| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US07731252B1 |
Door safety device
A door safety device is disclosed. The door safety device includes a lock member, an attachment member carried by the lock member and an attachment device carried by the attachment member. A method of securing a sliding door in a closed position in a sliding door assembly is also disclosed. |
| US07731245B2 |
Quick connector coupling
A quick connector coupling comprising a connector body, a primary retainer, a secondary retainer and a male member having a radially enlarged upset. The connector body includes a stem and a separate cap permanently secured to the stem. The stem defines an axially extending through bore and includes an annular rib located radially outward of the bore. The cap defines an annular groove located radially outward of the bore. The annular rib of the stem is positioned in the annular groove of the cap. The cap is spin welded to the stem to permanently secure the cap to the stem. The connector body further defines two annular abutment surfaces. The primary retainer and the secondary retainer are located axially in between the two annular abutment surfaces of the connector body. The primary retainer has a ring and two primary retainer arm located axially forward of the ring. Each primary retainer arm is in abutting relationship with the upset. The secondary retainer has a ring and two secondary retainer arms located axially rearward of the ring. Each secondary retainer arm is located circumferentially in between two primary retainer arms and in abutting relationship with the upset. |
| US07731244B2 |
Make-brake connector assembly with opposing latches
A make-break connector assembly having a latching mechanism integral to the top and bottom of the housing. The connector assembly includes connectors for fluid or air flow. The connector assembly has a single button release to release both the top and bottom latches. |
| US07731242B2 |
Pipe clamp with built in test fitting
A pipe clamp includes a deformable cylindrical sealing sleeve having a continuous side wall with a slotted opening extending 180 degrees around the circumference of the side wall adapted to receive a gate valve plate. The slotted opening has protruding lips bordered by clamping wedges. Clamps are provided for clamping the sealing sleeve to a pipe. Pressure members are provided. A clamping force with pressure members upon the clamping wedges to clamp the lips into a closed position thereby creating a fluid tight seal when the gate valve plate is removed. |
| US07731232B2 |
Vehicle airbag device
A vehicle airbag device in which an airbag is deployed by gas emitted by an inflator. The airbag has a pocket part, which is formed in a lower surface of the airbag and passes over an upper end of an obstacle. An introduction tube for introducing gas emitted by the inflator into the airbag extends into the airbag. When the airbag is deploying, but an obstacle prevents the airbag from doing so, a distal end part of the introduction tube will be blocked off, and the gas will be released to the exterior through a gas release part. |
| US07731229B2 |
Low risk deployment passenger airbag system with knee protection
A passenger airbag system is designed for an automotive vehicle with a passenger compartment, a windshield and an instrument panel disposed between the passenger compartment and the windshield. The instrument panel has a top portion adjacent the windshield, a lower surface generally directed toward the legs of an occupant and a mid-portion with a surface that extends between the top and lower portions. The system includes a first airbag and a second airbag both disposed in the instrument panel. Each airbag has a cushion deployable from the housing through the instrument panel along a predetermined path for direct contact with an occupant seated in the passenger compartment. The second airbag has a lower portion when deployed that fills a space between the occupant's lower extremities and the lower portion of the instrument panel and thus acts as a knee airbag. |
| US07731213B2 |
Bicycle attachment
A bicycle attachment comprises a pair of spaced rotatable wheels for engaging with a support surface, a connecting portion extending between and secured to the wheels, and a securing portion hinged relative to the connecting portion such that the securing portion is able to pivot relative to the connecting portion. The securing portion is adapted to be secured relative to a fork of a bicycle such that swiveling the fork relative to a frame of the bicycle also swivels the wheels and the connecting portion relative to the frame, and such that pivoting the securing portion relative to the connecting portion also pivots the fork relative to the connecting portion. |
| US07731211B2 |
Heavy-duty vehicle axle/suspension system
An axle/suspension system for a heavy-duty vehicle, in which the vehicle includes a frame that extends in a longitudinal direction relative to the vehicle. The axle/suspension system is attached to the vehicle frame via at least one hanger and includes at least one beam, which includes a first end and a second end. The first end of the beam is connected to the hanger, and the second end of the beam immovably captures an axle, which extends in a transverse direction relative to the vehicle. The beam is formed of a composite material and has a substantially constant cross section in the transverse direction to provide sufficient strength to control roll forces encountered by the vehicle during operation. |
| US07731210B2 |
Vehicle with a tiltable chassis
A vehicle having a chassis, front wheels each having an axis of rotation, and a suspension assembly for connecting the front wheels to the chassis. The suspension assembly is adapted to allow the front wheels to move transverse to their axes of rotation, but in opposite directions, in order to tilt the chassis. The suspension assembly includes a wheel orientation defining rod coupled to at least one of the front wheels, and a unit for pivotably coupling the wheel orientation defining rod to the chassis. The coupling unit ensures that a wheel orientation of the front wheel defined by the wheel orientation defining rod is essentially independent of movement of the front wheel transverse to the axis of rotation thereof. |
| US07731209B2 |
Tractor
The present invention realizes a common use of left and right gear casings aims thus reducing a manufacturing cost by an amount corresponding to the common use of the left and right gear casings. According to the present invention, in a tractor in which a front axle case which extends in the lateral direction is mounted on a body frame, and a pair of left and right front wheels are respectively mounted on left and right end portions of the front axle case by way of left and right gear casings, the front axle case is constituted of a center casing forming body and left and right casing forming bodies which have respective proximal end portions thereof connected to left and right end portions of the center casing forming body, and proximal end portions of the left and right casing forming bodies have mounting positions thereof arranged adjustable about axes with respect to the left and right end portions of the center casing forming body. |
| US07731207B2 |
Mobile transport platform for the handling of aeronautical parts
A mobile transport platform for the handling of aeronautical parts with a frame has an array of telescopic actuators vertically arranged in rows and columns, each telescopic actuator is coupled by one end to the frame, and has a coupled head (2c) at its opposite end; a control system connected to each telescopic actuator for individually controlling the actuation of each telescopic actuator so that the telescopic actuator can adapt a position between that of maximum extension in which the head and at least part of the shaft of the telescopic actuator project from the plane of the load surface, and that of maximum retraction in which at least the shaft of the telescopic actuator does not project from the plane of the load surface. |
| US07731198B2 |
Ball returning tent net
A ball returning tent net includes a frame that is supported on the ground on three or four contact points, and a ball-catch enclosure that is supported by the frame. The ball-catch enclosure includes an aperture that is adapted to pass a ball through, and a rear wall that is adapted to catch the ball and a bottom net. The frame includes a front frame member that supports the aperture and a rear frame member that supports the rear wall. The bottom net is inclined downward toward the front frame member. The ball-catch enclosure further includes an anti-sagging device that prevents sagging of the bottom net. |
| US07731188B2 |
Sheet registration system with auxiliary nips
A sheet handling system comprising a sheet registration system having sheet registration nips and a receiving system for a sheet including a capturing point for engaging said sheet. Auxiliary nips are positioned between the sheet registration nips and the receiving station. The auxiliary nips are moveable between an open and closed position. A controller receives a signal indicative of the length of the sheet and sends a signal to the auxiliary nips to be in a sheet engaging position when the length of the sheet is less than the distance between the sheet feeding nips and the capturing point of the receiving station and be in an open position if the length of the sheet is greater than the distance between the sheet registration nips and the capturing point of the receiving station. In another embodiment, the auxiliary nips are maintained in their open position until the trailing edge of a sheet is about to leave the sheet registration nips, at which point the auxiliary nips are closed. |
| US07731179B2 |
Sheet tray assembly
A sheet tray assembly including: (a) a tray unit configured to accommodate sheets, and having an upper opening for allowing the sheets to be introduced into the tray unit via the upper opening; (b) a cover unit configured to cover the upper opening; and (c) a link interconnecting the tray unit and the cover unit, and having (c-1) a first end portion at which the link is connected to the tray unit and (c-2) a second end portion at which the link is connected to a proximal end portion of the cover unit. The link is movable between first and second pivot positions as a result of pivot movement of the link relative to the tray unit, whereby a posture of the link is changeable by the pivot movement, such that the second end portion of the link is placed in a first height level when the link is positioned in the first pivot position, and is placed in a second height level that is higher than the first height level when the link is positioned in the second pivot position. |
| US07731167B2 |
Methods and systems for controlling the feeding of stacked sheet material
Methods and systems employing belt conveyors adapted to feed signatures to a collating conveyor and a control system that regulates the operation of the belt conveyors are provided. The control system is adapted to regulate the speed of the belt conveyors in response to the speed of the collating conveyor, for example, proportional to the speed of the collating conveyor, to minimize or eliminate signature misfeeds. The control system may implement a mathematical algorithm that defines a relationship between the collating conveyor speed and the belt conveyor speeds. The systems and methods may include ancillary feeding devices such as joggers and speeder wheels to optimize the transfer of signatures. |
| US07731161B2 |
Devices, systems, and methods for carbonation of deionized water
Devices, systems, and methods employed in wet cleaning semiconductor devices are provided. In particular, systems that can deliver deionized water with the desired concentration of CO2 and methods of generating deionized water with a desired concentration of CO2 for use in wet cleaning of semiconductor devices are provided. |
| US07731160B2 |
Post and railing assembly with support bracket covers
A railing mounting assembly includes a U-shaped bracket having a pair of sidewalls and a bottom wall, the bottom wall comprising a pair of platform portions for supporting a railing, and a pair of recessed portions separated from one another by a channel, and a trim cover attached around the bracket, the trim cover having a slit and at least one locking member projecting through the channel of the U-shaped bracket. |
| US07731158B1 |
Insert type chain hoist
A insert type chain hoist includes a base disc having a transmission disc and a driving disc installed on a side of the base disc. The base disc includes a pivotal pillar disposed at the central position of a lateral surface of the base disc and pivotally connected to the transmission disc and the driving disc, a manual device installed on a surface of the base disc, and a driver for driving the transmission disc. The manual device includes a chain hoist drive wheel installed on the same surface of the base disc and the pivotal pillar for driving the transmission disc. The chain hoist drive wheel is connected to the manual pillar. A sleeve is sheathed onto an end of the manual pillar. A chain hoist is positioned at another end of the sleeve and away from the manual pillar. Users can use the manual device to roll a rolling door quickly and easily. |
| US07731157B2 |
Apparatus and method for heave compensation
A heave compensation apparatus and method for a winch or crane system, the winch or crane system preferably for a vessel and including a lift wire for attachment to a load. The apparatus includes a vessel motion measurement device which may be in the form of a motion reference unit for measuring the motion of the vessel, and a control device or computer capable of receiving an output from the vessel motion measurement device and controlling the winch or crane system according to the movement of the vessel, so as to stabilise the load. The apparatus may further optionally include one or more of a lift wire tension measuring device for measuring the tension in the lift wire; a lift wire distance measurement device which measures the length of lift wire that has been paid out; and a load motion measurement device for measuring the motion of the load. |
| US07731156B2 |
Vacuum valve
A vacuum valve including a valve housing two valve openings, a closure member having two closure plates, a transverse drive unit for adjusting the closure member between an open position and an intermediate position where the closure plates cover the valve openings, a first longitudinal drive unit for adjusting the closure member between the intermediate position and a first closed position, and a second longitudinal drive unit for adjusting the closure member between the intermediate position and a second closed. Each longitudinal drive unit includes a plurality of actuating elements which are guided into the vacuum area of the valve housing. These actuating elements are adjustable by driving elements between a retracted, passive position where their actuating ends are raised from the closure member and an advanced, active position where their actuating ends are pressed against the closure member and press the respective closure plate against the respective valve seat. |
| US07731142B2 |
Tool-less mounting slide bracket
A slide bracket free of tool mounting includes a body, a base, first hangers, first resilient elements, second hangers, a hook and a second resilient element. The body comprises a fixing board. The first hanger, the first resilient element and the second hanger are located between the fixing board and the base. The fixing board is provided with a first longitudinal trough while the base is provided with a second longitudinal trough and a chute. The second longitudinal trough corresponds to the first longitudinal trough of the fixing board. The hook, having an angle and a stopper, penetrates the first longitudinal trough, the chute and the second longitudinal trough. The stopper slips relatively to the chute. The second resilient element upholds to the knob, which moves the hook relatively to the rack, and makes the angle buckled in a rack. |
| US07731140B2 |
Interchangeable snap-in device mounting apparatus
A combination of quick connect and disconnect device mounting apparatus. Multiple different interchangeable male adapter bases are provided each having a round-tipped diamond-patterned male base plate that fits into and mates with a complementary round-tipped diamond-patterned receptacle formed in one of multiple different interchangeable female receivers. The complementary round-tipped diamond-patterned shapes drive the adapter's male base plate to become aligned and positioned relative to the receiver's female receptacle during assembly. |
| US07731134B1 |
Bag stand
An apparatus or bag stand has at least one elongated bail having a pair of oppositely extending ears at each end for supporting and holding open a bag. An elongated slot is defined at least in part by the bail and co-extends therewith. Preferably, a support base elevates the bail in a substantially horizontal position allowing the bag to drape generally freely and downward from the bail. An external face of the bag contacts the portion of the support base that generally defines in part the slot as a portion of a continuous peripheral edge of the bag extrudes through the slot. The extruded portion of the peripheral edge is generally flipped or overturned about the bail and preferably tucked behind the ears so that an internal face of the bag is in contact with and generally encompasses the bail. |
| US07731130B2 |
Loudspeaker mounting mechanism
This invention provides a spring loaded mounting mechanism for easily mounting and removing a loudspeaker housing within an opening in a surface. The mounting mechanism includes a shaft connected to the loudspeaker housing. Attached to the shaft is a spring actuated arm. The actuated arm is compressed inward toward the housing by the side walls of the surface surrounding the opening when the housing is being positioned within the opening. At a certain point when the housing is inserted far enough into the opening, the actuated arm will lose contact with the side walls of the surface surrounding the opening and will expand to its open position. In its open position, the arm is positioned just behind or against the back face of the surface surrounding the opening, locking the housing into the opening in the surface. The invention further allows for the spring actuated arm to be tightened against or moved away from the back face of the surface by adjusting the positioning of the shaft. To remove the housing from the opening, the spring actuated arm may be moved away from the back face of the surface surrounding the opening by compressing the arm inward toward the housing. The arm may be compressed inward through the use of a device or by the hand of a user. Once the arm is compressed inward, the housing may be easily removed from the opening. |
| US07731127B2 |
Drain mast connector
A drain-mast connector, for use in transportation vehicles such as aircraft, includes an interface pipe which extends through an outer skin of a fuselage of an aircraft via a nipple-like connector. Such a connector allows for simple plug connection of the drain mast pipe and allows less contamination of the fuselage due to grey water disposal. Such a plug-like connection does not require a complicated mounting process. |
| US07731125B2 |
Compact stowage of transport aircraft
Substantial reduction in aircraft stowage space can be achieved by stacking aircraft using minimal or no folding of parts of the aircraft. This results in reduced complexity and reduced cost compared to other aircraft compact stowage schemes including for example fully folding an aircraft. Landing gear variable height, length, or orientation can be used to orient all or a portion of the aircraft for stowage. Alternately or in combination with such orientation by landing gear, other portions of the aircraft including tilting rotors and tilting nacelles can be oriented to achieve a geometric configuration conducive to compact stowage. In preferred embodiments, aircraft are moved relative to each other so that a portion of one aircraft is offset relative to a corresponding portion of the other. In especially preferred configurations, a portion of the first aircraft will overlap or lie on top of without touching a portion of the second aircraft. |
| US07731123B2 |
Contra-bevel driven control surface
A contra-bevel driven control mechanism repositions a control surface in a fluid environment such as an aerodynamic or hydrodynamic environment. This involves mechanically coupling an airfoil and a control surface. The control surface may pivot about a spanwise axis between upwardly deflected and downwardly deflected positions. A forward beveled rotor mounted to the airfoil and an aft beveled rotor mounted to the control surface counter rotate. The forward beveled rotor rotates about a forward chordwise axis within the airfoil while the aft beveled rotor rotates about an aft chordwise axis within the control surface. The angular rotation between the forward beveled rotor and the aft beveled rotor deflects the aft beveled rotor and the aft chordwise axis within the control surface. Additionally, this method allows the control surface to be deflected with maximum mechanical advantage when the control surface is fully deflected. |
| US07731118B2 |
Acceleration sensor
A holding mechanism for a vehicular acceleration sensor, comprising: a pair of lever arms operable to move independently of one another; and an inertia weight held between the lever arms, wherein movement of the inertia weight, in use, when under acceleration, causes at least a part of at least one lever arm or both arms to move in a generally linear direction. |
| US07731106B2 |
Air driven delivery system for sprayable media
The present invention relates generally to a gas-compression spray device, wherein the nozzle assembly containing all of the wettable parts is detachable from the body of the spray device. |
| US07731097B2 |
Liquid conservation device and a liquid apparatus incorporating the liquid conservation device
A water saving device for us in a hot water system to recover an initial volume of cold water when a hot water tap is turned on. The device has an inlet for receiving water piped from a water heater, a primary outlet for delivering hot water to a tap, and a by-pass outlet through which any cooled water is diverted by a thermally actuated shuttle valve. The device also includes a secondary valve for closing off the by-pass outlet when the water pressure downstream of the primary outlet is high (such as when the down stream hot water delivery tap is closed and opening the by pass outlet when the water pressure downstream of the primary outlet is low, such as when the downstream hot water delivery tap is opened. |
| US07731095B2 |
Ternary SIM card delivery
A ternary card assembly is provided that includes a detachable smart card, a detachable information tab, and a disposable carrier card, which are connected by breakaway links. The smart card and the information tab may be connected to one another directly or indirectly through an intermediate element. The information tab may include one or more panels that are elastically displaceable from the plane of the information tab to render the information tab useful in different ways. A payload set is also provided, which includes a smart card and an information tab, which is detachably connected to only a part of the smart card's perimeter. Also provided are methods of preparing a smart card for use and for customizing a smart card. |
| US07731093B2 |
Image reading/forming apparatus and method
An RFID tag formed on an original includes a storage unit which stores data representing, e.g., the number of times of scan of the original and the generation from a parent original, and a transmitter/receiver which transmits and receives the data by radio. A read/write circuit receives data from an RFID tag of an original by radio. On the basis of the received data, read of the original is controlled. While the original is being read, the received data is edited in accordance with the control. The read/write circuit transmits and writes the edited data in the RFID tag. |
| US07731092B2 |
Optical information reading apparatus
In an optical information reading apparatus, a pickup unit has a predetermined reading position, and is configured to optically pickup information of a target when the information is located at the reading position. A marker beam irradiating unit includes a light beam source configured to emit a light beam. The marker beam irradiating unit includes a beam pattern forming lens arranged to allow the emitted light beam to enter thereinto. The pattern forming lens is configured to irradiate a marker beam based on the emitted light beam. The marker beam has a predetermined beam pattern composed of at least one linear beamlet to indicate the reading position of the pickup unit. |
| US07731090B2 |
Device and method for controlling the calorimetric quality of any printed document
A novel control device and a method for using the device for the calorimetric quality assurance of photographic documents or any color and monochrome products printed on any type of supports. The inventive control device is embodied in the form of an improved reflective spectrophotometer which also makes it possible to read bar codes. The use of the novel control device requires the use of a novel method which enables any user of a production machine to be assigned with an unique alpha digital identifier for any arbitrary product configuration leading to an arbitrary chromatic response (reflectance spectrum or colour spectrum obtained according to a printed file values) which are considered by the competent user as desirable and retainable for certain products. |
| US07731089B2 |
Interactive physical mail content management
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for interactive mail management of physical mail. Physical mail is received in a mailbox. An identifier is read in response to receiving the physical mail in the mailbox. The physical mail contains the identifier. Information contained in the identifier is sent to the mail recipient. The mail recipient is able to identify instructions for communicating with a sender associated with the physical mail based on the information from the identifier. |
| US07731088B2 |
Vehicle violation enforcement system and method
A PDA device is used to record the ID of a vehicle boot RFID tag and to transmit to the tag and to a host entity violation data such as summons number, license number, time and date stamp, issuing person ID, location of the vehicle, scofflaw data and so on. This data may be entered into the PDA electronically via a communication network such as the internet or LAN system or manually via a keyboard. The host entity has a data base which is uploaded with this information and has correlation of RFID tag numbers to an unlock combination number for each boot. When the boot is attached to a vehicle, this PDA data is transmitted to the host entity whose contact telephone number is attached to the vehicle being booted. The driver contacts the entity to pay the fine and receive in return the unlock combination. The driver thus can release and remove the boot within minutes of returning to the vehicle and can return the boot at his leisure. |
| US07731079B2 |
Cooling apparatus and method of fabrication thereof with a cold plate formed in situ on a surface to be cooled
A cooling apparatus and method of fabrication are provided for facilitating removal of heat from a heat-generating electronic device. The method of fabrication includes: obtaining a solder material; disposing the solder material on a surface to be cooled; and reflowing and shaping the solder material disposed on the surface to be cooled to configure the solder material as a base with a plurality of fins extending therefrom. In addition to being in situ-configured on the surface to be cooled, the base is simultaneously metallurgically bonded to the surface to be cooled. The solder material, configured as the base with a plurality of fins extending therefrom, is a single, monolithic structure thermally attached to the surface to be cooled via the metallurgical bonding thereof to the surface to be cooled. |
| US07731076B2 |
Laser trimming problem suppressing semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus and method
A semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus includes a substrate holding section that holds a semiconductor wafer substrate, a discharge mechanism that discharges liquid drops of metal paste from a discharge nozzle toward a surface of the semiconductor wafer substrate, and a driving mechanism that moves at least one of the substrate holding section and the discharge nozzle. A control section is provided to control the discharge and driving mechanisms so as to adhere the metal paste to the surface. The semiconductor wafer substrate includes a terminal unit formed from two or more electrically separated terminals connected to a device circuit and an insulation layer having an opening in a formation position of the terminal unit. Further, the control section controls the discharge and driving mechanisms to selectively coat the opening of the semiconductor wafer substrate with the metal paste overlying the terminal unit to be electrically connected. |
| US07731061B1 |
Wearable toy with rotatable discharge pods for firing projectiles and methods
A wearable toy having an outer housing capable of rotating around a wearable component with more than one pod at the outer housing each able to receive a contained discharge element. The pods are engaged by an actuator assembly which operates to project the contained discharge element of each pod. The pods at the outer housing may receive, e.g., a removable canister containing the discharge elements. The actuator assembly includes a first actuator coupled to the wearable component for manipulation by a user and a second actuator capable of engaging the first actuator projecting the contained discharge element of each of the plurality of pods. The canister may include a second actuator coupled and capable of engagement with the first actuator as the outer housing member is rotated to allow alignment of first and second actuators for projecting the contained discharge element. |
| US07731059B2 |
Liquid crystal dispensing apparatus having confirming function for remaining amount of liquid crystal and method for measuring the same
A liquid crystal dispensing apparatus determines an amount of liquid crystal remaining within a liquid crystal container. The apparatus includes a liquid crystal dispensing unit for containing dispensable liquid crystal, capable of be dispensed directly onto a substrate and a main control unit for determining a total amount of liquid crystal dispensed onto the substrate based on a unitary amount of liquid crystal dispensed and the number of times the unitary amount was dispensed, and determining an amount of liquid crystal remaining by deducting the determined total amount dispensed from an initial amount of liquid crystal contained within the liquid crystal dispensing unit. |
| US07731054B1 |
Beverage urn with handle assembly
A beverage urn (10) with a thin-walled glass body (12) having a flat bottom (14), a cylindrical containment section (16) and a cylindrical neck (22) with a circular top edge (24) surrounding a top opening (26) and an outwardly downwardly body section (18) extending from the bottom of the neck (22) to the top of the cylindrical containment section (16). Attached to the outwardly extending body section (18) and overlying the top opening (26) is a handle assembly (28) with an L-shaped handle (40) carried by a mounting body (30) that protectively overlies the circular top edge (24) and surrounds the cylindrical neck (22) in protective spaced relationship. The handle assembly (28) is secured to the outwardly extending body section (18) by means of a mating set of ratchet gear teeth (52,54) respectively carried by mating connection portions of an internal mounting ring (44) and the mounting body (30). The internal mounting ring (44) is preferably made of resilient, moldable plastic that is installed into the interior of the glass body (12) in the mounting position (FIG. 3) by distorting the outwardly extending, frustoconical mounting section (46) of mounting ring (44) as needed to push it though top opening (26) of the glass body (12). |
| US07731031B1 |
Cleanup kit for compact fluorescent light bulbs and associated methods
A compact fluorescent cleanup kit is disclosed, which comprises a plurality of member elements. The member elements comprise printed instructions, at least one glove, at least one mask, at least one eye protection member, at least one sealable container, at least one cleanup scoop, at least one single-sided adhesive member, and at least one towelette. The at least one glove, at least one mask, and at least one eye protection member may be donned to protect a user from exposure to metal contaminants that may be released when a compact fluorescent bulb is damaged. The at least one cleanup scoop, at least one single-sided adhesive member, and at least one towelette may be used to collect all debris from a damaged compact fluorescent bulb into the at least one sealable container. |
| US07731025B2 |
Packaging cushion assembly
A packaging cushion assembly includes at least one foldable packaging plate including a base plate that has two opposite first sides, two opposite second sides, two opposite first side plates connected respectively and foldably to the first sides, and two opposite second side plates connected respectively and foldably to the second sides. Each of the first and second side plates has an outer wall plate section connected foldably to the respective first or second side, a spacer plate section connected foldably to the outer wall plate section, and an inner wall plate section connected foldably to the spacer plate section. The outer wall plate section of each second side plate has two connecting plates respectively and foldably connected to two ends thereof. |
| US07731015B2 |
Chainless container-transporting device
The present invention provides a container-transporting device which fundamentally avoids the problems caused by elongations and the structure of endless chains, which is inevitably created by using endless chains in the container-transporting conveyors for conventional filling-and-packaging machines. It is a container-transporting device for holding and transporting a square-cylindrical container 36 by a container holder 34 formed between container-transporting means 32 and 33 disposed to face parallel with each other, wherein the container conveying means 32 and 33 are equipped with: a number of blocks 40 having a holding part 38 constituting a part of a container holder 34; outward block-support members 42 and homeward block-support members 44, arranged by extending in the conveying direction, for supporting a number of blocks 40 in a movable condition along the conveying direction; a first transfer means 46 capable of sequentially transferring the blocks 40 that have been conveyed while being supported by the outward block-support members 42 to the homeward block-support members 44; a second transfer means 48 capable of sequentially transferring the blocks 40 that have been conveyed while being supported by the homeward block-support members 44 to the outward block-support members 42; and a block delivering means 50 capable of delivering and conveying the blocks 40 so that each block 40 can be circulated. |
| US07731012B2 |
Overhead transport system able to activate the selective drawing of garment lots
Overhead transport system for the selective drawing of garment lots, making use of a box-shaped support rail (1) on which the garment hanger books (G) are hanging, inside which liftable tracks (5) are provided, through which a closed circuit chain (7) is guided. The chain being able to seize and draw the said hooks when the said liftable tracks are selectively push upwards due to to the inflation of corresponding rubber tubes (4). |
| US07731010B2 |
Article-rotating belt conveyor
A conveyor (20) comprising at least one belt (22) defining an outer conveying surface divided into at least two laterally offset regions in which the rollers (50) in one region rotate in a first direction and the rollers (51) in a second region rotate in a second direction as the conveyor belt (22) advances in a conveying direction. The rollers (50, 51) rotate by rolling along roller-engagement surfaces (54) underlying the conveyor belt along a carryway. The rollers rotating in the first direction rotate with a velocity component in the conveying direction (32) different from the velocity component in the conveying direction of the rollers rotating in the second direction. An article positioned simultaneously atop rollers in both regions is rotated by the rotation of the rollers as the conveyor belt advances. |
| US07731002B2 |
Disc brake
The invention relates to a disc brake having a brake carrier which is fastenable to a vehicle frame and provided with studs for guiding at least one brake lining axially with respect to a brake disc, wherein the brake lining includes U-shaped recesses for the studs into which the studs engage, and wherein during braking tensile forces and/or compressive forces are exerted upon inner surfaces of the recesses. The invention is characterized in that an inner surface of at least one of the U-shaped recesses, which surface bears against a respective stud during a brake actuation, is angled with respect to a central plane of the brake lining such that a force that arises between the said surface and the respective stud during braking presses the brake lining into a stable position with respect to the studs. The invention also relates to a brake lining for use in such a disc brake. |
| US07730993B2 |
Power steering device
In a power steering device, a hydraulic power cylinder is configured to assist a steering force of a steering mechanism linked to steerable road wheels, a pump is configured to supply a hydraulic pressure to respective pressure chambers of the hydraulic power cylinder, an electric motor is configured to drive the pump, a torque sensor is configured to detect a steering torque of the steering mechanism, an operating load state detecting circuit is configured to detect an operating load state of the pump based on a viscosity resistance characteristic of a working oil, and an electric motor control circuit is configured to output a drive signal to the motor on the basis of a torque signal from the torque sensor and the operating load state of the pump. |
| US07730979B2 |
Method of, and apparatus for, cleaning the exterior of tubing
An apparatus for cleaning a bank of tubing includes a small, portable, mobile, remote controlled cart that travels over the surface of the banking of tubing and directs at least one high pressure fluid jet onto the surfaces of the tubes comprising the banks of tubing over which the cart is traveling. A method of cleaning the exterior of a bank of tubing includes traversing a small, portable, mobile, remote controlled cart over the surface of the bank of tubing, and directing a high pressure water generally downwardly toward the tubing as the cart traverses the surface of the bank of tubing. |
| US07730976B2 |
Impregnated rotary drag bit and related methods
A drill bit is provided that employs a plurality of discrete, post-like, abrasive, particulate-impregnated cutting structures extending upwardly from the bit face. The cutting structures may be disposed on abrasive, particulate-impregnated blades that also define a plurality of fluid passages on the bit face. One or more of the cutting structures may include outermost ends that exhibit a cross-sectional geometry that is elongated in a direction along a defined axis. The cutting structures may be oriented such that the defined axis is neither coplanar with, nor parallel to, an intended rotational path of the at least one discrete cutting structure during operation of the bit. In one embodiment, the cutting structure is oriented such that the defined axis is at an acute angle relative to a tangent of the intended rotational path for the associated cutting structure. Other or different features may include, for example, additional, differently configured cutting elements. |
| US07730967B2 |
Drilling wellbores with optimal physical drill string conditions
A drilling system includes a control unit and a bottomhole assembly (BHA) coupled to a drill string. The control unit uses measurements from sensors distributed throughout the drill string and BHA to determine the physical condition of the drill string and BHA and to determine whether drilling can be optimized. The drill string sensors are housed in receiver subs and optionally can be positioned on extensible members. The receiver sub also can include a short-hop telemetry module, a processor module, and a clock module. In one embodiment, the receiver subs include seismic sensors for enabling vertical seismic profiling. During operation, the processor visually presents to the operator via one or more graphical user interfaces a dynamically updated pictorial image representing the drilling system. The image is annotated with an appropriate visual signal to indicate a determined physical condition at a given location or component. The processor can also display recommended adjustments to drilling parameters for increasing drilling rates, improving tool life, and more precise steering. |
| US07730965B2 |
Retractable joint and cementing shoe for use in completing a wellbore
An improved method and/or apparatus for completing a wellbore is provided. In one embodiment, a method of lining a pre-drilled wellbore is provided. The method includes the act of providing a casing assembly, the casing assembly including a string of casing; and a retractable joint comprising an inner tubular and an outer tubular. The method further includes the acts of running the casing assembly into the pre-drilled wellbore and actuating the retractable joint, thereby reducing the length of the casing assembly through movement between the inner and outer tubulars. |
| US07730954B2 |
Hydraulic control and actuation system for downhole tools
A hydraulic control and actuation system for downhole tools. In a described embodiment, a hydraulic control and actuation system includes an internal chamber serving as a low pressure region and a well annulus serving as an energy source. A valve assembly provides selective fluid communication between alternating opposite sides of a piston and each of the energy source and low pressure region. Displacement of the piston operates a well tool. Operation of the valve assembly is controlled via telemetry between a remote location and an electronic circuit of the system. |
| US07730949B2 |
System and method for performing well treatments
A technique is provided for performing a well treatment operation. A completion assembly is constructed with a tubular member designed to maintain pressure integrity above a given well treatment zone. The completion assembly and a service tool can be moved downhole for well treatment operations in one or more well zones. A converter tool is utilized to selectively form openings through a wall of the tubular member to enable flow following completion of the well treatment in a lower zone. |
| US07730946B2 |
Treating tar sands formations with dolomite
Methods for treating a tar sands formation are described herein. The tar sands formation may include dolomite and hydrocarbons. Methods may include providing heat at less than the decomposition temperature of dolomite from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the formation. At least some of the hydrocarbon fluids are mobilized in the formation. At least some of the hydrocarbon fluids may be produced from the formation. |
| US07730941B2 |
Expandable tool with enhanced expansion capability
An expandable downhole tool features a mandrel that is expanded from within by a swage or other technique. The expansion of the mandrel advances an exterior ring or comparable slidably mounted object against an exterior sleeve that can be impervious or porous. The ring engages a ratchet mechanism to hold its position with respect to the mandrel as the swage advances through the mandrel and expands the ring and the exterior sleeve. The locking of the ring to the mandrel keeps the exterior sleeve from springing back longitudinally as the expansion is concluded. |
| US07730929B2 |
Multi-level external window shutter
A multi-level window shutter has a shutter frame movably supporting at least one first level external shutter panel via an external panel opening mechanism mounted on the shutter frame. The external panel movably supports at least one second level internal shutter panel via an internal panel opening mechanism mounted on the external panel and connected to the shutter frame and to the internal panel for simultaneous displacement of the internal panel upon displacement of the external panel relative to the shutter frame. The panels move between a closed position in which they are in a side-by-side configuration relative to one another in spaced apart parallel planes and an open position in which they are in an over-one-another configuration relative to each other in the spaced apart parallel planes. |
| US07730927B2 |
Frayless frangible connection for fabric and vertical blind system incorporating the same
A frangible connection for connecting parts of a knitted textile into a single panel is disclosed. The frangible connection is formed of a yarn having a lower tensile strength than that used to knit the parts of the panel so that the parts can be readily disconnected by tearing the frangible connection without damaging the structure of the parts themselves. Thus, a plurality of vertical blind louvers may be knitted into a single panel on a single knitting machine and separated later, preferably prior to installation. Knitted patterns which extend across multiple louvers may thus be practically manufactured without the difficulties in alignment which might be present if each louver were manufactured separately. The frangible connection also functions as a hinge for pivotably connecting the louvers of a combination blind together. The combination blind may consist of alternating opaque louvers and sheer spacers which may be pivoted relative to each other to achieve varying levels of light transmission through the blind. |
| US07730926B2 |
Sliding screen door
A sliding screen door in which stretching force of a wire is easily adjusted when a screen is in a stretched condition, and expansion of the screen caused by wind or the like can be appropriately suppressed without increasing operation force to be applied to an operating doorframe for the operation to stretch the screen. The sliding screen door is constructed such that wires, whose one ends are fixed to a vertical frame member are drooped in the operating doorframe via a guiding member, which is provided in the operating doorframe, after being inserted into the screen, and a sinker is dangled at tip ends of the wires. A spring member is interposed between the sinker and a contacting portion to be a rising uppermost limit of the sinker, and a wire adjusting mechanism for adjusting a length and the stretching force of the wire is installed in the vertical frame member. |
| US07730924B2 |
Composite awning device
A composite awning device, wherein an awning device for projected corner having a projected corner canvas windup device is combined with a rectangular awning device having a rectangular canvas windup device, mainly the awning device for projected corner is mounted near the corner of a projected corner portion, and the rectangular awning device is mounted in a linear district following the corner part when used. The windup device of the awning device for projected corner comprises projected corner canvas windup shafts and front bars. The windup shafts comprise inner rotating shafts and outer rollers supportedly inserted into the rotating shaft. The projected corner canvas front bars are supportedly inserted into the rectangular canvas front bars so as to be movably guided. The rectangular canvas front bars are moved parallel with each other in the longitudinal direction by swing arms supporting both front bars, and the projected corner canvas front bars are moved parallel with each other in a diagonal direction. Thus, epoch-making and fresh products providing sufficient interest and serviceability as the composite awning device can be provided to industries by remarkably increasing the aesthetic appearance of the projected corner portions of various buildings and the external portions of the building including the projected corner portions and recessed corner portions. |
| US07730919B2 |
Laminate and pneumatic tires made by using the same
A laminate of an air permeation preventive layer an adhesive layer provided with an air permeation preventive layer comprising a thermoplastic elastomer composition containing a thermoplastic resin as a continuous phase and a rubber composition dispersed therein as a dispersed phase and arranged on one surface of the air permeation preventive layer, an adhesive composition layer having a thickness of 100 μm or less, a self tack of less than 5N and a tack to an unvulcanized diene-based rubber or 5N or more, containing 100 parts by weight of a thermoplastic elastomer containing 50 parts by weight or more of an epoxy-modified styrene-butadiene-based block copolymer so that a total of 30 to 200 parts by weight of a terpene resin and an aromatically modified terpene resin having a weight average molecular weight Mw of 1000 or less and a softening point of 60 to 120° C., 0.1 to 3 parts by weight of an internal mold release agent and 0.1 to 2 parts by weight of an organic peroxide. |
| US07730912B2 |
Bottle filler
