US08235528B2
A fundus photographing apparatus includes a first photographing unit arranged to obtain a first fundus image and including a first illumination optical system including a first light source and a scanning unit, a first photographing optical system and a wavefront compensating unit including a wavefront sensor and a wavefront compensating device, a second photographing unit arranged to obtain a second fundus image of a wide area including a scanning area by the scanning unit and including a second illumination optical system and a second photographing optical system arranged to obtain the second fundus image with a wider view angle under lower magnification than the first fundus image, a monitor, and a control unit arranged to display on the monitor the first and second fundus images, and display an indicator on the second fundus image displayed on the monitor, the indicator indicating a photographed portion of the first fundus image.
US08235522B2
A printer for printing a barcode by discharging ink droplets from print nozzles that are used for printing bars in the bar code. The printer includes a CPU and a head carriage mechanism. The CPU divides a length of the bars of the barcode into a plurality of segments and changes which of the nozzles that are used as print nozzles in each segment such that the barcode is printed by discharging ink droplets from the print nozzles in each segment. The head carriage mechanism is for moving the print medium relative to the print nozzles. Each bar of the resulting barcode extends in a single, diagonal direction across the plurality of segments. Other printers and printing methods are also provided.
US08235519B2
The image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium by using an ink and an aggregating treatment agent. The ink contains coloring material, and the aggregating treatment agent contains a component which causes the coloring material to aggregate. The image forming apparatus includes: a treatment liquid deposition device which deposits a treatment liquid onto the recording medium, the treatment liquid containing the aggregating treatment agent; a treatment liquid heating device which heats the treatment liquid having been deposited on the recording medium to form a solid or semi-solid layer of the aggregating treatment agent on the recording medium; a treatment liquid permeation suppression device which suppresses permeation of the treatment liquid into the recording medium at least from a time of deposition of the treatment liquid onto the recording medium until formation of the solid or semi-solid layer of the aggregating treatment agent; and an ink droplet ejection device which ejects and deposits droplets of the ink onto the recording medium on which the solid or semi-solid layer of the aggregating treatment agent has been formed.
US08235515B2
A solvent-based ink composition for a thermal inkjet printhead includes (a) 55-90 wt. % of an organic solvent including a ketone and a C1 to C4 alcohol; and (b) 0.01-10 wt. % of a colorant.
US08235511B2
The present invention is a liquid ejecting apparatus including: a carriage that reciprocates in a main scanning direction; a liquid ejecting head mounted on the carriage, having a plurality of head-liquid-supplying ports and a plurality of nozzles; and a sub-tank member mounted on the carriage, having a plurality of liquid-storing-room openings that are respectively communicated with the plurality of head-liquid-supplying ports of the liquid ejecting head. The sub-tank member is formed as a single integral member. Each of the plurality of liquid-storing-room openings is closed by an elastic partition having a predetermined area in order to form a liquid storing room. The plurality of liquid-storing-room openings are respectively communicated with a plurality of liquid-communication ways provided in the sub-tank member. The plurality of liquid-communication ways are respectively communicated with a plurality of sub-tank-liquid-supplying ports provided at an outside of the sub-tank member.
US08235509B2
A liquid-droplet ejecting apparatus including: (a) a liquid ejecting head; (b) a liquid supply passage; (c) a suction passage; (d) a sucking device sucking a gas in the liquid supply passage via the suction passage; (e) a gas-permeable film; (f) an opening-and-closing device; (g) a pressure detecting device detecting an internal pressure of the suction passage; (h) a sucking-device control device controlling the sucking device; the sucking-device control device having the sucking device suck the gas in the liquid supply passage when the pressure detecting device detects that the internal pressure is equal to or above a predetermined threshold.
US08235508B2
A fluid ejection device ejecting a fluid, the fluid ejection device includes: a fluid ejection unit, a main chassis case, a fluid-containing pack, and a container case. The fluid ejection unit ejects a fluid onto an ejection target. The main chassis case houses the fluid ejection unit. The fluid-containing pack contains a fluid for ejection. The container case houses the fluid-containing pack. The container case is pivotably attached to the main chassis case and openable by rotation about a rotation shaft.
US08235499B2
An image forming apparatus in which air or dust does not enter a recording liquid tube when an ink cartridge is changed is disclosed. An engine unit, in which an image forming section and a sub scanning direction paper carrying section are integrated as one unit, is removably attached to an apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus. Further, an ink cartridge storing section, in which an ink cartridge is removably stored, is integrated into the engine unit, and is changed together with the engine unit. In addition, a carriage, the recording liquid tube, and the ink cartridge storing section are removed as one unit from the engine unit.
US08235497B2
A target medium is placed on a first region. A liquid absorbing member is placed in at least a second region which is adjacent to the first region. A liquid ejection head is movable above the first region and the second region, and provided with a plurality of liquid ejecting sections from which liquid droplets are ejected. Each of the liquid ejecting sections is configured so as to eject at least one liquid droplet toward the target medium when it is placed above the first region, and to flush a prescribed amount of liquid toward the liquid absorbing member when it is placed above the second region. The liquid ejecting sections are arranged such that at least one of the liquid ejecting sections can be placed above the first region when another one of the liquid ejecting sections is placed above the second region.
US08235496B2
The printing apparatus has: a recording medium holding device which holds a recording medium; a recording information acquisition device which acquires data relating to recording information recorded on the recording medium; a storage device which stores data relating to character images; an automatic determination device which automatically selects the character image corresponding to the data relating to the recording information recorded on the recording medium, from the character images stored in the storage device; and a printing device which prints the character image selected by the automatic determination device, onto a surface of the recording medium.
US08235489B2
Among other things, for jetting ink droplets on a substrate during relative motion of an apparatus and the substrate along a process direction, a first and second jetting assemblies at least partially overlap in a direction perpendicular to the process direction so that some jets in the first jetting assembly align with some jets in the second jetting assembly along the process direction to form one or more pairs of aligned jets. A mechanism enables, in at least one pair of the aligned jets, one jet to jet a first ink drop that has a size smaller than a size of an ink drop the jet would otherwise be required to jet to form a desired pixel and the other jet to jet a second ink drop that has a size sufficient to form the desired pixel in combination with the first ink drop.
US08235487B2
The present teachings relate to methods and apparatus for depositing one or more materials (e.g., one or more films, such as one or more solids) on one or more substrates, which may form part of an OLED or other type(s) of display. In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to apparatus and methods for depositing ink on one or more substrates. The apparatus can include, for example, one or more chambers for receiving ink, and plural orifices configured in the one or more chambers which are adapted for ejecting droplets of the ink; a discharge nozzle comprising an array of micro-pores (e.g., configured in a rectangular array), with each micro-pore having an inlet port and an outlet port, and the discharge nozzle receiving plural quantities (e.g., droplets) of ink from the chamber(s) via the orifices at the inlet ports and dispensing the ink from the outlet ports. The droplets of ink can be received at unique, spaced-apart locations on the inlet ports of the discharge nozzle. In some embodiments, a single liquid ink-holding chamber, which includes plural orifices (e.g., three), receives ink in liquid form having a plurality of suspended particles, and droplets of the ink are ejected substantially simultaneously from the chamber to respective, spaced-apart locations on the discharge nozzle; and the discharge nozzle evaporates the carrier liquid and deposits the solid particles on one or more substrates.
US08235486B2
Even when a contact connection failure of electrical connection occurs between a recording head including a recording element substrate, and a recording apparatus, continuous driving of the same heat generating resistive element is suppressed. Blocks in which heat generating resistive elements are not driven are prepared beforehand in a selection target of blocks to be driven in a time-division manner. When an input signal is in a predetermined condition, the block selection target is set to blocks in which heat generating resistive elements are not driven.
US08235479B2
A slide assembly includes a first slide and a second slide. The second slide is received in the first slide. The second slide includes a first bent portion. The first bent portion linearly contacts with an inner side of the first slide along an extending direction of the second slide.
US08235477B2
A controlled insertion device is provided for securing an electronic module in a cabinet, the device comprising a strike fixable to the cabinet and a latch engageable with the strike for imparting a longitudinal insertion force on the module for making an electrical connection while simultaneously imparting a lateral retention force on the cabinet defining a preselected clearance between the module and the cabinet.
US08235473B2
A hydraulic motorcycle brake system whose brake circuits are provided with a valve circuit which prevents the pressure which can be generated by the pump from reacting on the manually activated or foot-activated master brake cylinder.
US08235467B2
A vehicle seat comprises a cushion plate mounted on upper and lower seat springs, a seat cushion provided on a front side of the cushion plate, an auxiliary plate provided between the seat cushion and the cushion plate for pushing out the seat cushion forward. The cushion plate includes an upper plate located higher than the lower seat spring and a lower plate located lower than the lower seat spring. The lower plate has such elastic force that when the lower plate receives, through the seat back cushion, pressure from a person properly seated on the seat, the lower plate can move backward by a greater distance than the distance of rearward movement of the lower seat spring.
US08235465B2
A modular child restraint system for use in vehicles comprises a base and interchangeable attachable seats where the seats are for different stages of childhood development. The system can further comprise additional bases adapted to other uses such as strollers and infant swings. A common engagement mechanism allows the various seats to be moved from one base to another. One such system comprises a base and a seat configured to rotate relative to one another when engaged. The seat can also lock in a position relative to the base. The base includes a visual indicator to show that the seat is secured to the base.
US08235456B2
An air deflection apparatus for reduction of vehicular air drag comprises at least one air deflection element coupled to the rear-facing surface of the vehicle but not to any rear door which the vehicle may have. The air deflection elements are displaceable, preferably in unison, between a retracted position and at least one deployed position, and may be deployed and retracted manually, or remotely with powered assistance, or under microprocessor control. Each air deflection element is coupled to a respective portion of the rear-facing surface of the vehicle that is arranged above, below or on either side of the rear door, and each air deflection element is associated with a frame in which it is substantially disposed when in the retracted position. Vehicles equipped with the apparatus, and methods of reducing vehicular air drag using the apparatus, are also disclosed.
US08235455B2
A slide-out or retractable room for a mobile living quarters, such as a recreational vehicle, is provided with actuating assemblies mounted on opposite side walls of the slide-out room and the adjacent wall of the main living area. The actuating assemblies include a pair of parallel gear racks mounted on the side wall, which are engaged by pinions rotated by torque shafts mounted on the main living quarters. Each torque shaft is rotated by a separate motor. A roller engages a bearing surface on the lower portion of the gear racks. Accordingly, the slide-out room is extended and retracted by rotating the torque shafts to cause the gear racks and the attached slide-out room to extend and retract. The weight of the slide-out room is supported by the rollers, thereby supporting the slide-out room off of the floor of the main living quarters as it extends and retracts. A synchronizing control operates the motors.
US08235443B2
A pick-up style utility vehicle has a front seat and a rear seat surrounded by a cabin frame, and a cargo bed in this order from the vehicle front, a screen shield partitioning the cargo bed and a riding space in front of the cargo bed. The cargo bed is changeable between an expanded state in which the cargo bed is expanded into the riding space of the rear seat and a non-expanded state not occupying the riding space of the rear seat. The screen shield is supported by the upper portion of the cabin frame and is changeable between an expanded position in which the cargo bed and the riding space in front of the cargo bed are partitioned and a non-expanded position in which the cargo bed and the riding space in front of the cargo bed are partitioned without the necessity of detaching the screen shield from the cabin frame.
US08235442B2
Embodiments of a vehicle console comprise a base structure defining a cavity and having an opening permitting access to the cavity, a lid having a surface area sufficient to cover at least a portion of the opening when the lid is in a closed position at the base structure, a hinge member connected between the base structure and the lid and configured to allow rotational movement of the lid between the closed position and an open position, a slide coupled to the lid and configured to allow translational movement of at least a portion of the lid between a retracted position and an extended position spaced apart from the retracted position and a slide mounting member including a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion, the first mounting portion coupled to the hinge member and the second mounting portion coupled to the slide.
US08235440B2
A pair of training chopsticks for developing intellectual faculties is described. The training chopsticks include a first stick and a second stick. The first stick has a thumb-inserting hole for inserting the thumb and a first pad for picking up solids. The thumb-inserting hole is formed on the upper side of the first stick and the first pad is formed on the lower end of the first stick. The second stick has a holding unit for inserting the forefinger and the second finger. The holding unit has a forefinger-inserting hole for inserting the forefinger and a second finger-inserting hole for inserting the second finger.
US08235438B2
A gripper mechanism for machines, robots and manipulation devices, comprising at least one moving gripping finger, driven by a driveshaft of multiple parts, a crank, belt or gear shaft, wherein the centering of the parts relative to each other and the transmission of the torque from a driving part to the next part, up to the gripping finger, is achieved by means of axial toothing, preferably a pinion gearing with pins and drillings. The driveshaft is preferably provided with a carrying support bearing. As a result of the splitting of the driveshaft, it is possible to cast the housing in one piece with two cavities for housing the operating unit and the transmission. The gripping finger or the lever driving the gripping finger are externally fixed to the driveshaft in an axial manner.
US08235436B2
A bundle gripper for a palletizing machine for picking up respectively at least one bundle and depositing the bundle on a pallet. The bundle gripper including a frame, an adjustable end stop, and at least one gripper finger such that the gripper finger has a front end and is adjustable on the frame. The gripper finger being movable between a first position and a second position. The bundle gripper also including a hold-down clamp coupled to the frame and positioned against the end stop for clamping the bundle against the gripper finger such that a distance between the end stop and the front end of the gripper finger in the second position is changeable to adapt to different lengths of the bundles. The end stop and the gripper finger are each movable to change the distance and the hold-down clamp is correspondingly adjustable to accommodate different lengths of the bundles.
US08235433B2
The bumper shield for a motor vehicle comprising two main longitudinal members (12), two auxiliary longitudinal members (16) positioned at a lower height, as well as supporting and attachment plates (20) positioned between the ends of the longitudinal members (12, 16), is a single integral piece in plastic material and is formed of two uprights (28) and an upper beam (24) connecting the uprights (28), the uprights (28) being configured so as to bear upon the plates (20) so as to act as impact absorbers, the shield (8) having the shape of an H or an inverted U given by the uprights (28) and the upper beam (24).
US08235432B2
A supplemental impact protection system for an automotive vehicle includes an external energy management structure having a first position for normal vehicle operation and a second position for deployment during an impact event. A mounting system allows selective positioning of the energy management structure in either the first or second position, as determined by a controller which assesses an impact potential of the vehicle and operates the mounting system to move the energy management structure to the second, or deployed, position in the event that the assessed impact potential satisfies a predetermined threshold.
US08235427B2
A combination sealing and restraint system for an as-cast ductile iron fitting is shown for both sealing and preventing separation of an iron pipe fitting and a mating male pipe. A ring-shaped body is installed within a mating groove provided in a mouth region of the as-cast fitting after the fitting has been cast at the manufacturing plant. The ring-shaped body is formed of an injection molded elastomeric material and carries a series of gripping segments which have teeth on an inner surface thereof which are designed to engage an outer surface of a mating male pipe. The teeth are oriented to allow movement of the male pipe in a first direction relative to an end opening of the fitting during assembly, but to resist movement in a opposite direction after the fitting joint has been assembled. The gripping segments have shelf regions which are mechanically secured to the elastomeric body of the gasket. The ring-shaped body also includes a relatively flexible portion formed of an elastomer which forms a lip seal region with the mating male pipe.
US08235426B2
A latch assembly for connection of conduit, the assembly comprising a female portion and a male portion, wherein each of the female portion and the male portion have a shell and a connection device. The connection device of the female portion includes a connection assembly with a molded-in slot, a release button, and a raised rib or alternatively is a connection opening. The connection device of the male portion includes a cantilevered region with a ramped engagement feature or alternatively is a raised cantilevered release button. When connected the cantilevered region or button deflects to accommodate the female portion until the ramped engagement feature or button engages the molded-in slot or connection opening, thus releasing the deflection. Depressing the release button disengages the latch allowing separation of the assembly.
US08235425B2
A lever arm coupling for detachably connecting hose lines has a first connection part and a second connection part, the coupling operable by way of at least one lever arm. The lever arm comprises a pressure application section that is mounted pivotably about a pivot bolt that defines a pivot axis, the pressure application section reaching through a radial opening into a receptacle space of a receptacle housing. A securing disk is pivotably disposed on the pivot bolt parallel to the pressure application section. The securing disk is mounted pivotably between stops at the second connection part and can be carried along with the lever arm, wherein a pivoting of the securing disk can be executed in such a way that a secured pressure release position of the lever arm coupling is attained.
US08235424B2
According to one embodiment, a ski pole comprises a first pole end, a second pole end opposite the first pole end, and a shaft connecting the first and second pole ends. A map comprises a first map end and a second map end opposite the first map end. A container is coupled to the shaft of the ski pole. The first map end of the map is coupled to an inside portion of the container. The container is configured to contain the map.
US08235420B2
An intermediate shaft is provided which connects a steering shaft and a steering gear mechanism together via a universal joint, a shoulder bolt is provided which fastens one of yokes of the universal joint and a shaft portion of the intermediate shaft and on which a small diameter portion and a large diameter portion which are adapted to be brought into engagement with an outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion are formed sequentially from a distal end portion side, and the intermediate shaft has a bolt engagement recess portion which is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion in such a manner as to extend in a direction which intersects an axial direction and which is adapted to be brought into engagement with the large diameter portion of the shoulder bolt and a dislocation preventive projecting portion which is formed on an outer circumferential surface of an end portion thereof, whereby a temporary fastening is implemented by bringing the small diameter portion of the shoulder bolt into engagement with an outer circumferential surface which lies adjacent to the bolt engagement recess portion, and a final fastening is implemented by bringing the large diameter portion of the shoulder bolt into engagement with the bolt engagement recess portion.
US08235408B2
A bicycle shift control device comprises a traveling state detecting circuit that detects a traveling state of the bicycle and a manually operated switch that outputs a switch signal. A shift control circuit provides a control signal, in response to the switch signal provided by the operation of the switch, for setting the speed stage of a bicycle transmission to correspond to the range of traveling states that contains the detected traveling state.
US08235404B2
The present invention discloses methods and apparatus for controlling dampening in a vehicle with no attributes of wheel scrub or camber change. The present invention further discloses steering systems, whereas the steering may function without the unwanted attributes of bump steer and roll steer.
US08235401B1
The lever assist device which is attached to the axle of a transport dolly has a foot pedal which is spring biased to a first, vertical inactive position, may be engaged by the foot of a user to reduce the draw force required to rotate the loaded dolly onto its wheels for displacement.
US08235400B2
A multi-use child seating apparatus is provided for attachment to a number of frame structures, including a shopping cart, a table, a walker unit, a child activity center, and the like. A seating unit includes a seating frame and a flexible seat for receiving a child in a seated position therein. A mounting mechanism attached to the seating frame is adapted for mounting the seating apparatus to a frame structure, such as the handlebar of a shopping cart, and at least one connector is provided to secure the seating apparatus to the frame structure and brace the seating unit from movement when a child is seated in the flexible seat. A plurality of legs may be movably connected to the seating frame and moved to a deployed position to engage a frame structure, such as a table, to further secure the seating apparatus to the frame structure.
US08235399B2
An ice skate blade for an ice skate is sized to fit into a holder attached to the sole of the ice skate. The ice skate blade has a pair of tabs that extend into the holder to secure the blade to the holder. A first tab includes a through hole that receives a mechanical fastener that secures the blade to the holder. The second tab includes a lock that contacts the interior of the holder to prevent the skate blade from moving within the holder.
US08235397B2
An exercise bicycle with an eccentric wheel includes a cushioning body and an elastic driving device. The cushioning body includes a front frame, a rear frame, a pivot, and a suspension. The front frame has a handlebar, a front wheel and a saddle. The rear frame has a fixed portion and an eccentric rear wheel. The pivot is disposed between the front frame and the rear frame. The suspension is connected to the front frame and the rear frame. The elastic driving device is mounted in the fixed portion of the rear frame and has two casing pipes, two springs, two upper pedals, two pedal assemblies, and a connecting board. The exercise bicycle allows a user pumping the elastic driving device up and down as horse-riding to achieve an exercising purpose.
US08235394B2
A valve stem seal can include an elastomeric component having a first portion for having a sealed engagement with a valve stem, and a pressure relief lip engaging a valve guide. The pressure relief lip can have a sealing configuration and a venting configuration. The venting configuration can allow excess exhaust gases to vent from a combustion chamber. After the venting of excess exhaust gases, the pressure relief lip can close to the sealing configuration to prevent oil from entering the combustion chamber. The elastomeric body or the valve guide can include a pressure relief channel. The elastomeric body can also include a bumper engaging the valve guide. The pressure relief channel can be disposed in the bumper.
US08235392B2
The invention relates to a sealing arrangement for a non-hermetic seal of a gap (11) between a stator and a rotor with a brush seal (13), wherein the brush seal (13) has a bristle package (14) with several bristles (15), the bristles are wound about a core element (16) and fixed to the core element (16), wherein the brush seal (13) is disposed at least sectionally in an accommodating space, which is bounded by a supporting element (18) and a covering element (19), and wherein the bristles (15) have sealing bristle sections (21), which are at an angle to the bristle shafts (20) and the ends of which run against a sealing surface (22) of the rotor (12). According to the invention, the covering element (19) has a support surface (23) at an end adjacent to the sealing bristle sections (21), wherein the supporting surface (23) contacts the bristle shafts (20) in a defined, locally limited region, so that the radial mobility of the sealing bristle sections (21) is limited in the direction of the rotor (12).
US08235389B1
A beer pong table is provided herein which, includes an elongated, planar member having a top surface. A hole extends through the top surface and at least partially through the planar member so as to define a first recess in the planar member, with a cooling arrangement being disposed in the first recess. Advantageously, with the subject invention, a beer pong table may be provided with a recessed cooling arrangement. The recessed arrangement provides flexibility in cup arrangement during play and facilitates cleaning.
US08235385B2
An image forming apparatus and a method of controlling the image forming apparatus are provided. When a finisher is installed onto the image forming apparatus and a communication failure between the finisher and the image forming apparatus is detected, the image forming apparatus causes both of a post processing operation and a double-sided printing operation to be unavailable for selection by a user.
US08235384B2
A sheet-material transporting device includes a transporting belt configured to attract a sheet material and transport the sheet material along a transporting direction, the transporting belt including a plurality of electrodes arranged at predetermined intervals along the transporting direction, wherein the electrodes are sized and shaped extending in a direction intersecting the transporting direction; a pressing roller configured to press the sheet material against an attraction starting position of the transporting belt; and a charging unit configured to apply a voltage to the electrodes. The sheet-material transporting device is characterized in that the sheet material is attracted to the transporting belt after the leading edge of the sheet material is pressed against the transporting belt by the pressing roller, or the charging unit is configured such that the voltage is not applied upstream of a nip of the pressing roller in the transporting direction.
US08235366B2
The present disclosure relates to a spring system comprising a strut for arrangement between a dolly and a body of a rail vehicle with a cylinder and a piston displaceably received in the cylinder which bound a piston chamber, with the piston or the cylinder being connectable to the dolly and the other of the components being connectable to the body and with one or more spring which cushion the body with respect to the dolly, with a non-resilient hydraulic system which is in communication with the piston chamber and by means of which the amount of the hydraulic medium in the piston chamber can be varied for the purpose of adjusting the strut length, with an abutment member being provided by means of which the end position of the piston can be changed in the cylinder and with means being provided which are made such that the means actuates the abutment member when the piston chamber of the hydraulic system is pressure-less or the pressure in the piston chamber or in the hydraulic system falls below a value.
US08235364B2
This invention relates to a vapor or liquid phase reagent dispensing apparatus that may be used for dispensing vapor or liquid phase reagents such as precursors for deposition of materials in the manufacture of semiconductor materials and devices. The vapor phase reagent dispensing apparatus has a single port capable of receiving a carrier gas and dispensing a vapor phase reagent. The liquid phase reagent dispensing apparatus has a single port capable of receiving an inert gas and dispensing a liquid phase reagent.
US08235363B2
A cooling tower module features at least one heat exchange panel, a central column, a horizontal beam extending outward from the central column, and a first side structure connected to the horizontal beam to support the horizontal beam and connected to the panel to provide support to the at least one heat exchange panel. A cooling tower facility has one or more modules. The facility can cool fluid or condense steam by interaction with ambient air.
US08235362B2
Fluid distribution systems, and particularly those for distributing liquids into apparatuses containing parallel flow trays for carrying out vapor-liquid contacting, are described. Representative fluid distribution systems comprise one or more extended troughs having a plurality of outlet spouts that are aligned for distribution to a vapor-liquid contacting deck zones of a parallel flow stage. The trough(s) may be orthogonal to liquid distribution pans which are in alignment with outlet spouts (e.g., in discrete outlet spout zones) of the trough(s).
US08235352B2
A diaphragm valve for use in an irrigation system is disclosed that is adapted to reduce the water hammer effect, reduce debris in a flow path through a valve seat, improve bleed operation and/or reduce manufacturing and materials costs.
US08235351B1
A shock load isolation mounting system that incorporates a dashpot into each shock load isolation mount to provide damping. Each shock load isolation mount includes a shock mount portion having a first end fixed to the object to be isolated from shock loads, a second end, and an intermediate section between the first end and the second end. Each isolation mount also includes a dashpot mounted in series with the shock mount portion. The dashpot includes a moveable piston and a cylinder that receives the piston therein. The piston is fixed to the second end of the shock mount portion, and the cylinder is fixed to a support that is fixed relative to the object so that the dashpot provides damping in directions parallel to compression and tension directions of the shock mount portion.
US08235346B2
A, support bracket and column for supporting an elevated structure during and after construction. The support bracket includes a connection plate that is attached to and overlapped by the column base so that the support bracket is concealed from view when construction is completed, and variations of the support bracket provide means to raise or lower the attached column during construction.
US08235339B2
An assembly for engaging a rail with support structures includes a bracket disposed at an end of the rail. The bracket is configured to rotate between at least first and second positions such that the bracket can present at least first or second different engagement features for engaging with different kinds of support structures.
US08235338B1
A swing set assembly having a swing set connector connected to a top rail is preferably provided which has a first cantilevered arm which connects to a top rail of at least two outer perimeters. Top rails are envisioned either fitting over the arm or in a bore the arm depending upon the outer perimeter of the top rail utilized. These and other embodiments are envisioned being of modular construction of a first half and a second half whether at an end of or between top rails. On the event that modification of the swing set is desired, an end half can be removed from a first half, and a top rail half connected thereto along with another top rail to extend the length of the total swing set. Alternatively, if a total top rail length is to be shortened, a top rail can be removed and a first half of the connector can be replaced with an end half.
US08235330B2
An aircraft control input apparatus is configured to accept and provide to the aircraft control inputs from a user regarding the magnitude and direction of the aircraft's thrust vector. The present invention enables a user to continually provide control inputs to an aircraft in which both the magnitude and the direction of thrust vary. A rotational throttle interface is configured to alter its orientation within the aircraft based on the directional component of the aircraft's thrust vector. The rotational throttle interface enables the user to provide continual control inputs to command both the directional component of the thrust as well as the magnitude component. Accordingly the user can provide inputs regarding direction and magnitude throughout the operating envelope of the aircraft's thrust vector while maintaining continuous physical contact with the throttle.
US08235309B2
The present invention comprises a high performance, horizontal, zero-net mass-flux, synthetic jet actuator for active control of viscous, separated flow on subsonic and supersonic vehicles. The present invention is a horizontal piezoelectric hybrid zero-net mass-flux actuator, in which all the walls of the chamber are electrically controlled synergistically to reduce or enlarge the volume of the synthetic jet actuator chamber in three dimensions simultaneously and to reduce or enlarge the diameter of orifice of the synthetic jet actuator simultaneously with the reduction or enlargement of the volume of the chamber. The present invention is capable of installation in the wing surface as well as embedding in the wetted surfaces of a supersonic inlet. The jet velocity and mass flow rate for the SJA-H will be several times higher than conventional piezoelectric actuators.
US08235304B2
The invention concerns a control device for at least one heating, air-conditioning, ventilation or refrigeration system with a memory for a temperature control program and a signal outlet. It is endeavoured to simplify the programming. For this purpose, the memory is arranged in an element (5), which comprises a communication interface (6) and which can be dismounted from the control device, the communication interface (6) being connectable to an external input device and the control device (1) comprising an electrical supply device (3) which can transmit electrical energy to the element (5).
US08235289B2
A point of sale terminal including a housing including at least first and second housing portions which are arranged for relative axial movement from a closed position to an open position, the first housing portion including at least a communications interface adapted for operative communications engagement with a mobile communicator and a first housing portion socket adapted for partially surrounding the mobile communicator, the second housing portion including a second housing portion socket adapted for partially surrounding the mobile communicator and the first and second housing portions being configured such that when they are arranged in the closed position the first housing portion socket and the second housing portion socket together hug the mobile communicator and prevent unwanted disengagement of the mobile communicator therefrom.
US08235275B1
An amorphous braze foil (1) produced by a melt-spin process has an upper side and a lower side. The upper side and the lower side are thinly coated with a film of metallic Ni-based, Co-based, or Ni—Co-based braze powder (2) with a particle size in the nanometer range, wherein both the braze foil (1) and also the braze powder (2) additionally include grain boundary stabilizing elements as alloying elements. In addition, melting point depressants can be present in the braze foil or in the nano braze powder (2) in a commercially common quantity or with a considerably increased proportion. With the braze foil (1) coated in this manner, both the melting temperature of the braze material and also the probability of recrystallization are advantageously reduced when brazing in the adjacent base material (10).
US08235274B2
A surgical instrument comprising a handle assembly, a body, a tool assembly and an articulation assembly is disclosed. The articulation mechanism includes a receptacle, and a main shaft. A lower clutch is fixedly positioned within the receptacle and has a serrated portion including a plurality of serrations. An upper clutch includes at least one projection positioned to engage the serrations of the lower clutch to releasably retain the main shaft at a rotatably fixed position. An angle between a first pair of adjacent serrations is defined as a first angle, an angle between a second pair of adjacent serrations is defined as a second angle, and an angle between a third pair of adjacent serrations is defined as a third angle. The first angle, the second angle, and the third angle are each different from one another.
US08235273B2
A buttressed anvil assembly is provided for use with a surgical stapling instrument. The buttressed anvil assembly generally includes an anvil member having a strip of buttress material attached thereto by a pair of sutures. A tensioning mechanism is provided to secure or tension the buttress material to the anvil member prior to use and allow for release of the buttress material after stapling of tissue. The tensioning mechanism includes a cinch track engageable with one of the pair of sutures.
US08235271B1
A stapler is stacked on top of a roll-type tape dispenser. The tape dispenser top surface and the stapler base bottom surface have complemental three dimensional contours which cause the tape dispenser and stapler longitudinal axes to be in parallel relationship when the surfaces are in abutment, prevent relative displacement of the tape dispenser and the stapler when they are stacked and permit the stapler to be dismounted from the tape dispenser and rested for separate use on a flat surface in a stable condition.
US08235270B2
One example of the invention is a holding bracket for attachment to a fastening tool, the fastening tool having a barrel for firing a fastener, the tool defining a major axis, the holding bracket for holding overlapping portions of two members to be fastened to one another. An example holding bracket comprises a mounting portion configured for attachment to the tool and an extension portion extending from the mounting portion. A holding arm is attached to the extension portion and spaced apart from the mounting portion in the direction of the tool major axis to define a gap between the holding arm and the mounting portion, the gap for holding the overlapping portions of the two members for insertion of a fastener ejected from the barrel.
