game medium are paid out for each game terminal when the bonus game is generated; and a cumulative game medium payout unit for paying out the game medium to the determined game terminal.
US07766731B2

An exhaust gas chimney, especially an exhaust gas chimney installed directly downstream of a gas turbine or downstream of the waste heat recovery boiler of a gas turbine, includes an inner shell formed as a metal tube and surrounded by a sound absorption ring filled with bulk material for sound absorption. The sound absorption ring is formed as a ring jacket provided with a lower end plate that slopes downward and is permanently joined with the inner shell of the chimney, and with an upper end plate that slopes upward toward the inner shell. Ribs are joined to the inner shell of the chimney inside the annular jacket.
US07766721B2

A toy sword has a translucent foam shell in the form of a blade. A light-transmissive tube is located within the foam shell and a multitude of light emitters are located along the tube and are configured to emit light through the tube to the foam shell from inside to illuminate the shell's exterior.
US07766719B2

A traveling apparatus, including a housing, first and second wheels, a wheel driving section, and a control section. The first and second wheels are supported for individual rotation in one and the other direction around a common axis on the housing. The wheel driving section is configured to drive the first and second wheels to rotate individually. The control section is configured to control the wheel driving section and is operable to control, when traveling of the housing which is traveling is to be stopped, the wheel driving section to drive the first and second wheels to rotate in different conditions from each other so that the housing is revolved toward a first one of the leftward and rightward directions with respect to a traveling direction of the housing once and then revolved toward a second one of the leftward and rightward directions to stop the housing.
US07766715B2

In a method of manufacturing a PDP, in which a glass substrate on which a panel structure member precursor is formed is put on a setter and the panel structure member precursor is fired/solidified, the setter mainly includes a material obtained by coupling silicon carbide and silicon nitride, and a difference between a linear expansion coefficient of the setter and a linear expansion coefficient of the glass substrate is 5×10−6/K or less.
US07766695B1

A power inlet box suitable for outdoor or external use is configured in such a manner that an electrical socket may be electrically coupled to an interior load before the electrical socket is secured within the power inlet box. The power inlet box may be formed from weather or otherwise corrosion resistant material such as plastic and is designed such that the electrical socket faces downward toward an exposed lower end of the power inlet box. The electrical socket is supported by a mounting member that may be removably mounted to the power inlet box to secure the electrical socket within the power inlet box.
US07766690B2

A connector assembly includes a boot body, a contact housing, and a contact. The boot body extends between a boot coupling end and a boot back end. The back end receives a cable that includes a conductor. The boot body defines an internal chamber. The contact housing extends between a housing mating end and a housing back end. The contact housing includes a housing coupling element between the housing mating end and the housing back end. The housing back end is coupled to the boot coupling end. The housing mating end is configured to mate with a mating connector to electrically connect the connector assembly and the mating connector. The contact is held in the housing and electrically connected to the conductor. An adhesive is disposed in the internal chamber to secure the boot body and the contact housing together.
US07766688B2

A connector for terminating a communications cable is disclosed including a termination assembly (30) including a plurality of wire receiving contacts (32) for receiving wires (24) of a cable; a lacing fixture (22) with a number of wire receiving spaces (23) and which is used to guide the wires into engagement with the wire receiving contacts (32); and a cutting blade (34) having a cutting portion (35) and a body portion; wherein the termination assembly and lacing fixture are arranged such that, as they are assembled together, wires held in the lacing fixture are pushed past the cutting portion of the blade which cuts off excess wire, the cut wires are pushed beyond the body portion of the blade, and the wires are pushed into engagement with the wire receiving contacts.
US07766684B2

A mechanism for electrically connecting a first electronic component to a second electronic component. The mechanism includes an actuating member disposed in the first electronic component including a first connector half and an actuation screw having a head and a threaded end. The actuation screw is located in the first electronic component wherein rotation of the actuation screw urges the actuating member in a direction substantially perpendicular to an axis of the actuation screw thereby engaging the first connector half to a second connector half disposed in the second electronic component. A method for electrically connecting a first electronic component to a second electronic component includes rotating an actuation screw disposed in the first electronic component and in operable communication with an actuating member disposed in the first electronic component, the actuating member including a first connector half. The actuating member is urged in a direction substantially perpendicular to an axis of the actuation screw by the rotation of the actuation screw and the first connector half is engaged to a second connector half disposed in the second electronic component.
US07766680B2

A connector device to be used with a flexible printed circuit board including a connector. The flexible printed circuit board has on its front and rear surfaces ground patterns, signal patterns and phase inversion signal patterns arranged such that the signal pattern and the phase inversion signal pattern are arranged between the two ground patterns, and has a ground layer between the front and rear surfaces and exposed portions located at predetermined positions and reaching the ground layer. The connector has first and second contacts of two kinds. The first and second contacts are arranged in one and the same inserting hole of the housing such that their contact portions are opposite to each other. When a pivoting member has been pivotally moved, the first and second contacts come into contact with the corresponding ground, signal and phase inversion signal patterns on the flexible printed circuit board and the members at the predetermined positions enter the exposed portions so as to contact the ground layer, thereby achieving a miniaturization of the connector and high speed transmission of signals.
US07766678B1

A card connector having a housing and a card tray with an ejection mechanism for ejecting the card tray from the housing is disclosed. The connector has an ejection member and pivotable ejection lever that act in concert to eject the card tray from the housing. A force applied to the ejection member causes the pivotable ejection lever to pivot, which causes card tray to eject from the housing.
US07766664B2

The present invention relates to a power connector. The power connector includes a housing and a number of contacts received in the housing. At least one of the contacts includes a pair of opposite walls spaced apart at a predetermined distance. The walls have a front end respectively. The contact may further include a contact protection mechanism for protecting the contacts, wherein the contact protection mechanism bridges the front ends of the walls. The present invention also relates to a power connector assembly.
US07766657B2

An endodontic reamer/file for cleaning/shaping a tooth root canal having an elongated shank with a proximal end portion, a distal end and a tapered working portion having a longitudinal axis, the external surface of the shank working portion being defined by a plurality of at least two equally spaced apart continuous concaved helical flutes providing concave flute surfaces, the flute surfaces having therebetween an equal number of spiraled, spaced apart flanges, each flange having in a plane perpendicular the longitudinal axis a single outer end surface having opposed first and second ends, each first end forming an active spiraled leading scraping/cutting edge and each second end forming a passive spiraled edge.
US07766653B2

A prescription for an orthodontic brace is selected by providing data representing a number of teeth of the dental arch and by displaying images of the teeth in two or more different positions. Images of at least one tooth when in the first position and when in the second position are simultaneously displayed in superimposed fashion, and any difference in orientations of the displayed tooth images between the first position and the second position appears in contrast. As a consequence, the relative difference in positions can be readily observed. The invention is particularly useful for selecting a prescription of a brace from two or more prescriptions, and is also useful for observing the relative effect of a single prescription when used on certain teeth in comparison to the position of the same teeth during an earlier stage of treatment.
US07766651B2

A reflow furnace comprises: a carrier device to carry a printed circuit board with electronic components mounted thereon; a heating chamber to heat through an ambient gas the printed circuit board carried therein to solder the electronic components on a surface of the printed circuit board; and an ambient gas purification equipment including a retrieving device to retrieve a part of the ambient gas containing vaporized flux component when soldering, a heating device to heat the retrieved ambient gas to a desired temperature, an oxidation catalyst to burn the flux component contained in the heated ambient gas, and a returning device to return a high temperature gas after being burned to the heating chamber.
US07766648B2

A molding apparatus includes a mold (12,14) defining a plurality of mold cavities (34,36). Fluidly connected to the mold cavities (34,36) are one or more first composition injectors (30) and one or more second composition injectors (32) for delivery of, respectively, the molten material from which the molded article is to be formed and a composition to coat the article so formed.
US07766628B2

A compressor is provided with a dimple and a lower end cap to receive a positioning fixture pin to position the lower end cap prior to a welding operation. The use of the dimple ensures the lower end cap is properly positioned when welding occurs. In the past, lower end caps have often been mis-aligned when welded to the center shell. Further, the dimple provides the dual function of positioning a magnet within the compressor housing.
US07766624B2

The invention relates to a blade of a rotor of a ninth phase of a compressor, which can be defined by coordinates of a discreet combination of points, in a Cartesian reference system (X, Y, Z), wherein the axis (Z) is a radial axis intersecting the central axis of the compressor, the blade having a profile which can be identified by having a series of closed intersection curves between the profile itself and planes (X, Y) lying at distances (Z) from the central axis, the blade also comprising a thickening, substantially parallel to a base portion of the blade itself, fixable to said rotor, said thickening being substantially situated half-way up the blade and being suitable for shifting the natural resonance frequencies of the blade itself outside a functioning frequency range of said rotor.
US07766615B2

A turbine engine component has an airfoil portion having a pressure side and a suction side, a trailing edge discharge slot, and a suction side lip downstream of an exit of the trailing edge slot. The suction side lip is provided with negative features for increasing local heat transfer coefficient in the region of the suction side lip.
US07766605B2

The present invention relates to a centrifugal pump for pumping of liquids containing pollutions mainly in the form of solid particles, which pump comprises a drive unit, a hydraulic unit, whereby the hydraulic unit comprises a pump housing (20) and a pump impeller (12) rotationally arranged inside the housing, the pump impeller comprising an upper (14) and a lower (16) cover disc and a number of intermediate vanes (18). The invention is characterised in that a bottom wall (22) of the pump housing, having a central inlet opening (24), is arranged with at least one spirally extending back flow affecting means (32, 34) on the side facing the lower cover disc extending parts of or full turns around the inlet opening.
US07766604B2

Fuel pump (10)comprises a casing (18) and an impeller (20). A group of concavities (20a) are formed in an upper or a lower face of the impeller. A groove (24) communicating a discharge hole (25) is formed in a inner face of the casing. The groove has an opening portion (27e) that directly communicates with the discharge hole. The opening portion is shaped so as to extend in the rotation direction of the impeller, within a span extending from a position corresponding to substantially the central position of the concavities of the impeller, in the radial direction thereof, to a position corresponding to substantially the outer peripheral edge of the concavities of the impeller. The opening portion is be formed so as to extend in the rotation direction of the impeller beyond the position (29b) where the inner peripheral edge connects therewith.
US07766602B1

An efficient, yet durable wind turbine is provided for use in windy environments even with extreme wind conditions. The turbine includes spaced apart frame members rotatably mounted upon a central axle for rotation therewith, and having a plurality of blades rotatably mounted between the frame members for rotation upon blade axles. Blade directors automatically orient the blades relative to the wind direction. The turbines are self starting, with the frame members rotating in one direction while the blades rotate in an opposite direction so as to move between perpendicular and parallel orientations relative to the wind stream. In one embodiment, the turbine can be oriented either vertically or horizontally. The central axles can be connected to an electrical generator or, if powered by an engine, can be used to provide torque or propulsion to a mechanical device.
US07766593B2

A stack or assembly of fluid, mechanical, and/or electrical components permits removal of some components for maintenance, without compromising the fluid integrity of the remainder of the assembly. A fastening bolt, attached to at least one fluid component, is screwed into a stacking bolt, attached to another fluid component, the bolts being screwed together inside the bore of an adapter plate. A resilient insert sits between the head of the stacking bolt and the bore. At least a portion of the bore has a continuous taper, such that the diameter of the bore decreases in the vicinity of the insert. The taper creates a reduced diameter hole on one surface of the adapter plate, thus preventing interference between fluid ports on an adjacent fluid component. The taper also prevents loss of the insert during transportation and storage, and prevents undesired extrusion of material of the insert when the components are fastened together.
US07766590B2

A cargo pallet cover having a main panel and a plurality of side panels extending therefrom, the main panel being adapted to overlie a load on a pallet in use and the side panels being adapted to hang down against the sides of the load, each side panel being attached to an adjacent side panel along adjacent edges to define a corner, the pallet cover including a plurality of net attachment devices for attaching a pallet net to the pallet cover.
US07766588B2

A retaining member 16 is provided for use with a frame 10 for packaging elongate members, such as sections of tubular, for example casing, liner or drill pipe. The retaining member 16 comprises a pressure plate 18 on which is mounted a pair of pivoting hooks 20 for engaging with protrusions 36 formed on the frame 10. The hooks 20 are connected to threaded rods 28 received in a sleeve 30. A ratcheted handle 34 allows selective rotation of the sleeve 30 to draw the rods 28 therein, and so to pivot the hooks 20 to urge the pressure plate 18 against members received within the frame 10. A quick release mechanism is provided to allow easy release of the hooks 20 and the retaining member 16.
US07766581B2

A tendon or riser connector has a separate lock-down device that overrides the connector's ability to unlock if the riser or tendon goes slack. The connector has a lock ring that engages a groove profile on a receptacle and is prevented from accidentally unlocking with a cam ring and set of blocks. The blocks are movably positioned between engaged and disengaged positions that correspond to the locked and unlocked positions of the lock ring.
US07766579B2

A tunnel is built in successive sections by a machine suitable for operating at the surface and in immersion that is displaced in the water on the sub-sea soil. This machine includes a fluid-tight working space (6) for accommodating the personnel and equipment required for construction. Further, this space has a rearward-facing opening for building and erecting a section at the rear of the machine. The forward section of the machine includes a ballastable chamber (7) which prepares and grades the soil for erection of a section.
US07766577B2

A platform includes main transverse beams (“MTBs”), each supported by at least one hoist. It is determined whether a load on any MTB is different from the load on any other MTB by more than a predetermined amount. An MTB which has a load different from the load on any other MTB by more than a predetermined amount is selected and then vertically moved with respect to the other MTBs within a predetermined safety limit to transfer load between the selected MTB and the other MTBs while monitoring the loads on each MTB and the position of the selected MTB as vertical movement of the selected MTB proceeds. The monitored loads and position are compared with the safety limit; and the movement of the selected MTB stopped when either the desired load transfer is completed or the safety limit has been met.
US07766571B2

There is provided an accessory for a writing implement including a body assembly comprising a barrel and a split plug and defining a passage therethrough adapted to receive a pencil. The barrel is provided with an internally threaded end adapted to be engaged by an outer threaded portion of the split plug which is provided with a pair of opposed slots. The respective threaded portions are relatively tapered whereby threaded engagement of the split plug with the barrel causes the slots to close up such that the pencil is retained thereby. The barrel is provided with a pocket clip.
US07766556B2

A fiber optic connector assembly includes a connector and a carrier. The connector, defining a longitudinal bore extending through the connector and having a first end region and a second end region, includes a ferrule assembly, having an optical fiber extending through the connector, at least partially disposed in the longitudinal bore at the first end region, a tube, defining a passage and having a first end portion disposed in the longitudinal bore at the second end region and a second end region, and a spring disposed in the bore between the ferrule assembly and the tube. The carrier includes a cable end and a connector end engaged with the connector, a termination region disposed between the connector end and the cable end, a fiber support region disposed between the connector end and the termination region, and a take-up region disposed between the connector end and the fiber support region.
US07766550B2

An exemplary spring for positioning a turbocharger bearing in a housing includes a free standing inner diameter, a free standing outer diameter and a substantially sinusoidal shape to provide an inward radial bias and to provide an outward radial bias wherein the spring balances the inward radial bias with the outward radial bias to thereby position a turbocharger bearing in a housing. Various exemplary springs, bearings, housings, assemblies, etc., are also disclosed.
US07766549B2

A method, a system and a device for automated configuration of a high power X-ray source apparatus (10), which has multiple modules (20, 28, 30, 50, 53). A first module (20, 28, 30, 50, 53) of the high power X-ray source apparatus (10) has an identification unit (25, 27, 31, 52, 54) storing at least one parameter of the first module (20, 28, 30, 50, 53) and transmitting the parameters to a configuration control unit (60). At least one operating parameter of a second module (20, 28, 30, 50, 53) is determined by the configuration control unit (60) based on characteristics of the transmitted parameter of the first module (20, 28, 30, 50, 53). The high power X-ray source apparatus (10) is configured by setting the operating parameter of the second module (20, 28, 30, 50, 53) to the determined value.
US07766545B2

A safety lid is disclosed for use in combination with a drinking cup. In one embodiment, a body of integrally molded construction is provided that is shaped to fit a lip of the drinking cup. A fluid passageway traverses the body to permit a liquid in the drinking cup to be sipped therethrough. Microcomponents are embedded in the body and operably connected for measuring a temperature of the liquid and if the measured temperature is outside of a temperature range closing the fluid passageway.
US07766538B2

A system that consistently blends together liquids at a specified ratio to create a particular resultant chemical solution stops operating and notifies an operator when the level of one of the supplied liquids is low. This ensures that the proper ratio of blended liquids will be maintained during operation of the system.
US07766533B2

The present invention provides an illumination module, and a display and a general lighting apparatus using the same. Said illumination module includes a plurality of light guiding strips arranged in juxtaposition with a predefined distance; a plurality of light sources, disposed on at least one end of said light guiding strips respectively for providing the light into said light guiding strips; and a plurality of light reflecting units, disposed between said light guiding strips for reflecting the light from said light guiding strips. The light reflecting units according to the present invention can guide the light from the sides of light guiding strips or other light not toward the right side of the illumination module back to the right side of the illumination module, and thus improving the light output efficiency and uniformity.
US07766532B2

A light guide (3) for a surface light source used to constitute a surface light source in combination with a primary light source (1) and guiding light emitted from the primary light source (1). The light guide (3) has a light incident end face (31) on which the light emitted from the primary light source (1) impinges, a light exit face (33) from which guided light exits, and a rear surface (34) on the opposite side. A plurality of prism arrays (34a) extending in a direction traversing the light incident end face (31) are formed on at least one of the light exit face (33) and the rear surface (34), and each prism array (34a) has a plurality of divided top portions (34a1, 34a2) where the top is divided in the cross-section profile thereof in at least a partial region in the extending direction.
US07766524B2

A vehicle headlamp 10 is provided with an upper stage light source unit 20, a middle stage light source unit 40, a lower stage light source unit 60. The upper stage light source unit 20, the middle stage light source unit 40, the lower stage light source unit 60 are provided at a lamp body 14 constituting a lamp member by way of a support member 15, and a light distribution pattern for low beam is formed on a front side of a vehicle by overlapping light from the respective light source units 20, 40, 60. The middle stage light source unit 40 is supported to be able to change the optical axis independently from the other light source units 20, 60.
US07766522B2

A headlight device for a vehicle that improves external appearance by varying irradiation light reflected by a reflector. The reflector is in a shape of a bowl opening to a front side of the vehicle. An outer housing supports the reflector so that the reflector can swing back and forth. A ring member formed separately from the outer housing covers an opening edge of the reflector.
US07766521B2

An interior sidewall panel assembly for a passenger aircraft includes a generally planar sidewall structural panel having a D-shaped window opening with an apex that is directed rearward and tilted slightly upward relative to the horizontal, a window assembly disposed in the window opening, an indirect lighting module disposed at a forward edge of the D-shaped window assembly and arranged to direct light forwardly such that the light washes onto a rear margin of a structural panel of a next adjacent panel assembly located immediately forward of the light module, and a kick panel disposed at a lower margin of the structural panel that incorporates cabin ventilation or decompression ducts and vents and an accent light adapted to direct light onto a cabin floor of the aircraft.
US07766512B2

An LED light system has an LED light module for inserting into a standard fixture. The fixture has a housing and cover for sealing the enclosure. The LED module contains a shell or outer surface having a matching form factor as the housing for making physical contact with the housing over a sufficient surface area to provide good thermal contact. A substrate is mounted on a support structure. A plurality of LEDs is disposed on the substrate. A heat transfer agent or medium transfers heat from the LEDs to the housing. The outer surface of the LED module spreads the heat over its surface area and firmly contacts the surface of the housing for good thermal transfer. The heat transfer medium is made of a thermally conductive material such as aluminum or copper and formed to contact a surface area of the LED module.
US07766507B2

A light beam emitted from a light source (11) impinges on the spherical surface (20a) of a collimator lens (20) substantially perpendicularly thereto. A light beam making a small angle to the optical axis impinges on the ellipsoid (20c) and then it is refracted. The ellipsoid (20c) converts light beams diverging from a light source located at the first focal point thereof into parallel light beams. A light beam making a large angle to the optical axis impinges on an ellipsoid (20b) and then it is reflected totally off the ellipsoid (20b). A light beam diverging from a light source located at the first focal point of the ellipsoid (20b) is converted into a light beam being focused on the second focal point thereof. An ellipsoid (20d) converts the light beams focused on the second focal point thereof into parallel light beams. In this way, the light beams emitted from the light source (11) are converted into substantially parallel light beams by the collimator lens (20), thus providing an illuminator exhibiting high directivity, high efficiency and high uniformity in light quantity distribution.
US07766501B2

A lighting system for clothing, footwear, backpacks, and other accessories incorporates a battery, a switch, a counter circuit, a flasher and lamps or LEDs driven by the flasher. The switch has a tubular housing of electrical insulating material which may be round or square in cross section. A pair of electrical contact pins extend into the interior of the housing and are aligned longitudinally. The external ends of the contact pins are wired to the counter circuit and the battery. A free-floating contact bar of electrical conducting material normally resides on the bottom of the pins thus closing the switch and causing an input signal to the counter circuit and causing the lamps or LEDs to be illuminated momentarily. The contact pins can alternatively extend through the bottom of the housing and the contact bar may rest against the contact pins. An electrical timer circuit responsive to closing of the switch limits the flashing of the LEDs to one sequence of flashes until further movement of the switch causes it open and close again.
US07766499B2

A light source unit including light emitting diodes mounted on a printed circuit board by not using a soldering method but a fitting method, and a backlight unit and liquid crystal display including the light source unit. The light source unit includes light emitting diodes including lead terminals and a printed circuit board including a fitting hole. Each of the lead terminals includes a base part and a fitting part protruding from the base part. The fitting part of the light emitting diode is fitted into the fitting hole of the printed circuit board and so that the light emitting diode is mounted on the printed circuit board.
US07766496B2

A lighting device for a motor vehicle producing a global light beam, the lighting device comprising a first fixed optical module comprising at least one first light source for producing a first light beam of the type consisting of a light beam with a substantially flat and horizontal cutoff. The lighting device also comprises a second movable optical module comprising at least one first light source for producing a second light beam of the type consisting of a light beam with non-flat cutoff able to be moved with respect to the first light beam.
US07766489B2

A lighting device is provided for projecting a pixelated lighting pattern to be viewed onto a surface facing said device is provided. The device comprises a plurality of independently controllable lighting units (1), each lighting unit comprising at least one light-emitting diode (3, 4, 5, 6), and a controller (7) for controlling the emission of light from said lighting units. A device according to the present invention allows ambient illumination of a surface and projection of images and patterns.
US07766485B2

The present invention relates to a device for forming a visible image which can draw a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional visible image without having a scanning locus of a laser beam recognized.The device for forming a visible image of the present invention is comprised of a laser source irradiating a laser beam in an invisible region, a scanning means for scanning said laser beam two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally, a condensing optical system for condensing said laser beam to a drawing scheduled point in the air for plasma emission of a gas, and a controlling means for controlling oscillation timing of said laser source and scanning timing of said scanning means so as to generate said plasma emission at said drawing scheduled point in a time series and for drawing a visible image as a residual image phenomenon of the plasma emission.
US07766471B2

An ink set for ink-jet recording includes a black ink containing a black pigment having an average particle size of from about 100 nm to about 150 nm, and color inks containing color pigments having an average particle size of from about 60 nm to about 90 nm. The dynamic surface tension of the black ink is from about 40 mN/m to about 45 mN/m, and the dynamic surface tension of each of the yellow ink, the magenta ink and the cyan ink is from about 35 mN/m to about 40 mN/m measured on the condition of 25° C. according to a maximum bubble pressure method at lifetime of 100 ms.
US07766448B2

An ink-jet head includes a head main body having a metal portion, an actuator, a power supply member, and a heat sink that makes an outer surface of the ink-jet head. The power supply member includes a base, and a driver IC chip that is mounted on the base and drives the actuator. A first heat-transfer member is positioned between the driver IC chip and the heat sink. A second heat-transfer member is positioned between the base and the metal portion. The first heat-transfer member is in contact with the second heat-transfer member without interposition of the base.
US07766436B1

An appliance, appliance panel and a method of assembling an appliance panel are provided in which the appliance panel has an interior side and an exterior side. An overlay panel is positioned on the exterior side of the appliance panel. A fastening device is secured to the overlay panel and extends through the appliance panel at a defined area. A removable and replaceable functional member is attached to the appliance panel and overlies the fastening device at the defined area to prevent the fastening device from being visible during normal use of the appliance.
US07766435B2

A tool box includes a body with drawers and the body is rotatably connected to a base. A brake unit is received in the base and includes a first board fixed to the base and a second board movably located on the first board by connection plates pivotably connected between the first and second boards. A brake disk is rotatably located on the first board and the shaft is securely connected to the brake disk so that the brake disk is co-rotated with the body. The second board is controlled to move and contact the brake disk on the first board by a clutch pedal. When the second board contacts the brake disk, the body together with the base is moved as one piece, and when the second board is disengaged from the brake disk, the body can be rotated independently relative to the base.
US07766434B2

A dually foldable host unit case for a computer includes a first plate member, an upper cover member, a lower cover, a front wall and a rear wall. The first plate member pivotally connects with the upper cover, the lower cover, the front wall and the rear wall respectively. The preceding parts are capable of being folded to allow the host unit case being reduced volume thereof while packaging and capable of being extended to allow the second lateral sides of the front and rear walls and the second lateral sides of the upper and lower covers are pivotally connected for setting up the host unit case conveniently and quickly.
US07766431B2

A system and methods for an electric autobrake function suitable for use with an aircraft is disclosed. The system includes a single master autobrake channel configured to generate a master autobrake command and a plurality of slave autobrake channels configured to receive the autobrake master command. The methods receive autobrake command actuation data, compute a common autobrake master command based upon the autobrake command actuation data, and synchronize brake application by utilizing the common autobrake master command to actuate all brake actuators.
US07766425B2

A rear seat assembly is provided for supporting occupants. The seat assembly includes a seat cushion. A pair of spaced apart outer seat backs is pivotally secured to the seat cushion. A middle seat back is pivotally secured to the seat cushion and disposed between the pair of outer seat backs. Each of the pair of outer seat backs includes a pair of spaced apart bolsters pivotally hinged thereto for movement between a retracted position and a deployed position. Each of the outer seat backs also includes an actuating mechanism operatively connected between the pair of bolsters for moving the pair of bolsters between the retracted and deployed positions as one of the outer and middle seat backs pivots relative to the seat cushion.
US07766416B2

A vehicle frame having a cab portion and a load-carrying bed includes sidewall structures opposed and spaced from one another forming sides of the cab portion and sides of the load-carrying bed. A wall structure extends between the spaced sidewall structures and separates the cab portion and the load-carrying bed. The wall structure forms a rear wall of the cab portion and a forward wall of the load-carrying bed.
US07766409B2

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lid system including: a lid mounted to a recess to be opened and closed; a locking unit that retains the lid in a locked state to keep the lid closed; and a lock releasing unit that releases the locked state to open the lid. The locking unit includes: a pin that is protruded from a peripheral edge of the lid to be engaged with a hole on the recess in the locked state and retreated to release the locked state. The lock releasing unit includes: a push button pushable in a pushing direction; and a pushing element moved to push the lock pin in an opposite direction of the pushing direction by being linked with the push button.
US07766407B2

A door opening and closing device having a rotational mechanism configured to switch a door between a closed position and an open position relative to a base member. The rotational mechanism has a supporting arm integral with the door; a sector gear portion provided on the arm; a rotating gear disposed on the arm at essentially a center of the arc of the sector gear; a first rack portion on the base member and configured to engage the sector gear; and a second rack portion on the base member. The second rack is essentially parallel to the first rack portion and separated by predetermined distance therefrom, the second rack being configured to engage the rotating gear.
US07766406B2

A finishing panel structure for an automobile comprising a trim panel, a deformable panel and a retainer bracket. The trim panel is connectable to the automobile and defines a panel opening. The deformable panel at least partially covers the panel opening, and defines a latch opening and at least one mounting apertures proximate to the latch opening. The retainer bracket defines a retainer bracket opening. At least one projection extends from at least one of the trim panel or the retainer bracket, and extends through the mounting aperture of the deformable panel. At least one engaging structure is formed on the other of the trim panel or the retainer bracket to engage the projection.
US07766405B2

A robot hand apparatus (1) includes four of finger mechanisms (20) each elongates from a base (10), a motor (30) actuating each finger mechanism (20), four of rotation rollers (50) each connects with corresponding finger mechanism (20) for actuating each finger mechanism (20), and a power transmission mechanism (60) transmitting a power from the motor (30) to each rotation roller (50) at different timing.
US07766401B2

A latch set clip for use with a vehicle door and method of assembly are disclosed. The latch set clip may include a clip main body that mounts to a latch lever of a door latch assembly and a clip pivoting body that, with the main body, secures a lever rod to the latch set clip. The latch set clip may allow for components of a latch/window regulator module to be assembled before assembly into the vehicle door.
US07766399B2

The invention is directed at a door set assembly comprising a latch portion; a first magnetic material, located within the latch portion; a strike plate, the strike plate including a plate portion and a latch receiving portion; a second magnetic material, located within the latch receiving portion, the second magnetic material having a polarity opposite the first magnetic material; wherein when a door is closed, the magnets attract each other thereby pulling the latch portion into the latch receiving portion to secure the door closed. The door set assembly can also include a cushioned portion which fits within the latch receiving portion.
US07766393B2

A female element for a coupling that includes a body having a duct for receiving a male element along a coupling axis (X-X′) and a locking member including a locking portion, a connecting portion, and a control portion, wherein the locking member extends along the axis (X-X′) and is movable between a locked and an unlocked position, and wherein an annular element moves the locking member from the locked to the unlocked position and a resilient member urges the locking member to the locked position, and the female element includes a lateral guide for the connecting portion and the control portion, and a surface of the locking portion that is to come into contact with the male element generally having a shape of a portion of a surface of revolution and a width, in a circumferential direction, that is greater than a width of the control portion and the connecting portion.
US07766391B2

A pipe connecting structure including a male flange block combined with a first pipe and a female flange block combined with a second pipe, which is fastened to the male flange block by a fastener, where a protrusion having a hole that communicates with the first pipe is formed through the male flange block, and an insert portion into which the protrusion is inserted is formed through the female flange block, and a sealing member to closely contact with the end face of the protrusion is seated on the bottom inside the insert portion, and the sealing member includes an inner sealing part of soft metal and an outer sealing part of rubber tightly fitted around the outer circumference of the inner sealing part. Therefore joints between pipes, a heat exchanger and a pipe, or two components can bear high pressures in a refrigerating cycle system using a CO2 refrigerant, air tightness can be maintained under low and high temperatures without changes in quality and shape of a sealing members, and it is possible to prevent and minimize leakage of the refrigerant by preventing permeation of CO2.
US07766382B2

