US08409733B2
The invention relates to a method of producing a cutting tool at least partly coated with an inner CVD coating and an outer PVD coating comprising the manufacturing steps of depositing the CVD coating, subjecting the CVD coating at least partly to an intensive wet-blasting operation, followed by depositing the PVD coating.The invention also relates to a coated cutting tool comprising a cemented carbide substrate of 5-14 wt-% Co, 0-8 wt-% cubic carbides of Ti, Ta or Nb or a combination thereof, and balance WC, said substrate being at least partly coated with a 4-14 μm thick coating comprising an inner CVD coating and an outer PVD coating wherein the CVD coating has compressive stresses.
US08409731B2
A cutting tool insert includes a body of a hard alloy of cemented carbide, cermet, ceramics, cubic boron nitride based material or high speed steel. A hard and wear resistant coating, having at least one layer, to which an (Al,Cr)2O3 layer is applied. This insert is particularly useful for machining of steel and stainless steel. The coating with a total thickness of 2-20 μm has one or several layers, at least one of which is an (Al,Cr)2O3 layer with a thickness of 1-5 μm having a corundum phase crystalline structure and a composition (Al1-yCry)2O3 with 0.4≦y≦0.6. The (Al,Cr)2O3 layer has a fiber texture with rotational symmetry in the direction of the coated surface normal to an inclination angle, φ, of the basal planes relative to the coated surface normal or the inclination angle, φ, for the highest peak in the pole plot with 70° <φ<90° .
US08409730B2
Provided are an organic electroluminescence device, which: shows high luminous efficiency; is free of any pixel defect; and has a long lifetime, and a material for an organic electroluminescence device for realizing the device. The material for an organic electroluminescence device is a compound of a specific structure having a π-conjugated heteroacene skeleton crosslinked with a carbon atom, nitrogen atom, or oxygen atom. The organic electroluminescence device has one or more organic thin film layers including a light emitting layer between a cathode and an anode, and at least one layer of the organic thin film layers contains the material for an organic electroluminescence device.
US08409728B2
An organic electroluminescence device includes an organic layer disposed between at least one pair of electrodes, wherein the organic layer includes at least one fluorescent compound selected from compounds represented by the following general formulae (1) and (2): wherein X1 to X16 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a linear, branched or cyclic alkoxy group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy group having 6 to 30 carbon groups, a substituted or unsubstituted arylamino group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted alkylamino group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted arylalkylamino group having 7 to 30 carbon atoms or a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group having 8 to 30 carbon atoms; a pair of adjacent groups represented by X1 to X2 and a pair of adjacent substituents to groups represented by X1 to X2 may form a cyclic structure in combination; a pair of adjacent groups represented by X3 to X16 and a pair of adjacent substituents to groups represented by X3 to X16 may form a cyclic structure in combination; when the pair of adjacent substituents are aryl groups, the pair of substituents may be a single group; and in the formulae at least one of the substituents of X3 to X14 or X16 includes amino group.
US08409723B2
A process for joining a brass part and a silicon carbide ceramics part, comprising steps of: providing parts comprising a brass part, a silicon carbide ceramics part, an aluminum foil and a nickel foil; bringing surfaces of the silicon carbide ceramics part, the aluminum foil, the nickel foil and the brass part into contact in turn; applying a joining pressure between about 10 MPa and 40 MPa to the parts; heating the parts at a rate below 50° C./min when a temperature of the parts is below about 300° C.; when the temperature of the parts is above about 300° C., heating the parts at a rate of about 80° C./min˜200° C./min until to a joining temperature of about 550° C. to about 650° C., and maintaining the joining temperature between about 15 minutes and 40 minutes.
US08409714B2
A primer coating composition is provided for an optical article capable of forming a coating layer having excellent impact resistance, abrasion resistance, and adhesion to various kinds of plastic materials without occurring of appearance faulty for an optical base material, for example, a plastic lens for an eyeglass. A primer composition for an optical article comprises; (A) aqueous dispersion of urethane resin having a polycarbonate-derived skeleton and the elongation of 200˜1000%; (B) an organic solvent having 3˜9 carbon atoms and having an ether bond or carbonyl bond and one hydroxyl group in a molecule; and (C) lower alcohol having 1˜4 carbon atoms, wherein the weight ratio of said organic solvent to said lower alcohol is from 0.01 to less than 2.00.
US08409713B2
Crosslinked films having electro-optic activity, methods for making the films, and devices that include the films. The films include a crosslinked polymer host and guest polarizable chromophore compounds.
US08409711B2
An article of manufacture including reinforcement material embedded in a phosphate cement composition is provided. The phosphate cement composition includes about 10 to 40 percent by weight calcium or magnesium oxide, about 10 to 40 percent by weight acid phosphate, and about 10 to 50 percent by weight vermiculite or perlite or mixture thereof.
US08409710B2
Particles with a structural surface which are useful to produce abrasion resistant self-cleaning surfaces contain particulate solid particles having a superstructured overlayer of fine particles. The particles may be prepared by polymerizing a polymerizable siloxane, silane, or mixture thereof in a Pickering emulsion.
US08409708B2
A bright pigment 100 includes: a flaky substrate 10; a first layer 20 that is formed on the flaky substrate 10 and that contains one selected from the group consisting of titanium dioxide, silver and a silver alloy as its main component; and a second layer 30 that is formed so that the first layer 20 is interposed between the flaky substrate 10 and the second layer 30 and that contains the hydroxide or hydrated oxide of neodymium.
US08409703B2
Disclosed herein are temperature switchable adhesive assemblies, which maintain tack above and below the switching temperature. The temperature switchable adhesive assemblies comprise a backing, a first adhesive layer comprising a temperature switchable pressure sensitive adhesive disposed on the backing, and a second adhesive layer comprising a non-switchable pressure sensitive adhesive disposed on the first adhesive layer. The temperature switchable adhesive assemblies have use in medical, consumer, and industrial applications.
US08409695B2
A wear resistant multilayer nitride hard coating for substrates. The hard coating includes a first layer of titanium aluminum nitride and a second layer comprising a plurality of sublayer groups. Each sublayer group includes a first sublayer of titanium silicon nitride and a second sublayer of titanium aluminum nitride. The composition of the titanium aluminum nitride, both in the first layer and in the sublayer groups, is (TixAl1-x)N, wherein 0.4≦x≦0.6. The composition of the titanium silicon nitride sublayers is (TiySi1-y)N, wherein 0.85≦y≦0.98, and all of the silicon is in solid solution in the titanium silicon nitride such that no silicon phase or silicon nitride phase exists in this sublayer. The combined amount of aluminum and silicon present in the sublayer groups being narrowly controlled such that the sum of x and y is in the range of 1.38 to 1.46.
US08409692B2
An insulation board for a resistor grid and methods for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The insulation board consists of a plurality of longitudinal voids. One or more longitudinal structural members are disposed in the longitudinal voids. The longitudinal structural members may be shaped to conform to the shape of the longitudinal voids. The method of constructing the insulation board includes providing a profiled block and inserting one or more longitudinal structural members in the longitudinal voids. Alternatively, the insulation board may be constructed by providing one or more longitudinal structural members and molding a profiled block over the longitudinal structural members. One or more rows of transverse pin holes may be provided along the length of the insulation board for engaging pins of resistive elements of the resistor grid.
US08409691B1
A variable stiffness segmented composite material including reinforcements embedded in a variable stiffness matrix and having a structure for precisely controlling the three-dimensional (3D) distribution and connectivity of the reinforcements in the variable stiffness matrix. The composite material includes a variable stiffness matrix and a plurality of rigidly interconnected reinforcements embedded within the variable stiffness matrix, the interconnected reinforcements being for mitigating a deformation of the composite material along a first direction by blocking a rigid body motion of the reinforcements with respect to one another in the first direction while allowing a deformation in a second direction differing from the first direction. That is, in one embodiment, the interconnected reinforcements are configured to move with respect to one another to allow for an in-plane deformation of the composite material while mitigating an out-of-plane deformation of the composite material.
US08409688B2
A water draining foot mat having a base with a plurality of upward extending projections where the upper draining surface of the base is sloped to facilitate the draining of water from the mat and the tops of the projections form a support for people to step on. The projections are sufficiently spaced apart to permit the majority of snow impinging the mat to contact the base where it can melt with the assistance of sunlight or salt so that the resulting water flows off the mat. The mat optionally includes water retaining walls with one or more water exits so that the walls in conjunction with the slope of the upper surface of the base cause water impinging on the mat to flow towards the water exits and off the mat.
US08409687B2
A UV-curable composition for optical discs contains a fluorine-containing UV-curable resin having a poly(perfluoroalkylene ether) chain and a UV-curable group. The fluorine-containing UV-curable resin exhibits good compatibility with the composition and satisfactorily localizes in and near a surface of a coating film. Thus, the composition can be used to form an outermost layer of an optical disc such that the droplet size of grease such as that constituting fingerprints adhering to the outermost layer is reduced and scattering of light having a short oscillation wavelength passing through the outermost layer is suppressed. Accordingly, an optical disc on and from which signals can be satisfactorily recorded and read is formed.
US08409682B2
A heat-resistant air hose for a diesel engine comprising a tubular inner layer and an outer layer formed on an outer peripheral surface of the inner layer, wherein a material for forming the inner layer contains at least one of the following components (A) and (B) and excludes an acid receiver, and a material for forming the outer layer contains a non-peroxide-crosslinkable ethylene acrylic rubber and a non-halogen flame retardant wherein the non-halogen flame retardant is present at not less than 60 and less than 80 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the non-peroxide-crosslinkable ethylene acrylic rubber: (A) an alloy material formed by mixing ethylene acrylic rubber and fluororubber wherein the ethylene acrylic rubber is present at not less than 20% by weight based on the total alloy material; and (B) at least one of acrylic rubber and ethylene acrylic rubber.
US08409675B2
The present invention provides a breather that includes a waterproof air-permeable membrane and a mounting device, the mounting device having a rod with a hollow structure and a head at one side of the rod. The head includes a bottom wall which has a circular bore in communication with the hollow portion of the rod and around which sidewalls are formed, several through holes being formed in the sidewalls, a fastening cover cooperating with the head with a chamber formed therebetween, wherein the waterproof air-permeable membrane is mounted inside the rod, and wherein the through hoes, the chamber and the circular bore communicatively connect the inside and outside of the breather.
US08409667B2
The present application relates to a method for continuously annealing and preparing a strip of high-strength steel for the purpose of hot-dip coating it in a bath of liquid metal, in which said steel strip is treated in at least two sections, comprising in succession, when considering the direction of advance of the strip: a section called the heating and holding section, in which the strip is heated and then held at a given annealing temperature in an oxidizing atmosphere; and a section called the cooling and transfer section, in which the annealed strip at least is cooled and undergoes complete reduction, in a reducing atmosphere, of the iron oxide present in the oxide layer formed in the previous section, in such a way that the oxidizing atmosphere is separated from the reducing atmosphere, a controlled oxygen content is maintained in the heating and holding section between 50 and 1000 ppm, and a controlled hydrogen content is maintained in the cooling and transfer section at a value of less than 4% and preferably less than 0.5%.
US08409660B2
A system and associated methods are described for preparing a magnetic disk for installation within a disk drive system. For example, a polyfunctional lubricant may be mixed with a chemical agent to esterify the polyfunctional lubricant and cap hydroxyl groups of the polyfunctional lubricant. The magnetic disk may then be dip coated with the polyfunctional lubricant and chemical agent mixture. A polishing system then polishes the magnetic disk via an abrasive polishing tape after dip coating the magnetic disk. A portion of the chemical agent is then removed from the magnetic disk to bond a portion of the lubricant to the magnetic disk to prevent the lubricant from interfering with a read/write head when installed within a disk drive system.
US08409657B2
A production process of a thick-film tape-shaped RE-type (123) superconductor having a high critical current value. The production process has the steps of providing a composite substrate having Gd2Zr2O7 and CeO2 stacked in that order onto a Hastelloy substrate, coating a raw material solution prepared by dissolving a trifluoroacetate of Y and Ba and a naphthenate of Cu onto the composite substrate, heat treating the coated composite substrate by calcination, then subjecting the calcined assembly to intermediate heat-treatment at a temperature below the temperature of heat-treatment for superconductor production, and then heat treating the assembly in an argon gas atmosphere under conditions of highest heating temperature 760° C., water vapor partial pressure 13.5%, and oxygen partial pressure 0.09% for superconductor production to produce a tape-shaped RE-type (123) superconductor having a YBCO superconducting film having a thickness of more than about 2 μm.
US08409656B2
A method of manufacturing a coated needle electrode comprising the steps 5 of holding an uncoated sharpened needle by the tip, dipping the uncoated sharpened needle into a bath of coating material, and withdrawing the sharpened needle from the bath of coating material. In this way, the coating can be applied after the needle has been sharpened thereby allowing more precision during the sharpening process. The invention also provides an apparatus for use with the method.
US08409647B2
The present invention provides a method of reducing chill haze in a protein containing liquid (especially beverages resulting from fermentation such as beer and wine) by contacting the liquid with silica microgels having an average microgel diameter of at least 18 nm, more preferably at least 45 nm, and most preferably at least 70 nm. It has now been discovered that microgels having an average microgel diameter of less than about 18 nm do not adequately reduce chill haze of a protein containing liquid. In particular, while microgels having an average microgel diameter of less than about 18 nm cause the coagulation of haze-forming components, these components remain suspended in liquid and continue to cause haze despite allowing the liquid to settle for long periods of time. Conversely, it has now been discovered that microgels having an average microgel diameter of at least about 18 nm cause the coagulation and precipitation of haze-forming components and the rapid settling thereof without the use of an organic polymer which acts as a flocculating agent.
US08409634B2
The present disclosure relates to a novel Anti-Oxidant Herbal composition comprising Termanalia arjuna extract, Camellia sinensis extract, and Trikatu extract in specific weight percentages and optionally at least one carrier. The present disclosure further relates to use of the composition for treatment and/or prevention of hyperlipidemia and/or Ischemic heart disease. The present disclosure also relates to a method of preparation of the composition.
US08409633B2
The invention relates to methods useful in studying or modulating skin or hair pigmentation and to the use of plant extracts in compositions as well as to methods comprising the topical use of such compositions to reduce or to enhance skin or hair pigmentation.
US08409628B2
Methods and compositions for treating wounds, decubitus ulcers, diaper rash, burns, abrasions, and other irritations and relevant injuries are provided. The invention contemplates in one embodiment the use of an aqueous or emollient medium having one or more pH raising ingredients in a composition specifically designed to deliver oxygen to the skin's surface.
US08409622B2
A process for producing a biocompatible material includes the steps of mixing an extract of a fish scale-derived hydroxyapatite (with water content of 70 to 75% by weight) and of a fish scale-derived collagen (with water content of 40 to 60% by weight) in the weight percent ratio of about 8:2, stirring the mixture and drying the mixture by a hot blast in order to obtain a composite.
US08409619B2
An oral drug delivery system for treatment of tuberculosis is described. The oral drug delivery system includes (e.g., a mixture or combination of): poly DL-lactide-co-glycolide nano particles having encapsulated an azole therein; poly DL-lactide-co-glycolide nano particles having moxifloxacin encapsulated therein; and poly DL-lactide-co-glycolide nano particles having RIF encapsulated therein.
US08409611B2
A process which can be used in the laboratory or on an industrial scale for cleaning the inner wall of hard gelatine capsules, in which the sealed capsules are cleaned with a powder formulation.
US08409607B2
Biocompatible intraocular implants include a tyrosine kinase inhibitor and a biodegradable polymer that is effective to facilitate release of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor into an eye for an extended period of time. The therapeutic agents of the implants may be associated with a biodegradable polymer matrix, such as a matrix that is substantially free of a polyvinyl alcohol. The implants may be placed in an eye to treat or reduce the occurrence of one or more ocular conditions.
US08409606B2
An embodiment is a medical prosthesis for blocking or reducing tear flow through a punctum or canaliculus of a human eye and delivering a drug to the eye that comprises a dehydrated covalently crosslinked synthetic hydrophilic polymer hydrogel with dimensions to pass through a puncta lacrimali, with the dehydrated hydrogel absorbing physiological water to swell to at least 1 mm in cross-sectional width and conformably fit a canaliculus, with the hydrogel comprising a therapeutic agent dispersed through the hydrogel for release to an eye, with the hydrogel having a water content of at least about 50% by weight or volume when allowed to fully hydrate in vitro in physiological saline.
US08409602B2
The present invention provides a method for preventing or repairing damage to a fetal membrane. In one embodiment, the method comprises contacting a fetal membrane with a composition comprising a four-armed catechol-terminated polyethylene glycol (cPEG) and a biocompatible oxidant. In one embodiment, the four-armed cPEG and the biocompatible oxidant are initially contained in separate solutions, and the solutions are mixed to form the composition just prior to or at the same time that the composition contacts the fetal membrane.
US08409590B2
Anthrax antigens are provided that find use as immunogens and vaccines.
US08409582B1
Disclosed are major allergenic proteins in cashew nut, which are legumin-like proteins and 2S albumins. Also disclosed is a polypeptide allergen in the 7S superfamily, which includes vicilin-like and sucrose binding proteins. Several linear epitopes of the cashew nut are identified and characterized. The invention further discloses the sequence of cDNA encoding the allergenic polypeptide, the allergen being designated Ana o 1, and also describes the characterization of the expressed recombinant polypeptide and associated methods employing the polypeptide.
US08409580B2
The invention relates to an immunogenic composition which comprises, firstly, a carrier and, secondly, as antigenic structure, conjugates comprising all or part of the amino acid sequences of at least one peptide derived from an extracellular loop of the P-170 protein, each peptide being combined with several molecules of fatty acid containing a carbon chain of between C12 and C24 so as to allow, under suitable administration conditions, the induction of anti-P-170 antibodies.The invention relates to said composition for defining means for treating multidrug resistances.
US08409576B2
This invention relates to methods employing IL-1β-ligand/IL-1 receptor disrupting compounds (herein referred to as “IL-1beta Compounds”); such as small molecular compounds disrupting IL-1β ligand-IL-1 receptor interaction, IL-1β antibodies or IL-1 receptor antibodies, e.g. IL-1β binding molecules as described herein, e.g. antibodies disclosed herein, e.g. IL-1β binding compounds or IL-1 receptor binding compounds, and/or RNA compounds decreasing either IL-1β ligands or IL-1 receptor protein levels, in the treatment and/or prevention of auto-inflammatory syndromes, e.g. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis or adult rheumatoid arthritis syndrome and to methods of treating and/or preventing auto-inflammatory syndromes, e.g. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis or adult rheumatoid arthritis syndrome, in mammals, particularly humans.
US08409569B2
A method of reducing an inflammatory response in a subject is provided. The method comprising providing to a subject in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of an agent capable of reducing activity and/or expression of a scavenger receptor or of an effector thereof, thereby reducing the inflammatory response in the subject.
US08409563B2
A purine-derived substance is produced by culturing a bacterium belonging to the genus Bacillus which is able to produce purine-derived substance and has been modified so that enzymatic activity of fructose bisphosphatase is decreased, and collecting the purine-derived substance from the medium or cells.
US08409559B2
Compounds selected from: where DRUG-OH, DRUG-COOH and DRUG-NH2 are biologically active compounds; each X is independently selected from —CH2COO— (glycolic acid moiety), —CH(CH3)COO— (lactic acid moiety), —CH2CH2OCH2COO— (dioxanone moiety), —CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2COO— (caprolactone moiety), —(CH2)yCOO—, where y is 2-4 or 6-24 and —(CH2CH2O)zCH2COO—, where z is 2-24; each Y is independently selected from —COCH2O— (glycolic ester moiety), —COCH(CH3)O— (lactic ester moiety), —COCH2OCH2CH2O— (dioxanone ester moiety), —COCH2CH2CH2CH2CH2O— (caprolactone ester moiety), —CO(CH2)mO—, where m is 2-4 or 6-24 and —COCH2O(CH2CH2O)n— where n is between 2-24; R′ is hydrogen, benzyl or an alkyl group, the alkyl group being either straight-chained or branched; and p is 1-6. Multi-functional compounds and drug dimers, oligomers and polymers are also disclosed.
US08409554B2
Aqueous hair treatment compositions which comprise a mono C14-C22 trimethylammonium surfactant, a di-(C20-C24) imidazoline quaternary surfactant, and a mono C12-C22 alkyl hydroxyethyl dimethylammonium surfactant provide improved hair conditioning benefits.
US08409543B2
A pyrochlore-type oxide represented by a general formula A2B2O7-Z is prepared by precipitate formation, where A and B each represent a metal element, where Z represents a number of at least 0 and at most 1, where A contains at least one element selected from a group consisting of Pb, Sn, and Zn, and where B contains at least one element selected from a group consisting of Ru, W, Mo, Ir, Rh, Mn, Cr, and Re. Impurities are then sufficiently removed through washing and drying processes, and the pyrochlore-type oxide is calcined under controlled conditions. This allows the crystallinity of the pyrochlore-type oxide, which contained amorphous parts immediately after the production of the precipitate, to be increased so that the resistance to acid can be improved while preventing particle aggregation.
US08409540B2
Disclosed is a method of preparing hydrotalcite having superior anion exchange capability and heat stability by forming a seed so that CO32− ions are located to be maximally stable between Mg—Al layers and then conducting primary crystallization and secondary crystallization.
US08409539B2
A reactor (1) for preparing phosgene by gas-phase reaction of carbon monoxide and chlorine in the presence of a solid catalyst, which reactor has a bundle of parallel catalyst tubes (2) aligned in the longitudinal direction of the reactor whose ends are fixed in tube plates (3) and have a cap (4) at each end of the reactor (1), and has deflection plates (6) which are aligned perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the reactor in the intermediate space (5) between the catalyst tubes (2) and leave free passages (7) located alternately opposite one another on the interior wall of the reactor, and in which the catalyst tubes (2) are charged with the solid catalyst, the gaseous reaction mixture is passed from one end of the reactor via one cap (4) through the catalyst tubes (2) and is taken off from the opposite end of the reactor (1) via the second cap (4) and a liquid heat transfer medium is passed through the intermediate space (5) around the catalyst tubes (2), where the reactor (1) has no tubes in the region of the passages (7), is proposed.
US08409534B2
Methods and apparatus utilizing chlorine dioxide and hydrogen peroxide are useful to reduce emissions of NOx, SOx, and heavy metals, e.g., mercury, emissions from combustion flue gas streams.
US08409528B2
A reaction vessel with a bottom drain opening supporting a selected unpressured head of fluid by the surface tension of the fluid. A device processing zone includes a support for spaced rows of reaction vessels, passages communicating with their drain openings of supported vessels, and a pressure source for selectively draining fluid through the drain openings. Generally horizontal bar magnets are supported for selected vertical movement between the vessel rows. A dispensing head has X discharge openings selectively positionable over X selected reaction vessels. A metering pump mechanism selectively meters X a selected quantity of fluid a bulk supply (where X is at least four), and selectively pumps the metered selected quantities through the drain openings to the selected reaction vessels. Methods of drawing fluid from the vessels using the pressure source, and moving the magnets to form a pellet of analyte are also included.
US08409523B2
An analysis device having at least one sample addition zone, at least one sink, and at least one flow path connecting the at least one sample addition zone and the at least one sink. The at least one flow path includes projections substantially vertical to the surface of the substrate and having a height (H), diameter (D) and reciprocal spacing (t1, t2) such that lateral capillary flow of a liquid sample is achieved. The device includes at least two reaction zones in series, wherein each reaction zone is adapted to facilitating measurement of a response originating from one and the same analyte, and wherein the reaction zones are positioned to allow calculation of the concentration of at least one analyte. Advantages include that a more accurate value can be calculated, variations are reduced, and an estimation of the uncertainty of the response can be calculated.
US08409516B2
Provided is a catalyst converter for purifying exhaust gas and a method for manufacturing the catalyst converter, in which a heater is disposed between inner/outer monoliths, to thereby heighten a heat transfer efficiency and induce a uniform catalytic reaction, and to thereby enhance a processing performance, and minimize an electric power consumption and miniaturize a device. The catalyst converter includes: a heater having a winding portion which is wound so as to have a space therein and a pair of electric power terminals; inner and outer monoliths which are inserted in the inner and outer circumferential portions of the heater winding portion wherein each of the inner and outer monoliths includes a number of hollow cells on the surfaces of which catalysts have been coated and which are formed in the lengthy direction; and a housing in which a support assembly is assembled.
US08409511B2
Sensing elements for sensing organic chemical analytes are disclosed. The sensing elements include a first electrode and a second electrode, and a substantially microporous, amorphous, hydrophobic, analyte-responsive organosilicate material in proximity to the first and second electrodes.
US08409510B2
In the invention, a collection device includes a flow through micro scale plate arranged to collect analyte. The plate includes holes, and sorbent coating on contact surfaces of the plate. The holes pass analyte fluid flow, for example analyte vapor so that fluid flow for collection may be generally perpendicular to the sorbent plate. Preferred embodiment plates include an integrated heater trace. In preferred embodiments, a high substantially perpendicular flow is used for collection and concentration, and during desorption and delivery a low substantially parallel flow is used. The low flow is selected to meet constraints of a detector system.
US08409504B2
The invention relates to a fluid analysis device that comprises an analyzer and a system for supplying an instrumentation gas to said analyzer, characterized in that the supply system includes at least one mixer generating said instrumentation gas, and at least one purifier located downstream from said at least one mixer and upstream from said analyzer.
US08409489B2
An insertion plunger for inserting at least one wrap-around label and at least one bottom label into an injection mold for producing a plastic container has an outer plunger and an inner plunger that is movable relative to the outer plunger. In a method for insertion of a wrap-around label and a bottom label into an injection mold, the labels are inserted by an insertion plunger in that the wrap-around label and the bottom label are inserted in a single stroke performed by the insertion plunger into the injection mold.
US08409488B2
A lithographic process for forming a pattern in relief (20) on a mass (10) of polymeric material comprises the steps of: preparing the mass (10) of polymeric material and a die (12) having a surface region (14) facing towards the mass (10) of polymeric material and which reproduces in negative the pattern in relief (20); heating the die (12) and putting the mass (10) of polymeric material into contact with the die (12) in any temporal sequence, in such a way that the part of the mass (10) of polymeric material in contact with the surface zone (14) is subject to softening; and separating the die (12) from the mass (10) of polymeric material on the surface of which the pattern in relief (20) has been formed. The heating of at least one part of the die (12) is obtained by generation of thermal energy upon dissipation of another form of energy in at least one region (16) of the die (12).
US08409481B2
A method of manufacturing an implantable lens from liquid polymer precursor in an open mold includes metering the liquid into the mold in a measured amount that comes into contact with a functional shaping inner surface of the mold located under a peripheral circular sharp edge of the stationary mold or which reaches up to this peripheral circular sharp edge, at which point the open mold is rotated around it's vertical axis at a speed at which the edge of the surface of the liquid polymer precursor reaches the peripheral circular sharp edge of the open mold, after which the liquid polymer precursor is exposed to conditions under which it transforms itself into a state of a clear solid polymer by polymerization and/or cross-linking, until the transition is attained, and then the implantable intraocular lens is removed from the mold.
US08409473B2
A semiconductor nanocrystal composition that is stable and has high luminescent quantum yield. The semiconductor nanocrystal composition has a semiconductor nanocrystal core of a group II alloyed I-III-VI semiconductor nanocrystal material. A method of making a semiconductor nanocrystal composition is also provides which includes synthesizing a semiconductor nanocrystal core of a group II alloyed I-III-VI semiconductor material.
US08409464B2
The present invention provides a lubricating oil for a compression type refrigerator including a polyvinyl ether-based compound containing an alkylene glycol or polyoxyalkylene glycol unit and a vinyl ether unit in a molecule and having a molecular weight in a range of 300 to 3,000, and an organic carboxylic acid alkali metal salt. The lubricating oil for a compression type refrigerator of the present invention has high miscibility and high viscosity index, and excellent in wear resistance and storage stability under carbon dioxide atmosphere.
US08409457B2
A method of forming a photoresist-comprising pattern on a substrate includes forming a patterned first photoresist having spaced first masking shields in at least one cross section over a substrate. The first masking shields are exposed to a fluorine-containing plasma effective to form a hydrogen and fluorine-containing organic polymer coating about outermost surfaces of the first masking shields. A second photoresist is deposited over and in direct physical touching contact with the hydrogen and fluorine-containing organic polymer coating. The second photoresist which is in direct physical touching contact with the hydrogen and fluorine-containing organic polymer coating is exposed to a pattern of actinic energy and thereafter spaced second masking shields are formed in the one cross section which comprise the second photoresist and correspond to the actinic energy pattern. The first and second masking shields together form at least a part of a photoresist-comprising pattern on the substrate. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08409448B2
An immiscible lipophilic or hydrophilic liquid phase separated respectively from a continuous hydrophilic phase or a lipophilic phase liquid. Fibers having hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties are mixed, layered, etc., and formed into a filter. The separation mechanism involves capture of small droplets of the immiscible phase, coalescence of the small droplets into larger droplets as the immiscible liquid flows through the fiber filter, and release of the large immiscible droplets from the filter. With respect to separation of a hydrophilic immiscible fluid such as water in a lipophilic continuous fluid such as oil, the hydrophobic fibers will cause small water droplets to migrate towards the hydrophilic fibers whereby large droplets are formed on hydrophilic surface. The large droplets stay on hydrophilic fiber surface for extended periods of time and continue to coalescence until they are so large that they can no longer be maintained by the hydrophilic fibers and are released and drained off of the filter. In designing such filter, wettability of the filter media is an important parameter. The filter media can be designed by mixing hydrophilic and hydrophobic fibers in various proportions to achieve an optimum wettability range for separation of the immiscible liquid from the continuous phase liquid. The wettability of filter media can be characterized by a modified Washburn Equation.
US08409445B2
An apparatus and a method for filling a container containing a dry powdered salt concentrate for use in dialysis with purified fluid and removing the trapped air or gases generated during the filling of the container, while maintaining the required fluid level in the container and without the need for evacuating gases from the container prior to filling.
US08409443B2
A device for limiting sample evaporation. The device has a vessel body having a body exterior surface and at least one body interior surface. The at least one body interior surface has one or more walls defining a first chamber, a second chamber and a conduit means. The first chamber has a first chamber opening for receiving at least one of the groups selected from a sample and a sample dispensing device. The first chamber opening defines the border of the body exterior surface and the body interior surface. The conduit means is in communication with the first chamber and the second chamber for receiving at least one of the group consisting of sample from said first chamber, a sample from a sample dispensing device and a sample dispensing device passing through or into the conduit means for placing the sample in the conduit means or into the second chamber. The second chamber is in communication with the conduit means for receiving and containing the sample from at least one of the group selected from the sample dispensing device and conduit means. The conduit means is arranged such that the sample in the second chamber is substantially isolated from the atmosphere to limit sample evaporation in the second chamber as the sample is contained therein.
US08409426B2
In crude oil fractions, fossil fuels, and organic liquids in general in which it is desirable to reduce the levels of sulfur-containing and nitrogen-containing components, the process reduces the level of these compounds via the application of heat, an oxidizing agent and, preferably, sonic energy. The invention is performed either as a continuous process or a batch process, and may further include optional steps of centrifugation or hydrodesulfurization.
US08409411B2
Sensors include nano-porous alumina membranes that are sensitized by immobilization of antibodies in the nano-pores. The nano-membranes can be sensitized to respond to a single target compound, or different portions of the nano-membrane can be differently sensitized. Capture of the target compound can be detected based on a spectral signature associated with electrical conductance in the nano-pores.
US08409408B2
An apparatus for electrochemical modification of liquid streams employing an electrolytic cell having an oxidation site defined by an anode, an anode compartment comprising liquid electrolyte anolyte where oxidation is effected, a cathode compartment comprising liquid electrolyte catholyte where reduction is effected, a cathode comprising conducting cathode particulates forming a cathode particulates bed and a current feeder device in at least intermittent contact with said cathode particulates where the cathode particulates are in motion and the particulates motion is substantially independent of bulk electrolyte flow, a separator which confines the cathode particulates to the cathode compartment, constrains electrolyte flow through the cathode particulates bed and permits ionic conduction of current between the anode and cathode, a cathode particulates conveyance system arranged to manipulate cathode particulates motion including a magnetic subsystem having at least one source of magnetic field arranged to interact with cathode particulates via magnetic field interaction.
