US07790758B2
This invention relates to potentiation of the glutamate receptor by novel compounds of formula (I): The invention also relates to the use of the derivatives in treating diseases and conditions mediated by potentiation of the glutamate receptor, compositions containing the derivatives and processes for their preparation.
US07790755B2
A controlled release preparation wherein the release of active ingredient is controlled, which releases an active ingredient for an extended period of time by staying or slowly migrating in the gastrointestinal tract, is provided by means such as capsulating a tablet, granule or fine granule wherein the release of active ingredient is controlled and a gel-forming polymer. Said tablet, granule or fine granule has a release-controlled coating-layer formed on a core particle containing an active ingredient.
US07790751B2
The present invention provides a compound of formula I and the use thereof for the treatment of a central nervous system disorder related to or affected by the 5-HT6 receptor.
US07790746B2
Quinoline derivatives, particularly 4-anilinoquinoline derivatives of formula (I), are provided: Such quinoline derivatives can be used for modulation of DNA methylation, such as effective inhibition of methylation of cytosine at the C-5 position, for example via selective inhibition of DNA methyltransferase DNMT 1. Methods for synthesizing numerous 4-anilinoquinoline derivatives and for modulating DNA methylation are provided. Also provided are methods for formulating and administering these compounds or compositions to treat conditions such as cancer and hematological disorders.
US07790734B2
Compounds, pharmaceuticals, kits and methods are provided for use with DPP-IV inhibitors comprising Formula I: wherein the substituents are as described herein.
US07790731B2
The present invention is directed to a form I crystal of 2-methyl 3-{4-[3-(1-pyrrolidinyl)propoxy]phenyl}-5-trifluoromethyl-4(3H)-quinazolinone that is useful for example in the treatment of sleep disorders or various sleep disorder-associated diseases.
US07790727B2
The present invention relates to novel benzenesulfonanilide compounds of the formulae I and I′ and physiologically tolerated acid addition salts and the N-oxides thereof. The compounds possess valuable therapeutic properties and are particularly suitable, for treating diseases that respond to modulation of the serotonin 5-HT6 receptor. wherein R1 is hydrogen or methyl R2 is hydrogen or methyl R3 hydrogen, fluorine C1-C2 alkoxy or fluorinated C1-C2 alkoxy; R4 is hydrogen, C1-C4 alkyl or fluorinated C1-C4 alkyl; R5 is hydrogen, fluorine, C1-C2 alkyl, fluorinated C1-C2 alkyl, C1-C2 alkoxy or fluorinated C1-C2 alkoxy; and R6 is hydrogen, fluorine or chlorine.
US07790723B2
Thiazole derivatives of the formula I in which R1, R2, R3, V, W, X and B are as defined in claim 1, act as phosphodiesterase IV inhibitors and can be employed for the treatment of osteoporosis, tumors, cachexia, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes mellitus, inflammatory processes, allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases, myocardial diseases and AIDS.
US07790712B2
The application relates to compounds of formula Ia and analogues thereof wherein R1 to R13 and X are as defined herein. The invention also relates to the use of the compounds of formula Ia as inhibitors of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase-Activated Protein kinase-2 (MAPKAP-k2), and also to a method for preventing or treating a disease or disorder that can be treated or prevented by modulating the activity of MAPKAP-K2 in a subject and to pharmaceutical compositions and kits that include these MAPKAP-K2 inhibitors.
US07790710B2
The compounds of formula (I) in which R1, R11 and A have the meanings as given in the description are novel effective iNOS inhibitors.
US07790705B2
Minocycline oral dosage forms containing a controlled release carrier are useful for the treatment of acne.
US07790703B2
The present invention relates to phosphonate compounds, compositions containing them, processes for obtaining them, and their use for treating a variety of medical disorders, e.g., osteoporosis and other disorders of bone metabolism, cancer, viral infections, and the like.
US07790700B2
Partially desulfated glycosaminoglycan derivatives are described, particularly heparin, and more particularly formula (I) compounds where the U, R and R1 groups have the meanings indicated in the description. These glycosaminoglycan derivatives exhibit antiangiogenic activity and are devoid of anticoagulant activity.
US07790697B2
The present invention relates to the specific inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) using agents which inhibit the synthesis or expression of MMP-1. Such agents are useful for suppressing invasion or metastasis of a tumor cell and in the treatment, prevention and management of cancer.
US07790690B2
A glucose sensitive regulator of insulin transcription includes a glucose response element (GIRE) of a liver-pyruvate (L-PK) gent promoter, and an insulin-sensitive element of an insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) basal promoter. The transcriptional activity of the regulator is stimulated by glucose and inhibited by insulin.
US07790689B2
The present invention relates to monosaccharide derivatives as anti-inflammatory agents. The compounds disclosed herein can be useful for inhibition and prevention of inflammation and associated pathologies including inflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as bronchial asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis, allograft rejection, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, acne, atherosclerosis, cancer, pruritis and allergic rhinitis. Pharmacological compositions containing compounds disclosed herein and the methods of treating bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, type I diabetes, psoriasis, allograft rejection, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, acne, atherosclerosis, cancer, pruritis, allergic rhinitis and other inflammatory and/or autoimmune disorders, using the compounds are also provided.
US07790679B2
A method of stabilizing an aqueous protein or antibody formulation is disclosed herein. Additionally, stable pharmaceutical formulations are contemplated which comprise a biologically active protein, a destabilizing concentration of preservative and a stabilizing concentration of osmolyte.
US07790671B2
Methods and compositions are provided for suppressing appetite by surgically implanting a drug infusion pump into a site in a subject, and delivering a stable suspension of an appetite suppressing agent a region in a central nervous system of the subject. The appetite suppressing agent binds to a target receptor on a neural cell in the central nervous system and modifies the receptor function to suppress appetite.
US07790660B2
A polyalkylene glycol based lubricant composition that contains specified rust inhibitors and antioxidants has lowered operating temperature and is particularly suitable for use in worm drive gearboxes. The rust inhibitors consist of an N-acylo arcosine and an imidizole while the antioxidant consists of an alkylated diphenyl amine and a hindered phenol.
US07790659B2
Disclosed are lubricating oil compositions excellent in friction reducing effect and long drain properties and particularly suitable for internal combustion engines, which comprise a lubricating base oil, a specific phosphorus compound in an amount of 0.005 to 0.5 percent by mass in terms of phosphorus based on the total mass of the composition, and at least one additive selected from the group consisting of (C) metallic detergents, (D) ashless dispersants, and (E) anti-oxidants, and further contains (F) a sulfur-containing organic molybdenum complex and (G) an ashless friction modifier and which satisfy prescribed requirements and have a sulfated ash content not exceeding a specified level.
US07790652B2
A method of hydroprocessing a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock using a hydroprocessing catalyst having specific properties making it effective in the hydroconversion of at least a portion of the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to lighter hydrocarbons. The hydroprocessing catalyst comprises a Group VIB metal component (e.g., Cr, Mo, and W), a Group VIII metal component (e.g., Ni and Co) and, optionally, a potassium metal component that are supported on a support material comprising alumina. The alumina has novel physical properties that, in combination with the catalytic components, provide for the hydroprocessing catalyst. The hydroprocessing catalyst is particularly effective in the conversion of the heavy hydrocarbon feedstock. The alumina is characterized as having a high pore volume and a high surface area with a large proportion of the pore volume being present in the pores within a narrow pore diameter distribution about a narrowly defined range of median pore diameters. The support material preferably does not contain more than a small concentration of silica. The alumina component is preferably made by a specific method that provides for an alumina having the specific physical properties required for the hydroprocessing catalyst.
US07790647B2
An electrode catalyst layer, capable of having high catalytic activity in a small thickness, for use in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell having an entangled (cobweb-like) structure. The electrode catalyst layer is produced through a process including a step of forming a thin film with a film-forming material containing a combination of platinum, oxygen, and nitrogen, a combination of platinum, oxygen, and boron, or a combination of platinum, oxygen, nitrogen, and boron, and a step of forming a catalyst material, which has the entangled structure and principally contains platinum as a main component by reducing the film-forming material.
US07790645B2
The present invention relates to a dielectric ceramic composition comprising BaTiO3, BaZrO3, and the oxide of R wherein, when A is the content of BaZrO3, and C is the content of the oxide R, with respect to 100 moles of BaTiO3, then A is 40≦A≦65 moles and C is 4≦C≦15 moles; plus said dielectric composition satisfies the equation (1) and (2). The present invention can provide a dielectric ceramic composition good in IR lifetime, and capable to be suitably used for medium-high voltage which has a high rated voltage (for example, 100V or more). 0.0038A−0.147≦B≦0.004A+0.04 Equation (1) (note that, B is a ratio of the X-ray diffraction maximum intensity among peaks of said BaZrO3 with respect to the X-ray diffraction maximum intensity among peaks of said BaTiO3). 0.0041C−0.0115≦D≦0.0046C+0.084 Equation (2) (note that, D is a ratio of the X-ray diffraction maximum intensity among peaks of the oxide of said R with respect to the X-ray diffraction maximum intensity among peaks of said BaTiO3).
US07790640B2
The present disclosure generally relates to absorbent articles. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an absorbent article comprising a surge management layer comprising a nonwoven web. The nonwoven web includes a filler fiber and a binder fiber. A portion of the cross-sectional area of the filler fiber is hollow, and the binder fiber includes a sheath component and a core component.
US07790637B2
A composite laminate includes a plurality of sheets of prepreg stacked one over another, and a scrim layer provided on an exterior surface of the sheets of prepreg. Each prepreg sheet is formed of fibers preimpregnated with resin. The scrim layer and the sheets of prepreg form a composite laminate whereby the scrim layer constitutes an outer, exposed surface of the composite laminate. The scrim layer may be a nonwoven carbon or glass fiber scrim that has absorbed resin from the sheets of prepreg. A method of making a composite laminate includes placing into a mold a scrim and a plurality of sheets of prepreg, with the scrim extending between an exterior surface of the sheets of prepreg and an inner surface of the mold; forming a composite laminate whereby the scrim is adhered to the sheets of prepreg; and removing the composite laminate from the mold. An outer layer of the composite laminate includes the scrim.
US07790635B2
A method for forming a compressive stress carbon-doped silicon nitride layer is provided. The method includes forming an initiation layer and a bulk layer thereon, wherein the bulk layer has a compressive stress of between about −0.1 GPa and about −10 GPa. The initiation layer is deposited from a gas mixture that includes a silicon and carbon-containing precursor and optionally a nitrogen and/or source but does not include hydrogen gas. The bulk layer is deposited from a gas mixture that includes a silicon and carbon-containing precursor, a nitrogen source, and hydrogen gas. The initiation layer is a thin layer that allows good transfer of the compressive stress of the bulk layer therethrough to an underlying layer, such as a channel of a transistor.
US07790634B2
Methods of making a silicon oxide layer on a substrate are described. The methods may include forming the silicon oxide layer on the substrate in a reaction chamber by reacting an atomic oxygen precursor and a silicon precursor and depositing reaction products on the substrate. The atomic oxygen precursor is generated outside the reaction chamber. The methods also include heating the silicon oxide layer at a temperature of about 600° C. or less, and exposing the silicon oxide layer to an induced coupled plasma. Additional methods are described where the deposited silicon oxide layer is cured by exposing the layer to ultra-violet light, and also exposing the layer to an induced coupled plasma.
US07790630B2
A silicone-doped carbon interlayer dielectric (ILD) and its method of formation are disclosed. The ILD's dielectric constant and/or its mechanical strength can be tailored by varying the ratio of carbon-to-silicon in the silicon-doped carbon matrix.
US07790616B2
A method for producing a silicide contact. The method comprises the steps of depositing a metal on a SiC substrate; forming an encapsulating layer on deposited metal; and annealing said deposited metal to form a silicide contact. The encapsulating layer prevents agglomeration and formation of stringers during the annealing process.
US07790610B2
Methods of fabricating a memory unit are provided including forming a plurality of first nanowire structures, each of which includes a first nanowire extending in a first direction parallel to the first substrate and a first electrode layer enclosing the first nanowire, on a first substrate. The first electrode layers are partially removed to form first electrodes beneath the first nanowires. A first insulation layer filling up spaces between structures, each of which includes the first nanowire and the first electrode, is formed on the first substrate. A second electrode layer is formed on the first nanowires and the first insulation layer. A plurality of second nanowires is formed on the second electrode layer, each of which extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The second electrode layer is partially etched using the second nanowires as an etching mask to form a plurality of second electrodes. Related memory units, methods of fabricating semiconductor devices and semiconductor devices are also provided.
US07790609B2
A method of forming a metal line in a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method of forming a metal line in a semiconductor device includes forming an interlayer insulating film over a substrate. A via hole may be formed by selectively patterning the interlayer insulating film. A metal film may be formed over a surface of the interlayer insulating film including an inner portion of the via hole. The inner portion of the via hole may be filled with copper. A copper layer exposed over the surface of the interlayer insulating film may be deplated using reverse current to form a copper metal line and a recess region over the copper metal line. An upper insulating film may be formed over the surface of the interlayer insulating film including the recess region by deposition. An insulating cap layer may be selectively formed over only the recess region on the copper metal line by etching the upper insulating film. The upper insulating film and the insulating cap layer may be made of a compound selected from a group including SiN, SiCN and SiOC. An upper insulating film may be deposited over the surface of the interlayer insulating film using a thermal deposition method or a plasma deposition method.
US07790603B2
A system and method for providing low dielectric constant insulators in integrated circuits is provided. One aspect of this disclosure relates to a method for forming an integrated circuit insulator. The method includes forming an insulating layer using a first structural material upon a substrate, the first structural material having sufficient mechanical characteristics to support metal during chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP). The method also includes depositing a metallic layer upon the insulating layer, the metallic layer adapted to be used as a wiring channel. The method further includes processing the metallic layer to form the wiring channel, where processing includes CMP. In addition, the method includes removing and replacing at least a portion of the first structural material with a second structural material, the second structural material having insufficient mechanical characteristics to support metal during CMP. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.
US07790595B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises (a) forming a resin layer that includes at least a plurality of a first and a second resin parts, being separated from each other, over a semiconductor substrate having an electrode pad and a passivation film; (b) forming a resin projection in which the first and the second resin parts are integrated by curing the resin layer; and (c) forming a conductive layer that is being connected electrically to the electrode pad and extending over the resin projection, wherein in process (a), the second resin part is formed at least between the electrode pad and the first resin part at a width less than the first resin part.
US07790591B2
Methods of manufacturing a semiconductor device are provided including forming a charge storage layer on a gate insulating layer that is on a semiconductor substrate. A blocking insulating layer is formed on the charge storage layer and an electrode layer is formed on the blocking insulating layer. The blocking insulating layer may be formed by forming a lower metal oxide layer at a first temperature and forming an upper metal oxide layer on the lower metal oxide layer at a second temperature, lower than the first temperature.
US07790585B2
An antiferromagnetic half-metallic semiconductor of the present invention is manufactured by adding to a semiconductor two or more types of magnetic elements including a magnetic element with a d-electron number of less than five and a magnetic element with a d-electron number of more than five, and substituting a part of elements of the semiconductor with the two or more types of magnetic elements.
US07790584B2
A method of growing a semi-polar nitride single crystal thin film. The method includes forming a semi-polar nitride single crystal base layer on an m-plane hexagonal system single crystal substrate, forming a dielectric pattern layer on the semi-polar nitride single crystal base layer, and growing the semi-polar nitride single crystal thin film on the semi-polar nitride single crystal base layer having the dielectric pattern layer in a lateral direction. The growing of the semi-polar nitride single crystal thin film in a lateral direction includes primarily growing the semi-polar nitride single crystal thin film in the lateral direction such that part of a growth plane on the semi-polar nitride single crystal base layer has an a-plane, and secondarily growing the semi-polar nitride single crystal thin film in the lateral direction such that sidewalls of the primarily grown semi-polar nitride single crystal thin film are combined to have a (11 22) plane.
US07790580B2
The invention provides a method for forming thin film transistors including a polycrystalline semiconducting film. The method comprises depositing a first layer of amorphous semiconducting thin film on to a substrate; depositing a second layer of thin film on to the first layer of amorphous semiconducting thin film; patterning the second layer of thin film so that the first layer of amorphous semiconducting thin film is exposed at selected locations; exposing the first and second layers of thin film to a nickel containing compound in either a solution or a vapor phase; removing the second layer of thin film; and annealing the first layer of amorphous semiconducting thin film at an elevated temperature so the first layer of amorphous semiconducting thin film converts into a polycrystalline semiconducting thin film.
US07790578B2
Prior to dicing, a volatile protective agent is applied to at least the face of the substrate in which the devices are fabricated. Then the devices are separated by dicing. After dicing, the surface of the volatile protective agent is cleaned, and then the volatile protective agent is evaporated.
US07790577B2
An integrated circuit chip and a method of fabricating an integrated circuit chip. The integrated circuit chip includes: a set of wiring levels stacked from a first wiring level to a last wiring level; and a respective void in each wiring level of two or more wiring levels of the set wiring levels, each respective void extending in a continuous ring parallel and proximate to a perimeter of the integrated circuit chip, a void of a higher wiring level stacked directly over but not contacting a void of a lower wiring level, the respective voids forming a crack stop.
US07790570B2
There is provided a method of removing trap levels and defects, which are caused by stress, from a single crystal silicon thin film formed by an SOI technique. First, a single crystal silicon film is formed by using a typical bonding SOI technique such as Smart-Cut or ELTRAN. Next, the single crystal silicon thin film is patterned to form an island-like silicon layer, and then, a thermal oxidation treatment is carried out in an oxidizing atmosphere containing a halogen element, so that an island-like silicon layer in which the trap levels and the defects are removed is obtained.
US07790564B2
Methods for fabricating a device structure in a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate. The method includes forming a first isolation region in the substrate device layer that extends from a top surface of the device layer to a first depth and forming a second isolation region in the semiconductor layer that extends from the top surface of the semiconductor layer to a second depth greater than the first depth. The method further includes forming a doped region of the device structure in the semiconductor layer that is located vertically between the first isolation region and the insulating layer.
US07790537B2
By introducing additional strain-inducing mechanisms on the basis of stress memorization techniques, the performance of NMOS transistors may be significantly increased, thereby reducing the imbalance between PMOS transistors and NMOS transistors. By amorphizing and re-crystallizing the respective material in the presence of a mask layer at various stages of the manufacturing process, a drive current improvement of up to approximately 27% has been observed, with the potential for further performance gain.
US07790536B2
A device grade III-V quantum well structure and method of manufacture is described. Embodiments of the present invention enable III-V InSb quantum well device layers with defect densities below 1×108cm−2 to be formed. In an embodiment of the present invention, a delta doped layer is disposed on a dopant segregation barrier in order to confine delta dopant within the delta doped layer and suppress delta dopant surface segregation.
US07790534B2
A method is described for forming a thin film transistor having its current-switching region in polycrystalline semiconductor material which has been crystallized in contact with titanium silicide, titanium silicide-germanide, or titanium germanide. The titanium silicide, titanium silicide-germanide, or titanium germanide is formed having feature size no more than 0.25 micron in the smallest dimension. The small feature size tends to inhibit the phase transformation from C49 to C54 phase titanium silicide. The C49 phase of titanium silicide has a very close lattice match to silicon, and thus provides a crystallization template for the silicon as it forms, allowing formation of large-grain, low-defect silicon. Titanium does not tend to migrate through the silicon during crystallization, limiting the danger of metal contamination. In preferred embodiments, the transistors thus formed may be, for example, field-effect transistors or bipolar junction transistors.
US07790529B2
Some embodiments include DRAM having transistor gates extending partially over SOI, and methods of forming such DRAM. Unit cells of the DRAM may be within active region pedestals, and in some embodiments the unit cells may comprise capacitors having storage nodes in direct contact with sidewalls of the active region pedestals. Some embodiments include 0C1T memory having transistor gates entirely over SOI, and methods of forming such 0C1T memory.
US07790528B2
A semiconductor process and apparatus provide a planarized hybrid substrate (15) by thermally oxidizing SOI sidewalls (90) in a trench opening (93) to form SOI sidewall oxide spacers (94) which are trimmed while etching through a buried oxide layer (80) to expose the underlying bulk substrate (70) for subsequent epitaxial growth of an epitaxial semiconductor layer (96). In this way, SOI sidewall oxide spacers (94) are formed that prevent epitaxial SOI sidewalls from being formed in the trench opening (93) during the epitaxial growth step, and that can be readily removed during any subsequent STI etch process
US07790527B2
In a first aspect, a first method of manufacturing a high-voltage transistor is provided. The first method includes the steps of (1) providing a substrate including a bulk silicon layer that is below an insulator layer that is below a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) layer; and (2) forming one or more portions of a transistor node including a diffusion region of the transistor in the SOI layer. A portion of the transistor node is adapted to reduce a voltage greater than about 5 V within the transistor to a voltage less than about 3 V. Numerous other aspects are provided.
US07790526B2
An exemplary embodiment of a system comprises an active matrix organic electroluminescent device, having a substrate, and a plurality of scan lines and data lines disposed on the substrate, for defining a plurality of pixel regions. Each pixel structure comprises: a switching thin film transistor, a driving thin film transistor, and a storage capacitor. The switching TFT has a light-shielding layer adapted for preventing the sunlight from being incident into the switching TFT. The driving TFT is a bottom gate thin film transistor and have advantages of precisely controlling the current provided to the organic electroluminescent diode. Further, since the storage capacitor has a multilayer structure and occupies a reduced pixel area, the aperture ratio of the pixel structure can be increased.
US07790523B2
A mask that is capable of forming a thin-film transistor (TFT) with improved electrical characteristics is presented. The mask includes a drain mask pattern, a source mask pattern and a light-adjusting pattern. The drain mask pattern blocks light for forming a drain electrode. The source mask pattern blocks light for forming a source electrode and faces the drain mask pattern. A distance between the drain and source mask patterns is no more than the resolution of an exposing device. The light-adjusting pattern is formed between end portions of the source mask pattern and the drain mask pattern to block at least some light from entering a space between the source and drain mask patterns.
US07790521B2
A method of manufacturing a thin film semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: forming a light reflection and absorption layer for reflecting and absorbing light on a substrate; patterning the light reflection and absorption layer in a prescribed shape; forming an insulating film covering the patterned light reflection and absorption layer; forming a semiconductor thin film containing a polycrystalline grain on the insulating film; and laser annealing the semiconductor thin film by irradiating pulse oscillated laser light to crystallize the semiconductor thin film. The laser annealing step includes a heating process, and a cooling process.
US07790518B2
A method of trimming down the volume of a semiconductor resistor element using electrical resistance feedback. After forming conductive material disposed between a pair of electrodes, a voltage is applied to the electrodes to produce an electrical current through the conductive material sufficient to heat and melt away a portion of the conductive material. By reducing the volume of the conductive material, its resistance is increased. The application of the voltage is ceased once the desired dimensions (and thus resistivity) of the conductive material is reached. The resulting semiconductor resistor element could have a fixed resistance, or could have a variable resistance (by using phase change memory material).
US07790517B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device forms an N− diffusion layer to be a source/drain region of a grooved transistor simultaneously with an N− diffusion layer of a channel region directly under a gate electrode of an antifuse element. The formation of the N− diffusion layer directly under the gate electrode of the antifuse element stabilizes electrical connection between the gate electrode and the source/drain diffusion region even during writing with a low write voltage.
US07790515B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor component which has a semiconductor substrate provided with an integrated circuit on an under side of the semiconductor substrate and a plurality of external connection electrodes provided on the underside of the semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of interconnections each of which includes one end portion connected to each of the external connection electrodes of the semiconductor component and the other end portion extended outside the semiconductor substrate. An under fill medium is provided to cover at least an underside of the semiconductor substrate and at least the side surfaces of the external connection electrodes. A sealing medium is provided to cover an upper side and a side surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the under fill medium. The undersurface of the under fill medium is flush with the undersurfaces of the interconnections.
US07790514B2
A manufacturing process for a chip package structure is provided. First, a patterned conductive layer having a plurality of first openings and a first patterned solder resist layer on the patterned conductive layer are provided. A second patterned solder resist layer is formed on the patterned conductive layer such that the first patterned solder resist layer and the second patterned solder resist layer are disposed at two opposite surfaces of the patterned conductive layer. Chips are bonded onto the first patterned solder resist layer such that the first patterned solder resist layer is between the chips and the patterned conductive layer. The chips are electrically connected to the patterned conductive layer by a plurality of bonding wires passing through the first openings. At least one molding compound is formed and the molding compound, the first patterned solder resist layer and the second patterned solder resist layer are separated.
US07790513B2
A semiconductor die package is disclosed. In one embodiment, the semiconductor die package has a substrate. It includes (i) a lead frame structure including a die attach region with a die attach surface and a lead having a lead surface, and (ii) a molding material. The die attach surface and the lead surface are exposed through the molding material. A semiconductor die is on the die attach region, and the semiconductor die is electrically coupled to the lead.
US07790505B2
A semiconductor chip package manufacturing method and a structure thereof are provided. The manufacturing method includes: providing a base having an image sensor chip and an encapsulant, in which the image sensor chip has pads and an active area; placing a transparent insulator on the active area; forming an insulation layer on an upper surface of the base; opening a plurality of openings to expose the pads; forming a plurality of through holes penetrating the insulation layer and the encapsulant outside of the image sensor chips; forming a metal layer on surfaces of the insulation layer, the openings, the pads and the through holes, and on a lower surface of the base, so as to extend the pads to the lower surface of the base; patterning the metal layer to expose a top area of the transparent insulator and remove a partial area of the metal layer on the lower surface of the base to form contacts; and sawing the base to form a package structure containing a single image sensor chip.
US07790498B2
A process including: (a) providing a gelable composition comprising a gelable semiconductor polymer and a liquid, wherein the polymer is at a low concentration in the liquid; (b) gelling the gelable composition to result in a gelled composition; (c) breaking the gelled composition to result in a flowable, broken gelled composition, wherein the viscosity of the flowable, broken gelled composition is at least about 10 times greater than the viscosity of the liquid; and (d) liquid depositing the flowable, broken gelled composition.
US07790497B2
The present method of fabricating a resistive memory device includes the steps of providing a first electrode, oxidizing a portion of the first electrode with an oxidizing agent, providing a metal body on the oxidized portion of the first electrode, oxidizing the entire metal body with an oxidizing agent, and providing a second electrode on the oxidized metal body.
US07790492B1
A transducer package fabrication process is provided, the completed transducer package achieving a thin package profile. The fabrication process utilizes an encapsulation material to eliminate the need for a transducer support substrate, the encapsulation material isolating the terminal pads from one another while holding the transducer and signal processing IC in position.
US07790481B2
A pn-junction compound semiconductor light-emitting device is provided, which comprises a stacked structure including a light-emitting layer composed of an n-type or a p-type aluminum gallium indium phosphide and a light-permeable substrate for supporting the stacked structure, and the stacked structure and the light-permeable substrate being joined together, wherein the stacked structure includes an n-type or a p-type conductor layer, the conductor layer and the substrate are joined together, and the conductor layer is composed of a Group III-V compound semiconductor containing boron.
US07790475B2
The present invention is directed to apparatuses and methods for reducing the content of albumin in serum, plasma and/or blood samples. The apparatuses comprise an insoluble support with a ligand attached thereto. According to certain embodiments of the invention, the ligand is a bromosulfophthalein, Cibacron Blue or Warfarin ligand or salts or esters thereof. Also provided are methods of making the apparatus, as well as kits and albumin-depleted samples produced by the methods of the present invention.
US07790473B2
Novel biofunctionalized quantum dots include a mercaptoalkanoic acid linked to the surface of a nanocrystalline core and a bio-functional group linked to the surface. Biofunctionalized quantum dots are made by a novel synthesis method. Biofunctionalized quantum dots can be used in imaging or therapy applications.
US07790472B2
The invention concerns a fixed support for immobilizing biomolecules, said support being covered, at least in some parts, with a polymer. The invention is characterized in that the polymer is an epoxy resin with functionality ranging between 4 and 15. The invention also concerns a method for making such a support.
US07790463B2
The present invention provides methods and compositions related to biomarker profiles for each trimester of pregnancy. The present invention also provides methods for identifying patients at risk of developing a complication of pregnancy, such as preeclampsia. In further embodiments, the present invention relates to methods for the diagnosis of patients with preeclampsia.
US07790458B2
The invention provides populations of expanded CD34-expressing cells and methods of use. Particular embodiments provide for defined culture media useful for growing these cells, and grafts comprising these cells. The invention finds use in methods for reconstituting, repairing, and regenerating tissue damage.
US07790452B1
This invention provides safe, non-infectious chimeras that include the nucleic acid signature of most bacterial and viral biological threat agents. These chimeras mimic properties of threat agents and are useful as simulants to develop, evaluate, test, and train on nucleic acid-based biodetectors and diagnostic products of interest in biodefense, without the need for accessing or producing virulent agents.
US07790451B2
The present invention provides a recombinant HSV having the ability to specifically kill tumor cells such as human glioma cells in vivo, useful and safe for treating human glioma, etc. and that can easily put to clinical use. A new recombinant HSV, KeM345, is constructed by inserting a γ34.5 gene transcription unit, which is expressed by Musashi1 promoter, into a ribonucleotide reductase gene site of the genome of a herpes simplex virus (HSV) previously attenuated, by means of homologous recombination and obtained as a purified strain. Since KeM345 is a recombinant virus itself, it can not only induce viral proliferation by being transmitted to culture cells but can also induce viral replication equivalent to that of wild-type HSV, showing an excellent cytotoxic effect (cytolytic ability) selectively upon a malignant glioma.
US07790448B2
The present invention relates to a gene derived from a novel fulminant hepatitis C virus strain, an HCV replicon RNA with a high replication efficiency obtained using the gene, and an HCV replicon-replicating cell transfected with the replicon RNA. When the HCV replicon RNA and the HCV replicon-replicating cell of the present invention are used, HCV proteins can be continuously produced in a large amount.
US07790445B2
The present invention relates to a polypeptide possessing a CDase activity, characterized in that it is derived from a native CDase by addition of an amino acid sequence with the proviso that said polypeptide has no UPRtase or Thymidine Kinase activity.
US07790444B2
A bioreactor device for studying the effects of physical, chemical, mechanical and electromagnetic stimuli on the cellular activity. In particular, the device uses a sensorized premixing chamber (1), a culture chamber (2) for observing the development of the cells by a microscope (40). Output signals are transmitted to a control unit for amplifying and filtering the signals (50), which transmits the treated signals to a computer (52). To another control unit (51) actuating electrovalves (20), (21) and (22) are connected that adjust the introduction of gas in the premixing chamber. The culture medium is drawn from the premixing chamber (1) through a duct (4) and its flow is adjusted by a peristaltic pump (30). The culture medium crosses then the culture chamber (2) and continues its path in a duct (3), returning again in the premixing chamber (1). At the outlet of the culture chamber (2) the duct has a sample point (23) for picking up an amount of culture medium to analyze. Immediately before, along the duct, a temperature sensor is provided (24) that transmits a signal to the control unit (50) by an electrical cable (9).