A predetermined tension force is generated to an air belt even when an expandable portion is expanded in a narrow space. An air belt 30 includes a first normal belt 31, a second normal belt 32, and an expandable portion 33 therebetween. In order to regulate a thickness of the expandable portion 33 in an expanding operation, portions of the expandable portion 33 facing each other are coupled by means of a coupling portion 34 formed of a stitching thread. The expandable portion 33 includes a bag-shaped belt 33a and a knit cover 33b that is not extended in a longitudinal direction. When an inflator is operated, the expandable portion 33 is expanded and the air belt 30 fits an occupant. At this moment, since the knit cover of the expandable portion 33 is not extended in the longitudinal direction of the air belt 30, a length of the expandable portion 33 is reduced along with an expansion of the expandable portion 33 and the tension force is generated to the air belt 30.
US07766370B2

An interior trim structure covers a stowed side curtain airbag and allows deployment of the side curtain airbag through an interface joint to a position along a sidewall of a passenger compartment adjacent a rear seat location of a two-door coupe style vehicle. A center pillar trim piece and a rear pillar trim piece can be assembled to one another with at least one projection releasably interlocking with a corresponding aperture formed along adjacent edges of the trim pieces. Each projection is located in a complementary position with respect to a corresponding aperture formed along the adjacent edge to temporarily secure an interface joint defined between first and second edges when in an abutting relationship with respect to one another in a closed position. The interface joint defines an openable passage along the first and second abutting edges allowing deployment of a side curtain airbag through the interface joint.
US07766365B2

A mission adaptable multi-purpose, collapsible portable cart/utility table, for use in emergency response and disaster situations, camping, hunting and other outdoors activities, which carries medical rescue carts, canoes, small boats, game, or hauled cargo by hand. The portable cart/utility table can be converted to a various uses and the portable cart/utility table can be folded down and transported within a wheeled bin, backpack, hand carried bag, canoe or boat. It transports injured persons or cargo over long, rough terrain and it can broken down into a carrying position, by hand or by back. The objects being carried can be held by clamps, by fasteners, or through the use of insertions with longitudinally extending channels. An optional pivotable kickstand and/or tie rods can stabilize the cart in a position of rest. The portable cart/utility table can also be the basis of a reconfigurable, modular, expandable medical critical care point of need field installation system deployable by land, sea, and air to reach very remote and rugged regions.
US07766345B2

A telescopic actuator includes a housing, an output rod which is slidable in an axial direction with respect to the housing, at least two slide bearings via which the output rod is supported by the housing, and a stopper disposed between the two slide bearings. The stopper regulates a moving end position of the output rod.
US07766343B2

The invention concerns a hydraulic spring support system including a double acting hydraulic cylinder with a piston chamber and a rod chamber, a first accumulator that is connected constantly with the piston chamber, and a second accumulator that is connected constantly with the rod chamber. The invention proposes that the piston chamber and the rod chamber are connected to each other by a variable flow resistance.
US07766334B2

Aspects of the present invention provide systems and methods relating to online gaming utilizing virtual playing instruments generated from physical playing instruments. According to one aspect of the invention, physical playing instruments are utilized in a gaming environment that may be scrambled, shuffled, and/or played remotely over a network. In one embodiment, the physical playing instruments are traditional poker-style gaming playing cards. The playing instruments include at least one identifier that may be read upon being dealt, such as identified and stored on a computer-readable medium before a game. In one such embodiment, computer-executable instructions may utilize the information on the computer-readable medium in conjunction with one or more games. Further aspects relate to validating the playing instruments and/or systems before, during, and/or after conducting one or more games with the playing instruments.
US07766329B1

A game unit including an indicator wheel and an award dispenser. In certain embodiments, when players achieve a predetermined result on a game unit, they receive a non-monetary award such as a ticket or token. Preferably, a game unit may take the form of a game with a rotating wheel which displays a result of a game event or status.
US07766326B2

The sheet conveyance apparatus includes a controller which controls a moving unit. The moving unit moves a sheet conveyance unit for conveying a sheet toward a direction intersecting with a sheet conveyance direction. The controller performs the control such that a moving speed of a shift moving unit is reduced when a shift amount of the sheet discharged from an image forming apparatus main body is small. Therefore, generation of a noise and vibration can be suppressed to save electric power consumption. When the shift amount of the sheet is large, the moving speed of the shift moving unit can be increased to shorten an operation time necessary to the movement.
US07766322B2

A sheet transfer direction changing apparatus having a plurality of discharge sections, a direction changing device, discharge sheet transfer device and transfer device wherein a sheet transferred from an image forming apparatus is changed by its direction, obverse side and reverse side, and transfer direction according to a process command from the image forming apparatus and transferred to the discharged section.
US07766319B2

A recorded medium feeding device includes a pickup roller that feeds recorded medium downstream from a setting position by contacting with the recorded medium and rotating and a separating means for separating recorded medium to be fed and subsequent recorded media from the next page onward. The positions of a nip point of the separating means and a place where the pickup roller contacts the recorded medium in the direction orthogonal to the recorded medium feeding direction with respect to a recorded medium of a predetermined size to be fed by the pickup roller are located within a range deviated to one side from the center of the recorded medium of the predetermined size. A path elongating portion that elongates the feed path length of the recorded medium by abutting the recorded medium is apart from the nip point and the place where the pickup roller contacts the recorded medium.
US07766315B2

A sheet stacking apparatus which is capable of efficiently stacking sheets of various sizes while making efficient use of space therein to realizing compactness of the apparatus. Stacker trays that are driven by respective tray lift motors perform a lifting/lowering operation to have sheets stacked thereon. Selection is made according to the size of sheets between a first stacking mode for stacking sheets having a size not larger than a predetermined size on one of the stacker trays and a second stacking mode for stacking sheets having a size larger than the predetermined size in a state extending on the stacker trays. When it is determined that one of the stacker trays is faulty, execution of the second stacking mode is inhibited, and execution of the first stacking mode using the other stacker tray is permitted.
US07766310B2

A steam humidifier having a water tank with a quick assembly feature. The steam humidifier includes a removable tank, where the removable tank is configured to contain water to be heated to generate steam and a handle that is configured to selectively secure the removable tank to the humidifier. The handle defines at least a first rotational position in which a tank support feature on the tank is engaged with a handle support feature on the handle such that the tank is attached to the humidifier. The handle further defines at least a second rotational position in which the tank support feature is disengaged from the handle support feature such that the tank is unattached from the humidifier. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US07766301B2

The present invention involves, in some embodiments, mechanisms and methods of occluding collapsible tubing with an occluder to prevent fluid flow therethrough. In some embodiments, a tube occluding mechanism is disclosed that includes a bendable occluding member for creating a force that can be applied to a collapsible tube to occlude the tube. In some embodiments, the collapsible tube can be an inlet/outlet tube on a removable pumping cartridge that is coupled to a reusable pump drive component when the system is in operation. In such embodiments, the occluding mechanism can be attached to the reusable component and can be used to block fluid flow to and from the pumping cartridge. In some embodiments, the occluding member can comprises a spring plate which can create a force to occlude tubing when in a relaxed, unbent configuration, and which can be bent to unocclude the tubing. In some preferred embodiments, in a default configuration of the tube occluder mechanism (when no external force is applied to the occluding member) the tubes are occluded, so that the tube occluder mechanism provides a fail-safe configuration preventing fluid flow to and from a pumping cartridge to which the tubes can be connected.
US07766297B2

A rotatable mechanism includes a U-shaped holding seat having left and right arm, a spring unit having a limiting stem received in a reception space defined between the right arm and a protection sheath extending from the left arm toward the right arm, a control shaft extending from the left arm toward the right arm and a torsion spring sleeved the control shaft to provide a torque, and a U-shaped holding frame fastened securely to the control shaft simultaneous rotation of the holding frame together with the spring unit with respect to the holding seat.
US07766284B2

A wreath is provided. The wreath includes a candle holder having a support portion, a container having a recess extending from the support portion, and a first threaded portion extending from the support portion away from the container. A support wire formed into a ring shape is fixed to opposite sides of the candle holder such that the recess of the container faces toward a center of the ring shape. A plurality of plant components are arranged around the support wire, the plant components substantially obstructing the support wire from view. A coupling member has a second threaded portion. The coupling member is removably coupled to the candle holder via the first and second threaded portions. An engagement unit has a first end part held in position between the coupling member and the candle holder and a second end part held in position between a window and a window sill or a door and a threshold, and an elongated support bracket extending between the first end part and the second end part to support the wreath in a central portion of the window or door.
US07766269B2

A refiner including: a rotor disc including a rotor plate including concentric rows of rotor teeth; a stator disc arranged opposite to the rotor disc, wherein the stator disc includes a stator plate; the stator plate includes concentric rows of stator teeth intermeshing with the rows of rotor teeth, and the rows of stator teeth include an outer row of stator teeth having leading sidewalls angled to deflect particles flowing between the teeth of the outer row.
US07766268B2

A shredder blade set with low resistance combines pressed blades and polished blades in various ways to form a shredder blade set. The shredder blade set has an appropriate friction for solving the problems with tilted or wrinkled paper due to insufficient friction or power waste due to large friction.
US07766267B2

An apparatus for reducing and separating an associated agricultural product into two or more sub-parts is provided. A first housing includes an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being configured to receive the associated agricultural product to be reduced. A first reducing assembly is disposed between and in communication with the inlet and the outlet of the first housing and includes a first rotatable reducing member, a second rotatable reducing member, and a reaction member. The first reducing member, the second reducing member and the reaction member are disposed adjacent to the other and cooperate to receive and reduce the associated agricultural product to a plurality of first sub-parts. A second housing includes an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being configured to receive select ones of the plurality of first sub-parts. A second reducing assembly is disposed between the inlet and the outlet of the second housing and includes a reducing rotor and a stationary reducing ring. The reducing ring is secured to the second housing and is disposed between the reducing rotor and the outlet of the second housing. The select ones of the plurality of first sub-parts are further reduced to a plurality of second sub-parts by the second reducing assembly and discharged via the outlet of the second housing.
US07766266B2

A sound generator help system of a shredder is disclosed. A disorder signal during the operation of the shredder is transmitted to the sound generator help system which then suggests the user how to correct operate the shredder and fix the problem in voice. When a problem occurs, the system flashes light to notify the user. By making a switch, the user can determine whether to play voices of the suggestion.
US07766263B2

A granulator mill has a mill housing which has an openable part and a fixed part, and an infeed hopper; the fixed part includes a rotor with a number of blades which co-operate with fixed blades in the mill housing; the openable part has a discharge section which is discrete from the interior of the mill housing by means of a grid which surrounds approximately 160° of the rotor and extends in beneath it; where the fixed part and the openable part are connected to one another by the intermediary of a pivot device with a vertical pivot axis and the end of the openable part facing away from the pivot axis is fixedly lockable in the fixed part at the journal box of the rotor and is centered there by a guide surface at the journal box and a guide surface on the openable part, the openable part is thus horizontally pivotal and may be opened manually; the infeed hopper is vertically pivotal about a horizontal axis and opened by means of a motor, where the infeed hopper and the openable part have mutually engaging locking means which lock the infeed hopper in the closed position when the openable part is closed.
US07766262B2

Valves for use in irrigation systems include a moveable sealing member disposed within a valve body. The moveable sealing member is configured to close automatically the valve when the magnitude of a pressure differential between the inlet and the outlet of the valve body reaches a predetermined threshold value and to open automatically the valve when the magnitude of the pressure differential falls below the predetermined threshold value. Irrigation systems include such valves and methods for flushing debris out of the irrigation systems using such valves.
US07766259B2

An irrigation sprinkler spray nozzle is provided that includes a first deflector surface defining a first configuration to project a fluid spray having a first distribution pattern, and a second deflector surface defining a second configuration to project a second fluid spray having a second, different distribution pattern. To select the fluid spray, the nozzle further includes a selector having a first position to select the first deflector surface and a second position to select the second deflector surface.
US07766254B2

A heated fuel injector includes a heated body, liquid fuel flowing through a fuel passage within the body, and a member that increases heat transfer from the heated body to the fuel within the fuel passage. The thermal efficiency of the fuel injector is increased separately or in combination by diverting the fuel flow along an inner circumferential contour of the heated body, by limiting the volume of fuel bypassing the heated inner surface of the body, by redirecting heat from the body to unheated portions of the fuel flow field within the fuel passage, and by increasing the available contact surface area for heat transfer. Improved heat transfer from the heated body to the fuel is achieved by integrating features that increase the contact surface area into the inside surface of the body or by positioning an insulating or a thermally conductive spacer within the fuel passage.
US07766252B2

A dry pipe sprinkler assembly is provided including a sprinkler body having a thermally responsive trigger mounted thereto. A housing, including an inlet end and an outlet end is provided with the outlet end being connected to the sprinkler body. A seal member is disposed at the inlet end of the housing, and a load mechanism extends between the thermally responsive element and the seal member. The load mechanism may include a support portion, a passage tube portion, and an outlet orifice portion slidably received within the housing and movable within the housing upon activation of the thermally responsive trigger to allow the seal member to be dislodged from the inlet end of the housing to allow suppressant fluid to flow therethrough. The dry pipe sprinkler assembly allows the use of different outlet orifice members to provide dry pipe sprinkler assemblies having different K factors while utilizing common components for the remaining dry pipe sprinkler assembly.
US07766251B2

A fuel injection and mixing system is provided. The system includes an injector body having a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet, and defines a fuel flow path between the inlet and outlet. The fuel flow path may include a generally helical flow passage having an inlet end portion disposed proximate the fuel inlet of the injector body. The flow path also may include an expansion chamber downstream from and in fluid communication with the helical flow passage, as well as a fuel delivery device in fluid communication with the expansion chamber for delivering fuel. Heating means is also provided in thermal communication with the injector body. The heating means may be adapted and configured for maintaining the injector body at a predetermined temperature to heat fuel traversing the flow path. A method of preheating and delivering fuel is also provided.
US07766249B2

A rail-carrying plate lies on an upper surface of a base. An anchor-bolt assembly has an elastomeric buffer sheet between the rail plate and the base upper surface and a bolt set in the anchor sleeve passing through the rail plate. An inner ring surrounds the bolt, bears directly on the base surface, is pressed downward by the bolt against the base surface, has an annular outwardly directed outer surface. An outer ring is transfixed by the bolt, has an annular inner surface spaced outward from the inner-ring outer surface, and bears upward on the rail plate. An annular elastomeric body between the inner and outer rings is bonded to the respective outer and inner surfaces thereof so that vertical displacement of the outer ring relative to the inner ring tends to self-center the two rings.
US07766243B2

The described embodiments relate generally to devices, methods and systems for managing access to a memory card, such as a smart card, by a plurality of accessing devices. Certain embodiments relate to a smart card reader (SCR) for managing access to a smart card by a plurality of accessing devices. The SCR comprises: a processor; a channel manager responsive to the processor for interfacing with the smart card; and a communication interface responsive to the channel manager for communicating with the plurality of accessing devices.
US07766242B2

A carousel used in a restocking system is comprised of a drive track. A plurality of bins are arranged into rows, with the rows being driven by said drive track. A drive mechanism, e.g. an electric motor, drives the drive track. A sensor is provided to sense the position of the rows of bins. A processor is responsive to the sensor and data representative of a plurality of picks for more than one order for controlling the drive mechanism. By combining picks from different orders into a batch, the time spent driving the rows and time between picks is minimized. The carousel may be divided into a plurality of columns, each with its own drive track, drive mechanism, and sensor, to enable several rows to be brought into a pick position simultaneously. Various methods and forms of restocking packages are also disclosed.
US07766240B1

A pre-printed case label is provided for labeling cases that contain item-level packages such as clamshells of produce or loose bulk produce. The pre-printed case label includes a common identifier and space for adding a tag that includes a unique identifier. A case that includes the pre-printed case label and the tag provides case-level traceability through the distribution chain. Additionally, the item-level packages, or items of loose bulk produce, can include their own individual traceability codes to extend the traceability down to the item level. Methods provided herein associate non-lot-specific information, like brand and quantity, and lot-specific information, like harvest event data, with the unique identifier.
US07766239B2

A code-reading apparatus determines the type of data in recorded code data and carries out appropriate processes depending on the determined type of data. The code-reading apparatus comprises an imaging unit 7 for photographing encoded data. The encoded data comprises a header portion and a body portion, the body portion including encoded ring tone data, the header portion including a data identifier D indicating the type of data in the body portion. The apparatus further comprises a data identifier unit 19a for identifying the type of the encoded data photographed by the imaging unit 7 based on the data identifier D, and control units 13 and 19 for reading the encoded data depending on the identified data type and for reproducing the ring tone data that has been read.
US07766236B2

A method for reading data using a magnetic head having a first array of elements associated with a first data format, and a second array of elements associated with a second data format, the elements being selected from a group consisting of readers, writers, and combinations thereof, wherein the first and second arrays of elements are generally laterally adjacent each other in a direction transverse to a direction of travel of a magnetic medium over the head, the method comprising: determining a format of data on a medium; selecting one of the arrays of elements to read the data on the medium based on the determined format of the data; and positioning the selected array over the data on the medium.
US07766213B2

Method and device (2) for monitoring a welding area of an object (14) in connection with welding, which device includes arrangements (3) for reproduction of the welding area, at least one filter (4) arranged in front of or in the reproduction arrangement (3), and an illumination arrangement (5) of the welding area with ultraviolet radiation. The filter (4) consists of a band-pass filter which is adapted for filtering around a wavelength within the ultraviolet wavelength range.
US07766200B2

Disclosed herein is a cross bar locking device of a roof carrier for a vehicle. The cross bar locking device includes a link, which is movably provided in the cross bar and has protrusion pins, and locking members, which are coupled to respective ends of the link so as to be axially movable. The locking member has a locking protrusion, to be locked to the corresponding locking hole of the associated side rail, and a plurality of protrusion pins. The cross bar locking device further includes levers, which are rotatably coupled to respective ends of the cross bar by a hinge. An operating slot is formed in each lever so that the protrusion pins of the corresponding locking member and the link are inserted into the operating slot. Movement guide slots are formed in the lever and communicate with the operating slot.
US07766194B2

A household liquid dispensing apparatus includes a container for holding a household liquid and a pump for pumping the household liquid out of the container. The pump includes a pump chamber. A dip tube is adapted to be positioned in the container and communicates with the pump chamber. An exhaust tube communicates with the pump chamber and an outlet for the household liquid. A pump actuator mechanically drives the pump. A motor operatively engages the pump actuator. The motor is electrically connected to a power source. A switch is electrically connected to the motor and the power source. A trigger assembly is operatively connected to the switch to control power delivered to the motor. The trigger assembly is positioned under the outlet for the household liquid for easy actuation by an upturned hand.
US07766192B2

A fluid dispenser assembly comprising a fluid dispenser (101), a pack (120) for co-operating with the dispenser in such a manner as to fasten the pack to the dispenser, the pack including a fastener zone, and the dispenser including reception means for receiving the fastener zone, the assembly being characterized in that the reception means comprise at least one set of two opposite longitudinal grooves (111) for receiving the fastener zone (121) of the pack.
US07766189B2

A removable and replaceable dispensing head for a fluid dispenser system adapted to deliver the fluid to a user includes a hollow shank extending on an axis. A shank hub is attached to the hollow shank, and an aperture aligned with the hollow portion of the shank extends through the shank hub. A first fixed body is removably attached to the shank hub, the first fixed body and shank hub each having corresponding first attachment means arrayed in a predetermined pattern. A fluid conveyance path is provided through the hollow shank, first fixed body and shank hub. A second fixed body is provided having a second attachment means arrayed in the same predetermined pattern, the second attachment means corresponding to the first attachment means in the shank hub enabling removable attachment of the second fixed body to the shank hub upon removal of the first fixed body from the shank hub. A sensor attached to either the fixed body, or to a hub spacer connected to the shank hub, automatically detects the presence of a user and activates the fluid dispensing system.
US07766182B2

A closure cap comprises a base having at an inner side thereof an annular gland for receiving an annular seal. The annular gland has a bottom surface and an annular side surface depending from the bottom surface. A skirt depends from base and has an internal fastening thread for attaching the cap to a correspondingly but externally threaded body. Additionally, the annular side surface of the annular gland has a venting thread depending from the bottom surface of the gland to enable venting of air that may otherwise be trapped behind the annular seal when fitted in the gland. Also disclosed is a method of molding the cap.
US07766180B2

A liner cassette for use with an existing intermediate bulk container includes a box and a liner. The box is configured to unfold within the intermediate bulk container and the liner is configured to fit within the box. The liner cassette includes two configurations. In a first configuration, the box and liner may be folded substantially flat to facilitate transportation. In a second configuration, the box and liner are configured to provide a liquid containment system for the existing intermediate bulk container.
US07766178B2

A closure for maintaining pressure against a seal affixed to a container lip during a thermal sterilization process includes a top wall and an annular skirt depending from said top wall, at least one retaining structure extending from the annular skirt, a reseal structure rotatably disposed above said retaining structure and adjacent said top wall, an inner seal rotatably disposed above the retaining structure and beneath a lower surface of said reseal structure, wherein said inner seal and said reseal structure are both rotatable relative to said closure.
US07766176B2

A mobile lift crane includes a central crane unit, a boom unit and a counterweight unit. The central crane unit has a carbody, moveable ground engaging members and a rotating bed mounted to the ground engaging members with a rotatable connection such that the rotating bed can swing with respect to the ground engaging members. The boom unit has a support member, at least one moveable ground engaging member, and a boom pivotally mounted on the support member. The counterweight unit has counterweight on a support member. Rigging connects the boom and counterweight unit such that a load lifted by the boom can be counterbalanced by the counterweight. The boom unit and counterweight unit are connected to the central crane unit by structural members that carry compressive loads and maintain the boom unit, the rotating bed and the counterweight unit in lateral alignment with each other, but allow relative vertical movement between the boom unit, the rotating bed and the counterweight unit. A main mast is pivotally mounted on the combination of the central crane unit, the boom unit and the structural member between the central crane unit and the boom unit. In another embodiment, a counterweight unit with a swing axis and boom unit are connected directly together with a structural member. Ground engaging members on the boom unit can be rotated relative to a boom unit support member such that the boom unit i) can travel in an arc around the swing axis of the counterweight unit and ii) travel in direction in line with the structural member.
US07766172B2

A method and apparatus are provided for separating elastomeric materials from mixed material streams. A separator includes a bank of parallel rollers extending longitudinally between a first end and a second end. The bank of parallel rollers having a predefined inclination with the first end elevated higher than the second end. Mixed material streams are fed onto a top surface of the high end of the inclined parallel rollers. A material having less friction and elasticity slides down the inclined roller bank top surface are collected into a collection bin positioned adjacent the second, lower end of the roller bank. Other materials having a higher friction coefficient grip the rollers more and are lifted out of the valley due to friction migrating perpendicular to the rotating rollers and are collected in a collection bin positioned adjacent one side of the roller bank parallel to the longitudinal roller axis.
US07766164B2

Medical tray and cover apparatus includes a tray body having an open top and an open front; the cover is removable and covers the tray top and front. The tray body includes a plurality of oppositely disposed grooves that provide for the insertion of closure and divider panels. The tray grooves are configured to allow the tray to be loaded with ampoules or vials without being snagged by the grooves. The trays are transparent so that its contents are visible without removing the cover. The trays are stackable with the cover in place. The trays are lockable such that the ability to stack the trays is not interfered with. The tray and cover eliminate particle generation from use and wear that can contaminate the contents of the tray. The tray and cover are capable of being autoclaved.
US07766161B2

A portable tool box is disclosed. The portable tool box can be utilized in two positions by the user. The portable tool box has shelves coupled at an angle that is configured to retain the tools within the portable tool box during transport, while providing easy access when in use. The angled shelves allow the user to easily access the tools from the tool box when in the vertical position as well as in the horizontal position.
US07766157B2

A wear detection device for a conveyor belt capable of automatically, easily, and accurately detecting the wear amount of the conveyor belt during the operation, formed in a simple structure, and manufacturable at low cost. A rubber magnet (3) magnetized in the thickness direction is buried in the conveyor belt (2) diagonally relative to both the advancing and thickness directions of the conveyor belt. A magnetic sensor (4) detecting the change of a magnetic force due to the wear of the rubber magnet (3) resulting from the wear of the conveyor belt (2) is disposed at a position through which the rubber magnet (3) is passed.
US07766156B2

A abutment module for automatic processing and conveying equipment having an abutment member arranged on a base for objects moving in a movement plane in a current direction of working motion. The abutment member being able to be moved in and out of the movement plane by electrical actuating apparatus. An electrical rotary drive is provided for the electrical operation.
US07766154B2

A loading head for use with food articles has a main conveyor adapted to convey a plurality of food articles, an indexing conveyor positioned beneath the main conveyor, and a transfer member positioned between the main conveyor and the indexing conveyor. The transfer member is adapted to transfer each food article from the main conveyor to the indexing conveyor. A buffering mechanism is adapted to move the transfer member between a first position and a variable second position. A pusher mechanism is associated with the indexing conveyor to raise and lower gates from an open position permitting food article transfer to a closed position prohibiting food article transfer. The pusher mechanism includes a cam operably associated with the gates to open and close the gates.
US07766143B1

A rear hub for a bicycle includes a mandrel, a hub body, a first locking nut, a freewheel, an auxiliary threaded post, and a second locking nut. The mandrel has a primary threaded section and a secondary mounting portion which has a diameter smaller than that of the primary mounting portion. Thus, the secondary mounting portion of the mandrel has a smaller diameter so that the freewheel has a smaller diameter to reduce the tooth number of the driven gear to reduce the tooth number of the chainwheel to reduce the diameter of the chainwheel so as to reduce the whole volume and weight of the bicycle.
US07766140B2

The invention concerns a freewheel bearing device including an outer element and inner element arranged inside the outer element, and a free wheel provided with at least a wedging element, arranged between the inner element and the outer element to allow a free rotational movement in one direction between the outer element and the inner element and for transmission of a torque in the other direction between the outer element and the inner element, the free wheel including a ring provided with a cylindrical inner surface and a cylindrical outer surface, substantially aligned on a radial plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the device, and a torque limiting member adapted to limit the torque transmitted by the free wheel, the torque limiting member being arranged radially between said ring and the outer element or the inner element in contact with said ring and said element.
US07766132B2

A disc brake caliper (4) comprising a first half caliper on the support side and a second half caliper on the wheel side (20, 24), at least one of said portions comprising a seat (28) having a prevailing extension that defines an axial direction (X-X). The caliper comprises at least one inclined bridge element (40) suitable for structurally connecting said first and said second half caliper (20, 24), said at least one bridge element (40) defining a substantial longitudinal prevailing extension direction (S-S) inclined by a predetermined angle (A) relative to the axial direction (X-X).
US07766130B2

Apparatus including a carbon-carbon composite pressure plate (32, 42) having a friction surface (33, 43) on one side thereof, a non-friction surface (37, 47) on the opposite side thereof, and a body (39, 49) between said surfaces. A wear pin housing (36, 46) containing a wear pin retainer (35, 45) is located in the pressure plate body (39, 49), the wear pin housing opening to the non-friction surface (37, 47) but not opening to the friction surface (33, 43). A wear pin (31), preferably made of carbon-carbon composite material, is located in the wear pin retainer (35, 45). The wear pin retainer (35, 45), which may be made of carbon-carbon composite material, is held in place in the wear pin housing (36, 46) by the interaction of threading in the wear pin housing (36, 36) and threading in the wear pin retainer (35, 45) and optionally also by a carbonizable resin adhesive located between the wear pin housing threading and the wear pin retainer threading.
US07766128B2

An actuator used in a safety stop device for an elevator has: a movable portion displaceable between an actuation position where the safety stop device for the elevator is actuated and a normal position where the actuation of the safety stop device is released; and an electromagnetic coil for displacing the movable portion when a current flows through the electromagnetic coil. A device for inspecting operation of the actuator has a feeder circuit for supplying an amount of electricity required for a semi-operation which is less than that required for a full operation for displacing the movable portion from the normal position and the actuation position to the electromagnetic coil.
US07766121B2

A method and apparatus are provided for the controlled application of ultrasonic energy for conditioning of mixtures of gas and liquids by evolving and/or agglomerating gas bubbles existing with or in a liquid or for coalescing droplets of liquid dispersed in another liquid. The invention in preferred embodiments thereof comprises a coalescing apparatus for increasing the droplet size of a mixture formed as a liquid dispersed in another liquid, and a de-gassing apparatus arranged to evolve and/or agglomerate gaseous bubbles in a gas/liquid mixture. In the apparatuses, ultrasonic transducers are used to impart vibrational energy to the mixtures.
US07766106B2

A wheelchair includes a frame, a chair, a pair of drive wheels, a pair of rear wheels, and a pair of front wheels. Each front wheel is part of a front arm assembly that is rigidly coupled to a drive via a mounting plate. The mounting plate is connected to the wheelchair frame by a pivot. The drives are transversely mounted. The batteries are disposed rearward of the drives. The wheelchair seat can be moved forward to provide access to the batteries without fully removing the wheelchair from the frame.
US07766098B2

A system for steering the direction of a borehole advanced by cutting action of a rotary drill bit by periodically varying the rotation speed of the drill bit. The steering system comprises a motor disposed in a bent housing subsection and operationally connected to a drill string and to the drill bit. The rotation speed of the drill bit is periodically varied by periodic varying the rotation speed of the motor or by periodic varying the rotation speed of the drill string. Periodic bit speed rotation results in preferential cutting of material from a predetermined arc of the borehole wall which, in turn, resulting in borehole deviation. Both the drill string and the drill motor are rotated simultaneously during straight and deviated borehole drilling.
US07766090B2

A fire fighting system for fighting forest and brush fires under dry, hot and windy conditions which includes a jet engine for generating a high speed air stream, a water source for supplying water to a cooling system which lowers the water temperature to between forty and fifty degrees fahrenheit, a nozzle for injecting cold water into the air steam and a filter which provides very fine particles of cold water within the stream. The stream of cold water is directed to a forest or brush fire dropping the temperature of the fire which eventually extinguishes the fire.
US07766089B2

Disclosed herein is a packer system. The packer system includes, a first packing element settable to create a seal against a downhole structure, and a contingency packing element in operable communication with the first packing element, maintainable in reserve and settable at a time after which the first packing element is set.
US07766072B2

A molding machine able to detect a burr or other abnormality by detecting the position of tie bars. A control device detects an occurrence of burrs according to whether or not displacement amounts of pistons associated with the tie bars, using position sensors which detect the position of the pistons. The position sensors detect position from the start of injection to the completion of the injection to determine whether detected values are within a permissible range.
US07766054B2

A method of producing a dimensionally stable, fire-resistant fabric including the steps of spinning yarn from wool and fire-resistant synthetic fibers, weaving the yarn to form a fabric, and dimensionally stabilizing the fabric to produce a textile that passes aircraft manufacturer specifications.
US07766044B2

A two-way damper is provided including a retaining member and a baffle. The baffle comprises a flexible member with a first portion secured and held in a fixed position by the retaining member and a second portion normally oriented in a first position, but free to move relative to said first position. The baffle also comprises a third portion, arranged between the first and second portions, being flexible and resilient and allowing the second portion to move to a second position relative to the first position upon the application of a pressure differential across the baffle above a threshold pressure and causing the second portion to return to the first position upon the application of a pressure differential across the baffle below the threshold pressure.
US07766040B2

