Document Document Title
US07722529B2 Expandable vessel harness for treating vessel aneurysms
A harness for treating vessel aneurysms is disclosed. The harness applies elastic, compressive reinforcement on the aneurysm to reduce deleterious wall tension and to resist the shape change of the vessel. Rather than imposing a dimension beyond which the aneurysm cannot expand, the harness provides no hard limit over the range of systolic expansion of the vessel. Instead, the harness follows the contour of the vessel throughout systole and continuously exerts gentle resistance to stretch. Also disclosed is a method of delivering the vessel harness to the vessel with minimal invasion.
US07722526B2 System, method and apparatus for preventing motion sickness
A system, method and apparatus for preventing motion sickness from afflicting a passenger in a moving vehicle which includes a means for capturing and substantially simultaneously displaying video images collected from a frontal view to a passenger having an obstructed view of the environment in front of the moving vehicle. The system, method and apparatus includes cropping/zooming the video images displayed to the passenger in order to create a view for the passenger in order to prevent motion sickness from afflicting the passenger.
US07722523B2 Transventricular implant tools and devices
A method and implantation tools for placing a transventricular splint including a tension member. The method includes gaining access to the patient's hearts and identifying entry or exit points for the tension member, marking those locations and delivering the tension member. Anchors for the tension member are also delivered. The length of the tensions member is measured and the walls of the heart drawn together. The pads are secured to the tension member and the tension member is trimmed to length. The pads are secured to the heart surface.
US07722517B2 Plastic bag sealing device
A plastic bag sealing device includes a work table, a sealing device having a silicon rubber roller, a material intake press roller and a material outlet press roller fixed beside the silicon rubber roller to press thereon, plural rotating shafts fixed outside around the silicon rubber roller and respectively mounted with a sealing blade, plural guide rollers employed to conduct plastic bags, a dot-cutting device, an opening-cutting device, and a press roller fixed beside the dot-cutting device and the opening-cutting device. With the sealing blades to carry out multiple sealing at the same location, a plastic bag can be quickly and firmly sealed, and with the dot-cutting device and the opening-cutting device installed on the work table to respectively execute dot-cutting and opening-cutting, the work table can be comparatively downsized, thus greatly elevating economic gain.
US07722516B2 Cold rolling pin system
A metal rolling pin system includes a metal rolling pin formed from a cylindrical metal body having a hollow core. A removable cylinder is disposed inside the core and is filled with a freezable material such as a cellulose gel material. The rolling pin may also have insulating material inside the core to prevent condensation. A silicone sleeve fits over the metal outside of the pin to keep the dough or pastry from sticking. The rolling pin system has more than one core to assure that there is always a frozen core to keep the pin and dough cold.
US07722513B2 Dual back pad tilting mechanism
An adjustment mechanism for a back support cushion of an exercise machine has two separate pivotal adjustments. One pivot is located above and behind the back support cushion and a second is located below and behind the back support cushion. A two-arm linkage system connects the back support cushion to the exercise machine at the two pivot locations.
US07722512B2 Prone exerciser
A prone exerciser includes a slide unit disposed with at least a rail, a buffering and locating member, a handle, and a pedal. The buffering and locating member is fixed on front end of the rail for providing buffering and locating effects to the handle. The handle is arranged on the rail, between the buffering and locating member and the pedal, and is sliding forwards and backwards. The pedal is disposed on rear end of the rail and is sliding forwards and backwards along the rail. By adjusting position of the buffering and locating member on front end of the rail, the distance of the handle and the pedal sliding on the rail is determined. Users are prone and operate the handle as well as pedal for sliding forwards and backwards on the rail so as to stretch and contract upper part or lower part of the body respectively or simultaneously. Moreover, the exerciser further includes an elastic rope with one end set on front end of the slide unit while the other end thereof is inserted through rear end of the slide unit and then set on the handle or the pedal so as to increase resistance of the handle or the pedal while sliding forwards and backwards on the rail. Thus users can stretch or contract upper part or lower part of bodies with different strength depending on their needs.
US07722497B2 Control device for vehicle drive apparatus
An engaging device (a switching clutch C0 or a switching brake B0) switches a shifting mechanism 10 between a continuously variable shifting state and a step-variable shifting state. In particular. The step-variable shifting state is set in a high speed running, because a first electric motor M1 need not bear a reaction torque against an input torque TINS inputted into a differential portion 11, the first electric motor M1 is prevented from being large-sized and suppressed in durability lowering. Even when switching to the step-variable shifting state is unable, the input torque TINS against which the first electric motor M1 should bear the reaction torque, is limited by an input torque control means 86, and the first electric motor M1 is prevented from being large-sized and suppressed in durability lowering.
US07722494B2 Self-contained rotary actuator
A method for providing a compact rotary action torque within a larger system comprising a cross-roller bearing, generating a controllable electromagnetic field using a motor stator while interfacing the cross-roller bearing using a bull gear. The bull gear interfaces the cross-roller bearing and includes gear-teeth. An output plate includes a ring gear and supports shaft bearings. The ring gear interfaces the output plate and includes gear-teeth. A drive shaft holds a prime mover rotor and an eccentric and associates with the output plate via the shaft bearings. A gear train includes a meshing gear having gear-teeth for meshing with the gear-teeth of the bull gear and the gear-teeth of the ring gear and walks a minimal number of the gear-teeth for each rotation of the prime mover rotor; thereby, providing a transmitting force from the prime mover along the shortest-possible transmission path.
US07722492B2 Closing link for a bicycle chain
A closing link for a bicycle chain that includes a first outer link plate having a first elongated hole and a first chain pin extending therefrom and a second outer link plate having a second elongated hole and a second chain pin extending therefrom. The first chain pin is received in the second elongated hole and the second chain pin is received in the first elongated hole Each chain pin has a head at one end, a foot at the other end and a groove therebetween. Each elongated hole has a larger diameter end, a smaller diameter end and a displacement region therebetween. The larger diameter end has a diameter larger than a diameter of the pin head. The smaller diameter end receives the groove of the chain pin and includes a countersink to receive the pin head. The displacement region includes sides having recessed and unrecessed portions. The recessed portions have a smaller depth than a depth of the countersink at least in the region of the countersink.
US07722491B2 Power shaft including a belt retaining geometry
A power shaft including a belt retaining geometry is provided according to an embodiment of the invention. The power shaft includes a shaft including a normal belt position portion adapted for receiving a belt and a reduced diameter portion formed on the shaft and located adjacent to the normal belt position portion. The belt can move into the reduced diameter portion of the power shaft during operation and the reduced diameter portion creates an alignment tension force on the belt that operates to return the belt to the normal belt position portion.
US07722489B2 Bicycle front derailleur
A bicycle front derailleur includes a chain guide that is provided with a pushing element that is movable relative to the chain guide to assist in shifting a bicycle chain from a smaller front sprocket to an adjacent larger sprocket. The chain guide is part of a movable member that is movably coupled to a base member via a linkage assembly. The pushing element is rotatably coupled to the chain guide portion and activated by a chain to move relative to the inner chain guide member from a first position with the pushing element at rest to a second position in response to activation by the chain. The contact surface moves laterally outwardly into the chain receiving slot toward the outer chain guide member as the pushing element moves from the first position to the second position.
US07722488B2 Bicycle rear derailleur
A bicycle rear derailleur includes a base member, a movable member, a chain cage, a first pulley, a second pulley and a chain guard member. The base member is configured to be mounted to a bicycle. The movable member is movably coupled to the base member. The chain cage is coupled to the movable member to move between at least a first orientation and a second orientation. The first pulley is rotatably mounted relative to the movable member. The second pulley is rotatably mounted to the chain cage to move with the chain cage relative. The chain guard member is movably coupled relative to the movable member. The chain cage includes an engagement portion arranged to move the chain guard member from a first position to a second position when the chain cage is moved from the first orientation to the second orientation.
US07722487B2 Front derailleur with mounting fixture
A bicycle front derailleur is provided with a mounting fixture that is configured to maintain an angular orientation of the front derailleur about a mounting axis parallel to a center axis of a frame tube in a stable manner. The mounting fixture has a bicycle frame fastening part, a front derailleur mounting part and a front derailleur contact part. The bicycle frame fastening part is configured to be fastened to the seat tube. The front derailleur mounting part is disposed on the bicycle frame fastening part and configured to be fastened to the front derailleur so that fine adjustment is possible about the mounting axis disposed at a distance from the seat tube. The front derailleur contact part selectively contacts a side surface of the front derailleur on the side facing the seat tube in a position that is different from that of the front derailleur mounting part.
US07722482B2 Multi-layer core golf ball
Golf balls consisting of a multi-layer core and a cover are disclosed. The multi-layer core consists of a center and an outer core layer that are both soft relative to a hard intermediate core layer. The outer core layer is thin relative to the center and the outer core layer.
US07722478B2 Golf club head and golf club
A golf club head, in particular a golf putter head, with a striking face, which is provided on the front side of a striking part, for a golf ball, and with a device, which is fastened to the rear side of the striking part, for receiving interchangeable weights. The device has two elements which mutually intersect preferably without any contact and to the one free end sections of which weights can be fitted. As a result, a shifting of the center of gravity and distribution of the weight of the head are possible in a particularly variable manner.
US07722477B2 Impact force dampening system for use with a golf driver or fairway club head
A force dampening and redirection system for use with a golf driver or fairway club head including an elongated handle terminating in a three-dimensional shaped driver or fairway head exhibiting a substantially smooth ball striking face. A vibration dampening and absorbing component, such as an elongated spring, extends within a hollow three dimensional interior associated with the club head. Upon impacting a golf ball offset from a center line associated with the striking face, an off-center striking force is more readily transferred to the spring, both to counteract twisting of the putter head and to reduce vibration of the club face at the ball contact zone, thereby increasing an effective surface area of the striking face creating a perpendicular travel direction of the ball relative to the golf club striking face.
US07722462B2 Electronic game apparatus and method providing a secondary game triggered apart from a primary game
A gaming device and method where there is a primary game and a bonus game. The player makes a wager and plays the primary game to obtain an outcome. Before, during or after the primary game a bonus game is played, apart from the primary game, which can trigger an separate, unrelated award. A bonus award display displays any award from the bonus game.
US07722460B2 Method and apparatus for automatically operating a game machine
A gaming device such as a slot machine may be operated in an automated play mode in which the need for player input is reduced or eliminated. Game play cycles may be continuously performed in the automated play mode without player input. One or more parameters for controlling the automated play mode may be determined based on player input and/or data or a program stored in the gaming device and/or data or a program stored in a controller in communication with the gaming device. Termination of the automated play mode may result from player input and/or may be determined on the basis of a parameter that may be determined on the basis of player input or may be determined automatically by the gaming device or by a controller in communication with the gaming device.
US07722452B2 Game program and game device
A game program of the present invention causes a computer to execute a first delete condition setting step of setting a delete condition of puzzle elements in which puzzle elements of the same kind in a first number or more are continuously arranged in a predetermined direction as a first delete condition and a second delete condition setting step of setting a next delete condition of the puzzle elements in which puzzle elements of the same kind in a second number which is smaller than the first number or more are continuously arranged in a predetermined direction as a second delete condition when it is judged that the first delete condition is achieved in the first delete condition judgment step.
US07722450B2 Game system, program, and information storage medium
A game system including: a music reproduction section which reproduces given music data stored in a storage section; a display control section which performs display control of changing a relative positional relationship among a direction mark which directs an operation to be performed by a player using an operation section, a special direction mark for the second game and a reference mark for timing judgment of the operation in association with a reproduction state of the music data to cause the direction mark and the reference mark to come closer; a timing acquisition section which acquires operation timing when the player operates the operation section for the direction mark; and a game calculation section which performs calculation processing of a first game of comparing the acquired operation timing with timing criteria and calculation processing of a second game differing from the first game based on operation information of the operation section for the special direction mark.
US07722444B2 Angle grinder
An angle grinder is provided including a trigger assembly for selectively actuating the angle grinder. A particle separation assembly is provided for the removal of any dust, particle, or artifacts that may have entered into the housing of the angle grinder. A brush biasing system is also provided to ensure proper and efficient operation of the motor of the angle grinder. An overload monitoring system is included to monitor the loading on the motor. A clutch mechanism is also included to prevent overloading on the motor of the angle grinder. A gear wheel lock mechanism is also provided to prevent the wheel spindle from rotating during installation or removal of a grinding wheel on the wheel spindle. An anti-locking flange system is also included to prevent the over-tightening of the flanges and the grinder wheel during the operation of the angle grinder. A gear case labyrinth feature is also provided.
US07722439B2 Semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus and method
A semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a head for holding a semiconductor wafer, a retainer ring for surrounding the outer periphery of the semiconductor wafer held by the head, and a polishing pad for polishing a polished surface of the semiconductor wafer. This apparatus presses the polished surface of the semiconductor wafer against the polishing pad together with the retainer ring to polish the semiconductor wafer. The retainer ring used in the present invention has a surface that is in contact with the polishing pad, which increases a contact area of the retainer ring against the polishing pad in accordance with wear of the retainer ring.
US07722429B2 Transformation toy and related products
A product, comprising of a reconfigurable toy assembly, said assembly being reversibly reconfigurable between at least a first configuration and a second configuration; where said toy assembly operates as a toy vehicle in said first configuration and operates as a wearable power-suit toy in said second configuration, wherein said wearable power-suit toy may be coupled to a figure.
US07722421B2 High temperature ceramic composite for selective emission
A high temperature stable composition includes a first material and a second material interspersed within the first material so as to form a structure. The composition is structured such that the first and second materials maintain a periodicity of distribution between about 100 nm and about 1000 nm, and the composition is operable to reflect photons having a wavelength greater than about 700 nm and to emit or transmit photons having a wavelength between about 400 nm and about 700 nm at temperatures greater than about 2000 Kelvin for at least about 10 hours.
US07722417B2 Trolling motor mount with mono main arm
A mount for securing a trolling motor to a watercraft has a base, a main arm, a motor coupling, and a linkage. The motor coupling is configured to rotatably retain the trolling motor. The main arm is pivotally coupled to the base. The linkage is pivotally coupled with the base and the main arm and extends within the main arm to contact the motor coupling for actuating rotation of the motor coupling between a first position when the main arm is in a stowed position, and a second position when the main arm is in a deployed position.
US07722413B2 Electrical connector with reduced press-in resistance for terminals
A press-in hole (16) of a housing (10) is formed to be gradually wider from the front end toward the rear end, a large dimensional difference between the width of the press-in hole 16 and that of a press-in portion (21) of a tab-shaped terminal (20) is ensured at a front end portion of the press-in hole 16, so that the tab-shaped terminal (20) can be reliably retained in the housing (10). On the other hand, since the dimensional difference between the width of the press-in hole 16 and that of the press-in portion (21) is small at a rear end portion of the press-in hole (16), press-in resistance at an initial stage of a press-in process is reduced.
US07722402B2 Panel interface module which provides electrical connectivity between panel and shielded jacks
An interface module includes a housing having a plurality of jack openings configured to receive shielded modular jacks therein. The housing has a mounting wall extending along one side of the jack openings. A bond bar is coupled to the mounting wall, wherein the bond bar has a jack interface configured to engage respective ones of the shielded modular jacks and a panel interface configured to engage a mating surface of a panel. The bond bar is configured to create an electrical connection between respective ones of the shielded modular jacks and the mating surface of the panel.
US07722397B2 Plug connector
The invention relates to a plug connector (10) for the detachable connection of a number of cable pairs (97, 98) with a conductor cross-section of more than 10 mm2, in particular, for the supply of the welding current in welding robots, wherein individual contact elements (52, 60), with a conducting connection to the cables (97, 98), may be plugged into an insulated plug housing (11) with a clipping action and are detachably held in the plug housing (11) or terminal housing (12), the clipping action of the contact elements (52, 60) in the housings (11, 12) being achieved by an elastic deformation of the housings (11, 12). Manipulation is facilitated in that the housing (11, 12) is made from a material of such a hardness that the plugging in and exchange of contact elements can be achieved without the use of tools.
US07722380B1 Plug retention device
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus for retaining a plug in an outlet. The apparatus includes a body and a pair of arms slidably connected to the body. The arms are secured to the outlet. The body slides along the arms in a first direction to retain the plug in the outlet.
US07722374B2 Hermaphroditic coupling with rotational engagement and flexible interlock
A low-profile genderless connector uses interlocking tabs and spring levers to form a secure mechanical link with another identical genderless connector using rotational engagement. Upon full engagement of two opposing yet identical connectors, electrical contacts on each connector complete multiple signal paths for ground, power, and signal communication in a preferred sequential order. In an alternative embodiment, the connectors rotationally engage to form a coupling having optical contacts. In yet another embodiment, the connectors rotationally engage to form a coupling to provide strictly mechanical or structural connectivity.
US07722372B2 Direct mounting connector
A direct mounting connector includes: six independent busbars for connecting the apparatus to two auxiliary machines for three-phase alternating current; two U-pole first terminal parts, two V-pole first terminal parts and two W-pole first terminal parts The six first terminal parts are connected to the apparatus at first ends of the respective six busbars, the two first terminal parts of the same pole are arranged adjacently to each other; and two sets, each set of which consists of a second U-pole terminal part, a second V-pole terminal part and a second W-pole terminal part The six second terminal parts are connected to the two auxiliary machines at second ends of the respective six busbars, the two sets arranged adjacently to each other having a distance therebetween. Busbar parts extend between the two sets of the second terminal parts.
US07722371B2 Electrical contactor, especially wafer level contactor, using fluid pressure
An electrical interconnect assembly and methods for making an electrical interconnect assembly. In one embodiment, an interconnect assembly includes a flexible wiring layer having a plurality of first contact elements and a fluid containing structure which is coupled to the flexible wiring layer. The fluid, when contained in the fluid containing structure, presses the flexible wiring layer towards a device under test to form electrical interconnections between the first contact elements and corresponding second contact elements on the device under test. In a further embodiment, an interconnect assembly includes a flexible wiring layer having a plurality of first contact terminals and a semiconductor substrate which includes a plurality of second contact terminals. A plurality of freestanding, resilient contact elements, in one embodiment, are mechanically coupled to one of the flexible wiring layers or the semiconductor substrate and make electrical contacts between corresponding ones of the first contact terminals and the second contact terminals. In another embodiment, a method of making electrical interconnections includes joining a flexible wiring layer and a substrate together in proximity and causing a pressure differential between a first side and a second side of the flexible wiring layer. The pressure differential deforms the flexible wiring layer and causes a plurality of first contact terminals on the flexible wiring layer to electrically connect with a corresponding plurality of second contact terminals on the substrate.
US07722359B1 Connection assembly having midplane with enhanced connection and airflow features
A connection assembly has a midplane, first midplane connectors and second midplane connectors. The midplane is divided into an airflow section and a connector section by a dividing line. The midplane defines a first side and a second side which faces away from the first side. The airflow section provides airflow passageways connecting spaces on both sides of the midplane. The connector section provides (i) first mounting locations which are confined to the connector section on the first side and (ii) second mounting locations which are confined to the connector section on the second side. The first midplane connectors are arranged to connect to first circuit board modules, and are mounted over the first mounting locations on the first side. The set of second midplane connectors are arranged to connect to second circuit board modules, and are mounted over the second mounting locations on the second side.
US07722350B2 Apparatus for imprinting and/or embossing substrates
The invention relates to an apparatus for imprinting and/or embossing substrates (7), in particular semiconductor substrates or wafers, having: a receiving unit (5) for receiving the substrate (7) in a working space (13), an adjusting device (2, 3, 4) for adjusting the substrate (7) in relation to an embossing and/or printing punch (10), whereby for a process that is as contamination-free as possible and for a manufacture of the apparatus that is as favorable as possible the receiving unit (5) is designed so as to separate the working space (13) from the environment.
US07722337B2 Piston compressor cylinder arrangement, particularly for a hermetically enclosed refrigerant compressor
The invention concerns a piston compressor cylinder arrangement (1), particularly for a hermetically enclosed refrigerant compressor, with a cylinder body (2) and a cylinder head arrangement (7), the cylinder body (2) having a first front side (6) in the area of the cylinder head arrangement (7) and a second front side (8) at the other end. It is endeavoured to manufacture such a cylinder arrangement in a cost-effective manner without having to fear for a deformation during mounting. For this purpose, a cup-shaped mounting sleeve (9) surrounds the cylinder body (2) over its full axial working length with a radial distance on all sides.
US07722335B2 Linear compressor
Disclosed herein is a linear compressor. The linear compressor comprises shell spring seats each including a shell coupling portion and a spring coupling portion. A buffer is provided between the shell coupling portion and the spring coupling portion to absorb vibration. This prevents the vibration from being transmitted from the spring coupling portion to the shell coupling portion, resulting in no noise discharge to the outside of the shell.
US07722318B2 Hole liners for repair of vane counterbore holes
A variable vane shroud for a gas turbine engine comprises a cylindrically shaped body, a hole arranged at a circumference of the body, and a counterbore arranged concentrically around the hole on a radially inward facing surface of the body. The hole is for receiving a trunnion from a variable vane and the counterbore is for receiving a hub from the variable vane. A liner is inserted into the hole and counterbore such that the trunnion and hub are provided with a contact surface. The invention also provides a method for repairing a damaged counterbore in a variable vane shroud. A liner having a shape corresponding to a layer of material removed from the shroud is inserted into the void left by removing damaged material such that the counterbore is restored to pre-damaged dimensions.
US07722316B2 Acoustic viscous damper for centrifugal gas compressor
An acoustic viscous damper for a compressor including a porous liner located within the discharge duct, the porous liner having a plurality of holes for passage of a purge working fluid therethrough into the discharge duct.
US07722313B1 Device for converting kinetic energy contained in a fluid, into mechanical energy
Device for converting kinetic energy contained in a fluid, into mechanical energy, coupled to an either gaseous or liquid fluid mass outlet secondary conduit, constituted by a fixed main conduit receptor of said fluid mass and a movable conduit coaxially attached to an axial flow rotor and associated to an outer supporting frame, including this assembly a flange abutting with said fixed conduit; both conduits are assembled by a fitting device comprising a lid, sealing washers, bearings and retaining ring acting on spacing sleeves and a locking nut; the movable conduit attached to the rotor rotates along its axis and coaxial to said fixed conduit without a major axial displacement; within said rotor it is lodged a hub and a deflector capable of directing the fluid's flow toward passages within the hollow blades and their corresponding exits at the end of each blade, constituting each one of said exit outlets an ejector means for the fluid, thereby achieving the rotational movement of the rotor on its axis; attached to said rotor there is a driven shaft with coupling means to the shaft of the driven means, such as an electrical generator.
US07722297B2 Antirotation tool holder and cutting insert
The present invention relates to embodiments of a cutting tool holder having at least one insert pocket, wherein at least one insert pocket comprises a side surface and at least one antirotation stop protruding from the side surface. The antirotation stop may comprise at least two substantially planar surfaces. In certain embodiments, the cutting tool holder may have a pocket which comprises a bottom surface and an antirotation stop having three substantially planar surfaces that are substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface.
US07722278B2 Twin duckbill valve assembly
The duckbill valve assembly includes at least two duckbill valve members and a flexible, flat flange member which joins the two duckbill valve members together. The flange connects the duckbill valve members together at their respective bases, thereby maintaining the two duckbill valve members in a particular orientation and arrangement relative to each other.
US07722276B2 Applicator device for applying a substance
An applicator device for applying a substance may include: an inside space containing a supply of substance; an applicator member including a cellular material that deforms at least in part during application, and an application surface configured to apply the substance; a handle that is secured to the applicator member which includes at least one portion that is fastened relative to the handle; a housing configured to receive the applicator member at least in part, the housing communicating in a permanent manner with the inside space containing the supply of substance; and a resilient return member configured to exert thrust on the applicator member toward the application surface.
US07722275B2 Writing instrument with a sheet material dispenser
In one embodiment of a writing instrument with a tape flag dispenser, a writing instrument has a body portion, a writing tip, and a flag dispenser that can be attached to and detached from the body portion. The flag dispenser holds a supply of tape flags, such as a folded stack of tape flags, which can be removed through an opening in the dispenser. The flag dispenser can be, for example, a cap that covers the writing tip or an attachment that affixes to an end of the body portion. In another embodiment, a writing instrument has a body portion, a writing tip, a flag dispenser integrally incorporated into the body portion, a containing section housed in the flag dispenser, and an opening in the containing section through which tape flags can be issued.
US07722266B2 Camera apparatus having shutter control apparatus
A camera apparatus includes a lens module, an image detecting module, a shutter and a shutter control apparatus. The shutter is disposed between the lens module and the image detecting module. The shutter control apparatus has a switch for controlling the lens module and the shutter. The switch has a first trigger status and a second trigger status. While the switch produces the first trigger status, the lens module automatically focuses. By contrast, while the switch produces the second trigger status, the shutter control apparatus turns on/off the shutter, so that the image detecting module detects an image through the lens module.
US07722261B2 Expanded beam connector
An optical connector comprising: (a) a lens; (b) a ferrule assembly comprising a ferrule with an endface and at least one fiber in the ferrule having a fiber end presented at the endface; (c) a housing for holding the ferrule assembly and the lens in a certain axial and radial relationship; and (d) a glass element having a first and second surface, the first surface affixed to the endface such that it is in physical contact with the fiber end, the second surface having an AR coating and defining a space between it and the lens.
US07722257B2 Roller bearing cage and tapered roller bearing
A roller bearing cage is made of a resin and has a tapered tubular shape as a whole. In the roller bearing cage, tapered rollers are forcibly fitted to pockets while elastically deforming pillar portions at a small-diameter annular portion side. A stress alleviating portion is provided on at least an outer circumferential side of an end of the pillar portion at the small-diameter annular portion side so that a portion of the pillar portion from a crossing portion between the pillar portion and the small-diameter annular portion to a side of the large-diameter annular portion is linearly cut, thereby alleviating the stress occurring in the pillar portion when the tapered roller is forcibly fitted to the pocket.
US07722250B2 Probe cover for ear thermometer
The present invention discloses a probe cover for an ear thermometer, which comprises: a film cover and a base. The film cover has a cover window able to contact the probe window at the front end of the ear thermometer, a hollow cone able to contact the sidewall of the probe and a strengthened element able to contact the cover window and the hollow cone. The thickness of the cover window is same as the thickness of the strengthened element and greater than the thickness of the hollow cone. Thereby, the present invention can prevent the variation of infrared transmittance caused by the misarrangement and non-uniform thickness of the probe cover film disposed at the front of the probe window.
US07722246B1 Method for determining the thermal expansion coefficient of ceramic bodies and glazes
A method of measuring the coefficient of thermal expansion of a ceramic material, including the steps of applying a glaze to a substantially densified refractory body, wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of either the glaze or the body is known, bonding the glaze to the body, putting the glaze insufficient tension to induce crazing, measuring the average distance between cracks in the crazed glaze; and determining the unknown coefficient of thermal expansion of the glaze or body.
US07722235B2 Vehicle headlamp
A vehicle headlamp is provided. The vehicle headlamp includes a projection-type light source unit housed in a lamp chamber. The light source unit includes a projection lens; a shade; a light emitting diode (LED) light source; a reflector; and an optical element. The LED light source includes a substrate; an LED chip disposed on the substrate such that the LED chip is oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the light source unit; and a cover member. A region of the cover member includes concave and convex portions so as to diffuse light transmitted through the cover member. The reflector reflects and guides the light from the LED light source onto a rear focus of the projection lens. The optical element guides the diffused light transmitted through the cover toward a front side of the vehicle headlamp so as to form an overhead light distribution.
US07722230B2 Removable LED light device
A removable LED track light device has a plurality of LED light-units that fit within track means. At least one LED element(s) fits within the LED light-unit's geometric construction such that electrodes of the LED light unit are connected via conductive mean, resilient conductive means, contact means, to bus means that supply electric signal from an AC or DC power source, with circuit means, switch means, sensor means, timer means, and/or control means being included to provide desired light functions for illumination. The LED-units have a geometric construction and space to allow element(s) to be fixed in position or incorporated with reflector means. The LED light-units may also be incorporated bracket means to arrange the LED element assembly away from the LED light-unit base. Hanging means or another electric device also can be added onto the LED light-unit or LED light device to provide even more practical extra functions.
US07722227B2 Lighting fixture with recessed baffle trim unit
A recessed lighting fixture providing illumination from a light source comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) placed within a cavity of a planar surface, such as a ceiling, wall, or shower. The fixture comprises a baffle integrated with a low profile heat sink that is used to draw heat out of the fixture and communicate that heat to a trim ring of the fixture for dissipation of the heat in the room so that higher intensity light sources can be used. Improved grounding of the recessed trim unit to the recessed housing is provided with combination support and grounding springs. One embodiment of the light source is fixed in position while a second embodiment is gimbal mounted for aiming the light produced by the fixture.
US07722225B2 Backlight unit and method of manufacturing a diffuser employed in the same
A diffuser for a backlight unit of a display device including a base film, a first diffusion layer including a first resin and a plurality of first diffusion particles, and being formed on an upper surface of the base film, and a second diffusion layer including a second resin and a plurality of second diffusion particles, and being formed on a lower surface of the base film. Further, the plurality of first diffusion particles are contained within the first resin such that an upper surface of the first diffusion layer is substantially flat.
US07722223B2 Line lighting device and image reading device
A structure of a line lighting device permits a rod-like light guide to be attached to a case without rubbing against the case. An end portion of the rod-like light guide provided with a pin is inserted into an opening in a case main body and pushed down, thus making the pin engage with a recess in the case main body. At this time, a distal end of the rod-like light guide is inserted, to some extent, into an opening in a light emitting unit fixing portion. Subsequently, the rod-like light guide is pushed down and pivoted around the pin so as to be completely contained within the case main body. In this state, the distal end of the rod-like light guide is fitted into the opening and the end face of the rod-like light guide is flush with the outer side face of the light emitting unit fixing portion.
US07722218B2 Method of and device for attracting aquatic life forms using an electromagnetic field generation
A device for simulating and/or attracting aquatic life forms is disclosed. The device includes an electromagnetic module for simultaneously generating alternating or pulsed electromagnetic fields and a pulsed light output from a light emitting diode. The electromagnetic module includes a dry battery that is activated when exposed electrodes of the dry battery are placed in contact with a common electrolyte, such as sea water. The electromagnetic module includes a control circuit with one or more application specific integrated circuits for converting an input voltage from the dry battery to an operating voltage sufficient to power the light emitting diode. In further embodiments of the invention, the device includes one or more removable jackets that resemble aquatic life-forms.
US07722216B2 LED lighting apparatus in a plastic housing
A lighting apparatus (2) includes a housing (4) of plastic material, the housing (4) defining a translucent window (12), and a light emitting diode assembly (3) on a printed circuit board (34). The apparatus (2) may be attached to the hull (14) of a boat by means of a flange (10) and a nut (16). The apparatus (2) may include a heat sink (36) machined from a solid aluminum bar. The housing (4) may be connected to a sealing cap (6). The housing (4) is preferably injection-molded from a thermoplastic material such as polycarbonate. Electrical wires may extend through a central bore (42) of the heat sink (36) and the sealing cap (6).
US07722209B2 Flashlight with selectable output level switching
A flashlight has a lamp, a power source, two switches, and a controller connected to the switches. The first switch controls delivery of power to the lamp, and the second switch selects a dimmed brightness level. The first switch may invoke the dimmed level, or a maximum brightness level. The second switch may be a ring rotatable about the axis the flashlight, and either rotatable through a wide range of positions, with sensor circuitry to detect the absolute position, or having a limited range of rotation, with dimmed level selection provided by a duration of momentary rotation in either direction. The second switch may be positioned outside a leak resistant housing, and may include a magnet detectable by magnetic field sensors within the chamber.
US07722198B2 Reflective occulting mask and method for manufacturing the reflective occulting mask
A optical instrument (e.g., coronagraph) is described herein that has a pick-off mirror with a surface having an array of reflective structures (reflective occulting mask) machined therein which enables an optical image of one or more low intensity objects (e.g., planets) to be obtained when the low intensity object(s) are located in close proximity to a high intensity object (e.g., sun). Also described herein, is a method for manufacturing the pick-off mirror which has a surface with an array of reflective structures (reflective occulting mask) that are machined therein.
US07722197B2 Lamina comprising cube corner elements and retroreflective sheeting
The present disclosure is directed to lamina(e) comprising cube corner elements, a tool comprising an assembly of laminae and replicas thereof. The disclosure further relates to retroreflective sheeting.
US07722195B2 Projector with a detachably attaching lamp cover
A projector includes a light source device and an exterior casing, wherein an engagement moving portion slant surface is formed at an engagement moving portion, the engagement moving portion slant surface abutting on an engaging protrusion in a sliding manner when the engagement moving portion is moved to a not-engaging position to press the engaging protrusion toward a top portion.
US07722191B2 Projector with an equalizing temperature module
A projector comprises a case, an illuminant heat source, a thermal module, and an equalizing temperature module. The equalizing temperature module is disposed between the illuminant heat source and the thermal module. When the fluid flows from the illuminant heat source to the equalizing temperature module, the fluid flows through a relative high temperature region more than that of flowing through a relative low temperature region. The equalizing temperature module at least comprises a heat pipe and a plurality of heat sinks. The heat pipe has a first end located in the relative low temperature region and a second end located in the relative high temperature region. The heat pipe transfers heat from the relative high temperature region to the relative low temperature region by a cold fluid in the heat pipe. The plurality of heat sinks are disposed on the heat pipe to increase the area of heat conduction.
US07722185B2 Cradle for printhead cartridge having power storage interface
A cradle unit for a printhead cartridge, the cradle unit comprising: an interface at which the cradle unit is removably engageable with a printhead cartridge, the interface comprising connections for connecting the printhead cartridge with a power supply which is remote from the interface; and a power storage circuit incorporated in the interface for storing at least some of the power being supplied to the printhead cartridge from the power supply.
US07722179B2 Slow-penetrating inkjet fixer composition and methods and systems for making and using same
An inkjet fixer composition and a printing method and system used with the composition are disclosed herein. The composition includes: a) from 1 to 8 weight percent cationic polymer; and b) from 0 to 2 weight percent of at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactant, cationic surfactant and combinations thereof; and c) an aqueous liquid vehicle. Upon overprinting the fixer composition with an ink-jet ink on a substrate, the fixer composition vehicle and the ink-jet ink vehicle form a vehicle mixture on the substrate after which the vehicle mixture penetrates into the substrate, and an ink image is formed on the substrate.
US07722178B2 Ink-jet head
The passage unit is provided with a through hole that connects the ink ejection face and the support face. The ink supply block is provided with a through hole that connects the bond face and the ink inlet face. The filter film blocks communication between the through hole provided in the passage unit and the through hole provided in the ink supply block.