US08235269B2
A cargo space floor is provided for a motor vehicle and a ski rack is positioned on the cargo space floor that may be pivoted from a lower nonuse position around a first pivot axis into an upper usage position, in which a ski may be fastened to the ski rack. The ski rack has at least one first support strut and one second support strut that are spaced apart from one another and have openings aligned with one another for receiving a ski. A motor vehicle is also provided having such an advantageous cargo space floor.
US08235268B2
A bicycle rack is configured for mounting to a hitch behind a vehicle. The bike rack may include a mast and a mechanism for locking the mast in an upright position, or alternatively, permitting downward rotation of the mast away from the vehicle for access purposes. The rack includes arms and mounting devices for supporting various tubular components for the bicycle frame.
US08235260B2
A washing device for plus size bras includes a shell which consists of upper and lower shell portions. The upper and shell portions are curved inwardly and may have flat upper and lower surfaces, respectively, such that the height of the shell is less than the lateral dimension of the shell between opposite sides. A hinge permits opening of the upper shell portion with respect to the lower shell portion to insert a bra into the washing device, and a releasable latch mechanism securely holds the upper shell portion and a lower shell portion together during a washing cycle. Preferably, the height of the washing device is about one-half, or less, of the lateral dimension of the washing device, thereby permitting easy insertion into the washing machine.
US08235252B2
A high-speed actuator moves a valve stopper to a selected position to control material flow. The actuator includes a rod carrying first and second axially spaced solenoid armatures attached to the stopper. First and second solenoid coil surround and are spaced from the rod to bias the first solenoid armature along with the rod and valve stopper. A linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) responsive to the position of the second armature determines the instantaneous position of the valve stopper. A valve position control circuit receives a valve position set point from a user's input, and a valve position feedback signal from the LVDT. The valve position control circuit includes first and second solenoid coil drive signals that urge the first armature and stopper to the valve position set point. A signal generator circuit vibrates the valve about a set point to enhance material discharge.
US08235248B2
Disclosed is an automatic tablet packing apparatus having sliding racks, wherein tablets received in a plurality of tablet cassettes are successively packed on a per dose basis based on a medical prescription. Each of the sliding racks includes a pair of left and right partition walls, a tablet discharge passage to guide the tablets discharged from the tablet cassettes being defined by facing inner surfaces of the left and right partition walls. Cassette pedestals are attached to outer surfaces of the left and right partition walls and in turn, the tablet cassettes are detachably arranged on the cassette pedestals. The left and right partition walls are able to be individually pulled out from a body of the apparatus. As the left or right partition wall is pulled out, the tablet discharge passage is revealed to the outside thus enabling easy cleaning thereof.
US08235242B2
The present invention relates to anti-sloshing LNG cargo tanks to mitigate a sloshing phenomenon. The anti-sloshing LNG cargo tank having a first barrier for preventing leakage of a cryogenic LNG, a second barrier and an insulation pad provided to supplement the first barrier, includes: an anti-sloshing bulkhead for partitioning a space in the LNG cargo tank into a plurality of spaces to reduce a sloshing phenomenon of the LNG that moves in the LNG cargo tank; and a stool part united at a first surface thereof to an inner wall of an LNG carrier body and united at a second surface thereof to the anti-sloshing bulkhead to fasten the anti-sloshing bulkhead to the inner wall of the LNG cargo tank. The stool part is coupled to the first barrier and the second barrier and having the insulation pad therein, thus preventing the cryogenic LNG from leaking towards the inner wall of the LNG carrier body or from exchanging heat with the inner wall of the LNG carrier body.
US08235241B2
A liquid tank assembly for a motor vehicle includes a tank and an absorber assembly. The tank has an inner surface defining a cavity for receiving a liquid substance. The absorber assembly is disposed within the cavity for dampening liquid sloshing noises. The absorber assembly includes a plurality of connected dampener elements. End sections of the absorber assembly are attached to the inner surface of the tank. The absorber assembly is configured to float on a surface of the liquid when a volume of liquid within the tank is between a first critical volume and a second, lower critical volume. The absorber assembly is generally submerged when a volume of liquid within the tank is a generally greater than the first critical volume. The absorber assembly is generally suspended within the cavity when a volume of liquid within the tank is a generally lower than the second critical volume.
US08235240B2
A flat inner container (3), especially an internal tank for a road vehicle, which is surrounded by an outer container (1) and is used for receiving a cryogenic liquid, particularly a fuel. The inner container (3) comprises a combination of the following features: a longitudinally extending monolithic base (4) with a top wall (5) and a bottom wall (6) which are connected to also longitudinally extending sidewalls (7), and with at least two longitudinally extending, substantially straight webs (9) that connect the bottom wall (6) to the top wall (5) so as to form at least one longitudinally extending chamber (10) which is arranged between the webs, extends along the entire length of the base (4) as well as from the bottom wall (6) to the top wall (5), and has a predetermined width between the webs; and at least two caps (11) which tightly seal the two open ends of the base (4) at the periphery; the top wall and/or the bottom wall is/are provided with an arch relative to a planar reference top wall and/or reference bottom wall, the distance of the arch between the inner contour of the top wall and/or the bottom wall and the planar reference top wall and/or reference bottom wall amounting to less than 30 percent of the width of the chamber in the center between the webs.
US08235229B2
Disclosed are various embodiments of methods and systems related to double-pendulum crane control. In one embodiment for determining a specified insensitivity (SI) input shaper for a double-pendulum crane, the method using a processor system to implement the steps including determining a plurality of insensitivity ranges based upon operational parameters associated with the double-pendulum crane; and determining SI input shaper parameters based upon tolerances corresponding to the plurality of insensitivity ranges, the SI input shaper parameters including an amplitude and a time corresponding to each impulse of the SI input shaper.
US08235215B2
The gift pail kit allows a user to create a personalized gift package without the need for special creative or artistic talents. The kit includes a container (pail), shred packing material, facial expression transfer stickers, a hairpiece, a gift label, a note card and an instruction booklet. As presently contemplated, the pail will be offered in seven different hair color choices. The shred material may be colored to match the hair color. The pails may be offered in various sizes, and the kit will be fabricated from recyclable and eco-friendly materials.
US08235213B2
A package for a dispensing device, comprising a protection pouch arranged to enclose the dispensing device. The protection pouch comprises a base section that is arranged to support the dispensing device in the general vertical direction, and the package comprises a support member arranged to essentially elevate the base section of the pouch from a support surface.
US08235206B2
The present device is a reusable bag for laundry and laundry hangers. The reusable bag includes an enclosure made from a flexible web material having an open end and a closed end. The open end has a closure means, while the closed end includes an aperture adapted to receive a portion of each laundry hanger therethrough. With the open end of the enclosure facing upward in a hamper configuration, dirty laundry may be collected and, when the bag is full, the open end of the enclosure may be selectively closed with the closure means. The reusable bag may be transported to a laundry cleaning facility by carrying with a handle strap, and returned with clean laundry hanging on the laundry hangers inside the enclosure. The closed end of the enclosure may be facing upward in a garment bag configuration for protecting the clean laundry.
US08235204B2
A lockable package includes an outer sleeve defined by connected first and second panels, the sleeve having at least one open end. An inner container is slidable within the sleeve, and having a first portion joined to a second portion, wherein at least one of a height and a width of the first portion is less than a corresponding height and width of the second portion. A difference between one of the height and the width of the first portion and the corresponding height and width of the second portion defines a ridge. A locking assembly is provided at the at least one open end of the sleeve and is configured to releasably engage the ridge, wherein the inner container is removable through the open end of the sleeve by disengaging the locking assembly from the ridge.
US08235202B2
A conveying apparatus with a first conveyor and a second conveyor is used a the welding apparatus and a welding method for container bodies and in particular can bodies between which conveyors the object to be welded is handed over. A control unit determines the take over position and/or the conveying travel of the second conveyor and controls the conveyors accordingly, so that the take over occurs at the determined position and/or with the determined conveying travel of the second conveyor. This allows an easy and swift changing of the welding apparatus to different sizes of the objects to be welded.
US08235200B2
A device for grouping and/or separating of articles which are transported on a conveyor device (10) along a conveying plane in at least a row in an essentially closed stream and which are grouped by at least one separating finger (16) which is inserted into the stream from below, transverse to the conveying direction (t). The separating finger (16) is inserted in the stream in such a way that a targeted article and the articles following the targeted article are slightly delayed or accelerated during their forward movement in the conveying direction (t) whereby a gap is formed. The separating finger (16) engages with a lateral edge of an outer surface of the article includes a contact area (26) that at least partially contacts and/or at least partially encompasses the outer surface of the article.
US08235193B2
A gear synchronizing system having a component carrier, wherein the component carrier accepts a splined shaft therethrough and interact with the splined shaft to allow transfer of rotation between the splined shaft and the component carrier while also allowing the component carrier to slide axially along the splined shaft relative to an associated friction plate. The component carrier includes a plurality of friction members pivotably coupled within walled recesses of the component carrier, such that when the component carrier is urged toward the associated friction plate, at least a portion of the contact surface of the friction members initially contacts a surface of the friction plate and, as the component carrier continues to be urged toward the associated friction plate, each friction member is rotated, such that at least a portion of the contact surface of each friction member continues to contact a surface of the friction plate.
US08235190B2
Beverage holders adapted to attach to the upwardly extending arms of the handle assembly of a wheeled piece of luggage are described herein. The holders are adapted to twist and pivot when holding a cup with a beverage contained therein to maintain the axis of the beverage cup in a position generally orthogonal with a flat ground surface. The mechanism permitting the pivoting typically comprises a pair of opposing suspension arms that are fabricated of an elastomeric polymer that has sufficient tensile strength to support a beverage cup filled with a beverage but also has a sufficiently low flexural modulus to permit the cup to pivot when the angle of the handle assembly relative to the ground is changed.
US08235188B2
The invention relates to a damping element for a vibration damper that works with hydraulic damping fluid. The fundamental structure of the damping element includes a one-piece base body configured as a circular disk, which has a plurality of first flow-through openings, each having an entry cross-section in a first face side of the base body, as well as a plurality of second flow-through openings, each having an entry cross-section in an opposite, second face side of the base body, as well as circular valve disks on both face sides of the base body, which rest against a support surface of the base body, disposed in the center, and at least partially close off exit cross-sections of the flow-through openings. The exit cross-sections are surrounded by control edges, which form contact surfaces for the valve disks and project beyond the support surface as well as the entry cross-sections. The height of the control edges increases with an increasing radial distance from the center point of the base body in the form of a circular disk. According to the invention, the flow-through openings have a flow channel section that is preferably cylindrical and opens into a larger exit cross-section bordered by the control edges.
US08235186B2
A hydraulic valve includes a main body, a valve body, a piston, a valve sleeve, a spool and a resilient energy storage member. The valve body and the piston are disposed within the main body. The valve body defines a first chamber, a second chamber, and a cylindrical passage connecting the first chamber and the second chamber. The valve sleeve is moveably disposed in the cylindrical passage. The spool is moveably disposed within the bore of the valve sleeve. The resilient energy storage member may be disposed between the valve sleeve and valve spool. The resilient energy storage member is compressed as pressure is induced in one of the first chamber or the second chamber such that the valve sleeve and the spool move relative to one another so that at least a portion of the shaped aperture is exposed to the first chamber or second chamber to allow a proportional amount of hydraulic fluid to flow between the first chamber and the second chamber.
US08235185B2
A molded brake shoe formed of friction material with or without a metal backing. Along at least a portion of at least one side surface of the brake shoe there is a layer of the molded friction material reinforced with a fiber.
US08235175B1
A standoff arrangement for ladders and the like, comprising a ladder attachment portion and a ladder support portion. The attachment portion is releasably securable to ladder, and the support portion extends from the ladder attachment portion, having a pair of individually adjustable bearing arms which can be universally adjusted in relation to the structure against which the ladder standoff arrangement bears.
US08235173B2
A belt system convertible into and out of a sit harness configuration for selective use as a harness or a utility belt features a pair of leg loops and a waistband equipped with a quick release buckle. Support straps projecting from the leg loops are arranged for releasable engagement to the waistband and releasable engagement to one another so that the releasable engagement to one another when also engaged to the waistband provides a second closure thereof so that the waistband remains closed by the connection between the support straps even if the quick release buckle on the waistband is inadvertently disengaged. Using only a single waistband, the belt system provides a quick release function when used only as a utility belt, yet avoids the hazard of having the waistband open by inadvertent release of the quick release waistband buckle during use as a harness.
US08235163B2
A hydraulic steering assistance system for vehicles, including a power steering pump and a variable-ratio gear, particularly a booster drive for the power-steering pump wherein the power steering pump hydraulically powers both the hydraulic steering assistance system and the variable-ratio gear.
US08235147B1
An apparatus and method for forming a borehole in an earthen formation includes a side cutting device comprised of a cam assembly that includes at least one groove therein for selective extension and retraction of a laterally extending cutting element. Rotation of the side cutting device in a first direction causes the cutting element to be in a first retracted position so that a borehole having a first diameter can be formed. Rotation of the side cutting device in a second direction causes the cutting element to be in a second extended position. Rotation and retraction of the side cutting device when the cutting element is in the second extended position allows the side cutting device to create a larger borehole diameter in a down hole location.
US08235143B2
Acoustics-based methods and devices to characterize a gas kick during drilling an oil, gas, or gas condensate well are described. A pressure wave may be generated by abruptly changing the drilling mud pressure in the well, for example at the well head. The pressure wave is allowed to travel down the well, reflect from the well bottom and reach the well head again. Pressure is monitored during this process and a pressure peak is identified. The gas kick is characterized using the width of the pressure peak and time elapsed from the onset of pressure change and appearance of the peak. Negative pressure wave is preferred and may be generated by opening of a fast-acting valve located in the outlet pathway of the drilling mud fluid.
US08235127B2
A completion system for use in the well includes a liner for lining the well, where the liner has a first inductive coupler portion. An electric cable extends outside an inner passage of the liner. The completion system further includes a second inductive coupler portion and an electrical device inside the liner and electrically connected to the second inductive coupler portion. The first and second inductive coupler portions enable power to be provided from the electric cable outside the inner passage of the liner to the electrical device inside the liner.
US08235124B2
A variable buoyancy subsea running tool for use with subsea transportable devices, such as a tree cap. The buoyancy of the running tool may be varied through fluid or gas displacement in one or more containers. Alternatively, the running tool may be configured with a buoy that has static buoyancy, with the buoyancy of the running tool being varied through the addition of a counterweight. The running tool can be used to install or uninstall a tree cap on a subsea tree. Installation of a tree cap may be actuated by a remotely operated vehicle. Additionally, the running tool may be moved by a remotely operated vehicle and may have additional features such as a position locator device.
US08235121B2
A jumper including an upstream connector configured to communicate with an umbilical, and a downstream connector configured to communicate with an end device. The jumper also includes a conduit having a first end attached to the upstream connector and a second end attached to the downstream connector, a plurality of valves, and a programmable processor.
US08235115B2
A cement slurry comprising a mixture of a cement blend and water, wherein the cement blend comprises at least about 70% by volume of blend of cementitious particulate material and water is present in the mixture in an amount of not more than 50% by volume of the slurry.
US08235108B2
A sealing member. The sealing member can include a support member having an inner bore and a plurality of apertures formed therethrough. An outer swellable element can be disposed about an outer diameter of the support member, and an inner swellable element can be disposed about an inner diameter of the support member. The swellable elements can be unitized with one another through each aperture. A retainer can be disposed at each end of the support member.
US08235105B2
Methods for connecting drill pipe sections together using a support unit comprising an opening, a wall extending around the opening, a plurality of movable slips deployed in the opening, and a plurality of lever assemblies, each lever assembly pivotally attached to the wall and having a proximal end operably associated with at least one of the slips. A first pipe section is rotated against a second pipe section. Upward and downward movement of distal ends of said levers cause the slips to move between extended and refracted positions. In some embodiments, the second pipe section is held stationary while the extended slips, and thus the first pipe section, rotates.
US08235099B2
A heat exchanger used as an evaporator includes a refrigerant inlet header section having a refrigerant inlet at a right end portion, and a plurality of heat exchange tubes connected to the refrigerant inlet header section. The interior of the refrigerant inlet header section is divided by a partition plate into an upper space into which refrigerant flows via the refrigerant inlet and a lower space into which the heat exchange tubes project. A communication opening is formed in the partition plate on the left side of a heat exchange tube at the left end so as to establish communication between the upper and lower spaces. A guide portion is formed at a left edge portion of the communication opening such that the guide portion projects from a lower surface of the partition member into the lower space so as to guide the refrigerant toward the right end side.
US08235098B2
A flat tube for a heat exchanger having a stack of such flat tubes. The flat tube has a plurality of spaced-apart dimples formed on each of its opposite faces. At least some of the dimples on each face have an elongate plan shape, at least some of the elongate dimples being obliquely oriented such that their major axes form oblique angles with a longitudinal axis of the tube. The obliquely oriented elongate dimples are positioned such that when two of the tubes are stacked, the obliquely oriented elongate dimples on opposing faces of the tubes contact one another and the major axes of each contacting pair of elongate dimples are non-parallel to each other. Each contacting pair of elongate dimples of adjacent tubes thus forms a “cross” or “X”.
US08235094B2
An apparatus for dissipating heat through a plurality of fins is provided. The apparatus includes a heat dissipating member composed of metal and having a plurality of fins projecting from a first side of the heat dissipating member. Additionally, the apparatus includes a thermal material within at least one fin of the plurality of fins, the thermal material having a thermal conductivity greater than the thermal conductivity of the at least one fin in a direction normal to the first side of the heat dissipating member. Finally, a thermal spreader thermally coupled to the heat dissipating member, the thermal spreader configured to spread heat across the plurality of fins of the heat dissipating member is included.
US08235092B2
An insulated investment casting shell mold is made by first mixing at least one refractory material with a slurry vehicle forming a prime coat slurry, and optionally mixing at least one refractory material with a slurry vehicle forming a backup slurry. The prime slurry is coated onto a fugitive pattern and optionally dried and/or stuccoed wherein the stucco has at least one refractory material. Optionally, at least one coat of the backup slurry is applied to the prime coated fugitive pattern and optionally dried and/or stuccoed after each coat of the backup slurry. The backup and stucco may be applied a plurality of times to obtain a desired shell wall thickness. An insulating slurry is formed by introducing gas into a slurry vehicle having at least one refractory material and containing a stabilizer and a foaming agent wherein gaseous bubbles become entrained therein forming an insulating slurry having closed porosity therein. The insulating slurry is coated onto at least one portion of the pattern after the prime coat and preferably at least a portion of the outermost layer of a backup coated pattern has the insulating slurry thereon.
US08235087B2
A drum for a roll-up closure, the closure having a door of hinged together slats, one end of the door adapted to be mounted on the drum, the door adapted to be wound on the drum as the drum is rotated. The drum has a wall defining its shape with a depression in the wall extending both inwardly and across the width of the drum. The cross-section of the wall defines an increasing spiral from one side of the depression to the other side of the depression. An extension of the wall extends from the one side of the depression towards the other side to partially close the depression. The partially closed depression is shaped to receive the one end of the door to mount the door on the drum.
US08235083B2
In a tire for vehicle wheels, each of the two annular anchoring structures includes at least two annular reinforcing inserts, each of them being made up of at least one first elongated element and at least two reinforcing elements that are mutually spaced apart and each of which extends in a radial direction and includes at least one second elongated element. An end portion of at least one carcass ply lies between two adjacent annular reinforcing inserts. The second elongated element of at least one of the reinforcing elements is of metal material and delimits an angle included between about 20° and about 70° relative to a radial direction passing through a radially internal point thereof.
US08235082B2
A pneumatic tire including bead apex rubbers 8 having a rubber hardness Hs1 of 80 to 95 and extending radially outward from bead cores 5, and clinch rubbers 9 having a rubber hardness Hs2 of 65 to 85 lower than the rubber hardness Hs1 and forming outer surfaces of bead portions. A carcass 6 is formed of an inner carcass ply 6A comprising a body portion 11 extending between bead cores 5, 5 and turnup portions 12 which are continuous with the body portion 11 and are turned up around the bead cores 5, and an outer carcass ply 6B comprising a body portion 13 which extends along the outer surface of the body portion 11, and the radially inner ends of which are sandwiched between the body portion 11 and the bead apex rubbers 8 to terminate there. The turnup height Lc of the turnup portion 12 from the bead base line BL is 60% or less of the tire section height L, and the height Ld of inner ends of the body portion 13 is 60% or less of the height L1 of the bead apex rubber 8.
US08235077B2
A refillable fuel supply assembly for a fuel cell is disclosed herein. The assembly includes a refillable fuel supply adapted to supply fuel to a fuel cell, a refilling fuel cartridge containing fuel to be transferred to the refillable fuel supply, and a lock-and-release device connecting the refilling fuel cartridge to the refillable fuel supply to transport fuel from the refilling fuel cartridge to the refillable fuel supply. The lock-and-release device also retains the refilling fuel cartridge to the refillable fuel supply until the refilling fuel cartridge is substantially free of fuel.
US08235075B2
A method of patching a well or a pipe by hydroforming a tubular metal patch. A tool provided with a pair of inflatable packers is inserted inside the patch. The pair of inflatable packers are axially spaced apart from each other by a distance that is substantially equal to the length of the patch. The tool is positioned inside the patch so that the packers are in register with the end portions of the patch. The assembly of the tool and the patch is axially inserted inside the well or the pipe, and positioned in register with the zone for patching. The packers are inflated to a high pressure, sufficient for radially expanding the end portions of the patch and pressing them in a leak-tight manner against the wall of the well or the pipe. The packers are subsequently deflated and the tool is withdrawn. The method is applicable to the oil industry.
US08235074B2
The pipe has a non-circular cross section that generally looks like that of a squashed circle. The pipe would not deform significantly from that having the squashed circle cross section under the condition in which the inside pressure is the same or less than that of the internal pressure of the pipe that carries ordinary cold tap water. The cross section of the pipe gets deformed to become rounder and larger when the water within the pipe is frozen, and the rounder and larger cross section is large enough for the pipe to contain the frozen water or ice without having any damages. The pipe is made of material such as high carbon content steel that allows the pipe to change its shape back to the pre-frozen shape as the water inside is thawed out.
US08235072B2
A plasma actuator incorporates a power source, a first electrode in contact with a first dielectric layer, a second electrode in contact with a second dielectric layer, and a ground electrode. The power source drives the first electrode with a first ac voltage pattern with respect to the ground electrode to produce a first plasma discharge, and a first electric field pattern in the flow region, and drives the second electrode with a second ac voltage pattern with respect to the ground electrode to produce a second plasma discharge in the flow region and a second electric field pattern in the flow region. The first and second electrodes are offset along the direction of flow and the first voltage pattern and the second voltage pattern have a phase difference such that the first and second electric fields drive flow in different portions of the flow region at different times.
US08235068B2
A system for processing one or more substrates according to the present invention includes a diversion valve that can deliver two or more process fluids to a dispensing device through a common line/pipe. The present invention also includes related methods.
US08235064B2
A single magnetic coil floating plunger redundant gas valves is disclosed. In an illustrative embodiment, the valve may include a first plunger tube, a second plunger tube spaced a distance from the first plunger tube, a magnetic coil disposed about at least part of the first plunger tube, a first plunger disposed within the first plunger tube, and a second plunger disposed within the second plunger tube. The first and second plungers may be operatively coupled to first and second valve members. Activation of the magnetic coil may result in the first and second plungers being suspended in the plunger tubes without a hard mechanical plunger stop to selectively open corresponding valves or other actuatable components, as desired.
US08235059B2
The present invention generally relates to containers for powder products. The present invention described herein relates to a container capable of generating powder in loose form. The invention further relates to cosmetic containers for powder products that present pressed and loose powder products for usage as per the convenience of user. Further the invention also relates to a scraper for such a container.
US08235055B2
A method and apparatus for magnetically levitating and further steering of an intraluminal device, such as a swallowable microelectronic capsule, for monitoring bodily functions is provided. The method comprises diamagnetically-stabilized levitation, followed by dynamic modification of the external magnetic field producing the said levitation, so that the levitating intraluminal device can be steered in desired direction. The said intraluminal device contains appropriate sensors and reports in real time the forces and pressures exerted on it, as well as its position, so that the levitation and the steering can be dynamically adjusted using appropriate dynamic control of external magnetic devices such as solenoids.
US08235054B2
An incrementally adjustable wound retractor (100), having a first ring (102) with a diameter greater than the desired diameter of the wound incision. A second ring (104), having an annular axis and a diameter greater than the desired diameter of the wound incision. A flexible sleeve (106), disposed in a generally cylindrical form between the first and second rings (102, 104), the second ring may be rolled over itself and around the annular axis to provide a sleeve with a radical retraction force sufficient to stretch the incision to the desired diameter.
US08235038B2
A scuba mask purging apparatus and method providing selective introduction of pressurized air into a scuba mask to initiate purging, pressure balancing, and de-fogging. An inlet valve, typically positioned conveniently on the top or the side of the mask may control the release of pressurized air into the mask. A pressure-sensitive outlet valve releases the pressurized air to force water from the mask. The outlet valve may be positioned on the lower portion of the mask or at a location where water is likely to collect.
US08235036B2
A portable universal inhaler system formed from an outer part and an inner part slidably received in the outer part. The inner part defines a compartment for receiving a medication canister and includes a universal connector for making a fluid dispensing connection to a variety of commercially available canisters. The inner and outer parts, when assembled, together form a housing that defines a chamber of sufficient volume to house a metered dose of medication. A mouthpiece or mouthpiece attachment location is provided in fluid communication with the chamber for permitting inhalation of medication from the chamber. The structure of the device makes it compact and portable, in the closed position, allows for storage of a medication canister in operative engagement with the device, and provides a convenient way to dispense medication, using a medication canister and a chamber, for inhalation by a user.
US08235034B1
Systems moving air through a conduit within a solar heat collector having overtemperature protection
A system including a solar heat collector and a heat receiving structure has a supply conduit extending through an airspace within the solar heat collector, to the heat receiving structure, and into the heat receiving structure. A temperature sensor within the airspace of the solar heat collector measures a temperature within the airspace of the solar heat collector and turns an air pump on to move air through the supply conduit it this temperature is too high. This air may be exhausted through a bypass valve instead of being pumped into the heat receiving structure. The heat receiving structure may include a pool with water heated by bubbles of hot air from the supply conduit.
US08235016B2
A housing part has a sealing surface around the housing part which is to be fastened by means of a seal to another housing part in a sealing manner. At least one fastening opening is provided for the guiding through of fastening elements, in order to seal the housing part on another housing part. At the at least one fastening opening, a ring-shaped projection is arranged which projects over the sealing surface and defines a minimum distance between the sealing surface of the housing part and sealing surface on the other housing part.
US08235015B2
Each cylinder is provided with a first intake valve and a second intake valve, and a first intake cam for driving the first intake valve and a second intake cam for driving the second intake valve are coaxially pivotally supported on an intake camshaft. A first cam phase change mechanism which varies respective phases of the first and second intake cams relative to a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine is combined with a second cam phase change mechanism which varies a phase of the second intake cam relative to the first intake cam. The second cam phase change mechanism is set to have a variable-phase angular range wider than that of the first cam phase change mechanism.
US08235009B2
An energy generating module comprises an enclosure, an energy generating device, a fuel chamber, and one or more fuel conveying devices. The enclosure comprises a plurality of walls that enclose the energy generating device. The fuel chamber is applied to an exterior surface of at least one wall of the enclosure such that at least a portion of the exterior surface of at least one enclosure wall is covered by the fuel chamber. The fuel conveying devices convey fuel from the fuel chamber to the energy generating device enclosed by the enclosure walls. The energy generating device generates an energy output using fuel received from the fuel chamber.
US08235006B2
A disposable litter pan that is made of a flexible material, preferably biodegradable non-plastic material, such as thermally pressed cardboard or other paper fiber material treated with an aqueous coating that inhibits degradation of the pan in the presence of fluids. The pan is a generally self-supporting pan structure having two end walls, two sidewalls, and a floor; wherein the floor having several perforations, openings, or orifices sized to allow unused cat litter to be sifted into a retaining pan underneath that can be of the same or imperforate construction. The litter pan folds, allowing the sidewalls to engage in a manner that does not allow litter or excrement to escape. The pan can be retained in the folded condition by an integral latching arrangement that also can serve as a handle.
US08235004B2
A pet co-sleeper is designed to be connected to a human's bed for use by small to medium sized animals. Pets such as dogs and cats can use this sleeper to sleep beside their owners instead on of the bed. The pet co-sleeper has a frame which is substantially rectangular in shape. The frame has three horizontal bars forming a three-sided top frame and a fourth horizontal bar on the fourth side is lower than the other three horizontal bars. Fabric materials attached to the frame form a floor, four side walls and a horizontal divider located just below the fourth horizontal bar. A first mattress is placed over the horizontal divider to form a sleeping surface. A second mattress is placed on the fabric floor, such that the four side walls, the second mattress and the horizontal divider form a pet house.
US08234995B2
A goal to ground indicator device indicates a ready and/or upset condition of a ground supported goal such as a soccer goal that has at least one bar that lies in contact with the ground. An indicator arm is movable relative to the contact arm between a ready position and an upset position. A contact arm cooperates with the indicator arm. A biasing element biases the indicator arm to the upset position. When the bar of the goal is no longer in contact with the ground the indicator arm moves from the ready position to the upset position.
US08234993B2
An impact detector includes a case, an impact indicator disposed on a front side of the case, to indicate an impact history of the impact detector, a first weight that moves inside the case to a side to which the case falls, causing the impact indicator to indicate the impact history by moving through at least one of a first transition path and a second transition path, a first guide member to guide the first weight to a first impact detection position along the first transition path when the case falls in a first direction, and a second guide member to guide the first weight to the second impact detection position along the second transition path when the case falls in a second direction. The first transition path at least partly overlaps with the second transition path on a projection plane on the front side of the case.
US08234992B1
A system for facilitating launch and recovery of a multiplicity of different surface and subsurface craft from a host ship includes a notched stern assembly configured to engage an outer plat that is moveable in and out of the notch to provide a ramp for receiving a surface craft at a location spaced a distance behind the ship. The outer plat may decouple from the stern assembly. The outer plat and craft are drawn up into the notched stern assembly via a roller-guideway arrangement. An inner plat may also be provided for engaging subsurface craft. The inner plat may be separable from the outer plat, or may be connected to the outer plat. The inner plat may be independently powered to engage remote craft. Remote refueling, rearming and data downloading operations may be performed. The inner plat may nest with the outer plat within notched stern assembly when idle.