A pressure control valve assembly including a valve body with a valving cavity, a metal insert, a member and ball, a plastic internal ball guide, and a plug. The metal insert, which is received within the valving cavity, includes an exhaust port, a pressure control port, a supply port, and a plug-receiving end. The plastic internal ball guide is included within a portion of the metal insert. The member extends within a portion of the insert and is movable with respect to the exhaust port, the member moving a ball with respect to a supply port. In an embodiment, a plug is received within the plug-receiving end of the insert. A method for making a valve body for a valve assembly is also disclosed.
US07766028B2

A variable device for regulating the outlet pressure of a fluid from a valve body, includes a pressure-sensing chamber having a wall formed by a resilient self-restoring diaphragm which is responsive to pressure in the chamber. A valve element connected to the diaphragm controls flow into the chamber. Increased pressure in the chamber decreases the flow into the chamber and decreasing pressure increases flow whereby fluid flow out from the chamber is maintained at a desired pressure. The outlet pressure is adjusted by deflecting the diaphragm in a direction to open the valve while permitting a section of the diaphragm connected to the valve member to remain responsive to the pressure in the chamber. An adjustment cover is provided to adjustably deflect the diaphragm and includes a catch mechanism to allow adjustment of the fluid outlet pressures and also retain the device at a desired value. An indicator arrangement may be provided to visually indicate the fluid outlet pressure.
US07766026B2

A faucet control system comprises a valve apparatus, sensors or a touch panel to be activated by a user, and a controller that controls the valve apparatus. A first sensor may start fluid flow and a second sensor may alter the proportion of fluids delivered from two fluid sources. Alternatively, a first sensor may initiate hot water flow, a second sensor may initiate cold water flow, and a third sensor may initiate flow of a mixture of hot and cold water to create a warm water flow. The sensors may be activated without being touched and may include infrared sensing elements. The touch panel may be activated with hand pressure and may include electrically conductive sheets. Alternatively, hot, cold and/or warm touch sensors may be provided separately. The touch panel may have a first portion for allowing fluid flow from a cold fluid source, a second portion for allowing fluid flow from the cold fluid source and a hot fluid source, and a third portion for allowing fluid flow from the hot fluid source. The controller may include an adjustable timer so that fluid flow can be stopped automatically after a selected period of time. Other systems include a one sensor system, a two sensor system, a three sensor system and a five sensor system. In the five sensor system, one sensor activates hot water flow, another sensor activates cold water flow, and three sensors activate various levels of warm water flow.
US07766023B2

A portable structure includes first and second support poles, each having one lower end for resting on a ground surface. First and second connectors attach at upper ends of the first and second support poles, respectively and two or more linking poles connect the first support pole with the second support pole via the first and second connectors. The linking poles form obtuse angles with the first and second support poles at the first and second connectors. The linking poles form an eye shape between the first and second support poles when joined with the connectors.
US07766020B2

A hair retaining clip includes clip members that are pivotally connected to one another and movable between a generally open configuration and a generally closed configuration. A hair gripping component is fixedly attached to one of the clip members and is made from a relatively soft material. The hair gripping component is generally shielded from contact with hair within the hair retaining clip when the clip members are in the generally open configuration, and the hair gripping component contacts hair within the hair retaining clip when the clip members are in the generally closed configuration.
US07766014B2

The present invention provides a wearing article for absorbing bodily substance discharge from mouth or nose. The article is formed from a material which is capable of receiving a holding bodily substance device and which is simply retained on the forearm or elbow of the user. The invention also provides a wearing article for delivering medicinal substance to mouth or nose.
US07766002B2

An apparatus for pitching and splitting a masonry block is provided. The apparatus includes a first pitching blade configured to move in a first direction. A second pitching blade is disposed adjacent to the first pitching blade, and the two pitching blades are separated by a distance that is small enough so that the splits initiated by each blade join into a single plane, thereby pitching and splitting the masonry block without the need for a splitting blade.
US07765999B1

An apparatus for firing a projectile, such as a paintball, that comprises a trigger frame assembly that is detachable from either a mechanical cartridge or an electronic cartridge. The trigger frame assembly includes a trigger, a sear, and a frame on which the trigger and the sear are mounted. The trigger has a mechanical actuating surface and an electronic actuating surface. Both the mechanical cartridge and the electronic cartridge are configured to selectively attach to and detach from the frame. It is an aspect of the invention to allow a user to selectively and readily convert the apparatus between mechanical firing actuation and electronic firing actuation.
US07765996B2

A control input (DUT) for controlling a heater (13) which heats an active element (10) of an exhaust gas sensor (8) includes at least one of another component depending on the difference between temperature data of the active element (10) and a target temperature, a component depending on the target temperature, and a component depending on the temperature data of the active element (10). The control input is determined by an optimum control algorithm. A component depending on the temperature of an exhaust gas and the component depending on the target temperature are determined based on a predictive control algorithm. The temperature of the active element (10) of the exhaust gas sensor (8) is thus controlled stably at a desired temperature.
US07765994B2

A method for controlling exhaust gas recirculation is presented. In one embodiment, exhaust gases are routed from the exhaust manifold through a cylinder and into an intake manifold. In some embodiments, the method may be used when a large amount of EGR is desired.
US07765992B2

A path (24) is formed in an intake tube (6), which supplies external air to a reciprocating engine (4). External air flowing from an inlet port to an outlet port of the path (24). A gaseous fuel path (26) is connected to the path (24) at an intermediate location thereof. A gaseous fuel, lighter than air, is supplied through the gaseous fuel path (26) into the path (24). A plurality of nets (8) are disposed in an area of the path (24) between the outlet port and the gaseous fuel path (26). The nets (28) are spaced along the length of the path (24) with the outer peripheral surface of each net (28) being in contact with the inner surface of the path (24).
US07765984B2

The fuel injection device according to the present invention is distinguished by a particularly effective sound-decoupling construction. The fuel injection device has at least one fuel injection valve, a receptacle bore for the fuel injection valve in a cylinder head, and a fuel distributor line having a fitting in which the fuel injection valve is placed in partially overlapping fashion. A connecting element is situated in the receptacle bore in such a way that the fuel injection valve is held in the connecting element in such a way that the fuel injection valve and the connecting element are held so that they do not contact any surfaces or walls of the receptacle bore of the cylinder head that do not run axially parallel to the fuel injection valve. The connecting element is attached immediately on the fitting of the fuel distributor line. The fuel injection valve is particularly well-suited for use in fuel injection systems of mixture-compressing externally ignited internal combustion engines.
US07765977B2

An engine component is composed of an aluminum alloy containing silicon, and includes a plurality of primary-crystal silicon grains located on a slide surface. The plurality of primary-crystal silicon grains have an average crystal grain size of no less than about 12 μm and no more than about 50 μm.
US07765975B2

An engine cylinder block formed with an integral pump housing that reinforces the cylinder block and which has a communicating passage with the interior of the cylinder block that has an outer surface that is inclined upwardly of the cylinder block to permit gasses to escape during a casting process to avoid metallic voids from forming. In addition the block is further reinforced by longitudinal and vertical external ribs.
US07765970B2

A valve cover includes a base that attaches to an engine and a display window that attaches to the base. The display window is made of material that can withstand the operating environment of the engine, including temperature and resistance to petroleum-based substances. The display window is secured to the base using a flexible gasket that encircles the display window and snaps into a groove in the base to secure the display window to the base. The display window may be see-through so the valves are visible. The display window may also include one or more display elements, such as light-emitting diodes, optical fibers, electro-luminescent panels, incandescent bulbs, liquid crystal displays, etc. The display window may include embossed or etched portions, and may include multiple colors and sequenced operation to provide any desired effect on the display panel.
US07765968B2

An actuator operation amount setting unit prepares the rotational speed command value for an electric motor such that the phase of an intake valve changes in accordance with the target phase. An electric-motor EDU controls the motor supply electric power such that the electric motor operates in accordance with the rotational speed command value. An overheating determination unit determines whether at least one of the electric motor and the electric-motor EDU needs to be restricted from heating up based on a result of comparison between the information indicating the motor supply electric power and the reference value. A rotational speed command value restriction unit restricts the rotational speed command value provided to the electric-motor EDU to a value within a predetermined range, when it is determined that the at least one of the electric motor and the electric-motor EDU needs to be restricted from heating up. A reference value setting unit variably sets the reference value based on the rotational speed of the electric motor.
US07765956B2

A cat scratching system for providing at least one surface suitable for cat scratching. This system includes a shell being capable of accepting at least one cat scratching surface having sides, an opening for inserting and removing the first cat scratching surface and a top and bottom. At least one of the surfaces, such as the top, is further characterized as having an open region for displaying the at least first cat scratching surface to the exterior of the shell, the first cat scratching surface being insertable within the opening of the shell.
US07765950B2

An apparatus for sensing a spin chuck for a spin coating unit includes a spin chuck which sucks a wafer with vacuum pressure to allow the wafer to be placed thereon, a rotary shaft which is rotated by driving of a motor below the spin chuck correspondingly thereto, and whose upper end is engaged with the spin chuck so as to interlock with the rotation of the spin chuck and a shaft guide shaped so as to surround a tubular stationary shaft of the spin chuck engaged with the rotary shaft. The apparatus further includes a sensing unit which senses whether or not the stationary shaft of the spin chuck is inserted into the shaft guide to a predetermined height a control unit which determines whether or not the spin chuck has been assembled normally from a signal sensed by the sensing unit and a notifying means which is controlled by the control unit to allow a user to recognize an assembled state of the spin chuck.
US07765931B2

A golf ball having an indicia produced by ink jet printing is disclosed. An ink composition containing a coloring agent and a resin is dispensed on a transfer medium, using an ink jet printer, to form an indicia. The indicia is transferred from the transfer medium to the dimpled surface of a golf ball. In another form of the invention, an indicia is applied directly to a golf ball, without a transfer medium. In this method, an indicia receiving layer is applied on at least a portion of the golf ball surface, then the indicia is printed directly on the indicia receiving layer using an ink jet printer. The indicia on the golf ball has an impact resistance suitable for use in competitive play.
US07765928B2

Printing plate material supply spool (PMSS) for a printing machine or plate-imaging machine and a method of loading it is provided. An exemplary PMSS can comprise a printing plate material film that is wrapped around a hollow core (HC), wherein the HC is adapted to be engaged with a heavy duty core (HDC) prior to be placed in the printing machine. The method for loading the printing plate material supply spool (PMSS) in a printing machine or plate imaging machine may comprise inserting a heavy-duty core (HDC) inside the HC of the PMSS forming an integrated core. Then the PMSS and the integrated core can be placed in the printing machine.
US07765918B2

An oven for heating a product is provided. The oven includes a partially enclosed housing with an inlet opening and an outlet opening and a conveyor to move a product through the housing. The oven additionally includes a steam system for boiling liquid with an associated steam pipe and a heating element provided within the housing.
US07765910B2

Disclosed is a blast containment vessel. A body has an opening. An external door is configured to form a seal surrounding the opening when the external door is in a closed position. A yoke is configured to retain the door in the closed position. A first automatic system is configured to automatically move the external door into and out of the closed position. A second automatic system is configured to automatically move the yoke when the external door is in the closed position. During and after a blast event, the body and the external door contain products of the blast event and the seal remains intact.
US07765903B2

The invention relates to a method for processing the surfaces of optical workpieces (3) such as optical or eye glass lenses carried out with the aid of a tool (5) and consisting in holding at least one workpiece (3) in a work piece receiving support (4) which is rotatable around the axis of a workpiece spindle (1′). The invention is characterized in that the workpiece (3) is received in the receiving support (4) in such a way that the axis of rotation (2) of the workpiece spindle is placed remotely from the axis (8) of at least one workpiece (3) and the axis (18) of the workpiece support is at least partially in a parallel position to the axis of rotation of the workpiece spindle.
US07765899B2

A socket assembly includes a socket having a mounting hole which includes a plurality of insides and yield recesses located alternatively between the insides. A control member is rotatably mounted to the socket and has a through hole, a plurality of stops extend inward from an inner periphery of the through hole. The stops are deformable when being applied with a force along the axis of the through hole. A polygonal object can be forced into the mounting hole by squeezing and bending the stops. After the object is loosened and received in the socket, the stops support the nut from dropping from the mounting hole. When the control member is rotated to off align the stops from the path that the corners of the polygonal object may drop, the object is easily take out from the socket.
US07765894B2

A torsional vibration damper has two mutually pivoted masses and a friction device that is active between the masses. This friction device can include a first friction device that is a spring friction device and an auxiliary friction device comprising at least one entraining wedge. The entraining wedge can function as dual wedge having at least two frictional surfaces for contacting at least one of the two mutually pivoted masses. There can also be at least one additional entraining wedge disposed parallel to the at least one entraining wedge inside of a chamber formed between the two mutually pivoted masses. The friction device and the auxiliary friction device frictionally couple the two mutually pivoted masses together.
US07765888B2

A steering apparatus comprises a bearing for supporting a pinion shaft so as to be rotatable and a high-rigidity member for holding the bearing in a state where it is positioned with respect to a housing. The housing comprises cylindrical first and second housings whose respective ends are fitted to each other. The first and second housings respectively comprise first and second receiving sections directly or indirectly receiving an outer ring of the bearing in an axial direction. The outer ring of the bearing is held between the high-rigidity member and the second receiving section, so that the axial movement of the bearing relative to the first and second housings is regulated.
US07765867B2

A transmitter for providing inventory or inventory transfer information on industrial sites is described, for measurement of mass (M), weight (W), volume (V), level (L) and/or density (p) of a product (1) in a vessel (3) comprising: a level sensor (5), comprising: a conductive probe (9) extending into the vessel (3), means (11, 13) for generating and sending short electromagnetic pulses (S) down the probe, means (15) for reception of echoes (E) of the pulses (S) reflected at a surface of the product (1), means (17) for determining a time of flight (t) needed for a pulse (S) to travel down the probe (9) and its echo (E) to return, a pressure sensor (7), mounted on the probe (9), and a signal processing unit (45) for determining mass (M), weight (W), volume (V), level (L) and/or density (p) based on measurement signals supplied by the level sensor (5) and the pressure sensor (7).
US07765862B2

A drilling operation wherein a borehole can be drilled through earth formations with a drill bit at the end of a drill string, using recirculating drilling mud that flows downward through the drill string, exits through the drill bit, and returns to the earth's surface in the annulus between the drill string and the borehole wall, at least a portion of which has a mudcake thereon, and a surface pumping system for pumping the mud to recirculate. Determining true formation pressure, including the following steps: providing a measurement device, having a probe, on the drill string; controlling the mud flow rate to obtain a first measured borehole pressure and measuring, with the probe of the measurement device, as a corresponding first probe pressure, the pressure in the formation adjacent the mudcake; controlling the mud flow rate to obtain a second measured borehole pressure and measuring, with the probe of the measurement device, as a corresponding second probe pressure, the pressure in the formation adjacent the mudcake; and deriving the true formation pressure from the first and second measured borehole pressures and the first and second probe pressures.
US07765860B2

A method for measuring road surface friction of a road surface uses a vehicle that moves across the road surface wherein (1) an auxiliary independent wheel assembly is towed behind the vehicle and is in contact with the road surface, an auxiliary wheel of the wheel assembly is freely rotatable by movement of the vehicle and is one or more of toed in or toed out with respect to a direction of travel of the vehicle so as to create an isolated axial force on the auxiliary wheel: (2) the axial force on the auxiliary wheel is measured while the vehicle moves across the road surface, and the measured axial force is correlated with the road surface friction. The independent wheel assembly is load isolated from the weight of the towing vehicle and the independent wheel assembly is loaded by placing ballast thereon.
US07765858B2

A method for measuring low amplitude dynamic properties of a steering column includes mounting the steering column into a test fixture and performing test runs. The test runs include subjecting the input end of the steering column to input excitations and measuring output conditions, which include at least one of acceleration, velocity and position, and determining whether the output conditions are within a predetermined output range. Input excitations may include sinusoidal excitations having a selected frequency range, torque, or displacement; or dither excitations. The selected torque or displacement is determined using open loop calculations from the output conditions, to achieve target acceleration levels. Data is interpreted to determine the natural frequency or rim gain of the steering column, which are compared to predetermined permissible ranges. The maximum steering wheel rim gain permissible level may be equal to approximately 1 divided by the polar moment of inertia of the wheel.
US07765856B2

A method for monitoring a flame in a combustion chamber comprising a wall with an outer side is provided, wherein the radiation which is emitted from a part of the outer side of the wall is optically detected by a sensor. Furthermore, a burner is provided, especially for use in a gas turbine. The burner comprises a wall section with an inner side, which shows towards a combustion zone, and an outer side. The burner further comprises a sensor for optically detecting the radiation emitted from the outer side of said wall section.
US07765854B2

This invention relates to a microcantilever stress sensor for detecting and quantifying low levels of contaminants in liquids and gases. The invention uses a chemical agent to impart chemical specificity to the microcantilever stress sensor. The microcantilever deflects when the chemical agent is replaced by a more strongly adsorbing chemical species. The magnitude of the deflection is then used as a measure of the quantity of contaminant present.
US07765853B2

Optical metrology methods, apparatuses, and systems for detecting seal integrity. These comprise changing an air pressure inside a chamber to an excitation pressure level when the chamber is placed over a segment of a surface of a structure having one or more seal features and determining whether the integrity of any of the one or more seal features has been compromised by determining, using an optical system, whether any of the one or more seal features have been deformed by the changing of the air pressure.
US07765850B2

The present invention provides a mechanical pipe-end expander comprising a cone and a die having tapered wedge bodies whose outer radius is larger towards a flangeless end direction from a flange end, wherein a pipe-end zone is expanded by a wedge effect of the die, which results from a procedure that the cone and the die are inserted together into the pipe-end zone to be expanded, and that then only the cone is axially drawn outwards leaving the die within the pipe-end zone. A seamless steel pipe with an expanded pipe-end zone is manufactured by applying a mechanical pipe-end expander comprising a die having tapered wedge bodies whose outer radius is larger towards a flangeless end direction from a flange end. The resulting seamless steel pipe has satisfactory pipe-end dimensional accuracy, and exhibits characteristics with excellent field welding workability.
US07765849B2

A press for crimping longitudinal edges of a plate for the manufacture of pipe has a closed press frame, an upper press platen, and a lower press platen extending longitudinally through the frame. A pair of transversely spaced and transversely shiftable upper supports are provided on the upper platen, and a pair of transversely spaced and transversely shiftable lower supports on the lower platen. Respective upper dies are fixed in the upper supports and have downwardly directed lower faces, and respective lower dies are fixed in the lower supports and have upwardly directed upper faces. A piston/cylinder assembly braced between the frame and one of the platens and pressurizable to shift the one platen vertically toward the other of the platens. Hydraulic actuators may position the holders and their dies transversely and also lock them in place.
US07765848B2

In a press working apparatus 10, while a servo motor 24 is acting, an upper die 38 is made to come close to a lower die 52 and press working of the first time is conducted on a steel plate 12. A slider 32 is raised to a movable punch preparation position. A movable punch 90 is protruded from a die face 38a of the upper die 38 by width H and locked by a mechanical lock 94. The upper die 38 is made to come close to the lower die 52 again and the steel plate 12 is pushed with the upper die 38 and at the same time an additional worked portion 12a is pushed and deformed with the movable punch 90 so as to conduct press working of the second time. After the movable punch 90 has been retracted, the slider 32 is raised.
US07765842B2

The invention relates to a method for producing a can body (2) which is characterized in that a film piece (3c) is cut from a film web (3b), said film piece (3c) is wound up on a winding spindle (7) from its front edge to its rear edge and is maintained on the winding spindle (7) so that it somewhat overlaps. The film piece (3c) is transferred from the winding spindle (7) to a concave inner surface (11a) and the film areas of the front edge and the rear edge resting against each other are sealed with each other on the concave inner surface (11a) in the area of overlapping (14). According to the invention, a closed film piece (3d) can be transferred without complication onto a can body (2), thereby conferring on the can body (2) the function of the stable structure and on the film piece (3d) the function of the décor or the inner barrier in such a manner that both functions can be optimized in a substantially independent manner.
US07765840B2

By providing a single housing and shackle assembly constructed for enabling the shackle to be opened and/or closed using either a rotatable dial combination construction or a key activating tumbler construction, with the movement of the shackle being controlled by a trigger member, an effective, easily produced, padlock is achieved which incorporates two separate and independent locking systems formed in a single padlock. In addition, the trigger member and shackle each incorporate uniquely constructed, cooperating surfaces, each of which comprise a grooved zone or concave curved zone which is positioned directly adjacent a cooperating convexly curved zone. By employing these two curved surfaces on both the shackle and trigger member, the controlled pivotal movement of the shackle is realized.
US07765833B2

An adjustable stacker bar assembly includes a pad assembly having a lower pad that is mounted to a push bar. The lower pad is in direct contact with and independently mounted to the push bar. An upper pad is mounted to and spaced apart from the lower pad by a spacer. The spacer is free of contact with the push bar. The pads contact and push glass articles into an annealing furnace.
US07765825B2

A system and method for thermal management of a memory device is described. In an embodiment, one or more thermal sensors sends a signal to a thermal control module indicating that a pre-determined temperature threshold for a memory device or devices has been reached. The thermal control module may then begin tracking memory thermals or initiate thermal management operations based on the signal and history of memory device temperatures over time.
US07765805B2

The invention refers to a supercharging system for an internal combustion engine incorporating in combination, a turbine, a compressor and an electrical driven system that is connected by any power transmission system to the crankshaft or any other vehicle drive shaft of an internal combustion engine and which are arranged along a common axis, where the turbine inlet is subjected to exhaust gases, causing the turbine wheel to rotate and thereby via the drive shaft causing mechanical rotating power.
US07765804B2

A motor mounted on a structural support with a pivot at its center line which comprises a cylindrical vessel for holding a fluid in a closed system and in which a buoyant cylinder containing a lighter fluid is allowed to free float so that a cable attached to either end of the buoyant cylinder may be used to transfer energy to a energy storage unit, a crank or a generator. Two moment arms having a weight attached at the exterior end and inside attachably connected to the surface of two drive pistons that operate in pressure tanks which force a compressed gas against the pistons through pre-sequenced automatic activated valves to extend or retract the moment arms at the end of a cycle. The motor then becomes top heavy and rotates 180 degrees by gravity and relocks in place to repeat the cycle.
US07765801B2

An exhaust gas treatment device for internal combustion engines and the like includes inlet and outlet end caps, two catalyst substrates, and a two-piece housing. A first, cylindrically-shaped housing member has a hollow interior in which one of the substrates is retained, a first end sealingly connected with the inlet end cap, and an opposite second end with a radially reduced section. A second cylindrically-shaped housing member has a hollow interior in which the other one of the substrates is retained, a first end sealingly connected with the outlet end cap, and an opposite second end with a radially enlarged section sized to receive therein the second end of the first housing member, whereby the reduced section of the first housing member and the enlarge section of the second housing member are spaced radially apart a predetermined distance to define an annularly-shaped space or gap which thermally insulates the associated portion of the exhaust gas treatment device.
US07765797B2

An exhaust gas purification system for a motor vehicle having a reducing agent storage tank, and an associated operating method. In particular, an exhaust gas purification system for a motor vehicle, for which predetermined maintenance intervals is provided. The system includes a reducing agent storage tank for storing a reducing agent intended for exhaust gas purification. A method for operating a motor vehicle having an exhaust gas purification system and a reducing agent storage tank for storing a reducing agent intended for the exhaust gas purification, which comprises predetermined maintenance work after predetermined maintenance intervals is also provided.
US07765791B2

The inventive system comprises means (10) for determining the vehicle running mode, means (11) for determining the mass of elementary carbon exhausted by the engine according said running mode, means (15) for accumulating said elementary masses during the engine operation and obtaining a total mass thereof, means (18) for calculating the volume of ash from engine lubrication oil, means (20) for calculating the volume of ash from engine feed fuel, means (21) for calculating the effective volume of the depollution means on the basis of the total volume of the means thereof as they are new or cleaned, the already calculated volume of ash and means for calculating the degree of soot loading of the depollution means on the basis of the total mass, the effective volume and the maximum density of deposits on the depollution means.
US07765790B2

A ramjet engine (3, 4, 5), flying at Mach 3 has 64% efficiency, and at Mach 4 has 76% efficiency. Ramjet engines are currently only used for supersonic flight and have not been used as stationary engines with mechanical output. The present invention, in addition to subsonic flight, can be operated as a stationary engine, and can expand the use of the ramjet engine for mechanical output in vehicles, power plants, and in generator sets for large buildings, homes, and industry. The present invention provides the means to use ramjet engines as stationary engines by building nearly adiabatic compressors (1, 2, 12, 13, 14, 15) and expanders (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) capable of (de-)compression ratios up to about 92:1 to supply the high energy gas/air required by ramjet engines, and shows how to replace de Laval nozzles with sonic converters (49, 50, 51) that convert supersonic to subsonic flow and sonic converters (45, 46, 47) that convert subsonic to supersonic flow without having choke areas.
US07765776B1

In some embodiments, containers can be, for example, labeled with a uniquely identifiable customer label. The labeled containers can be loaded into a carrier that caries containers. The carrier can be transported to and from various stations by a transport system. The container carrier can travel through, for example, a solid pharmaceutical dispensing system where all or some of the containers in the carrier can be filled with a specific quantity of pharmaceutical product. The carrier can be transported to a capping and branding station where the containers can be capped and branded. The caps can be pre-branded, blank, or a combination of pre-branded and blank. Where at least some of the containers are branded with blank caps, a carrier and/or container can be transported to a branding station that can brand caps with cap labeling information (e.g., logos, graphics, artwork, text, etc.) that can be specific to each cap.
US07765770B2

A service line distribution base (10) comprises a ground anchor (18) having an upstanding cruciform portion adapted to extend into the ground. A cabinet (20) suited to support a utility pole (14) extends upwardly from the ground anchor (18). The cabinet (20) defines and internal space for receiving buried wire conduits (28) incorporated to the cruciform ground anchor (18). The cruciform shape of the ground anchor (18) advantageously permits to incorporate a greater number of wire conduits (28) into the base of a utility pole as compared to conventional concrete bases.
US07765768B2

The present invention relates to a wood composite panel having a major planar portion, at least one panel portion, and an inwardly extending contoured portion surrounding the panel portion and interconnecting the major planar portion and the panel portion. The contoured portion defines an inter-relationship between a vector angle and a deep draw depth that achieve a satisfactory stretch factor. The present invention also relates to a door having the disclosed wood composite door facings, and methods of forming the facing and door.
US07765763B2

This invention relates to an underlayment for use under a plurality of courses of roofing shingles. The underlayment includes a water impermeable membrane layer containing at least one flap extending horizontally across the membrane layer. The flap is movable between a flat position and a raised position. In the raised position, an upper edge of a roofing shingle can be positioned under the flap. The upper edge of the roofing shingle can then be subsequently overlapped by the flap when the flap is moved into the flat position. The flap can then subsequently be overlapped by another course of roofing shingles.
US07765762B2

A ceiling panel is provided for use in a grid-type suspended ceiling, wherein the grid includes a plurality of spaced grid runners. The ceiling panel comprises a tile base with perimeter segments and perimeter profiles along at least a portion of at least two of the perimeter segments. Each profile is supportable by the grid runners during suspension. A facing material is secured across the perimeter segments, and extends beyond the perimeter profiles in order to at least partially conceal two of the grid runners when the tile is suspended from the two grid runners and viewed from below.
US07765759B2

A concrete wall forming system including a plurality of mold units for forming a wall of concrete. The mold units include a bond beam form extending into the body lengthwise, defined by a first wall, a second wall, a bond beam form bottom, a first end and a second end where the first wall and second wall extend a depth defined by a portion of the distance from the top surface to the bottom surface and where the bond beam form does not touch the first side or the second side. First and second ledges extend lengthwise along the body from the first and second sides respectively to the first and second walls respectively of the bond beam form. The bond beam form bottom extends from the first wall to the second wall. At least two column forms extend from the bond beam form bottom to a bottom surface.
US07765758B2

Reinforced wood flooring for truck trailers and containers and methods for making and using the same. A reinforced wood flooring may include a wood member. The wood member may include a plurality of wood strips that are attached together. The wood member may also have a top surface and a bottom surface. An essentially water impermeable underlay may be attached to the bottom surface of the wood member with a discontinuous layer of adhesive.
US07765755B2

A system and method is provided for a cement building which may utilize cement floor panels, cement wall panels, cement roof panels, cement joist panels, and cement roof support panel. Although each type of cement panel will vary in construction depending on the function, preferably each panel comprises a synthetic foam core and a cement outer shell. Molds may be utilized at the building site or offsite to create the panels which are then secured together to form the building. Once a panel is raised, it is substantially complete thereby reducing time required to complete the building. Floor panels may comprise an internal cement arch to provide a sturdy panel that provides a sturdy support for loads placed thereon.
US07765752B2

An anchor system for a tendon includes a load transfer device having at least one wedge receiving bore therein. The wedge receiving bore has a tapered interior surface. The anchor system also includes a wedge configured to be affixed to an exterior surface of a tendon. The wedge has a tapered exterior surface configured to cooperate with the tapered interior surface of the wedge receiving bore to laterally compress the wedge against a tendon when the wedge is moved longitudinally into the bore. Taper angle of the wedge and a taper angle of the wedge receiving bore are selected such that longitudinal compressive force exerted by the wedge is substantially evenly longitudinally distributed.
US07765750B2

Attic vents and methods of their use and manufacture are provided. The air vent of this invention includes an bottom panel member, a pair of side rails and a plurality of support members that connect the bottom to the side rails. The vent is foldable to allow portions of it to lie substantially flat during shipping, and to be deployed at the work site. The foldable configuration allows the vent to be pre-attached to an insulation batt using glue or other fastening means, and then folded and compressed along with the insulation batt for shipping. When deployed at the work site and installed in a roof structure along with the insulation batt, the vent defines at least one channel on the roof facing side thereof, for directing ventilated air from a soffit region of the roof to the roof peak.
US07765745B2

Consideration is given to parameters for providing re-use of worker housing in similar, or the same, applications at other sites or other projects as well as parameters governing re-use for alternate secondary uses usually common to the area of initial use, thereby avoiding transport for long distances or wasteful disposal of worker housing structures. Secondary uses for manufactured worker housing modules according to the present invention can be, for example, smaller or reconfigured dormitory-style housing or residences or family housing.
US07765744B2

A construction block is provided that includes at least one base member that includes a plurality of lower side wall receptacles. The construction block further includes a plurality of side wall assemblies. Each of the side wall assemblies includes a plurality of interconnected panels. Each of the panels is hingedly connected to each adjacent one of the panels of the respective one of the side wall assemblies. Each of the side wall assemblies defines a hollow load chamber having an open top and an open bottom. At least some of the panels of each of the side wall assemblies are angled relative to one another. Each of the lower side wall receptacles receives one of the side wall assemblies.
US07765738B2