US07790433B2
The present invention is directed to phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) variants produced by prokaryotes, wherein such prokaryotic PAL variant has a greater phenylalanine-converting activity and/or a reduced immunogenicity as compared to a wild-type PAL. The invention provides compositions of prokaryotic PAL and biologically active fragments, mutants, variants or analogs thereof, as well as methods for the production, purification, and use of such compositions for therapeutic purposes, including the treatment of cancer.
US07790428B2
The present invention provides essential fungal polynucleotides and their encoded polypeptides, homologues thereof and their uses. Additionally, the invention provides methods for the identification of essential polynucleotides and fungal strains which may be used for drug screening.
US07790427B1
A method of treating biocells includes the steps of: a. providing biocells; b. applying at least one stressor to the biocells sufficient to cause nonlethal and reparable cell wall damage to the biocells, thereby putting the biocells in a catabolic state during which catabolic metabolic functions predominate over anabolic metabolic functions; and c. obtaining at least one product produced by the biocells during the catabolic state. In another embodiment, the method includes the steps of: a. providing biocells that are mammalian cells; b. applying at least one stressor to the biocells sufficient to cause nonlethal and reparable cell wall damage to the biocells, the reparable cell wall damage comprising openings that allow increased passage of materials through the cells walls; and c. inserting foreign DNA through the openings into the biocells.
US07790426B2
The invention relates to sesquiterpene synthases and methods of their production and use. In one embodiment, the invention provides nucleic acids comprising a nucleotide sequence as described herein that encodes for at least one sesquiterpene synthases. In a further embodiment, the invention also provides for sesquiterpene synthases and methods of making and using these enzymes. For example, sesquiterpene synthases of the invention may be used to convert farnesyl-pyrophosphate to various oxygenated and aliphatic sesquiterpenes including valencene, bicyclo-germacrene, cubebol and delta-cadinene.
US07790425B2
The present invention provides a protein having saponin-decomposing activity, more specifically a protein which can decompose a glycoside having soyasapogenol B as an aglycone to produce soyasapogenol B, a polynucleotide encoding such a protein, and a method of producing soyasapogenol B on a large scale using the same. A protein according to the present invention are concerned with (a), (b) or (c), namely (a) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of the amino acid sequences shown in SEQ ID NOs: 2, 4, and 6; (b) a protein that has at least 50% homology to the protein comprising the amino acid sequence of the sequence described in (a) and having saponin-decomposing activity; or (c) a protein comprising a modified amino acid sequence of the sequence described in (a) that has one or more amino acid residues deleted, substituted, inserted, or added and having saponin-decomposing activity.
US07790424B2
Disclosed herein are a method of preparing an L-methionine production strain by overexpressing proteins involved in L-methionine biosynthesis in an L-threonine production strain, a strain prepared by the method, and a method of producing L-methionine using the strain.
US07790422B2
A method for producing a basic substance by fermentation comprising culturing a microorganism having an ability to produce the basic substance in a liquid medium contained in a fermentation tank to produce and accumulate the basic substance in the medium, wherein amount of sulfate and/or chloride ions used as counter ions of the basic substance is reduced by adjusting total ammonia concentration in the medium to be within a specific concentration range during at least a part of the total period of culture process.
US07790420B2
The present invention relates to methods of screening for expression of a soluble candidate protein within an expression library of candidate proteins. The method involves fusing each candidate protein in the library to a peptide substrate and identifying cells that express soluble candidate protein by detecting enzymatic modification of the peptide substrate.
US07790413B2
The present invention relates to terpene synthases that are capable of synthesizing mono-, bi- and/or tri-cyclic sesquiterpenes having a C2-C7 or a C3-C7 bond, starting from an acyclic pyrophosphate terpene precursor, farnesyl- pyrophosphate. Accordingly, for the first time, sesquiterpene synthases catalyzing the cyclization to the santalene and bergamotene carbon skeleton are disclosed. The present invention further relates to nucleic acid sequences encoding the sesquiterpene synthases and to methods for making terpenoids.
US07790400B2
The invention provides competitive immunoassay techniques for high sensitivity detection of delta-9-tetrahydro-cannabinol (cannabis; THC) employing a carrier conjugate of an intermediate in the biosynthesis of cannabis, more particularly 5-pentylresorcinol conjugated to a macromolecular carrier via its hydroxyl groups. By employing such a conjugate with anti-THC antibody in a lateral flow immunochromatography test device convenient on-site testing for low levels of cannabis in liquid samples may be achieved. Such testing is particularly favoured for roadside testing for cannabis in oral fluid samples.
US07790396B1
Methods and compositions relate to genetic markers of psychotic disorders, e.g., schizophrenia (SZ), are provided. For example, in certain aspects methods for determinations of a SULT4A1-1 haplotype are described. Furthermore, the invention provides methods and compositions involving treatment of psychotic disorders using the haplotype status.
US07790391B2
The disclosure provides methods of reducing the range of representation levels of nucleic acid targets. The methods are particularly useful for multi-target analyses benefiting from a low variance of target representations, such as, e.g., single molecule sequencing and/or heterozygous genotyping, and pathogen diagnosis. Two general methods are provided. In Method 1, starting concentrations of probes are adjusted. In Method 2, target-specific probes are “binned,” i.e., several subsets of probes are selected based on similar representation levels. Thereafter, each subset of corresponding targets is extracted, with or without amplification, using a separate portion of the sample (i.e., separate vessels).
US07790379B2
The present invention is directed to a method for localizing, in chromatin or DNA, the binding loci of a chromatin or DNA binding protein comprising the following steps: a) tethering, directly or indirectly, an enzyme with regulatable activity to said chromatin binding protein, b) transiently activating the regulatable enzymatic activity bound to the targeted chromatin and c) mapping the enzymatically-modified genomic sites introduced by the enzyme into the chromatin. According to an embodiment of the invention, the regulatable enzyme is a regulatable protease. The mapping step may be carried out on specific DNA fragments, or on a chromosome-wide scale or a genome-wide scale.The present invention is also directed to kits for carrying out the methods of the invention.
US07790376B2
Heparanase specific molecular probes which can be used for detection of the presence, absence or level of heparanase expression and methods of utilizing same are provided.
US07790375B2
Disclosed are primers specific to the genome of HPV genotypes 11, 16, 18 and 31. Also disclosed are a kit for detecting the HPV genome comprising the primers and a method of detecting the HPV genome using the primers.
US07790374B2
A process for the mutagenesis of a double-stranded polynucleotide sequence (master sequence) of n base-pairs having a (+)-strand and a complementary (−)-strand comprising the steps (i) creation of a collection of single-stranded fragments of the (+)-strand of the master sequence wherein all members of the collection have the same 5′-terminus and have a deletion in the 3-terminus such that the collection represents (+)-strands with a length of n−1, n−2, n−3, . . . nucleotides; (ii) introduction of at least one universal or degenerate nucleotide at the 3′-terminus of the (+) strand produced in step (i); (iii) elongation of the (+)-strand produced in step (ii) to the full length of the master sequence using the (−)-strand or fragments thereof as a template strand for the elongation; (iv) synthesis of a (−)-strand by using the (+)-strand produced in step (iii) as a template strand thereby effecting mutations in the (−)-strand at the positions of the previous universal or degenerate nucleotides compared to the master sequence.
US07790370B2
The present invention provides a method of diagnosing or predicting susceptibility to a clinical subtype of Crohn's disease characterized by fibrostenosing disease by determining the presence or absence in an individual of a fibrostenosis-predisposing allele linked to a NOD2/CARD15 locus, where the presence of the fibrostenosis-predisposing allele is diagnostic of or predictive of susceptibility to the clinical subtype of Crohn's disease characterized by fibrostenosing disease. In a method of the invention, the clinical subtype of Crohn's disease can be, for example, characterized by fibrostenosing disease independent of small bowel involvement. The invention also provides a method of optimizing therapy in an individual by determining the presence or absence in the individual of a fibrostenosis-predisposing allele linked to a NOD2/CARD15 locus, diagnosing individuals in which the fibrostenosis-predisposing allele is present as having a fibrostenosing subtype of Crohn's disease, and treating the individual having a fibrostenosing subtype of Crohn's disease based on the diagnosis.
US07790361B2
Various methods of producing a security document or article including a diffractive optical microstructure are disclosed. One method includes applying an opacifying layer (102) to at least one surface of a transparent substrate (100). An area of the opacifying layer (102) is exposed to laser radiation (108) to ablate apertures (110) in selected portions of the opacifying layer (102), thereby forming a diffractive optical microstructure (112) on the surface of the substrate (100). The laser radiation may be patterned prior to exposing the opacifying layer (102), for example by passing the radiation through a mask (104). Alternatively, a focussed or collimated laser beam (206) may be directed onto the selected portions of the opacifying layer (102). Laser radiation may be directed onto the opacifying layer (102) either directly, or through the transparent substrate (100). Security documents or articles made in accordance with the method are also provided.
US07790356B2
There is provided an anti-reflective coating forming composition comprising a polymer having a pyrimidinetrione structure, imidazolidinedione structure, imidazolidinetrione structure or triazinetrione structure and a solvent. The anti-reflective coating obtained from the composition has a high preventive effect for reflected light, causes no intermixing with photoresists, and can use in lithography process by use of a light having a short wavelength such as ArF excimer laser beam (wavelength 193 nm) or F2 excimer laser beam (wavelength 157 nm), etc.
US07790354B2
There are provided a novel photosensitive resin composition, a cured film of which has ample flexibility, and which yields an insulating protective coating having superior soldering heat resistance, thermal degradation resistance and electroless gold plating resistance. The photosensitive resin composition as claimed in the present invention comprises: a photopolymerizable component containing a urethane acrylate compound (A) and a compound (B) having an ethylenic unsaturated group other than said urethane acrylate compound (A), a thermosetting resin (C), a photopolymerization initiator (D) and a thermal polymerization catalyst (E); wherein, said urethane acrylate compound (A) is the reaction product of an isocyanate compound (a-1) of the following general formula (1): CH2═CH—COO—R—NCO (1) (wherein, R represents a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms) with a polyhydroxy compound (a-2).
US07790346B2
A heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet, containing; a support; at least one receptor layer on a support; at least one heat insulation layer containing hollow latex polymer particles, said at least one heat insulation layer being provided between the support and the at least one receptor layer; and wherein the hollow polymer particles have a particle diameter distribution that a sum of the number of particles having diameters of at most 90% of an average diameter of the hollow polymer particles and the number of particles having diameters of at least 110% of the average diameter is at least 40% of the total number of the hollow polymer particles present in the heat insulation layer.
US07790339B2
A photomask blank has a light-shielding film composed of a single layer of a material containing a transition metal, silicon and nitrogen or a plurality of layers that include at least one layer made of a material containing a transition metal, silicon and nitrogen, and has one or more chrome-based material film. The high transition metal content ensures electrical conductivity, preventing charge-up in the photomask production process, and also provides sufficient chemical stability to cleaning in photomask production. The light-shielding film has a good resistance to dry etching of the chrome-based material film in the presence of chlorine and oxygen, thus ensuring a high processing accuracy.
US07790338B2
Photolithographic apparatus, systems, and methods that make use of optical compensation devices are disclosed. In various embodiments, an imaging mask includes an optically transmissive substrate. A first patterned region is formed on the substrate, and a second patterned region is formed on the substrate that is proximate to the first patterned region, the first patterned region and the second patterned region each having a plurality of optically transmissive and optically attenuating regions formed on the mask. An optical compensation region is positioned proximate to at least one of the first patterned region and the second patterned region that is configured to change a phase of the illumination radiation incident on the at least one of the first patterned region and the second region by altering an optical property of the substrate.
US07790326B2
A unit cell of a fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly and an anode side metal separator and a cathode side metal separator sandwiching the membrane electrode assembly. A plurality of first supply holes and a plurality of second supply holes extend through a channel unit of the anode side metal separator, and the channel unit connects a fuel gas supply passage and a fuel gas flow field. A fuel gas from the fuel gas supply passage flows into the first supply holes, and flows through an inlet connection channel. The fuel gas flows into the second supply holes connected to an end of the inlet connection channel. The fuel gas flows toward the side of the membrane electrode assembly, and then, the fuel gas is supplied to an anode.
US07790316B2
Silicon composite particles are prepared by sintering primary fine particles of silicon, silicon alloy or silicon oxide together with an organosilicon compound. Sintering of the organosilicon compound results in a silicon-base inorganic compound which serves as a binder. Each particle has the structure that silicon or silicon alloy fine particles are dispersed in the silicon-base inorganic compound binder, and voids are present within the particle.
US07790314B2
A membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell is described. The materials for the membrane electrode assembly are formed from sulfonated polymers. A polymer dispersion ink containing the sulfonated polymer and a mixture of solvents is used to form the electrodes on the exchange membrane. The dispersion ink allows for the electrodes to be formed directly on the exchange membrane without significantly dissolving the exchange membrane.
US07790311B2
A rechargeable battery comprises an electrode assembly including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator that is interposed between the positive electrode and negative electrode. The battery further comprises a case for housing the electrode assembly, a cap assembly for sealing the case, a positive terminal and a negative terminal placed in the cap assembly and coupled with the electrode assembly, and lead elements that are coupled with the electrode assembly and the positive terminal and negative terminal. The positive and negative electrodes include uncoated regions that are not coated with positive active materials or negative active materials, respectively, and the lead elements are placed along the periphery of the uncoated regions to be coupled with at least half of the uncoated regions.
US07790309B2
A battery pack includes a casing formed of an insulative material; a secondary battery disposed inside the casing; a control circuit-board disposed inside the casing and provided for charging and discharging the secondary battery; and a protection sheet formed of an insulative material and disposed inside the casing while being in contact with an outer surface of the secondary battery. The control circuit-board is disposed across from the secondary battery while the protection sheet is disposed therebetween. The external dimension of the protection sheet is greater than the external dimension of the control circuit-board.
US07790308B2
An activated electrode for a non-aqueous electrochemical cell is disclosed with a precursor thereof a lithium metal oxide with the formula x{zLi2MnO3.(1−z)LiM′O2}.(1−x)LiMn2−yMyO4 for 0
US07790298B2
Organic electronic devices comprising a phthalimide compound. The phthalimide compounds disclosed herein are electron transporters with large HOMO-LUMO gaps, high triplet energies, large reduction potentials, and/or thermal and chemical stability. As such, these phthalimide compounds are suitable for use in any of various organic electronic devices, such as OLEDs and solar cells. In an OLED, the phthalimide compounds may serve various functions, such as a host in the emissive layer, as a hole blocking material, or as an electron transport material. In a solar cell, the phthalimide compounds may serve various functions, such as an exciton blocking material. Various examples of phthalimide compounds which may be suitable for use in the present invention are disclosed.
US07790294B2
A three-dimensional, woven metal fiber preform and metal braze matrix forms a high temperature metallic structural joint. The preform is used with a braze alloy matrix to join a structural skin to a flangeless frame. This same basic joint can be used to create large complex structures with very little tooling. The three-dimensional woven metal preform is a flexible element that conforms to match the skin and flangeless frame, thereby avoiding high costs associated with precision fixturing. A high temperature braze metal is used as a matrix for the wire and to join the woven preform to the skin and the frame. The edges of the preform are tapered to a feather edge to avoid stress concentrations and stiffness mismatch.
US07790288B2
A coated article and method therefor comprises a metal substrate comprising a layered coating composition on at least one surface thereof, the coating composition comprising a layer of epoxy on one or more of the surfaces of the substrate. The coating composition further comprises an overcoat layer comprising a combination of polyolefin and epoxy resins, the overcoat layer optionally being free of added epoxy curative. The article can be a pipe, vessel, conduit, rod, profile-shaped article, or tube. A preferred overcoat layer comprises a semi- or full-epoxy/polyolefin interpenetrating polymer network (IPN). In another embodiment, the coated article comprises a polyolefin/epoxy layer that is directly coated on at least one surface of a metal substrate, the polyolefin/epoxy coating being overcoated with a thermoplastic top coating, the coated article being free of added adhesive. The metal article preferably is a pipe, vessel, conduit, rod, profile shaped article or tube.
US07790286B2
Modified and functionalized metallic nanoclusters capable of providing an enhanced Raman signal from an organic Raman-active molecule incorporated therein are provided. For example, modifications include coatings and layers, such as adsorption layers, metal coatings, silica coatings, and organic layers. The nanoclusters are generally referred to as COINs (composite organic inorganic nanoparticles) and are capable of acting as sensitive reporters for analyte detection. A metal that enhances the Raman signal from the organic Raman-active compound is inherent in the nanocluster. A variety of organic Raman-active compounds and mixtures of compounds can be incorporated into the nanocluster.
US07790284B2
A flexible, low-bulk pre-impregnated (pre-preg) towpreg, which is the resultant impregnation of a low pressure impregnation of a bundle of un-spread fiber tows arranged in a predetermined cross-sectional shape. During the low pressure impregnation process, the resin does not enter into the fiber bundle, but rather only coats the surface fibers comprising the tow, resulting in un-coated fibers in the core of the prepreg and with molten resin, partially adhering onto and around the exterior fibers of the fiber bundle such that the interior fibers remain uncoated and a thin, irregular sheath of resin is created on and around the exterior of the fiber bundle surrounding the core of dry fibers.
US07790280B2
A structural reinforcement for a hollow member comprising a rigid reinforcing member having a shape that substantially conforms to the cross section of the hollow member to be reinforced with an expandable adhesive material over at least a portion of the surface of the structural reinforcement having one or more extensions on its external surface which control and direct the direction in which the adhesive material expands to bond the reinforcing member to the internal surface of the hollow member, some of the extensions also provide improved reinforcement.
US07790279B2
A constructional board has a coat formed on the surface, and is characterized in that carbodihydrazide are included on the surface of the coat and a coat layer containing colloidal silica as a main component is formed.
US07790275B2
Display-screen functional film product containing a laminate where an adhesive layer, a base film B and a silicone rubber layer are laminated in order on one surface of the functional film including a base film A and one or more functional layers laminated on a surface of the base film A. The product of the present invention does not undergo functional damage caused by heat or energy rays during production thereof, and thus is suitable for use in a display screen of a display device such as a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, or a plasma display.
US07790267B2
A workpiece boring/cutting operation aiding plate material comprising a rubber-containing styrene resin composition and an inorganic filler, wherein these are compounded in a weight ratio of 80:20 to 40:60; and a molding making use of the same.
US07790249B2
A stretched cellulose ester film produced by stretching after film forming employing a cellulose ester including a polyester polyol obtained from (a) a glycol having an average carbon atom number of 2 to 3.5 and (b) a dibasic or an anhydrous dibasic acid having an average carbon number of 4 to 5.5, wherein the stretched cellulose ester film exhibits retardation value Ro in the range of 30 to 200 nm, and a retardation value Rt in the range of 70 to 400 nm, Ro and Rt are each defined by specific Formulas (1) and (2).
US07790241B2
Disclosed is a steel tube with superior corrosion-resistance treated with plating and a manufacturing method of the same. The manufacturing method of the steel tube includes the steps of: preheating a steel tube formed through a milling process; maintaining the temperature of the preheated steel tube above a predetermined temperature, and creating a reduction atmosphere; melting an Al—Zn alloy containing 55 wt % of aluminum and 43.4-44.9 wt. % of zinc, and plating the molten alloy over the surface of the steel tube; cooling the steel tube; and coating the surface of the steel tube with a resin.
US07790236B2
The invention relates to a high gloss car wash-resistant coating composition comprising an epoxy-functional binder and a cross-linker reactive with the epoxy groups of the binder and a method to prepare such a car wash-resistant coating. The invention further relates to the use of said coating composition, as a pigment-free top coat or a clear coat, in the finishing and refinishing of articles, for example motorcycles, cars, trains, buses, trucks, and aeroplanes. The coating composition after curing forms a coating having an initial gloss of at least 81 GU and a loss of gloss (LoG) of less than 0.25, the loss of gloss being determined by the formula (I) LoG =(1−e(A/X)/(1+eK)+(1−eD*ΔTg) (I) wherein K=B*(Tgonset−C) In formula I A=−8.03, B=−0.21, C=328 and D=−0.00304.X reflects the cross-link density parameter in kPa/K, Tgonset the onset temperature of the Tg transition in K and ΔTg the width of the glass transition temperature in K, all three parameters determined in a dynamic mechanical thermal analysis test (hereinafter “DMTA”) at 11 Hz and a heating rate of 5° C./min.
US07790229B2
A method for adjusting a spacing of a leveling plate from a chamber body comprises attaching a mounting stud that includes a stud threaded surface to the chamber body. An adjustment screw is provided that has a first threaded surface threadingly engaged with the stud threaded surface. A bushing is provided that has a bushing threaded surface threadingly engaged with a second threaded surface of the adjustment screw. The bushing is movably coupled to the leveling plate. Coarse adjustment of the spacing between the leveling plate and the chamber body is made by rotating the adjustment screw with respect to the mounting stud. The bushing is fixed to the leveling plate. Fine adjustment of the spacing between the leveling plate and the chamber body is made by rotating the adjustment screw with respect to the mounting stud and the bushing.
US07790228B2
Developed is high-efficiency synthesis method and apparatus capable of promoting the initial growth of carbon nanostructure by eliminating the initial fluctuation time and rising time in raw gas flow quantity.A high-efficiency synthesis method of carbon nanostructure according to the present invention is a high-efficiency synthesis method of carbon nanostructure, the method comprising: bringing raw material gas and a catalyst into contact with each other under reactive conditions so as to produce a carbon nanostructure, wherein: the initiation of contact of the raw material gas with the catalyst is carried out instantaneously. Reaction conditions such as temperature and raw material gas concentration are set so as to meet those for catalyst growth, and under the reaction conditions, the initiation of contact of raw material gas G with catalyst 6 is carried out instantaneously. Consequently, the initial growth of carbon nanostructure is positively carried out, and the height growth and thickness growth thereof can be effected in high efficiency. Further, high-density growth and short-time high-speed growth can be realized. The catalyst includes any forms of catalyst such as catalyst substrate, catalyst structure, catalyst powders and catalyst pellet. It is especially preferred to employ a system wherein the feed and interruption of the raw material gas G are intermittently controlled by means of an electromagnetic three-way valve 24.
US07790223B2
The invention provides a recording medium for ink having an ink absorbing ability capable of absorbing ink of a large amount at a high speed, showing an excellent color forming ability and capable of suppressing an image deterioration by a dye displacement which tends to appear particularly in an image storage under a high humidity condition, and an image deterioration caused by light when a printed image is displayed, and showing an excellent stability with time of the printed image, and a method for producing such recording medium for ink.The invention also provides a recording medium for ink having at least one layer laminated on a substrate and including an ink receiving layer containing alumina hydrate as an outermost layer, in which a surface of the substrate at least on the side of the ink receiving layer is subjected to a cationizing treatment, further having an undercoat layer on the side of such cationizing treatment to obtain cations in a predetermined distribution, and having an outermost ink receiving layer laminated on said undercoat layer, and a producing method for such recording medium for ink.
US07790221B2
An electrochemical cell that receives an inlet stream of air and produces an outlet stream of a high oxygen concentration of gas. The cell is made up of a plurality of layers and preferably a porous electrolyte comprised of yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) that allows only oxygen ions to pass therethrough and which is covered on its sides with electrodes comprised of lanthanum strontium manganate (LSM) which in turn are coated with a layer of platinum to aid in the even distribution of the electrical current. An electrical current is passed through the electrodes to produce a voltage difference therebetween. The layers of YSZ and LSM are formed by a sol-gel process.
US07790220B2
The present invention, by coating the polymer electrolyte membranes for fuel cells with inorganic thin films via a PECVD method or a reactive sputtering method, reduces the methanol crossover sizably without seriously reducing the ionic conductivity of polymer electrolyte membranes, thereby, when applied to fuel cells, realizes a high performance of fuel cells. A surface of membrane can be coated with inorganic thin films made of inorganic materials, which are for example silicone oxide, titanium oxide, etc., so as to make composite polymer electrolyte membrane. For coating, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method or reactive method can be used.
US07790211B2
A package including a gas and an at least partly foamable liquid (2) by means of which a refreshment can be prepared, wherein the package is provided with manually operable means (7) with which a displacement of the gas and the liquid in the package can be effected such that foam formation occurs in the package.
US07790207B2
In the recovery of canola protein isolates from canola oil seeds steps are taken to inhibit the formation of coloring components and to reduce the presence of materials tending to form coloring components, to obtain a lighter and less yellow canola protein isolate.
US07790189B2
Disclosed is a new type of immunostimulating agent including an immunostimulating oligonucleotide complexed with a carrier which is safe and has a high transfection effect. The carrier complexed with the immunostimulating oligonucleotide to form the immunostimulating agent is a polysaccharide having β-1,3-bonds (preferably β-1,3-glucan such as schizophyllan). A preferred example of the immunostimulating oligonucleotide is one containing an unmethylated CpG motif. The polysaccharide for use is preferably modified with nucleic acid-binding functional group and/or cell membrane-affinitive functional group.
US07790186B2
Described in this application is a synthetic P. vivax circumsporozoite protein useful as a diagnostic reagent, for antibody production, and as a vaccine protective against infection with any strain of P. vivax.
US07790182B2
The invention described here entails a protein vaccine against poxviruses which contains at least two purified recombinant monkeypox virus proteins or peptides. The proteins or peptides are encoded by the open reading frames of the monkeypox ortholog genes M1R, A35R, A29L B6R, and orthologs of these proteins or peptides having 90% identity. The invention also entails a vaccine protocol against poxvirus whereby a vaccine is vaccinated with a first vaccine made up of a nucleic acid vaccine of three or more poxvirus virus genes, and subsequently vaccinated with at least one other booster vaccine made up of two or more poxvirus virus proteins.
US07790181B2
Live attenuated Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) vaccines that outperform the PE-6 vaccine in mice aerosol challenged with >1,000×LD50. Candidates include four furin-cleavage deletion mutants and one E3 deletion mutant. Each vaccine provided protection in birds against antigenically distinct North and South American strains of EEE. The PE-6 vaccine does not provide protection against South American EEEs. Animals inoculated with each of the vaccines of the invention developed neutralizing antibodies to EEE.
US07790180B2
The invention provides an attenuated rotavirus population comprising a single variant or substantially a single variant which is defined by a nucleotide sequence encoding at least one of the major viral proteins designated as VP4 and VP7. The invention particularly provides a rotavirus population designated as P43. The invention further provides a novel formulation for a rotavirus vaccine which is in the form of a quick dissolving tablet for immediate dissolution when placed on the tongue.
US07790176B2
The present invention generally relates to the use of a formula that improves human and animal endurance, stamina, performance and other physical parameters. In one composition aspect, the formula or composition of the present invention includes a Flammulina velutipes extract and citrus peel.
US07790164B2
Antibody Fab fragments specific for the EGF receptor are disclosed, as are compositions and kits comprising these Fab proteins. The Fab proteins may be conjugated to drugs or other therapeutic agents or to diagnostic agents. Also disclosed are methods for diagnosing and treating diseases such as tumors and cancer in which cells express high levels of the EGFR, using the foregoing Fab molecules and conjugates.
US07790161B2
The invention provides methods for treating or preventing bone degenerative disorders. The disorders treated or prevented include, for example, osteopenia, osteomalacia, osteoporosis, osteomyeloma, osteodystrophy, Paget's disease, osteogenesis imperfecta, and bone degenerative disorders associated with chronic renal disease, hyperparathyroidism, and long-term use of corticosteroids. The disclosed therapeutic methods include administering to a mammal an inhibitor of GDF-9 or BMP-15 in an amount effective to: (1) treat or prevent a bone degenerative disorder; (2) slow bone deterioration; (3) restore lost bone; (4) stimulate new bone formation; and/or (5) maintain bone mass and/or bone quality. The invention also provides methods for administering a GDF-9 agonist or a BMP-15 agonist to treat a bone disorder characterized by increased bone density or mass.
US07790156B2
The present invention relates to Δ8 desaturase genes, which have the ability to convert eicosadienoic acid (EDA; 20:2 ω-6) to dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA; 20:3 ω-6) and/or eicosatrienoic acid (ETrA; 20:3 ω-3) to eicosatetraenoic acid (ETA; (20:3 ω-3). Isolated nucleic acid fragments and recombinant DNA constructs comprising such fragments encoding Δ8 desaturases along with a method of making long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) using these Δ8 desaturases in oleaginous yeast are disclosed.
US07790155B2
The present invention provides novel compositions containing a calbindin-D28k therapeutic element, which is involved in the regulation of apoptosis, and may be administered for the prevention of an abnormal apoptosis response in cells. In particular the compositions and methods of the present invention may be used for the prevention or induction of apoptosis in such cells types as osteoblasts and osteocytes. Specifically, the compositions and methods of the present invention are useful for the prevention of diseases associated with glucocorticoid induced cell death. Specifically, the compositions and methods of the present invention may be useful in the prevention of glucocorticoid induced cell death in osteoblasts and the treatment of such conditions as glucocorticoid induced osteoporosis.
US07790154B2
The present invention provides duplexed parvovirus vector genomes that are capable under appropriate conditions of forming a double-stranded molecule by intrastrand base-pairing. Also provided are duplexed parvovirus particles comprising the vector genome. Further disclosed are templates and methods for producing the duplexed vector genomes and duplexed parvovirus particles of the invention. Methods of administering these reagents to a cell or subject are also described. Preferably, the parvovirus capsid is an AAV capsid. It is further preferred that the vector genome comprises AAV terminal repeat sequences.
US07790144B2
Cyanine dye bioconjugates useful for diagnostic imaging and therapy are disclosed. The conjugates include several cyanine dyes with a variety of bis- and tetrakis (carboxylic acid) homologes. The compounds are be conjugated to bioactive peptides, carbohydrates, hormones, drugs, or other bioactive agents. The small size of the compounds allows more favorable delivery to tumor cells as compared to larger molecular weight imaging agents. The various dyes are useful over the range of 350 to 1,300 nm, the exact range being dependent upon the particular dye. The use of a biocompatible organic solvent such as dimethylsulfoxide helps to maintain the fluorescence of the compounds. The inventive compounds are useful for diagnostic imaging and therapy, in endoscopic applications for the detection of tumors and other abnormalities, for localized therapy, for photoacoustic tumor imaging, detection and therapy, and for sonofluorescence tumor imaging, detection and therapy.
