US08663280B2
A method of using a knotless suture anchor includes boring a nest in a bone, driving the suture anchor into the nest, tensioning an unknotted suture; and securing the unknotted suture in an anchor body by contacting the unknotted suture with an inner bottom surface of the well and a bottom face of an anchor plug, where the suture anchor includes the anchor body including a well, a top surface, a bottom surface distal to the top surface, a transverse bore proximal to the inner bottom surface of the well, and he unknotted suture threaded through the transverse bore; where the well includes an outer surface; an inner surface; and the inner bottom surface; and where the anchor plug includes a post; and the bottom face.
US08663278B2
An organ fixing equipment includes a securing part formed by bundling a suturing thread into a bar, and a fixing part composed of the suturing thread forming the securing part and a continuous suturing thread. By pulling the fixing part relative to the securing part with a force of not less than a predetermined magnitude, the suturing thread forming the securing part can be unraveled. A set of organ fixing equipment is provided with an insertion equipment, for inserting the organ fixing equipment and taking-out equipment for taking out the organ fixing equipment from the patient body.
US08663273B2
Disclosed is an adjustable occlusion device for use in a body lumen such as the left atrial appendage. The occlusion device is removably carried by a deployment catheter. The device may be enlarged or reduced to facilitate optimal placement or removal. Methods are also disclosed.
US08663262B2
A battery assembly is used in battery-powered surgical instruments with handles having a battery chamber and different handle types. The battery assembly includes a housing having an exterior shape formed to removably connect with the battery chamber of the handles and a voltage-control circuit. The housing has at least one energy storage cell operable to power a signal generation assembly of the surgical instruments and a battery/handle interface having a plurality of connectors shaped to mate with a plurality of corresponding connectors within the battery chamber of the handles. The voltage-control circuit is operable to communicatively couple with and provide power to the signal generation assembly, detect which one of the handle types is connected to the housing, provide a first output in response to a detection of a first handle type, and provide at least a second output in response to a detection of a second handle type.
US08663255B2
A gastric band comprises a bladder having an opening, an insertable component to fluidly seal the opening, and a strap that may be overmolded onto the bladder. The insertable component may be a grommet or a plug. Additionally, the insertable component may be coupled to a support member via a living hinge. In another configuration, the insertable component comprises a grommet and a suture loop at least partially formed within the grommet. A band may be provided instead of the strap, with the band having a grommet aperture formed through a deck such that the grommet may be inserted into the opening of the bladder. An overmolded shell having a latching member may be overmolded onto the deck to secure the grommet and a portion of the suture loop therein. The gastric band may further be coupled to a flexible conduit and an injection port.
US08663253B2
Methods of repairing knee meniscus tears are described which use suture passer devices and suture shuttles. These methods may be used with continuous suture passing, so that the suture passer device may remain on or in the tissue while passing a suture shuttle, and therefore a suture, back and forth from one side of the tissue to the other. These methods may be used minimally invasively for repairing meniscus tissue while avoiding further damage to the meniscus.
US08663252B2
A surgical device for suturing body lumen is described, as well as methods for suturing tissue employing the surgical device. The device can include a body having a shaft and a foot for insertion into an opening in a body lumen. The body can include tissue ports between the shaft and the foot configured to receive tissue of the body lumen surrounding the opening. The foot can include a suture secured to needle capture devices. Needle can be advanced within the shaft, through tissue within the tissue ports, and into the needle capture devices. The needle capture devices cuffs can then be withdrawn, thereby harvesting the suture, which can then be used to close the opening in the body lumen.
US08663248B2
A device for closing an opening in tissue includes a shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and at least one pin associated with a distal end the shaft. A flexible guidebody extends from the distal end of the shaft, while a foot associated with the device is movable with respect to the shaft through the pin connected to at least one slot of the foot. Another device for closing an opening in tissue includes a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end. A plurality of feet are disposed proximate the distal end of the shaft, the plurality of feet being movable with respect to the shaft. The device further includes a flexible guidebody extending from the distal end of the shaft.
US08663245B2
The invention provides a system for occluding a left atrial appendage of a patient. The system can include a ring occluder that can be positioned around the left atrial appendage and a ring applicator to position the ring occluder with respect to the left atrial appendage. The system can also provide a tissue-grasping tool that is separable from the ring applicator tool.
US08663242B2
The invention essentially relates to a surgical needle (17) comprising a long hollow body (18) and two ends (19, 20). The body (18) comprises a ventral wall (21) and a dorsal wall (22) which are connected to one another. According to the invention, the dorsal wall (22) and the ventral wall (21) extend along the long axis of the needle (17). Each of the two ends (19, 20) comprises a hollow beveled tip (23, 24). The needle (17) also comprises a hole (25) which is provided in the dorsal wall (22) of the body (18) and a slit (26) which is provided in the ventral wall (21). In this way, a suture (30) can slide inside the hollow body (18) of the needle, the suture being retained in position by the knot (29) or means for stopping thereof. For said purpose, the smallest diameter (27) of the hole (25) is greater than the largest width (28) of the slit (26).
US08663236B2
Transgastric abdominal access methods and apparatus are described herein. A shape-lockable elongate body can be advanced endoluminally in a flexible state into the stomach, where an opening is created through the stomach wall. The opening can be created endoluminally or by incising instruments placed through the abdominal wall. The elongate body can be transitioned to a rigid state prior to, during, or after advancement into the patient and is passed through the opening into the peritoneal cavity. A dilation balloon can be positioned simultaneously within the elongate body and within the tissue opening such that the elongate body can be advanced through the tissue opening. A flexible needle catheter can also be delivered through the elongate body or an endoscope to provide for insufflation prior to cutting or piercing through the stomach wall. Also, tissue closure devices and methods to close the opening created through the stomach wall.
US08663233B2
A boring instrument guiding device which is used to guide a boring instrument that forms a pilot hole for embedding a pedicle screw in a vertebral pedicle includes a reference pin which is used as a reference by being inserted into the vertebral arch from the rear to the front of a spine, and an arm which extends sideward from the proximal end side of the reference pin, and is characterized in that a plurality of guide holes, each of which is opened toward the tip position of the reference pin to guide the boring instrument, are formed in the arm in a radial pattern centered at the tip position of the reference pin. It is possible to provide a boring instrument guiding device which is capable of more easily and precisely guiding the boring instrument.
US08663228B2
Described herein are elongate devices for modifying tissue having a plurality of flexibly connected rungs or links, and methods of using them, including methods of using them to decompress stenotic spinal tissue. These devices may be included as part of a system for modifying tissue. In general, these devices include a plurality of blades positioned on (or formed from) rungs that are flexibly connected. The rungs are typically rigid, somewhat flat and wider than they are long (e.g., rectangular). The rungs may be arranged, ladder like, and may be connected by a flexible connector substrate or between two or more cables. Different sized rungs may be used. The blades (on the rungs) may be arranged in a staggered arrangement. A tissue-collection or tissue capture element may be used to collect the cut or modified tissue.
US08663226B2
Methods and devices that displace bone or other hard tissue to create a cavity in the tissue. Where such methods and devices rely on a driving mechanism for providing moving of the device to form a profile that improves displacement of the tissue. These methods and devices also allow for creating a path or cavity in bone for insertion of bone cement or other filler to treat a fracture or other condition in the bone. The features relating to the methods and devices described herein can be applied in any region of bone or hard tissue where the tissue or bone is displaced to define a bore or cavity instead of being extracted from the body such as during a drilling or ablation procedure.
US08663225B2
A bone void filler material, including a hydrogel component provided by microparticulates of pre-set hydrogel material dispersed within a carrier component to maintain the microparticulates substantially proximate to one another so that the resulting fill material is rendered as a substantially flowable mass.
US08663194B2
The present invention provides devices, systems, and methods for delivery of an active agent into the eye of a subject. In one aspect, for example, an ocular active agent delivery device (10) can include an active agent reservoir (14) disposed in an annular housing (12), the annular housing (12) being configured to fit inside of a lens capsule and at least partially encircling a line of sight of an intraocular lens within the lens capsule. The device (10) can further include a semipermeable membrane (16) operatively coupled to the active agent reservoir (14), where the semipermeable membrane (16) is configured to allow diffusion of an active agent from the active agent reservoir (14). Additionally, a valve (18) can be operatively coupled to the active agent reservoir (14), where the valve (18) is configured to allow filling of the active agent reservoir (14) with an active agent.
US08663181B2
A disposable urine bag device includes a bag having an open top; and two cuff-like supporting members formed on two sides of the open top of the bag, wherein two fingers are allowed to insert into the supporting members to position the bag and adjust size of the open top of the bag. Moreover, a zipper is provided just below the open top of the bag for sealing the bag. Hence, after use an individual may seal the bag for disposal in an environment without the provision of public toilet. Further, an opening is provided on a sidewall of the bag for urine drainage. A woman may urinate by means of the disposable urine bag device while in standing position. Furthermore, a valve is mounted on the opening so that collected urine may drain via the valve. The collected urine may be used for health examination by hospitals.
US08663180B2
An irrigation system comprising: a reservoir with an inlet for pouring liquid into the reservoir, the inlet defining a closing element for closing the inlet; an insertion member defining an insertion end for insertion into a body cavity a human being, the insertion member defining at least one opening; and a liquid tube fluidly connecting the reservoir and having with the insertion member. At least one of reservoir and the insertion member is permanently fastened to the liquid tube.
US08663176B2
A device and method for applying chemicals to internal tissue of living organisms, including the internal tissue of plants and animals, which organisms reside in mediums such as land, air or water. Piercing elements are engageable with a chemical reservoir in order to coat of the piercing elements with a chemical. Once coated, the piercing elements are used to pierce a living organism's tissue, such as plant tissue, to deliver the chemical.
US08663175B2
The present disclosure is directed to a dose setting mechanism that may be used with a drug delivery device. The dose setting mechanism may include an inner body having a helical thread along an outer cylindrical surface of the inner body, and a drive sleeve for driving a piston rod in an axial direction, the drive sleeve positioned within at least a portion of the inner body. The dose setting mechanism may further include a dose dial sleeve rotatably engaged with the helical thread of the inner body and a dial grip connected to the dose dial sleeve and releasably connected to the drive sleeve. Further when a dose is set, the dial grip is rotated so that both the dose dial sleeve and the drive sleeve rotate with respect to the inner body.
US08663173B2
A single use disposable shield and supportive stand for placement on a medical tool such as a suction catheter comprises a transparent body for protecting a responder from bodily fluids of a patient during suctioning of the oral or nasal cavities of a patient. As well the device acts as a supportive stand and securing agent for multiple medical devices and tools The body has an aperture for receiving a bushing. The bushing has an aperture for receiving the medical tool or device.
US08663171B2
A medical use bandage is configured to immobilize, and to facilitate the use of, a tube implanted in a body. The implanted tube defines a body exit site, and a part of the tube projects from the body. The bandage includes a base support having a lower face for application to the skin and an upper face, a first bandage fixing portion for fixing the exit site, including on the lower face of the base support an adhesive fixing part to be adhered at least partly around the exit site to the skin and to a proximal portion of the projecting part of the tube, and a second bandage fixing portion for engaging the distal portion of the projecting part of the tube in a defined shape and in a sliding manner. The second bandage fixing portion is at least partly a part of the upper face of the support.
US08663154B2
An electrosurgical method for treating foot ulcer, including diabetic foot ulcer, comprising: positioning an active electrode in close proximity to the ulcer, the active electrode being disposed on a distal end of an electrosurgical shaft; applying a high-frequency voltage potential difference across the active electrode and a return electrode in the presence of an electrically conductive fluid, the voltage potential being sufficient to generate plasma at the active electrode; and stimulating the ulcer with the active electrode to increase blood flow, remove unhealthy tissue and induce the body's natural healing response.
US08663140B2
Techniques associated with an implant system for imparting vibratory massage to tissue within a body is disclosed. Methods include placing an implant device near tissue in a pelvic region, the implant device configured to produce and communicate a vibration to the tissue, the implant device including a case forming a portion of an exterior of the implant device and defining an interior of the implant device, a vibration generator mounted on the case to vibrate the implant device, and a tissue engaging structure located on the exterior surface of the case to engage the tissue, and activating the vibration generator of the implant device to cause the implant device to vibrate against the tissue, wherein the vibration stimulates a nerve to treat sexual dysfunction.
US08663138B2
A HFCWO apparatus includes a housing having a port, a therapy system carried by the housing and operable to deliver HFCWO therapy to a patient in accordance with a set of operating parameters, and a memory device couplable to the port for storing at least a portion of the set of operating parameters. The therapy system may be operable in accordance with the portion of the set of operating parameters stored in the memory device. The apparatus may comprise a wireless transmitter carried by the housing and operable to wirelessly transmit data relating to HFCWO therapy to a wireless device, such as a printer, PC, a PDA, and the like.
US08663133B2
The present invention provides a differential pressure body suit with external support against body suit migration. In its preferred embodiment, such body suit may comprise a close-fitting, multi-layered suit sealed against a mammal's skin to contain the differential pressure, or a looser-fitting suit that bends at the mammal's joints with minimal force. External support means include either fixed or movable mechanical supports attached to the body suit, extraordinary air pressure levels for making the body suit rigid, or exoskeletons attached to the body suit. A cyclic control system can turn the differential pressure condition within the body suit on and off on a selective basis to accommodate the movement of the legs of the mammal.
US08663115B2
An ultrasound probe includes a transducer array for a B-mode image which transmits and receives an ultrasonic beam for a B-mode image, and a transducer array for sound speed measurement which is laminated and formed above the transducer array for a B-mode image and receives an ultrasonic beam for sound speed measurement.
US08663111B2
The invention relates to an instrument for measuring the elasticity of a human or animal organ located behind the ribs. The instrument includes a casing having an actuator therein, the end of which is equipped with a transducer that is actuated in order to measure the elasticity of the organ. The measuring instrument also includes a mechanism for centering the transducer between the ribs.
US08663109B2
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for measuring an analyte in a host. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for transcutaneous measurement of glucose in a host.
US08663105B2
An ingestible apparatus produces and processes physiological signals representative of a physiological parameter. The apparatus measures the physiological parameter from within the body of a living entity. The apparatus includes a physiological transducer circuit to sense the physiological signals, a processor to process the physiological signals in response to the physiological transducer circuit, and a transmitter that transmits the processed signals during transmission intervals which are alternated with idle intervals. The apparatus further includes a capacitor-based circuit, including at least one capacitor, to accumulate sufficient charge during one of the idle intervals to supply power to the transmitter during one of the transmission intervals.
US08663103B2
A medical device module for use in a system with a remote programmer and/or a personal data assistant (PDA) with at least one medical device includes a housing, at least one medical device and a processor. The housing is adapted to couple with the PDA. The at least one medical device interface is coupled to the housing for interfacing with the at least one medical device. The processor is coupled to the at least one medical device interface to process data from the at least one medical device. The processor is also capable of interfacing with the PDA.
US08663102B2
A surgical retractor and a method of minimally invasive surgery, wherein the surgical retractor includes ribs and a mechanism for transferring of linear and rotational movements of the ribs and wherein each rib can be easily replaced without use of any additional tools. According to embodiments of the present invention, specific parts composing the surgical retractor are made of materials transparent to Röntgen rays (x-rays).
US08663101B2
A surgical kit for operations on the spinal column includes a surgical instrument having a handle body, the handle body having a substantially flat portion blended with the body, wherein the substantially flat portion is shaped to urge the gauze for draining a wound.
US08663098B2
A scanning endoscope apparatus includes: a light source; first and second polarization sections; third and fourth polarization sections; a first wavelength separation section; a second wavelength separation section; a first detection section; and a second detection section. The scanning endoscope apparatus further includes: a first judgment section comparing light intensities of at least two of the light having a first wavelength band transmitted through the first wavelength separation section, the light having a second wavelength band transmitted through the first wavelength separation section, the light having the first wavelength band transmitted through the second wavelength separation section and the light having the second wavelength band transmitted through the second wavelength separation section to observe the return light on a surface area; and a second judgment section comparing light intensities of two which are not used by the first judgment section to observe the return light in a deep-part area of the subject.
US08663097B2
An insertion device includes: a linear member inserted into an insertion portion to be movable; a plurality of mobile bodies provided in a state of being strung together on an outer periphery of the linear member and being movable with respect to the linear member; a restricting member fixed with respect to the linear member, the restricting member restricting a movable range of each mobile body with respect to the linear member and preventing each of the mobile bodies from falling off; and a fixing pin being movable between a first position and a second position at which the fixing pin is fitted in between any adjacent two mobile bodies.
US08663089B2
A treatment tool for an endoscope, including: an insertion tube extending toward one direction; a movable tip member which is provided on a tip of the insertion tube and which is used for a treatment of a living organ; a control member of which a tip is connected to the insertion tube and controls the movable tip member by advancing and retracting a control shaft member inserted in the insertion tube; and a covering tube which covers at least one part of a circumference of the insertion tube. At least one part of the insertion tube rotates freely about an axis of the insertion tube.
US08663086B2
The embodiments described include graft devices for reinforcing patient tissue structures and methods of making and using the graft devices. In certain embodiments the graft devices have a remodelable extracellular matrix material graft body defining a slot and having a portion receivable through the slot to form a closed loop. Such graft devices can be used in encircling reinforcement of patient tissue structures such as anal sphincters or anastomosed vessel segments.
US08663084B2
A treatment planner (102) generates fluence maps (140) indicative of a desired fluence distribution at various locations (304, 312) along a treatment arc (302). A converter (142) converts the fluence distributions (140) to treatment device settings (144). The settings (144) may include multiple segments. A segment distributor (146) distributes the settings to locations in the vicinity of their original positions.
US08663080B2
An apparatus for obtaining containers from a sheet material includes an operating unit for processing the sheet material. The operating unit includes an upper operating part for interacting with an upper surface of the sheet material and a lower operating part for interacting with a lower surface of the sheet material. The apparatus further includes a sterilizing arrangement for sterilizing a space adjacent to the upper operating part and to the lower operating part, so as to create a substantially aseptic environment above and below the sheet material.
US08663070B2
This invention discloses an elliptical exercise apparatus that is characterized in having left and right tracks disposed in a guider frame which is pivotally coupled to a rear portion of the elliptical exercise apparatus. When a user uses the elliptical exercise apparatus, the guider frame is at a use position. When the user folds the elliptical exercise apparatus, the guider frame is at a storage position. A user can complete folding procedure merely by operating the guider frame without lifting some heavy components of the elliptical exercise apparatus.
US08663061B2
A gear shifting method of a hybrid vehicle may include releasing a clutch and brake of a transmission and determining a neutral condition status, controlling torque of an engine connected to one operational element of a first planetary gear set in a neutral condition, and controlling speed of a first motor/generator connected to the other operational element of the first planetary gear set. Accordingly, a speed of the first and second motor/generator are controlled and a torque of the engine is controlled in a neutral or parking state of a shift lever such that a mode change becomes easy and the torque of the engine is continuously controlled to improve a shift quality and a driving performance and to save fuel, while the neutral or parking state is changed to a drive or reverse state or the drive or reverse state is changed to the neutral or parking state.
US08663052B2
An infinitely variable transmission device (4) for a vehicle drivetrain (1) which includes a variator (8) and a gearshift transmission device (9), which produce gear ratios in a plurality of ratio ranges with continuous variation. The device has a planetary transmission device (7) in active connection with a transmission input (12), in an area of a first shaft (11), with the gearshift transmission device (9), in an area of a second shaft (14), and with the variator (8), in an area of a third shaft (16). The torque to be transmitted by the transmission device (4) passes, via at least two power paths, between the transmission input (12) and a transmission output (10). The variator (8) is arranged in one of the two power paths and the gearshift transmission device (9) is arranged between the variator (8) and the transmission output (10).
US08663047B2
A superimposed transmission for driving a rotational speed-variable work machine having the following design: an input shaft (2) is connected to an intermediate shaft (3); a pump wheel (5) of a hydrodynamic converter (6) rotates with the intermediate shaft (3); a turbine wheel (7) of the hydrodynamic converter (6) rotates with a superposition means; the intermediate shaft (3) and the transmission means are connected to an output shaft (14) by means of a differential gear (4); and the transmission means is designed as at least one coupling shaft (10), which connection the turbine wheel (7) of the hydrodynamic converter (6) to the differential gear (4). The at least one coupling shaft (10) runs parallel to the intermediate shaft (3). An additional hydrodynamic converter (15) can be present and/or the coupling shaft (10) can be connected in an engageable manner directly to the input shaft (2) by means of an additional transmission (18) for starting the transmission.
US08663039B2
A sporting base includes a main base body, a securing seat, and a ground-insertable securing unit. The main base body includes a shock-absorbing core that has a bottom surface formed with an upwardly-extending inserting hole. The securing seat is disposed fittingly and separably into the inserting hole of the main base body, and is configured to be placed stably on the ground. The securing unit is for securing the securing seat to the ground.
US08663037B2
A game goal according to the invention, such as a soccer goal, collapses both vertically and laterally. The goal includes joints and brackets which facilitate the collapse of the goal such that the during vertical collapse, the forward uprights of the goal fold below the goal's lower rear support members, enhancing the goals transportability. The goal includes stabilizing arms and corresponding receptacles to stabilize the goal in the collapsed position. The goal also has a resistive element which prevents the goal from collapsing too quickly. The goal further incorporates a rotating joint in a top corner bracket which provides an interference fit with a slot in the top corner bracket and a notch in the upright, thereby providing stability when the goal is in the upright or open position for use. Lateral stability of the goal under the weight of a net is enhanced by angle brackets at the ground level of the goal. The angle brackets pivotally connect to the lower crossbar, which folds at its center to facilitate lateral collapse of the goal. The upper crossbar also folds at its center and is attached to the upper corner brackets, which have a pivoting connection to the uprights to facilitate lateral collapse.
US08663033B2
Golf balls may include a first pole, a second pole, and a seam located between the first and second poles. Dimples are formed on a surface of the ball in a pattern that includes a plurality of repeating sectors around each pole of the ball. The sectors on one ball half are rotationally offset across the seam line from the sectors on the other ball half. Additionally, each individual sector includes a line of symmetry over which the dimple pattern on one half of the sector is mirrored on the other half. A variety of different dimple types also may be arranged on a golf ball surface, e.g., within the sectors described above. Additional aspects of this invention relate to the features of various layers of a multi-piece golf ball and to methods of making golf balls having at least some of the features mentioned above.
US08663030B2
A customizable golf club head is disclosed herein. The customizable golf club head includes a body comprising a crown and a sole and a removable skid plate attached to the sole, wherein the removable skid plate affects the face angle of the golf club head at address. The face angle of the golf club can be further altered by removing the first skid plate and replacing it with a second skid plate having a structure that, when the second skid plate is affixed to the golf club head, causes the golf club head to have a different face angle at address.
US08663022B2
An elastic joint body for a shaft arrangement for the articulated connection of two shaft sections, comprising a plurality of bushes (12) disposed in circumferential direction at predetermined angular distances in relation to a center line of the joint body, a plurality of loop assemblies (22, 24, 26), wherein each loop assembly (22, 24, 26) is looped around in each case two adjacent bushes (12) and at least two loop assemblies (22, 24, 26) are looped around each bush (12), a support device (10) that is disposed for axially guiding the plurality of loop assemblies (22, 24, 26) on at least one of the bushes, and a rubber-elastic sheath, into which the loop assemblies (22, 24, 26), the support device (10) and the bushes (12) are at least partially embedded. According to the invention it is provided that the support device (10) comprises two axially outer shoulder elements (14, 16), which may be fitted on one of the bushes (12) and against which at least two of the loop assemblies (22, 24, 26) to be guided are positioned, wherein between said assembly loops (22, 24, 26) at least one axially inner intermediate disk (18, 20) is disposed on one of the bushes (12) and is disposed at an angle obliquely relative to the center line (M) of the bush (12).
US08663020B2
A shaft, including an outer peripheral surface; an inner peripheral surface; an oil flow passage that is formed in the shaft and is defined by the inner peripheral surface; a large inner-diameter portion having a first inner diameter; a small inner-diameter portion adjoining the large inner-diameter portion in one direction along an axial direction of the shaft, and having a second inner diameter smaller than the first inner diameter; and a through hole extending from an inner peripheral surface of the large inner-diameter portion to the outer peripheral surface of the shaft. The small inner-diameter portion is formed by bending radially inward an extending portion, which extends in the one direction from the large inner-diameter portion.
US08663014B2
Apparatus and method with physical location check-in that triggers a status change in a virtual game
A computer readable storage medium includes executable instructions to receive a check-in indication from a physical location with a corresponding virtual location in a virtual game. An attribute in the virtual game is altered based upon the check-in indication. The attribute may be earned points for a user, a virtual object earned by a user or an enhanced popularity measure for the virtual location.
US08663012B2
A plurality of players of at least one electronic game are enabled to play the game over a network. Players are ranked, based on accomplishments during game play, on a grid having multiple vertical levels and, on at least one of the vertical levels, multiple horizontal tiers. Player rankings are adjusted, following game play, based on points earned or lost. In one embodiment, defending players may be compensated without regard to game outcome.
US08663011B2
A game and messenger client-server system is provided that includes a plurality of game clients, a game server, a plurality of messenger clients, and a messenger server. The game server includes logic to operate a multiplayer game using inputs from and outputs to an active game set of game clients, wherein game clients other than those in the active game set can join an active game by supplying the game server with a reference to the active game. Additionally, logic is included for coupling a game client to a messenger client to allow the game client to send the messenger client data used to initiate joining a game, whereby a message sent by the messenger client includes the data used to initiate joining a game. Also, logic is included for initiating a join of a game at an invitee client, using data received in a message to the invitee.
US08663002B2
A system and method for rewarding players of wagering game with a bonus is disclosed. A database is provided for collecting and storing personal interest information from two or more players. The database comprises data fields each representing a category of personal interest information. Groups of common personal information are established. Awarding a bonus award includes selecting a group and determining players currently participating in the wagering game that are in the selected group. At least one player that is currently participating in the wagering game is selected for the bonus award. The selections can be randomly made.
US08663001B2
A gaming machine system includes a system controller, and a plurality of gaming machines linked to the system controller. Each gaming machine has a first display and a game controller controlling images of symbols displayed on the first display and operable to play a game wherein at least one random event is displayed on the first display. If a predefined winning event occurs, the machine awards a prize. During play of a feature game, feature images are displayed on a second display. The system further includes a remote display that is visible to anyone at the gaming machines. Images appearing on the displays of any of the gaming machines participating in the feature game are related to images displayed on the remote display, and the feature images are used in determining outcomes on those gaming machines participating in the feature game.
US08662994B2
Method, apparatus, and program product for distributing random number generation on a gaming network
Methods, apparatus, and program products are disclosed for providing distributed RNG calculation capability. Generally, gaming machines cooperate on a gaming network to calculate a result for a RNG algorithm. A preferred system uses peer machines to perform partial RNG calculations, but cooperating server machines may also be used. One method calculates a first partial RNG calculation at a first machine using a seed value. The first machine transmits results of the first partial calculation to a second machine, which completes the RNG calculation. Some algorithms may include a step of combining partial results from two or more gaming machines. A preferred system uses a RNG state tracker and a seed tracker operating on a RNG master machine. This machine initializes a partial RNG with a seed value, and then tracks the state of the partial RNG using results from the completed calculation obtained over the network.
US08662992B2
A wagering game system and operations for a wagering game system include a plugin architecture and framework in which wagering game system applications utilize plugins to provide functionality for an application or service. The plugins may be independently tested and verified by a jurisdictional testing agent to confirm that the operation of the plugin complies with the rules and regulations for a jurisdiction. If plugins are added or updated, a system vendor may submit only those plugins that require jurisdictional approval to a testing agent. An application or service may download plugins that are approved for use in the jurisdiction in which the application or service is operating.
US08662979B2
A method of allocating poker pots based on the true odds of winning the hand. The pot allocation is at the election of the two or more players involved in the hand after no more bets are possible (i.e., one or more players all in). Once no more bets are possible, the two or more players may elect to allocate the pot based on the true odds of each player winning the pot. The house or game operator may charge a fee in order for players to utilize the pot allocation option. In one version, players may allocate a percentage of the pot and play the hand out for the remaining percentage. In yet another version, if one player declines the pot allocation option, the house or operator may buy the player's hand and play it out. In yet another version, the pot allocation option may be offered to players multiple times during a poker game with the true odds changing based on newly displayed/dealt cards.
US08662957B2
In one aspect, a polishing pad includes a homogeneous unitary polishing layer having a polishing surface, an opposed bottom surface, a recess in the polishing surface extending partially but not entirely through the polishing layer, and a solid light-transmissive window is secured in the recess. In another aspect, a polishing pad includes a polishing layer having a polishing surface, and the polishing surface includes a first region having a first plurality of grooves with a first depth extending partially but not entirely through the polishing layer and a second region surrounded by the first region and having a second plurality of grooves with a second depth extending partially but not entirely through the polishing layer, the second depth greater than the first depth.
US08662956B2
Provided are a conditioner of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus for polishing a substrate over a platen pad that rotates and a method thereof. The conditioner includes a disk holder, a piston rod, a housing, and a load sensor. The disk holder secures a conditioning disk that finely cuts a surface of the platen pad. The piston rod delivers a normal force to the disk holder. The housing covers at least a portion of the piston rod. The load sensor is installed to receive the normal force that the piston rod delivers to the piston rod and measuring the normal force.
US08662954B2
A toy doll is provided having a torso defined by a front surface and a back surface. The doll may additionally include legs extending from a lower portion of the torso, an image sensor located on the back surface of the torso, and an image display located on the front surface of the torso. The doll may additionally include a control panel integrated into the pelvic region of the torso, operatively interconnected with the image sensor and the image display, so that that the image sensor and the image display are controllable by using the control panel. The doll may further include fabric clothing covering the image display, permitting a user to create the appearance of personalized graphic clothing for the doll.
US08662949B2
An architecture is presented that provides a glow in the dark flotation device that increases the likelihood of quickly locating individuals lost in water by increasing the visibility of the user, and more particularly to a durable conventional life jacket having a phosphorescent portion that emits visible light under low-light conditions.
US08662936B2
The USB female connector contains an insulating base and a shielding casing enclosing the insulating base. On the insulating base, there is mainly a ground terminal having a flat ground contact section at an end on the insulating base. From the ground contact section, the ground terminal is extended away from the insulating base and forked into a first ground extension section, a second ground extension section, and a third ground extension section. Through the forked first, second, and third ground extension sections, the high-frequency crosstalk problem is effectively resolved.
US08662932B2
A connector system having right angle, board-mounted header and receptacle connectors includes both a power interface and a signal interface for transmitting power and data signals there between. Optionally, the connectors may have features that allow the corresponding circuit boards to be offset. The connectors may have features that provide guidance for alignment of the header and receptacle connectors. The connectors may have features to enhance the electrical performance of the conductors defining the signal paths through the connector system. The connectors may have features that orient the components of the header and receptacle connectors for mounting to the circuit boards to maintain the true positions of the contacts for mounting to the circuit board.
US08662931B2
A method for using a connector with terminals for connecting to a circuit card. The connector includes a socket having a casing with an aperture for receiving the circuit card therein and electrically conductive terminals. The terminals include an elongated portion and a substantially L-shaped portion joined together by a U-shaped portion. The elongated portion has a proximal end and a distal end, and includes a support section and a bending section between the proximal end and the distal end. The U-shaped portion is disposed at the distal end of the elongated portion. The terminal continues from the U-shaped portion to approximately halfway towards the proximal end of the elongated portion and turns away from the elongated portion thereby forming the substantially L-shaped portion. The L-shaped portion ends in a lip section curving towards the proximal end of the elongated portion.