A sliding window assembly has at least one sliding pane mounted for travel along a travel path between a closed position in a first plane and an open position in an offset second plane substantially parallel to the first plane. The window assembly has travel guide apparatus for guiding its movement along the travel path between the open and closed positions. The travel guide apparatus includes a track defining an elongate slot corresponding to the travel path, a fixed guide surface having a fixed position relative to the track, e.g., a pivot pin, and components cooperatively operative as a cam and slide movement for guiding travel of the sliding pane between its open and closed positions. Typically, for generally rectilinear sliding panes, a track, guide surface and cam and slide movement are provided for each corner of the sliding pane. The cam and slide movement comprises a traveler mounted for longitudinal travel in the track and having an elongate slot at an angle to the main travel path, a travel pin mounted to the sliding pane and extending into the elongate slot of the track and the traveler slot, and a cam mounted to the sliding pane. The cam is operative to contact the fixed guide surface as the sliding pane approaches the closed position, to guide the sliding pane from the offset second plane to the first plane as the sliding pane travels further toward the closed position.
US07765736B1

The invention as presently conceived discloses a unique system and method that incorporates a self-watering tree stand that is an improvement on a conventional floor-standing holiday tree stand and watering system. The design of this novel tree stand is that it supports the tree from the tree's midsection that allows gravity to self-level the tree held within the stand. The stand comprises a large circular base for stability as well as adjustable height watering cup that can be brought up to the bottom of the tree and is fed from a water reservoir located on the vertical section of the stand at the outside perimeter of the tree. Also integral to the system and apparatus is a power receptacle fed from a power cord located near the top of the stand in order to power decorative lights or other electric tree decorations.
US07765733B1

In one exemplary embodiment the invention provides methods for post harvest disinfection of agricultural commodities. The methods are practiced on agricultural commodities without damaging or otherwise injuring the commodities by way of the treatment. In other exemplary embodiments, the invention provides containers appropriate for carrying out the disclosed methods of disinfective treatment.
US07765722B2

A sandal comprised of layered footwear components includes a lower base, a middle member replaceable platform which secures the straps, and an upper member replaceable insole. A hollowed out center area creates a perimeter side wall on the top of the base into which the platform is stored. A frontal (toe area) and rear (heel area) ledge crosses the toe and heel areas of the superior base horizontally. The straps are attached to a platform and secured by a present choice of a hook and loop fastener. The front and rear of the platform is eased under the front and rear ledges on the base. A midpoint lock on the platform further secures the platform to the base. A final top layer insole is secured on top of the platform and under the overlapped straps and placed into the remaining hollow area of the base hiding the shoes components. The straps and insole cooperate to form a shoe upper for receiving the foot. Platforms and insoles are interchangeable to heel, flat or wedge style bases. Exchangeably connected straps to platforms are repeatedly adjustable in horizontal and vertical directions for comfort and mix and match to create many shoe styles.
US07765720B2

An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole assembly secured to the upper. The sole assembly includes a lower ground engaging surface portion and an upper surface portion. The upper surface of the first portion is in contact with the upper. At least part of the lower ground engaging surface portion is a polymer material formed from a blend of polybutadiene polymer and a carboxylated butadiene-acrylonitrile or partially hydrogenated carboxylated butadiene acrylonitrile; wherein the polymer material has a density of 1.00-1.25 g/cm3 and a hardness of at least 55 Asker C.
US07765718B2

A dance shoe comprising a foot compartment or portion thereof that is malleable at a temperature above a temperature of intended use, and when malleable, the shoe is hand moldable to a conformation desired by a user. The invention particularly relates to en pointe shoes for ballet and other forms of dance.
US07765711B2

Disclosed is a linear guiding system (1) comprising at least one guide rail (2), at least one guide carriage (3) that is supported on the guide rail and can be moved therealong, and a device (5) for measuring a distance traveled by the guide carriage relative to the guide rail and/or determining a position of the guide carriage relative to the guide rail. The measuring device (5) encompasses a measuring rule (10) and a measuring head (21) that is provided with at least one sensor for scanning the measuring rule (10). The measuring rule extends in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail while being arranged along or on a surface (2.1) of the guide rail (2) facing the support zone (40) of the guide carriage (3). A cavity (25) for accommodating the measuring head is embodied in the guide carriage. Said cavity (25) is configured entirely or partly outside the support zone (40) while the measuring head (21) is disposed entirely or partly in the cavity (25) and entirely or partly outside the support zone (40).
US07765709B2

A scale base is fixed to a base in a plurality of locations which are aligned in a measuring direction (a Y direction) in which measurement by a scale is carried out, slits are provided in the scale base in positions lying between the locations where the scale base is fixed to the base, the scale is supported by the scale base in two or more of the locations where the scale base is fixed to the base, and the scale base has gaps between the base and the scale base in positions other than the locations where the scale base is fixed to the base and between the scale and the scale base in the positions other than the locations where the scale base is fixed to the base.
US07765704B2

A method of aligning a property for testing in a dynamometer cell is provided, including the steps of: mounting a laser travel car to each of four risers in a repositionable manner; mounting a laser to each of the laser travel cars in a repositionable manner; securing a dyno cart into a cart receiving station between the four risers; calibrating each of the lasers; preparing the dyno cart to receive the property; mounting the property to the dyno cart; orienting the various lasers based, at least in part, upon predetermined optimal alignment dimensions to thereby provide a set of target locations; orienting the property such that predetermined locations of the property align with the set of target locations to ensure appropriate property orientation during testing; and removing the dyno cart from the cart receiving station for delivery to the dynamometer cell.
US07765701B2

In the safety cutter knife provided, a blade slide holding a blade is rotated in the direction nearly perpendicular to the longitudinal center line of the housing of the cutter knife by virtue of a reaction force from a work material when the cutting edge of the blade extended from the housing is pressed into the work material while the blade slide and the actuator slide are located at the extended position. With this rotation of the blade slide, the engagement between the blade slide and the actuator slide is released, such that the blade slide with the blade can return automatically from the extended position to the retracted position by virtue of the energizing force of a spring when the blade is released from the work material.
US07765698B2

A method of making an electret article, from a polymeric article that has a zeta potential of greater than or less than −7.5 millivolts. The article is charged by contacting it with an aqueous liquid that has a pH and conductivity as follows: (i) if the article has a zeta potential of −7.5 mV or less, then the contacting liquid has pH greater than 7 and a conductivity of 5 to 9,000 microSiemens per centimeter; and (ii) if the article has a zeta potential of greater than −7.5 mV, then the contacting liquid has a pH of 7 or less and a conductivity of 5 to 5,500 microSiemens per centimeter. An electret article made in this manner can provide improved electret performance, particularly in electret filtration articles.
US07765697B2

A process for producing a honeycomb body includes a) producing a tubular casing from sheet metal; b) introducing a hole, delimited by a rim, into the sheet metal; c) fitting a flange piece for a measurement sensor to the hole rim; d) introducing a honeycomb structure into the tubular casing; and e) joining the tubular casing to the honeycomb structure and the flange piece by brazing or welding in a single, common, heat treatment process. Steps a), b) and c) are carried out in any desired order. A honeycomb body includes a honeycomb structure. A tubular casing surrounds the honeycomb structure, has a hole delimited by a rim, and has a necked region surrounding the hole. A flange piece for a measurement sensor is brazed to the hole rim. The process allows a flange piece to be connected to the tubular casing in an advantageous manner as part of an on-going heat treatment process, resulting in a simple and fast production and consequently a reduction of costs.
US07765693B2

A method and apparatus for electrically connecting two substrates using resilient wire bundles captured in apertures of an interposer by a retention film. The interposer comprises an electrically non-conductive carrier having two surfaces and apertures extending from surface to surface. A resilient wire bundle is disposed in each aperture. An electrically non-conductive retention film is associated with one or both surfaces of the carrier and has an orifice overlying each aperture. The width of each orifice is smaller than that of the underlying aperture to thereby enhance retention of the resilient wire bundle within the aperture. Pin contacts of one or both of the substrates make electrical contact with the resilient wire bundles by extending through the orifices of the retention film and partially through the apertures. In one embodiment, the interposer is a land grid array (LGA) connector that connects an electronic module and a printed circuit board (PCB).
US07765690B2

The invention relates to a method for producing electronic components consisting in carrying out a first anodization of a carrier material (1) for forming at least one first pore (3) extending in a first direction in said carrier material (1) and in carrying out a second anodization for forming at least one second pore (17) extending in the carrier material (1) in a second direction different from the first direction.
US07765680B2

There is provided a method of producing a printed circuit board incorporating a resistance element capable of adjusting resistance after the resistance element has been formed and assuring a high accurate resistance. A method of producing a printed circuit board incorporating a resistance element using carbon paste includes the steps of: forming through holes 5, 6, 25 and 26 or a bottomed hole in a double-sided copper clad laminate; applying noble metal plating into the through hole or the bottomed hole; filling the through hole or the bottomed hole with carbon paste; subjecting the carbon paste with which the thorough hole or the bottomed hole is filled to noble metal plating, conducting treatment and plating to form a conductive layer; forming an opening 18 in the conductive layer on the end of the through hole filled with the carbon paste; and performing trimming through the opening to adjust the resistance of the resistor formed by the carbon paste.
US07765677B2

A method of manufacturing a write pole that prevents P2 pedestal consumption during ion milling removal of coil and pole seed layers. The write head can be constructed by forming a first pole and then forming a magnetic pedestal (P2) over the first pole. A protective layer of, for example, alumina is deposited over a portion of the pedestal in the pole tip region, leaving a portion of the pedestal uncovered in the flare region. A coil seed layer can then be deposited and a coil formed. When the coil seed layer is removed, such as by ion milling, the pole tip region of the pedestal is protected from the ion milling by the protective layer. Similarly, a top pole can be deposited by first depositing an electrically conductive, magnetic seed layer and then plating the top pole. When the top pole seed layer is removed by ion milling, the pole tip region of the pedestal is protected from removal by the protective layer.
US07765674B2

In a magnet cover caulking method of an electric motor, the method achieves caulking and fixation by forming a taper-shaped outer peripheral portion, a diameter of which is reduced toward an outer side in an axial direction, in an outer periphery of a magnet holder, arranging an annular caulking jig in an outer periphery of a rotating shaft, pressing a taper-shaped forming portion a diameter of which is increased toward an outer side in an axial direction, provided in one end side of an inner periphery of the caulking jig to a straight end portion of a magnet cover installed to the outer periphery of the magnet and the magnet holder from the axial direction, and forming the end portion of the magnet cover according to the taper-shaped outer peripheral portion of the magnet holder.
US07765662B2

A holding fixture is disclosed for machining bearing caps that have a generally semi-cylindrical bearing bore on an interior surface and bolt shoulders on opposite sides that are drilled to receive bolts. The holding fixture comprises a fixture frame to which a mandrel is attached that receives the bearing caps with the bearing bore centered relative to the mandrel. A plurality of clamps engage an exterior portion of the bearing caps to retain the bearing caps on the mandrel. A method of manufacturing a bearing cap is also disclosed using a fixture that has a mandrel that is received in the bearing bore and clamps that engage the outer surface of the bearing caps. A pair of bolt shoulders of the bearing caps are machined and a bolt hole is drilled in each of the bolt shoulder portions. The bearing bores are subsequently machined with the bearing caps being located based upon the location of the bolt holes to form a plurality of finished bearing caps.
US07765657B2

A system and method for producing a barbed taped product is controlled by an electronic controller to provide a predetermined pattern of attachment points. The system automatically clips adjacent loops of product strands together in the predetermined pattern. The system is capable of varying the pattern from roll to roll, within a given roll, and between rolls. The system and method eliminates the need for ceasing production between rolls in order to re-thread.
US07765651B2

The present invention provides a method for forming preferably a unitary polymeric hook fastener comprising a flexible backing, and a multiplicity of spaced hook members projecting from the upper surface of the unitary backing wherein each hook member comprises a multiplicity of hook head elements projecting in substantially the same direction. The hook members each comprise a stem portion attached at one end to the backing, and a head portion at the end of the stem portion opposite the backing. The head portion can also extend from a side of a stem portion or be omitted entirely to form alternative projections which can be other forms than a hook member. The head portion preferably projects past the stem portion on at least one of two opposite sides. At least the hook head portions have two or more hook head elements on at least one of the two opposing sides of the stem. The hook head portions preferably have been heat treated so as to decrease the hook head thickness and thereby reducing or eliminating molecular orientation in at least the hook head in the machine direction.
US07765643B2

A connection for hinges of the type having two elements which can rotate relative to one another; the connection comprises a box-shaped body having a base wall and two parallel lateral walls, and can be stably connected to a fixed frame of an electrical appliance.
US07765627B2

A sanitary ware with an annular mount has a body, an inlet pipe and an annular mount. The inlet pipe is mounted inside the body. The annular mount is mounted through the body for hanging the sanitary ware. A structure of the annular mount is simple to prevent leaking and could be used in any sanitary ware. Therefore, the sanitary ware with annular mount can be hung anywhere by the annular mount.
US07765626B2

A drain clearing device includes a first hollow tube having opposed first and second ends and a plunger head coupled to the first end. A second hollow tube includes a first end operatively coupled to the first end of the first tube, the first and second tubes being configured for telescoping movement between extended and retracted configurations. A snaking member is situated in the first and second tubes for movement between storing and operating configurations when the tubes are moved between extended and retracted configurations, respectively. A crank handle connected to the snaking member enables a user to rotate and extend the snake as needed. A plug is included for separating an inner tube area from an inner area of the plunger head and to prevent water spillage from the tubes.
US07765622B2

A replacement pad kit for use in an Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH) system helmet comprises a plurality of replacement pads for disposition within an ACH helmet. At least one of the replacement pads comprises a fabric layer for contacting the skin of a wearer, an anti-bacterial hydrophilic foam layer, a shock absorption SRF foam layer, and a hook and loop fastener material for engaging some of the plurality of pad receiving hook and loop type fasteners.
US07765615B2

A chest protector, in sports medicine, adapted for players of the athletic games, is light in weight and reasonably comfortable to wear. It will protect the heart and chest cavity area of players in such games as lacrosse, field hockey, and baseball. The chest protector includes a shirt, preferably of two-way stretch fabric, having a large front pocket across its chest area. A protector plate is positioned within the pocket. The protector plate is an assembly of molded layers, comprising inner-most and outer-most layers of plastic, preferably polyethylene sheets; a central layer of a high impact polymer pad, preferably a dry polyurethane gel; and two layers of high impact resistant fabric of high tensile strength fibers, preferably para-aramid fibers, with the polymer pad being sandwiched between the two layers of impact resistant fabric.
US07765613B2

A nursing assembly for use in nursing an infant is provided. The nursing assembly includes a blanket and a strap. The strap includes a first end and an opposite second end, a tightening mechanism slidably coupled to the strap, the tightening mechanism configured to adjust a length of the strap, and at least two coupling mechanisms coupled to the strap. A first of the at least two coupling mechanisms is coupled between the first end and the tightening mechanism, and a second of the at least two coupling mechanisms is coupled to the strap second end. The strap is removably coupled to the blanket using the at least two coupling mechanisms.
US07765611B2

A reversible and water resistant garment includes a first side comprising a fabric layer and a second side comprising a polymeric layer. The garment resembles a cape and may comprise a hood, wherein the hood may be integral with at least one of the two layers. The garment may include one or more fasteners to secure the garment closed. The garment has one or more openings for the wearer to pass an arm through.
US07765610B2

Embodiments of the invention relate to an athletic cup to direct forces away from soft tissue. In an embodiment, the athletic cup has a convex structure to direct a force associated with an impact to the athletic cup to a pelvic bone of a wearer and away from soft tissue of the wearer. In one embodiment, the athletic cup directs the force of an impact away from a penis, a scrotum, and a perineum of a wearer.
US07770228B2

Representing a number of assets on an originating computer begins with selecting the assets to be represented. Cryptographic hash asset identifiers are generated; each of the asset identifiers is computed using the contents of a particular asset. The asset identifier is a content-based or content-addressable asset name for the asset and is location independent. An asset list is generated that includes the asset identifiers computed from the assets. A cryptographic hash asset list identifier is generated that is computed from the asset list. The asset list identifier is stored for later retrieval. The amen selected are also stored for safekeeping either locally or on a computer network. In the event of loss of the files from the originating computer, the asset list identifier is retrieved. Using the asset list identifier, the original asset list is found and retrieved from its safe location.
US07770227B2

A right information management method for managing a right information of contents retained in a storage medium comprising an authenticated memory region accessible after a mutual authentication is obtained relative to a contents processing device and an ordinary memory region accessible without obtaining the mutual authentication, comprising a step of reading an encrypted right information retained in the authenticated memory region, a step of decoding the read encrypted right information and retrieving a plaintext right information, and a step of retaining the plaintext right information in the ordinary memory region. According to the right information management method, a user can be notified of the contents and the right information of the contents managed in the storage medium in a speedy manner via the contents processing device.
US07770214B2

An apparatus, system, and method for establishing a reusable and reconfigurable trusted connection within a trusted context. The invention enhances interoperability with any existing authentication methods including the Kerberos, the DCE, and a combination of a user name and a password. The present invention includes common interfaces in a database driver for a middleware server to obtain a trusted connection. The invention enhances trusted context interoperability by allowing different types of trusted connections such as a normal connection, a pooled connection, or even a distribution transaction connection. The database driver generates unique identifiable information once a trusted connection is authenticated that can be utilized to reuse and reconfigure the trusted connection without re-authentication. The present invention allows various types of trusted connections to be established through any authentication mechanisms and allows those trusted connections to be reused and reconfigured, even by a different client, in a fast and persistent way.
US07770212B2

This invention provides a privilege delegation mechanism, which allows a privilege and associated control attributes to be delegated from a security token to another security token or an intelligent device such as a computer system. The privilege may be in the form of an attribute certificate, a key component of a cryptographic key, a complete cryptographic key, digital certificate, digital right, license or loyalty credits. The purpose of the delegation is to allow another security token or computer system to act as a surrogate for the security token or to access a resource which requires components from both units before access is permitted. Attributes associated with the delegated privilege control the scope and use of the privilege. The delegation may allow the surrogate to perform authentications, access data or resources included on another security token or computer system. Authentications are performed prior to transferring of the delegable privileges.
US07770208B2

A computer-implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed for securing node port access in a switched-fabric storage area network. Permitted combinations of fabric port identifiers and node port identifiers are specified. A node port receives a request to access the node port. A node port identifier, which identifies the device that is attempting to access the node port, is determined from the request. A fabric port identifier is determined that identifies a fabric port through which the device transmitted the request. Access to the node port is granted if the fabric port identifier and node port identifier form a permitted combination.
US07770205B2

A device, such as a component or a peripheral, and corresponding computer are adapted to be bound such that the device will only operate with that computer after the binding process. Cryptographic messages are sent between the device and computer to confirm the relationship. When the device cannot confirm it is operating with the previously bound computer, the device reduces its own operating capability to render itself substantially useless until either unbound from that computer or a successful confirmation takes place. Methods for operation, binding and unbinding are also disclosed.
US07770200B2

Method and apparatus for optimizing network bandwidth utilization by delivering to users only the minimum number of programs required by service provider policies. In one embodiment, the method comprises switching some users from lower quality versions of programs to higher quality versions of the same programs, and removing those lower quality versions of programs from a given service group. In another embodiment, some users are switched from higher quality versions of programs to lower quality versions of those same programs, and the higher quality versions of programs removed from a given service group.
US07770190B2

A disk unit wherein a disk is inserted by a plurality of arms, the arms being able to convey two types of disks different in diameter while supporting an outer periphery edge of each of the disks. A disk is loaded to the interior of the disk unit by automatic loading, and a disk accommodated in the interior of the disk unit is unloaded to the exterior of the disk unit. The disk unit comprises a limit switch, the limit switch being actuated by an arm that is pressed by an outer periphery edge of a large diameter disk or a small diameter disk upon insertion of the disk from a slot of a bezel. The insertion of the large diameter disk or the small diameter disk is determined on the basis of the state of operation of the limit switch.
US07770187B2

An information processing system or a digital decoder (5) makes it possible to process data originating from at least one application (3), for example, by way of a bouquet of television programs, and comprises an operating system (1), a virtual machine (10) and an application manager (4) executing one or more variable management instruction sets (11) so as to influence the operating system (1) and the virtual machine (10) during the execution of the application.
US07770186B2

Various mechanisms are presented that allow for the coordination of transactions in a managed runtime environment. In one aspect, a runtime environment that is hosted in a database system, includes an application programming interface (API). The API can surface the database transactions as ambient transactions, and present them to some user code. When the user code connects to some remote resource, the ambient transaction can be implicitly propagated to the remoter resource, resulting in coordination of the database transaction with any given transaction running in the remote resource.
US07770184B2

A system and method that provides a JPeX client that opens up a socket on which it listens for connections from the local host. External applications on the desktop are able to connect to the server socket in the client and use XML to execute commands on the client.
US07770171B2

A plan executing apparatus includes: an executing unit that executes a plan which is a sequence of processes; a processing state retaining unit that retains a processing state of a target object of the plan; an execution information retaining unit that retains execution information which is information relating to execution of a plan in execution; an interrupt instruction accepting unit that accepts an interrupt instruction during execution of the plan; an interrupt information identifying unit that identifies interrupt information relating to execution of an interrupting plan, on accepting the interrupt instruction for the interrupting plan; and an interrupt possibility determining unit that determines whether the interrupting plan is to be executed or not based on the processing state, the execution information of the plan in execution, and the interrupt information.
US07770166B2

The present invention relates to forcibly downloading a program in a mobile communications terminal. Preferably, a memory of the terminal is divided into a boot binary region and a main binary region. A boot program and a main program of a binary program are then downloaded to the boot binary region and the main binary region, respectively. Whether the downloading of the binary program is successful or not is then recorded in a particular address of the memory. After, it is determined whether to enter a forcible download mode by checking a value of the particular address.
US07770165B2

A system for providing a firmware upgrade to a portable media device by comparing a version number of the firmware on the portable media device to the version number of an available firmware upgrade. The available firmware upgrade is provided by the manufacturer of the portable media device or some other trusted source and compiled in a firmware database. The firmware database is accessed when the portable media device is connected to the personal computing device. Additionally, a digital signature may be associated with a certified version of the media device firmware and used by a multimedia management application to verify the functionality of the portable media device.
US07770160B2

Described is a system and method for declaring a resource element in markup that is intended to be instantiated lazily only upon use at run-time rather than always at markup load time. In one embodiment, the invention provides a parent resources tag that encloses resource elements that may be any type of markup element. On compile, a specially prepared compiler/parser identifies the Resource tag and creates definitional information sufficient to describe the resource elements in such a manner that the resource elements are defined but not created at run-time when the markup is first loaded, and are created only upon use at run-time. A resource may be defined to be shared or non-shared. If shared, the resource is instantiated only once and that same instance is handed out each time the resource is accessed. If non-shared, a new instance of the resource is always created and handed out on each access of the resource.
US07770149B2

A framework registers the entry names of entry interfaces respectively included in modules. The framework acquires operation names (static entries) of operation interfaces included in the module by calling the entry interface based on the entry name. The framework calls the operation interfaces based on the operation names. And the module executes generation of the module itself to be connected to the framework, a process inherent in the module, and deletion of the module itself connected to the framework.
US07770147B1

A method for generating hardware description language source files is provided. The method includes extracting an input/output (I/O) list and building a port list declaration file from the I/O list. The method also includes building a default instantiation file according to renaming rules and interpreting coding constructs to determine both variable types and sizes. The method further includes generating a sensitivity list.
US07770141B2

A method for checking a design rule of layout and a computer readable recording medium for storing program thereof are provided. A layout comprising a plurality of layers is united so as to generate a flag layer to check the layout, through which any information about characters in the layout can be identified. Characters in the layout can be used in general command file to inspect the checking of the design rule for the purpose of saving time and manual effort.
US07770140B2

A test system or simulator includes an IC test application sampling software program that executes test application software on a semiconductor die IC design model. The test application sampling software includes trace, simulation point, CPI error, clustering and other programs. IC designers utilize the test application sampling software to evaluate the performance characteristics of IC designs with test software applications. The test application sampling software generates basic block vectors (BBVs) and fly-by vectors (FBVs) from instruction trace analysis of test application software. The test application sampling software analyzes microarchitecture dependent information that it uses to generate the FBVs. Test application sampling software generates a reduced representative test application software program from the BBV and FBV data utilizing an instruction budgeting method. Designers use the test system with test application sampling software to evaluate IC design models by using the representative test application software program.
US07770125B1

In an application that uses a graphical user interface, a technique for automatically grouping graphical constructs receives a selection of a graphical construct for placement within a group of graphical constructs within a graphical work area of a graphical user interface. The system detects an existing group of graphical constructs already defined in a group and graphically displays an automatic grouping indicator that identifies, to a user of the graphical user interface, that the selected graphical construct can be automatically grouped within the existing group. The system receives, from the user, a selection of the existing group of graphical constructs that has an automatic grouping indicator displayed, and in response, automatically groups the selected graphical construct into the selected existing group of graphical constructs that has an automatic grouping indicator displayed on the graphical user interface.
US07770116B2

A system that captures both whiteboard content and audio signals of a meeting using a digital camera and a microphone. The system can be retrofit to any existing whiteboard. It computes the time stamps of pen strokes on the whiteboard by analyzing the sequence of captured snapshots. It also automatically produces a set of key frames representing all the written content on the whiteboard before each erasure. The whiteboard content serves as a visual index to efficiently browse the audio meeting. The system not only captures the whiteboard content, but also helps the users to view and manage the captured meeting content efficiently and securely.
US07770111B2

A method and computer-readable medium are provided for optimized paragraph layout. According to the method, a line-by-line paragraph layout is generated determine a maximum penalty for a paragraph. One or more layout nodes may be generated that include data representing a possible layout of the paragraph to a point within a backing store and identifying any changes to a geometry of the page caused by the layout of the paragraph defined by the layout node. A penalty is also calculated for each of the layout nodes. Each layout node that has a penalty less than the maximum penalty calculated during the line-by-line formatting processing is added to the node pool. This process repeats until only a single layout node remains in the node pool that represents the entire paragraph of text.
US07770100B2

Generally described, embodiments of the present invention provide the ability to utilize dynamic thresholds and dynamic threshold values when generating variable formatting rules to be applied to a range of cells. Dynamic thresholds include, but are not limited to, “Highest Value,” “Middle Value,” “Lowest Value,” “Number,” “Percent,” “Percentile,” and “Formula.” When using a dynamic threshold, dynamic threshold values are determined based on values contained in a selected range of cells.
US07770093B2

Serial concatenated trellis coded modulation (SCTCM) includes an outer coder, an interleaver, a recursive inner coder and a mapping element. The outer coder receives data to be coded and produces outer coded data. The interleaver permutes the outer coded data to produce interleaved data. The recursive inner coder codes the interleaved data to produce inner coded data. The mapping element maps the inner coded data to a symbol. The recursive inner coder has a structure which facilitates iterative decoding of the symbols at a decoder system. The recursive inner coder and the mapping element are selected to maximize the effective free Euclidean distance of a trellis coded modulator formed from the recursive inner coder and the mapping element. The decoder system includes a demodulation unit, an inner SISO (soft-input soft-output) decoder, a deinterleaver, an outer SISO decoder, and an interleaver.
US07770091B2

Techniques for data compression are provided. A data compression technique may include selecting a symbol string, being one or more characters, that occurs within a data set, generating a symbol string code corresponding to respective positions of the symbol string within the data set, successively repeating the above procedure for any additional symbol strings that occur within the data set to produce any additional respective symbol string codes, and generating a compressed data code through combining the respective symbol string codes.
US07770084B2

An addressable interface selectively enables JTAG TAP domain operations or Trace domain operations within an IC. After being enabled, the TAP receives TMS and TDI input from a single data pin. After being enabled, the Trace domain acquires data from a functioning circuit within the IC in response to a first clock and outputs the acquired data from the IC in response to a second clock. An addressable two pin interface loads and updates instructions and data to a TAP domain within the IC. The instruction or data update operations in multiple ICs occur simultaneously. A process transmits data from an addressed target device to a controller using data frames, each data frame comprising a header bit and data bits. The logic level of the header bit is used to start, continue, and stop the data transmission to the controller. A data and clock signal interface between a controller and multiple target devices provides for each target device to be individually addressed and commanded to perform a JTAG or Trace operation. Trace circuitry within an IC can operate autonomously to store and output functional data occurring in the IC. The store and output operations of the trace circuitry are transparent to the functional operation of the IC. An auto-addressing RAM memory stores input data at an input address generated in response to an input clock, and outputs stored data from an output address generated in response to an output clock.
US07770083B2

A device test architecture and a reduced device test interface are provided to enable efficient testing of embedded cores and other circuits within devices. The reduced device test interface is achieved using a double data rate (DDR) signaling technique between the tester and the device. The DDR test interface allows the tester to interface to test circuits within the device, such as IEEE 1500 and/or IEEE 1149.1 test circuits, to provide high test data bandwidth to the test circuits using a minimum of test interface signals. The test architecture includes compare circuits that allow for comparison of test response data to be performed within the device. The test architecture further includes a memory for storing the results of the test response comparisons. The test architecture includes a programmable test controller to allow for various test control operations by simply inputting an instruction to the programmable test controller from the external tester. Additional features and embodiments of the device test architecture and reduced test interface are also disclosed.
US07770067B2

A method of correcting defects in a storage array of a microprocessor, such as a cache memory, by operating the microprocessor to carry out a functional test procedure which utilizes cache memory, collecting fault data in a trace array during the functional test procedure, identifying a location of the defect in the cache memory using the fault data, and repairing the defect by setting a fuse to reroute access requests for the location to a redundant array. The fault data may include an error syndrome and a failing address. The functional test procedure creates random cache access sequences that cause varying loads of traffic in the cache memory using a test pattern based on a random seed. The functional test procedure may be carried out after completion of a nonfunctional, built-in self test of the microprocessor which sets some of the fuses.
US07770063B2

Failure recovery within clustered systems is simulated. For each of a number of failure conditions for an initial state of a number of computing elements of a computerized system, a failure state of the computing elements is generated that corresponds to the failure condition and that is based on the initial state of the computing elements. A failure condition may include one or more hardware and/or software failures. For each failure state of the computing elements, a recovery state is then generated, or simulated, for the computing elements, based on the failure state and the initial state of the computing elements and on a number of recovery rules for the computing elements. Each recovery state is then output for subsequent analysis, where such analysis may be either with human interaction, or automatically and without human interaction.
US07770055B2

A method and system for quickly informing a backup unit that a primary unit has failed. Normally an exception handler is activated when a software failure occurs and network controller chips or the ASIC interface to a signal bus can operate even though there is a software failure. A software failure notification packet is programmed and stored in a location that is not affected by a software system failure. When a software failure occurs, control is shifted to the exception handler. The exception handler sends a pre-established and pre-addressed packet to the network controller card which transmits this packet to the backup unit. Upon receipt of the packet, the backup unit goes into operation. In some alternate embodiments that include multiple line cards in a single unit, the exception handler sends a signal to a backup unit via a signal bus or a data bus.
US07770050B2

