US07845715B2
A level assembly hood hinge unit includes a side outer panel having a space between an upper panel and a lower panel in which a hood hinge may be disposed, and a stud bolt provided on the lower panel, a hinge bracket which may be configured for assembly engagement while it laterally moves along the lower panel towards the space of the side outer panel, and which may be provided with an assembly portion, positioned in the space of the side outer panel, at an upper portion of the hinge bracket and an insertion groove at a rear portion of the hinge bracket, in which the stud bolt may be inserted for stopping movement of the hinge bracket, and/or a hinge arm which may be to be assembled with the hinge bracket in the assembly portion by a hinge pin, and which may be provided with a hood combining portion to which a hood panel may be mounted at an end portion thereof.
US07845714B2
An assembly support with hybrid structure for front ends of passenger vehicles and light trucks includes an upper cross member (1), a lateral member (2) attached to it from below with a flange plate (3) for connection with the face ends of vehicle longitudinal members and a lower cross member (4) connecting the lower sections (2.1) of these lateral members (2). In order to reinforce the assembly support in the area of the lower cross member (4), the lower cross member (4) consists of a shell body (5) with a flange (5.1) running along its edge and projecting outward, and of a sealing part (6) whose edge area overlaps it. The shell body (5) and the sealing part (6) are made of a stiff material, whereby the flange (5.1) and edge areas (6.1) of the above-mentioned components are surrounded by injected plastic used for the hybrid structure, and are thus bound together with the lateral members (2).
US07845710B2
An underride compatibility apparatus is provided for a vehicle structure. The apparatus includes a frame arranged to support the vehicle structure. The frame includes an energy absorption portion arranged for absorption of impact energy. The apparatus also includes a beam arranged substantially transverse to the vehicle structure, below the frame, and remote from the energy absorption portion. The apparatus also includes a flexible member configured to carry a tensile load, but not a substantial compressive load. The flexible member distributes the impact energy between the energy absorption portion and the beam when the member is loaded in tension during an underride impact, but does not affect the impact energy absorption of the energy absorption portion during a direct impact.
US07845709B2
A vehicle flow trip, includes a moveable body portion in physical communication with a vehicle body, and an actuator comprising an active material in operative communication with the vehicle body and the moveable body portion; wherein the active material undergoes a change in a property upon receipt of an activation signal, wherein the change in a property is effective to displace the moveable body portion from either an original position or a deployed position in an airflow stream to the other of the original or the deployed position through motion of the actuator.
US07845704B2
A retractable vehicle hardtop has a predominantly transparent top roof panel and a predominantly transparent combined back light/sail panel. The panels are attached to a top stack linkage that is used to retract and extend the hardtop. The top roof panel and combined back light/sail panel each feature a smooth, continuous two-part retractable hardtop that provides panoramic overhead views both when retracted and when extended. A frame is assembled to opaque peripheral portions of the top roof panel. Reinforcement bars are assembled to opaque portions of the combined back light/sail panel. A method of making the retractable hardtop.
US07845701B2
The invention concerns a storage compartment for a motor vehicle with a container (110) and a container lid (112), arranged on the container in a pivotal fashion, a pivoted lever (116), arranged on the container lid, a first elastic element (120), whose first end (122) is connected with the container and whose second end (118) is connected with the pivoted lever, so that the first elastic element acts upon the container lid with a closing force and/or a closing torque, a locking element (126), which is mounted in a pivotal fashion, so that, in case of an impact of the motor vehicle, said locking element, due to its mass inertia, will be brought into a locking position for locking the pivoted lever into position, whereby the locking element is mounted in such a way that it is pivotal around the first end of the first elastic element, whereby the first elastic element is a dead center spring, and whereby the dead center spring is embodied in such a way that it exerts the closing force and/or closing torque as long as the open position of the container lid does not exceed a dead center (155) position.
US07845700B2
An apparatus comprising a front flatbed trailer section, a rear flatbed trailer section, a first support assembly carried by one of the front and rear flatbed trailer sections, and wherein the first support assembly at least partially disengages the other of the front and rear flatbed trailer sections. A method of extending a trailer comprising the steps of providing a first flatbed trailer section and a second flatbed trailer section with a slide member and a first support assembly, displacing the first support assembly in a first direction, separating the first and second flatbed trailer sections in a vertical direction, and moving one of the first and second flatbed trailer sections in a horizontal direction relative to the other of the first and second flatbed trailer sections.
US07845693B2
A hatch stop for a wind turbine having an enclosure with a hatch, including a first prong arranged between an external surface of the hatch and an external surface of the enclosure.
US07845691B2
A collision safety system for use with a motor vehicle includes a hood mounted to the vehicle movable between an open position and a closed position. A latch mechanism positioned adjacent the hood releasably engages a striker bar extending from the hood. The latch mechanism includes a spring operative to move the striker bar, a locking cam configured to releasably secure the striker bar and a pawl disposed on a latch bracket is movable between a latched position engaging the locking cam and a deployed position away from the locking cam. A primary hood release device is operatively connected to the pawl and is in communication with a remote source that is configured to transmit an activation signal to the primary hood release device.
US07845684B2
A quick connector including a female part with a stepped bore arranged to receive an endpiece and a collar of a male part, and a latch including a ring in a housing arranged in the female part to slide radially between an eccentric position and a position coaxial with the bore, and the latch including a latching indicator mounted to slide radially in the ring between two indication positions, and at least one blocking member for blocking the indicator in a first indication position, the blocking member being movable between an indicator-blocking position and a retracted release position, and having a contact portion projecting into the female portion beyond the latch to co-operate with the collar in such a manner that the collar takes the blocking member into its release position when the male part is inserted into the female part.
US07845682B2
Methods are provided for folding an airbag cushion into a housing. In one implementation of the inventive method, an airbag cushion defined by an upper panel and a lower panel is provided. A first portion of the airbag cushion is tucked into a second portion of the airbag cushion such that the upper and lower panels of the first portion are positioned in between the upper and lower panels of the second portion. The tucked portion is folded in towards the housing. First and second halves of the tucked airbag cushion are folded in towards the housing. Finally, the folded first and second halves of the airbag cushion are folded into the housing.
US07845681B2
An airbag and an airbag apparatus in which a vent hole is in a closed state or a slightly open state until an occupant plunges into the airbag and the vent hole becomes to an open state or a widely open state when the occupant plunges into the airbag. The inside of the airbag 10 is partitioned by inner panels 22A, 22B into a first chamber 1 centrally located and a second chamber surrounding the first chamber 1. A vent hole 18 is formed in a rear panel 14 to allow the communication between the second chamber 2 and the outside of the airbag. A lid member 60 is provided to cover the vent hole 18 from the inside of the rear panel 14. A tether (tethering member) 70 connects the lid member 60 and the inner panels 22A, 22B. When the airbag 10 is inflated, the tether 70 is tensioned to prevent the lid member 60 from moving out of the airbag 10.
US07845668B2
A dual trailer has a first trailer with a king pin for a tractor and a rear fifth wheel for the king pin of a second trailer. The rear end of the first trailer and the front end of the second trailer is lifted into an empty transport position so that the first and second trailers are supported solely on the tractor and the rearmost axle of the second trailer. The remaining axles are held raised from the ground by the lifting of the trailers and by an individual lifting hook supporting the axle raised relative to the frame. In the empty transport position, the first and second trailers are maintained as a single integral trailer in a directly aligned position. Each axle includes an air bag so that the hook is engaged when the axle is raised relative to the frame by releasing the air from the bag.
US07845662B2
A front cross member 202 of a rear subframe 53 has a recessed portion 221 which is recessed continuously over a longitudinal direction thereof. The recessed portion 221 is formed at a lower portion of the cross member 202 and is recessed upwardly, and an elastic bush 240 is fitted in a resulting recess. The elastic bush 240 has an elastic element 243 which connects together an inner tube 241 and an outer tube 242 which surrounds the inner tube 231 and is mounted on the rear subframe 53 at the recessed portion 221 as a bracket. The bracket 221 has bracket plate portions 263a, 263b which each have a plane which is brought into contact with an end face of the inner tube and folded-back portions 235, 235. The bracket 221 is disposed in such a manner as to hold therein both ends of the inner tube 241 and is configured such that the elastic bush 240 is mounted thereon by passing a bolt 224 through the inner tube 241.
US07845659B2
Dump truck tag axle suspension control. A method of controlling a tag axle suspension includes activating a pusher suspension lift switch; and engaging a steer lock on the tag axle suspension, thereby preventing steering of the tag axle suspension, in response to the lift switch activating step. Another method includes activating a switch to thereby begin operation of a hydraulic pump; and engaging a steer lock of the tag axle suspension, in response to the switch activating step. Yet another method includes applying pressure to a bed lift actuator; sensing the pressure applied to the bed lift actuator; and applying pressure to a tag suspension load actuator, thereby transmitting a load from a frame to a tag axle via the load actuator, in response to the sensed pressure applied to the bed lift actuator reaching a predetermined level.
US07845647B2
A gasket or seal member constructed of elastomeric material has at least one slot extending lengthwise of the member and across its thickness at an oblique angle to the sealing faces. There may be a plurality of slots spaced apart across the width of the member. In a preferred form of the invention multiple, parallel slots are formed at an oblique angle to the seal faces of the member forming branchiate-like layers of gasket material, in which each of the layers partially overlays at least one other layer.
US07845640B2
A chucker with slits, capable of reducing the scale of a device with a simple configuration and allowing the degree of difficulty of medal passage to be adjusted properly and conveniently according to the situation of a game, and a medal game device using the chucker with slits, are provided. The medal game device according to the present invention is provided with a medal inserting portion into which a medal is inserted, and a winning prize port formed to be able to receive the inserted medal, and is configured so as to give a prescribed privilege to a player at least on the condition that the medal has entered the winning prize port. The medal game device is further provided with a chucker with slits which has a disk-shaped bottom portion 35a having in a central portion thereof an opening communicating with the winning prize port and formed to allow insertion of the medal, a first region having first slits SL1 having a first width larger than the thickness of the medal and formed along the peripheral edge of the disk-shaped bottom portion, and a second region having second slits SL2 having a second width differing from the first width and formed along the peripheral edge of the disk-shaped bottom portion.
US07845636B2
A device for spatially orienting blanks having a length in a transport direction has at least one stop roll body rotatable about a rotation axis and having at least one stop element, and a driver transport system for driving the blanks relative to the stop roll body. The driver transport system has at least one driver roller that pushes the blanks against the driver transport system, and at least one roll body roller that pushes the blanks against the stop roll body, wherein the roll body roller is prestressed in contact with the stop roll body. The driver transport system is a transport belt system having at least one endlessly revolving transport belt. The driver roller is mounted such that path spacing between the roll body roller and the driver roller are set to the length of the blanks.
US07845626B2
A sheet processing apparatus includes a first detecting unit including a first sensor and a second sensor arranged at a predetermined spacing from each other on a line orthogonal to a conveying path through which a sheet is conveyed, and a hole punching section provided downstream at a predetermined distance from the first detecting unit and arranged orthogonally to the conveying path of the sheet. The quantity of skew of the sheet is detected in accordance with a difference between time when a forward edge or a rear edge of the sheet passing through the conveying path passes the first sensor and time when the forward edge or rear edge passes the second sensor. Position information of the sheet with respect to the hole punching section is calculated in accordance with information of timing when the first sensor and the second sensor detect the passage of the sheet edge, and the conveying speed of the sheet.
US07845609B2
A loop line comprised of a pair of side by side cords of equal length and knots equispaced along said cords for joining the cords together and defining loops between the knots. The cords preferably are limp monofilament with knots tied or are string or thin rope made of several strands braided, twisted or woven together and the knots for joining the cords together are formed by interlacing, braiding or looping the cords. The strands are selected from at least one of polymer, polyester or metal wire fibers. For hanging an item, the loop line has a proximal end terminating at a knot and a distal end terminating in a knot, the proximal end of the loop line is wrapped around or inserted in a hole in the item, the distal end is passed through a loop formed in the loop line at the knot at the proximal end to form a hitch attached to the item, and the loop line is hung from a knot formed in the loop line at the distal end. The system for supporting a sign or ceiling-tile rail from ceiling supports comprises a plurality of loop lines, in which a lower proximal end of the loop line can be inserted through an opening in a sign or ceiling-tile rail to be suspended, the upper distal end passed through a loop formed at the lower proximal end of the length to form a hitch attached to the sign or ceiling-tile rail, and the upper distal end of the loop line of an equivalent number of loops can be attached to the ceiling support.
US07845607B2
A safety lock comprises a locking member (26, 28) which engages a support. An inner lock shaft (30a) actuates the locking member, the inner lock shaft having a first coupling face (35a) at one end thereof. An outer lock shaft (30b) has a second coupling face (35b) which engages the first coupling face when the inner lock shaft and the outer lock shaft are in respective engagement positions relative to each other. A coupling structure (18) moves to prevent engagement of said first coupling face with said second coupling face.
US07845604B2
A protective hanger apparatus for use with fence posts includes an elongated substantially rectangular flexible main body, wherein the main body defines or engages with a top loop having dimensions enabling it to fit over the top of and be supported from a fence post. The main body further includes least two lateral rectangular apertures in this main body having a predetermined height and width such as to be removably engageable with at least one included item hanger.
US07845600B2
A “Y” axis Dynamic Cone System comprises a plurality of radially extending members having a first pivot mount located in the vicinity of a center point and a second pivot located along the length of the member, a member or pivot compensation means, and means to lift and lower the first pivot end. The invention, for use with a bulk flexible container storage apparatus, filling apparatus or discharging apparatus provides cone or bottom support to a bulk flexible container and provides for a range of angular changes to form a concave “V” cone; level surface; or convex cone shape. The invention may be used to improve the filling efficiency of a flexible bulk container and also to improve and enhance the flow of product from a flexible bulk container.
US07845587B2
A pulverizer upper gearbox bearing assembly for a mill includes a bowl hub having a stepped hub defining a first bore to receive a shaft therethrough and a bowl extending radially outwardly therefrom defining a cavity between the stepped hub and bowl, the stepped hub having a first outside diameter extending to a second outside diameter, which in turn extends to a third outside diameter along a longitudinal axis of the first bore, the first outside diameter larger than the second outside diameter, which is larger than the third outside diameter; a thrust bearing disposed around the first outside diameter, the thrust bearing having an upper washer and a lower washer, the upper washer having an interference fit with the first outside diameter of the bowl hub; a roller bearing disposed around the third outside diameter, the roller bearing having a separable inner ring from an outer ring and a surrounding cage and roller assembly; a mill base hub extending into the cavity between the bowl and stepped hub, the mill base hub defining a first inside diameter extending to a second inside diameter, which in turn extends to a third inside diameter along a longitudinal axis of the first bore, the first inside diameter larger than the third inside diameter, which is larger than the second inside diameter; and a fluorocarbon rubber oil seal disposed in an annulus of an edge defining the first inside diameter of the mill base hub. The upper washer of the thrust washer is disposed between the first outside diameter of the base hub and the oil seal and first inside diameter of the mill base hub. The second outside diameter of the bowl hub is inside and aligned with the second inside diameter of the mill base hub. The third outside diameter of the bowl hub has an interference fit with the inner ring of the roller bearing, and the third inside diameter of the mill base hub allows the outer ring, cage and roller assembly of the roller bearing to fit therein allowing removal of the bowl hub, inner ring, upper washer and shaft from the mill base hub.
US07845584B2
An apparatus for installation of a material having discrete elements. The apparatus includes a supply material having discrete elements and a transporter system downstream of the supply material having discrete elements. In the preferred embodiment, the transporter system includes: (i) a high speed, inline blower (ii) a material agitator upstream of the inline blower and (iii) a planetary transmission connected to the shaft of the blower for providing a lower speed mechanical output to the material agitator. The material agitator may include a plurality of concentric rings with serrations on the upper surface of each ring. In the preferred embodiment, the apparatus further includes an applicator assembly connected downstream to the transporter system.
US07845580B2
A fountain base for supporting one or more statues on top of a disappearing water fountain. The fountain base includes a basin, a statue support located in the basin, and an access lid that permits maintenance access to the interior of the basin without having to remove the statue from the statue support. A pump located within the basin delivers water from the basin to the top of the statue where it is released to flow over the exterior of the surface of the statue, through the access lid, and back into the basin. The access lid, which may be supported by a statue stand or a system of pillars, includes one or more panels that can be removed without removing the statue from the statue support. The panels may include access doors to permit easy access to the interior of the basin.
US07845573B2
A storage device (10) for storing valuable media is described. The device has a rotary storage compartment (14) for storing media items (100) in a fixed order. The items are held in place by one or two tapes (16 and/or 18) wound around the rotary storage compartment. The device includes a memory (16 and/or 18) for storing the order in which the items are stored and details of transactions associated with the stored items, so that each stored item can be linked to a transaction. In a preferred embodiment, one of the tapes (16 or 18) serves as the memory so that transaction details for a stored media item (100) can be read as the stored media item (100) is dispensed from the storage device (10).
US07845567B2
The present invention provides a contactless card reader and an information processing system utilizes the card reader. The contactless card reader comprises a contactless card interface for communicating with a contactless card by means of radio frequency, a contact card interface coupled to said contactless card interface for communicating with a contact card, and a contact card which is a smart card with processing capability and which interacts with the contactless card via the contact card interface and contactless card interface.
US07845563B2
A digital image capture and processing system having a housing with a light transmission window, and an illumination subsystem including an illumination board disposed adjacent the light transmission window, configured substantially within a plane, and having a central aperture mounted adjacent the imaging window. The illumination board supports an array of illumination sources mounted around at least portion of the central aperture, for producing and a field of illumination within the FOV of its image formation and detection subsystem during object illumination and imaging operations. A FOV folding mirror is mounted within the housing and beneath the illumination board, and folds the path of the FOV beneath the light transmission aperture and directs and projects the FOV out through the central aperture. Also, an automatic illumination control subsystem is provided for controlling the array of illumination sources during object illumination and imaging operations.
US07845556B2
An optical unit includes an optical emitter receiving an optical emitter current, an optical sensor receiving an optical sensor current and light from the optical emitter and in response thereto outputting at least one signal indicating relative movement between the optical unit and an optical code scale, and an optical sensor current detector comparing the optical sensor current to a reference value. In response to the optical sensor current being different than the reference value, the optical sensor current detector outputs an optical sensor current detector signal. The optical sensor current detector signal indicates the presence of a contaminant in a light path from the optical emitter to the optical sensor, and is used to regulate the current to the optical emitter so as to counteract the negative effects of the contaminant in the light path.
US07845553B2
A data management system comprises a data store for storing at least one entry. The entry includes (i) information associated with an item, and (ii) information about a security feature associated with that item. The system also includes an authenticator operable to access the data store in response to a request from a remote reader. The authenticator includes (i) a reader validator to authenticate the remote reader, and (ii) a security feature validator to authenticate a security feature read by the remote reader. The authenticator is also operable to issue an authenticity confirmation in the event that a security feature is successfully validated. The system includes a port for coupling the remote reader and the authenticator to enable requests to be transmitted from the reader to the authenticator and responses to be transmitted from the authenticator to the remote reader.
US07845550B2
A communication terminal device is connected to an information processing apparatus that controls history information of a medium in which identification information is stored. The communication terminal device includes a reading unit for reading the identification information stored in the medium; a communication unit for transmitting the identification information thus read to the information processing apparatus and receiving the history information corresponding to the identification information from the information processing apparatus; a display unit for displaying the history information; a history selection unit for selecting specific history information from the history information; a format storage unit for storing a plurality of print formats; a format selection unit for selecting a specific print format from the print formats; and a printing unit for merging the specific history information thus selected with the specific print format thus selected to be printed.
US07845547B2
A method for manufacturing a printed wiring board having a bump. The method includes forming a solder-resist layer having a small-diameter aperture and a large-diameter aperture, each aperture exposing a respective conductive pad of the printed wiring board, and printing a solder paste in the large-diameter aperture in the solder-resist layer, but not printing the solder paste in the small-diameter aperture in the solder resist layer. The method also includes loading a solder ball in each of the large-diameter aperture and the small-diameter aperture using a mask having aperture areas that correspond to the small-diameter aperture and large-diameter aperture of the solder-resist layer, and forming a small-diameter bump from the solder ball in the small-diameter aperture and a large-diameter bump from both the solder paste and the solder ball in the large-diameter aperture.
US07845544B2
In a friction stir welding method for friction stirring and welding a material by using a rotating tool having a shoulder and a pin at a front portion of a shaft portion and ejecting a cooling agent from a cooling nozzle to the tool to be cooled thereby, the cooling agent is ejected to a middle portion in an axial direction of the tool to thereby prevent thermal expansion in an axial direction of the tool.
US07845540B2
Systems and methods for depositing conductive material into openings in microfeature workpieces are disclosed herein. One particular embodiment of a system for processing microfeature workpieces includes a processing chamber and a solder reservoir in the processing chamber. The solder reservoir includes a slot having a generally vertical orientation positioned to receive a microfeature workpiece. In several embodiments, the system can further include a conductive material at least partially filling the slot.
US07845534B2
A surgical apparatus has a clamp and a stapling mechanism. The clamp has a first jaw and a second jaw to clamp on a body tissue at a desired location for a stapling operation. The stapling mechanism is controlled by a trigger handle or a switch assembly. The surgical apparatus has a controller for providing a delay between clamping and actuating of the firing mechanism of the stapling mechanism. The delay provides for a desired amount of time for tissue compression producing a more uniform staple formation. The surgical apparatus also has an indicator. The indicator provides feedback about the status of the stapling mechanism and also displays a time of tissue compression by the clamp.
US07845516B2
A system for precisely controlling a discharge rate of a discharged product is provided that includes a feeder bin having an internal chamber; a product disposed in the internal chamber of the feeder bin; and a discharge device that receives a portion of the product and discharges it at a discharge rate from the feeder The system also includes a control system that continually monitors the discharge rate of the discharged product and automatically adjusts the discharge rate based on measurements of the product.
US07845515B2
In a gravity-feed towel dispenser for dispensing C-fold and interfolded towels having a transverse length, L, through an elongated bottom dispensing aperture having a length of L or greater, an adapter plate for securing to the bottom portion of the towel dispenser is configured to abridge the length of the dispensing aperture to a length, L′ of from about 80 percent to about 90 percent of the transverse length L of the interfolded towels. In a preferred embodiment the adapter plate is provided with a pair of upwardly inclined terminal portions projecting laterally and upwardly at each end of the adapter plate.
US07845510B2
A reclosable cup lid thermoformed from a polymeric material includes a domed member and an elongate closure panel. The thermoformed domed member is provided with a sidewall and a top wall, the top wall having upper and lower surfaces and a drinking aperture at a periphery of the top wall. The top wall further defines a pair of slide tracks depending from the lower surface of the top wall and also defines a post aperture disposed inwardly with respect to the drinking aperture. The elongate closure panel has opposed engagement edges, an upper surface provided with a post projecting upwardly therefrom, and a drinking aperture sealing area. As assembled, the domed member and elongate closure panel are configured such that the opposed engagement edges of the elongate closure panel are slidingly mounted in the slide tracks for generally radial displacement.
US07845500B2
An oil filter unit for arrangement in the oil sump of an oil circuit, particularly in an automatic transmission. The oil filter unit has a multi-part filter housing with a filter chamber disposed therein such that an oil inlet and an oil outlet communicate with the filter chamber. A filter element is sealingly mounted in the housing between the oil inlet and the oil outlet. The filter element has a pleated filter medium, which is sealingly enclosed by a frame, and the frame has seal contours designed to cooperate with the contours of the filter housing.
US07845498B2
The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for removing heavy metals such as gold from sand. A mixture of sand and metals is placed in a hollow tube which has an open end, an opposite closed end at a relatively lower position, an exterior, and an interior formed into spiral grooves. The grooves are arranged in a helical fashion so that metal caught in the grooves is carried toward the open end of the tube as the tube is rotated. Water is supplied to the tube to mix with the sand and metal, so that rotation of the tube causes relatively heavy metal to be washed from the sand and water mixture into the grooves. The mechanism can be transported to a location where heavy metals naturally occur in sand or other materials.
US07845493B2
Compressor packing member which can pack compressors in many tiers is disclosed. The compressor packing members includes a pallet having first pins projected from an upper surface for holding mounting plates of compressors, and supporting surfaces formed in the upper surface for supporting lower parts of the compressors, and a pad inserted between tiers of compressors stacked on the pallet in multiple tiers for protecting the compressors. The pad includes platforms each arranged at corners of each loading lot for supporting corners of the mounting plate of the compressor, reinforcing ridges each projected between adjacent platforms for preventing deformation of the platforms, thereby stacking, and packing multiple tiers of a plurality of compressors.
US07845491B2
A rigid package for tobacco articles has a cup-shaped container, which is substantially parallelepiped-shaped and has two major lateral walls, two minor lateral walls, a bottom wall, and an open top end; a cup-shaped lid hinged along a first hinge to rotate between an open position and a closed position respectively opening and closing the open end; and an additional panel hinged to the container along a second hinge to rotate, with respect to the container, between an unfolded position, in which the additional panel is detached from the container, and a folded position, in which the additional panel rests on a major lateral wall of the container and is maintained contacting the major lateral wall of the container by the lid in the closed position.
US07845489B2
An improved compartmentalized beverage container device is disclosed including a cup member having an open chamber with a handle attached thereto, a lid cover formed having a dome-like surface and a rim adapted to engage the top of the open chamber of the cup member together with a lid insert adapted to engage the rim of the lid cover beneath the dome-like surface to provide a first storage compartment above the cup member, and a base chamber integrally formed beneath the cup member with an access opening in the bottom thereof to provide a second storage compartment below the cup member. The lid cover is further formed having a hole and separate slot made through the dome-like surface and the lid insert provided with a convex surface made to be directed toward the dome-like surface with a tubular member further extending from the insert to engage the hole in the surface of the cover. Both storage compartments provide accessible chambers for carrying personal items, the first compartment for coins and coin-like souvenirs and the second compartment for rally towels and the like, without disturbing beverage contained within the cup or interfering with its consumption.
US07845485B2
The invention relates to a method and to a device for creating a product flow according to a predefined sequence (S). The products (A, B, C) are fed from different feed flows of a grouping path (G) and there, according to the sequence (S), are deposited onto a conveyor (10, 10) with a closed revolving path (U). According to the invention a repair function is realised in which the products (A, B, C) are then only transferred from the conveyor to a further-processing station if the sequence (S) is correct and all products (A, B, C) are present with the desired quality. Otherwise, the products (A, B, C) are led by the continuously operated conveyors (A, B, C) back to the grouping path (G). Here, the error is corrected by way of the deposition of the missing product (A, B, C), whilst the deposition of new products (A, B, C) is interrupted. For error correction, one may previously provide a discharge of a defect or wrong product (A, B, C). After the error correction, the creation of the product flow is continued by way of the sequentially correct deposition of further products (A, B, C). The method permits the error-free and sequentially correct creation of infinitely long and infinitely assembled sequences (S).
US07845483B2
A conveying operation method and device that can continue an operation on a workpiece to prevent reduction in production efficiency in conveying a workpiece and performing an operation on the workpiece even if conveyance of the workpiece is stopped during the operation on the workpiece. The workpiece is conveyed by a workpiece conveying device, a movable stand is moved in synchronization with the workpiece conveying device in operation areas along a conveying path, and an operation is performed on the workpiece by an operation device provided on the movable stand. When movement of the workpiece conveying device is stopped, the movable stand stops in synchronization with the workpiece conveying device to continue the operation on the workpiece and complete one cycle operation. When non-normal operation is performed on the workpiece, the workpiece is retracted to a position different from the conveying path while being supported by the movable stand.
US07845482B2
A portable truck dump comprises a conveyor system mounted on an elongate frame to transport material from a first end of the frame to a second, opposite end of the frame. A grate is positioned over the conveyor system and is supported by first and second sides of the frame. A ramp extends generally perpendicular to the frame on each side of the frame next to the grate to provide a drive-over access for a material transport vehicle to deposit its load over the grate and onto the conveyor system. A first end of each ramp immediately adjacent to the frame is pivotally connected to the frame to allow the frame to be articulated towards the grate. A second end of each ramp spaced from the frame is supported above but in close proximity to the ground. A support frame is associated with each ramp for supporting the second end of each ramp. A drive-on ramp contacts an end portion of the support frame.
US07845479B2
An electromagnetic clutch is provided with: a clutch hub which is connected to a shaft member (one of a pair of rotation members); a clutch housing which is connected to a hollow shaft (the other of a pair of rotation members); a rotor which is connected to the clutch housing; a main clutch (clutch member) which is disposed between the clutch hub and the clutch housing; and an electromagnet which operates the main clutch. An end surface of the clutch housing and an end surface of a core of the electromagnet are disposed to be opposed to each other with the rotor interposed therebetween in an axial direction.The end of the rotor in a side of the clutch housing is formed with an extension portion which extends to the clutch housing in the axial direction. An outer periphery of the clutch housing is connected to the extension portion through a connection portion. The connection portion is disposed outside the main clutch in a radial direction.
US07845472B2
Provided are a cable-driving apparatus that performs the function of an equalizer using a planet gear assembly, and a parking brake system using the cable-driving apparatus. The cable-driving apparatus includes a driving motor; a first planet gear assembly for reducing a rotational velocity of the driving motor; and a second planet gear assembly coupled to the first planet gear assembly, wherein a first parking brake cable is connected to a circumferential outer surface of a ring gear of the second planet gear assembly, and a second parking brake cable is connected to a circumferential outer surface of a carrier of the second planet gear assembly in an opposite direction to the first parking brake cable.
US07845465B2
A vehicular exhaust resonator features an exhaust inlet conduit which narrows down in a manner such as to define a venturi effect region. Air entrainment apertures in the housing of the resonator provide fluid communication between outside cooling air and an air inlet chamber in the resonator. A further air inlet aperture in an outlet conduit section of the resonator is in fluid communication with the air inlet chamber. Due to the venturi effect inside the inlet conduit, a pressure drop is created to pull air from the outside into the air inlet chamber and then into an outlet conduit of the resonator for mixing with the exhaust gas to provide cooling thereof.
US07845464B2
Noise-abatement devices are provided for a pneumatic tool that can include a housing having a first end and a second end. An expansion chamber is defined within the expansion chamber. At least one tube is located at least partially within the expansion chamber in which the tube has at least a perforated portion, and an outlet defined therein. The device also includes a port outlet in fluid communication with the expansion chamber in which the port outlet and the outlet are located near the second end of the housing.
US07845458B2
A control system (201) for a frame-steered vehicle that includes a first steering cylinder (104) and a second steering cylinder (105). The steering cylinders are arranged for frame-steering of the vehicle. The system includes a first drive unit (202) and a second drive unit (204), each of which has an electrical machine (206,208) and a hydraulic machine (210,212). Each respective electrical machine is drivingly connected to its associated hydraulic machine, wherein with a first (210) of the two hydraulic machines is arranged for flow-communication with a piston side (214) of the first steering cylinder (104) and a piston rod side (216) of the second steering cylinder (105). A second (212) of the two hydraulic machines is arranged for flow-communication with a piston side (218) of the second steering cylinder and a piston rod side (220) of the first steering cylinder.
US07845454B2
A pedestrian airbag apparatus is provided that has a portion, when inflated, extending along a vehicle body's outer surface so as to spread into the surroundings of a case, and connected to the case by means of a tether, and the occurrence of a deformation such as warpage or the like on an airbag is suppressed, the deformation being due to the tension of the tether. Each of both end sides of a cowl masking portion 5a of the airbag 5 is connected to the case 8 by the tether 30. One end of the tether 30 is connected to a mid portion between a facing area R of the cowl masking portion 5a facing the case 8 and the utmost tip portion of the cowl masking portion 5a on each of both left and right end sides thereof, and the other end of the tether 30 is connected to each of left and right end walls 8d of the case 8.
US07845435B2
A hybrid drill bit having both roller cones and fixed blades is disclosed, and a method of drilling. The cutting elements on the fixed blades form a continuous cutting profile from the perimeter of the bit body to the axial center. The roller cone cutting elements overlap with the fixed cutting elements in the nose and shoulder sections of the cutting profile between the axial center and the perimeter. The roller cone cutting elements crush and pre- or partially fracture formation in the confined and highly stressed nose and shoulder sections.