US07722173B2 Fluid container having a fluid absorbing material
A fluid container includes a body having a depth extending between a base interior surface and an opening of the fluid container. The fluid container also includes a capillary material compression structure having an extension depth extending from the opening to a capillary material where the capillary material compression structure is in contact with the capillary material, and the ratio of the extension depth to the depth is 0.35 or greater.
US07722172B2 Printing cartridge with radio frequency identification
A printing cartridge (1230) includes a housing (1234). A radio frequency tag (1232) is positioned on the housing (1234). The radio frequency tag (1232) carries data relating to at least one of: a serial number of the cartridge, a media and a media colorant.
US07722168B2 Inkjet printhead incorporating coincident groups of ink apertures
The present invention relates to a printhead for an inkjet printer. The printhead includes a chassis assembly defining a plurality of spaced apart first groups of apertures and a channel. An ink distribution unit defines a plurality of ink distribution passages and a plurality of spaced apart second groups of apertures. The apertures of each second group are in fluid communication with respective ink distribution passages. The ink distribution unit is received in the channel so that the first and second groups coincide. A plurality of printhead modules is serially engaged along the chassis assembly and in fluid communication with respective first groups. The printhead modules are configured to eject ink provided from the ink distribution passages via the first and second groups.
US07722165B2 Liquid-droplet jetting apparatus
In a liquid-droplet jetting apparatus constructed to change volume of pressure chambers in a cavity unit by displacement of active portions in a piezoelectric actuator so as to jet liquid in the pressure chambers from nozzles, respectively, the pressure chambers and the active portions extend on a predetermined plane; a length in a longitudinal direction of each of the active portions is not more than 1.5 mm, a height of each of the pressure chambers is 40 μm to 60 μm, and a thickness of a member which defines surfaces, of the pressure chambers, on a side opposing the piezoelectric actuator is 100 μm to 150 μm. The liquid-droplet jetting apparatus can stably jet a liquid-droplet having a minute volume at a predetermined speed without increasing a drive voltage applied to the active portions.
US07722160B2 Nozzle plate, printhead having the same and methods of operating and manufacturing the same
A nozzle plate and printhead allowing for control of a deflection direction of ejected droplets using electro-wetting, and methods of operating and manufacturing the same. The nozzle plate has at least one nozzle for ejecting fluid and includes electrode segments disposed along a circumference of the nozzle, an insulating layer disposed on a surface of each electrode segment so as to contact fluid in the nozzle, the insulating layer divided into at least two insulating layer segments corresponding to the electrode segments, and a wire pattern electrically coupled to the electrode segments.
US07722159B2 Inkjet head and inkjet recording device
There is provided an inkjet head including a nozzle plate in which a plurality of nozzles from which ink is ejected are formed. The nozzle plate has a nozzle surface on which nozzle orifices corresponding to the plurality of nozzles are formed. The nozzle surface has surface roughness Rz in a range from 0.3 to 5 μm formed by a roughening process. The ink has surface tension in a range from 28 to 35 mN/m.
US07722157B2 Ink jet printing method and printer
An ink jet or other printer serves to print for each row of input pixels, two superimposed rows of contiguous “super pixels,” each print pixel being capable of receiving print contributions from N super pixels. The super pixels are twice the width of the input pixels and one row of super pixels is offset by half a super pixel width from the next row of super pixels. Redundancy is thus provided against the loss of a print element. The effects of smoothing or an image are reduced by edge enhancement processes.
US07722152B2 Liquid ejection method and liquid ejection apparatus
A liquid ejection method includes determining, according to image data, an ejection pixel that is a pixel at which a liquid is to be ejected and a non-ejection pixel that is a pixel at which a liquid is not to be ejected; determining, according to the image data, a nozzle requiring flushing; and ejecting liquid from the nozzle requiring flushing to the non-ejection pixel adjacent to the ejection pixel, the non-ejection pixel being among pixels associated with the nozzle requiring flushing.
US07722148B2 Liquid discharge head and liquid discharge apparatus using liquid discharge head
A compact and highly reliable recording head enabling precise detection of temperature information for each nozzle and rapid as well as highly accurate detection of nozzles with a discharge defect can be achieved. A plurality of electrothermal transducing members is provided on a substrate to generate heat energy for discharging liquid from discharge ports. A temperature detecting element formed immediately under each electrothermal transducing member to sandwich an insulating film and a temperature detecting circuit for detecting temperature information from each temperature detecting element are also provided.
US07722135B2 Braking system for vehicle and braking method thereof
A braking system for a vehicle, which can prevent an alteration in brake pedal toe force when a brake hydraulic pressure is increased or decreased based on a regenerative braking force obtained by a drive motor in an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle, and a braking method thereof. To prevent an alteration in brake pedal toe force, the vehicle braking system includes a brake reservoir to receive brake oil therein, a normal close type valve to connect the brake reservoir to an inlet of a pump generating a hydraulic pressure in a brake line, a drive motor serving as a generator, the drive motor being adapted to convert a kinetic energy of the vehicle into electric energy to brake the vehicle by regenerative braking, and a control unit to recognize the amount of regenerative braking obtained by the drive motor and the amount of braking desired by a vehicle operator and to control the normal close type valve, so as to compensate for a brake hydraulic pressure corresponding to a difference between the regenerative braking amount and the desired braking amount by use of the brake oil in the reservoir.
US07722129B2 Bicycle wheel quick release assembly
A quick release assembly for a bicycle wheel that includes a pair of heads disposed at generally opposite ends of a skewer rod. One of the heads includes a cam surface that is translatable relative to the head. The quick release includes an operator having a handle portion and a stem portion. The stem portion includes a cam that cooperates with the cam surface formed in one of the heads such that operation of the handle alters the distance between the heads from a first orientation wherein the heads secure a wheel to a bicycle, a second orientation wherein the heads loosely secure the wheel to the bicycle and a third orientation wherein the wheel assembly can be freely removed from the bicycle.
US07722128B2 Retention system for plastic wheel trim
A lug nut engaging retention for plastic wheel trim includes a plurality of tubular sockets which project axially from the inner face of the wheel trim. Each socket comprises three concentric arcuate lug nut engaging panels. Two of the panels include lips that snap over a peripheral flange of a lug nut, while the third panel is fixed relative to the wheel trim and serves as a centering guide. A circumscribing ring engages the periphery of the panels adjacent their apical ends to reinforce the radially inwardly directed bias of the lipped panels. Three legs are positioned about the socket center at a radius greater than that of the panels. Each leg includes a pair of axially spaced abutments which engage the ring to limit axial movement of the ring relative to the panels.
US07722126B2 Mini sized side dump trailer
A mini-sized side dump trailer comprising a wheeled frame having a pair of wheels supporting the rearward end thereof and a steerable front wheel assembly of the forward end thereof with a forwardly extending tongue extending from the front wheel assembly for connection to a small vehicle such as a utility terrain vehicle, an all terrain vehicle or a small tractor. The small side dump body may be pivoted to either the first side of the trailer or to the second side of the trailer.
US07722123B2 Furniture having replaceable panels
A furniture item, such as a stool, table or chair having removable decorative panels. The removable panels include a surface that is preferably convex in shape when installed and provides an area upon which advertising, promotional and/or purely aesthetic material can be displayed.
US07722118B2 Repositionable child support device
An infant glider device is disclosed. The glider includes a base, a carriage that moves in an oscillatory motion along a predetermined path with respect to the base, and seat connected to the carriage. The seat is rotationally repositionable about an axis generally perpendicular to the carriage, and is adapted to be reoriented from a first seat facing position to a second seat facing position, and vice versa.
US07722117B2 Bleacher seat attachment bracket
A seat cushion for selective attachment to a bleacher seat includes a bracket with a front jaw and a rear jaw. The front jaw includes multiple laterally spaced attachment locations for the rear jaw. A cushioned seat including a cushioned bottom and a flexible connected backrest attaches to the bracket to be held in place on a bleacher. The backrest may include a pocket formed from a transparent material for displaying a card within the pocket.
US07722115B2 Method and apparatus for bicycle seat adjustment
In a bicycle seat assembly a fastener driver is rotatable in first and second directions. Upon rotating the driver in the first direction, it threadably engages a shaft of an adjusting member causing tightening of a connection between a bicycle seat, a seat post and the adjusting member and producing simultaneous adjustment of a wedge sub-assembly provided at an interface between a distal end of the adjusting member and the seat post. Rotation of the fastener driver in the second direction causes at least partial disengagement of the threadable connection between the driver and the adjusting member, resulted in loosening connection between the seat post and the adjusting member.
US07722107B2 Vehicular center cluster panel
A center cluster panel 2 is formed with a projected portion 20 including an upper panel 21 extended to a vehicle rear side and disposed at an uppermost portion thereof, a curved face panel 22 connected to a rear portion of the upper panel 21 and directed to a vehicle front side by being bent from the connected portion 24, and a lower panel 23 connected to the curved face panel 22, extended to a front side and disposed on a vehicle lower side of the upper panel 21. The upper panel 21 and the lower panel 23 are formed such that respective wall thicknesses t1 and t2 are uniform. The wall thickness t1 of the upper panel 21 is made to be thicker than the wall thickness t2 of the lower panel 23. The curved face panel 22 is formed such that a wall thickness t3 thereof is equal to the wall thickness t1 of the upper panel 21 at the portion 24 connected with the upper panel 21 and formed such that the more proximate to the lower panel 23 from the connected portion 24, the more thinned the wall thickness t3 gradually.
US07722106B2 Tailgate for a motor vehicle and a motor vehicle having such a tailgate
In a tailgate for a motor vehicle, which comprises a lower tailgate body (18), on which a rear window (22) is mounted, on whose upper area a supplemental brake light (24) is provided, the rear window (22) is lowerable into the tailgate body (18), wherein the rear window, at least when the vehicle is driven, is lowerable only so far that its upper area provided with the supplemental brake light (24) upwardly projects from the tailgate body.
US07722105B2 Anchor cap for child safety seat
An article includes a cover member, which can reversibly slide between an open orientation and a closed orientation. The article includes at least one track member disposed on one or opposing sides of the cover member. The article includes at least one support structure adapted to be received by the at least one track member in a sliding relation. The article includes at least one vertical support structure disposed in a fixed position relative to the cover member and adapted to mate with a bottom surface of the cover member in a vertically supporting relation. The article includes at least one mechanical stop limiting the range of motion of the cover member in an opening direction.
US07722101B2 Cargo shipping container spreader and method
An apparatus and method for lifting and collapsing a collapsible cargo container includes a frame, and vertical guides for aligning the spreader with the cargo container. First and second pusher assemblies engage the end walls of the container to pivot the end walls against the ceiling of the container, where uplocks retain the end walls in a stowed away position. Foldable side walls are then buckled by the weight of the ceiling with assistance from the spreader, until the side walls occupy a predominantly horizontal position between the ceiling/end wall combination and a floor of the cargo container, resulting in a compact configuration. The spreader unfolds the container using steps discussed above in a reverse order.
US07722092B2 Pipe joint device by flange
A pipe joint device using flanges is provided. The pipe joint device includes: flanges mounted to ends of pipes to be coupled together or ends of both a pipe and a pipe joint to be coupled together, the flange having at least one ring groove around an outer circumferential surface thereof; a packing mounted to the flanges and having inner rings around an inner circumferential surface thereof to closely engage with the ring grooves of the flanges; and a clamp having a packing seat to seat the packing therein, with a support sidewall formed by a radial inward extension of each side of the clamp, the clamp being divided into a plurality of clamp parts so that the clamp parts are placed around the packing and are fastened together by a locking member.
US07722087B2 Coupling having angularly oriented cavity
A coupling for joining pipe elements in end to end relation is disclosed. The coupling includes interconnectable coupling segments having connection members at opposite ends. The connection members are tightenable for drawing the segments toward one another and into engagement with the pipe elements. Each segment has a concavity positioned between inwardly projecting arcuate surfaces that engage grooves in the pipe elements. The concavities house a sealing member that extends circumferentially around the pipe elements. Angularly oriented surfaces are positioned adjacent to the connection members. The surfaces on facing segments engage one another and cause the segments to rotate in opposite directions about an axis perpendicular to the pipe elements. The concavities are angularly oriented with respect to the axis so that when the segments rotate, the cavities receive the sealing member without distorting it. A method of joining pipe elements end to end is also disclosed.
US07722078B2 Gas generator and restraining device using same
A gas generator includes, a housing having a gas discharge port closed, from the inside thereof, by a closing member; an ignition device accommodated inside the housing; and a gas generating agent ignited and burnt by activation of the ignition device to generate combustion gas. The gas discharge port includes a plurality of gas discharge port groups or a plurality of gas discharge ports, the plurality of gas discharge port groups or the plurality of gas discharge ports are opened by different pressures, respectively, and among the plurality of gas discharge port groups or the plurality of gas discharge ports, at least the gas discharge port group or the gas discharge port that is opened by higher pressure is covered with a cooling member from the outside.
US07722071B1 Handcycles
The present invention encompasses several improvements to handcycles. This invention introduces a blend between lean steer and pivot steer. The front wheel may be turned with only minimal twisting of the operator's legs. This invention uses two bearings and quick release axle to connect the front and rear frame together and provide the steering axis. This invention incorporates a means for adjusting the bike from fully reclined to a body forward position. The invention also incorporates a means of crank adjustment. In the embodiment of our new design the cable and housing are attached to the brake and shift levers by means of an intermediate device for the purpose of directing the shift and brake cable away from the rider's field of view.
US07722066B2 Vehicle operation assembly
A vehicle operation assembly comprising: stairs including a step; and a vehicle operation system positioned behind the stairs such that the step of the stairs is exposed for use in front of the vehicle operation system, the stairs being adapted to permit access to the vehicle operation system. The vehicle operation system may include a sleeper cab heater, a hydraulic system, a diesel generator, or a fuel supplement system such as a hydrogen generating system.
US07722064B2 Tapered joint for vehicle suspension components
A non-torque reactive air suspension exhibiting excellent roll stability characteristics is shown to include frame hangers mounted to frame rails extending longitudinally on opposite sides of a vehicle. Longitudinally extending beams are connected to the frame hangers at one end and extend parallel to the frame rails. At their other ends, the beams are joined by a crossbrace extending laterally across the vehicle centerline. In a central portion thereof, the beams have an axle pivot bore to which an axle clamp assembly is connected, the axle clamp assembly clamping a drive axle housing for the vehicle. The axle pivot bore is generally aligned with the drive axle. A control rod assembly is connected to suspension or frame components. Together with the beams, the control rod assembly forms a parallelogram configuration wherein the beams form the lower linkages of that configuration and the control rods included within the control rod assembly form the upper linkages of that configuration.
US07722057B2 Truck dolly saving method and apparatus
An apparatus and method for lessening wear on a dolly on a trailer. The apparatus and method also saves the dolly on the trailer.
US07722042B2 Game comprising a playing surface formed from a resilient material
This invention relates a playing surface (1) for a game that may be played by opposing players or teams of players. The playing surface is formed from a resilient material and may be of polygonal or regular shape. The playing surface is provided with at least one scoring means, for example formed as an opening with a suspended pocket. The playing surface may be formed from a woven textile material into which is incorporated a resilient material such as lycra so that the playing surface as a whole can be stretched and physically deformed in two directions or combinations thereof.
US07722038B1 Retractable image camera mechanism for a document processing system
A document processing system includes a feeder stage, a transport stage, and a retractable mechanism cooperating with a portion of the document track. An assertable member is arranged with respect to the document track such that assertion of the member causes retraction of the opposed track walls in the cooperating portion of the document track by retracting a first base member from a second base member. An imaging assembly is composed of an imaging device and an image glass. The image glass is positioned as one side of the document track at the retractable mechanism. In the retracted state, the imaging assembly is retracted to provide access to the imaging device and the document track.
US07722035B2 Method and apparatus for correcting the lateral position of a printing material, printing material conveying system and machine processing printing material
A method for correcting the lateral position of a printing material, includes gripping the printing material with a transport unit, rotating the transport unit in a lateral position correction angular range for correcting the lateral position of the printing material, and rotating the transport unit out of the lateral position correction angular range while retaining the correction of the lateral position of the printing material. An apparatus for correcting the lateral position of a printing material, a printing material conveying system and a machine for processing printing material, are also provided.
US07722020B2 Arrangement and a method for clamping thin rods
An arrangement for clamping a thin rod of glass or quartz having a diameter below 1 mm in two mutually-spaced clamping locations for holding the rod extended between the two clamping locations. The arrangement also comprises first clamping device arranged to clamp the rod in a first clamping location. The first clamping device has a first clamping member (22) with a clamp face (23) of substantially V-groove type for receiving the rod in the groove (24). The first clamping member is movably arranged with respect to a framework (45) of the apparatus for clamping a rod.
US07722018B2 Rear and/or front axle subframe bearing and method of assembling a rear and/or front axle subframe bearing
A subframe bearing and method of forming same is provided with a subframe (12) having a main section between a first engagement flange (30) and a second engagement flange (32), an inner tube (2), an outer tube (4) and an elastomer bushing (6), as well as a stop plate (16). The elastomer bushing is vulcanized with the inner tube (2) and the outer tube (4) defining a bushing subassembly. The outer tube has a main section (42), an angled transition portion (44) and a step portion (40). The outer tube continues axially from the main section (42) to a stop flange (20). The elastomer bushing (6) has a bulged outer surface portion (36) extending continuously and uninterrupted outwardly of the angled transition portion (44) and extending continuously and uninterrupted outwardly of the step portion (40). The bulge of the bulged outer surface portion is radially outwardly of the subframe main section (12) to form an engaging stop surface in contact with the second radially extending engagement flange (32) and a surface in contact with the stop plate (16).
US07722015B2 Internal shape of rotor for two-bore rotary carburetor used in stratified scavenging engine
The present invention provides an internal shape of a rotor for a two-bore rotary carburetor used in a stratified scavenging engine whereby an engine for a power saw, lawn mower, or the like can be stabilized in the course of a complete change in orientation during idling. A groove pocket (10) in communication with a fuel supply-side bore (8) is formed at the aperture edge of each of the upstream end and the downstream end of a carburetor rotor valve (6) toward an accelerated rotation direction in the fuel supply-side bore (8) of the rotor valve (6). The groove pocket (10) is shaped so as to gradually rise and decrease in cross-sectional surface area toward the accelerated rotation direction along a peripheral surface of the rotor valve (6). The resulting structure is one in which the groove pocket (10) is initially superposed with the mixing channel during horizontal rotation of the rotor valve (6), the fuel supply-side bore (8) and the mixing channel are in communication with each other, and the fuel supply-side bore (8) opens before the air supply-side bore (7) does.
US07722010B2 Valve holding member
A valve holding member made of a sheet metal includes a hub part (33) having a guide hole (34) through which a valve stem (23) and a plurality of arm parts (32) formed at the peripheral edge of the hub part. The arm parts are extend from the peripheral edge in an axial direction and in a radially outward direction with respect to the axis of the valve stem. The valve holding member also includes any one of a first reinforcing protrusion (35) formed in at least one of the arm parts which extends along a longitudinal direction of the at least one arm part and protrudes radially outward or inward with respect to the axis of the valve stem, a tubular reinforcing part (35c, 35e) formed around the guide hole and extending from the hub part in the axial direction, and a second reinforcing protrusion (35b) formed in the hub part and protruding in the axial direction.
US07722005B2 Pedestals
A pedestal comprising a pedestal base whose upper surface defines at least two pairs of open channels. Each pair of open channels is sized and spaced so that a support member of constant cross-section can be slidably fitted into the pair of channels. The pairs of channels are positioned so that, when a straight support member is fitted into each pair of channels, all the support members are parallel to each other and form a platform for supporting objects. The pedestals are particularly useful in the catering and hospitality industry for supporting food and beverage containers, tableware, flower vases and sculptures.
US07721985B2 Welding wire guide ring
A wire guiding device includes a base and a guide portion for streamlining the flow of coiled wire from a storage container. Side walls may be included to bridge the distance between the device and the storage container to prevent wire from rising upward around the outside of the wire guiding device. As the amount of wire in the bin decreases, the wire guiding device will float downward maintaining constant downward pressure on the coil of wire. Wire in the storage container will therefore be drawn out in a smooth manner limiting or substantially preventing tangles. Protrusions may also be formed around the peripheral edge of the wire guiding device for preventing the wire from rising up and over the wire guiding device.
US07721984B2 Hay bale flake-separating and flake-dispensing system and device
A chain driven push arm advances a hay bale along a bed toward an opening including a pair of vertically aligned, spaced-apart idle wheels each including plural radiating blades. As the hay bale advances along the bed, the wheels rotate freely causing the blades to impinge on successive regions of the hay bale to separate a succession of flakes from the hay bale remainder. The bed is mounted on a wheeled truck or vehicle that is towable behind a tractor as the tractor driver remotely selectively operates the push arm to dispense flakes along the ground. An optional, towable conveyor can be used to load the bed with a succession of hay bales.
US07721983B2 Crusher
A crusher comprises a crushing rotor being rotatable and having a crushing bit to crush target materials to be crushed, a feed conveyor for conveying the target materials toward the crushing rotor, and a pressing feeder unit including a pressing roller disposed above the feed conveyor and introducing the target materials on the feed conveyor toward the crushing rotor while pressing the target materials from above, and an anvil disposed at a position which is closer to the crushing rotor than a point where the pressing roller presses the target materials and which is outward of the crushing rotor in the radial direction. The fixed bit has a bumping surface, against which the target materials bump, disposed in an opposed relation to the rotating direction of the crushing bit, thereby crushing the target materials introduced toward the crushing rotor.
US07721982B2 File shredder with feed unit
A file shredder has an integrated unit for automatic feed of sheets of paper or similar materials. An upper device part contains a cutting mechanism, at least one drive, and a control device. A feed shaft leads from the top of the upper device part, and a secondary channel leads from a chamber-like intake opening disposed on the side, to the cutting mechanism. A hinged lid pivotable about an axis is assigned to the chamber-like intake opening, and the upper device part sits on a lower device part. A barrier is disposed near the front, lower edge of the face surface of the hinged lid, and along this edge. The barrier rests on the top sheet of the stack of sheets laid into the chamber-like intake opening, and removes any objects still adhering to this sheet, particularly staples, when the sheet is drawn in toward the cutting mechanism.
US07721981B2 Mechanical brush chipper feed control bar
A mechanical control mechanism for the feed of a brush chipper is disclosed. The feed control bar has four positions: (1) forward or feed, (2) neutral, (3) reverse, and (4) stop. The hydraulic control valve has the three usual positions: (1) forward or feed, (2) neutral, (3) reverse. A function of the feed control bar is to provide the three function of the hydraulic control valve, plus the fourth in a fashion amenable to emergency situations. To these ends, the control bar has an extreme rearward position wherein the feed mechanism is stopped. The only permissible change to the stopped condition of the feed mechanism is to reverse the feed. Until a reset lever is manipulated, the hydraulic control valve cannot be put into a forward feed position.
US07721969B2 Portable handheld device for wireless order entry and real time payment authorization and related methods
A portable handheld device for wireless order entry and real time payment authorization may include a portable housing, a display carried by the housing, an order entry input device carried by the housing, a transaction card input device carried by the housing for reading user sensitive information from a transaction card, a wireless transceiver carried by the housing, and a processor carried by the housing and connected to the display, order entry input device, transaction card input device and wireless transceiver. The processor may be for wirelessly sending input order information, and encrypting and wirelessly sending the user sensitive information from the transaction card without storing and without displaying. The processor may also be for wirelessly receiving and displaying payment authorization information based upon real time authorization from a transaction card issuing entity.
US07721966B2 System and method of optical reading employing virtual scan lines
Optical reading system and methods having multiple modes of operation, for example: omnidirectional and single-code picking; fixed and handheld reading; 1D and 2D code reading. In one configuration, an image-based system obtains input data via an area sensor (e.g., a 2D COD array) with only data corresponding to a pattern of virtual scan lines being stored and processed. A user may implement different operating modes such as a first mode reading codes in any location or orientation and a second mode reading only a code oriented along a particular virtual scan line or group thereof. Alternately, the data reader is operable to switch between handheld mode selecting a first pattern of virtual scan lines to process and/or decode and a fixed mode selecting a second pattern of virtual scan lines to process and/or decode. Virtual scan patterns in either mode can change from frame to frame.
US07721960B2 Transaction instrument inventory management system and method
A system and method for facilitating inventory management in financial transaction instrument distribution is disclosed. The method may include the steps of: receiving information related to the sale of a first transaction instrument, wherein the first transaction instrument is associated with a second transaction instrument, wherein the first and second transaction instruments comprise a group of transaction instruments, and wherein the information identifies a location of the sale of the first transaction instrument; and associating the location of the sale of the first transaction instrument with the second transaction instrument and/or the group of transaction instruments.
US07721959B2 Optimizing inventory in accordance with a constrained network
In one embodiment, optimizing inventory includes accessing service level band sets. Each service level band set is associated with a policy group, and includes service level bands. Each service level band of a service level band set has a service level priority with respect to any other service level bands of the same service level band set. An inventory band set is determined for each service level band set. Each inventory band set includes inventory bands, where each inventory band satisfies a corresponding service level band assuming an unconstrained network. Each inventory band of an inventory band set has an inventory priority with respect to any other inventory bands of the same inventory band set. A feasible supply chain plan that satisfies the inventory band sets is generated in order of the inventory priorities until a constrained network is depleted.
US07721946B2 Senior citizen communication system
A system and method is disclosed whereby a patient at a senior care facility can send and receive messages via the inter-net. Tools are provided to manage the patients, the patient's relative contact, mail and photo collection. Relatives can be designated to suggest changes to the contacts and edit the contents of the patient's contacts files. The messages may be audio, video or text and the user friendly system helps the patients navigate through the process. Notification is provided so that the relatives and patients know when a message had been received. Further notification is provided if a prolonged period lapses after receipt of a message to a patient and the message has not been read.
US07721945B2 Method and system of pre-loading preferred access contact information in memory
A method (300) and system for pre-loading preferred access contact information can include a transceiver (28), memory (24) for pre-storing preferred access contact information for a predetermined merchant in an electronic phonebook or a speed dial number slot, a presentation device (26) and a processor (22) coupled to the transceiver and memory of a portable communication device (20). The processor can be programmed to track accesses to the preferred access contact information from the memory and report the number of accesses to a server accessible by the transceiver. The processor can be programmed to automatically present an advertisement stored in memory to a user when the user accesses the preferred access contact information. Note, the manufacturer of the portable communication device 20 can charge a fee to the predetermined merchant for pre-storing the preferred access contact information in the electronic address book or in a speed dial storage slot.
US07721929B2 Staple cartridge
An opening portion (104) is formed at a rear face of a staple cartridge (103), a slide door (106) is provided at the opening portion (104), and the slide door (106) is maintained at a closing position by a tension coil spring (107). When the slide door (106) is pushed down, also a pressing plate (109) is moved down by being pushed by the slide door, the opening portion (104) is opened and a staple pack (121) can be inserted into the cartridge. A staple can be refilled to an electric stapler (101) in a state of mounting the staple cartridge (103), and time and labor of attaching and detaching the staple cartridge is dispensed with.
US07721922B2 Receptacle
The present invention includes a receptacle for a cosmetic or care product although other substances may be used in conjunction with the present application. The receptacle includes a body with a single opening. An insert is secured in the opening and includes a passage for extracting the cosmetic or care product.
US07721916B2 Pour spout
A container has a body with a body opening. A spout fitment base is positioned within the body opening. A spout has a threaded engagement with the spout fitment base for movement between a retracted position and an extended position. A cap has a removed condition disengaged from the body, spout fitment base, and spout. The cap has an installed condition having a threaded engagement with at least one of the body and spout base fitment. An unscrewing of the cap from its installed condition rotates the spout so that the threaded engagement with the spout with the spout base fitment drive the spout from the retracted condition toward the extended condition.
US07721913B2 Dispenser for repositionable notes
A dispenser for a pad of repositionable notes is provided. The dispenser includes (a) a base having opposing interior and exterior surfaces; (b) a cover having opposing interior and exterior surfaces and two slots disposed substantially orthogonal to one another, the slots being sized to allow for dispensing individual repositionable notes from the pad, the cover disposed on the base forming a cavity; and (c) a biasing mechanism disposed in the cavity.
US07721907B2 Child-resistant flip-top dispensing closure and package
A child-resistant closure includes a base, and a lid integrally molded and coupled to the base by a hinge. The lid has a latch arm resiliently extending from a periphery opposite the hinge and having oppositely extending tabs adjacent to a free end of the latch arm. The base has an external recess for receiving the latch arm and spaced ledges in the recess for engagement by the tabs to lock the lid in a closed position. The latch arm is engageable by a user to pivot the latch arm radially inwardly within the passage and release the tabs from the ledges so the lid can be pivoted toward an open position. The tabs and the ledges are recessed radially inwardly from the outer surface of the latch arm in the closed position of the lid with the tabs engaged beneath the ledges.
US07721904B2 Hydraulic tank access cover with self-centering and anti-rotation device
A hydraulic access cover assembly for a hydraulic reservoir tank that provides a self-centering and anti-rotation feature for quick and positive sealing of the tank. Tabs located on the inner cover interlock with tabs incorporated into the tank access hole to provide the self-centering and anti-rotation features. This system eliminates the need to weld anything to the tank, which eliminates a potential contamination source of the hydraulics.
US07721901B1 Thin-walled plastics bottle, closure and bottling process
A sealing arrangement for a plastic bottle includes a blow-molded bottle having a body and a mouth that includes an opening, an injection molded neck that includes a continuous wall that defines a top wall-opening and a bottom wall-opening. The top wall-opening provides a pour spout for liquid contained within the body of the bottle. The bottom wall-opening is fused to the mouth of the bottle so as to surround the bottle's opening. A removable flange is located generally within the bottom wall-opening and a frangible region connects the flange to the wall. A foil is secured to a side of the flange that is generally adjacent to the bottom wall-opening, and the foil is adapted to close the bottom wall-opening. A plurality of foil-cutting teeth are carried by the wall generally adjacent to the bottom wall-opening, generally adjacent to the side of the flange and generally adjacent to the foil. A pull member is secured to the flange. Manual operation of the pull member separates the flange from the wall, as at least a portion of the foil is cut by the teeth. An injection-molded cap removably closes the top wall-opening. The wall includes a weakened portion that will break upon an attempt to physically remove the wall from the bottle. The cap includes a cover plate that covers the top wall-opening and a skirt that extends from the cover plate to cover the weakened portion of the wall.
US07721889B2 Beveled corner carton with interlocking separator pad
A carton with bevel corners for carrying cans, or other articles, which has an interlocking separator pad so the cans or articles can be contained in two layers is provided. The carton has two ends, each of which is closed by two side end closures and top and bottom end flaps. Each side end closure has an aperture that is interlocked with the end portion of an interlocking separator pad. In one embodiment of this invention, the interlocking separator pad has two tabs with the aperture in each side end closure being a slot through which a tab is extended. This pad may have a foldably attached leading flap that is lodged between cans or articles contained in the carton and the side end closures. In another embodiment of this invention, the aperture in each side end closure is a slit with the interlocking separator pad having a leading flap which extends through the slits on the side end closures on an end of the carton and folded up or down and lodged between the side end closures and the top end flap or bottom end flap. The interlocking of the separator pad with the apertures in the side end closures prevents the pad from shifting as cans are removed from the carton. Both of these embodiments may have a dispenser in the side panel for the removal of cans or articles inside.
US07721888B2 Floral stand, frame kit and container and method of use
A product packaging container including end caps with reciprocating pins moved by rotating cams that secure a sidewall sheet fabricated of a flexible material capable of receiving ink or laser printing on one surface, and an end cap may include a sound-playing circuit that plays when the pins are actuated to release the sidewall sheet. Embodiments of a frusto-conical floral stand with a nutrient-filled bladder are provided. A frame kit is provided that, when assembled, holds the sidewall sheet of the container therewithin. A method for processing orders and shipping parcels such as horticultural articles in such containers is also provided, and the orders may specify a personalized sound and a personalized message on the sidewall sheet for framing.
US07721887B2 Package for consumable products with separately sealed compartments
A package for consumable products is disclosed. The package includes a plurality of subpackages connected together by a connecting member. For instance, the package may contain two subpackages or alternatively four subpackages all connected at one end to a connecting member. The package is particularly well suited to holding relatively large quantities of the consumable product. Because the subpackages are connected at one end, the package may be draped over an adjacent structure, such as a shopping cart. In this way, the package can be placed in a shopping cart without taking up an excessive amount of space.
US07721883B2 Disk protective enclosure
A holder for a disk having a central opening and front and back surfaces includes a base having a planar panel and a forwardly projecting pedestal including a ring for supporting the disk, an inwardly extending disk member, a plurality of stem members for engaging the disk opening, and a corresponding plurality of U-shaped connector segments supporting the stem members in cantilevered relation to the disk member. Alternating ones of the stem members have outwardly projecting retainer members and inwardly projecting tab members, collectively forming a button surface for receiving downward pressure whereby the disk is releasable. Deformation of the pedestal in response to the downward pressure is concentrated in the connector segments and, to a limited extent, an innermost portion of the disk member, providing improved structural integrity for a given downward force required to release the disk.
US07721872B2 Transfer apparatus
A transfer apparatus has a first conveying device for holding and conveying a transferring-work to be transferred; a second conveying device for holding and conveying a carrier work on which the transferring-work is placed; and a transfer device to receive the transferring-work from the first conveying device and transfer the transferring-work to the carrier work of the second conveying device. The transfer device has two or more end-effectors that revolve along the same circumference to convey the transferring-work, and each of the end-effectors revolves independently of the other end-effectors. Each of the end-effectors has a holding surface that holds the transferring-work, and the holding surface is able to advance and retract along a revolution axis of each of the end-effectors.
US07721863B2 Electromagnetic clutch for compressor
When an armature plate is attracted to a rotor so that the turning force of the rotor is transmitted to the armature plate, the turning force of the armature plate is transmitted to a main shaft via a plate spring. An angle (hereinafter referred to as a slope angle) formed between the plate spring and the armature plate is set so as to be not smaller than 10° and not larger than 63°. Therefore, since the slope angle is larger than the slope angle (about 3°) of the general electromagnetic clutch, the torque increase effect increases about 5 percent as compared with the general electromagnetic clutch, and also an excessive pressing force of the plate spring does not develop.