US08409402B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for filling and cleaning a pulp tower. The invention is most suitable for filling and cleaning high-consistency pulp towers, bleaching towers, storage tanks and similar towers containing fiber suspensions, of the wood-processing industry. The apparatus and method according to the invention for filling and cleaning a pulp tower, in which method pulp is fed into the pulp tower either through its cover (10) or at least feed devices (24) arranged at its top, are characterized in that the space surrounding the feed device (24) is washable at the same time as the pulp is fed into the tower by means of washing devices (28, 30, 32) arranged in connection with the feed devices.
US08409399B2
A chemical oxide removal (COR) processing system is presented, wherein the COR processing system includes a first treatment chamber and a second treatment chamber. The first treatment chamber comprises a chemical treatment chamber that provides a temperature controlled chamber having a protective barrier. The second treatment chamber comprises a heat treatment chamber that provides a temperature-controlled chamber having a protective barrier.
US08409391B2
Disclosed are building board manufacturing techniques that minimize the build-up of slurry on associated forming equipment and also produce panels with enhanced physical properties. The methods involve applying a dissolvable film laminate to one or more fiber mats at the outset of the forming process. In the un-dissolved state, the film acts as a containment envelope for the gypsum slurry and any free floating glass fibers. During subsequent curing, the film is dissolved by vaporized water. In its dissolved state, the film is liquefied and coats the fibers of the underlying mat. This results in a building board with improved physical properties.
US08409385B2
A transparent laminate is produced by preparing a pair of transparent substrates, forming a sealing portion along the periphery on one of the transparent substrates for sealing a curable resin composition, supplying the curable resin composition in a region on the transparent substrate surrounded by the sealing portion, overlaying the other transparent substrate on the supplied curable resin composition in a reduced pressure atmosphere so that the curable resin composition is sealed as it is sandwiched between the pair of transparent substrates, and subsequently curing the curable resin composition in an atmosphere having a higher pressure than the pressure of the atmosphere in which the composition is sandwiched, to produce the transparent laminate.
US08409384B2
A patch for reworking an inconsistent area of a composite structure comprises a composite laminate patch and a bond joint between the patch and the structure. The bond joint including at least first and second regions respectively having differing properties for releasing strain energy around the inconsistent area at different rates.
US08409382B2
A method for producing an analytical consumable is proposed. The analytical consumable comprises at least one carrier and at least one analytical aid connected to the carrier. At least one optically sensitive material is applied to the carrier, said material being designed to carry out at least one optically detectable alteration in the event of action of an electromagnetic radiation. In at least one coding step, at least one function information item about the analytical consumable is introduced into the optically sensitive material by means of electromagnetic radiation. The function information item is designed to enable at least one analytical instrument to use the analytical consumable correctly.
US08409372B1
Methods and apparatuses for stabilizing the strain-temperature response for a shape memory alloy are provided. To perform stabilization of a second sample of the shape memory alloy, a first sample of the shape memory alloy is selected for isobaric treatment and the second sample is selected for isothermal treatment. When applying the isobaric treatment to the first sample, a constant stress is applied to the first sample. Temperature is also cycled from a minimum temperature to a maximum temperature until a strain on the first sample stabilizes. Once the strain on the first sample stabilizes, the isothermal treatment is performed on the second sample. During isothermal treatment, different levels of stress on the second sample are applied until a strain on the second sample matches the stabilized strain on the first sample.
US08409362B2
A system and method for low temperature hydration of food soils allows for hydration of food soils between washing cycles in a dishwasher. A user selects a hydration button to actuate a hydration cycle between dishwashing cycles. During the hydration cycle, a plurality of spraying devices are periodically actuated in accordance with a desired amount of hydration selected by the user. Water is supplied from a dedicated water supply line to the spraying devices, preferably without being heated, and is distributed throughout a dishwasher chamber utilizing spray nozzles or fans. The hydration cycle ends when deactivated, or when a dishwashing cycle is initiated.
US08409360B2
Problem: To provide a cleaning liquid and a cleaning method having excellent leaning capability. In a process of liquid immersion lithography, they can preventing the damage to be caused by the component released from the photoresist to photoexposure devices; the waste treatment is easy; the efficiency in substitution with the cleaning liquid for the medium for liquid immersion lithography is high, and the production cost is reduced not detracting from the throughput in semiconductor production.Means for Solution: A cleaning liquid to be used for cleaning a photoexposure device in a process of liquid immersion lithography, which comprises at least 5% by mass of a nonionic surfactant containing at least one group selected from an ethyleneoxy group, a propyleneoxy group and a polyglycerin group, and a balance of water; and a cleaning method using it.
US08409356B2
The invention relates to a method for hydrolyzing the plant fiber material to produce and separate a saccharide including glucose. The method includes a hydrolysis process of hydrolyzing cellulose contained in the plant fiber material and producing glucose in a first organic solvent having a cluster acid catalyst dissolved therein.
US08409351B2
A method to grow a boule of silicon carbide is described. The method may include flowing a silicon-containing precursor and a carbon-containing precursor proximate to a heated filament array and forming the silicon carbide boule on a substrate from reactions of the heated silicon-containing and carbon-containing precursors. Also, an apparatus for growing a silicon carbide boule is described. The apparatus may include a deposition chamber to deposit silicon carbide on a substrate, and a precursor transport system for introducing silicon-containing and carbon-containing precursors into the deposition chamber. The apparatus may also include at least one filament or filament segment capable of being heated to a temperature that can activate the precursors, and a substrate pedestal to hold a deposition substrate upon which the silicon carbide boule is grown. The pedestal may be operable to change the distance between the substrate and the filament as the silicon carbide boule is grown.
US08409345B1
A mixture for making gaseous concrete includes Portland cement, slaked lime, ash, aluminum gas forming material, dispersed reinforcing fiber, water, and as the gas forming material and the dispersed reinforcing fiber, it contains aluminated glass fiber, with the following ratio of components in mass %: Portland cement 30-34, Slaked lime 3-4, Ash 18-22, Aluminated glass fiber 1-5, water 37-42, Hemihydrate gypsum 0.4-0.5.
US08409336B2
An air filter system (10) has a filter housing (11), an air filter media (12), and an electrical circuit (13) electrically coupled to the media. The filter media consists of a pleated air filter material (23) with front pleat apexes (25) and rear pleat apexes (26) which are coated with an electrically conductive material to form front vertical strips (27) and rear strips (28). The electrical circuit includes a positive front electrical contact (30) and a rear electrical contact (31). The front electrical contact has a rear surface (30′) in electrical contact with an elongated front electrical contact bar (33), oriented horizontally across and in electrical contact with the filter front strips of conductive ink. Similarly, the rear electrical contact has a front surface (31′) in electrical contact with an elongated rear electrical contact bar (34), oriented horizontally across and in electrical contact with the rear strips of conductive ink.
US08409331B2
The invention relates to auxiliary systems ensuring functioning of alkaline fuel cell (AFC), in particular to a method and device for sorptive purification of air used in an AFC of carbon dioxide. In accordance with the invention, in the method for purifying air for a fuel cell, the starting air is passed through an adsorber with an adsorbent of carbon dioxide, then the adsorbent is regenerated. After utilization the adsorbent comprising hydrated oxides of transition metals is regenerated at a temperature of 60-120° C. by the air spent in the fuel cell.
US08409329B2
A method for the purification of a feed gas stream containing CO2 and water and at least one impurity chosen from NOx and SOx, comprising the incorporation of a purification step for the preferential elimination of water is provided.
US08409326B2
SAPO-34 membranes and methods for their preparation and use are described. The SAPO-34 membranes are prepared by contacting at least one surface of a porous membrane support with a synthesis gel. The Si/Al ratio of the synthesis gel can be from 0.3 to 0.15. SAPO-34 crystals are optionally applied to the surface of the support prior to synthesis. A layer of SAPO-34 crystals is formed on at least one surface of the support. SAPO-34 crystals may also form in the pores of the support. SAPO-34 membranes of the invention can have improved selectivity for certain gas mixtures, including mixtures of carbon dioxide and methane.
US08409318B2
A process and apparatus for forming wires, such as wires used as feedstock in welding, brazing, and coating deposition processes. The process and apparatus generally entail feeding through a passage a quantity of powder particles of a size and composition that render the particles susceptible to microwave radiation. As the particles travel through the passage, the particles within the passage are subjected to microwave radiation so that the particles couple with the microwave radiation and are sufficiently heated to melt at least a radially outermost quantity of particles within the passage. The particles are then cooled so that the radially outermost quantity of particles solidifies to yield a wire having a consolidated outermost region surrounding an interior region of the wire.
US08409313B2
A vent head for a steam system is provided. In one embodiment, the head comprises a body defining a vent head chamber and having a vent head outlet. The vent head comprises a steam inlet conduit having a steam outlet that opens into the vent head chamber and a baffle disposed within the vent head chamber above the steam outlet. A drainage passageway is provided for fluid communication between the vent head chamber and the steam inlet conduit. In use, the steam outlet may discharge steam into the vent head chamber which impinges on the baffle, thereby separating entrained liquid water from the steam. The separated water is collected in the vent head chamber returned to the steam inlet conduit via the drainage passageway.
US08409312B2
The invention relates to a filter unit for filtering gaseous fluids, comprising a filter insert part with a filter medium and a sealing element, said element being clamped between sealing struts on parts of the filter housing. The clamping force produced by the sealing struts that lie opposite one another runs at least approximately perpendicularly to the mounting direction of the housing parts.
US08409310B2
A dust extraction device for a machine hand tool is provided. The dust extraction device includes an outer tube arranged about an axis, the outer tube being closed on the first axial end thereof by a wall. An opening is provided for a pump connection, the opening being arranged in a position neighboring the wall in a shell wall of the outer tube. An attachment feature is provided having a sheath-like shape and arranged on the side of the wall which lies opposite the outer tube in an axial extension of the outer tube. An inner tube is arranged inside the outer tube about the axis, and penetrates the wall. A length of the inner tube inside the outer tube is at least half of the length of the outer tube.
US08409306B2
A fuel reformer including a reaction container including a first chamber, a first reactor in the first chamber, the first reactor, including a first catalyst, being configured to produce a first reformate by performing a steam reforming reaction on a first fuel, and having a first gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) at a set flow rate, a first heat source thermally connected to the first reactor, and a second reactor connected to the first reactor, the second reactor including a second catalyst, being configured to produce a second reformate having a lower carbon monoxide content than the first reformate, and having a second GHSV greater than the first GHSV at the set flow rate.
US08409303B2
In the processes for treating municipal sewage and storm water containing biosolids to discharge standards, biosolids, even after dewatering, contain typically about 80% water bound in the dead cells of the biosolids, which gives biosolids a negative heating value. It can be incinerated only at the expense of purchased fuel. Biosolids are heated to a temperature at which their cell structure is destroyed and, preferably, at which carbon dioxide is split off to lower the oxygen content of the biosolids. The resulting char is not hydrophilic, and it can be efficiently dewatered and/or dried and is a viable renewable fuel. This renewable fuel can be supplemented by also charging conventional biomass (yard and crop waste, etc.) in the same or in parallel facilities. Similarly, non-renewable hydrophilic fuels can be so processed in conjunction with the processing of biosolids to further augment the energy supply.
US08409285B2
A prosthesis for partial replacement of a vertebral body includes upper and lower contact plates that contact upper and lower vertebral bodies and a bridging element to be inserted into a bone cavity that bridges an intermediate vertebral body to be replaced that lies between the upper and lower vertebral bodies. The bridging element has anchoring projections which can be moved between a retracted implantation position and a protruding anchoring position.
US08409273B2
Devices, systems, methods and kits are provided for endoscopically accessing a body cavity and providing a directed pathway toward a target tissue within the cavity. The directed pathway is provided by a multi-catheter guiding system which is positioned in a desired configuration, generally directed toward the target tissue. Interventional devices may then be passed through the guiding system to the target tissue. Depending on the location of the target tissue and the desired angle of approach, the guiding system may be required to maintain one or more curves in one or more planes to properly direct the interventional devices. The multi-catheter guiding system of the present invention comprises an outer guiding catheter and a coaxially positioned inner guiding catheter, each of which independently form curvatures so that together the curves properly direct the interventional device.
US08409271B2
A stent has a stent main wire. The strut is disposed adjacent to the stent main wire and a junction pipe disposed around the stent main wire and strut so as to affix the stent main wire to the strut. A locking part is formed at an end of the strut to prevent the strut from sliding out of the junction pipe. The locking part comprises a folded back portion, wherein a distal most end of the folded back portion abuts with a distal most end of the junction pipe, a swelling portion, wherein a distal most end of the swelling portion is abutting a distal most end of the junction pipe, or a bent portion, wherein a distal most end of the bent portion is abutting with a distal most end of the junction pipe.
US08409268B2
The present invention provides an electrical block implant sized and shaped for securement at the perimeter of the pulmonary ostium of the left atrium. By utilizing various expandable ring designs and optional anchoring mechanisms, the present invention causes even, circular scarring around the perimeter of the pulmonary ostium, achieving reliable blocking of aberrant electrical signals responsible for atrial fibrillation.
US08409254B2
Cephalad and caudal vertebral facet joint prostheses and methods of use are provided. The cephalad prostheses are adapted and configured to be attached to a lamina portion of a vertebra without blocking a pedicle portion of the cephalad vertebra.
US08409253B2
A soft tissue repair assembly. The assembly includes a flexible member having first and second ends, and a strand passing through the flexible member. The strand has first and second strand ends extending through the flexible member, such that pulling at least one of the first and second strand ends changes the flexible member from a first shape suitable for insertion through soft tissue to a second shape suitable for securely lodging the soft tissue repair assembly relative to soft tissue.
US08409239B2
A method and an apparatus for anchoring a medical implant device within a blood vessel or other body passageway are described herein. An anchor delivery system houses one or more expandable anchors connected to the medical implant device. The anchors remain housed in a non-expanded configuration until the medical implant device has been placed in a desired position within the body, and then the anchors are propelled through a body wall where each anchor expands outwardly from an anchor shaft. In one configuration, each anchor is formed as a compressible closed loop which extends outwardly from an anchor shaft and loops back to cross over and extend beyond the anchor shaft. To propel the anchors, a drive shaft is connected to a triggering unit which, when activated, causes the drive shaft to drive the anchor shafts in a direction such that the anchors are propelled through the body wall.
US08409236B2
A system for providing transvascular retrograde access in a central blood vessel of a patient. In some embodiments, the system has a handle; a catheter extending from the handle; and a tissue piercing element extending from the handle through the catheter, the tissue piercing element having a sharp distal tip adapted to extend from a distal portion of the catheter, the catheter and handle being adapted to be separated from the tissue piercing element, a distal portion of the tissue piercing element being adapted to serve as a guide for introduction of a device into the central blood vessel. The invention also includes a method of providing transvascular retrograde access to a central blood vessel of a patient.
US08409229B2
A vascular clamp, has an operating mechanism, and an actuating tool. The vascular clamp is grasped using a detachable operating mechanism, wherein an actuating tool that can be slid in and out is able to open and close the jaws of the grasped vascular clamp. The vascular clamp includes a coupling arrangement and a continuously adjustable adjustment mechanism for this purpose. In order to grasp the vascular clamp, the operating mechanism includes a gripping mechanism and is equipped with a locking mechanism, which are used to create a detachable connection between the vascular clamp and the operating mechanism. For stepless opening and closing, the actuating tool engages in the adjustment mechanism of the vascular clamp and opens and closes the jaws of the vascular clamp by corresponding rotation of the actuating tool. The surgical instrument according to the invention is disassemblable and reassemblable, and can advantageously be disassembled into its three constituent parts during an operation, thus keeping the access opening in the chest free from obstructing instruments.
US08409227B2
The invention relates to a biocompatible neural implant for bridging interruptions or defects in nerves resulting from injuries sustained in an accident or following surgery. Inventive neural implants comprise fibers made from natural or synthetic spider silk and allow interrupted nerves to regenerate across defects such that functional nerve conduction is made possible within a short period of time.
US08409225B2
An assembly is described for repairing torn tendons by reattaching them to a bone, in particular although not exclusively for repairing a torn rotator cuff tendon, which allows for reduction of the gap between the tendon and the humerus by pushing the tendon onto its attachment site. Also described is a method of repairing a torn rotator cuff tendon by pushing it onto its attachment site and suturing through the humeral head.
US08409202B2
A fixation device may be used for supporting and/or stretching an injured body part. An exemplary fixation device uses a thumb wheel control element to provide controlled rotational micromovements of a joint. The control element and its associated drive system allow for movement along a particular axis, while the position remains fixed with relation to the other axis. In addition, the fixation device may incorporate a drive system that introduces a simultaneous longitudinal translation with rotation, in order to provide for a common point of origin of rotation between the fixation device and the affected body part supported by the fixation device.
US08409201B2
The present invention relates to a percutaneous patellar osteosynthesis system applicable to any type of fracture of the knee cap, formed by two arms that contain two multidirectional movable securing devices for fitting to any type of knee cap, in which the arms close in a parallel manner by means of a scissors closure mechanism in order to keep the fragments confined and secured by means of a “zipper” based on manual compression. The devices for securing the knee cap have antero-posterior, up/down and also lateral mobility in order to mobilize the fractured fragments and to achieve a reduction and a satisfactory knee cap joint congruence. The arms have slidable guides for placing the implant in any required direction in order to keep the fragments stable, the guides slide on the arms and the parallelism sought in this type of fixing is achieved without having to be based on manual calculation, the latter customarily being used in broad tissue dissection. The system achieves reduction and internal fixing by means of a minimally invasive technique and less tissue damage. The system also has guides for fitting cerclage wiring on an implant of any configuration, facilitating reduction and fixing of patellar fractures and the taking of X-rays with the system in place.
US08409200B2
A surgical device comprising a clevis defining a longitudinal axis and a jaw comprising a first member and a second member. A slider is slidably engaged to the clevis, the slider comprising a pin. The pin is receiveably engaged in the first slot and the jaw is selectively moveable between a first position and a second position through longitudinal movement of the slider. In various embodiments, the first and second members are movable between an angular open position, a parallel open position, and a parallel closed position.
US08409187B2
A microwave antenna probe incorporating a high-strength antenna coupler is described herein. The microwave antenna has a radiating portion connected by a coaxial feedline to a source of therapeutic energy, e.g., a microwave generator. Proximal and distal radiating portions of the antenna assembly are separated by a microwave antenna coupler. In embodiments, the described antenna coupler is generally cylindrical in shape and includes a central section having a diameter substantially equivalent to the radiating sections. The coupler includes end sections of a smaller diameter than the central section that are dimensioned to fit within the ends of the radiating section. The end portions include a groove that is adapted to receive a corresponding rib formed within the respective ends of the radiating section. The coupler includes an axial opening defined therein into which a tubular collar in fixed using an interference fit. The outward forces of the collar and the inward forces of the radiating section places the coupler under compression, which improves the strength of the coupler, and the strength of the overall probe assembly.
US08409186B2
The present disclosure relates to an electrosurgical generator which includes a controller configured to generate a first pulse train having at least one first control pulse and at least one first reset pulse. The controller also includes a second pulse train having at least one second control pulse and at least one second reset pulse. The first control pulse(s) and the second control pulse(s) are asynchronous and the reset pulse(s) are synchronous. The electrosurgical generator also includes an RF output stage which includes a first switching element and a second switching element. The control pulses are configured to activate the first switching element and second switching elements, respectively, in an asynchronous fashion to generate a non-continuous RF waveform.
US08409181B2
Methods and systems for treating presbyopia are provided. In accordance with an embodiment, by way of example only, a method of treating presbyopia of an eye includes ablating the stroma to form a final ablated shape in the stroma, the final ablated shape including a central zone defined by a concavity having a central zone depth and a central zone diameter, the central zone depth and the central zone diameter each selected to provide the cornea with a near-vision add power after the epithelium is regenerated over the stroma.
US08409171B2
A fluid drainage catheter comprises a catheter tube having a proximal and a distal end and a cylindrical wall with a lumen extending generally from the proximal to the distal end to permit the passage of fluid therethrough. The catheter tube is formed such that the proximal end has a closed tip for insertion of the catheter tube into a body cavity and the distal end has an opening for the drainage of from the body cavity through the lumen of the catheter tube. The cylindrical wall has an outer surface with at least one defined external flow path extending generally in a longitudinal direction from a point in proximity to the closed tip to a point distally thereof. With this arrangement, at least one drainage eye is associated with the defined external flow path and extends completely through the catheter tube from the outer surface to the lumen to permit fluid in the flow path to pass through the drainage eye into the lumen.
US08409157B2
A wound dressing apparatus includes a wound dressing member dimensioned for positioning relative to a wound bed. The wound dressing member including an internal vacuum reservoir and has a port in communication with the vacuum reservoir for applying subatmospheric pressure to the vacuum reservoir to facilitate removal of fluid from the wound bed. The wound dressing member includes a visual pressure indicator associated therewith for indicating a level of pressure within the vacuum reservoir. The visual pressure indicator includes color indicia having a plurality of colors corresponding to a condition of the pressure within the vacuum reservoir. The wound dressing member includes a lower absorbent member positionable adjacent the wound bed and an upper member which at least partially defines the vacuum reservoir. At least one of the top member and the lower absorbent member has the visual pressure indicator mounted thereto.
US08409156B2
A system for providing reduced-pressure treatment to a tissue site of a patient includes a reduced-pressure source for supplying reduced pressure, a fluid source for supplying a fluid, and a plurality of inflatable bladders for placing adjacent the tissue site. The inflatable bladders are operable to receive the fluid to expand from an uninflated position to an inflated position. The system also includes a plurality of chambers that are compressible. At least one of the plurality of chambers is disposed between a first inflatable bladder and a second inflatable bladder of the plurality of inflatable bladders.
US08409153B2
The present invention provides an improved vascular access port comprising a port base with a metallic dish insert molded (or bonded) into the bottom of the reservoir. In one embodiment, a single reservoir is provided. In another embodiment, plural reservoirs are provided. The metallic bottom of the reservoir provides a hard surface that will resist abrasion and puncture by the access needles used to infuse medication or withdraw blood. Additionally, the single and dual ports can include exit ports that are intended to better anatomically fit into the subcutaneous areas around muscle tissue.
US08409147B2
This is a Rapid Local Anesthesia Linear Injection Device. It is made of a very simple triangular shaped piece of clear plastic with encased conduits connecting a flange on the tip of the cone where a Luer lock syringe can attach, and the base where there are a multiple tiny hypodermic needles protruding from the base of the triangle. The number of needles would be directly proportional to the length of the base of the device. It would be available in many sizes identified by the shape and the length of the base.
US08409134B2
Control logic (110) for a power injector is disclosed, where this power injector control logic (110) includes a syringe fill protocol (114), a pressure calibration protocol (116), a pressure monitoring protocol (118), and an injection protocol (120). The power injector control logic (110) is configured to execute the pressure calibration protocol (116) on each execution of the syringe fill protocol (114). The pressure calibration protocol (116) updates the pressure monitoring protocol (118), which is executed during execution of the injection protocol (120).
US08409127B2
A method for emptying a blood tubing set of a blood treatment device that includes an extracorporeal blood circuit with a membrane filter includes supplying air or gas to the blood tubing set to displace liquid therein. The blood tubing set includes arterial and venous patient blood tubes in communication with a first chamber of the membrane filter. The device also includes a substituate line which opens into the arterial blood tube and/or into the venous blood tube, and a substituate pump. To empty the blood tubing set, the arterial blood tube and the venous blood tube are connected to one another to provide a circuit that includes the membrane filter, the arterial blood tube, and the venous blood tube. The substituate line is disconnected, and the air or gas is pumped into the blood tubing set so as to displace liquid into a second chamber of the membrane filter.
US08409126B2
The present invention relates to systems and devices to treat and/or prevent inflammatory conditions within a subject and to related methods. More particularly, the invention relates to systems, devices, and related methods that sequester leukocytes and/or platelets and then inhibit their inflammatory action.
US08409121B1
A therapy tool designed to assist therapist to manually control and facilitate patient elbow and knee flexion-extension during walking, sit to stand, control in standing, and other functions is provided. The therapy tool includes a first cushion adapted to receive at least a portion of a person's shin or forearm, a second cushion adapted to cushion a person's knee, a elongate handle attached the first and second cushions in a manner such that the second cushion is disposed above the first cushion, and a horizontal extension adapted to provide a support surface for the patient.
US08409120B2
The invention relates to a massaging device with an elongated massaging recess for receiving a male genital organ, in which for massaging a male genital organ received in the elongated massaging recess a drive mechanism is provided extending along the longitudinal axis (LA) of the massaging recess. It is especially advantageous that the drive mechanism has a plurality of bearing surfaces, which are arranged at a radial distance from the longitudinal axis (LA) and which at least sectionwise surround the elongated massaging recess. A further advantage is that the drive mechanism is designed for an oscillating deformation of the elongated massaging recess at least radially inward along the longitudinal axis (LA) of the elongated massaging recess.
US08409114B2
An intracorporeal device includes a shaft having a proximal section including a first elongate member and a distal section including a tubular member and a second elongate member. A proximal region of the tubular member is attached to the distal region of the first elongate member. The second elongate member is disposed within the lumen of the tubular member, and a proximal region of the second elongate member is attached to the proximal region of the elongate tubular member. As such, in some embodiments, the tubular member can function both as a member joining the first and second elongate members, and as a structural element in the distal section of the shaft providing for desired flexibility, torqueability, and/or pushability characteristics.
US08409112B2
A specimen collection bag includes a flexible bag with a bottom end and a mouth end. A sleeve extends around at least a portion of a perimeter of the mouth end. The sleeve is adapted to receive the jaws of a grasping tool that are movable between a closed position and an open position. Opening the jaws causes the mouth end of the specimen collection bag to open and closing the jaws causes the mouth end of the specimen collection bag to close.
US08409107B2
Estimating a frequency of a sampled cardiac rhythm signal and classifying the rhythm. The received signal is sampled and transformed into a curvature series. A lobe in the curvature series corresponds to a characteristic point in the sampled series. Characteristic points are selected based on a time of a lobe in the curvature series and, in one embodiment, an amplitude of the signal at the time of the lobe. A frequency of the sampled series is estimated by autocorrelating a function of the series of the characteristic points. In one embodiment, the function is a time difference function. The rhythm is classified by plotting the timewise proximity of characteristic points derived from an atrial signal with characteristic points derived from a ventricular signal. Regions of the plot are associated with a particular rhythm and the grouping of the data corresponds to the classification.
US08409099B2
A focused ultrasound system includes an ultrasound transducer device forming an opening, and having a plurality of transducer elements positioned at least partially around the opening. A focused ultrasound system includes a structure having a first end for allowing an object to be inserted and a second end for allowing the object to exit, and a plurality of transducer elements coupled to the structure, the transducer elements located relative to each other in a formation that at least partially define an opening, wherein the transducer elements are configured to emit acoustic energy that converges at a focal zone.
US08409091B2
A method of performing an operation, e.g. a spinal operation, on a patient using a retractor comprising a pair of blade assemblies which are adapted to open about a set of axes that are not parallel to a third spatial axis, and further comprising a pair of arms, which are adapted to move the pair of blade assemblies apart from one another in the third spatial axis. In the method, the blade assemblies are closed to assume a low profile, inserted into a relatively small incision, and stretched apart from each other, thereby stretching the skin about the incision to form an aperture longer than the incision. The blade assemblies are then opened by rotating the blades about the set of axes, stretching the skin around the incision in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction (i.e. the direction of the incision.).
US08409083B2
Surgical methods providing access to delicate tissue, such as brain tissue or breast tissue, through a transcutaneous incision. A method may include making an incision adjacent a region containing delicate tissue, and providing a surgical assembly having: a retractor having a hollow sleeve extending from a proximal end to a distal end, and an introducer having a proximal end installed within the hollow sleeve and a distal end extending beyond the distal retractor end. The surgical assembly is advanced into the region containing delicate tissue, and the distal introducer end gently displaces the delicate tissue as the surgical assembly is advanced to thereby avoid damage to the delicate tissue. The introducer is removed from the retractor to leave the distal retractor end at a surgical site located in the physical region containing delicate tissue. One or more surgical instruments are then used through the hollow sleeve.
US08409066B2
A web has a series of cut outs that define bridging portions therebetween. A method for folding the web includes providing the web to a first conveyor, folding the web about a folding wheel to define a folded edge that extends through the series of cut outs, transferring the web to a second conveyor having an included angle of 15 to 40 degrees in relation to the first conveyor, folding the web about a folding bar to maintain the folded edge, and spanning at least one cut out with the folding bar and contemporaneously contacting at least two bridge portions with the folding bar to maintain the folded edge of the web about the folding bar as the web passes the folding wheel edge.
US08409065B2
A bag manufacturing and packaging apparatus is adapted to form a strip film into a cylindrical film. The bag manufacturing and packaging apparatus includes a sealing unit with a pair of sealing members facing each other to seal an end portion of the cylindrical film therebetween to package an article. Each of the sealing members includes a sealing jaw, a heating unit, and a heat insulating member. The sealing jaw has a heat generating surface, and configured and arranged to seal the cylindrical film on the heat generating surface. The heating unit is configured and arranged to heat the heat generating surface of the sealing jaw. The heat insulating member insulates the heat conduction from the heating unit to a direction other than a direction toward the heat generating surface of the sealing jaw.
US08409060B2
An exercise bike for rehabilitation includes a frame, on which a first exercise module designed for training hands, a second exercise module designed for training feet, and a damping device to provide the first and second exercise modules loadings are provided. The first and second exercise modules each has two opposite one-way clutches that user may use to independently train his/her hand or feet without interference.
US08409043B2
The invention relates to a lubricating device for a variable speed transmission with an integrated interaxle differential for motor vehicles, on the shaft of the transmission there being at least one synchronizer clutch for shifting one or two lower (slower) gear ratios and the interaxle differential, and the synchronizer clutch and the interaxle differential being supplied with lubricating oil by way of a central longitudinal channel in the shaft and by way of radial channels and/or radial gaps branching off from it. For improved adaptation of the lubricating oil supply in defined driving states of the motor vehicle, there are means which are integrated into the longitudinal channel and which change the lubricating oil supply to the synchronizer clutch and the interaxle differential as a function of the driving speed.
US08409031B2
Golf clubs, club heads, and club weighting systems may include: (a) a club head body member; and (b) one or more weight members removably and/or movably engaged with the club head body member so as to move between a first position and a second position to change an overall exterior shape of the club head. This shape change may result in changes to the overall center of gravity, weighting, and/or moment of inertia characteristics of the club head. Alternatively or additionally, the weight member(s) may be removed from the club head body member, reoriented, and/or replaced with a different weight member, e.g., to change the overall exterior shape, center of gravity, weighting, and/or moment of inertia characteristics of the club head. Methods of making and using these clubs, club heads, and weighting systems also are described.
US08409023B1
A golf ball dispensing and teeing device is provided which allows a single golf ball to be metered from a supply tube and travel therefrom to rest within an elevated ball tee.
US08409010B2
According to some aspects of the present disclosure, a computing system for coordinating massively multiplayer games is provided. The computing system may include a data aggregation service to collect, aggregate and distribute game play data that is used by game code executed on each player's computing device to influence game flow of a shared game play experience for many thousands of remotely located players in real-time. Accordingly, game data from any player may impact and influence the game play experience of all other players. Further, each player's computing device may be event driven such that game data may be received from the game data aggregation service at a synchronized time to synchronize the shared game play experience for all players.
US08409004B2
An example system and method controls a rotatable object on a display using a handheld control device comprising an accelerometer. The example system and method involve determining an orientation of the handheld control device using an interpolation of an output for a first axis of the accelerometer and an output for a second axis of the accelerometer. The rotation of the rotatable object is controlled based on the determined orientation.