An improved bottle filler assembly for filling bottles from kegged carbonated or non carbonated beverages without carbonation loss or oxidation that is intuitive to use, sanitize, and keep free of bacteria. In the preferred embodiment, a long hose gradually reduces the pressure of the beverage on the way to the filler. Two tubes are placed inside each other forming an annulus where CO2 can be forced to the bottom of the bottle via a CO2 valve thereby purging the bottle of air (O2). A valve seat placed on the bottom of the tubes allows the beverage to flow into the bottle from the bottom by depressing a trigger. |
| US07730904B2 |
Modular microfluidic system
An apparatus (10) for performing microfluidic processes comprising a base (50), a plurality of fluidic modules (20) releasably attached to the base (50), each fluidic module (20) comprising a fluid port (25) and a microfluidic manifold module (40) comprising a plurality of ports (45). A frame (70) is attached to the base (50) for releasably retaining the microfluidic manifold module (40), the frame (70) being moveable relatively to the base (50) to move the microfluidic manifold module (40) into contact with the fluidic modules (20) such that each fluid port (25) of the fluidic modules (20) aligns and seals with a respective port (45) on the microfluidic manifold module (40) thus completing a microfluidic circuit. A method for constructing and testing the apparatus (10) is also disclosed. |
| US07730897B2 |
Dishwasher
A dishwasher includes a sump for receiving washing water, a washing pump for pumping the washing water from the sump, a drain chamber for receiving the pumped washing water, and a filtering unit disposed above the drain chamber. The filtering unit includes a contaminated water for receiving and filtering the washing water that has passed through the drain chamber. |
| US07730890B2 |
Snore relief with mandibular positioning device
A one piece mouthpiece with a mandibular re-positioning extension for reducing snoring, and in particular, to a dental orthosis for easy engagement with the upper dentition of a person and intended to eliminate snoring. The mouthpiece is made from a deformable material with a shape complementary to a person's upper teeth and dental arch. The mouthpiece generally has an arched channel which embraces the upper teeth of a person. The mouthpiece includes an attached downward anterior mandibular extension located at the back of the top of the arch of the mouthpiece. |
| US07730878B2 |
Exhaust gas recirculation devices
Embodiments of an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) mixing device include an air inlet port and an outlet port disposed at opposite ends of the mixing pipe, an exhaust feeder having a scroll mixing chamber and occupying a portion of the mixing pipe between the air inlet port and the outlet port. The exhaust feeder includes an exhaust feed splitter beam disposed within an open-ended exhaust inlet tube and the scroll mixing chamber, and can be configured to split an exhaust stream into a plurality of exhaust streams before entering the scroll mixing chamber. |
| US07730875B2 |
Flow control valve
A spool valve is movably provided in a valve sliding space of a valve casing. The spool valve has a through-hole formed in the inside thereof, and a communication port formed in the spool valve is operatively communicated with a fluid port for controlling an opening area of the fluid port by moving within the valve sliding space. Multiple circular oil grooves are formed at an outer peripheral surface of the spool valve, into which high pressure fluid is supplied so that the spool valve can be smoothly moved in the valve sliding space. |
| US07730857B2 |
Internal combustion engine with air filter shield preventing soiling
An internal combustion engine has a carburetor and an intake channel for supplying fuel and combustion air, wherein a section of the intake channel is formed in the carburetor. At least one fuel opening is provided that opens into the intake channel within the carburetor. The intake channel has an intake opening that is connected to a clean chamber of the air filter of the internal combustion engine, wherein the internal combustion engine takes in air through at least one filter element of the air filter. A choke element is arranged in the clean chamber and moveable into a choke position and into an open position. In the open position, the choke element shields the at least one filter element. |
| US07730854B2 |
Process for steam heat recovery from multiple heat streams
Disclosed is an apparatus and process for recovering heat from multiple hot process streams without multiplying instrumentation. Each hot process stream is indirectly heat exchanged with a water circuit which leaves and feeds a steam drum. Heat is added to the steam drum through the addition of water heated outside of the steam drum. The heated liquid and vapor water is heated in heat exchangers decoupled from the steam drum. The water circuits are arranged in parallel with each other and feed a single steam drum to provide a steam product of a desired pressure for which only one set of instrumentation is needed. |
| US07730849B2 |
Apparatus for coating photoresist material
An apparatus for providing a photoresist material onto a substrate includes a lid housing at least one nozzle. A solvent supplying port inputs the solvent into the apparatus. A first solvent trap is provided below the nozzle and coupled to the solvent supplying port to hold a given amount of the solvent being input from the solvent supplying port. The first solvent trap is configured to prevent photoresist residues on the nozzle from being converted to powders. A second solvent trap is provided below the first solvent trap to receive the solvent from the first solvent trap. A solvent path is provided between the solvent trap and the solvent container to guide the solvent from the first solvent trap to the second solvent trap. |
| US07730844B2 |
Bumper system
Variations of a bumper systems are disclosed. A bumper system may have one or more rotatable members and/or non-rotatable members configured to protect a vessel or structure during docking maneuvers and mooring. The rotatable and non-rotatable members may be located at any one or more desired locations on the vessel and/or its mooring. In use, rotatable members are rotated from a first rotational position to a second rotational position. Various components of the bumper system may be configured to provide protection due to their compressibility, tiltability, flexibility and/or moveability. The connection between a rotatable member and its substrate may serve as an axis of rotation of the rotatable member, may be configured to include one or more mechanisms for rotating the rotatable member and may also include mechanisms for absorbing and/or dissipating the energy transmitted during physical interactions between vessels, and/or structures. The rotatable and non-rotatable members may be configured to extend from a surface to which they are connected, and the bumper system may also be configured such that a boundary is formed between one or more rotatable members, non-rotatable members, and the substrate to which they are connected. Methods for manufacturing and using bumper systems according to the described configurations are also disclosed. |
| US07730842B1 |
Quilting template and methods
A template and a method guide a cutting tool during cutting of a quilt block having a selected one of at least two alternate kaleidoscope patterns from a quilting blank having a given pattern of sections seamed together along seam lines intersecting at a common seam origin. The template provides right angle corners and obtuse angle corners for accommodating the alternate kaleidoscope patterns, and includes cutting guides and registration indicators which when registered with seam lines of the quilting blank locate one or more of the cutting guides for cutting one or more segments of the border of a selected kaleidoscope pattern. Indexing of the template and the quilting blank relative to one another relocates the cutting guides for cutting further segments of the border to complete the selected kaleidoscope pattern. |
| US07730833B2 |
Method for producing screen print by selecting clearance between screen and printing material
A method for producing a screen print having a given print pattern formed on a printing material by sliding a squeegee over a screen of a screen printing plate that includes the screen being disposed above the printing material in the form of a printing plate frame while keeping a given clearance therebetween. As such, the ratio (LP/LF) of a length (LP) of a side of the printing pattern perpendicular to the axis of the sliding direction of the squeegee to an internal size (LF) of a side of the printing plate frame perpendicular to the axis of the sliding direction of the squeegee is 0.45 or more, and an optimum clearance between the printing material and the screen printing plate is then selected and set on the basis of the correlation between the clearance and the degree of deviation in printing position of the print pattern. |
| US07730826B2 |
Swashplate type axial piston device having apparatus for providing three operating displacements
An axial piston hydraulic device. The device has a housing that uses a servo piston in order to control the displacement of a swashplate within the device. By using a servo member disposed within a cavity of an end cap on the housing the axial piston hydraulic device is able to provide three operating positions depending on the angle of the swashplate. |
| US07730824B1 |
Precision tactical mount
A precision tactical mount (12) includes a horizontal controller (30) and a vertical controller (34) for determining azimuth angles and elevation angles for a sight line of the precision tactical mount (12). The horizontal controller (30) and the vertical controller (34) have friction blocks (102, 114, 196) which engage mating friction surfaces with selectable forces for providing specific resistance against azimuth and elevation angular movement, without requiring separate mechanisms for locking the tactical mount (12) in selected positions. The friction blocks (102, 114 and 196) are preferably formed of softer materials than the mating friction surfaces to conform to the shape of the mating friction surfaces with increased normal forces, providing varying surface areas. The vertical controller (34) includes a course threaded screw member (142) mounted at an angle to a centerline (6) of the precision tactical mount (12) to provide fine control adjustment for elevation. |
| US07730820B2 |
Mounted isometric controller
A method and system are provided to support simultaneous operation of a weapon and communication with a remote apparatus. The system utilizes a control module with a transceiver in communication with a receiver of a remote apparatus and/or output device. |
| US07730819B2 |
Weapon having lethal and non-lethal directed energy portions
A portable weapon comprises a non-lethal portion and a lethal portion. The lethal portion may comprise a rifle, and the non-lethal portion may comprise a millimeter-wave directed energy weapon. The non-lethal portion may comprise a kit to add non-lethal capability to a lethal weapon. The non-lethal portion may comprise an output antenna to generate a high-power millimeter-wave initial wavefront, a main reflector, and a sub-reflector to reflect the initial wavefront to the main reflector. The main reflector may direct the reflected wavefront in a bore-sighted direction toward a target. The wavefront directed by the main reflector may have a power density selected to deliver a non-lethal deterring effect on the target. In some embodiments, the non-lethal portion may include a replaceable energy-storage module. |
| US07730815B2 |
Vibration body for cutting, processing device, molding die and optical element
In the assembly of vibration body, the first width in the lateral direction (X axis direction) is greater than the second width in the longitudinal direction (Y axis direction) in the cross sectional form perpendicular to Z axis of the first portion on the tip side from the closest node position, thereby, the rigidity of a vibration body main part in the X axis direction can be enhanced, and lateral bending vibrations on fixing portion can be restrained.Consequently, an object can be processed highly accurately by the assembly of vibration body that is controlled with a high precision. |
| US07730812B2 |
Screw head and tool for use therewith
The invention provides a screw head having a hexalobular slot (2) in the upper surface of the screw head, an upper peripheral wall (9) of hexalobular planform extending down into the screw head, the upper peripheral wall (9) being parallel or near parallel to the axis of the screw, a sloping transition surface (15) extending downwardly and inwardly with respect to the lower edge of the upper peripheral wall (9), and a tapered recess (11) extending downwardly from the lower edge of the sloping transition surface (15), in which the dimensions of the screw head are such that when the screw head is engaged by a tool (6) having upper (16) and lower engagement (17) sections, the lower engagement section (17) is tapered, and there is a ‘stick fit’ between the surface of the tapered recess (11) and the external surface of the lower tapered engagement section (17), and there is no engagement with the sloping transition surface (15). |
| US07730804B2 |
Central lock device of an adjustable steering column assembly
An adjustable steering column assembly of a vehicle has a central lock device for selectably locking an adjustable steering housing and co-extending steering shaft to a stationary bracket or chassis. For driver convenience and comfort, the steering housing and shaft are together adjustable with respect to the bracket. The lock device has an actuator preferably having an outer member supported operably by a guide feature carried between the outer member and the bracket for movement along a first centerline traverse to the steering shaft. The bracket also supports a lever of the actuator for movement along a second centerline that intersects the first centerline. At least one roller is located in a raceway defined between the outer member and the lever. Because the raceway is angled with respect to both the first and second centerlines, motion of the lever along the second centerline is converted to motion of the second member along the traversing first centerline. |
| US07730802B2 |
Shift lever device for vehicle
A shift lever device includes a shift lever having a pivot shaft formed at a base end of the shift lever integrally and a base having an opening formed to allow the shift lever to be inserted into the base and a pair of bearing parts formed so as to lie on opposing sides of the opening. The pivot shaft extends along a direction intersecting with a longitudinal direction of the shift lever. Each of the bearing parts has a bearing hole formed in the bearing part to adjoin the opening, a guide groove formed in the bearing part to communicate with the bearing hole, for introducing the pivot shaft into the bearing hole and a bearing bush which is to be inserted between the pivot shaft and the bearing hole. The bearing bush has a latch hook provided to engage with an interior of the bearing hole. The bearing bush is fitted to the bearing hole on condition that the pivot shaft is being inserting into the bearing hole through the guide groove, so that the shift lever is rotatably supported by the base through the bearing bush. |
| US07730799B2 |
Gear transmission mechanism with a layshaft
A gear transmission mechanism (2) for motor vehicles having a main shaft (10, 12) and a countershaft (14) parallel to one another, on which different gears for different gear ratios are arranged. The countershaft (14) is arranged above a horizontal plane (X-Y axis) containing a main shaft axis (16) with respect to the axle system of the vehicle so that installation space for the functional components (gearshift elements 18, a hydraulic system 20) of the transmission is available below the gearset formed by the gearbox wheels. |
| US07730798B2 |
Sensor mounted in threaded rod with multipart sleeve for linear adjustment
A measurement sensor includes an elongated sensor part at the first end of which is the electrical connection of the sensor part and at the second end of which is the sensor end of the sensor part. A first sleeve part is arranged around the sensor part for attaching the measurement sensor to the object to be measured and for supporting the sensor part. A second sleeve part extends into the first sleeve part, the second sleeve part being rotatably arranged in connection with the first sleeve part. The sensor part has an external thread and the second sleeve part has an internal thread, the external thread of the sensor part and the internal thread of the second sleeve part are connected to each other so that when the second sleeve part is rotated in relation to the sensor part, the sensor part moves in the direction of its longitudinal axis in relation to the first and second sleeve parts. |
| US07730797B1 |
Authenticating a package using noise level
In a method of authenticating a package, an origin noise level of the package is determined based upon one or more identifying characteristics, where the origin noise level is a deviation from a normal condition caused by the one or more identifying characteristics. In addition, the package is authenticated based upon the origin noise level of the package. |
| US07730793B2 |
Venturi flow sensor
A venturi flow sensing method, system, and apparatus. A tube or chamber may be tapered from a larger to smaller diameter to create a venturi region within the tube or chamber. The venturi region causes a local increase in flow velocity. The change in velocity creates a local change in pressure which is, in turn, used to drive flow through a parallel bypass tube or chamber. Inside this bypass, a flow sensor can be located, and in some cases, a pressure sensor as well. The flow is then either exhausted back into the original tube or the bypass tube may alternatively dead end. In either case, flow can be measured without causing a significant overall pressure drop in the system. |
| US07730792B2 |
Method and device for compensation for influences, which interfere with the measurement accuracy, in measurement devices of the vibration type
A method for compensation for influences, which interfere with the measurement accuracy, in measurement devices of the vibration type, comprising a measurement tube through which a fluid medium can flow and which is caused to oscillate mechanically, acting as an oscillation body, by an excitation unit, whose oscillation behavior, which changes as a function of the flowrate and/or the viscosity and/or the density of the fluid medium, is detected by at least one oscillation sensor in order to determine the flowrate, wherein the material strain in the measurement tube is detected by means of at least one sensor, from which an indicator value for the influence causing the material strain is calculated in order to correct the measurement signal, by signal processing, from the indicator value obtained in this way. |
| US07730791B2 |
Electronic device torsion testing
A test device comprises a base and a first fixture coupled to the base. The first fixture holds a first portion of an electronic device mounted in the test device. The test device includes a second fixture rotatably coupled to the base and a lever coupled to the second fixture. The second fixture holds a second portion of the electronic device mounted in the test device. The test device also includes an actuator that forcibly moves the lever to rotate the second fixture and apply a torsion stress on the electronic device mounted in the test device. The test device may be used to test the functionality of electronic devices, such as small form-factor disc drives, while under torsion stresses. |
| US07730787B2 |
Bourdon tube pressure gauge
The bourdon tube pressure gauge includes: a joint which is made of the resin and is attached to a pressure container; and a bourdon tube which is made of metal and has a rear end fixed to the joint. The joint comprises a fixation hole into which the rear end of the bourdon tube is inserted to be fixed by bonding, and an inside of the fixation hole is more widened than an opening of the fixation hole which serves as an insertion port for the bourdon tube. |
| US07730779B2 |
Multiphase-liquid level data logger
A multiphase-liquid level sensing system for sensing a layer depth and thickness of a liquid of a first phase that floats on a liquid of a different second phase includes an elongated stem that defines an elongated cavity. A float, which exhibits a sensible property, is disposed coaxially around the elongated stem and has negative buoyancy relative to the liquid of the first phase and positive buoyancy relative to the liquid of the second phase. A level sensor senses the sensible property and indicates a second phase liquid distance from the float to the bottom of the stem. An overburden sensor extends downwardly from the stem senses total liquid thickness of the liquid above the overburden sensor. A computational circuit calculates a layer depth and thickness of the liquid of the first phase, based on input from the level sensor and the overburden sensor. |
| US07730776B2 |
Vector wind sensor and integrated antenna
An anemometer assembly for sensing and transmitting wind speed and wind direction data. The wind sensor measures relative wind direction and wind speed without the use of moving parts and consumes very little power making it suitable for unattended operation. The main wind sensing member is an elongated vertical member that can be used as radio antenna. The data can be transmitted from a remote location and thus relay data to a central collection repository or network location. |
| US07730770B2 |
Scanning probe microscope
A scanning probe microscope scans the surface of a sample while making a cantilever to which an exploratory needle is attached oscillate near its resonance point, and collects information on the surface of the sample based on the change of oscillation due to the interaction between the surface of the sample and the exploratory needle. The scanning probe microscope includes a plurality of oscillators attached to the cantilever for oscillating the cantilever, and an oscillator drive device connected to the oscillators for selectively applying an alternating voltage for excitation to the plurality of oscillators. |
| US07730766B2 |
Gas viscosity sensor
A gas viscosity sensor comprises a signal processing circuit and a sensor element, including a gas pressure generating system and a differential pressure measuring system in fluid communication therewith, the differential pressure measuring system comprising a measuring chamber (14) bounded by a thin membrane (28), an inlet-outlet channel or orifice interconnecting the measuring chamber to a source of gas for which the viscosity is to be determined, the inlet-outlet channel or orifice having dimensions adapted to provide resistance to the outflow and inflow of gas in the measuring chamber, and a membrane displacement sensor (32) adapted to measure a time dependent displacement of the membrane due to pressure variations in the measuring cavity. |
| US07730765B2 |
Oxygen depletion sensor
In certain embodiments, an apparatus includes an oxygen depletion sensor (ODS) includes a thermocouple, a first nozzle configured to direct heat from combustion of a first gas, liquid, or combination thereof to the thermocouple, a second nozzle configured to direct heat from combustion of a second gas, liquid, or combination thereof to the thermocouple, and a first igniter. |
| US07730764B2 |
Drop detection device and portable apparatus equipped therewith
There is provided a drop detection device with which a falling state is properly detected even when the device is dropped while itself rotating, for example, and the mistaken detection of a falling state when there is in fact no falling state can be prevented, as well as an portable apparatus equipped with this drop detection device. The portable magnetic disk apparatus comprises an acceleration detector configured to detect acceleration, a calculator configured to calculate acceleration information including a second-order differential value of the acceleration with respect to time detected by the acceleration detector, a threshold setting component configured to set an acceleration threshold ATH with respect to the acceleration for determining whether or not a falling state exists on the basis of the second-order differential value of the acceleration, and a drop detection configured to detect that a falling state exists when the acceleration reaches the acceleration threshold set by the threshold setting component. |
| US07730747B2 |
Method for vaporizing a liquid reactant in manufacturing a glass preform
A method and device for vaporizing a liquid reactant. A vaporizing plate having a top surface defines a liquid flow channel, the channel being laterally delimited by edges having a height greater than a minimum thickness of liquid reactant required to generate vapor under film or nucleate boiling regime. A heating system is associated to the vaporizing plate for heating the liquid reactant over a minimum temperature required to generate vapor under nucleate or, preferably, film boiling regime. A cap covers the vaporizing plate to collect the vapor at a predetermined pressure and provided with a vapor exit and a liquid feeder feeds the liquid reactant onto the vaporizing plate. |
| US07730745B2 |
Vitrification furnace with dual heating means
Process for combustion and vitrification of waste in which at least one oxygen plasma jet is associated with a continuous melting device by high frequency direct induction. The crucible is composed of a continuous external shell and a sole plate, both cooled by a liquid circulating in internal channels. The inductor is placed below the sole plate. There is a gravity drain valve at the bottom or on the side. |
| US07730744B2 |
Process for producing glass and glass-melting apparatus thereof
A process for producing a high-quality glass from highly reactive raw materials and a glass-melting apparatus for use therewith, comprising the step of charging a material for the glass to a molten glass in a heated vessel, (1) wherein an oxidizing gas is bubbled in the molten glass and a glass raw material that behaves as a reducing agent during being melted is charged into a position of the bubbling or (2) said vessel is filled with a dry ambient gas and while the ambient gas is allowed to flow to a liquid surface of the molten glass along an charging route of the glass raw material, the glass raw material is charged. |
| US07730741B2 |
Refrigeration apparatus with expander control for improved coefficient of performance
An outdoor heat exchanger (23), an indoor heat exchanger (24), a compression/expansion unit (30), and other circuit components are connected in a refrigerant circuit (20). The compression/expansion unit (30) includes a compression mechanism (50), an electric motor (45), and an expansion mechanism (60). In addition, the refrigerant circuit (20) has an injection pipeline (26). When an injection valve (27) is opened, a portion of high pressure refrigerant after heat dissipation flows into the injection pipeline (26) and is introduced into an expansion chamber (66) of the expansion mechanism (60) in the process of expansion. In the expansion mechanism (60), power is recovered from both high pressure refrigerant introduced into the expansion chamber (66) from an inflow port (34) and high pressure refrigerant introduced into the expansion chamber (66) from the injection pipeline (26). |
| US07730740B2 |
Cooling device for pet carrier
The cooling device for a pet carrier is a portable system for providing an ice-cooled surface on which a pet can rest. The cooling device includes a housing defining an open interior region therein, adapted for receiving a volume of ice. An opening is formed through an upper surface of the housing, and a lid is pivotally joined to the housing for selectively and releasably covering and sealing the opening. A plurality of apertures are formed through the lid, and a plurality of spikes are secured to a lower surface of the lid and project downwardly therefrom. When the volume of ice is received within the housing, the lid may be closed and the spikes evenly distribute the ice within the housing. The ice generates cooled air, which may be transmitted through the apertures to a pet resting on the upper surface of the lid. |
| US07730739B2 |
Portable cooler with built-in refrigerant cubes
A portable cooler having one or more ice sheets including built-in refrigerant cubes. The cooler comprises an outer fabric shell and one or more sets of spaced apart refrigerant cubes encapsulated in plastic to form ice sheets that are attached to the interior walls of the cooler. The walls of the cooler may also include one or more layers of thermal insulation. The ice sheets provide a visually pleasing appearance to the inside of the cooler suggestive of cooling effects. The ice sheets may be retained along the walls of the cooler by seams sewn along the lanes passing between the refrigerant cubes, by being retained in pockets formed by sidewall liners or by being secured into chambers defined by the cooler's outer walls and a plastic insert fitted into the cooler. The cooler may include a hinged top and bottom that can be folded flat for allowing the cooler to assume a compact configuration during storage or freezing of the refrigerant cubes. |
| US07730728B2 |
System and method for cooling a thermally loaded device on board an aircraft
A system (10) for cooling a thermally loaded device on board an aircraft comprises a distribution line (12) which is in communication with an installation space (14) of the thermally loaded device, a coolant supply line (20) which is in communication with a coolant source, and a heat removal line (28) which is in communication with a source of pressure below atmospheric pressure. A shut-off control device (34) is adapted so as, in a first position, to separate the distribution line (12) from the coolant supply line (20) and connect the distribution line (12) to the heat removal line (28) and, in a second position, to connect the distribution line (12) to the coolant supply line (20) and separate the distribution line (12) from the heat removal line (28). |
| US07730719B2 |
Exhaust purification apparatus of compression ignition type internal combustion engine
In an internal combustion engine, an SOx trap catalyst (11) able to trap SOx contained in exhaust gas is arranged in an engine exhaust passage upstream of an NOx storing catalyst (12). When whether the SOx trap catalyst (11) has deteriorated should be judged, the SOx trap catalyst (11) is raised in temperature in the state with the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the SOx trap catalyst (11) maintained lean. At this time, the concentration of NOx released from the SOx trap catalyst (11) is detected by the NOx concentration sensor (24). When the NOx concentration is a set value or less, the catalyst is judged to have deteriorated. |
| US07730714B2 |
Turbofan gas turbine engine with variable fan outlet guide vanes
A turbofan gas turbine engine includes a forward fan section with a row of fan rotor blades, a core engine, and a fan bypass duct downstream of the forward fan section and radially outwardly of the core engine. The forward fan section has only a single stage of variable fan guide vanes which are variable fan outlet guide vanes downstream of the forward fan rotor blades. An exemplary embodiment of the engine includes an afterburner downstream of the fan bypass duct between the core engine and an exhaust nozzle. The variable fan outlet guide vanes are operable to pivot from a nominal OGV position at take-off to an open OGV position at a high flight Mach Number which may be in a range of between about 2.5-4+. Struts extend radially across a radially inwardly curved portion of a flowpath of the engine between the forward fan section and the core engine. |
| US07730712B2 |
System and method for use in a combined cycle or rankine cycle power plant using an air-cooled steam condenser
A system for use in a combined cycle or rankine cycle power plant using an air-cooled steam condenser is provided and includes a steam turbine from which first and second steam supplies are outputted at high and low respective pressures, an air-cooled condenser configured to fluidly receive and to air-cool at least the first steam supply via a supply of air, a cooling tower from which a first water supply is cycled, a chilling coil through which a second water supply water is cycled to thereby cool the supply of air, and a vapor-absorption-machine (VAM) configured to fluidly receive the second steam supply and the first water supply by which a refrigeration cycle is conducted to thereby cool the second water supply. |
| US07730700B2 |
Header ground sensor
The invention is a combination of a short ground sensor arm mounted close to the cutter bar and a longer rod mounted towards the rear of the header. The short front sensor and long rear sensor are connected by a linkage which translates motions from either sensor to the other sensor. A second linkage translates the motions of both sensors rearward to a protected area under the header which contains the potentiometer. This configuration transmits useful ground position signals to the header height controller in both low and high cutting heights. The invention advantageously reduces the likelihood of damage to the short front sensor when the machine is reversed since the longer rear sensor arm pulls the shorter forward sensor arm up by means of the linkage to a position where damage is unlikely. |
| US07730691B2 |
Building panel repair
Building panel repair apparatus generally includes a substantially planar backplate for insertion through a hole in a building panel to be repaired. A front face of the backplate is provided with adhesive for mounting the backplate to the rear side of a building panel. At least one flap is defined in the backplate such that the at least one flap is movable between an open position providing an operative with backplate positioning means to facilitate mounting of the backplate to a building panel, and a closed position providing a substrate surface for hole repair material. Other aspects of the invention include methods of repairing building panels using a building panel repair apparatus, and methods of manufacturing building repair apparatus. |
| US07730679B2 |
Drain for a door or window sash or frame
A water drain for insertion into a mating wall opening in an extruded, hollow door or window sash or frame comprises a round, rectangular or the like housing having at least one peripheral front flange defining a drain opening, a baffle extending downwardly from a housing top portion for partially closing an upper portion of the drain opening, and a flap having a lower planar rear surface and an upper planar front surface for opening and closing lower and upper portions of the drain opening. The planar lower rear surface portion of the flap is joined to the upper front surface portion by a pivot axis, the planar lower surface being disposed forwardly of the upper planar front surface whereby the flap tends to gravitate to an at-rest, closed, substantially vertical position. |
| US07730654B2 |
Systems and methods for tracking ammunition supply in a magazine
Systems and methods for tracking ammunition supply in a magazine are disclosed herein. A method for tracking a number of cartridges remaining within a magazine includes tracking an indicator strip coupled to a spring housed within a magazine housing, the magazine housing having the spring coupled at a first end to a follower and at a second end to a foot plate, the spring tangent to the foot plate. The method further includes selectively altering a number of cartridges in the magazine housing and monitoring an indicator window attached to the foot plate and configured to guide the indicator strip, the indicator strip aligned with a reference on the indicator window showing the number of cartridges remaining. |
| US07730650B1 |
Loader bucket attachment apparatus
The excavator bucket attachment apparatus provides an improved attachment of an existing excavator bucket to the existing lift arm and hydraulic cylinder. The apparatus replaces a plurality of attachment components, including 4 attachment pins, with a more basic assembly that saves considerable parts cost and labor in maintenance of a bucket attachment. The apparatus further provides a method of conversion of an existing bucket attachment to the present apparatus. |
| US07730642B2 |
Snow blower
An engine of a snow blower is arranged with a crankshaft along a front to rear direction of the snow blower, and an output shaft, with an outer circumferential portion on which a drive pulley is fixed, is provided in a front end portion of the crankshaft. Further, an intermediate shaft with a rear end circumference on which a driven pulley is fixed and with a front end circumference, on which an impeller drive pulley is fixed, is arranged to extend toward a front direction higher than the output shaft. An impeller drive shaft with a rear end circumference on which an impeller driven pulley is fixed is arranged to extend toward the front direction more downward than the intermediate shaft. A first transmission belt is meshed with the drive pulley and the driven pulley, and a second transmission belt is meshed with the impeller drive pulley and the impeller driven pulley. Using this arrangement, it is possible to provide a snow blower with a low center of gravity. |
| US07730641B2 |
Blade element mounting in a snow plough
Flexible suspension of colter element (1) of a snowplough furnished with a body (5), a blade (3) as its extension, colter element (1) that gets in contact with the surface to be ploughed, where for the colter element (1) a tilt suited for the purpose is arranged, a.o. a cutting angle. Colter element (1) is fitted to dodge an obstacle in its cutting angle by backing up, whereby the fixing arrangement of colter element (1) has an open space formed for moving plate (13) fitted as extension of the colter element, in which space said moving plate is arranged to glide, and the arrangement includes a spring organ (9) the spring impact of which is arranged to hinder the colter element from backing up. |
| US07730640B2 |
High performance boot
The present invention discloses various features and combinations thereof for use with articles of footwear such as boots. The boots are especially adapted for use on construction projects, and provide protection, support and comfort to the wearer. Numerous outsole configurations and styles are provided, which provide superior traction and a low center of gravity for enhanced balance. Different layers of materials provide puncture resistance, abrasion resistance, thermal insulation, waterproofing and other benefits. Protective and/or insulative plates may be utilized in the footwear for puncture protection or thermal insulation, for example. Shovel guards protect the wearer when using a tool, and toe tools permit the wearer to employ the boot as a tool of its own. Structural support cages chimney structures are also utilized for support and comfort. |
| US07730638B2 |
Heel protector
A heel protector is disclosed. The heel protector includes a stem portion having a body and at least one retaining portion. A channel is formed between the body and the at least one retaining portion. A biasing portion extends from the stem portion. The biasing portion includes an opening therein. A leaf portion extends from the biasing portion. A shoe and heel protector assembly is also disclosed. A method of using the heel protector to protect the heel and waist of a shoe is also disclosed. |
| US07730624B2 |
Laser marker
A laser marker capable of emitting laser light with its optimum intensity in accordance with a level of illuminance at any environment where the laser marker is used. The laser marker includes a stand and a cover rotatably provided on the stand. The cover accommodates therein a laser unit that emits laser light outside of the cover through a window formed in the cover. Laser light intensity changing unit is provided, which changes the intensity of the laser light to be emitted from the laser unit in accordance with the illuminance at the environment, the illuminance being detected by a illuminance sensor provided on the cover. |
| US07730616B2 |
Methods to facilitate cooling syngas in a gasifier
A method of cooling syngas in a gasifier is provided. The method includes channeling cooling fluid through at least one tube-bundle that includes at least three tubes coupled together within a radiant syngas cooler and extends through a reaction zone of the gasifier, and circulating reactant fluid around the at least one tube-bundle to facilitate transferring heat from the reactant fluid to the cooling fluid. |
| US07730615B2 |
Micro-machined structure production using encapsulation
Micro-machined (e.g., stress-engineered spring) structures are produced by forming a release layer, forming a partially or fully encapsulated beam/spring structure, and then releasing the beam/spring structure by etching the release layer. The encapsulation structure protects the beam/spring during release, so both the release layer and the beam/spring can be formed using plating and/or using the same material. The encapsulation structure can be metal, resist, polymer, oxide, or nitride, and may be removed after the release process, or retained as part of the completed micro-machined structure. |
| US07730613B2 |
Processes for manufacturing printed wiring boards
Methods of manufacturing printed wiring boards including electrically conductive constraining cores that involve a single lamination cycle are disclosed. One example of the method of the invention includes drilling a clearance pattern in an electrically conductive constraining core, arranging the electrically conductive constraining core in a stack up that includes B-stage (semi-cured) layers of dielectric material on either side of the constraining core and additional layers of material arranged to form the at least one functional layer, performing a lamination cycle on the stack up that causes the resin in the B-stage (semi-cured) layers of dielectric to reflow and fill the clearance pattern in the electrically conductive constraining core before curing and drilling plated through holes. |
| US07730608B2 |
Hinge feeder
A hinge feeder for feeding open hinges at a predetermined orientation to a receiver ready for use by an automatic door hinger. A dispenser is provided to hold a stack of closed hinges. The orientation of the top end and hinge joint of each hinge is sensed and the hinges sequentially dispensed at a uniform orientation, except for the pinhead location, to a rotator that rotates those hinges to bring their top ends to a desired side. The hinges are then opened by a leaf turner, fed to a stacker and the opened and oriented hinges then deposited in a stack by a stacker. |
| US07730605B2 |
Method of fabricating heat dissipating apparatus
The present invention relates to a method for fabricating a heat dissipating apparatus. The method provides two highly heat conductive members having structure patterns. A highly heat conductive material is coated on the structured patterns for forming a micro-structure layer. The two highly heat conductive members are assembled to form a heat dissipating apparatus having micro-structure layer. The heat dissipating apparatus comprises a main body composed of the highly heat conductive members. The main body forms an accommodating cavity, and inner surfaces of the accommodating cavity form the micro-structure layer. A working fluid is filled into the accommodating cavity for transferring heat from a heat absorbing surface to a heat dissipating surface. |
| US07730602B2 |
Production method for a magnetostrictive torque sensor
A method for producing a magnetostrictive torque sensor which detects steering torque applied to a steering shaft. A magnetostrictive film is formed on the steering shaft and then subjected to heat treatment, which decreases a weight ratio of hydrogen included in the magnetostrictive film. Thermal desorption gas analysis is performed on at least a portion of the magnetostrictive film undergoing the heat treatment step. A portion of the magnetostrictive film having a thickness of 40 μm or less is heated at a temperature rise rate of 5° C. per minute. A weight ratio of a total amount of hydrogen desorbed from the portion of the magnetostrictive film due to the heat treatment to a weight before the heat treatment is no more than 3 ppm up to 150° C., wherein the weight ratio is no more than 10 ppm up to 300° C., and no more than 15 ppm up to 400° C. |
| US07730601B2 |
Device for inserting connecting elements in the end faces and/or longitudinal sides of technical wood products
The invention relates to a device for inserting connecting elements in the end faces and/or longitudinal sides of technical wood products, wherein, according to the invention, an inventory for the connecting elements is disposed on a longitudinal side of the conveyor device. Furthermore, a press-in unit is provided, which presses the connecting elements which are fed and held by a transfer arrangement into the groove in the technical wood products. |
| US07730595B2 |
Injection molded modular casket
A modular casket that is easy to assemble and can be assembled with few or no tools is disclosed. The casket comprises a number of injection molded plastic pieces that can be snap-fit together. The casket is relatively compact and lightweight and is conducive to shipping and storage, yet has sufficient strength for its intended purpose. |
| US07730592B2 |
In-line cable tie with fixed and hinged locking mechanisms
A one-piece cable tie, such as an in-line cable tie, includes a hybrid locking mechanism including both a fixed locking wedge and a hinged locking wedge. The hinged locking wedge may be laterally offset from the fixed locking wedge along a longitudinal axis of an internal passageway of the cable tie head. Preferably, the hinged locking wedge is located on a top surface of the passageway while the fixed locking wedge is located on a bottom surface of the passageway. The hinged locking wedge may be located close to the strap ingress. The cable tie is preferably made of Nylon 6.6, yet can achieve both a low thread insertion force and a high loop tensile strength suitable for demanding applications. Maximized strength is achieved through use of multiple teeth on each of the hinged and fixed locking wedges. |
| US07730583B2 |
Furniture hinge with damping device
Furniture hinge with damping and/or braking device in alternative to those already existing and capable of guaranteeing an improved efficiency during the closing or opening operation of the doors, or other furniture parts, thanks to an improvement of the kinematic motion for transmitting motion from one of the rockers to the damping elements. The improved efficiency of this hinge is also obtained by increasing the friction surfaces with a viscous medium present in suitable areas of the hinge and by allowing regulation of the trend of the angular velocity of a circular shaped element, for example a disc, which acts as braking element in contact with the viscous medium. |
| US07730582B2 |
Cushioned hinge having a shock absorber mounted on the intermediate element between the hinge wing and base to be fastened to the piece of furniture
A hinge for connection of two furniture parts comprises a bowl-shaped element designed to be fastened to a first furniture part and a wing rotatably in engagement with said bowl-shaped element, the wing being adapted to be fastened to an intermediate element that, in turn, is fastened to a hinge base designed to be secured to a second furniture part, a shock absorber being present which comprises a body designed to be rigidly connected to said second furniture part and a shock absorbing member movably mounted on said body to restrain the closing movement of the hinge. The shock absorber body is mounted on the intermediate element of the hinge. |
| US07730581B2 |
Weld-on barrel hinge
A weld-on barrel hinge having a female barrel portion and two male barrel portions for hinging together two items. The cylindrical female barrel portion has an axial bore formed therethrough. The cylindrical female barrel portion is welding to a first item. The male barrel portions have a cylindrical main body portion and a pin extension that is sized to be rotatably received within the axial bore of the female barrel portion. A passageway formed in at least one of the male barrel portions has a first end that opens in the cylindrical main body portion, and at least one second end that opens in the pin extension. The male barrel portions are inserted in the female barrel portion and are welded to a second item. A lubricant fitting is affixed to first end of the passageway in the at least one male barrel portion. |
| US07730579B2 |
Door closure apparatus
A door holder and a door closer and, in particular, and improvements in door holders and closers for use in screen doors, storm doors or any type of door which has the need for a device for maintaining the door in a particular orientation and/or for self-closing of the door. |
| US07730576B1 |
Computer mouse cleaning apparatus
The present invention is directed to a computer mouse cleaning apparatus for providing a cleaning mechanism including a cylindrical tube, a compressible rubber boot, a brush, and power source to allow a person to clean the inner portion of a computer mouse. |
| US07730575B2 |
Structure for a hand trowel handle with adjustable rotational angle