US07790142B2
The present invention relates to novel modified fatty acid analogs, where a positron or gamma-emitting label is placed at a position on a fatty acid backbone and an organic substituent is substituted at the 2,3; 3,4; 4,5; 5,6 and other sequence positions of a fatty acid backbone. These novel fatty acid analogs are designed to enter the tissues of interest by the same long chain fatty acid carrier mechanism as natural fatty acids, however, functional substituents in the 2,3; 3,4; 4,5; 5,6 and other sequence positions, block the catabolic pathway, thus trapping these analogs in a virtually unmodified form in the tissues of interest.
US07790141B2
Radio-opaque biodegradable compositions are formed by modifying terminal groups of synthetic and natural biodegradable polymers such as polylactones with iodinated moieties. The biodegradable property of the compositions renders them suitable for use in medical field such as drug delivery, imaging. Compounds disclosed in this invention exist as neat liquid. Certain compositions disclosed in this invention form hydrophobic iodine rich domains when dissolved in water, such domains provide better contrasting properties as well as ability to dissolve hydrophobic bioactive drugs. Certain iodinated moieties disclosed in the invention are capable of cross linking natural proteins in situ in presence of suitable catalysts and co-catalysts.
US07790138B2
The present invention relates to a process for preparing TiO2/SiO2 mixed oxides or the hydrates and/or oxide hydrates thereof comprised of 0.5 to 95 wt % SiO2 and the balance as TiO2, each referring to the completely calcined product, by using titanium alcoholates and aqueous silica sol. Moreover, the invention relates to the use of these mixed oxides as catalyst carriers.
US07790129B2
Two low cost processes for removing boron, phosphorus, carbon and titanium during the process of converting metallurgical grade silicon to electronic grade silicon are described. A first process removes boron and titanium by using one or more high temperature solids removal devices for the removal of solid titanium diboride from a halosilane reactor effluent stream where the high temperature is greater than about 200° C. A second process removes carbon as methane and phosphorus as phosphine by means of a membrane separator which processes all or part of a hydrogen recycle stream to recover hydrogen while rejecting methane and phosphine.
US07790128B2
Nitric oxide in a gaseous stream is converted to nitrogen dioxide using oxidizing species generated through the use of concentrated hydrogen peroxide fed as a monopropellant into a catalyzed thruster assembly. The hydrogen peroxide is preferably stored at stable concentration levels, i.e., approximately 50%-70% by volume, and may be increased in concentration in a continuous process preceding decomposition in the thruster assembly. The exhaust of the thruster assembly, rich in hydroxyl and/or hydroperoxy radicals, may be fed into a stream containing oxidizable components, such as nitric oxide, to facilitate their oxidation.
US07790127B1
A method of reducing NOx in a lean burn engine exhaust stream from a hydrocarbon burning engine may be first passing the exhaust stream over a thrifted diesel oxidation catalyst that substantially completes the oxidation of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide and the oxidation of hydrocarbons (HC) to carbon dioxide and water. Next, separate additions of ozone and ammonia or urea may be introduced to the exhaust gas stream upstream of the catalytic reduction reactor at temperatures below 250 degrees Celsius. The additions of ozone and ammonia or urea modify the exhaust gas composition to improve the performance of NOx reduction catalysts in the catalytic reduction reactor. At temperatures above 250 degrees, the ozone addition may be reduced or eliminated, while the ammonia addition can be controlled as a function of the amount of NOx in the exhaust stream and the temperature of the catalytic reduction reactor.
US07790121B2
A holding seal material which has alumina-silica based fibers aggregated into a mat shape as a constituent element. The holding seal material is placed in a gap between a ceramic body capable of allowing a fluid to flow through the inside thereof and a metal shell covering the outer circumference of the ceramic body. In the holding seal material, a crystallization rate is made different depending on portions of the holding seal material. An outer portion of the holding seal material disposed with respect to the metal shell is crystallized at a lower rate than an inner portion of the holding seal material disposed with respect to the ceramic body.
US07790117B2
A filter vial and piston are provided where the vial has a cylindrical wall with a closed bottom and open top and with the hollow, tubular piston therein. The piston has a distal end covered by a cup having a proximal cup seal extending outward to engage the walls of the vial to form a fluid tight seal with the vial during use. The distal end of the piston has a piston flange extending outwardly and located adjacent a recess in the piston so the cup forms a snap fit over the piston flange and extends into the recess. The piston flange causes the cup to bulge sufficiently outward to form a fluid tight seal with the vial during use. A filter is placed in the bottom of the cup.
US07790094B2
The present invention relates to a process for forming a cured-in-place gasket by liquid injection molding. More particularly, the present invention relates to a low pressure and room temperature process for forming a cured-in-place gasket by liquid injection molding.
US07790088B2
A fire retardant, transparent panel and method of making the panel, that is especially well suited for use on mobile platforms, and particularly on aircrafts. The panel is a composite of a transparent matrix and a plurality of fire-retardant nanoparticles. The nanoparticles have a diameter less than the visible spectrum of light, and in one form between about 0.1 nm to about 400 nm in diameter. The nanoparticles may be arranged randomly or in predetermined patterns within the matrix during manufacturing of the panel. The panel is lightweight, transparent and yet highly fire retardant.
US07790087B2
Molding apparatus (1) for molding of materials consisting of at least two components, in particular for molding lipstick leads with at least one mold (2) in which the material to be molded may be poured and with a core (3) which may be inserted into and extracted out of the at least one mold (2), wherein the at least one core (3) has a modifiable outer surface, as well as a corresponding method.
US07790080B2
The present invention discloses a bioartificial guidance conduit formed by coaxially stacking a plurality of discs and the method for forming the same, wherein each disc contains at least one penetrating hole, and at least one penetrating hole on adjacent discs connects with each other while discs coaxially stacked, so as to run through the formed bioartificial guidance conduit.
US07790079B2
(EN) The invention concerns a method for producing a thermoplastic molding material or element, said material or element containing nanometric inorganic particles. In molten state, the thermoplastic is mixed with the nanometric inorganic particles and with a solubilizing agent in a conveyor screw extruder, the pressures and temperatures being adjusted so that the plastic is in melt form and the solubilizing agent in supercritical state. The invention is characterized in that at the output of the extruder, the mixture passes through a slot with a passage less than 20 $g(m)m to penetrate into an expansion zone and the molten material, wherein are incorporated the nanometric inorganic particles, is evacuated, reduced into molding material after cooling or transferred into a molding tool to be molded. The invention also concerns the molding material and the molding elements obtained by this method, as well as the uses thereof.
US07790076B2
A foam insulating liner includes a liner frame comprising a first side, a second side and a perimeter disposed about an injected foam insulating core. The method of its manufacture includes the steps of placing a first side of an insulating liner frame in a first half of a mold; placing a second side of said insulating liner frame in a second half of said mold; sealing together said first half and said second half of said mold; disposing a quantity of foam material between said first side and said second side of said insulating liner frame within said sealed mold; and removing a foam insulating liner from said mold.
US07790070B2
A mold assembly that is adapted to clamp fixed mold and movable mold together while making temperature adjustment and inject a molding material into a molding cavity provided therebetween, thereby producing an optical part. The mold assembly is one including fixed platen supporting fixed mold, provided on a part of its mold-side surface with locating hole and including ring of configuration with external and internal surfaces, fitted at its external surface in the locating hole, wherein the fixed mold is provided with a locating projection protruding toward the fixed platen, fitted in the internal surface of the locating hole, and wherein the ring consists of a material whose linear expansion coefficient is smaller than those of the material of the fixed platen and the material of the locating projection.
US07790069B2
A flame-retardant thermoplastic resin composition comprising at least a plant-derived resin (A) and a flame retardant (B), wherein the weight proportions of the individual components in the flame-retardant thermoplastic resin composition are: 30≦W1<55.5 44.5
US07790067B2
The invention relates to a two-step method for production of low temperature mechanically stable and electrically efficient nanoporous electrodes, in particular titania nanoporous electrodes, for photoelectrochemical applications. The method of the invention comprises electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of nanosize titania crystals from a stable suspension containing thereof on a conductive substrate, and formation of mechanical and electrical contact between them. The invention further relates to nanoporous electrodes obtained by this method and to dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) fabricated therefrom.
US07790065B2
Described herein are a silicon semiconductor device and a conductive silver paste for use in the front side of a solar cell device.
US07790061B2
The invention provides polyelectrolyte inks comprising a solvent, a cationic polyelectrolyte, dissolved in the solvent, and an anionic polyelectrolyte, dissolved in the solvent. The concentration of at least one of the polyelectrolytes in the solvent is in a semidilute regime.
US07790035B2
Described are a tertiary disinfection system and process for treating a liquid effluent from a domestic secondary treatment unit. The liquid effluent has pathogenic micro-organisms, remaining suspended solids and dissolved organic pollutants. The system has an inlet, a subterranean initial treatment zone filled with a filtering material for removing some suspended solids, dissolved organic pollutants and pathogenic micro-organisms. The initial treatment zone allows the liquid effluent to percolate downward. The system also has a subterranean polishing zone extending horizontally outward from the initial treatment zone, and filled with a filtering material having pore sizes allowing upward capillary dispersion of the liquid effluent. The system also has a subterranean aeration zone having an interface with the initial treatment zone and the polishing zone, to provide aeration enabling aerobic accommodation of microflora for disinfection of the effluent.
US07790026B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for chromatographically analyzing each of a plurality of samples in detector, comprising an autosampler to contain a plurality of samples for chromatographic analysis and a pluraltity of chromatographic systems, each system comprising one or more pumps and one or more chromatographic columns. A detector is included for detecting compounds in the samples from each of the chromatography systems along with a valve positioned between the detector and the plurality of chromatography systems, the valve permitting each sample to reach the detector in sequence. A computer control device is included which adjusts the introduction of samples from the autosampler into the plurality of chromatography systems as well as the position of the valve to sequentially separate and deliver compounds within the samples to the detector.
US07790025B2
The invention provides novel methods for the separation of charged molecules such as proteins according to the isoelectric points (pI's) and includes the systems and buffering compositions employed for isolating charged molecules. The invention further provides for modifications to the above described chromatographic methods that enable the separation of charged molecules exhibiting virtually identical pI's by shifting both the buffer's pKa and the pI's of the eluted charged molecules while they are traversing the ion exchange column.
US07790018B2
A process for upgrading, or refining, high sulfur containing heavy hydrocarbon crude oil to a lighter oil having a lower sulfur concentration and, hence a higher value product, is disclosed. The process includes reacting the high sulfur heavy hydrocarbon crude oil in the presence of a catalyst and low pressure hydrogen to produce a reaction product stream from which the light oil is recovered. Part of the reaction product is separated and subjected to further upgrading to produce a lower sulfur oil product for application as distillate fuels. The upgrading process also produces residual oil that is suitable for making olefins, carbon fiber or road asphalt. Catalysts utilized in the processes of the invention can include a transition metal containing compound, the metal being selected from Group V, Group VI, and Group VIII of the Periodic Table, and mixtures of these metals.
US07790013B2
Among other things, hydrogen is released from water at a first location using energy from a first energy source; the released hydrogen is stored in a metal hydride slurry; and the metal hydride slurry is transported to a second location remote from the first location.
US07790008B2
In order to provide a high-performance electrophoresis chip and an electrophoresis unit having the same that can restrain the diffusion of sample at an intersection between the electrophoresis groove and the sample introduction groove and prevent decrease in contrast and decrease in resolution, an electrophoresis chip is provided with a sample introduction groove, an electrophoresis groove, and a through hole. The sample introduction groove, the electrophoresis groove, and the through hole are formed on different substrates. In the electrophoresis chip, by combining the substrates, the sample introduction groove and the electrophoresis groove are located in different planes.
US07789996B2
This invention relates to paper products and/or substrates suitable for being made and/or converted into wallboard tape; which also may be known as joint tape and/or drywall tape, having a pH of at least 7.0 and containing a plurality of cellulose fibers, a wet strength additive, an alkaline sizing agent, and an anionic promoter, as well as methods of making and using the same.
US07789983B1
A method is provided for making blast explosive molding powder. According to an aspect of the invention, energetic solids and a metal powder are suspended in a bulk phase fluid. Lacquer is added to an energetic solids and metal powder suspension to achieve a super-saturated solution. Final granulation of the super-saturated solution is optimized to form a fluidized metallized energetic molding powder. The fluidized metallized energetic molding powder is distilled to remove an organic solvent component of the lacquer, which is reclaimed through distillation. The bulk phase fluid is decanted to recover a wet metallized energetic molding powder. The bulk phase fluid is reclaimed through distillation. The wet metallized energetic molding powder is dried to form a dry metallized energetic molding powder. This method is especially useful in making insensitive enhanced blast explosive molding powders with high metal powder content.
US07789982B1
A flexible dilute explosive device is provided that includes an explosive material, such as pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), combined with a non-reactive matrix material, such as light-weight polymer beads, and the combination is held in flexible packaging. The flexible packaging includes fabric, antistatic, evacuated and plastic housings. The flexible dilute explosive device can be applied to any contoured shape in the field. It has a total density that is typically between 5 to 10% greater than its explosive density and can be reliably detonated at lower explosive densities. By using different packaging methods, the flexible dilute explosive device can be made to have a fixed explosive density, or a field tailored explosive density using a variable volume housing. It can have a reduced explosive density by adding inert foam blocks to the combination, having an overall volumetric explosive density reduced to 2.5 lb/ft3 (0.04 g/cm3).
US07789979B2
Articles made of shape memory alloys having improved fatigue performance and to methods of treating articles formed from shape memory alloy materials by pre-straining the articles (or desired portions of the articles) in a controlled manner so that the resultant articles exhibit improved fatigue performance. The shape memory articles are preferably medical devices, more preferably implantable medical devices. They are most preferably devices of nitinol shape memory alloy, most particularly that is superelastic at normal body temperature. The pre-straining method of the present invention as performed on such articles includes the controlled introduction of non-recoverable tensile strains greater than about 0.20% at the surface of a desired portion of a shape memory alloy article. Controlled pre-straining operations are performed on the shape-set nitinol metal to achieve nonrecoverable tensile strain greater than about 0.20% at or near the surface of selected regions in the nitinol metal article. The pre-straining operations result in a significant increase in fatigue life of the selectively treated regions and an overall improvement in the fatigue performance of the device.
US07789971B2
During the processing of substrates, the substrate surface may be subjected to a cleaning process using supercritical CO2. Surface matter may remain, for example, because it is only minimally soluble in the supercritical CO2. For example, an oxidation cleaning process causes the substrate structure to cleave at several points leaving smaller fragments of oxidized residue behind. This residue has only minimal solubility in supercritical CO2 due to the polar constituents resulting from oxidation. The method thus further includes processing the substrate with supercritical CO2 and a functionalizing agent that can react with the smaller fragments and/or other less soluble components. These functionalized components are rendered more soluble in supercritical CO2 and are more easily removed than their predecessors.
US07789968B2
A dishwasher operates to sense the need for a drain or purge operation based on dynamic characteristics of a respective washing operation such that an adaptive system is defined. In accordance with the invention, washing fluid used to spray clean kitchenware being washed is filtered and soil from the kitchenware is collected. When the filtering system becomes clogged, a flow signal is established to indicate the need for at least a partial drain operation. Most preferably, this arrangement is used in combination with signals from a turbidity sensor, as well as pump motor current signals, to provide an comprehensive, dynamically adaptive control system.
US07789962B2
A device for controlling a temperature of a mounting table for mounting thereon a target object includes a first and a second coolant passageway provided at the mounting table, a coolant circulator for circulating a coolant in the first and the second coolant passageway, channels, a coolant temperature controller for raising or lowering the temperature of the coolant, a channel switching unit for connecting, blocking and changing the channels among a first to a fourth port; and a channel controller. Various modes for controlling a temperature of the mounting table can be obtained by combining an ON/OFF state of the heating operation in the coolant temperature controller with ON/OFF states of opening/closing valves in the channel switching unit under the control of the channel controller.
US07789955B1
A pigment-based ink composition including a colorant, a cyclic amide represented by the formula: wherein R is at least one of CH3, C2H5, C3H9, C4H9, C5H11, C6H13, C7H15, and C8H17, and together with the N atom to which it is attached forms a 5 member ring; an organic solvent; an amine; a biocide; first and second surfactants; and water. The ink is utilized in inkjet printing, it does not include resins or polymers, and it provides substantially permanent images on both porous and nonporous substrates.
US07789952B2
A filter condition indicator for a vacuum appliance having a filter includes a housing with a diaphragm dividing the housing into first and second chambers. One chamber receives a pressure indication from inside the filter, and the other chamber receives a pressure indication from outside the filter. An indicator device is activated by movement of the diaphragm in response to a pressure differential between the first and second chambers.
US07789936B2
Methods and systems for removing copper from ferrous scrap are described. Some amounts of copper in ferrous scrap are removed by oxidation and subsequent mechanical impact of the oxidized scrap. Further removal of copper from the solid scrap can be achieved by fluxing the copper oxide below the melting point of ferrous scrap using CaO—SiO2—B2O3— and Na2O—SiO2—B2O3-based slags. Using the invention, copper can be removed from ferrous scrap in a natural, cost-effective, and environmental-friendly manner.
US07789930B2
A filtration device including a filtration medium having a plurality of nanofibers of diameters less than 1 micron formed into a fiber mat in the presence of an abruptly varying electric field. The filtration device includes a support attached to the filtration medium and having openings for fluid flow therethrough. A device for making a filter material. The device includes an electrospinning element configured to electrospin a plurality of fibers from a tip of the electrospinning element, a collector opposed to the electrospinning element configured to collect electrospun fibers on a surface of the collector, and an electric field modulation device configured to abruptly vary an electric field at the collector at least once during electrospinning of the fibers. A method for making a filter material. The method provides a support having openings for fluid flow therethrough, electrospins nanofibers across an entirety of the openings, and abruptly varies an electric field at the collector at least once during electrospinning of the fibers.
US07789929B2
A method for forming a diesel particulate filter is presented. The method includes provided an extruder for receiving material to be extruded such extruder being configured to converting such material into a honeycomb structure having a lower portion and an upper portion. The lower portion has a bottom surface and a pair of vertically extending sidewalls terminating along outer edges of the bottom surface. The upper portion has a pair of opposing, pitched, sidewalls having lower edges terminating along upper edges of the vertically extending sidewalls and upper edges terminating along a common edge.
US07789923B2
A dust-collecting apparatus of a vacuum cleaner includes a first dust-collecting unit, a second dust-collecting unit, and a dust receptacle. The second dust-collecting unit is adapted to be mounted to one side of the first dust-collecting unit. The dust receptacle is adapted to be mounted on a lower part of both the first and the second dust-collecting units, and the dust receptacle is adapted to store dust separated by the first and the second dust-collecting units. The first and second dust-collecting units are arranged so that air discharged from the first dust-collecting unit enters the second dust-collecting unit.
US07789920B2
A reactor, system and method for producing hydrogen features a reactor containing a heating stream channel and a hydrogen channel with a reaction channel positioned there between. A heat transfer sheet separates the heating stream channel and the reaction channel and a porous support plate separates the reaction channel and the hydrogen channel. A membrane constructed from palladium, vanadium, copper or alloys thereof covers the porous support plate. The heating stream channel receives a heating stream so that heat is provided to the reaction channel through the heat transfer sheet. A catalyst is positioned in the reaction channel and the reaction channel receives a reaction stream including a mixture of supercritical water and a hydrocarbon fuel so that hydrogen is produced in the reaction channel and is passed through the membrane into the hydrogen channel. The hydrogen separation may alternatively be accomplished in a separator device distinct from the reactor via either a membrane or pressure swing adsorption.
US07789914B2
The present application is directed to interbody spinal fusion implants having a structural configuration that provides for the maintaining and creating of the normal anatomic angular relationship of two adjacent vertebrae of the spine to maintain and create spinal lordosis. The spinal fusion implants are sized to fit within the disc space created by the removal of disc material between two adjacent vertebrae and conform wholly or in part to the disc space created. The spinal fusion implants of the present invention have upper and lower surfaces that form a support structure for bearing against the end plates of the adjacent vertebrae. The upper and lower surfaces are disposed in a converging angular relationship to each other such that the implants have an overall “wedged-shape” in an elevational side view. The angular relationship of the upper and lower surfaces places and maintains the vertebrae adjacent to those surfaces in an angular relationship to each other, creating and maintaining the desired lordosis.
US07789910B2
A method for modifying the refractive index of an optical, polymeric material. The method comprises irradiating select regions of the optical, polymeric material with a focused, visible or near-IR laser having a pulse energy from 0.05 nJ to 1000 nJ. The irradiation results in the formation of refractive optical structures, characterized by a change in refractive index, exhibit little or no scattering loss, and exhibit no significant differences in the Raman spectrum with respect to the non-irradiated optical, polymeric material. The method can be used to modify the refractive index of an intraocular lens following the surgical implantation of the intraocular lens in a human eye. The invention is also directed to an optical device comprising refractive optical structures, wherein the refractive structures are characterized by a change in refractive index, exhibit little or no scattering loss, and exhibit no significant differences in the Raman spectrum with respect to the non-irradiated optical, polymeric material.
US07789909B2
A system for implanting a valve prosthesis comprises a compressible and expandable stent with a collapsible and expandable valve structure mounted within the stent. An insertion catheter is provided for advancing the valve prosthesis through a small inlet opening into a body channel The valve structure is preferably formed of biological tissue. The stent may be self-expandable or may be expanded by a balloon on the distal end portion of the catheter. The stent is configured to expand in the body channel such that the outer surface of the stent engages surrounding tissue. After expansion, the valve structure within the stent becomes functional, thereby allowing blood to flow in only one direction. The valve prosthesis is detachable from the catheter for permanent implantation in the body channel. The valve prosthesis is preferably used for replacing the function of a natural heart valve without requiring open heart surgery.
US07789907B2
A radially expandable prosthesis for implantation in a lumen comprises a tubular wall having an inner surface and an outer surface. The tubular wall is provided with cuts to form solid struts which have a thickness and which enables the prosthesis to expand. The solid struts have reservoirs made therethrough in the form of perforating holes for containing a therapeutic agent. The perforating holes each have an inner opening and an outer opening of substantially the same size. The prosthesis, including said perforating holes, has a smooth electrochemically polished surface.
US07789902B2
A method of eliminating an ectoparasite infestation is disclosed that may include steps of defining a target area on an animal having an ectoparasite infestation, heating a volume of air to a temperature to form heated air, applying the heated air to the target area with an airflow such that the heated air impinges directly on substantially all ectoparasites located within the target area, and maintaining the heated air at the target area for a period of time sufficient to affect an ectoparasite mortality rate of at least 50%.
US07789901B2
A bone anchor system anchors a support member to a bone. The bone anchor system comprises a body having a shank adapted for insertion into a hole in the bone. A head is formed on the shank. The head has a support engagement portion adapted to secure the support member to the body. A passage extends from an entry point to an exit point formed in the body. An expandable member has a flexible wall at least partially enclosing an anchoring chamber. The expandable member has an expanded state configured to conform to a cavity in the bone. The anchoring chamber is in fluid communication with the exit point. The expandable member is adapted to expand when a filler material is provided into the anchoring chamber. A portion of the expandable member conforms to the cavity and the body and the support member are substantially anchored to the bone.
US07789892B2
In one embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of positioning a filter within a lumen by positioning a filter within a lumen by exerting a radial force generated by a support structure against the lumen while suspending a material capture structure between opposing members of the support structure; and self adjusting the length of the filter support structure along the lumen wall in response to a change in the size of the lumen. In another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of providing protection during a procedure performed in the vasculature by placing an open loop device within a vessel down stream of a location in the vasculature; performing a procedure to treat the vasculature in proximity to the location; and capturing debris released during the procedure in a material capture structure suspended across the vessel and supported by the open loop device.
US07789891B2
A vaso-occlusive device is introduced in a cavity of a patient's vasculature, such as an aneurysm, after which an external energy source, such as a MRI machine is activated to heat the vaso-occlusive device to assist in forming a thrombus or embolism within the treatment site, to release and/or activate a diagnostic or therapeutic agent carried by the vaso-occlusive device, and/or to fuse together portions of the vaso-occlusive device to help stabilize the device in a three-dimensional shape.
US07789884B2
An acetabular rim cutter has an annular cutting face provided on a rotatable carrier. A coupler is provided for attaching the carrier to a rotational power source. A guide element is axially aligned with the cutting face to locate and align the cutting face on the acetabulum with which it is to be used. Preferably, the guide element is axially movable in relation to the cutting face and a resilient element is provided for biasing it axially away therefrom.
US07789877B2
An ablation catheter employing a continuous or nearly continuous flexible electrode arrangement. In one implementation, the flexible electrode include at least one electrode defining a saw tooth pattern. In another implementation, the flexible electrode is arranged in an interlaced pattern. Generally, the flexible electrodes are configured to adapt to the change in shape of the portion of the catheter that the electrode is connected with. Moreover, the flexible electrodes are arranged to provide a continuous or nearly continuous lesion of the target tissue. In some implementations, the flexible electrode may be connected with the catheter in a biased configuration, and as such may assist in changing the shape of a curve in the catheter.
US07789867B2
A diaper for holding an absorbent article in close bodily contact in the crotch region of the wearer. The diaper comprises a front region, a crotch region having a specified Crotch Holding Force, and a rear region. The crotch region of the diaper typically is elastically extensible in both the longitudinal and lateral directions. The diaper provides an upward holding force against the absorbent article in the crotch region to hold the article in close bodily contact. A system comprising the diaper and an absorbent article for use therewith, and a method for holding such an article in close bodily contact by wearing the diaper, is also disclosed.
US07789863B2
A needle protecting device on or for an injection apparatus comprising an injection needle with a needle tip and a needle base beyond which the injection needle protrudes, the needle protecting device including a needle protector moveable from an exposing position in which the needle tip is exposed to a protective position in which it overlaps the needle tip, a first blocking mechanism connected to or formed in one piece with one of the needle protector or the needle base, and a second blocking mechanism connected to or formed in one piece with the other of the needle protector or the needle base, wherein, when the needle protector is in the protective position, the blocking mechanisms are engaged with each other preventing the needle protector from moving into the exposing position, and wherein the engagement may be non-destructively released and/or restored.
US07789853B2
A fluid dispenser for use in controllably dispensing fluid medicaments, such as antibiotics, oncolytics, hormones, steroids, blood clotting agents, analgesics, bio-pharmaceuticals and like medicinal agents from a reservoir that has been filled from pre-filled containers. The fluid dispenser includes a housing to which fill-vials can be connected for filling the dispenser reservoir with the fluid, and a stored energy source provided in the form of a substantially constant-force spring that provides the force necessary to continuously and uniformly expel fluid from the device reservoir. The fluid dispenser also includes a fluid flow control assembly that precisely controls the flow of the medicament solution to the patient.
US07789846B2
Systems and methods for selective cooling of a target site include a catheter having a supply lumen and a delivery lumen, with inlet and exit ports. Blood is withdrawn from the supply lumen and cooled or heated in a control unit. The treated blood is sent to the targeted area via delivery lumen. The supply lumen can act as an insulator for the delivery lumen.
US07789845B1
The swab/applicator for removal of earwax and fluid from the ear canal and for applying medicines provides a flexible sleeve that fits over a person's finger, made of cotton, nylon, elastic, gauze. An absorbent tip is removably or permanently attached non-rigidly to the sleeve proximate the user's finger tip.
US07789842B2
An adjustable sling that can be used to hold a patient's arm, wrist and hand in a multiple positions and eliminate stress to the neck and shoulder. The adjustable sling has a pouch for holding the patient's arm, wrist and hand and the pouch is held at its opposite ends by a pair of straps that are detachably affixed to the pouch. The straps pass over the shoulders of the patient on both sides of the head with free ends extending downwardly over the back of the patient to be affixed to the clothing of the patient much in the manner of suspenders. Both of the straps have length-adjusting devices that allow the length of the straps to be adjusted in accordance with the desired position and angle of the pouch. The free ends may be attached to the belt of the patient at the patient's back with connecting devices that clamp onto the belt.
US07789837B2
A system and method for treating obstructive sleep apnea by terminating an obstructive sleep apnea event before the cessation of breathing occurs. The system has one or more microphones capable of detecting breathing sounds within an airway of a person and that generate signals representative of the breathing sounds and send the signals to a controller. When the controller detects a signal pattern that indicates the onset of an obstructive apnea event, the controller sends an alarm signal to a stimulus generator. The stimulus generator creates a stimulus to cause the sleeping person to move in a manner to terminate the obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs. The obstructive sleep apnea event is terminated without waking the sleeping person and without causing the sleeping person physiological stress associated with cessation of breathing.
US07789832B2
An ultrasound system comprises: a probe having a transducer array of n transducer elements for transmitting ultrasound signals, said n transducer elements being associated with respective scan lines; a steering angle calculating unit for calculating steering angles of the scan lines by using series determined by a relation between the steering angles of at least two scan lines; and a control unit for controlling transmission of the ultrasound signals such that the ultrasound signals can be focused along the scan lines based on the calculated steering angles of the scan lines.
US07789827B2
A flexible endoscope providing increased control to an operator or user, the flexible endoscope utilizing an ionic polymeric material positioned in the shaft of the endoscope, such that, upon application of an electrical current to the ionic polymeric material, the material contracts and becomes relatively rigid. The flexible endoscope may further include mechanical controls for control of the flexible shaft allowing the user to simultaneously actuate both the polymeric material and mechanically deflect the shaft.
US07789824B2
An instrument comprising a cable or tube, at a distal end of which a propulsion device is provided for moving the cable or tube in a hollow space, the propulsion device being shaped like a donut lying in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the cable or tube, wherein the donut-shaped propulsion device is, at least in part, externally delimited by at least one wire gauze that is rotatable about a closed axis of the donut body, which axis lies in the plane of the donut.
US07789817B2
An exerciser for the sake of training the abdominal muscle group, wherein the operator may rotate on his backbone for taking a twisting exercise for his upper and lower bodies in reverse (different) direction; and wherein the exerciser includes a rotating disc mechanism for the lower limb of the operator to stand thereon and swiveled under application of force, a rotating handlebar mechanism for the upper limb of the operator to hold thereon and swiveled under application of force, and a coupling mechanism for synchronically and reversely coupling the rotating disc mechanism and the rotating handlebar mechanism.
US07789809B2
A jump rope which provides a pair of handles each handle providing a shaft coaxially rotatably engaged to a first bearing element and a second bearing element which attaches to a corresponding one of the opposed ends of a cable means.
US07789807B1
A folding mechanism of a treadmill having a base frame with a rear support frame at the bottom thereof. The rear support frame is supported by the pneumatic cylinder. In folding the treadmill upward or downward, the rear support frame can be pushed by the pneumatic cylinder such that the base frame is easily brought in an upright storage position or in a horizontal operation position. Moreover, the rear end of the rear support frame is provided with universal ground-touching rollers that may be locked in place or unlocked for a practical movement of the treadmill and an easy change in direction.