US08408999B2
A game apparatus displaying on a screen moves to be made by the player in time with reproduction of a piece of music is provided. In the game apparatus, a reproduction part reproduces music stored in a storage. The music to be reproduced is divided into multiple segments of the same length of time and an image is associated with each of the multiple segments, presenting moves to be made by the player while that segment is reproduced. Multiple regions are provided on the screen. The display part displays an image stored in the storage and associated with a segment i+j−1 among the multiple segments in a region j among the multiple regions on the screen while a segment i among the multiple segments is reproduced by the reproduction part.
US08408991B2
A gaming system and a method provide primary and secondary games to players using a plurality of linked gaming machines. Each gaming machine includes a display. For each gaming machine, an associated player is allowed to make a wager on a primary game, an outcome of the primary game is randomly selected, and if the outcome of the primary game is a winning outcome, awarding the associated player a primary award as a function of the outcome, the wager made by the player, and a predetermined paytable. If a triggering conditioning occurred in one of the primary games and a secondary game is initiated. The secondary game is a video slot game including a plurality of video reels. Each video reel is displayed on a respective display of one of the gaming machines.
US08408985B2
A system for providing game play. The system includes processors and memory configured to include users as players at a table in an online game and provide cards to the players for playing a first hand of the game. When a jump point is reached in the first hand, the following are provided to at least the players no longer playing the first hand: cards for playing a second hand at the table, and continued online access to play of the first hand. Strategic aspects of face-to-face poker play are retained while action-seeking players can see more hands per hour.
US08408975B2
A belt sander is disclosed that may include a sanding assembly having a first roller and a second roller, the sanding assembly being configured to receive a sanding belt around the first roller and the second roller to define a sanding surface therebetweeen. The belt sander may include a motor operationally coupled to the sanding assembly and opposite the sanding surface, the motor being configured to rotate at least the first roller and thereby rotate the sanding belt around the first roller and the second roller, as well as a handgrip formed around at least a portion of the motor and substantially encasing the motor.
US08408973B2
The disclosure relates to a finishing apparatus for finish machining of rotationally symmetric workpiece surfaces having a finish belt guide which has a guiding body for guiding the finish belt, wherein the guiding body comprises a shell-like guiding surface along which the finish belt can be guided or is guided between an insertion end of the finish belt and a withdrawal end of the finish belt, wherein the guiding surface is mounted in a resiliently elastic manner in the radial direction, wherein, when seen in the circumferential direction, the guiding surface extends in a continuous manner between the insertion end of the finish belt and the withdrawal end of the finish belt over at least a part of the width of said guiding surface and is mounted in a resiliently elastic manner.
US08408971B2
The corners of a sheet of glass travelling in a longitudinal direction are ground by a grinding assembly having a fixed frame; a movable frame; a grinding wheel; a supporting arm supporting the grinding wheel and fitted to the movable frame; and an actuating device interposed between the fixed frame and the movable frame, and having a first powered guide-slide assembly for moving the movable frame in a direction parallel to a longitudinal travelling direction of the sheet, and a second powered guide-slide assembly for moving the movable frame with respect to the fixed frame in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; the grinding assembly also having a locator fixed to the supporting arm and defining a stop to keep the sheet at a distance from the grinding wheel; and a compensating device interposed between the supporting arm and the movable frame, and having a third guide-slide assembly and a flexible controlled-damping device.
US08408968B2
Devices, systems and methods for the recycling and recovery of carpet are disclosed herein. Devices, systems and methods for disassembling carpet into the various components used for carpet construction by abrasive removal and separation of components are also disclosed herein.
US08408967B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine tool with a rest apparatus having high supporting stiffness of a workpiece by the rest apparatus and having flexibility to machine a plurality of kinds of the workpieces selectively and to provide a machining method of the machine tool with the rest apparatus.The machine tool with the rest apparatus comprising a base 10, a spindle head 20 mounted on the base 10 to hold rotatably one end of a workpiece W, a tail stock 30 mounted on the base 10 to be faced to the spindle head 20 and to hold rotatably the other end of the workpiece W, first rest apparatus 52 mounted between the spindle head 20 and the tail stock 30 and fixed to the base 10 un-movably to support the workpiece W, and second rest apparatus 53 mounted between the spindle head 20 and the tail stock 30 and movably mounted on the base 10 to support said workpiece W.
US08408966B2
A glass manufacturing device includes a work container, a loading device, a sandblaster, a shield device, and a lift device. The loading device is received in the work container and loads a glass substrate in place. The sandblaster is arranged opposite to the loading device and sandblasts the glass substrate. The lift device is connected to the shield device and used for pressing the shield device onto the glass substrate during the process of sandblasting. The shield device includes a shield cover having a number of shield units. The surfaces of the shield units facing the bottom of the work container are engaged with elastic washers. The shield units are configured to shield portions of the glass substrate and prevent the portions of the glass substrate from being cut during sandblasting.
US08408940B2
The integrated connector includes an insulative body, a circuit board, eSATA interface bonding fingers, USB interface bonding fingers and USB pins. The insulative body has a trough towards a front side thereof and a plate under the trough. The plate is towards the front side of the insulative body and is formed with first openings and second openings behind the first openings. The circuit board is disposed in the trough and has a first conductive side and a second conductive side. The eSATA interface bonding fingers are disposed on the first conductive side. The USB interface bonding fingers are disposed on the second conductive side and exposed by the first openings. The USB pins are disposed in the trough and under the circuit. Each of the USB pins has a contact portion and a solder portion. The contact portions protrude from the insulative body through the second openings.
US08408938B2
An electric plug-in connector, comprising a plug head on which a union nut is rotatably disposed for screwing the plug-in connector together with a mating connector, can be screwed together with the mating connector under adherence to a prescribed tightening torque even without a torque wrench if the union nut consists of a threaded sleeve with a ring which comes into engagement with the threaded sleeve by way of driving parts at least during screwing on, of which the one driving part is dimensioned in such a way that it is shorn off by the other driving part when exceeding a tightening torque.
US08408927B2
There is provided a connector 1 connected to a mating connector, fixed in a case of a motor, comprising: an outer housing 5 attached to the case; a first inner housing 6 accommodating a first terminal 20 engaging to the mating connector, being accommodated in the outer housing 5 movably in the engaging direction Y of the first terminal 20 and in the intersectional direction of the engaging direction Y; a first inner connector 6 engaging to the mating connector; a second inner housing 10 accommodating a second terminal 11 electrically connected to a electric circuit in the case and being fixed in the outer housing 5 and a braided wire 90, and further including a connection portion 9 connecting the first terminal 20 and the second terminal 11 and a packing 7 attached to the first inner housing.
US08408924B1
An electrical adapter assembly includes a housing defining a cutout, the housing including first electrical contacts and second electrical contacts disposed within the cutout. The electrical adapter assembly includes (i) a plug including a body having a first portion extending from an edge of a second portion, the first portion extending generally orthogonal to the second portion, (ii) electrical prongs extending from the first portion, and (iii) electrical contacts coupled to the electrical prongs. The body of the plug is receivable in the cutout in at least two orientations, and in each of the at least two orientations, one or more of the electrical contacts of the plug engage at least one of the first electrical contacts or at least one of the second electrical contacts.
US08408923B2
A dielectric part is used with an electrical connector housing and a matable connector piece such as a printed circuit board. The electrical connector housing has a plurality of terminal pins secured therein with terminal pin portions extending from the electrical connector housing. The dielectric part includes a box-shaped dielectric part body that is fabricated from a stiff yet resilient dielectric material and has a plurality of dielectric part body holes sized and arranged to slidably receive the terminal pin portions. When the electrical connector housing and the matable connector piece are releasably connected together, the dielectric part body is disposed between the electrical connector housing and the matable connector piece and the terminal pin portions are slidably received in the plurality of dielectric part body holes thereby being enveloped by the dielectric part body to isolate the terminal pin portions from one another. An electrical assembly is also described.
US08408920B2
A training aid for practicing inserting a needle in a vein, the aid including: a base which is resistant to penetration by a needle; a tube located on one side of the base; a covering which extends over the base and the tube, the arrangement being such that the other side of the base can be placed on the skin of a person so that a needle can then be inserted through the covering to penetrate the tube so as to simulate insertion through the skin and penetration of the vein of the person.
US08408913B2
The invention is intended to facilitate language learning by improving sound identification and perception. It is well known that foreign language students in particular have great difficulty in mastering the sounds of the foreign language being learned. Among other possible causes, this is due to interferences that occur between the written form of the target language and the sounds that the students associates mentally with used in the written form. In the case of foreign language learning, the aforementioned association comes fundamentally from the native language of the learner. The invention relates to a training method for learning languages involving the use of graphic entities which enable the sounds of the target language to be manipulated without creating interferences between the writ en and spoken form.
US08408906B2
A dental implant having a surface made of a ceramic material. The dental implant is characterized in that the surface has a topography defined by a Core Roughness Depth Sk of less than 1 μm.
US08408900B2
The disclosed invention provides electrochemical dispensing apparatus. According to the principles of the invention, a microelectronic electrochemical dispenser is used to cause the release of one or more selected chemical substance from a stored chemical compound. The release is controlled using a timer or sensor apparatus in a controlling device, preferably an ASIC.
US08408894B2
An automated concrete block machine including a mold cavity, a feedbox driven between retracted and extended positions and depositing concrete in the mold cavity when at the extended position, a cutoff bar, and a drive system coupled to and driving the cutoff bar in a direction of movement of the feedbox such that a distance between at least a portion of the cutoff bar and a top of the mold varies so that the cutoff bar removes varying amounts of concrete deposited in the mold cavity so that a depth of concrete remaining in at least a portion of the mold cavity varies so as to be unevenly distributed in a desired fashion in the direction of movement of the feedbox.
US08408885B2
A washer fluid pump (2) for a window cleaning system includes two ventilation openings (13, 14) arranged in a housing (5) and linked with a single opening (15) arranged on the inside. A ventilation duct (18) has two sections (16, 17) arranged tangentially to the housing (5). The ventilation openings (13, 14) are separated from each other by a partition (19). This design makes it possible for the housing (5) to have a large ventilation cross section and avoids splashed water penetrating the housing (5).
US08408883B2
An inverter-integrated vehicle-air-conditioner electric compressor capable of eliminating malfunctions or the like due to electromagnetic noise interference and improving the reliability is provided. In a vehicle-air-conditioner electric compressor with which an inverter unit is integrated, lead-out positions of low-voltage cables and connectors for supplying a low voltage from a low-voltage power supply to a circuit on a low-voltage ground LV are provided either in a side surface opposite to a mounting position of high-voltage components and high-voltage cables for supplying a high voltage from a high-voltage power supply to a power system circuit on a high-voltage system ground HV; or at an end farthest away from the mounting position of the high-voltage cables and the high-voltage components in an adjacent side surface or the same side surface.
US08408882B2
A pressure washer system includes an internal combustion engine and a water pump. The internal combustion engine includes an engine block forming a chamber and a cover for the chamber. The cover has an area designed to hold a lubricant. Additionally, the engine includes a crankshaft within the chamber. The water pump includes a pumping mechanism, an inlet, an outlet, and a fluid passage. The pumping mechanism is powered by the crankshaft. Water enters the pump through the inlet and exits the pump through the outlet. The fluid passage extends between the inlet and the outlet. A portion of the fluid passage is formed in the cover of the engine. Heat transfers from the lubricant of the engine to the water of the water pump during operation of the pressure washer system.
US08408874B2
A turbine blade rotor assembly is disclosed for a gas turbine engine. The assembly includes a rotor having nickel alloy turbine blades secured thereto. Each of the blades includes a root and an airfoil. The roots are supported by the rotor. A ceramic matrix composite platform separate from the turbine blades is supported between each pair of the turbine blades adjacent to the airfoils. In another example, the airfoil includes a perimeter. A shroud having an aperture receives the airfoil with a single shroud substantially surrounding the airfoil at the perimeter. In one example, the turbine blade includes high and low pressure sides opposite one another that extend from a tip to a root. The airfoil is free from any protrusions extending from the high and low pressure sides on a portion of the blade axially outward from the root.
US08408873B2
Blades are connected to the surface of a disk and slots are formed in the surface of a shroud, which is opposite from the other surface of the shroud where the blades are to be welded. The blades are arranged on the opposite surface from the slots and a laser beam is applied from the surface in which the slots are formed, to weld the shroud and the blades. Components are installed on the surfaces of the slots on the opposite side from the blades after the blades and the shroud in which the slots are formed are welded. Alternatively, the slots are filled with a material different from that of the shroud, such as a resin. With this configuration, distortion caused by welding heat can be reduced without degrading the fluid performance.
US08408869B2
A pedestal for a fan assembly includes a telescopic duct for conveying an air flow to an outlet of the fan assembly. The duct includes an outer tubular member having a first stop member, an inner tubular member located at least partially within and slidable relative to the outer tubular member, the inner tubular member having a second stop member for engaging the first stop member to inhibit withdrawal of the inner tubular member from the outer tubular member, and a mainspring rotatably mounted on the second stop member, the mainspring having a free end retained by the first stop member.
US08408868B2
An inducer that includes a profiled throat. In some embodiments, the inducer includes a conical shape upstream of the profiled throat with a relatively large circular inlet that narrows to the profiled throat and, downstream of the profiled throat, a downstream section that broadens from the profiled throat. The profiled throat may include an approximate convergent-divergent nozzle geometry.
US08408867B2
This invention relates to an augmenter system for the increase of power generation primarily used for utilizing wind energy. The augmenter system includes an augmenter having a plurality of walls, such as flexible walls, connected to each other with supporting horizontal elongated members. The augmenter is used in conjunction with a blade system and an air flow regulation or furling system to achieve optimal power output. The augmenter includes a relatively lightweight, low cost flexible wall structure to enhance an air flow into impact impellers associated with the blade system. In one arrangement, the blade system defines a swept area with a height to diameter ratio of greater than four. In one arrangement, the blade system defines a swept area with a height to diameter ratio of greater than ten.
US08408858B2
A substrate processing system includes a first load lock, a process chamber having a first opening to allow an exchange of a substrate between the first load lock and the first process chamber, first rollers in the process chamber; and second rollers in the first load lock, wherein the first rollers and the second rollers are configured to transport a substrate thereon through the first opening between the first load lock and the process chamber. At least some of the first rollers and the second rollers are idler rollers.
US08408856B2
A fastener mountable to a rigid substrate such as a fiber cement panel and also mountable to the panel and an underlying support, such as a metal or wooden stud. The fastener may include a drilling portion having a reaming portion for reaming out the material within the panel, a fastening portion for engaging the panel and, if encountered, the underlying support, and a tapered portion between the drilling and fastening portions. The drilling portion may have a length generally equal to, or slightly longer than, a length of the panel so that reaming out of the panel may be completed before engagement of the fastener threads with the interior of the panel begins.
US08408849B2
A pressure-activated ID grooving tool includes a tool body having a channel, a front cross slide slot, a rear cross slide slot projecting, and two legs extending from a piston bore. A piston is disposed within the piston bore. A slide arm has an extension face and a retraction face. A cross slide has a cross slide pocket with a slide engaging face immediately opposing the extension face of the slide arm and a slide retracting face immediately opposing the retraction face of the slide arm. When fluid within the channel and the piston bore is pressurized, the piston moves toward the plunger, which in turn causes the extension face of the slide arm into contact with slide engaging face of the cross slide to cause the cross slide to move in an outward radial direction, thereby pushing the insert into contact with a workpiece.
US08408846B2
A method for landscaping an area using an earth-reinforcing revetment includes the steps of providing a first structure of at least one landscaping apparatus having a measure of openings and a base region, providing a second structure of the at least one landscaping apparatus having a measure of openings greater than the measure of openings of the second structure, arranging the second structure at an angle relative to the first structure such that the angle defines a landscaping feature, arranging at least a portion of the first structure on a landscaping region of the area such that the landscaping region at least partially supports base region of the first structure, and disposing landscaping material on the first structure of the landscaping apparatus so as to define a feature for the area. Also, a landscaping apparatus of an earth-reinforcing revetment includes the above described structures.
US08408842B2
A connection arrangement for subsea connection of at least a first fluid conduit to a second fluid conduit. A supporting unit displaceably supports the connection arrangement against a supporting surface. A coupling device couples and secures the fluid conduits to the connection arrangement thereby interconnecting the fluid conduits to each other. A frame carries the coupling device and is slideably and/or pivotably mounted to the supporting unit so as to allow the frame and the associated coupling device to slide and/or pivot in relation to the supporting unit.
US08408836B2
A clamp for joining two hull sections is disclosed. In some embodiments, the clamp is realized by a bulkhead and a wedge, wherein the wedge forces the two hull sections into a seated position on the bulkhead. In some embodiments, the clamp further comprises o-rings for providing a pressure seal.
US08408833B2
A brush, in particular a toothbrush, including a head part with a cleaning structure with bristles, a handle part and a neck part, a cavity with at least one outlet opening for an active substance being located in the head or neck part. In one embodiment, the cavity incorporates an active substance element, which contains the active substance in a carrier material and releases the substance in a controlled manner when it comes into contact with water. The cavity may be adapted to the shape of an active substance element by means of defined external contours. The volume of the cavity is preferably 1-2 times and no more than 4 times greater than the volume of the active substance element, ensuring that the latter is preferably surrounded by water during use. This allows the active substance to be effectively metered and ensures the brush is easy to use.
US08408831B2
Various systems and methods are provided for adorning various writing instruments. A casing removably receives the writing instrument such that at least the writing tip extends outwardly from a grip portion of the casing. A cap is provided for removably engaging the grip portion to fully enclose the writing instrument. An opening from which the writing tip is disposed is sized to accommodate various writing instruments. A biasing member within the barrel of the casing is provided to accommodate writing instruments of various lengths. An intercap seal within the cap of the casing enables an original cap to the writing instrument to not be used for protecting the writing tip and preventing the writing instrument from drying out.
US08408829B2
A recording apparatus includes a platen that guides a sheet, restraining members disposed on the platen at respective side edges of the sheet to restrain the side edges of the sheet from being raised, a sheet width detector that detects the width of the sheet, and a restraining member detector that detects the positions of the restraining members. At least one of the restraining members is moved in accordance with the information obtained by the sheet width detector regarding the positions of the side edges of the sheet and the information obtained by the restraining position detector regarding the positions of the restraining members.
US08408825B2
An image recording apparatus having a carrying unit carrying a continuous recording medium; a recording medium connecting unit for replacing and connecting the continuous recording medium; a cutting unit having cutting means cutting the continuous recording medium and detection means detecting a cutting position of the cutting means; and an introducing unit and having a pair of introducing rotating bodies nipping the continuous recording medium to hold and introduce the continuous recording medium into the cutting unit, and comprising a control unit determining whether a connecting position of the continuous recording medium connected in the recording medium connecting unit corresponds to the cutting position of the cutting unit, and when the connecting position and the cutting position are determined as corresponding, controlling a cutting length of the continuous recording medium having the connecting position, to avoid cutting being conducted at the connecting position.
US08408823B2
When photographing using an optical finer, a hold member rotates, and a pressing member pushes a pushed portion of an iron piece member to rotate an unlocking member for a first blade and an unlocking member for a second blade to bring the iron piece member into contact with an iron core member of an electromagnet. When photographing using an electronic finder, a permanent magnet rotor of an electromagnetic device is rotated in a state where the electromagnet is not magnetized, a deterring member is made to face the operation locus of a deterred portion of the unlocking member for a second blade, and then, the hold member is rotated. Thereby, the unlocking member for a second blade is deterred by the deterring member so as to allow observation using the electronic finder without pushing the locking member for a second blade.
US08408820B2
A levelling apparatus, and in one embodiment a portable levelling camera mount (10) having a platform (14) for mounting a camera, a sensor (16) for detecting an orientation of the platform; and an actuator (12) coupled to the platform, which moves the platform in response to the orientation detected via the sensor. Typically, the mount may have a selector to operate the mount to level solely a first axis of the platform to a reference plane while the second axis of the platform is tilted with respect to the reference plane, or to operate the mount to level the platform such that both the first and the second axes of the platform are leveled to the reference plane.
US08408819B2
The invention relates to a camera holding module for stereoscopic shooting, characterized in that it comprises: a carriage mobile in translation (2) along at least one guiding rail, driven by a driving device; a camera-holding rotary member (3) having a rotation axis and a guiding member (32) carried by the mobile carriage, as well as an actuator (27) interacting with the guiding member for initiating the movement thereof in order to rotate the camera holding member.
US08408817B2
A controlled radius splice protector includes a first fiber optic fiber, a second fiber optic fiber, a fiber splice connecting the first fiber optic fiber and the second fiber optic fiber, a hot melted splice tubing extending over the fiber splice and a jacket tubing receiving the hot melted splice tubing and pre-formed to a selected bend radius.
US08408813B2
A fiber optic connector for making a mechanical splice with an optical fiber secured in an optical fiber handler is disclosed. The fiber optic connector provides the craft with a simple, fast and reliable way for terminating the optical fiber.
US08408806B2
An auxiliary bearing system having a sleeve through which a shaft extends. A gap may be defined between the sleeve and the shaft when a primary bearing system supports the shaft, and the sleeve may engage and rotate with the shaft when the primary bearing system does not support the shaft. An oil ring may extend circumferentially around the sleeve and rotate in response to the rotating sleeve when the sleeve engages and rotates with the shaft. The rotating oil ring may distribute lubricant within the auxiliary bearing system.
US08408803B2
An ultrathin cross-roller bearing composed of outer and inner rings, more than one roller rolling through between the outer and inner rings, and a separator interposed between any two adjoining rollers. With the ultrathin cross-roller bearing constructed as stated earlier, the separator lying between the adjoining rollers is in the form of right cylinder better for keeping constantly the roller in proper posture, getting the bearing itself downsized and lightweight as small as possible, and further making sure of positive lubrication. The outer and inner rings are each made into one-piece construction. The inner ring has an inside diameter in a range of from 20 mm to 50 mm. The roller used in the ultrathin cross-roller bearing has a diameter of 2 mm to render a transverse section given by a product of a radial height and a bearing width in transverse section small or ultrathin in thickness.
US08408799B2
A connecting rod bearing is constituted of a pair of semi-cylindrical bearings I and II. In a state in which the semi-cylindrical bearings are assembled into a cylindrical shape, along two contact surfaces C of circumferential end surfaces, first axial oil grooves E are formed to be located at a central portion in a bearing width direction, and second axial oil grooves F are formed to be located at both sides in the bearing width direction of each of the first axial oil grooves E. One of the first axial oil grooves E and two of the second axial oil grooves F are in relation to communicate with each other. The first axial oil groove E is formed in the range of the wall thickness decreasing region surface A.
US08408794B2
A linear ball bearing for longitudinally movable mounting of a shaft-like guide rail in a part surrounding the guide rail, which has a sleeve-like cage with recesses arranged one behind the other in the circumferential direction holding ball circuits which have at least one supporting section with supporting balls which are supported such that they can roll on the guide rail. The supporting balls are also supported such that they can roll on a raceway of a supporting race element inserted indirectly or directly into the cage. The supporting race element has at least one radial outer surface, arched outward at least in one direction, for contact against an inner surface of the part which surrounds the guide rail. The outer surface is formed by at least one web-like projection extending in the longitudinal direction of the supporting race element.
US08408784B2
Provided is the assembly of a watch winder with a moveable attention-attracting mechanism driven from the motor of the watch winder through a transmission mechanism. The attention-attracting mechanism comprises a multilink mechanism that includes a device in the form of a human being, wherein the first link is formed as hands, the second link as a body, and the base support as legs. Rotation of the crank may be further transmitted to another attention-attracting mechanism that is formed as a Ferris wheel. According to the second modification, the multilink mechanism is formed as an oil-extracting pump.
US08408783B2
The invention relates to a horizontal agitator for producing a flow in a clearing basin, wherein a propeller (2) comprising a plurality of blades (4) is connected to a submersible motor (1) disposed axially thereto. In order to increase the efficiency of the horizontal agitator, according to the invention plate-shaped flow conducting elements (8) extending in at least one axial plane are provided downstream of the propeller (2).
US08408773B2
An illuminated component for motor vehicles and the like includes a light source that may comprise one or more LEDs. A sheet of light-transmitting material has a first side surface that is coated with ink or other opaque material. Some of the opaque material is removed to form areas that may be illuminated by the light source. The opaque material may be removed utilizing a laser-engraving/etching process according to a specific pattern or design provided by a customer from a remote location.
US08408771B2
A lamp unit is constructed of light sources, a reflector, a lamp housing that receives the light sources and the reflector therein, and a lamp lens that closes an opening of the lamp housing. The reflector has a through hole that is formed in a portion positioned above a first light source as a heat source, so that air warmed by heat of the first light source can be introduced into a rear side of the reflector via the through hole. The air introduced into the rear side of the reflector via the through hole and ascending therein can be lead by a first guide means to an air stagnating portion positioned in an end periphery of a hermetically-closed space that is defined by the lamp housing and the lamp lens.
US08408766B2
The present invention relates to surfacing material which may emit radiation in response to exposure to a given light source. Such surfacing material may be polymeric based, and e.g., fiber based, and may be used in relatively low-light areas, including low-light areas as applied to vehicular applications. The fiber-based or molded materials may emit radiation in response to exposure to a selected light source and may be used in relatively dimly lit areas. The materials may also provide a visible contrast to other objects located adjacent their surface which do not emit radiation. Optical brighteners and luminous particles may be included in the materials to make them luminous.
US08408765B2
A system, controller, and method for controlling a light distribution pattern. A light source and an electrowetting lens cooperate to vary a light distribution pattern of light from the light source. An object detector is used by a controller determine the location of an object and operate the electrowetting lens in order to control the light distribution pattern based on the location of the object. The electrowetting lens provides for faster redirecting of light toward an object when compared to mechanical based system. The light source may be an array of light emitting diodes to provide a reliable, energy efficient source of light.
US08408752B2
In a surface lighting unit comprising a footprint portion, a sidewall portion, and an optical reflector with an opening spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the footprint portion. The opening substantially satisfies a relation A=bx2+c, assuming A is the open area ratio, i.e. the ratio of the opening area in a preset predetermined region to the area of the preset predetermined region, b and c are constants, and x is the distance from the center of the optical reflector. The opening has a circular non-through hole concentric to the center of the optical reflector, a concentric arcuate hole on the outside thereof, and a plurality of round holes farther on the outside thereof.
US08408738B2
A light emitting device is disclosed. The light emitting device includes a reflective layer, a plurality of light emitting components disposed on the reflective layer, and a resin layer formed on the plurality of light emitting components and the reflective layer.
US08408735B2
An actuating device for operating lamps (1) includes an actuator provided for actuating a number of first light-emitting diodes (6) for generating white light, on the one hand, and a number of second light-emitting diodes (7) for generating single-color light, on the other hand. A control is provided such that only the first light-emitting diodes (6) are switched on in a first operating state of the operating lamp (1) and such that the first light-emitting diodes (6) and the second light-emitting diodes (7) are switched on in a second operating state. The second light-emitting diodes (7) are designed such that a preset color rendering index is greater in the second operating state than in the first operating state of the operating lamp (1).
US08408726B2
An illumination module includes a light mixing cavity with an interior surface area and window that are physically separated from an LED. A portion of the window is coated with a first wavelength converting material and a portion of the interior surface area is coated with a second wavelength converting material. The window may be coated with LuAG:Ce. The window may also be coated with a third wavelength converting material with a peak emission wavelength between 615-655 nm where the spectral response of light emitted from the window is within 20% of a blackbody radiator at the same CCT. The LED may emit a light that is converted by the light mixing cavity with a color conversion efficiency ratio greater than 130 lm/W where the light mixing cavity includes two photo-luminescent materials with a peak emission wavelengths between 508-528 nm and 615-655 nm.
US08408722B2
The display stage includes a top and bottom compartments. The top compartment is defined by a translucent horizontal wall having a front end, and top and bottom surfaces extending rearwardly from the front end to a translucent backwall having front and rear surfaces. The bottom compartment is defined by an angular wall extending downwardly from the horizontal-wall front end and has a reflective surface facing the bottom surface of the horizontal wall. A light source behind the compartments provides illumination of an article disposed on the horizontal wall, by directing light at both at the rear surface of the backwall and the reflective surface of the angular wall.
US08408718B2
A locally dimmed display has a spatial light modulator illuminated by a light source. The spatial light modulator is illuminated with a low resolution version of a desired image. The illumination may comprise a series of lighting elements that vary smoothly from one element to another at the spatial light modulator.
US08408716B2
The image projection apparatus includes an exhaust air outlet through which an exhaust air flows out from an inside of the apparatus to an outside thereof, an air inlet through which an external air flows in from the outside of the apparatus to the inside thereof, a temperature detector that detects a temperature of the external air flowing into the inside of the apparatus through the air inlet, and a controller that performs a protection operation when one of a predetermined temperature corresponding to a temperature of the exhaust air and a predetermined temperature change caused by flowing in of the exhaust air through the air inlet is detected by the temperature detector. The apparatus enables quick detection of a state in which the exhaust air outlet is blocked to perform the protection operation.
US08408707B1
A method for generating a visual acuity metric, based on wavefront aberrations (WFAs), associated with a test subject and representing classes of imperfections, such as defocus, astigmatism, coma and spherical aberrations, of the subject's visual system. The metric allows choices of different image template, can predict acuity for different target probabilities, can incorporate different and possibly subject-specific neural transfer functions, can predict acuity for different subject templates, and incorporates a model of the optotype identification task.
US08408697B2
A new high refractive index, oxygen permeable contact lens material and method for making the same. The material comprises an alkyl acrylate, a fluoro acrylate, a silicone acrylate, a polymerizable vinyl monomer having a substituted aromatic ring and/or heterocyclic ring structure, a multifunctional acrylate, and a polymerizable vinyl monomer having a heterocyclic ring structure.
US08408693B2
A printing system has a print mechanism to dispense a curable ink onto print media, a texture roller having a textured surface arranged to transfer a texture through a film to the curable ink on the media resulting in textured ink, and a curing mechanism to cure the textured ink. A printing system has a print head to dispense a curable ink onto print media, a film arranged adjacent a side of the media upon which the ink is dispensed, a texture roller arranged on a side of the film opposite the media to transfer texture to the curable ink, resulting in textured ink, and a curing mechanism to cure the textured ink. A method of controlling gloss in a printed image includes forming a printed image on print media using curable ink, using a roller to transfer a texture pattern to the curable ink, and curing the ink such that the pattern cures into the ink.
US08408691B2
The invention provides an ink jet recording ink containing a self-dispersion pigment to a surface of which an anionic functional group represented by the following general formula (1) is bonded directly or through another atomic group, an ammonium salt of an organic carboxylic acid, water, and a water-soluble compound having a hydrophilicity-hydrophobicity coefficient of 0.26 or more as defined by the following equation (A), the ink having a surface tension of 34 mN/m or less, wherein M1 and M2 are, independently of each other, a hydrogen atom, alkali metal, ammonium or organic ammonium; Hydrophilicity-hydrophobicity coefficient=[(Water activity of a 20% aqueous solution)−(Molar fraction of water in the 20% aqueous solution)]/[1−(Molar fraction of water in the 20% aqueous solution)] (A).
US08408685B2
The invention relates to an ink supply system (2) for an inkjet printer (1) as well as a method of operating the ink supply system and an inkjet printer. The inkjet printer comprises a print head arrangement (6) incorporating several print heads (7) with one or more nozzles (8) for at least one color. The print heads (7) are connected via connecting lines (19) to a supply tank (187) connected via a filling line to an intermediate tank (12) with a conveyor means (16) and a filter arrangement (18) connected in between, and connected separately in each case via second connecting lines (21) to a common return tank (22). Means (32) are provided by means of which a pressure difference can be maintained in the supply tank (17) and/or in the return tank (22) as and when necessary to control a flow of ink from the supply tank (17) via the flow passages (20) of the print heads (7) connected in parallel to the return tank (22). The return tank (22) is directly connected to the supply tank (17) via a return line (24), optionally with a conveyor means (25) connected in between.