US07721860B2 Power coupling device
There is provided a power coupling device comprising first and second coupling members, at least one of which is capable of rotating about a common axis and relative to each other. The first coupling member has a pocket, and the second coupling member has notches. The power coupling member also comprises first and second struts arranged at least partly in the pocket. Each of the first and second struts is urged to emerge from the pocket and capable of engaging with one of the notches. The first strut is capable of transmitting torque between the first and second coupling members only in a first direction, and the second strut is capable of transmitting torque between the first and second coupling members only in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction. The power coupling device further comprises first and second retainer plates arranged between the first and second coupling members capable of moving in a plane perpendicular to the common axis, for example, of rotating about the common axis, and independently from each other. The first retainer plate has a first hole which the first or second strut can pass through. The second retainer plates has a second hole which the first or second strut can pass through when the second hole is aligned with the first hole and the first or second strut. By moving the first and second retainer plates, this power coupling device can achieve the neutral state and the bidirectional lock state in addition to forward and reverse lock states.
US07721858B2 Clutch actuator, engine unit, and saddle type vehicle
A clutch actuator comprises a motor having a motor shaft. A worm shaft is formed with a threaded section. A worm wheel meshes with the threaded section of the worm shaft. An output rod reciprocates in an axial direction to disengage and engage a clutch. A crank shaft converts rotational motion of the worm wheel to reciprocating motion of the output rod. The motor shaft and the worm shaft are coupled by a spline connection.
US07721850B2 Permanently-installed wheel chair lift with height control
A height control mechanism for a lift device includes an elongated rail and an actuator slidingly mounted thereto. The actuator is biased toward a first end of the rail, and a proximity sensor is mounted proximate the second end of the rail. A cable pulls the actuator toward the second end of the rail as the lift device is elevated. When the proximity sensor detects the presence of the actuator, a signal is generated to halt further elevation. The position of the proximity sensor along the rail can be adjusted to set the maximum height of the lift device. A second proximity sensor, responsive to the presence of the actuator, can also be secured to the rail to generate a signal indicating that the lift device has been elevated off of the ground by a short distance.
US07721849B2 Retractable ladder
A retractable ladder for a motorhome or trailer includes pivoting mounting apparatus providing total support for a ladder and climber in an open position. The apparatus includes brackets which mount on the side of the motorhome or trailer and arms which pivot in the brackets. The brackets mount to the sides of the motorhome or trailer only and therefore do not compromise the roof of the motorhome or trailer. The ladder attaches to the ends of the arms. The brackets include flanges which the arms rest against in the open position and pins for retaining the arms in the open position, thereby eliminating any need for the ladder to be supported by the ground. The pins may further be inserted through the brackets to retain the ladder in a closed position. Backing plates or the like may be provided behind the motorhome or trailer body to securely attach the brackets.
US07721847B2 Acoustic panel
An acoustic panel is provided with a plurality of grooves in a front face and at least one well in a back face. The well is defined by a first end wall and an opposing second end wall and opposing side walls extending between the end walls. The grooves and the well intersect and have a sufficient combined depth to form a plurality of holes through the panel. The grooves may extend substantially from one end edge to the opposing end edge. The well may be substantially elongate and extend from a position adjacent to, and spaced from one side edge of the panel to a position adjacent to, and spaced from the opposite side edge of the panel. The well may include a substantially flat bottom and receive an acoustic fill material that may be held in place by compression and friction.
US07721846B2 Sound absorbing material
Sound absorbing board (10) is made from recycled high density foam granulate (12) that has been mixed with a binder (14) and consolidated under pressure. Pores (16) are present in spaces between the granules. Each granule includes small pores (18). Sound is absorbed by thermal diffusion and viscous friction.
US07721844B1 Vibration damping apparatus for windows using viscoelastic damping materials
An improved vibration damping system is provided for use with window structures. The window damping system employs both air-film damping technology and viscoelastic damping materials to increase mechanical and/or acoustic vibration damping in window structures.
US07721828B2 Steering adjustment screw retainer
A retaining strip arranged to impede the rotation of a stop screw is disclosed. The retaining strip connects with the stop screw on both sides of an attachment bracket. The retaining strip is stretched over the bracket and applies a pressure to the screw that serves to maintain screw rotational position during vehicle operation. The retaining strip does not hamper the adjustment of the screw during adjustment.
US07721824B2 Multiple inserts of different geometry in a single row of a bit
A method for designing a roller cone drill bit having a plurality of cutting elements in a row. The method includes defining a pitch pattern for the plurality of cutting elements such that a first group of adjacent cutting elements are arranged in a first pitch and a second group of adjacent cutting elements are arranged in a second pitch in the row, wherein the first group of adjacent cutting elements have a different extension length than the second group of adjacent cutting elements, evaluating the pitch pattern of the plurality of cutting elements in the row, and modifying at least one of the plurality of cutting elements based on the evaluating of the pitch pattern of the plurality of cutting elements.
US07721823B2 Moveable blades and bearing pads
An expandable reamer apparatus and methods for reaming a borehole, wherein a laterally movable blade carried by a tubular body may be selectively positioned at an inward position and an expanded position. The laterally movable blade, held inwardly by blade-biasing elements, may be forced outwardly by drilling fluid selectively allowed to communicate therewith by way of an actuation sleeve disposed within the tubular body. Alternatively, a separation element may transmit force or pressure from the drilling fluid to the movable blade. Further, a chamber in communication with the movable blade may be pressurized by way of a downhole turbine or pump. A ridged seal wiper, compensator, movable bearing pad, fixed bearing pad preceding the movable blade, or adjustable spacer element to alter expanded blade position may be included within the expandable reamer. In addition, a drilling fluid pressure response indicating an operational characteristic of the expandable reamer may be generated.
US07721822B2 Control systems and methods for real-time downhole pressure management (ECD control)
Methods and control systems are provided for a wellbore drilling system having an active differential pressure device (APD device) in fluid communication with a returning fluid. The APD Device creates a differential pressure across the device, which reduces the pressure below or downhole of the device. In embodiments, a control unit controls the APD Device in real time via a data transmission system. In one arrangement, the data transmission system includes data links formed by conductors associated with the drill string. The conductors, which may include electrical wires and/or fiber optic bundles, couple the control unit to the APD Device and other downhole tools such as sensors. In other arrangements, the data link can include data transmission stations that use acoustic, EM, and/or RF signals to transfer data. In still other embodiments, a mud pulse telemetry system can be used in transfer data and command signals.
US07721817B2 Fastener driving device with adjustable shoe
A fastener driving device includes a housing containing an engine for driving a fastener through a flooring board and into a sub-floor, a nosepiece through which fasteners are driven, a magazine for supplying a plurality of fasteners for the engine to drive, and a shoe mounted for movement relative to the nosepiece. The shoe locates the engine relative to the flooring board so that the fastener is driven into the flooring board at an angle. The shoe includes a bottom workpiece engaging surface for engaging a top surface of the flooring board, and the nosepiece includes a forward workpiece engaging surface for engaging a front surface of the flooring board. The forward surface extends a distance below the bottom surface. One of the bottom surface and the forward surface is movable with respect to the other to adjust the distance that the forward surface extends below the bottom surface.
US07721814B2 Method and apparatus for harvesting and picking up sod
A sod harvester cuts several side-by-side strips of sod, preferably of total width equal to the width of a pallet, and directs the strips up three sets of conveyors arranged in sequence. The first conveyor set runs at or near ground speed; the second conveyor set runs at about double ground speed, and the third conveyor set runs at about triple ground speed. This creates a spatial and time gap between the trailing edges of a set of sod strips on the third conveyor and the leading edges of the next set of sod strips behind them on the second conveyor. The time gap is sufficient to stop the sod strips on the third conveyor and then pick them up and stack them on a pallet.
US07721808B2 Hybrid wellhead system and method of use
A hybrid wellhead system is assembled using a plurality of threaded unions, such as spanner nuts or hammer unions, for securing respective tubular heads and a flanged connection for securing a flow control stack to a top of a tubing head spool. The tubing head spool is secured by a threaded union to an intermediate head spool. The intermediate head spool is secured by another threaded union to a wellhead. Each tubular head secures and suspends a tubular string in the well bore. The hybrid wellhead system is capable of withstanding higher fluid pressures than a conventional independent screwed wellhead, while providing a more economical alternative to a flanged, or ranged, wellhead system because it is less expensive to construct and faster to assemble.
US07721806B2 Automatic chemical treatment system with integral flush fluid dispenser and method for using the same
A wellbore chemical treating system includes a pressure vessel for containing a treating chemical. The pressure vessel is closed to atmospheric pressure. A first controllably operated valve is disposed in fluid communication between an outlet of the pressure vessel and a well for selectively controlling the flow of the chemical from the pressure vessel to the well. A pressurized gas is disposed in the pressure vessel wherein the pressure exerted by the pressurized gas causes the chemical to flow from the pressure vessel to the well through the first valve when the first valve is opened. A second controllably operated valve is disposed in fluid communication between the well and an outlet of a fluid tank for selectively controlling flow of fluid in the tank to the well. The fluid tank is replenished by fluid produced from the well. The system includes a controller for selectively operating the first valve and the second valve.
US07721804B2 Proppants for gel clean-up
Methods of incorporating a chemical breaker onto a proppant that will permit release of the breaker after the proppant has been placed in a hydraulic fracture are provided. The methods utilize a chemical breaker coated on the surface of a non-porous proppant grain or placed in the pore space of a porous proppant grain and secondarily coated with an outer layer which can be tailored to delay the release of the breaker.
US07721802B2 Fluid level sensing device and methods of using same
A sensor used to determine the height of one or more fluids in a fluid column and to determine a location of an interface or boundary between a plurality of fluids in a fluid column is disclosed. The sensor includes a plurality of sensing elements comprising a capacitor and other components, such as resistors and inductors. The sensor also includes an oscillator that alters a frequency of an electrical current applied to the sensor, from which the dielectric constant of the fluid in which each sensing element is disposed can be determined. Methods of using such a sensor to determine the relative heights of various fluids in a fluid column are disclosed. In particular, methods of using embodiments of the invention in a well, such as water and petroleum wells, are described.
US07721784B2 Article of jewelry and method of manufacture
A method and system for creating an article of jewelry that contains an anatomical image using a digital image of an anatomical body part such as a fingerprint, handprint, footprint, or the like to create a computer numeric controlled (CNC) software program that drives a machine for producing a wax model of the anatomical image. The wax model is used in a lost wax casting process to create a casting that is used in an article of jewelry. The present invention further provides an article of jewelry containing a novel bail assembly for attaching the article of jewelry to a chain or the like in an aesthetically pleasing manner that hides the attachment hole of the casting.
US07721778B2 Convertible laptop bag
The present invention relates to a convertible bag for carrying a laptop that can be converted from a tote configuration to a skin or sleeve configuration and back again. The convertible bag includes a body that is shaped and configured to receive a laptop computer; a pair of handles connected to the body, each handle defining an aperture that is sized to receive a hand or a portion thereof; and at least three fasteners, one fastener attached to each handle and one fastener attached to the body, whereby two or more of the at least three fasteners are positioned to engage one another when the pair of handles are in a first position that exposes the apertures and when the pair of handles are in a second position folded against the body.
US07721775B2 Cap-free-filler pipe for the tank of a motor vehicle
A cap-free filler neck for a motor vehicle tank comprises a tubular part, which is connected to the tank, and an insert, which insert comprises a funnel part with a throat and a partition part adjoining the throat at the bottom. The upper edge zone of the funnel part and the partition part adjoin the tubular part in a sealing manner. The partition part has a throughflow opening which is closed in a sealing manner by a flap, which can be locked in a closed position, and can be pivoted into an open position counter to the force of a spring by a fuel nozzle. So that, despite the tight closure, rainwater which has penetrated can flow away, the space delimited by the tubular part, the funnel part and the partition part can be brought into connection with the environment via an opening in the tubular part, which opening can be closed by a valve, which is accommodated in said space, by the introduction of the fuel nozzle.
US07721773B2 Method and device for the production and bottling of liquids enriched with oxygen
The invention relates to a method and a device for the preparation and bottling of liquids enriched with oxygen or with an oxygen/gas mixture. The method includes filling one or more containers with a gas enriched liquid; and sealing the containers pressure-tight, whereby the gas enriched liquid is kept under a nitrogen atmosphere at least part of the time during the bottling process. The process includes a filling device having one or more filling elements including a liquid valve, at least one gas valve, and a nitrogen-filled chamber; a flow connection for flushing and/or prepressurizing a container with nitrogen; and a sealing device configured to seal the containers pressure-tight using a closure. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.
US07721769B2 Paper machine fabric with trapezoidal shaped filaments
A fabric for use on a paper machine includes a plurality of filaments woven together. At least a portion of the filaments have a generally flat machine side base, a generally flat web side face, and a pair of generally flat side walls extending between the base and the face. The portion of the filaments having a generally trapezoidal shaped cross section is defined by the base, the face and the pair of side walls.
US07721767B2 Method of determining the helix angle of a helical formation for a conduit
A Method of Determining the Helix Angle of a Helical Formation for a Conduit. A method of determining the helix angle of a helical formation (4) within a conduit (1). The method includes specifying the internal dimensions of the conduit (1) and an intended fluid mass flow through the conduit (1). The helix angle is determined from the pressure drop and the turbulent kinetic energy for a conduit (1) having the specified internal dimensions and intended fluid mass flow.
US07721762B2 Fast acting valve apparatuses
Embodiments of valve apparatuses are described.
US07721761B2 Diverter integrated into a side sprayer
A diverter assembly configured to be connected to a faucet assembly that may be installed on a sink. The diverter assembly includes a diverter and a mechanism for dispensing fluid, such as a sprayer. The diverter assembly may be connected to a tube connected to an outlet of the faucet. The diverter assembly may redirect flow from the outlet of the faucet to the sprayer upon activation of the sprayer.
US07721759B2 Valve having a protective cage
A valve for a liner bag includes a valve seat having an opening extending therethrough to be aligned with an opening in the liner bag, and a flange extends outwardly from the valve seat and is to be placed inside the liner bag so that the valve seat projects outside the liner bag. A valve member is within the opening of the valve seat for controlling egress of liquids or flowable solids from the liner bag. An operating lever is outside the liner bag for operating the valve member. A fixed protective cage is coupled to the flange for protecting the opening of the valve seat from inside the liner bag when the liner bag collapses.
US07721756B2 One-piece spring and poppet incorporated into a valve seat assembly and associated method for manufacturing a one-piece spring and poppet
A combined spring and poppet assembly incorporated into a valve housing which communicates with a fluid inlet and outlet. The integral assembly includes an elongated and three dimensional shaped, resilient body positioned in linearly displaceable fashion within the valve housing, and along a path established between the fluid inlet and outlet. The body includes a forward-most disposed poppet which seats against the fluid inlet in a normally flow disrupting fashion. The body further includes an integrally formed spring biasing portion. Upon a pressure in the fluid inlet exceeding a predetermined value, the poppet being caused to unseat from the inlet and to displace linearly against the spring portion, concurrent with fluid flow being established across the outlet.
US07721747B2 Covered play apparatus
A cover assembly for a play area, such as a sandbox, comprises a frame disposed over the play area and a covering material attached to the frame. The frame is constructed so as to be convertible between a first configuration in which children can enter and play in a fully enclosed play area and a second configuration in which the play area is shaded, but open to the outside.
US07721746B2 Moisture diversion system for a collapsible structure
A moisture diversion system is provided for a collapsible structure including a collapsible frame assembly and an outer structure coupled to the collapsible frame assembly. The moisture diversion system includes a guide strip coupled at each of a first edge and an opposing second edge to the outer structure. The guide strip defines a channel between the first edge and the second edge for facilitating diverting moisture from the outer structure.
US07721745B2 Method and cleaning device for cleaning a spraying device
To clean an atomizer used for automatic series-production coating of work pieces in a cleaning device provided for this purpose, the outer housing of the atomizer is sprayed by nozzles of the cleaning device, while simultaneously painting and rinsing agents sprayed by the spray head of the atomizer in a short rinsing process are captured and discharged through a pipe section in the interior of the cleaning device. In electrostatic atomizers, voltage equalization between the atomizer and the cleaning device is performed beforehand. Through additional measures, the atomizer can be moved by the handling machine provided for this purpose only from one proper direction towards the cleaning device.
US07721740B2 Devices, systems, and methods using magnetic force systems in or on tissue
Systems and methods include magnetic structures for placement in or on tissues in an airway. The magnetic structures carry sources of magnetism, which generate magnetic fields having directions. The magnetic fields interact to provide magnetic forces that provide a desired therapeutic effect, e.g., maintaining separation between the soft palate and/or tongue and the posterior pharyngeal wall. The systems and methods size and configure the directions of the magnetic fields to provide stability, which makes possible the achievement of the desired therapeutic effect in a straightforward and elegant manner.
US07721739B2 Apparatus and method for preventing fluid transfer between an oviduct and a uterine cavity
Apparatus for preventing fluid transfer through an opening connecting an oviduct to a uterine cavity includes a body having a base with a periphery and a seal carried by the body for overlying and engaging uterine tissue leading to the opening. The seal receives fibroblast in-growth to create a hermetic seal between the oviduct and the uterine cavity. A peripheral anchor portion extends from the base for securing the body to the uterine tissue leading to the opening, the base overlying the opening.
US07721735B2 Portable gas powered positive pressure breathing apparatus and method
A portable positive pressure breathing apparatus includes a demand valve with a supply inlet port adapted to be connected to a pressurized source of oxygen and an outlet port adapted to be connected to the inlet of a patient's breathing appliance. The demand valve further includes a reference chamber and a valve assembly responsive to the reference chamber/appliance inlet pressure differential for connecting/disconnecting the inlet port to and from the outlet port. At least one manually adjustable back pressure regulator is connected to the pressure source and the reference chamber for setting the pressure in the reference chamber (and inlet to the breathing appliance) at a selected level above atmospheric pressure.
US07721713B2 Electromagnetic fuel injector and method for assembling the same
An electromagnetic fuel injection valve comprising: a metallic cylindrical-shaped vessel provided at a tip end thereof with a fuel injection port, the other end thereof being closed by a stationary core provided centrally thereof with a through-hole; a movable member arranged between the stationary core and the fuel injection port and provided at a tip end thereof with a valve element, which opens and closes the fuel injection port, a maximum outside diameter of the movable member being smaller than a minimum inside diameter of the through-hole; and an electromagnetic drive mechanism that reciprocates the movable member.
US07721707B2 Abnormality determination apparatus and abnormality determination method for valve
An engine ECU executes a program including the step of controlling a driver motor which operates a TCV (tumble control valve) such that the TCV in the full-open state closes to a predetermined opening position (S106), the step of detecting the electric current value of the driver motor (S108), and the step of determining that the TCV is abnormal (S112) in a case where the electric current value of the driver motor is smaller than a determination value S (I) (YES in S110).
US07721706B2 Magnesium throttle body and method of manufacturing the same
A magnesium-based throttle body is disclosed. The throttle body is manufactured by using a mold for manufacture of a throttle body. The throttle body includes a cooling water tube fixing portion into which a cooling water tube is press-inserted, the cooling water tube fixing portion being formed integrally with the throttle body.
US07721701B2 Rotary scissors action machine
A rotary machine is provided having rotating forward and rearward work members having cyclic non-constant angle motion there between, the machine includes a rotating shaft and a first gear eccentrically mounted with the rotating shaft. A reaction gear in mesh with the first gear causes the first gear to rotate with respect to the rotating shaft. First and second connecting rods are pivotally connected with the first gear. First and second crank arms are pivotally connected with the respective first and second connecting rods. First and second coaxial shafts are connected with the respective first and second first crank arms. The first shaft is connected with at least one forward work member. The second shaft is connected with at least one rearward work member.
US07721699B2 Calibrated air intake tract having air infusion insert
A Calibrated Air Intake Tract for Internal Combustion Engine is disclosed. The intake includes a Mass Airflow Sensor section that defines an inner diameter that differs from the diameter of the overall intake air tract piping. The Mass Airflow Sensor length and diameter are precision-tuned in order to provide the best engine performance without the typical “check engine” light being lit due to faulty mass airflow sensor readings. In those vehicles where necessary, an insert of the appropriate size and in the proper location is added to the interior wall of the MAFS section in order to correct final fuel trim level inadequacies.
US07721698B2 Starter of small engine
Energy is stored in the horse power spring to surely start the engine. The stopper having the engaging engageable with the end behind the rotation direction of the cam plate depressed area is arranged at near the cam plate which is integrally formed with pulley fixed to the engine crank shaft and has the depressed area o the disk rim, and the urging means supporting the stopper in a movable manner to the engaging position where the engaging engages with the depressed area and toe the avoidance position for avoiding the rim of cam plate, and normally urging to move the stopper to the avoidance position, on the other hand, enabling the stopper to move to the engaging position from the outside, and urging not to move the stopper to the avoidance position until a sufficient rotation load is added to the cam plate at the engaging position is provided.
US07721695B2 Connection element for the secure fixing of a lever-type cam follower
Connecting element (10) retains cam follower (2), which actuates gas-exchange valve (4) of an internal combustion engine, on support element (6). Support element (6) has spherical end (7) on cylindrical section (22) and on which cam follower (2) is mounted, so as to be pivotably movable in the direction of gas-exchange valve (4) about center of rotation (9). Connecting element (10) has elastically deformable projections (21), which proceed from central webs (19), parallel to the pivot axis of cam follower (2) such that connecting element (10) is connected to cylindrical section (22) in a frictionally-engaging manner. Projections (21) are embodied as lugs (20) which angle away from central webs (19) and extend in a direction pointing away from cam follower (2), so that projections (21) are elastic in shape.
US07721693B2 Method for adjusting the rotational angle position of the camshaft of a reciprocating internal combustion engine in relation to the crankshaft
A method for adjusting the rotational angle position of the camshaft (3) of a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine relative to the crankshaft (5) is provided. The crankshaft (5) is drivingly connected to the camshaft (3) via an adjusting drive (1), which is embodied as a triple-shaft gear mechanism, having a crankshaft-fixed drive shaft, a camshaft-fixed output shaft, and an adjustment shaft drivingly connected to an electric motor (4). A stop element is connected to the drive shaft and a counter-stop element is connected to the camshaft (3). The crankshaft rotational angle measuring signal and a position signal for the rotational angle of the adjusting shaft are detected during the starting step of the internal combustion engine. A phase angle signal for the position of the rotational angle of the camshaft (3), based on the initial position, in relation to the camshaft (3) is determined with the aid of the angle measuring signal, the position measuring signal and a gear variable of the triple shaft gear. After immobilization of the crankshaft (5) and the camshaft (3) in a reference position in relation to each other and after detection of the reference position, the phase angle in relation to the reference position is measured and is controlled to a target value signal.
US07721690B2 Valve actuation mechanism
A valve actuation mechanism are disclosed, which is capable of controlling the lift of valves of an engine by more than three on/off combinations. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the valve actuation mechanism is designed to control the opening and closing of engine valves by the use of an uncomplicated structure with minimum solenoid valves and hydraulic lines. By the valve actuation mechanism of the invention, not only the design of hydraulic line as well as that of space mechanism of an engine can be greatly simplified, but also the opening and closing of valves of an engine can be controlled thereby for enabling the engine to provide different valve lifts and thus satisfying different engine requirements, such as output power increasing, combustion efficiency improving, or cylinder deactivation.
US07721689B2 System and method for controlling fluid flow to or from a cylinder of an internal combustion engine
A system for controlling fluid flow to or from at least one cylinder of an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The system includes a rotary valve. A cylinder head having a valve chamber accommodates the rotary valve. The rotary valve is arranged to selectively open or close a flow opening in the cylinder head. A drive motor is coupled to the rotary valve to impart rotation thereto.
US07721688B2 Variable compression ratio internal combustion engine
An internal combustion engine includes a variable compression ratio mechanism made up of a case-side bearing-forming portion, a block-side bearing-forming portion, and a shaft-shaped drive portion. The case-side bearing-forming portion is formed in an upper portion of a crankcase. The block-side bearing-forming portion extends outward from a lower end portion of an outer wall surface of the cylinder block. The block-side bearing-forming portion is linked to the case-side bearing-forming portion by the shaft-shaped drive portion. Slit-shaped stress reduction groove portions each having an opening in a region between the block-side bearing-forming portion and cylinder bores are formed in a lower surface of the cylinder block. Therefore, even when the block-side bearing-forming portion presses the outer wall surface, the stress reduction groove portions reduce the stress, so that the deformation of the wall surface of each cylinder bore can be restrained.
US07721682B2 System for producing a hydrogen enriched fuel
A system for producing, dispensing, using and monitoring a hydrogen enriched fuel includes a producing system configured to produce the hydrogen enriched fuel, a vehicle having an engine configured to use the hydrogen enriched fuel, and a dispensing system configured to store and dispense the hydrogen enriched fuel into the vehicle. The system also includes a fuel delivery system on the vehicle configured to deliver the hydrogen enriched fuel to the engine, and a control system configured to control the producing system and to monitor the use of the hydrogen enriched fuel by the vehicle. A method includes the steps of producing hydrogen gas and a hydrocarbon fuel, blending the hydrogen gas and the hydrocarbon fuel into the hydrogen enriched fuel, using the hydrogen enriched fuel in the engine, and tracking emissions during the producing step and during the using step.
US07721675B2 Method for providing information on the occupancy of milking stations of a milking system
The aim of the invention is to provide a method and a device for associating animals with milking stations. For this purpose, the animals are detected by sensors and subjected to identification processes, thereby providing information units for an individual animal. The detection by sensors and the identification processes are tuned with each other in such a manner that the respective sensorically detected data are associated with the data obtained by the identification processes. The latter represent animal-related information units that are made available at milking stations. The sensory detection can for example be carried out by photoelectric sensors.
US07721673B2 Hollow cathode discharging apparatus
The present invention provides a hollow cathode discharging apparatus including a hollow anode electrode, a hollow cathode electrode insulatedly fixed in the hollow anode electrode, a gas distribution pipe fixed in the hollow cathode electrode. The hollow anode electrode and the hollow cathode electrode are formed with anode openings and cathode openings respectively. Defined by the gas distribution pipe and the hollow cathode electrode and along the axis thereof is a spiral pathway winding through the cathode openings, so as to form a plurality of continuous and communicated reaction chambers. The gas distribution pipe is disposed with gas separation apertures communicated and adapted to introduce a reactive gas into the reaction chambers. The communicated reaction chambers enable uniform distribution of the reactive gas and thereby facilitate scale-up of the apparatus in axial. Accordingly, the present invention overcomes drawbacks of the prior art.
US07721672B2 Electrically illuminating indicator needle and light guiding member
An electrically illuminating indicator needle and a light guiding member therefor that allow such a control as length of the needle can be varied while undergoing less unevenness in luminance and can be manufactured at a lower cost are provided.The electrically illuminating indicator needle comprises a plurality of planes of incidence, a plurality of light reflecting surfaces disposed to correspond to the planes of incidence so as to reflect light coming from the planes of incidence, a light guiding member disposed to correspond to the light reflecting surfaces so as to cause the light reflected on the light reflecting surfaces to emerge, and a plurality of light emitting diodes disposed to oppose the planes of incidence.
US07721670B2 Kayak having deck fairing
An improved kayak provides a rigid open cockpit hull with air chambers attached to the hull. The air chambers provide a generally convex shape for increased maneuverability and also provide cushioning against impact to reduce the risk of injury to the kayak pilot. The air chambers allow for an open cockpit kayak with an exterior surface having a similar shape as a conventional closed cockpit kayak, providing a similar level of maneuverability and allowing for completion of maneuvers such as rolling the kayak from an inverted position in the water.
US07721658B2 Computer workstation with movable monitor support
A computer workstation includes a worksurface horizontally moveable from a first worksurface position to a second worksurface position. At least a portion of the worksurface rotates about a horizontal axis as the worksurface is moved from the first worksurface position to the second worksurface position. A monitor support is moveable horizontally and vertically and moveably coupled to the worksurface. The worksurface or the monitor support is moveable in response to a movement of the other of the worksurface and the monitor support.
US07721649B2 Injection molded shaped charge liner
A shaped charge liner formed by injection molding, where the liner comprises a powdered metal mixture of a first and second metal. The mixture includes about 50% to about 99% by weight percent of the first metal, about 1% to about 50% by weight percent of a second metal, about 1% to about 50% by weight percent of a third metal. In one embodiment, the first metal comprises tungsten, the second metal may comprise nickel, and the third metal may comprise copper.
US07721646B2 Offset printing groups of a printing press for newspaper printing and a web-fed rotary printing press
An offset printing group is part of a printing machine which is used for printing newspapers. The offset printing group includes a printing cylinder and a transfer cylinder. The length of the transfer cylinder corresponds to at least six widths of newspaper pages. Two blankets are arranged adjacent each other on the peripheral surface of the transfer cylinder. A width of each of these blankets in the axial direction of the transfer cylinder corresponds to three widths of newspaper pages.
US07721641B2 Air compression apparatus and method of use
An air compression apparatus has a frame, a tank, and a motor. A drive mechanism is operably connected to the motor and at least one piston assembly is operably connected to the drive mechanism and configured to move within a respective cylinder mounted to the frame. The piston assembly includes: (1) a piston body; (2) a piston rod having a hollow bore connected at one end to the drive mechanism and at an opposite end to the piston body; and (3) a piston valve installed on the piston body. In use, upward travel of the piston body as caused by the drive mechanism acting through the piston rod opens the piston valve and allows ambient air to be drawn through the hollow bore into the cylinder, and downward travel of the piston body closes the piston valve so as to compress the air within the cylinder.
US07721630B2 Automatic sizing one-handed locking pliers
An automatically adjustable locking pliers or tool includes a jaw fixed to a first handle and a jaw that pivots about the first handle. The pivoting jaw is connected to a lower tightening handle. A lever connects the tightening handle and first handle. A self-adjusting sizing and locking mechanism includes a thumb jaw sizing piece located near the jaws and movable to open the jaws so that they can be sized around a workpiece. When the thumb jaw sizing piece is released, the jaws automatically size and clamp lightly around the workpiece. The locking mechanism uses balls between a locking rod and a tapered surface. Locking occurs when the balls wedge between the rod and the tapered surface. A release cylinder is connected to a release paddle movable to unlock the mechanism. The sizing piece and locking mechanism are operable to automatically size and lock the pliers or tool.
US07721629B2 Adjustable ratchet
A wrench is configured to engage a fastener for rotation. In one embodiment, the wrench comprises a base, a pair of jaws, a pair of threaded shafts, an adjusting ring, and/or a sleeve. The position of the pair of jaws along the base may be adjustable to accommodate fasteners of different sizes.
US07721626B2 Fuse puller
A fuse puller is provided with a base component, and extracts a first fuse that is fitted in a first housing portion of a fuse box. The base component includes a first holding portion that is provided on one side of the base component and holds the first fuse inside the first housing portion, a gripping portion that is provided on the other side of the base component, and a second holding portion that holds a second fuse.
US07721625B2 Harmonic gear drive
A harmonic gear drive includes: a rigid spline; a flexspline including an attachment portion, teeth, and a thin-walled flexible portion provided between the attachment portion and the teeth; and a member attached to the thin-walled flexible portion. The member is made of a material whose elastic modulus is lower than that of the flexspline.
US07721613B2 Method of mounting a retaining ring on an electric starter shaft comprising a starter drive assembly and corresponding starter
The invention relates to a method of mounting a retaining ring (21) on a rotating electric armature shaft. The inventive method consists in first mounting the retaining ring (21) on an axial shaft segment (27) which is located in an accessible mounting area between the groove (23) and the splines (15) of the starter drive assembly (10) and, subsequently, moving the starter drive assembly (10) axially towards the rest position such as to move the retaining ring (21) along the aforementioned shaft segment (27) as far as the positioning groove (23) comprising a service area with no radial access.
US07721595B2 Apparatus and method to monitor slurries for waste re-injection
A method to inject a slurry into a subterranean formation includes measuring characteristic data from a well in communication with the subterranean formation, estimating downhole properties of the slurry using the measured characteristic data, measuring surface properties of the slurry with a measurement apparatus, determining optimal surface properties for the slurry from the estimated downhole properties, comparing the measured surface properties with the determined optimal surface properties, modifying the slurry until the measured surface properties are within tolerance values of the determined optimal surface properties, and injecting the modified slurry into the subterranean formation through the well.
US07721591B2 Abnormality diagnosis apparatus for internal combustion engine
A cylinder deviation of an actual air-fuel ratio before an air-fuel-ratio dither control is obtained based on a variation of an actual air-fuel ratio by the dither control, a variation amount of detected air-fuel ratio, and a cylinder deviation of detected air-fuel ratio before the dither control. A cylinder deviation of actual air-fuel ratio of each cylinder is accurately estimated. When the number of times in which the cylinder deviation of air-fuel ratio exceeds a decision value is greater than a predetermined number, it is determined that an abnormality occurs in the cylinder.
US07721590B2 Resonator sensor assembly
An improved method and assembly, wherein the method generally includes the steps of providing a coated or uncoated sensor element having an exposed sensing surface; attaching the sensor element to a platform so that the exposed sensing surface is spaced from the platform; and optionally applying a protective layer over the platform while maintaining the sensing surface as exposed. The assembly includes a resonator having a free portion with a sensing surface is incorporated onto a platform, components of the sensor are physically shielded from harsh operating conditions, the requisite space is maintained between the free portion of the resonator and the platform, and the sensing surface of the resonator remains exposed for sensing.
US07721582B2 Bending machine for rod-shaped workpieces made from wire, tubular material or the like
In a bending machine for bending rod-shaped workpieces made from wire, tubular material or the like, a machine frame is provided with at least one bending station including two bending units. Each of said bending units includes a bending head with a bending head housing and a bending tool, an auxiliary gripper arranged on the bending head housing so as to be pivotable perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the machine frame, and a gripping unit, which is spaced apart from the bending head as viewed along the longitudinal axis of the frame, pivotable perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the machine frame and displaceable on a guide in the direction of said axis. The two bending heads of each bending station are arranged next to each other with their auxiliary grippers facing each other and are positioned between the two gripping units such that each bending head- viewed in the direction of the frame's longitudinal axis—is mounted between the other bending head and the gripping unit associated with the other bending head.
US07721574B2 Yarn-recovering device for textile machines
A yarn recovering device for textile machines, arranged upstream of a textile machine for temporarily recovering a length of yarn previously fed to the machine, and for returning it subsequently. A motorized reel has a substantially axial inlet port and an outlet port on its lateral surface, with a passage for the yarn between the ports. The reel is operatable to rotate from a resting configuration, in which it is kept still, to an active, yarn-recovering configuration, in which it is driven in one direction for winding the yarn on itself and recovering it from the machine, to a subsequent active, yarn-unwinding configuration, in which it is driven in the opposite direction for unwinding the yarn from itself and returning it to the machine. A position sensor measures the position of the reel and sends a corresponding measured position signal to a position control loop which compares the measured position signal with a reference position signal corresponding to a desired position for the motorized reel, and drives the reel in such a way as to minimize the difference between the measured position and the desired position.