Methods and systems for resolving clock management issues in emulation of a target system on a host system are disclosed. A first set of code instructions of a target program is interpreted to generate interpreted code instructions that emulate a first component on the host system. A second set of code instructions is translated to generate translated code instructions that emulate a second component of the target system on the host system. The interpreted instructions, are executed based on a first clock (which may be a fixed clock) and the translated instructions are executed based on a second clock (which may be a variable clock). The host system adjusts the first or second clock, execution of the translated or interpreted instructions or a memory access to maintain a desired synchronization between the translated instructions and the interpreted instructions.
US07770045B2

A method for operating cooperating, differing devices, particularly of a plant, with different controls controlling the control sequences and in particular with different control cycles, is characterized in that the clocks (IPOi) of the different controls (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) are interpolated on a common system clock (tTick) and that the control sequences are synchronized. An apparatus suitable for performing the inventive method correspondingly has at least one common interpolating device (5.3) for the controls (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) for interpolating the cycles (IPOi) of the different controls (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) on a common system clock (tTick) and at least one synchronizing device (5) for synchronizing the control sequences.
US07770041B2

In an electronic device with a serial ATA interface, upon detection of the issue or reception of a preset command, a confirmation device, such as a CPU, confirms the completion of execution of the command. Upon confirming the completion of execution of the command, a controller, which may also be the CPU, controls shifting of the serial ATA interface to a power saving mode.
US07770033B2

A variable function assembly having a power source, a computer coupled to the power source and including a power switch for allowing operative power to be provided to the computer when in an “on” position and for terminating operative power to the computer when in an “off” position, and a variable function device (e.g. a device having a microprocessor) having a generally fixed circuitry and receiving operative power from the computer when the power switch is in the “off” position. The variable function assembly also has at least one module coupled to the generally fixed circuitry so that the variable function device may provide at least one function. A method of providing a function in a variable-function device. The method comprises providing a variable-function device, transmitting operative power from a function-producing device (e.g. a computer) to the variable-function device when the function-producing device is in an “off” mode, removing a function (e.g. a computer function) from the function-producing device, and providing the removed function in the variable-function device.
US07770027B2

A semiconductor memory includes a memory control section and a memory core section. A command judgment circuit in the memory control section changes the operating mode of the semiconductor memory in response to a command sent from a controller of an information processing apparatus. In a first mode, a decryption process is performed in a command decryption circuit, and data outputted from the memory core section is not scrambled. In a second mode, the decryption process is not performed in the command decryption circuit, and the command outputted from the memory core section is scrambled.
US07770026B2

An information processing device, which generates a document and performs encryption thereof, the information processing device includes an encryption processing section that generates an encrypted document through a document encryption processing using an encryption key, an encoding processing section that generates code data including a decryption key for decrypting the encrypted document and an ID, which serves as index data of the encrypted document, a document creating section that generates a code-recorded document, in which the code data is recorded, and a communication section that transmits the encrypted document and the ID to a server.
US07770019B2

Essentially coincident with the capture of an image by the imaging device, biometric information indicating the identity of the operator of the device is obtained from at least one biometric sensor. The biometric information and captured image are then stored in a manner reliably associating each with the other. At a later time, biometric information is obtained from a supposed operator of the imaging device. By comparing this candidate biometric information with the stored biometric information, the supposed operator may be authenticated as the operator of the imaging device at the time of capture of the stored image.
US07770016B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for embedding information in software and/or other electronic content such that the information is difficult for an unauthorized party to detect, remove, insert, forge, and/or corrupt. The embedded information can be used to protect electronic content by identifying the content's source, thus enabling unauthorized copies or derivatives to be reliably traced, and thus facilitating effective legal recourse by the content owner. Systems and methods are also disclosed for protecting, detecting, removing, and decoding information embedded in electronic content, and for using the embedded information to protect software or other media from unauthorized analysis, attack, and/or modification.
US07770015B1

Digitally signing data for multiple encodings is disclosed. A first signature of the data is generated. A second signature of a second encoding of the data is generated. The first signature and the second signature are associated with the signed data.
US07770014B2

Techniques are disclosed to provide randomized signal transforms and/or their applications. More particularly, a signal (e.g., an audio signal, an image, or a video signal) is transformed by applying randomly-selected basis functions to the signal. The applications of the randomized signal transforms include, but are not limited to, compression, denoising, hashing, identification, authentication, and data embedding (e.g., watermarking).
US07770000B2

Method and device for verifying the security of a computing platform. In the method for verifying the security of a computing platform a verification machine is first transmitting a verification request via an integrity verification component to the platform. Then the platform is generating by means of a trusted platform module a verification result depending on binaries loaded on the platform, and is transmitting it to the integrity verification component. Afterwards, the integrity verification component is determining with the received verification result the security properties of the platform and transmits them to the verification machine. Finally, the verification machine is determining whether the determined security properties comply with desired security properties.
US07769992B2

A system and method for enabling access to user-level data is described. One embodiment includes accessing user-level data associated with a kernel-level function using a portable executable (PE) file. The user-level data is accessed during a boot-time of a computer. In this embodiment, the PE file is also accessed using the computer.
US07769991B2

There is provided a method and apparatus for executing an anti_virus application on a mobile communications device. A memory card for coupled to a mobile communications device, and a boot sequence is initiated on the mobile communications device. Prior to completion of the boot sequence, a Symbian recognizer is loaded to the communications device from the memory card. The loaded Symbian recognizer is executed on the mobile communications device to automatically execute an anti-virus application, the anti-virus application also being stored on the memory card.
US07769988B1

A method of integrating a personal computing system and apparatus thereof include processing that begins by integrating a central processing unit with a North bridge on a single substrate such that the central processing unit is directly coupled to the North bridge via an internal bus. The processing then continues by providing memory access requests from the central processing unit to the North bridge at a rate of the central processing unit. The processing continues by having the North bridge buffer the memory access request and subsequently process the memory access requests at a rate of the memory. The method may be expanded by integrating a South bridge onto the same substrate as well as integrating system memory onto the same substrate.
US07769985B2

The present invention provides for a method for a load address dependency mechanism in a high frequency, low power processor. A load instruction corresponding to a memory address is received. At least one unexecuted preceding instruction corresponding to the memory address is identified. The load instruction is stored in a miss queue. And the load instruction is tagged as a local miss.
US07769984B2

A dual-issue instruction is decoded to determine a plurality of LSU dependencies needed by an LSU part of the dual-issue instruction and a plurality of non-LSU dependencies needed by a non-LSU part of the dual-issue instruction. During dispatch of the dual-issue instruction by the microprocessor, the dual dependency matrices are employed as follows: a Load-Store Unit (LSU) dependency matrix is written with the plurality of LSU dependencies and a non-LSU dependency matrix is written with the plurality of non-LSU dependencies; an LSU issue valid (LSU IV) indicator is set as valid to issue; an LSU portion of the dual-issue instruction is issued once the plurality of LSU dependencies of the dual issue instruction are satisfied; a non-LSU issue valid (non-LSU IV) indicator is set as valid to issue; and a non-LSU portion of the dual-issue instruction is issued once the plurality of non-LSU dependencies of the dual issue instruction are satisfied. The LSU dependency matrix and the non-LSU dependency matrix can then be notified that one or more instructions dependent upon the dual-issue instruction may now issue.
US07769976B2

A method of runtime analysis of a computer program can include detecting allocations of virtual memory regions during runtime of the computer program. An entry can be created in a list of existing virtual memory regions for each allocation of a virtual memory region during runtime. The list can be updated, during runtime, according to usage of the virtual memory regions. Virtual memory regions allocated to, but not used by, the computer program can be indicated according to the list.
US07769973B2

A method for deinterleaving a sequence of interleaved data stored in a set of memory locations from a first order to a second order in-place of a memory with linear time. Two data items are withdrawn from the center of the sequence, creating a hole therein. Destination positions for said withdrawn data items are determined. It is determined whether the destination positions contain any data items. If so, the data items of said destination positions are replaced with the withdrawn data items, and second destination positions are determined for the data items withdrawn from the first destination positions. Otherwise, the first data items are inserted at the destination positions directly. If a data item is inserted at the hole of the sequence before the sequence is properly deinterleaved, an incorrect positioned data item is determined and repositioned. The repositioning sequence is repeated until all data items are correctly positioned.
US07769970B1

A unified memory controller (UMC) is disclosed. The UMC may be used in a digital television (DTV) receiver. The UMC allows the DTV receiver to use a unified memory. The UMC accepts memory requests from various clients, and determines which requests should receive priority access to the unified memory.
US07769966B2

A method of judging a validity of data included using a check code included in the data, generates a final computation result of the check code of 1 data block using data in a last frame of this data block. The final computation result is compared with the check code of the data block, and information instructing the processing of data having a specific group identifier to be skipped is set if an error in the data having the specific group identifier is detected before the comparing of the check code. If this information is set, the computation of the check code of the data having the specific group identifier is skipped.
US07769964B2

A technique to filter regions of memory. More particularly, at least one embodiment of the invention relates to a technique to detect and filter accesses or information pertaining to a memory access in a computer system.
US07769953B2

A customizable cache discard policy is provided which reduces adverse consequences of conventional discard policies. In a data processing system, a cache controller invokes a cache data discard policy as the cache approaches its capacity. Using one possible policy, data having the shortest retrieval (fetch) time is discarded before data having longer retrieval times. In an alternative policy, data may be discarded based upon its source. Weightings may be applied based upon the distance from each source to the cache, may be based upon priorities assigned to each source, or may be based upon the type of each source.
US07769934B1

Methods and apparatus are provided for providing a first master component with access to a first slave component while a second master component is accessing a second slave component in a system. The system may include a processor core and peripherals implemented on an integrated circuit. A slave side arbitrator corresponding to a single slave component and coupled to multiple master components can be used to provide a master component access to a slave component.
US07769929B1

Methods and apparatus are provided for allowing interconnection between ports associated with primary and secondary components in an embedded system. Ports may only support a particular bus type or set of attributes and a variety of ports may be incompatible. Bus types include Peripheral Components Interface (PCI) and Advanced Microcontroller Bus Architecture (AMBA) while attributes include bursting, non-bursting, word-wide, byte-wide, etc. Port adapters components are automatically selected from a library of port adapter components to allow connection of incompatible ports. Port adapters can be shared, chained, and intelligently selected for increased efficiency.
US07769924B2

A method and apparatus for low latency transport of signals. In some embodiments a method may include providing a buffer controller between two consecutive signal transmission processes between a host and a client to synchronize a write from a first of the two consecutive signal transmission processes and a read to a second of the of the two consecutive signal transmission processes, wherein the buffer controller includes a first buffer, a second buffer, and a first status list and a second status list that each provide an association status of the first buffer and the second buffer.
US07769912B2

A software-defined radio (SDR) system comprising: 1) a reconfigurable baseband subsystem for supporting a plurality of wireless communication standards comprising a first plurality of reconfigurable context-based operation instruction set processors; and 2) a reconfigurable application subsystem for supporting a plurality of end-user applications comprising a second plurality of reconfigurable context-based operation instruction set processors.Each of the first and second pluralities of reconfigurable context-based operation instruction set processors comprises: i) a reconfigurable data path comprising a plurality of reconfigurable functional blocks; and ii) a programmable finite state machine that controls the reconfigurable data path, wherein the programmable finite state machine is capable of executing a plurality of instructions associated with a particular function.
US07769911B2

A data reading method includes the steps of: a reading request issuing step of issuing a reading request for reading predetermined stored data; and a reading request re-issuing step of re-issuing a reading request when read data responsive to the reading request has not arrived within a predetermined time period, wherein: in the reading request re-issuing step, a flag is attached to the re-reading request, and thus, the re-reading request is differed from the first issued reading request.
US07769910B2

The present invention provides apparatus, systems and methods for activity-based control of multiple consumer electronic devices independent of a state of the consumer electronic devices. In an embodiment a remote control apparatus for controlling consumer electronic devices includes a user interface, a consumer electronic device interface, a transition-based controller and control logic. The transition-based controller generates transition commands to control multiple consumer electronic devices independent of keeping track of state information. A transition command includes a pre-defined sequence of consumer electronic device commands that can be transmitted to transition the consumer electronic devices from one user experience to another. A method for activity-based control of multiple consumer electronic devices independent of a state of the consumer electronic devices is also provided.
US07769907B2

A system for powerline networking. The system has an external data source, which is derived from a world wide networks of computers. A router is coupled to the external data source and coupled to a first datasource connection. A powerline network switch apparatus is coupled to the first datasource connection. The apparatus has a second datasource connection, which is coupled to the first data source connection. The apparatus has a powerline device coupled to the second datasource connection. The powerline device is adapted to receive and transmit information in a first format from the second data source connection and adapted to receive and transmit information in a second format. The apparatus has a virtual local area network device including a first input/output port and a plurality of second input/output ports. Each of the second input/output ports is numbered from 1 through N, where N is an integer greater than 1.
US07769887B1

Systems and methods are discussed for providing multiple network interfaces to devices to communicate with each other using various policies, for using a proxy to maintain a connection with a legacy system such that a data connection to the legacy system may be continued when an end device connects with the proxy, and for maintaining application states when devices become disconnected such that their activities may be resumed when reconnected.
US07769885B1

The liveness of routing protocols can be determined using a mechanism to aggregate liveness information for the protocols. The ability of an interface to send and receive packets and the forwarding capability of an interface can also be determined using this mechanism. Since liveness information for multiple protocols, the liveness of interfaces, the forwarding capability of interfaces, or both, may be aggregated in a message, the message can be sent more often than could individual messages for each of the multiple protocols. This allows fast detection of failures, and sending connectivity messages for the individual protocols, such as neighbor “hellos,” to be sent less often.
US07769879B2

This invention relates to a method for producing and/or processing a data stream description. According to said method, the data stream description is used to write and/or reference and/or classify sections of a data stream and the data stream description can be transformed by means of a processor using a transformation, the transformed data stream description allowing an adaptation of the data stream. The inventive method is characterized in that one or more sections of a data stream description are marked as processing units, a processing unit containing all information from the data stream description that is required for the transformation of the processing unit by means of the processor into a transformed processing unit. An access to sections of the data stream description outside the processing unit is not required for transformation.
US07769877B2

The WS-Mobile Gateway is the interworking gateway between users of a mobile network and a WS extranet. The mobile gateway comprises a mobile end-user interface on the side of the mobile network, for user authentication and for separating the web services (WS) traffic from the non-WS traffic. A logic unit performs protocol conversion, address resolution, policy enforcement/definition and publishing operations on the WS traffic. An extranet interface processor routes the WS packets carrying control messages between the gateway and a WS controller which maintains the services registry, while the WS packets carrying data are routed between the mobile gateway and the WS provider.
US07769873B1

Techniques are described for dynamically inserting filters into a forwarding path of a router in response to a received filter description. For example, a first router may receive a generic filter description, and process the generic filter description to generate machine instructions executable by forwarding hardware. The forwarding hardware, which may be a forwarding engine or an interface card, executes the machine instructions to implement the dynamic filter. The router, for instance, may filter packet flows of a device sourcing a network disturbance, such as a denial of service (DoS) attack by applying the dynamic filter to the packet flows. The router may further forward the filter description to neighboring routers to filter the packet flows closer to the source.
US07769872B2

A gateway apparatus including a gateway function conforming to the ITU-T recommendation T.38 is provided. The gateway apparatus can be connected to both of an analog public network and an IP network, and the gateway apparatus includes a signal blocking part that does not pass a received T.30 facsimile non-standard signal through the gateway apparatus.
US07769868B2

A method and system are disclosed. The method includes receiving a first request from a user at a dispatcher that corresponds to a first transaction. The method further includes creating at the dispatcher a unique identifier that is associated with the user. The unique identifier is based on data that is received from the user. A server is then assigned to the first request by adding an entry to a mapping table that is maintained by the dispatcher. The unique identifier is then associated with the assigned server.
US07769866B2

A middle layer network protocol enhancement, virtual connectivity (VC) makes the network attachment point changes of local and remote peers transparent to applications that use network services. A virtual connectivity module local to each peer translates communication connection parameters from apparent to real and vice versa, as well as sending and receiving secure connection updates directly to and from peers. Unlike Mobile IP, no routing infrastructure modifications are required. A subscribe-notify service provides connection update notifications when direct peer-to-peer connection updates are not possible, for example, when two communicating peers move simultaneously or when the moving peer is communicating with a peer behind network address translation (NAT). Methods for detecting these conditions are disclosed, as is a virtual connectivity protocol and virtual connectivity module architecture.
US07769861B2

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for provisioning storage resources according to a modeling policy. The modeling apparatus includes a monitoring module, a policy module, and a provisioning module. The monitoring module monitors the storage resources on the storage system. The policy module stores and maintains storage management, storage provisioning, and storage resource modeling policies. A user may access and specify these policies via a specification module. The provisioning module automatically provisions new storage resources, such as logical unit numbers (LUNs) according to the storage provisioning policies and modeling policies. The modeling policy defines a modeling strategy by which new storage resources are provisioned to include some or all of the attributes of a model storage resource.
US07769859B1

Controlling access to managed objects associated with a networked device. A method comprises receiving a request from a principal for access to a managed object associated with the networked device. The managed objects are accessible based on membership in access groups that are compliant with a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). A first and a second of the access groups associated with the principal are determined. Access privileges for the principal are determined, based on the first and the second access groups. Access to the managed object is granted if permitted based on the access privileges for the principal.
US07769857B2

A smart client-server power control apparatus is disclosed, which comprises: a micro process unit, for signal and operation control; a communication unit, capable of receiving commands from a user for enabling the user to direct electric products connected to a server jack or/and client jacks of the smart client-server power control apparatus to enter/exit a stand-by mode; a detection unit, capable of detecting the power consumption of a first electric product connected to the server jack while informing the micro process unit to perform a stand-by process as soon as the detected power consumption is lower than a specific rated value; and a control unit, for executing the activating/deactivating of the server jack and client jacks according to signals received from the micro process unit.
US07769849B2

The present invention is directed to a method and system for detecting component level changes in a storage area network during power off state is provided. Storage profile changes may be utilized for monitoring components during a power cycle period of a storage array system coupled to a SAN. During the power on state of the storage array system, a storage profile (an on-power-storage profile) is collected and time stamped after predefined set of trigger points. Another storage profile (an off-power-storage profile) of the same storage array system may be collected immediately after a power cycle. The two versions of the storage profiles are compared immediately after the off-power-storage profile is created to determine whether the predetermined condition happened. A delta file may be generated after the comparison of the two versions of storage profiles. Each detected conditions may be logged in a log file of the storage array system.
US07769848B2

Under the present invention, a wireless sensor network comprising a plurality of peer to peer nodes is provided. Each node in the network includes, among other things, a sensor for detecting environmental factors. When a potential failure is detected within a node, the node will query its neighboring nodes to determine whether they have the capability to store any data component(s) currently stored within the potentially failing node. Based on the querying, the data component(s) in the potentially failing node are copied to one or more of the neighboring nodes. Thereafter, details of the copying can be broadcast to other nodes in the network, and any routing tables that identify the locations of data components stored throughout the wireless sensor network can be updated.
US07769842B2

Some of the embodiments disclosed are systems and methods of configuring an access masking structure which include, but are not limited to, selecting at least one computer to participate in an access restriction set, selecting at least one storage unit to participate in the access restriction set, disabling all non-selected computers, disabling all non-selected storage units and placing the access masking structure into learn mode. This method also comprises booting the computer, detecting activity between the selected computers and the selected storage units, and automatically building the access restriction set based upon the detected computers and storage units while the access masking structure is in the learn mode.
US07769836B2

A method and apparatus for updating the system configuration settings of a computer system. Embodiments include a remote system configuration system that enables a user to update the system configuration of a target machine from a server machine over a network or similar communications system. Another embodiment includes a system configuration method using a bus master device to write system configuration data into a target computer system.
US07769831B2

The present invention is directed to a system and method for SAS PHY dynamic configuration which allows for attaching SAS devices having various width ports. Each PHY is configured to be a narrow port internally to the controller while PHYs for the attached device is configured to be a wide port externally to the controller. As such, new SAS devices may be attached without any external controller intervention to reconfigure PHYs to match the new SAS devices. The present invention may allow for the flexibility of designing a single initiator solution that can adapt to any number of SAS devices with any number of port widths. Additionally, the present invention allows for a single product to be released that can automatically adjust to a broad range of SAS solutions and SAS topologies.
US07769823B2

A method and system for caching content, such as content requested from a server on the World Wide Web. Requests for dynamic content are forwarded directly to a content server to avoid caching data that might only be used once. Requests for static content are forwarded to a hot or a regular cache depending on the frequency at which the content is requested. When a hot cache does not contain the content, it forwards the request to the forwarder which then forwards the request to a regular cache. When the regular cache does not contain the content, it requests the content from the forwarder which then forwards the request to a content server. There may be more than two layers of cache.
US07769815B2

The disclosure describes systems and methods for determining spam. A spam detecting system identifies potential spam messages by checking the relationship between a sender of a message and a recipient of the message. The spam detecting system identifies the relationship between the sender and recipient as ‘unknown’ or ‘trusted’. If the message is ‘trusted’, the message is transmitted accordingly to the recipient. If the message is classified as ‘unknown’, then the message is analyzed in view of other identified potential spam messages where a count is tallied against a threshold value to keep track of the probability a message is spam.
US07769813B2

An email transmission apparatus operates to reduce mis-transmission of an email even if a mistake occurs in the check of a destination address. The email transmission apparatus for transmitting a mail to an address designated as a destination includes a counter for counting return mails which were returned with the designated address as a source in response to transmitted mails. The email transmission apparatus further includes a judging function to obtain, from the counter, a receipt frequency of the return mail with a designated address of a mail to be newly transmitted as a source, and to then judges whether the designated address is an address which may cause mis-transmission on the basis of the receipt frequency. Also provided is a notification function that is responsive to the designated address being judged to be an address which may cause mis-transmission. The counter includes a receipt frequency information database for recording a receipt frequency of the past return mails. The judging function determines that the designated address is an address which may cause mis-transmission when the receipt frequency of the return mails is lower than a predetermined threshold value.
US07769801B2

In order to cause a management server to execute a process desired by a user and to be shared by a plurality of users, an image processing apparatus capable of communicating with the management server includes a scanner inputting image data, an authentication information input unit inputting information necessary for authenticating a user, an authentication information send unit for transmitting the input authentication information to the management server, an additional function list receiver receiving from the management server, in response to the transmission of the authentication information, an additional function list for specifying an additional function registered in association with the user among the additional functions executed by the management server, an additional function selector accepting designation of the additional function, and an additional function select information transmitter transmitting the specified additional function and the input image data to the management server.
US07769798B2

Analog iterative decoders are provided that are based on the so-called min-sum algorithm (also referred to as max-sum or max-product, Max-Log-MAP or BP-based decoding) and can be used to decode powerful coding schemes such as low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes and turbo codes. The circuits can be implemented by standard CMOS technology, which means lower fabrication cost and/or simpler design compared to previously reported analog iterative decoders that are based on BiCMOS or sub-threshold CMOS technology. Soft information is passed among variable nodes and parity-check nodes. A low-voltage high-swing Max WTA circuit is also provided. The circuit can be implemented by short channel MOSFET transistors and yet provide a reasonably high degree of accuracy. Applications include soft computing, and analog signal processing, in general. A Min WTA circuit can also be built based on this circuit by subtracting the input currents from a large reference current.
US07769790B2

The following are saved as a first dataset in a first order: basic information and a plurality of elements containing information during the decoding process. Details about the position of the elements in the first dataset are saved as a second dataset. Information about the conversion of the order of the elements from the first order into a second order is also available.
US07769788B2

In a method of constructing an Aho-Corasick tree, tree is constructed in a general depth first manner, one string at a time. Preferably during the construction of the string, after each node is added, failure links or extended failure links from that node to other nodes are added and failure links to nodes in the newly inserted branch are re-updated.
US07769779B2

A silo-specific view of the file system is provided to processes running in the silo. Processes can access a file only by uttering the silo-relative name. To determine if access to a file identified by a file ID should be permitted, a list of physical names of the file identified by the file ID is constructed. If a silo-relative name that translates to a name in the list can be uttered, the file is opened and the file ID for the opened file is retrieved. If the file IDs match, the silo-relative name is used to open the file. If a process running within a silo requests a list of names for a file that has been opened using a file ID, results returned are filtered so that only names visible in the silo are returned, thus restricting the process' access to files to those files within its hierarchical namespace.
US07769778B2

Systems, methods, and software determine whether a field of an input digital representation of information, such as the street name field in an address, is correct by quickly comparing the field to a list of valid choices for that field. The list of valid choices is generated based on information from the input digital representation, such as a character string. If an exact match is not found, a fuzzy match comparison determines the most closely matching valid choice. If a suitable fuzzy match is not found, then the input information is invalid. Otherwise, another field of the input information, such as the building number field of an address, is tested for validity. If the second field passes the validity check, then the fuzzy match (or exact match) for the field is valid. A fuzzy matching field may replace the input field, thereby correcting the input information.
US07769777B2

An apparatus and method of identifying an unknown word based on a known meaning, or word identification system. The word identification system allows a user that knows the meaning of a word but cannot recall the word that corresponds to the known meaning to identify the word through a series of simple questions. Each of the questions elicits information known about the unknown word through the knowledge of the meaning of the word and its use in language. With each response, the number of words matching the definitional characteristics is reduced until a set of one or more probable words and definitions for the unknown word is finally presented to the user.
US07769772B2

A Mixed Media Reality (MMR) system associated techniques are disclosed. The MMR system provides mechanisms for forming a mixed media document that includes media of at least two types (e.g., printed paper as a first medium and digital content as a second medium. The MMR system of the present invention provides mechanisms for forming a mixed media document that includes media of at least two types, such as printed paper as a first medium and a digital photograph, digital movie, digital audio file, or web link as a second medium. The present invention also includes a number of novel methods including: a method for layout independent MMR recognition, a strip fragment candidate generation process, and a page candidate accumulation process.
US07769770B2

Pursuant to receipt of a data modification command or statement, such as an Update command, it is determined which fields in a data structure, such as a UDT, computed column, indexed view, or index, for example, will be changed as a result of the command. Only those fields that are affected by the command will be changed. Thus, changes are propagated to only to those dependent data structures whose content is being modified. Tree representations are used to facilitate the determination as to whether a subfield in a hierarchy is changed.
US07769761B2

An information processing apparatus includes an extraction unit configured to extract sequentially in time, keywords from multiple character strings, and a similarity calculation unit configured to calculate similarity values of the extracted keywords included in adjacent first regions of the multiple character strings, each first region including a predefined part of the multiple character strings.
US07769754B2

Systems and methods for storing and accessing data. A relation store may be used to store algebraic relations between data sets. Alternative collections of algebraic relations may be generated and evaluated to determine an optimized collection of algebraic relations to use in calculating and providing a requested data set. Optimization criteria may be based on an estimate of the amount of data required to be transferred and/or the amount of time required to transfer data sets from storage in order to calculate the collection of algebraic relations. The optimization criteria may distinguish among equivalent data sets containing the same logical data in different physical formats or in different locations. The optimization may be performed using the algebraic relations rather than retrieving underlying data sets from storage. As a result, optimization may be performed at processor speeds to minimize the amount of time required for data to be retrieved.
US07769753B2

A data retrieval system includes a retrieval request block for generating a retrieval key including a current state number and a current character string including N characters latched from an input character string, and a state transition memory operating for retrieval based on a state transition table. The state transition table includes a plurality of input entries each including a combination of a current state number and a character pattern string having N characters, and a plurality of output entries each including combination of a next state number and a pattern number of a character pattern retrieved from the input character string. The state transition memory operates for a plurality of retrievals in parallel retrieval processing.
US07769750B2

A system supplies links between objects. A link service receives a hypermedia link request from a client. The hypermedia request identifies a source object. A link provider analyzes association metadata and creates hypermedia links between the source object and associated objects identified from the metadata.
US07769746B2

Computer-implemented methods and systems for processing user entered query data to improve results of a search of pages using a local search database are provided, when searching the internet. The method includes receiving the user entered query data and parsing each word of the query data and examining each word to determine if the word is associated with one of a business name, a city name or a state name. The examining uses probabilistic dictionaries to determine a likelihood that the word is for a particular term or intent. The method further includes normalizing each of the tagged business terms. The normalizing includes boosting information if found in the local search database and determining proximity between selected ones of the tagged terms. Then, generating an optimized internal search query that incorporates constraints and ranking based on at least the boosting information and the determined proximity between the selected tagged terms. The optimized internal search query is applied to the internet to enable search results to be produced and displayed to the user in response to the entered query data.
US07769741B2

An integrated searching/browsing mechanism employs user-constructed information hierarchies that represent a cognitive framework for the organization of information. The hierarchies are independent of the information itself. This feature permits them to be shared among multiple users, and applied to any of a variety of different sources of information. The hierarchical organization that is provided by the framework gives the user the ability to browse around any available document database in a manner that is intuitive to the user. Two or more hierarchies can be combined to locate documents which match the criteria of both hierarchies, and thereby refine search results to an appropriate level. A relevance feedback mechanism further enhances the browsing experience, by concentrating the search results in areas that are most relevant to documents selected as being of particular interest.
US07769737B2

A method and system to protect users against potentially fraudulent activities associated with spoof web sites are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, the URL of a document downloaded via a web browser client is compared to the URLs in a list of URLs for known spoof sites. If the URL for the downloaded document is found in the list of URLs for known spoof sites, a security indicator is displayed to the user to indicate to the user that the downloaded document is associated with a known spoof site. According to another aspect of the invention, a security server maintains a master black list and periodically communicates updates of the master black list to the local list of a client security application.
US07769723B2

A system and method provides continuous data protection using checkpoints in a write anywhere file system. During a consistency point of a write anywhere file system, freed blocks are identified and are appended to a delete log for retention. A consistency point log is updated with a new entry associated with the consistency point. If the file system needs to retrieve its state at a particular point in time, the stored blocks of the delete log may be recovered.
US07769722B1

A data storage server is programmed for management, version control, and scheduling of replication of multiple types of data storage objects including iSCSI LUNs and file systems. The version control determines if two data storage objects are the same or have a common base so that only a difference needs to be transmitted for replication or restoration. A replication job may specify a “one-to-many” replication or a cascaded replication, and any snapshot retention policy is propagated during a cascaded replication. Concurrent replication sessions to the same destination are paced in accordance with respective allocation shares of the reception bandwidth. File handle information is replicated so that a file handle issued by a primary data storage server can be used for accessing a replicated file in a secondary data storage server.
US07769721B2

To ensure the consistency of data included in blocks which have already been received and has already been remote-copied, on a file basis, in a destination NAS system, when remote copy has failed due to a failure which has occurred in a source NAS system, there is provided a method in which: a source NAS system transmits a correspondence between an updated block and a file, to a destination NAS system when remote copy is started; the destination NAS system records a remote copy state for each block; a management server refers to the information recorded by the destination NAS system and selects files from which all the update blocks have been received, when remote copy has failed due to a failure which has occurred in the source NAS system; and the destination NAS system stores data included in the update blocks of the files selected by the management server.
US07769712B2