US08408681B2
A liquid discharge head includes a plurality of nozzle arrays. A concave portion is formed on a back side of a head substrate, and all supply ports are formed in the bottom of the concave portion. The head substrate and a supporting member are bonded at the bottom of the concave portion so that the supply port and an introduction port communicate with each other. According to such a configuration, a ground contact area can be sufficiently secured, so that a liquid discharge head that is highly reliable and having high heat dissipation ability, and that can be manufactured with high productivity can be achieved.
US08408678B2
A liquid ejection head includes a substrate having an energy-generating device configured to generate energy used for ejecting a liquid from an orifice; a transparent channel wall member forming an inner wall of a channel leading to the orifice; and an intermediate layer disposed between and in contact with a surface of the substrate and the channel wall member and having a refractive index different from a refractive index of the channel wall member. The intermediate layer has a first outer end surface forming contours of a symbol as viewed in a direction from the orifice toward the substrate and making a first angle with the surface of the substrate and a second outer end surface facing the channel and making a second angle with the surface of the substrate. The first angle is an obtuse angle. The second angle is smaller than the first angle.
US08408677B2
Two arrays of ejection openings which eject relatively large amounts of ink are provided for each of different color inks and are disposed at symmetrical positions in the order of colors in a direction corresponding to a record scan. In addition, a single array of ejection openings which eject relatively small amounts of ink is disposed for at least one color ink. Since the symmetrical disposition in the color order of the ejection opening arrays which eject large amounts of ink prevents color unevenness from appearing even when the bidirectional recording is performed. Since the single array is formed of the ejection openings which eject small amount of ink, and which is used for highly precise recording, it is possible to avoid image deterioration due to the shift of dot formed positions, even when the recording head is mounted in an inclined manner attributable to the variation in manufacturing.
US08408676B2
An ink jet printer for printing on a substrate comprising a first print head outputting ink and defining an ink meniscus; a platen operable to carry the substrate; a support structure; and a print head mechanism coupled to the support structure and carrying the first print head. The print head mechanism moving the first print head relative to the platen. A controller controls the print head mechanism such that at least one of a predetermined acceleration and predetermined deceleration of the print head mechanism is achieved such that the ink meniscus is operably maintained.
US08408668B2
A record head has an actuator which is selectively switchable between a small-capacity state in which the capacity of a pressure chamber connected to an outlet is V1 and a large-capacity state in which the capacity of the pressure chamber is V2 which is larger than V1. A head driving unit selectively supplies, to the actuator, ejection drive signals which change the state of the actuator to eject liquid from the outlet and non-ejection drive signals by which the state of the actuator is changed from the small-capacity state to the large-capacity state and then returns to the small-capacity state, to the extent that no ejection of the liquid occurs from the outlet. The head driving unit successively supplies the non-ejection drive signals to the actuator while causing at least one of a first time and a second time to repeatedly increase and decrease in length, the first time being a time from an increase timing at which the state is changed from the small-capacity state to the large-capacity state to a decrease timing at which the state is changed from the large-capacity state to the small-capacity state, and the second time being a time ranging from an input of a non-ejection drive signal to an input of a directly-subsequent non-ejection drive signal.
US08408664B2
A refrigerator and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. A refrigerator according to the present includes a refrigerator body (10); a refrigerator door (20) for opening/closing the body; an opening (30) formed in front of the refrigerator door; a home bar door (50) rotatably coupled to the refrigerator door (20) for opening/closing the opening; a securing unit (80) for selectively securing the home bar door for close up the home bar door tight; and a damping member (90) provided at the refrigerator door (20) or the home bar door (50) for dampening the rotation of home bar door (50). According to the present invention, convenience for a user as well as for smooth opening/closing of home bar door may be improved. Also, damage and noise due to the user opening/closing a home bar door (50) may be reduced.
US08408663B2
A consumer appliance, for example a refrigeration appliance, includes a compartment with a pull-out drawer. A slide member is configured on each opposite side of the compartment, with the drawer having a slide bracket mounted to each respective slide member for movement of pull-out drawer into and out of the compartment. A gear rail is configured on each opposite side of the compartment adjacent to the slide member. A gear assembly is mounted to each slide bracket and includes a first gear engaged with the gear rail and a pinion gear engaged with the first gear. The pinion gear has a rotational axis that is vertically displaced from the rotational axis of the first gear. A cross bar is connected between the pinion gears.
US08408657B2
A bed leveling system for a dump truck to prevent an imbalance of the truck bed during unloading of material. The system controls the side to side tilt of the truck bed and returns that bed to a generally level orientation when the bed tilt exceeds a predetermined angle. The truck bed is pivotally affixed to the truck chassis through a hinge pin. Thus, the tilting of the dump bed is carried out by a hydraulic system that changes the tilt of the hinge pin. The leveling system includes a cylindrical tube that supports the hinge pin and which is rotatable with respect to the chassis. A roll cylinder rotates the cylindrical tube to change the tilt angle of the hinge pin. A tilt sensor senses the out of level orientation of the truck bed and activates the leveling system to bring the bed back to a generally level orientation.
US08408654B2
A vehicle seat frame provides a tilting feature for tilting the seat cushion. The frame includes side brackets (20) with a torsion tube (60) laterally—extending through an aperture (100) of the side brackets. The torsion tube is fitted against the side bracket through an internal swaging procedure to allow smooth rotation of the torsion tube within the side brackets. The torsion tube includes an annular protrusion (200) which provides an axial locking feature that tightly secures the subcomponents placed onto the torsion tube during vehicle operation.
US08408653B2
A furniture system having a base frame, side pieces and a back portion, that assembles quickly and disassembles into a configuration that optimizes space when shipped.
US08408651B2
A motor vehicle seat is provided with an adjusting device that includes, but is not limited to a longitudinal sliding device for sliding the motor vehicle seat in a longitudinal direction and a transverse sliding device for sliding the motor vehicle seat in transverse direction. The transverse sliding device includes, but is not limited to at least one swiveling lever which on the one hand is arranged on the longitudinal sliding device and on the other hand indirectly or directly on the motor vehicle seat. The swiveling lever can be swiveled from a first swiveling position, in which the motor vehicle seat is arranged in a transverse position, into a second swiveling position in which the motor vehicle seat relative to the first transverse position is arranged in transverse direction offset in a second transverse position.
US08408646B2
A seat assembly having a seat base. A seat pan is operably connected to the seat base. A rod extends across the seat base into elongated slots in the seat pan. An engagement member is operable between a first position out of contact with the rod and a second position in contact with the rod. A motor includes a drive shaft operably connected with the rod and adapted to rotate the rod. Rotation of the drive shaft when the engagement member is in the first position causes longitudinal displacement of the seat pan. Rotation of the drive shaft when the engagement member is in the second position causes rotation of the rod and the seat pan.
US08408639B2
A vehicle seat and head restraint assembly is disclosed in which the configuration of the seat back is automatically adjusted as the position of the head rest is changed. Upon lowering the head restraint, a forwardly directed face of the seat back is urged outward to thereby decrease a torso angle associate with the seat assembly. Additional versions are described in which the torso angle is decreased by raising the head rest. And, versions are described in which horizontal or pivotal movement of the head restraint causes movement of a forward face of the seat back.
US08408636B1
A motor vehicle includes a first side member having first lower and upper darts. The motor vehicle also includes a second side member parallel with and spaced apart from the first side member, the second side member having second lower and upper darts. The upper darts are positioned between the lower darts and end portions of the respective first or second side members. The motor vehicle further includes first and second bumper brackets coupled to the end portion of the respective first or second side members, a bumper reinforcement member coupled to the first and second bumper brackets, and a counter rotation bracket coupled to the bumper reinforcement member and extending upwards from the bumper reinforcement member. The lower darts and the upper darts form a preferential buckling zone of the first and the second side members.
US08408635B2
An energy-saving vehicle including a housing, a pair of front wheels, a pair of rear wheels, and a steering wheel. The housing includes an outer portion, an inner portion, an air-flow channel, at least a first air inlet, and at least an air outlet. The air-flow channel is disposed between the outer portion and the inner portion of the housing. The first air inlet is disposed in the front of the vehicle. The air outlet is disposed at the back of the vehicle. The first air inlet and the air outlet are connected to the air-flow channel. The front wheels and the rear wheels are driven by a power unit. The length of the air-flow channel is no less than that of the upper portion of the housing. The vehicle consumes less energy and travels more stably compared to conventional vehicles.
US08408630B2
A slide member is slidable along a slide rail provided at a vehicle-body side portion. When lock pawls provided at the slide member are engaged with the slide rail, the slide member is locked. The slide member is unlocked by operating an operation cable connected to the lock pawls. The operation cable is fitted to a fitting portion of an attachment bracket connected to the slide rail. A portion from a fixed portion fixed to the fitting portion to a movable portion (one end portion) extends through a region where a non-contact portion is disposed, and does not contact the non-contact portion. The movable portion is connected to the slide member and moved integrally with the slide member.
US08408618B2
Gripping pliers (1) are provided for grasping and holding an object. The gripping pliers include at least two gripping jaws (2), movable in reference to each other, along with a drive for an opening and closing motion of the gripping jaws (2). At least one of the gripping jaws (2) includes several fingers (3), arranged side-by-side in reference to each other with each being individually adjustable against a restoring force, approximately in an opening and closing direction. The gripping jaws (2) are each embodied in one piece with their respective fingers.
US08408617B2
A gripping device, for gripping underwater pipelines at the laying stage, has jaws that are pressed onto a pipeline extending along an axis-substantially parallel to a laying direction, and have respective friction pads that are brought cyclically into contact with the outer face of the pipeline; and auxiliary gripping tools, which have panels for covering respective friction pads, and are selectively connectable to the jaws to increase grip between the jaws and the pipeline.
US08408610B2
A door handle apparatus includes first and second handle cases constituting a door handle, a rotational-portion extending portion, an operational-portion extending portion, and a lock detection electrode of an electrostatic capacity sensor detecting that a door lock command is inputted, on the basis of a fluctuation of electrostatic capacity. The lock detection electrode includes an upper lock detection electrode and a lower lock detection electrode arranged to face an inner surface of an upper wall and an inner surface of a lower wall, respectively. A first electrode end surface of the upper lock detection electrode and a second electrode end surface of the lower lock detection electrode are formed into different shapes, so that a level of capacitive coupling between the lower lock detection electrode and the outer panel is set to be smaller than a level of capacitive coupling between the upper lock detection electrode and the outer panel.
US08408606B2
A pipe clamp assembly including a band having an inner annular seal element wrappable around a pipe, opposing clamp members extending from the band, tightening elements for clamping together the clamp members, the tightening elements passing through holders located at ends of the clamp members, and a keeper fastened to one of the holders at a first end of at least one of the tightening elements, the keeper having a cover portion that lies over the first end.
US08408596B2
An airbag device that may ensure an increased restraining force and a reduction of damage with respect to an occupant that is out of position or of small stature is provided. The airbag device for a passenger seat of the present invention may be disposed inside an instrument panel of a vehicle and protects an occupant inside the vehicle by inflation and deployment of an airbag when an emergency situation occurs. The airbag device includes: an airbag that is compressed into a plurality of layers in a vertical direction when not used, and inflated and deployed when an emergency situation occurs; and a restriction member that restricts the deployment of the airbag so that a deployment direction of an upper layer portion is directed toward an occupant side, wherein the upper layer portion is deployed first from among the plurality of layers of the airbag.
US08408588B2
A fixture for a motor vehicle includes an airbag outlet flap in an airbag outlet region. In the region of the airbag outlet flap, at least one breaking point region is provided, along with at least one joint region. An airbag module is included that itself includes an airbag. A guide element is included such that, when the airbag is deployed, force is applied by the airbag on the guide element, force is applied to the airbag outlet flap.
US08408586B2
A curtain airbag device for a vehicle has a curtain airbag main body 17 that is disposed along a longitudinal direction of a vehicle body while covered with an A pillar trim 41 and roof trim 42, and folded in an A pillar 7 and a roof side rail part 30 of the vehicle body so as to be able to deploy downward within a cabin. The curtain airbag main body 17 is provided with a twisted part 17b that is twisted such that an initial deployment force, generated upon inflation and deployment of the curtain airbag main body 17 located in a vicinity of the A pillar trim 41, is acted in a separation direction in which the A pillar trim 41 is parted away from the A pillar part 7, to push open the A pillar trim 41 toward an inside of the cabin. At least an upper surface of the twisted part 17b is regulated by a supporting bracket 21 and disposed in the vehicle body.
US08408583B2
Flangeless inflators include a body comprising a base member and a diffuser member coupled together, where the body is devoid of a lateral inflator-coupling flange. At least one fastener is coupled to the base member of the body. In an inflatable airbag system, the flangeless inflator is coupled to an airbag cushion, as well as to a steering wheel armature. In forming flangeless inflators, a body is formed that is devoid of the lateral inflator-coupling flange, and at least one fastener is attached to the body.
US08408581B1
The collapsible shopping cart device provides a shopping cart with pivoting telescopic legs. Two spaced apart front legs mount to a pair of spaced apart leg pivots proximal to the basket bottom front. The pivoted legs provide for total collapse to the basket bottom or extension to positions that allow the basket to be selectively varied in height above a given surface such as a store floor. The basket may be provided with hinges between the basket sides and front and back and the basket bottom such that sides, front, and back may collapse for even greater collapsibility for either transport or storage. The sides, front and back are selectively locked in place when expanded. The seat bottom and back may be removable. The handle may be removable. The entire basket and its upwardly disposed components may therefore provide extreme compactability.
US08408580B2
The present invention provides a baby stroller folding device comprising an upper stroller frame, having a bendable handle installed at an upper end of the upper stroller frame; a lower stroller frame, with an upper end coupled to the upper stroller frame, and having a front wheel leg of a front wheel and a bendable step pipe disposed at the bottom of the lower stroller frame; a rear wheel leg, disposed separately on both sides of the upper and lower stroller frames, and having the rear wheel installed at the bottom of the rear wheel leg, a first slide member installed at the middle of the rear wheel leg, a pull rod installed between the first slide member and the upper and lower stroller frames, and a latch rod disposed at an upper end of the rear wheel leg; a folding joint, installed separately between the upper and lower stroller frames and the rear wheel leg, for coupling and positioning the upper and lower stroller frames, and the rear wheel leg having internal and external gear discs with a notch each and selectively latched and detached with respect to the latch rod; and a link mechanism, installed between the two rear wheel legs, and having a plurality of pipe frames, slide members, link rods and a start element, and the start element being coupled to the latch rod by a steel rope, such that the baby stroller folding device can fold the baby stroller in longitudinal and transversal directions at the same time smoothly by a simple operation.
US08408578B2
A boat coupling including a jaw for receiving an eye which is attached to the hull of a boat. A pin is movable to bridge across the jaw to capture the eye between extended and retracted positions. A retaining arrangement for retaining the pin in the retracted position will release the pin upon the pin being shifted to a release position, where after the pin is moveable under a biasing influence to shift to the extended position.
US08408575B2
A vehicle body frame of a motorcycle comprises a front frame portion extending rearward from a head pipe, and a rear frame portion extending downward or rearward from a rear end of the front frame portion. The front frame portion includes at least a pair of right and left frame members. A front end of the rear frame portion is welded to a center cross member coupling rear ends of the frame members. The center cross member has a closed cross-section structure in which plate members are joined together in a forward and rearward direction. Thus, a fuel tank and devices can be laid out more flexibly from a location above the center cross member to a location behind the center cross member more flexibly and mounted more easily.
US08408566B2
A subframe for a front axle of a motor vehicle is arranged on the floor side of the vehicle structure and is connected to a front axle transverse beam and to the vehicle body. The subframe substantially contains two longitudinal beams which are arranged in a divergent fashion in relation to one another and which are connected at the rear end—as viewed in relation to the direction of travel—to a plate-shaped stiffening element. The latter is held together with the longitudinal beams on a central tunnel of the vehicle structure by fastening devices, with it being possible for the free front ends of the longitudinal beams to be fastened to the front axle transverse beam by further fastening devices.
US08408565B2
The present invention relates to a hinge structure of a skateboard, and more specifically, to a hinge structure of a skateboard wherein an intermediate part of the skateboard divided into two parts that are a front board and a rear board is connected by a hinge unit. Accordingly, the skateboard is twisted and the skateboard's alignment is elastically returned by a cam and spring of the hinge unit, thereby increasing propelling force and durability. Also, since assembly and disassembly of the hinge unit is easy when the skateboard is broken, convenient maintenance and repair are enabled.
US08408564B2
A refuse and recycling cart assembly includes a U-shaped lower frame to hold a plurality of refuse or yard waste containers with easy turn lockable wheels to provide for maneuvering the cart in tight places, stopping or storing the cart on inclined and slippery surfaces or immobilizing the cart during loading or unloading. A U-shaped upper frame with a low to the ground wide rear opening provides for easy loading of containers into the cart with little lifting required. A U-shaped rear vertical support frame has a removable upper frame to give even more clearance for loading containers into the cart with little lifting. The top of the upper rear vertical support frame is bent to provide a handle with a user gripping strip placed on the handle. Upper and lower U-shaped horizontal supports are cantilevered from the upper vertical support frame to support a pair of recycling bins.
US08408557B2
The seal arrangement (154) is arranged between the casing portions (50,52) and a fluoropolymer O-ring seal (72) is positioned between the casing portions (50,52). A first protecting member (156) is positioned between the fluoropolymer O-ring seal (72) and the casing portion (50) and the first protecting member (156) consists of a polymer and hydroxyapatite. The first protecting member (156) consists of 50 to 80 wt % polymer and 20 to 50 wt % hydroxyapatite and incidental impurities. The first protecting member (156) is located in an annular groove (70) and is thus arranged between the casing portion (50) and the fluoropolymer O-ring seal (72). The first protecting member (156) is substantially U-shaped in cross-section and the fluoropolymer O-ring seal (72) is positioned between the legs of the U-shaped cross-section first protecting member (156). The first protecting member (156) prevents corrosion of the casing portion (50) by the fluoropolymer O-ring seal (72).
US08408556B2
The present invention relates to circumferential seal ring segments positioned around a rotating shaft so as to prevent fluids from leaking from a lubricant sump during both low and high pressure conditions. The circumferential seal is comprised of a plurality of adjoining annular ring segments facing the rotating shaft. Each sealing ring segment includes a dead end circumferential groove on a shaft-side face of each sealing ring such that, when the segments are joined, the circumferential dead end groove of each segment extends arcuately in the direction of shaft rotation. Additional grooves are contained on the shaft-side face of each sealing ring segment. The additional grooves direct and create pressurized air within the dead end circumferential groove, either directly or indirectly maintaining a seal between the ring segments and the shaft. The additional grooves are comprised of a first and a second axial bore groove extending perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the seal ring segment in fluid communication with the dead end circumferential groove so as to direct fluid flow generated from a rotating shaft into the dead end circumferential groove wherein the first axial bore groove is spaced at one end of the seal segment and the second axial bore groove is approximately centered on the seal segment. A bleed hole may also be provided to create a seal between each sealing segment.
US08408555B2
An intershaft seal system capable of communicating a balanced pressure profile onto forward and aft faces along a piston ring is presented. Seal system includes forward and aft mating rings and a piston ring. Mating rings include a plurality of divergent flow grooves adjacent to the piston ring. Each divergent flow groove includes a pair of grooves which intersect at and are substantially symmetric about an apex. The piston ring includes channels which direct a fluid from a high pressure region upward, downward, or directly through the piston ring and onto the divergent flow grooves. The divergent flow grooves separate the fluid in a symmetrically divergent fashion prior to communication onto the piston ring. The divergent flow grooves communicate a substantially symmetric pressure force along the radial width of the piston ring so as to minimize twisting thereof, thus reducing wear along the piston ring and increasing seal life.
US08408552B2
A poker or game chip has an outer ring and an inner disk. The inner disk is typically engaged with the outer ring, but may be disengaged by pushing on the inner disk. When the chips are in a stack, pushing on an inner disk causes it to disengage with the outer ring, and engage in the outer ring of an adjacent chip. In a stack of chips, all of the chips may have a moveable inner disk and, upon application of pressure, may be shifted to engage with the outer rim of an adjacent chip, thereby causing the stack of chips to lock. A stack of chips is thereby secured together, so that the chips will not easily disengage and spread along the top of the table.
US08408550B2
Embodiments include electronic and mechanical improvements to a card shoe adapted to prevent a cheating player from gaining knowledge of the cards within the shoe. In some embodiments, a variety of electronic security solutions are contemplated. In one example, cards may be shuffled at a remote location where the sequence of the cards may be hashed or encrypted and deleted from an external electronic memory. These cards may be sealed with various physical and electronic seals, associated with the hashed value of the card sequence and are shipped to a casino table where they may be inserted into an intelligent card shoe.
US08408544B2
A method of scanning documents and moving such documents along a path such that after scanning sorting such documents is disclosed. The method includes providing a plurality of documents in an input tray and transporting each document along the path from the input tray at a transport velocity past the scanner to obtain scanned image data. The method further includes providing at least two movable members including two rotatable exit rollers, movable belts, or a movable belt and a rotatable exit roller along the path to provide a nip for the documents; and selectively driving the movable members to provide selectable exit velocities so that such documents are sorted in accordance with their selected exit velocity.
US08408542B2
A media processing device enables opening an openable unit so that the media transportation path is open with a minimal operation and little operating force. The media processing device has an openable unit that can rotate on a first pivot axis CL1 from a closed position to an open position; a lock member that can move to a locked position where it locks the openable unit in the closed position and an unlocked position where the lock is released; and an operating lever that can rotate on a second pivot axis CL2 through a range from a first pivot position passed a second pivot position to a third pivot position. A first cam mechanism converts rotation of the operating lever from the second pivot position to the third pivot position to rotation of the openable unit from the closed position to the open position.
US08408535B2
An attachment assist device includes an engaging member, an engaged member, a drawing-force generator, biasing members, and rotational members. The engaging member is provided at one of a main unit and a sub unit detachably attached to the main unit. The engaged member is engaged by the engaging member and provided at the other of the main unit and the sub unit. The drawing-force generator generates a drawing force to draw the sub unit into an interior of the main unit. The biasing members are provided at the drawing-force generator to generate biasing forces in different directions. The rotational members are provided rotatably around support points at the drawing-force generator and engaged with the biasing members. The biasing members are serially connected with the rotational members to convert the biasing forces of the biasing members to the drawing force.
US08408534B2
A medium feeding device includes a first feeding unit feeds the medium to be fed to a downstream side of a feeding direction. A second feeding unit then feeds the medium to a upstream side and a downstream side on the basis of a feeding direction of the first feeding unit. A friction member is positioned opposite to the first feeding unit. A displacement member converts between a first state in which the displacement member protrudes upwardly in a stacked direction with respect to the friction member and a second state in which the displacement member retracts downwardly. The displacement member is set as the second state when one remaining sheet of the medium is fed to the downstream side by the first feeding unit, and the displacement member is set as the first state when a trailing end of the one remaining sheet passes through the friction member.
US08408527B2
A two jaw vise having a base extending in a longitudinal direction between two ends, a central fixed block and opposing jaws on either side of the central block. The opposing jaws being movable longitudinally and joined to the base for controlled movement longitudinally. The base including a base block extending longitudinally between the first and second ends and including first and second longitudinally extending rails. The first and second rails extending parallel to the base block and being spaced from the base block. The first and second rails at least partially forming the controlled movement of the jaws. The base further including first and second pluralities of vertically extending columns extending between the base block and the first and second rails, respectively. The base including at least one gap between adjacent columns.
US08408520B2
An apparatus and methods for pushing conductors into conduit and other structures are disclosed. The apparatus (“pusher”) can include rollers to apply a pushing force to one or more conductors or bundles of conductors. One or more rollers can be coupled to a drive mechanism. The pusher is configured to pull conductors or bundles of conductors off of one or more spools, and push the conductors or bundles of conductors without de-bundling or sorting the conductors. The conductors can be fed through the pusher in any format including side-by-side, vertical on top of one another, twisted together, or other formats. The pusher can include a guiding device that is configured to route the conductors from the pusher to a conduit through which the conductors are being pushed or pulled.
US08408508B2
A support structure for supporting a display panel includes a support and a clamp. The support is rotatably coupled to the display panel. The clamp includes two clamping arms rotatably coupled to the support, a bolt and an adjusting nut. A slot is defined in each clamping arm. The bolt is extended through each slot and engaged with the adjusting nut. Therefore a distance between two distal ends of two clamping arms can be adjusted by screwing and unscrewing the adjusting nut along the bolt. A display device using the support structure is also provided.
US08408504B1
A television support assembly includes a vertical support that has a top end and a bottom end. The vertical support is engageable with a bed frame. A monitor support is attached to the upper end. A panel is attached to the monitor support. The panel is configured to receive fasteners to hold a monitor on the panel. The panel has a bottom side facing downward and is angled between 10° and 50° with respect to a horizontal plane such that the bottom side is angled toward the vertical support.
US08408502B2
In order to provide a display monitor, such as a thin design television or the like, in which its display unit is easily attachable and detachable from the stand structure and can be easily carried about, and where the place of installation of the display unit is not limited, a stand type thin design television includes a display unit (1), a joint body (15), a pillar (25) and a stand base (29). The joint body (15) is attached to the display unit (1) while the joint body (15) is free to be attached to and removed from the pillar (25) that is fixed to the stand base (29). In the first usage mode in which the pillar (25) and the stand base (29) are used, the joint (15) is inserted into the pillar (25). In the second usage mode in which the pillar (25) and the stand base (29) are not used, the joint body (15) itself is used as a stand.
US08408494B2
The invention relates to an airbag system for aircraft, intended to protect crew and passengers. The system comprises: inflatable cushions; a supply of air from individual tanks, communal tanks and the aircraft APU; a connection to the landing gear and the altimeter; a manual switch; an approach and contact sensor enabling automatic activation; electric lines, electrovalves and air ducts. The system also includes a second version which is activated using electrochemical batteries which operate on the basis of sharp deceleration.
US08408490B2
An oblique wing aircraft (1) designed for reduced surface area to volume ratio. The aircraft has an oblique wing comprising a forward swept wing segment (27) on one side of the wing and an aft swept wing segment (29) on the opposite side of the wing. A center oblique airfoil section (25) connects the forward and aft swept wing segments. The center oblique airfoil section has a larger chord near its centerline than the chords of either of the forward or aft swept wing segments. The chord of the center oblique airfoil section tapers down more rapidly than the forward or aft wing segments as the center oblique airfoil section extends outboard toward the forward and aft swept wings. The center oblique airfoil section is not shaped solely to function as a circular fairing to fill the gap between an oblique wing and a fuselage at different oblique wing angles, nor is it a second wing in an X wing configuration. Preferably, the aircraft is an all-wing aircraft.
US08408486B2
A length adjustable fitting for blind systems, including a housing and a drive member fitted to said housing; a core component including a core member shaped for engaging a drive portion of said drive member, the core component including a support portion shaped for engaging a support member for supporting said fitting; wherein, the selective adjustment of the drive member relative to the housing moves the core member along an axis to a different position relative to the housing, wherein at each said position, the drive member engages the core member to resist movement of the core member along the axis from said position relative to said housing.
US08408484B2
True zero-clearance cutting on a commercial scale is provided via a cutting area including a sacrifice material that is relatively softer than the cutter. One example is a cutting system which is capable of cutting a material such as, for example, tape or paper, into a fiber or powder. The cutting system includes a cutting blade, typically a rotary cutter, and a sacrificial plate or round bar contacting the cutting blade. The contacting portion has a zero clearance during the cutting operation. A metering mechanism is also provided which is capable of metering the material at a predetermined rate to the cutting blade. A mechanism is also provided for incrementally moving the sacrificial blade towards the cutting blade to ensure that the zero clearance is maintained between the cutting blade and the sacrificial plate, even when the sacrificial plate begins to wear down due to usage. Also, destruction of the material is further enhanced by advantageous strategic patterning of cutting edges on a rotary cutter, and further by secondary shredding features. Systems are provided for reducing to-be-destroyed paper and other relatively-thin planar materials to a dust or powder-size.
US08408481B1
A mobile fragrance-dispensing device resembling a pet. The device features a base with an inner cavity for storing a fragrance canister, a microprocessor, wheels disposed on the ends of the legs on the base, and a motor with steering mechanism operatively connected to each wheel. A dispenser system is fluidly connectable to the fragrance canister. The dispenser system functions to spray fragrance from said fragrance canister when activated. A motion sensor is disposed on the head of the base, wherein when the motion sensor is activated the microprocessor activates the dispensing system for a certain length of time.
US08408472B2
An electronic surveillance article (EAS) tag has an articulated body, or housing, having an articulating joint joining two portions, or pods. In one embodiment a first portion, or sensor pod, encloses EAS elements and a second portion, or retention pod, contains a retention mechanism. In one embodiment, the retention pod and sensor pod are connected by a swivel joint. In one embodiment the retention pod encloses a ball clutch. An aperture in the retention pod gives access to an aperture in the ball clutch. A shaft on an attaching element inserts into the clutch to attach the tag to an object. In one embodiment, the attaching element is a lanyard having one end terminating in a shaft and the other end terminating in a connector for forming a loop in the lanyard. Other attaching elements may be used.
US08408466B2
An electronic device identifies that it will transmit a matrix code to a display. Then, the device may transmit a signal to a matrix code reader. The signal instructs the reader to perform a matrix code capture action such as playing an alert, powering an optical reader, launching a capture application, and so on. The device may evaluate one or more conditions before transmitting and the reader may evaluate one or more conditions before performing the action. The device may transmit the signal to any reader within a communication range, only to readers on a matrix code reader list, and so on. Additionally, a reader may transmit a confirmation message to the device when the reader captures a matrix code after receiving a related signal confirming that the matrix code was captured successfully.
US08408462B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide time-varying barcodes in an active display for information exchange. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for communicating information between electronic devices via a barcode image sequence. In a typical embodiment, a barcode image sequence is displayed on the display screen of a first electronic device. A second electronic device reads and decodes the barcode image sequence. The second electronic device displays an acknowledgement on the display screen of the second electronic device. The acknowledgement is read by the first electronic device.
US08408459B1
System and method for returns management using a fourth-party logistics integrator 201. The system comprises a set of methods for optimizing a reverse logistics system using a fourth-party logistics integrator 201 to manage the entire returns supply chain for various organizations, e.g. 211, 221, and 231. By operating a fourth-party logistics integrator 201 to manage multiple third-party logistics providers, a significant cost savings and efficiency can be created by tracking repair costs individually for serialized products.
US08408454B2
A card can be used to make a payment or to gain access to a secure facility. The card embeds a chip, a passive circuit, and an antennae that receives frequencies upon which the chip executes corresponding payment and access applications. The passive circuit powers the chip upon being energized by an external circuit that emits the frequencies. The card docks into a card dock having a user interface. The user interface has buttons which, when particularly engaged, permits reception of one of the frequencies that energizes the passive circuit to power the chip for the execution of the corresponding application.
US08408451B2
A reclosable folding box of cardboard with at least one tamper-evident closure is provided, which comprises a lid flap with an insertion tab, a cover tab, and a cutout. The tamper-evident closure of the reclosable folding box can be closed by machine without the need for gluing, and the tamper-evident closure can be opened only by destroying the tamper-evident closure. The insertion tab comprises at least one tear-off tab, to which it is connected along one side by at least one first predetermined break line. The tamper-evident closure is set up in such a way that, when the reclosable folding box is opened for the first time, the insertion tab cooperates in the cutout with the cover tab, so that, when the insertion tab moves beyond a breaking point, the at least one tear-off tab tears at least partially along the at least one first predetermined break line. Alternatively, the cover tab comprises at least one second predetermined break line, and the tamper-evident closure is set up in such a way that, when the reclosable folding box is opened for the first time, the insertion tab cooperates in the cutout with the cover tab, so that, when the insertion tab moves beyond a breaking point, the cover tab is torn at least partially along the at least one second predetermined break line.
US08408448B1
A process and tools for forming spherical metal balls is described incorporating molds, injection molded solder, a liquid or gaseous environment to reduce or remove metal oxides and an unconstrained reflow of metal in a heated liquid or gas and solidification of molten metal in a cooler liquid or gas.
