Document	Document Title
US08292592B2	Nosecone bolt access and aerodynamic leakage baffle A device includes a resilient member having a first end for blocking an access hole and a second end for attachment to a support surface, an opening extending through the resilient member and located between the first and second ends, and a bolt connection location positioned at the second end of the resilient member. The first end of the resilient member blocks the access hole and can be deflected to provide tool access to the bolt connection location through the first opening.
US08292590B2	Engine components and rotor groups Engine components and rotor groups are provided. In an embodiment, by way of example only, an engine component includes an impeller and a protective sleeve. The impeller has a bore defined by an inner surface. The protective sleeve lines the inner surface of the impeller and comprises a polymer material. In another embodiment, by way of example only, a rotor group includes an impeller, a protective sleeve, a rotor component, and a tie shaft. The impeller has a first bore defined by an inner surface. The protective sleeve lines the inner surface of the impeller and comprises a polymer material. The rotor component has a second bore, and the tie shaft extends through the first bore and the second bore.
US08292574B2	Advanced booster system A compression stage having a plurality of stator vanes and rotor blades coaxial with a longitudinal centerline axis, each stator vane having an exit swirl angle distribution such that the exit swirl angle has a maximum value at an intermediate radius location and each rotor blade having a blade leading edge adapted to receive the flow from the stator vanes with the exit swirl angle distribution profile.
US08292572B2	Blower motor flange diverter A blower motor assembly for use in a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system of a vehicle and a method of diverting water are disclosed. The blower motor assembly may include a motor housing, configured to surround internal components of the blower motor assembly, and including a cooling channel/air intake opening. The blower motor assembly may also include a motor support flange extending radially outward from the motor housing and having an upward facing surface, and at least one water diversion vane extending upward from the upward facing surface and extending radially outward in an arcuate shape to divert water off of the flange.
US08292570B2	Low pressure turbine with counter-rotating drives for single spool A low pressure turbine for a gas turbine engine includes inner and outer counter-rotating rotor sets, with both said rotor sets driving a common shaft.
US08292569B2	Compressed air-motor for rotationally driven tools An air regulator comprises a housing, a shaft, a first air regulation member and an elastic ring. The shaft is rotationally fixed within the housing. The first air regulation member is coaxially coupled to the shaft and has a plurality of first air flow apertures positioned radially about the shaft. The elastic ring is configured and positioned to centrifugally deform and increasingly block the first air flow apertures.
US08292567B2	Stator assembly including bleed ports for turbine engine compressor A stator assembly for a turbine engine is disclosed. The stator assembly has a stator support ring, a plurality of stator vanes protruding radially inwardly from the stator support ring, and at least one bleed port disposed on the stator support ring between at least two adjacent stator vanes of the plurality of stator vanes. The at least one bleed port defines an oblong profile having a first end terminating near a leading edge of a first stator vane of the at least two adjacent stator vanes, and a second end, substantially opposed from the first end, terminating near a trailing edge of a second stator vane of the at least two adjacent stator vanes. The profile may be concave toward a suction sidewall of the second stator vane of the at least two adjacent stator vanes.
US08292566B2	Car dumper dust control system An apparatus for rotary dumping of rail cars, including a backside airflow diverter, a backside hood for removing contaminated air from the back side of the pit and at least two baffles on a rotational frame, the baffles each presenting a leading edge that contacts the backside airflow diverter during at least a portion of rotational motion. At least one air intake is positioned to pass through the upper surface of the backside diverter into the backside hood at a location where pressure in the backside hood is maintained at a substantially neutral or negative level even when pressure in the material receiving pit is increased by a down rush of air caused by the exit of the load from the railcar.
US08292551B2	System, method and apparatus for removing failed fasteners A system for removing failed fasteners from structures removes the head of the fastener in a controlled manner with precise support and alignment for the cutting tool. A drill guide, drill bushings and the cutting tool mount virtually anywhere on an underlying structure using existing fasteners and receptacles formed in the structure. This design permits the drill guide to be rigidly attached to the structure so that the cutting tool can be positioned and supported directly over the failed fastener. After the drill guide is mounted, a drill bit is extended through the drill bushing to drill a pilot hole in the failed fastener. The cutting tool is used through the drill bushing to cut off the head of the failed fastener without contacting the surrounding structure. All operations required to remove the failed fastener are accomplished through the drill bushings contained in the mounted drill guide.
US08292550B2	Boring device The invention concerns a perforating device comprising a cutting tool (10), means for rotating (11) the cutting tool (10) and means for translating (12, 14) the cutting tool (10), the ratio between the rotational speed and the translational speed being variable during rotation of the cutting tool (10). It comprises a gear train (16, 17; 18, 19) for synchronizing the rotating means (11) with the translating means (12, 14). The speed ratio between a driving pinion (16; 18) of the gear train, rotationally linked to the means (11) for rotating the cutting tool (10) and a transmission pinion (17; 19) of the translating means is reversed at least once during one rotation of the cutting tool (10). The invention is useful for fragmenting the resulting shavings.
US08292549B2	Substrate carrying device, substrate carrying method and computer-readable storage medium The substrate carrying device includes a carrying passage forming member forming a carrying passage along which a substrate is carried, exhaust grooves extending parallel to the carrying passage in the upper surface of the carrying passage forming member, a plurality of pairs each of right and left carrying gas flow grooves formed in the upper surface of the carrying passage forming member, inclined to a substrate carrying direction so as to approach the exhaust grooves from the right-hand side and the left-hand side of the exhaust grooves, respectively, and having inner ends joined to the exhaust grooves, respectively, and gas spouting pores formed near outer ends of the carrying gas flow grooves to spout a gas for causing the substrate to float and for creating substrate carrying gas flows flowing from the outer ends of the carrying gas flow grooves toward the inner ends of the carrying gas flow grooves.
US08292548B2	Method and apparatus for improving the lateral support provided by the legs of a jack-up drilling rig The invention is directed to a method for increasing the overturning moment resistance of a jack-up drilling rig that includes the step of attaching at least one lateral leg support to at least one jack-up leg, wherein the jack-up leg is secured and has a lattice framework. The invention is also directed to a system and apparatus for increasing the overturning moment resistance of a support member with a lattice framework.
US08292544B2	Device and method for lowering or raising the end of an underwater pipe from a laying vessel A device and a method for lowering or raising the end of an undersea pipe between a vessel and the sea bottom by a carriage moving along an inclined J-lay tower and co-operating with chain-locking devices connecting the top end of the pipe to a storage area by passing over a deflector sheave secured to said carriage. A first chain-locking device is secured to the carriage and serves to lock the abandonment chain while lowering the carriage and the top end of the pipe at the end of the chain, a second locking device then being in an open position at the base of the tower. Thereafter, the abandonment chain is locked at the low portion of the tower with the help of the second chain-locking device, with the first chain-locking device being in the open position while the carriage is being raised.
US08292541B2	Trench grate assembly with debris chute A frame for retaining a grate over a trench for directing storm water to subterranean basins includes a frame that is embedded in the concrete surrounding the trench. The frame includes a vertical support that is sized and dimensioned to abut the pavement wall of the trench, and a horizontal flange extending from the vertical support to support a grate. The horizontal flange and grate each include a plurality of apertures that are configured to be aligned to receive coupling devices for securing the grate to the frame. A chute is positioned beneath each aperture in the frame to direct debris from the aperture to the trench.
US08292537B2	Thermal expansion compensation method and system A method and system that compensates for thermal induced stresses in structures composed of different materials fastened together. The system utilizes three compensation mounts made from a material with a coefficient of thermal expansion that is between that of the two materials being fastened together. These mounts can be linear or, for a thinner structure, the mounts are “C” shaped. The size of the “C” mounts and fastening locations are calculated based on the coefficient of thermal expansion for the two materials being fastened together and the “C” mount material. The geometry of the “C” mounts allows for fastening the two planar surfaces without introducing a large thickness increase to the structure. This system allows for materials to be fastened together, and when placed in an environment with temperature fluctuations, the system experiences zero, minimal or insignificant amounts of thermal induced stress.
US08292523B2	Protective cup lens cover A padded protective cup shaped covering sized to slip over a camera lens is disclosed. The covering is designed to fit on either the front portion of the lens or the lens mount. The protective covering has beveled side walls which allow it to fit easily on a variety of different lenses. The protective covering is made from two separate layers of material, an outer cup made from a firm yet flexible material, and the inner liner made from a soft pliable material. The soft inner liner allows the covering to easily adhere to the camera lens, and also provides impact protection. The outer cup provides additional impact protection. The outer cup also includes a domed top portion which provides a crumple zone or impact bumper. In one embodiment the outer cup has a clear optical grade lens or filer lens inserted or incorporated therein, which allows the camera user to take a photograph without removing the protective lens.
US08292516B2	Optoelectronic cable assembly having moveable optical module An optoelectronic cable assembly (100) includes an insulative housing (2), a set of contacts (3) retained in the housing, an optical module (5) movably retained to the housing and at least one fiber optic coupled (6) to the optical module. The housing defines a base portion (21) and an extending portion (22) extending forwards from the base portion. The set of contacts each defines a retention portion (31) retained in the base portion, an elastic arm (32) running through the extending portion and exposed beyond the extending portion and a tail portion (33) extending out of the base portion. The optical module is disposed in front of the extending portion to receive the elastic arms therein, and is capable of moving along a front-to-back direction with regard to the extending portion. The optical module is moveable with regard to the extending portion, which can be accurately aligned with.
US08292504B2	Cassette accommodating device, and radiation detection system A cassette accommodating device accommodates casings of a plurality of sizes. Each casing is detachably inserted with a cassette installed with a rechargeable battery and a radiation detection unit that is supplied with power from the rechargeable battery and generates a radiographic image according to an amount of received radiation. Each casing is provided on at least one of two connected side faces with a power receiving unit that receives power for charging the rechargeable battery. The device comprises a groove portion, formed with a sloping face that faces one of the two side faces of an accommodated casing, and a bottom face that faces the other of the two side faces of the accommodated casing. The bottom face is inclined such that the casing moves toward the sloping face when the casing is accommodated. A power supply unit is formed to the sloping face and/or the bottom face so as to supply power to the power receiving unit when the casing has been accommodated.
US08292503B2	Semiconductor device including a temperature sensor circuit A semiconductor device including a temperature sensor includes a pull up circuit, a pull down circuit, a first additional current path, and a second additional current path. The pull up circuit is configured to generate a pull up current that contributes to generation of a first output current. The pull down circuit is operably coupled to the pull up circuit at an output node and configured to generate a pull down current that contributes to generation of a second output current. The first additional current path, when enabled, is configured to combine a first additional current with the pull up current to comprise the first output current. The second additional current path, when enabled, is configured to combine a second additional current with the pull down current to comprise the second output current. Respective enablement of the first additional current path and the second additional current path is complementary.
US08292501B1	Turbopump with cavitation detection A cryogenic turbo-pump with an inducer and a system for detecting an onset of cavitation at the blade tips of the inducer. An IR imaging sensor is used to view the blade tips during operation of the turbo-pump for a temperature drop that indicates the onset of cavitation. The imaging sensor includes a means to vary the image capture rate to that the rotating blade tip will appear to be stationary in order to measure the blade tip temperature. A window is formed in the inducer housing in which the imaging sensor can view the blade tips during operation.
US08292497B2	Cloud point monitoring systems for determining a cloud point temperature of diesel fuel Cloud point monitoring systems for determining a cloud point temperature value for diesel fuel are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a cloud point monitoring system receives diesel fuel in the tubular conduit and propagates light through the diesel fuel. The cloud point monitoring system further determines a cloud point temperature value indicative of a cloud point of the diesel fuel based on a light intensity level of the light that has propagated through cooled diesel fuel.
US08292487B2	Light guide element for a lighting device A light guide element for a lighting device is elongated in the direction of a main axis and includes a light coupling surface extending transversely to the longitudinal direction and a light emission surface radiating transversely to the longitudinal direction, and two or more light guides stacked on top of one another, wherein a partial region of the wall of the individual light guides extending in the longitudinal direction is structured and/or blackened.
US08292480B2	Lamp including main reflector, sub-reflector and LED assembly A lamp is provided. The lamp includes a lamp housing; light emitting diodes (LEDs); a main reflector disposed so as to oppose to the LEDs for reflecting light emitted from the LEDs towards a front side of the lamp; a sub-reflector which is interposed between the LEDs and the main reflector, and which reflects and diffuses the light emitted from the LEDs towards the main reflector; an LED element assembly which extends in parallel with the sub-reflector and comprises a plurality of flat portions, each flat portion corresponding to one of the plurality of LEDs and on which the corresponding LED is mounted, adjacent ones of the flat portions being coupled together by at least one step portion; and a center portion which covers the LED element assembly and the LEDs such that the LEDs are not exposed to the front side of the lamp.
US08292472B2	Light-emitting device and light-guiding member thereof This invention discloses a light-emitting device. The light-emitting device includes a light-guiding member and an LED light source. The light-guiding member includes a reflection surface, a first refraction surface, and a second refraction surface. A first part of light emitted from the LED light source is reflected by the reflection surface and refracted by the first refraction surface to form a first virtual image in the light-guiding member. Moreover, a second part of light emitted from the LED light source is reflected by the reflection surface and refracted by the second refraction surface to form a second virtual image in the light-guiding member.
US08292468B2	Solid state light source light bulb A light emitting apparatus includes a lamp base, a light-transmissive bulb envelope, a light source for emitting light, and a heat sink coupled to the light source. A solid state LED light bulb may further include a down conversion material. The down conversion material is disposed within the bulb envelope, remote from the light source and between the light source and the lamp base. The heat sink may include at least one metal fin and, additionally or alternatively, include a mesh disposed over at least an outer portion of the bulb envelope. A solid state light bulb may include a light guide for directing the light emitted by the light source. The solid state light bulb configurations place the light source and heat sink at the apex of the light bulb envelope, distant from the lamp base, in order to dissipate heat produced by the light source into the environment. In addition, at least part of the heat sink is outside the light bulb envelope to maximize the heat dissipation.
US08292465B2	Lamp A lamp includes a housing, a heat sink, a light emitter, a fan and a blocking ring. The housing includes first and second shells, with the first shell forming a light-transparent portion and a first engaging portion. An air outlet portion is formed in a wall of the first shell, with the second shell forming a second engaging portion and a base. An air inlet portion is formed in a wall of the second shell. The heat sink includes a base plate and a plurality of fins defining a compartment. Each of the fins has first and second ends. The light emitter is electrically connected to the base. The blocking ring is mounted inside the housing. The blocking ring has two sides forming first and second flanges. The blocking ring further includes a side forming a protrusion ring and partially covering an outer periphery of the heat sink.
US08292464B2	LED lamp An LED lamp includes a heat sink, a reflecting cup, a heat pipe and an LED. The heat sink includes fins cooperatively defining a receiving space therein. Each of the fins includes a plate-shaped main body and a flange extending rearward from a periphery side of the main body. The flanges are connected to each other to cooperatively form an annular supporting surface. The reflecting cup is received in the receiving space of the heat sink. The heat pipe includes an evaporating section located above the reflecting cup and a condensing section thermally connecting with the annular supporting surface of the heat sink. The LED is directly mounted on the evaporating section with a light emitting surface facing downwardly towards the reflecting cup.
US08292461B2	Heatsink for cooling at least one LED A heatsink for cooling at least one LED may have a longitudinally extending channel flanked on each side by a longitudinally extending column of heat fins.
US08292452B2	Solar power alarm lamp A solar power alarm lamp includes a support post, an alarm device connected to the support post and a lamp set connected to the alarm device. The support post includes an insertion leg insertable into the ground. The alarm device and the lamp set have respectively a first solar panel and a second solar panel. The alarm device includes a circuit board which contains a PIR sensor, a microwave sensor and a buzzer to send out an alarm. The solar power alarm lamp thus formed can be inserted anywhere outdoors through the insertion leg. The first and second solar panels can convert solar power into electric power required by the alarm device and lamp set. The invention is simple to install and also does not need external electric power.
US08292450B2	Headgear light Light apparatus particularly a headgear light comprising a light body removably securable to a headgear. The preferred embodiment of the light includes a mount assembly including a docking base that is removably attachable to a helmet or other headgear, and provides visible light, invisible light, and friend-or-foe light signals. The light body is compact for easy storage and handling, and can be quickly and easily installed on and removed from the headgear with one hand and without visual reference.
US08292448B2	Flat lighting assembly apparatus including flat lighting module A flat lighting module includes: a frame including a base and an extension portion extending from the base; a light source unit placed on the base that includes a plurality of light emitting devices; and a diffusion plate placed on the light source unit, wherein a light emitting device that is the closest to the extension portion among the plurality of the light emitting devices of the light source unit is disposed separately from the extension portion at a predetermined interval.
US08292434B2	White light emitting diode (LED) illuminator for ophthalmic endoillumination An ophthalmic endoilluminator is provided. The ophthalmic endoilluminator includes one or more white light emitting diodes (LEDs), an additional light source, a first optical assembly, an optical coupling element, and an optical fiber optically coupled to the optical coupling element. The white LED is capped with a phosphor layer. The additional light source illuminates at least a portion of an exterior surface of the phosphor layer within an absorption band of phosphor material of the phosphor layer in order to excite the phosphor layer and produce additional white light. The first optical assembly receives and substantially collimates the white light. The optical coupling element receives the substantially collimated white light from the first optical assembly and directs the light to an optical fiber. The optical fiber is then used to conduct the white light into an eye.
US08292432B2	Ophthalmic apparatus and ophthalmic method for positioning an eye of a patient in a predetermined nominal position An ophthalmic apparatus including a supporting device for a patient and an eye treatment device. The apparatus includes a contact element for spatially fixing an eye of the patient with respect to the treatment device, and a positioning device for shifting the supporting device and a contact element relative to each other in order to position the eye, before it is fixed using the contact element, at a predetermined nominal position relative to the contact elements. The ophthalmic apparatus includes a detection device, which records an image of the eye of the patient present on the supporting device and, on the basis of said recorded image, determines an indication concerning a relative shift of the supporting device with respect to the contact element, which shift is required to move the eye to the nominal position by means of the positioning device.
US08292430B2	Tinted semi-finished lens having impact resistance and method for manufacturing the same Provided is a method for manufacturing a tinted semi-finished lens that uses polycarbonate, has high light shielding effect, has impact resistance even after polishing, and can have a uniform tint. In particular, in order to provide a tinted semi-finished lens that has the same light shielding at the lens center and the lens edge when a wearer looks through the tinted lens, and furthermore, that seems to have the same light shielding when a third party looks at the wearer, a tinted layer having a uniform thickness and a transparent layer on the back side are integrally formed. Furthermore, in order to provide the impact resistance to either of the resins included in the layers, a low flow resin having a large molecular weight and a short flow length is used. In order to minimize lens distortion and to provide the impact resistance to the lens, the transparent layer employs a resin having the impact resistance, and the transparent layer is formed first and then the tinted layer is formed as an additional layer. Moreover, provided is a method for simultaneously manufacturing two sets of tinted lenses. In the method, two sets of molds are used, a first molded product is obtained in one of the two sets of the molds, and then is transferred to the other mold to form a second molded product, and simultaneously, another first molded product is molded in the first mold.
US08292428B2	Ophthalmic devices having a highly selective violet light transmissive filter and related methods Ophthalmic devices are provided having a violet-light vertical cut-off filter abruptly absorbs light between the wave lengths of between approximately and 400 nm and 450 nm such that a curve when plotted as percent transmission versus wavelength has the shape as depicted in FIG. 2. In one embodiment the ophthalmic devices are made from acrylates and the light absorbing compound is an Eastman Yellow 035 MA dye.
US08292423B2	Platen and inkjet recording apparatus A platen for supporting a reverse surface of a recording medium under a recording head capable of performing image recording with ink droplets on the recording medium, which is conveyed along a specified direction in a main body of an inkjet recording apparatus. The platen comprises an ink receiving portion which receives ink and an ink guiding portion. The ink guiding portion guides the ink received by the ink receiving portion to an ink absorbing member. Specifically, the ink guiding portion guides the ink to an ink guide groove provided in an upper surface of a placement portion, on which the ink absorbing member is placed.
US08292422B2	Image recording apparatus An image recording apparatus including: (a) a conveying device for conveying a recording medium on a supporting surface; (b) a nip roller movable to be brought into contact with the conveyed recording medium when the conveyed recording medium has a portion positioned in a contactable position; (c) a moving device for moving the nip roller, so as to place the nip roller selectively in a gripping state and a releasing state, such that the nip roller, while being placed in the gripping state, is held in contact with the conveyed recording medium so as to cooperate with the supporting surface to grip the conveyed recording medium therebetween when the conveyed recording medium has a portion positioned in the contactable position, and such that the nip roller, while being placed in the releasing state, is not in contact with the conveyed recording medium; and (d) a controlling device for controlling the moving device such that the nip roller is placed in one of the gripping state and the releasing state which is selected depending on a position of the conveyed recording medium.
US08292414B2	Ink cartridge and an imaging apparatus An ink cartridge attachable to and detachable from an imaging apparatus, and including an ink accommodating unit; and a cartridge casing having an opening, whereby the ink accommodating unit includes: an ink accommodating body; and an ink supplying portion including a nozzle insertion path and connected to the ink accommodating body, whereby the ink supplying portion is held by the cartridge casing so that the ink supplying portion is rotatable between a position where the nozzle insertion path faces the opening and a position where the nozzle insertion path faces an inner wall surface of the cartridge casing, and when the ink cartridge is attached to the imaging apparatus the ink supplying portion is rotated to direct the nozzle insertion path toward the opening, and when the ink cartridge is detached the ink supplying portion is rotated to direct the nozzle insertion path toward the inner wall surface.
US08292408B2	Inkjet printhead An inkjet printhead comprising a substrate having an ink feed slot formed in the substrate and having a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge opposite to the first longitudinal edge, the first longitudinal edge extending along a first longitudinal axis (X); a first row of vaporization chambers arranged along the first longitudinal edge and a second row of vaporization chambers arranged along the second longitudinal edge, in which each chamber comprises an ink droplet generating portion and a connection portion, the connection portion including at least one duct in fluid connection with the ink feed slot, wherein the connection portions of the chambers of the first row overlap along the first longitudinal axis (X) with the connection portions of the chambers of the second row.
US08292407B2	Substrate for liquid discharging head and liquid discharging head In a liquid-discharging-head substrate including a plurality of ink supply ports, if lines are provided on the substrate between adjacent elements, energy generating elements cannot be arranged in high density. A liquid-discharging-head substrate according to the present invention includes an element array in which a plurality of elements configured to generate energy for discharging liquid are arranged, a first common line, a second common line, first individual lines configured to connect the elements and the first common line, and second individual lines configured to connect the elements and the second common line. The element array is provided between the first common line and the second common line, the first individual lines are provided in an area between the element array and the first common line, and the second individual lines are provided in an area between the element array and the second common line.
US08292401B2	Image recording apparatus and image recording method An image recording apparatus includes: a recording head having a plurality of recording elements; a conveying device; a density information acquisition device; a characteristic computation device; a characteristic storage device; a comparison device which compares recording information with stored characteristic information; a density correction value calculation device which calculates a correction value for recording control according to the comparison result; a density correction value modification device which performs modification of the correction value; and an image correction device which corrects data of an image outputted by the plurality of recording elements according to the correction value calculated by the density correction value calculation device and the correction value modified by the density correction value modification device.
US08292400B2	Virtual pen calibration A method for pen drop weight calibration includes altering an image prior to printing based on the difference in printing performance of a first pen and a second pen to produce altered image data, the first pen and the second pen being disposed in the same printer. The altered image data is then printed with the printer.
US08292399B2	Providing uniform illumination to a moving sensor A method for providing uniform or substantially uniform illumination to a field of view of a light sensing device that is moving with respect to a light source, the method comprises the steps of (a) providing an inkjet printhead to eject ink for printing; (b) providing a monitor to track the position of the light sensing device relative to the light source; and (c) providing an energy supply that provides a time-varying energy as a function of the position of the light sensing device relative to the light source in a manner that provides substantially uniform illumination from the light source toward a field of view of the light sensing device.
US08292393B2	Recording apparatus and transport method A recording apparatus of this invention includes a head; a transport mechanism that transports a medium in a transport direction with respect to the head, according to a target transport amount to be targeted; a memory that stores a plurality of correction values associated with a relative position of the head and the medium; and a controller that controls the transport mechanism based on the target transport amount that has been corrected, after correcting the target transport amount based on correction values, which are in number according to a size of the target transport amount, and which include the correction value according to the relative position when transporting by the target transport amount.
US08292391B2	Liquid ejecting apparatus and liquid ejecting method A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a first nozzle row in which first nozzles ejecting a first liquid are arranged in a predetermined direction; a second nozzle row in which second nozzles ejecting a second liquid are arranged in the predetermined direction; a movement mechanism moving the first and second nozzle rows in a movement direction intersecting the predetermined direction relative to a medium; a transport mechanism transporting the medium in the predetermined direction relative to the first and second nozzle rows; and a control unit repeating an image forming operation of ejecting the liquids from the first and second nozzles while moving the first and second nozzle rows in the movement direction by the movement mechanism and a transport operation of transporting the medium in the predetermined direction relative to the first and second nozzle rows by the transport mechanism.
US08292375B2	Linking pin for the chain links of vehicle tracks The invention relates to a linking pin between the chain links of a vehicle track and the connectors of these links, such pin incorporating at least one ring of a synthetic material coating, positioned between the pin and at least one link, the pin incorporating at least two supports on either side of the ring, characterized in that it comprises at least one axial bore enclosing a material incorporating a liquid phase and enabling the calories that may build up in the ring to be evacuated towards the connectors.
US08292365B2	Child chair A child chair includes a seat, a frame, a reclining adjusting device, a locking device, and a bouncing device. The seat pivoted with the frame. The reclining adjusting device mounted on the seat capable of moving between a locking status and a release status, the seat movable relative to the frame when the reclining adjusting device is in the release status. The locking device mounted on the seat for retaining the reclining adjusting device in the release status. The bouncing device mounted between the seat and the frame for bouncing the seat along a direction relative to the frame when the reclining adjusting device is retained in the release status by the locking device.
US08292355B2	Vehicle roof with retractable windshield The vehicle roof with a retractable windshield provides a retractable windshield for vehicles, such as UTVs, golf carts and the like, which typically do not include a windshield. The vehicle roof with a retractable windshield includes a roof base adapted for mounting on the vehicle in place of the conventional single panel roof. A cover is also provided, with the cover being adapted for mounting on the roof base so that a storage compartment is defined therebetween. A rear edge of the cover is pivotally secured to a rear edge of the roof base by hinges or the like. A windshield having a support frame with opposed upper and lower edges is removably and slidably disposed within the storage compartment defined between the cover and the roof base.
US08292352B2	Utility vehicle A utility vehicle includes a seat mounted to a vehicle body frame to seat a passenger thereon; a side member positioned outward in a vehicle width direction relative to the seat and forming a part of the vehicle body frame; an access opening defined by the side member, the seat being accessible by the passenger through the access opening; a door rotatably mounted to the side member to open and close a part of the access opening; and a protective cover provided between the door and the side member and coupled to the door and to the side member; the protective cover being rotatable with respect to the side member along with the door and closing at least a part of a portion of the access opening, which portion is above the door, in a state where the door is closed.
US08292351B2	Resilient strut for aerodynamic skirt A resilient strut adapted to secure an aerodynamic skirt to a trailer is provided, the aerodynamic skirt comprising a skirt panel including a front portion and a rear portion adapted to be substantially longitudinally mounted to the trailer, the front portion being adapted to be mounted toward a forward portion of the trailer and the rear portion being adapted to be mounted toward a rear portion of the trailer in an aerodynamic configuration, the skirt panel being adapted to move away from the aerodynamic configuration when contacting a foreign object and to recover its aerodynamic configuration thereafter, the resilient strut adapted to sustain an elastic deformation allowing the resilient strut to bend when a load is applied to the resilient strut when the skirt panel moves away from the aerodynamic configuration and to self-recover its original shape when the load is removed. A kit of resilient struts, a method thereof and a trailer equipped with same are also provided.
US08292344B2	Mounting structure of grip with integrated handle A mounting structure of a grip with integrated handle to a door panel includes the grip, a door trim to which the grip is mounted, a bracket, an overlapping portion and a handle fastening portion. The grip includes a grip portion and a handle portion that are integrally formed. The bracket is arranged so as to extend from an end of the grip portion to the handle portion. The overlapping portion includes a part of the grip, a part of the door trim and a part of the bracket held together so as to overlap with one another. The handle fastening portion is provided for fastening the handle portion to the door panel and with which the bracket is to be fixed to the door panel.
US08292338B1	Hand operable scooper A scooper operable by movement of a hand or hands in which a dowel is held between outer and inner scoops pivotally connected about the dowel, each scoop having a front wall extending from a base such that the scoops form a jaw for picking up an object held inside the scoops in a closed position and movement of the scoops relative to each other are controlled by opposition of a thumb and at least one finger of the hand.
US08292336B2	Mortise lock assembly Several new components are provided for a mortise lock. First, a non-handed clutching assembly, including a pair of spindle hubs rotatable within a pair of outer operating cams, is provided for a mortise lock. Second, a spindle-mounted lock-handing selector—which can be removed from one side of the lockset body while the lockset body is installed in the mortise of a door—is provided to set the handing of the clutching assembly. Third, an escapement mechanism is provided for a reciprocating-slide-based clutchworks, enabling the slides to move into a position biasing a clutch lever arm toward a hub-coupling position, even if the outer and spindle hubs are misaligned. Fourth, a guardbolt-actuated blocking assembly for a lockset is provided to block movement of the stop works or clutchworks when the door is closed and the outside door handle is disabled.
US08292328B2	Agricultural header transport assembly An agricultural header assembly broadly includes a header and a header transport assembly. The header is disposed in a transport orientation when a rigid beam thereof is out of vertical alignment with the header center of gravity. The transport assembly includes first and second pairs of spaced apart wheels shiftably connected to the rigid beam for movement between a transport position and a field position. The first and second pairs of wheels define respective first and second midpoints therebetween when in the transport position. The first and second midpoints are each disposed in general vertical alignment with the header center of gravity when the header is in the transport orientation to substantially balance the header on the transport assembly.
US08292323B2	Knee airbag device for vehicle A load on the shins when a knee airbag is deployed by inflating in a state in which the knees of an occupant are proximate to an airbag door or suchlike is moderated. Inside a knee airbag, an upper tether and a lower tether are disposed to sandwich an inflator from above and below. First opening portions and second opening portions for letting gas flow through up and down are alternatingly formed in the upper tether and the lower tether. The second opening portions are formed as circular holes with smaller diameters than the first opening portions. The second opening portions are disposed at positions opposing the knees of a small occupant in a sitting state.
US08292320B2	Wheel chair facilitating getting on and off A wheelchair includes a frame, a seat, a pair of wheels, and a locking mechanism. The seat is disposed on the frame. The pair of wheels is rotatably supported on the frame. At least one of the pair of wheels includes a removable section that is configured to form a part of an outer circumference of the wheel and to be removable when the wheel is at a predetermined angular position, and a remaining section that is configured to form the outer circumference of the wheel together with the removable section. The locking mechanism is configured to lock the wheel at the predetermined angular position. Under the condition where the wheel is locked, the removable section is separated from the remaining section to facilitate a person to get on and off the seat.
US08292310B2	Bedside-ready patient ambulatory device The invention is Bedside-ready Patient Ambulatory Device to facilitate a patient in getting out of bed and moving about. The device itself includes three significant parts. The first is a U-shaped base frame member supported by six castor type wheels. The second member is a midframe member which is generally U-shaped and upwardly extending bent above the mid point of the distal legs of the U-shaped midframe member to form an upper portion generally planar with the underlying U-shaped base frame member. The third element is an I.V. pole supported vertically by crossbars on the midframe member and the base frame member. The device facilitates the ambulatory movement of a patient while serving as a transport vehicle for needed treatment paraphernalia.
US08292301B1	Multifunction ring A multifunction ring comprises an elastomeric body which totally encloses at least one circumferential tubular cavity filled with at least one liquid medium. In various ring embodiments the liquid medium conducts heat, damps vibration, blocks extrusion and/or transmits hydraulic pressure. When one or more rings are used in a plunger packing, longitudinal compression of the ring(s) secondary to increased pumped fluid pressure occurs during a pressure stroke. Such compression, acting through the compliance of each ring, increases tubular cavity hydraulic pressure and causes radial ring expansion. Ring expansion is both inward toward a plunger and, simultaneously, outward toward its packing box. Inward expansion tends to seal the extrusion gap, while outward expansion increases coupling from plunger to packing box to increase vibration damping and/or heat scavenging. Periodic reduction of pumped fluid pressure tends to reverse radial ring expansion, thus reducing both frictional ring wear and heat generation.
US08292292B2	Paper sheet obverse and reverse side arranging device A paper sheet obverse and reverse side arranging device according to the present invention, includes: a reversible conveying section which includes a rotor reversibly conveying paper sheets in two directions opposite to each other, and two inlet and outlet sections provided in front of the two directions, respectively; a sorting section which is provided in an upstream conveying path upstream from the reversible conveying section, and which sorts paper sheets to either one of the two inlet and outlet sections; two guiding sections which are provided in the two inlet and outlet sections, respectively, and which guide paper sheets conveyed from the reversible conveying section; two guide conveying sections which convey paper sheets guided from the reversible conveying section by the two guiding sections towards a downstream conveying path provided downstream; and a control section which controls the reversible conveying section and the sorting section.