US07845428B2
An extremely useful rotating tool is provided that can prevent rattling caused by a clearance between a machine tool and a machine tool retaining hole while bringing the axial center position of the machine tool and the axial center position of the machine tool retaining hole as close together as possible. The present invention is a rotating tool having a rotating main shaft (4), and the rotating main shaft (4) is provided with a machine tool retaining hole (3) having a cross-sectional shape that substantially matches a base part (2) of a driver bit, drill bit, or other machine tool (1) having a polygonal cross-sectional shape that is inserted into the machine tool retaining hole (3), wherein the rotating tool rotates the machine tool (1) inserted in the machine tool retaining hole (3) by rotating the rotating main shaft (4) and performs work. A pushing mechanism is provided for rotating the machine tool (1) in a prescribed direction and twisting and pushing the machine tool (1) against an internal surface of the machine tool retaining hole (3).
US07845427B2
A hand power tool has a housing comprising at least two housing parts, and at least one sealing and/or damping element introduced into the housing by injection molding.
US07845421B2
A tool 10 is provided for radially expanding a downhole tubular C, and includes a central tool mandrel 12, a tubular expander 48 at the lower end of the tubular, and a downhole actuator 15 for forcibly moving the expander axially within the downhole tubular. Slips 20 are positioned for securing the tool within a well, so that the slips may be set, and the tool subsequently stroked to move the expander 48 and radially expand a length of the tubular. Upward pull on the work string may expand long portions of the downhole tubular. Buttress threads 43 preferably support the tubular expander on the downhole tubular when run in the well.
US07845417B2
Retrieving a down hole tool at a lower end of a string of casing can be performed with drill pipe during a casing-while-drilling operation. The operator suspends the casing in the well from a drilling rig floor opening. A string drill pipe is lowered into the casing while the casing is suspended for engaging and retrieving the down hole tool. When circulation is desired, the operator secures a circulation tool to an upper end of the drill pipe, then lowers the drill pipe and the circulation tool to close off an upper end of an inner annulus between the drill pipe and the casing. The operator circulates fluid down the circulation tool and the drill pipe and back up an outer annulus surrounding the casing. The connection between the circulation tool and the casing allows the operator to reciprocate the casing.
US07845416B2
A hydraulic sleeve valve that includes a valve position indication system that provides an indication that the valve has reached a predetermined position, such as, for example, the fully opened or fully closed condition. The hydraulic sleeve valve may include a bypass relief system and may also provide a valve control fluid circulation function to filter or otherwise manipulate the control fluid.
US07845414B2
A method of producing natural gas from a heavy hydrocarbon-containing subterranean formation includes: placing a catalyst having at least one transition metal into the formation, injecting an anoxic stimulation gas into the formation, and collecting the natural gas generated in the formation. The method may be performed outside the context of a subterranean formation under controlled conditions. Thus, a method of producing natural gas from bitumen includes: providing an anoxic mixture of heavy hydrocarbons and a catalyst having at least one transition metal, adding an anoxic stimulation gas to the mixture, and heating the mixture in the presence of the stimulation gas.
US07845407B2
Systems and associated methods for use in the production of hydrocarbons are described. The systems include a first tubular member and a second tubular member at least partially enclosing the first tubular member. Each of the first and second tubular members have a non-permeable longitudinal section and a permeable longitudinal section. The non-permeable longitudinal section of the second tubular member is disposed adjacent to the permeable longitudinal section of the first tubular member. Similarly, the permeable longitudinal section of the second tubular member is disposed adjacent to the non-permeable longitudinal section of the first tubular member. The permeable longitudinal section of the second tubular member is separated from the permeable longitudinal section of the first tubular member by a specific longitudinal distance.
US07845402B2
The expandable casing packing element systems for cased and open-hole wellbores include an expandable casing member having a sealing device comprising a sealing element disposed between at least two retainer rings. The retainer rings have flat cross-sections and the sealing element is forced radially outward by the expansion of the expandable casing against the two retainer rings such that the sealing element protrudes outwardly beyond the retainer rings and engages the wall of a wellbore in three locations. The retainer rings can also include flares that extend outwardly from the body of the expandable casing to which they are attached. As the expandable casing is expanded, the flares are forced inward to compress the sealing element which is then extruded radially outward through a gap between the two retainer rings to engage and seal off the wellbore.
US07845399B2
An apparatus for use with production tubing to pump fluid from a well to the surface includes a tubular conduit having upper and lower portions. The lower portion has an inner or outer diameter greater than the diameter of the upper portion to form a first internal or external shoulder where the lower and upper portions are engaged. Seals are disposed on the conduit for sealing between the conduit and a well casing. One or more valve sections have a valve adapted to open during downwards motion through fluid and to close during upwards motion through fluid.
US07845396B2
A heat dissipation device with coarse surface capable of intensifying heat transfer includes a main body and a heat transfer intensifying unit. The main body provides a surface and the heat transfer intensifying unit is disposed on the surface. The heat transfer intensifying unit further includes at least a raised part and a plurality of fish-scale-like parts. The raised parts are disposed slightly upright from said surface and spacing apart a distance from each other. The fish-scale-like parts each are disposed on the surface of the main body next to the raised parts orderly, provide a recess toward the surface of the main body with an inclining angle from the surface of the main body, have a vertical edge and a sharp end and the sharp end is formed at an intersection of the vertical edge of the respective fish-scale-like part. The raised parts and the fish-scale-like parts allow fluid near the surface of the main body creating eddy flows, secondary flows and breaking boundary layers of the fluid for promoting rate of heat transfer.
US07845395B2
A heat-dissipating casing structure includes a base seat, a heat-dissipating module, and a casing. The heat-dissipating module is disposed on the base seat. The heat-dissipating module has a first heat-conducting block and a heat pipe, and one side of the heat pipe connects to the first heat-conducting block. The casing has an installed portion, and the casing is slidably assembled on the base seat for connecting the other side of the heat pipe with the casing via the installed portion. When the casing is slidably assembled on the base seat, the heat pipe is connected with the casing via the installed portion. Hence, the heat-dissipating module is assembled and replaced easily and rapidly. Moreover, the heat from a heat-generating element on the base seat is transmitted to the casing through the heat pipe for increasing heat-dissipating efficiency.
US07845392B2
A heat exchanger assembly has a first heat exchanger with a first heat radiating area receiving a first cooling fluid, a second heat exchanger with a second heat radiating area receiving a second cooling fluid and a third heat radiating area receiving a third cooling fluid. In use, the difference in temperature between the first cooling fluid entering and exiting the first heat radiating area is greater than the difference in temperature between the second cooling fluid entering and exiting the second heat radiating area and greater than the difference in temperature between the third cooling fluid entering and exiting the third heat radiating area. The temperature of the second cooling fluid flowing through the second heat radiating area is higher than the temperature of the third cooling fluid flowing through the third heat radiating area.
US07845389B2
A method and continuous casting device for dynamically placing rolling segments against a cast bar made of metal, particularly steel. The continuous casting device is a bloom or billet casting device and has pairs of rollers that are placed against each other in a position-controlled and pressure-controlled manner by piston-cylinder units. The hydraulic pressure is switched from position-controlled operation to pressure-controlled operation when a threshold pressure is reached. The roller segments are arranged in the hot bar zone and the soft reduction zone.
US07845387B2
Disposable curtains, systems and methods to install a disposable curtain, and methods of manufacturing a disposable curtain are disclosed. A disclosed system to install a disposable curtain includes: a washable mesh upper curtain; an installation bag structured to be suspended from an installer during installation; a disposable curtain located in the installation bag; and a plurality of connectors to removably suspend the disposable curtain from the upper curtain.
US07845383B2
A window covering in the style of a Roman shade has a straight bottom edge when the shade is lowered and that forms into an inverted fan shape when the shade is raised. Spaced parallel creases in the shade simulate pleats when the shade is in a lowered position and promote accordion-folded pleats when the shade is raised. A pull cord behind the shade lifts the shade from its bottom edge and along its vertical centerline. A two-part bottom rail is secured in the bottom edge of the shade, and each part extends from an outer side edge of the shade to the midportion of the bottom edge, so that when the cord is pulled to raise the shade, the two parts pivot downwardly about the midportion, imparting an inverted fan shape to the bottom edge.
US07845380B2
An intravaginal device has a fluid storage element and at least one fluid transport element in fluid communication with the fluid storage element. The at least one fluid transport element has a first plate and a second plate coupled to the first plate. The second plate is capable of separating from the first plate sufficiently to provide inter-plate capillary action. The at least one fluid transport element is bendable about an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fluid storage element. The invention also includes methods and apparatus useful in the production of an intravaginal device.
US07845378B2
A method for bonding two plate-shaped objects (5) with an adhesive which is cured by ultraviolet light irradiation and by heating. The two plate-shaped objects (5) with the adhesive in between are transported into a cure chamber (11) comprising an ultraviolet lamp (12) and a heating element (13). A movable heat-shielding member (3) is temporary present between the objects (5) and the heating element (13) during at least the first part of the irradiation treatment. Preferably, the heat-shielding member (3) is positioned outside the cure chamber (11) during a part of the cure treatment.
US07845368B2
A double seat valve in which a second closing element (4), in its closed position, rests with a stopping surface (4f) on a face of its cylindrical projection (4*) directly upon a first seat (2a) and, together with a peripheral wall (4c, 4h), forms a second wraparound edge (U2) upon an interface (2e, 2e*). The peripheral wall (4c), at its end facing away from a first closing element (3), merges into a rotationally symmetric reversing surface (4d) that leads to a face (4e) of a recess (4b) oriented essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the second closing element (4). In meridian section, the reversing surface (4b) has a contour (K) with a bend-free curve, a direction vector in the leading point of the reversing surface (4d) points into a discharge borehole (3d, 3d*) central in the first closing element (3) without colliding with the first closing element (3) in the vicinity of its areas bordering the leakage cavity (5) and forming dynamic pressure.
US07845367B2
A lock device includes a first bracket 34 fixed to a screw element 33 and formed with a lock hole 34b; a second bracket 35 which has a fitting portion 35a fitted to the turn-type control lever 30 of an operation pattern selecting valve 16 and which is formed with a lock hole 35f; and a lock 36. The screw element 33 is screwed into a threaded hole 32 formed in an end plate 29 of the operation pattern selecting valve 16 to secure the first bracket 34 to the end plate 29. The fitting portion 35a of the second bracket 35 is fitted to the turn-type control lever 30 to connect the second bracket 35 to the turn-type control lever 30. The lock 36 is insertably attached to the respective lock holes 34b and 35f of the first bracket 34 and second bracket 35 for locking the turn-type control lever 30. With such a structure, the lock device can be manufactured relatively easily without the necessity of processing the operation pattern selecting valve.
US07845359B2
An artificial cigarette, inhaler or other nebulizer device may include a housing, an air passage into the housing, a fog generator chamber within the housing connected to the air passage, a liquid source connected to the fog generating chamber, and a fog generator within the fog generating chamber for receiving liquid from the liquid source and creating an aerosol. The fog generator may be an ultrasonic nebulizer and/or a pneumatic nebulizer.
US07845358B2
This invention is an improved method for controlling, reducing, and quitting smoking. Specifically, this method requires the use of one or more non-combustible devices that employ (at least) (A) a loading chamber for measuring the amount of combustible material to be smoked; and (B) a baffle or similar apparatus to prevent the smoker from inhaling the tobacco. By using one such non-combustible device, the smoker can measure the precise amount of tobacco to be smoked. Hence, the smoker can reduce his or her dependency on smoking by limiting the amount of tobacco smoked, as well as how many times he or she smokes that amount each day. By using two or more non-combustible devices with varying loading chamber lengths, the smoker can reduce his or her dependency by gradually reducing the amount of tobacco smoked, in addition to how many times he or she smokes a day.
US07845349B2
An inhaler (1) for the delivery of a dose of powdered medicament for inhalation by a user comprising a housing (2) containing a cylinder (5) defining a chamber (5a) and a piston (6) movably received in the cylinder to enable a user to generate a charge of compressed air in the chamber to entrain a dose when the charge is released, wherein the cylinder and the piston include co-operating means (8, 9) thereon operable to draw the piston into the cylinder to compress a charge of air in the chamber in response to rotation of the piston.
US07845345B2
A solar-powered system and method for producing a utility, such as electricity, hot water, and/or potable water is disclosed. The system may be configured to produce the utilities alone or in combination. The system may comprise a fluid medium, a converter, one or more solar concentrators, a storage tank, a collection tank, a dehydration tank, and one or more safety features. The system may be closed-loop or open-loop.
US07845343B2
A fuel injection control device for performing injection control of an injector has a program for performing fuel injection of a predetermined injection quantity (a small quantity) with an injector based on establishment of a first permission condition during fuel cut of the engine and for acquiring a fuel injection quantity indicating a fuel injection characteristic of the injector and a program for performing fuel injection of a predetermined injection quantity (a small quantity) with the injector based on establishment of a second permission condition during idling of the engine and for acquiring a fuel injection quantity indicating the fuel injection characteristic of the injector. Thus, the fuel injection control device and an engine control system including the fuel injection control device can suitably sense the fuel injection characteristic of the injector.
US07845342B2
A crankcase that is provided in an internal combustion engine, in which blow-by gas is returned to an intake passage via a gas outflow passage formed in a cylinder block so as to extend in a direction from an upper portion to a lower portion of the cylinder, includes: a partition wall extending in a direction from an upper portion to a lower portion of the crankcase and facing an inner side surface of a crankcase outer wall that also extends in the direction from the upper portion to the lower portion of the crankcase; an internal space that is formed between the partition wall and the inner side surface of the crankcase outer wall and connected to the gas outflow passage at an upper end of the internal space; and a window that is formed on the partition wall to communicate an inside and outside of the internal space.
US07845339B2
A cooling system for an engine is disclosed. In a first embodiment, the cooling system may comprise a heat exchanger, a pump coupled to the heat exchanger, an EGR cooler coupled to the pump, and a first valve coupled to the EGR cooler and the heat exchanger. When the first valve is in a first position, the first valve directs a coolant to the heat exchanger and when the first valve is in a second position, the heat exchanger is bypassed and coolant flows directly to the pump. It is an advantage for a cooling system to utilize a valve to maximize the rate a coolant flows throughout the system when the valve is in an open position and also to warm up an engine when the valve is in a closed position.
US07845330B2
A vehicular fuel system includes a suction pump having an inlet and an outlet, a priming pump having an inlet and an outlet, a valve and a fluid conduit assembly having a first port coupled to the outlet of the priming pump, a second port coupled to the inlet of the suction pump, and a third port coupled to the valve. The fluid conduit assembly and the valve are configured such that when the priming pump is operated, fluid flows from the outlet of the priming pump, through the first port and second ports, and into the inlet of the suction pump and when the suction pump is operated, fluid flows through the valve and the third and second ports, and into the inlet of the suction pump.
US07845327B2
A system and method for lash adjustment in the valvetrain of an internal combustion engine include a hydraulic lash adjuster having a damping device to limit rate of movement of a plunger relative to a body to control response time of the lash adjuster reducing or eliminating over-compensation or pump-up of the lash adjuster.
US07845323B2
An internal combustion engine has cylinder head assembly. First and second cams are disposed on a camshaft for rotation therewith. A first cam follower has a first end journaled on a cam follower shaft and a second end abutting an end of a first valve. A second cam follower has a first end journaled on the cam follower shaft and a second end abutting an end of a second valve. A spacer is disposed at least partially around the cam follower shaft. The spacer is disposed between the cam followers such that the first cam follower is disposed between the spacer and a camshaft support and the second cam follower is disposed between the spacer and another camshaft support. A cylinder head assembly, a method of accessing the valves, and embodiments providing for the supply of lubricant to the cam followers are also disclosed.
US07845320B2
An adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly includes a hub and a sprocket body secured to the hub. A stud-receiving opening is defined in one of the hub flange and the sprocket body, and a tool-receiving opening is defined in the other of the hub flange and the sprocket body. The tool-receiving opening is aligned with the stud-receiving opening is adapted to receive a body portion of an adjustment tool, and the stud-receiving opening is adapted to receive an eccentric stud of the adjustment tool. Either the stud-receiving opening or the tool-receiving opening is elongated. Rotation of the adjustment tool when its body is located in the tool-receiving opening and its eccentric stud is located in the stud-receiving opening causes relative angular movement between the hub and the sprocket body. One or more fasteners are used to immovably secure the sprocket body to the hub after adjustment. A tool includes cylindrical base, a driving head, and an eccentric stud. The stud comprises a spring pin press-fit into a bore.
US07845318B2
The intake and exhaust device equipped with a first valve disk and a second valve disk may include a cylinder in which an intake port and an exhaust port are formed, a circular first valve disk in which a first hole corresponding to one of the intake port and the exhaust port is formed and that covers an upper side of the cylinder including the intake port and the exhaust port, a circular second valve disk that is slidingly overlapped on the first valve disk and in which a second hole corresponding to the first hole is formed, a first driving portion for rotating a first driving pipe, a second driving portion for rotating a second driving pipe, and a control portion for controlling the first driving portion, the second driving portion, the intake port or the exhaust port.
US07845312B2
An animal restraint apparatus according to the present invention includes a longitudinal rail and a trolley adapted to be slidably disposed on the rail. The trolley provides a leash hitch to which an animal may be coupled. An animal restraint system according to the present invention includes a longitudinal rail, which may include a plurality of joined rail sections, mounted to a support structure and a trolley slidably disposed on the rail. A method according to the present invention of restraining animals includes the steps of providing a longitudinal rail and a trolley slidably disposed on the rail, anchoring the rail to a support structure, and coupling an animal to the trolley, thereby allowing the animal to roam within a predetermined envelope of movement.
US07845311B2
Disclosed herein is an animal training device having a pair of collapsible electrodes and an electronic whistle, which includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter includes an electrode collapse switch for generating a signal used to collapse or erect the electrodes, an electronic whistle switch for generating a signal causing an electronic whistle to be blown, a transmission control unit for performing control on an electronic whistle unit such that a whistle is blown, a wireless transmission unit for transmitting a wireless signal in response to the control signal of the transmission control unit, and the electronic whistle unit. The receiver includes a wireless reception unit, a reception control unit for performing control such that the electrodes are collapsed or erected, a high voltage generation, an electrode driving unit for collapsing or erecting the electrodes, and the left and right electrodes.
US07845308B1
Systems having an in-line microwave heater to heat fluids for processing a substrate are provided. An embodiment of a system includes a microelectronic processing chamber, a reservoir for storing a fluid used to process wafers within the chamber, a supply line for transporting the fluid to the chamber, and a microwave heater arranged along the supply line. The system includes processor executable program instructions for operating the microwave heater at parameters configured to heat fluid within the supply line to a temperature greater than a fluid temperature within the reservoir, such as approximately 20° C. greater than the reservoir fluid temperature. It is noted that the inclusion of an in-line microwave heater is not limited to microelectronic fabrication systems, but may be used for any system in which heated fluids are used for processing a substrate, such as but not limited to electroplating or electroless plating systems.
US07845307B2
An efficient electrostatic spray installation that can spray a wide range of conductive materials effectively while creating very small droplets with conductivities in from about 7000 pico Siemens and greater. A compact system in which one, two or more parallel sprays can be obtained at close proximity in the order of 30 to 40 mm of each other in a compact package.
US07845293B1
An apparatus for forming holes in ground and for placing hygroscopic particles into the holes is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first chamber configured to hold a liquid and a second chamber configured to hold the hygroscopic particles. A first pressure mechanism maintains the liquid in the first chamber at a first pressure level, and a second pressure mechanism maintains the hygroscopic particles in the second chamber at a second pressure level. A first valve is operable during a first time period to regulate the delivery of the liquid into a third chamber through a first opening. A second opening is configured to direct jets of liquid from the third chamber during the first time period to form holes in the ground. A second valve is operable during a second time period to regulate the delivery of the hygroscopic particles to the third chamber. The first valve is operable during a third time period to regulate the delivery of the liquid to the third chamber through the first opening causing jets of the hygroscopic particles to be directed through the second opening into the holes.
US07845290B2
Folding table having fixed support structure, a table-top articulated to the fixed support structure and movable between a lowered position and a raised position, and a first and a second pair of legs borne by the fixed support structure and movable between a usage position and a stowage position. The first and the second pair of legs are rotatable around respective vertical axes and are connected to the table-top by means of an actuating device which actuates the rotation of the first and of the second pair of legs as a result of the movement of the table-top from the lowered position to the raised position and vice versa.
US07845287B2
A railway truck has a frame, and two wheel-sets operatively connected to the frame. Each wheel-set includes a corresponding axle, and two wheels disposed on the axle. A first steering lever is pivotally connected to the first end portion of the first axle about a first pivot axis and to the frame about a second pivot axis. A second steering lever is pivotally connected to the second end portion of the first axle about a third pivot axis and to the frame about a fourth pivot axis. A first line passing through the first and second pivot axes crosses a second line passing through the third and fourth pivot axes at less than a predetermined distance from a vertical centerline of the truck when the first and second axles are parallel. A railcar including the truck is also provided.
US07845286B2
The present invention relates to a trailer system, and particularly to a self-driving trailer system for a radiation imaging inspection system and a method for inspecting a vehicle by radiation imaging of a vehicle through the trailer system. The self-driving trailer system comprises two trailers symmetrical in structure. Each of the trailers comprises a driving device, running wheels, a trailer body, a carrying device, a lift cylinder, a balance wheel, and two pairs of guide wheels. The driving device, the running wheels, and the balance wheel are coupled with the trailer body. The carrying device is coupled with the trailer body through the lift cylinder. A front carrying arm and a rear carrying arm can clamp front wheels of a vehicle under inspection, and move upwards and downwards by the lift cylinder. The trailer system according to the present invention is smooth and reliable in operation and simple in structure, and is applicable to different diameters of wheels of container lorries under inspection and is convenient in operation.
US07845282B2
A munition includes a casing, the casing formed at least in part from a material comprising (i) a meltable or phase-changing material, and (ii) an energetic material; an explosive payload contained within the casing; and a fuze arrangement, the fuze arrangement comprising a main fuze configured and arranged to ignite the high explosive, and at least one secondary fuze configured and arranged to cause the casing material to melt or undergo a phase change. A method of selectively altering the mode of operation of a munition includes: forming a casing, the casing comprising a material comprising (i) a meltable or phase-changing material, and (ii) an energetic material; introducing an explosive payload into the casing; providing a fuze arrangement comprising a main fuse and at least one secondary fuze configured and arranged to cause the casing material to melt or undergo a phase change; and selectively activating the main fuze and the at least one secondary fuze in a manner that provided at least a first and a second mode of operation, the first mode of operation comprising blast coupled with fragmentation effects, and the second mode of operation comprising mainly blast effects.
US07845279B2
An armor module and an explosive material therefore, which explosive material is normally retained at a less sensitive position, and upon demand it is modified into a more sensitive position, where its initiation ability is upgraded and wherein the modification is carried out by heating the explosive material.
US07845272B2
A system (50) is provided for the production of elongated comestible products such as hot dogs, without the use of traditional casings. The system (50) includes a circular pattern of arrays (92) of elongated, open-ended, extruded synthetic resin cooking tubes (94, 96) within a rotatable cylindrical heating drum or housing (70). The tube housing (70) and arrays (92) are incrementally rotated and at each stop position certain of the tubes (94, 96) are filled with portions of meat emulsion (590) and alternating plugs (208), while previously filled tubes (94, 96) containing cooked product are unloaded, and other unfilled tubes are internally coated with a lubricant (e.g., a mixture of lecithin and vegetable oil). Energy exchange media such as hot water and/or steam are used within the housing to continuously cook the emulsion portions within the tubes (94, 96) to the desired extent.
US07845266B2
A building block for constructing a projectile absorbing armor. The building block has at least one interlocking male connector and at least one female connector. The interlocking male connector and said female connector are sized for interlocking engagement. The invention is also generally directed to a structure having projectile absorbing armor having at least two building blocks in interlocking engagement. The building blocks are constructed from projectile resistant material and may have various features to prevent the passage of a projectile through the block.
US07845264B2
A primer feed mechanism mounted on a carrier of an artillery piece includes a body assembly for mounting the primer feed mechanism on the carrier, the body assembly having guide rails and a follower plate; a tray assembly that is movable on the guide rails of the body assembly, the tray assembly including a housing and an injector arm assembly; an actuator drive link connected to the carrier; a quick release link connected to the actuator drive link; and a drive link assembly connected to the quick release link and to the injector arm assembly; wherein one end of the injector arm assembly includes a push pin that reciprocates in the housing to inject a primer and another end of the injector arm assembly includes a follower that travels in the follower plate of the body assembly.
US07845256B2
A cutting tool of the type that comprises two parts having co-operating connecting surfaces of serration type, which individually include a plurality of ridges or tops, which are mutually separated by grooves, the pitch between the ridges in the respective connecting surfaces being one and the same. According to the invention, the widths of two or more grooves positioned one after the other in a series in one of the connecting surfaces increase progressively from a first groove to a last groove in the series. Furthermore, the invention relates to a tool part as such, as well as a method in the manufacture of such tool parts.
US07845252B2
A transmission shift mechanism for use with a vehicle transmission. The transmission shift mechanism includes a user-operated selector and a sub-assembly operably disposed between said user-operated selector and the vehicle transmission. The sub-assembly includes a torque-transfer member having a first portion and a second portion wherein the first portion is pivotally secured to the transmission shift mechanism about a pivot axis and the second portion defines a section of a substantially spherical surface which is engageably disposed within a non-linear camming slot defined by the transmission shift section. The torque-transfer member takes the form of a molded polymeric body with a sheet metal insert disposed within the molded polymeric body. The second portion of the torque-transfer member may include flats to reduce the volume of polymeric material required in the manufacture of the member. A method of manufacturing such a torque-transfer member or crank arm is also disclosed.
US07845248B2
A shift-by-wire control system includes a parking lock device that brings an output shaft of an automatic transmission device to a lock state when a range switching unit switches to the P-range. The parking lock device brings the output shaft to a lock-release state when the range switching unit switches to another shift range. An electric motor actuates the range switching unit and the parking lock device in accordance with an instruction of an operator. A manual device transmits manual operation force of the operator to the parking lock device when the electric motor stops. The manual device includes a one-way transmission unit permitting transmission of the manual operation force in a direction toward the lock state, and prohibiting transmission of the manual operation force in a direction toward the lock-release state.
US07845246B2
A twin-clutch transmission system in a power unit for a vehicle includes a clutch system with a pair of hydraulic clutches, which respectively include clutch pistons. A gear transmission includes a first main shaft, which has a first end portion linked to a first one of the two hydraulic clutches. The gear transmission also includes a second main shaft, which has a first end portion linked with the other one of the two hydraulic clutches. A pair of hydraulic passages are concentrically formed inside the second main shaft, and apply hydraulic pressure respectively to the clutch pistons. An operating fluid is supplied from a second end side of the second main shaft. The resulting configuration enables the protrusion of the power unit toward the clutch system to be minimized.
US07845245B2
The invention relates to the extraction of a frozen hydrated sample for TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope) inspection, such as a vitrified biological sample, from a substrate and the attaching of said sample to a manipulator. Such a hydrated sample should be held at a cryogenic temperature to avoid ice formation. By melting or sublimating a part of the sample material outside the area to be studied in the TEM and freezing the material to the manipulator (10), a bond is formed between sample (1) and manipulator. This makes it possible to transport the sample from the substrate to e.g. a TEM grid.In a preferred embodiment a part (2) of the manipulator (10) is held at a cryogenic temperature, and the melting or sublimation is caused by heating the tip (3) of the manipulator by electric heating of the tip and then cooling the tip of the manipulator to a cryogenic temperature, thereby freezing the sample (1) to the manipulator.
US07845242B2
A three pickoff sensor flow meter (200) is provided according to the invention. The three pickoff sensor flow meter (200) includes a first flow conduit (210a) conducting a first flow stream, a second flow conduit (210b) that is independent of the first flow stream, and a common driver (216) configured to vibrate the first flow conduit (210a) and the second flow conduit (210b). The three pickoff sensor flow meter (200) further includes three pickoff sensors (218, 219a, 219b) configured to provide first and second time delay values (Δt1) and (Δt2) for the first flow conduit (210a) and the second flow conduit (210b).
US07845216B2
A gaseous fuel injector 3 supplies gaseous fuel from a compressed gas cylinder 1 into a measuring portion thin tube 5 and pressure change in the tube is measured by a pressure measuring device 4 through a small hole provided in the thin tube 5. An extension thin tube 6 for removing the influence of reflected waves is provided on the downstream side of the measuring portion thin tube 5. There is provided at the downstream side end of the extension thin tube a back pressure valve 13 for uniformly increasing the pressure in the tube and for bringing the pressure close to the actual environment in the engine cylinder. Also, a tapered-shape nozzle is arranged in the measuring portion thin tube 5. Pressure measured by the pressure measuring device 4 is transduced into mass flow rate in the thin tube according to a predetermined calculation formula. Accordingly, it is possible to measure instantaneous mass flow rate of gaseous fuel injected from the gaseous fuel injector.
US07845208B2
An apparatus for detecting a volatile dissolved substance includes a sample vessel 1 capable of holding therein an approximately fixed amount of liquid A, B with leaving a space at an upper inner section thereof; a nozzle 4 capable of blowing off bubbles into the liquid held in the sample vessel, and a pressurized gas feeding device L capable of feeding pressurized gas to the nozzle for the blowing of the bubbles. Within a communication passage 5 communicating with the upper section of the sample vessel, there is exposed a detecting portion of a sensor S capable of detecting a volatile component, so that the sensor can detect the volatile component which has evaporated from the liquid in the sample vessel and entered the communication passage. The apparatus further includes a liquid vessel 2, 3 capable of holding the liquid therein, a feeding mechanism D capable of feeding the liquid of the liquid vessel to the sample vessel and an overflow mechanism E for causing an amount of the liquid exceeding the approximately fixed amount to overflow from the sample vessel to the outside of the vessel.
US07845196B1
A circular knitting machine having an integrated multiple yarn changing apparatus comprises a first yarn changing apparatus, a second yarn changing apparatus, and a driving cam set. The first and second yarn changing apparatus include respectively at least one yarn feeding means which is moved outwards through a first yarn feeding stroke and a second yarn feeding stroke to a yarn feeding position. The driving cam set includes a first driving track and a second driving track to respectively drive the yarn feeding means to proceed the first and second yarn feeding strokes. The second driving track has a driving delay zone to generate a yarn feeding time lag between the first and second yarn feeding strokes. Knitting needles located between the first and second yarn feeding means are guided to a yarn hooking position to respectively hook the yarn due to the yarn feeding time lag.
US07845195B2
An optical fiber twisting apparatus that prevents line distortion in an optical fiber undergoing a drawing process and provides a consistent coating on a bare optical fiber. This optical fiber twisting apparatus includes a twist roller apparatus that having a twist roller that, by imparting a twist to an optical fiber, imparts a twist to a molten portion of an optical fiber preform positioned on an upstream side of the optical fiber, and a support portion that supports the twist roller. The accuracy of the outer circumference of the twist roller when the twist roller is forming a part of the twist roller apparatus is 15 μm or less.
US07845183B2
A controller includes a first input that receives a signal indicating an energy consumption value of a compressor, a second input that receives a signal indicating an energy consumption value of a variable speed condenser fan, a third input that receives a signal indicating an ambient temperature, a fourth input that receives a signal indicating a condenser temperature, an output that provides a control signal to the variable speed condenser fan, a memory that stores a temperature difference set-point, and a processor in communication with the inputs, the output and the memory. The processor calculates a difference between the ambient temperature and the condenser temperature, compares the difference with the temperature difference set-point, controls the variable speed condenser fan based on the comparison, monitors the energy consumption values, and modulates the temperature difference set-point to minimize energy consumption.
US07845182B2
A method for controlling a vehicle HVAC system to automatically defog a window and to prevent fogging or condensation of the window. In-cabin air temperature and relative humidity are used to determine a dewpoint. Further, ambient or outside air temperature is measured. Window glass temperature is either estimated/calculated or can be measured. A fog margin, which is based upon the difference between the dewpoint and the window temperature, is calculated. When the ambient air temperature is below a predetermined temperature, a corrected fog margin is substituted for the calculated fog margin. When this occurs, the controller operates a fan at a reduced voltage, and hence at a reduced speed, as compared to if the controller used the calculated fog margin. Using the corrected fog margin prevents a vehicle user from being exposed to excessive fan noise or air currents during low or cold ambient air temperatures.
US07845170B2
A drive wheel with an integral fan mountable as a unit to a shaft of a hydraulic power unit for rotation therewith. Fan blades extending from the drive wheel circulate air when the drive wheel is rotated. One or more passageways extending through the drive wheel can be provided to allow air to flow axially therethrough to be circulated around the hydraulic unit. A fan assembly for a hydraulic power unit is also provided including a fan element and a rotatable shroud attached thereto.