US08662925B2
Connectors to connect optional or daughter cards or boards to main or motherboards. One example provides a connector that is capable of supporting high-speed data rates by employing contacts that provide short signal paths and a ground plane to improve signal quality. The space consumed in electronic devices may be reduced by providing a connector having a low profile, while another example may provide a connector having mechanical stability. Another example provides a connector having an increased manufacturability. Other examples include wider contacts for increased current capabilities.
US08662924B2
An electrical connector system includes a receptacle connector having a receptacle housing holding a plurality of receptacle signal contacts arranged in pairs carrying differential signals. The receptacle housing has a front face. The system includes a header connector coupled to the receptacle connector. The header connector includes a header housing holding a plurality of header signal contacts arranged in pairs carrying differential signals and mated with corresponding receptacle signal contacts. The header housing has a front face that opposes the front face of the receptacle housing when coupled thereto with a gap being defined between the front faces. Gap fillers are provided within the gap. The gap fillers are conductive and include deflectable spring fingers. The gap fillers provide impedance control for the header signal contacts along the gap.
US08662915B2
A connector for connecting an FFC to a substrate includes a plurality of signal contacts, a ground contact, and a housing. The signal contacts are arranged to come into contact with signal terminals of the FFC. The ground contact comes into contact with the ground terminal of the FFC. The housing holds the plurality of signal contacts and the ground contact. A first distance from an end of the housing to a contact point of each signal contact with each signal terminal is set to be substantially equal to a second distance from an end of the housing to a contact point of the ground contact with the ground terminal. The first and second distances are measured along a direction in which one of the FFC and the FPC is inserted into or removed from the connector.
US08662897B2
The invention is a method and system that provides for efficiently incentivising and rewarding employees for their successful use of a training system or other employer defined metrics by utilizing Smartcard® cards and You Did It Right® cards. Successful demonstration of training and performance metrics is rewarded through such rewards as gift cards or discount coupons redeemable for goods and/or services at retail/service centers.
US08662895B2
The present invention provides assistance for a person to better comprehend the samples of a target language and, simultaneously, it facilitates that the person learns that language better. In order to do that, some special perspectives on those language samples are provided, and those perspectives show in a simple form the internal structure of said samples. All this will facilitate the person the assimilation of the structure and meaning of those language samples.The invention is based on two facts. First, linguistic research has show that language comprehension depends on the assimilation of the internal structure of the messages that are received. Second, language learning require the learner to comprehend messages of that language in order to be able to develop the competence to associate meaning and form.
US08662888B2
A furnace loading system for use with a heat treating furnace is disclosed. The furnace loading system includes a platform and a support structure mounted on the platform. First and second transport rails are mounted on the support structure. The furnace loading system also includes a transfer cart that is adapted for supporting a work load and for moving along the transport rails. A lift mechanism is operatively mounted on the transfer cart for vertically displacing a work load supported on the transfer cart. The furnace loading system also includes a drive mechanism mounted on the support structure and operatively connected to the transfer cart for displacing the cart along the rails. A traction device is operatively connected to the platform for moving the furnace loading system relative to a heat treating furnace.
US08662880B2
Soluble pouches are formed on a continous motion rotating thermoforming machine having cavities in the surface of a drum into which a web of polymeric film is drawn by a vacuum to form pockets. The pockets are filled with one or more components and closed by a further web of polymeric film. Shrink-back of the polymeric film within the cavities is reduced by heating the cavities with heaters.
US08662877B2
A system for a thermal manufacturing system including a heliostat and a mold. The heliostat includes at least one reflecting surface, a steering mechanism and a controller. The steering mechanism is coupled to the at least one reflecting surface and capable of directing at least a first portion of the at least one reflecting surface toward a first one of multiple, selectable focal points. The mold is located in a second one of the selectable focal points. A manufacturing method is also disclosed.
US08662876B2
Installation for heating the bodies (1) of thermoplastic preforms (2) with a view to manufacturing containers by blow-molding or stretch-blow-molding, while the preforms (2) are being moved along with their bodies (1) following a predetermined path (T), this installation comprising at least one directional source (5) of electromagnetic radiation directed towards a location (E) on the path (T); the source (5) is inclined by an angle (α) of between about 60° and 10° and preferably less than about 45°, with respect to the tangent (6) to the path (T) at the location (E); thus, the electromagnetic radiation can pass through several preform bodies or parts of bodies without being appreciably reflected back towards the source (5).
US08662865B2
A fluid end (15) for a multiple reciprocating pump assembly (12) comprises at least three plunger bores (61 or 91) each for receiving a reciprocating plunger (35), each plunger bore having a plunger bore axis (65 or 95). Plunger bores being arranged across the fluid head to define a central plunger bore and lateral plunger bores located on either side of the central plunger bore. Fluid end (15) has suction valve bores (59 or 89), each suction valve bore receiving a suction valve (41) and having a suction valve bore axis (63 or 93). Discharge valve bores (57 or 87), each discharge valve bore receiving a discharge valve (43) and having a discharge valve bore axis (63 or 93). The axes of at least one of suction (10) and discharge valve bores is inwardly offset in the fluid end from its respective plunger bore axis.
US08662856B2
A pump control system includes a source of pressurized fluid an output valve adjustably controls the flow of pressurized fluid from the source. An output valve control is coupled to the output valve and monitors the actual state of the output valve. The control selectably adjusts the output valve in response to a first control signal. A controller is coupled to the output valve control, the controller receiving information from the output valve control corresponding to the actual state of the output valve and providing to the output valve control the first control signal, the first control signal being applied to the output valve to achieve and maintain a desired state.
US08662855B2
A composite blade includes a preform and a binder. The preform is a preform of yarns woven in three-dimensions and has a tip region, a root region and an intermediate region. The intermediate region is positioned between the tip region and the root region. The yarns comprise warp yarns and weft yarns. The warp yarns form a longitudinal axis. The weft yarns are positioned at a 90 degree angle to the warp yarns. The weft yarns increase in yarn size as determined by filament count along the longitudinal axis to change the thickness of the preform. The binder maintains the relative positions of the preform yarns.
US08662851B2
A method for joining a cast metal material blade ring and a metal material hub structure into a turbine rotor. One of the blade ring and the hub structure is mounted in a holder and the other is mounted in a rotation holder for being rotated. At least one of these mountings is heated, and then they are pressed together with a selected force while rotating to weld the ring interior wall and the disk side to form the assembled structure.
US08662843B2
The system of the present application includes an adaptive twist system for a rotor blade. The adaptive twist system includes a slider mechanism coupled to a spar and to a skin. The slider mechanism provides structural connectivity between the spar and the skin while also selectively translated the skin relative to the spar, thereby causing the rotor blade to twist. A control system is used to operate the slider mechanism so that the rotor blade is automatically twisted into the optional shape during changes in flight modes.
US08662838B2
A compressor housing resistant to a titanium fire (burning titanium). A mixed housing is constructed, in which a structure holding stator blades includes a single-cast part made from titanium or titanium alloy, and at least one element forming a shield made from refractory alloy(s), and which is incombustible in presence of burning titanium, where each shield is secured to the single-cast part by fasteners. The fasteners are positioned with each shield so as to define jointly an inner wall demarcating an outer contour of the compressor airstream.
US08662837B2
A two-stage high pressure turbine includes a second stage vane having an airfoil with a profile substantially in accordance with at least an intermediate portion of the Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in Table 2. The X and Y values are distances, which when smoothly connected by an appropriate continuing curve, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z. The profile sections at each distance Z are joined smoothly to one another to form a complete airfoil shape.
US08662835B2
A turbine nozzle for a turbomachine, including inner and outer annular platforms connected together by vanes, the inner platform carrying annular elements of abradable material co-operating with annular wipers of a rotor of the turbomachine to form a labyrinth seal, these elements of abradable material being carried by annular sheet-metal sectors of substantially L-, S-, or C-shaped section that are fastened by brazing or welding at their outer peripheries to the inner platform and at their inner peripheries to the elements of abradable material.
US08662831B2
A shell structure for a turbine engine that includes a plurality of diaphragms, wherein each diaphragm comprises: an annularly formed support structure that positions and secures a row of circumferentially spaced stator blades, and wherein the plurality of diaphragms are configured and axially stacked such that each diaphragm abuts the diaphragm that is positioned directly upstream from it and the diaphragm that is positioned directly downstream from it such that a first shell structure is formed; a second shell structure disposed outboard of the first shell structure; and an intermediate chamber defined between an outboard face of the first shell structure and an inboard face of the second shell structure; wherein: a downstream end and an upstream end of the first shell structure define the axial length of the first shell structure; one or more downstream radial ports are defined at the approximate axial position of the downstream end of the first shell structure, each downstream radial port fluidly connecting the intermediate chamber to the main flow path of the turbine engine; and between the axial position of the downstream axial ports and the axial position of the upstream end of the first shell structure, the first shell structure is configured such that the intermediate chamber is substantially sealed from the main flow path.
US08662828B2
A high pressure turbine of a turbomachine such as a turbojet, in which a control box of radial clearances of rotating blades are provided. An annular element including a determined flexibility has one end fixed to an annular support and the other end supported by a simple axial bearing with a given pressure on the upstream side of the control box. Thus, disturbing vibration loads are prevented at the attachment points of the control box with the external casing of turbines, thereby also eliminating the risk of cracks occurring.
US08662824B2
A rotor containment structure for gas turbine engine comprises an inner containment layer having a single integral body defining an annular structure about the rotor, and having a support on the inner surface of the inner containment layer for at least one shroud segment. An outer containment layer provides containment strength to contain blade fragments and defining an annular structure about the inner containment layer. Air passage through the outer containment layer for air to pass from an exterior of the outer containment layer to an interior of the outer containment layer; and the inner containment layer being connected at a first end to the outer containment layer with a gap defined between the inner surface of the outer containment layer and the outer surface of the inner containment layer, the gap being in fluid communication with the air passage such that air flows through the gap, beyond a free second end of the inner containment layer.
US08662823B2
A steam turbine may include a turbine section including a rotor. An inner casing is provided about the turbine, the inner casing including an upstream end, a downstream end and an inner casing exhaust port positioned at the downstream end allowing exhaust steam to exit the inner casing. An outer casing is provided about the inner casing, the outer casing including an upstream end, a downstream end and an outer casing exhaust port positioned at the upstream end of the outer casing. A flow path extends between the inner casing and the outer casing through which the exhaust steam passes in an upstream direction from the inner casing exhaust port to the outer casing exhaust port. A flow barrier may be provided in the flow path between the inner casing and the outer casing.
US08662822B2
A side channel compressor for compressing a gas comprises a housing (3), a side channel (30), located in the housing (3) and having a cross-sectional area (A), for compressing a gas, a gas inlet opening (31) formed in the housing (3), the gas inlet opening (31) being in flow connection with the side channel (30) for introducing a gas, a gas outlet opening (32) formed in the housing (3) for discharging the gas to be compressed from the side channel (30), wherein the gas outlet opening (32) is in flow connection with the gas inlet opening (31) via the side channel (30), and an impeller (2) which is mounted for rotation in the housing (3) and comprises impeller blades (1) disposed in the side channel (30), wherein the cross-sectional area (A) of the side channel (30) decreases non-monotonically from the gas inlet opening (31) towards the gas outlet opening (32).
US08662821B2
A removable steam inlet assembly and lifting fixture for a steam turbine are provided to facilitate lifting of the upper exhaust hood of the steam turbine. The removable steam inlet assembly is detached from the steam inlet of the turbine inner casing for the lift and mounted to the upper exhaust hood with a lifting fixture. Detaching and removal of the steam inlet assembly substantially lowers the clearance height for the lift, allowing lower turbine building height with significant cost savings.
US08662816B2
An improved Z-bar linkage for wheel loader machines for maneuvering an implement such as a bucket or pallet forks may include lift arms pivotally connected between an end frame of the machine and the implement, a tilt link pivotally connected between the implement and a tilt lever that is pivotally connected between the tilt link and the lift arms. Lift cylinders may rotate the lift arms to raise and lower the implement, and a tilt cylinder may drive the tilt lever and tilt link to rotate the implement between a dump position and a racked position. Ratios of the lengths of these kinematic elements are provided such that the good performance with one implement, such as bucket, does not result in poor performance with another implement, such as the pallet forks.
US08662808B2
The invention provides a type of elastic nut, primary comprising first and second compression slots allowing for compression and connecting strips at the bottom of the retaining nut, with the connecting strips in alternate positions, so that when the retaining nut is used to hold a plug in place on the bolt, and further torque is applied to the retaining nut, the nut is held in place on top of the plug with elastic force, effectively holding the plug in place more tightly.
US08662806B2
A unique self-drilling anchor screw is configured so that it can be set and used to secure a first object to a second object using only one tool to save time and effort. A nut of the screw engages a nut stop when turning in reverse, thereby driving rotation of the screw in reverse. The screw has a drill bit tip adapted for drilling a hole while turning in reverse. A hole is drilled using the drill bit tip while turning the nut in reverse with a socket wrench of the one tool. After drilling the hole, the nut is turned in the forward direction with the socket wrench to engage a sleeve member of the screw, which sets the screw in the second object. Then, the nut is further turned forward using the socket wrench to tighten the nut against the first object located between the nut and the second object.
US08662804B2
A low profile hold down assembly is mounted to the exterior surface of a sidewall of a trailer. The hold down assembly includes a cover member formed from the same material from which the sidewall of the trailer is formed and therefore is aesthetically desirable.
US08662802B2
A rigid design for a machine tool having perpendicular X, Y, and Z axes includes fixed X-axis frame members at the back of the machine, fixed Z-axis vertical frame members at the front of the machine, and fixed upper and lower Z-axis frame members rigidly attached to the fixed X-axis frame members and the fixed Z-axis vertical frame members. The frame members form a fixed, rigid, closed force loop design. A movable Y-axis column is bifurcated and a headstock is mounted in the center opening of the column. The headstock is advanced and retracted relative to the workpiece by moving the Y-axis column and the headstock relative to the workpiece. Because the headstock is fixed relative to the Y-axis column, the unsupported portion of the headstock relative to the Y-axis column does not change as the Z-axis position of the headstock changes relative to the workpiece.
US08662794B2
An adapter for connecting a helical pile to a drive assembly includes a pin block connectable to the helical pile. A tool body has a first protrusion to receive the pin block to facilitate aligning the helical pile with the tool body. A locking member is movably connected to the tool body. The locking member is movable between an insertion position to allow insertion of the pin block and a locking position to lock the pin block in the tool body.
US08662780B2
The container for fluid products, particularly creams, ointments, pastes, lotions for medical, pharmaceutical or cosmetic use, comprises a containment body for containing a fluid product which has an exit mouth for the fluid product, a closing element for closing the mouth, and an applicator element associable with the containment body near to the mouth and suitable for dispensing the fluid product exiting from the mouth.
US08662779B2
A dispenser for fluid material that facilitates spreading of the fluid material is disclosed. The dispenser can comprise a unitary construction, or can be composed of a plurality of components that can be fastened together. Disposable cartridges containing fluid material can be attached to the dispenser, and the material within can be dispensed on a surface. The dispenser provides metered dispensing.
US08662768B2
An image forming device is provided with a sheet feeding unit capable of selectively feeding recording sheets of a plurality of sizes, a print unit configured to print out images represented by print data on page-by-page basis, the print data including information of designated size of the recording sheets. On condition that running out of the recording sheets of the designated size in the sheet feeding unit is detected during printing out of the images, the sheet feeding unit starts feeding the recording sheets of a substitute size which is different from the designated size and the print unit continues printing out of images represented by remaining part of the print data on the recording sheet of the substitute size. A storing unit stores the remaining part of the print data after printing, but not part of the print data printed on the recording sheets of designated size.
US08662764B2
In a method of controlling a gaze direction of a camera, the camera is placed on a top surface of a substrate that is pivotally coupled to a frame, wherein a movement arm depends downwardly from the substrate. The movement arm is moved with two spaced apart amplified piezoelectric ceramic stack actuators that are affixed to the frame and coupled to the movement arm by deforming the amplified piezoelectric ceramic stack actuators as a result of applying a voltage thereto, thereby changing an angular orientation of the substrate.
US08662754B1
An air or gas bearing supports a moving mass on a thin column of gas which is partially constrained in a pressurized cavity. The gas to the cavity is supplied through a fluidic amplifier. Pressure in the thin supporting column above the bearing pad, or the position of the mass surface relative to the open end of the pressurized cavity, is sensed. The resulting feedback pressure signal is dynamically compensated to produce a pressure signal to the input ports of the fluidic amplifier which is a function of the velocity of the mass. The compensation network consists of orifices, or flow resistors, and volume cavities, or compressible fluid capacitors. The compensated feedback pressure is amplified by the fluidic amplifier to provide an output pressure to the bearing cavity which is indicative of and nearly proportional to the mass velocity perpendicular to the bearing pad and achieve a high degree of damping without use of extremely small orifices or complicated electromechanical damping means.
US08662745B2
A method of measuring conditions of an ultrasonic instrument includes providing an ultrasonic instrument that includes an end effector and a waveguide operably coupled to a generator and the end effector. The method involves generating one or more pulses with the generator, transmitting the one or more pulses to one or both of the waveguide and the end effector, generating one or more waves that scatter in an interferential pattern in response to the transmission of the one or more pulses, registering a signal indicative of the interferential pattern, generating an actual interferential pattern based upon the signal, and identifying one or more conditions of the end effector based upon the actual interferential pattern.
US08662736B2
A bone cement system (100) is provided having a mixing facility (10) for mixing and dispensing of bone cement, a reservoir container (112) for a monomer, and a conveyor (122). The mixing facility (10) has a mixing cylinder (20), which stores a bone cement powder. The monomer can be conveyed from the reservoir container (112) into the mixing cylinder (20) by the conveyor (122). A sieve element is (4) is arranged between the reservoir container (112) and the mixing facility (10), in order to prevent ingress of the bone cement powder from the mixing cylinder (20) into the conveyor (122). The mixing device (10) included a dispensing opening (23) for dispensing a bone cement mixed from the bone cement powder and the monomer. The dispensing opening (23) includes a shield (1) having at least one through-opening (2). The ratio of the area of the through-opening (2) to the area of the sieve element (4) is at least 1 to 3, and the distance between the shield (1) and the sieve element (4) is at least 1 mm.
US08662735B2
Sonication of a medium for example in an immunoassay is provided by applying sound waves from a transducer to a vessel in which the medium is held by a sonotrode coupled between the transducer and the vessel. The sonotrode has a recess in which the vessel is held, the recess being formed by facing surfaces of a plurality of protruding portions of the sonotrode separated by slits and arranged around the recess. The sonotrode is coupled to the vessel by dry contact with the vessel without any coupling layers therebetween. The use of such a sonotrode provides the advantages of allowing effective sonication with relatively low energy loss and with a low temperature elevation.
US08662731B2
A display includes an outer casing, two backlight modules, and a flexible display panel. The outer casing includes at least one connecting member having two connecting ends respectively disposed at left and right sides thereof, and two casing panels connected respectively to the connecting ends and respectively having bonding faces. The two backlight modules are disposed respectively on the bonding faces of the casing panels. The flexible display panel includes two side panel sections disposed respectively on the backlight modules, and a foldable intermediate section connected between the side panel sections. The casing panels are pivotal relative to each other to move the backlight modules and the flexible display panel to an unfolded position. The backlight modules coplanarly cover a backside of the flexible display panel in the unfolded position.
US08662730B2
In a display apparatus, a light guide plate includes a chamfered corner portion that defines a light incident surface. A light source unit is arranged adjacent to the light incident surface to provide the light to the light guide plate through the light incident surface. A display panel receives light from the light guide plate to display an image. A receiving container includes sidewalls and a bottom portion to accommodate the light guide plate and the light source unit. At least one sidewall adjacent to the corner portion is divided into a first part and a second part that may be coupled to or separated from each other. Thus, the light guide plate and the light source unit may be easily accommodated in the receiving container, thereby improving an assembling efficiency.
US08662728B2
A light module is disclosed. The light module includes a first printed circuit board, a second printed circuit board, a light source, and a fixing casing, wherein the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board each has a fixing part, and the fixing part of the second printed board is attached to the fixing part of the first printed board. The light source is disposed on the first printed circuit board to couple to the first printed board and the second printed board. The fixing casing has a contact surface. When the fixing casing is fixed onto the fixing parts of the second printed circuit board and the first printed circuit board, the contact surface contacts the fixing part so that the second printed circuit board is clamped between the contact surface and the first printed circuit board.
US08662724B2
An exterior mirror system for a vehicle includes driver-side and passenger-side exterior rearview mirror assemblies including respective driver-side and passenger-side light modules and driver-side and passenger-side cameras. The light modules provide a driver-side indicator and a passenger-side indicator. The driver-side light module and the passenger-side light modules are disposed at respective mirror housing portions and move therewith when the exterior mirror housing portion moves relative to the mounting portion between its normal operating position and its folded position. The driver-side camera and the passenger-side camera are part of a multi-camera vision system of the vehicle, and the multi-camera vision system has a display device that is operable to display images for viewing by a driver of the vehicle. The displayed images displayed by the display device may include an image portion derived from image data captured by at least one of the driver-side camera and the passenger-side camera.
US08662720B2
A beacon has an associated post that is supported in relation to a watercraft. The beacon may comprise four major separable elongated members all mutually joined by an elastic cord extending along the longitudinal axis of the beacon. When separated, the four major separable members may fold in the compact configuration, thus enabling compact stowage. The beacon may comprise an internal light source, a flag or pennant, and reflective films to signal presence of the watercraft to others. The flag may be formed as a receptacle for receiving and storing the separable elongated members for stowage.
US08662707B2
Methods and systems consistent with some embodiments presented provide methods for denying visual access to a first area from a target area. In some embodiments, methods for denying visual access from a target area may include generating a structured light pattern and projecting the structured light pattern from onto the target area. The structured light pattern may be moved at a rate and in a pattern to deny visual access of a first area from the target area. In some embodiments, the rate and the pattern may be chosen based on characteristics of the target area.
US08662703B2
A lens structure for mobile phone flashlight is provided, to improve luminance of edge area and overall luminance. The lens structure includes a lens body. The lens body includes an incident surface and a light-emitting surface, and the incident surface is a Fresnel lens. Edge area of the light-emitting surface is partially disposed symmetrically with at least a pair of second surfaces, and remaining area forms a first surface. The edges of the second surfaces tilt towards direction of the incident surface so that the first surface forms an angle with the second surfaces. As such, the lens structure is able to refract light to project in near rectangular area onto a target object when taking picture.
US08662696B2
A solar-powered lighting lid is shown and described. In one embodiment, the reclosable lid comprises a light emitter, a top opaque surface having a solar panel and a photo resistor, and a rechargeable storage device. Typically, the solar panel recharges the storage device and the storage device powers the photo resistor. Further, when an ambient darkness is detected by the photo resistor, the light emitter is activated and light is at least partially visible through the transparent jar. Additionally, a solar light insert may be provided for cooperation between a jar and a band, ring or the like.
US08662691B2
A light-emitting device can include a fluorescent plate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface and configured to emit fluorescent light by laser irradiation. A first laser light source can be disposed such that the first surface of the fluorescent plate is irradiated with first laser light. A second laser light source can be disposed such that the second surface of the fluorescent plate is irradiated with second laser light. A reflector can include a light passing hole through which the second laser light can pass and can include a concave reflecting surface configured to cover an irradiation region with the second laser light at least on the fluorescent plate. A lens can be disposed in a space closer to the first surface of the fluorescent plate.
US08662683B2
A reflector body (10), particularly a spherical retro-reflective marker, includes a plurality of reflector body segments (11), and the individual reflector body segments (11) formed by such a reflector body (10), and there are methods for producing the reflector body segments (11) and the reflector body (10). The reflector bodies (10) include a coating having a reflection film (12), by which the reflector body segments (11) of the reflector body (10) are uniformly spanned, performed by suitably selecting the geometric shape of the reflector body segment (11) to be spanned, by injecting molding behind the reflection film (12) in an injection molding process and/or by producing the reflector body segments (11) in a forming process.
US08662674B2
Provided is a method for controlling a cooling device that includes pump (1) having pump characteristics defined by a relationship between the number of revolutions and a pressure value, and cooling fan (5), and the cooling device cools an object to be cooled by a cool wind generated by injecting air compressed by pump (1) and a cooling wind of cooling fan (5). The method includes: preparing beforehand a first parameter to associate an altitude with a change rate d of a gradient of the pump characteristics at one altitude with respect to a gradient of the pump characteristics at another altitude; and controlling the numbers of revolutions of pump (1) and cooling fan (5) based on an altitude calculated from the first parameter and the change rate d.
US08662670B2
An ophthalmic illuminator includes a one or more light combining stages arranged in series to augment a white light source with various color spectral bands. A first stage combines white light from a white light source with colored light from a first color source. Each subsequent stage in the series adds its own respective colored light. The color sources may be selectively turned on/off or driven with variable amounts of power. In this fashion, a combined light is produced by the final stage that represents a desired chromaticity and brightness as desired for a particular ophthalmic therapeutic procedure.
US08662669B2
The devices and methods of the invention ameliorate age-related losses of night time visual acuity by constricting the pupil with a directionally focused, low-power light source close to the eye that does not impair vision by reflecting off the internal glass surfaces of the windshield and windows. Preferred devices and methods include means for adjusting the brightness of the light source and the distance and angular orientation between the light source and the eye. Particularly preferred devices and methods provide means to fix the light source in relation to the eye so that effectiveness is not diminished when the driver turns his or her head.
US08662661B2
In a liquid ejection apparatus, a second casing is connected to a first casing so as to be rotatable relative to the first casing about a prescribed axis. The second casing holds a liquid ejection head and a cartridge holding portion. A lower wall of the cartridge holding portion extends in an insertion direction, along which the cartridge holding portion enables a liquid cartridge to move when the liquid cartridge is inserted into the cartridge holding portion, the insertion direction being directed from a central point in an insertion opening in a direction perpendicular to an ejection surface toward a point that is on a reference imaginary plane, on which the axis extends and which is perpendicular to the ejection surface, and that is closer to the axis than upper and lower reference points.
US08662658B2
An inkjet offset printer includes at least one printhead to eject ink on a release agent applied to an image receiving member for subsequent transfer of the ink to the surface of a recording media. The release agent is applied to the image receiving member by at least two release agent applicators. The release agent can be selectively applied to process sheets of recording media of different sizes to improve print quality. Selective application of release agent to the image receiving member prevents release agent from migrating to a transfix roll, and subsequently to the back side of the media which affects the image quality.
US08662647B2
A rotary valve for distributing ink from an ink source to a media width inkjet printhead, the valve having a body, a shaft rotatably mounted to the body, a channel cylinder arranged on the shaft to be rotatable therewith, the channel cylinder having a channel defined along its circumference, a port cylinder fixed to the body relative to the shaft so as to concentrically and sealingly enclose the channel cylinder, the port cylinder having a plurality of ports defined therethrough along its circumference for respective connection to the printhead and ink source, each port being aligned with a portion of the channel and a selection device for selectively rotating the shaft to establish interconnection between the ports and the channel thereby allowing ink flow between the ports via the channel.
US08662639B2
A flexible circuit includes a sprocket opening and electrically conductive lines connected to a print head.
US08662638B2
The present invention provides an image forming method and an ink composition used in the method by which deterioration of a head plate which is formed of silicon is suppressed and more precise images are stably formed, where ink containing an inorganic silicate compound is ejected to form an image from an inkjet head having a nozzle plate where SiO2 film is provided on a surface thereof at a side toward the ink ejection direction of the nozzle.
US08662635B2
A fluid ejection device comprising: a first mid-recording flushing unit for ejecting fluid from the plurality of nozzles and carrying out flushing under a first fluid ejection condition during a recording process in accordance with the recording data; and a second mid-recording flushing unit for ejecting the fluid from the nozzles on the head part and carrying out flushing under a second fluid ejection condition in which at least one of the ejection frequency and quantity of the droplets of fluid ejected from the nozzles is greater than with the first fluid ejection condition when the head part is in a recording initiation part of an image that is formed on the recording medium during the recording process.
US08662626B2
A device for controlling substrate web tension includes first and second driving units with respective driving rollers around which the substrate web is partially guided and tensioned. The first and second driving units have different rotational moments of inertia. A measuring unit measures the tension of the substrate web. A control unit has first and a second filtering units with different filtering characteristics for filtering the measured value. The control unit includes a first control device for controlling the first driving unit based on the measured value filtered by the first filtering device, and a second control device for controlling the second driving unit based on the measured value filtered by the second filtering device.
US08662625B2
A method of identifying positions of a plurality of printheads in a printer is described. The printer identifies the positions of each of the plurality of printheads with reference to image data of a printed test pattern. The printer calibrates one or more printheads using only a single test pattern to correct registration errors in the printheads.
US08662621B2
A droplet jetting applicator includes a droplet jet head being movably provided, having a nozzle surface provided with multiple nozzles, and being configured to jet a liquid from the multiple nozzles as droplets, a cleaner configured to clean the nozzle surface, an image shooting unit configured to shoot shapes of the droplets jetted from the droplet jet head, and a controller configured to control the droplet jet head, the cleaner, and the image shooting unit and to detect the shapes of the droplets shot by the image shooting unit.
US08662618B2
In the event that occurrence of a jam has been detected during conveyance of a sheet, the sheet is cut at a cutter unit, and a user is prompted to perform manual jam restoration processing according to the location where the jam has occurred. If the jam has occurred upstream from the cutter unit, the cut sheets left downstream from the cutter unit are discharged as completed articles.
US08662612B2
An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a head driving control unit, and a dummy ejection control unit. The dummy ejection control unit controls first dummy ejection operation to eject droplets to a continuous medium per a constant length and second dummy ejection operation to eject droplets not contributing to image formation to an image formation area. In the first dummy ejection operation, the head driving control unit applies a first non ejection pulse to a pressure generator corresponding to a non ejection nozzle. In the second dummy ejection operation, the head driving control unit applies a second non ejection pulse to the pressure generator corresponding to the non ejection nozzle. When the second non ejection pulse is applied, an amplitude or number of vibrations of a meniscus of liquid in the non ejection nozzle is greater than when the first non ejection pulse is applied.
US08662605B2
A mobile technology cabinet includes a compartment having a work platform mounted for rotational motion between a substantially vertical storage position and a deployed position. A monitor support is operatively connected to the work platform such that movement of the work platform between the storage position and the deployed position causes the monitor support to rise from a storage position to a deployed position. The work platform may be rotated relative to the cabinet to simultaneously deploy the work surface and to raise the monitor. A base supports the cabinet for movement on wheels. A frame extends from the base and supports a cabinet such that the cabinet is movable between a raised position and a lowered position.
US08662603B2
A protective enclosure including a housing defining a door opening is provided. A first flange extends from an opening end of a door and is angled relative to a surface of said door inwardly toward an interior storage space of the enclosure. The first flange and the door surface form an obtuse angle. A second flange extends from a hinge end of the door and is angled relative to the door surface inwardly toward the interior storage space. The second flange and the door surface form an obtuse angle. A hinge pivotally mounts the door with the housing. A locking mechanism selectively locks the door to the housing. The housing includes a channel disposed along at least a portion of the door opening. At least a portion of the first and second flanges are disposed within the channel when the door is closed to resist pry attacks.
US08662590B2
Headrest and method for relieving of neck and throat muscles for a sitting person. The headrest includes a headband arranged to be able to be led around the person's head, a seat band arranged to be able to be fastened to a portion of the back of a chair, and a neckband connecting the forehead portion of the headband with the seat band. The headband is displaceably arranged in the longitudinal direction of the neckband.