US08292282B2	Flexible support assembly for vehicle tooling plates The present invention provides a flexible support assembly for supporting and/or locating a fixture on a tooling plate. The support assembly includes a stanchion with a bore, and a threaded portion on an inner-diameter surface thereof. A base plate is attached to, and configured to repositionably fix the stanchion to the tooling plate. A cylindrical sleeve with a threaded portion on an outer-diameter surface thereof is threadably engaged with the stanchion, whereby the sleeve is operable to telescope with respect to the stanchion between a first, lowest position and a second, highest position. A nut is threadably engaged with the sleeve to lock the sleeve at any predetermined position between the first and second positions. A locator pin is releasably engaged with the sleeve at a first end thereof. The locator pin has a protrusion projecting outward from a second opposing end thereof for engaging a pinhole in the fixture.
US08292272B2	Water separation under reduced pressure Water is separated from a liquid mixture (e.g., sea water) using a humidification chamber and a dehumidification chamber that are each operated at a pressure less than ambient atmospheric pressure (e.g., at least 10% less than ambient atmospheric pressure). A carrier gas is flowed through the humidification chamber; and inside the humidification chamber, the carrier gas directly contacts the liquid mixture to humidify the carrier gas with water evaporated from the liquid mixture to produce a humidified gas flow. The humidified gas flow is directed through the dehumidification chamber, where water is condensed from the humidified gas flow and collected.
US08292267B2	Device for gripping and installing wire A wire pulling grip easy and reliably grips wire for pulling the same through a conduit or the like. The grip has cams which maintain contact with the wire even when tension is not applied and regardless of the orientation of the grip, significantly reducing the likelihood that the connection with the wire is lost. The cams are selectively releasable to allow the wire to be easily removed from the grip.
US08292263B1	Manhole pipe shunt device A pipe shunt device for allowing sewage to bypass a trough in a manhole and travel from an inlet port to an outlet port comprising a hose, a first plug component having a first plug removably attachable to the first end of the hose via a first attachment clamp; a second plug component having a second plug removably attachable to the second end of the hose via a second attachment clamp; wherein a valve lever is disposed in the first plug component that allows or prevents sewage from flowing from the inlet port to the outlet port.
US08292256B2	Molds for producing contact lenses This invention describes molds made from alicyclic co-polymers that are useful in the production of contact lenses and methods for their use.
US08292253B2	Device for supporting bathroom accessories and the like A device for supporting bathroom accessories and the like, comprising a suction cup element including a suction part and a holding part adapted to hold a bathroom accessory and the like, and a mounting element including an engaging formation formed to engage and retain the suction part of the suction element and member adapted to attach to a wall.
US08292251B2	Easel for binder A folding display easel having left, right and center panels, the right and left panels being foldable toward the center panel. The center panel has a plurality of engagement elements for engaging with rings in a binder for easy storage and removal of easel from the binder.
US08292238B2	Thrust bearing support assembly for a gas turbine engine A thrust bearing support assembly includes a first substantially trapezoidally-shaped side, and a second substantially rectangularly-shaped side coupled to the first side. The thrust bearing support assembly also includes a third substantially trapezoidally-shaped side coupled to the second side, and a fourth substantially rectangularly-shaped side coupled to the first and third sides.
US08292235B2	Slat assembly A method of operating an aircraft wing assembly, the assembly comprising a main wing element with a leading edge; a slat on the leading edge of the main wing element; and a seal member. The assembly is placed in a first configuration during take off in which the slat is in a deployed position with a slot between the slat and the main wing element, and the seal member is in a deployed position in which it seals the slot. During cruise both the slat and the seal member are retracted. During landing the slat is deployed fully with a slot between the slat and the main wing element, but the seal member is kept in its retracted position so that the slot remains open.
US08292228B2	Control system for dimmable windows Electrically dimmable windows for aircraft are powered by energy harvesting devices on-board the aircraft. The harvested energy is stored and used to control the opacity of the windows based on individual window opacity settings selected either by passengers or a cabin attendant. Each window has an associated control circuit that controls the electrical power applied to the window based on the selected opacity setting. The control circuit includes a low energy usage processor that remains in a sleep mode until a change in the opacity setting is detected. Each control circuit may include a radio transceiver that receives control signals from a transmitter operated by the cabin attendant in order to simultaneously remotely control the opacity settings of multiple windows.
US08292226B2	Weight-optimizing internally pressurized composite-body aircraft fuselages having near-elliptical cross sections A method for minimizing the weight of an internally pressurized aircraft fuselage of a type that includes an elongated tubular shell having a near-elliptical cross-section with a radius R(φ)- and a curvature Curv(φ), where φ is a roll elevation angle of the shell, includes tailoring at least one structural attribute of the shell as a function of at least one of the elevation angle φ, R(φ) and Curv(φ) so as to reduce the weight of the fuselage relative to an identical fuselage shell in which the same at least one structural attribute has not been so tailored.
US08292223B2	Securing emergency and safety equipment on aircraft An emergency equipment system comprising an elongate member, an emergency equipment package, and a cutter. The elongate member may have a first end and an angled end. The emergency equipment package may have a sleeve on one side capable of receiving the elongate member from the angled end. The cutter may be attached to a side of the elongate member and may be capable of cutting the sleeve.
US08292218B2	Torque link with shimmy damper A torque link includes a spring-damper system structurally incorporated into the design and functionality of the torque link. The spring portion may take the form of a structurally rigid beam while the damping portion may take the form of a damping mechanism or assembly. The damping mechanism is configured to damp out deformations in the beam and also configured to bottom out and become a structural tension/compression member when the load through the torque link exceeds a threshold load. The method damping may take a number of forms, such as, but not limited to, solid media damping, fluid damping with or without an orifice, a hydraulic or magnetic circuit, coulomb damping, etc.
US08292217B2	Hypersonic inlet systems and methods Hypersonic inlet systems and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, an inlet for an airbreathing propulsion system includes an inboard surface at least partially shaped to conform to a plurality of streamline-traces of a design flowfield approaching an aperture, an outboard surface spaced apart from the inboard surface, an upper surface extending between the inboard and outboard surfaces, and a lower surface extending between the inboard and outboard surfaces, wherein leading edges of the inboard, outboard, upper, and lower surfaces cooperatively define the aperture.
US08292210B2	Winding apparatus and a method of winding A winding apparatus for and a method of applying a winding of a band-like material to a limb of a transformer core. The winding apparatus includes a guide member arranged to be fixed in relation to the core limb and a rotary member carrying a supply of a band-like material.
US08292208B2	Webbing winding device Provided is a webbing winding device capable of mounting a holding member for holding a pretensioner on a frame easily. The webbing winding device has a holder which is mounted on a leg plate only by applying loads to tip ends (upper ends) of load receiving pieces and pushing the tip end (bent portion) sides of engagement claws into hole portions. With this structure, the operation of mounting the holder on the leg plate is easy and does not need any component such as screw. As no fastening component such as screw for mounting the holder on the leg plate is required, the cost for components is reduced and as no fastening step of screw is required, such cost is also reduced.
US08292201B2	Shower saddle The present invention is an adjustable shower saddle that connects a water supply to a shower. The saddle has: an anchor for attaching to the water supply, the anchor having an inner contour for attaching to the water supply and an outer contour that corresponds to a multi-dimensional range of motion that may be taken by the saddle, and a conduit for conducting fluid; a bracket that has an outlet, a second conduit attaching to the outlet and, an interior surface conforming to the shape of the outer contour of the anchor; and, a lock member having a third conduit for conducting fluid from the first conduit to the second conduit, wherein the lock member attaches the bracket to the anchor.
US08292198B1	Sprinkler system The present invention features a lawn sprinkling system, which comprises a gutter disposed along the side of a building structure, a sprinkler head disposed within the gutter, a water supply, and a water supply pipe. The water supply pipe is disposed within a recess alongside the down spout, and water supply pipe fluidly connects to the sprinkler head and to the water supply.
US08292190B2	Coding pattern comprising registration codeword having variants corresponding to possible registrations A substrate having a coding pattern disposed thereon or therein. The coding pattern comprises a tiling of contiguous grid cells, each grid cell being demarcated by t target elements and having t-fold rotational symmetry, each grid cell containing nt registration symbols, each registration symbol being encoded by a set of macrodots; and a tiling of contiguous tags, each tag consisting of an array of c grid cells, each tag containing a plurality of data symbols. There are ct possible registrations between a physical layout of the coding pattern and a logical layout of the coding pattern and any contiguous tag-shaped array of c grid cells contains cnt registration symbols. The registration symbols, taken in a defined sequence relative to the physical layout of the tag-shaped array, form a registration codeword of length r. There are v distinct registration codewords, each corresponding to a distinct one of the ct possible registrations.
US08292182B1	Process for reading barcodes on cylindrical elements and system therefor In a process for reading the barcodes on the cylindrical elements and a system therefor, the system includes a working table having a transferring path and an inspection area on the transferring path, a shifting means driving a plurality of the standing cylindrical elements to gradually move along transferring path into the inspection area, an element barcode adhered on the outer all of the cylindrical element, a transmission means driving the cylindrical elements to self-rotate a certain rotation angle, an element reader reading the barcodes of the self-rotating cylindrical elements in order to automatically identify and record the information of the cylindrical elements entering into the inspection area.
US08292181B1	Apparatus and system for a hybrid optical code scanner An apparatus and system are presented for scanning optical codes presented to a hybrid optical code scanner where the scanner uses a laser pattern mirror to aid in determining the location of a sweet spot for an imaging scanner in the hybrid optical code scanner. The pattern mirror is positioned so as to reflect laser beams and an image of an optical code to an operator when the optical code is positioned in the imaging scanner's sweet spot.
US08292179B2	Systems and methods for acquiring media assets In one aspect, the invention provides a device for facilitating the acquisition of media assets. In some embodiments, the device includes: a housing; a USB connector projecting outwardly from an end of the housing; a card reader housed in the housing; non-volatile memory housed in the housing and coupled to the USB connector and the card reader; and a barcode disposed on a major surface of the housing, said barcode encoding an identifier that is associated with customer information.
US08292178B2	Integrated smart label Implementations of the present disclosure provide an integrated smart label, comprising a plurality of electronic components, each of the electronic components including a profile defining at least a portion of a machine-readable indicia, at least one of the electronic components storing first data, and the machine-readable indicia being a visual representation of second data. Implementations of the present disclosure also provide a method of producing an integrated smart label, and a system employing an integrated smart label.
US08292171B2	Fraudulent fuel purchase detection system and method In a fuel card monitoring system the vehicle associate with the fuel card is provided with a transmitter and possibly a memory for relaying information associated with a credit transaction, relating to one or more of the vehicle position, the number of miles driven, the amount of fuel taken in, and the turning off and on of the vehicle engine. Information gathering devices may be provided on the vehicle for monitoring the fuel amount, the timing information and the location of the vehicle.
US08292168B2	System and method for authorizing purchases associated with a vehicle Disclosed is a system for authorizing purchases associated with a vehicle for example at a service station, the system including an identification tag associated with the vehicle, a data storage device associated with the vehicle for storing vehicular data, at least one tag reader configured to read and transmit data from the identification tag and a station relay unit configured to receive the transmitted and to transmit an authorization signal. Disclosed is also a method of authorizing a purchase associated with a vehicle, for example at a service station, comprising associating with a first identifier and a second identifier with a vehicle, when requested to authorize a purchase associated with said vehicle, acquiring the first identifier and the second identifier, determining that the acquired first and second identifiers are correctly associated and if the first acquired identifier and said second acquired identifier are associated, authorizing the purchase.
US08292164B2	Testing protocols for extended functionality cards Testing is performed upon a transaction payment card having a substrate with opposing surfaces, battery powered circuit, and having memory in contact with the substrate to store data that includes an identifier for an account upon which a transaction can be conducted. An electronic component, in contact with the substrate, is powered by the battery powered circuit. In the testing, an electrical measurement is made of the battery powered circuit at each of different times when the card is exposed to an environmental condition. An output of the electrical measurements is made. The environmental condition can be temperature, current pulse applied at different states of charge of the one or more batteries, an acceleration, deceleration, or vibration for a period of time applied to card, a vacuum condition applied to the card, etc.
US08292161B2	Welding alignment and spacing article A welding alignment and spacing article is provided for forming a welding gap between two structures to be welded together. The article includes a body having first and second surfaces that are spaced from each other at a selected spacing distance to define a region of selected body thickness. The body is formed from a non-metallic degradable body material in the region that can be wholly or partially degraded by exposure to a degrading agent to reduce the body thickness. The degradable body material is sufficiently incompressible to be useable as a spacer that maintains a specified welding gap distance between the two structures to be welded.
US08292158B2	Locking mechanism for use with loading units A loading unit configured for engagement with a surgical instrument having a firing rod is disclosed. The loading unit comprises a proximal body portion, a tool assembly, and a knife assembly. The tool assembly is disposed in mechanical cooperation with the proximal body portion. The knife assembly is movably disposed at least partially within the proximal body portion and includes a proximal end positioned to engage the firing rod, and includes a first arm and a second arm. The first arm is biased towards the longitudinal axis via a biasing force. The biasing force is selected to allow the first arm to deflect when the firing rod is advanced. The first arm and the second arm of the knife assembly are configured to engage a firing rod of a surgical instrument as the surgical instrument is being actuated.
US08292157B2	Electrical surgical instrument with optimized power supply and drive A surgical instrument includes a surgical end effector operable to effect a surgical procedure when powered, an electric motor operationally connected to the end effector, and a power supply electrically connected to and selectively powering the motor to operate the end effector, the power supply having at least one battery cell with a critical current rate and having a switch that when activated to power the motor, operates the at least one battery cell at a super-critical current rate.
US08292154B2	Surgical apparatus for applying tissue fasteners A surgical apparatus for applying tissue fasteners is provided. The surgical apparatus includes a handle assembly, an elongated body that extends from the handle assembly, and a tool assembly mounted on the end of the elongate body. The tool assembly includes a cartridge assembly for receiving the tissue fasteners and a housing assembly for receiving a looped member. The tool assembly is configured to advance the tissue fasteners into the looped member to secure tissue between the fasteners and the looped member.
US08292151B2	Tool assembly for surgical stapling device The present disclosure describes a surgical device with a body portion defining a longitudinal axis, a tool assembly including an anvil, a cartridge assembly housing a plurality of staples, a dynamic clamping member movable relative to the tool assembly to eject the staples, and an articulation and firing actuator extending at least partially through the body portion and the tool assembly. The tool assembly is pivotally attached to the body portion for movement from a position aligned with the longitudinal axis to a position oriented at an angle thereto. The articulation and firing actuator extends at least partially through the body portion and the tool assembly, is operably associated with the dynamic clamping member and the tool assembly, and is movable in relation thereto to selectively pivot the tool assembly relative to the body portion and move the dynamic clamping member relative to the tool assembly to eject the staples.
US08292140B2	Flat display panel cutting apparatus and cutting method using the same A flat display panel cutting apparatus that includes a conveyor for feeding a loaded flat display panel to a cutting area and a spraying area; a cutting tool positioned in the cutting area, for forming primary cracks on the flat display panel, the primary cracks including two or more first cracks spaced apart from each other in the X-axis direction and two or more second cracks spaced apart from each other in the Y-axis direction; and a spraying tool positioned in the spraying area, for growing secondary cracks by spraying high temperature steam onto the first cracks or second cracks of the primary cracks formed on the flat display panel.
US08292138B2	Multi-function backpack for musical instrument cases A multi-function backpack for musical instrument cases. The multi-function backpack for musical instrument cases is constructed with fabric panels, transverse straps, and is secured by releasable buckles and hook and loop fabric to ensure the instrument case is secure even if a releasable buckle is broken. The multi-function backpack for carrying musical instrument cases is designed to fit a variety of instrument cases and to serve as a platform for the addition of pockets, gear loops, and other accessories.
US08292135B1	Clothes hangar assembly, adaptation apparatus, kit and hangar so formed A kit characterized by elements for reversible securement to a clothes hangar for mitigating fabric distress upon hanging articles of clothing otherwise hung thereupon is generally provided. In kit format, the elements generally include first and second shoulder landing elements, each shoulder landing element of the first and second shoulder landing elements receivable upon each shoulder member of shoulder members of the clothes hangar, and a formable fold landing element for support upon a horizontal member of the clothes hangar.
US08292128B2	Dispenser for foamed soap A dispenser for foamed soap contains a housing accommodating a soap container and a foam-producing unit. A first pump is provided in a delivery path of the soap from the container to a foam-producing unit. A second pump is provided in the delivery path of air to the foam-producing unit. Every pump is associated with a respective electric motor and has a control which can be used to adjust the ratio of the delivery volumes of air and soap by changing the speed of one of the two electric motors.
US08292121B2	Fitment and valve apparatus for bag-on-valve device A two-way valve and fitment for engaging a valve with a flexible product dispensing bag and particularly to a valve body formed in conjunction with the fitment to facilitate both the sealing of the bag to the fitment as well as filling the bag with a product to be dispensed therefrom and subsequently dispensing the product from the bag via a pressurized fluid source.
US08292120B2	Hanging liquid dispenser A hanging liquid dispenser is provided that includes a pump and valving for delivering the fluid material when the dispenser is operated by the user in a controlled fashion. The hanging dispenser includes a main body that serves as a fluid reservoir and has an eyelet which is suitable for use in hanging the dispenser from a suitable support. In addition to including the ability to hang, the dispenser preferably includes a pump for metered dosing of the fluid within the dispenser when operation of the pump delivers a controlled volume of the fluid as desired by the user.
US08292089B2	Helical support structure for intake screens A method and apparatus for supporting a screen. The apparatus comprising a cylindrical screen for submerging in a fluid, the screen having an inlet pipe for connecting to a piping system, filter members, a first end, a second and a support structure. The support structure is one or more helical members which traverse the screen.
US08292082B2	Product display carton A display carton includes a display box having an open top. The display box includes a bottom panel; a rear wall extending upwardly from the bottom panel; a pair of side walls extending upwardly from the bottom panel; and a pair of front walls, each front wall extending inwardly from a side wall and attached to a bottom front wall extending upwardly from the bottom panel. The pair of front walls and the bottom front wall form a substantially unobstructed center viewing area for a product displayed in the display carton. The display carton also includes a single removable insert. The insert includes a foldable sheet having at least one set of dividers extending inwardly from the side walls and upwardly from the bottom panel, thereby defining at least two product receiving compartments for supporting a product.
US08292071B2	Packaging structure for roll paper The present invention provides a structure for storing coreless roll paper R having a hollow portion in the axis portion instead of a winding core, wherein the structure includes an outer case 2 for storing roll paper R; and a lower holding member 3 and an upper holding member 4 respectively having concave portions 31,41 each having an inside diameter that closely matches the outside diameter of the roll paper R, each of the lower holding member 3 and the upper holding member 4 having an external shape that fits the outer case 2, wherein the lower holding member 3 is disposed in the outer case 2 with the concave portion 31 facing upward, and the upper holding member 4 is disposed in the outer case 2 at the location above the lower holding member 3 with its concave portion 41 facing downward.
US08292069B2	Office supply case The present invention is a case for the organization, storage, and transportation of a wide variety of writing materials, that includes means for temporarily fixing and supporting said case on a smooth surface such as a wall, a table or such in a way that the writing instruments are found to be perfectly located for the user during a work session and that the case can be removed from said surface for its storage and transportation.
US08292063B2	Pallet conveyor with corner assembly A twin strand conveyor uses roller chains to move pallets along straight conveyor sections and an unpowered corner assembly that enables the pallets to glide around corners of the conveyor. The pallets are transferred from an upstream conveyor section into the corner assembly using a corner injection unit that includes powered rollers that lift the pallets off the roller chains an onto a set of ball transfers that support the pallets as they glide through the corner assembly. A pickup unit having powered rollers draws the pallets off the ball transfers and onto the roller chains of the downstream conveyor section. Side guides are used to direct the pallets around the turn and onto the downstream conveyor section. One or more movable guides can be used in conjunction with a third or more conveyor sections to permit selective diverting of the pallets between the different conveyor sections.
US08292061B2	Package apparatus A package apparatus includes a first conveyance unit and a second conveyance unit. The first conveyance unit is configured and arranged to convey a plurality of packaged objects in a first conveying direction. The second conveyance unit is provided below the first conveyance unit and configured and arranged to convey the packaged objects in a second conveying direction generally opposite from the first conveying direction. The second conveyance unit is configured and arrange to overlay each of the packaged objects received from the first conveyance unit on an adjacent one of the packaged objects such that the packaged objects are generally oriented in the second conveying direction to form a group of the packaged objects that is conveyed in the second conveying direction on the second conveyance unit.
US08292053B2	One-way clutch and power transmission apparatus A one-way clutch includes an inner ring, an outer ring disposed coaxially with the inner ring, a plurality of rollers interposed between the inner and outer rings, a cage holding the rollers to locate these rollers in a circumferential direction of the inner and outer rings. When the rollers are brought into biting engagement with an outer peripheral surface of the inner ring and an inner peripheral surface of the outer ring, the inner and outer rings rotate in unison, and when the rollers are disposed out of biting engagement with the inner and outer rings, the inner and outer rings rotate relative to each other. Grooves are formed in the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring, and each of the grooves serves to increase a contact pressure of the corresponding roller relative to the inner ring at part of a region of contact between the roller and the inner ring.
US08292049B2	Vehicular brake and method therfor In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a vehicular brake (10) comprising: a closed-circuit tunnel (14, 62) containing hydraulic liquid (72); a mechanism (22) for moving the hydraulic liquid (72) within the closed-circuit tunnel (14, 62) together with the wheel (30) of the vehicle; and at least one faucet (24) within the closed-circuit tunnel (14, 62), for reducing the cross-section area (from A1 to A2) of the closed-circuit tunnel (14, 62) at least at one location, upon braking activity, thereby braking the vehicle wheel (30) without friction wear.
US08292045B2	Brake system for a motorcycle including vibration-damping support structure, and motorcycle incorporating same In a brake system for a motorcycle in which a pressure-regulating unit is interposed between a wheel brake and fluid pressure generating unit capable of generating a fluid pressure independently of an operation of a brake operating element is controlled by a control unit based on a value detected by an operating amount detector which detects an operating amount of the brake operating element. To prevent adverse influences of not only vibrations from an engine, but also heat from the engine, from being exerted on the pressure-regulating unit, such is floatingly supported by a support supported on a body frame of the motorcycle through an elastic case covering the pressure-regulating unit.
US08292043B2	Disc brake device A disc brake apparatus which can securely suppress clunking sounds not only at the time of forward braking of a vehicle but also at the time of back braking of the vehicle is provided. When a backing metal 6A of a brake pad 6 shifts toward a first torque receiving part 3C of a torque member 3 along with an operation for forward braking of the vehicle, a leading end part of a spring piece 9A engages one slope of an engaging projection 6E, so as to elastically press the backing metal 6A toward the first torque receiving part 3C, whereby the disc brake apparatus is held in a first contact state. When the backing metal 6A shifts toward a second torque receiving part 3D of the torque member 3 along with an operation for back braking of the vehicle, the leading end part of the spring piece 9A engages the other slope of the engaging projection 6E, so as to elastically press the backing metal 6A toward the second torque receiving part 3D, whereby the disc brake apparatus is held in a second contact state. As a result, the clunking sounds are suppressed not only at the time of forward braking of a vehicle but also at the time of back braking of the vehicle.
US08292029B2	Securing ring and corresponding manufacturing process A securing ring, such as a belay loop, including a plurality of layers of ring-shaped surface sections, an outermost ring-shaped surface section being fixed to at least one of the layers below. The ring-shaped surface sections are formed from surface sections of a flat tubular element folded or rolled upon one another. A corresponding process for the manufacture of the securing ring involves the folding or rolling up of a flat tubular element.
US08292024B2	Retainer device for a reducing agent metering valve The invention relates to a retainer device for retaining a reducing agent metering valve. The retainer device at least partially surrounds an interior space which is provided for holding the reducing agent metering valve. According to the invention, the retainer device has a sound dampening device which dampens sound vibrations emerging from the interior space.
US08292021B2	Muffler assembly and pseudo muffler assembly for a motorcycle, and motorcycle incorporating the same A motorcycle includes a muffler assembly including a muffler and a muffler cover arranged on one side of a rear wheel in a lateral direction. The motorcycle also includes a housing box resembling the muffler assembly and arranged substantially parallel to the muffler assembly on the other side of the rear wheel in the lateral direction. The housing box has a shape substantially similar to a shape of the muffler assembly, thereby forming a pseudo muffler assembly or replica muffler assembly.
US08292016B1	Axle assembly for a motorcycle assembly having a pair of driven wheels An axle assembly for a motorcycle having a plurality of drive wheels. The axle assembly is configured to permit a user to replace an endless power-transmitting element without substantially disassembling the axle housing assembly.
US08292013B2	Drive system for a motor vehicle The invention relates to a drive system for a motor vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine and at least one electric machine, said vehicle also being provided with at least one vehicle electric system for electric power supply. In addition, the drive system is provided with at least one energy accumulator with several energy accumulator cells and a control assembly for controlling different operating modes of the motor vehicle.
US08292009B2	Power supply device and vehicle including the same, control method for power supply device, and computer-readable recording medium having program for causing computer to execute that control method recorded thereon When request power required of a power supply device by a driving force generation unit is close to zero, a converter ECU controls first and second converters to prohibit respective amounts of current passage in the first and second converters from simultaneously becoming close to zero. That is, when the request power is close to zero, the converter ECU performs voltage control of the first converter and sets an electric power control value for the second converter subjected to current control (electric power control) to a nonzero value, such that electric power is supplied and received between the first and second converters.
US08292008B2	Articulated combine with unloading and rear bogey steering architecture An articulated harvester is composed of a forward bogey having an operator's cab, an engine, a grain harvesting assembly, a grain transfer assembly, but being devoid of an on-board grain bin. A rearward bogey is attached by a joint to the forward bogey and has a powered wheel assembly, an on-board grain bin for receiving grain from the forward bogey grain transfer assembly, and a grain off-loading assembly. The forward bogey wheel assembly is powered by a first drive system. The rearward bogey wheel assembly is powered by a second drive system. Each of the first and second powered drive systems includes coordinated transmission and drive motors.
US08292003B2	Handheld tool with a linear oscillating drive A handheld tool with a pneumatically operated linear oscillating drive is provided. The handheld tool has a motor housing and a piston movable in the motor housing, which separates the two working chambers of the motor housing from one another. A piston crown faces toward one chamber of the two working chambers, with a compressed air supply line toward the motor housing and a slide valve, which controls an alternating supply of compressed air to one and the other of the two working chambers, and with an exhaust air opening in the motor housing. The handheld power tool is distinguished in that the piston additionally has a piston skirt facing toward the other chamber of the two working chambers.
US08292002B2	Hand-held power tool for percussively driven tool attachments The invention relates to a hand-held power tool for predominantly percussively driven tool attachments, in particular hammer drills and/or a chisel-action hammers. The power tool has a percussion axis and an intermediate shaft that is parallel to the percussion axis and which has a first stroke generating device having a first stroke element for a percussion drive. Additionally, at least one additional second stroke generating device having at least one second stroke element is provided for driving a counter oscillator that is arranged on or about the intermediate shaft and can be driven by the intermediate shaft. A phase displacement that is different from zero and that is unequal to 180° takes place between a movement of the first stroke element and a movement of at least one second stroke element.
US08291999B2	Control arrangement for motor grader blade Mounting arrangement includes a drawbar assembly universally coupled to a longitudinally extending front frame portion of a machine proximal to a front wheel and a distance rearward from the wheel. An implement mounting bracket pivotably coupled to the assembly defines an articulation axis. First and second hydraulic actuators advance respective power links coupled to the mounting bracket to rotate the mounting bracket about the articulation axis. Respective idler links limit the movement of the actuators and power links.
US08291996B2	Flying hoe A hoe is provided which includes (a) a handle, (b) a cutting blade portion having a serrated cutting edge along a first side of the cutting blade portion and an additional cutting edge along a second side of the cutting blade portion, and (c) a reinforcing sleeve securing the cutting blade portion to the handle. The additional cutting edge may be 3-sided and honed on all sides. The serrated cutting edge may include numerous saw-teeth provided between two honed cutting portions. The hoe allows the user to cut vegetation or weeds at or near the ground level using a swinging motion similar to a golf stroke to avoid obstruction presented by overhead branches of a tree or small bush.
US08291992B2	Soil working device In a mobile soil working device comprising a machine frame (23), a drive for at least one penetration tool (3) adapted for up and down movement, the penetration tool (3) being adapted to be driven into the soil and to be pulled out again, a guide element (4) for at least one penetration tool (3), the guide element being guided movably at the machine frame (23), a tool holder (2) for the penetration tool (3), which is supported for pivotal movement about a first pivot axis (40) in the guide element (4) movable up and down by the drive, so as to allow a pivoting of the penetration tool (3) against a spring force while the tool is in the soil, it is provided that, between the tool holder (2) and the guide element (4), a torsion element (1a, 1b, 1c) is provided coaxially with the first pivot axis (40), which torsion element, under a force effect on the at least one penetration tool (3), allows the tool holder (2) to pivot relative to the guide element (4) and, when the force effect ceases, exerts a restoring moment on the tool holder (2) so that the penetration tool (3) pivots back to the home position after having been pulled from the soil.
US08291990B1	Fire fighting system A fire fighting system for fighting forest and brush fires under dry, hot and windy conditions which includes a jet engine for generating a high speed air stream, a water source for supplying water to a cooling system which lowers the water temperature to between forty and fifty degrees Fahrenheit, a nozzle for injecting cold water into the air steam and a filter which provides very fine particles of cold water within the stream. The stream of cold water is directed to a forest or brush fire dropping the temperature of the fire which eventually extinguishes the fire.
US08291985B2	Well assembly with removable fluid restricting member Assemblies that can be disposed in a subterranean bore are described. An assembly can include a fluid restricting member in a groove. At least a portion of the fluid restricting member can be removable from the groove after being exposed to an environment of the bore to form a bypass to a tubing valve. The fluid restricting member may be positioned in a groove located between an inner wall of a base pipe and an outer wall of an assembly housing that is exterior to the base pipe. The fluid restricting member can cooperate with at least part of the tubing valve to block fluid flow and pressure equalization before at least a portion of the fluid restricting member is removed from the grove.
US08291984B2	Control device for an inflatable tool for the treatment of a well or a pipeline The invention relates to device for controlling an inflatable tool used to treat a well or pipeline. The device, which is inserted between the outlet of a fluid supply pipe and the tool, comprises: a chamber communicating with the exterior through a tube and with the tool via a pipeline; and a piston mounted in said chamber, which, under the force of a spring, normally occupies a first position in which it seals the outlet of the pipe, the aforementioned tube then communicating with the pipeline. The pipeline is provided with at least one spring-loaded check valve which allows the passage of the pressurized fluid from the chamber to the tool when the pressure upstream of the valve exceeds a predetermined threshold value, which prevents the passage of the fluid in the opposite direction.
US08291979B2	Controlling flows in a well A technique includes providing equipment downhole in a well to receive flows. The technique includes regulating a ratio of the flows in the well. The regulation includes regulating the ratio of the flows such that the ratio is substantially independent of pressures of the flows downstream of a point at which the regulation occurs.
US08291976B2	Fluid flow control device A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising providing a fluid diode in fluid communication with the wellbore, and transferring a fluid through the fluid diode. A fluid flow control tool, comprising a tubular diode sleeve comprising a diode aperture, a tubular inner ported sleeve received concentrically within the diode sleeve, the inner ported sleeve comprising an inner port in fluid communication with the diode aperture, and a tubular outer ported sleeved within which the diode sleeve is received concentrically, the outer ported sleeve comprising an outer port in fluid communication with the diode aperture, wherein a shape of the diode aperture, a location of the inner port relative to the diode aperture, and a location of the outer port relative to the diode aperture provide a fluid flow resistance to fluid transferred to the inner port from the outer port and a different fluid flow resistance to fluid transferred to the outer port from the inner port.
US08291975B2	Use of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) in well treatments A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising placing into a wellbore a first wellbore composition comprising a plurality of Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) sensors having a first identifier, and determining positions in the wellbore of the MEMS sensors having the first identifiers. A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising placing into a wellbore a first wellbore composition comprising a plurality of Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) sensors having a first identifier, placing into the wellbore a second wellbore composition comprising a plurality of MEMS sensors having first identifier, and determining positions in the wellbore of the MEMS sensors having the first identifier, wherein the MEMS sensors of the first wellbore composition are added to a portion of the first wellbore composition added to the wellbore prior to a remainder of the first wellbore composition, and the MEMS sensors of the second wellbore composition are added to a portion of the second wellbore composition added to the wellbore prior to a remainder of the second wellbore composition.
US08291974B2	Method and system for accessing subterranean deposits from the surface and tools therefor According to one embodiment, a system for accessing a subterranean zone from the surface includes a well bore extending from the surface to the subterranean zone, and a well bore pattern connected to the junction and operable to drain fluid from a region of the subterranean zone to the junction.
US08291968B2	Distributor for a flowable medium A distributor of flowable medium for a heat exchanger has a housing member and at least one substantially vertically oriented tube member arranged therein. The distributor has a hollow body arranged to be supported in one end of the tube member. An upturned funnel shaped core member is formed in the hollow body, resulting in an annular flow passage between the body and the core member. The body has an upper section with an inlet, a lower section with an outlet, and a mid section between the upper and lower sections. The flow passage extends from the inlet to the outlet at the lower section, and is configured to narrow progressively from the inlet towards the mid section, and widen progressively from the mid section towards the outlet for modifying flow characteristics of the medium flowing through the passage. Intake guide elements are provided at the upper section.
US08291967B2	Heat sink and cooler A heat sink includes a plurality of fins. The fins are formed to serve as partition walls of flow paths of a coolant. The fins are formed such that the coolant flows along a surface thereof. A merge space is formed to allow the coolant in the flow paths separated by the fins to merge. The merge space is formed in the flow paths formed by the fins.