US07845167B2
In an exhaust heat recovery system for an internal combustion engine, a heat pipe includes an evaporation portion in which a working fluid is heated and evaporated by heat exchange with exhaust heat from the internal combustion engine, a plurality of condensing portions in which the working fluid from the evaporation portion is cooled and condensed by heat exchange with respective subjects to be heated, and connection piping through which the condensing portions are connected to the evaporation portion in parallel with respect to the evaporation portion so as to form a closed circuit. Furthermore, a switching portion is located to switch a flow of the working fluid from the evaporation portion to any one between the condensing portions.
US07845164B2
A method for storing an additive and injecting the additive into exhaust gases of an engine supplied with fuel from a fuel tank and returning unused excess hot fuel to the tank via a return line. The method heats the additive using a section of the return line when the additive temperature is below or equal to a threshold value, and short circuits the heating section when the additive temperature exceeds the threshold value. A system for implementing such a method includes an additive heating section including a section of the return line; a temperature sensor; and a device allowing the heating section to be short circuited when the temperature measured by the sensor exceeds the threshold value.
US07845162B2
A pump component is removed from a port of a suction-side fluid cavity of a high-pressure fluid pump. The pump component performs a pump function for the high-pressure fluid pump. A primary coupler connects to the port. The pump component connects to the primary coupler. A diverter fluid passage diverts a low-pressure fluid from the primary coupler to an auxiliary fluid delivery system. The primary coupler communicates the low-pressure fluid through the pump component and primary coupler to the port.
US07845157B2
A tip turbine engine (10) according to the present invention provides at least one gear (90) coupling rotation of a bypass fan (24) to an axial compressor (22), such that the axial compressor (22) is driven by rotation of the fan (24) at a rate different from than the rate of the fan. In one embodiment, the rate of rotation of the axial compressor (22) is increased relative to a rate of rotation of the fan (24). By increasing the rotation rate, the compression provided by the axial compressor is increased, while the number of stages of the axial compressor blades may be reduced. As a result, the length of the axial compressor and the overall length of the tip turbine engine are decreased.
US07845153B2
A process and system of producing conductive yarns in use for info-communication and conductive yarns produced thereby, in which the conductive yarns are produced using metal filaments. The process includes the steps of feeding a plurality of metal filaments, heating the plurality of metal filaments to soften the plurality of metal filaments, drafting the plurality of metal filaments and cutting the plurality of metal filaments into a plurality of slivers having a predetermined length, drawing and twisting the plurality of slivers into a yarn, winding the yarn on a bobbin, coating the yarn with a waterproof material and an electromagnetic shielding material in a thin film while unwinding the yarn from the bobbin, and drying the yarn, and covering the yarn with a textile yarn.
US07845151B2
An apparatus (1) preferably for horticulture and/or parks, comprises a main drawbar (2) for connection to a vehicle (28), and the main drawbar (2) is connected to a number of garden tools (3, 11, 27), wherein the main drawbar (2) is pivotally connected to a central point (4) of a tool holder (5), which tool holder (5) is arranged in a position behind the garden tool (3) and above the main drawbar (2) and each end part of the tool holder (5) is connected to a forwardly directed flange (6), which is pivotally connected to an end part of the garden tool (3).
US07845147B2
A method is provided of forming a multi-pack container assembly having at least two containers joined together by a channel. The method includes the steps of providing sheet having a barrier layer thermoforming the sheet into a multi-pack container assembly having a plurality of containers wherein each container comprises a flange and the flanges of adjacent containers are connected by an engineered area of weakness or channel. Resultant containers can be used for low-moisture, shelf-stable, ready-to-eat food products.
US07845145B2
A package system which combines an article and a container in an integrated package with the article secured in nested relationship within a recess of the container. The recess has sufficient depth such that portions of the side walls of the container extend outwardly effectively beyond an exposed surface of the article so as to protect the article against damage. Alternatively, the package system includes a pair of spaced columns which are integrally formed with the side wall of the container and which extend outwardly from the side wall. A recess is formed between the column members which is configured to receive an article in nested relationship within the recess. Methods for securing the article in nested relationship within the recess of the container are also disclosed.
US07845139B1
A closure frame includes at least one end rail, at least one side rail and a corner joint between ends of the corner and side rails. The corner joint includes a rail insert secured within a first of the rails. A threaded fastener is secured against rotation within the insert and extends from an open end of the first rail into a second of the rails. A nut is disposed within the second rail in threaded engagement with the end of the fastener and clamps the second rail against the open end of the first rail. The corner joint preferably is a butt joint, and a pair of rail inserts preferably are disposed within the end of the first rail so that a pair of threaded fasteners extend into the second rail and are engaged by associated nuts in the second rail. A washer plate preferably is disposed in the second rail beneath the nuts, and a gasket preferably is disposed between the second rail and the open end of the first rail to seal the corner joint.
US07845138B2
A method for the production of a building construction with the aid of permanent formwork, comprising the steps of: placing formwork on a support, wherein the formwork includes a profiled formwork form with raised parts and lowered parts; applying a curable concrete mix on top of the formwork; curing the concrete mix; and placing reinforcement in at least one of the lowered parts of the formwork form, such that a reinforced beam is formed in said at least one lowered part of the formwork form. Such formwork is relatively lightweight and can provide certain physical building characteristics such as fire retardancy, thermal insulation and optionally acoustic insulation.
US07845131B2
A crack inducer controls propagation of cracks in set concrete containing reinforcing bars. The crack inducer has an elongated, rigid core that is relatively narrow in a direction that is parallel to outer surfaces of the concrete. The core has a core width in a first plane that intersects the outer surfaces of the volume, that is at least 20% of the concrete volume width so that a crack in the volume of concrete is induced to propagate from the core and along the first plane. A plurality of spaced cross-plates are connected to the core and a water-stop may be included around part of the core.
US07845126B2
A UL compliant power generating system is integrated within an exterior shell or façade of a building structure. The energy generating devices (which can be photovoltaic), control units and associated power/signal wiring are incorporated and integrated within individual unitized curtain wall units making up the façade, and are adapted to be UL compliant.
US07845118B2
According to the invention, a method of making an eave for a roof on a building is disclosed. The method may include providing a structure with at least two sides and a roof frame. The method may further include coupling at least two of a plurality of eave blocks with a first trim piece. The method may also include coupling at least two of the plurality of eave blocks with a second trim piece. The method may further include coupling a roof piece with a top of the roof frame and a top of at least two of the plurality of eave blocks. In some embodiments, the eave blocks may include lumber having a grain direction and the method may include coupling the eave blocks with the first trim piece such that the grain direction is substantially parallel to a length of the first trim piece.
US07845112B2
A planter for growing a transplantable plant includes a container having a sidewall and a bottom and further includes a retainer member for retaining a plant which has been transplanted within the container through the sidewall or bottom thereof. The retainer member defines an expandable opening which is movable between expanded and normally-collapsed conditions so that by urging a plant root system end-first against the retainer member, the expandable opening is moved to an expanded condition to permit the root system to pass through the expandable opening into the container interior. Upon passage of the root system through the expandable opening, the expandable opening is permitted to return toward its normally-collapsed condition about the stem of the plant to thereby prevent the withdrawal of the root system of the plant from the container interior through the plant retainer.
US07845107B1
An artificial fishing lure having two separate uses resembling both a squid or a baitfish dependent upon the hook set direction. The lure has a cylindrical body member and elongated flexible tentacles. The lure may be operated in a forward direction to resemble a baitfish and a backward direction to resemble a squid. The lure body has perforations so that the bait fish tail area can be manually torn from the lure body for use as a squid looking bait.
US07845103B2
There is provided an illuminated sign mounting system and methods for mounting an illuminated sign to a mounting surface.
US07845102B2
A motion image advertising system, coupled with an advertising dummy enlarging an object to be advertised such as a mobile phone, a video camera, or the like, is disclosed. The motion image advertising system includes a screen window and a display apparatus or a flat display installed to the rear side of the screen window and having a screen and a projector. The display apparatus is installed to a support. The support includes a fixing device and an advertising dummy attaching device, respectively installed to the advertising dummy device and the display apparatus to couple and separate the advertising dummy. The advertising dummy and the advertising motion image are simultaneously provided to consumers to increase advertising impact. If necessary, the advertising dummy device can be easily separated from the display apparatus such as the screen to be replaced.
US07845099B2
A method for manufacturing a pop-up article from one or more continuous webs of material using an inline printing press. The article comprises a curved or generally semi-cylindrical pop-up device enclosed within a base piece, such that when the base piece is in a closed position, the pop-up device lies flat therein, but when the base piece is moved to an open position, the pop-up device is forced outwardly from the base piece to form a curved or generally semi-cylindrical shape. The method comprises processing a first web or ribbon to define a base piece having a front and back cover, processing a second web or ribbon to define a pop-up device, separating the pop-up device from the second web or ribbon, adhering a tab of the pop-up device to the front cover, adhering a front flap of the pop-up device to the rear cover, and separating the article from the first web or ribbon.
US07845096B2
An outsole for a shoe has a backing member of thermoplastic rubber and on an area of the exterior surface of that backing member an intermediate layer of thermoplastic polyurethane and an outermost layer of fabric, the area comprising at least 51 percent of the contact surface of the outsole. In producing the outsole, a sheet of fabric is overlain with a sheet of thermo plastic urethane, the sheet is heated to about the melting point of the TPU to permit the TPU to adhere to the fabric, and the fabric is cooled. The TPU-covered fabric is cut to the size and shape required to fit a backing member, and position in a mold on a bottom surface of a mold, and a quantity of TPR is injected at a temperature lower than the melting point of the TPU but high enough to render the TPU tacky, to insure the inherence of the TPU-covered fabric to the backing, including the resultant outsole.
US07845093B2
The tape measure apparatus has a rule blade that is retractably stored in the tape measure apparatus and protrudes when extended during use. For measurements, the rule blade has graduated indicia markings along the rule blade. An end-piece attached to the rule blade has an aperture for receiving a marking instrument to mark and scribe on a work piece and a blade slot for receiving and supporting a blade. There is also a protective shield guide that protects the fingers from slivers and cuts. It has a pivot attachment between the protective shield and the guide. The pivot moves the protective shield into a stored position generally parallel to the rule blade, and in a working position generally perpendicular the rule blade. The guide is slidable along the rule blade. The entire protective shield guide slidably moves into the housing. Thus, the entire protective shield guide disappears and is protected from any outside force by being inside the housing when not in use.
US07845092B2
A linear guide unit is provided having a guide carriage (2) that can be moved in a longitudinal direction on a guide rail (1) and a length measuring system with a measuring head (3) that cooperates with a measuring body (4) arranged parallel to the guide rail (1). The measuring body (4) is located at a distance from the guide rail (1) and arranged within a clearance profile of the linear guide unit.
US07845089B1
An electrical fixture for facilitating the location of a corresponding opening in a construction panel. The electrical fixture comprises a housing for mounting to a stationary building structure behind the construction panel and a collar having a back portion that will eventually fit through the corresponding opening made in the construction panel and into the housing. The back portion of the collar can be locked within the housing. A placement jig is removably secured within the housing and has a cylindrical portion extending outwardly from the housing that will extend through a small preliminary opening made in the construction panel, so that the corresponding opening can be made in the construction panel to allow the back portion of the collar to fit therethrough.
US07845076B2
Re-machining a generator rotor tooth dovetail results in a transition zone at an end of the partial re-machined cut, between a newly cut load surface and an original load surface of the rotor tooth. The transition zone is susceptible to stresses that may adversely affect the fatigue strength of the rotor tooth. These stresses can be reduced by the steps of (a) forming at least one axial undercut stress relief groove across the transition zone between the newly cut load surface and the original load surface, (b) cutting and shaping a wedge that will fit in the transition zone, and (c) securing the wedge across the transition zone.
US07845064B2
A control apparatus and method for controlling an image display includes at least one reference object for generating a predetermined spectrum signal, a modulation unit for modulating the predetermined spectrum signal with a predetermined method, and a remote controller. The remote controller includes an image sensor for receiving the modulated predetermined spectrum signal and generating a digital signal and a processing unit for receiving the digital signal, demodulating the digital signal, and calculating an image variation of the image of the reference object formed on the digital image.
US07845063B2
A method for manufacturing a quartz crystal unit comprises forming a quartz crystal tuning fork resonator that is capable of vibrating in a flexural mode of an inverse phase and that has a quartz crystal tuning fork base, and first and second quartz crystal tuning fork tines connected to the quartz crystal tuning fork base. An electrode is disposed on each of two of side surfaces of each of the first and second quartz crystal tuning fork tines so that the electrodes of the first quartz crystal tuning fork tine have an electrical polarity opposite to an electrical polarity of the electrodes of the second quartz crystal tuning fork tine, a motional capacitance C1 of a fundamental mode of vibration of the quartz crystal tuning fork resonator being greater than a motional capacitance C2 of a second overtone mode of vibration thereof.
US07845057B2
A crank puller includes a nut portion having a front end for screwing into a threaded hole on a crank, and an internally threaded bore; a bolt portion screwed through the threaded bore and having a front conical-bottomed hole; a head portion fitted in the conical-bottomed hole and having a front end with an annular groove for receiving an elastic element therein; and a cap portion assembled around the front end of the head portion for pressing against a crank axle, and being replaceable corresponding to a diametrical size of the crank axle.
US07845056B2
The invention relates to a device (11) for handling an article (13) such as a coil spring, and to an installation for handling an article. The device (11) comprises a body (10) having an internal housing (12) suitable for containing said article (13), said housing (12) presenting at least one open end (10A, 10B) and a constriction zone (14) that is suitable in a stable state, in which said constriction zone (14) presents a reduce dimension (D14X) that is reduced in a first direction (X), for retaining said article (13) inside the body (10), and for being deformed to adopt a deformed configuration enabling said article (13) to be inserted into the housing (12) or enabling said article (13) to be extracted from the housing (12). The installation includes force-application means for acting on the device to change it between its stable state and its deformed configuration.
US07845055B1
A method and apparatus for manufacturing absorbent tampons with reduced fiber fluff includes a novel needlepunching unit. The method includes the steps of providing a continuous nonwoven fibrous web; separating individual nonwoven web sections from the continuous nonwoven fibrous web; forming distinct side edges of each individual nonwoven web section; rolling the nonwoven web section to form a substantially cylindrical tampon blank; and compressing the substantially cylindrical tampon blank to form the absorbent tampon. The distinct side edges of each individual nonwoven web section are formed by needlepunching proximate the longitudinal side edges of each individual nonwoven web section, folding both longitudinal side edges inwardly to form distinct side edges of the individual nonwoven web section, and needlepunching the folded longitudinal side edges to stabilize the distinct side edges of the individual nonwoven web section. The nonwoven web section is rolled about a winding axis substantially parallel to the width to form the substantially cylindrical tampon blank having an insertion end and a withdrawal end.
US07845049B2
Door assemblies having magnetized bumpers for use with vehicles are disclosed. The door assemblies comprise a bumper assembly for use in a vehicle having a door that when fully opens contacts an adjacent body panel. The bumper assembly includes a bumper having a base and a distal end opposite the base. The base is configured for fixed attachment to the first exterior surface of a vehicle. The bumper is made of an elastomer and/or plastic and is configured for removable engagement with a second exterior surface. A magnet is provided with at least a portion of the magnet embedded in the body between the distal end and the base. The magnet is located within the bumper sufficiently close to the distal end to exert an attractive magnetic force sufficient to retain a door in contact with the bumper but without the magnet directly touching the door.
US07845048B1
An air-blower includes a housing formed from non-corrosive material and is sized for being transportable. The housing has a cavity concentrically centered about its axis, and has an open distal end in fluid communication with the cavity and a closed proximal end. A conduit is conjoined to the housing and provided with proximal and distal ends. The conduit is telescopically adjustable. A mechanism is included for discharging a volume of air away from the conduit. A power supply source is coupled to the discharging mechanism and is contained within the housing, and includes a rechargeable battery pack. The power supply source includes first and second power cords connectable to the battery pack for recharging the battery pack from a cigarette lighter or an electrical wall outlet. A quick-release fastener is connected to the proximal end of the housing for attaching the air-blower to a belt region of one's pants.
US07845046B2
A hand-held vacuum cleaner with a container for the storage of dirt and debris therein. To provide improved efficiency and performance, the hand-held vacuum may employ a primary HEPA filter, a device for swirling a dirt and debris laden air flow and/or a mechanized filter cleaning device. Swirling may be employed to direct entrained dirt and debris in a desired direction relative to the container to slow the rate with which dirt and debris accumulates on the primary filter and/or to centrifugally remove dirt and debris from the air flow. Mechanized cleaning is employed to shake, scrape or otherwise remove accumulated dirt and debris from the primary filter.
US07845037B2
A triple pass tunnel finisher for finishing fabric. The finisher includes a side module, a front module, and a rear module. The side module includes an entrance for receiving a fabric piece to be conveyed through the apparatus, and a steam injection chamber downstream of the entrance for treating the fabric piece with steam. The front module communicates with the side module to receive the fabric piece conveyed therefrom, and includes first and second hot air chambers, and an exit downstream of the second hot air chamber. The rear module communicates with the front module to receive the fabric piece therefrom, and includes a heating apparatus for heating the fabric piece, and a U-shaped intermediate hot air chamber downstream from the first hot air chamber and upstream from the second hot air chamber for receiving the fabric piece from the first hot air chamber and for delivering the fabric piece to the second hot air chamber.
US07845024B2
A suspender set and peace officer's shirt are described wherein the suspenders for the duty belt are located beneath the officer's shirt with only a portion of the suspender set extending outwardly through the front and rear of the shirt for connection to the duty belt worn by the officer.
US07845023B2
Fibers, such as textile fibers, having electrical components deposited thereon. More particularly, one or more electrical components are formed directly onto the surface of at least one fiber. The fiber having the electrical component formed thereon may then be interlaced with other fibers to form a larger piece of fabric, which can be employed to produce an article of clothing. A group of transistors and piezoelectric components forming an accelerometer may be woven onto one or more natural or synthetic fibers. The fibers may then be employed as the warp, weft, or both, of a woven piece of fabric, or used to form a knitted piece of fabric. The fabric piece can then be cut and sewn to form a wearable item, such as a shirt, a pair of pants, a hat, or the upper piece of a shoe that includes the accelerometer.
US07845021B2
The invention relates to a garment which is intended for the lower part of the body, such as trousers or shorts that are fitted to the waist or hip, which lifts the user's gluteal region in order to improve the appearance thereof while simultaneously providing a high degree of comfort. For said purpose, each of the rear sections of the garment is equipped with: a plurality of built-in clips which extend approximately from the centre of a reinforcing line close to the upper edge of the garment towards the centre of the corresponding buttock; and a plurality of built-in clips which extend from the seam between the rear section and the respective front section, which are disposed in line with the gluteal region and which extend towards the centre of the corresponding buttock. The contour of the aforementioned sections comprises a pronounced outward curve in the join therebetween, such as, when joined, to form a pocket which receives, contains and gives shape to the user's fat and muscular mass, thereby providing the user's figure with the desired effect.
US07845017B2
Protective knee pads are comprised of a first shell member which fits over the patella and knee joint and a second member which is attached to the lower thigh and pivotally engaged with the knee pad shell so that they may articulate one with respect to the other while providing additional support and protection for the user of the knee pad. An additional shin pad may also be attached to the lower end of the shell which covers the knee.
US07849516B2
A method of scanning over a substrate includes implementing a write mode of the substrate by scanning a probe across a substrate, the probe having a spring cantilever probe mechanically fixed to a probe holding structure, a tip with a nanoscale apex, and an actuator for lateral positioning of the tip; the actuator comprising a thermally switchable element and a heating element for heating the thermally switchable element; and heating the heating element to a given temperature so as to locally soften a portion of the substrate and applying a force to the softened portion of the substrate through the tip so as to create one or more indentation marks in the softened portion of the substrate.
US07849514B2
A system and method for securing data on a mass storage device. A centralized device permission store contains device identifiers for the mass storage devices to be secured along with keys of a symmetric cipher that have been encrypted with public keys or pass phrases of authorized users of the devices. A list of these users also contained in the store. A helper module provides the private key or pass phrase, for imported keys, needed to decrypt the key of the symmetric cipher, which is used to encrypt and decrypt blocks of data stored on the mass storage device. When a read request is made, a protection module intercepts the request, obtains the block from the mass storage device and decrypts the block. When a write request is made, the protection module intercepts the request, encrypts the block and has it stored on the mass storage device.
US07849510B2
A data storage system providing transparent encryption. The data storage system has a hardware encryption/decryption engine and a register coupled to the hardware encryption/decryption engine. The register is for securely storing a key for encrypting and decrypting data. The key may not be read from outside the data storage system. More specifically, the key may not be read by the operating system. The user does not have access to the encryption key, but may have a password that is passed to a controller coupled to the encryption/decryption engine. The controller verifies the password and causes data received from main memory to be encrypted by the hardware encryption/decryption engine using the key. The controller also transfers the encrypted data to the data storage device.
US07849499B2
In one embodiment, detecting a wireless network access request, forwarding data associated with the detected wireless network access request to a first multipoint Generic Routing Encapsulation (mGRE) tunnel, receiving authentication information associated with the detected wireless network access request, receiving authentication status information for the detected wireless network access request, and forwarding data associated with the detected wireless network access request to a second multipoint Generic Routing Encapsulation (mGRE) tunnel connected to a predetermined internet protocol (IP) subnet when the received authentication status information includes a successful authentication, are provided.
US07849498B2
A system and associated communication protocol enables network compatible applications to be integrated into any process involving concurrent operation of applications. A system for use in a first application concurrently operating together with a plurality of network compatible applications includes an entitlement processor. The entitlement processor enables user access to the first application in response to validation of user identification information. The system also includes a communication processor for intermittently communicating an activity indication to a managing application within a timeout window and the activity indication is communicated sufficiently often to prevent an inactivity timeout of the first application. The managing application receives activity indications from multiple concurrently operating applications sufficiently frequently to prevent an inactivity timeout of the individual applications and maintains corresponding activity monitoring indicators.
US07849490B2
A method, apparatus and computer program product for providing scalability for channel change requests in a Switched Digital Video system is presented. A request for a channel change is received. A determination is made regarding whether a channel requested by the request for a channel change is currently being provided to the settop box. When the channel requested by the request for a channel change is being provided to the settop box then the request for a channel change is buffered for transmission at a later time. When the channel requested by the request for a channel change is not being provided to the settop box then the request for a channel change is immediately sent to an SDV server in communication with the settop box.
US07849483B2
A system and method for displaying a simplified electronic program schedule guide on a user's television monitor is provided. In one embodiment, the program schedule guide is abbreviated to include only the programs currently available for viewing on a subset of the available channels. In another embodiment, the program guide screen visually distinguishes between programs for the convenience of the viewer.
US07849481B2
A system may provide a video program or information associated with the video program on a video display device, and provide an interactive content icon on the video display device. The interactive content icon may indicate that interactive content is available for the video program.
US07849480B1
A unified system of programming communication. The system encompasses the prior art (television, radio, broadcast hardcopy, computer communications, etc.) and new user specific mass media. Within the unified system, parallel processing computer systems, each having an input (e.g., 77) controlling a plurality of computers (e.g., 205), generate and output user information at receiver stations. Under broadcast control, local computers (73, 205), combine user information selectively into prior art communications to exhibit personalized mass media programming at video monitors (202), speakers (263), printers (221), etc. At intermediate transmission stations (e.g., cable television stations), signals in network broadcasts and from local inputs (74, 77, 97, 98) cause control processors (71) and computers (73) to selectively automate connection and operation of receivers (53), recorder/players (76), computers (73), generators (82), strippers (81), etc. At receiver stations, signals in received transmissions and from local inputs (225, 218, 22) cause control processors (200) and computers (205) to automate connection and operation of converters (201), tuners (215), decryptors (224), recorder/players (217), computers (205), furnaces (206), etc. Processors (71, 200) meter and monitor availability and usage of programming.
US07849475B2
A system and method for selective recording of information uses sequential pattern matching of statistical vectors which characterize incoming time-based information to identify previously marked information within an incoming information stream. The system and method generate a signal to control a recording device to either elide the previously marked information from the recording, or to begin recording once the previously marked information is identified, depending upon the current mode of operation. The system and method may be utilized to omit recording of unwanted information, such as commercials in a television broadcast, or to automatically locate desired information on any of a number of available information channels without a priori knowledge of the occurrence time or channel of the information.
US07849466B2
A multithreaded processor device is disclosed and includes a processor that is configured to execute a plurality of executable program threads and a mode control register. The mode control register includes a first data field to control a first execution mode of a first of the plurality of executable program threads and a second data field to control a second execution mode of a second of the plurality of executable program threads. In a particular embodiment, the first execution mode is a run mode and the second execution mode is a low power mode.
US07849464B2
A transaction manager maintains an enlistment data structure used for managing resource object enlistment. A transaction manager may receive an enlistment request initiated from a resource object. Upon receiving the request, the transaction manager will determine if the resource object is already enlisted. If the resource object is already enlisted, the transaction manager will block the enlistment request. If the resource object is not enlisted, the transaction manager will enlist the resource. Upon enlistment, the resource object will perform a requested task or service. After the requested task or service is complete, the resource initiates a delistment request to the transaction manager. After receiving the delistment request from the resource, object, the transaction manager is delisted from the enlistment data structure.
US07849463B2
Systems and methods for dynamically variable idle time thread scheduling are described. In one aspect, threads are scheduled according to a predetermined periodic rate. If there are no threads to execute, one or more hardware elements and program modules are deactivated to an idle state for a dynamic variable amount of time. The dynamic variable amount of time is independent of the predetermined periodic rate at which threads are scheduled. The dynamic variable amount of time is also independent of key press events, and any event associated with release of a resource. Instead, the dynamic variable amount of time is based on a sleep state of a set of threads in a sleep queue.
US07849462B2
Virtual machine image files are stored in a virtual machine storage by a virtual machine image file server. Users at virtual machine clients connect to the virtual machine image file server and are presented with a list of the available virtual machine image files in a virtual machine image store. Users of the virtual machine clients are able to select the desired virtual machine image, and begin executing in the selected virtual machine environment as soon as the selected virtual machine image file begins downloading to the client computer. When a virtual machine image file is selected for storage it is divided into several segments. Each segment is compared with segments of previously stored virtual machine image files already in storage. For example, only non-duplicate segments are stored.
US07849461B2
A method for loading a network configuration program on a wired/wireless network product is provided. The method includes the steps of: installing a driver of a wireless network interface card (NIC) and corresponding software bundle in a flash memory (23) of the network product (2), the software bundle comprising a wired network configuration program and a wireless network configuration program; sending the driver to a peripheral bus (26) of the network product; receiving a signaled result from the peripheral bus; determining whether the network product is a wired network product or a wireless network product according to the signaled result; loading the wired network configuration program on the network product when the network product is a wired network product; and loading the wireless network configuration program on the network product when the network product is a wireless network product. A related system is also provided.
US07849450B1
Devices, methods, and software program products for reverse execution of a simulation and/or tracing a value are provided. A state of a preceding checkpoint may be restored and a simulation may be run forward. Break points or watch points may be noted and the state of the last occurring breakpoint or watch point preceding the current simulation position may be restored. If no breakpoint or watch point occurred, an earlier checkpoint may be loaded and the previous steps may be repeated.
US07849440B1
In a graphical modeling environment, a preview of code generated in response to a selected component in a graphical model is presented using a graphical user interface. The code preview provides feedback to a user regarding the impact of the settings for the selected component, allowing the user to observe the effect of certain settings before generating code for the entire graphical model. The code preview may be presented through the same graphical user interface used to select the settings for the component, or a separate graphical user interface.
US07849439B2
An application-generic sequence diagram generator is driven by a non-proprietary language. According to one embodiment, a source file describes, in a non-proprietary language, a flow (e.g., a message exchange) of an application. An automatic sequence diagram generator is operable to receive as input the source file, and generate, based on such source file, a sequence diagram representing the flow described by the source file. In an exemplary embodiment, the non-proprietary language is a markup language, such as Extensible Markup Language (XML). The sequence diagram generator is general purpose (or “application-generic”), as it can generate a sequence diagram representing the flow of any application described in the source file. The application for which the source file describes the flow may be any type of application, including without limitation a computer-executable software application, a communication protocol, or any message exchange between actors.
US07849438B1
An enterprise development process for outsourced software development is provided. The process includes generating, by a business unit of an entity or organization, a concept requiring one or more computer applications, such as a project. An information technology unit of the entity may then create an integrated architecture blueprint including a design of at least a portion of the one or more computer applications. One or more outsourced suppliers of the entity, design at least a portion of the application according to the integrated architecture blueprint. The information technology unit integrates the application into a computing production environment of the entity.
US07849437B2
A framework for implementing web-based applications using standard object-oriented programming techniques. The framework may be implemented by computer-executable components executable by a Web browser is provided. The components include a resource creation method for creating resource objects, a page interpreter creating instances of objects based on bindings defined in a web-page, and a lifecycle management component for managing instances of the objects.
US07849434B2
Some embodiments provide a method that defines a set of connections that connect the nodes in a configurable node array. The method identifies different sets of connections for connecting a set of the nodes. For each identified set of connections, the method computes a metric score that quantifies a quality of the identified set of connections. The method then selects one of the identified sets of connections to connect the configurable nodes in the array.
US07849431B2
Provided is a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) inverter layout for increasing an effective channel length. The CMOS inverter layout may include first and second conductive MOS transistors respectively formed in first and second active regions, metal lines electrically connecting the first and second conductive MOS transistors, and one or more gate electrodes electrically connecting the gates of the first and second conductive MOS transistors. The widths of one or more gate electrodes may be set to a reduced and/or minimum feature size to reduce and/or minimize a process variation and a layout area of the CMOS inverter. Also, the first and second conductive MOS transistors may be connected in series via the metal lines to increase an effective channel length, thereby realizing a layout of the CMOS inverter having a longer delay than a conventional CMOS inverter.
US07849430B2
A pruning algorithm for generating a reverse donut model (RDM) for running timing analysis for a block in an IC includes logic to reduce a hierarchical model of the IC to a single level flat model. A block from a plurality of blocks that make up the IC is identified from the single level flat model of the IC. The pruning algorithm is further used to initialize a timer and to define timing constraints associated with each of a plurality of input and output pins associated with the identified block. A RDM for the identified block is generated by identifying and including connectivity information associated with a plurality of input and output pins in an outer boundary of the identified block and at least one layer of interface connection between each of the plurality of input and output pins in the outer layer of the identified block and one or more circuit elements external to the identified block in the IC interfacing with each of the plurality of input and output pins in the identified block. The generated RDM acts as a blackbox for the identified block and is used in place of the identified block for running the timing analysis.
US07849425B1
A method, system and apparatus for constructing a comprehensive test plan for a design under test (DUT) using a hierarchy of goals to generate test cases are provided. Embodiments of the present invention provide for automatically generating a first test case of the test plan from the goal hierarchy by traversing a path from a starting goal to an ending goal, wherein a first goal in the path has a first definition for one or more of a slot and a method. The ending goal of will then assume the first definition of the slot or method, as needed. A further aspect of the invention is generating a second test case by traversing a second path through the hierarchy. If the second path involves traversing a second goal with a second definition of the slot or method, then the ending goal will assume the second definition of the slot or method, as needed.
US07849423B1
A photomask dataset corresponding to a target-pattern is verified by simulating a resist-pattern that will be formed in a resist layer by a lithography process, simulating an etched-pattern that will be etched in a layer by a plasma process wherein said simulation comprises calculating a flux of particles impacting a feature, and determining whether the etched-pattern substantially conforms to the target-pattern.
US07849421B2
A virtual mouse driving apparatus and method for processing a variety of gesture commands as equivalent mouse commands based on two-handed gesture information obtained by a video camera are provided. The virtual mouse driving method includes: keeping track of an input gesture input with the video camera; removing a background portion of the input gesture image and extracting a left-hand region and a right-hand region from the input gesture image whose background portion has been removed; recognizing a left-hand gesture and a right-hand gesture from the extracted left-hand region and the extracted right-hand region, respectively, and recognizing gesture commands corresponding to the recognition results; and executing the recognized gesture commands.
US07849420B1
A system and method providing interactive content representations enabling content sharing are disclosed. In general, a content representation that is descriptive of content made accessible by a hosting user is presented in association with a content representation host representing the hosting user. The content representation host may be, for example, an avatar in a virtual environment, a custom webpage of the hosting user, an identifier of the hosting user in a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, an identifier of the hosting user in a mobile network, or the like. Based on the content representation, a viewing user can determine whether content of interest is accessible from the hosting user. The viewing user may interact with the content representation to further explore the content made accessible by the hosting user and, if desired, initiate transfer of at least some of the content to a client device associated with the viewing user.