US08234991B2
A sail propulsion system for boats and the like comprises at least one mast (A) and a jib (F) controlled by sheets and secured to the head of the mast (A), as well as at least two mainsails (RS, RD) rove on two shrouds (S; SR) located one to the right and one to the left of the mast (A) and arranged each on a boom (B) mounted on one of said shrouds (S; SR). This sail system has a greater sail surface with respect to the conventional set of sails consisting of a single mainsail and the relevant jib, whereby with the same wind the sail thrust is greater, moreover the jib (F) and the leeward mainsail meet the wind like a single sail whose efficiency is greater than the efficiency of the two separate sails present in conventional equipments, and finally when sailing before the wind the sail surface has its center of thrust located on the boat axis so as to make the sailing more stable and less prone to rightward or leftward deviations of the bow, thus increasing safety and allowing to dispense with the use of special sails when sailing before the wind, such as the gennaker or the spinnaker.
US08234990B2
Methods for making a self-conforming non-crimp fabric involving tailoring at least a first parameter to anchor the fabric and at least a second parameter to provide conformability of the fabric, the first and second parameters selected from stitch type, stitch spacing, stitch density, stitch material, stitch weight, stitch tension, and combinations of the same.
US08234989B2
A quilting machine sewing head navigator useful in generating directional travel in the sewing head of a quilting machine in relation to a stitchable material.
US08234986B2
An apparatus for processing fly ash comprising a heated refractory-lined vessel having a series of spaced angled rows of swirl-inducing nozzles which cause cyclonic and/or turbulent air flow of the fly ash when introduced in the vessel, thus increasing the residence time of airborne particles. Also disclosed is a method of fly ash beneficiation using the apparatus.
US08234979B1
An apparatus for shock isolating an electronics package includes an outer member including an internal threaded portion and a transition member including an external threaded portion and a hollow inner portion that defines a cavity configured for receiving the electronics package. A layer of mechanically compliant shock isolation material is positioned between the inner thread portion of the outer member and the external thread portion of the transition member. The compliant shock isolation material encloses a front end and sidewalls of the transition member and is absent from its aft end to allow access to one end of the electronics package (e.g. to a connector). The internal threaded portion of the outer member and the external threaded portion of the transition member are compliantly engaged via a gap provided by the layer of compliant shock isolation material. In one embodiment the electronics package is a fuze assembly.
US08234976B2
A device for compressing wood is formed as a container (10) with a bottom plate (12) and a longitudinal side plate (14). A first compression arrangement (40) in the form of a compression plate (48) attached to a number of moving devices (42) which are rotatable about a spindle (44) in the longitudinal side plate (14) carries out compression of the wood in a first direction. A second compression arrangement (30) in the form of a compression plate (38) attached to a number of moving devices (32) which are rotatable about a spindle (34) in the bottom plate (12), carries out compression of the wood in a second direction. The device (1) further includes a bundling arrangement (60) comprising a stay (62) with a retainer body (67) for securing a strap from a strap drive device (64) around the compressed wood.
US08234973B1
A liner used to line the grills of barbecues and other types of cooking grill structures. The liner has at least one solid section and at least one perforated section that runs along the length of the liner. The liner is also shaped in a sinusoidal pattern that fits over the parallel rods on a cooking grill. The liner is placed onto a cooking grill above the burners. The solid section of the liner is placed directly above the burners. The perforated sections are not. As such, the liner allows drippings to flow away from the food and fall into the barbecue only in areas where the drippings will not ignite. Thus, the liner eliminates the major cause of fire flare-up when cooking on an open flame grill.
US08234970B2
A gasket includes a damping buffer for a piston that can be charged with a pressure medium and that can be moved back and forth axially in a cylinder pipe and includes at least one static seal for sealing the cylinder pipe vis-à-vis a cover connected to the face of the cylinder pipe and a dynamic seal having at least one dynamically loaded sealing lip that, during the proper use of the gasket, can be laid against the surface to be sealed of a damping journal that is connected to and axially movable back and forth with the piston and that has at least one flow-guiding connection opening that connects the axial faces of the gasket.
US08234961B2
A saw band of steel for a band saw machine with a band back (Br) and with a tooth row arranged thereon having several teeth (20), wherein the initial tooth form (10) is triangular with a tooth base with tooth width (b) and with the tooth tip (1) with a first tooth height (h1), such that the tooth tip (1) does not project beyond tooth width (b) in the band running direction (L), wherein the lateral side of the triangle located in front in the running direction (L) forms the rake face (2) and the rear lateral side forms the clearance face (3) of the tooth (10, 20). The tooth tip (1) of the triangle is specifically removed for the development of a rounded-off tooth crest (4) with a reduced second tooth height (h2), wherein at least in the proximity of the tooth crest (4) a hard material coating covers at least partially the cutting face formed of the tooth crest (4), the rake face (2) and the clearance face (3).
US08234960B2
Disclosed herein is an electrical component comprising a segment having a diameter in the range of about 1 micrometers to about 10 cm, the segment comprising a plurality of non-metallic, resistive fibers in a non-metallic binder. The segment is precisely trimmed to impart to the segment an electrical resistance within 1% of the desired resistance value. A manufacturing system and methods of manufacturing components having precise specifications also are disclosed.
US08234956B2
A piston actuated synchronizer system for a split torque transmission where the piston is attached directly to the synchronizer shift collar on the synchronizer centerline to provide the required actuation in a small volume of space and resolve fork and rod deflection issues seen on other synchronizers that use such a system. The piston is pressure applied and spring released. This design also uses a displacement sensor to monitor synchronizer engagement.
US08234954B2
A transmission has a motor assembly with a stationary portion surrounding a rotor. The transmission also includes a clutch housing. A transmission casing surrounds the motor and the clutch housing. The stationary portion is rigidly connected to and supported by the clutch housing. Thus, a separate housing for the motor/generator is avoided. The housing may also support one or more motor bearings, seals, clutch pistons, or clutch plates.
US08234941B2
A specimen analyzing apparatus comprising: a detector for detecting component information regarding a component in a specimen contained in each of analyzing containers, the analyzing containers comprising first and second analyzing containers; an analyzing part for analyzing the component information detected by the detector; a transporting device for transporting specimen containers each containing a specimen, the specimen containers comprising first and second specimen containers; an operation mode selector for selecting one of a first operation mode and a second operation mode; a first supplying device for supplying the specimen of a first amount; a second supplying device for supplying the specimen of a second amount grater than the first amount; and a supply controller for controlling the first and second supplying devices in accordance with an operation mode selected by the operation mode selector, is disclosed. A specimen analyzing method is also disclosed.
US08234931B2
An assembly comprising a fluid channel and a flowmeter, the flowmeter (1) comprising at least one vortex shedder (2) extending in the channel (C), each vortex shedder (2) being configured to generate Karman vortices (V) in fluid flowing through the channel (C) during operation, wherein each vortex shedder (2) is provided with a first fiber Bragg grating (FBG) of a fiber Bragg grating sensor (3, 7, FBG), wherein a Karman vortex frequency (fe) of the vortices (V) generated by the vortex shedder (2) is detectable utilizing a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor signal relating to the respective first fiber Bragg grating (FBG) of that vortex shedder (2).
US08234930B2
A method of determining fatigue of a pressure-resistant component for high-pressure hydrogen made of a ferritic steel and provided in a high-pressure hydrogen gas environment is provided wherein when the material of the ferritic steel in the air has an ultimate tensile strength Su in the range of 958-1,144 MPa and the hydrogen gas environment has a pressure in a range to 45 MPa, then a fatigue strength in a gaseous hydrogen SH (MPa) for the pressure-resistant component provided in the high-pressure hydrogen gas environment is obtained by using equation (1): SH (MPa)=2,577−1.8925×Su (MPa). The influence of a high-pressure hydrogen gas environment on the pressure-resistant component for high-pressure hydrogen is determined based on the fatigue strength obtained by using the equation (1).
US08234925B2
This present invention is a device having a mechanical bearing formed by two coaxial rings, one fixed relative to the machine and the other rotating, between which at least one rolling element is moveably positioned, at least one non-conducting positioning arrangements secured to the fixed bearing ring, the positioning arrangements including at least one placement holder for at least one conducting element forming a first plate of a capacitor, at a distance from a conducting part of the rotating ring forming the second plate of the capacitor, and with the positioning arrangements attached to at least one partitioning arrangements, the partitioning arrangements being used to create a space between the two plates, thus forming a dielectric insulating medium, and to act as a sealed enclosure for this insulating medium by being in contact with a part of the surface of the rotating ring.
US08234924B2
An apparatus and method for testing composite structures in which ultrasonic waves are used to detect disbonds in the structures are described. The apparatus comprises a flexible structure carrying acousto-optical transducers such as fiber Bragg gratings. During use, the apparatus is mechanically and conformally coupled to the structure under test.
US08234915B2
A method is provided for determining remaining oil life prior to an oil change in an internal combustion engine that has a sump and uses a body of oil. The method includes transferring the body of oil to the engine and determining a volume of the transferred body of oil. The method also includes determining degradation of the determined volume of oil in response to oxidation and/or decomposition. The method additionally includes determining the remaining oil life based on the determined volume and degradation of the transferred body of oil. Furthermore, the method includes activating an oil change indicator when the remaining oil life reaches a predetermined level. A system for determining a number of engine revolutions permitted on a volume of oil is also disclosed.
US08234909B2
Methods are disclosed for inspecting a cylindrical porous ceramic body by positioning a diffuser near, and spaced apart from, the first end of a ceramic body; flowing a tracer flow toward the diffuser, wherein a first portion of the tracer flow passes through the diffuser, and a second portion of the tracer flow does not pass through the diffuser, the first and second portions of the tracer flow then entering the first end of the ceramic body, wherein the average velocity of the first portion of the tracer flow entering the ceramic body VAVG1 is lower than the average velocity of the second portion of the tracer flow entering the ceramic body VAVG2; directing light toward the second end of the ceramic body; and detecting reflected light coming from a location proximate the second transverse face at the second end of the ceramic body.
US08234906B2
A sensor for gases emitted by combustion, the sensor involving one or more metal oxides forming an adsorption semiconductor the electrical resistance of which changes according to the gas adsorbed, the semiconductor being a semiconductor for the direct adsorption of gases without catalyzed chemical reaction, the sensor being arranged to detect nitrogen oxides in the case of a bright fire, and/or the sensor being arranged to detect, in the case of a smoldering fire, partially unburned gases, in particular alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids or amines.
US08234902B2
A metal shell machining apparatus includes a cutting tool and a pressing tool. The cutting tool has a main body, at least two blade bodies, at least two enlargement portions, and at least two blade heads. The main body is a hollow cylinder, the blade bodies are formed by extending downwards from lower end of the main body, and there are at least two intervals between the blade bodies. The enlargement portions are formed by extending downwards and outwards from lower ends of the blade bodies, the blade heads are formed by extending downwards and inwards from lower ends of the enlargement portions. The pressing tool is a hollow cylinder and encircles a periphery of the cutting tool. The lower end of the pressing tool abuts the enlargement portions of the cutting tool. The apparatus can easily form oblique grooves on a metal plate, reducing manufacture cost.
US08234901B2
A method for forming a bend in composite panel. In one advantageous embodiment, a method is used to form a bend in a composite panel. An angle and a radius bend are identified for the bend. A location of the bend in the composite panel is identified. A slot is cut having a curved flange in the composite panel at the identified location in a single pass through the composite panel with a tool, wherein the curved flange has a shape with a bend allowance width and a bend slot width. The bend allowance width is BA=2π*A/360, wherein BA is the bend allowance width, R is a corner radius, and A is a bend angle. The bend slot width is BS=BA−2K(R−T), wherein K is Tan(A/2) and T is a thickness of the composite panel. The composite panel with the slot is bent to form the bend.
US08234891B2
Disclosed are apparatus and methodology for providing a resettable manual entry combination and key operated cam lock. Methodologies are provided for enabling changing of the manual entry resettable combination given knowledge of the previous combination and possession of an operable key. In alternative embodiments, provisions are made to prohibit forced opening of the lock by way of the use of foreign objects.
US08234889B2
A laundry machine is provided capable of washing or drying laundry. The laundry machine, includes a cabinet, a first washing tub that receives laundry disposed within the cabinet, a housing disposed adjacent the cabinet, a second washing tub provided within the housing that receives laundry, and at least one support device that supports the second washing tub with respect to the housing, substantially preventing vertical displacement of the second washing tub due to the weight of the second washing tub and limiting the displacement of the second washing tub due to vibration thereof.
US08234883B2
A method of tempering a glass sheet heated to a tempering temperature includes cooling the glass sheet at a first heat transfer coefficient at a first quench station and cooling the glass sheet at a second heat transfer coefficient at a second quench station downstream of the first quench station. The second heat transfer coefficient is greater than the first heat transfer coefficient. In a multistage process of the invention, a plurality of quench stations could be used with each downstream quench station having a larger heat transfer coefficient than the previous upstream quench station.
US08234876B2
Disclosed is a system and method for providing power generation and distribution with on-site energy storage and power input controlled by a utility or a third party manager. The system allows a utility manager to decide and direct how energy is delivered to a customer on both sides of the power meter, while the customer directs and controls when and how much energy is needed. In the disclosed embodiments, the utility controls the supply (either transmitted or stored) and makes power decisions on a system that acts as a virtual power plant, while the end-user retains control of the on-site aggregated power consumption assets. The disclosed systems act to broker the needs of the utility and end-user by creating, managing and controlling the interface between these two entities.
US08234873B2
Integrally formed, multi zone fuel manifolds for gas turbine engines and methods of construction are provided. The fuel manifold includes a plurality of annular channel members positioned adjacent each other, aligned and coupled together at the inner and outer peripheral sides thereof, with each pair of channel members defining a separate fluid conduit or passage within the manifold assembly. The fuel manifold can be constructed of any number of stacked and secured channel members to provide a compact multi zone fuel manifold having the desired number of fluid conduits or passages with a minimum number of sealed joints.
US08234866B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a technology of preventing, in an exhaust gas recirculation system having a low pressure EGR passage that recirculates a part of the exhaust gas from the exhaust passage at some point downstream of the exhaust gas purification apparatus to the intake passage, fragments of the exhaust gas purification apparatus from entering the intake system through the low pressure EGR passage in case that breakage of the exhaust gas purification apparatus occurs. The inventive system has a low pressure EGR valve provided in the low pressure EGR passage, an EGR control unit (S101-S103) for recirculating exhaust gas to the intake passage by opening the low pressure EGR valve, and a breakage detection unit (S104-S107) for detecting breakage of the exhaust gas purification apparatus. When breakage of the exhaust gas purification apparatus is detected, the low pressure EGR valve is closed (S108).
US08234859B2
Exhausting apparatus for exhausting an internal combustion engine including an exhaust passage for flow of exhaust gases from the engine along an axis of the passage; one or more vanes mounted to an internal face the exhaust passage, said vanes being disposed in angular relationship to the axis of the passage and having a free edge spaced inwardly from and substantially coaxial with the internal face.
US08234857B2
A method of initiating regeneration of a filter assembly is disclosed. The method includes determining when regeneration of a filter assembly is to be initiated. The method also includes opening a first air valve configured to permit air flow to a regeneration assembly below a predetermined flow rate and at a sufficient flow rate to achieve ignition. The method further includes detecting ignition, and after ignition, opening a second air valve configured to supply air flow to the regeneration assembly above the predetermined flow rate and at a sufficient flow rate for regeneration.
US08234846B2
A shrink film applying apparatus includes an article feed for feeding articles for shrink-wrapping at line pressure; a wrapping conveyor driven at a wrapping speed through a wrapping zone, the wrapping conveyor receiving articles from the article feed. First and second films are supplied to the wrapping zone. A plurality of flight bars are individually driven in a path at a variable speed. A sealing mechanism within the wrapping zone seals the first film to the second film at contact points to form a circumferential film unit substantially surrounding grouped articles within loops of second film and a corresponding portion of the first film, the film unit being shrinkable about the grouped articles to form a package. Related methods and subassemblies of the apparatus are disclosed.
US08234833B2
A structural insulated roof panel with a rigid foam core is disclosed. A particular embodiment includes a rigid foam core having first and second faces, a plurality of support channels being formed on the first and second faces of the rigid foam core, each of the support channels being formed in the rigid foam core with at least one bend; and a plurality of supports being insertable into the plurality of support channels such that at least one face of each of the plurality of supports is external to the first and second faces of the rigid foam core and substantially flush with a face of the rigid foam core, each of the plurality of supports being fabricated using at least four bends to produce a support that fits within one of the plurality of support channels.
US08234831B2
A locking system for mechanical joining of floorboards (1, 1′) which have a body (30), a lower balancing layer (34) and an upper surface layer (32). A strip (6) is integrally formed with the body (30) of the floorboard (1) and extends under an adjoining floorboard (1′). The strip (6) has a locking element (8), which engages a looking groove (14) in the underside of the adjoining floorboard (1′) and forms a horizontal joint. A tongue (38) and a tongue groove (36) form a vertical joint between upper and lower plane-parallel contact surfaces (43, 45) and are designed in such manner that the lower contact surfaces (45) are on a level between the upper side of the locking element (8) and a plane containing the underside (3) of the floorboard. Also, a floorboard having such a locking system, a floor made of such floorboards, as well as a method for making such a locking system.
US08234825B2
A solar installation includes at least one solar module. The at least one solar module includes a cover plate and a housing box. The housing box includes housing walls, a frame construction including a substantially L-shaped support profile, the support profile including a transverse leg disposed edge-parallel on a bottom side of the cover plate with a seal interposed therebetween and a longitudinal leg connected to the housing wall. A detent device has at least one upper detent element and one lower detent element for fixing the cover plate on the housing box. A spring-loaded mounting includes at least two spring elements for mounting the cover plate on the housing walls, via the at least two spring elements. The at least two spring elements have a predetermined vertical stroke and are configured to generate a restoring force.
US08234824B2
A photovoltaic (PV) module assembly including a PV module, a deflector, and a clip. The PV module includes a PV device and a frame. A PV laminate is assembled to the frame, and the frame includes a support arm forming a seat. The deflector defines a front face and a rear face, with the clip extending from either the trailing frame member or the rear face of the deflector. In a mounted state, the deflector is nested within the seat and is releasably mounted to the trailing frame member via the clip. In some embodiments, the support arm forms a second seat, with the PV module assembly providing a second mounted state in which the deflector is in a differing orientation/slope, nested within the second seat and releasably mounted to the trailing frame member via the clip.
US08234823B2
An extendible mast includes at least three columns having a plurality of column sections that telescopically nest one inside another. A base plate is connected to each column, and each of a plurality of brackets is also connected to each column. The plurality of brackets are positioned along the length of the mast when extended.
US08234822B2
A mobile environmental containment unit has an upper frame with a sealing surface, a flexible, transparent impermeable envelope with an open top and one or more access openings that depends from the upper frame, and a lower frame that is supported by the envelope. The upper frame of the unit is supported by telescoping support members with the sealing surface of the upper frame and the open top of the envelope fitted against a portion of a ceiling which is accessible by a workman via the one or more access openings and the open top of the envelope.
US08234814B2
An apparatus and method for growing plants in a growing room includes a hanging member having a substantially planar configuration, oriented vertically. At least one carriage is disposed on the hanging member to support growing plants. A nutrient delivery system has a conduit to deliver nutrients to the hanging member and to recycle any unused nutrients.
US08234800B2
The invention relates to a shoe, especially to a sports shoe, comprising a shoe upper (1) and a sole (2), wherein at least one actuator (3) is arranged in the sole (2), by means of which a region of the contact surface (4) for the foot of the wearer of the shoe can be affected with regard to the geometry of the contact surface (4) at least in a defined length range (BL) and/or width range (BB) of the sole (2) relatively to the position of the contact surface (5) of the sole (2) on the ground. In order to make the required actuating motion of the actuator using little energy, the invention proposes that the actuator (3) comprises a support element (6) supporting the foot of the wearer, which is pivotally disposed relatively to a base part (7) around an axis (A), wherein at least one hydraulic chamber (8, 9) having a variable volume is arranged on each side of the axis (A) between the support element (6) and the base part (7), which are completely filled with a substantially incompressible medium, wherein the at least two hydraulic chambers (8, 9) are fluidically connected to each other by means of a conduit (10) in which a switchable valve (11) is disposed.
US08234796B2
A method of controlling a tumble laundry drier (1), the method including the steps of: starting a drying/ironing cycle and feeding drying air into the drum (5) from a drum input to a drum output; continuously measuring the electrical resistance/conductivity between two electrodes (25) located on the inside of the door; estimating the weight of the laundry inside the drum (5); measuring a temperature of the drying air at the drum output; stopping the drying/ironing cycle, if the weight of the laundry is above a weight threshold, when the electrical resistance/conductivity between the two electrodes (25) is above/below a resistance/conductivity threshold; and stopping the drying/ironing cycle, if the weight of the laundry is below a weight threshold, when the electrical resistance/conductivity between the two electrodes (25) is above/below a resistance/conductivity threshold and also when the temperature of the drying air at the drum output is above a temperature threshold.
US08234791B2
A device for locating structural stud members beneath a surface such as a shingled roof. The device includes a support block for receiving a probe member, the probe member extending from the support block at a selected arc of curvature terminating at a point spaced apart from the support block. An indicator member is fixed to the support block, the indicator member extending from the support block parallel to the probe member and having an end coextensive with the termination point of the probe member such that the indicator member provides a user with the orientation and termination point of the probe member when the probe member is beneath the surface. In use, a hole created within the surface and the support block rotated on the surface until the probe member abuts an edge of a structural stud member.
US08234785B2
The invention relates to a method for producing a bearing component (1), in particular a connecting rod (1), from a molded part (2), wherein the bearing component (1) includes at least one divided bearing seat (5) formed by a bearing base (3) and a bearing cover (4), and a bearing seat surface (7) coated with a bearing layer (6) of a bearing layer material is formed in the bearing seat (5) for supporting a shaft. In the method of the present invention the bearing cover (4) is separated from the molded part (2) along a separating surface (8). In accordance with the invention, a masking agent (M) is disposed perpendicularly with respect to a separating line (10) on the bearing seat surface (7) during a coating process for applying the bearing layer (6) in order to form a coating-free region, such that a recess (9) at a predetermined width (B) is produced in the bearing layer (6). The masking agent (M) is formed as an element which is separate from the bearing component (1) and is not connected thereto. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out an efficient and cost-effective production method for coated bearing components.
US08234770B2
A method for joining elements together, the method comprising the steps of: positioning the elements relative to one another; enhancing the formability of at least a portion of at least one of the elements using a laser; and joining the elements together using a mechanical fastening method.
US08234764B1
A multi-purpose tool that makes prying possible without need of a lever point. The tool comprises a pair of handles pivotally connected at an intermediate pivot joint, each handle comprising a gripping section, an intermediate section and a front tip section all located on a same side of the pivot joint such that movement of the gripping sections towards each other spreads the front tip sections apart. The pivot joint, situated between intermediate handle sections, includes a substantially circular pivot pin on a substantially planar base and a protective cover for situating over the pivot pin and further rotationally joining both handles.
US08234751B2
A furniture glide is provided that is receivable on a foot of a piece of furniture. The furniture glide includes a rentention boot including a bottom wall, upper wall and a sidewall that define a cavity for receiving the foot therein. The upper wall has a central opening therethrough that communicates with the cavity. A neck projects from the upper wall and extends about the opening. A slider bonded to the bottom wall of the retention boot to facilitate the sliding of the piece of furniture over a supporting surface such a floor or the like.
US08234750B2
A vacuum cleaner having a base with a: nozzle opening, rear housing attached to the base, dirt separator with inlet and outlet passages, vacuum fan, accessory hose, and valve system to connect the separator alternately to the nozzle opening and hose. The valve system has a valve body having a first inlet connected to the nozzle opening and a second inlet connected to the hose, a hose connector that pivots with respect to the valve body, a connector passage through the hose connector, and a flexible outlet hose having a first end connected to the connector passage and a second end connected to the separator inlet passage. The valve inlets are generally equidistant from the connector pivot and the hose connector is pivotable to rotate the first hose end relative to the second hose end to selectively place the connector passage in communication with the first and second valve inlets.
US08234749B2
Vibration dampening elements that are made of rubber and/or an elastomer may fail when subjected to vertical and/or horizontal stresses caused by repeated lifting of the cleaning head assembly and/or unintentional bumping of the cleaning head assembly into door frames, walls or other non-movable objects. The present invention includes, among other things, at least one stabilizer element and preferably two stabilizer elements to reduce damage to certain vibration dampening elements caused by vertical and/or horizontal stress. Alternative embodiments of the stabilizer element are also disclosed.
US08234746B2
A wiper system for a vehicle includes a frame supported by the vehicle and a wiper motor supported by the frame. The wiper system further includes a wiper arm coupled to the wiper motor and configured to be driven by the wiper motor to move in a reciprocating pattern. A water blocking member is wrapped around a portion of the frame to prevent water running along the frame from reaching the wiper motor. The blocking member is flexible and has separate free ends to enable assembly with the frame. A method of assembling the wiper system includes pressing the water blocker onto the frame at a location away from spaced apart ends of the frame.
US08234742B2
A head for a toothbrush has a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis. The transverse axis is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The head includes a first cleaning element carrier and a second cleaning element carrier. The second cleaning element carrier is asymmetrically fixed to the head such that the second cleaning element carrier can move relative to the head about the transverse axis of the head.
US08234740B2
A cleaning assembly (2) for an optical device (16) includes a shaft (14) configured for supporting the optical device within an enclosure (4) that is adapted for rotation about the shaft. At least one first sealing element (18) is disposed between the shaft and a mating surface of the enclosure for preventing fluid leakage therethrough. At least one optically transparent window (8) is mounted in association with the enclosure (4), and at least one cleaning element (9, 11) is coupled to the shaft for cleaning a surface of the window (8). The cleaning assembly may include a moisture barrier in the form of a pressure-influenced member (58) such as a bellows (40) having a body of expandable and retractable-volume for containing air that diffuses therein, while equalizing pressure on opposite sides of the barrier.
US08234732B2
An orthopedic pillow has a plurality of foam layers. The plurality of foam layers includes a top foam layer made of memory foam. The top foam layer is constructed and arranged to receive a user's head. The plurality of foam layers also includes a middle foam layer made of latex foam, the middle layer defining a central opening, and a bottom layer made of latex foam. The orthopedic pillow also has a high density foam tube affixed to an edge of the top foam layer. The high density foam tube is constructed and arranged to support the user's neck.
US08234726B2
An adjustable plumbing fitting has a piston rotatably and telescopically engaged in a housing, with one end of the housing adapted to be connected to a first plumbing part, and a cylindrical extension on the piston projecting from an opposite end of the housing and adapted to be connected to a second plumbing part. In one embodiment, two housings and associated pistons are integrally joined together to form a T-fitting for connecting the overflow and drain of a bathtub. In another embodiment, the housing is integrally formed with a J-shaped drain trap, and in another embodiment the housing and/or piston is integrally formed with a water closet flange.
US08239966B2
A method and apparatus for processing an electronic document in a secure manner is provided. A scanner may verify that the configuration state of a file server has not changed since a prior configuration state by issuing a request to a security server. The security server may process the request to determine whether the configuration state of the file server has changed since the file server was registered with the security server. The security server may also verify that the scanner issued a request to store an electronic document using a file server or that the file server received the request. A storage medium of a file server may be protected against unauthorized removal of the storage medium by storing, separate from the storage medium, a password required to access the storage medium, and when the file server is powered on, the password is provided to the storage medium.
US08239951B2
A method, system and computer program product for evaluating an IDP entity, the method includes evaluating an effect of at least one IDP rule applied by the IDP entity on legitimate traffic, based upon a network model; evaluating an effect of at least one IDP rule applied by the IDP entity based upon a network model and an attack model; determining an effectiveness of the IDP entity in response to the evaluated effects.
US08239943B2
Described is a technology by which a user interface page outputs security status information obtained from network-wide and/or network client security components. This allows for simultaneous evaluation of the state of various network-wide and client security components, such as antimalware state, anti-spam state, firewall state, client program update state, and state data from a remote security service. Network security page logic couples to network-wide security components and client security components to obtain security state data for each. A user interface associated with the network security page logic lists the security components and the current security status for each, such as via an icon that changes its appearance to reflect the current state. Interactive mechanisms for launching system-wide security tasks and/or context-sensitive security tasks related to a selected security component may be provided on the user interface page, as may an interactive mechanism for resolving a security-related issue.
US08239936B2
A method and apparatus for providing security to Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX) system. In one embodiment, a file system with noexec/nodev options is mounted on the POSIX system. The root directory of the mounted file system is changed with a chroot operation to generate a secured system directory structure. The secured system directory structure is assigned to a non-administrative user.
US08239935B2
A system for providing notice of legal rights corresponding to a computing device includes presenting a notice to the user through an I/O interface. The notice is in response to an attempt by a user to access at least one feature of the device through the I/O interface of the device and the notice further indicates that the device is subject to legal rights under a legal instrument. An acknowledgement of the legal rights is presented through the I/O interface. If the user selects the acknowledgement, the user is allowed to access at least one feature of the device. The user is prevented from accessing the at least one feature of the device if the user does not select the acknowledgement.
US08239933B2
It is convenient to allow access to a private network, such as a corporate intranet, or outward facing extranet application, from an external network, such as the Internet. Unfortunately, if an internal authentication system is used to control access from the external network, it may be attacked, such as by a malicious party intentionally attempting multiple invalid authentications to ultimately result in an attacked account being locked out. To circumvent this, an authentication front-end, proxy, wrapper, etc. may be employed which checks for lockout conditions prior to attempting to authenticate security credentials with the internal authentication system.
US08239930B2
The invention relates to a method for controlling access to a private network. To a firewall node are updated logical names for mobile nodes allowed to communicate with nodes in the private network. A packet is received to the firewall node from an external network, the packet being addressed to a first node within the private network. The source address is obtained from the packet. Addresses associated with the logical names are obtained from a database node. It is checked whether the source address belongs to the addresses obtained. The packet is admitted to the private network, if the source address belongs to the addresses obtained.
US08239929B2
A multiple key, multiple tiered network security system, method and apparatus provides at least three levels of security. The first level of security includes physical (MAC) address authentication of a user device being attached to the network, such as a user device being attached to a port of a network access device. The second level includes authentication of the user of the user device, such as user authentication in accordance with the IEEE 802.1x standard. The third level includes dynamic assignment of a user policy to the port based on the identity of the user, wherein the user policy is used to selectively control access to the port. The user policy may identify or include an access control list (ACL) or MAC address filter. Also, the user policy is not dynamically assigned if insufficient system resources are available to do so. Failure to pass a lower security level results in a denial of access to subsequent levels of authentication.
US08239922B2
An HVAC control system that accommodates and/or facilitates control from a remote location. The HVAC control system may include a web-enabled building control appliance with a controller, a first port and a second port. The controller may implement a web server that is coupled to the first port for serving up one or more web pages on a first network and for receiving a number of responses. The controller may be coupled to the second port so as to communicate with one or more communicating thermostats via a second network. The web server may provide one or more web-pages via the first port that solicit and receive user rights privileges.
US08239910B2
A video/audio system includes an interface device that receives a plurality of audio and video signals from a plurality of sources. The interface device combines these signals into various combinations and transmits the combinations to a receiver. The receiver is configured to interface one of the combinations of signals with a user. In this regard, the receiver allows the user to select one of the combinations, and in response, the receiver separates the video signal(s) of the selected combination from the audio signal(s) of the selected combination. Then, the receiver renders the video signal(s) via a display device and produces a sound defined by the audio signal(s) via a speaker. Accordingly, the user is able to control which set of audio and video signals are interfaced with the user.