US08291966B2	Microelectronic devices with improved heat dissipation and methods for cooling microelectronic devices Microelectronic devices with improved heat dissipation, methods of making microelectronic devices, and methods of cooling microelectronic devices are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the microelectronic device includes a microelectronic substrate having a first surface, a second surface facing opposite from the first surface, and a plurality of active devices at least proximate to the first surface. The second surface has a plurality of heat transfer surface features that increase the surface area of the second surface. In another embodiment, an enclosure having a heat sink and a single or multi-phase thermal conductor can be positioned adjacent to the second surface to transfer heat from the active devices.
US08291965B2	Heat sink with angled fins A heat sink with angled fins comprising a first set of fins forming air channels, a second set of fins forming air channels and a heat sink base coupled to the first set of fins and the second set of fins. The first set of fins and the second set of fins are separated by a region along a length of the heat sink base. The fins in the first set of fins are at a first angle with respect to the length of the heat sink base and the fins in the second set of fins are at a second angle with respect to the length of the heat sink base.
US08291963B1	Hybrid core assembly A hybrid core assembly for a casting process includes a ceramic core portion and a refractory metal core portion that interfaces with a ceramic core trough of the ceramic core portion. The refractory metal core portion includes a finger having a bent portion that establishes a refractory metal core trough aligned with the ceramic core trough.
US08291954B2	Application-film transfer tool The application-film transfer tool includes a main body having a base member and a sliding securing member slidably attached to the base member, a refill attachable to and detachable from the main body and having a supply bobbin, a take-up bobbin, a transfer head, and a refill case, and a refill securing mechanism securing the refill to the main body, wherein the refill is secured to the main body by engaging the engagement protrusions of the refill and the engagement depressions of the base member, latching together the sliding securing member and the section near the front end of the refill, and engaging the section near the back end of the locking member and the hooks.
US08291953B2	Tire with lower region comprising a bielastic reinforcing element Tire comprising at least one carcass-type reinforcing structure (6) anchored on each side of the tire. The anchoring includes a turning up of the carcass-type reinforcing structure around a bead core (15) in such a way as to form a turned-up section (8). The tire also includes at least one circumferential bielastic reinforcing element (10) made of a bielastic fabric, in which the fabric employed is a bielastic knitted fabric, that is a stitched fabric in which the loops forming the stitches are capable of moving relative to each other. The at least one bielastic reinforcing element (10) being arranged so as to extend substantially parallel along a portion of the reinforcing structure (6) which is situated in that region of the bead (4) of the tire that is axially outward relative to the reinforcing structure, in the immediate vicinity of the latter.
US08291952B2	Pneumatic radial tire for heavy load The object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic radial tire for heavy load which effectively improve three kinds of durability, i.e., durability of the turn-up portion of the carcass, durability of the rubber layer of the carcass and cut resistance of the carcass cords. A steel radial carcass 12 is composed of main carcass portion 12M and turn-up portions 12E. The tire is fitted on a standard rim 20 and suppose that P1 is a position on the tire outer surface with a radial distance of (R+1.18Hf) from the central axis of the tire, P2 is a position on the tire outer surface with a radial distance of (R+0.81Hf) from the central axis of the tire, T1 and T2 are intersections of normal lines drawn from P1 and P2, respectively, to the main carcass portion 12M and the turn-up portion 12E, M1 and M2 are intersections of the normal lines and the main carcass portion 12M. T1, T2, M1 and M2 satisfy given mutual positional relationships.
US08291932B2	Valve means A valve means has a valve housing, in which an inlet duct for pressure fluid extends, the duct opening into a valve chamber, in which a valve member is held by spring means in a closed position engaging a valve seat, the valve member opening at a predetermined opening pressure of the pressure fluid present so that pressure fluid arrives by way of an opening cross section at a fluid outlet and flows from it, and the valve means comprises a control duct by way of which pressure fluid flows into a control chamber, in which a control member is held clear of a control seat by spring means in an open position, the control chamber being connected by way of a connecting duct with the valve chamber; and in which the control member so controls the exit flow of the pressure fluid that the control member is able to be shifted, prior to opening of the valve member at a control pressure below the opening pressure into engagement with its control seat so that the passage of fluid between the control chamber and the valve chamber is shut off and that in the open position of the valve member and during exit flow of the pressure fluid via the control chamber the control member, with a fall in pressure below the control pressure, shifts into its open position and the connection duct is opened with the result that pressure fluid can leave via the control chamber.
US08291930B2	Hot water system A hot water system includes cold water pipes, hot water pipes, a water heater, a pump, a pump control unit and a connection valve unit. The pump is used to increase the pressure of the hot water pipes to a preset higher level than the pressure in the cold water pipes. When hot water is needed, the connection valve unit at the user side is opened to connect the cold water pipes and the hot water pipes, and when the cold water pipes and the hot water pipes are connected, the water pressure difference between them will become smaller. When the pressure difference change is detected, the pump control unit will activate the pump to pump the water in the hot water pipes into the cold water pipes, so the water in the pipes starts to circulate, and the water will flow through the water heater and will be heated. When the heated hot water reaches the user, the pump is stopped. After the hot water is being served or when the water temperature drops down, the pump is again put into normal operation.
US08291927B2	Remanufactured machine component and valve body remanufacturing process A process for remanufacturing valve bodies such as fuel injector valve bodies includes receiving a salvaged valve body having a first segment, a second segment and a middle segment which includes a valve seat and a guide bore for a valve therein. The process further includes removing material of the valve body where the valve seat and the guide bore are disposed, and positioning an insert within the valve body in place of the removed material. A new valve seat and a new guide bore are then machined in the insert, including locating for machining the new valve seat and new guide bore on a timing face of the valve body.
US08291925B2	Method for operating a hydraulic actuation power system experiencing pressure sensor faults A method for operating a hydraulic actuation system during a pressure sensor malfunction is provided. The hydraulic actuation system includes a pump, a reservoir, a first work-port and a second work-port, a valve system with individual orifices, a pressure sensor system, and a controller for regulating the hydraulic actuation system based on fluid flow demand and on determined pressure differences. The method includes detecting a malfunction of a pressure sensor for the first work-port, closing second and third orifices, and regulating the pump to generate fluid flow corresponding to maximum pressure generated by the pump. The method also includes assigning a value for the difference between pump pressure and the pressure of the subject work-port that is equivalent to a value within an attainable range for difference between the two pressures. Furthermore, the method includes regulating a first orifice and a fourth orifice in response to the fluid flow demand.
US08291920B2	Mascara applicator An object of the present invention is to provide a mascara applicator capable of being fitted to the curved bases of eyelashes to lift up eyelashes, providing voluminousness to the eyelashes by adhering a mascara to the bases of the eyelashes, widely applying the mascara so that the eyelashes expand in the form of a fan, properly and widely applying the mascara to detailed parts such as the tail and inner corner of the eye, as well as lower eyelashes, and also obtaining an all direction expansion mascara application result. A mascara applicator (1), which has a long core member (2), and an application part configured by an upper application part (5) and a lower application part (6) that are supported by the core member (2), extend from the core member to the outside in a horizontal sectional direction, carry a mascara thereon, and apply the mascara to eyelashes, the lower application part being set to be shorter than the upper application part in the horizontal section, wherein a cross section of the upper application part along a longitudinal direction of an axis of the core member is shaped into a series of crests with one and half crests along the longitudinal direction between a base end part and tip part of the core member.
US08291919B2	Method of making a custom cigar A tobacco product is formed by perforated cigar or shell, the shell comprising a sheet of material with an intermediate sheet, the sheet comprising tobacco leaves and/or homogenized tobacco paper. The cigar or shell is packaged for shipment to an end user or consumer. The cigar or shell remains in the rolled, shaped tube form inside the package. After the cigar or shell is removed from the package, a consumer can fill the cigar or shell with crushed tobacco leaves or other tobacco filler material of a favorite blend, thereby eliminating some steps in the making of a “roll-your-own” tobacco product. A liquid can be added to the cigar or shell to moisturize same. The liquid can include flavoring.
US08291911B2	Earplug An earplug is provided and includes a tip for use in forward and lateral sealing, which is formed to define a rearward recessed cavity, and a stem. The stem includes a user graspable elongate portion configured with a stiffness in a first direction that is greater than a stiffness in a second direction, which is transverse to the first direction, and a member, disposed at a forward end of the elongate portion and configured to be insertable into the cavity, the member including a surface to be adhered to an interior facing surface of the cavity and on which a channel is defined to allow for outflow from the cavity, and the member being formed with a shape to complement that of the cavity to axially and circumferentially align the tip and the stem.
US08291909B2	Methods of treating a disorder by inhibiting expiration Described here are devices for altering the flow of air in a respiratory cavity such as the mouth and nostrils of the nose. These methods and devices may be useful for affecting a physiologic benefit in patients suffering from a variety of medical diseases, particularly those that may benefit from “pursed-lip” breathing and non-invasive ventilation, such as COPD, heart failure, sleep apnea, and other medical disorders. The devices are typically removable devices that may be placed over or in a respiratory cavity to increase resistance to airflow within the respiratory cavity. Resistance to expiration may be selectively increased relative to inspiration. Removable oral and removable nasal devices are described. Oral and nasal devices that filter inhaled airflow of debris and allergens are also provided. A nasal device that increases patency of the nares is also provided.
US08291908B2	Device for positioning tracheostomy tube A device for positioning a tracheostomy tube includes a tracheostomy tube and a tracheostomy tube protecting membrane. The tracheostomy tube protecting membrane includes a tearing line portion formed at two sides of the tracheostomy tube protecting membrane. The tracheostomy tube protecting membrane is used for mounting in a trachea of a patient to form a positioning path for the tracheostomy tube. The tearing line portion is used for being torn open and removed. The tracheostomy tube protecting membrane is mounted in a trachea of a patient first. The tracheostomy tube protecting membrane can effectively protect the trachea of the patient.
US08291903B2	Water trap with an emptying device A breathing gas system and water trap (1) is improved in respect to the reliability of operation and has an emptying device. The water trap (1) has a gas inlet (4), which meets a first water separating membrane (5) via a connection line. The connection line leads into a water tank (20) located deeper in the incoming flow direction from the first water separating membrane (5) and into a gas measuring device (2) with vacuum on the discharge side from the first water separating membrane (5) from the water trap (1). The water tank (20) has a rinsing gas flow line, which is arranged above the liquid level, leads upward via a gas-permeable membrane (6) and is likewise connected to the applied vacuum of the gas measuring device (2). The water tank (20) has a water transport line for emptying the water tank (20), which water transport line extends into the liquid and is provided with a downstream vacuum via a nonreturn valve (7) and a downstream liquid pump (17) or via a solenoid valve (21). The water trap (1) is equipped with a filling level detection system (8, 9, 22; 8, 9, 13; 8, 10), which is connected to a control and analyzing unit (3). The control and analyzing unit (3) is connected to the liquid pump (17) or to the solenoid valve (21), so that the water tank (20) can be emptied as a function of the signal of the filling level detection system (8, 9, 22; 8, 9, 13; 8, 10).
US08291900B2	Blister assembly for inhalation device A blister pack for an inhaler, the blister pack comprising a blister support (10) with a plurality of blisters (11), each blister (11) being hermetically sealed by a closure layer (20), the blister support (10) being in the form of an elongate strip, the blisters (11) being disposed one after the other along said blister support strip, said blister support (10) including two lateral profiles (15), one on either longitudinal side of said blister support (10), said lateral profiles being formed by alternating depressions (18) and projections (16), each projection including an abutment surface (17) for displacing said blister pack in accurate manner each time said inhaler is actuated, each abutment surface (17) being connected to the adjacent abutment surface (17) via a slide surface (19) formed by each depression.
US08291891B2	EGR system with dedicated EGR cylinders Improved exhaust gas recirculation system and methods that use one or more of the engine's cylinders as dedicated EGR cylinders. All of the exhaust from the dedicated EGR cylinders is recirculated back to the engine intake. Thus, the EGR rate is constant, but the EGR mass flow may be controlled by adjusting the air-fuel ratio of the dedicated EGR cylinders or by using various variable valve timing techniques.
US08291888B2	Speed dependent knock control A system and method for controlling knock according to vehicle speed is disclosed. A knock control system has at least two settings, a first setting used for a first speed range and a second setting used for a second speed range. In another embodiment, knock may be controlled according to ambient noise measured directly within the motor vehicle.
US08291887B2	Throttle control device for saddle-ride type vehicle A throttle control device for a saddle-ride type vehicle includes a throttle sensor is disposed in a case at a fixed position to detect an amount of a rotation operation of a throttle grip in accordance with a rotation of a throttle pipe. An operation of an actuator which drives a throttle valve to open and close is controlled by a control unit on the basis of a detected value of the throttle sensor. The throttle control device does not require a cancel switch to cancel an operation of an automatic cruise control device, which in turn reduces the number of parts, allowing size reduction of the case fixed on a bar handle.
US08291880B2	Internal combustion engine comprising several combustion chambers In an internal combustion engine having several combustion chambers formed in in-line cylinders wherein an air/fuel mixture can be combusted and which include a common cylinder head, with discharge passages formed within the cylinder head and extending to a common confluence zone in communication with a discharge manifold, the common confluence zone is delimited on a first side (A) by at least one cylinder head wall and a separate shell element on a second side mounted to the outside of the cylinder head, the shell element being curved funnel-like for conducting the exhaust gas away from the engine.
US08291871B2	Ball-lift compression ratio adjustment device for a variable compression ratio engine A device for adjusting the compression ratio of a variable compression ratio engine including a hydraulic double-acting control actuator (8) including an upper chamber (121) and a lower chamber (122) and at least one actuator piston (13) connected to a control rack (7) includes: at least two balls (401, 402) or valve elements each resting on a seat (403, 404) and closing off respectively one and the other end of a transfer channel (405) connecting the upper chamber and the lower chamber of the control actuator; and lifting elements (410) making it possible to raise the balls from their seat so that the balls allow the hydraulic fluid to pass in both directions.
US08291859B2	Arrangement for positioning milking animals in a milking parlour An arrangement for positioning at least two milking animals in at least two milking stalls allows the animals to stand in an inclined position such that a longitudinal axis of the animals forms an angle of 10°-80° to a vertical plane (6) of a front barrier (5) of the milking stalls. The arrangement includes a power member (22) and motion transmission mechanism adapted to transfer an activating motion from the power member to individual front positioning elements (10) in the milking stalls such that the individual front positioning element in each milking stall comes in contact with a front portion of the animal and acts with a resilient force on the animal in a manner such that the animal steps backwards to a desired milking position in which the rear part of the animal is in contact with a second rear positioning element (9).
US08291839B2	Pallet with alignment features A pallet according to one embodiment includes a deck and a plurality of columns extending downward from the deck. In order to increase the stability of the pallet on a fork, at least one alignment feature protrudes downward from the deck between the pair of columns. The alignment feature extends downwardly substantially less than the columns, such that the alignment feature does not contact the floor and does not significantly increase the weight of the pallet. In another feature, preformed foam inserts are inserted into the cavities of the columns and/or the alignment features.
US08291835B2	Collapsible pallet system and methods The present invention is directed to collapsible type pallets and related products embodiments of which include a construction wherein support beams can be integrally formed from the sheet material of the pallet itself. The beams can be supported internally by structural inserts. Additionally, the supporting inserts may include braces for added stability and strength. The beams, as well as the platform can be further braced and structurally supported by cross braces, which run generally at right angles to the beams and pass through apertures in the beams themselves and slots in the inserts. In certain embodiments, the cross braces pass underneath and support the underside of the platform to create significant structural advantages to the pallet. Embodiments of the pallet can be easily assembled from components that can be easily and economically stored and transported. Embodiments are light-weight thereby providing savings in assembly, transportation, and storage.
US08291834B2	Tilting, retractable screen device for tables A retractable tilted screen (2) device (1) for a desk (3) that is movable between a substantially vertical concealed position (A) in which the screen (2) is located below the surface of the desk (3) and a working position (B) in which the screen protrudes beyond, and tilts relative to, the surface of the desk (3). As the screen (2) is guided from the concealed position (A) to the working position (B), the screen moves vertically until it protrudes noticeably above the surface of the desk (3), and then the screen rotates to the working position. Hence, the screen can be used in a tilted position but remains in a vertical position when stored.
US08291824B1	Monolithic exploding foil initiator A monolithic exploding foil initiator (EFI) or slapper detonator and the method for making the monolithic EFI wherein the exploding bridge and the dielectric from which the flyer will be generated are integrated directly onto the header. In some embodiments, the barrel is directly integrated directly onto the header.
US08291822B2	Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus includes is described in which a cleaning member is positioned on one side of a belt and a backup member positioned on a second side of the belt. The backup member is configured to move between a contact position and a non-contact position.
US08291821B2	Infinitely variable cutoff printing press with constant speed plate cylinder and inker A variable cutoff printing press is provided. The printing press includes a first plate cylinder rotating at a constant angular velocity and printing on a web during each revolution about a first plate cylinder axis and a first blanket cylinder rotating at varying angular velocities during each revolution about a first blanket cylinder axis. The first blanket cylinder comes in and out of contact with the first plate cylinder during operation. A method of variable cutoff printing is also provided.
US08291816B2	Drawer type cooking device The invention provides a drawer type cooking device having an operation unit disposed on an upper portion of a drawer body so as to increase the height of the drawer body within a cooking device body as much as possible, capable of facilitating power supply and signal transmission between the control unit within the cooking device body and the operation unit when the drawer body is opened and closed. Slide mechanisms 4 disposed on left, right and bottom portions enabling the drawer body 2 to be moved into and out of the cooking device body 1 are composed of conductive materials, so as to provide a slidable state with constant conduction. By transmitting data via serial communication and supplying power to the operation unit from the cooking device body 1 to the drawer body 2, it becomes possible to dispose the operation unit on a door 2a being opened and closed. By forming the operation unit including a microcomputer for communication on the drawer body 2, it becomes possible to increase the ceiling height of the drawer body 2, increase the ceiling height and capacity of the heating chamber 3, and enlarge the height limitation of an object to be cooked. An illuminating light source 25 disposed on the door 2a of the drawer body 2 can also receive power supply via the arrangement described above to illuminate food loaded in the drawer body 2.
US08291812B2	Self tamping coffee holder A self-tamping coffee holder tamps loose ground coffee obtaining richer flavor. The coffee holder includes a holder base and a holder cap. Coffee is loosely deposited in the coffee holder and the holder cap is attached to the holder base. An internal filter chamber holds the coffee and allows tamping of the coffee into a compacted state. The filter chamber may be formed by a fixed filter or by a removeable filter constructed of filter paper, nylon mesh, metal mesh, or any material capable of holding the coffee while allowing a flow of heated water through the coffee. The tamping may be by a spring or by a resilient solid material attached to the coffee holder and may push the coffee down inside the filter or push the filter and the coffee up against the holder lid.
US08291808B2	Titanium mosaic body armor assembly An assembly useful for constructing concealable, flexible, lightweight protective body armor includes a flexible support layer to which is bonded a mosaic of rigid, adjacent tiles having a high bending performance, such as type 5 titanium alloy, which includes 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium by weight. The inner support layer can include woven para-aramid and/or STF-treated Kevlar™. The tiles can have interlocking and/or thickened edges. An additional backing layer can include para-aramid and/or carbon nanofiber embedded UHMWPE UD-laminate. An inner layer can have high moisture transport, anti-microbial properties, and low friction. An outer layer can be shaped with anatomical features to hide the armor. The assembly can be flame resistant. Assemblies with 2 mm thick tiles and total thickness less than 5 mm can provide V50 protection against 9 mm FMJ projectiles at more than 1000 feet/second, and can also protect against knife and spike assaults at 65 Joules force.
US08291803B2	Optical fiber cutting device An optical fiber cutting device is configured so that a disk-like blade member is moved in a state, in which the blade member is pushed against a glass fiber part of an optical fiber, to form a flaw on a surface of the glass fiber part. The blade member is turned by a feed roller in synchronization with a movement operation of the blade member that rotates by a contact friction force generated when the blade member is put into contact with a contact member fixedly provided halfway a movement path of the blade member.
US08291799B2	Adjustable trimming assembly A method of trimming printed media comprises selecting printed media to be positioned on a conveyor based on predetermined delivery sequence data, positioning the printed media on the conveyor, receiving size data representative of at least one dimension of the printed media to be trimmed, and electronically controlling a trimmer based on the received size data to adjust a location at which the printed media is to be trimmed.
US08291792B2	Rachet wrench The present invention relates a ratchet wrench which comprises a main body, a ratchet wheel, a pawl, an elastic element and a clip. The main body has a first housing and a second housing. The ratchet wheel is rotatably lodged within the first housing and has a plurality of ratchet teeth. The pawl is confined within the second housing and a plurality of first retaining cogs and curved second retaining cogs are successively arranged on the front side of the pawl. The first and the second retaining cogs are defined to engage with the ratchet teeth. A recess, a first convex surface and a second convex surface are defined on the pawl. The second convex surface abuts against the wall of the second housing. The elastic element pushes the pawl with a particular angle so that the second convex surface is forced to abut against the wall of the second housing and the cogs of the pawl are engaged with the ratchet teeth.
US08291786B2	Ball nut A ball nut of a ball screw drive, in which the ball nut is mounted on a threaded spindle via balls. The ball nut has on its inner circumference a ball groove wound helically around an axis that extends over at least one winding, and a deflection body, with deflection ends, arranged on a circumferential face of the ball nut. The deflection ends engage into a recess of the ball nut, and adjoin an end and a start of the ball groove. The deflection body is supported on one side in radial directions and on the other side on a machine part. The deflection body is connected at its axial ends to bearings for mounting on the machine part. The bearings, which project circumferentially, engage into the recesses of the ball nut and are arranged with their bearing faces approximately flush with the outer circumferential face of the ball nut.
US08291785B2	Ball screw A ball screw includes a screw shaft, in which a thread groove is formed in an outer peripheral face thereof, that includes a small-diameter portion with a diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the screw shaft formed integrally at one end of the screw shaft; a nut, through which the screw shaft passes, having a thread groove formed in an inner peripheral face thereof; a plurality of balls disposed in a ball passage formed by the thread groove of the screw shaft and the thread groove of the nut; and a ring-shaped stopper, immovably fitted on the small-diameter portion, that prevents the nut from moving.
US08291781B2	System and methods for actuating reversibly expandable structures An actuator is provided for reconfiguring a reversibly expandable structure, also referred to as a deployable structure. The deployable structure includes an enclosed mechanical linkage capable of transformation between expanded and collapsed configurations while maintaining its shape. An actuator coupled to the deployable structure provides a load, force, or torque for actuating a transformation. The actuated deployable structure transfers the actuation force to an external body substances, or element in contact with the deployable structure. The force can be directed inwardly or outwardly depending upon direction of the transformation (i.e., expanding or contracting). The force provided by the deployable structure can be used to perform work by its application over at least a portion of the distance traveled by a perimeter of the deployable structure during its transformation. In some embodiments, the actuatable deployable structure is lockable structure supporting a static load.
US08291778B2	Extractive sampling system for fluids Disclosed is an extractive sampling system to secure representative fluid samples and transport to analyzers as a sample destination. The invention is directed to modification of sample acquisition components and the addition of elements to overcome sample obtainment issues that occur in a variety of fluids to be samples.
US08291772B2	Method and apparatus for testing shear fasteners used in downhole tools A tester for testing a shear fastener includes: a frame; a stationary chuck connected to the frame; a linear guide comprising a slider; a movable chuck connected to the slider; a movable insert fastened to the movable chuck and having a hole for receiving a first portion of the shear fastener; a stationary insert fastened to the stationary chuck and having a hole for receiving a second portion of the shear fastener; a linear actuator for engaging the movable chuck and fracturing the shear fastener; and a load cell for determining force exerted on the shear fastener by the linear actuator.
US08291751B2	Fuel system diagnostics by analyzing cylinder pressure signal A method for diagnosing combustion within a direct-injection, internal combustion engine including a plurality of combustion chambers and operative lean of stoichiometry includes monitoring pressure readings in the plurality of combustion chambers across engine crank angles, estimating a mass fraction burn percentage for each pressure reading, determining respective crank angles corresponding to a predetermined mass burn percentage for each combustion chamber, comparing said determined crank angles for sequential ones of the plurality of combustion chambers, and indicating an abnormal combustion event if compared crank angles differ by a predetermined angle.
US08291748B2	Heat exchanger leak testing method and apparatus A method for detecting the presence of a leak between two fluid paths of an assembled plate heat exchanger by evacuating one or both fluid paths to a low pressure, introducing a test gas to one of the fluid paths to create a pressure differential between the fluid paths, and testing for the presence of test gas in the second fluid path.
US08291743B1	Method and system for calibrating an electronic lapping guide for a beveled pole in a magnetic recording transducer A method and system for calibrating an electronic lapping guide (ELG) for transducer(s) having an ABS and a magnetic structure are described. The magnetic structure has a desired thickness, a bevel, and a flare point a distance from the ABS. The method and system include providing at least three ELGs. A first ELG has first and second edges first and second distances from the ABS. A second ELG has third and fourth edges third and second distances from the ABS. A third ELG has fifth and sixth edges fourth and second distances from the ABS. The first, third, and fourth distances correspond to a stripe height and an offset. The first, third, and fourth distance and/or the second distance corresponds to an intersection between the bevel and the desired thickness. The method and system also include measuring resistances of the ELGs, and calibrating the ELG(s) utilizing the offset and resistances.
US08291721B2	Dual condenser fans with center partition A transport refrigeration system having a structural framework supporting a refrigeration unit including a condenser heat exchanger supported in an upper region of the framework and an engine and an electric generator powered by the engine supported by the framework in an engine compartment in a lower region of the framework, includes a pair of vertically disposed condenser fan/motor assemblies disposed aft of the condenser heat exchanger in side-by-side relationship and above the engine compartment; and a flow partition extending vertically between the pair of condenser fan/motor assemblies.
US08291716B2	Hybrid propulsive engine including at least one independently rotatable turbine stator A hybrid propulsive technique includes providing a flow of a working fluid through at least a portion of an at least one jet engine. The at least one jet engine includes an at least one turbine section, wherein the at least one turbine section includes at least one turbine stage. The at least one turbine stage includes an at least one turbine rotor and an at least one independently rotatable turbine stator. The hybrid propulsive technique further involves extracting energy at least partially in the form of electrical power from the working fluid, and converting at least a portion of the electrical power to torque. The hybrid propulsive technique further comprises rotating an at least one at least one independently rotatable turbine stator at least partially responsive to the converting the at least a portion of the electrical power to torque.
US08291714B2	Radial staging method and configuration of a liquid injection system for power plants A turbine power plant employs a radial staging of a liquid injection system to provide a uniform fluid distribution, for use in wet compression. The liquid injection system includes a hub to be coupled to an air intake case of a turbine power plant. An annular ring assembly is spaced radially outwardly from the hub. Spray bars are spoked about the hub and the annular ring. The spray bars each include a body portion having an inner end coupled to the hub and an outer end coupled to the ring assembly. The spray bars each have at least two nozzle assemblies along the body portion. The spray bars each define at least two liquid supply manifolds each having an inlet at the annular ring assembly and an outlet at an associated nozzle assembly. The liquid supply manifolds each supply liquid to one or more associated nozzle assemblies.
US08291712B2	Method for determining sensor locations A method for determining sensor locations in a gas turbine engine is provided. The said method includes providing a turbine rear frame including a radially inner surface, a radially outer surface and a plurality of circumferentially-spaced struts extending between the inner and outer surfaces, wherein a strut sector is defined between each pair of circumferentially-adjacent struts, providing a plurality of fuel nozzles that are each aligned with a strut sector, selecting one of the plurality of fuel nozzles as a primary index nozzle and positioning each of a plurality of sensors relative to one of the plurality of nozzles using a corresponding positioning angle such that each of the plurality of sensors coincides with a gas flow temperature distribution profile between each pair of circumferentially-spaced nozzles.
US08291709B2	Combustion chamber of a turbomachine including cooling grooves An annular combustion chamber of a turbomachine is disclosed. The combustion chamber includes two walls of revolution each having an annular groove extending around the longitudinal axis of the chamber and opening out inside the chamber. The groove has in cross section a substantially U or V shape that is splayed towards the downstream end and has lateral annular surfaces that are inclined with respect to the area of the wall at which the groove is situated.
US08291706B2	Fuel injector bearing plate assembly and swirler assembly A bearing plate assembly for a turbine engine fuel injector includes a bearing plate 30, with an opening 80 bordered by a race 82. A swivel ball 90 nests inside the race and is rotatable relative thereto. A lock, which may be a tip bushing 108 resists disengagement of the swivel ball from the race. A fuel injector nozzle 38 extends through an opening 98 in the swivel ball. During engine operation, the ball can swivel inside the race to accommodate rotational movement of the nozzle about lateral and radial axes.
US08291699B2	Exhaust manifold of a turbo-supercharged reciprocating engine Exhaust manifold of a turbo-supercharged reciprocating engine with any number of cylinders ranging from 2 to 6 and equipped with an EGR system which comprises: a) an outer casing (21) which includes flanges (23, 25) for effecting joining, respectively, to the cylinder head (13) of the engine and the turbine (15) and an opening towards an EGR outlet duct (27) and an inner wall (31) with low thermal inertia defining a regulating chamber (33) for the exhaust gases introduced into it, after passing through a particle filter (45), via a plurality of orifices (35) located in the inner wall (31); b) inner branches (41) for entry of the exhaust gases, situated opposite the exhaust pipes (17); c) an outlet duct (59) for conveying the exhaust gases to the turbine (15), designed as an extension of the inner wall (31).
US08291688B2	Fuel nozzle to withstand a flameholding incident A nozzle is provided and includes an outer annulus defined by an exterior wall and an interior wall and including air inlets through which air flows to a fuel mixing zone and a combustion zone, an inner annulus disposed within the interior wall and including a fuel volume into which fuel is fed to a distal end thereof, which is adjacent to and isolated from the combustion zone and an airflow line, disposed between the fuel volume and the interior wall, through which air flows to the combustion zone with the airflow line and the combustion zone isolated from the fuel volume, and a fuse configured to melt during a flameholding incident and to form a breach through which fuel flows from the fuel volume, bypassing the fuel mixing zone, to a fuel burning zone downstream from the fuel mixing zone.
US08291687B2	Continuous round baler In an example embodiment, a continuous baler includes a round baler and an adjustable conveyor for providing crop to the round baler. The adjustable conveyor may include a conveyor belt and a controller for manipulating the conveyor belts. In one example embodiment, the speed of the conveyor is adjusted in accordance with the operation of the baler.
US08291683B2	Equine exercise boot assembly and method A boot assembly and method that simulates, in a static equine animal (stalled or hauled), the natural mechanical action of walking or other gaited exercise. The assembly has a boot, containing a shock absorbing pad that is fitted with a separate pulsing bladder disposed on, under or inside the shock absorbing pad. Pressuring and relaxing the pulsing bladder in the bottom of the boot rhythmically pushes against the sole and frog of the equine hoof in much the same way that the hoof is exercised when the animal is moving. The pulsing action helps stimulate blood flow through the hoof and is beneficial to shod, injured, and transported horses. The assembly may be fitted on one or more hooves, and may be automated to provide timing and sequencing to simulate different gaits of the animal.
US08291681B2	Cap tightening mechanism and capping system and method incorporating same A mechanism for tightening a partially threaded cap on a container passing along a production line. The mechanism includes a first member having a first end and a second end. The first end being structured to be coupled at or near the production line and the second end being rotatable with respect to the first end. The mechanism further including a second member coupled to the second end of the first member and rotatable therewith. The second member having a plurality of cap engaging portions, each of the cap engaging portions being structured to engage the partially threaded cap on a container passing along the production line in a manner that tightens the partially threaded cap.
US08291680B2	Apparatus and method for processing container closures An apparatus (1) for processing container closures (2) comprises a sterilization unit (3), having a sterilization module (7) with means for spraying on the closures (2) a hot sterilization fluid, a capping unit (4), having screwing means active on the closures (2) for connecting them on correspondent containers, applying a predetermined torque, a guide member (5) configured in such a way to allow a plurality of closures (2) to be arranged therein and connected to the sterilization unit (3) and to the capping unit (4) to guide the closures (2) from the sterilization unit (3) to the capping unit (4), and means (13) for regulating the temperature of the closures (2) arranged in the guide member (5), to provide that the closures (2) have a predetermined desired temperature in the capping unit (4).A method for processing container closures (2) comprises the following steps: sterilizing the closures (2) by spraying on the closures (2) a hot sterilization fluid, transferring the closures (2) from a sterilization unit (3) to a capping unit (4), by means of a guide member (5) interposed therein, screwing the closures (2) for connecting them on correspondent containers, applying a predetermined torque to the closures (2) in the capping unit (4), and regulating the temperature of the closures (2) arranged in the guide member (5), to provide that the closures (2) have a predetermined desired temperature in the capping unit (4).
US08291674B2	Window-containing assemblies having a molded plastic frame The present invention provides a window frame design that is adapted to receive at least two light-panels. The window frame comprises a stepped frame section that includes a lower step surface and an upper step surface. The lower step surface is adapted to receive a first light-panel so that a section of the first light-panel lies flush against the lower step surface. Similarly, the upper step surface is adapted to receive a second light-panel so that the second light-panel lies flush against the upper step surface. The window frame design of the invention can be either incorporated into a skylight frame that may be attached to a curb unit on a roof or it may be an integral part of a skylight frame-curb assembly that also contains a curb section. In another embodiment of the invention, a window frame design which directly incorporates one or more light-panels during molding is provided.
US08291670B2	Modular entrance floor system A modular entrance floor system comprising a plurality of floor sections, the plurality of floor sections being disposed adjacent each other and defining a perimeter of an entrance floor area. Each floor section includes a base plate permanently coupled to a foundation, and a surface plate removably attached to the base plate. The surface plate has at least one drain feature. The plurality of floor sections are configured such that the surface plate of a first floor section is interchangeable with the surface plate of a second floor section, independent of the adjacent floor sections.