US07789806B2
A scissors-like exercising apparatus includes two bodies intersecting with each other, a pivoting unit located between the two bodies, and two sliding units coupled to lower ends of the two bodies. To operate the present invention, the user grasps the tops of the two bodies and stands on the sliding units to retract and extend the two bodies inward and outward like the operation of a pair of scissors.
US07789804B1
A sliding exercise apparatus and recreational device which can be employed both wet and dry. A user can traverse the device which includes a surface which can be inclined as a durable low friction sheeting material. The user can be supported by a wide variety of vehicles including sports boards and clothing apparel which, in turn, have a durable low friction layer for contacting the sliding exercise apparatus and recreational device for entertainment and in order to enhance gymnastic and board skills.
US07789802B2
A personal training device (10) adapted to assist a user in reaching performance goals, navigating, and accumulating performance statistics. In a preferred embodiment, the device broadly comprises a housing (10); an attachment mechanism (30); a GPS component (40); a user interface (50), including an input portion (52) and an output portion (54); a processor (60), including a timer (62) and a memory element (64); a data interface (70), including an input portion (72) and an output portion (74); an audio component (80); and a power supply (90). The device (10) is adapted to store goal information, monitor performance using GPS-derived data, and communicate performance information.
US07789801B2
An exercise apparatus includes a frame, an arm supporting member, and a leg supporting member. A sensor is connected to at least one of the arm supporting member and the leg supporting member, and/or a resilient member is interconnected between the arm supporting member and either the leg supporting member or the frame. The sensor communicates with a user display and/or a resistance device to indicate the amounts of work performed by the arm supporting member and the leg supporting member, and/or to adjust resistance to movement of the leg supporting member as a function of user force applied against the arm supporting member. The resilient member encourages synchronization of the arm supporting member and the leg supporting member, while allowing some relative movement therebetween. A user interface displays data associated with exercise activity, including relative amounts of work performed by a user's arms and legs and/or performed during different phases of exercise, including discrete aerobic and anaerobic phases. The interface display and the level of resistance are preferably changed as part of the transition between phases.
US07789800B1
A portable system retrieves one or more exercise programs from a remote communication system that provides motivational content for a user exercising upon an exercise mechanism. The exercise program further includes at least one control signal that controls one or more operating parameters of the exercise mechanism. The portable system includes a control device configured to retrieve the exercise program and deliver the motivational content to the user by way of an audio delivery device, while delivering the control signals to the exercise mechanism. A sensor communicates with the control device and tracks one or more measurable parameters of the user during the user's performance of the exercise program. Data representative of the one or more measurable parameters can be delivered to the control device for delivery to the remote communication system.
US07789793B2
A horizontal axis wind turbine includes a vertically extending tower 117 having a rotatable long shaft 121. A bottom end of the long shaft drives an electric generator 122 and a top end of the long shaft is connected to a power output gear assembly of a bearing tooth angle drive 120. The power output gear assembly is engaged with a power input gear in the bearing tooth angle drive 120. The power input gear is connected by a drive shaft 86 through a preferably planetary gear drive 119 to blades 106 of a wind turbine to receive power from the wind turbine and to deliver torque to the long shaft 121 to drive the generator 122. The planetary gear teeth preferably have flat surfaces providing contact with related gear teeth.
US07789785B2
A shift control method of an automatic transmission according to this invention controls a shift from an N speed achieved by engagement of first and second frictional elements to an N−3 speed achieved by engagement of third and fourth frictional elements, wherein release of the second frictional element begins after release of the first frictional element begins and engagement of the fourth frictional element begins after engagement of the third frictional element begins, and wherein the engagement of the third frictional element is completed substantially at the same time that the release of the second frictional element is completed.
US07789780B2
During Low return control, in which a speed ratio determined by a contact radius of a V-belt (4) with a non-rotating primary pulley (2) and a non-rotating secondary pulley (3) is shifted toward lowest speed ratio while the vehicle is stationary, an estimated speed ratio (ic) is calculated on the basis of a secondary pulley pressure (Psec). When a start request is issued to the vehicle while Low return control is underway, a primary pulley pressure (Ppri) and the secondary pulley pressure (Psec) are controlled on the basis of the estimated speed ratio (ic).
US07789779B2
A belt-driven conical-pulley transmission having a shaft on the input end and a shaft on the power output end. One of the shafts includes at least one axial bore extending in the longitudinal direction of the shaft, and a transverse bore extending from the axial bore to an outlet on the surface of the shaft. A conical disk pair is carried on the shaft and includes an axially fixed disk and an axially movable disk. The axially movable disk includes internal teeth that engage with external teeth on the shaft, and it overlies the transverse bore outlet over its entire axial travel distance. The transverse bore outlet is positioned in the region of the interengaging teeth.
US07789775B2
A method for coating golf ball components is provided and includes the step of adhering a thin layer of a non-ionomeric polyolefin powder to the interior surfaces of a golf ball mold. The polyolefin powder is adhered to the mold using electrostatic, tribostatic or fluidized bed processes. The golf ball component is placed within the mold, and a sufficient amount of heat and pressure is applied to the mold so that the thin layer of non-ionomeric polyolefin powder fuses to the golf ball component.
US07789764B2
The present invention provides an apparatus for a golf club and training device. The golf club may be approved for on the course play by the United States Golf Association (USGA). An embodiment of a training device for a golf club includes a handle having a grip where the handle is coupled to a golf club head. The head has an internal alignment device and may include a contact plate, a top plate and a bottom plate. The top plate has a first upper surface including a top alignment marking and the bottom plate has a second upper surface including a bottom alignment marking. The top plate may include an attachment aperture for attaching an external alignment device. The external alignment device may include a laser, an alignment guide, a weight, or the like.
US07789762B2
A child motion device has a frame assembly configured to rest on a floor surface. The device also has a drive system that drives a swing assembly. The swing assembly can include a pair of swing arms having proximal ends and distal ends. The distal ends support a child seat assembly. The distance between the distal ends relative to the distance between proximal ends is adjustable, thereby adjusting at least one motion characteristic of the device. The adjustable motion characteristics can include a gliding motion and a swinging motion.
US07789757B2
Systems, methods and computer-readable media are described for the automated payment, download over a network, installation on a set-top box, and play of console and online video games by user interaction with a controller-adapted set-top box. Security measures inhibit video game piracy.
US07789755B2
A gaming system including a plurality of gaming devices each having a base game and a bonus pool available to each of the plurality of gaming devices. A processor programmed to provide shares of the bonus pool to one or more actively played gaming device of the plurality of gaming devices and to distribute the bonus pool to each eligible gaming device according to an amount of the bonus pool and each gaming device's obtained shares.
US07789743B2
A method in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention is provided, the method comprising the steps of receiving a wager, determining an intermediate outcome of a game of chance, determining a first option for play, determining a first final outcome based on the intermediate outcome and the first option for play, determining a second option for play, and determining a second final outcome based on the intermediate outcome and the second option for play.
US07789736B2
A two part retaining ring is described. An rigid upper portion has an annular recess along its inner diameter. An annular wearable lower portion has an inner diameter, an annular extension defined by the inner diameter and a vertical wall that is perpendicular to a surface of the second portion and opposite to the inner diameter. The annular extension fits into the annular recess of the annular first portion. A bonding material is on the vertical wall of the annular second portion.
US07789735B2
The invention relates to a device for machining a strip or plate-shaped metal workpiece, which comprises at least one conveying device which is provided with machining elements. The conveying device guides the machining elements at an angle and/or in a transversal manner in relation to the direction of advancement of the workpiece in the region of the workpiece which is to be machined in an at least approximately linear manner. The machining elements are embodied as abrasive paper and support elements are arranged between said abrasive paper.
US07789733B2
A method of manufacturing a microneedle including the steps of forming a plurality of first linear grooves on a substrate in parallel to one another along a first direction using grinding, and forming a plurality of second linear grooves on the substrate in parallel to one another in a second direction intersecting the first direction using grinding.
US07789730B2
A tapered cutting edge portion and a continuous raised portion from the tapered cutting edge portion are ground in an edge portion of a straight grinding raw material so that an eccentricity is not generated. In a method for grinding a treatment device, one end portion of a tapered grinding raw material is inserted between a grinding surface of a grindstone and a pressing surface of a press block, and finishing surfaces opposite each other while having a predetermined dimension, shape, and angle are ground so that a direction in which abrasive grains of the grindstone run corresponds to a direction of a shaft center. At this point, before the finishing surfaces are ground in the predetermined dimension, shape, and angle which are previously set corresponding to an objective reamer, pre-grinding is performed while a necessary finishing margin with respect to at least one of the surfaces, and then finishing grinding is performed to the other surface.
US07789728B2
Described is a toy vehicle adapter that includes at least one motorized wheel for attaching with a non-motorized toy vehicle. The adapter includes a housing with an attachment apparatus that is formed to attach with the toy vehicle. A receiver is included that is capable of receiving a wireless signal to actuate the motor. When connected with the toy vehicle, the motor may be activated to engage with the wheel and thereby force the toy vehicle across a surface. Thus, the adapter is formed to convert a non-motorized toy vehicle into a remotely-controlled motorized vehicle.
US07789723B2
An unmanned, autonomous, waterborne vehicle (500) for marine use capable of operating on and below the surface of water, said vehicle (500) including an enclosed hull (501) having a payload bay (506), a hybrid propulsion system having energy collection means (504) in the form of a wing sail (503) covered with photovoltaic cells and energy storage means (511) for utilizing at least solar energy and wind energy, a plurality of sensors (508, 514) for detecting predetermined environmental parameters and a communications system (509, 515) for transmitting data from said sensors (508, 515) to and for receiving command signals from one or more remote stations and/or cooperating vehicles.
US07789715B2
An insulation barrel (24) of a terminal fitting (20) is formed with an inclination restricting portion (32) capable of restricting an inclination of the terminal fitting (20) in a direction intersecting an axial line direction by contacting an inner wall of a cavity (11) and a posture correcting portion (31) inclined with respect to the axial line direction of the terminal fitting (20) and capable of sliding contact with an opening edge at the rear end of the cavity (11) in the process of inserting the terminal fitting (20) into the cavity (11).
US07789708B2
A backplane electrical connector electrically and physically connects a daughter card printed circuit board to a backplane printed circuit board. The electrical connect can be of a two-piece construction including a daughtercard connector mateable with a pin header. The daughtercard connector can be assembled from a plurality of wafers which each can include a plurality of conductive leads. The wafers can have an attachment edge that lies adjacent to the daughtercard and a mating edge that is directed toward the pin header. Each conductive lead can include a bifurcated contact extending from the mating edge and each can have a first arm and a second arm. The first and second arms can provide two redundant points of contact with a corresponding conductive pin disposed in the pin header.
US07789707B2
A conductive contact unit establishes an electrical connection between different circuitries, and includes a plurality of conductive contacts that receive and output an electrical signal from and to the circuitries, respectively. The conductive contact unit includes a conductive contact holder that accommodates and holds the conductive contacts, and a vibration applying unit that applies vibration to the conductive contact holder.
US07789700B2
A cable connector includes a flat cable having a plurality of first electric conductive sections formed on a first end and a plurality of second electric conductive sections formed on a second end thereof. A circuit board is electrically connected to the first end of the flat cable. The circuit board has a plurality of first conductive sections and a plurality of second conductive sections respectively formed thereon. The plurality of first conductive sections is electrically connected to the plurality of first electric conductive sections of the flat cable. The plurality of first conductive sections and the plurality of second conductive sections are electrically connected to each other via a displacement circuit disposed in the circuit board.
US07789699B2
An electrical connector includes an insulative housing (3), a plurality of terminals (4) retained in the housing and a slider (5) moveably assembled to the housing. The terminal (4) has a first arm (42) and a second arm (43) both protruding into a mating room (34) defined by the insulative housing. The slider defines an urging portion (52) for driving a flexible printed circuit board engaging with the terminals when the slider moving to a closed position from an opened position. The urging portion has a first contacting surface (521) and a second contacting surface (522) at same side thereof. The first contacting surface is located closer to the first arm than the second contacting surface at a vertical direction. The second arm is located below the first contacting surface at said opened position and engaging with the second contacting surface at said closed position.
US07789697B2
Plug detection mechanisms can be provided for detecting when a plug of an accessory component is present within a jack of an electronic device. A detect contact and a jack contact may be positioned within a receptacle of the jack such that a signal path may be created through the plug and between the detect contact and the jack contact when the plug is present within the receptacle of the jack. The detect contact may be biased to exert a retention force on the plug. The detect contact may be positioned to contact the plug within an indent of the plug.
US07789694B2
An RJ modular connector is provided that has wire channels that slope upward and end at openings in the top of the connector through which the stripped wires extend. In use, the outer jacket insulation is removed from an end portion of the cable, leaving lengths of exposed wires. The length of the exposed wire is unimportant. The wires are arranged in an essentially flat configuration and inserted longitudinally into the connector and then directed upward by the upward slope of the channels, so that the distal ends of the respective wires extend through the top of the connector. The protruding wire ends are then compared with a standard to confirm the correct color identification pattern for them and corresponding wire position. After the comparison is made, the protruding wire ends are crimped/secured and sheared off. Conductive contact blades are inserted, and pierce the wires.
US07789682B1
An electrical connector assembly is disclosed having a housing where at least one camming slide slides relative to the housing, and has a camming slot therein which is cooperable with a camming lug on a mating housing. The slide comprises an integral pin thereon. A connecting link is rotatable relative to the housing and includes an aperture which cooperates with the camming slide. A lever is rotatable relative to the housing and is profiled to rotate the connecting link, and in turn translate the slide. The housings are drawn together and apart upon movement of the slide.
US07789680B2
A USB device including a housing and a protective cap that are slidably and/or pivotably connected together such that the protective cap is able to slide and/or pivot between an open position, in which a plug connector extending from the front of the housing is exposed for operable coupling to a host system, and a closed position, in which the protective cap is disposed over the front end portion of the housing to protect the plug connector. A pivoting/sliding mechanism is provided on the housing and cap that secures the protective cap to the housing at all times, including during transitional movements of the protective cap between the opened and closed positions.
US07789669B1
A removable card connector assembly configured to be inserted into and engage an electrical system. The card connector assembly includes a circuit board that has a surface extending along a board plane in a longitudinal direction. The card connector assembly also includes an electrical connector assembly that is coupled to the surface of the circuit board. The electrical connector assembly includes a flexible circuit and a moveable contact array of mating contacts that are coupled to the flexible circuit. The moveable contact array is configured to engage a system contact array of mating contacts in the electrical system. The card connector assembly also includes a coupling mechanism that is configured to move the moveable contact array between retracted and engaged positions. The mating contacts of the moveable contact array are arranged along a contact plane that extends in the longitudinal direction when in the engaged position.
US07789664B1
Apparatus and method enabling implant supported dental prostheses to be fabricated for reconstruction of both maxillary and mandibular arches from a procedure requiring only one surgery. At least three pairs of reference points in the maxillary arch and in the mandibular arch are connected by adjustable members which are subsequently fixed in length and in mutual orientation to enable necessary impressions and casts to be made. The adjustable members engage anchoring members such as ball headed screws which are fixed to the maxillary and mandibular anatomy. Subsequently fabricated mechanical models of the patient anatomy, such as impressions and casts, capture critical geometric relationships from the adjustable members and their associated anchoring members, thereby enabling both maxillary and mandibular implant mountable prostheses to be fabricated from information gathered during only one surgical session.
US07789663B2
The invention relates to a process of retraction of sulcus, comprising the steps of: applying a silicone material onto and/or at the vicinity of the boundary of a tooth and adjacent sulcus, which silicone material expands during or after its curing reaction; applying a cap onto said tooth, thereby forming a chamber over said silicone material, wherein said chamber comprises as its walls the tooth, the cap and an outer section of said sulcus; whereby said chamber allows for the silicone material to expand into the crevice between sulcus and tooth. Said cap is at least partially filled with a plastically deformable material when applied onto said tooth in step; and/or said cap is deformable, especially under biting pressure.
US07789653B2
According to an aspect of the present invention, an imprinting apparatus is provided with: a mount to support a subject body; a movable body capable of moving away from and close to the mount; a support swingably attached to the movable body; a template being attached to the support and including an imprinting face, the imprinting face being patterned to make an impression on the subject body; and a regulator intervening between the movable body and the support and including at least three actuators, the actuators being independently controllably driven so as to regulate an orientation of the imprinting face.
US07789644B2
Thin snack chips having a curved or wave shape are obtained by forming, shaping or curling baked chips into a curved or wave configuration before they become too cold and rigid so as to result in breakage during forming. The essentially flat, malleable baked chips, still hot from baking in an oven may be continuously transported on a conveyer belt into a nip or gap formed between the conveyer belt and a rotating forming roller to curve or curl the malleable baked chips around the roller. The malleable baked chips are subjected to a guided curtain of air to cool and set the chips in a curved or wave configuration and to remove or blow the curved or wave chips off of the rotating forming roller onto the conveyor belt.
US07789639B2
A piston pump is proposed, having a pump housing, in which housing a pump piston is guided axially movably, so that upon an actuation of the pump piston, a fluid is pumped from an intake side to a compression side, via a pump chamber bordering on the pump piston, the compression side being provided with an outlet valve, which is preceded by a damping element.
US07789637B2
A deep well pump, especially a numerically controlled reciprocating submersible pump with freely adjustable parameters, includes a balancing sieve tube, a drive and a pump. The drive includes a stator with airtight cavity and reciprocating head with iron cores inside the stator. The stator and the reciprocating head form a friction couple via supporting guides and the reciprocating head iron cores. The stator's upper end is connected to the pump's lower end through the sieve tube. An oil tube is connected to the pump. The stator's lower end is connected to the balancing sieve tube, end plug and end coupler serially.
US07789636B2
A turbomachine, particularly an exhaust gas turbocharger, comprising a compressor wheel arranged in a compressor housing, a turbine wheel arranged in a turbine housing, and a rotor shaft which is guided in a bearing casing and which has fastened thereto the compressor wheel on the one hand and the turbine wheel on the other hand, a rotor-shaft seal being arranged between a turbine-sided end portion of the bearing casing and the rotor shaft.
US07789634B2
A reed valve and a valve retainer for the reed valve are provided at a discharge port of a compression mechanism that compresses fluid. The valve retainer has a polymer actuator at an end part of a valve fixing part for fixing the reed valve. The polymer actuator expands or contracts in length to change a fixed length of the reed valve, thereby changing a rigidity of the reed valve. This attains appropriate control of responsiveness of the reed valve according to the volume.
US07789631B2
A compressor, particularly a high-pressure compressor, of a gas turbine, particularly of an aircraft engine, includes at least one rotor and a number of blades (11, 12), which are assigned to the or to each rotor and which rotate together with the respective rotor. Each blade (11, 12) is delimited, in essence, by a flow entry edge or leading edge (16), a flow exit edge or trailing edge (17), and by a blade surface (20), which extends between the leading edge (16) and the trailing edge (17) while forming a suction side (18) and a pressure side. The leading edges (16) of the blades (11, 12) are slanted at a sweep angle that changes with the height of the respective blade (11, 12) in such a manner that the leading edges (16) comprise, in a radially external area (23) of the same, at least one forward sweep angle, a backward sweep angle or zero-sweep angle following in a radially external manner, and a forward sweep angle following, in a radially external manner, the backward sweep angle or the zero-sweep angle.
US07789630B2
An airfoil is disclosed having a concave pressure side and a convex suction side defining a chord length, and a leading edge and a trailing edge. A leading edge protective strip is adhered by a bond layer to and protectively covers the leading edge and respective predetermined portions of the pressure side and suction side of the airfoil body from the leading edge downstream towards the trailing edge. The leading edge protective strip includes a multiplicity of inwardly-facing grooves in which the bond layer is embedded. The grooves define adjacent segments of a predetermined size sufficiently small that, if detached from the vane during engine operation, impact with downstream engine components will not cause damage to the downstream engine components.
US07789624B2
The present invention is for an apparatus and method for a passive pitchable device for wind turbines comprising: a camshaft having cam grooves engraved; a cylindrical shell; an axial compression spring; said blade assembly and said cylindrical shell are fastened together by screws; a plurality of balls that roll along said cam grooves, and convert the axial displacement to rotation or pitch angle; and wherein the passive pitchable device ensures said blades are at the optimum angle of incidence in the stationary position; as the rotor turns, the net force between centrifugal force on said blade and the resistant force from said compression spring causes the device to move axially outward while rotating to adjust the pitch of the rotor blade so that angle of incidence is optimal for the given wind speed; as the wind speed exceeds the design speed and the centrifugal force on the rotor blade continues to increase, the device continues the move axially outward while rotating in the opposite direction as to adjust the pitch of the blade in the opposite direction so that the rotor performance is controlled and severe dynamic loads are avoided.
US07789623B2
A protection arrangement for a wind turbine including a tower, a machine nacelle having a yaw drive and a mounting hole into which an upper end of the tower extends, and a rotor having at least one rotor blade and a hub is provided. The protection arrangement includes a drip pan having a rim surrounding the mounting hole and adapted to collect grease from an interior of the machine nacelle and a flexible collar adapted to fit around the upper end of the tower and having an outer diameter being larger than the diameter of the mounting hole of the machine nacelle. The flexible collar is adapted to pass through the mounting hole into the interior of the machine nacelle.
US07789618B2
A system in a steam turbine for removing water droplets from the flowpath of a steam turbine that may include a groove for collecting water droplets, and a plurality of moisture removal holes originating within the groove. The groove may run in a circumferential manner around an outer sidewall of the steam turbine, be axially positioned upstream and in close proximity to the leading edge of a nozzle, and have a gradual slope at a leading edge and a steep wall at a trailing edge. The moisture removal holes may be a channel through the outer sidewall through which the water droplets that collect in the groove may flow.
US07789608B2
A laminated nut with a visual indicator indicating if the nut is in a fully tightened state. The nut includes a plurality of conical disc springs enclosed in a cage. In one embodiment, a visual indicator extends axially from the upper surface of the outermost disc spring. In one embodiment, the visual indicator is retracted into the cage when the disc springs flatten as the nut is tightened. In one embodiment, the visual indicator aligns with a reference point on the cage when the nut is fully tightened. In one embodiment, the visual indicator is made more apparent by marking the visual indicator with a contrasting color.
US07789602B2
A motor element for a dental medical handpiece or a motor spindle has an elongated shank, rotatably mounted in which there is a drive shaft and a longitudinally-extending rod, a tool-holder for a tool within the rod, and a disconnectable coupling between the rod and the tool-holder. A locking element secures the coupling to prevent the coupling from becoming disconnected from the elongated shank. The locking/unlocking of the coupling is effected by a relative movement between the tool-holder and the tool.
US07789594B2
An earth anchor of the pivoting type having an essentially cylindrical body, a blind bore extending thereinto from a trailing axial end of the cylindrical body and a leading edge projecting from a leading end of the body, the leading edge being formed as a rounded surface adapted for penetration through reinforcement paths while minimizing severing of the strands of the mat.
US07789592B2
A gabion deployment system comprising: a container (30) for retaining a gabion (22) and a gabion (22) of the folding type comprising hingedly attached, connected side walls (16 & 18) and cross-members (12) such that it can be folded for storage and deployed for use; a retaining means (50) associated with the container (30) for retaining the gabion (20) in the container; and at least one releasable attaching, connecting or retentive engaging means (66) for attaching, connecting or retentively engaging at least one part of the gabion (22) to the retaining means (50); wherein the at least one releasable attaching, connecting or retentively engaging means (66) is adapted to attach, connect or retentively engage a part of the gabion (22) to the retaining means (50) when the gabion (22) is folded but to release the gabion (22) from the retaining means (50) when the gabion (22) is deployed.
US07789589B2
A fastening element has a drilling head (21) provided at one end (16) of anchor tube (12) and having at least one inlet opening (23) that opens toward the receiving chamber (13) of the anchor tube (12), and at least one through-opening (24) that opens outwardly for passing of the hardenable mass therethrough, and a mixing element (31) for the hardenable mass and which is located in the drilling head (21) between the at least one inlet opening (23) and the at least one through-opening (24).
US07789584B2
An adapter assembly for securing a rear end cover to an automobile differential housing. The adapter assembly includes an annular-shaped plate having an inner diameter, an outer diameter, and a thickness in a direction transverse to the inner and outer diameters, and at least two and preferably three sets of holes. A first set of holes is through the thickness of the plate and countersunk, and a second set of holes is threaded. The optional third set of holes also extend through the thickness of the plate. The assembly further includes at least two and preferably three sets of bolts. A first set of bolts is configured and sized to be received in the first set of holes so that their heads are entirely received in the countersink and their shafts protrude from the plate. A second set of bolts is configured and sized to be threaded into the second set of holes. The optional third set of bolts is configured and sized to be received in and extend entirely through the third set of holes so that their shafts protrude from the plate.
US07789576B2
The present disclosure provides a lithography apparatus. The apparatus includes an exposure module designed for exposure processing; a baking module embedded in the exposure module and designed for post exposure baking (PEB); and a control module designed to control the exposure module and the baking module.
US07789569B2
A cage includes a cage body in an annular shape which is formed with a plurality of pockets for receiving rolling elements, an oil containing member in an annular shape which is attached to an inner peripheral surface of the cage body and formed of material capable of impregnating lubricating oil, and an applying member for applying the lubricating oil in the oil containing member to an inner ring.
US07789566B2
There is provided a dynamical pressure bearing device, a motor and a recording drive device. The dynamical pressure bearing device has a shaft having a first bearing surface and a first portion exteriorly adjacent to the first bearing surface; and a sleeve having a second bearing surface and a second portion exteriorly adjacent to the second bearing surface. The sleeve is rotatably engaged with the shaft with a clearance. The oil repellent film includes a fluorine polymer having a perfluoroalkyl group; and a chromogenic substance which makes color development in blue at UV irradiation.
US07789560B2
A device 10 for aligning a patient for delivering a plurality of radiation beams comprising a patient support surface 12, a coarse alignment subsystem 14 connected to the patient support surface, and a fine alignment subsystem connected to the patient support surface 16. A method of aligning a patient for delivering a plurality of radiation beams from a plurality of device positions comprising compensating for flexion of a radiation beam delivery device within a gantry during movement of the radiation beam delivery device from a first device position to a second device position by using a set of predetermined data describing the flexion behavior of the radiation beam delivery device so that the target tissue within the patient is placed at the beamline center for the radiation beam delivery device at the second device position.
US07789550B2
A method for combining materials (such as impregnating materials with functional materials) uses a combination of supercritical fluid technology and polymer melt processing technology. The functional material is soluble in a near supercritical or supercritical fluid, which dissolves in the matrix/bulk material during melt processing. Controlling the processing conditions facilitates a change of state for the fluid, which results in the precipitation of the functional material in the bulk material. The impregnated bulk material may be shaped using conventional polymer based processing techniques such as extrusion and injection moulding.
US07789543B2
A light fixture having a head, a yoke and a base, the yoke having handles for carrying the light fixture. Placing the handle at the upper part of the yoke is very efficient if the light fixture is to be carried. Access to these handles is possible directly in a flight case because there is sufficient space for getting access to the handles above the yoke. In terms of small light fixtures, an individual can easily carry the light fixture by these handles and safely lift the light fixture from a flight case. In the case of very large light fixtures, two individuals can lift the fixture from both sides of a flight case and can carry the light fixture by the handles. By placing the handles as high as possible in relation to the light fixture, the light fixture can be carried in a very stable manner.
US07789540B2
An apparatus, method, and system for high intensity lighting with target area. One aspect includes extending a structure externally of a light fixture and utilizing a very high total reflectance reflecting surface on the structure to redirect incident light toward the target area in a highly efficient manner.
US07789533B2
A light fixture comprising a lamp assembly including a socket and a light source extending along a light fixture axial direction from one side of the socket. The light source is placed in a reflector such that light emitted by the light source is reflected by the reflector in the axial direction. The socket is supported by an inner ring which is supported by a middle ring and the middle ring is supporting by an outer ring. The inner ring is tiltable about a first axis that is orthogonal to the axial direction for tilting the light source, the middle ring is tiltable about a second axis that is orthogonal to both the axial direction and the first axis for tilting the inner ring, and the middle ring being movable with respect to the outer ring in the axial direction.
US07789525B2
A light fixture comprising a head, which head with at least one light source, which head is carried rotatably in a yoke, which yoke rotates in relation to a base, which bases comprises bearings for the yoke, which base has at least a power module, which power module has at least one ballast circuit, which base has at least one controller. By the base having at least one drawer in which at least the power module is located, a fast exchange of the power module in a light source in situations of changing technical specifications of the power module can be achieved very easily. This can be important in a light fixture placed high above the ground if it needs to have an electronic module exchanged.
US07789523B2
A plug-in rechargeable flashlight that may be inserted into a conventional cigarette lighter or battery power source receptacle found in an automobile, airplane, boat or other vehicle. The flashlight has light emitting diodes as the primary light source located on the end of the flashlight which is insertable into the power receptacle concealing the light source. When the flashlight is plugged into the receptacle the primary light source is extinguished. The flashlight is further provided with an electrical output connection at the opposite end of the primary light source allowing the flashlight to serve as a replacement socket for the power receptacle consumed by the flashlight. The replacement socket provides an electrical connection for receipt of additional powered accessories, or limited in use to pre-selected items such as a USB port, AC port, backlighting, and so forth. The ports may be further isolated such as having a removable USB port that allows use of the powered receptacle in the normal manner or modified for use with USB ports by insertion of the removable USB port.
US07789521B2
The invention relates to an ornamental light and, more particularly, relates to an ornamental light with polychrome effect. The ornamental light includes at least one illuminant, a support frame with special shape and a film covered on the surface of the support frame. The film includes a transparent base plate and two polychrome films. Each of the polychrome film is stuck to each side of the base plate respectively. The venations of the two polychrome films are perpendicular to each other. The invention provides an ornamental light which can present different polychrome display effect, enough imagination and aesthetic feeling when viewed from different angles.
US07789513B2
A method for improving an accuracy of a prescription for laser-ablation corneal treatment includes the step of receiving a set of raw data comprising Hartmann-Shack image data obtained from a plurality of aberrometer measurements of a patient eye. The Hartmann-Shack data can include, for example, a dot pattern image for each measurement. A set of reconstructed wavefront data calculated from the set of raw data for the plurality of aberrometer measurements is also received. Data on a selected component of the set of raw data and in the set of reconstructed wavefront data are compared. If the selected component data differ more than a predetermined amount between the raw data and the reconstructed wavefront data, the raw data can be further manipulated prior to undertaking laser ablation. In addition, these data are removed from consideration for inclusion in the database of treatment outcomes.