US07721563B2 Apparatus for and method of calculating torque of variable capacity compressor
An apparatus for calculating torque of a variable capacity compressor, including: a sensor configured to detect internal and external states of an air conditioner; an OFF-torque calculator configured to calculate and store a steady-state torque according to a state detected by the sensor just before a clutch is turned off; a start torque calculator configured to calculate a start torque according to a state detected by the sensor after the clutch is turned on; a steady-state full-stroke calculator configured to calculate a steady-state full-stroke torque based on an assumption that the compressor was in a full-stroke-state according to a state detected by the sensor after the clutch is turned on; and a determiner configured to provide, when an elapsed time after the clutch is turned on is less than a predetermined time, a maximum one of the torque values calculated by the OFF-torque calculator, start torque calculator, and steady-state full-stroke calculator.
US07721562B2 Refrigerant system with multi-speed scroll compressor and economizer circuit
A scroll compressor is provided with a multiple-speed motor. A control selects a speed for operating the motor, along with selecting between several available options for the system capacity adjustment to meet external load demands in a most efficient and reliable manner. The disclosed embodiment includes an economizer circuit, an unloader function, and an optional suction modulation valve. By utilizing each of these features in combination with the multi-speed motor for the compressor, the present invention is better able to tailor provided capacity to desired capacity.
US07721549B2 Fan variable area nozzle for a gas turbine engine fan nacelle with cam drive ring actuation system
A fan variable area nozzle (FVAN) includes a flap assembly which varies a fan nozzle exit area through a cam drive ring. The flap assembly generally includes a multiple of flaps, flap linkages and an actuator system. The actuator system rotationally translates the cam drive ring relative an engine centerline axis which results in a follower of the flap linkage following a cam surface to pivot each flap such that the flap assembly dilates about the circumferential hinge line. Rotation of the cam drive ring adjusts dilation of the entire fan nozzle exit area in a symmetrical manner. Another cam drive ring includes a multiple of movable cams which engages the follower of the flap linkage of each flap such that pivotable movement of a particular number of the multiple of movable cams about a respective cam pivot results in vectoring of the FVAN.
US07721548B2 Combustor liner and heat shield assembly
A combustor heat shield has a body defining a fuel nozzle hole. The back face of the body is mounted adjacent and spaced-apart from a combustor dome. A ridge extends around the nozzle opening to a height adapted to substantially contact the combustor dome. The ridge thereby defines a cooling compartment between the body and the combustor dome. A plurality of slots is provided through the ridge. The slots are closed by the combustor dome to provide cooling holes when the heat shield is mounted on the combustor. The cooling holes direct pressurized cooling air from the compartment to adjacent regions of the back face of the heat shield body.
US07721543B2 System and method for cooling a combustion gas charge
The present invention relates to a system and method for cooling a combustion gas charge prior. The combustion gas charge may include compressed intake air, exhaust gas, or a mixture thereof. An evaporator is provided that may then receive a relatively high temperature combustion gas charge and discharge at a relatively lower temperature. The evaporator may be configured to operate with refrigeration cycle components and/or to receive a fluid below atmospheric pressure as the phase-change cooling medium.
US07721540B2 Engine system routing crankcase gases into exhaust
An engine system is disclosed. The engine system has an engine block having at least one combustion chamber and at least partially defining a crankcase. The engine system also has an inlet conduit connecting a compressor of a turbocharger with the at least one combustion chamber. The engine system further has an exhaust conduit connecting a turbine of the turbocharger with the combustion chamber and a ventilation conduit connecting the crankcase with the exhaust conduit. The engine system also has a controller in communication with the turbocharger, the controller being configured to adjust the geometry of the turbocharger to maintain a pressure of the crankcase lower than a pressure of the inlet conduit.
US07721530B2 Crankcase ventilation system
A system for venting crankcase emissions from an engine is disclosed generally comprising a crankcase emissions conduit that communicates blow-by gases from the crankcase into the exhaust flow of an exhaust conduit, which includes a venturi, via an inlet located upstream of the minimum inner diameter of the venturi in order to pump the crankcase emissions therethrough. In certain embodiments, the gases are then directed to a filter assembly, which may include a particulate filter and may include a catalyst for facilitating redox of harmful substances to create harmless compounds prior to venting them or recirculating them in the system. In certain advantageous embodiments, an auxiliary oxygen supply is provided to facilitate these burning processes.
US07721529B2 Exhaust system providing in situ sensor calibration
An exhaust system for a combustion source is disclosed. The exhaust system may have a passageway connected to receive an exhaust flow from the combustion source, and a sensor disposed within the passageway. The sensor may generate a signal indicative of the concentration of a constituent in the exhaust flow. The exhaust system may also have a controller in communication with the sensor to receive the signal. The controller may be configured to selectively communicate a flow of calibration gas with the sensor during operation of the combustion source, and compare the signal received during the selective communication with a reference value. The controller may be further configured to adjust the sensor output in response to the comparison.
US07721526B2 Turbofan engine
A turbofan engine has a fan on a front side thereof and a turbine driving the fan. The turbofan engine includes a disk rotationally driven by the turbine, a spinner detachably mounted at a front side of the disk, a spiral blade integrally mounted on a surface of the spinner, and a rear moving blade detachably mounted on an outer circumferential surface of the disk. The spiral blade and the rear moving blade form a first-stage moving blade of the fan.
US07721521B2 Methods and apparatus for a combustion turbine fuel recirculation system and nitrogen purge system
A method of operating a fuel system is provided. The method includes removing fuel from at least a portion of the fuel system using a gravity drain process. The method also includes channeling nitrogen into at least a portion of the fuel system to facilitate removing air and residual fuel from at least a portion of the fuel system, thereby mitigating a formation of carbonaceous precipitate particulates. The method further includes removing air and nitrogen from at least a portion of the fuel system during a fuel refilling process using a venting process such that at least a portion of the fuel system is substantially refilled with fuel and substantially evacuated of air and nitrogen. The method also includes removing air from at least a portion of the refilled fuel system using a venting process. The method further includes recirculating fuel within at least a portion of the fuel system, thereby removing heat from at least a portion of the fuel system and facilitating a transfer of operating fuel modes.
US07721518B2 Yarns for cut-resistant webbing and other products
Improved yarns the properties of which can be altered by heat treatment for various products are disclosed, as well as product made therewith and processes thereof. The yarns of the invention comprise a multifilamentary core of a comparatively lower melting point material, such as polypropylene or polyethylene, which is wrapped in both S and Z directions (that is, both clockwise and counterclockwise) by multifilamentary strands of a higher melting point material, such as polyester. For providing cut and abrasion resistance to webbing and products made therefrom, such as cargo lifting slings and the like, on the order of 8-12 such yarns are woven into the edges of webbing material, such that they contact one another. Upon heat treatment, the material of the multifilamentary core melts to the extent that it wicks into and “wets out” the material of the multifilamentary wrappers; upon cooling, the filaments of the wrapper are disposed in a solidified matrix of the core material, forming a comparatively hard, tough material, and the adjacent yarns are bonded to one another to some degree.
US07721514B1 Equine weight training system
An equine weight training system for efficiently weight training a horse so that the horse may comfortably carry a bouncing load (e.g. individual, etc.) upon their back. The equine weight training system generally includes a saddle tree to be positioned upon a back of a horse and a harness device including a plurality of straps to loop over and attach to the saddle tree and around the horse, wherein the plurality of straps extend outwardly from the harness device. A plurality of pouches extend from the harness device, wherein a plurality of weighted objects are removably positioned within the plurality of pouches. The plurality of weighted objects are inserted and removed from the plurality of pouches to accustom a horse to weight positioned upon a back of a horse.
US07721511B2 Method and machine for banding logs of sheet material
Banding machine in which logs of sheet material are fed by a conveyor belt to a banding device that is adapted to band the logs with a banding web to form a tubular wrapper around the logs. The banding device includes a pusher operated by an actuator, which pushes the log into a channel, in which a packaging sheet is arranged, stretched in front of the log, as an obstacle. The conveyor belt and the packaging apparatus are arranged at different heights, respectively at a first and a second height (H1 and H2). A pusher is be provided, operated by a piston at the first height (H1), in addition to a pusher provided at the second height (H2), independent from each other. Further, a lifting member is provided, which receives the log from the first pusher and moves from the first height (H1) to the second height (H2).
US07721510B2 Vial capping device and vial capping method
A vial capping device includes a cap installation ring, a holding device, a movement device, and a tightening motor. The cap installation ring has an inner periphery thread to be threadedly engaged with a thread of an outer peripheral surface of a cap. The holding device holds a vial during fastening. The movement device brings a thread of the inner peripheral surface of the cap attached to the cap installation ring and an opening of the vial closer to each other. The tightening motor rotates one or both of the cap installation ring engaged with the cap and the holding device holding the vial. Thus, the vial capping device with a simple construction reliably fastens the cap to the vial.
US07721502B2 System and method for floor covering installation
Connectors for joining adjacent modular floor covering units. The connectors include a film and an adhesive layer coated on one side of the film. To install tiles using the connectors, a first tile is placed on the floor and a connector is positioned so that the adhesive layer faces upward and does not contact the floor. The connector is typically positioned so that only a portion of the adhesive layer adheres to the underside of the tile, leaving the remainder of the connector extending from the underside of the tile. Tiles are then positioned adjacent the first tile so that a portion of the connector adheres to the adjacent tiles. In this way, the connectors span adjacent tile edges. The tiles are assembled on a underlying flooring surface without the need to attach them to the floor surface. Rather, the tiles are linked to each other with the connectors, so that the tiles create a floor covering that “floats” on the underlying floor surface.
US07721501B2 Door with glass insert and method for assembling the same
A door comprising first and second door skins secured to each other to form a cavity therebetween filled with expended foam. Each of the door skins has an opening therethrough for receiving a glass insert and a flange portion. Distal ends of the flange portions of the first and second door skins engage each other in an overlapping relationship by the expansion pressure of the expanded foam. The door further comprises a glazing rim member having a leg portion snap-locked between the flange portions of the first and second door skins. The method for assembling the door comprises the steps of filling the cavity between the door skins with foam material, then inserting the glass insert through the openings in the door skins and mounting the glazing rim member to the first door skin by snap-locking between the flange portions of the first and second door skins.
US07721484B2 Rodent killing device
A rodent killing trap includes a case having front and rear sides. A plurality of electrodes are operatively coupled to the case and exposed adjacent the case front and rear sides so as to electrocute a rodent upon contact. The rodent killing trap may be connected to an electrical power source and includes a switch for selectively actuating the plurality of electrodes by electrical connection to the power source. The device may only be activated or deactivated using a tool or implement so as to be safe from use by children.
US07721479B2 Sight for a handheld weapon
A rear sight for a handheld weapon. The rear sight includes a tubular device that includes a tubular member comprising a material capable of transmitting visible light so that a target may be viewed through the tubular member, the tubular device, when mounted on a weapon, having at least two circle-like images at different locations along the length thereof that are visible when aiming the weapon on which the sight is mounted at a target by viewing the target through the tubular member. When aiming the weapon, a user will look through the tubular member towards the target and for proper alignment with respect to the target, will maneuver the weapon until the circle-like images are concentrically disposed. This constitutes a simple operation that can be quickly performed, particularly also in low light conditions.
US07721475B2 Simulated neon illuminating sign
A sign panel made of light transmitting material, has a front displaying side and a rear side, the sign panel has a background portion that is preferably a flat surface and a protruding portion that forms a sign character, wherein a lighting blocking layer attached to said background portion of the sign panel, and a highlight coating coated on said protruding portion of the rear side of the sign panel. Light can go through the protruding portion with a highlight coating. The sign panel can use without a complicated neon light tubes, and the sign panel contains no mercury versus argon based neon tubes. This is a huge win from the environmental side as there is no use for mercury inside LED signs.
US07721469B2 Shoe having retractable cleats
An improved athletic shoe for use in situations where cleats are required. The shoe is provided with a plurality of cleats coupled to the sole of the shoe. Also coupled to the sole of the shoe and provided around the cleats is a resilient material such as rubber. The cleats and rubber are sized and configured so as to allow the resilient material to compress and extend the cleats relative to the material when pressure is applied to the sole. Similarly, when weight is withdrawn from the sole, the resilient material biases the cleats into a retracted position, thereby allowing the shoe to move laterally or in any other direction relative to the ground. By allowing the shoe to move freely when weight is released, injuries otherwise associated with an athlete being struck while the cleats are engaged in the ground are substantially eliminated.
US07721460B2 Micro-cycle energy transfer systems and methods
A carrier supports property-transferring material and includes a first portion exposed to a first property and a second portion exposed to a second property. The first property is different from the second property causing the property-transferring material to develop micro-cyclic property transfer between the first and second properties. The first and second properties each include at least one of heat and mass.
US07721456B2 Measuring apparatus for the programming and welding of adjustable brackets
This invention refers to a MEASURING APPARATUS FOR THE PROGRAMMING AND WELDING OF ADJUSTABLE BRACKETS permitting the electrical spot welding with a great accuracy of the elements of an adjustable bracket, in this manner being able to adjust or to program the information that the orthodontist wants to incorporate in the bracket in regard to inclination, angulation and rotation. In order to achieve this aim I developed two attachments: THE POSITION MEASURING ACCESSORY and the WELDING ACCESSORY.THE POSITION MEASURING ACCESSORY has the function of recording or measuring accurately the dental position as for inclination, angulation and rotation on dental casts. This measurement is performed by means of a template system that allows the recording a tooth position in relation to its osseous basis and the occlusal plane.THE WELDING ACCESSORY has the innovation of allowing the accurate welding of the adjustable bracket elements (base and body), being able to adjust or program (in the three space planes) the information of inclination, angulation and rotation that the orthodontist wants to incorporate in the bracket by means of three fine graduation systems.
US07721440B2 Method for manufacturing inkjet head
A method of manufacturing an inkjet head includes laminating a first separation film on a substrate and laminating a second separation film on the first separation film. A lower structure having a pressure chamber storing ink and an ink ejecting nozzle is formed independently of the substrate. An upper structure having an actuator changing the pressure of the pressure chamber to eject ink is formed on the second separation film with a liquid or vapor phase method. Grooves are formed in the upper structure extending from an upper surface of the upper structure to an interface between the first separation film and the second separation film. A separation liquid applied to the interface at a region exposed by the grooves separates the first and second separation films to release the upper structure from the substrate. The upper structure and the lower structure are then joined together.
US07721437B2 Methods for assembling gas turbine engine combustors
A method facilitates assembling a combustor for a gas turbine engine, wherein the combustor includes a swirler assembly. The method comprises machining material to form a domeplate, positioning a sealplate including an overhanging portion against the domeplate, securing the sealplate in position relative to the domeplate with a welding process, and welding the swirler assembly to the domeplate.
US07721435B2 Method of securing a component in an engine
A method of securing a releasable component in an assembled engine by inserting a conduit through an aperture in a casing of the engine, the conduit being carried by a borescope and directing the borescope to the releasable component, and supplying an adhesive onto the releasable component through the conduit.
US07721426B2 Method of producing electrically conductive patterns on a substrate
The invention concerns a method for producing electrically conductive patterns on a non-developable surface of an insulating substrate, and the resulting device. The invention is characterized in that it consists in: coating the non-developable surface (6) uniformly with a layer of electrically conductive material (9), which is in turn coated with a layer of protective material (10), and then, using a mobile laser head, eliminating by laser ablation the portions of said protective substance layer (10) which do not cover said electrically conductive patterns, then eliminating the portions of said electrically conductive material (9) exposed by the elimination of said portions of said protective material layer (10).
US07721423B2 Method of manufacturing alloy circuit board
A method of manufacturing an alloy circuit board including an alloy circuit made of an alloy of first metal particles and second metal particles includes forming a first circuit layer, by printing ink containing first metal particles on a board; stacking a second circuit layer on the first circuit layer, by printing ink containing second metal particles on the board; and sintering the first circuit layer and the second circuit layer by heating so as to form the alloy of the first metal particles and the second metal particles.
US07721421B2 Wire setting device
A wire setting device includes a first optical detecting portion that detects a setting of the wire in a groove based on a first light beam passing across the wire insertion groove, a second optical detecting portion that detects abutting contact of the distal end of the wire with a proper point on a wire abutment surface based on a second light beam in a direction intersecting the wire, a wire clamp between, and a control portion that determines that the wire is properly positioned in the wire insertion groove based on detection signals from the first and second optical detecting portions, and controls the wire clamp.
US07721420B2 Assembler for assembling a carrier for printhead integrated circuits
Provided is an assembler for assembling a carrier for supporting printhead integrated circuits. The carrier has upper and lower parts that are operatively fastened together. The assembler includes a support structure configured to support the lower part in a pre-fastened position, and a holding mechanism arranged on the support structure for holding the upper part in a pre-fastened position. The assembler also includes a displacement mechanism arranged on the support structure for displacing the holding mechanisms to bring the parts into operative registration with each other, and a fastening apparatus for fastening the parts together.
US07721411B2 Method of manufacturing an acoustic wave device
A method of manufacturing an acoustic wave device includes: forming a conductive pattern on a wafer made of a piezoelectric substrate having an acoustic wave element, the conductive pattern including a first conductive pattern being continuously formed on a cutting region for individuating the wafer, a second conductive pattern being formed on an electrode region where a plated electrode is to be formed and being connected to the acoustic wave element and a third conductive pattern connecting the first conductive pattern and the second pattern; forming an insulating layer on the wafer so as to have an opening on the second conductive pattern; forming the plated electrode on the second conductive pattern by providing an electrical current to the second conductive pattern via the first conductive pattern and the third conductive pattern; and cutting off and individuating the wafer along the cutting region.
US07721410B2 Machine tool comprising a clamping device on both sides
The invention relates to a machine tool (1) comprising a machine tower (2) which can be displaced in a linear manner along a straight track (13), a tool head (4) which is arranged on the machine tower (2) and a tool (5) which is used to process work pieces. A first mounting device (25) is arranged on a first side of the straight track (13) and a second mounting device (26) is arranged on the other side of the straight track (13) which is opposite the first side. The tool head (4) can be positioned in such a manner that it can selectively process a first work piece in the first mounting device (25) or a second work piece in the second mounting device (26). Initially, the first work piece is mounted in the first mounting device for processing, and the tool head is positioned in such a manner that the first work piece can be processed. During processing, the second work piece is mounted in the second mounting device. When the first work piece has been processed, the tool head is positioned in such a manner that the second work piece can be processed. As a result, it is possible to arrange two long work pieces independently from each other in a processing position. The stoppage time when the work pieces are changed reduces due to the new position of the tool head and is significantly reduced in relation to the stoppage time in common tool machines.
US07721403B2 Manufacturing method for a golf club head
A golf club head includes a first portion forming a part of the head body of the golf club head, a second portion forming another part of the head body of the golf club head, and an intermediate layer. The first portion, the second portion, and the intermediate layer are made of different materials. Each of the first portion and the second portion has an abutting portion, with the intermediate layer being positioned between the abutting portion of the first portion and the abutting portion of the second portion. The intermediate layer and the abutting portion of the first portion are joined together by friction welding, and the intermediate layer and the abutting portion of the second portion are joined together by friction welding, thereby forming a golf club head product.
US07721402B2 Method of producing applicator tip
A method for producing a tip unit for a liquid applicator including: a first process of shaping the contour of a tip body in the form of a truncated conical surface; a second process of forming a ball housing having an open end at its distal end in the tip body; a third process of placing a ball into the ball housing; a fourth process of scraping the peripheral side of the distal end portion of the tip body to form a peripherally scraped portion after the first process; and a fifth process of deforming the peripherally scraped distal end portion of the tip body toward the ball.
US07721401B2 Reinforcement of irregular pressure vessels
A method of manufacturing a ram blowout preventer including analyzing a first model of a ram blowout preventer, identifying regions of high stress concentrations in the first model at a selected loading condition, constructing the ram blowout preventer, and selectively reinforcing the regions of high stress concentration corresponding to the manufactured ram blowout preventer. Other embodiments include a method to reinforce an irregular pressure vessel, including analyzing the irregular pressure vessel, identifying regions of high stress concentration in the irregular pressure vessel, and selectively reinforcing the regions of high stress concentration. Other embodiments include a ram blowout preventer having a body, a vertical bore through the body, a horizontal through the body intersecting the vertical bore, two ram assemblies disposed in the horizontal bore on opposite sides of the body, wherein the ram assemblies are adapted for controlled lateral movement to and from the vertical bore, and wherein a portion of the body is selectively reinforced.
US07721399B2 Method for replacing a telescoping cylinder in a reconfigurable chair
A chair, which has a cylinder for controlling the configuration of a chair or the seat height of a chair, is operated by a flexible cable. The flexible cable is attached to an adjustment member that is not fixedly attached to the cylinder, thereby permitting the cylinder to be replaced without replacing the adjustment member.
US07721397B2 Method for fabricating capacitive ultrasonic transducers
A capacitive ultrasonic transducer includes a flexible layer, a first conductive layer on the flexible layer, a support frame on the first conductive layer, the support frame including a flexible material, a membrane over the support frame being spaced apart from the first conductive layer by the support frame, the membrane including the flexible material, a cavity defined by the first conductive layer, the support frame and the membrane, and a second conductive layer on the membrane.
US07721390B2 Handle for hand-held power tool
A handle (2; 4) for a hand-held power tool (6) includes a support member (20; 36) for securing the handle grip element (28; 48) to the hand-held power tool (6), and a decoupling device (24; 34) for at least partially vibration-decoupling of the grip element (28; 48) from the support member (20, 36) and including at least three, spaced from each other and extending parallel to each other pin-shaped decoupling elements (30; 44) for connecting the grip element (28; 48) with the support member (20; 36) and for guiding the grip element (28; 48) relative the support member (20; 36), without a position stability of the grip element being affected.
US07721376B2 Oral care implement
An oral care implement with a handle includes a head with a tissue cleanser. The tissue cleanser may be a pad composed of an elastomeric material. The pad is disposed on the head on a surface opposite the tooth cleaning elements. The tissue cleanser may include a plurality of nubs extending for cleaning between the papillae of the tongue. The tissue cleanser may include a plurality of conically shaped nubs. A tissue cleanser can be used to reduce oral malodor problems and remove oral epithelial cells.
US07721370B2 Adjustable hose clip
An adjustable hose clip is provided for use with a pool cleaner debris bag, including a first member having a retaining arm and a second member having a retaining arm. The hose clip also includes means for connecting the hose clip to a pool cleaner debris bag and resilient means for resiliently biasing the retaining arms towards each other such that at least a portion of a pool hose can be retained between the retaining arms. In one example, the resilient means is adapted to automatically adjust the distance between the retaining arms to accommodate various pool hoses having various diameters within the range of a minimum diameter to a maximum diameter at least 50% larger than the minimum diameter. In addition or alternatively, an arrangement for cleaning a swimming pool can include an automatic pool cleaner, a debris bag, a hose and an adjustable hose clip.
US07721367B2 Bed mattress using permeable reinforcing member and foaming material, and method of manufacturing the same
Disclosed herein is a bed mattress and a method of manufacturing the same, in which a permeable reinforcing member is provided at an upper portion and a lower portion of a spring assembly which is one of frame constituents of the bed mattress, and a foaming material is disposed on the permeable reinforcing member so as to be foamed, so that the spring assembly and the foaming material are integrally formed while the foaming material is expanded through fine holes and/or foam expansion holes of the permeable reinforcing member.
US07721366B2 Mattress supporting system
A folding mattress support system replaces both a conventional box spring and the bed frame with rails. The mattress support system is lighter, quieter and easier to transport, and also provides more storage space beneath the mattress. The mattress support system includes bed frame assemblies, central connecting bars, edge attachments and a bed skirt. Leg brackets fold out from the bed frame assemblies, which themselves unfold in the middle. Central connecting bars connect inner side edges of the bed frame assemblies. Plastic edge attachments are attached at outer corners of the bed frame assemblies and hold a bed skirt taught around the frame assemblies when the frame assemblies are standing on the extended leg brackets. A mattress is then placed on top of the assembled mattress support system. Optionally, metal edge attachments at the head corners of the mattress support system both hold the bed skirt and support a headboard.
US07721363B2 Slide rail
A slide rail has a mounting shaft and a sliding mount. The sliding mount is movably mounted around the mounting shaft and has a clamp, a handle, a clamp jaw, a holding bracket and a spring. The clamp is mounted around the mounting shaft. The handle is rotatably connected to the clamp and has a lock bar and a grip. The clamp jaw is mounted around and abuts the mounting shaft in the clamp and has a convex surface. The holding bracket is connected to the clamp to hold a showerhead, a soap dish or the like and has a positioning ring. The spring is mounted in the clamp between the clamp jaw and the positioning ring to push the convex surface of the clamp jaw to engage an engaging recess of the lock bar.
US07721361B1 Spa enclosure apparatus
A spa enclosure apparatus has a convertible awning spanning over and spaced generally vertically from a hot tub when in use, and preferably an insulated cover assembly for covering the hot tub when not in use. Preferably, the cover assembly is engaged to and operates in conjunction with the convertible awning. The convertible awning has a canopy supported by and extending between two substantially parallel arcuate rods of the convertible awning. Each arcuate rod preferably connects to a substantially vertical shaft preferably of the cover assembly located substantially near respective rear corners of the spa. The arcuate rods extend upward from the vertical shafts, bend, and project over the hot tub to respective forward corners of the hot tub. Preferably, two substantially vertical columns of the convertible awning project upward from the vicinity of the respective forward corners to engage the distal ends of the arcuate rods.
US07721360B2 Swimming pool, spa, or combination swimming pool and spa, heated with a heat pump with a heat exchanger
A swimming pool, Spa or combination of a swimming pool or spa is heated with a heat pump and a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger comprises a water input, a water output, a heating agent input, a heating agent output, an inner coil and an outer coil being disposed about the outer periphery of the inner coil; and a separator device being configured and disposed to separate the coils in order to minimize vibrating and rubbing against each other. The separator device comprises a first separator device portion having two rounded shoulder portions configured to permit the separator device to be rotated into position between the inner coil and the outer coil, a middle portion comprising two substantially C-shaped curves, which substantially C-shaped curves form a dog bone-shape, and a second separator device portion comprising two rounded configured to be turned or twisted upon assembly of the heat exchanger.
US07721350B1 Molded phototherapy goggles
Phototherapy goggles for infants undergoing phototherapy. The goggles include a eye covering to cover the eyes of the infant and a headgear assembly to prevent the eye covering from becoming misaligned. The eye covering is formed to correspond to the anatomical contours of the infant's face and the headgear includes an elastomeric layer with a high coefficient of friction to further prevent the phototherapy goggles from becoming misaligned.
US07721348B2 Protective element
The present invention relates a protective element for an athlete. The protective element can include a first flexible support layer, wherein a plurality of substantially hard projections is arranged on the first support layer, and a second flexible support layer, wherein a plurality of substantially hard receiving elements is arranged on the second support layer. The receiving elements and the projections are configured to provide flexible protection to various areas of a user's body.
US07725942B2 Method for loading and customizing data and programmes loaded in a smart card
A method for loading data and programs in the memory of an electronic component includes a first phase in which data is loaded in the memory of the component. A validation phase then verifies the data loaded in the component memory. A second phase of loading data in the memory is carried out only if the data loaded during the first loading phase is valid. The second phase includes at least a step in which data is loaded and then validated.
US07725934B2 Network and application attack protection based on application layer message inspection
A method is disclosed for protecting a network against a denial-of-service attack by inspecting application layer messages at a network element. According to one aspect, when a network element intercepts data packets that contain an application layer message, the network element constructs the message from the payload portions of the packets. The network element determines whether the message satisfies specified criteria. The criteria may indicate characteristics of messages that are suspected to be involved in a denial-of-service attack, for example. If the message satisfies the specified criteria, then the network element prevents the data packets that contain the message from being received by the application for which the message was intended. The network element may accomplish this by dropping the packets, for example. As a result, the application's host does not waste processing resources on messages whose only purpose might be to deluge and overwhelm the application.
US07725926B1 Authentication
A method for authentication in a client computer and a remote computer is disclosed. A client base value is obtained, selected by a user of the client computer for at least a first usage purpose. A client integer is obtained, selected by the user for at least a second usage purpose. The client base value is combined with the client integer to obtain a client combination. The client combination is hashed to obtain a client password.
US07725921B2 Systems and methods for managing networks
The described systems and methods are directed at managing networks using network templates. Each network template is associated with a different network topology and includes parameters for implementing the associated network topology. A user may implement a particular network topology by selecting a corresponding network template. A configurator may be used to configure a network device to implement the network topology associated with the selected network template based, at least in part, on the parameters.
US07725920B2 Media foundation media sink
A method and system provides interfaces, data structures and events for representing a “sink” of multimedia data to interact with objects in a multimedia system to control multimedia objects. The interfaces and data structures enable efficient management for media objects that must interface directly with each other. One embodiment is directed to providing a common interface and a single API to a plurality of media objects. In an embodiment, the API is a control layer that isolates the media objects from each other and provides a single point of control, allowing media objects to be added or removed without affecting any other media objects. The control layer allows users to become familiar with only one API instead of many thereby facilitating the tasks of programming and documentation.
US07725918B2 Interactive television with embedded universal time codes
An interactive television (ITV) system transmitting ITV content created and received by different ITV platforms via a single ITV stream. The system provides universal time codes which are embedded into the ITV stream. Each time code is associated with a program identifier which uniquely identifies a particular program. An ITV receiver receives the ITV stream and compares the program identifier and time code with a program held in the receiver's memory. When a match is found, an interactive event indicated by the program is executed. The program may be loaded into the receiver's memory using a back channel.
US07725913B1 System and method for delivering communication signals
A system and method for delivering a communication signal to a subscriber without incurring right-of-way franchise fees associated with the signal. A central office on a first side of a right-of-way is in communication with a multiplexer on a second side of the right-of-way opposite the first side. The central office transmits a signal (e.g., a telephony signal) to the multiplexer such that the signal crosses the right-of-way. A wireless receiver on the second side receives another signal (e.g., a video signal) and transmits the other signal to the multiplexer. The multiplexer combines the signal and the other signal into a combined signal for routing to the subscriber (located on the second side). Because the communication of the other signal occurs entirely on the second side and does not access or cross into the right-of-way, the addition of the other signal avoids the imposition of a right-of-way franchise fee.
US07725911B2 Method and system to maintain relative statistics for creating automatically a list of favorites
An apparatus may include a front-end with a tuner to receive television broadcasts, a memory to store statistics, and a processor in communication with the front-end and the memory. The processor detects tuning events and maintains relative statistics on items related to tuning events. The processor eliminates any occurrence of rollover of the count value by adjusting the count value of each of the one or more items relative to each other upon reaching a predetermined value prior to being reset. The processor creates a list of favorites based on the relative statistics in the memory. The processor may transfer the list of favorites to another device or auto-tune the tuner to receive the items that are placed in the list of favorites. A length of time represented by the units of time may be changed to allow greater selectivity of items that are placed in the list of favorites.
US07725910B2 Interactive broadcast system and method with different content displayed to different viewers
In a system and method for providing a television broadcast that displays different content for different viewers, a pool of content items, or particular items from a pool of content items is/are integrated with a signal for a television program. The combined signal is transmitted or broadcast in any suitable way, such as by satellite, antenna, cable, or the like. Once the combined signal has been transmitted, or while the signal is being transmitted, different items from the pool of content items are displayed to different viewers. The items may be displayed to viewers during a broadcast of a pre-recorded television program. Rules may be integrated into the combined signal governing how and when items from the pool of content items are displayed. The rules may also govern which items from the pool of content items are displayed. A return channel may be provided so that a viewer may communicate to a content provider.
US07725900B2 Method of assigning objects to processing units
Methods and systems for assigning objects to processing units of a cluster of processing units are provided. In one implementation, the objects to be assigned may be sorted by size, which provides a sequence of objects. Starting with the first processing unit, objects may then be assigned in sequential order. This way the loading of the processing units may be balanced.
US07725897B2 Systems and methods for performing real-time processing using multiple processors
Systems and methods for increasing utilization of processors in a multiprocessor system by defining a strict real-time schedule and a pseudo-real-time schedule and dynamically switching between the strict real-time schedule and the pseudo-real-time schedule for execution of tasks on the processors. In one embodiment, a number of occupied entries in an output buffer is monitored. When the number meets or exceeds a first threshold, the pseudo-real-time schedule is implemented. When the number is less than or equal to a second threshold, the strict real-time schedule is implemented. In one embodiment, the pseudo-real-time schedule is determined using an asymptotic estimation algorithm, in which the schedules for multiple processors are merged and then load-balanced (potentially multiple times) to produce a schedule that uses less processing resources than the strict real-time schedule.
US07725883B1 Program interpreter
A method and system is provided that allows a well-behaved program to execute more quickly than dynamically typed programming languages did in the past, thereby allowing a the dynamically typed language to be competitive with static declarative programming languages. A method includes converting lines of source code representing functions to byte-codes representing functions, selecting a subsequence of the byte-codes based on the byte-codes and the dynamic run-time properties of program variables, generating processor instructions in a compiler for the subsequence, and interpreting the byte-codes not contained in the subsequence.
US07725879B2 Method and apparatus for executing instructions of java virtual machine and transforming bytecode
A method and apparatus for executing an instruction of a Java virtual machine are provided. The method includes extracting a bytecode of a method of a Java class, transforming the bytecode into a second code which comprises information regarding a location of an opcode handler and uses 16-bit memory elements, the opcode handler performing an operation corresponding to an opcode included in the bytecode, and executing the second code.
US07725878B1 Property bundles on a per instance basis
A method and apparatus for associating methods or attributes on a per-instance basis is provided. One technique for providing “per-instance attributes” involves properties and property bundles. A second technique for providing “per-instance attributes” involves categories wherein the instance can be thought of as being “placed” into one or more categories. A technique for providing “per-instance methods” involves policies. In any of these techniques, providing per-instance properties may be used in any of the following ways: (1) different instances of the same class are associated with different properties where the properties are not in the class; and (2) two instances of two different classes are associated with the same property where the property is not in either of the two classes.
US07725872B2 Orientation dependent shielding for use with dipole illumination techniques
A method of printing a pattern having vertically oriented features and horizontally oriented features on a substrate utilizing dipole illumination, which includes the steps of: identifying background areas contained in the pattern; generating a vertical component mask comprising non-resolvable horizontally oriented features in the background areas; generating a horizontal component mask comprising non-resolvable vertically oriented features in the background areas; illuminating said vertical component mask utilizing an X-pole illumination; and illuminating said horizontal component mask utilizing a Y-pole illumination.