US08291669B2	Interlocking structural block and method of manufacture A structural block is provided. The structural block has a top and a bottom. A first sidewall section is between the top and the bottom. A second sidewall section is between the first sidewall section and one of the top or the bottom, and the second sidewall section is angularly disposed relative to the first sidewall section, so as to form a feature that interlocks with an adjacent structural block.
US08291668B2	Device for in-situ barrier The present invention relates to a multi-layer fluid delivery device for post-installation in-situ barrier creation. The device provides a medium for post-installation injection of remedial substances such as waterproofing polymeric resins or cementitious materials, insecticides, mold preventatives, rust retardants and the like. The device comprises a first layer and a second layer, with optionally an intermediate layer therebetween, and a plurality of tubes extending outwardly from the first layer. The first layer is preferably semi-permeable; the second layer is non-permeable; the optional intermediate layer is a void-inducing layer. The multi-layered device is attached to a structural substrate and a construction material such as concrete or shotcrete is applied against its surface (and around the plurality of tubes). Thereafter, a free flowing active substance can be injected through the tubes to fill the air space in the multi-layered device.
US08291667B2	Accessible concealed suspended ceiling system A suspended ceiling system is provided comprising at least first and second parallel inverted tee-runners. Each tee-runner comprises a horizontal flange and a vertical web, with the vertical web having at least two spaced openings therein. At least one ceiling panel is associated with the parallel tee-runners. The ceiling panel has opposed side walls and opposed end walls, with a pair of first tabs formed at one end of the ceiling panel and a pair of second tabs formed at the opposite end of the panel. The first tabs are relatively longer than the second tabs and have a length sufficient so that each first tab extends through one of the spaced openings in the web of the first inverted tee-runner and rests on the flange of the first tee-runner, with the second tabs being supported by the flange of the second tee-runner.
US08291666B1	Decking panel system A decking system comprised of decking panels and clips is provided. Each decking panels comprises a platform and downwardly-extending legs that rest on joists. Clips that clip onto the joists are inserted between adjacent decking panels and define a uniform gap between the panels. The clips further connect to the legs of the decking panels and hold the decking panels in place. Fasteners driven through the clips and into the joists rigidly affix the decking panels to the joists.
US08291664B2	Laminated splice plate for a grain bin A device for connecting sheets of a grain bin together having an inner plate that fits over a vertical seam formed at the ends of two abutting sheets. The inner plate has a plurality of holes that generally align with holes in the ends of the sheets. An outer plate is positioned to cover the vertical seam and has a plurality of holes that generally align with the holes on the ends of the sheets. Bolts extend through the holes to secure the inner plate, sheets, and outer plate together.
US08291663B2	Drywall sealing tape A drywall sealing tape which includes a substrate layer and a mesh layer made of mesh filament. The mesh layer is an array of filaments formed together which, when adjacent the substrate, create an inter-filament cavity for receiving and retaining joint compound between the substrate and the drywall panel. In use, the drywall sealing tape of the present invention may be coated with joint compound and applied to a drywall panel. The inter-filament cavities retain a volume of joint compound corresponding to the approximate thickness of the mesh filament. The joint compound retained within the cavities serves to bond the drywall sealing tape of the present invention to the drywall panels, and provides a seamless, crack-resistant surface.
US08291654B2	Photovoltaic module kit including connector assembly for non-penetrating array installation A PV module kit for non-penetrating rooftop installation, including a plurality of PV modules and a plurality of connectors. Each of the PV modules includes a PV laminate and a frame forming a mounting region assembled thereto. The connectors include a male connector having a male fastener extending from a head, and a female connector having a female fastener assembled within a head. The heads are entirely formed of plastic. The kit provides a mounted array state including a junction at which the mounting region of at least two of the PV modules are aligned and interconnected by engagement of the male connector with the female connector. The so-formed junction is substantially electrically insulated. The plurality of connectors can further include a spacer connector including a head forming a bore sized to slidably receive the male fastener, with all of the connector heads being identical.
US08291653B2	Modular structural framing system The present invention generally relates to a modular, structural framing system.
US08291651B2	Stable unbonded fiber-reinforced elastomeric seismic isolators for base isolation system An elastomeric seismic isolator bearing comprising a plurality of elastomeric layers reinforced with a plurality of fiber layers is disclosed, wherein said bearing is capable of exhibiting stable rollover when subjected to a lateral load in an unbonded application.
US08291647B2	Self-contained structure configurable as a shipping container and as a dwelling A self-contained structure configurable as a shipping container and as a dwelling is provided. The self-contained structure configurable as a shipping container and as a dwelling includes a lower section including a platform and a floor, said lower section forming a first portion of a foundation of said dwelling; an upper section including a ceiling and connected to the lower section to define a cavity, said upper section forming a first portion of a roof of said dwelling; a plurality of wall components attached to said lower section and said upper section within said cavity to form subcavities within said cavity; a plurality of panels attachable to said lower section and said upper section to enclose said cavity when the structure is configured as the shipping container and attachable to said upper section to form a second portion of said roof of said dwelling extending from said first portion of said roof to define an approximate area of said dwelling when the structure is configured as the dwelling; and a plurality of extension walls storable within said subcavities when the structure is configured as the shipping container and configurable to enclose said approximate area of said dwelling when the structure is configured as the dwelling.
US08291643B2	Gate support device A support post includes an inner post that supports rotation of an outer post. The inner post includes a journal assembly that supports and facilitates rotation about a central axis. The journal assembly that supports the outer post on the inner post includes a single ball bearing disposed along the axis of rotation. The inner post is fixed and supports a central post on which the ball bearing is supported. The outer post includes a sleeve that fits over the ball bearing and the central post. Support of the outer post along the central axis provides for improved mounting and gate support. An actuator can be utilized to automatically or remotely open the gate. The actuator is disposed within the inner post that drives rotation of the outer post. The outer post remains supported by the journal assembly and is rotated by the actuator with the inner post.
US08291641B2	Method for hydroponically growing plants that are root-nurtured A method for hydroponically growing plants that are typically root-nurtured includes supplying a fluid to a main body with a top through a fill plug, maintaining the fluid at a pre-determined level in the main body with a top, an entrance end and an exit end by a drain pipe, feeding at least one plant with the fluid, the at least one plant disposed on the main body in a saddle with a top that has a strainer that is in contact with the pre-determined fluid level and returning the fluid to a reservoir from the main body. A second method for hydroponically growing plants that are typically root-nurtured includes supplying a fluid to a main body with a top through a dripper is also provided.
US08291638B2	Illuminating insect-catching device This disclosure relates to the field of illuminating insect-catching devices, in particular to insect-catching devices comprising an adhesive surface. In particular, the illuminating portion is electrically powered, in one form by standard household power.
US08291635B2	Strike-setting assembly for use with an unmanned fishing rod A strike-setting assembly for an unmanned fishing rod including a hook-setting device carried by a fishing pole holder is provided. The hook-setting device includes a tether and an efficient, reliable mechanical trigger assembly including multiple magnets that permit easy, sensitive, multiple adjustments in multiple increments. The fishing pole holder is suitable for retaining the hook-setting device and for holding the rod in a manner providing resistance to the upward tension on the back handle portion of the fishing rod applied by the hook-setting device engaged on the front of the fishing rod.
US08291629B2	Point of purchase graphic sign holder device There is provided in a preferred embodiment of the present invention a sign holder having a plurality of tabs securing a sign within a cavity. Additionally, the sign holder includes a plurality of counter-facing projections for selectively attaching the sign holder to a panel.
US08291628B2	Art display system and method A system for displaying illuminated art which includes an electrical/framework kit and a flexible media imprinted with artwork which combine for display of the artwork as on a table lamp or hanging lamp. The media is constructed out of a flexible sheet of plastic or a fabric-plastic laminate which is preferably bowed into a cylindrical or oval shape. The framework for supporting the illuminated media includes a slot provided in a central ring to accommodate the electrical cord of an electrical assembly, whereby the lamp is pre-wired so that user assembles it without having to wire the electrical components and wires. A digital library is set up where museums or other institutions or businesses can upload images of selected artworks to be printed on the flexible sheets of the media.
US08291627B1	Frame with movable emblem The present invention provides a frame for attaching a license plate or novelty plate to a vehicle, with the capability of attaching an emblem to the frame in a desired location chosen by the user from multiple possible points of attachment. Multiple receptacles may be formed in the frame, each suitable for receiving and tightly holding an protuberance extending from an emblem, so that the emblem may be attached to the frame wherever there is a receptacle. Alternatively, a separate clip may be placed behind the frame, with prongs extending forward around the frame to attach to an emblem in any position on the frame where the clip is located. The position of the emblem on the frame may be shifted up and down or side to side. The emblem may also be removed and repositioned in a new position selected by the user.
US08291622B2	Snow plow towing hitch system A snow plow towing hitch system removably attached to an existing vehicle hitch which is lightweight and compact to allow an individual to attach the snow plow towing hitch system to a vehicle hitch when needed and to remove and store it when not in use. The snow plow towing hitch system includes a connecting bar connected to a vehicle hitch, a vertical support bar attached to the connecting bar, a plow blade rotatably attached to the vertical support bar, and a spring attached to the vertical support bar and the plow blade to limit rotation of the plow blade. Another alternate embodiment of the snow plow towing hitch system comes in a kit form allowing the user to easily assemble the snow plow towing hitch for use and to disassemble for storage or to use portions as a snow shovel.
US08291619B2	Skateboard shoes A shoe comprising a single molded sole having a lateral section, positioned at a front outer portion of the sole, the lateral section made of a first rubber material, a medial section, positioned at a front inner portion of the sole and positioned adjacent to the lateral section, the medial section made of a third rubber material, a heel section, positioned at a rear portion of the sole, the heel section made of the third rubber material, and an arch section, positioned between the lateral section or the medial section and the heel section, the arch section made of a second rubber material.
US08291615B2	Inner sole structure for a sports shoe An inner sole structure for a sports shoe includes an upper sheet, a lower sheet below the upper sheet, and a wavy corrugated sheet interposed between the upper and lower sheets. The wavy corrugated sheet has at least two downwardly convex protrusions that form voids between the wavy corrugated sheet and the lower sheet, and that are in sliding contact with an upper surface of the lower sheet. The downwardly convex protrusions of the wavy corrugated sheet slide longitudinally along the lower sheet member when they are subjected to compressive deformation.
US08291603B2	Handheld power tool, in particular handheld power saw The invention relates to a handheld tool, in particular a handheld saw, with an electric drive motor (12), a serially switched gearbox (13), and a movement converter (14) that converts the driven movement of the gearbox (13) into an axial to-and-fro movement of a lifting element (15) for driving a tool (16), in particular a saw blade, inside a housing (11). The gearbox (13) and the movement converter (14) are combined into a gear unit (17). The gear unit (17) is within a robust, bending- and deformation-resistant gear housing (40), which is in turn inside the housing (11). The housing (11) is made of flexible plastic.
US08291599B2	Universal mowing head for flexible cutter A mowing head is described, particularly for a bush-cutter, comprising a rotor rotating around a rotation axis (R-R) and its cover, in which the rotor is equipped with at least one supporting surface from which at least one external perimeter wall and at least one internal wall depart, such external perimeter wall and such internal wall mutually defining at least one housing seat of at least one length of flexible cutter, the external perimeter wall being radially equipped with at least one slit adapted to allow at least one length of the flexible cutter to go out from inside the housing seat to the outside.
US08291598B2	Retractable blade scraper having a blade-storage drawer and a blade slide with upper and lower blade-clamping members A retractable blade scraper includes a handle body having a handle rear end and a handle forward end including a forward-end opening. An internal blade-slide cavity extends rearwardly from the forward-end opening toward the handle rear end and is configured to selectively receive a blade through—the forward-end opening. A blade slide housed by the blade-slide cavity includes lower and upper blade slide members between which the blade is selectively retained. A blade-slide actuator is accessible through an actuator slot defined through a wall of the handle body between slot first and second ends. Reciprocation of the actuator between the slot first and second ends reciprocates the blade slide between a rearward blade-storage position in which the blade is housed in the blade-slide cavity and a forward blade-changing position in which the blade protrudes through the forward-end opening to facilitate blade changing. The actuator includes threadably cooperating members that facilitate the alternative clamping of a blade between and release of a blade from between the blade slide members when the blade slide is in the blade-changing position. A spare-blade storage drawer is housed within a blade-storage cavity and is accessible through a rear-end opening in the handle body.
US08291594B2	Attachment system and method for thermal protection system An attachment system for mounting a tile of a thermal protection system to a substructure comprises a post assembly configured to interconnect the tile to the substructure. The post assembly is configured to allow relative sliding movement between the tile and the substructure along a plane which is generally parallel to the tile. The attachment system facilitates installation and removal of the tile from the substructure for inspection, maintenance and repair of the tile and/or the substructure.
US08291592B2	Method of lengthening a container well of a railcar A railroad freight car with a lengthened container well, including an extended and reinforced well car unit side sill, and a method for lengthening a container well of a railroad freight car intended for carrying an intermodal cargo container. A side sill extension member is welded into position, between a body bolster at each end of the container well unit and a nearest container support assembly, and a container-well bottom assembly is lengthened at each end of the container well. A longitudinally-extending doubler plate may be welded to the longitudinally central portion of the side sill, to ensure sufficient rail clearance at mid-length of the car.
US08291584B2	Method of manufacturing a printed wiring board with built-in electronic component A method for manufacturing a printed wiring board, including forming an alignment mark in a metal foil, forming a bump on the metal foil at a position determined based on the alignment mark, positioning an electronic component over the metal foil, the positioning comprising aligning a terminal of the electronic component with the bump based on the alignment mark, connecting the terminal of the electronic component with the bump, forming an insulation layer enclosing the electronic component connected with the bump such that the electronic component is placed inside a printed wiring board, and patterning the metal foil to which the electronic component is connected through the bump.
US08291583B2	Packaging method for assembling captive screw to printed circuit board A packaging method for assembling a captive screw to a printed circuit board (PCB) includes the steps of providing a captive screw having a screw head, a threaded shank and a sleeve; pressing a fixture toward the screw head for a part of the threaded shank to exposed from a distal end of the sleeve, and then clamping the fixture on the sleeve; providing a PCB having through holes and a layer of solder provided thereon; using a tool to pick up the fixture and the captive screw and align the threaded shank with one through hole on the PCB; releasing the fixture and the captive screw from the tool for a flange at the distal end of the sleeve to extend into the through hole; heating, melting and then cooling to harden the solder layer, so that the sleeve is fixedly held to the PCB; and removing the fixture.
US08291567B1	Method for maximizing packing density with cylindrical objects in cylindrical cavities In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for forming battery tray for holding cylindrical cell batteries. The method includes forming a battery try including a base support having a generally flat bottom surface and multiple adjacent cylindrical cavities are formed within the base support, using a circle packing algorithm to form the cylindrical cavities. The adjacent cavities each have at least some interstitial cylindrical riser wall structures formed with a predetermined height to hold the cylindrical cell batteries. In another embodiment, the present invention allows for packing maximum energy density per layer. This allows lifetime and power output of a battery powered device to be optimized and/or increased.
US08291563B2	Portable magnetic positioning tool Apparatus and methods for positioning one or more components relative to a work surface are provided. The apparatus can include a frame having a first support member extending therefrom. At least one extendable member can be disposed on the first support member. The extendable member can be adapted to move in a linear direction. At least one magnet can be disposed on the frame. The magnet can include at least one contact side that can be switchable between a magnetized state and a non-magnetized state.
US08291562B2	Rake tine replacement tool A tool for replacing rake tines, having inner and outer ends, of a rake wheel which includes a central disc-shaped support plate means and a peripheral rim spaced outwardly of the support plate means with the peripheral rim having a plurality of spaced-apart openings formed therein which receive the rake tines extending therethrough so that the outer ends of the rake tines are positioned outwardly of the peripheral rim, and means removably securing the inner ends of the rake tines to the support plate means. The tool comprises a plurality of spaced-apart body members adapted to be secured to tines not needing replacement and to replacement tines to maintain the replacement tines to be secured to the rake wheel.
US08291560B2	Impact rapping device An impact rapping device includes a stationary anvil integrated with a surface to be rapped, the anvil having a hammering axis perpendicular to the surface to rapped, a hammer arranged to move coaxially with the hammering axis, to hit an impact surface of the anvil, and a device for moving the hammer. The anvil and the hammer form a compact unit, which can be assembled in any position. The hammer is supported to lean on the anvil in such a way that the position of the hammer automatically follows changes of place or position of the anvil, and so that the hammer can move only parallel to the hammering axis.
US08291556B2	Structurally reinforced casket and manufacturing method A modular casket made of lightweight materials is structurally reinforced using a structural sealant, and/or longitudinally-arranged reinforcing members, and/or laterally-arranged reinforcing members, to stiffen and rigidize the casket against flexion along longitudinal and lateral axes, as well as torsional flexion. The structurally reinforced casket is sealed or more readily sealed against leakage and provides other benefits of structural stiffness and rigidity with relatively small cost and weight penalties.
US08291555B2	Multi-pivot latch assemblies Multi-pivot latch assemblies for releasably engaging anchors and other attachment points in vehicles are disclosed herein. A latch assembly configured in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure includes a latch and a release actuator movably coupled to a frame. In operation, movement of the release actuator causes the latch to rotate from a first position to a second position about a first pivot point, and from the second position to a third position about a second pivot point to open the latch. In some embodiments, a blocker holds the latch in the open position prior to attachment to an anchor member. In other embodiments, a biasing member holds the latch in the open position.
US08291552B2	Buckle A buckle includes a buckle body with spaced apart wall and a pivot bar extending between the side walls and a handle with a cam member and a pair of support slots. The support slots receive the pivot bar to engage the handle with the body such that the handle can pivot between an open position, in which a strap may be threaded upon the handle, and a closed position, in which tension is applied to the strap threaded upon the handle. The engagement between the support slots and the pivot bar permits the handle to slide relative to the buckle body.
US08291542B2	Stitch bonded multi-surface foam cleaning pad A foam core cleaning element of stitch-bonded construction having a multi-surface operative cleaning face. The cleaning element includes at least one fluid absorbing layer of absorptive polymeric foam. At least a first plurality of yarns extends in discontinuous patterned stitched relation through discrete selected zones of the fluid absorbing layer such that the first plurality of yarns forms a patterned array of first surface loop zones projecting outwardly away from a first side of the fluid absorbing layer in a defined patterned arrangement across the operative cleaning face of the cleaning element. A plurality of stitch-free zones of the polymeric foam define outwardly projecting convex curved surfaces at positions adjacent to the first surface loop zones across the operative cleaning face of the cleaning element.
US08291537B2	Oral hygiene device and method of assembly An oral hygiene device includes a handle and a cleaning head supported on one end of the handle. A vibratory source is supported on the handle and is operative to generate vibratory output. A mounting element is disposed between the handle and the vibratory source. A connecting member extends between the vibratory source and the cleaning head, and is adapted to generate motion at the cleaning head in response to the vibratory output generated at the vibratory source.
US08291536B2	Laundry machine and method for controlling the same A laundry machine and a method for controlling the same are disclosed. A method for controlling a laundry machine includes steps of receiving a selected course selected by a user; and supplying the predetermined small amount of steam (a steam supply amount) into a drum in case that the selected course is a refresh course. Also, a laundry machine includes a course select part for a user selecting a course thereon; and a controller for controlling to supply the predetermined amount of steam (steam supply amount) in case that the selected course is a refresh course. An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry machine of which washing efficiency is improved and wash water and energy are economized. Another object of the present invention is to provide a laundry machine which can remove wrinkles of laundry more efficiently.
US08291531B2	Sleeping pad with pillow formed by bending and temporarily fixing A rectangular sleeping pad includes a plurality of projections on one end; a plurality of through holes each correspondingly adjacent to the projection; a plurality of tongues each correspondingly distal the through hole; and a plurality of units each having a first slot at one side of the tongue and a second slot at the other side of the tongue, whereby partially pulling out the tongues will leave a plurality of spaces, and bending one end of the sleeping pad to insert the projections into the spaces, and inserting the tongues through the through holes will temporarily form a pillow.
US08291529B2	Side push handles for a patient lift A patient lift includes a base with one or more casters supporting the base for movement relative to a support surface. A mast is supported by the base and extends generally upwards. An elongated boom is mounted for pivotal movement relative to the mast and extends in a forward direction. The boom is adapted to support a patient. An actuator is operatively connected to the boom, and the actuator is adapted to be driven to move the boom relative to the mast in order to move the supported patient relative to the support surface. The patient lift also includes a handle assembly mounted to the mast. The handle assembly includes a first side handle that extends to a position on the forward side of the mast.
US08291526B2	Portable and adjustable multipurpose toilet training device A device for facilitating use of a bathroom fixture according to various exemplary embodiments can include at least a first planar body and a second planar body having a pair of opposed legs extending from each planar body defining a first opening and a second opening for receiving and conforming to a configuration of a base of a bathroom fixture. An interlocking element may be interposed between at least the first planar body and the second planar body for interlocking and stacking at least the first and second planar bodies to form a raised platform adjustable to a predetermined height based upon a user's height for facilitating use of the bathroom fixture according to the user's height. A skid-resistance bottom surface may be provided on either the first planar body or the second planar body for securing the raised platform to an underlying surface to prevent movement.
US08291521B2	Adjustable neck protective collar in particular for motorcycle riders A collar for protecting the neck of a user, useful in particular for motorcycle riders, is envisaged, said collar comprising two half-collars which are pivotably hinged together at one end so as to be rotatable in a substantially horizontal plane and which can be connected together by means of a fastening and release lever, a plate which at the rear extends downwards from the bottom edge of the collar so as to be centred with respect to the spinal column of the user, and a protective shield which extends downwards at the front. The collar is provided with removable padding means where the collar rests on the user's shoulders.
US08291519B2	Back support garment apparatus A one-piece back support apparatus comprises a belt portion being configured to provide back and abdominal support encircling a wearer's waist and a compression pants portion. The belt portion has a front portion, a back portion, a top portion, a bottom portion and an inner surface. The compression pants portion secured to the belt is configured to provide support for the wearer's pelvis, legs, and groin area. The inner surface of the belt has one or more pack support portions with slots for receiving one or more gel packs so as to maintain contact between the gel packs and the wearer's back. Slots in the belt portion may accommodate vertically extending inserts of rigid plastic to reinforce the belt portion over the lumbar region of the wearer.
US08296860B2	Atomic force microscopy true shape measurement method An atomic force microscopy (AFM) method includes a scanning probe that scans a surface of a structure to produce a first structure image. The structure is then rotated by 90° with respect to the scanning probe. The scanning probe scans the surface of the structure again to produce a second structure image. The first and second structure images are combined to produce best fit image of the surface area of the structure. The same method is used to produce the best fit image of a flat standard. The best fit image of the flat standard is subtracted from the best fit image of the structure to obtain a true topographical image in which Z direction run out error is substantially reduced or eliminated.
US08296857B2	Scanning probe microscope with current controlled actuator The piezo-electric actuator (1) to oscillate the probe of a scanning probe microscope is arranged in the feedback branch (3) of an analog amplifier (4). A current source (10) is provided for feeding a defined alternating current to the input of the amplifier (4). The amplifier (4) strives to adjust the voltage over the actuator (1) such that the current from the current source (10) flows through the actuator (1). As the current through the actuator (1) is proportional to its deflection, this design allows to run the actuator at constant amplitude without the need of complex feedback loops.
US08296845B2	Integrated circuits including reverse engineering detection using differences in signals An active shield can be configured to receive a test signal, and configured to output a plurality of shield signals, derived from the test signal, via a plurality of signal paths. A compare logic can be configured to compare the test signal with each of the plurality of shield signals to provide at least two comparison signals indicating comparison results and can be configured to output the at least two comparison signals. A detection and decision logic can be configured to determine whether the active shield is subject to attack based on patterns of the at least two comparison signals.
US08296834B2	Secure single-sign-on portal system A computer-implemented portal system facilitates access to secure data and multiple secure-access internet sites. The system authenticates a user based on a single-sign-on identifier (ID) and password. The system stores user authentication information for the secure-access internet sites so that once the user is authenticated, the system can automatically authenticate the user to the sites, thus allowing the user to access multiple secure sites after a single manual authentication.
US08296829B2	Providing certificate matching in a system and method for searching and retrieving certificates A system and method for searching and retrieving certificates, which may be used in the processing of encoded messages. In one broad aspect, certificate identification data that uniquely identifies a certificate associated with a message is generated. The certificate identification data can then be used to determine whether the certificate is stored on a computing device. Only the certificate identification data is needed to facilitate the determination alleviating the need for a user to download the entire message to the computing device in order to make the determination.
US08296822B2	State-updating authorization An authorization system includes an authorization node, a storage device and a reference monitor. The authorization node executes an authorization policy, and the storage device stores an authorization state associated with the authorization policy. Requests for access to a secured resource are received at the reference monitor, and the reference monitor queries the authorization node, which uses the authorization policy to determine whether to grant access to the secured resource based on a rule having at least one access condition. The rule, executed as part of the authorization policy on the authorization node, is configured to update all the entries in the authorization state for which an update condition is met.
US08296820B2	Applying security policies to multiple systems and controlling policy propagation Techniques are disclosed for attaching security policies to secured computing systems. A security policy is attached to a parent domain. The parent domain includes a first secured computing system. The security policy is a natural language description for controlling access to the secured computing system. Upon determining that the parent domain propagates the security policy, a first generation child domain is identified. The first generation child domain includes a second secured computing system. The first generation child domain is associated with the parent domain in a hierarchical relationship. It is determined that the first generation child domain inherits the security policy based on an inheritance rule. The security policy is attached to the first generation child domain.
US08296814B2	Video quality monitoring method, distribution server, and client A video quality monitoring method includes a distribution server measuring first video quality index values according to a full-reference method by comparing a video, distributed from the distribution server to a client through a network, with a degraded video, generated by causing multiple scenarios of quality degradation due to the network in the video in a pseudo manner, creating characteristic data of first quality degradation values, obtained by causing the quality degradation to vary with the scenarios at regular intervals, and the first video quality index values corresponding to the respective scenarios, and transmitting the characteristic data to the client; and the client measuring a second quality degradation value in the video distributed through the network, and calculating a second video quality index value, equivalent to a value according to the full-reference method, of the distributed video from the measured second quality degradation value and the characteristic data.
US08296811B1	Method and apparatus for automatically converting source video into electronic mail messages The invention relates to a method and system for automatically identifying video content within source video and transmitting the video content to an electronic mail client. The transmitted video content can be streaming video, video files, and/or other medium derived from the source video. An enhanced electronic mail client is also disclosed.
US08296805B2	Command description scheme providing for dynamic update of instance documents and their associated schema The present invention provides a method and system for dynamically updating descriptions of AV content, such as MPEG-7 content descriptions. One embodiment provides for a method in which first a server issues a command indicating the type of update to make to the description on a client computer. Specifically, the update may be to add, delete, or change a node in a tree or graph structure describing the AV content. For example, the command may specify an update to an instance document or its associated schema. The server also specifies the location in the description to perform the update, which may be at an absolute or relative address. Next, the server sends the data, if any, to be added or used for the change. Embodiments also provide for steps to check that the update is authorized.
US08296804B2	Non-real time services In certain embodiments, a digital television receiving method that receives non-real time (NRT) content involves receiving a transport stream containing an Internet Protocol (IP) stream of packets containing non-real time content, NRT service metadata and NRT content metadata; at a demultiplexer, demultiplexing the IP stream of packets to produce: NRT content that is stored in the electronic storage medium, NRT service metadata, and NRT content metadata; parsing the NRT metadata to produce NRT service metadata, and NRT content metadata; and where the NRT content metadata contains a signal that indicates that an update is available indicating whether or not a referenced content item will be updated periodically. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
US08296803B2	Program recommendation system, program view terminal, program view program, program view method, program recommendation server, program recommendation program, and program recommendation method An object of the invention is to eliminate a program having a high general preference, and recommend a program customized to a preference of a specific user. A reserved information receiver (230) in a program recommendation server (3) receives reserved information transmitted by a program viewing terminal. A reserved information DB (235) stores the reserved information with respect to each of the users. A community reserved information statistics section (236) defines the users as a first group, based on the received reserved information, and the reserved information stored with respect to each of the users. A total user reserved information statistics section (237) defines the users as a second group including the first group. A recommended program creator (239) generates recommended information customized to the first group, based on an aggregate calculation result of the reserved information of the users belonging to the first group, and an aggregate calculation result of the reserved information of the users belonging to the second group. A recommendation transmitter (240) transmits the recommended information to the program viewing terminal. The program viewing terminal reproduces a program based on the recommended information.
US08296802B2	Interactive program guide systems and processes Interactive program guide systems and related processes are provided which can automatically tune a television, or program a VCR, based on program selections made from program schedule information displayed on a television or other suitable video monitor. The interactive program guide is preferably implemented using a microprocessor-controlled set-top box that is coupled to the viewer's television set. The set-top box receives program schedule information and software from a headend telecasting center. Preferably, program schedule information for the current day and at least six subsequent days is stored in a memory within the set-top box. The interactive program guide provides a display mode for allowing the viewer to apply a restrictive search selection criterion and a nonrestrictive sort attribute to the program schedule information.
US08296797B2	Intelligent video summaries in information access In a method for displaying video data within result presentations in information access or search systems, compressed thumbnails are computed for videos in a result page and applied to the result page. An end user is enabled to select a video in the result page and activate streaming of a video summary within the context of the associated result page.
US08296796B2	Digital broadcasting receiver and a data processing method A digital broadcasting system and a data processing method are disclosed. A data processing method of a digital broadcasting receiver comprises receiving a mobile/handheld (MH) broadcasting signal including mobile service data and main service data; generating RS(Reed-Solomon) frames from the received MH broadcasting signal; extracting ESG (electronic service guide) data from the generated RS frame; extracting SDP (session description protocol) data from the extracted ESG data; checking a port number corresponding to subtitle having reference information, among the extracted SDP data; and controlling the subtitle having reference information using the checked port number so that the subtitle having reference information is displayed.
US08296793B2	System for broadcasting targeted advertisements A system for broadcasting inter-programme and/or intra-programme advertisements to a viewing or listening audience is disclosed. A given advertisement's target audience profile is matched to an obtained real audience profile to dictate not only that certain advertisements shall be broadcast only between and/or during certain programmes but also that certain individual members of, or groups of members within, the programme-receiving audience may receive one advertisement, during and/or between certain programmes, whilst other audience members or member groups receive a different advertisement, in one or more of the same respective advert ‘slots’, whilst watching or listening to the same broadcast.
US08296788B2	Optical disc apparatus A printed circuit board (PCB) is attached on a surface of a tray that is opposed to a chassis main or a bottom plate of a housing. On the tray and in a vicinity of a position where the PCB is disposed, a first protruding portion is formed to protrude toward the chassis main, on which a second protruding portion is formed at a position to be opposed to the first protruding portion. Between the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion is a clearance while the tray is accommodated in the housing. When the tray deforms, the second protruding portion supports the first protruding portion to prevent further deformation of the tray.
US08296770B2	Systems and methods for allocation of hardware resource to tasks accordance with the device-based relative value for each of the field devices The allocation of hardware resources to distribution applications is enabled without using effective task priority available only in field devices. A distribution system makes a plurality of field devices connected with each other through a network (N) operate a plurality of distribution applications (distribution AP) in parallel. The distribution system is provided with an importance adjustment unit (3) that calculates relative values indicative of the task priority in the field devices in accordance with the importance of the distribution AP designated for every distribution AP and a resource allocation unit (13) that allocates the hardware resources of each field device to each of the tasks of which the distribution AP are composed in accordance with the relative values in the field devices calculated by importance adjustment unit (3).
US08296767B1	Defining and measuring skew between coscheduled contexts Management of contexts that execute on a computer system is described. More specifically, context scheduling in a virtual machine environment is described. Times at which a context transitions from a scheduled state to a descheduled state and times at which the context transitions from a descheduled state to a scheduled state are recorded for each context. Skew is detected using the recorded times. The amount of skew can be quantified, and a corrective action is triggered if the amount of skew fails to satisfy a threshold value.
US08296764B2	Internal synchronization control for adaptive integrated circuitry The disclosure describes internal synchronization in adaptive integrated circuitry which utilizes a data flow model for data processing. Task initiation and execution are controlled based upon data consumption measured in data buffer units, with initiation of and transitions between tasks based on a determined boundary condition within the data stream. When a data processing task is selected for synchronization, a boundary condition in a data stream is determined for commencement of the selected data processing task. Then, a timing marker for the commencement of the selected data processing task is determined relative to the data stream. The timing marker is dual-valued, providing a designated buffer unit and a designated byte or bit location within the designated buffer. The timing marker is communicated to the selected data processing task, which then commences data processing at a location in the data stream designated by the timing marker.
US08296760B2	Migrating a virtual machine from a first physical machine in response to receiving a command to lower a power mode of the first physical machine A command is received to place a first physical machine into a lower power mode. The first physical machine has a virtual machine. In response to the received command, a procedure is performed to migrate the virtual machine from the first physical machine to a second physical machine.
US08296752B2	Implementation of in-system programming to update firmware on memory cards Methods and apparatus for efficiently enabling firmware associated with a flash memory card to be updated are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for updating firmware associated with a memory storage device includes providing new firmware to a host and sending the new firmware from the host to a reader which communicates with the host. The reader interfaces with the memory storage device which includes installed firmware. The method also includes sending the new firmware from the reader to the memory storage device, and incorporating the new firmware into the memory storage device such that the new firmware at least partially replaces the installed firmware. In one embodiment, the method further includes embedding the new firmware into a first command. In such an embodiment, sending the new firmware from the host to the reader includes sending the first command from the host to the reader.