US07789506B1
The invention provides a frame locking device for eyeglasses, comprising a locking groove and two locking bumps. The locking groove is provided on an outer edge of a lens, and extends perpendicularly to a surface of the lens. The two locking bumps are provided on a side portion of a frame, apart from each other so as to lock the lens by fixing the outer edge of the lens. A part of the side portion of the frame disposed between the two locking bumps is fitted into the locking groove. Less than half of the side portion of the frame disposed between the two locking bumps may be fitted into the locking groove of the lens. The side portion of the frame disposed between the two locking bumps may comprise elastic parts so as to be pressed to be inserted into and plucked out of the locking groove.
US07789502B2
In a tonerless imaging process, an inked image layer jetted on an image receptor is simultaneously transferred and fused to a recording medium. A radiation-curable material is incorporated in the image layer such that irradiation of the image layer cures the radiation-curable material therein. An ink jet printing apparatus for performing the above process is also disclosed.
US07789493B2
A piezoelectric ink-jet printhead and a method for manufacturing the same, wherein the piezoelectric ink-jet printhead is formed by stacking three monocrystalline silicon substrates on one another and adhering them to one another. The three substrates include an upper substrate, through which an ink supply hole is formed and a pressure chamber is formed on a bottom surface thereof; an intermediate substrate, in which an ink reservoir and a damper are formed; and a lower substrate, in which a nozzle is formed. A piezoelectric actuator is monolithically formed on the upper substrate. A restrictor, which connects the ink reservoir to the pressure chamber in flow communication, may be formed on the upper substrate or intermediate substrate.
US07789488B2
In an ink jet recording head including a flexible wiring board, the flexible wiring board has a thickness reduction part formed by reducing a film thickness of a part of the base film. The thickness reduction part is configured to alleviate stress applied to inner leads by a base film in the periphery of a device hole, so as to avoid the failure of bonding or the like caused by the inner leads of the flexible wiring board, on which a recording element substrate is installed.
US07789487B2
An ink cartridge holding device including: a holder having an opening which allows insertion and withdrawal of the ink cartridge through the opening; a door attached to the holder which is pivotable between (a) an open position at which the opening is uncovered for permitting the insertion and the withdrawal and (b) a closed position at which the opening is covered for inhibiting the insertion and withdrawal; a locking member attached to the door which is displaceable, which has an exposed portion exposed in a front face of the door, and which is for locking the door at the closed position when the locking member is placed in a predetermined position and for permitting the door to be pivoted toward the open position when the locking member is displaced from the predetermined position; and a protruding portion which is provided near to the exposed portion to allow the locking member to be displaced and which protrudes by a greater amount than the exposed portion in a direction away from the front face of the door.
US07789484B2
A printer-plotter includes first and second heads which are supported by a guide rail and are movable along a longitudinal direction of the guide rail, independently. A driving member is supported by the guide rail and configured to move along the longitudinal direction between the first head and the second head. A first connecting mechanism is configured to connect the first head to the driving member detachably. A second connecting mechanism is configured to connect the second head to the driving member detachably. The first head is connected to the driving member by the first connecting mechanism and the second head is separated from the driving member in order to make the first head operate. The second head is connected to the driving member by the second connecting mechanism and the first head is separated from the driving member in order to make the second head operate.
US07789483B2
A carriage driving unit comprises a carriage, an timing belt, an timing belt, which is jointed to the carriage, looped around between a driving pulley attached to a driving shaft of a motor and a driven pulley attached to a driven shaft, a frame for rotatably supporting said driving shaft in a cantilever manner and a regulating projection for regulating the timing belt from displacing in a direction closer to said frame with respect to said driving pulley.
US07789478B2
A medium is carried to a predetermined position in a carrying direction. A first pattern is formed on the medium with nozzles on the carrying direction upstream side of a nozzle row constituted by a plurality of nozzles lined up at predetermined intervals. After forming the first pattern, the medium is carried in the carrying direction by a target carry amount that is shorter than the length in the carrying direction of the nozzle row. Along with forming on the medium a second pattern that forms a boundary with the first pattern with nozzles on the carrying direction downstream side of the nozzle row, a third pattern is formed on the medium with the nozzles on the carrying direction upstream side of the nozzle row. After forming the second pattern, the medium is carried in the carrying direction by a target carry amount that is shorter than the length in the carrying direction of the nozzle row so that a carry amount of the medium after forming the first pattern is longer than the length in the carrying direction of the nozzle row. A fourth pattern that forms a boundary with the third pattern is formed on the medium with the nozzles on the carrying direction downstream side of the nozzle row.
US07789473B2
A cabinet, having a cabinet-section assembly including a circuit of four, interconnected, square cabinet sections arranged around a central pole. The cabinet sections are suspended from a hub that is free to rotate atop the central pole. The suspension system biases the cabinet-section assembly toward either an open configuration, exposing open sides of the cabinet sections, or a closed configuration from intermediate configurations. A stabilizing bracket provides lateral support to the suspended cabinet-section assembly.
US07789471B2
A storage unit providing a storage space is disclosed. The storage unit comprises a base and a panel moveable relative to the base to expose and conceal a storage space a handle configured for at least vertical movement, at least one connector configured for at least vertical movement, and a member coupled by the connector to the handle through the panel and configured for at least horizontal movement.
US07789462B2
The invention is a lower anchorage system to be used with a child restraint in a motor vehicle. The lower anchorage system has a trim assembly that attaches to an anchorage bar that in turn is affixed to an anchorage support. The trim assembly includes a trim apparatus that fits within an anchorage box. Both the anchorage box and the trim apparatus engage to the anchorage bar.
US07789454B2
The present invention relates to a frame structure for vertically mounting an integrated package, which can improve mountability of the batteries and structural rigidity of the integrated package and a vehicle body. To this end, the present invention provides a frame structure which comprises: a rear floor frame disposed behind a rear seat of the vehicle in a transverse direction of body of the vehicle; and a pair of guide frames are installed in parallel with each other behind the rear floor frame in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.
US07789449B2
A folding top for a motor vehicle is provided. The folding top includes a rear roof part which delimits a window opening for a rear window and which is displaceable about a main pivot axis in order to transfer the folding top from a closed position into a storage position. The rear window is pivotable relative to the rear roof part about a window pivot axis which extends at a distance from the main pivot axis. The rear window bears against the rear roof part from the outside when the folding top is in the closed position and, after the folding top has been transferred into its storage position, is moved at least by way of a partial region through the window opening.
US07789448B1
A retractable tarp support system for supporting a container covering is provided. The tarp support system comprises two halves and each half has a plurality of bows attached to a container that extend inwardly toward the center of the container. The bows are pivotally joined together by a crossbar extending along the end of the bars. A positioning device attached to one of the bows allows the tarp support system to move from an inwardly extended position outward to a retracted position near the sides of the container.
US07789445B2
A net pet barrier designed for installation behind the front or rear seat in a vehicle to keep pets off vehicle seats and in the back of the vehicle. Netting formed of micro-mesh material is attached to a pop-up wire frame which keeps the net from sagging and facilitates installation and removal. Adjustable side expansion panels allow installation of the barrier in vehicles of various sizes and configurations, from sedans to full-size SUVs.
US07789427B2
A chassis frame (10) uses channels as right and left side rails (12, 14). A lower “clam” (22) has a horizontal bottom wall (26L) that bridges the side rails and is disposed against bottom flanges (20R, 20L) of the side rail channels and vertical side flanges (28L, 30L) that extend from opposite sides of the bottom wall upward and against a face of a respective one of vertical walls (16R, 16L) of the channels that is exterior to the interior of the respective channel. An upper “clam” (24) is a mirror image of the lower “clam” and fits over the side rails. Spacer structure (30, 31, 38A, 38B, 40A, 40B) is disposed between and in abutment with the side rail channels and between and in abutment with the “clams” in inwardly spaced relation to the side rail channels. Fasteners (48, 50, 56, 62) fasten various parts together to complete the cross member that is formed by the “clams” and the spacer structure.
US07789416B2
An air bag module cover structure is applied to a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped air bag module. The three side surfaces of the air bag module that do not face the vehicle front side are provided with tear lines at upper portions thereof.
US07789413B2
A basket for use alone or in conjunction with a stroller or similar device is provided. The basket is detachable from the stroller and is constructed so that it can be crushable for storage. The basket includes a two-piece handle that, when mated together, can slide into a track of the stroller. The two piece handle separates to open the basket. In a fully open configuration, the basket can lay flat.
US07789412B2
The invention concerns a device for adjusting a fifth wheel, comprising a displacement device provided with two guide rails placed on the vehicle, in particular on a tractor semi-trailer combination in the longitudinal direction thereof, said guide rails whereon a slide may be installed capable of being moved by means of an actuating device, said actuating device being designed such that, upon a displacement, the positive connection between the guide rails and the slide is maintained. The invention is characterized in that said actuating device which is designed to move the slide, comprises a first powered device. Additionally, at least one first position sensor is arranged to detect the position of the slide, at least said first position sensor being connected to a control device.
US07789406B2
A suspension device including two lower links that link a wheel supporting member and a vehicle-body side member to each other. The links are disposed substantially in parallel in a vehicle width direction. At least one projecting portion extends from at least one of the two links towards the other link. At least one elastic linking portion links the projecting portion of one of the links to at least one of the other link and the projecting portion of the other link. The at least one elastic linking portion has a rigidity that increases when a vibration input frequency increases to a value in a predetermined frequency band.
US07789402B2
A stroller includes a base frame assembly and a seat assembly supported by the base frame assembly. A seat leg extending from the seat assembly is slidably engaged with the base frame assembly for movement of the seat assembly relative to the base frame assembly from a first seating height level to a second seating height level. In some cases, a support post of the base frame assembly is oriented in a telescopic arrangement with the seat leg along a generally vertical axis. In some cases, one or more slider mechanisms slidably couple the seat assembly to the base frame assembly, where each slider mechanism has a lock to secure the seat assembly at either the first seating height level or the second seating height level.
US07789399B2
The present invention relates to a size-adjusting fastening mechanism for stakes comprising fixed locking grooves and a movable locking convex block, whereby when one of the grooves engages with the convex block, tooth position is loosened and toecap is telescopic upon pulling. When the groove and the convex block are rotated to deflect so as not to engage with each other, tooth position is pressed to lock so as to be irremovable. Such a structure requires that the pull handle be pulled horizontally forwards and backwards. Being secured with rivet punching, the claimed device possesses good stability, is simple in structure, low in cost and easy for operation.
US07789395B2
An isolator device, which may be a bearing seal or a bearing isolator, for use hindering fluid flow between components which are rotating relative to each other about a longitudinal axis, the flow being in one direction parallel to this axis, includes a stator for securing to a rotary fixed one of the components and a rotor for securing to a relatively rotating one of the components. The stator has a surface which extends longitudinally and adjacent to a surface of a component, which rotates relative to the stator. The fluid flow is between the two surfaces and the stator surface is non-parallel to the adjacent component surface and is shaped to promote fluid flow in a direction opposing the general fluid flow direction.
US07789391B2
A game comprises a frame and 82 cubical playing pieces, or playing cubes, 81 of which cubes are removably retained in the frame. For playing purposes, the playing cubes are divided into 3 groups: 27 scoring cubes, 54 blank cubes, and 1 pilot cube. During play cubes are inserted into the frame, forcing another cube to be ejected from the opposite side of the frame. A score is tallied for a player when a scoring cube is ejected from the frame.
US07789381B2
An apparatus (20) for folding a sheet of foil (11) includes a feeder (23) and a folding means (24). The feeder (23) can feed a sheet of foil to the folding means (24). The folding means (24) includes a first surface (27) and a second surface (28) which can be arranged to bear against first and second opposing faces respectively of a portion (31) of the sheet of foil (11) at or near to the leading edge (11′) of the sheet of foil. One or both of the first and second surfaces (27,28) can be rotated about a foldable axis between the first and second opposing faces to create a first fold along the foldable axis.
US07789378B2
A spring system comprising flat plate-springs with one end mounted rigidly to an un-sprung first base and the opposite end mounted rigidly to a sprung second base. The spring system is fitted with cams as strain-control surfaces, mounted tangent to the plate springs and spaced progressively from the said plate-springs beginning at the tangency. The strain-control cams are movable to provide for adjustable spring rates, actively repositioned upon demand therein providing an adaptive active spring-rate system or suspension.
US07789370B2
An actuator system including a shaft, elements arranged to power the shaft and at least one actuated member actuated by the elements arranged to power the shaft. The elements arranged to power the shaft include a plurality of transverse flux motors.
US07789366B2
There is disclosed a holder for eyewear which supports the eyewear for quick, easy, one-handed access by a user. A first jaw member is mounted on a base and a second jaw member is positioned a distance away from the first jaw member. A pair of glasses is inserted between the jaw members and adjusted to be releasably retained between the jaw members. Preferably, one of the jaw members is adjustable to permit a user to change the separation of the jaw members so as to accommodate a large variation of sizes of eyewear.
US07789356B1
A free-standing assembly maintains an optical device at a location spaced from a stand assembly supporting surface. The stand assembly comprises an elongated rail member having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of sides, leg support members each including a transverse centerline and two outer distal end sections each having an angled planar surface for mounting a leg member. A novel mechanism fixes each leg support member to a side of the elongated rail member and in a direction transverse to the rail member longitudinal axis. A plurality of leg members each has one end thereof mounted to the angled planar surface for projecting outwardly from an outer distal end of the leg support members. Another novel mechanism supports the optical device at a selected location on another side of the rail member and includes a mechanism for movably mounting the optical device along the elongated rail member.
US07789353B2
A device for the support and linear movement of a rotohammer. The device includes an elongated shaft, pole or rail having a first end, and a second end, the latter proximate to an object to be drilled and having a longitudinal axis. An L-shaped bracket is provided having a first leg slidably mounted on the elongated shaft, pole or rail along its longitudinal axis and a second leg projecting perpendicularly from the first leg, the L-shaped bracket being sized to receive and support the rotohammer. A handle is pivotable on the elongated shaft, pole or rail and a linkage bridging the handle and L-shaped bracket is movable by movement of the handle such that in moving the handle from a first at rest position to a second position, the L-shaped bracket is caused to move along the elongated shaft, pole or rail toward its second end for extending the rotohammer in the direction of the object to be drilled.
US07789339B2
Systems and/or methods for forming a multiple-articulated flying system (skybase) having a high aspect ratio wing platform, operable to loiter over an area of interest at a high altitude are provided. In certain exemplary embodiments, autonomous modular flyers join together in a wingtip-to-wingtip manner. Such modular flyers may derive their power from insolation. The autonomous flyers may include sensors which operate individually, or collectively after a skybase is formed. The skybase preferably may be aggregated, disaggregated, and/or re-aggregated as called for by the prevailing conditions. Thus, it may be possible to provide a “forever-on-station” aircraft.
US07789331B2
A method of jet milling silicon powder in which silicon pellets are fed into a jet mill producing a gas vortex in which the pellets are entrained and pulverized by collisions with each other or walls of the milling chamber. The chamber walls are advantageously formed of high-purity silicon as are other parts contacting the unground pellets or ground powder. The pellets and chamber parts may be formed of electronic grade silicon but polycrystalline silicon may be used for chamber parts. Additionally, the particle feed tube in which the particles are entrained in a gas flow and the vortex finder operating as the outlet at the center of the vortex may be formed of silicon. The milling and feed gas may be nitrogen supplied from a liquid-nitrogen tank lined with stainless steel. The feed pellets may be formed by chemical vapor deposition.
US07789329B2
A backpack sprayer having a tank with a filling opening at the top thereof and a pressure chamber therein is provided with filtering apparatus for preventing particles in the fluid in the tank from entering an inlet port of the pressure chamber located near the bottom of the tank when suction generated by a pump that depends from the bottom of the pressure chamber causes fluid in the tank to flow through the inlet port into the pressure chamber. The fluid pressurized by the pump flows through an outlet port from the pressure chamber for spraying when a valve in the nozzle at the end of a hose communicating with the outlet port is actuated by an operator. The filtering apparatus is provided by a filter in a frame removably captured in a fixture projecting outwardly from the outside of the pressure chamber on opposite sides of the inlet port. A handle extends from the frame upwardly along the outside of the pressure chamber a sufficient distance to be accessed manually when the hand of the operator extends through the filling opening of the tank. The filter prevents particles, such as sediment, in the liquid at the bottom of the tank from flowing into the pressure chamber and pump mechanism thereof thereby preventing clogging of the pump mechanism and interfering with operation of the sprayer. The filter may be manually removed from the fixture for cleaning and then replaced. The need to totally disassemble the sprayer for cleaning is thereby substantially eliminated.
US07789322B2
A fuel injection valve includes a main body having a nozzle hole and a compression chamber. The main body accommodates a compression unit for pressurizing fuel accumulated in the compression chamber. The fuel injection valve further includes a valve element being axially movable in the main body. The valve element includes a valve portion and a pressure-receiving portion. The valve portion is movable in an opening direction to open the nozzle hole in response to pressure of fuel being pressurized by the compression unit and applied to the pressure-receiving portion. A regulating unit is provided in the compression chamber for regulating movement of the valve element with respect to the opening direction.
US07789320B1
A safety drinking straw includes a beverage delivery tube having a tube first end for insertion into a quantity of beverage and a tube second end for placement between user lips; and a debris blocking structure substantially at the tube first end permitting a free flow of the beverage through the delivery tube while preventing entry of debris of a selected minimum target size into the delivery tube; so that the debris blocking structure prevents debris from entering the delivery tube and thus prevents debris from lodging and becoming an obstruction within the delivery tube. The debris blocking structure preferably includes at least one cord extending across the interior of the delivery tube substantially at the tube first end, and alternatively includes at least one tube partition or at least two tubular barrels fitted longitudinally and in tandem inside and secured within the delivery tube.
US07789313B2
An intelligent portable object has a dual interface and is equipped with a chip and is suitable for communicating with at least one electronic data transmission terminal via a contact interface according to standard ISO7816.3 and likewise without contact via a contactless interface and according to another contactless standard; a transition causing a variation of at least one status for the object. At least one information step, for example in real time, of the chip restituting variations in status, with at least a logical phase forming a supply controller, which ensure a configuration/information allowing a fully simultaneous functioning of applications resorting to the contact and/or contactless interface.
US07789311B2
One aspect of the invention comprises a method of embedding data in a code readable by machine from a visible light scan of the code. The method comprises pre-printing a two dimensional array of pixels on a substrate. The pixels include at least one calibration pixel, and each have color values. The method selectively alters at least a subset of the pixels by using laser radiation to alter color saturation of the color values of the pixels in the subset relative to the calibration pixel according to digital data values of the code to be embedded in the subset of pixels. This method has been adapted to embed personalized information in pre-printed graphic elements on ID cards.
US07789301B2
A system for managing the production of retail tickets in accordance with a ticket order includes a ticketing services bureau that receives the ticket order and a print center that prints tickets in accordance with the ticket order. The system additionally includes a client connected to the ticketing services bureau via the internet. As part of an interactive ticket proofing process prior to the execution of the ticket order, the client electronically retrieves an on-screen proof and, if necessary, dynamically modifies the on-screen proof in real time. As one feature of the invention, the ticketing services bureau converts size information in the ticket order into a corresponding color element in the on-screen proof. As another feature of the invention, the client can optionally receive a physical ticket sample prior to execution of the ticket order, the ticket sample being generated by a digital press using the tentatively approved on-screen proof.
US07789280B1
A semi-automatic machine for affixing an anti-theft device, such as an EAS marker, to an article of clothing or the like. The anti-theft device is of the type made up of two elements that are to be snapped together through the article of clothing. Each of the two kinds of elements is stored in a respective vibrating bowl and transferred to an assembly station by a respective vibrating conveyor. One of the two elements is positioned on a working surface at the assembly station. The second element is taken up by a snap-connection mechanism. A laser provides a reference mark at the working surface so that an operator can precisely position a desired part of the article of clothing for receiving the anti-theft device. After the article is positioned in accordance with the reference mark, the snap-connection mechanism is actuated to insert the second element into the first element through the article of clothing.
US07789273B2
A mixing device and method for mixing at least one first ingredient and at least one second ingredient. The device includes a body which has a wall defining a cavity. A first inlet communicates with the cavity for introducing the first ingredient and a second inlet communicates with the cavity for introducing the second ingredient. An outlet is provided in communication with the cavity receiving the mixed first and second ingredient which have been mixed in the cavity. The ingredients are mixed by introducing one ingredient as a stream and the second ingredient as a forcefully introduced stream. An area upstream of the ingredients is provided for mixing ingredients. Once mixed the ingredients must flow through the body before reaching the outlet. The device can be in the form of a kit for retrofitting on existing devices such as beverage dispensers.
US07789267B2
Methods are disclosed for storing and dispensing medications. A medication storing and dispensing cassette is comprised of a housing defining at least a portion of a bulk storage chamber for storing a medication, defining at least a portion of a pick-up area, and defining at least a portion of a discharge chute sized to temporarily store a quantity of the medication. A divider wall is positioned between the bulk storage chamber and the pick-up area. A gate is positioned to control an exit end of the discharge chute. A rotatable conveying wheel having openings proximate to the periphery thereof is positioned such that a portion of the wheel is in communication with the pick-up area while another portion of the wheel is adjacent to an entrance end of the discharge chute. A calibration arm is positioned adjacent the openings of the rotatable wheel. A baffle is positioned to block those openings in that portion of the rotatable wheel adjacent to the discharge chute. An air agitation system is provided so that pills may be moved from the bulk storage chamber to the pick-up area. In one embodiment, air agitation is used to move pills from the bulk storage chamber to the pick-up area, for automatically setting the position of the calibration arm and for automatically learning the setting for the calibration arm for an unclassified medication.
US07789265B2
A cup holder with a securing mechanism for use in a vehicular cup holder for receiving and securing different sized cups. The cup holder includes a cylindrical opening defined by a cylindrical wall and bottom wall, tab openings formed in the cylindrical wall, tabs projecting through the openings, and a biasing device for biasing the tabs. The tabs are attached to the cup holder so as to be movable in a horizontal direction and to be rotatable in a vertical direction about a central pivot point. The tabs are biased so as to project fully into the cylindrical opening and to be in a non-pivoted position.
US07789263B2
An improved no-spill cup construction and valve assembly. When not in use, an opening in the flexible material rests against a blocking element, sealing off the opening against the flow of liquid. The closed position provides an extremely secure seal against fluid leakage, such that inadvertent spills, such as by turning the cup upside down, are ineffective. The act of sucking at the cup spout creates negative pressure or a partial vacuum against the flexible material, lifting the opening off of the blocking element, and unblocking that opening. When the opening is unblocked, liquid can flow freely through the valve and spout.
US07789260B2
A disposable cup lid including a body and a mounting portion extending around the periphery of the body. The body defines a suitably shaped clearance area to accommodate a person's nose when drinking the contents of a cup having the lid positioned thereon. The body also defines an enhanced drinking area which is suitably configured to provide a person with a drinking experience more similar to the drinking experience of drinking from an uncovered cup or glass. In one embodiment, the body includes a raised portion which defines a lip engaging front wall and an enhanced drinking area. The enhanced drinking area includes a closure member having an upwardly extending gripping member and a drink-through opening initially covered by the closure member, wherein the drink-through opening is positioned substantially adjacent to the lip engaging front wall. The closure member is movable about a hinge from an initial closed position to an open position. The closure member of the top wall is also movable into a locking position wherein the gripping member frictionally engages the walls of a locking recess.
US07789253B2
A combination crane A is formed by connecting two crawler cranes 1L and 1R. Each crawler crane is provided with at least a lower propelling body 3 which can be propelled by crawlers 2, an upper revolving body 5 rotatably mounted on the lower propelling body 3 by a swing unit 4 provided between them, a boom 6 whose base section is tiltably supported on the upper revolving body, a tilting mechanism 10 that raises and lowers the boom and a hoist mechanism that hoists and lowers the lifting members 12 hung by a hoist rope 11 from the top of the boom. Both upper swing bodies of two cranes are connected together with a connecting beam 20. Swing motion is performed by driving the one crawler crane to move around the other crawler crane which is free to rotate and is locked against propulsion.
US07789251B1
A shelf structure includes a first and second panel. Each panel has a pair of transversely spaced apart side rails. A plurality of equidistantly spaced slots is formed in an inboard side of each of the side rails and a plurality of slats has opposed ends received within corresponding slots. The first and second panels are hingedly connected to one another at respective uppermost ends so that an “A” shape is formed when their respective lower ends are laterally spaced apart from one another. Each slat forming a part of the first panel has a transversely disposed, corresponding slat in the second panel at the same height so that removal of a pair of corresponding slats creates a pair of level openings. A shelf is slidingly inserted into each pair of openings. A chain interconnects the first panel and second panel near their lower ends to maintain the A shape.
US07789250B2
An athletic ball organizer and a method for storing athletic balls. The athletic ball organizer includes a plurality of ball cradles that are adapted to retain an athletic ball. The organizer is adapted to be hung in a vertical orientation using support straps, whereby the ball cradles are vertically spaced-apart. This enables a user to remove an athletic ball from the organizer without moving an adjacent ball, and to replace the athletic ball in a similar fashion.
US07789249B1
An award rack includes a strip of material. The strip of material includes an offset portion formed on each end. A fastener opening is formed through each offset portion. A substantial middle portion is created between the two offset portions. The award rack is attached to a flat surface with fasteners. A second embodiment of the award rack includes a strip of material, a pair of strap holders and a pair of straps. The pair of strap holders are attached to the strip of material and a pair of strap holders retain the pair of straps. A third embodiment of the award rack preferably includes a shelf, a first rack, a second and at least one figurine. The third embodiment of the award rack is preferably formed from a single plate. A fourth embodiment of the award rack includes at least two bar hangers and at least one notched bar.
US07789247B2
An skateboard security rack having a pair of support members defining a slot therebetween for receiving the deck of a skateboard. At least one of the support members has a width smaller than the wheelbase of the skateboard received in the slot. Locking structure between the support members and across the top of the slot retains the skateboard within the slot. The locking structure may be separate elements coupled to each of the support members and a lock therebetween. Alternatively, the locking structure may be a lock such as a conventional U-shape lock. If separate elements coupled to each of the support members are used, they may be fixed in place, or movable such as longitudinally slideable along the support members. The support members may be elongated hollow or solid members, or formed in panels. The support members are desirably hollow tubes bent into inverted U-shapes. Bases of the support members may be mounted to a variety of base surfaces such as flat or curvilinear, horizontal or vertical. For instance, the bases may be bolt mounted to or embedded in a horizontal concrete sidewalk. Multiple support members can be mounted in sequence to provide an array of slots. The bases of a number of the support members can be shared or connected to provide modular structures that facilitate installation.
US07789244B2
There is provided an apparatus for recuperating at least one target object from a mixture conveyed to a refuse container, the apparatus comprising a tray having an upstream end for receiving the mixture and a downstream end adapted to be positioned above the refuse container, a moving member for conveying the mixture at a predetermined speed from the upstream end to the downstream end of the tray, a control module and a target object detector mounted near the downstream end of the tray, the object detector providing a first signal to the control module when no target object is detected in the mixture and a second signal when a target object is detected in the mixture. The control module stops the moving member from conveying the mixture upon reception of the second signal so that the detected target object can be recuperated.
US07789240B2
A substrate container includes: a container main body including an opening and containing a substrate; a lid body closing the opening; and a pair of handles provided on a pair of opposing side walls of the container main body, and the handle is secured to an edge portion of the side wall.
US07789233B2
A four-ply paper board hanging hole in a display box for hanging a display box from a support rod. This is accomplished by the use of a paper board die blank having a hanging hole in four layers of the box such that, when the box is assembled, the four hanging holes are aligned to provide a strongly reinforced hanging hole which proves quite difficult to rip. Therefore, an increased aesthetic appearance of the display box is achieved, resulting in increased sales and minimal wasting of display box products.
US07789225B2
An apparatus to record a user's reaction on a recordable medium. The apparatus includes a container having a top portion hingedly fixed to a bottom portion. An interior section of the container houses a recording device in communication with the bottom portion. At such time as the top portion and bottom portion are separated beyond a defined distance, the recording device becomes activated to record still image, audio, and/or video of a person within range of the recording device.
US07789223B2
A contact lens package has a body with a lens receptacle therein covered by a hinged lid. The lid is offset on the body such that a ledge is formed by the base and an overhang by the lid. The ledge has a plurality of upstanding lugs that insert into mating receptacles formed in the overhang of an adjacent contact lens package, permitting the ganging of packages together for functional and aesthetic reasons.
US07789207B2
An improved stabilizer for the steering of a vehicle. The stabilizer comprises a housing containing one or more sector-shaped chambers with a wiper rotatably mounted in the housing. For each chamber a paddle extends from the rotor of the wiper into the chamber. The wiper moves sealingly past the housing. For each paddle a bypass channel allows fluid on one side of the paddle to move to the other side of the paddle. A valve in the bypass channel controls the degree of damping produced by the stabilizer. The valve has a control shaft in the center of the rotor, and on the shaft there is a continuous indentation around such shaft with there being no indentation in a first area of the shaft and then the indentation commencing and having an increasingly larger cross-sectional area as the indentation progress around the control shaft.
US07789206B2
A disk for a disk brake is formed in two parts: a braking band which cooperates with a brake caliper to generate the braking torque, and a bell connected to a wheel hub and connected to the braking band by a tangential restraint system which provides for a plurality of protuberances of the band, housed in respective seats of the bell.The relative axial positioning between the band and the bell is maintained by a connection element fixed firmly to the bell and urging the protuberance constantly towards an abutment element fixed firmly to the bell and arranged on the opposite side of the bell to the connection element.
US07789188B2
A tiller head with a switch arrangement for operating a lifting mechanism of a forklift includes an operating element mounted on the tiller head, where the operating element has an actuator, and a magnetic field sensor operatively connected with the actuator without contact so that the magnetic field sensor's electrical characteristic varies when the operating element is actuated. The actuator includes magnetic field sources arranged on both sides of the magnetic field sensor, the magnetic field sensor and the magnetic field sources being arranged so that magnetic field lines generated by the magnetic field sources pass through the magnetic field sensor. The operating element comprises a rocker switch that pivots about an axis on the tiller head, the rocker switch having a recess which extends transversely to an operating direction defined by the axis and into which the magnetic sensor extends.
US07789185B2
A safety arrangement is provided in a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle has a floor pan (1) terminating at its forward end with an inclined splash-wall (3, 4, 5). There is a moveable floor element (10) which has regions (12, 13, 14) which initially conform to and lie adjacent the splash-wall. There is a drive arrangement (15) associated with an accident sensor (16) to drive the moveable floor element rearwardly to a predetermined position. There is a fixed platform (17) located above a horizontal part of the floor pan to be located beneath the foot of a vehicle occupant and to provide a secure point for operation of a pedal. The movement of the moveable floor element (10) is restricted so that no part of the movable floor element impedes movement of a foot pedal (6) to the fully depressed condition.