US08662584B1
An upper section, a lower section and an intermediate section each have top, bottom and side edges. The upper and lower sections are fabricated of a water absorbing material. The intermediate section is fabricated in an open mesh configuration of a water non-absorbing material. An upper strip of fasteners is attached to the lower edge of the upper section and the upper edge of the intermediate section. A lower strip of fasteners is attached to the lower edge of the intermediate section and the upper edge of the lower section.
US08662569B2
An active grille shutter system comprising a controller, a sensor provides a freeze signal to the controller when a temperature is near or below freezing, and an electric motor that opens and closes a plurality of vanes. The motor receives a low current signal from the controller to operate the system at a first torque level and receives a high current signal to operate the system at a second torque level when the controller receives the freeze signal. A precipitation signal from the windshield wiper system of the vehicle is provided to the controller to provide an indication that there is precipitation present in the vehicle environment. The controller may provide the high current signal to the motor only when the freeze signal and the precipitation signal are provided to the controller. A method is also provided for operating the system.
US08662567B2
A vehicle roof support pillar assembly may include a first support pillar and a second support pillar. The first support pillar may have a first hollow body with a first side surface. The second support pillar may have a second hollow body with a second side surface, the second support pillar may be positioned next to the first hollow body when assembled and in use. The first and second side surfaces may contact each other along at least a portion of their vertical extent.
US08662564B2
Hinged assemblies, and children's products including at least one hinged assembly, include a base member and a hinged member operatively and pivotally coupled to the base member to define a hinge. The hinge is configured to release if an obstruction is positioned between the hinged member and the base member while the hinged member is being closed and if a closing torque is greater than or equal to a release torque. The hinge also may be configured to not release when an opening torque is applied when the hinged member is in its open position even when the opening torque is greater than the release torque.
US08662563B1
A retractable vehicle canopy assembly provides temporary shelter from precipitation or sun. The assembly includes a housing having a bottom, a top, and a perimeter wall extending between the bottom and the top defining an interior space. The bottom of the housing is configured for coupling to a vehicle adjacent to a door of the vehicle. A slot extends through the perimeter wall of the housing. A plurality of rails is positioned in the interior space. Each of the rails is selectively extendable from the interior space through the slot. A cover is coupled to the rails and extending outwardly from the slot when the rails are extended from the slot whereby the cover is configured to shelter an area adjacent to the door of the vehicle.
US08662558B1
A vehicular storage system for providing secure storage of tools, sporting goods, and other equipment while maintaining quick removal characteristics. The system includes at least one storage assembly and a mounting assembly. Each one of the storage assemblies includes a bottom wall, a perimeter wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, and a lid portion for selectively closing at least a portion of a compartment formed by the bottom wall and the perimeter wall. The mounting assembly is designed to be coupleable to a vehicle, such as a pick-up truck, sport utility vehicle, all terrain vehicle, boat, or other suitable vehicle. The mounting assembly facilitates removably mounting the storage assembly to the vehicle.
US08662556B2
This invention provides an apparatus and method for safely lifting large off-highway truck bodies and also allows for lifting these truck bodies inside off-highway truck service bays with limited overhead lifting clearances. The invention minimizes the stresses on the truck body and on the lifting cables/slings. This lifting apparatus and method incorporates temporary lifting eyes installed through lifting hole receivers in the truck body floor. The temporary lifting eyes can be designed such that their strength is gained thru interlocking steel members versus simply welding.
US08662552B2
A robotic finger that includes multiple phalanges, each phalange configured to be compliantly actuated. The robotic finger also includes compliant touch sensors that, in combination with the compliant actuation, provides the robotic finger with two levels of compliance. The two levels of compliance enable the robotic finger to gently conform to and manipulate objects.
US08662551B2
A housing for a seal assembly of a pump, the housing comprising a main body having a wall section with inner and outer sides, and a bore extending through the main body between the inner and outer sides, a holder protruding from the inner side of the main body, the holder having an outer edge and a bearing face which is inclined inwardly towards the inner side, and extending from the outer edge towards the bore. There is also disclosed a lifting device for use with the housing.
US08662544B2
Each of two exhaust pipes has a flared flange with the flange on one pipe spaced from the pipe's end edge forming a corner with the pipe's end segment. A triangular seal between the two flanges abuts the pipe segment and corner. One flange has an outer convex spherical surface and a concave inner spherical surface which engages the outer convex spherical surface of the seal at a contact point. Two depending conical legs of a U shaped in section band clamp engage and force the flanges and pipe corner and end segment against the seal. A clamp leg engages the outer convex spherical surface of the one flange at a tangential contact point. The one clamp leg, the one flange and the seal exhibit two tangential respective contact points defining a plane normal to that flange providing enhanced stress concentration on the seal and flanges.
US08662529B2
A side airbag having a high pressure chamber and a low pressure chamber divided by a sewn portion, a diffuser that distributes gas for inflation to the high pressure chamber and the low pressure chamber, and a check valve that regulates flowing of gas from a high pressure chamber side to a low pressure chamber side. A partitioning wall, that divides a lower chamber (high pressure chamber) and an upper chamber (low pressure chamber) within a side airbag, is structured by a portion of a lower base cloth (high pressure chamber base cloth) that structures the lower chamber or a portion of an upper base cloth (low pressure chamber base cloth) that structures the upper chamber. A check valve, that permits flowing of gas, jetted-out from a gas jetting-out portion of an inflator, from the upper chamber to the lower chamber and that regulates flowing of gas in an opposite direction, is provided integrally with the partitioning wall.
US08662528B1
The protective suit is for use by persons engaged in various potentially hazardous activities, but is particularly well adapted for wear by motorcyclists and others engaged in motorsports activities. The suit is equipped with airbags that differ from conventional automotive airbags in that the present airbags deflate more slowly to protect the wearer of the suit over a few seconds in an accident. The suit is also equipped with warning lights that are actuated in the event of an accident. The suit is electronically connected to a belt having various electronic systems capable of monitoring the condition of the motor vehicle and the wearer of the suit through sensors in the vehicle and suit. The suit is further electronically connected to the vehicle, the vehicle having a lockout system that prevents the vehicle from being started until the suit, belt, and helmet are properly connected and operable.
US08662527B2
An airbag provided with a pocket. An airbag (21) comprises a main bag body (31), an opening (32) formed in the main bag body (31), a small bag body (33) extending from the opening (32) to the inside of the main bag body, and a joining section (34) at which a part of the small bag body is joined to the main bag body. The joining section (34) is provided in the area which, when the airbag is expanded, extends from both the side surfaces of the airbag or from the top surface (72) of the airbag to the rear surface (73) which comes in contact with and holds the occupant.
US08662525B1
An adjustable width trailer is disclosed which is capable of hauling large machines, farm machinery, or the like. The trailer includes one or more pull-out extender assemblies mounted on the frame of the trailer. Each of the pull-out extender assemblies includes a plurality of horizontally disposed and horizontally spaced-apart support tubes which are secured to the frame of the trailer in a transverse relationship thereto so that the outer ends of the support tubes are positioned outwardly of the frame members of the frame of the trailer. Each of the pull-out extender assemblies includes first and second pull-out sections at one side of the trailer and third and fourth pull-out sections at the other side of the trailer which are individually movable between retraced and extended positions.
US08662524B2
An assembly including a gliding board and a device for retaining an article of footwear on the board, the device extending longitudinally from a rear end to a front end, the board having a receiving zone provided to receive the retaining device longitudinally in relation to the board. The assembly includes a wedge device which inclines the retaining device longitudinally in relation to the board, so that the retaining device is angled downwardly from the front end to the rear end.
US08662519B2
An internal cable system for a bicycle is disclosed herein. The system is configured such that vibration between one or more cables and a bicycle frame is reduced. As such, riders are able to navigate through rugged terrain without experiencing increased noise due to internal cable vibration against the bicycle frame.
US08662515B2
A movable wheelchair structure contains a base. A sliding mechanism is fixed on the base and includes two rods extending outward from one side of the base, with each rod including an auxiliary wheel extending outward from one end portion thereof. A vertical moving mechanism is fixed on the sliding mechanism. A frame is fixed on one side of the vertical moving mechanism and moves vertically and horizontally with the vertical moving mechanism and the sliding mechanism. A back support axially is coupled with a rear end of the frame. A leg member is axially connected with a front end of the frame. Thus, a user is capable of moving onto a bed or another position, enhancing usage at a hospital and at home.
US08662510B2
Wheel suspension for a wheeled vehicle, with a lower rocking lever (12) with an inner end being movably connected to a vehicle frame (14) via a lower arm part (16) of a double armed rocker (18) which is pivotable about a substantially horizontal axle (20) in the vehicle frame, and with an outer end being articulately attached to a lower part of a wheel hub (24), and an upper support arm (28) with an outer end being articulately attached to an upper end of the wheel hub (24), and with an inner end, being articulately connected to the vehicle frame (14). The upper support arm (28) is connected to an upper arm part (34) of the double armed rocker (18) via a coupling link (36), which is articulately connected to the upper support arm (28) as well as the upper arm part (34) of the double armed rocker (18), wherein the lower rocking lever (12) has an inclination obliquely downwardly outwardly from the vehicle frame (14) in a neutral position of the wheel hub (24). A hydro-pneumatically combined spring acting and damping member (42), which comprises a hydraulic piston-cylinder device (44) and a gas spring (50) communicating therewith via restriction members is with its cylinder articulately connected to the vehicle frame (14), while the outer end of the piston stem (48) of the piston-cylinder device is articulately connected to the upper support arm (28).
US08662507B2
An unpowered, self-elevating and self-lowering home appliance assembly cart for supporting and transporting a plurality of home appliance assembly components, such as oven doors, including a base, and a self-leveling and self-lowering door suspension and supporting system having a mast, a rail system moveably coupled to the mast, a plurality of arms extending from the rail system, each pair of arms for supporting a home appliance assembly component, and a self-leveling and self-lowering device that automatically self-levels and self-lowers the pair of arms within a predetermined acceptable ergonomic work zone with respect to a vertical height along the mast based on an unloaded state, a partially loaded state, and a loaded state of the plurality of arms and without power assistance, the predetermined acceptable ergonomic work zone being for loading and unloading the home appliance assembly component from the pair of arms.
US08662499B2
A method for transporting printed products is provided. The method includes the steps setting a nip to a first size for printed products having a first thickness, sensing a printed product having a second thickness different from the first thickness, the printed product sensing occurring prior to the printed product entering the nip, adjusting the first size of the nip, to a second size different from the first size, to receive the printed product having a second thickness; and transporting the printed product having the second thickness through the nip.
US08662498B2
According to one embodiment, a paper discharge device includes a discharged-sheet receiving part that can be opened and closed on a side surface of an apparatus body, is closed on the side surface and receives a recording medium dropped from above along the side surface after image formation.
US08662493B2
A user is notified that the setting of sheets with respect to a grouped plurality of sheet storage units is changed, so that a state becomes impossible to execute switching of the grouped sheet storage units. The control method includes, registering a plurality of sheet storage units each storing a sheet as one group, determining, at the time of sheet supply to any one of the sheet storage units, whether sheet information about the sheet storage unit set in the group has been changed by sheet information newly set with respect to the sheet storage unit to be supplied with the sheet, and a notifying, when it is determined that the sheet information has been changed, the user of the change in the sheet information about the sheet storage units set as one group by the supply of the sheet.
US08662485B2
A suction apparatus 1 holds a wafer W by performing vacuum-suctioning on the wafer W. The suction apparatus 1 comprises a suction substrate 2. The suction substrate 2, which is rigid, comprises a plurality of pin-like protrusions 2a formed so that the tip-end faces (upper surfaces) thereof are the same height. An elastic coating layer is coated by way of an undercoat layer 4 on the tip-end faces of the protrusions 2a. When the wafer W is suctioned, even if a foreign matter is interposed between the wafer W and the suction surface, because the foreign matter embeds itself into the coating layer 3, the planarization of the wafer W is improved. In addition, because the coating layer 3 can be made comparatively thinner, undulations in the wafer W can be reduced and, to that end, the planarization of the wafer W in the suctioned state can be improved.
US08662481B2
A system & Method for Preventing Scaling in a Flue Gas Desulphurization System is provided. The system includes an injector configured to direct a barrier fluid toward a surface that is otherwise susceptible to scaling when it comes in contact with super-saturated alkaline solutions such as slurry used to capture CO2 from a flue gas stream.
US08662463B2
A temporary bracket includes a mounting bracket, an absorbing dish, and a placing member. The mounting bracket includes a mounting body. A mounting opening is defined in the mounting body. The mounting opening includes a wide part and a narrow part communicating with the wide part. The absorbing dish includes a suction cup for sucking a surface, a neck portion extending from the suction cup, and a securing portion extending from the neck portion. The neck portion is disposed in the narrow part. The securing portion is used for extending into the wide part and moves to the narrow part to enable the neck portion to be disposed in the narrow part. The placing member is secured to the mounting bracket for supporting an object.
US08662454B2
A method of visualizing a track occupation in a train movement tracking and/or planning system for railway safety equipment for at least one train on the basis of a time-distance line diagram (TDL diagram) which is produced as computer graphics. In order to enable potential train routing collisions that are due to delays to be detected, the distance is displayed graphically as a function of time and of a further coordinate, characterizing a delay time, in a three-dimensional coordinate system.
US08662448B2
There is provided an insulation system and method for a transport vehicle. The system has first and second frame members; a first rigid foam insulation member extending between the first and second frame members; a second rigid foam insulation member, where a first sidewall of the first insulation member integrates with a second sidewall of the second insulation member; and, a third rigid foam insulation member where the second sidewall of the first insulation member integrates with a first sidewall of the third insulation member. Each of the insulation members is surrounded by a protective layer. When the insulation members are integrated, the second and third insulation members impart one or more compression forces on the first insulation member and on the first frame member in order to secure the first insulation member in place without use of any fastener device.
US08662443B2
A torsion lock may include a clutch, a spring, and a shape memory alloy (SMA) member. The spring may cause the application of pressure on the clutch for engagement thereof. The SMA member may linearly contract when heated in a manner to relieve the pressure on the clutch for disengagement thereof.
US08662438B2
The support (300) is intended to be fixed in a housing provided in the drone, through a mechanical interface (310) made of a material absorbing the mechanical vibrations. The mechanical interface, annular in shape, is intended to be attached to a corresponding annular shoulder provided in the housing. A fastening part (301) for fixing the support in the housing carries the mechanical interface (310), with at least one connection leg (302) supporting the navigation electronic card (320) and mounted free at one end on the fastening part. A battery (400) for the power supply of the drone is further accommodated in the support. The navigation electronic card may notably include a navigation sensor (321) such as an accelerometer, placed on the card in such a manner to be positioned at the barycenter of the drone.
US08662437B2
When current collecting wires are laid in parallel with each other on a solar cell on which a photosensitive film is formed, a wire tension adjusting mechanism is provided which includes a bobbin holder shaft pivotally held on the side of a frame in a bobbin cassette in a wiring apparatus and a wire bobbin is detachably fixed on the bobbin holder shaft. The wire tension adjusting mechanism further includes a pre-load means for adjusting the torque of the bobbin holder shaft and the tension of each current collecting wire to be drawn out from the wire bobbin held by the bobbin shaft is adjusted.
US08662428B2
A method and associated apparatus for detaching a frozen charge from an inner wall of a grinding pipe of a tube mill such as is used for grinding. The method includes controlling a driving device of the grinding pipe to detach a frozen charge from an inner wall of the grinding pipe, which driving device is operable to apply a driving torque to the grinding pipe. Controlling the driving device includes varying the driving torque applied to the grinding pipe around a predetermined reference level.
US08662421B2
An improved fluidic spray device that includes: (a) a base having boundary surfaces including top, bottom and side edge surfaces, (b) a plurality of projections extending from a base boundary surface chosen from the group consisting of its top and bottom surfaces, wherein these projections are configured and spaced so as to provide the interior geometry of the flow passages for a fluidic circuit having a power nozzle and an interaction region located downstream of the power nozzle, and (c) wherein the flow passages that are proximate the base edges having no sidewalls to form edge boundaries for these flow passages.
US08662420B2
A fluid injector has a housing, an actuator unit and a valve body. The valve body has a needle (22) and a cartridge (21) with a recess, which takes in the needle (22) and which has on one of its ends a seat plate (213), that has a needle seat (2132) for the inward-opening needle (22), with the needle (22) further having a seat part (221) with a sealing area (222), that is destined to rest on the needle seat (2132) if it is pushed against the needle seat (2132), with the seat part (221) having a cavity radially inwards and in proximity to the sealing area (222).
US08662408B2
An annular injector is described. The injector includes a first bayonet assembly and a second bayonet assembly each including a terminal end and a tip end. The second bayonet assembly is configured to be concentrically coupled at least partially about the first bayonet assembly. An outer diameter of the first bayonet assembly and an inner diameter of the second bayonet assembly vary at the tip end to define a first substantially annular nozzle. The first bayonet assembly includes a maximum outer diameter that is greater than a minimum inner diameter of the second bayonet assembly and at least a portion of at least one of the first bayonet assembly and the second bayonet assembly extends from the tip end to the terminal end. The injector includes a third bayonet assembly configured to be concentrically coupled at least partially about the second bayonet assembly to define a second substantially annular nozzle.
US08662406B2
The invention provides a method and a system for controlling floor heating or climate regulating systems with long time constants. According to the invention, a flow of a fluid is provided through the floor or through a similar medium with large thermal inertia. An induced heat is determined by adding up a plurality of differences between an inlet temperature of the fluid when it enters the medium and an outlet temperature of the fluid when it leaves the medium. The temperatures are sampled with a fixed sampling time and within a fixed period of time, and a corresponding change in temperature of the medium over the fixed period of time is determined. In the future, the temperature of that medium is controlled by use of a ratio between the induced heat and the change in temperature.
US08662405B2
A transportation trailer having a moving floor including a plurality of reciprocating slats for loading/unloading materials into the trailer. The trailer includes a system for warming the moving floor when the materials transported in the trailer freeze on the slats in cold weather. Using the pre-existing hollow structure of the slats, a stream of hot fluid or a hot fluid pipe is run inside the slats for thawing the frozen materials for unloading the trailer. The hot fluid may be provided from a hot fluid source on board of the trailer, for thawing the frozen materials while the trailer is on its way to the unloading site, or may be provided separately at the unloading site.
US08662402B2
The invention provides an ID chip with reduced cost, increased impact resistance and attractive design, as well as products and the like mounting the ID chip and a manufacturing method thereof. In view of the foregoing, an integrated circuit having a semiconductor film with a thickness of 0.2 μm or less is mounted on securities including bills, belongings, containers of food and drink, and the like (hereinafter referred to as products and the like). The ID chip of the invention can be reduced in cost and increased in impact resistance as compared with a chip formed over a silicon wafer while maintaining an attractive design.
US08662401B2
Embodiments presented herein generally relate to a novel mobile device containing a near field communication (NFC) component. In embodiments, the mobile device includes a payment user interface device. The payment user interface device may be a button on a keypad or may be an icon on a user interface. In embodiments, only after activating, by depressing or selecting, the payment user interface device can allow a user to use the NFC component. In embodiments, the NFC component is powered off until the activation of the payment user interface device.
US08662395B2
There is provided an apparatus and method for reading matrix codes comprising an ultrasound transducer 20 which comprises transmitter and receiver electrodes, a receiver unit 24 connected to the receiver electrodes for processing the signals received by the receiver electrodes, and a transmitter module 21 connected to the transmitter electrodes, the transmitter module transferring an electronic signal to the transducer, where the signal shape is selected between a number of signal shapes according to the characteristics of the matrix code to be read.
US08662393B2
Accidents such as mistakenly delivering products belonging to a different buyer to the wrong person can be prevented. A receipt and claim ticket printing device that issues to a buyer of a product a receipt showing the product name and price and the total purchase amount, and a claim ticket for the product purchased by the buyer, has a product image storage unit that stores product images of the products that are sold; a product image extraction unit that extracts the product image of at least one of the purchased products from the product image storage unit when the receipt is issued; and a print unit that prints the claim ticket on which the extracted product image is printed with the receipt.
US08662388B2
An assembly and method of identifying and visually associating individuals and medical equipment includes a computing device having a software algorithm that determines a unique combination of one or more human cognitive identifiers to avoid confusion and displays the determined selection on an electronic skin located on the individual or medical equipment so that identities and associations amongst individuals and equipment can be understood readily.
US08662385B2
A method of generating custom reports based on point-of-sale data transferred between multiple remote computing devices and a central computing device includes generating point-of-sale data at multiple remote locations, transferring the point-of-sale data to a central computing device from multiple computing devices at the respective multiple remote locations, defining a custom report format, the custom report format specifying at least two of the multiple remote locations and specifying a date range, the date range and the at least two multiple remote locations being freely selectable by a user, generating a custom report using the custom report format, the custom report being based on point-of-sale data related to the specified remote locations and the specified date range, and communicating the custom report to a human being. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium for generating custom reports is also disclosed, as are subscription services, computer systems, graphical user interfaces and other features.
US08662384B2
A computer-implemented method of effectuating an electronic on-line payment includes receiving at a computer server system a text message from a payor containing a payment request representing a payment amount sent by a payor device operating independently of the computer server system, determining a payment amount associated with the text message and debiting a payor account for an amount corresponding to the amount of the payment request, and crediting an account of a payee that is independent of the computer server system.
US08662367B2
A method for use in an automobile includes the steps of: providing an inflatable device having a shell formed of an airtight, flexible and insulated material that is specifically sized and configured to fill a volume of space within a lower rear interior compartment of the automobile behind the front seats and below the level of a plane extending between the top of the front seats and a bottom edge of the rear window of the automobile; installing the inflatable device within the rear compartment of the automobile; inflating the device and causing the device to completely fill the lower rear interior compartment; reducing the interior air space within the automobile and preventing circulated air of the automobile's climate control system from circulating into the lower rear interior compartment, thereby improving the efficiency of the climate control system and fuel efficiency of the automobile.
US08662366B1
A ladder rack for a vehicle having a cab and a cargo area behind the cab. The rack has two front and two rear upwardly extending legs affixed to the cargo area proximally to and distally from the cab, respectively. Two side sections extending between longitudinally adjacent front and rear legs, respectively; and front overhang sections extending from the front legs, respectively, over and displaced above the cab. The sections each including an upper bar assembly, a lower bar and an attachment for attaching the sections to an adjacent leg. Each of the attachments has a plate and fasteners, the upper bar assemblies and lower bars being end abutting against one or more plates, being fixed to the plates and being displaced from one another at the plates. The plates extend between the upper bar assemblies and the lower bars and outwardly beyond each. The fasteners of the attachments are received by a plate and an adjacent leg beyond the upper bar assembly and the lower bars. Crossbars extend between the front overhang sections, front legs and the side sections. Vertical adjustment of some of the crossbars is provided.
US08662359B1
Methods and apparatus provide for a gasoline can air vent apparatus. The gasoline can air vent apparatus includes a platform having a platform fuel passage and a platform air channel. A nozzle assembly is in removable-mechanical communication with the platform. The nozzle assembly includes a nozzle assembly air channel substantially aligned with the platform air channel. A nozzle fuel channel extends into the nozzle assembly. A nozzle air channel extends into the nozzle assembly.
US08662357B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for dispensing toners. In one aspect, a cap and valve assembly is provided including a movable valve assembly, the movable valve assembly having a first position and a second position; a toner path, which when open is configured to allow toner to flow from a toner container to an output aperture; and an air inlet path, which when open is configured to couple an air source to the toner container; where in a first valve assembly position the toner path and the air inlet path are closed, and in a second valve assembly position the toner path aid the air inlet path are open.
US08662353B2
A container comprises a dispensing head (13) and a protective cap (1) fitted on the dispensing head (13). The cap (1) comprises a base portion (1a) engageable to a dispensing head (13); a lid (1b) hinged to said base portion (1a) and movable between an open position, in which it allows access to the dispensing head (13), and a closed position in which it prevents access to the dispensing head (13); an outer locator plate (9) engageable with a corresponding inner locator plate (24) of said dispensing head (13), the mutual engagement between said locator plates (9, 24) defining a screwing motion of the cap (1) relative to the dispensing head (13) to automatically achieve an installation of the cap (1) on the dispensing head (13) according to a pre-determined mutual angular positioning. The dispensing head (13) comprising a base (14) able to be coupled stably to an outlet portion of the container; a dispenser (15) having a dispensing head and slidably movable relative to the base (14) to obtain a dispensing of a product contained in the container as a result of a pressure exerted on the dispenser (15); at least one inner locator plate (24) engageable with the outer locator plate (9) of the cap (1), to guide the outer locator plate (9) according to a helical path around the dispenser (15).
US08662348B2
This invention relates to a kit of parts (1), comprising top plates (2), gable cover plates (3), gable structures each comprising a nozzle boot, side cover plates, and side structures (4) each comprising a nozzle boot (5), which kit of parts (1) is suitable for assembling a nozzle module according to any one of three configurations. The invention also relates to a fuel dispensing unit for refueling vehicles.
US08662342B1
A method and device for releasably sealing a material into a container is disclosed. The device has a plug handle and a flexible plug body with an exterior edge that conforms to the contours of the interior wall of the container. The plug body is inserted into the container and is positioned to the surface of the material within the chamber using the plug handle. The plug body exerts resistance pressure against the interior wall of the container. The resistance pressure releasably seals the material in the chamber. In certain embodiments, while the plug body is inserted into the container, the resistance pressure squeezes the material from at least a portion of the interior wall of the container down to a pool of the material in the chamber of the container.
US08662340B2
The present invention provides a device for increasing portion control in a diet. In one illustrative embodiment, the portion control device includes a cover member sized to cover at least a portion of an eating surface of a plate. The cover member may include a first surface having one or more openings therein defined by an opening perimeter. One or more compartment walls may be attached to the first surface adjacent to the perimeter of the one or more openings and may extend a distance therefrom. The openings and the compartment walls may define a portion compartment that may help to manage, and in some cases, measure, portions of food. Additionally, in some embodiments, the compartments may have labels indicating the food group to be placed therein to help achieve a balanced diet.
US08662338B2
A container to be received in a processing apparatus to subject the container to heat and/or pressure. The container is adapted to receive and contain a substance that includes nuclear material. The container includes a hollow body having an interior within which the substance is to be located. The body includes an opening through which the substance can be moved with respect to the interior. A lid is removably attached to the body to close the opening. At least one filter allows fluid flow into and from the interior. The body and lid hermetically seal the interior except for the at least one filter.
US08662318B1
An apparatus for carrying and storing footwear has a flexible, substantially “T” shaped member having a first section and a second section that is transverse to the first section. The second section extends in opposite directions to first and second distal ends. The “T” shaped member has front and rear sides, wherein fastening devices are attached to the front side and mating fastening devices are attached to the rear side. Each fastening device on the front side is configured to be removably attached to a corresponding mating fastener on the rear side. Fastening devices on the front side are located on the first section adjacent the second section and on the second section adjacent the first distal end. Mating fastening devices on the rear side are located on the first section adjacent the distal end of the first section and on the second section adjacent the second distal end.
US08662316B2
A filter medium for liquid filtration of fine texture exhibiting high strength when wetted with water, which filter medium is comprised of a wet-laid nonwoven fabric. There is provided a filter medium for liquid filtration comprised of a wet-laid nonwoven fabric, characterized in that through blending of 0.5 to 40 wt. % of unbeaten natural fibers, it exhibits a very fine texture, a lowering ratio, calculated from bursting strength in ordinary state and bursting strength when wetted with water, of 30% or below, and a bursting strength, had when wetted with water, of 300 kPa or greater.
US08662314B2
The present invention is an apparatus and method for sorting foreign material and undesirable articles from a product stream. A mechanical diverter having a concave shape is responsive to an inspection station coupled to the product stream. The mechanical diverter is employed to effectively launch or otherwise redirect undesirable articles in an alternate path. In addition, an air ejector in one form of the invention is provided and is responsive to the inspection station and is employed to dislodge foreign material from the product stream.
US08662313B2
In some implementations, a cooler reduces the temperature of pressed dough balls after the pressed dough balls have been baked in an oven. The cooler may include multiple cooling conveyors arranged in a vertical stack with adjacent conveyors transferring the pressed dough balls in opposite directions. The cooler may include a safety release turnaround between each of the adjacent cooling conveyors to move the pressed dough balls between the adjacent conveyors in the cooler.
US08662286B2
A lumber sorter using a conveyor system with hooks that pick up, move and drop lumber. The lumber sorter includes limiters attached to the hooks that restrict the rotation of the hooks while the limiters are running in raceways. The limiters restrict the rotation of the hooks between a first and second orientation through the use of opposing contact points that contact with opposing walls of the raceways. The limiters maintain the hooks in a substantially vertical position while they carry lumber, but permit the hooks to be pivoted to drop the lumber at a designated position. The use of limiters having first and second contact points allows for the pivot direction and degree of rotation to be configurable and predetermined by the position and placement of the contact points.
US08662272B2
A pressure medium supply device of a hydraulically actuated shifting element (K1, K2) comprises at least one pressure medium supply duct (1, 2) in communication with a pump (4) and a line (3) for pre-filling of the shifting element. An additional pressure-retaining valve (9, 9′) or a check diaphragm is integrated in the pressure medium supply duct (1, 2), between the shifting element and the shifting element valve (6, 7), and can be closed in the draining direction of the pressure medium supply duct (1, 2). The pressure-retaining valve (9, 9′) is designed such that the shifting element can be drained and the pressure medium supply device can be vented.
US08662264B2
A catch device, for example in a safety device of an elevator mechanism, includes at least one first force store element and one second force store element having different force storage rates, and a displacement limit for the first force store element.
US08662259B2
A braking device including a housing mounted in relative rotation relative to a shaft, braking discs, a braking piston adapted to stress the braking discs, a spring washer mounted on the brake housing on a support zone located on one of the peripheries of its first face, and having on its second face a braking support zone, which cooperate with the braking piston so as to stress the braking discs according to a braking direction. An unbraking piston is adapted to stress the washer according to a direction opposite said braking direction. The spring washer has an unbraking support zone with the unbraking piston on the other of the peripheries of the second face of the spring washer. The braking support zone is located at an intermediate position of the at least one spring washer.
US08662256B2
According to one embodiment, a response time calculation unit calculates a response time of each of the cars required when the car stop call is assigned to the car. An assignment control unit assigns the car stop call to the optimum car, based on the response time of each of the cars. A car load calculation unit calculates a load value of each car at the time when each car starts from a registration floor of the car stop call after responding to the call. A boarding possibility determination unit determines, for each car, whether the user can get on the car or not, by comparing the load value with a preset capacity value. A registration control unit performs control to assign the car stop call, including a second and later responses to the registration floor of the car stop call, based on a determination result of the boarding possibility.
US08662252B2
A carriage assembly includes a carriage frame, a caster, and a first jack body coupled to the carriage frame and the caster. The first jack body has a longitudinal axis. The first jack body is configured to selectively move the caster with respect to the carriage frame along the longitudinal axis.
US08662233B2
In an engine unit, a drive unit case includes a crank shaft disposed in a left-right direction of a vehicle, a drive shaft and a second main shaft. A transmission shaft is parallel or substantially parallel to the drive shaft and transmits rotational power, which has been transmitted via a middle gear, to a propeller shaft. A second clutch, which transmits rotational power from the crank shaft to the second main shaft, is freely detachably connected to an end of one side of the second main shaft which protrudes from a drive unit case more than the end of one side of the drive shaft, at a position that overlaps with at least one section of the middle gear on the side of the shaft direction of the drive shaft.
US08662227B2
A modular, wheeled vehicle suitable for military use, includes a driver module having a width for seating one person and having length for seating a second (and optional third) person therebehind, and an engine module disposed behind the driver module containing an engine for powering the modular vehicle. The engine module has a rear surface adapted to receive a storage module. The driver module and the engine module form a central element having a pair of sides, a bottom, and a top. The central element is adapted to receive the modules on both of the central element sides. The central element has air inlet for personnel and for the engine disposed atop the central element. The bottom of the central element and troop side pods generally are V-shaped with slanted, upward extending sides.