The present invention relates generally to the field of self-validating documents in supply chain management, documentation services and method for creating the same.
US07769706B2

It is an object of the present invention to find out parts to be a highly possible cause of failure without searching all of part data of all of products. Dispersed parts data on a parts tree are sequentially accessed from a set of known failed products, and part attribute values each having a higher support in the faulty product are extracted. In this process, a subset of parts used in the faulty product is also obtained simultaneously. The part attribute values having higher supports and the subset of parts used in the faulty product are represented as a tree in which a parts type serves as a node. Next, an information gain of a rule that having the two part attribute values is a cause of failure is calculated on two part attribute values having higher supports on the tree of the parts type. This calculation is locally performed on a common parent part of two parts and parts having a certain information gain is outputted as a cause of failure. How to select these two part attributes is performed in such a way that part attributes located closer to each other on the tree are first evaluated, and first found part attributes are made a candidate of a cause of failure.
US07769704B2

The present disclosure includes a system and method for learning (or discovering and extracting) business knowledge from a collection of source code. The collection of source code is abstracted to generate an abstracted data stream, which is then transformed to an Extensible Markup Language (XML) format. The transformed data in XML format can be further converted to target formats or processed to satisfy different needs such as software system documentation, migration, impact analysis and security analysis. The disclosure also includes an implementation and operation for a pattern abstraction engine configured to receive an input data stream and format it for abstraction into a standard format using a pattern matching mechanism. The disclosure also includes an implementation and operation for a contextual pattern decoder engine configured to extract knowledge attributes and contextual taxonomy from classified blocks of an input data stream.
US07769699B2

An apparatus for managing inter-personal activities to facilitate matchmaking between single individuals, by instructing each individual what to do and with whom during a series of game sessions. Singles join a forum in which a plurality of activities contained in a database are individually assigned to participants, who confidentially express their preferences for specific activities and for other participants with whom to conduct activities. Expressed preferences are not disclosed to other individuals, but are input to a secure computer system that assigns the activities. Participants' wish-lists influence assignments made by the computer, and random factors provide variety and protect privacy by obscuring the effect of the wish-lists. After each assignment, participants can update their wish-list to affect further assignments.
US07769696B2

An information storing apparatus for judging who requests personal information and for setting an access level for the personal information for the requester. The information storing apparatus includes: a personal information storing section storing thereon the personal information which is to be disclosed to predetermined accessible persons; an accessible person information storing section storing thereon accessible person characteristic information indicating a physical characteristic of each of the plurality of accessible persons; a requester authentication section for receiving requester characteristic information indicating a physical characteristic of a requester who requests the personal information, and for performing authentication processing of the requester using the requester characteristic information and the accessible person characteristic information stored on the accessible person information storing section; an access level setting section for setting an access level, which is a level of the personal information to be disclosed to the requester, when the requester authentication section authenticates the requester as the accessible person; and a personal information output section for outputting a part of the personal information stored on the personal information storing section to the requester in accordance with the access level set-up by the access level setting section.
US07769695B2

A system and method of providing users with an accessible system and convenient method for conducting purchase benefit transactions. When enrolling in a biometric authorization system, a user may authorize the system to apply for purchase benefits on the user's behalf at subsequent transactions.
US07769692B2

This invention relates to a transmission apparatus for transmitting digital content data via a communication medium, comprising attachment means for attaching cost information per unit data volume to the digital content data; and transmission means for transmitting the digital content data attached with the cost information after converting a data format of the digital content data attached with the cost information into a data format suitable to the communication medium.
US07769690B2

A method and system for supply of data relating to a described entity (302) to a relying entity (304), which includes the generation of a first digital certificate referred to as an empowerment certificate signed by a first signing entity. The empowerment certificate includes attributes of the described entity (302) information and identifying the first signing entity. It also includes an indication of data relating to the described entity (302) which is to be supplied and an indication of one or more sources (306) for said data. The empowerment certificate also includes identification of relying entities (304) to which the data can be supplied. The relying entity (304) forwards the empowerment certificate to source (306) supplying the data indicated in the empowerment certificate. Some or all of the data relating to the described entity (302) may be supplied by means of a second digital certificate referred to as a custom certificate, signed by a second signing entity. Custom certificates may appear in custom certificate revocation lists. A system and method for transfer of ownership of electronic property (801) from a first entity to a second entity are also provided. A method and system for electronic voting are also provided.
US07769686B2

A method and system are provided for transferring value from a value provider. A request initiated by a value owner to transfer value from the value provider to a recipient is received. An exchange provider receives the value in accordance with the request. The exchange provider includes a processor that converts the received value into a converted form. The converted value is then transmitted to the recipient by the exchange provider.
US07769684B2

A semi-quantitative analysis on the risk management process increases the possibility of performing an accurate risks comparison, making easier the identification of which risks shall be prioritized and shall receive the greatest mitigation efforts. Specifically, the semi-quantitative risk analysis enables an improved risks comparison for evaluating the consequences of each risk considering its impacts on the project's Net Present Value (NPV), reflecting the project's cash flow at different times. The use of such method makes the prioritization process more efficient, helping the managers and other personnel involved on the process to focus their efforts to the most critical risks for the project's success. In this sense, the risk management process becomes more efficient and better able to provide better support to the project decision makers.
US07769679B2

A process for managing financial transactions involves defining the process as a series of steps that involve the transfer of information needed by each party to settle the transaction. A system for measuring the performance of participants in the management process tracks the information transferred between the parties and records the date and time that the information is transferred. Periodically, information including the date and time information is processed and used to determine measures of performance over the period. These measures of performance can include the amount of time between the completion of any of the steps in the management process, for example, from the time when transaction was initiated (e.g. a trade is executed) to the time the information to be transmitted to or received by any of the participants to the management process or the management system in any of the steps of the management process. The performance information can be compiled into predefined reports which allow a party to compare and rank the performance of counterparties with which the party had completed transactions.
US07769678B2

A Straight-Through-Processing (STP) trading platform provides a fully electronic and seamless solution to all substantially aspects of the trading cycle for fixed income instruments and other financial instruments. In an exemplary embodiment, all participants to a trade transaction have access to computer software that facilitates trade order management, trade order generation, trade execution (including electronic axes), trade allocation, allocation acknowledgement, trade confirmation, and finally acquisition of settlement instructions. In said exemplary embodiment, the STP trading platform includes computer software modules including at least an account management module and an electronic trading module to handle the various stages of executing a trade, confirming the trade, and facilitating settlement of the trade.
US07769671B2

A trading screen displays market information, such as working orders, buy and sell orders, and other items of interest, in association with values on a value axis. Each item of interest is therefore displayed in relation to the value axis to provide a trader with an intuitive display of the market. In one embodiment, a user can select a location associated with a particular value on the trading screen and upon an selection, for example, by a click of the mouse button, the value axis is repositioned so that the selected value is moved to a predefined location. During which, market information is moved to new locations that are associated with their respective values on the value axis.
US07769670B2

A method for managing an investment vehicle. An option is purchased for protection of cash flows to be paid by the investment vehicle to designated investors. An option is sold offsetting the purchased option at least in part. The cash flows and security priorities of the investment vehicle are structured so that the purchased option protects the protected investors, and the proceeds of the sale of the sold option offsets the cost of the purchased option for benefit of non-protected investors.
US07769666B2

A plurality of option value prices are determined for employee stock options. An average stock price corresponding to a particular one of the plurality of option value prices is determined. The employee stock option is exchanged for the value. The terms of the employee stock option are amended and the option is transferred to a third party in exchange for a value. The third party hedges the amended options.
US07769659B2

A system, method, and computer program product for dynamic, cost effective reallocation of assets among a plurality of investment products comprising a processor, a memory and a computer program stored in the memory. The computer program implementing the present invention controls the reallocation of assets to reduce the transactions costs associated with rebalancing the investor's composite assets according to a composite asset allocation model. Information relating to the composite asset allocation model, the investor's assets, and the investor are stored in memory. Periodically, or upon occurrence of an event, the composite assets are evaluated to determine if rebalancing is necessary. If rebalancing is necessary, the transaction costs associated with the available transactions for performing the rebalancing are compared to select the most economically favorable transaction. Thus, the reallocation is achieved by selecting the least costly transaction that will serve to realize the composite asset allocation model, which is independent of the structure of the investor's portfolio among particular accounts or products. In addition, the computer program compares the available options for recovery of the transaction fees to select the most economically favorable means of recovering the fees associated with the transaction to further reduce the transaction cost of the reallocations.
US07769657B2

The present invention relates to a credit index, a system and method for structuring a credit index, a system and method for operating a credit index, and a system and method for determining the liquidity of a credit.
US07769652B1

A system and method for fee-based order priority level modification in an electronic trading environment are described. When an order reaches an exchange, a priority level of the order may be changed to a higher priority level, and the priority level of the order initially at the higher priority level may be changed to a lower priority level of the received order. In one embodiment, a trader who is gaining a higher priority level will be preferably charged a fee for having his order moved to the higher priority level, and at least a portion of that fee may be paid to a trader who is giving up his high priority level.
US07769638B1

Authorization verification systems and methods are described that determine whether an authorization check is to be performed in conjunction with an online purchase or other electronic commerce transaction, and, if the authorization check is to be performed, that check the authorization of an individual wishing to participate in the online transaction and that store a retrievable record of the authorization check. The system receives authorization information for the individual that is indicative of the individual's authorization to purchase a product or service online, or to otherwise participate in an electronic commerce encounter whose access is limited to authorized individuals. In one embodiment, authorization for making a purchase is limited to individuals above an age threshold, and the authorization verification system receives information relating to the individual's age via an electronic scanning of a driver's license or other identification card, or by other methods, and uses the birth date information to calculate the customer's current age. A record of the authorization can be stored and can subsequently be retrieved to verify that an authorization determination for the online encounter was carried out.
US07769631B2

A method for guaranteeing a consumer a best price on an item purchased from a vendor in a consummated final first transaction, the method including, in certain aspects, including determining a refund due to insure that a consumer receives the benefit of a later better price, and displaying the refund amount, individually or publicly, and, in one particular aspect, displaying a total amount for a plurality of such refunds.
US07769617B2

A worker management system, which includes a plant 100 divided into a plurality of work areas each in correspondence to specific task contents, a database 220 having stored therein task identification information correlating each work area 112 with contents of tasks performed therein and worker detection sensors 130 installed in each work area, identifies the specific work area where a worker is currently located based upon outputs from the worker detection means and then identifies the task currently performed by the worker based upon the task identification information. Based upon the current task thus identified, a decision is made as to whether the worker should continue the current task or be assigned a new task and an instruction for task execution is issued to the worker. Therefore the identification of current tasks, the assignment of a new task and the task reassignment are facilitated to improve the work efficiency.
US07769615B2

Disclosed herein are methods and related tools for assisting users in analyzing and identifying various constraints that limit the impact of business growth strategies, and for helping those users identify, research, and/or implement strategies in light of identified constraints. More particularly, disclosed are information management methods and electronic computing tools for enabling managers to utilize accumulated information to identify and address constraints that otherwise limit innovation and growth of their business ventures.
US07769600B2

One aspect of the invention is directed to a system and method for allowing a patient to access an automated process for managing a specified health problem called a disease. The system performs disease management in a fully automated manner, using periodic interactive dialogs with the patient to obtain health state measurements from the patient, to evaluate and assess the progress of the patient's disease, to review and adjust therapy to optimal levels, and to give the patient medical advice for administering treatment and handling symptom flare-ups and acute episodes of the disease. The medical records are updated, the progression of the disease is stored and tracked, and the patient's preferences for treatment are stored and then used to offer medical advice based on the current state of the disease. Subjective and objective health measurements are used to determine a metric, which can be used to adjust patient therapy.
US07769595B2

Methods and systems for a rapid and automated creation of a price schedule and a “green” schedule comprising steps and an implementation for providing a set of construction plans created with an architectural software design tool, and a palette of architectural parametric symbols corresponding to respective construction plan elements, such as windows. At least one parametric symbol corresponding to a construction plan element is inserted into the construction plans. A cost value and a statement indicating whether or not a parametric symbol is “green” for each of the inserted parametric symbols is determined corresponding to respective plan elements. A price schedule, a “green” schedule or both are then created, which can include the total cost for all of the inserted parametric symbols, and a statement for each of the inserted symbols indicating whether or not they are certified as being energy efficient or rated “green.”
US07769593B2

In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for active noise cancellation. In one embodiment, a method for recognizing user speech in an audio signal received by a media system (where the audio signal includes user speech and ambient audio output produced by the media system and/or other devices) includes canceling portions of the audio signal associated with the ambient audio output and applying speech recognition processing to an uncancelled remainder of the audio signal.
US07769592B2

A method of disambiguating database search results can include retrieving multiple database entries responsive to a database search. The retrieved database entries can include a plurality of common data fields. The retrieved database entries can be processed according to predetermined speech interface criteria. At least one data field can be selected from the plurality of common data fields for uniquely identifying each retrieved database entry. The data items corresponding to the selected data field for each retrieved database entry can be presented through a speech interface.
US07769587B2

An improved method and apparatus is disclosed which uses probabilistic techniques to map an input search string with a prestored audio file, and recognize certain portions of a search string phonetically. An improved interface is disclosed which permits users to input search strings, linguistics, phonetics, or a combination of both, and also allows logic functions to be specified by indicating how far separated specific phonemes are in time.
US07769577B2

A hardware accelerator includes hardware support for a combinational only cycle and a latch only cycle in a simulation model with a single partition of latches and combinational logic. Preferred embodiments use a special 4-input 1-output function unit in the hardware accelerator in place of the normal latch function that write back the old latch value for combinational only cycles. Other embodiments include hardware support for separate array write disables for arrays and transparent latches depending on whether the cycle is a combinational only cycle and a latch only cycle. A conditional array write disable dependent on the occurrence of a hardware breakpoint is also included that supports switching from a latch plus combinational cycle to a latch only cycle, to give control to the user before evaluating the combinational logic if a breakpoint occurs on a latch.
US07769575B2

The crystal structures of catalytic domain of HPTPbeta, both ligand-bound and ligand-free are described. These structures are useful in computer aided drug design for identifying compounds that bind or activate HPTPbeta and thereby modulate angiogenesis mediated disorders or diseases.
US07769573B2

Computerized systems and methods are used to create a model of interaction energies between a group of bodies, such as molecules or atoms in solution. A computer simulation of the molecular interactions of bodies in solution is performed by first creating a coordinate system that defines a position of each body in a two dimensional or a three-dimensional space. The system then divides the coordinate system into subsections called bins. Bins may be of different sizes. The number and size of bins varies depending on the number of bodies and each body's calculated position in the coordinate system. The number of bins is optimized, selected so that a maximum number of bins contain only one body. This means there is also a corresponding minimum number of bins that contain either multiple bodies or no bodies. The systems and methods select a radius at which, at a certain distance from a selected molecule, the effect of other molecules on the selected molecule approximates zero. The binning system thus computes all of the significant interactions between N bodies in a solution without missing interacting pairs of bodies and without testing every possible interaction.
US07769569B2

A method and system for designing a structural level description of an electronic circuit with functional behavior described by a plurality of rules, the circuit being specified by data path and control path elements wherein at least one control path element is provided in a form of unresolved variable. The design comprises extracting a plurality of unresolved variables among the control path elements and automatic processing of data path and control path elements for accomplishing a state machine formulation, wherein the states of the state machine include states representing at least combinations of unresolved variables and corresponding transitions satisfying said plurality of rules and predefined design criteria.
US07769551B2

A system and method for monitoring a gap between a vibrational body and a reference is achieved by monitoring the resonant frequency of the vibrational body. A portion of the vibrational body is fixed a given distance from the reference by a rigid mounting system. A resonant frequency of the vibrational body is received. Then, a quantity standing in known relation to an approximate change in the length of the gap is determined, based upon the resonant frequency.
US07769541B2

There is provided a vehicle navigation system for searching predetermined information after map data is updated and navigating a user more effectively even when the user only knows information before the update. The vehicle navigation system includes a control section; a map data read section for reading first map data from a map database; a map data acquisition section for acquiring second map data for update; a map data update section for generating updated map data by using the first map data and the second map data; and a history information management section for managing a search result, a travel route or the like, which the user obtained by specifying search conditions, as history information, wherein the map data update section generates the updated map data so as to associate the first map data, which is associated with the history information, together with the second map data.
US07769536B2

An engine control system includes a digital signal processing (DSP) module that generates a fast Fourier transform (FFT) of an engine knock signal generated by an engine knock sensor. An intensity determination module determines an engine knock intensity based on one of a maximum of and an average of the FFT. A status determination module determines a status of the engine knock sensor based on the engine knock intensity, a plurality of predetermined knock intensity thresholds, and a rotational speed of an engine crankshaft.
US07769531B2

A control device of an internal combustion engine calculates ignition delays in lean combustion and rich combustion, standardizes the ignition delays based on ignition timing, and further standardizes the ignition delays based on injection quantity and injection timing of pilot injection respectively. The control device calculates a present ignition delay by linear interpolation of the standardized ignition delays in the lean combustion and the rich combustion. Moreover, the control device corrects the present ignition delay with the ignition timing and further corrects the present ignition delay with the injection quantity and the injection timing of the pilot injection. The control device calculates a command value of the injection timing by subtracting the corrected present ignition delay from target ignition timing.
US07769526B2

An engine control module includes a target intake carbon dioxide (CO2) module that determines a target intake CO2 concentration. An intake CO2 estimation module estimates an actual intake CO2 concentration. The engine control module adjusts fuel injection based on the target intake CO2 concentration and the actual intake CO2 concentration.
US07769513B2

Arrangement and method for obtaining information about objects in an environment in or around a vehicle includes one or more optical imagers for obtaining images of the environment and a processor coupled to the imager(s) for obtaining information about an object in one or more images obtained by the imager(s). The processor is arranged to process the obtained images to determine edges of objects in the images and input data about the edges into a trained pattern recognition algorithm which has been trained to provide information about the object as output. The pattern recognition algorithm may include a neural network or variation thereof. The information about the object may be used to control a vehicular component such as an airbag or light filter.
US07769510B2

A method and system for identifying sensors is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a list of sensors that are differentiated by function and/or location, and detecting a plurality of sensors in a vehicle environment, where at least some of the sensors are identical. The method also includes receiving information from each of the plurality of sensors, and identifying each of a plurality of identical sensors as corresponding to a respective sensor in the list of sensors. The identification may be based on one or more of: a proximity of each sensor relative to at least one wireless receiver; at least one characteristic of information received from the sensors, that is caused by an actively induced change in the vehicle environment; and at least one characteristic of information received from the sensors, that is caused by a passive change in the vehicle environment. According to the method and system disclosed herein, sensors in the vehicle are detected and identified in a simple and cost effective manner.
US07769506B2

There are provided a navigation apparatus, a forward recognition apparatus using a camera or the like, which can capture a situation around the vehicle and calculate a distance to a particular object and a relative velocity, and sensors mounted on the vehicle to acquire the driving status of the vehicle. Whether to continue or suspend driver assistance control based on output information from the forward recognition apparatus using a camera or the like is determined according to driving environment information obtained from the navigation apparatus or the forward recognition apparatus using a camera or the like. If the visibility is determined to be poor from information from the sensors, the driver assistance control based on the output information from the forward recognition apparatus is suspended.
US07769502B2

A system for suggesting a course of action for a vehicle engaged in a situation includes a portion for identifying condition data that corresponds to conditions sensed from the situation. The system also includes a portion for selecting parameters associated with the condition data. The system further includes a portion for determining a suggested course of action based on the selected parameters.
US07769498B2

When there is a preceding vehicle in a traveling direction of a subject vehicle, an ECU computes a driver condition coefficient that represents degree of change in the size of an image of the preceding vehicle as viewed from the driver is computed. The driving condition of the driver is detected from this driver condition coefficient and used to provide an alarm indicative of the driving condition and to control vehicle travel condition.
US07769495B1

A power management system for a hydrogen generating network comprising: a decentralized hydrogen generation network comprising at least one hydrogen generating device operable by a dispatchable power source, a non-dispatchable power source, or combinations thereof, an administrator interface for transmitting messages from an administrator to the hydrogen generating network, a dynamic information database comprising hydrogen generating device identification, discretionary power consumption information, or combinations thereof, and dispatchable power source information, non-dispatchable power source information, or combinations thereof, and computer instructions for providing messages to the hydrogen generating network. The administrator initiations distribution of at least one message to the hydrogen generation network for providing non-dispatchable power information, dispatchable power information, or combinations thereof to the hydrogen generation network through at least one industry standard protocol, wherein the at least one hydrogen generating device provides at least one response to the administrator interface.
US07769494B1

A method automatically adjusts the amount of water supplied by a water timer having a user interface and a controller programmed to provide control signals for controlling water flow control devices. The time of day on a base day is chosen, and a base ambient temperature and a base ambient humidity are sensed. Base ambient temperature and humidity signals are provided to the controller. The current ambient temperature and humidity are subsequently sensed and corresponding signals are provided to the controller on at least one day following the base day at a time corresponding to the chosen time of day. Control signals are modified, thereby modifying watering amounts, according to the base and current ambient temperature and humidity signals.
US07769489B2

A robot control device that controls operation of a robot having an actuator includes a casing, an actuator driver, a drive-control board, a main control board, a main power supply board, a vent passage, a cooling fan, and a holding member. The actuator driver is accommodated in the casing and drives the actuator. The drive-control board is accommodated in the casing and controls operation of the actuator driver. The main control board is accommodated in the casing and controls operation of the drive-control board. The main power supply board is accommodated in the casing and supplies a power to the drive-control board and the main control board. The vent passage is defined by at least the drive-control board, the main control board, and the main power supply board and has an end open to the exterior of the casing. The cooling fan is arranged at an end of the vent passage and causes the air to flow through the vent passage. The holding member is provided in the vent passage and holds the actuator driver.
US07769478B2

An electronic sound chip stores digitized sounds. A PIC processor controls sound card operation, utilizing a free comparator present in the PIC processor that detects variable DC offsets, and thereby activates at least one “voice” or channel of sound. The system self-calibrates on the initial power on, and the calibration values are measured and stored internally in non-volatile storage for later comparison against the DC offset to frequency thresholds. The system detects loss of power, which mutes the audio during power interruptions for seamless model train direction control.
US07769473B2

A medical electrode includes a moderately conductive flexible member having a top side and a bottom side with a connector and contact with a flexible member top side for establishing electrical contact with an external apparatus. A non-conductive flexible sheet covers the conductive flexible member top and the connector and a highly conductive ink pattern is disposed on a conductive flexible member bottom side. A moderately high conductive hydrogel adhesive disposed on the conductive flexible member bottom side and cover the conductive ink pattern is provided for adhering electrode to a patients' skin.
US07769470B1

A device for modulating a volume of neural tissue comprising: a cannula having a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending to at least the distal end, an actuator mechanism at least partially disposed in the lumen of the cannula; a plurality of leads having at least one electrode disposed thereon, the plurality of leads being coupled to the actuator mechanism to reciprocate between a retracted position wherein the plurality of leads are radially constrained within the lumen and an extended position; and a guide provided at the distal end of the cannula to deflect the plurality of leads radially outwardly into the neural tissue when the actuator mechanism is moved to the extended position.
US07769468B2

An applicator and method for application of electromagnetic energy to an area of tissue is described. The applicator includes a visually-transparent, high-dielectric interfacing assembly which has a conformable tissue-engaging surface and an opposed antenna-engaging surface. At least one balanced, circularly-polarized antenna is disposed in a plane substantially parallel and adjacent to the antenna-engaging surface. The interfacing assembly and at least one antenna are substantially transparent to enable visual viewing of the area of tissue. This enables monitoring of the tissue for adverse treatment effects while electromagnetic energy is being applied to the at least one antenna and radiated into the tissue.
US07769466B2

A medical apparatus includes an extracorporeal power source that transmits electrical power via a radio frequency signal to a medical device implanted inside an animal. The extracorporeal power source has a Class-E amplifier with a choke and a semiconductor switch connected in series between a source of a supply voltage and circuit ground. An output node of the amplifier is formed between choke and the switch and connected to a transmitter antenna. A shunt capacitor couples the amplifier's output node to the circuit ground. Controlled operation of the switch produces bursts of the radio frequency signal that are pulse width modulated to control the amount of energy being sent to the implanted medical device.
US07769462B2

A spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system includes multiple electrodes, multiple, independently programmable, stimulation channels within an implantable pulse generator (IPG) which channels can provide concurrent, but unique stimulation fields, permitting virtual electrodes to be realized. The SCS system includes a replenishable power source (e.g., rechargeable battery), that may be recharged using transcutaneous power transmissions between antenna coil pairs. An external charger unit, having its own rechargeable battery can be used to charge the IPG replenishable power source. A real-time clock can provide an auto-run schedule for daily stimulation. An included bi-directional telemetry link in the system informs the patient or clinician the status of the system, including the state of charge of the IPG battery. Other processing circuitry in the IPG allows electrode impedance measurements to be made. Further circuitry in the external battery charger can provide alignment detection for the coil pairs.
US07769460B2

The disclosure describes a sensing device that is implantable to sense bladder conditions, as well as a neurostimulation system and method that make use of such a sensor for alleviation of urinary incontinence. The sensing device is implantable outside the bladder, but includes a lead that penetrates the bladder wall to deployed a sensor within the bladder. Using the sensor on the lead, the sensing device outside the bladder is able to detect a condition within the interior of the bladder. In this sense, the sensing device provides transmembrane sensing of internal bladder conditions. The condition may be indicative of bladder filling or bladder contraction, and may be used to control electrical stimulation applied to the patient to alleviate urinary incontinence.
US07769440B2

The present invention is a device for electromanipulation of chemical species in vivo relative to a target tissue including a nonconductive, conformable array base adapted to be placed coincident to the target tissue, a plurality of electrode elements projecting from the array base towards the target tissue, the electrode elements addressable individually, an electrical source coupled to the plurality of electrodes, a control means interposed between the electrical source and the plurality of electrode elements and in circuit communication therein, the control means adapted to establish an electrical potential between at least two electrodes, and a delivery means adapted to introduce chemical species to the target tissue.
US07769429B2

Determining impingement between first and second bodies by determining a spatial relationship between surface points of the first body and markers of a first reference element; determining a spatial relationship between surface points of the second body and markers of a second reference element; displacing the first and second bodies relative to the other body; determining 3D coordinates of the respective pluralities of markers; and using at least (1) the 3D coordinates of the respective pluralities of markers of the reference elements, (2) the determined relationship between surface points of the first body and markers of the first reference elements, and (3) the determined relationship between surface points of the second body and markers of the second reference elements, to determine whether a surface point of one of the first and second bodies coincides with a surface point of the other body.
US07769419B2

A method and apparatus for measuring an apparent depth (1) of a section of an eye (30) are disclosed. Light is focused to a measurement location (15) proximate or within the eye. The measurement location is scanned through the section and upon passing through first and second refractive index interfaces defining the section, a respective reflected light signal is detected, from which apparent positions of the first and second interfaces may be derived. Preferably, a confocal scanning arrangement is employed. Preferably, the section is the aqueous humor (34) of the eye (30). From changes in its refractive index (n) corresponding changes in glucose concentration in the aqueous humor and, in turn, in the bloodstream of a patient may be derived, offering a non-invasive monitoring means for diabetic patients. The apparatus may be a hand-held device, employing microelectromechanical systems. The radius of curvature (R) of a curved section, such as a cornea (32) or ocular lens (36), may also be measured to determine refractive errors of the eye.
US07769404B1

Systems and methods for supporting dispatch communications with guaranteed talk permit and forced audio are provided. The systems and methods can include servers and communication units that operate according to the Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) standard. A user of a communication unit can select a guaranteed talk permit with forced audio answer mode, and provide an indication of the answer mode to a PoC server. When the PoC server does not support a guaranteed talk permit with forced audio answer mode, this indication can be for a manual answer mode. Alternatively, the indication can be for a guaranteed talk permit with forced audio answer mode. In this case, a terminating communication unit is contacted during the dispatch communication setup even when the communication setup request is set to manual answer override.
US07769398B2

A broadband wireless distribution network for a passenger cabin area of a mobile platform. The broadband wireless distribution network includes a plurality of wireless access points (WAPs) connected to a server and switching system and a plurality of wireless network interface circuits (NICs) strategically located about the passenger cabin. Additionally the broadband wireless distribution network includes a plurality of antennas connected to the WAPs such that at least one antenna is connected to each WAP. The antennas are capable of providing RF coverage patterns to specific overlapping areas within the passenger cabin, thereby allowing communication between each WAP and at least one NIC.
US07769390B2

A method for transmitting and receiving data in a multiuser Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) system including a base station connected to a plurality of user equipments. In the method, each of the user equipments separately calculates channel capacity information using a linear reception scheme and a nonlinear reception scheme, and feeds back the calculated channel capacity information to the base station. The base station separately calculates system capacities using at least two different antenna scheduling schemes based on the channel capacity information fed back from the user equipments, and allocates antennas to the user equipments using a selected antenna scheduling scheme having higher system capacity out of the two antenna scheduling schemes.
US07769389B1

An access point for a wireless network, such as a base transceiver station, might use a variety of different methods to allocate its resources among mobile stations. For example, the access point might vary the way it allocates available bandwidth among the mobile stations, thereby also altering the data rates between the access point and the mobile stations. Various criteria, such as the number of the number of mobile stations actively communicating with the access point, might be used to trigger the access point to change how it allocates bandwidth among the active mobile stations.
US07769387B2

A system and method are provided for using differentiated telephone numbers to determine whether to perform a vocoder bypass. In an exemplary embodiment, a mobile station may call a terminating node. An intermediate entity may search an identifier of the terminating node for a predetermined aspect. If the predetermined aspect is found, the terminating node may be a mobile station, and the intermediate entity may perform a vocoder bypass. If the predetermined aspect is not found, the terminating node may be a non-mobile station, and the intermediate entity may perform vocoding.
US07769385B2

An unlicensed wireless service is adapted to generate the interface protocols of a licensed wireless service to provide transparent transition of communication sessions between a licensed wireless service and an unlicensed wireless service. In one embodiment, a mobile station includes level 1, level 2, and level 3 protocols for licensed wireless service and an unlicensed wireless service. An indoor base station and indoor network controller provide protocol conversion for the unlicensed wireless service into a standard base station controller interface of the licensed wireless service.
US07769373B2

A method and apparatus for taking measurements in a mobile telecommunications system are disclosed, the system comprising a network of a plurality of cells and at least one user equipment device. The method comprises, at the user equipment device, receiving a measurement control set-up command and, in response the user equipment device, setting up the measurements. Then it monitors for a change in state of the UE and, in response to a change in state, issuing a measurement control pause command and, in response, the user equipment device stopping taking measurements, and maintains the measurement settings initialised previously. The device then monitors for a change in state of the UE and, in response to a change in state, issuing a measurement control resume command and, in response, the user equipment device resumes taking measurements with the maintained measurement settings.
US07769368B2