US07725868B1 Method and apparatus for facilitating signal routing within a programmable logic device
Method and apparatus for facilitating signal routing within a programmable logic device having routing resources is described. In an example, the routing resources are formed into groups where, for each of the groups, the routing resources are of a same type. Pairs of the groups are related by an association of at least one routing resource in one group of a pair of groups capable of being electrically connected to at least one other routing resource in another group of the pair of groups.
US07725849B2 Feature failure correlation
Techniques are disclosed for determining the likelihood that a known feature in an integrated circuit design will cause a defect during the manufacturing process. According to some of these techniques, various logical units that incorporate an identified design feature are identified, and the amount that the design feature occurs in each of a plurality of these logical units is determined. The failure rate of integrated circuit portions corresponding to at least these logical units are then obtained. A feature failure coefficient indicating the likelihood that the feature will cause a defect then is determined by correlating the failure rates with the amount of occurrences of the feature.
US07725847B2 Wiring design support apparatus for bond wire of semiconductor devices
A design support apparatus supports wiring design for bond wires that connect a semiconductor chip and an interposer. The design support apparatus includes a creating unit that creates simulated design data simulating occurrence of fluctuation in an arrangement position of a semiconductor chip on an interposer and occurrence of fluctuation in bond wire connection terminal positions of the interposer, and an analyzing unit that analyzes, based on the simulated design data, deficiencies in manufacturing of semiconductor devices due to the fluctuation in the arrangement position of the semiconductor chip on the interposer and the fluctuation in the bond wire connection terminal positions of the interposer.
US07725843B2 Behavioral synthesis apparatus, behavioral synthesis method, method for manufacturing digital circuit, behavioral synthesis control program and computer-readable recording medium
An A behavioral synthesis apparatus according to the present invention for performing a computer-automated synthesis of a circuit description of a register transfer level from a behavioral description describing a process operation of a circuit, wherein an output of a target computing unit is input to a plurality of subsequent computing units, and in the case when a valid cycle in which a result computed at each of the plurality of subsequent computing units is valid is different from each other, the behavioral synthesis apparatus including: a computing unit fixation section for inserting an input fixation unit between the target computing unit and at least one of the plurality of subsequent computing units, the input fixation unit fixing an input to the at least one subsequent computing unit during cycles other than the valid cycle in which a result computed at the at least one subsequent computing unit is valid.
US07725842B2 Self-attainable analytic tool and method for adaptive behavior modification
A system and method for behavior modification through dynamic identification of behavior patterns, assistance in finding and implementing healthy alternatives to undesirable behavior patterns, preparation of dynamically variable user-specific programs, monitoring of current user activities, and presenting feedback and information to the user. The system and method further support incorporation of professional and other information into a user-specific package from which the user-specific program is determined, and synchronization and data integrity across the platforms of the system.
US07725841B2 Selection paradigm for displayed user interface
A moveable displayed user interface element can be used to select an item displayed on a user interface. Once the proper item or items are selected, an area of the moveable displayed user interface element can be activated to perform an operation on the selected item or items. The moveable displayed user interface element can additionally display information about a selected item, and, in some cases, the displayed information can be edited to modify the selected item. A versatile lightweight system can be used to determine when a moveable object is over any of a number of regions associated with specified targets. The lightweight system can be used to implement moveable displayed user interface elements.
US07725833B2 Community providing system, community providing method and computer readable storage medium storing execution program for that method
Disclosed are a community providing system, a community providing method, and a computer-readable recording medium for storing a program capable of carrying out the method. In one embodiment, community configuration items including at least one of a template and a background image of a community are provided, and corresponding URL information is sorted and stored for each user when the user specifies a desired community configuration item. A community environment to which the requested community configuration item is applied is provided after receiving the URL information on the requested community configuration item according to the request made by the user. Therefore, system usage may be increased because of the provision of various community environments where the user can show his personality through the establishment of various environments.
US07725825B2 Techniques for decoding and reconstructing media objects from a still visual representation
Techniques for creating an output media object based on a first visual representation and a second visual representation are provided. A first visual representation is received. The first visual representation is generated based on first information determined from an input media object. A second visual representation is also received. The second visual representation is generated based on second information determined from the input media object. An output media object is then created based on the first visual representation and a second visual representation. The output media object may then be outputted or played on a device.
US07725816B2 Creation and delivery of customized content
A method, apparatus, and software are disclosed for delivering customized content to clients with diverse content needs, such as clients from diverse geographical areas an language backgrounds. Customizable content is separated from the underlying code, which is used as a template for inserting localized content into a basic document framework as represented by the template. Both electronic mail and Web community customization techniques are disclosed.
US07725806B2 Method and infrastructure for recognition of the resources of a defective hardware unit
A system and method of recognizing resources of a computer comprising a system serial number and a broken hardware unit comprising a non-volatile memory unit and enablement definition data relating to functions of the broken hardware unit, wherein the method comprises starting the computer; entering a serial number in a read/write non-volatile memory field of the non-volatile memory unit; reading the read/write non-volatile memory field; and matching the serial number of the read/write non-volatile memory field with the system serial number. The method may further comprise detecting failure of the broken hardware unit after the starting of the computer. Preferably, a reading that the serial number of the read/write non-volatile memory field matches with the system serial number permits acceptance of the enablement definition data of the broken hardware unit.
US07725802B2 Code design and implementation improvements for low density parity check codes for multiple-input multiple-output channels
Methods and systems for designing LDPC codes are disclosed. A method in accordance with the present invention comprises configuring a plurality (M) of parallel accumulation engines, accumulating a first information bit at a first set of specific parity bit addresses using the accumulation engines, increasing a parity bit address for each of the parity bit addresses by a pre-determined offset for each new information bit, accumulating subsequent information bits at parity bit addresses offset from the parity bit addresses by a pre-determined offset until an M+1 information bit is reached, accumulating the next M information bits at a second set of specific parity bit addresses using the parallel accumulation engines, increasing a parity bit address for each member of the second set of parity bit addresses by the pre-determined offset for each new information bit; and repeating accumulating and increasing the addresses until the information bits are exhausted.
US07725796B2 Allocating data bursts and supporting hybrid auto retransmission request in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing access radio access system
The present invention relates to allocating data regions in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing access system. The present invention comprises receiving a message comprising information for locating a data region of a data map allocated to a mobile station identified in the message for transmitting and receiving information, and identifying the data region of the data map allocated to the identified mobile station by reading the received message, wherein the data region is identified independent of identifying data regions of another data map.
US07725788B2 Method and apparatus for secure scan testing
A processor, scan controller, and method for protecting sensitive information from electronic hacking is disclosed. To maintain the security of the sensitive data present in a processor, the scan controller denies access to the scan chain until data is cleared from scan-observable portions of the processor, then clears the scan chain again prior to exiting test mode and resuming normal operation. Clearing or otherwise modifying data stored in the scan-observable portions of a processor when transitioning to and/or from a test mode will prevent unauthorized personnel from simply shifting secure data out of the scan chain, and from pre-loading data into the scan chain prior to normal operation in an attempt to set sensitive state information.
US07725779B2 Multi-valued scrambling and descrambling of digital data on optical disks and other storage media
Method and apparatus for writing scrambled multi-value data to a physical media and for reading scrambled multi-value data from a physical media, are disclosed. The physical media can be an optical disk. The scrambling can be performed by a multi-valued LFSR scrambler and the descrambling can be performed by a multi-valued LFSR descrambler. Further, the multi-valued data that is scrambled can include synchronization data and/or user data. Error correction coding can be used during the writing process and processing to correct for errors can be used during the reading process. Also, methods and apparatus for synchronizing multi-valued data written to and read from physical media are disclosed. Multi-value correlation methods and apparatus are also disclosed.
US07725770B2 Enhanced failure data collection system apparatus and method
An apparatus for collecting failure data includes a failure data collector that initializes one or more test devices by establishing a secondary interface therewith in response to receiving a test device initialization command from a device tester, communicates one or more failure data collection requests to each test device corresponding to a failure data collection command received from the test device, and receives failure data from the test devices via the secondary interface in response to communicating the failure data collection request. In certain embodiments, the present invention includes a failure data storage repository for storing the collected failure data.
US07725763B2 Functional continuity by replicating a software application in a multi-computer architecture
Disclosed is a method for replicating a software application in a multi-computer architecture (cluster). The software application is executed on a first computer of the cluster, which represents a primary or operation node, and is replicated on at least one other computer of the cluster, which represents a secondary node, including replication of the resources associated with the software application. The method includes streamlined updating of the replicated resources via a dynamic introspection mechanism supplying the structure of the application that is to be replicated and the dynamic graph of the implemented resources and dependencies.
US07725758B2 Multifunctional timer/event counter device and method of using such a device
A multifunctional timer/event counter device includes at least one counter controlled by a clock signal, and a control register including at least one binary number that will at least define a behavior of the counter. The device also includes a function module including at least one synchronization signal reception input and a reception input for at least one function control signal, the function module being capable of modifying the binary number as a function of at least the synchronization signal and the function control signal.
US07725745B2 Power aware software pipelining for hardware accelerators
Forming a plurality of pipeline orderings, each pipeline ordering comprising one of a sequential, a parallel, or a sequential and parallel combination of a plurality of stages of a pipeline, analyzing the plurality of pipeline orderings to determine a total power of each of the orderings, and selecting one of the plurality of pipeline orderings based on the determined total power of each of the plurality of pipeline orderings.
US07725744B2 Method and apparatus to generate circuit energy models with multiple clock gating inputs
A method, a computer program, and an apparatus are provided for generating circuit energy models for a macro using multiple clock gating inputs. Circuit energy models are used to estimate system power consumption. The present invention enables circuit energy models to be created for macros that contain multiple clock gating inputs. Energy tables are created based upon the macro's input switching factor and the clock activation percentage. The clock activation percentage is produced by turning on and off the multiple clock gating inputs during the simulations. These energy tables are generated from a minimum number of power simulations. By using clock activation percentage as a parameter accurate power estimations are produced.
US07725738B1 FPGA configuration bitstream protection using multiple keys
Circuits, methods, and apparatus that prevent detection and erasure of encoding or encryption keys. These encoding keys may be used to encode a configuration bitstream or other data for an FPGA or other device. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention masks a first key to form an encoding key in order to prevent detection of the first key. In a specific embodiment, the first key is encoded using a second key. The encoded key is used to encode a configuration bitstream or other data. The encoded key is stored on an FPGA or other device. When the device is to be configured, the encoded key is retrieved and used to decode the bitstream or other data. A further embodiment stores an encryption key in a one-time programmable memory (OTP) array to prevent its erasure or modification. The encoding key may be further obfuscated before storage.
US07725735B2 Source code management method for malicious code detection
A system and method enhancing source code management with existing virus detection methods in a library management system to detect potentially malicious code. Malicious code that is introduced into a software product may be detected before the code is able to damage stored data and other software by preventing a product build with the malicious code. Source code received at a code management library system from a set of software developers in a collaborative development environment is moved into a staging area. A determination is made in the staging area as to whether malicious code exists in the source code. If malicious code exists, the library management system does not forward the source code to the software product build and notifies a system administrator of the presence of the malicious code.
US07725734B2 Mobile software terminal identifier
An electronic device, including at least one software component and at least one hardware component, generates a hash value by performing a hashing algorithm on an identifier of the at least one software component and an identifier of the at least one hardware component. The electronic device uses this generated hash value to determine whether software used by the electronic device for accessing a wireless network remains unmodified.
US07725731B2 System and method for managing access to functions supported by a multi-function port
According to at least one embodiment, a system comprises an interface means for supporting a plurality of functional accesses; and means for selectively limiting on a per user basis access to certain ones of said plurality of functional accesses via the interface means.
US07725729B2 Electronic device and controlling method of electronic device
The present invention provides an electronic device for performing a typical processing by storing a predetermined operating procedure and reproducing the stored operating procedure that controls suspending storing information related to an authentication, which includes a control unit, when an operation requiring a predetermined authentication is performed at the time when the predetermined operating procedure is stored.
US07725725B1 User-selectable signatures
Computer login may comprise any user-determined submission. A user may select among different devices for input, select the signal content, and as well select the types of signals used for a login signature. Account identification may be inferred by signature rather than explicitly stated. A plurality of discontiguous data blocks in a plurality of files may be employed for validation. The paths to data used in validation may be multifarious, regardless of the prospects for successful authorization.
US07725712B2 User authentication system and method
A method of authenticating a user for access includes creating an authentication key in the form of a user formula selected from a set of variables and operations provided by the authentication system, storing the user formula in the authentication system, utilizing a display to present the user with an arrangement of variables generated by the authentication system including the variables of the user formula, each assigned a value, applying the assigned values to matching variables in the user formula and calculating a first result, interspersing one or more additional characters among the characters of the first result, and conveying the first result with the additional characters to the authentication system. The authentication system authenticates the user if the number of additional characters conveyed with the first result is below a predetermined threshold and the first result matches a second result of a separate and independent calculation of the user formula by the authentication system.
US07725711B2 System and method of accessing keys for secure messaging
Methods and systems for handling on an electronic device a secure message to be sent to a recipient. Data is accessed about a security key associated with the recipient. The received data is used to perform a validity check related to sending a secure message to the recipient. The validity check may uncover an issue that exists with sending a secure message to the recipient. A reason is determined for the validity check issue and is provided to the mobile device's user.
US07725708B2 Methods and systems for automatic denial of service protection in an IP device
Methods and systems for automatic denial of service protection in an IP device are disclosed. Packets are received at a network interface of an IP device, the packets being addressed to a network address of the network interface. The packets addressed to the network interface of the IP device are forwarded to a processor in the IP device. The processor determines whether the packets violate a rate-based policing policy of the IP device. In response to determining that the packets violate the rate-based policing policy, source identifying information associated with the packets is added to an access control list in the IP device. Packets matching criteria in the access control list are prevented from being forwarded to the processor in the IP device.
US07725705B2 Bios setting method
A basic input output system (BIOS) setting method is applicable to a BIOS setting procedure of a data processing unit having a display unit and an input unit. After the data processing unit is turned on and a power on self test (POST) procedure of the BIOS is being executed, messages of a first function key and a second function key are displayed on the display unit. If the first function key is pressed, a first BIOS setting mode is entered. After the first BIOS setting mode is entered, whether any setting contents of the first BIOS setting mode are revised and saved in the data processing unit is determined, and the corresponding POST is executed based on the revised setting contents of the first BIOS setting mode, or the first BIOS setting mode is skipped and the continuing POST procedure continues to be executed.
US07725703B2 Systems and methods for securely booting a computer with a trusted processing module
In a computer with a trusted platform module (TPM), an expected hash value of a boot component may be placed into a platform configuration register (PCR), which allows a TPM to unseal a secret. The secret may then be used to decrypt the boot component. The hash of the decrypted boot component may then be calculated and the result can be placed in a PCR. The PCRs may then be compared. If they do not, access to the an important secret for system operation can be revoked. Also, a first secret may be accessible only when a first plurality of PCR values are extant, while a second secret is accessible only after one or more of the first plurality of PCR values has been replaced with a new value, thereby necessarily revoking further access to the first secret in order to grant access to the second secret.
US07725699B2 Data byte insertion circuitry
A data byte insertion circuit includes circuitry to generate derivative intermediate data words from input data words of a current and a preceding cycle, repositioning data bytes of the input data words before and after data byte insertion points of the current and preceding cycles, and circuitry to generate re-aligned variants of insertion data bytes of the current cycle. The data byte insertion circuit further includes circuitry to generate a number of multi-bit data bit selection masks, and circuitry to generate an output data word by conditionally using selected parts of the derivate intermediate data words and the re-aligned variants of the insertion data bytes, in accordance with the multi-bit data b it selection masks.
US07725696B1 Method and apparatus for modulo scheduled loop execution in a processor architecture
A processor method and apparatus that allows for the overlapped execution of multiple iterations of a loop while allowing the compiler to include only a single copy of the loop body in the code while automatically managing which iterations are active. Since the prologue and epilogue are implicitly created and maintained within the hardware in the invention, a significant reduction in code size can be achieved compared to software-only modulo scheduling. Furthermore, loops with iteration counts less than the number of concurrent iterations present in the kernel are also automatically handled. This hardware enhanced scheme achieves the same performance as the fully-specified standard method. Furthermore, the hardware reduces the power requirement as the entire fetch unit can be deactivated for a portion of the loop's execution. The basic design of the invention involves including a plurality of buffers for storing loop instructions, each of which is associated with an instruction decoder and its respective functional unit, in the dispatch stage of a processor. Control logic is used to receive loop setup parameters and to control the selective issue of instructions from the buffers to the functional units.
US07725681B2 Parallel processing array
A processing element (1) forming part of a parallel processing array such as SIMD comprises an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) (3), a multiplexer (MUX) (5), an accumulator (ACCU) (7) and a flag register (FLAG) (9). The ALU is configured to operate on a common instruction received by all processing elements in the processing array. The processing element (1) further comprises a storage element (SE) (11), which supports the processing of local customized (i.e. data dependent) processing in the processing element (1), such as lookup table operations and the storing local coefficient data.
US07725678B2 Method and apparatus for producing an index vector for use in performing a vector permute operation
A method for generating a permutation index vector includes receiving a condition vector and performing an index generation function using the condition vector in order to generate the permutation index vector. An index vector generation circuit is also disclosed.
US07725669B1 Backup and restore operations using coherency groups for ISB protocol systems
Systems and methods for performing scheduled backups and recovery of data generated by one or more production applications operating on a MAGIC platform located on two or more host computers in a coherency group. The data for a coherency group is stored in a primary storage in the form of one or more production volumes and ISB protocol is used to create one or more clone volumes. Exemplary methods for backing up one or more clone volumes for a coherency group to a backup storage include copying the one or more clone volumes to a backup storage or creating a snapshot of the one or more clone volumes. The ISB functions of splitting and/or reconnecting the one or more production volumes and one or more clone volumes occur at substantially the same time for all the two or more host computers in the coherency group.
US07725666B2 Micro-journaling of data on a storage device
Embodiments of the present invention recite a method of preserving data on a hard disk drive. In one embodiment, a copy of data is read from at least one sector of a hard disk drive and stored in a memory location of the hard disk drive. At least a portion of the data in the memory location of the hard disk drive is then replaced to create a modified copy of data. A copy of the modified copy of data is then stored in a non-volatile memory location of the hard disk drive. Finally, the data from the at least one sector is replaced with the modified copy of data.
US07725662B2 Hardware acceleration for a software transactional memory system
A method and apparatus for accelerating transactional execution. Barriers associated with shared memory lines referenced by memory accesses within a transaction are only invoked/executed the first time the shared memory lines are accessed within a transaction. Hardware support, such as a transaction field/transaction bits, are provided to determine if an access is the first access to a shared memory line during a pendancy of a transaction. Additionally, in an aggressive operational mode version numbers representing versions of elements stored in shared memory lines are not stored and validated upon commitment to save on validation costs. Moreover, even in a cautious mode, that stores version numbers to enable validation, validation costs may not be incurred, if eviction of accessed shared memory lines do not occur during execution of the transaction.
US07725655B2 Method of operating distributed storage system in which data is read from replicated caches and stored as erasure-coded data
Data blocks are read from a distributed cache. The distributed cache comprises m replicated caches, each replicated cache including a plurality of independent computing devices. Each independent computing device of the replicated caches holds a replica of a particular one of the m data blocks in memory. The m data blocks and p parity blocks are stored across m plus p independent computing devices. Each of the m plus p independent computing devices stores a single block selected from the m data blocks and the p parity blocks.
US07725637B2 Methods and apparatus for generating system management interrupts
A method includes determining a plurality of memory addresses, each memory address being different from one another. The method further includes generating a plurality of system management interrupt interprocessor interrupts, each system management interrupt interprocessor interrupt having a corresponding processor in a plurality of processors in a system and each system management interrupt interprocessor interrupt including one of the plurality of memory addresses. The method further includes directing each system management interrupt interprocessor interrupt to the corresponding processor. An associated machine readable medium is also disclosed.
US07725632B2 Computer system and management method thereof
Disclosed herewith is a composite type computer system that can assure that a PCI tree to be allocated to a computer is configured completely before the computer is powered. The composite type computer system includes a PCI switch that connects plural computers through PCI interfaces; plural PCI devices connected to the PCI switch; a system controller that controls the computers; and a PCI manager that controls allocation of the PCI devices to the computers. The system controller carries out processings in the steps of (a) powering an object computer to start up its OS; (b) acquiring the identifier of a PCI tree allocated by the system controller to the computer and PCI tree management information denoting the status of the PCI tree; (c) retrying the powering or canceling the powering of the computer if the acquired PCI tree management information denotes the status “not initialized”; and (d) carrying out the powering for the computer if the acquired PCI management information denotes the status “initialized”.
US07725626B2 Multi-media KVM switch
A multi-media KVM switch is for providing an output signal to drive a user-interface output device. The multi-media KVM switch comprises an embedded multi-media system, an arbiter and a multiplexer. The embedded multi-media system is enabled as receiving an enabling signal and providing a first device signal. The arbiter is for determining an operational state of at least a computer system in response to a second device signal outputted by the at least computer system. The arbiter provides the enabling signal to enable the embedded multi-media system when the at least a computer system is in a standby or an off state, and the arbiter is further for providing a selection signal. The multiplexer is for receiving the first and the second device signals, and outputting one of the first and the second device signals as the output signal to the user-interface output device.
US07725625B2 Latency insensitive FIFO signaling protocol
Data from a source domain operating at a first data rate is transferred to a FIFO in another domain operating at a different data rate. The FIFO buffers data before transfer to a sink for further processing or storage. A source side counter tracks space available in the FIFO. In disclosed examples, the initial counter value corresponds to FIFO depth. The counter decrements in response to a data ready signal from the source domain, without delay. The counter increments in response to signaling from the sink domain of a read of data off the FIFO. Hence, incrementing is subject to the signaling latency between domains. The source may send one more beat of data when the counter indicates the FIFO is full. The last beat of data is continuously sent from the source until it is indicated that a FIFO position became available; effectively providing one more FIFO position.
US07725623B2 Command transfer controlling apparatus and command transfer controlling method
Commands received from an apparatus that does not support virtual channels are assigned to a virtual channel. A command receiver 210 receives, from an external command transmitting entity that does not support virtual channels, a command designating an address. An assignment information storage unit 228 stores an assignment table in which an address space is divided into a plurality of areas and a channel is assigned to each area. A command storage unit 230 contains queues provided for respective channels, wherein each queue stores received commands temporarily. A distribution destination specifying unit 224 specifies a queue corresponding to an address by referring to the assignment table, and an execution unit 222 transfers the received command to the command storage unit 230 that corresponds to the specified queue.
US07725619B2 Data processing system and method that permit pipelining of I/O write operations and multiple operation scopes
A data processing system includes at least a first processing node having an input/output (I/O) controller and a second processing including a memory controller for a memory. The memory controller receives, in order, pipelined first and second DMA write operations from the I/O controller, where the first and second DMA write operations target first and second addresses, respectively. In response to the second DMA write operation, the memory controller establishes a state of a domain indicator associated with the second address to indicate an operation scope including the first processing node. In response to the memory controller receiving a data access request specifying the second address and having a scope excluding the first processing node, the memory controller forces the data access request to be reissued with a scope including the first processing node based upon the state of the domain indicator associated with the second address.
US07725607B1 Method and system for enabling personal digital assistants and protecting stored private data
A method and system for enabling personal digital assistants (PDAs) and protecting stored private data. Specifically, one embodiment in accordance with the present invention includes a removable expansion card about the size of a postage stamp which plugs into a slot of a personal digital assistant. The removable expansion card, referred to as a personality card, is capable of storing all of a user's private information and data which is used within their personal digital assistant. By removing the personality card from the personal digital assistant, all of the user's private information and data may be removed from the personal digital assistant. Furthermore, the personal digital assistant may also be rendered totally or partially useless once the personality card is removed from it. There are several advantages associated with a personality card system in accordance with the present invention. For example, one of the advantages is that a user is able to restrict access to their stored private information and data by simply removing their personality card from their personal digital assistant. Furthermore, as personal digital assistants equipped with personality card slots become increasingly more common, a user will be able to continually carry around their personality card and enable a spare and locally available personal digital assistant with their private information when desired.
US07725606B2 Method and apparatus for two phase structured message to tagged message translation
An aspect of the present invention includes a method and device for translating a structured message into a context tagged, XML message. A two step translation is described, first including translation from structured message to structure tagged message, and then from structure tagged message to context tagged message. Standard tools may be used in the second step to apply validations or business logic. Particular aspects of the present invention are described in the claims, specification and drawings.
US07725605B2 Providing on-demand access to services in a wide area network
An integration services network is described which is operable to facilitate access to a composite service by a plurality of users having associated client machines. Each of the users is associated with one of a plurality of independent enterprises. At least one data store has a directory stored therein which maps an identity for each of the users to a policy framework which defines access information relating to a plurality of services. At least one computing device is operable to set up the composite service by integrating operation of the plurality of services. The plurality of services are associated with and controlled by a plurality of independent service providers. The at least one computing device is further operable to connect with the client machines and each of the services, and to selectively facilitate interaction among the client machines and the services with reference to the directory and the policy framework, thereby enabling each of the users to access the plurality of services as an integrated solution.
US07725604B1 Image run encoding
A method and apparatus for delivering web-page content for a limited-display computing device are disclosed. In one embodiment, upon receiving a web page request from a limited-display computing device (e.g., a palmtop computing device), a transcoding proxy server then transmits the web page request to a server computer that contains the requested web page document. Upon receiving the web page document corresponding to the web page request, the received web page document is searched for a run of images. If the web page document does not include a run of images, the web page document is transcoded using the normal transcoding process. However, when a run of images is found in the document, the images in the run of images are rendered to generate a composite image which is scaled. The remainder of the web page document is transcoded using the normal transcoding process and the results are transmitted, along with the scaled composite image, to the limited-display computing device.
US07725602B2 Domain name resolution using a distributed DNS network
A distributed DNS network includes a central origin server that actually controls the zone, and edge DNS cache servers configured to cache the DNS content of the origin server. The edge DNS cache servers are published as the authoritative servers for customer domains instead of the origin server. When a request for a DNS record results in a cache miss, the edge DNS cache servers get the information from the origin server and cache it for use in response to future requests. Multiple edge DNS cache servers can be deployed at multiple locations. Since an unlimited number of edge DNS cache servers can be deployed, the system is highly scalable. The disclosed techniques protect against DoS attacks, as DNS requests are not made to the origin server directly.
US07725600B2 Method and apparatus providing address management in a flat structure mobile network
This invention provides an improved address management scheme in a mobile router (MR) that connects a mobile network into the Internet via an access network. The MR performs neighbor advertisement on behalf of mobile network nodes (MNNs) within the mobile network so that packets directed towards the MNNs are routed correctly to the MR, and then to the corresponding MNN, while maintaining standard address management procedures, such as IPv6 address management procedures, in the access network and in the mobile network.
US07725598B2 Network cache-based content routing
Methods and apparatus are described for routing data traffic in a network having a plurality of layers including physical, data link, and network layers. The data traffic is received and one of a plurality of routing options for the data traffic is selected with reference to information outside of the physical, data link, and network layers. The data traffic is then routed according to the selected routing option.
US07725596B2 System and method for resolving network layer anycast addresses to network layer unicast addresses
An information object repository is configured to resolve a network layer anycast address to a network layer unicast address in response to a request for an information object at the network layer anycast address. The information object repository may be further configured to resolve the network layer anycast address by transmitting a request for the network layer unicast address and awaiting a response thereto, and, in some cases, to return a failure message to a source of the request for the information object if the response to the request for the network layer unicast address is not received within a timeout period. Preferably, the request for the network layer unicast address is a single IP packet that includes the network layer anycast address. Similarly, the request for the network layer unicast address is preferably a single IP packet that includes the network layer unicast address. The response to the request for the network layer unicast address may be returned by a host having the network layer unicast address, or another network node configured to do so.
US07725595B1 Embedded communications system and method
A method and system for steganography and steganalytic techniques are provided for effecting embedded communications in a variety of communication environments. One aspect may include an embedded transmitter for inserting embedded data into a packet and an embedded receiver for receiving the packet via, for example, a packetized communication network such as the Internet. Various aspects of the present invention provide robust communications with optimized throughput and may include various error handlers to maximize performance and ensure transfer of incorrupt data. A method for identifying and blocking embedded communications is also provided.
US07725594B2 Assigning priority to network traffic at customer premises
A device may receive a message from a client device and determine whether the message includes particular data. The device may identify an address within a particular address group when the message includes the particular data. The traffic associated with addresses within the particular address group are assigned priority over traffic associated with addresses outside the particular address group. The device may provide the identified address to the client device so that traffic associated with the client device receives priority over other traffic
US07725590B2 Web services broker
A method for providing a web service broker includes providing an interface between an enterprise and at least one of a service client and a service provider. The service client discovers web services on a service registry and uses the corresponding web services from the service provider. Communication is provided between the enterprise and the at least one of the service client and the service provider. Information from or to the enterprise is converted to a form that is appropriate for the at least one of the service client and the service provider. Additionally or alternatively, information from or to the at least one of the service client and the service provider is converted to a form that is appropriate for the enterprise.
US07725578B2 Providing status information to a device attached to an information infrastructure
A method for providing status information to a device on a computer network is disclosed. Data initiated by a communication initiation device within a computer network are monitored by a device. A determination is made by a device monitoring application within the device whether or not the data includes a message signature. In response to the data includes a message signature, a status message is generated and sent to a system administrator for the computer network.
US07725575B2 Unexpected demand detection system and unexpected demand detection program
An unexpected demand detection system for detecting an unexpected demand for IT resources includes: a demand model recording part that records a demand model representing a time-based transition in a predetermined time period of a required amount of the IT resources; an unexpected demand model recording part that records an unexpected demand model representing a time-based transition different from the time-based transition of the amount of the IT resources represented by the demand model; and a judging part that performs a comparison among observation data indicating an actual demand for the IT resources observed in the predetermined time period, the amount of the IT resources represented by the demand model, and an amount of the IT resources represented by the unexpected demand model thereby to judge whether an unexpected demand represented by the unexpected demand model occurs.
US07725568B2 Method and apparatus for network storage flow control
A method and apparatus for collecting information from ports on a storage network and performing flow control is provided. The data collection method and apparatus includes, identifying a data type transported on the storage network, selecting a port-storage identifier to measure the data type transported across the storage network, monitoring the port-storage identifier on the storage network for the data type, and enumerating occurrences of the data type associated with the port-storage identifier while monitoring the port-storage identifier and the data type. The flow-control operation receives information on a data type passing through the storage network according to a port-storage identifier, compares a threshold with the data type passing through the storage network according to a port-storage identifier, determines when the threshold associated with the data type has been exceeded in consideration of the information received, queues in response to the determination the data type scheduled to pass through one or more ports and storage devices identified according to the port-storage identifier on the storage network.
US07725558B2 Distributive access controller
A device for securely controlling communications among or within computers, computer systems, or computer networks, comprising: (a) a primary access port to which an “owner” computer program, computer, computer system, or computer network is connectable to access shared computer resources; (b) a secondary access port to which a non-owner computer program, computer, computer system, or computer network is connectable to access the shared computer resources; (c) a transfer port to which a shared computer resource is connectable to provide controlled access to that computer resource from computer programs, computers, computer systems, or computer networks connected to the access ports; and (d) a separate physical communication path to and from each access port and each transfer port, where access permissions and restrictions for each communication path are set by the owner of the device through the primary access port.
US07725556B1 Computer system with concurrent direct memory access
A computer system with concurrent direct memory access is provided including a computer node having a processor interface bus and a cut-through network interface controller installed on the processor interface bus. A data transfer is initiated through the cut-through network interface controller by starting a direct memory access to move data from a memory to a transmit buffer in the cut-through network interface controller and a network interface controller physical interface transmitting the data, to the computer node attached to a reliable network, before all of the data is in the transmit buffer.
US07725555B2 Detecting missing elements in a storage area network with multiple sources of information
A detectibility service for a storage infrastructure manager (SIM) operating on a storage area network (SAN) is disclosed directed to addressing a situation where there may be multiple sources of duplicate or contradictory information to the SIM about the presence and condition of an element in the SAN. The service can account for both authoritative as well as nonauthoritative sources of information in a SAN, which participate in the discovery process scanning for SAN elements. Both authoritative and nonauthoritative sources of information can be used to report a given SAN element during a probe, taking advantage of the more efficient processing of information from authoritative sources to override information from nonauthoritative sources regardless of the order in which the various scans may occur.
US07725553B2 Mixed massaging mode for multiple points of presence
A facility for providing an IM mixed mode operation by utilizing both page mode IM and session based IM jointly in the same IM conversation is provided. The facility initiates an IM conversation between an originating user registered at an originating device and a remote user registered at a plurality of devices initially in page mode. Subsequent to discovering the identity of a remote device used by the remote user to initially reply to the IM conversation, the facility converts the IM conversation from page mode IM to session based IM.
US07725545B2 Dual use counters for routing loops and spam detection
A method for detecting an undesirable condition within a messaging network. A message is received and a source of the message is identified. If an entry in a database for the source has not been created, an entry is created. A source counter for the source is then set to one and a timestamp is created for the source. If an entry in the database for the source has been previously created, the source counter is incremented by one and the timestamp is updated. The source counter is then compared to a source threshold, and if the source counter exceeds the source threshold over the course of predetermined amount of time, a source alarm is triggered. A sliding with respect to the predetermined amount of time may also be implemented to account for total counts that may fall across or be split by set periods of time. The invention is particularly useful for detecting “spam” events and undesirable routing loops.
US07725530B2 Proxy server collection of data for module incorporation into a container document
A proxy server system comprising a request input unit that receives a request to collect data from a target server, a target server collection unit that collects data from the target server and an output unit that transmits the data for use by a module to generate data for a container document.
US07725522B2 High-speed integer multiplier unit handling signed and unsigned operands and occupying a small area
A high-speed integer multiplier unit multiplying operands, wherein each operand can be either signed or unsigned. Type data is received for each operand which indicates whether the corresponding operand is to be treated as signed or unsigned. An extend bit is appended to each operand to provide extended operands, where the extend bit is the most significant bit of the corresponding operand if type data indicates that the operand is signed, and the extend bit is a logic zero otherwise. The extended operands are multiplied using a signed multiplication operation to provide the result. Overflow detection is done in parallel to the multiply operation, thus moving overflow-detection logic from the timing-critical path from the multiplier block's input to its output. The throughput performance of the multiplier unit is improved as a result.