US08662221B2
In an electric vehicle, a power unit is installed in an internal space region of a tire of each of front and rear wheels. The unit has a plurality of power elements arranged on an inner peripheral surface of a ground contact portion of the tire. Each of the elements includes a core made of a permalloy, and a power coil wound around the core. When a periodically-changing magnetic field is generated in a region above a road by an electric supply arrangement installed in the road, each of the elements generates electric power. This electric power is supplied to a motor of the vehicle through a power distribution system. The motor drives front wheels. The electric vehicle can continuously run over long distances without charging a battery at a buttery station.
US08662220B2
A power management system is provided for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine adapted to deliver power to vehicle drive wheels for propelling the vehicle and an engine powered component powered by the engine. The system includes a battery, a battery powered component powered by the battery, the battery powered component and the engine powered component being adapted to perform substantially the same functions, and a controller arranged to stop operation of the engine powered component so that additional engine power is available to the drive wheels, and to initiate operation of the battery powered component, when power sought to be delivered to the vehicle drive wheels from the engine reaches a predetermined percentage of maximum engine load.
US08662219B2
A wheel loader (1) has a tire (5). The wheel loader (1) includes a hydraulic pump (11), a hydraulic oil tank (7) disposed at a position higher than the hydraulic pump (11) and connected to the hydraulic pump (11), a check valve (12) disposed at a position lower than the hydraulic oil tank (7) and connected to the hydraulic oil tank (7), a filter (13) disposed at a position lower than an upper surface (US) of the tire (5) in a side view and connected to the check valve (12), and a pipe (14) extending to a first position (H1) lower than the check valve (12) and further extending from the first position (H1) to a second position (H2) as a higher position than the check value (12) is set as the second position (H2), and connected to the filter (13) at the second position (H2). Accordingly, it is possible to provide a work vehicle capable of inhibiting a hydraulic oil from spilling out in exchanging the filter (13).
US08662218B1
A portable, motorized platform apparatus that attaches to any walk-behind golf club caddy generally comprising: (a) a standing platform body between first and second wheels; (b) a third swivel wheel located to the rear/center of the platform; (c) a chain driven drive tire on the left and a disc brake tire on the right of the first and second wheels; (d) a frame assembly including an extended tongue attached to the platform to the center rear axle/frame; (e) a motor and a rechargeable electrical power supply; (f) split ring clamps attachable to the handle of the caddy, to allow for quick connect of the platform's handle bar assembly; (g) the handle bar assembly comprising a twist throttle and a braking lever; and wherein once the handle bar assembly is attached, the rider is able to steer said platform by using the modified handle of the walk-behind golf club caddy.
US08662208B2
A cutting tool that has a leading or cutting surface that includes affixed thereto a plurality of irregular nine-faced polyhedrons or three-dimensional solid elements with nine faces, wherein each of the nine faces is a polygon and has a predetermined distance from each face to an opposing cutting edge and wherein the predetermined distance from each of the nine faces to its opposing cutting edge is equal for all of each of the nine faces, such that regardless of which of the nine faces is resting on a flat surface, the predetermined distance is the same.
US08662206B2
An apparatus for making a second borehole in the ground, a cross section of which second borehole partially intersects a cross section of an existing first borehole, includes a boring device and a guide device operatively connected to the boring device. The guide device includes at least a first guide element configured to interact with a wall of the existing first borehole and a direction-influencing device configured to influence a direction of the second borehole while the second borehole is being made. The guide device is configured to guide the boring device relative to the existing first borehole.
US08662205B2
A system for damping vibration in a drill string can include a valve assembly having a supply of a fluid, a first member, and a second member capable of moving in relation to first member in response to vibration of the drill bit. The first and second members define a first and a second chamber for holding the fluid. Fluid can flow between the first and second chambers in response to the movement of the second member in relation to the first member. The valve assembly can also include a coil or a valve for varying a resistance of the fluid to flow between the first and second chambers.
US08662204B2
A core barrel restraint adapted to prevent inadvertent dropping of a core barrel assembly during retrieval of a core sample can include a cup adapted to fit over an overshot and a brace adapted to be coupled to a core barrel assembly. A cable can connect the cup and brace and prevent the core barrel from falling if the overshot latch mechanism holding the core barrel assembly and overshot together fails.
US08662179B2
A method of actuating multiple valves in a well can include applying a pressure cycle to the valves without causing actuation of any of the valves, and then simultaneously reducing pressure applied to the valves, thereby actuating the valves. Another method can include releasing a locking device of each valve which prevents actuation, and then reducing pressure applied to the valves, thereby actuating the valves. A valve can include a port which provides for fluid communication between an exterior and an interior of the valve, a closure member which selectively permits and prevents fluid flow through the port, the closure member permits flow through the port in response to a decrease in a pressure differential from the interior to the exterior of the valve, and a locking device which prevents displacement of the closure member, the locking device being released in response to mechanical force applied to the locking device.
US08662177B2
A downhole apparatus positionable along a pipe string in a wellbore. The apparatus including a tubular structure having an outermost diameter greater than an outer diameter of an adjacent portion of the pipe string. A first end face facing a flow path in the wellbore, and at least one indentation or protuberance provided on an outer surface of the tubular structure. The at least one indentation or protuberance arranged to cause particulates in slurry within the flow path to collect and remain in a vicinity of the tubular structure. A method of diverting fracturing treatments in a wellbore is also included.
US08662175B2
A method for treating a tar sands formation includes providing heat to at least part of a hydrocarbon layer in the formation from a plurality of heaters located in the formation. The heat is allowed to transfer from the heaters to at least a portion of the formation. A viscosity of one or more zones of the hydrocarbon layer is assessed. The heating rates in the zones are varied based on the assessed viscosities. The heating rate in a first zone of the formation is greater than the heating rate in a second zone of the formation if the viscosity in the first zone is greater than the viscosity in the second zone. Fluids are produced from the formation through the production wells.
US08662169B2
A borehole metal member bonding system includes, a first metal member, a second metal member proximate the first metal member, and a pyrotechnic composition positioned proximate the first metal member and the second metal member configured to bond the first metal member to the second metal member subsequent undergoing an exothermic reaction while within a borehole.
US08662166B2
A bow-spring centralizer (6) includes bow springs (34), moving collars (20) secured to each end of each bow spring, and interlocked stop collars (10). Extendable collars (8) may each be formed of a moving collar (20) movably interlocked with a stop collar (10). The centralizer (6) may be formed from a tube cut using a laser to create two extendable collars coupled by bow springs. Each extendable collar may include heads (12) integrally formed on extensions (26) protruding from a collar (stop collar or moving collar). The heads may be generally rectangular, arrow, or teardrop-shaped head or some other shape. Each head may be slidably captured within a chamber (24) on the interlocked collar (moving collar or stop collar). The extensions of each interlocked tubular member define the outer walls of the chamber in which a head of the interlocked tubular member is slidably captured.
US08662153B2
A battery cell assembly, a heat exchanger, and a method for manufacturing the heat exchanger are provided. The heat exchanger includes a rectangular-shaped sheet having first and second rectangular-shaped sheet portions coupled together at a bent edge such that the sheet portions are disposed proximate to one another. Outer edges of the first and second rectangular-shaped sheet portions are coupled together such that an interior region is formed between the first and second rectangular-shaped sheet portions. The bent edge has first and second apertures extending therethrough. The heat exchanger further includes a first inlet port disposed on the bent edge over the first aperture, and a second outlet port disposed on the bent edge over the second aperture, such that fluid can flow through the first inlet port and into the interior region and then through the outlet port.
US08662146B2
The present invention provides a structure for casting containing an organic fiber, an inorganic fiber, inorganic particles (A) having an average particle diameter of 50 to 150 μm, and a binder (a), having a surface layer containing refractory inorganic particles (B) having an average particle diameter of 1 to 100 μm selected from metal oxides and metal silicates, a clay mineral, and a binder (b), on the surface of the structure.
US08662144B2
Methods of casting improved scroll compressor components having high quality involute portions are provided. The casting method comprises gating molten metal through a patterned region of a core or mold defining the involute vanes. In certain aspects, during casting, molten metal passes through one or more gates that extend through a core in a central patterned region that forms the involute portion of the scroll component. In certain variations, the metal comprises a gray cast iron, so the cast part comprises an involute having a matrix of pearlite and Type A graphite that is substantially free of undercooling defects. Further, in certain variations, the involute portion is substantially free of Types B-E graphite. Thus, high-quality low-defect cast scroll components are formed having good machinability and superior fatigue strength.
US08662138B2
The present invention is to facilitate the attachment and maintenance work of left and right sheet guides of a shutter and to facilitate the return of the disengaged sheet. A sheet guide of a sheet shutter according to the present invention is a mechanism configured such that a sheet 2 is lifted and lowered by being wound and unwound around a sheet drum 5 supported between left and right support posts 3 and 3 according to the rotation of the sheet drum 5, and such that both the left and right ends of the sheet 2 are lifted and lowered by being guided by sheet guide sections 11 and 11 respectively installed in the support posts 3 and 3. The sheet guide section 11 is configured by an outer rail 14 having a U-shaped cross section which is provided with a pair of front and rear side walls 14a and is opened toward the inner side in the horizontal cross section of the left and right support posts 3, and an inner rail 16 accommodated and detachably attached in the outer rail 14 along the inner surface of the outer rail 14. An inward-facing engagement guide 21 configured to vertically slidably and engagingly accommodate each of guide projections 10 respectively attached to both ends of the sheet 2 is provided in the inner rail 16.
US08662137B2
A system for attaching a shade material to a roller having recesses in its surface includes inserting portions of the shade material into an associated elongated recess and retaining the material in the recess with an attachment member having peaks and valleys along its length for intermittent engagement with the material within the recess.
US08662131B2
A method for conveying crop has a crop conveyor belt driven by a drive roller with a cylindrical roller body having an outer surface surrounding an axis of rotation of the roller for engaging an inner drive surface of a canvas wrapped therearound. The roller has a plurality of raised spaced elements such as ribs formed of a hard wear resistant material such as carbide clad onto the outer surface metal of the roller body. The ribs extend along a part only of the body at the two ends in an axial direction and angularly spaced around the outer surface. The ribs have a height less than 6 mm and a width less than 6 mm arranged such that the ribs do not engage into any recesses in the drive surface of the.
US08662130B2
A bat is created using efficient and automated techniques to apply layers of composite materials onto a mandrel. The system includes a plurality of rotating wrapping mechanisms binding stages. Each wrapping mechanism rotates along a central axis while a mandrel is driven through the axis. The rotational motion allows each wrapping mechanism to wrap one or more material strips along the outer surface of the mandrel. Between each wrapping layer, a binding material such as fusible thread may be applied to fuse wrapping layers together. The wrapping may be performed for the bat barrel and bat handle. Each mandrel may form two bats, and multiple mandrels can be connected together to maximize wrapping efficiency. The wrapped mandrels are separated into bat units, a resin transfer molding is performed, and the bats are completed.
US08662109B2
A proportional pressure control valve includes a valve box (10) having a pump (P), user (A) and reservoir (T) connections. Control piston (18) is guided in a longitudinally displaceably inside the valve box (10) for optionally connecting the pump connection (P) to the user connection (A) and the user connection (A) to the reservoir connection (T). A fluid-carrying connection is established between the pump connection (P) and a pilot chamber (20) of a pilot valve (22). The pilot valve (22) is controlled by a magnet system, especially a proportional magnet system (28). The proportional pressure control valve, for the fluid-carrying connection to the pilot chamber (20), has a bore (27) extending axially inside the wall of the valve box (10) and from a radial bore (9) of the housing (10) forming the pump connection (P).
US08662108B2
A full flow quick connect fluid coupling that reduces spillage using a convex and a concave ball valve mounted each in a separate coupling body that are joined together where the ball valves seal together and are sequentially rotated using one activation lever to first rotate a first ball valve 90 degrees and then rotating a second ball valve 90 degrees using a gear drive mechanism. A handle button release lock and a secondary handle lock ensure that the valves are not opened until the bodies are joined and locked together in sealing engagement. A lock mechanism is used to lock the bodies together and to provide a lock tab that prevents the ball valves from being opened until the lock mechanism is closed.
US08662106B2
A hydraulic trip unit for a valve unit in a prime mover plant is described, with monitoring passages which are grouped together in a hydraulic block and interconnected forming a 2 out of 3 circuit, of which each monitoring passage is provided with a solenoid valve unit, with a power oil line connection which is provided on the hydraulic block and from which an emergency oil passage and an auxiliary emergency oil passage extend inside the hydraulic block, of which the emergency oil passage can be connected to the valve unit and the auxiliary emergency oil passage is connected via connecting lines to a solenoid valve unit in each case, wherein a first connecting line feeds a first and third solenoid valve unit, a second connecting line feeds the second and a first solenoid valve unit, and a third connecting line feeds the third and second solenoid valve unit.
US08662105B2
In order to prevent the unloader from rotating relative to the valve seat, it is proposed to design the anti-rotation lock for the unloader as an anti-rotation locking disk (16) on which a central recess (17) is provided which has a cross-section that is diametrically opposed and matched to the valve nut (10), wherein the anti-rotation locking disk (16) is arranged with its central recess (17) in a non-rotational manner on the valve nut (10), and the outer contour of the anti-rotation locking disk (16) has a non-circular cross-section, and a central recess (24) is provided on the unloader (20), said central recess having an inner contour diametrically opposed and matched to the outer contour, and the unloader (20) is arranged with its central recess (24) on the anti-rotation locking disk (16).
US08662101B2
A device suitable for retrofitting in laid pipelines is intended to be able to be placed and fixed in place in the pipeline. Transport of the device to the installation location is intended to be performed using as little force as necessary, and the sealing element is intended to be displaced without contact and thus without wear. To this end, the device, in the interior of which a shut-off device (6) is disposed, is designed so that an offset, conically tapering region (10) is adjacent to a front cylindrical region (3) and is bounded by a stop collar (12) on which a connecting contour (7) for a coupling piece of a drive element is connected. A sliding piece (13) made of an expandable material is displaceably disposed in the axial direction on the conically tapering region (10), comprising a circumferential groove in which a spring-loaded clamping ring (15) is supported.
US08662100B2
The present invention provides a tube clamping and closing device which includes a main body having a first end and a second end, and a retaining assembly having several kinds of work portions and disposed at the second end of the main body. The first end has a first clamping member extending laterally and having a threaded hole extending vertically. A blocking member is threadedly connected to the threaded hole and adapted for closing an opening of a tube. The work portions alternatively define a clamping space with the first clamping member and the main body. Whereby a single device of the present invention can be used for different kinds of tubes or multiport valves. The present invention has advantages of operating conveniently, carrying and putting away easily, saving space and costs, etc.
US08662099B2
An example valve shaft apparatus includes a shaft having a stationary seal and a dynamic seal spaced from the stationary seal. The stationary seal defines a first leakage detection area adjacent the stationary seal and the dynamic seal defines a second leakage detection area adjacent the dynamic seal. A seal leakage detector is integrally formed with the shaft to provide a visual indication of process fluid leakage within the first leakage detection area or within the second leakage detection area. The seal leakage detector has a passageway in fluid communication with the first leakage detection area and the second leakage detection area. The passageway has a cross-sectional profile that changes between the first and second leakage detection areas to prevent fluid from flowing from one of the leakage detection areas into a body of the fluid valve.
US08662095B2
A framework of uprights interconnected by rods defines a rectangular area to support an inflatable canopy. The canopy includes an interior membrane and an exterior membrane to define an envelope. A skirt depending from the canopy is secured to the framework to retain the canopy in place. A framework mounted air pump provides a flow of air to inflate the envelope. A framework supported pole engages and supports at least the interior membrane.
US08662093B2
A method of and an apparatus for measuring the strength of ultrasonic waves are provided. They are capable of measuring the strength of ultrasonic waves easily and at low cost without using a sound pressure meter. The ultrasonic wave strength measuring apparatus has a particle source soaked in a cleaning liquid, an oscillator to generate the ultrasonic waves whose strength is going to be measured to vibrate the particle source so that particles are eluted from the particle source into the cleaning liquid, a counter to count the number of particles in the cleaning liquid, and an operation unit to find the strength of the applied ultrasonic waves based on the counted number of particles.
US08662088B2
Apparatus and method for filling under gravity from a hopper (9), a storage device (2) for articles that has the form of a columnar cavity between opposed side walls with a mass flow of mutually parallel rod-shaped articles descending from the hopper, a cavity-filling device (12) that alternates in use between a closed configuration that blocks a downward flow of the said articles through the device and an open configuration that allows flow of the articles through the device, the device being movable in translation, in alternate upward and downward strokes within the cavity, being in the closed configuration on the downward stroke and in the open configuration on the upward stroke.
US08662082B2
A sterile drape for a trackable medical device includes a reinforced film portion and a holding or tensing device. The holding or tensing device is operative to draw the reinforced film portion taut or smooth on or over a surface of the medical device.
US08662069B2
The present invention relates to a cooking top (1), in particular adapted to be used in a household environment, comprising at least one gas burner (40) which can be used with at least one fuel gas. The cooking top also comprises flame divider means (9) associated with the gas burner (40) and comprising at least one semi-permeable element (90), which is permeable to gaseous substances and substantially impermeable to liquid substances. The semi-permeable element (90) may be a micro-perforated sheet, a fibrous membrane, or a porous membrane.
US08662066B2
A closure device associable with the opening of the cooking chamber of an oven of the type with trolley is described, the oven including a closure door associated with the chamber, for the sealed closure of the cooking chamber in the absence of the trolley, the device includes a closure element capable of being placed to close a portion of the opening of the chamber that is not involved by the closure door, the portion of opening being capable of permitting the closure of the door when the trolley is inserted into the cooking chamber, the closure element co-operating in a sealed manner with respective sections of gaskets arranged at the opening, for the sealed closure of the cooking chamber when the trolley is not inserted in the chamber.
US08662059B2
An ignition device has a high voltage transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, of which the primary side is connected to a high voltage source and the secondary side is connected to a spark path to provide the ignition spark. The time variation in the primary current flowing on the primary side is measured and subdivided at least into a spark burning phase and a subsequent free-running phase of the high voltage transformer. The transition from the spark burning phase into the free-running phase is equated to the moment of extinction of the ignition spark. The time variation of the primary current in the spark burning phase is mapped by a first function and in the free-running phase by a second function, and the intersection point of the two functions is equated to the moment of extinction of the ignition spark.
US08662057B2
The working gas circulation engine includes a circulation route capable of circulating gas containing the working gas from an exhaust side to an intake side of a combustion chamber and resupplying to the combustion chamber and provided with a removing device to remove a product generated with a reaction from the circulating gas, a supplying device capable of supplying plural kinds of reactant gas to the combustion chamber or the circulation route, a pressure detecting device capable of detecting pressure in the circulation route, and a control unit that controls supply amount of at least one kind of the reactant gas to be supplied from the supplying device based on the pressure in the circulation route detected by the pressure detecting device, and performs pressure control to adjust the pressure in the circulation route.
US08662056B2
A system and method for controlling fuel pressure in a fuel delivery system. The system includes a fuel pump and an inlet control valve. The inlet control valve is operated to a closed state by an electrical signal applied to the inlet control valve. The electrical signal includes a pull-in portion of the electrical signal that is applied to the inlet control valve having a pull-in time interval that is varied based on the fuel pressure. By varying the pull-in time interval to control fuel pressure, electrical energy consumed and acoustic noise generated by the fuel delivery system are reduced.
US08662051B2
In a rotary engine 1, a flywheel rotor 4 is arranged inside a cylinder 2 formed inside a housing 3 of the rotary engine, and together with forming a circular space 7 between the flywheel rotor 4 and the inner wall 6 of the cylinder, is integrated into a single unit with a piston head 8 that comes in contact with the inner wall 6. From the upstream side in the direction of rotation of the rotor, an exhaust valve 60, an explosion pressure stopper valve 40 and a fuel-intake and circular-space closing valve 20 are provided in the cylinder 2, and each of these valves operate via active pins 24, 44, 64 engaged in guide grooves 30, 50 on the outer surface of the rotor and guide groove 71 on a cam 70 on the output shaft 5, to execute each of the processes intake-exhaust, compression and explosive combustion.
US08662050B2
The elastic fixing for a piston (2) of a variable compression ratio engine (10) includes at least one metal rod (15) kept under tension between the piston (2) and the transmission member (3) and which applies a strong contact pressure between the base of the piston (2) and the top face of the transmission member (3), the piston (2) being tightened according to a previously calculated angle enabling the metal rod (15) consisting of a stud (16) to be subjected to a desired tension force and the tightening prestress to be reached between the piston (2) and the transmission member (3), and indexed in rotation relative to the transmission member (3), by an additional tightening which does not significantly increase the tightening pre-stress, the stud (16) continuing to elongate with the same tension force by plastic deformation.
US08662033B2
An engine assembly may include a cylinder head and a fluid control assembly. The cylinder head may include first and second walls opposite one another and extending from a base region defining a cavity. The cylinder head may define a first oil passage extending through an interior surface defining the cavity. The fluid control assembly may include a first oil control valve and a first conduit. The first oil control valve may be fixed to the base region and may define a first port in fluid communication with the first oil passage and a second port in fluid communication with a second oil passage in the cylinder head. The first conduit may extend from the first oil control valve toward the first wall and may provide the fluid communication between the first port of the oil control valve and the first oil passage in the cylinder head.
US08662031B2
Uniflow two-stroke engines without ports on the cylinder and with four-stroke lubrication.
US08662022B2
A water healer including a controller that, in a non-operation state, determines whether the first operation was made after a power source is switched on in S1, and determines whether 5 minutes has passed after finishing the last operation in S2. When the first operation was not made or 5 minutes have lapsed after the last operation, the controller determines whether a difference between a detected temperature acquired by a thermistor and a preset temperature is more than 10° C. in S3. When a temperature difference is more than 10° C., a water flow rate servo is made to stand by at a position with a flow rate of flowing water reduced to less than a determined flow rate by a predetermined amount in S4. When a hot water faucet is opened in this standing by state, a temperature control of discharged hot water at the time of starting of an operation is performed with the reduced flow rate of flowing water.
US08662017B2
A pet litter composed of about 99.992% to about 99.998% by weight sand particles, which may be screened with a 20-50 mesh, and from about 0.002% to about 0.008% by weight of a thickener. In addition, the thickener added to the sand base to enhance the clumping properties of the litter may be digested by cats.
US08662016B2
A sock-like bird feeder comprising a tubular feeder body constructed of flexible cloth, fabric or lightweight plastic which may be folded, flattened or collapsed for storage and/or shipment. One or more feed baffles are positioned in the interior of the feeder body and are constructed of a cloth or fabric material. The flexible nature of the feed baffles permits the feed baffles to also be flattened, folded or collapsed along with the feeder body for storage and/or shipment.
US08662006B1
An after-market dishwasher stats indicator has a housing and an indicator member slidable therein. The housing has left and right end openings and a rear aspect or wall to be held at the dishwasher door front and a top wall extending obliquely therefrom with a viewing window such that indicia on the indicator member is viewable through the viewing window by a user standing astride the dishwasher. The member has first and second different indicia thereon, one indicative of a clean status of the dishwasher and the other indicative of a dirty or ready to be loaded status of the dishwasher. The different indicia are separately viewable through the viewing window depending on the position of the member, such that when the rear aspect is held to the dishwasher door front, the selected indicia is viewable to a user standing astride the dishwasher door front.
US08662003B1
A wire level gauge for indicating the level of wire in a wire storage container and a method for determining the level of wire in a wire storage container using the wire level gauge. The wire level gauge has a level indicator with a magnet which is slidably movable on a measuring bar. The level indicator moves on the measuring bar and follows a leading edge of the wire in the wire storage container as the wire is dispensed from the wire storage container.
US08662001B1
Exemplary embodiments provide a foldable grappling device comprising a shank or crown having a hollow tubular shaft member and a telescopic slide bar slidably coupled within the hollow tubular shaft member. The device further includes a plurality of foldable grappling arms attached to a base of the shank or crown and a plurality of linking arms coupled to the telescopic slide bar to push the grappling arms to an unfolded position from a folded position or pull the grappling arms to the folded position from the unfolded position. Raising the telescopic slide bar within the hollow tubular shaft member unfolds the foldable grappling arms simultaneously and when lowering the telescopic slide bar, the foldable grappling arms are folded simultaneously.
US08661998B2
The invention relates to a rudder for maneuvering a ship-like object, the rudder comprising a main rudder blade having an upstream end and a downstream end, the rudder being rotatably mountable to the ship-like object around a rotation axis that generally extends in a vertical plane. The main rudder blade extends generally upright. The rudder comprises two generally upright extending auxiliary rudder blades connected to the main rudder blade by transverse plates. At least one of the transverse plates is oriented generally obliquely upwards towards a downstream end. The transverse plates thereby follow the orientation of the flow of water below the upwards receding aft body of the ship.
US08661987B2
A transport system according to the invention comprises a guide device having a first guide rail in the form of a first pipe (11) and a second guide rail in the form of a second pipe (12). The transport system comprises a toothed driving disk (330), which is engaged with an engagement element (340) extending along the lower pipe (12) and forms a positive drive. The engagement element (340) comprises counter-toothing, disposed along the pipe (12).
US08661986B2
A coaster having a substantially cylindrical rotatable track area capable of rotating, for example, 180° and repositioning a car for further movement along another track different than the one from which it originated. The rotatable track area can be cylindrical or frusto-conical in configuration. A corresponding rotation system with computer controls can selectively rotate the rotatable track area in predetermined increments according to the coaster track end positions so as to selectively align the rotatable tracks with the coaster tracks.
US08661974B2
A moving-out and adjustment device for screens is revealed. The moving-out and adjustment device is applied to screen printing machines and having a frame, two sliding member and an adjustment mechanism. The frame consists of an upper frame and a lower frame. The two sliding members are disposed on two sides of the upper frame symmetrically and a screen is mounted between the two sliding members. Thus the screen is moved from a printing position of a screen printing machine horizontally by the sliding members. The bending and deformation of the screen can be avoided. The adjustment mechanism is arranged at the frame and having a first moving unit and a second moving unit. By operating the first moving unit and the second moving unit, the upper frame is moved in both the X direction and the Y direction in the X-Y plane in relation to the lower frame.
US08661971B2
A method of manufacturing a compressed lump of metal scrap involves forming a through hole in the metal scrap instead of drilling a finished compressed lump of metal scrap to form the through hole in the compressed lump of metal scrap. Friction and stress applied to the core are minimized while the through hole is formed in the compressed lump of metal scrap, which is compressed with high density, thereby minimizing damage to the core and thus minimizing a trouble occurrence rate.
US08661960B2
The present invention relates to a closed vessel arrangement (1) comprising a closed vessel (2) for safe destruction of a rocket motor (3) containing a solid propellant (4) by burning the rocket motor (3) inside the closed vessel (2), which closed vessel (2), is adjustable in size to a rocket motor (3). The invention is characterized in that the closed vessel (2) comprises two communicating chambers (7, 8) coaxially arranged to each other, one outer chamber (8) and one inner chamber (7), which chambers (7, 8) are divided into a plurality of connectable sections (13), which sections (13) are connectable in various numbers for adjusting the size of the vessel (2) to rocket motors (3) of various sizes.
US08661959B2
A bullet-orienting system applies bullets to a feed tube from a source of bullets. The bullets each have a tip-end and a base-end. The bullet-orienting system includes a bullet conveyance that conveys bullets, in tip-end-down and tip-end-up orientations, from a source of bullets to a feed tube along a bullet conveyance path. A bullet-orienting structure comprising a block, a nose guide forming a ledge, a groove, and a tapered opening, and a ramp is disposed proximate the bullet conveyance path. For each tip-end-up oriented bullet, the bullet-orienting structure interacts with the tip-end-up bullet and flips the tip-end-up bullet relative to the bullet conveyance from the tip-end-up orientation to the tip-end-down orientation prior to application to the feed tube.
US08661957B2
A cutting device includes a table for placing thereon a workpiece. A tool unit supports a cutting tool and is laterally tiltably supported on the table, so that the rotational axis of the cutting tool can be inclined relative to a horizontal direction. A positioning device includes a first positioning member and a second positioning member that can interact with each other to position the tool unit at a plurality of laterally tilted positions. At least one of the first and second positioning members can be moved to change the laterally tilted position positionable by the positioning device.
US08661954B1
An apparatus for aligning stock to a blade of a table saw. The apparatus includes a substantially planar base plate, a guide slot bar coupled to a bottom surface of the base plate, and a stock alignment tool. The stock alignment tool includes a first substantially planar section having a straight edge and a second substantially planar section at a different height than the first substantially planar section, and the stock alignment tool is configured to be removably coupled to the substantially planar base plate to permit alignment of stock relative to the blade of the table saw. In addition, the guide slot bar is configured to be received within a guide slot of a table portion of the table saw.
US08661940B2
In a wave gear device, similarity curve tooth profiles for defining the tooth-face tooth profile of each of a flexible externally toothed gear and a rigid internally toothed gear is determined from the movement trajectory, relative to a tooth of the rigid internally toothed gear, of a tooth of the flexible externally toothed gear at a main cross-section at which the deflection factor is κ=1. Tooth profile curves, which have been subjected to profile shifting corresponding to the difference between the deflection factor κo (>1) of the opening-end cross-section of the flexible externally toothed gear and the deflection factor κ of the main cross-section, are determined from the similarity curves; and the tooth profile curves are used to form the tooth-face tooth profile portions of the two gears. High-gear-tooth compound tooth profiles, defined from the tooth-face tooth profile portions, straight-line tooth profile portions continuing from the tooth-face tooth profile portions, and appropriate tooth-flank tooth profile portions for avoiding interference are used as tooth profiles of the internal teeth and the external teeth. Also, taking coning of the flexible externally toothed gear into account, negative profile shifting is applied from an opening-end cross-section to an inner-end cross-section of the flexible externally toothed gear, and rational meshing between the two gears is obtained along the entire tooth trace.
US08661933B2
A brake pedal crash safety device for a vehicle in which a brake pedal arm is rotatably mounted to a first vehicle body component and has a first locking element, shaped as a circle-sector and having its geometrical center at a center of movement of the brake pedal arm. A second locking element is mounted to a second vehicle body component. The second locking element is mounted a predetermined distance from the first locking element. The predetermined distance is constant and has a predetermined amount of allowable movement therebetween for a brake pedal arm position. A crash force applied to a front of the vehicle displaces the first vehicle body component toward the second vehicle body component and the predetermined amount of allowable movement between the first and second locking elements will be closed, irrespective of a current pedal position, thereby preventing further rotation of the brake pedal arm through interlocking first and second locking elements.
US08661923B1
The present invention is a sensor interface or network of interfaces that utilizes high-temperature electronics to operate at elevated temperatures for applications that include but are not limited to aircraft and automobile engines, vehicle frames, refineries, nuclear and chemical production plants, and in downhole drilling for petroleum and natural gas. The interface or network provide connectors for a variety of sensors with analog and digital outputs, and can in turn provide data to an automated electronic control system or a monitor. Because the sensor interface may be placed in so-called “hot zones” nearer to the sensors being monitored than other systems that use conventional electronics, the sensor interface can increase noise immunity, increase reliability, decrease cost, reduce weight, and increase space.
US08661918B2
A force sensor of the present invention corrects the output voltages of Hall elements without using a temperature sensor in response to changes in the characteristics of a magnet and the Hall elements.