The invention relates to a structure for a hand trowel handle with adjustable rotational angle on the grasping section. The hand trowel is composed of a blade, a connecting section and a grasping section. The connecting section uses its base to connect with the tongue on the blade. The structure for the grasping section with adjustable rotational angle features mainly in the radial toothed rings at the front end of the grasping section and at the supporting end of the connecting section. When the grasping section is worn on the shaft in the center if the radial toothed ring of the connecting section, the grasping section can be tightened or loosened through the adjustment knob, the spring and the shaft in the accommodating hole. Thus, the rotational angle between the grasping section and the shaft can be adjusted. |
| US07730572B2 |
Continuous feed inter-dental brush and device
An inter-dental brush is provided with a handle that accepts a cartridge housing continuous inter-dental brush feedstock. Used, worn out brush is cut off by a slidable cutter provided on an angled portion of the handle. Fresh inter-dental brush is fed out from the continuous inter-dental feedstock by turning a knob on the handle. The protrusion length of the inter-dental brush is controlled by the number of turns. The knob is connected to a gear that pushes against the feedstock, driving the brush through an aperture in the angled portion of the handle. Within the cartridge, the feedstock is removably attached to one swivel and is wrapped around a second swivel. The swivels have a brake that produces a taut feedstock as the brush is fed out. The cartridge may contain a single roll with a brake instead of a pair of swivels. |
| US07730570B1 |
Body scrubbing apparatus
A body scrubbing apparatus for facilitating cleaning of areas of a body not readily accessible when the user is bathing. The body scrubbing apparatus includes a handle member being designed for being gripped by a hand of the user. A head member is coupled to the handle member whereby the head member is designed for being positioned opposite the hand of the user when the handle member is being gripped by the user. A scrubbing member is selectively mounted to the head member. The scrubbing member is designed for scrubbing against the user for facilitating cleaning of the user when the scrubbing member is mounted to the head member. The scrubbing member is selectively replaced when the scrubbing member is removed from the head member. |
| US07730567B2 |
Mattress lifting device
The invention provides a device for vertically lifting an end of a horizontally disposed mattress which includes an elongated member being disposed beneath the mattress and movable by way of a handle which is disposed on and secured to one end of the elongated member between a resting position wherein the elongated member is disposed coplanar with a bottom surface of the mattress and a lifting position wherein the elongated member is disposed generally perpendicular to the bottom mattress surface for lifting the end of the mattress in the vertical direction. The handle is releaseably secured to the end of the end of the elongated member for ease of securing the handle to an opposed end of the elongated member. |
| US07730554B2 |
Double dipped gloves
A method of making a glove is described. The method comprises dipping a glove form into two different formulations. Each formulation comprises a carboxylated nitrile butadiene rubber with different amounts of covalent and ionic cross linkers. The gloves preferably have a stress retention value of greater than 50%. |
| US07730552B2 |
Pants garment
A pants garment has a pair of thigh leg members for covering the thigh area of a wearer. A front thigh elastic band member is provided substantially at a front side of each of the thigh leg members and extends obliquely from an upper front portion to a lower front portion of each thigh leg member. A back thigh elastic band member is provided substantially at a back side of each of the thigh leg members and extends obliquely from an upper back portion to a lower back portion of each thigh leg member. The garment also has a front and back crus elastic band members extending obliquely on crus leg members, which cover the crus areas of the wearer. |
| US07730549B2 |
Protective athletic equipment
A protective garment for an arm is disclosed herein. The protective garment includes a protector portion having an outer surface and an inner surface. The protective garment also includes a screen layer disposed below the outer surface. |
| US07730548B1 |
Ballistics vest pad cover
A ballistics vest pad cover (4) having at least one side that is transparent, thereby permitting a user to easily view the condition of the ballistics vest pad (3). In addition, because at least one side is transparent, a user will be able to readily determine which side should be facing towards the body. An optional label (9) may be placed on the body-face side of the cover (5) so as to provide an additional means of indicating the body-face side of the cover (5) and ballistics vest pad (7). Because the user will be able to easily view the ballistics vest pad (3), he or she will always be aware of the condition of the ballistics vest pad (3) and may replace the ballistics vest pad (3) and cover (4) as needed. As the user no longer needs to guess whether the ballistics vest pad (3) is still in good condition, lives will be saved. In addition, the number of injuries occurring from wearing the ballistics vest pad (3) incorrectly will be dramatically reduced. |
| US07735145B2 |
Portable secure media with timed erasure
A timed erasure mechanism can be used with portable computer-readable media to ensure automatic erasure of secure information, minimizing the security risks in using such media to store and transport passwords, codes, keys and similar private setup information. The portable computer-readable media can comprise volatile memory and a timed erasure mechanism in the form of a power supply and discharging circuitry that discharges the power supply after a predetermined amount of time. Alternatively, the portable computer-readable media can comprise nonvolatile memory and a timed erasure mechanism in the form of a digital time and erasure algorithms that are initiated after a predetermined amount of time. Furthermore, such portable computer-readable media can comprise a container that bears unique physical properties that can alert users to the volatile nature of the media. |
| US07735144B2 |
Document modification detection and prevention
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for document authentication. An electronic document is presented to a user. The electronic document has data representing a signed state and a current state. A disallowed difference between the signed state and the current state is detected, based on one or more rules that are associated with the electronic document. A digital signature associated with the electronic document is invalidated in response to the detecting. |
| US07735139B1 |
In-line scanning of network data in an asymmetric routing environment
In one embodiment, network data exchanged between a client computer and a remote server computer are scanned for computer viruses at a first network security computer. The first network security computer creates connection information about the connection between the client computer and the server computer, and registers that connection information with a second network security computer that may receive network data transmitted in the connection. This allows the second network security computer to forward to the first network security computer network data transmitted in the connection even when the first and second network security computers are configured for asymmetric routing. |
| US07735132B2 |
System and method for encrypted smart card PIN entry
A smart card, system, and method for securely authorizing a user or user device using the smart card is provided. The smart card is configured to provide, upon initialization or a request for authentication, a public key to the user input device such that the PIN or password entered by the user is encrypted before transmission to the smart card via a smart card reader. The smart card then decrypts the PIN or password to authorize the user. Preferably, the smart card is configured to provide both a public key and a nonce to the user input device, which then encrypts a concatenation or other combination of the nonce and the user-input PIN or password before transmission to the smart card. The smart card reader thus never receives a copy of the PIN or password in the clear, allowing the smart card to be used with untrusted smart card readers. |
| US07735120B2 |
Server computer issued credential authentication
A method for authenticating computers is disclosed. The method comprises issuing a credential from a first computer to a second computer. When the second computer authenticates to the first computer, the second computer transmits the credential and a first challenge to the first computer. The first computer determines whether the credential is valid, computes a first response to the first challenge, and generates a second challenge. The first computer transmits the first response and the second challenge to the second computer. The second computer determines whether the first response is valid and computes a second response to the second challenge. The second computer transmits the second response to the first computer in order to verify and authenticate the computers. |
| US07735107B2 |
Client-server based interactive television program guide system with remote server recording
An interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide provides users with an opportunity to select programs for recording on a remote media server. Programs may also be recorded on a local media server. The program guide provides users with VCR-like control over programs that are played back from the media servers and over real-time cached copies of the programs. The program guide also provides users with an opportunity to designate gift recipients for whom programs may be recorded. |
| US07735105B2 |
Broadcast receiving method
To purchase an item which is viewed on a broadcast. The items may include furniture, jewelry, clothing and automobiles. The viewer is able to utter a phrase in reference to a viewed item that they wish to view or purchase. The system then searches the broadcast information and displays all relevant items. The viewer is then able to select and purchase a particular item. |
| US07735086B2 |
Methods and arrangements for planning and scheduling change management requests in computing systems
Methods and arrangements for planning and scheduling change management requests in computing systems are disclosed. Included are an arrangement for deciding whether or not an RFC should be done, an arrangement for assigning individual tasks to acceptable servers for each RFC to be done, and an arrangement for assigning the start times to said individual tasks for each RFC to be done. |
| US07735083B2 |
System and method for scheduling a future event
A method for setting timers is disclosed in which an array is maintained, each element of which represents a period of time. Events which are to occur within the time period associated with the array element are linked to the array element. The events associated with each array element are executed at a pre-determined time interval. A pointer pointing to the current time period being processed wraps around to the beginning of the array when the end of the array is reached. |
| US07735077B2 |
System and method for inventory services
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for determining a select set of changes from a set of changes made to an application instance to propagate to one or more other application instances. These mechanisms and methods can enable embodiments to propagate changes from a first application instance in a first environment to a second application instance in a second environment. For example, an embodiment can enable changes to be made to a test version in a test environment, tested and then propagated to a production version of the application residing in a production environment. The ability of embodiments to propagate changes to other application instances across environments can enable easy capture and transferal of changes to an application. |
| US07735070B2 |
Allowing non-generified methods to override generified methods
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a technique for allowing a first method to override a second method as long as specified criteria are satisfied, even if the types of the parameters of the first method differ from the types of the parameters of the second method, and even if the return type of the first method differs from the return type of the second method. As a result of the technique, older methods, which do not have generic return types and/or generically typed parameters, can continue to override methods that did not used to have generic return types and/or generically typed parameters, but now do. |
| US07735069B2 |
Creating software debug breakpoints activated by specific call patterns
Provided is a method for defining and organizing computer breakpoints for use during a debugging operation of a software application. The claimed subject matter provides flexible breakpoints that are called depending upon the condition of the corresponding call-stack or, in other words, depending upon a specific calling sequence through which the module containing the breakpoint was reached. A novel type of breakpoint is provided that, rather than causing a halt in execution of a module, changes the state of one or more other breakpoints. In an alternative embodiment, a breakpoint is provided that determines whether or not to execute based upon an examination of the call-stack. |
| US07735056B2 |
Automated circuit design dimension change responsive to low contrast condition determination in photomask phase pattern
The present application is directed to methods of forming a phase pattern for an integrated circuit feature described in a design database as having a first target dimension. In one embodiment, the method comprises determining whether forming a phase pattern for the integrated circuit feature described in the design database will result in one or more phase blocks of the same phase type being positioned in relative proximity so as to result in a low contrast condition, selecting a second target dimension that will avoid the low contrast condition if the low contrast condition will result, and forming the phase pattern for an integrated circuit feature having the second target dimension. Systems for forming phase patterns and photomasks comprising the phase patterns of the present application are also disclosed. |
| US07735041B2 |
Methods and computer readable media implementing a modified routing grid to increase routing densities of customizable logic array devices
Disclosed are a method and a computer readable medium for increasing routing density in cells of a customizable logic array device. In one embodiment, the method includes modifying a connectivity grid for manufacturing the customizable logic array device to form a noncompliant connectivity grid, and forming via caps in association with the noncompliant connectivity grid in either a first direction or a second direction, which can be substantially orthogonal to the first direction in some embodiments. The via caps are configured to provide each via with an amount of overlap area for sufficient coverage. In some instances, the method also includes forming a configuration layer for routing among a subset of the vias to provide at least the amount of overlap area for each via in the subset, and for forming the via caps for unrouted vias that are not part of the subset. |
| US07735035B1 |
Method and system for creating a boolean model of multi-path and multi-strength signals for verification
A system, method, computer program product for verification and equivalence checking. In one approach, the system, method, and computer program product analyzes the switching paths in a manner consistent with circuit functionality to provide a complete application which can verify the complex characteristics in the circuits to the accurate RTL model function, including FPGA, ROM Arrays, RAM circuits, and other custom integrated circuit designs. |
| US07735032B2 |
Early HSS Rx data sampling
A design structure includes a data communication circuit to facilitate communication between a deserializer, responsive to a serial data stream, which puts data onto a parallel bus, and a device that is in data communication therewith. The circuit a deserialization clock that asserts a clock read pulse each time data on the parallel bus is valid. A delay unit asserts a corresponding delayed clock pulse. The delayed clock pulse is delayed from the clock read pulse by a predetermined period. A clock tree repeats the delayed clock pulse and periodically asserts a plurality of end point repeated clock pulses, each of which has a substantially simultaneous leading edge. The predetermined amount of time is selected so as to cause each of the end point repeated clock signals to be asserted when data on the parallel bus is valid, thereby enabling the device to read data from the parallel bus. |
| US07735028B2 |
Logic circuit redesign program, logic circuit redesign apparatus, and logic circuit redesign method
A computer is allowed to execute an information acquisition process that acquires a file expressing information on pins used in respective ports provided in each block of a logic circuit to be redesigned and information indicating connection relationships between the ports (#2); execute a multiplexer disposition process that, based on the file, classifies pins of output ports of a block into a number of pin groups that is less than the number of pins, and disposes a multiplexer having a function to multiplex a signal output from each pin classified in the same pin group (#11, #13); and execute a demultiplexer disposition process that, based on that file, disposes a demultiplexer having a function to demultiplex signals that have been output from output ports of a block and multiplexed by the multiplexer, and a function to output each demultiplexed signal to input ports of respective input destination blocks (#12, #13). |
| US07735024B2 |
Methods and apparatus to provide a handheld pointer-based user interface
Methods and apparatus to provide a handheld pointer-based user interface are described herein. An example apparatus includes a wireless pointer component and one or more base components. The wireless pointer component is configured to transmit one or more human-computer interaction (HCI) signals associated with an HCI event via a first communication link. One or more base components are operatively coupled to a screen of a display to receive the one or more HCI signals from the wireless pointer component via the first communication link. Further, the one or more base components are configured to generate at least one of operating information and position information of the wireless pointer component based on the one or more HCI signals, and to transmit the at least one of operating information and position information to a processor configured to generate screen information on the screen of the display via a second communication link. |
| US07735023B1 |
Generic keyboard navigation
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implement techniques for navigating user interface elements of a computer program application. A navigation key press of a navigation key is detected, where the navigation key has a group identifier. A selected group of user interface elements associated with the group identifier is identified. Input focus is shifted to a user interface element in the selected group based on the navigation key. |
| US07735021B2 |
Shortcut system for use in a mobile electronic device and method thereof
A shortcut system for use in a mobile electronic device having several types of shortcuts allows a user to execute shortcuts of different types using a single mechanism. The shortcut system includes a display, an operating system, a shortcut data store, and one or more applications, including a shortcut application used to create shortcuts and edit shortcut information contained in the shortcut data store. The shortcut data store contains target information associated with applications of various types, indexed by a shortcut tag. When a new application is installed in the mobile electronic device, the user can add shortcut information associated with the new application to the shortcut data store. The target information can define content associated with an application. When a shortcut to content is executed, the associated application is launched and begins operating on the content data. Further, the shortcuts can be created with different types of tags. |
| US07735019B2 |
Method for providing functional context within an actively scrolling view pane
A method, system and computer-usable medium for using a context aware viewport module to graphically display, and interact with, a viewport. The context aware viewport is implemented in a graphical user interface (GUI) and comprises a spatially context aware informational portion and a viewport portion. |
| US07735016B2 |
Directional focus navigation
A rendering engine that supports directional focus navigation, in response to a directional input, shifts the focus to an appropriate focusable element. The rendering engine determines one or more focusable elements that are candidates to receive the focus based on the received directional input and based on the relative display locations of the focusable elements. The rendering engine selects the most appropriate candidate focusable element based on each candidate element's display location in relation to the display location of the element that currently has focus. |
| US07735010B2 |
Citation network viewer and method
A visualization-based interactive legal research tool that generates from a multi-dimensional citation network a semantics-constrained citation sub-network that focuses on one individual issue in which a user is interested, and puts the sub-network on an interactive user interface (“UI”), which allows the researcher to browse, navigate, and jump over to start new sub-networks on different issues that are relevant to original issues. |
| US07735009B2 |
Conversion of plain text to XML
Methods and systems are provided for converting text to XML code. A schema is applied to the text. The schema is a XML-compliant template that incorporates a single enhanced regular expression. One enhancement causes the matched text to be concatenated and displayed. The concatenated matched text is merged with the template to generate a markup language-compliant output. The enhanced regular expression can include a grouping operator that is nestable within another regular expression operator, for example the “*” operator that matches zero or more instances of its operand. Special purpose tags may be defined in the schema to represent regular expression operators. |
| US07735008B2 |
Adding and removing white space from a document
A method, a computer system and a computer-readable medium having instructions for a processor stored thereon are provided for growing a page on a display. Input indicating a first position or designation of content on a page of an electronic document and an amount of white space to be inserted in the page is received. Responsive to the received input, at least some of the content of the page of the electronic document is moved to insert white space. The moving starts from a point based on the first position. The portion of the content being moved is moved a distance based on the amount of white space indicated in the received input. The page is grown by an amount based on the amount of the white space indicated in the received input. A respective size of other pages of the electronic document remains unchanged. Also provided are a method, a computer system and a computer-readable medium having instructions for a processor stored thereon for deleting a portion of a page and reducing a size of the page. |
| US07735007B2 |
Adding and removing white space from a document
A method, a computer system and a computer-readable medium having instructions for a processor stored thereon are provided for growing a page on a display. Input indicating a first position or designation of content on a page of an electronic document and an amount of white space to be inserted in the page is received. Responsive to the received input, at least some of the content of the page of the electronic document is moved to insert white space. The moving starts from a point based on the first position. The portion of the content being moved is moved a distance based on the amount of white space indicated in the received input. The page is grown by an amount based on the amount of the white space indicated in the received input. A respective size of other pages of the electronic document remains unchanged. Also provided are a method, a computer system and a computer-readable medium having instructions for a processor stored thereon for deleting a portion of a page and reducing a size of the page. |
| US07734998B2 |
Minimizing accesses to a repository during document reconstitution in a content management system
A content management system (CMS) provides a way to minimize accesses to a repository when reconstituting a document. When a document is first reconstituted, the CMS reads links in the document, reads the corresponding objects from the repository, then stores the values of those objects in fallback elements in the document. In addition, a list is generated that provides both original links to the objects in the repository and voidable links to those object, and the document is then modified, if needed, to reference the voidable links. When the document needs to be subsequently reconstituted, the repository is queried to determine which of the objects corresponding to the original links have not changed since the last reconstitution. If the object has not changed, the voidable link in the list is invalidated for the object, causing the fallback element to be used without accessing the repository. |
| US07734994B2 |
RFID decoding subsystem with pre-decode module
A radio frequency identification (RFID) decoding subsystem includes a pre-decode module and a decode module. The pre-decode module is coupled to process down-converted RFID signals into at least one of pre-decoded baseband data and corresponding decoding information. The decode module is coupled to process the pre-decoded baseband data into decoded RFID data, where the processing of the pre-decoded baseband data is based on the corresponding decoding information when the corresponding decoding information is produced by the pre-decoder module. |
| US07734986B2 |
Write margin adjustment mechanism in a tape drive system
A method for dynamically adjusting read margin and write margin in a tape drive system to recover data is disclosed. The method includes the operations of monitoring a write driver to determine if a change in rewrite activity to a medium has changed and adjusting a percentage of error correcting code (ECC) capability to be used for write errors if the rewrite activity has changed. An apparatus including a tape medium and a read/write controller for performing the method is also disclosed. In one embodiment, the percentage of ECC is decreased if the rewrite activity to the medium increases. |
| US07734984B2 |
Erasures assisted block code decoder and related method
An erasures assisted block code decoder and related method are provided. The erasures assisted block code decoder includes a first block decoder, an erasures processor, and a second block code decoder. The first block decoder, for example, a Reed-Solomon decoder, is configured to decode blocks of data elements, e.g., bytes, that were previously affected by bursty errors. The first block decoder is also configured to identify those of such blocks it is unable to decode. The erasures processor is configured to identify, as erasures, data elements in the un-decodable blocks by utilizing, in the erasures identification process, data elements in the decoded blocks that were corrected by the first block decoder. The second block decoder, e.g., the same or different Reed-Solomon decoder, is configured to decode one or more of the un-decodable blocks by utilizing, in the decoding, the erasures identified by the erasures processor. |
| US07734975B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit having built-n self test circuit of logic circuit and embedded device, and design apparatus thereof
A semiconductor integrated circuit contains a logic circuit which operates upon receiving a clock; a logic built-in self test circuit which executes a built-in self test of said logic circuit, said logic built-in self test circuit having a pattern generator which generates a pattern to be input to said logic circuit, a pattern compactor which receives data output from said logic circuit that has received the pattern, compacts the data, and outputs a result, and a logic built-in self test control unit which controls operations of said pattern generator and said pattern compactor and controls an operation of causing a scan path in said logic circuit to shift upon receiving the pattern; a device circuit which operates upon receiving the clock; and a device circuit built-in self test circuit which executes a built-in self test of said device circuit. |
| US07734971B2 |
Scan output connection in tap and scan test port
Two common varieties of test interfaces exist for ICs and/or cores, the IEEE 1149.1 Test Access Port (TAP) interface and internal scan test ports. The TAP serves as a serial communication port for accessing a variety of circuitry including; IEEE 1149.1 boundary scan circuitry, built in self test circuitry, internal scan circuitry, IEEE 1149.4 mixed signal test circuitry, IEEE P5001 in-circuit emulation/debug circuitry, and IEEE P1532 in-system programming circuitry. Internal scan test ports serve as a serial communication port for primarily accessing internal scan circuitry within ICs and cores. Today, the TAP and internal scan test ports are typically viewed as being separate test interfaces, each utilizing different IC pins and/or core terminals. The need for different IC pins and/or core terminals is overcome by an interface in accordance with the disclosure that allows the TAP and internal scan test ports to be merged so they both can co-exist and operate from the same set of IC pins and/or core terminals. Further, this interface allows merged TAP and scan test port interfaces to be selected individually or in groups. |
| US07734965B1 |
Methods, architectures, circuits and systems for transmission error determination
Methods, circuits, architectures, software and systems for error detection in transmitted data. The method generally includes receiving data and non-data, the data including fixed length data portions, removing non-data; and if the data includes a remainder, adding a zero-pad vector to generate a zero-padded data portion, then checking the data and zero-padded data portions for a transmission error. The circuit generally includes a circuit to detect non-data; a circuit configured to replace non-data with a zero-pad vector; and a circuit to detect a transmission error in data and zero-padded data portions of information, and combine the zero-pad vector with a remaining data portion to form the zero-padded data portion. The present invention enables a single error detection circuit to detect errors, thereby reducing chip area, increasing efficiency, and reducing power consumption. |
| US07734954B2 |
Method, computer program product, and system for providing a multi-tiered snapshot of virtual disks
An object in a tier of a multi-tier virtual storage system is saved while the storage system is active. The object to be saved in an upper-level tier in the multi-tier storage system is identified. Servers associated with lower-level tiers below the tier containing the object to be saved to obtain the latest data stored in the respective associated tiers, use temporary storage to store the obtained data and handle any modifications to the obtained data, and cause applications running in the respective tiers to quiesce. Once a copy of the identified object is made, the servers associated with the lower-level tiers are instructed to obtain the data from the temporary storage and resume quiesced applications running in the respective tiers. |
| US07734952B1 |
System and method for maintaining a constant processor service level in a computer
A method and system for maintaining the execution speed of a multiprocessor computer system includes automatically detecting a change in instruction execution rate in a disabled processor by a threshold amount and determining an amount of change in instruction execution rate to adjust an actual system-level instruction execution rate to approximate a target system-level instruction execution rate. The target system-level execution rate being pre-determined. Thereafter, the method adjusts one or more instruction processor execution rates such that the actual system-level instruction execution rate approximates the target system-level instruction execution rate to overcome the loss of the disabled processor. One embodiment of the invention involves the use of a processor key for licensing of processor resources within the computer system and offers the option of enabling a dynamic processor recovery method as well as an automatic execution rate regulation method. |
| US07734949B2 |
Information error recovery apparatus and methods
Information error recovery apparatus and methods are disclosed. Responsive to an error detected in information retrieved from an information store for use by a processor in a software execution flow, the software execution flow of the processor is suspended. Use of the information store by the processor is also disabled. The software execution flow of the processor is allowed to resume using information from a further information store in which the retrieved information is also stored. This allows recovery from errors without resetting the processor. The information store may be reloaded from the further information store and re-enabled for use by the processor. The information store and the further information store are a cache and a main memory, respectively, in one embodiment. |
| US07734945B1 |
Automated recovery of unbootable systems
Provided is a system to automatically recover a computer system after a failed attempt, or failed attempts, to boot a target operating system on the computer system. |
| US07734942B2 |
Enabling idle states for a component associated with an interconnect
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for receiving an information packet in a first port from an interconnect while an agent associated with the first port is in an idle low power state, transmitting a first signal from the first port along the interconnect to request re-transmission of the information packet, and sending a second signal from the first port to the agent to cause the agent to enter a fully active power state. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US07734934B2 |
Seamless data migration
Provided are techniques for migrating data. Contents are sealed to one or more registers. In response to determining that secure backup is enabled, platform metrics are stored in a private store. An out-of-band request is received. A response to the out-of-band request is provided using the stored platform metrics.Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US07734932B2 |
System and method for securing executable code
A system and method for the secure storage of executable code and the secure movement of such code from memory to a processor. The method includes the storage of an encrypted version of the code. The code is then decrypted and decompressed as necessary, before re-encryption in storage. The re-encrypted executable code is then written to external memory. As a cache line of executable code is required, a fetch is performed but intercepted. In the interception, the cache line is decrypted. The plain text cache line is then stored in an instruction cache associated with a processor. |
| US07734930B2 |
Click passwords
Methods, systems, devices and/or storage media for passwords. An exemplary method tiles an image, associates an index with each tile and optionally determines offsets for select tiles. Further, the tiling optionally relies on probability and/or entropy. An exemplary password system includes an image; a grid associated with the image, the grid composed of polygons; an index associated with each polygon; and an offset associated with each polygon wherein password identification relies on one or more indices and one or more offsets. |
| US07734926B2 |
System and method for applying security to memory reads and writes
A computing environment maintains the integrity of data stored in system memory. The system has an address bus that comprises a plurality of address lines. The value of at least a portion of the address line is determined by a real page number stored in a page table. The system also comprises an encryption circuit that converts data from plaintext to ciphertext as a function of a key value. A circuit derives the key value as a function of at least a portion of the address line that is set by the real page number. |
| US07734924B2 |
System and method for transparently providing certificate validation and other services within an electronic transaction
A system and method are disclosed for transparently providing certificate validation and other services without requiring a separate service request by either a relying customer or subscribing customer. In a preferred embodiment, after the subscribing customer digitally signs a document (e.g., a commercial document such as a purchase order), it forwards the document to a trusted messaging entity which validates the certificates of both the subscribing customer and relying customer and the respective system participants of which they are customers. If the certificates are valid, the trusted messaging entity appends a validation message to the digitally-signed document and forwards the document to the relying customer. A validation message is also preferably appended to a digitally-signed receipt from the relying customer and transmitted to the subscribing customer. In this way, both the relying customer and subscribing customer obtain certification of their respective counterparty to the transaction. |
| US07734923B2 |
Key transformation unit for a tamper resistant module
Methods, apparati, and computer-readable media for securely transporting a software application onto a tamper resistant module (TRM) (103) by using an individualized TRM key set. A method embodiment of the present invention comprises: storing a key pair unique to the TRM (103) in a memory located on the TRM (103), where the key pair comprises a TRM public key (150) and a TRM private key (190); retrieving the TRM public key from the TRM; encrypting a portion of the software application using the TRM public key (150); transmitting the encrypted software application to the TRM (103); and recovering and decrypting the encrypted software application using the TRM private key (190). |
| US07734916B2 |
Multi-level security systems
Techniques are disclosed for multi-level security (“MLS”) in computing systems. Communication between MLS systems in the prior art requires explicitly tagging each packet with its security classification. The packet tags comprise variable-length bit patterns inserted into packet headers. This results in a number of drawbacks, including increased path length and code complexity, as well as reduced interoperability. An MLS system according to the present invention simulates a cluster or collection of single-level security systems, and thereby avoids packet tagging. For each security classification used by an MLS system, a distinct source address is defined. This source address is used for outbound packets having that security classification, such that the packet's source address implicitly identifies the packet's security classification. |
| US07734908B1 |
Protected IP telephony calls using encryption
Communication information transmitted in the broadband communication system may be in a packet format and secured using encryption techniques, for example encryption software, including a means for providing an initial security key and updated security keys to the various pieces of communication equipment located throughout the broadband communication system. When communication equipment, for example a gateway, is first registered with, for example, an IP central station, the IP central station assigns an initial encryption key to the gateway that is assigned and retained by a server, for example a call manager server, and the gateway (e.g., broadband residential gateway). This initial encryption key may be used to establish a secure two way communication between two pieces of communication equipment as an originating point communication equipment and a terminating point communication equipment. |
| US07734905B2 |
System and method for preventing an operating-system scheduler crash
System and methods for preventing an operating-system scheduler in a computer system from crashing as a result of an uncleared periodic interrupt are disclosed. A periodic interrupt is generated using a real-time clock (RTC) residing on a chipset. A flag indicating a periodic interrupt is entered into a status register associated with the RTC in firmware residing on the CMOS chip, if the status register indicates no periodic interrupt has been pending. An interrupt handler associated with the RTC attempts to handle the periodic interrupt, if pending. If the periodic interrupt is pending after a preset interval of time elapses, a basic-input-output system (BIOS) residing on a memory unit coupled to the chipset generates a system-management interrupt (SMI). If the periodic interrupt is pending after the preset interval of time elapses, a firmware SMI handler residing on the memory unit clears the pending periodic interrupts from the status register. A scheduler timer associated with the operating system is updated. |
| US07734903B2 |
Multi-processor system and method for controlling reset and processor ID thereof
Provided are a microprocessor suitable for constructing a multi-processor system and a method for controlling the reset and processor ID of the microprocessor. The microprocessor includes decoder receiving a reset ID having a predetermined binary value and a reset signal and decoding the reset ID, an ID generator receiving the decoding result of the decoder and generating at least one microprocessor ID and a reset ID of a microprocessor serially connected to the microprocessor, and a reset vector unit selecting a reset vector according to the decoding result of the decoder. The multi-processor system is constructed such that independent microprocessors of the system respectively generate their own reset vectors and processor IDs when a reset signal is input to the multi-processor system to initialize it. Thus, all the microprocessors of the system can be simultaneously started up when the reset signal is disabled. Accordingly, a resetting process in the multi-processor system is simplified, a period of time required for starting up the microprocessor is reduced, and the multi-processor system is easily designed. |
| US07734895B1 |
Configuring sets of processor cores for processing instructions
An integrated circuit includes a plurality of processor core. Processing instructions in the integrated circuit includes: managing a plurality of sets of processor cores, each set including one or more processor cores assigned to a function associated with executing instructions; and reconfiguring the number of processor cores assigned to at least one of the sets during execution based on characteristics associated with executing the instructions. |
| US07734890B2 |
Method and system for using a distributable virtual address space
A method and system are disclosed for using a distributable virtual address space. According to an exemplary embodiment, a method for using a distributable virtual address space includes providing a distributable virtual address space shared between a plurality of network nodes, the distributable virtual address space including a virtual address mapped to a first physical memory location of a first network node of the plurality of network nodes, wherein the first physical memory location is accessible by a first processor of the first network node when processing a first machine code instruction using the virtual address. The method also includes remapping the virtual address to a second physical memory location of a second network node of the plurality of network nodes, wherein the second physical memory location is accessible by a second processor of the second network node when processing a second machine code instruction using the virtual address. |
| US07734882B2 |
Generating digest for block range via iSCSI
SCSI commands are used over IP (iSCSI) to trigger digest calculations of block span ranges. The parameters of the digest-calculation command include the command itself a block range, and the digest-calculation method to be used. A related combined command compares the digest-calculation result with a preexisting digest-calculation result. The parameters of the combined command include the parameters of the digest-calculation command, and the preexisting digest calculation result. Another command initializes a block range. |
| US07734881B2 |
Adapting RCU for real-time operating system usage
A system and method is provided to support immediate freeing of a designated element from memory. Following a process of designating an element for removal from a data-structure, conditional limitations are used to determine if immediate freeing of the element from memory is available. The conditional limitations include determining that the instruction originates from a uniprocessor computer system. In addition, the conditional limitations include a determination as to whether a call_rcu primitive or synchronize_kernel primitive may be omitted, or whether the computer implemented instruction is operating in an interrupt handler. If the conditional limitations are met, the designated element may be immediately freed from memory. |
| US07734872B2 |
Probabilistic technique for consistency checking cache entries
A facility for determining whether to consistency-check a cache entry is described. The facility randomly or pseudorandomly selects a value in a range. If the selected value satisfies a predetermined consistency-checking threshold within the range, the facility consistency-checks the entry, and may decide to propagate this knowledge to other cache managers. If, on the other hand, the selected value does not satisfy the consistency-checking threshold, the facility determines not to consistency-check the entry. |
| US07734866B2 |
Memory with address-differentiated refresh rate to accommodate low-retention storage rows
In a dynamic random access memory device, receiving refresh commands via a signaling interface and, in response to the refresh commands, refreshing a first row of storage cells at a first refresh rate and refreshing a second row of storage cells at a second, faster refresh rate. |
| US07734864B2 |
Semiconductor memory card access apparatus, a computer-readable recording medium, an initialization method, and a semiconductor memory card
A predetermined number of erasable blocks positioned at a start of a volume area in a semiconductor memory card are provided so as to include volume management information. A user area following the volume management information includes a plurality of clusters. A data length NOM of an area from a master boot record & partition table sector to a partition boot sector is determined so that the plurality of clusters in the user area are not arranged so as to straddle erasable block boundaries. Since cluster boundaries and erasable block boundaries in the user area are aligned, there is no need to perform wasteful processing in which two erasable blocks are erased to rewrite one cluster. |
| US07734855B2 |
Gap count analysis for the P1394a BUS
A method of optimizing communication over a high-speed serial bus by minimizing the delay between packets transmitted over the bus is disclosed. The method comprises: calculating the round trip delay between PHYs connected on the bus by pinging; a bus manager sending a configuration packet to all PHYs connected on the bus, the configuration packet containing a minimum gap_count parameter value; and all PHYs connected on the bus sending packets over the bus using the minimum gap_count parameter value as a delay between packets. |
| US07734850B2 |
Method for stream based compressed file download with interruption recovery and further decompressing and de-archiving data in filesystem
A system and method are provided for storing and using recovery state information during a data stream transfer, such as a download. During the download of compressed, archived data, the system tracks the position of the last file boundary and the position of the last compression block boundary before the last file boundary, and the system stores this information as a recovery state. If the download is interrupted, the system uses the recovery state information to resume the download at an efficient location in the data stream. |
| US07734845B2 |
Input/output control apparatus, input/output control system, and input/output control method
An input/output control apparatus includes: a request acceptance unit configured to accept a switch request for requesting to change an operating system occupying any one of the input device and the output device; a control information generator unit configured to generate control information including any one of input destination information and output enable information in response to the switch request; and a control information output unit configured to output any one of the input destination information and the output enable information. The input destination information includes at least information for specifying an input destination operating system to which information inputted from the input device is inputted; and the output enable information includes at least information for specifying whether or not each of the plurality of operating systems can output information to the output device. |