US07725517B1 Methods for spectral image analysis by exploiting spatial simplicity
Several full-spectrum imaging techniques have been introduced in recent years that promise to provide rapid and comprehensive chemical characterization of complex samples. One of the remaining obstacles to adopting these techniques for routine use is the difficulty of reducing the vast quantities of raw spectral data to meaningful chemical information. Multivariate factor analysis techniques, such as Principal Component Analysis and Alternating Least Squares-based Multivariate Curve Resolution, have proven effective for extracting the essential chemical information from high dimensional spectral image data sets into a limited number of components that describe the spectral characteristics and spatial distributions of the chemical species comprising the sample. There are many cases, however, in which those constraints are not effective and where alternative approaches may provide new analytical insights.For many cases of practical importance, imaged samples are “simple” in the sense that they consist of relatively discrete chemical phases. That is, at any given location, only one or a few of the chemical species comprising the entire sample have non-zero concentrations. The methods of spectral image analysis of the present invention exploit this simplicity in the spatial domain to make the resulting factor models more realistic. Therefore, more physically accurate and interpretable spectral and abundance components can be extracted from spectral images that have spatially simple structure.
US07725516B2 Fast DCT algorithm for DSP with VLIW architecture
A single stage computation method to perform a discrete cosine transform operation is provided. The discrete cosine transform operation is performed by executing a plurality of very large instruction words (VLIW) using a digital signal processor. The plurality of very large instruction words includes a first number of multiplications and a second number of additions, where the first number of multiplications is greater than the second number of additions.
US07725510B2 Method and system for multi-character multi-pattern pattern matching
Disclosed is a method and system for multi-character multi-pattern pattern matching. In the multi-character multi-pattern pattern matching method, patterns in an input stream are detected by transitioning between states of a “compressed deterministic finite state automaton (DFA)”, with each transition based on multiple characters of the input stream. The compressed DFA is created by compressing an original DFA, such as an Aho-Corasick DFA, such that each state of the compressed DFA represents multiple consecutive states of the original DFA and each transition between the states of the compressed DFA is a combination of all of the transitions between the multiple consecutive states of the original DFA. This method can be implemented using a Ternary Content-Addressable Memory (TCAM) to store the transitions of the compressed DFA and compares the transitions with multiple characters of an input stream at a time to detect patterns in the input stream.
US07725509B2 Communications system and method
A system for matching information comprises a first sub-system adapted to store at least one profile, wherein the said at least one profile contains predetermined attributes and requirements and predetermined introduction information, and a second sub-system adapted to store at least one profile, wherein the said at least one profile contains predetermined attributes and requirements and predetermined introduction information, an introduction processor is programmed to receive data relating to the said introduction information from the said first sub-system, a match processor comprised within the said first sub-system is programmed to receive information relating to requirements of the said second sub-system when the said introduction processor registers a compatible profile introduction between the said first sub-system and the said second sub-system.
US07725502B1 Time-multiplexing documents based on preferences or relatedness
A system and method for time-multiplexing the display of a plurality of electronic documents are provided. Time-multiplexing criteria for displaying a plurality of selected documents associated with a concept on a time-multiplexed basis is determined. The plurality of selected documents are caused to be displayed at an output device in a predetermined sequence according to the time-multiplexing criteria. The time-multiplexing criteria may be a variety of criteria related to the selected documents, the source of the selected documents, or other factors such as a relevance to a concept and one or more preferences associated with the selected documents.
US07725501B1 System and method for rapid database application deployment and use
A system and a method for rapid database application deployment and use. A system includes a host server that includes a database and a database application framework. The database stores a virtual relational database structure and a virtual relational database implementation. The database may store the virtual relational database structure and virtual relational database implementation in an existing relational database structure. The virtual relational database structure includes one or more object types and one or more object properties. Object types are definitions of types of objects for which data may be stored in the database and object properties are definitions of types of data that may be stored for objects and are associated with the one or more object types. The virtual relational database implementation includes one or more actual objects that are based on the one or more object types and one or more populated properties that are based on the object properties and which include data for the one or more actual objects. The database application framework enables a user to define virtual relational database structures and create virtual relational database implementations. The database application framework communicates with the database and includes user interface software that creates and processes user interface displays that enable a user to view, edit and search the database and which adapt to changes to the virtual relational database structure to immediately reflect such changes on the user interface displays.
US07725500B2 Role based groups
A method and apparatus for managing role based groups in a directory server is described. In one embodiment, a role attribute is defined for one or more entries in the directory server. A group of entries in the directory server is defined with a group role. The group role comprises one or more role attributes of one or more entries. The role attribute of the entries are queried to determine which entry possesses the group role. Entries that possess the group role are provided to the client.
US07725493B2 Optimization method and process using tree searching operation and non-overlapping support constraint requirements
A method and process provides a selection process designed to select optimized results from a plurality of possible results represented in a search tree. A tree search is employed, wherein bounds are used to prune at least one node or branch of the search tree. A non-overlapping support constraint in conjunction with the tree search is invoked to further prune the search tree. An optimized search tree is stored into a memory, following the invoking of the non-support constraint, and the optimized search tree is employed in additional processing operations.
US07725483B2 Method for improved processing of expression-based data
Expression-based data may comprise data that is processed by a validation expression for example. After a validation expression is created it may then be performed with respect to one or more data values or data records. A validation expression returns a Boolean result that signifies a success or failure result. A validation expression can define complex intra-record tests and inter-record tests with unlimited complexity. In order to improve processing of validations, the system uses virtual data known as calculation fields. Calculation fields are stored in memory at runtime and not in a database thereby eliminating the necessity of selecting and updating records in the database. A dirty bit identifying fields and attributes that need to be calculated based on a dependent data may be used to defer calculation to a later time when the calculation field is displayed or a sort operation occurs for example.
US07725481B2 Retrieving and providing contextual information
An electronic dictionary may be created by receiving a data request action for a word appearing in an electronic document, accessing information regarding the context of the word derived from within the electronic document in which the word appears, storing the definition of the word along with the context information for the word, and enabling access by the user to the definition and the context information.
US07725476B2 System and method for automated data retrieval based on data placed in clipboard memory
A data retrieval system and method of the invention provide automatic retrieval of information based on data placed into, for example, a Windows™ clipboard. A user highlights and cuts (or pastes) data into the clipboard during execution of an application program. A data retriever program periodically reads the clipboard to determine whether new data has been placed therein. Upon finding new data in the clipboard, the data retriever program determines whether the data or a variation thereof satisfies a predetermined criterion. If the criterion is satisfied, the data retriever program initiates a data-retrieval operation, such as a Web-based search, based on the data. If the criterion is not satisfied, the data retriever program does not perform any data-retrieval action. The data retrieval program does not interfere with the clipboard; any application program sharing the clipboard can use data placed therein, e.g., by a paste operation.
US07725473B2 Common information model
One aspect of the invention is a method for responding to an inquiry. An example of the method includes receiving the inquiry, obtaining information from a CIMOM, and creating at least one Storage Object. This example of the method also includes populating the at least one Storage Object with information received from the CIMOM, and sending the at least one Storage Object to a calling function.
US07725470B2 Distributed query search using partition nodes
A distributed search system including a group of nodes assigned to different partitions, each partition storing a partial index for a group of documents. At least one of the nodes receives a search request from a user, sends the search request to a set of nodes, receives partial results from the set of nodes and creates a combined result from the partial results. The combined result includes results from a node in each partition.
US07725468B2 Improving efficiency in processing queries directed to static data sets
Data is maintained indicating which conditions match which data items (e.g., rows) of a data set (e.g., table(s) in a database). When a query is later received, the maintained data is quickly examined to determine the matching data items, thereby enhancing the throughput performance in processing queries directed to the data set.
US07725466B2 High accuracy document information-element vector encoding server
Some embodiments of a high-accuracy document information element-vector (IE-vector) encoding server have been presented. In one embodiment, the high-accuracy document IE-vector encoding server applies finite state automaton (FSA) to parse a document to identify one or more information elements (IEs) in the document. Then a DNA sequence of the document is derived based on the one or more IEs. The concept of DNA sequence of a document is powerful and can be used in building automated tools such as computer based processes to automatically reason and search for similarity, dissimilarity, equivalence and other relationships between structured, semi-structured and unstructured data and information. The DNA sequence of a document provides powerful paradigm to build sophisticated information and data search and retrieval techniques and tools.
US07725460B2 Method and system for a transparent application of multiple queries across multiple data sources
There is provided a system to respond to a request for data. The system receives a request for the data, queries at least two data sources for the data based on the request and receives results that include the data that is populated to at least one data object.
US07725457B2 Structured query language table merging
A method of modifying a Structured Query Language (SQL) statement in order to reduce the number of joins executed by a database is disclosed. The method includes presenting the SQL statement to the database and identifying joins in the SQL statement for removal in accordance with one or more predetermined criteria. For each identified join, the SQL statement may be modified so as to remove the identified join and to change references to a first instance of a table which is referred to by the identified join to a second instance of the table.
US07725455B1 Computing aggregates on distinct attribute values
A database system computes an aggregate on distinct values of at least one attribute for each of plural groups specified by multiple levels of grouping sets. Distinct values of the at least one attribute are identified and stored in a first table. The first table is used to compute aggregates for groups specified by a first grouping set and for groups specified by a second grouping set.
US07725452B1 Scheduler for search engine crawler
A scheduler for a search engine crawler includes a history log containing document identifiers (e.g., URLs) corresponding to documents (e.g., web pages) on a network (e.g., Internet). The scheduler is configured to process each document identifier in a set of the document identifiers by determining a content change frequency of the document corresponding to the document identifier, determining a first score for the document identifier that is a function of the determined content change frequency of the corresponding document, comparing the first score against a threshold value, and scheduling the corresponding document for indexing based on the results of the comparison.
US07725445B2 Data replication among storage systems
A first storage system stores information relating to the updating of data stored in that system as a journal. More specifically, the journal is composed of a copy of data that was used for updating and update information such as a write command used during updating. Furthermore, the second storage system acquires the journal via a communication line between the first storage system and the second storage system. The second storage system holds a duplicate of the data held by the first storage system and updates the data corresponding to the data of the first storage system in the data update order of the first storage system by using the journal.
US07725444B2 Method for a policy based storage manager
Provided are data structures for use in storing data. A plurality of data structures are defined in a computer readable medium, wherein each data structure indicates a plurality of attributes and at least one function of a storage resource to store data. Policies are defined in the computer readable medium that associate data characteristics to data structures based on a correspondence of data characteristics and the attributes defined in the data structures, wherein each defined data structure is adapted to provide requirements to determine a storage resource to store associated data, and wherein the defined data structure is adapted to provide the storage resource with requirements for storing the data.
US07725437B2 Providing an index for a data store
Chunks are stored in a data store, where respective collections of chunks form respective files. An index that maps digests of chunks to pages containing information to recreate the chunks is provided, where the index is stored in persistent storage.
US07725432B2 Logging last resource system
A logging last resource (LLR) system can provide a transaction log and transaction data to a LLR resource after a number of two-phase-commit resources have been prepared. The LLR resource manager can operate on the transaction log and transaction data in an atomic fashion so that the local commit can be done. The local commit can be done by the LLR manager in an atomic manner.
US07725428B1 System and method for restoring a database in a distributed database system
A system and method is presented for database restoration in a distributed data system. The distributed data system has a first database on a first server which needs restoration. The first database is first restored with a predetermined full backup file, the full backup file being made at a first predetermined time. The first database is then restored with one or more incremental backup files, the incremental backup files being made since the first predetermined time and having the most recent backup file made at a second predetermined time. A transaction log documenting data transactions since the second predetermined time is then examined. One or more transactions listed in the transaction log after the second predetermined time are then executed since they are not included in the incremental backup files. To verify whether the restored first database has completed its restoration, a transitive vector of the first database is compared with a transitive vector of a second database on a second server of the distributed database system, wherein the second database and the restored first database are expected to be the same.
US07725423B1 Analyzing associations in the order of transactions
A method, computer program and database system for use in analyzing associations in the order of transactions are disclosed. Data is loaded from the transactions into the database system. The data includes an entry for each transaction and the transactions are grouped into groups. The transactions within each group are put into an order. An analysis of the groups of transactions is performed to find associations in the order of the transactions in the groups.
US07725421B1 Duplicate account identification and scoring
A system matches accounts based on attributes of the accounts, and scores the matched account pairs based on a probability of the matched accounts being duplicate accounts. The system can utilize the matched and scored account pairs to determine duplicate accounts, and terminate at least one of the accounts in a duplicate account pair.
US07725416B2 Method for rule locating, ordering and combining in a polyhierarichical environment
System and method for rule location, ordering, and combining in a polyhierarchical environment are described. In one embodiment, a polyhierarchical environment contains at least one rule, at least one logical structure representable by a graph and at least two connections between one or more of the logical structures and a rule set evaluator (RSE). The RSE retrieves an assembly definition associated with a particular ordering or combination of rules. Each assembly definition is associated with one or more location chains, and each location chain is associated with one of the connections to a logical structure. For each location chain, a rule location policy is invoked, returning a rule. An assembly policy is invoked upon the returned rules, forming the returned rule into a dataset that conforms to the ordering or combination associated with the assembly definition.
US07725412B2 Identifying temporal sequences using a recurrent self organizing map
A data processing device for processing time-sequence data includes a data extracting unit extracting time-sequence data for a predetermined time unit from time-sequence data; and a processing unit obtaining scores for nodes of an SOM configured from multiple nodes provided with a spatial array configuration, the scores showing applicability to time-sequence data for a predetermined time unit thereof. The node with the best score is determined to be the winning node which is the node most applicable. The processing unit obtains scores as to the time-sequence data for one predetermined time unit, regarding a distance-restricted node wherein distance from the winning node as to the time-sequence for a predetermined time unit immediately preceding the time-sequence data of one predetermined time unit is within a predetermined distance. The distance-restricted node with the best the score is determined to be the winning node.
US07725410B2 Method, apparatus and system for aircraft deicing and estimating deicing completion times
The overall operating efficiency of processing objects, which are placed in a selected one of several available queues for subsequent processing at respective processing sites, is improved using a model relating the total time for processing to time of waiting in queue and processing. A deicing decision support tool uses the model for estimating completion times for deicing aircraft.
US07725407B2 Method of measuring a large population of web pages for compliance to content standards that require human judgement to evaluate
Embodiments herein provide a method, computer program product, etc. of measuring a large population of web pages for compliance to content standards that require human judgment to evaluate. The method performs an automated analysis of a web space, comprising gathering information about structure and content of the web space. The performing of the automated analysis further comprises creating first data and second data. Specifically, the creating of the first data comprises creating page-relationship data based on a directory tree structure of servers in the web space or link distances amongst pages in the web space. The creating of the second data comprises analyzing web page content, comprising creating compliance-indicating data and/or content structure data for pages in the web space. In addition, the performing of the automated analysis can comprise performing the automated analysis on a web space that lacks objective standards violations that can be identified using software.
US07725406B2 Systems and methods for international shipping and brokerage operations support processing
Systems and methods are disclosed for a brokerage operations support system to facilitate international shipping of goods into a country. The system receives information pertaining to a shipment and rates the shipment for a specific country by applying rules defined for the country's customs regulations. Status information of the shipment is received by the system, including whether the shipment has cleared the importing country's customs process. If the shipment has not cleared, the handling systems ensure the shipment is withheld from delivery until clearance is obtained. A flexible system architecture comprising a server and both attended and unattended workstations for a core system that can be modified to allow rating and processing of shipments occur in various modes to accommodate the procedures for each importing country.
US07725403B2 Method and system to verify a transaction
A method and system to verify a transaction are described. The system may include a token generator to issue a client set of tokens to a client, a token verification list generator to issue a verification set of tokens to a provider, a communication module to receive a request from the provider to redeem a provider set of tokens, and a redemption module. The redemption module may be configured to compare the provider set of tokens with the client set of tokens and to selectively redeem the provider set of tokens based on the results of the comparison.
US07725397B2 Method and system for time-sequential authentication of shipments in supply chains
In one embodiment of the present invention, a source point, or security management entity, within a supply chain labels a shipment to be shipped through the supply chain with numbers, text strings, or other type of label information. Different label information may be placed at each of multiple levels of packaging as well as on objects within the packaging. The source point devises an encryption-key chain via a one-way function, and encrypts combinations of the label information incorporated within the packaging and objects using encryption keys from the encryption-key chain to produce one or more encrypted label tags. The one or more encrypted label tags are affixed to the shipment by the source point, and the shipment is sent into the supply chain for eventual delivery to a destination point. At pre-selected intervals of time, the source point reveals encryption keys within the encryption-key chain. In one embodiment of the present invention, revealing of encryption keys allows intermediate points or the destination point in the supply chain at which the shipment resides to extract label information and apply the most recently revealed encryption key to compute a label-tag value, and to then compare the computed label-tag value to a label tag affixed to, or incorporated within, the shipment.
US07725396B2 Secure keys for software activation
A secure method for generating and verifying keys to be utilized for software feature activation. The method includes secure key generation by a software manufacturer and secure key verification by the end software-product that reveals to the software which features to activate. This ensures that any key which activates a feature in the software is generated by the software manufacturer.
US07725392B2 Router-based remittance systems and methods
In some aspects, what is disclosed relates to a processor-based payment method for transferring user-provided payment data through a router that parses the payment data and transfers the parsed data to a plurality of receivers in distinct locations, detecting the parsed data at each of the plurality of receivers, and originating an ACH debit against the user, or an e-check, based on the parsed data.
US07725387B1 Method and system for management of financial accounts
The invention relates to a method for managing a financial account. The method involves directing a primary transaction request to a holding account controlled by an account owner, evaluating the primary transaction request based on a selected rule to obtain an evaluation, routing the primary transaction request, based on the evaluation, from the holding account to the financial account of a plurality of financial accounts.
US07725382B2 Click based trading with intuitive grid display of market depth
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.
US07725375B2 Systems and computer program products for exchanging an obligation
Methods and apparatus which deal with the management of risk relating to specified, yet unknown, future events are disclosed. ‘Sponsor’ stakeholders specify a particular product relating to an event or phenomenon for which there is a range of possible future outcomes. ‘Ordering’ stakeholders then offer contracts relating to the predetermined phenomenon and corresponding range of outcomes. The offered contracts specify an entitlement or (pay-off) at the future time of maturity for each outcome, and a consideration (or premium) payable, in exchange, to a ‘counter-party’ stakeholder. Independently of the offered contracts, the ‘counter-party’ stakeholders input data as to their view of the likelihood of occurrence of each outcome in the predetermined range into the future, or specifically at the predetermined date of maturity. Each offered contract is priced by the processing units by calculating counter-party premiums from the registered data, and a match attempted by a comparison of the offered premium with the calculated premiums. Matched contracts can be further traded until maturity, and at-maturity processing handles the exchange of entitlement as between the matched parties to the contract.
US07725370B2 System and method for outsource supplier management
A system and method for is provided for outsource supplier management that facilitates improved order communication between customers, sellers and outsource suppliers. During order processing the supplier management system automatically receives the order from the customer and passes the order to the outsource supplier along with order, material and shipping parameters. The outsource supplier ships the product directly to the customer using the parameters provided with the order. When the product is shipped from the outsource supplier, shipment data is sent from the outsource supplier to the seller. The seller virtually receives the parts in the seller's inventory, and creates an invoice to pay the outsource supplier. The original order from the customer is matched with the virtual inventory and the product is virtually shipped from the seller to the customer. The customer is then invoiced by the seller or outsource supplier depending on customer requirements.
US07725367B2 Method and system for determining a costing sequence for transfers between a plurality of cost groups
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method for sequencing cost calculation. In one embodiment a processing sequence, comprising a plurality of hierarchy levels, is created for a plurality of cost groups. The processing sequence is used in an iterative process for calculating the cost of an item of the plurality of cost groups. In embodiments of the present invention, the iterative process is repeated until the costs of a plurality of items of the plurality of cost groups have been calculated.
US07725355B2 Information processing apparatus and method for managing order data of on-line orders, program for the same
When there is an inquiry about a deficiency point from a user who received a print product, a service provider side can properly deal with the inquiry. A server receives warning information on an edit process generated when the edit process not satisfying a preset condition is performed and edit data generated in the edit process, and associates with each other and registers the warning information and edit data.
US07725349B2 Method, program, and system for resetting the value of a coupon based on market information
A method and computer program for resetting the value of a coupon based on market information is provided. The program receives a request for valuation of a coupon from a retailer, accesses market demand information for a product corresponding to the coupon, determines a market demand value based on the market demand information, determines a coupon value based on the market demand value, and provides the coupon value to the retailer.
US07725346B2 Method and computer program product for predicting sales from online public discussions
A sales prediction system predicts sales from online public discussions. The system utilizes manually or automatically formulated predicates to capture subsets of postings in online public discussions. The system predicts spikes in sales rank based on online chatter. The system comprises automated algorithms that predict spikes in sales rank given a time series of counts of online discussions such as blog postings. The system utilizes a stateless model of customer behavior based on a series of states of excitation that are increasingly likely to lead to a purchase decision. The stateless model of customer behavior yields a predictor of sales rank spikes that is significantly more accurate than conventional techniques operating on sales rank data alone.
US07725342B2 Method, computer program product, and data processing system for estimating a number of attendees of a scheduled event in an electronic calendar system
A plurality of acceptance messages associated with a first scheduled event having a scheduled event time are received. Each of the plurality of acceptance messages are associated with a respective user. A schedule conflict of a user associated with an acceptance message of the plurality of acceptance messages is identified. Responsive to identifying the schedule conflict, a probable attendance is calculated from the plurality of acceptance messages.
US07725339B1 Contact center scheduling using integer programming
The present invention relates to a method for workforce scheduling in which workload and workload types vary during scheduling period. The method acquires agent and skill requirements for all periods and contact types; acquires the contact center information including agent skill groups, agent work groups, tour and shift scheduling rules, agent availability, objective criterion to be optimized and its parameters; develops a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model for the scheduling environment; applied an optimization algorithm that uses the Branch and Bound algorithm with a Rounding Algorithm to improve performance; and locates a globally optimal or near optimal workforce schedule in total cost or paid time or agent satisfaction. Detailed schedules may be developed by assigning daily shifts to work patterns, and breaks scheduled to daily shifts.
US07725336B2 Methods and systems of insuring fertility care lifestyle affairs
Beneficiaries are registered by an insurance provider for an insurance coverage policy for fertility diagnosis and treatable infertility conditions using either manual or online registration applications over a communications network. Using, knowledge base systems, prospective beneficiary personal descriptor information is matched with terms and conditions information preloaded into the insurance company computer system to generate a customized contract for delivery of infertility treatment services to different categories of beneficiaries. Beneficiaries may range in age from newborn infants up to adults. However, infertility treatment services are not provided either until the beneficiaries reach childbearing age or until the policies of adult beneficiaries vest over a designated time period. Adults can purchase infertility insurance naming their infant child as beneficiary and pay premiums over time until the child reaches childbearing age. Once the child reaches childbearing age, the insurance policy can be utilized by the beneficiary or can be transferred.
US07725323B2 Device and process for encoding audio data
An MPEG-1 layer 3 audio encoder, including a scalefactor generator for determining first scalefactors for encoding a block of audio data if a temporal masking transient is not detected in said block of audio data; and for selecting the maximum of said scalefactors for encoding said block of audio data if a temporal masking transient is detected in said block of audio data to enable greater compression of said audio data. Increases in quantization error, due to use of the maximum scalefactor are pre-masked or post-masked by the temporal masking transient. In cases where the last portion of a block includes a temporal masking transient that masks the preceding portions of the block, the maximum scalefactor is only used to encode the block if the resulting increase in quantization error is less than 30% of the quantization error for the block.
US07725322B2 Spoken dialogue interface apparatus and method
The spoken dialogue interface apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a speech recognition module for recognizing a human's speech from a sound signal; a user intention interpretation module for extracting a sentence from the recognized speech and interpreting a user's intention based on the sentence; a user intention selection module for determining user intention using the interpreted user's intention and a predetermined domain action frame; and a system response generation module for generating a system response sentence corresponding to the selected user intention, wherein the domain action frame includes service information which the user requests, and parameter information which is used to perform a service, and the domain action frame is constructed to have a hierarchical tree structure.
US07725312B2 Transcoding method and system between CELP-based speech codes with externally provided status
A method for transcoding a CELP based compressed voice bitstream from source codec to destination codec. The method includes processing a source codec input CELP bitstream to unpack at least one or more CELP parameters from the input CELP bitstream and interpolating one or more of the plurality of unpacked CELP parameters from a source codec format to a destination codec format if a difference of one or more of a plurality of destination codec parameters including a frame size, a subframe size, and/or sampling rate of the destination codec format and one or more of a plurality of source codec parameters including a frame size, a subframe size, or sampling rate of the source codec format exist. The method includes encoding the one or more CELP parameters for the destination codec and processing a destination CELP bitstream by at least packing the one or more CELP parameters for the destination codec.
US07725311B2 Method and apparatus for rate reduction of coded voice traffic
A conversion entity and method for converting higher-rate speech parameters into lower-rate parameters including dimmed excitation parameters. The conversion entity comprises a first decoder configured to produce a target excitation from the higher-rate parameters, based on a first fixed contribution and a first adaptive contribution. The conversion entity also comprises a second decoder configured to produce a second adaptive contribution, and configured to selectably operate in a first or a second mode. In the first mode, the second adaptive component is generated based on the first fixed contribution for a previous frame, while in the second mode, the second adaptive component is generated based on a second fixed contribution for the previous frame. The second decoder operates in the second mode in response to a rate reduction request. A processing module determines the dimmed excitation parameters for generation of the second fixed contribution for the current frame, based on the target excitation and the second adaptive contribution.
US07725305B2 Partial virtualization on computing device
A computing device hosts a virtual machine executing a guest that issues guest hardware requests by way of any of a plurality of paths. Such paths include a path to non-existent virtual hardware, where an emulator intercepts and processes such guest hardware request with a corresponding actual hardware command; a path to an instantiated operating system, where the instantiated operating system processes each such guest hardware request with a corresponding actual hardware request; and a path to device hardware, where the device hardware directly processes each such guest hardware request.
US07725303B2 Device and method for checking railway logical software engines for commanding plants, particularly station plants
Method and device for checking logical software engines for commanding railway plants, particularly station plants, include at least a computer with at least a central processing unit and at least a memory for loading and executing programs, a logical engine for commanding a plant, particularly a station plant, being loaded or loadable in said memory for its execution, which plant comprises a plurality of operating units for actuating and/or detection and/or measurement and/or signalling, so-called wayside equipments, which units are provided for receiving command signals and for transmitting control signals about the operating condition, and which logical software engine reads control signals given by the operating units for actuating and/or detection and/or measurement and/or signalling and its processes command signals of said operating units based on an operation protocol of the plant itself. According to the invention, in the computer memory there is loaded or loadable and is executable by the computer a software simulation program of the plant that must be controlled and commanded by the control and command logical program, which simulation program reproduces faithfully the plant structure and the operating modes of the operating units provided in said plant.
US07725302B2 Method and system and program storage device for generating an SWPM-MDT workflow in response to a user objective and executing the workflow to produce a reservoir response model
A method for performing an oilfield operation on a reservoir, including: obtaining a user objective identifying the oilfield operation; obtaining a set of input data; selecting a workflow in response to the user objective, where the workflow comprises a build model module and a tune model module; generating a 1D model of the reservoir using the build module, where the 1D model includes multiple per unit of depth properties; generating a 3D model of the reservoir by distributing the plurality of per unit of depth properties in 3D; calibrating the 3D model using the tune model module, modular dynamic tester transient test data, and a historical response of the reservoir; forecasting a response of the reservoir to the set of input data by applying the first set of input data to the 3D model; and using the response to perform the oilfield operation.
US07725289B2 Step counter and method of counting steps
An uniaxial acceleration sensor senses an acceleration. An analog to digital (AD) converter converts the acceleration into a digital sensor value. A square-value calculating unit calculates a square value of the sensor value. A zero-point determining unit determines whether the square value is zero and every time the square value becomes zero, instructs an energy calculating unit to output energy. The energy calculating unit calculates the energy by integrating the square value. Upon receiving instructions to output the energy, the energy calculating unit outputs the stored energy to a threshold comparing unit. The threshold comparing unit compares the energy with a predetermined threshold. A tentative walking processing unit counts the number of times the energy is equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold. A step calculating unit calculates steps by dividing a counter value of the tentative walking processing unit by two.
US07725277B2 Method and device for performing a frequency analysis of an AC voltage signal, in particular on a power grid
In a method for performing a frequency analysis of an AC voltage signal, in particular in a power mains, an upper limit of the period length of a fundamental oscillation in the AC voltage signal is determined. A sequence of sampling values of the AC voltage signal is obtained over a duration longer than the upper limit of the period length, thereby ensuring that more than a period of the fundamental oscillation is sampled. Selected from the sequence of sampling values is a subset of sampling values, with the subset sampling substantially one period of the fundamental oscillation. At least a portion of the sampling values not included in the subset is altered, and a frequency is calculated based on the obtained sequence of sampling values, the subset of sampling values and the altered portion of the sampling values.
US07725269B2 Sensor infrastructure
A device for use in detecting an event in a structure includes a sensor encapsulation, the encapsulation containing a sensor, an actuator positioned substantially in-plane to the sensor within the housing and a printed circuit board in communication with at least one of the sensor and the actuator. The printed circuit board includes a microprocessor constructed and arranged to collect data from at least one of the sensor and the actuator, a signal generator constructed and arranged to provide excitation to at least one of the sensor and the actuator, and an amplifier to condition the excitation.
US07725265B2 VH signal integration measure for seismic data
A method and system of processing seismic data includes acquiring three-component seismic data and combining horizontal components of the three-component seismic data to obtain a merged horizontal component. Frequency spectra are determined for the acquired three-component seismic data. A ratio of a vertical component of the seismic data to the merged horizontal component is determined. A V/H integration-measure is obtained from the integration of the area bounded by a selected minimum-amplitude value and the amplitude values greater than the selected minimum-amplitude value and the V/H integration-measure is stored in a form for display.
US07725260B2 Image-augmented inertial navigation system (IAINS) and method
An image-augmented inertial navigation system (LAWS) mounted on a vehicle (10) includes an inertial navigation system (INS) configured to estimate a navigation state vector and an imager (12) configured to output pixel signals associated with terrain features passing through a field of view (x, y, z) of the imager. The system (IAINS) further includes a processing unit operatively connected to the inertial navigation system (INS) and the imager (12). The processing unit is configured to sense a distance from the imager to a centroid of one or more of the terrain features passing though a field of view of the imager for a given image frame associated with the feature pixel signals. The processing unit is also configured to track each terrain feature as the terrain features pass through the field of view of the imager. The processing unit is further configured to update the navigation state vector of the inertial navigation system (INS) based on calculated NED (North, East, Down) coordinates position information of the inertial navigation system (INS) relative to the tracked terrain features.
US07725245B2 Throttle valve control system for internal combustion engine
A throttle valve control system for an internal combustion engine which controls an opening of a throttle valve of the engine so that the opening coincides with a target opening. A regulation value of a change amount of the throttle valve opening is set according to at least a temperature parameter indicative of a temperature of the engine. The target opening is set within a range defined by the regulation value. An upper limit value and a lower limit value of the regulation value is set according to the temperature parameter, and a transition control is performed wherein the regulation value is set according to an elapsed time period after start of the engine so as to change from the lower limit value to the upper limit value.
US07725242B2 Controller of internal combustion engine
Tooth portions are formed at unit angles on a rotor connected with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine. A toothless portion is formed on the rotor by irregularly changing the regular arrangement of the tooth portions. A controller of the engine estimates times necessary for rotation of unit angles of an arbitrary angular range of 50° CA including the toothless portion and a pair of tooth portions adjacent to the toothless portion by using times necessary for rotation of unit angles of a different angular range of 50° CA distant from the arbitrary angular range by 180° CA. Thus, the controller can maintain high controllability of the engine even when there occurs a range where the time necessary for the rotation of the crankshaft is not sensed appropriately.
US07725241B2 Fuel injection control device and fuel injection system using the same
When an ignition key is switched off, an updated learning value is set as an immediately preceding learning value of a present trip, which is compared with an average value of start timing learning values in a predetermined number of trips up to and including the present trip. When a difference between the immediately preceding learning value of the present trip and the average value exceeds a predetermined range, a start timing learning value to be used at a startup of a next trip is not updated. When the difference between the immediately preceding learning value of the present trip and the average value fails within the predetermined range, the immediately preceding learning value of the present trip is written in an EEPROM and used as the start timing learning value at the engine startup of the next trip.
US07725239B2 Plant control system
In a system calculating control input Ucain based on the linear controller that calculates a provisional input Usl to converge an output of the plant to a desired value in accordance with response-specifying control algorithm based on the linear element and on the nonlinear compensator, the nonlinear characteristic adapter is provided for correcting the nonlinear compensator based on an error e_nl between an output estimated value Cain_est of the plant calculated by the controlled object model solely comprising the linear element and the output Cain of the plant. With this, even when the nonlinear characteristics of the plant change due to manufacturing variance or aging degradation, it becomes possible to accurately compensate the nonlinear characteristics by the nonlinear compensator.
US07725227B2 Method, system, and apparatus for providing enhanced steering pull compensation
A method, system, and apparatus for providing enhanced steering pull compensation are provided. The method compensates for steering pull in a vehicle steering system that includes a handwheel. The method includes monitoring the vehicle to determine whether the vehicle is heading forward along a substantially linear straight-ahead path and, if so, measuring handwheel torque, as a sensed torque signal, to determine an amount of steering pull existing at the handwheel. The method also includes generating a torque assist signal in response to the sensed torque signal and calculating an offset signal for reducing the amount of steering pull to substantially zero. The method further includes producing a modified torque assist signal by adding the offset signal to the torque assist signal, and applying the modified torque assist signal to the vehicle steering system.
US07725226B2 Vehicle suspension system with roll stiffness distribution control
In a target rotational angle determining routine, based on a roll moment and longitudinal acceleration that are calculated, target rotational angles of actuators on a subject side (one of front-wheel and rear-wheel sides) and a counterpart side are obtained using a common map. An actual rotational angle on the counterpart side is read. It is determined whether the absolute value of a difference obtained by subtracting the actual rotational angle supplied from the counterpart side from the target rotational angle on the counterpart side that is obtained by the subject side is equal to or greater than a set angle difference Δθ0. If YES, it is determined that roll stiffness on the counterpart side is insufficient, and the target rotational angle on the subject side is changed so that a roll stiffness distribution ratio between the front-wheel side and the rear-wheel side comes close to a set distribution ratio.
US07725218B2 G.P.S. management system
A management system using Global Positioning System receivers for tracking remote units from a central office and quickly and conveniently determining if those remote units have varied from a set of predetermined parameters of operation. The system also includes provisions that allows information to be sent from the remote units to the central office and vice versa. The system also has safety features that promote the rapid dispatch of law enforcement personnel when requests for emergency assistance have been made from the remote units.