US08661909B2
The present invention provides an apparatus for mapping pipeline for use in a fluid pipeline, comprising: a pressure gauge that measures the pressure of the fluid in the fluid pipeline; a gyroscope that measures the angular velocity of the apparatus for mapping pipeline in the fluid pipeline; a processing module that collects and converts the pressure of the fluid and the angular velocity to a pressure data and an angular velocity data, respectively; and a data output module that outputs the pressure data and the angular velocity data. The present invention also provides a method for mapping pipeline and a system using the same that obtain the spatial layout of the fluid pipeline by analyzing the pressure data and the angular velocity data.
US08661907B2
A plurality of sensors output information into a distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) system via acousto-mechanical signals. The sensors are coupled to the optic fibre at the centre of the DAS system indirectly, the acousto-mechanical signal being transmitted via an intermediary body, such as the ground or a conduit.
US08661906B2
The invention relates to an ultrasound inspection device for the inspection of tubular workpieces, where the ultrasound inspection device can be coupled to the workpiece by means of a fluid medium, so that sound emitted from a transducer unit hits an insonification point on the lateral surface of the workpiece, the workpiece and the ultrasound inspection device can be moved relative to each other, and where the transducer unit is pivotable on a pivoting line which corresponds to an arc of a circle whose center is formed by the insonification point.
US08661903B2
A machine has at least two wheels (at least one of them driven) arranged on a base body and connected with a revolving belt. A transmitter and a receiver are arranged on the base body. The transmitter transmits contactless to the belt a transmitted signal having an oscillation frequency, with the receiver from the belt a reflected signal in response to the transmitted signal. An evaluation device connected to the receiver checks if the reflected signal received by the receiver satisfies an acquisition condition indicating that a speed of the belt is in a predetermined speed range. The evaluation device determines, if the acquisition condition is satisfied, a frequency spectrum which is based of the oscillation frequency and the reflected signal in the predetermined speed range and indicative of a mechanical oscillation characteristic of the belt, and generates a control signal based on the evaluated frequency spectrum.
US08661897B2
An integrated microelectromechanical structure is provided with: a driving mass, anchored to a substrate via elastic anchorage elements and moved in a plane with a driving movement; and a first sensing mass, suspended inside, and coupled to, the driving mass via elastic supporting elements so as to be fixed with respect to the driving mass in the driving movement and to perform a detection movement of rotation out of the plane in response to a first angular velocity; the elastic anchorage elements and the elastic supporting elements cause the detection movement to be decoupled from the driving movement. The elastic supporting elements are coupled to the first sensing mass at an end portion thereof, and the axis of rotation of the detection movement extends, within the first sensing mass, only through the end portion.
US08661896B2
A method of protecting a sensor for use in an environment, includes providing a protective enclosure formed in a plurality of sections, at least a first section of the plurality of sections being movable relative to a second section of the plurality of sections so that the protective enclosure can be placed around at least a portion of the sensor; placing the first section adjacent the sensor while the first section and the second section are in an open state; and moving the second section to place the first section and the second section in a closed state in which the first section and the second section encompass the at least a portion of the sensor.
US08661891B2
An apparatus for measuring the liquid level of molten metal including an image measuring device (5), a measuring probe (6), a lifting mechanism (1), a displacement sensor (11), an data processing system (4) and a correction marker(7). The lifting mechanism (1) is fixed to the molten metal container (10) or is independent of the molten metal container, the image measuring device (5) and the measuring probe (6) are installed on the lifting mechanism (1) or are independent of the lifting mechanism, and the optical axis of the image measuring device (5) is set at an angle with the geometric axis of the measuring probe (6), the measuring probe (6) is located within the field of view of the image measuring device (5), the image measuring device (5), the lifting mechanism (1) and the displacement sensor (11) are connected to the data processing system (4) respectively. A method for measuring the level of molten metal is also disclosed. The present invention is able to eliminate the influence by the slag layer floating on the molten metal and to achieve stably and continuously accurate measurement of molten metal level by using the measuring probe (6) inserting into molten metal through the slag-metal interface and having the slag thickness information after lifted.
US08661886B2
The disclosed embodiments include a valve stem assembly for a tire pressure monitoring system sensor. The assembly can comprise a valve stem body, and a grommet for purposes of engaging a vehicle wheel. The valve stem body can comprise an attachment end to be attached to a pressure sensor to determine tire air pressure, and an air transfer end to receive a gas to fill the tire. The grommet can further comprise flanges with dimensions such that the grommet can limit movement of the valve stem assembly relative to the vehicle wheel. Methods for installing the valve stem assembly are also disclosed.
US08661885B1
A system and method of estimating a load bearing on a vehicle tire includes an inflation pressure measuring sensor attached to the tire for measuring a tire cavity inflation pressure level; and one or more piezofilm deformation measuring sensors mounted to one or both of the tire sidewalls. The deformation measuring sensor generates within the tire footprint a deformation signal having signal power level indicative of a level of sidewall deformation within the footprint contact patch. Power-to-load maps adjusted for tire inflation pressure are generated and stored for the tire, the maps correlating a range of load levels to a range of signal power levels whereby operatively enabling a load level to be identified for each signal power level on an inflation pressure adjusted basis.
US08661881B2
A hub unit adapted for use in a monitoring system that monitors engine performance parameters of a gas turbine engine. The hub unit includes a housing, at least one signal conditioning circuit board within the housing and adapted to receive the analog sensor outputs from the sensors, and a control circuit board within the housing, connected to the signal conditioning circuit board, and adapted to produce digital data corresponding to analog sensor outputs. The control circuit board and the signal conditioning circuit board each comprise electrical circuit components that define an analog signal processing path and have accuracy and precision characteristics that drift in response to component aging and to changes in the temperature to which the hub unit is subjected. The hub unit performs a continuous calibration scheme to determine and remove errors in the analog signal processing path resulting from the drifts of the electrical circuit components.
US08661878B2
A viscometer assembly includes a first plate with a rail configured to constrain fluid thereon between its edges by surface tension. A second opposing plate has a surface spaced from the rail by a predefined gap of constraining fluid to the rail by surface tension when the rail is inclined and gravity pulls the fluid along the rail. The kinematic viscosity of the fluid is determined as a function of the predetermined gap and the time it takes the fluid to flow along the rail.
US08661874B2
A photoacoustic detector includes a sensing region for receiving atmospheric samples. Radiant energy from a source is directed toward the sensing region. A thermal isolator and a displaced optical filter are positioned between the incoming radiant energy and the sensing region so that the radiant energy passes, at least in part, through both elements.
US08661863B2
A programmable cylinder lock includes a stator and a cylindrical rotor, mounted therein for rotation around its own axis, has a keyhole, and comprising inside the rotor key followers movable along the longitudinal and transversal directions, and locking pins movable along the longitudinal direction, the followers and locking pins forming together a number of pairs and having toothings for mutually cooperating to define the lock codification, the rotor including a stop bar cooperating with a longitudinal groove of the stator and cooperating with the pins to immobilize them, and a change bar slidingly coupled with the followers to keep them engaged with the pins and to disengage them therefrom when the bar provides a lock programming position. The followers have a projection which engages a side surface of the key and, at the contact of a normal use key, prevents the transversal displacement of the key and the change bar.
US08661861B2
The present invention is directed to a zipper lock that includes an actuator operatively connected to an actuation plate and a blocking plate positioned relative to the actuation plate so as to at least partially block the movement of the actuation plate when the zipper lock is in the locked configuration. The actuator and the actuation plate are configured for interaction so as to transform movement of the actuator into movement of the actuation plate when the zipper lock is in an unlocked configuration. The zipper lock further includes a latch control plate operatively connected to the actuator, and operatively connected to a latch, in which the latch includes a locking finger configured for locking engagement with at least one locking head that is configured to retain a zipper pull tab to the zipper lock when the zipper lock is in a locked configuration.
US08661854B2
Disclosed is a glass sheet bending system including a press bending station for bending a glass sheet into a desired shape. The press bending station includes a glass mounting bed on which the glass sheet is to be temporarily put until the glass sheet is pressed on the glass forming surface of a mold. This system is characterized in that the glass mounting bed includes a slat conveyer whose crawler is driven in the conveyance direction of the glass sheet or a belt conveyer whose belt is driven in the conveyance direction of the glass sheet. By this system, the glass sheet having no distortion can be produced.
US08661848B2
Articles of jewelry, including ring assemblies (100, 300, 400, 700, 1300) permitting secured, removable, rotatable, placement of rings within such ring assemblies (100, 300, 400, 700, 1300). In some embodiments, an ornamental support structure (412, 712, 715, 1312) comprises a hinge permitting a rotatable movement of a portion of the ring assembly to permit placement of the ring structure. In other embodiments, pinch clasps (520, 620, 820, 920, 1020, 1120, 1220, 1320) are used for such ring assemblies.
US08661847B2
A process is described for producing a clean gas, which is provided, in particular, for testing a pressurized construction component (100) for leaks, which process includes the steps of providing a liquefied gas mixture (1) which contains the clean gas (2) and at least one foreign gas (3) in a gas separation unit (20), enriching the clean gas (2), wherein the at least one foreign gas (3) is transferred to a surface region of the liquefied gas mixture (1), and taking off the enriched clean gas (2), wherein the enriched clean gas (2) flows out of a volume region of the gas separation unit (20) via a guide unit (22), and wherein a foreign gas barrier (23) is formed at the guide unit (22), using which the foreign gas (3) in the liquefied gas mixture (1) is passed out from an opening in the guide unit (22). A device for producing a clean gas, a noble-gas-free gas composition and a process for testing a construction component pressurized with a test gas for leaks are also described.
US08661843B2
An ice pusher is provided. The ice pusher incorporates a cam and a linear actuation arrangement for removing ice from an evaporator plate of an ice-making machine. The cam provides a helix shaped ramp structure having a cam surface. The linear actuation arrangement has an input end and an output end. The input end is in slidable contact with the cam surface such that the linear actuation arrangement linearly moves relative to the housing upon rotation of the cam to effectuate the removal of ice from the evaporator plate.
US08661837B2
To maintain an appropriate humidity in a refrigerator using a spray device to spray mist, without depending on a moisture sensor. A refrigerator (100) for forcibly circulating cold air which is gas cooled in a cooling compartment (110), the refrigerator including: a first storage compartment (107) disposed on the way of an air passage; a spray device (131) which sprays mist into the first storage compartment (107); a damper (145) disposed upstream of the first storage compartment (107); a delay unit (156) which generates, based on an open signal issued when the damper (145) is opened, a first signal for stopping the operation of the spray device (131) after an elapse of a first time period, and to generate, based on a close signal issued when the damper (145) is closed, a second signal for starting the operation of the spray device (131) after an elapse of a second time period; and a control unit (146) which controls the spray device (131).
US08661832B2
The present invention relates to control of engine variable of a gas turbine engine to regulate the surge margins of at least two compressors. A controller (20) receives data measured from engine sensors (22, 23) and uses said data to determine an indication of surge margin for each of at least two compressors (6, 7) of the gas turbine engine. The controller (20) uses the indications of surge margin for each of the compressors to determine a control strategy that balances the requirements of each compressor. In one embodiment a surge margin operating map divided into different control domains (40, 43, 43) is used. The indication of surge margin determined for each compressor is plotted to determine which control domains the current operating point on the surge margin operating map falls within. The invention is particularly suited to control binary bleed valves associated with the compressors and the position of the current operating point in a control domain and/or the time spent in the operating domain can be used to determine how many of the binary valves should be opened or closed.
US08661830B2
A hybrid multichannel porous structure for processing between two fluid streams of different compositions includes a housing and one or more structures disposed within the cavity of the housing in a shell and tube configuration. Each structure includes a body made of a porous, inorganic material and a plurality of channels for processing an optional sweep stream. Each channel is coated with a membrane layer. A feed stream introduced into the housing is in direct contact with the structures such that a gas selectively permeates through the body and into the channels. The gas combines with the sweep stream to form a permeate that exits from each channel. The remaining feed stream forms a retentate that exits from the housing. The feed stream may consist of syngas containing hydrogen gas and the sweep stream may contain nitrogen gas. A power plant that incorporates the hybrid structure is disclosed.
US08661825B2
A unitary fuel injection manifold for a secondary fuel nozzle improves fuel-air mixing and offers flexibility to alter the mixing profile through adaptability to a variety of number, types, and orientation of discharge outlets to the combustion air mixing space around the secondary fuel nozzle. An aerodynamic surface with reduced extension into the mixing space reduces pressures drop and interference with design airflow. Manifold integrity is enhanced by elimination of fillet welds to mount external pegs.
US08661818B2
A hot dry rock generation system, having: a recharge well that is formed from the ground to an underground hot dry rock into which a heat carrier streams through the recharge well; a production well that is formed from the underground hot dry rock from which the heated heat carrier is streams through the production well; a power generation plant that converts the thermal energy of the heat carrier streaming out of, into electric energy; a collecting tank that stores the heat carrier discharged from the power generation plant; a sealing water pump that sucks the heat carrier collected in the collecting tank and makes the heat carrier stream into the recharge well, whereby the hot dry rock generation system is provided with a heat exchanger into which the heat carrier streaming out of the production well streams.
US08661815B2
Various systems and method for heating an engine in a vehicle are described. In one example, intake air flowing in a first direction may be heated via a gas-to-gas heat exchange with exhaust gases. The heated intake air may then be used in a subsequent gas-to-liquid heat exchange to heat a fluid circulating through the engine. In another example, intake air flowing in a second direction may be heated via a heat exchange with exhaust gases in order to cool an exhaust catalyst.
US08661814B2
A turbocharger compressor bypass valve is disclosed. In one example, the compressor bypass valve operates inversely proportional to engine throttle operation. The approach may simplify compressor bypass valve control and reduced engine system complexity.
US08661810B2
A shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator includes an SMA element and a flexible outer coating or layer. The element is respectively activated by a heating source. The layer surrounds the element, and enhances the heat transfer characteristics of the element to increase the speed of the actuation cycle. The nominal geometry and/or thermal conductivity may be altered during an activation phase, and may include discrete elements oriented with respect to the element, and partially embedded in the layer. An end gripper assembly may be used to cause the layer to move in concert with the element during a phase transformation. An electro-mechanical system includes the cooling source and the actuator. A method includes connecting the actuator to a load, activating the element using the heating source, and deactivating the element using a cooling source or free/ambient air.
US08661806B2
An adaptive, low-impact vehicle energy harvester system, and a method of harvesting vehicle energy, is provided. The system includes a plurality of channels disposed longitudinally in a trafficway, wherein each of the plurality of channels includes one or more compressible, elongated hollow bodies such that a movement of a vehicle along the trafficway causes contents in the elongated hollow bodies to be expelled from one end, a motor in communication with the hollow bodies such that the contents expelled from one end of the hollow bodies actuate the motor, and a control unit that varies a resistance to the movement of the contents in the elongated hollow bodies based on at least one of a mass of the vehicle, a velocity of the vehicle, and a rate of change of velocity of the vehicle.
US08661805B2
A fluid type power transmission system includes a fluid type power transmission device and a control part. The fluid type power transmission device includes an inlet part and an outlet part for a working fluid. The fluid type power transmission device is configured to transmit power in response to circulation of the working fluid in the interior thereof. The control part is configured to control a pressure of the working fluid in the inlet part by regulating a pressure of the working fluid in the outlet part of the fluid type power transmission device.
US08661803B2
An exhaust diluting and diffusing apparatus includes a first pipe forming a vertically directed outlet for an exhaust conduit and a second diffuser pipe mounted to receive an exhaust gas flow from the outlet of the first pipe, the second pipe having a diameter greater than the diameter of the first pipe to define an ambient air inlet gap surrounding the outlet of the first pipe, and being sufficiently wide to allow the exhaust gas to expand and diffuse in the second pipe. The device further includes a dispersing outlet mounted at an end of the second pipe and configured to direct exhaust gas radially outward, an area defined by the diffuser outlet being greater than an area of the outlet of the first pipe.
US08661800B2
A heat transfer method for an engine is disclosed herein utilizing a heat battery configured to store waste exhaust heat in phase-chase materials for use during a subsequent engine start. By reusing waste exhaust heat in this manner, exhaust emissions may be reduced, and delays in heating the vehicle cabin and other vehicle systems after engine start may be reduced.
US08661799B2
An exhaust system for an internal combustion engine is provided. The engine comprises an exhaust line, at least one exhaust gas aftertreatment device arranged in the exhaust line, and a heat source and a heat sink arranged in separate branches of the exhaust line upstream of the exhaust gas aftertreatment device, an exhaust gas flow rate through each respective separate exhaust branch controlled by at least one flow control device. In this way, the temperature of the exhaust entering the aftertreatment device may be controlled by an amount of exhaust that flows through each branch of the exhaust line.
US08661797B2
An exhaust gas after treatment system for an engine comprises an oxidation catalyst NOx adsorber wherein an oxidation catalyst compound and a NOx adsorber compound are disposed. A fuel injector is connected to and is in fluid communication with the oxidation catalyst NOx adsorber device for delivery of a hydrocarbon fuel thereto and an air pump is connected to and is in fluid communication with the oxidation catalyst NOx adsorber device for delivery of air thereto. The fuel injector and the air pump supply fuel and air to the oxidation catalyst NOx adsorber device for oxidation thereof and heating of the NOx adsorber compound to a NOx release temperature following shut down of the internal combustion engine.
US08661793B2
A construction machine including an engine, a fuel tank, and a liquid reductant tank. The construction machine further includes a tank cover, and the fuel tank has an upper surface including a high-position surface and a low-position surface located at a lower position than the high-position surface and adjacent to the high-position surface through a step. The tank cover is provided over the low-position surface and at a height position approximately equal to that of the high-position surface to define a liquid reductant tank installation space in cooperation with the low-position surface. The liquid reductant tank has a replenishment port, installed in the liquid reductant tank installation space so that the replenishment port is close to a lower surface of the tank cover.
US08661792B2
An exhaust line has upstream and downstream blocks for processing exhaust gases. An injection section is arranged between an upstream face defined by the upstream block and a downstream face defined by the downstream block and includes a circulation channel for the exhaust gas flow extending from the upstream face to the downstream face. The channel includes a central line having a determined length between the upstream and downstream faces. The injection section includes a reagent injector capable of injecting a reagent into the injection section. The injection section has a first cup inside the circulation channel in the flow path such that the average path of exhaust gas jets is higher by at least 20% in relation to the predetermined length. A second cup is arranged inside the circulation channel between the upstream face and the first cup. The reagent is done between the first cup and the second cup.
US08661790B2
An exhaust gas treatment system for an internal combustion engine is provided, and includes an exhaust gas conduit, an upstream selective catalytic reduction (“SCR”) device, an electrically heated catalyst (“EHC”) device, an oxidation catalyst (“OC”) device, a downstream SCR device, and a control module. The EHC device is in fluid communication with the exhaust gas conduit and is configured to receive the exhaust gas. The EHC device is located downstream of the upstream SCR device and is selectively activated to produce heat. The OC device is in fluid communication with the exhaust gas conduit, and is selectively heated by the EHC device. At least one of the EHC device and the OC device have a NOx adsorber catalyst disposed thereon for selectively adsorbing NOx below a threshold temperature and substantially releasing NOx above the threshold temperature.
US08661788B2
A low-oxygen content exhaust flow produced by an engine that is combusting, on average, a stoichiometric mixture of air and fuel generally contains various unwanted gaseous emissions. The exhaust flow is treated by an exhaust aftertreatment system that includes a three-way-catalyst (TWC) and an ammonia-selective catalytic reduction (ammonia-SCR) catalyst positioned downstream from the TWC in a flow direction of the exhaust flow. The ammonia-SCR catalyst includes (1) a base metal ion-substituted zeolite and/or a base metal ion-substituted silicoaluminophosphate and (2) an oxygen storage material selected from the group consisting of a metal oxide or a mixed metal oxide that exhibits oxygen storage and release capacity. The serial arrangement of the TWC and the ammonia-SCR catalyst enhances the conversion of NOX to N2 in the low oxygen-content exhaust flow produced by the engine and helps prevent ammonia slip to the atmosphere.
US08661786B2
A passive secondary air delivery system for a two bed catalyst is provided. The system delivers passive secondary air to the second catalyst bed to facilitate oxidation of CO and remaining unburned HC. In a turbocharged engine, the secondary air may be provided from the compressor side of the turbocharger. Control of the amount of air bled from the turbocharger is provided by an orifice in the pipe connecting the turbocharger to the catalyst bed. No active controls are required. In non-turbocharged engines, passive secondary air may be provided by a venturi mixer ported to ambient positioned between the two catalyst beds. In either embodiment, no moving parts or active controls are required.
US08661781B2
Counter rotating fan design and variable blade row spacing optimization for low environmental impact
An air vehicle propulsion system incorporates an engine core with a power shaft to drive an outer blade row. The power shaft extends through and is supported by a counter rotation transmission unit which drives an inner blade row in counter rotational motion to the outer blade row. The counter rotation transmission unit exchanges power from the engine core with the shaft. An actuator engages the shaft for translation from a first retracted position to a second extended position.
US08661778B2
A solar power plant in a new split configuration of a solar Brayton cycle or Brayton/Rankine combined cycle which comprises an array of heliostat mounted mirrors, a solar receiver and a high pressure section of a Brayton cycle power plant mounted near a top of a solar tower, a low pressure section of the Brayton Cycle power plant and the electric generator mounted near or at ground level.
US08661771B2
A sealing device and a medicine packaging apparatus that includes the sealing device, wherein an engaging mechanism for coupling frames has good operability and the frames can firmly engage each other. The sealing device (10) can couple roller frames (20a, 20b) by an engaging mechanism (40) to integrate the roller frames. The engaging mechanism (40) has an engager (45) and a receptor (46) formed of a recess or the like. The engager includes a manipulation lever (50) and an engaging lever (51). The engager (45) is provided in the roller frame (20a), while the receptor (46) is provided in the roller frame (20b). When the manipulation lever (50) is pushed and pivoted toward the roller frame (20b), the engaging mechanism (40) can integrate the roller frames (20a, 20b). When the manipulation lever (50) is pulled and pivoted toward a front portion, the engaging mechanism can release the engagement caused by the engaging mechanism (40) to allow the roller frames (20a, 20b) to be separable from each other.
US08661766B2
A wall anchor for use in an insulated cavity wall has an elongated body extending from a driven end to a driving end. The driven end is adapted to be mounted on an inner wythe of a cavity wall structure. A rotation control portion of the elongated body may include teeth formed on the surface. A collar with at least one aperture for a veneer tie is located near the driving end. The collar may have a pawl associated with it and positioned to engage the teeth on the elongated body. The teeth of the elongated body and the pawl of the collar form a ratchet structure. The collar can be rotated relative to the wall anchor only in a single direction, with the interengaging ratchet structure preventing rotation in the opposite direction.
US08661764B2
A multilayered netlock girder system is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of brace members positioned in a predefined multilayered network pattern, whereby positioning the plurality of brace members in the predefined multilayered network pattern enable the formation of a rigid network between at least two chord members comprising a plurality of insertion provisions for enabling a secured insertion of the plurality of brace members into the at least two chord members, a plurality of structural interlocks formed as a result of predefined multilayered network pattern configured for a secured interlocking of the plurality of brace members together at the plurality of interlockable junctions.
US08661762B2
A building panel, such as a flooring panel or wall panel and a method of assembling the same into a floor, wall cladding, etc. The panel is provided with a locking means in the form of groove (6) and tongue (7) forming a tongue/groove joint for assembling of the panels. In a preferred embodiment, the groove (6) and the tongue (7) are made of water resistant material and fanned with a snap-together joint.
US08661761B2
An integral roof and gable edge assembly includes a metal or plastic sheet formed with positioning surfaces to facilitate slate tile installation by relatively unskilled roofers. The roof and gable assemblies include one or more hooks for holding one or more slate, ceramic or other similar roofing tiles in fixed position along the eaves and/or gables of a roof. A lift arm can be provided on the roof assemblies to replace cant strips and simplify tile installation. Tiles can be easily installed without nailing through the tiles.
US08661760B2
An integral strip and fastener installation system is provided for light weight slate and tile roofing systems installed with a single overlap between each row or course of tile. A specialized fastener hook is formed with one or more lateral projections or wings installed underneath one or more slate tiles to anchor the fastener to the roof at least in part by the weight of the overlying tiles. This anchoring supports and reinforces the open mouth of the hook against deflection from high winds and thereby enables the hook to hold a tile securely under high wind loads.
US08661757B2
A fire protective barrier for a residential floor and a method of its construction, the construction involving a floor supported on lightweight joists of a type susceptible to early failure once exposed to a fire existing in the space below the floor, an array of elongated steel main tees suspended below the joists, the tees being parallel and spaced apart by a nominal distance of 2′, the tees having an upper hollow reinforcing bulb, a central vertical web extending downwardly from the bulb and a horizontal flange extending laterally from both sides of the web, drywall panels carried on upper faces of the flanges of adjacent pairs of tees, the drywall panels having a width of slightly less than the center-to-center distance of the tees, a majority of the panels having lengths of 8′ or more.
US08661756B2
A composite panel assembly includes first and second panels. An edge of the first panel is positioned adjacent to an edge of the second panel to define a joint. The edge of the first panel and the edge of the second panel each define a recessed portion. An insert is positioned between the first and second panels at the joint. A portion of the insert is received within respective recessed portions of the first and second panels.
US08661755B2
A building structure comprising a support structure having upper portion extending to adjacent a floor structure above the support structure and adapted to receive stand-off fasteners there along, a plurality of stand-off fasteners each having a lower portion and an upper portion, where the lower portion of the stand-off fasteners comprises a self-drilling end portion and an adjacent thread-forming portion and, when installed into the upper portion of the support structure, at least a portion of the upper portion of each stand-off fastener extends significantly above the upper portion of the support structure, a cementitious wall structure formed above the upper portion of the wall structure with the upper portions of the stand-off fasteners encapsulated in the cementitious wall structure.
US08661750B2
A cover for closing an access opening that leads to an infrequently used space within a building, such as an attic, that generally provides an air seal, thermal insulation and/or acoustic insulation at the access opening. The cover may be in one or two portions, including a closure alone or a closure and a frame having an aperture that can be closed by engagement between the closure and the frame. When the cover is used alone it engages a frame or a wall circumscribing the access opening. The cover is sized and shaped to close a stairwell, or the opening at one end of a stairway, an opening in a generally vertical wall, a hatch, or a pull down ladder. The closure and frame are each made of one or more components.
US08661749B2
A system and method for securing a vinyl pool stair liner to a set of pool stairs. The system includes a locking component that is secured to the stairs and a locking rod that is selectively engageable in a channel in the upper end of the locking component. The locking rod secures a flap of vinyl extending outwardly from an exterior surface of the stair liner into the channel and thereby secures the stair liner to the pool stairs. An installation tool is used to push the locking rod into the channel of the locking component. The locking rod is removable from the locking component to release the stair liner if it is determined that the liner should be replaced at a later date.
US08661748B2
A light weight ballasted solar racking system has light ballasted weight loads and is easy and fast to install. The racking system may be used in roof or ground mount applications to mount thin film and frameless solar modules. The racking system physically attaches to the solar panel at the manufactured mounting holes with a set of struts that then attach to a ballast tray that holds the system in place. A set of struts may determine the degree of angle from about 5 to about 35 degrees, for example. The front of the ballast tray has an air pass way of about 3-5 inches, while the back of the system has about 8-12 inches of space for an air pass way. Multiple racking systems may be linked together, resulting in the need for less ballast weight for each racking system.
US08661746B1
Elliptical-shaped storm shelters are shown and described. In some embodiments, a storm shelter may include an elliptical-shaped enclosure configured to accommodate one or more persons during a weather event (e.g., a tornado, twister, hurricane, cyclone, typhoon, etc.). The shelter may also include one or more anchors coupled to the enclosure, the anchors configured to attach a bottom portion of the enclosure to the ground while maintaining a top portion of the enclosure above the ground during the weather event. The storm shelter may further include a hatch coupled to the enclosure via one or more hinges, the hatch configured to allow the one or more persons to enter the enclosure and to shut the enclosure from its exterior during the weather event. In some implementations, the hatch may be coupled to the enclosure via joints or hinges that allow it to be decoupled from the enclosure from within the enclosure.
US08661739B2
An apparatus for utilizing space under a deck for storage includes (a) a first securing element having a first and second portion, wherein the first portion is formed to engage the deck and extends downward therefrom toward the ground; and (b) a storage element sized to be received beneath the deck, wherein the second portion of the first securing element is secured to the storage element. A method utilizes the claimed apparatus.
US08661730B2
The present invention provides a versatile flower container includes a base, a top cover, a carrying container placing on the top of top cover and a sensing device placing in the base, the carrying container has a concave space can be used to accommodate the sponge, floral and water, the sensing device includes an electronic control panel, two humidity detection rod, a number of lamps and speakers, the two humidity detection rods are through the top cover and inserting into the sponge in the concave space, thereby they can detect the humidity values of the sponge, the lamps and the speaker can be activated to produce light and sound and then generate warning effect when the humidity values are not enough in the carrying container.
US08661723B2
A versatile handgun comprised of a weapon frame with a grip and at least one gun barrel and comprised of at least one additional defense element differing from the actual firearm function that is arranged on the grip of the weapon or that is housed in the grip of the weapon. The handgun is capable of making help available in an emergency situation and is capable in so doing of covering a very broad range of dangerous situations. The additional defense element(s) and various other pieces of emergency equipment, medical devices and/or tools could be housed in a slide-in element and different types of barrels could be used.
US08661722B2
A lockable safety selector switch adapted to replace a manufacturer's original safety selector switch for a firearm having a selector detent pin with a tip. The lockable safety selector switch has a body adapted to selectively orient between a SAFE position that prevents the firearm from firing and a FIRE position that allows the firearm to fire, and a locking mechanism configured to operatively associate with the firearm selector detent pin to selectively lock the body in the SAFE position. The locking mechanism has a spring-loaded cam that operatively interfaces with a key to prevent unintentional locking or unlocking of the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism is operated by a key adapted to operate a handcuff lock. The lockable safety selector switch is configured such that the firearm requires no modification for the lockable safety selector switch to replace the original safety selector switch.
US08661719B2
The interactive greeting card of the present invention contains a multi-panel greeting card body with various electronic components contained and concealed therein. Upon opening the greeting card, spoken instructions may instruct the user to move an attached magnet from one area of the greeting card to another to initiate a surprise or various special effects such as sound and light.
US08661717B2
A sole structure for an article of footwear and a method of making the sole structure is disclosed. The sole structure can include a plurality of slots. The slots are associated with connecting portions that connect portions of the sole structure in the generally longitudinal direction and provide for increased fit, flexibility and stability.
US08661716B2
An article of footwear which has a body consisting of a polymer material, and which is shaped to closely surround a wearer's foot during use. The article of footwear has a planar insert locatable within the body portion to improve the puncture resistance of the footwear. The body may be formed as a single homogenous piece of moulded material and is deformable between a storage condition and an in use condition.
US08661699B2
A framing tool, namely framing square, is provided with an offset at the proximal ends of the two blades, so that the blades lie in parallel planes. This tool facilitates measuring and marking tubular beams, i.e., beams of generally square or rectangular cross section, but which may have rounded or radiused edges.
US08661696B2
A bow sight with at least one sight pin mounted to a frame assembly. At least one optical fiber is attached to the sight pin. The optical fiber is exposed to gather ambient light and to transmit light to a sight point located within the frame assembly. The eye alignment assembly includes an optical structure mounted to the frame assembly including a sight point of an optical fiber located near a proximal end of the optical structure and a lens with alignment indicia located at a distal end of the optical structure. An adjustment system permits the optical structure to be reoriented relative to the frame assembly. The eye alignment assembly provides an indication of orientation of the shooter relative to the bow in at least two degrees of freedom.