US08296750B2	Optimization of a target program A method and apparatus for optimizing a target program including a pattern of instructions to be replaced. The method is performed by execution of program code by a processor of an information processing apparatus that includes an output device and a computer readable storage medium storing the program code. At least one transformation is performed on the target program to generate a transformed target subprogram in which dependencies among the instructions included in the target subprogram are matched with dependencies in the pattern to be replaced. The transformed target subprogram is replaced, with a post-replacement instruction stream determined to correspond to the pattern to be replaced, to generate a replaced target subprogram. An optimized target program that includes the replaced target subprogram is outputted to the output device. The at least one transformation includes a first transformation, a loop transformation, or both the first transformation and the loop transformation.
US08296749B2	Program translation and transactional memory formation Disclosed are methods, machine readable medium and systems that dynamically translate binary programs. The dynamic binary translation may include identifying a hot code trace of a program. The translation may further include determining a completion ratio for the hot code trace. The translation may also include packaging the hot code trace into a transactional memory region in response to the completion ratio having a predetermined relationship to a threshold ratio.
US08296747B2	Method for optimizing character string output processing A system acquires an output program for sequentially executing a plurality of character string output instructions, and thereby for outputting a text in which a plurality of output character strings are combined. The system converts the character code set of the character string constants, which is outputted by at least one of the character string output instructions, from a first code set for internal processing to a second code set for output, before the output program is executed. In addition, the system buffers the values of two or more character string variables to be outputted by two or more of the character string output instructions without converting the character code set from the first code set, during the execution of the output program.
US08296742B2	Automatic native generation Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for automatically generating native images for a virtual machine environment. A virtual machine environment is provided where application libraries are distributed in an intermediate language format and then compiled at a later point in time. An automatic native generation service is provided that monitors the application libraries and generates a native image for a particular one or more of the application libraries when the service determines that native generation is appropriate. Invalid native images are automatically detected and re-generated. If a load attempt for a particular native image is unsuccessful, then the native image is determined to be invalid. The particular native image is then re-generated automatically.
US08296740B2	Annotating system traces with control program information and presenting annotated system traces The signal state that a signal of interest within a system under test has during each of a plurality of cycles of operation of the system under test is stored in a trace file. In association with the signal state, information regarding a requested access to the signal state by a control program during a particular cycle among the plurality of cycles is also stored. From the trace files a presentation is generated that presents, for at least a signal of interest within the system under test, a plurality of signal state indications, each indicating a respective state that the signal had during a one of a plurality of cycles of operation of the system under test. The presentation also indicates, in a graphically distinctive manner, at least one cycle of operation during which a control program requested access to a state of the signal, so that the influence of the control program on the state of the system under test is visually apparent.
US08296736B2	Automated business process testing that spans multiple platforms or applications A system and method for automated software testing includes defining a data model of an automated software test for a feature or business process being tested and then identifying an address for a function library at a local or remote location for executing the data model of the automated software test based upon the platform of the application. This identified function library is accessed at the address at the local or remote location so that an execution of a function within the function library may be invoked to obtain results therefrom.
US08296729B2	Plug-in for adapting an integrated development environment to a programming language A system features a back-end computing system that includes a library that contains objects for use with a computer programming language, and a front-end computing system that executes a development environment. The development environment includes a plug-in that supports the computer programming language, and the plug-in enables access to the library. The plug-in includes a first component to perform syntax checking for the computer programming language in the integrated development environment, and a second component to provide access to the library from the integrated development environment.
US08296726B2	Representation of software application functionality A plurality of functional steps corresponding to a functional module of a software application may be determined. Data fields associated with each of the functional steps may be determined. A cardinality associated with each functional step and corresponding to the data fields of the functional step may be determined. A logical sequence of the functional steps including data fields may be determined. A visual representation of the functional module based on the logical sequence may be generated including the functional steps, data fields and cardinality.
US08296721B2	Template-based software development A computer-implemented method for software development includes selecting a pre-defined software pattern, the pre-defined software pattern having one or more pre-defined elements, identifying one or more of the pre-defined elements to be modified, obtaining one or more behavioral models, each of the behavioral models specifying a functional behavior for at least one of the identified elements, ascertaining a modification required for each of the identified elements to provide the specified functional behavior, and incorporating the modification into an instance of the software pattern.
US08296719B2	Software factory readiness review A computer-implemented method, system, and computer-readable medium for determining if a software factory is ready to take on a software project is presented. In a preferred embodiment, the computer-implemented method includes the steps of: receiving a software project proposal including a custom software description describing a specific project type of the software project; determining, by a computer processor, that the software project proposal is qualified for acceptance by a software factory, utilizing a scorecard for the specific project type, wherein the scorecard provides a maturity assessment of resources required and identifies any potential choke-points for the specific project type; and in response to a determination that the software project proposal is qualified for acceptance by the software factory, the software factory undertaking the software project proposal.
US08296717B1	Method and system for implementing inherited connections for electronics designs Disclosed are improved methods, systems, and computer program products for implementing inherited connections for electronic designs. Scoped default connection or global nets are used in inherited connections for default expressions, where the default connection/global net that is applied to a particular portion of the design is scoped by being limited in its application only to certain hierarchical portions of the design.
US08296715B2	Wiring design assisting apparatus, wiring design assisting method, and computer-readable information recording medium A wiring design assisting apparatus includes an input part that has attribute information of a wiring pattern input thereto; a degradation degree process part that obtains a degradation degree in signal characteristics of a wiring pattern corresponding to attribute information that is input to the input part, based on position information of the wiring pattern corresponding to the attribute information input to the input part, position information and size information of a pattern removed area, and the degradation degree information; and an extracting process part that extracts, for re-wiring, wiring patterns that have degradation degrees equal to or more than a predetermined degree, from wiring patterns for which degradation degrees have been obtained by the degradation degree process part.
US08296707B2	Implementing spare latch placement quality determination A method, system and computer program product are provided for implementing spare latch placement quality (SLPQ) determination in a floor plan design of an integrated circuit chip. A spare latch placement quality (SLPQ) metric data function is defined and compared to a spare latch placement input with a series of calculations performed. The spare latch placement quality (SLPQ) determination is made based upon the compared SLPQ metric data function and the spare latch placement input. Then associated reports including textual and visual reports are generated responsive to the SLPQ determination. In addition, a new spare latch placement can be constructed with an algorithm responsive to the SLPQ determination.
US08296706B2	Handling two-dimensional constraints in integrated circuit layout A computer-implemented method for handling a plurality of constraints in layout optimization for an integrated circuit (IC) layout is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes building a graph representing the plurality of constraints; marking two-dimensional constraints in the plurality of constraints; generating two-dimensional clusters including groups of the two-dimensional constraints; handling at least one of the two-dimensional clusters, the handling including finding a solution for the two-dimensional constraints in the at least one two-dimensional cluster; repeating the handling for any unprocessed two-dimensional clusters until all of the two-dimensional clusters are handled; and adopting the solution for each of the two-dimensional clusters to solve at least a portion of the plurality of constraints including the two-dimensional clusters.
US08296701B2	Method for designing a semiconductor device based on leakage current estimation A method of designing a semiconductor device includes preparing a first design for a semiconductor device and estimating leakage current for the first design. The method also includes determining a leakage current cumulative distribution function (CDF) for the first design. The method further includes preparing a second design for the semiconductor device based on determination of the leakage current CDF for the first design. Further, the method includes estimating leakage current for the second design. The method also includes determining a leakage current CDF for the second design in accordance to the determination of the leakage current CDF for the first design. Moreover, the method includes selecting one of the first design and the second design based on a comparison of the leakage current CDF for the first design and the leakage CDF for the second design.
US08296698B2	High-speed SRAM A method includes a) receiving a design for a static random access memory (SRAM) array including an SRAM cell having a read port cell, the read port cell including first and second MOS transistors each having an initial threshold voltage (Vth); b) adjusting one of a gate channel width (Wg) or a gate channel length (Lg) of one of the first and second MOS transistors to modify the Vth of at least one of the first and second MOS transistors; c) simulating a response of the SRAM array, the simulation providing response data for the SRAM array including the Vth for the first and second MOS transistors; and d) iteratively repeating steps b) and c) until a desired Vth is achieved.
US08296694B1	System and method for automated synthesis of circuit wrappers Various embodiments of the present invention provide for automated synthesizing of a circuit wrapper for an integrated circuit element. Specifically, some embodiments of the invention provide computer-aided design (CAD) support for automated circuit wrapper generation, especially circuit test wrappers. Additionally, various embodiments of the invention result in optimally designed and segmented circuit wrappers that are configured for both parallel instruction mode and serial instruction mode.
US08296689B1	Customizing metal pattern density in die-stacking applications Method, apparatus, and computer readable medium for designing an integrated circuit (IC) are described. In some examples, layout data describing conductive layers of the integrated circuit is obtained. The layout data is analyzed to identify through die via (TDV) areas. A metal fill pattern is created for each of the TDV areas having a maximum metal density within design rules for the integrated circuit. The metal fill pattern for each of the TDV areas is merged with the layout data.
US08296686B1	Portable prompting aid for the developmentally disabled An aid for developmentally disabled individuals takes the form of a mobile terminal having software capable of creating graphical schedules, graphical countdown timers, and graphical choice selections. A caregiver may dynamically program and save schedules which present a graphical sequence of events to the disabled individual to assist the disabled individual in adjusting the changing events of the day. Likewise, the countdown timer may assist the individual in preparing for an upcoming transition in environment or activity. Still further, the graphical choice selections may help a nonverbal individual express themselves to a caregiver.
US08296673B2	Collapsible tabbed user interface A tab-based collapsible user interface includes selectable user interface tabs, a ribbon area, and an editing surface. When a browse tab is selected, the ribbon area displays information and does not include any user interface controls for performing commands. When the browse tab is selected, a vertical scroll bar is displayed adjacent to the ribbon area and the editing surface. When the vertical scroll bar is used, the ribbon area and the editing surface are both scrolled. When a page tab or a contextual tab is selected, the ribbon area displays user interface controls for performing commands. When a page tab or a contextual tab is selected, a vertical scroll bar is displayed adjacent to the editing surface but not adjacent to the ribbon area. When the vertical scroll bar is used, the contents of the editing surface are scrolled but the ribbon area is not scrolled.
US08296672B2	System for visualizing a community activity and a method thereof Disclosed is a system and method for visualizing a visitor's activity in a community such as a cafe, homepage, blog, miniroom, or mini-homepage, and the like, which are established in web sites on the Internet. The method includes the steps of: a) by a visitor, accessing the community and selecting a community activity visualizing item prepared in the community; b) by the visitor, selecting one of a plurality of blocks forming an image of the community activity visualizing item; c) by the visitor, leaving a visitor log in a text input window corresponding to the selected block; and d) storing data in which the visit log is recorded and updating the community activity visualizing item. According to the present invention, by visually providing community activity visualizing items, which are contents allowing community visitors to dynamically participate in the community, a plurality of visitors can be attracted to participate in the community, the extent of participation of the visitors in the community increases, and re-visit of the visitors to the community can be promoted.
US08296671B2	Enabling access to rich data by intercepting paste operations Systems and methods for enabling access to data, including data represented using a variety of “richer” data formats, are disclosed. Such systems and methods may be useful, among a variety of cases, with applications or entities that may not typically be able to access such richer data. In at least some implementations, data copied to a clipboard and formatted using a variety of formats may be provided or accessed by a destination application as part of a paste operation even when the destination application may not natively provide the ability to access all of the data formats that might exist on a clipboard. In at least some implementations, such access may be provided without modifying or augmenting the data placed on the clipboard.
US08296665B2	Developing and executing applications with configurable patterns Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing techniques for developing user interface applications using configurable patterns and for executing such pattern-based applications. The techniques include receiving an identification of a pattern, generating configuration data for the pattern, and storing the configuration data separately from the pattern. The pattern includes a predefined arrangement of user interface elements and specifies predefined actions that can be performed using the user interface elements. The configuration data specifies associations between one or more of the user interface elements and one or more entities in a back-end system, and further specifies customization data for the user interface elements.
US08296659B1	Method for distinguishing a live actor from an automation A computer-implemented method is presented for distinguishing a live actor from an automation. The method includes receiving, from a user, a request to access a service, and, in response presenting to the user a minority set of N objects and a majority set of >N objects that share at least one common attribute expected to be apparent to a human observer absent among objects associated with the minority set. The method also includes requesting, from the user, to identify at least one object, from among the objects associated with the minority or majority set, that satisfies a predetermined criterion and receiving, from the user, an indication of a selection of at least one object. The method further includes determining whether the user-selected object satisfies the predetermined criterion and determining that the user is a human upon determining that the user-selected object satisfies the predetermined criterion.
US08296658B2	Generator for personalization of electronic devices A graphical user interface includes a primary color palette including a first plurality of colors and a secondary color palette including a second plurality of colors. A first color is defined as a primary color and a second color is defined as a secondary color. The secondary color is different from the primary color. The graphical user interface also includes a plurality of styles, with a style defined as an initial style. The graphical user interface further includes an intensity scale ranging from a minimum intensity value to a maximum intensity value. An indicator is positioned in association with an initial intensity value. Moreover, the graphical user interface includes a display tile including an initial pattern that is displayed based on the primary color, the secondary color, and the initial style and a subsequent pattern that is modified from the initial pattern based on the initial intensity value.
US08296649B2	Method, graphical interface and computer-readable medium for generating a preview of a reformatted preview segment A method, graphical interface and computer-readable medium for generating a preview of a reformatted preview segment of a selected input file. A preview pane is displayed in a single window and includes preview controls including a file timeline indicator configured to graphically depict a length of a selected input file. Preview in and out markers are displayed and configured to define a preview segment of the selected input file. The preview segment is reformatted into a reformatted preview segment according to the reformatting process associated with the selected input file. The reformatted preview segment is displayed in the preview pane.
US08296648B2	Method and system for displaying variable shaped products on a computer display A computerized system, method, and computer-readable media implementing a method for defining a variable shaped document for web viewing is presented. Markup language descriptions are defined for cutlines defining a shape of an item to be produced, and for content to be displayed on the item within the boundaries of the cutlines. Markup language rules area defined that prevent display of content in areas on a display screen outside the defined shape of the item to be produced.
US08296647B1	Reviewing and editing word processing documents Methods and systems, including computer program products, implementing techniques for reviewing and editing word processing documents. The techniques include receiving from a reviewer one or more comments about a word processing document, receiving from an editor one or more changes to the word processing document, and classifying each change under one of the comments. The techniques can further include selecting a subset of the comments and presenting the word processing document so that the changes that are classified under the selected comments are distinguishable from the changes that are not classified under the selected comments.
US08296645B2	Jump destination site determination method and apparatus, recording medium with jump destination site determination program recorded thereon A jump destination site determination method and system determine a site which is a jump destination of a hyperlink selected in a terminal apparatus. The system and method include receiving a jump destination distribution ratio representing a ratio of jumping to each of a plurality of sites storing same contents, which varies over time, and contents including a hyperlink to which the jump destination distribution ratio is correlated, judging whether a time period elapsing from a time the contents are received until a time the hyperlink included in the contents is selected is equal to or longer than a predetermined time period, and acquiring a jump destination distribution ratio effective at a point in time at which the hyperlink is selected from the server responsive to determining that the time period elapsed is equal to or longer than the predetermined time period.
US08296642B2	Signal judgement circuit, integrated circuit device and electronic equipment A signal judgement circuit making a judgement on a signal includes: an error signal generation circuit receiving signals via at least four signal lines and outputting an error signal when, of all the received signals, the number of signals taking on a same value does not exceed half of the number of the received signals; and an output selection circuit selecting any one of the received signals and outputting the selected signal.
US08296639B2	Method and apparatus for detecting communication errors on a bus A semiconductor memory includes multi-mode reporting signals, a state register, and parity detectors. The parity detector determines whether signals received on a communication bus contain a desired parity. The multi-mode reporting signals enable reporting of communication faults without adding additional signals to the semiconductor memory by being configured in a normal operating mode or a parity fault mode for reporting communication faults to an external memory controller. The state register enables storing of received values from the communication bus. With the state register, a memory controller may determine correctly received signal patterns and failing signal patterns. Parity may be defined as even or odd and may be generated based on various signal configurations. The invention may be configured as a computing system comprising a processor, an input device, an output device, the memory controller, and at least one semiconductor memory.
US08296631B2	Power reception optimization method, and associated apparatus, for operating upon an encoded data block Apparatus, and an associated method, for recovering the informational content of an encoded data block. Data bursts are delivered to a receiver. A series of data bursts together include all of the informational content of the encoded data block. A detector detects delivery to the receiver of the data bursts. A determiner determines indicia associated with the communicated data. And, responsive thereto, the data is decoded, selectably utilizing fewer than all of the data bursts that form the encoded data block.
US08296629B2	RDS compatible receiver and RDS data receiving method An RDS compatible receiver has a demodulator which demodulates RDS data, a register which converts the demodulated RDS data to block data and outputs the block data, an offset generating unit which predicts and outputs an offset word of the block data based on values of a pattern match flag signal and a synchronization flag signal, an error correction processing unit which performs error correction of the block data using the predicted offset word, compares the number of error corrections with a predetermined correction threshold, determines whether the predicted offset word is right or not based on the comparison result, and outputs the pattern match flag signal based on the determination result, and a synchronization determining unit which detects whether or not the predicted offset word determined to be right matches a predetermined offset sequence pattern, determines whether RDS block synchronization is established or not, and outputs the synchronization flag signal based on the determination result.
US08296623B2	Codes for limited magnitude asymmetric errors in flash memories Error correction is tailored for the use of an ECC for correcting asymmetric errors with low magnitude in a data device, with minimal modifications to the conventional data device architecture. The technique permits error correction and data recovery to be performed with reduced-size error correcting code alphabets. For particular cases, the technique can reduce the problem of constructing codes for correcting limited magnitude asymmetric errors to the problem of constructing codes for symmetric errors over small alphabets. Also described are speed up techniques for reaching target data levels more quickly, using more aggressive memory programming operations.
US08296622B2	Programmable LDPC code decoder and decoding method thereof A programmable LDPC (Low-Density Parity-Check) code decoder and decoding method thereof is disclosed. By combining at least one programmable switch and at least one memory unit to decode any quasi-cyclic-based parity check matrix, one can set the switch state of the programmable switch to dynamically adjust the size of the decoding matrix and determine the locations of 1's and 0's in the decoding matrix. The mechanism helps improving the usability and flexibility of the decoding matrix.
US08296619B2	Method and apparatus for indicating a temporary block flow to which a piggybacked ACK/NACK field is addressed A method and an apparatus for indicating a temporary block flow (TBF) to which a piggybacked acknowledgement/non-acknowledgement (PAN) field is addressed. A method and apparatus of performing receive processing to reduce the probability of false acceptance of erroneous PANs are also disclosed. A transmit station generates a PAN check sequence (PCS) and performs a channel coding on a PAN field and the PCS. The transmit station scrambles the encoded bits of the PAN field and the PCS with a TBF-specific scrambling code. Because of the scrambling, the PCS decoding at a receive station will pass if the data block is received by an intended receive station, while the PCS decoding will fail if received by a non-intended receive station. Alternatively, the scrambling may be performed before the channel coding. Alternatively, the transmit station may combine the PAN field and a temporary flow identity (TFI) to generate a PCS.
US08296618B2	Parity check matrix generation method, data transmission system, encoding device, decoding device, and a parity check matrix generation program A method is disclosed that allows the easy generation of low-density parity-check codes that can realize superior error-correcting characteristics. A processor of a transmission line encoder constructs parity check matrix H from partial matrix H1 of m rows and k columns on the left side and partial matrix H2 of m rows and m columns on the right side. The processor generates partial matrix H2 as a unit matrix. The processor generates partial matrix H1 to satisfy the conditions that, when any two rows contained in partial matrix H1 are selected, the two rows have periods that are relatively prime, or when the periods are identical, the two rows have different phases. The processor then joins partial matrix H1 and partial matrix H2 to generate parity check matrix H.
US08296614B2	Moving data through test control register with state machine states Functional circuits and cores of circuits are tested on integrated circuits using scan paths. Using parallel scan distributor and collector circuits for these scan paths improves test access of circuits and cores embedded within ICs and reduces the IC's power consumption during scan testing. A controller for the distributor and collector circuits includes a test control register, a test control state machine and a multiplexer. These test circuits can be connected in a hierarchy or in parallel. A conventional test access port or TAP can be modified to work with the disclosed test circuits.
US08296610B2	Semiconductor memory device and method for testing the same A semiconductor memory device includes an alignment unit configured to align data received from the outside, a plurality of data input/output lines corresponding to the aligned data, respectively and a realignment unit configured to change correspondence between the data and the data input/output lines in response to one or more change signals in a test mode. A method for testing the semiconductor memory device includes inputting data in series using a testing apparatus, aligning the serial data in parallel, and realigning the parallel data in response to one or more change signals.
US08296605B2	Systems and methods for correcting software errors Systems and methods consistent with the invention may include receiving an indication that a software error was detected during operation of the application program, generating an error message based on the software error, the error message including an error signature, comparing the error signature with information stored in a patch library database to identify a corresponding correction patch, and correcting, when the corresponding correction patch is identified, the software error by applying the corresponding correction patch.
US08296602B2	Processor and method of controlling execution of processes A processor includes a plurality of processing sections, each of which executes a predetermined process. A plurality of fault detecting circuits are respectively provided for the plurality of processing sections, to detect a fault in one of the plurality of processing sections as a fault processing section to generate a fault detection signal. A fault monitoring and control section controls a normal processing section as at least one of the plurality of processing sections other than the fault processing section to execute a relieving process in response to the fault detection signal. The relieving process is determined based on a process load of the fault processing section, a process load of the normal processing section, and priority levels of processes to be executed by the fault processing section and the normal processing section.
US08296600B2	SVC cluster configuration node failover system and method Methods, systems, and computer programs are provided for failover responses to configuration node failures in SVC clusters. An SVC cluster manages a plurality of storage devices and includes a plurality of SVCs interconnected via a network, each SVC acting as a separate node. A new configuration node is activated in response to configuration node failures. The new configuration node retrieves client subscription information about events occurring in storage devices managed by the SVC cluster from the storage devices. In response to events occurring in the storage device managed by the SVC cluster, the new configuration node obtains storage device event information from a storage device event monitoring unit. The new configuration node sends storage device events to clients who have subscribed to this information according to subscription information obtained. The storage device is not installed in the original configuration node. This method allows complete transparency of the configuration node failover process to clients.
US08296593B2	Host apparatus and information processing system using the same In an information processing system, a host apparatus and a device are communicatively connected such that the host apparatus serves as a master and the device serves as a slave. The device is configured to establish a power-saving mode, when any command is not received from the host apparatus for a prescribed time period. A device driver is provided in the host apparatus. The device driver is configured to transit from a normal state to a suspended state when an operation command for operating the device is not received from an application running in the host apparatus for a prescribed time period, and to transmit a dummy response to the application, when an inquiry command is received from the application while the device driver is placed in the suspended state, without notifying the inquiry command to the device.
US08296589B2	Power supply circuit for CPU A power supply circuit includes a PWM controller capable of providing pulse signals to a CPU, and an I/O controller electrically coupled to the PWM controller and the CPU respectively. The I/O controller is capable of receiving voltage selection signals from the CPU and outputting a control signal to the PWM controller. The PWM controller is capable of adjusting pulse signals provided to the CPU according to the control signal.
US08296587B2	Powering an electrical device through a legacy adapter capable of digital communication A legacy adapter for use with devices to be powered by a power adapter is described. The legacy adapter includes a multi-purpose power connector configured to couple to a power adapter external to the electrical device, a connector configured to connect the electrical device, and a microprocessor configured to communicate digitally with the power adapter. The microprocessor communicates power requirements of the electrical device to the power adapter through the multi-purpose power connector. A related method of receiving power from a power adapter external to an electrical device through a legacy adapter is also described.
US08296584B2	Storage and retrieval of encrypted data blocks with in-line message authentication codes Techniques are disclosed for in-line storage of message authentication codes with respective encrypted data blocks. In one aspect, a given data block is encrypted and a message authentication code is generated for the encrypted data block. A target address is determined for storage of the encrypted data block in a memory. The target address is then modified to permit in-line storage of the message authentication code with the encrypted data block in the memory, and the encrypted data block and the message authentication code are transferred to the memory for storage at the modified address. Illustrative embodiments of the techniques advantageously facilitate secure off-chip storage of data in a processing system.
US08296579B2	System and method for updating a basic input/output system (BIOS) There is provided a system and method for updating a basic input output system (BIOS). An exemplary method comprises obtaining a BIOS update package comprising a BIOS image update, a BIOS Signature, and a plurality of Public Key regions, wherein each Public Key region comprises a Public Key area and a signature area. The exemplary method also comprises updating a current Public Key with a new Public Key if the new Public Key is identified in one of the Public Key regions. The exemplary method additionally comprises validating the BIOS Signature using the current Public Key.
US08296578B1	Method and apparatus for communicating data between stacked integrated circuits Method and apparatus for communicating data between vertically stacked integrated circuits is described. In some examples, a method of configuring an integrated circuit which is a first die includes obtaining configuration data at configuration resources of the integrated circuit from a non-volatile memory on a second die through an integration tile of the integrated circuit, the second die being vertically stacked on the first die; storing the configuration data in at least one register as the configuration data is obtained by the configuration resources; and loading the configuration data from the at least one register to a configuration memory of the integrated circuit to configure programmable resources of the integrated circuit.
US08296572B2	Projector system A projector system includes an information processing apparatus and a projector. The projector includes a device connection unit which enables communication between the information processing apparatus and the projector, a password generating unit which generates a password, and an encryption unit which encrypts the password and outputs the encrypted password to the information processing apparatus through the device connection unit. The information processing apparatus includes a device connection unit which enables communication between the projector and the information processing apparatus, a decryption unit which decrypts the encrypted password input through the device connection unit of the information processing apparatus using a decryption key, and a password determining unit which has functions of determining whether the decrypted decryption password is correct and outputting a signal directing to start the process for projection to be performed by the information processing apparatus in a case where the decrypted password is correct.
US08296571B2	Export control for a GNSS receiver Embodiments of the present invention recite a method and system for implementing export control for a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver. In one embodiment, a GNSS receiver is used to determine the geographic position of an electronic device. It is then determined that the geographic region corresponds to an exclusion zone. In response to determining that the geographic region corresponds to the exclusion zone, accessing data from the electronic device is prevented.
US08296569B2	Content protection interoperability infrastructure Interoperability of protected content items between computing devices is facilitated by providing content items having a standard representation, and media players having support for the content item representations. The representation of the content item may be limited by a profile as to the elements it contains. The elements allowed in the content item may also be limited.
US08296566B2	Method for session key derivation in an IC card A key session derivation is provided during a mutual authentication between a master IC card storing a master key, and a user IC card storing a key-seed. The master IC card and the user IC card are connected through a communication interface for a communication session. A first random number associated to the user IC card is generated. First and second sub keys are derived from the key-seed. First and second session sub keys are respectively derived through the first sub key in combination with the first random number, and through the second sub key in combination with the first random number. The first and second session sub keys are joined in at least a session key for the communication session.
US08296560B2	Method and apparatus for restricting address resolution protocol table updates Techniques for restricting Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) table updates to updates originating from authorized subsystems is disclosed. According to an embodiment, an instruction to update an ARP table is received. It is determined whether a command interface from which the instruction originated is authorized. If the command interface is authorized, then the ARP table is updated based on the instruction. According to an embodiment, a DHCP Server may be configured to send an instruction to update an ARP table upon receiving a DHCP message indicating a network layer address that is not bound with a data link layer address. The DHCP Server may send the instruction over an authorized command interface, or be in other ways authorized to update the ARP table.
US08296557B1	Providing multiple selectable configuration sources for programmable integrated circuits with fail safe mechanism Within a system comprising a programmable integrated circuit (IC), a method can include storing a first configuration within the system in a read-only memory that is independent of the programmable IC. The programmable IC, being loaded with the first configuration, comprises a circuit that accesses a data source external to the system over a communication link. A second configuration can be downloaded by the programmable IC from the data source. The second configuration can be stored within a random access memory within the system that is independent of the programmable IC. Responsive to a reconfiguration event, the programmable IC can be loaded with the second configuration from the random access memory.
US08296554B2	Pre-boot recovery of a locked computer system Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, apparatuses, articles, and removable storage devices for pre-boot recovery of a locked computer system. In one instance, the method includes determining on pre-boot whether a removable storage device is attached to a computer system, determining whether the computer system is in a locked state and, if the removable storage device is detected, transferring control to a pre-boot authentication module (PBA) stored on the removable storage device to interact with a manageability engine to restore the computer system from the locked state to an unlocked state. If the removable storage device is not detected, the computer system shuts down if the system is determined to be in the locked state and no other PBA is detected. The computer system comprises a host operating environment and a manageability engine that operates independent of the host operating environment. Other embodiments may also be described and claimed.
US08296546B2	Synchronizing a translation lookaside buffer with an extended paging table A processor including logic to execute an instruction to synchronize a mapping from a physical address of a guest of a virtualization based system (guest physical address) to a physical address of the host of the virtualization based system (host physical address), and stored in a translation lookaside buffer (TLB), with a corresponding mapping stored in an extended paging table (EPT) of the virtualization based system.
US08296544B2	Storage capacity management system in dynamic area provisioning storage Provided is a capacity monitoring method used for a computer system including one or more application computers, one or more storage systems, and a management computer. The storage system includes a physical disk and a disk controller. In the capacity monitoring method, a storage area of the physical disk belongs to a storage pool, the storage system provides a volume, and the management computer monitors a used capacity of the storage pool, judges whether or not a storage capacity required for operating the application computer for a predetermined time period is present in the storage pool based upon an increasing speed of the used capacity of the storage pool to be monitored, and executes a predetermined process operation when the storage capacity required for operating the application computer for the predetermined time period is not present in the storage pool. Accordingly, the storage pool is properly operated and managed.
US08296540B2	Method and apparatus for adjusting the performance of a synchronous memory system A method and apparatus for adjusting the performance of a memory system is provided. A memory system comprises a master device and a slave device. A memory channel couples the master device to the slave device such that the slave device receives the system operating information from the master device via the memory channel. The slave device further includes tuning circuitry within the slave device such that the performance of the memory system is improved.
US08296539B2	Method and apparatus for performing wear leveling in memory A method for performing wear leveling in a memory, and an apparatus corresponding to the method, is provided. The method includes: dividing the lifecycle of the memory which includes more than one physical blocks into at least one sampling interval; for each sampling interval, getting the first physical block by taking statistics of the degree of the wear leveling of each physical block in the memory in the current sampling interval; getting the second physical block by taking statistics of the updating times of each logical address in the current sampling interval; exchanging the logical addresses and data of the first physical block and the second physical block.
US08296534B1	Techniques for using flash-based memory in recovery processing Described are techniques for performing recovery processing in a data storage system. A providing a flash-based memory is provided with includes cached write data that has not been destaged to a data storage device. It is determined whether said flash-based memory has a threshold amount of storage available thereon. If the flash-based memory does not have the threshold amount of storage available thereon, portions of the cache write data are destaged until said flash-based memory has a threshold amount of storage available thereon. Received data requests are processed in accordance with a first policy different from a second policy used in connection with processing received data requests if said flash-based memory has a threshold amount of storage available thereon.
US08296533B2	Method and system for deleting low-load allocated virtual server resources In the environment of a virtual server, there is a problem in that the contents in a disk area released correspondingly with the deletion of the virtual server may be read. According to the present invention, in a virtual computer system controlling a disk volume and a virtual server which is connected to the disk volume, to which the area of the disk volume is allocated as a virtual disk and which executes a process using the allocated virtual disk, the virtual computer system erases information stored in the virtual disk allocated to the virtual server to be deleted correspondingly with the deletion of the virtual server. According to another embodiment of the present invention, an administrative serve is provided to select a server system which is low in load from among plural server systems controlling virtual servers as a server system for erasing information stored in the virtual disk allocated to the virtual server to be deleted.
US08296526B2	Shared memory having multiple access configurations An apparatus includes a first processor that accesses memory according to a first clock frequency, a second processor that accesses memory according to a second clock frequency, and a memory device is configurable to selectively operate according to the first clock frequency or the second clock frequency. A memory controller enables dynamic configuration of organization of the memory device to allow a first portion of the memory device to be accessed by the first processor according to the first clock frequency and a second portion of the memory device to be accessed by the second processor according to the second clock frequency.
US08296518B2	Arithmetic processing apparatus and method An apparatus includes a TLB storing a part of a TSB area included in a memory accessed by the apparatus. The TSB area stores an address translation pair for translating a virtual address into a physical address. The apparatus further includes a cache memory that temporarily stores the pair; a storing unit that stores a starting physical address of the pair stored in the memory unit; a calculating unit that calculates, based on the starting physical address and a virtual address to be converted, a TSB pointer used in obtaining from the TSB area a corresponding address translation pair corresponding to the virtual address to be converted; and an obtaining unit that obtains the corresponding pair from the TSB area using the TSB pointer calculated and stores the corresponding pair in the cache memory, if the corresponding pair is not retrieved from the TLB or the cache memory.
US08296517B2	Database operation-aware striping technique A method, device, and computer readable medium for striping rows of data across logical units of storage with an affinity for columns is provided. Alternately, a method, device, and computer readable medium for striping columns of data across logical units of storage with an affinity for rows is provided. When data of a logical slice is requested, a mapping may provide information for determining which logical unit is likely to store the logical slice. In one embodiment, data is retrieved from logical units that are predicted to store the logical slice. In another embodiment, data is retrieved from several logical units, and the data not mapped to the logical unit is removed from the retrieved data.