US07725216B2 Critical event reporting
A fleet management system for remotely monitoring a vehicle is disclosed in one embodiment. The fleet management system includes a data receiver and a display. The data receiver is configured to wirelessly receive information from the vehicle. That information includes a location for the vehicle. The display is configured to present a planned route configured for the vehicle before travel and a driven route of the vehicle. The driven route is determined from the information from the vehicle. The planned route and driven route are displayed simultaneously.
US07725214B2 Minimally invasive surgical system
A control system for a minimally invasive surgical system. In one aspect the control system is a distributed system. A control and transform processor receives data from a master arm controller, an instrument controller, an imaging system controller, and a guide tube controller and distributes data received from one controller to the other controllers. The other controllers use the received data, along with received optimization goals, to control associated slave arms in a distributed but coordinated way. In another aspect, the control system is centralized, in which a motion coordinator receives master inputs, sensor inputs from the slave arms, and optimization inputs. The motion coordinator uses the received inputs to output control signals to an instrument, an imaging system, and a guide tube controller.
US07725208B2 Dynamic metrology schemes and sampling schemes for advanced process control in semiconductor processing
Systems, methods and mediums are provided for dynamic adjustment of sampling plans in connection with a wafer (or other device) to be measured. The invention adjusts the frequency and/or spatial resolution of measurements on an as-needed basis when one or more events occur that are likely to indicate an internal or external change affecting the manufacturing process or results. The dynamic metrology plan adjusts the spatial resolution of sampling within-wafer by adding, subtracting or replacing candidate points from the sampling plan, in response to certain events which suggest that additional or different measurements of the wafer may be desirable. Further, the invention may be used in connection with adjusting the frequency of wafer-to-wafer measurements.
US07725186B1 Complimentary activity sensor network for disease monitoring and therapy modulation in an implantable device
Energy efficient methods and systems for using multi-dimensional activity sensors with implantable cardiac devices are provided. In certain embodiments the output of a passive activity sensor (used for rate responsive pacing) is used to trigger temporary use of a relatively high power multi-dimensional activity sensor. In other embodiments, the output of a relatively low power oxygen saturation sensor is used to trigger temporary use of a relatively high power multi-dimensional activity sensor. This description is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention.
US07725184B2 Cardiac tachyarrhythmia therapy selection based on patient response information
Cardiac treatment methods and devices providing templates representative of past tachyarrhythmia events, each template associated with a therapy. A cardiac waveform is detected, and if it corresponds to a particular template associated with a previous therapy that was satisfactory in terminating a past event, the previous therapy is delivered again. If unsatisfactory, the previous therapy is eliminated as an option. If, for example, the previous therapy was an antitachycardia pacing therapy unsatisfactory in terminating the past tachyarrhythmia event, delivery of the antitachycardia pacing therapy is eliminated as an option. Instead of ATP therapy, one or more of a cardioversion, defibrillation, or alternate anti-tachycardia pacing therapy may be associated with the particular template. Cardiac waveforms and templates may correspond in terms of one or more of morphology, timing, drug regimen, medication, neural activity, patient activity, hemodynamic status, cardiac tissue impedance, transthoracic impedance, or other information corresponding to the episode.
US07725181B1 Apnea burden minimizing cardiac stimulation device
An implantable cardiac device minimizes apnea burden. In one implementation, the device administers a series of cardiac pacing trials using a different value for a pacing parameter in each trial and then measures an apnea burden corresponding to each trial in order to determine a value which reduces apnea burden when used for ongoing cardiac pacing. In one implementation the implantable cardiac device performs series of trials in cycles, during which a first series of trials determines a value for a first pacing parameter for reducing apnea burden while other pacing parameters are held constant. Subsequent series of trials subject the other pacing parameters, in turn, to their own series of pacing trials while holding the non-subjected pacing parameters constant. Through multiple cycles, the device optimizes each parameter in turn based on continually improving values for the other pacing parameters.
US07725175B2 System and method for neuromuscular reeducation
A system and a method that promotes the restoration of physical functions of the neuromuscular system by incorporating into one device the treatment modalities of biofeedback based repetitive practice, includes an actuator, a joint position measurement system, a force sensing measurement system, an EMG measurement system, a neuromuscular low-level stimulation system, a controller, and a display device.
US07725168B2 Powerhead of a power injection system
A contrast media injection system includes detects the absolute position of the syringe ram using a non-contact sensor. A series of magnets and Hall-Effect sensors may be used or an opto-reflective system. Illuminated knobs that are connected to the drive mechanism for the syringe ram rotate with the drive and provide visual feedback on operation through the illumination. Analog Hall-Effect sensors are used to determine the presence or absence of magnets that identify the type of faceplate being used. The faceplates include control electronics, connected to the powerhead through connectors, which may be interchangeably used by the two faceplates. The faceplate electronics include detectors for automatically detecting the capacity of pre-filled syringes. Additional features include using historical data to provide optimum pressure limit values during an injection protocol, a removable memory device for storing and transferring information such as injection protocols and injector statistics, and password protection of such protocols.
US07725154B2 Method and medical imaging apparatus for planning an image acquisition based on a previously-generated reference image
In a method and device for planning an examination of an examination subject in an imaging diagnosis device, a reference image is selected, and an image of the examination subject is to be made that corresponds to the reference image. A workflow protocol is determined with which the reference image was generated. The acquisition of all required images of the examination subject is planned using this workflow protocol. The workflow protocol is executed for creation of an image of the examination subject that corresponds to the reference image.
US07725145B2 Biological photometric device
A biological photometric device includes a light irradiating unit for irradiating an object to be examined with light having a predetermined wavelength and sympathizing with oxygenated hemoglobin and deoxygenated hemoglobin through an optical fiber, a light detecting unit for detecting and amplifying light passing through a detecting optical fiber and the object as detected signals, a signal processing unit adapted for computing hemoglobin time change information based on oxygenated hemoglobin, deoxygenated hemoglobin and total hemoglobin in the object from the detected signals light detecting unit, and including a noise detector for arithmetically processing the detected signals and determining/detecting whether the time change information is noise attributed to the presence of obstacles to passing of light between the object and the end face of the optical fiber or noise attributed to the damage to the light irradiating unit, and a display unit for displaying the noise signals.
US07725142B2 Telecommunications chassis and card
A chassis and associated telecommunication circuit card are disclosed. The chassis has heat dissipation structures and may accommodate a high density of the circuitry cards. Embodiments may include one surface with one or more ridges for rigidity and ventilation and fin slots for receiving circuit card guide fins. Embodiments may include a surface with knockouts for receiving circuit card guides. Embodiments may also include multiple bracket hole patterns for mounting brackets for different racks or for a single multi-rack bracket having more than one mounting hole pattern. The circuit card includes conductor structures such as multiple board layers with paired and segregated conductors. The circuit card also includes some components positioned to cooperate with the ventilation structures of the chassis and includes some components chosen for low-power consumption or reduced flammability.
US07725140B2 Portable terminal
The present invention relates to a portable terminal. The portable terminal of the present invention comprises a main body unit 10, a display unit 20 which is connected and installed to the main body unit 10 and provided with a display screen 22 for displaying a variety of information, and a key pad 32 which includes a plurality of keys 34 arranged in rows thereon and is installed to the main body unit to be rotatable by a predetermined angle. According to the present invention, since the arrangement of keys is changed according to modes of the portable terminal, there is an advantage in that a user can conveniently use the keys. In particular, since the arrangement of keys on the key pad with respect to the display unit is similar to that of a computer keyboard in a specified mode of the portable terminal, there is another advantage in that the user can quickly perform a key input operation. Further, since characters indicated on the keys can be changed according to the rotational position of the key pad, there is a further advantage in that the keys can be easily distinguished from one another.
US07725137B2 Battery device in a mobile terminal and operating method thereof
Disclosed herein are a battery device for preventing danger caused by battery overheating in a mobile terminal, and a method of operating the battery device. In the battery device, a battery state sensor periodically monitors a change in the state of a battery during operation or charging of the battery, and outputs a predetermined signal corresponding to the monitored state change, a controller senses a battery overheating-caused danger from the signal received from the battery state sensor and outputs a control signal, and an automatic locker separates the battery from the mobile terminal according to the control signal received from the controller.
US07725132B1 System for reducing the electromagnetic interference between two or more antennas coupled to a wireless communication device
A system for reducing electromagnetic interference between two or more co-located antennas is described herein. In one embodiment, the system includes a first antenna for transmitting a first signal within a first frequency band, and a second antenna for operating within a second frequency band during transmission of the first signal. The first and second frequency bands may be substantially identical, or may occupy overlapping or nearby channels within the radio frequency spectrum. The system also includes an apparatus. In one embodiment, the apparatus is positioned proximate to the second antenna for intercepting the electromagnetic energy radiated from the first antenna during transmission of the first signal. In other embodiments, the apparatus may be positioned proximate to the first antenna for intercepting the electromagnetic energy radiated from the second antenna during transmission of a second signal. In either embodiment, the apparatus is able to reduce electromagnetic interference between the first and second antennas by scattering (or redirecting) radiated energy away from either the first antenna or the second antenna.
US07725107B2 Wireless transmit receive unit having a transition state for transitioning from monitoring to duplex connected states and method
A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and method for wireless uplink communication to and downlink communication from a wireless network are provided. The WTRU has a selectively configurable transceiver that has a network connected mode defined by a plurality of functional states including at least one monitoring state and a duplex state. The transceiver is configured to transition from a monitoring state upon occurrence of predefined WTRU events that are each associated with a respective uplink procedure initiation communication where at least one of procedures results in a network response that includes a temporary identifier. The transceiver is configurable into a transition state wherein the transceiver is configured to send only the uplink initiation communications and is otherwise configured only for downlink communications.
US07725094B2 Power prioritization among functions of a multi-function device
A device can provide a first function and a second function. The first function can have a higher priority for power than the second function. An input element can receive an indication of a remaining capacity of a power source for the device. A comparison element can compare the indication of the remaining capacity of the power source to a power threshold associated with the second function. A control element can initiate a power control action with respect to the second function if the indication of the remaining capacity of the power source is below the power threshold.
US07725083B1 Antenna system for a wireless communication device
A wireless communication device such as a cellular telephone handset is disclosed including a housing having a transceiver circuit disposed therein. An internal antenna is also disposed within the housing which is RF connected to the transceiver circuit. An external, retractable antenna is mounted on the housing and is selectively movable between a retracted position and an extended position. The external, retractable antenna is RF connected to the transceiver circuit. When the external antenna is retracted, the internal antenna functions as a primary antenna. Should the need arise, the external antenna may be extended to improve the quality of the radio signals.
US07725075B2 Control element for simplex HF to VHF/UHF cross-band system with transmission breakthrough
The device and method disclosed deals with the operation of a cross-band simplex radio frequency communications system. In a system having a first band receiver on a first radio frequency band for receiving and demodulating a first received signal, and a second band transmitter using a second radio frequency band to modulate and transmit the demodulated first received signal so as to communicate audio and signaling received by the receiver in one band to the transmitter of another band when in a cross band mode. There is also at least a second band receiver using the second radio frequency band typically associated with the second frequency band transmitter for receiving signals containing audio and signaling which is to be communicated to a first band transmitter so as to reply to the signal received on the first band receiver. A method of the invention disclosed includes the steps of: detecting the occurrence of a predetermined condition associated with the first received signal in the first band receiver; and replacing transmission of the demodulated signal received on the first band receiver with a breakthrough signal for a first predetermined time; ceasing transmission from the second band transmitter; and receiving on the second band receiver for a second predetermined time and determining if a signal is received on the second band receiver and if so allowing remote operation of the first band receiver of the single frequency simplex communications system.
US07725074B2 Wireless communication method, relay station apparatus, and wireless transmitting apparatus
A wireless communication method and the like for improving the system throughput. The wireless communication method is used in a mobile communication system having a base station apparatus (BS), a relay station apparatus (RS) (100) and a mobile station apparatus (MS) #1. In a first transmission step, a first transport signal, which includes data addressed to MS #1, is transmitted from BS to RS (100). In a second transmission step, a second transport signal, which includes a pilot generated by BS, is transmitted from BS. Simultaneously, in the second transmission step, a relay signal, which includes the data addressed to MS #1 and also includes a pilot that is generated by RS (100) and that has a particular orthogonal relationship with the pilot generated by BS, is transmitted from RS (100) to MS #1.
US07725072B2 Provision of messaging services from a video messaging system based on ANI and CLID
A telecommunications system that supports the provision of video messaging to certain user devices, based on the calling line identifier or ANI associated with the user devices. Based on the CLID or the ANI, as well as user selected options, network configurations and status, and class-of-service characteristics, the telecommunications systems can revise the manner in which content is provided to the user equipment. Variations in the content provision include providing synchronized audio and video content, audio content only, video content only, video content with closed-captioning and closed-captioning only.
US07725060B2 Skirt for toner cartridge
A skirt for a toner cartridge comprises a body having a pair of parallel edges, a plurality of beams extending along the body in the direction of the pair of parallel edges, the beams having a first end dimension B, the beams having a second end dimension b, the plurality of beams having tapered edges between the first end and the second end defining a ratio R defined by dimensions b/B being from about 0 to 0.9 for inhibiting creep deflection.
US07725059B2 Image developer providing improved developer dispersibility and image forming apparatus containing the same
An image developer, including a developer bearer rotatable facing an electrostatic latent image bearer; a developer feeder feeding a developer including a toner to the developer bearer; a developer collector collecting the developer separated and left from the developer bearer after the developer is fed to the electrostatic latent image bearer; a detour route including a developer stirrer and transfer stirring and transferring the developer between the developer feeder and the developer collector; a first opening connecting the developer feeder with the detour route; a second opening connecting the detour route with the developer collector; a developer supplier supplying the developer to the image developer; and a third opening connecting to the developer supplier, wherein the toner has a volume-average particle diameter of from 3 to 8 μm and a ratio (Dv/Dn) of the volume-average particle diameter (Dv) to a number-average particle diameter (Dn) thereof of from 1.00 to 1.40.
US07725054B2 Electrifying apparatus, a processing unit, and an image formation apparatus
An electrifying apparatus, a processing unit including the electrifying apparatus, and an image formation apparatus including the electrifying apparatus. The electrifying apparatus includes a conductive sheet for electrifying at least one of a surface of a photoconductor and toner adhered to the surface. The conductive sheet is specified to have a pure-water contact angle equal to or greater than 108 degrees, and to have a shore D hardness equal to or less than 65.
US07725045B2 Image forming apparatus to reduce a number of signal lines
An image forming apparatus is capable of reducing the vast amounts of image forming apparatus input lines by placing detection data from a plurality of detectors on a single signal line. An image forming apparatus may include an image forming controller configured to control a movement of the image forming apparatus, plural drivers configured to drive plural actuators, an identification controller configured to be coupled to a data signal line, an identification signal line and a term signal line, wherein the identification controller is configured to identify one of the plural drivers based on a term signal and an identification signal that are output from the image forming controller, and to output a driving signal from the image forming controller to the identified driver.
US07725038B2 System and method for transporting unaltered optical data stream
Embodiments of the invention provide systems, apparatuses, and methods for maintaining proper bit sequence as well as the rate at which the bits occur within the data stream, enabling the transport of an unaltered optical stream from one point to another. Bits of data in a data stream are read into a buffer at a rate controlled by a Phase Locked Loop. A bit count (Ci) embedded in the data stream is extracted and compared with a locally generated bit count (Co) over a predetermined time interval. If Ci and Co are not the same, the PLL frequency can be adjusted to increase or decrease the rate data is read from the buffer.
US07725022B2 Dynamic automatic exposure compensation for image capture devices
Techniques are described for dynamic automatic exposure compensation within image capture devices. The techniques include dynamically adjusting a default target brightness for a scene to compensate an exposure value (EV) selected by an automatic exposure process. A sensor array obtains light information from the scene at a default target brightness and an image capture controller calculates brightness values of a plurality of regions in the scene based on the light information. An automatic exposure compensation module dynamically adjusts the default target brightness based on the brightness values for the plurality of regions in the scene and threshold values set for the sensor array to set an adjusted target brightness. The sensor array may then capture an image frame of the scene using an EV for the adjusted target brightness. The techniques also include building a hysteresis zone to substantially stabilize the adjusted target brightness over a sequence of image scenes.
US07725021B2 Lighting system for shooting
A lighting system of the present invention includes a master flash device, a remote flash device, a support part, and a light guiding member. The master flash device emits light in accordance with a light emission control of a camera. The remote flash device has a light-receiving part that receives the light of the master flash device and emits light in accordance with the light-receiving result of the light-receiving part. The support part has the remote flash device mounted at a place where the light of the master flash device is shielded by a shooting lens or a camera. The light guiding member optically forms a detour optical path that guides the light of the master flash device to the light-receiving part.
US07725020B2 Monitoring camera device
There is provided a monitoring camera apparatus which, while ensuring waterproofness, can perform focus adjustment when a dome cover is mounted. A lens (3) is covered by the dome cover (5) which is removable. A focus adjustment mechanism (9) moves an imaging device (7) in an optical axis direction and thereby performs focus adjustment. A setting button (13) being a focus setting operation unit is arranged in the inner side of the dome cover (5), and operated when the dome cover (5) is mounted. A controller (11) controls the focus adjustment mechanism (9). The controller (11) allows the focus adjustment mechanism (9) to start focus adjustment when a predetermined focus start wait time has elapsed after operation of the setting button (13). The focus start wait time is set according to a standard mounting operation time required to mount the dome cover (5).
US07725019B2 Apparatus and method for deciding in-focus position of imaging lens
A subject is imaged while an imaging lens is moved along the optic axis in incremental distances, and a graph of focus evaluations representing degree of focus of the subject image is obtained. Processing for detecting a face is executed at positions of the imaging lens where the focus evaluation value is equal to or greater than a threshold value. If a face is detected from the image of the subject obtained at positions of the imaging lens, then this range of positions is set as a focusing range and the subject is imaged while the imaging lens is moved within this focusing range. A graph of face-area focus evaluations representing degree of focus of the face detected from among the obtained images of the subject is obtained and the position at which this graph is maximum is decided upon as the in-focus position of the imaging lens.
US07725017B2 Image pickup apparatus and image pickup system
A camera apparatus and a camera system of the present invention are configured so that a lens unit is attachable/detachable. The lens unit contains at least a lens and an iris, and contains a memory storing setting information required for operating the lens and the iris. When a camera microcomputer checks detection information stored in a memory in a sub-microcomputer at a time of start-up of the camera apparatus, and first detection information is stored in the memory, the setting information is acquired from the lens unit. When second detection information is stored in the memory, the setting information is acquired from another memory in the camera apparatus. Due to this configuration, the time for shifting the switch-on to a photographable state is shortened, and the ease of convenience can be enhanced.
US07725015B2 Image pickup apparatus, image recording apparatus and image recording method
An imaging apparatus selectively records an image taken by itself or from at least one other apparatus. A digital video camera selects between an image taken by a camera block and an image taken by at least one other camera and received by a wireless communication module. The selected image is recorded on a magnetic tape of a video cassette. The camera transmits an image it takes to at least one other camera by the communication module. Processed by a control portion, the image taken by the camera and the image(s) from the other camera(s) are composited to be concurrently presented on a LCD.
US07725010B2 Method and apparatus of reproducing data recorded on recording medium and local storage
An apparatus for reproducing data recorded on a recording medium includes a pick-up unit, a local storage, and a decoder. The pick-up unit reads main data recorded on the recording medium, and the local storage stores sub data associated with the main data. The sub data may include interactive graphic streams or text subtitle streams. The decoder decodes the main data and the sub data using a PlayList which includes a main path and a sub path. The main path contains a PlayItem for play-back of the main data, and the sub path contains at least one SubPlayItem associated with the PlayItem for play-back of the sub data in association with the play-back of the main data. The PlayList file further includes sub path type information which indicates whether the SubPlayItem included in the sub path is synchronized with the PlayItem.
US07725009B2 Battery driven video reproduction apparatus
A video reproduction apparatus detects the remaining time of a movie being reproduced and a battery's availability and calculates therefrom power available before reproducing the movie ends, and uses the power as calculated and a table representing a relationship between the liquid crystal display device's screen brightness and power consumption to calculate and set the liquid crystal display device's screen brightness to prevent the battery from running out while the movie is being reproduced.
US07725008B2 Information processing apparatus and decoding control method
According to one embodiment, the information processing apparatus includes an input module, a decoding module, a first analysis module, a second analysis module and a decoding control module. The first analysis module acquires the number of macroblocks, which are generated by dividing each image in a matrix pattern, in a row direction of each image. The second analysis module acquires a vertical position of each slice, which is formed by arranging the macroblocks in a row direction, within each image. The decoding control module sends as arguments an address representing both a start position in a horizontal direction of each image and the vertical position acquired by the second analysis module, and the number of macroblocks acquired by the first analysis module to cause the decoding module to execute decoding processing of the moving image stream for each slice.
US07725003B2 Digital broadcast recorder and recording method thereof
A digital broadcast recorder and a recording method thereof are disclosed. The recording method of a digital broadcast recorder having a storage medium, includes analyzing transmitted channel data and program data, and editing a broadcast program for the unit of program referring to the analyzed channel data and program data during recording of the broadcast program to store and manage the edited broadcast program in the storage medium. Therefore, it is possible to enhance a user's convenience when searching for and reproducing a recorded program.
US07725002B2 Video content recording apparatus and video content transfer method
According to one embodiment, a content recording apparatus includes a management module configured to manage information on content that is transferred from a source apparatus and stored in a storage device, and the content the source apparatus has, a recording module configured to record the content transferred from the source apparatus to the storage device in the inactive state and to retain the content in the source apparatus, and a control module configured to issue a command to the source apparatus based on the information on the content managed by the management module if the user determines that the content is used, the command being intended to deactivate content the source apparatus has, and configured to activate the content stored in the storage device in response to deactivation of the content the source apparatus has.
US07725001B2 Method and device for optical fiber connection
A device for coupling an optical fiber includes: a first surface and a second surface, including respective active surface portions; at least one optical fiber positioning element adapted to position at least one point of an optical fiber on a longitudinally median plane of the second surface. The first and second surfaces are movable relative to one another between a first and a second relative position, and, when in the second relative position, cooperate to accommodate a section of the optical fiber therebetween. In this position, the first and second active surface portions cooperate to keep the optical fiber in a predetermined bent condition, particularly adapted to extract light from, or inject light into, the optical fiber. In at least a part of the relative movement from the first to the second relative positions, the first surface rotates with respect to the second surface around a rotational axis oriented transversally with respect to the median plane.
US07724999B2 Electro-optical device
An electro-optical device having a non-volatile programmable refractive index. The device includes: a waveguiding structure with waveguiding material, the waveguiding structure defining an optical beam path, where the waveguiding structure includes a transition metal oxide with oxygen vacancies that migrate when exposed to an electric field; and a plurality of electrodes for applying an electric field to a region including the transition metal oxide with oxygen vacancies; where the transition metal oxide and the electrodes are arranged such that under the applied electric field the oxygen vacancies migrate in a direction that has a component which is radial relative to a center of the beam path. Further, there is provided a method for making the electro-optical device, including: fabricating the waveguiding structure; positioning a plurality of electrodes for application of an electric field; and arranging the transition metal oxide and the electrodes.
US07724991B1 Compact optical receiver
A compact optical receiver exhibiting polarization-diversity and employing an arrayed-waveguide-grating (AWG).
US07724986B2 Image processor, image processing method, and computer product
An image processor includes a plurality of image processing devices that perform image processing, a storing unit that stores related data set for image data stored in the image processor, a translating unit that translates the related data to internal data, a converting unit that converts the internal data to information corresponding to a program and data used for image processing, and a downloading unit that downloads the information to the image processing devices. The image processing devices perform the image processing based on downloaded information.
US07724983B2 Adaptive image size conversion apparatus and method thereof
An image size conversion apparatus and an image size conversion method are provided. The image size conversion apparatus includes an area detector which detects an interested area having a certain image distinguished over a general image from an input image, a scale ratio adjustor which adjusts a scale ratio for the interested area detected by the area detector, and a scaler to perform scaling for the input image according to the adjusted scale ratio. Accordingly, the scale ratio can be adjusted according to features of the input image so that an image without distortion can be displayed on a screen.
US07724976B2 Reduced error processing of transformed digital data
This invention solves problems due to employing error degraded data in digital processing. It particularly solves multi-generation problems wherein transform data degrade during each inverse transform and forward transform cycle even without any processing due to the rounding and clipping errors. It provides methods, systems and devices for reduced-error processing of transform-coded data. After inverse transformation of transform data, high-precision numbers are manipulated. The converting to integers and clipping to an allowed range steps are executed at any stage in the manipulation to obtain integer representation of the inverse transformed data such as for displaying of the data. However, further processing including forward transforming back to the transform domain is executed on the high-precision numbers. Thus, the rounding and clipping errors are not present in the processed data. Although advantageous to many applications employing digital transformed data, the invention is particularly advantageous for use in digital studios during editing of MPEG-coded, JPEG-coded and wavelet-coded video and audio data.
US07724972B2 Quality metric-biased region-of-interest coding for video telephony
The disclosure is directed to techniques for region-of-interest (ROI) coding for video telephony (VT). The disclosed techniques include a technique for generation of a quality metric for ROI video, which jointly considers a user's degree of interest in the ROI, ROI video fidelity, and ROI perceptual quality in evaluating the quality of an encoded video sequence. The quality metric may be used to bias ROI coding and, in particular, the allocation of coding bits between ROI and non-ROI areas of a video frame.
US07724960B1 Recognition and classification based on principal component analysis in the transform domain
Methods, system apparatus and devices for classification and recognition that is based on principal component analysis and is implemented in the transform domain using the fast two-dimensional PCA to processes the signal in the transform domain. The signal is represented with a reduced number of coefficients, therefore reducing the storage requirements and computational complexity while yielding high recognition accuracy.
US07724957B2 Two tiered text recognition
Systems and methods that exploit unique properties of a language script (e.g., condition joining rules for Arabic language) to enable a two tier text recognition. In such two tier system, one tier can recognize predetermined groups of linked letters that are connected based on joining rules of a language associated with the text, and another tier dissects (and recognizes) such linked letters to respective constituent letters that form the predetermined group of linked letters. Various classifiers and artificial intelligence components can further facilitate text recognition at each level.
US07724956B2 Systems and methods for identifying characters and words in a document
A data capture and mining method which enables identification of characters and words through their visible patterns. Specifically, a data capture and mining method involves searching a scanned image using isomorphic, graphical pattern matching techniques that eliminate both the need to convert imaged writing to electronic format through, e.g., OCR and the subsequent need to convert the electronic text into English.
US07724948B2 Enhanced image compression utilizing Hilbert curve scanning of quantized discrete cosine transform coefficients
An apparatus for compressing electronically stored images comprises a converter configured to use a principal components transform to convert initial color information included in image information into converted color information; a partitioner configured to partition the image information into partitioned information; a transformer configured to use a discrete cosine transform to transform the partitioned information into transformed information; a quantizer configured to quantize the transformed information into quantized information; a sequencer configured to use a Hilbert curve scan to sequence the quantized information into sequenced information; and an encoder configured to encode the sequenced information into encoded information. Methods of using the apparatus are also disclosed.
US07724946B2 Software carrier containing corrected blotches in component images
Blotches may be identified and processed to reduce or eliminate the blotch. The blotch may be in just one of several separations and multiple separations may be used, for example, to identify the blotch. An implementation (i) compares a first component image of an image with a first component image of a reference image, (ii) compares a second component image of the image with a second component image of the reference image, and (iii) determines based on these comparisons whether the first component image of the image includes a blotch. Multiple image separations also, or alternatively, may be used, for example, to modify the blotch, as well as to evaluate whether a modification is beneficial.
US07724945B1 Protecting colors from clipping
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for protecting colors from being clipped during color adjustment. A first set of colors is identified in a source color space, and a first color mapping is specified to associate colors in the source color space with mapped colors. The first set of colors and the first color mapping are used to construct a third color mapping that can be represented as a concatenation of an injective second color mapping with the first color mapping. The third color mapping is constructed such that each color in the first set of colors is associated with a mapped color inside a destination color space.
US07724943B2 Rapid and robust 3D/3D registration technique
Exemplary methods are provided. In one exemplary method, a lower-dimension signature is generated for each of a plurality of data sets of a given dimension. Registration is performed on the lower-dimension signatures. In another exemplary method, a two-dimensional signature is generated for each of a plurality of three-dimensional volumes. Registration is performed on the two-dimensional signatures.
US07724932B2 Three-dimensional modeling of the oral cavity
A method for creating three-dimensional models of intra-oral scenes and features. The intra-oral scene is illuminated by a two-dimensional array of structured illumination points, with anti-aliasing achieved by using stored two-dimensional patterns of pixels for anti-aliasing. Using a single camera to form images reduces the amount of apparatus necessary to introduce into the patient's mouth. Three-dimensional models are obtained from the single image by triangulation with a stored image of the structured illumination onto a reference surface such as a plane. Alternative methods include the use of “bar-coded” one-dimensional patterns.
US07724918B2 Data obfuscation of text data using entity detection and replacement
A data obfuscation method, apparatus and computer program product are disclosed in which at least selected text entities such as words or abbreviations in a document are obfuscated to prevent the disclosure of private information if the document is disclosed. A user establishes various configuration parameters for selected text entities desired to obfuscated. The document is processed and text entities matching the configuration parameters are tagged for obfuscation. The tagged entities are then substituted in the document with obfuscating text. The obfuscating text can be derived from a hash table. The hash table may be used to provide a reverse obfuscation method by which original data can be restored to an obfuscated document.
US07724916B2 System and method for data hiding using inter-word space modulation
Data may be embedded in rows of text by modulating inter-word spaces in a row. Inter-word spaces in a particular row may be divided into two or more sets of (approximately) equal spacing. The inter-word spaces of one or more of the sets may then be modified to embed data.
US07724915B2 Speaker device
A speaker device that comprises a cabinet and a speaker unit. The speaker unit is attached to an opening portion formed in a front surface of the cabinet. The speaker unit has a back surface frame, a front surface frame, a first magnetic circuit, a second magnetic circuit, an edge, a damper, a diaphragm, a voice coil bobbin, and a voice coil. A non-magnet member which is a portion of the diaphragm, the first magnetic circuit, and the second magnetic circuit play a role as a negative stiffness mechanism to suppress an influence of an acoustic stiffness, thereby achieving a small-size speaker device capable of reproducing low-frequency sound.
US07724913B2 Composite damper for speaker
A composite damper for a speaker comprises an inner ring surface material, an outer ring surface material, and a plurality of ribs connected between the inner ring surface material and the outer ring surface material. The inner ring surface material and the outer ring surface material have a plurality of alternating concentric peaks and valleys; thereby when it is coupled with a periphery of a voice coil of the speaker, it has a more stable vibration frequency.
US07724897B2 Program converter, encrypting device, and encrypting method
A program converter (1) converts a program (P) which performs arithmetic addition processing to execute encryption, into a converted program (tP) which performs processing equivalent to the processing of the program (P). The program converter (1) includes: a key data extraction unit (10) which extracts key data from the program (P); an addition table generation unit (11) which generates an addition table from the extracted key data; a conversion table extraction unit (12) which extracts a conversion table from the program (P); a table merger unit (13) which generates a merger table by merging the generated-addition table and the extracted conversion table; a random number generation unit (14) which generates a random number; a table randomization unit (15) which generates a randomized merger table by randomizing the merger table using the generated random number; and a converted-program generation unit (16) which generates the converted program (tP) according to the generated randomized merger table.
US07724894B2 Maintaining line voltage during reset
A first clock signal is generated by a first circuit and a second clock signal is generated by an auxiliary clock circuit. A switch controls whether the first clock signal or the second clock signal is provided to a subscriber line integrated circuit (SLIC). The SLIC is operable to generate a line voltage within predetermined tolerances on a loop line at a customer premises if the SLIC is receiving the first clock signal or the second clock signal.
US07724893B2 Method of adaptation step control in echo cancellers
A method is set forth for calculating an expected Echo Return Loss Enhancement (ERLE) in an echo canceller. The expected ERLE is used to control the adaptation step of an adaptive filter in the echo canceller. Also, a novel echo canceller is set forth where the adaptation step of its adaptive filter is controlled based on the expected ERLE.
US07724888B1 Automated method for determining caller satisfaction
An automated method for determining user satisfaction with a call comprising (1) maintaining a count of the number of times a user was asked for input during the call (the “actual count”), (2) maintaining a count of the number of times a user should have been asked for input based on the dialog path the user traversed (the “ideal count”), and (3) associating no difference between the actual count and the ideal count with maximum user satisfaction and associating increasing differences between the counts with decreasing user satisfaction. In one embodiment, if the difference between the actual count and ideal count reaches a certain threshold, the call system changes the interaction with the user.
US07724886B2 Method and system for providing enhanced caller identification information for subscribers that interface via private trunk groups
A system and method deliver audible caller identification information when standard Caller ID information is invalid or can not be provided, even when the called party connects to the network by private trunk group facilities. In one disclosed embodiment, a trunk group trigger associated with the called communication station is encountered, launching a termination attempt query. If standard caller identification information can not be provided for the calling party, the call will be routed to a privacy service to obtain the audible caller identification information.
US07724883B2 Telephone system for communication through multiple lines
A telephone system communicating through a plurality of external telephone lines includes base phones connected to respective ones of the plurality of telephone lines and a cable connected so as to allow communication among a plurality of terminals. Each base phone includes a dual-line adaptation function unit for establishing communication through the plurality of telephone lines and a single-line adaptation function unit for establishing communication through a telephone line connected to the base phone itself. Any one of the dual-line adaptation function unit and the single-line adaptation function unit is selectively enabled in response to an external operation. Therefore, the single base phone attains a function as a single-line-adapted model establishing communication through the telephone line connected to the base phone itself or a multiple-line-adapted model establishing communication through the plurality of telephone lines.
US07724879B2 Efficient communication through networks
A method and device that interrogates the availability of a called party before placing a communication from the calling party to the called party. A callback may be initiated so that both communications are completed simultaneously. The routing of communication may take place through any one of a number of different networks and at another time of the day, even if the caller does not otherwise have access to those networks.
US07724868B2 X-ray monitoring
Apparatus for monitoring in real time the movement of a plurality of substances in a mixture, such as oil water and air flowing through a pipe comprises an X-ray scanner arranged to make a plurality of scans of the mixture over a monitoring period to produce a plurality of scan data sets, and control means arranged to analyze the data sets to identify volumes of each of the substances and to measure their movement. By identifying volumes of each of the substances in each of a number of layers and for each of a number of scans, real time analysis and imaging of the substance can be achieved.