US08661693B2
A pizza wheel includes a handle that is configured to fold or unfold into a variety of configurations. In a stowed, two handle halves are positioned upright, parallel to a plane defined by a cutting wheel. In a deployed position, the handle halves are rotated apart from one another to positions about 90 degrees from the original stowed position.
US08661685B2
According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, pre-assembly and integration of part of an aircraft cabin takes place outside the aircraft structure by means of an assembly device. After pre-assembly, the part of the aircraft cabin is slid into the open section of the aircraft structure where it is installed.
US08661677B2
In a manufacturing method of a rack shaft, the rack shaft is formed by mounting a shaft raw material on a receiving groove of a lower mold, the receiving mold having an approximately U-shaped cross section, thereafter arranging an upper mold having a rack-teeth-forming teeth portion formed in a rectangular shape in a bottom view and capable of oscillating in a width direction of the receiving groove around a center in the width direction of the rack-teeth-forming teeth portion, in such a manner that the center of oscillation lies on a vertical line of a center in a width direction of the rack teeth, pressing the shaft raw material in the diametrical direction, deforming the shaft raw material along the receiving groove, and thereafter deforming the shaft raw material while oscillating the upper mold so as to form a rack teeth.
US08661676B2
Multi-port tube structures are fabricated in a process in which a web of metallic material has a pattern of features formed therein by a rotary die forming process carried out on a continuous basis. The web of material is cut into strips which are folded so as to define a closed tubular structure having internal features defining longitudinal fluid flow channels.
US08661665B2
A multilayer printed wiring board including a first interlayer resin insulation layer, a pad formed on the first interlayer resin insulation layer, a solder resist layer formed on the first interlayer resin insulation layer and the pad, a protective film formed on a portion of the pad exposed by an opening of the solder resist layer, and a coating layer formed between the pad and the solder resist layer. The pad mounts an electronic component. The coating layer has a metal layer and a coating film. The metal layer is formed on the surface of the pad and the coating film is formed on the metal layer.
US08661660B2
A method for manufacturing an LED lamp assembly includes anodizing at least a portion of a surface of an electrically and thermally conductive base, such as an aluminum or aluminum alloy base, so as to form an electrically insulating coating. The base may form a heat sink or be coupled to a heat sink. The anodized surface is chemically etched and circuit traces that include an LED landing are formed on the etched anodized surface. LEDs are electrically and mechanically attached to the LED landing by way of conductive metallic solder such that heat generated from the LED is transferred efficiently through the solder and LED landing to the base and heat sink through a metal-to-metal contact pathway.
US08661659B2
Provided is a method of producing a circuit board that can stably provide normal circuit boards by preventing the solder detachment and the generation of needle-like crystals during the formation of solder bumps. The method of producing a circuit board includes steps of forming an adhesive layer by applying an adhesiveness-imparting compound to the surface of a terminal of the circuit board; attaching solder particles onto the adhesive layer; applying an activator that includes a hydrohalic acid salt of an organic base to the solder particles and fixing the solder particles by heating the circuit board to which the solder particles have been attached at a temperature equal to or lower than the melting point of the solder; applying a flux to the circuit board to which the solder particles have been fixed; and melting the solder particles by heating the circuit board.
US08661651B2
The rotary electric machine includes a rotor, and a stator including an stator core that is formed by laminating and integrating magnetic steel plates, and concentrated winding coils that are mounted to respective teeth, the stator being disposed so as to surround the rotor. Bobbins each including a trunk portion and first and second guide portions that are disposed so as to protrude from two longitudinal ends of an upper surface of the trunk portion are disposed so as to place bottom surfaces of the trunk portions alongside two axial end surfaces of the teeth. The concentrated winding coils are configured by winding a conductor wire a predetermined number of times around the teeth so as to pass through a concave space that is formed by the trunk portions and the first and second guide portions at two axial ends of the teeth.
US08661650B2
A method of making a handheld, electromechanical device useful in mammalian body-care includes the steps of: a) forming a one-piece housing having a single opening defined by a rim; b) assembling a unitary insert; c) inserting the unitary insert through the single opening of the housing; d) removably applying a cover having an exterior surface to close the opening of the one-piece housing; and e) attaching the unitary insert to at least one of the one-piece housing and the removable cover. The rim of the one-piece housing circumscribes a rim area, and the one-piece housing has a projected area that is substantially larger than the rim area. The unitary insert is dimensioned to be insertable through the opening defined by the rim, and it has a frame having disposed thereon electromechanical elements interconnected in an electrical circuit. The cover closes off the opening of the one-piece housing.
US08661646B2
A method of manufacturing a multicolored illuminator is disclosed. In an embodiment, a first transparent sheet (499) comprising light diffusing particles is provided. Second and third transparent cladding sheets (404) are provided on either sides of the first transparent sheet. A mirror (406) is provided adjacent to the second sheet. The first sheet, second sheet, third sheet and mirror are merged to give a multicolored illuminator.
US08661644B2
A tool is used to form a joint between a composite dome and a surrounding composite skirt. The tool includes a tool shell on which composite plies may be laid up to form the skirt and a spacer connected with the shell for filling a gap between the dome and the skirt.
US08661640B2
A system for extraction of a mineral cutter pick (1), and optionally any interposed sleeve (19), the pick (1) comprises an elongate shank (4) extending from an enlarged head (2), has a piston (12) coaxial with the shank (4), with one end face (16) of the piston (12) subjectable to hydraulic pressure fluid, and with another, opposite end face (15) of the piston (12) capable of engaging an end face (5) of the shank (4), a sealing ring (14) to prevent passage of hydraulic fluid being carried by the piston (12), whereby axial movement of the piston (12), under hydraulic pressure, in turn axially displaces the pick (1), while further movement of the piston (12) results in extraction, if required, of sleeve (19).
US08661637B2
Apparatus for removing a sealing plug from a bore, the sealing plug has an outer sleeve and an inner stem retained within the outer sleeve, the removal taking place after a suitable hole has been drilled part-way into the stem, the removal apparatus has a tapered punch for forcible insertion into the hole in the stem to create an interference fit between the punch and the stem and thereafter driving the stem out of the sleeve while also retaining the stem on the punch by virtue of the interference fit, and sleeve-engaging portion engagable with the sleeve after the punch has removed the stem from the sleeve, the sleeve-engaging portion and the punch being thereafter removable from the bore to remove both the sleeve and the stem from the bore while the sleeve and the stem are both retained on the appropriate parts of the apparatus.
US08661636B2
Provided is a metal shell cutting and assembling machine for cutting a material tape with metal shells and assembling the metal shell with a plastic body of a connector. The metal shell cutting and assembling machine includes a frame, a material-feeding mechanism, a pre-press mechanism, a metal shell-cutting mechanism, a plastic body-inserting mechanism, a metal shell-inserting mechanism and a controller. The material-feeding mechanism is used for transferring the material tape. The pre-press mechanism can pre-press the metal shell of the material tape for being cut by the metal shell-cutting mechanism. The metal shell-inserting mechanism can push the metal shell held between the pre-press mechanism and the metal shell-cutting mechanism onto the plastic body-inserting mechanism, and the plastic body-inserting mechanism pushes the plastic body for assembling with the metal shell. Whereby the metal shell cutting and assembling machine can enhance the manufacture efficiency and reduce the labor cost.
US08661633B2
The present invention provides a container having a sheet metal floor, a sheet metal sidewall shell having four round seamless corners and a maximum of two sidewall seams. The container can be a casket with a lid, and a pair of hinges pivotally attaching the lid to the sidewall. The sheet metal sidewall shell can be made from a stretch-bent sheet metal sidewall panel. In some instances, the sheet metal sidewall shell has only one seam that may or may not be a welded seam.
US08661625B2
A slidable buckle for a seatbelt includes a cover which has a number of ribs extending from the cover. The ribs function to limit noise caused by the buckle and webbing coming in contact with a vehicle's interior trim, while at the same time providing a softer, grippable surface for the buckle.
US08661622B2
An assist grip includes hinges, spring cases, and coil springs. The hinges are provided with a rotary axis that a shaft-shaped protrusion and a pin make. The shaft-shaped protrusion is formed integrally with the hinges. The pin is formed independently of the hinges. The spring cases are held in a depression with which the hinges are provided, respectively. The coil springs urge the hinges by way of the spring cases in a direction for accommodating the hinges into hinge-holding depressions with which the assist grip is provided. The setup enables the resulting assist grip to offer better assemblage workability for assembly workers or robots, to show a better appearance, and to exhibit higher strength in service.
US08661619B2
A hinge adjuster includes a first frame, at least one locking piece, at least one spring component, at least one second frame and a pair of cover. The first frame defines at least one locking hole including a first accommodating hole and a second accommodating hole. The locking piece is slidably placed in the first accommodating hole for engaging with the first accommodating hole or the engaging notch alternatively. At least one groove for engaging with the locking piece is configured on a pivoted portion of the second frame, which includes a flat portion, a dentiform portion, and an end portion. And the locking piece is protruded from the locking hole and contacting with the flat portion, the dentiform portion or the end portion selectively. The hinge adjuster has strong supporting capability and can achieve a cyclic adjustment of angles, and the operation is simple and convenient.
US08661613B2
An upright vacuum cleaner includes a body having a nozzle assembly and a handle assembly. The nozzle assembly includes a suction inlet and a pivot. A suction generator and a dirt collection vessel are both carried on the body. A connecting arm pivotally connects the handle assembly to the nozzle assembly. The connector arm includes (a) a hub received on the pivot so as to provide a first pivotal connection along a first axis and (b) a trunion providing a second pivotal connection about which the handle assembly is tilted.
US08661612B2
The invention relates to a liquid wiper device formed of a circular obstacle and intended for a floor cleaning machine that operates with liquid and has a scrubbing-brush that is rotatably driven around a vertical shaft by a motor and arranged and intended for the scrubbing of floors and similar surfaces. According to the invention, the device is formed of ring pieces that are interconnectable into a ring shape and have wiper strips carried thereby. The wiper strips have a thickened upper fastening end portion while the remaining part of the wiper strips has essentially a plate shape. The wiper strips have essentially a T-shaped cross-sectional profile, said ring pieces having a number of recesses distributed along the length extension thereof, and the wiper strips are received in and retained by the same.
US08661609B2
Portable devices for dislodging and/or capturing particulate matter that has accumulated on various surfaces or structures are provided. The devices include a body segment and a nose segment extending away therefrom. A high-pressure assembly generates a high-pressure airflow that is directed to a nozzle assembly in the nose segment. From the nozzle assembly, the high-pressure airflow can be emitted from multiple nozzles as a series of airflow bursts that discretely contact the surface from which the particulate matter is being dislodged. The configuration of each nozzle, as well as the overall arrangement and positions of all the nozzles together, is selected to impart the desired particulate matter dislodging characteristics to the device, and the device may incorporate a vacuum airflow to remove the particulate matter after such matter has been dislodged.
US08661605B2
An autonomous coverage robot includes a body having at least one outer wall, a drive system disposed on the body and configured to maneuver the robot over a work surface, and a cleaning assembly carried by the body. The cleaning assembly includes first and second cleaning rollers rotatably coupled to the body, a suction assembly having a channel disposed adjacent at least one of the cleaning rollers, and a container in fluid communication with the channel. The container is configured to collect debris drawn into the channel. The suction assembly is configured to draw debris removed from the work surface by at least one of the cleaning rollers into the channel, and the container has a wall common with the at least one outer wall of the body.
US08661602B2
The invention is based on a wiper blade (10) with a supporting bracket system which can be connected to a wiper arm in an articulated manner and has at least one main bracket (12, 24) and a plurality of secondary brackets (24, 28) which are connected pivotably to one another by means of joints (20, 26), wherein, in the region of at least one joint (20, 26), the main bracket (12, 24) has a U-shaped cross-sectional profile, the side walls (18, 44) of which laterally enclose the secondary brackets (24, 28), and, on the insides of the side walls (44), has pivots (50) which, together with lateral clip cutouts (54) on the secondary bracket (28), form a clip connection and a bearing point, while the secondary bracket (28) is supported via a rolling bearing (34, 66) on a top wall (58) of the main bracket (24). It is proposed that the pair of brackets (12, 24 or 24, 28), which in this way are connected to each other in an articulated manner, is manufactured from plastic in an injection-moulding process, with the pivots (50) being integrally cast on the insides of the side walls (18, 44) of the main bracket (18, 24).
US08661596B2
A toothbrush drive includes a first drive component for generating a magnetic field and a second drive component driven in both a translational and rotational manner under the influence of the magnetic field. A transmission element is deflected out of a predetermined position for transmission of both translational and rotary movement of the second drive component. The deflection of the transmission element varies along its longitudinal axis. A transmission element can be deflected out of a predefined position for transmission of a translatory movement and a rotational movement of the second drive component to the brush element along a longitudinal axis of the transmission element. The deflection of the transmission element out of the predefined position is varied along the longitudinal axis of the transmission element.
US08661595B2
Described is an automatic cleaning machine for swimming pools comprising a body with at least two motorized wheels for moving on a drive surface, at least one suction inlet positioned on a lower surface of the body, at least one outlet mouth, at least one turbine, operating between the suction inlet and the outlet mouth, controllable by a respective electricity supply battery, an electronic control unit for operating the wheels and moving the cleaning machine along the drive surface and for operating the turbine for exerting a thrust able to keep the body in contact with the surface. The automatic cleaning machine also comprises at least one chopping element interposed between the suction inlet and the outlet mouth.
US08661594B2
Disclosed herein is cleaning structure attachable to a submersible pool cleaning vehicle (PCV). In one exemplary embodiment the PCV has an endless loop track and a chassis therefore. The cleaning structure attaches to the chassis and acts as a cap covering the drive wheels and track. The cleaning structure includes a base and bristles extending outwardly therefrom. The bristles define fingers. In one embodiment, the fingers are of a uniform length. In another embodiment, the fingers are of a graduated length. Others embodiments include the fingers being distributed on the base in a random pattern.In one embodiment, the cleaning structure defines a single insert. In another, the cleaning structure includes multiple inserts.
US08661591B1
A shoulder pain alleviating mattress assembly includes a mattress assembly frame, a foot mattress portion carried by the mattress assembly frame, a head mattress portion carried by the mattress assembly frame in spaced-apart relationship to the foot mattress portion and at least one depth-adjustable arm gap between the foot mattress portion and the head mattress portion.
US08661590B2
An air mattress including an inflatable compartment, strips, a connecting sheet and pillow strips is provided. The inflatable compartment includes a top wall, a bottom wall and a side wall surrounding peripheries of the top wall and the bottom wall. The strips are air-pervious and disposed in the inflatable compartment, wherein the strips are connected between the bottom wall and the top wall and located in a lying portion of the top wall. The connecting sheet is air-pervious and disposed in the inflatable compartment and facing a pillow portion of the top wall, wherein the connecting sheet is connected between the side wall and the strips adjacent to the pillow portion. The pillow strips are air-pervious and disposed in the inflatable compartment, wherein the pillow strips are connected between the connecting sheet and the pillow portion of the top wall.
US08661579B2
An apparatus in an example comprises a seat, a torso support, and a connector. The seat comprises a rigid core. The torso support is coupled with the seat. The connector is coupled with the seat and/or the torso support. The connector is removably connectable with an accessory that serves to at least in part support a weight of a patient relative to a load-bearing surface. A location of the patient on the seat with a front of the patient faced toward the torso support and the connector coupled with the accessory allows control by a caregiver of an upper body of the patient for and during transfer of the patient by the caregiver from a start location to a target location.
US08661574B2
The present invention relates to a drain which comprises an inlet member (1), a grating (13) or cover plate laid loosely or detachably on top of the inlet member, and an outlet member (2). To achieve a short line of contact between the surface covering's sealing layer (6) and the drain while at the same time the sealing layer is fastened by means of a clamping ring (5) or a bonding flange, thereby reducing the risk of leakage and affording the possibility of connecting an aesthetically more pleasing inlet member (1), the inlet member (1) takes the form of an elongate or trilateral plate-like element (11) disposed on top of the sealing layer or the sealing layer (6) and the clamping ring (5) and provided with a recess (12) for flow communication with the outlet member (2). The present invention relates also to an inlet member (1) for a drain as above.
US08661569B2
Functional underpants comprise a penis support member having a double structure comprising an outer cloth and an inner cloth, a scrotum support member having a single structure and being formed vertically under and connected to the penis support member, and a rear member connected to a lower end of the scrotum support member having the single structure. The outer cloth of the penis support member includes a first bending section, a second bending section having a horizontal length and formed under the first bending section, and a first curved portion formed between the first and second bending sections, which create a penis pocket along with the inner cloth of the penis support member. The scrotum support member includes the second bending section, a third bending section, and a second curved portion formed between the second and third bending sections, which form a scrotum pocket.
US08661568B1
Hosiery that includes a legwear portion and a waistband secured to the legwear portion. The waistband is made of an elastic material having an unfinished upper edge. The waistband also has an unfinished lower edge that is secured to the legwear portion at a seam that allows the hosiery to lay substantially flat against a wearer's body. The unfinished upper edge of the waistband can provide the wearer with greater comfort relative to conventional hosiery having finished upper edges, which often results in visible and uncomfortable restriction. This hybrid construction also allows the waistband to have varying width around its circumference to compensate for shortcomings of a legwear portion made using conventional tube-construction techniques and/or, when the waistband has a lower stretchability than the legwear portion, to compensate for this lower stretchability.
US08661564B2
A protective guard for reducing injury to a shin of a person includes a conformable substrate and a plurality of core members disposed adjacent to a surface of the conformable substrate. The plurality of core members are arranged such that a first of the core members is rotationally movable about at least one axis relative to a second of the core members. A flexible fabric membrane comprised of natural or synthetic fibers is positioned adjacent to at least one of the conformable substrate and the plurality of core members.
US08667606B2
A method for controlling access to client data by support providers includes initiating a session on a server computer in response to receipt of a request for assistance from a client, the session having client data associated therewith. A session key is generated for the session. The session key includes a session identifier and a support provider identifier corresponding to an assignee. The session key may further include a client identifier corresponding to the client. Requests to access the client data include an assignee key including a session identifier and a support provider identifier, and potentially a client identifier if needed. The assignee key is compared to the session key. If correspondence is found between the identifiers in the assignee key and the session key, access is granted. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also described.
US08667593B1
A client computer maintains storage of a trusted set of files. For files that the client computer detects that are not part of the trusted set, a server scans copies of files to protect the client computer against malicious software. After scanning, the server sends to the client computer a scan report indicating in which, if any, of the files malicious software was found. The client computer then sets access directives for the files based on the scan report. The system may be configured so that, when the client computer detects a file that is not part of the trusted set, the client computer creates an identifier for the file and sends the identifier to the server. The server can use the file identifier to determine if it has a copy of the file, and only if it does not will it request a copy of the file.
US08667590B1
A technique for protecting a high availability device in a computer network includes deploying an appliance between the high availability device and a network connection. The high availability device may be a device configured for a manufacturing operation, such as wafer fabrication, for example. The appliance may be a transparent security appliance with a scanning engine for scanning packets for malicious content, such as computer viruses or worms, for example. Scanning control information can be supplied to the appliance by way of either a removable storage medium or a secure server coupled to the appliance, for example. The scanning control information can include a patch update, perhaps with signatures of viruses and associated control instructions. The appliance can then block any malicious content entering the appliance in response to the scanning control information. Among other advantages, the technique allows for low-cost, plug-and-play protection of high availability devices with good scalability to larger network configurations.
US08667588B2
Systems and methods provide an alert correlator and an alert distributor that enable early signs of an attack to be detected and rapidly disseminated to collaborating systems. The alert correlator utilizes data structures to correlate alert detections and provide a mechanism through which threat information can be revealed to other collaborating systems. The alert distributor uses an efficient technique to group collaborating systems and then pass data between certain members of those groups according to a schedule. In this way data can be routinely distributed without generating excess traffic loads.
US08667587B1
A mechanism is provided for determining a safety reputation for a network site in a manner that provides both wide coverage of potentially malicious sites as well as improves the freshness of information from which the safety reputation is derived. Community-based information, such as reports from users related to recently-visited network sites, malware detected by reporting network nodes, non-specific information such as unusual CPU usage and network activity of visiting nodes, and information received from other types of external feeds is used in determining the safety reputation and updating the safety reputation. Such information is analyzed in order to determine network sites that are potential sources of malware, which can then be subjected to more detailed analysis. Historical information as to a site's reputation and other factors such as commercial importance can also be reviewed to make a determination as to whether information being currently gathered by a community of users is sufficient to trigger additional analysis of the network site. Thus, resources used for detailed analysis of suspect network sites is conserved.
US08667576B2
A computer system is provided comprising a non-volatile storage medium and a processor. The processor acquires authentication information from a first removable storage device, stores the authentication information into the non-volatile storage medium, and forbids data access of the computer system when detecting that a second removable storage device has been inserted and identification data of the second removable storage device is different from the authentication information.
US08667574B2
Virtually extending the functionality of a network device to a server is provided. A virtual device which virtually represents functionality of the network device is created. An association is stored between the network device and a user or a group for the network device. A determination is made as to whether the network device and the user or the group for the network device correspond to a local network or to a disparate network, based on the stored association. A network address for the virtual device is assigned based on the determination. Functionality of the network device is accessed via the virtual device, using the assigned network address for the virtual device.
US08667553B2
A method and mechanism for automating user input in an interactive television system. An interactive application is conveyed concurrently with a broadcast programming stream in an interactive television system to a receiver. The interactive application is configured to provide added content to a television viewer upon a request by the viewer. In order to request the display of the available added content, a viewer may provide an indication that the use of a script is desired. Subsequently, a script corresponding to the interactive application is utilized to provide input to the interactive application in lieu of the viewer actively providing the input necessary to display the added content. In addition, a viewer may configure the receiver to indicate default preferences for the use of scripts. The receiver may then utilize a standardized script to provide input to interactive applications having added content available for viewing. Further, a corresponding program, interactive application, added content, and script may be received and stored on a mass storage device. Subsequently, the stored material may be retrieved for display and execution.
US08667544B2
Vehicular entertainment systems where devices in the systems can each utilize a common type of storage units are presented. A vehicular entertainment system can include a media server head unit in communication over a network with a plurality of media players that are installed about the cabin of a vehicle. Media content can be stored on a plurality of field replaceable storage units where each of the storage units can be installed in any one of the players or the server. Each of the storage units can store a substantially identical content set including passenger content, player content, server content, crew content, or other types of content. The server or players can be restricted from accessing content to which they lack rights, possibly based on a location identifier that indicates roles or responsibilities of the players at their installed location.
US08667543B2
The present invention provides a method and system for improving playing quality of a mobile TV to address the technical problem that the playing quality of a mobile TV is influenced by network coverage discrepancies of a mobile TV. In the present invention, a terminal detects the network signal intensity of a mobile TV, performs a match determination between the network signal intensity and the data rate of the mobile TV, and requests a mobile TV service platform to dynamically adjust the program data rate of the mobile TV according to the result of the match determination. In this way, the present invention improves the playing quality of the programs of the mobile TV, and enables the user to enjoy programs of the mobile TV satisfactorily in different mobile TV network environments.
US08667541B1
A system is provided for intelligent handset remote control. The system includes a processor on a handset and a remote control component. When executed by the processor, the remote control component stores a list of media network providers, determines a location associated with the handset, retrieves an index associated with a media presentation device based on the location, and maps each of the media network providers in the list with at most one entry in the index. The remote control component also presents the list of media network providers to a user interface for the handset as a list of selectable inputs, receives a selection of one of the list of selectable inputs via the user interface, and transmits a command to the media presentation device to present media based on an entry in the index that corresponds to the selection.
US08667532B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for providing advertisements. A plurality of advertisement targeting criteria is determined from a video stream or file. A first advertisement targeting criterion of the advertisement targeting criteria is associated with a first time position in the video. A second advertisement targeting criterion of the advertisement targeting criteria is associated with a second time position in the video. One or more first advertisements are provided, for presentation at or after the first time position in the video, based on the first advertisement targeting criterion. One or more second advertisements are provided, for presentation at or after the second time position in the video, based on the second advertisement targeting criterion.
US08667530B2
A method and system are disclosed to provide interactivity using an interactive channel bug. The interactive channel bug (e.g., an “interactive broadcast channel branding logo”) allows a television user to access a variety of interactive services. The interactive broadcast channel branding logo may be configured to launch a functionality determined by a broadcaster. This functionality may change over time. The form of the interactive broadcast channel branding logo may also change over time in which the availability of new interactive services is indicated.
US08667528B2
Disclosed is a broadcast advertisement service system based on media ID matching, including: a broadcast-contents receiving terminal for receiving broadcast contents from a broadcasting system for a TV broadcaster and displaying the broadcast contents; a server for an AR advertisement broadcaster for receiving the broadcast contents from the broadcasting system for the TV broadcaster, generating a first media ID lookup table from the broadcast contents, and searching for AR advertisement data linked with on-air broadcast contents by referring to the first media ID lookup table; and a user terminal for acquiring the on-air broadcast contents in real time from the broadcast-contents receiving terminal, generating a second media ID lookup table from the acquired on-air broadcast contents, receiving the AR advertisement data linked with the on-air broadcast contents from the server for the AR advertisement broadcaster, and mixing and displaying the acquired on-air broadcast contents and the received AR advertisement data in real time.
US08667526B2
A system may present video content with a data scroll on a video display device. The data scroll may include data scroll items that are automatically and consecutively presented on the video display device. Each of the data scroll items may include information associated with a particular topic. The system may receive a selection of a softkey corresponding to one of the data scroll items, retrieve, in response to receiving the selection of the softkey, additional content corresponding to the particular topic associated with the one of the data scroll items, and present the additional content on the video display device.
US08667517B2
Provided is a compact-type objective lens (OBL) holder and the like provided with a bobbin making it possible to appropriately wind a coil therearound. An OBL holder of the present invention includes: a main surface portion provided with a fixing part on which an objective lens is fixed; and a first side-wall portion and a second side-wall portion provided with bobbins around which tracking coils for driving the OBL holder itself by using a magnetic effect are wound. Further, in the present invention, each bobbin includes a tubular portion and a through-hole penetrating the tubular portion in a thickness direction thereof. Thus, an adhesive can be supplied to the tracking coil through the through-hole.
US08667515B2
A casing structure of an optical disc drive (ODD) includes an ODD case body and a panel part. The ODD case body includes a body and an embedded portion, where the embedded portion is located on the body and has a combination hole. The panel part includes a panel and a positioning portion, where the positioning portion is located on the panel and includes a positioning post and a limit part, the positioning post is disposed on the embedded portion and embedded in the combination hole, so that the panel is fixed to the body, and the panel and the limit part clamp the body. The panel masks a part of the body.
US08667511B2
A storage system comprising: a SCSI initiator being configured for receiving a data request and providing a SMP request corresponding to the data request, the SCSI initiator being further configured for encapsulating the SMP request into a first SCSI command; a SCSI target being configured for receiving the first SCSI command, the SCSI target being further configured for recognizing encapsulation of the SMP request and obtaining the SMP request from the first SCSI command; and an SMP target being configured for processing the SMP request and providing an SMP response to the SCSI target. The SCSI target being further configured for acknowledging the SCSI initiator upon reception of the SMP response; and the SCSI initiator being further configured for sending a second SCSI command to the SCSI target to retrieve the SMP response.
US08667510B2
A system and method for providing time-sensitive information to a handset using a scrolling ticker. The method includes receiving the time-sensitive information at a server, determining the time period before the next update for a second set of information, and if less than a pre-determined value, then streaming the time sensitive information at the end of the time period to the handset. If the time period is greater that than the pre-determined value, then streaming the time-sensitive information immediately. In an alternative embodiment, a method is provided which includes determining a base schedule for periodically streaming the information to a handset via a scrolling ticker, receiving time-sensitive information relating to an event, determining a second schedule for periodically streaming time-sensitive information related to the event, and streaming the time-sensitive information in accordance with the second schedule during a time period associated with the event.
US08667508B2
A method for providing stand-in objects, where relationships among objects are automatically resolved in an object oriented relational database model without the necessity of retrieving data from the database until it is needed. A “fault” class is defined, as well as fault objects whose data haven't yet been fetched from the database. An object that's created for the destination of a relationship whenever an object that includes the relationship is fetched from the database. When an object is fetched that has relationships, fault objects are created to “stand-in” for the destination objects of those relationships. Fault objects transform themselves into the actual enterprise objects—and fetch their data—the first time they're accessed. Subsequently, messages sent to the target objects are responded to by the objects themselves.
US08667504B2
Fault isolation capabilities made available by user space can be provided for a embedded network storage system without sacrificing efficiency. By giving user space processes direct access to specific devices (e.g., network interface cards and storage adapters), processes in a user space can initiate Input/Output requests without issuing system calls (and entering kernel mode). The multiple user spaces processes can initiate requests serviced by a user space device driver by sharing a read-only address space that maps the entire physical memory one-to-one. In addition, a user space process can initiate communication with another user space process by use of transmit and receive queues similar to transmit and receiver queues used by hardware devices. And, a mechanism of ensuring that virtual addresses that work in one address space reference the same physical page in another address space is used.
US08667501B2
Performing a local barrier operation with parallel tasks executing on a compute node including, for each task: retrieving a present value of a counter; calculating, in dependence upon the present value of the counter and a total number of tasks performing the local barrier operation, a base value of the counter, the base value representing the counter's value prior to any task joining the local barrier; calculating, in dependence upon the base value and the total number of tasks performing the local barrier operation, a target value, the target value representing the counter's value when all tasks have joined the local barrier; joining the local barrier, including atomically incrementing the value of the counter; and repetitively, until the present value of the counter is no less than the target value of the counter: retrieving the present value of the counter and determining whether the present value equals the target value.
US08667499B2
Systems and methods are described for managing requests for computing capacity from a provider of computing resources. The computing resources may include program execution capabilities, data storage or management capabilities, network bandwidth, etc. In some implementations, user requests are probabilistically denied or granted while some computing resources are still available. By denying some requests or granting only some, the rate of computing resource usage can be reduced, thus preserving some capacity for a longer period of time. In one embodiment, the capacity can be provided to clients based on client priority, provided to clients with reserved resources, provided to clients probabilistically, sold on a spot market, or allocated in some other fashion.
US08667494B1
Described are techniques for allocating resources. Two consumer processes using two resources are provided. A first threshold of a first of the resources for a first of said two consumer processes is provided. A second threshold of a second of said resources for said first consumer process is provided. Consumption information is received regarding actual consumption of the two resources by the first consumer process. Execution of the first consumer process is scheduled in accordance with the first and the second thresholds and the consumption information.
US08667492B2
A method for controlling runtime behavior of processes of an automation system is provided. A priority is assigned to each of the processes, wherein an operating system of the automation system assigns runtime to the processes as a function of their priority. A scheduling service monitors starting and ending of all processes, wherein the highest priority available in the operating system is assigned to the scheduling service. Metadata is assigned to at least one process, the data including at least one rule on the priority of the process. The scheduling service analyzes the metadata and registers the process for monitoring when starting a process to which metadata is assigned, wherein the scheduling service monitors the registered processes for compliance with the at least one rule per process, and wherein the scheduling service modifies the priorities of the registered processes, the at least one rule of which is in non-compliance, according to the rule.
US08667491B2
A method of executing a workflow in a computer includes representing a main workflow of at least one computer as a series of steps which are linked to define the workflow, the steps being grouped in at least two groups. The method includes representing a transition workflow as at least one transition step, the transition step not being linked to the steps of the main workflow and defining a rule for executing the transition workflow based on transitions between steps of different groups. The method includes executing in at least one computer the steps of the main workflow in an order defined by the links. The method includes evaluating the rule to determine whether the rule applies when, during the executing, a step from one of the groups is followed by a step from another of the groups and executing in at least one computer the steps of the transition workflow when the rule applies.