US07849416B2
A system and method for developing a prototype that comprises a sequence of motion control, machine vision, and/or data acquisition (DAQ) “MC/MV/DAQ” operations. A MC/MV/DAQ prototyping environment may be designed to enable a user to easily and efficiently develop/prototype a MC/MV/DAQ sequence (i.e., a sequence of operations which includes one or more motion control, machine vision, and/or DAQ operations) without requiring the user to perform programming, e.g., without needing to write or construct code in any programming language. For example, the environment may provide a graphical user interface (GUI) enabling the user to develop/prototype the MC/MV/DAQ sequence at a high level, by selecting from and configuring a sequence of MC/MV/DAQ operations using the GUI.
US07849414B2
Techniques for anti-aliasing of graphical objects. A graphical object to be displayed on a display image may be modified to include a border region at least partially surrounding the object. The color of the border region may be selected based on the color of the background over which the graphical object is to be displayed. The graphical object is linearly filtered. The linearly filtered graphical object is displayed on a display device.
US07849397B1
A system and method for providing electronic data entry forms with trainable data field sequencing includes a computing system implemented process for providing electronic data entry forms with trainable data field sequencing whereby as data fields are accessed in a specific sequence by a user to enter data associated with a first item, the specific sequence in which the data entry fields are accessed is learned/stored. Then the data fields are accessed in the same specific sequence for data entry associated with all subsequent items until the trainable data field sequencing feature is deactivated.
US07849383B2
In a nonvolatile memory system, first raw data is obtained from stored data using a first set of reading parameters. Subsequently, the first raw data is transferred to an ECC circuit where it is decoded. While the first raw data is being transferred and decoded, second raw data is obtained from the same stored data using a second set of reading parameters.
US07849378B2
An ID (identification) information, user data, and a control information are disposed each in one block, and subject to an error correction code (ECC). The user data and control information are disposed in an ECC block 1, while the ID information is disposed in an ECC block 2. The ECC blocks 1 and 2 are coded separately for error correction. The blocks thus coded for error correction are disposed in one physical structure, data is modulated, a sync signal is added to the modulated data, and then the data is written to an optical disc having the above data format.
US07849368B2
A server self health monitor (SHM) system monitors the health of the server it resides on. The health of a server is determined by the health of all of a server's sub-systems and deployed applications. The SHM may make health check inquiries to server sub-systems periodically or based on external trigger events. The sub-systems perform self health checks on themselves and provide sub-system health information to requesting entities such as the SHM. Sub-systems self health updates may be based on internal events such as counters or changes in status or based on external entity requests. Corrective action may be performed upon sub-systems by the SHM depending on their health status or the health status of the server. Corrective action may also be performed by a sub-system upon itself.
US07849364B2
The subject invention relates to systems and methods that automatically monitor and record component-related activities to support remote diagnostic capabilities. In one aspect, an automated computer diagnostic system is provided. The system includes a trace component that monitors computer-related activities between a driver and an operating system component. The trace component can be embedded within the driver or coupled thereto but, generally records activities relating to a given driver in contrast to generically for the entire operating system. A log records the computer-related activities to facilitate problem diagnosis with respect to the driver or the operating system component.
US07849363B2
A troubleshooting support device includes a keyword file storage unit in which keyword files holding keywords constituted with character strings contained in logs related to trouble that occurs in the substrate processing apparatus stored in advance, are stored. A keyword to be used for log search, selected from a keyword file specified based upon input information provided via an input unit, is set and also, a category-specific log file to be used for log analysis is set based upon input information provided via the input unit. Logs in the category-specific log file having been set are extracted and incorporated, and an analysis log file is created by sorting the extracted logs in time sequence. When the logs in the analysis log file are displayed at a display unit, a log containing the keyword having been set is located by searching through the analysis log file and is displayed in a highlighted display.
US07849355B2
A distributed object sharing system and a method thereof are provided. In a file server writing method for storing an object in a RAID (redundant array of inexpensive disks) apparatus having a plurality of storage apparatuses, the file server writing method includes: a first process of, when an object writing command for a specific object is generated during error recovery in an erroneous storage apparatus, checking a recovery state of the object with reference to recovery state information provided from a metadata server; a second process of, when the recovery of the object is completed, performing the object writing command on a normal storage apparatus and a recovery storage apparatus; a third process of, when the recovery of the object is proceeding, receiving the recovery state information from the metadata server again, checking the recovery state of the object again, and determining whether or not to perform the second process; a fourth process of, when the second process is determined not to performed, performing the object writing command on only the normal storage apparatus and receiving the recovery state information from the metadata server again; and a fifth process of checking the recovery state of the object with reference to the received recovery state information and, when the recovery of the object is completed, additionally performing the object writing command on the recovery storage apparatus. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent data loss and perform I/O command during error recovery.
US07849354B2
Multiple versions of data on different sets of machines allow a system to degrade gracefully even when experiencing excessive failures. When excessive failures cause the latest versions to be unavailable, the system becomes degraded, but still offers an old version if available. A most recent coherent set of the available older versions is found and provided. The degree of degradation increases gradually as the system experiences more and more failures. Graceful degradation is desirably complementary to fault tolerance.
US07849352B2
A disk drive system and method capable of dynamically allocating data is provided. The disk drive system may include a RAID subsystem having a pool of storage, for example a page pool of storage that maintains a free list of RAIDs, or a matrix of disk storage blocks that maintain a null list of RAIDs, and a disk manager having at least one disk storage system controller. The RAID subsystem and disk manager dynamically allocate data across the pool of storage and a plurality of disk drives based on RAID-to-disk mapping. The RAID subsystem and disk manager determine whether additional disk drives are required, and a notification is sent if the additional disk drives are required. Dynamic data allocation and data progression allow a user to acquire a disk drive later in time when it is needed. Dynamic data allocation also allows efficient data storage of snapshots/point-in-time copies of virtual volume pool of storage, instant data replay and data instant fusion for data backup, recovery etc., remote data storage, and data progression, etc.
US07849341B2
An information processing apparatus which can communicate with a printing apparatus that operates in the first electric power state in which electric power necessary for a status response to an external request is supplied and the second electric power state in which no necessary electric power is supplied includes an acquisition unit which acquires a shift notice from the first electric power state to the second electric power state that is transmitted from the printing apparatus, and a control unit which hastens access to the printing apparatus on the basis of the shift notice acquired by the acquisition unit.
US07849335B2
A system and method for providing a communication enabled UPS power system for information handling system is disclosed. According to one aspect, an information handling system can be used to communicate with a power source using a first power cable. The information handling system can include a power circuit operable to power a portion of an information handling system using input power provided by an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). The information handling system can also include a UPS controller coupled to the power circuit. The UPS controller can control the output of the first UPS using a first power cable operable to provide the input power to power the portion of the information handling system.
US07849332B1
The present invention facilitates maintenance of processor speed by voltage level adjustment. In one embodiment, a present invention voltage adjustment system includes a speed analysis component that compares an actual speed of a processing unit to a directed speed. If the actual speed is lower than the directed speed, a voltage control component directs offset adjustments in a voltage level of a power signal to the processor. For example, the voltage control component directs an increases in a voltage level of a power signal. The voltage level can be altered to compensate for variations in hardware tolerance variations. In one embodiment of the present invention, a voltage sensor measures the actual voltage of the processing unit.
US07849328B2
Systems and methods for managing digital assets in a distributed computing environment are described. Meta-data for the digital assets is stored separately from the digital assets. Meta-data for some of the digital assets is copied and stored at a central location. Meta-data for the digital assets is generated by clients of the system. A method for providing secure restricted access to a digital asset includes: encrypting, by a first computing device, a digital asset; creating, by the first computing device, an executable file, the executable file comprising the encrypted digital asset, permission information associated with the digital asset, and executable code for decrypting and viewing the digital asset; creating, by the first computing device, a digital signature corresponding to the executable file; and transmitting, to a second computing device, the executable file and the digital signature. Corresponding systems and computer readable media with executable instructions are also described.
US07849326B2
A data processing system accepts a removable hardware device, which becomes electrically engaged with a system unit within the data processing system, after which the removable hardware device and the hardware security unit mutually authenticate themselves. The removable hardware device stores a private key of a first asymmetric cryptographic key pair and a public key of a second asymmetric cryptographic key pair that is associated with the hardware security unit, and the hardware security unit stores a private key of the second asymmetric cryptographic key pair and a public key of the first asymmetric cryptographic key pair that is associated with the removable hardware device. In response to successfully performing the mutual authentication operation between the removable hardware device and the hardware security unit, the system unit is enabled to invoke cryptographic functions on the hardware security unit while the removable hardware device remains electrically engaged with the system unit.
US07849312B2
Aspects of the present invention include a method and system for generating a secure access code at a remote device in communication with a computer system having a secure storage device; conveying the secure access code to the system secure storage device; receiving the secure access code at the system secure storage device with unique data characteristics associated with remote device; and, securely providing content to the remote device.
US07849298B2
A method and system are disclosed for saving soft state information, which is non-critical for executing a process in a processor, upon a receipt of a process interrupt by the processor. The soft state is transmitted to a memory associated with the processor via a memory interface. Preferably, the soft state is transmitted within the processor to the memory interface via a scan-chain pathway within the processor, which allows functional data pathways to remain unobstructed by the storage of the soft state. Thereafter, the stored soft state can be restored from memory when the process is again executed.
US07849295B2
A data processing apparatus includes an operation processing unit and a data feature determining circuit. The operation processing unit is configured to sequentially perform preset operation processing on operation data in units of sub blocks to output an operation resultant data. Each of the operation data is divided into blocks, each of which comprises the sub blocks. The data feature determining circuit is configured to control the operation processing unit in units of blocks based on feature data respectively added to the blocks to indicate features of the blocks.
US07849294B2
Illustrative embodiments determine the data type of the operand being accessed as well as analyze the data value subrange of the input operand data type. If the operand's data type does not match the required format of the instruction being processed, a determination is made as to whether a subrange of data values of the data type of the input operand is supported natively. If the subrange of data values of the input operand is not supported natively, then a format conversion is performed on the data and the instruction may then operate on the data. Otherwise, the data may be operated on directly by the instruction without a format conversion operation and thus, the conversion is not performed.
US07849282B2
To provide a technique whereby a plurality of types of storage media can be utilized in an efficient manner. A management apparatus includes a file manager that manages files within an integrated memory area that includes a first memory area composed of at least a part of the first type of storage medium and a second memory area composed of at least a part of the second type of storage medium. The file manager builds one filesystem on the integrated memory area, in consideration of a range of the first memory area and a range of the second memory area.
US07849279B2
For securing the data areas of a memory in an electronic component, said component is able to modify said data areas. A method includes a single backup memory of data areas including means of reference of the data to be secured, and means of backing up information on said data areas.
US07849271B2
Protection mechanism is provided for data stored in logical volumes, especially during the time the corresponding host computer is off line. Additionally, integrity check mechanism is provided for logical volume when the host computer is started, so that host computer can detect unauthorized access to its assigned logical volume during off-line period, and execute security check.
US07849270B2
The present invention is directed towards a method and system for modifying by a cache responses from a server that do not identify a dynamically generated object as cacheable to identify the dynamically generated object to a client as cacheable in the response. In some embodiments, such as an embodiment handling HTTP requests and responses for objects, the techniques of the present invention insert an entity tag, or “etag” into the response to provide cache control for objects provided without entity tags and/or cache control information from an originating server. This technique of the present invention provides an increase in cache hit rates by inserting information, such as entity tag and cache control information for an object, in a response to a client to enable the cache to check for a hit in a subsequent request.
US07849267B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for network-extended storage. A portable storage device is coupled to a host computer, and network extension code stored on the portable storage device is invoked. The network extension code is operable to detect a file system write function call generated by an application executing on the host computer, the file system write function call operable to cause data to be written to the portable storage device, and cause the data to be written to the portable storage device based upon the file system write function call. The network extension code is further operable to generate a transmit determination indicative of whether to transmit the data to a network repository, and transmit the data to the network repository based upon the transmit determination.
US07849265B2
A storage system provides virtual ports, and is able to transfer the virtual ports among physical ports located on multiple storage control units making up the storage system. The storage system is able to manage logical volumes and/or virtual volumes and virtual ports as a group when considering whether to move logical/virtual volumes and/or virtual ports to another storage control unit in the storage system. When the storage system is instructed to transfer volumes, virtual ports, or a group of volumes and virtual ports among the storage control units, the storage system determines whether an inter-unit network will be required to be used following the transfer. When the storage system determines that the inter-unit network will be required if the transfer takes place, the storage system determines and presents an alternate storage control unit for the transfer to avoid use of the inter-unit network, thereby avoiding degraded performance.
US07849257B1
A method and apparatus for storing and retrieving data. The embodiment may maintain all previously-written data in a portion of a storage device, such as a hard disk, writable optical media, or memory, for an indefinite period. Old data is not overwritten unless the storage capacity of the storage device is exceeded. Accordingly, prior versions of data may be accessed by the embodiment as desired.
US07849256B2
Embodiments of a distributed memory controller system implemented on a single integrated circuit device are described. In one embodiment, a memory controller that provides an interconnection circuit between a first plurality of memory devices to a second plurality of memory clients includes a ring bus to route at least one of the memory request and data return signals between the memory clients and the memory devices. The ring bus is configured in a ring topography that is distributed across a portion of an integrated circuit device, resulting in a reduction in the maximum wiring density at the center of memory controller. The ring bus structure also reduces the overall number of interconnections as well as the number of storage elements, thus reducing the total area used by the memory controller.
US07849254B2
A method for storing customer data at a non-volatile storage (NVS) at a storage server. A track buffer is maintained for identifying first and second sets of segments that are allocated in the NVS. A flag in the track buffer identifies which of the first and second sets of segments to use for storing customer data for which a write request has been made. The customer data is stored in the NVS in successive commit processes. Following a power loss in the storage server, the NVS uses the track buffer information to identify which of the first and second sets of segments was involved in the current commit process to allow the current commit process to be completed.
US07849252B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for generating a prefix header with an opcode field and a prefix specific field for a first packet to be transmitted from a transmitter, and transmitting the packet from the transmitter with the prefix header, which is followed by a header. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07849251B2
In some embodiments, an electronic apparatus comprises at least one memory module, and a universal serial bus (USB) host controller coupled to the memory, wherein the USB host controller implements hardware assisted idleness endpoint detection.
US07849250B2
When portable diagnostic medical equipment is placed into a dock, or docking station, the batteries of the docking station are used in a hierarchical manner to insure that the batteries in the portable equipment become charged and that any power needed to run the portable device is provided from a power source local to the docking station. In one embodiment, the docking station has a plurality of batteries and the system is designed so that when a portable diagnostic device is docked, the power from the docking station batteries will be used in a predetermined usage pattern so as to preserve (and charge) the batteries in the portable diagnostic tool.
US07849249B2
A mother-board includes a chipset, a switch, and first and second PCI Express X16 graphics interfaces. The switch has first and second switch circuits. The switch selectively turns on one of the first and second switch circuits according to a control signal. The first PCI Express X16 graphics interface has former eight lanes electrically connected to the chipset, and latter eight lanes selectively electrically connected to the chipset through the first switch circuit. The second PCI Express X16 graphics interface has former eight lanes selectively electrically connected to the chipset through the second switch circuit. When the first switch circuit is turned on, 16 lanes of the first PCI Express X16 graphics interface are electrically connected to the chipset. When the second switch circuit is turned on, the former eight lanes of the second PCI Express X16 graphics interface are electrically connected to the chipset.
US07849246B2
An I2C bus control circuit includes a continuous transmission control section in addition to a transmission control section, a sequence control section, a data line control section, and a clock line control section. The continuous transmission control section has a number-of-continuous transmission bytes register and first to (n−1)th continuous transmission data registers, and supplies an interrupt signal to the controller when continuous transmission is completed or an error is detected. The number of times the controller conducts interrupt processing is thus reduced and the processing time is reduced.
US07849234B2
A system for detecting a peripheral device is used to detect whether the peripheral device is completely inserted into a peripheral interface slot of a mother board before booting. When the peripheral device is inserted into the peripheral interface slot, the system judges whether the peripheral device is completely inserted into the peripheral interface slot according to a potential of fins of the peripheral interface slot. If the system detects that the peripheral device has not been completely inserted into the peripheral interface slot before booting, a booting procedure of the mother board is interrupted and an alarm signal is output.
US07849233B2
Gesture-based character input is described. A user inputs a character by selecting keys on a keypad device via a gesture representing the shape of the character. The sequence of keys selected by the user is interpreted to represent a specific character.
US07849231B2
A local interface driver generates a network communication channel through which resources of a peripheral device connected via a local interface can be seen, from application software for accessing resources of a peripheral device connected via a network interface by use of a predetermined network communication system, as network resources accessible using the same predetermined network communication system. Depending on which of the peripheral devices connected to the individual interfaces is used to communicate, either the local interface driver or a network interface driver is selected. A unified user interface can be used for making user's operations or setup operations to peripheral devices without being limited to interfaces via which a host device user gains access to the peripheral devices.
US07849224B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for transmitting data from remote server device to a computer module in a vehicle. A request for data is transmitted from the computer module over an in-vehicle network to an in-vehicle communications gateway module. The request for data from the computer module is destined for a remote server device. A request for a software component is transmitted from a standard port of the in-vehicle communications gateway module to the remote server device. The software component comprises a non-standard transfer protocol module. The in-vehicle communications gateway module loads the non-standard transfer protocol module, and the remote server device transmits the requested data to the in-vehicle communications gateway module according to the non-standard transfer protocol. The in-vehicle communications gateway module then transmits the requested data (provided from the remote server device) to the computer module over the in-vehicle network.
US07849211B2
Aspects of a method and system for reliable multicast datagrams and barriers are presented. Various aspects of the system may include a hub that enables storage of data received from a data source in a multicast group. The data source may be associated with a computer in a distributed cluster computing system. The hub may enable multicast of the received data to a plurality of data destinations in the multicast group. The data destinations may be associated with a corresponding plurality of computers in the distributed cluster computing system. The hub may enable reception of an acknowledgement from each of the plurality of data destinations. The hub may enable an acknowledgement to be sent to the data source.
US07849210B2
A mechanism for managing packetized data transfers in a system including a transmitting and a receiving device. The transmitting device may transmit data to the receiving device in a plurality of packets, each packet a predetermined number of data bytes wide. The transmitting device may include a transfer count unit to maintain a data transfer count based on a number of transmitted data bytes. The receiving device may program the transmitting device with a transfer count mark, which may be a number that corresponds to a specific count of the data transfer count. The transmitting device may calculate a difference between the data transfer count and the transfer count mark. If the difference between the transfer count and the transfer count mark is less than the predetermined number, the transmitting device may transmit a short data packet having less than the predetermined number of data bytes to the receiving device.
US07849203B2
Provided is a method and apparatus for virtualizing access to resources in a distributed peer-to-peer (P2P) network. Specifically, a resource locally managed by a peer in the P2P network can be published such that other peers can identify the peer managing the resource. Any peer requesting access to the resource of another peer establishes communication to the peer managing the resource. After establishing communication, a proxy of the peer managing the resource can establish a proxy interface. The proxy interface operating on the peer requesting access, permits the peer requesting access to generate command and control data to control the resource. Thus, the peer requesting access believes that it manages the local resource, while in reality, the peer requesting access only has virtualized access to the resource.
US07849200B2
Systems and methods are provided for calculating a distribution of a quantity over a number of receiver objects. In one implementation, a data processing system is provided that comprises a number of application programs, each of the application programs being adapted to generate a distribution request, storage means for storing a number of rules, each rule being adapted for distribution of at least a portion of the quantity over the receiver objects and for storing an assignment of a sub-set of the rules to each application program, each rule within one of the sub-sets of rules having an assigned priority of execution and each sub-set of rules having an assigned identifier.
US07849197B2
An apparatus and method for sharing a resource (such as a modem or virtual private network) allow virtualizing the shared resource in a simple and efficient manner that allows both accepting and initiating virtual or physical connections through the shared resource across logical partitions or systems. An L2TP tunnel is established between the server that owns the shared resource and the client that desires to use the shared resource. Messages are defined that allow the client to initiate an outgoing connection through the shared resource, and that allow the client to accept an incoming connection received from the shared resource. Once the connection is made, the client and ultimate destination communicate through the shared resource via point-to-point communications.
US07849175B2
Systems and techniques to provide control center pages in a portal. In general, in one implementation, the technique includes enabling a user of a portal to navigate between control level pages and execution level pages without losing work performed in the execution level pages. The control level includes user-centric control center page(s) that provide the user with personal resources and serve as an anchor, or “home”, page.
US07849162B2
A system and method for replaying a predefined path through a set of web pages. The system and method comprises selecting in chronological order a saved request in a request history. The saved requests correspond to a set of user requests made at a web page from the set of web pages. Furthermore, the present invention comprises determining whether the saved request is a form request, and if so finding a best fit form on the web page from the set of web pages and sending a replay request to the best-fit form. If the saved request is not a form request, making the replay request to a best-fit URL.
US07849160B2
A method of collecting data in connection with the retrieval of a media file includes the steps of transmitting to a media device an embedded media player page for playing the media file and transmitting a media file identification message to a log server. The media file identification message identifies the media file. The log server records that the media file has been selected for play back by a user in a log associated with the media file.
US07849154B2
A system to collect personal and demographic data from user's of cellular mobile communications system devices. This system uses a standard web browser to collect the personal and demographic data instead of the device itself because of the limited interactive experience available to cellular mobile communications system device users. After obtaining data from the user including the user's cellular mobile communications system device's cellular phone number, a message is sent to the device. When a link is the message is activated a small event collection data software module is downloaded to the cellular mobile communications system device. The return message to the data collection entity incorporates the cellular mobile communications system device's International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI) number. This number then ties the event data collected by the module to the personal and demographic information collected from the cellular mobile communications system device user.
US07849153B2
A network-attached disk (NAD) system is disclosed that includes an NAD device for receiving a disk access command from a host through a network, and a device driver at the host for controlling the NAD device through the network, where the device driver creates a virtual host bus adapter so that the host recognizes the NAD device as if it is a local device to the host. The host may run the UNIX or Windows family of operating systems. The NAD device includes a disk for storing data, a disk controller for controlling the disk, and a network adapter for receiving a disk access command from the host through a network port.
US07849152B2
A method and system of providing control by a client of a Web-cast from a telephone, the method comprising: receiving from the client Web-cast configuration data at a web server, updating Web-cast parameters in accordance with the Web-cast configuration data and storing the Web-cast parameters in a database; receiving initiation instructions at the telephony server for the Web-cast from the client via the telephone and initiating the Web-cast in accordance with the Web-cast parameters stored in the database; receiving content data at the telephony server from the telephone, formatting the content data at the telephony server, storing the content data at a file storage server and providing content pull instructions to an encoder server; receiving the content pull instructions at the encoder server, pulling the content from the file storage server based upon the content pull instructions and encoding the content into streaming content at the encoder server; and receiving the streaming content at a media server and streaming content to an end user computer.
US07849149B2
The present invention comprises a message portal for administering and controlling the exchange of vehicle-related messages between a remote location and a vehicle and a method thereof. In one embodiment, the message portal receives a message from the remote location and determines when the message should be broadcast to a vehicle. The priority of the message is determined by several variables—all which may be updated and/or customized by a user through a user interface. The message portal and method can also automatically relay a vehicle fault message to a remote location, which then analyzes the fault and sends a response message back to the driver.
US07849145B2
Disclose is a method and system enabling joint viewing of moving picture while chatting. In order to match the screen being played and chatting message, a method for synchronizing contents playing times for the contents being played is further disclosed. A room master client among user clients joined the joint viewing room receives buffering state information from all clients in joint viewing and transmits playback start message to the clients in joint viewing according to the buffering state information. After contents playback is started, the room master client provides information on current contents playing time to the other user clients periodically, and the other clients synchronize contents playing times based on the current contents playing time of the room master client.
US07849142B2
A method and apparatus for managing connections, email messages, and directory harvest attacks at a server is disclosed. The server maintains a count of a parameter and compares the count to a specified maximum value, such that when the specified maximum value is met or exceeded, an action is taken by the server to limit the connections, email messages, or directory harvest attack. Actions include controlling the number of connections to the server from senders, controlling the flow of email messages injected to the server by senders, and controlling when rejection response messages are sent for invalid recipient email addresses to thwart a directory harvest attack. Senders are identified by one or more sender identifiers, which can be used to group senders together so that the same maximum value is applied collectively to all senders in the group.
US07849139B2
Information is stored in a plurality of mobile peers. The peers communicate in a peer to peer fashion, using a short-range wireless network. Occasionally, a peer initiates a search for information in the peer to peer network by issuing a query. Queries and pieces of information, called reports, are transmitted among peers that are within a transmission range. For each search additional peers are utilized, wherein these additional peers search and relay information on behalf of the originator of the search.
US07849138B2
A system and computer program product for establishing multi-party VoIP conference audio calls in a distributed, peer-to-peer network where any number of nodes are able to arbitrarily and asynchronously start or stop producing audio output to be mixed into a single composite audio stream that is distributed to all nodes. A single distribution tree is used that has optimal communications characteristics to distribute the composite audio signal to all nodes. An audio mixing tree is established and maintained by adaptively and dynamically adding and merging intermediate mixing nodes operating between user nodes and the root of the single distribution tree. The intermediate mixing nodes and the root of the single distribution tree are all hosted, in an exemplary embodiment, on user nodes that are endpoints of the distribution tree.
US07849134B2
In a network having transaction acceleration, for an accelerated transaction, a client directs a request to a client-side transaction handler that forwards the request to a server-side transaction handler, which in turn provides the request, or a representation thereof, to a server for responding to the request. The server sends the response to the server-side transaction handler, which forwards the response to the client-side transaction handler, which in turn provides the response to the client. Transactions are accelerated by the transaction handlers by storing segments of data used in the transactions in persistent segment storage accessible to the server-side transaction handler and in persistent segment storage accessible to the client-side transaction handler. When data is to be sent between the transaction handlers, the sending transaction handler compares the segments of the data to be sent with segments stored in its persistent segment storage and replaces segments of data with references to entries in its persistent segment storage that match or closely match the segments of data to be replaced. The receiving transaction store reconstructs the data sent by replacing segment references with corresponding segment data from its persistent segment storage, requesting missing segments from the sender as needed. The transaction accelerators could handle multiple clients and/or multiple servers and the segments stored in the persistent segment stores can relate to different transactions, different clients and/or different servers. Persistent segment stores can be prepopulated with segment data from other transaction accelerators.
US07849126B1
The Present invention provides a system and method for fast computing the Cholesky factorization of a positive definite matrix. In order to reduce the computation time of matrix factorizations, the present invention uses three atomic components, namely MA atoms, M atoms, and an S atom. The three kinds of components are arranged in a configuration that returns the Cholesky factorization of the input matrix.
US07849125B2
A system and method for computing A mod (2n−1), where A is an m bit quantity, where n is a positive integer, where m is greater than or equal to n. The quantity A may be partitioned into a plurality of sections, each being at most n bits long. The value A mod (2n−1) may be computed by adding the sections in mod(2n−1) fashion. This addition of the sections of A may be performed in a single clock cycle using an adder tree, or, sequentially in multiple clock cycles using a two-input adder circuit provided the output of the adder circuit is coupled to one of the two inputs. The computation A mod (2n−1) may be performed as a part of an interleaving/deinterleaving operation, or, as part of an encryption/decryption operation.
US07849124B2
A method and system for analyzing time series data. In an embodiment, a loop is executed and terminated upon a specified maximum number of iterations of the loop being performed or upon a difference between scores in successive iterations of the loop not being greater than a specified tolerance, wherein the score in each iteration is calculated as function of an absolute value of a difference between respective cumulative probability values of first and second cumulative probability distributions which are generated from respectively first and second time series data sets. In an embodiment, time series data is processed in a sequence of time periods, wherein a combined cumulative probability distribution is generated in each time period by combining a cumulative probability distribution of new time series data with previously combined cumulative probability distribution data according to a ratio of the number of new to previous observed values.
US07849118B2
A data transformation method capable of saving numeral operations, the data transformation method includes encoding a plurality of digital data to generate a plurality of sets of byte data according to an encoding mode, determining a plurality of repetition patterns of the plurality of sets of byte data, processing shift operations on the plurality of sets of byte data to generate a plurality of sets of shifted byte data according to positions of the plurality of repetition patterns located in the plurality of sets of byte data, processing addition operations on the plurality of sets of shifted byte data.
US07849109B1
A query processor's capabilities may be employed to identify a range rows resulting from a user query to be returned. A server cursor may be declared, opened, fetched from and closed in a single batched request in order to avoid keeping state on a database server between requests. A single block fetch may be used within the batch to retrieve a requisite number of rows from a specified ordinal position. Where server cursors are not available, an intermediate table may be used to hold a subset of the rows resulting from the user query, and row numbers may be added to facilitate selecting the range of rows from that intermediate table. Intelligence within a query processor may be leveraged to support identifying the range of rows to be returned without maintaining state between client requests.
US07849105B2
A stream-based document storage and retrieval system accepts documents that are in diverse formats and come from diverse application, automatically creates document model objects describing these documents in a consistent format and associating time stamps with the documents to automatically create a main stream in chronological order. The stream, or sub-streams meeting selected search criteria, are displayed in a variety of forms, including a receding, partly overlapping stack with aids that facilitate user interaction.
US07849102B2
Real time availability data (free/busy data) is provided for potential meeting attendees and/or assets. An availability service is queried for availability data for one or more attendees and/or meeting assets. The availability service determines the identity of an electronic mailbox server on which is stored current real time calendaring data for the desired attendees and/or assets. The requested data is retrieved by the availability service from one or more mailbox servers having data for each attendee and/or asset. Potential attendees may set permissions on their respective availability data to restrict the amount and types of data that may be retrieved by a given data requester. Data queries and data responses may be structured according to the Extensible Markup Language (XML) and application programming interfaces (API) may be exposed for allowing requesting applications to efficiently call the availability service for availability data.
US07849091B1
Techniques are disclosed that efficiently support the querying of meta-data in XML documents. The techniques include efficiently identifying XML elements along each location step in an XPath query that satisfy range constraints on ordered meta-data. The techniques include generating an inheritance meta-data index in which actual meta-data levels are associated only with elements for which a value is explicitly specified and associating non-leaf nodes of the index structure with inherited meta-data levels and inheritance source nodes. The techniques may be used with navigation-based and join-based XPath evaluation strategies.
US07849090B2
A method (system and computer program product) performs facet classification synthesis to relate concepts represented by concept definitions defined in accordance with a faceted data set comprising facets, facet attributes, and facet attribute hierarchies. Dimensional concept relationships are expressed between the concept definitions. Two concept definitions are determined to be related in a particular dimensional concept relationship by examining whether at least one of explicit relationships and implicit relationships exist in the faceted data set between the respective facet attributes of the two concept definitions.
US07849086B2
A document processor includes: a processing unit that performs a process instructed by a user to an electronic document; a first storing unit that stores at least one of keywords of an attribute element respectively for a plurality of attribute elements; a second storing unit that coordinates at least one attribute element of the plurality of attribute elements with a user, and that stores the at least one attribute element; a determining unit that determines whether or not the stored keyword is included in the processed electronic document; an attribute element specifying unit that specifies the attribute element of the plurality of attribute elements satisfying a prescribed condition on the basis of a keyword determined to be included in the electronic document; and an inquiry unit that inquires about whether or not the specified attribute element is allowed to be stored in the second storing unit.
US07849082B2
A system uses geo-location information associated with a user's interaction with a web site portal to deduce a context for the user's interaction and then uses the deduced context to influence the display of web site content that is provided in response to the user's interaction. The context is deduced by considering one or more of an industrial density for a locale indicated by the geo-location information associated with the user's interaction, a current time for a locale indicated by the geo-location information associated with the user's interaction, a weather condition for a locale the geo-location information associated with the user's interaction, and a regulation for a locale indicated by the geo-location information associated with the user's interaction.
US07849081B1
A document analyzer receives a collection of text-based terms associated with a document. The document analyzer performs a statistical analysis on the text-based terms to identify a distribution of where the text-based terms appear in the document and relative frequency indicating how often the text-based terms appear in the document. The document analyzer utilizes the distribution and relative frequency information derived from the statistical analysis to rank multiple themes associated with the document. For example, a received listing of multiple themes may not be presented in any useful order, although it can be assumed that the themes in the listing are present in the document. Based on application of distribution and relative frequency information derived from the analysis, the document analyzer can identify which themes are most relevant to the document as a whole and/or which of themes correspond to different portions (e.g., pages or sections) of the document.