US08408440B2
A loading unit for use with a surgical stapling apparatus is provided and includes a tool assembly having a cartridge assembly and an anvil assembly that are movable in relation to one another; a surgical buttress releasably secured to a tissue contacting surface of the anvil assembly and/or the cartridge assembly, wherein each surgical buttress is secured to the anvil assembly and/or the cartridge assembly by at least one anchor; a release assembly associated with the anvil assembly and/or the cartridge assembly; and a drive assembly slidably translatable through the tool assembly between proximal and distal positions, wherein the drive assembly actuates the release assembly to thereby release the anchor to free the surgical buttress from the anvil assembly and/or the cartridge assembly.
US08408434B2
The invention discloses five embodiments of hangers for clothes having a first crossbar forming together with means for arranging the hanger on a support a main frame, which comprises an additional second crossbar having a free end for hanging trousers and capable of moving it in space into various positions relative to the main frame and its subsequent pressing to the first crossbar.
US08408432B2
The present invention relates to a dispensing closure for a container, said dispensing closure comprising: a base (200) and mounting means (200) on said base for mounting said base to a container at an opening of the container, said base also constituting an outer side-wall (240) of said closure; a dispensing element (100) having a dispensing channel (160) and a discharge opening (164) said dispensing element being movable between a closed position and an open position; said dispensing element comprising at least one operational control element (142), at least partially extending into at least one opening (242) in said outer side wall of said base to be accessible by a user in order to move said dispensing element between said closed and said open position; said dispensing closure being arranged such that said discharge opening is closed by said outer sidewall of said base, when said dispensing element is in its closed position, and/or such that said dispensing channel is closed by a shut-off element (260) of said base, when said dispensing element is in its closed position.
US08408430B2
Described is a fluid dispensing container having a bottle and fluid withdrawing assembly for liquids, such as liquid cleaners and the like. The bottle has an integral dip tube formed therein connecting at a landing below the top of the bottle neck, fluidly connecting the inside of the bottle with the top opening of the bottle. A fluid dispensing mechanism, such as a remote trigger sprayer, is attached to the top of the bottle to take fluid up through the integral dip tube and dispense the fluid accordingly. The fluid dispensing mechanism may be aligned to allow a direct connection between integral dip tube and the fluid dispensing mechanism at a landing below the bottle opening. The fluid dispensing mechanism may be attached to the bottle with a snap-fit connection.
US08408420B2
A water dispensing apparatus includes a lifting system and a water reservoir. The apparatus automatically installs a water bottle by lowering and inverting the water reservoir atop a water bottle, coupling the water reservoir to the water bottle, and raising and inverting the water reservoir with the water bottle coupled therewith. One or more compartments are filled with water from the inverted water bottle, and water is dispensed from each compartment through a dispenser. Multiple compartments may be included in the water reservoir, with the water in one compartment being electrically cooled and water in another compartment being electrically heated.
US08408416B2
A crate is provided with a base, sides, front, and back that form an enclosure. The front includes and opening and a door positioned within the opening in the closed position. The door is hung by hinges, which are associated with uninterrupted rails on the top of the crate. To open the crate, the bottom of the door is swung outward and upward to pivot the door toward the horizontal position on the hinges. Then, the door can be slid into the enclosure along the uninterrupted guides. The door may also include locks that can secure the door in the closed position. Both of the sides or both the front and back can be releasably connected with the top and pivotable into the base. After both sides or both the front and back are pivoted into the base, the remaining walls and top can be pivoted to fold into the base as a unit.
US08408410B2
A straw holder 200 retains a drinking straw within a bottle such that the straw holder may be reused within other bottles. A plug section comprises a hollow funnel section 211 with an outer side and an inner area 212, with the outer side attaching to a top gasket member 204, a middle inner sealing member 205 and a lower guiding member 206, with the lower guiding member having means of centering the straw holder within the middle of a bottle, with the middle inner sealing member 205 having mean of contacting the inner wall area 402 of a neck section 401 of a bottle, and the top gasket member being configured to sit on top of a top lip 403 of a bottle.
US08408409B1
A bottle closure includes the unitarily-molded combination of: an internally-threaded sidewall; a tamper indicator ring; and a hinge connecting the ring to the sidewall. The hinge permits the ring to be shifted from an initial position to an installation position. The installation position is essentially coaxially aligned with the sidewall.
US08408403B2
A dish support rack for a dishwasher is formed from composite, preferably ceramic/plastic composite. The dish rack includes front, rear and opposing side walls interconnected with a bottom portion. The dish support rack includes a plurality of tine members. The tine members include a base member from which extend a plurality of tines. Each base member includes a socket and a pin element used to join individual tine members to form tine rows. The tine rows are then fastened to the bottom portion to establish dish support zones in the dish rack. The tines can include one or more elastomeric bumpers positioned at various locations where dishware is likely to contact.
US08408401B2
An internal oil strainer housed in an outboard motor unit. A lower end of an oil tube is supported by a first seal member constructed of an O-ring fitted into an oil outlet of a strainer case. An upper end of the oil tube is supported by a second seal member constructed of an O-ring fitted into an inlet of an oil channel.
US08408399B2
A method and apparatus for sorting particles moving through a closed channel system of capillary size comprises a bubble valve for selectively generating a pressure pulse to separate a particle having a predetermined characteristic from a stream of particles. The particle sorting system may further include a buffer for absorbing the pressure pulse. The particle sorting system may include a plurality of closely coupled sorting modules which are combined to further increase the sorting rate. The particle sorting system may comprise a multi-stage sorting device for serially sorting streams of particles, in order to decrease the error rate.
US08408391B2
A detachable multiple drive bit holder for cordless and powered drill drivers, impact drivers, and drills, all referred from here on as drill drivers. This bit holder will hold multiple accessories and connect to drill drivers. Most drill drivers, particularly cordless drill drivers, have a slot in the body of the driver to hold spare drive bits. Drill drivers typically have only one of these slots, allowing only one spare driver bit. The driver multiple drive bit holder utilizes this single slot manufactured into the body of a drill driver to hold a container that stores multiple drive bits of various sizes.
US08408388B1
A locking structure for the box body is provided with a box body, a handle, and a cover. The handle is a rotatable structure which can support the box body to make the box body stand in an inclined manner, so as to allow the user to have a full clear view of the hand tools inside the tool box. On top of that, the tool box offers an antitheft feature, when the tool box is closed, the cover cannot be opened and removed from the box body unless the locking ends of the retainers are destroyed. Therefore, the hand tools cannot be taken out of the tool box without permission.
US08408387B2
A holder for removably storing therein circular disc-like objects. The holder comprises a body having a front opening surrounded by a first annular ledge facing a rear portion of the body. The front opening is smaller than the circular objects and the first annular ledge is of a size to support the circular objects thereon such that the circular object in engagement with the first annular ledge is viewed through the front opening. The rear portion of the body has a circular rear opening that is larger than the first annular ledge. A second annular ledge is disposed inwardly of the rear opening and supports a metal ring that is engageable by a circular magnet to releasably close the rear opening and rear portion of the body. The body may be opened by applying rearward pressure through the front opening.
US08408359B2
The present invention provides an acoustic attenuation based on sound ray deflection theory and a muffler. The method of the present invention provides a temperature gradient between the interior and the exterior of the chamber of the muffler through the low temperature refrigeration system, in which the temperature inside the pipe wall is higher than that outside the pipe wall. The said temperature gradient may deflect the acoustic ray towards the low temperature direction, so as to capture and reduce the noise. The muffler of the present invention comprises a muffler housing laid with a sound absorbing structure (4) on its internal surface, is characterized by the low temperature refrigerating system (2) which is fixed in the position corresponding to the sound absorbing structure (4) on the external surface of the muffler housing (1), covers at least 5% of the area of the external surface of muffler housing (1), and is used to realize quantitative control of the temperature gradient together with a temperature control system (3). The muffler of the present invention effectively improves the noise-absorbing effect of the prior muffler.
US08408358B1
Tunable perforate acoustic liners are disclosed using shape memory materials, which allow the acoustic liners to tune for multiple frequencies across a wide range, unlike current designs which are limited to specific frequencies or small ranges. The liner will be initiated through a sensor and feedback loop to monitor the current acoustic environment and initiate geometry change needed to more effectively attenuate engine noise.
US08408351B2
A vehicle includes a suspension system operatively connecting a vehicle body to a plurality of wheels for maintaining contact between the wheels and a road surface, and for maintaining handling of the vehicle. A system for steering the vehicle and a braking system for decelerating the vehicle are also included. The vehicle additionally includes a plurality of thrusters, wherein at least one of the thrusters is arranged relative to each wheel and each of the plurality of thrusters is configured to generate a force. Furthermore, the vehicle additionally includes a controller configured for regulating the force generated by each of the thrusters to assist the suspension system with maintaining contact between the wheels and the road surface and maintaining handling, assist the steering system with steering, and assist the braking system with decelerating the vehicle. A method of assisting the vehicle suspension, steering, and braking systems is also disclosed.
US08408345B2
A fuel cell vehicle includes a fuel cell, a radiator, a radiator fan, and a mounting frame. The mounting frame has an opposed member located on an axially extension of a rotating shaft of the radiator fan. When a compression load acting on the rotating shaft reaches a preset load, the rotating shaft of the radiator fan is compressed in an axial center direction along an axial center.
US08408342B2
The present invention discloses a hybrid power driving system, comprising: an engine, a clutch, a first shaft, a second shaft disposed parallel to the first shaft, a motor, an energy storage device, and an output gear. The engine may be connected with the first shaft via the clutch. The motor is connected with the second shaft directly or indirectly, and is electrically connected with the energy storage device. The first shaft has a first gear, a second gear and a first synchronizer, in which the first gear and the second gear are mounted on the first shaft via bearings respectively, and the first synchronizer is selectively engaged with the first gear or the second gear. The second shaft may have a third gear, a fourth gear and a second synchronizer, in which the third gear may be mounted on the second shaft via a bearing. The fourth gear may be fixed to the second shaft. And the second synchronizer may be selectively engaged with the third gear or the fourth gear. The first gear may be engaged with the third gear, the second gear may be engaged with the fourth gear. And the third gear may be engaged with an output gear. The present invention also discloses a driving method of a hybrid power driving system. Through the first synchronizer and the second synchronizer selectively engaging with corresponding gears, a plurality of operating modes can be realized. And the structure is simple and compact.
US08408337B2
The downhole flow control means or downhole blowout preventor (downhole BOP) of the present invention is adapted for use during reverse circulation drilling with both concentric drill pipe and concentric coiled tubing. The downhole BOP comprises an inner tube member having an inner passage therethrough and an outer casing forming an annular passage between the inner tube member and the outer casing. The inner passage and the annular passage of the downhole BOP is in fluid communication with the inner passage and annular passage, respectively, of the concentric drill pipe or concentric coiled tubing. The downhole BOP further comprises two valve means, preferably a check valve and a ball valve, for closing off the annular passage and the inner passage of the downhole BOP, respectively. In a preferred embodiment, the downhole BOP further comprises an electric actuator for opening and closing the ball valve.
US08408308B2
A method for use in a wellbore includes the steps of providing an elongated, closed tubular body defining an internal chamber wherein the tubular body has an external surface formed with treated areas and an elongated recess extending longitudinally of the tubular body and running through the treated areas; retaining a detonating device in the recess adjacent the external surface of the tubular body; positioning the tubular body with the detonating device in a wellbore adjacent perforation tunnels previously formed in a surrounding well formation and filled with debris; and activating the detonating device to rupture the tubular body inwardly along the external surface forming the recess at the treated areas to expose the chamber within the tubular body to a dynamic underbalanced pressure condition such that fluid from the wellbore and debris from the perforation tunnels is drawn through the wellbore and into the chamber.
US08408307B2
This invention relates to well cleaning methods and apparatus. In particular, this invention relates to a method of drilling and cleaning a wellbore.In one embodiment of the invention, a method of drilling and cleaning a wellbore (12) is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of providing a drill string (10) having a drill bit (28) and a cleaning tool (24) with selectively activatable cleaning members (34); drilling a wellbore using the drill bit while maintaining the cleaning members in a deactivated position; and pulling the drill string from the wellbore with the cleaning members in an activated position, to thereby clean the wellbore. A corresponding cleaning tool is also disclosed.
US08408301B2
A method comprises providing a treatment fluid comprising a gelling agent, an aqueous base fluid, a buffer composition comprising a plurality of salts, and a crosslinking agent; and contacting a subterranean formation with the treatment fluid. The aqueous base fluid is preferably seawater and the buffer composition includes one or more salts present in the treatment fluid from about 1 to about 1000 pounds per gallon of treatment fluid.
US08408298B2
An apparatus for testing a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore is disclosed. The apparatus has a tool with a sample flow line an inlet disposed with the tool and configured to establish fluid communication between the formation and the sample flow line to draw a fluid sample into the sample flow line. An active filter is positionable in the sample flow line and provides a filter flow route and a bypass flow route in the sample flow line.
US08408296B2
There is provided a method of testing a subterranean formation for fracture condition, including the steps of creating a side bore into the wall of a well traversing the formation, sealing the wall around the side bore to provide a pressure seal between the side bore and the well, pressurizing the side bore beyond a pressure inducing formation fracture while maintaining the seal and monitoring the pressure to identify the fracture condition.
US08408286B2
A shock de-coupler for use with a perforating string can include perforating string connectors at opposite ends of the de-coupler, a longitudinal axis extending between the connectors, and a biasing device which resists displacement of one connector relative to the other connector in both opposite directions along the longitudinal axis, whereby the first connector is biased toward a predetermined position relative to the second connector. A perforating string can include a shock de-coupler interconnected longitudinally between components of the perforating string, with the shock de-coupler variably resisting displacement of one component away from a predetermined position relative to the other component in each longitudinal direction, and in which a compliance of the shock de-coupler substantially decreases in response to displacement of the first component a predetermined distance away from the predetermined position relative to the second component.
US08408285B2
A heat dissipation apparatus includes fins each including a body and blades extending radially outwardly from the body. The blades define cutouts therebetween. The fins are stacked together in such a manner that the cutouts of the fins cooperatively form airflow guiding channels each extending spirally from top to bottom.
US08408282B2
A heat exchange device comprising a fluid flow passage having a plurality of successive segments in fluid flow communication with one another, the segments being adapted to maintain a developing flow therein and thereby improve heat transfer.
US08408280B1
A continuous casting mold with a bleedout detection system is disclosed, which may include a casting mold framework, a molten metal casting mold with a mold inlet and a mold outlet, the mold outlet having a mold cavity perimeter; and a bleedout detection system which may include: a signal generator that provides a balanced current to a sensor/conductor at or near the mold outlet perimeter; a current detector electrically connected to the sensor/conductor; and a programmable controller configured to receive an electrical signal from the bleedout detection system regarding the status of the sensor/conductor.
US08408278B2
An automatic pouring method whereby a tilting automatic pouring device can pour at high speed, accommodating high-speed molding on a high-speed molding line. The method includes: a step wherein a pouring hopper, which can hold an amount of molten metal sufficient for multiple pours, is tilted forward, thereby pouring the molten metal from the hopper into a casting mold; a step wherein the pouring hopper is tilted backward, thereby stopping the aforementioned pouring into the casting mold; and a step wherein a set of casting molds, including the casting mold for which the aforementioned pouring has been completed, are moved at intervals. During the period from the beginning of the step in which molten metal is poured into the casting mold to the end of the step in which the set of casting molds is moved at intervals, whenever the weight of molten metal in the pouring hopper is less than a prescribed weight, molten metal is continually supplied to the pouring hopper by tilting a holding furnace forward.
US08408274B2
According to one aspect, there is provided a curtain assembly including a curtain and a plurality of rails. The curtain can be used to cover a variety of openings. The plurality of rails can be attached to and disposed horizontally on the curtain to provide rigidity to the curtain when in an open position (covering the opening). The plurality of rails can be made of two main sections, a first and a second coupled to opposite sides of the curtain. The second section can be configured to provide the lateral stability to the curtain, permitting the first section to be made of almost any material. Typically both sections are metal. The first section can also include folded over portions which wrap around the edges of the curtain. The folded over portions provide for attachment and also insure no sharp edges exist on the exterior sides of the curtain. The plurality of rails can be bonded to the curtain using an adhesive. The curtain can include prepared bonding surface to receive the rails. Both can be spaced to minimize overlap between the plurality of rails when the curtain is in a recessed position (wound around a roller).
US08408269B2
An applicator suitable for converting a white-light endoscope into an endoscope for combined white-light/fluorescence imaging is disclosed. The applicator facilitates attachment of an optical element, for example an optical filter, to a distal optical port of an endoscope. The applicator engages with alignment feature on the endoscope's distal end and releasably supports the optical element in an opening that is aligned with the optical port. The optical element is released in a proximal direction by pressing down on an actuator.
US08408266B2
Head for the automatic positioning of fiber blankets, which determines a path for the fiber blanket (2) to be positioned, as far as a positioning zone (5), passing via a resin-impregnation zone (4) and via a cutting zone (3), including, in front of and behind said zones (3 and 4) individual sets of rollers (6-7) that convey the fiber blanket (2) and control the tension thereof.
US08408263B2
A vacuum lamination device for laminating a lamination member includes a base plate having an uneven surface contacting the lamination member for placing the lamination member, a frame member fixed to the base plate and having a discharge port for evacuating a processing space, and a cover member for hermetically sealing the processing space in the lamination process. The lamination member is placed on the uneven surface, and the cover member is placed so as to cover the lamination member. Then, a gaseous material in the processing space is evacuated through the discharge port while heating the processing space.
US08408252B2
A nozzle for use in a non-overflow liquid delivery system comprises a nozzle body, a liquid delivery conduit having a liquid-receiving inlet and a liquid-dispensing outlet, and a non-bifurcated liquid recovery conduit having a liquid-receiving inlet and a liquid-conveying outlet. The minimum effective internal cross-sectional area of the liquid recovery throughpassage is greater than half the minimum effective internal cross-sectional area of the liquid delivery throughpassage. A valve has a first movable valve portion and a second movable valve portion that are interconnected one to the other for co-operative movement one with the other. A manually operable trigger is connected to the first movable valve portion for corresponding positive uninterruptable movement of the first movable valve portion between a valve-closed configuration and the valve-open configuration.
US08408244B2
A sanitary installation part (1) which has an installation housing (2) which can be inserted into a housing mount of a gas line or a liquid line is provided and has at least one latching element which projects into a latching position on the outer circumference of the housing and can be moved in a resiliently elastic manner from this latching position to a zero position. The installation part according to the invention provides that the at least one latching element is designed as a latching protuberance (5) which is beveled or rounded along its transverse edges oriented transversely to the insertion direction on both sides, and the at least one latching protuberance (5), in its zero position, can be can be resiliently fitted into the latching element mount, in which the latching protuberance (5) is incorporated in the outer circumference of the installation housing (2).
US08408241B2
A faucet includes a faucet body, a connecting member mounted in the faucet body, a plurality of elastic plates each connected between the faucet body and the connecting member, a first connector selectively connected with the connecting member, and a second connector selectively connected with the connecting member. Thus, the connecting member is connected with a water supply line by the first connector or the second connector so that the faucet is available for water supply lines of different types and sizes.
US08408240B2
A faucet includes a faucet body, a connecting member mounted in the faucet body, a plurality of elastic plates each connected between the faucet body and the connecting member, a first connector selectively connected with the connecting member, and a second connector selectively connected with the connecting member. Thus, the connecting member is connected with a water supply line by the first connector or the second connector so that the faucet is available for water supply lines of different types and sizes.
US08408230B2
An I/P converter is disclosed. The I/P converter comprises a nozzle (7) coupled to a magnetic circuit. A temperature compensation ring (3) is coupled to the top side of the magnetic circuit. A flexure (1) is coupled to the temperature compensation ring. The temperature compensation ring is configured to position the flexure relative to a first end of the nozzle and the temperature compensation ring is configured to maintain the relative position between the nozzle and the flexure over a range of temperatures.
US08408228B1
A flow control device is comprised of a body/connector, a simplified sliding cord, a sealing device, and a stopper. The body/connector connects an overhead sprinkler to a supply line by means of male threaded ends. The body/connector is comprised of a wrench connector, which is located between the two male threaded ends, a guiding tube that sits on the top side of the body/connector with the assistance of the supporting ribs. The guiding tube guides the sliding cord up and down inside the flow control device and sprinkler. The sliding cord is made from a material that is flexible enough to bend inside the supply line and strong enough to return to its original straight shape. The stopper and the sealing device are connected to each other with the sliding cord. The sealing device sits against the sealing surface of the body/connector if the sprinkler head is missing. The stopper prevents the sealing device from making contact with the body/connector during normal operational conditions.
US08408225B2
A collapsible shelter is described herein. One embodiment includes at least three leg members, at least three base members, wherein the each base member includes an opening to receive one of the at least three leg members at an angle less than 90° relative to the bottom surface of the base member, at least two accordion-type collapsible truss assemblies connected to each leg via an upper corner connection mechanism and a lower corner connection mechanism, each accordion-type truss including at least four truss members interconnected by at least two pivotal v-joints and at least two pivotal x-joints, wherein the at least two pivotal v-joints each include two truss members coupled together with a coupling mechanism through openings in the two truss members, wherein the openings in the two truss members are configured to reduce shearing forces in the truss members by the coupling mechanism.
US08408215B2
The invention concerns a filter making apparatus comprising: a filter material converging device, a flavor element positioning device comprising a passage element, the passage element comprising a passageway, a first inlet, a second inlet, and an outlet, the first inlet and second inlet being in fluid communication with the passageway, wherein the first inlet is adapted to pass a continuous strand of material into the passage element, wherein the second inlet is adapted to pass fluid into the passage element, and wherein the outlet is positioned at a point downstream from at least a portion of the filter material converging device, wherein the passage element is adapted to pass through the second inlet and into the filter material either the continuous strand of material from the first inlet, or fluid from the second inlet, or the continuous strand of material from the first inlet together with fluid from the second inlet.
US08408209B2
A pressure controller for an artificial respirator according to this invention includes a control valve facing a gas passage between an inspiratory gas inlet and an inspiratory gas outlet, and an elastic biasing means for elastically biasing the control valve against a valve seat. When an adjustment manipulating member moves backward, even the pivotal motion of the adjustment manipulating member does not operate an adjustment operating member. When the adjustment manipulating member is pulled out, the pivotal motion of the adjustment manipulating member operates the adjustment operating member, thereby adjusting the elastic biasing force of the elastic biasing means. This invention provides a pressure controller for an artificial respirator capable of reliably preventing unnecessary operating of the adjustment operating member although the pivoting operation of the adjustment manipulating member is simple as a whole, and there is no possibility that the adjustment manipulating member and the like are broken.
US08408207B2
A method and device for providing ventilation gas to a patient during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The device comprises: a gas source for supplying oxygen to the bronchi of the patient and a switch valve for initiating and terminating the gas supply. The switch valve is operated synchronous with the cardiopulmonary resuscitation cycle so that the switch valve operates with the same cycle as the cardiopulmonary resuscitation cycle but off-set in relation to the cardiopulmonary resuscitation cycle. The gas supply is initiated between 25% and 2% of the cycle time before the start of a compression stroke and is terminated between 2% and 30% of the cycle time after the start of a compression stroke. Alternatively, the gas supply is initiated between 25% and 48% of the cycle time after the termination of a compression stroke and is and terminated between 52% and 80% after the termination of a compression stroke.
US08408204B2
In one embodiment, the invention provides a medical method for treating a person and comprises repeatedly compressing the person's chest. While repeatedly compressing the person's chest, the method further includes repeatedly delivering a positive pressure breath to the person and extracting respiratory gases from the person's airway using a vacuum following the positive pressure breath to create an intrathoracic vacuum to lower pressures in the thorax and to enhance blood flow back to the heart.
US08408201B2
A fluid dispenser device including a body (10) with a dispenser orifice (1), a plurality of reservoirs (21) on a strip (20) that includes a leading end (25) and a trailing end (28), a reservoir-opening mechanism (30) adapted to open a respective reservoir upon actuation, and a drive mechanism (40) for the strip (20) and bring a reservoir into register with the opening mechanism. A movable wall (500; 600, 601) separates a storage housing (11) for the elongate strip (20) from a reception housing (15), the elongate strip (20) disposed mainly in the storage housing (11) before the device is used and displaced progressively in the reception housing (15) during use. The movable wall (500) causes the volume of the storage housing (11) to decrease progressively, and the volume of the reception housing (15) to increase progressively.
US08408200B2
The present invention is directed to methods and devices for delivering an active agent formulation to the lung of a human patient. The active agent formulation may be in dry powder form, it may be nebulized, or it may be in admixture with a propellant. The active agent formulation is delivered to a patient at a low inspiratory flow rate for an initial period of time to increase bioavailability of the active agent.
US08408187B2
A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine including a supercharging device, which includes: a valve-drive mechanism that variably controls the valve timings for at least intake valves; a target valve timing setting mechanism setting a target valve timing for at least the intake valves in accordance with an operation condition of the engine in a low engine speed range; and a valve-drive mechanism controller controlling the valve-drive mechanism based on the target valve timing. Each of the target valve timings is differently set such that (a) a valve-overlap duration is provided in a negative pressure region; (b) the valve-overlap duration in the negative pressure region is made shorter in a first supercharging region; and (c) the valve-overlap duration in the first supercharging region is made longer in a second supercharging region where the higher load of the engine is required.
US08408170B2
A cooling fan (10) for a vehicle engine (50), having a fan casing (60) and a fan rotor (12) which is movable axially relative to the fan casing during operation. There is an actuator (20) for moving the fan rotor (12) to positions which represent various degrees of protrusion (a) from an end of the fan casing (60) in order to optimise the fan's suction capacity and efficiency on the basis of current operating parameters such as fan speed and vehicle velocity.
US08408151B2
A watercraft hull includes a lower portion, an upper portion, and a strake positioned between the lower portion and the upper portion. The lower portion may include a bow portion having a v-shape defined by a keel and sidewalls extending upwardly therefrom to the strake and an aft portion having a tunnel formed therein. The aft portion may be defined by a pair of opposing sidewalls extending downwardly from the strake to a bottom portion. The tunnel may be defined by a pair of opposing tunnel sidewalls that extend upwardly from the bottom portion to a tunnel top having a center rib. The lower portion may also include a medial portion that transitions the bow portion to the aft portion. The medial portion may have a vacuum chamber extending between and transitioning the keel of the bow portion to the tunnel formed in the aft portion.
US08408145B2
A linked structure for foldable table comprises a main frame, legs, props, connecting plate 1 and connecting plate 2. The main frame includes a plate body which connects multiple table plates with flexible wire on each side of the plate body. Each concave body and supporting leg is set under each end of the plate body. A connecting unit with a receiving concave is set in the concave body. The legs are set in the receiving concave of the connecting unit. Connecting plate 1 is set on the props on the connecting unit. Connecting plate 2 which set on the legs connects with connecting plate 1. The table plates are connected on each side of the plate body on main frame with flexible wire. When folding the present invention, the legs, props, connecting plate 1 and 2 are folded under the plate body through rotating the connecting unit.
US08408140B2
A device for entering an object into a cell comprises mainly a track for guiding the object and a lifting pod extending the track. It is then possible to use robots and lower them on the floor of the cell to carry out inspection work.
US08408123B2
A device to provide a moment loading to one roller of a pair of nip rollers to counteract the bending moment created by a nip force between the rollers, the one roller being rotatably supported by a journal bearing at each end thereof, the device comprising a lever mechanism for imparting translational and torsional movement to the journal bearing with respect to a frame.
US08408121B2
A rotary printing machine for printing on containers, comprising a chuck-bearing carousel exhibiting an intermittent circular motion, being rotatably supported by a base element or casing, and being powered by an electric motor and integrated encoder, in which the electric motor comprises a stator coil supported by the casing and a rotor supported directly by the carousel.
US08408120B2
A generally vertically disposed rotisserie broiler. The broiler includes a metal housing with side walls, a floor, and an open end. One or more burners are disposed on opposite side walls of the housing. A generally vertically disposed spit is normally contained within the confines of the metal housing, but is movable towards the open end of the housing. The spit is rotated by a motor. The rotisserie broiler also includes an upper generally horizontal arm, and a lower generally horizontal arm, positioned adjacent an upper end and a lower end of the spit, respectively, for moving the spit transversely within the housing.
US08408110B2
A flatbed punching module for punching a printing material includes an upper platen and a lower platen which can be moved by a drive relative to the upper platen that is fixed to a frame, in order to perform a punching stroke for punching the printing material passing between the upper platen and the lower platen, resulting in the lower platen engaging with or being thrown onto the upper platen. As a result, the printing material can be processed through the use of at least one punching die. At least one printing material transport device for guiding the printing material, is held fixedly on the movable lower platen. The flatbed punching module can advantageously be used in a flatbed punch for processing a printing material web.
US08408106B2
Woodworking machines and safety methods for use with those machines are disclosed. The machines include a detection system adapted to detect one or more dangerous conditions and a reaction system associated with the detection system. The reaction system can include an explosive to trigger the system, and also can be configured to retract a cutting tool at least partially away from a cutting region upon detection of a dangerous condition by the detection system.
US08408100B2
An open end wrench includes first and second jaws formed on a jaw portion. The first jaw includes an arcuate sliding groove having an arcuate sliding wall. A slide is received in the sliding groove and includes an arcuate sliding face slideable along the sliding wall. An arcuate guiding slot is formed in the slide. The sliding face, sliding wall and guiding slot are free of holes, grooves, and recesses. A guide is fixed in the sliding groove and received in the guiding slot. The guiding slot includes an abutting end and a pressing end. The abutting end is in contact with the guide when the slide is in an initial position not engaged with a workpiece. An elastic device has two ends respectively abutting the guide and the pressing end of the guiding slot for biasing the slide to the initial position.
US08408092B2
Disclosed is a safety device on a steering handle, capable of controlling a direction-control wheel of a wheeled vehicle. The handlebar is engaged with the head part by its mortise with a tenon of the head part. When an outer bar end of the handlebar is hit, an inner tube of the handlebar will be pushed to disengage the mortise and the tenon to rotate the handlebar along. Alternatively, paired washers with wedge-shaped teeth can be utilized to engage the handlebar with the head part. When the outer bar end is hit, the washers are disengaged to allow the handlebar to rotate. Moreover, a hydraulic system or an inserting rod with a chassis groove system can be employed to maintain the original direction of the direction-control wheel when the handlebar is hit. Therefore, a sudden turn of the direction-control wheel and an fall-over of the rider and the vehicle can be prevented.
US08408091B2
A rotary operator assembly (1A) includes a grip member (4), a spindle member (6A), and an operator body member (8). The spindle member (6A) is attached to the operator body member (8), being rotatable with respect to the operator body member (8) about an operative axis of rotation (A). The grip member (4) is movably coupled to the spindle member (6A) and the operator body member (8) and is translatable between a first translational position and a second translational position with respect to the operator body member (8). The grip member (4) and the operator body member (8) include cooperating means for blocking rotation of the grip member (4) with respect to the operator body member (8) about the operative axis of rotation in the first position and for allowing rotation of the grip member (4) with respect to the operator body member (8) about the operative axis of rotation in the second position from a first angular position to a second angular position. The grip member (4) is configured to operably couple with the spindle member (6A) in at least the second translational position, and the grip member (4) comprises at least one portion cooperating with at least one portion of the spindle member (6A) for preventing translation of the grip member (4) between the first translational position and the second translational position in the first angular position.
US08408083B2
A linear actuator, in particular telescopic legs for height-adjustable tables, and comprising an outer profile (18), a spindle (7) mounted at an upper end of the outer profile, a transmission (8) connecting the spindle (7) with a reversible electric motor, a spindle nut (11) secured against rotation on the spindle (7), an intermediate profile (10) mounted with its one end on the spindle nut (11), a guide at a lower end of the outer profile (18) for the intermediate profile (10), a cord element (12, 20; 26) secured at the lower end of the outer profile (18) and connected via a guide with an inner profile (14), such that this together with the intermediate profile (10) is telescopically pushed out of and into the outer profile (18) by the rotation of the spindle. When the inner profile (14) is secured against rotation on the intermediate profile (10), and the rotational securing of the spindle nut (11) is constituted by longitudinal guides in the outer profile (18), then an actuator is achieved which per se is secured against rotation, i.e., when applied in telescopic legs, there is no need to have a rotational protection via the leg. In general, the structure is slender and may thereby be used in thin telescopic table legs.