US08667485B2
A file executing method for executing a computer executable code set stored in a hidden storage area of a storage device in an operating system of a computer host is provided. The method includes connecting the storage device to the computer host and providing a loader for managing the computer executable code set. The method also includes running the loader in a main memory of the computer host, requesting the operating system to allocate a first address segment in the main memory for running the loader, loading the computer executable code set from the hidden storage area into the first address segment by using the loader, transforming the computer executable code set into an executable content of the operation system by using the loader and storing the executable content into the first address segment; and establishing a derivative execution procedure by using the loader to execute the executable content.
US08667475B2
A program-converting module for a multi-axis cooperated machine and a program-converting method. Machining programs and mechanism data of a plurality of first machines are input to a first input module. Mechanism data of a plurality of second machines are input to a second input unit. A setting unit sets at least one of the first machines to be a source machine, and sets one of the second machines to be a target machine. A conversion unit uses a kinematical method to convert the machining program of the source machine into a machining program applicable to the target machine based on the mechanism data of the source and target machines, without requiring CAD/CAM software.
US08667460B2
A computer system is used to create an application. An application is created using an authoring environment. The application is converted into a master application template by creating an application representation and creating associated metadata that define at least one allowable modification that may be made to the application representation. The master application template may be certified. A child application template is derived from the master application template by deleting at least one allowable modification of the master application template, or by deleting, adding, or modifying at least one constraint to at least one allowable modification of the master application template, where the effect of the deletion, addition, or modification is to reduce the scope of the allowable modification to the child application template source code. The child application template is used to create an application.
US08667445B2
The invention discloses a power mesh management method utilized in an integrated IC. The integrated circuit includes a macro block including at least a macro block power supplying line growing along a first direction. The management method includes: defining a plurality of first power supplying lines located in a metal layer above the macro block, wherein each of the first supplying lines grows along the first direction; defining a plurality of second power supplying lines located in another metal layer above the macro block, wherein each of the second supplying lines grows along a second direction; defining a partial power supplying line from the plurality of first power supplying lines where the partial power supplying line overlaps the macro block power supplying line; and removing the partial power supplying line from the plurality of first power supplying lines.
US08667430B1
A method of fabricating an integrated circuit includes designing an optical photomask for forming a pre-pattern opening in a photoresist layer on a semiconductor substrate, wherein the photoresist layer and the pre-pattern opening are coated with a self-assembly material that undergoes directed self-assembly (DSA) to form a DSA pattern. Designing the optical photomask includes using a computing system, inputting a DSA target pattern, and using the computing system, applying a DSA model to the DSA target pattern to generate a first DSA directing pattern. Further, the step of designing the optical photomask includes using the computing system, calculating a residual between the DSA target pattern and the DSA directing pattern, and using the computing system, applying the DSA model to the first DSA directing pattern and the residual to generate a second, updated DSA directing pattern. Generating the second, updated DSA directing pattern includes linearizing a self-consistent field theory equation.
US08667426B2
An input apparatus includes an input unit that receives a predetermined motion image signal, a motion detecting unit that detects a motion from the motion image signal received by the input unit, a video signal processing unit that outputs a predetermined video signal when a motion detected by the motion detecting unit is a predetermined motion, and a control unit that controls the video signal processing unit, in which the control unit controls the motion detecting unit not so as to detect a motion when the predetermined video signal is being outputted by the video signal processing unit, thereby providing a useful input apparatus for a user.
US08667420B2
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for presenting and browsing hierarchical data. A hierarchical chart is displayed with a primary entity being displayed in a center region of the display. One or more peers to the primary entity are displayed along a horizontal axis in comparison to the primary entity. One or more parents to the primary entity are displayed above the primary entity, and one or more children to the primary entity are displayed beneath the primary entity. A method for performing searches against a hierarchical chart is also described. Input is received for a name to search for in a hierarchical chart. A filter criteria selection is received. A search is performed against the hierarchical chart to find one or more matching records that match the name and the filter criteria. The one or more matching records are displayed, with at least a name and photo.
US08667417B1
Embodiments of the present invention include methods and systems for pop-up suppression. A method for pop-up suppression in a display of a web page to a user is provided. The method includes detecting a web page request for a pop-up. The method also includes automatically running the pop-up based on the web page request in a minimized pop-up window when the web page request for the pop-up is detected. A system for pop-up suppression is also provided. The system includes a pop-up manager configured to place a pop-up based on a web page request in a minimized pop-up window when the web page request for the pop-up is detected. The system also includes an execution module configured to run the pop-up in the minimized pop-up window. The system further includes a window module configured to open a minimized pop-up window for display when a user selects the minimized pop-up window.
US08667416B2
Functionality is implemented to determine that a first content presented by a first graphical user interface container is related to a second content presented by a second graphical user interface container. The first graphical user interface container and the second graphical user interface container are merged to generate a merged container that presents a merged content. The merged content comprises a first constituent content of the merged container that corresponds to the first content and a second constituent content of the merged container that corresponds to the second content. It is determined that a first action associated with the first constituent content can operate upon the second constituent content. The first action operates on the first constituent content when invoked. Computer program code that implements the first action is reconfigured to operate upon the first and the second constituent content of the merged container.
US08667403B2
A mobile terminal and group chat controlling method thereof are disclosed, by which a chat content transceived in an performed group chat after a join-impossible state can be received in the course of performing the group chat if impossible to join the group chat. The present invention includes performing a group chat with a plurality of counterparts, displaying a chat window of the performed group chat, if the mobile terminal is impossible to join the group chat (i.e., if the mobile terminal enters a join-impossible state) in the course of performing the group chat, receiving chat contents transceived among a plurality of the counterparts in the performed group chat after the join-impossible state, and displaying the received chat contents.
US08667398B2
A real time notification system that tracks, for each user, the logon status of selected co-users of an on-line or network system and displays that information in real time to the tracking user in a unique graphical interface. The invention provides user definable on-line co-user lists, or “buddy lists”, that track specific co-users in real-time automatically. A user can create many separate buddy lists of co-users, either with intersecting or disjoint lists of users, and label these buddy lists according to the user's preference. The user can update a buddy list or create new buddy lists whenever necessary. When a user logs on to a system, the user's set of buddy lists is presented to the buddy list system. The buddy list system attempts to match co-users currently logged into the system with the entries on the user's buddy list. Any matches are displayed to the user. As co-users logon and logoff, a user's buddy list is updated to reflect these changes. An indication can also be added to show that a co-user just logged on or just left the system.
US08667387B2
A method and system are disclosed for acquiring and transforming existing content (e.g., Hyper Text Markup Language HTML content) for display and execution on multiple platforms and architectures. In one embodiment, capture templates are created to harvest content from disparate content sources on multiple platforms. Data is extracted from the content from the disparate content sources using the created capture templates that drives extracting process. A standardized data stream is generated from the extracted data. The standardized data stream is provided for display on one or more different type of platforms.
US08667386B2
A method of rendering an optimized web page or other resource includes requesting a resource and receiving a response including a user interface control declaration and a data array containing properties for the user interface control. The data array is parsed to produce a first property value, and a property of the user interface control is modified to correspond to the first property value. Alternatively, the response may not include a user interface control declaration, but a user interface control may be instantiated having a property that corresponds to the first property value. The property value may have been determined dynamically based at least in part on information provided with the request.
US08667381B1
An element of a block diagram may be modified to produce a modified block diagram. A change record including a change entry associated with a modification of the element may be created. A commentary related to the modification may be received. The commentary may be associated with the change entry. The change record may be associated with the modified block diagram. The modification may be displayed. The change entry with the associated commentary my be displayed proximate to the displayed modification.
US08667377B1
In one embodiment, a block code decoder is provided. The block code decoder includes a first decoder configured to decode Bose-Chaudhuri-Hochquenghem (“BCH”) coded data packets and a second decoder configured to receive and decode Reed-Solomon (“RS”) encoded data from the first decoder. The first decoder includes a first buffer configured to receive BCH encoded data and one or more BCH decoder circuits coupled to the first buffer. Each BCH decoder circuit decodes a plurality of BCH encoded bits in parallel. A second buffer is arranged to store the decoded BCH data. The second decoder includes a third buffer, arranged to receive the RS encoded data from the first decoder, one or more RS decoder circuits configured to decode a plurality of RS encoded bits in parallel, and a fourth buffer arranged to store RS payload data decoded by the RS decoder circuits.
US08667372B2
An estimating unit estimates, when there is a request for data in a system in which an error checking unit of data is formed with a plurality of memories each of which is a dual memory having an independent address line, whether an error has occurred on the address line based on a result of an error checking for data related to the request. A control unit generates, when it is estimated that an error has occurred on the address line, error data of the data related to the request, and controls the memory in such a manner that one line of the dual memory is disabled by switching the data related to the request to generated error data.
US08667362B2
A system, method and computer program product is provided for mitigating the effects of burst noise on packets transmitted in a communications system. A transmitting device applies an outer code, which may include, for example, a block code, an exclusive OR (XOR) code, or a repetition code, to one or more packets prior to adaptation of the packets for transmission over the physical (PHY) layer of the communications system, wherein the PHY layer adaptation may include FEC encoding of individual packets. The outer coded packets are then separately transmitted over a channel of the communications system. A receiving device receives the outer coded packets, performs PHY level demodulation and optional FEC decoding of the packets, and then applies outer code decoding to the outer coded packets in order to restore packets that were erased during transmission due to burst noise or other impairments on the channel.
US08667361B1
Systems and methods are provided for decoding data using hard decisions and erasures. Circuitry receives data from each of a plurality of variable nodes which correspond to bits of data being decoded. Each variable node stores one of at least three values. The circuitry determines processes the values received from the plurality of variable nodes according to a set of processing rules. The processing rules are used to determine a condition related to the values stored by the plurality of variable nodes. The circuitry stores an indication of the stored condition at a check node.
US08667353B2
A semiconductor chip having a functional block that performs a communication function includes an input circuit that supplies an oscillating test signal to the functional block, and a test circuit that detects the strength of an oscillating signal which the functional block outputs in response. A strength signal indicating the detected strength is output from the test circuit through an external terminal of the semiconductor chip to a test device. The test device evaluates the strength signal to decide whether an operating characteristic of the functional block is within a specified range. The strength information indicated by the strength signal is not affected by impedance on the signal transmission line between the semiconductor chip and the test device, so the test is not affected by impedance loss.
US08667350B2
An integrated circuit or circuit board includes functional circuitry and a scan path. The scan path includes a test data input lead, a test data output lead, a multiplexer, and scan cells. A dedicated scan cell has a functional data output separate from a test data output. Shared scan cells each have a combined output for functional data and test data. The shared scan cells are coupled in series. The test data input of the first shared scan cell is connected to the test data output of the dedicated scan cell. The combined output of one shared scan cell is coupled to the test data input lead of another shared scan cell. The multiplexer has an input coupled to the test data output, an input connected to the combined output lead of the last shared scan cell in the series, and an output connected in the scan path.
US08667340B2
A distributed computing system includes a plurality of intercommunicating component machines. In a method for alert processing, when a component machine fails to perform an operation, and no alert information regarding that operation is currently stored by that component machine, peer machines among the component machines are identified with regard to the operation. Notification is sent to the peer machines regarding failure to perform the operation, notifying the peer machines to store alert information regarding the operation. The component machine stores the alert information regarding the operation and issues an alert corresponding to the failure to perform the operation. A computer readable medium containing executable instructions is also described.
US08667336B2
A method, apparatus, and system are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method determines whether one or more manageability conditions are present in a computer system, and then invokes an out-of-service manageability remediation environment stored within a portion of a flash device in the computer system when one or more manageability conditions are present.
US08667324B2
In one embodiment, a cache element allocation method is provided. Each cache element on a CPU is assigned a quality rank based on the error rate of the cache element. If an allocated cache element is deemed to be faulty, the quality rank of the faulty allocated cache element is compared with the quality rank of the non-allocated cache elements. If a non-allocated cache element has a lower quality rank than the allocated cache element, the non-allocated cache element is swapped in for the allocated cache element.
US08667319B2
Clock management is implemented using a variety of systems, devices and methods. According to one embodiment a clock transitioning circuit arrangement (104) is implemented for receiving data from a processor system (102) via a data bus (212, 214) and for modifying a state a clock-generation unit (106) having a local memory for controlling a plurality of clock outputs that provide clock signals for use by the processing system (102). The arrangement has a memory circuit (206) for storing the data from the processor system (102) and a control circuit (208) for accessing the data in the memory circuit (206) in response to a request to change a clock signal provided by an output of the plurality of clock outputs and for providing corresponding data to the local memory of the clock generation unit (106).
US08667315B2
A synchronization control apparatus includes a counter that carries out a counting and outputs resulting count information, a timeout time holder that holds a predetermined timeout time and outputs the timeout time, a comparator that compares the count information output from the counter and the timeout time output from the timeout time holder, a synchronization controller that monitors a synchronization between a first processor and a second processor by comparing an output from the first processor and an output from the second processor and starts a counting, when a mis-match of the outputs from the first processor and the second processor is detected and wherein the comparator detects that the count information and the timeout time match, the comparator stops either the first processor or second processor in which a synchronization delay has occurred.
US08667314B2
A power switching circuit of a portable electronic device is disclosed. The portable electronic device can be coupled to an expansion device. The power switching circuit includes a first power terminal, a second power terminal, a first switch module, a second switch module, and a power pin. The first switch module is coupled to the first power terminal. The second switch module is coupled to the second power terminal. The power pin is coupled to the first switch module and the second switch module, respectively. When the portable electronic device is not coupled to the expansion device, the first switch module and the second switch module are turned off, such that first power provided by the first power terminal and second power provided by the second power terminal fail to be provided for the power pin via the first switch module and the second switch module.
US08667313B2
An apparatus and method for reducing power consumption in a System on Chip (SoC) are provided. The SoC includes a clock unit for providing clocks to all elements included in the SoC, a Central Processing Unit (CPU) for controlling the SoC to perform designated functions, a main regulator for supplying power provided from an external battery to remaining elements included in the SoC other than a PMU, and a restoration processor for storing, in the PMU, registration information on the CPU and all peripherals included in the SoC when a transition from an active state to a sleep state is made. The PMU stops provision of a clock from the CPU by controlling the clock unit for stopping provision of all clocks by controlling the clock unit and for controlling the main regulator to be powered off when the restoration processor, wherein the PMU requests the restoration processor to store the registration information, completes the register information storing, when the transition from the sleep state to the active state is made.
US08667311B2
Aspects of a method and system for optimized power management for a network device supporting PCI-E and energy efficient Ethernet are provided. In this regard, in a network interface controller that supports energy efficient Ethernet, a PCI-E core may be transitioned from a low power PCI-E state to a full power PCI-E state when a PHY core in the network interface controller initiates transition from a low power mode to a full power mode and before the PHY core receives an Ethernet packet. In another embodiment, the PHY core in the network interface controller may be transitioned from a low power mode to a full power mode when the PCI-E core initiates transition from a low power PCI-E state to a full power PCI-E state, and before the PCI-E core receives a command to send an Ethernet packet.
US08667304B2
Conditional access to media content of primary security systems on a secondary networked environment. In one embodiment, a conditional access server is used to provide services to secondary CA clients (e.g., a bridge, a renderer, a storage, or their different combinations) through network connections. Containing data representing the subscriber, a conditional access server recovers entitlement data and/or decryption keys of a primary security system for the conditional access protected content, such as service keys and control words, and/or enforces conditional access to the content by secondary CA clients according to the authorization of the primary security system for the secondary CA clients. In one embodiment, a conditional access system provides delayed authorization for use so that the content can be recorded for later use when authorized and broadcasts rights for use on multiple secondary CA clients.
US08667302B2
A signature generating device includes a receiving unit that receives a sequence of data; a summary data generating unit that generates summary data of the data upon reception of each of the data by the receiving unit; an obtaining unit that obtains, when the number of data included in a sequence of the generated summary data reaches a given number, the sequence of the summary data as a block; a setting unit that sets, as a signature subject, a current block constituted by the sequence of the summary data, and the summary data selected from at least one block contiguous to the current block; a digital signature generating unit that generates a digital signature concerning data summarized for the current block; and a sending unit that sends the generated digital signature, the signature subject associated with the digital signature, and the data summarized for the current block.
US08667301B2
In a first computer (digital) data obfuscation process, data which is conventionally arranged in a data structure called an array (e.g., a table) and conventionally stored in computer or computer device memory is obfuscated (masked) by logically or mathematically combining the data, entry-by-entry, with a masking value which is computed as a logical or mathematical function of the entry itself or its index in the array, modulo a security value. The complementary unmasking value is a pointer to the entry's address in the table modulo the security value. In a second computer (digital) data obfuscation process, the addresses (location designations) in memory of a data array are themselves obfuscated (masked) by partitioning the array into blocks of entries and shuffling the order of the data entries in each block by a predetermined algorithm, resulting in a shuffled array also differing from the original array in terms of its size (the total number of entries).
US08667300B2
Encrypted video data is decrypted as first image data. If a first image processing module includes an output processing to an outside of a first secure memory which an access from an outside of an apparatus is restricted, the first image processing module is converted to a second image processing module including the output processing invalidated. The first image data is processed using the second image processing module, by accessing the first secure memory, and second image data is generated. If a first rendering module includes an output processing to an outside of a second secure memory which an access from the outside of the apparatus is restricted, the first rendering module is converted to a second rendering module including the output processing invalidated. The second image data is rendered using the second rendering module, by accessing the second secure memory.
US08667296B1
A method for generating a password for a user account. The method includes selecting a media item from a media library associated with a user; selecting a portion of the media item; generating a password based on the selected portion of the media item, where at least a portion of the password is based on selecting a first letter of a word included in the portion of the media item; and presenting the password as a suggested password to the user.
US08667289B2
Method, apparatus, and media for embedding a watermark in digital content. An exemplary method comprises receiving digital content in an encrypted form, receiving a decryption key associated with the digital content, receiving permitted use information specifying conditions under which the digital content is permitted to be rendered and indicating that a watermark is to be embedded in a rendered copy of the digital content, determining whether the conditions are satisfied, and rendering the digital content if the conditions are satisfied based on the determining, the rendering including generating a watermark based on the permitted use information and creating a rendered copy of the digital content having the watermark embedded therein.
US08667285B2
The invention provides a method, apparatus, computer readable medium and signal which allows the usage of devices containing PKI private keys such as PKI-enabled smart cards or USB sticks to authenticate users and to sign transactions. The authenticity of the user and/or the message is verified. Furthermore the operation (authentication and/or signing) occurs without the need for an application to have some kind of a direct or indirect digital connection with the device containing the private key. In addition the operation occurs without the need for the PKI-enabled device containing the private key (e.g. a PKI smart card or USB stick) to either support symmetric cryptographic operations or to have been personalized with some secret or confidential data element that can be read by a suitable reader.
US08667283B2
A message is signed using a PUF without having to exactly regenerate a cryptographic key. Another party that shares information about the PUF is able to verify the signature to a high degree of accuracy (i.e., high probability of rejection of a forged signature and a low probably of false rejection of a true signature). In some examples, the information shared by a recipient of a message signature includes a parametric model of operational characteristics of the PUF used to form the signature.
US08667281B1
A computer-implemented method for transferring authentication credentials may include 1) identifying a request to receive an authentication credential that is stored on a first computing device onto a second computing device, 2) identifying an asymmetric key pair on the second computing device, 3) generating an identifier of the asymmetric key pair on the second computing device, 4) transmitting an encryption key of the asymmetric key pair and the identifier of the asymmetric key pair to a credential repository, 5) displaying the identifier of the asymmetric key pair to facilitate retrieval of the authentication credential from the credential repository based on the identifier, and 6) retrieving the authentication credential, encrypted with the encryption key of the asymmetric key pair, from the credential repository. Various other methods and systems are also disclosed.
US08667278B2
An apparatus stores first divided trust information which is one portion resulting from division of trust information generated by a transmission target apparatus that is a transmission target for data, receives a transmission request for the data from the target apparatus and receives second divided trust information which is the other portion resulting from division of the trust information of the target apparatus and verification information generated using information indicating a state of the target apparatus that made the request, recovers the trust information using the first divided trust information stored and the received second divided trust information, verifies trustworthiness of the target apparatus using the recovered trust information and the received verification information, transmits the data indicated by the request to the target apparatus when the verification of trustworthiness is successful.
US08667277B1
Text containing files are encrypted by first formatting the files for display. The display-formatted files are then coded to form files indicating the information. The files are encrypted. The coding can determine a distance of a transition between a first color and a second color in the display file, and code that distance to form coded distance information and encrypt the coded distance information.
US08667265B1
Detection and deterrence of device tampering and subversion by substitution may be achieved by including a cryptographic unit within a computing device for binding multiple hardware devices and mutually authenticating the devices. The cryptographic unit includes a physically unclonable function (“PUF”) circuit disposed in or on the hardware device, which generates a binding PUF value. The cryptographic unit uses the binding PUF value during an enrollment phase and subsequent authentication phases. During a subsequent authentication phase, the cryptographic unit uses the binding PUF values of the multiple hardware devices to generate a challenge to send to the other device, and to verify a challenge received from the other device to mutually authenticate the hardware devices.
US08667254B1
In one embodiment, a network device is disclosed. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, the device comprises a processor and a core memory having a receive buffer and a transmit buffer. The device comprises a bus coupled to the processor and the core memory. The device comprises at least one co-processor coupled to the core memory via a direct link, wherein the at least one co-processor is capable of accessing at least one of: the receive buffer, or the transmit buffer, without assistance from the processor.
US08667249B2
A method and apparatus for matching parent processor address translations to media processors' address translations and providing concurrent memory access to a plurality of media processors through separate translation table information. In particular, a page directory for a given media application is copied to a media processor's page directory when the media application allocates memory that is to be shared by a media application running on the parent processor and media processors.
US08667248B1
A data storage device is disclosed including a non-volatile media having a first and a second plurality of physical locations, the first plurality of physical locations storing user data and the non-volatile media storing first metadata associating each of the first plurality of physical locations with a logical block address (LBA), and a mapping table including a mapping of each LBA to a current physical location. The data storage device further includes control circuitry that reads the first metadata to obtain a first plurality of LBAs, reads the mapping table to determine a current physical location for the first plurality of LBAs, and compares the current physical location of each of the first plurality of LBAs to a corresponding one of the first plurality of physical locations to identify valid user data in the first plurality of physical locations for migration into the second plurality of physical locations.
US08667245B2
Provided are techniques for migrating a first extent, determining a spatial distance between the first extent and a second extent, determining a ratio of a profiling score of the second extent to the spatial distance, and, in response to determining that the ratio exceeds a threshold, migrating the second extent.
US08667244B2
In one implementation, a data set including a plurality of data values having an order is stored at a memory having a plurality of memory locations. Each data value from the data set stored a current memory location of that data value from the plurality of memory locations. Each data value from the data set is periodically moved from the current memory location of that data value from the plurality of memory locations to a next memory location of that data value from the plurality of memory locations. The next memory location of each data value from the plurality of memory locations is the current memory location of that data value from the plurality of memory locations after the moving. The plurality of data values is then provided in the order to a client in response to a request for the data set.
US08667239B1
Data de-duplication (“de-dupe”) allows IT organizations to replace aging tape systems with disk-based backup solutions and minimize the storage allocated to backup and data protection. The effectiveness of de-dupe technology is dependent on the data being protected. Data streams with little data repetitiveness provide disappointing results when processed through a block-level de-dupe engine. To avoid this problem, Assisted Mainframe De-Dupe (AMDD) technology can insure that filesystem block-level de-dupe products efficiently de-dupe tape backup streams received from IBM™ and/or compatible mainframes. By pre-processing backup tape volumes before sending the data to storage, AMDD insures that large amounts of unchanged data lines up on de-dupe block boundaries each time the data is sent to the de-dupe process engine. By providing “well-behaved” data to the de-dupe process, AMDD can improve the effectiveness of de-dupe processing and substantially reduce the storage used to backup critical mainframe DASD resources.
US08667237B2
A method for deleting a relation between a source and a target in a multi-target architecture is described. The multi-target architecture includes a source and multiple targets mapped thereto. In one embodiment, such a method includes initially identifying a relation for deletion from the multi-target architecture. A target associated with the relation is then identified. The method then identifies a sibling target that inherits data from the target. Once the target and the sibling target are identified, the method copies the data from the target to the sibling target. The relation between the source and the target is then deleted. A corresponding computer program product is also disclosed and claimed herein.
US08667236B2
A host write based write ordering mechanism is used so the write ordering on the secondary system is derived from the write ordering applied by the host to the primary system. In this scheme any set of writes that was issued in parallel on the primary system may also be issued in parallel on the secondary system. The parallel writes provide better performance compared to absolute or strict write ordering allowing only one outstanding write per volume group.
US08667235B2
Data storage and retrieval methods and apparatus are provided for facilitating data de-duplication for serial-access storage media such as tape. During data storage, input data is divided into a succession of chunks and, for each chunk, a corresponding data item is written to the storage media. The data item comprises the chunk data itself where it is the first occurrence of that data, and otherwise comprises a chunk-data identifier identifying that chunk of subject data. To facilitate reconstruction of the original data on read-back from the storage media a cache (50) is used together with a database (35R), stored on the media, that includes for each duplicated chunk, the location of the corresponding chunk of subject data.
US08667221B2
An apparatus to detect streaming data in memory is presented. In one embodiment the apparatus use reuse bits and S-bits status for cache lines wherein an S-bit status indicates the data in the cache line are potentially streaming data. To enhance the efficiency of a cache, different measures can be applied to make the streaming data become the next victim during a replacement.
US08667214B2
Method and apparatus to store configuration information in an option read-only memory are described.
US08667203B2
Methods and systems are described for transmitting and displaying video data after a hot plug event during a start-up dead period. In particular, hot plug events occurring when a toggleable hot plug detection mechanism is used.
US08667198B2
Data processing systems with interrupts and methods for operating such data processing systems and machine readable media for causing such methods and containing executable program instructions. In one embodiment, an exemplary data processing system includes a processing system, an interrupt controller coupled to the processing system and a timer circuit which is coupled to the interrupt controller. The interrupt controller is configured to provide a first interrupt signal and a second interrupt signal to the processing system. The processing system is configured to maintain a data structure (such as, e.g., a list) of time-related events for a plurality of processes, and the processing system is configured to cause the entry of a value, representing a period of time, into the timer circuit. The timer circuit is configured to cause an assertion of the first interrupt signal in response to an expiration of the time period.
US08667196B2
A method and apparatus are provided for mapping addresses between one or more slave devices and at least one corresponding master device in a multilayer interconnect system including a plurality of bus matrices for interfacing between the one or more slave devices and the master device. The method and apparatus are operative for receiving an address map corresponding to the system, receiving information regarding connectivity of one or more slave devices through at least one of the bus matrices, determining whether the master device has more than one default slave unit associated therewith, and, when the master device has more than one default slave unit associated therewith, generating first and second address mappings and configuring the system to have no more than one default slave unit per master device.
US08667188B2
A method for communicating between a computer and a data storage device comprises receiving, by a data storage device, information indicative of a plurality of commands and information indicative of a memory location in a computer associated with each of the plurality of commands. The method further comprises executing, by the data storage device, one of the plurality of commands. In one embodiment, executing the command comprises directly accessing the computer memory location associated with the command.
US08667186B2
The disclosed method includes obtaining a result concerning a busy rate and the number of accesses per unit time for a storage device including first and second storage areas; determining, from the result, whether an event that a first indicator value for the busy rate is reset occurs; when the event occurred, notifying a controller that makes the number of accesses for the second storage area not greater than the notified number of accesses of the first number of accesses less than the second number of accesses, which was notified immediately before; obtaining another result; updating the first indicator value based on another result; calculating the third number of accesses so that a sum of busy rates corresponding to the third number of accesses and corresponding to the designated number of accesses becomes equal to the updated first indicator value; and notifying the controller of the third number of accesses.
US08667177B2
An example network device includes a set of interfaces, a control unit, and a forwarding engine. The control unit includes an interface group information repository that stores data defining interface groups. Each interface group includes one or more interfaces. The forwarding engine includes a media access control (MAC) address repository that stores a mapping of a first interface to a source MAC address, and a MAC address management module that determines whether an interface group to which the first interface is assigned is the same interface group as the interface group to which a second interface is assigned. The control unit is configured to receive a layer two (L2) communication via the second interface, wherein the L2 communication includes the source MAC address. The forwarding engine dynamically updates the MAC address repository based on the determination of the MAC address management module.
US08667169B2
A method is provided in one example and includes receiving network traffic associated with a first user and a second user; evaluating keywords in the network traffic in order to identify a topic of discussion involving the first and the second users; determining a first sentiment associated with a first data segment associated with the first user; determining a second sentiment associated with a second data segment associated with the second user; and generating an argument map based on the first data sentiment and the second data sentiment.
US08667166B2
Resource-aware dynamic bandwidth control uses information about current network state and receiver performance to avoid, minimize and/or recover from the effects of network spikes and data processing spikes. Linear models may be used to estimate a time required to process data packets in a data processing queue, and are thus useful to determine whether a data processing spike is occurring. When a data processing spike occurs, an alarm may be sent from a client to a server notifying the server that the client must drop packets. In response, the server can encode and transmit an independent packet suitable for replacing the queued data packets which can then be dropped by the client and the independent packet present to the processor instead.
US08667151B2
In one embodiment, a method of the invention has the steps of: (A) establishing an access-layer security association (SA) between a mobile node (MN) and an authentication authorization accounting (AAA) server; (B) deriving a secondary key from an extended master session key (EMSK) corresponding to the access-layer SA; (C) providing the secondary key to a home agent; and (D) based on the secondary key, establishing an SA corresponding to an Open System Interconnection (OSI) layer higher than the access layer for securing communications between the home agent and a selected network node. In various embodiments, the selected network node can be (i) the MN, (ii) a proxy node configured on behalf of the MN, or (iii) a proxy node configured on behalf of the home agent.
US08667136B2
A method of updating a data record stored in a data store with information supplied by at least one of a plurality of users of a communication network includes storing a communication identifier in association with the data record; providing information to update the data record from a user together with a communication identifier associated with the user providing the information; and comparing the identifier stored in association with the data record to the communication identifier associated with the user providing the information. If the information is the first type of information, the data record is updated with the information only if the identifier associated with the user providing the information is the same as the identifier stored in association with the data record and if the information is the second type of information the data record is updated with the information.
US08667129B2
Provided is a server including: a storage section for pre-storing information on routes between the server and each of a number of terminals; a transmission/reception section for transmitting/receiving messages to/from the number of terminals; a terminal information acquisition section for acquiring information differentiating the terminals and acquiring delay times for transmission between the server and each of the number of terminals; a transmission distance calculation section for calculating respective transmission distances between the server and the number of terminals, based on the transmission delay times acquired by the terminal information acquisition section; and a terminal installation location identifying section for identifying locations where the number of terminals are installed, based on the differentiating information acquired by the terminal information acquisition section, the transmission distances calculated by the transmission distance calculation section, and the route information stored in the storage section.
US08667114B2
A program update management server includes a storage unit configured to store an update program for updating a program to be managed, a setting unit configured to set an update timing in accordance with each client in which the program to be managed is installed, an update recommending unit configured to transmit information regarding recommendation of an update so that the client acquires the update program at the update timing, and a program transmitting unit configured to transmit the update program, at the update timing, to the client that receives the information regarding recommendation of an update.
US08667110B2
A remotely managed expandable multi-user computer system is provided. The computer system includes a removable compute cartridge and a removable storage cartridge allowing easy upgrade of the computer system. The computer system self-configures when powered on to allow remote management by another system over a network. Automatic failover support is provided without the need for a separate compute element. A self-configurable removable secure-to-wireless converter to couple to a client computer system allows secure communications between the multi-user system and the client computer system via a wireless network.