US07849080B2
A system is described for generating query suggestions by integrating valuable query suggestions with experimental query suggestions using a network of users and advertisers. The system may include a memory, an interface, and a processor. The memory may store a historical dataset, a plurality of query suggestions, a plurality of query suggestion values, a query exploit set, a query explore set, and a data describing a network. The processor may identify the plurality of query suggestions in the historical dataset and generate data describing the network based on the historical dataset. The processor may calculate the query suggestion value for each query suggestion and may rank the query suggestions based on the query suggestion values. The processor may generate an exploit set comprising the top ranked query suggestions and an explore set comprising the remainder. The processor may suggest the query suggestions in the exploit set and the explore set.
US07849076B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide for methods, systems and computer program products for learning ranking functions to determine the ranking of one or more content items that are responsive to a query. The present invention includes generating one or more training sets comprising one or more content item-query pairs and determining one or more contradicting pairs in a given training sets. An optimization function to minimize the number of contradicting pairs in the training set is formulated, and modified by incorporating a grade difference between one or more content items corresponding to the query in the training set and applied to each query in the training set. A ranking function is determined based on the application of regression trees on the queries of the training set minimized by the optimization function and stored for application to content item-query pairs not contained in the one or more training sets.
US07849061B2
A method and system for displaying database record organization characteristics of IMS databases. In one embodiment, the method involves receiving information associated with a plurality of database records from an IMS database (e.g., information associated with ranges of database records). The database information may comprise information concerning database record organization characteristics. A working storage array may be built to consolidate the information associated with the plurality of database records. A plurality of view envelopes may be constructed. The plurality of view envelopes, along with a legend, may be graphically displayed on a display. User input may be received to request “inspection”, “identification”, “inspection/identification”, or “detailed inspection” of a selected view envelope. Various methods may be used to “mark”, “unmark”, and “submit” at least one DBR to the mainframe computer system for reorganization. Display of database record organization characteristics after reorganization may also be requested by the user.
US07849057B1
An on-disk structure of a file system has the capability to efficiently manage and organize data containers, such as snapshots, stored on a storage system. A multi-bit, monotonically increasing, snapshot identifier (“snapid”) is provided that represents a snapshot and that increases every time a snapshot is generated for a volume of the storage system. The snapid facilitates organization of snapshot metadata within, e.g., a data structure used to organize metadata associated with snapshot data. In the illustrative embodiment, the data structure is a balanced tree structure configured to index the copy-out snapshot data blocks. The snapid is also used to determine which blocks belong to which snapshots. To that end, every block that is used in a snapshot has an associated “valid-to” snapid denoting the newest snapshot for which the block is valid. The oldest snapshot for which the block is valid is one greater than the valid-to field of the next older block at the same file block number.
US07849056B2
A method of managing databases at an electronic device, associated with respective ones of a first PIM service account and a second PIM service account. The method includes: receiving representative data of records at a server associated with the second PIM service account and obtaining data representative of records already present at the electronic device; comparing the data representative of the records at the server with the data representative of records already present at the electronic device; and determining with which of two of the databases ones of the records, at the server, for which representative data is received are associated, based on whether each of the records, at the server, for which representative data is received is already present in one of the two of the databases.
US07849052B2
A system and method for managing electronic files and tasks in a way that is intuitive to the users, mimicking their environment, but “Process-Blind’. The system and method comprise a configurable structure that facilitates the accurate filing and subsequent locating of electronic files in underlying document/record management applications. The manager enables users, with permissions, to communicate with each other regarding these files and their work through ad-hoc workflows that are created by the user as needed, then retained as documentation of events. The manager provides an efficient, secure, auditable handling of unstructured data that is free of predetermined inflexible processes and is not dependant on specific underlying document management software.
US07849050B2
A computer readable storage medium includes executable instructions to list flattened single source object relationships in a first segment of a multiple source relationship table. Same-as multiple source object relationships are calculated. Same-as multiple source object relationships are then populated in a second segment of the multiple source relationship table.
US07849045B2
A method for building a rulebase includes receiving a plurality of rulebase components. The method also includes merging the rulebase components to create a consolidated rulebase.
US07849037B2
A method for finding sequences of similar data (SDDs), which are similar to a target sequence of digital data, is invented. The method leverages a new category of signatures, called equivalence signatures, to characterize the SDDs. These signatures have the salient feature that, at worst, they change in a bounded manner when changes are made to the sequence of digital data and when used to find SDDs that are similar to a target SDD, they allow for a significant reduction in the number of SDDs to be compared with the target. This is an improvement over the state of the art wherein the cryptographic message digests used as signatures respond unpredictably to changes in the sequence of digital data and the comparison of a target SDD to a corpus of SDDs requires the computational expensive process of applying a complete search against the entire corpus.
US07849036B2
A method for controlling a decisional process when pursuing an aim in a specific application domain, such as economic, technical, and organizational fields. In the process, a system of agents is created, including creator cognitive agents of portable knowledge objects and constructor agents of knowledge objects by adding supplementary knowledge elements to the knowledge objects created. The system launches the decisional process by tracking the observation of an abnormality in the actual data of the application domain by the creation of an initial knowledge object representative of an alarm index and causes several decisional paths to be established linked to this object, under different points of view of different agents, each in its domain, and the decision is made following merging of decisional paths.
US07849035B2
A method and apparatus for organizing information in a computer filing system. The method and apparatus include the creation of a pile comprising a collection of documents and displaying a graphical representation of the collection of documents. The method and apparatus further include browsing the collection of documents by pointing a cursor at a particular item in the collection of documents to reveal an indicia for the particular item in the collection of documents. The filing system can automatically divide a pile (e.g. a collection of documents from an electronic mail network) into subpiles on the basis of the content of each document in the pile, and the filing system, at the users request can automatically file away documents into existing piles in the computer system on the basis of a similarity match between the content (or other internal representation) of the document and the content (or other internal representation) of existing piles in the computer system. The filing system can also create a pile from a sample document by using the internal representation of the document as the internal representation of the new pile. The computer filing system provides various interfaces in connection with piles to the user of the system to provide feedback and other information to the user, including information concerning the documents and piles in the computer's filing system.
US07849026B2
A simulated consciousness method (10) for an improved human/computer interface. A computer system (12) is programmed to have a Digital Life Form (32) possessing a plurality of attributes (65). A plurality of actions (64) taken relative to objects (60) in the environment (30) contribute to simulated feelings (76) which ultimately control the viability of the Digital Life Form (32). When there are not sufficient energy packets (66) to sustain the Digital Life Form (32) then simulated death 52 results. Therefore, only actions (64) which contribute to the viability of the Digital Life Form (32) are repeated in the long-run. Some of those actions (64) include perception of reality, concept formation, and natural language processing.
US07849023B2
The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a process that includes receiving digital accommodation criteria for an accommodation assignment requested for a passenger and accessing accommodation properties that specify characteristics of accommodations offered on a travel conveyance. A first portion of the accommodation properties are base properties and a second portion of the accommodation properties are derivation properties derived from the base properties during execution of a software program configured to access the accommodation properties. The process also includes assigning weights to the accommodation properties based on a comparison between the accommodation properties and the received accommodation criteria. The process includes determining total weighting scores for each of one or more of the accommodations based on an aggregation of the assigned weights for the accommodation properties associated with the accommodation and outputting the requested accommodation assignment.
US07849009B2
The present invention provides exemplary bill paying service methods and systems. One such bill paying service method (1000) includes enrolling a subscriber (Step 1010) who is a debtor to a first creditor and who has authorized debits to be taken from a designated account. The designated account is adapted to periodically receive a payroll deposit on a first regular schedule that is over time in excess of a minimum payment on a first debt owed by the debtor to the first creditor. The designated account is periodically debited, and any funds obtained are used to credit a custody account (Step 1012). The first creditor is paid (Step 1016), on behalf of the debtor and from the custody account, on a second regular schedule that differs from the first regular schedule. Paying the first creditor occurs in an amount calculated for an accelerated repayment of the first debt (Step 1014). Such excess is used to accelerate the repayment of various loans and debts according to what particular application at that time will have the greatest long-term beneficial effect.
US07849007B2
The invention encourages users to not only pay themselves first, but to pay themselves first in the largest amounts possible, even if they are not able to fully pay outstanding debts. In general, the system obtains information related to the user's income, income sources, user's debts (e.g., bills) and user's goals. The system then provides recommendations related to the prioritization of paying certain bills and the amount to pay for each bill based upon, for example, savings goals, minimum amounts due, due dates and available income. The system and/or the user may then determine a payment hierarchy which includes transferring funds to the user's savings account prior to paying all or a portion of certain bills, wherein the transfer of funds may include different funds transfer systems and methods.
US07849004B2
The present invention generally relates to financial data processing, and in particular it relates to credit scoring, consumer profiling, consumer behavior analysis and modeling. More specifically, it relates to risk modeling using the inputs of credit bureau data, size of wallet data, and, optionally, internal data.
US07849001B2
A method for submitting transactions from an automated trading tool to an electronic exchange. The method includes defining a proximity limit and automatically generating a transaction for a tradeable object. The method further includes applying the proximity limit to the transaction. When the transaction falls within the defined proximity limit, the transaction is submitted to the exchange. An apparatus and interface for transaction toggling based on proximity limits are also provided.
US07848998B1
The present invention is directed to a method comprising the step of issuing one or more convertible hybrid securities by an issuer to one or more investors. The issued hybrid securities may have (1) a legally enforceable covenant (e.g., an RCC) and (2) a mandatory deferral which may require the issuer to withhold certain payments upon an occurrence of specified events. The hybrid securities may be convertible by the investor or callable by the issuer. Upon conversion by an investor, the issuer may make a payment to the investor in an amount of preferred stock up to the par value of the hybrid securities and an amount of common stock for the amount paid over the par value of the hybrid securities. The preferred stock may comprise a dividend rate. The dividend rate may be (1-statutory tax rate) times a coupon for the hybrid securities. The issuer may settle with the investor, or all of the investors, upon the issuer calling the hybrid securities.
US07848994B1
A system and method for linking and managing linked orders are described. According to one method, a trader may first link two or more orders into a linked order, and then one or more parameters associated with one of the orders may be dynamically changed based on user inputs or information being received from an exchange. For example, a trader may link any two orders as an order cancel order, and each linked order may be associated with the same or different tradable objects, order quantities, and may be submitted to one or more exchanges. The order quantities may be then dynamically updated based on updates being received from the one or more exchanges and further based on a quantity ratio between the two orders. Further, the linked order may be submitted upon detecting a fill for another order.
US07848993B1
A system and method are provided for implementing an electronic exchange-based transaction message policy. One example method includes defining a message usage threshold to be used in relation to a client entity that utilizes one or more trading strategies and sends transaction messages to an electronic exchange. The method further includes dynamically monitoring the message usage at the client entity and comparing it to the defined message usage threshold. If the message usage exceeds the threshold limit, the method includes adjusting one or more trading strategies at the client entity in attempt to not violating the exchange-based transaction message policy.
US07848990B1
A system and method are provided for displaying a trading screen and placing an order in an electronic trading environment. The system and method may be used to assist a trader in selecting an item of interest, such as the inside market (best bid and best ask) to be displayed relative to a user configured location on the trading screen, such as the center of the trading screen. In a preferred embodiment, the inside market will stay located relative to center of the trading screen and the price levels associated to the inside market will move as the market conditions fluctuate. Other features and advantages are described herein.
US07848979B2
A system, method, software arrangement and computer-accessible medium can be provided for incorporating quantitative and qualitative information into an economic model is provided. An exemplary method for analyzing qualitative information associated with a characteristic of at least one entity based on associated quantitative information, includes, obtaining first information which contains at least in part a qualitative information relating to at least one of the at least one entity; determining second information associated with at least one attribute of the characteristic obtained from the first information; obtaining third information which contains at least in part quantitative information associated with at least one of at least one entity; and establishing fourth information as a function of the second information and the third information to determine which of at least one attribute affects the characteristic. For example, an observable economic variable can be characterized using numerical and qualitative information associated with one or more of the entities. The influence of the quantitative and qualitative information on the observable economic variable for a given entity relative to other entities may be determined using statistical regressions.
US07848977B2
A method of processing a purchase card transaction includes receiving a transaction request at a host computer system from a point-of-sale device of a first merchant. The transaction request comprises transaction details relating to a purchase from the first merchant using a private label purchase card relating to a second merchant and an issuer. The first merchant and the second merchant are different merchants. The transaction details comprise at least an identifier relating to the first merchant, an amount, and an account identifier relating to the private label purchase card. The method further includes evaluating at least a portion of the account identifier, recognizing that the account identifier relates to the issuer, routing at least a portion of the transaction request to the issuer, and facilitating a payment from the issuer to the first merchant.
US07848974B1
A system and method for computer-implemented method for setting up customer bill payment information associated with a first financial account maintained by a first financial institution in a second account maintained by a second financial institution is provided. A request to transfer bill payment information from a first account with a first financial institution into a second account with a second financial institution is received from a customer, wherein the first account comprises first customer bill payment information, and wherein the transfer request comprises account access information usable to access the first account. The customer bill payment information is acquired by the second financial institution using a computer. The customer bill payment information is set up in the second account.
US07848973B2
The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for demographic reporting of billable project activity. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: capturing all billable project activity data associated with an information technology (IT) migration project in a database; organizing the billable project activity data into a plurality of billable project activity reports, based on selected demographic criteria; and selecting and displaying a billable project activity report in a user interface (UI).
US07848972B1
EBPP systems and processes which employ a common document model/data model to accommodate the interests and preferences of billers, customers, financial institutions, other EBPP organizations and others in the context of EBPP specifically and electronic commerce more generally. The common document model/data model allows the biller to outsource billing activities to the EBPP organization while retaining control over the billing information or how or where bills will be presented. Billers are incentivized to use the system because they avoid the expense and effort of building a customized system in house, but get the same advantages of an in house system while leveraging the expertise of an outside EBPP organization who operates across a range of industries, customers, geographical locations and financial fields. The systems also allow billers enhanced opportunities to build brand and customer relationships not offered in paper-based billing systems. Customers are incentivized to use the system because they can pay all or most all of their bills in one place, the place of their choice with bills presented how they choose, and because they may communicate more effectively with billers if and when things go wrong rather than wasting inordinate time on the telephone attempting to sort things out with uninformed people as is often the case in paper based billing systems where the relevant data never seems to catch up with the biller's customer service personnel. The result is a ubiquitous EBPP presence that makes everyone's life easier and better by reducing bill generation and payment burdens.
US07848969B2
An accounting system includes client modules pre-configured for client use, which can be used without client configuration. Each client module has interface forms for entering transaction records. Pre-assigned transaction category codes are stored on a storage medium. Code selectors are entered through use of the transaction entry forms. A client chart of accounts allows selection of an account for association with transaction records. Accounts are predetermined by the clients or in accordance with accounts of trading types prenominated by the clients. Each account includes a unique account identification and description prescribed by the client or generally adopted by traders in the trading type. Each category code is pre-specified as taxed/non-taxed, and as expenditure/income. The system can obtain information on tax liabilities of the transaction records through prompts associated with transaction category codes that have tax liabilities, and extracts the entered information for tax liabilities of the transaction.
US07848963B2
An automatic auction method which makes it unnecessary for bidders to stay before auction terminals at the time of auction and which makes possible auction transactions on an open network on which it is difficult to assure the on-line and real time properties. A plurality of auction ordering information pieces each containing a desired price, number of purchase, and a highest possible price in competition for the desired price and received from bidder terminals via on-line circuits are collected. Until an auction issue appears, the price is lowered. If there is at least one auction issue and a desired quantity which is the sum total of the numbers of purchase of the auction issues is not satisfied, then it is determined whether there is an auction issue coinciding in price by comparing the set price with (the desired price+the highest possible price in competition). Until the desired quantity is satisfied, the price is raised.
US07848958B2
The invention presents a method for conducting an on-line bidding session to accumulate a collective bid for a property. The bidding session is conducted over a computer network that includes a central computer, a number of remote computers, and communication lines connecting the remote computers to the central computer. According to the method, at least one bidding group is registered in the central computer. The bidding group can be an association, institution, or group of investors formed for the purpose of bidding together for the property. The bidding group has a total bid for the property which is tracked in the central computer. The central computer receives bids entered from the remote computers by members of the bidding group. Each bid includes an individual bid amount which is contributed to the total bid of the group to accumulate the collective bid for property.
US07848950B2
The disclosed system allows a credit or charge card issuer to provide its card members with a list of merchants, products, services, vacation destinations or other offerings that might be of interest based on the purchases of similar card members. In one instance, this process looks at all card members that made purchases at a merchant and then it identifies all other merchants in the same category where those card members also made purchases. The associated merchants are ranked based on largest number of shared card members and the top results may be shared with card members or merchants in order to enhance promotions, card use and marketing.
US07848949B1
The present invention allows users to quickly develop web pages, or offers, to meet their advertisers' individual needs; mange the offers and inventory; and prioritize the order in which the offers are displayed. Functions included in the invention allow the user to internally monitor performance of marketing campaigns. The invention also has the ability to automatically prioritize which offers are to be displayed to users and in what order they will appear based upon the number of orders outstanding from an advertiser, the revenue generated from each conversion, the conversion rate of each offer, and a manual factor inserted based upon the business priority. The current invention allows the user to effectively and efficiently run a business where the user is required to set up offers for individual advertisers and maintain an effective balance of priority based upon business concerns, revenue, inventory of offer and conversion rates.
US07848945B2
A method for evaluating travel accommodations is provided that includes identifying a plurality of hotel properties and assigning a hotel marketability index score to one or more of the properties such that one or more of the properties may be ranked. The hotel marketability index score may be based on a selected one or more characteristics associated with one or more of the hotel properties, the characteristics including rate competitiveness, hotel availability, hotel location within a cluster location, and hotel quality within the cluster location.
US07848937B2
A set of answers is received to a series of questions sent to a consumer of services, the set of answers to the series of questions is analyzed in a computer to identify types of service providers that can provide services to the consumer based on the received answers, and an agenda is produced, the agenda including the identified types of service providers and topics for the consumer of services to discuss with a service provider of each type, with the topics determined at least in part based on the answers.
US07848928B2
A method for implementing speech focus in a speech processing system can include the step of establishing a default focus receiver as a first entity to request speech focus of a speech processing system having multiple applications that share speech resources based upon speech focus. An event occurrence can be detected. An event handler of the default speech receiver can previously define behavior for the event occurrence and where default system behavior can be implemented within the speech processing system for the event occurrence. The default system behavior can be utilized when speech focus is not assigned during the event occurrence. Responsive to the event occurrence, at least one programmatic action can be performed in accordance with machine readable instructions of the event handler. The default system behavior is not implemented responsive to the event occurrence.
US07848927B2
A speech recognition device is provided which includes: a language model storage unit which stores a language model indicating appearance probabilities of words or word sequences; an acoustic feature amount extracting unit and a checking unit which extract a feature amount of an inputted speech signal, and identifies the word or word sequence corresponding to the speech signal by checking the extracted feature amount with the language model stored in the language model storage unit; an obtained word signal receiving/analyzing unit which obtains and analyzes the word; and a language model adjusting unit which identifies the appearance probability of the word based on the time elapsed after obtaining the word by the obtained word signal receiving/analyzing unit and which adjusts the language model by reflecting the identified appearance probability on the language model stored in the language model storage unit.
US07848920B2
A method (10) and system of adjusting a speech output rate to match a speech input rate can include the steps of receiving (12) speech input, computing (14) a speech input rate, and dynamically adjusting (18 or 26) a speech output rate to match the speech input rate. If the type of speech output is TTS, then a rate of TTS can be adjusted (18). If the type of speech output is recorded and alternate text is available, then steps (22 and 24) of counting alternate text available from a recorded output and determining an audio file length is used to compute a default output rate to adjust a recorded output rate. If the type is recorded and alternate text is unavailable, then steps (21 and 24) of obtaining an output word count from a transcription of a recorded speech output and determining an audio file length is used.
US07848917B2
Multiple input modalities are selectively used by a user or process to prune a word graph. Pruning initiates rescoring in order to generate a new word graph with a revised best path.
US07848906B2
An appendable system includes a plurality of appendable devices that are adapted to interoperate with each other and/or a workstation via a communication network to monitor and/or control a process. Each of the appendable devices can communicate with one or more sensors and/or control outputs and includes a housing that facilitates mounting of the appendable device to a surface.
US07848897B2
A method and system for real-time monitoring of a power system having a plurality of locations forming a transmission and distribution grid, wherein each location includes a plurality of connected components. A plurality of pseudorandom signals are injected at selected locations in the power system. A plurality of power system data are collected at other locations in the power system in response to the injected signals. A dynamic behavior of the power system is determined through a synchronized cross-correlation of the injected signals with the collected power system data. The dynamic behavior of the power system is analyzed to assess a dynamic stability and security state of the power system. The real-time, dynamic stability and security state of the power system is displayed to an operator at a monitoring station. The operational stability and security state can be depicted on an overlay of the nationwide power system grid.
US07848896B2
A non-contact detection technique of measuring both the frequency and the amplitude of periodic movement using a property of nonlinear phase modulation is provided. In one embodiment, the technique can utilize a 22-40 GHz radar sensor. Embodiments do not require calibration of signal amplitude for accurate measurement of movement amplitude. In addition, self-verification is possible. Furthermore, embodiments can provide measurements of frequency and amplitude using a very simple architecture. The method can be used to detect movements with amplitudes larger than 0.335 of the carrier wavelength for a fixed carrier frequency system and 0.214 of the minimum carrier wavelength for a frequency tunable system.
US07848894B2
A free-hand inspection apparatus for non-destructively inspecting a structure includes an array and an inertial sensor. The array includes a plurality of elements for transmitting and receiving inspection signals towards and from a structure being inspected. The inertial sensor measures acceleration and angular rotation rate in X, Y, and Z directions of the array.
US07848891B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a system and method for detecting a blood characteristic in a patient. Embodiments of the present invention may comprise detecting a first modulating signal at a first wavelength, detecting a second modulating signal at a second wavelength, and determining a relative amplitude of the first and second modulating signals. Further, embodiments of the present invention may comprise regressing the first and second modulating signals relative to one another, wherein a first uncertainty value in the first modulating signal and a second uncertainty value in the second modulating signal are accommodated.
US07848890B2
Provided are a method and system for predicting pathways of genes that serve the same biological purpose using gene expression pattern data and protein interaction data. The method of predicting a gene pathway includes: a first step of generating partial pathways from gene expression pattern data by using a pathway extraction algorithm, and matching the partial pathways to express them as a graph; a second step of generating partial pathways from protein interaction data by using a pathway extraction algorithm, and matching the partial pathways to express them as a graph; and a third step of combining a graph made in the first step and a graph made in the second step by using a graph matching algorithm to make a combined graph.
US07848880B2
A system, method, and computer-readable medium for providing a traffic information service user with traffic information adaptive to the user's travel are described. The user's origin information, such as departure location and departure time, are identified. Upon identifying the user's origin information, the user's expected arrival times at a plurality of distance segment ends are determined. Traffic information adaptive to the user's travel are output. The traffic information may pertain to travel time, traffic flow, traffic events. The user may receive traffic information via a plurality of communication devices, such as a personal computer, a portable navigation system, a phone, or the like.
US07848874B2
A fuel control system includes a pressure comparison module that generates a pressure control signal when a fuel supply pressure is greater than a predetermined pressure value, a temperature comparison module that generates a temperature control signal when a temperature of an engine is greater than a predetermined temperature value, and a pre-crank fuel module that selectively dispenses pre-crank fuel prior to cranking the engine based on the pressure control signal and the temperature control signal. A related fuel control method is also provided.
US07848868B2
It is a objective of the present invention to provide a control apparatus which is capable of compensating a delay time for opening a pressure reducing valve since an electronic control unit sends a command signal for driving the pressure reducing valve so as to discharge high pressure fuel in a fuel accumulating device of a fuel injection system for the internal combustion engine. The delay time control apparatus for opening a pressure reducing valve has a potential for avoiding an overshoot phenomenon in which an actual pressure of fuel accumulated in the fuel accumulating device overshoots a target value of fuel pressure during the increase the fuel pressure of the fuel accumulating device.
US07848865B2
Disclosed is a material delivery system and method for applying material to one or more crops. A sensor, or crop sensing head, moves over or near the crops and obtains crop data. An applicator is configured to apply the material onto the crop(s). An applicator controller can control the applicator. A material delivery vehicle has a delivery vehicle controller configured to control the material delivery vehicle and an agriculture controller in communication with the delivery vehicle controller, applicator controller, and sensor. The agriculture controller can determine the needs of the crops and adjust the movement of the delivery vehicle based on the needs of the crops.
US07848854B2
A prime mover control system is provided that can prevent magnification of power fluctuation, included in a feedback signal, that occurs between a generator and a power system, and that enables stable operation of the prime mover to continue, without disturbing the power system. In the case where a deviation detection device (1a) that receives as input an output-power command value signal indicating a command value that is a target for the output power of a generator driven by a prime mover and an output-power signal indicating the present value of the output power, and that outputs a deviation signal indicating the deviation between the command value and the present value of the output power, and in the case where a control device (3a) that receives as an input the deviation signal and outputs a control output signal for controlling the output of the prime mover, a filtering device (2a) is provided that, in the output-power signal, the deviation signal, or the control output signal, attenuates or eliminates predetermined frequency components caused by periodic fluctuations, in the output power of a generator, that occur due to discrepancy between the output of the prime mover and the generator output power.
US07848846B2
A medicine supply apparatus for filling medicines into containers has a plurality of reception compartments into which each of a plurality of medicines are to be respectively selectively fed by a user based on prescription data stored in a processor, a discharge apparatus for discharging the medicines from each of the reception compartments, and filling apparatus for filling the medicines discharged from the reception compartments into containers. An LED lamp is identifiably related to each of the plurality of reception compartments to indicate the reception compartment into which a particular medicine is to be fed based on the prescription data and a control device controls the discharge apparatus to discharge the medicine from the reception compartment and the filling apparatus.
US07848845B2
A remotely programmable food product holding system includes a hand held computer and a food product holding apparatus. The computer includes a processor, touch screen display, and a first communication interface. Data is entered into the hand held computer and transmitted to the food product holding apparatus. The holding apparatus includes a second communication interface, a timer system, and a temperature control system. The timer and temperature control systems are programmed by data transmitted from the hand held computer. A method of remotely programming a food product holding apparatus includes the steps of coupling a hand held computer to a food product holding apparatus, downloading data from the food product holding apparatus, comparing the downloaded data with a file stored in the computer, displaying differences found in the comparison, updating the downloaded data in accordance with the stored file, and uploading the updated data to the food product holding apparatus.
US07848839B2
A system, method and medium of detecting a transition interface between a first dielectric material and an adjacent second dielectric material in a semiconductor wafer during a chemical-mechanical polishing process includes impinging an incident light of a predetermined wavelength on the semiconductor wafer at a first time, detecting at least one first intensity of at least one first reflected light, impinging the incident light of the predetermined wavelength on the semiconductor wafer at a second time, detecting at least one second intensity of at least one second reflected light, and determining a difference between the at least one first intensity and the at least one second intensity. If the difference between the at least one first intensity and the at least one second intensity is above a predetermined threshold, the chemical-mechanical polishing process is terminated.
US07848838B2
A digital assembler for creating three-dimensional objects from digital materials made out of discrete components comprises an assembly head, error correction mechanism, parts feeder, and a controller. The assembly head comprises several blades, each with a different function, that move in a linear direction as a unit, assembling the object line-by-line. One blade adds digital materials, another performs error recognition, another performs error removal, and another fills in new digital material where previously removed. In a method for building a structure out of digital materials, a new line is fed to the assembly head and added to the structure. Simultaneously, the new line is pressed down, the last line is checked for errors, the line before last is removed if errors were found during the last cycle, and the line second before last is replaced if it was removed during the previous cycle.
US07848829B2
Methods and module class objects to configure equipment absences in process plants are disclosed. An example disclosed method of creating a configuration entity for use in configuring a process plant comprises creating a class object representative of a process entity within the process plant that includes a first data structure representative of one or more process elements that make up the process entity; and creating a module object based on the class object that includes a second data structure, the second data structure to include a configurable first indication to represent whether a specific process element that conforms to a first one of the one or more process elements that make up the process entity is absent.
US07848825B2
A computer system having two or more controllers operating in a Master/Slave configuration is disclosed. In one embodiment, the computer system includes: a sensor panel having a first portion for generating a first set of sense signals indicative of a touch or no-touch condition on the first portion, and a second portion for generating a second set of sense signals indicative of a touch or no-touch condition on the second portion; a first device for receiving and processing the first set of output signals from the first portion of the panel; and a second device for receiving and processing the second set of output signals from the second portion of the panel, wherein the first and second devices operate cooperatively in a Master/Slave configuration.
US07848822B2
A method and apparatus permit sensing one or more forces exerted by one or more portions of a heart. A force transducer and displacement sensor are disclosed. A movement of one or more portions of a heart can be translated into one or more signals indicative of force. These signals can be used to provide information such as to diagnose or treat one or more conditions.
US07848815B2
Receiver-stimulators comprise a nearly isotropic transducer assembly, demodulator circuitry, and at least two tissue contacting electrodes. Use of near isotropic transducers allows the devices to be implanted with less concern regarding the orientation relative to an acoustic energy source. Transducers or transducer elements having relatively small sizes, typically less than ½ the wavelength of the acoustic source, enhance isotropy. The use of single crystal piezoelectric materials enhance sensitivity.
US07848812B2
The present invention is an implantable tissue stimulation therapy system, comprising an implantable tissue stimulation device including a power source of a known stored energy amount, a programmer communicably coupled to the device and adapted to propose one or more therapy parameters for the device, each therapy parameter having a known energy consumption associated therewith, wherein a predicted elective service date of the power source based on the one or more proposed therapy parameters and the known energy amount of the power source is automatically determined, and a display communicatively coupled to the activation device, the display being configured to indicate the predicted elective power source service date to an operator, wherein the operator may choose to select the one or more proposed therapy parameters based on the indicated predicted elective service date and the selected one or more therapy parameters are transmitted to the device.
US07848810B1
Implantable systems, and methods for use therewith, are provided for using an implantable sensor for detecting body position and/or body movement, and using what is learned therefrom to improve accuracy of an implantable sensor that is sensitive to at least one of body position and/or body movement. Also provided are implantable systems, and methods for use therewith, that detect body position and/or body movement in order to monitor a condition and/or detect specific episodes. Other embodiments are also provided.
US07848808B2
An implantable medical device system and method in which the implantable device is adapted to operate in a minimum ventricular pacing mode. The device delivers cardiac pacing pulses in a first pacing mode during a normal mode of operation and upon detecting myocardial ischemia alters the first pacing mode in response to the myocardial ischemia detection.
US07848807B2
Embodiments of close loop optimization of atrio-ventricular (A-V) delay interval and/or inter-ventricular (V-V) timing are disclosed. An implantable medical device includes a housing that supports a processing means adapted for implantation in a patient. There can be two or more electrodes electrically coupled to the processing means where the two or more electrodes can be used for sensing a patient's cardiac signals, which include a far-field EGM. The processing means can determine a width of a P-wave from the sensed far-field EGM. Also included can be a means for delivering an adapted cardiac pacing therapy based upon the width of the P-wave, including revised A-V delay and/or V-V temporal intervals.
US07848805B2
A modular automated external defibrillator (AED) system includes a base unit and at least one interconnected module. The base unit typically includes a functional circuit and includes an interface that couples the functional circuit to the module. Likewise, the module includes an interface that couples the module to the base unit By manufacturing such modular AED models instead of one-piece, i.e., integrated, AED models, a manufacturer can reduce the cost and complexity of its manufacturing process. Furthermore, the manufacturer may be able to bring such a modular AED to market more quickly than it could bring an integrated model of the AED to market. Moreover, a modular AED allows the manufacturer and customer flexibility in respectively providing and selecting feature sets. In addition, a customer can obtain replacements for broken modules, and the manufacturer can provide cheaper upgrades by upgrading a module or base unit instead of upgrading the entire AED.
US07848801B2
A transdermal delivery device to passively deliver active agents to a biological interface includes an active agent reservoir comprising a first active agent of a first polarity; an outer active agent membrane taking the form of an ion-exchange membrane of a second polarity, an interfacial layer having a plurality of freely diffusible monovalent co-ions of the first polarity and having a first side adjacent to the outer active agent membrane and a second side configured to contact a biological interface.