| US07734843B2 |
Computer-implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for stalling DMA operations during memory migration
A computer-implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed for migrating data from a source physical page to a destination physical page. A migration process is begun to migrate data from the source physical page to the destination physical page which causes a host bridge to enter a first state. The host bridge then suspends processing of direct memory access operations when the host bridge is in the first state. The data is migrated from the source physical page to the destination physical page while the host bridge is in the first state. |
| US07734839B1 |
Method and integrated circuit for providing enclosure management services utilizing multiple interfaces and protocols
A method and integrated circuit for providing enclosure management services compatible with a multitude of physical interfaces and protocols for exchanging enclosure management data between an HBA and an enclosure management backplane is provided. According to one method, two or more interfaces utilized for exchanging enclosure management data may be monitored to determine whether one of the interfaces is actively being utilized by an HBA to transmit enclosure management data. If one of the interfaces is identified as being active, a determination is then made as to which of a plurality of protocols for transferring enclosure management data is being utilized on the active interface. In particular, a determination may be made as to whether a protocol defined by one HBA manufacturer is being utilized or whether another protocol defined by another HBA manufacturer is being utilized. Alternatively, a determination may be made as to whether one of a multitude of different protocols defined by the same manufacturer is being utilized. Once the interface and protocol have been identified, enclosure management data received on the active interface is decoded utilizing the identified protocol. |
| US07734822B2 |
Method and apparatus for resolving a web site address when connected with a virtual private network (VPN)
The present invention is directed at a method and apparatus of resolving an address location for a web site when connected with a virtual private network (VPN). Once the public host is connected to, or logged on to, the VPN, a software module within the public host monitors domain name requests and routes them to a domain name server (DNS) associated with the VPN. The VPN DNS then resolves the address location request and returns the address location to the software module in the form of a domain name response. The software module then forwards the address location to the requesting public host. |
| US07734809B2 |
System and method to maximize channel utilization in a multi-channel wireless communication network
A system and method for data transmission using a multichannel medium access control (MAC) protocol to send small messages on the reservation channel directly without any RTS/CTS handshake or channel switching delays. The message is assigned a special type so that it can be distinguished from the RTS/CTS message. The message can also include information about congestion, activity, device type, mobility level, and so forth. |
| US07734803B2 |
System and method for subscription-based content distribution to vehicles via wireless communication
Methods and systems are described for delivering content to a vehicle occupant through a wireless communications link between a wireless client associated with the vehicle and a wireless access point external to the vehicle. The wireless access point is in communication with a content supplier, and available content from the content supplier, as determined from a user subscription, is delivered to the user using the wireless communications link when the vehicle is stationary. |
| US07734791B2 |
Asynchronous hypertext messaging
An asynchronous hypertext messaging system and method are disclosed. The system and method use existing hypertext transfer protocols and is capable of transmitting real-time asynchronous data between server and client regardless of firewalls or proxy servers implemented at the client or the server. In a communication system comprising a client and server interconnected by an internet, initial authentication is performed initially between the server and the client. A secure log in is performed by the client with the server in conjunction with a possible java applet download. The communication server then initiates a multiplexed virtual connection between the server and the client and transmission of asynchronous real-time data can occur over the virtual connection. The virtual connection is periodically refreshed by a request issued from the java applet. |
| US07734780B2 |
Automated response to computer users context
Techniques are described for providing information about a current state that is modeled with multiple state attributes. In some situations the providing includes receiving from a first client an indication of an interest in receiving values for an indicated one of the state attributes of the modeled current state, receiving from a second client an indication of an interest in receiving values for another of the state attributes of the modeled current state, and, in response to receiving a value for the indicated one attribute from a first source, determining that the first client has an interest in receiving the received value and supplying the received value to the first client. |
| US07734776B2 |
Automatically detecting malicious computer network reconnaissance by updating state codes in a histogram
A detection and response system that generates an Alert if unauthorized scanning is detected on a computer network that includes a look-up table to record state value corresponding to the sequence in which SYN, SYN/ACK and RST packets are observed. A set of algorithms executed on a processing engine adjusts the state value in response to observing the packets. When the state value reaches a predetermined value indicating that all three packets have been seen, the algorithm generates an Alert. |
| US07734772B2 |
System and method for analyzing remote traffic data in a distributed computing environment
A system, method and storage medium embodying computer-readable code for analyzing traffic data in a distributed computing environment are described. The distributed computing environment includes a plurality of interconnected systems operatively coupled to a server, a source of traffic data hits and one or more results tables categorized by an associated data type. Each results table includes a plurality of records. The server is configured to exchange data packets with each interconnected system. Each traffic data hit corresponds to a data packet exchanged between the server and one such interconnected system. Each traffic data hit is collected from the traffic data hits source as access information into one such record in at least one results table according to the data type associated with the one such results table. Each of the records in the results table corresponds to a different type of access information for the data type associated with the results table. The access information collected into the results tables during a time slice is summarized periodically into analysis results. The time slice corresponds to a discrete reporting period. The access information is analyzed from the results tables in the analysis results to form analysis summaries according to the data types associated with the results tables. |
| US07734767B2 |
Method of one key test function in a consumer network device
Embodiments of the present invention include methods of one-key test function in a Control Console in a network device. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a console controller, a display module and an input module with a test-key on a network device so that a user can test status, operation or management at a network device with a single touch of a button. In another embodiment, the present invention includes remote activation of one key test function from a remote test module. In another embodiment, the present invention includes password authentication or user approval of remote activation of one key test function. |
| US07734760B2 |
Estimating the location of a network client using a media access control address
Embodiments of the present invention may be provided as a computer program product that may include a machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, which may be used to program a computer (or other electronic device) to perform a process according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. The machine-readable medium (i.e., non-transitory machine-readable medium) may include, but is not limited to, floppy diskettes, optical disks, compact disc read-only memories (CD-ROMs), and magneto-optical disks, read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), magnetic or optical cards, flash memory. There are other types of media suitable for storing instructions. Moreover, embodiments of the present invention may also be downloaded as a computer program product, wherein the program may be transferred from a remote computer to a requesting computer via a communication link (e.g., a modem or network connection). |
| US07734759B2 |
Cross-connect protection method, network management terminal, and network element
The present invention is a cross-connect protection method that protects a cross-connect in a system where a plurality of network management terminals monitor a plurality of network elements constituting a network and the cross-connect at each of the network elements is controlled. An arbitrary one of the network management terminals instructs locking and unlocking of a cross-connect set in an arbitrary one of the network elements. The arbitrary network element controls the instructed locking and unlocking of the set cross-connect. Hence, when conducting a test, after locking a cross-connect set in an actual operation, a cross-connect of a testing network element is set/canceled for the test. Accordingly, it is possible to avoid erroneous cutting off of a signal used in the actual operation. |
| US07734757B2 |
Method and system for managing shared information
A method and system for allowing communication devices to synchronously manage shared information are provided. A sender sends single-photon pulses modulated with original random numbers to a receiver and also sends frame pulses by using ordinary optical pulses. Bit comparison and basis reconciliation are performed by the frame which is defined by the frame pulses, whereby sifted keys, which are aggregated as a file, are generated by the sender and the receiver individually. The sifted keys are subjected to error correction, privacy amplification, and file sharing processing by the file, whereby common cryptographic keys are synchronously stored in the sender and the receiver individually. The generated cryptographic keys are managed as encryption keys and decryption keys separately. A newly generated key is preferentially placed in the encryption keys or decryption keys that have a smaller stored amount. |
| US07734751B2 |
Method of allocating a service by a first peer to a second peer in a communication network
A method of allocating at least one service by a first peer (E) to a second peer (D), the peers being linked by means of a computer communication network, the first and second peers belonging respectively to a first and second group of peers adapted to share data, comprises the following steps: evaluating (E63) a distance (d0) between the first peer (E) and the second peer (D); and selecting (E65) a service allocated by the first peer (E) according to the value (d0) of the distance. |
| US07734747B2 |
Dynamic lookup service in a distributed system
An improved lookup service is provided that allows for the dynamic addition and deletion of services. This lookup service allows for the addition and deletion of services automatically, without user intervention. As a result, clients of the lookup service may continue using the lookup service and its associated services while the updates occur. Additionally, the lookup service provides a notification mechanism that can be used by clients to receive a notification when the lookup service is updated. By receiving such a notification, clients can avoid attempting to access a service that is no longer available and can make use of new services as soon as they are added to the lookup service. |
| US07734746B2 |
Method and apparatus for configuring and controlling network resources in content delivery with distributed rules
An intermediate network element deployed in a content delivery network is disclosed. The content delivery network cooperates its content delivery effort with other intermediate network element with similar capabilities. Distributing rules that govern the operations of the intermediate network element(s) are presented. These include the framework of the intermediate network element(s), the format of indicating part or whole of a rule specification to be distributed, the format of signatures for intermediate network elements to discover each other, the format of signaling other intermediate network elements that a rule is distributed to, and the method of determining the intermediate network element to distribute a rule to. In addition, authoring rules that are specific to real time streaming of contents are disclosed. A set of rule evaluation conditions are revealed that can be triggered based on different criteria during the streaming of real time contents. A set of parameters from which rules can be based on is disclosed. |
| US07734742B2 |
Network-attached storage device configuration
A system comprises a computer configured using a configuration setting and a network-attached storage (NAS) device coupled to the computer via a network. The NAS device receives the configuration setting from the computer via the network and configures the NAS device using the configuration setting. |
| US07734739B2 |
Method and system for consolidating network topology in duplicate IP networks
A method and system are described for managing a computer network. In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a collection computer is assigned a management domain identifier uniquely associated with a management domain in which each collection computer resides. Information that includes the management domain identifier is received in at least one management computer from the collection computer. A database of the information accessed using the management domain identifier is maintained within the at least one management computer. |
| US07734737B2 |
Device management with configuration information
The invention relates to device management and to information needed for bootstrapping and initiation. The bootstrapping information and initiation information are sent in one message, wherein the client receives them both. According to the state of the client, one of the informations is selected and used. |
| US07734731B2 |
Method and apparatus for a publish-subscribe system with third party subscription delivery
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for notifying one or more users of information. One or more users are identified that have entered a subscription that matches the information; and a communication flow expression is generated that contains at least one primitive keyword indicating how a notification to the identified users should be processed. The communication flow expression may be provided, for example, to a third party for delivery. Typically, a request identifier is received back from the third party and forwarded to the application associated with the information. The communication flow expression comprises at least one recipient for the notification. The identified users may be required to have appropriate privileges associated with the information before being added to the communication flow expression. |
| US07734729B2 |
System and method for obtaining information relating to an item of commerce using a portable imaging device
A method, system, and apparatus are provided for allowing users to readily obtain information associated with a selected item from a remote location. More specifically, a user at the location of the first entity operates a portable imaging device to capture an image of identifying data, such as a barcode, that identifies a selected item. The captured image is then communicated to a server operated by a second entity that is different than the first entity to obtain item information (e.g., price, availability, etc.) associated with the selected item. The item information is communicated back to the portable imaging device for display to the user while the user remains at the location of the first entity. In other embodiments, the information extracted from the captured image may also be used to forecast future purchasing activity for the selected item. |
| US07734722B2 |
Deep clickflow tracking
A system and method is disclosed herein for obtaining information from web site use. In one embodiment, the method comprises tracking interactions of a user with web content when the user uses a modified link to enter a website. The modified link is a link in a format that resembles a website address for the website but resolves at a location through which the user's interactions can be tracked. The method also includes storing data indicative of tracked interactions in a database. |
| US07734712B1 |
Method and system for identifying storage devices
Embodiments according to the invention perform functions including discovery, classification, and profiling of storage devices, computer systems, connection elements, and other components relating to a storage area network (SAN). Changes to the SAN topology are tracked in order to show growth patterns. |
| US07734709B2 |
Controlling computer response message traffic
Electronic message response reception at a client computer in a conversation are throttled according to a predetermined critera in order to reduce the volume of messages the client is presented. Critera for throttling messages comprises only presenting messages in a predetermined time window, presenting only a predetermined number of response messages, presenting messages based on previous responder activity and presenting only messages from predefined senders. |
| US07734707B2 |
Don't disturb service management system and implementation thereof
The present invention discloses a Don't Disturb Service management system and implementation thereof. The system includes a Don't Disturb Service management center and a subscriber identify module with the Don't Disturb function. In the Don't Disturb Service management center, a content management device records the content of messages and sets attributes for each recorded message; a downlink instruction sending and processing device selects the corresponding message from the content management device according to the service identifier included in the service request up-sent by the subscriber identify module, and constructs the data short messages to be sent, with the content and attribute of the selected message and its attributes in the predetermined format. In the subscriber identify module with Don't Disturb function, a downlink instruction receiving and processing device stores the complete information included in the received data messages into the designated storage file; the interface output device is used to send the information belonging to a category to a user according to the attributes of message stored in said storage file when the user finds out said category. |
| US07734704B2 |
Method and system for identifying and automatically redisplaying unread instant messages
A method and system for redisplaying or re-presenting an instant message. An instant message is received at a client and stored in a repository. The instant message is displayed in a first window which is provided by the client, and which is viewable by a user of the client. Alternatively, the message is converted to another format (e.g., speech) capable of being comprehended by the user via a non-visual sense, and presented to the user. The message is identified as being unread (or not comprehended) by the user based on pre-defined criteria. Detection of a pre-defined action prompts a search of the repository for any message identified as unread (or not comprehended). The message is located in the repository based on the search. Automatically, the message is redisplayed in a second window viewable by the user, or the message is re-presented to the user. |
| US07734688B2 |
Portable wireless player and associated method
A method of providing programming to a portable wireless music player includes connecting to a music service provider from a remote client and defining a play list at the music service provider through user interaction at the remote client. The player connects to the music service provider over a wireless service network and downloads music to the player from the music service provider in accordance with the previously defined play list. The music or other programming is played at the player. |
| US07734685B2 |
Method, system and program product for annotating a development artifact
An improved solution for managing a project. In particular, one or more development artifacts for the project can be annotated based on a collaborative session regarding the development artifact(s). The collaborative session can be stored as a collaborative artifact, which also can be stored in the project. As a result, the collaborative session can be readily recalled and/or subsequently resumed by one or more users. |
| US07734684B2 |
Digital content delivery and viewing system and method
A media distribution system is provided whereby devices on a network are provided with native-mode, optimized content viewers adapted to receive and present digital content provided elsewhere on the network. An agent is downloaded to a device, where it gathers information regarding the device environment and uses that information to identify the appropriate application for that device. The appropriate application for a particular device is then downloaded to the device to enable the device to present the content to a user. |
| US07734677B2 |
Method, system and program product for dynamically integrating backend systems into a J2EE application server environment
A method, system and program product is provided for dynamically integrating Backend System instances into a J2EE application server environment during runtime without having to restart the J2EE application server environment. The system comprises a deployment descriptor for deploying a J2C Connector into the J2EE application server environment and a Join/Leave manager. The manager implements an interface for detecting the Backend System instances, and an interface for providing access data and status information about the Backend System instances to the application. In addition, at least one node is enabled to run an application or its subcomponent for adding access data to, and deleting it from a storage media. |
| US07734667B2 |
System and method for reducing memory leaks in virtual machine programs
A system and method is provided for reducing memory leaks in virtual machine programs, such as those encountered in programs running in the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) environment. A compiler, such as a Java Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler, is used to identify the last use of an variable and, subsequent to the program statement where the last use occurs, insert a nullification statement. The nullification statement nullifies the variable so that it no longer references an object stored in a garbage collected heap. Variables in a program are identified in the activation records of the program. The nullification statement, when executed, severs the link between the program and the objects stored in the garbage-collected heap so that the program is no longer seen as a “root” for the object, often enabling the garbage collector to reclaim memory occupied by the object sooner. |
| US07734657B2 |
Containment hierarchy in a database system
A method and system for storing and retrieving data in a database system includes associating a plurality of entities in a child/parent hierarchy. The entities are further grouped in types of similar properties, wherein each entity has a unique identifiable position within the child/parent space. References are made to types and properties of the entities in order to store and retrieve associated data about the entity, where the types and properties are mapped to tables of the database. |
| US07734654B2 |
Method and system for linking digital pictures to electronic documents
An image of a scene is captured with a digital camera. An item related to the scene is selected on a document stored on an electronic user device. The image is linked to the item and reversibly both on the electronic user device and on the digital camera to allow access to the full information. |
| US07734653B2 |
Framework to allow one CMP EJB to connect to multiple data sources
A container managed persistent (CMP) enterprise java bean (EJB) framework includes support for accessing multiple data sources within one deployment. A CMP EJB includes a number of different attributes that can be a variety of values. A session EJB that acts as a front-end to the CMP EJP includes a resource reference for each of the different data sources that the entity CMP EJB may utilize. The application server environment includes a map that defines mapping information between the attributes of the CMP EJB and the resource references of the session EJB. Using the mapping information during runtime, the application server connects to the appropriate data source. |
| US07734652B2 |
Non-negative matrix factorization from the data in the multi-dimensional data table using the specification and to store metadata representing the built relational database management system
An implementation of NMF functionality integrated into a relational database management system provides the capability to apply NMF to relational datasets and to sparse datasets. A database management system comprises a multi-dimensional data table operable to store data and a processing unit operable to perform non-negative matrix factorization on data stored in the multi-dimensional data table and to generate a plurality of data tables, each data table being smaller than the multi-dimensional data table and having reduced dimensionality relative to the multi-dimensional data table. The multi-dimensional data table may be a relational data table. |
| US07734642B2 |
Method and system for automating purpose usage selection on web sites
This invention automates the selection of purpose usages when a user agent interacts with a web site that has been enabled for automated purpose usage information exchange. A user first configures the purpose usage automation in his or her user agent. At this stage, which typically occurs off-line, the user decides on a level of automation when specifying the one or more purpose usages. If desired, this preference may depend on how “trusted” the site is to the user. Later, when the user navigates to an organization's web site, the user agent communicates the purpose usage settings to the organization according to the level of purpose usage automation that has been configured. In particular, when a user's agent visits a web site, the user agent detects that “automated purpose usage” is enabled for the web site. The web site then provides the user agent with a list of one or more purpose usage options required or desired by the organization. The user agent then determines the response for each purpose usage option. This determination may be completely automatic, or partially automated, depending on the user's configuration. The web site then receives the purpose usage selections. At this point, the user agent can provide PII and the user is assured that such information is managed or used by the organization only according to the user's desires. |
| US07734637B2 |
Method and system for automatic detection of monitoring data sources
The present invention is directed to a method and system for interfacing with various monitoring information sources from one or more computer systems with minimal user input. Each computer system may include one or more computers as well as any number of devices such as networking devices. Expert knowledge may be embedded in the data source monitoring software. These sources can later be used by data collection tools in order to extract monitoring information and present the information to the user or use it in another way (such as storing it or raising an alert when a certain monitored value exceeds a threshold). Furthermore, the user may decide which sources of information should be monitored by the data collection tools. The user may also use the present invention in order to inform him/herself of the configuration of the system he/she is monitoring. |
| US07734633B2 |
Listwise ranking
Procedures for learning and ranking items in a listwise manner are discussed. A listwise methodology may consider a ranked list, of individual items, as a specific permutation of the items being ranked. In implementations, a listwise loss function may be used in ranking items. A listwise loss function may be a metric which reflects the departure or disorder from an exemplary ranking for one or more sample listwise rankings used in learning. In this manner, the loss function may approximate the exemplary ranking for the plurality of items being ranked. |
| US07734628B2 |
Method and apparatus for displaying and interacting with hierarchical information and time varying rule priority
A graphical interaction and authoring system is provided that combines textual and graphical information to display hierarchical information via an interactive visual mechanism for the composition and manipulation of syntactic structures, enabling business users to view, operate, and compose information in a way that not only graphically preserves the structure of the syntax, but also maintains the relationship of the expression. The system provides a way for the users to interact with it dynamically and effectively. |
| US07734627B1 |
Document similarity detection
A similarity detector detects similar or near duplicate occurrences of a document. The similarity detector determines similarity of documents by characterizing the documents as clusters each made up of a set of term entries, such as pairs of terms. A pair of terms, for example, indicates that the first term of the pair occurs before the second term of the pair in the underlying document. Another document that has a threshold level of term entries in common with a cluster is considered similar to the document characterized by the cluster. |
| US07734623B2 |
Semantics-based method and apparatus for document analysis
A system and method for producing semantically-rich representations of texts to amplify and sharpen the interpretations of texts. The method relies on the fact that there is a substantial amount of semantic content associated with most text strings that is not explicit in those strings, or in the mere statistical co-occurrence of the strings with other strings, but which is nevertheless extremely relevant to the text. This additional information is used to both sharpen the representations derived directly from the text string, and also to augment the representation with content that, while not explicitly mentioned in the string, is implicit in the text and, if made explicit, can be used to support the performance of text processing applications including document indexing and retrieval, document classification, document routing, document summarization, and document tagging. These enhancements may be used to support down-stream processing, such as automated document reading and understanding, online advertising placement, electronic commerce, corporate knowledge management, and business and government intelligence applications. |
| US07734621B2 |
Searching a database including prioritizing results based on historical data
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided that include techniques for searching a database. One method includes receiving one or more input search terms and providing a database. The database maps at least one search term to at least one coupon. The method further includes identifying one or more coupons in the database based on the received input search terms. The method further includes selecting one or more coupons from the identified coupons. A given coupon can be selected based on a number of times the given coupon has been previously printed. A given coupon can also be selected based on a number of times the given coupon has been previously redeemed. The method further includes presenting one or more coupons to the user where the presented one or more coupons include the selected one or more coupons. |
| US07734617B2 |
Optimization using a multi-dimensional data model
In one embodiment, a method for optimization using multi-dimensional data includes receiving a problem instance to be solved using an optimization engine. The problem instance is specified in a multi-dimensional format associated with a multidimensional data model that includes multiple data dimensions each including a hierarchy of members. The problem instance includes an objective function, an optimization operator, and one or more constraints. The optimization engine is unable to solve the problem instance including the objective function, the optimization operator, and the one or more constraints in the multi-dimensional format. The method also includes, using a transformation module, transforming the problem instance including the objective function, the optimization operator, and the one or more constraints into a format appropriate for the optimization engine and communicating the transformed problem instance including the objective function, the optimization operator, and the one or more constraints to the optimization engine to be solved. |
| US07734613B2 |
Enabling a user to create a mini information center thereby reducing the time needed for the user to obtain the desired information
A method, computer program product and system for creating a mini information center. A user is presented with an initial set of questions to answer. Based on these answers, topics of interests are identified. These topics of interests are presented to the user. Each topic of interest may be associated with one or more articles. The user may then select the articles that are of interest to the user. Upon selection of each article, the user may be presented with a list of options including the option of storing the selected article and associated topic in a directory which will later be used to build a mini information center. Once the user has completed the selection of articles of interest, the mini information center is built using the stored selected articles and associated topics thereby enabling the user to access the desired information in the information center using less time. |
| US07734609B2 |
Multi-level reputation based recommendation system and method
Multi-level reputation based recommendation system and method focused on users as opposed to products or web sites. Establishes reputations of recommenders that may extend beyond a given user's first hand trust of these recommenders. Trust formed between a second and third user based on similar valuations that may not be shared between the first user and the third user may be utilized when recommending something useful for the first user. Reputations are subjective to each user and change over time. Provides recommendations to connect users with blogs, videos, other users, music, books, web sites, reviews, products, vacations spots, hotels, cities, events, activities and ad units for example. Does not rely on the number of static information connections, i.e., links to a given web site, but rather utilize dynamic information as it spreads through the interaction of users. May be utilized in any application or domain where users attribute value to things or actions. |
| US07734603B1 |
Content addressable storage array element
A content addressable storage array element (CASAE) of a storage system is configured to eliminate duplicate data stored on its storage resources. The CASAE independently determines whether data associated with a write operation has already been written to a location on its storage resources. To that end, the CASAE performs a content addressable storage computation on each data block written to those resources in order to prevent storage of two or more blocks with the same data. If data of a block has been previously stored on the resources, the CASAE cooperates with a file system executing on the system to provide a reference (block pointer) to the same data block rather than duplicate the stored data. Otherwise, the CASAE stores the data block at a new location on the resources and provides a block pointer to that location. |
| US07734594B2 |
Systems and methods of information backup
A serverless backup system for backing up information on a network including one or more servers, includes a backup storage system for backing up information and a storage system for storing information to be backed up and restored, wherein information being backed up is transferred directly from the storage system to the backup storage system without going through a server and information being restored is transferred directly from the backup storage system to the storage system without going through the server. |
| US07734593B2 |
Systems and methods for classifying and transferring information in a storage network
Systems and methods for data classification to facilitate and improve data management within an enterprise are described. The disclosed systems and methods evaluate and define data management operations based on data characteristics rather than data location, among other things. Also provided are methods for generating a data structure of metadata that describes system data and storage operations. This data structure may be consulted to determine changes in system data rather than scanning the data files themselves. |
| US07734588B2 |
Method and system for creating management information base specifications
A method and apparatus for creating management information specifications in a schema by a user. According to various embodiments of the method, a first file is defined by using a metaschema. The metaschema is represented in a schema definition format. Subsequently, a second file corresponding to the first file is defined. The second file includes directives for depicting various elements of a metaschema. The user is then prompted to fill various fields that correspond to the various elements of the metaschema. As a result, the management information specifications are included in a document corresponding to the metaschema. The management information specifications in the document are then converted to form the management information specifications into a metaschema document. The metaschema document represents a schema. The schema includes the management information specifications. |
| US07734584B1 |
Method and systems for storing and distributing data
Embodiments of this invention store and distribute from a central system units of information corresponding to files distributively stored in a plurality of remote systems. The remote systems may have intermittent network connection. A separate system, which may also have intermittent network connection, may access the units of information on the central system. The separate system may request that the central system transfer a particular file corresponding to a unit of information. The availability of the file on the remote system may be detected. A process may be initiated to send to the file from the remote system to the separate system, either through the central system or bypassing the central system. |
| US07734579B2 |
Processing program content material
A method and system to process program content material are described herein. A received data stream includes program content data associated with a particular program and includes index data corresponding to the program content data of the particular program. The index data includes one of a plurality of program format codes. A database determines a program format type of the particular program. The database includes the plurality of program format codes and includes a corresponding plurality of program format types, wherein each program format type is associated with a specific division of program content material. Chapter points of the particular program are determined based on the associated specific division of program content material of the program format type corresponding to the one of the plurality of program format codes of the index data. |
| US07734571B2 |
Method for processing sensor data within a particle stream by a KStore
A method for processing a particle stream in a KStore having a sensor level and a first level above the sensor level, including receiving a particle to provide a received particle and first determining a current K node to determine a partial sequence location. The method also includes second determining a match in accordance with the received particle and the current K node to provide a match determination and processing the current K node based upon the match determination. A new node is created if the second determining is negative. A current K node is set to the new node. A node count is incremented and a delimiter particle type of the received particle is determined. A match is determined between the delimiter and a Result node of an asCase node of the current K node to provide a delimiter match determination. |
| US07734564B2 |
Method of data processing and program
The method first creates a BS database by randomly sampling experimental data items from an experimental data DB storing a plurality of experimental data items having n (n is an integer of 2 or larger) kinds of variates. It then identificates an n-dimensional sampling curve or surface model approximating a correlation of the n kinds of variates with reference to the BS database, and stores the model into a BS optimum solution database. The method then repeats the creation of the BS database and the identification of the sampling curve or surface model, thereby creating the optimum solution database. Finally, the method obtains a mean and variance of the optimum solution with reference to the BS optimum solution database and estimates the reliability of the optimum solution from these values. |
| US07734556B2 |
Method and system for discovering knowledge from text documents using associating between concepts and sub-concepts
A method and a system for discovering knowledge from text documents are disclosed, which involve extracting from text documents semi-structured meta-data, wherein the semi-structured meta-data includes a plurality of entities and a plurality of relations between the entities; identifying from the semi-structured meta-data a plurality of key entities and a corresponding plurality of key relations; deriving from a domain knowledge base a plurality of attributes relating to each of the plurality of entities relating to one of the plurality of key entities for forming a plurality of pairs of key entity and a plurality of attributes related thereto; formulating a plurality of patterns, each of the plurality of patterns relating to one of the plurality of pairs of key entity and a plurality of attributes related thereto; analyzing the plurality of patterns using an associative discoverer; and interpreting the output of the associative discoverer for discovering knowledge. |
| US07734546B2 |
Construction payment management system and method with hierarchical invoicing and direct payment features
A system and method for managing a construction payment process. One method embodying the invention can include creating an electronically-executed first request for payment on behalf of a first participant in a construction project, transmitting the first request for payment to a second participant in the construction project, creating an electronically-executed second request for payment based on the first request for payment, transmitting the second request for payment to a payment source in the construction project, directing transmitting a payment to the second participant from the payment source, and directly transmitting a payment to the first participant from the payment source. |
| US07734545B1 |
Method and system for processing recurring payments
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a computer implemented method and system for processing payments may involve receiving a payment file from a paying entity; identifying at least one payee from the payment file; identifying a payment amount for the at least one payee for a contribution based on a pre-existing contract between the paying entity and the at least one payee for recurring payments to the at least one payee; identifying a payment method for the at least one payee from a payee profile; and distributing the payment amount via the payment method to the at least one payee; wherein a group manages the recurring payments for the at least one payee. |
| US07734541B2 |
Interactive funds transfer interface
In a software suite for enabling viewing and manipulation of data through a single portal accessible from a data-packet-network, a software interface for enabling proxy transfer of funds from one financial account to another is provided. The software interface comprises, an interactive main window for configuring transfer funds orders, viewing pending transfers, viewing transaction history, and viewing active account balances related to registered financial accounts, an interactive selection window accessible through the main interface, the selection window for enabling selection of individual accounts for grouping into a list of activated accounts and an automated confirmation window enabling confirmation of data parameters of a requested funds transfer. A user operating the main interface may initiate funds transfer orders to be performed between accounts at requested times by proxy in a fashion transparent at the time of execution to the requesting user. |
| US07734539B2 |
Calculating credit worthiness using transactional data
Aspects of the invention provide for the use of transactional data in determining credit and product offerings. Further aspects of the invention provide for generating financial statements and indices using transactional data for use by users and/or financial institutions. The transactional based financial statements and indices may be used for making underwriting and financial planning decisions. |
| US07734536B2 |
System, method and computer program product for workflow-based data processing
An approach to workflow-based data processing is described, wherein as part of the workflow a multiplicity of display pages is executed interactively by means of workflow control commands. A suitable computer system comprises at least one user terminal with a user interface for page display (802) and for input of user data and workflow control commands, one or more basic systems with associated basic databases, containing basic data, at least one cache database in which the user data and a selected extract from the basic data are cached (806), one or more service systems with services (810) for performing data processing steps on the basis of data sourced from the cache database and a mechanism (804) for generating a request directed at the invocation of at least one service (810) as a response to a workflow control command. The service (810) is invoked asynchronously in respect of the display of a new display page if the setup of the new display page is independent of the result of the service (810) invoked by means of the request. |
| US07734527B2 |
Method and apparatus for making secure electronic payments
In accordance with the present invention, a consumer communicates a request for purchase of goods and services to a merchant, the goods and/or services being selected from these listed together with their price quotes on the merchant's computer or website connected to a network, such as the Internet. The merchant then communicates a request for a token and an update key to the clearing server, the token being previously purchased by the consumer and residing on a clearing server device. The update key is used as an authorization to modify the value of the token, i.e., to decrement and to increment. The merchant forwards the purchased merchandise to the consumer. When consumer discontinues making purchases at the selected merchant, the merchant returns the updated token to the clearing server. A new key is necessary to make the next purchase. This is the case even where the requesting merchant is the same as that from whom the last purchase was made. When the token is requested, if the token was used after its initial purchase, the present value of the token is made certain by receipt on the clearing server of informational downloads from the merchants. |
| US07734523B1 |
Method, system, and computer program product for grading a collateralized mortgage obligation or other asset-backed security
The invention relates to a method, system and computer program product for grading asset-backed securities by assigning a relative grade, including one or more of a prepayment risk component and a complexity component, which may take into account one or more of weighted average life, volatility of weighted average life at moderate and stressed yield curve shifts, and complexity, in the absence of price information. |
| US07734522B2 |