US08296516B2	Storage controller for mirroring data written to cache memory area A first controller has a first CM area having a plurality of first sub-areas, and a second controller has a second CM area having a plurality of second sub-areas. The first controller stores first data in any of the first sub-areas, and in addition, stores a mirror of the first data (first mirror data) in any of the second sub-areas. The first controller manages a pair (an association relationship) of the storage-destination first sub-area of the first data and the storage-destination second sub-area of the first mirror data. Similarly, the second controller stores second data in any of the second sub-areas, and in addition, stores a mirror of the second data (second mirror data) in any of the first sub-areas. The second controller manages a pair (an association relationship) of the storage-destination second sub-area of the second data and the storage-destination first sub-area of the second mirror data.
US08296510B2	Hybrid memory management Methods and apparatus for managing data storage in hybrid memory devices utilizing single level and multi level memory cells. Logical addresses can be distributed between single level and multilevel memory cells based on a frequency of write operations performed. Initial storage of data corresponding to a logical address in memory can be determined by various methods including initially writing all data to single level memory or initially writing all data to multilevel memory. Other methods permit a host to direct logical address writes to single level or multilevel memory cells based on anticipated usage.
US08296507B2	Memory management and writing method and rewritable non-volatile memory controller and storage system using the same A memory management and writing method for managing a plurality of physical units of a memory chip is provided. The present method includes grouping the physical units into a first physical unit group and a second physical unit group, recording and calculating a first erase count of the first physical unit group and a second erase count of the second physical unit group, and calculating an erase count difference between the first erase count and the second erase count. The present method also includes determining whether the erase count difference is larger than an erase count difference threshold when a write command is received. The method further includes executing a switched writing procedure to write data corresponding to the write command into the memory chip when the erase count difference is larger than the erase count difference threshold. Thereby, the lifespan of the memory chip is effectively prolonged.
US08296503B2	Data updating and recovering methods for a non-volatile memory array Methods for updating and recovering user data of a non-volatile memory array such as a flash memory are disclosed. An indication for indicating a mapping relationship for a logical address is established when original user data of the logical addresses is updated into new user data. The indication records new pointers, which record the mapping relationships between logical addresses and physical addresses storing the new user data of the logical addresses. Alternatively, the indication records memory positions of the non-volatile memory array which are defined as designated memory positions and a sequence for using these designated memory positions.
US08296498B2	Method and system for virtual fast access non-volatile RAM A method of writing data to a non-volatile memory with minimum units of erase of a block, a page being a unit of programming of a block, may read a page of stored data addressable in a first increment of address from the memory into a page buffer, the page of stored data comprising an allocated data space addressable in a second increment of address, pointed to by an address pointer, and comprising obsolete data. The first increment of address is greater than the second increment of address. A portion of stored data in the page buffer may be updated with the data to form an updated page of data. Storage space for the updated page of data may be allocated. The updated page of data may be written to the allocated storage space. The address pointer may be updated with a location of the allocated storage space.
US08296497B2	Self-updating memory controller A system and method of making a firmware self updatable depending on option information stored in a configuration module. The configuration module can either be in a memory device or a memory controller. The self-updation flexibility can be achieved by customizing the options as per the customer's requirements and can be done either through an USB interface or by pre-programming the configuration module or any other communication or programming options. The option information is provided by using a configurable module inside either the memory or the memory controller. After the basic initialization operations, the firmware reads the option information from the controller itself or any other non-volatile memory and performs the tasks to enhance the overall performance.
US08296495B2	Using an add-on storage device for extending the storage capacity of a storage device in a host device A storage device with a memory, a controller, a storage device interface and a host interface, and a method of data transfer to and from a storage device are provided. The storage device is operative to connect with a host device and the storage device interface is operative to couple with an add-on memory. When the host interface is connected to a host device, the controller is configured to receive a data transfer command specifying a memory address from the host interface; and if the memory address is beyond the address space of the memory, to route the data transfer command to the storage device interface for access to the add-on memory. The address space of the memory and an address space of the add-on memory are addressed as one integral address space transparently to the host.
US08296487B1	SATA pass through port A first storage controller includes a first memory controller, a first interface controller, and a second interface controller. The first memory controller is configured to control a connection between the first storage controller and a first storage device. The first interface controller is configured as a device, and is configured to control a connection between the first storage controller and a first host. The second interface controller is configurable to function as a host or a device. The second interface controller is configured to control a connection between the first storage controller and a secondary device, function as a host when the secondary device is a second storage controller, and function as a device when the secondary device is a second host.
US08296480B2	Context execution in a media controller architecture Described embodiments provide a media controller for processing one or more data transfer requests received from at least one host device. The media controller includes a buffer to receive data of a data transfer request from a communication link and a command parser to generate one or more contexts corresponding to the data transfer request. The one or more contexts are stored in the buffer. At least one queue of the media controller includes a regular context queue for queuing regular-priority contexts, and a high-priority context queue for queuing high-priority contexts. A context manager coordinates processing of regular-priority contexts and high-priority contexts of the at least one queue based on context boundaries, wherein, when a context is processed at a context boundary, data corresponding to the processed context is data is transferred between the communication link and at least one of the buffer and the at least one storage media.
US08296477B1	Secure data transfer using legitimate QR codes wherein a warning message is given to the user if data transfer is malicious User data is securely transferred from a client device to a mobile device. Data transfer activities at the client are monitored to detect a request to transfer data via a displayed code (e.g., QR code). The data being transfer are verified as being legitimate (e.g., not compromised by malware or otherwise malicious) before the transfer. Responsive to verifying that the transfer data are legitimate, a code encoding the transfer data is displayed on a display device of the client. A user of the mobile device captures the code using a digital camera or other data scanning device and decodes the code to obtain the transfer data. The mobile device may then perform an action using the transfer data, such as connecting to a website or composing an email to an address included in the transfer data.
US08296476B2	Storage method, storage system, and controller A storage method, a storage system, and a controller are disclosed. The method is applicable to a system that includes at least one controller, at least two Peripheral Component Interconnection Express (PCIE) Input/Output (IO) modules, and at least two storage devices. The at least two storage devices are connected through a PCIE switch chip of the at least one controller, and the at least two PCIE IO modules are connected through a PCIE switch chip of the at least one controller. The method includes: receiving a request message from a server through the at least two PCIE IO modules; and accessing the at least two storage devices according to the request message. The at least two PCIE IO modules are shared between controllers, thereby saving resources; and the storage devices access the controllers without the need of a hard disk controller or a hard disk extension chip, thereby saving costs.
US08296475B2	Systems and methods for performing multi-path storage operations Systems and methods for allocating transmission resources within a computer network are provided. In some embodiments of the invention, communication links may be assigned based on predefined preferences or system configuration to facilitate the transfer of data from one point in the network to another. In other embodiments, system operation may be monitored and communication paths be assigned dynamically based on this information to improve system operation and provide improved failover response, load balancing and to promote robust data access via alternative routes.
US08296462B2	Header-based network API A method and apparatus for communicating with entities outside of a secure network by intercepting and modifying messages is provided. Techniques for accomplishing the communication include inserting, retrieving, and deleting information from messages. The entities involved in the communication include, but are not limited to, users, content providers, and access providers. Furthermore, the types of information used in modifying messages include billing, location, demographic information, profile data, multimedia data, and code.
US08296460B2	Method and apparatus for communicating data and program thereof A server assigns one of a plurality of clients as a representative client to each of a plurality of block data in a round-robin manner, for example. The server transmits the block data and information indicating the representative client assigned to the block data to the plurality of clients by multicast communication. The representative client transmits a response acknowledgement to the server. When the server receives the response acknowledgement, the server transmits block data following the block data and information indicating a new representative client assigned to the following block data to the plurality of clients by multicast communication.
US08296458B2	Adaptive routing of content requests using multiple anycast addresses A system includes a plurality of cache servers and a domain name server. Each of the cache servers is configured to respond to a content request. The plurality of cache servers is divided into a plurality of subsets and configured to respond to an anycast address for each subset to which the cache server belongs. The domain name server is configured to receive a request from a requester for a cache server address, identify an anycast address for a largest available subset, and provide the anycast address of the largest available subset to the requester.
US08296455B2	Method for mitigating adverse processor loading in a personal computer implementation of a wireless local area network adapter A personal computer's (PC) microprocessor is used to provide both the physical layer (PHY) and media access control (MAC) processing functions required to implement a wireless local area network (WLAN) adapter. This technique uses the polling mechanism associated with the power save (PS) functionality of WLAN protocol to relieve networking stress on the host processing system. It does this while maintaining networking integrity and packet delivery. The WLAN protocol polling mechanism is used to briefly inhibit the transfer of packets from the WLAN access point (AP) during peak periods of network traffic and/or host processor loading. Because the modulation, demodulation, and MAC functions, typically implemented in dedicated hardware on existing adapters are implemented in software running on the host PC microprocessor, other host system processes and applications can interfere with these time critical functions. Conversely, latency introduced by WLAN specific processing tasks during peak periods of network traffic may cause unacceptable delays to the other processes and applications requiring microprocessor attention. In addition to its primary stated purpose of allowing WLAN mobile stations to save power, this technique will use power save polling as a method for controlling delivery of network packets when the host is heavily loaded or when peak interrupt latencies make reliable packet delivery difficult or impossible.
US08296450B2	Delegated network management system and method of using the same A method for providing a management function requested by a user that uses a managed device includes establishing a session on a managed device in response to a user logging into an account on the managed device, establishing a delegated management session on a management device, the delegated management session corresponding to the session on the managed device, receiving a management message on the management device, the management message being related to a management function requested by the user, and in response to the received management message, performing the management function using the management device.
US08296447B2	Method for copying session information, call control server for executing the same, and computer product The method is executed by a call control server that establishes a media session for sending and receiving media data between a calling terminal and a called terminal. The method includes exchanging messages with calling terminal and called terminal for establishing the media session, generating a session information necessary for establishing the media session based on the messages exchanged with the calling terminal and/or the called terminal, monitoring a media information included in the messages, the media information containing a definition specifying a way of exchanging the media data, determining, based on the monitoring result, whether the media session has been established, and transferring the session information to at least one other call control server different from the call control server if the media session has been established.
US08296442B2	Method and apparatus for minimizing bandwidth usage between a communication server and media device A communication server implements a method that minimizes bandwidth usage between a media device and the communication server in a communication system where separate session and floor control protocols are used. Where multiple clients have established separate sessions to access a media source at a media device and upon determining that the multiple clients are attempting to access the same media source, the communication server implements floor control logic to tie multiple floor arbiters together across the separate sessions to cause a single media stream to be sent from the media source and received at the communication server for distribution to the clients, thereby minimizing the bandwidth on the uplink between the media device and the communication server.
US08296437B2	Server-mediated setup and maintenance of peer-to-peer client computer communications A method and apparatus for facilitating communication between client computers is provided. The method provides for the use of ping probing by a server to determine the types of NAT devices and/or firewalls protecting the client computers. Once these are determined, the server can predict the response to communications from the client computers and instruct the client computers to contact each other. Once a session or tunnel is established it can be maintained through the use of a flag, even if contact with the server is lost.
US08296431B2	Communication network including means for managing conflicts during the execution of several communication services A communications network including: n service managers (AS1, AS2, . . . , ASn), each adapted to execute an associated service; routing means (MR) adapted to receive protocol messages sent by a service manager, and to forward them to a terminal. The network also includes a conflict manager including: a set of packets, each packet containing rules for sorting protocol messages liable to be sent by at least two service managers; selection means for selecting a packet as a function of an indicator of the services that the terminal can access; sorting means for sorting protocol messages sent by at least two service managers upon execution of the associated services as a function of the content of a selected packet and forwarding the sorted protocol messages to the routing means (MR). Also disclosed are a conflict management method and a method of adding an additional service to a communications network.
US08296426B2	System and method for performing capacity planning for enterprise applications A system and method for capacity planning for enterprise networks, such as identifying bottlenecks and removing or replacing the bottleneck device are provided. The device utilization for one or more network devices are measured or read from measured data. A relative load is calculated from the device utilization data and device utilization is compared to a device threshold to determine the bottleneck device. A method is also provided for determining network utilizations, network populations and a relative response times based on only limited measurable device usage data.
US08296423B2	Intelligent routing Routing of content, including: receiving a request to access a content item from a device; determining at least one of status, location, and format of the content item; and planning a procedure to fulfill the request to access the content item, wherein the procedure includes a method and a route.
US08296420B2	Method and apparatus for constructing a DHT-based global namespace A DHT-based global namespace (GNS) is constructed for a network system that includes network attached storage (NAS) devices, including at least one DHT-NAS device (a NAS device having DHT Functionalities) and at least one Existing-NAS device (a NAS device lacking DHT Functionalities). In a DHT Overlay Construction Phase, the DHT-NAS devices construct a DHT overlay. In an Initial Phase, the GNS is created above share folders in the Existing-NAS devices, with mapping of the share folders in the Existing-NAS devices to GNS paths distributed to a key lookup table in the DHT-NAS devices. Each mapping in the key lookup table includes a key, a GNS path, NAS type, IP address of the NAS, and the path within the NAS Share. There is no central GNS mapping table. In a Discovery Phase, the DHT-NAS devices discover the Existing-NAS devices to construct the GNS under the share folders. In a Working Phase, the DHT-NAS devices service GNS requests.
US08296418B2	Optimized modification of a clustered computer system A method, program product, and data processing system are provided for modifying a cluster in a data processing system, the cluster comprising a plurality of nodes. A monitoring unit monitors resource usage over at least one cycle of a periodic timeframe to obtain monitored resource usage data. A forecasting component forecasts resource usage over a future cycle of the periodic timeframe using the monitored resource usage data to obtain forecast resource usage data. An analysis component analyzes the forecast resource usage data using at least a first rule to determine whether a modification of the cluster is necessary and at least a second rule to determine a time window for the modification of the cluster. A modification component modifies the cluster by adding or removing a node to the plurality of nodes in the time window.
US08296415B2	Workload timing using a self-adaptive approach to information collection A solution is proposed for implementing a self-adapting reconciliation process. Multiple user accounts are defined on different endpoints for accessing protected resources thereof; a server centralizes the definition of the user accounts on a single point of control which is then synchronized with user account definitions on the endpoints. A dynamic reconciliator, interposed between the server and the endpoints, receives any request from the server for a reconciliation process to be completed in a predefined time-frame. The reconciliator collects the required information from the endpoints and determines an optimal time pattern for the processing of the information by the server over the time-frame according to an estimated amount of information expected to be received and an estimated workload distribution of the server in the time-frame. The reconciliator transmits the information to the server according to this time pattern.
US08296413B2	Device registration in a hierarchical monitor service Monitor services deployable on device networks may be implemented using a modular approach, in which a core monitor service is mapped to one or more devices included in, or associated with, the device networks. Additional monitoring-related functionality may be provided to such devices using plug-ins, add-on services or service components, or other service modules, which interact with the core monitor service. The core monitor service(s) and any monitor service modules may be mapped, to specific ones of the devices, based on, for example, requirements of other services and/or relevant device metadata (e.g., capabilities) of the devices. In additional or alternative implementations, various protocols may be used to register new devices and deployed monitor service(s) with the distributed monitoring service(s) in a fast, secure, energy-efficient, and reliable manner, even as devices join or leave the device network(s).
US08296410B1	Bandwidth management in a client/server environment A method of managing bandwidth usage among a plurality of client devices is provided. A request is received at a first device from a second device. The request is to transfer a file between the first device and the second device and includes an identifier of the second device. A client group associated with the second device is determined based on the identifier and used to select a bandwidth usage policy. A data transfer rate for transferring the file between the first device and the second device is determined based on the selected bandwidth usage policy and a bandwidth usage at the first device associated with a plurality of devices. A number of bytes to transfer is determined based on the determined data transfer rate and a time period. A response, which includes the determined number of bytes and the time period, is sent to the second device.
US08296403B2	Network address allocation using a user identity Apparatus, systems, and methods assign a permanent network address to a user identity, detect access to a network by a node associated with the user identity, generate an identifier associated with the user identity, and send the identifier to the node to enable the node to obtain replacement of a temporary network address allocated to the node, with the permanent network address. Activities may include receiving a release request from a node to release a temporary network address allocated to the node (associated with the user identity), receiving an allocation request (including the identifier) from the node to allocate a permanent network address previously assigned to the user identity, and allocating the permanent network address to the node as a replacement for the temporary network address. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US08296395B2	Obje network device service control method and system An Obje network device service control method and system, the method including: discovering Obje components by an Obje proxy, and generating component proxies by an Obje proxy, the component proxies respectively corresponding to the Obje components; discovering the component proxies by a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) control point, and requesting by the UPnP control point a component proxy of the component proxies, which is selected by a UPnP control point, for a presentation page; generating and providing by the selected component proxy the presentation page to the UPnP control point; and controlling by the UPnP control point a transfer session between the Obje components based on the presentation page.
US08296393B2	Media advertising over peer-to-peer networks Advertising on P2P networks can include a three-step system in one embodiment of the disclosure. The first step can include the review of search requests, followed by a response linking to a media file containing an advertisement. The second step can be a delivery process. The advertising cannot be considered spam as the user can be redirected towards information that can directly correlate to the users search. The advertising can be done with the full cooperation and volition of the media company or companies involved. The advertisers' contract with the media companies can allow for payment and the media companies can then expose their product to potential buyers. The third step can be contacting an advertising server any time that media file is played. In this third step it can be determined what the optimal advertisement for this media file is.
US08296391B2	Relay server, relay communication system, and communication apparatus In a relay communication system in which remote LANs communicate with one another beyond a WAN, a method and apparatus prevent crossover among a plurality of call controls in each of a plurality of sections and crossover among a plurality of communication routes in each of the plurality of sections. Relay servers relay communication between client terminals. A relay server creates information described below, and allows a whole of a relay communication system to share the information: relay group information indicating that the relay servers constitute a relay group; and relay server information indicating a client terminal capable of communicating with the relay server. The relay servers and the client terminals collate identification information of call control, which is transmitted when the call control is executed for a destination for communication in each section, and identification information of call control, which is received from the destination for communication in each section when a communication route is established, with each other, and allows the call controls and the communication routes to correspond to each other.
US08296376B2	Utilizing E-mail response time statistics for more efficient and effective user communication A method of increasing email correspondence responsiveness may include detecting a first set of email messages transmitted by a first correspondent to a second correspondent, creating a tracking record based on the responsiveness of the second correspondent to each email message of the first set of email messages, performing a first statistical analysis of the tracking record, generating a set of responsiveness metrics based on the first statistical analysis, detecting new outgoing email messages addressed to the second correspondent, and providing a user-configurable email message format for each detected outgoing message, the user-configurable email message format. According to the example embodiment, the user-configurable email message format is configured to increase effective email response time from the second correspondent and the user-configurable email message format is based on the set of responsiveness metrics.
US08296373B2	Automatically managing objectionable behavior in a web-based social network A system and method for curtailing objectionable behavior in a web-based social network is disclosed. The method includes monitoring various actions of users of a web-based social network for objectionable behavior. The monitored actions are those that affect other users of the social network. A policy is determined based on behaviors of users. The policy may be violated by a user if the user exceeds a policy threshold. Some monitored actions include the poking, friend requesting, and wall posting. A policy may be violated by multiple occurrences of a single type of action or by a combination of different types of actions. Upon a policy violation, a warning may be issued to the user or the user's account may be suspended.
US08296371B2	Individual XML message processing platform A communication platform deployed on servers is disclosed. The communication platform enables users to receive electronic messages from corporations and others comprising a message processing platform. The message processing platform comprising logic for receiving a first electronic message addressed to the platform. The first electronic message is for an activity having an activity status, wherein the activity is categorized into events. Further the logic includes organizing the first electronic message in an information folio based on the activity; receiving a second electronic message for an event in the activity; parsing the second electronic message to determine whether the second electronic message comprises a definition to update the activity status; and if the second electronic message comprises a definition to update the activity status, then updating the activity status for the activity.
US08296364B2	Systems and methods for computer and voice conference audio transmission during conference call via VoIP device A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support canceling audio streams leaked from a speaker to a microphone so that a clean audio stream of a presenter or viewer speaking at a conference call is transmitted. Here, the audio streams being canceled includes the computer audio stream of an application being run or a material being presented online during a web conference and/or the audio stream received from the rest of the group of participants at the conference call. The computer audio stream is then transmitted in addition to the presenter or viewer audio stream, and separate from any other audio stream captured by the hosting device during the conference call.
US08296361B1	Method and system for managing conference resources A method for managing conference resources includes hosting a conference between a plurality of participants using a first amount of resources. The plurality of participants use a plurality of endpoints to communicate on the conference. The method includes reserving a sufficient amount of the first amount of resources to allow a first participant of the plurality of participants to rejoin the conference when the first participant disconnects from the conference. The method also includes reclaiming the sufficient amount of resources upon one of the following: receiving an indication that the first participant will not rejoin the conference or expiration of a predetermined amount of time after the first participant disconnects from the conference.
US08296351B2	System and method for pushing information to a mobile device A system for pushing information to a mobile device includes a information source, a wireless network, and a proxy content server. The information source stores information. The wireless network sends and receives transmissions to and from the mobile device. The proxy content server is coupled to information source and the wireless network and receives information from the information source. In addition, the proxy content server stores information received from the information source to one of a plurality of channels based on pre-defined information categories, and automatically transmits information from a selected channel over the wireless network to the mobile device.
US08296344B2	Time delay and frequency offset calculation system and related methods Time delay and frequency offset calculation systems and related methods. System implementations include modules coupled together configured to calculate a time delay and a corresponding frequency offset of a second signal delayed in time relative to a first signal with the maximum value of a magnitude of a delay optimization function. Implementations of a method for calculating a time delay and frequency offset calculate the maximum value of the delay optimization function by generating the cross-correlation of one or more adjacent discrete Fourier transformed blocks corresponding to the first signal and second signal, respectively, of two or more discrete Fourier transformed blocks. The maximum value of the delay optimization function is then identified. Implementations of the method may compare the identified maximum value of the magnitude of the delay optimization function with a threshold to determine whether to continue processing for additional adjacent discrete Fourier transformed blocks.
US08296343B2	Optimization of temporal and spatial data processing Disclosed is a system and program for processing temporal data. A spatial query is received specifying a mapping function that identifies a set of temporal values for one or more objects. Geographic positions are automatically extracted from each set of temporal values for each of the one or more objects. Point objects are generated from the geographic positions. One or more spatial objects are generated from the point objects.
US08296341B2	Privacy and security method and system for a world-wide-web site Personal information of users is used to customize the browsing experiences of the users on a World-Wide-Web site. To ensure privacy of the users' personal information, each user is assigned a unique Universal Anonymous Identifier (UAI). The UAI is generated by a trusted third party and provided to the Web site operator. The Web site operator then indexes the users' personal information by UAI. Only the user has the ability to correlate his/her true identity with his/her personal information.
US08296330B2	Hierarchical classification The hierarchical approach may start at the bottom of the hierarchy. As it moves up the hierarchy, knowledge from children and cousins is used to classify items at the parent. In addition, knowledge of improper classifications at a low level are raised to a higher level to create new rules to better identify mistaken classifications at a higher level. Once the top of the hierarchy is reached, a top down approach is used to further refine the classification of items.
US08296325B2	Method for digitally labelling websites A host website, method and system for digitally labelling websites or subscribers with digital labels which represent characteristics or qualities of the website is disclosed. Digital labels are stored on host websites, each of which is directed to a specific subject or activity. The host website can also provide digital labels for storage in other host websites. The host website is provided with artificial intelligence capabilities. Methods and systems for asymmetric access in a host website database are disclosed.
US08296319B2	Information retrieving apparatus, information retrieving method, information retrieving program, and recording medium on which information retrieving program is recorded The present invention provides an information retrieving apparatus and the like which replies a search result accurately to a question from the user.In the present invention, sentence information of a sentence in collected documents is stored, information of a questioning sentence from the user is received from a terminal 2, the questioning sentence from the user is decomposed into segments (S10), documents having common arc segments are extracted from segments in the questioning sentence from the user, the documents are compared with the questioning sentence, and a leaf segment missing in the questioning sentence is retrieved (S12 to S16), and the search result is transmitted to the terminal 2 (S19).
US08296312B1	Search and update of attributes in file systems Example embodiments provide various techniques for fast and efficient search of attributes stored in data structures. The attributes are organized following a hierarchical structure of the file system and, in an example, the attributes are stored in a data structure where the hierarchical structure is maintained. As a result, a search within such data structure may follow one or more paths along the hierarchical structure of the file system. Attributes associated with directories and files outside of the path can be excluded from the search. Example embodiments also provide various techniques for updating signatures associated with the attributes. In an example, updates to the signatures can be made incrementally. For example, signatures can be updated when the attributes change.
US08296308B2	Methods and apparatus for associating a virtual white line (VWL) image with corresponding ticket information for an excavation project Methods and apparatus for facilitating detection of a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area. Source data representing one or more input images of a geographic area including the dig area is electronically received at a first user location, which may be remote from the dig area. The source data is processed so as to display at least a portion of the input image(s) on a display device. One or more indicators are added to the displayed input image(s), via a user input device associated with the display device, to provide at least one indication of the dig area and thereby generate a marked-up digital image. The marked-up digital image may be electronically bundled with information from a corresponding ticket. A descriptor file may be used to identify one or more marked-up images corresponding to a ticket.
US08296307B2	Contact information querying System and method for querying of contact information are disclosed. An aspect of the invention includes a method for querying contact information. The method includes receiving a query language including relationship information of a plurality of contacts with unknown contact information. The method further includes acquiring a query request, wherein acquiring the query request includes parsing the query language according to a query language syntax. The method further includes querying contact information of the plurality of contacts with unknown contact information in at least one directory to obtain the contact information of the plurality of contacts with unknown contact information requested in the query request. The method further includes returning the contact information of the plurality of contacts with unknown contact information requested in the query request.
US08296291B1	Surfacing related user-provided content Identification and Surfacing of related pieces of content, such as user-provided content, enables users of a merchant website to more easily find related items. A server associated with the website may receive, from a user, an image that illustrates items offered for sale on the site. The site may then enable this and other users to annotate the image by, for example, associating the illustrated items with hyperlinks to respective item detail pages. When a user views this page, the site may surface the most related other user-uploaded images that also illustrate items. To determine the most related images, the website may analyze, for each of the other images, the similarity between the items illustrated in the image and the items illustrated in the currently-displayed image. The website may also analyze the tags applied to the items and the images themselves, as well as multiple other types of criteria.
US08296287B1	Dynamic sourcing Dynamic sourcing, in which a data request that is associated with a query is received and a parameter of data needed for satisfaction of the query is identified. Parameter information defining data available in at least one cube stored in a cache is accessed and the parameter is compared with the parameter information. Based on comparison results, it is determined whether one or more cubes in the cache include sufficient data to satisfy the query. In response to a determination that one or more cubes include sufficient data to satisfy the query, a response to the data request is generated by executing the query against the one or more cubes. In response to a determination that the cubes do not include sufficient data to satisfy the query, a response to the data request is generated by executing at least a portion of the query against a database system.
US08296283B2	DHT-based distributed file system for simultaneous use by millions of frequently disconnected, world-wide users Content items in a distributed system are defined by a respective key, and each such content item is copied to R1 computer systems of the distributed system which have unique identifiers closest to a value of the respective key, where R1 is less than R2 which is less than R3, at least R2 number of the computer systems have copies of any respective one of the content items for all of the content items, and none of the computer systems farther than R3 in an address space of the distributed system have a copy of the subject content item. Modifications of individual content items are synchronized across all instances thereof responsive to a put operation and/or at periodic intervals.
US08296270B2	Adaptive logging apparatus and method An adaptive logging apparatus and method are provided. Using the adaptive logging apparatus and method, it is possible to accumulatively store the size of log records generated according to a data update request, and selectively perform algorithms for Recovery and Isolation Exploiting Semantics (ARIES) logging and shadow paging logging, according to the size of the stored log records.
US08296269B2	Apparatus and method for read consistency in a log mining system A computer readable storage medium includes executable instructions to receive a specification for requested data in a log based replication system where data changes are retrieved from both a transaction log and a database. It is determined that the requested data is compromised. A search for a data image containing the requested data is initiated. The data image is accessed to secure the requested data. The requested data is returned.
US08296268B2	System and method for change logging in a firmware over the air development environment The present disclosure relates generally to a system and method for change logging in a firmware over the air (FOTA) development environment. In one example, the method may include creating a cumulative change log for an intermediate binary file that contains an extractable binary image. The cumulative change log may record changes between the intermediate binary file and earlier iterations of the intermediate binary file. The cumulative change log may be stored in the intermediate binary file and later retrieved. The cumulative change log may be analyzed to identify statistics about changes that occurred between the intermediate binary file and earlier iterations of the intermediate binary file.
US08296257B1	Comparing models Methods, systems and computer program products for evaluating performance of generative models are disclosed. One method includes providing a base model and a candidate model having observed variables and first and second conceptually related variables related to the observed variables, respectively, receiving observations assigned to a subset of the observed variables, and for each observation, evaluating the observation by the base model to produce a base assessment of the observation, evaluating the observation by the candidate model to produce a second assessment of the observation, determining a similarity measure of the assessment of the observation based on the base and second assessments, and selecting a subset of observations having low similarity measures for use in evaluating performance of the candidate model.
US08296248B2	Method for clustering samples with weakly supervised kernel mean shift matrices A method clusters samples using a mean shift procedure. A kernel matrix is determined from the samples in a first dimension. A constraint matrix and a scaling matrix are determined from a constraint set. The kernel matrix is projected to a feature space having a second dimension using the constraint matrix, wherein the second dimension is higher than the first dimension. Then, the samples are clustered according to the kernel matrix.
US08296236B2	Centralized check image storage system Centralized check image storage system. The present invention provides for sharing check images stored in a substantially centralized storage system between and/or among banks in support of the check collection process. In some embodiments, check images are received from the capture bank via a landing zone at the centralized storage facility. These images and information supporting the check collection process can be in the form of load file. A cross-reference file including information supporting the check clearing process such as unique handles identifying the check images is received from a paying bank, possibly also via a landing zone. Check images can be identified based on these unique handles, so that the check images can be made accessible to both the capture bank and the paying bank from the substantially centralized storage system.
US08296235B2	System and method for cashback funding In an example embodiment, a system is provided for a cashback funding of an account. The system comprises a transaction receiving module to receive a request to process a transaction amount, wherein the transaction amount is funded by a debit card. The system further comprises a transaction authorization module to make a pre-authorization request to the debit card, wherein the pre-authorization request exceeds the transaction amount by a predetermined value and is to receive an approval for the pre-authorization request. The system further comprises a cashback funding module to offer a cashback amount in excess of the transaction amount but less than the predetermined value. In response to an acceptance of the cashback offer by a user, the cashback funding module is to make an authorization request for the total amount, and in response to an approval of the authorization, is to fund the account with the funds in excess of the transaction.
US08296227B2	Computerized extension of credit to existing demand deposit accounts, prepaid cards and lines of credit based on expected tax refund proceeds, associated systems and computer program products Systems, computer programs encoded on non-transitory memory, and computer-implemented methods to make available new credit or additional credit to demand deposit accounts, prepaid cards, and existing lines of credit of a customer based on expected tax refund amounts. The new or additional credit being, for example, based on a computerized estimate of the tax refund of the customer. The existing line of credit, for example, is adjusted based on the expected refund and/or actual tax refund determined to be available, which can serve as an additional source of repayment for the line of credit. One or more of several adjustments may then be made to an existing line of credit: the line of credit may be increased; fees reduced; or the terms of payment adjusted.
US08296221B1	Methods and systems related to securities trading At least one exemplary aspect comprises a method comprising: (a) receiving electronic data describing a trading order for a market-traded security; (b) checking the data describing the trading order against one or more sets of conditions, and identifying one or more of the one or more sets of conditions that is satisfied; (c) based on the identified one or more of the one or more sets of conditions that is satisfied, identifying a class of trading algorithms appropriate for execution of the trading order; (d) selecting with a processing system one or more trading algorithms from the identified class of trading algorithms, for execution of the trading order; and (e) commencing with the processing system execution of the trading order via the selected one or more trading algorithms; wherein the processing system comprises one or more processors. Other aspects and embodiments comprise related computer systems and software.
US08296220B2	Quote and order entry interface A graphical user interface centralizes Level I quote information in the center of a circular display while Level II (or regional) data appears in peripheral bands layered on the outside of the Level I information. The interface is also split into two main sections, a “bid” quote information section and an “ask” quote information section. The bid quote information appears on the left of the interface while the ask quote information appears on the right side of the interface. Through clicking in any one of the peripheral bands, an order can be placed at that price point.
US08296216B2	Directed order processing for automated market system An electronic market for trading of securities includes a plurality of client stations for entering quotes for securities and a server process that receives quotes from the clients, aggregates the quotes and causes a total of all aggregated quotes to be displayed for a plurality of price levels on the client systems. The market uses a graphical user that depicts aggregated quotes in an aggregate window a plurality of price levels of a product traded in the market. The market also includes processes to handle lock/cross market conditions, match-off of order flow and provides a central quote/order collector that interfaces to disparate order delivery systems to minimize dual liability of market makers.
US08296215B1	Trading system with elfs and umpires Price setting for a security occurs by automatically engaging in a price discovery procedure before responding to a request for a current buy or sell price of the security to provide an automatically discovered price that is better than a book price. The book price is the best price in an order book including orders to buy or sell specified quantities of the security at respective prices, the lowest sell order price of the booked orders being the book sell price, the highest buy order price of the booked orders being the book buy order price. The price discovery procedure includes providing the book buy or sell price to at least one entity registered to participate in the price discovery procedure. The entity automatically provides an improved price relative to the book price based on a predetermined strategy that is determined independently of the strategies for other entities. The temporal duration of the price discovery procedure can be predetermined or based on an amount of activity occurring during the price discovery procedure.