US07789184B2
A family of snowmobiles having different tunnel widths is disclosed. A snowmobile having spacers between the tunnel and the sides of the engine compartment and a method of manufacturing such a snowmobile are also disclosed. A snowmobile having a countershaft which is disposed rearwardly of the engine, vertically higher than the air intake opening, and forwardly of the air intake controller is also disclosed.
US07789183B2
A straddle-type personal snow vehicle includes a body frame, an engine, a front support and a rear track drive mechanism that is driven by the engine. The front support may be a front suspension that supports at least one front ski. The rear track drive mechanism may be supported by a rear suspension that may include multiple linkage members. In one arrangement, the track drive mechanism includes a drive wheel and at least a first support wheel. An axis of rotation of the first support wheel is positioned forward of an axis of rotation of the drive wheel. In one arrangement, the at least one front ski is coupled to the front suspension by a tool-less attachment mechanism.
US07789180B2
An inflatable article having a single inflatable enclosure comprising a body portion and one or more rotary portions that can rotate relative to the body portion. The article may be a vehicle, wherein the rotary portions are wheel portions which support and are drivably rotatable relative to the body portion. The wheel portions may be connected to the body portion by hollow tubular axles which have outlets inside the wheel and body portions to provide fluid communication therebetween.
US07789173B2
A hydraulically driven vehicle is disclosed which is moved or turned by driving left and right hydraulic transmissions with one engine and driving left and right drive wheels with these hydraulic transmissions. The vehicle includes a gear-shifting mechanism for converting the actions of an operator and transmitting the result to the hydraulic transmissions, which mechanism is comprised of a first swinging member that is swung by a vehicle speed cable, and left and right second swinging members that are placed on the first swinging member, that are swung by left and right steering cables, and that push and pull push-pull rods.
US07789154B2
A jet bushing for a wellbore cleanup tool features a jet looking uphole to reduce turbulence at the outlet ports that look downhole to accommodate the recirculation flow around the tool that captures the cuttings. The uphole oriented port keeps the pumped fluid downhole from having to make a u-turn to get back uphole and reduces turbulence to allow a higher recirculation flow at the tool to pick up and capture cuttings within the tool.
US07789153B2
Electronic time delay apparatuses and methods of use are disclosed. An explosive or propellant system, which may be configured as a well perforating system includes an electronic time delay assembly comprising an input subassembly, an electronic time delay circuit, and an output subassembly. The input subassembly is activated by an external stimulus, wherein an element is displaced to activate an electronic time delay circuit. The electronic time delay circuit comprises a time delay device coupled with a voltage firing circuit. The electronic time delay circuit counts a time delay, and, upon completion, raises a voltage until a threshold firing voltage is exceeded. Upon exceeding the threshold firing voltage, a voltage trigger switch will break down to transfer energy to an electric initiator to initiate an explosive booster within the output subassembly. The explosive booster provides the detonation output to initiate the next element explosive or propellant element, such as an array of shaped charges in the well perforating system.
US07789134B2
A whipstock/billet anchor can be set in open hole such that one or more slips initially shift laterally near the lower end or below the whipstock/billet while the upper end reacts and gets pushed against the wellbore. Then with the top of the whipstock/billet against the wellbore another slip gets a bite to secure the whipstock/billet in a manner where the wellbore gives it some support near its upper end as a drill bit engages the whipstock/billet to make a lateral. Open and cased hole application is contemplated. The anchor also allows running in and supporting a tubular string below and a tool above with the further option of cocking the tool for better support before securing it.
US07789129B1
A user-operated air-flow regulating device includes a radiator enhancer and an enhancer extension situated adjacent to existing radiator fins of an existing baseboard radiator and oriented at an end-to-end pattern. The device further includes a mechanism for directing and displacing ambient air along a first travel path into respective cavities of the radiator enhancer and the enhancer extension. The enhancer extension includes an elongated fan and a coupling attached to one end thereof. Such a coupling is removably conjoined to a portion of the ambient air directing and displacing mechanism such that the ambient air is separately directed along the first travel path and thereafter displaced along the second travel path in each of the radiator enhancer and enhancer extension respectively. The user-operated air-flow regulating device further includes a mechanism for channeling the ambient air along a third travel path leading obliquely away from the second travel path.
US07789125B2
An extended impingement cooling structure to cool outside an air supply plenum comprises an inner wall; an impingement sheet; a series of supports to maintain the inner wall in spaced relation to the impingement sheet, and a baffle supported between the inner wall and the impingement sheet. The baffle has a collector plenum area that receives impingement cooling air from the air supply plenum and a channel in fluid communication with the collector plenum and extending outside the air supply plenum with openings to allow impingement cooling air to pass therethrough and having a series of lands extending into the channel wherein the lands are located in proximity to impingement cooling air outlets in the inner wall.
US07789122B2
A winding roller for winding and unwinding a corner projected canvas and a rectangular canvas in such a state that the canvases overlap is supported via a bearing and a slider for attaching a projected corner canvas to the winding roller and making the canvas freely slidable is incorporated. The front bar for the rectangular canvas is supported by a foldable arm in such a manner so as to be freely translatable and the front bar for the projected corner canvas is formed in the front bar for the rectangular canvas in such a manner so as to be freely slidable. Thus, the projected corner canvas and the rectangular canvas, which are wound around the winding roller in such a state that the canvases overlap are unwound so as to spread, and the spread projected corner canvas slides transversely along the winding roller and the front bar of the rectangular canvas, and thus, extends to the outside of a building which includes a corner space portion of a projected corner portion. The projected corner canvas which extends into the corner space portion transversely slides to the rear along the winding roller and the front bar of the rectangular canvas while remaining in a spread state, and after that, the projected corner canvas and the rectangular canvas are wound around the winding roller in such a state that the canvases overlap.
US07789121B2
A sheet sticking apparatus 10 comprises a sheet feed-out unit 12 for feeding out an adhesive sheet S to a position facing a surface of a semiconductor wafer W, and a press roller 14 for imparting a press force to the adhesive sheet S to stick the adhesive sheet S to the wafer W. The sheet feed-out unit 12 includes a tension measuring means 35 for measuring the tension of the adhesive sheet S between a feed-out head 49 and the press roller 14. The tension measuring means 35 maintains the tension to a constant level to prevent catching of air bubbles between the adhesive sheet S and the wafer W as well as to prevent warp deformation of the wafer stuck with the sheet.
US07789108B1
A multi-stage restrictor includes an inlet plate having a central non-restrictive aperture, a top fluid manipulation plate, an inter link plate, a bottom fluid manipulation plate and an exit plate disposed in stacked relation. An elongate channel interconnects pairs of circular lobes in the top and bottom fluid manipulation plates. In a multi-stage restrictor, a taper between five to ten degrees is formed in each of the channels of the top and bottom fluid manipulation plates. In a pressure spike attenuator, the taper is about fifteen to thirty degrees. In a static mixer, chevron-shaped protuberances are added to the tapered channels, one protuberance on each side of the each channel and each channel has a protuberance at its opposite end.
US07789107B2
A modular insert and monolithic structure is disclosed where the inserts are embedded in a slot in the monolithic structure to allow MSM components to be mounted directly to the planar surface of the monolithic structure.
US07789100B2
A connection apparatus. The apparatus comprises a wing mandrel having a first check valve disposed within an inner bore of the wing mandrel, a thread mandrel abutting the wing mandrel, with the thread mandrel having outer threads and a second check valve disposed within an inner bore of the thread mandrel. The apparatus further comprises a latch dog carrier disposed about the wing mandrel and the thread mandrel, with the latch dog carrier having a plurality of dogs, wherein the dogs having an inner portion with threads and an outer portion with outer ribs. The apparatus further contains a shell partially disposed about the latch dog carrier, with the shell having inner ribs, and wherein the inner ribs of the shell engage the outer ribs of the dogs. The apparatus further comprises a hydraulic port configured to deliver hydraulic fluid to the latch dog carrier so that the shell moves relative to the latch dog carrier in order to disconnect. A method of releasing a union is also disclosed.
US07789097B1
A portable sunshade used in conjunction with and supported by a vehicle. The sunshade has a lightweight protective fabric cover engaged by a up to five flexible poles. The protective cover rear is magnetically attached to the vehicle. The protective cover front terminates in two fabric legs, which are engaged by an elongated, flexible pole inserted through the legs and the front of the protective cover. The leg bottoms are engaged by a footing or a stake driven into the ground. Removable sidings may also be attached to the protective cover for enclosing the area beneath the protective cover. The portable is easily assembled and disassembled.
US07789088B2
A cigarette filter having a consolidated nonwoven fabric with an aqueous based polymer binder. The polymer binder comprises one or more polymer compositions and is stabilized by one or more high molecular weight protective colloids. While the binder may be utilized with unconsolidated nonwoven fabric webs made by a variety of methods, the binder is particularly useful for application to webs made via the latex bonded airlaid or multibonded airlaid methods.
US07789084B2
A method for equipping a personal service unit with passenger oxygen masks includes arranging one or more passenger oxygen masks in an intermediate container ready for use, and then attaching the intermediate container together with the masks located therein within the personal service unit. In this manner, the comparatively lengthy packaging procedure which is difficult to carry out in overhead work, may be effected in a simplified and reproducible manner outside the aircraft.
US07789072B2
A charging circuit for a fuel injection coil enables the controller to selectively add a pulse of increased amplitude to the beginning of an injection current pulse. Optionally, the controller can also select one of a plurality of amplitudes for the pulse and control the duration of the pulse.
US07789067B2
Control method in the case of a fault in an internal combustion engine; the control method provides for the phases of: cyclically checking the correct functioning of a connection between an electronic control unit and an electric drive of an electric actuator coupled to a butterfly valve to control the position of the same butterfly valve, switching off the electric drive in the case of interruption in the connection between the electronic control unit and the electric drive so that the butterfly valve sets itself in a predefined limp-home position, and piloting the engine in the case of interruption in the connection between the electronic control unit and the electric drive to keep the number of revs constant and equal to a predefined emergency value.
US07789065B2
An apparatus for modifying engine valve lift to produce an engine valve event in an internal combustion engine comprises actuation device for operating at least one exhaust valve, and control device for moving the actuation device between its inoperative position and operative position. In the inoperative position, the actuation device is disengaged from the at least one exhaust valve, and in the operative position, the actuation device holds open the at least one exhaust valve to produce the modified engine valve lift for the engine valve event, which includes an engine braking event. The actuation device includes a motion limiting apparatus for controlling movement of the actuation device. The actuation device can be integrated into a valve bridge and other valve train components, such as a rocker arm, wherein a plunger is slidably disposed between the inoperative position and the operative position.
US07789060B2
A gasket (122) includes a first plurality of cylinder openings (402) arranged to correspond, one each, to a corresponding first plurality of cylinder bores (106) formed in a crankcase (102) of an internal combustion engine (100). A second plurality of coolant openings (404) and a third plurality of oil openings (406) are formed in a substrate sheet of material that makes up the gasket (122). A fourth plurality of pushrod openings (408) is formed in the substrate material of the gasket (122). Each of the fourth plurality of pushrod openings (408) includes a pass through portion (302) that has a semicircular shape with an internal diameter, D, and an alignment portion (304) that has a semicircular shape with an internal diameter, d. The diameter d is smaller than the diameter D. The pass-through portion (304) is located adjacent to the alignment portion (302).
US07789057B2
A device for the protection of stamped conducting paths particularly in a motor vehicle. The device having a complete envelope (4) around the conducting paths which can be made from a sprayed elastic material.
US07789055B2
A connection between an elastomer part and a component involves the component, at the connection site to the elastomer part, being provided with a U-shaped groove which has an undercut and which the elastomer part engages positively.
US07789047B2
A hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine that uses liquid hydrocarbon fuel and hydrogen gas as fuel, which improves mixability of liquid hydrocarbon fuel and hydrogen gas and reduces the number of parts required for a fuel supply that supplies the two types of fuel. The hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine includes a fuel injection device injecting hydrocarbon fuel; a fuel supply supplying hydrocarbon fuel to the fuel injection device; and a microbubble generation device generating microbubbles of hydrogen gas and mixing the generated microbubbles of hydrogen gas into liquid hydrocarbon fuel in the fuel supply. The hydrogen gas microbubbles are supplied, for instance, to a fuel supply path and fuel tank, which constitute the fuel supply.
US07789035B1
A combination stabilizer and standing support for a kayak or canoe. A pontoon assembly is attachable to the deck of the kayak or canoe and provides a buoyant pontoon held laterally spaced from each side of the kayak or canoe for maintaining stability. A standing support also assembly attachable to the deck includes a body support elevated above the deck a distance sufficient to provide leaning support for a person standing in the kayak or canoe while fishing. A locking latch releasibly locks each pontoon arm in a pivotally downwardly deployed position placing the pontoons into water to stabilize the kayak or canoe from substantial rolling movement while a rope and pulley arrangement connected to each of the pontoon arms facilitates manually lifting of the pontoons above the water when not in use.
US07789033B2
A portable boat mooring system is provided that includes a base removably or non-removably attached to a pier. An arm assembly can extend from the base outwardly beyond an edge of the pier. A mooring line that has a resiliently flexible portion thereof attaches a boat to the system while mooring the boat to the pier and maintaining a space therebetween. A tool-less hardware assembly can be utilized which allows users to manually install the base to the pier while they remain on top of the pier or above an upper surface of the pier during the entire installation. An anchoring device can selectively hold the mooring line at a predetermined length or state of tension.
US07789027B1
A soil treatment device that reconditions topsoil by removing an amount of topsoil, treating the topsoil, placing bacteria and small organisms within the topsoil, and then returning the topsoil to the ground surface. The device removes the topsoil from a ground surface by a front-mounted set of cutter blades that remove topsoil down to a specific depth and places it on a conveyer belt. The belt then transports the topsoil into the device, where it is irradiated; seeded with bacteria, microorganisms, and seedlings; and then discharged back onto the ground surface.
US07789024B2
An apparatus has a communications device associated therewith. In another aspect of the present invention, a pallet is made from thermoformed polymeric sheets with an attached communications device. A further aspect of the present invention provides a radio frequency identification device attached to an apparatus. In still another aspect of the present invention, a communications device is incorporated into one or more sheets of a pallet or other container prior to forming. Methods of making and using a thermoformed pallet and container, having a communications device, are also provided.
US07789019B2
An overhead traveling vehicle system includes traveling rails that are hung parallel or substantially parallel to each other from a ceiling while being spaced from each other. A side buffer is disposed between the traveling rails and supported by the opposing traveling rails.
US07789016B2
A device which separates banana pulp from its peel, suitable for large-scale processing, is disclosed. The device consists of upper and lower conveyor belts, a roller installed above the upper belt, and a pressure generating element (e.g., a roller or a plate) installed below the lower belt. The belts are installed so as to converge in the direction of their movement. The axes of the roller(s) is oriented between the longitudinal direction of the lower belt and its transverse direction.
US07789015B2
A handle assembly is provided for the base of an electric cooking appliance. The handle assembly includes a thermoplastic handle including an integral base portion, a bracket having substantial rigidity positioned between the base portion of the handle and the exterior surface of the base, a first fastener connecting the handle to the outer wall of the base, a second fastener connecting the bracket to the outer wall of the base independently of the handle, and a connecting member connecting the bracket to the handle. The connecting member and first fastener may be the same element. An electric cooking appliance including such a handle assembly is further provided.
US07789013B2
Variable focus optical devices, in particular lenses, can include a cavity at least partially defined by a flexible member (2), which may be retained between engaging portions of a frame member (8) and a ring member (12), such that a peripheral region of the membrane is caused to change direction, more than twice. The engaging portions of the ring and frame may be high-friction surfaces. In addition, methods of filling a cavity of a lens with transparent fluid, methods of adjusting the pressure of fluid in the cavity, and methods of sealing such a cavity are described, as well the use of such lenses in adjustable spectacles.
US07789012B2
An improved bonnet assembly for a weir type or radial style valve, comprising a hollow bonnet housing an actuator assembly comprising an actuator connected to a spindle, the hollow bonnet having a plurality of orifices to allow free entry and exit of a liquid such as a cleaning solution within the bonnet and to enable the liquid to thoroughly contact and exit the bonnet assembly without the need of disassembly. The valve or parts of the valve such as the bonnet assembly or its components are made of performance engineered polymeric material to prevent corrosion and/or galling, and also reduce the weight and sometimes the cost of the valve without sacrificing quality and performance.
US07789007B2
The invention relates to a braided rope for bend-over-sheave applications consisting essentially of n braided primary strands being made of polymeric filaments, which rope has an oblong cross-section with aspect ratio in the range 1.2-4.0. Such a rope shows markedly improved service life performance in cyclic bend-over-sheave applications. The invention also relates to the use of a braided rope according to the invention as a load-bearing member in bend-over-sheave applications; and to a system comprising such a rope and at least one sheave with a groove, the dimensions of which groove are adapted to the rope dimensions.
US07789006B2
A perforating gun loading bay includes a loading area and a separate gun component storage area. The perforating gun loading area also includes racks and a table that permit an in-line loading operation such that the gun housing and loaded gun need not be moved out of a linear path from introduction to the bay to unloading from the bay. The racks and the table may be position in axial alignment and may include low friction members to permit axial sliding motion along the racks and the table. A method for using the loading bay permits in-line handling. A perforating gun loading table includes low friction members permitting axial movement of perforating gun components therealong and low friction members permitting rotational movement of perforating gun components along their long axis. The perforating gun loading table includes a control system for selecting the low friction member that is positioned to engage the perforating gun component on the table.
US07789003B2
A saw having a table assembly, a pivot arm, a saw blade and a dust collection system. The table assembly includes a workpiece support surface upon which a workpiece can be supported. The pivot arm is pivotally mounted to the table assembly, and includes a driver and a dust collection passage. The saw blade is mounted on the pivot arm and is driven by the driver for cutting the workpiece. The dust collection system includes a groove having one end which connects to the table assembly, and another end extending to the dust collection passage. Sawdust and/or chips generated during the cutting operation are transferred to the dust collection passage along the groove and are discharged out of the saw.
US07789001B2
Apparatus and processes for producing paper roll products with spaced core sections. A core substrate is arranged on a mandrel, and then divided into a plurality of core sections. The core sections are then separated from each other on the mandrel to form gaps between the core sections. Paper web material can then be wound onto the separated core sections to form a log of rolls. The log is then cut into final paper roll products.
US07789000B2
This invention includes a system for cutting food products, such as potatoes, into proportional length pieces. In a one embodiment, the system includes a cutting assembly, sensors upstream of the cutting assembly and a programmable logic controller. The cutting assembly preferably includes a housing defining a passageway, at least two separately actuatable stops extendable into the passageway to provide an abutment to hold the food product in place, and at least two separately actuatable blades for slicing the food product into pieces. The controller cooperates with the sensors to determine the length of each food product and, based on a length determinative algorithm, selectively actuate one of the stops and at least one of the blades to determine how many times the food product will be sliced and location of the cut(s) relative to the leading end of the food product.
US07788995B2
A pipe fitting socket for use with an axial driving device accepts a variety of angled fittings (e.g. tees, full elbows, slant elbows) snugly within a fitting cavity for torquing onto a fixed threaded end of pipe. Torquing of the fitting is accomplished by inserting a drive stud of the driving device into a drive aperture defining a rotational axis and torquing the driving device, thereby rotating the socket about the rotational axis, or through manually torquing a cylindrical portion of the socket. The socket offers superior efficiency and safety over conventional pipe wrenches by maximizing the effective range of movement available for a wrench used for angled fitting installation and/or removal, while virtually eliminating a wrench's loss of grip on the fitting.
US07788993B2
A tie rod assembly includes a composite tie rod shaft having a first end and a second end, a first clevis carried by the first end of the tie rod shaft, a clevis adjustment collar carried by the second end of the tie rod shaft and a second clevis carried by and adjustable along the clevis adjustment collar. A method of connecting a fitting to a shaft is also disclosed.
US07788979B2
A Monolithic Antenna Excited Acoustic Transduction (MAEAT) device is fabricated by photolithographically depositing a metallic antenna on one side of a piezoelectric crystal substrate.
US07788976B2
Although a weight part of an acceleration sensor chip fixed on a die pad is coated with a gelatinous resin part of low elasticity, the weight part is easily displaced by an external acceleration. Thus, an acceleration can be detected with accuracy. Furthermore, long-term reliability equal to those of regular resin packages is ensured because those portions of an acceleration sensor device which are not used for acceleration sensing are sealed with a resin part.
US07788973B2
The invention provides a combined fluid level sight gage and ultrasonic sensor featuring a fluid level sight gage having a housing for containing a fluid and having a sight glass for viewing the level of the fluid therein, and an ultrasonic sensor coupled to the housing, responsive to the level of fluid in the housing, for providing an ultrasonic sensor signal containing information about the level of fluid in the housing. In operation, the sight glass provides a visual verification that the ultrasonic sensor is working correctly in relation to the fluid visible in the sight glass. The ultrasonic sensor signal may be used to automatically annunciate alarms or warnings either locally at the equipment or by wired or wireless electronic means. In some embodiments according to the present invention, the housing has a centerline for indicating a normal fluid level therein. The ultrasonic sensor may be arranged in the housing on the centerline, or slightly below the centerline, or slightly above the centerline.
US07788972B2
A method of downhole characterization of formation fluids is provided. The method includes: estimating a rough value of the bubble point pressure of the formation fluids; depressurizing the formation fluids at a first speed to a certain pressure which is a predetermined value higher than the estimated rough value while the formation fluids are isolated in a portion of the flowline; and depressurizing the isolated fluids at a second speed which is slower than the first speed in order to measure a precise value of the bubble point pressure.
US07788971B2
The invention relates to a support for a component for monitoring a tire, of the type intended to be secured to a wheel and tire system and comprising a support for securing the component in which the support has a component retaining force which is an increasing function of the pressure of the medium surrounding the support.
US07788963B2
One aspect of the invention relates to a system adapted to calibrate a determination of information related to one or more gaseous analytes in a body of gas being delivered to an objective by a gas source. In one embodiment the system comprises a partial pressure sensor, a total pressure monitor, a partial pressure module, and a calibration module. The partial pressure sensor generates an output signal related to the partial pressure of the one or more gaseous analytes in the body of gas. The total pressure monitor determines the total pressure of the body of gas. The partial pressure module determines the partial pressure of the one or more gaseous analytes in the body of gas according to a partial pressure function, wherein the partial pressure function describes the partial pressure of the one or more gaseous analytes in the body of gas as a function of the output signal generated by the partial pressure sensor. The calibration module that calibrates the partial pressure module by determining the partial pressure function.
US07788959B2
In a method of producing an ultra thin wall metallic tube by a cold drawing process in which a drawing machine is used, a wall thickness of the metallic tube is reduced to perform drawing while a tube-wall centerline diameter of a tube material is expanded, using a solid die which gradually increases in diameter from its engaging inlet side toward its work-ending outlet side and a plug or a tapered mandrel bar which gradually increases in diameter over a corresponding distance from the engaging inlet side of the solid die toward the work-ending outlet side of the solid die, whereby the wall thickness can dramatically be reduced.
US07788956B2
A lock system includes keys, key blanks, keyways, and lock cylinders, and the keys or key blanks have opposite sides formed with grooves for cooperating with a conforming keyway. More particularly, the sides of the key or key blank have a portion grooved for registration, another portion grooved for top-level hierarchical master keying, and two other portions, one on each side of the blade, for further master key variations and different combinations. One of the two further sections being curvilinear and the other rectangular or angular cuts. The conforming keyway of the lock includes ridges and grooves corresponding to the grooves and ridges, respectively, of the key or key blank. Instruments other than keys or key blanks may be used to enter the grooves and ridges of the keyway to operate the lock without the use of a precisely configured key.
US07788951B2
There is provided an elongation method of an optical fiber base material, by which a base material rod not requiring a process for modifying a bend from base material ingot is obtained. The method for elongating base material ingot to be a base material rod having a diameter smaller than before to manufacture an optical fiber base material, includes the steps of: elongating the base material ingot while controlling a control position so that a neck-down within a horizontal surface of the base material ingot is located at a target position; measuring a bending direction and a bending amount of an elongated base material rod; and adjusting the target position based on the result. In addition, it is preferable to adjust a position of a pendant portion of base material ingot in order to control the position of the neck-down to be the target position. For example, the position of the pendant portion may be moved in an XY direction, more particularly, in a direction in which the measured bend shows convexity.
US07788934B2
A control device for an auger type ice making machine according to the present invention includes a driver circuit that drives a geared motor for rotating an auger; a voltage detector that detects an input voltage applied to the geared motor; a current detector that detects a motor current flowing in the geared motor; and a control circuit in which a plurality of current threshold values that differ according to the input voltage are set in advance, the control circuit controlling the driver circuit so as to stop the geared motor when a value of the motor current detected by the current detector exceeds a current threshold value that corresponds to the value of the input voltage detected by the voltage detector.
US07788929B2
A combustion chamber having a chamber end wall that presents a plurality of air and fuel injector devices, each of the devices including a bowl and a deflector mounted on a main axis forming a heat shield disposed around the bowl which flares in the gas flow direction and possesses an annular portion, the interface between the bowl and the deflector being situated on this annular portion, at least a portion of the interface being situated towards the end of the annular portion that is downstream in the gas flow direction, such that an annular cavity is defined between the deflector and the downstream annular portion of the interface. First bowl holes are formed in the annular portion to open out facing the edge of the chamber end wall that is in contact with the deflector in order to sustain a flow of air from upstream to downstream in the annular cavity.
US07788922B2
A system and method for controlling boost pressure in various turbo-charged engine configurations as well as variable geometry turbine (VGT) arrangements includes an electronic controller programmed to receive a predetermined desired boost pressure PBoostdes. A desired pressure delta ΔPWGdes across a waste-gate valve is determined using the desired boost pressure PBoostdes. A control signal is generated for controlling the waste-gate valve so as to achieve the desired pressure delta ΔPWGdes. In boost pressure and vacuum pneumatically-actuated waste-gate valve arrangements, the respective solenoid duty cycles are obtained through use of various data structures. Where a waste-gate valve position is controlled by an electrical motor, the valve position is determined using a data structure as a function of desired waste-gate valve flow at sonic standard conditions.
US07788912B2
This invention relates to an exhaust treatment device for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, particularly in a motor vehicle. The device comprises a housing in which at least one exhaust treatment insert is arranged, and which is composed of at least two housing sections at least one of which consists of a ferritic material and at least another of which consists of an austenitic material. In order to increase the thermal resistance of the device at least one ferritic housing section is secured to at least one austenitic housing section by means of a connection, wherein this connection consists of a material whose coefficient of thermal expansion lies between the coefficients of thermal expansion of the ferritic material and of the austenitic material.
US07788910B2
A system and method may be provided for operating a system having an engine with an emission control system, the emission control system including a lean NOx trap and a particulate filter, where after lean exhaust gas air-fuel ratio regeneration of the particulate filter at an elevated regeneration temperature, a rich or intermittently rich exhaust air-fuel ratio is provided for a duration lasting until LNT temperature falls to a minimum threshold, where said rich or intermittently rich operation reactivates catalysts in the LNT and reverses deactivation caused by the elevated temperature lean operation associated with previous particulate filter regeneration.
US07788895B2
When a temperature of cooling steam being measured by a temperature-measuring device 13 in one combustor 2-x among combustors 2-1 through 2-8 is confirmed to be higher than a temperature of a predetermined time before by a predetermined value and temperatures of cooling steams being measured by temperature-measuring devices 13 in combustors 2-y and 2-z being adjacent to the combustor 2-x on both sides are confirmed to be lower than a temperature of a predetermined time before by a predetermined value, an occurrence of a flashback is detected in the combustor 2-x.
US07788886B2
An apparatus for loading containers with bags, wherein the apparatus is provided with a feed conveyor assembly, a loading unit, and a control designed for, each time, forming a layer of bags in the loading unit, which layer has dimensions substantially corresponding to the bottom dimensions of a container to be filled, and wherein the control is designed such that, each time, the loading unit places a wholly formed layer in the container to be filled. In the method, the bags are oriented in a feed conveyor assembly and placed from the feed conveyor assembly onto a bottom of a holder of a loading unit, wherein, subsequently, when the whole bottom of the holder of the loading unit has been filled with bags, this holder is lowered into a container to be filled and the bottom is released when the bottom of the holder is just above the bottom of the container to be filled or a layer of bags present in this container.
US07788879B2
A structural panel for a building structure includes first and second stud members each including a neck. Openings and venturi bridges are formed in the neck. At least one flange is attached to the neck. A foam panel extends between the studs. The openings in the neck limit the heat transferred from the stud to the edge of the foam panel. The venturi bridges in the neck also limit the transfer of heat from the neck to the edge of the foam panel.
US07788878B1
A boot assembly for securing a bracing strap to a wall in a light steel frame building. The boot assembly includes an elongated channel-shaped strap connector and a stud connector. The stud connector is adapted such that a stud may be connected thereto. The strap connector includes a seat for receiving a base of the stud connector and a pair of stops. One or more stops is disposed on each of two end portions of the strap connector. Each stop includes a stop surface to abut a portion of the base and to prevent or limit fore-and-aft movement of the base relative to the strap connector. The strap connector is adapted to be secured with the stud connector and a track, included in the wall, to an underlying support. The strap connector includes a flange adapted such that an end portion of a bracing strap can be connected thereto.
US07788875B2
An edge trim system for suspended island ceilings in which a one-piece clip couples standard grid tees to standard wall molding. The clip is arranged to snap onto the grid tees where the ceiling boundary is along a line of the grid and to be screw fastened onto a tee where the ceiling boundary is other than along the grid. The clip is arranged to snap into and retain the molding in place without fasteners.
US07788874B2
A roofing clip and connector for retaining metal roofing panels to the purlins of roofs comprising a rigid clip piece in the form of a folded piece of material with a loop in the vicinity of the fold and a constricted area between the loop and the folded ends of the materials, with holes to facilitate attachment of the clip to the purlins, and with the upper fold of the clip having an upturned segment more than 69 degrees at the end thereof, and a connector to be inserted into the clip, with a tab extension extending laterally from the connector.
US07788859B2
Systems and methods for repairing walls are provided used to repair foundational and veneer walls that have bowed or shifted. A system can include a wall support member disposed proximate a wall; an anchor disposed below the wall support member (the anchor can be affixed to a bottom portion or component of the wall (e.g., a foundational pier)); a tension member (e.g., a chain) affixed to the anchor and the wall support member; a brace affixed to the wall support member at a first end; and a stake in operable communication with a second end of the brace operable to prevent movement of the second end of the brace. Increasing tension on the tension member between the anchor and the wall support member (with a jack, for example) causes the wall to be shifted (e.g., horizontally and vertically) for repositioning the settled wall. The wall can then be re-anchored and re-attached to the structure to aid in preventing future movement of the wall. Other embodiments are also claimed and described.