ASP business decision engine
A decision engine is provided that integrates all components of a credit application process, including access to and manipulation of credit bureau data, credit scoring, credit decisioning, and matching the correct products, into a single application service provider (ASP) platform which is accessible through a series of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). |
| US07734521B2 |
Networked method and system for creating and settling financial instruments
A financial instrument is provided that enables investors to invest in depositary receipts based on underlying non-domestic shares of a foreign business entity through a domestic stock exchange even though the underlying non-domestic shares are traded only on a stock exchange with a settlement day that has no substantial temporal overlap with the investor's domestic stock exchange's settlement day. In accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention, an international trading transaction structure and corresponding methodology is provided that enables investment in such financial instruments while guarding against currency market fluctuations during the trade period prior to settlement. |
| US07734520B1 |
Secure sales method and system
The invention is a method for using a payment and inspection service to purchase merchandise on an online sale website. A buyer or seller can select using a payment and inspection service. The buyer pays the payment and inspection service, which holds the payment. The seller ships the item to a store where the payment and inspection service is located. The buyer goes to the store and while being monitored by an agent or employee of the service, the buyer inspects the merchandise. If the buyer accepts the item, he leaves the store with the item and the service releases the payment to the seller. If the buyer does not want to accept the item, he rejects the item, which is then repacked and returned to the seller, and the service returns the payment, less cost of shipping the item back to the seller, to the buyer. |
| US07734518B2 |
Method and system for effecting straight-through-processing of trades of various financial instruments
A Straight-Through-Processing (STP) trading platform provides a fully electronic and seamless solution to substantially all aspects of the trading cycle for fixed income instruments and other financial instruments. In an exemplary embodiment, all participants to a trade transaction have access to computer software that facilitates trade order management, trade order generation, trade execution (including electronic axes), trade allocation, allocation acknowledgement, trade confirmation, acquisition of settlement instructions, and the generation of progress reports based on specific metrics criteria. In said exemplary embodiment, the STP trading platform includes computer software modules including at least an account management module and an electronic trading module to handle the various stages of executing a trade, confirming the trade, and facilitating settlement of the trade. |
| US07734517B2 |
Systems and method for determining the cost of a securities research department to service a client of the department
In one technique, the time spent by each analyst of the department servicing the client over a specified period of time may be estimated. This value may then be adjusted based on the compensation of the analysis provider (or providers) servicing the client. Then, the compensation-weighted time of each analyst provider that serviced the client may be summed to thereby arrive at an estimate of the time and cost to service the client. In another technique, the standard cost per unit of different types of client touch that the equity research department produces is estimated. Then, the number and type of client touches a particular client receives over a given period of time (e.g., three months, one year, etc.) can be determined and multiplied by the standard cost per touch for the different touch types of to arrive at the total cost of servicing the client over the time period. |
| US07734516B2 |
Method for providing revisional delta billing and re-billing in a dynamic project environment
The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for providing revisional delta billing and re-billing in a dynamic project environment. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes capturing data points associated with a first billing at a first point in time, capturing data points associated with a second billing at a second point in time, comparing the data points captured at the first and second points in time; and generating a revisional delta bill based on differences between the data points captured at the first and second points in time. |
| US07734515B1 |
Generating new invocable composite network services based on multiple other invocable constituent network services
Techniques are described for assisting users in dynamically creating and using composite services that are based on other constituent services. In some situations, each constituent service is a Web service (“WS”), and each composite service is a new WS whose execution involves dynamically invoking multiple specified constituent WSes in a specified manner. Such techniques may be used, for example, in conjunction with an electronic WS marketplace via which third-party WS providers make their WSes available to third-party WS consumers who locate and purchase access to those WSes, such as to allow a user to dynamically create a new composite WS that is based on one or more WSes available from other WS providers and that reflects any constraints of the WS marketplace, with the composite WS available for use by other WS consumers. This abstract is not intended for use in interpreting or limiting the scope of the claims. |
| US07734514B2 |
Product variety information
The present invention provides product available varieties information. In one embodiment, a method of providing information regarding items for sale is provided. The method comprises displaying items for sale on a graphic user interface (GUI). Providing an available varieties link on the GUI for items having different varieties and displaying the available varieties of an associated item when the varieties link has been activated. |
| US07734505B2 |
Method and system for implementing automatic auction extensions and adjustable bid increments in an electronic exchange
A method for automatic auction extension and user controlled standardized bid increment/decrement. The method is implemented in an electronic commerce exchange. The auction method implements automatic extension of an auction in response to bidding activity from auction participants. The method includes the step of setting an end time for concluding the auction. Bids are received from remote bidders via a distributed computer network. The received bids are analyzed to determine whether a predetermined number of bids are received within a predetermined time of the auction end time. If a greater number of bids are received within the predetermined time, the duration of the auction is automatically extended and a new auction end time is set. The auction participants are notified of the new auction end time. Standardized bid increments can be set defining a minimum amount at which a subsequent bid differs from a previous bid. Similarly, standardized bid decrements can be set defining a minimum amount at which a subsequent bid subsequent bid differs from a previous bid. A total number of possible extensions can be set defining a number of times the auction can be extended due to bidding activity. The settings can be changed dynamically during the auction by the auction operator/user. |
| US07734500B1 |
Multiple RF read zone system
A multizone RF read/write system for conducting transactions with vehicles traveling at high speeds. A first RF read zone is created, preferably by use of a first gantry that extends over at least one lane and contains at least one RF source that creates a large powerful RF read zone for reading or reading and writing to a transponder on a passing vehicle. Additional RF read zones arranged in tandem with the first RF read zone are created by at least one additional RF source that is located on an additional gantry extending over at least one lane, or located on the first gantry. Accordingly, multiple RF read zones are created to conduct transactions with passing vehicles. In one aspect, the multiple RF read zones can be used to ensure that tolling transactions with a single vehicle are more likely to be completed and have a higher degree of accuracy. In another aspect, the multiple RF read zones each employ a different RF technology so that multiple types of RF toll tags can be read and written. |
| US07734494B2 |
Virtual procurement folder
A computer implemented method for facilitating the procurement of goods and services, comprising requesting any one of a plurality of procurement entities, completing procurement items associated with the requested procurement entity, and recording the procurement items. |
| US07734489B2 |
Method and apparatus for facilitating management of information technology investment
A method, product and system are disclosed for facilitating user navigation between one or more investment maps and corresponding scorecards generated using stored data associated with performance metrics of a several information technology (IT) projects. |
| US07734485B1 |
Systems and methods for insurance coverage
A user may use a financial card to make a purchase at a merchant. An institution system may receive and analyze transaction data associated with the purchase. The institution system may send a notice to the user asking if the user would like insurance coverage for the item(s) pertaining to the purchase. The notice may request the user send a photo of the item(s) or documentation pertaining to the item(s) to the institution system. |
| US07734476B2 |
Universal communications, monitoring, tracking, and control system for a healthcare facility
A system for a facility including a server coupled to a database, a plurality of tags coupled to a plurality of assets, each tag being configured to transmit a tag ID that is uniquely associated in the database with data describing the asset, a plurality of first transceivers for receiving tag IDs and transmitting the tag IDs and a transceiver ID to the server, which is configured to update the database with location information for the asset to indicate that the asset is adjacent the transceiver, and a plurality of portable client devices configured to wirelessly transmit to the server a client device ID that is uniquely associated in the database with a user of the client device, whereby, in response to receipt of the client device ID, the server is configured to update the database with location information for the user to indicate a location of the user. |
| US07734469B1 |
Density measurement method and system for VoIP devices
A density measurement system for measuring a density of a speech processing device including a plurality of channels each having an encoder and a decoder, where each one of the plurality of channels is coupled to another one of the plurality of channels to provide a plurality of coupled pairs. The system comprises a first signal injector module for injecting a first speech signal into a first one of each coupled pair; a second signal injector module for injecting a second speech signal into a second one of each coupled pair; a quality module connected to each decoder for measuring a quality value for each decoder; and an error module connected to each encoder for determining an error value for each encoder, wherein the system determines the density of the speech processing device based on the quality value of each decoder and the error value of each encoder. |
| US07734463B1 |
System and method for automated voice inflection for numbers
The present invention is directed to systems and methods in which a speaker records strings of numbers in different string lengths. Advantage is taken of the fact that speakers typically break numbers into group sizes of two, three, or four. Thus, by way of example, a recorder records two 0's, two 2s, two 3s, etc. Then the recorder records three 1s, three 2s, three 3s, etc., followed by four 1s, four 2s, four 3s, etc. The spoken number values for each string are broken apart and stored as individual numbers corresponding to the string length of the recording. When a number string is to be spoken (for example, the number 782), the system retrieves from the three digit string a first 7, a middle 8, and an end 2. When these retrieved values are communicated to a recipient, proper inflections are achieved for each digit. |
| US07734457B2 |
Method and system for generating dynamic comparison models
The present invention is directed to a method and system that includes comparing first and second models. A comparison model may be generated that indicates differences between the first model and the second model. A notification manager is used to register the comparison model as a subscriber of the first and second models. The first model is updated to reflect a first designated change. Upon successful completion of the first designated change, the notification manager is used to issue a notification of the designated change to the first model. At least the comparison model is updated to reflect the first designated change, and the comparison model is displayed on a client. |
| US07734448B2 |
Sparse and efficient block factorization for interaction data
A compression technique compresses interaction data. The interaction data can include a matrix of interaction data used in solving an integral equation. For example, such a matrix of interaction data occurs in the moment method for solving problems in electromagnetics. The interaction data describes the interaction between a source and a tester. In one embodiment, a fast method provides a direct solution to a matrix equation using the compressed matrix. A factored form of this matrix, similar to the LU factorization, is found by operating on blocks or sub-matrices of this compressed matrix. These operations can be performed by existing machine-specific routines, such as optimized BLAS routines, allowing a computer to execute a reduced number of operations at a high speed per operation. This provides a greatly increased throughput, with reduced memory requirements. |
| US07734447B2 |
Radiation measuring device and data processing method
A radiation measuring device capable of identifying the incident direction of a radiation ray and energy (segmentation). The directivity characteristics of a plurality of detectors are different from each other. A plurality of energy segmentations are set respectively for a plurality of spectra corresponding to a plurality of detectors, and actual measurement ratio information (a plurality of actual measurement counting ratios) expressing the mutual ratio between integrated counting values for each energy segmentation is computed. The actual measurement ratio information is checked against a plurality of response functions, and, when the compatibility relation between specific actual measurement ratio information and specific theoretical ratio information is found, the incident direction of a radiation ray and an energy segmentation are identified based on that relation. |
| US07734444B2 |
Systems and arrangements to assess thermal performance
Systems and arrangements to assess the thermal performance of a thermal solution based upon the ability of a device under test (DUT) to operate in accordance with electrical performance criteria are contemplated. Embodiments may include a tester to couple with the DUT to determine an operating junction temperature. In some embodiments, the measured junction temperature may be the operating junction temperature anticipated for the DUT in a customer installation. In other embodiments, the tester may comprise logic to calculate a projected, operating junction temperature based upon the measured junction temperature and known differences between the tester and a customer installation. Upon determining the operating junction temperature for the DUT at the customer installation, the operating junction temperature is compared against a maximum junction temperature for proper operation of the DUT. Advantageously, the maximum junction temperature may be varied based upon the project objective for a line of DUTs. |
| US07734437B2 |
Apparatus for designing an optical metrology system optimized with signal criteria
Provided is an apparatus for designing an optical metrology system for measuring structures on a workpiece wherein the optical metrology system is configured to meet one or more signal criteria. The design of the optical metrology system is optimized by using collected signal data in comparison to set one or more signal criteria. In one embodiment, the optical metrology system is used for stand alone systems. In another embodiment, the optical metrology system is integrated with a fabrication cluster in semiconductor manufacturing. |
| US07734429B2 |
Method and apparatus for creating at least one parameter for algorithmically evaluating damage in a structure
A method for creating at least one input parameter for an algorithmic system to evaluate damage in a structure may include: (a) Determining a plurality of damage index factors using first signal information relating to a first signal transmitted through the structure before the damage is imposed, and second signal information relating to a second signal transmitted through the structure after the damage is imposed. (b) determining a plurality of condensed damage index factors using the plurality of damage index factors. (c) Correlating selected of the condensed damage index factors with selected measured dimensions relating to the damage to determine a correlation index for selected combinations of the condensed damage index factors and the dimensions. (d) Selecting the at least one input parameter from among the selected condensed damage index factors having a correlation index meeting at least one predetermined criterion. |
| US07734422B2 |
Method for evaluating DNA probes position on substrate
An oligonucleotide array comprising an array of multiple oligonucleotides with different base sequences fixed onto known and separate positions on a support substrate, wherein said oligonucleotides are biological stress related genes or complementary sequence chains to the said genes, and the said oligonucleotides are classified according to their gene functions, wherein the fixation region on the support substrate is divided into the said classification. |
| US07734421B2 |
Method for identifying motifs and/or combinations of motifs having a boolean state of predetermined mutation in a set of sequences and its applications
A method for identifying a motif or a combination of motifs having a Boolean state of predetermined mutations in a set of sequences including a) aligning a set of sequences of ordered motifs represented by a single-character code, b) comparing a reference sequence with the set of sequences aligned in step (a), c) identifying motifs not having mutated simultaneously or motifs having mutated simultaneously at least once on at least one sequence of the set and not having mutated on another sequence of the set. |
| US07734419B2 |
Vehicle driving assist system
A vehicle driving assist system is configured to convey a risk potential relating to a preceding obstacle to a driver using both visual information and haptic information. For example, the vehicle driving assist system executes accelerator pedal actuation reaction force control such that an actuation reaction force is generated in accordance with a risk potential that expresses a degree of convergence between the host vehicle and a preceding obstacle. In order to convey to the driver in a clear manner which preceding obstacle(s) is an obstacle targeted by the risk potential calculation and the reaction force control, the system displays a reference frame or marker at a position corresponding to the targeted obstacle (preceding vehicle). At least one of size, color, shape and brightness of the marker is set in accordance with the risk potential. |
| US07734417B2 |
Image processing device and method for parking support
An image processing device and method for parking support that allows the driver to perceive the state surrounding the vehicle correctly in a simple operation even if plural cameras are carried on the vehicle. Plural images are acquired using plural cameras for image pickup in different directions surrounding the vehicle. These images are used to show the state surrounding the vehicle to the driver, preferably in the form of a bird's-eye view. The view seen by the driver can switch from the bird's-eye view to an image of a desired view. This view can be selected by the driver by, for example, touching the screen upon which the bird's-eye view is displayed. |
| US07734416B2 |
Automatic vehicle braking device
The automatic vehicle braking device is equipped with a braking force control processing portion which, based on the judgment result of a collision judgment processing portion and the judgment result of a steering avoidance judgment processing portion, imparts a turning property in a direction of head-on collision to the vehicle when the lateral position of the obstacle with respect to a travel route curve is large in a condition in which the driver is unconscious of a high possibility of collision between the vehicle and the obstacle and has taken no steering avoidance action yet. As a result, it is possible to reduce the speed of the vehicle and, at the same time, mitigate the damage suffered by the vehicle occupants at the time of collision. |
| US07734410B2 |
Navigation system
When a display map information is reduced to a specified scale for a wide area, items of congestion information are extracted which have a congestion level of “congested or busy”, and an overlap determination area is created for a congestion link of each item of extracted congestion information. The overlap determination area extends both transversely and longitudinally for a specified distance from the congestion link. Also, for each group of congestion information items having overlapping determination areas, an equal congestion level area is created by connecting the overlap determination areas and displayed in a color that corresponds to the congestion level. Equal congestion level areas are also created in the same manner for the congestion information items with congestion levels of “congested” and “not congested”, and displayed in different colors that correspond to their respective congestion levels. |
| US07734405B2 |
Method for enhancing stability of prime mover having an auxiliary vehicle
A method for providing enhanced stability, control and management for a prime mover connected to an auxiliary vehicle is disclosed. An auxiliary vehicle is connected to a prime mover with an auxiliary stability enhancing system and an electronic stability enhancing system, including at least one processor with a memory having computer instructions stored thereon. The processor communicates with a plurality of sensors to detect force values and motions values, and communicates with database storage containing specifications and characteristics representing the prime mover and auxiliary vehicle to compare the force and motion values with the specifications to determine if any values exceed known preset threshold values for the prime mover and auxiliary vehicle. A calculated response, and a location for applying the response, is determined by using a computer model of the prime mover and auxiliary vehicle to reduce the detected force or motion value that exceeds the preset threshold value. |
| US07734399B2 |
Outrigger obstruction detection system for aerial fire trucks
An Outrigger Obstruction Detection System for an Aerial Fire Truck that will warn the driver of an impending obstruction to an outrigger prior to full extension of the outrigger. The system comprises ultrasonic sensors located at or near each outrigger assembly on the aerial fire truck, which can be programmed to detect an object within the travel range of the outrigger. In addition, a control/indicator panel is mounted in the cab of the aerial fire truck. The control/indicator panel is positioned in the cab to allow the driver physical and visual access. The control/indicator panel contains the power switch, diagram of the truck and indicator lights used to warn the driver of an obstruction. The sensors provide an electrical signal to a control/indicator panel located in the cab of the aerial fire truck to alert the driver if an object is detected. This alert allows the driver to reposition the truck to clear the obstruction, which in turn reduces the time to react to the emergency. The ultrasonic sensors are affixed to the aerial fire truck via a pivotal mounting assembly, which allows proper sensing alignment to be achieved. |
| US07734382B2 |
Remote vehicle control system and associated method for counteracting rogue command
A vehicle remote control system is for a vehicle including a data communications bus extending throughout the vehicle, and at least one vehicle device connected to the data communications bus. The vehicle remote control system includes a remote transmitter, and a true controller at the vehicle for controlling the vehicle device via a true command on the data communications bus, and based upon the remote transmitter. The true controller also controls the vehicle device via a respective counteracting command on the data communications bus based upon detecting a rogue controller attempt to control the at least one vehicle device via a rogue command on the data communications bus. The true controller may thus counteract a rogue controller attempt to start the engine, unlock vehicle doors, roll down windows, and/or disarm the vehicle security system, for example. |
| US07734381B2 |
Controller for regulating airflow in rodent containment system
Provided are animal containment systems and components, including single-use animal containment cages, modular rack units and controllers. Also provided are methods for assembling and using components of the animal containment systems. The single-use animal containment cages contain controllers that regulate airflow or air pressure and have a user interface and processor. |
| US07734380B2 |
Push communications architecture for intelligent electronic devices
A power management architecture for an electrical power distribution system, or portion thereof, is disclosed. The architecture includes multiple intelligent electronic devices (“IED's”) distributed throughout the power distribution system to manage the flow and consumption of power from the system using real time communications. Power management application software and/or hardware components operate on the IED's and the back-end servers and inter-operate via the network to implement a power management application. The architecture provides a scalable and cost effective framework of hardware and software upon which such power management applications can operate to manage the distribution and consumption of electrical power by one or more utilities/suppliers and/or customers which provide and utilize the power distribution system. Autonomous communication on the network between IED's, back-end servers and other entities coupled with secure networks, themselves interconnected, via firewalls, by one or more unsecure networks, is facilitated by the use of a back-channel protocol. The back-channel protocol allows a device coupled with a secure network to solicit communications from a device on the unsecure network, thereby opening a back-channel through the firewall through which the unsecure network device may send unsolicited messages to the secure network device. Communications between multiple secure networks is accomplished using a unsecure device on an intermediary unsecure network to relay communications between the secure network devices using the protocol described above. |
| US07734379B2 |
System, method, and apparatus for managing wastewater treatment installation
Apparatus for managing a residential wastewater treatment system includes an in situ control unit that monitors an individual system. The control unit provides local control and alarms, and also sends status reports and/or alarms to a remote monitoring center via a telemetry device. The remote monitoring center makes information concerning the individual system available through a website. |
| US07734373B2 |
Distributed architecture for food and beverage dispensers
A method and apparatus wherein traditional design methodologies directed toward obtaining minimized component costs are largely set aside in favor of mass customization, reduced design and ownership costs, and shorter design cycles. The distributed architecture contemplates widespread distribution of monitoring and control functions for most device-specific hardware under the direction of a CPU module. In implementation of the distributed architecture, various component modules are placed in communication with the CPU module through at least one and preferably multiple communication busses. |
| US07734368B2 |
Method for manipulating a dental virtual model, method for creating physical entities based on a dental virtual model thus manipulated, and dental models thus created
A 3D virtual model of an intra oral cavity in which at least a part of a finish line of a preparation is obscured is manipulated in virtual space by means of a computer or the like to create, recreate or reconstruct finish line data and other geometrical corresponding to the obscured part. Trimmed virtual models, and trimmed physical models, can then be created utilizing data thus created. The virtual models and/or the physical models may be used in the design and manufacture of copings or of prostheses. |
| US07734359B2 |
Systems and methods for capturing data within an intelligent electronic device
A method for capturing data includes recording, within an intelligent electronic device (IED), information regarding an initial change to one of a firmware within the IED, a hardware within the IED, and a configuration within the IED. |
| US07734358B2 |
Data processing apparatus for arc welding
A data processing apparatus for processing data described in a welding operation program of an arc welding robot system. The data processing apparatus includes a data obtaining section for obtaining a plurality of position and orientation data at a plurality of different teaching points previously taught and included in the welding operation program; a reference plane setting section for setting a virtual reference plane as a reference defining a geometric placement of an arc welding torch relative to a workpiece during a welding operation, based on the position and orientation data obtained in the data obtaining section; an angle calculating section for calculating a plurality of angle data representing the geometric placement of the arc welding torch at every teaching points, by using the position and orientation data obtained in the data obtaining section and the virtual reference plane set in the reference plane setting section; and an angle processing section for performing at least one of a displaying process and a correcting process of the angle data calculated in the angle calculating section. |
| US07734357B2 |
System for operating an installation by editing graphic objects
A system is used to operate partial units of a technical installation by editing graphic objects, the system contains a graphic editor and a data editor. During the selection of a graphic object by the graphic editor, the data editor, which produces or modifies the control and configuration data and signals for a technical installation which is to be controlled, is called. The selection of the user is examined, in relation to the plausibility and consistency thereof, for the predetermined operational state of the technical installation. Subsequently, the modified and current configuration data is visualized in the graphic editor and the graphic object is modified based on the graphic object selected by the user. |
| US07734354B1 |
Stimulation lead, stimulation system, and method for limiting MRI induced current in a stimulation lead
In one embodiment, an implantable lead for electrical stimulation of a patient, comprises: a bidirection frequency dependent current limiter (BFDCL) circuit that limits a magnitude of current that can flow through the at least one conductor from the at least one terminal to the at least one electrode, wherein the BFDCL circuit comprises: a passive frequency dependent network element; first and second semiconductors that each comprise source, drain, and reference terminals, wherein the source terminals of the first and second semiconductors are coupled to respective ends of the passive frequency dependent network element, the source terminal of the first semiconductor is coupled to the gate terminal of the second semiconductor, and the source terminal of the second semiconductor is coupled to the gate terminal of the first semiconductor. |
| US07734352B2 |
Sub-threshold stimulation to precondition neurons for supra-threshold stimulation
In order to generate the smallest phosphenes possible, it is advantageous to selectively stimulate smaller cells. By hyperpolarizing the somas of the large cells selectively with sub-threshold anodic ‘pre-pulse’ stimuli (making them more difficult to stimulate) and then selectively depolarize the smaller cells one can selectively stimulate smaller cells. Alternatively, one can hyperpolarize the dendrites of the cells with larger dendritic fields by applying sub-threshold anodic currents on surrounding electrodes and then depolarizing the smaller cells in the center. Further, one can manipulate the phases of an individual biphasic wave to affect selective stimulation resulting in more focal responses. It is possible to increase resolution with the ‘pre-pulse’ described above. One can also effect resolution by modifying the pulse order of the cathodic and anodic phases. Further, one can isolate the effect of the phases by separating them in time (long inter-phase interval) or by making one of the phases long and low amplitude—always keeping equal total charge for the two phases. As an example, one can preferentially stimulate smaller ganglion cells by providing a longer sub-threshold anodic pulse balanced with a shorter supra-threshold cathodic pulse. Preferentially stimulating the smaller ganglion cells will allow stimulation of different brightness levels while maintaining high spatial resolution. |
| US07734344B2 |
Methods, systems and computer program products to inhibit ventricular fibrillation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Methods, systems and computer program products determine and identify a favorable time to deliver cardiac compression to a subject to avoid a vulnerable period of a spontaneous intrinsic cardiac cycle. |
| US07734341B2 |
Method and apparatus for gastrointestinal stimulation via the lymphatic system
An implantable gastrointestinal (GI) stimulation system includes an implantable medical device and at least one stimulus delivery device configured to be placed in one or more lymphatic vessels of a patient, such as the patient's thoracic duct and/or vessels branching from the thoracic duct. In one embodiment, the implantable medical device includes a GI stimulation circuit to deliver electrical stimulation pulses to one or more target regions adjacent to a lymphatic vessel through the stimulus delivery device. In one embodiment, to control obesity, the electrical stimulation pulses are delivered to the organs and/or nerves of the GI tract to create a sensation of satiety and/or to expedite food movement through the GI tract. |
| US07734336B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting arrhythmias in a medical device
A method of detecting a cardiac event in a medical device that includes sensing cardiac signals from a plurality of electrodes forming a first sensing vector and a second sensing vector, determining inflections of the sensed cardiac signals, generating a pulse amplitude threshold in response to the determined inflections, determining whether the sensed cardiac signals are corrupted by noise in response to the determined inflections and the generated pulse amplitude threshold, and determining, in response to the sensed cardiac signals being corrupted by noise, whether the sensed cardiac signals are both corrupted by noise and shockable. |
| US07734325B2 |
Apparatus and method for multi-modal imaging
An imaging system for imaging an object. The imaging system includes a support member adapted to receive the object in an immobilized state. The system also includes first means for imaging the immobilized object in a first imaging mode to capture a first image, and second means for imaging the immobilized object in a second imaging mode, different from the first imaging mode, to capture a second image. The first imaging mode is selected from the group: x-ray mode and radio isotopic mode. The second imaging mode is selected from the group: bright-field mode and dark-field mode. A removable phosphor screen is employed when the first image is captured and not employed when the second image is captured. The phosphor screen is adapted to transduce ionizing radiation to visible light. The phosphor screen is adapted to be removable without moving the immobilized object. The system can further include means for generating a third image comprised of the first and second image. |
| US07734320B2 |
Sensor isolation
A noninvasive physiological sensor includes electrical isolation to isolate the patient and the sensor electronics from potentially harmful electrical surges. |
| US07734319B2 |
Dual-mode superconductive filter having an opening pattern in a ground plane
A superconductive device that includes a ground film made of the superconductive material, wherein part of the ground film has an opening pattern. |
| US07734317B2 |
Battery management
Systems and techniques are disclosed relating to wireless communications. The systems and techniques involve an efficient power source for prolonged battery life. The power source may include first and second batteries, and a power management module configured to operate each of the first and second batteries in a pulse current discharge mode while supplying continuous current to a load. |
| US07734313B2 |
Wirelessly networked gaming system having true targeting capability
A first mobile station (102) can be wirelessly linked to a second mobile station (104). A physical location of the second mobile station with respect to a physical location of the first mobile station can be determined. A first player (112) using the first mobile station can be presented an icon (402) representing a second player using the second mobile station. The icon can be presented from a perspective of an eye level view. At least one targeting icon (410) can be presented to the first player to facilitate targeting of the second player. A physical stimuli can be generated from the first mobile station and/or the second mobile station in response to a simulated weapon activation on the first mobile station. The physical stimuli can be a narrowly focused ultrasound beam (302) modulated to generate an audible sound when a propagation of the ultrasound beam is disrupted by a physical object. |
| US07734304B2 |
Method of updating channel information by a mobile station that is in power saving mode
A method of updating channel information by a mobile station (MS) that is in power saving mode is disclosed. More specifically, the method includes the MS which receives status information of a first channel descriptor and transmission frame information which includes when the first channel descriptor is to be transmitted. Furthermore, the MS compares status information of the first channel descriptor with status information of a second channel descriptor. Here, the second channel descriptor is stored in the MS. Lastly, if the compared status information are different, the MS receives the first channel descriptor according to the transmission frame information. |
| US07734298B2 |
Estimating the location of a wireless terminal based on signal path impairment
A technique for estimating the location of a wireless terminal at an unknown location in a geographic region is disclosed. The technique is based on the recognition that there are traits of electromagnetic signals that are dependent on topography, the receiver, the location of the transmitter, and other factors. For example, if a particular radio station is known to be received strongly at a first location and weakly at a second location, and a given wireless terminal at an unknown location is receiving the radio station weakly, it is more likely that the wireless terminal is at the second location than at the first location. |
| US07734288B1 |
In-cabin phone service by extending cellular Um interface
An airborne cell phone system comprises a cabin-based system for communicating with a ground station over a satellite link. A base station transceiver is in the ground station and an air interface (Um) is extended to a cabin-based mobile as if the cabin-based mobile is ground-based. The cabin-based system includes the cabin-based mobile for communicating over the Um interface. A custom device emulates the Um interface and communicates with the cabin-based mobile. A cabin transceiver connected to the custom device communicates with the custom device and the satellite link. The ground station further comprises a ground transceiver for communicating with the satellite link. A handset emulator connected the ground transceiver emulates a handset and communicates with the ground transceiver. A ground Um interface communicates with the handset emulator and the base station transceiver communicates with the ground Um interface. |
| US07734287B2 |
System for providing remote access to diagnostic information over a wide area network
A system for facilitating diagnosis and maintenance of one or more control networks located on a mobile conveyance comprises one or more wireless ground stations configured to communicate over a wireless communication channel with a control network via a wireless interface. A local area computer network receives and responds to messages to or from the control network via the wireless ground stations. The local area computer network comprises one or more user terminals, a server computer, a database comprising diagnostic information relating to said control network, and, optionally, a replacement parts database and/or job auction database. The local area network further includes a wide area network interface, which allow either additional diagnostic information relating to the control network to be retrieved, or parts to be manually or automatically ordered from remote vendor sites. The system may also include wireless handheld, portable equipment capable of communicated with the local area network and/or wide area network, for allowing service personnel to perform diagnostic analysis, maintenance, and testing of the control network(s). |
| US07734277B2 |
Concept for enabling access to a network using local wireless network
A mobile communication network for providing access to a fixed network for access terminals within a geographical area is disclosed. A public mobile network contains a base station connected to a fixed network and is capable of communicating with the access terminals using a communication protocol within a part of the geographical area. A local wireless network is present within another part of the geographical area, wherein the base station is not capable of communicating with the access terminals. The local wireless network is connected to a fixed network via a network access devices. The local wireless network comprises at least one local wireless access point for communicating with the access terminal using the communication protocol. The local wireless network is arranged to send a message to an access terminal in the vicinity of the local wireless network containing an offer relating to call charges. |
| US07734273B2 |
Frequency mixer device and method for compensating DC offset
A frequency mixer device is provided with a mixer circuit having an input cell that amplifies an input signal and a switching cell that mixes the amplified input signal with a switching signal and outputs a multiplied signal, and a DC offset compensator that detects the input level of the input signal and outputs a compensation signal based on that detection signal, the compensation signal being supplied to the mixer circuit so as to compensate a DC offset included in the multiplied signal. The compensation signal that the DC offset compensator outputs is added to the output signal of the input cell so as to compensate the DC offset. Low frequency noise included in the compensation signal is converted to a frequency near that of the switching signal, and does not range over the desired waveband of the mixer output. |
| US07734272B2 |
Local oscillator apparatus and method
A direct conversion satellite tuner is fully integrated on a common substrate. The integrated tuner receives an RF signal having a plurality of channels and down-converts a selected channel directly to baseband for further processing. The integrated tuner includes on-chip local oscillator generation, tunable baseband filters, and DC Offset cancellation. The integrated tuner can be implemented in a completely differential I/Q configuration for improved electrical performance. The entire direct conversion satellite tuner can be fabricated on a single semiconductor substrate using standard CMOS processing, with minimal off-chip components. The tuner configuration described herein is not limited to processing TV signals, and can be utilized to down-convert other RF signals to an IF frequency or baseband. |
| US07734268B2 |
Method and apparatus for leveling an increasing or decreasing slope of an AM modulated receiving signal
A method and an apparatus for leveling an increasing or decreasing slope of an AM modulated receiving signal attenuate the AM modulated receiving signal with an attenuation curve with a stepwise slope corresponding to the increasing or decreasing slope of said AM modulated receiving signal, filters the attenuated AM modulated receiving signal within AM-demodulation with a lowpass infinite-impulse-response filter of at least second order and increases the level of each delay-unit's output signal of the infinite-impulse-response filter each time a step in the attenuated AM modulated receiving signal arrives at the input of said infinite-impulse-response filter. |
| US07734262B2 |
Method and apparatus for reverse link throttling in a multi-carrier wireless communication system
In one embodiment, the patent application comprises an access terminal, comprising a processing unit, a memory operably connected to the processing unit, a receive circuitry operably connected to the processing unit, a transmit circuitry having a power amplifier used in both single carrier and multi-carrier operations, wherein said transmit circuitry is operably connected to the processing unit, and a throttle control unit operably connected to the power amplifier, adapted to throttle power to provide sufficient headroom for the power amplifier. |
| US07734260B2 |
Apparatus and method for reducing message collision between mobile stations simultaneously accessing a base station in a CDMA cellular communications system
Collisions between messages simultaneously transmitted by multiple spread-spectrum transmitters are reduced by distributing the transmissions over the available resources of the receiver. Each mobile station in a CDMA system uses one or more randomization methods to distribute its transmissions. In the first randomization, the mobile station time-delays its transmissions by a number of chips of the PN code with which it spreads the transmitted signal. In a second randomization, the mobile station randomly selects the PN code. In a third randomization, the mobile station inserts a random delay between successive message transmissions or probes if it does not receive an acknowledgement after a predetermined timeout period. A predetermined number of such transmissions is called a probe sequence. In a fourth randomization, the mobile station inserts a relatively long random delay between successive probe sequences if it does not receive an acknowledgement of any probe in the sequence. |
| US07734259B2 |
Method and system for a transmitter loft cancellation scheme that maintains IQ balance
Methods and systems for a transmitter LOFT cancellation scheme that maintains IQ balance are disclosed. Aspects of one method may include providing current compensation to both differential inputs of a mixer for each of I and Q channels. An initial current compensation of X units may be provided, followed by subsequent compensation as needed. The initial compensation may be provided to each differential input of the mixers used for I and Q channels. The subsequent current compensation for the I channel may be independent of the subsequent current compensation for the Q channel. Subsequent current compensation to a first differential input for a mixer may be increased by Y units while decreasing current compensation to the second differential input of the mixer by Y units. In this manner, the DC common mode level for the mixer may remain the same at the initial DC compensation current of X units for both mixers. |
| US07734258B2 |
RF transmitter front-end and applications thereof
A radio frequency (RF) transmitter front-end includes a digital to analog conversion module and a power amplifier module. The digital to analog conversion module is coupled to convert amplitude information into analog amplitude adjust signals when a first mode is active and is coupled to convert power level information into analog power level signals when a second mode is active. The power amplifier module is coupled to amplify first phase modulated RF signals in accordance with the analog amplitude adjust signals to produce first outbound RF signals when the first mode is active and is coupled to amplify second phase modulated RF signals in accordance with the analog power level signals to produce second outbound RF signals when the second mode is active. |