A system of exchanging and managing information includes a mobile device configured to automatically insert, exchange and update a caller's contact information into a user's phonebook. The phonebook can reside on either the UICC card, SIM, USIM, Mega SIM, any other smart card or an integrated chip, on the mobile device or on a remote server. The automatic insert and/or automatic exchange mechanism is triggered when a call is made between two people on mobile phones or other devices.
US07769367B2

A system of exchanging and managing information includes a mobile device configured to automatically insert, exchange and update a caller's contact information into a user's phonebook. The phonebook can reside on either the UICC card, SIM, USIM, Mega SIM, any other smart card or an integrated chip, on the mobile device or on a remote server. The automatic insert and/or automatic exchange mechanism is triggered when a call is made between two people on mobile phones or other devices.
US07769360B2

An adapter for RF front end processor chip wherein the RF front end processor chip includes a low noise amplifier which is used to receive a RF filter signal so as to generate a first signal. An adapter is used to receive a first signal so as to induce and generate a second signal and a third signal which is electrically reverse. Then a frequency mixer of the RF front end processor chip is used to receive the second signal and the third signal and a resonant signal, the second signal and the third signal are used to generate a medium frequency signal. Wherein, adapter includes a primary measured coil.
US07769352B2

A receiver has a first voltage control oscillator configured to generate a first oscillation signal, a second voltage control oscillator configured to generate a second oscillation signal having a first phase, a first phase comparator configured to detect a phase difference between the first and second oscillation signals, a demodulator configured to perform demodulation processing of the received signal and to generate timing information of a second phase included in the first oscillation signal, a second phase comparator configured to detect the phase difference between the first and second oscillation signals, and a first control voltage generator configured to generate a first control voltage for controlling a phase and a frequency of the second voltage control oscillator based on the phase difference detected by the second phase comparator.
US07769347B2

A communication system providing wireless communication among wireless users through a number of cellular base stations. The system includes a connecting station with a millimeter wave wireless transceiver in communication with a fiber optic or high-speed cable communication network. The transceiver is adapted to communicate at millimeter wave frequencies higher than 60 GHz with another millimeter wave transceiver at one of the cellular base stations. Each of the base stations serves a separate communication cell. Each base station is equipped with a low frequency wireless transceiver for communicating with the wireless users within the cell at a radio frequency lower than 6 GHz. In preferred embodiments the system a part of a telephone system, an Internet system or a computer network.
US07769341B2

Provided is a broadcasting system and method for providing a broadcasting service in a weak electric field area. The broadcasting system includes a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) terminal for if a broadcasting replay request is input during a DMB service, transmitting a replay request message to a streaming server, and upon receipt of broadcasting data responding to the replay request message is received, displaying the received broadcasting data; and the streaming server for if the replay request message is received, providing broadcasting data responding to the replay request message to the DMB terminal.
US07769338B2

The present invention is an electrostatographic reproduction apparatus which includes a primary imaging member for producing an electrostatic latent image on a receiver, a development station for applying toner particles to said latent image which forms a developed toner image on the receiver. A fuser assembly is included for fixing the developed toner image, to form a fused toner image on the receiver. A transport member is provided for transporting the receiver to or from the fuser assembly, the transport member having a substrate bearing an oil-absorbing layer that includes transparent alumina inorganic particles of gamma-alumina, dispersed in an organic binder.
US07769332B2

A pressurizing unit includes a contact-pressure member for pressurizing an endless belt, a holding member that holds the contact-pressure member, and a biasing member that presses both ends of the holding member. The biasing member presses the holding member, so that a direction in which the biasing member presses the holding member is substantially the same as a direction in which the holding member presses the pressure-contact member.
US07769307B2

An information processing apparatus configured to monitor a status of consumables of an image forming apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store the status of the consumables of the image forming apparatus, an acquisition unit configured to acquire a consumption rate of the consumables of the image forming apparatus, a determination unit configured to determine a subsequent status of the consumables based on the status of the consumables stored in the storage unit and the consumption rate acquired by the acquisition unit. The status of the consumables includes a first status, a second status, and a third status. The second status has a remaining amount of the consumables less than the first status. When the consumables is in the third status, the determination unit does not determine that the subsequent status of the consumables is the second status if a consumption rate equals to or exceeds the first threshold.
US07769303B2

Provided are an apparatus and a method for generating a return-to-zero (RZ) signal, including: a first modulator receiving a first signal having a predetermined frequency to modulate, compensate for and output a first laser beam; a second modulator receiving a second signal complementary to the first signal to modulate, compensate for, and output a second laser beam; a mixer mixing signals output from the first and second modulators to output a third signal; and a third modulator modulating the third signal into an RZ signal and outputting the RZ signal.
US07769294B2

In an optical transmission network of the present invention, an optical signal output from a CWDM unit is combined on an optical transmission path of a DWDM network via a multiplexing filter arranged on a light output terminal of a DWDM unit adjacent to the CWDM unit. Furthermore, an optical signal propagated on an optical transmission path is branched from the DWDM light by a de-multiplexing filter provided on a light input terminal of an adjacent DWDM unit, and applied to a CWDM unit adjacent to the DWDM unit. As a result, it is possible to mutually connect a plurality of CWDM networks, using an optical transmission path of a DWDM network, and it is possible to realize a longer distance for CWDM networks.
US07769282B2

An image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing element which photoelectrically converts an object image formed by an image capturing optical system, a camera shake correction lens which moves the object image relative to the image capturing element, a camera shake detection sensor which detects a camera shake, a driving unit which drives the camera shake correction lens on the basis of the output from the camera shake detection sensor and a predetermined offset amount that changes in every image capturing, and a control unit which acquires a plurality of object images.
US07769281B1

A positioning system for a miniature electronic device. The positioning system has a first portion including a damper and a second portion connected to the first portion. The second portion positions a payload of the miniature electronic device. The miniature electronic device may be a miniature camera, or other device.
US07769276B2

Access point pictures designated as randomly accessible positions are I pictures or P pictures. Information indicating the decoding sequence (I1, P1, B1, B2, B3, B4, P2, . . . ) of pictures functioning as access points and attribute information (picture_type) indicating whether a picture functions as an access point or is necessary for decoding of the access point following a given access point are recorded on the video information recording medium. Random access is possible even if the GOP interval is lengthened.
US07769260B2

A rod having an embedded optical fiber has a stiff composite outer layer (10) to make the rod self straightening to enable it to be pushed into a pipe or borehole from a spool. This can help enable a reduction of friction between rod and conduit and can enable longer reach. A barrier layer is provided to separate the fiber from the composite layer. The rod can be retrieved after use. The rod can be narrow enough to enable normal flow along the pipe or borehole, and can be injected and retrieved even when the pipe or borehole is pressurized. The fiber can be used for remote sensing of conditions along the conduit. Other tools can be inserted by the rod during the intervention.
US07769256B2

A system for performance monitoring for a DWDM network. The system includes a photonic integrated device configured to receive an optical signal and output a first plurality of electrical signals for a plurality of channels respectively. The system also includes a clock and data recovery device configured to receive the first plurality of electric signals. Additionally, the system includes a switch device coupled to the first clock and data recovery device without an error correction device in between. The switch includes a first interface to output a second plurality of electrical signals and a second interface to add or drop one or more channel devices. The switch also includes an output port configured to provide information associated with the plurality of channels. An error detection device is coupled to the output port and is configured to monitor and report performance of the channels.
US07769239B2

A system and method for bit-exact lossless compression coding of still and moving images. An original image is encoded to produce a lossy compressed image, and is also used to construct a sorted list of bin values to which the lossy image is compared to generate output from which the original image can be losslessly reconstructed. The similarity of corresponding pixel values between the lossy image and the original image permits efficient generation of a lossless residual that allows for bit-exact reproduction of the original image. Pixel values nearly equidistant from two sorted list values are on a “cusp” and either directly coded or flagged as cusp values from which corresponding lossless values can be re-determined. Non-cusp pixel values are coded as the difference between the index of the sorted bin having a value nearest to the floating point value being processed, and the index of the sorted bin containing the exact pixel value of the original image.
US07769237B2

The present invention leverages a lossless pixel palettization scheme to locally compress portions of at least a two-dimensional image. This provides a lossless compression means with a compression ratio comparable with lossy compression means, allowing for efficient data transfers without loss of image information. By utilizing locally-adaptive palettization, two-dimensional pixel information can be exploited to increase compression performance. In one instance of the present invention, a locally-adaptive, lossless palettization scheme is utilized in conjunction with a one-dimensional compression scheme to yield a further increase in compression ratio. This allows for the exploitation of two-dimensional data information along with the further compression of information reduced to one dimension.
US07769230B2

A method of processing an array of pixels captured by an image capture device, includes providing a first two-dimensional array having first and second groups of pixels wherein pixels from the first group of pixels have narrower spectral photoresponses than pixels from the second group of pixels and wherein the first group of pixels has individual pixels that have spectral photoresponses that correspond to a set of at least two colors and the placement of the first and second groups of pixels define a pattern that has a minimal repeating unit arranged to permit the reproduction of a captured color image under different lighting conditions; responding to ambient lighting conditions, whether panchromatic pixels are to be combined with color pixels; combining pixels to produce a second two-dimensional array of pixels which has fewer pixels than the first two-dimensional array of pixels; and correcting the color pixels.
US07769227B2

An object detector includes a brightness change calculating section (103) that calculates the change in brightness in an image, a three-dimensional object detecting section (105) that uses three-dimensional information measured from a plurality of images to detect a three-dimensional object, an object candidate extracting section (106) that refers to the three-dimensional object detection results and the brightness change calculation result to extract a moving object candidate area and a still object candidate area, and an object judging section (107) that judges whether or not the candidate area is an object. In this way, the object detector refers to the change in brightness in the area detected as a three-dimensional object to judge whether the detected three-dimensional object is a moving object or a still object. Therefore, a still object in the image can be accurately detected without using background difference processing.
US07769216B2

Facilitating viewer comparison of a plurality of medical images of at least one body part on a softcopy review workstation is described. First and second medical images are displayed such that the second medical image appears as a spatially registered underlay to the first medical image exposed through an aperture therein. The aperture comprises at least one edge that is viewer-manipulable in a back-and-forth manner so that the first and second medical images can be visually compared with minimal eye movement. For a temporal comparison embodiment, the first and second medical images comprise identical views of the same body part acquired at different times. For a cross-modality comparison embodiment, the first and second medical images are acquired substantially concurrently, or at different times, using different medical imaging modalities. For a bilateral comparison embodiment, the first and second images are corresponding views of two laterally corresponding body parts.
US07769215B2

A method for computer-assisted interpretation of medical images that factor in characteristics of an individual performing the interpretation. The method automatically determines and/or incorporates prevalence-based computer analysis based on an estimated likelihood of a pathological state, e.g., a malignancy. A system implementing the method includes the calculation of features or other characteristics of images in a known database, calculation of features of an unknown case, calculation of the probability (or likelihood) of disease state, calculation of the modified computer output that includes the internal prevalence (or internal decision-making process) of the user (or group of users), and output of the result.
US07769214B2

Provided are fuzzy distance transform-based methods, and an algorithm therefor, for analyzing digital images defining a volumetric region of an object from a digital image comprising finding a set of points in the image to generate a fuzzy subset, and calculating the fuzzy distance transform (FDT) of the fuzzy subset. The methods deal with the extraction of object features from digital images acquired at low resolution, specifically, the measurement of structural thickness distribution along an object. Targeted applications comprise, but are not limited to, the measurement of trabecular bone thickness in magnetic resonance or computed tomography images. Also provided are systems and device for utilizing the disclosed methods and algorithm to extract the object features from the digital images.
US07769212B2

The present invention relates generally to human fingerprints. More specifically the present invention relates to assessing the quality of a fingerprint image. An assessment is made by analyzing characteristics of image sub-regions. For example, the characteristics may include statistics that are associated with a sub-region. If a sub-region is found to have unacceptable characteristics, it can be modified through a morphological operation to compensate for the unacceptable characteristics.
US07769210B2

In a biometric authentication device that includes biometric-authentication-data generating means for generating biometric authentication data from biometric data of a user, and authentication means for performing authentication of the biometric authentication data on the basis of reference biometric data of the user, a matching ratio of the reference biometric data and updated and registered second reference biometric data is calculated, and the user is requested to re-register the reference biometric data and the second reference biometric data when the matching ratio is lower than a predetermined threshold value.
US07769198B2

Presented herein are video decoding system(s), method(s), and apparatus for repeating a last line to a scalar or compositor or capture. A first parameter is provided to a first register indicating that a picture comprises a first number of lines, and a second parameter is provided to a second register, indicating that the picture comprises a second number of lines.
US07769196B2

A microphone shell includes a top wall and a side wall extending downwardly from peripheral area of the top wall. A receiving room is formed between the top wall and the side wall for containing a microphone soldered with a printed circuit board, and a through hole arranged on center of the top wall. Voice is transmitted only through the through hole and gathered in the receiving room of the microphone shell, and then received by the microphone. In addition the microphone receives no external noise because the microphone shell covers the microphone and obstructs the external noise. Therefore, the microphone shell not only gathers voice but also obstructs noise.
US07769194B2

An In The Ear (ITE) microphone improves the acoustic response of a Behind The Ear (BTE) Implantable Cochlear Stimulation (ICS) system during telephone use. The microphone includes means for adjusting the position of the microphone to receive sound waves through a port. An acoustic seal provided by holding a telephone earpiece against the ear provides improved coupling of low frequency (up to about 1 KHz) sound waves, sufficient to overcome losses due to the near field acoustic characteristics common to telephones. In an exemplary embodiment, the ITE microphone is connected to a removable ear hook of the BTE ICS system by a short bendable stalk.
US07769193B2

An electrostatic ultrasonic transducer that includes: a first electrode that is formed with a plurality of holes; a second electrode that is formed with a plurality of holes, and is used in pair with the first electrode; an oscillation film formed with a conductor layer that is sandwiched between the pair of electrodes, and the conductor layer is applied with a direct-current (DC) bias voltage; and a retention member that keeps hold of the pair of electrodes and the oscillation film. In the transducer, an alternating signal is applied between the pair of electrodes, and the pair of electrodes each have a thickness t of about (λ/4)·n (where λ denotes a wavelength of ultrasound, and n denotes a positive odd number).
US07769188B2

According to this invention, if noise generated by operation of a component such as a rotary drum of a recording/playback apparatus which operates periodically enters a microphone, noise waveforms can be extracted and reduced. Data obtained from microphones (6, 7) are converted into digital data by A/D converters (11, 12) and are supplied to a control microcomputer (5) and adders (15, 16). The control microcomputer (5) has a memory which stores input data for respective mechanical noise generation cycles. The microcomputer (5) calculates the average of inphase data in each cycle, thereby generating only data of noise components and storing the result in memories (13, 14). The adders (15, 16) output data without noise components by subtracting the inphase data stored in the memories (13, 14) from input current data.
US07769181B2

A method and circuit for deriving a set of multichannel audio signals from a conventional monaural or stereo audio signal uses an auxiliary multichannel spectral mapping data stream. Audio can be played back in stereo and multichannel formats from a conventional stereo signal on compact discs, FM radio, or other stereo or monaural delivery systems. The invention reduces the data rate needed for the transmission of multichannel digital audio.
US07769179B2

A method and circuit for deriving a set of multichannel audio signals from a conventional monaural or stereo audio signal uses an auxiliary multichannel spectral mapping data stream. Audio can be played back in stereo and multichannel formats from a conventional stereo signal on compact discs, FM radio, or other stereo or monaural delivery systems. The invention reduces the data rate needed for the transmission of multichannel digital audio.
US07769178B2

A method and circuit for deriving a set of multichannel audio signals from a conventional monaural or stereo audio signal uses an auxiliary multichannel spectral mapping data stream. Audio can be played back in stereo and multichannel formats from a conventional stereo signal on compact discs, FM radio, or other stereo or monaural delivery systems. The invention reduces the data rate needed for the transmission of multichannel digital audio.
US07769175B2

In one embodiment, a scheme is provided for securing a personalized indicium assigned to a mobile communications device. Upon detecting at a mobile communications device that one of a list of criteria have been met, a challenge-and-response procedure is initiated by the mobile communications device. During the challenge-and-response procedure, the mobile communications device and a network node will authenticate the personalized indicium using a shared authentication key.
US07769172B2

Methods and systems for downloading subscription data to a client system associated with a subscriber are provided. In one embodiment, these methods may include causing a pass-phase to be generated, with this pass phrase associating a unique identifier of a device of the client system with the subscriber. These methods may also include encrypting the subscription data based at least in part on the generated pass-phase, such that the subscription data is uniquely associated with both the device of the client system and with the subscriber. In addition, when the device is changed, the subscription data is no longer able to be decrypted, and when the subscriber is changed, the subscription data is no longer able to be decrypted. These methods may further include transmitting the encrypted subscription data to the client system.
US07769162B2

In an electronic device having an acoustic echo canceller and being capable of implementing audio applications and at least one of a conferencing application and a telephony application, there is provided a background training method for the acoustic echo canceller. The method includes the step of utilizing sound that corresponds to a non-training audio application to train the acoustic echo canceller.
US07769159B1

A call is established between a circuit-switched network element and a packet-switched network element. A first call record is generated to record the circuit switched network element's involvement in the call, and a second call record is generated to record the packet-switched network element's involvement in the call. The first and second call records include the same call identification information to identify the call. The call identification information may include an internetwork call identifier, an identification of a carrier or service provider associated with the call, and other information that, in combination, uniquely identifies the call. The first and second call records are stored, e.g., in a centralized call record repository. Call records for a given call can be retrieved based on the call identification information for the given call.
US07769158B2

A telecommunication switch for operating in a CS-2 intelligent network architecture. The telecommunication switch comprises: 1) integrated service logic (ISL) objects that perform requested services; and 2) a service control function access manager object that receives a first service request and determines if one of the ISL objects can perform a first requested service associated with the first service request. The service control function access manager object, in response to a determination that none of the ISL objects is capable of performing the first requested service, transmits the first service request to a service control function object external to the telecommunication switch. The service control function access manager object, in response to a determination that a first one of the ISL objects is capable of performing the first requested service, causes the first ISL object to perform the first requested service.
US07769151B2

The present invention discloses a system and method for implementing prepaid data services in a mobile communication network. In this system, a Data service Access Control Point (DACP), which is used for fulfilling price confirmation function and fee application function for data services, is added between a Service Control Point (SCP) storing prepaid account information of subscribers and a Prepaid Server/Content of Process Gateway (PPS/CP GW) used for data service charging. In the method of the present invention, by means of the interaction among a Packet Data Service Note (PDSN), a Home Authentication Authorization and Accounting (HAAA) server, the PPS/CP GW, the DACP and the SCP, the SCP deducts the fees from the prepaid account, and the PDSN controls the subscriber to utilize data service according to the fees deducted by the SCP. With the present invention, the subscriber can make prepayment for a data service by a prepaid voice account, which facilitates data service extension of mobile network operators and provides convenient data services for the subscribers.
US07769150B2

A device includes a facsimile circuit, a voltage detector, an open-circuit voltage detector, and a telephone status monitoring unit. If a first voltage difference is less than a predetermined voltage difference, the monitoring unit judges that the public line is released if a second voltage difference is less than the predetermined difference, and that the public line is closed if the second difference is not less than the predetermined difference. If, when the facsimile circuit has released the public line, the first difference is not less than the predetermined difference, the monitoring unit judges that the public line is released if the second difference is less than the predetermined difference or if the detected line voltage equals the open-circuit voltage, and that the public line is closed if the second difference is not less than the predetermined difference and if the detected line voltage is different from the open-circuit voltage.
US07769148B2

An apparatus and method are disclosed that enable an interactive voice response (IVR) system to select, tailor, and deliver a “filler” content stream to a calling telecommunications terminal during a delay in a call (e.g., when performing automated speech recognition, retrieving other content, etc.). The delivery of the filler content can reduce the chance that the caller terminates the call prematurely, and can also be used to provide information to the caller, advertise new products, etc. The filler content can be based on one or more of the following: the date and time, the identity of the caller, a prior call to the IVR system, the type of the calling telecommunications terminal, and a content stream that the IVR system is in the process of retrieving.
US07769146B1

A method and system for automatically connecting a calling party with a called party when the called party is leaving a message for the calling party. When first person is attempting to call a second person at the same time as the second person is leaving a voice mail message for the first person, a network system will determine that the second person is leaving the voice mail message for the first person and will responsively engage in call control signaling to disconnect the second person from the voice mail server and to instead set up a call between the first person and the second person. Once the call is set up between the first person and the second person, the first person and the second person may then conveniently talk with each other.
US07769144B2

When an electronic message with a voicemail attachment is received, an audio player object and a reply by chat object are displayed simultaneously along with the electronic message. A reply to the electronic message, whether by chat or by email, is associated with the same thread as the electronic message. The electronic message with the voicemail attachment is associated with a conversation thread that may also include chat messages and email messages. In a conversation view of a respective conversation thread, representations of an electronic voicemail message (an electronic message having a voicemail attachment), one or more chat messages and one or more email messages may be displayed simultaneously.
US07769142B2

Asynchronous voice messaging is employed to enable individuals to send voice clips back and forth over a network. In at least some embodiments, the voice clips reside in the form of discrete, manageable objects that can be easily managed by the user. In addition, some embodiments described provide hand-free/eyes-free functionality that can permit a user to create and send (or receive and play) a voice message without having to physically enter an intended recipient's address or otherwise digitally manipulate the device over which the message is sent or received.
US07769139B2

An energy beam is irradiated onto a rotating anticathode so as to heat a portion irradiated by the energy beam under the condition that a vapor pressure at equilibrium state of the portion is set to 0.1 Torr or more, thereby generating an X-ray. The portion irradiated by the energy beam is kept at the rotating anticathode by a centrifugal force to the portion it a direction outward from a surface of the portion.
US07769129B2

An X-ray computed tomography apparatus includes an X-ray tube (101) which generates X-rays, a multi-channel X-ray detector (103) which detects X-rays transmitted through an object to be examined, a rotating frame (102) which is equipped with the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector, a reconstruction unit (114) which reconstructs an image on the basis of an output from the X-ray detector, and a control unit (121) which alternately shifts the X-ray focal spot of the X-ray tube along the rotating direction on the anode by a distance +σ and a distance −σ for each view. The distance σ is set to σ = S ⁢ ⁢ O ⁢ ⁢ D · tan ( Δ ⁢ ⁢ β 2 ) where SOD is the distance between the X-ray tube and the rotation center, and Δβ is the angle difference between adjacent views, such that X-ray focal spots in the adjacent views overlap each other at almost the same position.
US07769121B2

In one embodiment, a phase error signal generated by a phase detector is equalized to compensate for the distortion in the phase error signal due to finite circuit speeds. The equalization may be based on suppressing the low frequency components of the phase error signal. For example, the amplitude of the phase error signal may be reduced when the amplitude of the phase error signal is not changing.
US07769120B2

Methods and apparatuses for dynamically adjusting sync windows are described. A default sync window is set; a data signal is input; detecting if parts of the data signal within the sync window form a sync pattern; accumulating a count of the sync pattern within and without the sync window; and reducing the sync window when the count of sync pattern within the sync window achieves a first threshold value, and increasing the sync window when the count of the sync pattern outside the sync window achieves a second threshold value.
US07769119B2

The present method of initial synchronization of a communication signal includes the steps of symbol boundary search, fractional frequency offset estimation, fractional frequency offset compensation, frame boundary search, integer frequency offset estimation, integer frequency offset compensation, preamble segment ID search and preamble cell ID search. The symbol boundary search includes estimating the boundary of a present data symbol by a correlation index for the present data symbol and the correlation index for the next data symbol. The frame boundary search includes identifying the preamble symbol in the symbols found in the symbol boundary search to determine the frame boundary. The integer frequency offset estimation is derived from the pilot subcarriers of the frame control header of the frame after locating the preamble symbol.
US07769118B2

The present invention is related to a method and apparatus for blindly equalizing received signals in the time domain based on independent component analysis (ICA). Received signals are demodulated and over-sampled by a rate at least twice the symbol rate to populate a mixing matrix. The received signal samples are cast into the form of a signal separation problem as represented by the multiplication of the mixing matrix with the transmitted symbols such that the unknowns can be solved by ICA. Applying ICA to the received signal samples provides a de-mixing matrix which can be multiplied by the received signal samples to estimate the transmitted symbol sequence. The proposed ICA-based equalization method simultaneously corrects other transmission imperfections, such as DC-offset, carrier phase offset and in-phase and quadrature imbalance, all in the time domain. As an alternative to over-sampling, multiple copies of the received signals are received via a plurality of antennas.
US07769114B2

In a receiver set, a shared receiver receives a signal formed according to one of various modulation or communication systems to output a received signal. A signal intensity detector detects the electric power value, or absolute value of the amplitude, of the received signal to output a detected signal. A determiner compares the magnitude of the detected signal with threshold voltages, and generates control signals to output them to switches. The switches are operated in response to the respective control signals fed to the switches so that the received signal is selectively fed to demodulators. The demodulators demodulate the received signal according to a receiving system corresponding to the modulation or transmission systems to output demodulated signals.
US07769113B2

In order to execute, as a function of a received signal (r), a procedure of channel estimation in a transmission channel with memory in a telecommunications system, there is envisaged an operation of estimation of a delay spread associated to said channel, said operation of estimation comprising calculation of a root mean square value (τrms) of delay spread by means of a step of evaluation of crossings with a threshold level of a quantity associated to a transfer function of said channel. Said step of evaluation of crossings comprises evaluating a mean number of crossings (λ0) of the real and imaginary parts of said channel transfer function with a threshold level corresponding to the zero level. Example application is to OFDM telecommunications systems and in particular wireless systems according to the IEEE 802.11a WLAN standard or the HyperlanII WLAN standard.
US07769108B1

A moderate cost and complexity digital radio receiver system having enhanced instantaneous dynamic range response to the receipt of simultaneous signals and also providing large single signal dynamic range. Multiple signal instantaneous dynamic range improvement is achieved through use of a suppressed zero signal amplitude representation arrangement having a selected number of signal amplitude representing digital bits rather than the larger entire array of digital output bits of the receiver system's analog to digital converter. Digital apparatus for accomplishing the selection of desired high order bits from the analog to digital converter output is also disclosed in detail. Use of a “Monobit” and related simplified Fourier transformation radio receivers as disclosed in identified previous patents of the recited inventors and colleagues is preferred for embodying the digital radio receiver circuit included in a present system.
US07769106B2

In a receiver architecture, for example for use in receiving pulses in an Ultra Wideband system, a received signal is applied to a mixer, together with pulses which correspond to expected received pulses. The mixer output is applied to a block, which can be configured either as an integrator or as a filter. When no pulses are being received, this block is configured as a filter, allowing it to lock quickly to any new sequence of pulses, while, when the system has locked to a sequence of pulses, the block is configured as an integrator, so that an improved signal-noise ratio can be achieved.
US07769099B2

The invention relates to techniques for implementing high-speed precoders, such as Tomlinson-Harashima (TH) precoders. In one aspect of the invention, look-ahead techniques are utilized to pipeline a TH precoder, resulting in a high-speed TH precoder. These techniques may be applied to pipeline various types of TH precoders, such as Finite Impulse Response (FIR) precoders and Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) precoders. In another aspect of the invention, parallel processing multiple non-pipelined TH precoders results in a high-speed parallel TH precoder design. Utilization of high-speed TH precoders may enable network providers to for example, operate 10 Gigabit Ethernet with copper cable rather than fiber optic cable.
US07769096B2

A quadrature-multiplexed continuous phase modulation (QM-CPM) signal is made up of the real parts of two underlying CPM signals whose information content can be recovered from just their real parts. The real parts of two such signals are I/Q multiplexed and transmitted onto a single channel to approximately double the bits/Hz of the underlying CPM signals, while maintaining the same or similar minimum distance. A class of QM-CPFSK (QM-continuous phase frequency shift keyed) signals are presented that use binary signaling but more phase states, and M2-ary QM-CPFSK signals are derived from constant envelope M-ary CPFSK signals. M2-ary multi-amplitude CPFSK signaling schemes are constructed that maintain the same distance as known multi-amplitude CPFSK schemes, but more than double the bandwidth efficiency in bits/Hz. In addition to these CPFSK based embodiments, embodiments are provided that more generally use CPM, non-continuous phase modulated signals, and even trellis-based PAM based signals.
US07769092B2

Disclosed are ultra wideband radio transmitter, ultra wideband radio receiver, and ultra wideband radio communication method capable of securing higher transfer rate and communication quality than conventional ones while avoiding a band where communication signals are concentrated, and capable of miniaturizing an antenna. In a transmitter, a delay time controller (12) outputs a periodic pulse to matched filters 11-1 and 11-2 when transmission data is 1, and outputs the periodic pulse to matched filters 11-1 and 11-3 when the transmission data is 0. The matched filter 11-1 outputs reference signal, the matched filter 11-2 outputs first data signal ahead of the reference signal, and the matched filter 11-3 outputs second data signal behind the reference signal. An adder (13) adds up these, a mixer (21) frequency-converts output of the adder using a local signal received from a local oscillator (23), and an antenna (6) radiates output of the mixer (21).
US07769085B2

The present invention provides an image data processing method of recording image data coded with the MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) technique to a recording medium. For transition of the bit occupancy in a VBV buffer to a target value, the initial value of a bit occupancy in a VBV buffer is calculated on the basis of auxiliary data read from a recording medium, a comparison is made between the target and initial values of the bit occupancy, and the number of bits for assignment to each GOP of to-be-coded image data correspondingly to the result of comparison.
US07769084B1

Method For Implementing A Quantizer In A Multimedia Compression And Encoding System is disclosed. In the Quantizer system of the present invention, several new quantization ideas are disclosed. In one embodiment, adjacent macroblocks are grouped together into macroblock groups. The macroblock groups are then assigned a common quantizer value. The common quantizer value may be selected based upon how the macroblocks are encoded, the type of macroblocks within the macroblock group (intra-blocks or inter-blocks), the history of the motion vectors associated with the macroblocks in the macroblock group, the residuals of the macroblocks in the macroblock group, and the energy of the macroblocks in the macroblock group. The quantizer value may be adjusted in a manner that is dependent on the current quantizer value. Specifically, if the quantizer value is at the low end of the quantizer scale, then only small adjustments are made. If the quantizer value is at the high end then larger adjustments may be made to the quantizer. Finally, in one embodiment, the quantizer is implemented along with an inverse quantizer for efficient operation.
US07769078B2

Channel and correlation characteristics are determined for a composite signal. Respective combining weights for information from the composite signal are determined for respective ones of a plurality of candidate delays based on the determined channel and correlation characteristics. A group of delays, e.g., RAKE correlator delays or chip equalizer filter taps, is selected from the plurality of candidate delays based on the determined weights. Information from the composite signal for the selected delays is processed according to a spreading code to generate a symbol estimate. The invention may be embodied as methods, apparatus and computer program products.
US07769073B2