US08408080B2
An automated inspection system for inspecting, sorting and re-coining each of the locking bar, the rack, and the pin of a rekeyable lock cylinder, as well as other small close-tolerance components in an average cycle time of 1.5 seconds. The inspection system includes a high-speed pneumatic sorting matrix which selectively transfers the components into various length measuring stations, camera inspection stations, mechanical gauge stations, and/or coining stations, and then positions the parts at those stations for combined gauge and visual tolerance checking and sorting. Defects are identified by a combination of visual and machine-gauge inspection, and the sorted components are sorted into three bins: rejects; good parts; and parts for coining. The inspection/sorting system is capable of tolerance-checking down to 0.00011811″, with a repeatability of 0.00005906.
US08408077B2
An apparatus for sensing a force. The apparatus includes a nanostructure being suitable for emitting electrons and a collector. The collector is proximately positioned with respect to the nanostructure so as to receive the emitted electrons and define a gap therebetween. The gap is partially dependent upon the applied force and the emission and reception of the electrons are indicative of the applied force.
US08408073B2
A microfluidic device and sensing method that utilize a resonating tube configured to have sufficient sensitivity to be capable of sensing the volume of a gas present as bubbles in a liquid or the flow rate and/or density of a gas or gas mixture flowing through the tube. The tube has a freestanding tube portion supported above a surface of a substrate so as to be capable of vibrating in a plane normal to the surface of the substrate. As a gas-containing fluid flows through an internal passage of the tube, a drive signal vibrates the freestanding tube portion at a resonant frequency thereof. Coriolis-induced deflections of the freestanding tube portion are sensed relative to the substrate to produce an output corresponding to the sensed deflections, and the drive signal and/or the output are assessed to determine the volume, density and/or flow rate of the gas of the gas-containing fluid.
US08408071B1
A vortex-shedding flowmeter uses two flow obstacles to provide stable generation of vortices that are detected as they pass through an ultrasonic beam between two transducers. The deleterious effects of acoustic signals reflected from the obstacles are minimized both structurally and electronically. The shapes of the obstacles are selected to reflect incident acoustic signals away from the beam between the transducers. Ultrasonic signals are generated simultaneously by two phase-opposed transducers and are detected in a time-windowed fashion in which the time window excludes extraneous reflected signals that have a longer path length.
US08408069B2
A torsion spring test jig adapted to assist a torsion spring to show different elastic statuses includes a bottom holder, a sliding element slidably mounted on the bottom holder and a plurality of hinge pin assemblies. The bottom holder includes a first modulating fastener having a first groove and a second modulating fastener having a second groove perpendicularly positioned under the first modulating fastener. An intersection of the first and second groove forms a first locating perforation. The sliding element includes a third modulating fastener having a third groove and a fourth modulating fastener having a fourth groove perpendicularly positioned under the third modulating fastener. An intersection of the third and fourth grooves forms a second locating perforation. The torsion spring are fastened between the first and second perforations through the hinge pin assemblies.
US08408068B2
A device for testing a coating for a turbomachine rotor disk blade root, including two test piece halves, each including a bearing surface coated with the coating, one counter test piece including two bearing surfaces, and a machine including a first holding system for the counter test piece and a second holding system for holding the test piece halves around the counter test piece. With a tensile mechanism, the holding systems are subjected to predetermined tensile cycles along the tensile axis, during which the tensile force is transmitted from one holding system to the other via the respective bearing surfaces contacting the counter test piece and the test piece halves. The second holding system includes a resilient return mechanism allowing for the two test piece halves to open up in a direction perpendicular to the tensile direction.
US08408056B2
An EGR ratio measuring device comprises a pair of nondispersive infrared gas analyzers that correct a water influence and measure a concentration of CO2 in a gas containing water, an intake air introduction line that is connected to an intake air pipe of an internal combustion engine and introduces a part of the intake air into one nondispersive infrared gas analyzer without removing the water, an exhaust gas introduction line that is connected to an exhaust gas pipe of the internal combustion engine and introduces a part of the exhaust gas into the other nondispersive infrared gas analyzer without removing the water, and a temperature adjusting mechanism that keeps a temperature of whole of the introduction lines and a temperature of the nondispersive infrared gas analyzers so as not to condense dew.
US08408054B2
A method and system for adapting the operation of emission-relevant control devices of a vehicle in a predetermined driving mode having a shorter expected duration that a duration of a preferred test cycle may include several steps. A first step may include determining whether the vehicle has reached the predetermined driving mode. A second step may include diagnosing at least one parameter associated with operation of at least one of the emission-relevant control devices. A third step may include comparing the at least one parameter with a setpoint range or a setpoint value. A fourth step may include carrying out at least a first section of an adaptation for the operation of the at least one emission-relevant control devices. The first section of the adaptation may include optimizing at least one of a plurality of operating points of the at least one emission-relevant control devices.
US08408047B2
A universal adapter to be detachably connected to the round fuel cap retaining lip of most any fuel tank filler neck so that smoke (i.e., a vapor) under pressure can be delivered to the fuel tank of a motor vehicle to test the fuel system for leaks. When connected, the universal adapter lies entirely outside the fuel tank filler neck. The universal adapter includes a circular ring-shaped rim that is manufactured from a flexible material having a spring memory. The flexible rim of the universal adapter is stretched and attached in surrounding sealing engagement against the fuel cap retaining lip of the filler neck. The universal adapter also includes a vapor inlet tube to which the nozzle of a vapor supply hose is attached. According to one embodiment, smoke produced by a smoke-generating machine pressurizes the fuel tank by way of a vapor delivery path which includes the vapor inlet tube of the universal adapter and the fuel tank filler neck of the motor vehicle.
US08408044B2
Automated systems and methods for processing liquid test samples are generally provided. Automated systems generally include a gas and liquid separator configured for removing at least one volatile component from the test sample, a first trapping vessel in fluid communication with the gas and liquid separator, wherein the first trapping vessel contains a trapping material capable of adsorbing at least one of the at least one volatile component to provide at least one adsorbed component, and a heat source configured to heat the trapping material to a temperature sufficient to release at least one of the at least one adsorbed component from the trapping material to provide at least one released component.
US08408038B2
A crimping device is provided for crimping an outer work piece onto an inner work piece. The crimping device includes at least two jaws forming a throat surface about the outer work piece and movable between a partially closed position wherein the outer work piece is not crimped and a closed position wherein the jaws crimp the outer work piece onto the inner work piece. The jaws are configured as a shutter mechanism so that the throat surface remains substantially continuous about the first work piece as the jaws move from the partially closed position to the closed position. At least one of the jaws moves in straight line motion as the jaws move from the partially closed position to the closed position. At least two of the jaws radially and slide against each other as the jaws move from the partially closed position to the closed position.
US08408033B2
In the autofrettage process, a thick-walled workpiece (2) to undergo autofrettage is positioned in an autofrettage apparatus (1). The interior space (5) of the workpiece (2) is filled with a fluid and closed so as to be pressure-tight. The volume available to the fluid in the interior space (5) of the workpiece (2) is reduced by a displacement piston (19) which is moved into the interior space (5) of the workpiece (2) through a displacement piston opening (6) of the workpiece (2). The pressure is therefore generated in the interior space (5) of the workpiece (2).
US08408025B2
A raw material recovery method for recovering a raw material of an organic metallic compound, which has the property of being stable toward a specific refrigerant without being decomposed thereby, from exhaust gas discharged from a treatment container in which a metallic thin film is formed on the surface of an object to be treated by using source gas obtained by vaporizing the raw material is characterized by being provided with a solidification step for solidifying the unreacted source gas by cooling the exhaust gas by bringing the exhaust gas into contact with the refrigerant and reprecipitating the raw material, and a recovery step for separating and recovering the raw material reprecipitated in the solidification step from the refrigerant. To provide a method for controlling an exhaust gas flow rate so that flow of gas in a processing chamber becomes uniform.
US08408021B2
The present invention relates to a picture frame type indoor unit of an air conditioner for mounting a photograph or a picture on a wall. The indoor unit of an air conditioner includes a cabinet (10), a picture frame panel (30) mounted in front of the cabinet (10), and a link mechanism (200) hinged both on the cabinet (10) and the picture frame panel (30), thereby permitting convenient working in inside inspection or repair of the indoor unit even if the picture frame panel (30) is not dismounted from the cabinet (10) completely.
US08408018B2
A refrigeration device includes a switching valve control section for outputting a switching signal for controlling a four-way switching valve to a predetermined switching state when starting a compression mechanism; and a switching determination section which, when starting only a first compressor as a start-up of the compression mechanism, outputs a low differential pressure signal if a differential pressure between a high-pressure port and a low-pressure port in the four-way switching valve falls below a determination value in a determination operation after the switching signal being outputted by the switching valve control section. After the switching determination section outputs the low differential pressure signal, a capacity control section starts a second compressor.
US08408017B2
A refrigeration system for a frozen product dispenser is controlled to have a variable cooling capacity that is determined by variable cooling load demands of the dispenser. This is accomplished, in part, by providing the refrigeration system with a variable speed compressor and one or more adjustable expansion valves for metering refrigerant to associated evaporators that are heat exchange coupled to associated freeze barrels of the dispenser, and by controlling the metering setting of the expansion valves and the speed of operation of the compressor in accordance with the cooling load demands of the dispenser. The arrangement provides for efficient operation of the refrigeration system from an energy standpoint and for a reduction in on/off cycling of the system.
US08408013B2
A portable moisture trap for use with a vacuum pump includes: a housing; a cooling chamber positioned at least partially within the housing including a first inlet port and a second outlet port; a lid that sealably attaches to a top portion of the cooling chamber to seal the cooling chamber; a heat sink residing under the cooling chamber; a thermoelectric device having an upper cooling side and a lower heat generating side residing between the cooling chamber and the heat sink; a fan oriented to blow air upwardly toward the heat sink; and a baffle extending downwardly in the cooling chamber from a location proximate the lid to a location proximate an inner bottom surface of the cooling chamber, with the baffle configured to define a physical barrier to urge air received through the first port to flow down toward the inner bottom surface of the cooling chamber before exiting through the second port, to thereby remove moisture from air traveling through the cooling chamber in response to a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the second port.
US08408010B2
A lower cost combustor is formed from a series of sheets of metal that are secured by mechanical fasteners. An increase in diameter of the combustor is achieved through the provision of securing rings to which the sheets of metal are secured.
US08407994B2
A rotation control system of a hoist pump includes: the hoist pump (3); an engine (2) for driving the hoist pump (3); a working equipment driven by a hydraulic cylinder that is extendable by hydraulic oil delivered through the hoist pump (3); a hydraulic oil tank that stores the hydraulic oil supplied to the hoist pump (3) and receives the hydraulic oil returned from the hydraulic cylinder; and a controller (9) that controls a rotation speed of the hoist pump (3) to be an allowable rotation speed that is set in advance for preventing cavitation while the hydraulic cylinder is operated.
US08407986B2
In a method for operating a lambda sensor disposed in an exhaust gas system of an internal combustion engine,—the heating element is subjected to a predefined heating power substantially with the start of the engine;—during the heating process, the sensor signal is detected and compared to a threshold value specified for a lean and/or rich fuel/air mixture ratio, wherein the threshold value correlates with a sensor temperature, which is below the water ingestion critical temperature, and to a valid lambda signal,—when one of the specified threshold values is reached for the first time, a measured variable correlating with the sensor temperature is determined and the lambda signal is set as valid and forwarded, and—the determined measured variable correlating with the sensor temperature is transferred to a closed heating element control loop as a target value that corresponds to a target temperature.
US08407983B2
A deviation amount of a downstream air-fuel ratio sensed with a downstream air-fuel ratio sensor, which senses an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas downstream of a catalyst, from a target air-fuel ratio is integrated during a period in which the downstream air-fuel ratio continuously shows deviations from the target air-fuel ratio while main feedback control and sub feedback control are performed based on outputs of an upstream air-fuel ratio sensor and the downstream air-fuel ratio sensor respectively. The thus-calculated continuous deviation amount of the downstream air-fuel ratio (deterioration degree of exhaust gas purification rate) is compared with an abnormality determination value to determine existence/nonexistence of an abnormal state where the exhaust gas purification rate is deteriorated by an air-fuel ratio variation among cylinders (i.e., state where control center of main feedback control has shifted).
US08407981B1
An expander cycle rocket engine includes secondary turbopump to further pressurize a gaseous fuel discharged from a primary turbine prior to entering the combustion chamber. The secondary turbopump is driven by fuel bled off from the primary fuel pump. A gaseous fuel that is heated from passing around the nozzle that is passed through the primary turbine to drive the primary fuel and oxidizer pumps is then passed through the secondary turbine to drive the secondary fuel compressor. With the secondary turbopump used in the Johnson-Sexton cycle engine, a thrust produced by the expander cycle rocket engine is greater than those obtained by prior art expander cycle rocket engines due to the square-cube rule.
US08407978B2
A method for producing pins for a control chain, which has link plates that are connected to each other by the pins. The pin ends are arranged in receiving bores arranged inside the link plates. The pin is made of steel of the type 100Cr6 or 32MnCrMo6-4-3, subjected to a carbonitriding method and has a wear zone between the 1/30 and the 1/60 part of the diameter thereof after abrasive removal on the carbonitrited pin surface.
US08407977B2
A steel cord used for reinforcing rubber product with an oval cross-section has a structure of m+n, while m is the number of core wires (26) and n is the number of the outer layer wires (22). The core wire (26) is untwisted while m is 1 or the core wires (26) are untwisted and aligned in parallel while m is between 2 and 4, and the outer layer wires (22) are twisted around said core wires (26). The core wires (26) are oval wires and the outer layer wires (22) are round wires. The wires (22, 26) in the steel cord have a carbon content not less than 0.60%.
US08407973B2
A method and system for packaging products provides for initially, vertically stacking a plurality of products during production in a transfer canister, simultaneously removing a stack of the products from the transfer canister, reorienting the stack and horizontally loading the stack into a final product package cavity. The invention has applicability to a wide range of products, particularly food products, such as refrigerated dough products. In one embodiment of the invention, the product package cavity is thermoformed as part as an overall horizontal form, fill and seal system.
US08407969B2
A dust extraction system and method are provided to collect some of the dust generated during handling of tablets during a tablet packaging process. For example, a tablet packaging system may be provided that includes a vibrating tray configured to feed a plurality of tablets to respective packages. The tablet packaging system may also include a first gas nozzle configured to direct a first flow of gas across the vibrating tray with the first flow of gas having a spaced relationship from the vibrating tray. The tablet packaging system may also include a second gas nozzle configured to direct a second flow of gas toward the vibrating tray. Further, the tablet packaging system may include a receiving hood configured to collect at least a portion of the gas provided by the first and second gas nozzles and to collect dust from the plurality of tablets.
US08407967B2
An adjustable lally column apparatus is described which includes a column, a cap plate and an adjustment mechanism. The cap plate is connected to the column and fasteners are connected to an external beam. The integrated cap plate and column assembly are connected to the fasteners in the beam and the column is suspended from the fasteners. The adjustment mechanism is connected to the column and adjusted to provide a load bearing interface between a floor and the column. A method of adjusting a column includes employing a single person to connect the cap plate and adjustment mechanism, elevating the column to the vertical and using a lever to lift the integrated column and cap plate and connecting the assembled column and cap plate to the beam. The adjustable column is secured to the beam using the fasteners. The adjustment mechanism is connected to a floor and adjusted to place the adjustable column in a load bearing position between the beam and the floor.
US08407957B2
Wall systems and methods for making such wall systems are disclosed herein. According to one embodiment, a wall system comprises a plurality of vertically displaced horizontal support members, and a wall panel having at least one inwardly-extending ridge. The wall system also includes at least two foam insulation blocks. Each block has a surface that is adapted to conform to the shape of the inwardly-extending ridge of the wall panel. The blocks are spaced apart along each of the horizontal support members and are fastened between the panel and the support member. The spacing created by the blocks allows for a blanket of insulation between the blocks and the support members to expand, improving the system's insulative properties.
US08407938B2
The invention relates to an inspection port, and a housing with an inspection port, for use in inspecting an interior volume. The housing has a housing enclosure with an inspection opening at or over which the inspection port is mounted, either directly to the housing enclosure or to a base which in turn is mounted to the housing enclosure. The inspection port has a rotatable assembly, rotatably secured to the housing enclosure or base for rotation about an axis of rotation at the inspection opening. The rotatable assembly has a plate defining an access opening and an inspection enclosure attached to the plate around the access opening and adaptable to extend into the interior volume. The inspection enclosure has a region with a window opening which has a window axis and is adaptable to provide lines of sight into the interior volume.
US08407931B1
Snake trap primarily designed to capture relatively long and heavy snakes such as the Burmese Python. The trap is specifically configured to avoid inadvertently capturing non-targeted animals by using at least two weight/pressure-sensing plates. Each pressure plate has an independent release mechanism so that both pressure plates must be in a depressed position to spring the trap.
US08407930B2
An animal trap includes a frame with a support mechanism for the trigger. The support mechanism has an elongate slot on each side that supports a pivot component that is attached to the frame. One or more rods are activated from the support mechanism to release a latch or door of the trap. A rod pushes or pulls from their attachment to the support mechanism when a trigger attached to the pivot component moves causing a cam on the pivot component to release the dog from engagement with the support mechanism.
US08407928B2
A fishing hook retaining apparatus is provided. In a first aspect, a first member and a second member of the fishing hook retaining apparatus oppose one another and pivotally rotate about a shaft from a closed position to an open position when compressive force is applied to lower portions of the first and second members. While open, an operator may insert a fishing hook into the fishing hook retaining device and subsequently release the applied force to permit the first and second members to close and thus secure the fishing hook within the fishing hook retaining device. In a second aspect, when in the closed position, the first and second members not only secure the fishing hook therewithin, but compressively grip a cylindrical rod placed therebetween, which secures the fishing hook retaining apparatus to the cylindrical rod, wherein the cylindrical rod is a fishing pole.
US08407926B2
The present invention relates to an optical device for both a dot sight mode and a scope mode, the optical device including: a dot-sight main body which is formed with a dot sight region where a light source and a reflective mirror are installed to display light emitted from the light source as a dot on an external target, and operates in the dot sight mode; and a scope structure which includes an objective lens and an eyepiece lens to magnify and see the external target, and is rotatable inside the dot-sight main body, the scope mode being selected when the scope structure is rotated and inserted in the dot sight region. With this, there is provided an optical device for both a dot sight mode and a scope mode, in which a scope structure is installed to be retractable inside a dot sight device and thus both the dot sight mode and the scope mode are supported, thereby aiming at an external target through quick mode switching, and there is no need for an additional scope device.
US08407925B2
An adjustable receiver cover for a firearm having an integral accessory mounting structure and pivotally attached to the firearm. A front mounting tab adjustably attached to the cover body accommodates physical variances between examples of said firearm. The front of adjustable cover is pivotally attached to the firearm by a pin. The adjustable cover is firmly affixed at its rear by a cam locking release button. The adjustable cover is self centering by means of an integral spring apparatus.
US08407907B2
An articulated arm CMM system comprises an articulated arm comprising a plurality of articulated arm members, a measuring probe at a distal end, and a base at a proximal end, the base comprising a docking portion. The articulated arm CMM system also includes a plurality of feature packs configured to electronically connect to the articulated arm via the docking portions and provide additional electronic functionality.
US08407904B2
A rotary laser beam emitter includes a base unit including a reference reflector with a reference reflective face parallel to a reference plane, a rotary element rotatably supported on the base unit around a rotary axis, and a beam emitting unit contained in the rotary element and including a light source and an optical emission system emitting the laser beam from the light source in a direction parallel to the reference plane on the optical axis. When the rotary element is inclined relative to the rotary axis and the emitted laser beam is inclined to the reference plane, the optical emission system emits the laser beam from the light source to the reference reflective face and emit the laser beam reflected by the reference reflective face in a direction inclined to the optical axis of the laser beam so as to neutralize the inclined laser beam.
US08407900B2
Shaving cartridges intended for mounting on razor handles such that a shaving razors are formed. These cartridges include a frame on which a wing is disposed wherein a majority of the wing comprises elastomeric material.
US08407899B2
A fluid dynamic bearing includes a shaft to which a resin flange is fixed by insert molding. The process where the flange is fixed to the shaft by insert molding includes a flange forming process in which the flange, fixed to the shaft, is formed by injecting the resin into a filled portion in the lower mold through an upper mold, while cooling at least part of the shaft, arranged in a shaft arrangement portion in a lower mold, with cooling water circulating through a cooling pipe.
US08407894B2
A method of fabrication of panels having built-in heat pipe(s) and/or insert(s) (P), includes providing a bottom plate having tabs, partially straightening the tabs toward the accommodation zones, positioning the heat pipes and/or the inserts in each accommodation zone between the tabs and in contact with the upper face of the bottom plate, terminating the straightening of the tabs, depositing a selected thickness of a first adhesive against side faces of the heat pipes and/or the inserts, positioning separating structures, substantially having a same height as that of the heat pipes and/or the inserts on either side of the side faces of each heat pipe and/or insert and in contact with the upper face of the bottom plate, and placing an upper plate above the heat pipes and/or inserts and the separating structures and in contact therewith.
US08407890B2
An electronic device module as described herein includes an electronic device package having device contacts. The electronic device module can be manufactured by providing an electrically conductive ground plane having a device opening for an electronic device package, and having an antenna ground section. The manufacturing method continues by embedding the ground plane and the electronic device package in encapsulating material such that device contacts of the electronic device package and a first side of the ground plane reside at a device mounting surface. Thereafter, an antenna circuit structure is formed overlying the device mounting surface. The antenna circuit structure includes an antenna signal element that cooperates with the antenna ground section to form an integrated antenna for the electronic device module.
US08407880B2
A method of manufacturing an orthopaedic surgical instrument comprising the steps of forming a generally planar shim having a predetermined shape; creating a plurality of holes or slots in the plane of the shim; temporarily shielding said holes or slots. from a plastic molding process; overmolding said shim with a plastic substrate using said plastic molding process; and creating a cutting surface at each of said holes or slots.
US08407874B2
Pulling pliers are provided. The pulling pliers include a pair of pliers having a set of jaws; and an attaching point connected to a jaw of the pliers for attaching a slide hammer mechanism. A method for pulling using pulling pliers is provided. The method includes gripping an object with the pliers; locking the pliers in a gripping position; and actuating a slide hammer attached to the pliers.
US08407873B2
The system includes a collar feed assembly which includes a channel within a step assembly at the end thereof, which defines a receiving cavity for the collar. The receiving cavity is configured so that the collar can move slightly therein, permitting a die portion of a die tool to engage a center opening of the collar, so that the collar can come into accurate alignment with the center axis of the die tool. The die tool is mounted to be movable slightly transversely to permit a reliable transfer of the collar onto the bolt. The collar is more compliant than the die tool during loading of the collar onto the die pin and the die tool is more compliant than the collar during transfer of the collar from the die pin onto the bolt.
US08407858B2
The present invention relates to a swing hinge module. The swing hinge module is configured by comprising: a first member in which through-holes are respectively formed at a space unit and a place distanced from the space unit; a fixing ring which is coupled to the space unit; a second member that is placed at the space unit of the first member and is coupled to the first member in order to rotate with respect to the first member; an elastic member of which one end and the other end are respectively connected to the first and second members and elastically supported by each other; and a cam which is prepared between the first and second members to support one end of the elastic member and forces the elastic member to have an eccentric motion.
US08407843B2
A clean device for cleaning a goldfinger includes a positioning mechanism for transmitting a circuit board and fixing the circuit board on a predetermined position, a delivering mechanism for delivering a cleaning medium to the predetermined position, and a wiping mechanism for utilizing the cleaning medium to wipe a goldfinger of the circuit board after the positioning mechanism fixes the circuit board on the predetermined position.
US08407842B2
Dock levelers, such as mechanical dock levelers, are described herein. In one embodiment, a mechanical dock leveler includes a ramp having a lip pivotally attached to a forward edge. A ramp lifting system is configured to assist upward rotation of the ramp as it is manually raised. In this embodiment, a lip lifting system is operably coupled to the ramp lifting system so that the ramp is initially “downward biased” prior to being raised, and then becomes at least partially supported in a raised position by the lip lifting mechanism, once the lip lifting mechanism is engaged.
US08407830B1
A back plate has upper, lower and side edges. A central section and two laterally spaced side sections with spaces separating the sections. Shelves are coupled to the back plate in the sections. A cabinet has upper, lower, left side, right side, left, right, left intermediate, and right intermediate plates, a central opening between the left intermediate plate and the right intermediate plate, a left side opening between the left side plate and the left intermediate plate, and a right side opening between the right side plate and the right intermediate plate. A plurality of support panels are coupled to the cabinet and are re-positionable for spanning the openings when the cabinet is in a horizontal orientation whereby the panels will totally cover the openings and provide full support for an inflated mattress.
US08407827B1
A touchless water control system having at least one sensor capable of determining hand movement from point A to point B in a first direction, from point C to point D in a second direction and from point E to point F in a third direction thereby establishing a spatial field spaced away from a faucet through which a user's hand can be moved to initiate or terminate water flow, water temperature and water pressure.
US08407825B2
A shower nozzle having a brush includes a driving unit and a brush body. The driving unit is used to get power for driving the brush body. The driving unit includes a motor, bevel gears and a gear disc. The shower nozzle is compact in size and provides a brushing function when taking a bath.
US08407815B2
An article of apparel may include a waistband for extending around a waist of the wearer. The waistband may have a first layer and a second layer that lay adjacent to each other, and the waistband may have a plurality of strand segments located between the first layer and the second layer. The strand segments extend at least partially around the waistband. Additionally, the strand segments may lay substantially parallel to surfaces of the first layer and the second layer for distances of at least five centimeters. In some configurations, the strand segments may be bonded to the first layer and the second layer along the distances of at least five centimeters.
US08413257B2
According to an aspect of the invention, a document management system includes a protection policy storage unit, a correspondence storage unit, an embedding unit, a portable identification unit, a storage control unit, and a document manipulation unit. The document manipulation unit executes a user manipulation specified by the certain user based on a communication between the portable identification unit and the document manipulation unit.
US08413251B1
A reputation system generates reputation scores for websites based at least in part on analyses of disposable data misuse associated with the websites. The reputation system receives reports describing disposable data misuses detected by clients and/or other entities, such as credit card issuers. The reputation system also detects certain types of misuse itself by analyzing received disposable data involved in a misuse detection to determine the websites or other entities that misused the data. The reputation system generates misuse statistics describing the amount of data misuse performed by websites. The reputation system generates reputation scores for websites based on the disposable data misuse statistics and, optionally, other reputation information for the websites, such as malware distribution associated with the websites. The reputation system reports the reputations of the websites to the clients.
US08413250B1
Systems and methods of classifying sessions are disclosed. A particular method monitors user activity at one or more servers accessible via a network and capturing event entries in an activity log for user activity that is detected. The event entries include descriptive information regarding a user action, a client identifier and a session identifier. The method also includes attempting to classify sessions associated with a plurality of event entries of the activity log as legitimate use or illegitimate use of resources of the one or more servers. The method further includes identifying unclassified sessions. The method also includes determining a count of a number of unclassified sessions associated with a particular client identifier and determining a total number of sessions associated with the particular client identifier. The method further includes classifying the unclassified sessions as legitimate use or illegitimate use of the resources of the one or more servers.
US08413243B2
A method is provided for use in a Mobile IP network in which it is determined whether a Mobile Node (10) in a visited network is reachable on a new claimed Care-of Address for the Mobile Node (10) using information relating to a pre-established cryptographic relationship between the Mobile Node (10) and an Access Router (20) of the visited network. It may be determined, through communication between a Home Agent (30) for the Mobile Node (10) in the Mobile Node 10's home network and the Access Router (20), whether such a pre-established cryptographic relationship exists. The existence of such a pre-established relationship would indicate that the Mobile Node (10) is reachable on the claimed Care-of Address.
US08413231B1
Embodiments of methods, apparatuses, systems and/or devices for document control are disclosed.
US08413230B2
An API checking device 300 includes an API check request reception unit 301 to receive a determination request to request determination of whether to permit the API call, a state information acquiring unit 303 to acquire state information showing a state of the device 100, a check mode setting unit 305 to set a check mode for the API call on the basis of the state information acquired, a determining unit 307 to determine whether to permit the API call on the basis of the check mode, and a check result outputting unit 309 to output the check result generated by the determining unit 307.
US08413225B2
The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for efficiently an intermediary device processing strings in web pages across a plurality of user sessions. A device intermediary to a plurality of clients and a server identifies a plurality of strings in forms and uniform resource locators (URLs) of web pages traversing the device across a plurality of user sessions. The device stores each string of the plurality of strings to one or more allocation arenas shared among a plurality of user session. Each string is indexed using a hash key generated from the string. The device recognizes that a received string transmitted from a webpage of a session of a user is eligible to be shared among the plurality of user sessions. The device determines that a copy of the received string is stored in an allocation arena using a hash generated from the received string. The device uses the copy of the received string stored in the allocation arena in place of the string in the web page of the session of the user to process the web page.
US08413222B1
A method and apparatus for synchronously changing authentication credentials of a plurality of domains comprising detecting an authentication credential change event for a particular domain, where the authentication credential is being changed from a first credential to a second credential, determining whether the particular domain is within a domain group, and, if the particular domain is within the domain group, changing the authentication credential of at least one other domain in the domain group from the first credential to the second credential.
US08413220B1
A method for user authentication involves initiating an authentication process, receiving images associated with the authentication process, selecting an image from the images to generate a selection; and obtaining authentication based on the selection, where the image is associated with the authentication process and sent prior to initiating the authentication process.
US08413213B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, apparatus and system for selecting a wireless communication device for establishing a connection. The method according to some exemplary embodiments of the invention may include selecting a communication device for establishing a connection by determining whether one or more security-related characteristics of the communication device satisfy a security policy corresponding to a selected security class. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08413206B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for enabling viewers to participate in a television program. In one aspect, a method includes transmitting a linear television program that includes a request for viewer responses to be submitted using a user device and receiving, through a communication network, an electronic message including a viewer response to the request from a user. Consideration is received from the user, and the consideration is associated with the viewer response. Credits are allocated to the user in response to receiving the viewer response and consideration. A record of the one or more credits is stored in association with an identifier of the user, and in response to a request from the user, credits associated with the identifier of the user are redeemed in exchange for virtual goods or services associated with delivery of content over a network.
US08413201B2
In a mobile IPTV system, a multicast coordination entity (MCE) acquires information for radio resource allocation for satisfying all terminals through a counting procedure, and determines a radio bearer by considering a share of usage anticipation subcarrier for respective identifiers of contents. A scheduling subject is variable by a characteristic of the determined radio bearer.
US08413197B2
In this video delivery device including: a storage device storing key frame information including a key frame number included in a contents file and offset from the beginning of a file; and a delivery control unit, which executes delivery in a predetermined cycle, the delivery control unit refers to the key frame information cycle by cycle in executing the trick play, and transmits the key frame having the offset closest to the delivery time among the key frames included in the contents file.
US08413190B2
The present invention relates to a television receiver having a display to indicate a banner thereon, and a controller to adjust a position of the banner on the display. Further, the controller is capable of adjusting the position of the banner on the display according to television program information received.
US08413184B2
A method and apparatus for storing and displaying information about the capture and/or transfer of digital media is provided, wherein data is stored such that a visual representation indicating characteristics of video data, such as whether portions of the video data have been transferred to another device or captured to a storage device, may be generated and displayed.
US08413182B2
Advertisements may be inserted into a streaming video at an intermediary system by receiving a data stream including a video content selection having scenes configured to accommodate insertion of advertising objects, identifying an advertising descriptor based on characteristics of a scene within the data stream, selecting an advertising object based on the identified advertising descriptor, modifying the video content selection by inserting the advertising object in the data stream such that the advertising object is integrated into a scene of the video content selection, where an image scene of the video content selection is modified to integrate and enable visual display of content from within the scene of the video content selection and the advertising object concurrently, and transmitting the content selection to a recipient.