| US07734248B2 |
Communications terminal, server, playback control method and program
The communications terminal comprises: a playback device which playbacks content; a reading device which reads in access information recorded on a prescribed recording medium, the access information being necessary for downloading the content which can be played back by the playback device, via a network; a communications device which downloads via communications the content corresponding to the access information according to the access information read in; a storage device which stores the downloaded content, the storage device storing details of the access information in association with the content, the details of the access information being used in downloading the content; a judging device which judges whether or not the content corresponding to the read access information is present in the storage device, according to information which is stored in the storage device, when the access information is read in by the reading device; and a control device which controls the playback device, the reading device, the communications device, the storage device, and the judging device, wherein: if the judging device judges that the content is present in the storage device, the control device controls for acquiring the content corresponding to the access information read in from the storage device, and for playing back the content; and if the judging device judges that the content is not present in the storage device, the control device controls for downloading the content corresponding to the access information read in, and for playing back the content. |
| US07734239B2 |
Fixing device, image forming apparatus and sheet conveying device
A fixing device includes a pair of rotating bodies forming a nip portion, for fixing an image formed on the surface of a sheet to the sheet; and a separating pawl having a leading end portion and a tailing end portion, a tip part of the leading end portion being made press contact with a surface of at least one of the pair of rotating bodies. The separating pawl includes a pivotal portion integrally formed between the leading end portion and the tailing end portion, and the tailing end portion has a spring property capable of adjusting the press-contact force of the tip part. |
| US07734238B2 |
Image forming apparatus with first and second guiding sections for varying a contact length of a sheet with a heating member in accordance with a thickness of the sheet
An image forming apparatus includes a fixing section and a guiding section. The guiding section includes first and second guiding members. The first guiding member is in a first conveyance path for a first recording sheet having a first width and contacts the first recording sheet to guide the first recording sheet to a discharging portion. The second guiding member is in an area of a second conveyance path a the second recording sheet having a second width larger than the first width and guides the second recording sheet to the discharge portion at an angle so that a contact length of the second recording sheet with the heating member along a conveyance direction of the second recording sheet is shorter than a contact length of the first recording sheet with the heating member along a conveyance direction of the first recording sheet. |
| US07734237B2 |
Image forming apparatus with fixing fluid application device
An image forming apparatus of the wet fixing method includes a toner image forming section, a intermediate transfer section including an intermediate transfer belt, a fixing fluid applying section that applies a fixing fluid to a toner image on the intermediate transfer belt and swells and/or softens the toner image, a transferring and fixing section, a recording medium feeding section, and a scanner section. The fixing fluid applying section and the transferring and fixing section are placed so that, when the toner image in a swelled and/or softened state on the intermediate transfer belt is transferred and fixed to a recording medium, adhesive force A between toner forming the toner image and the intermediate transfer belt becomes smaller than adhesive force B between the toner and the recording medium. |
| US07734231B2 |
Toner container, developer replenishing device, and image forming apparatus
A toner container adapted for containing toner includes a first side wall and a second side wall opposed to each other. The toner container longitudinally extends between the first side wall and the second side wall and includes a handle to be held when the container is attached to or detached from the apparatus main body and a retaining portion provided on the first side wall to be engaged with a portion of the apparatus main body when the container is installed in the apparatus main body. The handle is provided at a position shifted to the second side wall from a center of the container in the longitudinal direction. |
| US07734229B2 |
Toner replenishing method, toner replenishing apparatus, and computer readable recording medium
A pixel count section calculates a coverage rate corresponding to toner consumption. A control coefficient value setting section determines, based on the coverage rate, a stop threshold value representing reference concentration for toner replenishment and replenishment extension time. A magnetic permeability sensor measures permeability representing toner concentration in a housing portion. A toner concentration control section starts toner replenishment when an output value from the magnetic permeability sensor varies from a value less than a start threshold value to the start threshold value or above, and stops toner replenishment after lapse of replenishment extension time from the time at which an output value varied from a value greater than the stop threshold value to the stop threshold value. |
| US07734228B2 |
Development device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus
The present invention provides a development device which does not accumulate the developer at the corners on the internal walls, the process cartridge having such a development device, and the image forming apparatus, without increasing the size of the device or complicating its structure. A curving surface section is provided in at least one of four sections where internal walls in which bearings of the first rotary conveying body and the second rotary conveying body are positioned intersect with internal walls that are parallel to the first rotary conveying body and the second rotary conveying body. |
| US07734225B2 |
Tri-level tandem xerographic architecture using reduced strength toner
A xerographic system and method use a tri-level development process in which at least one xerographic imaging unit includes a photoreceptor and a pair of developer units. A first developer unit includes a full strength toner of a given color and a second developer unit includes a reduced strength toner of the same or substantially the same color. By use of the tri-level process, excellent color-to-color registration can be achieved for each processed color separation. Moreover, by use of two strengths of the same colorant, a tighter control of a tone reproduction curve can be achieved. Additional xerographic imaging units can include a developer unit that provides spot color, custom color or specialty color capabilities. Additional benefits and gamut expansion can be achieved through use of a tandem architecture. A preferred implementation uses a four drum, eight color tandem architecture with full strength and reduced strength toners formulations of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (CYMK) colorant. |
| US07734218B2 |
Cover-body locking construction and image forming apparatus provided with such locking construction
A cover-body locking construction includes a specified housing, a frame insertable into and withdrawable from the housing, a structure supported on the frame, and a cover body shiftable between a covering position to cover at least part of the structure and an exposing position to expose the at least part of the structure to the outside by canceling the covered state with the structure withdrawn from the housing. The cover body includes a locking member having a locking portion for locking the cover body set at the covering position into the frame and an operating portion for causing the locking portion to lock and unlock. The housing includes a lock guiding member shaped to interlock the locking portion with the frame due to the interference with the cover body and the operating portion upon inserting the frame into the housing with the structure covered by the cover body. |
| US07734198B2 |
Image forming apparatus and wireless communication device
An image forming apparatus includes a rotating member that is rotatable, a communication medium, and a receiving unit. The communication medium that is attached to an outer circumference of the rotating member stores therein information on the rotating member and relays the information on the rotating member via wireless communication. The receiving unit receives the information on the rotating member from the communication medium. |
| US07734196B2 |
Optical receiver device
A DQPSK receiver extracts first and second phase modulation components from an input optical signal, and respectively converts the extracted components into the first and second data signals. The DQPSK receiver extracts a clock signal from one of the data signals, and produces an inverted clock signal by inverting the extracted clock signal. Then, the DQPSK receiver latches the first data signal by using the extracted clock signal or the inverted clock signal, and latches the second data signal by using the extracted clock signal. |
| US07734195B2 |
Method and arrangement for forming reception pulses in an infrared receiver
In a method and arrangement for forming reception pulses, output signals of an upstream comparator which recognizes light pulses are used to evaluate a downstream arrangement and are newly formed and emitted as pulses. The aim is to produce a method and an associated circuit arrangement for forming reception pulses which represent a saving in energy, whereby said arrangement can be integrated into existing receiver systems, requires no external time base and can work with the signal of an upstream comparator. In a first step, an input signal delivered by an upstream comparator is delayed, whereupon a time reference is produced in a controlled manner and an output pulse begins to be formed in a controlled manner by means of the delayed input signal from the first step. The input signal level is examined once production of the time reference is completed. The examination refers back to the length of the received pulse, and the duration of the output impulse is adjusted according to the results of the examination. |
| US07734193B2 |
Level detector for optical receivers
An apparatus and method for detecting an output power level of an optical receiver, in order to hold output signal levels constant over changing input optical levels. A photodetector detects an optical signal, and a current from the photodetector is applied an amplifier. The amplifier may be either a differential trans-impedance amplifier, or a dual trans-impedance amplifier coupled to a differential output amplifier. An output of the amplifier is applied o a signal detector, wherein an output signal of the signal detector is an indication of an output power level of the optical receiver. |
| US07734192B2 |
Control apparatus and control method for optical modulator
An object of the invention is to provide a control system in which the phase shift between drive signals of an optical modulator can be reliably detected and compensated by a simple configuration. To this end, a control apparatus of the invention, for an optical modulator generating a signal light of a CS-RZ modulation system or the like by two LN modulators connected in series, detects the phase shift between drive signals given to the former and latter stage LN modulators, or judges the phase shift between the drive signals based on intensity information of the electric spectrum of the signal light output from the optical modulator, to control the phases of the drive signals so as to minimize the phase shift. As a result, the phase shift between the drive signals can be reliably detected and compensated by an electric circuit with a simple configuration. |
| US07734191B1 |
Forward error correction (FEC) enabled photonic integrated circuit (PICs) chips with multiple signal channels
A forward error correction (FEC) communication device that includes a transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) or a receiver photonic integrated circuit (RxPIC) and a FEC device for FEC coding at least one channel with a first error rate and at least one additional channel with a second error rate, wherein the first error rate is greater than the second error rate. The TxPIC chip is a monolithic multi-channel chip having an array of modulated sources integrated on the chip, each operating at a different wavelength, wherein at least one of the modulated sources is modulated with a respective FEC encoded signal. The TxPIC also includes an integrated wavelength selective combiner for combining the channels for transport over an optical link. |
| US07734190B2 |
System and method for generating optical return-to-zero signals with differential bi-phase shift
A system and method for generating an optical return-to-zero signal. The system includes an electro-optical conversion system. The electro-optical conversion system is configured to receive an input electrical non-return-to-zero signal, process information associated with the input electrical non-return-to-zero signal, and generate a first electrical signal and a second electrical signal based on at least information associated with the input electrical non-return-to-zero signal. Additionally, the electro-optical conversion system is configured to delay a second electrical signal with respect to the first electrical signal by a predetermined period of time, process information associated with the first electrical signal and the delayed second electrical signal, and generate an output optical return-to-zero signal based on at least information associated with the first electrical signal and the delayed second electrical signal. The output optical return-to-zero signal is an optical differential return-to-zero signal, and the output optical return-to-zero signal is substantially free from any frequency chirp. |
| US07734187B2 |
Dispersion management in optical networks using a differential phase shift keying modulation format
Dispersion may be managed in an optical network configured to transmit differential phase shift keying (DPSK) modulated signals by allowing accumulation of dispersion to thousands of ps/nm before compensating. A dispersion map providing a negative average dispersion and a minimum dispersion wavelength outside of the signal band may be employed. |
| US07734183B2 |
XFI-XAUI integrated circuit for use with 10GBASE-LX4 optical transceivers
A single chip integrated circuit for use in an optical transceiver for converting and coupling an information containing electrical signal with an optical fiber having an XFI interface for coupling with an external electrical cable or information system device, and an XAUI interface for coupling with a laser transmitter subassembly including first, second, third and fourth lasers operating at different wavelengths and modulated by the respective four lane XAUI signals. The circuit includes an encoder for encoding the incoming XFI signal into four signals in the XAIU format, and a decoder coupled to the XAUI interface for receiving a four lane XAUI signal and converting it into a serial XFI signal coupled to the XFI interface. |
| US07734178B2 |
Passive optical network system, optical line terminal, and optical network unit
In a PON system by WDM, IP broadcast can be received without oppressing a band used by a user for Internet communication. An OLT provides a first wavelength received in common by respective ONUs and plural second wavelengths by which the OLT and the respective ONUs perform communication individually. With respect to signals in the downstream direction, each of the OLTs includes a transmitter to transmit the first wavelength and plural transmitters to transmit the second wavelengths used for the individual communication with the respective ONUs. Each of the ONUs includes a receiver to receive the first wavelength and a receiver to receive the second wavelength used in the ONU itself. The OLT transmits data of the IP broadcast by the first wavelength and transmits individual data of each of the ONUs by the second wavelength corresponding to the ONU. |
| US07734166B2 |
Photographing apparatus, photographing method and a computer readable medium of instructions for controlling the photographing apparatus
A photographing apparatus and method prevent a resolution of a peripheral portion of an image from being degraded with a simple structure. These employ an in-focus state detector for detecting evaluation values for auto in-focus operation representing an in-focus state of an image from a first in-focus state detection region disposed on a center portion of the image, and at least one second in-focus state detection region disposed on a peripheral portion of the image, a flat subject determiner that determines whether a subject is flat based on the detection result of the evaluation values for auto in-focus operation, a flat subject focusing position calculator that calculates a final focusing position based on the evaluation values when the subject is determined as being flat, and a three-dimensional subject focusing position calculator that calculates a final focusing position based on the evaluation value when the subject is not flat. |
| US07734162B2 |
Camera shaking correcting device, and image pickup device
Output of a gyro sensor is read at intervals of control time ts, time integration is carried out, an integrated value is computed, and an amount of change in an integrated value is determined from a difference between the calculated integrated value and an integrated value of a previous time. Thereafter, on the basis of the amount of change and a delay time determined by a shaking correcting module and the control time, an addition value (an acceleration value of an integrated value of the current time) is computed in order to obtain an amount of movement of a shift lens which can compensate tilting of an optical axis of a lens. After the computed addition value is added to the integrated value of the current time, a control value for moving the shift lens is computed by using the integrated value after addition. |
| US07734148B2 |
Method for reproducing sub-picture data in optical disc device, and method for displaying multi-text in optical disc device
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus. The apparatus includes a supplementary decoder and a memory. The supplementary decoder is configured to decode supplementary data. The supplementary data is associated at least one of audio data and video data. The memory is coupled to a supplemental video decoder. The memory is configured to record the start position of the decoded supplementary data. In embodiments, the apparatus includes a user input. The user input is configured to cause the apparatus to replay at least one of audio data and video data with the supplementary data starting from the start position of the decoded supplementary data stored in the memory. |
| US07734146B1 |
Video data reduction in MPEG bit stream
Video data in an encoded frame is reduced by adjusting orthogonal transform coefficients in the encoded frame during trick play operation such as fast forward or fast reverse. The orthogonal transform coefficients are adjusted by selecting essential orthogonal transform coefficients with high energy and non-essential orthogonal transform coefficients with low energy, maintaining or strengthening the essential orthogonal transform coefficients and attenuating or removing the non-essential orthogonal transform coefficients. In an MPEG bit stream, the encoded frame is an I-frame and the orthogonal transform coefficients are discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients. |
| US07734140B2 |
Video processing apparatus which can respond to non-native remote commands and method of operation thereof
A recorder, method, device, and interpretation apparatus for executing code commands. The invention is a device which functions in response to code commands comprising: means to execute a function in response to a code command having a format for the device; and means to execute the function in response to a code command having a format for a different device. The invention is also a recorder comprising means to execute a first type of recorder function corresponding to a second type of recorder commands. In another aspect, the invention is a method of controlling a recorder comprising: receiving a second type of recorder command; mapping the second type of recorder command into a corresponding first type of recorder function; and executing the corresponding first type of recorder function. In yet another aspect, the invention is an interpretation apparatus for receiving a second type of recorder command and outputting a corresponding first type of recorder. |
| US07734133B2 |
Hollow core waveguide for laser generation of ultrasonic waves
A laser transmission system is used for inspecting workpieces. The system has a source of laser beams that is coupled to a first lens assembly. A first hollow core waveguide is operably coupled to the first lens assembly. An end of an optical fiber coupled to the first hollow core waveguide. A second hollow core waveguide is coupled to the other end of the optical fiber. A second lens assembly operably coupled to the second hollow core waveguide. The length of the hollow core waveguides range from about 5 to 100 times the focal lengths of the lens assemblies. A motion control system is operably coupled to the second hollow core waveguide and the second lens assembly for controllably displacing the second hollow core waveguide and the second lens assembly with respect to a workpiece. |
| US07734131B2 |
Fabry-Perot tunable filter using a bonded pair of transparent substrates
A tunable Fabry-Perot filter (8, 118, 218, 318, 418) includes substrates (10, 12) with parallel generally planar facing principal surfaces (14, 16) including spaced apart facing reflective surface regions (20, 22) that are at least partially reflective over a wavelength range and define an optical gap (Gopt) therebetween. At least one substrate of the pair of substrates is light transmissive over the selected wavelength range to enable optical coupling with the optical gap. Electrodes (24, 26) are disposed on the facing principal surfaces of the substrates. The electrodes on the facing principal surfaces of the substrates are define an electrode gap therebetween such that electrical biasing of the electrodes simultaneously modifies the optical and electrode gaps. |
| US07734130B2 |
Polarization-maintaining optical rotary coupling
An optical rotating data transmission device for polarization-maintaining transmission of linearly polarized light comprises at least one first collimator for coupling on first light-waveguides, and also a second collimator for coupling on second light-waveguides, the second collimator being supported to be rotatable relative to the first collimator about a rotation axis. At least two λ/4 plates for converting linear polarization to circular polarization and vice-versa are provided in an optical path between the first collimator and the second collimator. |
| US07734129B1 |
Super-s multiple-tapped optical delay line
A photonic processor having a high spectral resolution which separates an input optic signal into numerous channels and a method of constructing same are provided. The photonic processor includes an optical delay line spiral having dips to compensate for path length differences between the various paths such that each path is an integer multiple of a fixed path length. Straight segments are included in the spiral design to offset the dips in the spiral such that they do not overlap. A number of waveguide taps are included that may launch the channelized light signals into a photonic lens. |
| US07734119B2 |
Method and system for progressive multi-resolution three-dimensional image reconstruction using region of interest information
The present invention provides a method and system for progressive multi-resolution three-dimensional image reconstruction using region of interest information. The method and system significantly reduces the amount of time required to display high quality three-dimensional fluoroscopic images by utilizing progressive multi-resolution image reconstruction techniques. In addition, by employing manual or automated selection of one or more regions of interest in which to focus the progressive image reconstruction, high quality 3D images of region(s) of interest may be obtained soon after image data acquisition. |
| US07734113B2 |
Signal processing device, method, and program
An image processing device and method, where the device includes a data continuity detector configured to detect data continuity of image data made up of a plurality of pixels acquired by light signals of a real world being cast upon a plurality of detecting elements each having spatio-temporal integration effects, and a real world estimating unit configured to generate a gradient of pixel values of the plurality of pixels corresponding to a position in one dimensional direction of spatio-temporal directions as to pixels of interest within the image data. |
| US07734101B2 |
Apparatus and system for testing an image produced by a helmet-mounted display
The present invention relates to a system and method for allowing quality of an image to be tested. For example, the present invention may be utilized to test the quality of an image produced by a helmet-mounted display such as an Integrated Helmet and Display Sighting System (IHADSS). In at least one embodiment, after the image is captured by a camera, for example, at least one measurable aspect of the image is analyzed in an objective manner to determine at least one possible difference in the measurable aspect of the image and a corresponding measurable aspect of a recalled representation of the image and presenting the difference via a visual display device. |
| US07734096B2 |
Method and device for discriminating obscene video using time-based feature value
A method and a device for discriminating an obscene video using a time-based feature value are provided. The method includes: forming a first time-based flow of predetermined feature values varying with the lapse of time from one or more types of videos which are normalized with a first time interval; extracting a feature value varying with time from an input video of which obsceneness is to be determined and which is normalized with a second time interval, and forming a second time-based flow of the extracted feature value; and determining the obsceneness of the input video by calculating a loss value between the first time-based flow and the second time-based flow. The videos such as movies and dramas in which many persons appear have different obscenity characteristics from that of pornography, so it is possible to enhance reliability in determination of obsceneness. |
| US07734095B2 |
Information processing apparatus and information processing method
Distances between a query image and registered images are calculated for respective feature amounts, and weight values for the calculated distances are calculated on the basis of statistical amount of the feature amounts of the query image (S507). Similarities between the registered images and query image are calculated on the basis of the results obtained by weighting the distances for respective feature amounts by the calculated weight values (S508). Images similar to the query image are displayed as a list on the basis of the calculated similarities (S510). |
| US07734079B2 |
Methods and apparatus for image reconstruction
Methods and apparatus for producing an image of an object with a multi-slice imaging apparatus having a row of detectors are provided. The method includes generating a first partial image using projection data acquired at a first imaging position in a step-and-shoot imaging mode, generating a second partial image using projection data acquired at a second imaging position, and combining the partial images to form a final image. |
| US07734078B2 |
System and method for generating composite substraction images for magnetic resonance imaging
In time-resolved contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography, a measure quantifying image quality provides a basis for generating a linear filtered composite image by facilitating selection of a mask and an arterial phase image for subtraction. Filtering of individual pixels of a temporal series of images provides enhanced contrast in a single image by allowing the temporal behavior of the pixel intensity to denote representation as an artery, vein or background tissue. Motion artifacts are suppressed by re-registering sequential images, adjusting weighting before averaging and subtraction and filtering the Fourier data to eliminate data corrupted by motion or other phenomena. |
| US07734072B2 |
Face recognition for automatic adjustment of personalized device parameters
This is a system having a personal identification function to perform a registering operation not as an explicit one. The system simplifies the confirmation of an identification result thereby to improve dictionary updating conveniences. A device control apparatus is configured to include a face identification processor, a device setting unit and an interactive processor. The device control apparatus is configured to acquire personal data on the face image of a user, to identify a person matching the acquired personal data, by comparing the acquired personal data and registered personal dictionary data, to display the face image, as matching the identified person, at the registration time on the basis of the registered personal dictionary data, to receive such confirmation information from the user as to confirm whether or not the displayed person is identical to the user, and to set device environment parameters matching the confirmed person. |
| US07734067B2 |
User recognition system and method thereof
In realizing a user recognition system and a method thereof, a user feature vector is extracted from an input facial image, and at least one cluster is generated and a user feature template is enrolled. The cluster includes the feature vector as a member of it. When a user facial image is inputted, a user feature vector is extracted from the image, and a similarity between the feature vector and the user feature template is calculated. When the similarity is greater than a predetermined threshold value, a user of the user feature template is recognized as the user of the input image. |
| US07734058B1 |
Identifying, generating, and storing cropping information for multiple crops of a digital image
A system and method are provided that allow multiple crops to be defined for a single digital image without altering the digital image. Rather than actually cropping the digital image where a portion of the digital image is lost, the present invention generates and stores cropping information defining a desired area of the digital image for each of the crops. The cropping information is stored in metadata associated with the digital image or in an associated application file. |
| US07734054B2 |
Acoustic apparatus, connection polarity determination method, and recording medium
An acoustic apparatus includes an obtaining section configured to obtain impulse response data between at least one speaker and a microphone; a computation section configured to compute step response data by integrating the impulse response data obtained by the obtaining section; and a determination section configured to determine a connection polarity of the speaker in accordance with the size relationship of areas of a region on the positive side and a region on the negative side of the step response data in a determination segment of a predetermined time width in which a rise point of the step response is a starting point. |
| US07734052B2 |
Method and system for secure processing of authentication key material in an ad hoc wireless network
A method and system for secure processing of authentication key material in an ad hoc wireless network enables secure distribution of the authentication key material between a mesh authenticator (110) and a mesh key distributor (115), which may be separated by multiple wireless links. The method includes deriving a pairwise transient key for key distribution (PTK-KD) using a mesh key holder security information element (MKHSIE). A mesh authenticator pairwise master key (PMK-MA) is then requested using a first mesh encrypted key information element (MEKIE) that includes data origin information. Using the pairwise transient key for key distribution (PTK-KD), a second mesh encrypted key information element (MEKIE) is then decrypted to obtain the mesh authenticator pairwise master key (PMK-MA). |
| US07734051B2 |
Key distribution
Methods and systems are provided for trusted key distribution. A key distribution or an identity service acts as an intermediary between participants to a secure network. The service provisions and manages the distribution of keys. The keys are used for encrypting communications occurring within the secure network. |
| US07734050B2 |
Digital certificate pool
A wireless vehicle and infrastructure system is described that allows for utilization of a quasi-anonymous common private key/digital certificate pool, such that all vehicles are authenticated to the system, but no one vehicle/user can be readily identified during their use of the system because of their use of set of common private key/digital certificate pairs that are assigned to each vehicle from the pool and are common across multiple vehicles. Vehicle/user anonymity is only temporarily removed during vehicle/user re-authentication and re-issuance of new common private key/digital certificate pairs from the pool in the wireless vehicle and infrastructure system. |
| US07734046B2 |
Method for communicating and checking authentication data between a portable transponder device and a vehicle reader unit
The method enables authentication data to be communicated and checked between a transponder device (1) and a reader unit (2) of a vehicle in order to authorize access to the vehicle. The device includes a logic circuit (11), a non-volatile memory (13), an encryption and/or decryption circuit (12) and a first transmission and reception module (14, 16) of data signals (SD). The reader unit includes a microprocessor unit (21), a memory (22), a random number generator (24) and a second module (23, 25) for transmitting and receiving data signals (SD). A random number (RN1) generated in the reader unit is transmitted with a first encrypted function obtained using the random number and a secret key. The transponder device receives the random number and the first encrypted function. A new first encrypted function is calculated in the transponder device using a secret key identical to the secret key of the reader unit. This new first function is compared with the first received encrypted function. A second encrypted function is also calculated in the transponder device in order to be transmitted to the reader unit solely if the new first encrypted function is equal to the first received encrypted function. The validity of the second encrypted function is checked in the reader unit in order to authorize access to the vehicle. The number of bits of the random number, of the first and second encrypted functions can be configured in the transponder device and/or in the reader unit with a determined length. |
| US07734045B2 |
Multifactor split asymmetric crypto-key with persistent key security
A processor generates an asymmetric crypto-key, such as an RSA crypto-key, which is associated with the user and includes a private key and a public key. It computes a first key portion based on a stored random number generation function, which has one or more constants such as a salt and/or iteration count, and a first value of a constant, and a second key portion based on the computed first key portion and one of the private key and the public key. It additionally computes another first key portion based on the stored random number generation function and a second value of that constant, and another second key portion based on the computed other first key portion and the one key. The computed first and second key portions and the computed other first and second key portions form first and second splits of the one key of the asymmetric crypto-key. |
| US07734041B2 |
System and method for de-scrambling and bit-order-reversing payload bytes in an Asynchronous Transfer Mode cell
A method and apparatus are disclosed for efficiently de-scrambling and bit-order-reversing one or more bytes of data according to DSL standards on a processor. In a preferred embodiment, this is achieved by providing an instruction for de-scrambling and bit-order-reversing one or more bytes of data according to DSL standards. Accordingly, the invention advantageously provides a processor with the ability to de-scramble and bit-order-reverse data with a single instruction thus allowing for more efficient and faster de-scrambling operations for subsequent processing. |
| US07734040B1 |
Modular housing system for outside plant telecommunications equipment
A modular housing for outside plant telecommunication equipment includes a main enclosure for containing common electronic equipment and an auxiliary enclosure for containing input/output (I/O) circuitry to said common electronic equipment. In this way, different configurations of I/O circuitry can be accommodated only by changing the auxiliary enclosure. The design and fabrication times for making housings is reduced by the smaller size of each enclosure. Upgrades can often be accommodated by only changing one of the main or auxiliary housings. |
| US07734035B2 |
Method and apparatus for soft-response echo suppression
Methods and apparatus are provided for reducing echo from a received signal. A suppression gain is applied to an output of an echo canceler that has processed the received signal. The suppression gain includes a region of sloping attenuation about a decision point. The echo canceler optionally estimates an echo path and subtracts then estimate from the received signal. The suppression gain includes a non-zero lower bound, gmin, on a maximum attenuation applied by a suppressor, that is based on operating conditions of the echo canceler. The region of sloping attenuation applies a variable amount of attenuation that depends on the size of an output error ē(n) of the echo canceler relative to the received signal, x(n). |
| US07734030B2 |
Dial plan generator
Telephone numbering data comprising an NPA code associated with an NXX code that is associated with a rate center identifier is received at a dial plan instruction writer. Local call data relative to a home rate center is also received. The local call data determine whether a call originating in the home rate center is charged as a local call, a toll call, or a long distance call. Routing rules to be applied to a called telephone number originating from the home rate center are determined based on the telephone numbering data and the local call data. Instructions executable by the telephone switch that implement the routing rules are generated. |
| US07734026B2 |
User selected caller ID override
Universal caller identification services are provided to enable a subscriber to maintain his or her identity by communicating an outgoing communication from any one of a plurality of different communications and communicating a communications signal to a called party communications address with a Universal CallerID to always identify the calling party. Further exemplary embodiments provide the Universal CallerID signal and a third party identifier to a called party and/or the Universal CallerID signal and a called party identifier to a third party. The Universal CallerID signal and a third party identifier and/or the Universal CallerID signal and a called party identifier may include text, video, voice, and/or digital data. |
| US07734014B2 |
Extreme UV and soft X ray generator
A gas discharge source, in particular, for generating extreme ultraviolet and/or soft X-radiation, has a gas-filled intermediate electrode space located between two electrodes, devices for the admission and evacuation of gas, and one electrode that has an opening that defines an axis of symmetry and is provided for the discharge of radiation. A diaphragm exhibits at least one opening on the axis of symmetry and operates as a differential pump stage, between the two electrodes. |
| US07734012B2 |
Volumetric type compton scattered X-ray visualization, imaging, or information provider
One aspect relates to capturing one or more tomographic-type Compton scattering based visualizations, images, or provided information of an at least some matter of at least a portion of an individual based at least partially on Compton scattering of an at least one X-ray being applied to the at least some matter of the at least the portion of the individual. Another aspect relates to deriving an at least one material characteristic distribution function that substantially fits at least some data obtained at least partially by scattering of an at least one applied X-ray within at least some matter of at least a portion of an individual to form at least one Compton scattered X-ray. |
| US07734007B2 |
X-ray imaging system for performing automated imaging of patient anatomy
An X-ray imaging system performs automated imaging of patient anatomy. A collimator includes at least one portion of X-ray absorbent material automatically adjustable to alter the dimensions of a spatial cross section of an X-ray beam of radiation, in response to a control signal. A collimator controller generates the control signal in response to, determining one or more regions of the X-ray detector corresponding to a portion of patient anatomy to be X-rayed in response to X-ray absorbent markers indicating boundaries of the portion of patient anatomy during an initialization X-ray exposure for individual steps of the series of pre-programed steps and determining different positions of the portion of X-ray absorbent material for corresponding individual steps of a series of pre-programed steps in response to the determined regions. An X-ray imaging device automatically moves an X-ray detector and X-ray emitter combination relative to patient anatomy in a series of pre-programed steps, in response to data representing the determined series of pre-programed steps and user command. The X-ray imaging device automatically adjusts the position of the portion of X-ray absorbent material via the control signal. |
| US07734002B2 |
Phase difference detector having concurrent fine and coarse capabilities
A phase difference detector having concurrent fine and coarse capabilities synchronizes operations of coarse and fine phase detectors. In one embodiment, clusters of fine timing markers are generated by delay stages of a delay locked loop. The K'th one of every cluster of J fine timing markers is designated as a coarse marker. A first timer determines which of J fine markers in a first cluster is closest to a rising edge of a reference signal. A second timer determines which of J fine markers in a second cluster is closest to a rising edge of a follower signal. A third timer determines how many coarse markers separate the rising edges of the reference and follower signals. Temporal displacement values obtained from the determinations of the first though third timers are combined to produce a phase displacement measurement signal of broad range and high precision across its operating range. |
| US07734000B2 |
Clock and data recovery circuits
A clock and data recovery circuit comprising a phase detection circuit, first and second oscillators, and a flip-flop. The phase detection circuit outputs a detection signal according to a significant transition of an input signal. Each oscillator receives the detection signal and operates alternately in a clock and data recovery mode and a phase-locked mode. When the first oscillator operates in the clock and data recovery mode and outputs a first clock to control the flip-flop to output an output signal, the second oscillator operates in the phase-locked mode to adjust a frequency of a second clock. Before switching to the clock and data recovery mode, the second oscillator synchronizes the second clock with the first clock. |
| US07733998B2 |
System and method for programmably adjusting gain and frequency response in a 10-gigabit Ethernet/fibre channel system
Aspects of the invention may provide a method and system for adjusting a gain and/or a frequency response of an input signal for a multimode PHY device. A signal divider (704) may apportion the input signal into a gain adjustment signal and/or an equalization adjustment signal upon receipt of the input signal. A signal adjuster (702) coupled to the signal divider (704) may adjust a gain of the apportioned gain adjustment signal within the multimode PHY device (130). An equalizer (706) coupled to the signal divider (704) may be configured to equalize the equalization adjustment signal within the multimode PHY device (130). A summer (708) coupled to the equalizer (706) and signal adjuster (702) may be adapted to sum the adjusted adjustment signal and the equalized equalization adjustment signal within the multimode PHY device (130) to create an output equalized signal (712) having a desired gain and/or frequency response. |
| US07733996B2 |
Joint space-time optimum filters (JSTOF) for interference cancellation
A filter for reducing co-channel interference within a communications receiver may include a multi-channel, space-time filter circuit that filters n signal parts that have been split from a communications signal by jointly estimating space-time filter weights and multi-channel impulse responses (CIRs). The filter may further include a multi-channel, matched filter circuit that receives multi-channel signals from the multi-channel, space-time filter circuit and has a filter response that is provided by a channel impulse response estimation from the space-time filter circuit. |
| US07733995B2 |
Noise filter and filtering method
A noise filter, used for a digital signal, configuring an [N−1]-stage filter by connecting the N-number of flip flops in series comprises a selection unit for outputting a filter output signal by selecting one of signals filtered by one to (N−1) stages based on a selection signals; and a wave form check unit for making the selection unit change a selection thereby by changing a value of the selection signal based on a pulse width on the filter output signal which is output from the selection unit. |
| US07733994B2 |
Adaptive electronic transmission signal cancellation apparatus for full duplex communication
An adaptive electronic transmission signal cancellation circuit for separating transmit data from receive data in a bidirectional communication system operating in full duplex mode is disclosed. The output of a main transmitter responsive to a first bias current is connected to the output of a receiver through an internal resistor. A first replica transmitter responsive to a second bias current and matched to the main transmitter current gain and rise/fall time characteristics is connected to the input terminal of the receiver, and produces a cancellation voltage between the output terminal of the main transmitter and the input terminal of the receiver as a function of the second bias current and the internal resistor. A second replica transmitter matched to the current gain and rise/fall time characteristics of the main transmitter and the first replica transmitter and responsive to the second bias current is connected to the output terminal of the main transmitter for canceling excess current, developed by the first replica transmitter, at the output terminal of the main transmitter. |
| US07733988B2 |
Multiframe control channel detection for enhanced dedicated channel
A plurality of decoding metrics for a current frame may be generated based on a correlation set for a current frame and a correlation set for at least one previous frame. Whether a signal is present on a control channel may then be determined based on the generated decoding metrics. |
| US07733974B2 |
Method and apparatus for multi-sector transmission in a wireless communication network
According to transmission control as taught herein, a transmission control system is configured for controlling the transmission of data via two or more data streams to a subscriber in a wireless communication network. In one or more embodiments, the transmission control system comprises a first control circuit to evaluate performance requirements associated with the data and prevailing network conditions, and a second control circuit to determine the number of per-sector data streams to be used for transmitting the data to the subscriber, and to determine whether the per-sector data streams provide spatial multiplexing, spatial diversity, or some mix thereof, based on the evaluation. Such operations may be applied to a variety of network types, including those that use per-sector shared packet data channels. In such cases, multi-sector transmission control may include transmission scheduling coordination across the involved shared channels. |
| US07733971B2 |