US07788849B1
A container includes a top having downwardly extending walls adapted to releasably attach to upwardly extending walls of a bottom of a planter, the top of the container further adapted to releasably attach to the bottom of the planter so that when the downwardly extending walls of the container are attached to the upwardly extending walls of the planter the container functions as a terrarium enclosure and when the top of the container is attached to the bottom of the planter the container functions as a pedestal to support the planter.
US07788841B1
A device and method for attracting a fish using a fish attractant. A first compartment of a lure receives a fish attractant. A passageway between the first and a second compartment is opened, allowing the fish attractant to flow from the first compartment to the second compartment. The fish attractant is released from the second compartment and into the body of water through a release aperture.
US07788832B2
The invention relates to a system for the forced waving of flags for advertising devices and similar and to the corresponding operation methods. The inventive system comprises a support (10) for supporting a flag or similar (2) with the aid of a flag-waving shaft (20) and for securing blowing means (11) which release forced air flows (S) that are applied to the flag or a similar element disposed on the waving shaft. The aforementioned blowing means (11) supply one or more laminar air flows (S) through the outlet(s) (110) thereof. The flag-waving shaft (20) is positioned perpendicularly to the direction of flow of the laminar air flow(s) on an external side of, and close to, the outlets of the blowing means, said zone containing flows with no turbulence.
US07788828B2
An active shoe cleat system with a shoe having a processor in the shoe operably connected to cleats on the bottom of the shoe, at least one sensor that measures at least one parameter pertaining to ambient conditions on the shoe, a projection within the cleats that are deployed in response to control signals from the processor generated in response to data from information provided in part by the sensor, and means for urging the projection outward from within the cleat. In a preferred embodiment, the cleat may be activated by hydraulics or pneumatics or have a direct motor driven cable, gear or shaft work system. The sensors may monitor a variety of ambient conditions such as speed, torque, acceleration, force, water presence or other factors affecting traction and performance.
US07788821B2
A linear measuring arrangement for measuring a relative position of two objects. The linear measuring arrangement includes a unit having a housing and a scale in the housing and a scanning unit, which can be shifted relative to the unit in a measuring direction, wherein the scanning unit is arranged inside the housing and includes a heat-generating electrical component. The arrangement further includes a mounting piece, which is fastened to the scanning unit by a coupling, which is rigid in the measuring direction and resilient transversely thereto, and which extends to a mounting area arranged outside of the housing. The arrangement further includes a heat-conducting element, which is designed for transferring heat generated by the heat generating electrical component to the mounting piece and permits relative movements between the mounting piece and the scanning unit at least transversely to the measuring direction.
US07788819B2
In a machine tool having an on-board measuring machine and controlled by a numerical controller, a method of measuring a shape of a workpiece presets a reference point for temperature drift correction on the workpiece, moves a probe to the reference point, resets a coordinate system of the probe to correct a temperature drift of the probe, and carries out shape measurement of the workpiece along a first measuring path. Next, the method moves the probe to the reference point again, resets the coordinate system of the probe to correct a temperature drift of the probe again, and carries out shape measurement of the workpiece along a second measuring path. Thereafter, similar temperature drift correction is carried out for each measuring path until the shape measurement of the workpiece is carried out along the last measuring path.
US07788813B2
The present invention relates to a hand held cutter (11) utilizing auxiliary wheels (9) individually performing two working modes including cuts along a rectilinear path and a desired curved path. By switching a control, a pair of auxiliary wheels (9) shifts the cutter (11) from one working mode to one another. According to the unique design of the present invention, a circular disk-shaped cutting blade (14) mounted on the side edge of the pair of auxiliary wheels (9) can produce a stable and versatile cutting effects under the guidance of the auxiliary wheels (9). The application and breakthrough of technologies reduce the size of the hand held cutter (11) so that the cutter 11 can be conveniently carried around.
US07788811B2
A trimming machine according to the present invention has a pair of blades each of which has a plurality of cutting edges along a longitudinal direction of the blades and which are reciprocated along the longitudinal direction relative to each other by a rotary power unit. The trimming machine further has a substantially cylindrical eccentric cam eccentrically rotated by the rotary power unit, and a connecting rod having an annular larger end part slidably fitted around the eccentric cam, a smaller end part pivotally attached to one of the blades, and a connecting rod axis passing through a central axis of the smaller end part and a central axis of the larger end part. The larger end part has a bearing portion for bearing load from the blade, and the bearing portion is located on the connecting rod axis when the connecting rod axis is aligned with the longitudinal direction, and is deformable along the connecting rod axis when the bearing portion is subjected to a load.
US07788800B2
A semiconductor device has a leadframe with a structure made of a base metal (105), wherein the structure consists of a chip mount pad (402) and a plurality of lead segments (403). Covering the base metal are, consecutively, a nickel layer (301) on the base metal, and a continuous layer of noble metal, which consists of a gold layer (201) on the nickel layer, and an outermost palladium layer (202) on the gold layer. A semiconductor chip (410) is attached to the chip mount pad and conductive connections (412) span from the chip to the lead segments. Polymeric encapsulation compound (420) covers the chip, the connections, and portions of the lead segments. In QFN devices with straight sides (501), the compound forms a surface (421) coplanar with the outermost palladium layer (202) on the un-encapsulated leadframe surfaces.
US07788799B2
A variable resistance device comprises a resistive member having a resistive resilient material. A first conductor is configured to be electrically coupled with the resistive member at a first contact location over a first contact area. A second conductor is configured to be electrically coupled with the resistance member at a second contact location over a second contact area. The first contact location and second contact location are spaced from one another by a distance. The resistance between the first conductor at the first contact location and the second conductor at the second contact location is equal to the sum of a straight resistance component and a parallel path resistance component. At least one of the first location, the second location, the first contact area, and the second contact area is changed to produce a change in resistance between the first conductor and the second conductor.
US07788793B2
A method for manufacturing a broadband antenna, such as applicable for a low radar cross-section ground penetrating radar. A conductive film is deposited along a dielectric member, such as by sputtering, in such a manner that the impedance of the conducting film is a continuous function of length along the dielectric member. A sampling circuit is then coupled electrically to the feedpoint.
US07788790B2
A stator of a rotary electric machine having secured core slot insulators includes a multi-phase stator winding, having a plurality of slot segments that are adapted to be radially inserted into a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially-extending core slots in a surface of a cylindrically-shaped stator core. The stator winding includes the plurality of slot segments alternately connected at the first and second ends of the stator core by a plurality of end loop segments to form the winding. The plurality of core slots house an insulator to electrically isolate the slot segments from the core slots. The insulator is secured to the sides of the core slot prior to the process of radial inserting the plurality of slot segments into the plurality of core slots of the cylindrically-shaped stator core.
US07788785B2
A method of using a rail clip assembly to connect a horizontal fence rail to a vertical fence post. The rail clip assembly includes a housing that is slidably engaged with at least one mounting spacer and a first leg of an L-shaped mounting bracket until a second leg of the bracket abuts the underside of the housing. A first fastener is screwed through the first leg and mounting spacer and into the side wall of the fence post. An end of the rail is inserted into the housing and a second fastener is screwed through the second leg, the housing and the end of the rail. The rail clip assembly aids in preventing the rail from disengaging from the housing when a lateral force is applied to the rail.
US07788784B2
A method of assembling a composite structure is disclosed. An illustrative embodiment of the method includes receiving and positioning at least two composite structure subassemblies on a structure assembly table by operation of at least one first device and at least one second device and compacting the at least two composite structure subassemblies into a composite structure by operation of a third device.
US07788780B2
A fastener placing tool (11) for placing fasteners of the breakstem blind rivet type incorporates a force/stroke monitoring device (22) which comprises an assembly body (24) detachably mounted on the tool between the latter and the anvil (18), a load-cell sensor (33) carried by the assembly body (24) for sensing the force applied by the hydraulic piston (16) to the jaw assembly 17 with respect to the anvil (18), and a non-contact stroke-sensor (35) carried by the assembly body (24) for sensing the position of the jaw assembly (17) relative to the anvil (18). The stroke-sensor (35) operates without physical contact with the jaw assembly (17) or any part of the tool moving therewith. To this end the jaw assembly (17) is connected to the hydraulic piston (16) by means of an adaptor tube (23) which has a conical tapering outer surface. The clearance distance between the sensor (35) and the adjacent part of the conical surface of the adaptor tube 23 varies with the axial position of the adaptor (23) and jaw assembly (17).
US07788769B2
A drapery carrier comprising a carrier body with first and second coaxially joined wheels on opposite sides of the carrier body, and bearings entrapped within the drapery carrier between raceway seat portions of the wheels. An axial finger extends from the first wheel and is engagingly held within an axial bore of the second wheel. Respective outer circumferential wheel surfaces of the first and second wheels define first and second wheel outer diameters of the first and second wheels, and the bearing center-to-center orbit diameter is less than the first and second wheel outer diameters. Three embodiments of a carrier strip hold a plurality of the drapery carriers prior to and during insertion within a drapery track, and permit easy insertion of the drapery carriers into the track by sliding the track onto the drapery carriers while they are held by the carrier strip.
US07788762B2
The invention relates to a method for shaping a roll cleaning brush (1), particularly for working rolls, for use in metal and, in particular, aluminum hot strip mills, comprising a brush lining (2). The inventive brush also comprises a supporting base body (3), which is mounted at one end and which is provided with the brush covering (2) attached thereto, said brush covering being pressed against the roll (4) with a settable force or defined insertion depth in order to have a cleaning effect. In order to achieve a uniform contact pressure, the shape of the cleaning brush (1) or of the brush covering (2) is matched according to the shape of the roll (4) whereby setting, between the roll and the brush covering or cleaning brush, a contact pressure that is as uniform as possible over the entire surface length of the roll. The invention also relates to a correspondingly contoured cleaning brush (1).
US07788761B2
Device (10) for swinging a wiper arm of a windshield wiper device away from and against a motor vehicle window, wherein the device (10) comprising at least two spring elements (11), which retain the wiper arm in a stable position away from the vehicle window and press the wiper arm against said vehicle window during the operation of the wipers, wherein at least one of the at least two spring elements (11) comprises at least one compressed region (13).
US07788760B2
A tool is provided for use in removing pliable surface compounds from a container and efficiently transferring the compound to a tray or the like. The tool comprises a handle having a longitudinal axis and having first and second ends. The tool also includes a blade secured to the first end of the handle and having first and second adjacent sections. The first section of the blade defines a generally planar controlling section and the second section of the blade defines a generally planar working section, wherein the plane of the second section extends at an acute angle relative to the plane of the first section. The second section defines a contoured edge of predetermined curvature corresponding to the curvature of the container such that the blade can be used to remove surface compounds from the container.
US07788757B2
The invention is a fun shower brush. The brush has a bubble-making device on its top part. Different kinds of brush can be fitted into the front of the shower brush to meet the needs of the user. This design makes the brush suitable for use by the general public and the bubble-making device makes showering more fun.
US07788741B2
A touch free, automatic seat and lid actuating system for toilets includes at least one of an advantageous drive mechanism for raising and lowering the seat and lid, a clutch mechanism enabling manual operation of the seat and the lid, and an attachment system for removably attaching the seat and the lid. The drive mechanism includes a first drive for operating the seat and a second drive for operating the lid. The clutch mechanism includes a pin interfitting into a notch, and biased into the notch with a spring. The attachment mechanism allows the seat and/or lid to be locked on the toilet in a lowered position, and readily removable from the toilet in a raised position.
US07788738B1
A versatile self-adjusting accessory is disclosed. The accessory has a base member and the base member includes a self-adjusting member of shorter length than the base member, and the self-adjusting member may be coupled to an inner portion of the base member. An end portion of one or more assemblies of streamer members may be coupled to an inner portion of the base member. A portion of the base member may self-adjust to conform to an outer surface of an object when an opposite end of the one or more streamer members is coupled to at least one of a portion of the object and a portion of the self-adjusting accessory. Methods of producing and using the self-adjusting accessory, as well as kit comprising the self-adjusting accessories are disclosed.
US07793356B2
A signal coupling system interposed between a scanning probe and a measurement instrument provides signal communication between the scanning probe and the measurement instrument. The signal coupling system has a pre-stressed shape when the scanning probe is in a neutral position. The pre-stressed shape is designated to provide a characteristic impedance of the signal coupling system that varies linearly as a function of displacement of the scanning probe from the neutral position when the scanning probe is displaced, relative to the neutral position, over a designated range of displacements.
US07793344B2
A system, method, and computer-usable medium for removing redundancy from packet classifiers. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a packet classifier is implemented as a sequence of rules. A redundancy manager marks at least one upward redundant rule and at least one downward redundant rule. The redundancy manager removes at least one rule marked as upward redundant and at least one rule marked as downward redundant.
US07793343B2
A method and system for a vendor-neutral method of integrating single sign on functionality with the features of a robust identity management application in a cost effective, reliable and timely manner is disclosed. A user accesses the system through a commercially-available single sign on application. When a user requests to be logged in to one or more applications, the request is not sent to a custom business logic layer as known in the art but, instead, is directed to an intermediary application which takes action depending on the nature of the user's login information. The intermediary application serves as the interface between the single sign on application and the identity management system. The intermediary application contains a work flow or business process engine and a method for mapping the business logic. Information flows seamlessly between the single sign on application and the identity management system without regard to either products' platform or vendor.
US07793342B1
Methods, systems, and data structures are provided for single sign-on with basic authentication on a transparent proxy. A user accesses a client to issue requests for content on an origin server. The transparent proxy requires user authentication before access can be granted to the origin server. The transparent proxy receives the requests and determines if the user is presently authenticated to the origin server. If the user is not authenticated, then the transparent proxy issues a basic authentication error to the client causing the client to prompt the user for authentication information. The transparent proxy directs the client to retain the authentication information and supply it with subsequent requests to the origin server. Further, the transparent proxy independently reconstructs the authentication information for subsequent requests directed to other servers under the handling of the transparent proxy, without requiring additional user action.
US07793340B2
Methods and apparatus cryptographically bind authentication schemes to verify that a secure authentication sequence was executed for access to sensitive applications/resources. Users execute two login sequences with a strong authentication framework. Upon completion of the first, the framework generates an unencrypted token from underlying data, later hashed into an authentication token. With a private key corresponding to the first sequence, the authentication token is encrypted and passed to the second sequence where it is encrypted again with a private key corresponding to the second sequence. Upon access attempts to the sensitive applications/resources, verification of execution of the two login sequences includes recovering the authentication token from its twice encrypted form and comparing it to a comparison token independently generated by the application/resource via the underlying data. An audit log associated with the application/resource stores the data, the recovered authentication token, etc., for purposes of later non-repudiation.
US07793326B2
The present invention utilizes an aggregator for searching, packaging and delivering content. The aggregator processes requests, searches, provides search results and acquires content. The aggregator, operating in a communications network, includes a request and results processing server, a search engine server coupled to the request and results processing server and a content acquisition server coupled to the request and results processing server. A request and results processing server receives a request for content, the search engine server searches for the content and the content acquisition program acquires content for delivery to the user. The request and results processing server includes a search request processor that receives information related to a user's search request and provides the information to a search results form builder that creates an electronic search request.
US07793322B2
An interactive television program guide system with digital storage is provided. The program guide gives users the ability to store information associated with recorded programs in a directory in the digital storage device thereby providing easy access to program information. The program guide may also provide a global media library for indicating the programs stored on removable storage media used with the program guide. The guide may also allow the user to manage and maintain a user media library to do the same. Non-time-sensitive data associated with recorded programs may be stored in a way that allows the user to interact with the data on playback as if the program were being originally aired. The program guide also allows the user to define “super-programs” for playback of a sequence of stored programs or program segments.
US07793314B2
A disk drive device includes a housing having a slot through which a disk-shaped recording medium having a recording surface is inserted and ejected, a mount that is disposed in the housing and on which the recording medium inserted through the slot is mounted, and a conveying mechanism including an arm unit that extends and retracts along a plane substantially parallel to the recording surface of the recording medium to convey the recording medium between the slot and the mount while holding a peripheral portion of the recording medium and a restricting unit that restricts the movement of the arm unit.
US07793311B2
There is provided a disk apparatus and disk recording method capable of managing unrecorded disks easily and of recording desired information quickly and easily. In the disk apparatus, a disk recorder DR is provided in a chassis 1, the disk recorder DR having: a tray 4 movable in the forward and backward directions; a drive chassis 5 movable in the upward and downward directions; an optical pickup arranged on the drive chassis 5; and a spindle motor 9 accompanied with a turntable 8, and being adapted to move the drive chassis 5 in the upward direction so that a disk placed on the tray 4 is lifted by the turntable 8 and rotated at a high speed to record information onto the disk through the optical pickup. In the chassis 1, there are provided: a disk repository 20 adjacent to the disk recorder DR and including a disk placing base 24 and a guide frame 25; and a disk setting device 21 for pushing disks D1 to Dn one by one out of the disk repository 20 to set each disk on the tray 4.
US07793310B2
A method for inserting a proxy into a JAVA application environment that begins with the activation of a program launcher. The program launcher instantiates a proxy and passes the prosy to an interface manager. Then the program launcher starts an instance of a JAVA application. The interface manager then initiates an instance of the interface and hooks the proxy between the interface instance and the JAVA application instance.
US07793301B2
A method for providing efficient object-based network management is provided. The method includes receiving a request for a reference to an object that represents at least one managed network element. A determination is made regarding whether the object is currently activated. The object is activated based on the request for a reference to the object when the object is not currently activated.
US07793298B2
At least one input/output (I/O) firmware partition is provided in a partitioned environment to facilitate access to I/O resources owned by the at least one I/O firmware partition. The I/O resources of an I/O firmware partition are shared by one or more other partitions of the environment, referred to as consumer partitions. The consumer partitions use the I/O firmware partition to access the I/O resources. Since the I/O firmware partitions are responsible for providing access to the I/O resources owned by those partitions, the consumer partitions are relieved of this task, reducing complexity and costs in the consumer partitions.
US07793294B2
A system and method for scheduling tasks is disclosed. One embodiment comprises a system that includes an initial scheduler that schedules a plurality of tasks of an associated priority group within an available schedule time period based on an earliest possible end time of a task duration of a respective task, such that tasks that have a task duration that overlap task durations of scheduled tasks are unscheduled tasks. The system further includes a reintroduction scheduler that moves scheduled tasks within respective task time ranges to create time interval gaps for the unscheduled tasks, wherein an unscheduled task is scheduled by the reintroduction scheduler if an unscheduled task has a task duration that falls within an available time interval gap and a task time range that overlaps the available time interval gap.
US07793291B2
A method and apparatus are provided for thermal management of a multiprocessor computer system. The temperatures of the various processors within a multiprocessor system are monitored. When a processor is identified as overheated, a dummy process will be assigned to it, causing all other processes to be put on hold, thereby reducing the heat output of that processor. When the temperature of the processor lowers below another predetermined value, then the dummy process is terminated.
US07793282B2
A system and method of optimizing transmission of a program to multiple users over a distribution system, with particular application to video-on-demand for a CATV network. The system includes, at a head end of the CATV network a scheduling and routing computer for dividing the video program stored in long term fast storage or short term fast storage into a plurality of program segments, and a subscriber distribution node for transmitting the program segments in a redundant sequence in accordance with a scheduling algorithm. At a receiver of the CATV network there is provided a buffer memory for storing the transmitted video program segments for subsequent playback whereby, in use, the scheduling algorithm can ensure that a user's receiver will receive all of the program segments in a manner that will enable continuous playback in real time of the program. Under the control of controller the receiver distinguishes received program segments by a segment identifier so that redundant segments captured in capture memory are then stored in buffer memory from which the segments can be retrieved and decompressed in data compressor for immediate or subsequent viewing. In one embodiment, the method of this invention includes dividing at least some segments into fragments, and transmitting one fragment of each segment during a playback interval of a duration, for example, equal to a playback time of a segment.
US07793278B2
Systems and methods perform affine partitioning on a code stream to produce code segments that may be parallelized. The code segments include copies of the original code stream with conditional inserted that aid in parallelizing code. The conditional is formed by determining the constraints on a processor variable determined by the affine partitioning and applying the constraints to the original code stream.
US07793270B2
A method and apparatus for verifying program code conversion performed by an emulator. A first emulator configured in a same-to-same (X-X) mode converts subject code into target code for execution by a subject processor. Execution of the subject code natively by the subject processor is compared against execution through the first emulator, to verify that program code conversion. Optionally, the first emulator is then used to incrementally validate program code conversion (i.e. optimisation and/or translation) performed by a second emulator, such as a this-to-that (X-Y) mode emulator running on a target processor.
US07793268B2
The present invention provides a method, system, and program product for composing a virtualized computing environment. Specifically, under the present invention, data and a definition file that contains application runtime requirements for the data are stored on a portable memory device. Application runtime requirements can be anything related to an environment in which the data was previously used. When the portable memory device is received in a computerized device, an auto-insert script can be executed that signals a provisioning system and/or transports the definition file to the provisioning system. The provisioning system will then interpret the definition file on the computerized device to retrieve the application runtime requirements. Then, the virtualized computing environment will be composed by adapting an environment of the computerized device according to the application runtime requirements retrieved from the definition file.
US07793265B2
Disclosed is a method, apparatus and a computer program of a virtual execution environment. In one aspect thereof a data processor includes a disk-based storage system and a virtual machine monitor configured to execute a program in a virtual container. The virtual machine monitor is responsive, prior to execution of the application, to record a set of files accessed during a phase change in the disk-based storage system in a manner predetermined to minimize the time needed to retrieve the set of files. The virtual machine monitor is further responsive, at the occurrence of the phase change, or prior to the occurrence of a phase change if the files are prefetched, to retrieve the files from the disk-based storage system. In a further aspect thereof there is provided a server of the virtual execution environment that includes a unit, responsive to receiving notification from the at least one virtual machine monitor of an occurrence of contemporaneous file accesses not associated with a known phase change of a virtual container, for evaluating the occurrence as a candidate phase change and, responsive to the evaluation indicating a presence of a previously unknown phase change, for adding a list of the files accessed to a phase change template for use by the same or a different virtual machine monitor during another instance of execution of the application.
US07793260B2
Maintaining a plurality of application component catalogs describing user experiences associated with particular application programs. The invention includes an extensible schema for the application component catalogs and a method for matching user experiences within the application component catalogs to particular user requests. The invention provides an extensible and scalable infrastructure for customizing a user interface experience.
US07793258B2
A method and system of a software development using visual action elements is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a user interface with action elements, and providing a mechanism for specification and review of the action elements using the user interface. For example, providing a user interface includes providing a prototype of the user interface in a web browser and providing a mechanism for specification and review includes providing a toolbar with functionality to record user comments regarding the action elements. The method may also include providing a user interface to document the user interface. The method may further include providing an animated view of stimulus response behavior of the action elements.
US07793250B2
A method for developing a wiring design for a complex system includes creating a master wire harness network (MWHN) within pathway space reservations of a pathway space-reservation network of the complex system. In this regard, the MWHN can comprise a model of possible wiring pathways between equipment of the complex system, and can include wire harness elements interconnecting termination device elements. The method can also include importing a subsystems definition capable of being represented by interconnections between the equipment. Thus, one or more logical net harnesses (LNHs) can be created based upon the MWHN and the subsystems definition. The LNH, then, can comprise a collection of interconnections routed within the MWHN. One or more logical wire harnesses (LWHs) can be created based upon the LNHs, after which one or more end-item configurations (EICs) can be created based upon the LWHs.
US07793247B1
Method, apparatus, and computer readable medium for directed physical implementation of a circuit design for an integrated circuit is described. One aspect of the invention relates to implementing a circuit design for an integrated circuit. Matching elements between an original version of the circuit design and a modified version of the circuit design are identified. The original version includes an original implementation. The modified version is partially placed and routed to establish a guided implementation having guided placements and guided routes for the matching elements based on placements and routes from the original implementation. Actual timing characteristics for the guided placements and the guided routes are obtained. Since the routes in the guided implementation are fully implemented, actual timing characteristics can be exactly determined. Placement and routing in the modified implementation are completed using the actual timing characteristics.
US07793246B2
A method for forming a matching table of inner pads and outer pads includes the steps of: obtaining a pitch Pi and a space Si between two neighboring inner pads; computing Wim=m×Pi−Si; obtaining a pitch Po and a space So between two neighboring outer pads; computing Won=n×Po−So; computing Rn=Won+(So×C); comparing Wim with R1 to RY; and recording the number of the outer pads matching with the m inner pads as j when Wim is smaller than or equal to Rj and greater than Rj-1.
US07793244B2
A signal timing analysis method for analyzing timing of a signal propagated along a path including instances. The method includes performing a delay calculation, generating files storing delay information, input slew rate, and output capacitance, performing static timing analysis (STA) based on the delay information, and generating an analysis result. The method includes calculating a delay distribution based on the input slew rate and output capacitance, a probability distribution of a delay time, a probability distribution of a transition time, and a correlation between the delay time and the transition time. The calculation of the delay distribution includes inputting an input slew rate distribution taking into consideration a correlation between output delay and transition distributions for the instance in a preceding stage. The method includes performing STA on the signal propagated along the path based on the analysis result of the STA and delay distribution.
US07793243B1
A system for circuit timing analysis includes a database for holding results of execution of portions of a timing analysis computation. Multiple computation modules are configured for concurrent execution of the portions of a timing analysis computation, for example, a static circuit timing analysis computation. A control subsystem is coupled to the database and to the computation modules, and is configured to receive results of the portions of the computation from the computation modules and to update the database using the received results. Based on the received results, the control module selects further portions of the computations for computation and assign each selected portion to one of the computation modules. The system makes use of parallel processing that is arranged in a way that avoids bottlenecks, such as at least some memory access bottlenecks resulting from data structure locking.
US07793241B2
A design of an integrated circuit device, in which locations of power wires and memory/logic circuitry are known, is analyzed by at least: identifying intersections of power wires with one another, for power wires that are electrically connected to one another through vias; segmenting power wires, at their intersections; preparing estimates of conductance of vias and wire segments in the form of conductance matrix G; and preparing estimates of current I at each intersection based on power consumed by surrounding circuitry, and current vector “I” and conductance matrix “G” are used to solve for voltage drop ΔV, in a matrix equation GΔV=I, and the voltage drop is displayed, to allow a human to make changes in the design. Pins of unconnected hard macros are temporarily connected to their closest wires, and current therethrough is included in the estimates.
US07793240B2
A method includes receiving design data associated with an integrated circuit device. The integrated circuit device includes a first element having a corner defined therein and a second element overlapping the first element. A dimension specified for the first element in the design data is adjusted based on a distance between the second element and the corner. The integrated circuit device is simulated based on the adjusted dimension.
US07793207B2
An information processing apparatus and method for analyzing structured document data and outputting the analytical results in units of structure. The apparatus detects a specific character string indicating a first data form contained in the structured document data. When the specific character string is detected, data corresponding to this specific character string is converted to a second data form that is different from the first data form and the data of the second data form is stored.
US07793200B1
A method of accessing a memory of a trellis decoder. The method comprises the steps of writing a first block of data associated with a trellis function to a first memory block; writing a second block of data associated with the trellis function to a second memory block; simultaneously writing a third block of data to a third memory block and reading the second block of data from the second memory block to generate training data; and simultaneously reading data to be decoded from the first memory block and writing a fourth block of data to the first memory block and generating training data associated with the third block of data. A circuit for accessing a memory of a trellis decoder is also described.
US07793176B2
A method for automatically generating test patterns for digital logic circuitry using an automatic test pattern generation tool. The method includes generating test patterns and applying faulty behavior to various paths within the digital logic circuitry. As each circuit path is tested, tested circuit nodes along the circuit path are marked as “exercised.” Subsequent test paths are assembled by avoiding marked circuit nodes. In this manner, coverage of paths tested may be increased and many circuit nodes can be tested efficiently.
US07793174B2
A SiP includes a logic chip and a memory chip. The memory chip includes a memory circuit to be tested, and the logic chip includes an internal logic circuit and a test processor electrically connected therewith. The test processor is connected with an access terminal of the memory circuit and supplies a test signal input from an external terminal to the access terminal to thereby test the memory circuit. The test processor includes a high-speed test control circuit to adjust signal delay and supplies a test signal from the external terminal to the access terminal through the high-speed test control circuit when performing high-speed test at an actual operation speed.
US07793172B2
Methods and systems for configuring characteristics associated with at least one portion of a memory array comprising addressable units are provided. In one aspect, a method for controlling a power supply voltage for a memory array comprises detecting whether an error occurred in performing a read operation on an addressable unit of the memory array using a first power supply voltage coupled to the memory array. The method further comprises incrementing an error counter for tracking an error count associated with the memory array and switching the memory array to a second power supply voltage if the error count is equal to or exceeds an error threshold for the memory array. The method further comprises, based on at least one condition, switching the memory array to the first power supply voltage and resetting the error counter to an initial value.
US07793155B2
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to software functional testing and provide a method, system and computer program product for automated software functional testing via multi-channel remote computing. In one embodiment of the invention, an automated software functional testing data processing system can be provided. The system can include a multi-user operating platform supporting multiple different user sessions configured for communicative coupling to corresponding remote desktops, and a test driver disposed in at least one of the remote desktops. In particular, the test driver can include program code enabled to forward test inputs to an application under test (AUT) executing in one of the user sessions, and to log received test outputs resulting from the test inputs.
US07793150B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for saving an unprocessed portion of as push buffer in response to an error. In use, operation of hardware is controlled utilizing a push buffer. Furthermore, an error is detected. In response to the error, an unprocessed portion of the push buffer is saved, at least in part.
US07793147B2
A method for optimizing the use of digital computing resources to achieve reliability and availability of the computing resources is disclosed. The method comprises providing one or more processors with a recovery mechanism, the one or more processors executing one or more applications. A determination is made whether the one or more processors needs to be reconfigured. A rapid recovery is employed to reconfigure the one or more processors when needed. A computing system that provides reconfigurable and recoverable computing resources is also disclosed. The system comprises one or more processors with a recovery mechanism, with the one or more processors configured to execute a first application, and an additional processor configured to execute a second application different than the first application. The additional processor is reconfigurable with rapid recovery such that the additional processor can execute the first application when one of the one more processors fails.
US07793133B2
Power management methods and systems. First, a running cycle of a processing unit processing a data unit is recorded. A gating signal is generated according to the running cycle and a performance requirement, and a working clock is adjusted according to the gating signal. Thereafter, the adjusted working signal is provided to the processing unit.
US07793120B2
Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to a data structure for budgeting power for multiple devices. In aspects, devices are allotted a power budget. The devices are each capable of operating at one or more power levels. A console queries the devices to obtain the power capabilities of the devices. The console stores the power capabilities in a data structure. The data structure together with the power budget may then be used to instruct each device to operate at a particular power level. The data structure includes fields for storing power levels for the devices as well as fields that associate the power levels with the devices. In addition, the data structure includes a group field that associates the devices with the power budget.