US08413180B2
In an embodiment of the present invention, a first user may associate a second user with particular media characteristics. The second user may be notified when the first user consumes media having pre-defined characteristics matching those associated with the second user. The second user may keep records of the consumption of media with particular media characteristics, and may provide services or incentives to the first user. A system in accordance with various aspects of the present invention may comprise a first and a second set top box, each having storage with an associated network address. A user of the second set top box may have at least one associated media characteristic, and the second user may be sent a notification when the first user requests media with pre-defined characteristics matching the media characteristic associated with the second user.
US08413174B2
Driver controlling device, and computer-readable recording medium storing driver controlling program
A driver controlling device is disclosed. A UI module stores information of supportable functions of drivers in a function table, and obtains information of functions of a model of a new driver to be used described in model dependent data of the new driver. The UI module determines whether the obtained information of the functions of the new driver has been stored in the information of the supportable functions. When the obtained information of the functions of the new driver has not been stored in the information of the supportable functions, the UI module stores the information of the functions of the new driver which has not been stored in the information of the supportable functions in a un-supporting function list and prevents the new driver from using the information of the functions in the un-supporting function list.
US08413173B2
The disclosure provides a method and system for loading a first and second Internet Protocol network communication stacks in an information handling system (IHS). The method and system include loading the first Internet Protocol network communication stack and creating and registering a module management kernel thread to automatically load the second Internet Protocol network stack only when called upon. The kernel thread registers with the IHS′ kernel socket layer and Ethernet driver to receive notice of calls corresponding to the second Internet Protocol network communication stack. Upon receiving notice, the kernel thread loads the second Internet Protocol network communication stack and subsequently deregisters from the IHS′ kernel socket layer and Ethernet driver.
US08413160B2
In a packet-based transaction processing system, workload is balanced across multiple computer systems. A plurality of packets is received from a plurality of clients over a plurality of communications sessions. Each of the plurality of packets includes a portion of a transaction involving a financial transaction instrument that requires authorization. The plurality of packets are processed to assemble a plurality of transactions. Each of the plurality of transactions is then transmitted to an application server selected from a plurality of servers that provides authorization for the transactions. The server may be selected from the plurality of servers based on a round-robin distribution of the plurality of servers, and additionally, the round-robin distribution may be modified to account for a workload on each of the plurality of servers.
US08413151B1
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for selectively spawning threads within a multiprocessing system. A computation work distributor (CWD), within the system, is responsible for performing the detailed work needed to spawn a thread grid. A request to the CWD to spawn a thread grid includes a predicate table, which includes an array of flags used to indicate which thread indices should have an associated thread block spawned and which should not. Greater efficiency is achieved by only spawning thread blocks that should perform useful computation.
US08413149B2
An information processing apparatus, an information processing method, an information processing system, and an information processing program are provided. The present invention can execute distributed processing effectively with certainty among different information processing apparatus connected through a common network. Each of first to fourth information processing apparatus includes a main processor and sub processors. When sub processor programs are to be executed by sub processors in response to an operation of a user, the first apparatus secures a necessary number of free sub processors if this is determined possible. If the necessary number of free sub processors are not available, then the first apparatus successively issues a request to secure sub processors to the other apparatus. If the necessary number of sub processors cannot be secured from among free sub processors in the entire network, those sub processors which are executing sub processor programs having a lower priority are secured for execution of the sub processor programs.
US08413138B2
Systems and methods are described for securely downloading management client software onto a device from an embedded stub in the device. In one embodiment, the stub client is activated by a message with credentials from a management server. The stub client, after verification of the credentials, downloads and activates a full management client. The management client then participates in any authorized management session with the device management server. The messages are preferably encrypted using a key that is based on the credentials. The credentials may be specific to the device and to the service provider associated with the device.
US08413137B2
Automatically backing up one or more computers across a network to a backup device coupled to the network through one of the computers connected to the network. In one embodiment, a user connects the backup device to a first network connected computer which triggers the launch, installation, setup and configuration of the associated software on the first computer thereby performing a backup operation of data from the first computer to the backup device. The user then connects the backup device to a second network connected computer which triggers the launch, installation, setup and configuration of the associated software on the second computer thereby performing a backup operation of data from the second computer to the backup device. Furthermore, the associated software installed on the second computer triggers communication with and a backup of data from the first computer across the network through the second computer to the backup device.
US08413130B2
A system, method, and program product is provided that distributes authorized changes to the organization's entities and has the individual computer systems police configuration changes. A system receives change approval packages, each of the change approval packages including authorized change identification data that identifies authorized changes to the system. The authorized change identification data are stored in a storage area of the system. Subsequently, a change package is received by the computer system. The change package includes a change to the computer system and metadata that identifies the change. The metadata is compared with the authorized change identification data. If the metadata matches one of the authorized change identification data, then the change is installed, otherwise the change is rejected.
US08413126B2
This document discusses, among other things, a system and method computing the shortest path expression in a loop having a plurality of expressions. Candidate expressions in the loop are identified and partitioned into sets. A cost matrix is computed as a function of the sets. Paths are found through the cost matrix and, if there are cycles in the paths, the cycles are broken. One or more shortest path expressions are generated as a function of the paths and one or more of the expressions in the loop are replaced with the shortest path expressions.
US08413124B2
A system and method for compiling and matching regular expressions is disclosed. The regular expression compiling system includes a syntax analyzing module and at least two types of compiling modules. The syntax analyzing module is configured to analyze syntactic characteristics of a regular expression and send the regular expression to an appropriate compiling module according to preset syntactic rules and the syntactic characteristics of the regular expression; and the appropriate compiling module is configured to receive the regular expression and compile the regular expression into a data structure of a specific form.
US08413116B2
In a method for presenting to a user information operated on by a computational software application, a relationship between states of a user interface mechanism located on a workspace associated with the computational software application and an underlying object operated on by the computational software application may be determined. The relationship may be defined at least in part by configuration data capable of being interpreted by the computational software application. A change in a value of the underlying object may be detected, and a current state of the user interface mechanism may be changed based on the detected change in the value of the underlying object and according to the relationship. Additionally, a change in the current state of the user interface mechanism caused by a user may be detected, and the current value of the underlying object may be changed based on the detected change in the current state of the user interface mechanism and according to the relationship.
US08413110B2
The present invention provides a multimedia software framework system that allows development of customized multimedia plug-in applications for use within the system. Users can customize fields in the data entry, database, query and report forms without any programming effort. The information is packaged in an Application plug-in module which can be transported to any personal computer or network server. The information can be integrated into a core multimedia framework with features for video capturing, image processing, video and image broadcasting, entity work space elaboration, and instant multimedia messaging. The present invention also provides Internet Service Providers with a new opportunity for hosting application servers because the system resources in the core multimedia framework server can be partitioned for different applications and user accounts without any additional programming effort.
US08413109B2
Some aspects relate to systems and methods to receive a first metamodel conforming to a first meta-metamodel associated with first modeling unit types. A second metamodel conforming to a second meta-metamodel is generated based on the first metamodel and on a mapping between the first meta-metamodel and the second meta-metamodel, where the second meta-metamodel is associated with second modeling unit types, and where the first modeling unit types are different from the second modeling unit types.
US08413100B2
The invention discloses a power mesh managing method utilized in an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes a standard cell and a standard-cell power supplying mesh corresponding to a first direction. The power mesh managing method includes: defining a power supplying network including a first plurality of power meshes growing along the first direction and a second plurality of power meshes growing along a second direction, and defining an assistant connecting network on a third metal layer, wherein the assistant connecting network includes a plurality of assistant connecting lines growing along the second direction, the first plurality of power meshes are formed on a first metal layer, the second plurality of power meshes on a second metal layer, the third metal layer is below the first metal layer, and the second metal layer is above the first metal layer.
US08413096B2
Roughly described, a method for approximating stress-induced mobility enhancement in a channel region in an integrated circuit layout, including approximating the stress at each of a plurality of sample points in the channel, converting the stress approximation at each of the sample points to a respective mobility enhancement value, and averaging the mobility enhancement values at all the sample points. The method enables integrated circuit stress analysis that takes into account stresses contributed by multiple stress generation mechanisms, stresses having vector components other than along the length of the channel, and stress contributions (including mitigations) due to the presence of other structures in the neighborhood of the channel region under study, other than the nearest STI interfaces. The method also enables stress analysis of large layout regions and even full-chip layouts, without incurring the computation costs of a full TCAD simulation.
US08413094B2
A method of increasing an initial threshold voltage (Vt) of selected devices. The method includes designing devices with desired antenna effects and adjusting an increase in Vt of some devices to specific values. The desired antenna effects produce a desired threshold voltage of the devices.
US08413084B2
A solution for improving photomask fabrication time and yield, through the reduction in the number of exposure shots used for a given photomask pattern to be written on the photomask. In one embodiment, non-critical elements can be configured into a shape that the write tool can write with less exposure shots, while maintaining the original intent of the non-critical element. In another embodiment, the pattern of non-critical elements can be configured such that the non-critical elements are aligned with the grid lines of the operational grid of the write tool to further reduce shot count. In another embodiment, the manufacturing parameters and placement of non-critical elements can be modifying, e.g., by identifying which elements are critical and which are non-critical, and then printing non-critical elements with a first exposure parameter (e.g. a single pass exposure) while critical elements are printed with a second exposure parameter (e.g., a multi pass exposure).
US08413079B2
On a display processing apparatus, on a case data selection screen, display call buttons for respectively instructing the display of the case data selection screen, a listing display of red color detection bars, a listing display of average color bars, a listing display of thumbnails extracted as observation targets, a digest listing display of thumbnails extracted from a database based on a predetermined reference, and a diagnostic report are displayed at the bottom of the screen in addition to the display of a case data listing display window in which a case data number in a case data number field, and data such as the name and the ID of a patient, an examination date, etc. in an identification data field are displayed to be scrollable.
US08413078B2
A mobile terminal and a method of displaying human contact data are provided. Human contact data corresponding to a human contact event is created when a human contact event is generated. A name tag is displayed in a standby screen corresponding to the created human contact data. Accordingly, a user may easily identify human contact data through log data displayed in a user-oriented method.
US08413063B2
A service performs transformation for material that has been dragged in one format from a web-site and has to be transformed first in order to be dropped onto a different web-page. The transformation makes it possible for the target (drop) page to understand and process the data. A target page need only support one format rather than numerous possible formats used by source pages.
US08413061B2
The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes selecting a plurality of web pages including static web page elements, generating first configuration information that specifies at least one of the static web page elements, and generating second configuration information that specifies at least one asynchronous web page element. Each asynchronous web page element corresponds to a particular static web page element specified in the first configuration information. The method also includes modifying the selected plurality of web pages. The modification includes parsing the plurality of web pages, identifying the static web page elements within the plurality of web pages that are also specified in the first configuration information, and replacing the identified static web page elements with the corresponding asynchronous web page elements specified in the second configuration information.
US08413059B2
An image based email system associates images with different electronic mail (email) senders. The email system receives email messages from different email senders and then looks through either website member profiles or user contacts for associated images. Any located image is displayed in a list of recent senders. This allows the email user to associate recently received email messages with particular sender images or photographs. The images can also be used in a list of favorite or most frequent email senders. Other features of the email system extract information from received email messages to better identify the email senders. These and other features of the email system provide more intuitive and easier to perform email operations.
US08413044B2
The present disclosure describes a method and a system of retrieving Ajax web page content. The method of retrieving Ajax web page content includes: obtaining information of web page codes; retrieving JavaScript information in the information of the web page codes; analyzing the JavaScript information to determine function(s) that include(s) Ajax call(s) in the web page codes; and triggering the determined function(s) that include(s) the Ajax call(s) to obtain web page content. Through analyzing JavaScript information in web page codes, the above technical scheme obtains function(s) that include(s) Ajax call(s) in the web page codes and further triggers the function(s) to obtain web page content generated thereby, thus achieving retrieval of dynamic content in an Ajax web page. Using the above technical scheme, a search engine can collect more complete web page contents and hence provide a better search service to users.
US08413040B2
A user interface is provided. The user interface may include a first portion and a second portion. The first portion may contain one or more listings corresponding to one or more entities. The second portion may include an editable surface for viewing and editing the entities. A command to drag and drop a listing corresponding to a first entity from the first portion displaying the listing into the second portion displaying a second entity is received. In response to receiving the command to drag and drop the listing from the first portion into the second portion, a link to the first entity is inserted into the second entity.
US08413020B2
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for data processing system. As one example, a data processing circuit is described that includes an analog to digital converter, an online timing loop, and an offline timing loop. The analog to digital converter receives an analog input and provides a first series of data samples Each bit of the first series of data samples corresponds to the analog input at a time controlled by an updated sampling clock. The online timing loop modifies the updated sampling clock based at least in part upon a processed version of the first series of data samples.
US08413006B1
A method and system are provided to detect and correct errors in the Interlaken block code overhead bits. Specifically, a method is provided for determining the original transmitted information with a very high probability of correct interpretation. These approaches can also characterized by their minimal complexity. Further, such a method can operate on the received information in a manner that does not require consideration of special cases. Also, the method does not require the source to send any extra information or alter its current behavior in any way. Thus, the approaches described herein are compatible with all existing Interlaken sources and can provide immediate benefits.
US08412994B2
Clock control circuitry for an integrated circuit, a method of testing an integrated circuit having a clock gate, an integrated circuit and a library of cells including the clock control circuitry are provided. In one embodiment, the integrated circuit includes: (1) a clock gate configured to apply a clock signal to at least a first scan chain of the integrated circuit, (2) combinational logic coupled to an input of the clock gate and (3) Design-for-Test logic located external to the combinational logic and coupled to the clock gate and a first cell of a second scan chain of the integrated circuit, the Design-for-Test logic configured to control operation of the clock gate based on a logic value of the first cell.
US08412991B2
Embodiments related to identifying a reference scan cell locationally related to a fault condition exhibited by a scan chain in which the reference scan cell is included are provided. A method for identifying a reference scan cell is provided, the method including, in a capture mode, outputting combinational logic values to scan cells in the scan chain so that scan cell values for the scan cells are based on respective combinational logic values, the combinational logic values electrically connected with the scan chain. The method further includes, in a shift mod, sequentially determining the scan cell value for each scan cell, and identifying as the reference scan cell a scan cell last determined to be at an expected logical state for that scan cell.
US08412987B2
A memory device may comprise a port to receive remap information regarding a memory device and may comprise a content-addressable memory (CAM) to store the remap information, wherein the CAM may comprise a nonvolatile, discretely-addressable memory.
US08412980B2
A circuit arrangement and method utilize existing redundant execution pipelines in a processing unit to execute multiple instances of stability critical instructions in parallel so that the results of the multiple instances of the instructions can be compared for the purpose of detecting errors. For other types of instructions for which fault tolerant or stability critical execution is not required or desired, the redundant execution pipelines are utilized in a more conventional manner, enabling multiple non-stability critical instructions to be concurrently issued to and executed by the redundant execution pipelines. As such, for non-stability critical program code, the performance benefits of having multiple redundant execution units are preserved, yet in the instances where fault tolerant or stability critical execution is desired for certain program code, the redundant execution units may be repurposed to provide greater assurances as to the fault-free execution of such instructions.
US08412966B2
Solid state power controllers are described that include a switch controlled by a microcontroller and communication contacts. In one aspect of the invention, the microcontroller is galvanically isolated from the communication contacts using magnetoresistive isolation. In another aspect of the invention a number of solid state power controllers are connected to an external microcontroller to form a power distribution array. In addition, messages exchanged between the external microcontroller and the solid state power controllers can be used to configure the solid state power controllers and provide a user interface.
US08412957B2
According to some embodiments, a system, method, means, and/or computer program code are provided to facilitate an appropriate access to secure information by a plurality of users categorized into a plurality of groups. For example, a group access vector may be determined for each of a plurality of records in a data report, each group access vector including a plurality of indicators that indicate if an associated group is authorized to access that record. It may then be arranged for an encryption key to be assigned to each unique group access vector associated with the data report. It may further be arranged for each record in the data report to be encrypted in accordance with the encryption key assigned to the group access vector of that record, the combined encrypted records comprising an encrypted data report.
US08412951B2
A control system and a security checking method thereof is used in an embedded system. The control system includes a process module and a first memory module. The first memory module is used to store a pre-loader code and a first secure key. The security checking method includes the following steps: loading the pre-loader code and the first secure key; executing the pre-loader code to download a first program from an in-system programming module; determining whether the first program corresponds to the first secure key or not; if yes, then downloading a second program from the in-system programming module; and programming an internal program and a second secure key by the second program.
US08412946B2
A method and apparatus for creating and/or using trustworthy timestamps and certifiable clocks using logs linked by cryptographic hashes. In one embodiment, the method comprises maintaining a first, chained-hash log; associating a first clock with the chained-hash log, and entangling the first log; with a second by adding a time-stamped synchronization entry to the chained-hash log, where the synchronization entry has a second time indication associated with the second log and a hash of one or more entries in the first log.
US08412943B2
A two-way access authentication method comprises: According to the system parameters pre-established by the third entity, the first entity sends the access authentication request packet to the second entity, then the second entity validates whether the signature of first entity is correct, and if yes, the share master key of second entity is calculated; the second entity generates the access authentication response packet and sends it to the first entity, then the first entity validates whether the signature of access authentication response packet and the message integrity check code are correct; if yes, the share master key of first entity is calculated; the first entity sends the access authentication acknowledge packet to the second entity, then the second entity validates the integrity of the access authentication acknowledge packet, if passing the validation, the share master key of first entity is consistent with that of the second entity, and the access authentication is achieved. For improving the security, after received the access authentication request packet sent by the first entity, the second entity may perform the identity validity validation and generates the access authentication response packet after passing the validation.
US08412942B2
Using an identifier generation algorithm, a device coupled to a communication network generates an SSID and associated encryption key for a mobile device using its unique identifier. The encryption key and SSID are stored to a configuration database server coupled to the network. A wireless-capable device that provides access to the network receives the SSID and encryption key from the configuration database and sends a broadcast message that includes the SSID and unencrypted original information. The mobile user device receives the broadcast message when it enters the presence of the wireless access device. Using the identifier generation algorithm the mobile device generates an SSID and key from its unique identifier and encrypts the original information and sends a return message including the SSID and the encrypted original information. The mobile device is granted access if unencrypted original information from the return message matches that sent in the broadcast message.
US08412940B2
At registration time, feature data array for registration is generated from biometric information, and position correction template and comparison template. At authentication time, feature data array for authentication is generated from biometric information acquired by the client, and converted feature data for position correction obtained by converting the feature data array for authentication is transmitted to the server. The server detects position correction amount of the feature data array for authentication relative to the feature data array for registration using the position correction template and the converted feature data, and transmits the position correction amount to client. Client corrects the feature data array for authentication and transmits the converted feature data array for comparison to the server. Server calculates a distance between the comparison template and the converted feature data array for comparison and determines success or failure of the authentication on the basis of the distance.
US08412937B2
A method is presented for enabling authentication of a prover in a Radio Frequency Identification system comprising the prover and a verifier, the method comprising the steps of: the prover sending a prover identifier and a parent identifier to the verifier, the verifier sending a verifier identifier to the prover, the prover calculating a first common secret by means of a prover polynomial, where an unknown in the prover polynomial is substituted by a result calculated using a function of at least the verifier identifier, and the verifier calculating the first common secret by means of a first verifier polynomial, wherein a first unknown in the first verifier polynomial is substituted by the prover identifier and a second unknown in the first verifier polynomial is substituted by the parent identifier, the prover creating a first message by modulating a first core secret with regard to at least the first common secret, aid prover sending the first message to the verifier, and the verifier creating a first candidate for the first core secret by demodulating the first message with the first common secret, whereby the candidate for the first core secret is for use in the authentication. This allows the verifier and prover to independently create a common secret, used for modulating the core secret. Furthermore, no pre-registration of the prover with the verifier is required and calculation using polynomials requires little processing power. A corresponding system, prover and verifier are also presented.
US08412934B2
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for initiating a backup, backing up encrypted data, and restoring backed up encrypted data. The method for initiating a backup includes sending a backup secret to a backup device having an encrypted file system, receiving from the backup device a backup ticket created based on the backup secret, and storing the backup ticket. The method for backing up encrypted data includes receiving a backup ticket and a backup secret, retrieving an escrow key bag containing protection class keys, decrypting the protection class keys with the backup ticket, generating a backup key bag containing new protection class keys, selecting a set of encrypted files to back up, decrypting the file encryption keys with corresponding decrypted protection class keys, re-encrypting the file encryption keys with new protection class keys, and transferring the selected encrypted files, the backup key bag, and metadata.
US08412933B1
Systems and methods are described herein for enabling users to select from available secure service providers (each having a Trusted Service Manager (“TSM”)) for provisioning applications and services on a secure element installed on a device of the user. The device includes a service provider selector (“SPS”) module that provides a user interface for selecting the secure service provider. In one embodiment, the SPS communicates with a key escrow service that maintains cryptographic keys for the secure element and distributes the keys to the user selected secure service provider. The key escrow service also revokes the keys from deselected secure service providers. In another embodiment, the SPS communicates with a central TSM that provisions applications and service on behalf of the user selected secure service provider. The central TSM serves as a proxy between the secure service providers and the secure element.
US08412929B2
Systems and methods for handling electronic messages. An electronic message that is associated with a digital certificate is to be processed. A decision whether to check the validity of the digital certificate is based upon digital certificate checking criterion. An IT administrator may provide to one or more devices configuration data that establishes the digital certificate checking criterion.
US08412927B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a profile framework for handling enrollment requests. In particular, when a token processing system receives an enrollment request, it selects an applicable profile based on information in the request. The profile may indicate a variety of parameters for fulfilling the enrollment request, such as the locations of the applicable certificate authority, token key service, and the like. The profile may also indicate items, such as the number of keys to generate on a token, a token label, and connection information to securely communicate with other components and the client making the enrollment request.
US08412923B2
An integrated circuit resides on a circuit board. During operation, the digital controller integrated circuit produces control signals to control a power supply for delivery of power to a load. The integrated circuit can include multiple connectivity ports, on-board memory, and mode control logic. The multiple connectivity ports such as pins, pads, etc., of the integrated circuit can be configured to provide connections between internal circuitry residing in the integrated circuit and external circuitry residing on a circuit board to which the integrated circuit is attached. The mode control logic monitors a status of one or more connectivity ports of the integrated circuit to detect when a board handler places the digital controller in a power island mode in which the integrated circuit is powered so that the board handler can access (e.g., read/write) the memory in the digital controller integrated circuit while other portions of the board are unpowered.
US08412922B2
A security system is provided. The security system comprises a plurality of hardware device modules and a plurality of sensor detection devices. At least one of the hardware device modules has a microcontroller coupled to a memory element that stores a configuration map for on-site configuration comprising configuration option information available for the at least one hardware device module. The plurality of sensor detection devices are capable of sending at least a signal to one or more of the hardware device modules.
US08412921B2
A control device for a vehicle and a method for a data update for a control device for a vehicle are provided, in which a first memory is provided that has a first area in which a bootloader is provided and that has a second area in which at least one application program is provided. Furthermore, a second memory is provided, in which first data for the at least one application program are provided. Furthermore, an interface is provided that provides second data for an update at least of one part of the first data. In addition, a control circuit is provided that calls up the bootloader for the update of the at least one part of the first data by the second data. The bootloader extracts from the second area of the first memory third data that indicate the third area of the second memory in which the second data for the update are to be written.
US08412905B2
A storage system includes a secondary data store for backing up the primary data store, a deleted data store for retention of deleted data, and a data management application for managing the backing up of stored and deleted data of the primary data store. The deleted data store may be either separate from the secondary data store or implemented within the secondary data store. The data management application may automatically free up space for backup of data newly added to or deleted from the primary data store, by selectively removing data from the deleted data store, based application of appropriate criteria.
US08412900B1
To inhibit the occurrence of communication failures in the system in which a secondary storage control apparatus acquires journal data from a primary storage control apparatus and writes the data to a secondary volume. The primary storage control apparatus comprises a command processing unit, a journal data creation unit, a journal data transfer unit which reads journal data to the secondary storage control apparatus, and a transfer control unit. In specified occasions, the transfer control unit controls at least either one of the journal data transfer amount by the journal data transfer unit and the width of the communication band utilized for journal data transfer.
US08412897B2
The disclosed embodiments support the backup of the contents of a media library, or a portion thereof, on one or more storage mediums. More particularly, the contents of the media library may include one or more media items and/or playlists. Once backed up, the contents stored on the storage mediums may be restored to the media library.
US08412895B1
The transmission of buffered data is coordinated between a storage medium and a host in response to a request from the host. One or more blocks of data are transferred from the storage medium to a buffer memory. One or more frames of data are transmitted from the buffer memory to the host, wherein the number of blocks ending in the frame is recorded in a blocks/frame register, and possibly also in a block count accumulator register. Buffer release pulses for releasing buffer space in memory are sent to the buffer memory, based on the number of blocks in the blocks/frame register, or the number of blocks accumulated in the block count accumulator register when a signal is received from the host. A pointer which points to the last block of data successfully transferred is updated in accordance with the buffer release pulses.
US08412893B2
The invention provides a method for handling data read out from a memory. In one embodiment, a controller corresponding to the memory comprises a ping-pong buffer. First, a first sector read time period required by the memory to read and output a data sector to the ping-pong buffer is calculated. A second sector read time period required by a host to read a data sector from the ping-pong buffer is calculated. A page switch time period required by the memory to switch a target read page is obtained. A total sector number is determined according to the first sector read time period, the second sector read time period, and the page switch time period. When the memory outputs data to the ping-pong buffer, a first buffer and a second buffer of the ping-pong buffer are switched to receive the data output by the memory according to the total sector number.
US08412887B2
A system and method for managing a data cache in a central processing unit (CPU) of a database system. A method executed by a system includes the processing steps of adding an ID of a page p into a page holder queue of the data cache, executing a memory barrier store-load operation on the CPU, and looking-up page p in the data cache based on the ID of the page p in the page holder queue. The method further includes the steps of, if page p is found, accessing the page p from the data cache, and adding the ID of the page p into a least-recently-used queue.
US08412883B2
A memory controller and an associated controlling method are provided. The memory controller is connected to a memory module, and includes a FIFO buffer for receiving valid data outputted from the memory module, a write pointer for indicating written data stored in the FIFO buffer, and a read pointer for indicating read data stored in the FIFO buffer. According to the controlling method, during a CAS latency of the memory module after a read command is generated, the value of the write pointer is controlled to have the same value as that of the read pointer.
US08412879B2
Methods and apparatus for using different error correction code algorithms to encode and to decode contents of blocks within a non-volatile memory are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for storing data within a non-volatile memory includes identifying a first block into which the data is to be stored, and obtaining an indicator associated with the first block. A determination may then be made regarding whether the indicator indicates that the data is to be encoded using a first algorithm. The data is encoded using the first algorithm when it is determined that the data is to be encoded using the first algorithm, after which point the data encoded using the first algorithm is written into the first block.
US08412877B2
A method is provided for managing errors in a virtualized information handling system that includes an error detection system and a hypervisor allowing multiple virtual machines to run on the information handling system. The hypervisor may assign at least one memory region to each of multiple virtual machines. The error detection system may detect an error, determine a physical memory address associated with the error, and report that address to the hypervisor. Additionally, the hypervisor may determine whether the memory region assigned to each virtual machine includes the physical memory address associated with the error. The hypervisor may shut down each virtual machine for which a memory region assigned to that virtual machine includes the physical memory address associated with the error, and not shut down each virtual machine for which the memory regions assigned to that virtual machine do not include the physical memory address associated with the error.
US08412871B2
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program capable of simplifying an interrupt processing and reducing a time necessary to the interrupt processing. An interrupt generation unit 140 generates an interrupt signal. An interrupt status holding unit 142 stores an interrupt status showing a cause of generation of the interrupt signal. An interrupt status supply unit 141 supplies an interrupt status stored by an interrupt status holding unit to a RAM and causes the RAM to store it. A CPU executes a predetermined processing in response to the interrupt status stored to the RAM. The present invention can be applied to, for example, a network card.
US08412860B2
An Input/Output (IO) Virtualization (IOV) system couples or connects multiple host computers and IO devices to a managed transport fabric to provide IO virtualization. The host computers may run any operating system to provide a virtualized environment for guest operating systems. The host interface to the IOV system is PCI-Express (PCIe). The IO devices are PCIe based to provide maximum compatibility with industry standard devices, but are not so limited. The IOV system comprises a management central processor unit (MCPU) coupled to transport fabric. The IOV system comprises device interfaces coupled to the transport fabric and to independent input/output (IO) devices. Each device interface couples to the IO device of the independent IO devices. The IOV system comprises host interfaces coupled to the transport fabric. Each host interface couples to a host computer of the independent host computers and exposes functions of the independent IO devices to the host computer.
US08412848B2
A method, a system, an apparatus, and a computer readable medium for transmission of data across a network are disclosed. The method includes receiving a data stream, analyzing the received data stream to determine a starting location and an ending location of each zone within the received data stream, based on the starting and ending locations, generating a zone stamp identifying the zone, the zone stamp includes a sequence of contiguous characters representing at least a portion of data in the zone, wherein the order of characters in the zone stamp corresponds to the order of data in the zone, comparing the zone stamp with another zone stamp of another zone in any data stream received, determining whether the zone is substantially similar to another zone by detecting that the zone stamp is substantially similar to another zone stamp, delta-compressing zones within any data stream received that have been determined to have substantially similar zone stamps, thereby deduplicating zones having substantially similar zone stamps within any data stream received, and transmitting the deduplicated zones across the network from one storage location to another storage location.
US08412843B2
A network relay apparatus which conducts data transfer by using a plurality of network LSIs includes a transfer engine unit having at least two network LSIs and a central control unit which controls the operation state of the network relay apparatus. The transfer engine unit includes the network LSIs capable of changing over at least one of a clock and an operation which differ every function block, a load judgment unit for judging a load laid upon each of function blocks in the network LSI, and a frequency voltage control unit for individually changing over at least one of the clock and operation voltage supplied to each function block on the basis of the load judged by the load judgment unit.
US08412839B2
A video device and a remote control function for a video device that can be carried out over a remote device such as a phone. The phone connects to the video device over a network.
US08412835B2
A session mobility support is disclosed. An application server (AS) can accurately recognize a session update by checking a Replace header, a user ID and a media element included in a session invitation message (or an SIP-based INVITE message) received from a UE (User Equipment), to thus guarantee successful mobility of a session. In addition, in order to allow the AS to accurately recognize the session update, the UE first transmits the session invitation message including the Replace header via a PS (Packet Switching domain, and then, after a response to the session invitation message is received, the UE transmits a call setup message (e.g., SETUP message) via a CS (Circuit Switching) domain.
US08412821B2
A system and method provides dynamically selected media content to someone using an electronic device in a social network environment. Items of media content are selected for the user based on his or her relationships with one or more other users. The user's relationships with other users are reflected in the selected media content and its format. An order is assigned to the items of media content, for example, based on their anticipated importance to the user, and the items of media content are displayed to the user in the assigned order. The user may change the order of the items of media content. The user's interactions with media content available in the social network environment are monitored, and those interactions are used to select additional items of media content for the user.
US08412818B2
A method and system for managing requests to resources among processors of a portable computing device (“PCD”) includes each master processor identifying a plurality of resources of the PCD in a storage device, such as a message RAM. This message RAM is part of the PCD. A master processor may identify desired states for the plurality of resources in the message RAM. Then, the master processor may generate an alert that the plurality of resources and desired states for resources have been set in the message RAM. After receiving the alert, a controller may determine if one or more previous requests have been processed to completion. If so, then the controller may review the contents of the message RAM to identify the plurality of resources and to identify the desired states of the resources. If appropriate, the controller may pass the desired states to the plurality of resources.