The wireless coverage of a wireless telecommunications network is divided into a plurality of cells, and each cell is further divided into an alpha sector, a beta sector, and a gamma sector. The alpha sectors are provided with a first frequency assignment that includes a first frequency band and a second frequency band. The beta sectors are provided with a second frequency assignment that includes the first frequency band and a third frequency band. The gamma sectors are provided with a third frequency assignment that includes the first frequency band and a fourth frequency band. The second and third frequency bands partially overlap in frequency. The third and fourth frequency bands also partially overlap in frequency. By using overlapping frequency bands, the benefits of hybrid frequency reuse may be achieved in a more spectrally efficient manner.
US07769068B2

A system to increase the brightness of, and control gaps in, the light from an external cavity, spectrally narrowed, stack of diode laser bars employing a stepped mirror and transparent plates in the external cavity.
US07769055B2

The invention concerns a method of transmitting, via a sending device, a data stream made up of data packets, at least some of these packets including time references for synchronizing the clocks of the sender and the receiver. The method includes at least a correction of the time references by the sender so as the receiver can offset the jitter introduced by the transmission. The invention is used to offset these losses of accuracy. The invention concerns also the device and corresponding receiver and reception method.
US07769054B2

A wireless LAN can be used to support audio communication sessions between wireless communication devices and wired communication devices both configured to operate according to the Internet Protocol. Both the wired and wireless communication devices generate and transmit frames of voice information over the LAN to each other and in the process of generating these frames they place a timestamp in each frame that is used by a receiving communications device to determine when the frame should be played in relationship to all of the other frames of voice information it receives. At times these communication devices can place incorrect timestamp values in the frames of audio information which can affect the quality of the communication experience for a user. I propose to correct any incorrect timestamp values by first recognizing that a timestamp value is incorrect and then rounding the value to the nearest frame boundary.
US07769053B2

In a data multiplexing device which multiplexes and transmits the transport stream packets of program data consisting of a plurality of data elements constructed in the form of transport stream packets, a program distribution system, a program transmission system, a pay broadcast system, a program transmission method, a conditional access system, and a data reception device according to the present invention, by generating a scramble key Ks corresponding to one or more data elements among the plurality of data elements constituting a program and by scrambling each data element, an audience can subscribe for each data element.
US07769046B1

According to specific embodiments of the present invention, a standardized interface is provided for enabling controlled communication between MAC and PHY devices of an access network. In one embodiment, a vendor independent interface is described which may be implemented between a DOCSIS MAC layer and a DOCSIS PHY layer of a DOCSIS enabled data network, in order to enable any DOCSIS MAC and DOCSIS PHY devices (which may be from different vendors) to communicate with each other. Using the standardized interface, component manufacturers are able to combine different MAC and PHY devices from different vendors, thereby facilitating price and value competition between vendors. The standardized interface technique of the present invention may be extensible in ways which allow multiple PHY devices to share the same interface. Further, the interface technique of the present invention may be applied to a variety of different shared-access networks which use at least one shared access communication channel to communicate between a plurality of nodes in the network and a Head End of the network.
US07769045B2

A method (200) and an apparatus (500) in a packet switched data transfer system for processing header bits and payload bits in a frame of bits are disclosed. The header bits are classified into a first predetermined class of bits and into a second predetermined class of bits (204), the payload bits are classified into the first predetermined class of bits and into the second predetermined class of bits (206), the first predetermined class of bits are processed in accordance with a first predetermined mechanism (208), and the second predetermined class of bits are processed in accordance with a second predetermined mechanism (210).
US07769043B2

A method of shaping data packet transmissions by nodes in a wireless network is presented. Each node sets a maximum limit for MAC service data unit size based on data rate so that maximum transmission times for data packet transmissions by all of the nodes are approximately the same.
US07769033B2

A radio bridging device is used for a communications network. If a source host transmits a communications request directed to a destination host, the radio bridging device records an IP address and a MAC address of the source host and an IP address of the destination host in a local table. A state of the source host is set as “LOCAL” if the source host belongs to a segment where the radio bridging device belongs, and set as “AIR” if otherwise. Further, a state of the destination host is set as “SEARCH”, and an ARP request directed to the destination host is broadcast. If an ARP response is received from the destination host, the state of the destination host is changed from “SEARCH” to “LOCAL” or “AIR” to be recorded in the local table together with a MAC address of the destination address.
US07769027B2

Method of managing priority during the transmission of a message, in an interconnections network comprising at least one transmission agent which comprises at least one input and at least one output, each input comprising a means of storage organized as a queue of messages. A message priority is assigned during the creation of the message, and a queue priority equal to the maximum of the priorities of the messages of the queue is assigned to at least one queue of messages of an input. A link priority is assigned to a link linking an output of a first transmission agent to an input of a second transmission agent, equal to the maximum of the priorities of the queues of messages of the inputs of said first agent comprising a first message destined for that output of said first agent which is coupled to said link, and the priority of the link is transmitted to that input of said second agent which is coupled to the link.
US07769026B2

Scheduling of packets is performed by a scheduler based on departure times. If wrap up of departure times is possible, departure times are transposed based on a zone associated with the last departure time. By using the zone to transpose in order to sort departure times, cycles of independent checks on each of the departure times are avoided.
US07769019B2

The present invention provides an efficient system and method for routing information through a dynamic network. The system includes at least one ingress point and one egress point. The ingress and egress point cooperate to form a virtual circuit for routing packets to destination subnets directly reachable by the egress point. The egress point automatically discovers which subnets are directly accessible via its local ports and summarizes this information for the ingress point. The ingress point receives this information, compiles it into a routing table, and verifies that those subnets are best accessed by the egress point. Verification is accomplished by sending probe packets to select addresses on the subnet. Additionally, the egress point may continue to monitor the local topology and incrementally update the information to the ingress to allow the ingress to adjust its compiled routing table.
US07769016B1

A system receives data in multiple streams from an upstream device. The system temporarily stores the data in a first buffer and asserts a forward flow control signal when a capacity of the first buffer exceeds a first threshold value. The system reads the data from the first buffer and selectively processes the data based on the forward flow control signal. The system temporarily stores the selectively processed data in a number of second buffers, generates a backward flow control signal when a capacity of one of the second buffers exceeds a second threshold value, and sends the backward flow control signal to the upstream device.
US07769012B2

To provide a stable high speed wireless network, the relay process is solved at the lower layers (PHY layer, MAC layer) without depending on upper layers to reduce the load of the upper layers to the utmost. Discrimination is made between a packet of one's own station and a relay packet to process the presence and absence of the relay packet without using a CPU to construct a wireless network executing the relay processing at a high speed. Further, the retransmission is executed without using a CPU to provide a stable wireless network. In addition, the table for relay process (routing table) is constantly updated to add to the table the information of the packets of which processes are not executed to eventually suppress unnecessary processes.
US07769010B2

A retransmission correction performed by counting means provided in a controlling radio network controller (RNC) within a radio access network in the counting of multimedia service joined mobile terminals located in a cell for a PTP/PTM transmission decision, in the case of a repetition of a multimedia service session. The retransmission correction uses an estimated number of the mobile terminals having received a previous transmission of said multimedia service session from any radio network controller.
US07769000B2

In one embodiment, a scheme is disclosed for managing call routing in a network environment including a circuit-switched (CS) network and an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) network. When a call is originated by a user equipment (UE) device in the CS network, call information associated with the call is provided to a call continuity control function (CCCF) network node disposed in the IMS network. At the CCCF node, a pool of E.164 numbers are maintained as IP multimedia routing numbers (IMRNs) which are mapped to or otherwise associated with called party numbers. The CCCF node dynamically allocates a select IMRN with respect to a called party number received from the UE device and returns it to the UE device. The dynamically allocated IMRN is then utilized for routing the call towards the called party.
US07768996B1

A method for re-querying for routing information is disclosed. The method transmits an initial admission query to a gatekeeper or a request for routing information and receives an admission confirmation or routing information response with a destination address. The method then tries to establish a connection with the destination address. Upon reception of a call failure message including a failure cause, the method, optionally, increments a counter and transmits a re-query to the gatekeeper or other routing entity, and the re-query includes the failure cause and, optionally, a value of the query counter.
US07768970B2

A method and apparatus for controlling video data in a wireless terminal having a normal video communication mode and a video mute mode is provided. The wireless terminal can be switched to the video mute mode if a user selects the video mute mode during normal video communication mode, thereby enabling video data preselected by the user to be presented on the terminal's display and transmitted to a distant party. The terminal can also display and transmit preselected video data if no video data is received from a distant party within a given time.
US07768963B2

Systems and methods of improving sampling of WLAN packet information to improve estimates of Doppler frequency of a WLAN positioning device. A device estimates the position of itself. The device includes a WLAN radio module for receiving WLAN signals transmitted by WLAN APs in range of said device, extraction logic for extracting information from said received WLAN signals to identify the WLAN APs, and logic to cooperate with a WLAN-based positioning system to estimate the position of the device based at least in part on the extracted information identifying the WLAN APs in the range of said device. The WLAN radio module includes logic for measuring multiple received signal strength indicator (RSSI) values for sufficiently long WLAN packets to increase the sampled rate of RSSI of WLAN packets from WLAN APs and to thereby improve an estimate of the Doppler frequency of said device.
US07768961B2

A method and apparatus for reliably transmitting data by transmitting a plurality of radio link control (RLC) unacknowledged mode (UM) protocol data units (PDUs) over at least one primary channel and at least one auxiliary channel. If at least one RLC UM PDU is missing from the data transmitted over the primary channel, the missing RLC UM PDU is obtained from the auxiliary channel after a predetermined delay. A service data unit (SDU) is completed by combining PDUs received over the primary channel with at least one missing PDU received over the auxiliary channel. The SDU is sent to an application layer. If the missing PDU cannot be obtained before a predetermined time period expires, the transmitted data is deleted. The RLC UM PDUs may be used for streaming multicast applications.
US07768959B1

A method, apparatus, and computer-readable media for a wireless network device for communicating with a network comprises a memory to store an image comprising a plurality of virtual machines and only one multi-tasking operating system, wherein each of the virtual machines comprises a wireless network application to execute on the multi-tasking operating system; a processor to execute the virtual machines; and a port comprising a physical-layer device to communicate with the network, and a media access controller to communicate with the physical-layer device and the processor.
US07768956B2

A method for the optimization of the payload of a multispot telecommunication satellite is disclosed. This type of satellite allows the use of several antenna spots on board the satellite to cover contiguous geographical zones, instead of a single broad spot. The method uses the division of an amplification unit such as a travelling wave tube TWTA between several spots.
US07768955B2

A wireless Internet service access method and apparatus thereof is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method eliminates the complexity to access the corresponding site and allows for a mobile terminal to directly access the corresponding site with the use of a special code such as a number or character.
US07768954B2

A communication device is arranged to delay a procedure for joining a network until it detects activity on the network, for example until the communication device is within range of network. In response to a positive detection of network activity, the communication device broadcasts its address to other communication devices already connected to the network. In response, a message containing a list of addresses of the other communication devices is sent by a selected one of the other communication device, for example, the one communication device that most recently joined the network. Each communication device is arranged to send a message once, so that only one message containing the address is sent to a communication device joining the network. If no network activity is detected, the communication device may continue to broadcast its address periodically at gradually increasing time intervals.
US07768941B1

A VPN server on a radio access network may initiate a virtual private network (VPN) over a shared network, e.g., Internet, on behalf of a wireless terminal. The VPN may span the shared network, but not span the radio access network. As a result, the radio access network may be able to analyze and manipulate data sent by the wireless terminal. Additionally, the VPN may securely transport the data through the shared network.
US07768939B1

Techniques are described in which a network device waits differing amounts of time for different network sockets before beginning processes to determine whether respective network connections from the network sockets have failed. An intermediate device may create a network socket for a network connection having a keep-alive wait time option set to a keep-alive wait time associated with a class of the network connection. If an amount of time specified by the keep-alive option of the socket passes after a last successful communication on the network connection, the socket may begin a process to determine whether the network connection has failed. If the intermediate device determines that the network connection has failed, the intermediate device may terminate the connection to free resources on the intermediate device allocated to the network connection.
US07768938B2

Systems and methods are described for providing a plurality of communication services over existing access lines such as twisted pair access lines. These services include voice, audio/video, and data communication services, the so-called “triple play” of services. The use of existing communication lines enables these services to be provided at a relatively low cost. Remote terminals are located close to subscriber premises to reduce the length of the existing communication lines connecting subscribers to the network. Data associated with a plurality of communication services may be statistically multiplexed onto the communication lines. Subscribers are provided with the capability to dynamically select services, including the capability to select audio/video signals from a set containing audio/video broadcast signals. The systems and methods enable data to be transported efficiently through the backbone network interconnecting central offices. Capabilities comparable to the capabilities of coaxial cable systems are provided at a lower cost than alternative approaches, such as running fiber all the way to the subscriber premises.
US07768936B2

A system and method are disclosed for transporting deterministic traffic in a gigabit passive optical network. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an Optical Line Termination (OLT) for exchanging data traffic in a Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) having a controller programmed to generate a timeslot schedule for transport of a desired bandwidth of constant bit rate (CBR) data traffic by selecting one or more timeslots from periodic frame clusters operating according to a GPON Transmission Convergence (GTC) protocol. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US07768917B2

In the present invention, a service network includes, when user terminals are divided by area, subscriber accommodation nodes that accommodate the user terminals present in the respective areas and relay nodes that perform relay of information among the subscriber accommodation nodes. The congestion control system further includes an edge router that routes a processing request for a communication service received from each of the user terminals to each of the subscriber accommodation nodes on the service network side as a control message and a congestion control server that controls congestion states of the subscriber accommodation nodes and the relay nodes. The subscriber accommodation node detects, when congestion occurs or it is likely that congestion occurs in the subscriber accommodation node because of a large number of control messages from the edge router, the occurrence of the congestion or the likelihood of occurrence of congestion and notifies the congestion control server to that effect. The congestion control server transmits a congestion control message for regulation to the edge router that routes the control message to the subscriber accommodation node, in which the congestion or the likelihood of occurrence of congestion has occurred, to thereby regulate an operation for routing the control message to the subscriber accommodation node, in which the congestion or the likelihood of occurrence of congestion has occurred, from the edge router.
US07768903B2

The present invention relates to allocating a radio resource in a wireless communication system utilizing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). Preferably, the present invention comprises receiving in a mobile station data associated with a radio resource allocation map from a base station, wherein the radio allocation map comprises control parameters for transmitting an uplink channel, wherein the uplink channel comprises at least one OFDM tile comprising a first set of subcarriers associated with representing at least part of an n-bit data payload, and a second set of subcarriers associated with representing at least part of a non-pilot m-bit data payload wherein each subcarrier carries a modulated data, and the first and the second set of subcarriers are exclusive to each other, and transmitting the uplink channel from the mobile station to the base station.
US07768888B2

An optical disk apparatus which can promptly restart reproduction and recording by using a preceding discrimination result of a disk kind without using a memory. A mechanism for correcting an aberration is constructed by an expander lens for the aberration correction and a self-holding element as a moving mechanism of the expander lens. A detector for detecting a position of the expander lens is provided. By detecting a correcting position of the expander lens, the kind of disk to which the reproduction and recording have previously been executed can be discriminated.
US07768884B2

A dropout detection device, a disk reproduction apparatus, and a dropout detection method for detecting the occurrence of a dropout are provided. A low-pass filter outputs, as a signal LFENV, a low-frequency component of an envelope signal ENV generated by an envelope generation circuit, which represents an upper envelope of a first RF signal RF1 input from an RF amplifier unit. An adder adds a shift amount SH to the envelope signal ENV, and outputs a resultant signal as a shifted envelope signal SENV. A comparator outputs a dropout detection signal DET during a time period PT in which the signal LFENV is larger than the shifted envelope signal SENV. A detection control unit detects an amplitude ARF1 of the first RF signal RF1, and changes a frequency gain characteristic of the low-pass filter and the shift amount SH according to the magnitude of the detected amplitude AR1.
US07768877B2

A disc transfer section for transferring an optical disc by guide members and a transfer roller is disposed adjacent to an opening of a casing 110. A detector 500 for detecting the optical disc is disposed adjacent to the opening. When unloading the optical disc, the peripheral edge of the optical disc contacts with slide members so that the slide members are slid, thereby sensor switches SW1 to SW4 are appropriately switched on and off. Based on a time difference between the timings of the on/off switchings, the relation between a movement trajectory of the center of the optical disc and an axis of symmetry that is a straight line indicating a transfer direction at the center of the opening is judged in order to control the drive of a transfer motor according to the movement trajectory. The amount of advancement when the unloading is completed is kept constant.
US07768873B2

A system is disclosed that provides a sonar system featuring combined spatial and temporal correlation array processing. The disclosed system merges spatial-based velocity errors with temporal-based velocity errors by using a combining algorithm that is based on the optimization criteria that the output after combining has no bias error and has a minimized mean square error. With these criteria, the combining algorithm takes the form of a weighted summation of the spatial data stream and temporal data stream inputs with the weights being a function of the relative velocity errors. In combining spatial and temporal processing in this manner, the disclosed system provides improved velocity measurements for a wider range of ship's speeds. In particular, the system achieves performance levels of a spatial correlation sonar for low ship's speeds for which a temporal correlation sonar solution might not be available. The system also achieves performance levels of a temporal correlation sonar for high ship's speeds for which a spatial correlation sonar solution might not be available.
US07768870B2

The invention is a method for defining the development conditions of a hydrocarbon reservoir by updating a velocity model by means of log data. A first seismic depth image representative of the reservoir is established by using seismic data and a velocity model. A series of log data is acquired from wells. Differences between seismic reflector depths observed in the first seismic depth image and depths for these reflectors identified in the wells are measured. The velocity model is modified to minimize these errors, using a prestack kinematic inversion technique allowing constraints to be taken into account. A new seismic depth image from which the development conditions of the hydrocarbon reservoir are determined is deduced therefrom. The invention has application for hydrocarbon reservoir development.
US07768868B2

A memory device that, in certain embodiments, includes a memory element and a digital filter. The digital filter may include a counter and a divider, where the divider is configured to divide a count from the counter by a divisor.
US07768865B2

A row decoder and access line driver receives power supply voltages in a manner that prevents CHC damage and avoids GIDL currents in transistors in the decoder and driver. The row decoder and a latch in the driver are powered by a first supply voltage, and an output stage in the access line driver is powered by a second supply voltage. The first and second supply voltages are maintained at a relatively low level during standby before an address is decoded. Only after an address is decoded to set the latch are the supply voltages increased to levels needed to drive the access line. Further, before resetting the latch, the first and power supply voltages are decreased to their standby levels. By maintaining the first and second voltages relatively low until after the latch is set and reset, GIDL currents may be avoided and CHC damage may be prevented.
US07768863B1

A device package that receives a voltage from a power supply on a motherboard and that includes provisions for a voltage control element that controls the power supply voltage. The provisions for the voltage control element are such that the voltage from the power supply has a first voltage if the voltage control element is installed and a second voltage if the voltage control element is missing. Such a device is useful in (computer) systems having wiring boards with power supplies that produce output voltages that depend on adjust voltages on adjust inputs. The provisions of the device package can then set the adjust voltage such that the power supply has a first voltage if the voltage control element is installed and a second voltage if the voltage control element is missing.
US07768858B2

A refresh controlling circuit includes an MRS latch unit configured to output a mask information signal of a bank and a mask information signal of a segment by synchronizing a first address signal and a second address signal with a pulse signal, a bank active control unit configured to output a bank active signal in response to the mask information signal of the bank, and a decoding unit configured to output a row address decoding signal in response to the bank active signal, the mask information signal of the segment, and a third address signal.
US07768857B2

An integrated device comprising a storage location, wherein data stored in the storage location is repeatedly refreshed with a first predetermined refresh rate during a first period of time. The first period of time provides a first predetermined duration. After the end of the first period of time, the data is repeatedly refreshed with a second predetermined refresh rate.
US07768855B2

In a sense amplifier circuit having a plurality of sense amplifier portions arranged in order, each of the sense amplifier portions includes a transistor that supplies a bit line potential to a bit line pair in a corresponding column of a memory cell array and a gate electrode for supplying a precharge signal to a gate of the transistor. The gate electrode of the plurality of sense amplifier portions is provided as one piece as a whole and extends in a direction parallel to a row direction in the memory cell array. A gate electrode portion which is a connected portion between the gate electrode in a k-th sense amplifier portion and the gate electrode in a (k+1)-th sense amplifier portion is ring-shaped, where k is an odd number.
US07768854B2

A controlling apparatus and a controlling method for controlling a pre-charge activity on a SRAM array are provided. The controlling apparatus comprises: a detecting module, a controlling module and a pre-charge module. The detecting module is to detect whether the row address of the SRAM array in operation is changed and generate a row-changing signal according to the detection result; the controlling module is to detect an operation mode of the SRAM array and generate a disable signal according to the row-changing signal and the operation mode; and the pre-charge module is to generate a pre-charge signal according to a pseudo-pre-charge signal and the disable signal, wherein the pre-charge signal substantially controls the pre-charge activity on the SRAM cell in operation.
US07768850B2

A system comprises a storage cell coupled to multiple bitlines and a transistor that couples to the multiple bitlines in parallel with the storage cell. The transistor is activated while the storage cell is read.
US07768846B2

A DRAM circuit with reduced power consumption and in some circumstances faster memory array access speed. Input/output lines connected to a memory array are sensed according to their capacitance/length in comparison to a threshold capacitance/length. The input/output lines that are shorter, or less capacitive, than the threshold are sensed sooner than those input/output lines that are longer, more capacitive, than the threshold. Since shorter input/output lines are sensed sooner, they require less power and may be accessed faster.
US07768843B2

A semiconductor memory device is capable of maintaining a predetermined back-bias voltage level regardless of operation modes of the semiconductor memory device, by generating a back-bias voltage with driving force changed according to the operation modes. The semiconductor memory device includes an active pumping control signal generating unit for generating an active pumping control signal in response to a plurality of active signals, a voltage detecting unit for detecting a voltage level of a back-bias voltage terminal to output a detection signal, an oscillator for generating an oscillation signal oscillating at a predetermined frequency in response to the detection signal, and a charge pumping unit for performing a charge pumping operation in response to the oscillation signal by controlling a force of driving the back-bias voltage terminal in response to the active pumping control signal.
US07768842B2

A voltage generating circuit for semiconductor memory devices for use in avoiding the occurrence of leakage currents associated with parasitic diodes is presented. The circuit controls and stabilizes the generation of a fedback negative voltage to prevent parasitic diode malfunctions by a in a wordline driver. The voltage generating circuit includes a controller being fedback the negative voltage and detecting a potential difference between backbias voltage provided to a substrate of the cell and the negative voltage to generate a control signal. The voltage generating circuit also includes a voltage generator being fedback the negative voltage to detect a level thereof, and which subsequently generates and provides the negative voltage in response to the detected results of the negative voltage and the control signal.
US07768841B2

Selecting circuits for columns of an array of memory cells are used to hold read data or write data of the memory cells. The memory cells may be multistate memory cells. There is a shift register chain, having a stage for columns of the array. A strobe pulse is shifted through this shift register. The strobe points, with each clock, at and enables a different selecting circuit in sequence. That particular selecting circuit that has been enabled by the strobe will then perform a certain function. In a read mode, the selected selecting circuit will send the stored information through to the output buffer for output from the integrated circuit. And while in a programming mode, the selected selecting circuit will receive data from an input buffer. This data will be written into a memory cell.
US07768840B1

A computer-implemented method for creating an integrated circuit, IC, test engine for testing a proposed IC memory array using new memory structural model. An IC designer inputs the number of words that can be stored and a column multiplexer ratio in a proposed IC memory array. A selection of one or more procedures is made from a library of computer-readable procedures. Each of the procedures is to produce one or more structural primitives that describe certain physical layout features of the proposed IC memory array, without analyzing a CAD layout file of the proposed IC memory array. The library of procedures as a whole translates between a physical model of a family of IC memory arrays and a user interface model of the family. A data background, DB, pattern is produced to be used by the test engine in testing the proposed IC memory array. This is done by executing the selected one or more procedures, wherein these procedures take as input the received number of words and column multiplexer size. Other embodiments are also described.
US07768838B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, devices, modules, and systems for reading non-volatile memory cells. One method includes programming a number of memory cells coupled in series between a first and second select gate transistor where edge cells are coupled adjacent to the select gate transistors and non-edge cells are coupled between the edge cells. The method includes programming a non-edge cell within a first threshold voltage (Vt) distribution. The method also includes programming an edge cell within a second Vt distribution, wherein the first and second Vt distributions correspond to a same one of a number of data states, and wherein the second Vt distribution is different than the first Vt distribution for at least one of the number of data states.
US07768837B2

A flash memory device and a method of programming a flash memory device include selecting bit lines connected to program cells of multiple memory cells coupled to a selected word line. The selected bit lines are driven to a bit line program voltage through a write driver circuit connected to first ends of the selected bit lines. The selected bit lines are also driven to the bit line program voltage through a bit line detecting/driving circuit connected to second ends of the selected bit lines. The bit line detecting/driving circuit activates the selected bit lines synchronously with voltage variations of the selected bit lines.
US07768835B2

A memory device having memory cells fabricated in a substrate well is described. The memory device includes control circuitry to perform an erase operation on the memory cells and a voltage bias circuit to bias the substrate well to a positive voltage level during an erase verification operation of memory cells. The voltage bias circuit controls a discharge level of the substrate well following the erase operation to prevent the substrate well from fully discharging lower than the positive voltage level.
US07768831B2

A flash memory device includes multiple memory blocks, a decoder configured to select at least one of the memory blocks in response to block select signals, and a controller configured to generate the block select signals in response to a block address. When the block address corresponds to a bad block, the controller generates the block select signals to cause the decoder to interrupt selection of a memory block corresponding to the block address.
US07768830B2

In a memory cell array, a plurality of memory cells each of which stores a plurality of bits are connected to a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines and are arranged in a matrix. Control portions read a threshold level of a second memory cell adjacent to a first memory cell in the memory cell array, determine a correction level according to the threshold level read from the second memory cell, add the determined correction level to a read level of the first memory cell, and then read the threshold level of the first memory cell. A storage portion stores the correction level.
US07768820B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a feedback structure, a method of constructing a feedback structure and an integrated circuit employing the feedback structure. In one embodiment, the feedback structure is for use with an integrated circuit and includes a local interconnect configured to electrically connect an output of a CMOS inverter to another circuit in the integrated circuit. Additionally, the feedback structure also includes an interconnect extension to the local interconnect configured to proximately extend along a gate structure of the CMOS inverter to provide a reactive coupling between the output and the gate structure.
US07768819B2

The logic cells (HLEs) of a structured application-specific integrated circuit (structured ASIC) can be used to provide memory blocks of various sizes. Any one or more of several techniques may be employed to facilitate doing this for various user designs that may have different requirements (e.g., in terms of size) for such memory blocks. For example, pre-designed macros of memory blocks may be provided and then combined as needed to provide memory blocks of various sizes. Placement constraints may be observed for certain portions of the memory circuitry (e.g., the memory core), while other portions (e.g., address predecoder circuitry, write and read data registers, etc.) may be located relatively freely.
US07768817B2

A memory device including current-limiting circuitry coupled to a first inverter inside a data register is provided. The current-limiting circuitry controls a voltage supplied to the first inverter and a reference voltage may be adjusted so that the voltage supplied to the first inverter is prevented from dropping below a voltage supplied to a second inverter inside the data register. The memory device may include a switch to allow coupling to the current-limiting circuitry for programming of the memory device.
US07768815B2

A structure and a method for operating the same. The method comprises providing a resistive/reflective region on a substrate, wherein the resistive/reflective region comprises a material having a characteristic of changing the material's reflectance due to the material absorbing heat; sending an electric current through the resistive/reflective region so as to cause a reflectance change in the resistive/reflective region from a first reflectance value to a second reflectance value different from the first reflectance value; and optically reading the reflectance change in the resistive/reflective region.
US07768813B2

In one embodiment, a DRAM is provided that includes: a word line intersecting with a pair of bit lines, the DRAM including a memory cell at each intersection, each memory cell including an access transistor adapted to couple a storage cell to the corresponding bit line if its gate voltage is raised; and a word line compensation circuit adapted to compensate for a capacitively-coupled voltage increase on the corresponding bit line if the access transistor's gate voltage is raised.
US07768812B2

Embodiments disclosed include memory cell operating methods, memory cell programming methods, memory cell reading methods, memory cells, and memory devices. In one embodiment, a memory cell includes a wordline, a first bitline, a second bitline, and a memory element. The memory element is electrically connected to the wordline and selectively electrically connected to the first bitline and the second bitline. The memory element stores information via a resistive state of the memory element. The memory cell is configured to convey the resistive state of the memory element via either a first current flowing from the first bitline through the memory element to the wordline or a second current flowing from the wordline through the memory element to the second bitline.
US07768809B2

A shift register is provided, the shift register comprising at least one track including a storage region. The storage region comprises a plurality of magnetic domains for storing data. A given first one of the plurality of magnetic domains is adjacent to a given second one of the plurality of magnetic domains. The given first one of the plurality of magnetic domains and the given second one of the plurality of magnetic domains are arranged in a linear configuration. Further, the given first one of the plurality of magnetic domains and the given second one of the plurality of magnetic domains are separated from one another by at least one layer of non-magnetic material. The at least one layer of non-magnetic material preventing a propagation of a nucleated wall from traveling between the given first one of the plurality of magnetic domains and the given second one of the plurality of magnetic domains. The shift register is configured such that an electric current applied to the track is operative to shift data stored within at least one of the plurality of magnetic domains of the storage region, along the track, in a direction of the electric current. The data stored within the at least one of the plurality of magnetic domains is shifted as a function of the direction of the electric current.
US07768804B2

An inverter includes a counter, a PWM generator, a central controller and a power converter. The counter is used for receiving a frame switch signal to generate a frame counting signal. The PWM generator is coupled to the counter, and is used to select a specific frequency among a plurality of predetermined frequencies according to the frame counting signal, and generate a modulated signal having the specific frequency. The central controller is coupled to the PWM generator, and is used to generate a processed signal according to the modulated signal. The power converter is coupled to the central controller, and is used to generate an output signal according to the processed signal.
US07768802B2

In one embodiment, a switching mode power supply (SMPS) includes a rectifier for generating an input DC voltage from an input AC voltage. A switching transistor, coupled to a primary coil of a transformer, converts the input DC voltage and supplies power to a secondary side of the transformer according to an operation of the switching transistor. A switching controller receives a feedback voltage corresponding to a voltage of the secondary side of the transformer, a sense signal corresponding to current flowing at the switching transistor, and a first signal corresponding to a voltage difference between first and second electrodes of the switching transistor. The switching controller controls the turning on and off of the switching transistor. After the switching transistor is turned off, the switching controller detects and counts a number of times that a voltage level of the first signal and a reference voltage are equal. The switching controller causes the switching transistor to turn-on when the count of the number of times reaches a variable reference number.
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