Apparatus and method for recovering frequency in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing system
An apparatus and method for recovering a carrier frequency of a received signal using a predefined symbol in an OFDM system is provided. A maximum value detector detects at least three values and their corresponding offsets in descending order among auto-correlation values calculated within a specific frequency offset range between a received signal and a predefined symbol. A frequency offset corrector compares a ratio of a first auto-correlation value to a second auto-correlation value with a predetermined first threshold, determines whether first and second frequency offsets corresponding to the first and second auto-correlation values are adjacent to each other if the ratio of the auto-correlation values is less than the first threshold, and determines an initial carrier frequency offset using a difference between the first frequency offset and a frequency offset correction value determined according to system, if the first and second frequency offsets are adjacent to each other and a ratio of the second auto-correlation value and a third auto-correlation value is greater than a predetermined second threshold. |
| US07733962B2 |
Reconstructed frame caching
Systems and methods for processing input media in a computing device are described. In one aspect, a reconstructed frame is cached according to a set of criteria. A request to scrub to a predictive frame of input media is received. Responsive to receiving the request, the predictive frame is decoded starting with the reconstructed frame. |
| US07733958B2 |
Method for fast multiple reference frame motion estimation
A method for fast multiple reference frame motion estimation, which is used to perform motion estimation between a current frame and reference frames Fn−1, Fn−2, . . . , Fn−k. The method performs a special block matching to find a plurality of motion vectors for blocks of each frame with respective to a previous frame and then composes motion vector(s) of the current frame referring to the reference frame Fn−(k−1) and a motion vector of the reference frame Fn−(k−1) referring to the reference frame Fn−k into composed motion vectors of the current frame referring to the reference frame Fn−k for the block in the current frame. The method selects a composed motion vector with a minimum of cost function from the composed motion vectors produced when composing the motion vectors and then finely adjusts the composed motion vector selected, thereby obtaining an adjusted motion vector. |
| US07733955B2 |
Method and apparatus for coding image information, method and apparatus for decoding image information, method and apparatus for coding and decoding image information, and system of coding and transmitting image information
An image information decoding method for decoding compressed image information which has been coded via a process including dividing an input image signal into blocks, performing an orthogonal transform on the blocks on a block-by-block basis, and quantizing resultant orthogonal transform coefficients. The decoding process includes performing dequantization such that a quantization parameter is weighted by an addition operation, and the dequantization is performed on each chroma components of the quantized coefficients using said weighted quantization parameter, and performing an inverse orthogonal transform. |
| US07733945B2 |
Spread spectrum with doppler optimization
A method of compensating for doppler phase errors includes receiving a signal at a receiver wherein the signal is spread using a pseudo-noise code, dividing the signal into a plurality of smaller coherent units and then compensating for induced doppler phase errors by analyzing the plurality of smaller coherent units. Analysis may include producing a plurality of coherent sums by summing across the smaller coherent units and then summing non-coherently the plurality of coherent sums. Analysis may also include demodulating a symbol from the smaller coherent units. A modulation technique may be selected from a plurality of modulation techniques and then be used to encode and transmit a symbol stream. |
| US07733942B2 |
Interference reduction receiving device and method thereof
A receiving device and a receiving method enabling the high-speed and high-accuracy interference reducing process are provided. The interference reduction receiving device despreading digital signal at a plurality of timings, multiplying each of the signals after being despread by a weight and combining the signals, comprises an estimation unit estimating channel response vector having, as elements, channel estimation values corresponding to the respective timings based on the digital signal, a quantizing unit quantizing the digital signal in the vicinity of the respective timings, a signal correlation matrix generation unit generating a signal correlation matrix having, as the element, each signal correlation value calculated based on the respective quantized signals, and an weight calculating unit calculating the weight based on the channel response vector and the signal correlation matrix. |
| US07733940B2 |
Method and apparatus for signal receipt and acquisition
The present invention provides for a method of receiving a signal spread over a frequency range, and in particular a direct sequence spread spectrum signals including the step of employing a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) in the Doppler search. In particular, the invention relates to the receipt of spread spectrum signals such as those transmitted as part of a GPS system. |
| US07733935B2 |
Nitride semiconductor laser device and method of producing the same
A nitride semiconductor laser device has a semiconductor multi-layer structure that includes a lower clad layer of a first conductive type, an active layer, and an upper clad layer of a second conductive type stacked in this order on a substrate, wherein a layer under the active layer includes a stripe-like trench; the semiconductor multi-layer structure includes a stripe-like optical cavity arranged along the stripe-like trench; the stripe-like trench has a narrower width in its both end regions compared to its central main region; and the active layer is formed of a nitride semiconductor containing In. |
| US07733931B2 |
Light source device, projector device, monitor device, and lighting device
The controller 170 controls the output power of the semiconductor laser device 100a depending on the temperature of the semiconductor laser device 100a acquired by the temperature sensor 130. The controller 170 references the correspondence table 510 when the sensor temperature Ts is obtained, obtains the output power PWs corresponding to the sensor temperature Ts, and controls the power supply driving circuit 150a so that the output power per unit time of the semiconductor laser device 100a will be the output power PWs. Thus increase in temperature of the semiconductor laser device is able to be prevented through reducing the output power by controlling the amount of power supplied to the semiconductor laser device. As a result, it is possible to prevent reductions in the service life of the semiconductor laser device, even when there is a failure in a cooling device that cools the semiconductor laser device, and even when the device is used in a high temperature environment not envisioned at the time of manufacturing. |
| US07733930B2 |
Error control for high-power laser system employing diffractive optical element beam combiner with tilt error control
A high-power laser system includes a laser master oscillator, a plurality of fiber laser amplifiers producing intermediate output beamlets, a diffractive optical element for combining the intermediate beamlets into a combined output beam, and one or more error controllers for minimizing errors related to beam combination that may degrade the quality of the combined output beam. A piston error controller uses phase modulation to tag each non-reference intermediate beamlet with a unique dither signal harmonically unrelated to those used for the other beamlets. For each intermediate beamlet, the associated piston error is recovered using a synchronous detector, and an error control signal proportional to the piston error is supplied to a phase modulator to control the piston error for that beamlet. A tilt error controller uses amplitude modulation based on Hadamard code words to tag each non-reference intermediate beamlet with a unique code sequence orthogonal to those used for the other beamlets. For each intermediate beamlet, the associated tilt error is recovered using a Hadamard decoder, and an error control signal proportional to the tilt error is supplied to a beam steerer to control the tilt error for that beamlet. |
| US07733924B2 |
Piezo activated mode tracking system for widely tunable mode-hop-free external cavity mid-IR semiconductor lasers
A widely tunable, mode-hop-free semiconductor laser operating in the mid-IR comprises a QCL laser chip having an effective QCL cavity length, a diffraction grating defining a grating angle and an external cavity length with respect to said chip, and means for controlling the QCL cavity length, the external cavity length, and the grating angle. The laser of claim 1 wherein said chip may be tuned over a range of frequencies even in the absence of an anti-reflective coating. The diffraction grating is controllably pivotable and translatable relative to said chip and the effective QCL cavity length can be adjusted by varying the injection current to the chip. The laser can be used for high resolution spectroscopic applications and multi species trace-gas detection. Mode-hopping is avoided by controlling the effective QCL cavity length, the external cavity length, and the grating angle so as to replicate a virtual pivot point. |
| US07733922B1 |
Method and apparatus for fast pulse harmonic fiber laser
A fiber laser system includes a predominately single spatial mode, linearly polarized master oscillator providing a set of optical pulses and a polarization-maintaining optical isolator optically coupled to the master oscillator. The fiber laser system also includes a fiber amplifier optically coupled to the optical isolator and including a power amplifier comprising a double clad gain fiber, one or more pump lasers, and a pump coupler. The fiber laser system further includes a pulse compression stage optically coupled to the fiber amplifier. The pulse compression stage includes a volume holographic phase grating. Moreover, the fiber laser system includes a nonlinear frequency conversion stage optically coupled to the pulse compression stage. |
| US07733917B2 |
Apparatus and method for transmitting control information in a mobile communication system
An apparatus and method for transmitting/receiving control information using a pilot pattern inserted in a plot field of a dedicated physical channel in a mobile communication system including a transmitter for transmitting data and a receiver for receiving the data. The apparatus and method include selecting control information according to whether the data is received; and selecting a pilot pattern according to the control information, and inserting the selected pilot pattern in a pilot field of a dedicated physical channel as the control information, before transmission. The pilot pattern includes a first pilot pattern used when the control information is not transmitted, a second pilot pattern being orthogonal with the first pilot pattern, and a third pilot pattern generated by inverting a sign of the second pilot pattern. |
| US07733914B2 |
Method of, and system for, communicating data, and a station for transmitting data
Data is transmitted from a first station to a second station, by following method: at the first station, dividing the data into a sequence of data packets and transmitting the sequence of data packets; at the second station, receiving the data packets and transmitting acknowledgements indicating whether the data packets have been received successfully; at the first station, retransmitting as a sub-sequence of a plurality of sub-packets a data packet which has not been received successfully; and at the second station, reconstituting the data from the data packets and sub-packets; wherein the data packets comprise a sequence number providing an indication of position of each data packet within the sequence of data packets, and the sub-packets comprise a sub-packet indicator providing an indication of position of each sub-packet within the sub-sequence of sub-packets, and wherein the sequence numbers and sub-packet indicators include a plurality of numbers in common. |
| US07733913B1 |
Striping data over transmission channels
Data is striped over transmission channels having limited bandwidths and variable delays. Data to be striped over the channels is accessed. An expiration time of at least one packet of the data to be striped is determined. Probabilities of timely receiving the at least one packet are determined using a recursive function and the expiration time and a length of queue storing the at least one packet waiting to be striped. The computed probabilities are stored in a table, and the computed probabilities are retrieved from the table for at least one other packet having the same expiration time and the same queue length. The probabilities are used to map the at least one other packet to at least one of the channels. |
| US07733906B2 |
Methodology for network port security
A system has a local area network, and software to automatically evaluate a network layer address, a lower layer address, a network port identifier, and/or a domain name of an equipment interface that is to be connected to the network. The software is to determine whether one of these matches an expected value for the network. The software is to provide a credential for each equipment interface that is authorized to connect to the network and that has been authenticated by the software. The credential contains a lower layer address, a network layer address, a domain name, and a network port identifier. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. |
| US07733897B2 |
Channel allocating method for random access
A channel allocating method for random access is disclosed, which is suitable for allocation of uplink RACH in a radio access network and by which random access processing performance in a radio access network is enhanced using RACH of new structure. The present invention includes the steps of setting up a channel area (Ic) dedicated for new access attempt among random access channels of a prescribed frame (t) and allowing a mobile terminal to attempt access to an access point via a prescribed random access channel corresponding to the channel area (Ic). |
| US07733883B2 |
Method for implementing a virtual leased line
A method for implementing a virtual leased line (VLL) is provided. The method includes the steps of: configuring a virtual local area network (VLAN) label stack on the basis of VLAN QinQ technique; configuring a VLAN QinQ switching device and a multi-protocol label switching device to communicate with each other; extending a label distribution protocol (LDP) to support encapsulation of VLAN labels, so as to carry out VLAN label assignment and take the extended LDP as a topology discovery protocol for an L2 virtual private network; setting the range of VLAN labels; implementing a VLL by constructing a VLAN switching path. |
| US07733861B2 |
Radio terminal and ad hoc communication method
A source terminal reflects user information of a communication destination terminal in setting information for ad hoc communication, and establishes an ad hoc network by notifying management information including the setting information to terminals surrounding its own terminal. The communication destination terminal monitors the user information of its own terminal in a received management information, and judges that the call is for its own terminal when the user information of its own terminal exists, and reflects the setting information including in the management information in the setting information for the ad hoc communication, and executes the ad hoc communication with the source terminal by participating in the ad hoc network. Then, ad hoc communication processes, manually executed conventionally, is executed automatically. |
| US07733856B2 |
Obtaining path information related to a virtual private LAN services (VPLS) based network
Path information is obtained in a VPLS-based network by generating special Layer 2 frames (referred to herein as “trace-request frames”), performing source MAC filtering to identify the trace-request frames, and generating a special frame (referred to herein as a “trace-reply frame”) when the source MAC filtering identifies a trace-request frame. Upon identifying a trace-request frame, path information is collected and embedded into the trace-reply frame. The trace-reply frame is then sent to the originating node where the path information is used to learn the path that the trace-request frame traversed. By sending multiple trace-request frames with different source MAC addresses, path information received from source MAC filtering at different nodes in the VPLS-based network can be collected and used to learn an entire path of interest. |
| US07733853B2 |
Voice channel control of wireless packet data communications
A data session with a wireless device ordinarily cannot be initiated from the network side because the wireless device has no predetermined IP or other network address. Methods are disclosed for instead causing the wireless unit to initiate a data session with a target destination, thereby obviating the IP addressing problem. A voice call is first initiated by a requester application to a remote wireless unit. The requester transmits a request message to the remote wireless unit via the wireless voice channel using in-band techniques; preferably including a payload in the polling message that identifies the target destination. In response, the remote wireless unit initiates a packet data session with the target destination. |
| US07733852B2 |
Method and apparatus for a remote signaling and call processing in a telecommunications network
Telecommunications switching systems that require real-time computer control can be controlled using remotely located computers coupled to the switching systems via data links. By coupling several switching systems to one or more centrally located control computers, maintenance staffing can be reduced while increasing overall system reliability by providing back up control computers in multiple centralized locations. Centrally located control computers can be backed up with redundant computers at the central control site. |
| US07733851B2 |
Name service system and method thereof
Provided are a name service system and a method thereof. The name service system includes: a name service server registering a name and corresponding network information received through a communication network when name registration is requested, and sending network information corresponding to the registered name when a name call is requested; a plurality of monitoring devices collecting information, having respective names, requesting the name registration to the name service server through the communication network, registering the name and the network information corresponding to the name in the name service server, and sending changed network information to the name service server when the registered network information changes; and a plurality of remote control management devices connecting to the name service server through the communication network to request the name call, receiving network information corresponding to the name and sent from the name service server, connecting through the communication network using the network information, and thus receiving collected information. Accordingly, it is possible to communicate in a communication network environment using a dynamic Internet protocol (IP) address with only the name of a communication connection target and no additional information, so that a system making connection easy and effective can be constructed. |
| US07733849B2 |
Voice communications system
Voice communications apparatus is connected to a general subscriber telephone set or a broadband telephone set, to communicate over the public switched telephone network. The apparatus includes a filter converting signals such as to satisfy signal conditions prescribed for the telephone network. The apparatus also includes a terminal class determiner for determining the class of the telephone set connected, and a circuit for changing at least the sampling frequency at which the analog signals from the telephone set are sampled. This establishes high quality in broadband voice communications. The terminal class determiner may automatically determine the class of the telephone set at any timing of a call sequence by detecting a band component of the signals from the telephone set, a predetermined frequency of a signal intermittently transmitted from the telephone set or the characteristics of the telephone set. |
| US07733844B2 |
Packet filtering apparatus, packet filtering method, and computer program product
A packet filtering apparatus includes a first network interface which receives a first packet from a communication device located in a first network, and a sender information acquiring unit which acquires sender information including at least one of security information about the communication device and authentication information about a user of the communication device. The packet filtering apparatus also includes an evaluation information creator which creates evaluation information indicating security evaluation of the communication device based on an evaluation criterion for the sender information, an evaluation information adder which adds the evaluation information to the first packet to generate a second packet, and a second network interface which transmits the second packet to a second network. |
| US07733840B2 |
Supporting hybrid automatic retransmission request in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing access radio access system
A method of supporting a hybrid automatic retransmission request (HARQ) in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing access (OFDMA) radio access system is disclosed. Preferably, the method comprises receiving a downlink data frame comprising a data map information element and a data burst comprising a plurality of layers, wherein each layer is encoded with a corresponding channel encoder, and wherein the data map information element is configured to support multiple antennas to achieve space time transmit diversity by providing control information associated with each one of the plurality of layers, wherein the control information comprises allocation of acknowledgement status channels corresponding to the plurality of layers, and transmitting in an uplink data frame a plurality of acknowledgement status, each acknowledgement status being associated with whether a corresponding layer of the plurality of layers is properly decoded. |
| US07733839B1 |
Dynamic socket waveform
A system capable of operation with dynamic sockets includes a plurality of communications devices. Each of the plurality of communications devices includes high band channel radio resources capable of communications at 900-2800 MHz and socket radio resources capable of communications at 30-1000 MHz. The high band channel radio resources and the socket radio resources are significantly separated in frequency so that the high band channel radio resources and the socket radio resources are suitable for concurrent operation with no interference and minimal isolation, co-site problems to solve in each of the plurality of communications devices. The plurality of communications devices are connected to a unifying mesh network by the high band channel radio resources. The unifying mesh network is suitable for allowing the plurality of communications devices to communicate with one another. When data needs to be transferred among a group of communications devices, a dynamic socket connection is negotiated on the unifying mesh network and is then formed with the socket radio resources. The dynamic socket formation is suitable for allowing the unifying mesh network to offload continuous receiver-directed or multicast traffic from the unifying mesh network channel and to free up public ad hoc communications bandwidth of the unifying mesh network. |
| US07733834B2 |
Frame detection method for 802.11b/g based WLAN systems
A method (and algorithm) for detection of 802.11a and 802.11b frames in an 802.11 transmission, calculates DCC (delayed copy correlation) and LCC (local copy correlation) magnitudes and compares their normalized values with threshold values. When a signal is detected, (i.e., AGC locks) the algorithm checks for a valid 802.11a frame, and it exploits the DCC properties of the received symbols. Because of the repetitions of short preambles in received symbols, the DCC is high when the short preamble symbols are present. Further, 802.11b detection may be based on Barker correlation properties simultaneously. A counter array is maintained for each position in a Barker window, and is incremented if the normalized LCC of the incoming sequence with the Barker code exceeds a threshold. An 802.11b packet is declared if the maximum value of the counter array exceeds a predetermined number in a specified number of Barker windows. |
| US07733833B2 |
Self-configuring, self-optimizing wireless local area network system
A system and associated method provides for a wireless local area network (WLAN) that permits mobile units to communicate with an external, wired network. Nodes in the WLAN include multiple components, such as a base module, antenna module, and one or more wireless modules. Indeed, this system can employ two or more wireless modules that employ different short-range wireless protocols, such as IEEE 802.11-type and Bluetooth protocols. The nodes may perform self-discovery to determine modules within the node and associated functionality, as well as identify neighboring nodes to thereby establish a mesh-type network. Nodes can be configured to provide connectivity to the wired network, while others (access points) communicate wirelessly with mobile devices. The nodes may then be interconnected wirelessly, or via wires. |
| US07733826B2 |
Method and related apparatus of default timer configurations of wireless communications system
A method for setting default values of timers in a wireless communications system includes setting default values of timers Timer_RST and Timer_Poll to be a first value. The timers Timer_RST and Timer_Poll are used to respectively hold retransmission of a reset signaling packet and a polling until an expected response is received. |
| US07733824B2 |
Fixed access point for a terminal device
The invention allows providing a fixed access point for a terminal device. One of multiple access points is assigned to serve as a fixed access point for a terminal device based on a received identifier of the terminal device. A notification about the assignment of the fixed access point is transmitted to at least one of the terminal device and a gateway node serving the terminal device. As a result, Mobile IP based handover between GPRS and WLAN will be seamless. Furthermore, the invention allows using a dedicated gateway for infected terminals to provide quarantined access to network services. |
| US07733810B2 |
System and method for communicating on a virtual ring in an internet protocol network
A node within a network comprising a transport layer protocol for multicasting datagrams on a virtual ring. Each node on the virtual ring is logically connected to two neighbour nodes through virtual connections. A virtual ring datagram is sent to a downstream neighbour node on the virtual ring and a token is received. The virtual ring is identified and the token is forwarded to the downstream neighbour node. If the received datagram is a virtual ring datagram, the virtual ring is identified and the node originator of the received virtual ring datagram is checked. If the received virtual ring datagram has not been locally originated, data in the virtual ring datagram is processed and the virtual ring datagram is forwarded to the downstream neighbour node on the virtual ring. If the received virtual ring datagram has been locally originated, the virtual ring datagram is removed from the virtual ring. |
| US07733808B2 |
Peer-to-peer aided live video sharing system
Video data from an upload client is received at a hosting node. A request from a download client is received at a bootstrapping node to receive the video data. The download client to receive the video data directly from the hosting node when the hosting node is below a threshold, wherein the threshold is based at least in part on the maximum number of download clients the hosting node can stream to simultaneously. The download client to receive the video data from peers in a peer-to-peer overlay when the hosting node above the threshold. |
| US07733807B2 |
Systems and methods for accelerated learning in ring networks
Systems, methods, devices and techniques can be used in networks including resilient packet ring networks and other types of ring topology networks to accelerate the learning of bridge/client mapping information. Once certain bridge/client mapping information is learned, and indicator can be set to cause subsequent transmissions to particular clients to be flooded to all stations on a ring network instead of being transmitted directly to the target station. Additionally, forced flooding can be triggered at regular or irregular intervals to further enhance the learning process. |
| US07733798B2 |
Evaluation of network data aggregation
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving topology data that indicates multiple communication links and multiple intermediate network nodes in communication based on the communication links. The intermediate network nodes include multiple leaf nodes that terminate communications and multiple transit nodes that facilitate the passage of information between leaf nodes. Aggregation point data is also received, which indicates all aggregation points on the intermediate network nodes. An aggregation point is an interface between a network node and a communication link, through which is output data that is a combination of data received through multiple different interfaces upstream of the interface. A set of paths is determined for which each path in the set connects a different pair of leaf nodes. A measure of aggregation is determined based on a number of aggregated paths of the set of paths. An aggregated path passes through an aggregation point. |
| US07733792B2 |
Method and apparatus for adjusting a signal-to-interference threshold in a closed loop power control communications system
A method and apparatus for dynamically adjusting the signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) threshold used to control signal transmission power in closed loop communication systems. The closed loop power control comprises an inner loop that provides up/down transmission power control commands to a transmitter based upon a comparison of the SIR for a received signal to the threshold SIR. The outer loop dynamically adjusts the threshold SIR using historic inner loop power control information. When it is detected that the inner loop is not acceptably performing power control, the target SIR is not changed, or may increased or decreased more or less than 0.5 dB or 0.5 dB/99, respectively. |
| US07733791B2 |
Communication path monitoring system
The present invention provides an attribute value sampling device that obtains communication path establishing control information transmitted and received between data transfer devices, and sets monitoring on the basis of the communication path establishing control information. The attribute value sampling device obtains control information for establishing the communication path sent between the data processors, and extracts setting information relative to the obtaining the attribute value from the obtained communication path establishing control information, and obtains the attribute value from information passing through the path by using the extracted setting information. |
| US07733787B1 |
Dependability measurement schema for communication networks
A dependability measurement system for use in a communications network includes several functional components which work together to measure, analyze and report the dependability parameters and metrics. A performance measurement function measures performance parameters between a first location and a second location in the communications network. A service-affecting event computation function analyzes performance parameters measured by the performance measurement function. An equipment event measurement function monitors network elements of the communications network for occurrence of network element events. A population calculator determines components within the communications network which are related to the dependability metrics to be reported upon and calculates in-service time information for the components. Finally, a dependability metric calculator calculates, analyzes and reports user requested dependability parameters and metrics using information output from the service-affecting event computation function, equipment event measurement function and population calculator. |
| US07733785B2 |
Method and system for dynamically adjusting packet size to decrease delays of streaming data transmissions on noisy transmission lines
A method and system for dynamically adjusting packet size to decrease a delay of a streaming data transmission. A measurement is obtained by a measuring computing unit (i.e., data transmission server or client computing unit). The first measurement is either (1) a delay of a streaming data transmission being sent from the data transmission server to the client computing unit via a plurality of packets or (2) a frequency of damaged packets of the plurality of packets. The damaged packets contribute to the delay of the streaming data transmission. The packet size is adjusted by the data transmission server. The packet size adjusting includes utilizing the measurement and facilitating a reduction of the streaming data transmission delay. The delay results from noise on one or more communication link segments used by the streaming data transmission. |
| US07733780B2 |
Method for managing service bandwidth by customer port and EPON system using the same
A method for managing a service bandwidth by a customer port and an EPON system using the same are provided. In order to manage the service bandwidth by a customer, ONU and ONT allocate a service class according to a combination of information about a customer that receives a service, and a service type and a service priority of a service provided to a customer, allocate a bandwidth according to each service class and control a uplink bandwidth or a downlink bandwidth according to a service class. Also, a system manger collects information about a service provider, a service provided from a service provider, a customer that receives a service, and information for classifying a service. After collecting, the system manager provides the collected information to the ONU and the OLT. |
| US07733776B1 |
Altering switch behavior based on statistical data
This document describes tools that enable a switch to temporarily alter its forwarding behavior when statistical data characterizing the switch satisfies a user-specified condition. To do so, the tools may monitor chronological sets of statistical data associated with the switch over a period of time. If the tools determine at one point during the period of time that one set of statistical data satisfies the user-specified condition, the tools alter the forwarding behavior of the switch for the remainder of the period of time. At the conclusion of the period of time, the tools restore the original forwarding behavior to the switch. |
| US07733772B2 |
Dynamic selection of communication links in a mixed network
Dynamic selection of communication links in a mixed network having wired and wireless links. An access point is coupled between at least two stations, with the access point coupled to a first station by a wired link and a wireless link. The access point is coupled to the second station by a wireless link. The first and second stations are coupled by a direct wireless link, and also at least two indirect links passing through the access point. A link selection component on the first station is operative to estimate the capacities of the various links, and to select one of the links for transmitting a bitstream. The link selection component can also dynamically re-select a link for continuing an on-going transmission of a given bitstream. |
| US07733769B1 |
Method and apparatus for identifying a media path in a network
Nodes in an Internet Protocol (IP) network receive probe packets configured to travel over particular IP media paths. The probe packets cause the network nodes to send media path reports to a logging system. The media path reports contain information identifying the different nodes in the media path. The logging system can reconstruct the network topology of a particular media path from the media path reports which can then be used for debugging purposes. In one embodiment the probe packets are Resource Reservation Setup Protocol (RSVP) packets configured for media path probing. |
| US07733764B2 |
Method and system for dynamically reducing length of a delay chain
Upon a triggering event, a delay chain shifts data out at a higher rate than incoming packets and a processor controls bypassing circuitry to reduce the latency of hardware implementations of, for example, 802.11a OFDM receivers, with long delay chains. The signal processing algorithms used to recover symbol timing need a large number of samples stored in a delay chain, often consisting of pipelined registers. Such a delay chain introduces a large lag between the time samples have been acquired by the data converters and the time they are processed. This delay makes it difficult for higher level network layer implementations to meet the deadlines of 802.11a WLAN protocol. The proposed scheme implements dynamic reduction in the depth of the delay chain once timing recovery has been performed. A multi-step scheme achieves exponential reduction in the number of elements in the delay chain in every step. |
| US07733758B2 |
Objective lens for an optical pickup apparatus
An objective lens for use in an optical pickup apparatus, comprises an objective lens satisfying the following expression: 0.01≦|δSA3obj/δλ|<0.1 (λrms/nm), where δSA3obj/δλ represents the wavelength dependency of the 3rd order spherical aberration of the objective lens when the oscillation wavelength is fluctuated between ±2 nm. |
| US07733752B2 |
Drive device
A drive apparatus of the present invention includes a recording/reproduction section and a drive control section. The drive control section performs a process including: determining whether or not replacement management information including a replacement physical address is found in the replacement management information list, the replacement physical address matching the physical address corresponding to the logical address included in the recording instruction, when the replacement management information is not found, as a first time pseudo-overwrite recording for a location indicated by the physical address corresponding to the logical address included in the recording instruction, performing a process; and when the replacement management information is found, as a second time or more pseudo-overwrite recording for a location indicated by the physical address corresponding to the logical address included in the recording instruction, performing a process. |
| US07733747B2 |
Information recording or reproducing device and recording or reproducing method
An information recording and/or reproducing apparatus using a removable disk-shaped optical recording medium (51) is provided which includes a storage unit (31) to store an axial-runout amount in a predetermined radial position on the disk-shaped optical recording medium (51) being rotated, a near-field light projector (7) provided to condense a light beam emitted from a light source (3) and which projects the condensed light beam as near-field light when located in a field near the information recording surface of the disk-shaped optical recording medium (51), a first controller (30) which multiplies an axial-runout amount read from the storage unit (31) by a predetermined gain to generate a control signal and controls the near-field light projector (7) to follow the axial-runout amount of the disk-shaped optical recording medium (51), and a second controller (40) to control the near-field light projector (7) on the basis of the linear characteristic of the return-light amount of the near-field light to keep a predetermined distance in the near field from the information recording surface. |
| US07733745B2 |
Method for controlling the rotation of optical disc using speed profile and holding circuit
A motor control method for rotating an optical disc to be accessed by an optical head includes steps of: providing an increasing power to rotate a motor at increasing speed when a seeking operation of the optical head is performed; and interrupting the increasing power when a jumping operation of the optical head is performed. |
| US07733742B2 |
Method and installation for acousto-optic imaging
This invention concerns an acousto-optic imaging method comprising a step which consists in engraving in a dynamic holographic material a complex index array resulting from the interference of the acousto-optic component of the signal wave and a pump wave of frequency equal to the frequency of the acousto-optic component. |
| US07733734B2 |
Semiconductor memory device with control block sharing row decoders
A semiconductor memory device comprises a plurality of banks including a plurality of mat rows, respectively, wherein the mat row includes a plurality of mats disposed in a same row, row decoder groups disposed between the banks and including row decoders that correspond to the mat rows, respectively, and common control blocks installed corresponding to a predetermined number of row decoders to simultaneously control the row decoders. |
| US07733733B2 |
Device for writing data into memory and method thereof
A device for writing data into a memory and a method thereof. The memory comprises a plurality of memory arrays. Each of the memory arrays comprises a plurality of memory cells. The data is divided into a plurality of segments. The segments are written into first memory cells of the memory cells of the memory arrays in sequence. The segments are written into second memory cells of the memory cells of the memory arrays when the first memory cells of the memory cells of the memory arrays are full, and so forth till the operation of writing the segments into the memory is completed. |
| US07733727B2 |
Receiver circuit of semiconductor memory apparatus
A receiver circuit is described herein, comprising a first data determining unit configured to detect and amplify a voltage level difference between first and second external data and generate first and second sense signals and to generate first internal data in response to the first and second sense signals, a first offset control unit configured to generate first and second offset signals in response to the first and second sense signals, the first and second offset signals swinging between a maximum voltage level and a minimum voltage level determined based on a first code, a second data determining unit configured to detect and amplify the voltage level difference between the first and second external data to generate third and fourth sense signals and to generate second internal data in response to the third and fourth sense signals; and a second offset control unit for generating third and fourth offset signals in response to the third and fourth sense signals, the third and fourth offset signals swinging between a maximum voltage level and a minimum voltage level determined based on a second code, wherein the first data determining unit is configured to determine setup time and hold time of the first internal data in response to the third and fourth offset signals, and wherein the second data determining unit is configured to determine setup time and hold time of the second internal data in response to the first and second offset signals. |
| US07733724B2 |
Controlling global bit line pre-charge time for high speed eDRAM
A method of operating a memory includes performing a write operation and a read operation on a memory cell. The write operation includes starting a first global bit line (GBL) pre-charge on a GBL; and after the first GBL pre-charge is started, enabling a word line to write into the memory cell, wherein the steps of starting the first GBL pre-charge and enabling the word line have a first time interval. The read operation includes starting a second GBL pre-charge on the GBL; and after the second GBL pre-charge is started, enabling the word line to read from the memory cell, wherein the steps of starting the second GBL pre-charge and enabling the word line have a second time interval. The first time interval is greater than the second time interval. |
| US07733716B2 |
Signal masking method, signal masking circuit, and semiconductor integrated circuit
A signal masking circuit includes a detection circuit, a delayed read data strobe signal generation circuit, a gating circuit, a counting circuit, and a masking circuit. The detection circuit detects a period of a logic “L” of a read data strobe signal. The gating circuit gates a delayed read data strobe signal, and generates a first masked read data strobe signal. The counting circuit counts the falls of the first masked read data strobe signal until the count reaches a predetermined number, and generates a masking signal for masking the first masked read data strobe signal. The masking circuit masks the first masked read data strobe signal, and outputs a second masked read data strobe signal. |
| US07733714B2 |
MIS-transistor-based nonvolatile memory for multilevel data storage
A memory circuit includes a latch having a first node and a second node to store data such that a logic level of the first node is an inverse of a logic level of the second node, a MIS transistor having a gate node, a first source/drain node, and a second source/drain node, the first source/drain node coupled to the first node of the latch, and a control circuit configured to control the gate node and second source/drain node of the MIS transistor to make an upward lingering change in a threshold voltage of the MIS transistor in a first operation in response to data stored in the latch and to make a downward lingering change in the threshold voltage in a second operation in response to data stored in the latch. |
| US07733706B2 |
Flash memory device and erase method thereof
A flash memory device and an erase method thereof are included. The erase method includes performing an erase operation of a memory cell block including a plurality of pages, performing an erase verify operation and storing unerased page information about a page including unerased memory cells that have not been normally erased, and performing an additional erase operation of the page including the unerased memory cells based on the unerased page information. When the unerased memory cells exist, the erase verify operation and the additional erase operation are performed repeatedly. |
| US07733705B2 |
Reduction of punch-through disturb during programming of a memory device
A punch-through disturb effect in a memory device can be reduced by biasing a selected word line at a program voltage to program a selected memory cell, biasing word lines on the drain side of the series string with a Vpass voltage, turning off an adjacent memory cell to the selected memory cell, and biasing remaining word lines on the source side of the turned-off memory cell with a Vlow voltage that is less than Vpass. |
| US07733691B2 |
Memory device including thermal conductor located between programmable volumes
In one aspect, a memory device is provided which includes a plurality of bit lines extending in a first direction, a plurality of word lines extending in a second direction, an array of programmable volumes electrically connected between the bit lines and word lines, and thermally conductive striped patterns located between the programmable volumes of the array and extending in at least one of the first and second directions. |
| US07733688B2 |
Asymmetrical SRAM cell with 4 double-gate transistors
The random access memory cell of SRAM type comprises an access transistor provided with a gate electrode connected to a word line. The access transistor is connected between a bit line and a gate electrode of a first load transistor itself connected to a gate electrode of a driver transistor and to a first source/drain electrode of a second load transistor. The first load transistor and the driver transistor, in series, form an inverter at the supply voltage terminals. At least the transistors not comprised in the inverter comprise two electrically independent gate electrodes. The second gate electrode of the access transistor is connected to the first gate electrode of the second load transistor and the second gate electrode of the latter is connected to the supply voltage. |
| US07733685B2 |
Cross point memory cell with distributed diodes and method of making same
A cross point memory cell includes a portion of a first distributed diode, a portion of a second distributed diode, a memory layer located between the portion of the first distributed diode and the portion of a second distributed diode, a bit line electrically connected to the first distributed diode, and a word line electrically connected to the second distributed diode. |