US08239905B2
An end-to-end lecture broadcast system (LBS) is described. The LBS system typically comprises three modules: a schedule module, a capture module and a transmission module. The schedule module is comprised of a scheduler that is implemented as a software add-on on the lecture host's computing device, a schedule server, and a schedule agent component in the uploading peer to provide for channel based management. The capture module is comprised of a video camera for capturing video content, one or more microphones for capturing audio content, and a VGA signal capture for capturing presentation materials. The transmission module is comprised of an uploading peer and a web server. The uploading peer is responsible for transmitting video/audio content to the Internet/intranet using peer-to-peer (P2P) streaming technology. The web server is responsible for the delivery of captured presentation materials and for ensuring the synchronous play back of video/audio content and presentation materials.
US08239900B1
What is disclosed is a method of operating a video system. The method includes, in a video server, monitoring a geographic location of a wireless communication device, transferring reference frames of a video for delivery to the wireless communication device over a wireless communication system if the geographic location is within a group of predefined geographic areas and stopping the transfer of the reference frames if the geographic location is not within the group of predefined geographic areas. The method also includes, in the video server, transferring update frames of the video for delivery to the wireless communication device over the wireless communication system without regard to whether the geographic location is within the group of predefined geographic areas. The method also includes, in the wireless communication device, receiving the reference frames and the update frames of the video over the wireless communication system and displaying the video.
US08239899B2
Method for reproducing data streams, in particular of broadcast data, comprising the steps of: receiving at least one receiving data stream (RDS); providing a reproducing data stream (PDS) on the basis of said receiving data stream (RDS) and/or of derivatives (D-RDS) thereof; reproducing said reproducing data stream (PDS); including into said reproducing data stream (PDS) and thereby reproducing at least parts (S2,1-S2,6) of a second data stream (DS2) and/or of derivatives (D-DS2) thereof instead of said receiving data stream (RDS) in response to a first control signal; and generating said derivatives (D-RDS) of at least parts (S1,1-S1,7) of said receiving data stream (RDS).
US08239889B2
To address the requirements described above, a method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing advertisements with a media program transmitted to a user computer. The method permits the user to provide survey responses in exchange for viewing a media program with fewer advertisement, and permits the user to manage the survey responses.
US08239885B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to an architecture or extension to a window manager. In particular, the extension can provide for a window rotation feature that can be exposed as a rotate button. Additionally or alternatively, the rotation feature can be activated based upon a diverse set of conditions, events, and/or commands. Upon activation of the rotation feature, the window manager can rotate a window about an axis to expose a secondary surface that can be populated with alternative content that is distinct from the content of the primary surface of the window. In addition, the architecture provides techniques for identifying both double-sided graphical objects and potentially double-sided objects.
US08239883B2
The present invention provides an information processing apparatus, which is configured to customize a device driver that is adapted to control a printer, by setting a property. The information processing apparatus includes a specifying unit adapted to specify a plurality of device drivers, and a setting unit adapted to set, in response to one device-driver customization instruction, property information, which corresponds to a device driver, in the plurality of device drivers specified by the specifying unit.
US08239876B2
Techniques and systems for controlling resources used by a device's web services applications are disclosed. In one technique, web services applications release their allocated resources and enter a “sleep mode” after being inactive for a specified period of time. In one technique, a device maintains a shared pool of memory resources. The pool contains data structures that web services applications are likely to re-use. Before allocating a new instance of a needed data structure from free memory, a web services application first determines whether the shared pool already contains a currently unused but allocated instance of a data structure of the needed type, and, if the shared pool does, then the web service application uses that instance, overwriting existing data in the instance as needed. Web services applications return such data structures to the shared pool when those web services applications are finished using those data structures.
US08239853B2
A method of displaying an attachment file list in a mobile communication terminal comprises receiving a message, selecting an attachment file list view menu in order to check entire attachment files comprised in the message, and extracting the attachment files comprised in the message and then displaying a list of the extracted attachment files.
US08239848B2
System and method for deploying and executing a program, e.g., a graphical program, on an embedded device. The program and a plurality of execution system components are stored on a host computer. The program is analyzed programmatically to determine a subset of the plurality of components required for execution of the program. The subset of components and the program are combined into a file while preserving execution order of the program. The file is transmitted to the device. The file is used to construct a combined program which includes executable code for the program and the subset of components. The device includes a minimal execution engine which executes the subset of components to execute the program. The file may be streamed to the device for streaming execution, where received portions of the subset of components needed for execution of received portions of the program are stored until no longer needed.
US08239846B2
A device for performing parallel processing includes a processor to initiate a single programming language, and identify, via the single programming language, one or more data distribution schemes for executing a program. The processor also transforms, via the single programming language, the program into a parallel program with an optimum data distribution scheme selected from the one or more identified data distribution schemes, and allocates the parallel program to two or more labs for parallel execution. The processor further receives one or more results associated with the parallel execution of the parallel program from the two or more labs, and provides the one or more results to the program.
US08239838B2
A kernel-aware debugging system, medium, and method. The kernel-aware debugging system may include a kernel-aware debugging interface including a conditional breakpoint setting unit which sets a kernel-aware conditional breakpoint by checking a currently operating object inside a kernel of a target system when a central processing unit (CPU) of the target system stops operating at a particular position where the breakpoint is set and making the CPU proceed to operate when it is determined that it is not intended that the currently operating object be debugged. Moreover, the kernel-aware debugging interface may include a unit which stores control flow information for detecting faults due to asynchronous events, a profiling unit which collects profile information and allows back-tracing when faults occur, and a unit which debugs a synchronization problem between multitasks.
US08239835B2
A software testing framework for testing independent scenarios of software applications can comprise independent test scripts, business rules repositories, and test data sources. Independent test scripts can be used to test screens of the software application. Business rules repositories can be stored separately from independent test scripts and from test data sources. A framework for testing end-to-end scenarios of software applications can comprise modules, business rules repositories, and test data sources. An end-to-end scenario can be tested by executing two or more independent test scripts. Independent scenarios can be tested using a framework by populating fields, determining expected and actual results, and comparing the expected and actual results. End-to-end scenarios can be tested by executing independent test scripts associated with independent scenarios of the end-to-end scenario. Software testing can be performed without using test cases.
US08239830B2
A system for a portal architecture may include a model service component. The model service component may be arranged to connect a presentation device to a business manager component. An aspect oriented architecture may be associated with the model service component. A service oriented architecture may be associated with the model service component, the service oriented architecture being arranged orthogonal to the aspect oriented architecture.
US08239828B2
A method for recovering from software failures, includes: receiving failure information that identifies a failing component of a first processing graph; modifying a planning domain that includes a plurality of component descriptions according to the failure information; and composing a second processing graph by using the modified planning domain so that the second processing graph does not include the failing component.
US08239817B2
The invention relates to a design method and tool for designing electronic circuits on a printed circuit board, wherein at least one self-contained, pre-composed domain is used, wherein the domain is a module chosen from a pre-composed architecture library, including self-contained pre-designed electronic modules represented by logical architecture and corresponding physical architecture.
US08239780B2
A user interface system provides patient medical parameter data for trend indicative display covering a time period comprising user selectable acquisition time intervals. An acquisition processor acquires, from a patient monitoring device, data representing a patient parameter comprising a plurality of data values at a corresponding plurality of different times within multiple user selectable patient parameter acquisition intervals of a time period. A generator generates data representing a first image showing a trend indicative display of the patient parameter covering a time period comprising user selectable acquisition time intervals and including a first number of data points in an individual acquisition time interval. The generator generates data representing an image window comprising an expansion of the individual acquisition time interval and including a second number of data points greater than the first number, in response to user command. The generator updates the individual acquisition time interval of the first image with at least one data point selected from the expanded individual acquisition time interval window to replace the first number of data points, in response to user command.
US08239763B1
A method of defining and displaying letters of words on a computer platform is provided, so that words of text can be more quickly and accurately read by a person. A plurality of subfonts are used to define character sets to be displayed on a monitor screen, in which the subfonts make words more legible and faster to read. A font designer may design a variety of different subfonts for various characters of a font set, and can define which subfonts are to be used to display individual characters of words, depending upon the position of characters within a word, and depending upon the number of characters of that word. The font designer can select, from a plurality of subfonts, individual styles for letters of various words that are all defined within a same font set, which itself can comprise many different styles of existing or new font types.
US08239761B2
An apparatus of an original album editor uploads to a server album data in which instructions of allowed object that allows editing and information on content type of editing allowed for the allowed object are embedded. An apparatus of an admitted subscriber downloads the album data from the server, and edits the album data within allowance in accordance with the instructions and information embedded in the album data.
US08239760B2
A multi-user document editing system and method. Embodiments of the invention utilize a model-view-controller design pattern to successfully control changes in parallel to underlying backend database information presentation related information. Granularity of protection and check in/check out on family, spread, presentation layer and presentation object. In addition, enables automatic update of changes to all users editing or viewing the information. Changes to the backend database may also include changes to the family hierarchy with real-time update of publication WYSIWYG pages for example. Enables rollback of changes. Instead of waiting constantly for other users to finish editing information before other edits can be made, the typical serial editing methodology is transformed by embodiments of the invention into a parallel methodology that greatly increases throughput and lowers the costs associated with large publications.
US08239759B1
A system and method allows controlled editing of a document using stored commands and definitions. The author can identify an action: insert, delete or modify, and then select names of behaviors that control the insertion, deletion or modification of text into, from or inside a document. The system and method then performs the insertion, deletion or modification, allowing the author limited control as to the placement of insertions and the insertion or modification of certain parameters.
US08239758B2
A method and system for truncating character strings in a computing environment, is provided. One implementation involves receiving a list including plural character strings, truncating one or more of the character strings to generate a display list of unique character strings from the truncated and remaining character strings, and displaying the character strings of the display list in context with each other on a user interface, wherein each displayed character string is unique in relation to the other displayed character strings, enabling a user to more easily differentiate between the displayed character string.
US08239736B2
The present invention provides a method for enhancing reliability of information transmission by (a) establishing a matrix based on the length of bits of valid information in frame time slots; and creating a new matrix by presetting Error Correction Coding (ECC) for rows and columns of said matrix; (b) adopting the 1st Interleaving method to re-allocate bits which have been processed twice by using said ECC in said new matrix, to both ends of said frame time slots; and (c) adopting the 2nd Interleaving method to re-allocate the remaining bits in said new matrix to the middle of said frame time slots. After processed like this, the anti-interfering ability of the bits at both ends of TDMA frame time slot can be significantly enhanced, and the bit-error rate is decreased most, and all redundancy bits of Hamming codes can be arrayed at both ends of TDMA frame time slot.
US08239730B2
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device comprises a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells arrayed capable of storing information of N bits (N≧2) in accordance with variations in threshold voltage. A parity data adder circuit adds parity data for error correction to every certain data bits to be stored in the memory cell array. A frame converter circuit uniformly divides frame data containing the data bits and the parity data into N pieces of subframe data. A programming circuit stores the subframe data divided into N pieces in respective N sub-pages formed corresponding to the information of N bits.
US08239722B2
In a multicast distribution system in which terminal devices on a distribution path are hierarchically grouped, a first terminal device which has detected a loss of a receiving packet transmits to a second terminal device located upstream of the first terminal device a retransmission request for a packet retransmission to the first terminal device and a third terminal device which receives a packet first in a group located downstream of a group to which the first terminal device belongs. The second terminal device which has received the retransmission request transmits a retransmission packet to both the first and third terminal devices.
US08239718B2
A wireless communication apparatus having a retransmission control unit configured to refer to identification information added to received retransmit data when a second retransmit request is performed after the first transmit request is performed, and not to use the received retransmit data for forming data when the received retransmit data corresponds to the first retransmit request based on the identification information, and to use the received retransmit data for forming data when the received retransmit data corresponds to the second retransmit request based on the identification information.
US08239717B2
To provide a logic verification apparatus capable of preventing, when an indeterminate value is generated in logic verification, the indeterminate value from being unintentionally erased. A simulation part performs a simulation based on a description of the logic function described in a hardware description language. A second symbol replacing part replaces an indeterminate value generated in the simulation by the simulation part with a symbol. The simulation part generates a symbol expression and propagates it to an element at a later stage when the symbol replaced by the second symbol replacing part reaches an element being processed. Therefore, unintentional erasing of the indeterminate value generated during the simulation can be prevented.
US08239712B2
A computer system including: a memory configured to store various kinds of data; a use setting data memory means for storing use setting data indicating a use of each of a plurality of memory blocks into which the memory is divided by a certain length; a memory diagnosis means for diagnosing the memory so as to detect a bad area in each of the memory blocks; and a memory use setting means for setting the use setting data of each of the memory blocks stored in the use setting data memory means in accordance with a result of detecting the bad area in each of the memory blocks by means of the memory diagnosis means.
US08239709B2
Methods, program products, and systems for monitoring extrinsic processes are described. A monitoring process can monitor one or more target processes. The target processes can be extrinsic, e.g., not spawned by the monitoring process. The monitoring process reads a process registry to identify which processes among multiple processes to monitor. The monitoring process can send status requests to the identified target processes periodically to check whether the target processes are healthy. If a target process is terminated, the monitoring process determines whether the termination is normal (e.g., by a user), or abnormal (e.g., the target process crashed). The monitoring process can restart the abnormally terminated or hung target process.
US08239708B2
A system on a chip (SoC) device verification system comprises: an SoC device model including one or more IPs and a memory controller; an external IP verification model receiving an instruction from the SoC device model and verifying operation of the one or more IPs included in the SoC device model; and a bus select model selecting one of the external IP verification model and an external device in response to a memory control signal received from the memory controller of the SoC device model.
US08239698B2
A system and method for maintaining connectivity between a host system running an Always-On-Always-Connected (AOAC) application and an associated remote application server. The system further includes circuitry configured to establish a communication link between the host system and the remote application server. The circuitry is configured periodically transmit keep-alive messages to the remote application server after the host system transitions to and remains in a low-power state. The keep-alive messages are configured to maintain connectivity and presence of the AOAC application with the remote application server while the host system is in the low-power state.
US08239694B2
System(s) and method(s) are provided for dynamically scaling switching frequencies and clock sources of switched mode power supplies (SMPSs) in a mobile station. Switching frequency is scaled to an optimal value in response to at least one of (i) a change in mode of operation for wireless communication employed by the mobile station, an additional mode of operation is triggered, (ii) a change in operation conditions of a set of loads associated with functionality of the mobile is determined, or (iii) an LO spur set-off by a SMPS in the presence of an interference signal with a frequency splitting from an operational band that matches the SMPS frequency or at least one of its harmonics. Switching frequencies can be selected from a lookup table, or through an analysis of switching frequencies available to the mobile and operational criteria. A set of clock sources can provide an ensemble of switching frequencies.
US08239693B2
The invention has disclosed a system power management circuit comprising: a printed circuit board and a hardware monitor. The printed circuit board includes at least a first power connector, a second power connector, and more than one detection circuits disposed thereon; wherein the first power connector is used for electrically connecting a power supply, the second power connector is used for electrically connecting a power connector of a motherboard, inputs of the detection circuits are electrically connected to the first power connector, respectively. The hardware monitor is electrically connected to outputs of the detection circuits, and used for converting electrical signals outputted from the outputs of the detection circuits into corresponding digital signals, as well as for transmitting the digital signals to the motherboard via a two-wire bus, the two-wire bus is bi-directional, and may be an I2C or a SM bus.
US08239685B2
Provided is a biometric authentication method. A biometric authentication method in accordance with an aspect of the present invention includes generating a first one-time authentication template from biometric information using one-time transform information, and requesting authentication, comparing the first one-time authentication template with a one-time registration template, updating the one-time registration template and the one-time transform information when authentication is achieved according to a result of the comparison, wherein the updated one-time transform information is used to generate a second one-time authentication template to be authenticated according to the result of the comparison with the updated one-time registration template when successive authentication is requested.
US08239684B2
A management server calculates a hash value of software for providing a service, generates a first software area from software which is provided a second electronic signature, provides a third electronic signature to user information provided with a first electronic signature transmitted from a terminal, to the hash value, and to user management information, encrypts a second software area generated from the third electronic signature, user information, from hash value, and from user management information using a common key of the management server and service providing server, combines the first software area and encrypted second software area to create a software IC card, encrypts the software IC card using a public key of the terminal, and transmits the encrypted software IC card to the terminal.
US08239681B2
An information processing device regarding which access to data held by the information processing device itself, in multiple regions, is requested from another information processing device, includes: an authenticating unit to perform authenticating processing of the other information processing device; a receiving unit to receive an access license ticket including an access code and a check digit; an access license ticket generating key generating unit to generate an access license ticket generating key, which is key information for computing a check digit using data held beforehand, a root key, an access control key, and other key information which is key information to manage data of a region other than the predetermined region, corresponding to an access code; check digit computing unit to compute a check digit corresponding to the access code described in the access license ticket; and access license ticket validating unit to validate the access license ticket.
US08239678B2
A method and a system for combining data with an apparatus which is provided for processing the data includes the following steps: (a) determining an identifier associated with the apparatus; (b) generating a first key by using the identifier and a second secret key, which is independent of the identifier; (c) generating a decryption algorithm to be used for the second key and providing the decryption algorithm to the apparatus; (d) encrypting a rights object, which allows access to the data, using the first key and the second secret key; (e) transmitting the data and the rights object to the apparatus; (f) decrypting the rights object with the apparatus by using the identifier associated with the apparatus and the decryption algorithm associated with the apparatus; and (g) decrypting the data using a key selected by a rights owner and included in the decrypted rights object.
US08239675B2
A system for handling an LDAP service request to an LDAP server for an LDAP service comprises a client program executable on a client system and a handler program executable on a handler system. The client program is operable to generate LDAP service request data corresponding to the LDAP service and provide the LDAP service request data for transmission from the client system, and further operable to receive LDAP service reply data in response to the LDAP service request data. The handler program is operable to receive the LDAP service request data transmitted from the client system and execute the LDAP service request to the LDAP server, receive LDAP service reply data from the LDAP server during one or more passes, and upon completion of the LDAP service, provide the LDAP service reply data for transmission to the client system in a single pass.
US08239669B2
A reach back secure communications terminal that offers immediate and secure voice, data and video connectivity to multiple telecommunications networks, high availability and reliable connectivity, total access to vital resources, and secure extension to the home office. Integrated components simplify access to varied networks allowing deployed users to select and connect quickly to a network that best supports their present mission. Commercial or optional NSA Type 1 encryption may be implemented. Networking options include any of PSTN, PBX, GSM (or CDMA or other cell telephone standard), SAT, IP and WiFi. During secure call setup, the reach-back communications terminal exchanges public keys with a remote terminal using FNBDT signaling. Traffic encryption is performed using the NIST approved Advanced Encryption System (AES) standard (Rijndael) and a 128-bit random key (2^128 possible keys).
US08239664B2
A dual BIOS program protecting method is provided for protecting a first BIOS program and a second BIOS program of a computer system. Firstly, a flag is switched from a first status to a second status during the refreshing of the first BIOS program. If the first BIOS program is successfully refreshed, the flag is switched from the second status to the first status. If the flag is in the second status when the computer system is booted, a first control signal is generated and the second BIOS program enters a write protection mode according to the first control signal.
US08239663B2
A secure memory system and a method of maintaining the security of memory contents. One embodiment of the system includes: (1) a security control module configured to transmit a system memory secure mode signal and processor secure mode signal to place the system in a secure mode, (2) a secure memory bridge coupled to the security control and system memory and configured to encrypt and decrypt data associated with the system memory based on a state of the system memory secure mode signal and (3) a boot processor coupled to the security control module and the secure memory bridge and configured to transmit requests to the secure memory bridge in the secure mode and an unsecure mode.
US08239658B2
An address generation system and method is provided for internally storing and thereafter producing an address to be sent to a memory device. The address that is stored need not be sent from an external address bus at each clock cycle, but the processing can remain internal to the memory device. The burst-block starting address can be stored in the mirror register and output from a selector circuit, such as a multiplexer, when that address is chosen. Otherwise, the multiplexer can simply perform its normal operation of selecting between an address pointed to by a counter, the external address, or the incremented counter output, based on the state of the external counter control signals. The system includes a mirror register, a counter, and a multiplexer that selects either the mirror register stored address or the internally processed address.
US08239651B2
A method for indicating storage capacity is applied in a storage device. The storage device includes a main storage unit, a capacity indicator, a driver, and a secondary storage unit. The second storage unit stores a preset storage capacity value and a drive table recording relationship between storage capacity difference ranges and rotation angles of the driver. The method includes: periodically obtaining a storage capacity value from a computer connected to the storage device; computing a difference between the obtained storage capacity value and the preset storage capacity value; determining the storage capacity difference range the difference falls within and the rotation angle the determined storage capacity difference range corresponds to in the drive table; and controlling the driver to rotate the determined rotation angle to drive the capacity indicator to indicate the obtained storage capacity value. A related storage device is also provided.
US08239645B1
A method is used in managing mirroring in data storage system having a fast write device and a slow write device. A write I/O is received and is executed on the fast write device which includes a solid state drive. The write I/O is stored in interim storage having high performance sequential write capability. It is indicated that execution of the write I/O is complete. Based on the interim storage, the write I/O is executed on the slow write device.
US08239643B2
In a nonvolatile memory with block management system, critical data such as control data for the block management system is maintained in duplicates. Various methods are described for robustly writing and reading two copies of critical data in multi-state memory. In another aspect of the invention, a preemptive garbage collection on memory block containing control data avoids an undesirable situation where a large number of such memory blocks need be garbage collected at the same time.
US08239629B2
A hierarchical memory storage using a concentrator device that is located between a processor and memory storage devices to provide a succession of memory devices and enable attachment of a memory depth to a processor controller with a limited pin count.
US08239610B2
A method and system to handle an asynchronous page fault in a virtual machine system. A computer hosts a virtual machine that includes a virtual central processing unit (CPU). The virtual CPU requests access to a page that is not resident in memory. The host operating system of the computer receives an indication of a page fault, and informs the virtual CPU of the page fault. The host operating system provides an identifier associated with the page fault. The host operating system performs page swapping operating in parallel with a new task rescheduled by the virtual CPU, and sends a wake-up signal to the virtual CPU when the page has been brought back into the memory.
US08239608B1
Detailed herein are approaches to enabling a secure computing environment. In one approach, a computer system runs an operating system and a virtual machine management console. An input device is used to provide input to the operating system. The operating system is configured such that input received from the input device is directed to the virtual machine management console. The virtual machine management console, in turn, is configured to pass some or all of the input to a virtual machine.
US08239597B2
A Device-to-Device Communication Bus protocol may facilitate transmission of a two to four byte packet by any device sharing the bus. All devices on the bus may monitor the bus, receiving all packets transmitted by other devices and recognizing when they may initiate transmission. The first byte of the packet may be an Address byte uniquely identifying the sender and allowing hardware arbitration to uniquely select one of any number of senders who may wish to transmit and begin transmission simultaneously. Arbitration may take place during transmission of the Address byte, with the transmitting device monitoring a bus bit value as it is transmitting the Address byte. If the data value observed by the transmitting device doesn't match the transmitting device's desired transmit value, the transmitting device may recognize loss of arbitration and suspend transmission to retry once the packet is complete. The receive function in every device may accept the packet as a normal received packet. The arbitration scheme may also include a fairness mechanism to insure one or several devices cannot monopolize the bus.
US08239592B2
An integrated circuit for a smart card in accordance with an exemplary embodiment includes at least one data terminal for providing communications with a host device over a system bus and a processor configured to provide an attachment signal on the at least one data terminal for recognition by the host device. Further, the processor also cooperates with the host device to perform an enumeration based upon at least one default descriptor, and receive information from the host device regarding a system event. In addition, the processor is configured to remove the attachment signal from the at least one data terminal and thereafter again provide the attachment signal on the at least one data terminal based upon the information regarding the system event, and cooperate with the host device to perform a new enumeration based upon at least one alternate descriptor.
US08239586B2
A method and apparatus is presented for using multiple device specific interface protocols for communicating with a platform, where each of the devices comprises a set of parameters. For each parameter of each set of parameters a function call is established to set the parameter for each of the devices that enable the parameter. Using each function call, the plurality of object specific interface protocols is then transformed into a non-device specific interface protocol for communication with the platform.
US08239580B2
In a Local Area Network (LAN) system, an Ethernet adapter exchanges data with a host through programmed I/O (PIO) and FIFO buffers. The receive PIO employs a DMA ring buffer backup so incoming packets can be copied directly into host memory when the PIO FIFO buffer is full. The adapter may be programmed to generate early receive interrupts when only a portion of a packet has been received from the network, so as to decrease latency. The adapter may also be programmed to generate a second early interrupt so that the copying of a large packet to the host may overlap reception of the packet end. The adapter to begin packet transmission before the packet is completely transferred from the host to the adapter, which further reduces latency. The minimal latency of the adapter allows it to employ receive and transmit FIFO buffers which are small enough to be contained within RAM internal to an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) containing the transceiver, ethernet controller, FIFO control circuitry and the host interface as well.
US08239572B1
With the advent of virtualization technologies, networks and routing for those networks can now be simulated using commodity hardware rather than actual routers. For example, virtualization technologies such as those provided by VMWare, XEN, or User-Mode Linux can be adapted to allow a single physical computing machine to be shared among multiple virtual networks by providing each virtual network user with one or more virtual machines hosted by the single physical computing machine, with each such virtual machine being a software simulation acting as a distinct logical computing system that provides users with the illusion that they are the sole operators and administrators of a given hardware computing resource. In addition, routing can be accomplished through software, providing additional routing flexibility to the virtual network in comparison with traditional routing. As a result, in some implementations, supplemental information other than packet information can be used to determine network routing.
US08239568B2
In one embodiment, a method is provided. The method of this embodiment provides accessing a packet template in a memory, the packet template having at least one static field, and in response to an indication of an event, generating a packet on an integrated circuit, the packet being based on the packet template.
US08239565B2
A Flow Record restriction apparatus is provided for restricting a transmission number of Flow Records while maintaining measurement information of the whole traffic. The Flow Record restriction apparatus includes: a flow generation unit 202 configured to determine a set of packets having the same attribute to be a flow of the same communication, and to generate a Flow Record based on header information of the packets for each flow; a Flow Record number restriction function unit 203 including a management buffer for temporarily storing generated Flow Records, and being configured to read the Flow Records from the management buffer and output the Flow Records; and a Flow Record transmission unit 204 configured to packetize the output Flow Records to transmit packets over the measurement network, wherein, when a number of Flow Records stored in the management buffer exceeds a preset upper limit value, the Flow Record number restriction function unit 203 aggregates a part of stored Flow Records.
US08239562B2
A system for aggregating context information for messages includes a context container that associates names with context values and metadata for context entries. The system further includes a network protocol component configured to read messages from a network transport, an encoder component configured translate messages from a raw format into a canonical message format. The canonical message format is an enveloped message containing an application payload and message metadata. The context container is associated with a message in the canonical format. The system further includes an extraction component configured to retrieve context from a native network transport protocol and insert the context values and metadata into the context container, a plurality of additional protocol components configured to add, remove, or modify entries in the context container, and one or more higher level application components configured to operate on the canonical message using the context entries.
US08239560B2
A system of remote objects with network streaming ability includes a streaming client, a plurality of streaming servers, a streaming buffer area, a plurality of first continuous buffer areas, a streaming controller, a plurality of first network connections, and a plurality of second network connections. The plurality of streaming servers is used to respond a remote procedure call from the streaming client. The streaming buffer area stores a complete data unit for the streaming client to access. A generation method of remote objects with network streaming ability is further provided. The method includes executing a link procedure, executing a streaming preparation, executing a streaming transfer procedure, and closing the link procedure.
US08239542B2
An analog signal input/output system in which an analog signal input terminal converts an input analog signal to a digital signal and transmits the digital signal to a host computer via a network, while a digital signal generated by the host computer is transmitted through the network to an analog signal output terminal and converted therein to an analog signal to be outputted. Two connections of upstream and downstream sockets between the host computer and the analog signal input/output device. These connections are selectively used to provide communication of control signals and data. Exemplary analog signals include input signals from a microphone, output signals to a speaker, and input/output data to/from a sensor, a measuring device and the like.
US08239528B2
Network performance is monitored using timing information retrieved from a client device, server in communication with the client, or both. Client side timing information is retrieved using performance monitoring code provided by the server. The code may be provided to the client as part of a content response. Once content in the provided content response is loaded, the code sends the timing information to the server. The server may then process the timing information to calculate response time and other time information metrics.
US08239527B2
An application service provider (ASP)-based interface and system for analyzing performance and costs of respective enterprise information technology assets from the correlation of metrics data of enterprise SNMP-enabled devices.
US08239523B1
A remote maintenance board (RMB) that interfaces a monitored system with a communications network is either functionally connected to the monitored system or to the communications network, but never to both at the same time, thereby isolating the monitored system from unauthorized access via the communications network.
US08239505B2
A system for automatically implementing high-level instructions in a distributed application program, where the high-level instructions reflect the behavior of the distributed application program, includes at least a tools component. The tools component is used to write high-level instructions in the form of declarative models, and place them in a repository. An executive component then receives the declarative models from the repository and refines them (e.g., via progressive elaboration) until there are no ambiguities. A platform-specific driver then translates the commands from the executive component, effectively turning the declarative model instructions into a set of imperative actions to be implemented in one or more application containers. The platform-specific driver also relays one or more event streams to an analytics means, which can result in modifications to the declarative models and corresponding new sets of instructions coming through the platform-specific driver at a later point.
US08239504B2
Systems, methods and computer readable media for synchronization of electronic message accounts. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving information to establish an electronic message account on a first data processing system, the electronic message account being defined by setup information, and synchronizing the setup information onto a store on a second data processing system. In another embodiment, a method includes receiving information to establish an electronic message account, defined by first setup information, on a host and synchronizing the first setup information onto a device when the device is coupled to the host for synchronization. Systems, other methods and computer readable media are also described.
US08239503B2
A distributed computer system in several embodiments includes several architectures or configurations. Each configuration exhibits a different degree of coupling between an application that provides data and an application that consumes that data. In an embodiment, a provider application knows the identity of a consumer application, converts data into the format of the consumer application, and transmits the data to the consumer application. In other embodiments, the provider application does not know the identity of the consumer application, and transmits data to the consumer application through an intermediary. In such embodiments, either the provider or the intermediary can perform the data conversion. In another embodiment, a manager object oversees the transformation of the system from one configuration to another in real time.
US08239497B2
The present embodiments provide methods and systems to playback and customize the playback of content relative to the portable storage medium. Some of these methods identify content to be rendered, through a playback device, in association with a first portable storage medium; identify one or more customizable display parameters to be applied in displaying the identified content; receive a first definition, following the identification of the customizable display parameters, for at least a first customizable display parameter of the one or more customizable display parameters; and cause the first definition for the first customizable display parameter to be stored on the playback device in association with the first customizable display parameter such that the first definition is to be applied by the playback device in rendering the content relative to the first customizable display parameter.
US08239491B1
The occurrence of a request event is monitored during the rendering of a browser page. In response to monitoring the occurrence of the request event, content item request instructions are loaded and executed to generate one or more content item requests based on the content item request instructions.