US07848800B2
The invention concerns a device for ocular application of an active principle (1) comprising a main electrode (2) including an insulating layer, an adhesive layer designed to bind the insulating layer to a conductive layer, characterized in that the main electrode comprises a zone (21, 22) designed to be urged into contact with an eyelid.
US07848797B2
A method for the assessment of neuromuscular function by motor unit number estimation, comprising: (i) determining and controlling stimulation and data acquisition process via pre-configured electrode array so as to acquire stable and less uncertainty MU responses; (ii) pre-processing acquired MUs responses so as to attenuate noise, determine MUs activity region, and improve processing speed and accuracy; (iii) minimizing alternation effects by globally searching and comparing SMUPs; (iv) eliminating alternation effects by identifying alternating MUs directly; and (v) computing and reporting MUNE results, as well as the statistical description of these MUN estimates to evaluate its robustness.
US07848796B2
Methods and devices for performing division approximation in implantable and wearable self-powered medical devices. The present invention provides rapid methods for performing an approximation of division on fixed point numbers, where the methods are easily implemented in small, low power consumption devices as may be found in implantable medical devices. One example of use is in rapidly determining the approximate ratio between foreground and background activity in seizure detection algorithms. Some methods approximate the ratio of Numerator (N) to Denominator (D) by raising 2 to the power of the difference in the number of zeros to the left of the Most Significant Set Bit (MSSB) of D vs. N. Some methods may also pad bits to the right of the approximate ratio MSSB using bits from the right of the N MSSB, and/or pre-process the smaller of D or N by rounding the value upward. Methods may be implemented in firmware and/or in discrete logic.
US07848793B1
Implantable systems, and methods for use therein, for monitoring for mitral valve regurgitation (MR) are provided. An electrogram (EGM) signal and a corresponding pressure signal are obtained, where the EGM signal is representative of electrical functioning of the patient's heart during a plurality of cardiac cycles, and the corresponding pressure signal is representative of pressure within the left atrium the patient's heart during the cardiac cycles. Windows of the pressure signal are defined, based on events detected in the EGM signal, and measurements from the windows are used to monitor for MR.
US07848792B2
An active implantable medical device for diagnosis and/or therapy that is able to detect the occurrence of apnea and hypopnea. The detection of an occurrence of respiratory apneae or hypopneae is performed by collecting the patient's endocardial acceleration (EA), and determining at least one parameter, i.e., a peak acceleration, (PEA I, PEA II) that is a function of this collected endocardial acceleration. An apnea or hypopnea alert signal is then conditionally delivered as a function of the value taken by this (these) parameter(s).
US07848789B2
A position sensing system includes a probe adapted to be introduced into a body cavity of a subject. The lasso-shaped probe includes a magnetic field transducer in the rigid section proximal to the flexible lasso-shaped distal section which has at least one probe electrode. A control unit is configured to measure position coordinates of the probe using the magnetic field transducer. The control unit also measures an impedance between the at least one probe electrodes and one or more points on a body surface of the subject. Using the measured position coordinates, the control unit calibrates the measured impedance and provides an indication of the deformation and deflection of the flexible lasso-shaped distal section in relation to the magnetic field transducer in the rigid proximal section.
US07848785B2
A keypad assembly for a mobile terminal includes a shielding element to prevent sound leakage from or into a sound port that is used to guide sound to a terminal microphone. A mobile terminal may include a printed circuit board (PCB) coupled to a keypad assembly and mounted within a case or housing, wherein a microphone is integral with the PCB. The shielding element is located between the microphone and the terminal case to form part of the sound port, and may be integrated with the keypad assembly.
US07848776B2
A dual mode communication system, with user equipment selectively connectable to a plurality of communication systems, for switching communication systems to which the user equipment should be connected, detects that the remaining battery level fell below a first threshold in the user equipment communicating over the W-CDMA system. In the system it is determined whether or not the user equipment can communicate using the GSM system, which can be operated with lower power consumption than the W-CDMA system. When it is determined that communication can be established with the GSM system, the system switches from a connection between the user equipment and the W-CDMA system to a connection between the user equipment and the GSM system without interrupting the communication over the W-CDMA.
US07848769B2
A wireless communication system, including apparatuses and methods, for handling emergency calls from wireless communication devices to emergency services providers and for automatically providing updated location estimates for the wireless communication devices to during such emergency calls absent any request therefor. The updated location estimates are generally provided in response to a detected occurrence of a triggering event within the wireless communication system. In the exemplary embodiments, such triggering events include the passage of a pre-determined threshold period of time and the handover of an emergency call between cells or sectors of the wireless communication system in response to movement of the wireless communication device from which the emergency call is being made. Further, according to at least one exemplary embodiment, the wireless communication system may selectively limit the provision of updated location estimates based on whether movement of a wireless communication device is substantial or insubstantial.
US07848767B2
Methods and systems for migrating between application layer mobile signaling protocols are disclosed. For subscribers of multiple protocols, the registration status is tracked in one or more of the protocols. When a location query message for a subscriber of multiple protocols is received, it is determined whether the subscriber is registered according to the tracked protocol. If the subscriber is registered according to the tracked protocol and the request originated from an MSC of the tracked protocol, the message is routed to an HLR of the tracked protocol. If the subscriber is not registered according to the tracked protocol, a response is formulated to the first message. The response optionally includes a prefix that directs the originating MSC to route the call to an MSC of the non-tracked protocol.
US07848766B2
In any indoor location, whenever operating a wireless terminal position detecting system comprising a transferable wireless terminal, a plurality of base stations individually allowing a connection from said wireless terminal, and a plurality of wireless receiving stations individually receiving wireless signal from said terminal and base stations, there is a problem in terms of the provision of a method for minimizing positional detection error on the part of said wireless terminal and a method for practically realizing said method. Hence, to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a wireless terminal position detecting method featuring the function to evaluate the result of measurement against wireless signals from an objective wireless terminal received by individual wireless receiving stations based on a definition of a plurality of position detectable areas designating a geographic range required for detecting actual position of said objective wireless terminal and also based on another definition for specifying plural wireless receiving stations each being located at a predetermined known position allocated for individual areas for detecting actual position of the objective wireless terminal in respective position detectable areas before eventually determining the actual position of the objective wireless terminal.
US07848753B1
A broad aspect of the invention provides a method of providing mobility support for a mobile node's traffic. The method involves maintaining context information for the mobile node on each of a first plurality of network nodes carrying the traffic; and proactively transferring and maintaining at least a portion of the context information in a plurality of network nodes which are not carrying the traffic, but which are candidates for carrying the traffic due to mobility of the mobile node. The method typically further involves defining and maintaining a definition of the second plurality of network nodes. In one embodiment of the invention, this involves adding a particular network node to the second plurality when the particular network node becomes a candidate for carrying the traffic, removing a particular network node from the second plurality when the particular network node is no longer a candidate for carrying the traffic. Furthermore, for each node in the second plurality of network nodes, a definition is made of a node in the first plurality of network nodes from which to obtain the context information.
US07848751B2
In one embodiment, a mobile communication device is configured to selectively enable user data communications after registration in a wireless communication network. The mobile device sends, via its radio, feature compliance information to the network. In response to the feature compliance information being sent, the mobile device receives, via the radio, configuration information which is derived based on the feature compliance information and location information of the mobile device. The mobile device then selectively enables the user data communications based on the received configuration information. In particular, the mobile device enables the user data communications when the location information indicates that the mobile device is operating in a particular country and the feature compliance information indicates feature compliance for the particular country. On the other hand, the mobile device disables the user data communications when the location information indicates that the mobile device is operating in the particular country and the feature compliance information indicates a lack of feature compliance for the particular country.
US07848749B2
The present invention provides a method of wireless telecommunication in a distributed network comprised of a plurality of access points. The method includes receiving information indicating that a dormant call session is to be activated. The method also includes providing an identifier indicative of the dormant call session. The identifier includes information indicative of an access point having information indicative of a state of the call session stored thereon.
US07848747B2
A system and method for enhancing the performance of wideband digital RF transport systems is disclosed, which enables the transport of different bandwidth segments on a plurality of wideband channels by selecting an optimal clock sample rate for each bandwidth segment to be transported. Thus, the bandwidth segments are proportionally allocated so that an optimum amount of bandwidth can be transported at the serial bit rate.
US07848744B2
Methods and systems are provided for alerting a calling or message sending party as to whether a desired receiving wireless electronic communication device is off or out of range for sending and receiving transmissions. When a call is placed to a wireless telephone or when a message or page is placed to a wireless communication device such as a pager, text messaging device, or personal digital assistant, the operational status of the receiving wireless telephone or other wireless communication device is checked by the wireless network in which the wireless device operates. A message or call is returned to the calling party or sender to alert the calling party or sender if the desired receiving device is off or out of range so that the calling party or message sending party may choose an alternate means of communicating with the desired receiving party.
US07848739B2
A method is provided for transferring user identities between one CDMA wireless communication device (120) and another in a wireless CDMA communication system (100) having a network system controller (140). The network controller (140) receives an activation command from a wireless communication device (120), the activation command including identification information identifying the activating wireless communication device (404). Next, the network controller determines whether the activating wireless communication device is a transferred identity wireless communication device in response to the identification information (424). The network controller then activates the activating wireless communication device with a transferred identity (436) if the activating wireless communication device is determined to be a transferred identity wireless communication device (424).
US07848736B2
The invention relates to a method and system for billing a mobile device user for a services and/or products requested by the user, in which a message request is received from the mobile service that is directed to the mobile device user, and wherein the mobile phone user is charged only once for a predefined amount or number of message-related services or products, thereby making the billing experience clearer to the user.
US07848730B2
A method of controlling interference from a transmitter (4) in one communication system to a receiver (1) in another communication system, the method comprising transmitting a beacon (3) beacon from a beacon transmitter associated with the receiver representative of a frequency at which the receiver is trying to receive; listening for the beacon at a beacon receiver associated with the transmitter; and deriving a power spectral density limit for a transmission (2) from the transmitter based upon the strength of the beacon received at the beacon receiver.
US07848727B2
A radio frequency (RF) module includes a multilayer substrate having dielectric layers and metallization layers that include one or more circuit elements. The metallization layers are located between the dielectric layers. The RF module also includes a symmetric transmission input associated with the multilayer substrate, an RF element on the multilayer substrate to provide RF functionality, and a balun integrated in the substrate behind the symmetric transmission input.
US07848711B2
A radio communication apparatus for performing transmission and reception based on radio communication includes: a power suppressor for coupling loop interference signal for attenuating signal power of a received signal to suppress the coupling loop interference signal power of the received signal; and a transceiver having a coupling loop interference signal removal function for analog domain and/or a coupling loop interference signal removal function for digital domain, for removing a coupling loop interference signal contained in a signal output from the power suppressor for coupling loop interference signal.
US07848709B2
In one embodiment of the present invention, two crystal oscillator circuits are coupled in parallel to provide differing performance according to mode. Generally, a first circuit provides low phase noise and high accuracy while a second circuit provides greater phase noise within an acceptable tolerance while consuming significantly less power in a low power mode of operation. The second circuit includes an entirely separate amplifier for the low power operation that tolerates a relatively smaller input signal swing but that consumes even less power. The first circuit, which comprises selectable amplification elements, and the second circuit are coupled in parallel with selectable resistive elements and capacitive elements to provide varying amounts of amplification and filtering according to whether an operational mode is in a startup mode, a normal mode, or a low power mode of operation.
US07848699B2
In an electronic musical instrument, an interface part obtains user information from a dedicated accessory device logically connected to the electronic musical instrument. An access part accesses a server using the user information obtained through the interface part. A character information acquisition part obtains character information which represents a character and which corresponds to the user information, from the server or the dedicated accessory device. A lesson information acquisition part obtains, from the server, lesson information which represents a lesson work to be practiced. A control part performs control operation to display the character created based on the character information obtained by the character information acquisition part while the electronic musical instrument is logically connected to the dedicated accessory device through the interface part, and to display the lesson information when the lesson information has been obtained by the lesson information acquisition part.
US07848698B2
A low-cost training and synthetic visualization system and method directed to improving an individual's airborne performance in general aviation, skydiving, and other aerial applications. The system is comprised of a self-contained mobile sensor and data storage device for recording the travel path, orientation, and forces acting upon an object as it moves through space, a desktop graphics software program for creating a playback of the recorded data on a three-dimensional representation of the environment through which the object moved, a means of linking the sensor and data storage device to the software program for the purpose of exchanging information, and a centralized data storage and retrieval system designed to accept, assimilate and redistribute the recorded data.
US07848689B2
A belt drive controlling device for controlling drive of an endless belt supported and driven by plural support rollers including a driving roller configured to drive the endless belt to rotate; and a driven roller which is rotated by the endless belt. The device performs arithmetic processing to extract one of two pieces of rotation variation information on two rollers of the support rollers, and perform controlling drive of the belt on the basis of the rotation variation information. A belt device including a belt, plural support rollers, a driving source, the belt drive controlling device, and a detector configured to detect rotation angular displacement or rotation angular velocity of two of the support rollers. An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member, a developing device and a transfer device, wherein the image bearing member and/or the transfer device includes the belt device.
US07848669B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image, a transfer member for forming a transfer portion for transferring the toner image onto a recording material in contact with the image bearing member, a vibration imparting portion for imparting vibration at a variable frequency to the recording material having passed through the transfer portion, and a control portion for controlling the frequency by the vibration imparting portion so that the frequency is decreased with an increasing length of the recording material having passed through the transfer portion during a process of passing the recording material through the transfer portion.
US07848664B2
It is possible to estimate the quantity of toner remaining in the storage container by stopping the supply of toner from the storage container when the quantity of toner in the storage section is at a prescribed level, by starting the supply of toner after continuing to print as it is for a prescribed period of time, and by measuring the time taken for the quantity of toner to reach the prescribed level.
US07848663B2
One embodiment of the present invention can include an image forming apparatus having an image carrier, a light emitting portion capable of emitting a light towards a predetermined position, a light receiving portion capable of detecting a light amount of incident light from the predetermined position, a light emission control portion capable of changing an outgoing light amount of the light emitting portion, and a determining portion capable of determining whether or not the image carrier is disposed in the predetermined position based on a change in detected light amounts at the light receiving portion including a change in the outgoing light amount of the light emitting portion.
US07848660B1
Systems and methods for generating spectrally efficient modulated optical signals are provided. Capacity of WDM optical communication links may be increased dramatically without changing the WDM channel plan thus minimizing modifications to optical amplifiers and passive optical components. A vestigial sideband (VSB) optical signal may be generated by filtering an amplitude modulated (AM) signal using a filter having a center frequency locked to the transmission frequency of a laser.
US07848655B2
The present invention relates to advances in the field of reconfigurable optical networks. In particular, the present invention provides improvements in the technology of light sources for use in optical networks. The optical network according to the present invention includes a single light source that can be used to emit all of the bands and channels needed for transmission. In particular, the single light source in the optical network of the present invention is a mode-locked laser.
US07848652B2
A wavelength division multiplexing passive optical network system is provided. A central office generates a multi-mode light having a mode interval equal to a period interval of a multiplexing filter of the remote node and the multi-mode light is used to control a wavelength of an uplink transmission optical signal of the optical network unit. A remote node multiplexes the multi-mode light with the multiplexing filter to transmit the multiplexed multi-mode light to the optical network unit and demultiplexes the uplink transmission optical signal to transmit the demultiplexed uplink transmission optical signal to the central office. An the optical network unit generates the uplink transmission optical signal by modulating a data signal with a Fabry-Perot laser which uses the multiplexed multi-mode light as an injection optical source. Accordingly, it is possible to control a wavelength of a transmitter of the optical network unit by using the injection optical source generated by the central office.
US07848651B2
A selective distribution messaging scheme for an optical network. According to one embodiment of the invention, a wavelength division multiplexing optical network includes a number of nodes each having an optical cross connect and each having stored therein a database representing conversion free connectivity from that node to others of the nodes. In addition, each of the nodes employs a messaging scheme to propagate notification of changes in the optical network to others of the nodes to maintain their databases. The messaging scheme in each of the nodes transmits messages to only selected ones of the other nodes based at least in part on the conversion free connectivity to minimize the number of communications between nodes.
US07848649B2
A wavelength-division-multiplexed based photonic burst switched (PBS) network, which includes edge and switching nodes, optically communicate information formatted into PBS control and data burst frames. Each PBS data burst frame is associated with a PBS control burst frame. A PBS burst frame includes a PBS burst header and burst payload having fields to indicate whether: (a) the PBS burst frame is a PBS control burst; (b) the control burst is transmitted on a wavelength different from that of the associated PBS data burst; and (c) the PBS burst frame has a label for use in a generalized multi-protocol label swapping (GMPLS)-based control system. The PBS burst payload frame includes fields to indicate (a) specific PBS payload information; (b) PBS data payload; and (c) an optional PBS payload frame check sequence (FCS) for error detection.
US07848647B2
The polarization direction of an optical signal is changed by a polarization controller so as to be orthogonal to a main axis of a polarizer. A control pulse generator generates control pulses from control beam with a wavelength which is different from the wavelength of the optical signal. The optical signal and the control pulse are input to a nonlinear optical fiber. In the nonlinear optical fiber, the optical signal, during a time period in which the optical signal and the control pulse coincide, is amplified with optical parametric amplification around a polarization direction of the control pulse. The optical signal, during the time period in which the optical signal and the control pulse coincide, passes through the polarizer.
US07848638B2
A lens assembly in a digital still camera has a lens housing. First and second movable lenses/lens groups are contained in the lens housing, and supported in respectively first and second lens holders. A guide rod guides movement of the first and second lenses/lens groups in an optical axis direction with the lens holders. A shutter unit is disposed between the lens holders. A shutter actuator drives the shutter unit. A containing chamber in the lens housing contains the shutter actuator. A first motor is disposed between the guide rod and an inner surface of the lens housing and near to a first surface of the shutter unit, and moves the first lens holder. A second motor is disposed between the guide rod and the containing chamber and near to a second surface of the shutter unit, and moves the second lens holder.
US07848637B1
A hidden camera disguised as a tissue box so as for the hidden camera to have the semblance of a tissue box includes: a base, a casing engaged with and fixed in position to the base, a battery chamber, a supporter positioned above the battery chamber and configured to support a tissue pack, and a camera unit including a lens unit and a printed circuit board. The lens unit includes a lens positioned immediately behind a lens aperture of the casing.
US07848634B2
An interchangeable lens connects in a prescribed position to a support surface on a camera of a camera system using a locking apparatus. A method and apparatus for identifying interchangeable lenses uses optical radiation. After the locking operation is performed, a defined optical radiation is directed from two or more, preferably six, light transmitters arranged in the support surface to reflecting or absorbing surfaces on the locking apparatus which are assigned to said light transmitters. The radiation returning from the respective reflecting/absorbing surfaces is picked up by light receivers arranged next to the light transmitters in the support surface. A binary coded signal for identifying the interchangeable lens is formed from the output signals of the light receivers.
US07848631B2
An imaging apparatus includes an image sensor configured to capture an image of an object, a mechanical shutter including a second curtain and a second-curtain holding mechanism configured to electromagnetically hold the second curtain at an initial position prior to a travel, a first temperature sensor disposed within a predetermined range from the second-curtain holding mechanism, a second temperature sensor disposed outside the predetermined range from the second-curtain holding mechanism, a determination unit configured to determine an exposure time for the image sensor according to a brightness of the object, an adjustment unit configured to adjust the exposure time if a temperature difference between temperatures detected by the first and second temperature sensors is greater than a predetermined threshold, and an exposure control unit configured to perform exposure control for the image sensor based on the exposure time adjusted by the adjustment unit if the temperature difference is greater than the predetermined threshold.
US07848628B2
A camera system includes a camera apparatus for shooting an object to output an image signal and a camera control apparatus for controlling the camera apparatus such that the camera apparatus shoots a plurality of images constructing a panorama image in a predetermined order while changing zoom magnifications based on previously-determined setting and making a panorama image by joining a plurality of images with different zoom magnifications shot by the camera apparatus together.
US07848627B2
A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform and a controller. The movable platform has an imager and is movable and rotatable in an xy plane. The controller performs a movement control of the movable platform for a translational movement and an inclination correction during an imaging operation by the imager that commences when a shutter release switch is set to the ON state. The translational movement includes a first stabilization for correcting hand shake caused by yaw and a second stabilization for correcting hand shake caused by pitch. The inclination correction is based on an inclination angle of the photographic apparatus formed by rotation of the photographic apparatus around the optical axis, as measured with respect to a level plane perpendicular to the direction of gravitational force. The controller performs the inclination correction based on the inclination angle that is calculated before the imaging operation commences.
US07848625B2
An imaging system is provided that is capable of controlling a photographic operation to provide favorable images of a fundus of an eye to be examined. When a normal photographic mode is selected, a single operation of a shutter button causes a single trigger signal to be generated. On the other hand, when a stereo photographic mode is selected, a single operation of a shutter button causes two trigger signals to be generated in succession. The generated trigger signal triggers a switching device so that a position of a photographic stop is automatically switched to a position predetermined for the photographic mode, and the photographic light source is caused to emit light a number of times that corresponds to the selected photographic mode. In such a configuration, fundus images are automatically produced a set number of times by a single operation of the shutter. Therefore, a high-quality fundus image can be obtained without concerns that an appropriate moment to capture an image will be missed.
US07848621B2
Providing data for a stream multiplexer without generating any additional elementary stream file, including: receiving elementary stream data; generating pointer information for the elementary stream data; and generating a modification script using the pointer information, wherein the modification script specifies a process for modifying the elementary stream data for the stream multiplexer.
US07848617B2
A recording medium, method, and apparatus for reproducing text subtitle streams are disclosed. A buffer initially preloads a text subtitle stream including a dialog style segment defining a group of region styles and first and second dialog presentation segments. A text subtitle decoder initially presents a first region of dialog text included in the first dialog presentation segment in a graphics plane and reads a continuous presentation flag included in the second dialog presentation segment, which includes a second region of dialog text. The text subtitle decoder presents the second region of dialog text by preserving the presentation of the first region of dialog text in the graphics plane if the continuous segment indicates that continuous presentation is required between the first and second regions of the dialog text.
US07848612B2
A pause soon feature calls for providing media tags and pause points for pausing playback of media at appropriate intervals. The media tags and pause points may be resident in the media, the media player or in any combination thereof.
US07848610B2
A data processing system comprising a computer outputting to a reproduction apparatus data required for reproduction of a reproduction point in the reproduced data when receiving as input a first command designating a reproduction point of reproduced data and outputting to the reproduction apparatus a reproduction start command of the reproduction point when receiving as input a second command indicating the start of reproduction of the reproduction point designated by the first command after receiving as input the first command and a reproduction apparatus decoding data of the reproduction point based on the data input from the computer, storing the decoding result in a reproduction memory, and, when receiving as input the reproduction start command from the computer, reading, reproducing, and outputting the decoding results of the reproduction point from the reproduction memory.
US07848609B2
A fiber holder platform includes a support, a clamp configured to secure a cable to the support, and a securing mechanism configured to detachably secure the platform to a fiber holder and alternatively to a heat oven. A fiber holder assembly includes the fiber holder platform and the fiber holder, in a detachable or integral configuration.
US07848603B2
A normally opaque waveguide interacting with a drop-filter cavity can be switched to a transparent state when the drop filter is also coupled to a dipole. This dipole induced transparency may be obtained even when the vacuum Rabi frequency of the dipole is much less than the cavity decay rate. The condition for transparency is a large Purcell factor. Dipole induced transparency can be used in quantum repeaters for long distance quantum communication.
US07848591B2
An image processing apparatus includes a target-area setting unit that sets, in image data, an area around a target pixel as a target area, and an overshoot-undershoot suppressing unit that corrects a pixel value of the target pixel in the image data after processing based on pixel values of pixels in the target area.
US07848589B2
An apparatus, method, system, computer program and product, capable of applying edge enhancement to an image based on characteristics of the image.
US07848575B2
An imaging apparatus has the function of an optical zoom which optically converts the magnification of an image and the function of an electronic zoom which changes the size of an image by electrical signal processing. The function of the electronic zoom at least operates when the optical zoom is not set at the telephoto end. A total magnification is determined by changing magnification by the optical zoom and changing magnification by the electronic zoom. A pixel count s1 of an electronic imaging device, a pixel count s2 of a rectangle including the pixels on an imaging device which are used by the electronic zoom, and a pixel count s3 of an output satisfy s1≧s2>s3 or s1>s2≧s3.
US07848572B2
An image processing method according to the present invention includes extracting from a document image an area to be determined, calculating the number of closed loops within the extracted area, and making a determination based on the calculated number of closed loops, whether the area is a character area. This invention makes it possible to determine with a high accuracy whether an area to be determined is a character area.
US07848570B2
To provide a memory efficient method and system for statistical data accumulation and processing, data is divided into multiple data zones and divided into subgroups of memories. A separate memory bin is assigned for each of the subgroups, and this memory bin is shared between various two data zones in each subgroup for processing and accumulation. In this scheme, the histogram data in each location of the separate memory bin for the previously accumulated data zones is processed before updating the stored value for the data zone requiring data accumulation.
US07848561B2
Devices, systems and methods for determining capabilities of an on-line sensor are disclosed. The exemplary method may comprise the following acts. The method may generate an image of a sample texture with known characteristics. The method may transfer the image to an on-line sensor. The method may also analyze data generated by the on-line sensor to determine measured characteristics. The method may compare the measured characteristics to the known characteristics.
US07848560B2
A method of enhancing a digital image obtains the digital image, then decomposes the provided digital image according to a plurality of a number N frequency bands, including a low frequency band and more than one different higher frequency bands. Modified image data is formed by applying a gain function to image data for one or more of the N frequency bands according to a setting of a number M control points, wherein M is less than N. The modified image data for the N frequency bands are summed to form a reconstructed digital image.
US07848559B2
Axial rebinning methods are provided for 3D time-of-flight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET), based on 2D data rebinning. Rebinning is performed separately for each axial plane parallel to the axis of the PET scanner. An analytical approach is provided that is based on a consistency condition for TOF-PET data with a gaussian profile. A fully discrete approach is also provided, wherein each 2D TOF-PET data is calculated as a linear combination of 3D TOF-PET data having the same sinogram coordinates s and φ.
US07848542B2
A method is described for determining a description of motion of a moving mobile camera to determine a user input to an application. The method may involve capturing a series of images from a moving mobile camera and comparing stationary features present in the series of images. Optical flow analysis may be performed on the series of images to determine a description of motion of the moving mobile camera. Based on the determined motion, a user input to an application may be determined and the application may respond to the user input, for example, by updating a user interface of the application.
US07848539B2
An image processing apparatus includes a production unit that can produce data by putting original image data into a first region and copy-forgery-inhibited-pattern image data into a second region, and a processing unit that can perform predetermined processing to the original image data put in the first region. The image processing apparatus further includes a composite image data producing unit that can produce composite image data based on both of the original image data to which the predetermined processing is performed and the copy-forgery-inhibited-pattern image data put in the second region of the data.
US07848536B2
A voice coil assembly capable of realizing a flat thin loudspeaker having a high efficiency, reduced divided vibrations, a flat frequency response, and reduced operation defects. The voice coil assembly includes a plurality of internal-winding voice coils, each including a rectangular bobbin having a rectangular cross section and defining a rectangular space therein and an internal rectangular coil fixed to an inner wall surface of the rectangular bobbin defining the rectangular space, wherein an outer wall surface of the rectangular bobbin of one internal-winding voice coil is adhered and fixed to an outer wall surface of the rectangular bobbin of another internal-winding voice coil.
US07848535B2
There is provided a narrow directional microphone which houses a plurality of microphone units of a first-order pressure gradient type (condenser microphone) while achieving reduced weight and compact shape at the same time. The narrow directional microphone includes a cylindrical microphone case that is also used as an acoustic tube and two or more microphone units housed in the microphone case, each having a front acoustic terminal and a rear acoustic terminal. A hole communicating with the inside and outside of the microphone case is provided in the peripheral wall of the microphone case, and an acoustic resistance material is provided on the inside of the microphone case so as to close the hole. The microphone units are arranged adjacently on the rear end side of the microphone case with a predetermined gap being provided between the microphone unit and the inner peripheral surface of the microphone case in a state in which the front acoustic terminal side is directed to the tip end side of the microphone case.
US07848513B2
A method for transmitting a handover security context of a first access point, when an access terminal from a service cell of a first access point is connected to a packet access router, to a service cell of a second access point connected to the packet access router, is provided. The handover security context transmitting method includes confirming whether a handover confirmation message transmitted from the access terminal has a security context therein; when the handover confirmation message has a security context therein, confirming whether the security context has security-related information therein; when the security context has security-related information therein, confirming whether the security context has a traffic-related key or a pairwise master key; and transmitting an information instruction message including the security related information confirmed in the security context, the security-related information, the traffic-related key, and the pairwise master key through the PAR to the second AP.
US07848509B2
A network-based voice activated auto-attendant service is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a data processor is provided that can construct an enterprise voice directory by executing instructions to encrypt eXtended Markup Language (XML)-based files using an encryption key issued by a voice activated auto-attendant service provider network to form encrypted XML-based files. The instructions are further to store the encrypted XML-based files in a manner that is accessible to the voice activated auto-attendant service provider network, and to create the enterprise voice directory based on the encrypted XML-based files. The enterprise voice directory is configured to provide run-time access to the voice activated auto-attendant service provider network.
US07848503B2
The invention relates to a method for processing an untaken call on a called communication terminal, where at least for the untaken call a communication address for a caller or his calling communication terminal is entered in a caller list associated with the called communication terminal. An instruction given by the caller during or after the call suppresses a return call which can be initiated by the entry in the caller list.
US07848496B2
A traffic control system selectively interfaces members of plural groups, as buyer groups and vendor groups, for video communication through a dial-up telephone system, for analyzing and compiling data, scheduling appointments, implementing conferences, consummating sales and the like. The traffick-control system comprises a telephonic interface apparatus for interfacing remote telephonic terminals of the dial-up telephone system identified with the members of plural groups, a video recording unit for recording and playing video transcriptions, a storage memory for storing data on the members, including telephonic terminal numbers and area-of-interest codes and a control computer to selectively interconnect the video recording unit with the remote telephone terminals through the telephonic interface apparatus to record and receive video communication.
US07848489B1
A diffractometer for X-ray diffraction measurements has two co-exiting sample stages which are mounted on the goniometer base simultaneously. A rotation stage is used for single crystal X-ray diffraction and an XYZ stage is used for general X-ray diffraction with bulky samples. The driving bases of both stages are located away from the instrument center so the measuring space in the vicinity of the instrument center is available to either of the two sample stages. With this arrangement, the rotation axis of the rotation stage stays aligned to the instrument center even when the XYZ stage is used for data collection. Therefore, realigning of the rotation stage to the instrument center is not necessary when switching the applications between the two stages.
US07848487B2
Methods are disclosed for sterilizing biological materials to reduce the level of one or more active biological contaminants or pathogens therein, such as viruses, bacteria (including inter- and intracellular bacteria, such as mycoplasmas, ureaplasmas, nanobacteria, chlamydia, rickettsias), yeasts, molds, fungi, prions or similar agents responsible, alone or in combination, for TSEs and/or single or multicellular parasites. The methods involve sterilizing biological materials containing one or more non-aqueous solvents with irradiation.
US07848485B2
For a radiation imaging inspection system, apparatus, and/or method, the system, particularly a trailer security inspection system, includes a protective wall forming an inspection passage for passage of a trailer, a radiation imaging system effecting security inspection of the trailer passing through the inspection passage, and a fraction arrangement for hauling the trailer.
US07848482B2
An X-ray CT device, including a stationary part; a rotary part; an X-ray tube provided at the rotary part and that radiates X-ray beams on an object of imaging; an X-ray detector being provided at the rotary part and that detects the X-ray beams; an image processor that generates cross-sectional images of the object; a display that shows the cross-sectional images; a rotary step-up transformer that steps up AC voltage and including a primary and secondary part, the primary part being annular and being provided at the stationary part and including a primary winding being provided circumferentially and the secondary part being provided at the rotary part so as to confront the primary part over a gap and including a plurality of secondary cores disposed circumferentially and a secondary winding being wound on each of the secondary cores and being interconnected in series.
US07848480B2
An X-ray CT scanner includes X-ray tubes including a first X-ray tube and a second X-ray tube having fan angles different from each other, X-ray detectors including a first X-ray detector and a second X-ray detector which are respectively arranged to face the first X-ray tube and the second X-ray tube, collection data processing means for executing weighting processing to each of pieces of collection data including first collection data obtained by the first X-ray detector and second collection data obtained by the second X-ray detector to generate image data combined to be smooth in a direction corresponding to a channel direction of detection elements provided in the X-ray detectors, and image generating section for performing processing including image reconstruction processing with respect to pieces of collection data weighted by the collection data processing section to generate image data.