US07793119B2
One embodiment of the present invention includes an adaptive voltage scaling system associated with an integrated circuit (IC). The system comprises at least one target performance circuit comprising a first semiconductor material and being configured to determine at least one voltage potential in response to achieving a target performance based on an applied voltage. The system also comprises a controller configured to set an output of a variable power supply to the determined at least one voltage potential, and an aging controller configured to control the at least one target performance circuit to age the first semiconductor material at a rate that is at least substantially commensurate with a rate at which other circuitry in the IC ages.
US07793114B2
A computer implemented method, a computer program product, and a data processing system are provided for forecasting risks associated with installing software packages. A software package is selected for installation on a data processing system. The number of updates issued for each software package within the package list is determined within a specified past period of time. Based on the number of updates for the package list over the past period of time, an estimate of the number of updates likely to be issued over a specified future period of time is calculated. The number of updates estimated over the future period of time is an indicator of the risk associated with the installation of software packages on the package list.
US07793109B2
A biometric apparatus for biometrically securing access to an electronic system is disclosed. Such an apparatus can be configured to include a hardware unit having an input area integrated therein for inputting at least one biometric attribute. The hardware unit can communicate with an electronic system, such as, for example, a building, a computer, a computer network, wireless network, ATM machine, electronic database, etc. A display area can be integrated with the hardware unit, wherein the display area displays data which prompts a user to input to the input area one or more biometric attributes randomly selected from a user profile containing biometric attributes of the user. A biometric module can also be associated with the hardware unit, wherein the biometric module permits the user to perform a user-desired activity, if one or more biometric attributes input by the user via the input area matches at least one biometric attribute randomly selected from the user profile.
US07793108B2
A method of creating a password scheme for a mobile device includes partitioning a storage space on the mobile device into a public portion and a secure portion and encrypting access to the secure portion of the storage space by creating a long password, where the long password being composed of a series of bits of data previously stored on the mobile device in an non-encrypted form. Creating a long password includes assigning portions of the long password to a plurality of media files already stored on the mobile device and concatenating each of the portions of the long password to form the long password. The long password is used to decrypt data stored in the secure area of the mobile device.
US07793105B2
A method and device for local domain management are provided and include a local domain authority device. The local domain authority (LDA) device includes a location limited channel (LLC) interface for transmitting and receiving information of devices which are positioned within a limited location and a (LDA) module for authenticating a device which is selected as a member of a domain from the devices, transmitting device authentication information corresponding to the domain, to the authenticated device via the LLC interface, and registering the authenticated device as a member of the domain. The method and device provide an easy and secure means for domain management.
US07793104B2
Security authentication and key management within an infrastructure-based wireless multi-hop network
A system and method of security authentication and key management scheme in a multi-hop wireless network is provided herein with a hop-by-hop security model. The scheme adapts the 802.11r key hierarchy into the meshed AP network. In this approach, a top key holder (R0KH) derives and holds the top Pairwise Master Key (PMK—0) for each supplicant wireless device after the authentication process. All authenticator AP take the level one key holder (R1KH) role and receive the next level Pairwise Master Key (PMK—1) from R0KH. The link level data protection key is derived from PMK—1 via the 802.11i 4-way handshaking.
US07793101B2
Techniques for verifiable virtualized storage port assignments in virtual machines are provided. Configuration data for a virtual machine is defined to include a mechanism to verify an identity for the virtual machine in a target physical environment and a mechanism to verify a storage port assignment for use in the target physical processing environment. Before the target physical processing environment initiates the virtual machine an identity for the virtual machine is acquired, the configuration data is verified and the storage port assignment is verified.
US07793087B2
A method and apparatus for configuration templates for different use cases for a system. An embodiment of a method includes receiving an abstract configuration for a system. The received abstract configuration includes a configuration setting. The configuration setting is modified with a template, with the template being designed for a particular use of the system.
US07793081B2
There are provided methods and computer program products for implementing instruction set architectures with non-contiguous register file specifiers. A method for processing instruction code includes processing a fixed-width instruction of a fixed-width instruction set using a non-contiguous register specifier of a non-contiguous register specification. The fixed-width instruction includes the non-contiguous register specifier.
US07793075B2
A command engine for an active memory receives high level tasks from a host and generates corresponding sets of either DCU commands to a DRAM control unit or ACU commands to a processing array control unit. The DCU commands include memory addresses, which are also generated by the command engine, and the ACU command include instruction memory addresses corresponding to an address in an array control unit where processing array instructions are stored.
US07793065B2
A self-tuning, low overhead, simple to implement, locally adaptive, novel cache management policy that dynamically and adaptively partitions the cache space amongst sequential and random streams so as to reduce read misses.
US07793059B2
Articles and associated methods and systems relate to selecting read interleaving policies independently of selecting write interleaving policies. In various implementations, the selection may be static or dynamic during operation. In implementations that dynamically select read interleaving policies and write interleaving policies, the selection may be based on various operating conditions, such as temperature, power source, battery voltage, and operating mode. Examples of operating modes may include (1) reading or writing to flash memory when connected to an external power source, (2) reading from flash memory when powered by portable power source (e.g., battery), and (3) writing to flash memory when powered by a portable power source.
US07793058B2
An application's storage availability is adjusted by noting a storage event occurrence. An occurrence that necessitates a requirements change triggers negotiation, wherein a series of negotiation stages are presented to a storage provider server. For each storage provider response to a transmitted negotiation stage, a determination is made to see if the response is better than the proposal described in the negotiation stage. If so, the application commits the storage changes.
US07793057B2
The device of the present invention manages changes in the construction of a storage system in a unified manner, and optimally disposes resources. The servers are logically divided into a plurality of virtual servers, the switches are logically divided into a plurality of zones, and the storage devices are logically divided into a plurality of virtual storage devices. The respective logical devices are respectively managed by respective managing parts. These respective managing parts are connected to a managing device via a network used for management. The managing device re-disposes resources in application program units on the basis of the load states of the respective resources in the storage system.
US07793051B1
An embodiment of the present invention is directed to an apparatus for sharing memory among a plurality of compute nodes. The apparatus includes a memory, a plurality of interfaces for coupling the apparatus with the compute nodes, a switching fabric coupled with the interfaces, and a processor coupled with the switching fabric and the memory. The processor is operable to assign a portion of the memory to a particular compute node for exclusive access by the particular compute node.
US07793047B2
An information processing apparatus includes: a main memory that stores data; a plurality of processors each provided with a primary cache memory; a secondary cache memory that is provided between the main memory and the processors, the secondary cache memory having larger capacity than the primary cache memory; and a cache controller that performs cache search on the secondary cache memory based on a second index uniquely generated by joining: 1) a bit string having a predetermined bit length; and 2) a first index that is included in a data access command transmitted from any one of the processors, the first index being used for performing cache search on the primary cache memory.
US07793042B2
A system, method, and module for reducing power states for storage devices and associated logical volumes are disclosed. In one form, a method of altering an operating state of a storage device can include detecting a request to access a first logical volume over an interval. The method can also include determining an association of a storage device to the first logical volume. The method can further include determining if the storage device is operably associated with a second logical volume, and altering an operating state of the storage device in response to detecting the request and determining the association with the second logical volume.
US07793041B2
A method, system, and machine-readable medium for controlling access to data of a tape data storage medium are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, a method is provided which comprises conveying data access control metadata from a tape cartridge comprising a tape data storage medium to a host, receiving decrypted metadata from the host, comparing a checksum value determined utilizing the decrypted metadata with checksum data stored within the tape cartridge; and processing a request to access the tape data storage medium received from the host based upon a comparison of the checksum value and checksum data. In the described method embodiment, the data access control metadata comprises encrypted metadata corresponding to a data storage parameter, where data is stored within the tape data storage medium utilizing the data storage parameter and the decrypted metadata is generated by the host utilizing the encrypted metadata.
US07793038B2
A programmable memory system and method for enabling one or more processor devices access to shared memory in a computing environment, the shared memory including one or more memory storage structures having addressable locations for storing data. The system comprises: one or more first logic devices associated with a respective one or more processor devices, each first logic device for receiving physical memory address signals and programmable for generating a respective memory storage structure select signal upon receipt of pre-determined address bit values at selected physical memory address bit locations; and, a second logic device responsive to each of the respective select signal for generating an address signal used for selecting a memory storage structure for processor access. The system thus enables each processor device of a computing environment memory storage access distributed across the one or more memory storage structures.
US07793035B2
A memory system, which is connected to a host device, includes a memory, a host interface which receives a command and an address, which are output from the host device, and a controller which operates in one of a first mode in which the controller converts the address which is received by the host interface and accesses the memory by using the converted address, and a second mode in which the host device directly accesses the memory by using the address which is received by the host interface, the controller controlling switching between the first mode and second mode in accordance with the command.
US07793028B1
An interface supports a signaling protocol between a first hardware component and a second hardware component. The interface includes a first pin to provide a first clock signal sourced from the first hardware component to the second hardware component during a first operation, the first operation being an operation in which data is being transferred from the first hardware component to the second hardware component. A second pin to receive a second clock signal sourced from the second hardware component during a second operation, the second operation being an operation in which data is being transferred from the second hardware component to the first hardware component. A third pin to provide a first gate control signal sourced from the first hardware component to the second hardware component, the first gate control signal to synchronize data transfer between the first hardware component and the second hardware component during both the first operation and the second operation. The first gate control signal is gated based on the first clock signal or the second clock signal.
US07793016B2
An information processing apparatus capable of communication with an external unit connected thereto. The apparatus has a connection unit to connect the external unit, a first control unit connectable to the external unit for controlling communication between the connected external unit and the information processing apparatus, a second control unit connectable to the external unit for controlling communication between the connected external unit and the information processing apparatus, and a switching unit to select the first control unit or the second control unit as a control unit connected to the external unit for communication between the connected external unit and the information processing apparatus.
US07793002B2
Methods and apparatus for implementing a sequential synchronization hierarchy among networked devices are disclosed. An example synchronization method disclosed herein comprises configuring a first networked node to be a parent node associated directly with second and third networked nodes configured to be respective first and second direct child nodes, selecting other networked nodes to be a set of indirect child nodes associated indirectly with the parent node through the first direct child node, and configuring the parent node to send information undergoing synchronization to the direct child nodes sequentially based on a plurality of hierarchical synchronization levels associated with the direct child nodes, but to not send the information to the set of indirect child nodes, wherein the first direct child node is to propagate the information to the set of indirect child nodes while the parent node is to send the information to the second direct child node.
US07793001B2
Methods of capturing and compressing trace data for use in network packet traffic analysis are described. In an embodiment, when a packet is received, two records of the packet are created and stored. One record is stored in a file associated with the source address of the packet and the other record is stored in a file associated with the destination address of the packet. Various packet compression techniques are described and one example compares a newly received packet to the previous packet which has been stored in the same file and sets bits in the record which denote whether fields in the newly received packet are the same as the corresponding fields in the previous packet.
US07793000B2
In a method and arrangement for preparation of data for loading from a first data processing device into a second data processing device via a first data connection, a number of transmission-ready transmission data packets are generated in at least one packetizing step from the data to be loaded into the second data processing device; and at least one load parameter influencing the total load time until a complete loading of the data into the second data processing device is determined in a determination step preceding the packetizing step. The generation of the transmission data packets ensues in the at least one packetizing step dependent on the first load parameter.
US07792995B2
A NAT data processing system is located behind a NAT enabled network with a NAT device as a gateway to the NAT enabled network. A client system located outside the NAT enabled network queries the NAT device for the address of the NAT data processing system located behind the NAT enabled network. The query is automatically routed through the NAT device to a DNS server. The DNS server then returns an address for the NAT data processing system and source routing for the NAT device. The NAT device forwards the address and source routing to the client system. Then, the client system sends packets to the NAT data processing system at the address with source routing through the NAT device, such that the NAT data processing system behind the NAT enabled network is directly accessed by the client system from outside the NAT enabled network.
US07792981B2
The present invention discloses a generic protocol translator (32) that translates information from a source device to a destination device. The generic protocol translator (32) includes a receiver circuit manager (92) that receives information from a source device that is intended for a destination device through one or more interface sockets (104). The present invention also includes one or more receivers (106) receive information from the receiver circuit manager. Further included are one or more message converters (110) that convert the information to the destination format using a conversion process. Additionally included is a message router (112) that determines which destination protocol is appropriate for the information. And, the present invention includes one or more message senders (114) that transfer the information in the destination format and protocol to the destination device.
US07792978B2
A system and method for determining the resources available or used in a remote device is disclosed. The system can be used to determine whether the remote device is using expected resources as originally configured or to determine whether resources are available to support new or extended services. The method can be used to configure or reconfigure the remote device for its intended use or as reconfigure a remote device for new, different or extended purposes.
US07792973B2
Network servers in a session initiation protocol (SIP) telecommunication network implement playback of announcements to end-users by embedding programming scripts defining how the announcements are to be played in a SIP message. In particular, the scripts may define the sequence in which a series of announcements are to be played, duration information relating to a playback length of the announcements, and repetition information defining how many times an announcement is to be repeated. By including a script in a single message, announcement instructions may be efficiently communicated in the network.
US07792972B2
In a wide area Ethernet network, an edge side gateway (EGW) acquires layer 2 tunneling control information from an authentication server when a PADI is received from a user terminal, stores the correspondence between the source address of the PADI and the layer 2 tunneling control information in its management table, encapsulates the PADI in accordance with the layer 2 tunneling control information, and transmits the encapsulated PADI packet to the wide area Ethernet network. A core side gateway (CGW) having received the encapsulated PADI packet stores the correspondence between the tunneling control information and the source address extracted from the received packet in its management table, and forwards the PADI obtained by decapsulating the received packet to a broadband access server. Thereafter, each of the EGW and CGW forward received packets for the user after converting their format by referencing to the management tables.
US07792955B2
The claimed invention is directed to a communication apparatus which comprises a monitor unit that monitors communication conditions with a plurality of networks; a setting unit that performs adjusting and setting a communication timing to communicate with each of the plurality of networks in accordance with the communication condition of each network and notifying the plurality of networks of information about the set communication timings; and a communication unit that switches communication to each of the plurality of networks on the basis of the setting of the communication timings, wherein said setting unit dynamically changes the communication timing on the basis of the communication condition monitored by said monitor unit.
US07792950B2
An apparatus, program product and method collect operational statistics associated with database access by a computer program for use in performing coverage analysis on the program. In particular, coverage analysis may be performed for a computer program that accesses a database by tracking accesses to records in the database by the computer program during coverage analysis, and calculating at least one database coverage statistic based upon the tracked accesses to the records in the database.
US07792945B2
This disclosure relates to systems, methods and apparatuses for managing the disposition of data for an event consumer while taking into account whether data has been held from disposition.
US07792942B1
Managing a network resource is disclosed. An indication that a resource assigned to a subscriber host by a resource allocating node is no longer to be used by the subscriber host is received at a node other than the subscriber host or the resource allocating node. A resource release communication is sent to the resource allocating node from said node other than the subscriber host or the resource allocating node. The resource release communication appears to the resource allocating node to originate from the subscriber host and indicates to the resource allocating node that the resource is no longer to be used by the subscriber host.
US07792938B2
Data delivery apparatus communicate with a plurality of terminals via a communication network. Member table stores a member ID and attribute data of each member. When a member logs in via a terminal, its communication address is written into the table in association with its member ID. When a command requesting delivery of particular data has been received from a terminal, the delivery apparatus refers to the table, on the basis of the communication address of the terminal having transmitted the command, to determine whether the attribute data corresponding to the member ID is indicative of a predetermined attribute. If so, the delivery apparatus reads out the particular data from a database and broadcasts the particular data to all of terminal apparatus having their respective communication addresses stored in the table. The delivery apparatus can broadcast data, transmitted from a terminal, to all of the members, with reference to the table. The broadcasted data may be stored in a sharing memory so that the data can be transmitted to another terminal having logged in at a later time. On the basis of performance data generated in response to performance of a musical instrument, an image indicative of the contents of the performance is created and then displayed along with a graphic image emulating the musical instrument.
US07792931B2
Model-based system provisioning includes accessing a model of an application to be installed in a system and further accessing a model of the system. An installation specification for the application is also generated, the installation specification being derived at least in part from the model of the application and the model of the system.
US07792927B2
An output requesting apparatus is connected via a network to an output apparatus and a position-management server. In the output requesting apparatus, a receiving unit receives, from the position-management server, user-position information, apparatus-position information, and a map image. Based on the user-position information and the apparatus-position information, a display control unit arranges a user symbol, an apparatus symbol, and a data symbol in the map image to display the map image. An input unit receives input to select the user symbol, the apparatus symbol, and the data symbol. A transmitting unit transmits, to the output apparatus corresponding to the apparatus symbol, a command to output data corresponding to the data symbol, and information including identification information of a user corresponding to the user symbol.
US07792925B1
The present invention provides a method and system for playing full-screen video on a user computer. The method includes displaying in the user interface at the user computer a web page containing at least one link to electronic video file, selecting the link to request the video file, downloading the video file to user computer in response to the request, detecting by the user computer receipt of the video file, opening in the user interface to window of the video player in full-screen mode in response to the detecting, and reading the video file by the player to play the video in the window. A feature of the present invention is that the video player may not have its preferences preset by the user to open in any particular mode. The mode in which the video player opens will be determined by the downloaded video file.
US07792916B2
The number of concurrent systems locks supported on a Sysplex is limited. Since persistent system locks may not be released for a long time, the limit may be reached resulting in outage periods. Access to resources may be managed through shared variables across a cluster of computing systems. Processes running on the cluster can use shared variables that are either exclusive or non-exclusive. An exclusive shared variable associates a resource with a process that has exclusive control of the resource. Since each exclusive shared variable is unique across the cluster, another application cannot create a second exclusive shared variable to control the resource. There is no limit on the number of exclusive shared variables that can be created on a cluster. Using exclusive shared variables instead of persistent system locks can prevent a system from reaching the limit of concurrent system locks while allowing processes exclusive use of resources.
US07792904B2
A method for utilizing an IM system enables presenters and participants to interact with material in a master-slave configuration. Both the presenter and participants access the material locally on their computers. The material on the participants' computer interacts with the presenter's computer using an existing instant messaging infrastructure. As the presenter interacts with local material, events are broadcast to slave material as instant messages, such that these events are reproduced as interactions.
US07792903B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for managing the multiple identities used by a user. The user's existing contact lists, website accounts, buddy lists, and the like are analyzed to determine the identities used by the user. A graph is then constructed in order to track and integrate the multiple identities of the user in a social network. The social network graph may then be used by a social network overlay so that the user can share information across their different identities with different users that only know some of the user's multiple identities.
US07792898B2
A method of remote displaying and processing based on Server/Client architecture adopts a technical scheme of specific inter-frame increment compression and data comparison compression of the adjacent area-bits of the inner-frame within the side of Server, thus removing the intricate computation mode in the traditional inter-frame compression scheme, and reducing the resource usage of a computer; the side of the client adopts an increment refreshing mode to display an image, only refreshes the changed part, if the part was changed, then the part was refreshed; so that the refreshing speed of the remote desktop is improved highly, while the system resource usage of the computer is reduced highly.
US07792896B2
A computer-implemented method, information processing system, and computer program storage product validate a two-phase commit process. First information is received that indicates a plurality of web services to be tested. Each of the web services are associated with a different resource manager. Second information is received that indicates a plurality of application servers for performing the web services. A global transaction is created that includes a plurality of transactions based on the first information that was received. A two-phase commit process is initiated at one of the application servers for performing the global transaction. After the two-phase commit process has ended, results of the global transaction that include information regarding each of the transactions within the global transaction are displayed.
US07792891B2
Systems and methods are disclosed to perform fast discrete cosine transform (DCT) by computing the DCT in five stages using three coefficients, and scaling the outputs using a plurality of scaling coefficients.
US07792890B2
A calculator that is selectively attachable to an article attached to a user of the calculator is disclosed. The calculator has an oblong carabiner extending from its bottom end for attaching the calculator to the article. The attachment mechanism includes an oblong loop and an arm that is part of the loop. The arm is rotatably attached to the loop so that the loop can be opened and closed to permit attachment to the article. The arm is biased to the closed position. The attachment mechanism is disposed so as to permit the user to read symbols on input buttons and an output display in the right-side-up position, while the calculator is attached to the user.
US07792887B1
Methods and apparatus for representing images using a compact color feature vector. A color feature vector includes a color element for each color in an image-specific set of colors. A color element includes a color identifier and a relative color occurrence. A compact color feature vector may be used in a content-based image retrieval (CBIR) system. The CBIR system includes an image data store containing multiple images. A color feature vector data store includes a variable-length color feature vector for each image in the image data store. A computer program receives a query and uses the variable-length color feature vectors in the color feature vector data store to identify which images satisfy the query.
US07792886B2
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are provided for monitoring and controlling warehouse activities. Inbound information reflecting the status of wares destined for storage in a warehouse is monitored. Internal information reflecting movement of the wares within the warehouse is also monitored. Additionally, outbound information reflecting outbound processing of the wares is monitored. The status of the warehouse is presented based on at least one of the inbound information, internal information, and outbound information.
US07792885B2
A system and method are provided for providing a shared RAM cache of a database, accessible by multiple processes. By sharing a single cache rather than local copies of the database, memory is saved and synchronization of data accessed by different processes is assured. Synchronization between the database and the shared cache is assured by using a unidirectional notification mechanism between the database and the shared cache. Client APIs within the processes search the data within the shared cache directly, rather than by making a request to a database server. Therefore server load is not affected by the number of requesting applications and data fetch time is not affected by Inter-Process Communication delay or by additional context switching. A new synchronization scheme allows multiple processes to be used in building and maintaining the cache, greatly reducing start up time.
US07792882B2
A method for priority-based allocation in a storage pool, involving receiving a first request to write a first data item in the storage pool, wherein the storage pool includes a first hybrid drive including a first plurality of metaslabs associated with a first storage type and a second plurality of metaslabs associated with a second storage type, selecting a first target metaslab from the first and second plurality of metaslabs based on a first plurality of allocation priorities, wherein the first plurality of allocation priorities are determined using a storage and power management policy, a storage characteristic, and a power characteristic associated with the first storage type and the second storage type in the first hybrid drive, allocating a first block to the first target metaslab, and writing the first block to the first target metaslab, wherein the first block includes a first portion of the first data item.
US07792881B2
Methods and apparatuses for managing file extensions in a processing system. An exemplary method of managing file extensions in a digital processing system involves a user interface and a plurality of files, each file having a name that comprises a filename and an extension. The method includes associating a file with an indicator which is user selectable for a single file in a plurality of files in said digital processing system and which indicates how to display an extension of the file, and assigning a value to the indicator, and displaying a displayed name of the file in the user interface in a style determined by the indicator.
US07792879B2
A method comprising calculating first and second allocation speeds respectively for at least a first space and a second space in a runtime environment's memory space; and partitioning the runtime environment's memory space in proportion to said first and second space's respective allocation speeds so that the first space is filled to a first threshold level approximately at the same time as the second space is filled to a second threshold level.
US07792867B2
Data of a directed graph is input (S2001), and is divided into subgraphs (S2002). Data of node key assignment tables are generated for respective divided subgraphs (step S2003). The respective node key assignment tables are merged (S2004).
US07792850B1
Some embodiments of on-the-fly pattern recognition with configurable bounds have been presented. In one embodiment, a pattern matching engine is configured based on user input, which may include values of one or more user configurable bounds on searching. Then the configured pattern matching engine is used to search for a set of features in an incoming string. A set of scores is updated based on the presence of any of the features in the string while searching for the features. Each score may indicate a likelihood of the content of the string being in a category. The search is terminated if the end of the string is reached or if the user configurable bounds are met. After terminating the search, the scores are output.
US07792845B1
A network acceleration device is described that caches resources (e.g., files or other content) to a cache space organized into logically separate views. The views represent an abstraction that defines sets of the cached resources according to the client devices that requested the resources. The network acceleration device associates each view with a specific client device or user, and caches content requested by that specific user to the user's associated view. The network acceleration device herein may achieve a higher level of caching and increased network acceleration over a conventional network acceleration device that maintains a single cache space and shares content among multiple client devices.
US07792835B2
A method for providing efficient target parameter selection ranging includes assigning each record at least one persistent identifier. The persistent identifier may be ordered so that a selected range of the persistent identifier may allow a user to select a number of consecutively-identifiable, but apparently randomly-selected records. By only choosing records from a range of persistent identifiers, mutually exclusive or disjoint sets of records may be efficiently selected without performing a database join operation or storing the lists for comparison or later use. In one example, the persistent identifier may be a large random number assigned to a record at is creation.
US07792830B2
A method and system for analyzing a document set (202, 420) are provided. The method includes determining a set of terms (312) from the terms of the document set that minimizes a distance measurement (405) from the given set of documents (420). The method includes using a greedy algorithm to build the set of terms incrementally, at each stage finding a single word that is closest to the document set (202, 420). The set of terms is evaluated to assess the ability to find the document set (202, 420). The set of terms are compared with expected terms to evaluate the ability to find the document set (202, 420). A measure of the ability to find a document set (202, 420) is provided by computing a distance measure (403) between a document set and an entire collection.
US07792829B2
The subject invention relates to a system and/or methodology that facilitate converting structured data (e.g., tabular information) into natural language, thus making it available to question answering systems and search engines. More specifically, the system and method employ the vast quantities of natural language on the particular storage system, database, network, or server that a user wishes to search. For example, the system can utilize natural-language based information located on the Web to assist in the task of converting structured data into natural language. In particular, the system can find at least one sentence or sentence fragment on the Web that refers to at least one tuple (e.g., row) in a given table. Following, those sentences can be generalized across all or substantially all tuples in the table. The resulting body of text can be used by the question answering system to answer user queries.
US07792817B2
A relationship and navigation data repository can interface with a central data model and contains templates that define relationships among data from a number of distributed heterogeneous data sources. An integration engine is coupled to the relationship and navigation data repository, and can receive a query command and determine which of the heterogeneous data sources and which of the templates the query applies to, and then calculate the desired query result, responsive to the command, based on the relevant data sources and templates. The distributed heterogeneous data sources are managed by a system and method that involves obtaining pre-existing definitional data, instantiating in-memory nodes for the data, initializing a relationship attribute and an entity attribute for each of the nodes, and then forming an updated navigation tree structure therefrom.
US07792814B2
A user interface for parsing unstructured data using pattern recognition. The patterns used in parsing data are formed from regular expressions. The parsed data may be displayed in a first format and unmatched strings in the unstructured text may be displayed in a second format. A format may comprise a desired color, font or any other user interface parameter. In addition, the data that parses according to a pattern may be placed in a column associated with the pattern in a tabular user interface, for example a spreadsheet like Excel™. Associating a pattern with a position to display successful matches in allows for breaking unstructured text into pieces associated with a particular field or column. Modification of the patterns allows for more and more of the unstructured text to match the patterns and when the data has been parsed to the desired level, the data may be imported into a database.
US07792813B2
Methods, systems, and computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform methods for identifying and presenting the “best” answer to a given search query as it relates to a particular user based upon that user's behavior are provided. Upon receipt of a search query and determination of the search result items satisfying the query, it is determined whether the user has executed the same or substantially similar search in the past and, if so, if there is a particular one of the search result items that s/he has a tendency to select when the search result items are presented. If a particular result is frequently selected, that result is prominently presented (e.g., highlighted, display with a border, displayed in a different font than other results, or the like) among the search result items making it easier for the user to quickly identify the desired result.
US07792811B2
Every presence has needs. A need could be consumer electronics, loans, autos, or knowledge, etc. The presence uses search engines to become knowledgeable about the need. The current search engines are not intelligent. The idea of the invention is to provide more accurate results and semantically linked results through an intelligent index. The invention uses results from known, semantic and unknown indexes with Guiding Information to return the most relevant results to the users.
US07792808B2
A more efficient search algorithm introduces a variety of new tools and strategies to more efficiently search and retrieve desired records from an electronic database. Among these are a strategy that utilizes the first and last positional characters, or phonemes, to exploit the fact that often last positional character is nearly as important as a first positional character in distinguishing database records from one another. In addition, virtual search parameters, that are not a portion of the database records, can also be utilized in distinguishing database records, such as by identifying a number of characters in a search field for a requested database record as a way of distinguishing that record from all others with a different number of characters. The invention finds potential application in any database search application, but is particularly useful in delivering directory assistance services.
US07792805B2
A method comprises associating a plurality of locks with a data object accessed concurrently by a plurality of threads, where each lock corresponds to a respective partition of the object. The method includes using a first non-blocking transaction (such as a Hardware Transactional-Memory (HTM) transaction) to attempt to complete a programmer-specified transaction. The first non-blocking transaction may access one or more of the locks but may not actually acquire any of the locks. In response to an indication that the first non-blocking transaction failed to complete, the method may include acquiring a set of locks in another non-blocking transaction, where the set of locks corresponds to a set of partitions expected to be accessed in the programmer-specified transaction. If the set of locks is acquired, the method may include performing the memory access operations of the programmer-specified transaction, and releasing the set of locks.
US07792803B2
A client communication controlling unit determines whether an input retrieval condition has been received. A retrieval condition judging unit judges whether the input retrieval condition is included in an internal retrieval condition that has been stored in a retrieval condition storing unit. A retrieval target determining unit determines a retrieval target from which logs are retrieved. A log retrieving unit retrieves logs based on the input retrieval condition. A recording unit updates the internal retrieval condition and a result of retrieval based on the input retrieval condition. A client communication controlling unit outputs the result of retrieval.
US07792801B2
Described herein are processes and devices that control and use virtual universe wish lists. One of the devices described is a virtual wish list device. The virtual wish list device determines an item in a virtual universe that is a desired by an avatar. The virtual wish list device designates the item as a desired item in a wish list. The wish list may be stored in the avatar's virtual universe inventory. The wish list device determines details about the desired item, such as whether the item is desired in the virtual universe or in the real world. The wish list device stores the details about the desired item in the wish list. The virtual wish list device may use the details to conduct transactions related to the desired item.
US07792795B1
The present system aggregates information from a plurality of different context sources. The present system also makes that aggregated information available to requesting components by abstracting it into a generalized form. Thus, the developer of a context-aware application need only know how to interact with the context service of the present invention, rather than knowing how to interact with each and every one of the context sources.
US07792794B2
A method and system for N-way synchronization of computer databases. Synchronization of computer databases is structured into three rounds, namely an agenda round, a query round and a report round. In the agenda round, a synchronization agent software module inquires of a common synchronization engine for updates to the agent's database and provides information as to the level of information in the agent's database. During a query round, a common synchronization engine may request information from databases with new information and distribute that database information to databases needing the new information during a report round. Multiple agents, each representing an associated database may participate a synchronization. In addition, various special purpose agents may also receive, provide and otherwise operate on synchronization information.