US08667105B1
Provided is a software entity adapted to operate in a first network on behalf of a relocatable device to negotiate services for the relocatable device from the network, and to be transportable or replicable to operate in a second network to negotiate services for the relocatable device from the second network.
US08667104B2
A method and system for notifying a network administrator of any attempted or actual remote firmware upgrades, or software updates, occurring on a network device, particularly a printing device, wherein a network administrator may be informed of the remote firmware update by e-mail.
US08667103B2
A system and method for knowledge management is disclosed. The method discloses: monitoring messages transmitted over a peer-to-peer network; profiling the messages; receiving a messages report request; identifying message profiles corresponding to the message report request; selecting messages corresponding to the identified message profiles; and generating the requested messages report from the selected messages. The system discloses means for implementing the method.
US08667102B1
A system that enables a person to monitor and/or control a device via a network, such as the Internet, via an interactive hardware module that interfaces with the device and communicates with a module server located locally or remotely from the placement of the module. The hardware module allows for the transmission and receipt of data between the device interfaced to the hardware module and the module server, thereby enabling the user manually or automatically to control or monitor the device via an access medium, such as an API.
US08667098B2
A storage cluster including a first storage apparatus and a second storage apparatus is defined. Communication between the first storage apparatus and the second storage apparatus uses a first network and an access request from a host computer uses a second network. Each of the first and second storage apparatuses defines internal LUs by using storage devices included in that storage apparatus. The first storage apparatus defines other internal LUs by using internal LUs of the second storage apparatus and the second storage apparatus defines other internal LUs by using internal LUs of the first storage apparatus.
US08667097B2
A system and method for mapping a network to facilitating configuration is disclosed. Address registration information is appended to an enhanced local management interface message sent between devices in a network of routers and switches. A network management system for an outside network can use that information to map out the network and configure the network as needed. The address registration information includes an Internet Protocol address and an interface index. The interface index includes both slot and port number.
US08667096B2
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for automatically generating a system restoration order for network recovery. A set of managed machines, such as personal computers or servers, can be managed by a network management platform communicating with the machines via a secure channel. The network management platform can access a dependency map indicating a required order for restoration of machines or nodes on a network. The network management platform likewise access a reverse kickstart file for each machine to be automatically restored in order to ensure proper functioning of the network, and extract a current configuration of that machine for purposes of restoring the overall network.
US08667089B2
Provided are an apparatus and method for executing an application. Using the apparatus and method, an application is executed in a terminal directly, or by receiving a computing service from a remote server. After an execution time and/or power consumption of when the application is executed in the terminal directly, and an execution time and/or power consumption when the computing service is received from the remote server are estimated, one of the application execution methods of the two cases may be selected according to the estimated values. The estimated values may be determined based on a state of the terminal, the quality of service (QoS) state of the remote server, and a characteristic of the application.
US08667074B1
An email redirection server handles email sent by subscribers or intended for subscribers, obfuscating the subscriber's identity through replacement of the subscriber's native email address with a proxy address in the message header and forwarding the email with only the proxy address. Acquiring a proxy address includes assignment by the email redirection server of a child domain in the DNS namespace for the subscriber's exclusive use. When a subscriber intends to send an email to a particular recipient without revealing the subscriber's native email address to the particular recipient, the subscriber addresses the message by putting the recipient's full email address in the local part of the “To” field, replacing the “@” symbol with a known replacement character, and placing the subscriber's assigned subdomain in the domain part of the “To” field, assuring that the email gets to the email redirection server for appropriate readdressing and forwarding.
US08667065B1
Described is a system and methods for multiple tier distribution of task portions for distributed processing. Essentially, a task is divided into portions by a first computer and a task portion transferred to second participatory computer on the network, whereupon an allocated task portion is again portioned by the second computer into subtask portions, and a subtask portion transferred by the second computer to a third participatory computer on the network, whereby distributed processing transpires, and results collated as required.
US08667063B2
A social networking system displays raw stories about a user's friends' actions in a news ticker as those actions occur. The social networking system is monitored for actions associated with users connected with the target user. The social networking system may be continually monitored such that actions are identified in real-time as they are performed. The news ticker is updated such that stories including the identified actions and the associated connected users are displayed within a news ticker interface. The news ticker interface may be a dedicated portion of the social networking system interface, for example in a column next to a newsfeed. The news ticker interface may be updated in real time as actions associated with connected users are performed. The target user may select a displayed story in the news ticker, and additional information related to the selected story may be displayed, for instance in a separate interface.
US08667059B2
An approach is disclosed for providing a managed chat session. An agent establishes a chat session with a user for customer support. Information from the user is received via the chat session, wherein the information is used to determine customized content to be presented to the user over the chat session for duration of the chat session.
US08667058B2
When data is disclosed to a plurality of users by using a transfer network and a transfer apparatus, data disclosure time control which cannot be adversely affected by the users is performed to reduce the difference in data disclosure time among the users. A transfer network system includes a distribution server serving as a data-distribution-source transfer apparatus, and a network terminal connected to distribution-destination user equipment. The distribution server and the network terminal each have a time keeping function and a time synchronization function for matching the time of the time keeping function with a master clock. The distribution server sends in advance disclosure data and disclosure time to the network terminal. When the time of the time keeping function of the network terminal matches the disclosure time, the network terminal sends the disclosure data to the user equipment.
US08667056B1
Requests from multiple users for one or more shared resources can be dynamically throttled based on at least one allowance value determined for each user at a current point in time. One or more business functions or other such algorithms can be used to determine an appropriate allowance value for a user based on any of a number of appropriate factors, such as the cost of a resource, a value of the user, a request volume of the user, or other such factors. The values for each user can be fed into one or more algorithms to determine information such as request limits, burst limits, and costs per request. Such approaches provide for dynamic and fine-grained traffic shaping while allowing for variance of these limits or values over time.
US08667054B2
Systems and methods are provided for viewing portions of an image in high resolution and in context with a full image, which is displayed at a base resolution that is lower resolution than the resolution of the high-resolution image. A client device can send a request to a server for a composed image comprised of the base-resolution image overlaid at the area of interest with a virtual lens showing the area of interest in high-resolution image. The request can include the coordinates of the area of interest relative to a reference point on the image, the desired resolution level for the high-resolution image, and the virtual lens size and shape. The desired resolution can fall into a range above the resolution of the base-resolution image and up to the resolution of the maximum-resolution image stored on, generated on, or input to the server.
US08667051B2
The present invention detects indicia, identifiers, or partial URLs to mark up in real time from input sources such as that of radio, television, cable, and other sources that have a digital, analog or digital/analog signal where text can be decoded from. A device receives a broadcast and decodes text data from the broadcast signal. The data is stored and words are parsed from the stored data. The words may be matched against a table of identifiers or rules to determine whether indicia have been detected. If not and it is determined that there is more data, then the next word may be parsed from the stored data. If an identifier or the like has been detected then it may be determined whether the word is a phone number. When the word is a phone number, the number is stored in a phone cache to speed-dial, auto-dial, generate a hyperdial link, or update a phone book. If the word is not a phone number, then it may be determined whether the word is a lottery number, stock symbol and price, zip code, e-mail, domain name, weather and any other indicia types that may be detected to perform an operative function.
US08667048B2
A method for managing Internet protocol (IP) addresses in a network is provided. IP addresses are assigned to a plurality of virtual machines of servers in the network according to media access control (MAC) addresses of the virtual machines, and IP addresses are assigned to the servers according to MAC addresses of the servers. An active server and the virtual machines thereof respectively record the assigned IP addresses thereof in a recording unit. Then, the assigned IP addresses recorded by the recording unit are transmitted to a storage module in the network. Accordingly, the IP addresses assigned to the servers and the virtual machines could be handled properly in the network, and the servers and the virtual machines could be remotely controlled according to the IP addresses recorded in the storage module.
US08667045B1
Generalized parallel counter circuitry is configured from logic elements—e.g., on a programmable integrated circuit device. Each logic element includes a logic stage, an adder and an output stage. The logic stage includes logic units, and a logic stage selector for selectively outputting to an input of the adder at least one of (a) outputs of the logic units, and (b) a first logic unit output of another one of the logic elements, and for selectively outputting to the output stage one of (a) an output of the logic units, and (b) a first output of the adder. The output stage includes at least two outputs, an output selector for selectively outputting, to the at least two outputs, at least one of (a) a second output of the adder, and (b) an output of the logic stage selector.
US08667044B1
Radix-based division is described. A dividend operand and a divisor operand are obtained. An estimate that is a reciprocal of the divisor operand is obtained. For a prescaling mode, a prescaling iteration is performed which includes: multiplying the divisor operand with the estimate to provide a prescaled divisor; apportioning the dividend operand into portions from most significant to least significant; providing the estimate to iteration blocks ordered from highest to lowest; providing the most significant to the least significant of the portions of the dividend operand respectively to the highest to the lowest of the iteration blocks; respectively multiplying the portions of the dividend operand with the estimate to provide first partial products; and parsing most significant residue portions and least significant residue portions as associated with order of the iteration blocks from the first partial products.
US08667031B2
Techniques for facilitating the sharing of metadata. In one set of embodiments, a metadata document is referenced by a plurality of software applications as a URL, the URL comprising a protocol component identifying a specialized protocol name and a path component identifying a name and namespace of the metadata document. The specialized protocol name indicates that the metadata document is a shared document stored in a shared metadata repository. When an application in the plurality of software applications needs to access the metadata document, the URL is passed to a URL resolver configured to identify the shared metadata repository based on configuration information associated with the application. The metadata document is then retrieved from the shared metadata repository. Since many existing application framework components and standards are adapted to reference metadata documents as URLs, embodiments of the present invention facilitate metadata reuse with minimal or no code changes to the applications or their underlying framework.
US08667020B2
Models and tools for facilitating database instance consolidation are described. One approach obtains standardized database instance performance data, receives instance isolation criteria which are applied to divide instances into sets, determines resource usage for each set, and assigns instance sets to target machines based on resource usage and capacity. Each instance set is associated with a virtual machine in some cases. A security isolation criterion indicates that specified instances shall not co-reside on a target machine; an organizational criterion indicates that specified instances shall be located together in a single data center; a compatibility criterion indicates that instances shall not reside in the same virtual machine, the same physical server, or the same server pool. Users iteratively reach an acceptable consolidation of instances at one or more data centers, such as an enhanced assignment of instances that is more efficient than a linear additive solution.
US08667009B2
Methods and systems for indexing, storing, recalling and displaying social network user profiles, event calendar postings and user feed postings are described. A single, discrete set of keywords, can be utilized and assigned to both user profiles and postings and can operate as a method of indexing. The assignment of these keywords may allow users to control the display of calendar and feed content by matching assigned posting keywords to assigned profile keywords via a matching algorithm. Matched event-related postings may also be automatically displayed in a user's calendar. Searches of profiles and postings may also be performed by constructing queries using the same set of discrete keywords attached to profiles and postings. Users may have the ability to control the display of specific profile information and postings via privacy settings, which utilize unique methods of tracking relationship segmentation and social distance.
US08667007B2
Provided are techniques for providing recommendations to improve a query. A query with query keywords and selected categories is received. In response to determining that the selected categories are ranked high with reference to query relevance indicator values for each of the selected categories, a query relevance indicator of the query is calculated with each subcategory using keyword relevance indicators, each subcategory is ranked based on the query relevance indicators, and the ranked subcategories are provided for use in selecting new categories to be submitted with the query.
US08666997B2
One or more requests from a client for data representation items can be received by an items manager. The data representation items can represent data items in a data source. In response, the items manager can perform the following: generating placeholders corresponding to the data representation items; returning the placeholders to the client; fetching the data items from the data source; providing the data representation items to the client; and informing the client that the placeholders are to be replaced with the data representation items. The items manager may determine whether each data representation item can be synchronously returned to the client. If so, the items manager may return that data representation item synchronously, and may forego providing the client with a placeholder for that data representation item. This may allow a client to interact with a single interface for both synchronous and asynchronous data sources.
US08666995B2
A method of generating search information enables efficient navigation of content and an image apparatus therefore. The method of generating search information includes extracting and storing a portion of a plurality of searched screens, and generating search information using the stored screens. Accordingly, search information regarding digital content can be generated in a more convenient manner. In addition, since searched screens are generated as search information, search information which enables more efficient navigation can be provided to the user.
US08666988B2
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method to configure a network of classifiers includes configuring a plurality of classifiers in a network of classifiers, such that the configuring associates a plurality of operating points with each output branch, associating a different quality profile with each output point for each output branch in the plurality of classifiers, and storing the configured network of classifiers and quality profile associations in the computer system to be used for classifying future input data according to the network configuration and quality profile association. Each classifier comprises executable code that classifies the data. Each of said classifiers has a plurality of the output branches that each output the data to another classifier. Each operating point comprises a probability of determining that a data item input to the classifier has a particular characteristic and a probability that said determination falsely detected the characteristic.
US08666973B2
A machine receives a description of the relationships among members of a data set. The machine constructs a graph that represents the relationships among the members of the data set, organizing the members of the data set into groups. The groups are analyzed to determine their relative strengths. Unbalanced groups can be balanced by splitting off heavy sub-trees that include too large a percentage of the nodes in the group. The machine can then use the graph to answer queries about members of the data set.
US08666971B2
Adaptive index density in a database management system is provided, which includes receiving a number of partitions for an index for a database table, the index subject to creation. The adaptive index density also includes selecting a column from the database table, the column selected based upon an estimated frequency of execution of database queries for the column. The adaptive index density further includes calculating an estimated cost of executing each of the database queries for the column, and determining data to reside in each of the partitions of the index responsive to the estimated cost.
US08666966B2
A system and method for providing parallel result streams for database queries is provided. The system includes a network including a client, a server, and a database. The client executes an application and sends a query to the server. In response, the server compiles the query to produce a query plan, executes statements in the query plan and sends parallel result streams to the client.
US08666961B1
A content management system allows users to capture content from content sources such as web pages and hardcopy publications, by using a client application running on personal computers and even mobile devices. The client application creates bibliography citations for captured content by gathering information from and/or about the content sources. Captured content and corresponding citations can be stored in a cloud data storage and can be searchable by other users. The client application can include a document editor facilitating importation of captured content and bibliography citations into documents being edited. Embodiments are adapted for use by course instructors and students, to facilitate, e.g., sharing of captured content among students and plagiarism checks by instructors and students. Embodiments are integrated with social networking services to facilitate sharing of content with users' contacts. An online marketplace of providers (e.g., tutors) and tutorials may be provided to enrich the collaborative learning experience.
US08666959B2
A data access device provided with a sequence storage unit which stores in advance a sequence for accessing the data contained in each of the multiple data units stored in a data storage section. The data access device receives and stores in the data access request storage section multiple data access requests for any of the multiple stored data units, determines an execution sequence for the multiple stored data access requests that corresponds to the aforementioned sequence stored in the sequence storage unit, locks the data units to be accessed as per the data access requests, sequentially implements the data access requests in the determined execution sequence, and removes all the locks after implementing all of the stored data access requests.
US08666958B2
Lock communications in a shared disk database system is reduced by several approaches: sending a single message to a lock manager for locks required for an operation and locks that will be required in the future, the operations may include row update, row delete, large scan, and row insert; performing an operation in two executions, where in a first execution locks required for the operation is determined without performing the operation, and in a second execution a single message is sent to a lock manager for the required locks and the operation is performed; in free space searching, sending a single message to a lock manager for row and page locks before a row insert is actually performed; and granting locks in an unfair manner.
US08666957B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed in which locks for shared data are acquired by specifying a pathname for the shared data. One embodiment, among others, includes a method for locking shared data. The method includes the steps of receiving a first request to acquire a lock for a first pathname, storing the first pathname in a lock store, searching the lock store for a corresponding pathname in response to a further request to acquire a lock for a second pathname, and if the second pathname corresponds to the first pathname in the lock store then denying the further request to acquire the lock for the second pathname.
US08666956B1
A SEQUENCED request a) to apply a temporal Source table to a temporal Target table under a predicate is received. The Source table includes a plurality of rows that qualify to apply to a single Target table row under the predicate. The predicate specifies a Source table join column. Each of the plurality of Source table rows and the single Target table row include a ValidTime dimension. The plurality of Source table rows is b) ordered by the Source table join column and a period-to-be-modified. The next of the ordered plurality of Source table rows is c) applied by determining that the Target table row has a TransactionTime and, in response, closing out the TransactionTime of the Target table row. Applying the next of the ordered plurality of Source table rows includes identifying an RDIFF range as the period-to-be-modified of the Source table row being applied that is later than the ValidTime range of the single Target table row. Applying the next of the ordered plurality of Source table rows includes creating an RDIFF row being the same as the Target table row except the ValidTime of the RDIFF row is set to RDIFF range. A second of the ordered plurality of Source table rows d) is applied by applying c) to the RDIFF row as the Target table row.
US08666955B2
A data management system respectively computes first hash values while sliding a window a prescribed amount at a time with respect to a prescribed range from a start location of a data block to a prescribed size. The system extracts, from among the first hash values, a first hash value, which is equivalent to a characteristic value, and partitions the data block into a first chunk of data at a location corresponding to this first hash value. The system determines coincidence between a first chunk of data and a stored second chunk of data, and prevents duplicate data from being stored twice.
US08666953B2
A version file for maintaining version information is described herein. The version file comprises an identifier to identify a target collection of associated files and a target index specifying binary level contents of the target collection of associated files to compare with a reference index specifying contents of a reference collection of associated files. The version file farther comprises a checksum generated based on the identifier and the target index.
US08666949B1
A system for creating a random order file format, wherein randomization occurs at the sub-file level, the system having a data storage unit that stores a plurality of data pieces and at least one RODFF file that is created from said data pieces, where the RODFF files and data pieces are stored according to commands received by a software application; a microprocessor configured by the software application and operatively connected to the data storage unit whereby the microprocessor is configured to execute the software application and enable the RODFF files to be created, according to a set of predetermined methods from the plurality of digital data pieces, and also enables the RODFF files to be stored on and retrieved from the data storage unit.
US08666946B2
A method and apparatus are provided for incrementally tracking quantiles in the presence of multiple record types. A method for performing incremental quantile tracking includes receiving a first data record of a first record type and a second data record of a second record type, and updating a quantile probability for a quantile value, based on the first record type of the first data record and the second record type of the second data record, to obtain a new quantile probability for the quantile value.
US08666939B2
Approaches for replicating data in a distributed transactional system. At a first node of a cluster, a per-transaction write set that comprises a plurality of write operations that are performed against a first data store maintained by the first node is committed. The per-transaction write set is replicated from the first node to a second node of the cluster. At the second node, the plurality of write operations, specified by the per-transaction write set, may be performed in parallel against a second data store maintained by the second node. At the second node, two or more threads may perform a portion of the plurality of write operations against data blocks stored within an in-memory buffer.
US08666938B1
An application installed on a computer system is cloned to provide quick recovery and/or failover should the application become corrupted or inoperable. The installed application is profiled to determine a footprint of files, system registry, data files, and configurations (or “application resources”) that are associated with the installed application. The installed application is then cloned as a virtualized application package that captures a plurality of application resources residing on the computer system. In an embodiment, the installed application is profiled by simulating a removal of the installed application from a virtual machine (VM) that is a copy of the computer system.
US08666936B2
A system and method for asset management is disclosed. The method receives information from a first reporting source about an asset. In addition, information from a second reporting source about an asset is also received. A database is then populated with the information from the first reporting source and the information from the second reporting source such that information from the first reporting source and information from the second reporting source can be collected from the database.
US08666933B2
Provided are methods and systems for distributing an asset to a multi-tiered network node. A pending notice is received from a distribution server. If the notice indicates that at least one asset is pending, i.e., awaiting deployment, an asset descriptor manifest is received from the distribution server. The asset descriptor manifest, which is stored in a memory on a node, identifies at least one asset to be deployed to the node and includes an offset associated with the asset identifier. A fragment, associated with the asset, is received and stored in the memory. The offset associated with the asset is marked with the end of the fragment and a second fragment, beginning at the offset, is received. Additional fragments are received, and the offset updated, until the entire asset is deployed to the node. Alternately, the entire asset or multiple assets are received in the first fragment.
US08666925B1
A method for operating a plurality of processor to determine a sequence of states traversed by a finite state machine in processing an input stream that includes a plurality of characters. The method divides the input stream into a plurality of contiguous sections characterized by a beginning character and an end character. Each section is assigned to a different processor. Each processor determines an end state that the finite state machine would traverse after the end character in the section assigned to that processor has been processed. That end state is provided to a processor that did not process the section associated with that end state. Each processor determines a sequence of states that the finite state machine would traverse if the finite state machine processed the section assigned to that processor using one of said received end states.
US08666912B2
An electronic system includes an accelerometer. A method for excessive mechanical shock feature extraction for overstress event registration and cumulative tracking includes obtaining a sample from the accelerometer. Feature extraction is performed on the sample using empirical mode decomposition (EMD) to produce a plurality of modes. A pattern classifier is utilized for processing the plurality of modes to determine if the sample classifies as a shock event. If the sample classifies as a shock event, a shock event counter is incremented. If the shock event counter reaches a specified count, an indication to a user is generated.
US08666905B2
In various embodiments, a central server grants access to a plurality of anonymous one-time-usable, time-sensitive encrypted tokens that identify consumer purchase orders. A plurality of certified merchant servers are certified by being provided with an application to securely connect the certified merchant servers to the central server for, among other things, transmitting purchase order data to the central server for use in generating the tokens. A plurality of financial institution servers can also be certified by being configured for use with an application that enables secure connection to the central server for, among other things, requesting the tokens.
US08666903B2
A leveraged procurement network (LPN) system for leveraging purchasing across company and company groups includes a front-end requisition and catalog system accessible by users from a plurality of companies in different company groups. Access to procurement resources is controlled by user profiles and resource profiles specifying for each user and resource the applicable company group. Purchases against volume specific contracts are leveraged by requisitions for a plurality of company groups, while user access to procurement resources within the front-end system are controlled by company and/or company group.
US08666900B1
A system and method provide an enablement scheme that accommodates small bandwidth channels and does not rely on shared secrets between parties. This is accomplished by storing a table of messages on a vendor server and a table of hashes of the message on client machines. A process is used by the vendor to select a message from the table to use for a validation code for enablement, and an identical process is used by the client to find a corresponding hash in the hash table. By comparing the hash in the hash table to a hash of the validation code received, the client can verify the validation code. The system includes software portions for enabling the method.
US08666899B2
In an information communication system, user personal information is batch-managed in a user management center apparatus. The center apparatus issues temporary information, which includes temporary user information and temporary authentication information, in response to a log-in request from a user terminal apparatus that designates a net-shop apparatus, and sends the information to the user terminal apparatus and the designated net-shop apparatus. Thereby, if the user terminal apparatus sends an authentication request to the net-shop apparatus on the basis of the information, the net-shop apparatus can authenticate the user terminal apparatus on the basis of the information from the user management center apparatus. At this time, the user personal information does not go to the net-shop apparatus, and there is no need for the net-shop apparatus to manage the user personal information.
US08666893B1
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to an electronic funds transfer authentication system and method to facilitate the verification and authentication of a user and the ownership of the source account from which funds are being transferred to another account. The user and transfer data is validated, and then the electronic funds transfer is validated using payment analytics that analyze the behavioral characteristics of the user which may be derived from both internal and external sources of information. Using a unique combination of security measures and procedures, the risk associated with various types of fund transfers is reduced, thereby enabling a financial institution to protect its customers' accounts with a greater degree of certainty.
US08666887B2
An automated account management system provides a user with the ability to establish rules that dictate how the account management system is to manage the user's accounts. Once the user specifies a set of rules, the system automatically manages multiple accounts across multiple financial institutions in accordance with the user-defined rules. Other features, such as an on-line bill payment system, a money transfer system, and a retirement planning system, may be integrated within the automated account management system to provide the user with even greater control over his or her financial assets.
US08666886B2
A consumer is prequalified for a line of credit attached to a checking account by a lending institution computer responsive to consumer underwriting data. The lending institution computer makes available draws to the line of credit line in an authorization stream for a proposed payment from the checking account. When the line of credit is accessed, the checking account is credited with an additional value equal to one or more preselected loan increments so that the account then has a new amount totaling a previous amount plus the amount of value of the one or more preselected loan increments and so that the new amount exceeds or equals the value of a proposed payment. Next, a new value for the line of credit balance available is determined, accounting for value credited to the checking account and a preselected loan advance fee for each loan increment credited to the account.
US08666877B2
A system and method of aggregating and predicting stock ranking stocks. The novel system and method uses a neighborhood model to aggregate a plurality of “neighboring” or related stocks having similar pricing trends. The system and method then uses a ranking optimization method to predict the ranking of each stock based on percentage change in price. The current invention facilitates investors trading by using a novel methodology to predict stock rankings and providing a neighborhood of related stocks, while having an easy-to-use interface.
US08666876B2
In an electronic auction, bids may be received from each of a plurality of bidders for a plurality of commodities for online distribution, wherein each bid includes a price and information used to identify an appropriate commodity to which to apply the bid. Then a process is performed for each bid. This process includes: validating bid information from the bid, the validating occurring after a customer record has been created for a bidder corresponding to the bid, then based on a successful validation of the bid, entering the bid for the item in a bid database, then awarding one or more commodities from the plurality of commodities to each of a plurality of successful bidders of the plurality of bidders at different item prices based on the prices in the bid information for each of the plurality of successful bidders.
US08666866B1
A method and a system is disclosed for creating and managing financial instruments, which may be designed to increase the risk-adjusted return of investment portfolios and other collections of assets and/or liabilities. A computer may be used to access databases containing asset information, liability information, counterparty information, metric information, and swap agreement information. Swap information may be received including first counterparty information and first metric information comprising a future cash flow that is at least partially determined by a randomly selected outcome of returns from one or more defined time periods. A first swap agreement may then be executed. A metric value for the first metric information may be determined and cashflows value to be paid and/or received may be calculated. The calculated cashflows value may be exchanged.
US08666861B2
Systems and methods for risk and fraud mitigation are presented. According to one or more aspects of the disclosure, a plurality of transactions may be processed without applying one or more active fraud rules. A hit rate for at least one fraud rule of the one or more active fraud rules then may be determined. Thereafter, a positive hit rate for the at least one fraud rule may be determined based on fraud event data corresponding to the plurality of transactions. In some arrangements, each transaction of the plurality of transactions may be randomly selected, from a larger plurality of received transactions, for inclusion in the plurality of transactions to be processed without application of the one or more active fraud rules. Additionally or alternatively, in certain arrangements, one or more fraud rules may be activated or deactivated based on their corresponding hit rates and positive hit rates.
US08666858B2
A method and system for reducing the time it takes for a trader to place a trade when electronically trading on an exchange, thus increasing the likelihood that the trader will have orders filled at desirable prices and quantities. The “Mercury” display and trading method of the present invention ensure fast and accurate execution of trades by displaying market depth on a vertical or horizontal plane, which fluctuates logically up or down, left or right across the plane as the market prices fluctuates. This allows the trader to trade quickly and efficiently.
US08666857B2
A computer system for administering a life insurance policy is configured to, responsive to receipt of certification that the insured has either loss of ability to perform two activities of daily living or cognitive impairment, provide instructions to pay an owner of the policy, in periodic payments, an accelerated benefit, the accelerated benefit being in an amount less than the death benefit, a first of the periodic payments being for a time period commencing on a date of receipt of the certification, and continuing until the insured no longer has the loss of ability to perform two activities of daily living or cognitive impairment. The system is further configured to, responsive to each of the periodic payments, determine a reduction of the amount of the death benefit by an amount of each of the periodic payments.
US08666854B2
Systems and methods are provided that provide a unified view of invoice and revenue information for a contract. One embodiment includes receiving a request to display information about a contract, and displaying, in response to the request, a financial summary interface including invoice and revenue information for the contract in the same financial summary interface. The invoice and revenue information for the contract may include contract value, invoiced amount, accrued revenue, and backlog amount.
US08666851B2
A computer-implemented engine, system and method for generating business valuations, scoring, and/or flagging over a network, responsively to information input by a user remote from the engine, system and method. The invention may include a graphical user interface capable of locally querying a user to input the company information, at least one network port capable of remotely receiving the company information from the graphical user interface, and at least one engine communicatively connected to the at least one network port, which engine preferably includes a plurality of rules to generate, responsively to the input company information, at least one of a business valuation, a business score, and/or one or more business flags to be used as indicators in a network marketplace, for the company associated with the inputted company information.
US08666836B2
A social networking system predicts a life event (e.g., birthday, change in marital status, relationship status, etc.) for a target user based on information associated with the user. The social networking system identifies gift suggestions to provide to one or more friends of the user based on the predicted event. A gift suggestion may include an invitation to purchase or send an item, voucher, or other gift to the target user, wherein the gift may be determined based on information about the target user's interests obtained by the social networking system. The social networking system sends a gift suggestion to one or more friends of the target user, where the gift suggestion identifies the predicted life event and provides the gift suggestion to the target user's friend. The advertisement may require action by multiple of the target user's friends before the gift is sent to the target user.
US08666816B1
In one embodiment, information pertaining to preferences of end users with respect to network access is received from a first entity, and properties of one of wireless access points (WAPs) are then configured based on the information pertaining to the preferences of end users.
US08666813B2
An improved system and method is provided for using sampling for scheduling advertisements in an online auction with budget and time constraints. A multi-armed bandit engine may be provided for sampling new advertisements by allocating advertisements for web page placements of equal quality and optimizing payments to maximize the welfare of the advertisers while remaining within advertiser's budget and time constraints. Advertisers may report their private information including arrival time, departure time, value per click, and budget. And the multi-armed bandit mechanism may approximate the maximal welfare that may be achieved under budget and time constraints by bounding the possible gain from any possible lie an advertiser might submit in reporting private information. Advertisers departing from the online auction may be charged using a payment method that may provide truthful guarantees on budget, arrivals, departures, and valuations for a budget-constrained online auction.
US08666797B2
It is an object to provide a mechanism that can efficiently collect and accumulate unspecified large number of information as much as possible for marketing activities and that can make use of the information. An information collection program includes: an information receiving step that receives information provided from an information provider; an information collecting/managing step that manages the received information in association with the information provider; an information analyzing step that analyzes the managed information; an analysis information managing step that manages the analyzed information; a feedback information receiving step that receives evaluation based on a result of utilizing the analyzed information as feedback information; and an evaluating step that gives an evaluation point to the information provider or the provided information based on the received feedback information.
US08666796B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus for content distribution. In one aspect, a method includes obtaining reservation data for a resource, the reservation data specifying a reservation period and a number of impression reservations for the reservation period; receiving, during the reservation period, content item request data specifying that the resource was requested; identifying candidate content item providers; determining an expected revenue that will be obtained by selecting one of the candidate content item providers to provide a content item providing, to a content item exchange, auction data including a reserve price; receiving positive response data specifying that the content item exchange will provide an exchange content item for a price that meets the reserve price; and in response to receiving the positive response data, selecting the exchange content item as the content item to be provided in response to receiving the content item request data.
US08666795B2
Systems and methods of workforce scheduling are disclosed. One example embodiment, among others, comprises a computer-implemented method of scheduling workers. Each worker is associated with one of a set of flexibility classifications, which include non-flex-time and at least one flex-time. The method includes generating a set of shift instances to cover forecasted demand over a planning period, and assigning the shift instances to the set of workers by iterating through the each of the workers to assign at least a portion of the shift instances to a selected one of the workers. The assigning is such that total hours assigned to the selected worker depends on a number associated with the classification of the selected worker.