US08239484B2
The present invention provides mobile terminals with various types of services such as electronic commerce service, music delivery service, and position information service. User applications required for the electronic commerce service, music delivery service, and position information service are respectively configured as service objects each having a server facility, and further a local gateway is provided, whereby various types of services can be used through a browser.
US08239480B2
A method of conducting a search using a mobile electronic device may include playing digital audio content at the mobile electronic device, and accepting user input at the mobile electronic device to capture a portion of the digital audio content. Search criteria may be provided wherein the search criteria is based on the captured portion of the digital audio content and on information separate from the captured portion of the digital audio content. A search may be conducted using the search criteria based on the captured portion of the digital audio content and on the information separate from the captured portion of the digital audio content. A result of the search may be provided at the mobile electronic device, and the result of the search may be displayed at the mobile electronic device.
US08239476B2
Exemplary network alarm message processing systems and methods are disclosed. In an exemplary method, a network alarm message processing system receives a network alarm message provided by a network element of a wide area network, the network alarm message being in a first message format, converts the network alarm message in the first message format to a new network alarm message in a network universal message format, and provided the new network alarm message for use in conducting surveillance of the wide area network. In certain embodiments, the conversion may be based on a mapping data file and a translation rules data file associated with the first message format Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.
US08239474B2
A classifier is implemented to determine the number of message transfer agents (MTAs) through which an email message has traveled. If the number of MTAs through which the email message has traveled is below a predetermined threshold and the email message is not otherwise authenticated, the classifier will designate the email message as abusive.
US08239465B2
A method for generating one or more human interactive proofs (HIPs) is described herein. A HIP request may be received. One of a plurality of HIP engines may be selected using a randomization algorithm. Each HIP engine may have a distinct algorithm for generating the one or more HIPs. The one or more HIPs may be generated using the one of the plurality of HIP engines.
US08239462B2
A method and apparatus for composing electronic messages. In one embodiment, the method includes dividing a first electronic message into one or more segments, uniquely identifying each of the segments of the first electronic message, and storing the first electronic message in a repository with unique identifiers of the segments. The segments can then be individually accessible by a user viewing the first electronic message.
US08239453B2
A technique for providing one class of users of an application a view of what a typical user in another class of users of the same application is visually experiencing. A client application that is interacting with the application provides a user an option of having a PIP view of what a typical user in one of the other classes of users supported by the application is visually experiencing. When the user requests to display a PIP view that represents what a typical user in a specified one of the other classes of users of the same application is seeing, a PIP view window is automatically rendered on the user's display screen. The PIP view window represents what a typical user in the specified one of the other classes of users is seeing, but is not an “active” interface through which the user can interact with the application.
US08239449B2
Systems and methods use a reliable connection oriented protocol to send and receive messages (i.e. datagrams) between gaming applications and gaming services. In one aspect, the protocol is the SCTP protocol.
US08239448B2
The present system and method for providing network connectivity and computer status information is displayed to a user and presents useful troubleshooting information related to various networks and computer status information. The present system includes means for determining at least one of the group consisting of a computer's IP address, host name, computer model, and user ID of said user's computer, means for determining a telephone number to a help desk associated with the user's computer, and means for displaying the telephone number and the at least one of the group consisting of a computer's IP address, host name, computer model, and user ID of the user's computer to the user.
US08239445B1
A method, system and program product are presented for enabling a session, as defined by a series of related transactions to perform a unit of work, to be created between a client and a particular server where the server is managed by a dispatcher. Modifications to the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) are used to create a method of transferring information form the client to the server. The server implements a server-side storage area (cookie jar) to temporarily store information about the client and the session so that the client is routed to the same server for successive messages in the same session and no reliance is made upon an ability by the client to store or return cookies.
US08239441B2
Modifying a leading zero estimation during an unfused multiply add operation of (A*B)+C. A plurality of terms x and y may be received, and each may be based on truncated terms s and t (e.g., in performing the unfused multiply add operation) and the shifted C term. A first leading zero estimation may be calculated based on the terms x and y. It may be determined if near total catastrophic cancellation has occurred. A carry in from a right most number of bits of the terms s and t and the most significant truncated bits of s and t may be used to generate a second leading zero estimation based on the first leading zero estimation if the near total catastrophic cancellation has occurred.
US08239435B2
Computer-readable media having corresponding apparatus embodies instructions executable by a computer to perform a method comprising: receiving a first array; generating a plurality of second arrays based on the first array, wherein each of the second arrays is generated using a different threshold number, and wherein each entry of the second arrays indicates whether a corresponding entry in the first array exceeds the respective threshold number; generating a first vector, wherein each entry in the first vector represents a number of connected components for a respective one of the second arrays; generating a second vector based on the first vector, wherein each entry of the second vector represents a variance of a plurality of entries, including a corresponding entry, of the first vector; generating a third vector, comprising filtering the second vector; and selecting, based on the third vector, one of the threshold numbers, of the second arrays or both.
US08239434B2
A system, method, and apparatus for distortion analysis is provided. A method in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure may include receiving a clock frequency at a direct digital synthesizer (DDS) and generating at least one stream of phase numbers via said DDS. The method may further include generating a digital sine wave using, at least in part, said clock frequency and said at least one stream of phase numbers. Of course, additional implementations are also within the scope of the present disclosure.
US08239430B2
Performing a calculation using a coordinate rotation digital computer (CORDIC) algorithm. Execution of the CORDIC algorithm is begun. An error introduced by a truncated vector as a result of executing the CORDIC algorithm is pre-computed. The error is incorporated into a subsequent iteration of the CORDIC algorithm. Execution of the CORDIC algorithm is completed. The result of the CORDIC algorithm is stored.
US08239423B2
A system and method for providing semantic access of data in a master data management system. Data stored in a dynamic repository schema is exposed in a semantically accurate format. The schema is determined from information received from the master data management system describing the schema. A set of database views is generated based on said schema. A query from an external application in a standard query language is received and the query is performed using at least one database view. The database views are updated when a schema change is detected.
US08239415B2
Systems and methods for providing a validation tool may be configured to identify a plurality of words within a document, the document being provided in a first window within a user interface. Additionally, the systems and methods may be configured to determine, from a predetermined list that includes terms of interest, whether the words are matching words with terms of interest. The systems and methods may, in response to determining that the plurality of words are matching words with the terms of interest, highlight matching words in a document and access pieces of related data for matching words.
US08239412B2
A method and a system are provided for recommending a media item (e.g., movie and/or television program). In one example, the system receives a seed media item (e.g., seed movie and/or seed television program). A seed media item is an audio-visual recording that is identified as being of interest to a user. The system recognizes one or more recognized audio tracks (e.g., audio tracks and/or songs) from the seed media item. A recognized audio track is an audio recording that is contained in the seed media item. The system retrieves audio track metadata associated with at least one of the recognized audio tracks from the seed media item. Audio track metadata are data that describes an audio recording. The system recommends one or more recommended media items based on the audio track metadata. A recommended media item is an audio-visual recording (e.g., movie and/or television program).
US08239409B2
A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: determining which of a plurality of end users are to be presented with a message, the plurality of end users having access to one or more non-communication applications through one or more non-communication application interfaces; and providing a modified non-communication application interface for accessing at least one of the one or more non-communication applications to one or more end users who have been determined to be presented with the message, the modified non-communication application interface including at least a channel to access the message. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
US08239406B2
A method, apparatus and program product are provided for representing a database query expression including a plurality of predicates related to one another by at least one logical relation. A list of operands is generated from the database query expression, where each operand is representative of a predicate. Each operand is mapped into an operand map. A data structure is generated based upon the generated list of operands, where the data structure includes a plurality of nodes. Each node includes an operand identifier that identifies at least one operand based upon the operand map. Each node defines a first logical relation between those predicates in the database query expression that are represented by operands identified by the operand identifier for such node. The nodes are arranged relative to one another in the data structure to define at least a second logical relation among predicates in the database query expression.
US08239404B2
A graph traversal system is described herein that efficiently identifies strongly connected components with entries, exits, and corresponding edges at the same time. Entry and exit nodes can be recognized by scanning every node after the strongly connected components have been identified, but revisiting these nodes incurs undesirable overhead. The graph traversal system identifies entries and exits during a single pass while the strongly connected components are being identified. In addition, the system modifies the semantics for some applications so that a single node all alone is not considered to be a strongly connected component. Thus, the graph traversal system allows efficient identification of entries to and exits from strongly connected components in a manner that can be applied to a variety of computer software problems that use directed graphs for data structures.
US08239397B2
A system and method for managing user attention by detecting hot topics in social indexes is provided. Articles of digital information and at least one social index are maintained. The social index includes topics that each relate to one or more of the articles. Topic models matched to the digital information are retrieved for each topic. The articles are classified under the topics using the topic models. Each of the topics in the social index is evaluated for hotness. A plurality of time periods projected from the present is defined. Counts of the articles appearing under each time period are evaluated. The topics exhibiting a rising curve in the count of the articles that increases with recency during the time periods are chosen. Quality of the articles within the topics chosen is analyzed. The topics including the articles having acceptable quality are presented.
US08239395B2
A method includes defining a host capability; creating for a storage device a second directory tree from a first directory tree of the storage device that is included in a file system within the storage device; and, for a data file that is stored in the storage device and is selectable for consumption by a host through the first directory tree that is included in the storage device's file system, determining whether the data file requires for consumption a host having the defined host capability. If the data file requires a host having the defined host capability, an entry is created in the second directory tree in which the data file is not selectable for consumption by the host. Otherwise, an entry is created in the second directory tree in which the data file is selectable for consumption by the host.
US08239394B1
A method of restricting a database access operation is disclosed. A plurality of Bloom filters corresponding to a plurality of fields in a database are applied to two or more terms in a record to produce a first plurality of outputs. The record may correspond to a query. Extraneous terms may be removed from the record. The access operation to the database is enabled if the first plurality of outputs correspond to a positive result.
US08239391B2
Methods, systems, and media are provided for an optimized search engine index. The optimized index is formed by merging small lower level indexes of fresh documents together into a hierarchical cluster of multiple higher level indexes. The optimized index of fresh documents is formed via a single threaded process, while a fresh index serving platform concurrently serves fresh queries. The hierarchy of higher level indexes is formed by merging lower and/or higher level indexes with similar expiration times together. Therefore, as some indexes expire, the remaining un-expired indexes can be re-used and merged with new incoming indexes. The single threaded process provides fast serving of fresh documents, while also providing time to integrate the fresh indexes into a long term primary search engine index, prior to expiring.
US08239389B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products to persist external index data in a database are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method includes maintaining a database including a first data table that is configured to store data in a database format and a second data table that is configured to store index data. The index data represents an index of a first portion of the first data table, and the index maintained externally to the database by an index manager. The method also includes generating a data update representing a modification to the first data table and communicating the data update to the index manager. The method further includes receiving index update data from the index manager representing a modification to the index as a result of the data update and applying the index update data to the second data table.
US08239386B2
A system and method for the customization of media content metadata that is transmitted to any one of a plurality of end user devices of differing types. The system is adapted to modify individual records or even individual fields from the entire gamut of available metadata into a metadata feed which is optimally suited for display upon the type of end user device. Additionally, the system is also able to modify the records or individual fields from a list of all metadata instances according to pre-recorded user preferences. The result is a system that optimally utilizes the current connection path in order to reduce congestion thereon, or to alleviate any user potential frustration caused by sporadic performance of the overloaded interconnection path.
US08239385B2
Provided are method and apparatus for writing and reproducing a multimedia service using a tag in order to provide an intuitive interface for a user using a multimedia service. The method includes selecting a multimedia service to be written; generating tag information identifying the selected multimedia service; and writing the generated tag information to a tag. Accordingly, multimedia service information and content information can be stored in a tag by being written to tag information using a common format, and thus the user can later execute a service operation by easily writing information of a desired service operation to a tag and then simply connecting the tag to a tag reading device.
US08239383B2
A method, system and article of manufacture for query execution management and, more particularly, for managing execution of queries against database samples. One embodiment provides a computer-implemented method for managing execution of a query against a database having a multiplicity of data records. The method comprises receiving, from a requesting entity, a query against the database, and performing an automated execution process, comprising: (i) iteratively executing the query against samples of the database, each sample including a subset of the multiplicity of data records, (ii) after each iterative execution of the query, determining whether a query result obtained for the iterative execution satisfies a predefined condition, and (iii) if the predefined condition is not satisfied, performing a predefined action.
US08239366B2
Some embodiments relate to a method of performing a search for content on the Internet, in which a user may speak a search query and speech recognition may be performed on the spoken query to generate a text search query to be provided to a plurality of search engines. This enables a user to speak the search query rather than having to type it, and also allows the user to provide the search query only once, rather than having to provide it separately to multiple different search engines.
US08239365B2
Methods and systems for database storage allowing subscriber entities to create specialized interfaces for storing different classes of information based on subscribed-defined categories and parameters, allowing for efficient search and retrieval of the information by users using the subscriber-defined categories and parameters. The present technology allows users, such as suppliers, administrators, and others, to add inventory to a database through an interface, search for inventory via an interface, and view results of inventory searches. Inventory requests may be processed using local and remote data stores.
US08239363B2
Maintaining a plurality of search contexts and selecting one of the search contexts based on graphical properties of a user interface. Each of the search contexts is provided by and corresponds to one of a plurality of executing application programs. Responsive to an event, one of the search contexts is selected. In some embodiments, the search context provided by the application program having a window displayed in the foreground of the user interface is selected. Search results based on the selected search context are obtained and provided to the user.
US08239356B2
Methods and apparatuses for data protection against corrupted write operations. In one embodiment, a technique of crash protection uses an atomically updated global transaction indicator to switch a set of data structures from one set of versions to another set. In one embodiment, the storage space for multiple versions of a data structure is allocated at the time the data structure is created on the storage device so that the multiple versions of the data structure can be kept close by. Between two consistent points, some data structures are modified to create new versions without changing the corresponding previous versions; and unmodified data structures are not copied. At a consistent point, the global transaction indicator is updated to indicate a set of consistent versions of the data structures, such as metadata of a file system.
US08239355B2
A map data update method for updating nationwide updated version map data using route-specific update data is disclosed. This method has a step of creating route-specific update data, comprising update data for all routes which have been newly opened since the time of release of the nationwide updated version map data; a step of storing a plurality of route-specific update data sets with different creation dates; a step of, when updating the nationwide updated version map data of the time of release stored in a navigation apparatus in use of a prescribed first route-specific update data which has been stored, storing pre-update map files necessary to restore the nationwide updated version map data; and a step of using the first route-specific update data to update the nationwide updated version map data.
US08239354B2
In an aggregated file system, a method of processing a user file retrieves user file metadata and user data from a metadata server and applies operations to the user data in accordance with a file open request from a client. At the end of the process, the method stores the processed user data at a location in accordance with a predefined rule and updates the metadata in the metadata server to reference the processed user data at the location. In some embodiments, the predefined rule is to choose a location between the metadata server and a separate storage server in accordance with the size of the processed user data. If the size is still smaller than a predetermined threshold, the user data is stored in the metadata server. Otherwise, the user data is stored in the storage server.
US08239353B2
A transmission system includes a transmission apparatus transmitting metadata relating to content via a network and a reception apparatus receiving the metadata. The transmission apparatus includes storing metadata including fragment updating management information in units of fragments; generating a delivery unit including a document which includes the metadata contained in fragments excluding the fragment updating management information; compressing the metadata in the delivery unit; adding document updating management information to the compressed metadata; and delivering the delivery unit. The reception apparatus includes receiving the compressed metadata; decompressing the compressed metadata; storing the decompressed metadata; and copy the document updating management information contained in the delivery unit and assign the document updating management information to the fragments as fragment updating management information.
US08239347B2
A system and method for customizing the storage of data according to data attributes are provided. A user is provided with a graphical user interface for generating data archive profiles. The data archive profiles can include information regarding the attributes of the device data, specifications regarding the storage of the data, specifications regarding the retrieval of the archived data, and management of the archived data during storage. The execution of the data archive profiles facilitates the individual processing of specific data types or individual pieces of identifiable data.
US08239345B2
Contents of a copy of a server file may be saved to a down load file, a base file, and a working file. An indication may be received from an application that the application has edited the working file and a copy of the edited working file may be saved to an upload file. A server computer may be queried to determine if the server file on the server computer has been changed. If the server file on the server computer has not been changed, the server file on the server computer may be updated with contents of the upload file. If the server file on the server computer has been changed, a three-way merge of the upload file, the base file, and the changed server file on the server computer may be performed. Then the server file on the server computer may be updated with the three-way merge results.
US08239343B2
A database reorganization technique uses multiple-coordinated read, sort and write tasks to substantially reduce the overall time to reorganize a database object. Coordination between the different functional tasks (e.g., read, sort and write tasks) is facilitated through the logical partitioning of the key values associated with the object to be reorganized. Object key values are determined by interrogating the object's associated database prior to initiating reorganization processing.
US08239342B2
A computer system and method providing on-demand extension of ontology in an ontology use process. A support module responds to a creation event in the ontology use process. The support module defines ontology specification for a newly created item, in the creation event, in a manner substantially free of disruption or interruption to the ontology use process. An ontology manager incorporates the defined ontology specification into the ontology during the ontology use process such that an on-demand extension of the ontology results. One example ontology use process is semantic modeling of situations, organizations, or objects of interest. Modeling and ontology specification take place hand in hand, and the ontology is extended on an as-needed and on-demand fashion during the course of modeling.
US08239339B2
In an industrial control configuration, various instances can exist that are based upon a definition. A definition can be changed and thus it can be appropriate to alter related instances in accordance with the change. However, changing an instance can cause disruption in other actions even when the change is minor. Therefore, various standards can be used to determine if a change to an instance should be propagated automatically or at another time, such as after an operation. The determination can be based on artificial intelligence techniques, user preference, a defined rule set, user instruction, as well as other standards.
US08239335B2
A system and article of manufacture enabling adapting to a shift in document content according to one embodiment of the present invention includes instructions for: receiving at least one labeled seed document; receiving unlabeled documents; receiving at least one predetermined cost factor; training a transductive classifier using the at least one predetermined cost factor, the at least one seed document, and the unlabeled documents; classifying the unlabeled documents having a confidence level above a predefined threshold into a plurality of categories using the classifier; reclassifying at least some of the categorized documents into the categories using the classifier; and outputting identifiers of the categorized documents to at least one of a user, another system, and another process. Systems and articles of manufacture for separating documents are also presented. Systems and articles of manufacture for document searching are also presented.
US08239334B2
A tool facilitating learning latent semantics for ranking (LLSR) tailored to the ranking task via leveraging relevance information of query-document pairs to learn a tailored latent semantic space such that other documents are better ranked for the queries in the subspace. The tool applying a learning latent semantics for ranking algorithm integrating LLSR, thereby enabling learning an optimal latent semantic space (LSS) for ranking by utilizing relevance information in the training process of subspace learning. The tool enabling an optimization of the LSS as a closed form solution and facilitating reporting the learned LSS.
US08239326B1
A transaction processing and authorization service. If a source entity does not respond to an authorization attempt via a communications channel, the service may generate a transaction phrase corresponding to the transaction and communicate the transaction phrase to the source entity. The transaction phrase may also be stored by the service and associated with the source entity's account and the particular transaction as initiated, and may be used to identify the transaction. After receiving the transaction phrase, the source entity may then, if desired, return the transaction phrase to the service. Upon receiving the transaction phrase from the source entity, the service may then contact the source entity via the communications channel to authorize the transaction. As an alternative, a source entity may submit a replay command to the service to replay any pending transactions.
US08239322B2
A method of paying for postage stamps, that involves the generation of a plurality of postage stamps, wherein each of the stamps has a unique identification code; and the debiting of an account for the generation of the plurality of stamps when a carrier processes one of the plurality of stamps.
US08239312B2
A method and apparatus for consolidating net-pay and debt management of a sales representative or sales team is presented. A party associated with the sales representatives may obtain debts and specify rules on payment of those debts which can be tracked back to the domain (e.g., agreements, rules, sale item, etc.). The ledger items created for that distributor by the commission engine are typically processed to distribute payments into accounts specified by the distributor and to pay debts obtained by the distributor. Available money may be split into various methods of payments for a distributor. These splits can be tracked by adding various constraints (related to the financial industries business model). The system allows the user to model the payment rule/constraints. Payment splits support pay-outs to alternate payee from funds of a distributor. The distributor may specify deduction rules which can be applied to the distributors earning to facilitate deductions for items such as taxes, mutual funds etc. The system offers the flexibility to choose the method of payment for a distributor for each issued debt. Debt repayment rules are introduced so that debts can be repaid from available earnings of a distributor. Debt collection mechanisms for defaulters are also provided.
US08239305B2
Investors find assistance with determining and/or evaluating relative positions of investments with respect to a variety of evaluation parameters and attributes obtained from a number of data sources. In one embodiment, this involves graphically displaying the relative positions (or locations) of investments with respect to one another and with respect to selectable evaluation parameters and benchmarks for such assets. In some cases, the graphical displays are accompanied by analytical comments that further explain or amplify the information being conveyed graphically.
US08239299B2
Financial intelligence architecture that employs financial types that are combined with rules to build financial behavior into the product. Types have behaviors such that types can be assigned that lead to the physical creation of underlying code which embodies the behaviors. Extensibility is provided at least by type parameterization and new type creation. Because types are a design time experience, types are two-way and can be modified, even after instantiation. This allows for mixing and matching of types and underlying behavior giving the system more flexibility at design time while providing a huge simplification of all the details that actually go into such financial applications. The type library is a set of rules that produce metadata, which metadata is later processed by a separate engine to produce the physical schema. The type library defines the basic interactions, data types, and behaviors for predefined dimensions in the system.
US08239296B2
An exchange assisting system is provided in an exchange center. Each maker who trades in used goods, such as copying machines, for new ones from a business entity brings goods produced by other makers into the exchange center. The system manages the inventory information of goods delivered from each maker and stored in the exchange center. The system prepares inventory information on goods maker by maker every given period and sends the information to each maker on-line. Each maker prepares list data of goods the maker wants to collect based on the inventory information and sends the list data to the exchange assisting system on-line. The exchange assisting system prepares delivering-out information for delivering goods out of the exchange center based on the desired goods-to-ship data and outputs the information as one needed to ship associated goods to each maker.
US08239288B2
A processor retrieves, from a database, an identifier of a first media item rated by a target user, user identifiers of users having provided media item ratings for the first media item, and the media item ratings provided by the users, correspondingly. Each of the media item ratings is randomized, resulting in randomized media item ratings. A user identifier corresponding to a maximum of the randomized media item ratings is selected from the user identifiers. Additional media item ratings associated with the selected user identifier are retrieved from the database. Each of the additional media item ratings are randomized, resulting in additional randomized media item ratings. An identifier of a recommended media item corresponding to a maximum of the randomized media item ratings and the additional randomized media item ratings is selected. Metadata associated with the recommended media item is transmitted to a user device over a network.
US08239282B2
Aspects of this invention disclose a system for providing a purchaser specified product search engine, including providing storage circuitry comprising a database of products, storing product data in the database, receiving from a prospective product purchaser, product data of a desired product to purchase, accessing the database of products and comparing the product data to product data in the database, and determining a probability that the product data matches product data stored in the database. Other aspects may include a data processing apparatus providing a purchaser specified product search engine, including storage circuitry comprising a database of product data, processing circuitry configured to receive purchaser specified product search inquiry data, accessing the database of product data, and comparing the purchaser specified product search inquiry data to the product data; and determining a probability that the prospective purchaser product data matches the product data stored in the database.
US08239281B1
The invention provides a service provider system that enables a subscriber to purchase services over a network from a service provider for the benefit of one or more third parties located in different locations. The service provider system can provide service flexibility by allowing parameters to be set, such as place and time of service delivery. Further, conditions allowing third-party recipients to change service parameters—delivery time and place, exchange of purchased service for another service, return of the purchased service, etc.—can be included. The service provider system additionally can provide reporting options to both the subscriber and the third party. Reporting messages or notifications may be sent to the purchasing subscriber to indicate which of the third parties had taken advantage of the purchased service, when and where the service was consumed, and/or what the actual cost of delivering the service was. The service provider system can also provide incentives for third parties to take advantage of the purchased service.
US08239275B1
One embodiment is a method that monitors, on the computer, activity of a member of a group to build a profile of the member. The profile of the member is used to generate recommendations for gifts that the member wants to receive to celebrate an event. The method then transmits the gifts to a website so other members of the group can select one of the gifts to purchase for the member.
US08239274B2
In various embodiments, a user may, via a processing device, indicate a desire to purchase a feature of an installed software product. A purchase request may be sent to an e-commerce server, or other server. The purchase request may be validated and information concerning the software product, the feature of the software product, and the processing device may be stored. Enabling information may be sent to the processing device to enable the feature of the software product. In some embodiments, the user may request a trial of a feature of a software product before purchasing the feature. In other embodiments, the user may deactivate a purchased feature of a software product on one processing device and may activate the purchased feature of the software product on a different processing device.
US08239267B2
Systems, methods, and a user interface for automatically scheduling a media play is disclosed. The user can specify criteria for play of the media play, including times, stations, and/or external criteria such as a weather condition or the occurrence of an event. Information relevant to the entered criteria is received and assessed against the criteria to determine if the criteria are met. Responsive to the received information meeting the criteria for play of the media play, an accessor accesses the media play inventory and inserts the media play into a media feed.
US08239266B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, for campaign management. A method includes: presenting a user interface to a sponsor for customizing targeting information for a campaign including a control for specifying targeting criteria, where at least one targeting criterion includes a presence of a user in a proscribed geographic location or an indication of an interest by a user in the location; receiving a selection from the sponsor of targeting criteria to be associated with the campaign including a selection of one or both of user presence and interest; evaluating content delivery options for presenting content associated with the campaign including determining for a given content request whether a user is present or merely interested in a geographic location; and serving content from the campaign when a content item request satisfies the targeting criteria for the campaign.
US08239258B2
Systems, methods and computer program products for facilitating the redemption of affinity reward points as political contributions are disclosed. In an aspect, “points” or “miles” created through various existing affinity programs prevalent in the credit card and airline industries can be redeemed as political donations. Typically, such reward, award or bonus “points” or “miles” have been redeemed for free or discounted rewards such as airline tickets, hotel room stays, restaurant vouchers or other goods and services. However, millions of vested affinity points or miles are left unused (i.e., unredeemed). The present invention allows a consumer who holds such points or miles to link to a political campaign, political party or political action committee allowing excess points to be converted into cash donations to such political campaigns, political parties or political action committees.
US08239254B2
A home storage (a first storage device) installed in each home is provided with an area for a user to store data (user area) and an area for storing ads (ad area). The first storage device checks interest and favorite information for the user in the user area, and transmits the interest and favorite information at the same time backup is performed in a second storage device at a remote site. The second storage device selects a suitable ad based on the interest and favorite information from the first storage device and transmits the selected ad to the first storage device. The user views the transmitted ad when viewing content in the first storage device. The user's viewing record for the ads is kept as statistical data, and the second storage device compiles the record, charges a sponsor an ad charge, thereby subsidizing the usage charge for the first storage device regardless of online or offline connection.
US08239251B2
A system comprises a materials handling vehicle, an information linking device and a wireless transceiver. The materials handling vehicle comprises a controller area network (CAN) bus and at least one native control module coupled to the CAN bus that generates and sends the vehicle-related data over the CAN bus. The information linking device comprises a CAN-bus interface coupled to the CAN bus of the materials handling vehicle, which extracts the vehicle-related data off of the CAN bus, a memory device coupled to the CAN-bus interface, which stores the vehicle-related data extracted off of the CAN bus and an output interface coupled to the memory device. The wireless transceiver is coupled to the output interface of the information linking device. The wireless transceiver wirelessly sends and receives across a wireless network environment.
US08239250B2
Consumer spend by industry is modeled based on the industry sizes of wallet of consumers having a high share of wallet with a financial institution. A size of wallet is calculated for each consumer in a plurality of consumers. A share of wallet for each consumer is also calculated. A subset of the plurality of consumers whose share of wallet is above a given percentage of their size of wallet is then determined. For each consumer in the subset, an industry size of wallet is determined. A correlation between the industry size of wallet of a given consumer and one or more characteristics of the given consumer is then derived using the industry size of wallet for the consumers in the subset.
US08239246B1
A high-performance capability assessment model helps a health and life sciences business meet the challenges of the global marketplace. As a result, the health and life sciences business can achieve the clarity, consistency, and well-defined execution of core processes that reduce inefficiencies and waste that result from unnecessary process complexity and exceptions. In addition, the high-performance capability assessment model helps the health and life sciences business to identify specific areas in which improvements may be made, to understand how to make said improvements, and to establish levels of capability along the way to reaching an ultimate capability goal.
US08239220B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a computer-implemented method to collect information to determine damage to a vehicle involved in a collision using photogrammetric techniques. When determined, this vehicle damage information, which may be in the form of crush measurement information such as a crush damage profile, can be displayed in a computer-generated view of the subject vehicle with a crush damage profile and used to estimate the impact severity. In some embodiments, based on the photogrammetric information derived, a direction of any shifting of the vehicle's components may be obtained and used along with other information to estimate a principal direction of force (PDOF) for one or more vehicles involved in the collision. Still further embodiments may be used to generate and/or audit repair estimates based at least in part on the photogrammetric information.
US08239208B2
The invention concerns a method for spectral enhancement and a device therefor. The inventive method is a method for enhancing spectral content of a signal having an incomplete spectrum including a first spectral band, the method including the following steps: at least transposing the spectral content of the first band into a second spectral band not included in the spectrum to generate a transposed spectrum signal, with spectrum limited to the second spectral band; transforming the spectrum of the transposed spectrum signal to obtain an enhancing signal; combining the incomplete spectrum signal and the enhancing signal to produce a spectrum enhanced signal. The invention is characterized in that the spectral content is subjected to a whitening step.
US08239177B2
Simulating a mechanical system controlled by a motion controller. First position data may be received. The first position data may be provided by a motion controller at a first rate. The first position data received at the first rate may be interpolated to provide second position data at a second rate. Operation of the mechanical system may be simulated or modeled using the second position data at the second rate. Interpolating the first position data and modeling the operation of the mechanical system may be performed without simulating drives and motors necessary to drive the mechanical system.
US08239169B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for tracking one or more items. In one exemplary embodiment, there is provided a device for tracking one or more items. The device may include a plurality of sensors for detecting light, temperature, humidity, pressure, and acceleration. The device may also include a memory for storing information received from the plurality of sensors.
US08239165B1
An apparatus for measuring quantum efficiency (QE) of solar cells. The apparatus includes a light source including an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) that each emit light corresponding to a differing portion of a test spectrum and each LED is driven by a sinusoidal power supply that operates at a unique frequency. The light source includes an optical coupling focusing the LED light into a test beam targeted on a solar cell, and a signal conditioner converts analog current signals generated by the solar cell into digital voltage signals. A QE measurement module determines a QE value corresponding to each of the LEDs based on the digital voltage signals using a Fast Fourier Transform module that processes the digital voltage signals to generate values for each operating frequency. The QE measurement module determines the QE values by applying a conversion factor to these values. Since all the LEDs can be power-modulated simultaneously and the corresponding cell responses to each of the LEDS can be analyzed simultaneously, the QE spectrum measurement time is greatly shortened as compared to conventional methods.