US07848477B2
A shift register including shift register units substantially cascaded is disclosed. Each shift register unit is controlled by first and second clock signals opposite to each other for generating an output signal. Each shift register unit includes first and second switch devices and first and second devices. The first switch device provides the output signal through an output node. The first driving device drives the first switch device according to a first input signal to activate the output signal. The second driving device provides a first voltage signal, according to the first clock signal, to drive the first switch device and de-activate the output signal. When the first switch device de-activates the output signal, the second switch device provides the second voltage signal to the output node according to the second clock signal. A level of the first voltage signal is lower than a level of the second voltage signal.
US07848471B2
In accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention, a method is offered that includes providing a filter and an adaptive control element that is operable to communicate with the filter. The method also includes measuring, over a period, a data correlation matrix and an uncompensated error correlation vector using first and second low pass filters. In addition, the method includes implementing a data-pattern compensation matrix online, whereby the data-pattern compensation matrix is obtained online dynamically from the data correlation matrix.
US07848461B2
A method for signal reception in a Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) communication system is provided. The method enhances the efficiency of signal reception in the MIMO system and simplifies the algorithms of signal reception and soft decoding metrics generation. In other words, soft decisions are generated according to correlations between metrics corresponding to least reliable bits based on MMSE linear estimation and noise variance estimation is provided to improve performance when an error is generated in channel matrix H estimation.
US07848450B2
Methods and apparatus to pre-compensate for in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) distortion in quadrature transmitters are disclosed. A disclosed example method comprises coupling a portion of an analog baseband in-phase signal to an analog baseband quadrature signal through an impedance, and selecting a resistance value for the impedance to pre-distort the analog baseband quadrature signal to compensate for an error introduced by modulation of the analog baseband in-phase signal and the analog baseband quadrature signal.
US07848444B2
A wireless communication system is disclosed. The system performs data transmission from a first terminal including N antennas to a second terminal including M antennas using spatially multiplexed streams (N and M are integers larger than or equal to 2).
US07848435B2
An N×N multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transceiver is provided. The transceiver includes a plurality of transceivers, each including at least one transceiver circuit; an oscillation unit which is configured to generate a differential signal which is supplied to the at least one transceiver circuit; a plurality of buffers, which are mounted in a bypass line between the at least one transceiver circuit and the oscillation unit and are configured to amplify and bypass the differential signal or input and amplify the differential signal; and a buffer control unit which is configured to control the plurality of buffers to bypass or input the differential signal.
US07848434B2
A channel estimator and a related method for smoothing channel responses of a multi-carrier system. The channel estimator includes a channel response computing circuit for computing at least one of a target channel estimation and a reference channel estimation by utilizing a computing algorithm, wherein the target channel estimation and the reference channel estimation corresponds to a sub-carrier channel respectively.
US07848433B1
A system, method and computer-readable media are introduced that relate to data coding and decoding. A computing device encodes received data such as video data into a base layer of compressed video and an enhancement layer of compressed video. The computing device controls drift introduced into the base layer of the compressed video. The computing device, such as a scalable video coder, allows drift by predicting the base layer from the enhancement layer information. The amount of drift is managed to improve overall compression efficiency.
US07848430B2
A video and graphics system processes video data including both analog video, e.g., NTSC/PAL/SECAM/S-video, and digital video, e.g., MPEG-2 video in SDTV or HDTV format. The video and graphics system includes a video decoder, which is capable of concurrently decoding multiple SLICEs of MPEG-2 video data. The video decoder includes multiple row decoding engines for decoding the MPEG-2 video data. Each row decoding engine concurrently decodes two or more rows of the MPEG-2 video data. The row decoding engines have a pipelined architecture for concurrently decoding multiple rows of MPEG-2 video data. The video decoder may be integrated on an integrated circuit chip with other video and graphics system components such as transport processors for receiving one or more compressed data streams and for extracting video data, and a video compositor for blending processed video data with graphics.
US07848428B2
In video compression systems, a system and method for reducing visible artifacts in video coding using multiple reference pictures are provided. A first GOP characterized by a “bbIbbBbbBbbB” structure and a second GOP characterized by “bbIbbQbbMbbQ” GOP structure may be used to reduce “I” frame clicking. The “B,” “b,” “Q,” and “M” pictures may be inter-coded by using multiple prediction dependencies, including dependency to a next GOP “I” picture, to smooth out discontinuities across GOPs in a video sequence. Prediction dependencies may be based on a weighing scheme where assigned weights are a function of the temporal distance between reference pictures and the picture being encoded. A first video compression system may be used for the first GOP and may encode “I,” “B,” and “b” pictures. A second video compression system may be used for the second GOP and may encode “I,” “Q,” “M,” and “b” pictures.
US07848422B2
A video encoding apparatus includes selecting one combination, for each block of an input video signal, from a plurality of combinations. Each combination includes a predictive parameter and at least one reference picture number determined in advance for the reference picture. A prediction picture signal is generated in accordance with the reference picture number and predictive parameter of the selected combination. A predictive error signal is generated representing an error between the input video signal and the prediction picture signal. Encoding the predictive error signal, information of the motion vector, and index information indicating the selected combination is included.
US07848419B2
A video encoding method includes selecting one combination, for each block of an input video signal, from a plurality of combinations. Each combination includes a predictive parameter and at least one reference picture number determined in advance for the reference picture. A prediction picture signal is generated in accordance with the reference picture number and predictive parameter of the selected combination. A predictive error signal is generated representing an error between the input video signal and the prediction picture signal. Encoding the predictive error signal, information of the motion vector, and index information indicating the selected combination is included.
US07848415B2
A video encoding apparatus includes selecting one combination, for each block of an input video signal, from a plurality of combinations. Each combination includes a predictive parameter and at least one reference picture number determined in advance for the reference picture. A prediction picture signal is generated in accordance with the reference picture number and predictive parameter of the selected combination. A predictive error signal is generated representing an error between the input video signal and the prediction picture signal. Encoding the predictive error signal, information of the motion vector, and index information indicating the selected combination is included.
US07848410B2
A video decoding method. The first frame of video data is acquired, the first frame is assigned to the backward reference frame and the forward reference frame respectively, and a frame buffer is emptied. Next, the next frame of the video data is acquired, and frame type is then determined. If the frame is a B-frame, corresponding decoding operations are implemented according to the determining result, and the frame is temporarily stored in the frame buffer.
US07848397B2
Generating frequency coherence between a received reference positioning signal carrier component transmitted by at least one reference transmitter and a unique positioning signal carrier component generated by a positioning-unit device. The positioning-unit device receives a reference positioning signal and measures a frequency offset of the reference positioning signal carrier component relative to a common oscillator. Once a frequency offset is measured, the positioning-unit device adjusts a frequency steerable clock by an amount derived from the measured frequency offset. The positioning-unit device then generates a unique positioning signal carrier component at an aligned carrier frequency with the reference positioning signal carrier component. Furthermore, the positioning-unit device continuously adjusts the unique positioning signal carrier component by applying the measured frequency offset to the frequency steerable clock, which is reference to the common oscillator. Subsequently, the frequency of the adjusted unique positioning signal carrier component is aligned with the frequency of said reference positioning signal carrier component.
US07848391B2
A method of cancelling interference induced by a coherent interference source in a spread spectrum receiver comprising the steps of: quantifying (44; 94) first interference values induced by the coherent interference source (SCH) in symbols on a first spread spectrum physical channel (P-CCPCH; CPICH); calculating (46, 48, 50; 96, 98, 100) second interference values induced by the coherent interference source in symbols on a second spread spectrum channel (DPCH) from the first interference values; and applying (18; 74) a correction value, derived from the second interference values, to the symbols on the second spread spectrum channel.
US07848388B2
An electronic equipment includes a RAKE receiver that includes at least one finger having a settable delay, a transducer operable to provide a signal indicative of motion of the electronic equipment, and a delay estimator circuit operative to calculate a duration between fading nulls of a received signal based on the motion signal of the electronic equipment. The time delay of the at least one finger is set based on the duration between fading nulls.
US07848380B2
A method and apparatus for modifying the out of band reflection of a laser element is described. The laser element includes an active medium excited by optical pumping means to produce stimulation emission of light. The laser element further includes a Bragg grating structure for providing optical feedback for the active medium, with the Bragg grating structure including a phase transition region providing a change in phase. The change in phase of the phase transition region is adjusted to modify out of band reflection of said laser element.
US07848379B2
Laser light generating solutions are provided that use one or more light emitting diodes to optically pump a laser light generating structure. The laser light generating structure can include organic or inorganic laser material. The light emitting diodes can be located on the same substrate as the laser light generating structure or on a separate substrate that is connected to the substrate with the laser light generating structure. Various other features can be included to enhance the optical pumping and/or enable electrical pumping of the active structure when it includes an inorganic laser material.
US07848373B2
A drive circuit for a semiconductor light emitting element used for a light source device adapted to output a laser beam converted using a wavelength conversion element adapted to generate a second harmonic wave, includes a switching element connected to a power supply, an inductor having one end connected to the power supply via the switching element, and the other end connected to the ground, a first terminal disposed between the switching element and the inductor, to which a cathode terminal of the semiconductor light emitting element is connected, and a second terminal disposed between the other terminal of the inductor and the ground, to which an anode terminal of the semiconductor light emitting element is connected.
US07848366B2
A data-transmission device has a number of N uplink interfaces routable to an output element over a processing line provided with data-processing components. A first processing line and a second processing line are provided each having two separate processing rows for in each case N/2 data lines. Each processing line has a circuit arrangement by means of which the N/2 data lines connected to the processing line can be connected to the respective other processing line to one of the two processing rows available there. The circuit arrangements is controlled in such a way that one of the two processing lines is active and the respective other can be switched to a standby mode so that the data traffic waiting at the N uplink interfaces can be handled via one of the two processing lines.
US07848362B2
The present technology relates to protocols relative to utility meters associated with an open operational framework. More particularly, the present subject matter relates to protocol subject matter for advanced metering infrastructure, adaptable to various international standards, while economically supporting a 2-way mesh network solution in a wireless environment, such as for operating in a residential electricity meter field. The present subject matter supports meters within an ANSI standard C12.22/C12.19 system while economically supporting a 2-way mesh network solution in a wireless environment, such as for operating in a residential electricity meter field, all to permit cell-based adaptive insertion of C12.22 meters within an open framework. Cell isolation is provided through quasi-orthogonal sequences in a frequency hopping network. Additional features relate to apparatus and methodology subject matters relating to real time clock distribution and recovery.
US07848354B2
A wireless communication apparatus wherein the throughput is improved. In a wireless communication apparatus (100), a frame generating part (120) adds a header to a data portion to form a transport frame. A control part (190) acquires a variation index in a propagation path and decides the length of the data portion of the transport frame in accordance with the propagation path variation index. In this way, when the propagation path variation index is large, that is, the degree of propagation path variation is high, the data portion can be shortened. Contrarily, when the propagation path variation index is small, that is, the degree of propagation path variation is low, the data portion can be elongated. Thus, when the degree of propagation path variation is high and hence the probability of reception of a retransmission request from a receiving end is high, the data portion can be shortened to prevent a degradation of the throughput that would occur due to a transmission of long data. Contrarily, when the probability of reception of a retransmission request is low, a long data can be transmitted to improve the throughput.
US07848350B1
In one embodiment, a method to exchange Q-bit data packets between TCP/IP and X.25 devices includes receiving an incoming packet sequence and translating the incoming packet sequence into at least one outgoing packet. A Q-bit indicator in the first packet of the incoming packet sequence is passed to the outgoing packets to indicate control information in the incoming packet sequence. To ensure backward compatibility, the method further includes enabling RBP Q-bit support and disabling Q-bit support by default.
US07848347B2
A channel quality information (CQI) polling controller for use in a wireless communication network is capable of causing a base station to poll a mobile station within its coverage area for CQI at an initial predetermined rate. The controller is also capable of recognizing a CQI variation pattern of the mobile station based upon its responses to a plurality of the CQI polls. The controller is further capable of selecting a CQI polling rate based upon the recognized CQI variation pattern. The controller is also capable of causing the base station to poll the mobile station for CQI at the selected CQI polling rate.
US07848344B2
During the transmission of subscriber-specific data, particularly via a transfer medium and according to a transmission principle based on time slot transmission with time slot separation, the transfer medium used by several subscribers can also be efficiently used when the data rates of the data transmitted in the transmission direction (SRI) and the reception direction (ERI) for at least one subscriber using the transmission are differently, i.e. asymmetrically distributed. To this end, the data to be transmitted for each subscriber are transmitted, as in the case of a symmetric data distribution, in at least two time slots (ZS) per a periodically returning time frame (ZR, ZR1, ZR6) and corresponding to the asymmetrical distribution of the ratio of a number of transmission data packets (SDP) to reception data packets (EDP) in a plurality n half time frame of the time frame (ZR, ZR1 ZR6) with n being greater or equal to 2 or ε N.
US07848329B2
A system establishes a communication path between a mobile node and a first label edge router, registers the mobile node at the first label edge router, and creates a mobility binding at the first label edge router. The system also establishes a label switched path between the first label edge router and a second label edge router by propagating the mobility binding in the system, and establishes communication between the mobile node and a corresponding node over the label switched path. The system further maintains the communication between the mobile node and the corresponding node over the system when the mobile node moves from one physical location to another physical location and causes a handoff of the mobile node between two layer 2 grooming networks.
US07848328B2
Components of a transmitted service delivering multiple versions of content are mapped to streams carrying data for those multiple versions. The data streams are encapsulated into User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets; the UDP destination port fields of the packets are given component-identifying values. A user equipment (UE) receiving the transmitted service identifies desired components based on the UDP destination port field values. The UE further encapsulates desired component UDP packets into Internet Protocol (IP) packets, and may assign component-identifying values to fields of the IP packets (e.g., the IP source address and/or IP destination address).
US07848327B2
In a first aspect, a first method is provided for creating a media access control (MAC) address for a device. The first method includes the steps of (1) obtaining one or more identifiers; (2) obtaining a first MAC address; and (3) creating at least a second MAC address based on the one or more identifiers and the first MAC address. Numerous other aspects are provided.
US07848325B2
An IPsec processor for performing IPsec processing of traffic packets is disclosed. The IPsec processor comprises a network processing module (500) and a hardware co-processing module (502) coupled to the network processing module (500) via an interface, the co-processing module (500) comprising a policy check processor (525), and a packet transform processor (526). The network processing module (500) is adapted for communicating a part of a packet to the policy check processor (525) via the interface, and if IPsec processing of the packet is required, communicating the packet to the packet transform processor (526) via the interface, and scheduling the IPsec processed said packet, received from the packet transform processor (526) via the interface, for forwarding.
US07848322B2
Device, system and method of UDP communication. For example, an apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention includes a non-kernel UDP protocol handler adapted to perform a UDP operation of a user mode application by bypassing the operating system kernel and directly accessing a communication adapter having an operating system bypass capability.
US07848320B2
A method of storage area network switch addressing is provided which includes disconnecting from a first port of a switch addressable by an address of a first address format, connecting to a second port of the switch addressable by a second address format, and accessing the second port using the address.
US07848310B1
A routing protocol, such as the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), is extended in a manner that allows the protocol to opaquely carry routing attributes associated with an origin of a routing advertisement, e.g., a customer network of associated with a virtual private network (VPN). These attributes are carried within routing communications using a separate attribute set, and are automatically utilized when delivering the routing advertisement to other customer networks associated with the VPN. As a result, the customer networks are isolated from the routing attributes used within an intermediate network coupling the customer networks.
US07848309B2
A relay apparatus includes: a priority table for storing a higher priority transmission identifier and transmission condition data; a bandwidth management part for determining whether or not a received transmission identifier should be recorded in the priority table as a higher priority transmission identifier; a priority control part for relaying the transmission identified by the higher priority transmission identifier by priority; a monitoring part for monitoring a transmission condition of the wireless terminals and storing a value indicating a degree of degradation of the transmission condition as transmission condition data in the priority table; and a lower priority transmission identifying part for selecting a transmission with a higher degree of degradation of a transmission condition as a lower priority transmission in the case where a total bandwidth in use for transmissions indicated by the higher priority transmission identifiers exceeds a predetermined threshold value. The priority control part relays the transmissions other than the lower priority transmission, by priority compared with the lower priority transmission.
US07848306B2
Embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and devices that coordinate access to a common medium between two networks. Typically, a gateway is employed that requests resources from a home central coordinator and/or access coordinator. If resources are not available from the home central coordinator and the access coordinator, a neighbor network protocol is performed to obtain additional resources.
US07848292B2
The present invention provides a method of dynamically forming a neighbor list in a wireless communication system. Embodiments of the method may include forming a neighbor list associated with at least one sector based on information provided by at least one mobile unit.
US07848283B2
In a data communication system capable of variable rate transmission, high rate packet data transmission improves utilization of the forward link and decreases the transmission delay. Data transmission on the forward link is time multiplexed and the base station transmits at the highest data rate supported by the forward link at each time slot to one mobile station. The data rate is determined by the largest C/I measurement of the forward link signals as measured at the mobile station. Upon determination of a data packet received in error, the mobile station transmits a NACK message back to the base station. The NACK message results in retransmission of the data packet received in error. The data packets can be transmitted out of sequence by the use of sequence number to identify each data unit within the data packets.
US07848274B2
A relay apparatus 30 issues a new sub-address at a timing when mobile phones (10a, 10b) requested content from a CP server apparatuses (20a, 20b), that is, at a timing when a sub-address is required. The content specified by this sub-address is distributed from the CP server apparatuses via the relay apparatus (30) to the mobile phones. In system of the present invention it is possible to utilize the same sub-address many times for different content items. It is therefore possible to avoid increasing the number of digits of the sub-address as well as the complexity of the sub-address structure, in a case where the types of content or the number of content items increases.
US07848270B2
A method for minimizing energy usage in a portable unit in a wireless communications system incorporates means to locally generate information on motion of the portable unit and to adapt a transmission from the portable unit based upon such motion information so that energy usage is minimized. By applying this method, information concerning motion of the portable unit is utilized in order to adapt transmissions from the portable unit in such a way that less energy is consumed. In the case of a portable telephone, connection time is thereby primarily increased, because it is then that most energy is used for transmission. In many cases standby time is also increased because many telephones also transmit information during standby, for example during so-called roaming.
US07848264B1
A method for operating a computer network includes: a become_root_primary command is issued to a first router to set an ID so that a spanning tree protocol (STP) selects the first router as a primary root router; a become_root_secondary command is issued to a second router to set an ID so that STP selects the second router as a secondary root router; transitioning, in response to failure of the first router, the second router to become the root router. An enable_uplinkfast command is issued to a router, and the router selects a backup designated port for a designated port, and selects a backup root port for a root port. Ports transmit BPDU messages as heartbeat messages, and a failure to detect the BPDU messages results in a backup port assuming the role of a port not detecting the BPDU messages.
US07848257B1
Methods and systems are provided for synchronizing reservation status between an access terminal and an access node. In one embodiment, an access terminal receives a report from an access node, the report reflecting a first set of reservations, wherein the first set is a set of reservations that the access node is maintaining with respect to communicating with the access terminal. In response to receiving the report, the access terminal compares the first set of reservations with a second set of reservations, wherein the second set is a set of reservations that the access terminal is maintaining with respect to communicating with the access node. Upon comparing the first set with the second set, the access terminal determines that the first set is not equal to the second set, and responsively sends one or more messages to the access node to cause the access node to modify the first set to match the second set.
US07848252B2
A method of selecting a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) index in to wireless communication system, the method including measuring a frequency selectivity of a receiving channel, selecting a MCS index having a coding rate below a prescribed coding rate threshold value if the measured frequency selectivity is greater than or equal to a specified frequency selectivity threshold, and selecting the MCS index having the coding rate above or equal to the prescribed coding rate threshold value if the measured frequency selectivity is less than the specified frequency selectivity threshold.
US07848246B2
Provided is a method and system for confirming label switched path (LSP) connection in a global multi-protocol label switching (GMPLS)-based network. The method includes: collecting LSP hierarchy information; selecting one of a plurality of paths between first and second clients according to the LSP hierarchy information; and confirming the connection of the selected path.
US07848241B2
A mobile communications system includes a first base station to service a first set of connections from a first set of mobile communications devices to a communications network. A set of neighboring base stations is in communication with the first base station. In an embodiment of the invention, the first base station prioritizes the first set of connections according to first predetermined criteria and prioritizes the set of neighboring base stations according to second predetermined criteria. The prioritization lists are used in deterministic ways to alleviate potential congestion in backhaul links and optimize the overall performance of system and improved quality of service.
US07848227B2
A method, apparatus, and network communication node for suppressing transmission of a request packet, in the context of a request-response network protocol, if a packet in response to a currently pending request packet is present in an input process queue in a network communication node are presented. One embodiment of the present invention provides this capability by pre-processing an incoming packet to determine whether the packet is designated as being in response to a pending request.
US07848207B2
An optical pickup includes: a first projector for projecting a first light beam of a first wavelength so as to record and reproduce information with respect to an optical disk having a first light transmissive layer; a second projector for projecting a second light beam of a second wavelength longer than the first wavelength so as to record and reproduce information with respect to an optical disk having a second light transmissive layer; an objective lens common to the first and second light beams; and a diffraction optical element made of a lens with a diffraction grating and a refracting face and disposed in an optical path between the first and second projectors and the objective lens. The diffraction optical element is set to satisfy a predetermined equation. As a result, an optical pickup is realized that uses a single focusing means to focus light beams of different wavelengths, so as to record and reproduce information with respect to different kinds of optical disks (recording media) respectively having light transmissive layers of different thicknesses and respectively using different optimum wavelengths of light for reproducing.
US07848203B2
An automatic disk reproducing apparatus includes a chassis body, a duplicating device, a disk feeding device, a disk conveying device and a disk holder. The duplicating device is mounted in the chassis body and has a tray. The disk feeding device is mounted on the chassis body to hold a stack of compact disks in position and allows gravity to pull the compact disk at the bottom of the stack of compact disks into the tray for duplication. The disk conveying device includes two conveying members and two arms connected respectively to the conveying members to elevate the recorded compact disk from the tray after the duplication of the compact disk and convey the recorded compact disk to the disk holder.
US07848202B2
On an information record medium (10, 11), record information can be recorded one time or a plurality of times by a predetermined record format. An apparatus for manufacturing the information record medium by using a stamper (27, 28) is provided with an embossed pit array forming device (20 to 26, 50) for forming on the stamper as an embossed pit array, pre-record data (SFi) which is a predetermined data row to disable overwriting on the record information in a pre-record area, which is set in advance in a range including an area (13c) assigned to information required to control a reproduction of the record information, which is recorded by the predetermined record format.
US07848184B2
A standard reproduction model for ensuring real time reproducing on a disk-shaped information recording medium, includes a pickup (102) that reads the real time data from the information recording medium, a buffer memory (103) that temporarily stores the real time data read by the pickup, and a decoding module (104) that reads the real time data from the buffer memory (103) and processes the read real time data. An access time Tacc of the standard reproduction model is expressed by the following formula, Tacc=A·dN+Trev+B where dN is a difference in rotational speed of the disk-shaped information recording medium, Trev is a rotation waiting time at a target access position, A and B are constants.
US07848183B2
An information processing device performing replication of data between recording media so that valid information recorded in a first recording medium is recorded in a second recording medium, the information processing device includes a replication control unit controlling the replication of the data so that only information of an allocation space which is an area having the valid information recorded therein is read from the first recording medium serving as a replication source and the read valid information is written in the second recording medium serving as a replication destination.
US07848182B2
A recording medium is provided, which comprises at least one recording area. The at least one recording area is composed of at least one adjustment area and at least one positional information recording area. The at least one adjustment area is an area for adjustment an access parameter for accessing the recording medium. Positional information indicating a position of the at least one adjustment area is recorded in the at least one positional information recording area.
US07848179B2
An output enable signal generating circuit including a first count value generation unit that provides a first count value by executing a counting operation, starting from an initial count value corresponding to a CAS latency information, the counting operation being executed in response to an internal clock signal, a second count value generation unit that provides a second count value that is counted in response to an external clock signal and an output enable signal generation unit for generating an output enable signal that is activated at every timing when the second count value and the first count value become equal to each other, in response to each of a plurality of read commands.
US07848178B2
Semiconductor memory device and method for operating the same includes a phase detection unit configured to compare a phase of a first reference clock and a phase of a second divided reference clock to output a comparison result signal and a phase control and division unit configured to generate the second divided reference clock by dividing a second reference clock by a predetermined ratio according to the comparison result signal outputted from the phase detection unit and adjusting a phase of the second reference clock.
US07848173B1
An address decoder includes N predecoders that receive and logically combine a clock signal and respective address signals to periodically provide respective addresses and complementary addresses. N is an integer greater than one. A first decoder receives the respective addresses and complementary addresses and generates a decoder output based on the received respective addresses and complementary addresses.
US07848172B2
A memory circuit having reduced power consumption includes a plurality of memory sub-arrays and a shared circuit coupled to each of the memory sub-arrays. Each memory sub-array includes at least one row circuit, at least one column circuit, and a plurality of memory cells operatively coupled to the row and column circuits. The row and column circuits are operative to provide selective access to one or more of the memory cells. The shared circuit includes circuitry, external to the memory sub-arrays, which is operative to control one or more functions of the memory sub-arrays as a function of at least one control signal supplied to the memory circuit. The memory circuit is operative, with at least one of the memory sub-arrays operative, with one or more of the memory sub-arrays powered and concurrently with one or more of the memory sub-arrays unpowered.
US07848171B2
A cell array has a plurality of memory cells arranged in a matrix. Each one terminal of a plurality of switching circuits is connected to a bit line. A leakage current compensating circuit has an output node connected in common to the other terminal of the switching circuit. The leakage current compensating circuit comprises a plurality of MOSFETs. Each MOSFET has the same conduction type as a MOSFET whose output node is directly connected to the bit line in the memory cell. Each MOSFET of the leakage current compensating circuit has a gate electrode connected to a first voltage node and a source electrode connected to a second voltage node, and thereby, being biased so that the MOSFET turns off.
US07848169B2
A semiconductor device includes first and second memory circuits that are disposed in different power source blocks and operate in synchronization with a clock, first and second delay circuits that are connected between output terminals of one memory circuits and input terminals of the other memory circuits, and a determination circuit that determines whether it is a situation that can cause malfunction based on an input signal and an output signal in the memory circuits and outputs a determination result as an error detection signal. To the first and second memory circuits, different initial values are given, and it is monitored whether a signal is sent and received between the memory circuits in a toggle state or not. Thus, occurrence of a situation that can cause malfunction can be simply and quickly detected.
US07848166B2
A circuit and method for a sense amplifier for sensing the charge stored by a memory cell is disclosed. The memory cell is coupled to a bit line, a complementary bit line and a differential sense amplifier is coupled to the bit line and the complementary bit line. A control signal couples a reference voltage to the complementary bit line. A positive precharge voltage is applied to the bit line and complementary bit line prior to the sense amplifier being enabled. The memory cell outputs a voltage to the bit line responsive to a word line, and the sense amplifier senses the differential voltage between the bit line and the complementary bit line responsive to a sense enable signal. A voltage regulator for generating the reference voltage, preferably about 80% of a positive supply voltage, is disclosed. A method of sensing data stored by a memory cell is disclosed.
US07848160B2
A semiconductor storage device includes a plurality of memory cells connected to first and second column trees, and a sensing circuit reading data from the memory cells. The sensing circuit performing a read operation by electrically connecting the column tree, which is connected to a read-selected memory cell, to a sensing node and electrically connecting the column tree, which is connected to a non-selected memory cell, to a reference sensing line.
US07848159B2
A high speed voltage mode sensing is provided for a digital multibit non-volatile memory integrated system. An embodiment has a local source follower stage followed by a high speed common source stage. Another embodiment has a local source follower stage followed by a high speed source follower stage. Another embodiment has a common source stage followed by a source follower. An auto zeroing scheme is used. A capacitor sensing scheme is used. Multilevel parallel operation is described.
US07848158B2
Methods and apparatuses for programming non-volatile semiconductor memory devices by using modulated pulses are disclosed. An apparatus may have a pulse generator, to create a sequence of pulses and set a threshold voltage of a non-volatile memory cell, and a pulse coupler. The apparatus may have a threshold verifier capable of verifying that the threshold voltage is set within an acceptable voltage range of a target threshold voltage. A pulse width modulator in some apparatuses may modulate the pulse durations early in the sequence when programming fast bits and late in the sequence when programming slow bits. An apparatus may generate a sequence of pulses, apply the sequence of pulses to a memory cell to set a threshold voltage of the memory cell, and modulate one or more of pulses in the sequence the parameters of pulse duration, pulse separation time, and step voltage magnitude.
US07848155B2
Methods of operating non-volatile memory devices can compensate for threshold voltage disturbances caused by overhead data programming during block erase operations. These methods include erasing a spare array of nonvolatile memory cells and a corresponding main array of nonvolatile memory cells that shares word lines with the spare array. This erasing operation is followed by writing updated overhead data (e.g., an erase count) into the spare array and then performing a soft program operation. This soft program operation is performed on at least a first portion of the main array to thereby narrow a threshold voltage distribution of erased memory cells within the first portion of the main array. The soft program operation is then followed by an operation to verify an erased status of at least the first portion of the main array and an operation to communicate that the main and spare arrays of nonvolatile memory cells have been properly erased to a memory controller.
US07848154B2
A nonvolatile memory device capable of: preventing variations in current and transistor properties to prevent data readout errors; facilitating design changes with a simplified adjustment of the current ratio of transistors; and achieving increased data reading speed. The memory device comprising: a first current detecting circuit comprising a first transistor of a first conductive type coupled in a diode configuration, wherein current flows according to a reference cell through the first transistor; a second current detecting circuit comprising a second transistor of the first conductive type coupled in a diode configuration, wherein current flows according to a selected memory cell through the second transistor; a bias circuit comprising a third transistor of the first conductive type that is coupled to the first transistor by a current mirror configuration; and a differential amplifying circuit comprising a fourth transistor of the first conductive type which is coupled to the second transistor, wherein the differential amplifying circuit outputs a signal corresponding to a difference between current flowing through the third transistor and current flowing through the fourth transistor; and wherein the first transistor, the second transistor, the third transistor and the fourth transistor are comprised of one predetermined sized unit transistor element of the first conductive type, or are comprised of parallel couplings of predetermined sized unit transistor elements of the first conductive type.
US07848142B2
Methods, devices, modules, and systems for programming memory cells can include storing charges corresponding to a data state that represents an integer number of bits in a set of memory cells. Programming memory cells can include storing a charge in a cell of the set, where the charge corresponds to a programmed state, where the programmed state represents a fractional number of bits, and where the programmed state denotes a digit of the data state as expressed by a number in base N, where N is equal to 2B, rounded up to an integer, and where B is equal to the fractional number of bits represented by the programmed state.
US07848134B2
A memory chip with a plurality of FB DRAM cells, having a word line coupled to a first FB DRAM cell and a second FB DRAM cell is disclosed. The memory chip further has a first bit line coupled to the first FB DRAM cell, and a first state memory circuit coupled to the first bit line. The memory chip further includes a second bit line coupled to the second FB DRAM cell, and a second state memory circuit coupled to the second bit line. The memory chip further includes a sense amplifier, which can be coupled to the first FB DRAM cell, the second FB DRAM cell, the first state memory circuit or the second state memory circuit.
US07848125B2
A keep alive circuit for recharging bootstrap capacitors in multiple totem-pole switching power stages using N-channel field effect transistor or NPN bipolar junction transistor switching devices during 100% or substantially 100% duty cycle operation of one of the totem pole pairs.
US07848124B2
A converter and a driving method thereof are provided. The converter can determine the output short state of the converter after the soft start is finished by using a detection signal that corresponds to an input signal while a switched is turned on and that corresponds to an output signal while the switch is turned off, so as to convert the input signal into the output signal according to a switching operation of the switch. The converter can determine the overload state of the converter by using a feedback voltage corresponding to the output signal, and terminate the switching operation when the converter is in an output short state or overload state.
US07848122B2
A terminator reduces reflections on power lines connecting an inverter to an AC motor by providing a differential-mode reflection damping element and at least one common-mode reflection damping element, the latter including a series capacitance to substantially reduce power dissipation in the resistance of the damping elements.