US07724864B2 Shift register and display device having the same
A shift register includes a plurality of stages to output a plurality of output signals, in sequence. Each of the stages includes a driving part and a discharging part. The driving part outputs an output signal of a present stage based on one of a start signal and an output signal of a previous stage, and a clock signal. The discharging part discharges the output signal of the present stage. The discharging part includes a discharge transistor and an auxiliary transistor. The discharge transistor has a gate electrode receiving an output signal of a next stage. The auxiliary transistor has a gate electrode receiving the output signal of the next stage. The auxiliary transistor is electrically connected in series to the discharge transistor. Therefore, the chance of a malfunction is decreased, and image display quality of the display device is improved.
US07724859B2 Synchronizing apparatus and synchronizing method
A synchronizing apparatus comprises a normal lock synchronization detecting unit for detecting synchronization by detecting from demodulated data a synchronization pattern in a normal lock state, and a pseudo lock synchronization detecting unit for detecting synchronization by detecting from the demodulated data a synchronization pattern in a pseudo lock state.
US07724857B2 Method and apparatus for improving linearity in clock and data recovery systems
Disclosed is a system and method for improving the linearity of a clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit. In one embodiment, a data stream is received, and the phase of a clock signal is adjusted using two interpolators. The phase of the output signal of the second interpolator is adjusted simultaneously with, and complementary to, adjusting the phase of the first interpolator. The first interpolator's output signal is injected into a first delay cell in a delay loop having a plurality of delay cells, and the output of the second interpolator is inactivated. When the maximum phase of the first interpolator's output signal is reached, the second interpolator's output signal is injected into another one of the delay cells, and the first interpolator's output signal is inactivated. The data stream is then recovered using the output of the delay loop as a clock signal.
US07724844B2 Detection of servo data for a servo system
A servo system for detecting and demodulating servo data is disclosed. In illustrated aspects, a demodulation circuit or portion includes a correlator component configured to output a correlation of a sequence of equalized channel samples with a sequence of correlator weight derived based on at least one mapped channel sequence. A decision component, for example a threshold detector uses the correlation results to output a data bit symbol based upon the correlation of the sequence of equalized channel samples to the at least one mapped channel sequence.
US07724833B2 Receiver for an LDPC based TDS-OFDM communication system
An LDPC based TDS-OFDM receiver for demodulating an LDPC encoded TDS-OFDM modulated RF signal downconverted to an IF signal includes a synchronization block, an equalization block, an OFDM demodulation block and a FEC decoder block. The synchronization block generates a baseband signal from a digitized IF signal and performs correlation of a PN sequence in a signal frame of the received RF signal with a corresponding locally generated PN sequence to provide signals for performing carrier recovery, timing recovery and parameters for channel estimation. The equalization block performs channel estimation and channel equalization. The OFDM demodulation block performs demodulation on the baseband signal to recover OFDM symbols and converts the OFDM symbols to frequency domain. The FEC decoder block includes an LDPC decoder for decoding the OFDM symbols based on the LDPC code to generate a digital output signal indicative of the data content of the RF signal.
US07724816B2 Dynamic switching between maximum likelihood sequence estimation (MLSE) and linear equalizer for single antenna interference cancellation (SAIC) in a global system for mobile communications (GSM) system
In a GSM/EDGE Single Antenna Interference Cancellation (SAIC) operation environment, a mobile station is required to operate in a wide range of interference levels. An SAIC linear equalizer that takes advantage of the GMSK signal structure performs better than a conventional Maximum Likelihood Sequence Estimation (MLSE) equalizer in high interference levels, while it performs worse in low interference levels. A dynamic selection between the SAIC linear equalizer and the MLSE equalizer for each received burst is achieved to provide the optimal performance across the entire required operation environments. The dynamic selection is based on the estimated noise plus interference energy relative to the total received signal energy. The soft information calculated by the two categories of equalizers is properly scaled to generate soft information with balanced magnitude.
US07724812B2 Method and apparatus for de-jittering a clock signal
The present invention discloses a de-jittering method for a clock signal, which is implemented by adopting a controllable frequency divider and includes: taking the clock signal to be de-jittered as a reference signal, and comparing a feedback clock signal outputted by the controllable frequency divider with the reference signal; generating the control signal that is then transmitted to the controllable frequency divider; the controllable frequency divider performs frequency division upon the input high-frequency signal to generate a stable clock, and the stable clock is outputted as the feedback clock signal which has been de-jittered. The present invention also discloses a de-jittering apparatus for implementing the above-mentioned method, which includes: a circuit for generating a control signal and a controllable frequency divider. By applying the present invention, the de-jittering circuit for clock signal can be simple. What's more, transition between T1 clock frequency and E1 clock frequency can also be implemented to meet practical requirements better.
US07724808B2 Efficient delay profile computation with receive diversity
An instantaneous power density profile (PDP) is generated by dynamically switching between signals from two or more antennae, each for a variable number of signal samples. A variable number NC of samples are correlated with a known chip code, the correlations phase-coherently accumulated, and a number NNC of such coherent accumulations is accumulated non-coherently for each of a plurality of delay values. The parameters considered in determining the dynamic switching pattern may include values of NC and NNC, how often and at which point in the PDP generation process to switch between antennae, and other factors, such as the velocity of a transmitter. The coherent accumulations from each antenna may be weighted in response to the signal quality of the respective antenna, and the weighted coherent accumulations accumulated non-coherently.
US07724807B2 Method for reducing auto-correlation or cross-correlation in weak signals
The present invention discloses methods, apparatuses, and systems for eliminating auto- and cross-correlation in weak signal CDMA systems, such as GPS systems. The invention uses parallel data paths that allow standard correlation of signals in parallel with verification of the lock signal to determine whether the system has locked onto the proper signal within the scanned signal window. The invention can be made with multiple CPUs, a single CPU with dual input modes, on multiple IC chips, or as a single IC chip solution for small, low cost reception, downconversion, correlation, and verification systems.
US07724803B2 Predictive collision avoidance in macrodiverse wireless networks with frequency hopping using switching
A communication system using fast macrodiversity switching (FMS) and frequency hopping (FH) for wireless signals including downlink signals to and uplink signals from mobile stations. Frequency hopping sequences are determined for the uplink and downlink signals for the mobile stations. A plurality of transceiver stations employ broadcast channels and dedicated channels for communications with the mobile stations. A zone manager controls fast macrodiversity switching of dedicated channels among the mobile stations while broadcast channels remain unswitched. The zone manager extracts frequency hopping information to form predictions of dedicated channel collisions, and based upon the predictions, controls the dynamic switching of dedicated channels to avoid collisions.
US07724798B2 Two-beam semiconductor laser apparatus
A two-beam semiconductor laser device 10 includes: a two-beam semiconductor element LDC having a first and a second semiconductor laser elements LD1 and LD2 that can be driven independently and that are formed integrally on a substrate; and a submount 63 having, mounted on a front part thereof, the two-beam semiconductor laser element LDC with the light-emitting face thereof directed forward and having a first and a second electrode pads 64 and 65 connected to electrodes 61 and 62 of the first and second semiconductor laser element LD1 and LD2 by being kept in contact therewith. The first and second electrode pads 64 and 65 are formed to extend farther behind the two-beam semiconductor laser element LDC, and wires 14 and 16 are wire-bonded behind the two-beam semiconductor laser element LDC.
US07724797B2 Solid-state laser arrays using nonlinear frequency conversion in periodically poled materials
A compact solid-state laser array for nonlinear intracavity frequency conversion into desired wavelengths using periodically poled nonlinear crystals. The crystals contain dopants such as MgO and/or have a specified stoichiometry. A preferred embodiment comprises a microchip laser cavity that includes a solid-state gain chip, such as Nd:YVO4, which also provides polarization control of the laser; and a periodically poled nonlinear crystal chip such as PPMgOLN, for efficient frequency doubling of a infrared laser pump beam into the visible wavelength range. The described designs are especially advantageous for obtaining low-cost green and blue laser sources. The use of such high-efficiency pumps and nonlinear materials allows scaling of a compact, low-cost architecture to provide high output power levels in the blue/green wavelength range.
US07724790B2 Method and apparatus for driving semiconductor lasers, and method and apparatus for deriving drive current patterns for semiconductor lasers
Semiconductor lasers are driven such that high output laser beams are stably obtained without a long start up time. A method for driving semiconductor lasers by automatic current control or automatic power control with a constant current source involves the steps of: generating a pattern of drive current values for the semiconductor lasers, which is defined according to the amount of time which has elapsed since initiating driving thereof, that enables obtainment of substantially the same light output as a target light output by the automatic current control or the automatic power control; and varying the drive current of the semiconductor lasers in stepwise increments according to the pattern for a predetermined period of time from initiation of drive thereof. A single pattern is used in common to drive the plurality of semiconductor lasers.
US07724788B2 Wavelength-agile laser transmitter using optical parametric oscillator
A wavelength-agile laser transmitter apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus comprises a pump laser that is configured to output a pump beam at a first (pump) wavelength and an optical parametric oscillator. The optical parametric oscillator comprises a cavity that contains several optical components including a non-linear optical medium, a first, second and third optical elements, and a narrow linewidth filter. The non-linear optical medium is configured to convert light at the first wavelength to light at a second (signal) wavelength and a third (idler) wavelength that are each longer than the first wavelength. Light at the second and third wavelengths is allowed to partially resonate in the optical parametric oscillator, and the output beam of the apparatus corresponds to light at the third wavelength.
US07724775B2 Data transmission circuit and method for controlling the data transmission circuit
A circuit connected to a data transmission path, said circuit comprising, a merge element which generates merged data by merging a plurality of incoming data; and a controller which transmits said merged data through said data transmission path when said data transmission path comes open.
US07724769B2 Data transmission system, data transmission method, and media apparatus
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided with a data transmission method that uses first and second media devices which communicate with each other according to a predetermined transmission protocol and a control device which controls the first and second media devices based on a UPnP AV protocol, including: establishing a virtual connection between the first and second media devices under control of the control device; transmitting a real connection establishment request from the first media device to the second media device, the real connection establishment request including information of the virtual connection; establishing a real connection between the first and second media devices, the established real connection being related to the virtual connection; and transmitting media data from the second media device to the first media device or versa by using the established real connection.
US07724767B2 Adaptive network to dynamically account for hidden nodes
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a network element that is configured to be associated with a network having a number of nodes. A node is configured to receive a beacon signal from a master node and at least one relayed beacon signal from at least one proxy node, where the at least one proxy node transmits the at least one relayed beacon signal based at least in part on the beacon signal. The node is further configured to select one of the beacon and relayed beacon signals and analyze the selected signal to determine a timeslot reserved for node admission requests. Other methods and devices are also disclosed.
US07724754B2 Device, system and/or method for managing packet congestion in a packet switching network
A network infrastructure device includes a receiver operable to receive packets when operably connected to a communication network; and a processor cooperatively operable with the transceiver. The processor can receive a packet on an interface corresponding to the transceiver. Also, the processor can map the packet to one of several queues and to one of several classifications, based on an indication of priority of handling in a header in the packet and/or an indication of priority in a configuration of the interface. The processor also checks for congestion in the queues with respect to the classification of the packet, and checks for congestion in the one queue with respect to the one classification. The processor queues the packet if there is no congestion, otherwise the processor drops the packet.
US07724752B1 Communication system across networks and method thereof
This specification discloses a communication system across networks and the method thereof for processing remote controls of devices in a private network from a public network. By providing a server end that contains correspondence relations between client ends and mobile ends in a public network, packets in the public network are automatically transmitted to devices in a private network according to the correspondence table in the server end for remote controls. The invention increases the convenience in managing devices in a private network.
US07724739B2 Source specific multicast layer 2 networking device and method
Bridge domain communication methods and devices are presented for efficiently communicating information in a bridge domain based upon group indications and source indications. Packets with a source and destination indication are received. A bridge domain communication process is performed at the bridge level wherein a packet is selected for forwarding based upon a source and group indication. For example, a determination is made if a particular bridge domain corresponds to the group destination indication in the received packet. The source indication in the packet is compared with a tracked source designation indication. Output ports associated with the tracked source designation indication are identified if the tracked source designation indication matches the received source indication. The communication packet is forwarded on identified ports.
US07724735B2 On-chip bandwidth allocator
A bandwidth allocator to allocate in real time shared resources of a network on-chip is disclosed. The bandwidth allocator routes data packets between elements of the network in response to requests to access the shared resources. The bandwidth allocator could include a plurality of network interfaces to process the data packets to be routed within the network and a plurality of routers for routing the data packets through the network. A processor, distributed within the routers, controls the routers and the transmission of each data of the data packets through the routers to provide a bandwidth for each data flow. The network interfaces is adapted to fill a header field of each data packet with header field information depending on a requested bandwidth. The processor controls the transmission of the data packets through the routers as a function of the value of the header field information of each data packet.
US07724734B1 Methods, systems, and computer program products for controlling updating of a layer 3 host table based on packet forwarding lookup miss counts
Methods, systems, and computer program products for controlling updating of a layer 3 host table based on packet forwarding miss counts are disclosed. According to one method, layer 3 packets are routed using at least one of a layer 3 host table containing entries corresponding to remote hosts and a longest prefix matching table containing prefixes corresponding to remote hosts. For each layer 3 destination address for which a lookup in at least one table fails, a number of packets received within a time period are counted. Remote destination entries in the host table are replaced based on the counts.
US07724731B2 Transmission network system
In a transmission network system in which a path is set between a transmission node and a receiving node and which transmits a transmission signal between the nodes, crossconnect settings of the nodes are enabled while personal settings are minimized.A transmission node has a first path-setting-receiving section; transmission-path-setting change sections; and change insertion sections which report information about a change in path setting received by said path-setting-receiving section by inserting the information into a transmission signal to be transmitted from the node to a receiving node. The receiving node has a second path-setting-receiving section and receiving-path-setting change sections for changing path settings of the node on the basis of the information about a change in path setting.
US07724730B2 Voice communication system and voice communication method
A voice communication system, which is connected to a LAN to which communication terminals are connected and to a public network to which telephones are connected, is provided with a communication server between the LAN and public network having different protocols from each other. The communication server enables a voice communication between a telephone on the public network and a communication terminal connected to the LAN by performing processing similar to that for a voice communication between two communication terminals connected to the LAN. The communication server determines whether an address of the other party inputted by a user is a communication terminal address or a telephone number, and transmits a voice communication request to a communication terminal of the other party when the address is a communication terminal address. When the address is a telephone number, the user acquires the communication terminal address of the communication server, and transmits a voice communication request to the communication server. Thereafter, the voice communication processing is performed through the communication server.
US07724722B2 System and method for transmitting uplink control information in an OFDMA communication system
A method for transmitting uplink control information in a communication system using an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) scheme is provided. A mobile station (MS) selects a target anchor base station (BS) with which the MS desires to communicate through a fast feedback channel, and transmits a codeword allocated to the selected target anchor BS to a current anchor BS. Upon receiving the codeword, transmitting to the MS, by the anchor BS, fast feedback channel allocation information for the selected BS corresponding to the received codeword. The MS switches to a new anchor BS corresponding to the fast feedback channel allocation information.
US07724719B2 Multistage despreading of spread spectrum communications signals
A method and a component for despreading a multi-code signal that has been generated using two or more spreading codes with different spreading factors are described. The method comprises subjecting the signal to a first despreading step (40) that includes a first Fast Hadamard Transform (FHT) to jointly despread the spreading codes. During the first despreading step one or more spreading codes are despread only partially. The signal or signal portion including one or more partially despread spreading codes are then subjected to one or more further despreading steps (42).
US07724716B2 Wireless communication system
A processing system is described that includes a wireless communication interface that wirelessly communicates with one or more wireless client devices in the vicinity of an establishment. The wireless communication interface receives a remote order corresponding to an item selected by at least one of the wireless client devices. A local server computer located in proximity to the establishment generates instructions for processing the remote order received from the wireless communication interface. The local server computer then passes the processing instructions to an order processing queue in preparation for processing of the remote order.
US07724711B2 Method of speeding up the registration procedure in a cellular network
A method of carrying an application level message encapsulated inside a signaling message of an access network is described. The method includes receiving an application level message from a sender application process to an access network signaling process, adapting the application level message and encapsulating the application level message in a signaling message of an access network, and delivering the encapsulated application level message to a receiver application process by transmitting the signaling message, The encapsulated application level message is transparent to the devices of the access network transmitting the signaling message.
US07724697B2 Method, apparatus and system for providing reports on channel quality of a communication system
In accordance with aspects of the present invention, a method, an apparatus, a system, and software are provided to link channel quality indication reporting with periods when communication terminals, such as user equipment, are active. In one aspect, an apparatus (e.g., a communication terminal) includes a determination module configured to determine when at least one component of the apparatus is in an inactivated state. The apparatus also includes an interrupter configured to interrupt a transmission of at least one channel quality indication report when the at least one component is in the inactivated state. In another aspect, a method includes determining when at least one component of a communication terminal is in an inactivated state and interrupting transmitting at least one channel quality indication report when the at least one component is in the inactivated state.
US07724688B2 Communication equipment
A user's home is connected to a plurality of service providers by a plurality of VPNs, and traffic sent and received by a home terminal is filtered to an appropriate VPN so as to avoid communication disturbance due to IP address duplication by reducing unnecessary traffic. A terminal sends terminal information to inquire a management server about a SIP URI of VPN based on the terminal information sent by the terminal as well as user information. The management server notifies a router about the SIP URI of VPN corresponding to the notified information. The router establishes the VPN based on the notified SIP URI. The router maintains a mapping between the established VPN and a source terminal of a UPnP message, and then transfers traffic sent and received by each terminal after VPN establishment.
US07724684B2 System and method for designing and implementing packet processing products
A system and method for allowing a user to create instructions for building a packet processing integrated circuit. The system includes a user interface for allowing a user to define a desired packet processing algorithm (4) using a plurality of discrete packet processing blocks (22, 24, 28, 30), each of the blocks corresponding to a portion of the desired packet processing algorithm (4). The system allows the user to define connections (10) between the plurality of packet processing blocks (22, 24, 28, 30). The system processes a plurality of packet processing blocks (22, 24, 28, 30) and the connections to provide a list of instructions in a hardware description language for producing an integrated circuit capable of executing the desired packet processing algorithm (19). The list of instructions can be delivered to a customer (12), or the customer can receive an integrated circuit constructed using the list of instructions (19), or the customer can receive a NETLIST generated using said list of instructions (16). The plurality of packet processing blocks (22, 24, 28, 30) can include a Packet Processing Unit (PPU, PPUX) 22, a Packet Modification Unit (PMU) 28, and a Decision and Forwarding Unit (DFU) 30.
US07724683B2 Arrangements for controlling multiple MAC interfaces
Arrangements for controlling multiple media access control interfaces are disclosed. In one embodiment a method for controlling the interfaces can include setting up a transmission configuration for a first and a second media access control (MAC) interface, sending a transmission utilizing the first MAC interface and sending a transmission utilizing the second MAC interface. During subsequent communications communication performance parameters can be determined that are related the “multi”-MAC transmissions. Based on the communication performance parameters the transmission configuration of the first MAC interface and the second MAC interface can be modified to improve communication performance.
US07724679B2 Device and method for automatically detecting network information
A network information detection apparatus includes a packet monitoring section and a subnet mask detection section. The packet monitoring section monitors packets on LAN connecting a plurality of network devices. Based on an IP address included in at least one monitored packet, the subnet mask detection section detects a subnet mask of a network device having the monitored IP address. When a destination MAC address and a destination IP address included in the monitored packet do not indicate the same network device, a router of the LAN can be detected by detecting an IP address corresponding to the destination MAC address.
US07724676B2 Proactive protection mechanism based on advanced failure warning
In one embodiment, an apparatus can include: (i) logic configured to detect an advanced warning indication, such as for a degraded signal condition, on a first link between first and second network devices, where the detection can utilize a number of corrected bits and forward error correction (FEC), for example; and (ii) logic configured to reroute packet traffic from the first link to a second link when the degraded signal condition is detected.
US07724675B2 USHA card and UPS system incorporating the same
A USHA (UPS SNMP HTTP AGENT) card (310) includes an interface (400); a CPU (700); a connector (900); a first transceiver (510) including a receiver (511) electrically connected between the interface and the CPU, and a transmitter (512) electrically connected to the interface; a first multiplexer (610) electrically connected between the transmitter of the first transceiver and the CPU; a second transceiver (520) including a receiver (521) electrically connected between the connector and the CPU, and a transmitter (522) electrically connected to the connector; and a second multiplexer (620) electrically connected between the transmitter of the second transceiver and the CPU. The first and second multiplexers are capable of being controlled by the CPU to electrically connect the transmitter of the first transceiver and receiver of the second transceiver and the transmitter of the second transceiver and receiver of the first transceiver.
US07724674B2 Deadlock free network routing
A method for establishing a routing scheme defining a path between any given pair of source node and destination node in a network including a plurality of nodes connected by links. The method comprises defining a plurality of virtual network layers, each virtual network layer comprising addresses for identifying each node, and channels for communicating between said nodes using said addresses, and defining a routing function for each layer, the routing scheme comprising all routing functions, each routing function comprising a set of source node/destination node pairs and a path connecting each pair. The routing function is defined by defining a cost function for each layer, said cost function being adapted to assign a high cost to any path creating a deadlock, using said cost function to assign a cost to each path in each layer connecting the source node/destination node pair, selecting the path with the lowest cost, and assigning the pair of source node/destination node and its selected path to the routing function of the layer that contains said selected path.According to this aspect of the invention, the number of virtual layers is defined initially, and the routing scheme is then generated using this number of layers. This provides complete control over the number of layers, so that it is possible to adjust the number of virtual layers to the capacity of the network.
US07724672B2 ATM cell transfer apparatus with hardware structure for OAM cell generation
An ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) cell transfer apparatus includes an input interface, a switch block, and an OAM cell processing hardware block having a memory unit. The input interface receives an SDH/SONET signal on each of a plurality of first transfer paths to output an input OAM cell corresponding to the SDH/SONET signal to one of a plurality of input ports of the switch block corresponding to the first transfer path for the SDH/SONET signal to be transferred. The switch block receives the input OAM (operation and maintenance) cell from the corresponding input port as an OAM input port to output to the OAM cell processing hardware block together with a port number of the OAM input port, and receives at least one output OAM cell from the OAM cell processing hardware block to output to at least one of the plurality of output ports based on the received output OAM cell. The OAM cell processing hardware block reads out the at least one output OAM cell corresponding to the input OAM cell from the memory unit based on the input OAM cell and the port number supplied from the switch block, and outputs the at least one output OAM cell to the switch block.
US07724662B2 Dynamic rate limiting adjustment
Dynamic rate limiting adjustment may be provided by sampling actual output rates from a rate limited device and utilizing this information to modify configured traffic limits. This allows the device to achieve actual output rates much closer to the desired rate limits for users and services.
US07724650B2 Multi-station physical layer communication over TP cable
Wired data telecommunications networks can make advantageous use of a communications capability between and among more than two network devices. Such capabilities may be utilized in providing redundancy of data and/or inline power capabilities from a pair of network devices to a third network device receiving the redundant capability. Impedance modulated communications are provided in a wired data telecommunications network among at least a first, second and third network device coupled together via a Y device. The Y device couples the three network devices (higher order Y devices could couple more than three devices) allowing monitoring of communications and inline power provision so that one of the network devices may act in response to monitored conditions by communicating via impedance modulated communications with one or both of the other network devices.
US07724647B2 Method and system for fast channel change in a DOCSIS set top gateway device
A DOCSIS set-top gateway device uses multiple embedded cable modems so that one eCM can remained tuned to a frequency being used for a current two-way data session and another eCM can be used to tune to a different frequency. The other eCM that tunes to a different frequency is disabled from operating in the upstream direction to avoid conflict with the two-way eCM in communicating with a CMTS.The eCMs in the DSG are controlled by a client controller that interfaces applications local to the DSG to a central device, such as a CMTS. A message may be sent to a client application requesting content on a traffic flow using a different frequency than the two-way capable sCM. The client controller instructs the upstream-disabled eCM to tune to the different frequency, meanwhile the two-way eCM stays tuned to the current frequency.
US07724627B2 Encoder spokes detection prior to forming image on optically writable label surface of optical disc
Whether an optically writable label surface of an optical disc is suitable for having an image formed thereon is determined. A detectable number of encoder spokes on a control feature area of the optical disc is counted as the optical disc is rotated. Where the detectable number of encoder spokes is other than a predetermined value, an error condition with respect to the optically writable label surface of the optical disc is indicated.
US07724626B2 Optical pickup and optical information recording apparatus using the same
An optical pickup includes a diffraction grating partitioned into three areas, in which the phase of periodic grating groove structure in an area is successively shifted from that in the adjacent area by 90°. In the generation of a differential push-pull signal, an amplification factor K for sub push-pull signals is varied depending on the type of the optical disk. By such composition of the optical pickup, amplitude deterioration of the tracking error signal accompanying displacement of the object lens is reduced.
US07724624B2 Method and system for signal gain control in optical disc drives
A signal gain control method and system for use in optical disc drives to prevent undesirable saturation occurrences in circuit operations. The method includes fetching a preset reading front monitor diode signal and a preset gain controlling signal for reading; generating a front monitor diode signal by a front monitor diode signal conversion circuit; calculating a gain controlling signal based on the preset gain controlling signal for reading, the preset reading front monitor diode signal, and the front monitor diode signal by a signal processor; adjusting a gain for detection signals according to the gain controlling signal by a gain adjustment unit; and generating control signals according to the adjusted detection signals by a pre-amp module.
US07724623B2 Reading method of optical disc drive for reading disc and finding if disc is placed reversely
A reading method for finding if a disc is placed reversely used in an optical disc drive is provided. The optical disc drive has a spindle motor, an optical pickup head having a lens, a fine actuator and a sled actuator. Firstly, a disc is placed into the optical disc drive. Next, the spindle motor rotates the disc. After that, a laser light of the optical pickup head is shot on the disc. Next, the lens is moved such that the laser light follows a single data track. Then, a central error signal of the lens is measured continuously. Afterwards, if the central error signal increases progressively, the optical disc drive finds the disc placed reversely, and the disc is ejected from the optical disc drive.
US07724622B2 Recording device capable of determining the media type based on detecting the capacitance of pair electrodes
A device enabling simple detection of a recording medium placed on a tray includes at least two electrodes arranged on the tray, an electric field sensor connected to the electrodes, and a control circuit connected to the electric field sensor. The electric field sensor detects capacitance in accordance with the distance between the electrodes relative to the recording medium placed on the tray. The control circuit determines the recording media type of the recording medium based on the capacitance detected by the electric field sensor.
US07724606B2 Interface circuit
A variable delay line receives and delays a data strobe signal transferred from a data source side in synchronization with a transfer data by a predetermined period, and produces a delayed data strobe signal and the non-delayed data strobe signal to a detector. The detector determines that a preamble period ends and effective data is transferred, when the delayed data strobe signal is at the L level at the time of rising of the non-delayed data strobe signal from the L level to the H level. According to a result of detection, an interface circuit unit takes in the transfer data and initializes a take-in address. The data strobe signal changes to a high-impedance state when a postamble ends. An influence of a glitch noise is avoided upon this change of the data strobe signal, and the data transfer can be executed fast and accurately.
US07724601B2 Electrical fuses with redundancy
The present disclosure provides an electrical fuse cell with redundancy features and the method for operating the same. The fuse cell includes a first set of electrical fuses having at least one electrical fuse contained therein, and a second set of electrical fuses having at least one electrical fuse for providing redundancy to at least one fuse of the first set, wherein if one of the first set of electrical fuses is defective, at least one of the second set of the electrical fuses can be programmed to provide a redundancy function of the defective fuse.
US07724589B2 System and method for delaying a signal communicated from a system to at least one of a plurality of memory circuits
A system and method are provided for delaying a signal communicated from a system to a plurality of memory circuits. Included is a component in communication with a plurality of memory circuits and a system. Such component is operable to receive a signal from the system and communicate the signal to at least one of the memory circuits after a delay. In other embodiments, the component is operable to receive a signal from at least one of the memory circuits and communicate the signal to the system after a delay.
US07724587B2 Apparatuses, computer program products and methods for reading data from memory cells
In reading data from a memory cell, a determining circuit determines whether a received voltage value is within at least one first voltage range through a one-time read operation using a semiconductor device that senses an output current corresponding to the received voltage value. The at least one first voltage range includes a first upper limit voltage value and a first lower limit voltage value. A data value of the memory cell is set as a first data value when the received voltage value is within the specific voltage range.
US07724585B2 Implementing local evaluation of domino read SRAM with enhanced SRAM cell stability
A method and circuit for implementing domino static random access memory (SRAM) local evaluation with enhanced SRAM cell stability, and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides are provided. A SRAM local evaluation circuit enabling a read and write operations of an associated SRAM cell group includes true and complement bitlines, a single write data propagation input, a precharge signal, and a precharge write signal. A passgate device is connected between the complement bitline and the write data propagation input. A transistor stack is connected in series with the precharge device between the true bitline and ground. The precharge write signal disables the passgate device connected between the complement bitline and the write data propagation input during a read operation. During write operations, the precharge write signal enables the passgate device connected between the complement bitline and the write data propagation input and activates the transistor stack.
US07724582B2 Decoders and decoding methods for nonvolatile memory devices using level shifting
A decoder for a nonvolatile memory device includes a level shifter configured to produce a first voltage at an output thereof responsive to a first state of a global word line and to produce a second voltage at the output responsive to a second state of the global word line. The decoder further includes a plurality of local word line drivers, each having an input coupled to the output of the level shifter, the respective local word line drivers configured to drive respective local word lines responsive to voltages on respective partial word lines when the output of the level shifter is at the first voltage and to drive the respective local word lines to a common voltage when the output of the level shifter is at the second voltage. The first state of the global word line may generate a third voltage at an input of the level shifter, the second state of the global word line may generate a fourth voltage at the input of the level shifter, and the first and second voltages may have opposite polarities.
US07724577B2 NAND with back biased operation
Methods of programming, reading and erasing memory cells are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, program, sense, and erase operations in a memory are performed with back biased operation, such as to improve high voltage device isolation and cutoff in string drivers and bit line drivers, and no nodes of the circuitry are biased at zero volts.
US07724574B2 Semiconductor memory device and data write and read method thereof
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array including a plurality of memory banks, an address input portion which receives a row address and a column address through address pins during a normal mode operation and which receives the row address, the column address and write data through the address pins during a test mode operation, an address decoder which accesses one of the plurality of memory banks during the normal mode operation and at least two of the plurality of memory banks during the test mode operation in response to the row address and the column address, a data input portion which inputs write data applied through data pins to the memory cell array during the normal mode operation and which inputs write data output from the address input portion to the memory cell array during the test mode operation, and a data output portion which outputs read data output from the memory cell array to the data pins during the normal mode operation and the test mode operation.
US07724568B2 Memory device having read cache
A memory device comprises a non-volatile electrically alterable memory which is susceptible to read disturbance. The device has a control circuit for controlling the operation of the non-volatile memory. The device further has a first volatile cache memory. The first volatile cache memory is connected to the control circuit and is for storing data to be written to or read from the non-volatile memory, as cache for the memory device. The device further has a second volatile cache memory. The second volatile cache memory is connected to the control circuit and is for storing data read from the non-volatile memory as read cache for the memory device. Finally the control circuit reads data from the second volatile cache memory in the event of a data miss from the first volatile cache memory, and reads data from the non-volatile memory in the event of a data miss from the first and second volatile cache memories.
US07724559B2 Self-referenced match-line sense amplifier for content addressable memories
A content addressable memory (CAM) device and process for searching a CAM. The CAM device includes a plurality of CAM cells, match-lines (MLs), search lines, and ML sense amplifiers. The ML sense amplifiers are capable of self-calibration to their respective thresholds to reduce effects of random device variation between adjacent sense amplifiers.
US07724556B2 Power converter
There are provided: sets of pairs of main circuit switching elements (4u), (4x) that supply power to a load, connected in series with a DC power source; free-wheel diodes (5u), (5x) connected in anti-parallel with these main circuit switching elements; and a reverse voltage application circuit (8) that applies reverse voltage smaller than the DC voltage source to the free-wheel diodes when these free-wheel diodes cut off. The reverse voltage application circuit includes a current suppression circuit (10) that suppresses the main circuit current flowing in the low-voltage DC voltage power source on reverse recovery of the free-wheel diodes.
US07724555B1 Power converter with synchronous rectification and digital current sharing
Converters that employ synchronous rectification, such as DC/DC converters, are disclosed. These converters can control their synchronous rectifiers to selectively block or pass a negative current from flowing in their output lines. Also disclosed are converters which can operate as slaves based on timing signals from other daisy-chained converters. Open-loop synchronous rectifier driving circuitry is further disclosed to allow converters to operate independently of any timing information from their output stages.
US07724549B2 Integrated power conditioning system and housing for delivering operational power to a motor
A device for conditioning power delivered to operate a motor is disclosed. The device includes a sealed housing having at least one input terminal extending through the housing and configured to receive an input power and at least one output terminal extending through the housing and configured to deliver an output power conditioned to power a motor coupled to the output terminal. The device also includes a filter inductor arranged in the housing and that has an input configured to receive the input power from the input terminal. The filter inductor output terminal has a tap that is extended through the housing to allow coupling of various external filter components, such as resistors capacitors and inductors. Accordingly, the filter inductor is configured to suppress voltage changes in the input power and deliver a filtered power to an output of the filter inductor. A transformer is included that is arranged in the housing and has an input configured to receive the filtered power from the output of the filter inductor. As such, the transformer is at least configured to electrically isolate the input terminal from the output terminal and deliver a conditioned power from an output of the transformer to the output terminal to power the motor coupled to the output terminal.
US07724548B2 Control methods for pulse width modulation (PWM)
A method of controlling a power converter is used to interface to a power grid or supply network operating at a frequency (Fnet) that is nominally fixed (say at 50 Hz, for example) but which can be varied as a way of controlling power imbalanced within the network as a whole. The power converter can include a network bridge that operates in accordance with the pulse width modulation (PWM) strategy having a switching frequency (Fpwm), a nominal switching frequency (Fpwm_nom) and a number of pulses per period (Pulse_Number). The method includes the step of varying the switching frequency (Fpwm) of the PWM strategy in accordance with the time-varying frequency (Fnet) of the supply network to achieve only integer odd harmonics of the time-varying frequency (Fnet) and the step of adjusting the number of pulses per period (Pulse_Number) in accordance with the time-varying frequency (Fnet) of the supply network to maintain a switching frequency (Fpwm) that is less than, or equal to, the nominal switching frequency (Fpwm_nom).