US08239148B2
A state switching device for switching the states of a device by detecting a battery voltage of the device is provided. The device includes a voltage dividing circuit to provide an output voltage in proportion to the battery voltage, and a detection unit which includes a voltage detection module, a comparison module, a control module and a state detection module to obtain the device's state. The voltage detection module produces a digital detection voltage according to the output voltage at normal time intervals, the comparison module detects whether the digital detection voltage is lower than a reference voltage corresponding to the state. If yes, the voltage detection module obtains digital detection voltage at abnormal time intervals. The comparison module compares a predetermined number of digital detection voltages with the reference voltage to produce comparison results. The control module determines whether to maintain the device's state according to the comparison results.
US08239136B2
In one aspect the invention is a method of testing for one or more colorectal pathologies or one or more subtypes of colorectal pathology (in one embodiment colorectal cancer) in a test individual by providing data corresponding to a level of products of selected biomarkers and applying the data to a formula to provide an indication of whether the test individual has one or more colorectal pathologies or one or more subtypes of colorectal pathology. In some aspects the method is computer based and a computer applies the data to the formula. In other aspects a computer system is configured with instructions that cause the processor to provide a user with the indication of whether the test individual has colorectal pathology. Also encompassed are kits for measuring data corresponding to the products of selected biomarkers which in some embodiments include a computer readable medium. Also encompassed are kits and methods of monitoring therapeutic efficacy of treatments for one or more colorectal pathologies.
US08239135B2
Filters are applied to seismic signals representative of subsurface formations to generate filtered signals with attenuated spatially aliased energy. The filtered signals are multiplied in the frequency-wavenumber domain by a complex function of frequency and wavenumber representing the seismic attribute in the frequency-wavenumber domain, to generate scaled signals. The scaled signals, transformed to the time-space domain, are divided by the filtered signals in the time-space domain, to a seismic attribute useful for identifying and characterizing the subsurface formations.
US08239134B2
A system and method for detecting abnormal operation of a hydrocracker includes a hydrocracker model. The model may be configurable to include one or more regression models corresponding to different operating regions of the portion of the hydrocracker. The system and method may also determine if a monitored temperature difference variable deviates significantly from the temperature difference variable predicted by the model. If there is a significant deviation, this may indicate an abnormal operation.
US08239129B2
A method for speech recognition includes providing a source of geographical information within a vehicle. The geographical information pertains to a current location of the vehicle, a planned travel route of the vehicle, a map displayed within the vehicle, and/or a gesture marked by a user on a map. Words spoken within the vehicle are recognized by use of a speech recognition module. The recognizing is dependent upon the geographical information.
US08239127B2
A car navigation system solves the problem that the emission test cycle fuel consumption rate indicates the energy consumption per unit distance covered following a prescribed emission test cycle procedure, and therefore, cannot produce a highly accurate prediction value reflecting the landform and the traffics along a route. So, the test cycle characteristic values independent of the vehicle model for vehicle energy consumption in a specified running condition are calculated, and the vehicle energy consumption parameter of the engine or the motor is estimated from the basic vehicle specifications such as the vehicle weight, the power supply type, the emission test cycle fuel consumption rate, the test cycle characteristic values in the emission test cycle and the vehicle characteristics. Using the basic vehicle specifications and the energy consumption parameter, the energy consumption is predicted taking the landform and traffics into consideration.
US08239126B2
The disclosure describes a method and a system for evaluating the driving style of a driver in a motor vehicle with respect to the use of fuel. A disclosed method includes: determining a first value which is characteristic of the current speed of the vehicle; calculation of a second value by low-pass filtering said first value; and evaluating of the driving style with respect to the use of fuel by evaluating the difference between said first value and said second value.
US08239124B2
The invention relates to a method for generating traffic information to be used in a car navigation system, comprising the steps of acquiring traffic information data including information relating to a travel time of links making up a road on a map and for acquiring map data relating to the link, the map data comprising at least information on a road type of the link and checking if a volume of the traffic information data available in is sufficient for performing a statistical estimate for the travel time. In order to enhance the traffic information generated, it is proposed to use the steps of checking if the volume of traffic information data relating to links located in a target area is sufficient and adapting a size of the target area depending on the amount of available traffic information data.
US08239122B2
A method is described for operating an engine of a vehicle, the engine having a combustion chamber. The method may include controlling a stability of the vehicle in response to a vehicle acceleration; and adjusting spark timing in the combustion chamber of the engine in response to a knock indication, and further adjusting spark timing in response to the vehicle acceleration to reduce surge.
US08239119B2
A method and system for controlling an engine includes a normal individual cylinder fuel correction determination module determining normal pulse mode individual cylinder fuel corrections in a normal pulse mode. The system also includes a split pulse enable module operating the fuel injectors in split pulse mode having a linear pulse and a ballistic pulse smaller than the linear pulse. The system also includes a split pulse individual cylinder fuel correction determination module determining split pulse mode individual cylinder fuel corrections in the split pulse mode. The system also includes a ballistic pulse adaptation module adjusting ballistic pulse calibration values in response to the normal pulse mode individual cylinder fuel corrections and the split pulse mode individual cylinder fuel corrections to form adjusted ballistic pulse calibration values.
US08239115B2
The invention relates to a method and a device for offsetting bounce effects in a piezo-actuated injection system of an internal combustion engine using a control valve actuated by a piezoelectric actuator. The inventive method comprises the following steps: detecting an actual bounce behavior of the control valve, and determining and offsetting a deviation between the actual bounce behavior and a desired bounce behavior of the control valve, thereby generating an actuation information for the control valve which influences a speed characteristic of a needle of the control valve. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out the inventive method.
US08239108B2
A method for operating a vehicle drive train comprising a drive unit, a transmission, and an all-wheel splitter having a clutch. The all-wheel splitter is positioned between the transmission and the output and splits a transmission output torque to vary the torque distribution to driven axles of the output. The split of the output torque to the driven axles is performed by a control unit in such a way that the transmission output torque, less a predetermined nominal torque set by the all-wheel drive strategy, is transferred to a first axle while the nominal torque is transferred to a second axle. When defined operating conditions are met, a clutch monitoring function is activated and the nominal torque is replaced by a torque definition of the clutch monitoring function so that the torque which is transferred by clutch to the second driven axle, is increased, then kept constant, and thereafter reduced.
US08239104B2
A method of altering a drive parameter of a machine having a drive system that is configured to operate a left side of the machine independently of the right side of the machine. The method includes entering, by a user, a drive parameter alteration mode by actuating a first input, and actuating a second input to alter one or more parameters associated with a controller of the machine.
US08239097B2
A steering control apparatus for a vehicle having a power source for generating power, and drive shafts for transferring the power to driving wheels of the vehicle, and a traction control device for controlling braking torque applied to the wheels. The apparatus comprises a detection device for detecting the braking torque applied to the wheels, a calculation device for calculating a driving force difference between the wheels, on the basis of the detected braking torque, a power source state detection device for detecting an actuating state of the power source, and a control device for controlling steering torque created by the steering wheel, and applying torque steer reducing torque to the steering wheel. A desired value of the torque steer reducing torque is determined, based on the driving force difference and the actuating state of the power source. And, the torque steer reducing torque is applied to the steering wheel, according to the desired value of the torque steer reducing torque, to reduce the torque steer.
US08239096B2
In a motion control system for a vehicle including control means for controlling a yaw moment of the vehicle; first detection means for detecting a longitudinal velocity (V) of the vehicle; second detection means for detecting a lateral jerk (Gy_dot) of the vehicle; and third detection means for detecting a yaw angular acceleration (r_dot) of the vehicle, the yaw moment of the vehicle is controlled by the control means so that a difference between the yaw angular acceleration (r_dot) detected by the third detection means and a value (Gy_dot/V) obtained by the lateral jerk (Gy_dot) of the vehicle detected by the second detection means by the longitudinal velocity (V) detected by the first detection means becomes small.
US08239090B2
A method for controlling an operating condition of a vehicle including executing, at each of operating cycles, at least one diagnostic phase applied to at least one computer controlling an operating condition of the vehicle, during which the computer produces and consumes data, at least one of the data capable of taking a particular predetermined value resulting from detection of an operating failure by the computer, so as to indicate a diagnostic result associated with the failure. The method stores, at the end of each cycle, the particular value for the failure concerned and initializes the diagnostic phase at the beginning of the next operating cycle with the stored particular data so as to reproduce, for the failure concerned, the diagnostic result supplied by the diagnostic phase when it was last executed.
US08239087B2
A vehicle includes a controller, a touch screen display in communication with the controller, and a plurality of accessories in communication with the controller. The various accessories are each individually controlled by inputting commands into the touch screen display. The controller transmits the inputted command via a communication system to the selected accessory to motivate the accessory between a first setting and a second setting.
US08239079B2
As embodied and broadly described herein the invention includes a system for computing a preferred sequence in which cars in a switching queue of a railway switchyard are to be sequentially switched to classification tracks. The system has a processing entity for determining within a given set of cars at least two possible sequences in which the cars in the set can be switched and applying logic rules for identifying among the sequences a preferred sequence. The system also has an output for releasing data describing the preferred sequence.
US08239078B2
A method for controlling first (14/12A) and second (12B) locomotives of a railroad train (8), the first (14/12A) and the second (12B) locomotives separated by at least one railcar (20). The method comprises determining a location of the first locomotive (14/12A) and a location of the second locomotive (12B), determining an operating condition of the first locomotive (14/12A) and an operating condition of the second locomotive (12B), determining a first control aspect of the first locomotive (14/12A) responsive to the operating condition and the location of the first locomotive (14/12A), determining a second control aspect of the second locomotive (12B) responsive to the operating condition and the location of the second locomotive (12B), and controlling the first (14/12A) and the second (12B) locomotives according to the first control aspect and the second control aspect, respectively.
US08239074B2
System and method for controlling a fan. A value may be received for controlling the fan. The value may include a first number of bits and may correspond to a linear function of temperature. A first value may be determined using a first number of bits of the value. A modification to the first value may be determined based on a second number of bits of the value. A new output value may be generated based on the first value and the modification to the first value. The new output value may correspond to a first nonlinear function of temperature. The new output value may be provided for controlling the fan.
US08239072B2
A wind power plant, a wind power plant controller and a method of controlling a wind power plant are provided. The method includes a) preparing a telegram comprising wind turbine controlling data for one of the plurality of wind turbines of the wind power plant; b) sending the telegram to the wind turbine upon completion of the telegram; and c) successively repeating steps a) and b) for each of the remaining wind turbines. An initial response time of the wind power plant is shortened; thus, initial response time requirements of the wind power plant specified by grid codes may be fulfilled more easily.
US08239071B2
Method for controlling at least one adjustment mechanism of a wind turbine, said method comprising the steps of: establishing at least one load or operational value of the wind turbine, choosing a combination of at least two control strategies from a set of different control strategies based on the established at least one load or operational value, and applying the chosen combination of control strategies to control said at least one adjustment mechanism. The invention also relates to a wind turbine and a wind park.
US08239062B2
Systems, methods, and devices are described related to the assignment and management of patient-specific bins. A dispensing device at a healthcare facility includes a number of bins for storage of medical supplies, with some of the bins designated as patient-specific bins allocated to be assigned to patients for storage of their medications or certain other supplies. A central server computer system, in communication with a computer of the dispensing device, may monitor and assign current and future patient-specific use of the bins for the dispensing device. The assignment and management of patient-specific bins may be performed by devices distributed through the system.
US08239051B2
An information processing apparatus includes a node, and a system controlling apparatus connected to the node. The node includes a first detecting unit that detects first error information, a second detecting unit that detects second error information, a retaining unit that retains the first and the second error information, and a temporary retaining unit that retains new first error information and new second error information, and when the first or second error information is initialized, causes the retaining unit to store error information corresponding to the initialized first or second error information. The system controlling apparatus includes a controlling unit connected to the retaining unit, and a firmware that causes the controlling unit to read into the first and second error information and to initialize the new first or second error information.
US08239048B2
A method and system for analyzing competition results is disclosed, the method comprising providing a probability model to analyze competition results including both information about options used for a competition process, and rank information of competition participants; and determining a first parameter about a pure ability of each competition participant, and a second parameter about advantages and disadvantages of the option used for the competition process by analyzing the competition results using the probability model, wherein the first and second parameters are determined by calculating a prior distribution of the second random variable, calculating a likelihood function of the second random variable, and estimating the first and second parameter through the use of the prior distribution of the second random variable and the likelihood function. This method and system can estimate the advantages and disadvantages of the options used for the process of competition, whereby the estimated advantages and disadvantages of the options are reflected on the design of competition or the adjustment of options when designing the competition such as the game, to thereby maximize the interest in competition.
US08239045B2
A method and apparatus for retaining a medical device within a blood vessel are described. A medical device (e.g. a pulse generator or a lead) is positioned within a blood vessel. An expandable the retention sleeve is passed into the vessel adjacent to the medical device and expanded to an expanded position to engage the medical device between an exterior surface of the retention sleeve and a surface of the vessel.
US08239037B2
A medical implant system comprises an implant proportioned for implantation within a blood vessel, a lead coupled to the implant, and an anchor coupled to the lead, the anchor configurable in a radially compressed position so as to be positioned in the blood vessel, and a radially expanded position for engagement with the wall of blood vessel. The anchor functions as an antenna for telemetric communication with an extracorporeal device and/or as a receiver for inductive recharging of secondary cells in the implant using an extracorporeal charging device.
US08239029B2
A system and/or method treating for a neurological disorder by brain region stimulation. The system and/or method comprises a probe and a device to provide stimulation. The probe has a stimulation portion implanted in communication with a predetermined brain region site. The stimulation portion of the probe may be implanted in contact with a predetermined brain region.
US08239024B2
The presence of a cardiac pulse in a patient is determined by evaluating physiological signals in the patient. In one embodiment, a medical device evaluates two or more different physiological signals, such as phonocardiogram (PCG) signals, electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, patient impedance signals, piezoelectric signals, and accelerometer signals for features indicative of the presence of a cardiac pulse. Using these features, the medical device determines whether a cardiac pulse is present in the patient. The medical device may also be configured to report whether the patient is in a VF, VT, asystole, or PEA condition, in addition to being in a pulseless condition, and prompt different therapies, such as chest compressions, rescue breathing, defibrillation, and PEA-specific electrotherapy, depending on the analysis of the physiological signals. Auto-capture of a cardiac pulse using pacing stimuli is further provided.
US08239022B2
A ventricular rate based on first candidate waveforms and second candidate waveforms within sensed ventricular waveforms is compared to an atrial rate. If the ventricular rate exceeds the atrial rate, the first candidate waveforms and second candidate waveforms are compared to a ventricular polarization complex template to obtain a first morphology indicator and a second morphology indicator. If a morphology match inconsistency is present, the amount by which the ventricular rate exceeds the atrial rate is compared to a threshold. If the threshold is exceeded, high-ventricular-rate therapy to the heart is inhibited. The ventricular polarization complex template may be a QRS-complex template, in which case a match inconsistency is present if each of the first candidate waveforms and the second candidate waveforms do not match the QRS-complex template. Alternatively, the ventricular polarization complex template may be a T-wave template, in which case a match inconsistency is present if either of the first candidate waveforms and the second candidate waveforms matches the T-wave template.
US08239009B2
A biosignal measurement module is provided and includes a biosignal measurement unit, a pose detection unit, and a processing unit. The biosignal measurement unit measures an electrocardiogram signal and a pulse signal of a subject. The pose detection unit detects a position of the biosignal measurement module and outputs position signals. The processing unit receives the electrocardiogram signal, the pulse signal, and the position signals. The processing unit generates a height variation parameter, which indicates the height difference between the position of the biosignal measurement module and a reference position, according to the position signals. The processing unit calculates a current pulse transit time according to the electrocardiogram signal and the pulse signal and compensates for the current pulse transit time according to the height variation parameter to obtain a compensated pulse transit time. The processing unit obtains a blood pressure signal according to the compensated pulse transit time.
US08239003B2
A system and method of integrating electromagnetic microsensors into interventional endovascular devices such as guidewires for tracking guidewires within vessels of the body with the use of a surgical navigation system.
US08239002B2
Systems and methods disclosed provide for guiding a tool using a source of radioactivity. The method includes implanting a source of radioactivity at a position having a geometric relationship to a target tissue, determining at least an indication of a location of the source using at least one radioactivity detecting position sensor, and positioning a tool at a desired relative location with respect to the target tissue based on the determined location.
US08239000B1
The present invention concerns methods for evaluating the emotional response to stimuli, such as marketing communications. The present invention includes a method for correlating an emotional response to brain imaging data, a method identifying an emotional response to a stimulus, and a system for identifying an emotional response to a stimulus. The present invention can incorporate a psychological non-verbal measure, such as AdSAM®, and a neural-physiological measure, functional brain imaging, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), positron emission tomography (PET), or other functional brain imaging modality. For example, in marketing communication research, the emotional response data can be determined for such things as product concepts, advertising (concept and/or finished ads), product attributes, product benefits, brands, logos, tag lines, packaging, music, etc. The method of the invention can also be used to assess emotional response to different purchase options (e.g., retail vs. online), lifestyle issues, product usage situations, and other scenarios. In personnel management studies, the method of the invention can be used to measure employee satisfaction or employee morale.
US08238994B2
Adjusting a pulse qualification criterion includes receiving a signal representing a plurality of pulses, where the signal is generated in response to detecting light scattered from blood perfused tissue. A characteristic is determined. A pulse qualification criterion used for qualifying a pulse is adjusted in accordance with the characteristic. The pulses are evaluated according to the pulse qualification criterion.
US08238983B2
In a mobile communication device, a method for determining the existence of one or more pending messages, the method including exiting from a power-save mode of operation, in which the mobile communication device does not receive messages; selecting for communication, one of a plurality of communication paths, the selecting based on at least one of a plurality of conditions associated with the one of the plurality of communication paths; and attempting to communicate over the one of the plurality of communication paths to check for pending messages. The plurality of communication paths includes at least a first and a second communication path. The attempting to communicate over the one of the plurality of communication paths includes attempting to communicate over the first communication path to check for the pending messages by communicating with a message server over the first communication path.
US08238978B2
A portable apparatus includes a first case portion including a full keyboard, a second case portion superposed on the first case portion, a slide connection member connecting the first case portion to the second case portion in such a manner that the first case portion is slidable in a direction perpendicular to a length direction of the full keyboard, and a display screen unit directly or indirectly disposed on a front surface of the second case portion, wherein the first and second case portions have a hiding mechanism with which a part of the slide connection member is prevented from being exposed to the outside when the first case portion is maximally slid out with respect to the second case portion.
US08238976B2
A base station arrangement for a cellular communication system comprises a plurality of antennas (101-105) where each antenna (101-105) has a different coverage area. The base station arrangement can operate in a sectorised mode and a non-sectorised mode controlled by a mode controller (119). When in the sectorised mode, the base station arrangement provides an individual broadcast control carrier to each antenna (101-105) of the plurality of antennas (101-105) thereby supporting a plurality of cells each having a coverage area of the corresponding antenna (101-105). When in the non-sectorised mode, the base station arrangement provides a common broadcast carrier to all antennas (101-105) of the plurality of antennas (101-105) thereby supporting a single cell having a coverage area corresponding to a combined coverage area of the plurality of antennas (101-105). The invention may allow reduced power consumption at low loading without sacrificing peak capacity.
US08238969B2
A mobile device includes a trigger having a rod-like body fixed at one end. A housing has a first hole into which the body is inserted. A sensor detects that the trigger has been operated in the direction in which the body is pulled from the hole. A buzzer is activated in response to the sensor's having detected the operation of the trigger. A second hole is formed in a firmly fitted member. The body is inserted in the second hole so as to be freely slid forward or backward against the hole. The fitted member is fitted firmly in the entrance portion of the first hole; and a sealing member contacts the internal wall of the first hole and the body.
US08238965B2
A method of initiating a telecommunication session for a communication device include submitting to one or more telecommunication carriers a proposal for a telecommunication session, receiving from at least one of the one or more of telecommunication carriers a bid to carry the telecommunications session, and automatically selecting one of the telecommunications carriers from the carriers submitting a bid, and initiating the telecommunication session through the selected telecommunication carrier.
US08238955B2
The radio communication method for transmitting a burst signal including a synchronization identification signal and a data signal according to the present invention comprises a step for comparing the error tolerances of the synchronization identification signal and the data signal and a step for varying transmission power(s) of one or both of the synchronization identification signal and the data signal in accordance with the error tolerances compared (FIG. 3).
US08238954B2
A system and method for inter-cell interference avoidance. A base station is configured to perform interference avoidance. The base station receives feedback information from either a second base station or a subscriber station served by the second base station. The base station selects a codebook vectors or matrices for transmission to subscriber stations based, at least in part, on a portion of the feedback information. The base station is further configured to select which subscriber stations will participate in interference avoidance calculations.
US08238952B1
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for facilitating a text message conversation using tele-links. During operation, the system receives a text message from a service at a mobile device, wherein the text message includes a tele-link, wherein the tele-link is comprised of a phone number. Next, the system receives a selection of the tele-link from a user at the mobile device. In response to the selection, the system then automatically initiates a call from the mobile device to a number indicated by the tele-link, wherein the act of calling the number results in the service sending a second text message to the mobile device. Finally, the system receives the second text message from the service at the mobile device.
US08238949B1
At present, there exist systems which send SMS text messages across national boundaries and telephonic carriers from one mobile phone operator to another. The proposed system would create a series of real number to virtual number(s) mappings, allowing the sending and receiving of messages across national borders without incurring international charges.
US08238943B2
A moving body terminal is basically provided with a position information acquiring section, a receiving section and a control section. The position information acquiring section is configured to acquire position information indicating a current position of the moving body terminal. The receiving section is configured to receive from an information providing apparatus simple map information which includes information transmission determining information indicating an information transmission unnecessary region of the simple map information where the position information of the moving body terminal is not required to be transmitted from the moving body terminal to the information providing apparatus. The control section is configured to prohibit a transmission of the position information to the information providing apparatus when the position information acquired by the position information acquiring section is inside the information transmission unnecessary region contained in the simple map information that was received.
US08238940B2
Methods and Systems are provided for forwarding location dependent messages from a first user's mobile device over a wireless communication network to a second user's mobile device, via a central server.
US08238924B2
Embodiments of a system and a method for assigning a plurality of resources to a plurality of targets in near real-time are described herein. An evolutionary algorithm such as a particle swarm algorithm iteratively evaluates a predetermined fitness function characteristic of a system including the plurality of resources to find solutions containing optimal resource assignments. Resource parameters are changed based on the assignments to operate on the targets.
US08238923B2
An apparatus and method of delivering data in a wireless communication system, the apparatus and method comprising of determining, based on first criteria, if a shared channel can utilized to transmit an actual data packet; converting said actual data packet into one or more first data packets, wherein each said one or more first data packet represent a portion of said actual data packet; and transmitting each said one or more first data packet using said shared channel.
US08238913B1
Systems and methods are discussed for providing multiple network interfaces to devices to communicate with each other using various policies, for using a proxy to maintain a connection with a legacy system such that a data connection to the legacy system may be continued when an end device connects with the proxy, and for maintaining application states when devices become disconnected such that their activities may be resumed when reconnected. Multiple wireless networks allow communication sessions to transfer across each of the multiple wireless networks in a seamless fashion. One wireless network may control the handoff to another wireless network or a mobile device with an OCMP may control the handoff.
US08238893B2
Techniques for facilitating interoperation between a portable media device having an RF tuner and an accessory device. In certain embodiments, the portable media device and the accessory can exchange various commands pertaining to the capabilities, state, and/or operation of the tuner. For example, in one set of embodiments the accessory can send one or more commands requesting information about the capabilities of the tuner, and the portable media device can provide the requested capability information. In another set of embodiments, the accessory can send one or more commands requesting execution of a particular action with respect to the tuner, and the portable media device can perform the requested action. In this manner, certain embodiments of the present invention enable a user to control the tuner functionality of the portable media device via the accessory, rather than, e.g., via an input interface located directly on the portable media device.
US08238887B2
A system and method for controlling output of content on a media rendering device. A mobile phone may be effective to receive a request for content where the content is from a content processor. The mobile phone may be effective to generate a command based on the request, the command including a URL, the URL including an address of a gateway processor and an identification of the content processor. The mobile phone may be effective to send the command to the media rendering device. The media rendering device may be effective to send a request to the gateway processor using the URL. The gateway processor may be effective to receive the content from the content processor and send the content to the media rendering device. The media rendering device may be effective to output the content.
US08238885B2
In order to avoid erroneous or incorrectly attributed comments in picture-assisted documentation systems, the invention proposes a system which comprises at least one mobile terminal, at least one server and at least two machine-readable markers applied to or on articles, in which the mobile terminal comprises a reading unit which can be used to read the markers applied to or on the articles, a camera for taking pictures, and means for sending pictures.
US08238880B2
The present invention discloses a method and an apparatus for processing an authentication of a mobile terminal, wherein the method includes: a network side receiving an image identity message from a mobile terminal, wherein the image identity message carries current image feature information and a user identifier of the mobile terminal; and searching image feature information which is saved previously in a database by the user identifier of the mobile terminal, performing a corresponding algorithm match between the current image feature information and the image feature information according to a preset security level, and performing an authentication on the mobile terminal based on the result of the match. By means of the technical solution of the present invention applying, the image information collected by photo shooting is used as an identity identification password, therefore, the identity authentications of different security levels can be provided, and the security and the expansibility of the identity authentication of the mobile terminal is increased greatly.
US08238872B2
A system and method of for establishing a connection between a vehicle and an external network includes a plurality of personal electronic devices and a transceiver. The plurality of personal electronic devices are each configured for establishing a data connection to the vehicle. Each of the plurality of personal electronic have a mobile plan that includes a data limit and an amount of data used. At least one of the plurality of personal electronic devices are selected to be in communication with the external network. Selection of at least one of the plurality of personal electronic devices is based on a corresponding amount of data available in a mobile plan for each of the personal electronic devices.
US08238866B2
A variable bandwidth filter for use in filtering signal channels in a telecommunication satellite between uplink and downlink beams, and having a reduced amount of phase noise, includes a first mixer for translating the frequency of an input signal by a first predetermined frequency value, a first filter for defining one edge of the variable bandwidth, a second mixer for translating the frequency of the input signal by a second predetermined frequency value, a second filter for defining another edge of the variable bandwidth, and further mixer for translating the frequency of the input signal by a further predetermined frequency value, and wherein first and second local oscillator frequencies are applied to the first mixer, the second mixer and the further mixer such that each frequency translation of the input signal in one direction has a counterpart translation of corresponding value in the opposite direction.
US08238865B2
Embodiments of a system for calibrating the image rejection of a receiver include an image-rejection correction circuit that modifies the gain and phase of a first channel of a baseband image signal. The image-rejection correction circuit may include a summing circuit and first and second variable-gain elements. In one implementation, a filter receives a corrected first channel from the image-rejection correction circuit and an unmodified second channel of the image signal, while a controller analyzes power measured at the output of the filter, and adjusts the variable-gain elements to reduce the power of the image signal.
US08238860B2
An IP2 tuning circuit (404, 1004, 1104 and 1404) for tuning the IP2 of a mixer (414 and 415) to minimize second order intermodulation distortion (IMD2) in a receiver (402, 1002, 1102 and 1402) of a transceiver (401, 1001, 1101 and 1401). An operating characteristic of the mixer related to IMD2 is changeable by changing a value of a setting of the mixer. Two tones outside a bandpass of the receiver are injected into the mixer and a calibration tone within the bandpass is produced as a result of IMD2. Alternatively, a DSSS signal is injected into the mixer and the calibration tone is produced at a chip rate of the DSSS signal. The power of the calibration tone is measured at a plurality of values of the settings. Alternatively, a four-level PN DSSS signal of known content is injected into the mixer, and a two-level PN DSSS signal of known content produced therefrom is correlated with a two-level PN DSSS signal of known content produced by a squaring circuit (1468).
US08238858B2
In a direct-conversion type orthogonal demodulator used in a multi-band receiver, influence to signal-receiving characteristics of the receiver, caused by DC offset drift produced when a band is switched to another, is reduced. In a multi-band receiver including a plurality of orthogonal demodulators each carrying out orthogonal demodulation for each of a plurality of band inputs, a switch which selects one of outputs transmitted from the orthogonal demodulators in accordance with a band-switching control signal, and a high pass filter receiving an output transmitted from the switch, a cut-off frequency of the high pass filter is raised when a band is switched to another, to thereby shorten a convergent time of DC offset drift included in an output signal.
US08238847B2
Methods and systems for vector combining power amplification are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a plurality of signals are individually amplified, then summed to form a desired time-varying complex envelope signal. Phase and/or frequency characteristics of one or more of the signals are controlled to provide the desired phase, frequency, and/or amplitude characteristics of the desired time-varying complex envelope signal. In another embodiment, a time-varying complex envelope signal is decomposed into a plurality of constant envelope constituent signals. The constituent signals are amplified equally or substantially equally, and then summed to construct an amplified version of the original time-varying envelope signal. Embodiments also perform frequency up-conversion.
US08238846B2
A communication device and method of removing an LO leakage signal from a signal path on the fly is disclosed. The signal path may be that of a transmitter or receiver. An initial RF output signal, containing a desired RF output signal and an LO leakage signal, is supplied from a feedforward path to a combiner/splitter on a feedback path. A 180° out-of-phase copy of the desired RF output signal is also supplied to the combiner/splitter. The resulting LO leakage signal is down-converted and the power of the down-converted signal determined and used to suppress the LO leakage signal. The resulting LO leakage signal is also supplied to the feedforward path of the feedback loop.
US08238837B2
Systems and methods for controlling sounding reference signal transmission are provided; a user equipment starts transmitting the sounding reference signal in anticipation of uplink data transmission, and then discontinues transmitting the sounding reference signal after completion of uplink data transmission.
US08238833B1
Network device operability testing is performed by defining a universe of possible device states as a combination of network coverages, available network services and possible subscriber features. In one embodiment, each individual combination of network coverage, for a particular service and feature collectively defines a particular device state for operability testing purposes. In one embodiment, test point data may be generated, where each test point corresponds to the device's operability for a particular device state. In another embodiment, state transitions and test point data may be represented as a node-based device state tree, which may navigated for pinpointing the nature and cause of device operability failures.
US08238821B2
Various methods, apparatuses, and systems are described in which a WAP is coupled to an antenna unit and provides a wireless LAN. In one embodiment, the antenna unit includes at least one remote antenna circuit having one or more ports to receive a control signal and a transmit signal transmitted from the WAP located in a multi-tone transmitter-receiver. Each remote antenna circuit includes a transmit amplifier unit that amplifies the transmit signal, a receive amplifier unit that amplifies a receive signal, and control unit that receives the control signal. The control unit controls an operation of the transmit and the receive amplifier units to extend a range of the wireless WAP with the at least one remote antenna circuit.
US08238818B2
A processor for use in a satellite communications system includes a selector that is configured to select a subset of a plurality of spatially diverse satellite signals based upon a location of a radioterminal. The processor further includes a signal processor that is configured to detect a return-link transmission from the radioterminal responsive to the selected subset of the spatially diverse satellite signals. The respective spatially diverse satellite signals may include respective signals corresponding to respective antenna elements of a satellite. The selector and the signal processor may be ground based.