US08296210B2	Weather derivative volatility surface estimation Systems and methods are provided for determining the volatility of weather derivative option contracts. Volatility levels are initially determined with conventional methods. Unreliable volatility levels are then replaced with futures contracts volatility levels. If the futures contracts volatility levels are not available or appear unreliable, meteorological volatility levels are utilized. The data may be reduced to a three dimensional surface and used when determining margin account requirements.
US08296208B2	Method and system for processing data related to a life insurance policy having an accelerated benefit Disclosed is a novel insurance product that provides an accelerated death benefit to the insured individual. The insurance product contains a lifeaccess accelerated benefit feature that allows the insured individual to file a claim and receive benefits under a life insurance product if the insured individual becomes chronically or terminally ill.
US08296200B2	Collaborative financial close portal Mechanisms and approaches for a collaborative financial close portal are provided. A client receives display data, which when rendered by the client, depicts a collaborative financial close portal that supports one or more workspaces. Each of the one or more workspaces may be used by a different set of users to perform activities related to a financial close process. The one or more workspaces are arranged in a hierarchical relationship. In response to receiving identification data that identifies a user of the client, additional display data is sent to the client, which when rendered, depicts a particular workspace for which the user is granted access. The depiction of the particular workspace includes depicting status information about financial close activities associated with one or more workspaces lower in the hierarchal relationship than the particular workspace.
US08296197B2	Centralized management of maintenance and materials for commercial aircraft fleets with information feedback to customer Turnkey maintenance of a customer's aircraft fleet is managed by a single management service provider (MSP) controlling integrated maintenance and materials services from a central operations site. The MSP converts data received directly from on-board aircraft systems into information it uses to manage maintenance service providers and parts suppliers. The MSP contracts with and manages maintenance, repair and overhaul organizations (MROs) who perform the maintenance on the customers' aircraft at line and base stations. The MSP either remotely manages part inventories at the customer's site, or manages suppliers who deliver the parts to the MROs. Maintenance planning, scheduling and execution information is exchanged between the MSP, MROs, part suppliers and the customers through a shared data communication network controlled by the MSP. The MSP charges the customer for the maintenance services based on a flat rate per unit of aircraft flying time.
US08296193B2	Supplier dynamic reference systems and methods Systems and methods for a supplier dynamic reference are provided. Some embodiments include a processor and a memory coupled to the processor for storing instructions. In various embodiments, the memory stores instructions causing the processor to provide product information to a consumer, process data to determine that the consumer wants to make a purchase, process data to enable a supplier to dynamically select a reseller of their products based on a predetermined criteria, and cause the processor to transmit data related to the selected reseller to the consumer. Some embodiments may include a database with product information and product reseller information, including an indication of which resellers sell each product and a selection system configured to select a reseller to provide to the consumer based on the consumer wanting to purchase the product and a reseller selection criteria, wherein the transmitter transmits reseller information to the consumer.
US08296181B1	Method and system for offsetting printing costs in a system for targeted data delivery A system and method for offsetting printing costs. Specifically, the method includes collecting user information about a user and generating a user profile based on the user information. The user profile is stored such that the user profile is used to achieve delivery of data that is targeted to the user based on the user profile without requiring a release of user information in the user profile. At least one offer for the delivery of data is presented to the user. The data is targeted to the user based on the user profile. Thereafter, the method determines that an item of the data presented to the user has been printed. An incentive is received for printing the item.
US08296180B1	System for improving shape-based targeting by using interest level data A system for improving shape-based targeting by using interest level data is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a computer-implemented method comprises creating one or more trade zones, wherein creating a trade zone comprises grouping a set of parameters to deliver custom shapes, clustering the custom shapes according to offline data and geographic distribution of IP addresses, and mapping clusters of the custom shapes to IP addresses. Data indicating consumption of a content source is received, the content source having a plurality of tokens. The plurality of tokens is organized according to the one or more trade zones, wherein the one or more trade zones consume the tokens at a calculated rate and the calculated rate is analyzed to determine an interest associated with each trade zone. Targeting is based on a selected trade zone, wherein the selected trade zone is selected based upon a desired interest representative of a desired audience. A targeting request is transmitted including instructions or information associated with the target action, and the target action is performed.
US08296178B2	Services using globally distributed infrastructure for secure content management Secure content management is enabled as a cloud-based service through which security protection and policy enforcement may be implemented for both on-premise network users and roaming users. The global SCM service integrates the security functionalities—such as anti-virus, spyware, and phishing protection, firewall, intrusion detection, centralized management, and the like—that are typically provided by enterprise network SCM appliance hardware or servers into a cloud-based service that users reach via Internet-based points-of-presence (“POPs”). The POPs are configured with forward proxy servers, and in some implementations, caching and network acceleration components, and coupled to hubs which provide configuration management and identity management services such as active directory services.
US08296176B1	Matching visitors as leads to lead buyers In one embodiment, a method includes accessing information regarding a visitor to a website; accessing a plurality of filters that are each associated with one of a plurality of lead buyers and being defined by a set of lead criteria specified by the associated lead buyer; and, for each of the filters, determining whether the information regarding the visitor satisfies the set of lead criteria defining the filter and, if the information regarding the visitor satisfies the set of lead criteria defining the filter, selecting the filter as a filter for which the visitor qualifies as a lead. The method includes, for each of the filters for which the visitor qualifies as a lead, accessing information indicating a potential revenue to be obtained by a lead matcher from the lead buyer associated with the filter.
US08296174B2	Method and apparatus for network-based sales force A method and apparatus for network-based sales force automation are provided that meet objectives of increasing sales and marketing efficiency and efficiency of technical and customer support by providing multi-dimensional displays of transactional information to users. Transactional information of deals, contacts, accounts, and leads is provided over the Internet using a Web browser. The information of related transactions is electronically linked, and the transactional information is electronically searchable using custom profiles. The transactional information is accessed and shared among host organization members according to a hierarchy and predefined territories. A Radar Screen Opportunity Display (RSOD) may be selected on which deal objects are displayed that represent the stages in a sales pipeline of corresponding deals. New business information may be selected, wherein automatic notification is provided of new information and changed information relating to transactions, wherein the new business information comprises information on at least one monitored customer Web site. A communication capability is provided that comprises electronic mail, facsimile, telephones, and paging devices, wherein communication is automatically established using transactional information.
US08296155B2	Method and apparatus for decoding a signal An apparatus for decoding a signal and method thereof are disclosed, by which the audio signal can be controlled in a manner of changing/giving spatial characteristics (e.g., listener's virtual position, virtual position of a specific source) of the audio signal. The present invention includes receiving an object parameter; extracting object information by parsing the received object parameter; generating a control parameter using the extracted object information and control information including at least one of user control information, default control information, device control information, and device information; and, generating a rendering parameter determining a position and level of an object in an output signal using the object parameter and the control parameter.
US08296149B2	Systems and methods for inputting graphical data into a graphical input field A system (20) for inputting graphical data into a graphical input field includes a graphical input device (22) for inputting the graphical data into the graphical input field, and a processor-executable voice-form module (28) responsive to an initial presentation of graphical data to the graphical input device. The voice-form module (28) causes a determination of whether the inputting of the graphical data into the graphical input field is complete. A method for inputting graphical data into a graphical input field includes initiating an input of graphical data via a graphical input device into the graphical input field, and actuating a voice-form module in response to initiating the input of graphical data into the graphical input field.
US08296147B2	Interactive voice controlled project management system A method for facilitating project management includes identifying a user, identifying a project management access level for the user, dynamically generating a voice dialog based on the identified project management access level, dynamically generating grammars associated with the voice dialog based on the identified project management access level, and serving the voice dialog to the user. The method further includes receiving a voice request from the user corresponding to a generated grammar; retrieving project management information associated with the received voice request; dynamically generating a responsive voice dialog including the retrieved project management information; dynamically generating responsive grammars associated with the responsive voice dialog; and serving the responsive voice dialog to the user.
US08296139B2	Adding real-time dictation capabilities for speech processing operations handled by a networked speech processing system The present invention can include a speech processing method for providing dictation capabilities to a voice server. The method can include a step of establishing a real-time voice communication session involving a voice interface. Speech for the communication session can be streamed to a remotely located voice server. A real-time stream of text can be received from the voice server. The stream of text can include text that has been speech-to-text converted by the voice server from the streamed speech. The voice server can use a MRCP based non-halting interface to receive the real-time stream of speech and a delivery interface to deliver real-time text to a designated endpoint.
US08296127B2	Discovery of parallel text portions in comparable collections of corpora and training using comparable texts A translation training device which extracts from two nonparallel Corpora a set of parallel sentences. The system finds parameters between different sentences or phrases, in order to find parallel sentences. The parallel sentences are then used for training a data-driven machine translation system. The process can be applied repetitively until sufficient data is collected or until the performance of the translation system stops improving.
US08296117B2	Business process optimizer A system and method for optimizing enterprise applications driven by business processes is provided. The method for optimizing business processes comprises the steps of obtaining process data, optimizing the process data using algorithms, simulating execution of one of the process data and the optimized process data, publishing the optimized process data, and deploying the published data for execution using a run time engine. In one embodiment, the simulator simulates using both process data and optimized process data. Modifications to process data can be input, and this modified data can be simulated, and also can be optimized.
US08296116B2	Bioinformatics system The invention develops models of functional proteomics. Simulation scenarios of protein pathway vectors and protein-protein interactions are modeled from limited information in protein databases. The system focuses on three integrated subsystems, including (1) a system to model protein-protein interactions using an evolvable Global Proteomic Model (GPM) of functional proteomics to ascertain healthy pathway operations, (2) a system to identify haplotypes customized for specific pathology using dysfunctional protein pathway simulations of the function of combinations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) so as to ascertain pathology mutation sources and (3) a pharmacoproteomic modeling system to develop, test and refine proposed drug solutions based on the molecular structure and topology of mutant protein(s) in order to manage individual pathologies. The system focuses on simulating the degenerative genetic disease categories of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, immunodegenerative diseases and aging. The system reveals approaches to reverse engineer and test personalized medicines based upon dysfunctional proteomic pathology simulations.
US08296096B2	Positioning system and method using optically tracked anchor points A method and system for determining the location and attitude (roll, pitch, and yaw) of a moving object relative to an external reference frame by tracking unique two-dimensional patterns in the external reference frame from the moving object with displacement sensors. The displacement sensors lock onto the unique two-dimensional patterns by means of a steering mechanism which steers an optical path element capable of deviating the optical path using the displacement information from the relative movement of the two-dimensional patterns. The system is able to detect position and attitude to sub-millimeter accuracy without a physical connect between the moving object and the external reference frame and without a physical connection between the moving object and the external reference frame.
US08296093B2	Semiconductor device with thermal fault detection A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip including an active area. A temperature sensor arrangement provides a measurement signal dependent on the temperature in or close to the active area. An evaluation circuit is configured to compare the measurement signal with a first threshold and to signal an over-temperature when the measurement signal exceeds the first threshold. The evaluation circuit is also configured to count the number of exceedances of the first threshold and to signal when a maximum number of exceedances is reached.
US08296092B2	Platform specific test for computing hardware A platform specific test for computing hardware and method using same, wherein the method supplies a plurality of test procedures, and provides a computing device to be evaluated, where the computing device comprises (M) physical objects. The method identifies, for each value of (i), an (i)th physical object disposed in the computing device. The method then determines, for each value of (i), if the plurality of test procedures comprises one or more test procedures associated with the (i)th physical object. If, for each value of (i), the plurality of test procedures comprises one or more (i)th test procedures associated with the (i)th physical object, then the method adds, as one or more (i)th test procedures, the one or more test procedures associated with the (i)th physical object to a test algorithm, and saves that test algorithm.
US08296090B2	Gas analyzer A gas analyzer using a quadrupole mass spectrometric method etc. is provided with an ionizer to ionize a sample gas, a first ion detector and a second ion detector each configured to detect a respective ion from ionizer, and each being disposed a respective distance from the ionizer on an opposite side of the ionizer, the respective distances being different from each other, a filter interposed between the ionizer and the first ion detector to selectively allow ions from the ionizer to pass therethrough, and an arithmetic device to correct a partial pressure of a specific component obtained from the first ion detector and selected by the filter by using a first total pressure of the sample gas obtained from the first ion detector and a second total pressure of the sample gas obtained from the second ion detector.
US08296083B2	Vibratory pipeline diagnostic system and method A vibratory pipeline diagnostic system (100) is provided. The system (100) comprises at least one vibration generator (104) adapted to be affixed to a pipeline, at least one vibration sensor (107) adapted to be affixed to the pipeline, and a processing device (111) in communication with the at least one vibration generator (104) and the at least one vibration sensor (107). The processing device (111) is configured to vibrate a portion of the pipeline using the at least one vibration generator (104), receive a vibrational response to the vibration from the at least one vibration sensor (107), compare the vibrational response to one or more previous vibrational responses of the pipeline, and indicate a fault condition if the vibrational response differs from the one or more previous vibrational responses by more than a predetermined tolerance.
US08296075B2	Computer system and computer-facilitated method for nucleic acid sequence alignment and analysis The present invention relates to a computer system and methods of computer-facilitated data analysis for providing reliable DNA alignments. More specifically, the invention relates to the automation of alignment and naming of mitochondrial DNA sequences for use in forensic analysis. The methods of the present invention provide consistency of sequence nomenclature by minimizing alignment ambiguities, thus providing a common functional system within and among laboratories.
US08296074B2	Melting curve analysis with exponential background subtraction A method for clustering melting profiles of a plurality of nucleic acid samples, comprising measuring the fluorescence of each nucleic acid sample as a function of temperature to produce a respective raw melting curve for each respective nucleic acid sample, and clustering genotypes of the plurality of nucleic acid samples to form a plurality of clusters of melting curves. A system for analyzing a plurality of nucleic acid samples comprising an instrument for sequentially heating fluorescently detectable complexes while monitoring their fluorescence, a central processing unit (CPU) for performing computer executable instructions, and a memory storage device for storing computer executable instructions that when executed by the CPU cause the CPU to cluster genotypes of a plurality of nucleic acid samples.
US08296043B2	Method and device for monitoring a functional capacity of an engine controller of an internal combustion engine In a method for monitoring the functional capacity of an engine controller having a plurality of execution units, a comparison operating mode is provided, in which a torque monitoring program is executed on a plurality of execution units of the system, and signals outputted during the execution of the monitoring program by the execution units are compared with one another in order to recognize an error.
US08296038B2	Method and system for determining engine brake torque in real time A method and system for controlling an engine function includes a deflection determination module generating a clutch deflection signal. The system further includes an engine function module controlling an engine function in response to the clutch deflection signal. The clutch deflection signal may be generated by sensors associated with the transmission shaft such as within the clutch housing or the friction disk.
US08296026B2	Powertrain control apparatus and method, and program for implementing the control method In a control apparatus for a powertrain that includes an automatic transmission, occurrence of slip in a one-way clutch is determined when one gear is formed if a first rotation member and a second rotation member of the one-way clutch rotate relatively. If slip in the one-way clutch is detected, it is determined whether the rotational speed difference between the first rotation member and the second rotation member has increased. If the rotational speed difference between the first rotation member and the second rotation member has increased when slip is detected in the one-way clutch, a control is executed to engage a predetermined frictional engagement element.
US08296023B2	Control apparatus and control method for continuously variable transmission An ECU executes a program including the steps of: learning a differential pressure of a lock-up clutch; determining whether or not learning has been completed when a vehicle is in a coasting state and a brake is applied; lowering the lock-up differential pressure such that the lock-up clutch can be disengaged immediately and prohibiting or suppressing control for increasing transmission gain when learning has been completed; and increasing a lower limit guard value for the lock-up differential pressure and performing control for increasing the transmission gain when learning has not been completed.
US08296020B2	Use of selectable one-way clutch in hybrid powertrain A powertrain includes a plurality of torque generative devices and a transmission having an output shaft, a plurality of planetary gear sets connecting the torque generative devices to the output shaft, and a selectable one-way clutch connected to a first of the planetary gear sets. A method to control the powertrain includes monitoring a desired transmission setting selection comprising one of a low range continuously variable gear mode, a high range continuously variable gear mode, and a fixed gear mode, determining a desired state for the selectable one-way clutch based upon the desired transmission setting selection, and actuating the selectable one-way clutch to effect the desired state for the selectable one-way clutch.
US08296012B2	Vehicle communication system and method A vehicle communication system and communication steering wheel is provided. The communication steering wheel includes a display, a wireless transceiver configured to operably connect to a wireless device, a sensor, configured to obtain directional steering information and a controller, configured to receive input from the wireless transceiver and the sensor and output a signal to the display based on the received input.
US08296009B2	Suspension controller A suspension controller for controlling, based on a value detected by at least one sensor which is provided in a vehicle and which is configured to detect a detected portion, a suspension provided for a wheel of the vehicle which is located on a rear side of the detected portion and which is distant from the detected portion by a longitudinal distance in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, such that the suspension works in accordance with a control command value that is prepared based on the value detected by the at least one sensor. The suspension controller includes a gain determiner configured to determine a gain, for controlling the suspension based on the determined gain. The gain determiner is configured to determine the gain such that the determined gain is smaller when a previewable time is shorter than a threshold length of time, than when the previewable time is not shorter than the threshold length of time.
US08295999B2	System and method for the automatic generation of movement authority solutions in a rail system A dual-process system for the automatic generation of railway route-solution candidates and their concomitant movement authorities includes a central authority server that accepts dispatcher-provided start and end point data and time information and executes two different independent routing processes to provide two independently determined route-solution candidates. The two solutions are compared for consistency and, when consistent, the route with the minimum authority grants is selected as the solution for use by the locomotive or train.
US08295997B2	Method of determining and displaying flying indications and a flight indicator for implementing said method The present invention relates to a pilot assistance method for giving assistance in piloting a rotary wing aircraft, the method consisting in using a scale with collective pitch graduations that is movable on a display screen to indicate the position of the collective pitch, in determining the desynchronization pitch, in using a maximum limit value and a minimum limit value for the speed of rotation of the rotor, in transforming the maximum limit value and the minimum limit value in real time and as a function of physical flight parameters respectively into a bottom limit position and a top limit position for the collective pitch, and when a determined difference appears between the real value and the reference value Nr0 for the speed of rotation of the rotor, in displaying at least one item of corrective information about the adjustment of the collective pitch.
US08295996B2	Method and device for preventing useless alarms generated by an anti-collision system on board an airplane The invention describes a method and device for preventing useless alarms generated by an anticollision system on board an airplane and according to which the duration (dcap) of a phase of capture of a setpoint altitude (Zc) by the airplane is between a predetermined minimum execution deadline (dmin) and a predetermined maximum execution deadline (dmax).
US08295986B2	Net metering apparatus for power generation systems An electrical power generation unit including a power source, an energy storage system and a net metering control apparatus capable of controlling power delivered to an electrical utility grid so that that a total amount of electrical power from the power source and the energy storage system does not exceed a prescribed power limit. A process of controlling electrical power flow in an electrical power generation unit connected to an electrical utility grid so that that a total amount of electrical power from the power source and the energy storage system does not exceed a prescribed power limit.
US08295985B2	Latching solenoid energy reserve An irrigation device including an actuator configured to control water flow to at least one water delivery device, a first stored energy source configured to power the actuator to effect irrigation via the at least one water delivery device, and a second stored energy source which is separate from the first stored energy source, wherein the second stored energy source is configured to power the actuator to terminate the irrigation via the at least one water delivery device. The irrigation devices further includes a controller configured to cause the first stored energy source to power the actuator to effect the irrigation, responsive to an instruction to provide irrigation, and to cause the second stored energy source to power the actuator to terminate the irrigation responsive to a termination condition.
US08295984B2	Method for detecting the position of a closure element in a water distribution mechanism A method and a device are provided for detecting the position of a closure element of a movement reversal device in a dishwasher. The device determines the position of a closure element via a comparison of a value corresponding to a predefined reference position of the closure element with a signal value of a circulation pump of the dishwasher.
US08295983B2	Apparatus and method for characterization and control of usage disturbances in a usage environment of printers and other dynamic systems Dynamic systems with moving parts, such as printers and image forming apparatuses, for example, can shake as a result of reaction forces related to carriage movement. The characteristics of the shake are related to the particular usage environment and, therefore, can be different for the same dynamic system used in different environments. When the shake of a dynamic system is characterized while the dynamic system is in its particular usage environment, the shake can be reduced, for example, based on a degree of control specified by an operator, for every use in that same environment through adjustments based on the characterization.
US08295981B2	Device commissioning in a heating, ventilation and air conditioning network The disclosure provides various systems and methods for conveying information between a communicating first device and a second coupled device of a HVAC network. In various embodiments, a checking of a subnet of the HVAC network for both communicating device and a non-communicating device by the communicating first device occurs. It is determined whether the second coupled device in a non-communicating device. An installer is allowed to set parameters of the non-communicating device through employment of a manifest list of features used by the non-communicating device that is accessible by the communicating device.
US08295978B2	System for cooperation of multiple robots using dynamic behavior binding and method thereof The present invention relates to a system for cooperation of multiple mobile robots and a method thereof that allow the multiple mobile robots to cooperatively execute one complicated task. The system and method can use centralized control architecture, create robot cooperation application codes on the basis of conceptual behavior units without depending on actual physical robots, and dynamically bind behavior units used to create the robot cooperation application at the time of executing the robot cooperation application to actual functions of the robots, thereby actively adjusting to changes in a dynamical environment, such as a change in the types, the number, and the functions of robots for cooperation.
US08295968B2	Setup method of substrate processing apparatus A setup method of a substrate processing apparatus includes: connecting a test terminal, which includes a pseudo comprehensive control unit and a second operation unit, to a plurality of process chamber control units, with the process chamber control units being separated from the comprehensive control unit and a first operation unit; transmitting a process chamber test operation command from the second operation unit to the plurality of process chamber control units through the pseudo comprehensive control unit; testing operations of a plurality of process chambers in parallel by the plurality of process chamber control units receiving the process chamber test operation command; and transmitting a process chamber test operation report from the plurality of process chamber control units to the second operation unit through the pseudo comprehensive control unit.
US08295966B2	Methods and apparatus to predict etch rate uniformity for qualification of a plasma chamber A method for predicting etch rate uniformity for qualifying health status of a processing chamber during substrate processing of substrates is provided. The method includes executing a recipe and receiving processing data from a first set of sensors. The method further includes analyzing the processing data utilizing a subsystem health check predictive model to determine calculated data, which includes at least one of etch rate data and uniformity data. The subsystem health check predictive model is constructed by correlating measurement data from a set of film substrates with processing data collected during analogous processing of a set of non-film substrates. The method yet also includes performing a comparison of the calculated data against a set of control limits as defined by the subsystem health check predictive model. The method yet further includes generating a warning if the calculated data is outside of the set of control limits.
US08295962B2	Method of making an article of footwear A method of making an article of footwear is disclosed. The method includes the steps of designing an article of footwear via a website, converting a footwear representation into a set of two-dimensional portions, printing the two dimensional portions onto a sheet material, cutting and assembling the two dimensional portions into a finalized article of footwear. The method further includes a step of shipping the article of footwear to a pre-designated shipping address. Systems for receiving an order for a customized article of footwear are also disclosed.
US08295955B2	Methods and apparatus for position estimation using reflected light sources The invention is generally related to the estimation of position and orientation of an object with respect to a local or a global coordinate system using reflected light sources. A typical application of the method and apparatus includes estimation and tracking of the position of a mobile autonomous robot. Other applications include estimation and tracking of an object for position-aware, ubiquitous devices. Additional applications include tracking of the positions of people or pets in an indoor environment. The methods and apparatus comprise one or more optical emitters, one or more optical sensors, signal processing circuitry, and signal processing methods to determine the position and orientation of at least one of the optical sensors based at least in part on the detection of the signal of one or more emitted light sources reflected from a surface.
US08295952B2	Apparatus and method for automated closed-loop identification of an industrial process in a process control system An apparatus, method, and computer program are provided for automated closed-loop identification of an industrial process in a process control system. Multiple models (such as multiple model structure-model order combinations) can be identified, where the models are associated with a process to be controlled. One or more metrics (such as a prediction metric or rank) can be determined for each of the models. At least one of the models can be selected based on the one or more metrics. A final model for controlling the process can be provided (such as to a controller), where the final model is based on the at least one selected model. A band pass filter could be designed using some of the identified models. The band pass filter could be used to identify at least one other of the models or to determine at least one of the one or more metrics.
US08295951B2	Systems and methods for offset-free model predictive control Techniques, systems and methods for designing, implementing, and operating model predictive controllers that can deliver perfect tracking of set points and that can reject the effect of disturbances when steady-state operation is reached are disclosed. High performance is achieved through the incorporation of set-point tracking costs, integral costs, and velocity costs, as well as the adoption of incremental model systems for prediction purposes. Embodiments can deliver offset-free performance for tracking set points with constant final values, set points of a ramp type, and set points of a parabolic form, while rejecting disturbances that have a constant final value. The approach reduces the complexity of model predictive control design, delivers improved performance, and requires modest computational power. An Incremental Model State Estimator (IMES) is disclosed that reduces the computation load required for producing estimated values for the unmeasured star vector of a model under the presence of unmeasured disturbances.
US08295938B2	Programming a medical device with a general purpose instrument An apparatus including a processor configured to selectively load a first operating system that controls general purpose computer functionality of the apparatus; and a second operating system different from the first operating system. The second operating system controls medical device programming functionality of the apparatus, enabling the apparatus to program a medical device including at least one implantable component.
US08295929B2	Glass feedthrough assemblies for implantable medical devices A feedthrough assembly of an implantable medical device includes a glass insulator containing at least approximately 20 mol % of calcium oxide (CaO), preferably of a CABAL-12 type composition. The assembly is either manufactured so that the glass insulator includes a surface layer including calcium phosphate, preferably of relatively low solubility, or is assembled in the implantable device so that the glass insulator is exposed to phosphate-containing body fluid, when the device is implanted, for the formation of a surface layer including calcium phosphate.
US08295925B2	Methods and devices for treating neuropathy and loss of protective sensation Certain embodiments described herein are directed to methods for treating loss of protective sensation. In certain embodiments, loss of protective sensation may be restored by application of an effective amount of a pulsed current at, for example, an effective pulse frequency. Devices and systems designed to treat loss of protective sensation are also described.
US08295922B2	Iontophoresis device An iontophoresis device may be capable of preventing or reducing the generation of gas, or the production of undesirable ions, due to an electrode reaction occurring in an electrode assembly; or the alteration of an active agent due to a chemical reaction upon energization. A doping layer made of a substance such as a conductive polymer that effects an electrochemical reaction due to the doping or de-doping of an ion, may be formed in an electrode in an active electrode assembly or counter electrode assembly of an iontophoresis device.
US08295920B2	System for detecting fluid changes and sensoring devices therefor A sensor device for detecting a change fluid level within body tissue comprising a housing with bridge segments connecting at intersections arranged to circumscribe an opening. Further, antenna elements are partially seated within the housing at intersections of bridge segments, comprise a generally planar antenna mounted to a substrate material at a base of the planar antenna, and an electrical shield surrounding the substrate. Also, an outer surface of the planar antenna faces away from the substrate. The antenna elements comprise at least first and second antenna element pairs having transmitting and receiving antenna elements and a bridging segment. A high sensitivity zone is formed between the transmitting antenna and receiving antenna. The antenna element pairs are spaced to create an area of reduced sensitivity between the high sensitivity zones, and the space is set so that the sensor is insensitive to fluid changes of a predetermined volume.
US08295915B2	Method and computational unit for measuring the flow rate of a contrast agent in a vessel of a patient A method and a computational unit are disclosed for measuring the flow rate of a contrast agent in a vessel of a patient by way of a computed tomography examination. The patient is scanned by x-rays emitted in a fan-shape from two planes and the absorption from a multiplicity of rotational angles is determined while the contrast agent propagates through the at least one vessel. According to at least one embodiment of the invention, a three-dimensional data record of local absorption data with the vessel which can be filled by a contrast agent is reconstructed; a set of x-rays which pass through this vessel is determined for a multiplicity of temporally subsequent rotational angles of the x-rays. By determining the changing absorption values along this vessel from the temporally subsequent vessel/ray-sets, the propagation velocity of the contrast agent in this vessel can be determined from the spatial and temporal change in the absorption values in this vessel.
US08295914B2	Systems and methods of determining patient transfer functions and modeling patient response to a pharmaceutical injection A method of controlling an injector system for delivering a contrast enhancing fluid to a patient. The method includes the step of determining at least one patient transfer function for the patient based upon data specific to the patient, with the at least one patient transfer function providing a time enhancement output for a given input. The data specific to the patent may include at least one of an estimate of physiologic parameters of the patient, an estimate of anatomic parameters of the patient and an enhancement caused by an injection of the contrast enhancing fluid into the patient. Other steps involve: determining a desired time enhancement output; using the at least one patient transfer function to determine an injection procedure input; and controlling the injector system at least in part on the basis of the determined injection procedure input.
US08295913B2	Method and device for planning and/or monitoring an interventional high-frequency thermoablation In a method as well as a device for planning and/or monitoring an interventional high-frequency thermoablation, 3D image data of a region (1) of interest of a body are acquired with a tomographical imaging apparatus and are presented on an image display device. In the method, a database is provided in which, for at least one interventional instrument available for high-frequency thermoablation, a volume region for at least one high-frequency power generable with the instrument is established in which a thermoablation is achieved in a tissue with the instrument at this high-frequency power. Upon marking at least one ablation position in the image representations, a 3D object representing the volume region or a volume region derived from this is then mixed in at least semi-transparently at this ablation position. The method and the associated device enable a better planning and monitoring of an interventional high-frequency thermoablation by the user.
US08295912B2	Method and system to inhibit a function of a nerve traveling with an artery In some embodiments, sympathetic nerves surrounding arteries or leading to organs are targeted with energy sources to correct or modulate physiologic processes. In some embodiments, different types of energy sources are utilized singly or combined with one another. In some embodiments, bioactive agents or devices activated by the energy sources are delivered to the region of interest and the energy is enhanced by such agents.
US08295909B2	Medical tracking system with infrared data transfer A medical tracking and appliance control system includes a medical tracking system having a camera array and an infrared light source, and at least one medical appliance controllable via infrared signals or operative to exchange data via infrared signals. The infrared light source of the medical tracking system is operable to provide wireless control and/or data exchange with the medical appliance.
US08295902B2	Low profile electrode assembly A tissue electrode assembly includes a membrane configured to form an expandable, conformable body that is deployable in a patient. The assembly further includes a flexible circuit positioned on a surface of the membrane and comprising at least one base substrate layer, at least one insulating layer and at least one planar conducting layer. An electrically-conductive electrode covers at least a portion of the flexible circuit and a portion of the surface of the membrane not covered by the flexible circuit, wherein the electrically-conductive electrode is foldable upon itself with the membrane to a delivery conformation having a diameter suitable for minimally-invasive delivery of the assembly to the patient.
US08295900B2	Terminal apparatus with built-in fault current limiter for superconducting cable system A terminal apparatus for a superconducting cable system connects an overhead transmission cable or power appliance such as a breaker in an ambient temperature state to a superconducting cable through which power is transmitted at a cryogenic temperature. The terminal apparatus has: a refrigerant tub which is connected to the end of a superconducting cable and is filled with a refrigerant; a vacuum heat insulating container that surrounds the exterior of the refrigerant tub; a current lead having one end connected to the end portion of the superconducting cable and the other end connected to the overhead transmission cable or power appliance through the refrigerant tub and the vacuum heat insulating container; and a superconducting fault current limiter installed at a center portion of the current lead in the interior of the refrigerant tub to limit fault current. As the superconducting fault current limiter is built in the terminal apparatus, the terminal apparatus itself can play the role of a fault current limiter too. Hence, the terminal apparatus can protect a superconducting cable from a fault current directly by limiting the fault current flowed into the superconducting cable when a power transmission fault occurs.
US08295898B2	Location based authentication of mobile device transactions Systems, methods, and software for implementing location-based authentication of both online and mobile web-based transactions. This implementation may involve verifying whether a mobile device (such as a cellular telephone) is proximate to a computer from which the transaction is being performed. Depending upon the location of the mobile device, further transactions may be approved or rejected. In further implementations, the transactions may be made from the mobile device itself. In this case, the location of the mobile device compared with one or more pre-stored locations may affect whether further transactions from the mobile device are approved or rejected.
US08295896B2	Waterproof cover for mobile phone A waterproof cover for a mobile phone including: a cover body having the same outward appearance as a mobile phone to accommodate the mobile phone therein, the cover body being made of polyurethane in such a way that the cover body is in a close contact with the mobile phone to be accommodated therein, the cover body having a receiving hole formed on a front face of the cover body for allowing the mobile phone to be inserted into and removed from the cover body; and an adhesive member being continuously releasably-adhered on the front face of the cover body to seal and open the receiving hole.
US08295889B2	Assembly for a sound reproduction apparatus included with a communications apparatus and a method of using the assembly There is provided an assembly for a sound reproduction apparatus included with a communications apparatus. The assembly includes an ear bud earphone that anchors to an ear of a user; a cable of the ear bud earphone, a portion of the cable being attached to a reel axle onto which the cable is windable, the reel axle being connected to a revolution counter which tracks a number of revolutions of the reel axle in a first direction, the revolution counter being reset to zero when the cable is fully wound onto the reel axle; with a first end of the cable being functionally connected to the communications apparatus to enable sound signals to be reproduced in the ear bud earphone. The functional connection to the communications apparatus may be either via a solder joint or a detachable connector.