US08412815B2
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to alert management in an activity-centric collaborative computing environment and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for activity thread integration of an alert log. In one embodiment of the invention, an alert log activity thread integration method can be provided. The method can include logging a reference to an alert for an activity in an activity thread, and, in response to the selection of the alert from within the activity thread, displaying the content of the alert. For instance, logging a reference to an alert for an activity in an activity thread can include creating a branch of the activity thread for inserting all alerts pertaining to the activity and inserting the reference to the alert in the created branch.
US08412812B1
Document load times may be determined by (a) accepting a first set of one or more document identifiers, (b) for each of the one or more document identifiers of the first set, requesting the document, downloading the document, and rendering the document, and (c) determining a first elapsed time from about the time of requesting a first document identified by the first set of one or more document identifiers to about the time of completion of the rendering of a last document identified by the first set of one or more document identifiers. This may be repeated for a second set of documents. For example, a first set of document(s) may be located at a first serving facility and the second set of document(s) may be located at a second serving facility.
US08412802B2
A system and method for data communication in a computational network is disclosed. The computational network includes a server computational device and a client computational device. The server computational device stores one or more container data objects, and a container data object includes a reference to multiple external data objects. The client computational device retrieves a container data object from the server computational device. If the container data object includes a reference to multiple external data objects, the client computational device sends a request to the server computational device. The server computational device provides a response including the multiple external data objects.
US08412801B2
Each of servers in a global list server system includes a local list of music piece data stored by the each server and a global list of the music piece data stored by the servers. A client requests an arbitrary server to provide the global list and the server transmits the global list to the client upon receiving the request. The client refers to the global list and requests a server storing desired music piece data to transfer the music piece data. The server transmits music piece data to the client upon receiving the transfer request for the music piece data.
US08412797B2
General-purpose components are selectively included in a toolkit hosted by hosting provider computing devices. The general-purpose components are software components. The general-purpose components in the toolkit are available over a computer network to end user computing devices. The end user computing devices utilizes general-purpose components in the toolkit to provide system administration solutions. The system administration solutions are web applications hosted by the hosting provider computing devices. The system administration solutions provide an ability to perform administration tasks on on-premises computer systems of the end users. A hosting provider computing device is configured such that the end user computing devices are able to utilize the general-purpose components in the toolkit on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) basis.
US08412796B2
A real time information feed system comprises an interface to receive a real time information feed and a data mining engine for retrieving data concerning a subscriber. A recommendation engine automatically modifies the real time information feed according to the mined data; and a subscriber interface outputs the modified real time information for delivery to the subscriber. The data mining engine is adapted to mine data in a real time communication medium used by the subscriber, such as a micro-blogging service. The data mining engine comprises an indexer for mining and indexing the real time information feed and the subscriber data to provide a plurality of indexes; and to generate vectors representing the separate indexes and to compare the vectors to modify. The data mining engine and the recommendation engine combine recommendation and information retrieval settings from a plurality of online and offline sources to produce a single amalgamated list of results to harness a user's usage patterns and social graph activity on a social network or updating service, that further allows the generation of user profiles as part of a media recommendation system.
US08412789B2
A system and method for connecting a security system using a network. The security system includes at least two discrete parts and is connected using a local area network. The security system also includes a first dedicated, hard-wired field bus, a first plurality of peripheral devices, a control panel, a first transfer device, a second transfer device, a second dedicated, hard-wired field bus, and a second plurality of peripheral devices. The control panel is configured to send data through the first field bus. Each of the first plurality of peripheral devices is coupled to the first field bus and is configured to receive the data from the control panel. The first transfer device is connected to the control panel and is configured to packetize the data from the control panel and send the packetized data through the local area network. The second transfer device is coupled to the second field bus and is configured to receive the packetized data from the first transfer device and depacketize the packetized data. Each of the second plurality of peripheral devices is coupled to the second field bus and is configured to receive the data from the second transfer device.
US08412783B2
Machine learning for control of a personal video recorder (“PVR”), including providing records of transmissions of messages; identifying a message point in operation of a PVR; selecting, in dependence upon the message point, a message to be transmitted; and determining in dependence upon the records of transmissions of messages whether to transmit the selected message. Embodiments include determining whether to transmit the selected message in dependence upon a frequency with which the message is transmitted to a user. Embodiments include transmitting to users messages prompting for responses identifying commands; storing records of transmissions of messages, including storing records of responses; and selecting a message to be transmitted in dependence upon the records of responses to messages. Embodiments include structuring the selected message in dependence upon the records of responses to messages, including inserting in the selected message choices for a set of sequenced commands.
US08412778B2
A method and system for parsing and analyzing incoming electronic mail messages to determine a confidence factor indicative of whether or not the messages are junk e-mail. The method and system utilize message services which attempt to contact the purported sender in order to verify that the identified host computer actually exists and accepts outgoing mail services for the specified user. The routing history is also examined to ensure that identified intermediate sites are also valid. Likewise, seed addresses can alert an e-mail provider to potential mass mailings by reporting when mail is received for ghost or non-existent accounts.
US08412775B2
A method and system for interconnecting a number of peer to peer networks is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a peer to peer, gateway communicates with one or more peer to peer networks. The gateway communicates with these networks through the Internet, to which it is connected. The gateway may be configured to perform a number of functions on each of the connected networks, including but not limited to: data storage, searching, data transfer, and data translation.
US08412773B1
One example embodiment of the invention is directed to a computer program product for initiating a process for use during a data sharing event on a packet based network, the program product comprising computer executable instructions stored on a computer readable medium, the data sharing event including a plurality of users sharing streaming data with one another. The example program product instructions when executed by one or more computers causing the one or more computers to perform steps comprising receive a request to initiate the process communicated from one of the plurality of users participating in the data sharing event, respond to the request by initiating the process on the data network whereby at least one of the users participating in the data sharing event may access said process, and terminate the process after one or more termination conditions has been satisfied.
US08412757B2
Non-negative matrix factorization, NMF, is combined with identification of a maximum margin classifier by minimizing a cost function that contains a generative component and the discriminative component. The relative weighting between the generative component and the discriminative component are adjusting during subsequent iterations such that initially, when confidence is low, the generative model is favored. But as the iterations proceed, confidence increases and the weight of the discriminative component is steadily increased until it is of equal weight as the generative model. Preferably, the cost function to be minimized is: min F , G ≥ 0 X - FG 2 + γ ( w 2 + C ∑ i = 1 n L ( y i , w · g i + b ) ) .
US08412749B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs stored on computer storage media, for populating a structured presentation with new values. One aspect can be embodied in machine-implemented methods that include the actions of receiving description data describing a preexisting structured presentation, comparing characteristics of the preexisting structured presentation with content of electronic documents in an unstructured collection of electronic documents to locate electronic documents that identify a new value that is relevant to the preexisting structured presentation, adding the new value to the preexisting structured presentation to form a new structured presentation, and outputting instructions for visually presenting the new structured presentation.
US08412748B2
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for supplying rich multimedia metadata usable to generate, e.g., sophisticated entertainment user interfaces in the home. These methods and systems can be implemented as a server-based software application that feeds multiple, diverse clients. The server functionality could be distributed, even co-located physically with one or more clients, or centralized. The server aggregates, filters, validates, augments and links metadata from disparate sources. The server transforms the metadata into a more manageable and extensible internal format. The server communicates with client devices using a schema-independent protocol, providing metadata in the appropriate format that suites the clients needs.
US08412744B2
The formulation of an architectural diagram of a software program having multiple components. A static model identifying at least some of the components and a relationship between the components is accessed by perhaps performing a static code analysis of the code of the software program. A dynamic analysis is also performed by executing the software program, and observing the execution to derive dynamic behaviors of the software program. These dynamic behaviors may perhaps be information that is not readily available based on a static code analysis of the computer program alone, such as parameter values exchanged, paths of execution, and additional components invoked. The architectural diagram is then formulated using the static model and the dynamic behaviors to generate a more complete representation of the computer program.
US08412741B2
The invention is directed to an integrated computerized product lifecycle manager and requirements manager system for associating high-level requirements data with everyday product lifecycle management activities. The system includes a networked database comprised of one or more central computerized data servers, and a plurality of user computers (terminals, workstations) connected to the central server or servers by a computer data network. The server or servers will usually run multiple software modules such as database modules, various product lifecycle management modules, data viewer and decoder modules, and requirements management modules all operating in an integrated manner so that selected portions of the requirements tree, from the top high-level requirements to more detailed low level requirements, can be presented to users in a context relevant manner. The invention additionally includes context management module by which selected portions of the requirements data may be exposed or redacted according to organizational needs.
US08412740B2
A method of transforming and canonicalizing semantically structured data includes obtaining data from a network of computers, applying text patterns to the obtained data and placing the data in a first data file, providing a second data file containing the obtained data in a uniform format, and generating interface specific sentences from the data in the second data file.
US08412736B1
Systems and methods that extend the use of data mining to identify students academically at risk of performing poorly or withdrawing from school altogether. In doing so, academically at-risk students are identified early and guided to resources to improve their academic performance.
US08412727B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for generating query refinements from user preference data. A group of query pairs are obtained. Each query pair includes a first query and a second query. A quality score is determined for each query pair from user preference data for documents responsive to both the first and the second query. A diversity score is determined for each query pair having a quality score satisfying a quality threshold, the diversity score determined from user preference data for documents responsive to the second, but not the first, query. For each query pair having a quality score satisfying the quality threshold and a diversity score satisfying a diversity threshold, the second query of the query pair is associated with the first query of the query pair as a candidate refinement for the first query.
US08412724B2
The present invention concerns a satellite image retrieving system that comprises electronic input means, electronic retrieving means, and electronic storing means. The electronic input means are coupled with the electronic retrieving means and are configured to generate input data and to provide the electronic retrieving means with said input data. The input data is indicative of a given geographic area. The electronic retrieving means are coupled with the electronic storing means that are configured to store satellite images, each satellite image stored on the electronic storing means representing a corresponding area of the earth's surface and being associated with corresponding telemetry data generated and associated with the satellite image by a satellite that has remotely sensed the satellite image. The satellite image retrieving system is characterized in that the electronic retrieving means are configured to retrieve a satellite image stored on the storing means from the electronic storing means on the basis of the input data and of the telemetry data associated with the satellite images stored on the electronic storing means.
US08412718B1
The present invention provides systems and methods for determining the originality of data content. In one embodiment, the determined originality of a particular item (e.g., a book) as compared to one or more other items can be used as a factor in recommending the item to a user. For example, in one embodiment, upon a user's selection of an item (e.g., a book), one or more items that have content most diverse from the selected item are determined and provided to the user. In another embodiment, various versions of an item are compared to each other to determine how content in each version differs from that in another version. In another embodiment, content in a collection of items are compared against content from publicly (freely) available sources (e.g., web pages) to determine the originality of the content in the collection of items.
US08412708B2
An embodiment of the present invention includes a method for analyzing and solving possibility tree. A possibility tree having a plurality of programmable nodes is constructed and solved with a solver module executed by a processor element. The solver module executes the programming of said nodes, and tracks the state of at least a variable through a branch. When a variable of said branch is out of tolerance with a parameter, the solver disables remaining nodes of the branch and marks the branch as an invalid solution. The valid solutions are then aggregated and displayed as valid tree solutions.
US08412702B2
Embodiments of methods, apparatuses, devices and systems associated with modifying search results are disclosed.
US08412699B1
Methods, systems, apparatus, including computer program products, for providing fresh related search suggestions in response to a user submitted query are presented. In one implementation, a plurality of prior queries are selected wherein each of the prior queries was submitted as a search query a number of times during a recent time period and satisfies a criterion. For each of the prior queries, the prior is selected as a candidate query based on one or more of: a determination that search results responsive to the prior query include a number of news results that satisfy a second threshold, and relevance data indicative of user behavior relative to the search results responsive to the prior query. In response to receiving a user query, one or more candidate queries are selected that match the user query.
US08412694B2
Colorblind accessible image search technique embodiments are presented that re-rank the results of a relevance-ranked image search to account for the accessibility of the images to a colorblind person. This is accomplished by first computing a colorblind accessibility quantity for each image of interest in the search results. A colorblind accessibility quantity quantizes the degree to which color information is preserved when an image is perceived by a colorblind person viewing the image. It is computed by generating a colorblind version of an image that simulates how the image would appear to the colorblind person. An amount quantifying the loss of color information between the image and the colorblind version of the image is then estimated. This estimate is used to compute the colorblind accessibility quantity for the image. Once the colorblind accessibility quantities have been computed, the image search results are re-ranked based on these quantities.
US08412693B2
A system and method for providing a natural language interface to a database or the Internet. The method provides a response from a database to a natural language query. The method comprises receiving a user query, extracting key data from the user query, submitting the extracted key data to a data base search engine to retrieve a top n pages from the data base, processing of the top n pages through a natural language dialog engine and providing a response based on processing the top n pages.
US08412692B2
A method of inserting a scanned document includes inputting a user command to select a position in a first document file where to insert a second document file, generating a file corresponding to the second document file, to have same format as the first document file, and generating a third document file in which the second document file is inserted in the first document file, at the selected position.
US08412683B2
Systems and methods for determining delivery hierarchical information for an Ad unit. In an example method performed at a server, location information is received from a user computer system via a network. The location information is associated with an Ad unit presented on a webpage accessed by the user computer system. The server determines if any previously stored signature information matches with at least a portion of the received location information, then extracts domain information for any portions of the received location information that matches with any previously stored signature information. Then, at least partial delivery hierarchical information is generated based on the extracted domain information. The process repeats for other location information associated with the Ad unit that is received at the server. The generated delivery hierarchical information is aggregated. Then a report is generated based on the aggregated delivery hierarchical information.
US08412682B2
A system and method for calculating and storing block fingerprints for data deduplication. A fingerprint extraction layer generates a fingerprint of a predefined size, e.g., 64 bits, for each data block stored by a storage system. Each fingerprint is stored in a fingerprint record, and the fingerprint records are, in turn, stored in a fingerprint database for access by the data deduplication module. The data deduplication module may periodically compare the fingerprints to identify duplicate fingerprints, which, in turn, indicate duplicate data blocks.
US08412679B1
The invention relates to a method for identifying obsolete discussion threads. The method includes extracting keywords from a discussion thread and assigning a keyword score to each keyword. The method further includes identifying a change event that is a change affecting a topic of the forum, extracting a keyword from a recorded medium recording the change event, comparing the keyword from the recorded medium with the keywords from the discussion thread to identify a matching keyword, and reducing the keyword score of the matching keyword to a reduced score based on the matching keyword matching the keyword from the recorded medium. The method further includes aggregating the keyword score assigned to each keyword to obtain a total score for the discussion thread, and displaying a warning on a user interface that includes the discussion thread when the total score is below a pre-specified threshold.
US08412662B2
A method and system for controlling the activities of real and virtual entities by monitoring and analyzing a real entity's activities and providing responses to affect virtual and real behavior patterns, according to pre-established rules. A Real-time Monitoring and Virtualization (RMV) utility collects information about the real entity's behavior utilizing monitors. The RMV utility creates a model of the behavior of the real entity. The RMV utility utilizes the created model and maps one or more first characteristics of the behavior of the real entity to one or more second characteristics of a behavior of a virtual entity. From the monitored and mapped characteristics, the RMV utility identifies desired behavior patterns (i.e., responses) for the virtual entity, according to pre-established rules. The RMV utility triggers actions of the real entity corresponding to the responses selected for the desired behavior patterns of the virtual entity.
US08412661B2
Embodiments of the invention collect data or information from a dynamic and adaptive target group selection. Sets of experts are selected that each have higher value metrics scores relative to scores of other, unselected experts of a population of known experts, and wherein the metric values are indicative of an expertise relevant to one or more questions in a survey. Responses to the survey are used to expand the set of experts by adding experts noted in answer referrals, and to automatically update the expert value metric scores as a function of response timeliness and of degrees of correlation of answers to an expected answer or other norm. The survey is updated by removing satisfied questions, and expert selections, answers analysis and survey updating and resending steps are iteratively repeated until each question is satisfied, wherein the expert sets are dynamically revised for each iteration.
US08412658B2
A system includes a learning data input unit for receiving initial and long term characteristic learning data of a battery to be a learning object; a measurement data input unit for receiving initial characteristic measurement data of a battery to be an object for long term characteristic estimation; an artificial neural network operation unit for converting the learning data into first and second data structures, allowing an artificial neural network to learn the learning data based on each data structure, converting the measurement data into first and second data structures, and individually applying the learned artificial neural network corresponding to each data structure to calculate and output long term characteristic estimation data based on each data structure; and a long term characteristic evaluation unit for calculating an error of the estimation data of each data structure and determining reliability of the estimation data depending on error.
US08412656B1
The present invention is a system and method for determining the hierarchical purchase decision process of consumers in front of a product category. The decision path of consumers is obtained by combining behavior data with the category layout and transaction data based on observed actual in-store purchase behavior using a set of video cameras and software for extracting sequence and timing of each consumer's decision process. A hierarchical decision tree structure comprises nodes and edges, wherein a node represents the state-of-mind of the consumer, the number of nodes is predefined, and an edge represents the transition of the decision. The decisions for each product group are captured down to the product attribute level and analyzed by demographic group. The outcome provides relative importance of each product attribute in the purchase decision process, and helps retailers and manufacturers to evaluate the layout of the category and customize it for key segment.
US08412650B2
A text analysis device includes a storage unit configured to store opinions of users who participate in a discussion about a predetermined theme as text data and author information for specifying authors of the text data, a feature quantity data generation unit configured to generate feature quantity data of the text data stored in the storage unit, an observation time-series signal generation unit configured to generate observation time-series signals based on information obtained by performing a predetermined process with respect to the feature quantity data, a change point detection unit configured to detect a change point of the discussion based on the observation time-series signals, and an influence specifying unit configured to specify an opinion having influence on an opinion corresponding to the specified text data out of opinions of the discussion based on the detected change point and the author information.
US08412648B2
Systems and methods for making demographic predictions for websites and web-pages. Embodiments include a system and a method of making demographic predictions for websites. The system and method select one or more websites with known demographic attributes for use as training websites, obtain demographic attributes data of the training websites, determine first features of web-pages of the training websites and develop a prediction model using the determined first features and the obtained demographic attributes data. The prediction model predicts one or more values for a target demographic attribute. The system and method determine second features of web-pages of a target website and apply the prediction model to the determined second features of the target website to predict one or more values for the target demographic attribute of the target website.
US08412636B2
A belt type continuously variable transmission includes a continuously variable shift mechanism having a primary pulley, a secondary pulley and a belt wound around the respective pulleys, a pulley thrust calculation unit that calculates a pulley thrust, which is used to bias the respective pulleys in a direction for reducing the pulley width, so as to include a predetermined margin, a hydraulic control unit that controls an oil pressure supplied to each of the pulleys on the basis of the calculated pulley thrust, and an upshift determination unit that determines whether or not an upshift, during which the speed ratio is reduced, is underway. The pulley thrust calculation unit sets the predetermined margin to be smaller when an upshift is determined to be underway than when an upshift is determined not to be underway.
US08412614B2
A method, system and program product for facilitating trading derivatives of energy constraints, the method comprising in one embodiment: obtaining electronically historical constraint price data on transmission elements or groups of transmission elements over a number of respective time increments; performing electronically an algorithm calculation on the constraint prices for one of the transmission elements or one of the groups of transmission elements over a number of time increments within a given period of time, to obtain constraint price data for the one transmission element or group of transmission elements for the given period of time; performing this algorithm calculation step for a plurality of the periods of time to obtain constraint price data for each of the plurality of transmission elements or groups of transmission elements for the plurality of periods of time; and making accessible the constraint price data. The invention further includes market making embodiments, binding hours derivative embodiments, and load derivative embodiments. In a further embodiment, a method, system and program product for operating an electronic trading exchange for power derivatives is disclosed.
US08412601B2
A method to evaluate anti-money laundering risk may include identifying a person or other legal entity to be evaluated. A country may be selected associated with the person or other legal entity. At least one financial product or financial instrument associated with the person or other legal entity may be selected. The method may also include selecting a customer type associated with the person or other legal entity. A risk rating may be determined based on responses to predetermined criteria related to the selected country, the at least one selected financial product and the selected customer type.
US08412594B2
Selecting a first silhouette image of an item at a client machine displays a plurality of silhouette images representing aspects of the item such as style, length type and sleeve type. Selecting any of those aspects allows a server to search a database for listings of similar items that have those aspects. Concurrently selecting one or more of the images representing those aspects and one or more sizes, allows a server to search a database for listings of similar items that have those aspects and those sizes.
US08412585B2
System and Methods are disclosed relating to the online purchase of a gift or other item. A gift recipient may purchase one or more gifts or items and receive such one or more gifts or items immediately. Thereafter, others who would seek to purchase a gift or item for the gift recipient from an online retailer or web service provider may choose to contribute to the cost of the already received gift or item and the gift recipient is reimbursed his cost for purchasing of such immediately received gift or item as the purchasers make such contributions towards the received gift or item.
US08412578B2
An advertising system and method for a communication system that delivers advertisements to subscribers based on the respective subscriber data. The advertisers, through the provider of the system, have advertisements selected and delivered to the subscriber based on the subscriber data. The advertiser pays for advertisement delivery such that the provider can offer reduced rates or free communication services to the subscribers. The provider is capable through the system to update the subscriber data in real time including personal profile, purchase history, financial condition, and location. The provider through the system is capable of establishing advertisement delivery priority by evaluating the subscriber data in real time just prior to triggering advertisement delivery. The advertisement can be delivered in place of ring tones, at the end of the conversation, and while waiting for the other party to answer.
US08412569B1
A system determines a number of times that clients access a group of documents associated with a web site or a group of web sites. At least one document in the group of documents includes at least one advertisement. The system further determines a percentage of client views for an advertiser or an advertising network across the web site or group of web sites based on the determined number of times.
US08412558B2
The present invention includes a method and system configured to analyze a plurality of parts, each of the parts having at least one part characteristic. The method includes the steps of establishing at least one repository of the part characteristics, establishing a relationship between at least a portion of the parts and a cost characteristic; and, analyzing the portion of the parts in response to the relationship.
US08412555B2
The present invention comprises methods and systems that provide manufacturing capacity configuration, allocation, and procurement plans based on manufacturing demand, operational constraints, and other user inputs. This is generally accomplished by modeling the capabilities of the equipment comprising the capacity at its lowest allowed level of configurability. By defining capacity requirements at those same or lower levels, configuration, allocation, and procurement plans can be generated from an aggregated capacity demand forecast. In addition, the present invention allows for constraints (e.g. special equipment limitations, demand priorities, temporal requirements, financial targets, etc.) from various business areas to be considered when generating the plans. Furthermore, for each plan, the present invention also identifies any needed and excess capacity—again described at the lowest allowed level of configurability—and generates expected manufacturing, financial, and other performance metrics.
US08412551B2
A method and computer program product for optimization of large scale resource scheduling problems. Large scale resource scheduling problems are computationally very hard and extremely time consuming to solve. This invention provides a Lagrangian relaxation based solution method. The method has two distinct characteristics. First, the method is formal. It is completely structure-based and does not use any problem domain specific knowledge in the solution process, either in the dual optimization or the primal feasibility enforcement process. Second, updating the Lagrangian multipliers after solution of every sub-problem without using penalty factors results in fast and smooth convergence in the dual optimization. The combination of high quality dual solution and the structure-based primal feasibility enforcement produces a high quality primal solution with very small solution gap. An optimal solution is first found to the dual of the resource scheduling problem by sequentially finding a solution to a plurality of sub-problems and updating a set of values used in the dual problem formulation after each sub-problem solution is obtained. Coupling constraint violations are systematically reduced and the set of values are updated until a feasible solution to the primal resource scheduling problem is obtained. An initial set of multiplier values is further determined by solving a relaxed version of the primal problem where most of the local constraints except the variable bounds are relaxed.
US08412546B2
Systems and methods for tracking repair facility performance in a replacement rental vehicle context are disclosed. Various operations for adding and subtracting credits from a repair facility virtual bank account are disclosed. Adjustments to credit totals can be based on repair facility performance with regard to an individual vehicle repair or a plurality of vehicle repairs.
US08412539B2
A portable handheld medical information management device that includes a storage memory, a processor, an input device, a transceiver, a display, and software. The software includes programming instructions executable by said processor operative to communicate to a server over a network, said communication comprising sending messages to the server and receiving messages. The device can generate patient information screens on the display, using patient information from at least one received message from the server. The server can control the transceiver to interrogate proximate location devices and calculate a position based on location of proximate location devices. The device, in conjunction with the network and server, can route phone calls and other message-based communication over a local area network (LAN) enabling advanced logistic features such as reliable communication of critical messages; it can also interface effectively with traditional hospital extension based phone systems and the public phone network.
US08412538B2
A computer system and method manages the disbursement and replacement of medication units to patients. Medication units disbursed to qualified patients under qualified discount plans are replaced by replenishment. Computer systems implementing traditional replenishment, cached replenishment, and prepurchased replenishment are disclosed. The computer system and method monitors medication units disbursed to patients by a pharmacy and tracks the amount of medication units disbursed to qualified patients of health care providers qualified under a discount program. When the amount of disbursed medication units reaches a threshold, replacement medication units are ordered. The medication units disbursed to non-qualified patients are replaced through restocking and the medication units disbursed under a qualified discount program are replaced through traditional replenishment, cached replenishment, and/or prepurchased replenishment.
US08412536B2
A system that facilitates publishing and consuming information that is of time sensitivity, for example, price information. Methods are employed to achieve completeness and freshness in information for a given domain. A preferred embodiment is a shopping site that is capable of comparing prices, purchasing bundled products and dealing with coupons.
US08412527B2
A method of detecting pre-determined phrases to determine compliance quality is provided. The method includes determining whether at least one of an event or a precursor event has occurred based on a comparison between pre-determined phrases and a communication between a sender and a recipient in a communications network, and rating the recipient based on the presence of the pre-determined phrases associated with the event or the presence of the pre-determined phrases associated with the precursor event in the communication.
US08412525B2
Embodiments for implementing a speech recognition system that includes a speech classifier ensemble are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, the speech recognition system includes a classifier ensemble to convert feature vectors that represent a speech vector into log probability sets. The classifier ensemble includes a plurality of classifiers. The speech recognition system includes a decoder ensemble to transform the log probability sets into output symbol sequences. The speech recognition system further includes a query component to retrieve one or more speech utterances from a speech database using the output symbol sequences.
US08412524B2
A system enables a transcriptionist to replace a first written form (such as an abbreviation) of a concept with a second written form (such as an expanded form) of the same concept. For example, the system may display to the transcriptionist a draft document produced from speech by an automatic speech recognizer. If the transcriptionist recognizes a first written form of a concept that should be replaced with a second written form of the same concept, the transcriptionist may provide the system with a replacement command. In response, the system may identify the second written form of the concept and replace the first written form with the second written form in the draft document.
US08412514B1
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for responding to an inquiry from a client via a network. The method and apparatus receive the inquiry from a client via a network. Based on the inquiry, question-answer pairs retrieved from the network are analyzed to determine a response to the inquiry. The QA pairs are not predefined. As a result, the QA pairs have to be analyzed in order to determine whether they are responsive to a particular inquiry. Questions of the QA pairs may be repetitive and similar to one another even for very different subjects, and without additional contextual and meta-level information, are not useful in determining whether their corresponding answer responds to an inquiry.
US08412510B2
Example methods and apparatus to display localized resources in a process control system are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving in a server a locale identifier and a resource identifier from an application, identifying via the server a language file in a database that corresponds to the locale identifier, determining via the server using the language file a resource included within a memory that corresponds to the resource identifier, accessing the resource from the memory via the language file, and sending via the server the resource to the application to display the resource in a format associated with the locale identifier.
US08412505B2
A plurality of simulators operable to decentrally execute arithmetic operations based on a plurality of simulation models which are respectively assigned to the simulators under the control of a management device. A notifying section is operable to provide a notification so as to relate information regarding one of the simulation models displayed on a display of the management device to one of the simulators which executes an arithmetic operation based on the one of the simulation models. The management device and the simulators are connected with each other via a network.
US08412504B2
The present invention provides an apparatus, system, method and computer program and computer program product for analyzing cellular samples. One embodiment of the apparatus and method provides a multiparameter assay that provides information with respect to cell proliferation, cell cycling and cell death. The multiparameter assay is particularly useful for assessing and screening candidate compounds for anti-cancer utility.
US08412496B2
A system, method and program to improve the processing speed of a simulation system. A processing system finds an entry point so that functional blocks cover a broad range. The processing system places code of a look-ahead dispatcher for assigning processing. The look-ahead dispatcher monitors an input state at the entry point to determine whether the input state is a stable state. If the input state is stable, the look-ahead dispatcher calls an adaptive execution module at some frequency or otherwise calls an idle execution module. The adaptive execution module performs processing on multiple timestamps at once. When a discrete system receives an input event, the look-ahead dispatcher calls a recovery execution module. Based on the input event on that occasion, the timestamp, and a value stored in a state vector, the recovery execution module calculates a state for which recovery is performed.
US08412495B2
The method for adjusting a hearing device (11) to the hearing preferences of a user of the hearing device comprises a) adjusting at least one of N parameters (P1, P2), preferably with 2≦N≦4; b) obtaining a gain model (G), which is identical with the output of a fitting rationale (F) applied to a model audiogram (A), wherein the model audiogram depends on the N parameters and is independent of possibly existing audiogram values measured for the user; and c) using the gain model (G) or a gain model derived therefrom in said hearing device (11). Preferably, the model audiogram (A) is an approximation to an audiogram occurring in a pre-defined empirical sample of individual audiograms. The user preferably carries out the method by himself and without external equipment. A corresponding arrangement (1) is disclosed, too. A simple and efficient hearing device fitting can be achieved.
US08412490B2
Methods and systems are provided for obtaining structural health data for evaluating a structural health of a component. A transducer detects a first signal representative of a signal transmitted through at least a portion of the component. An estimated signal for a remote transducer is determined based on at least the first signal and a transfer function.
US08412487B2
A structure, apparatus and method for deterring the temperature of an active region in semiconductor, particularly a FET is provided. A pair FETs are arranged on a silicon island a prescribed distance from one another where the silicon island is surrounded by a thermal insulator. One FET is heated by a current driven therethrough. The other FET functions as a temperature sensor by having a change in an electrical characteristic versus temperature monitored. By arranging multiple pairs of FETs separated by different known distances, the temperature of the active region of one of the FETs may be determined during operation at various driving currents.
US08412476B2
A travel support system for a vehicle includes: a required power amount obtaining unit determining a required power amount in a rechargeable battery required for travel of a predetermined section of a route; a remaining power amount obtaining unit determining a remaining power amount as the amount of power currently remaining in the rechargeable battery; an excess power amount obtaining unit determining an excess power amount as a portion of the remaining power amount in the rechargeable battery in excess of the required power amount; and a communication unit notifying a user of the vehicle of information indicating the availability of an electrical component of the vehicle in traveling the predetermined section, based on the excess power amount.
US08412474B2
In a method, a variable characterising an operational state of an electrode of an arc furnace can be determined. An electrode flow guided to the electrode is detected in the method and the structure-borne noise oscillations are detected. From the detected electrode flow, a flow evaluation signal associated with the frequency range of the detected electrode flow is determined. From the detected structure-borne noise oscillations, an oscillation evaluation signal that is associated with a frequency range of the detected structure-borne noise oscillations is detected and a quotient from the oscillation evaluation signal and the flow evaluation signal is formed as a radiation measurement for at least one frequency common to the detected electrode flow and the detected structure-borne noise oscillation.
US08412472B2
A method for detection of a fluid leak related to at least one piston machine (1), where the method includes: —attaching a pressure sensor (18, 24) to at least a pressure side of the at least one piston machine (1); —measuring the pressure on the pressure side of the at least one piston machine (1); —attaching a transmitter (28) to the at least one piston machine (1), said transmitter (28) rendering a signal for calculating the rotational speed of the at least one piston machine (1); —calculating the speed of the at least one piston machine (1); —calculating the sum of nominal flow rates from all piston machines (1); —calculating a flow rate compensation factor; —calculating a normalized pressure (42) to be equal to the discharge pressure multiplied by the said compensation factor for the flow rate; and —monitoring the normalized pressure (42) to detect a leakage.