US08238813B1
A broadcast satellite single wire interface. Such an interface comprises a low noise block amplifier module having multiple outputs, a plurality of filter banks, each filter bank coupled to each of the outputs of the low noise block amplifier module in a respective fashion and comprising a plurality of filters, and a plurality of analog-to-digital (A/D) converters, each A/D converter coupled to a filter in the plurality of filters in the plurality of filter banks in a respective fashion, wherein the A/D converters directly sample incoming downconverted broadcast satellite signals and the sampled incoming downconverted broadcast signals are output on a single wire in a stacked output.
US08238807B2
An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a belt for conveying the toner image; and a transfer device for rubbing the belt, and a surface of the transfer device, which is brought into contact with the belt includes linear concave portions or linear convex portions. The image forming apparatus of the present invention prevents a friction force between the belt and the transfer device rubbing the belt from increasing and brings a transfer member into a stable contact with the belt for conveying the toner image, thereby suppressing increase in drive torque of the belt which rubs the transfer device and suppressing occurrence of image failure.
US08238804B2
A light receiving portion is configured to receive light that varies with time while a mark formed on an object moves across a detection area. The position of the mark on the object is determined based on comparison of a time-varying level of the light with at least one threshold during movement of the mark on the object across the detection area. The determined position of the mark is corrected by a correction value into a corrected mark position. The correction value is set to a higher value, if the time-varying light level exceeds the threshold or falls below the threshold with a smaller slope while the mark moves across the detection area. An image forming position is adjusted based on the corrected mark position.
US08238797B2
A toner cartridge includes: a toner storing portion for storing toner; a toner discharger having a toner discharge port; a screw auger having a rotary shaft and a helical blade for conveying the toner in the toner storing portion to the toner discharger; and an inner shutter that sections between the toner storing portion and the toner discharger. The inner shutter is provided so as to be movable to such a position as to create communication between the toner storing portion and the toner discharge port in linkage with rotation of the screw auger.
US08238790B2
In an image forming apparatus, a moving member is provided with a first engagement member. A lever is provided with a second engagement member to engage and disengage the first engagement member provided in the moving member. The lever moves between a predetermined first position and a second position different from the first position to move the moving member in such a manner that when the lever is at the first position, a transfer member reaches a contact position at which the transfer member is pressed against an image carrier via a belt, and when the lever is at the second position, the transfer member reaches a separation position at which the transfer member separates from the image carrier.
US08238785B2
A process cartridge includes a first guided portion provided on a photosensitive member unit at a downstream side of a mounting direction of the process cartridge, a second guided portion provided along the mounting direction, and a third guided portion provided on a developing unit of the process cartridge along the mounting direction.
US08238767B2
A visualizing agent quantity display control system includes a first container, a second container, a detection unit, a display unit, a control unit. The second container, which is replaceable, contains the visualizing agent to be supplied to the first container. The detection unit detects a quantity of the visualizing agent contained in the second container. The control unit causes the detection unit to detect a remaining quantity of the visualizing agent in the second container except the visualizing agent which decreases when an operation of supplying the visualizing agent in the second container to the first container has first been executed. The control unit causes a display unit to display information indicating that the remaining quantity of the visualizing agent in the second container is full regardless of the quantity of the visualizing agent which decreases when the operation has first been executed.
US08238764B2
An image forming apparatus is provided. A development cartridge having a first memory storing therein cartridge information is detachably mountable to the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes: an apparatus casing and an exposure unit having plural light emitting portions. The exposure unit is supported by the apparatus casing so that the light emitting portions face a photosensitive member rotatably supported by the apparatus casing. The image forming apparatus further includes a reader unit disposed on the exposure unit and configured to read the cartridge information from the first memory when the development cartridge is mounted to the image forming apparatus.
US08238760B2
The present invention provides a system, apparatus and method to improve the signal-to-noise ratio performance in receivers configured to receive differential data signals. According to various embodiments of the invention, a received differential signal is processed to consider both forward-looking and backward-looking error components to improve SNR performance, and ultimately the reach of the optical line system. Additional processing is provided to further enhance noise tolerance related to chromatic dispersion.
US08238755B2
A dual wiring system with improved function expandability is provided. A base unit is mounted in a wall surface of a structure, and connected to both of an electric power line and an information line previously installed in the structure. Each of function units has at least one of functions for providing electric power from the electric power line, outputting information from the information line and inputting information into the information line when connected with the base unit. The base unit is detachably connected with one of the function units by use of a joining member, so that electric power is supplied from the base unit to the function unit through a power transmission means, and a signal transmission between the base unit and the function unit is obtained through a signal transmission means.
US08238754B2
An optical local area network includes a passive optical distribution fabric interconnecting a plurality of nodes including a first node and a plurality of remaining nodes, a hub that includes the first node and a control module, and a client network adapter coupled to each of the remaining nodes for responding to the control module. The control module controls timing for each of the client network adapters to transmit signals over the passive optical distribution fabric and distribution of signals to each of the nodes.
US08238753B2
An optical line terminal receives an optical signal transmitted by time division multiple access from plural optical network units among which are an optical network unit performing communications at a first bit rate and an optical network unit performing communications at a second bit rate. The optical line terminal includes a branching unit, a first receiving unit, and a second receiving unit. The branching unit branches the optical signal into branches, at an asymmetrical branching ratio. The first receiving unit receives a branch having the first bit rate, among the branches of a greater branched proportion. The second receiving unit receives a branch having the second bit rate, among the branches of a lesser branched proportion.
US08238750B2
Various example embodiments are disclosed. According to an example embodiment, a dual split passive optical network (PON) may be provided that includes an optical splitting device, and a first and second distribution fibers connected to the optical splitting device. A first cyclic AWG may be coupled to the optical splitting device via the first distribution fiber and a second cyclic AWG may be coupled to the optical splitting device via the second distribution fiber. In other example embodiments, an asymmetric power splitting ratio may be used for the splitting device, or optical seeds and/or optical data signals may be allocated to each of the cyclic AWGs based on a performance of the optical data signals and/or power loss/attenuation of the respective distribution fibers.
US08238749B2
An apparatus, comprising a first node configured to communicate with a second node to generate a wavelength assignment, wherein the first node is configured to send a wavelength availability information to the second node. Included is a network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method, comprising receiving a wavelength availability information, and updating the wavelength availability information using a local wavelength availability information. Also included is a method, comprising acquiring a local wavelength assignment information, calculating a local wavelength availability information, and transmitting the local wavelength availability information to a subsequent network element on a lightpath.
US08238736B2
Provided is a photographing optical device, which is able to reliably correct an unintentional movement by hand of a user by improving the constitution of a camera unit driving mechanism for correcting the deflection of a camera unit. In order that a camera unit is made to be rocked to correct the unintentional movement, a photographing optical device includes a first camera unit drive mechanism and a second camera unit drive mechanism, which are so disposed at two side portions sandwiching a pivot portion therebetween as to make a pair. In these camera unit drive mechanisms, camera unit driving magnets are held on the side of the camera unit as a movable body side, and camera unit driving coils are held on the side of a stationary body. The camera unit is pushed toward the pivot portion by a gimbal spring.
US08238735B2
To provide a driving mechanism with which a reduction in size is possible. A driving mechanism comprising: an optical component that is provided to be movable; a first driving member that is movable in a first direction; a second driving member that is movable in the first direction independently of the first driving member; and an abutting portion that is provided at the optical component and abuts against the first driving member and the second driving member, wherein, the optical component is moved by driving force of the first driving member and the second driving member abutting against the abutting portion.
US08238729B2
A fan controlling circuit is provided. The fan controlling circuit includes an integral unit, an operational amplifier, and an output unit. The integral unit transforms pulse width modulation signals to voltages, and then the output unit outputs one of the pulse width modulation signals having a higher operation frequency according to the comparison result between the voltages. As the fan controlling circuit may be constituted with discrete elements and use a same voltage source as fans, the design cost and complexity are reduced.
US08238720B2
A method of contiguously recording a sequence of ordered A/V information signals and corresponding management information signals on a disc-like recording medium of the write-once type, includes allocating a reserved area within a linear addressing space of the disc, contiguously recording the A/V information signals in a video recording area located succeeding the reserved area, recording corresponding management data in a temporary overview space succeeding the video recording area, generating a mapping table for mapping the recorded management data to address locations in the reserved area and recording the mapping table in the temporary overview space. When finalizing the disc, the recorded management information signals is copied to the reserved area in correspondence to the latest mapping table information and the remaining unrecorded sections of the reserved area is recorded with arbitrary data signals.
US08238698B2
The invention relates to an optical measurement probe for process monitoring, having a distal end, arranged in the region of a process apparatus, with a light entrance opening, and a proximal end coupled to a spectrometer, wherein a shaft comprising a light-guiding connection between the distal and proximal ends of the measurement probe is arranged between the two ends. The measurement probe is characterized in that the measurement probe has, in its distal region relative to the shaft and/or the proximal end, a reduced external diameter (FIG. 1).
US08238697B2
A polarization beam splitter-polarization rotator-polarization beam combiner optical structure comprising a pair of polarization rotators having a polarization beam splitter associated with the input ends of the two polarization rotators, and a polarization beam combiner associated with output ends of the two polarization rotators, and a method of purifying a light signal comprising TE and TM modes by disassociating the primary TE and TM modes from first order splitter and rotation error components.
US08238695B1
A system and method for reducing the data-rate when processing video, particularly wide-angle video.
US08238691B2
A method of and apparatus for image analysis for picture loss detection in fields or frames in video or film content makes use of different correlation characteristics of picture images and non-picture images to detect picture loss. A measure of self correlation of a plurality of image data samples, and a measure of the correlation of the plurality of image data samples with a mean value are determined, and a positive detection of picture loss is based on a comparison between the two correlation measures.
US08238687B1
A set of local noise variation values characterizing local noise levels in the input image is calculated. Local contrast enhancement is performed on image forming element values derived from the input image to produce a contrast enhanced image. Values of local noise amplification caused by the local contrast enhancement are ascertained. Noise in the contrast enhanced image is reduced based on the set of local noise variation values and the local noise amplification values.
US08238683B2
An image processing method adopted to remove noise present in an image, includes: an image input step in which an original image constituted of a plurality of pixels is input; a multiple-resolution images generation step in which a plurality of band-limited images with resolutions decreasing in sequence are generated by filtering the input original image; a first noise removal step in which virtual noise removal processing is executed individually for each of the band-limited images; a second noise removal step in which actual noise removal processing is executed for the individual band-limited images based upon the band-limited images from which noise has been virtually removed through the first noise removal step; and an image acquisition step in which a noise-free image of the original image is obtained based upon the individual band-limited images from which noise has been actually removed through the second noise removal step, and the virtual noise removal processing executed in the first noise removal step and the actual noise removal processing executed in the second noise removal step are differentiated in correspondence to a frequency band of a band-limited image.
US08238682B2
A thinned output image is generated from an input image. Values of pixels surrounding a pixel of interest in the input image are determined, and first and second neighboring pixel patterns surrounding the pixel of interest are established based on the values of the pixels surrounding the pixel of interest. The first neighboring pixel pattern may be compared to each of a set of purge patterns to determine whether to eliminate the pixel, and the second neighboring pixel pattern may be compared to each of a set of conservation patterns to determine whether to conserve the pixel. The comparisons to the purge and conservation patterns are performed for each pixel independently, and in parallel for all pixels of the input image.
US08238675B2
Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to image restoration for compressed images. In aspects, image restoration is accomplished by recovering spectral information from data corresponding to a compressed image. The spectral information is recovered using an algorithm to search through a solution space of possible solutions while constraints are imposed on the solution space to trim undesirable solutions from the space. An algorithm described herein may be iteratively applied to improve the quality of the recovered image.
US08238673B2
A pattern identification apparatus for identifying one of a plurality of classes defined in advance, to which data of a pattern identification target belongs, comprises a read unit adapted to read out, from a storage unit in correspondence with each of the plurality of classes, a projection rule to a hyperplane which approximates a manifold corresponding to the class in a feature space an input unit adapted to input identification target data; a calculation unit adapted to calculate, for each class, a projection result obtained by projecting the input identification target data to the hyperplane which approximates the manifold corresponding to each of the plurality of classes, on the basis of the projection rule; and an identification unit adapted to identify, on the basis of the projection result of each classes calculated by said calculation unit, one of the plurality of classes to which the identification target data belongs.
US08238669B2
A system and method detects matches between portions of video content. A matching module receives an input video fingerprint representing an input video and a set of reference fingerprints representing reference videos in a reference database. The matching module compares the reference fingerprints and input fingerprints to generate a list of candidate segments from the reference video set. Each candidate segment comprises a time-localized portion of a reference video that potentially matches the input video. A classifier is applied to each of the candidate segments to classify the segment as a matching segment or a non-matching segment. A result is then outputted identifying a matching portion of a reference video from the reference video set based on the segments classified as matches.
US08238658B2
A computer-implemented method for creating an ordered set of shoreline boundary points by transforming data from remotely sensed imagery of shorelines is provided. A water data set and an edge data set are transformed into a set of 3-point boundary segments having a specific head and tail point and the segments are ordered from tail to head in a clockwise or counterclockwise manner relative to the water. Once the 3-point segments are created they are easily linked together into larger segments. These large multi-point segments in turn are linked together to create the shorelines for rivers or coastal areas.
US08238656B2
A method for filtering noise in an image filters noise pixels in a discrepant block between a current image and a background image firstly, and further filter each small block whose area is less than a preset value from the discrepant block. The method further calculates a total area of each big block whose area is greater than or equal to the preset value from the discrepant block, and adds the current image to a background list of the current image if the total area is less than another preset value.
US08238648B2
Provided is a camera self-calibration method that calculates a focal length of a fixed zoom lens camera from a correspondence point position between images. In the method, a cost function, which is a function of a focal length, is defined, and a focal length that minimizes the defined cost function is obtained to obtain a focal length that allows 3D recovery results of correspondence points calculated from all image pairs coincide with one another. Therefore, reliability of the calculated focal length can be easily verified, and the focal length of the camera can be stably calculated even when the position of input correspondence point is inaccurately given.
US08238633B2
An image processing apparatus capable of clipping a diagnostic region while retaining the pixel information of the original radiographic image even when the subject is imaged aslant. The image processing apparatus applies trimming processing to a radiographic image acquired by an imaging apparatus for acquiring a radiographic image of a subject and includes an image rotation unit for rotating the radiographic image so that the subject is aligned with a given direction to produce a display image, a diagnostic region designation unit for designating a first diagnostic region clipped with a diagnostic region designation frame represented by a rectangle for the display image, and a trimming processing unit for calculating a second diagnostic region in the radiographic image from a rotation amount of the display image and diagnostic region information representing the first diagnostic region and applying trimming processing to the radiographic image to clip the second diagnostic region.
US08238626B2
A medical image display apparatus has a dividing unit and a setting unit. The dividing unit divides a range after changing to an overlapping range that a range after changing overlaps a range before changing, and a non-overlapping range that not includes the overlapping range, when a position of the range is changed. The setting unit configured to set a pixel value after changing based on a pixel value constituting a diagnostic image before changing and voxel values along a predefined direction in the non-overlapping range according to a predefined condition about a pixel that a position of a voxel value in volume data corresponding to the pixel value constituting the diagnostic image before changing exists in the overlapping range, among each pixels constituting a diagnostic image after changing generated based on the voxel values along the predefined direction in the range after changing.
US08238603B1
People are counted in a segment of video with a video processing system that is configured with a first set of parameters. This produces a first output. Based on this first output, a second set of parameters is chosen. People are then counted in the segment of video using the second set of parameters. This produces a second output. People are counted with a video played forward. People are counted with a video played backwards. The results of these two counts are reconciled to produce a more accurate people count.
US08238599B2
An image processing method is disclosed that is capable of efficient information extraction when embedding information in an image by using plural information embedding methods. The image processing method includes steps of embedding target information in the image by using one or more methods selected from plural information embedding methods; and embedding identification information in the image for identifying the selected one or more methods. The identification information is embedded in a method allowing an amount of the embedded information to be less than an amount of the embedded information in each of the selected one or more methods.
US08238579B2
According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a volume operation module, a first volume controller and a second volume controller. The volume operation module includes a rotary encoder module of detecting a degree of movement of a control member thereof and a potentiometer module of detecting an absolute position of the control member. The first volume controller controls the volume of the audio signal based on the detected degree of movement of the control member. The second volume controller controls the volume of the audio signal based on the detected absolute position of the control member. The volume control by the first volume controller is rendered effective when the information processing apparatus is in a power-on state. The volume control by the second volume controller is rendered effective when the information processing apparatus is in a power-off state.
US08238576B2
A signal processing system includes a level dependent bass management system. The level dependent bass management system utilizes audio input signal level information to apply at least one of multiple, available bass management solutions to generate one or more output signals from the audio input signal. In at least one embodiment, initially the level dependent bass management system boosts components of the audio input signal in the low frequency range by an amount sufficient to at least partially compensate for low frequency attenuation of the first speaker without exceeding one or more acceptable limitations of the signal processing system. If boosting alone cannot completely compensate for low frequency attenuation of the first speaker without exceeding one or more acceptable limitations of the signal processing system, the level dependent bass management system processes the audio input signal using an alternate low frequency management solution.
US08238567B2
A apparatus and method for determining an operating state of an earpiece of a personal acoustic device and/or the entirety of the personal acoustic device by analyzing signals output by at least an inner microphone disposed within a cavity of a casing of the earpiece and an outer microphone disposed on the personal acoustic device in a manner acoustically coupling it to the environment outside the casing of the earpiece.
US08238565B2
A system for adapting a hearing aid to a user includes a unit generating an image of the user's ear together with a model of the hearing aid, wherein the model of the hearing aid in-situ includes a physical model of the hearing aid inserted in the user's ear prior to generating the image. The system also generates a mesh based on the image, calculates acoustic response to a simulated acoustic signal in the mesh, calculates a frequency response curve for a fixed position in the mesh, and identifies an optimal position of a microphone of the hearing aid in-situ from the acoustic response. They system also includes a comparator configured to compare the frequency response curve for the fixed position in the mesh with a maximum frequency response curve for the mesh stored by the system.
US08238564B2
A sound recording and reproduction system for testing hearing and hearing aids is disclosed. Recordings of sound are made in a real word acoustic environment, for example, which are stored as audio signals. In a testing environment, a plurality of loudspeakers is located about a listening position where a test subject is placed during a testing procedure. The plurality of loudspeakers receive at least a portion of the plurality of the stored audio signals, and convert those audio signals received into a combination of sounds that produce, at the listening position, acoustic elements of the real world acoustic environment where the recordings were made. The system enables, in a clinical or other test setting, the evaluation of hearing and/or hearing aid performance as if in a real world environment.
US08238558B2
A key agreement method is carried out by a first system in conjunction with a second system over a bidirectional communication path, including generating a first key pair having a first public key and a first private key, sending the first public key to the second system, receiving a second public key generated by the second system, and calculating a master key based upon the first private key, the second public key, a long-term private key, and a long-term public key. The long-term private key was generated by the first system during a previous key-agreement method as part of a long-term key pair. The long-term public key was generated by the second system and received during the previous key-agreement method. The previous key-agreement method required a secret to be known to the first system and the second system, thus conferring authentication based on the secret to the long-term public key.
US08238556B2
A quantum communication system comprising a sending unit and a receiving unit, said sending unit comprising a photon source assembly configured to output a stream of pulses of light having at least two different intensities and a memory configured to store information for determining which pulses should be reference pulses and which pulses should be data pulses, the average intensity of reference pulses being different to the average intensity of data pulses, the receiving unit comprising a memory for storing information for identifying the position of reference pulses within the stream of pulses and a processor for determining the calibration of the quantum communication system from the reference pulses.
US08238548B2
An echo canceller apparatus comprises a receive side attenuator coupled in a receive side signal path that is configured to couple from a conference call bridge to a caller; a convolution processor coupled to the receive side signal path at a convolution processor pick-off point; a double-talk detector coupled to the receive side signal path and to a sending side signal path that is configured to couple from the caller to the conference call bridge; and logic coupled to the receive side attenuator which when executed is responsive to a double-talk condition detected by the double-talk detector and operable to determine a level of echo canceled by the convolution processor, to determine an additional amount of attenuation to introduce, and to activate the receive side attenuator to introduce the additional attenuation.
US08238543B2
A system for making outbound calls includes a first node connected to a network for placing outbound telephone calls, a second node connected to the network and accessible to the first node for reporting agent status relative to busy, ready, and time to ready, a number of agent appliances connected to the network and accessible to the second node, and a number of agent activity applications installed one per on the agent appliances. In a preferred embodiment outbound calls are predicted based on the number of agents reported ready to accept a call plus the number of agents predicted to be ready to accept a call within a specified time window.
US08238540B1
An online and offline communication processing and tracking using data processing and data/voice networks is described. A phone address from a phone address number pool is automatically assigned to a first entity. A call quality rating is determined and recorded. A call from a caller directed to the phone address is received at a call bridging system coupled to at least one network, wherein the call is associated with call signaling information. Based at least in part on the call quality associated with the caller call, the caller call is assigned to a first location in a call queue. An outbound call is generated from the call bridging system and the inbound and the outbound calls are bridged. One or more parameters of the bridged call are compared to the call quality rating. An indication is recorded regarding the successful bridging of the calls in association with an entity identifier.
US08238529B1
An apparatus for bypassing outgoing voice mail greetings automatically in a broadcast messaging system has a processor in operative communication with an NPANXX database, an NPAC database, an OCN database and a voice mail short code database. The processor is configured to retrieve a telephone number to be called and to identify for the telephone number an OCN from the NPANXX database, identify a current carrier from the OCN database, and to identify a voice mail short code from the voice mail short code database. The processor then associates the current correct voice mail short code with the telephone number to be called.
US08238518B2
A radiotherapy system is disclosed, comprising a support for supporting a patient undergoing radiotherapy treatment, a gantry that is rotatable about an axis, a source of radiation mounted on the gantry and producing a beam of radiation directed towards a target region of the patient, a collimator coupled to said radiation source for collimating said radiation beam, the collimator comprising a plurality of beam-limiting elements, each movable to collectively define a shaped aperture through which the radiation beam passes, a portal imager mounted on the gantry opposite the radiation source for detecting the radiation after it has passed through the patient and generating corresponding images, and associated circuitry for controlling at least the gantry, the source, the collimator, and the portal imager, collating detected data comprising a plurality of images acquired from the imager including images at a plurality of angles of rotation of said gantry and images at a plurality of collimator shapes, and generating a three-dimensional image of the target region based thereon.
US08238516B2
A radiotherapy treatment support apparatus includes a storage unit which stores absorption dose volume data expressing a spatial distribution of absorption dose in a subject, a generation unit which generates fusion data associated with morphology volume data of the subject and the absorption dose volume data so as to be associated with a plurality of segments, and a display unit which displays an image which has the distribution of absorption dose superimposed on the two-dimensional morphology image of the subject using the fusion data.
US08238514B2
Technologies are generally described for employing ultra-short pulsed X-rays in X-ray computer tomography. Timing parameters of binary modulation applied to the X-rays at the source may be adjusted based on detector characteristics, industry standards, and/or user input. The timing for minimum X-ray intensity during each pulse may be selected to minimize afterglow effect. The timing for the maximum X-ray intensity may then be determined based on one or more of the minimum X-ray intensity timing, desired X-ray dosage, and/or other similar parameters.
US08238511B2
A protector bottom grid for a nuclear fuel assembly that includes three laterally staggered and horizontally oriented protrusions that extend into the fuel rod cell of a support grid below a vertically oriented spring. The three staggered protrusions extend into the cell a distance that maintains a space between the protrusions and the fuel rod. The vertically oriented spring biases the fuel rod against a dimple extending from the opposite cell wall that is at an elevation just above the spring. The protrusions below the spring trap incoming debris in the area of the fuel rod end cap and protect the fuel rod cladding from fretting.
US08238507B2
This invention provides a transmission architecture of transmitter which includes a forestage module, a pilot insertion, a scramble selector, and a backstage module. A frequency domain data symbol is transmitted by the forestage module. A pilot signal is inserted in the frequency domain data symbol by the pilot insertion, and a frequency domain pilot symbol is produced. The frequency domain pilot symbol performed a scramble operation and a select operation with certain scramble patterns by the scramble selector, and a requirement symbol is produced. The requirement symbol is converted into the transmitted signal by the backstage module. Because the use of the scramble operation and the select operation from the scramble selector, the transmission architecture of transmitter provided by this invention can both reduce the PAPR and increase the multi-cell diversity gain in an OFDM single frequency network system.
US08238505B2
The invention relates to a method or to a correspondingly equipped circuit for line-coupled generation of a clock (t), wherein the clock (t) is controlled in relation to a synchronization signal (hs) and by means of a closed loop (FLL) with respect to the phase and/or the frequency in relation to the synchronization signal (hs); wherein a plurality (n) of at least two count values (cn, c0-c7) is determined, wherein each of the count values (cn, c0-c7) is determined with at least one count duration number (z) of consecutive periods of the synchronization signal (hs), and wherein each of the count values (cn, c0-c7) is determined offset relative to at least one further count value (cn, c0-c7) with a count offset (v) which is different from the count duration number of consecutive periods of the synchronization signal (hs).
US08238503B2
A clock data recovering circuit solving a problem in which a stable clock signal cannot be extracted is provided. A phase comparator includes a main-signal-discriminator. The main-signal-discriminator discriminates a reception signal by a clock signal to generate recovery data indicating the discrimination result. Phase comparator 2 uses the discrimination result of the main-signal-discriminator to compare phases of a reception signal and a recovery clock and outputs a phase comparison signal indicating the comparison result. A generator generates a recovery clock with a frequency corresponding to the comparison result indicated by the phase comparison signal outputted from phase comparator 2. An eye opening monitor detects an optimal discrimination point of main-signal-discriminator 1 based on a monitor signal split from the reception signal and the recovery data generated by the main-signal-discriminator. The eye opening monitor also adjusts a discrimination point of the main-signal-discriminator based on the detection result.
US08238500B2
A communication system includes a physical communication channel. A signal is transmitted across the communication channel from a transmit end of the channel to a receive end of the channel. A plurality of processing branches process the signal at the receive end of the communication channel. This reduces complexity of the receive channel, without reducing a bandwidth of the given communication channel, and without comprising performance.
US08238498B2
There is provided a wireless communication apparatus including: a matrix estimating unit that estimates a channel matrix of N rows and M columns (N and M are natural numbers); a selecting unit that selects S rows (S is a natural number, and S
US08238489B2
An apparatus and method for processing a signal using a single correlator are provided. The apparatus may include a first storage unit storing satellite signal samples, a correlator receiving the satellite signal samples stored in the first storage unit in units of at least two satellite signal samples and performing correlation, and a controller storing the satellite signal samples received from an RF terminal in the first storage unit and controlling the correlator based on a predetermined control value. Accordingly, it is possible to ensure speed and performance even when tracking a plurality of satellite signals using a single correlator.
US08238482B2
A technique for performing channel tracking and/or channel estimation in a wireless communication device includes receiving a reference signal and one or more non-error propagation physical channel signals. In general, the one or more non-error propagation physical channel signals must be correctly decoded before a data channel can be decoded. Channel tracking and/or channel estimation are/is then performed based on the reference signal and at least one of the one or more non-error propagation physical channel signals.
US08238474B2
A new protocol is proposed for transmission of data through lines such as telephone lines. The tones of a signal are grouped, and Trellis encoding is performed only of the members of a group. The computational cost of coding and decoding the data is reduced (compared to treating all the tones of a given direction equivalently), and the invention makes it possible to significantly reduce the computational and memory requirements of the encoder and decoder. Furthermore, Trellis decoding errors are not propagated between the groups.
US08238472B2
One or more carrier signals in a multiple-carrier UE transmitter are frequency-adjusted to account for an estimated error in the separation frequency between the transmitted carrier signals. The adjustment is applied when generating the UL signals for the respective carrier frequencies in digital baseband of the UE. In one embodiment, one or more of the modulators that apply the carrier separation frequency additionally apply a frequency correction. In another embodiment, first mixers apply the carrier separation frequency to each different carrier signal. One or more carrier signal paths include a second mixer applying a frequency correction to the carrier signal. The RF modulation frequency may also be adjusted to partially compensate for the estimated carrier separation frequency error.
US08238468B2
There is disclosed a radio transmission device capable of improving the throughput. The radio transmission device (100) transmits a first signal and a second signal which are different from each other. In the radio transmission device (100), an FFT unit (103) subjects first data to an FFT process. A sub-carrier allocation unit (106) maps the first data which has been subjected to the FFT process and the second data into different frequencies. An IFFT unit (107) subjects the mapped signal to the IFFT transform. A transmission radio processing unit (109) transmits the signal which has been subjected to the IFFT processing, with a single carrier.
US08238457B2
This invention provides a method and system for determining the number of bits to assign to a frequency range in a signal. The present invention is capable of bit allocation, with B total bits, among a plurality of N frequency ranges in time a time O(N log N), which is independent of the size of B. Embodiments of the present invention have many practical applications, including allocating bits among sub-channels in a multi-carrier communication system, and allocating bits among sub-bands in a signal representing digital multimedia, such as in JPEG or MPEG compressed files.
US08238454B2
A communications device includes a signal input that receives an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) communications signal. A demodulator is connected to the signal input for receiving the OFDM communications signal and demodulating the OFDM communication signal. It includes at least one memory element for storing the at least one sine/cosine basis waveform approximation as complex exponential functions. A logic circuit performs logical shifts in additions and multiples of +/−2n and extracts amplitude and phase values from a plurality of N data subcarriers within the OFDM communications signal. The demodulator includes efficient implementation of the FFT for use as an OFDM demodulator where the complex exponentials are approximated by multi-level complex sinusoids and optionally oversampled to increase SNR of the FFT output.
US08238452B1
Circuits are provided for synchronizing serial communication channels having respective receivers, of which one is a master receiver. Each receiver includes a FIFO buffer and a synchronizing element. The FIFO buffer is written periodically with characters received from the serial communication channel of the receiver, and the FIFO buffer is read periodically, except between the start and end of synchronization of the receiver. The start of synchronization of the master receiver is generated from the timing of reading a channel bonding character from the FIFO buffer of the master receiver. The start of synchronization of each receiver other than the master receiver is generated after the start of the master receiver and in response to reading a channel bonding character from the FIFO buffer of the receiver. The end of synchronization of the receivers is generated a time interval after the start of the master receiver.
US08238443B2
In one example, a digital video resampler and decoder is disclosed. An input buffer is coupled to a source of a video signal oversampled by at least two times. A horizontal synchronization detector is coupled to the input buffer, and detects horizontal synchronization boundaries. A counter is coupled to the horizontal synchronization detector to count a number of samples between horizontal synchronization boundaries. A comparator is coupled to the counter and compares the counted number of samples to a reference count. A sample corrector is coupled to the input buffer and modifies a block of samples based on a result from the comparator. An output buffer is coupled to the sample corrector to hold the modified block of samples. A comb filter is coupled to the output buffer, and generates first and second three-dimensional color values based on the modified block of samples.