US08295880B1	Communication device The communication device comprising a voice communication implementer, an auto time adjusting implementer, a calculation implementer, a word processing implementer, a stereo audio data output implementer, a digital camera implementer, a multiple language implementer, a caller's information displaying implementer, an icon software implementer, and a simultaneous implementer.
US08295874B2	Femto-cell power control using idle-mode user equipment in a cellular communication system Disclosed is a method for providing power control using idle-mode user equipment attached to a cell in a wireless communication system. First and second higher power level thresholds for signal transmissions of a cell are defined, wherein the first power level has a defined offset higher than a minimum required power level, and wherein the first and second power level thresholds define an operating power band therebetween. The user equipment measures a signal transmission power level. If the idle-mode user equipment determines that the signal transmission power level falls outside of the operating power band, then a message is sent to affect a change in signal transmission power level.
US08295863B1	Multimedia enhanced services Techniques for providing information to users implemented through personal mobile devices such as cell phones, PDAs, electronic book readers, and other such devices are described herein. The described techniques and systems allow users to request searches, perform information seeking, purchasing, or other types of transactions with a provider via a mobile or wireless network using the messaging service capabilities of the users' mobile devices. Messages may be compiled in a manner customized to a user request and may be provided without the user authenticating to the provider in some instances.
US08295861B2	Apparatus, and associated method, for paging a mobile station An apparatus, and an associated methodology, for facilitating paging of a mobile station pursuant to a two-step paging procedure. A unique identifier of the mobile station that is to be paged is hashed into a first group of hashed values and at least a second group of hashed values. The first group of hashed values are used by page message generator to generate a page on a first paging channel. And, the second group of values are used by a page message generator to generate a page on a second paging channel. All of the bits of the unique identifier are sent to page the mobile station. The mobile station determines therefrom whether the mobile station has been paged.
US08295860B2	System and method for intelligent paging of an idle mobile device An access gateway comprises a processor. The processor is operable to determine a message type of a received packet. The processor is further operable to apply a paging rule. The paging rule is related at least in part to the message type of the received packet. The processor is further operable to determine whether to send a request to transition the mobile device to an active state based on the paging rule. The processor is further operable to send a request, when appropriate, to transition the mobile device to an active state.
US08295847B2	Method for detecting stationary users and call admission control in wireless communication system The present invention relates to a stationary user detecting system and method and a call admission control method using the same in a wireless communication system. A plurality of base stations located in the wireless Internet system detect a stationary user at regular time intervals and maintain it by a predetermined number of cases for each terminal. Information on the maintained stationary user is recalculated with a stationary probability for each base station so as to be used for call admission control. Therefore, the terminal of the stationary user detected in the wireless Internet system is calculated with the stationary probability value, which is applied to the call admission control, thereby minimizing reservation of undesired resources.
US08295829B2	Wireless access point management in a campus environment A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is operated in conjunction with a wired Local Area Network (wired LAN) to service a premises, e.g., a campus setting. The wired LAN services the wired communication needs of the premises and serves as the wired backbone of the WLAN. A plurality of Wireless Access Points (WAPs) of the WLAN couple to the wired backbone and are serviced by the LAN. With this shared structure, wired network components, e.g., multi-layer switches, manage the operation of WLAN components, i.e., WAPs. Such management includes ensuring that the WAPs provide sufficient bandwidth to support wireless packetized voice communications. Additional management operations include WAP access, wireless terminal registration, and channel resource allocation, among others.
US08295827B2	System and method for establishing optimal parameters for performing seamless call transfer between cordless and wireless modes A system and method for establishing a signal parameter threshold for switching between communications protocols by a multimode handset may include providing cordless telephones of different models. A dropout point at which a communications signal of each of the cordless telephones deteriorates below a predetermined level may be determined. At least one signal parameter of the communications signal at the determined dropout point of each of the cordless telephones may be measured and collected. The signal parameter(s) associated with the cordless telephone having the shortest range at which the associated dropout point may be determined so that a multimode handset may be established with the signal parameter(s) to cause the multimode handset to switch communications protocols in response to the multimode handset crossing a signal parameter threshold level defined by the predetermined signal parameter(s) when communicating with a base unit of a cordless telephone.
US08295821B2	System for switching over a voice call A system and method for switching a voice call from an Instant Messaging (IM) based voice network to a cellular voice network. A telephone adapted to switch a voice call from an Instant Messaging (IM) based voice network to a cellular voice network.
US08295819B1	Picture caller ID systems, methods and apparatus A communication system is provided that enables automated retrieval of caller ID picture information and association with contact information, while still allowing security control over information or images that are sent to the requesting device. The communication system has a wireless device communicating with a picture server. The wireless device receives an incoming call with caller ID information, and determines if a picture is locally stored for the caller. If no picture is locally stored for the caller, then a request is made to retrieve a picture from the picture server. If the picture server has the requested picture, and the wireless device is authorized to receive the picture, then the picture is downloaded to the wireless device, where the picture is associated with contact information for the caller. The picture of the caller will then be automatically displayed when the caller places future calls.
US08295810B2	Network element and method for providing access control for a cellular communication network A network element (130, 330), for providing access control to a core network (120) of a cellular communication network (100) for a wireless communication unit (150) operating within a communication cell supported by the network element (130, 330), comprises a receiver for receiving a message (425) from the wireless communication unit (150) comprising identity information. The network element further comprises logic (160), operably coupled to the receiver, for determining whether to permit the mobile communication unit (150) access to the core network (120), based at least in part on the received identity information.
US08295804B2	System and method for monitoring message usage A computer implemented method for monitoring message usage on a communication device. An audible message may be outputted on the communication device in replacement of a pre-determined telephone tone. A duration parameter of outputting the audible message in replacement of the pre-determined telephone tone may be determined, and provided to a billing system for determining a compensation parameter.
US08295801B2	System and method for identifying and collecting data messages being communicated over a communications network A system and method for capturing emergency data messages in a network environment includes receiving, at a first network node, an emergency data message communicated from a wireless communications device. The emergency data message may be accompanied by an origination address and destination address indicative of an emergency network address. A determination may be made at the first network node to determine whether the origination address matches a monitored address established by a law enforcement agency to capture data messages to or from the origination address. If it is determined that the origination address matches the monitored address, then a copy of the emergency data message may be routed to a second network node for collection of the emergency data message and the emergency data message may be routed to the destination address. Otherwise, the emergency data message may be routed to the destination address.
US08295799B2	Method and system for identifying radio frequency identification (RFID) tag location using a switchable coil Aspects of a method and system for identifying a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag location using a switchable coil are presented. Aspects of the systems may include one or more processors that enable selection of an inductor coil from a plurality of inductor coils. The selection of the inductor coil may be based on a change in an electromagnetic field, with respect to an initial electromagnetic field, as detected by the selected inductor coil. The processors may enable transmission of a signal, having a transmitter frequency in the UHF frequency band, via the selected inductor coil.
US08295796B2	High frequency circuit A high frequency circuit includes an amplifier part that includes a plurality of amplifier circuits amplifying a high frequency signal and connected in parallel, that synthesizes outputs of the amplifier circuit and that supplies the outputs to an antenna; a controller that outputs a low power signal during a low power mode in which the amplifier part operates at low power; and an operation suppressing circuit that disables one of the plurality of amplifier circuits based on the low power signal.
US08295792B2	Control of switcher regulated power amplifier modules Various embodiments described herein relate to a power management block and an amplification block used in the transmitter of a communication subsystem. The power management block provides improved control for the gain control signal provided to a pre-amplifier and the supply voltage provided to a power amplifier which are both in the amplification block. The power expended by the power amplifier is optimized by employing a continuous control method in which one or more feedback loops are employed to take into account various characteristics of the transmitter components and control values.
US08295787B2	Method for transmitting and receiving additional control signals A method for transmitting/receiving an additional control signal without any loss of bandwidth and power in an original Tx signal is disclosed. If the additional control signal is transmitted via the Tx signal composed of at least one of data and control signals, at least one of the amplitude and phase of the Tx signal of the time- and frequency-resource domain is modulated according to the additional control signal to be transmitted. The modulated Tx signal is transmitted to the receiver, so that the additional control signal can be transmitted irrespective of the original Tx signal. According to a modulation status of at least one of an amplitude and a phase of the Rx signal contained in the time- and frequency-resource domain, the additional control signal can be acquired.
US08295786B2	Magnetic sheet, method for producing the magnetic sheet, antenna, and portable communication device The present invention provides a magnetic sheet with improved resistance to folding while maintaining good magnetic characteristics and reliability; a method for producing the magnetic sheet; an antenna; and a portable communication device.A magnetic sheet of the present invention includes a flat magnetic powder, and a resin binder capable of dissolving in a solvent, wherein the magnetic sheet has a gradient of the content ratio of the magnetic powder to the resin binder in a thickness direction thereof, wherein, in use, the magnetic sheet is folded so that, of the front and back surfaces thereof, one surface whose magnetic powder content is lower than that of the other is folded inward, and wherein the difference in glossiness measured at a light-incident angle of 60° between the front and back surfaces is 9.4 or more.
US08295785B2	Transmission and/or reception process with high channel capacity, transmitter and/or receiver, and mobile terminal A transmission and/or reception process with high channel capacity uses a multiple transmitter and/or receiver system, and signal processing undergoes phases of temporary switching-off. Also disclosed arm corresponding transmitters and/or receivers, as well as a mobile terminal. In order to provide a process, a device and a mobile terminal of the above-mentioned type which improve communication reliability with high spectral efficiency using multipath propagation, it is proposed that the mixer units (5) be initialized when signal processing is turned on.
US08295783B2	Method and system for dynamic link control for a chip to chip communication system A wireless device comprising a plurality of chips may be operable to dynamically configure wireless communication between the plurality of chips. Each of the chips may include one or more transceivers and one or more integrated directional antennas communicatively coupled to the one or more transceivers. The communications link between chips in the wireless device may be dynamically configured via control of the transceivers and/or the integrated directional antennas. The antennas may include patch antennas and/or dipole antennas. The transceivers may be configured by controlling output power of power amplifiers or by controlling gain of low noise amplifiers. The communications link may be dynamically configured by controlling a characteristic impedance of the antennas for impedance matching to transceivers. A frequency of the communication link may be controlled by configuring the antennas. A bandwidth of the communications link may be configured based on activity of processors in the wireless device.
US08295781B2	Transceiver having multistage channel filter in wireless communication system A transceiver having a multistage channel filter for a wireless communication system is disclosed. The transceiver is composed of a transmitter unit including a multistage channel filter module to perform channel filtering on an input signal having a sampling rate corresponding to a channel bandwidth of the wireless communication system by means of sampling-rate conversion through multiple stages, and a receiver unit corresponding to the transmitter unit.
US08295778B2	Channel rank feedback in multiple-input multiple-output communication systems Embodiments of a system and methodology are disclosed for aperiodic (i.e., non-periodic) feedback of channel-side information, such as channel rank information, to a base station by having the receiver/UE initiate the feedback instead of using a scheduled feedback approach. The autonomous feedback of channel-side information may use one of several different types of physical channel structures for uplink scheduling requests, such as those being discussed for inclusion in the emerging LTE platform standard.
US08295764B2	Inductive communications system A bi-directional asymmetric system is provided with a first node and a second node. The first node has a first transmitter that produces a modulated magnetic flux and a first exciter receiver that acts to receive data at the first node. The second node is coupled to the first node with a direct inductive communications downlink and a mutually inductive uplink. The second node includes a receiver that produces a signal induced by the first transmitter at the first node. The second node has a mutually inductive data transmitter that modules an exciter signal produced at the first node by the exciter receiver.
US08295763B2	System and method for identifying the path or devices on the path of a communication signal using (1+r(T)) amplitude modulation A system and method of applying a known modification to a signal to enable a determination of a signal received by a first node is received directly from a second node or indirectly through a repeater. The repeater receives a primary signal and creates a secondary signal as a function of the primary signal and a known modification, wherein the known modification identifies the repeater. The primary signal is transmitted and injected with the secondary signal as the first signal to the primary receiver.
US08295759B2	Image forming system and control method for the same An image forming system comprises a selection unit for selecting a post-processing apparatus that executes post-processing to a recording medium on which an image is formed from among a plurality of post-processing apparatuses, and a selection limitation unit for determining an insertion apparatus whose supply of the insertion medium to be limited for a selected post-processing apparatus and limiting selection of the insertion apparatus.
US08295751B2	Thermal fixing unit having pivotally movable pressure pad and image forming device provided with the same There is provided a thermal fixing unit that fixes a toner image on a printing medium, the fixing unit including a heat member, a pressure pad, a movable supporting assembly, and an urging member. The heat member is in contact with the printing medium, being positionally fixed and defining an axis. The pressure pad is disposed in opposition to the heat member for nipping the printing medium in cooperation with the heat member. The supporting assembly pivotably movably supports the pressure pad. The urging member biases the supporting assembly to urge the pressure pad toward the heat member for providing pressure contact between the heat member and the pressure pad.
US08295743B2	Image forming apparatus and developing agent cartridge An image forming apparatus is described. The image forming apparatus may include an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a developing agent carrier that transforms the electrostatic latent image into a visible image by supplying a developing agent to the image carrier; and a developing agent cartridge that accommodates a developing agent to be supplied to the developing agent carrier, arranged so as to be opposed to the developing agent carrier in a longitudinal direction of the developing agent carrier, and formed with an opening for horizontally passing the developing agent in a position horizontally opposed to the developing agent carrier.
US08295742B2	Powder container, powder supplying device, and image forming apparatus A powder container that has a hollow interior for containing powder includes a tubular member that is equipped with an information storage unit that stores therein at least information related to a container body, and attached to the container body such that the container body is located within an inner hole of the tubular member. The powder container also includes a movement restricting unit that restricts movement of the tubular member in an axial direction of the tubular member.
US08295740B2	Developing device, image forming apparatus, and cleaning method for the developing device A developing device includes a developer tank for housing a two-component developer containing toner and magnetic carrier; a first conveying portion having a first rotary shaft rotatable about its axis and a first screw blade which surrounds the first rotary shaft and rotates together with the first rotary shaft and contains a ferromagnetic substance; a second conveying portion having a second rotary shaft rotatable about its axis and a second screw blade which surrounds the second rotary shaft and rotates together with the second rotary shaft and contains a ferromagnetic substance; a first electromagnet for magnetizing the first screw blade; and a second electromagnet for magnetizing the second screw blade.
US08295737B2	Developing device and image forming apparatus using same A developing device capable of preventing scattered developer from being discharged and of stably supplying a developer to a latent image carrier by preventing the developer from being discharged despite that the amount of developer within the developing device is not increased, and an image forming apparatus including the developing device. When the bulk of the developer existing in the vicinity of the downstream end in the conveyance direction of the supply conveyance path exceeds the height level of the developer discharge port, the developer that has reached the height level of the developer discharge port is discharged to the outside of the developing device by the developer discharge port and developer conveyance path serving as the developer discharge device.
US08295732B2	Electrophotographic photosensitive member and method of producing the same The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photosensitive member including a photosensitive layer formed on an outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical body. The cylindrical body includes a plurality of chamfers formed between an end surface and the outer circumferential surface. A chamfer arranged nearest an inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical body has a crossing angle of not less than 3° and not more than 25° relative to the end surface. The cylindrical body may include a recess formed between the end surface and the outer surface. The end surface may be formed to have pearskin. The present invention also relates to a method of manufacturing the electrophotographic photosensitive member. In the manufacturing method, a plurality of cylindrical bodies is supported by a supporting body in a manner that the end surfaces are positioned at contacting portions of adjacent cylindrical bodies.
US08295728B2	Phase detecting device, phase control device including the phase detecting device, and fuser control device including the phase control device An image forming apparatus includes a fuser that fuses a paper medium and a fuser control device that controls an AC power supplied to the fuser. The fuser control device includes a phase detecting device that receives an AC voltage, detects zero-crossing points of the AC voltage, outputs a phase detecting signal when the zero-crossing points are detected, and selectively cuts off a flow of AC power into the phase detecting device in response to a mode control signal, a signal generator that generates a phase control signal to control a phase of the AC power supplied to the fuser based on the phase detecting signal, and a temperature controller that controls a temperature of the fuser by controlling the phase of the AC power supplied to the fuser according to the phase control signal.
US08295723B2	Image forming apparatus and image forming method with improved protective agent properties An image forming method and apparatus in which a protective agent is supplied to an image carrier, and the image carrier is charged by a plurality of charging units. Degrees of discharge deterioration of the surface of the image carrier in the plurality of charging units are different, and the amount of protective agent supplied to a charging portion of a charging unit, in which a degree of discharge deterioration of the surface of the image carrier is high, is large.
US08295708B2	High speed underwater data transmission method An underwater data transmission system including arrays of nano-meter scaled photon emitters and sensors on an outer surface of an underwater platform. For the emitters, a laser is pulsed to correlate with data packets, providing a beam of photons at a prescribed frequency. Nano-scaled collecting lenses channel the incoming photons to photo-receptors located at a focal plane for the frequency at the base of each lens. A coating on the lenses absorbs photons at the frequency that are not aligned with the longitudinal axes of the lenses or tubes. Nano-wires connect the photo-receptors to a light intensity integrator. The integrator integrates the intensity over a surface area. The output of the integrator is fed to a signal processor to track and process the arriving digital packets.
US08295702B2	Optical media converter system An optical media converter system is divided into an outdoor installed optical media converter and an indoor installed unit, which are connected to each other through an electrical Ethernet cable. The indoor installed unit includes two electrical Ethernet terminations and a power source section for supplying an electrical power from indoor to outdoor. The outdoor installed optical media converter includes an optical-electric converter, optical Ethernet termination, electrical Ethernet termination, and a power source section for generating a power source by an electrical power supplied from the indoor. With the above configuration, there can be provided an optical media converter system in which the need to draw the fiber-optic cable into a home can be eliminated, cost involved in a wiring work can be reduced, and a circuit design thereof is advantageous in cost reduction.
US08295701B2	Adaptive hybrid optical control plane determination of lightpaths in a DWDM network Techniques and a control architecture (apparatus and logic) are provided for an adaptive hybrid DWDM-aware computation scheme. The architecture is one that is a hybrid of a centralized control scheme and a distributed control scheme that performs adaptive physical impairment computations for an optical network. A central control server is connected to multiple client control devices each of which resides in a node in a dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM) optical network, wherein each client control device is part of an optical control plane associated with the optical network. The control server obtains data for path route analysis from the client control devices. The control server then determines optical feasibility of at least one path route from a source node to a destination node from optical parametric information based on the data obtained from multiple client control devices and without real-time communication between the central control server and the multiple client control devices while performing the optical feasibility computations.
US08295700B2	Distributed packet switch for use in a network A distributed packet switch to control data packet flows in a network is described. The distributed packet switch includes a means for operating over an asynchronous burst optical closed fiber medium. The distributed packet switch also includes at least one control system provided at a node to control data packet flow characteristics, such that the switch is configured to operate dependent on at least one efficiency parameter.
US08295698B2	Time-coherent global network A network of global coverage, scalable to hundreds of petabits per second, comprises bufferless switch units each of dimension n×n, n>1, arranged in a matrix of ν columns and ν rows, ν>1, interconnecting a maximum of ν×n edge nodes. Each edge node has ν upstream channels to ν switch units in ν different columns and ν downstream channels from ν switch units in ν different rows. All upstream channels to a switch unit are time-locked to the switch unit, thus enabling coherent switching at the switch unit.The switch units are preferably fast-switching optical nodes. Alternatively, the switch units may comprise fast-switching optical nodes each of dimension m×m, arranged in a first μ×μ matrix, and latent space switches each of dimension n×n, n>1, arranged in a second ν×ν matrix, ν>1, where μ×m=ν×n. An edge node time locks to each optical node and each latent space switch to which it connects.
US08295692B2	Scissor baffles for fuel gas conditioning system A feed gas conditioner includes a passageway with a plurality of heating elements positioned within the passageway. A plurality of baffle assemblies can cause a fluid flowing through the feed gas conditioner to flow in a serpentine flow pattern so that the fluid flows transverse to at least a portion of the heating elements. The baffle assemblies can each include two or more baffle elements, the baffle elements being positioned at an angle relative to each other. The heating elements can pass through passages within one or more of the baffle elements.
US08295685B2	Content reproduction device and method, recording medium, and program The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for content reproduction, a recording medium, and a program that make it possible to edit taken images easily and automatically in accordance with an intention of an editor. Each time a reproduction is performed, a reproduction start point and a reproduction end point of VOBU units of images reproduced by a disk camcorder are recorded in Play Data 81. The recorded reproduction start point and reproduction end point are read, and edit points representing a reproduced section of a longest, a shortest, or an average length are obtained. The obtained edit points are registered in a UD_PGCIT 94. Scenes are reproduced in order on the basis of the edit point data in the UD_PGCIT 94, and thus automatic edit reproduction is performed. The present invention is applicable to disk camcorders.
US08295684B2	Method and system for scaling content for playback with variable duration Adjusting the duration of first content having a plurality of segments including: identifying at least one segment of the first content; deleting the at least one identified segment from the first content to form modified content; and inserting transition periods between segments remaining in the modified content, wherein the transition periods are inserted to adjust the duration of the modified content to a desired duration.
US08295681B2	Method and system for manipulation of audio or video signals A method and system for manipulation of audio or video signals.
US08295679B2	Method of presenting auxiliary data for an interactive recording medium A method of presenting auxiliary data for an interactive recording medium is disclosed. In an interactive recording medium reproducing apparatus that reproduces A/V data and contents data recorded on an interactive recording medium and contents data provided by a contents providing server, the contents data provided by the contents providing server is presented appropriately according to the attributes of the contents data by using attribute information for the contents data.
US08295676B2	Video reproducing apparatus A video reproducing apparatus performs continued reproduction of a video title in association with continued reproduction of applications. When a Power-OFF or Reproduction-Stop of the video reproducing apparatus event occurs at a time point when the video title is reproduced to a midpoint of a chapter, continued reproduction information of an HD DVD disk is identified, such as a title and a chapter being reproduced, and is stored in a memory at that point in time. When the power is turned ON without replacing the HD DVD disk, the application displays a chapter menu of the title, and a script including a command for starting reproduction of the chapter is activated by the application according to an operation of a button of the chapter menu.
US08295671B2	Coated optical fibers and related apparatuses, links, and methods for providing optical attenuation Coated optical fibers and related apparatuses, links, and methods for optically attenuating light directed to or from optical fibers are disclosed. In one embodiment, an optical fiber includes an optical fiber end. The optical fiber end may be a source end and/or a detector end, and may be angle-cleaved. A coating material is disposed on at least a portion of the optical fiber end and configured to optically attenuate a portion of light directed to the optical fiber end. The material type of the coating material and/or the thickness of the coating material may be selectively controlled to control the amount of optical attenuation. The thickness of the coating material may also be controlled to provide the desired thickness of coating material onto at least a portion of the optical fiber end. The coating material may also be selectively patterned to improve the bandwidth of a multi-mode optical link.
US08295669B2	Compact optical fiber splice holder device An optical fiber splice holder device for connecting jacketed optical fiber cables includes a cover and a main body that houses a splice device therein. The splice device is configured to splice a first fiber end to a second fiber end. The main body also includes first and second fiber jacket clamping portions disposed at first and second ends of the main body to clamp a respective fiber's jacket portion that surrounds a portion of the respective fiber upon actuation. The optical fiber splice device also includes first and second fiber jacket boots that are attachable to the main body at the first and second ends of the main body. The boots each actuate the respective fiber jacket clamping regions of the optical fiber cables upon attachment to the main body.
US08295668B2	Low loss optical fiber designs and methods for their manufacture The specification describes an improved optical fiber produced by a hybrid VAD/MCVD process. The core of the fiber is produced using VAD and the inner cladding layer has a depressed index and is produced using MCVD. In preferred embodiments, the optical power envelope is essentially entirely contained in VAD produced core material and the MCVD produced depressed index cladding material. Optical loss is minimized by confining most of the optical power to the VAD core where OH presence is low, as well as by maximizing the optical power in the un-doped silica region. The MCVD substrate tube material is essentially devoid of optical power.
US08295658B2	Optical fiber connector An exemplary optical fiber connector includes a housing, and two lenses. The housing defines two first blind holes each configured for receiving an optical fiber. The two lenses are formed on the housing and each of the lenses is aligned with a corresponding first blind hole. The two second blind holes are defined on the housing and each of the second blind hole run through the housing to the bottom of a corresponding first blind hole allowing glue to accumulate on the bottom of the first blind hole.
US08295648B2	Storage medium having stored thereon image processing program and image processing apparatus A computer of an information processing apparatus sets an α value of each pixel in accordance with a depth value (Z value) of the pixel of a reference image. The α value is set such that a synthesizing ratio of the reference image is higher for a pixel having a depth value closer to a predetermined reference value. Next, the computer increases the α value which is set for a pixel having a smaller α value among two adjacent pixels which have an α value difference of a predetermined value or greater. Then, the computer synthesizes the reference image and a blurred image corresponding to the reference image based on the α value which is set for each pixel after being processed by the increasing processing.
US08295647B2	Compressibility-aware media retargeting with structure preserving The present invention provides a method for retargeting an image, comprising determining a total block structure energy of an input image content. A compressibility rate of the input image content is determined based on the total block structure energy. An optimal scaling factor of the input image content is obtained. The input image content is warped by using a new coordinate matrices and uniformly scaling the input image content to a target image resolution.
US08295637B2	Method of classifying red-eye objects using feature extraction and classifiers Disclosed are methods, devices, and computer program products for red-eye detection in an image. In one example embodiment, a method for detecting red-eye objects in an image includes several acts. First, a set of candidate red-eye objects identified in the image is received. Then, features are extracted from the candidate red-eye objects and, with a plurality of classifiers, a false red-eye object is eliminated from the set of candidate red-eye objects based on the extracted features. First and second ones of the plurality of classifiers are optimized for classifying objects in a first range of sizes using first and second ones of the extracted features, respectively. Furthermore, third and fourth ones of the plurality of classifiers are also optimized for classifying objects using the first and second ones of the extracted features, respectively, but for objects in a second range of sizes.
US08295622B2	Spatial data encoding and decoding Methods and systems for spatial data encoding and decoding are described. A tile may be designated within a source frame. The tile may be divided into at least one bit area. A particular message bit value of a message may be accessed. A statistical property calculation may be performed on a pixel variable value of available pixels within the tile. A pixel variable value of pixels in the particular bit area of a target frame may be shifted to encode a particular message bit. A particular pixel variable value of a particular pixel of the plurality of pixels may be shifted by a shift value. The shift value may be in accordance with the statistical property calculation, the particular message bit value, and a particular modulation pattern value of the plurality of modulation pattern values for the particular pixel within the particular bit area.
US08295621B1	Data decompression using a geometry shading unit A system and method uses the capabilities of a geometry shader unit within the multi-threaded graphics processor to offload data compression computations from a central processing unit (CPU), reduce the memory needed to store image data, and reduce the bandwidth needed to transfer image data between graphics processors and between a graphics processor and a system memory. The multi-threaded graphics processor is also configured to perform decompression of the variable length compressed data using the geometry shader unit.
US08295619B2	Image processing apparatus employed in overdrive application for compressing image data of second frame according to first frame preceding second frame and related image processing method thereof An image processing apparatus includes a storage device, an image detection circuit, a compression circuit, a decompression circuit, and an overdrive processing circuit. The image detection circuit generates a compression mode control signal according to a first frame. The compression circuit compresses an image data of a second frame according to the compression mode control signal, thereby generating a compressed image data of the second frame to the storage device. The first frame precedes the second frame. The decompression circuit decompresses the compressed image data of the second frame read from the storage device according to the compression mode control signal, thereby generating a recovered image data of the second frame. The overdrive processing circuit determines overdrive voltages of a third frame according to an image data of the third frame and the recovered image data of the second frame, where the second frame precedes the third frame.
US08295612B2	Change image detecting device, change image detecting method, computer program for realizing change image detecting function, and recording medium recorded with the computer program Change image detecting devices and methods are disclosed. In one example, a determination unit partially compares a first image and a reference image and determines whether there is a change therebetween. If the determination unit determines no change between the first image and the reference image, the change image detecting unit selects a second image, which is temporally later than the first image and stored in a first storing unit, as a new image to be processed and the determination unit partially compares the second image and the reference image at a different position than previously compared and determines whether there is a change between the second image and the reference image. If the determination unit determines change between the first image and the reference image, a change image detecting unit detects the first image stored in the first storing unit as the change image, and stores the first image in the second storing unit.
US08295610B1	Feature scaling for face detection A feature used in face detection can be applied to an image portion and can be scaled to fit differently sized image areas. If a feature is positioned with respect to an image area such that a vertex of the feature is aligned with a non-integer pixel location, at least one dimension of the filter can be rounded. A dimension to be rounded further can correspond to a directional component of the feature. For instance, contrast regions within the feature can be arranged horizontally, such that the vertical dimension represents a directional component. A rounding rule associated with the feature can be used in rounding a dimension corresponding to a directional component, such that a size ratio between the contrast regions is maintained. In some instances, the rounding rule can specify a factor that is a positive integer determined based on the number of contrast regions in the feature.
US08295609B2	Image processing apparatus, image processing method and computer readable-medium There is provided an image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus includes: an obtaining unit configured to capture an image; a specifying unit configured to specify at least one pixel on an edge of the image; a tracking unit configured to track pixels that are similar to the at least one pixel, among peripheral pixels around the at least one pixel; and an estimating unit configured to estimate, as a region of interest, a region other than a region consisting of the pixels tracked by the tracking unit.
US08295605B2	Method for identifying dimensions of shot subject The present invention relates to a method for identifying dimensions of shot subject, implemented on an identification system including a photo shooting unit capable of adjusting focal lengths. The method includes steps of using the photo shooting unit to focus on plural positions respectively having different field depths on a shot subject and respectively capture a image thereof, determining whether resolutions of the captured images are same, and if so, the shot subject is a two dimensional object, otherwise, the shot subject is a three dimensional object.
US08295602B2	Image processing apparatus and image processing method An image processing apparatus performs character recognition processing on a character image in a character area to obtain character code data, and performs vectorization processing on the character image in the character area to obtain vector data. Based on the rule set for each of a plurality of color information definitions and the character color of the character image, the image processing apparatus generates a plurality of color information definitions that define colors to be used in rendering the character code data and the vector data, so that an electronic document is generated that contains the character code data, the vector data, and the plurality of color information definitions.
US08295599B2	Image output apparatus, captured image processing system, and recording medium An object extraction section of an image output apparatus determines as an extraction region either (a) a quadrangular region enclosed by a quadrangle in which all internal angles are less than 180° and sides are constituted by 4 edge pixel groups each in the form of a line segment, the 4 edge pixel groups being indicated by edge information, or (b) a polygonal region enclosed by a polygon in which all internal angles are less than 180° and sides are constituted by at least one edge pixel group in the form of a line segment, which edge pixel group is indicated by the edge information, and at least one line segment located on an end portion of the captured image, and then (ii) cuts out, as output target image data, image data of the extraction region from the captured image data. This makes it possible to accurately and easily extract, from a captured image, a region including a rectangular image capture object that a user desires.
US08295592B2	Apparatus and method for adjusting pixels values of object edges within images An apparatus and method provide logic for processing images. In one implementation, an image processing apparatus includes an edge extraction section, a judgment section, and an edge processing section. The edge extraction section extracts an edge of an object of a character or a line drawing included in an image. The judgment section judges a possibility that the object is an image including a plurality of colors, or that the object is a black object having a pixel value of an image of each color being not less than a certain value. The edge processing section adjusts the pixel value of the extracted edge of the object according to a result obtained by the judgment section.
US08295591B2	Adaptive voting experts for incremental segmentation of sequences with prediction in a video surveillance system A sequence layer in a machine-learning engine configured to learn from the observations of a computer vision engine. In one embodiment, the machine-learning engine uses the voting experts to segment adaptive resonance theory (ART) network label sequences for different objects observed in a scene. The sequence layer may be configured to observe the ART label sequences and incrementally build, update, and trim, and reorganize an ngram trie for those label sequences. The sequence layer computes the entropies for the nodes in the ngram trie and determines a sliding window length and vote count parameters. Once determined, the sequence layer may segment newly observed sequences to estimate the primitive events observed in the scene as well as issue alerts for inter-sequence and intra-sequence anomalies.
US08295586B2	Position detecting method and position detecting apparatus in consideration of non-pinhole characteristic of a camera A position detection method and a position detection device for detecting with sufficient accuracy the position or the attitude of an object by using an image of the object captured by a single camera. The position detection method detects the position or the attitude of the object by using a measurement pixel position in images of multiple points on the object, which images are captured by the single camera and have a known positional relationship. The method has a step of acquiring, without consideration of non-pinhole camera properties of the camera and based on the positional relationship between the multiple points and on the measurement pixel position, a position matrix representing rotation and translation of the object, a step of obtaining, with consideration of the non-pinhole camera properties of the camera, a correction pixel position corresponding to the measurement pixel position, a step of adjusting the position matrix so that a difference between the correction pixel position and the measurement pixel position is within a permissible range, and a step of defining, as the estimated position of the object, the position corresponding to the adjusted position matrix.
US08295562B2	Medical image modification to simulate characteristics A system of compensating a medical image to make it look like it came from either a different camera or from using a different dye or stain. The medical image is obtained and then processed using characteristics of the non-image related parts of the image. These non-image related parts can include the dye that was used to dye the image or the camera that was used to obtain the image. Then, the raw or partially raw image can be reprocessed using characteristics of the different non-image related part. For example, in one embodiment, the image is deconvolved to remove the influence of the camera that actually obtained the image, then reconvolved with information indicative of a different camera. In this way, the image is processed to make it look like it came from a different camera than the one that actually did in fact form it.
US08295561B2	Knowledge learning system and process for fingerprint verifications This invention relates to a novel technology of fingerprint verifications and identifications based on the accumulated knowledge base.

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