US07848109B2
A method and incorporated assembly for enhancing structural rigidity of a computer rack used for housing electronic components is provided. In one embodiment, the assembly comprises a casing made of a lighter weight material and having protrusions. The protrusions are formed to receive one or more ruggedized inserts that is made of a heavier and/or stiffer material. The casing and the inserts together can be then used as a ruggedized side of a computer rack or cage.
US07848106B2
A disk drive testing system cooling circuit includes a plurality of test racks. Each of the test racks include a test slot compartment and a test electronics compartment. Each of the test slot compartments includes multiple test slots, and one or more cooling conduits configured to convey a cooling liquid toward the test slots. Each of the test electronics compartments includes test electronics configured to communicate with the test slots for executing a test algorithm, and a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the one or more cooling conduits. The heat exchanger is configured to cool an air flow directed toward the test electronics.
US07848103B2
A computer enclosure includes an absorber plate, a thermoelectric converter, and a refrigerator. The absorber plate is arranged in the computer enclosure to absorb heat generated in the computer enclosure. The thermoelectric converter is arranged in the computer enclosure to receive heat absorbed by the absorber plate, and then convert the absorbed heat to electrical energy. The refrigerator is arranged in the computer enclosure to receive the electrical energy generated by the thermoelectric converter, and then work to generate cold air to dissipating heat in the computer enclosure.
US07848102B2
An electronic device includes a chassis, a tray, and a securing member. The chassis is configured to hold electronic elements having cables, and includes a rear plate having an outer surface. The tray is attachable to the outer surface of the rear plate, and includes a bottom wall substantially perpendicular to the rear plate of the chassis. The securing member secured on the bottom wall of the tray and includes a latch portion resiliently deformable for maintaining the cables between the latch portion and the bottom wall.
US07848088B2
A mounting apparatus for mounting a power supply having a first connector on a front side, includes an enclosure, a bracket, and a board. The enclosure includes a rear wall defining an opening for the power supply passing therethrough. The bracket is mounted to the enclosure below the opening, capable of supporting the power supply. A second connector protrudes up from a front end of the bracket, configured for engaging with the first connector of the power supply. The board is attached to a rear side of the power supply, to cover the opening of the rear wall. A plurality of latching slots is defined in the enclosure or the bracket. A plurality of hooks is formed on the board, to engage in the plurality of latching slots.
US07848087B2
An electronic device is described. The electronic device includes a housing, a printed circuit board mounted in the housing, an earphone and a retracting mechanism. The earphone includes a connecting cable and a head member. One end of the connecting cable is connected to the printed circuit board, the other is connected to the head member. The retracting mechanism includes a receiving compartment and a receiving space communicating with the receiving compartment. The receiving compartment receives the connecting cable therein. The head member is received in and fixed to the receiving space.
US07848085B2
A power distribution system is provided that includes an upper panel, a lower panel, a plurality of side panels, and a plurality of guide rails each having at least two insert slots formed therein that extend along a longitudinal axis of the guide rail. Each of the insert slots is configured to receive and fixedly hold an edge of the side panels. The upper panel and lower panel are each fixedly mounted to an opposite edge face of the guide rails thereby securing the side panels and guide rail between the upper panel and lower panel.
US07848078B2
Blasting operations for mining frequently involve a large number of detonators for a single blasting event. An important step in the execution of a blast is to perform a roll-call to check that all detonator assemblies placed at the blast site are in communication with a blasting machine, and forming operative components of the blasting apparatus. Disclosed herein are blasting apparatuses and methods of blasting that streamline this roll-call step, thereby reducing time consumed in the blasting process.
US07848075B2
An electrostatic chuck with a heater including: a base which is composed of a sintered body containing alumina, an electrode disposed in an upper part of the base, and a resistance heating element embedded in a lower part of the base. The base includes a dielectric layer between the electrode and an upper surface of the base and a supporting member between the electrode and a lower surface of the base. The dielectric layer has a carbon content of not more than 100 ppm, and the supporting member has a carbon content of 0.03 to 0.25 wt %. Moreover, the resistance heating element is formed into a coil and mainly composed of niobium.
US07848074B2
An electronic circuit breaker has an input, an output, and a switch electrically connected between the input and the output. The electronic circuit breaker monitors the energy dissipated by the switch and opens the switch when the energy reaches a threshold value in order to protect the switch. The electronic circuit breaker also monitors the current through the switch and opens the switch when necessary to protect the load.
US07848072B2
A method of fault detection for battery chargers includes sensing a charge current applied to a battery with a resistive element. The method includes measuring a voltage across the resistive element. The method includes generating a trigger signal when the measured voltage across the resistive element exceeds a predetermined value. The method includes generating from the trigger signal an interrupt signal for a microprocessor. The method includes initiating an over-current handling routine in the microprocessor.
US07848063B2
According to one embodiment, a yoke-type magnetic head for reading out magnetic information from a medium in which information is magnetically recorded in a track direction, the head includes a magnetic pole which is provided on a plane perpendicular to a linear recording direction and has an opposing surface facing the medium, a saturation magnetic flux density Bs1, and a volume V1, a sub yoke which is formed on the plane by being connected to the magnetic pole, and has a length SYW in a direction perpendicular to the linear recording direction longer than a length SYH in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the medium, and a saturation magnetic flux density Bs2 and a volume V2, the product Bs2V2 of which is larger than the product Bs1V1, and a magnetoresistance effect film which is formed between the sub yoke and the opposing surface, and abuts the magnetic pole.
US07848058B2
A voice coil for a voice coil motor of a hard disk drive comprises an inner surface of the voice coil, which bounds a central space of the voice coil. A first outer surface of the voice coil is substantially parallel to a second outer surface of the voice coil. A constrained layer damper is attached to the inner surface of the voice coil by a coupler. The constrained layer damper comprises a first constraining layer coupled to a first surface of a viscoelastic damping layer. A second constraining layer is coupled to a second surface of the viscoelastic damping layer. The constrained layer damper is curved in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first outer surface of the voice coil and the second outer surface of the voice coil.
US07848054B2
A perpendicular magnetic write head having a conformal wrap around trailing shield. The write head includes a write pole that can be configured with a trapezoidal shape as viewed from the Air Bearing Surface (ABS) and which includes a wrap around trailing magnetic shield. The magnetic shield has a trailing portion that is separated from the leading edge of the write pole by a non-magnetic trailing gap, and has side shield portions that are separated from first and second side portions of the write pole by first and second non-magnetic side gaps. The magnetic shield can be configured with notches at either side of the trailing portion of magnetic shield. These notches can extend in the trailing direction by a distance that is preferably ¼ to 1 times the trailing gap thickness. The width of the straight, trailing portion of the shield is preferable ½ to 1 times of the main pole width.
US07848053B2
Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide a magnetic head in which broadening of the effective track width can be decreased without reducing the write-field intensity and a variation of the track width can be decreased. A main pole consists of a pole tip having a part which provides the write track-width and a yoke part recessed from the air beating surface in the element height direction, and the pole tip consists of a pole tip at the trailing side where the width in the track-width direction is large and a pole tip at the leading side where the width in the track width direction is small. Moreover, the throat height of the pole tip at the trailing side is made greater than the throat height of the pole tip at the leading side.
US07848051B2
An assembly comprises a housing and a rotatable data disc within the housing. The rotatable data disc creates a gas flow within the housing when the rotatable data disc rotates. The assembly further comprises a filter at a perimeter position of the rotatable data disc positioned to capture a portion of the gas flow, a first support element fixed relative to the housing and adjacent an upstream side of the filter, wherein the portion of the gas flow circumscribes the first support element and a second support element fixed to the housing and adjacent a downstream side of the filter, wherein the portion of the gas flow also circumscribes the second support element.
US07848044B2
The present invention provides a VCM driver realizing low power consumption and high accuracy and a PWM amplifier compensating a dead time distortion. A phase compensator, a ΔΣ modulator receiving an output signal of the phase compensator and converting the output signal to a control code of predetermined bits, a PWM modulator receiving the control code to produce a PWM signal, and an output circuit receiving the PWM signal to drive a voice coil constitute a forward path. A sense amplifier sensing a current of the voice coil, an ADC receiving an output signal of the sense amplifier, a low-pass filter receiving an output signal of the ADC, and a decimation filter receiving an output signal of the low-pass filter constitute a feedback path. An output signal of the decimation filter is fed back to the input side of the phase compensator to form a major feedback loop having a first-order characteristic loop gain. An output signal of the decimation filter is fed back to the output side of the phase compensator to form a minor feedback loop having a loop gain which is flat until a target band frequency when viewed from the output side of the phase compensator.
US07848041B2
According to one embodiment, a disk drive that includes a disk and a disk controller is provided which effectively correct data errors that are generated at the time of reproducing data. The disk has a data-recording area constituted by a set of magnetic dots that are physically separated from one another. The disk controller uses error-correcting codes to determine an error that shows a change in the total number of bits in a data-bit string of the data set reproduced.
US07848035B2
An optical assembly includes an output optical element having a thermally conductive and optically transmissive material and a thermal conduit in thermal communication with the output optical element and having at least one surface configured to be in thermal communication with at least one heat dissipating surface of a light delivery apparatus. The optical assembly further includes a coupling portion configured to be placed in at least two states. In a first state, the coupling portion is attached to the apparatus such that the at least one surface of the thermal conduit is in thermal communication with the at least one heat dissipating surface. In a second state, the coupling portion is detached from the apparatus after having been attached to the apparatus in the first state and in which the coupling portion is configured to prevent re-attachment of the coupling portion to the apparatus.
US07848031B2
A method of manufacturing an optical element (5) comprises testing an optical surface (3) of the optical element, using an interferometer 1a directing measuring light (23a) onto the optical surface wherein the measuring light traverses two successive holograms (44, 48) disposed in the beam path of the measuring light upstream of the optical surface.
US07848026B2
An apparatus includes a medium that is a metamaterial over a frequency range. The medium includes a stack of layers or slabs. A mechanical, electrical, or magnetic property of the layers or slabs of the stack varies monotonically between neighboring ones of the layers or slabs.
US07848025B2
Disclosed herein is a camera lens comprising a thermoplastic composition comprising a poly(aliphatic ester)-polycarbonate copolymer comprising soft block ester units derived from an alpha, omega C6-20 aliphatic dicarboxylic acid or derivative thereof, a dihydroxyaromatic compound, and a carbonate source, wherein the thermoplastic composition has a melt volume rate of 13 to 25 cc/10 min at 250° C. and under a load of 1.2 Kg and a dwell time of 6 minutes, according to ASTM D1238-04, and wherein the camera lens has an effective lens area of 0.5 to 100 mm2. A method of making the camera lens, and a camera lens comprising a thermoplastic composition comprising a redistribution product of a poly(aliphatic ester)-polycarbonate, are also disclosed.
US07848022B2
An imaging device and method of a bonding apparatus in which the imaging device includes: a high-magnification optical system having first and second high-magnification optical paths that extend to multiple imaging planes through a high-magnification lens and have different optical path lengths from the high-magnification lens to the respective imaging planes correspondingly to multiple subject imaging ranges which are at different distances from the high-magnification lens; and a low-magnification optical system having a low-magnification optical path that extends to an imaging plane through a low-magnification lens and having a field of view wider than those of the high-magnification optical paths. The imaging elements on the respective imaging planes in the high-magnification optical system are adapted to image semiconductor chips, while the imaging element on the imaging plane in the low-magnification optical system is adapted to image a lead frame.
US07848015B2
Compact two-element infrared objective lens and IR or thermal sight for weapon having viewing optics
A compact objective lens is disclosed which is particularly suitable for infrared optical systems. The lens features a simple design with only two lens elements, namely a first lens element receiving incident radiation and having front and rear surfaces, and a second lens element receiving incident radiation from the first element and having front and rear surfaces. The lens forms an image of a scene on a focal plane. At least three of the four surfaces of the elements are aspheric surfaces. The lens has an f-number less than about 2, a field-of-view less than about 30 degrees, and an effective focal length less than about 6 inches. The elements are made from a material selected to pass radiation in the infrared band of the electromagnetic spectrum, e.g., germanium. The lens is suitable for use as an objective lens for a long-wave infrared sight for small arms, e.g., rifle or shoulder-launched surface to air missile launching system, i.e., a lens optimized for operating in the electromagnetic spectrum between about 7.5 and about 15 micrometers.
US07848009B2
An image display medium includes a pair of substrates, a liquid that is enclosed between the substrates, first colored particles, second colored particles and third colored particles. The first colored particles are colored a first color and move in response to an electric field that is formed between the substrates. The second colored particles are colored a second color and move in an opposite direction of the first colored particles. The third colored particles are colored a third color, are configured to have a particle diameter such that the third colored particles move through clearances between the first colored particles and the second colored particles in a state in which the first colored particles and the second colored particles have aggregated together, and move in response to an electric field that is formed between the substrates.
US07847999B2
An embodiment for a pixel for a display device on a substrate is disclosed. The pixel includes a first interferometric modulator on the substrate. The first interferometric modulator has a first normal direction substantially perpendicular to the first interferometric modulator and a first angularly-dependent reflectivity function comprising a first reflectivity in a first direction and a second reflectivity in a second direction, with the first reflectivity being greater than the second reflectivity. The pixel also includes a second interferometric modulator on the substrate. The second interferometric modulator has a second normal direction substantially perpendicular to the second interferometric modulator and a second angularly-dependent reflectivity function comprising a third reflectivity in the second direction and a fourth reflectivity in the first direction, with the third reflectivity being greater than the fourth reflectivity.
US07847997B2
A projection apparatus for scanningly projecting an image onto an image field by means of a radiation beam includes a modulator for modulating an intensity of the radiation beam such that the intensity of the radiation beam changes in a time interval during which a scan point to which the radiation beam is directed sweeps a pixel of the image field.
US07847992B2
Methods and devices for creating and printing variable size and variable resolution holographic stereograms and holographic optical elements can generate one-step, full-color, full-parallax holographic stereograms using a reference beam-steering system that allows a reference beam to expose a holographic recording material from different angles. One method includes selecting, for each of a plurality of viewing zones, a respective scene; generating a computer model of each scene; and determining, for each of a plurality of elemental holograms for a holographic stereogram, viewing zone mask volumes. For each elemental hologram and for each viewing zone mask volume, an image is rendered of the selected scene enclosed by the viewing zone mask volume. The rendering is based at least in part on the computer model of the selected scene. After the rendering is complete for each of the viewing zone mask volumes, a composite rendered image is generated for the elemental holograms.
US07847973B2
A system and method that provide full color mapping of video images with minimal distortion to the image. A two-dimensional look up table may be used to map a certain number of colors, and for colors that are not represented by entries in the table, the four closest entries to the desired color may be interpolated to provide mapping for the color, thus achieving full color mapping. The method may also provide the ability to map colors in partial bypass and full bypass conditions. In a full bypass condition the color goes through the system unchanged, and the system may be capable of mapping the brightness of the color by interpolating the luminance values of the closest table entries.
US07847972B2
The invention provides for a paper transport mechanism for a pagewidth printer. The mechanism includes an electric motor and a sheet feed roller, a paper drive roller and pinch wheels operatively actuated by the motor to feed paper through a media path defined through the printer. The mechanism also includes an ink cartridge with integral printhead arranged in the media path, and a capping mechanism configured to cap the printhead. The motor is configured to drive the paper drive roller and the pinch wheels at a start and an end of the media path when running in a forward direction, and to drive the sheet feed roller when reversed, such that the sheet feed roller engages a topmost sheet from a sheet feeder of the printer and transports said sheet to the paper drive roller.
US07847970B1
An exemplary medication order processing system (10) includes a plurality of nursing stations (12, 14, 16). Physician orders prescribing medications for patients are faxed from the nursing stations to a computer which is included in an interchange fax station (28) located at the pharmacy. Physician orders for medications are selectively sent to either a priority or normal fax number based on the urgency associated with delivering the medication to the patient. The interchange fax station is operative to prioritize the orders and to present them to pharmacists working at pharmacist work stations (40, 42). Pharmacist work stations are enabled to review, electronically annotate, and input orders reviewed at the pharmacy work station into a pharmacy order system of the facility. Input to the pharmacy order system results in the medication being administered to the patient. Pharmacists are also enabled to handle discrepancies and to present issues to the originators of the orders so as to resolve questions before the input of the medication order into the pharmacy order system.
US07847964B2
A mail terminal senses insertion of a document into the terminal, scans the document in response to the sensed document insertion, and transmits the scanned document electronically over a telephone network. A host server receives the document over the telephone network, determines the name of the addressee from the received document, looks up document delivery instructions stored in a memory in association with the name of the addressee, and delivers the document to the addressee according to the delivery instructions. The mail terminal also prints documents that it receives from the host server.
US07847963B2
A printing system in which a print job is generated from original image data which have been read by an image reading apparatus, and the print job is transmitted to a printing apparatus to effect printing, wherein the printing apparatus includes a detecting unit that detects the cancellation of processing of the print job, and a job notifying unit that transmits to the image reading apparatus a job cancellation notification that the print job has been canceled, in correspondence with the detection of the cancellation of processing of the print job, and wherein the image reading apparatus aborts the read processing of the original in correspondence with the reception of the job cancellation notification transmitted from the job notifying unit.
US07847954B2
A system with two unequal path interferometers, with a first flat, a second flat, and a cavity between the first and second flats, a holder to receive an object in the cavity such that an optical path remains open between the first and second flats, and a motor coupled to the holder such that the object may be tilted in the cavity to allow for measurements of, and a radiation assembly to direct collimated radiation to the interferometer assembly, a collecting assembly to collect radiation received from the interferometer assembly, and a controller comprising logic to; vary a wavelength of the radiation, record interferograms, extract phases of the interferograms to produce phase maps, determine from each map areas with high slopes, tilt the holder to allow measurement of the high slope areas, and process measurement that covers the entire surface of the object.
US07847952B2
An interferometer of the present invention includes: a splitting element which splits an incident light beam into a first split beam and a second split beam; and a first phase compensator which is positioned in an optical path of the first split beam, and which compensates a phase difference occurring between the first split beam and the second split beam upon splitting of the incident light beam by said splitting element.
US07847950B2
In a method and a system for generating images a laser being tuneable at a rapid frequency and a corresponding synchronized detector are provided. In a preferred embodiment the tuneable laser and the detector are synchronized in time so that the wavelength from the tuneable laser is known when the detector is given its detected signal value. In accordance with another preferred embodiment the tuneable laser is a monolithic laser, and in yet another preferred embodiment the laser and the detector are located on a common chip module. The system can be used to generate OCT images.
US07847943B2
A sensor is provided that measures web caliper using optical and magnetic measuring devices. The optical measuring devices may employ a confocal chromatic aberration method to accurately determine the distance to the moving web and the magnetic devices may be ferrite core coil and target. Means of stabilizing a moving web are included for improving dynamic measurement accuracy.
US07847940B2
A multi-channel imaging head is calibrated in accordance with a pre-determined regular pattern to minimize swath-to-swath and inter-swath variations during the imaging of the regular pattern. The imaging parameters of the imaging head are optimized in accordance with the pre-determined regular pattern.
US07847939B2
In an overlay metrology method used during semiconductor device fabrication, an overlay alignment mark facilitates alignment and/or measurement of alignment error of two layers on a semiconductor wafer structure, or different exposures on the same layer. A target is small enough to be positioned within the active area of a semiconductor device combined with appropriate measurement methods, which result in improved measurement accuracy.
US07847938B2
An alignment system for optical lithography uses cameras fixed to a movable stage and to a lithography unit to view unique microscopic non-uniformities that are inherent to the surface of a work piece, e.g., metal or ceramic microcrystalline grains, for position referencing. Stage cameras image two sites on the work piece through windows in the stage to establish original position templates. After the work piece has been repositioned, e.g., reversed topside-down, the same two sites are again viewed and template matching establishes the transformed coordinates of the work piece, e.g. by a lithography unit camera under which the stage moves to approximate site locations. Two corner cameras can serve as a coarse positioning mechanism. The alignment system is particular useful for backside alignment in printed circuit board lithography.
US07847935B2
An FTIR measurement is conducted on a background gas to obtain a single beam spectrum SB(BG) [C] and a synthetic single beam spectrum SSB(BG)[D], and an FTIR measurement is conducted on a sample gas to obtain a single beam spectrum SB(Samp)[E] and a synthetic single beam spectrum SSB(Samp)[F]. A double synthetic absorbance spectrum DSAbs of the sample gas as expressed by the following formula (Step T9) is calculated to obtain a concentration of a trace component (impurity) contained in the sample gas: DSAbs =−log[SB(Samp) SSB(BG)/SSB(Samp) SB(BG)]
US07847932B2
Portable substance identification system and method are configured to identify at least one detection target faster and with greater accuracy than is possible using prior substance identification systems and/or prior substance identification techniques. An embodiment of the portable substance identification system includes a portable substance identification device containing a Raman spectrometer, and a collection stem that includes a collector. One or more reservoirs for a liquid medium and/or at least one reagent can be formed in the collection stem. The cartridge can include a chamber in which the reagents, liquid medium, and at least one detection target picked up by the collector are mixed. A magnet, positioned at a slant angle, can be used to form at least one pellet of aggregated magnetic particles within a pellet forming area of the chamber. The pellet is formed to maximize its surface area.
US07847928B2
An inspection device for inspecting defects of an inspection object including a light source for irradiating a luminous flux to the inspection object; an optical system for guiding reflected light from the inspection object; a photoelectric image sensor having a plurality of photoelectric cells arranged, for converting the light guided to detection signals; a detection signal transfer unit having channels each constituted by a signal correction unit, a converter and an image formation unit, and corresponding to each of a plurality of regions formed by dividing the photoelectric image sensor, respectively; and an image synthesis unit for forming an image of the surface of the object by synthesizing partial images outputted; the inspection device inspecting defects of the object by processing the synthesized image; whereby it becomes possible to correct a detection signal from said photoelectric cell close to a predetermined reference target value.
US07847926B2
The invention provides methods and apparatus for defining a pattern on a substrate. An example apparatus includes: an emission source for directing an emission to the substrate, defining a working position between the emission source and the substrate, at least one shadow mask having one or more apertures and at least one inspection device for inspecting the properties of the substrate and/or the pattern, the inspection device having at least one inspection tool. The shadow mask and the inspection tool are separately provided on a movable portion, so that the shadow mask and the inspection tool are subsequently movable into the working position. The invention is further related to a method for defining a pattern on a substrate.
US07847921B2
In an exposure method for exposing a substrate which is arranged in the area of an image plane of a projection objective as well as in a projection exposure system for performing that method, output radiation directed at the substrate and having an output polarization state is produced. Through variable adjustment of the output polarization state with the aid of at least one polarization manipulation device, the output polarization state can be formed to approach a nominal output polarization state. The polarization manipulation can be performed in a control loop on the basis of polarization-optical measuring data.
US07847914B2
A thin film transistor (TFT) array panel, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and a method of repairing a TFT array panel with a defective pixel is disclosed. When a white defect occurs such that a pixel is always in a white state, a corresponding pixel electrode is supplied with the predetermined voltage applied to a corresponding storage electrode line so that the pixel becomes permanently dark, which may not be easily detected. The connection between the pixel electrode and the storage electrode line is provided by illuminating a laser beam from a common electrode panel through a contact hole in the TFT array panel to electrically couple the storage electrode and the pixel electrode. Advantageously, a backlight unit or chassis does not need to be separated or disassembled from the LCD when repairing the defect. Furthermore, the color filter stripes and the light blocking member are not damaged, thereby improving the reliability of the repair.
US07847912B2
A liquid crystal display panel includes a TFT substrate and a color filter substrate respectively formed of a glass substrate. By housing the liquid crystal display panel in the inside of a frame having a curved surface, a predetermined curved surface is imparted to a display screen. Using a direct backlight having a plurality of fluorescent lamps, distances between the respective fluorescent lamps and the liquid crystal display panel are set to a fixed value. A diffusion plate has a curved surface substantially equal to the display screen. By mounting respective optical sheets on the diffusion plate, predetermined curved surfaces are imparted to the respective optical sheets. Due to such constitution, it is possible to realize a liquid crystal display device having a curved surface without using a complicated optical system.
US07847911B2
A display panel, laminated substrate, and liquid crystal cell which includes a pair of facing substrates bonded together with a sealing material. One or both of the substrates includes at least one corner portion on which a plurality of protruding pads are formed, the pads assisting in dispersion of the sealing material during bonding of the substrates to prevent sealing material from moving inwardly and possibly adversely affecting the display region of the resulting structure. A method of making such a laminated substrate is also provided.
US07847908B2
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal display panel which includes a pair of substrates and liquid crystal sandwiched between the pair of substrates, the liquid crystal display panel including a plurality of sub pixels, each sub pixel of the plurality of sub pixels including a pixel electrode and a counter electrode, and the pixel electrode and the counter electrode generating an electric field for driving the liquid crystal, wherein a terminal portion is formed in a region outside a display region on one substrate out of the pair of substrates, the terminal portion includes a lower electrode portion and an upper electrode portion which is formed on the lower electrode portion and is electrically connected with the lower electrode portion, and the upper electrode portion is constituted of a first transparent conductive film and a second transparent conductive film which is formed on the first transparent conductive film.
US07847903B2
A method for forming a pixel electrode on a substrate, including: forming a bank corresponding to a region for forming the pixel electrode on a substrate; disposing, by a liquid ejection method, a first functional liquid containing transparent conductive microparticles in the region partitioned by the bank; drying the first functional liquid to produce a first layer film; disposing, by a liquid ejection method, a second functional liquid containing a silicon compound onto the first layer film; and forming a pixel electrode made of a laminate that includes: a transparent conductive layer which is formed by calcining together the first layer film and the second functional liquid and is composed of the first layer film and silicon oxide filling a pore in the first layer film; and a silicon oxide layer formed on the transparent conductive layer.
US07847902B2
An exemplary liquid crystal display (LCD) (20) includes a plurality of scanning lines (21) that are parallel to each other and that each extend along a first direction, and a plurality of data lines (2) that are parallel to each other and that each extend along a second direction different from the first direction. Each scanning line includes a first sub-line (211), a second sub-line (212), and a plurality of connecting portions (213) electrically connecting between the first and second sub-lines. The scanning lines of the LCD each include the first and second sub-lines connected in parallel. Thus the scanning lines have a low resistance. When scanning voltages flow through the scanning lines, any voltage drop is relatively small, and all TFTs (23) of the LCD connected with a same scanning line can be driven by substantially the same voltage. Therefore, the LCD has improved display performance.
US07847901B2
A liquid crystal display includes a substrate, a pixel electrode disposed on the substrate and including a first subpixel electrode and a second subpixel electrode, and a common electrode facing the pixel electrode. The first subpixel electrode comprises a first edge, a second edge disposed opposite the first edge, and two first oblique edges substantially parallel to each other, the first oblique edges making an oblique angle with the first edge and the second edge and meeting the first edge. The second subpixel electrode comprises a first edge, a second edge disposed opposite the first edge, and two first oblique edges substantially parallel to or substantially perpendicular to the first oblique edges of the first subpixel electrode, the first oblique edges of the second subpixel electrode meeting the first edge of the second subpixel electrode. The first edge of the first subpixel electrode is adjacent to the first edge of the second subpixel electrode, and a length of the first edge of the first subpixel electrode is different from a length of the first edge of the second subpixel electrode. The first oblique edges of the first subpixel electrode are offset from the first oblique edges of the second subpixel electrode.
US07847900B2
The invention relates to a manufacturing method of a liquid crystal display device in which an alignment direction of a liquid crystal molecule at the time of driving is regulated by using a polymer, and has an object to provide a manufacturing method of a liquid crystal display device in which excellent display characteristics can be obtained. A liquid crystal layer containing a polymerizable component capable of being polymerized by light is sealed between two substrates arranged to be opposite to each other, the polymerizable component is polymerized by irradiation of light under a predetermined light irradiation condition while a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer under a predetermined voltage application condition, and when a pre-tilt angle of a liquid crystal molecule and/or an alignment direction at a time of driving is regulated, at least one of the voltage application condition and the light irradiation condition is changed for each region.
US07847889B2
Panels for a display device, a liquid crystal display, and methods to manufacture the same are disclosed. A light blocking member on a first panel advantageously overlaps a transistor and an opaque element on a second panel for advantageously reducing or eliminating light leakage, thereby allowing for sharp viewing contrast.
US07847876B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a molded resin frame, and a liquid crystal display panel formed by putting first and second substrates together and set in the molded resin frame. Two thick corner parts of the liquid crystal display panel where the first and the second substrate overlap each other, and two thin corner parts of the liquid crystal display panel including only the first substrate are separated from the molded resin frame by forming recesses in parts of the molded resin frame corresponding to the thick and the thin corner parts of the liquid crystal display panel. Each of the recesses respectively corresponding to the thin corner parts of the liquid crystal display panel has an end part corresponding to a part of the liquid crystal display panel where a corner part of the second substrate and a part of a side of the first substrate overlap each other.
US07847870B2
A pixel structure including a substrate, a scan line, a patterned common line, an active device, a data line, a passivation layer, and a pixel electrode is provided. The scan line, the patterned common line, and the active device are disposed on the substrate. The active device has an insulation layer extending outward to cover the scan line and the patterned common line. Besides, the patterned common line has at least a first side and a second side. Extending directions of the first side and the second side together form a first included angle. The data line is disposed on the insulation layer, and the active device is electrically connected to the scan line and the data line. The passivation layer covers the active device. The pixel electrode is disposed on the passivation layer and electrically connected to the active device.
US07847866B2
A method and apparatus for isolating a noise intolerant device, e.g., a phase-lock loop of a tuner within a television receiver, from source of noise. In one embodiment, the apparatus isolates a phase-lock loop integrated circuit (IC) from the bus, by providing an isolation buffer that allows the receiver to only pass data to the tuner's phase-lock loop IC when a tune command is issued by a processor. When not being tuned, the IIC lines to the tuner are held HIGH by a buffer until needed again to perform the tuning function. This allows the demodulation circuitry to use a setting for a carrier tracking-loop that optimizes bit error rate performance.
US07847859B2
A digital camera automatically changes its imaging sensitivity based on a proper exposure value that is calculated at a predetermined standard imaging sensitivity based on subject brightness measured from a photometry area of a scene to shoot. When the decided imaging sensitivity is higher than a predetermined sensitivity threshold value, the scene is judged to be a low brightness backlit scene that contains a higher brightness portion around a dark main subject, and a lower brightness portion around the higher brightness portion. A rear light judgment value is calculated as a difference between a central photometric value and a peripheral photometric value of a photometry area, and is compared with a predetermined rear light threshold value, to judge whether the scene is backlit or not. When the scene is judged to be a backlit scene or a low brightness backlit scene, the digital camera emits a flash light synchronously with an exposure.
US07847858B2
A system for controlling photoflash includes a signal processing unit, a calculating unit, a photoflash module and an adjusting unit. The photoflash module includes a capacitor. The signal processing unit is configured for analyzing image information to get a current brightness value of the image, and the calculating unit is configured for calculating a first photoflash time of the photoflash module based on a first voltage value of the capacitor via analyzing the current brightness value. The adjusting unit is configured for adjusting the first photoflash time to get a second photoflash time according to a second voltage value of the capacitor, and outputting the second photoflash time to the photoflash module to control flashing of the photoflash module.
US07847857B2
An imaging device includes a sensor that is color coded by using high-sensitivity pixels having higher sensitivity to incident light than chromatic color pixels and an automatic exposure function that allows the imaging device to control exposure according to illuminance in an imaging environment. An algorithm in the automatic exposure function that determines a reference color in a level diagram according to the illuminance uses the high-sensitivity pixels as the reference color in a low illuminance region where the gain of the sensor is set to a maximum, while using green pixels, which are the chromatic color pixels, as the reference color in a standard illuminance region where the gain of the sensor is set to a minimum.
US07847855B2
The image capturing apparatus includes: a taking optical system which includes a focusing lens; an imaging unit which receives a subject light through the taking optical system and converts the subject light to image data representing frame images; a face detection unit which detects a face region of a person in a first frame image that is one of the frame images sequentially supplied by the imaging unit; a face detection setting unit which sets, for the face detection unit, a position and a size of a face region detection area in a second frame image supplied after the first frame image by the imaging unit, in accordance with a position and a size of the face region detected by the face detection unit in the first frame image; a focus region defining unit which defines, in accordance with a position and a size of the face region detected by the face detection unit in the second frame image, a focus evaluation value calculation region in a third frame image supplied after the second frame image by the imaging unit; a calculation unit which calculates a focus evaluation value in accordance with the image data in the focus evaluation value calculation region defined by the focus region defining unit in the third frame image; and a focus adjustment unit which adjusts a focus of the focusing lens in accordance with the focus evaluation value calculated by the calculation unit.