US08238440B2
The present invention is directed to lessen burden at the time of solving a conflict of overlapping processes in processes for a plurality of interruption factors. On completion of data transfer to an external memory, a data transfer completion interruption of high priority is generated. In the case where data transfer of predetermined number of packets is not completed in reception interruption, a timer interruption of low priority is generated. Before processing data in an external memory responding to the interruption, the number of transfer packets is obtained from a counter. After restart of reception, the counter stores the number of transfer restart packets. After obtaining the number of transfer packets from a counter responding to the occurrence of the timer interruption, a data transfer completion interruption is generated. According to the obtained number of transfer packets, execution of either a process responding to occurrence of the timer interruption or a process responding to occurrence of the data transfer completion interruption is omitted.
US08238438B2
An image data transmitting apparatus and an image data transmitting method are provided which can distribute streaming moving images at a transfer rate in accordance with a transmission band with degradation in image quality being mitigated even at the time of congestion. A priority determining section 43 reads encoded data stored in the buffer 42 in units of VOP, and then calculates a priority for each VP in terms of VOP based on the amount of encoded data of VP and the number of MBs. A transmission control section 44 determines VPs starting from a VP of the highest priority that have a data amount up to the amount of transmittable encoded data. This determination is made based on the current state of congestion on a network 6 managed by a congestion state managing section 46 and the priorities calculated by the priority determining section 43. A VP transmitting section 45 stores the determined VPs in transmission packets for sequential transmission to a client 5.
US08238432B2
A weighting factor calculation unit (1903) calculates a weighting factor using characteristics respectively corresponding to a picture to be predicted and a selected reference picture in accordance with a weighting factor equation derived from a fade effect generation principle. For each picture, an intra-picture characteristic calculation unit (1901) calculates the characteristics as characteristics closed in the picture. The weighting factor of a fade picture can be obtained with a small calculation amount at high accuracy.
US08238428B2
Techniques for improving the accuracy of prediction in intra-frame coding. A prediction mode can specify a pixel along a direction independently of other pixels along the same direction. In an embodiment, an encoder selects a prediction mode to best represent the image block. In an alternative embodiment, a decoder reconstructs each pixel in the image block by weighting neighboring pixels according to a weight matrix specified by the prediction mode.
US08238426B2
The image encoding apparatus of one embodiment of the present invention comprises a coding mode determination unit, a prediction image generation unit, a storage unit, and an encoding unit. The coding mode determination unit determines a coding mode relating to which of the first image prediction processing or second image prediction processing is used for generating prediction image of a partial area of input images. The prediction image generation unit extracts the prediction assist information by the first image prediction processing and generates a prediction image based on the prediction assist information. The storage unit stores the reproduced image that is based on the prediction image. The encoding unit generates a bit stream comprising data obtained by encoding the coding mode information and prediction assist information.
US08238421B2
The present invention relates to technology of compressing large image data in order to effectively use a storage medium and efficiently use a communication medium in an image data compression technique field, and more particularly, to fast compression mode calculation in H.264. The present invention provides an H.264 compression mode estimation apparatus comprising: a macroblock image characteristic calculator calculating a macroblock image characteristic from macroblock image information; a macroblock mode estimator which comprises mode history tables and a table management unit managing these tables, in order to estimate a mode of a current macroblock from macroblock coordinates; and a mode estimation optimization judgment unit calculating RD-cost for the mode estimation and selecting an optimal mode in order to prevent the spread of errors of the estimated mode.
US08238420B1
The present disclosure includes, among other things, systems, methods and program products for video transcoding. A request is received for first video content for a playback system where the first video content is encoded with a first number of i-frames, where first video content frames are a first frame size. A second number of i-frames is determined for the first video content based on one or more playback capabilities of the playback system, where the second number of i-frames is greater than the first number of i-frames. A second frame size is determined for the first video content based on the playback capabilities of the playback system, where the second frame size is smaller than the first frame size. The first video content is transcoded to second video content where the second video content has the second number of i-frames and frames of the second frame size.
US08238417B2
In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a decoder configured to obtain a pixel value difference between two successive pixels. The two successive pixels are on a block boundary. The decoder is configured to calculate the filtering coefficient based on the pixel value difference, weight the filtering coefficient, and obtain a filtered pixel value based on the weighted filtering coefficient.
US08238412B2
Upon detection of a trigger, such as the exceeding of an error threshold or the direction of a user, a diagnostic link system enters a diagnostic information transmission mode. This diagnostic information transmission mode allows for two modems to exchange diagnostic and/or test information that may not otherwise be exchangeable during normal communication. The diagnostic information transmission mode is initiated by transmitting an initiate diagnostic link mode message to a receiving modem accompanied by a cyclic redundancy check (CRC). The receiving modem determines, based on the CRC, if a robust communications channel is present. If a robust communications channel is present, the two modems can initiate exchange of the diagnostic and/or test information. Otherwise, the transmission power of the transmitting modem is increased and the initiate diagnostic link mode message re-transmitted to the receiving modem until the CRC is determined to be correct.
US08238411B2
The invention relates to the acquisition of a code modulated signal, wherein a first set of correlation results for correlations between the code modulated signal and a first replica code with different code phases and a second set of correlation results for correlations between the code modulated signal and a second replica code with different code phases are available. In order to achieve a high sensitivity, results from both sets of correlation results are combined, wherein correlation results used in the combination are selected based on information on a relative difference between a correct code phase for both replica codes. Then, it is determined based on the combination whether at least one of the sets of correlation results comprises a correlation result representing the correct code phase for the first replica code or the second replica code, respectively.
US08238409B2
This method of reading a plurality of chip sample values at tap positions (66, 68) in a digital delay line (64) having a starting point and an end point for delaying symbols of a signal (82) received in a receiver comprises:—reading the plurality of chip sample values in the digital delay line (64) at the tap positions (66, 68) according to a chip rate clock (70) having a chip rate clock cycle and a chip rate clock frequency,—oversampling the received signal (82) according to a sample rate clock (84) having a sample rate clock cycle and a sample rate clock frequency to produce a plurality of chip sample values supplied in the digital delay line (64), the sample rate clock frequency being higher than the chip rate clock frequency,—shifting the tap positions (66, 68) towards either the starting point or the end point of the digital delay line (64), and—adjusting the chip rate clock cycle when shifting the tap positions.
US08238400B2
Two excimer lasers have individual pulsing circuits each including a storage capacitor which is charged and then discharged through a pulse transformer to generate an electrical pulse, which is delivered to the laser to generate a light pulse. The time between generation of the electrical pulse and creation of the light pulse is dependent on the charged voltage of the capacitor. The capacitors are charged while disconnected from each other. The generation of the electrical pulses is synchronized by connecting the capacitors together for a brief period after the capacitors are charged to equalize the charging voltages. The capacitors are disconnected from each other before they are discharged.
US08238390B2
Methods stabilize the output of a pulsed laser system using pulse shaping capabilities. In some embodiments, transient effects following a transition between a QCW regime and a pulse shaping regime are mitigated by ensuring that the average QCW optical power substantially corresponds to the average pulsed optical power outputted in a steady-state operation of the pulsed laser system in the pulse shaping regime. The QCW signal or the pulse shaping signal may be adapted for this purpose. In other embodiments, transient effects associated with non-process pulses emitted between series of consecutive process pulses are mitigated through the proper use of sequential pulse shaping.
US08238389B2
Apparatus and methods of controlling a frequency-converted diode laser system are disclosed. The diode laser systems can include embodiments of thermally coupled elements facilitating temperature stabilization. Aspects of some methods include monitoring the output of a stabilized diode laser system to reduce noise of the output laser beam. Other aspects of some methods include adjusting the temperature of a frequency converter based on noise in the output beam, and/or the current provided to drive the diode laser. Systems incorporating such control aspects, and others, are also disclosed.
US08238388B2
A tunable laser device (1) comprises integrally formed first and second ridge waveguides (5, 6). A longitudinally extending ridge (12) defines first and second light guiding regions (19, 20) of the first and second waveguides (5, 6) A plurality of first and second slots (27, 28) extending laterally in the ridge (12) adjacent the first and second waveguides (5, 6), produce first and second mirror loss spectra of the respective first and second waveguides (5, 6) with minimum peak values at respective first and second wavelength values. The spacing between the second slots (28) is different to that between the first slots (27) so that with one exception the minimum peak values of the first and second mirror loss spectrum occur at different wavelength values. The first and second waveguides (5, 6) are independently pumped with variable currents to selectively vary the common wavelength at which the minimum peak values of the first and second mirror loss spectra occur to produce Vernier tuning of the device.
US08238371B2
A method for operating an RLC entity and a MAC entity in a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), the European IMT-2000 system. A format of a MAC-hs PDU is optimized in a MAC-hs entity, so that a large number of users can be supported with using less resources when a VoIP service is provided in one cell.
US08238370B2
A method for transmitting system information bit streams of one or more base stations in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes: identifying network-entry-related bit streams and non-network-entry-related bit streams from the system information bit streams, where the network-entry-related bit streams carry essential system information for a terminal to access a network through at least one of the base stations; modulating the network-entry-related bit streams according to a first set of modulation and coding schemes (MCSs) and modulating the non-network-entry-related bit streams according to a second set of MCSs; and transmitting the system information bit streams with different frequencies, where the network-entry-related bit streams are periodically transmitted according to a first predetermined period.
US08238364B2
Embodiments of the invention provide for a wireless computing device that comprises a set of one or more radio components to transmit and receive wireless communications on the device. Additionally, the wireless computing device includes processing and memory resources that individually or in combination provide multiple wireless applications, a radio object, and an arbitration component. The multiple wireless applications are each capable of generating a user-interface for enabling user-input in connection with wireless activities performed with that wireless application. The radio object interfaces the multiple applications with the set of one or more radio components. The arbitration component is configured to arbitrate at least one of (i) requests made by each of the wireless applications to the radio object for access to one or more of the radio components in the set, or (ii) responses from the radio object to requests made by each of the wireless applications.
US08238358B2
Frame-transfer functional units function as a switch for transferring a frame to a destination retrieved from an FDB. In transferring a frame to a ring selecting unit, the frame-transfer functional units transfers the frame with the frame added with a header in device. RPR functional units execute processing on an RPR frame received from the other communication device or a frame from the frame-transfer functional units with ring processing functional units based on an RPR protocol. The ring selecting unit searches a switch table based on information about the header in device added to the frame with the frame-transfer functional units and the RPR functional units to transfer the frame to a retrieved destination. The ring selecting unit can distribute a frame addressed to one port to plural ports.
US08238355B2
A router connects an Internet protocol (IP)-ubiquitous sensor network (USN) with an external network. The IP-USN is disclosed when the IP-USN includes one or more routers. An IP-USN with multiple routers includes one or more routers, and sensor nodes in the IP-USN may reliably communicate with the external network. The sensor nodes in the IP-USN may communicate with one another using the router if necessary. When one router does not operate, communication with the external network is performed by using other routers.
US08238351B2
The process of traversing a K may involve determining a match between a root node and a Result node of a node on the asCase list of a current K node. When learning is off and a match is not found, the procedure may ignore the particle being processed. An alternative solution determines which node on the asCase list is the most likely to be the next node. While the K Engine is traversing and events are being recorded into a K structure, a count field may be added to each K node to contain a record of how many times each K path has been traversed. The count field may be updated according to the processes traversing the K. Typically, the count is incremented only for learning functions. This count field may be used in determining which node may be the most (or least) probable.
US08238349B2
The present invention discloses a method of accessing stored information in multi-framed data transmissions, comprising at least one control interface and at least one elastic store, wherein the control interface accesses the elastic store through a mailbox communications method. The control interface accesses the elastic store via the mailbox communications method, which comprises: (a) setting a address for a data location within said elastic store; (b) setting a request to read from, or write to, said data location within said elastic store; (c) issuing a “GO_” signal to retrieve data information from said data location within said elastic store, by writing said “GO_” signal to said microprocessor, which causes a circuit to read from said requested data location within said elastic store; (d) waiting for a possible, but not to be expected, de-assertion of a busy signal to be issued from said data location within said elastic store, and then; and then (e) reading back the value of said data information to said control interface. Where a busy signal occurs, the microprocessor must wait and issue a subsequent “GO_” signal to retrieve the data information from the data location; where a busy signal does not occur the “GO_” signal causes the circuit to read from the requested data location and send the data information back to the microprocessor, where the data information is stored in a user-accessible register.
US08238345B2
A disclosed packet transmission control apparatus controls packet transmission to plural radio terminals. A priority determination portion determines a packet assignment priority in accordance with at least one of presence/absence of retransmission data and the number of data transmissions. A radio terminal selection portion that selects a radio terminal to be a communications party in accordance with the priority.
US08238342B2
In the data transmission method of an HSDPA system according to the present invention, a transmitter transmits Data Blocks each composed of one or more data units originated from a same logical channel, and a receiver receives the Data Block through a HS-DSCH and distributes the Data Block to a predetermined reordering buffer. Since each Data Block is composed of the MAC-d PDUs originated from the same logical channel, it is possible to monitor the in-sequence delivery of the data units, resulting in reduction of undesirable queuing delay caused by logical channel multiplexing.
US08238334B2
An efficient and user-friendly application service access method utilizing network dynamic conditions and application traffic requirements. This method allows applications to register their servers' location information and traffic requirements with the network and provides an optimal connection to application service without specifying an application server location for an end user and based on network conditions and application requirements.
US08238333B2
A method for transmitting data, the method includes scanning at least a first memory unit to retrieve data segments associated with multiple TDM channels, in response to a definition of multiple TDM time frames, each TDM time frame includes multiple time slots; sending the retrieved data segments to an array of line shifters; multiplexing data segments provided from the array of line shifters, in response to the definition, such as to provide in a parallel manner multiple data segments to multiple TDM lines; and transmitting a group of time division multiples data frames over a group of TDM lines.
US08238329B2
A peering authority or settlement clearinghouse can be used to control access, collect session accounting information, and provide financial settlement of interconnect or session fees among anonymous Internet Protocol (IP) peers or networks. The addition of peering policy criteria, such as price and quality of service, to peer to peer route discovery mechanisms enable a trusted intermediary, such as the settlement clearinghouse, to authorize acceptable interconnection or peering sessions between anonymous IP peers. Any financial settlement transactions which result from the peering sessions may be subsequently executed by the settlement clearinghouse.
US08238324B2
A virtual machine running on an endpoint device may encode a mark comprising routing parameters within one or more packets of a packet stream to indicate services and/or costs to be utilized in processing and/or communicating the packet stream. The virtual machine may communicate the packet stream to another network device. The routing parameters within the marks may indicate device capabilities, service class, quality measurements, latency and/or power usage. The routing parameters may comprise costs that may indicate capacity, efficiency and/or performance of power usage, bandwidth, absolute and/or relative latency, frame-drop eligibility, memory and processing. The packet stream is received and inspected to identify the marks and/or routing parameters. A virtual machine may be initialized and/or configured to process and/or communicate the packet stream based on the routing parameters. Routing may utilize based SPB, TRILL, and/or AVB.
US08238323B2
Embodiments of an OFDMA cellular network and method for mitigating interference are generally described herein. In some embodiments, the scheduler assigns a common group ID to mobile stations based on interference levels of a common interference source and allocates bandwidth within a selected zone of an OFDMA uplink subframe to the mobile stations assigned the common group ID for uplink communications within the uplink subframe. In some joint-scheduling embodiments, a neighbor base station that is identified as the common interference source may refrain from assigning bandwidth within the selected zone to at least some of its associated mobile stations that have identified the serving base station as an interference source.
US08238319B2
Radio apparatuses each has a plurality of channels and, when data is to be transmitted, selects a specific channel having relatively low signal interference from the plurality of channels. Each radio apparatus spreads transmission data with a prescribed spread code arbitrarily selected from a plurality of spread codes, and modulates the spread spectrum signal with the frequency of the specific channel to transmit. As a result, delay in an autonomously established wireless network can be reduced.
US08238308B2
The present invention relates to a handover method that a current coordinator transfers a coordinating function of controlling a network to a different device configuring the network. The present invention relates to a method of selecting an optimal device as a coordinator in selecting the different device using priority information decided by a prescribed evaluation reference. And, the present invention relates to a method of simplifying a procedure in a manner of transmitting relevant information together with a handover request message. In a wireless network including a coordinator, a secondary coordinator is decided in advance. If the coordinator is suddenly unable to perform a function, the present invention relates to a method of enabling the function of the coordinator to be performed by the decided secondary coordinator. Thus, a process for transferring the coordinating function without the handover process is called a recovery process. The present invention relates to the recovery method and a method of deciding a secondary coordinator to perform a recovery. In the method of deciding the secondary coordinator, a method of deciding a more proper coordinator using information on coordinator priority is provided.
US08238301B2
A method, system, and wireless frame structure for supporting different modes of multiple radio access. The described system comprises base stations and terminals. There is a group of base stations at the same location, which include at least two synchronized base stations on the same frequency band, supporting different multiple access techniques in downlink or uplink. The base stations in the described group transmit downlink frames in a negotiated downlink zone and receive uplink frames in a negotiated uplink zone respectively, and the zones of the base stations are not overlapped. Each terminal accesses to one of the base stations according to the downlink multiple access technique that it supports, and receives/transmits signals in the downlink zone/uplink zone allocated to the base station.
US08238297B2
A system and method for performing Scheduling Assignments (SAs) for User Equipments (UEs) at a base station of a communication system by accounting for the different operating conditions UEs may experience or for the different data rates or data packet sizes UEs may require. This reduces a total size of SAs by introducing compact SAs, in addition to full SAs. For compact SAs, the range for the resource allocation or for the spectral efficiency of the signal transmission is restricted or some fields that exist in the full SA are eliminated without adversely impacting scheduling flexibility or system throughput. By reducing the total size of SAs through the use of compact SAs, the corresponding control signaling overhead is reduced, which improves system throughput, improves scheduling flexibility, or improves coverage.
US08238294B2
A system and method for reserving resources for a Mobile Node (MN) having a plurality of wireless network interfaces in a mobile network under a multi-homed environment are provided, wherein the MN transmits query messages requesting a path be setup to a plurality of Access Routers (ARs) accessible through the wireless network interfaces, a Crossover Router Node (CRN), shared by a plurality of paths running to a CN via the ARs, selects an optimal path from among the plurality of paths using the path information set in the query messages propagated through the plurality of paths, the CRN transmits the resource reserve message through the selected optimal path, and the routers existing in the optimal path reserve resources according to the resource reserve message.
US08238287B1
Methods, apparatus, and computer programs for configuring one or more transmission parameters of a wireless client in a wireless local area network (WLAN) are provided. In one implementation, the methods include receiving capability information from a wireless client, generating a configuration table including at least one selectable configuration option corresponding to the capability information of the wireless client, receiving user input selecting a configuration option within the configuration table, and generating and sending a configuration packet to the wireless client. The configuration packet contains configuration data for configuring one or more transmission parameters of the wireless client based on the selected configuration option.
US08238281B2
A method (300) for use in a cellular system (100) with a controlling node (110) and user terminals, UEs (130). In the system, UEs can assume one of at least two states, a non-listening state, i.e. a state during which a UE (130) does not listen for data from its controlling node (110), and a listening state, an “on duration” state. According to the method (300) a UE in the system is able to alternate (310) between said two states according to a certain scheme, the scheme according to which a UE in the system alternates between said two states being dependent on whether or not data units which are transmitted between the UE and its controlling node are received entirely and correctly within an initially allocated resource for each data unit.
US08238276B2
A method of transmitting a downlink, coding scheme CS-1 RLC/MAC control message from a BSS to an EGPRS MS (61), and receiving and detecting the CS-1 RLC/MAC control message in the MS. The BSS places in an MCS-1 radio block, a CS-1 RLC/MAC control block identical to a coding scheme CS-1 RLC/MAC control message excluding the MAC header octet. The BSS also places a coding scheme CS-4 stealing bit code word in the radio block using legacy stealing bit values and positions. The CPS field (26) of the block header (25) indicates that the radio block contains a CS-1 RLC/MAC control message. The MS receives the radio block and detects the coding scheme CS-4 stealing bit code word. In response, the MS interprets the received radio block header to identify the CPS field. The MS determines from the CPS field that a CS-1 RLC/MAC control block has been received.
US08238269B2
A method is proposed for balancing a latency of transmission of data content in a communications tree in a synchronous communications network, the communications tree comprising a root node on which a junction terminal is connected, the communications tree comprising leaf nodes on which terminals are connected, the root node and the leaf nodes being interconnected by intermediate nodes, the nodes being interconnected by links. The method comprises determining, for each node of the communications tree, a maximum value of latency associated with each path going from said node up to leaf nodes in a direction opposite to the junction terminal, and applying to each link at a node, the link running from the node in the direction opposite to the junction terminal, a supplement of latency balancing that corresponds to a difference between a maximum value of latency of each link and a maximum value.
US08238265B2
The invention is directed to an apparatus and method for providing automatic binding of Virtual Private Routed Network (VPRN) over MPLS SDP RSVP LSP tunnels in a provider-managed IP/MPLS network.
US08238260B2
A method for controlling discontinuous reception in a wireless transmit/receive unit includes defining a plurality of DRX levels, wherein each DRX level includes a respective DRX cycle length and transitioning between DRX levels based on a set of criteria. The transitioning may be triggered by implicit rules.
US08238259B2
Before software for a routing protocol in a second wireless terminal receives a routing packet between a first wireless terminal and the second wireless terminal that are both included in an ad hoc network, stability determining software determines whether or not a link between the first wireless terminal, which is the source of the routing packet, and the second wireless terminal is stable. When the link is determined to be stable, the software for the routing protocol in the second wireless terminal processes the routing packet. This allows building of a route using only a stable link between adjacent nodes.
US08238250B2
A method for dynamic load balancing of packet flows on link aggregation provides dynamic assignment of individual packet flow to egress port that is least congested. The degree of congestion is measured by the utilization of the transmit queues. The dynamic assignments are maintained in a flow table. They are timed out by tracking packet tags in the transmit queues of corresponding scheduling priorities. The load balancing method is aware of quality of service requirements of the traffic and also capable of preserving packet order.
US08238246B2
Methods and devices for processing packets are provided. The processing device may Include an input interface for receiving data units containing header information of respective packets; a first module configurable to perform packet filtering based on the received data units; a second module configurable to perform traffic analysis based on the received data units; a third module configurable to perform load balancing based on the received data units; and a fourth module configurable to perform route lookups based on the received data units.
US08238242B2
A method of sending data units from a sending node to a receiving node via at least one intermediate node, where: the data units are arranged in a sequence and each data unit is associated with a sequence position identifier; the intermediate node forwards received data units towards the receiving node and sends feedback messages towards the sending node, where in case of a correct receipt of a given data unit at said intermediate node, a corresponding feedback message comprises a first type receive information that indicates said correct receipt at said intermediate node; the receiving node sends feedback messages towards the sending node, where in case of a correct receipt of a given data unit at said receiving node, a corresponding feedback message comprises a second type receive information that indicates said correct receipt at said receiving node; the intermediate node forwards said second type of receipt information towards said sending node and conducts a data unit retransmission procedure in dependence on received receive information; and the sending node conducts a data unit retransmission procedure in dependence on received receipt information of the first and second type, and conducts a data unit flow control procedure for controlling an amount of data that can be sent at a given time in dependence on said first and second type receipt information.
US08238241B2
One or more flow control modules, implemented on various types of network topologies, provide a number of functionalities for controlling the flow of IP packets (such as TCP/IP packets) over a network connection. The flow control modules may be implemented within a sender and/or receiver or may be deployed into a network as a separate device without requiring significant additional resources.
US08238239B2
Packet flow control techniques are disclosed. In one example case, a flow control method is provided that includes transmitting a plurality of packets with an inter-packet gap disposed between neighboring packets, and increasing the length of the inter-packet gap to decrease packet rate, wherein the increased length is selected based on severity of a congestion condition. In another example case, a flow control system is provided that includes circuitry for transmitting and/or receiving a plurality of packets with an inter-packet gap disposed between neighboring packets, and circuitry for increasing the length of the inter-packet gap to decrease packet rate, wherein the increased length is selected based on severity of a congestion condition. The techniques can be carried out at one node of a communication system (such as in a backplane switch) or multiple nodes (such as between a backplane switch and a circuit board operatively coupled to the backplane).
US08238230B2
A system includes a first device connected to a second device The first device includes a second node connected to a first node and the second device via a link, and includes a backup second node connected to the first node and the second device via another link. The first node is configured to receive, via the link or the other link, a group of packets (i.e., “packets”), from the second device; display a first notification that the second node can be removed when the packets are received via only the other link; display a second notification indicating that the backup second node can be removed when the packets are received via only the link; and display a third notification indicating that neither the second node nor the backup second node can be removed when the packets are not received via only the link and via only the other link.
US08238229B2
A loop withdrawal method in multi-protocol label switching is disclosed. When detecting a rewinding event of colored thread, a node judges whether an upstream interface of the colored thread is in a stalled status, and if yes, prohibits distribution of a colored thread rewinding message via the upstream interface of the colored thread; otherwise, the node continues to distribute the colored thread rewinding message and transmit label mapping via the upstream interface. When detecting a withdrawal event of the colored thread, the node removes colored thread information of the upstream interface of the colored thread, judges whether the node has received another colored thread for a same service, and if yes, extends a new colored thread via a downstream interface of the colored thread; otherwise, the node continues to distribute a colored thread withdrawal message via the downstream interface of the colored thread.
US08238212B2
A signal pattern detecting apparatus, which is capable of detecting a physical mark in a read back signal being read from an optical disc, includes a matching signal generator, a signal comparing device, and a decision circuit. The matching signal generator is utilized for generating a matching signal, capable of being utilized to identify the physical mark, according to a reference clock and a wobble clock. The signal comparing device is electrically connected to the matching signal generator, and utilized for comparing the matching signal with a wobble data signal to generate a comparison signal. The decision circuit is electrically connected to the signal comparing device, and utilized for generating an indication signal according to the comparison signal and a threshold value. Both the wobble data signal and the wobble clock are derived from the read back signal.
US08238201B2
A timepiece movement for varying the arrangement of the different displays includes a first module provided with a first frame and at least a first mobile rotatingly mounted on the first frame, a second module provided with a second frame and at least a second mobile rotatingly mounted on the second frame, the first and second mobiles being kinematically connected to each other, elements for positioning and elements for attaching the modules to each other and associated with the first and second frames. The positioning elements are placed concentrically relative to the rotation axis of one of the first and second mobiles, and are arranged for allowing the relative positioning of the two modules in several angular positions relative to the rotation axis of the mobile to which the positioning elements are concentric. One of the first and second modules is a base module including a platen and a barrel, the barrel defining the first and the second mobile.
US08238200B2
A timepiece with a multiplication table display is provided. Preferably, the timepiece has a programmable display, such as a liquid crystal display or the like, allowing the display to display the present time to the user, as is conventionally known, as well as providing methods of performing and teaching multiplication. A first multiplier is selected by the user, and the first multiplier is displayed in a central region of the display. A second multiplier is then selected by the user, and the user may use the display of the timepiece to calculate a particular product, or may be graphically shown how the product is calculated.
US08238197B2
Systems and methods are provided for acquiring seismic data using a wireless network and a number of individual data acquisition modules that are configured to collect seismic data and forward data to a central recording and control system. In one implementation, a number of remote modules (301) are arranged in lines. Base station modules (302) receive information from the lines and relay the information to a central control and recording system (303). Radio links operating on multiple frequencies (F1-F12) are used by the modules (301). For improved data transfer rate, radio links from a remote module (301) leap past the nearest remote module to the next module closer to the base station.
US08238196B2
A survey system for acquiring survey data representative of a subterranean structure includes a plurality of sensor modules. Each of at least some of the plurality of sensor modules includes a wireless transceiver to communicate wireless signals with another component in the survey system, and a plurality of parts. A first of the plurality of parts is detachably attached to a second of the plurality of parts, with the first part including a sensor, and the second part including a power source and a non-volatile storage.
US08238195B2
An apparatus and a method for processing of three components, 3-Dimensions seismic (3-C, 3-D) data acquired by down-hole receivers and surface seismic sources. Automatic velocity analysis is used to identify the velocities of dominant events in a VSP panel. Different wave-types (downgoing P, downgoing PS, upcoming PS and upcoming PP) are identified and sequentially removed.
US08238193B2
Circuit and method for recovering clock data in highly integrated semiconductor memory apparatus includes a plurality of signal receiving units configured to receive signals through a plurality of input/output pads and transfer the signals according to a receiving reference clock, the signal receiving units being divided into groups, a plurality of phase detection units configured to detect phases of signals output from the groups of the signal receiving units, a plurality of phase detection control units configured to control the phase detection units so that the phase detection units sequentially detect the phases of the signals output from each of the groups of the signal receiving units and a notification unit configured to output signals output from the phase detection units.
US08238183B2
A semiconductor device comprises a sense amplifier circuit amplifying a signal transmitted through the bit line, first/second data lines transmitting the signal amplified by the sense amplifier circuit, a read amplifier circuit driven by a first voltage and amplifying the signal; first/second switch circuits controlling connection between the above components, first/second voltage setting circuits setting the second/third data lines to a second voltage lower than the first voltage. A predetermined voltage obtained by adding the second voltage to a threshold voltage of a transistor in the second/third switch circuit is applied to the gate terminal thereof, and ends of the data lines are connected to the source and drain terminals thereof.
US08238178B2
A memory circuit includes a first group of memory arrays including a first memory array coupled with a first input/output (IO) interface and a second memory array coupled with a second IO interface. A second group of memory arrays include a third memory array coupled with a third IO interface and a fourth memory array coupled with a fourth TO interface. A plurality of redundancy bit lines include at least one first redundancy bit line that is configured for selectively repairing the first group of memory arrays, and at least one second redundancy bit line that is configured for selectively repairing the second group of memory arrays.
US08238169B2
A method and apparatus for selectively restoring data in a non-volatile memory array based on failure type. Weakened data and erroneous data are identified by performing two readings of a specific memory section. Alternatively, an error correction code is used after a first reading of data to identify erroneous data. The manner in which data is restored will depend on whether the data changed because of an erase failure or a program failure. If only a program failure occurred then the data will be reprogrammed without an intervening erase step. If the data experienced an erase failure, then the data will be erased prior to being programmed with correct data.
US08238166B2
Methods are disclosed to compensate for a second-bit effect during programming and reading of charge-trapping memory cells having left and right data regions. When only one of the left and right data regions is to be programmed, a two-step programming procedure is performed on the data region to be programmed. When the memory cell is to be read, threshold voltages for the left and right data regions are sensed with a joint decision regarding left and right data bit values being reached depending upon both sensed threshold voltage values.
US08238152B2
A semiconductor device that can transmit and receive data without contact is popular partly as some railway passes, electronic money cards, and the like; however, it has been a prime task to provide an inexpensive semiconductor device for further popularization. In view of the above current conditions, a semiconductor device of the present invention includes a memory with a simple structure for providing an inexpensive semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof. A memory element included in the memory includes a layer containing an organic compound, and a source electrode or a drain electrode of a TFT provided in the memory element portion is used as a conductive layer which forms a bit line of the memory element.
US08238147B2
In a program method for a multi-level phase change memory device, multi-level data to be programmed in a selected memory cell is received, and a program signal is applied to the selected memory cell according to the received multi-level data. Herein, a rising time of the program signal is set to be longer than a falling time of the program signal.