| US07733683B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
Disclosed is a semiconductor memory including ferroelectric capacitors. Memory cells each including a ferroelectric capacitor and an insulted-gate-type cell transistor are connected to a corresponding one of bit lines. Insulated-gate-type separating transistors are connected between multiple bit-line selecting transistors and multiple sense amplifiers, respectively. When the separating transistors are turned on, data retained in the sense amplifiers are capable of being written to the memory cells during the same time period substantially. |
| US07733682B2 |
Plateline driver for a ferroelectric memory
One embodiment relates to a ferroelectric memory device. The ferroelectric memory device includes a memory array comprising one or more ferroelectric memory cells that are arranged in a number of plateline groups. The memory device also includes a plateline driver configured to boost a plateline voltage above a supply voltage within the plateline driver, and provide the boosted plateline voltage along platelines associated with the plateline driver. Other methods and systems are also disclosed. |
| US07733679B2 |
Method for setting switching times, in particular idle times, of an inverter based on detected power, and inverter
A method for an inverter, for inputting power output by a direct current voltage source in an alternating current voltage network chops the direct current voltage source by a bridge inverter by alternate switching of parallel-mounted and series-mounted circuit elements, in the form of a pulse width modulation, and the chopped power is transmitted via a transformer which is connected between the series-mounted elements. The transmitted power is then rectified and input in the alternating current voltage network via a down-converter transformer. In order to adapt the inverter to the power supplied, the switching times of the circuit elements of the bridge inverter are controlled or regulated. In order to provide a simple way of enhancing performance, the power output by the direct current voltage source is detected in particular on a cyclic or permanent basis and the switching times of the circuit elements of the bridge inverter, in particular the idle times and/or the interval duration and or the frequency for pulse width modulation, for switching the circuit elements are adjusted based on the detected power of the direct current voltage source. |
| US07733674B2 |
Power conversion apparatus for converting direct current to polyphase alternating current
A power conversion apparatus for converting direct current from a power source to polyphase alternating current includes a plurality of carrier signal generators, a plurality of gate signal generators, and a plurality of legs. The carrier signal generators are configured and arranged to independently generate and transmit a plurality of carrier signals, respectively. The gate signal generators are operatively coupled to the carrier signal generators, respectively, to receive the carrier signals, each of the gate signal generators being configured and arranged to generate an on/off signal by comparing a command value of each phase of the polyphase alternating current and corresponding one of the carrier signals. The legs are connected to the gate signal generators. Each of the legs is operated based on the on/off signal transmitted from corresponding one of the gate signal generators to convert the direct current to each phase of the polyphase alternating current. |
| US07733666B2 |
Circuit board storage bag and storage rack
A circuit board storage bag and a storage rack are disclosed. A plurality of printed circuit board storage bags for accommodating a circuit board comprise a front surface portion and a rear surface portion opposed to the obverse and reverse surfaces, respectively, of the circuit board accommodated in the circuit board storage bag and connecting portions for connecting the front surface portion and the rear surface portion. The front surface portion and the rear surface portion bend at the connecting portions to open and close the circuit board storage bag for use in transporting the circuit board. The circuit boards are stored in a storage rack having an inclined mounting surface for mounting the storage bags and a bag stopper at the lower end of the mounting surface. The bags are stored in vertical position on one side at the lower end of the mounting surface. |
| US07733660B2 |
Housing structure of acoustic controller
A housing structure of an acoustic controller having a lower case which is lightweight, high in the degree of freedom in shape design, and capable of suppressing a deformation of side walls thereof after being molded. The lower case is integrally formed from resin into a rectangular dish shape having front, rear, left, right, and bottom plates. An upper unit is attached to an open upper part of the lower case. The left and right plates of the lower case have upper parts thereof formed into brim portions protruding outward in the left-to-right direction. Front and rear parts of each brim portion are further protruded outward and formed into flanges that function as mounting portions used for mounting the acoustic controller to a rack. |
| US07733649B2 |
Real time adaptive active fluid flow cooling
The present invention is generally directed to an apparatus providing real time adaptive active fluid flow cooling, for cooling an electronic system, an electronic system utilizing the same, and a method for providing real time adaptive active fluid flow cooling. The electronic system consists of a circuit board having a heat generating component, a heat dissipating element mounted to the heat generating component and an apparatus for providing real time adaptive active flow cooling. The apparatus consisting of a plurality of active cooling devices that remove heated air or fluid with ambient air or fluid by propelling an fluid flow stream in a first direction toward the heat dissipating element, and where at least one active cooling device contained in the plurality of active cooling devices propels an fluid flow stream in a second direction toward the heat dissipating element. |
| US07733634B2 |
Monitor system
A monitor system includes a display panel, a storage case receiving the display panel, a support member movable in the storage case, arm members, first guides in the storage case, and second guides in the support member. The support member rotatably supports the lower end of the display panel. Each arm member has a first supporting point, a second supporting point, and an intermediate supporting point. Each arm member is connected to the display panel through the first supporting point. The second supporting points of the arm members are engaged with the first guides. The intermediate supporting points thereof are engaged with the second guides. In the monitor system with this structure, when the support member is moved forward, the display panel can be rotated upward with a relatively small force such that the display panel is brought from a horizontal posture to a raised posture. |
| US07733626B2 |
Passive device structure
A method including forming a ceramic material directly on a sheet of a first conductive material; forming a second conductive material on the ceramic material; and sintering the ceramic material. A method including forming a ceramic material directly on a sheet of a first conductive material; forming a second conductive material on the ceramic material so that the ceramic material is disposed between the first conductive material and the second conductive material; thermal processing at a temperature sufficient to sinter the ceramic material and form a film of the second conductive material; and coating an exposed surface of at least one of the first conduct material and the second conductive material with a different conductive material. An apparatus including first and second electrodes; and a ceramic material between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the ceramic material is sintered directly on one of the first and second electrode. |
| US07733623B2 |
Static electricity prevention apparatus with handle cover of vehicle
In a static electricity prevention apparatus of a vehicle, there is provided a static electricity prevention apparatus provided at a vehicle handle cover which comprises a conductive contact means which is provided at a handle cover; a leading line which is provided at the conductive contact member; and a second leading line of which one end is connected through a leading line connection port provided at a front end of the leading line, and the other end is provided with a grounding piece which is connected with a fixing shaft of the handle, so that a shock phenomenon occurring an instant discharge of the static electricity accumulated in a driver's body can be prevented. |
| US07733621B2 |
Energy conditioning circuit arrangement for integrated circuit
The present invention relates to an interposer substrate for interconnecting between active electronic componentry such as but not limited to a single or multiple integrated circuit chips in either a single or a combination and elements that could comprise of a mounting substrate, substrate module, a printed circuit board, integrated circuit chips or other substrates containing conductive energy pathways that service an energy utilizing load and leading to and from an energy source. The interposer will also possess a multi-layer, universal multi-functional, common conductive shield structure with conductive pathways for energy and EMI conditioning and protection that also comprise a commonly shared and centrally positioned conductive pathway or electrode of the structure that can simultaneously shield and allow smooth energy interaction between grouped and energized conductive pathway electrodes containing a circuit architecture for energy conditioning as it relates to integrated circuit device packaging. The invention can be employed between an active electronic component and a multilayer circuit card. A method for making the interposer is not presented and can be varied to the individual or proprietary construction methodologies that exist or will be developed. |
| US07733619B2 |
Overcurrent breaking controller for lamps and lanterns
An overcurrent breaking controller for a lamp and lantern is connected in series between AC power and a load and mainly comprises a current transformer connected to the AC power, an overcurrent restraint unit connected to the other terminal of current transformer, and a trigger control unit connected to the overcurrent restraint unit. The overcurrent restraint unit further comprises a phase delay unit and a time setting unit and thus may flicker or cut the power to give a warning signal to a user for achievement of energy conservation and for prevention of energy waste. |
| US07733612B2 |
GMR device of the CPP structure, thin-film magnetic head, head gimbal assembly, and hard disk system
In the GMR device of the CPP structure using the synthetic pinned layer as the fixed magnetization layer (pinned layer), the width W1 of the inner pin layer is set at 50 nm or less; the fixed magnetization layer is configured in such a way as to have a given angle range of tapers at both its ends as viewed from the medium opposite plane; the magnetic volume ratio between the inner and the outer pin layer is allowed to lie in the range of 0.9 to 1.1; and the magnetic thickness ratio between the inner and the outer pin layer is set at 0.8 or less. It is thus possible to make the outer pin layer thin at no cost of the thickness of the inner pin layer forming a part of the synthetic pinned layer yet without doing damage to the function of the synthetic pinned layer itself, viz., resistance to an external magnetic field. |
| US07733607B2 |
Suspension with strengthening plate, head gimbal assembly, and disk drive unit with the same
A suspension for a HGA includes a base plate, a flexure having a suspension tongue for holding a slider, a load beam, and a hinge that are assembled together; wherein a strengthening plate is formed on the suspension tongue to increase stiffness of the suspension tongue. So the invention enable the use of the suspension with lower pitch and roll stiffness while preventing the suspension deformation. This ensures the slider mounted on the suspension have a good flying performance. The invention also discloses a HGA with such a suspension and a disk drive unit having such an HGA. |
| US07733604B2 |
Perpendicular magnetic recording head with return pass layer
A length in a height direction from each end of a front portion of a return-pass layer (first magnetic layer) may be shorter than a length in the height direction from a midpoint of the front portion. As a result, a recording magnetic field may not be concentrated on and may not return to the ends of the front portion, and the intensity of the magnetic field generated from the ends toward the recording medium may be weakened, whereby it may be possible to appropriately suppress the erasing phenomenon of a recorded signal. |
| US07733600B2 |
Hard disk drive and wireless data terminal using the same
A hard disk drive is provided with a platter, a spindle motor for driving the platter, an arm with a magnetic head attached to a distal end thereof, a voice coil motor for driving the arm, a first circuit substrate, and a drive casing for accommodating and electrically shielding the platter, spindle motor, arm, voice coil motor, and first circuit substrate. The first circuit substrate has a multilayer substrate, a plurality of digital ICs that are embedded as bare chips in the multilayer substrate, and a bus line for connecting the digital ICs. The digital ICs are disposed in a mutually horizontal configuration. |
| US07733597B2 |
Magnetic tape cartridge
A magnetic tape cartridge is provided including a case which is formed by an upper half and a lower half which are combined together, a reel to which a magnetic tape is wound, being rotatably contained in the case, a labeling side which is provided in an outer surface of the case, and a security tag which an external detector can detect, in which the security tag is arranged behind the labeling side so as to face obliquely upward. |
| US07733592B2 |
Methods for multi-channel data detection phase locked loop frequency error combination
Frequency error combination for a multi-channel data detection system with a phase locked loop for each channel, comprises receiving frequency error information of a signal relevant to a phase locked loop with respect to each channel; combining the received error signal information and generating a combined error signal, weighting the received error signal information from each channel, for example with reliability information. The combined frequency error signal is applied to at least one channel phase locked loop. |
| US07733588B1 |
Repetitive feed-forward algorithm for self-servo-write PLL
A phase error reduction system includes a control module, a phase-locked loop (PLL) module, and a harmonic removal module. The control module generates source timestamps for a plurality of synchronization marks in a source signal using a clock and generates a plurality of target tirnestamps. The PLL module determines phase errors between the source timestamps and the target timestamps and minimizes the phase errors. The harmonic removal module removes harmonics of the phase errors using a weighted moving average filter (MAF). The harmonic removal module comprises a repetitive feed forward (RFF) module that includes an amplifier the scales the phase errors, a delay buffer that generates RFF commands to reduce the phase errors, and a summing module. The MAF filters the RFF commands. The summing module provides sums of the phase errors scaled by the amplifier and the RFF commands filtered by the weighted MAF to the delay buffer. |
| US07733578B2 |
Objective lens design method, lens, and optical system, optical head, and optical disc apparatus using the same
When the DVD provided with the DVD substrate 2 having thickness t2 of 0.6 mm is installed in the optical disc apparatus, the light beam 4 having wavelength λ1=655 nm is used as luminous flux of numerical aperture NA=0.63 to be condensed on the information surface 2a on the DVD substrate 2. When the CD provided with the CD substrate 3 having thickness t2 of 1.2 mm is installed in the optical disc apparatus, the light beam 5 having wavelength λ2=790 nm is effectively used as luminous flux of approximate numerical aperture NA=0.45 to be condensed on the information surface 3a on the DVD substrate 3. The wavefront aberration caused by a thickness difference between the DVD substrate 2 and CD substrate 3 is canceled out by the chromatic aberration caused by a wavelength difference between the light beams 4 and 5. Therefore, in spite of the difference in the transparent substrates, the light beams are suitably condensed respectively on the information surface 2a and 3a. |
| US07733571B1 |
Phosphor screen and displays systems
A phosphor screen for image forming including phosphor material being excitable by light in a wavelength λ1. The phosphor screen receives an optical image from an image forming optical system and produces the optical image at a second wavelength λ2. The phosphor screen includes a phosphor layer comprising the phosphor material. A short-pass reflective coating is positioned on a first side of the phosphor layer. The short-pass reflective coating transmits the wavelength λ1 and reflects the wavelength λ2. A long-pass reflective coating is positioned on a second side of the phosphor layer. The long-pass reflective coating transmits the wavelength λ2 and reflects the wavelength λ1. A first substrate is positioned over the short-pass reflective coating. The first substrate is formed of optically clear and thermal conductive material. A second substrate is positioned over the long-pass reflective coating. The second substrate is formed of long-pass absorptive optical filter material that transmits the wavelength λ2 and absorbs wavelength λ1 from ambient light to prevent the phosphor layer from being excited by the ambient light. The phosphor screen may alternatively be used for a direct-view visual display apparatus. These principles can also be utilized for backlighting and general illumination applications. |
| US07733561B2 |
Suppression of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in high power fiber amplifiers
A fiber amplifier suitable for high power, narrow linewidth applications exhibits suppression of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) by segmenting the fiber amplifier into separate portions that exhibit different Brillouin center frequencies. By changing the center frequencies in adjoining segments of the fiber amplifier, the backward-propagating Stokes signal is essentially blocked, and SBS is suppressed. In a preferred embodiment the segmentation is added to the terminating portion of the fiber amplifier. Various techniques, including temperature modifications, can be used to impart the desired center frequency shift. |
| US07733559B2 |
Electrophoretic display sheet, electrophoretic display device, and electronic apparatus
In at least one embodiment of the disclosure, an electrophoretic display sheet includes an electrophoretic display layer and a substrate provided with the electrophoretic display layer. An end portion of the substrate includes a chamfered edge. The electrophoretic sheet may be attached to a driving substrate. |
| US07733558B2 |
Display device with an addressable movable electrode
A display device implemented with a spatial light modulator (SLM) comprising a plurality of pixel elements arranged in array to modulate incident light and display an image, wherein each of the pixel elements comprises a movable electrode and a stationary electrode; a drive circuit connected to the movable electrode and receives image data for applying a voltage applied to control the movable electrode in accordance with image data, and a voltage application circuit for applying and controlling a voltage applied to the stationary electrode to control a moving speed of the movable electrode. |
| US07733545B2 |
Image processing method, program, image processing apparatus, and image forming system
A disclosed image processing method is for generating and processing image data to be sent to an image forming apparatus including a recording head for ejecting droplets of a recording liquid, the image forming apparatus forming an image on paper based on input data. The image processing method includes: color space conversion processing upon converting input data to color space values for the image forming apparatus in accordance with a specified density or color space conversion processing upon converting input data to color space values for the image forming apparatus in accordance with characteristics regarding permeability of the paper to a coloring agent. |
| US07733542B2 |
Image reading apparatus and optical module thereof
An image reading apparatus includes a casing, an upper plate and a transparent plate. The casing has a first opening, and a reading means is disposed in the casing. The upper casing plate is disposed over the casing and has a second opening that is positioned opposite the first opening. The transparent plate is mounted on the first opening. The transparent plate is wedged in the second opening through assembly of the casing and the upper plate. |
| US07733541B2 |
Method of shortening multiple-image scanning duration
A method of shortening multiple image-scanning duration including setting the scanning parameters of each images in a pre-scanning operation, categorizing the images into groups, assigning images belonging to the same group to a scanning region and finally initializing the scanning operation. |
| US07733529B2 |
Electronic blackboard
A copy button is pushed to output an image data to an external storage medium, such as a USB memory. Then, a process for writing the image data in the USB memory is executed, and an image corresponding to the image data is printed. When the printed image is light, a density controlling button is pushed, and then, the copy button is pushed again. The image data is called up from a RAM, and a process for causing a density of the image data to be darker is executed, via image data on which image density control has been executed is written over the data previously stored in the USB memory. |
| US07733528B2 |
Printing method for determining color loss in a color printer, and a management print medium
A management label has a color loss determination area that enables easy determination of color loss. An identification color printing area 11 where an inventory control color for managing products and a color loss determination area 15 for determining color loss are printed on the label side 10a of an inventory management label 10. The color loss determination area 15 contains a color loss determination section 18 including the letters “NG” printed with a black coloring agent, and a background portion 19 that is printed using cyan, magenta, and yellow coloring agents. When there is no color loss and the letters “NG” and background portion 19 are printed normally, the letters “NG” and background portion 19 are both gray and the “NG” letters cannot be read. If one of the colors is lost, the printed colors change, the letters “NG” become discernable, and color loss can be easily determined. |
| US07733521B1 |
Printer apparatus with selectable photo enhancement project and settings storage dynamically definable user interface and functions and template definition
A stand-alone printing apparatus for transferring one or more digital photographs captured by a digital device to a printable medium. The printing apparatus includes an input member for receiving digital photographs from a source and image processing for generating an image corresponding to each of the digital photographs. The photoprinter apparatus includes dynamically definable image processing software and an integrated user interface with template and settings storage capabilities. |
| US07733519B2 |
Compensation method of digital image data
The present invention relates to a compensation method for compensating digital image data generated from a scanning module of a scanner when the luminance of a lamp tube is unstable. Several compensating gains are computed according to the luminance values of a reference white plate so as to compensate the digital image data. The method of the present invention is implemented by software in a computer. |
| US07733518B2 |
Image processing apparatus with resolution determined by pixel count and used for print image, method, program, and recording
There are provided an image generating apparatus, method, program, and recording medium that eliminate the need for specifying the size of paper on which a captured image is to be printed and are capable of printing the image on paper of a suitable size even when information about the paper size is unavailable. An MFP 101 obtains an image from a device such as a digital camera 105, extracts pixel count information from the image, and determines whether or not the image contains resolution information. If the image does not contain resolution information, the image is transformed to an image of a size that fits an A4-size sheet and the resolution of the image is determined on the basis of the pixel count information. Then, the size-transformed image is printed on an A4-size sheet with the determined resolution. |
| US07733513B2 |
Image forming apparatus
A first scanner unit and a second scanner unit simultaneously read the front surface and rear surface of a document, respectively, once stores the read image data in a first memory while adjusting the timing by a memory I/F, and then transfers the same to an ASIC. The image data is read out of the first memory and is inputted into an R channel and a B channel at an identical timing. The ASIC executes predetermined image processings and stores monochrome data on the front surface and rear surface of the document in a second memory through a PCI bus in parallel. |
| US07733512B2 |
Data processing device, information processing device, and data processing system
A data processing device transmits specific information through a network, receives a public key transmitted based on the specific information through the network, and stores the received public key. Further, the data processing device receives print data and encrypted data corresponding to the print data, decrypts the received encrypted data by using the stored public key, and prints the received print data if the data after it was decrypted is specific data. Meanwhile, the data processing device does not print the received print data if the data after it was decrypted is not the specific data. |
| US07733511B2 |
Image processing system
The invention provides an image processing system which can give different securities to data of respective receivers with a simple operation and, in this case, which can realize shortening of time for communication to a destination and suppression of use of memory resources. A plurality of regions preset in image data are related to destinations, code data constituting one of regions corresponding to the destinations or the other regions is replaced with code data which make pieces of information included in the regions invisible in the JPEG2000 file transmitted to the destinations, and the JPEG2000 file after the replacing process is transmitted to the destinations. |
| US07733510B2 |
Image-attached mail transiting apparatus, image-attached mail transiting method, and image-attached mail transiting program
An image-attached mail transiting apparatus has a mail receiving portion for receiving an image-attached mail transmitted from a transmitting terminal that transmits the image-attached mail to which an image picked up by an installed miniature camera is attached, a mail control portion for extracting an attached image from the image-attached mail, then instructing an image processing portion how to process the attached image, and then substituting a processed image for the original attached image of the image-attached mail, an image processing portion for performing the process indicated by the mail control portion to the image, and a mail transmitting portion for transmitting the image-attached mail to the receiving terminal, whereby the mail control portion discriminates a type of the transmitting terminal, and the image processing portion performs image processing according to the type. It become possible to perform predetermined processing to a picked-up image every camera provided to communication devices. |
| US07733506B2 |
Optical tilt monitoring apparatus
An optical arrangement includes a position sensitive optical detector, a collimated optical source, and a processor configured to monitor the inclination of an object. The collimated optical source is configured to transmit a collimated beam towards the object. The position sensitive optical detector is configured to detect the specific location of incidence of an optical signal received from the object, and the processor is configured to generate information relating to the inclination of the object from processing optical signals received at the position sensitive optical detector. |
| US07733501B2 |
Optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus
In a method for improving imaging properties of an illumination system or a projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, which comprises an optical element having a surface, the shape of the surface is measured directly at various points. To this end, a measuring beam is directed on the points, and the reflected or refracted beam is measured, e.g. using an interferometer. Based on deviations of the measured shape from a target shape, corrective measures are derived so that the imaging errors of the optical system are improved. The corrective measures may comprise a change in the position or the shape of the optical element being analyzed, or another optical element of the optical system. The target shape of the surface may, for example, be determined so that the optical element at least partially corrects imaging errors caused by other optical elements. |
| US07733500B2 |
Wavefront sensor with optical path difference compensation
In a wavefront sensor, an optical wavefront to be measured is split into a first optical path and a second optical path. A wavefront W1 in the first optical path is transmitted through a first compensation member 7, and a wavefront W2 in the second optical path is transmitted through a second compensation member 8. Wavefronts W1 and W2 are mixed together by a semi-transparent mirror 6 with the wavefronts being displaced from each other by a shearing quantity S to form an interference fringe. An optical path difference that occurs between two wavefronts W1′ and W2′ which reach the interference measurement plane M in a state where the wavefronts are inclined due to the arrival direction of the optical wavefront to be measured is compensated when the wavefronts W1′ and W2′ are transmitted through the first and second optical path difference compensation members 7 and 8, respectively. |
| US07733497B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing optical imaging using frequency-domain interferometry
An apparatus and method are provided. In particular, at least one first electro-magnetic radiation may be provided to a sample and at least one second electro-magnetic radiation can be provided to a non-reflective reference. A frequency of the first and/or second radiations varies over time. An interference is detected between at least one third radiation associated with the first radiation and at least one fourth radiation associated with the second radiation. Alternatively, the first electro-magnetic radiation and/or second electro-magnetic radiation have a spectrum which changes over time. The spectrum may contain multiple frequencies at a particular time. In addition, it is possible to detect the interference signal between the third radiation and the fourth radiation in a first polarization state. Further, it may be preferable to detect a further interference signal between the third and fourth radiations in a second polarization state which is different from the first polarization state. The first and/or second electro-magnetic radiations may have a spectrum whose mean frequency changes substantially continuously over time at a tuning speed that is greater than 100 Tera Hertz per millisecond. |
| US07733491B2 |
Sensor device and testing method utilizing localized plasmon resonance
A sensor device is formed from a metal film having a plurality of openings, a sensor material positioned within each of the openings, a light source that emits light having a first wavelength, and a light detector that detects light emitted from the light source and transmitted through or reflected from the openings. The plurality of openings are arranged periodically in a first direction in the metal film, and both a size of each of the plurality of openings and an interval thereof in the first direction are equal to or less than the wavelength of the light. |
| US07733484B1 |
Hyperspectral scene projection/generation systems and methods
Embodiments of hyperspectral scene projection/generation systems and methods are disclosed. One method embodiment, among others, comprises dispersing a beam of light at one of a plurality of selectable wavelengths, the beam of light corresponding to a scene, and displaying a spectral image of the scene corresponding to the dispersed beam of light at one of the plurality of selectable wavelengths. |
| US07733481B1 |
Facilitating surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy
An apparatus and related methods for facilitating surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) are described along with methods for fabricating the apparatus. For one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a metallic fishnet defining a plurality of voids therein. The metallic fishnet exhibits at least one acute V-shaped cross-sectional feature between at least one adjacent pair of the voids. |
| US07733459B2 |
Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method
In a lithographic projection apparatus, a liquid supply system maintains liquid in a space between the projection system and the substrate. The liquid supply system may further include a de-mineralizing unit, a distillation unit, a de-hydrocarbonating unit, a UV radiation source, and/or a filter configured to purify the liquid. A gas content reduction device may be provided to reduce a gas content of the liquid. A chemical may be added to the liquid using an adding device to inhibit lifeform growth and components of the liquid supply system may be made of a material which is non-transparent to visible light such that growth of lifeforms may be reduced. |
| US07733452B2 |
Materials for promoting alignment of liquid crystals on SiOx and other substrates
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal alignment agent, a liquid crystal device produced by using the liquid crystal alignment agent thereof, and a method for alignment of liquid crystal molecules by using the liquid crystal alignment agent. In more detail, the present embodiments relates to a novel liquid crystal alignment agent used in a method of aligning liquid crystal molecules, wherein the agent includes a molecule having a highly polar functional group grafted onto an end of the molecule. |
| US07733450B2 |
Liquid crystal display device with specific compensation film
A liquid crystal display (LCD) device includes first and second substrates, an electrically controlled birefringence (ECB) mode liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates, a first polarizer under the first substrate, a second polarizer on the second substrate, and a first compensation film between the first and second polarizers, wherein an optical transmission axis of the first compensation film is set at a 90° angle with respect to an alignment direction of the ECB liquid crystal layer. |
| US07733449B2 |
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display of a vertical alignment (VA) mode using a circular polarization plate is provided which can reduce light leak as observed along an oblique direction and achieve a high contrast ratio. The VA mode uses a liquid crystal layer of vertical alignment in an initial alignment state. A film having generally isotropic optical characteristics in an omnidirection is used as a protective film, on a liquid crystal cell side, of first and second polarization plates disposed outside the liquid crystal cell, and first and fourth retardation films have an Nz coefficient smaller than 1. |
| US07733429B2 |
Automatic convergence for image projection systems
Systems and methods are provided that facilitate automatic convergence and geometry alignment in projection systems. Preferably, an optical element such as a lens array is coupled to all areas of the projection system's screen and to a detector element such as a photocell array. In operation, each lens of the lens array is adapted to map an individual portion or region of the screen onto the photocell array. A microprocessor, controller or the like uses the data output from the photocells to instruct an alignment controller to center or steer the beams to compensate for convergence error at a particular location. In a center alignment mode, four (4) or more beacon dots located about the periphery of the screen are detected to determine screen size and position, which is used to center the video image and the centers of the mapped regions on the screen. |
| US07733420B2 |
Judder detection apparatus, de-interlacing apparatus using the same, and de-interlacing method
A judder detection apparatus, a de-interlacing apparatus using the judder detection apparatus, and a de-interlacing method. The judder detection apparatus includes a judder detector to detect whether a detected pattern that is similar to a judder pattern occurs using predetermined pixel values of even and odd fields sequentially input, a pattern detector to detect whether an input image has a uniform pixel value in every other line of the even and odd fields and whether consecutive lines of the even and odd fields have a blind pattern having a difference from the uniform pixel that is greater than or equal to a threshold value, and a determiner to determine whether the detected pattern that is similar to the judder pattern is a judder based on whether the blind pattern is detected. |
| US07733417B2 |
Multiaxial embedded camera module
A multiaxial embedded camera module is described. The embedded camera module includes an exterior container, an interior container, and an image sensing module. The exterior container is embedded in a bezel of an electrical apparatus, e.g. a notebook computer, and is rotatable on the bezel. The interior container disposed the inside of the exterior container is rotatable therein. The rotations of the exterior container and the interior container construct a desired included angle, preferably a right angle. The image sensing module is fixed in the interior container so as to be rotatable on the bezel and the exterior container. The image sensing module further utilizes a flexible printed circuit board directly to connect an image sensing unit for transmitting image signals. |
| US07733416B2 |
Compact mobile reconnaissance system
The present invention provides a compact mobile reconnaissance device that is designed to be deployed in hostile, dangerous, or difficult to access environments, to absorb shocks, to be resistant to adverse environmental conditions, and to transmit video and audio streams related to events at which it has been deployed to a remote receiver and display unit. |
| US07733413B2 |
Imaging apparatus with auto-focus function
An imaging apparatus includes an image pickup device that converts light from a subject to image data a drive section that drives the image pickup device, an auto-focus section that performs an auto-focus operation, and a focus control section that controls the auto-focus section to perform an auto-focus operation while controlling the drive section so that the image data is read from the image pickup device at a predetermined read out cycle suitable for displaying a through image, when the first determination section determines that the shutter button is pressed halfway, and that controls the auto-focus section to perform an auto-focus operation while controlling the drive section so that the image data is read from the image pickup device at a shorter read out cycle than the predetermined read out cycle, when the second determination section determines that the shutter button is fully pressed at once. |
| US07733407B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method for preferably correcting distortion aberration
An image processing apparatus includes a distortion correcting part for correcting pixels of image data having distortion due to distortion aberration characteristics of an optical system, and outputting corrected image data; a filtering part for applying a predetermined filtering process based on filter coefficients to the image data to be input into the distortion correcting part; and a filter coefficient setting part for setting, based on input distance data or relative coordinate data measured from a position corresponding to an optical center of the optical system to a target pixel for the filtering process on the image data, the filter coefficient which is used in the filtering part and is assigned to a position of the target pixel in accordance with the distortion aberration characteristics. |
| US07733392B2 |
Method and apparatus for reducing effects of dark current and defective pixels in an imaging device
A method and apparatus for identifying and compensating for the effects of defective pixels in high resolution digital cameras having image processing apparatus. The apparatus includes a storage system for storing data corresponding to either a dark current reference image and a white reference image and at least one actual image captured by a pixel array, and at least one processor coupled to the storage system for compensating the data corresponding to the actual image based upon the stored data. The method includes capturing and storing both dark and white reference images as well as capturing and storing actual images, identifying pixels that are affected by dark current or are defective pixels, reading data corresponding to pixels of an actual image affected by dark current or that are defective from the storage system and compensating the affected pixels. |
| US07733390B2 |
Image-processing devices, methods, and programs, and electronic cameras and the like comprising same
Image-processing devices and methods are disclosed. Such a device includes an image-input unit, a fluctuation-extraction unit, a modulation-signal-generation unit, a level-compression unit, and a gradation-correction unit. The image-input unit inputs an image. The fluctuation-extraction unit extracts a local-fluctuation component from the input image and generates a local-fluctuation image containing a fluctuation component. The modulation-signal-generation unit produces a modulation signal used for modulating the input image to a local-fluctuation image. The level-compression unit level-compresses the modulation signal. The gradation-correction unit modulates the input image according to the modulation signal after level-compression, thereby producing a gradation-corrected image. |
| US07733388B2 |
Digital camera capable of image processing for display on a monitor
In a digital camera, when a motion image reducing mode is set, a pointer is displayed on a monitor. When the operator operates on cursor key, the pointer moves, and when the operator operates a determination key at two different pointer positions, a rectangular frame is formed. Namely, the two pointer positions represent upper left and lower right coordinates of the frame. The picked up real time motion image is displayed in the rectangular frame. The displayed motion image is reduced to a magnification corresponding to the ratio of the rectangular frame with respect to the monitor frame. When the operator operates a shutter button at this time, the image in the motion image frame is recorded on a memory card. As the motion image is displayed in the motion image frame in accordance with the instruction by the operator and the image in the motion image frame is recorded in accordance with the operation of the shutter button, a processed image can be obtained without the necessity of preparing a separate image processing apparatus. |
| US07733376B2 |
Remote monitor and control system for draining floodgate of seawall
Disclosed is a remote monitor and control system for draining floodgate of a seawall in that movie and audio signals of a draining floodgate are transmitted to a remote place through a communication network and each device can be remotely controlled in the remote place through two-way communications. The remote monitor and control system for draining floodgate of a seawall according to the present invention includes a spot control means, a control means, and a remote control means. |
| US07733368B2 |
Virtual reality camera
A camera including a camera lens, acquisition circuitry receiving images via the camera lens, for acquiring a first field of view when the camera lens is in a first orientation and for acquiring a second field of view when the camera lens is in a second orientation, and a viewfinder displaying the second field of view when the camera lens is in the second orientation and displaying at least a portion of the first field of view at least partially composited with the second field of view. |
| US07733366B2 |
Computer network-based, interactive, multimedia learning system and process
A system and process for network-based, interactive, multi-media learning is presented. The learning system and process employs high quality, low latency audio/video links over a multicast network (such as Internet2), as well as an interactive slideshow that allows annotations to be added by both the presenter and lecture participants, a question management feature that allows participants to submit questions and receive answers during the lecture or afterwards, and a complete archiving of the data streams and metadata associated with the foregoing features. |
| US07733364B2 |
Line head and an image forming apparatus using such a line head
A line head, includes: a substrate which is provided with a plurality of luminous element groups which respectively include a plurality of luminous elements in a first direction which emit light beams; a lens array which includes a plurality of imaging lenses which are provided corresponding to the plurality of luminous element groups; and a light shielding member which is disposed between the substrate and the lens array and includes a plurality of light guiding holes which correspond to the plurality of luminous element groups, wherein the lens array is away from the light shielding member, an inner diameter of each of the plurality of light guiding holes in the first direction is a first light guiding hole diameter, and a bore diameter of each of the plurality of imaging lenses in the first direction is a first lens diameter, and the first light guiding hole diameter is smaller than the first lens diameter. |
| US07733363B2 |
Line head and image forming device using the same
A line head includes a lens array having a plurality of positive lens systems in a first direction. Each positive lens system has a pair of lenses with positive refractive power. A light emitter array disposed on an object side of the lens array has a plurality of light emitting elements disposed corresponding to the positive lens systems. An aperture plate forms an aperture stop on the object side of the pair of lenses. A focal distance f1 of one of the pair of lenses disposed on the object side satisfies the conditional formula f1≦d0/(1+W0/D1). |
| US07733362B2 |
Optical writing device and image forming apparatus
A rotating deflection unit deflects a laser light emitted from a light-emitting element and performs a scanning with the laser light. A light-intensity detecting unit detects a light intensity of the laser light. A current control unit controls a current to be supplied to the light-emitting element so that the light intensity of the laser light reaches a target light intensity. An initializing unit determines an initial current value with which the target light intensity is obtained from the light-emitting element by eliminating an influence of a noise caused by a reflected light input into the light-intensity detecting unit from the rotating deflection unit. |
| US07733358B2 |
Liquid crystal display and driving method thereof
In a display device having a light source and a storage for storing at least one reference frame of image data, a driving method includes receiving a current frame of image data; comparing grey levels between pixels of the current frame of image data and the corresponding pixels of the reference frame of image data; determining a pixel quantity of pixels having different grey levels in the current frame of image data and the reference frame of image data; and based on the determined pixel quantity, calculating and outputting a signal controlling a light emitting duty ratio and an amplitude of the light source while displaying the current frame. The display device further has a comparing unit and light source control unit for performing the driving method. |
| US07733352B2 |
Efficient bump mapping using height maps
A method for generating bump map data substantially in real time for use in a 3-dimensional computer graphics system. Data is received which defines an area to which a texture is to be applied. Texture data to apply to the area is also received. This data includes surface height data. A set of partially overlapping samples of texture data are then filtered and surface tangent vectors derived therefrom. A bump map surface normal is then derived from the tangent vectors. |